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Several Human Diseases (several + human_diseases)
Selected AbstractsThe migration of mitochondrial DNA fragments to the nucleus affects the chronological aging process of Saccharomyces cerevisiaeAGING CELL, Issue 5 2010Xin Cheng Summary Migration of fragmented mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) to the nucleus has been shown to occur in multiple species including yeast, plants, and mammals. Several human diseases, including Pallister,Hall syndrome and mucolipidosis, can be initiated by mtDNA insertion mutagenesis of nuclear DNA. In yeast, we demonstrated that the rate of mtDNA fragments translocating to the nucleus increases during chronological aging. The yeast chronological lifespan (CLS) is determined by the survival of nondividing cell populations. Whereas yeast strains with elevated migration rates of mtDNA fragments to the nucleus showed accelerated chronological aging, strains with decreased mtDNA transfer rates to the nucleus exhibited an extended CLS. Although one of the most popular theories of aging is the free radical theory, migration of mtDNA fragments to the nucleus may also contribute to the chronological aging process by possibly increasing nuclear genomic instability in cells with advanced age. [source] Rapid separation of protein isoforms by capillary zone electrophoresis with new dynamic coatingsELECTROPHORESIS, Issue 11 2005William W. P. Chang Abstract Many cellular functions are regulated through protein isoforms. Changes in the expression level or regulatory dysfunctions of isoforms often lead to developmental or pathological disorders. Isoforms are traditionally analyzed using techniques such as gel- or capillary-based isoelectric focusing. However, with proper electroosmotic flow (EOF) control, isoforms with small pI differences can also be analyzed using capillary zone electrophoresis (CZE). Here we demonstrate the ability to quickly resolve isoforms of three model proteins (bovine serum albumin, transferrin, ,1 -antitrypsin) in capillaries coated with novel dynamic coatings. The coatings allow reproducible EOF modulation in the cathodal direction to a level of 10 -9 m2V -1s -1. They also appear to inhibit protein adsorption to the capillary wall, making the isoform separations highly reproducible both in peak areas and apparent mobility. Isoforms of transferrin and ,1 -antitrypsin have been implicated in several human diseases. By coupling the CZE isoform separation with standard affinity capture assays, it may be possible to develop a cost-effective analytical platform for clinical diagnostics. [source] Genetic analysis of collagen-induced arthritis in rats: a polygenic model for rheumatoid arthritis predicts a common framework of cross-species inflammatory/autoimmune disease lociIMMUNOLOGICAL REVIEWS, Issue 1 2001Marie M. Griffiths Summary: Collagen-induced arthritis (CIA) is a useful model for dissecting the genetic patterns underlying susceptibility to rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and related chronic/inflammatory autoimmune diseases. CIA exhibits three phenotypes characteristic of autoimmune disease pathogenesis: abnormal levels of immune reactivity to self antigens; chronic inflammation of target organs expressing that specific autoantigen; activation and direct participation of invading mononuclear cells and resident tissue fibroblasts in organ damage. Over 25 different quantitative trait loci (QTL) regulating arthritis severity and autoantibody in rats with CIA are mapped. QTL-congenic strains show that certain CIA,QTLs can modulate arthritis independently. These monogenic models are proving to be highly informative for fine mapping and function studies, revealing gender effects and evidence of gene clusters. Recent genome scans of RA populations identified RA-susceptibility loci in chromosome regions homologous to rat chromosomal segments housing CIA,QTLs. Also, CIA,QTLs frequently co-localize with susceptibility QTLs mapped in other rat arthritis models induced with non-immunogenic adjuvant oils and/or in rat autoimmune models of multiple sclerosis and diabetes. Common autoimmunity genes and inflammation genes important to several human diseases are likely being detected in the various rat disease models. Continued dissection of the genetic underpinnings of rat arthritis models should provide candidate genes for investigation in human patients and lead to a clearer understanding of the complex genetics of RA. [source] A review of recent studies in China on the possible beneficial health effects of teaINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF FOOD SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY, Issue 4 2006Yong-xing Zhu Summary Tea is one of the most heavily consumed beverages in the world. The relationship between tea drinking and human health is becoming a subject of