Publications by authors named "Robert Helma"

Article Synopsis
  • Armadillo repeat-containing proteins (ARMCs) are important for various cellular functions like adhesion, signaling, and regulating cellular structures, with ARMC6 being significant in primates but its specific roles were previously unclear.
  • Recent experiments show that ARMC6 binds to DNA promoter sequences of cancer-related genes and to telomeric RNA, suggesting involvement in chromosomal maintenance via recognition of G-quadruplex structures.
  • Overexpression of ARMC6 in human cell lines leads to altered expression of oncogenic and telomerase-related genes, highlighting its potential role in linking gene regulation with telomeric chromatin rearrangement.
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TP53 gene abnormalities represent the most important biomarker in chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL). Altered protein modifications could also influence p53 function, even in the wild-type protein. We assessed the impact of p53 protein phosphorylations on p53 functions as an alternative inactivation mechanism.

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Expansions of trinucleotide repeats (TNRs) are associated with genetic disorders such as Friedreich's ataxia. The tumor suppressor p53 is a central regulator of cell fate in response to different types of insults. Sequence and structure-selective modes of DNA recognition are among the main attributes of p53 protein.

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Triplex DNA is implicated in a wide range of biological activities, including regulation of gene expression and genomic instability leading to cancer. The tumor suppressor p53 is a central regulator of cell fate in response to different type of insults. Sequence and structure specific modes of DNA recognition are core attributes of the p53 protein.

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G-quadruplexes are four-stranded nucleic acid structures that are implicated in the regulation of transcription, translation and replication. Genome regions enriched in putative G-quadruplex motifs include telomeres and gene promoters. Tumour suppressor p53 plays a critical role in regulatory pathways leading to cell cycle arrest, DNA repair and apoptosis.

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In an attempt to develop a label- and reagent-free electrochemical method for the detection of lectin-glycoprotein interactions, we tested lectin-concanavalin A (ConA), glycoprotein-ovalbumin (Ova) and their complex using chronopotentiometric stripping (CPS) analysis and a hanging mercury drop electrode. Incubation of ConA with Ova resulted in an increase of the CPS peak H of the complex as compared to the CPS peaks of individual Ova and ConA proteins. Qualitatively similar results were obtained with other glycoprotein-lectin couples (ConA-RNase B and lectin from Sambucus nigra-fetuin).

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