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A carboxypeptidase M32 (CPM32) gene (cpm32) from Bacillus megaterium was cloned. CPM32 exhibited the highest sequence similarity of 79.3% with the same from Priestia veravalensis. CPM32 was fused with the signal peptides AmyQ (SPamyQ), AprE (SPaprE), NprB (SPnprB) in Bacillus subtilis WB600, and the highest CPM32 activity of 5320 U/mL was achieved when it was fused with SPamyQ. The purified enzyme (CPM32), 58.6 kDa, was most active at pH 8.0 and 60 °C, respectively, and it was stable over a broad pH range of 5.0–9.0 and an extensive temperature of 30–60 °C. Co2+ and Zn2+ could activate the enzyme activity by 600% and 334%, respectively. CPM32 could cleave most amino acid residues except Pro from chain's C-terminus. N-benzyloxycarbonyl-l-phenylalanyl-l-tyrosine (Z-Phe-Tyr) was the optimal substrate, for which CPM32 exhibited Km 0.6 mmol/L and kcat/Km 82.2 L/mmol s. Debittering soybean isolates using CPM32 (supplemented with 4% alkaline protease, w/w) resulted in a reduction in bitterness value of 47.6% to a commercially acceptable level. Applied to the hydrolysis of soy isolate protein, the bitterness of the hydrolyzates is significantly reduced and the flavor of the soy protein isolate hydrolysates is effectively improved. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Insulin-like growth factor 2 mRNA-binding proteins (IMPs, IGF2BPs) are RNA-binding proteins that regulate a variety of biological processes. In recent years, several studies have found that IGF2BPs play multiple roles in various biological processes, especially in cancer, and speculated on their mechanism of anticancer effect. In addition, targeting IGF2BPs or their downstream target gene has also received extensive attention as an effective treatment for different types of cancer. In this review, we summarized the recent progress on the role of IGF2BPs in cancers and their structural characteristics. We focused on describing the development of inhibitors targeting IGF2BPs and the prospects for further applications. [Display omitted] • The structural characteristics of IGF2BPs were analyzed in this review. • The biological functions and mechanisms of IGF2BPs in cancer were summarized. • Introduction of the latest progress and perspective of IGF2BPs inhibitors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Objective. White matter lesions (WMLs) are imaging changes characterized by hyperintensities on T2-weighted or FLAIR images, which are closely related to the decline of cognitive function. However, the etiology and pathogenesis of WMLs remain undetermined. The aim of this study was to analyze the relationship between adiponectin levels and cognitive decline in persons with or without white matter lesions. Method. In the present study, 126 patients, 90 cases in the WML group and 36 cases in the control group, were analyzed to explore the relationship between adiponectin and WMLs. All patients underwent an MRI scan to assess whether white matter lesions happened. And the serum levels of adiponectin were detected by ELISA. Results. In this study, according to Fazekas criteria, WMLs were divided into different severity groups. With the increase of WML score, the level of adiponectin decreased, and linear correlation analysis shows that adiponectin is negatively correlated with the severity of white matter lesions (p < 0.001). And adiponectin level was significantly positively correlated with MoCA score (p < 0.05). Moreover, adiponectin in the WMLs combined with the cognitive impairment group was significantly reduced (p < 0.01). Conclusion. The level of adiponectin is independently associated with WMLs and cognitive function, which suggests that adiponectin may be a protective factor for WMLs and cognitive function. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]