scholarly journals Searching for MIND: MicroRNAs in Neurodegenerative Diseases

2009 ◽  
Vol 2009 ◽  
pp. 1-8 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christian Barbato ◽  
Francesca Ruberti ◽  
Carlo Cogoni
Keyword(s):  
Neurodegenerative Diseases ◽  
Neural Development ◽  
Molecular Mechanisms ◽  
Brain Diseases ◽  
Mirna Biogenesis ◽  
Regulate Gene Expression ◽  
Functional Roles ◽  
Potential Development ◽  
New Frontier ◽  
And Function

In few years our understanding of microRNA (miRNA) biogenesis, molecular mechanisms by which miRNAs regulate gene expression, and the functional roles of miRNAs has been expanded. Interestingly, numerous miRNAs are expressed in a spatially and temporally controlled manner in the nervous system, suggesting that their posttrascriptional regulation may be particularly relevant in neural development and function. MiRNA studies in neurobiology showed their involvement in synaptic plasticity and brain diseases. In this review ,correlations between miRNA-mediated gene silencing and Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, and other neurodegenerative diseases will be discussed. Molecular and cellular neurobiological studies of the miRNAs in neurodegeneration represent the exploration of a new Frontier of miRNAs biology and the potential development of new diagnostic tests and genetic therapies for neurodegenerative diseases.

scholarly journals New Promising Therapeutic Avenues of Curcumin in Brain Diseases

Molecules ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 27 (1) ◽  
pp. 236
Author(s):  
Tarek Benameur ◽  
Giulia Giacomucci ◽  
Maria Antonietta Panaro ◽  
Melania Ruggiero ◽  
Teresa Trotta ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Neurodegenerative Diseases ◽  
Curcuma Longa ◽  
Brain Diseases ◽  
Neuroprotective Effects ◽  
Parkinson’S Diseases ◽  
Brain Structure And Function ◽  
Anti Oxidant ◽  
And Function

Curcumin, the dietary polyphenol isolated from Curcuma longa (turmeric), is commonly used as an herb and spice worldwide. Because of its bio-pharmacological effects curcumin is also called “spice of life”, in fact it is recognized that curcumin possesses important proprieties such as anti-oxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-microbial, antiproliferative, anti-tumoral, and anti-aging. Neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s Diseases, Parkinson’s Diseases, and Multiple Sclerosis are a group of diseases characterized by a progressive loss of brain structure and function due to neuronal death; at present there is no effective treatment to cure these diseases. The protective effect of curcumin against some neurodegenerative diseases has been proven by in vivo and in vitro studies. The current review highlights the latest findings on the neuroprotective effects of curcumin, its bioavailability, its mechanism of action and its possible application for the prevention or treatment of neurodegenerative disorders.

scholarly journals Lipid rafts and neurodegeneration: structural and functional roles in physiologic aging and neurodegenerative diseases

2019 ◽  
Vol 61 (5) ◽  
pp. 636-654 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sara Grassi ◽  
Paola Giussani ◽  
Laura Mauri ◽  
Simona Prioni ◽  
Sandro Sonnino ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Neurodegenerative Diseases ◽  
Lipid Rafts ◽  
Membrane Lipids ◽  
Membrane Lipid ◽  
Lysosomal Storage ◽  
Functional Roles ◽  
Composition And Structure ◽  
Liquid Ordered ◽  
High Enrichment ◽  
And Function

Lipid rafts are small, dynamic membrane areas characterized by the clustering of selected membrane lipids as the result of the spontaneous separation of glycolipids, sphingolipids, and cholesterol in a liquid-ordered phase. The exact dynamics underlying phase separation of membrane lipids in the complex biological membranes are still not fully understood. Nevertheless, alterations in the membrane lipid composition affect the lateral organization of molecules belonging to lipid rafts. Neural lipid rafts are found in brain cells, including neurons, astrocytes, and microglia, and are characterized by a high enrichment of specific lipids depending on the cell type. These lipid rafts seem to organize and determine the function of multiprotein complexes involved in several aspects of signal transduction, thus regulating the homeostasis of the brain. The progressive decline of brain performance along with physiological aging is at least in part associated with alterations in the composition and structure of neural lipid rafts. In addition, neurodegenerative conditions, such as lysosomal storage disorders, multiple sclerosis, and Parkinson’s, Huntington’s, and Alzheimer’s diseases, are frequently characterized by dysregulated lipid metabolism, which in turn affects the structure of lipid rafts. Several events underlying the pathogenesis of these diseases appear to depend on the altered composition of lipid rafts. Thus, the structure and function of lipid rafts play a central role in the pathogenesis of many common neurodegenerative diseases.

