scholarly journals Selenoproteins: Molecular Pathways and Physiological Roles

2014 ◽  
Vol 94 (3) ◽  
pp. 739-777 ◽  
Author(s):  
Vyacheslav M. Labunskyy ◽  
Dolph L. Hatfield ◽  
Vadim N. Gladyshev
Keyword(s):  
Amino Acid ◽  
Human Health ◽  
Current Knowledge ◽  
Biological Effects ◽  
Normal Function ◽  
Molecular Pathways ◽  
Cis Acting ◽  
Uga Codon ◽  
Domains Of Life ◽  
Polypeptide Chains

Selenium is an essential micronutrient with important functions in human health and relevance to several pathophysiological conditions. The biological effects of selenium are largely mediated by selenium-containing proteins (selenoproteins) that are present in all three domains of life. Although selenoproteins represent diverse molecular pathways and biological functions, all these proteins contain at least one selenocysteine (Sec), a selenium-containing amino acid, and most serve oxidoreductase functions. Sec is cotranslationally inserted into nascent polypeptide chains in response to the UGA codon, whose normal function is to terminate translation. To decode UGA as Sec, organisms evolved the Sec insertion machinery that allows incorporation of this amino acid at specific UGA codons in a process requiring a cis-acting Sec insertion sequence (SECIS) element. Although the basic mechanisms of Sec synthesis and insertion into proteins in both prokaryotes and eukaryotes have been studied in great detail, the identity and functions of many selenoproteins remain largely unknown. In the last decade, there has been significant progress in characterizing selenoproteins and selenoproteomes and understanding their physiological functions. We discuss current knowledge about how these unique proteins perform their functions at the molecular level and highlight new insights into the roles that selenoproteins play in human health.

Vasopressin analogues modified in positions 2, 3 and 8. Synthesis and biological effects

1983 ◽  
Vol 48 (5) ◽  
pp. 1341-1351 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ivo Bláha ◽  
Danuta Konopinska ◽  
Milan Zaoral
Keyword(s):  
Amino Acid ◽  
Solid Phase ◽  
Biological Effects ◽  
Solution Synthesis ◽  
Antidiuretic Activity ◽  
Pressor Activity ◽  
Vasopressin Analogues

Four vasopressin analogues, modified in positions 2, 3 and 8 were prepared by solid phase as well as solution synthesis. Analogues, containing a D-amino acid in position 3, exhibit a low but markedly specific antidiuretic activity. Analogues with a D-substituent in position 2 show a more specific pressor activity.

scholarly journals Lactobacillus Reuteri DSM 17938 (Limosilactobacillus reuteri) in Diarrhea and Constipation: Two Sides of the Same Coin?

Medicina ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 57 (7) ◽  
pp. 643
Author(s):  
Angela Saviano ◽  
Mattia Brigida ◽  
Alessio Migneco ◽  
Gayani Gunawardena ◽  
Christian Zanza ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Inflammatory Bowel Disease ◽  
Emergency Department ◽  
Abdominal Pain ◽  
Human Health ◽  
Bowel Disease ◽  
Chronic Constipation ◽  
Lactobacillus Reuteri ◽  
Current Knowledge ◽  
Gastrointestinal Symptoms ◽  
Inflammatory Bowel

Background and Objectives: Lactobacillus reuteri DSM 17938 (L. reuteri) is a probiotic that can colonize different human body sites, including primarily the gastrointestinal tract, but also the urinary tract, the skin, and breast milk. Literature data showed that the administration of L. reuteri can be beneficial to human health. The aim of this review was to summarize current knowledge on the role of L. reuteri in the management of gastrointestinal symptoms, abdominal pain, diarrhea and constipation, both in adults and children, which are frequent reasons for admission to the emergency department (ED), in order to promote the best selection of probiotic type in the treatment of these uncomfortable and common symptoms. Materials and Methods: We searched articles on PubMed® from January 2011 to January 2021. Results: Numerous clinical studies suggested that L. reuteri may be helpful in modulating gut microbiota, eliminating infections, and attenuating the gastrointestinal symptoms of enteric colitis, antibiotic-associated diarrhea (also related to the treatment of Helicobacter pylori (HP) infection), irritable bowel syndrome, inflammatory bowel disease, and chronic constipation. In both children and in adults, L. reuteri shortens the duration of acute infectious diarrhea and improves abdominal pain in patients with colitis or inflammatory bowel disease. It can ameliorate dyspepsia and symptoms of gastritis in patients with HP infection. Moreover, it improves gut motility and chronic constipation. Conclusion: Currently, probiotics are widely used to prevent and treat numerous gastrointestinal disorders. In our opinion, L. reuteri meets all the requirements to be considered a safe, well-tolerated, and efficacious probiotic that is able to contribute to the beneficial effects on gut-human health, preventing and treating many gastrointestinal symptoms, and speeding up the recovery and discharge of patients accessing the emergency department.

