Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Guenter A. Mueller, Timo D. Mueller
Summary: Glycosylphosphatidylinositol (GPI)-anchored proteins (APs) are expressed in all eukaryotic organisms and exert main physiological roles in intercellular transfer via extracellular vesicles and lipoprotein-like particles. Non-vesicular transfer is controlled by various factors and can occur directly or indirectly. This transfer induces phenotypes such as lipid and glycogen synthesis, suggesting its non-genetic inheritance nature based on the transmission of matter rather than information.
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Guenter A. Mueller, Timo D. Mueller
Summary: Glycosylphosphatidylinositol-anchored proteins (GPI-APs) are anchored to the outer leaflet of plasma membranes through covalent linkage to a highly conserved glycolipid. They can be released into the surrounding environment, undergoing distinct arrangements upon loss of their GPI anchor or incorporation into various complexes. In mammals, the (patho)physiological roles of released GPI-APs depend on their release mechanisms, cell types, and tissues involved, and are controlled by their removal from circulation.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Gunter A. Mueller, Andreas Lechner, Matthias H. Tschoep, Timo D. Mueller
Summary: The release of GPI-APs into the blood in response to metabolic stress and aging is influenced by interaction with serum proteins like GPLD1, affecting cell surface integrity. Upregulation of GPLD1 interaction with GPI-AP complexes is associated with hyperglycemic/hyperinsulinemic conditions. Serum proteins could modulate the translocation and lysis of GPI-APs.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Guenter A. Mueller, Timo D. D. Mueller
Summary: This article studied the effects of lipolytic release and intercellular transfer of GPI-APs on blood glucose metabolism. The results showed that insulin and antidiabetic sulfonylureas can both inhibit and promote the transfer of GPI-APs, depending on the levels of GPI-APs in serum proteins. These findings highlight the physiological and pathological significance of intercellular transfer of GPI-APs in the regulation of blood glucose metabolism.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2023)
Article
Microbiology
Paige Garrison, Umaer Khan, Michael Cipriano, Peter J. Bush, Jacquelyn McDonald, Aakash Sur, Peter J. Myler, Terry K. Smith, Stephen L. Hajduk, James D. Bangs
Summary: The turnover of VSG in African trypanosomes involves both direct shedding and GPI hydrolysis, with shedding of extracellular vesicles playing a minor role.
Article
Microbiology
Sean D. Liston, Luke Whitesell, Mili Kapoor, Karen J. Shaw, Leah E. Cowen
Summary: Invasive fungal infections have high mortality rates and the emergence of drug resistance necessitates the development of new antifungal drugs. Fosmanogepix is a new type of drug that inhibits fungal growth and has synergistic fungicidal effects with calcineurin inhibitors. The use of calcineurin inhibitors as immunosuppressants increases the risk of invasive fungal infections, but their interaction with fosmanogepix can mitigate this risk.
Article
Plant Sciences
Cesar Bernat-Silvestre, Yingxuan Ma, Kim Johnson, Alejandro Ferrando, Fernando Aniento, Maria Jesus Marcote
Summary: This study investigates the function of Arabidopsis Per1/PGAP3 genes, and finds that PGAP3A is essential for the efficient transport of GPI-anchored proteins from the ER to the plasma membrane/cell wall. The loss of PGAP3A function increases susceptibility to salt and osmotic stresses, possibly due to altered localization of GPI-APs. In addition, PGAP3B is shown to be a functional ortholog of Per1p.
FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Guenter A. Mueller, Timo D. Mueller
Summary: This study investigated the intercellular transfer of GPI-APs, which found that full-length GPI-APs can be transferred between cells and regulate metabolism by upregulating lipid and glycogen synthesis. The transfer and synthesis were inhibited by serum proteins and promoted by PIGs.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2022)
Article
Biochemical Research Methods
Shinsuke Nerome, Mai Tsuzuki, Minori Nizuka, Mao Takata, Yoshihiro Ojima, Masayuki Azuma
Summary: This study aimed to confirm whether emulsification could be detected by inhibiting GPI-anchor synthesis and identifying emulsification proteins released by inhibiting the synthesis of GPI-anchor or beta-1,3-glucan. The results showed that the emulsification phenomenon was weaker in GPI-anchor synthesis inhibition compared to beta-1,3-glucan synthesis inhibition. Phr2 protein was released upon GPI-anchor synthesis inhibition, and recombinant Phr2 showed a strong emulsification activity. Phr2 and Fba1 proteins were released upon beta-1,3-glucan synthesis inhibition, and recombinant Fba1 showed a strong emulsification activity.
