3-Helix stabilization and screw sense control via stereochemically configured 4-atom hydrocarbon staples.

The 3-helix is a crucial secondary structure in proteins, playing an essential role in various protein-protein interactions, yet stabilizing it in biologically relevant peptides remains challenging. In this study, we investigated the potential of 4-atom hydrocarbon staples to stabilize 3-helices in peptides. Using ring-closing metathesis, we demonstrated that the staple's configuration is critical for both the stabilization and screw sense control of 3-helices.

Molecular Characterization of Dengue Virus Strains from the 2019-2020 Epidemic in Hanoi, Vietnam.

Dengue virus (DENV), which has circulated in Vietnam for several decades, has multiple serotypes and genotypes. A 2019 dengue outbreak resulted in a larger number of cases than any other outbreak. We conducted a molecular characterization using samples collected in 2019-2020 from dengue patients in Hanoi and nearby cities located in northern Vietnam.

Differential Development of Umbilical Cord-Derived Mesenchymal Stem Cells During Long-Term Maintenance in Fetal Bovine Serum-Supplemented Medium and Xeno- and Serum-Free Culture Medium.

Umbilical cord-derived mesenchymal stem/stromal cells (UC-MSCs) are believed to have potential for the treatment of various diseases; thus, many scientists have investigated the molecular mechanisms underlying the function of UC-MSCs and, for example, the appropriate media for large-scale UC-MSC expansion to prepare cells for real-world application. In this study, we investigated the cellular morphology, proliferation capacity, surface markers, cellular senescence signals, clonogenic potential, trilineage differentiation capacity, and secreted factors of human primary UC-MSCs in long-term culture from passage 2 (P2) to passage 10 (P10) with either conventional fetal bovine serum (FBS)-supplemented medium or commercial xeno- and serum-free medium (StemMACS™). We found that the cells cultured in both media had similar morphology and marker expression.

Reference-free transcriptome signatures for prostate cancer prognosis.

Background: RNA-seq data are increasingly used to derive prognostic signatures for cancer outcome prediction. A limitation of current predictors is their reliance on reference gene annotations, which amounts to ignoring large numbers of non-canonical RNAs produced in disease tissues. A recently introduced kind of transcriptome classifier operates entirely in a reference-free manner, relying on k-mers extracted from patient RNA-seq data.

Characterization of a Kunitz-type protease inhibitor (MjKuPI) reveals the involvement of MjKuPI positive hemocytes in the immune responses of kuruma shrimp Marsupenaeus japonicus.

Serine proteases and their inhibitors play vital roles in biological processes. Serine protease inhibitors, including Kunitz-type protease inhibitors play important roles not only in physiological process (i.e.