Altered expression of WFS1 and NOTCH2 genes associated with diabetic nephropathy in T2DM patients.

Aim: The increased incidence of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and the importance of early identification and management of its complications, especially diabetic nephropathy (DN), have spotted the light on genetic factors that increase risk of T2DM and its related nephropathy. The present study aimed at investigating expression of (KCNJ11, ABCC8, JAZF1, WFS1, PPARG, NOTCH2 and EXOSC4) genes in peripheral blood of T2DM patients.

Method: The study included 30 non-complicated T2DM patients, 30 patients with DN and 40 healthy controls.

Prediction and Analysis of Three-Dimensional Structure of the p7- Transactivated Protein1 of Hepatitis C Virus.

Background: The p7-transactivated protein1 of Hepatitis C virus is a small integral membrane protein of 127 amino acids, which is crucial for assembly and release of infectious virions. Ab initio or comparative modelling, is an essential tool to solve the problem of protein structure prediction and to comprehend the physicochemical fundamental of how proteins fold in nature.

Results: Only one domain (1-127) of p7-transactivated protein1 has been predicted using the systematic in silico approach, ThreaDom.

Synthesis, pharmacological activity evaluation and molecular modeling of new polynuclear heterocyclic compounds containing benzimidazole derivatives.

Novel heterocyclic compounds containing benzimidazole derivatives were synthesized from 2-(1H-benzimidazol-2-yl) acetonitrile (1) and arylhydrazononitrile derivative 2 was obtained via coupling of 1 with 4-methyl phenyldiazonium salt, which was then reacted with hydroxylamine hydrochloride to give amidooxime derivative 3. This product was cyclized into the corresponding oxadiazole derivative 4 upon reflux in acetic anhydride. Compound 4 was refluxed in DMF in the presence of triethylamine to give the corresponding 5-(1H-benzimidazol-2-yl)-2-p-tolyl-2H-1,2,3-triazol-4-amine 6.

Prediction of prognostic biomarkers for interferon-based therapy to hepatitis C virus patients: a meta-analysis of the NS5A protein in subtypes 1a, 1b, and 3a.

Background: Hepatitis C virus (HCV) is a worldwide health problem with no vaccine and the only approved therapy is Interferon-based plus Ribavarin. Response prediction to treatment has health and economic impacts, and is a multi-factorial problem including both host and viral factors (e.g: age, sex, ethnicity, pre-treatment viral load, and dynamics of the HCV non-structural protein NS5A quasispecies).

Natural genetic engineering of hepatitis C virus NS5A for immune system counterattack.

The Hepatitis C virus nonstructural 5A (NS5A) protein is a hydrophilic phosphoprotein with diverse functions. The domain assignment of NS5A had been refined using a systematic in silico bioinformatics approach using DOMAC, the protein is divided into three domains and domain III is subdivided into two subdomains using ProDom and SSEP servers. The fold structure for domains II and III were predicted using the meta-server 3D-Jury.

Phylogenetic analysis and comparison between cow and buffalo (including Egyptian buffaloes) mitochondrial displacement-loop regions.

Mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) analysis has been used extensively for phylogenetic analysis studies and systematics. The displacement loop (D-loop) region inside the mtDNA is a non-coding part whose analysis can indicate variations between closely related populations. This paper reports for the first time the characterization and analysis of the complete sequence of the D-loop region from Egyptian buffaloes and analysis in conjunction with previously published Indian and European Bubalus bubalis and Bos sub-tribe sequences.

Correlating novel variable and conserved motifs in the Hemagglutinin protein with significant biological functions.

Background: Variations in the influenza Hemagglutinin protein contributes to antigenic drift resulting in decreased efficiency of seasonal influenza vaccines and escape from host immune response. We performed an in silico study to determine characteristics of novel variable and conserved motifs in the Hemagglutinin protein from previously reported H3N2 strains isolated from Hong Kong from 1968-1999 to predict viral motifs involved in significant biological functions.

Results: 14 MEME blocks were generated and comparative analysis of the MEME blocks identified blocks 1, 2, 3 and 7 to correlate with several biological functions.