Advanced Dressings for Chronic Wound Management.

Wound healing, particularly for chronic wounds, presents a considerable difficulty due to differences in biochemical and cellular processes that occur in different types of wounds. Recent technological breakthroughs have notably advanced the understanding of diagnostic and therapeutic approaches to wound healing. The evolution in wound care has seen a transition from traditional textile dressings to a variety of advanced alternatives, including self-healing hydrogels, hydrofibers, foams, hydrocolloids, environment responsive dressings, growth factor-based therapy, bioengineered skin substitutes, and stem cell and gene therapy.

Protein structure-function continuum model: Emerging nexuses between specificity, evolution, and structure.

The rationale for replacing the old binary of structure-function with the trinity of structure, disorder, and function has gained considerable ground in recent years. A continuum model based on the expanded form of the existing paradigm can now subsume importance of both conformational flexibility and intrinsic disorder in protein function. The disorder is actually critical for understanding the protein-protein interactions in many regulatory processes, formation of membrane-less organelles, and our revised notions of specificity as amply illustrated by moonlighting proteins.

Reexamining the diverse functions of arginine in biochemistry.

Arginine in a free-state and as part of peptides and proteins shows distinct tendency to form clusters. In free-form, it has been found useful in cryoprotection, as a drug excipient for both solid and liquid formulations, as an aggregation suppressor, and an eluent in protein chromatography. In many cases, the mechanisms by which arginine acts in all these applications is either debatable or at least continues to attract interest.

Do vaccines increase or decrease susceptibility to diseases other than those they protect against?

Contrary to the long-held belief that the effects of vaccines are specific for the disease they were created; compelling evidence has demonstrated that vaccines can exert positive or deleterious non-specific effects (NSEs). In this review, we compiled research reports from the last 40 years, which were found based on the PubMed search for the epidemiological and immunological studies on the non-specific effects (NSEs) of the most common human vaccines. Analysis of information showed that live vaccines induce positive NSEs, whereas non-live vaccines induce several negative NSEs, including increased female mortality associated with enhanced susceptibility to other infectious diseases, especially in developing countries.

Biological importance of arginine: A comprehensive review of the roles in structure, disorder, and functionality of peptides and proteins.

Arginine shows Jekyll and Hyde behavior in several respects. It participates in protein folding via ionic and H-bonds and cation-pi interactions; the charge and hydrophobicity of its side chain make it a disorder-promoting amino acid. Its methylation in histones; RNA binding proteins; chaperones regulates several cellular processes.

Moonlighting enzymes: when cellular context defines specificity.

It is not often realized that the absolute protein specificity is an exception rather than a rule. Two major kinds of protein multi-specificities are promiscuity and moonlighting. This review discusses the idea of enzyme specificity and then focusses on moonlighting.

Pre-Molten, Wet, and Dry Molten Globules en Route to the Functional State of Proteins.

Transitions between the unfolded and native states of the ordered globular proteins are accompanied by the accumulation of several intermediates, such as pre-molten globules, wet molten globules, and dry molten globules. Structurally equivalent conformations can serve as native functional states of intrinsically disordered proteins. This overview captures the characteristics and importance of these molten globules in both structured and intrinsically disordered proteins.

Nickel Ferrite Nanoparticles as an Adsorbent for Immobilized Metal Affinity Chromatography of Proteins.

A simple method of preparing amorphous nickel ferrite nanoparticles of about 5 nm diameter is described. These particles were characterized by dynamic light scattering (DLS), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and selected area electron diffraction (SAED). The nanoparticles were evaluated for their use as a magnetic material for immobilized metal affinity chromatography (IMAC).

Drugs, host proteins and viral proteins: how their promiscuities shape antiviral design.

The reciprocal nature of drug specificity and target specificity implies that the same is true for their respective promiscuities. Protein promiscuity has two broadly different types of footprint in drug design. The first is relaxed specificity of binding sites for substrates, inhibitors, effectors or cofactors.

Intrinsic disorder in proteins: Relevance to protein assemblies, drug design and host-pathogen interactions.

Intrinsic disorder in proteins resulting in considerable variation in structure can lead to multiple functions including multi-specificity and diverse pathologies. Protein interfaces can involve disordered regions that assemble through a concerted-fold-and-bind mechanism. The binding involves both enthalpic and entropic gains by exploiting 'hot spots' on the partner and displacing water molecules placed in thermodynamically unfavorable situations.

Protein promiscuity in drug discovery, drug-repurposing and antibiotic resistance.

Proteins are supposed to bind to their substrates/ligands in a specific manner via their pre-formed binding sites, according to classical biochemistry. In recent years, several types of deviations from this norm have been observed and called promiscuous behavior. Enzymatic promiscuities allow several biochemical functions to be carried out by the same enzyme.

How Corona Formation Impacts Nanomaterials as Drug Carriers.

As drugs/drug carriers, upon encountering physiological fluids, nanoparticles adsorb biological molecules almost immediately to form a biocorona, which is often simply called a corona. Once the corona is formed, it dictates the subsequent fate of the drug nanoparticle as a therapeutic agent. Protein adsorption on micron-size or even bigger particles was originally described by the Vroman effect.

Effectiveness of cross-linked enzyme aggregates of cellulolytic enzymes in hydrolyzing wheat straw.

Development of industrially potent cellulolytic enzymes is one of the greatest challenges faced in lignocellulosic feed-stock based bio-refining. In the current work cross-linked enzyme aggregates (CLEAs) of commercial cellulase mix were successfully prepared and their performance to be used as potential industrial enzymes in terms of stability and wheat straw hydrolysis was evaluated. The CLEAs were more stable compared to native enzymes with half-lives being 2.