JOURNAL OF MICROBIOLOGICAL METHODS
(2023)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Guenter A. Mueller, Matthias H. Tschoep, Timo D. Mueller
Summary: This study introduced a cell-free sensing system to investigate the physiological relevance and biochemical characteristics of intercellular transfer of Glycosylphosphatidylinositol-anchored proteins (GPI-APs). The research found that the transfer of GPI-APs is time- and temperature-dependent, can be blocked by certain substances, and is influenced by the metabolic state of the donor cells and sera.
Article
Biochemical Research Methods
Sayan Kundu, Chuwei Lin, Mohit Jaiswal, Venkanna Babu Mullapudi, Kendall C. Craig, Sixue Chen, Zhongwu Guo
Summary: A new method was developed to explore proteins interacting with GPI using a bifunctional probe. Through photoactivation and biotin installation, a series of GPI-associated membrane proteins were identified. These results not only demonstrate the potential of the new GPI probe in studying GPI interactions, but also highlight the important role of inositol in the biological functions of GPI anchors and GPI-anchored proteins.
JOURNAL OF PROTEOME RESEARCH
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Ankita Malik, Peter H. Seeberger, Gerald Brezesinski, Daniel Varon Silva
Summary: This study synthesized a series of GPI fragments and investigated their interactions and arrangement in monolayers as a 2-D membrane model. The results showed the importance of N-acetylglucosamine deacetylation for the formation of highly structured domains, as well as the role of unsaturated lipids in the formation and localization of glycolipids within membrane microdomains. These findings contribute to understanding the role of glycolipids and their modifications in membrane organization.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Mingyi Li, Jing Zheng, Xi He, Xinjun Zhang
Summary: In this study, we characterized Tiki proteins as GPI-anchored proteases and found that the GPI anchor determines their cellular localization and regulation by GDEs, but not their inhibitory activity on Wnt signaling.
Article
Plant Sciences
Yingxuan Ma, Julian Ratcliffe, Antony Bacic, Kim L. Johnson
Summary: Understanding the promoter and functional domains of FLA12 has provided new insights into the regulation of SCW development and the functional specificity of FLAs for plant growth and development.
FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Miguel Rodriguez de Los Santos, Marion Rivalan, Friederike S. David, Alexander Stumpf, Julika Pitsch, Despina Tsortouktzidis, Laura Moreno Velasquez, Anne Voigt, Karl Schilling, Daniele Mattei, Melissa Long, Guido Vogt, Alexej Knaus, Bjorn Fischer-Zirnsak, Lars Wittler, Bernd Timmermann, Peter N. Robinson, Denise Horn, Stefan Mundlos, Uwe Kornak, Albert J. Becker, Dietmar Schmitz, York Winter, Peter M. Krawitz
Summary: Pathogenic germline mutations in PIGV lead to glycosylphosphatidylinositol biosynthesis deficiency (GPIBD). By introducing the prevalent hypomorphic missense mutation found in European patients into mice, researchers successfully created a mouse model that mirrors the cognitive impairments, motor deficits, and other symptoms observed in human patients. The study provides insights into the pathophysiology of GPIBD and the role of GPI-anchor-related pathways in brain development.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
(2021)
Article
Pharmacology & Pharmacy
Thorben Fischer, Thomas Tschernig, Franziska Drews, Kristina Brix, Carola Meier, Martin Simon, Ralf Kautenburger, Marc Schneider
Summary: The development of a microparticulate, cylindrical delivery system for efficient delivery of siRNA to the lung was successful. This system significantly reduced TNF-alpha release from human macrophages by more than 30%. The study demonstrates the potential of this formulation as an effective oligonucleotide delivery system with sustained release properties.
EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF PHARMACEUTICS AND BIOPHARMACEUTICS
(2021)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Damiano Piovesan, Marco Necci, Nahuel Escobedo, Alexander Miguel Monzon, Andras Hatos, Ivan Micetic, Federica Quaglia, Lisanna Paladin, Pathmanaban Ramasamy, Zsuzsanna Dosztanyi, Wim F. Vranken, Norman E. Davey, Gustavo Parisi, Monika Fuxreiter, Silvio C. E. Tosatto
Summary: The latest version of MobiDB database provides more flexibility and visualization tools, allowing users to search and download large datasets more quickly.
NUCLEIC ACIDS RESEARCH
(2021)
Article
Cell Biology
Luciano Kagami, Joel Roca-Martinez, Jose Gavalda-Garcia, Pathmanaban Ramasamy, K. Anton Feenstra, Wim F. Vranken
Summary: The website offers protein sequence-based predictions for 27 SARS-CoV-2 proteins, including backbone and side-chain dynamics, conformational propensities, early folding, disorder, beta-sheet aggregation, protein-protein interaction, and epitope propensities. These predictions aim to capture the inherent biophysical propensities encoded in the sequence rather than context-dependent behavior. Furthermore, the biophysical variation observed in homologous proteins provides insight into the limits of their functionally relevant behavior.
BMC MOLECULAR AND CELL BIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Plant Sciences
Daniel Hickl, Franziska Drews, Christopher Girke, David Zimmer, Timo Muehlhaus, Jan Hauth, Karl Nordstroem, Oliver Trentmann, Ekkehard H. Neuhaus, David Scheuring, Tobias Fehlmann, Andreas Keller, Martin Simon, Torsten Moehlmann
Summary: The study provides a comprehensive characterization of Arabidopsis vacuolar RNAome, showing the presence of ribosomal RNAs, transfer RNAs, and small RNA types. Autophagy is a main mechanism for RNA transport to the vacuole, with atg5-1 mutants showing reduced chloroplast-derived RNA species. The analysis suggests potential up-regulation of alternative RNA breakdown pathways in response to autophagy deficiency.
JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL BOTANY
(2021)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Mihaly Varadi, Stephen Anyango, David Armstrong, John Berrisford, Preeti Choudhary, Mandar Deshpande, Nurul Nadzirin, Sreenath S. Nair, Lukas Pravda, Ahsan Tanweer, Bissan Al-Lazikani, Claudia Andreini, Geoffrey J. Barton, David Bednar, Karel Berka, Tom Blundell, Kelly P. Brock, Jose Maria Carazo, Jiri Damborsky, Alessia David, Sucharita Dey, Roland Dunbrack, Juan Fernandez Recio, Franca Fraternali, Toby Gibson, Manuela Helmer-Citterich, David Hoksza, Thomas Hopf, David Jakubec, Natarajan Kannan, Radoslav Krivak, Manjeet Kumar, Emmanuel D. Levy, Nir London, Jose Ramon Macias, Madhusudhan M. Srivatsan, Debora S. Marks, Lennart Martens, Stuart A. McGowan, Jake E. McGreig, Vivek Modi, R. Gonzalo Parra, Gerardo Pepe, Damiano Piovesan, Jaime Prilusky, Valeria Putignano, Leandro G. Radusky, Pathmanaban Ramasamy, Atilio O. Rausch, Nathalie Reuter, Luis A. Rodriguez, Nathan J. Rollins, Antonio Rosato, Luis Serrano, Gulzar Singh, Petr Skoda, Carlos Oscar S. Sorzano, Jan Stourac, Joanna Sulkowska, Radka Svobodova, Natalia Tichshenko, Silvio C. E. Tosatto, Wim Vranken, Mark N. Wass, Dandan Xue, Daniel Zaidman, Janet Thornton, Michael Sternberg, Christine Orengo, Sameer Velankar
Summary: PDBe-KB is an open collaboration platform that aims to integrate functional and biophysical annotations from world-leading specialist data resources, serving the Protein Data Bank. By developing standardized data exchange formats and integrating functional annotations from partner resources, PDBe-KB aims to place macromolecular structure data in a biological context and provide valuable biological insights.
