First Look at the Venoms of Two Snakes: Differences in Yield, Proteomic Profiles, and Immunorecognition by Commercial Antivenoms.

Chinese coral snakes () are highly neglected regarding their venom profiles and harm to humans, which impedes our ability to deeply understand their biological properties and explore their medicinal potential. In this study, we performed a comparative analysis to reveal the venom profiles of two Chinese coral snakes in terms of their venom yields, proteomic profiles, and immunorecognition by commercial antivenoms. The results showed that expels more venom (lyophilized venom mass) than but possesses a similar solid venom content.

Proteotranscriptomic Profiling of the Toxic Mucus of (Pilidiophora, Nemertea).

Nemertea is a phylum of bilaterally symmetrical, coelomate, unsegmented worms, also known as ribbon worms. Most species of the phylum Nemertea are marine predators that contain toxins in the single-celled glands of the proboscis and/or integument. Recent transcriptomic studies have shown that nemerteans from all taxonomic groups possess a wide range of putative protein and peptide toxins, while the proteomic data for these animals are highly limited.

Machine learning and confirmatory factor analysis show that buprenorphine alters motor and anxiety-like behaviors in male, female, and obese C57BL/6J mice.

Buprenorphine is an opioid approved for medication-assisted treatment of opioid use disorder. Used off-label, buprenorphine has been reported to contribute to the clinical management of anxiety. Although human anxiety is a highly prevalent disorder, anxiety is a latent construct that cannot be directly measured.

Control of Neonatal Diarrhea in Piglets with Reduced Antibiotic Use by Application of a Complementary Feed-A Randomized Controlled Farm Trial.

The objective of this farm trial was to investigate if the consumption of antibiotics could be reduced when piglets showing early signs of neonatal diarrhea were treated with an oral dose of tannin extract derived from sweet chestnut wood. The farm had a very high incidence of neonatal diarrhea among gilt litters. Gilts were randomized into test or control groups in a 1:1 ratio to compare the consumption of antibiotics used for piglets and piglet mortality during the four-week trial period.

Lipoprotein Signal Peptide as Adjuvants: Leveraging Lipobox-Driven TLR2 Activation in Modern Vaccine Design.

Toll-like receptor 2 (TLR2) signaling is a pivotal component of immune system activation, and it is closely linked to the lipidation of bacterial proteins. This lipidation is guided by bacterial signal peptides (SPs), which ensure the precise targeting and membrane anchoring of these proteins. The lipidation process is essential for TLR2 recognition and the activation of robust immune responses, positioning lipidated bacterial proteins as potent immunomodulators and adjuvants for vaccines against bacterial-, viral-, and cancer-related antigens.

Transcriptional Systems Vaccinology Approaches for Vaccine Adjuvant Profiling.

Adjuvants are a diverse group of substances that can be added to vaccines to enhance antigen-specific immune responses and improve vaccine efficacy. The first adjuvants, discovered almost a century ago, were soluble crystals of aluminium salts. Over the following decades, oil emulsions, vesicles, oligodeoxynucleotides, viral capsids, and other complex organic structures have been shown to have adjuvant potential.

Antigen Delivery Platforms for Next-Generation Coronavirus Vaccines.

The COVID-19 pandemic, caused by the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), is in its sixth year and is being maintained by the inability of current spike-alone-based COVID-19 vaccines to prevent transmission leading to the continuous emergence of variants and sub-variants of concern (VOCs). This underscores the critical need for next-generation broad-spectrum pan-Coronavirus vaccines (pan-CoV vaccine) to break this cycle and end the pandemic. The development of a pan-CoV vaccine offering protection against a wide array of VOCs requires two key elements: (1) identifying protective antigens that are highly conserved between passed, current, and future VOCs; and (2) developing a safe and efficient antigen delivery system for induction of broad-based and long-lasting B- and T-cell immunity.

Tandem repeats provide evidence for convergent evolution to similar protein structures.

Homology is a key concept underpinning the comparison of sequences across organisms. Sequence-level homology is based on a statistical framework optimized over decades of work. Recently, computational protein structure prediction has enabled large-scale homology inference beyond the limits of accurate sequence alignment.

Metabolic Blockade-Based Genome Mining of SDU050: Discovery of Diverse Secondary Metabolites.

