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Current Issues in Molecular Biology, Volume 44, Issue 1

2022 January - 31 articles

Cover Story: The mode of action of phospholipase A2-derived peptides fragments taken from snake venom Lys49-PLA2 toxins was mainly studied by membrane permeabilization assays and molecular dynamics simulations. The latter revealed that the peptides deform the membrane and increase its permeability by facilitating solvent penetration throughout interaction between phospholipid tail water molecules and peptide. This phenomenon is expected to catalyze the permeation of solutes that otherwise could not cross the hydrophobic membrane core. View this paper.
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Articles (31)

  • Article
  • Open Access
4 Citations
4,191 Views
21 Pages

A comprehensive understanding of molecular and biochemical changes during sperm capacitation is critical to the success of assisted reproductive technologies. We reported involvement of the testis-specific isoform of Angiotensin Converting Enzyme (tA...

(This article belongs to the Section Biochemistry, Molecular and Cellular Biology)
  • Article
  • Open Access
11 Citations
3,968 Views
16 Pages

Left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) is characterized by increased myocardium thickness due to increased oxidative stress and downregulation of cystathione γ lyase (CSE) endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS). Upregulation of CSE by hydrogen su...

(This article belongs to the Topic Blood Physiology: Molecular Mechanisms of Vascular Wall Functioning)
  • Article
  • Open Access
23 Citations
6,957 Views
24 Pages

Validation of a Quantification Method for Curcumin Derivatives and Their Hepatoprotective Effects on Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease

  • Young-Seob Lee,
  • Seon Min Oh,
  • Qian-Qian Li,
  • Kwan-Woo Kim,
  • Dahye Yoon,
  • Min-Ho Lee,
  • Dong-Yeul Kwon,
  • Ok-Hwa Kang and
  • Dae Young Lee

Curcumin (CM), demethoxycurcumin (DMC), and bisdemethoxycurcumin (BDMC) are major curcumin derivatives found in the rhizome of turmeric (Curcuma longa L.), and have yielded impressive properties to halt various diseases. In the present study, we carr...

(This article belongs to the Section Bioorganic Chemistry and Medicinal Chemistry)
  • Article
  • Open Access
14 Citations
5,597 Views
26 Pages

Computer-Assisted Discovery of Alkaloids with Schistosomicidal Activity

  • Renata Priscila Barros de Menezes,
  • Jéssika de Oliveira Viana,
  • Eugene Muratov,
  • Luciana Scotti and
  • Marcus Tullius Scotti

Schistosomiasis is a chronic parasitic disease caused by trematodes of the genus Schistosoma; it is commonly caused by Schistosoma mansoni, which is transmitted by Bioamphalaria snails. Studies show that more than 200 million people are infected and...

(This article belongs to the Collection Application of Natural and Pseudo Natural Products in Drug Discovery and Development)
  • Article
  • Open Access
9 Citations
5,108 Views
23 Pages

Personalized 3-Gene Panel for Prostate Cancer Target Therapy

  • Sanda Iacobas and
  • Dumitru Andrei Iacobas

Many years and billions spent for research did not yet produce an effective answer to prostate cancer (PCa). Not only each human, but even each cancer nodule in the same tumor, has unique transcriptome topology. The differences go beyond the expressi...

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Molecules at Play in Cancer)
  • Article
  • Open Access
11 Citations
4,864 Views
10 Pages

Soluble CD147 (BSG) as a Prognostic Marker in Multiple Myeloma

  • Piotr Łacina,
  • Aleksandra Butrym,
  • Diana Frontkiewicz,
  • Grzegorz Mazur and
  • Katarzyna Bogunia-Kubik

CD147 (basigin, BSG) is a membrane-bound glycoprotein involved in energy metabolism that plays a role in cancer cell survival. Its soluble form is a promising marker of some diseases, but it is otherwise poorly studied. CD147 is overexpressed in mult...

