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About ten years ago, Wenhui Li's research group in China identified the sodium taurocholate co-transporting polypeptide (NTCP), a bile acid transporter predominantly expressed in the liver, as a functional receptor for hepatitis B virus (HBV) and its satellite hepatitis delta virus (HDV) through biochemical and genetic studies. This finding unraveled a longtime mystery in the HBV field and led to the establishment of efficient and easy-to-use HBV infection models, which paved the way for the in-depth study of the HBV entry mechanism and facilitated the development of therapeutics against HBV and HDV. The whole picture of the complex HBV entry process became clear upon the follow-up studies over the years, including the recent resolution found for the NTCP structure. As one of the first authors of the 2012 eLife paper on NTCP identification, here, I (H. Y.) share our experience on the bumpy and exciting journey of receptor hunting, particularly on the photo-cross-linking study and some detailed descriptions of the "fishing" process and summarize the key factors for our successful receptor identification. This review may also provide helpful insights for identifying a protein target by peptide or protein baits through cross-linking and immunoprecipitation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Information on antioxidant peptides derived from corn germ meal (CGM) is seldom reported. In this paper, three novel antioxidant peptides including Met–Gly–Gly–Asn (MGGN; 377.42 Da), Met–Asn–Asn (MNN; 377.42 Da), and Met–Glu–Asn (MEN; 392.43 Da) were purified from the most active fractions of corn germ meal hydrolysate, and their activity was evaluated by radical scavenging, oxygen radical absorbance capacity, cellular antioxidant activity (CAA), and intracellular reactive oxygen species scavenging assays. MNN had a higher value for the CAA assay (1,213.79 μmol of QE/100 mmol) and could be most effective in preventing conditions favorable to intracellular oxidative stress. Finally, electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopy directly verified the above experimental results by measuring the number of •OH trapped in the system. Thus, CGM could be considered as a potential source of antioxidant peptide and MNN might be regarded as a natural antioxidant. Practical applications: CGM is a by‐product of corn industrial that includes ground corn germ and other parts of the corn kernel. In the past, some of them were discarded by factories in China. In this study, three novel antioxidant peptides were isolated from the hydrolysate of CGM, which greatly increased its economic value. In addition, these peptides have huge potential to serve as antioxidants in pharmaceutical, cosmetic, and functional food industries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]