Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Johan Paakkonen, Janne Janis, Juha Rouvinen
Summary: This article introduces a set of simulation applets for visualizing the behavior of association and dissociation reactions in protein studies. These applets can be used for experimental planning, result verification, and educational visualization of equilibria. Users can input the total concentrations and dissociation constants of protein species and complexes, and the applets output equilibrium concentrations graphically and numerically.
Article
Chemistry, Organic
Cameron A. Pascoe, Daniel B. Engelhardt, Albert Remus R. Rosana, Marco J. van Belkum, John C. Vederas
Summary: Neopetrosiamide, a 28-residue peptide from Neopetrosia sp., hinders mammalian tumor cell invasion by containing three disulfide bonds. The proper connectivity of disulfide bonds is crucial for its activity. Synthetic replacement of disulfide bridges can produce active analogues.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Giorgia Giordani, Giulia Cattabriga, Andrea Becchimanzi, Ilaria Di Lelio, Giovanna De Leva, Silvia Gigliotti, Francesco Pennacchio, Giuseppe Gargiulo, Valeria Cavaliere
Summary: Acetylcholine (ACh) is a major neurotransmitter in insects that not only mediates synaptic interactions in the central nervous system but also regulates the innate immune response. This study found that inhibiting ACh synthesis or transport in neurons reduced the activation of drosomycin, an antimicrobial peptide gene, in infected flies. Mutations in the Drosophila alpha 7 nicotinic acetylcholine receptor and expression of a dominant negative form of this receptor subunit also affected the transcription of drosomycin. Interestingly, the response was similar when the dominant negative form was expressed in non-neuronal tissues or hemocytes. Inhibition of ACh synthesis in non-neuronal cells also affected drosomycin expression. These findings reveal the involvement of neural and non-neural cholinergic signals in modulating insect immune defenses and highlight the role of hemocytes in regulating the humoral immune response.
INSECT BIOCHEMISTRY AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Pharmacology & Pharmacy
Yann S. Mineur, Alexa R. Soares, Ian M. Etherington, Zuhair I. Abdulla, Marina R. Picciotto
Summary: Human epidemiological studies have found a connection between nicotine intake and stress disorders such as anxiety, depression, and PTSD. This article reviews the clinical evidence for the activation and desensitization of nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs) in relation to affective disorders. It also discusses how nAChR function may contribute to anxiety and depressive disorders, making them potential targets for medication development. The article further explores the role of nAChR in limbic system areas and its impact on stress-related behaviors that are relevant to human affective disorders.
PHARMACOLOGICAL RESEARCH
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Vijay K. Sirohi, Theresa I. Medrano, Athilakshmi Kannan, Indrani C. Bagchi, Paul S. Cooke
Summary: Maternal uterine remodeling facilitated by EZH2 is crucial for successful pregnancy. Loss of EZH2 impairs decidualization, increases decidual senescence, and alters trophoblast differentiation, leading to pregnancy loss. These findings highlight the importance of EZH2 in regulating uterine physiology and pregnancy progression.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Rone S. Barbosa, Fabianne Ribeiro, Aline Silvestre Pereira Dornelas, Althieris de Souza Saraiva, Amadeu M. V. M. Soares, Renato Almeida Sarmento, Carlos Gravato
Summary: This study aimed to investigate the effects of a thiamethoxam-based formulation on a population of insects and found that the offspring showed higher tolerance to the formulation, suggesting that insect resistance to neonicotinoids may be associated with improved biological functions in the progeny.
