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Search results for: PROTEIN/NUCLEIC ACID INTERACTIONS
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Analytical Strategies and Applications in Lipidomics
PublicationLipidomics is a field of study aiming at a comprehensive analysis of a set of lipids in biological systems. This includes both quantitative and qualitative characterization of lipid profiles, comparative studies of lipidomes, and analysis of lipid-protein interactions. Lipids are structurally diversified that make their analysis a challenging task. The constant advances in analytical technologies, especially in the field of high-performance...
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1,3-alternate calix[4]arene-bonded silica stationary phases. Effect of calixarene skeleton substituents on the retention mechanism and column selectivity
PublicationFour novel 1,3-alternate calix[4]arene-bonded silica gel stationary phases possessing different aromatic and aliphatic substituents at the upper rim (CalixNph, CalixBph, CalixHex and CalixDdc) were prepared and structurally characterized. The comparison and selectivity of these phases was done by using alkylbenzenes, fatty acid p-bromophenacyl esters, aromatic positional isomers and polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons as analytes....
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Identification of antigen Ag43 in uropathogenic Escherichia coli Dr+ strains and defining its role in the pathogenesis of urinary tract infections
PublicationUrinary tract infections (UTIs) caused by uropathogenic Escherichia coli (UPEC) are among the most common bacterial infectious diseases in the developed world. The urovirulence of UPEC is mainly associated with the surface-exposed fimbrial adhesins and adhesins of the autotransporter (AT) family. The best studied of theses proteins is antigen 43 (Ag43) mediating cell aggregation, adhesion and biofilm development as the causes of...
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An unusual four-nuclear Pb(II)-pyrrole-2-carboxylato polymer: The effect of the lone pair and non-covalent interactions on the supramolecular assembly and fluorescence properties
PublicationThe reaction of Pb(NO3)2 with 1H-pyrrole-2-carboxylic acid (2prCOOH) leads to the formation of a new four-nuclear Pb(II) polymer, [Pb4(2prCOO)8(H2O)]n, which has been characterized by CHN, FT-IR, TG, PL and single-crystal X-ray diffraction methods. In view of the primary Pb–O bonds, Pb1 and Pb3 show hemidirected pentagonal pyramidal geometries, while Pb2 and Pb4 display hemidirected octahedral geometries. The topology of the strongest...
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Effect of Chitosan Deacetylation on Its Affinity to Type III Collagen: A Molecular Dynamics Study
PublicationThe ability to form strong intermolecular interactions by linear glucosamine polysaccharides with collagen is strictly related to their nonlinear dynamic behavior and hence bio-lubricating features. Type III collagen plays a crucial role in tissue regeneration, and its presence in the articular cartilage affects its bio-technical features. In this study, the molecular dynamics methodology was applied to evaluate the effect of...
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Hydration of amino acids: FTIR spectra and molecular dynamics studies
PublicationThe hydration of selected amino acids, alanine, glycine, proline, valine, isoleucine and phenylalanine, has been studied in aqueous solutions by means of FTIR spectra of HDO isotopically diluted in H2O. The difference spectra procedure and the chemometric method have been applied to remove the contribution of bulk water and thus to separate the spectra of solute-affected HDO. To support interpretation of obtained spectral results,...
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Targeting Spike‐ACE2 Interface of SARS‐CoV‐2 and its Omicron Variant: A Comparative Screening of Potential Inhibitors for Existing and Anticipating Variants Using Molecular Modelling Approach
PublicationThe recent COVID pandemic has shown major impact on public health and economic crisis. Despite the development of many vaccines and drugs against the severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) coronavirus 2, the pandemic still persists. The continued spread of the virus is largely driven by the emergence of viral variants such as α, β, γ, delta, epsilon spike, omicron and its subvariants (BA.1,2,3) which can evade the current vaccines...
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Low-power microwave-induced fabrication of functionalised few-layer black phosphorus electrodes: A novel route towards Haemophilus Influenzae pathogen biosensing devices
PublicationIn this paper, various passivation schemes were applied at few-layer black phosphorus (FLBP) to achieve covalent functionalisation with 4-azidobenzoic acid, improving its electrochemical response intended for analytical and biosensing applications. The thermal and microwave assisted modification procedures in toluene and dime-thylformamide resulted in high reversibility of reactions on functionalised FLBP using a ferricyanide/ferrocya-nide...