scholarly journals MicroRNAs in ovarian carcinomas

2010 ◽  
Vol 17 (1) ◽  
pp. F77-F89 ◽  
Author(s):  
Neetu Dahiya ◽  
Patrice J Morin
Keyword(s):  
Ovarian Cancer ◽  
Ovarian Carcinoma ◽  
Molecular Mechanisms ◽  
Prognostic Significance ◽  
Cancer Development ◽  
Ovarian Carcinomas ◽  
Regulate Gene Expression ◽  
Functional Roles ◽  
Ovarian Tumorigenesis ◽  
Microrna Function

The molecular mechanisms involved in epithelial ovarian cancer initiation and progression are just beginning to be elucidated. In particular, it has become evident that microRNAs (miRNAs or miRs), a class of molecules that post-transcriptionally regulate gene expression, play a major role in ovarian tumorigenesis. Several microRNA profiling studies have identified changes in microRNA patterns that take place during ovarian cancer development. While most deregulated microRNAs are down-regulated in cancer, and may therefore act as tumor suppressors, others are elevated and may represent novel oncogenes in this disease. A number of microRNAs identified as aberrantly expressed in ovarian carcinoma have been shown to have important functional roles in cancer development and may therefore represent targets for therapy. In addition, some of the microRNA patterns may have prognostic significance. The identification of functional targets represents a major hurdle in our understanding of microRNA function in ovarian carcinoma, but significant progress is being made. It is hoped that a better understanding of the microRNA expression and roles in ovarian cancer may provide new avenues for the detection, diagnosis, and therapy of this deadly disease.

scholarly journals O-GlcNAcylation in health and neurodegenerative diseases

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Byeong Eun Lee ◽  
Pann-Ghill Suh ◽  
Jae-Ick Kim
Keyword(s):  
Neurodegenerative Diseases ◽  
Posttranslational Modification ◽  
Protein Modification ◽  
Molecular Mechanisms ◽  
The Body ◽  
Neuroprotective Effects ◽  
Functional Roles ◽  
Cellular Pathways ◽  
Neuronal Functions ◽  
The Brain

AbstractO-GlcNAcylation is a posttranslational modification that adds O-linked β-N-acetylglucosamine (O-GlcNAc) to serine or threonine residues of many proteins. This protein modification interacts with key cellular pathways involved in transcription, translation, and proteostasis. Although ubiquitous throughout the body, O-GlcNAc is particularly abundant in the brain, and various proteins commonly found at synapses are O-GlcNAcylated. Recent studies have demonstrated that the modulation of O-GlcNAc in the brain alters synaptic and neuronal functions. Furthermore, altered brain O-GlcNAcylation is associated with either the etiology or pathology of numerous neurodegenerative diseases, while the manipulation of O-GlcNAc exerts neuroprotective effects against these diseases. Although the detailed molecular mechanisms underlying the functional roles of O-GlcNAcylation in the brain remain unclear, O-GlcNAcylation is critical for regulating diverse neural functions, and its levels change during normal and pathological aging. In this review, we will highlight the functional importance of O-GlcNAcylation in the brain and neurodegenerative diseases.

scholarly journals MURC/Cavin-4 facilitates recruitment of ERK to caveolae and concentric cardiac hypertrophy induced by α1-adrenergic receptors

2014 ◽  
Vol 111 (10) ◽  
pp. 3811-3816 ◽  
Author(s):  
Takehiro Ogata ◽  
Daisuke Naito ◽  
Naohiko Nakanishi ◽  
Yukiko K. Hayashi ◽  
Takuya Taniguchi ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Cardiac Hypertrophy ◽  
Adrenergic Receptors ◽  
Molecular Mechanisms ◽  
Coiled Coil ◽  
Membrane Microdomains ◽  
Cardiomyocyte Hypertrophy ◽  
Functional Roles ◽  
T Tubules ◽  
And Function ◽  
Insight Into

