Photoactivation of Cryptochromes from Drosophila melanogaster and Sylvia borin: Insight into the Chemical Compass Mechanism by Computational Investigation

2015 ◽  
Vol 119 (10) ◽  
pp. 3883-3892 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gongyi Hong ◽  
Ruth Pachter
Keyword(s):  
Drosophila Melanogaster ◽  
Computational Investigation ◽  
Sylvia Borin ◽  
Insight Into

scholarly journals Cinnamides Target Leishmania amazonensis Arginase Selectively

Molecules ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 25 (22) ◽  
pp. 5271
Author(s):  
Edson Roberto da Silva ◽  
Júlio Abel Alfredo dos Santos Simone Come ◽  
Simone Brogi ◽  
Vincenzo Calderone ◽  
Giulia Chemi ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Caffeic Acid ◽  
Selective Inhibition ◽  
Leishmania Amazonensis ◽  
The Other ◽  
Computational Investigation ◽  
Weak Inhibitor ◽  
Starting Point ◽  
Insight Into ◽  
Caffeic Acid Phenethyl Amide

Caffeic acid and related natural compounds were previously described as Leishmania amazonensis arginase (L-ARG) inhibitors, and against the whole parasite in vitro. In this study, we tested cinnamides that were previously synthesized to target human arginase. The compound caffeic acid phenethyl amide (CAPA), a weak inhibitor of human arginase (IC50 = 60.3 ± 7.8 μM) was found to have 9-fold more potency against L-ARG (IC50 = 6.9 ± 0.7 μM). The other compounds that did not inhibit human arginase were characterized as L-ARG, showing an IC50 between 1.3–17.8 μM, and where the most active was compound 15 (IC50 = 1.3 ± 0.1 μM). All compounds were also tested against L. amazonensis promastigotes, and only the compound CAPA showed an inhibitory activity (IC50 = 80 μM). In addition, in an attempt to gain an insight into the mechanism of competitive L-ARG inhibitors, and their selectivity over mammalian enzymes, we performed an extensive computational investigation, to provide the basis for the selective inhibition of L-ARG for this series of compounds. In conclusion, our results indicated that the compounds based on cinnamoyl or 3,4-hydroxy cinnamoyl moiety could be a promising starting point for the design of potential antileishmanial drugs based on selective L-ARG inhibitors.

scholarly journals Structural, kinetic and computational investigation of Vitis vinifera DHDPS reveals new insight into the mechanism of lysine-mediated allosteric inhibition

2013 ◽  
Vol 81 (4-5) ◽  
pp. 431-446 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sarah C. Atkinson ◽  
Con Dogovski ◽  
Matthew T. Downton ◽  
Peter E. Czabotar ◽  
Renwick C. J. Dobson ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Vitis Vinifera ◽  
Computational Investigation ◽  
Allosteric Inhibition ◽  
Insight Into

scholarly journals Neural Circuits Underlying Behavioral Flexibility: Insights From Drosophila

2022 ◽  
Vol 15 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anita V. Devineni ◽  
Kristin M. Scaplen
Keyword(s):  
Drosophila Melanogaster ◽  
Neural Circuits ◽  
Neural Circuit ◽  
Internal State ◽  
Behavioral Responses ◽  
Behavioral Flexibility ◽  
Environmental Context ◽  
Behavioral State ◽  
Insight Into

Behavioral flexibility is critical to survival. Animals must adapt their behavioral responses based on changes in the environmental context, internal state, or experience. Studies in Drosophila melanogaster have provided insight into the neural circuit mechanisms underlying behavioral flexibility. Here we discuss how Drosophila behavior is modulated by internal and behavioral state, environmental context, and learning. We describe general principles of neural circuit organization and modulation that underlie behavioral flexibility, principles that are likely to extend to other species.

scholarly journals In vitro studies provide insight into effects of Dicer-2 helicase mutations in Drosophila melanogaster

RNA ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 26 (12) ◽  
pp. 1847-1861 ◽  
Author(s):  
Helen M. Donelick ◽  
Loïc Talide ◽  
Matthieu Bellet ◽  
P. Joseph Aruscavage ◽  
Emilie Lauret ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Drosophila Melanogaster ◽  
In Vitro Studies ◽  
Insight Into

scholarly journals The molecular architecture of the meiotic spindle is remodeled during metaphase arrest in oocytes

2019 ◽  
Vol 218 (9) ◽  
pp. 2854-2864 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mariana F.A. Costa ◽  
Hiroyuki Ohkura
Keyword(s):  
Drosophila Melanogaster ◽  
Meiotic Spindle ◽  
Cross Linking ◽  
Molecular Architecture ◽  
Metaphase Arrest ◽  
Bipolar Spindle ◽  
Microtubule Attachment ◽  
Insight Into ◽  
Transgenic Flies ◽  
Metaphase I

