Publications by authors named "S Safarian"

Human feline leukaemia virus subgroup C receptor-related proteins 1 and 2 (FLVCR1 and FLVCR2) are members of the major facilitator superfamily. Their dysfunction is linked to several clinical disorders, including PCARP, HSAN and Fowler syndrome. Earlier studies concluded that FLVCR1 may function as a haem exporter, whereas FLVCR2 was suggested to act as a haem importer, yet conclusive biochemical and detailed molecular evidence remained elusive for the function of both transporters.

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Iron-bound cyclic tetrapyrroles (hemes) are redox-active cofactors in bioenergetic enzymes. However, the mechanisms of heme transport and insertion into respiratory chain complexes remain unclear. Here, we used cellular, biochemical, structural and computational methods to characterize the structure and function of the heterodimeric bacterial ABC transporter CydDC.

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Cytochromes are essential for microaerobic respiration of many prokaryotes including a number of human pathogens. These enzymes catalyze the reduction of molecular oxygen to water using quinols as electron donors. Their importance for prokaryotic survival and the absence of eukaryotic homologs make these enzyme ideal targets for antimicrobial drugs.

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Cytochrome bd-type oxidases play a crucial role for survival of pathogenic bacteria during infection and proliferation. This role and the fact that there are no homologues in the mitochondrial respiratory chain qualify cytochrome bd as a potential antimicrobial target. However, few bd oxidase selective inhibitors have been described so far.

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The treatment of infectious diseases caused by multidrug-resistant pathogens is a major clinical challenge of the 21st century. The membrane-embedded respiratory cytochrome -type oxygen reductase is a critical survival factor utilized by pathogenic bacteria during infection, proliferation and the transition from acute to chronic states. encodes for two cytochrome isoforms that are both involved in respiration under oxygen limited conditions.

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