Collection and Processing of Samples for Next-Generation Sequencing to Study the Gut Microbiome.

16S rRNA gene sequencing is commonly used for identification and quantitation of microorganisms in complex biological mixtures, such as the human gut microbiome. The 16S rRNA gene is an excellent target gene for sequencing DNA in a heterogenous sample, as it is a highly conserved part of the transcriptional machinery. Universal PCR primers are used to amplify the conserved regions of 16S.

General Characterization of Properties of Ordered and Disordered Proteins by Wide-Line H NMR.

Wide-line H NMR is an efficient spectroscopic method to determine the disorder tendency of a protein. It directly measures the properties of the hydration shell of proteins, delivering exact and measurable values of their disorder/order content. A comparison is performed between several globular and disordered proteins.

Wide-Line NMR Melting Diagrams, Their Thermodynamic Interpretation, and Secondary Structure Predictions for A30P and E46K α-Synuclein.

Parkinson's disease is thought to be caused by aggregation of the intrinsically disordered protein, α-synuclein. Two amyloidogenic variants, A30P, and E46K familial mutants were investigated by wide-line H NMR spectrometry as a completion of our earlier work on wild-type and A53T α-synuclein (Bokor M. et al.

Protein-Protein Connections-Oligomer, Amyloid and Protein Complex-By Wide Line H NMR.

The amount of bonds between constituting parts of a protein aggregate were determined in wild type (WT) and A53T α-synuclein (αS) oligomers, amyloids and in the complex of thymosin-β-cytoplasmic domain of stabilin-2 (Tβ-stabilin CTD). A53T αS aggregates have more extensive βsheet contents reflected by constant regions at low potential barriers in difference (to monomers) melting diagrams (s). Energies of the intermolecular interactions and of secondary structures bonds, formed during polymerization, fall into the 5.

Secondary Structures of Proteins: A Comparison of Models and Experimental Results.

Secondary structure predictions of proteins were compared to experimental results by wide-line H NMR. IUPred2A was used to generate predictions of disordered protein or binding regions. Thymosin-β and the stabilin-2 cytoplasmic domain were found to be mainly disordered, in agreement with the experimental results.

Socioeconomic Factors Predicting Depression Differ in the Acute Stage and at 1 year After Ischemic Stroke or TIA.

Introduction: Considerable depressive symptoms follow stroke in about one third of patients. Initial depressive symptoms may wane after the acute phase of stroke, but persisting depressive symptoms adversely affect rehabilitation and quality of life. We set forth to evaluate predictors of depressive symptoms with a focus on socioeconomic factors.

WT and A53T α-Synuclein Systems: Melting Diagram and Its New Interpretation.

The potential barriers governing the motions of -synuclein (S) variants' hydration water, especially energetics of them, is in the focus of the work. The thermodynamical approach yielded essential information about distributions and heights of the potential barriers. The proteins' structural disorder was measured by ratios of heterogeneous water-binding interfaces.

Molecular Motions and Interactions in Aqueous Solutions of Thymosin-β , Stabilin CTD and Their 1 : 1 Complex, Studied by H-NMR Spectroscopy.

Wide-line H NMR measurements were extended and all results were interpreted in a thermodynamics-based new approach on aqueous solutions of thymosin-β (Tβ ), stabilin cytoplasmic domain (CTD), and their 1 : 1 complex. Energy distributions of potential barriers controlling the motion of protein-bound water molecules were determined. Heterogeneous and homogeneous regions were found in the protein-water interface.

Notification Strategy and Predictors of Outcome in Stroke Ineligible for Reperfusion Therapies.

At least 70% of all stroke patients are ineligible for recanalization therapy. We identified predictors of outcome among these patients, with special focus on notification of emergency medical services (EMS). We prospectively collected data of 250 consecutive patients with acute cerebrovascular diseases ineligible for recanalization therapy.

Hydration shell differentiates folded and disordered states of a Trp-cage miniprotein, allowing characterization of structural heterogeneity by wide-line NMR measurements.

Hydration properties of folded and unfolded/disordered miniproteins were monitored in frozen solutions by wide-line H-NMR. The amount of mobile water as function of T (-80 °C < T < 0 °C) was found characteristically different for folded (TC5b), semi-folded (pH < 3, TCb5(H+)) and disordered (TC5b_N1R) variants. Comparing results of wide-line H-NMR and molecular dynamics simulations we found that both the amount of mobile water surrounding proteins in ice, as well as their thaw profiles differs significantly as function of the compactness and conformational heterogeneity of their structure.

The Melting Diagram of Protein Solutions and Its Thermodynamic Interpretation.

Here we present a novel method for the characterization of the hydration of protein solutions based on measuring and evaluating two-component wide-line ¹H NMR signals. We also provide a description of key elements of the procedure conceived for the thermodynamic interpretation of such results. These interdependent experimental and theoretical treatments provide direct experimental insight into the potential energy surface of proteins.

Case report of a woman with anti amphiphysin positive stiff person syndrome.

Stiff person syndrome is a rare neuroimmunological disease, characterized by severe, involuntary stiffness with superimposed painful muscle spasms, which are worsened by external stimuli. The classical form is associated with high levels of antibodies against glutamic acid decarboxylase. One of the variant forms is associated with antibodies against amphiphysin.

Insights into the structure and function of the hippocampal formation: Relevance to Parkinson's disease.

The link between the hippocampus and declarative memory dysfunctions following the removal of the medial temporal lobe opened unexplored fields in neuroscience. In the first part of our review, we summarized current theoretical frameworks discussing the role of hippocampus in learning and memory. Several theories are highlighted suggesting that the hippocampus is responsible for assembling stimulus elements into a unitary representation that later can be utilized to simulate future events.