NUCLEIC ACIDS RESEARCH
(2022)
Review
Microbiology
Franziska Drews, Jens Boenigk, Martin Simon
Summary: The translation introduces the concept of epigenetics and its role in different organisms. Mammalian research focuses on cytosine methylation and histone modification, while ciliate research focuses on small RNA-mediated effects. Ciliates control the DNA content of sexual progeny through transgenerational RNA effects, suggesting that epigenetics plays an important role in controlling the genetic process of sexual macronuclei.
JOURNAL OF EUKARYOTIC MICROBIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Otorhinolaryngology
Sara Costa Gomes, Carlo Cavaliere, Simonetta Masieri, Thibaut Van Zele, Philippe Gevaert, Gabriele Holtappels, Nan Zhang, Pathmanaban Ramasamy, Richard Louis Voegels, Claus Bachert
Summary: This study evaluated the time for recovery of the sense of smell in patients with CRSwNP who underwent Reboot surgery compared to ESS. The results showed that Reboot surgery significantly improved olfactory function and reduced nasal polyp recurrence rates over a 2-year period.
EUROPEAN ARCHIVES OF OTO-RHINO-LARYNGOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Biochemical Research Methods
Pathmanaban Ramasamy, Elien Vandermarliere, Wim F. Vranken, Lennart Martens
Summary: Protein phosphorylation, the most common reversible post-translational modification of proteins, plays a key role in cellular processes. Using large-scale phospho-proteomics data, we analyze and characterize proteome-wide protein phosphorylation sites (P sites). Differentiating correctly observed P sites from false-positive sites, we explore the context of these P sites in terms of protein structure, solvent accessibility, structural transitions, disorder, and biophysical properties. We also investigate the relative prevalence of disease-linked mutations on and around P sites and assess the structural dynamics of P sites in their phosphorylated and unphosphorylated states. Reprocessing available proteomics experiments enables a more reliable understanding of proteome-wide P sites. Adding the structural context of proteins around P sites uncovers possible conformational switches upon phosphorylation, and by examining different biophysical contexts, we reveal the differential preference in protein dynamics at phosphorylated sites compared to nonphosphorylated counterparts.
JOURNAL OF PROTEOME RESEARCH
(2022)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Joel Roca-Martinez, Tamas Lazar, Jose Gavalda-Garcia, David Bickel, Rita Pancsa, Bhawna Dixit, Konstantina Tzavella, Pathmanaban Ramasamy, Maite Sanchez-Fornaris, Isel Grau, Wim F. F. Vranken
Summary: Traditionally, our understanding of protein behavior is based on overall protein fold and amino acid sequence, but many proteins show dynamic and structurally ambiguous behavior that cannot be accurately represented using traditional methods. Investigating protein dynamics relies heavily on computational models and there are limitations in describing the behavior of these proteins.
FRONTIERS IN MOLECULAR BIOSCIENCES
(2022)
Article
Microbiology
Marcello Pirritano, Yulia Yakovleva, Alexey Potekhin, Martin Simon
Summary: This study investigates the diversity and evolution of surface antigen genes in Paramecium. By screening the genomes of six different species, the authors identified 548 candidate surface antigen genes and identified subfamilies and consensus motifs within these genes. The results suggest that these surface antigen genes have undergone rapid evolution and may have receptor functions.
Article
Marine & Freshwater Biology
Silja Frankenbach, Jenny Melo Clavijo, Michael Brueck, Sabrina Bleidissel, Martin Simon, Gilles Gasparoni, Christina Lo Porto, Elise M. J. Laetz, Carola Greve, Alexander Donath, Laura Puetz, Corinna Sickinger, Joao Serodio, Gregor Christa
Summary: Sacoglossa is a group of sea slugs that incorporate stolen chloroplasts into their cells, but the contribution of these stolen organelles to their nutrition is still debated. To understand the effects of darkness on the slugs, researchers compared the gene expression and digestive activity of starved Elysia viridis slugs under continuous darkness and ambient light. Starvation in darkness led to up-regulation of genes related to glucose deficiency and down-regulation of genes related to development, cellular organization, and reproduction. The slugs can only access the photosynthates from stolen chloroplasts through autophagy during starvation. These stolen chloroplasts provide energetic support and help reduce starvation-induced stress.
