Displaying publications 41 - 60 of 525 in total

Abstract:
Sort:
  1. Kazi A, Hisyam Ismail CMK, Anthony AA, Chuah C, Leow CH, Lim BH, et al.
    Infect Genet Evol, 2020 06;80:104176.
    PMID: 31923724 DOI: 10.1016/j.meegid.2020.104176
    Shigellosis is one of the most common diseases found in the developing countries, especially those countries that are prone flood. The causative agent for this disease is the Shigella species. This organism is one of the third most common enteropathogens responsible for childhood diarrhea. Since Shigella can survive gastric acidity and is an intracellular pathogen, it becomes difficult to treat. Also, uncontrolled use of antibiotics has led to development of resistant strains which poses a threat to public health. Therefore, there is a need for long term control of Shigella infection which can be achieved by designing a proper and effective vaccine. In this study, emphasis was made on designing a candidate that could elicit both B-cell and T-cell immune response. Hence B- and T-cell epitopes of outer membrane channel protein (OM) and putative lipoprotein (PL) from S. flexneri 2a were computationally predicted using immunoinformatics approach and a chimeric construct (chimeric-OP) containing the immunogenic epitopes selected from OM and PL was designed, cloned and expressed in E. coli system. The immunogenicity of the recombinant chimeric-OP was assessed using Shigella antigen infected rabbit antibody. The result showed that the chimeric-OP was a synthetic peptide candidate suitable for the development of vaccine and immunodiagnostics against Shigella infection.
    Matched MeSH terms: Amino Acid Sequence
  2. Goh HH, Baharin A, Mohd Salleh F', Ravee R, Wan Zakaria WNA, Mohd Noor N
    Sci Rep, 2020 04 20;10(1):6575.
    PMID: 32313042 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-63696-z
    Carnivorous pitcher plants produce specialised pitcher organs containing secretory glands, which secrete acidic fluids with hydrolytic enzymes for prey digestion and nutrient absorption. The content of pitcher fluids has been the focus of many fluid protein profiling studies. These studies suggest an evolutionary convergence of a conserved group of similar enzymes in diverse families of pitcher plants. A recent study showed that endogenous proteins were replenished in the pitcher fluid, which indicates a feedback mechanism in protein secretion. This poses an interesting question on the physiological effect of plant protein loss. However, there is no study to date that describes the pitcher response to endogenous protein depletion. To address this gap of knowledge, we previously performed a comparative RNA-sequencing experiment of newly opened pitchers (D0) against pitchers after 3 days of opening (D3C) and pitchers with filtered endogenous proteins (>10 kDa) upon pitcher opening (D3L). Nepenthes ampullaria was chosen as a model study species due to their abundance and unique feeding behaviour on leaf litters. The analysis of unigenes with top 1% abundance found protein translation and stress response to be overrepresented in D0, compared to cell wall related, transport, and signalling for D3L. Differentially expressed gene (DEG) analysis identified DEGs with functional enrichment in protein regulation, secondary metabolism, intracellular trafficking, secretion, and vesicular transport. The transcriptomic landscape of the pitcher dramatically shifted towards intracellular transport and defence response at the expense of energy metabolism and photosynthesis upon endogenous protein depletion. This is supported by secretome, transportome, and transcription factor analysis with RT-qPCR validation based on independent samples. This study provides the first glimpse into the molecular responses of pitchers to protein loss with implications to future cost/benefit analysis of carnivorous pitcher plant energetics and resource allocation for adaptation in stochastic environments.
    Matched MeSH terms: Amino Acid Sequence/genetics
  3. Zhang T, Wu Q, Zhang Z
    Curr Biol, 2020 04 06;30(7):1346-1351.e2.
    PMID: 32197085 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2020.03.022
    An outbreak of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by the 2019 novel coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) began in the city of Wuhan in China and has widely spread worldwide. Currently, it is vital to explore potential intermediate hosts of SARS-CoV-2 to control COVID-19 spread. Therefore, we reinvestigated published data from pangolin lung samples from which SARS-CoV-like CoVs were detected by Liu et al. [1]. We found genomic and evolutionary evidence of the occurrence of a SARS-CoV-2-like CoV (named Pangolin-CoV) in dead Malayan pangolins. Pangolin-CoV is 91.02% and 90.55% identical to SARS-CoV-2 and BatCoV RaTG13, respectively, at the whole-genome level. Aside from RaTG13, Pangolin-CoV is the most closely related CoV to SARS-CoV-2. The S1 protein of Pangolin-CoV is much more closely related to SARS-CoV-2 than to RaTG13. Five key amino acid residues involved in the interaction with human ACE2 are completely consistent between Pangolin-CoV and SARS-CoV-2, but four amino acid mutations are present in RaTG13. Both Pangolin-CoV and RaTG13 lost the putative furin recognition sequence motif at S1/S2 cleavage site that can be observed in the SARS-CoV-2. Conclusively, this study suggests that pangolin species are a natural reservoir of SARS-CoV-2-like CoVs.
    Matched MeSH terms: Amino Acid Sequence
  4. Amiruddin N, Chan PL, Azizi N, Morris PE, Chan KL, Ong PW, et al.
    Plant Cell Physiol, 2020 Apr 01;61(4):735-747.
    PMID: 31883014 DOI: 10.1093/pcp/pcz237
    Acyl-CoA-binding proteins (ACBPs) are involved in binding and trafficking acyl-CoA esters in eukaryotic cells. ACBPs contain a well-conserved acyl-CoA-binding domain. Their various functions have been characterized in the model plant Arabidopsis and, to a lesser extent, in rice. In this study, genome-wide detection and expression analysis of ACBPs were performed on Elaeis guineensis (oil palm), the most important oil crop in the world. Seven E. guineensis ACBPs were identified and classified into four groups according to their deduced amino acid domain organization. Phylogenetic analysis showed conservation of this family with other higher plants. All seven EgACBPs were expressed in most tissues while their differential expression suggests various functions in specific tissues. For example, EgACBP3 had high expression in inflorescences and stalks while EgACBP1 showed strong expression in leaves. Because of the importance of E. guineensis as an oil crop, expression of EgACBPs was specifically examined during fruit development. EgACBP3 showed high expression throughout mesocarp development, while EgACBP1 had enhanced expression during rapid oil synthesis. In endosperm, both EgACBP1 and EgACBP3 exhibited increased expression during seed development. These results provide important information for further investigations on the biological functions of EgACBPs in various tissues and, in particular, their roles in oil synthesis.
    Matched MeSH terms: Amino Acid Sequence
  5. Goh GK, Dunker AK, Foster JA, Uversky VN
    Microb Pathog, 2020 Apr;141:103976.
    PMID: 31940461 DOI: 10.1016/j.micpath.2020.103976
    The Nipah Virus (NiV) was first isolated during a 1998-9 outbreak in Malaysia. The outbreak initially infected farm pigs and then moved to humans from pigs with a case-fatality rate (CFR) of about 40%. After 2001, regular outbreaks occurred with higher CFRs (~71%, 2001-5, ~93%, 2008-12). The spread arose from drinking virus-laden palm date sap and human-to-human transmission. Intrinsic disorder analysis revealed strong correlation between the percentage of disorder in the N protein and CFR (Regression: r2 = 0.93, p 
    Matched MeSH terms: Amino Acid Sequence
  6. Zangeneh FZ, Shoushtari MS, Shojaee S, Aboutorabi E
    Int J Reprod Biomed, 2020 Mar;18(3):165-174.
    PMID: 32309765 DOI: 10.18502/ijrm.v18i3.6712
    Background: Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a multifactorial and heterogeneous disease that has a potent inheritable component based on familial clustering. Despite many studies in the genetic field of PCOS, the genes that are involved in the causes of this syndrome have not been thoroughly investigated.

