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Crosstalk Between Autophagy And Dna Repair Systems, Si̇nem Sarikaya, Hati̇ce Çakir, Devri̇m Gözüaçik, Yunus Akkoç Jan 2021

Crosstalk Between Autophagy And Dna Repair Systems, Si̇nem Sarikaya, Hati̇ce Çakir, Devri̇m Gözüaçik, Yunus Akkoç

Turkish Journal of Biology

Autophagy and DNA repair are two essential biological mechanisms that maintain cellular homeostasis. Impairment of these mechanisms was associated with several pathologies such as premature aging, neurodegenerative diseases, and cancer. Intrinsic or extrinsic stress stimuli (e.g., reactive oxygen species or ionizing radiation) cause DNA damage. As a biological stress response, autophagy is activated following insults that threaten DNA integrity. Hence, in collaboration with DNA damage repair and response mechanisms, autophagy contributes to the maintenance of genomic stability and integrity. Yet, connections and interactions between these two systems are not fully understood. In this review article, current status of the associations …


Neuropathy In Covid-19 Associated With Dysbiosis-Related Inflammation, Busra Aktas, Belma Aslim Jan 2021

Neuropathy In Covid-19 Associated With Dysbiosis-Related Inflammation, Busra Aktas, Belma Aslim

Turkish Journal of Biology

Although COVID-19 affects mainly lungs with a hyperactive and imbalanced immune response, gastrointestinal and neurological symptoms such as diarrhea and neuropathic pains have been described as well in patients with COVID-19. Studies indicate that gut-lung axis maintains host homeostasis and disease development with the association of immune system, and gut microbiota is involved in the COVID-19 severity in patients with extrapulmonary conditions. Gut microbiota dysbiosis impairs the gut permeability resulting in translocation of gut microbes and their metabolites into the circulatory system and induce systemic inflammation which, in turn, can affect distal organs such as the brain. Moreover, gut microbiota …


In Silico Drug Repositioning Against Human Nrp1 To Block Sars-Cov-2 Host Entry, Şeref Gül Jan 2021

In Silico Drug Repositioning Against Human Nrp1 To Block Sars-Cov-2 Host Entry, Şeref Gül

Turkish Journal of Biology

Despite COVID-19 turned into a pandemic, no approved drug for the treatment or globally available vaccine is out yet. In such a global emergency, drug repurposing approach that bypasses a costly and long-time demanding drug discovery process is an effective way in search of finding drugs for the COVID-19 treatment. Recent studies showed that SARS-CoV-2 uses neuropilin-1 (NRP1) for host entry. Here we took advantage of structural information of the NRP1 in complex with C-terminal of spike (S) protein of SARSCoV- 2 to identify drugs that may inhibit NRP1 and S protein interaction. U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved …


A Novel Rock Inhibitor: Off-Target Effects Of Metformin, Aysun Özdemi̇r, Mustafa Ark Jan 2021

A Novel Rock Inhibitor: Off-Target Effects Of Metformin, Aysun Özdemi̇r, Mustafa Ark

Turkish Journal of Biology

In drug discovery, most small molecules cannot cross many stages, only a few can become drug candidates. Once the drug molecule is approved and marketed, nontarget effects that are not easily distinguishable from the actual target of the drugs might be evaluated. This situation restricts the treatment. Thus, the discovery of new drugs is a very long and expensive process. In recent years, without developing new drugs, the approach of using different and new target molecules in new indications apart from the indications of licensed drug molecules has gained importance. In this study, using the connectivity map program, it was …


Negative Regulation Of Diminutive Cancer Regulator Through Differentiation And Microrna Pathway Components In Drosophila Cells, Sumira Malik Jan 2021

Negative Regulation Of Diminutive Cancer Regulator Through Differentiation And Microrna Pathway Components In Drosophila Cells, Sumira Malik

Turkish Journal of Biology

Drosophila model is intensively studied for the development of cancer. The diminutive (dMyc), a homolog of the human MYC gene, is responsible for cell- apoptosis and its upregulation is responsible for determining the fate of cancerous growth in humans and Drosophila model. This work implores the requirement of dMyc and its expression as one of the major regulator of cancer with other proteins and repression of dMyc mRNA in Drosophila S2 cells. Here we report protein complex of Argonaute 1 (AGO1), Bag of marbles (Bam), and Brain tumor (Brat) proteins and not the individual factor of this complex repression of …


