Article
Chemistry, Physical
Sven T. Stripp
Summary: Earth-abundant transition metals play essential roles in cellular gas metabolism, forming gas-processing metalloenzymes that catalyze redox reactions. Biophysicists use techniques like Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy to study the reaction principles of GPMs. Infrared spectroscopy provides information on catalytic cofactors, amino acid residues, and protein structural changes.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Ramona Jurgeleit, Benjamin Grimm-Lebsanft, Benedikt Maria Floeser, Melissa Teubner, Soren Buchenau, Laura Senft, Jonas Hoffmann, Maria Naumova, Christian Naether, Ivana Ivanovic-Burmazovic, Michael Ruebhausen, Felix Tuczek
Summary: The study demonstrates that low-temperature oxygenation of copper complexes results in the formation of unique tetranuclear mixed-valent peroxo compounds, which promote O-O bond homolysis and catalytic activity, showing efficient catalytic activity towards organic substrates.
ANGEWANDTE CHEMIE-INTERNATIONAL EDITION
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
D. Hamoutene, K. Hua, A. Lacoursiere-Roussel, F. Page, S. M. Baillie, L. Brager, F. Salvo, T. Coyle, K. Chernoff, M. Black, D. Wong, E. Nelson, T. Bungay, D. Gaspard, E. Ryall, C. W. Mckindsey, T. F. Sutherland
Summary: The study conducted sediment sampling at finfish farms in three distinct Canadian regions and identified several trace elements, including Cu, Zn, Cd, Mo and U, as indicators of finfish aquaculture organic enrichment. Multivariate analyses showed a consistent clustering of these tracers with sediment organic matter and/or total dissolved sulfides concentrations. Organic matter content was found to be a predictor of the concentrations of these elements according to decision tree analyses. Distance from cages did not significantly impact the differences among sampling points.
MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Frances J. Charters, Thomas A. Cochrane, Aisling D. O'Sullivan
Summary: The study collected untreated runoff from different impermeable surfaces to quantify the differences in water quality due to surface type, age, condition, and location. Results showed that zinc and copper concentrations in runoff from zinc and copper roofs were significantly higher than water quality guidelines, indicating the importance of different removal processes for dissolved versus particulate metals.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2021)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Felix Javier Jimenez-Jimenez, Pedro Ayuso, Hortensia Alonso-Navarro, Marisol Calleja, Monica Diez-Fairen, Ignacio Alvarez, Pau Pastor, Jose Francisco Plaza-Nieto, Santiago Navarro-Munoz, Laura Turpin-Fenoll, Jorge Millan-Pascual, Marta Recio-Bermejo, Rafael Garcia-Ruiz, Esteban Garcia-Albea, Jose A. G. Agundez, Elena Garcia-Martin
Summary: Increased brain and serum zinc levels were found in patients with idiopathic restless legs syndrome (iRLS) compared to controls, suggesting the involvement of zinc in the pathogenesis of the disease. However, the levels of other trace elements were similar between RLS patients and controls. This study revealed that RLS patients in a Spanish Caucasian population have significantly higher serum concentrations of copper, magnesium, selenium, and calcium compared to controls, with no major correlation to age at onset, severity, family history or drug response.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Jereme G. Spiers, Li Si Tan, Stephen T. Anderson, Andrew F. Hill, Nickolas A. Lavidis, Hsiao-Jou Cortina Chen
Summary: This study investigated the changes in essential metal homeostasis following exposure to short-term repeated stress in rats, revealing that stress can lead to hepatic redox imbalance and metal redistribution. Additionally, stress was found to modulate the mRNA levels of key metal transporters.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Guojin Liang, Jiaxiong Zhu, Boxun Yan, Qing Li, Ao Chen, Ze Chen, Xiaoqi Wang, Bo Xiong, Jun Fan, Jin Xu, Chunyi Zhi
Summary: The article introduces a method to solve the irreversibility issue of zinc metal anodes through a solution-dipping approach that constructs a protective coating. The synergistic combination of electric conductive coatings, insulating coatings, and 3D structural frameworks enables highly reversible zinc metal anode chemistry with suppressed gas production and dendrite growth.