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Molecules at Play in Cancer)
  • Article
  • Open Access
14 Citations
4,962 Views
14 Pages

The Role of OXT, OXTR, AVP, and AVPR1a Gene Expression in the Course of Schizophrenia

  • Marta Broniarczyk-Czarniak,
  • Janusz Szemraj,
  • Janusz Śmigielski and
  • Piotr Gałecki

Schizophrenia is a serious and chronic mental illness, the symptoms of which usually appear for the first time in late adolescence or early adulthood. To date, much research has been conducted on the etiology of schizophrenia; however, it is still no...

(This article belongs to the Section Biochemistry, Molecular and Cellular Biology)
  • Article
  • Open Access
3 Citations
3,655 Views
7 Pages

Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) Mutational Pattern in the Fourth Pandemic Phase in Greece

  • Panagiotis Halvatsiotis,
  • Sofia Vassiliu,
  • Panagiotis Koulouvaris,
  • Kalliopi Chatzantonaki,
  • Konstantinos Asonitis,
  • Ekatherina Charvalos,
  • Argyris Siatelis and
  • Dimitra Houhoula

The aim of this study is to investigate the circulating variants of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) from Athens and from rural areas in Greece during July and August 2021. We also present a rapid review of literature rega...

(This article belongs to the Collection Feature Papers in Current Issues in Molecular Biology)
  • Article
  • Open Access
28 Citations
8,226 Views
20 Pages

Multi-Omics Integration and Network Analysis Reveal Potential Hub Genes and Genetic Mechanisms Regulating Bovine Mastitis

  • Masoumeh Naserkheil,
  • Farzad Ghafouri,
  • Sonia Zakizadeh,
  • Nasrollah Pirany,
  • Zeinab Manzari,
  • Sholeh Ghorbani,
  • Mohammad Hossein Banabazi,
  • Mohammad Reza Bakhtiarizadeh,
  • Md. Amdadul Huq and
  • Kwan-Sik Min
  • + 3 authors

Mastitis, inflammation of the mammary gland, is the most prevalent disease in dairy cattle that has a potential impact on profitability and animal welfare. Specifically designed multi-omics studies can be used to prioritize candidate genes and identi...

(This article belongs to the Collection Feature Papers in Current Issues in Molecular Biology)
  • Communication
  • Open Access
1 Citations
4,008 Views
8 Pages

Immunocytokines, antibody-cytokine fusion proteins, have the potential to improve the therapeutic index of cytokines by delivering the cytokine to the site of localized tumor cells using antibodies. In this study, we produced a recombinant anti-progr...

(This article belongs to the Collection Feature Papers in Current Issues in Molecular Biology)
  • Article
  • Open Access
38 Citations
5,466 Views
13 Pages

Circulating Exosomal miR-1290 for Diagnosis of Epithelial Ovarian Cancer

  • Hyeji Jeon,
  • Su Min Seo,
  • Tae Wan Kim,
  • Jaesung Ryu,
  • Hyejeong Kong,
  • Si Hyeong Jang,
  • Yong Soo Jang,
  • Kwang Seock Kim,
  • Jae Hoon Kim and
  • Seob Jeon
  • + 1 author

The aim of the study was to develop a new diagnostic biomarker for identifying serum exosomal miRNAs specific to epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC) and to find out target gene of the miRNA for exploring the molecular mechanisms in EOC. A total of 84 cas...

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Molecules at Play in Cancer)
  • Article
  • Open Access
10 Citations
6,872 Views
15 Pages

Mitochondrial DNA Copy Number in Cleavage Stage Human Embryos—Impact on Infertility Outcome

  • Amira Podolak,
  • Joanna Liss,
  • Jolanta Kiewisz,
  • Sebastian Pukszta,
  • Celina Cybulska,
  • Michal Rychlowski,
  • Aron Lukaszuk,
  • Grzegorz Jakiel and
  • Krzysztof Lukaszuk

A retrospective case control study was undertaken at the molecular biology department of a private center for reproductive medicine in order to determine whether any correlation exists between mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) content of cleavage-stage preim...

