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Search results for: MOLECULAR DYNAMICS,OSMOLITY,PROTEIN FOLDING,ZWIJANIE BIAŁEK,OSMOLYTES
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Long-range, water-mediated interaction between a moderately active antifreeze protein molecule and the surface of ice
PublicationUsing molecular dynamics simulations, we show that a molecule of moderately active antifreeze protein (type III AFP, QAE HPLC-12 isoform) is able to interact with ice in an indirect manner. This interaction occurs between the ice binding site (IBS) of the AFP III molecule and the surface of ice, and it is mediated by liquid water which separates these surfaces. As a result, the AFP III molecule positions itself at a specific orientation...
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A Colorimetric Microplate Assay for DNA-Binding Activity of His-Tagged MutS Protein
PublicationA simple microplate method was designed for rapid testing DNA-binding activity of proteins. The principle of the assay involves binding of tested DNA by his-tagged protein immobilized on a nickel-coated ELISA plate, following colorimetric detection of biotinylated DNA with avidin conjugated to horseradish peroxidase. The method was used to compare DNA mismatch binding activities of MutS proteins from three bacterial species. The...
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Early Stages of RNA-Mediated Conversion of Human Prions
PublicationPrion diseases are characterized by the conversion of prion proteins from a PrPC fold into a disease-causing PrPSC form that is self-replicating. A possible agent to trigger this conversion is polyadenosine RNA, but both mechanism and pathways of the conversion are poorly understood. Using coarse-grained molecular dynamic simulations we study the time evolution of PrPC over 600 μs. We find that both the D178N mutation and interacting...
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Understanding the formation of metastable furan dication in collisions with ions
PublicationThis work relies on complementary theoretical and experimental studies of the processes induced by ion-furan collisions. Results of the Molecular Dynamics simulations and exploration of the energy profiles combined with coincidence mass spectrometry provide complete picture of the fragmentation of furan dication.
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The structurally similar TRFH domain of TRF1 and TRF2 dimers shows distinct behaviour towards TIN2
PublicationThe telomere repeat binding-factor 1 and 2 (TRF1 and TRF2) proteins of the shelterin complex bind to duplex telomeric DNA as homodimers, and the homodimerization is mediated by their TRFH (TRF-homology) domains. We performed molecular dynamic (MD) simulations of the dimer forms of TRF1TRFH and TRF2TRFH in the presence/absence of the TIN2TBM (TIN2, TRF-interacting nuclear protein 2, TBM, TRF-binding motif) peptide. The MD results...
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An optimal designed experiment for the alkaline hydrolysis of feather keratin
PublicationFeathers, burdensome waste from the poultry industry, can be a cheap source of keratin, a protein with excellent physico- chemical, biological, and mechanical properties. Acid and alkaline hydrolyses are usually adopted for isolation of keratin from its natural resources. This study aimed at assessing the statistically significant effect of input variables in the alkaline hydrolysis of keratin from chicken feathers on the process...
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A dipole-driven path for electron and positron attachments to gas-phase uracil and pyrimidine molecules: a quantum scattering analysis
PublicationElectron and positron scattering processes in the gas-phase are analysed for uracil and pyrimidine molecules using a multichannel quantum approach at energies close to threshold. The special effects on the scattering dynamics induced by the large dipole moments in both molecules on the spatial features of the continuum leptonic wavefunctions are here linked to the possible bound states of the Rydberg-like molecular anions or ‘positroned’...
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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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Role of cholesterol in substrate recognition by -secretase
Publication-Secretase is an enzyme known to cleave multiple substrates within their transmembrane domains, with the amyloid precursor protein of Alzheimer’s Disease among the most prominent examples. The activity of -secretase strictly depends on the membrane cholesterol content, yet the mechanistic role of cholesterol in the substrate binding and cleavage remains unclear. In this work, we used all-atom molecular dynamics simulations to examine...
