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The purpose of this study was to compare the efficiency of protein elution from several types of gingival crevicular fluid (GCF) collection papers when the volume of the inoculated protein and the elution methods were constant. Various concentrations of bovine serum albumin (BSA) and 14C-BSA were placed onto strips of Whatman #1 [W1], Whatman 3 MM chromatographic [W3], Periopaper (ProFlow) [P] and Periopaper (Harco) [H], and recovered proteins measured following a non-optimized centrifugal elution technique. There were significant differences in % recovery of BSA and 14C-BSA from the papers, which was dependent on both the type of paper and the concentration of the inoculated protein; that is, proteins at the lowest concentrations were less efficiently eluted from GCF collection papers than those at higher concentrations. Equations for regression lines of elution efficiency were quadratic. Thus, our data suggest significant differences in the efficiency for elution of BSA from absorbent papers when the volume of the inoculated fluid and the elution technique were constant. Previous variable or conflicting experimental data between research groups may have resulted from incomplete elution of proteins from GCF collection papers, possibly due to entrapment within, or binding of GCF proteins to the paper.

The principal goal of the Israel Structural Proteomics Center (ISPC) is to determine the structures of proteins related to human health in their functional context. Emphasis is on the solution of structures of proteins complexed with their natural partner proteins and/or with DNA. To date, the ISPC has solved the structures of 14 proteins, including two protein complexes. It has adopted automated high-throughput (HTP) cloning and expression techniques and is now expressing in Escherichia coli, Pichia pastoris and baculovirus, and in a cell-free E. coli system. Protein expression in E. coli is the primary system of choice in which different parameters are tested in parallel. Much effort is being devoted to development of automated refolding of proteins expressed as inclusion bodies in E. coli. The current procedure utilizes tagged proteins from which the tag can subsequently be removed by TEV protease, thus permitting streamlined purification of a large number of samples. Robotic protein crystallization screens and optimization utilize both the batch method under oil and vapour diffusion. In order to record and organize the data accumulated by the ISPC, a laboratory information-management system (LIMS) has been developed which facilitates data monitoring and analysis. This permits optimization of conditions at all stages of protein production and structure determination. A set of bioinformatics tools, which are implemented in our LIMS, is utilized to analyze each target.

ABSTRACT Composite materials made from fibrous support coated with agro-polymers are widely commercialized for different applications. But, their transfer properties have only been sparingly studied despite their importance in membrane technologies or food packaging. Furthermore, most of past studies on the topic have been focused on the impact of surface properties of the support on the final coated material structure and its properties; leaving unexplored the potential impact of the in-bulk structure of the support. This study demonstrated the influence of in-bulk structure and especially fibers refining degree of 4 kraft papers (SP28, 36, 60, and 80) on the structure, and surface and gas transfer properties of their respective wheat gluten (WG) coated papers (WGP28, 36, 60, and 80). Paper presenting a high fibers refining degree (SP28) exhibited very tight and narrow in bulk fibers network which prevented most of the WG-coated layer penetration, maintaining an important WG apparent layer on top of the paper and a small fibers/wheat gluten composite zone inside (WGP28). Such structure gave strong 'WG-like' properties to the final coated material with moderate oxygen permeation and high permselectivity (1.50 × 10−11 mol m−2 s−1 Pa−1 and 8.09, respectively for WGP28) whereas the highly impregnated structure of coated papers built on lowly refined papers (SP80, with wide and loose structure) gave coated materials presenting weak 'WG-like' properties, supposedly due to a thick composite zone presenting interfacial defects, with higher oxygen permeation and very limited permselectivity (11.90 × 10−11 mol m−2 s−1 Pa−1 and 1.06, respectively for WGP80). © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 130: 2848-2858, 2013 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A simple method is described for the patterned deposition of Teflon on paper to create an integrated platform for parallel organic synthesis and cell-based assays. Solvent-repelling barriers made of Teflon-impregnated paper confine organic solvents to specific zones of the patterned array and allow for 96 parallel flow-through syntheses on paper. The confinement and flow-through mixing significantly improves the peptide yield and simplifies the automation of this synthesis. The synthesis of 100 peptides ranging from 7 to 14 amino acids in length gave over 60 % purity for the majority of the peptides (>95 % yield per coupling/deprotection cycle). The resulting peptide arrays were used in cell-based screening to identify 14 potent bioactive peptides that support the adhesion or proliferation of breast cancer cells in a 3D environment. In the future, this technology could be used for the screening of more complex phenotypic responses, such as cell migration or differentiation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The search and design for the better use of bioactive compounds are used in many experiments to best mimic compounds' functions in the human body. However, finding a cost-effective and timesaving approach is a top priority in different disciplines. Nowadays, artificial intelligence (AI) and particularly deep learning (DL) methods are widely applied to improve the precision and accuracy of models used in the drug discovery process. DL approaches have been used to provide more opportunities for a faster, efficient, cost-effective, and reliable computer-aided drug discovery. Moreover, the increasing biomedical data volume in areas, like genome sequences, medical images, protein structures, etc., has made data mining algorithms very important in finding novel compounds that could be drugs, uncovering or repurposing drugs and improving the area of genetic markers-based personalized medicine. Furthermore, deep neural networks (DNNs) have been demonstrated to outperform other techniques such as random forests and SVMs for QSAR studies and ligand-based virtual screening. Despite this, in QSAR studies, the quality of different data sources and potential experimental errors has greatly affected the accuracy of QSAR predictions. Therefore, further researches are still needed to improve the accuracy, selectivity, and sensitivity of the DL approach in building the best models of drug discovery., (© 2021 John Wiley & Sons A/S.)