scholarly journals MetR-Regulated Vibrio cholerae Metabolism Is Required for Virulence

mBio ◽  
2012 ◽  
Vol 3 (5) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ryan W. Bogard ◽  
Bryan W. Davies ◽  
John J. Mekalanos
Keyword(s):  
Amino Acid ◽  
Vibrio Cholerae ◽  
Virulence Factor ◽  
Current Knowledge ◽  
Intestinal Colonization ◽  
Wild Type ◽  
Pathogenic Potential ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Mouse Intestine

ABSTRACTLysR-type transcriptional regulators (LTTRs) are the largest, most diverse family of prokaryotic transcription factors, with regulatory roles spanning metabolism, cell growth and division, and pathogenesis. Using a sequence-defined transposon mutant library, we screened a panel ofV. choleraeEl Tor mutants to identify LTTRs required for host intestinal colonization. Surprisingly, out of 38 LTTRs, only one severely affected intestinal colonization in the suckling mouse model of cholera: the methionine metabolism regulator, MetR. Genetic analysis of genes influenced by MetR revealed thatglyA1andmetJwere also required for intestinal colonization. Chromatin immunoprecipitation of MetR and quantitative reverse transcription-PCR (qRT-PCR) confirmed interaction with and regulation ofglyA1, indicating that misregulation ofglyA1is likely responsible for the colonization defect observed in themetRmutant. TheglyA1mutant was auxotrophic for glycine but exhibited wild-type trimethoprim sensitivity, making folate deficiency an unlikely cause of its colonization defect. MetJ regulatory mutants are not auxotrophic but are likely altered in the regulation of amino acid-biosynthetic pathways, including those for methionine, glycine, and serine, and this misregulation likely explains its colonization defect. However, mutants defective in methionine, serine, and cysteine biosynthesis exhibited wild-type virulence, suggesting that these amino acids can be scavenged in vivo. Taken together, our results suggest that glycine biosynthesis may be required to alleviate an in vivo nutritional restriction in the mouse intestine; however, additional roles for glycine may exist. Irrespective of the precise nature of this requirement, this study illustrates the importance of pathogen metabolism, and the regulation thereof, as a virulence factor.IMPORTANCEVibrio choleraecontinues to be a severe cause of morbidity and mortality in developing countries. Identification ofV. choleraefactors critical to disease progression offers the potential to develop or improve upon therapeutics and prevention strategies. To increase the efficiency of virulence factor discovery, we employed a regulator-centric approach to multiplex our in vivo screening capabilities and allow whole regulons inV. choleraeto be interrogated for pathogenic potential. We identified MetR as a new virulence regulator and serine hydroxymethyltransferase GlyA1 as a new MetR-regulated virulence factor, both required byV. choleraeto colonize the infant mouse intestine. Bacterial metabolism is a prerequisite to virulence, and current knowledge of in vivo metabolism of pathogens is limited. Here, we expand the known role of amino acid metabolism and regulation in virulence and offer new insights into the in vivo metabolic requirements ofV. choleraewithin the mouse intestine.

scholarly journals Liquid–liquid phase separation in human health and diseases

2021 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Bin Wang ◽  
Lei Zhang ◽  
Tong Dai ◽  
Ziran Qin ◽  
Huasong Lu ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Phase Separation ◽  
Liquid Phase ◽  
Human Health ◽  
Essential Role ◽  
Current Knowledge ◽  
Vital Role ◽  
Liquid Phase Separation ◽  
Eukaryotic Cells ◽  
Liquid Liquid Phase Separation

AbstractEmerging evidence suggests that liquid–liquid phase separation (LLPS) represents a vital and ubiquitous phenomenon underlying the formation of membraneless organelles in eukaryotic cells (also known as biomolecular condensates or droplets). Recent studies have revealed evidences that indicate that LLPS plays a vital role in human health and diseases. In this review, we describe our current understanding of LLPS and summarize its physiological functions. We further describe the role of LLPS in the development of human diseases. Additionally, we review the recently developed methods for studying LLPS. Although LLPS research is in its infancy—but is fast-growing—it is clear that LLPS plays an essential role in the development of pathophysiological conditions. This highlights the need for an overview of the recent advances in the field to translate our current knowledge regarding LLPS into therapeutic discoveries.