SDU050, a fungus derived from deep-sea sediment, is a prolific producer of diverse secondary metabolites. Genome sequencing revealed the presence of at least 69 biosynthetic gene clusters (BGCs), including 30 encoding type I polyketide synthases (PKSs). This study reports the isolation and identification of four classes of secondary metabolites from wild-type SDU050, alongside five additional metabolite classes, including three novel cytochalasins (-), obtained from a mutant strain through the metabolic blockade strategy.

Preclinical Efficacy and Proteomic Prediction of Molecular Targets for s-cal14.1b and s-cal14.2b Conotoxins with Antitumor Capacity in Xenografts of Malignant Pleural Mesothelioma.

Malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM) is a rare neoplasm with increasing incidence and mortality rates. Although recent advances have improved the overall prognosis, they have not had an important impact on survival of patients with MPM, such that more effective treatments are needed. Some species of marine snails have been demonstrated to be potential sources of novel anticancer molecules.

Structure of a Sulfated Capsular Polysaccharide from the Marine Bacterium KMM 1449 and a Genomic Insight into Its Biosynthesis.

Some marine and extremophilic microorganisms are capable of synthesizing sulfated polysaccharides with a unique structure. A number of studies indicate significant biological properties of individual sulfated polysaccharides, such as antiproliferative activity, which makes them a promising area for further research. In this study, the capsular polysaccharide (CPS) was obtained from the bacterium KMM 1449, isolated from a marine sediment sample collected along the shore of the Sea of Japan.

Exploring the Structural Diversity and Biotechnological Potential of the Rhodophyte Phycolectome.

Lectins are non-covalent glycan-binding proteins found in all living organisms, binding specifically to carbohydrates through glycan-binding domains. Lectins have various biological functions, including cell signaling, molecular recognition, and innate immune responses, which play multiple roles in the physiological and developmental processes of organisms. Moreover, their diversity enables biotechnological exploration as biomarkers, biosensors, drug-delivery platforms, and lead molecules for anticancer, antidiabetic, and antimicrobial drugs.

Exploring the Pharmacological Potential of Carrageenan Disaccharides as Antitumor Agents: An In Silico Approach.

Carrageenans have demonstrated enhanced antitumor activity upon depolymerization into disaccharides. However, the pharmacological viability of these disaccharides and their mechanisms of antitumor action remains to be fully elucidated. This study aimed to employ computational tools to investigate the pharmacological properties and molecular targets pertinent to cancer of the disaccharides derived from the primary carrageenans.

PMT4 Is Involved in -Glycosylation, Cell Wall Organization, Membrane Integrity, and Virulence.

Proteins found within the fungal cell wall usually contain both - and -oligosaccharides. -glycosylation is the process where these oligosaccharides (hereinafter: glycans) are attached to asparagine residues, while in -glycosylation the glycans are covalently bound to serine or threonine residues. The family is grouped into , , and subfamilies.

From Natural Hosts to Agricultural Threats: The Evolutionary Journey of Phytopathogenic Fungi.

Since the domestication of plants, pathogenic fungi have consistently threatened crop production, evolving genetically to develop increased virulence under various selection pressures. Understanding their evolutionary trends is crucial for predicting and designing control measures against future disease outbreaks. This paper reviews the evolution of fungal pathogens from natural habitats to agricultural settings, focusing on eight significant phytopathogens: , , spp.

A Protein with Unknown Function, Ps495620, Is Critical for the Sporulation and Oospore Production of .

While the rapid rise in bioinformatics has facilitated the identification of the domains and functions of many proteins, some still have no domain annotation or largely uncharacterized functions. However, the biological roles of unknown proteins were not clear in oomycetes. An analysis of the genome database identified the protein Ps495620, which has no domain annotations and functional predictions in .

Comparative Study of Lipid Profile for Mice Treated with Cyclophosphamide by HPLC-HRMS and Bioinformatics.

Immunodeficiency conditions, which are characterized by reduced immune activity that promotes the development of chronic diseases, are needed for efficient monitoring. A promising area of monitoring and early diagnosis of immunodeficiency diseases is the determination of metabolic biomarkers in the blood. In this work, we identified a set of lipid biomarkers of immunodeficiency states by performing high-performance liquid chromatography-high-resolution mass spectrometry (HPLC-HRMS) analysis of blood plasma samples from mice and processing them with bioinformatics approaches.

