Article
Clinical Neurology
Philipp Hendrix, Andrea Berger, Thomas N. Person, Mudit Gupta, Ramin Zand, Jiang Li, Vida Abedi, Oded Goren, Clemens M. Schirmer, Christoph J. Griessenauer
Summary: This study aimed to investigate the relationship between genotype variants of HMGB1 and RAGE and susceptibility to acute ischemic stroke, but no significant association between the two and stroke risk was observed. Results suggest that in sex-specific analysis, male patients carrying specific RAGE SNP genotypes may be correlated with stroke susceptibility. Therefore, the functional role of the HMGB1-RAGE axis in stroke pathogenesis requires further exploration.
JOURNAL OF CLINICAL NEUROSCIENCE
(2021)
Review
Pharmacology & Pharmacy
Mohammad Mahmoudian, Solmaz Maleki Dizaj, Sara Salatin, Raimar Lobenberg, Maryam Saadat, Ziba Islambulchilar, Hadi Valizadeh, Parvin Zakeri-Milani
Summary: Lipid-based nano-drug delivery systems (LBNDDSs), such as solid lipid nanoparticles (SLNs), have shown great potential in oral drug delivery due to their tunable properties. However, the susceptibility of SLNs to lipolysis poses challenges in developing more efficient delivery systems. This paper highlights factors affecting the digestion rate/level of SLNs in the gastrointestinal tract, providing valuable insights for researchers aiming to develop controlled drug delivery systems for oral applications.
EXPERT OPINION ON DRUG DELIVERY
(2021)
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Wangli Zheng, Nanhua Chen, Francois Meurens, Wanglong Zheng, Jianzhong Zhu
Summary: This study summarizes the mechanisms by which cGAS avoids sensing self-DNA under normal physiological conditions.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Animesh Pan, Bandaru V. N. Phani Kumar, Soumya S. Mati, Arpan Mal, Gorthy K. S. Prameela, Vinod K. Aswal, Satya P. Moulik
Summary: The aggregation behavior of amphiphiles in mixed aquo-organic solvent media is of great interest in various fields. This study investigates the effect of two water miscible alkanols (ethanol and isopropanol) on the aggregation behavior of the surfactant sodium dioctylsulfosuccinate (Aerosol-OT or AOT) in water. The results provide insights into the fundamental understanding of the process and offer explanations for the thermodynamics of micellization.
JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR LIQUIDS
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Md. Tuhinur R. Joy, Md Al Amin Hossain, Mansour K. Gatasheh, Shamim Mahbub, Mst. Nigar Sultana, Israt Jahan, Mihir L. Bhowmik, Nasrul Hoda, Md. Anamul Hoque, Shariff E. Kabir
Summary: Studying the interaction between drugs and surfactants is crucial for developing drug formulations and reducing antibiotic resistance. In this study, the interaction between cefixime trihydrate and dodecyltrimethylammonium bromide was evaluated under different experimental conditions, and various thermodynamic and micellar parameters were determined. The results showed that an increase in the concentration of alcohols and urea reduced the binding of counter ions and increased the critical micelle concentration of the mixed system. Higher temperatures delayed the micellization process. The findings indicate the existence of interactions between the two compounds, with electrostatic interactions being the main driving force in aqueous ethanol medium.
JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR LIQUIDS
(2022)
Article
Materials Science, Ceramics
Lim Jun Wei, Khairul Anuar Shariff, Syed Abdul Momin, Mohamad Hafizi Abu Bakar, Arief Cahyanto
Summary: This study investigated the effect of citric acid concentration as an inhibitor on beta-tricalcium phosphate granular cement properties. The findings showed that increasing citric acid concentration in the solution reduced the self-setting ability of beta-TCP granules and decreased the formation of DCPD crystals, leading to increased porosity and reduced compression strength of the set specimens.
JOURNAL OF THE AUSTRALIAN CERAMIC SOCIETY
(2021)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Chris J. Malajczuk, Blake Armstrong, Slawomir S. Stachura, Ricardo L. Mancera
Summary: The mechanism by which cryosolvents modify and penetrate cell membranes depends on their concentration and hydration state, with different chemical structures having significant effects on solvent-membrane interactions. Glycerol exhibited the highest capacity to cross-link lipids and promote membrane structural integrity across various hydration states.
JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL CHEMISTRY B
(2022)
Review
Plant Sciences
Lyndle K. Hardstaff, Karen D. Sommerville, Bryn Funnekotter, Eric Bunn, Catherine A. Offord, Ricardo L. Mancera
Summary: The Myrtaceae is a large and diverse family that includes economically and ecologically valuable species. In Australia, this family is particularly dominant and diverse, with numerous species and genera. However, the threat of myrtle rust caused by Austropuccinia psidii infection is a significant concern for Australian Myrtaceae species. Cryobiotechnology offers an alternative conservation strategy for exceptional species and a potential safe storage method for Myrtaceae species under threat.
Review
Biochemical Research Methods
Kimberly A. Young, Ricardo L. Mancera
Summary: This review examines the application of surface plasmon resonance (SPR) technique in studying the aggregation of amyloid beta in Alzheimer's disease, focusing on the influence of sample preparation methods on the experimental results.
ANALYTICAL BIOCHEMISTRY
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Ioannis Skarmoutsos, Ricardo L. Mancera, Stefano Mossa, Jannis Samios
Summary: The local intermolecular structure and related dynamics in the liquid cis/trans N-methylformamide mixture have been studied, revealing that the cis-conformers exhibit stronger hydrogen bonding, higher local structural cohesion, and slower reorientational dynamics.
JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR LIQUIDS
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Krushna Sonar, Ricardo L. Mancera
Summary: Intrinsically disordered peptide A beta 42 is associated with formation of amyloid plaques and Alzheimer's disease. The mechanism of oligomerization of A beta 42 is not well understood due to its structural disorder. Molecular dynamics simulations reveal that A beta 42 conformations with alpha-helical structure have a higher probability of initiating aggregation, shedding light on the mechanism of oligomerization of this disordered peptide.
JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL CHEMISTRY B
(2022)
Review
Neurosciences
Yuval Gurfinkel, Nicole Polain, Krushna Sonar, Penelope Nice, Ricardo L. Mancera, Sarah Lyn Rea
Summary: Mutations in the TBK1 gene are associated with frontotemporal lobar degeneration (FTLD) and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), and different mutation types have been reported. Nonsense mutations cause haploinsufficiency, while the disease mechanisms of missense mutations are not fully understood. TBK1 functions in neuroinflammation and regulates autophagy pathways. Studies have investigated the effects of missense mutations on TBK1 substrates, TBK1 homodimerization, interaction with optineurin, and the regulation of autophagy and neuroinflammatory pathways.
NEUROBIOLOGY OF DISEASE
(2022)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Sandra J. Moore, Evelyne Deplazes, Ricardo L. Mancera
Summary: This research used molecular dynamics simulations to predict the conformations of rat IAPP and human IAPP under different secondary structure contents, and tested various commonly used force fields and water models. The results showed that both proteins have similar conformational preferences but with slight differences, which may reflect their different aggregation propensities.
PROTEINS-STRUCTURE FUNCTION AND BIOINFORMATICS
(2023)
Article
Biology
Lily M. Whelehan, Emma L. Dalziell, Eric Bunn, Ricardo L. Mancera, Bryn Funnekotter
Summary: This study compared the metabolic rates of two Australian native plant species during cryopreservation and found a significant reduction in metabolic rates, even in tissues that regenerated after cryopreservation. The response to cryopreservation stresses varied among different species. Measuring the metabolic rate of shoot tips provides important information for cellular energy production and shoot health after exposure to cryoprotective treatments.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Janonna Kadyrov, Lanie Ruiz-Perez, Heather A. E. Benson, Ricardo L. Mancera
Summary: This study uses molecular dynamics simulations to investigate the mechanism of prodrugs' permeation through the skin, and finds that increased hydrophobicity can enhance drug permeation.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2022)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Lina Rozano, Yvonne M. M. Mukuka, James K. K. Hane, Ricardo L. L. Mancera
Summary: Characterizing the structure of fungal effectors is crucial in understanding their virulence mechanisms and developing disease-resistant plants. Using Rosetta ab initio modeling, the structures of ToxA-like and MAX effector families were successfully predicted, and potential new effector structural families were identified.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2023)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Lina Rozano, Darcy A. B. Jones, James K. K. Hane, Ricardo L. L. Mancera
Summary: The discovery of new fungal effector proteins is essential for screening cultivars for disease resistance. Current bioinformatics methods based on sequence analysis have limited success in predicting functional effector proteins. However, the availability of experimentally determined 3D structures has allowed for the identification of structural similarities among diverse fungal effectors. In this study, template-based modeling was used to predict the 3D structures of effector sequences, revealing matches with both fungal and non-fungal effector-like proteins. Accurate modeling of fungal effectors was achieved using RaptorX. The predicted structures can be used to study effector-plant interactions through molecular docking, improving our understanding of these interactions.
MOLECULAR BIOTECHNOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Plant Sciences
Bryn Funnekotter, Ricardo L. Mancera, Eric Bunn
Summary: The use of pH indicators provides a simple method to assess pH changes in tissue culture media, but it is rarely used in plant tissue culture media. This study tested three pH indicators and found that a combination of bromocresol green and bromocresol purple widened the observable color change to better assess pH changes. Different ratios of bromocresol green to bromocresol purple altered the pH range, with a 1:3 ratio providing a useful pH range of 5-6.5 and a 1:1 ratio providing a useful pH range of 4.5-6. These pH indicators showed no toxicity and could be sterilized by autoclaving. Adding these pH indicators to tissue culture collections can aid in routine maintenance by quickly assessing media pH.
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Wresti L. Anggayasti, Lutfi Ni'matus Salamah, Augustriandy Rizkymaris, Tatsuya Yamamoto, Andi Kurniawan
Summary: One major cause of aquatic pollution is the accumulation of heavy metal ions. This review examines the use of natural biofilm as a biosorbent for Mg(II), Cr(VI), and Cu(II) as an eco-friendly, economical, and efficient remediation strategy. Biofilm matrices collected from freshwater ecosystems show universal biosorption properties, with adsorption occurring within 1 minute. The biosorption characteristics are determined by the charge density and solubility of the metal ions. Understanding the physicochemical properties of heavy metal pollutants is crucial for effective bioremediation using natural biofilm.
ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTANTS AND BIOAVAILABILITY
(2023)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Lina Rozano, James K. Hane, Ricardo L. Mancera
Summary: In this study, molecular docking simulations were used to predict the interactions between fungal effector proteins and their target host receptor binding partners. The results demonstrated the potential of this computational approach in accelerating the discovery of putative plant partners of effector proteins and supporting the breeding of disease-resistant crops.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2023)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Chris J. Malajczuk, Ricardo L. Mancera
Summary: Surface lipids influence the structure and function of high-density lipoproteins (HDLs). This study investigated the effects of different surface lipid compositions on HDL particles using molecular dynamics simulation. The findings suggest that specific lipid species can significantly impact HDL particle curvature, surface rigidity, and lipid dynamics, potentially influencing biological functions such as lipid scavenging and receptor interactions.
BIOCHIMICA ET BIOPHYSICA ACTA-BIOMEMBRANES
(2023)
