Search

Antilipopolysaecharide factors (ALF) are antimicrobial peptides in the humoral defense mechanism in shrimps, with broad activity against bacteria, viruses, and fungi. Several ALF and their isoforms have been reported in decapod crustaceans, showing structural and functional differences. This work describes the Litopenaeus vannamei antilipopolysaecharide factor 5. initially found in a hepatopancreatic transcriptomic database. The LvALF5 gDNA sequence is 1,619 bp, with a complete mRNA sequence of 934 bp. The ORF encodes a 124 amino acids sequence, including a 26 amino acids signal peptide and 98 amino acids mature peptide, highly similar to the Litopenaeus stylirostris ALF peptide sequence (96%). This peptide shows main differences in the LPS-binding domain, having only 2 positive amino acids conserved. The evolutionary analysis shows that LvALF5 is in cluster 2, which indicates that structurally it has characteristics of the other white shrimp isoforms. LrALF5 is highly expressed in healthy shrimp hemocytes, 20-fold more than in other tissues. It is up-regulated during bacterial and viral challenges. Inhibition experiments using a recombinant LrALF5 show a more efficient antibacterial activity against Vibrio parahaemolytieus than Staphylococcus aureus bacteria strains. KEY WORDS: Litopenaeus vannamei, antimicrobial peptides, gene expression, Vibrio parahaemolvticus, WSSV, antibacterial activity, INTRODUCTION The Pacific white shrimp Litopenaeus vannamei is one of the most important cultured species in the aquaculture industry. Despite being a very profitable commercial product reaching 5.8 million tonnes [...]

Byline: J. C. Canto-Pinto, N. I. Pat-Moreno, V. M. Moo-Huchin, E. Perez-Pacheco, A. J. Chay-Canul, R. J. Estrada-Leon, E. Sauri-Duch and C. R. Rios-Soberanis Key words: antioxidants; phytochemicals; plant-extracts; Ramon. [...]

Approaches to the highly sensitive determination of low-molecular-weight fatty acids and amino acids in blood serum samples of patients diagnosed with endometriosis by gas chromatography with mass spectrometric detection (GC-MS) and HPLC with a diode array detector were proposed. Conditions for the selective determination of 23 amino acids in the form of dansyl chloride derivatives by reversed-phase HPLC with spectrophotometric detection were found, and the main factors influencing the separation parameters (pH of the mobile phase, the solvent and the buffer solution, and the gradient profile) were identified. It was shown that the traditional GC determination of metabolites in the form of silyl derivatives did not provide the required sensitivity: the high volatility of derivatives already at the stage of sample preparation led to significant losses and, as a consequence, to irreproducible results. Conditions for the determination of organic acids without derivatization using GC-MS on a polar stationary phase were optimized. A procedure for preparing blood serum for analysis (precipitation of proteins and removal of lipids) and conditions for the selective separation of analytes (temperature gradient, 70-230°C) were proposed. The developed approaches made it possible to obtain characteristic profiles of organic acids in the blood serum samples of patients with endometriosis and uterine myoma (as a comparison reference group)., Author(s): E. A. Bessonova [sup.1] , A. T. Araslanova [sup.1] , A. I. Lazaretova [sup.1] , I. E. Govorov [sup.2] , S. I. Sitkin [sup.2] , L. A. Kartsova [sup.1] [...]

The genus Phlebovirus (order Bunyavirales, family Phenuiviridae) consists of 66 species according to the International Committee on Taxonomy of Viruses (1). Phleboviruses are globally distributed and can be transmitted by [...]

Two coding variants of apolipoprotein L1 (APOL1), called G1 and G2, explain much of the excess risk of kidney disease in African Americans. While various cytotoxic phenotypes have been reported in experimental models, the proximal mechanism by which G1 and G2 cause kidney disease is poorly understood. Here, we leveraged 3 experimental models and a recently reported small molecule blocker of APOL1 protein, VX-147, to identify the upstream mechanism of G1-induced cytotoxicity. In HEK293 cells, we demonstrated that G1-mediated [Na.sup.+] import/[K.sup.+] efflux triggered activation of GPCR/IP3- mediated calcium release from the ER, impaired mitochondrial ATP production, and impaired translation, which were all reversed by VX- 147. In human urine-derived podocyte-like epithelial cells (HUPECs), we demonstrated that G1 caused cytotoxicity that was again reversible by VX-147. Finally, in podocytes isolated from APOL1G1 transgenic mice, we showed that IFN-[gamma]- mediated induction of G1 caused [K.sup.+] efflux, activation of GPCR/IP3 signaling, and inhibition of translation, podocyte injury, and proteinuria, all reversed by VX-147. Together, these results establish APOL1-mediated [Na.sup.+]/[K.sup.+] transport as the proximal driver of APOL1-mediated kidney disease., Introduction Two African apolipoprotein L1 (APOL1) variants, named G1 (p.S342G and p.I384M) and G2 (deletion of p.N388/Y389), appear to have evolved to confer protection against the African sleeping sickness parasite [...]

