TRIM28 regulates transcriptional activity of methyl-DNA binding protein Kaiso by SUMOylation.

Kaiso is a methyl DNA binding transcriptional factor involved in cell cycle control, WNT signaling, colon inflammation, and cancer progression. Recently, it was shown that SUMOylation dynamically modulates the transcriptional activity of Kaiso. However, factors involved in SUMOylation of Kaiso are unknown.

Enhancement of activity and thermostability of Aspergillus niger ATCC 10864 phytase A through rational design.

Aspergillus niger ATCC 10864 phytase A was produced in Penicillium verruculosum. The enzyme was found to have two pH optima of 2.5 and 5.

Broad-spectrum antiviral diazadispiroalkane core molecules block attachment and cell-to-cell spread of herpesviruses.

Regarding the problems with the current available drugs many research studies deal with the class of the dispirotripiperazine (DSTP)-based compounds. These are small molecules consisting of polycyclic saturated ring systems with positively charged nitrogen atoms. These compounds can interact with negatively charged HSPGs and thus block viral attachment.

Nanopore Sequencing for De Novo Bacterial Genome Assembly and Search for Single-Nucleotide Polymorphism.

Nanopore sequencing (ONT) is a new and rapidly developing method for determining nucleotide sequences in DNA and RNA. It serves the ability to obtain long reads of thousands of nucleotides without assembly and amplification during sequencing compared to next-generation sequencing. Nanopore sequencing can help for determination of genetic changes leading to antibiotics resistance.

Shotgun proteomic profiling of dormant, 'non-culturable' Mycobacterium tuberculosis.

Dormant cells of Mycobacterium tuberculosis, in addition to low metabolic activity and a high level of drug resistance, are characterized by 'non-culturability'-a specific reversible state of the inability of the cells to grow on solid media. The biochemical characterization of this physiological state of the pathogen is only superficial, pending clarification of the metabolic processes that may exist in such cells. In this study, applying LC-MS proteomic profiling, we report the analysis of proteins accumulated in dormant, 'non-culturable' M.

Isolation and Biochemical Characterization of Recombinant Transketolase from Mycobacterium tuberculosis.

Transketolase, an enzyme of the pentose phosphate pathway, plays an important role in the functioning of mycobacteria. Using plasmid pET-19b carrying the gene of transketolase from and an additional histidine tag, we isolated and purified recombinant transketolase and determined the conditions for obtaining the apoform of the protein. The Michaelis constants were evaluated for the thiamine diphosphate cofactor in the presence of magnesium and calcium ions.

Thieno[2,3-d]pyrimidine-Core Compounds Show Activity against Clinically Relevant Gram-Positive Bacteria.

Thieno[2,3-d]pyrimidines represent a novel antibacterial prodrug scaffold, previously identified through a screening campaign against Mycobacterium tuberculosis in which the formation of highly antimycobacterial metabolites catalyzed by the nitroreductase Mrx2 is suggested to be the relevant killing mechanism. As analogous activation pathways may also be employed in other prokaryotes, in this work we explored general antibacterial effects of this compound class. Through exploration of the chemical space by different synthetic strategies, 51 novel derivatives were generated, biologically evaluated and thus enabled initial conclusions about structure-activity relationships.

Development of dual reporter vector system for estimating translational activity of regulatory elements.

Background: For the needs of modern biotechnology, a quantitative approach to the control of regulatory elements at all stages of gene expression has long become indispensable. Such a control regime is impossible without a quantitative analysis of the role of each regulatory element or pattern used. Therefore, it seems important to modify and develop the accuracy, reproducibility, and availability of methods for quantifying the contribution of each regulatory code to the implementation of genetic information.

Honeycomb-Structured Porous Films from Poly(3-hydroxybutyrate) and Poly(3-hydroxybutyrate--3-hydroxyvalerate): Physicochemical Characterization and Mesenchymal Stem Cells Behavior.

Surface morphology affects cell attachment and proliferation. In this research, different films made of biodegradable polymers, poly(3-hydroxybutyrate) (PHB) and poly(3-hydroxybutyrate--3-hydroxyvalerate) (PHB--HV), containing different molecular weights, with microstructured surfaces were investigated. Two methods were used to obtain patterned films-water-assisted self-assembly ("breath figure") and spin-coating techniques.

Interplay between the Enamine and Imine Forms of the Hydrolyzed Imipenem in the Active Sites of Metallo-β-lactamases and in Water Solution.

Deactivation of the β-lactam antibiotics in the active sites of the β-lactamases is among the main mechanisms of bacterial antibiotic resistance. As drugs of last resort, carbapenems are efficiently hydrolyzed by metallo-β-lactamases, presenting a serious threat to human health. Our study reveals mechanistic aspects of the imipenem hydrolysis by bizinc metallo-β-lactamases, NDM-1 and L1, belonging to the B1 and the B3 subclasses, respectively.

Environmentally Friendly Wheat Farming: Biological and Economic Efficiency of Three Treatments to Control Fungal Diseases in Winter Wheat ( L.) under Field Conditions.

The control of wheat diseases using bioagents is not well studied under field conditions. The present study was aimed at investigating, during four consecutive growing seasons (2017-2020), the efficacy of two integrated crop protection (ICP) systems to control the common wheat diseases for enhancing the productivity and profitability of winter wheat crops and ensuring nutritional and food security. Two environmental-friendly treatments were tested, biological (T1), which contained bioagents and fertilizers, and combined (T2), which included fertilizers and bioagents coupled with lower doses of fungicides.

