Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Yu-Yung Chang, Meng-Hsuan Hsieh, Yen-Chieh Huang, Chun-Jung Chen, Ming-Tao Lee
Summary: In this study, the structural characteristics and thermal stability of α-crystallin proteins were investigated using CD and SAXS techniques. The results showed that α-crystallin proteins exhibited transition behavior in conformation with increasing temperature, and alpha A and alpha B crystallin had different properties in thermal stability. These findings provide important insights into the chaperone-like activity of α-crystallin proteins.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Luke A. Perera, Steffen Preissler, Nathan R. Zaccai, Sylvain Prevost, Juliette M. Devos, Michael Haertlein, David Ron
Summary: This study reveals the mechanism of regulation of the endoplasmic reticulum chaperone BiP by FICD-mediated AMPylation and deAMPylation, characterizing the structure of AMPylated BiP bound to FICD through X-ray crystallography and neutron scattering, shedding light on the process of BiP AMPylation and deAMPylation.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2021)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
David N. Azulay, Oliver Spaeker, Mnar Ghrayeb, Michaela Wilsch-Brauninger, Ernesto Scoppola, Manfred Burghammer, Ivo Zizak, Luca Bertinetti, Yael Politi, Liraz Chai
Summary: Biofilms are multicellular microbial communities encased in an extracellular matrix, with phenotypic heterogeneity enhancing their survival. The molecular structures, elemental distribution, and possible linkages within biofilms remain unexplored, showcasing the importance of molecular-level heterogeneity in shaping biofilm physiology and development.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Nian Wang, Xiehon Liu, K. E. Liu, Kangkai Wang, Huali Zhang
Summary: This study reveals that heat shock protein beta-1 (HSPB1) plays a crucial role in maintaining the redox state and antioxidant activity in cardiomyocytes. HSPB1 undergoes homo-oxidation in response to hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), which is dependent on the Cys137 residue. Cys137 residue not only protects cardiomyocytes against oxidative injury but also regulates HSPB1's oxidation, phosphorylation at Ser15, and distribution to insoluble cell components after H2O2 treatment.
Review
Cell Biology
Ying Liu, Lin Zhou, Yunfei Xu, Kexin Li, Yao Zhao, Haoduo Qiao, Qing Xu, Jie Zhao
Summary: This study systematically summarizes the roles of heat shock proteins in the occurrence of ferroptosis and predicts the possible mechanisms of different families of heat shock proteins in the development of ferroptosis.
FRONTIERS IN CELL AND DEVELOPMENTAL BIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Cell Biology
Mi-Hyun Nam, Dorota L. Stankowska, Gretchen A. Johnson, Rooban B. Nahomi, Mina B. Pantcheva, Ram H. Nagaraj
Summary: This study investigated the effects of antiapoptotic peptides peptain-1 and peptain-3a on RGC death in vitro and in animal models of ocular hypertension. The results showed that peptains inhibited RGC apoptosis, restricted RGC loss in ischemic/reperfusion injury and elevated intraocular pressure models, and improved anterograde axonal transport in eyes with ocular hypertension. Peptains also suppressed retinal glial activation. Therefore, peptains have potential as therapeutics against neurodegeneration in glaucoma.
CELL DEATH & DISEASE
(2022)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Manas Kumar Jagdev, Jagneshwar Dandapat, Dileep Vasudevan
Summary: Clp chaperones are a group of HSP100 proteins belonging to the ATPase family with diverse cellular functions, present in various organisms. Plants have a diverse family of Clp chaperones, with Arabidopsis thaliana chloroplasts alone containing four specific Clp chaperones. The paralogs AtClpC1 and AtClpC2 share over 90% identity but the extent of functional overlap between them is still unclear.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF BIOLOGICAL MACROMOLECULES
(2021)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Michael Wagener, Stephan Foerster
Summary: The scattering of various types of radiation by matter is widely used for structural characterization. With the advancement of beam sources and detectors, scattering patterns can now be acquired quickly and at large sizes. However, the slow analysis of these patterns has become a bottleneck. In this study, an algorithm based on hypergeometric functions is introduced, providing a significant increase in computational speed compared to current methods. This algorithm enables real-time experiment feedback, analysis of large scattering datasets, and generation of training data for machine learning.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2023)
Article
Cell Biology
Philip Kaenel, Gundula A. Noll, Katrin Schroedter, Elke Naffin, Julia Kronenberg, Franziska Busswinkel, Richard M. Twyman, Christian Klaembt, Dirk Pruefer
Summary: Proteostasis, the balance of protein synthesis, trafficking, and degradation, plays a crucial role in cellular function and aging. The authors found that ectopic expression of the tobacco PEBP NtFT4 in Drosophila melanogaster extended lifespan and improved locomotor decline associated with aging. NtFT4 influenced proteome maintenance through physical interactions and transcriptional regulation, including the prolonged expression of HSP26 gene, which maintained protein integrity and contributed to longevity.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Vladimir I. Timofeev, Ilya V. Fateev, Maria A. Kostromina, Yuliya A. Abramchik, Irina D. Konstantinova, Vladimir V. Volkov, Dmitry D. Lykoshin, Olga O. Mikheeva, Tatiana I. Muravieva, Roman S. Esipov, Inna P. Kuranova
Summary: Two recombinant purine nucleoside phosphorylases from Thermus thermophilus HB27 were purified and characterized. TthPNPI is specific to guanosine while TthPNPII is specific to adenosine. The oligomeric structures of these enzymes, as well as the key residues in their active sites, were analyzed. The crystal structure of TthPNPII was determined and its active site cavity was examined. The hexameric structure of TthPNPII, which is different from other purine nucleoside phosphorylases, was observed for the first time.
JOURNAL OF BIOMOLECULAR STRUCTURE & DYNAMICS
(2022)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Binyou Wang, Stuart P. Moon, Giuliano Cutolo, Afraah Javed, Benjamin S. Ahn, Andrew H. Ryu, Matthew R. Pratt
Summary: O-GlcNAc modification protects cells against stress-induced cell death by directly inhibiting the apoptotic pathway. The modified chaperone, HSP27, exhibits enhanced antiapoptotic function in an in vitro context. These findings provide molecular insights into how O-GlcNAc serves as a mediator of cellular stress and have important implications for human diseases like cancer and neurodegeneration.
ACS CHEMICAL BIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Badri Narayanan Narasimhan, Alexander W. Dixon, Bradley Mansel, Andrew Taberner, Jitendra Mata, Jenny Malmstrom
Summary: This study investigates hydrogels made with semi-interpenetrating networks of oligomerized polyphenol tannic acid and poly(acrylamide). The presence of micron-sized hydrogen bonded clusters in the hydrogels and the breaking of these clusters above a critical solution temperature are observed using small angle X-ray scattering and small and ultra-small angle neutron scattering. Polarized optical microscopy shows enhanced anisotropy for gels with oligomerized tannic acid, and rheological studies reveal self-healing behavior of the gels. The findings from this study contribute to the rational design of hydrogels for biomedical applications.
JOURNAL OF COLLOID AND INTERFACE SCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Mahtab Hafizi, Natalia A. Chebotareva, Maryam Ghahramani, Faezeh Moosavi-Movahedi, Seyed Hossein Khaleghinejad, Boris Kurganov, Ali Akbar Moosavi-Movahedi, Reza Yousefi
Summary: A new mutation in the alpha B-crystallin protein has been discovered, which can lead to myofibrillar myopathy, cataracts, and cardiomyopathy. The mutation significantly impacts the structure, stability, and chaperone-like activity of the protein.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
J. S. Park, J. D. Almer, K. C. James, L. J. Natanson, S. R. Stock
Summary: Members of subclass Elasmobranchii possess bioapatite mineralization in their cartilage skeletons, which has similar crystallography to bone but exhibits some differences. The mineral phase in shark centra has larger nanocrystallite sizes and is associated with less microstrain compared to bone.
JOURNAL OF THE ROYAL SOCIETY INTERFACE
(2022)
Article
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
Kakeru Obayashi, Kazutaka Kamitani, Chien-Wei Chu, Ryosuke Kawatoko, Chao-Hung Cheng, Atsushi Takahara, Ken Kojio
Summary: The internal structure of polyurethane adhesive undergoes changes during lap shear deformation, with an increase in the spacing of hard segment domains and the merging of tilt angle with the stretching direction. These findings are of great significance for the practical design of adhesives.
ACS APPLIED POLYMER MATERIALS
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Francesca Giulimondi, Erica Quagliarini, Luca Digiacomo, Serena Renzi, Valentina Palmieri, Massimiliano Papi, Daniela Pozzi, Giulio Caracciolo
Summary: This article discusses the impact of interoperator variability and the use of automated systems on biomolecular corona studies, and investigates the effects of molecular crowding and washing the pellet during corona isolation in nanoparticle-biofluid incubation. The findings are believed to be important for improving the accuracy of experimental design and reporting.
PARTICLE & PARTICLE SYSTEMS CHARACTERIZATION
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Valentina Palmieri, Francesco Amato, Andrea Giacomo Marrani, Ginevra Friggeri, Giordano Perini, Alberto Augello, Marco De Spirito, Massimiliano Papi
Summary: Graphene Oxide (GO) is an oxidized form of graphene that contains various oxygen functional groups. The solubility of GO in water makes it an ideal material in the biomedical field, but the synthesis methods used can affect the balance of oxygen groups and the impact on cells. Spectroscopic techniques are commonly used to characterize GO, but they have limitations in indicating its reactivity with polymers or biological media. In this study, a colorimetric method based on GO's reactivity with copper ions was developed to evaluate the oxidation degree and accessibility of polymeric samples. This technique will be crucial for scaffold characterization in tissue engineering and studying interactions between GO-related materials and biological entities.
APPLIED SURFACE SCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Massimiliano Papi, Marco De Spirito, Valentina Palmieri
Summary: The COVID-19 pandemic has prompted collaboration between nanotechnology scientists, industry stakeholders, and clinicians to find solutions for SARS-CoV-2 infections. Carbon-based materials (CBM) like graphene and carbon nanotubes have shown potential in viral research due to their unique effects on microorganisms and immune interaction. This review explores the interaction of CBM with SARS-CoV-2, including their physical and chemical properties, known interactions with viral components, and potential applications in prevention, treatment, and diagnostics.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Damon Fard, Erika Testa, Valentina Panzeri, Sabrina Rizzolio, Giada Bianchetti, Virginia Napolitano, Silvia Masciarelli, Francesco Fazi, Giuseppe Maulucci, Bianca Maria Scicchitano, Claudio Sette, Maria Teresa Viscomi, Luca Tamagnone
Summary: Transmembrane semaphorins are signaling molecules that control axonal wiring and embryo development and are increasingly implicated in human diseases. The poorly understood member of this family, Sema6C, has been found to play a functional role in cancer cells, supporting their viability and growth. Mechanistically, Sema6C activates a signaling pathway mediated by tyrosine kinases c-Abl and Focal Adhesion Kinase (FAK), leading to cell senescence and the activation of autophagy.
CELLULAR AND MOLECULAR LIFE SCIENCES
(2023)
Article
Nutrition & Dietetics
Alessio Abeltino, Giada Bianchetti, Cassandra Serantoni, Alessia Riente, Marco De Spirito, Giuseppe Maulucci
Summary: Nutrition is a crucial aspect of medicine, affecting various health conditions. Digital medicine utilizes digital twins, which are replicas of human physiology, to prevent and treat diseases. This study compared different models for the deployment of Personalized Metabolic Avatars, with GRUs and LSTMs showing the best predictive performance and acceptable computational times. The Transformer model did not significantly improve predictive performance but increased computational time, while the SARIMAX model had the best computational time but worst predictive performance.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Davide Pierangeli, Giordano Perini, Valentina Palmieri, Ivana Grecco, Ginevra Friggeri, Marco De Spirito, Massimiliano Papi, Eugenio DelRe, Claudio Conti
Summary: The authors discovered that tumor-cell spheroids exhibit optical rogue waves under randomly modulated laser beam illumination. The intensity of transmitted light follows a Weibull statistical distribution, with extreme events corresponding to localized optical modes propagating within the cell network. These nonlinear optical filaments form high-transmission channels and can be used to achieve controlled temperature increase. This study sheds light on optical propagation in biological aggregates and demonstrates the potential of using rogue waves in biomedical applications.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2023)
Article
Nutrition & Dietetics
Giada Bianchetti, Flavio De Maio, Alessio Abeltino, Cassandra Serantoni, Alessia Riente, Giulia Santarelli, Maurizio Sanguinetti, Giovanni Delogu, Roberta Martinoli, Silvia Barbaresi, Marco De Spirito, Giuseppe Maulucci
Summary: The human gut microbiome plays a significant role in human health and disease development. Recent advancements in technology have allowed for a better understanding of its composition and functions. Diet, specifically, has been found to shape the gut microbiome, affecting its diversity, population size, and metabolism. Personalized nutrition, based on individual characteristics, has shown promise in directly impacting the gut microbiome. Longitudinal studies are necessary to fully comprehend the long-term effects of specific diets and food components on the gut microbiome, as well as the variations between individuals. Accurate methods of collecting dietary data and the application of machine learning techniques hold immense potential in understanding the gut microbiome's response to diet and providing tailored lifestyle recommendations.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Francesco Amato, Giordano Perini, Ginevra Friggeri, Alberto Augello, Alessandro Motta, Leonardo Giaccari, Robertino Zanoni, Marco De Spirito, Valentina Palmieri, Andrea Giacomo Marrani, Massimiliano Papi
Summary: Graphene oxide and reduced graphene oxide are widely used carbon nanomaterials in biomedicine. However, the hydrophobic behavior of reduced graphene oxide limits its stability in biological media. In this study, sodium ascorbate is used as a reducing agent to prepare reduced graphene oxide with improved stability and suitability for applications in cell culture media.
ADVANCED MATERIALS INTERFACES
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Roberto Matassa, Marta Gatti, Martina Crociati, Roberto Brunelli, Ezio Battaglione, Massimiliano Papi, Marco De Spirito, Stefania Annarita Nottola, Giuseppe Familiari
Summary: The ability of branched glycoprotein filaments to change their hierarchical organization through external stimuli expands understanding of self-assembling strategies that can rearrange networks. This research focuses on the morpho-structural changes of the zona pellucida and its self-assembled filament networks, revealing controlled levels of structured organizations during different stages of oocyte development. The changes are regulated by the nanostructured polymorphisms of the branched filaments and controlled by self-extension/-contraction/-bending processes.
