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Sensors (Basel, Switzerland) Dec 2022Sucrose is a primary metabolite in plants, a source of energy, a source of carbon atoms for growth and development, and a regulator of biochemical processes. Most of the... (Review)
Review
Sucrose is a primary metabolite in plants, a source of energy, a source of carbon atoms for growth and development, and a regulator of biochemical processes. Most of the traditional analytical chemistry methods for sucrose quantification in plants require sample treatment (with consequent tissue destruction) and complex facilities, that do not allow real-time sucrose quantification at ultra-low concentrations (nM to pM range) under in vivo conditions, limiting our understanding of sucrose roles in plant physiology across different plant tissues and cellular compartments. Some of the above-mentioned problems may be circumvented with the use of bio-compatible ligands for molecular recognition of sucrose. Nevertheless, problems such as the signal-noise ratio, stability, and selectivity are some of the main challenges limiting the use of molecular recognition methods for the in vivo quantification of sucrose. In this review, we provide a critical analysis of the existing analytical chemistry tools, biosensors, and synthetic ligands, for sucrose quantification and discuss the most promising paths to improve upon its limits of detection. Our goal is to highlight the criteria design need for real-time, in vivo, highly sensitive and selective sucrose sensing capabilities to enable further our understanding of living organisms, the development of new plant breeding strategies for increased crop productivity and sustainability, and ultimately to contribute to the overarching need for food security.
Topics: Sucrose; Carbon; Chemistry, Analytic; Crop Production; Recognition, Psychology
PubMed: 36502213
DOI: 10.3390/s22239511 -
Frontiers in Bioscience (Landmark... Jan 2012CD44 and RHAMM are two extracellar matrix receptors whose principle ligand is the polysaccharide hyaluronan (HA). Both proteins are involved in wound repair and their... (Review)
Review
CD44 and RHAMM are two extracellar matrix receptors whose principle ligand is the polysaccharide hyaluronan (HA). Both proteins are involved in wound repair and their aberrant regulation contributes to a variety of diseases including arthritis and cancer. Over the past decade, a number of peptide-based therapeutics that block the binding of CD44 or RHAMM-specific ligands have been developed and tested in experimental models of disease. Here, we review the structure of each of these proteins, the functions they control and the mechanisms, including their interactions with each other, responsible for these functions. We also review the development of peptide mimics that block the key functions of CD44 and RHAMM and their use in experimental models of disease.
Topics: Extracellular Matrix Proteins; Hyaluronan Receptors; Structure-Activity Relationship
PubMed: 22201835
DOI: 10.2741/4018 -
Trends in Biochemical Sciences Aug 2017Protein synthesis stands at the last stage of the central dogma of molecular biology, providing a final regulatory layer for gene expression. Reacting to environmental... (Review)
Review
Protein synthesis stands at the last stage of the central dogma of molecular biology, providing a final regulatory layer for gene expression. Reacting to environmental cues and internal signals, the translation machinery can quickly tune the translatome from a pre-existing pool of RNAs, before the transcriptome changes. Although the translation reaction itself has been known since the 1950s, the quantitative or even qualitative measurement of its efficacy in cells has posed experimental and analytic hurdles. In this review, we outline the array of state-of-the-art methods that have emerged to tackle the hidden aspects of translational control.
Topics: Flow Cytometry; Mass Spectrometry; Protein Biosynthesis; Proteins; RNA; Ribosomes
PubMed: 28566214
DOI: 10.1016/j.tibs.2017.05.004 -
Antioxidants (Basel, Switzerland) Jul 2021Proanthocyanidins (PACs) are a class of polyphenolic compounds that are attracting considerable interest in the nutraceutical field due to their potential health... (Review)
Review
Proanthocyanidins (PACs) are a class of polyphenolic compounds that are attracting considerable interest in the nutraceutical field due to their potential health benefits. However, knowledge about the chemistry, biosynthesis, and distribution of PACs is limited. This review summarizes the main chemical characteristics and biosynthetic pathways and the main analytical methods aimed at their identification and quantification in raw plant matrices. Furthermore, meta-analytic approaches were used to identify the main plant sources in which PACs were contained and to investigate their potential effect on human health. In particular, a cluster analysis identified PACs in 35 different plant families and 60 different plant parts normally consumed in the human diet. On the other hand, a literature search, coupled with forest plot analyses, highlighted how PACs can be actively involved in both local and systemic effects. Finally, the potential mechanisms of action through which PACs may impact human health were investigated, focusing on their systemic hypoglycemic and lipid-lowering effects and their local anti-inflammatory actions on the intestinal epithelium. Overall, this review may be considered a complete report in which chemical, biosynthetic, ecological, and pharmacological aspects of PACs are discussed.
PubMed: 34439477
DOI: 10.3390/antiox10081229 -
Nature Communications May 2022Facile geometric-structural response of liquid crystalline colloids to external fields enables many technological advances. However, the relaxation mechanisms for liquid...