(This article belongs to the Collection Feature Papers in Current Issues in Molecular Biology)
  • Article
  • Open Access
19 Citations
4,709 Views
16 Pages

Perilla frutescens Leaf Extract Attenuates Vascular Dementia-Associated Memory Deficits, Neuronal Damages, and Microglial Activation

  • Hyun-Bae Kang,
  • Shin-Hye Kim,
  • Sun-Ho Uhm,
  • Do-Kyung Kim,
  • Nam-Seob Lee,
  • Young-Gil Jeong,
  • Nak-Yun Sung,
  • Dong-Sub Kim,
  • In-Jun Han and
  • Seung-Yun Han
  • + 1 author

Vascular dementia (VaD) is characterized by a time-dependent memory deficit and essentially combined with evidence of neuroinflammation. Thus, polyphenol-rich natural plants, which possess anti-inflammatory properties, have received much scientific a...

(This article belongs to the Topic Neuroprotection by Drugs, Nutraceuticals and Physical Activity)
  • Article
  • Open Access
6 Citations
3,387 Views
15 Pages

Liquidambar formosana is important for its ornamental value in China; it is increasingly used for landscaping and gardening trees due to its diverse leaf colors and seasonal changes. Varieties including either a fixed leaf color, the purplish ‘...

(This article belongs to the Section Molecular Plant Sciences)
  • Communication
  • Open Access
4 Citations
2,840 Views
9 Pages

According to a report from the World Health Organization (WHO), the mortality and disease severity induced by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) are significantly higher in cancer patients than those of individuals with...

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Molecules at Play in Cancer)
  • Article
  • Open Access
3 Citations
3,888 Views
11 Pages

PNU-74654 Suppresses TNFR1/IKB Alpha/p65 Signaling and Induces Cell Death in Testicular Cancer

  • Wen-Jung Chen,
  • Wen-Wei Sung,
  • Chia-Ying Yu,
  • Yu-Ze Luan,
  • Ya-Chuan Chang,
  • Sung-Lang Chen and
  • Tsung-Hsien Lee

Testicular cancer (TC) is a rare malignancy worldwide and is the most common malignancy in males aged 15–44 years. The Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway mediates numerous essential cellular functions and has potentially important effects on...

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Molecules at Play in Cancer)
  • Article
  • Open Access
7 Citations
3,607 Views
16 Pages

31 December 2021

With the wide application of microwave technology, concerns about its health impact have arisen. The signal transmission mode of the central nervous system and neurons make it particularly sensitive to electromagnetic exposure. It has been reported t...

(This article belongs to the Topic Neuroprotection by Drugs, Nutraceuticals and Physical Activity)
  • Article
  • Open Access
18 Citations
3,444 Views
18 Pages

30 December 2021

Pecan is one of the most popular nut species in the world. The fruit drop rate of the pecan ‘Pawnee’ is more than 57%, with four fruit drop stages, which is very serious. In this study, we conducted transcriptomic profiling of persisting...

(This article belongs to the Section Molecular Plant Sciences)
  • Article
  • Open Access
34 Citations
5,604 Views
12 Pages

Alterations in B Cell and Follicular T-Helper Cell Subsets in Patients with Acute COVID-19 and COVID-19 Convalescents

  • Igor V. Kudryavtsev,
  • Natalia A. Arsentieva,
  • Oleg K. Batsunov,
  • Zoia R. Korobova,
  • Irina V. Khamitova,
  • Dmitrii V. Isakov,
  • Raisa N. Kuznetsova,
  • Artem A. Rubinstein,
  • Oksana V. Stanevich and
  • Areg A. Totolian
  • + 6 authors

30 December 2021

Background. Humoral immunity requires interaction between B cell and T follicular helper cells (Tfh) to produce effective immune response, but the data regarding a role of B cells and Tfh in SARS-CoV-2 defense are still sparse. Methods. Blood samples...

(This article belongs to the Section Biochemistry, Molecular and Cellular Biology)
  • Article
  • Open Access
29 Citations
5,323 Views
24 Pages

In Silico Design of Dual-Binding Site Anti-Cholinesterase Phytochemical Heterodimers as Treatment Options for Alzheimer’s Disease

  • Hafsa Amat-ur-Rasool,
  • Mehboob Ahmed,
  • Shahida Hasnain,
  • Abrar Ahmed and
  • Wayne Grant Carter

29 December 2021

The number of patients with neurodegenerative diseases, particularly Alzheimer’s disease (AD), continues to grow yearly. Cholinesterase inhibitors (ChEIs) represent the first-line symptomatic drug treatment for mild-to-moderate AD; however, the...

