Publications by authors named "Lucia Adriana Lifshits"

Article Synopsis
  • This study investigates the use of recombinant psoriasin as a potential new treatment for oral candidiasis, specifically targeting the growth of Candida albicans on denture materials.
  • Researchers conducted experiments to assess psoriasin's efficacy and safety, showing it effectively inhibited fungal growth when used in sufficient concentrations.
  • The results suggest psoriasin could be a safer alternative to traditional antifungals for treating denture-related fungal infections, with minimal cytotoxic effects on human cells.
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Methionine biosynthesis relies on the sequential catalysis of multiple enzymes. , the main bacteria used in research and industry for protein production and engineering, utilizes the three-step trans-sulfurylation pathway catalyzed by L-homoserine O-succinyl transferase, cystathionine gamma synthase and cystathionine beta lyase to convert L-homoserine to L-homocysteine. However, most bacteria employ the two-step direct-sulfurylation pathway involving L-homoserine O-acetyltransferases and O-acetyl homoserine sulfhydrylase.

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Cell-penetrating peptides show promise as versatile tools for intracellular delivery of therapeutic agents. Various peptides have originated from natural proteins with antimicrobial activity. We investigated the mammalian cell-penetrating properties of a 16-residue peptide with the sequence GRCRGFRRRCFCTTHC from the C-terminus tail of the Medicago truncatula defensin MtDef4.

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Article Synopsis
  • Collagen is the most abundant protein in mammals and is crucial for many biological functions, while its production is often expensive and challenging.
  • Using the small molecule ML228, which activates the hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF), researchers found that collagen type-I levels increased significantly in human fibroblast cells.
  • This study highlights a novel way to enhance collagen production by manipulating cellular signaling pathways, which could improve biotechnological applications like cultivated meat and medical engineering.
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Design of peptide binders is an attractive strategy for targeting "undruggable" protein-protein interfaces. Current design protocols rely on the extraction of an initial sequence from one known protein interactor of the target protein, followed by in-silico or in-vitro mutagenesis-based optimization of its binding affinity. Wet lab protocols can explore only a minor portion of the vast sequence space and cannot efficiently screen for other desirable properties such as high specificity and low toxicity, while in-silico design requires intensive computational resources and often relies on simplified binding models.

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