Editorial Material
Plant Sciences
Justin Findinier, Arthur R. Grossman
Summary: The CO2-concentrating mechanism is an inorganic carbon pump used by eukaryotic algae to promote carbon fixation. It has the potential to be transferred to crop species, enhancing agricultural yields and supporting a growing world population.
JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL BOTANY
(2023)
Article
Construction & Building Technology
XiaoNiu Yu, YiDong Xu
Summary: This paper reviews the capture of CO2 by organic amines (OAs) and carbonic anhydrase bacteria (CAB) and their application in civil engineering. By using these technologies, CO2 emissions can be reduced and converted into hardened cementitious materials. OAs and CAB can effectively convert CO2 to carbonates, reducing emissions and increasing the value of CO2.
JOURNAL OF BUILDING ENGINEERING
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Marta Meneghello, Ana Rita Oliveira, Aurore Jacq-Bailly, Ines A. C. Pereira, Christophe Leger, Vincent Fourmond
Summary: Mo/W formate dehydrogenases catalyze the reversible reduction of CO2 to formate, and it has been definitively demonstrated through an electrochemical method that the substrate is indeed CO2, not a hydrated species like HCO3-.
ANGEWANDTE CHEMIE-INTERNATIONAL EDITION
(2021)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Vaha Akbary Moghaddam, Vesal Kasmaeifar, Zainab Mahmoodi, Hossein Ghafouri, Omid Saberi, Asadollah Mohammadi
Summary: A novel derivative of sulfamethoxazole named ZM-093 was synthesized and characterized through experimental and computational analysis, showing significant inhibitory effect against the cancer-related protein HSP70, potentially through binding to its substrate-binding domain. Additionally, a new method for evaluating the inhibitory activity of ligands to HSP70 based on protonography was introduced.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF BIOLOGICAL MACROMOLECULES
(2021)
Article
Chemistry, Medicinal
Ozlem Akgul, Srishti Singh, Jacob T. Andring, Robert McKenna, Silvia Selleri, Fabrizio Carta, Andrea Angeli, Claudiu T. Supuran
Summary: A series of taurine substituted sulfonamide derivatives with ureido moiety at the tail section were synthesized as selective inhibitors of tumor associated human Carbonic Anhydrase (CA) IX and XII. These derivatives showed a strong dependence on the presence of ureido moiety and demonstrated highly stabilized ligand-protein complex with specific amino acid residues in both hCA II and hCA IX-mimic.
EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF MEDICINAL CHEMISTRY
(2021)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Qin Ying, Han Chen, Peijing Shao, Xiaowei Zhou, Xiaojia He, Jiexu Ye, Shihan Zhang, Jianmeng Chen, Lidong Wang
Summary: A core-shell magnetic ZIF-8@Fe3O4-carbonic anhydrase composite was developed to enhance CO2 absorption into tertiary amine, showing a high relative activity. Larger particle size of ZIF-8@Fe3O4 was beneficial for activity but adverse for loading. The developed composite exhibited remarkable magnetic response for convenient recycling.
JOURNAL OF CO2 UTILIZATION
(2021)
Article
Medicine, General & Internal
Mohammed Al-Zubaidi, Pravin Viswambaram, Steve McCombie, Elizabeth Liow, Nat Lenzo, Tom Ferguson, Andrew D. Redfern, Richard Gauci, Dickon Hayne
Summary: Bladder cancer is a lethal disease with limited conventional imaging modalities for accurate staging. This study aims to investigate the use of (89)Zirconium-labelled girentuximab PET in the staging of bladder and urothelial carcinomas.
Article
Engineering, Chemical
Wan-Wen Ting, Sefli Sri Wahyu Effendi, Ruei-En Hu, I-Son Ng
Summary: The study aims to enhance protein production and catalytic efficiency of MlCA through directed evolution in genetically Escherichia coli. The CRISPRi-based DEPEND-2.0 system effectively inhibits cell growth, and structural prediction and codon design improve enzyme activity and protein expression. The developed MlCA variant shows high durability and catalytic activity.
