Transporter proteins and its implication in human diseases.

Drug transporters, classified in various ways like efflux transporters and influx transporters; secretory transporters and absorptive transporters; ATP-driven transporters and Solute Linked Carrier (SLC) transporters are of great importance while studying pharmacokinetics. They have impeccable roles in the drug discovery process of infectious diseases. Many of these find a pivotal role in synthetic antimicrobial peptides.

A prospectus of plant growth promoting endophytic bacterium from orchid (Vanda cristata).

Background: A plant growth-promoting endophytic bacterium PVL1 isolated from the leaf of Vanda cristata has the ability to colonize with roots of plants and protect the plant. PVL1 was isolated using laboratory synthetic media. 16S rRNA gene sequencing method has been employed for identification before and after root colonization ability.

Promoting Pro-Endocrine Differentiation and Graft Maturation Following Surgical Resection of the Mouse Pancreas.

Type 1 diabetes (T1D) is an autoimmune disease, where insulin-producing β-cells in the pancreas are inappropriately recognized and destroyed by immune cells. Islet transplantation is the most successful cell-based therapy for T1D individuals who experience frequent and severe life-threatening hypoglycemia. However, this therapy is extremely restricted owing to the limited availability of donor pancreas.

Tumor-derived osteopontin drives the resident fibroblast to myofibroblast differentiation through Twist1 to promote breast cancer progression.

Tumor-stroma interactions are important determinants for the disease course in cancer. While stromal influence has been known to often play a tumor-promoting role, incomplete mechanistic insight into this phenomenon has prevented its therapeutic targeting. Stromal fibroblasts can be activated by tumor cells to differentiate into cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs), that exhibit the traits of myofibroblasts, and in turn, they increase cancer aggressiveness.

Disruptions in oral and nasal microbiota in biomass and tobacco smoke associated chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

Chronic exposures to tobacco and biomass smoke are the most prevalent risk factors for COPD development. Although microbial diversity in tobacco smoke-associated COPD (TSCOPD) has been investigated, microbiota in biomass smoke-associated COPD (BMSCOPD) is still unexplored. We aimed to compare the nasal and oral microbiota between healthy, TSCOPD, and BMSCOPD subjects from a rural population in India.

Curcumin restores the engraftment capacity of aged hematopoietic stem cells and also reduces PD-1 expression on cytotoxic T cells.

Aging affects the functionality of hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs), and therefore, aged individuals are not preferred as donors in HSC transplantation. Such elimination leads to the restriction of donor cohort. Several efforts are being done to rejuvenate aged HSCs.

Isolation and characterization of a novel antimicrobial oxatetracyclo ketone from Bacillus stercoris MBTDCMFRI Ba37 isolated from the tropical estuarine habitats of Cochin.

Antimicrobial compounds from the safest source have gained greater relevance because of their wide spectrum of possible applications, especially in aquaculture industry, where pathogenic threat and antibacterial resistance are serious concerns. Bacillus stercoris MBTDCMFRI Ba37 isolated from mangrove environment of tropical estuarine habitats of Cochin exhibited a wide spectrum of antibacterial activity against major aquaculture pathogens belonging to genus Vibrio and Aeromonas. The structural characterization of the antibacterial compound from this strain may help in identifying their role as a biocontrol agent in aquaculture and allied sectors.

CASSPER is a semantic segmentation-based particle picking algorithm for single-particle cryo-electron microscopy.

Particle identification and selection, which is a prerequisite for high-resolution structure determination of biological macromolecules via single-particle cryo-electron microscopy poses a major bottleneck for automating the steps of structure determination. Here, we present a generalized deep learning tool, CASSPER, for the automated detection and isolation of protein particles in transmission microscope images. This deep learning tool uses Semantic Segmentation and a collection of visually prepared training samples to capture the differences in the transmission intensities of protein, ice, carbon, and other impurities found in the micrograph.

A comprehensive profile of genomic variations in the SARS-CoV-2 isolates from the state of Telangana, India.

The novel severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) causing COVID-19 has rapidly turned into a pandemic, infecting millions and causing 1 157 509 (as of 27 October 2020) deaths across the globe. In addition to studying the mode of transmission and evasion of host immune system, analysing the viral mutational landscape constitutes an area under active research. The latter is expected to impart knowledge on the emergence of different clades, subclades, viral protein functions and protein-protein and protein-RNA interactions during replication/transcription cycle of virus and response to host immune checkpoints.

Proteomic Alterations in Multiple Myeloma: A Comprehensive Study Using Bone Marrow Interstitial Fluid and Serum Samples.

Multiple myeloma (MM) is a plasma cell-associated cancer and exists as the second most common hematological malignancy worldwide. Although researchers have been working on MM, a comprehensive quantitative Bone Marrow Interstitial Fluid (BMIF) and serum proteomic analysis from the same patients' samples is not yet reported. The present study involves the investigation of alterations in the BMIF and serum proteome of MM patients compared to controls using multipronged quantitative proteomic approaches .

A primer on cytokines.

Cytokines are pleiotropic polypeptides that control the development of and responses mediated by immune cells. Cytokine classification predominantly relies on [1] the target receptor(s), [2] the primary structural features of the extracellular domains of their receptors, and [3] their receptor composition. Functionally, cytokines are either pro-inflammatory or anti-inflammatory, hematopoietic colony-stimulating factors, developmental and would healing maintaining immune homeostasis.

Virus-Encoded Complement Regulators: Current Status.

Viruses require a host for replication and survival and hence are subjected to host immunological pressures. The complement system, a crucial first response of the host immune system, is effective in targeting viruses and virus-infected cells, and boosting the antiviral innate and acquired immune responses. Thus, the system imposes a strong selection pressure on viruses.