    Objective: The purpose of this study was to establish the occurrence of the Trp64Arg polymorphism of beta3 adrenergic receptor in non-obese women with PCOS.

    Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional study was performed on 100 women with PCOS and normal women as the control group in Imam Khomeini Hospital of Tehran in 2016-2017. Peripheral blood sample (2 cc) was obtained from two groups for genomic DNA based on the gene bank. Polymorphisms were genotyped by of using ADRB3 Trp64Arg. Then the DNA was extracted by genomic kiagen kit. The primer was analyzed for PCR based on gene bank by using Primer3 software and then confirmed by primer Blast tool at NCBI site to conformity to the beta-3 adrenergic receptor gene. The protein changes were assessment by the Clastal W software.

    Results: The sequence analysis presented in NCBI, transcript variant 1, with the code NM_000025.2, shows changes in the amino acid sequence of exon 1 in women with PCOS. Polymorphism in the codon 64 encoding the amino acid tryptophan (W) occurred in the nucleotide c.T190C, which changed the nucleotide T to C and then the amino acid sequence of the tryptophan was altered to arginine pW64R.

    Conclusion: T-C polymorphism is evident in the codon 64 of the adrenergic β3 receptor in patients with PCOS. Therefore, Beta3 adrenergic receptor gene polymorphism (Thr164Ile) associates with this syndrome in nonobese women.

