Publications by authors named "Salik R Dahal"

Despite ongoing vaccination programs against COVID-19 around the world, cases of infection are still rising with new variants. This infers that an effective antiviral drug against COVID-19 is crucial along with vaccinations to decrease cases. A potential target of such antivirals could be the membrane components of the causative pathogen, SARS-CoV-2, for instance spike (S) protein.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

The method has provided a versatile process of developing lead compounds from a large database in a short duration. Therefore, it is imperative to look for vaccinations and medications that can stop the havoc caused by SARS-CoV-2. The spike protein of SARS-CoV-2 is required for the viral entry into the host cells, hence inhibiting the virus from fusing and infecting the host.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Ostrinia furnacalis is an invasive lepidopteran agricultural pest that relies on olfaction for mating and reproduction. Male moths have an extremely sensitive olfactory system that can detect the sex pheromones emitted by females over a great distance. Pheromone-binding proteins present in the male moth antenna play a key role in the pheromone uptake, transport, and release at the dendritic membrane of the olfactory neuron.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Ostrinia furnacalis, a lepidopteran moth, is an invasive pest found in Asia, Australia, Africa, and parts of the United States. The O. furnacalis pheromone-binding protein2 (OfurPBP2), present in the male moth antenna, plays a role in the detection of female-secreted pheromone in a process that leads to mating.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Pheromone-binding protein (PBP) in male moth antennae transports pheromone to the olfactory receptor neuron by undergoing a pH-dependent conformational switch, from PBP at higher pH to PBP at lower pH, associated with ligand binding and release, respectively. The characteristic feature of the dramatic protein switch is the pH-dependent reversible coil-helix transition of the C-terminus. In the PBP conformation at pH >6.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Lepidopteran male moths have an extraordinarily sensitive olfactory system that is capable of detecting and responding to minute amounts of female-secreted pheromones over great distances. Pheromone-binding proteins (PBPs) in male antennae ferry the hydrophobic ligand across the aqueous lymph to the olfactory receptor neuron triggering the response. PBPs bind ligands at physiological pH of the lymph and release them at acidic pH near the receptor while undergoing a conformational change.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF