Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Madeline C. Krieger, H. Auguste Dutcher, Andrew J. Ashford, Rahul Raghavan
Summary: Through analyzing genomes in Enterobacterales, researchers discovered that most sRNAs are recently originated, and protein-coding genes may be a potential source for new sRNAs. The study also found that a peroxide-responding sRNA evolved from a fragment of a peroxidase messenger RNA, and this new sRNA would inherently be part of the parental protein's regulatory network.
MOLECULAR BIOLOGY AND EVOLUTION
(2022)
Article
Microbiology
Austin P. Wright, H. Auguste Dutcher, Brianna Butler, Timothy J. Nice, Rahul Raghavan
Summary: This study reveals that despite a large insertion mutation in the sRNA MgrR in Escherichia fergusonii, the sRNA remains functional and affects the bacterium's sensitivity to H2O2.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Martha Paola Barajas Barbosa, Dylan Craven, Patrick Weigelt, Pierre Denelle, Rudiger Otto, Sandra Diaz, Jonathan Price, Jose Maria Fernandez-Palacios, Holger Kreft
Summary: Oceanic island floras are known for their unique morphological characteristics and provide examples of trait evolution. These morphological shifts are believed to be influenced by the biogeographical processes and evolutionary histories of oceanic islands. However, the mechanisms behind the distribution and diversity of plant functional traits remain unclear.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Michael Landreh, Hans Jornvall
Summary: Despite not being important in diabetes treatment, research on proinsulin C-peptide has changed our understanding of insulin and peptide hormone biology at different stages. This research has led to important advances, such as successful application of C-peptide fragments in immunotherapy of type I diabetes and the use of plasma C-peptide levels as a standard for measuring beta cell activity in patients.
CELLULAR AND MOLECULAR LIFE SCIENCES
(2021)
Review
Plant Sciences
Lanbo Yi, Bin Liu, Peter J. Nixon, Jianfeng Yu, Feng Chen
Summary: The FtsH family of proteases, present in prokaryotes and eukaryotic cells, play important roles in maintaining cellular functions. FtsH proteases have diverse homocomplexes and functions in different cells. This article summarizes recent progress in understanding the evolution, structure, and function of FtsH proteases, with a focus on their role in photosynthesis and respiration.
FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Ian Sillitoe, Nicola Bordin, Natalie Dawson, Vaishali P. Waman, Paul Ashford, Harry M. Scholes, Camilla S. M. Pang, Laurel Woodridge, Clemens Rauer, Neeladri Sen, Mahnaz Abbasian, Sean Le Cornu, Su Datt Lam, Karel Berka, Ivana Hutarova Varekova, Radka Svobodova, Jon Lees, Christine A. Orengo
Summary: CATH identifies protein domains in structures and classifies them into evolutionary superfamilies, providing structural and functional annotations. The latest release significantly increases coverage of structural and sequence data, with additional derived data such as predicted sequence domains and functionally coherent sequence subsets. The FunFam generation pipeline has been re-engineered to capture more sequences with increased functional purity and information content.
NUCLEIC ACIDS RESEARCH
(2021)
Article
Plant Sciences
Jack Fleet, Mujtaba Ansari, Jon K. K. Pittman
Summary: This study identified and analyzed SWEET proteins in green algae, revealing differences from higher plants and fungi but conservation of key residues at the substrate-binding site. Further research is needed to confirm the sugar transport specificity and functional role of these algal SWEET proteins.
FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Andreas Lange, Prajal H. Patel, Brennen Heames, Adam M. Damry, Thorsten Saenger, Colin J. Jackson, Geoffrey D. Findlay, Erich Bornberg-Bauer
Summary: By analyzing the function and structure of the gene goddard, which emerged de novo at least 50 million years ago within the Drosophila genus, it was found that the protein structure has remained largely unchanged over millions of years of evolution.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2021)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Feimin Yuan, Minjing Su, Tiantian Li, Yalin Zhang, Christopher H. Dietrich, Michael D. Webb, Cong Wei
Summary: This study reveals the chemical and physical characteristics of integumental brochosomes (IBs) in a leafhopper and identifies the constituents and biosynthesis of IBs. The results show that IBs mainly consist of glycine- and tyrosine-rich proteins and some metal elements, containing both essential and non-essential amino acids for insects. These proteins are synthesized in a specialized glandular segment of the Malpighian tubules and may be related to the symbiotic relationship with endosymbionts.
INSECT BIOCHEMISTRY AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Biology
Gabriela X. Venable, Kaija Gahm, Richard O. Prum
Summary: This study estimated the plumage color gamut of hummingbirds using spectra from 114 species and found that the color gamut of hummingbirds is larger than previously estimated for all birds. The barbule structural coloration of hummingbirds is a highly evolvable mechanism that produces unique and highly saturated colors.
COMMUNICATIONS BIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Applied
Uyory Choe, Yang Lan, Bingcan Chen, Jiajia Rao
Summary: In this study, sodium hexametaphosphate (SHMP) was added to improve the functionality of pea protein isolate (PPI), and the effect of different mixing ratios and reaction pH conditions on the reaction efficiency, structure, and functionality of phosphorylated PPI was evaluated. The results showed that a mixing ratio of 95:5 had a high degree of phosphorylation, with increased solubility and foaming capacity at pH 6. The findings can serve as a basis for simplified phosphorylation of PPI in the food industry.
Article
Microbiology
Fernando Villarreal, Nicolas Stocchi, Arjen ten Have
Summary: Pectin, a major component of the plant cell wall, is degraded by a variety of enzymes in fungi. A comprehensive study of GH28 encoding sequences reveals the evolutionary relationship and substrate specificity of these enzymes. Computational tools assist in identifying characteristics of different subfamilies, and substrate-driven diversification can be observed through specific positions surrounding the binding groove.
Review
Genetics & Heredity
Md. Sifatul Islam, Ajit Ghosh
Summary: Aldehyde dehydrogenases (ALDHs) play an important role in plants by serving as scavengers for reactive aldehydes and responding to stress. Both animals and plants have multiple ALDH families, with plants having 14 families. The expansion of ALDH isoforms in plants allows for diverse functions. Studies have shown that ALDH is crucial for plant development and environmental stress adaptability.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Franziska Drews, Sivarajan Karunanithi, Ulrike Gotz, Simone Marker, Raphael deWijn, Marcello Pirritano, Angela M. Rodrigues-Viana, Martin Jung, Gilles Gasparoni, Marcel H. Schulz, Martin Simon
Summary: Most sRNA biogenesis mechanisms involve RNAse III cleavage or ping-pong amplification by Piwi proteins, but the transgene-induced silencing mechanism in Paramecium requires both Dicer activity and two Ptiwi proteins. The study reveals unique sub-cellular localizations and preferences of Ptiwis for primary and secondary siRNAs, shedding light on their functions in diverse silencing pathways.
Review
Plant Sciences
Marijke R. Murray, Steffen P. Graether
Summary: Plants have evolved mechanisms, such as the expression of late embryogenesis abundant (LEA) proteins, to protect against damage caused by cold temperatures. One of the most studied LEA proteins is the type II LEA protein, known as dehydrins. Dehydrins help prevent membrane damage by binding to membranes during abiotic stress and lowering the transition temperature. The structure and interactions of dehydrins with membranes have been investigated using biophysical techniques.
FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE
(2022)