Effects of various materials used to promote the direct interspecies electron transfer on anaerobic digestion of low-concentration swine manure.

The activation of direct interspecies electron transfer (DIET) by the supplementation of conductive materials is one of the effective and available methods to enhance anaerobic digestion (AD). Microorganisms that colonize the surface of these materials form biofilms, the study of which could provide new insights into the character of the DIET process and its effect on AD. The present study focused on AD performance, microbial community, as well as morphological and topological features of biofilms on various materials used to promote DIET during AD of low-concentration swine manure.

Effect of Trehalose on Oligomeric State and Anti-Aggregation Activity of αB-Crystallin.

αB-Crystallin (αB-Cr), one of the main crystalline lens proteins, along with other crystallins maintains lens transparency suppressing protein aggregation and thus preventing cataractogenesis. αB-Cr belongs to the class of molecular chaperones; being expressed in many tissues it has a dynamic quaternary structure, which is essential for its chaperone-like activity. Shift in the equilibrium between ensembles of oligomers of different size allows regulating the chaperone activity.

Genomic Estimated Breeding Value of Milk Performance and Fertility Traits in the Russian Black-and-White Cattle Population.

A breakthrough in cattle breeding was achieved with the incorporation of animal genomic data into breeding programs. The introduction of genomic selection has a major impact on traditional genetic assessment systems and animal genetic improvement programs. Since 2010, genomic selection has been officially introduced in the evaluation of the breeding and genetic potential of cattle in Europe, the U.

Keto-enol tautomerism from the electron delocalization perspective.

The equilibrium between keto and enol forms in acetylacetone and its derivatives is studied using electron delocalization indices and delocalization tensor density. We demonstrate how electron delocalization governs the equilibrium between keto and enol forms. The less stable enols have more distinct double and single bond character in the CCC fragment, while electron delocalization in this fragment is more pronounced in more stable enols.

Effect of Betaine and Arginine on Interaction of αB-Crystallin with Glycogen Phosphorylase .

Protein-protein interactions (PPIs) play an important role in many biological processes in a living cell. Among them chaperone-client interactions are the most important. In this work PPIs of αB-crystallin and glycogen phosphorylase (Ph) in the presence of betaine (Bet) and arginine (Arg) at 48 °C and ionic strength of 0.

Polyclonal antibodies against potato spindle tuber viroid RNA.

Ribonucleic acid (RNA) can act as a hapten in the direct immunization of animals. For antigen synthesis, 65 mg of viroid RNA were obtained by transcription of the recombinant DNA. We received a reasonable immune response in mice and rabbits with synthesized conjugate viroid RNA-lysozyme.

Drug Repurposing of the Unithiol: Inhibition of Metallo-β-Lactamases for the Treatment of Carbapenem-Resistant Gram-Negative Bacterial Infections.

The increasing antibiotic resistance is a clinical problem worldwide. Numerous Gram-negative bacteria have already become resistant to the most widely used class of antibacterial drugs, β-lactams. One of the main mechanisms is inactivation of β-lactam antibiotics by bacterial β-lactamases.

Combined action of chemical chaperones on stability, aggregation and oligomeric state of muscle glycogen phosphorylase b.

Chemical chaperones are a class of small molecules, which enhance protein stability, folding, inhibit protein aggregation, and are used for long-term storage of therapeutic proteins. The combined action of chemical chaperones trehalose, betaine and lysine on stability, aggregation and oligomeric state of muscle glycogen phosphorylase b (Phb) has been studied. Dynamic light scattering data indicate that the affinity of trehalose to Phb increased in the presence of betaine or lysine at both stages (stage of nucleation and aggregate growth) of enzyme aggregation at 48 °C, in contrast, the affinity of betaine to the enzyme in the presence of lysine remained practically unchanged.

Purification Process of a Recombinant Human Follicle Stimulating Hormone Biosimilar (Primapur) to Yield a Pharmaceutical Product with High Batch-to-Batch Consistency.

Recombinant human follicle stimulating hormone (r-hFSH) is widely used for infertility treatment and is subject to the development of biosimilars. There are different purification strategies that can yield r-hFSH of pharmaceutical quality from Chinese hamster ovary cell culture broth. We developed a purification process for r-hFSH centered on immunoaffinity chromatography with single-domain recombinant camelid antibodies.

3'-UTR Polymorphism: A Novel Association with FOLFIRINOX-Induced Neurotoxicity in Pancreatic Cancer Patients.

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is a highly fatal malignancy that has the worst 5-year survival rate of all of the common malignant tumors. Surgery, chemotherapy, and/or chemoradiation remain the main tactics for PDAC treatment. The efficacy of chemotherapy is often compromised because of the substantial risk of severe toxicities.

The mechanism of thermal aggregation of glutamate dehydrogenase. The effect of chemical chaperones.

Chemical chaperones are low-molecular compounds counteracting protein aggregation. Understanding of the mechanism of their effects is key to their potential use in biotechnology. The aggregation of bovine liver glutamate dehydrogenase (GDH) was studied at 40 °C and 50 °C using dynamic light scattering, analytical ultracentrifugation, size-exclusion chromatography and differential scanning calorimetry.

Targeting Non-Replicating and Latent Infection: Alternatives and Perspectives (Mini-Review).

Latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI) represents a major challenge to curing TB disease. Current guidelines for LTBI management include only three older drugs and their combinations-isoniazid and rifamycins (rifampicin and rifapentine). These available control strategies have little impact on latent TB elimination, and new specific therapeutics are urgently needed.