ECOTOXICOLOGY AND ENVIRONMENTAL SAFETY
(2023)
Article
Biology
Richard J. Harris, Bryan G. Fry
Summary: The evolution of venom resistance through coevolutionary chemical arms races has been documented multiple times in the animal kingdom. Previous studies focused on N-glycosylation motifs and amino acid mutations in resistance to snake venom neurotoxins, but a new study has discovered a novel form of resistance through charge reversal mutations.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE ROYAL SOCIETY B-BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
(2021)
Article
Developmental Biology
Tomoaki Yoshida, Kazuhide Takada, Shihoko Komine-Aizawa, Yoshimasa Kamei, Osamu Ishihara, Satoshi Hayakawa
Summary: Recent studies indicate that Lactobacillus crispatus can promote trophoblast invasion by increasing the activation of MMP-1 and MMP-2, without affecting migration. This suggests that the dominance of Lactobacillus in the endometrium may be beneficial for implantation, but further research is needed to determine if it is favorable for successful placentation at the early stage of pregnancy.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Noemi D. Paguigan, Jortan O. Tun, Lee S. Leavitt, Zhenjian Lin, Kevin Chase, Cheryl Dowell, Cassandra E. Deering-Rice, Albebson L. Lim, Manju Karthikeyan, Ronald W. Hughen, Jie Zhang, Randall T. Peterson, Christopher A. Reilly, Alan R. Light, Shrinivasan Raghuraman, J. Michael McIntosh, Baldomero M. Olivera, Eric W. Schmidt
Summary: Molleamines A-E were identified as major neuroactive components in sea slugs and their prey tunicates, with synthetic 3 showing potential as a lead compound for developing neuroactive compounds with unique biological properties.
ACS CHEMICAL NEUROSCIENCE
(2021)
Article
Chemistry, Medicinal
Yong Wu, Junjie Zhang, Jie Ren, Xiaopeng Zhu, Rui Li, Dongting Zhangsun, Sulan Luo
Summary: In this study, the effect of substituting the naturally occurring L-type arginine at position 11 of the RgIA sequence with its D-type amino acid was investigated. The results showed that this substitution eliminated the ability of RgIA to block α9α10 nAChRs, but instead endowed it with the ability to block α7 nAChR activity. Structural analyses revealed that this substitution induced significant alteration of the secondary structure of RgIA[11r], which consequently affected its activity. These findings underscore the potential of D-type amino acid substitution as a promising strategy for designing novel conotoxin-based ligands targeting different types of nAChRs.
Article
Neurosciences
Navneesh Yadav, B. K. Thelma
Summary: Dysregulation of nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (nAChR) in astrocytes is implicated in neurodegenerative disorders. The potential chaperone role of RIC3 in nAChRs is poorly understood. This study characterized RIC3 in astrocytes derived from a del human iPSC line and found complex RNA regulatory mechanism induced by exonic deletion, contrasting effects of RIC-3 on co-expressed nAChR subtypes, and the potential of RIC3 as a drug target against ER stress for neurodegenerative disorders.
Article
Medicine, Research & Experimental
Huimin Shi, Renyu Kong, Xu Miao, Lingshan Gou, Xin Yin, Yuning Ding, Xiliang Cao, Qingyong Meng, Maosheng Gu, Feng Suo
Summary: Reduced levels of PPP1R3G may contribute to the progression of pre-eclampsia by suppressing trophoblast invasion and migration and targeting the Akt/MMP-9 signaling pathway.
EXPERIMENTAL BIOLOGY AND MEDICINE
(2023)
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Igor Kasheverov, Denis Kudryavtsev, Irina Shelukhina, Georgy Nikolaev, Yuri Utkin, Victor Tsetlin
Summary: The review highlights the importance of marine compounds in studying the structure and mechanism of nAChRs, as well as in drug discovery. Different classes of ligands, ranging from low molecular weight compounds to peptides and proteins, have been used to characterize and differentiate nAChRs subtypes. The use of sophisticated techniques, such as computer modeling and X-ray analysis, has provided valuable insights into the orthosteric and allosteric binding sites of nAChRs.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Xiaobo Zhou, Xue Zhao, Wei Zhou, Hongbo Qi, Hua Zhang, Ting-li Han, Philip Baker
Summary: This study found that suppressed expression of BNIP3 in preeclampsia patients is associated with impaired mitophagy, increased mitochondrial damage, and elevated apoptosis under oxidative stress conditions.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2021)
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Roberta Piovesana, Michael Sebastian Salazar Intriago, Luciana Dini, Ada Maria Tata
Summary: Neurological pathologies lead to neuroinflammation, which can exacerbate neuronal and glial cell damage. Targeting neuroinflammation may reduce brain injury and rescue neuronal and glial cell functions.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2021)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Roland Abi Nahed, Maya Elkhoury Mikhael, Deborah Reynaud, Constance Collet, Nicolas Lemaitre, Thierry Michy, Pascale Hoffmann, Frederic Sergent, Christel Marquette, Padma Murthi, Tiphaine Raia-Barjat, Nadia Alfaidy, Mohamed Benharouga
Summary: NLRP7 gene is overexpressed in gestational choriocarcinoma (CC) and may contribute to cancer cells' tolerance to the maternal immune system through regulating immune tolerance-related factors and promoting cell proliferation while inhibiting differentiation.