Byline: Sami Asir. Al-Robai Keywords: Cissus rotundifolia, Cyphostemma digitatum, Cissus quadrangularis, nutrients, anti-nutrients, bioactive compounds INTRODUCTION Plants play a vital role in almost every culture on earth, and around 80% [...]

Immunoglobulin G (IgG) antibodies in the form of high-dose intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) exert immunomodulatory activity and are used in this capacity to treat inflammatory and autoimmune diseases. Reductionist approaches have revealed that terminal sialylation of the single asparagine-linked (N-linked) glycan at position 297 of the IgG1 Fc bestows antiinflammatory activity, which can be recapitulated by introduction of an F241A point mutation in the IgG1 Fc ([Fc.sup.F241A]). Here, we examined the antiinflammatory activity of CHO-K1 cell-produced [Fc.sup.F241A] in vivo in models of autoimmune inflammation and found it to be independent of sialylation. Intriguingly, sialylation markedly improved the half-life and bioavailability of [Fc.sup.F241A] via impaired interaction with the asialoglycoprotein receptor ASGPR. Further, [Fc.sup.F241A] suppressed inflammation through the same molecular pathways as IVIG and sialylated IgG1 Fc and required the C- type lectin SIGN-R1 in vivo. This contrasted with [Fc.sup.Abdeg] (efgartigimod), an engineered IgG1 Fc with enhanced neonatal Fc receptor (FcRn) binding, which reduced total serum IgG concentrations, independent of SIGN-R1. When coadministered, [Fc.sup.F241A] and [Fc.sup.Abdeg] exhibited combinatorial antiinflammatory activity. Together, these results demonstrated that the antiinflammatory activity of [Fc.sup.F241A] requires SIGN-R1, similarly to that of high-dose IVIG and sialylated IgG1, and can be used in combination with other antiinflammatory therapeutics that rely on divergent pathways, including [Fc.sup.Abdeg]., Introduction Immunoglobulin G (IgG) is the most prevalent antibody in mammals and accounts for approximately 75% of the total antibodies in typical human circulation (1). IgGs canonically trigger inflammation following [...]

A simple method to determine total aminothiols, homocysteine and cysteine, is reported that utilizes the ability of these aminothiols to reduce Fe.sup.3+ to Fe.sup.2+ which complexes with orthophenanthroline to form a colored complex that absorbs light at 512 nm. The method was evaluated in terms of sensitivity, linear dynamic range, limit of detection, and response stability. The method exhibited good analytical figures of merit, with the potential of being utilized to determine homocysteine and cysteine levels in urine., Author(s): Grace W. Muna [sup.1] Christopher Mochel [sup.1] Author Affiliations: (1) grid.257425.3, 0000 0000 8679 3494, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Indiana University South Bend, , 46634, South Bend, USA [...]

Modern mass spectrometry is the most demanded method of analysis of biopolymers, first of all, proteins and peptides. The novel methods of ionization of biomolecules developed at the end of the 20th century allowed increasing the efficiency of mass spectrometry in life sciences, first of all, proteomics. The methods of qualitative and quantitative analysis of these compounds are permanently improving. They become faster, more reliable, informative, sensitive, and selective. Significant role plays automation based on the original algorithms of the machine data processing and usage of spectral databases. One of the challenging questions of mass spectrometry involves analysis of polypeptides of various living organisms, whose genomes remain unknown so far. Amphibians represent a typical example of that species. In these cases, de novo sequencing of novel peptides is required. Development of an automated method of the de novo sequencing exclusively by mass spectrometry is of high scientific priority. It deals with top-down analysis, when an array of tandem mass spectrometry tools allows establishing amino acid sequence of each peptide using their polyprotonated molecules as precursor ions and eliminating assembling based on the hydrolysates of these compounds. A number of nuances still require time-consuming manual spectral elucidation. The present review throws light upon certain problems of mass spectrometry for the de novo sequencing of natural peptides of ranid and hylid frogs as typical representatives of amphibians. It tackles the questions related to post translational modifications, differentiation of isobaric and isomeric amino acid residues, cyclization of short peptides, and application of complementary methods of tandem mass spectrometry to trigger fragmentation. The benefits of mass spectrometry in taxonomy studies, e.g., for the reliable differentiation of closely related ranid and hylid frog species and even populations, are also discussed., Author(s): M. D. Tolpina [sup.1] , I. D. Vasileva [sup.1] , T. Yu. Samgina [sup.1] Author Affiliations: (1) grid.14476.30, 0000 0001 2342 9668, Moscow State University, , 119991, Moscow, Russia [...]