The actions of catecholamines on adrenergic receptors (ARs) induce sympathetic responses, and sustained activation of the sympathetic nervous system results in disrupted circulatory homeostasis. In cardiomyocytes, α1-ARs localize to flask-shaped membrane microdomains known as “caveolae.” Caveolae require both caveolin and cavin proteins for their biogenesis and function. However, the functional roles and molecular interactions of caveolar components in cardiomyocytes are poorly understood. Here, we showed that muscle-restricted coiled-coil protein (MURC)/Cavin-4 regulated α1-AR–induced cardiomyocyte hypertrophy through enhancement of ERK1/2 activation in caveolae. MURC/Cavin-4 was expressed in the caveolae and T tubules of cardiomyocytes. MURC/Cavin-4 overexpression distended the caveolae, whereas MURC/Cavin-4 was not essential for their formation. MURC/Cavin-4 deficiency attenuated cardiac hypertrophy induced by α1-AR stimulation in the presence of caveolae. Interestingly, MURC/Cavin-4 bound to α1A- and α1B-ARs as well as ERK1/2 in caveolae, and spatiotemporally modulated MEK/ERK signaling in response to α1-AR stimulation. Thus, MURC/Cavin-4 facilitates ERK1/2 recruitment to caveolae and efficient α1-AR signaling mediated by caveolae in cardiomyocytes, which provides a unique insight into the molecular mechanisms underlying caveola-mediated signaling in cardiac hypertrophy.

scholarly journals Role of SNPs in the biogenesis of mature miRNAs

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ying Wang ◽  
Jidong Ru ◽  
Meng Xianglian
Keyword(s):  
Molecular Mechanisms ◽  
Mature Mirnas ◽  
Mirna Biogenesis ◽  
Sequencing Data ◽  
Whole Genome Analysis ◽  
Association Analyses ◽  
Genome Wide ◽  
Mirna Sequencing ◽  
And Function

Abstract BackgroundSNPs within pre-miRNA regions play a significant role in miRNA generation, processing and function by different molecular mechanisms and are thought to be major contributors to the variations in phenotypes and diseases. Therefore, whole-genome analysis of how SNPs affect mature miRNA biogenesis is important for precision medicine. ResultsIn this study, aiming to analyze the role of SNPs in mature miRNA biogenesis genome-wide, we constructed a SNP-pre-miRNA database, named miRSNPBase, consisting of 886 pre-miRNAs and 2640 SNPs based on the latest data. Then, we identified 10574 SNP-pre-miRNAs based on 886 pre-miRNAs and their associated 2640 SNPs, and we performed genome-wide association analyses to identify isoform miRNAs (isomiRs) based on miRFind that are associated with the mechanism of SNPs affecting miRNA maturation. A total of 4235 nor-SNP-pre-miRNAs based on 480 nor-pre-miRNAs and 1250 nor-SNPs were identified. We analyzed the effects of SNP type, SNP location and SNP-mediated free energy change during mature miRNA biogenesis and found that they are closely related to mature miRNA biogenesis. In addition, the MAF distribution of the iso-pre-miRNAs and nor-SNPs was analyzed based on the 1000 Genomes Project. The results demonstrated that individuals who contained the iso-SNPs were in the minority, and those who contained the nor-SNPs were in the majority. Notably, to verify our method and identify important biomarkers, we identified isomiRs and iso-SNPs in 18 GBR individuals of European origin. In the results, 209 iso-pre-miRNA candidates and 71 verified iso-pre-miRNAs of the 18 GBR samples were identified, and 2667 isomiRs of 209 pre-miRNAs were verified by miRNA sequencing data.ConclusionsOur results clearly indicated that SNPs that altered the mature miRNA splicing mechanism and led to the production of isomiRs, were closely related to and affected normal life processes, and led to epigenetic changes and diseases.