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Identification and properties of the psychrophilic bacterium Desulfolatea psychrophila single-stranded DNA binding proteins
PublicationTo study the biochemical properties of SSB from Desulfolatea psychrophila (DpsSSB), we have cloned the ssb genes obtained by PCR and have developed Escherichia coli overexpression systems. The gene consists of an open reading frame of 426 nucleotides encoding SSB protein of 142 amino acids with a calculated molecular mass of 15.6 kDa and it is the smallest known bacterial SSB protein indentified to date. The amino-acid sequence...
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Two bacterial small heat shock proteins, IbpA and IbpB, form a functional heterodimer
PublicationSmall heat shock proteins (sHsps) are a conserved class of ATP-independent chaperones which in stress conditions bind to unfolded protein substrates and prevent their irreversible aggregation. Substrates trapped in sHsps-containing aggregates are efficiently refolded into native structures by ATP-dependent Hsp70 and Hsp100 chaperones. Most γ-proteobacteria possess a single sHsp (IbpA), while in a subset of Enterobacterales, as...
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Novel single-stranded DNA-binding protein from psyvhrophilic bacterium Psychrobacter arcticus
PublicationTo study the biochemical properties of SSB from Psychrobacter arcticus (ParSSB), we have cloned the ssb genes obtained by PCR and have developed Escherichia coli overexpression systems. The gene consists of an open reading frame of 642 nucleotides encoding SSB protein of 213 amino acids with a calculated molecular mass of 22.8 kDa. The amino-acid sequence of ParSSB exhibits 49% identity and 57% similarity to Escherichia coli SSB....
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Novel DNA-binding protein from Nanoarchaeum equitans Kin4-M binds all kinds of nucleic acids
PublicationNanoarchaeum equitans is the only known representative of Archaea phylum Nanoarchaeota and stands out as one of the tiniest known living organism. What is more it has smallest genome, which is only 490.885 base pairs long. It is also one of the most compact genomes. According to predictions about 95% of the DNA encodes proteins or stable RNA. Nanoarchaeum equitans lacks genes for most vital metabolic pathways including lipid, cofactor,...
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Establishing the allosteric mechanism in CRISPR‐Cas9
PublicationAllostery is a fundamental property of proteins, which regulates biochemical information transfer between spatially distant sites. Here, we report on the critical role of molecular dynamics (MD) simulations in discovering the mechanism of allosteric communication within CRISPR‐Cas9, a leading genome editing machinery with enormous promises for medicine and biotechnology. MD revealed how allostery intervenes during at least three...
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A first-principles study of electron attachment to the fully hydrated bromonucleobases
PublicationDegradation mechanism of four brominated nucleobases (BrX), potential DNA radiosensitizers, is studied in explicit water solution, using ab initio molecular dynamics. Several fs long dynamics is needed to localize an electron on the nucleobase. Produced by electron attachment BrX anion radical degrades through the bromide anion abstraction, barrier-free (purines) or with low barrier (pyrimidines), to a reactive nucleobase radical....
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Integration of protein tethering in a rapid and label-free SERS screening platform for drugs of abuse
PublicationSurface enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) has emerged as a promising technique for the rapid and ultrasensitive detection of molecular species such as drugs of abuse in biofluids. Yet, it remains a significant challenge to create a viable screening tool for multiple drug classes, owing to the lack of affinity of certain species for the SERS substrate and to the matrix interference in complex media. Here we report a protein tethering...
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Characterization of a single-stranded DNA-binding-like Protein from Nanoarchaeum equitans - a nucleic acid binding protein with broad substrate specificity
PublicationBackground SSB (single-stranded DNA-binding) proteins play an essential role in all living cells and viruses, as they are involved in processes connected with ssDNA metabolism. There has recently been an increasing interest in SSBs, since they can be applied in molecular biology techniques and analytical methods. Nanoarchaeum equitans, the only known representative of Archaea phylum Nanoarchaeota, is a hyperthermophilic, nanosized,...
