Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Willy Carrasquel-Ursulaez, Ignacio Segura, Ignacio Diaz-Franulic, Felipe Echeverria, Yenisleidy Lorenzo-Ceballos, Nicolas Espinoza, Maximiliano Rojas, Jose Antonio Garate, Eduardo Perozo, Osvaldo Alvarez, Fernando D. Gonzalez-Nilo, Ramon Latorre
Summary: This study demonstrates that two arginines in the transmembrane segment S4 function as the gating charges of BK channels, and the energy landscape of gating particles is tuned by a network of salt bridges in the voltage sensor domain (VSD). Unlike Kv channels, the charge movement in BK seems limited to a small displacement of the guanidinium moieties of R210 and R213.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
(2022)
Review
Immunology
Remi Safi, Miguel Sanchez-Alvarez, Marta Bosch, Caroline Demangel, Robert G. Parton, Albert Pol
Summary: Microbes have developed strategies to exploit lipid droplets (LDs), which are major lipid storage organelles in eukaryotes, as a source of nutrients for host colonization. However, recent studies have shown that LDs possess protein-mediated antibiotic activity, which is upregulated in response to danger signals and sepsis. LDs may serve as a chokepoint utilized by the innate immune system to defend against intracellular pathogens.
IMMUNOLOGICAL REVIEWS
(2023)
Review
Microbiology
Marlene Benchimol, Ana Paula Gadelha, Wanderley de Souza
Summary: This review presents the main cell organelles and structures of two important protist parasites, Giardia intestinalis, and Trichomonas vaginalis, and highlights their potential as new drug targets. The development of highly specific compounds that interfere with key steps of essential metabolic pathways or in functional macromolecular complexes associated with cell structures and organelles is important for improving the quality of chemotherapy against parasitic protozoa.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Lara Garcia-Varela, Pascalle Mossel, Pablo Aguiar, Daniel A. Vazquez-Matias, Aren van Waarde, Antoon T. M. Willemsen, Anna L. Bartels, Nicola A. Colabufo, Rudi A. J. O. Dierckx, Philip H. Elsinga, Gert Luurtsema
Summary: This study found that small changes in P-gp function caused by low doses of tariquidar could be detected by [F-18]MC225-K-1 values, confirming the high sensitivity of the radiotracer.
JOURNAL OF CONTROLLED RELEASE
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Hortensia Torres-Torrelo, Patricia Ortega-Saenz, Lin Gao, Jose Lopez-Barneo
Summary: Lactate, traditionally seen as a by-product of anaerobic metabolism, is now understood to be a crucial fuel for mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation and a signaling molecule with medical significance. Changes in blood lactate levels can trigger adaptive responses in normal and pathological conditions. Carotid body cells are shown to sense lactate and hypoxia through separate mechanisms, but activate the same pathway to enhance compensatory respiratory reflexes.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2021)
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Joanna Lapczuk-Romanska, Maria Drozdzik, Stefan Oswald, Marek Drozdzik
Summary: The kidney is not only involved in metabolite elimination, but also plays a critical role in pharmacotherapy. Membrane carriers and transporters expressed in kidney tubule epithelial cells are important in drug elimination, determining drug nephrotoxicity and drug-drug interactions, as well as serving as direct drug targets. This review discusses these aspects of kidney transport proteins.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Yassamine Lazrek, Celia Florimond, Beatrice Volney, Manon Discours, Emilie Mosnier, Sandrine Houze, Stephane Pelleau, Lise Musset
Summary: Molecular detection methods show higher sensitivity and specificity for malaria diagnosis compared to microscopy and rapid diagnostic tests. A multiplex real-time PCR assay was implemented and validated in this study to detect and identify the five human malaria parasites according to ISO 15,189 requirements. The PCR method exhibited excellent sensitivity and specificity, with detection limits varying for each parasite species.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2023)
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Michele Galluccio, Lara Console, Lorena Pochini, Mariafrancesca Scalise, Nicola Giangregorio, Cesare Indiveri
Summary: Membrane transport systems play a crucial role in maintaining cell homeostasis and drug interactions. E. coli is a preferred host for expressing human membrane proteins, but their hydrophobicity and structural differences pose challenges. This review summarizes various strategies for expressing human transport systems in bacteria.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Tingxizi Liang, Di Wen, Guojun Chen, Amanda Chan, Zhaowei Chen, Hongjun Li, Zejun Wang, Xiao Han, Liping Jiang, Jun-Jie Zhu, Zhen Gu
Summary: The lipid droplets in adipocytes have been demonstrated to be a controllable and biocompatible vehicle for delivering anticancer drugs, enhancing the therapeutic effect of cancer photodynamic therapy through various pathways. Loading a lipid-conjugated photosensitizer into the lipid droplets reduces its IC50 value by 6.0-fold. In vivo results show that engineered lipid droplets effectively inhibit tumor growth with minimal side effects.