Byline: F. Agouram, Z. Sokar and A. Chait. Keywords: Rhus pentaphylla; antinociceptive activity; antioxidant capacity; total phenolic compounds. INTRODUCTION Humans to prevent, relieve or treat many of the diseases use [...]

Background: Perfluorohexane sulfonate (PFHxS) is a frequently detected per- and polyfluoroalkyl substance in most populations, including in individuals who are pregnant, a period critical for early life development. Despite epidemiological evidence of exposure, developmental toxicity, particularly at realistic human exposures, remains understudied. Objectives: We evaluated the effect of gestational exposure to human-relevant body burden of PFHxS on fetal and placental development and explored mechanisms of action combining alternative splicing (AS) and gene expression (GE) analyses. Methods: Pregnant ICR mice were exposed to 0, 0.03, and 0.3 [micro]g/kg/day from gestational day 7 to day 17 via oral gavage. Upon euthanasia, PFHxS distribution was measured using liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. Maternal and fetal phenotypes were recorded, and histopathology was examined for placenta impairment. Multiomics was adopted by combining AS and GE analyses to unveil disruptions in mRNA quality and quantity. The key metabolite transporters were validated by quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) for quantification and three-dimensional (3D) structural simulation by AlphaFold2. Targeted metabolomics based on liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry was used to detect amino acid and amides levels in the placenta. Results: Pups developmentally exposed to PFHxS exhibited signs of intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR), characterized by smaller fetal weight and body length (p Discussion: The findings from this study suggest that exposure to human-relevant very-low-dose PFHxS during pregnancy in mice caused IUGR, likely via downregulating of placental amino acid transporters, thereby impairing placental amino acid transportation, resulting in impairment of placental development. Our findings confirm epidemiological findings and call for future attention on the health risk of this persistent yet ubiquitous chemical in the early developmental stage and provide a new approach for understanding gene expression from both quantitative and qualitative omics approaches in toxicological studies. https://doi.org/10.1289/EHP13217, Introduction Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are a large group of fluorine-containing chemicals commonly applied in industrial and commercial products, resulting in ubiquitous presence in the environment (1,2) and attracting [...]

Terahertz (THz) resonance absorption originates from intermolecular interactions, which are suitable for identifying amino acids with multiple isomers. L-threonine and L-allo-threonine are diastereomers with two characteristic peaks in the effective spectrum range of 1.0-2.3 THz, which are located at 1.42 and 2.14 THz for L-threonine (L-thr) and 1.63 and 2.16 THz for L-allo-threonine (L-allo-thr). Based on the density functional theory (DFT) of the crystal structures of L-thr and L-allo-thr, the vibration frequencies of 1.56, 1.87, 2.16 THz, and 2.22 THz were obtained, corresponding to the THz characteristic peaks. Through vibration model analysis, it was found that lattice and skeleton vibrations mediated by intermolecular hydrogen bonds play a crucial role in the THz response. Studying the experimental absorption spectra of different proportions co-crystallized mixtures and 1:1 physical mixture of L-thr and L-allo-thr, it was found that the characteristic peaks of the physical mixture include the characteristic peaks of the two diastereomers in the THz band, while amino-acid co-crystallized mixtures formed their own characteristic peaks depending on the proportion. The results show that the co-crystallized mixture composition of diastereomers can be quantitatively analyzed by THz time-domain spectroscopy (THz-TDS)., As one of the eight essential proteinogenic amino acids, L-threonine (L-thr) is required for body growth, uric acid metabolism, and the immune system. L-allo-threonine (L-allo-thr) is used as a starting [...]

