The RAS genes are importantly implicated in oncogenesis and are frequently mutated in childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia. This study is the first to our knowledge, to determine the mutational status of NRAS and KRAS genes in Moroccan pediatric acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). Polymerase chain reaction and Sanger sequencing were performed for 45 ALL samples to explore the coding exons.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFSARS-CoV-2 strains have made an appearance across the globe, causing over 757 million cases and over 6.85 million deaths at the time of writing. The emergence of these variants shows the amplitude of genetic variation to which the wild-type strains have been subjected.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe spike protein of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is crucial for viral infection. The interaction of its receptor-binding domain (RBD) with the human angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) protein is required for the virus to enter the host cell. We identified RBD binding sites to block its function with inhibitors by combining the protein structural flexibility with machine learning analysis.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFInfluenza A viruses still represent a major health issue, for both humans and animals. One of the main viral proteins of interest to target is the NS1 protein, which counters the host immune response and promotes viral replication. NS1 is a homodimer composed of a dimeric RNA-binding domain (RBD), which is structurally stable and conserved in sequence, and two effector domains that are tethered to the RBD by linker regions.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFLeptin receptor (LEPR) is a member of the class I cytokine receptor family that receives and transmits leptin signals. It is primarily involved in the regulation of energy expenditure and food intake. This study aimed to evaluate the association of gene polymorphisms, Lys109Arg, Gln223Arg and Lys656Asn, with obesity in Moroccan women and to explore the structural and functional consequences of these SNPs.
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