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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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ESCASA : Analytical estimation of atomic coordinates from coarse‐grained geometry for nuclear‐magnetic‐resonance ‐assisted protein structure modeling. I. Backbone and Hβ protons
PublicationA method for the estimation of coordinates of atoms in proteins from coarse-grained geometry by simple analytical formulas (ESCASA), for use in nuclear-magnetic-resonance (NMR) data-assisted coarse-grained simulations of proteins is proposed. In this paper, the formulas for the backbone Hα and amide (HN) protons, and the side-chain Hβ protons, given the Cα-trace, have been derived and parameterized, by using the interproton distances...
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Surface diffusion and cluster formation of gold on the silicon (111)
PublicationPurpose: Investigation of the gold atoms behaviour on the surface of silicon by molecular dynamics simulation method. The studies were performed for the case of one, two and four atoms, as well as incomplete and complete filling of gold atoms on the silicon surface. Design/methodology/approach: Investigations were performed by the method of molecular dynamics simulation using the Large-scale Atomic/Molecular Massively Parallel...
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Computational methods for calculation of binding free energy for ligand-receptor complexes
PublicationAccurate description of the molecular complexes energetic influence is required for understanding of many biological functions carried out by proteins. Therefore, estimation of binding free energy for ligand-receptor complexes is of highest importance for structure-based ligand design and drug discovery approaches.Experimental methods of determination of difference in Gibbs'es free energy have many limitations. Thus, computational...
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Physical crosslinking of hyaluronic acid in the presence of phospholipids in an aqueous nano-environment
PublicationHyaluronic acid and phospholipids are two components in the synovial joint cavity that contribute to joint lubrication synergistically. Molecular dynamics simulations were performed and hydrogen bonds in hyaluronic acid were analyzed to identify specific sites that are responsible for its physical cross-linking. Two molecular masses of hyaluronic acid, 10 kDa and 160 kDa, were considered. We use molecular dynamics simulations and...
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A Highly Selective Biosensor Based on Peptide Directly Derived from the HarmOBP7 Aldehyde Binding Site
PublicationThis paper presents the results of research on determining the optimal length of a peptide chain to eectively bind octanal molecules. Peptides that map the aldehyde binding site in HarmOBP7 were immobilized on piezoelectric transducers. Based on computational studies, four Odorant Binding Protein-derived Peptides (OBPPs) with dierent sequences were selected. Molecular modelling results of ligand docking with selected peptides were...
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Telomere uncapping by common oxidative guanine lesions: Insights from atomistic models
PublicationOxidative damage to DNA is widely known to contribute to aging and disease. This relationship has been extensively studied for telomeres – structures that cap chromosome ends – due to their role in cell proliferation and senescence, and exceptional susceptibility to oxidation. Indeed, the repetitive telomeric DNA sequence contains the 5′-GGG-3′ motif that has the lowest ionization potential of all trinucleotides. Accordingly, experiments...
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L1 Cell Adhesion Molecule Overexpression Down Regulates Phosphacan and Up Regulates Structural Plasticity-Related Genes Rostral and Caudal to the Complete Spinal Cord Transection
PublicationL1 cell adhesion molecule (L1CAM) supports spinal cord cellular milieu after contusion and compression lesions, contributing to neuroprotection, promoting axonal outgrowth, and reducing outgrowth-inhibitory molecules in lesion proximity. We extended investigations into L1CAM molecular targets and explored long-distance effects of L1CAM rostral and caudal to complete spinal cord transection (SCT) in...
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Brownian Motion in Optical Tweezers, a Comparison between MD Simulations and Experimental Data in the Ballistic Regime
PublicationThe four most popular water models in molecular dynamics were studied in large-scale simulations of Brownian motion of colloidal particles in optical tweezers and then compared with experimental measurements in the same time scale. We present the most direct comparison of colloidal polystyrene particle diffusion in molecular dynamics simulations and experimental data on the same time scales in the ballistic regime. The four most...
