A Buried Glutamate in the Cross-β Core Renders β-endorphin Fibrils Reversible

Nanoscale ◽  
2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yuying Liu ◽  
Yu Zhang ◽  
Yunxiang Sun ◽  
Feng Ding
Keyword(s):  
Biological Functions ◽  
Naturally Occurring ◽  
Irreversible Aggregation ◽  
The Cross ◽  
Living Organisms ◽  
Functional Amyloids

Functional amyloids are abundant in living organisms from prokaryotes to eukaryotes playing diverse biological functions. In contrast to the irreversible aggregation of most known pathological amyloids, we postulate that naturally-occurring...

scholarly journals Extreme Amyloid Polymorphism in Staphylococcus aureus Virulent PSMα Peptides

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nir Salinas ◽  
Jacques-Philippe Colletier ◽  
Asher Moshe ◽  
Meytal Landau
Keyword(s):  
Staphylococcus Aureus ◽  
High Stability ◽  
Amyloid Fibrils ◽  
Full Length ◽  
Naturally Occurring ◽  
Peptide Family ◽  
Β Amyloid ◽  
Β Sheets ◽  
The Cross ◽  
Functional Amyloids

AbstractMembers of the Staphylococcus aureus phenol-soluble modulin (PSM) peptide family are secreted as functional amyloids that serve diverse roles in pathogenicity and may be present as full-length peptides or as naturally occurring truncations. We recently showed that the activity of PSMα3, the most toxic member, stems from the formation of cross-α fibrils, which are at variance with the cross-β fibrils linked with eukaryotic amyloid pathologies. Here, we show that PSMα1 and PSMα4, involved in biofilm structuring, form canonical cross-β amyloid fibrils wherein β-sheets tightly mate through steric zipper interfaces, conferring high stability. Contrastingly, a truncated PSMα3 has antibacterial activity, forms reversible fibrils, and reveals two polymorphic and atypical β-rich fibril architectures. These architectures are radically different from both the cross-α fibrils formed by full-length PSMα3, and from the canonical cross-β fibrils. Our results point to structural plasticity being at the basis of the functional diversity exhibited by S. aureus PSMαs.

scholarly journals Peptides encoded by noncoding genes: challenges and perspectives

2019 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Shuo Wang ◽  
Chuanbin Mao ◽  
Shanrong Liu
Keyword(s):  
Critical Review ◽  
Life Sciences ◽  
Future Trends ◽  
Biological Functions ◽  
Entry Points ◽  
Extracellular Stimuli ◽  
Living Organisms ◽  
Action Modes ◽  
Adjustment Mechanisms

AbstractIn recent years, noncoding gene (NCG) translation events have been frequently discovered. The resultant peptides, as novel findings in the life sciences, perform unexpected functions of increasingly recognized importance in many fundamental biological and pathological processes. The emergence of these novel peptides, in turn, has advanced the field of genomics while indispensably aiding living organisms. The peptides from NCGs serve as important links between extracellular stimuli and intracellular adjustment mechanisms. These peptides are also important entry points for further exploration of the mysteries of life that may trigger a new round of revolutionary biotechnological discoveries. Insights into NCG-derived peptides will assist in understanding the secrets of life and the causes of diseases, and will also open up new paths to the treatment of diseases such as cancer. Here, a critical review is presented on the action modes and biological functions of the peptides encoded by NCGs. The challenges and future trends in searching for and studying NCG peptides are also critically discussed.

scholarly journals Survival is reduced when endogenous period deviates from 24 h in a non-human primate, supporting the circadian resonance theory

2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Clara Hozer ◽  
Martine Perret ◽  
Samuel Pavard ◽  
Fabien Pifferi
Keyword(s):  
Circadian Rhythms ◽  
Circadian Clock ◽  
Microcebus Murinus ◽  
Circadian Period ◽  
Biological Functions ◽  
Resonance Theory ◽  
Aging Research ◽  
Mouse Lemurs ◽  
Living Organisms ◽  
Human Primate

Abstract Circadian rhythms are ubiquitous attributes across living organisms and allow the coordination of internal biological functions with optimal phases of the environment, suggesting a significant adaptive advantage. The endogenous period called tau lies close to 24 h and is thought to be implicated in individuals’ fitness: according to the circadian resonance theory, fitness is reduced when tau gets far from 24 h. In this study, we measured the endogenous period of 142 mouse lemurs (Microcebus murinus), and analyzed how it is related to their survival. We found different effects according to sex and season. No impact of tau on mortality was found in females. However, in males, the deviation of tau from 24 h substantially correlates with an increase in mortality, particularly during the inactive season (winter). These results, comparable to other observations in mice or drosophila, show that captive gray mouse lemurs enjoy better fitness when their circadian period closely matches the environmental periodicity. In addition to their deep implications in health and aging research, these results raise further ecological and evolutionary issues regarding the relationships between fitness and circadian clock.

