Displaying publications 361 - 380 of 1309 in total

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  1. Differential expression of a subset of ribosomal protein genes in cell lines derived from human nasopharyngeal epithelium
    Sim EU, Ang CH, Ng CC, Lee CW, Narayanan K
    J Hum Genet, 2010 Feb;55(2):118-20.
    PMID: 19927161 DOI: 10.1038/jhg.2009.124
    Extraribosomal functions of human ribosomal proteins (RPs) include the regulation of cellular growth and differentiation, and are inferred from studies that linked congenital disorders and cancer to the deregulated expression of RP genes. We have previously shown the upregulation and downregulation of RP genes in tumors of colorectal and nasopharyngeal carcinomas (NPCs), respectively. Herein, we show that a subset of RP genes for the large ribosomal subunit is differentially expressed among cell lines derived from the human nasopharyngeal epithelium. Three such genes (RPL27, RPL37a and RPL41) were found to be significantly downregulated in all cell lines derived from NPC tissues compared with a nonmalignant nasopharyngeal epithelial cell line. The expression of RPL37a and RPL41 genes in human nasopharyngeal tissues has not been reported previously. Our findings support earlier suspicions on the existence of NPC-associated RP genes, and indicate their importance in human nasopharyngeal organogenesis.
    Matched MeSH terms: Ribosomal Proteins/metabolism*
  2. On the importance of the small domain in the thermostability of thermoalkalophilic lipases from l1 and t1: insights from molecular dynamics simulation
    Karjiban RA, Basyaruddin M, Rahman A, Salleh AB, Basri M, Zaliha RN, et al.
    Protein Pept Lett, 2010 Jun;17(6):699-707.
    PMID: 19958281
    An all-atom level MD simulation in explicit solvent at high temperature is a powerful technique to increase our knowledge about the structurally important regions modulating thermal stability in thermenzymes. In this respect, two large-sized thermoalkalophilic enzymes from Bacillus stearothermophilus L1 (L1 lipase) and Geobacillus zalihae strain T1 (T1 lipase) are well-established representatives. In this paper, comparative results from temperature-induced MD simulations of both model systems at 300 K, 400 K and 500 K are presented and discussed with respect to identification of highly flexible regions critical to thermostability. From our MD simulation results, specific regions along the L1 lipase and T1 lipase polypeptide chain including the small domain and the main catalytic domain or core domain of both enzymes show a marked increase in fluctuations and dynamics followed by clear structural changes. Overall, the N-terminal moiety of both enzymes and their small domains exhibit hyper-sensitivity to thermal stress. The results appear to propose that these regions are critical in determining of the overall thermal stability of both organisms.
    Matched MeSH terms: Bacterial Proteins/metabolism
  3. Fulltext Crating and heat stress influence blood parameters and heat shock protein 70 expression in broiler chickens showing short or long tonic immobility reactions
    Zulkifli I, Al-Aqil A, Omar AR, Sazili AQ, Rajion MA
    Poult Sci, 2009 Mar;88(3):471-6.
    PMID: 19211514 DOI: 10.3382/ps.2008-00287
    Two hundred thirty-five 1-d-old broiler chickens showing short or long tonic immobility responses were classified as low fear (LF) or high fear (HF) responders, respectively. On d 41, they were subjected to either crating or heat challenge (34 +/- 1 degrees C) for 3 h and its effect on plasma corticosterone concentration, heterophil/lymphocyte ratios, and heat shock protein (HSP) 70 expression in brain tissue were determined. Crating and heat exposure elevated heterophil/lymphocyte ratios in both LF and HF birds. Circulating corticosterone, however, was greater in HF than LF birds after crating and heat challenge. Although differences between fear responder group for HSP 70 were negligible before heat challenge, after 3 h of heat exposure, the response was greater for the HF than the LF group. Both LF and HF showed similar increases in HSP 70 after crating.
    Matched MeSH terms: HSP70 Heat-Shock Proteins/metabolism*
  4. Biological treatment of sewage treatment plant sludge by pure bacterial culture with optimum process conditions in a stirred tank bioreactor
    Alam MZ, Muyibi SA, Jamal P
    J Environ Sci Health A Tox Hazard Subst Environ Eng, 2007 Sep;42(11):1671-9.
