Pro-Resolving Inflammatory Effects of a Marine Oil Enriched in Specialized Pro-Resolving Mediators (SPMs) Supplement and Its Implication in Patients with Post-COVID Syndrome (PCS).

Objectives: This study aimed to evaluate the eicosanoid and pro-resolutive parameters in patients with Post-COVID Syndrome (PCS) during a 12-week supplementation with a marine oil enriched in specialized pro-resolving mediators (SPMs).

Patient And Methods: This study was conducted on 53 adult patients with PCS. The subjects included must have had a positive COVID-19 test (PCR, fast antigen test, or serologic test) and persistent symptoms related to COVID-19 at least 12 weeks before their enrolment in the study.

Neurotransmitter release is triggered by a calcium-induced rearrangement in the Synaptotagmin-1/SNARE complex primary interface.

The Ca sensor synaptotagmin-1 (Syt1) triggers neurotransmitter release together with the neuronal sensitive factor attachment protein receptor (SNARE) complex formed by syntaxin-1, SNAP25, and synaptobrevin. Moreover, Syt1 increases synaptic vesicle (SV) priming and impairs spontaneous vesicle release. The Syt1 CB domain binds to the SNARE complex through a primary interface via two regions (I and II), but how exactly this interface mediates distinct functions of Syt1 and the mechanism underlying Ca triggering of release are unknown.

Bacterial protein acetylation: mechanisms, functions, and methods for study.

Lysine acetylation is an evolutionarily conserved protein modification that changes protein functions and plays an essential role in many cellular processes, such as central metabolism, transcriptional regulation, chemotaxis, and pathogen virulence. It can alter DNA binding, enzymatic activity, protein-protein interactions, protein stability, or protein localization. In prokaryotes, lysine acetylation occurs non-enzymatically and by the action of lysine acetyltransferases (KAT).

Neurotransmitter release is triggered by a calcium-induced rearrangement in the Synaptotagmin-1/SNARE complex primary interface.

The Ca sensor synaptotagmin-1 triggers neurotransmitter release together with the neuronal SNARE complex formed by syntaxin-1, SNAP25 and synaptobrevin. Moreover, synaptotagmin-1 increases synaptic vesicle priming and impairs spontaneous vesicle release. The synaptotagmin-1 CB domain binds to the SNARE complex through a primary interface via two regions (I and II), but how exactly this interface mediates distinct functions of synaptotagmin-1, and the mechanism underlying Ca-triggering of release is unknown.

Extraction of Proteins from Fermented Food.

The metaproteomic approach allows a deep microbiome characterization in different complex systems. Based on metaproteome data, microbial communities' composition, succession, and functional role in different environmental conditions can be established.The main challenge in metaproteomic studies is protein extraction, and although many protocols have been developed, a few are focused on the protein extraction of fermented foods.

Protocol for the establishment and characterization of an endometrial-derived epithelial organoid and stromal cell co-culture system.

Postnatal development of the uterus involves the specification of undifferentiated epithelium into uterine-type epithelium. That specification is regulated by stromal-epithelial interactions as well as intrinsic cell-specific transcription factors and gene regulatory networks. Here, we present a co-culture system to study the effects of stromal-derived factors on epithelial cell growth and differentiation into organoids.

Control of Munc13-1 Activity by Autoinhibitory Interactions Involving the Variable N-terminal Region.

Regulation of neurotransmitter release during presynaptic plasticity underlies varied forms of information processing in the brain. Munc13s play essential roles in release via their conserved C-terminal region, which contains a MUN domain involved SNARE complex assembly, and control multiple presynaptic plasticity processes. Munc13s also have a variable N-terminal region, which in Munc13-1 includes a calmodulin binding (CaMb) domain involved in short-term plasticity and a CA domain that forms an inhibitory homodimer.

Azaborahelicene fluorophores derived from four-coordinate ,-boron chelates: synthesis, photophysical and chiroptical properties.