Review
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Sonya Kouthouridis, Eleanor Robson, Alicia Hartung, Sandeep Raha, Boyang Zhang
Summary: The development of microphysiological models is crucial in preclinical research. However, the role of sex, which often exhibits differences in physiological organ function and diseases, is often neglected in these models. Therefore, it is important to consider sex as a biological variable and this Opinion outlines five approaches for incorporating sex-specific features into current microphysiological models.
TRENDS IN BIOTECHNOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Cell Biology
Irvan Alfian, Amlan Chakraborty, Hannah E. J. Yong, Sheetal Saini, Ricky W. K. Lau, Bill Kalionis, Evdokia Dimitriadis, Nadia Alfaidy, Sharon D. Ricardo, Chrishan S. Samuel, Padma Murthi
Summary: This study found that the gene expression of placental inflammasomes is different in FGR pregnancies, which may contribute to abnormal trophoblast function.
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Tiphaine Raia-Barjat, Margaux Digonnet, Antoine Giraud, Taghreed Ayash, Seline Vancolen, Mohamed Benharouga, Celine Chauleur, Nadia Alfaidy, Guillaume Sebire
Summary: Preterm birth and chorioamnionitis have significant impacts on both infant and maternal health. Effective treatments and diagnostic methods are still lacking. Animal models can provide insights into the underlying mechanisms and aid in the development of novel therapies.
Article
Pediatrics
Chitmandeep Josan, Samantha Shiplo, Gerhard Fusch, Sandeep Raha, Alison K. Shea
Summary: This study investigates the effects of maternal cannabis use on the levels of macronutrients and bioactive factors in breast milk. The results show that cannabinoids are present in the milk of cannabis users, accompanied by increased lactose levels and decreased SIgA levels, which may have significant implications for infant health.
PEDIATRIC RESEARCH
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Chitmandeep Josan, Tina Podinic, Nikko Pfaff, Sandeep Raha
Summary: Pregnant and lactating women are discouraged from using cannabis, but the increasing rate of cannabis use among pregnant women necessitates urgent investigation into its physiological effects during the perinatal period. This study examines the impact of THC and CBD on mammary epithelial cell differentiation and finds that THC and CBD can negatively affect the synthesis of milk proteins and lipids in HC11 cells.