intense study by scientists throughout the world. In this paper, we first provide a comprehensive analysis of the medical literature on tea published in China during the past 20 years, and then highlight some recent studies in China on the relationship between tea and several human diseases. During the period 1982,2002, 691 research papers related to tea and health have been published in 290 Chinese journals. These studies showed that tea and tea constituents have various biological activities and suggested that tea drinking might be beneficial to human health. Tea has potential in the prevention or adjuvant treatment of several diseases including cancer, cardiovascular diseases and obesity. The trend and future direction in medical research on tea in China are also briefly discussed. [source] Serpin polymerization and its role in disease,The molecular basis of ,1 -antitrypsin deficiencyIUBMB LIFE, Issue 1 2009Anja S. Knaupp Abstract Protein aggregation is the cause of several human diseases. Understanding the molecular mechanisms involved in protein aggregation requires knowledge of the kinetics and structures populated during the reaction. Arguably, the best structurally characterized misfolding reaction is that of ,1 -antitrypsin. ,1 -Antitrypsin misfolding leads to both liver disease and emphysema and affect approximately 1 in 2000 of the population. This review will focus on the mechanism of ,1 -antitrypsin misfolding and the development of potential therapeutic strategies. © 2008 IUBMB IUBMB Life, 61(1): 1,5, 2009 [source] Computational analysis of the cathepsin B inhibitors activities through LR-MMPBSA binding affinity calculation based on docked complexJOURNAL OF COMPUTATIONAL CHEMISTRY, Issue 14 2009Zhigang Zhou Abstract Cathepsin B, a ubiquitous lysosomal cysteine protease, is involved in many biological processes related to several human diseases. Inhibitors targeting the enzyme have been investigated as possible diseases treatments. A set of 37 compounds were recently found active in a high throughput screening assay to inhibit the catalytic activity of Cathepsin B, with chemical structures and biological test results available to the public in the PubChem BioAssay Database (AID 820). In this study, we compare these experimental activities to the results of theoretical predictions from binding affinity calculation with a LR-MM-PNSA approach based on docked complexes. Strong correlations (r2 = 0.919 and q2 = 0.887 for the best) are observed between the theoretical predictions and experimental biological activity. The models are cross-validated by four independent predictive experiments with randomly split compounds into training and test sets. Our results also show that the results based on protein dimer show better correlations with experimental activity when compared to results based on monomer in the in silico calculations. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Comput Chem, 2009 [source] Intervention strategies to inhibit protein carbonylation by lipoxidation-derived reactive carbonylsMEDICINAL RESEARCH REVIEWS, Issue 6 2007Giancarlo Aldini Abstract Protein carbonylation induced by reactive carbonyl species (RCS) generated by peroxidation of polyunsaturated fatty acids plays a significant role in the etiology and/or progression of several human diseases, such as cardiovascular (e.g., atherosclerosis, long-term complications of diabetes) and neurodegenerative diseases (e.g., Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, and cerebral ischemia). Most of the biological effects of intermediate RCS, mainly ,,,-unsaturated aldehydes, di-aldehydes, and keto-aldehydes, are due to their capacity to react with the nucleophilic sites of proteins, forming advanced lipoxidation end-products (ALEs). Because of the emerging deleterious role of RCS/protein adducts in several human diseases, different potential therapeutic strategies have been developed in the last few years. This review sheds focus on fundamental studies on lipid-derived RCS generation, their biological effects, and their reactivity with proteins, with particular emphasis to 4-hydroxy- trans -2-nonenal (HNE)-, acrolein (ACR)-, malondialdehyde (MDA)-, and glyoxal (GO)-modified proteins. It also discusses the recently developed pharmacological approaches for the management of chronic diseases in which oxidative stress and RCS formation are massively involved. Inhibition of ALE formation, based on carbonyl-sequestering agents, seems to be the most promising pharmacological tool and is reviewed in detail. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Med Res Rev, 27, No. 6, 817,868, 2007 [source] Curcumin and the cellular stress response in free radical-related diseasesMOLECULAR NUTRITION & FOOD RESEARCH (FORMERLY NAHRUNG/FOOD), Issue 9 2008Vittorio Calabrese Abstract Free radicals play a main pathogenic role in several human diseases such as neurodegenerative disorders, diabetes, and cancer. Although there has been progress in treatment of these diseases, the development of important side effects may complicate the therapeutic course. Curcumin, a well known spice commonly used in India to make foods colored and flavored, is also used in traditional medicine to treat mild or moderate human diseases. In the recent years, a growing body of literature has unraveled the antioxidant, anticarcinogenic, and antinfectious activity of curcumin based on the ability of this compound to regulate a number of cellular signal transduction pathways. These promising data obtained in vitro are now being translated to the clinic and more than ten clinical trials are currently ongoing worldwide. This review outlines the biological activities of curcumin and discusses its potential use in the prevention and treatment of human diseases. [source] Cerebellar arteriovenous malformation and vertebral artery aneurysm in a CADASIL patientACTA NEUROLOGICA SCANDINAVICA, Issue 1 2006F. Pescini The presence of large vessels malformations has not been reported in cerebral autosomal dominant arteriopathy with subcortical infarcts and leukoencephalopathy (CADASIL). We describe a CADASIL patient in whom a brain cerebellar arteriovenous malformation was revealed by magnetic resonance (MR) imaging. An MR angiogram documented also an aneurysm along the right intracranial vertebral artery at the junction with the posterior,inferior cerebellar artery. The aneurysm was successfully treated by means of endovascular coil embolization. No neurological complication occurred in our patient during the angiographic procedure. In this case, in addition to an incidental coexistence of CADASIL and large vessels abnormalities, a causal role of the Notch pathway alteration could be hypothesized. Dysregulation of the Notch pathway is linked to several human diseases besides CADASIL. In one of these (the Alagille syndrome) intracranial aneurysms are reported. This hypothesis contrasts however with the absence of similar reports in other CADASIL cases and needs corroboration in large series. [source] CYP1A2 polymorphism (C,>,A at position ,163) in Ovambos, Koreans and MongoliansCELL BIOCHEMISTRY AND FUNCTION, Issue 5 2007Junko Fujihara Abstract Cytochrome P450 1A2 (CYP1A2) plays an important role in metabolizing drugs and xenobiotics, and is a possible participant in the development of several human diseases. Recent studies have shown that genetic polymorphism of ,163 C,>,A single nucleotide mutation of CYP1A2 increases the risk of myocardial infarction and modulates CYP1A2 activity. In this study, we investigated the frequency of the ,163 C,>,A mutation in Ovambos (n,=,177), Koreans (n,=,250) and Mongolians (n,=,153) and compared our results with other studies. Detection of this single nucleotide polymorphism was by polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis (PCR-RFLP). The frequencies of mutation (CYP1A2*,163A) in the Ovambos, Koreans and Mongolians were 0.46, 0.32 and 0.21, respectively. Ovambos showed a relatively higher frequency of mutation, similar to that of Tanzanians, while the Mongolians showed the lowest frequency of all study groups, including those from previous studies. This study is the first to investigate the distribution of the CYP1A2 (,163 C,>,A single nucleotide polymorphism) mutant allele in Ovambo, Korean and Mongolian populations. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Polymerizing the fibre between bacteria and host cells: the biogenesis of functional amyloid fibresCELLULAR MICROBIOLOGY, Issue 7 2008Elisabeth Ashman Epstein Summary Amyloid fibres are proteinaceous aggregates associated with several human diseases, including Alzheimer's, Huntington's and Creutzfeldt Jakob's. Disease-associated amyloid formation is the result of proteins that misfold and aggregate into , sheet-rich fibre polymers. Cellular toxicity is readily associated with amyloidogenesis, although the molecular mechanism of toxicity remains unknown. Recently, a new class of ,functional' amyloid fibres was discovered that demonstrates that amyloids can be utilized as a productive part of cellular biology. These functional amyloids will provide unique insights into how amyloid formation can be controlled and made less cytotoxic. Bacteria produce some of the best-characterized functional amyloids, including a surface amyloid fibre called curli. Assembled by enteric bacteria, curli fibres mediate attachment to surfaces and host tissues. Some bacterial amyloids, like harpins and microcinE492, have exploited amyloid toxicity in a directed and functional manner. Here, we review and discuss the functional amyloids assembled by bacteria. Special emphasis will be paid to the biology of functional amyloid synthesis and the connections between bacterial physiology and pathology. [source] | ||||||||||||||||