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Structure and evolution of the 4-helix bundle domain of Zuotin, a J-domain protein co-chaperone of Hsp70
PublicationThe J-domain protein Zuotin is a multi-domain eukaryotic Hsp70 co-chaperone. Though it is primarily ribosome-associated, positioned at the exit of the 60S subunit tunnel where it promotes folding of nascent polypeptide chains, Zuotin also has off-ribosome functions. Domains of Zuotin needed for 60S association and interaction with Hsp70 are conserved in eukaryotes. However, whether the 4-helix bundle (4HB) domain is conserved remains...
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Evaluation and cellular responses of modulators of TRF1/TRF2 protein’s function as potential anticancer drugs interfering with telomeric shelterin’s function
PublicationA number of proteins that interact with telomeres have been identified in human cells, indicating the high plasticity of human nucleoprotein complex organization. The most important complex is the "shelterin" complex, which consists of six proteins: TRF1, TRF2, TIN2, POT1, TPP1. The TRF1 and TRF2 directly bind to telomeric double-stranded DNA and the TIN2 protein. The TIN2 protein also binds to the TPP1 protein, stabilizing the...
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Justification of quasi-stationary approximation in models of gene expression of a self-regulating protein
PublicationWe analyse a model of Hes1 gene transcription and protein synthesis with a negative feedback loop. The effect of multiple binding sites in the Hes1 promoter as well as the dimer formation process are taken into account. We consider three, possibly different, time scales connected with: (i) the process of binding to/dissolving from a binding site, (ii) formation and dissociation of dimers, (iii) production and degradation of Hes1...
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Light-Modulated Sunscreen Mechanism in the Retina of the Human Eye
PublicationThe functioning of the human eye in the extreme range of light intensity requires a combination of the high sensitivity of photoreceptors with their photostability. Here, we identify a regulatory mechanism based on dynamic modulation of light absorption by xanthophylls in the retina, realized by reorientation of pigment molecules induced by trans–cis photoisomerization. We explore this photochemically switchable system using chromatographic...
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Evaluating experimental molecular physics studies of radiation damage in DNA*
PublicationThe field of Atomic and Molecular Physics (AMP) is a mature field exploring the spectroscopy, excitation, ionisation of atoms and molecules in all three phases. Understanding of the spectroscopy and collisional dynamics of AMP has been fundamental to the development and application of quantum mechanics and is applied across a broad range of disparate disciplines including atmospheric sciences, astrochemistry, combustion and environmental...
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Chiral Pyrazolo[4,3-e][1,2,4]triazine Sulfonamides—Their Biological Activity, Lipophilicity, Protein Affinity, and Metabolic Transformations
PublicationReferring to our previous laboratory results related to the tyrosinase and urease inhibition by pyrazolo[4,3-e][1,2,4]triazine sulfonamides, we examined here in silico the mechanism of action at the molecular level of the investigated pyrazolotriazine sulfonamides by the molecular docking method. The studied compounds being evaluated for their cytotoxic effect against cancer cell lines (MCF-7, K-562) and for recombinant Abl and...
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Intramolecular transformation of an antifungal antibiotic nystatin A1 into its isomer, iso-nystatin A1 - structural and molecular modeling studies
PublicationNystatin A1, a polyene macrolide antifungal antibiotic, in a slightly basic or acidic solution undergoes an intramolecular transformation, yielding a structural isomer, the translactonization product, iso-nystatin A1 with lactone ring diminished by two carbon atoms. Structural evidence is provided by advanced NMR and Mass Spectrometry (MS) studies. Molecular dynamics simulations and quantum mechanics calculations gave the insight...
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Cloning, expression, and biochemical characterization of a coldactive GDSL-esterase of a Pseudomonas sp. S9 isolated from Spitsbergen island soil
PublicationAn estS9 gene, encoding an esterase of the psychrotolerant bacterium Pseudomonas sp. S9 was cloned and sequenced. The deduced sequence revealed a protein of 636 amino acid residues with a molecular mass of 69 kDa.Further amino acid sequence analysis revealed that the EstS9 enzyme contained a G-D-S-L motif centered at a catalytic serine, an N-terminal catalytic domain and a C-terminal autotransporter domain. Two recombinant E. coli...