This work reports on fully integrated "sample‐in‐signal‐out" microfluidic paper‐based analytical devices (μPADs) relying on bioluminescence resonance energy transfer (BRET) switches for analyte recognition and colorimetric signal generation. The devices use BRET‐based antibody sensing proteins integrated into vertically assembled layers of functionalized paper, and their design enables sample volume‐independent and fully reagent‐free operation, including on‐device blood plasma separation. User operation is limited to the application of a single drop (20–30 μL) of sample (serum, whole blood) and the acquisition of a photograph 20 min after sample introduction, with no requirement for precise pipetting, liquid handling, or analytical equipment except for a camera. Simultaneous detection of three different antibodies (anti‐HIV1, anti‐HA, and anti‐DEN1) in whole blood was achieved. Given its simplicity, this type of device is ideally suited for user‐friendly point‐of‐care testing in low‐resource environments. A single drop of blood on paper: Bioluminescent sensing proteins integrated into a multi‐layer paper‐based device allow the user‐friendly and simple quantification of monoclonal antibodies from a single drop of blood by simple color change monitoring. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This work presents an annotation tool that automatically locates mentions of particular amino‐acid residues in published papers and identifies the protein concerned. These matches can be provided in context or in a searchable format in order for researchers to better use the existing and future literature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Replacing synthetic polymers with renewable alternatives is a critical challenge for the packaging industry. This research investigated the use of leaf‐based proteins as a sustainable co‐binder in the coating formulations for paper‐based packaging and other applications. Protein isolates from tobacco leaf and alfalfa concentrates were characterized using the Pierce protein assay, Kjeldahl nitrogen, and gel electrophoresis. The proteins were tested as co‐binders in a typical latex‐based paper coating formulation. The rheology and water retention properties of the wet coating and the surface, optical, structural, and strength properties of coated papers were measured. The coating performance was affected by the purity, solubility, and molecular weight of the tobacco protein and exhibited a shear‐thinning behavior with lower water retention than soy protein. Analysis by scanning electron microscopy and time of flight secondary ion mass spectroscopy on the dried coating layer containing tobacco protein showed enhanced porosity (advantageous for package glueability) relative to the control latex coating. The tobacco protein offers adequate coverage and coating pigment distribution, indicating that this protein can be a suitable option in coatings for packaging applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We describe a sensitive immunological procedure for the detection of specific proteins in total cell extracts and for the comparison of antigenically related polypeptides. Proteins are fractionated in polyacrylamide gels and transferred electrophoretically to diazophenylthioether paper, to which they bind covalently. Specific proteins are identified by incubation with specific antibody and ⊃125 -labeled protein A from Staphylococcus aureus, followed by autoradiography. High-resolution separation of proteins prior to transfer is achieved by polyacrylamide gradient gel electrophoresis in the presence of sodium dodecyl sulfate or by nonequilibrium pH gradient electrophoresis, followed by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis in the presence of sodium dodecyl sulfate. Further information can be obtained by limited enzymatic proteolysis of the proteins in the gel following polyacryllamide gel electrophoresis in the presence of sodium dodecyl sulfate and analysis of the cleavage products by gel electrophoresis at right angles to the first gel. We show the application of this technique to the detection and comparison in extracts from infected cells of proteins related immunologically to the simian virus 40 capsid proteins VP1 and VP3. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Proteins immobilized on insoluble carriers or immunoadsorbents are now widely used in many areas of biological research. They are especially efficient in studies of complex protein mixtures because immunoadsorbents are very useful for isolation of individual components for further investigation. Antibodies immobilized on paper retain their specific activity and can be applied as very sensitive measurement tool. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