    Matched MeSH terms: Amino Acid Sequence
  7. Li XP, Lin D, Zhang Y, Chen SQ, Bai HQ, Zhang SN, et al.
    Trop Biomed, 2020 Mar 01;37(1):116-126.
    PMID: 33612723
    Several bioactive molecules isolated from the saliva of blood-sucking arthropods, such as mosquitoes, have been shown to exhibit potential anticoagulant function. We have previously identified a 30kDa allergen named Aegyptin-like protein (alALP), which is highly homologous to Aegyptin, from the salivary glands of female Aedes albopictus (Asian tiger mosquito). In this study, we identified the conserved functional domain of alALP by using bioinformatic tools, and expressed the His-tagged alALP recombinant protein in sf9 insect cells by generation and transfection of a baculoviral expression plasmid carrying the fulllength cDNA of alALP. We purified this recombinant protein and examined its function on the inhibition of blood coagulation. The results showed that the purified His-alALP prolonged the Activated Partial Thromboplastin Time (APTT), Prothrombin Time (PT) and Thrombin Time (TT) in vitro as well as the Bleeding Time (BT) in vivo, which suggest that alALP could be a novel anticoagulant.
    Matched MeSH terms: Amino Acid Sequence
  8. Mohamad Nor N, Hashim NHF, Quay DHX, Mahadi NM, Illias RM, Abu Bakar FD, et al.
    Int J Biol Macromol, 2020 Feb 01;144:231-241.
    PMID: 31843615 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2019.12.099
    Genome data mining of the Antarctic yeast, Glaciozyma antarctica PI12 revealed an expansin-like protein encoding sequence (GaEXLX1). The GaEXLX1 protein is 24.8 kDa with a high alkaline pI of 9.81. Homology modeling of GaEXLX1 showed complete D1 and D2 domains of a conventional expansin. The protein exhibited 36% sequence similarity to Clavibacter michiganensis EXLX1 (PDB: 4JCW). Subsequently, a recombinant GaEXLX1 protein was produced using Escherichia coli expression system. Incubation with Avicel, filter paper and cotton fiber showed that the protein can disrupt the surface of crystalline and pure cellulose, suggesting a cell wall modification activity usually exhibited by expansin-like proteins. Binding assays displayed that GaEXLX1 can bind to polymeric substrates, including those postulated to be present in the sea ice ecosystem such as crab chitin and moss lichenan. GaEXLX1 may assist in the recognition and loosening of these substrates in the sea ice prior to hydrolysis by other extracellular enzymes. Similar loosening mechanism to classical expansin-like protein has been postulated for this psychrophilic protein based on several conserved residues of GaEXLX1 involved in binding interaction identified by docking analyses.
    Matched MeSH terms: Amino Acid Sequence
  9. Syamila N, Syahir A, Ikeno S, Tan WS, Ahmad H, Ahmad Tajudin A
    Colloids Surf B Biointerfaces, 2020 Jan 01;185:110623.
    PMID: 31735420 DOI: 10.1016/j.colsurfb.2019.110623
    Bio-nanogate involves synthesized or natural molecules as a 'gate' towards bioreceptors and responds upon the presence of targeted analytes in nanoscale dimension. Development of bio-nanogate improves analyte selectivity and signal response across various types of biosensors. The versatility of PAMAM dendrimers to form conjugates with guest molecules, such as proteins can be utilized in forming a bio-nanogate. PAMAM interaction with peptide bioreceptor for antibody detection is of interest in this study. This study investigated the interaction of synthesized immunogenic 'a' determinant (aD) region of hepatitis B virus surface antigen (HBsAg) with PAMAM G4 and anti-HBsAg antibody, as a potential bio-nanogate for anti-HBsAg detection. The aD peptide fused with maltose binding protein (MBP), was confirmed with Western blotting. Nano-Differential Scanning Fluorimetry (nano-DSF) study revealed that the interaction of MBP-aD with anti-HBsAg indicated a higher thermal stability as compared to its interaction with PAMAM G4. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy showed that a higher binding constant of MBP-aD interaction with anti-HBsAg (0.92 μM-1) was observed at maximum saturation, as compared with PAMAM G4 (0.07 μM-1). Thermodynamic parameters demonstrated that MBP-aD interacted with anti-HBsAg and PAMAM G4, through van der Waals and hydrogen bonding. These analyses suggest that the weak interaction of MBP-aD and PAMAM G4 may form a potential bio-nanogate. It is hypothesized that the presence of anti-HBsAg has a higher affinity towards MBP-aD which may displace PAMAM G4 in the anti-HBsAg detection system. This interaction study is crucial as an initial platform of using peptide-PAMAM as a bio-nanogate in an antibody detection system.
    Matched MeSH terms: Amino Acid Sequence
  10. Chong HP, Tan KY, Tan CH
    Front Mol Biosci, 2020;7:583587.
    PMID: 33263003 DOI: 10.3389/fmolb.2020.583587
