Influence of Cataract Causing Mutations on αA-Crystallin: A Computational Approach.

The αA-crystallin protein plays a vital role in maintaining the refractive index and transparency of the eye lens. Significant clinical studies have emerged as the αA-crystallin is prone to aggregation, resulting in the formation of cataracts with varied etiologies due to mutations. This work aims to comprehend the structural and functional role of cataract-causing mutations in αA-crystallin, particularly at N-Terminal and α-Crystallin Domains, using in-silico approaches including molecular dynamics simulation.

Virtual screening, molecular dynamics simulations, and in vitro validation of EGFR inhibitors as breast cancer therapeutics.

A high abundance of Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor (EGFR) in malignant cells makes them a prospective therapeutic target for basal breast tumors. Although EGFR inhibitors are in development as anticancer therapeutics, there exists limitations due to the dose-limiting cytotoxicity that limits their clinical utilization, thereby necessitating the advancement of effective inhibitors. In the present study, we have developed common pharmacophore hypotheses using 30 known EGFR inhibitors.

Performance of a Rapid Digital PCR Test for the Detection of Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer (NSCLC) Variants.

Background: Next-generation sequencing is widely used for comprehensive molecular profiling for many cancers including lung cancer. However, the complex workflows and long turnaround times limit its access and utility. ChromaCode's High Definition PCR Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer Panel (HDPCR™ NSCLC Panel) is a low-cost, rapid turnaround, digital polymerase chain reaction assay that is designed to detect variants in nine NSCLC genes listed in National Comprehensive Cancer Network guidelines.

Changes in the dopaminergic circuitry and adult neurogenesis linked to reinforcement learning in corvids.

The caudolateral nidopallium (NCL, an analog of the prefrontal cortex) is known to be involved in learning, memory, and discrimination in corvids (a songbird), whereas the involvement of other brain regions in these phenomena is not well explored. We used house crows () to explore the neural correlates of learning and decision-making by initially training them on a shape discrimination task followed by immunohistochemistry to study the immediate early gene expression (Arc), a dopaminoceptive neuronal marker (DARPP-32, Dopamine- and cAMP-regulated phosphoprotein, Mr 32 kDa) to understand the involvement of the reward pathway and an immature neuronal marker (DCX, doublecortin) to detect learning-induced changes in adult neurogenesis. We performed neuronal counts and neuronal tracing, followed by morphometric analyses.

Structural dynamics of influenza A (H1N1) hemagglutinin protein: a comparative study of Indian (2018) isolate with its evolutionary neighbor, Californian (2009) strain.

This work highlights the structure and dynamics of two trimeric HA proteins of the H1N1 virus from different origins, the pandemic Californian (HA) and its closest Indian neighbor (HA), reported in 2009 and 2018, respectively. Because of mutation, HA acquires new N-glycosylation and epitope binding sites along with mutations at RBD, which might trigger an altered viral-host interaction mechanism. Molecular dynamics simulations performed on HA trimers for a period of 250 ns reveal the highly dynamic nature of HA trimers inherited by the flexibility of HA monomers.