Generative artificial intelligence (AI) models trained on natural protein sequences have been used to design functional enzymes. However, their ability to predict individual reaction steps in enzyme catalysis remains unclear, limiting the potential use of sequence information for enzyme engineering. In this study, we demonstrated that sequence information can predict the rate of the S2 step of a haloalkane dehalogenase using a generative maximum-entropy (MaxEnt) model.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFMultimeric membrane proteins are produced in the endoplasmic reticulum and transported to their target membranes which, for ion channels, is typically the plasma membrane. Despite the availability of many fully assembled channel structures, our understanding of assembly intermediates, multimer assembly mechanisms, and potential functions of non-standard assemblies is limited. We demonstrate that the pentameric ligand-gated serotonin 5-HT3A receptor (5-HT3AR) can assemble to tetrameric forms and report the structures of the tetramers in plasma membranes of cell-derived microvesicles and in membrane memetics using cryo-electron microscopy and tomography.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFComput Methods Programs Biomed
November 2024
Background And Objective: Establishing accurate one-to-one morphological correspondence between different hippocampal surfaces is a solid foundation for the analysis of AD-induced hippocampal morphological changes. However, owing to the large variations between hippocampal surfaces, exiting registration work either fails to obtain the accurate matching of local and overall morphological features or does not preserve the bijectivity during parametric mapping. For this reason, this study proposes a hybrid-feature based spherical quasi-conformal registration (HSQR) method that can effectively maintain the diffeomorphic property while meeting the hybrid-feature matching constraints in the spherical parameter domain.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFCold allodynia is a common complaint of patients suffering from neuropathic pain initiated by peripheral nerve injury. However, the mechanisms that drive neuropathic cold pain remain elusive. In this study, we show that the interleukin (IL)-33/ST2 signaling in the dorsal root ganglion (DRG) is a critical contributor to neuropathic cold pain by interacting with the cold sensor transient receptor potential melastatin 8 (TRPM8).
View Article and Find Full Text PDFA research model combining a disease and syndrome can provide new ideas for the treatment of ischemic stroke. In the field of traditional Chinese medicine, blood stasis and toxin (BST) syndrome is considered an important syndrome seen in patients with ischemic stroke (IS). However, the biological basis of IS-BST syndrome is currently not well understood.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFOne-unit-cell FeSe films on SrTiO substrates are of great interest owing to significantly enlarged pairing gaps characterized by two coherence peaks at ±10 meV and ±20 meV. In-situ transport measurement is desired to reveal novel properties. Here, we performed in-situ microscale electrical transport and combined scanning tunneling microscopy measurements on continuous one-unit-cell FeSe films with twin boundaries.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFChronic pain (CP) is a leading cause of disability and a potential factor that affects biological processes, family relationships, and self-esteem of patients. However, the need for treatment of CP is presently unmet. Current methods of pain management involve the use of drugs, but there are different degrees of concerning side effects.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPerception of pathogen/microbial-associated molecular patterns (P/MAMPs) by plant cell surface receptors leads to a sustained burst of reactive oxygen species (ROS), a key feature of P/MAMP-triggered immunity (PTI). Here we report that P/MAMP recognition leads to a rapid nitrosative burst, initiating the accumulation of nitric oxide (NO), subsequently leading to -nitrosylation of the receptor-like cytoplasmic kinase (RLCK), botrytis-induced kinase 1 (BIK1), at Cys. This redox-based, posttranslational modification, promotes the phosphorylation of BIK1, subsequently resulting in BIK1 activation and stabilization.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe application of computational biology in drug development for membrane protein targets has experienced a boost from recent developments in deep learning-driven structure prediction, increased speed and resolution of structure elucidation, machine learning structure-based design and the evaluation of big data. Recent protein structure predictions based on machine learning tools have delivered surprisingly reliable results for water-soluble and membrane proteins but have limitations for development of drugs that target membrane proteins. Structural transitions of membrane proteins have a central role during transmembrane signaling and are often influenced by therapeutic compounds.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFObjective: The extracellular phosphoprotein, secreted phosphoprotein 1 (SPP1), plays a crucial role in various tumors and regulating the immune system. This study aimed to evaluate its prognostic value and relationship to immune infiltration in lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD).