ENERGY & ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Kiran Kumar Pvsn, Sojit Tomo, Purvi Purohit, Shrimanjunath Sankanagoudar, Jayakaran Charan, Abhishek Purohit, Vijaylakshami Nag, Pradeep Bhatia, Kuldeep Singh, Naveen Dutt, Mahendra Kumar Garg, Praveen Sharma, Sanjeev Misra, Dharamveer Yadav
Summary: Deficiencies of trace elements and infectious diseases exhibit complex interactions. This study found that serum zinc and copper levels were significantly decreased in COVID-19 patients, while serum magnesium levels were slightly decreased. Serum copper/zinc ratio along with patient age can serve as reliable markers for COVID-19 course and survival odds.
BIOLOGICAL TRACE ELEMENT RESEARCH
(2023)
Article
Geochemistry & Geophysics
Hollie Packman, Susan H. Little, Alex R. Baker, Luke Bridgestock, Rosie J. Chance, Barry J. Coles, Katharina Kreissig, Mark Rehkaemper, Tina van de Flierdt
Summary: Anthropogenic activities have increased the input of metals into the ocean, affecting marine ecosystems. This study shows that Zn and Cu isotopes can distinguish between natural and anthropogenic atmospheric inputs. Analysis of aerosols collected from the eastern tropical Atlantic Ocean reveals a significant anthropogenic component, indicating the potential of Zn isotopes to track anthropogenic sources of atmospheric Zn to the surface ocean.
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Klaudia Jomova, Marianna Makova, Suliman Y. Alomar, Saleh H. Alwasel, Eugenie Nepovimova, Kamil Kuca, Christopher J. Rhodes, Marian Valko
Summary: Twenty essential elements, half of which are metals and half are non-metals, are required for proper functioning of the human body. Metallo-regulatory mechanisms in cells help maintain homeostasis of metal-ions crucial for various cellular processes, especially in the central nervous system. Imbalances in essential metals can lead to diseases such as neurological disorders, mental health problems, cardiovascular diseases, cancer, and diabetes. A multidisciplinary approach involving bioinorganic chemists, biophysicists, and biologists is needed to further understand the role of metal ions in biological systems.
CHEMICO-BIOLOGICAL INTERACTIONS
(2022)
Article
Engineering, Chemical
An The Huynh, Yi-Ching Chen, Bich Ngoc Thi Tran
Summary: Water hyacinth has shown to efficiently remove cadmium, arsenic, lead, zinc, and copper from industrial wastewater, potentially serving as a low-cost natural water purification system.
Article
Radiology, Nuclear Medicine & Medical Imaging
Giuseppe Toia, Adam M. Alessio, Achille Mileto
Summary: The altered concentrations of essential trace metals are associated with abdominal tumor development, and a method was developed to quantify these metals using monochromatic data from commercially available DECT implementations. The data provide a foundation for noninvasive quantification of essential trace metals using DECT, with minimum detectable concentrations of iron and zinc overlapping with literature-reported in vivo hepatic concentrations.
AMERICAN JOURNAL OF ROENTGENOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Jagdeesh Kumar, Himanshu Joshi, Sandeep K. Malyan
Summary: In this study, nanofiltration (NF) membrane and electrocoagulation (EC) processes were used to remove copper, nickel, and zinc from water. The results showed that EC was more efficient than NF in removing the studied metals, and both methods had advantages over conventional precipitation and adsorption processes.
APPLIED SCIENCES-BASEL
(2022)
Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Alia Besma Abba, Sofiane Saggai, Youcef Touil, Nadhir Al-Ansari, Saber Kouadri, Fatima Zohra Nouasria, Hadee Mohammed Najm, Nuha S. Mashaan, Moutaz Mustafa A. Eldirderi, Khaled Mohamed Khedher
Summary: The study investigates the composition and structure of aluminum sludge for its use as a natural material to remove heavy metals from wastewater. The results show that a high removal efficiency can be achieved in an acidic medium using a relatively high amount of sludge, but the efficiency is low in a strongly acidic medium.
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Claudia Andreini, Antonio Rosato
Summary: Metalloproteins play a vital role in various physiological functions, and recent advancements in computational tools and techniques have significantly contributed to the study of metalloprotein structures.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Analytical
Marzia Calcagno, Roberta D'Agata, Giulia Breveglieri, Monica Borgatti, Noemi Bellassai, Roberto Gambari, Giuseppe Spoto
Summary: This study presents a nanoparticle-enhanced strategy based on surface plasmon resonance imaging (SPRI) for non-invasive prenatal fetal sex determination, allowing for detection of male cell-free fetal DNA without the need for preliminary amplification of DNA target sequence. The developed protocol successfully reveals male cell-free fetal DNA in the plasma of pregnant women at different gestational ages, including early gestational ages. This approach could pave the way for faster and cost-effective non-invasive prenatal testing.
ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY
(2022)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Grazia Raffaella Tundo, Diego Sbardella, Francesco Oddone, Giuseppe Grasso, Stefano Marini, Maria Grazia Atzori, Anna Maria Santoro, Danilo Milardi, Francesco Bellia, Gabriele Macari, Grazia Graziani, Fabio Polticelli, Paolo Cascio, Mariacristina Parravano, Massimo Coletta
Summary: Carfilzomib has been found to target Insulin-Degrading Enzyme (IDE) in vitro, which has interactions with proteasomes in cells. The inhibitory effect of Carfilzomib on IDE is 10-fold lower than on 20S proteasomes. Additionally, the interaction of IDE with 20S enhances the inhibitory power of Carfilzomib on proteasomes. Silencing the IDE gene significantly reduces the cytotoxicity of Carfilzomib in rMC1 cells.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Alessia Distefano, Giuseppe Caruso, Valentina Oliveri, Francesco Bellia, Diego Sbardella, Gabriele Antonio Zingale, Filippo Caraci, Giuseppe Grasso
Summary: In this study, the crucial role of insulin-degrading enzyme in carnosine neuroprotection is demonstrated at chemical and biochemical levels.
ACS CHEMICAL NEUROSCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Biochemical Research Methods
Alessia Distefano, Gabriele Antonio Zingale, Giuseppe Grasso
Summary: Insulin-degrading enzyme (IDE) plays a crucial role in various biochemical pathways and the mechanism of its action still poses challenges. A novel method utilizing surface plasmon resonance (SPR) measured IDE's cooperativity with insulin in the presence of different modulators, revealing a correlation between positive and negative modulations of IDE activity and changes in the Hill coefficient, shedding new light on the IDE activity mechanism.
ANALYTICAL AND BIOANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY
(2022)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Francesca Laneri, Sara Garcia-Vinuales, Valeria Lanza, Nadia Licciardello, Danilo Milardi, Salvatore Sortino, Giuseppe Grasso
Summary: This article proposes dipyridamole as a new diagnostic tool and potential therapeutic agent in neurodegenerative diseases. It highlights the molecule's sensitivity to early stage amyloid formation and its ability to enhance ubiquitin chain growth.
ARCHIVES OF BIOCHEMISTRY AND BIOPHYSICS
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Alessia Distefano, Federico Cali, Massimiliano Gaeta, Nunzio Tuccitto, Alessandro Auditore, Antonino Licciardello, Alessandro D'Urso, Kwang-Jin Lee, Olivier Monasson, Elisa Peroni, Giuseppe Grasso
Summary: This study explores the possibility of designing rational carbon dots surface functionalization for specific analytical and bioanalytical applications. By synthesizing four different peptides and bonding them to carbon dots using different experimental procedures, the researchers achieved different peptide orientations and fluorescent responses on the functionalized surface. These results suggest that amino and carboxyl enriched surface carbon dots can be designed to meet specific chemical requirements, opening up potential applications for these nanoparticles as versatile and useful tools in chemistry and biochemistry.
JOURNAL OF COLLOID AND INTERFACE SCIENCE
(2022)
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Gabriele Antonio Zingale, Alessia Distefano, Giuseppe Grasso
Summary: In recent years, the scientific community has been adopting a unified and holistic approach to tackle different diseases grouped under the label of conformational diseases. Surface plasmon resonance (SPR) has played a significant role in investigating the biomolecular mechanisms involved in these diseases, particularly in the case of Alzheimer's disease. This review aims to provide an exhaustive list and critical perspective of the various uses of SPR in studying conformational diseases, in order to develop new therapeutic strategies.