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Involvement of Medicinal Plants and Food in the Molecular Mechanisms of Disease Prevention)
  • Article
  • Open Access
1 Citations
3,146 Views
11 Pages

Biochemical, Biophysical and Functional Characterization of an Insoluble Iron Containing Hepcidin–Ferritin Chimeric Monomer Assembled Together with Human Ferritin H/L Chains at Different Molar Ratios

  • Mohamed Boumaiza,
  • Imene Fhoula,
  • Fernando Carmona,
  • Maura Poli,
  • Michela Asperti,
  • Alessandra Gianoncelli,
  • Michela Bertuzzi,
  • Paolo Arosio and
  • Mohamed Nejib Marzouki

28 December 2021

Hepcidin and ferritin are key proteins of iron homeostasis in mammals. In this study, we characterize a chimera by fusing camel hepcidin to a human ferritin H-chain to verify if it retained the properties of the two proteins. The construct (HepcH) is...

(This article belongs to the Section Biochemistry, Molecular and Cellular Biology)
  • Case Report
  • Open Access
9 Citations
4,196 Views
11 Pages

Familial Hyperaldosteronism Type 3 with a Rapidly Growing Adrenal Tumor: An In Situ Aldosterone Imaging Study

  • Nae Takizawa,
  • Susumu Tanaka,
  • Koshiro Nishimoto,
  • Yuki Sugiura,
  • Makoto Suematsu,
  • Chisato Ohe,
  • Haruyuki Ohsugi,
  • Yosuke Mizuno,
  • Kuniaki Mukai and
  • Tadashi Matsuda
  • + 3 authors

28 December 2021

Primary aldosteronism is most often caused by aldosterone-producing adenoma (APA) and bi-lateral adrenal hyperplasia. Most APAs are caused by somatic mutations of various ion channels and pumps, the most common being the inward-rectifying potassium c...

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Molecules at Play in Cancer)
  • Article
  • Open Access
19 Citations
4,013 Views
13 Pages

28 December 2021

The conventional approach in bioactive peptides discovery, which includes extensive bioassay-guided fractionation and purification processes, is tedious, time-consuming and not always successful. The recently developed bioinformatics-driven in silico...

(This article belongs to the Collection Application of Natural and Pseudo Natural Products in Drug Discovery and Development)
  • Article
  • Open Access
5 Citations
4,032 Views
12 Pages

Unveiling a Hidden Biomarker of Inflammation and Tumor Progression: The 65 kDa Isoform of MMP-9 New Horizons for Therapy

  • Rocco Rossano,
  • Marilena Larocca,
  • Margherita Macellaro,
  • Domenico Bilancia and
  • Paolo Riccio

25 December 2021

Cancer metastasis is a stage of the disease where therapy is mostly ineffective; hence, the need to find reliable markers of its onset. The metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9, gelatinase B) in its 82 kDa active form, is a good candidate, but here we show tha...

(This article belongs to the Section Molecular Medicine)
  • Article
  • Open Access
15 Citations
6,072 Views
11 Pages

The use of metals in medicine has grown in popularity in clinical and commercial settings. In this study, the immune-protecting effects and the hypoglycemic and antioxidant activity of vanadyl sulfate (VOSO4) and/or selenium tetrachloride (Se) on oxi...

(This article belongs to the Collection Application of Natural and Pseudo Natural Products in Drug Discovery and Development)
  • Article
  • Open Access
19 Citations
5,115 Views
21 Pages

Gigantol Improves Cholesterol Metabolism and Progesterone Biosynthesis in MA-10 Leydig Cells

  • Audrey Basque,
  • Ha Tuyen Nguyen,
  • Mohamed Touaibia and
  • Luc J. Martin

In aging males, androgen production by testicular Leydig cells decreases at a rate of approximately 1% per year. Phenolic compounds may enhance testosterone biosynthesis and delay the onset of male hypogonadism. Gigantol is a bibenzyl compound isolat...

