Structural proteins of human coronaviruses: what makes them different?

Following COVID-19 outbreak with its unprecedented effect on the entire world, the interest to the coronaviruses increased. The causative agent of the COVID-19, severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus - 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is one of seven coronaviruses that is pathogenic to humans. Others include SARS-CoV, MERS-CoV, HCoV-HKU1, HCoV-OC43, HCoV-NL63 and HCoV-229E.

SERS immuno- and apta-assays in biosensing/bio-detection: Performance comparison, clinical applications, challenges.

Surface Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy is increasingly used as a sensitive bioanalytical tool for detection of variety of analytes ranging from viruses and bacteria to cancer biomarkers and toxins, etc. This comprehensive review describes principles of operation and compares the performance of immunoassays and aptamer assays with Surface Enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) detection to each other and to some other bioassay methods, including ELISA and fluorescence assays. Both immuno- and aptamer-based assays are categorized into assay on solid substrates, assays with magnetic nanoparticles and assays in laminar flow or/and strip assays.

RC-4BC cells express nicotinic and muscarinic acetylcholine receptors.

Acetylcholine is one of the most important endogenous neurotransmitters in a range of organisms spanning different animal phyla. Within pituitary gland it acts as autocrine and paracrine signal. In a current study we assessed expression profile of the different subunits of nicotinic as well as muscarinic acetylcholine receptors in RC-4BC cells, which are derived from rat pituitary gland tumor.

Review of COVID-19 testing and diagnostic methods.

More than six billion tests for COVID-19 has been already performed in the world. The testing for SARS-CoV-2 (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus-2) virus and corresponding human antibodies is essential not only for diagnostics and treatment of the infection by medical institutions, but also as a pre-requisite for major semi-normal economic and social activities such as international flights, off line work and study in offices, access to malls, sport and social events. Accuracy, sensitivity, specificity, time to results and cost per test are essential parameters of those tests and even minimal improvement in any of them may have noticeable impact on life in the many countries of the world.

Venom-Derived Neurotoxins Targeting Nicotinic Acetylcholine Receptors.

Acetylcholine was the first neurotransmitter described. The receptors targeted by acetylcholine are found within organisms spanning different phyla and position themselves as very attractive targets for predation, as well as for defense. Venoms of snakes within the family, as well as those of marine snails within the genus, are particularly rich in proteins and peptides that target nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs).

Detection of RNA viruses from influenza and HIV to Ebola and SARS-CoV-2: a review.

RNA-based viruses likely make up the highest pandemic threat among all known pathogens in about the last 100 years, since the Spanish Flu of 1918 with 50 M deaths up to COVID-19. Nowadays, an efficient and affordable testing strategy for such viruses have become the paramount target for the fields of virology and bioanalytical chemistry. The detection of the viruses (influenza, hepatitis, HIV, Zika, SARS, Ebola, SARS-CoV-2, etc.

High Contrast Surface Enhanced Fluorescence of Carbon Dot Labeled Bacteria Cells on Aluminum Foil.

Surface enhanced fluorescence (SEF) is observed with very high contrast (100-200) from single E. coli bacteria cells labeled with Carbon nanodots (CDs), on aluminum foil and aluminum film. Likely, it is the first application of organic CDs in SEF.

Nicotinic Acetylcholine Receptors of PC12 Cells.

Nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs) have gained much attention in the scientific community since they play a significant role in multiple physiological and pathophysiological processes. Multiple approaches to study the receptors exist, with characterization of the receptors' functionality at a single cellular level using cell culturing being one of them. Derived from an adrenal medulla tumor, PC12 cells express nicotinic receptor subunits and form functional nicotinic receptors.

Strong Surface Enhanced Florescence of Carbon Dot Labeled Bacteria Cells Observed with High Contrast on Gold Film.

Strong surface (metal) enhanced fluorescence (SEF or MEF) is observed from clusters and single E coli bacteria cells labeled with Carbon nanodots (CDs), which were synthesized from date pits. The enhancement factor (EF) for SEF of the cell clusters were close to 50 for both 533 and 633 nm laser excitation wavelength. Those EFs are ratios of emission peak areas from CD labeled cell clusters on gold film to the peak areas of the same batch cell clusters on glass substrate.

Structure and Biological Activity of a Turripeptide from Unedogemmula bisaya Venom.

The turripeptide ubi3a was isolated from the venom of the marine gastropod Unedogemmula bisaya, family Turridae, by bioassay-guided purification; both native and synthetic ubi3a elicited prolonged tremors when injected intracranially into mice. The sequence of the peptide, DCCOCOAGAVRCRFACC-NH (O = 4-hydroxyproline) follows the framework III pattern for cysteines (CC-C-C-CC) in the M-superfamily of conopeptides. The three-dimensional structure determined by NMR spectroscopy indicated a disulfide connectivity that is not found in conopeptides with the cysteine framework III: C-C C-C, C-C.

Functional expression of human α9* nicotinic acetylcholine receptors in X. laevis oocytes is dependent on the α9 subunit 5' UTR.

Nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs) containing the α9 subunit are expressed in a wide variety of non-neuronal tissues ranging from immune cells to breast carcinomas. The α9 subunit is able to assemble into a functional homomeric nAChR and also co-assemble with the α10 subunit into functional heteromeric nAChRs. Despite the increasing awareness of the important roles of this subunit in vertebrates, the study of human α9-containing nAChRs has been severely limited by difficulties in its expression in heterologous systems.