Structural aspects of lesional and non-lesional skin microbiota reveal key community changes in leprosy patients from India.

Although skin is the primary affected organ in Leprosy, the role of the skin microbiome in its pathogenesis is not well understood. Recent reports have shown that skin of leprosy patients (LP) harbours perturbed microbiota which grants inflammation and disease progression. Herein, we present the results of nested Polymerase Chain Reaction-Denaturing Gradient Gel Electrophoresis (PCR-DGGE) which was initially performed for investigating the diversity of bacterial communities from lesional skin (LS) and non-lesional skin (NLS) sites of LP (n = 11).

Plant Growth Promotion at Low Temperature by Phosphate-Solubilizing Pseudomonas Spp. Isolated from High-Altitude Himalayan Soil.

Scarcity of arable land, limited soil nutrient availability, and low-temperature conditions in the Himalayan regions need to be smartly managed using sustainable approaches for better crop yields. Microorganisms, able to efficiently solubilize phosphate at low temperatures, provide an opportunity to promote plant growth in an ecofriendly way. In this study, we have investigated the ability of psychrotolerant Pseudomonas spp.

Epigenetic Regulation of Adipogenesis in Development of Metabolic Syndrome.

Obesity is one of the biggest public health concerns identified by an increase in adipose tissue mass as a result of adipocyte hypertrophy and hyperplasia. Pertaining to the importance of adipose tissue in various biological processes, any alteration in its function results in impaired metabolic health. In this review, we discuss how adipose tissue maintains the metabolic health through secretion of various adipokines and inflammatory mediators and how its dysfunction leads to the development of severe metabolic disorders and influences cancer progression.

Structural insights into histone chaperone Asf1 and its characterization from Plasmodium falciparum.

Asf1 is a highly conserved histone chaperone that regulates tightly coupled nucleosome assembly/disassembly process. We observed that Plasmodium falciparum Asf1 (PfAsf1) is ubiquitously expressed in different stages of the life cycle of the parasite. To gain further insight into its biological activity, we solved the structure of N-terminal histone chaperone domain of PfAsf1 (1-159 amino acids) by X-ray crystallography to a resolution of 2.

From venom to drugs: a review and critical analysis of Indian snake venom toxins envisaged as anticancer drug prototypes.

The limitations and adverse effects of current anticancer therapies have prompted the exploration for novel and relatively safer anticancer drugs from natural sources. India has a rich diversity of venomous snake fauna and, over the past two decades, several studies have demonstrated the anticancer potential of Indian snake venoms and their isolated components in cancer cell lines and animal tumor models. Nevertheless, anticancer drug prototypes derived from Indian snake venoms are not currently clinically available.

Autophagy proteins and its homeostasis in cellular environment.

Autophagy is a self-destructing mechanism of cell via lysosomal degradation, which helps to degrade/destroy hazardous substances, proteins, degenerating organelles and recycling nutrients. It plays an important role is cellular homeostasis and regulates internal environment of cell, moreover, when needed causes non-apoptotic programmed death of cell. Autophagy has been observed as one of the major factors in parasite clearance in leishmaniasis.

Defining the Species Complex.

Bacteria currently included in are too diverse to be considered a single species, so we can refer to this as a species complex (the Rlc). We have found 429 publicly available genome sequences that fall within the Rlc and these show that the Rlc is a distinct entity, well separated from other species in the genus. Its sister taxon is .

Neutrophils generated in vitro from hematopoietic stem cells isolated from apheresis samples and umbilical cord blood form neutrophil extracellular traps.

Neutrophils release neutrophil extracellular traps (NET) comprising of decondensed chromatin that immobilizes and kills pathogens. In vitro generation of neutrophils on a large scale from hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) may be a useful strategy for treating neutropenic patients in future, though it is not in clinical practice yet. Microbial infections lead to major cause of morbidity and mortality in these patients.

sp. nov. isolated from Queen Maud Land, Antarctica.

A Gram-stain-variable, aerobic, orange pigmented, catalase-positive and oxidase-negative, cocci-shaped bacterium, designated SM7_A14, isolated from glacier fed sediment sample collected from the Queen Maud Land, near India's Maitri station in Antarctica. Phylogenetic analysis based on 16S rRNA gene sequences revealed highest sequence similarity with DSM 22350 (97.3 %), demonstrated distinct phylogenetic positioning of strain SM7_A14 within the genus .

Keap1-Nrf2 Pathway Regulates ALDH and Contributes to Radioresistance in Breast Cancer Stem Cells.

Tumor recurrence after radiotherapy due to the presence of breast cancer stem cells (BCSCs) is a clinical challenge, and the mechanism remains unclear. Low levels of ROS and enhanced antioxidant defenses are shown to contribute to increasing radioresistance. However, the role of Nrf2-Keap1-Bach1 signaling in the radioresistance of BCSCs remains elusive.

Comparative analysis of differential gene expression of HSP40 and HSP70 family isoforms during heat stress and HIV-1 infection in T-cells.

Heat shock proteins (HSPs) are a family of cellular proteins involved in a variety of biological functions including chaperone activity. HSPs are classified based on their molecular weight and each family has several isoforms in eukaryotes. HSP40 is the most diverse family acting as a co-chaperone for the highly conserved HSP70 family.

Transcriptomic Analysis of Interferon Response in Toll-Like Receptor 2 Ligand-Treated and Herpes Simplex Virus 1-Infected Neurons and Astrocytes.

Herpes simplex virus (HSV)-1 infection causes cold sores and keratitis. Upon infection, it forms lesions at the epithelium and enters neurons where it establishes a latent infection. Host innate immune receptor Toll-like receptor (TLR)2 recognizes HSV by sensing its glycoproteins and induces an innate immune response.