Article
Cell Biology
Deborah Reynaud, Nadia Alfaidy, Constance Collet, Nicolas Lemaitre, Frederic Sergent, Celine Miege, Emmanuelle Soleilhac, Alaa Al Assi, Padma Murthi, Gilles Courtois, Marie-Odile Fauvarque, Rima Slim, Mohamed Benharouga, Roland Abi Nahed
Summary: This study reveals for the first time the mechanism by which NLRP7 contributes to the growth and tumorigenesis of gestational choriocarcinoma (GC) through multiple mechanisms. The study found that NLRP7 is highly expressed in GC tumor cells and affects tumor development by regulating the activity of NF-κB, increasing malignant cell survival, dedifferentiation, camouflage, and facilitating lung metastasis. These findings provide potential molecular targets for the treatment of GC.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Hadi Younes, Ioanna Kyritsi, Zineb Mahrougui, Mohamed Benharouga, Nadia Alfaidy, Christel Marquette
Summary: The effects of PROK1 and PROK2 on murine cerebral cell lines were investigated in this study. It was found that PROK1 decreased neural cell proliferation, while PROK2 reduced the proliferation of all tested cell lines and increased their migration ability. Blocking PROKR1 and PROKR2 with antagonists inhibited PROK2-mediated astrocyte migration, and PROKs increased BBB permeability.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2023)
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Tina Podinic, Geoff Werstuck, Sandeep Raha
Summary: The endocannabinoid system (ECS) is an integrated signaling network that regulates various physiological processes and plays a crucial role in cellular growth and differentiation. Cannabinoid receptors are present on cellular and mitochondrial membranes and can be activated by different types of cannabinoids, making the ECS highly versatile. Evidence suggests that disruptions in the ECS can affect cellular differentiation and disrupt essential energy-sensing metabolic signaling pathways. This review aims to explore the extent of these disruptions and their implications for cellular differentiation.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2023)
Review
Pharmacology & Pharmacy
Martina Vincenzi, Amin Kremic, Appoline Jouve, Roberta Lattanzi, Rossella Miele, Mohamed Benharouga, Nadia Alfaidy, Stephanie Migrenne-Li, Anumantha G. Kanthasamy, Marimelia Porcionatto, Napoleone Ferrara, Igor V. Tetko, Laurent Desaubry, Canan G. Nebigil
Summary: This article introduces a type of small peptides called prokineticins (PKs) that were discovered 20 years ago. They play roles in various physiological and pathological processes and have the potential to be biomarkers. PKR1 and PKR2, their G-protein coupled receptors, can be therapeutic targets for cardiovascular, metabolic, and neural diseases. The article summarizes the current knowledge of PK family functions and emphasizes the future perspectives for research on PKs.
PHARMACOLOGICAL REVIEWS
(2023)
Article
Engineering, Biomedical
Sonya Kouthouridis, Alexander Sotra, Zaim Khan, Justin Alvarado, Sandeep Raha, Boyang Zhang
Summary: This study develops predictive models for early- and late-stage placental transport using blastocyst-derived placental stem cells (PSCs), demonstrating the critical effects of trophoblast differentiation and vascularization on placental barrier permeability. This model can be used to assess the fetal toxicity of xenobiotic substances during different stages of pregnancy, informing drug safety standards for pregnant women.
ADVANCED HEALTHCARE MATERIALS
(2023)
Article
Medicine, General & Internal
Jennifer E. Khoury, Leslie Atkinson, Susan Jack, Teresa Bennett, Sandeep Raha, Eric Duku, Andrea Gonzalez
Summary: The COVID-19 pandemic has had a unique impact on the mental health and well-being of pregnant individuals and parents of young children. However, the impact of COVID-19-related stress during pregnancy on early child biopsychosocial development remains unclear.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Tiphaine Raia-Barjat, Celine Chauleur, Constance Collet, Florence Rancon, Pascale Hoffmann, Morgane Desseux, Nicolas Lemaitre, Mohamed Benharouga, Antoine Giraud, Nadia Alfaidy
Summary: Serum EG-VEGF concentrations could be considered as a reliable biomarker for predicting spontaneous preterm birth in high-risk pregnant women with placenta-mediated complications.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2023)
Meeting Abstract
Cell & Tissue Engineering
S. Kouthouridis, L. Abdul, A. Sotra, S. Raha, B. Zhang
TISSUE ENGINEERING PART A
(2022)
Article
Education & Educational Research
Rebecca Collins-Nelsen, Frank Koziarz, Beth Levinson, Erin Allard, Stephanie Verkoeyen, Sandeep Raha
Summary: Research findings show that university students experience significant improvements in self-assessments of leadership, problem-solving, knowledge translation, and knowledge mobilization after participating in extracurricular volunteer programs. Adaptability emerges as a key skill developed unexpectedly by participants through working with young people. Extracurricular programs play a crucial role in the development of transferable skills, and the social contexts of experiential learning opportunities are significant in shaping skill development.
INNOVATIONS IN EDUCATION AND TEACHING INTERNATIONAL
(2022)