Facile geometric-structural response of liquid crystalline colloids to external fields enables many technological advances. However, the relaxation mechanisms for liquid crystalline colloids under mobile boundaries remain still unexplored. Here, by combining experiments, numerical simulations and theory, we describe the shape and structural relaxation of colloidal liquid crystalline micro-droplets, called tactoids, where amyloid fibrils and cellulose nanocrystals are used as model systems. We show that tactoids shape relaxation bears a universal single exponential decay signature and derive an analytic expression to predict this out of equilibrium process, which is governed by liquid crystalline anisotropic and isotropic contributions. The tactoids structural relaxation shows fundamentally different paths, with first- and second-order exponential decays, depending on the existence of splay/bend/twist orientation structures in the ground state. Our findings offer a comprehensive understanding on dynamic confinement effects in liquid crystalline colloidal systems and may set unexplored directions in the development of novel responsive materials.
Topics: Amyloid; Anisotropy; Colloids; Liquid Crystals; Nanoparticles
PubMed: 35589676
DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-30123-y -
Methods (San Diego, Calif.) Aug 2017Group II introns are self-splicing catalytic RNAs that are able to excise themselves from pre-mRNAs using a mechanism identical to that utilized by the spliceosome. Both... (Review)
Review
Group II introns are self-splicing catalytic RNAs that are able to excise themselves from pre-mRNAs using a mechanism identical to that utilized by the spliceosome. Both structural and phylogenetic data support the hypothesis that group II introns and the spliceosome share a common ancestor. Structures of group II introns have given insight into the active site required for the catalysis of RNA splicing. This review outlines crucial aspects of the structure determination of group II introns such as sample preparation and data processing. Given that group II introns are large RNAs that must be synthesized through in vitro transcription, there are special considerations that must be taken into account in terms of purification and crystallization, as compared to the isolation of large intact ribonucleoprotein complexes such as the ribosome. We specifically focus on the methodology used to determine the structure of the eukaryotic group II intron lariat from the brown algae Pylaiella littoralis. The techniques described in this review can also be applied for the structure determination of other large RNAs.
Topics: Analytic Sample Preparation Methods; Cryoelectron Microscopy; Crystallography, X-Ray; Introns; Nucleic Acid Conformation; Phaeophyceae; Phylogeny; RNA Precursors; RNA Splicing; RNA, Catalytic; Spliceosomes
PubMed: 28648679
DOI: 10.1016/j.ymeth.2017.06.020 -
Analytical and Bioanalytical Chemistry Jun 2014
Topics: Chemistry Techniques, Analytical; Chemistry, Analytic; Conservation of Natural Resources; Europe; Humans; Poland; Societies, Medical
PubMed: 24691720
DOI: 10.1007/s00216-014-7731-x -
Analytical and Bioanalytical Chemistry Apr 2011
Topics: Animals; Chemistry Techniques, Analytical; Chemistry, Analytic; China; Humans; Science
PubMed: 21327622
DOI: 10.1007/s00216-011-4731-y -
Fa Yi Xue Za Zhi Feb 2019Amphetamines are chemical synthetic drugs that are becoming increasingly popular in China. As a common sample in the inspection of poisons, hair has the advantages of... (Review)
Review
Amphetamines are chemical synthetic drugs that are becoming increasingly popular in China. As a common sample in the inspection of poisons, hair has the advantages of easy storage, good stability, and long detection time compared with traditional human body fluid samples (blood, urine), thus possesses an unique application value in the field of forensic toxicology analysis. By now, methods for detecting amphetamines in human hair have been widely used, and validity of the results has been recognized and adopted by the court. This paper reviews domestic and foreign research progress of the detection of amphetamines in hair samples, including the pretreatment and analytic methods.
Topics: Amphetamines; China; Forensic Toxicology; Hair; Humans; Substance Abuse Detection
PubMed: 30896127
DOI: 10.12116/j.issn.1004-5619.2019.01.017 -
Human Pathology Dec 1998The power of electron microscopy as a diagnostic tool can be amplified considerably by the application of ancillary preparative and analytic methods. Subcellular... (Review)
Review
The power of electron microscopy as a diagnostic tool can be amplified considerably by the application of ancillary preparative and analytic methods. Subcellular chemistry and structure can be examined by various forms of microprobe analysis and by special staining methods, including cytochemical, immunocytochemical, and negative staining. Qualitative ultrastructural examination can be augmented by morphometric analysis. Correlative microscopic survey methods can be used as a means of targeting ultrastructural investigations. This article provides an overview of the use of these special techniques in the diagnosis and classification of tumors and other selected pathologic processes.
Topics: Diagnosis, Differential; Electron Probe Microanalysis; Evaluation Studies as Topic; Humans; Immunohistochemistry; Medical Oncology; Microscopy, Electron; Neoplasms
PubMed: 9865818
DOI: 10.1016/s0046-8177(98)90001-6