Correction
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Morgane Boone, Pathmanaban Ramasamy, Jasper Zuallaert, Robbin Bouwmeester, Berre Van Moer, Davy Maddelein, Demet Turan, Niels Hulstaert, Hannah Eeckhaut, Elien Vandermarliere, Lennart Martens, Sven Degroeve, Wesley De Neve, Wim Vranken, Nico Callewaert
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2023)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Fabian Kern, Thomas Kuhn, Nicole Ludwig, Martin Simon, Laura Groeger, Natalie Fabis, Ernesto Aparicio-Puerta, Abdulrahman Salhab, Tobias Fehlmann, Oliver Hahn, Annika Engel, Viktoria Wagner, Marcus Koch, Katarzyna Winek, Hermona Soreq, Irina Nazarenko, Gregor Fuhrmann, Tony Wyss-Coray, Eckart Meese, Verena Keller, Matthias W. Laschke, Andreas Keller
Summary: Previous studies have shown that RNA molecules exhibit global and tissue-specific ageing patterns in both murine models and humans. In this study, we focused on extracellular vesicles (EVs), which are membrane vesicles that mediate the transfer of genetic information between tissues. We sequenced small regulatory RNAs (sncRNAs) in two fractions of mouse plasma at different time points, and observed unique ageing patterns in different sncRNA classes between the free-circulating (fc-RNA) and EV-bound (EV-RNA) fractions. Furthermore, we found that miR-29 family in adipose tissues, particularly in the EV-RNA fraction, was strongly associated with ageing.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Merle M. Nicolai, Marcello Pirritano, Gilles Gasparoni, Michael Aschner, Martin Simon, Julia Bornhorst
Summary: This study investigates the key pathways of transcriptional responses to manganese-induced neurotoxicity using the model organism Caenorhabditis elegans. The results show that exposure to manganese chloride leads to a large number of differentially expressed genes, potentially involving oxidative nucleotide damage, unfolded protein response and innate immunity. Furthermore, the transcriptional response after manganese chloride exposure is time-dependent.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Bart Van Puyvelde, Katleen Van Uytfanghe, Olivier Tytgat, Laurence Van Oudenhove, Ralf Gabriels, Robbin Bouwmeester, Simon Daled, Tim Van den Bossche, Pathmanaban Ramasamy, Sigrid Verhelst, Laura De Clerck, Laura Corveleyn, Sander Willems, Nathan Debunne, Evelien Wynendaele, Bart De Spiegeleer, Peter Judak, Kris Roels, Laurie De Wilde, Peter Van Eenoo, Tim Reyns, Marc Cherlet, Emmie Dumont, Griet Debyser, Ruben t'Kindt, Koen Sandra, Surya Gupta, Nicolas Drouin, Amy Harms, Thomas Hankemeier, Donald J. L. Jones, Pankaj Gupta, Dan Lane, Catherine S. Lane, Said El Ouadi, Jean-Baptiste Vincendet, Nick Morrice, Stuart Oehrle, Nikunj Tanna, Steve Silvester, Sally Hannam, Florian C. Sigloch, Andrea Bhangu-Uhlmann, Jan Claereboudt, N. Leigh Anderson, Morteza Razavi, Sven Degroeve, Lize Cuypers, Christophe Stove, Katrien Lagrou, Geert A. Martens, Dieter Deforce, Lennart Martens, Johannes P. C. Vissers, Maarten Dhaenens
Summary: The rapid spread of COVID-19 is attributed to rising population density and global mobility, making accurate monitoring of the disease essential for policy responses. The current reliance on RT-PCR for diagnosis has limitations due to reagent shortages, prompting the development of an alternative test using mass spectrometry to detect SARS-CoV-2 proteins. The Cov-MS consortium and Digital Incubator were established to enhance the applicability and accessibility of this new diagnostic approach.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Philipp Grad, Katarina Edwards, Lars Gedda, Victor Agmo Hernandez
Summary: This study investigates the effects of polyethylene glycol-(PEG) modified lipids and gangliosides on the Ca2+ induced interaction between liposomes composed of palmitoyl-oleoyl phosphatidylethanolamine (POPE) and palmitoyl-oleoyl phosphatidylserine (POPS) at physiological ionic strength. The results show that naked liposomes tend to adhere, rupture, and collapse on each other's surfaces upon addition of Ca2+, eventually resulting in the formation of large multilamellar aggregates and bilayer sheets. However, the presence of gangliosides or PEGylated lipids leads to the formation of small, long-lived bilayer fragments/disks. PEGylated lipids seem to be more effective than gangliosides at stabilizing these structures. The study suggests that direct liposome-liposome fusion is not the dominating process triggered by Ca2+ in the systems studied.
