Differential expression of keratin and keratin associated proteins are linked with hair loss condition in spontaneously mutated inbred mice.

Hair loss condition is heritable and is influenced by multifactorial inheritance. In the present study, spontaneously mutated mice showed hair loss phenotype with defect in the first cycle of hair follicle formation leading to cyclic alopecia. These mutant mice follow autosomal recessive inheritance pattern.

Hsp70 Inhibits Aggregation of IAPP by Binding to the Heterogeneous Prenucleation Oligomers.

Molecular chaperone Hsp70 plays important roles in the pathology of amyloid diseases by inhibiting aberrant aggregation of proteins. However, the biophysical mechanism of the interaction of Hsp70 with the intrinsically disordered proteins (IDPs) is unclear. Here, we report that Hsp70 inhibits aggregation of islet amyloid polypeptide (IAPP) at substoichiometric concentrations under diverse solution conditions, including in the absence of ATP.

Inhibition of Insulin Amyloid Fibrillation by a Novel Amphipathic Heptapeptide: MECHANISTIC DETAILS STUDIED BY SPECTROSCOPY IN COMBINATION WITH MICROSCOPY.

The aggregation of insulin into amyloid fibers has been a limiting factor in the development of fast acting insulin analogues, creating a demand for excipients that limit aggregation. Despite the potential demand, inhibitors specifically targeting insulin have been few in number. Here we report a non-toxic and serum stable-designed heptapeptide, KR7 (KPWWPRR-NH), that differs significantly from the primarily hydrophobic sequences that have been previously used to interfere with insulin amyloid fibrillation.

GroEL2 of Mycobacterium tuberculosis Reveals the Importance of Structural Pliability in Chaperonin Function.

Unlabelled: Intracellular protein folding is mediated by molecular chaperones, the best studied among which are the chaperonins GroEL and GroES. Conformational changes and allosteric transitions between different metastable states are hallmarks of the chaperonin mechanism. These conformational transitions between three structural domains of GroEL are anchored at two hinges.

Bacterial chitin binding proteins show differential substrate binding and synergy with chitinases.

Glycosyl hydrolase (GH) family 18 chitinases (Chi) and family 33 chitin binding proteins (CBPs) from Bacillus thuringiensis serovar kurstaki (BtChi and BtCBP), B. licheniformis DSM13 (BliChi and BliCBP) and Serratia proteamaculans 568 (SpChiB and SpCBP21) were used to study the efficiency and synergistic action of BtChi, BliChi and SpChiB individually with BtCBP, BliCBP or SpCBP21. Chitinase assay revealed that only BtChi and SpChiB showed synergism in hydrolysis of chitin, while there was no increase in products generated by BliChi, in the presence of the three above mentioned CBPs.

Biotechnological approaches to develop bacterial chitinases as a bioshield against fungal diseases of plants.

Fungal diseases of plants continue to contribute to heavy crop losses in spite of the best control efforts of plant pathologists. Breeding for disease-resistant varieties and the application of synthetic chemical fungicides are the most widely accepted approaches in plant disease management. An alternative approach to avoid the undesired effects of chemical control could be biological control using antifungal bacteria that exhibit a direct action against fungal pathogens.

Swapping the chitin-binding domain in Bacillus chitinases improves the substrate binding affinity and conformational stability.

Chitinase from Bacillus thuringiensis and Bacillus licheniformis consisting of an N-terminal catalytic domain (GH18) and a C-terminal chitin-binding domain (ChBD), were cloned and characterised. In order to study the importance of individual domains, chimeric chitinases (BtGH-BliChBD and BliGH-BtChBD) were constructed using domain swapping as a strategy to exchange the CBD of BtGH-ChBD with that of BliGH-ChBD and vice versa. Both chimeric chitinases showed increased affinity to colloidal chitin.

Fusion of cellulose binding domain to the catalytic domain improves the activity and conformational stability of chitinase in Bacilluslicheniformis DSM13.

Chitinase from Bacilluslicheniformis DSM13 consists of an N-terminal catalytic domain (GH) and a C-terminal chitin binding domain (ChBD). A deletion mutant BliGH and a hybrid chitinase BliGH-CeBD were developed using polymerase chain reaction (PCR) to study the role of substrate-binding domain. Both recombinant chitinases retained their ability to bind to glycol-chitin (GC).