scholarly journals Identification of Biomolecules Involved in the Adaptation to the Environment of Cold-Loving Microorganisms and Metabolic Pathways for Their Production

Biomolecules ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (8) ◽  
pp. 1155
Author(s):  
Eva Garcia-Lopez ◽  
Paula Alcazar ◽  
Cristina Cid
Keyword(s):  
Metabolic Pathways ◽  
Extracellular Polymeric Substances ◽  
Molecular Mechanisms ◽  
Current Knowledge ◽  
Analytical Techniques ◽  
Light Protection ◽  
Domains Of Life ◽  
Mechanisms Of Adaptation ◽  
Resistance To Stress ◽  
Function Discovery

Cold-loving microorganisms of all three domains of life have unique and special abilities that allow them to live in harsh environments. They have acquired structural and molecular mechanisms of adaptation to the cold that include the production of anti-freeze proteins, carbohydrate-based extracellular polymeric substances and lipids which serve as cryo- and osmoprotectants by maintaining the fluidity of their membranes. They also produce a wide diversity of pigmented molecules to obtain energy, carry out photosynthesis, increase their resistance to stress and provide them with ultraviolet light protection. Recently developed analytical techniques have been applied as high-throughoutput technologies for function discovery and for reconstructing functional networks in psychrophiles. Among them, omics deserve special mention, such as genomics, transcriptomics, proteomics, glycomics, lipidomics and metabolomics. These techniques have allowed the identification of microorganisms and the study of their biogeochemical activities. They have also made it possible to infer their metabolic capacities and identify the biomolecules that are parts of their structures or that they secrete into the environment, which can be useful in various fields of biotechnology. This Review summarizes current knowledge on psychrophiles as sources of biomolecules and the metabolic pathways for their production. New strategies and next-generation approaches are needed to increase the chances of discovering new biomolecules.

scholarly journals Microalgae n-3 PUFAs Production and Use in Food and Feed Industries

Marine Drugs ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 19 (2) ◽  
pp. 113
Author(s):  
Marine Remize ◽  
Yves Brunel ◽  
Joana L. Silva ◽  
Jean-Yves Berthon ◽  
Edith Filaire
Keyword(s):  
Fatty Acids ◽  
Global Warming ◽  
Docosahexaenoic Acid ◽  
Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids ◽  
Eicosapentaenoic Acid ◽  
Human Health ◽  
Current Knowledge ◽  
Epa And Dha ◽  
Anti Cancer ◽  
Food And Feed

N-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (n-3 PUFAs), and especially eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), are essential compounds for human health. They have been proven to act positively on a panel of diseases and have interesting anti-oxidative, anti-inflammatory or anti-cancer properties. For these reasons, they are receiving more and more attention in recent years, especially future food or feed development. EPA and DHA come mainly from marine sources like fish or seaweed. Unfortunately, due to global warming, these compounds are becoming scarce for humans because of overfishing and stock reduction. Although increasing in recent years, aquaculture appears insufficient to meet the increasing requirements of these healthy molecules for humans. One alternative resides in the cultivation of microalgae, the initial producers of EPA and DHA. They are also rich in biochemicals with interesting properties. After defining macro and microalgae, this review synthesizes the current knowledge on n-3 PUFAs regarding health benefits and the challenges surrounding their supply within the environmental context. Microalgae n-3 PUFA production is examined and its synthesis pathways are discussed. Finally, the use of EPA and DHA in food and feed is investigated. This work aims to define better the issues surrounding n-3 PUFA production and supply and the potential of microalgae as a sustainable source of compounds to enhance the food and feed of the future.

scholarly journals Meat and Human Health—Current Knowledge and Research Gaps

Foods ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (7) ◽  
pp. 1556
Author(s):  
Nina Rica Wium Geiker ◽  
Hanne Christine Bertram ◽  
Heddie Mejborn ◽  
Lars O. Dragsted ◽  
Lars Kristensen ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Current Knowledge ◽  
Biological Effects ◽  
Saturated Fatty Acids ◽  
Saturated Fat ◽  
Meat Consumption ◽  
Metabolic Effects ◽  
Food Sources ◽  
Current Evidence ◽  
Processed Meat ◽  
Total Energy Consumption