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Antiproliferative, Antiangiogenic, and Antimetastatic Therapy Response by Mangiferin in a Syngeneic Immunocompetent Colorectal Cancer Mouse Model Involves Changes in Mitochondrial Energy Metabolism
PublicationIn spite of the current advances and achievements in cancer treatments, colorectal cancer (CRC) persists as one of the most prevalent and deadly tumor types in both men and women worldwide. Drug resistance, adverse side effects and high rate of angiogenesis, metastasis and tumor relapse remain one of the greatest challenges in long-term management of CRC and urges need for new leads of anticancer drugs. We demonstrate that CRC...
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Topochemical, Single‐Crystal‐to‐Single‐Crystal [2+2] Photocycloadditions Driven by Chalcogen‐Bonding Interactions
PublicationThe face-to-face association of (E)-1,2-di(4-pyridyl)ethylene (bpen) molecules into rectangular motifs stabilized for the first time by chalcogen bonding (ChB) interactions is shown to provide photoreactive systems leading to cyclobutane formation through single-crystal-to-single-crystal [2+2] photodimerizations. The chelating chalcogen bond donors are based on original aromatic, ortho-substituted bis(selenocyanato)benzene derivatives...
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Determination of Odour Interactions of Three-Component Gas Mixtures Using an Electronic Nose
PublicationThe paper presents an application of an electronic nose prototype comprised of six TGS-type sensors and one PID-type sensor to identify odour interaction phenomena in odorous three-component mixtures. The investigation encompassed eight odorous mixtures—toluene-acetone-triethylamine and formaldehyde-butyric acid-pinene — characterized by different odour intensity and hedonic tone. A principal component regression (PCR) calibration...
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On the origin of surface imposed anisotropic growth of salicylic and acetylsalicylic acids crystals during droplet evaporation
PublicationIn this paper droplet evaporative crystallization of salicylic acid (SA) and acetylsalicylic acid (ASA) crystals on different surfaces, such as glass, polyvinyl alcohol (PVA), and paraffin was studied. The obtained crystals were analyzed using powder X-ray diffraction (PXRD) technique. In order to better understand the effect of the surface on evaporative crystallization, crystals deposited on glass were scraped off. Moreover,...
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Reverse vaccinology-based prediction of a multi-epitope SARS-CoV-2 vaccine and its tailoring to new coronavirus variants
PublicationThe genome feature of SARS-CoV-2 leads the virus to mutate and creates new variants of concern. Tackling viral mutations is also an important challenge for the development of a new vaccine. Accordingly, in the present study, we undertook to identify B- and T-cell epitopes with immunogenic potential for eliciting responses to SARS-CoV-2, using computational approaches and its tailoring to coronavirus variants. A total of 47 novel...
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Molecular Recognition in Complexes of TRF Proteins with Telomeric DNA
PublicationTelomeres are specialized nucleoprotein assemblies that protect the ends of linear chromosomes. In humans and many other species, telomeres consist of tandem TTAGGG repeats bound by a protein complex known as shelterin that remodels telomeric DNA into a protective loop structure and regulates telomere homeostasis. Shelterin recognizes telomeric repeats through its two major components known as Telomere Repeat-Binding Factors, TRF1...
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Enzymatic cross-linking of β-lactoglobulin in solution and at air–water interface: Structural constraints
PublicationEffective and controlled use of cross-linking enzymes in structure engineering of food systems depends on characterization of the favorable conditions for enzyme-substrate complex and the limiting factors for the desired modification. In this respect, we analyzed the susceptibility of bovine β-lactoglobulin (BLG) to enzymatic cross-linking by Trichoderma reesei tyrosinase (TrTyr) and transglutaminase (TG). Changes in BLG molecular...
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Mapping the Structural and Dynamic Determinants of pH-Sensitive Heparin Binding to Granulocyte Macrophage Colony Stimulating Factor
PublicationGranulocyte macrophage colony stimulating factor (GMCSF) is an immunomodulatory cytokine that is harnessed as a therapeutic. GMCSF is known to interact with other clinically important molecules, such as heparin, suggesting that endogenous and administered GMCSF has the potential to modulate orthogonal treatment outcomes. Thus, molecular level characterization of GMCSF and its interactions with biologically active compounds is critical...
