Menaquinone-specific turnover by Mycobacterium tuberculosis cytochrome bd is redox regulated by the Q-loop disulfide bond.

Cytochrome bd from Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtbd) is a menaquinol oxidase that has gained interest as an antibiotic target because of its importance in survival under infectious conditions. Mtbd contains a characteristic disulfide bond that has been hypothesized to allow for Mtbd activity regulation at the enzymatic level, possibly helping M. tuberculosis to rapidly adapt to the hostile environment of the phagosome.

Structural basis for surface activation of the classical complement cascade by the short pentraxin C-reactive protein.

Human C-reactive protein (CRP) is a pentameric complex involved in immune defense and regulation of autoimmunity. CRP is also a therapeutic target, with both administration and depletion of serum CRP being pursued as a possible treatment for autoimmune and cardiovascular diseases, among others. CRP binds to phosphocholine (PC) moieties on membranes to activate the complement system via the C1 complex, but it is unknown how CRP, or any pentraxin, binds to C1.

A multipurpose, adolescent idiopathic scoliosis-specific, short MRI protocol: A feasibility study in volunteers.

Introduction: Visualization of scoliosis typically requires ionizing radiation (radiography and CT) to visualize bony anatomy. MRI is often additionally performed to screen for neural axis abnormalities. We propose a 14-minutes radiation-free scoliosis-specific MRI protocol, which combines MRI and MRI-based synthetic CT images to visualize soft and osseous structures in one examination.

Indirect H-[C] MRS of the human brain at 7 T using a C-birdcage coil and eight transmit-receive H-dipole antennas with a 32-channel H-receive array.

The neuronal tricarboxylic acid and glutamate/glutamine (Glu/Gln) cycles play important roles in brain function. These processes can be measured in vivo using dynamic H-[C] MRS during administration of C-labeled glucose. Proton-observed carbon-edited (POCE) MRS enhances the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) compared with direct C-MRS.

Levamisole Modulation of Podocytes' Actin Cytoskeleton in Nephrotic Syndrome.

Podocytes play a central role in glomerular diseases such as (idiopathic) nephrotic syndrome (iNS). Glucocorticoids are the gold standard therapy for iNS. Nevertheless, frequent relapses are common.