BIOCHIMICA ET BIOPHYSICA ACTA-BIOMEMBRANES
(2024)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Saurabh Saraswat, Archana Chugh
Summary: Cell penetrating peptides (CPP) are important tools for intracellular delivery of molecules. In this study, a novel marine-derived CPP from Engraulis japonicus, called Engraulisin, was reported. Engraulisin demonstrated successful cellular uptake and selective antimicrobial activity against Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), making it a potential candidate for drug delivery.
BIOCHIMICA ET BIOPHYSICA ACTA-BIOMEMBRANES
(2024)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Emanuela Efodili, Ashlynn Knight, Maryem Mirza, Cedric Briones, Il-Hyung Lee
Summary: This study demonstrates the spontaneous transfer of small membrane-bound peptides between a supported lipid bilayer and giant unilamellar vesicles in vitro. The transfer occurs through the formation of hemi-fusion stalks and is limited to small peptides due to the highly curved structure of the stalk. This system provides a synthetic platform for studying peptide trafficking between synthetic membranes.
BIOCHIMICA ET BIOPHYSICA ACTA-BIOMEMBRANES
(2024)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Yueqi Niu, Si Jia Chen, Jeffery B. Klauda
Summary: Macrophage membranes in the activated state are more tightly packed, exhibit increased chain order across lipid species, and form specific lipid clusters. These findings provide physiologically accurate models for future computational studies of macrophage membranes and their proteins.
BIOCHIMICA ET BIOPHYSICA ACTA-BIOMEMBRANES
(2024)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Niki Baccile, Vincent Chaleix, Ingo Hoffmann
Summary: This study measured the bending rigidity of self-assembled structures formed by a new biobased glucolipid bioamphiphile using neutron spin-echo (NSE) technology. The results showed that the bending rigidity of these structures is lower or higher compared to phospholipid membranes, providing a new theoretical basis for the application of these new molecular systems.
BIOCHIMICA ET BIOPHYSICA ACTA-BIOMEMBRANES
(2024)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Alain Bolano Alvares, Pablo E. A. Rodriguez, Gerardo D. Fidelio
Summary: The behavior of amphiphilic molecules at the air/water interface was studied to evaluate the arrangement formed in a confined area. The surface properties of zwitterionic DPPC lipid and A beta(1-40) amyloid peptide in mixed films were investigated at different temperatures. DPPC undergoes a phase transition depending on temperature and lateral pressure, which allows for the study of its influence on amyloid structure formation.
BIOCHIMICA ET BIOPHYSICA ACTA-BIOMEMBRANES
(2024)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Lukasz Plachta, Marzena Mach, Magdalena Kowalska, Pawel Wydro
Summary: Resveratrol, a popular phytoalexin found in grapes and red wine, has beneficial effects on the cardiovascular system, exhibits antiviral, antibacterial, and antifungal properties, and may have therapeutic effects against cancer. This study investigates the interaction of resveratrol with model cell membranes, demonstrating changes in their physicochemical parameters and highlighting the role of cholesterol content in resveratrol incorporation. The findings suggest that the molecular mechanism of action of resveratrol may involve interactions with lipid rafts.
BIOCHIMICA ET BIOPHYSICA ACTA-BIOMEMBRANES
(2024)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Edurne Rujas, Beatriz Apellaniz, Johana Torralba, David Andreu, Jose M. M. Caaveiro, Shixia Wang, Shan Lu, Jose L. Nieva
Summary: This study investigates the role of fusion peptide and Trp-rich membrane proximal external region in HIV-1 fusion and demonstrates that liposome-based formulations containing FP-MPER hybrid peptides can induce the production of specific neutralizing antibodies in rabbits. The results support the use of liposomes as vaccine carriers and the inclusion of lipid membranes in immunogens to elicit specific humoral responses.
BIOCHIMICA ET BIOPHYSICA ACTA-BIOMEMBRANES
(2024)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Dailin Li, Dingyuan Shi, Lei Wang
Summary: G protein-gated inwardly rectifying potassium (GIRK) channels play a significant role in regulating cell excitability. This study investigated the ion permeation mechanism in GIRK2 mutants using molecular dynamic simulations and QM/MM methods. The results revealed the importance of a multi-ion distribution for ion conduction.
BIOCHIMICA ET BIOPHYSICA ACTA-BIOMEMBRANES
(2024)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Max J. den Uijl, Arnold J. M. Driessen
Summary: Membrane protein insertion into and translocation across the bacterial cytoplasmic membrane are essential processes facilitated by the Sec translocon. The phospholipid dependence of membrane protein insertion has remained mostly unknown. This study reveals that the insertion of the mannitol permease MtlA into the membrane depends on the presence of phosphatidylglycerol and is stimulated by phosphatidylethanolamine.
BIOCHIMICA ET BIOPHYSICA ACTA-BIOMEMBRANES
(2024)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Patrick Allen, Adam C. Smith, Vernon Benedicto, Abbas Abdulhasan, Vasanthy Narayanaswami, Enrico Tapavicza
Summary: We explore the stability, size, and structure of nanodiscs formed by the N-terminal domain of apolipoprotein E3 and a variable number of 1,2-dimyristoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine molecules. Our simulations suggest that nanodiscs containing 240 to 420 DMPC molecules are stable. The antiparallel configuration shows more protein-protein interactions and ionic contacts, as well as greater stability and rigidity compared to the parallel configuration.
BIOCHIMICA ET BIOPHYSICA ACTA-BIOMEMBRANES
(2024)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Patrick M. Keating, Nicholas P. Schifano, Xinrui Wei, Matthew Y. Kong, Jinwoo Lee
Summary: Lassa virus (LASV) infection is dependent on the fusion of its viral membrane with the host cell membrane, and our study reveals that this fusion process involves pH-dependent conformational changes in the transmembrane domain of LASV. These findings provide valuable insights into the fusion mechanism of LASV and can be utilized in the design of therapeutics to combat Lassa virus infections and prevent its potential spread.
BIOCHIMICA ET BIOPHYSICA ACTA-BIOMEMBRANES
(2024)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Ashley L. Bennett, Kristen N. Cranford, Austin L. Bates, Christopher R. Sabatini, Hee-Seung Lee
Summary: This study employed molecular dynamics simulations to elucidate the binding, folding, and insertion details of TP10W in the cell membrane. The simulations revealed that TP10W can translocate across the lipid membrane as a monomer, and the charged amino acid side chains can move between lipid leaflets. Comparison with point mutated variants demonstrated significant conformational changes due to charge distribution.
BIOCHIMICA ET BIOPHYSICA ACTA-BIOMEMBRANES
(2024)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Jessica H. van Wonderen, Jason C. Crack, Marcus J. Edwards, Thomas A. Clarke, Gerhard Saalbach, Carlo Martins, Julea N. Butt
Summary: Electrogenic bacteria transfer excess respiratory electrons to metal oxide particles and electrodes through the MtrCAB complex. The crystal structure of MtrCAB from S. baltica OS185 was resolved, and liquid chromatography mass spectrometry was used to determine the mass values of the three proteins in purified MtrCAB complexes.
BIOCHIMICA ET BIOPHYSICA ACTA-BIOMEMBRANES
(2024)
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Yi-Ming Chen, Ching-Tai Lu, Chia-Wen Wang, Wolfgang B. Fischer
Summary: A series of dye ligands were ranked based on docking experiments, selecting the most suitable ligands for binding with different proteins. Additionally, a comparison study was conducted on a series of repurposing drugs and known antivirals.
BIOCHIMICA ET BIOPHYSICA ACTA-BIOMEMBRANES
(2024)