    PMID: 17849310
    Biological treatment of sewage treatment plant (STP) sludge by potential pure bacterial culture (Bacillus sp.) with optimum process conditions for effective biodegradation and bioseparation was carried out in the laboratory. The effective and efficient bioconversion was evaluated with the treatment of pure bacterial culture and existing microbes (uninnoculated) in sludge. The optimum process conditions i.e., temperature, 40 degrees C; pH, 6; inoculum, 5% (v/v); aeration, 1 vvm; agitation speed, 50 rpm obtained from the previous studies with chemical oxygen demand COD at 30 mgL(-1) were applied for the biological treatment of sludge. The results indicated that pure bacterial culture (Bacillus sp.) showed higher degradation and separation of treated sludge compared to treatment with the existing mixed microbes in a stirred tank bioreactor. The treated STP sludge by potential pure bacterial culture and existing microbes gave 30% and 11%; 91.2% and 59.1; 88.5% and 52.3%; 98.4% and 51.3%; 96.1% and 75.2%; 99.4% and 72.8% reduction of total suspended solids (TSS, biosolids), COD, soluble protein, turbidity, total dissolved solids (TDS) and specific resistance to filtration (SRF), respectively within 7 days of treatment. The pH was observed at 6.5 and 4 during the treatment of sludge by pure culture and existing microbes, respectively.
    Matched MeSH terms: Proteins/metabolism
  5. Fulltext Directed evolution of nucleotide-based libraries using lambda exonuclease
    Lim BN, Choong YS, Ismail A, Glökler J, Konthur Z, Lim TS
    Biotechniques, 2012 Dec;53(6):357-64.
    PMID: 23227986 DOI: 10.2144/000113964
    Directed evolution of nucleotide libraries using recombination or mutagenesis is an important technique for customizing catalytic or biophysical traits of proteins. Conventional directed evolution methods, however, suffer from cumbersome digestion and ligation steps. Here, we describe a simple method to increase nucleotide diversity using single-stranded DNA (ssDNA) as a starting template. An initial PCR amplification using phosphorylated primers with overlapping regions followed by treatment with lambda exonuclease generates ssDNA templates that can then be annealed via the overlap regions. Double-stranded DNA (dsDNA) is then generated through extension with Klenow fragment. To demonstrate the applicability of this methodology for directed evolution of nucleotide libraries, we generated both gene shuffled and regional mutagenesis synthetic antibody libraries with titers of 2×108 and 6×107, respectively. We conclude that our method is an efficient and convenient approach to generate diversity in nucleic acid based libraries, especially recombinant antibody libraries.
    Matched MeSH terms: Viral Proteins/metabolism*
  6. Fulltext Inhibition of dengue NS2B-NS3 protease and viral replication in Vero cells by recombinant retrocyclin-1
    Rothan HA, Han HC, Ramasamy TS, Othman S, Rahman NA, Yusof R
    BMC Infect Dis, 2012;12:314.
    PMID: 23171075 DOI: 10.1186/1471-2334-12-314
    Global resurgence of dengue virus infections in many of the tropical and subtropical countries is a major concern. Therefore, there is an urgent need for the development of successful drugs that are both economical and offer a long-lasting protection. The viral NS2B-NS3 serine protease (NS2B-NS3pro) is a promising target for the development of drug-like inhibitors, which are not available at the moment. In this study, we report retrocyclin-1 (RC-1) production in E. coli as a recombinant peptide to test against dengue NS2B-NS3pro.
    Matched MeSH terms: Viral Proteins/metabolism*
  7. Production and characterization of a bioflocculant produced by Aspergillus flavus
    Aljuboori AH, Idris A, Abdullah N, Mohamad R
    Bioresour Technol, 2013 Jan;127:489-93.