ADVANCED MATERIALS
(2021)
Editorial Material
Pharmacology & Pharmacy
Sanjay K. Nigam, Jeffry C. Granados
Summary: The passage explores the true functions of drug transporters, drug metabolizing enzymes, and regulatory proteins involved in drug ADME.
CLINICAL PHARMACOLOGY & THERAPEUTICS
(2022)
Review
Cell Biology
Ruoxi Zhang, Rui Kang, Daniel J. Klionsky, Daolin Tang
Summary: Ion exchange between intracellular and extracellular spaces is crucial for cell metabolism and signal transduction. Autophagy, as a lysosomal-dependent degradation pathway, regulates cellular homeostasis through recycling of components and is influenced by ion channels and transporters. ATG proteins are central to the formation of autophagy-related structures, while the regulation of autophagy in mammalian cells involves ion channels and transporters.
Article
Cell Biology
Yu Yuan, Bethan S. Kilpatrick, Susanne Gerndt, Franz Bracher, Christian Grimm, Anthony H. Schapira, Sandip Patel
Summary: This study demonstrates that GPN-induced Ca2+ signals are likely derived from acidic organelles by affecting lysosomal pH, rather than acting directly on lysosomes or cytosolic pH.
JOURNAL OF CELL SCIENCE
(2021)
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Francisco J. Ruiz-Castilla, Francisco S. Ruiz Perez, Laura Ramos-Moreno, Jose Ramos
Summary: Potassium is essential for life and plays various roles in all living organisms. Eukaryotic cells have complex and regulated transport systems to maintain potassium homeostasis. The knowledge about the potassium transporters in the pathogenic yeast Candida albicans is limited, especially for those present in intracellular membranes. The potential links between pathogenicity and potassium homeostasis are discussed, as well as the possibility of using these transporters as targets for new antifungal drugs.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2022)
Article
Pharmacology & Pharmacy
Ruhul Kayesh, Vishakha Tambe, Chao Xu, Wei Yue
Summary: Impaired transport activity of hepatic OATP1B1 and OATP1B3 due to drug-drug interactions (DDIs) often leads to increased systemic exposure to substrate drugs. This study aimed to assess the OATP1B1- and OATP1B3-mediated DDI potential of the calcium channel blocker nicardipine. The results showed that nicardipine has the potential to cause OATP1B1/3-mediated DDIs, and the consideration of optimal preincubation conditions is important when assessing these interactions in vitro.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Ajay C. Donepudi, Yoojin Lee, Ji-Young Lee, John D. Schuetz, Jose E. Manautou
Summary: The lack of Mrp4 expression is associated with adipocyte hypertrophy and increased blood glucose and leptin levels, impairing glucose tolerance. Inhibiting Mrp4 increases adipogenesis and alters adipogenic gene expression. Lack of Mrp4 activity leads to increased activation of Creb and decreased PGE levels, promoting the metabolic phenotype in Mrp4(-/-) mice.