Meat is highly nutritious and contributes with several essential nutrients which are difficult to obtain in the right amounts from other food sources. Industrially processed meat contains preservatives including salts, possibly exerting negative effects on health. During maturation, some processed meat products develop a specific microbiota, forming probiotic metabolites with physiological and biological effects yet unidentified, while the concentration of nutrients also increases. Meat is a source of saturated fatty acids, and current WHO nutrition recommendations advise limiting saturated fat to less than ten percent of total energy consumption. Recent meta-analyses of both observational and randomized controlled trials do not support any effect of saturated fat on cardiovascular disease or diabetes. The current evidence regarding the effect of meat consumption on health is potentially confounded, and there is a need for sufficiently powered high-quality trials assessing the health effects of meat consumption. Future studies should include biomarkers of meat intake, identify metabolic pathways and include detailed study of fermented and other processed meats and their potential of increasing nutrient availability and metabolic effects of compounds.

Amino-Acid Sequence of the αD- and ß-Polypeptide Chains of the Japanese Quail Hemoglobin

1993 ◽  
Vol 374 (1-6) ◽  
pp. 111-116 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yukinori EGUCHI ◽  
Yasutugu NAKASHIMA ◽  
Hiroshi TAKEI
Keyword(s):  
Amino Acid ◽  
Amino Acid Sequence ◽  
Japanese Quail ◽  
Polypeptide Chains

Biological effects of rat iso-atrial natriuretic peptide and brain natriuretic peptide are indistinguishable from each other

1992 ◽  
Vol 70 (11) ◽  
pp. 1525-1528 ◽  
Author(s):  
D. A. Wigle ◽  
B. M. Bennett ◽  
D. B. Jennings ◽  
I. R. Sarda ◽  
T. G. Flynn ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Amino Acid ◽  
Atrial Natriuretic Peptide ◽  
Brain Natriuretic Peptide ◽  
Natriuretic Peptide ◽  
Receptor Binding ◽  
Amino Acid Substitution ◽  
Cyclic Gmp ◽  
Cardiovascular Response ◽  
Biological Effects ◽  
Atrial Natriuretic

Rat brain natriuretic peptide (rBNP) and iso-atrial natriuretic peptide (iso-rANP) were discovered independently by two research laboratories. They are considered to be members of the B-type natriuretic peptides. Except for the Gln/Leu substitution at position 44, the amino acid sequence of iso-rANP is identical with that of the C-terminal 45 amino acids of rat pro-BNP and with the 5-kDa cardiac peptide from rat atria. To determine whether this amino acid substitution can modify the known biological effects of rBNP and iso-rANP, the present investigation examined the cardiovascular and renal responses, vasorelaxant effect, receptor binding characteristics, and cyclic GMP production by the two peptides in relation to that of rat atrial natriuretic peptide (rANP). Results indicate that rBNP and iso-rANP are indistinguishable from each other in terms of these known biological activities of atrial natriuretic peptide. We therefore conclude that rBNP and iso-rANP are identical peptides and that the amino acid substitution at position 44 represents a polymorphic form of the rat B-type natriuretic peptide.Key words: atrial natriuretic peptide, brain natriuretic peptide, cardiovascular response, vasorelaxation, cyclic GMP, receptor binding.

SOME ASPECTS OF THE STRUCTURE OF HEMOGLOBIN

1964 ◽  
Vol 42 (6) ◽  
pp. 755-762 ◽  
Author(s):  
David B. Smith
Keyword(s):  
Amino Acids ◽  
Amino Acid ◽  
Amino Acid Sequence ◽  
Partial Amino Acid Sequence ◽  
Heme Pocket ◽  
Terminal Amino ◽  
Polypeptide Chains ◽  
Kinetics Of ◽  
Β Chain

An outline of present ideas concerning the arrangement, folding, and chemistry of the polypeptide chains of hemoglobin is given with some references to present know ledge of myoglobin.New material includes a partial amino acid sequence of the β-chain of horse hemoglobin, details concerning the amino acids lining the heme pocket of horse hemoglobin, and the effects of carboxypeptidases A and B on horse oxy- and horse deoxy-hemoglobin. The kinetics of the latter reactions are not simple. The C-terminal amino acids are released more rapidly from the oxygenated form.

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