Melleatin, an antibiofilm multitasking protein with rRNA N-glycosylase and nuclease activity from Armillaria mellea fruiting bodies.

Several studies highlight the identification of some enzymes with additional abilities, especially those involved in metabolic pathways and/or host defence processes, classified as multitasking proteins. In this context, we report the characterization of melleatin (17.5-kDa), a multitasking enzyme isolated from Armillaria mellea fruiting bodies.

SIGMAP: an explainable artificial intelligence tool for SIGMA-1 receptor affinity prediction.

Developing sigma-1 receptor (S1R) modulators is considered a valuable therapeutic strategy to counteract neurodegeneration, cancer progression, and viral infections, including COVID-19. In this context, tools capable of accurately predicting S1R affinity are highly desirable. Herein, we present a panel of 25 classifiers trained on a curated dataset of high-quality bioactivity data of small molecules, experimentally tested as potential S1R modulators.

A CD Study of a Structure-Based Selection of -Heterocyclic Bis-Carbene Gold(I) Complexes as Potential Ligands of the G-Quadruplex-Forming Human Telomeric hTel23 Sequence.

Herein, we report the structure-based selection via molecular docking of four -heterocyclic bis-carbene gold(I) complexes, whose potential as ligands for the hTel23 G-quadruplex structure has been investigated using circular dichroism (CD) spectroscopy, CD melting, and polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (PAGE). The complex containing a bis(1,2,3,4,6,7,8,9-octahydro-11-11-pyridazino[1,2-a]indazol-11-yl) scaffold induces a transition from the hybrid (3 + 1) topology to a prevalent parallel G-quadruplex conformation, whereas the complex featuring a bis(2-(2-acetamidoethyl)-3-imidazo[1,5-a]pyridin-3(2)-yl) moiety disrupted the original G-quadruplex structure. These results deserve particular attention in light of the recent findings on the pathological involvements of G-quadruplexes in neurodegenerative diseases.

Microwave-Assisted, Solid-State Procedure to Covalently Conjugate Hyaluronic Acid to Curcumin: Validation of a Green Synthetic Protocol.

A microwave-assisted esterification reaction to prepare hyaluronan-curcumin derivatives by employing a solvent-free process was developed. In particular, a solid-state strategy to react two molecules characterized by totally different solubility profiles was developed. Hyaluronic acid, a highly hydrosoluble polysaccharide, was reacted with hydrophobic and even water-unstable curcumin.