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Chicken feather keratin as a source of bioactive peptides useful in prevention of metabolic disorders – in silico and in vitro hydrolysis
PublicationProtein derived bioactive peptides not only serve as nutrients but can also exert drug-like activity, e.g. antidiabetic, antihypertensive, or antimicrobial, to name a few. Most biopeptides have beneficial effects on health that make them attractive for nutraceutical applications. The majority of bioactive peptides have been obtained from food proteins, but protein-rich by-products generated by agriculture...
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Optimization of parallel implementation of UNRES package for coarse‐grained simulations to treat large proteins
PublicationWe report major algorithmic improvements of the UNRES package for physics-based coarse-grained simulations of proteins. These include (i) introduction of interaction lists to optimize computations, (ii) transforming the inertia matrix to a pentadiagonal form to reduce computing and memory requirements, (iii) removing explicit angles and dihedral angles from energy expressions and recoding the most time-consuming energy/force terms...
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Removal of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and analgesics from wastewater by adsorption on cross-linked β-cyclodextrin
PublicationWe present a method using the material in the form of cross-linked β-cyclodextrin (CD) showing high efficiency in the simultaneous removal of hazardous pollutants from sewage, such as diclofenac (DIC), ibuprofen (IBU), ketoprofen (KETO), naproxen (NAPR), salicylic acid (SALI) and tramadol (TRAM). The material is stable and particularly easy to regenerate. The sorbent probably remembers the shape of the contaminants, which increases...
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Characterization of single-stranded DNA-binding proteins from the psychrophilic bacteria
PublicationSingle-stranded DNA-binding proteins (SSBs) are indispensable elements in the cells of all living organisms. SSB proteins interact with ssDNA insequence in an independent manner, preventing them from forming secondary structures and from degradation by nucleases. In this way, SSB-binding proteins participate in all processes involving ssDNA, such as replication, repair and recombination. Although there are differences in amino...
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Nutritional Characterization of Whole Mangosteen Pulp with Seeds and Its Application as an Alternate Functional Ingredient in Crackers
PublicationMangosteen (Garcinia mangostana L.) fruits are high in nutrients and phytochemical compounds. The use of fresh whole mangosteen fruit pulp, including the seeds (MFS), instead of flour and sugar in crackers not only enhances the functional nutritional and medicinal benefits for consumers but also adds value to the products. The study investigated the nutritional value of MFS and then employed MFS to formulate MFS-based crackers...
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Characterization of single-stranded DNA-binding proteins from the psychrophilic bacteria
PublicationSingle-stranded DNA-binding proteins (SSBs) are indispensable elements in the cells of all living organisms. SSB proteins interact with ssDNAinsequence in an independent manner, preventing them from forming secondary structures and from degradation by nucleases. In this way, SSB-binding proteins participate in all processes involving ssDNA, such as replication, repair and recombination.Although there are differences in amino acid...
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Chemiluminogenic acridinium salts: A comparison study. Detection of intermediate entities appearing upon light generation
PublicationThe nine derivatives of acridine-9-carboxylic acid (CMADs) capable for chemiluminescence (CL), representing various classes of compounds were isolated in a chemically pure state (assessed by RP-HPLC) and identified using high resolution mass spectrometry (ESI-QTOF) and magnetic resonance (1H NMR) techniques. Among them are aryl acridinium esters, containing certainly selected and located substituents in both aromatic systems, an...
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Application of analytical methods for the determination of bioactive compounds in some berries
PublicationFluorometry, ESI-MS, FTIR, and radical scavenging assays were used for characterization of bioactive compounds and the levels of their antioxidant activities. Polyphenols, flavonoids, anthocyanins, and ascorbic acid and the level of antioxidant activity of water extracts of “Murtilla-like” [Myrteola nummularia (Poiret) Berg.], and other widely consumed berries were determined and compared. The contents of bioactive compounds and...
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Solubility enhancement of metronidazole using natural deep eutectic solvents: Physicochemical and thermodynamic studies
PublicationThis research aimed to explore the utility of natural deep eutectic solvents (NADES) as the co-solvents for slightly water-soluble metronidazole (MNZ). After testing 70 wt% (percentage by weight) aqueous mixtures of seven NADESs, it was found that MNZ had the highest solubility in water solutions of NADES composed of choline chloride (ChCl) and citric acid (CA). The solubility of MNZ (expressed as 103 mol fraction) increased with...
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Synthesis and biological evaluation of fluorinated N-benzoyl and N-phenylacetoyl derivatives of 3-(4-aminophenyl)-coumarin-7-O-sulfamate as steroid sulfatase inhibitors
PublicationIn the present work, we report convenient methods for the synthesis of 3-(4-aminophenyl)-coumarin-7-O-sulfamate derivatives N-acylated with fluorinated analogues of benzoic or phenylacetic acid as steroid sulfatase (STS) inhibitors. The design of these potential STS inhibitors was supported by molecular modeling techniques. Additionally, computational docking methods were used to determine the binding modes of the synthesized inhibitors...
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Voltammetric and biological studies of folate-targeted non-lamellar lipid mesophases
PublicationFolate-targeted lipid nanostructures are promising strategies for the development of biocompatible drug delivery systems. The objective of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of drug delivery to cancer cells by folate-targeted lipid mesophases, cubosomes (CUB) and hexosomes (HEX), loaded with doxorubicin (DOX). Three cancer-derived cell lines (KB, HeLa, T98G) exhibiting different expressional levels of folate receptor protein...
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Coarse-grained simulation - an efficient approach for studying motions of large proteins
PublicationOne of the most important challenges in performing Molecular Dynamics (MD) simulations of large protein complexes is to accommodate the model accuracy and the simulation timescale. Hitherto, for the most relevant dynamics of protein aggregates in an explicit aqueous environment, the timescale reachable for the all-atoms simulations is of hundreds of nanoseconds. This range is four to six orders of magnitude smaller than processes...
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Self-assembly of secondary aryl amides in cocrystals with perfluoroaryl coformers: structural analysis and synthon preferences
PublicationCooperation of aryl⋯perfluoroaryl stacking interactions and hydrogen bonds was utilized in the construction of six novel cocrystals of aromatic cis-amides with pentafluorobenzoic acid (pfba) and pentafluorophenol (pfp). They were obtained by crystallization from solution and structurally characterized. In four instances, the components form heterotetrameric motifs, in which amide:amide homodimer interacts symmetrically on two sides...
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Rotation Triggers Nucleotide-Independent Conformational Transition of the Empty β Subunit of F1-ATPase
PublicationF1-ATPase (F1) is the catalytic portion of ATP synthase, a rotary motor protein that couples proton gradients to ATP synthesis. Driven by a proton flux, the F1 asymmetric γ subunit undergoes a stepwise rotation inside the α3β3 headpiece and causes the β subunits’ binding sites to cycle between states of different affinity for nucleotides. These concerted transitions drive the synthesis of ATP from ADP and phosphate. Here, we study...
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How acidic amino acid residues facilitate DNA target site selection
PublicationDespite the negative charge of the DNA backbone, acidic residues (Asp/Glu) commonly participate in the base readout, with a strong preference for cytosine. In fact, in the solved DNA/protein structures, cytosine is recognized almost exclusively by Asp/Glu through a direct hydrogen bond, while at the same time, adenine, regardless of its amino group, shows no propensity for Asp/Glu. Here, we analyzed the contribution of Asp/Glu...
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Borrelia burgdorferi BmpA-BBK32 and BmpA-BBA64: New Recombinant Chimeric Proteins with Potential Diagnostic Value
PublicationCurrently, the diagnosis of Lyme disease is based mostly on two-tiered serologic testing. In the new generation of immunoenzymatic assays, antigens comprise whole-cell lysates of members of the Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato (s.l.) species complex, with the addition of selected recombinant proteins. Due to the high diversity of members of the B. burgdorferi s.l. genospecies and the low degree of conservation among the amino acid...
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Identification and molecular modeling of a novel lipase from an Antarctic soil metagenomic library.
PublicationIn this work, we present the construction of a metagenomic library in Escherichia coli using pUC19 vector and environmental DNA directly isolated from Antarctic topsoil and screened for lipolytic enzymes. The screening on agar supplemented with olive oil and rhodamine B revealed one clone with lipolytic activity (Lip1) out of 11,000 E. coli clones. This clone harbored a plasmid, pLip1, which has an insert of 4722 bp that has been...