Methods: In the TCGA and GEO datasets, the information on clinic and transcriptome analysis of SPP1 in non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) was examined accordingly.
Olfactory receptors (ORs) form the most important chemosensory receptor family responsible for our sense of smell in the nasal olfactory epithelium. This receptor family belongs to the class A G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs). Recent research has indicated that ORs are involved in many nonolfactory physiological processes in extranasal tissue, such as the brain, pancreas, and testes, and implies the possible role of their dysregulation in various diseases.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFLeucine-rich repeat-containing protein 8 A (LRRC8A) protein is a critical member of volume-regulated anion channels. It plays a critical roles in the regulation of cellular volume and involves in the development of diseases like osteoarthritis. Screening of lead compounds to modulate its function may provide potential therapeutics of related diseases.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFInflammation and immunity play important roles in the pathogenesis of ischemic stroke. This study aimed to explore key regulatory genes in acute ischemic stroke (AIS) and their underlying mechanisms to provide new research targets for the diagnosis and treatment of ischemic stroke. We searched for differentially expressed mRNAs and miRNAs in patients with AIS and healthy populations in GEO databases, constructed a miRNA-mRNA network, and screened key miRNAs using least absolute shrinkage and selection operator regression and the support vector machine-recursive feature elimination model.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: The Ze-Qi decoction (ZQD) is a traditional Chinese herbal formula commonly applied to treat lung cancer in China. This study aimed to assess the effective ingredients and molecular mechanisms of ZQD in treating non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) based on network pharmacology combined with experimental validation.
Methods: Network pharmacology, bioinformatics, and molecular docking analyses were conducted to explore the mechanism of ZQD for treating NSCLC, which was further confirmed by animal experiments.
Objective: Cognitive impairment, one of the most prevalent complications of trigeminal neuralgia, is troubling for patients and clinicians due to limited therapeutic options. Curcumin shows antinociception and neuroprotection pharmacologically, suggesting that it may have therapeutic effect on this complication. This study aimed to investigate whether curcumin alleviates orofacial allodynia and improves cognitive impairment by regulating hippocampal CA1 region synaptic plasticity in trigeminal neuralgia.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPost-stroke depression, a common complication after stroke, severely affects the recovery and quality of life of patients with stroke. Owing to its complex mechanisms, post-stroke depression treatment remains highly challenging. Hippocampal synaptic plasticity is one of the key factors leading to post-stroke depression; however, the precise molecular mechanisms remain unclear.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFClC-2 transports chloride ions across plasma membranes and plays critical roles in cellular homeostasis. Its dysfunction is involved in diseases including leukodystrophy and primary aldosteronism. AK-42 was recently reported as a specific inhibitor of ClC-2.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFDue to the large amount of antibiotics used for human therapy, agriculture, and even aquaculture, the emergence of multidrug-resistant () led to serious public health threats. Antibiotic-assisted strategies have emerged as a promising approach to alleviate this crisis. Here, the polyphenolic compound gallic acid was found to enhance sulfonamides against multidrug-resistant .
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe authors requested to correct the spelling of labels in Figure 3. The correct spelling should be "Healthy persons". The other elements of the figure remain the same, and the interpretation of the results remain unchanged.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAcute ischemic stroke (AIS) is associated with high rates of disability and mortality, exerting a substantial impact on overall survival and health-related quality of life. Treatment of AIS remains challenging given that the underlying pathologic mechanisms remain unclear. However, recent research has demonstrated that the immune system plays a key role in the development of AIS.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Stem cells offer a promising therapeutic strategy for patients with disorders of consciousness (DOC) after severe traumatic brain injury (TBI), but the optimal transplantation sites and cells are not clear. Although the paraventricular thalamus (PVT) and claustrum (CLA) are associated with consciousness and are candidate transplantation targets, few studies have been designed to investigate this possibility.
Methods: Controlled cortical injury (CCI) was performed to establish a mouse model of DOC.
This study aimed to elucidate the effects of Qingrehuoxue Formula (QRHXF) on NSCLC and its underlying mechanisms. Nude mouse model of subcutaneous tumors was established. QRHXF and erastin were administered orally and intraperitoneally, respectively.
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