Article
Chemistry, Physical
Anu Jain, Ritutama Ghosh, Nand Kishore
Summary: Quantitative study of drug-drug interaction is essential for understanding the effectiveness and safety of drugs. In this research, the interaction of naproxen with various drugs was studied using ultrasensitive isothermal titration calorimetry and uv-absorbance spectroscopy. The results show that most drugs have weak interactions with naproxen, while L-ascorbic acid shows the strongest interaction. The correlation between thermodynamic parameters and the number of hydrogen bonding groups in the drugs indicates that an increase in hydrogen bonding groups leads to a decrease in drug-drug interaction strength.
JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR LIQUIDS
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Johan Aqvist
Summary: Despite advances in computational design of protein structures, designing efficient enzyme catalysts remains challenging. This study uses extensive computer simulations to analyze the reasons for low catalytic activity and anomalous temperature behavior in a designed enzyme. The results reveal a lower energy state of the enzyme-substrate complex that explains the low activity and suggest two possible explanations for the temperature optimum: a change of rate-limiting step or a heat capacity change upon substrate binding.
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Alejandra Espinosa-Dzib, Sergey Vyazovkin
Summary: This study investigates the impact of nanoconfinement on gelation using DSC techniques, finding that nanoconfinement results in a decrease in the heat of gelation, a decrease in the gelation temperature, and a deceleration of the gelation process.
JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR LIQUIDS
(2021)
Editorial Material
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Nigel S. S. Scrutton
Summary: The study of enzymes has a long history and continues to advance rapidly. Modern enzymology focuses on understanding the complex relationships between enzyme structures, catalytic mechanisms, and biological function. Topics of interest include the regulation of enzymes at the gene and post-translational levels, as well as how catalytic activity is influenced by interactions with small molecules, macromolecules, and the enzyme environment. Insights from enzymology research have practical applications in diagnostics, pharmaceuticals, and industrial processes. The FEBS Journal seeks to highlight the latest research and provide informative reviews to showcase the breadth and importance of contemporary molecular enzymology research.
Article
Polymer Science
Akihiko Toda, Yoshitomo Furushima, Christoph Schick
Summary: In this study, the isothermal crystallization kinetics of poly(butylene terephthalate) at low temperatures near the glass transition was investigated using chip-sensor fast scanning calorimetry. The Avrami analysis showed that the Avrami index decreased from 4 to less than 2 in the low-temperature peak of the crystallization rate, resulting in significantly low crystallinity near the glass-transition temperature. This phenomenon was attributed to the inhibition of crystal growth by the rigid amorphous fraction (RAF) that is constrained by crystals, as proposed by Schawe for other crystalline polymers. The transformation of the mobile amorphous fraction (MAF) into RAF with the progress of crystallization was confirmed near the glass-transition temperature, leading to the rigidification of all amorphous fractions.
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Dylan Suvlu, D. Thirumalai, Jayendran C. Rasaiah
Summary: Water-mediated interactions (WMIs) play essential roles in molecular biology, especially in geometrically confined spaces. Nanoscopic confinement preferentially stabilizes the helical state of peptides with hydrophobic side chains, while the nature of the nanotube influences helix formation in peptides with hydrophilic side chains due to WMIs.
JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL CHEMISTRY B
(2021)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Anthony C. Yu, Huada Lian, Xian Kong, Hector Lopez Hernandez, Jian Qin, Eric A. Appel
Summary: Studies suggest that entropy-driven physical networks exhibit invariant mechanical properties at elevated temperatures, in contrast to enthalpy-dominated crosslinking networks. By connecting thermodynamics and temperature-dependent viscoelasticity in a mathematical framework, the temperature dependence of crosslinking interactions is explored.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2021)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Antonio A. A. P. Silva, Marcela S. Lamoglia, Gilbert Silva, Jean-Marc Fiorani, Nicolas David, Michel Vilasi, Gilberto C. Coelho, Carlos A. Nunes, Luiz T. F. Eleno
Summary: The molar heat capacities of Fe2Nb and Fe7Nb6 intermetallic compounds were reported for the first time in this study, showing good agreement with QHA calculations. These results are key for CALPHAD-type assessments, motivating future work on the Fe-Nb system.