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Tailoring diamondised nanocarbon-loaded poly(lactic acid) composites for highly electroactive surfaces: extrusion and characterisation of filaments for improved 3D-printed surfaces
PublicationA new 3D-printable composite has been developed dedicated to electroanalytical applications. Two types of diamondised nanocarbons - detonation nanodiamonds (DNDs) and boron-doped carbon nanowalls (BCNWs) - were added as fillers in poly(lactic acid) (PLA)-based composites to extrude 3D filaments. Carbon black served as a primary filler to reach high composite conductivity at low diamondised nanocarbon concentrations (0.01 to 0.2...
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Exploring the cocrystallization potential of urea and benzamide
PublicationThe cocrystallization landscape of benzamide and urea interacting with aliphatic and aromatic carboxylic acids was studied both experimentally and theoretically. Ten new cocrystals of benzamide were synthesized using an oriented samples approach via a fast dropped evaporation technique. Information about types of known bi-component cocrystals augmented with knowledge of simple binary eutectic mixtures was used for the analysis...
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Identification of 1H‐indene‐(1, 3, 5, 6)‐tetrol derivatives as potent pancreatic lipase inhibitors using molecular docking and molecular dynamics approach
PublicationPancreatic lipase is a potential therapeutic target to treat diet-induced obesity in humans, as obesity-related diseases continue to be a global problem. Despite intensive research on finding potential inhibitors, very few compounds have been introduced to clinical studies. In this work, new chemical scaffold 1H-indene-(1,3,5,6)-tetrol was proposed using knowledge-based approach, and 36 inhibitors were derived by modifying its...
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Two-step mechanism of J-domain action in driving Hsp70 function
PublicationJ-domain proteins (JDPs), obligatory Hsp70 cochaperones, play critical roles in protein homeostasis. They promote key allosteric transitions that stabilize Hsp70 interaction with substrate polypeptides upon hydrolysis of its bound ATP. Although a recent crystal structure revealed the physical mode of interaction between a J-domain and an Hsp70, the structural and dynamic consequences of J-domain action once bound and how Hsp70s...
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Conservation and diversity of MutS proteins
PublicationThe homologues of MutS, mismatch repair protein, exist in all prokaryotes, with the exception of Actinobacteria, Mollicutes and part of the Archaea. Multiple alignments of 316 MutS amino acid sequences from 169 species revealed conserved residues and sequence motifs distinguishing MutS homologues. All MutS homologues show high conservation within the ATPase domain. MutS1, the homologue responsible for DNA mismatch recognition,...
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The Anti-Staphylococcal Potential of Ethanolic Polish Propolis Extracts
PublicationAbstract: The principal objective of this study was to determine the anti-staphylococcal potential of ethanol extracts of propolis (EEPs). A total of 20 samples of propolis collected from apiaries located in different regions of Poland were used in the study. The two-fold broth microdilution method revealed some important differences in the antimicrobial activity of investigated EEPs. Up to the concentration of 4096 µg/mL no activity...
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Novel monovalent and multivalent recombinant proteins of Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato with potential diagnostic value – construction and biotechnological production
PublicationThe diverse antigenic structure of Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato (s.l.) and the low degree of protein sequence conservation between genospecies causes many limitations in serodiagnosis of Lyme disease (LD). Using expression systems based on Escherichia coli, five monovalent B. burgdorferi s.l. recombinant proteins were produced. i.e., BB0108, BB0126, BB0298, BB0323, BB0689 (each in three variants derived from Borrelia afzelii,...
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Regulation of LPS assembly via controlled proteolysis and sensing of LPS stress in Escherichia coli
PublicationLipopolysaccharide (LPS) is a complex glycolipid, essential for the bacterial viability and along with phospholipids, it constitutes the major amphiphilic component of outer membrane (OM) in most of the Gram-negative bacteria, including Escherichia coli. LPS molecules confer an effective permeability barrier to the OM and play a crucial role in bacteria-environment and -host interactions. The synthesis and accumulation of this...