    PMID: 23159465 DOI: 10.1016/j.biortech.2012.09.016
    The production and characterization of a bioflocculant, IH-7, by Aspergillus flavus was investigated. About 0.4 g of purified bioflocculant with an average molecular weight of 2.574 × 10(4)Da could be obtained from 1L of fermentation medium. The bioflocculant mainly consisted of protein (28.5%) and sugar (69.7%), including 40% of neutral sugar, 2.48% of uronic acid and 1.8% amino sugar. The neutral sugar components are sucrose, lactose, glucose, xylose, galactose, mannose and fructose at a molar ratio of 2.4:4.4:4.1:5.8:9.9:0.8:3.1. Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy analysis revealed that purified IH-7 contained hydroxyl, amide, carboxyl and methoxyl groups. The elemental analysis of purified IH-7 showed that the weight fractions of the elements C, H, O, N and S were 29.9%, 4.8%, 34.7%, 3.3%, and 2.0%, respectively. IH-7 had good flocculating rate in kaolin suspension without cation addition and stable over wide range of pH and temperature.
    Matched MeSH terms: Fungal Proteins/metabolism*
  8. Iron-Binding Capacity of Defatted Rice Bran Hydrolysate and Bioavailability of Iron in Caco-2 Cells
    Foong LC, Imam MU, Ismail M
    J Agric Food Chem, 2015 Oct 21;63(41):9029-36.
    PMID: 26435326 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jafc.5b03420
    The present study was aimed at utilizing defatted rice bran (DRB) protein as an iron-binding peptide to enhance iron uptake in humans. DRB samples were treated with Alcalase and Flavourzyme, and the total extractable peptides were determined. Furthermore, the iron-binding capacities of the DRB protein hydrolysates were determined, whereas iron bioavailability studies were conducted using an in vitro digestion and absorption model (Caco-2 cells). The results showed that the DRB protein hydrolysates produced by combined Alcalase and Flavourzyme hydrolysis had the best iron-binding capacity (83%) after 90 min of hydrolysis. The optimal hydrolysis time to produce the best iron-uptake in Caco-2 cells was found to be 180 min. The results suggested that DRB protein hydrolysates have potent iron-binding capacities and may enhance the bioavailability of iron, hence their suitability for use as iron-fortified supplements.
    Matched MeSH terms: Plant Proteins/metabolism*
  9. Fulltext Involvement of Lipocalin-like CghA in Decalin-Forming Stereoselective Intramolecular [4+2] Cycloaddition
    Sato M, Yagishita F, Mino T, Uchiyama N, Patel A, Chooi YH, et al.
    Chembiochem, 2015 Nov 2;16(16):2294-8.
    PMID: 26360642 DOI: 10.1002/cbic.201500386
    Understanding enzymatic Diels-Alder (DA) reactions that can form complex natural product scaffolds is of considerable interest. Sch 210972 1, a potential anti-HIV fungal natural product, contains a decalin core that is proposed to form through a DA reaction. We identified the gene cluster responsible for the biosynthesis of 1 and heterologously reconstituted the biosynthetic pathway in Aspergillus nidulans to characterize the enzymes involved. Most notably, deletion of cghA resulted in a loss of stereoselective decalin core formation, yielding both an endo (1) and a diastereomeric exo adduct of the proposed DA reaction. Complementation with cghA restored the sole formation of 1. Density functional theory computation of the proposed DA reaction provided a plausible explanation of the observed pattern of product formation. Based on our study, we propose that lipocalin-like CghA is responsible for the stereoselective intramolecular [4+2] cycloaddition that forms the decalin core of 1.
    Matched MeSH terms: Fungal Proteins/metabolism
  10. Fulltext Proteolytic cleavage analysis at the Murray Valley encephalitis virus NS1-2A junction
    Addis SN, Lee E, Bettadapura J, Lobigs M
    Virol J, 2015;12:144.
    PMID: 26377679 DOI: 10.1186/s12985-015-0375-4
    Our understanding of the proteolytic processing events at the NS1-2A junction in the flavivirus polyprotein has not markedly progressed since the early work conducted on dengue virus (DENV). This work identified an octapeptide sequence located immediately upstream of the cleavage site thought to be important in substrate recognition by an as yet unknown, endoplasmic reticulum-resident host protease. Of the eight amino acid recognition sequence, the highly conserved residues at positions P1, P3, P5, P7 and P8 (with respect to N-terminus of NS2A) are particularly sensitive to amino acid substitutions in terms of DENV NS1-NS2A cleavage efficiency; however, the role of the octapeptide in efficient NS1 and NS2A production of other flaviviruses has not been experimentally addressed.