1. A new diagonal etectrophoretic technique for determining the order of the lysine-containing tryptic peptides of a protein is described. The protein is converted into its trifluoracetyl derivative, digested enzymatically (or chemically), and the resulting peptides separated by paper electrophoresis. The paper is then treated with ammonia vapour, which re-exposes the ε-amino groups of the lysine residues, and submitted to a second electrophoresis at right angles to the first direction. Peptides containing lysine residues, together with the N-terminal peptide of the protein, are found to lie off a diagonal formed by all other peptides, whence they may be readily purified. A study of these peptides enables the order of the lysine-containing tryptic peptides in the protein to be deduced. 2. The technique has been successfully tested with insulin. 3. When the method was applied to porcine pepsin, the four tryptic peptides isolated were easily ordered and the carboxyl-terminal sequence of the protein shown to be Arg-Gln-Tyr-TyrThr-Val-Phe-Asp-Arg-Ala-Asn-Asn-Lys-Val-Gly-Leu-Ala-Pro-Val-Ala. The thee basic ammo acid residues in the molecule are thus found clustering towards the C-terminus of the polypeptide chain. 4. A common ancestral gene for porcine pepsin and bovine (calf) rennin is suggested by the close homology between the C-terminal sequents of the two proteins. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this study was to assess the recovery of certain proteins from paper strips used for sampling of gingival crevicular fluid (GCF). During a period of 60 min, proteins were eluent in isotonic phosphate-buffered saline, pH 7.4, without detergent. This eluent did not lyse neutrophils applied to the strips, which might otherwise contribute intracellular substances-, e.g., elastase to the GCF samples. The proteins applied (MW 12-725 kD) were satisfactorily recovered (about 90%). However, free neutrophil elastase, unlike elastase complexed with alpha-2-macroglobulin, could not be recovered from the paper strips. Strips made of polyvinylidene difluoride (Durapore) were also tested and 31% of the applied pure elastase was recovered from them. A comparison of measurements made with a Periotron 6000 on Periopaper and Durapore strips, showed that the values obtained with Durapore were too low for accurate measurements of small volumes of fluid. On the whole, when the elution was made in isotonic buffers at neutral pH and without detergents, the recovery of most proteins was satisfactory and reproducible, and independent of MW in the tested range. However, the study also showed poor recovery of uncomplexed elastase. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Discusses two studies on hypertension. "Effect of Soybean Protein on Blood Pressure: A Randomized, Controlled Trial," by J. He et al published in the 2005 issue of "Annals of Internal Medicine"; "North American Ginseng Exerts a Neutral Effect on Blood Pressure in Individuals With Hypertension," by P. M. Stavro et al published in the 2005 issue of "Hypertension."

Ikaros is a Kruppel-type zinc finger protein that is essential for normal lymphocyte development and differentiation. Recently, it has been demonstrated that Ikaros is frequently inactivated in both human and mouse leukaemias/lymphomas. Although this inactivation is thought to be involved in leukaemogenesis, little is known about the molecular mechanisms that lead to neoplastic transformation. To identify the genes that may be controlled by Ikaros, we performed differential display analysis of RNAs from mouse 3T3-L1 cells that had been transfected with the Ikaros gene. Two cDNAs, the Trk-fused gene ( Tfg) and death-associated protein 3 gene ( Dap3) were upregulated in Ikaros-transfected cells. Expression of Tfg and Dap3 was consistently downregulated in radiation-induced T-cell lymphomas that exhibited defective Ikaros expression. These results suggest that Tfg and Dap3 function downstream of Ikaros and may be involved in radiation-induced lymphomagenesis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Heterotrimeric G-proteins transduce signals from heptahelical transmembrane receptors to different effector systems, regulating diverse complex intracellular pathways and functions. In brain, facilitation of depolarization-induced neurotransmitter release for synaptic transmission is mediated by Gsα and Gqα. To identify effectors for Gα-proteins, we performed a yeast two-hybrid screening of a human brain cDNA library, using the human Gαs protein as a bait. We identified a protein member of the synembryn family as one of the interacting proteins. Extending the study to other Gα subunits, we found that Gqα also interacts with synembryn, and these interactions were confirmed by in vitro pull down studies and by in vivo confocal laser microscopy analysis. Furthermore, synembryn was shown to translocate to the plasma membrane in response to carbachol and isoproterenol. This study supports recent findings in C. elegans where, through genetic studies, synembryn was shown to act together with Gqα regulating neuronal transmitter release. Based on these observations, we propose that synembryn is playing a similar role in human neuronal cells. © 2003 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We have previously described a partial cDNA sequence encoding a RhoGAP protein, GAP25 that is homologous to the recently reported ArhGAP9 and ArhGAP12. We now describe a related new member ArhGAP15 that shares a number of domain similarities, including a pleckstrin homology (PH) domain, a RhoGAP domain and a novel motif N-terminal to the GAP domain. This novel motif was found to be responsible for nucleotide-independent Rac1 binding. Using swop mutants of Rac/Cdc42, we have established that the binding is through the C-terminal half of Rac1. The GAP domain of ArhGAP15 showed specificity towards Rac1 in vitro. The PH domain is required for ArhGAP15 to localize to cell periphery and over-expression of the full-length ArhGAP15, but not the mutant with a partial deletion of the PH domain, resulted in an increase in actin stress fibers and cell contraction. These morphological effects can be attenuated by the co-expression of dominant negative Rac1N17. HeLa cells expressing ArhGAP15 were also resistant to phorbol myristatate acetate treatment, suggesting that ArhGAP15 is a potential regulator of Rac1. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Detecting antibodies in blood is as simple as it can get. In their Communication on page 15369 ff., D. Citterio, M. Merkx et al. integrate antibody‐targeting bioluminescent sensing proteins and other essential assay components into a microfluidic paper‐based analytical device. A drop of blood, a digital camera, and twenty minutes are all that is required to detect the presence and the concentration of multiple antibodies in whole blood based on the color of the emitted light. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article discusses paper electrophoresis patterns of enzymes involved in polyglucoside synthesis in oscillatoria princeps and its low temperature strains. The technique of paper partition chromatography and paper electrophoresis for the study of genetically different tissues have recently found application in the field of genetic studies. These methods should prove of considerable interest in the detection of differences between enzymes having the same properties and functions in the different species.

