In silico characterization of antifreeze proteins using computational tools and servers

ZP2, an important component of the zona matrix, surrounds mammalian oocytes and facilitates fertilization. Recently, some studies have documented the association of mutations in genes encoding the zona matrix with the infertile status of human females. Single nucleotide polymorphisms are the most common type of genetic variations observed in a population and as per the dbSNP database, around 5,152 SNPs are reported to exist in the human ZP2 (hZP2) gene. Although a wide range of computational tools are publicly available, yet no computational studies have been done to date to identify and analyze structural and functional effects of deleterious SNPs on hZP2. In this study, we conducted a comprehensive in silico analysis of all the SNPs found in hZP2. Six different computational tools including SIFT and PolyPhen-2 predicted 18 common nsSNPs as deleterious of which 12 were predicted to most likely affect the structure/functional properties. These were either present in the N-term region crucial for sperm-zona interaction or in the zona domain. 31 additional SNPs in both coding and non-coding regions were also identified. Interestingly, some of these SNPs have been found to be present in infertile females in some recent studies.

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IN VITRO/IN SILICO CHARACTERIZATION OF ACTIVE AND PASSIVE STRESSES IN CARDIAC MUSCLE

International Journal for Multiscale Computational Engineering ◽

10.1615/intjmultcompeng.2011002352 ◽

2012 ◽

Vol 10 (2) ◽

pp. 171-188 ◽

Cited By ~ 7

Author(s):

Markus Boel ◽

Oscar J. Abilez ◽

Ahmed N Assar ◽

Christopher K. Zarins ◽

Ellen Kuhl

Keyword(s):

Cardiac Muscle ◽

In Silico ◽

In Silico Characterization

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In-Vitro and In-Silico Characterization of Xylose Reductase from Emericella nidulans

Current Chemical Biology ◽

10.2174/2212796812666180622103906 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 13 (2) ◽

pp. 159-170 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Vishal Ahuja ◽

Aashima Sharma ◽

Ranju Kumari Rathour ◽

Vaishali Sharma ◽

Nidhi Rana ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Production Process ◽

In Silico ◽

Xylose Reductase ◽

In Silico Analysis ◽

Emericella Nidulans ◽

Higher Temperature ◽

In Silico Characterization ◽

Silico Analysis

Background: Lignocellulosic residues generated by various anthropogenic activities can be a potential raw material for many commercial products such as biofuels, organic acids and nutraceuticals including xylitol. Xylitol is a low-calorie nutritive sweetener for diabetic patients. Microbial production of xylitol can be helpful in overcoming the drawbacks of traditional chemical production process and lowring cost of production. Objective: Designing efficient production process needs the characterization of required enzyme/s. Hence current work was focused on in-vitro and in-silico characterization of xylose reductase from Emericella nidulans. Methods: Xylose reductase from one of the hyper-producer isolates, Emericella nidulans Xlt-11 was used for in-vitro characterization. For in-silico characterization, XR sequence (Accession No: Q5BGA7) was used. Results: Xylose reductase from various microorganisms has been studied but the quest for better enzymes, their stability at higher temperature and pH still continues. Xylose reductase from Emericella nidulans Xlt-11 was found NADH dependent and utilizes xylose as its sole substrate for xylitol production. In comparison to whole cells, enzyme exhibited higher enzyme activity at lower cofactor concentration and could tolerate higher substrate concentration. Thermal deactivation profile showed that whole cell catalysts were more stable than enzyme at higher temperature. In-silico analysis of XR sequence from Emericella nidulans (Accession No: Q5BGA7) suggested that the structure was dominated by random coiling. Enzyme sequences have conserved active site with net negative charge and PI value in acidic pH range. Conclusion: Current investigation supported the enzyme’s specific application i.e. bioconversion of xylose to xylitol due to its higher selectivity. In-silico analysis may provide significant structural and physiological information for modifications and improved stability.

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