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Polyphenols as Cellular Metabolic Regulators)
  • Article
  • Open Access
5 Citations
5,142 Views
17 Pages

Isolation of an Extract from the Soft Coral Symbiotic Microorganism Salinispora arenicola Exerting Cytoprotective and Anti-Aging Effects

  • Xanthippi P. Louka,
  • Aimilia D. Sklirou,
  • Géraldine Le Goff,
  • Philippe Lopes,
  • Eleni-Dimitra Papanagnou,
  • Maria S. Manola,
  • Yehuda Benayahu,
  • Jamal Ouazzani and
  • Ioannis P. Trougakos

Cells have developed a highly integrated system responsible for proteome stability, namely the proteostasis network (PN). As loss of proteostasis is a hallmark of aging and age-related diseases, the activation of PN modules can likely extend healthsp...

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Involvement of Medicinal Plants and Food in the Molecular Mechanisms of Disease Prevention)
  • Review
  • Open Access
17 Citations
14,011 Views
15 Pages

Protective Effect of Melatonin Administration against SARS-CoV-2 Infection: A Systematic Review

  • Antonio Molina-Carballo,
  • Rafael Palacios-López,
  • Antonio Jerez-Calero,
  • María Carmen Augustín-Morales,
  • Ahmed Agil,
  • Antonio Muñoz-Hoyos and
  • Antonio Muñoz-Gallego

Introduction: according to the World Health Organization (WHO), COVID-19 is an infectious disease caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus, responsible for an increasing number of cases and deaths. From a preventive and therapeutic point of view, there are two...

(This article belongs to the Collection Application of Natural and Pseudo Natural Products in Drug Discovery and Development)
  • Article
  • Open Access
31 Citations
6,543 Views
17 Pages

Lessons from a Single Amino Acid Substitution: Anticancer and Antibacterial Properties of Two Phospholipase A2-Derived Peptides

  • José R. Almeida,
  • Bruno Mendes,
  • Marcelo Lancellotti,
  • Gilberto C. Franchi,
  • Óscar Passos,
  • Maria J. Ramos,
  • Pedro A. Fernandes,
  • Cláudia Alves,
  • Nuno Vale and
  • Saulo L. da Silva
  • + 1 author

The membrane-active nature of phospholipase A2-derived peptides makes them potential candidates for antineoplastic and antibacterial therapies. Two short 13-mer C-terminal fragments taken from snake venom Lys49-PLA2 toxins (p-AppK and p-Acl), differi...

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Molecules at Play in Cancer)
  • Article
  • Open Access
7 Citations
4,267 Views
10 Pages

Resveratrol Analog 4-Bromo-Resveratrol Inhibits Gastric Cancer Stemness through the SIRT3-c-Jun N-Terminal Kinase Signaling Pathway

  • Yun-Shen Tai,
  • Yi-Shih Ma,
  • Chun-Lin Chen,
  • Hsin-Yi Tsai,
  • Chin-Chuan Tsai,
  • Meng-Chieh Wu,
  • Chih-Yi Chen and
  • Ming-Wei Lin

Chemotherapy is the treatment of choice for gastric cancer, but the currently available therapeutic drugs have limited efficacy. Studies have suggested that gastric cancer stem cells may play a key role in drug resistance in chemotherapy. Therefore,...

(This article belongs to the Topic Cancer Biology and Therapy)
  • Article
  • Open Access
45 Citations
9,742 Views
13 Pages

Structural and Functional Characterization of a Novel Recombinant Antimicrobial Peptide from Hermetia illucens

  • Angela Di Somma,
  • Antonio Moretta,
  • Carolina Cané,
  • Carmen Scieuzo,
  • Rosanna Salvia,
  • Patrizia Falabella and
  • Angela Duilio

Antibiotics are commonly used to treat pathogenic bacteria, but their prolonged use contributes to the development and spread of drug-resistant microorganisms raising the challenge to find new alternative drugs. Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) are smal...

(This article belongs to the Section Bioorganic Chemistry and Medicinal Chemistry)
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Curr. Issues Mol. Biol. - ISSN 1467-3045