    Venoms of cobras (Naja spp.) contain high abundances of cytotoxins, which contribute to tissue necrosis in cobra envenomation. The tissue-necrotizing activity of cobra cytotoxins, nevertheless, indicates anticancer potentials. This study set to explore the anticancer properties of the venoms and cytotoxins from Naja sumatrana (equatorial spitting cobra) and Naja kaouthia (monocled cobra), two highly venomous species in Southeast Asia. The cytotoxicity, selectivity, and cell death mechanisms of their venoms and cytotoxins (NS-CTX from N. sumatrana: NS-CTX; N. kaouthia: NK-CTX) were elucidated in human lung (A549), prostate (PC-3), and breast (MCF-7) cancer cell lines. Cytotoxins were purified through a sequential fractionation approach using cation-exchange chromatography, followed by C18 reverse-phase high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) to homogeneity validated with sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, and identified by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LCMS/MS). The cobra venoms and their respective cytotoxins exhibited concentration-dependent growth inhibitory effects in all cell lines tested, with the cytotoxins being more potent compared to the corresponding whole venoms. NS-CTX and NK-CTX are, respectively, P-type and S-type isoforms of cytotoxin, based on the amino acid sequences as per LCMS/MS analysis. Both cytotoxins exhibited differential cytotoxic effects in the cell lines tested, with NS-CTX (P-type cytotoxin) being significantly more potent in inhibiting the growth of the cancer cells. Both cytotoxins demonstrated promising selectivity only for the A549 lung cancer cell line (selectivity index = 2.17 and 2.26, respectively) but not in prostate (PC-3) and breast (MCF-7) cancer cell lines (selectivity index < 1). Flow cytometry revealed that the A549 lung cancer cells treated with NS-CTX and NK-CTX underwent necrosis predominantly. Meanwhile, the cytotoxins induced mainly caspase-independent late apoptosis in the prostate (PC-3) and breast (MCF-7) cancer cells lines but lacked selectivity. The findings revealed the limitations and challenges that could be faced during the development of new cancer therapy from cobra cytotoxins, notwithstanding their potent anticancer effects. Further studies should aim to overcome these impediments to unleash the anticancer potentials of the cytotoxins.
    Matched MeSH terms: Amino Acid Sequence
  11. Alballa M, Aplop F, Butler G
    PLoS One, 2020;15(1):e0227683.
    PMID: 31935244 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0227683
    Transporters mediate the movement of compounds across the membranes that separate the cell from its environment and across the inner membranes surrounding cellular compartments. It is estimated that one third of a proteome consists of membrane proteins, and many of these are transport proteins. Given the increase in the number of genomes being sequenced, there is a need for computational tools that predict the substrates that are transported by the transmembrane transport proteins. In this paper, we present TranCEP, a predictor of the type of substrate transported by a transmembrane transport protein. TranCEP combines the traditional use of the amino acid composition of the protein, with evolutionary information captured in a multiple sequence alignment (MSA), and restriction to important positions of the alignment that play a role in determining the specificity of the protein. Our experimental results show that TranCEP significantly outperforms the state-of-the-art predictors. The results quantify the contribution made by each type of information used.
    Matched MeSH terms: Amino Acid Sequence
  12. Maran S, Ee R, Faten SA, Sy Bing C, Khaw KY, Erin Lim SH, et al.
    PLoS One, 2020;15(4):e0230982.
    PMID: 32315303 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0230982
    Atrial septal defect (ASD) is one of the most common congenital heart defects diagnosed in children. Sarcomeric genes has been attributed to ASD and knockdown of MYH3 functionally homologues gene in chick models indicated abnormal atrial septal development. Here, we report for the first time, a case-control study investigating the role of MYH3 among non-syndromic ASD patients in contributing to septal development. Four amplicons which will amplifies the 40 kb MYH3 were designed and amplified using long range-PCR. The amplicons were then sequenced using indexed paired-end libraries on the MiSeq platform. The STREGA guidelines were applied for planning and reporting. The non-synonymous c. 3574G>A (p.Ala1192Thr) [p = 0.001, OR = 2.30 (1.36-3.87)] located within the tail domain indicated a highly conserved protein region. The mutant model of c. 3574G>A (p.Ala1192Thr) showed high root mean square deviation (RMSD) values compared to the wild model. To our knowledge, this is the first study to provide compelling evidence on the pathogenesis of MYH3 variants towards ASD hence, suggesting the crucial role of non-synonymous variants in the tail domain of MYH3 towards atrial septal development. It is hoped that this gene can be used as panel for diagnosis of ASD in future.
    Matched MeSH terms: Amino Acid Sequence
  13. Abd Raman HS, Tan S, August JT, Khan AM
    PeerJ, 2020;7:e7954.
    PMID: 32518710 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.7954
    Background: Influenza A (H5N1) virus is a global concern with potential as a pandemic threat. High sequence variability of influenza A viruses is a major challenge for effective vaccine design. A continuing goal towards this is a greater understanding of influenza A (H5N1) proteome sequence diversity in the context of the immune system (antigenic diversity), the dynamics of mutation, and effective strategies to overcome the diversity for vaccine design.