The giant honeycomb oyster Hyotissa hyotis occurs at a high density in the shallow subtidal rocky bottom of Jeju Island off the south coast of Korea, where the sea surface temperature ranges from 14[degrees]C to 25[degrees]C seasonally. Unlike other oysters, H. hyotis has an extraordinarily large adductor muscle (AM) that accounts for more than 40% of the total tissue weight. This study analyzed the proximate composition, amino acids, and fatty acids of the AM of H. hyotis in Jeju Island to evaluate the nutritional potential. For the analyses, oysters were grouped based on their reproductive condition as prespawning (May-August), spawning (September-November), and postspawning (December-April). The AM contained a high level of protein (54.7%-69.4%) followed by carbohydrate (16.0%-25.3%) and lipid (4.5%-9.9%) throughout the year, indicating that the AM is enriched with protein. The total amino acids (TAA) in the AM ranged from 9.4 to 12.9 g/100 g dry weight annually, and essential amino acids accounted for up to 36.7% of the TAA. Like other marine bivalves, the AM contained a high level of taurine, which accounted for 26.5%-28.5% of the total free amino acids. The AM also included high levels of essential fatty acids, such as palmitic acid, docosahexaenoic acid, and eicosapentaenoic acid, as these fatty acids accounted for 35.9%-37.0% of the total fatty acids. The AM of prespawning oysters collected during May and August contained comparatively higher total proteins and carbohydrates. Results suggested that, like scallops and pen shells, the AM of the giant honeycomb oyster is highly suitable as seafood, and H. hyotis should be considered as a species of high potential for future aquaculture efforts. KEY WORDS: honeycomb oyster, Hyotissa hyotis, adductor muscle, proximate composition, amino acid profile, fatty acid profile, spawning, INTRODUCTION The giant honeycomb oyster Hyotissa hyotis (Linnaeus, 1758) is distributed widely on the subtidal hard bottom of shallow tropical or subtropical waters from the Indo-Pacific to the eastern Pacific [...]

The complete cDNA sequence of chaperonin-containing T-complex polypeptide 1-alpha (CCT-alpha) gene of the pearl oyster Pinclada maxima was determined using rapid amplification of cDNA ends technique and characterized with bioinformatic analysis. Its expression profile in different organs and under cold stress was characterized using real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction. Results revealed that the complete cDNA sequence of P. maxima CCT-alpha has 1,803 base pairs (bp), including a 1,608-bp open reading framework that codes 535 amino acids. The protein has three conservative functional domains: equatorial, apical, and intermediate domains. The equatorial domain is 20 amino acids shorter than that of other species, and contains the three signature sequences of CCT family protein. The CCT-alpha of P. maxima has nine conservative ATP-binding sites and six protein-binding sites, and has high homology with Aplysia californica (80.7%), Delia antiqua (77.4%), Danio rerio (11.1%), Xenopus laevis (76.7%), Gallus gallus (76.4%), and Homo sapiens (75.4%). The CCT-alpha shows tissue-specific expression profile in P. maxima, with expression levels higher in gill, mantle, and adductor muscle than in hepatopancreas and heart. Cold stress markedly increased mRNA contents of CCT-alpha in the organs of P. maxima, but different organs showed distinct cold stress response pattern. Chaperonin-containing T-complex polypeptide 1-alpha transcription in adductor muscle, hepatopancreas, and heart increased at 2 h, and reached peak values at 6 h, maintained high levels at 12 h, and significantly decreased at 24 h. The product in gill and mantle decreased at 2 h, began to increase at 6 h, and showed a large increase at 12 h, but reduced to below the initial level at 24 h. KEY WORDS: Pinctada maxima, CCT-alpha, cDNA, cold stress, INTRODUCTION Chaperonin containing T-complex polypeptide 1 (CCT) is a type II chaperonin (McCormack et al. 2001), contains two similar cyclic structures, each comprising eight different subunits, CCT-alpha to zeta, which [...]

Ionic liquids (ILs) are widely used in separation methods such as chromatography and capillary electrophoresis due to their unique properties. This review discusses the prospects for using imidazole-based ILs as electrophoretic system modifiers in capillary zone electrophoresis and micellar and microemulsion electrokinetic chromatography for the determination of biologically active substances (amino acids, catecholamines, steroid hormones, and polyphenolic antioxidants). New approaches to selective electrophoretic determination and efficient online preconcentration of analytes with the participation of imidazolium ILs are considered; the application of developed approaches to the analysis of natural objects (urine, blood plasma, and plant extracts) is exemplified., Author(s): E. A. Bessonova [sup.1], L. A. Kartsova [sup.1], D. O. Moskvichev [sup.1] Author Affiliations: (1) grid.15447.33, 0000 0001 2289 6897, St. Petersburg State University, , 198504, St. Petersburg, Russia [...]