Hortensins, Type 1 Ribosome-Inactivating Proteins from Seeds of Red Mountain Spinach: Isolation, Characterization, and Their Effect on Glioblastoma Cells.

Ribosome inactivating proteins (RIPs) are specific N-β-glycosylases that are well-characterized in plants. Their enzymatic action is to damage ribosomes, thereby blocking protein translation. Recently, several research groups have been working on the screening for these toxins in edible plants to facilitate the use of RIPs as biotechnological tools and biopesticides and to overcome public prejudice.

MucR from : New Insights into Its DNA Targets and Its Ability to Oligomerize.

Proteins of the MucR/Ros family play a crucial role in bacterial infection or symbiosis with eukaryotic hosts. MucR from plays a regulatory role in establishing symbiosis with the host plant, both dependent and independent of Quorum Sensing. Here, we report the first characterization of MucR isolated from by mass spectrometry and demonstrate that this protein forms higher-order oligomers in its native condition of expression by SEC-MALS.

The Biological Action and Structural Characterization of Eryngitin 3 and 4, Ribotoxin-like Proteins from Fruiting Bodies.

Ribotoxin-like proteins (RL-Ps) are specific ribonucleases found in mushrooms that are able to cleave a single phosphodiester bond located in the sarcin-ricin loop (SRL) of the large rRNA. The cleaved SRL interacts differently with some ribosomal proteins (P-stalk). This action blocks protein synthesis because the damaged ribosomes are unable to interact with elongation factors.

A robust nanoLC high-resolution mass spectrometry methodology for the comprehensive profiling of lactic acid bacteria in milk kefir.

Consumer attention to functional foods containing probiotics is growing because of their positive effects on human health. Kefir is a fermented milk beverage produced by bacteria and yeasts. Given the emerging kefir market, there is an increasing demand for new methodologies to certify product claims such as colony-forming units/g and bacterial taxa.

Isolation, Characterization, and Biocompatibility of Bisporitin, a Ribotoxin-like Protein from White Button Mushroom ().

White button mushroom ( (J.E. Lange) Imbach) is one of the widely consumed edible mushrooms.

Molecular Fingerprint of Human Pathological Synoviocytes in Response to Extractive Sulfated and Biofermentative Unsulfated Chondroitins.

Pharma-grade extractive chondroitin sulfate (CS) is widely used for osteoarthritis (OA) treatment. Recently, unsulfated biofermentative chondroitin (BC) proved positive effects in OA in vitro model. This study, based on primary pathological human synoviocytes, aimed to analyze, by a multiplex assay, a panel of OA-related biomarkers in response to short-term treatments with bovine (CS), pig (CS) and fish (CS) chondroitins, in comparison to BC.

Host and Viral Zinc-Finger Proteins in COVID-19.

An unprecedented effort to tackle the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has characterized the activity of the global scientific community over the last two years. Hundreds of published studies have focused on the comprehension of the immune response to the virus and on the definition of the functional role of SARS-CoV-2 proteins. Proteins containing zinc fingers, both belonging to SARS-CoV-2 or to the host, play critical roles in COVID-19 participating in antiviral defenses and regulation of viral life cycle.

Deciphering Molecular Determinants Underlying Response to Biological and Chemical Antifungal Agents by Tandem Mass Tag (TMT)-Based High-Resolution LC-MS/MS.

is a widespread pathogen responsible for the postharvest decay of citrus, one of the most economically important crops worldwide. Currently, chemical fungicides are still the main strategy to control the green mould disease caused by the fungus. However, the increasing selection and proliferation of fungicide-resistant strains require more efforts to explore new alternatives acting via new or unexplored mechanisms for postharvest disease management.

Mass spectrometry-based protein and peptide profiling for food frauds, traceability and authenticity assessment.

The ever-growing use of mass spectrometry (MS) methodologies in food authentication and traceability originates from their unrivalled specificity, accuracy and sensitivity. Such features are crucial for setting up analytical strategies for detecting food frauds and adulterations by monitoring selected components within food matrices. Among MS approaches, protein and peptide profiling has become increasingly consolidated.