scholarly journals A Review on Polyamines and Biotic Stresses in Plants

2018 ◽  
Vol 6 (5) ◽  
Author(s):  
Md Azizul Islam ◽  
Pulak Maitra ◽  
Dipa Mandal
Keyword(s):  
Biotic Stress ◽  
Negative Charge ◽  
Science Research ◽  
Plant Science ◽  
Low Molecular Weight ◽  
Biological Functions ◽  
Membrane Stabilization ◽  
Biotic Stresses ◽  
Naturally Occurring ◽  
Recent Advancement

The biotic stresses are one of the main causes to the loss of crops, and their development, growth and productivity in the environment. Polyamines are positively charge compounds that have active potential power to DNA, RNA and protein (negative charge compounds), are exist in all living life for their low molecular weight and smallness. Naturally occurring polyamines are involved biotic stress response especially different plants disease and contribute the survival of plant in environment. They contribute a lot of different biological functions, such as controlling the cell cycle, protecting the cell, involve in gene expression, cell signaling replication, transcription, translation and membrane stabilization. This article specially highlights the recent advancement of polyamines in modern plant science research their impact of biotic stress specially the diseases caused by different microorganisms (bacteria, fungus) and creature systems.

scholarly journals FireProtDB: database of manually curated protein stability data

2020 ◽  
Vol 49 (D1) ◽  
pp. D319-D324
Author(s):  
Jan Stourac ◽  
Juraj Dubrava ◽  
Milos Musil ◽  
Jana Horackova ◽  
Jiri Damborsky ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Machine Learning ◽  
Elevated Temperatures ◽  
Recent Literature ◽  
Single Point ◽  
Biotechnological Applications ◽  
Computational Tools ◽  
Mild Conditions ◽  
Naturally Occurring ◽  
Stability Data ◽  
Living Organisms

Abstract The majority of naturally occurring proteins have evolved to function under mild conditions inside the living organisms. One of the critical obstacles for the use of proteins in biotechnological applications is their insufficient stability at elevated temperatures or in the presence of salts. Since experimental screening for stabilizing mutations is typically laborious and expensive, in silico predictors are often used for narrowing down the mutational landscape. The recent advances in machine learning and artificial intelligence further facilitate the development of such computational tools. However, the accuracy of these predictors strongly depends on the quality and amount of data used for training and testing, which have often been reported as the current bottleneck of the approach. To address this problem, we present a novel database of experimental thermostability data for single-point mutants FireProtDB. The database combines the published datasets, data extracted manually from the recent literature, and the data collected in our laboratory. Its user interface is designed to facilitate both types of the expected use: (i) the interactive explorations of individual entries on the level of a protein or mutation and (ii) the construction of highly customized and machine learning-friendly datasets using advanced searching and filtering. The database is freely available at https://loschmidt.chemi.muni.cz/fireprotdb.

scholarly journals Vitamins A and E: metabolism, roles and transfer to offspring

2005 ◽  
Vol 93 (2) ◽  
pp. 153-174 ◽  
Author(s):  
C. Debier ◽  
Y. Larondelle
Keyword(s):  
Intestinal Absorption ◽  
Present Article ◽  
Tissue Damage ◽  
Growth And Development ◽  
Therapeutic Agents ◽  
Biological Processes ◽  
Tissue Uptake ◽  
Biological Functions ◽  
Naturally Occurring ◽  
Blood Transport

Vitamins A and E are essential, naturally occurring, fat-soluble nutrients that are involved in several important biological processes such as immunity, protection against tissue damage, reproduction, growth and development. They are extremely important during the early stages of life and must be transferred adequately to the young during gestation and lactation. The present article presents an overview of their biological functions, metabolism and dynamics of transfer to offspring in mammals. Among other topics, the review focuses on the biochemical aspects of their intestinal absorption, blood transport, tissue uptake, storage and catabolism. It also describes their different roles as well as their use as preventive and therapeutic agents. Finally, the mechanisms involved in their transfer during gestation and lactation are discussed.

scholarly journals Quantitative characterization of iridescent colours in biological studies: a novel method using optical theory

2018 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
pp. 20180049 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hugo Gruson ◽  
Christine Andraud ◽  
Willy Daney de Marcillac ◽  
Serge Berthier ◽  
Marianne Elias ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Test Cases ◽  
Biological Functions ◽  
Quantitative Characterization ◽  
Biological Studies ◽  
Measurement Protocol ◽  
Evolutionary Studies ◽  
Angular Dependency ◽  
Novel Method ◽  
Living Organisms