JOURNAL OF THE TAIWAN INSTITUTE OF CHEMICAL ENGINEERS
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Chaoyu Fan, Yonghua Tang, Hao Wang, Yifan Huang, Fei Xu, Yun Yang, Yangyang Huang, Weifeng Rong, Youhui Lin
Summary: Inspired by the structures of enzymes, researchers have developed a fast and robust method to generate ZIF-90 metallo-nanozymes. ZIF-90 exhibits enzyme-like activity, high stability, and recyclability.
Review
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Cristhian Molina-Fernandez, Patricia Luis
Summary: The use of immobilized carbonic anhydrase as a novel approach for CO2 capture presents a promising alternative to address cost and environmental issues. Current research focuses on developing different carriers and immobilization strategies to achieve stability and activity compared to free enzyme in solution.
JOURNAL OF CO2 UTILIZATION
(2021)
Article
Immunology
Xianqin Song, Yu Song, Quanping Ma, Kehua Fang, Xiaotian Chang
Summary: This study found that M1 macrophages can increase the expression of CA1 and CA2 to promote atherosclerotic calcification in vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) by secreting TNF-a.
JOURNAL OF INFLAMMATION RESEARCH
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Medicinal
Anil Kumar Marapaka, Alessio Nocentini, Molly S. Youse, Weiwei An, Katrina J. Holly, Chittaranjan Das, Ravi Yadav, Mohamed N. Seleem, Claudiu T. Supuran, Daniel P. Flaherty
Summary: Drug-resistant Neisseria gonorrhoeae poses a serious threat to public health. The research team solved the structure of carbonic anhydrase inhibitors bound to the essential alpha-carbonic anhydrase isoform from N. gonorrhoeae, revealing differences compared to the human enzyme.
ACS MEDICINAL CHEMISTRY LETTERS
(2023)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Natalia Semenova, Andrey Marakhonov, Maria Ampleeva, Marina Kurkina, Galina Baydakova, Mikhail Skoblov, Natalia Taran, Olga Babak, Ekaterina Shchukina, Tatyana Strokova
Summary: Hyperammonemia due to carbonic anhydrase VA deficiency is a rare hereditary disease that causes unexplained encephalopathic hyperammonemia during the neonatal period and infancy. We found a high frequency of carriers of the mutation in Russia, suggesting targeted testing in neonatal intensive care units can facilitate early detection.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2022)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Viviana De Luca, Simone Giovannuzzi, Claudiu T. Supuran, Clemente Capasso
Summary: Blocking bacterial carbonic anhydrases can reduce pathogen survival and fitness. The recombinant M. sciuri gamma-CA showed significant hydratase activity, with a sulfonamide inhibitory profile different from that of MscCA beta, suggesting the possibility of developing novel CA class-specific inhibitors.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2022)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Alexis J. A. Hennessy, Wenli Huang, Chloe Savary, Dominic J. Campopiano
Summary: The synthesis of amides through acid and amine coupling is common but requires more sustainable and biocatalytic methods. The study identified the potential of nitrile synthetase in amide bond formation and successfully engineered a biocatalyst without the need for coupling agents. This suggests the further development of nitrile synthetases as efficient, coupling agent-free biocatalysts for amide formation.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Bhuvana K. Shanbhag, Chang Liu, G. C. Pradeep, Tayyaba Younas, Kevin K. Y. Hu, Alex J. Fulcher, Weston B. Struwe, David Steer, Geoff Dumsday, Ian S. Harper, Philipp Kukura, Victoria S. Haritos, Lizhong He
Summary: The authors have developed a versatile protein assembling method to create customized protein particles for various applications, such as biocatalysis, sensing, and labeling. They have successfully demonstrated the co-assembly of two functional proteins within a single particle. This strategy provides a reliable way to fabricate protein particles with new functionalities on demand.
ADVANCED FUNCTIONAL MATERIALS
(2022)
Article
Materials Science, Paper & Wood
Rahul Sharma, Gil Garnier, Victoria Haritos
Summary: Glucanases are a great option for cellulose pre-treatment and enhancement of microfibrillated cellulose properties. Our research focused on two different enzyme formulations, a purified beta-1,4-endoglucanase and a mixture rich in beta-1,4-exoglucanase, and studied the effects of high protein applications on PFI refined-microfibrillated cellulose (2,500 rev). The results showed that high protein applications improved fibrillation with endoglucanase treatment, while low protein applications improved mechanical properties and surface functionalization.