JOURNAL OF ALLOYS AND COMPOUNDS
(2021)
Article
Thermodynamics
Jiong Ding, Jinyu Chen, Qiyue Xu, Jinxin Xu, Dongfang Hu, Juncheng Jiang
Summary: Due to the lack of a methodology to measure the varying specific heat capacity during adiabatic reactions, existing kinetic approaches for processing rate calorimetric data assume the specific heat capacity of the sample to be constant, leading to errors in thermodynamic and kinetic parameter calculations. To overcome this limitation, a power-modulated accelerating rate calorimetry for varying heat capacity measurement is proposed and implemented in this article. The validity of the proposed methodology is verified through numerical simulations and the feasibility is tested through experiments with low mass percent di-tert-butyl peroxide/toluene solutions. The deficiencies and potential improvements of this instrument are also analyzed and discussed.
THERMOCHIMICA ACTA
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Mathilde Coquil, Nathalie Boubals, Magali Duvail, Marie-Christine Charbonnel, Jean-Francois Dufreche
Summary: Despite the challenges in describing liquid-liquid extraction due to various organization phenomena, a new methodology combining microcalorimetric measurements and molecular modeling has been proposed to better understand the interactions in these complex fluids.
JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR LIQUIDS
(2022)
Article
Geochemistry & Geophysics
Charles A. Geiger, Noreen M. Vielreicher, Edgar Dachs
Summary: The thermodynamic behavior of natural olivines was compared to synthetic olivines, showing similarities in their heat capacity behavior. While there were slight differences in some parameters such as absorption line widths, overall the natural and synthetic crystals exhibited similar characteristics. The study provides valuable insights into the thermodynamic properties of olivine minerals.
AMERICAN MINERALOGIST
(2021)
Article
Construction & Building Technology
K. -D. Grevel, F. Bellmann, J. Majzlan, E. Dachs, A. Benisek, H. -M. Ludwig
Summary: The study investigated the crystalline phases of Ca2SiO4 in Portland cement clinker through calorimetry, recording and comparing low-temperature heat capacity data. Recommended values for beta-C2S and gamma-C2S were obtained.
CEMENT AND CONCRETE RESEARCH
(2022)
Article
Thermodynamics
Pedro Jesus Rodriguez de Rivera, Miriam Rodriguez de Rivera, Fabiola Socorro, Manuel Rodriguez de Rivera
Summary: In this study, a sensor was developed to measure the heat capacity of the skin. The sensor consists of a thermopile equipped with a programmable thermostat and can measure the heat capacity on a 4 cm(2) skin area. The heat capacity of the skin varies in different regions and is mainly determined by the water content of the tissue.
JOURNAL OF THERMAL ANALYSIS AND CALORIMETRY
(2022)
Article
Biochemical Research Methods
Kristopher W. Brannan, Isaac A. Chaim, Ryan J. Marina, Brian A. Yee, Eric R. Kofman, Daniel A. Lorenz, Pratibha Jagannatha, Kevin D. Dong, Assael A. Madrigal, Jason G. Underwood, Gene W. Yeo
Summary: The STAMP technique efficiently detects RBP-RNA interactions and reveals the dynamic regulation of RBPs in single cells. Pairing with long-read sequencing allows for isoform-specific RBP target site identification, while Ribo-STAMP can measure transcriptome-wide ribosome association in cells.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Harmandeep Kaur Gulati, Sushil Choudhary, Nitish Kumar, Ajaz Ahmed, Kavita Bhagat, Jatinder Vir Singh, Atamjit Singh, Ajay Kumar, Preet Mohinder Singh Bedi, Harbinder Singh, Debaraj Mukherjee
Summary: This study successfully reduced the hepatotoxicity of Tacrine by synthesizing Tacrine-linked sugar conjugates, and identified one compound with good AChE inhibition activity, which can be further explored for its mechanism of action in Alzheimer's disease treatment.
