Article
Environmental Sciences
Perumal Arumugam Desingu, K. Nagarajan, Kuldeep Dhama
Summary: The origin of SARS-CoV-2 is still debated, but this study reveals that it has acquired a novel spike protein S1-N-terminal domain (S1-NTD). Analysis shows that SARS-CoV/SARS-CoV-2 S1-NTDs are closely related to OC43 and HKU1, while the complete spike protein has a closer relationship with MERS-CoV. Different types of S1-NTDs were identified in SARS-CoV-2-related viruses and SARS-CoV-related viruses. This study provides insights into the evolution and relationships of these viruses.
ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH
(2022)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Augustinas Juskauskas, Aurelija Zajanckauskaite, Rolandas Meskys, Marija Ger, Algirdas Kaupinis, Mindaugas Valius, Lidija Truncaite
Summary: The study reveals the direct interaction between the T4 protein RIII and ribosomal protein S1 of the host, demonstrating the important regulatory role of RIII in modulating all stages of T4 infection by targeting the S1 RNA-binding domains.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2022)
Article
Immunology
R. Camille Brewer, Nitya S. Ramadoss, Lauren J. Lahey, Shaghayegh Jahanbani, William H. Robinson, Tobias Lanz
Summary: This study investigated the B cell response to the BNT162b2 vaccine by integrating B cell repertoire analysis with single-cell transcriptomics pre- and post-vaccination. It found that the first vaccine dose generated a recall response of IgA(+) plasmablasts targeting the S subunit S2, while the second dose strongly boosted this response and produced potent neutralizing antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 and its variants.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Kumari Kavita, Aixia Zhang, Chin-Hsien Tai, Nadim Majdalani, Gisela Storz, Susan Gottesman
Summary: Hfq, a bacterial RNA chaperone, plays a crucial role in stabilizing small regulatory RNAs and facilitating their interactions with target mRNAs. Deletion of the C-terminal domain in Hfq leads to defects in the accumulation and function of various sRNAs, particularly those that bind to the distal face. The region between amino acids 66-72 is essential for this defect, while the CTD region beyond amino acid 72 is important for functions associated with the Hfq rim.
NUCLEIC ACIDS RESEARCH
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Andrew C. Hunt, Bastian Voegeli, Ahmed O. Hassan, Laura Guerrero, Weston Kightlinger, Danielle J. Yoesep, Antje Krueger, Madison DeWinter, Michael S. Diamond, Ashty S. Karim, Michael C. Jewett
Summary: The authors developed a workflow using cell-free protein synthesis to express and evaluate hundreds of antibody fragments in less than 24 hours. They applied this workflow to evaluate antibodies targeting SARS-CoV-2 and identified potent neutralizing antibody candidates. This cell-free workflow is expected to accelerate antibody discovery for future pandemics and various applications.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2023)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Azin Saebi, Joseph S. Brown, Victoria M. Marando, Nina Hartrampf, Nicole M. Chumbler, Stephanie Hanna, Mackenzie Poskus, Andrei Loas, Laura L. Kiessling, Deborah T. Hung, Bradley L. Pentelute
Summary: The impermeable outer membrane of Pseudomonas aeruginosa can be bypassed by antibacterial proteins called S-type pyocins. Pyocins are investigated as a potential new class of antimicrobials against Pseudomonas infections due to their properties. In this study, a rapid production method for a pyocin S2 import domain was employed using automated fast-flow peptide synthesis, resulting in milligram quantities of the desired product. These synthetic pyocin domains can be used to understand the import mechanisms of P. aeruginosa and to develop selective antimicrobial agents that can bypass the outer membrane.