Summary: Maize grain is deficient in lysine. While the opaque2 mutation increases grain lysine, o2 is a transcription factor that regulates a wide network of genes beyond zeins, which leads to pleiotropic and often negative effects. Additionally, the drastic reduction in 19 kDa and 22 kDa alpha‐zeins causes a floury kernel, unsuitable for agricultural use. Quality protein maize (QPM) overcame the undesirable kernel texture through the introgression of modifying alleles. However, QPM still lacks a functional o2 transcription factor, which has a penalty on non‐lysine amino acids due to the o2 mutation. CRISPR/cas9 gives researchers the ability to directly target genes of interest. In this paper, gene editing was used to specifically target the 19 kDa alpha zein gene family. This allows for proteome rebalancing to occur without an o2 mutation and without a total alpha‐zein knockout. The results showed that editing some, but not all, of the 19 kDa zeins resulted in up to 30% more lysine. An edited line displayed an increase of 30% over the wild type. While not quite the 55% lysine increase displayed by QPM, the line had little collateral impact on other amino acid levels compared to QPM. Additionally, the edited line containing a partially reduced 19 kDa showed an advantage in kernel texture that had a complete 19 kDa knockout. These results serve as proof of concept that editing the 19 kDa alpha‐zein family alone can enhance lysine while retaining vitreous endosperm and a functional O2 transcription factor. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduces the research papers to be published in the "European Journal of Biochemistry," succeeding the May 15, 1985. "Primer-independent abortive initiation by wheat-germ RNA polymerase B," by H. Mosig et al; "Protein structure and gene organization of mouse lactate dehydrogenase-A isozyme," S.S.-L. Li et al; "A model for intracellular complexation between gene-5 protein and bacteriophage fd DNA," by G.D. Bayer et al.

The article lists several research papers that would be published in the coming issues of the European Journal of Biochemistry. Some of the articles and topics are related to glucogen synthase, protein phosphates, DNA sequences, etc.

Pigeonpea ( Cajanus cajan ) urease was immobilized on 1 cm×1 cm DEAE-cellulose paper strips. The optimum immobilization (51% activity) was observed at 4 °C, with a protein concentration of 1.0 mg/strip. The apparent optimum pH shifted from 7.3 to 6.8. Immobilized urease showed an optimal stability temperature of 67 °C, compared with 47 °C for the soluble urease. Time-dependent kinetics of the thermal inactivation of the immobilized urease were examined and found to be monophasic as compared with the soluble enzyme, which was biphasic. The Michaelis constant ( K m) for the DEAE-cellulose-immobilized urease was found to be 4.75 mM, 1.5 times higher than the soluble enzyme. Immobilized strips stored at 4 °C showed an increased half-life ( t 1/2=150 days). There was practically no leaching of the enzyme from the immobilized strips over a period of 2 weeks. These strips were used for estimating the urea content of blood samples; the results obtained matched well with those obtained in a clinical laboratory through an Autoanalyzer® (Zydus Co., Rome, Italy). The easy availability of pigeonpea urease, the ease of its immobilization on DEAE-cellulose strips and the significantly lower cost of urease described in the present study makes it a suitable product for future applications in diagnostics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Because protein is a primary element responsible for biological or biochemical roles in living bodies, protein function is the core and basis information for biomedical studies. However, recent advances in bio technologies have created an explosive increase in the amount of published literature; therefore, biomedical researchers have a hard time finding needed protein function information. In this paper, a classification system for biomedical literature providing protein function evidence is proposed. Note that, despite our best efforts, we have been unable to find previous studies on the proposed issue. To classify papers based on protein function evidence, we should consider whether the main claim of a paper is to assert a protein function. We, therefore, propose two novel features -- protein and assertion. Our experimental results show a classification performance with 71.89% precision, 90.0% recall, and a 79.94% F-measure. In addition, to verify the usefulness of the proposed classification system, two case study applications are investigated -- information retrieval for protein function and automatic summarization for protein function text. It is shown that the proposed classification system can be successfully applied to these applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses the efficiency of protein elution from different types of gingival crevicular fluid (GCF) collection papers. It was used for the study various concentrations of bovine serum albumin (BSA), that were placed onto strips of Whatman. In addition, different types of GCF elution are mentioned, such as soaking in saline, soaking followed by centrifugation, and centrifugal elution.