Ageritin from Pioppino Mushroom: The Prototype of Ribotoxin-Like Proteins, a Novel Family of Specific Ribonucleases in Edible Mushrooms.

Ageritin is a specific ribonuclease, extracted from the edible mushroom (synonym ), which cleaves a single phosphodiester bond located within the universally conserved alpha-sarcin loop (SRL) of 23-28S rRNAs. This cleavage leads to the inhibition of protein biosynthesis, followed by cellular death through apoptosis. The structural and enzymatic properties show that Ageritin is the prototype of a novel specific ribonucleases family named 'ribotoxin-like proteins', recently found in fruiting bodies of other edible basidiomycetes mushrooms (e.

ZBTB2 protein is a new partner of the Nucleosome Remodeling and Deacetylase (NuRD) complex.

ZBTB2 is a protein belonging to the BTB/POZ zinc-finger family whose members typically contain a BTB/POZ domain at the N-terminus and several zinc-finger domains at the C-terminus. Studies have been carried out to disclose the role of ZBTB2 in cell proliferation, in human cancers and in regulating DNA methylation. Moreover, ZBTB2 has been also described as an ARF, p53 and p21 gene repressor as well as an activator of genes modulating pluripotency.

The change of conditions does not affect Ros87 downhill folding mechanism.

Downhill folding has been defined as a unique thermodynamic process involving a conformations ensemble that progressively loses structure with the decrease of protein stability. Downhill folders are estimated to be rather rare in nature as they miss an energetically substantial folding barrier that can protect against aggregation and proteolysis. We have previously demonstrated that the prokaryotic zinc finger protein Ros87 shows a bipartite folding/unfolding process in which a metal binding intermediate converts to the native structure through a delicate barrier-less downhill transition.

Structural Insight of the Full-Length Ros Protein: A Prototype of the Prokaryotic Zinc-Finger Family.

Ros/MucR is a widespread family of bacterial zinc-finger (ZF) containing proteins that integrate multiple functions such as virulence, symbiosis and/or cell cycle transcription. NMR solution structure of Ros DNA-binding domain (region 56-142, i.e.

Differential Secretome Profiling of Human Osteoarthritic Synoviocytes Treated with Biotechnological Unsulfated and Marine Sulfated Chondroitins.

Symptomatic slow-acting drugs (SYSADOA) are increasingly used as effective therapies for osteoarthritis, representing an attractive alternative to analgesics or non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs to relieve disease symptoms. Pharmaceutical preparations of chondroitin sulfate, derived from animal sources, alone or in combination with glucosamine sulfate, are widely recognized for their beneficial effect on osteoarthritis treatment. A growing interest has also been devoted to understanding the molecular mechanisms modulated by SYSADOA using -omic strategies, most of which rely on chondrocytes as a model system.

Different Impacts of MucR Binding to the and Promoters on Gene Expression in 2308.

The protein MucR from Brucella abortus has been described as a transcriptional regulator of many virulence genes. It is a member of the Ros/MucR family comprising proteins that control the expression of genes important for the successful interaction of α-proteobacteria with their eukaryotic hosts. Despite clear evidence of the role of MucR in repressing virulence genes, no study has been carried out so far demonstrating the direct interaction of this protein with the promoter of its target gene encoding a LuxR-like regulator repressing genes.

Phosphoproteomic analysis sheds light on intracellular signaling cascades triggered by Formyl-Peptide Receptor 2.

Formyl peptide receptors (FPRs) belong to the family of seven transmembrane Gi-protein coupled receptors (GPCR). FPR2 is considered the most promiscuous member of this family since it recognizes a wide variety of ligands. It plays a crucial role in several physio-pathological processes and different studies highlighted the correlation between its expression and the higher propensity to invasion and metastasis of some cancers.

Macrophage Migration Inhibitory Factor Is a Molecular Determinant of the Anti-EGFR Monoclonal Antibody Cetuximab Resistance in Human Colorectal Cancer Cells.

