We show that a small biotin-binding RNA aptamer that folds into a pseudoknot structure acts as a substrate for bacterial RNase P RNA (RPR) with and without the RNase P C5 protein. Cleavage in the single-stranded region in loop 1 was shown to depend on the presence of a RCCA-motif at the 3' end of the substrate. The nucleobase and the 2'hydroxyl at the position immediately 5' of the cleavage site contribute to both cleavage efficiency and site selection, where C at this position induces significant cleavage at an alternative site, one base upstream of the main cleavage site.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFObjectives: The relationship between iodine status and gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) is inconclusive. This study aimed to explore the trajectories of urinary iodine concentrations (UIC) in pregnant women before GDM diagnosis and to assess the associations between maternal UIC trajectories and the risk of developing GDM.
Methods: A prospective cohort study was conducted in China.
To analyze the iodine nutrition status and its related factors among adults aged 18 years and above in Zhejiang Province in 2022. A multistage stratified sampling method was used to select 4 320 adults aged 18 years and above from 16 on-site survey sites in Zhejiang Province for the study. A questionnaire was used to investigate the general demographic information and personal dietary characteristics of the study participants.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFMale reproductive disorders are responsible for approximately 50% of infertility cases. Bis (2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP) is a common environmental pollutant known for its reproductive toxicity. Oxidative stress is a key mechanism in response to DEHP exposure.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFSulfur mustard (SM) is a major toxic chemical threat to public health. Mitochondrial dysfunction is considered a critical contributing factor to mustard agent-induced damage. The brain is vulnerable to SM, which can lead to various types of acute and long-term psychiatric distress after exposure, but the neurotoxic mechanisms of SM, let alone drug candidates, are seldom studied.
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