Thioxoamide (thioamide) bonds are nearly isosteric substitutions for amides but have altered hydrogen-bonding and photophysical properties. They are thus well-suited backbone modifications for physicochemical studies on peptides and proteins. The effect of thioxoamides on protein structure and stability has not been subject to detailed experimental investigations up to date. We used alanine-based model peptides to test the influence of single thioxoamide bonds on alpha-helix structure and stability. The results from circular dichroism measurements show that thioxoamides are strongly helix-destabilizing. The effect of an oxo-to-thioxoamide backbone substitution is of similar magnitude as an alanine-to-glycine substitution resulting in a helix destabilization of about 7 kJ/mol. NMR characterization of a helical peptide with a thioxopeptide bond near the N-terminus indicates that the thioxopeptide moiety is tolerated in helical structures. The thioxoamide group is engaged in an i, i+4 hydrogen bond, arguing against the formation of a 3(10)-helical structure as suggested for the N-termini of alpha-helices in general and for thioxopeptides in particular.
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http://dx.doi.org/10.1021/ja8015044 | DOI Listing |
Skelet Muscle
January 2025
Department of Molecular Physiology and Biophysics, and Department of Neurology, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Senator Paul D. Wellstone Muscular Dystrophy Specialized Research Center, Roy J. and Lucille A. Carver College of Medicine, The University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa, USA.
Background: Maintaining the connection between skeletal muscle fibers and the surrounding basement membrane is essential for muscle function. Dystroglycan (DG) serves as a basement membrane extracellular matrix (ECM) receptor in many cells, and is also expressed in the outward-facing membrane, or sarcolemma, of skeletal muscle fibers. DG is a transmembrane protein comprised of two subunits: alpha-DG (α-DG), which resides in the peripheral membrane, and beta-DG (β-DG), which spans the membrane to intracellular regions.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFJ Headache Pain
January 2025
Department of Brain and Cognitive Engineering, Korea University, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
Inter-individual variability in symptoms and the dynamic nature of brain pathophysiology present significant challenges in constructing a robust diagnostic model for migraine. In this study, we aimed to integrate different types of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), providing structural and functional information, and develop a robust machine learning model that classifies migraine patients from healthy controls by testing multiple combinations of hyperparameters to ensure stability across different migraine phases and longitudinally repeated data. Specifically, we constructed a diagnostic model to classify patients with episodic migraine from healthy controls, and validated its performance across ictal and interictal phases, as well as in a longitudinal setting.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFWorld J Urol
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Department of Urology, Zhangjiagang Hospital Affiliated to Soochow University, Suzhou, Jiangsu, China.
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Methods: Conducted as a multicenter, prospective, single-blind randomized controlled trial, this study enrolled sexually active male patients with BPH. Participants were randomized into three groups: standard HoLEP (Group A), single-n technology (Group B), and innovative double-n technology (Group C), which emphasizes the preservation of the urethral mucosa and nearby structures.
Nat Struct Mol Biol
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Institute of Biophysical Chemistry and Center for Biomolecular Magnetic Resonance, Goethe University, Frankfurt, Germany.
Infection of cells with high-risk strains of the human papillomavirus (HPV) causes cancer in various types of epithelial tissue. HPV infections are responsible for ~4.5% of all cancers worldwide.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFSci Rep
January 2025
University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, 100049, Beijing, China.
The stability criterion based on the characterization of rock masses can be used to advance deep underground engineering projects. A key geomechanical criterion in geotechnical engineering is rock quality designation (RQD), which assesses risk for engineering design success criteria. Time, cost, and credibility constraints make it difficult to accurately estimate RQD.
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