Background: The clinical impact of the monoclonal antibody cetuximab targeting the EGFR in colorectal cancer (CRC) is widely recognized. Nevertheless, the onset of cetuximab resistance is a serious issue that limits the effectiveness of this drug in targeted therapies. Unraveling the molecular players involved in cancer resistance is the first step towards the identification of alternative signaling pathways that can be targeted to circumvent resistance mechanisms restoring the efficacy of therapeutic treatments in a tailored manner.

Therapeutic Perspectives of Molecules from Extracts for Cancer Treatment.

A large range of chronic and degenerative diseases can be prevented through the use of food products and food bioactives. This study reports the health benefits and biological activities of the () edible plant, with particular focus on its cancer chemopreventive potential. Numerous studies have attempted to investigate the most efficient anti-cancer therapy with few side effects and high toxicity on cancer cells to overcome the chemoresistance of cancer cells and the adverse effects of current therapies.

Reliable identification of lactic acid bacteria by targeted and untargeted high-resolution tandem mass spectrometry.

Probiotic lactic acid bacteria (LAB) are generally employed in food industry because they contribute to nutritional value of fermented foods. Although knowledge of LAB composition is of high relevance for various industrial and biotechnological applications, the comprehensive identification of LAB species is sometimes technically challenging. Recently, MALDI-TOF MS-based methodologies for bacteria detection/identification in clinical diagnostics and agri-food proved to be an attractive strategy, complementary to traditional techniques for their sensitivity and specificity.

Identifying the region responsible for Brucella abortus MucR higher-order oligomer formation and examining its role in gene regulation.

MucR is a member of the Ros/MucR family of prokaryotic zinc-finger proteins found in the α-proteobacteria which regulate the expression of genes required for the successful pathogenic and symbiotic interactions of these bacteria with the eukaryotic hosts. The structure and function of their distinctive zinc-finger domain has been well-studied, but only recently the quaternary structure of the full length proteins was investigated demonstrating their ability to form higher-order oligomers. The aim of this study was to identify the region of MucR involved in higher-order oligomer formation by analysing deletion and point mutants of this protein by Light Scattering, and to determine the role that MucR oligomerization plays in the regulatory function of this protein.

Interactome mapping defines BRG1, a component of the SWI/SNF chromatin remodeling complex, as a new partner of the transcriptional regulator CTCF.

The highly conserved zinc finger CCCTC-binding factor (CTCF) regulates genomic imprinting and gene expression by acting as a transcriptional activator or repressor of promoters and insulator of enhancers. The multiple functions of CTCF are accomplished by co-association with other protein partners and are dependent on genomic context and tissue specificity. Despite the critical role of CTCF in the organization of genome structure, to date, only a subset of CTCF interaction partners have been identified.

Folding mechanisms steer the amyloid fibril formation propensity of highly homologous proteins.

Significant advances in the understanding of the molecular determinants of fibrillogenesis can be expected from comparative studies of the aggregation propensities of proteins with highly homologous structures but different folding pathways. Here, we fully characterize, by means of stopped-flow, T-jump, CD and DSC experiments, the unfolding mechanisms of three highly homologous proteins, zinc binding Ros87 and Ml1 and zinc-lacking Ml4. The results indicate that the three proteins significantly differ in terms of stability and (un)folding mechanisms.

Cationic nucleopeptides as novel non-covalent carriers for the delivery of peptide nucleic acid (PNA) and RNA oligomers.

Cationic nucleopeptides belong to a family of synthetic oligomers composed by amino acids and nucleobases. Their capability to recognize nucleic acid targets and to cross cellular membranes provided the basis for considering them as novel non-covalent delivery agents for nucleic acid pharmaceuticals. Herein, starting from a 12-mer nucleopeptide model, the number of cationic residues was modulated in order to obtain new nucleopeptides endowed with high solubility in acqueous medium, acceptable bio-stability, low cytotoxicity and good capability to bind nucleic acid.

MucR binds multiple target sites in the promoter of its own gene and is a heat-stable protein: Is MucR a H-NS-like protein?

The protein MucR from spp. is involved in the expression regulation of genes necessary for host interaction and infection. MucR is a member of the Ros/MucR family, which comprises prokaryotic zinc-finger proteins and includes Ros from and the Ml proteins from .