Presents research articles on biochemistry to be published in the "European Journal of Biochemistry." "Secondary and Tertiary Structure Characteristic of Megasphaera elsdenii Flavodoxin in the Reduced State as Determined by Two-Dimensional 1H NMR," by C. P. M. van Mierlo, F. M¨ller, and J. Vervoort; "Presence and Characterization of Glycolipid Sulfotransferase in Human Cancer Serum," by S. Gasa, M. -T. Casl, A. Makita, N. Sakakibara, T. Koyanagi, and T. Atsuta; "Interaction of Hemin With Placental Glutathione Transferase," by A. M. Caccuri; A. Aceto, F. Piemonte, C. di Ilio, N. Rosato, and G. Federici.

Lists articles about biochemistry. "Modulation of the interaction between the two halves of troponin C by the other troponin subunits," by C.-L.A. Wang and J. Gergely; "Sequence determinants of cytosolic N-terminal protein processing," by C. Flinta, B. Persson, H. Jornvall and G. von Heijne; "Effect of benzoate on the metabolism of fructose 2,6-biphosphate in yeast," by J. Francois, E. van Schaftingen and H.-G. Hers; "Isolation and properties of porcine cholesterol acyltransferase," G. Knipping; Others.

The article presents information on various research papers which will be published in the forthcoming issue of the "European Journal of Biochemistry". Some of the papers discusses are "Enzymatic Synthesis of Neolactotetraosylceramide by the N-Acctyllactosamine Synthase of Human Serum". "Rate of Transplantation and Kinetics of Processing of Newly Synthesized Molecules of Two Major Outer-Membrane Proteins, the OmpA and OmpF Proteins of Escherichia Coli," by the researchers I. Crowlesmith and K. Gamon.

Introduction and aims: There is emerging evidence that heavy long‐term alcohol consumption may alter the neuroimmune profile. We conducted a meta‐analysis of the association between alcohol use disorder (AUD) and the extent of neuroinflammation using cerebrospinal (CSF), PET (Positron Emission Tomography), and postmortem studies. Design and methods: A comprehensive search of electronic databases was conducted using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta‐Analysis Protocols (PRISMA‐P) for AUD‐related terms in combination with neuroinflammatory markers and cytokine‐ and chemokine‐related terms for CSF, PET, and postmortem studies. Participants had to meet established criteria for AUD and/or heavy alcohol consumption with dependence features and be compared with healthy controls. Papers retrieved were assessed for inclusion criteria and a critical appraisal was completed using the Newcastle‐Ottawa Scale. A meta‐analysis was conducted on postmortem and PET studies. Results: Eleven papers met the inclusion criteria with CSF, PET, and postmortem studies included in the final analysis. Postmortem studies demonstrate significant heterogeneity (푄 (14) = 62.02, 푝 < 0.001), with the alcohol group showing higher levels of neuroimmune markers than controls (푑 = 1.50 [95% CI 0.56, 2.45]). PET studies demonstrated a lower [11C] PBR28 total volume of distribution (VT) for translocator protein in the hippocampus (g = −1.95 [95% CI −2.72, −1.18], p < 0.001) of the alcohol group compared to controls. Conclusion: There is emerging evidence across multiple diagnostic modalities that alcohol impacts neuroimmune signaling in the human brain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lists the titles of papers that will be published in future issues of the "European Journal of Biochemistry." "Regulation of the ontogeny of rat liver metallothionein mRNA by zinc," by G.K. Andrews et al; "Processing of a plant vacuolar protein precursor in vitro," by T. Hattori et al "Structural studies of the putatitve O-specific polysaccharide of Serratia marcescens 09," by D. Oxley and S.G. Wilkinson.

The article presents a list of forthcoming research papers including "Kinetic Studies of Proton Transfer in the Microenvironment of a Binding Site," by M. Gutman, D. Huppert and E. Nachliel," "The Substrate Binding Site of Aldehyde Reductase From Pig Liver: Stereochemical Investigations Using NADP-2-Oxodiacid Adducts As Probe," by G. Branlant and "Membranes of Protein Bodies: I. Isolation from Cotyledons of Germinating Cucumber Seeds" by U. A. K. Kara and H. Kindl.

Presents a list of research papers to be published in the upcoming issues of the "European Journal of Biochemistry." "Extraction and Translation of Collagen mRNA From Fetal Calf Skin," by R. Kaufman, A. Belayew, B. Nusgens, and C. M. Lapie&rgrave;e; "Messenger RNA For Ribosomal Proteins in Xenopus laevis Oocytes," by P. Pierandrei-Amaldi and E. Beccari; "Purification and Characterization of Esterase 2B of the House Mouse, Mus musculus," by U. Lexow, A. Ronai, and O. von Deimling.