    Methods: Herein, we report a comprehensive study of the dynamics of H5N1 mutations by analysis of the aligned overlapping nonamer positions (1-9, 2-10, etc.) of more than 13,000 protein sequences of avian and human influenza A (H5N1) viruses, reported over at least 50 years. Entropy calculations were performed on 9,408 overlapping nonamer position of the proteome to study the diversity in the context of immune system. The nonamers represent the predominant length of the binding cores for peptides recognized by the cellular immune system. To further dissect the sequence diversity, each overlapping nonamer position was quantitatively analyzed for four patterns of sequence diversity motifs: index, major, minor and unique.

    Results: Almost all of the aligned overlapping nonamer positions of each viral proteome exhibited variants (major, minor, and unique) to the predominant index sequence. Each variant motif displayed a characteristic pattern of incidence change in relation to increased total variants. The major variant exhibited a restrictive pyramidal incidence pattern, with peak incidence at 50% total variants. Post this peak incidence, the minor variants became the predominant motif for majority of the positions. Unique variants, each sequence observed only once, were present at nearly all of the nonamer positions. The diversity motifs (index and variants) demonstrated complex inter-relationships, with motif switching being a common phenomenon. Additionally, 25 highly conserved sequences were identified to be shared across viruses of both hosts, with half conserved to several other influenza A subtypes.

    Discussion: The presence of distinct sequences (nonatypes) at nearly all nonamer positions represents a large repertoire of reported viral variants in the proteome, which influence the variability dynamics of the viral population. This work elucidated and provided important insights on the components that make up the viral diversity, delineating inherent patterns in the organization of sequence changes that function in the viral fitness-selection. Additionally, it provides a catalogue of all the mutational changes involved in the dynamics of H5N1 viral diversity for both avian and human host populations. This work provides data relevant for the design of prophylactics and therapeutics that overcome the diversity of the virus, and can aid in the surveillance of existing and future strains of influenza viruses.

