In silico evaluation of the impact of Omicron variant of concern sublineage BA.4 and BA.5 on the sensitivity of RT-qPCR assays for SARS-CoV-2 detection using whole genome sequencing.

Background: Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) variant of concern (VoC) Omicron (B.1.1.

Myxobacterial depsipeptide chondramides interrupt SARS-CoV-2 entry by targeting its broad, cell tropic spike protein.

The severity of the COVID-19 pandemic has necessitated the search for drugs against SARS-CoV-2. In this study, we explored approaches myxobacterial secondary metabolites against various receptor-binding regions of SARS-CoV-2 spike which are responsible in recognition and attachment to host cell receptors mechanisms, namely ACE2, GRP78, and NRP1. In general, cyclic depsipeptide chondramides conferred high affinities toward the spike RBD, showing strong binding to the known viral hot spots Arg403, Gln493 and Gln498 and better selectivity compared to most host cell receptors studied.

Potential Cancer- and Alzheimer's Disease-Targeting Phosphodiesterase Inhibitors from : Insights from and Consensus Virtual Screening.

Inhibition of the major cyclic adenosine monophosphate-metabolizing enzyme PDE4 has shown potential for the discovery of drugs for cancer, inflammation, and neurodegenerative disorders such as Alzheimer's disease. As a springboard to explore new anti-cancer and anti-Alzheimer's chemical prototypes from rare Annonaceae species, the present study evaluated anti-PDE4B along with antiproliferative and anti-cholinesterase activities of the extracts of the Philippine endemic species using assays and framed the resulting biological significance through computational binding and reactivity-based experiments. Thus, the PDE4 B2B-inhibiting dichloromethane sub-extract (UaD) of elicited antiproliferative activity against chronic myelogenous leukemia (K-562) and cytostatic effects against human cervical cancer (HeLa).

Exploiting the Freshwater Shrimp as Aquatic Invertebrate Model to Evaluate Nontargeted Pesticide Induced Toxicity by Investigating Physiologic and Biochemical Parameters.

As a nicotinoid neurotoxic insecticide, imidacloprid (IMI) works by disrupting nerve transmission via nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (nAChR). Although IMI is specifically targeting insects, nontarget animals such as the freshwater shrimp, , could also be affected, thus causing adverse effects on the aquatic environment. To investigate IMI toxicity on nontarget organisms like , their physiology (locomotor activity, heartbeat, and gill ventilation) and biochemical factors (oxidative stress, energy metabolism) after IMI exposure were examined.