Exercise can alter gene transcriptional and protein translational rates leading to changes in protein abundance toward adaptation to exercise. We investigated the alterations in protein abundance in skeletal muscle after one bout of an exhaustive exercise through proteomic analysis. Gastrocnemius muscles were sampled from non-exercised control rats and from rats exercised on a treadmill with incremental increases in speed until exhaustion (approximately 30 min). Rats were sacrificed 3 and 24 h after exercise cessation. Two-dimensional gel electrophoresis was performed and spots with a significant alteration in relative volume were identified by mass spectrometry. Six spots presented statistically significant altered abundances after exercise. The spots identified as the metabolic related proteins triosephosphate isomerase 1, glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase, the β subunit of pyruvate dehydrogenase E1 and carnitine palmitoyltransferase 2 were all more abundant after exercise. One spot identified as heat shock cognate 70 was also more abundant after exercise. One spot demonstrated a decreased abundance after exercise and was identified as α-actin. These results suggest that a single session of exhaustive incremental exercise in untrained muscle can alter thin filaments synthesis/degradation rate and enhance cytosolic and mitochondrial proteins synthesis. The identified proteins may be important to a general preconditioning of skeletal muscle for subsequent exercise sessions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article reports on developments related to veterinary medicine in Great Britain. The knowledge of the associations between the prion protein genotype of sheep and their risk of clinical scrapie has been used to develop genotyping and breeding programs that aim to eradicate the disease. According to a questionnaire survey concerning parasite management, the sheep farmers use variety of strategies based on information from the farming press, agricultural merchants and veterinary surgeons.

Focuses on studies about veterinary medicine in Great Britain as of August 7, 2004. Relationship between lameness and back problems in horses; Pathology of digestive tract lesions in stranded sea turtles; Variability of the prion protein gene in goats.

Reports developments related to veterinary medicine in Great Britain as of June 2004. Examination of the role of PrP protein in copper metabolism; Production of the acute phase proteins; Analysis of the prevalence of canine leucocyte adhesion deficiency in Irish setters.