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Solvation of ionic liquids based on N-methyl-N-alkyl morpholinium cations in dimethylsulfoxide – volumetric and compressibility studies
PublicationThe density and sound velocity of the solutions of ionic liquids based on N-alkyl-N-methyl-morpholinium cations, N-ethyl-N-methylmorpholinium bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl)imide, N-butyl-N-methylmorpholinium bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl)imide, N-methyl-N-octyl-morpholinium bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl)imide and N-decyl-N-methylmorpholinium bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl)imide in dimethylsulfoxide were measured at T = (298.15 to 318.15)...
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Influence of addition of carbon nanotubes on rheological properties of selected liquid lubricants - a computer simulation study
PublicationThis work is motivated by the improvement of anti-friction properties of lubricants by addition of CNTs proved experimentally in literature. In particular, a methodology is developed to compute the shear viscosity of liquid lubricants (Propylene Glycol) based on Molecular Dynamics simulation. Non-Equilibrium molecular dynamics (NEMD) approach is used with a reactive force field ReaxFF implemented in LAMMPS. The simulations are...
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B-GALACTOSIDASE ARTHROBACTER SP. 32cB - OBTAINING THE GENE SEQUENCE, CONSTRUCTION OF THE EXPRESSION SYSTEM, BIOSYNTHESIS AND BIOCHEMICAL CHARACTERIZATION OF THE ENZYME
PublicationINTRODUCTION: β-Galactosidase is an enzyme which catalyzes the hydrolysis of O glycosidic bond in β-galactosides. Another activity of β galactosidase is a transglycosylation activity. The main industrial use of this protein is the hydrolysis of lactose in milk in a cooling conditions. Synthesis of galactooligosaccharides, which are mostly used as a prebiotics added to some foods or available as dietary supplements, is only one...
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Białka prokariotycznego systemu MMR: rola oraz interakcje
PublicationUszkodzenia komórkowego DNA w postaci błędnie sparowanych lub niesparowanych zasad azotowych są wynikiem niewłaściwie zachodzących procesów metabolizmu DNA, takich jak replikacja, rekombinacja oraz naprawa DNA. Utrwalenie tego rodzaju zmian prowadzi do powstania mutacji. System MMR (ang. DNA mismatch repair) usuwa te uszkodzenia przyczyniając się do zwiększenia wierności replikacji DNA oraz utrzymania stabilności genomu komórki....
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Geometry optimization of steroid sulfatase inhibitors - the influence on the free binding energy with STS
PublicationIn the paper we review the application of two techniques (molecular mechanics and quantum mechanics) to study the influence of geometry optimization of the steroid sulfatase inhibitors on the values of descriptors coded their chemical structure and their free binding energy with the STS protein. We selected 22 STS-inhibitors and compared their structures optimized with MM+, PM7 and DFT B3LYP/6–31++G* approaches considering separately...
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New PCR test for detection of Candida glabrata based on the molecular target chosen by the RAPD technique
PublicationRapid, reliable diagnosis is a necessary condition for the successful treatment of infections. Such diagnostic assays are continually being developed. #e paper presents a method for selecting the molecular target for PCR-based diagnostics based on the comparison of RAPD patterns. A sequence encoding Candida glabrata CBS138 hypothetical protein was selected. The limit of detection for PCR and real-time PCR reactions with DNA extracted...
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Correlated Particle Motion and THz Spectral Response of Supercritical Water
PublicationMolecular dynamics simulations of supercritical water reveal distinctly different distance-dependent modulations of dipolar response and correlations in particle motion compared to ambient conditions. The strongly perturbed H-bond network of water at supercritical conditions allows for considerable translationaland rotational freedom of individual molecules. These changes give rise to substantially different infrared spectra and...