    Matched MeSH terms: Viral Proteins/metabolism*
  11. Fulltext Systemic and coronary levels of CRP, MPO, sCD40L and PlGF in patients with coronary artery disease
    Fong SW, Few LL, See Too WC, Khoo BY, Nik Ibrahim NN, Yahaya SA, et al.
    BMC Res Notes, 2015;8:679.
    PMID: 26576922 DOI: 10.1186/s13104-015-1677-8
    Biomarkers play a pivotal role in the diagnosis and management of patients with acute coronary syndrome. This study aimed to investigate the differences in level of several biomarkers, i.e. C-reactive protein, myeloperoxidase, soluble CD40 ligand and placental growth factor, between acute coronary syndrome and chronic stable angina patients. The relationship between these biomarkers in the coronary circulation and systemic circulation was also investigated.
    Matched MeSH terms: Pregnancy Proteins/metabolism*
  12. Cloning, expression and characterization of a novel cold‑adapted GDSL family esterase from Photobacterium sp. strain J15
    Shakiba MH, Ali MS, Rahman RN, Salleh AB, Leow TC
    Extremophiles, 2016 Jan;20(1):44-55.
    PMID: 26475626 DOI: 10.1007/s00792-015-0796-4
    The gene encoding for a novel cold-adapted enzyme from family II of bacterial classification (GDSL family) was cloned from the genomic DNA of Photobacterium sp. strain J15 in an Escherichia coli system, yielding a recombinant 36 kDa J15 GDSL esterase which was purified in two steps with a final yield and purification of 38.6 and 15.3 respectively. Characterization of the biochemical properties showed the J15 GDSL esterase had maximum activity at 20 °C and pH 8.0, was stable at 10 °C for 3 h and retained 50 % of its activity after a 6 h incubation at 10 °C. The enzyme was activated by Tween-20, -60 and Triton-X100 and inhibited by 1 mM Sodium dodecyl sulphate (SDS), while β-mercaptoethanol and Dithiothreitol (DTT) enhanced activity by 4.3 and 5.4 fold respectively. These results showed the J15 GDSL esterase was a novel cold-adapted enzyme from family II of lipolytic enzymes. A structural model constructed using autotransporter EstA from Pseudomonas aeruginosa as a template revealed the presence of a typical catalytic triad consisting of a serine, aspartate, and histidine which was verified with site directed mutagenesis on active serine.
    Matched MeSH terms: Bacterial Proteins/metabolism*
  13. Cytogenetic and Molecular Evidence of Additional Cryptic Diversity in High Elevation Black fly Simulium feuerborni (Diptera: Simuliidae) Populations in Southeast Asia
    Pramual P, Thaijarern J, Sofian-Azirun M, Ya'cob Z, Hadi UK, Takaoka H
    J Med Entomol, 2015 Sep;52(5):829-36.
    PMID: 26336220 DOI: 10.1093/jme/tjv080
    Simulium feuerborni Edwards is geographically widespread in Southeast Asia. Previous cytogenetic study in Thailand revealed that this species is a species complex composed of two cytoforms (A and B). In this study, we cytologically examined specimens obtained from the Cameron Highlands, Malaysia, and Puncak, Java, Indonesia. The results revealed two additional cytoforms (C and D) of S. feuerborni. Specimens from Malaysia represent cytoform C, differentiated from other cytoforms by a fixed chromosome inversion on the long arm of chromosome III (IIIL-5). High frequencies of the B chromosome (33-83%) were also observed in this cytoform. Specimens from Indonesia represent the cytoform D. This cytoform is differentiated from others by a fixed chromosome inversion difference on the long arm of chromosome II (IIL-4). Mitochondrial DNA sequences support genetic differentiation among cytoforms A, B, and C. The pairwise F(ST) values among these cytoforms were highly significantly consistent with the divergent lineages of the cytoforms in a median-joining haplotype network. However, a lack of the sympatric populations prevented us from testing the species status of the cytoforms.
    Matched MeSH terms: Insect Proteins/metabolism
  14. Fulltext Molecular cloning, sequence analysis and developmental stage expression of a putative septin gene fragment from Aedes albopictus (Diptera: Culicidae)
    Avicor SW, Wajidi MF, Jaal Z, Yahaya ZS
    Acta Biochim. Pol., 2016;63(2):243-6.