Protein biomarkers often exist as degradation fragments in biological samples, and affinity agents derived using a purified protein may not recognize them, limiting their value for clinical diagnosis. Herein, we present a method to overcome this issue, by selecting aptamers against a degraded form of the toxin B protein, which is a marker for diagnosing toxigenic Clostridium difficile infections. This approach has led to isolation of a DNA aptamer that recognizes degraded toxin B, fresh toxin B, and toxin B spiked into human stool samples. DNA aptamers selected using intact recombinant toxin B failed to recognize degraded toxin B, which is the form present in stored stool samples. Using this new aptamer, we produced a simple paper‐based analytical device for colorimetric detection of toxin B in stool samples, or in the NAP1 strain of Clostridium difficile. The combined aptamer‐selection and paper‐sensing strategy can expand the practical utility of DNA aptamers in clinical diagnosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Formation of fatty acid ethyl esters (FAEEs, catalyzed by FAEE synthase) has been implicated in the pathogenesis of chronic pancreatitis. In previous studies, we demonstrated that FAEE synthase, purified from rat liver microsomes, is identical to rat liver carboxylesterase (pI 6.1), and structurally and functionally different than that from pancreas. In this study, we purified and characterized rat pancreatic microsomal FAEE synthase, and determined its relationship with rat pancreatic cholesterol esterase (ChE). Since most of the serine esterases express p-nitrophenyl acetate (PNPA)-hydrolyzing activity as well as synthetic activity to form fatty acid esters or amides with a wide spectrum of alcohols and amines, respectively, we used PNPA-hydrolyzing activity to monitor the purification of FAEE synthase during various chromatographic purification steps. Synthesizing activity towards FAEEs, fatty acid methyl esters, and fatty acid anilides was measured only in the pooled fractions. At each step of purification (ammonium sulfate saturation, Q Sepharose XL, and heparin-agarose column chromatographies, and high performance liquid chromatography (anion exchange and gel filtration)) synthetic as well as hydrolytic activities copurified. Using ethanol, methanol, or aniline as substrates, the ester or anilide synthesizing activity of the purified protein was found to be 8709, 13000, and 2201 nmol/h/mg protein, respectively. The purified protein displayed a single band with an estimated molecular mass of ~68 kD upon SDS-PAGE under reduced denaturing conditions, cross-reacted with antisera against rat pancreatic ChE and showed 100% N-terminal sequence homology of the first 15 amino acids to that of rat pancreatic ChE. These results suggest that the purified protein has broad substrate specificity towards the conjugation of endogenous long chain fatty acids with substrates having hydroxyl and amino groups and is identical to ChE. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biochem Mol Toxicol 17:338–345, 2003; Published online in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com). DOI 10.1002/jbt.10097 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, wound dressing materials made of silk fibroin (SF) and transgenic SF with Arg-Gly-Asp motifs (TG-RGD SF) were developed. Initially, an animal evaluation experiment with mice to demonstrate the usefulness of SF film as a wound dressing was performed. The amorphous SF film was shown to promote the formation of granulation tissue and neovessels in the dermis, leading to skin regeneration. As a result, amorphous SF film is suitable for use as a wound dressing materials. Then, the SF- Human umbilical vein endothelial cells signaling pathway was determined by cell proliferation assay with pharmacological inhibitors. Subsequently, a mice evaluation experiment to assess the promotion of healing effects using TG-RGD SF was conducted and the results were compared with those obtained using SF. In the wound area evaluation and the quantitative evaluation of granulation tissue formation, the TG-RGD SF film promoted dermis regeneration more than the SF film. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Sertoli–Leydig cell tumors (SLCTs) are rare neoplasms occurring in young women with 60% associated with DICER1 mutations. This is only the second published case series of patients with SLCTs with associated DICER1 gene alterations. DICER1 syndrome is a rare inherited tumor‐susceptibility syndrome affecting organs such as the ovaries. We use this case series to inform readers on this increasingly important condition in gynecology. Methods and Results: We present three young females presenting with secondary amenorrhoea, hirsutism, acne and in one case tonic–clonic seizures. All cases had high testosterone levels and an adnexal mass on ultrasound. Following surgical removal, pathology confirmed SLCTs and genetic testing followed. All three patients had DICER1 syndrome with two patients subsequently found to be related. Discussion: The prevalence of DICER1 syndrome in the population is estimated to be 1 in 10 000 with a spectrum of sex cord stromal tumors affecting young women. The associated pathological classifications and management. This paper describes the DICER1 gene and the associated tumor predisposition syndrome alongside a surveillance protocol for use in clinical practice. It promotes discussion over the importance of early clinical genetics involvement in sex‐cord stromal tumors and the associated difficulties in counseling in a young patient population. Genetic testing and early detection are imperative for targeted surveillance of at‐risk organs to be performed but despite this there is no international guidance. The cases highlight the psychological impact of tumors in young patients and provokes an ethical discussion over DICER1 gene's inclusion in preimplantation genetics. Conclusions: DICER1 syndrome is a rare but increasingly important condition in pediatric and adolescent gynecology with a paucity of published data and case reports. This makes international consensus on management and surveillance difficult. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Increasing global consumption of protein over the last five decades, coupled with concerns about the impact on emissions of animal‐based protein production, has created interest in alternative protein sources. Microbial proteins (MPs), derived through the fermentation of agro‐industrial byproducts, present a promising option. This review assesses a century of advancements in this domain. We conducted a comprehensive review and meta‐analysis, examining 347 relevant research papers to identify trends, technological advancements, and key influencing factors in the production of MP. The analysis covered the types of feedstocks and microbes, fermentation methods, and the implications of nucleic acid content on the food‐grade quality of proteins. A conditional inference tree model and Bayesian factor were used to ascertain the impact of various parameters on protein content. Out of all the studied parameters, such as type of feedstock (lignocellulose, free sugars, gases, and others), type of fermentation (solid, liquid, gas), type of microbe (bacteria, fungi, yeast, and mix), and operating parameters (temperature, time, and pH), the type of fermentation and microbe were identified as the largest influences on protein content. Gas and liquid fermentation demonstrated higher protein content, averaging 52% and 42%, respectively. Among microbes, bacterial species produced a higher protein content of 51%. The suitable operating parameters, such as pH, time, and temperature, were also identified for different microbes. The results point to opportunities for continued innovation in feedstock, microbes, and regulatory alignment to fully realize the potential of MP in contributing to global food security and sustainability goals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, BSA surface‐imprinted magnetic Fe‐Ni bimetallic oxide shell nanorods (m‐FeNi@MIPs@PCBMA) were prepared with the assistance of poly(3‐[[2‐(methacryloyloxy)ethyl]dimethylammonium] propionate (PCBMA) in connection with the surface‐imprinting technique. The Fe‐Ni bimetallic oxide shell layer nanorods (m‐FeNi) with magnetic responsiveness simplified the separation and recovery process of adsorbed materials. The controlled introduction of PCBMA facilitated the reduction of protein non‐specific adsorption. At the optimal encapsulation ratio of 1:0.75 (Wm‐FeNi@MIPs: WCBMA), m‐FeNi@MIPs@PCBMA could adsorb 122.98 ± 5.00 mg/g of BSA within 80 min, and the value of the imprinting factor (IF) was also increased from 1.68 (m‐FeNi@MIPs) to 3.95. In the mixed protein adsorption and real sample separation experiments, m‐FeNi@MIPs@PCBMA could selectively separate BSA. Meanwhile, after seven adsorption–desorption experiments, the loss of BSA adsorption by the imprinted nanorods was only 15.9%, which had good reusability. Therefore, m‐FeNi@MIPs@PCBMA has a broader application prospect in the field of protein separation and purification. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lists articles about biochemistry. "Impact of altered protein structures on the intracellular traffic of a mutated vasopressin precursor from Brattleboro rats," by H. Schmale et al; "Direct electron transfer of redox proteins at the bare classy carbon electrode," by W.R. Hagen; "Molecular cloning of preproacrosin and analysis of its expression pattern in spermatogenesis," by I.M. Adham; "Reduced temperature does not prevent transport of lysosomal integral membrane proteins from endoplasmic reticulum and through the Golgi system to lysosomes," by P.G. Morales; Others.