ACS CHEMICAL BIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Kazuki Kato, Sae Okazaki, Cian Schmitt-Ulms, Kaiyi Jiang, Wenyuan Zhou, Junichiro Ishikawa, Yukari Isayama, Shungo Adachi, Tomohiro Nishizawa, Kira S. Makarova, Eugene V. Koonin, Omar O. Abudayyeh, Jonathan S. Gootenberg, Hiroshi Nishimasu
Summary: The type III-E CRISPR-Cas7-11 effector can catalyze crRNA-guided RNA cleavage by binding crRNA and Csx29, and the binding of tgRNA induces conformational changes in Csx29. Csx29 cleaves Csx30 through a tgRNA-dependent pathway, resulting in the generation of toxic protein fragments and growth arrest, which is regulated by Csx31. Csx30 modulates the cellular response to infection by binding Csx31 and the associated sigma factor RpoE. Additionally, the Cas7-11-Csx29-Csx30 system has been engineered for programmable RNA sensing in mammalian cells.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Longfu Xu, Jordi Cabanas-Danes, Matthew T. J. Halma, Iddo Heller, Sarah A. Stratmann, Antoine M. van Oijen, Seung-Joo Lee, Erwin J. G. Peterman, Gijs J. L. Wuite
Summary: In vitro experiments show that bacteriophage T7 single-stranded DNA-binding protein (gp2.5) can protect transiently exposed regions of single-stranded DNA (ssDNA) through its dynamic interaction. Furthermore, the sequence of T7 gp2.5, the ssDNA conformation induced by template tension, and the acidic C-terminal domain of T7 gp2.5 significantly affect its DNA binding properties. Finally, a unique template-catalyzed recycling behavior of T7 gp2.5 is revealed, facilitating efficient spatial redistribution during the synthesis of successive Okazaki fragments.
NUCLEIC ACIDS RESEARCH
(2023)
Article
Cell Biology
Vladimir Baytshtok, Xue Fei, Tsai-Ting Shih, Robert A. Grant, Justin C. Santos, Tania A. Baker, Robert T. Sauer
Summary: At low temperatures, protein degradation by the AAA+ HslUV protease is slow due to residues in the intermediate domain of the HslU(6) unfoldase blocking the axial channel, preventing substrate binding and degradation until heat-induced melting of this autoinhibitory plug activates HslUV proteolysis through a model supported by biochemical experiments with wild-type and mutant enzymes.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Jordan P. Hempfling, Emily R. Sekera, Amar Sarkar, Amanda B. Hummon, Dehua Pei
Summary: Efficient and convenient method for producing recombinant proteins with free N-terminal cysteines has been reported. Site-specific labeling of the resulting proteins at the N-terminus was achieved through a novel genetic fusion and sequential enzymatic processing.
JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN CHEMICAL SOCIETY
(2022)
Article
Plant Sciences
Zhe Chai, Jinlan Fang, Wei Yao, Yang Zhao, Guangyuan Cheng, Sehrish Akbar, Muhammad Tahir Khan, Baoshan Chen, Muqing Zhang
Summary: ScGAIL is involved in the regulation of plant growth and development, inhibiting sugarcane growth by disrupting the GA signaling pathway.
JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL BOTANY
(2022)
Article
Food Science & Technology
Louisa Schlaak, Christoph Weise, Benno Kuropka, Alexander Weng
Summary: This study identified two new isoforms of type I ribosome-inactivating proteins, sapovaccarin-S1 and -S2, which exhibited higher thermostability and anti-cancer activity. These findings suggest that sapovaccarin-S1 and -S2 are promising candidates for targeted anti-cancer therapy.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Charles Burridge, Christopher A. Waudby, Tomasz Wlodarski, Anais M. E. Cassaignau, Lisa D. Cabrita, John Christodoulou
Summary: This study used solution-state NMR spectroscopy to measure transverse proton relaxation rates for methyl groups in folded ribosome-nascent chain complexes, revealing interactions between the nascent chain and ribosome surface driven predominantly by electrostatics. By observing changes in these interactions as subsequent domain emerges, the impact on free energy landscapes associated with co-translational folding process can be deduced.
Article
Veterinary Sciences
Nicola Palmieri, Ilias Apostolakos, Surya Paudel, Michael Hess
Summary: This study identified gene variations and SNPs associated with APEC pathogenicity, suggesting the involvement of multiple regulated pathways. The findings also suggest the importance of nutrient uptake and defense from the host immune system in APEC pathogenicity.
FRONTIERS IN VETERINARY SCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Hematology
Yuto Nakajima, Keiji Nogami
Summary: The study identified that residues 346-349 with sulfated Tyr in the A1 region of FVIII provided a thrombin-interactive site responsible for activation and cleavage at Arg(372). The hirugen-hybrid A1 mutant showed more efficient thrombin-catalyzed cleavage at Arg(372) compared to wild type. Surface plasmon resonance-based analysis revealed that active-site modified thrombin interactions using specific mutations had higher dissociation constants and facilitated association kinetics.
JOURNAL OF THROMBOSIS AND HAEMOSTASIS
(2021)
Article
Infectious Diseases
Salim Manoharadas, Mohammad Altaf, Naushad Ahmad, Abdulwahed Fahad Alrefaei, Basel F. F. Al-Rayes
Summary: The emergence of antibiotic resistance in enterococci is a global concern, and almost all enterococci show significant levels of resistance to various antibiotics. Therefore, it is crucial to develop new antibacterial agents against enterococci.
