Obtaining kinetic and thermodynamic information for protein amyloid formation can yield new insight into the mechanistic details of this biomedically important process. The kinetics of the structural change that initiates the amyloid pathway, however, has been challenging to access for any amyloid protein system. Here, using the protein β-2-microglobulin (β2m) as a model, we measure the kinetics and energy barrier associated with an initial amyloidogenic structural change. Using covalent labeling and mass spectrometry, we measure the decrease in solvent accessibility of one of β2m's Trp residues, which is buried during the initial structural change, as a way to probe the kinetics of this structural change at different temperatures and under different amyloid forming conditions. Our results provide the first-ever measure of the activation barrier for a structural change that initiates the amyloid formation pathway. The results also yield new mechanistic insight into β2m's amyloidogenic structural change, especially the role of Pro32 isomerization in this reaction.
Cholesterol (Cho) is commonly used to stabilize nanoliposomes; however, there is controversy on the relationship between Cho and health. In this study, we developed a novel multifunctional nanoliposome utilizing structurally similar sitogluside (SG) and dioscin (Dio) instead of Cho to anchor the phospholipid bilayer and synergistically modulate the membrane properties of the nanoliposome (DPPC or DOPC). The storage and gastrointestinal tract stability experiment demonstrated that the changes of physical and chemical properties, including the significantly reduced size and Dio retention rate of nanoliposomes synergistically modulated by SG and Dio compared to those of SG alone, regulated nanoliposomes.
Anhui Province Key Laboratory of Farmland Ecological Conservation and Pollution Prevention, School of Resources and Environment, Anhui Agricultural University, Hefei, 230036, People's Republic of China.
To investigate the modification of Pb adsorption of the functional groups of Cladophora rupestris (C. rupestris) biomass by gamma radiation (Coγ-ray), the interface structure, chemical properties, adsorption behaviors, and Pb adsorption mechanisms of C. rupestris biomass were investigated after irradiation with varying doses of Coγ-ray.
Purpose: This study aimed to investigate the genetic etiology in an infertile patient presenting with consistently elevated progesterone levels.
Methods: Genomic DNA was extracted from the patient's blood sample and subjected to whole-genome sequencing (NGS) using the Illumina NovaSeq platform. Bioinformatic analyses were conducted to identify single nucleotide variants (SNVs) and insertion-deletion mutations (Indels) potentially associated with the patient's clinical phenotype.
Background: Silicon has an important role in regulating water management in plants. It is deposited in cell walls and creates a mechanical barrier against external factors. The aim of this study was to determine the role of silicon supplementation in the synthesis and distribution of callose in oilseed rape roots and to characterize the modifications of cell wall structure of these organs after exposure to drought stress.
The human capacity for culture is a key determinant of our success as a species. While much work has examined adults' abilities to create and transmit cultural knowledge, relatively less work has focused on the role of children (approx. 3-17 years) in this important process.