Iridescent colours are colours that change with viewing or illumination geometry. While they are widespread in many living organisms, most evolutionary studies on iridescence do not take into account their full complexity. Few studies try to precisely characterize what makes iridescent colours special: their angular dependency. Yet, it is likely that this angular dependency has biological functions and is therefore submitted to evolutionary pressures. For this reason, evolutionary biologists need a repeatable method to measure iridescent colours as well as variables to precisely quantify the angular dependency. In this study, we use a theoretical approach to propose five variables that allow one to fully describe iridescent colours at every angle combination. Based on the results, we propose a new measurement protocol and statistical method to reliably characterize iridescence while minimizing the required number of time-consuming measurements. We use hummingbird iridescent feathers and butterfly iridescent wings as test cases to demonstrate the strengths of this new method. We show that our method is precise enough to be potentially used at intraspecific level while being also time-efficient enough to encompass large taxonomic scales.

scholarly journals Third-generation ionic liquids with N-alkylated 1,4-diazabicyclo[2.2.2]octane cations and pelargonate anions

RSC Advances ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (15) ◽  
pp. 8653-8663 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anna Turguła ◽  
Konrad Stęsik ◽  
Katarzyna Materna ◽  
Tomasz Klejdysz ◽  
Tadeusz Praczyk ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Ionic Liquids ◽  
Pelargonic Acid ◽  
Third Generation ◽  
Biological Functions ◽  
Naturally Occurring ◽  
Alkyl Derivatives ◽  
Derivatives Of ◽  
Deterrent Activity

Novel ionic liquids with cations based on alkyl derivatives of 1,4-diazabicyclo[2.2.2]octane (DABCO) and an anion derived from naturally occurring pelargonic acid possessed double biological functions: herbicidal and deterrent activity.

Binding of mitochondrial ATPase from ox heart to its naturally occurring inhibitor protein: Localization by antibody binding

1983 ◽  
Vol 3 (10) ◽  
pp. 921-926 ◽  
Author(s):  
Philip J. Jackson ◽  
David A. Harris
Keyword(s):  
Binding Site ◽  
Protein Localization ◽  
Antibody Binding ◽  
Heart Mitochondria ◽  
Mitochondrial Atpase ◽  
Β Subunit ◽  
Inhibitor Protein ◽  
Atpase Inhibitor ◽  
Naturally Occurring ◽  
The Cross

The naturally occurring ATPase inhibitor protein from ox heart mitochondria was cross-linked to its binding site on the mitochondrial ATPase using 1-ethyl-3-(dimethylamino)propyl carbodiimide. The cross-linked product, when transferred electrophoretically to a nitrocellulose sheet, reacted with antibodies directed against the inhibitor protein and the β-subunit of the ATPase. It was concluded that the binding site for the inhibitor protein lies on the β-subunit.

scholarly journals Mass Spectrometric Investigation of Organo-Functionalized Magnetic Nanoparticles Binding Properties toward Chalcones

Materials ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (16) ◽  
pp. 4705
Author(s):  
Mateusz Pawlaczyk ◽  
Rafał Frański ◽  
Michał Cegłowski ◽  
Grzegorz Schroeder
Keyword(s):  
Magnetic Nanoparticles ◽  
Mass Spectrometric ◽  
Biological Functions ◽  
Binding Properties ◽  
Functional Nanoparticles ◽  
Schiff Base Derivatives ◽  
Naturally Occurring ◽  
Functionalized Magnetic Nanoparticles ◽  
Adsorption Processes ◽  
Mass Spectrometric Techniques

Chalcones are naturally occurring compounds exhibiting multiple biological functions related to their structure. The investigation of complexes formed by chalcones, namely 2′,4′-dihydroxy-2-methoxychalcone (DH-2-MC) and 2′,4′-dihydroxy-3-methoxychalcone (DH-3-MC), with organo-functionalized Fe3O4 magnetic nanoparticles using mass spectrometric techniques is reported. The magnetic nanoparticles were obtained by the silanization of Fe3O4 particles with 3-aminopropyltrimethosysilane, which were subsequently reacted with 3-hydroxybenzaldehyde (3-HBA) or 2-pyridinecarboxaldehyde (2-PCA), resulting in the formation of Schiff base derivatives. The formation of their complexes with chalcones was studied using electrospray (ESI) and flowing atmosphere-pressure afterglow (FAPA) mass spectrometric (MS) ionization techniques. The functional nanoparticles which were synthesized using 3-hydroxybenzaldehyde displayed higher affinity towards examined chalcones than their counterparts obtained using 2-pyridinecarboxaldehyde, which has been proved by both ESI and FAPA techniques. For the examined chalcones, two calibration curves were obtained using the ESI-MS method, which allowed for the quantitative analysis of the performed adsorption processes. The presence of Cu(II) ions in the system significantly hindered the formation of material–chalcone complexes, which was proved by the ESI and FAPA techniques. These results indicate that both mass spectrometric techniques used in our study possess a large potential for the investigation of the binding properties of various functional nanoparticles.

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