Article
Food Science & Technology
Lavaraj Devkota, Lizhong He, Jocelyn Midgley, Victoria S. Haritos
Summary: Bean hydration is a crucial stage in dry bean processing and understanding its kinetics is important for process optimization. This study investigated the hydration behavior of two commonly consumed Phaseolus vulgaris L. beans and developed models to predict hydration kinetics. The results showed that temperature and bean properties affect hydration kinetics, and a simplified model was developed for small red beans. These findings have practical implications for the bean processing industry in terms of process design and optimization.
JOURNAL OF FOOD SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Food Science & Technology
Lavaraj Devkota, Lizhong He, Claudio Bittencourt, Jocelyn Midgley, Victoria S. Haritos
Summary: The effect of thermal and pulsed electric field-assisted hydration on common beans was investigated. Pulsed electric field-assisted hydration resulted in higher equilibrium moisture values and reduced hydration time, but also led to higher leaching of bioactive components.
LWT-FOOD SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Applied
Mitra Nosratpour, Kamila Kochan, Jisheng Ma, Yong Wang, Bayden R. Wood, Victoria S. Haritos, Cordelia Selomulya
Summary: The structural polymorphism of SLPs can lead to expulsion of the protected component during storage. Changes in thermal behavior, crystalline properties, and fatty acid distribution occur in SLPs at different temperatures. The intact shape and stability of the core of SLPs are related to the outer layer of saturated fatty acids.
Article
Biochemical Research Methods
Zongsheng Zou, Tayyaba Younas, Geoff Dumsday, Victoria S. Haritos, Lizhong He
Summary: RNA aptamers have the ability to specifically and selectively bind to various macromolecules, cell surfaces, and viruses, and find wide applications in biosensors, diagnostics, and therapeutic treatments and drug delivery. This article presents a new E. coli-based approach for rapidly producing multimeric RNA aptamer transcripts in vivo, using a designed double-stranded spacer to protect the transcript ends. The produced multimeric and fluorescent RNA aptamers were stable and easily isolated, and their full functionality was confirmed through binding assays and fluorescence measurements. This approach shows promise for rapid and cost-effective production of RNA aptamers.
BIOTECHNOLOGY JOURNAL
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Applied
Smriti Shrestha, Leonie van 't Hag, Victoria S. Haritos, Sushil Dhital
Summary: This review explores the potential of lentil and mungbean proteins as plant-based protein sources, which have comparable protein contents but different protein composition compared to soy and pea proteins. Lentil protein exhibits comparable gelling, emulsifying, and superior foaming properties to pea and soy protein, while the gelling, water holding, and oil absorption capacities of mungbean proteins are comparable to soy.
FOOD HYDROCOLLOIDS
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Christian K. O. Dzuvor, Bhuvana K. Shanbhag, Hsin-Hui Shen, Victoria S. Haritos, Lizhong He
Summary: Protein-based nanomaterials have outstanding properties and wide applications in biomedical and bionanotechnological sectors. However, the development of unique nanostructures for next-generation antibacterial agents has been limited. This study reports the discovery of protein nanospears, which are supramolecular nanostructures with well-defined shapes based on engineered proteins. The nanospears exhibit exceptional antibacterial activities, rapidly damaging bacterial morphology via their nanostructure and enzymatic action. These protein-based nanospears show promise as potent tools to combat drug-resistant bacteria and inspire the engineering of other antibacterial protein nanomaterials with diverse properties.