CURRENT MEDICINAL CHEMISTRY
(2023)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Carola Rando, Giuseppe Grasso, Dibakar Sarkar, Michele Francesco Maria Sciacca, Lorena Maria Cucci, Alessia Cosentino, Giuseppe Forte, Martina Pannuzzo, Cristina Satriano, Anirban Bhunia, Carmelo La Rosa
Summary: The role of hydrogen bonding in the stability of ion-channel-like pores formed by pentapeptides containing a GXXXG motif was investigated. Molecular dynamics simulations, quantum mechanics, and experimental biophysical techniques revealed that the stability of the pores is maintained by a C alpha-H...O hydrogen bond formed between a glycine in the GXXXG sequence and another amino acid in a neighboring α-helix.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2023)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Stefania Zimbone, Maria Laura Giuffrida, Giuseppina Sabatino, Giuseppe Di Natale, Rita Tosto, Grazia M. L. Consoli, Danilo Milardi, Giuseppe Pappalardo, Michele F. M. Sciacca
Summary: Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the leading cause of dementia, characterized by memory loss and cognitive decline. The lack of specific drugs for AD treatment and prevention makes it a growing economic and social emergency. This study focuses on the use of Ass8-20 peptide fragment to inhibit the formation of toxic Ass oligomers and fibrils, making it a promising drug candidate for AD treatment.
ACS CHEMICAL NEUROSCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Biochemical Research Methods
Gabriele Antonio Zingale, Alessia Distefano, Irene Pandino, Nunzio Tuccitto, Valentina Oliveri, Massimiliano Gaeta, Alessandro D'Urso, Alfio Arcoria, Giuseppe Grasso
Summary: In the field of conformational diseases, monitoring peptide and protein aggregation is crucial for understanding physiological pathways and pathological processes. A new experimental method based on the fluorescent properties of carbon dots upon protein binding is introduced to monitor protein aggregation. The proposed methodology allows for monitoring the initial stages of insulin aggregation under different experimental conditions without potential disturbances or molecular probes.
ANALYTICAL AND BIOANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY
(2023)
Article
Biophysics
Alessandro Auditore, Nunzio Tuccitto, Giuseppe Grasso, Olivier Monasson, Elisa Peroni, Antonino Licciardello
Summary: Surface functionalization with biological molecules is a promising method for developing new biomaterials. Characterization of biological materials is challenging, but time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry provides detailed chemical information. In this study, multivariate analysis was used to extract information from ToF-SIMS spectra of peptides, allowing distinction of different peptides.
Article
Chemistry, Medicinal
Mariagrazia Fortino, Gioacchino Schifino, Adriana Pietropaolo
Summary: Chiral materials have unique properties and optical activity, making them highly interesting in various fields. This tutorial demonstrates how theoretical simulations can be used to predict and interpret chiroptical data, as well as identify chiral geometries, to enhance the development of chiral materials.
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Grazia Raffaella Tundo, Giuseppe Grasso, Marco Persico, Oleh Tkachuk, Francesco Bellia, Alessio Bocedi, Stefano Marini, Mariacristina Parravano, Grazia Graziani, Caterina Fattorusso, Diego Sbardella
Summary: Insulin-degrading enzyme (IDE) is a key enzyme involved in the degradation of insulin and other amyloidogenic peptides. Its role in curing diabetes and Alzheimer's disease has long been anticipated, but its exact role in degrading amyloidogenic proteins is not yet clearly defined. Recently, novel non-proteolytic functions of IDE have been proposed. A better understanding of the structure-function relationship of IDE may help solve existing paradoxes and lead to new therapeutic approaches.
Article
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
Mariagrazia Fortino, Alessandro Mattoni, Adriana Pietropaolo
Summary: Hybrid organic-inorganic perovskites are excellent materials for solar cell applications due to their tunability and ease of synthesis. Chiral hybrid perovskites are attracting interest for their potential applications in optoelectronics and spintronics, but how chiral bias is generated is still unclear.
JOURNAL OF MATERIALS CHEMISTRY C
(2023)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Gabriele Antonio Zingale, Valentina Oliveri, Giuseppe Grasso
Summary: The widespread use of silver as an antimicrobial agent has led to the development of silver ion resistance in certain bacterial strains, which poses a serious threat to health systems. In order to understand the mechanistic features of resistance, we studied the interaction between silver and the periplasmic metal-binding protein SilE, which is involved in bacterial silver detoxification. Our findings demonstrate that a model peptide called SP2 in SilE is capable of binding silver ions through histidine and methionine residues in two binding sites. We propose a model where SP2 binds two silver ions when the Ag+/SP2 concentration ratio is >=10.0. Based on our observations, we also suggest that the two binding sites of SP2 have different affinities for silver.