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Homoisocitrate dehydrogenase from Candida albicans: properties, inhibition, and targeting by an antifungal pro-drug
PublicationThe LYS12 gene from Candida albicans, coding for homoisocitrate dehydrogenase was cloned and expressed as a His-tagged protein in Escherichia coli. The purified gene product catalyzes the Mg2+- and K+-dependent oxidative decarboxylation of homoisocitrate to alpha-ketoadipate. The recombinant enzyme demonstrates strict specificity for homoisocitrate. SDS-PAGE of CaHIcDH revealed its molecular mass of 42.6±1 kDa, while in size-exclusion...
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Why Are Left-Handed G-Quadruplexes Scarce?
PublicationG-quadruplexes (G4s) are nucleic acid structures crucial for the regulation of gene expression and genome maintenance. While they hold promise as nanodevice components, achieving desired G4 folds requires understanding the interplay between stability and structural properties, like helicity. Although right-handed G4 structures dominate the experimental data, the molecular basis for this preference over left-handed helicity is unclear....
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Principles of target DNA cleavage and the role of Mg2+ in the catalysis of CRISPR–Cas9
PublicationAt the core of the CRISPR–Cas9 genome-editing technology, the endonuclease Cas9 introduces site-specific breaks in DNA. However, precise mechanistic information to ameliorate Cas9 function is still missing. Here, multimicrosecond molecular dynamics, free energy and multiscale simulations are combined with solution NMR and DNA cleavage experiments to resolve the catalytic mechanism of target DNA cleavage. We show that the conformation...
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The retrofitting of ships by applying retractable bow hydrofoils: a case study
PublicationIncreasing environmental requirements and a relatively long ship life of 30 years mean more attention is needed to retrofit existing ships. One possibility is using hydrofoils to reduce the ship’s resistance and improve comfort and safety in rough sea conditions. This study investigates the influence of retractable bow hydrofoils on the seakeeping performance and operational conditions of a selected case study vessel (V-shaped...
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Rotational state-changing collisions of C2H− and C2N− anions with He under interstellar and cold ion trap conditions: A computational comparison
PublicationWe present an extensive range of quantum calculations for the state-changing rotational dynamics involving two simple molecular anions that are expected to play some role in the evolutionary analysis of chemical networks in the interstellar environments, C2H− (X1Σ+) and C2N− (X3Σ−), but for which inelastic rates are only known for C2H−. The same systems are also of direct interest in modeling selective photo-detachment experiments...
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Why is the cubic structure preferred in newly formed ice?
PublicationMolecular dynamics was employed to explain the preference for the cubic structure in newly formed crystals of ice. The results showed that in supercooled liquid water the molecules connected by hydrogen bonds are more likely to adopt relative orientations similar to the ones characteristic for cubic ice. The observed preference for certain relative orientations of molecules in the hydrogen-bonded pairs results in the higher probability...
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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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Fuzyjne polimerazy DNA – otrzymywanie, charakterystyka i zastosowanie
PublicationObecnie reakcje PCR (ang. Polymerase Chain Reaction) wykazują bardzo szerokie zastosowanie w diagnostyce medycznej, biologii molekularnej czy inżynierii genetycznej. Efektywność tych reakcji rozumiana jako wydajność i wierność przeprowadzonej amplifikacji jest nieodłącznie związana ze stosowaną polimerazą DNA i warunkami prowadzenia reakcji PCR. Aby sprostać wymaganiom stawianym przez nowoczesne metody diagnostyczne oraz współczesną...
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The Effect of Sterols on Amphotericin B Self-Aggregation in a Lipid Bilayer as Revealed by Free Energy Simulations
PublicationAmphotericin B (AmB) is an effective but toxic antifungal drug, known to increase the permeability of the cell membrane, presumably by assembling into transmembrane pores in a sterol-dependent manner. The aggregation of AmB molecules in a phospholipid bilayer is, thus, crucial for the drug’s activity. To provide an insight into the molecular nature of this process, here, we report an atomistic molecular dynamics simulation study...