Molecular modeling of human neutral sphingomyelinase provides insight into its molecular interactions.

The neutral sphingomyelinase (N-SMase) is considered a major candidate for mediating the stress-induced production of ceramide, and it plays an important role in cell-cycle arrest, apoptosis, inflammation, and eukaryotic stress responses. Recent studies have identified a small region at the very N-terminus of the 55 kDa tumour necrosis factor receptor (TNF-R55), designated the neutral sphingomyelinase activating domain (NSD) that is responsible for the TNF-induced activation of N-SMase. There is no direct association between TNF-R55 NSD and N-SMase; instead, a protein named factor associated with N-SMase activation (FAN) has been reported to couple the TNF-R55 NSD to N-SMase.

Molecular modeling of human alkaline sphingomyelinase.

Alkaline sphingomyelinase, which is expressed in the human intestine and hydrolyses sphingomyelin, is a component of the plasma and the lysosomal membranes. Hydrolase of sphingomyelin generates ceramide, sphingosine, and sphingosine 1-phosphate that have regulatory effects on vital cellular functions such as proliferation, differentiation, and apoptosis. The enzyme belongs to the Nucleotide Pyrophosphatase/Phosphodiesterase family and it differs in structural similarity with acidic and neutral sphingomyelinase.

Three dimensional model for N-terminal A domain of DmpR (2-dimethylphenol) protein based on secondary structure prediction and fold recognition.

DmpR (dimethylphenol regulatory protein) is a member of the NtrC family of transcriptional activators and controls the transcription of the dmp operons in response to aromatic effector compounds. Secondary structure and fold recognition prediction of N-terminal A domain of this protein (210 amino acid) was performed in Genesilico Metaserver and 3DJury. The consensus result from these servers suggested MJ_1460 as a template.

An in silico [correction of insilico] approach to bioremediation: laccase as a case study.

Laccase (E.C. 1.