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Regulated assembly of lipopolysaccharide and sensing of its alterations in Escherichia coli
PublicationThis thesis describes mechanism of the regulation of the transcription of the rpoE gene encoding an essential RNA polymerase subunit in Escherichia coli. The RpoE regulates extracytoplasmic stress response regulon and is required to initiate transcription of genes, whose products are involvedin the folding of periplasmic proteins and synthesis and transport of outer membrane components. The transcriptional regulation of the rpoE...
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Novel molecules containing structural features of NSAIDs and 1,2,3-triazole ring: Design, synthesis and evaluation as potential cytotoxic agents
PublicationFor the first time the template containing structural features of more than one NSAIDs and the 1,2,3-triazole ring was explored for the identification of potential cytotoxic agents. These new and complex molecules were predicted to be effective inhibitors of PDE4B by molecular modelling studies in silico. The multi-step synthesis of these compounds were carried out starting from the well-known drug nimesulide and involved the use...
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Electrostatic interactions in finite systems treated with periodic boundary conditions: Application to linear-scaling density functional theory
PublicationWe present a comparison of methods for treating the electrostatic interactions of finite, isolated systems within periodic boundary conditions (PBCs), within density functional theory (DFT), with particular emphasis on linear-scaling (LS) DFT. Often, PBCs are not physically realistic but are an unavoidable consequence of the choice of basis set and the efficacy of using Fourier transforms to compute the Hartree potential. In such...
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Torsional elasticity and energetics of F1-ATPase
PublicationFoF1-ATPase is a rotary motor protein synthesizing ATP from ADP driven by a cross-membrane proton gradient. The proton flow through the membrane-embedded Fo generates the rotary torque that drives the rotation of the asymmetric shaft of F1. Mechanical energy of the rotating shaft is used by the F1 catalytic subunit to synthesize ATP. It was suggested that elastic power transmission with transient storage of energy in some compliant...
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The effect of sunscreen 4‐methylbenzylidene camphor in different and reproductive models, its bioaccumulation and molecular effects on ligand‐receptor interaction, and protein expression
Publication4-Methylbenzylidene camphor (4-MBC) is a photo-absorbing UV filter prevalently used in cosmetics, which can be absorbed into circulation and cause systemic effects. 4-MBC is continued to be released in the environment despite the growing knowledge about its bioaccumulation and endocrine disrupting effects. Previous reviews have mentioned UV-filter together but this review considers 4-MBC alone, due to its prevalence and concerning...
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Molecular basis and potential activity of HIV-1 reverse transcriptase toward trimethylamine-based compounds
PublicationReverse transcriptase (RT) inhibitors are currently used to treat human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-1 infections. In this work, novel triethylamine derivatives were designed and studied by rigid and flexible docking and molecular dynamics (MD) approaches. An apo form of HIV-1 RT was also studied by MD simulation to analyze comparative response of protein in ligand-bound and ligand-unbound forms. Among newly designed HIV-1 RT inhibitors,...
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A new factor LapD is required for the regulation of LpxC amounts and lipopolysaccharide trafficking
PublicationLipopolysaccharide (LPS) constitutes the major component of the outer membrane and is essential for bacteria, such as Escherichia coli. Recent work has revealed the essential roles of LapB and LapC proteins in regulating LPS amounts; although, if any additional partners are involved is unknown. Examination of proteins co-purifying with LapB identified LapD as a new partner. The purification of LapD reveals that it forms a complex...
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Deep eutectic solvents – based green absorbents for effective volatile organochlorine compounds removal from biogas
PublicationVolatile organochlorine compounds (VOXs) presented in biogas can cause many technological and environmental problems. During the combustion of biogas containing VOXs, the corrosion of installation, as well as the formation of toxic by-products (polyhalogenated dioxins and furans) and further emission to the atmosphere, may occur. Therefore, in this study, a new procedure based on physical absorption was developed. In order to meet...
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MutS3: a MutS homologue of unknown biological function
PublicationThe homologues of MutS proteins are widespread among both Prokaryotes and Eukaryotes. MutS designated as MutS1 is a part of MMR (mismatch repair) system which is responsible for removal of mispaired bases and small insertion/deletion loops in DNA. Initially, the only MutS homologues known were those engaged in mismatch repair and these were later designated as MutS1. Subsequently, the MutS2 homologue was distinguished. MutS2 does...