Offers information on articles for publication in future issues of the "European Journal of Biochemistry". Synthesis of two proteins in chloroplasts and messenger RNA; Types of acids from Mycobacterium thamnopheos; Use of the inhibition of enzymatic antioxidant systems in order to evaluate their physiological importance.

Presents several articles to be published in the "European Journal of Biochemistry." "Modification of Ribosomal Proteins in Sea Urchin Eggs Following Fertilization," by K. Takeshima and E. Nakano; "A Phosphotyrosyl-Protein Phosphatase Activity Associated With Acid Phosphatase From Human Prostate Gland," by H.-C. Li, J. Chernoff, L. B. Chen and A. Kirschonbaum; "Molecular Characterization of the Gene Coding for Major Outer Membrane Protein OmpA from Enterobacter Aerogenes," by G. Braun and S. T. Cole; "Nidogen: A New, Self-Aggregating Basement Membrane Protein," by R. Timpl, M. Dziadek, S. Fujiwara, H. Nowack and G. Wick; Others.

Symptoms of pelvic masses, elevated serum CA125 levels, massive ascites, and pleural effusion in female patients are usually associated with malignancy. Some benign ovarian tumors or other nonmalignant tumors may also produce similar symptoms, called Meigs syndrome or pseudo‐Meigs' syndrome, which should be one of the differential diagnoses. However, there is an extremely rare form of SLE called pseudo‐pseudo Meigs syndrome (PPMS), which may also present with the above symptoms, but is not associated with any of the tumors. In this paper, we report a case of a 47‐year‐old woman who presented with abdominal distention. The patient was found to have elevated serum CA125 levels to 182.9 U/mL before the operation. Her PET‐CT suggested a large heterogeneous mass in the pelvis measuring 8.2 × 5.8 cm with a large amount of ascites. She was initially diagnosed with ovarian cancer and underwent exploratory laparotomy. Pathology of the surgical specimen revealed a uterine leiomyoma. Two months after discharge, the patient's ascites reappeared along with recurrent intestinal obstruction. After ascites and serological tests, she was eventually diagnosed with systemic lupus erythematosus and received systemic hormonal therapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this work is to offer an alternative or complementary analytical tool to the time‐consuming and expensive methods commonly used for the recognition of animal species according to their hair. The paper introduces a simple and fast way for species differentiation of animal hairs called in‐sample digestion. A total of 10 European animal species, including cat, cow, common degu, dog, fallow deer, goat, horse, sika deer, rabbit, roe deer, and 17 different breeds of dogs were examined using specific tryptic cleavage directly in hair followed by matrix‐assisted laser desorption/ionization–time of flight mass spectrometry and liquid chromatography‐electrospray ionization quadrupole time of flight. Principal component analysis was used for the subsequent mass spectrometric data evaluation. This novel approach demonstrates the ability to distinguish among individual animal species, which is supported by finding characteristic m/z values obtained by the mass spectrometry for each animal species. The approach was successfully tested on two "blind" samples. On the other hand, the attempt to distinguish among hairs of different dog breeds has not been successful due to the very similar protein composition and their amino acid sequences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cupin proteins share a double-stranded b-helix fold, form one of the largest protein superfamilies, and possess remarkable functional diversity. They usually exist in homooligomeric states. Goss and co-workers recently reported that the cupin protein Pac13, which is a dehydratase that mediates the formation of the 3’-deoxy nucleoside of pacidamycins, is an unusual small monomer. However, a careful analysis of the biophysical and structural data provided by the authors suggests that Pac13 is in fact a homodimer, similar to many other cupin proteins. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Proteins produced by cap‐independent translation mediated by an internal ribosome entry site (IRES) in circular RNAs (circRNAs) play important roles in tumour progression. To date, numerous studies have been performed on circRNAs and the proteins they encode. In this review, we summarize the biogenesis of circRNAs and the mechanisms regulating circRNA‐encoded proteins expression. We also describe relevant research methods and their applications to biological processes such as tumour cell proliferation, metastasis, epithelial‐mesenchymal transition (EMT), apoptosis, autophagy and chemoresistance. This paper offers deeper insights into the roles that circRNA‐encoded proteins play in tumours. It also provides a theoretical basis for the use of circRNA‐encoded proteins as biomarkers of tumorigenesis and for the development of new targets for tumour therapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy is a powerful tool for analyzing the biochemical properties of biological samples such as proteins, cellular materials, and tissues. It provides objective information on samples and has been adopted in many research areas of biomedical and biotechnological interest. FTIR spectroscopy can be performed using different approaches at the macro and micro levels allowing the examination of an incredibly broad class of materials. However, it has become evident that the choice of proper spectra acquisition geometries and the modalities of sample preparation in FTIR spectroscopy analysis require special consideration, especially for certain classes of materials such as cells and tissues. In the present paper, we described the different procedures used for preparing and analyzing different types of biological and biotechnological samples when the more largely available approaches are employed using a commercial FTIR spectrometer. Some basic aspects of data analysis procedures are presented in an Appendix. A certain number of our previous experimental results are reported for demonstrating once more the versatility and the potentiality of FTIR spectroscopy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]