The interaction between the secondary structure elements is the key process, determining the spatial structure and activity of a membrane protein. Transmembrane (TM) helix-helix interaction is known to be especially important for the function of so-called type I or bitopic membrane proteins. In the present work, we present the approach to study the helix-helix interaction in the TM domains of membrane proteins in various lipid environment using solution NMR spectroscopy and phospholipid bicelles. The technique is based on the ability of bicelles to form particles with the size, depending on the lipid/detergent ratio. To implement the approach, we report the experimental parameters of "ideal bicelle" models for four kinds of zwitterionic phospholipids, which can be also used in other structural studies. We show that size of bicelles and type of the rim-forming detergent do not affect substantially the spatial structure and stability of the model TM dimer. On the other hand, the effect of bilayer thickness on the free energy of the dimer is dramatic, while the structure of the protein is unchanged in various lipids with fatty chains having a length from 12 to 18 carbon atoms. The obtained data is analyzed using the computer simulations to find the physical origin of the observed effects.
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http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.bbamem.2018.09.013 | DOI Listing |
Pharm Dev Technol
January 2025
Department of Pharmacy, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Liaoning Normal University, Dalian 116029, China.
In this paper, the pH-sensitive targeting functional material NGR-poly(2-ethyl-2-oxazoline)-cholesteryl methyl carbonate (NGR-PEtOz-CHMC, NPC) modified quercetin (QUE) liposomes (NPC-QUE-L) was constructed. The structure of NPC was confirmed by infrared spectroscopy (IR) and nuclear magnetic resonance hydrogen spectrum (H-NMR). Pharmacokinetic results showed that the accumulation of QUE in plasma of the NPC-QUE-L group was 1.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFNatl Sci Rev
January 2025
State Key Laboratory of Physical Chemistry of Solid Surfaces, School of Electronic Science and Engineering, Department of Chemistry, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361005, China.
Heterogeneous catalysts for parahydrogen-induced polarization (HET-PHIP) would be useful for producing highly sensitive contrasting agents for magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in the liquid phase, as they can be removed by simple filtration. Although homogeneous hydrogenation catalysts are highly efficient for PHIP, their sensitivity decreases when anchored on porous supports due to slow substrate diffusion to the active sites and rapid depolarization within the channels. To address this challenge, we explored 2D metal-organic layers (MOLs) as supports for active Rh complexes with diverse phosphine ligands and tunable hydrogenation activities, taking advantage of the accessible active sites and chemical adaptability of the MOLs.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFIn duplex DNA, A-T and G-C form Watson-Crick base pairs, and Hoogsteen pairing only dominates upon protein binding or DNA damage. Using NMR, we show that an A-T Hoogsteen base pair previously observed in crystal structures of transposon DNA hairpins bound to TnpA protein forms in solution even in the absence of TnpA. This Hoogsteen base pair, located adjacent to a dinucleotide apical loop, exists in dynamic equilibrium with a minor Watson-Crick conformation (population ∼11% and lifetime ∼55 µs).
View Article and Find Full Text PDFComput Methods Programs Biomed
January 2025
Medical AI Lab, School of Biomedical Engineering, Shenzhen University Medical School, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, 518060, China. Electronic address:
Background And Objective: Neurosurgical navigation is a critical element of brain surgery, and accurate segmentation of brain and scalp blood vessels is crucial for surgical planning and treatment. However, conventional methods for segmenting blood vessels based on statistical or thresholding techniques have limitations. In recent years, deep learning-based methods have emerged as a promising solution for blood vessel segmentation, but the segmentation of small blood vessels and scalp blood vessels remains challenging.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFHeliyon
December 2024
Department of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, and Institute of Neurosciences, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.
In early-stage Alzheimer's disease (AD) amyloid-β (Aβ) deposition can induce neuronal hyperactivity, thereby potentially triggering activity-dependent neuronal secretion of phosphorylated tau (p-tau), ensuing tau aggregation and spread. Therefore, cortical excitability is a candidate biomarker for early AD detection. Moreover, lowering neuronal excitability could potentially complement strategies to reduce Aβ and tau buildup.
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