A Structural Bioinformatics-Guided Study of Adenosine Triphosphate-Binding Cassette (ABC) Transporters and Their Substrates.

Adenosine triphosphate-binding cassette (ABC) transporters form a ubiquitous superfamily of integral membrane proteins involved in the translocation of substrates across membranes. Human ABC transporters are closely linked to the pathogenesis of diseases such as cancer, metabolic diseases, and Alzheimer's disease. In this study, four ABC transporters were chosen based on (I) their importance in humans and (II) their score in a structural bioinformatics screen aimed at the prediction of crystallisation propensity.

High FGF18 expression levels predict poor prognosis in endometrial carcinoma patients and promote tumor growth and metastasis.

Objective: To investigate if fibroblast growth factor 18 (FGF18) expression plays an important role in endometrial carcinoma (EC).

Methods: The clinicopathological associations and prognostic value of FGF18 expression were retrospectively analyzed in 190 patients with EC. FGF18 expression was stably knocked down in EC cell lines.

Targeting SLC4A4: A Novel Approach in Colorectal Cancer Drug Repurposing.

Background: Colorectal cancer (CRC) is a complex and increasingly prevalent malignancy with significant challenges in its treatment and prognosis. This study aims to explore the role of the SLC4A4 transporter as a biomarker in CRC progression and its potential as a therapeutic target, particularly in relation to tumor acidity and immune response.

Methods: The study utilized computational approaches, including receptor-based virtual screening and high-throughput docking, to identify potential SLC4A4 inhibitors.

Anticancer Ribosomally Synthesized and Post-Translationally Modified Peptides from Plants: Structures, Therapeutic Potential, and Future Directions.

Cancer remains a significant medical challenge, necessitating the discovery of novel therapeutic agents. Ribosomally synthesized and post-translationally modified peptides (RiPPs) from plants have emerged as a promising source of anticancer compounds, offering unique structural diversity and potent biological activity. This review identifies and discusses cytotoxic RiPPs across various plant families, focusing on their absolute chemical structures and reported cytotoxic activities against cancer cell lines.

Single-Cell RNA Sequencing Reveals LEF1-Driven Wnt Pathway Activation as a Shared Oncogenic Program in Hepatoblastoma and Medulloblastoma.

(1) Background: Hepatoblastoma and medulloblastoma are two types of pediatric tumors with embryonic origins. Both tumor types can exhibit genetic alterations that affect the β-catenin and Wnt pathways; (2) Materials and Methods: This study used bioinformatics and integrative analysis of multi-omics data at both the tumor and single-cell levels to investigate two distinct pediatric tumors: medulloblastoma and hepatoblastoma; (3) Results: The cross-transcriptome analysis revealed a commonly regulated expression signature between hepatoblastoma and medulloblastoma tumors. Among the commonly upregulated genes, the transcription factor LEF1 was significantly expressed in both tumor types.

Building a Genomics-Informed Nursing Workforce: Recommendations for Oncology Nursing Practice and Beyond.

Background: Genomics is a foundational element of precision health and can be used to identify inherited cancers, cancer related risks, therapeutic decisions, and to address health disparities. However, there are structural barriers across the cancer care continuum, including an underprepared nursing workforce, long wait times for service, and inadequate policy infrastructure that limit equitable access to the benefits of genomic discoveries. These barriers have persisted for decades, yet they are modifiable.

Impact of High Glucose on Bone Collagenous Matrix Composition, Structure, and Organization: An Integrative Analysis Using an Ex Vivo Model.

Diabetes mellitus is a widespread metabolic disorder linked to numerous systemic complications, including adverse effects on skeletal health, such as increased bone fragility and fracture risk. Emerging evidence suggests that high glucose may disrupt the extracellular matrix (ECM) of bone, potentially altering its composition and organization. Collagen, the primary organic component of the ECM, is critical for maintaining structural integrity and biomechanical properties.

Glucose-Sensing Carbohydrate Response Element-Binding Protein in the Pathogenesis of Diabetic Retinopathy.

Glucose-sensing ChREBP and MondoA are transcriptional factors involved in the lipogenic, inflammatory, and insulin signaling pathways implicated in metabolic disorders; however, limited ocular studies have been conducted on these proteins. We aimed to investigate the potential role of ChREBP in the pathogenesis of diabetic retinopathy (DR). We used diabetic human and mouse retinal cryosections analyzed by immunohistochemistry.