    PMID: 27059016 DOI: 10.18388/abp.2014_909
    Septins belong to GTPases that are involved in vital cellular activities, including cytokinesis. Although present in many organisms, they are yet to be isolated from Aedes albopictus. This study reports for the first time on a serendipitous isolation of a partial septin sequence from Ae. albopictus and its developmental expression profile. The Ae. albopictus partial septin sequence contains 591 nucleotides encoding 197 amino acids. It shares homology with several insect septin genes and has a close phylogenetic relationship with Aedes aegypti and Culex quinquefasciatus septins. The Ae. albopictus septin fragment was differentially expressed in the mosquito's developmental stages, with an increased expression in the adults.
    Matched MeSH terms: Insect Proteins/metabolism
  15. Pharmacological modulation of oncogenic Ras by natural products and their derivatives: Renewed hope in the discovery of novel anti-Ras drugs
    Quah SY, Tan MS, Teh YH, Stanslas J
    Pharmacol Ther, 2016 06;162:35-57.
    PMID: 27016467 DOI: 10.1016/j.pharmthera.2016.03.010
    Oncogenic rat sarcoma (Ras) is linked to the most fatal cancers such as those of the pancreas, colon, and lung. Decades of research to discover an efficacious drug that can block oncogenic Ras signaling have yielded disappointing results; thus, Ras was considered "undruggable" until recently. Inhibitors that directly target Ras by binding to previously undiscovered pockets have been recently identified. Some of these molecules are either isolated from natural products or derived from natural compounds. In this review, we described the potential of these compounds and other inhibitors of Ras signaling in drugging Ras. We highlighted the modes of action of these compounds in suppressing signaling pathways activated by oncogenic Ras, such as mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling and the phosphoinositide-3-kinase (PI3K) pathways. The anti-Ras strategy of these compounds can be categorized into four main types: inhibition of Ras-effector interaction, interference of Ras membrane association, prevention of Ras-guanosine triphosphate (GTP) formation, and downregulation of Ras proteins. Another promising strategy that must be validated experimentally is enhancement of the intrinsic Ras-guanosine triphosphatase (GTPase) activity by small chemical entities. Among the inhibitors of Ras signaling that were reported thus far, salirasib and TLN-4601 have been tested for their clinical efficacy. Although both compounds passed phase I trials, they failed in their respective phase II trials. Therefore, new compounds of natural origin with relevant clinical activity against Ras-driven malignancies are urgently needed. Apart from salirasib and TLN-4601, some other compounds with a proven inhibitory effect on Ras signaling include derivatives of salirasib, sulindac, polyamine, andrographolide, lipstatin, levoglucosenone, rasfonin, and quercetin.
    Matched MeSH terms: ras Proteins/metabolism
  16. Fulltext Genotypic and Phenotypic Detection of AmpC β-lactamases in Enterobacter spp. Isolated from a Teaching Hospital in Malaysia
    Mohd Khari FI, Karunakaran R, Rosli R, Tee Tay S
    PLoS One, 2016;11(3):e0150643.
    PMID: 26963619 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0150643
    OBJECTIVES: The objective of this study was to determine the occurrence of chromosomal and plasmid-mediated β-lactamases (AmpC) genes in a collection of Malaysian isolates of Enterobacter species. Several phenotypic tests for detection of AmpC production of Enterobacter spp. were evaluated and the agreements between tests were determined.

    METHODS: Antimicrobial susceptibility profiles for 117 Enterobacter clinical isolates obtained from the Medical Microbiology Diagnostic Laboratory, University Malaya Medical Centre, Malaysia, from November 2012-February 2014 were determined in accordance to CLSI guidelines. AmpC genes were detected using a multiplex PCR assay targeting the MIR/ACT gene (closely related to chromosomal EBC family gene) and other plasmid-mediated genes, including DHA, MOX, CMY, ACC, and FOX. The AmpC β-lactamase production of the isolates was assessed using cefoxitin disk screening test, D69C AmpC detection set, cefoxitin-cloxacillin double disk synergy test (CC-DDS) and AmpC induction test.