Molecular Motions and Interactions in Aqueous Solutions of Thymosin-β , Stabilin C-Terminal Domain (CTD) and Their 1:1 Complex Studied by H NMR Spectroscopy.

Wide-line H NMR measurements were extended and all results were reinterpreted in a new thermodynamics-based approach to study aqueous solutions of thymosin-β (Tβ ), stabilin C-terminal domain (CTD) and their 1:1 complex. The energy distributions of the potential barriers, which control motion of protein-bound water molecules, were determined. Heterogeneous and homogeneous regions were found at the protein-water interface.

Reduced CA2-CA3 Hippocampal Subfield Volume Is Related to Depression and Normalized by l-DOPA in Newly Diagnosed Parkinson's Disease.

Hippocampal dysfunctions may play an important role in the non-motor aspects of Parkinson's disease (PD), including depressive and cognitive symptoms. Fine structural alterations of the hippocampus and their relationship with symptoms and medication effects are unknown in newly diagnosed PD. We measured the volume of hippocampal subfields in 35 drug-naïve, newly diagnosed PD patients without cognitive impairment and 30 matched healthy control individuals.

Hydrogen Mobility and Protein-Water Interactions in Proteins in the Solid State.

In this work the groundwork is laid for characterizing the mobility of hydrogen-hydrogen pairs (proton-proton radial vectors) in proteins in the solid state that contain only residual water. In this novel approach, we introduce new ways of analyzing and interpreting data: 1) by representing hydrogen mobility (HM) and melting diagram (MD) data recorded by wide-line H NMR spectroscopic analysis as a function of fundamental temperature (thermal excitation energy); 2) by suggesting a novel mode of interpretation of these parameters that sheds light on details of protein-water interactions, such as the exact amount of water molecules and the distribution of barrier potentials pertaining to their rotational and surface translational mobility; 3) by relying on directly determined physical observables. We illustrate the power of this approach by studying the behavior of two proteins, the structured enzyme lysozyme and the intrinsically disordered ERD14.

A single dose of L-DOPA changes perceptual experiences and decreases latent inhibition in Parkinson's disease.

Despite the well-known neuropsychiatric side effects of dopaminergic medications, the possible subjective psychotomimetic effects of a single dose of L-DOPA in newly diagnosed, drug-naïve patients with Parkinson's disease (PD) are not known. To investigate this question, we used a visual search task for latent inhibition (LI), the Community Assessment of Psychic Experiences (CAPE) scale, and visual analog scales for psychotomimetic effects (perception, relaxation, and dysphoria) in 28 de novo PD patients before (off) and after (on) the adminstration of L-DOPA and in 25 matched healthy control individuals. Results revealed increased LI in PD-off and decreased LI in PD-on relative to the control subjects.

Wide-line NMR and DSC studies on intrinsically disordered p53 transactivation domain and its helically pre-structured segment.

Wide-line 1H NMR intensity and differential scanning calorimetry measurements were carried out on the intrinsically disordered 73-residue full transactivation domain (TAD) of the p53 tumor suppressor protein and two peptides: one a wild type p53 TAD peptide with a helix pre-structuring property, and a mutant peptide with a disabled helix-forming propensity. Measurements were carried out in order to characterize their water and ion binding characteristics. By quantifying the number of hydrate water molecules, we provide a microscopic description for the interactions of water with a wild-type p53 TAD and two p53 TAD peptides.

Behavioural aspects of a modified crosstalk between basal ganglia and limbic system in Parkinson's disease.

Dysfunctions in dopaminergic neurotransmission lead to motor symptoms and cognitive impairments associated with behavioural disturbances. Parkinson's disease is a neurodegenerative disorder which is primarily characterized by an abnormal basal ganglia activity. Recently, increased attention has been directed towards the hippocampus in the development of non-motor symptoms.

[VALIDATION OF THE HUNGARIAN UNIFIED DYSKINESIA RATING SCALE].

Background: The Unified Dyskinesia Rating Scale (UDysRS) was published in 2008. It was designed to be simultaneous valid, reliable and sensitive to therapeutic changes. The Movement Disorder Society organizing team developed guidelines for the development of official non-English translations consisting of four steps: translation/back-translation, cognitive pretesting, large field testing, and clinimetric analysis.

Is the MDS-UPDRS a Good Screening Tool for Detecting Sleep Problems and Daytime Sleepiness in Parkinson's Disease?

Movement Disorder Society-sponsored Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale (MDS-UPDRS) has separate items for measuring sleep problems (item 1.7) and daytime sleepiness (1.8).

Multiple fuzzy interactions in the moonlighting function of thymosin-β4.

Thymosine β4 (Tß4) is a 43 amino acid long intrinsically disordered protein (IDP), which was initially identified as an actin-binding and sequestering molecule. Later it was described to have multiple other functions, such as regulation of endothelial cell differentiation, blood vessel formation, wound repair, cardiac cell migration, and survival. The various functions of Tβ4 are mediated by interactions with distinct and structurally unrelated partners, such as PINCH, ILK, and stabilin-2, besides the originally identified G-actin.

Hydrogen skeleton, mobility and protein architecture.

The mobility of the proton-proton radial vectors is introduced as a quantitative measure for the structural dynamics of organic materials, especially protein molecules. As defined for the entire molecule, the hydrogen mobility () is proposed as an "order parameter," which describes the effect of motional narrowing on inter-proton dipole-dipole interactions. satisfies all requirements of an order parameter in the Landau molecular field theory of phase transitions.