    Matched MeSH terms: Amino Acid Sequence
  14. Khalifa M, Few LL, See Too WC
    Biomed Res Int, 2020;2020:1823485.
    PMID: 32695809 DOI: 10.1155/2020/1823485
    Novel antimicrobial agents are crucial to combat antibiotic resistance in pathogenic bacteria. Choline kinase (ChoK) in bacteria catalyzes the synthesis of phosphorylcholine, which is subsequently incorporated into the cell wall or outer membrane. In certain species of bacteria, phosphorylcholine is also used to synthesize membrane phosphatidylcholine. Numerous human ChoK inhibitors (ChoKIs) have been synthesized and tested for anticancer properties. Inhibition of S. pneumoniae ChoK by human ChoKIs showed a promising effect by distorting the cell wall and retarded the growth of this pathogen. Comparison of amino acid sequences at the catalytic sites of putative choline kinases from pathogenic bacteria and human enzymes revealed striking sequence conservation that supports the potential application of currently available ChoKIs for inhibiting bacterial enzymes. We also propose the combined use of ChoKIs and nanoparticles for targeted delivery to the pathogen while shielding the human host from any possible side effects of the inhibitors. More research should focus on the verification of putative bacterial ChoK activities and the characterization of ChoKIs with active enzymes. In conclusion, the presence of ChoK in a wide range of pathogenic bacteria and the distinct function of this enzyme has made it an attractive drug target. This review highlighted the possibility of "choking" bacterial ChoKs by using human ChoKIs.
    Matched MeSH terms: Amino Acid Sequence
  15. Chong LC, Khan AM
    BMC Genomics, 2019 Dec 24;20(Suppl 9):921.
    PMID: 31874646 DOI: 10.1186/s12864-019-6311-z
    BACKGROUND: The sequence diversity of dengue virus (DENV) is one of the challenges in developing an effective vaccine against the virus. Highly conserved, serotype-specific (HCSS), immune-relevant DENV sequences are attractive candidates for vaccine design, and represent an alternative to the approach of selecting pan-DENV conserved sequences. The former aims to limit the number of possible cross-reactive epitope variants in the population, while the latter aims to limit the cross-reactivity between the serotypes to favour a serotype-specific response. Herein, we performed a large-scale systematic study to map and characterise HCSS sequences in the DENV proteome.

    METHODS: All reported DENV protein sequence data for each serotype was retrieved from the NCBI Entrez Protein (nr) Database (txid: 12637). The downloaded sequences were then separated according to the individual serotype proteins by use of BLASTp search, and subsequently removed for duplicates and co-aligned across the serotypes. Shannon's entropy and mutual information (MI) analyses, by use of AVANA, were performed to measure the diversity within and between the serotype proteins to identify HCSS nonamers. The sequences were evaluated for the presence of promiscuous T-cell epitopes by use of NetCTLpan 1.1 and NetMHCIIpan 3.2 server for human leukocyte antigen (HLA) class I and class II supertypes, respectively. The predicted epitopes were matched to reported epitopes in the Immune Epitope Database.

    RESULTS: A total of 2321 nonamers met the HCSS selection criteria of entropy  0.8. Concatenating these resulted in a total of 337 HCSS sequences. DENV4 had the most number of HCSS nonamers; NS5, NS3 and E proteins had among the highest, with none in the C and only one in prM. The HCSS sequences were immune-relevant; 87 HCSS sequences were both reported T-cell epitopes/ligands in human and predicted epitopes, supporting the accuracy of the predictions. A number of the HCSS clustered as immunological hotspots and exhibited putative promiscuity beyond a single HLA supertype. The HCSS sequences represented, on average, ~ 40% of the proteome length for each serotype; more than double of pan-DENV sequences (conserved across the four serotypes), and thus offer a larger choice of sequences for vaccine target selection. HCSS sequences of a given serotype showed significant amino acid difference to all the variants of the other serotypes, supporting the notion of serotype-specificity.

    CONCLUSION: This work provides a catalogue of HCSS sequences in the DENV proteome, as candidates for vaccine target selection. The methodology described herein provides a framework for similar application to other pathogens.