BIOORGANIC CHEMISTRY
(2022)
Article
Cell Biology
Yong Zhou, Nicholas Ariotti, James Rae, Hong Liang, Vikas Tillu, Shern Tee, Michele Bastiani, Adekunle T. Bademosi, Brett M. Collins, Frederic A. Meunier, John F. Hancock, Robert G. Parton
Summary: Caveolae, specialized domains of the cell membrane, play crucial roles in lipid sorting and creating a unique lipid environment. Caveolin-1 (CAV1) and cavinl sort distinct plasma membrane lipids individually, while together they generate a unique lipid nano-environment. The selective lipid sorting by caveolae, regulated by lipid metabolism and acyl chain remodeling, may facilitate communication among lipid metabolism, vesicular trafficking, and signaling.
JOURNAL OF CELL BIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Cell Biology
Lei Li, Haowen Liu, Mia Krout, Janet E. Richmond, Yu Wang, Jihong Bai, Saroja Weeratunga, Brett M. Collins, Donovan Ventimiglia, Yi Yu, Jingyao Xia, Jing Tang, Jie Liu, Zhitao Hu
Summary: This study identifies a dual Ca2+ sensor system in C. elegans, with SNT-1 and SNT-3 triggering neurotransmitter release at different rates. While SNT-1 is tethered to synaptic vesicles, SNT-3 functions independently of vesicles.
JOURNAL OF CELL BIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Vikas A. Tillu, James Rae, Ya Gao, Nicholas Ariotti, Matthias Floetenmeyer, Oleksiy Kovtun, Kerrie-Ann Mcmahon, Natasha Chaudhary, Robert G. Parton, Brett M. Collins
Summary: The study highlights the essential role of the three disordered domains of Cavin1 in caveola formation and dynamic trafficking, as well as the fuzzy electrostatic interactions between Cavin1 and caveolin-1 proteins, combined with membrane lipid interactions, in generating membrane curvature and maintaining a stable caveola coat.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2021)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Yue Wu, Zhenling Cui, Yen-Hua Huang, Simon J. de Veer, Andrey V. Aralov, Zhong Guo, Shayli V. Moradi, Alexandra O. Hinton, Jennifer R. Deuis, Shaodong Guo, Kai-En Chen, Brett M. Collins, Irina Vetter, Volker Herzig, Alun Jones, Matthew A. Cooper, Glenn F. King, David J. Craik, Kirill Alexandrov, Sergey Mureev
Summary: Advances in peptide and protein therapeutics have increased the demand for rapid and cost-effective polypeptide prototyping. A modified in vitro translation system allows efficient folding of disulfide-rich peptides and proteins in an aggregation-free and thermodynamically controlled environment.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2022)
Article
Cell Biology
Blessy Paul, Saroja Weeratunga, Vikas A. Tillu, Hanaa Hariri, W. Mike Henne, Brett M. Collins
Summary: Recent advances in protein structure prediction using machine learning, such as AlphaFold2, have revolutionized structural biology by providing unprecedented insights into protein architecture and interactions. In this study, the researchers utilized AlphaFold2 to reveal novel structures and functions of sorting nexin proteins, particularly in regulating lipid metabolism. The findings suggest the existence of a new class of conserved lipid transfer proteins.
FRONTIERS IN CELL AND DEVELOPMENTAL BIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Boris Simonetti, Qian Guo, Manuel Gimenez-Andres, Kai-En Chen, Edmund R. R. Moody, Ashley J. Evans, Mintu Chandra, Chris M. Danson, Tom A. Williams, Brett M. Collins, Peter J. Cullen
Summary: This study elucidates how SNX27-Retromer promotes endosome-to-plasma membrane recycling through its interaction with the SNX-BAR sorting complex, and reveals the stepwise evolution of this complex during early metazoan evolution.
