Transmembrane helix-helix interactions mediate the folding and assembly of membrane proteins. Recognition motifs range from GxxxG and leucine zippers to polar side chains and salt bridges. Some canonical membrane proteins contain local charge clusters that are important for folding and function, and which have to be compatible with a stable insertion into the bilayer via the translocon. Recently, the electrostatic "charge zipper" has been described as another kind of assembly motif. The protein sequences exhibit a quasi-symmetrical pattern of complementary charges that can form extended ladders of salt bridges. Such segments can insert reversibly into membranes, or even translocate across them. Nature uses charge zippers in transport processes, and they can also be adapted in the design of cell-penetrating carriers.
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http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.sbi.2014.05.003 | DOI Listing |
RSC Adv
January 2025
Univ. Grenoble Alpes, CNRS, CERMAV 38000 Grenoble France
Supramolecular oleogels, in which low-molecular weight oleogelators self-assemble into various nanostructures through non-covalent interactions, have witnessed increasing research activity in various fields of science, including food, cosmetics or remediation of marine oil spills. Herein, we report a simple scalable and environmentally friendly carbohydrate-based oleogelator, namely, the sodium salt of ,'-dimethyl β- glucosyl barbiturate (GlcBMe) that self-assembles through sonication to induce the gelation of polar organic solvent and later of non-polar vegetable oils by cationic exchange with quaternary ammonium surfactants. Water-soluble GlcBMe was capable of forming self-assembled fibrillar network bridging insoluble particles in the oil by sonication in the presence of a small amount of water.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBiochim Biophys Acta Gen Subj
January 2025
Center for Structural Biology and Bioinformatics, Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB), Brussels, Belgium.
Apolipoprotein E (apoE) polymorphism is associated with different pathologies such as atherosclerosis and Alzheimer's disease. Knowledge of the three-dimensional structure of apoE and isoform-specific structural differences are prerequisites for the rational design of small molecule structure modulators that correct the detrimental effects of pathological isoforms. In this study, cross-linking mass spectrometry (XL-MS) targeting Asp, Glu and Lys residues was used to explore the intramolecular interactions in the E2, E3 and E4 isoforms of apoE.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPediatr Neurol
January 2025
Division of Neurology, Department of Pediatrics, Nationwide Children's Hospital, Columbus, Ohio.
Background: Telestroke assessments are widely used to remotely assess adults with suspected stroke, although they have not been studied in children. SPOT, the Study of Performing the PedNIHSS Over Televideo, tested the feasibility of assessing the Pediatric National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (PedNIHSS) by televideo in children.
Methods: Children aged 2 to 17 years with and without strokes were recruited and examined in the outpatient neurology clinic.
J Chem Inf Model
January 2025
Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Ontario N2L 3G1, Canada.
Tau is a microtubule (MT)-associated protein that binds to and stabilizes the MTs of neurons. Due to its intrinsically disordered nature, it undergoes several post-translational modifications (PTMs) that are intricately linked to both the physiological and pathophysiological roles of Tau. Prior research has shown phosphorylation and O-GlcNAcylation to have contrasting effects on Tau aggregation; however, the precise molecular mechanisms and potential synergistic effects of these modifications remain elusive.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFNanoscale
January 2025
College of Environment, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310014, China.
High salinity in wastewater often hampers the performance of traditional adsorbents by disrupting electrostatic interactions and ion exchange processes, limiting their efficiency. This study addresses these challenges by investigating the salt-promoted adsorption of Cu ions onto amino-functionalized chloromethylated polystyrene (EDA@CMPS) millispheres. The adsorbent was synthesized by grafting ethylenediamine (EDA) onto CMPS, which significantly improved Cu adsorption, achieving nearly three times the capacity in saline solutions (1.
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