    Matched MeSH terms: Amino Acid Sequence
  16. Karim KMR, Husaini A, Sing NN, Tasnim T, Mohd Sinang F, Hussain H, et al.
    Protein Expr Purif, 2019 12;164:105462.
    PMID: 31351992 DOI: 10.1016/j.pep.2019.105462
    The Aspergillus flavus NSH9 gene, encoding a pH and thermostable glucoamylase with a starch binding domain (SBD), was expressed in Pichia pastoris to produce recombinant glucoamylase (rGA2). The full-length glucoamylase gene (2039 bp), and cDNA (1839 bp) encode a 612 amino acid protein most similar to glucoamylase from Aspergillus oryzae RIB40; the first 19 amino acids are presumed to be a signal peptide for secretion, and the SBD is at the C-terminal. The cDNA was successfully secreted by Pichia at 8.23 U mL-1, and the rGA2 was found to be: a 80 kDa monomer, stable from pH 3.0-9.0, with optimum catalytic activity at pH 5.0, active at temperatures up to 80°C (rGA2 retained 58% of its activity after 60 min of incubation at 70°C), and metal ions such as Na+, K+, Ca++ and Mg++ enhanced rGA2 enzyme activity. The starch degrading ability of rGA2 was also observed on raw sago starch and where prolonged incubation generated larger, deeper, holes on the starch granules, indicating rGA2 is an excellent candidate for industrial starch processing applications.
    Matched MeSH terms: Amino Acid Sequence
  17. Liew KJ, Ngooi CY, Shamsir MS, Sani RK, Chong CS, Goh KM
    Protein Expr Purif, 2019 12;164:105464.
    PMID: 31376486 DOI: 10.1016/j.pep.2019.105464
    Xylanases (EC 3.2.1.8) are essential enzymes due to their applications in various industries such as textile, animal feed, paper and pulp, and biofuel industries. Halo-thermophilic Rhodothermaceae bacterium RA was previously isolated from a hot spring in Malaysia. Genomic analysis revealed that this bacterium is likely to be a new genus of the family Rhodothermaceae. In this study, a xylanase gene (1140 bp) that encoded 379 amino acids from the bacterium was cloned and expressed in Escherichia coli BL21(DE3). Based on InterProScan, this enzyme XynRA1 contained a GH10 domain and a signal peptide sequence. XynRA1 shared low similarity with the currently known xylanases (the closest is 57.2-65.4% to Gemmatimonadetes spp.). The purified XynRA1 achieved maximum activity at pH 8 and 60 °C. The protein molecular weight was 43.1 kDa XynRA1 exhibited an activity half-life (t1/2) of 1 h at 60 °C and remained stable at 50 °C throughout the experiment. However, it was NaCl intolerant, and various types of salt reduced the activity. This enzyme effectively hydrolyzed xylan (beechwood, oat spelt, and Palmaria palmata) and xylodextrin (xylotriose, xylotetraose, xylopentaose, and xylohexaose) to produce predominantly xylobiose. This xylanase is the first functionally characterized enzyme from the bacterium, and this work broadens the knowledge of GH10 xylanases.
    Matched MeSH terms: Amino Acid Sequence
  18. Dige NC, Mahajan PG, Raza H, Hassan M, Vanjare BD, Hong H, et al.
    Bioorg Chem, 2019 11;92:103201.
    PMID: 31445195 DOI: 10.1016/j.bioorg.2019.103201
    We have carried out the synthesis of new 4-oxoquinazolin-3(4H)-yl)furan-2-carboxamide derivatives by the reaction between isatoic anhydride, 2-furoic hydrazide and substituted salicylaldehydes in ethanol: water (5:5 v/v) solvent system using p-TSA as a catalyst under ultrasound irradiation at room temperature. The structures of newly synthesized compounds were confirmed through spectral techniques such as IR, 1H NMR, 13C NMR, and LCMS. The important features of this protocol include simple and easy workup procedure, reaction carried out at ambient temperature, use of ultrasound and high yield of oxoquinazolin-3(4H)-yl)furan-2-carboxamides in short reaction time. The synthesized compounds 4a-4j were screened against tyrosinase enzyme and all these compounds found to be potent inhibitors with much lower IC50 value of 0.028 ± 0.016 to 1.775 ± 0.947 µM than the standard kojic acid (16.832 ± 1.162 µM). The kinetics mechanism for compound 4e was analyzed by Lineweaver-Burk plots which revealed that compound inhibited tyrosinase non-competitively by forming an enzyme-inhibitor complex. Along with this all the synthesized compounds (4a-4j) were scanned for their DPPH free radical scavenging ability. The outputs received through in vitro and in silico analysis are coherent to the each other with good binding energy values (kcal/mol) posed by synthesized ligands.