Before fertilization, oocytes of most species undergo a long, natural arrest in metaphase. Before this, prometaphase I is also prolonged, due to late stable kinetochore–microtubule attachment. How oocytes stably maintain the dynamic spindle for hours during these periods is poorly understood. Here we report that the bipolar spindle changes its molecular architecture during the long prometaphase/metaphase I in Drosophila melanogaster oocytes. By generating transgenic flies expressing GFP-tagged spindle proteins, we found that 14 of 25 spindle proteins change their distribution in the bipolar spindle. Among them, microtubule cross-linking kinesins, MKlp1/Pavarotti and kinesin-5/Klp61F, accumulate to the spindle equator in late metaphase. We found that the late equator accumulation of MKlp1/Pavarotti is regulated by a mechanism distinct from that in mitosis. While MKlp1/Pavarotti contributes to the control of spindle length, kinesin-5/Klp61F is crucial for maintaining a bipolar spindle during metaphase I arrest. Our study provides novel insight into how oocytes maintain a bipolar spindle during metaphase arrest.

scholarly journals The scoop on the fly brain: glial engulfment functions in Drosophila

2007 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
pp. 63-74 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mary A. Logan ◽  
Marc R. Freeman
Keyword(s):  
Nervous System ◽  
Drosophila Melanogaster ◽  
Glial Cells ◽  
Model System ◽  
Adult Brain ◽  
Trauma Studies ◽  
Ideal Model ◽  
Ideal Model System ◽  
Insight Into ◽  
Developing Nervous System

AbstractGlial cells provide support and protection for neurons in the embryonic and adult brain, mediated in part through the phagocytic activity of glia. Glial cells engulf apoptotic cells and pruned neurites from the developing nervous system, and also clear degenerating neuronal debris from the adult brain after neural trauma. Studies indicate that Drosophila melanogaster is an ideal model system to elucidate the mechanisms of engulfment by glia. The recent studies reviewed here show that many features of glial engulfment are conserved across species and argue that work in Drosophila will provide valuable cellular and molecular insight into glial engulfment activity in mammals.

Mössbauer and computational investigation of a functional [NiFe] hydrogenase model complex

2015 ◽  
Vol 51 (11) ◽  
pp. 2099-2102 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. Kochem ◽  
E. Bill ◽  
F. Neese ◽  
M. van Gastel
Keyword(s):  
Mössbauer Spectroscopy ◽  
Catalytic Mechanism ◽  
Mossbauer Spectroscopy ◽  
Computational Investigation ◽  
Mößbauer Spectroscopy ◽  
Model Complex ◽  
Insight Into

Hydrogen splitting in a NiFe hydrogenase model has been investigated by Mössbauer spectroscopy to gain insight into the catalytic mechanism.

scholarly journals Cytogenetic Analysis of the Third Chromosome Heterochromatin of Drosophila melanogaster

Genetics ◽  
2002 ◽  
Vol 160 (2) ◽  
pp. 509-517
Author(s):  
Dmitry E Koryakov ◽  
Igor F Zhimulev ◽  
Patrizio Dimitri
Keyword(s):  
Drosophila Melanogaster ◽  
Mitotic Chromosome ◽  
Essential Genes ◽  
Chromosome 3 ◽  
Cytogenetic Map ◽  
Satellite Dnas ◽  
Genetic Organization ◽  
The Third ◽  
Heterochromatic Genes ◽  
Insight Into

Abstract Previous cytological analysis of heterochromatic rearrangements has yielded significant insight into the location and genetic organization of genes mapping to the heterochromatin of chromosomes X, Y, and 2 of Drosophila melanogaster. These studies have greatly facilitated our understanding of the genetic organization of heterochromatic genes. In contrast, the 12 essential genes known to exist within the mitotic heterochromatin of chromosome 3 have remained only imprecisely mapped. As a further step toward establishing a complete map of the heterochomatic genetic functions in Drosophila, we have characterized several rearrangements of chromosome 3 by using banding techniques at the level of mitotic chromosome. Most of the rearrangement breakpoints were located in the dull fluorescent regions h49, h51, and h58, suggesting that these regions correspond to heterochromatic hotspots for rearrangements. We were able to construct a detailed cytogenetic map of chromosome 3 heterochromatin that includes all of the known vital genes. At least 7 genes of the left arm (from l(3)80Fd to l(3)80Fj) map to segment h49–h51, while the most distal genes (from l(3)80Fa to l(3)80Fc) lie within the h47–h49 portion. The two right arm essential genes, l(3)81Fa and l(3)81Fb, are both located within the distal h58 segment. Intriguingly, a major part of chromosome 3 heterochromatin was found to be “empty,” in that it did not contain either known genes or known satellite DNAs.

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