ADVANCED MATERIALS
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Applied
Smriti Shrestha, Leonie van't Hag, Victoria Haritos, Sushil Dhital
Summary: Lentils and mungbean proteins have been less studied compared to pea and soybean proteins. The proteins of lentils, mungbean, and yellow pea were extracted using alkaline extraction and isoelectric precipitation, and their molecular and higher-order structures were investigated using various methods. The extracted proteins had similar protein content but higher nitrogen solubility index compared to commercial pea and soy protein isolates. The soluble proteins of lentils and yellow pea were identified as legumin-like and vicilin-like, while mungbean proteins were dominated by vicilin-like proteins. The soluble extracts showed native structural characteristics unlike the commercial extracts, and there were also differences in secondary structure between the extracts.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
E. Johnston, S. Okada, C. M. Gregg, A. C. Warden, V. Rolland, V. Gillespie, K. Byrne, M. L. Colgrave, A. L. Eamens, R. S. Allen, C. C. Wood
Summary: The goal of transferring a bacterial nitrogen fixation pathway into plants to reduce chemical fertilizer use on crops has been achieved in this study. The structural components of Fe-nitrogenase proteins were successfully engineered into plant mitochondria and formed a functional complex. This marks the first step towards engineering an alternative nitrogenase into crops.
PLANT MOLECULAR BIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Biology
Kevin H. Putera, Jinhee Kim, So Young Baek, Stephen H. Schlecht, Melanie L. Beaulieu, Victoria Haritos, Ellen M. Arruda, James A. Ashton-Miller, Edward M. Wojtys, Mark Banaszak M. Holl
Summary: Approximately 300,000 ACL tears occur annually in the US, with 50% leading to knee osteoarthritis within a decade. Repetitive loading causes collagen unravelling and structural failure, but the relationship between tissue changes is poorly understood. This study shows that submaximal loading of cadaver knees leads to collagen unravelling and tissue compliance increase, particularly in highly mineralized regions at the ACL femoral enthesis.
COMMUNICATIONS BIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Applied
Smriti Shrestha, Leonie van 't Hag, Victoria Haritos, Sushil Dhital
Summary: The molecular structure and conformation of plant-based proteins play a significant role in their gelation behavior. This study compared the rheological and textural properties of gels formed by lentils, mungbean, and yellow pea proteins with those of commercial soy and pea protein isolates. The results showed that mungbean protein had the lowest critical protein concentration and formed stronger gels compared to lentils and yellow pea proteins. Commercial isolates with larger particle size, water holding capacity, and denatured state had lower critical protein concentrations than their folded and more soluble counterparts. These findings provide insights into the structure-gelation relationship of pulse proteins and support the development of plant protein-gelled products beyond meat and dairy analogues.
FOOD HYDROCOLLOIDS
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Rahul Sharma, Kevin Putera, Mark M. Banaszak Holl, Gil Garnier, Victoria S. Haritos
Summary: Fine nanocellulose fibers were obtained through a tandem enzyme reaction using carboxylated cellulose, as an alternative to the conventional toxic chemical process. The combination of fungal laccases and lytic polysaccharide monooxygenases (LPMOs) mimicked nature and resulted in hydrolyzed and oxidized cellulose, leading to the formation of nanofibers.
ACS SUSTAINABLE CHEMISTRY & ENGINEERING
(2023)
Article
Endocrinology & Metabolism
Georgia M. Sinclair, Sophie M. Oakes, Andrew C. Warden, Amy M. Paten, Oliver A. H. Jones
Summary: This study evaluated the potential of alternative NMR-active nuclei, other than H-1, to generate useful metabolomic data. The results showed that carbon NMR provided useful information but required larger sample sizes. Phosphorus produced overlapping peaks in one-dimensional analysis but showed potential in two-dimensional experiments. N-15 NMR was found to not be sensitive enough for general metabolomic work.
Article
Nanoscience & Nanotechnology
Christian K. O. Dzuvor, Bhuvana K. Shanbhag, Tayyaba Younas, Hsin-Hui Shen, Victoria S. Haritos, Lizhong He
Summary: Antimicrobial nanomaterials, such as protein-based nanoparticles, have been developed to combat antibiotic-resistant bacteria. In this study, protein-only nanoparticles were engineered to target resistant Gram-positive bacteria. The engineered nanoparticles showed stronger bactericidal ability, enhanced stability, and caused extensive damages to bacterial cell walls, making them a promising alternative to conventional antibiotics.
ACS APPLIED BIO MATERIALS
(2022)