    Matched MeSH terms: Amino Acid Sequence
  19. Faiz ZM, Mardhiyyah MP, Mohamad A, Hidir A, Nurul-Hidayah A, Wong L, et al.
    Anim. Reprod. Sci., 2019 Oct;209:106143.
    PMID: 31514941 DOI: 10.1016/j.anireprosci.2019.106143
    Understanding Macrobrachium rosenbergii ovarian maturation control at the genome level is an important aspect for increasing larvae production. In this study, an ovarian maturation related gene, M. rosenbergii vWD domain and three Kazal-type domains of a gene (MrvWD-Kazal) have been studied. The MrvWD-Kazal gene was isolated using a rapid amplification of cDNA end (RACE) method and the relative abundances of MrvWD-Kazal mRNA in the ovary, hepatopancreas, stomach, intestine and gill were determined by using the quantitative PCR technique. The MrvWD-Kazal gene is composed of 2194 bp with an open reading frame (ORF) of 1998 bp encoding 665 amino acids and has great similarity to the M. nipponense vWD-Kazal gene (91%). The qPCR analyses indicated the relative abundance of MrvWD-Kazal mRNA transcript varied among different stages of ovarian function (P < 0.05), but there were no differences abundance in hepatopancreas, stomach, intestine and gill (P> 0.05). In the ovary, relative abundance of MrvWD-Kazal mRNA transcript gradually increased with ovarian maturation from Stages 1 (Spent; 1.00-fold), to 2 (Proliferative; 3.47-fold) to 3 (Premature; 6.18-fold) and decreased at Stage 4 (Mature; 1.31-fold). Differential relative abundances of MrvWD-Kazal mRNA transcript in the ovary indicate the MrvWD-Kazal protein may have an important function in ovarian maturation of M. rosenbergii. The results of this study also indicate the MrvWD-Kazal is not involved in regulation of the reproductive related function of the hepatopancreas, digestive system (stomach and intestine) and respiratory system (gill).
    Matched MeSH terms: Amino Acid Sequence
  20. Cappellini E, Welker F, Pandolfi L, Ramos-Madrigal J, Samodova D, Rüther PL, et al.
    Nature, 2019 10;574(7776):103-107.
    PMID: 31511700 DOI: 10.1038/s41586-019-1555-y
    The sequencing of ancient DNA has enabled the reconstruction of speciation, migration and admixture events for extinct taxa1. However, the irreversible post-mortem degradation2 of ancient DNA has so far limited its recovery-outside permafrost areas-to specimens that are not older than approximately 0.5 million years (Myr)3. By contrast, tandem mass spectrometry has enabled the sequencing of approximately 1.5-Myr-old collagen type I4, and suggested the presence of protein residues in fossils of the Cretaceous period5-although with limited phylogenetic use6. In the absence of molecular evidence, the speciation of several extinct species of the Early and Middle Pleistocene epoch remains contentious. Here we address the phylogenetic relationships of the Eurasian Rhinocerotidae of the Pleistocene epoch7-9, using the proteome of dental enamel from a Stephanorhinus tooth that is approximately 1.77-Myr old, recovered from the archaeological site of Dmanisi (South Caucasus, Georgia)10. Molecular phylogenetic analyses place this Stephanorhinus as a sister group to the clade formed by the woolly rhinoceros (Coelodonta antiquitatis) and Merck's rhinoceros (Stephanorhinus kirchbergensis). We show that Coelodonta evolved from an early Stephanorhinus lineage, and that this latter genus includes at least two distinct evolutionary lines. The genus Stephanorhinus is therefore currently paraphyletic, and its systematic revision is needed. We demonstrate that sequencing the proteome of Early Pleistocene dental enamel overcomes the limitations of phylogenetic inference based on ancient collagen or DNA. Our approach also provides additional information about the sex and taxonomic assignment of other specimens from Dmanisi. Our findings reveal that proteomic investigation of ancient dental enamel-which is the hardest tissue in vertebrates11, and is highly abundant in the fossil record-can push the reconstruction of molecular evolution further back into the Early Pleistocene epoch, beyond the currently known limits of ancient DNA preservation.
    Matched MeSH terms: Amino Acid Sequence
Filters
Contact Us

Please provide feedback to Administrator (afdal@afpm.org.my)

External Links