A survey in two districts of Odisha with reportedly high total fertility rates, i.e., Boudh and Koraput (Annual Health Survey-2014), was performed under the aegis of the Indian Council of Medical Research, aiming to improve male participation in contraceptive acceptance and services.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe MODOMICS database was updated with recent data and now includes new data types related to RNA modifications. Changes to the database include an expanded modification catalog, encompassing both natural and synthetic residues identified in RNA structures. This addition aids in representing RNA sequences from the RCSB PDB database more effectively.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFRibonucleic acid (RNA) molecules serve as master regulators of cells by encoding their biological function in the ribonucleotide sequence, particularly their ability to interact with other molecules. To understand how RNA molecules perform their biological tasks and to design new sequences with specific functions, it is of great benefit to be able to computationally predict how RNA folds and interacts in the cellular environment. Our workflow for computational modeling of the 3D structures of RNA and its interactions with other molecules uses a set of methods developed in our laboratory, including MeSSPredRNA for predicting canonical and non-canonical base pairs, PARNASSUS for detecting remote homology based on comparisons of sequences and secondary structures, ModeRNA for comparative modeling, the SimRNA family of programs for modeling RNA 3D structure and its complexes with other molecules, and QRNAS for model refinement.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPurpose: In cases of eyelid malignancies requiring full thickness excisional biopsy followed by reconstruction of the created defect, the Meibomian glands are lost. Post-operative varying degrees of dry eye disease (DED) are expected in such patients. The aim was to evaluate the objective and subjective statuses of DED in cases of full thickness eyelid reconstruction following excisional biopsy because of malignancies.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe G-quadruplex is a fascinating nucleic acid motif with implications in biology, medicine, and nanotechnologies. G-quadruplexes can form in the telomeres at the edges of chromosomes and in other guanine-rich regions of the genome. They can also be engineered for exploitation as biological materials for nanodevices.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe MODOMICS database has been, since 2006, a manually curated and centralized resource, storing and distributing comprehensive information about modified ribonucleosides. Originally, it only contained data on the chemical structures of modified ribonucleosides, their biosynthetic pathways, the location of modified residues in RNA sequences, and RNA-modifying enzymes. Over the years, prompted by the accumulation of new knowledge and new types of data, it has been updated with new information and functionalities.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFClass 2 CRISPR (clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats) systems offer a unique protocol for genome editing in eukaryotic cells. The nuclease activity of Cas9 has been harnessed to perform precise genome editing by creating double-strand breaks. However, the nuclease activity of Cas9 can be triggered when there is imperfect complementarity between the RNA guide sequence and an off-target genomic site, which is a major limitation of the CRISPR technique for practical applications.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFRecently, surface-enhanced Raman scattering nanoprobes have shown tremendous potential in oncological imaging owing to the high sensitivity and specificity of their fingerprint-like spectra. As current Raman scanners rely on a slow, point-by-point spectrum acquisition, there is an unmet need for faster imaging to cover a clinically relevant area in real-time. Herein, we report the rational design and optimization of fluorescence-Raman bimodal nanoparticles (FRNPs) that synergistically combine the specificity of Raman spectroscopy with the versatility and speed of fluorescence imaging.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAmong various isoforms of Apolipoprotein E (ApoE), the E4 isoform (ApoE4) is considered to be the strongest risk factor for Alzheimer's disease, whereas the E3 isoform (ApoE3) is neutral to the disease. Interestingly, the sequence of ApoE4 differs from its wild-type ApoE3 by a single amino acid C112R in the 299-amino-acid-long sequence. Hence, the puzzle remains: how a single-amino-acid difference between the ApoE3 and ApoE4 sequences can give rise to structural dissimilarities between the two isoforms, which can potentially lead to functional differences with significant pathological consequences.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAsymmetric bulge loop motifs are widely dispersed in all types of functional RNAs. They are frequently occurring structural motifs in folded RNA structures and appear commonly in pre-microRNA and ribosomes, where they are involved in specific RNA-RNA and RNA-protein interactions. It is therefore necessary to understand such motifs from a structural point of view.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe telomeric G-quadruplexes for their unique structural features are considered as potential anticancer drug targets. These, however, exhibit structural polymorphism as different topology types for the intra-molecular G-quadruplexes from human telomeric G-rich sequences have been reported based on NMR spectroscopy and X-ray crystallography. These techniques provide detailed atomic-level information about the molecule but relative conformational stability of the different topologies remains unsolved.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFA- and B-type lamins are intermediate filament proteins constituting the nuclear lamina underneath the nuclear envelope thereby conferring proper shape and mechanical rigidity to the nucleus. Lamin proteins are also shown to be related diversely to basic nuclear processes. More than 400 mutations in human lamin A protein alone have been reported to produce at least 11 different disease conditions jointly termed as laminopathies.
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