Three phase partitioning and spectroscopic characterization of bioactive constituent from halophilic Bacillus subtilis EMB M15.

In the present study, a halophilic Bacillus subtilis subsp. spizizenii (NCBI GenBank accession number KX109607) was isolated from the Sambhar Salt Lake, Rajasthan India. This organism exhibited significance antibacterial and antifungal activity against Proteus vulgaris, Bacillus subtilis, Aspergillus niger, Rhizopus oligosporus and Penicillium chrysogenum respectively.

Dual bioimprinting of lipase for synthesis of biodiesel.

Use of biodiesel as an alternative to non-renewable sources of energy has become an attractive option in recent years. The enzymatic synthesis of biodiesel by transesterification of fats/oils with an alcohol is a much more sustainable route than the chemical method. However, cost effectiveness of the enzymatic route is a major barrier in its commercialization.

Protein aggregates: Forms, functions and applications.

Protein aggregation is implicated in diverse biochemical phenomena which include formation of inclusion bodies and amyloids. In recent years, inclusion bodies of many enzymes have been found to be catalytically active. Enzyme precipitates and their crystalline aggregates have found extensive applications in Biocatalysis in low water media.

Protein-Coated Microcrystals, Combi-Protein-Coated Microcrystals, and Cross-Linked Protein-Coated Microcrystals of Enzymes for Use in Low-Water Media.

Protein-coated microcrystals (PCMC) are a high-activity preparation of enzymes for use in low-water media. The protocols for the preparation of PCMCs of Subtilisin Carlsberg and Candida antarctica lipase B (CAL B) are described. The combi-PCMC concept is useful both for cascade and non-cascade reactions.

Cross-Linked Enzyme Aggregates for Applications in Aqueous and Nonaqueous Media.

Extensive cross-linking of a precipitate of a protein by a cross-linking reagent (glutaraldehyde has been most commonly used) creates an insoluble enzyme preparation called cross-linked enzyme aggregates (CLEAs). CLEAs show high stability and performance in conventional aqueous as well as nonaqueous media. These are also stable at fairly high temperatures.

Adding an appropriate amino acid during crosslinking results in more stable crosslinked enzyme aggregates.

Carrier free immobilization, especially crosslinked enzyme aggregates (CLEAs), has become an important design for biocatalysis in several areas. Adding amino acids during formation of CLEAs was found to give biocatalysts more stable at 55 °C and in the presence of 60% acetonitrile. The half-lives of CLEAs prepared with and without Arg addition were 21 and 15 h (subtilisin) and 4 and 1.

Lipase coated clusters of iron oxide nanoparticles for biodiesel synthesis in a solvent free medium.

Methyl or ethyl esters of long chain fatty acids are called biodiesel. Biodiesel is synthesized by the alcoholysis of oils/fats. In this work, lipase from Thermomyces lanuginosus was precipitated over the clusters of Fe3O4 nanoparticles.

Molecular bioimprinting of lipases with surfactants and its functional consequences in low water media.

Lipases from Thermomyces lanuginosa (TLL), Candida rugosa (CRL) and Burkholderia cepacia (BCL) were obtained in the 'open lid' form by adding surfactant molecules like n-octyl-β-d-glucopyranoside (OG), hexadecyl trimethyl ammonium bromide (CTAB), Bis(2-ethylhexyl) sulfosuccinate sodium salt (AOT) and triton X-100 for this purpose. The enzymes were 'dried' by precipitating with 4× (v/v) excess of organic solvents. The imprint surfactant molecules were removed by extensive washing with organic solvents.

Structural Modelling, Substrate Binding and Stability Studies of Endopectate Lyase (PL1B) of Family 1 Polysaccharide Lyase from Clostridium thermocellum.

An endo-pectate lyase (PL1B) of family 1 polysaccharide lyase from Clostridium thermocellum was structurally characterized and its stability under chaotropic agent was determined. The putative domain PL1B was identified from the protein sequence ABN53381.1 belonging to superfamily 3 of pectate lyase.

The family 6 Carbohydrate Binding Module (CtCBM6) of glucuronoxylanase (CtXynGH30) of Clostridium thermocellum binds decorated and undecorated xylans through cleft A.

CtCBM6 of glucuronoxylan-xylanohydrolase (CtXynGH30) from Clostridium thermocellum was cloned, expressed and purified as a soluble ~14 kDa protein. Quantitative binding analysis with soluble polysaccharides by affinity electrophoresis and ITC revealed that CtCBM6 displays similar affinity towards decorated and undecorated xylans by binding wheat- and rye-arabinoxylans, beechwood-, birchwood- and oatspelt-xylan. Protein melting studies confirmed thermostable nature of CtCBM6 and that Ca(2+) ions did not affect its structure stability and binding affinity significantly.

Increasing importance of protein flexibility in designing biocatalytic processes.

Enzymes require some flexibility for catalysis. Biotechnologists prefer stable enzymes but often this stabilization comes at the cost of reduced efficiency. Enzymes from thermophiles have low flexibility but poor catalytic rates.

Lipase catalyzed transesterification of castor oil by straight chain higher alcohols.

Biolubricants from Castor oil were produced enzymatically by transesterification with higher alcohols using a lipase mixture of immobilized Mucor miehei (RMIM) and immobilized Candida antarctica lipase B (Novozym 435) under low water conditions. The conversions were in the range of 80-95% under the optimized conditions.