Editorial Material
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Robert G. Parton, Brett M. Collins
Summary: The structure of caveolin, the major membrane protein of caveolae, is revealed by cryo-electron microscopy, providing new insights into its functions.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Boris Simonetti, James L. Daly, Lorena Simon-Gracia, Katja Klein, Saroja Weeratunga, Carlos Anton-Plagaro, Allan Tobi, Lorna Hodgson, Philip A. Lewis, Kate J. Heesom, Deborah K. Shoemark, Andrew D. Davidson, Brett M. Collins, Tambet Teesalu, Yohei Yamauchi, Peter J. Cullen
Summary: Endosomal sorting is important for maintaining cellular homeostasis. The study identified NRP1 as a cargo protein bound and trafficked by the ESCPE-1 complex, which may play a role in intracellular membrane trafficking of NRP1-interacting viruses such as SARS-CoV-2.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
(2022)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Michael D. Healy, Joanna Sacharz, Kerrie E. McNally, Calum McConville, Vikas A. Tillu, Ryan J. Hall, Molly Chilton, Peter J. Cullen, Mehdi Mobli, Rajesh Ghai, David A. Stroud, Brett M. Collins
Summary: SNX17 controls the endosomal recycling of transmembrane cargo proteins through its association with the Commander trafficking complex and the PDLIM family of proteins. The interaction between SNX17 and PDLIM is mediated by a unique peptide interaction involving electrostatic contacts and a conserved proline-containing loop sequence. This interaction may play a role in regulating the activity of SNX17 in conjunction with Commander and actin-rich endosomal trafficking domains.
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Michael D. Healy, Brett M. Collins
Summary: PDZ and LIM domain proteins play important roles in the actin cytoskeleton and are involved in actin organization and function in metazoans. They act as scaffolds, linking various proteins to actin and its binding partner alpha-actinin. In addition to their well-known role in actin organization, emerging evidence suggests their involvement in actin-dependent membrane trafficking in the endosomal system.
BIOCHEMICAL SOCIETY TRANSACTIONS
(2023)
Review
Engineering, Biomedical
Letao Xu, Xing Wang, Yun Liu, Guangze Yang, Robert J. Falconer, Chun-Xia Zhao
Summary: This article provides an overview of lipid nanoparticles, including their different types, preparation methods, and applications in drug delivery. It also summarizes the challenges and potential future studies for lipid nanoparticles to achieve wider clinical and pharmaceutical applications.
ADVANCED NANOBIOMED RESEARCH
(2022)
Meeting Abstract
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Merja Joensuu, Vanessa Lanoue, Parnayan Syed, Tristan Wallis, James Rae, Ailisa Blum, Rachel Gormal, Christopher Small, Shanley Sanders, Anmin Jiang, Stefan Mahrhold, Nadja Krez, Michael Cousin, Ruby Cooper-White, Justin J. Cooper-White, Brett M. Collins, Rober G. Parton, Giuseppe Balistreri, Andreas Rummel, Frederic A. Meunier
JOURNAL OF NEUROCHEMISTRY
(2022)
Meeting Abstract
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Kai-En Chen, Qian Guo, Timothy A. Hill, Yi Cui, Amy K. Kendall, Natalya Leneva, Zhe Yang, David P. Fairlie, Hiroaki Suga, Lauren P. Jackson, Rohan D. Teasdale, Toby Passioura, Brett M. Collins
ACTA CRYSTALLOGRAPHICA A-FOUNDATION AND ADVANCES
(2021)
Meeting Abstract
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
M. D. Healy, J. Sacharz, T. Croll, D. A. Stroud, B. M. Collins
ACTA CRYSTALLOGRAPHICA A-FOUNDATION AND ADVANCES
(2021)