Article
Chemistry, Medicinal
Salim Manoharadas, Naushad Ahmad, Mohammad Altaf, Abdulwahed Fahad Alrefaei, Basel F. Al-Rayes
Summary: This study evaluated the activity of two engineered enzybiotics against a dual biofilm formed by Staphylococcus aureus and Enterococcus faecalis. The cocktail of proteins showed an additive effect in rapidly disrupting the preformed dual biofilm, resulting in over 90% dispersion within 3 hours of treatment. Furthermore, it effectively reduced bacterial cells embedded in the biofilm matrix by over 90% within the same time frame. This is the first successful use of an engineered enzybiotic cocktail to impede the structural integrity of a dual biofilm.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Sanjeevamuthu Suganthi, Shanmugam Vignesh, Vairamuthu Raj, Salim Manoharadas, Saravanan Pandiaraj, Haekyoung Kim
Summary: In this study, novel Z-scheme V2O5/g-C3N4 photocatalytic composites were prepared through simple hydrothermal processes. These composites showed significantly improved efficiency and reaction rate for the degradation of methylene blue compared to pristine GCN catalyst. The enhanced activity was attributed to the synergistic interfacial construction of the Z-scheme heterojunctions among V2O5 and GCN, which improved separation/transfer and enhanced visible-light utilization.
ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH
(2023)
Article
Food Science & Technology
Muhammad Aamir, Arfa Arshad, Muhammad Afzaal, Allah Rakha, Nooralhuda Jalel Mahsen Oda, Muhammad Nadeem, Farhan Saeed, Aftab Ahmed, Ali Imran, Huda Ateeq, Rimsha Farooq, Fakhar Islam, Salim Manoharadas, Asad Nawaz, Mohd Asif Shah
Summary: The objective of this study was to evaluate the fortification of ginger in yogurt to improve its functionality. Ginger at different concentrations (0%, 0.5%, 1%, 1.5%, and 2%) was added to yogurt, resulting in significant effects on physicochemical properties, phenolic content, and sensory parameters. The addition of 1.5% ginger powder in yogurt showed the best results for protein, moisture, water-holding capacity, and total phenolic contents. T3, with 1.5% ginger powder, was the most preferred among all treatments based on the sensorial assessment.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF FOOD PROPERTIES
(2023)
Article
Food Science & Technology
Seray Erhan, Charalampos Proestos, Salim Manoharadas, Fatih Oz
Summary: The impact of different cooking methods on the quality and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) contents of cultivated mushrooms was investigated. The study found that cooking methods had significant effects on the dry matter content, cooking loss, and pH value of the mushrooms. Consumption of pan-fried mushrooms with the highest PAH content remained within the regulatory limits.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF FOOD SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Ana Carolina Ferreira Piazzi Fuhr, Yasmin Vieira, Marcos Leandro Silva Oliveira, Luis Felipe Oliveira Silva, Salim Manoharadas, Asad Nawaz, Guilherme Luiz Dotto
Summary: Mathematical models are important in data acquisition, but it is challenging to choose the most accurate model. This study uses statistical physics modeling and thermodynamic calculations to demonstrate patterns in adsorption processes and highlights the importance of understanding the physical meaning of each parameter.
JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR LIQUIDS
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Bruna Silva de Farias, Francisca Zuchoski Rizzi, Eduardo Silveira Ribeiro, Patricia Silva Diaz, Tito Roberto Sant'Anna Cadaval Junior, Guilherme Luiz Dotto, Mohammad Rizwan Khan, Salim Manoharadas, Luiz Antonio de Almeida Pinto, Glaydson Simoes dos Reis
Summary: This study explores the fabrication of nanofibers using different types of gelatins, highlighting their potential to produce nanofibers with distinct physicochemical properties.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2023)
Article
Pharmacology & Pharmacy
Salim Manoharadas, Basel F. Al-Rayes, Mohammed Abdulaziz M. Almuzaini, Yasser Muteq Almohammadi
Summary: This study successfully created a chimeric enzybiotic against MRSA and tested its efficiency in combination with antibiotics. This finding could pave the way for the development of similar peptides to be used in combination with conventional antibiotics.