A series of six azaborahelicenes with varying electron-donor substitution at the 4-position of the aryl residue (, naphthyl) or with variable π-extension of the aryl residue (thianthrenyl, anthryl, pyrenyl) was prepared with an efficient and flexible synthetic protocol. These different types of functionalization afforded notably pronounced intramolecular charge-transfer (ICT) character for the dyes with the strongest electron donor substitution (NMe) or easiest to oxidize aryl residues, as evidenced by photophysical investigations. These effects also impact the corresponding chiroptical properties of the separated - and -enantiomers, which notably display circularly polarized luminescence (CPL) with dissymmetry factors in the order of magnitude of 10 to 10.

An open chat with… Josep Rizo.

Josep Rizo is a Professor of Biophysics, Biochemistry and Pharmacology at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, where he is Virginia Lazenby O'Hara Chair in Biochemistry. He is particularly interested in the study of the mechanisms of neurotransmitter release and intracellular membrane fusion using structural biology, a variety of biophysical techniques and reconstitution approaches. Jose has been a part of the FEBS Open Bio Editorial Board since 2021.

Structural insights for selective disruption of Beclin 1 binding to Bcl-2.

Stimulation of autophagy could provide powerful therapies for multiple diseases, including cancer and neurodegeneration. An attractive drug target for this purpose is Bcl-2, which inhibits autophagy by binding to the Beclin 1 BH3-domain. However, compounds that preclude Beclin 1/Bcl-2 binding might also induce apoptosis, which is inhibited by binding of Bcl-2 to BH3-domains of pro-apoptosis factors such as Bax.

Improvement in menopausal symptoms with a nutritional product containing evening primrose oil, hop extract, saffron, tryptophan, vitamins B6, D3, K2, B12, and B9.

Objective: Safety concerns or contraindications in the use of hormones have resulted in a rise in the use of nutritional medicinal products for the management of menopausal symptoms. The aim of the present study was to demonstrate the efficacy and safety of Exelvit Menopause®.

Patients And Methods: A prospective, open, observational, and multicentre study was performed, including 156 menopausal women.

Double mutation of open syntaxin and UNC-18 P334A leads to excitatory-inhibitory imbalance and impairs multiple aspects of behavior.

SNARE and Sec/Munc18 proteins are essential in synaptic vesicle exocytosis. Open form t-SNARE syntaxin and UNC-18 P334A are well-studied exocytosis-enhancing mutants. Here we investigate the interrelationship between the two mutations by generating double mutants in various genetic backgrounds in .

Efficient fusion requires a membrane anchor on the vacuolar Qa-SNARE.

As a prelude to fusion, the R-SNARE on one membrane zippers with Qa-, Qb-, and Qc-SNAREs from its apposed fusion partner, forming a four-helical bundle that draws the two membranes together. Because Qa- and Qb-SNAREs are anchored to the same membrane and are adjacent in the 4-SNARE bundle, their two anchors might be redundant. Using the recombinant pure protein catalysts of yeast vacuole fusion, we now report that the specific distribution of transmembrane (TM) anchors on the Q-SNAREs is critical for efficient fusion.

Analysis of tripartite Synaptotagmin-1-SNARE-complexin-1 complexes in solution.

Characterizing interactions of Synaptotagmin-1 with the SNARE complex is crucial to understand the mechanism of neurotransmitter release. X-ray crystallography revealed how the Synaptotagmin-1 C B domain binds to the SNARE complex through a so-called primary interface and to a complexin-1-SNARE complex through a so-called tripartite interface. Mutagenesis and electrophysiology supported the functional relevance of both interfaces, and extensive additional data validated the primary interface.

A Scalable CMOS Molecular Electronics Chip for Single-Molecule Biosensing.

This work reports the first CMOS molecular electronics chip. It is configured as a biosensor, where the primary sensing element is a single molecule "molecular wire" consisting of a ∼100 GΩ, 25 nm long alpha-helical peptide integrated into a current monitoring circuit. The engineered peptide contains a central conjugation site for attachment of various probe molecules, such as DNA, proteins, enzymes, or antibodies, which program the biosensor to detect interactions with a specific target molecule.