    RESULTS: Among the Enterobacter isolates in this study, 39.3% were resistant to cefotaxime and ceftriaxone and 23.9% were resistant to ceftazidime. Ten (8.5%) of the isolates were resistant to cefepime, and one isolate was resistant to meropenem. Chromosomal EBC family gene was amplified from 36 (47.4%) E. cloacae and three (25%) E. asburiae. A novel blaDHA type plasmid-mediated AmpC gene was identified for the first time from an E. cloacae isolate. AmpC β-lactamase production was detected in 99 (89.2%) of 111 potential AmpC β-lactamase producers (positive in cefoxitin disk screening) using D69C AmpC detection set. The detection rates were lower with CC-DDS (80.2%) and AmpC induction tests (50.5%). There was low agreement between the D69C AmpC detection set and the other two phenotypic tests. Of the 40 isolates with AmpC genes detected in this study, 87.5%, 77.5% and 50.0% of these isolates were positive by the D69C AmpC detection set, CC-DDS and AmpC induction tests, respectively.

    CONCLUSIONS: Besides MIR/ACT gene, a novel plasmid-mediated AmpC gene belonging to the DHA-type was identified in this study. Low agreement was noted between the D69C AmpC detection set and two other phenotypic tests for detection of AmpC production in Enterobacter spp. As plasmid-mediated genes may serve as the reservoir for the emergence of antibiotic resistance in a clinical setting, surveillance and infection control measures are necessary to limit the spread of these genes in the hospital.

    Matched MeSH terms: Bacterial Proteins/metabolism
  17. sFRP-mediated Wnt sequestration as a potential therapeutic target for Alzheimer's disease
    Warrier S, Marimuthu R, Sekhar S, Bhuvanalakshmi G, Arfuso F, Das AK, et al.
    Int J Biochem Cell Biol, 2016 06;75:104-11.
    PMID: 27063405 DOI: 10.1016/j.biocel.2016.04.002
    The extracellular ligand, Wnt, and its receptors are involved in sign al transduction and play an important role in axis formation and neural development. In neurodegenerative disorders such as Alzheimer's disease (AD), a decrease of the intracellular Wnt effector, β-catenin, has been linked to amyloid-β-peptide-induced neurotoxicity. Despite this knowledge, targeting Wnt inhibitors as potential biomarkers has not been explored, and harnessing Wnt activators as therapeutic candidates remains largely not investigated. A wide acting family of Wnt mediators, secreted frizzled-related proteins (sFRPs), has not been probed so far as molecular indicators of disease occurrence and progression of Alzheimer's. Unlike the effect of the Dickkopf (DKK) family of Wnt antagonists on AD, the sFRP molecules have a more pleiotropic impact on the Wnt signaling cascade and probably have a far-reaching involvement in neurodegeneration. The role of sFRPs has been poorly described in AD, and in this review, we analyze the present status of the role of sFRPs on neurodegeneration, their likely involvement, and potential implications in treatment modalities of AD. This information would provide valuable clues for the development of potential therapeutic targets for aberrant neurodegenerative disorders.
    Matched MeSH terms: Wnt Proteins/metabolism*
  18. Molecular Docking and Molecular Dynamics Simulation Studies to Predict Flavonoid Binding on the Surface of DENV2 E Protein
    Ismail NA, Jusoh SA
    Interdiscip Sci, 2017 Dec;9(4):499-511.
    PMID: 26969331 DOI: 10.1007/s12539-016-0157-8
    Dengue infections are currently estimated to be 390 million cases annually. Yet, there is no vaccine or specific therapy available. Envelope glycoprotein E (E protein) of DENV mediates viral attachment and entry into the host cells. Several flavonoids have been shown to inhibit HIV-1 and hepatitis C virus entry during the virus-host membrane fusion. In this work, molecular docking method was employed to predict the binding of nine flavonoids (baicalin, baicalein, EGCG, fisetin, glabranine, hyperoside, ladanein, quercetin and flavone) to the soluble ectodomain of DENV type 2 (DENV2) E protein. Interestingly, eight flavonoids were found to dock into the same binding pocket located between the domain I and domain II of different subunits of E protein. Consistent docking results were observed not only for the E protein structures of the DENV2-Thai and DENV2-Malaysia (a homology model) but also for the E protein structures of tick-borne encephalitis virus and Japanese encephalitis virus. In addition, molecular dynamics simulations were performed to further evaluate the interaction profile of the docked E protein-flavonoid complexes. Ile4, Gly5, Asp98, Gly100 and Val151 residues of the DENV2-My E protein that aligned to the same residues in the DENV2-Thai E protein form consistent hydrogen bond interactions with baicalein, quercetin and EGCG during the simulations. This study demonstrates flavonoids potentially form interactions with the E protein of DENV2.