Article
Food Science & Technology
Noor Akram, Muhammad Afzaal, Farhan Saeed, Adnan Ahmad, Ali Imran, Aftab Ahmed, Yasir Abbas Shah, Fakhar Islam, Suliman Yousef Alomar, Salim Manoharadas, Asad Nawaz
Summary: In this study, whey protein-based nanofibers were fabricated to encapsulate Lactobacillus rhamnosus. The nanofibers were blended using different ratios of PVA and WPI, and characterized for various properties. SEM and FTIR analysis showed successful loading of probiotics within the nanofibers, with strong bonding between the encapsulating materials. In vitro and thermal analyses demonstrated significant improvement in the survival of the encapsulated probiotics.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
M. Lavanya, Rajapandiyan Krishnamoorthy, Mohammad A. Alshuniaber, Salim Manoharadas, Chella Perumal Palanisamy, Vishnu Priya Veeraraghavan, Selvaraj Jayaraman, Ponnulakshmi Rajagopal, Ramakrishnan Padmini
Summary: A gelatin-syringic acid/ZnO nanocomposite with antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anticancer activities was synthesized and characterized. The nanocomposite exhibited sustained drug release, high antioxidant ability, dose-dependent inhibition of protein denaturation, and non-toxicity in zebrafish. It also inhibited Hep G2 cell viability and increased oxidative stress caused by mitochondrial damage, leading to cell death. Overall, this study suggests that the gelatin-syringic acid/ZnO nanocomposite has potential for the treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma.
JOURNAL OF KING SAUD UNIVERSITY SCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Nutrition & Dietetics
Aslam Khan, Zia Ul-Haq, Sheraz Fazid, Sadia Fatima, Nawshad Muhammad, Jawad Ahmed, Salim Manoharadas, Sher Zaman Safi, Ijaz Habib, Cecilia Garzon, Yasir Ihtesham, Fareeda Zahid, Fazal Dad, Tanimoune Mahamadou, Nicola M. Lowe
Summary: This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of ready-to-use Lipid-based Nutrient Supplement-Medium Quantity (LNS-MQ) on plasma micronutrient status, hemoglobin concentration, and anthropometric measurements. A total of 110 children aged 6 to 23 months were allocated to intervention and control groups. The intervention group received daily ration of LNS-MQ for one year and showed significant improvements in micronutrient status, hemoglobin concentration, and growth parameters.
FRONTIERS IN NUTRITION
(2023)
Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Larah Gondim Santos Paulino, Luisa Bataglin Avila, Caroline Costa Moraes, Mohammad Rizwan Khan, Salim Manoharadas, Glaydson Simoes dos Reis, Guilherme Luiz Dotto, Gabriela Silveira da Rosa
Summary: This study aims to enhance bilayer membranes by incorporating phytochemical compounds and natural extracts, resulting in improved mechanical and barrier properties. The addition of olive leaf extracts shows significant potential for utilization as wound dressings.
Article
Food Science & Technology
Sidra Akram, Aftab Ahmed, Muhammad Afzaal, Farhan Saeed, Ali Ikram, Aasma Asghar, Salim Manoharadas, Asad Nwaz, Degnet Teferi Asres
Summary: This study evaluated the effect of iron-rich Nutri bars on iron-deficient females and found that they could improve iron status in young women.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF FOOD PROPERTIES
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Kalaiselvi Krishnamoorthy, Selvaraj Jayaraman, Rajapandiyan Krishnamoorthy, Salim Manoharadas, Mohammad A. Alshuniaber, Biba Vikas, Vishnu Priya Veeraraghavan
Summary: This study aims to develop an environmentally friendly method for isolating silver nanoparticles and investigate their pharmacological properties. The isolated silver nanoparticles using Argyreia nervosa plant leaves showed strong antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anti-diabetic activities, as well as significant antibacterial activity against selected pathogens. However, further in vivo research is needed to verify these findings and explore the potential of Argyreia nervosa-mediated silver nanoparticles as a viable drug.
JOURNAL OF KING SAUD UNIVERSITY SCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Horticulture
Muhammad Rizwan, Asad Nawaz, Sana Irshad, Salim Manoharadas
Summary: This study reveals the potential role of melatonin (MEL) in enhancing Cr stress tolerance in pepper seedlings. MEL supplementation significantly mitigated the phytotoxic effects of Cr on root morphology, gas exchange elements, and leaf photosynthetic capacity, and restored the growth of pepper seedlings.
SCIENTIA HORTICULTURAE
(2024)