A Mucin-Specific Protease Enables Molecular and Functional Analysis of Human Cancer-Associated Mucins

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stacy A. Malaker ◽  
Kayvon Pedram ◽  
Michael J. Ferracane ◽  
Elliot C. Woods ◽  
Jessica Kramer ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mass Spectrometry ◽  
Molecular Mechanisms ◽  
Cultured Cells ◽  
High Resolution Mass Spectrometry ◽  
Human Cancer ◽  
Glycosylation Sites ◽  
Bacterial Protease ◽  
Specific Protease ◽  
To Come ◽  
And Function

<div> <div> <div> <p>Mucins are a class of highly O-glycosylated proteins that are ubiquitously expressed on cellular surfaces and are important for human health, especially in the context of carcinomas. However, the molecular mechanisms by which aberrant mucin structures lead to tumor progression and immune evasion have been slow to come to light, in part because methods for selective mucin degradation are lacking. Here we employ high resolution mass spectrometry, polymer synthesis, and computational peptide docking to demonstrate that a bacterial protease, called StcE, cleaves mucin domains by recognizing a discrete peptide-, glycan-, and secondary structure- based motif. We exploited StcE’s unique properties to map glycosylation sites and structures of purified and recombinant human mucins by mass spectrometry. As well, we found that StcE will digest cancer-associated mucins from cultured cells and from ovarian cancer patient-derived ascites fluid. Finally, using StcE we discovered that Siglec-7, a glyco-immune checkpoint receptor, specifically binds sialomucins as biological ligands, whereas the related Siglec-9 receptor does not. Mucin-specific proteolysis, as exemplified by StcE, is therefore a powerful tool for the study of glycoprotein structure and function and for deorphanizing mucin-binding receptors. </p> </div> </div> </div>

Natural Products for the Treatment of Neurodegenerative Diseases

2020 ◽  
Vol 27 (34) ◽  
pp. 5790-5828 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ze Wang ◽  
Chunyang He ◽  
Jing-Shan Shi
Keyword(s):  
Nervous System ◽  
Natural Products ◽  
Neurodegenerative Diseases ◽  
Neuroprotective Effect ◽  
Rapid Development ◽  
New Drugs ◽  
Progressive Degeneration ◽  
Cord Injury ◽  
The Central Nervous System ◽  
And Function

Neurodegenerative diseases are a heterogeneous group of disorders characterized by the progressive degeneration of the structure and function of the central nervous system or peripheral nervous system. Alzheimer&#039;s Disease (AD), Parkinson&#039;s Disease (PD) and Spinal Cord Injury (SCI) are the common neurodegenerative diseases, which typically occur in people over the age of 60. With the rapid development of an aged society, over 60 million people worldwide are suffering from these uncurable diseases. Therefore, the search for new drugs and therapeutic methods has become an increasingly important research topic. Natural products especially those from the Traditional Chinese Medicines (TCMs), are the most important sources of drugs, and have received extensive interest among pharmacist. In this review, in order to facilitate further chemical modification of those useful natural products by pharmacists, we will bring together recent studies in single natural compound from TCMs with neuroprotective effect.

Excitotoxicity as a Target Against Neurodegenerative Processes

2020 ◽  
Vol 26 (12) ◽  
pp. 1251-1262 ◽  
Author(s):  
Octavio Binvignat ◽  
Jordi Olloquequi
Keyword(s):  
Neurodegenerative Diseases ◽  
Effective Treatment ◽  
Molecular Mechanisms ◽  
Prolonged Exposure ◽  
Mitochondrial Dysfunctions ◽  
Beneficial Effects ◽  
Clinical Investigations ◽  
Turn Over ◽  
Excitotoxic Cell Death ◽  
Lateral Sclerosis

: The global burden of neurodegenerative diseases is alarmingly increasing in parallel to the aging of population. Although the molecular mechanisms leading to neurodegeneration are not completely understood, excitotoxicity, defined as the injury and death of neurons due to excessive or prolonged exposure to excitatory amino acids, has been shown to play a pivotal role. The increased release and/or decreased uptake of glutamate results in dysregulation of neuronal calcium homeostasis, leading to oxidative stress, mitochondrial dysfunctions, disturbances in protein turn-over and neuroinflammation. : Despite the anti-excitotoxic drug memantine has shown modest beneficial effects in some patients with dementia, to date, there is no effective treatment capable of halting or curing neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson disease, Huntington’s disease or amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. This has led to a growing body of research focusing on understanding the mechanisms associated with the excitotoxic insult and on uncovering potential therapeutic strategies targeting these mechanisms. : In the present review, we examine the molecular mechanisms related to excitotoxic cell death. Moreover, we provide a comprehensive and updated state of the art of preclinical and clinical investigations targeting excitotoxic- related mechanisms in order to provide an effective treatment against neurodegeneration.

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