    Matched MeSH terms: Viral Envelope Proteins/metabolism*
  19. Fulltext Diversity and Evolutionary Histories of Human Coronaviruses NL63 and 229E Associated with Acute Upper Respiratory Tract Symptoms in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
    Al-Khannaq MN, Ng KT, Oong XY, Pang YK, Takebe Y, Chook JB, et al.
    Am J Trop Med Hyg, 2016 05 04;94(5):1058-64.
    PMID: 26928836 DOI: 10.4269/ajtmh.15-0810
    The human alphacoronaviruses HCoV-NL63 and HCoV-229E are commonly associated with upper respiratory tract infections (URTI). Information on their molecular epidemiology and evolutionary dynamics in the tropical region of southeast Asia however is limited. Here, we analyzed the phylogenetic, temporal distribution, population history, and clinical manifestations among patients infected with HCoV-NL63 and HCoV-229E. Nasopharyngeal swabs were collected from 2,060 consenting adults presented with acute URTI symptoms in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, between 2012 and 2013. The presence of HCoV-NL63 and HCoV-229E was detected using multiplex polymerase chain reaction (PCR). The spike glycoprotein, nucleocapsid, and 1a genes were sequenced for phylogenetic reconstruction and Bayesian coalescent inference. A total of 68/2,060 (3.3%) subjects were positive for human alphacoronavirus; HCoV-NL63 and HCoV-229E were detected in 45 (2.2%) and 23 (1.1%) patients, respectively. A peak in the number of HCoV-NL63 infections was recorded between June and October 2012. Phylogenetic inference revealed that 62.8% of HCoV-NL63 infections belonged to genotype B, 37.2% was genotype C, while all HCoV-229E sequences were clustered within group 4. Molecular dating analysis indicated that the origin of HCoV-NL63 was dated to 1921, before it diverged into genotype A (1975), genotype B (1996), and genotype C (2003). The root of the HCoV-229E tree was dated to 1955, before it diverged into groups 1-4 between the 1970s and 1990s. The study described the seasonality, molecular diversity, and evolutionary dynamics of human alphacoronavirus infections in a tropical region.
    Matched MeSH terms: Viral Proteins/metabolism
  20. Fulltext Intracellular Delivery of Proteins via Fusion Peptides in Intact Plants
    Ng KK, Motoda Y, Watanabe S, Sofiman Othman A, Kigawa T, Kodama Y, et al.
    PLoS One, 2016;11(4):e0154081.
    PMID: 27100681 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0154081
    In current plant biotechnology, the introduction of exogenous DNA encoding desired traits is the most common approach used to modify plants. However, general plant transformation methods can cause random integration of exogenous DNA into the plant genome. To avoid these events, alternative methods, such as a direct protein delivery system, are needed to modify the plant. Although there have been reports of the delivery of proteins into cultured plant cells, there are currently no methods for the direct delivery of proteins into intact plants, owing to their hierarchical structures. Here, we demonstrate the efficient fusion-peptide-based delivery of proteins into intact Arabidopsis thaliana. Bovine serum albumin (BSA, 66 kDa) was selected as a model protein to optimize conditions for delivery into the cytosol. The general applicability of our method to large protein cargo was also demonstrated by the delivery of alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH, 150 kDa) into the cytosol. The compatibility of the fusion peptide system with the delivery of proteins to specific cellular organelles was also demonstrated using the fluorescent protein Citrine (27 kDa) conjugated to either a nuclear localization signal (NLS) or a peroxisomal targeting signal (PTS). In conclusion, our designed fusion peptide system can deliver proteins with a wide range of molecular weights (27 to 150 kDa) into the cells of intact A. thaliana without interfering with the organelle-targeting peptide conjugated to the protein. We expect that this efficient protein delivery system will be a powerful tool in plant biotechnology.
    Matched MeSH terms: Recombinant Fusion Proteins/metabolism*
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