Detailed Evaluation Of Cancer Sequencing Pipelines In Different Microenvironments And Heterogeneity Levels, Batuhan Kisakol, Şahi̇n Sarihan, Mehmet Ari̇f Ergün, Mehmet Baysan Jan 2021

Detailed Evaluation Of Cancer Sequencing Pipelines In Different Microenvironments And Heterogeneity Levels, Batuhan Kisakol, Şahi̇n Sarihan, Mehmet Ari̇f Ergün, Mehmet Baysan

Turkish Journal of Biology

The importance of next generation sequencing (NGS) rises in cancer research as accessing this key technology becomes easier for researchers. The sequence data created by NGS technologies must be processed by various bioinformatics algorithms within a pipeline in order to convert raw data to meaningful information. Mapping and variant calling are the two main steps of these analysis pipelines, and many algorithms are available for these steps. Therefore, detailed benchmarking of these algorithms in different scenarios is crucial for the efficient utilization of sequencing technologies. In this study, we compared the performance of twelve pipelines (three mapping and four variant …


Positive Regulation Of Tnfr1 Signaling Via Sh3 Recognition Motif, Fatma Ece Çopuroğlu, Fatma Zehra Hapi̇l Zevkli̇ler, Şükran Burçak Yoldaş, Osman Ni̇dai̇ Özeş Jan 2021

Positive Regulation Of Tnfr1 Signaling Via Sh3 Recognition Motif, Fatma Ece Çopuroğlu, Fatma Zehra Hapi̇l Zevkli̇ler, Şükran Burçak Yoldaş, Osman Ni̇dai̇ Özeş

Turkish Journal of Biology

TNF is a pleiotropic cytokine and shows its biological function by binding to its receptors called TNFR1 and TNFR2. While TNFR1 induces apoptosis by activation of caspase-8 via the "death domain", it also activates IKKα/β, MKK3/6, MKK4/7 by activation of TAK1. Although the TNFR1 signaling pathway is known by in large, it is not known how AKT and MAPKs p38, ERK1/2, and JNK1/2 are activated. The presence of a proline-rich PPAP region, (P448PAP451, a binding site for the SH3 domain-containing proteins) very close to the C-terminus promoted us to determine whether this region has any role in the TNFR1 signal …


Characteristics And Clinical Significance Of Cd163+/Cd206+M2 Mono-Macrophage In The Bladder Cancer Microenvironment, Xiangjie Kong, Ming Zhu, Zhirong Wang, Zhuoqun Xu, Jianfeng Shao Jan 2021

Characteristics And Clinical Significance Of Cd163+/Cd206+M2 Mono-Macrophage In The Bladder Cancer Microenvironment, Xiangjie Kong, Ming Zhu, Zhirong Wang, Zhuoqun Xu, Jianfeng Shao

Turkish Journal of Biology

The tumor microenvironment may recruit monocytes, with a protumoral macrophage phenotype (M2) that plays an important role in solid tumor progression and metastasis. Therefore, it is necessary to understand the characteristics of these cells for cancer prevention and treatment. Bladder cancer tissue samples and paracarcinoma tissues samples were collected, and the expression of CD163+ cells in tumor tissues was observed. Then, we observed the expression of infiltrating CD45+CD14+CD163+ cell subset and analyzed the molecular expressions related to immunity and angiogenesis. C57/BL6 mice were inoculated subcutaneously, and dynamic changes of CD11b+F4/80+CD206+ mononuclear macrophages expression for tumor-bearing mice were detected. The results …


Compensatory Expression Regulation Of Highly Homologous Proteins Hnrnpa1 Andhnrnpa2, Yan Chang, Xiao Feng Lu, Jia Ying Qiu Jan 2021

Compensatory Expression Regulation Of Highly Homologous Proteins Hnrnpa1 Andhnrnpa2, Yan Chang, Xiao Feng Lu, Jia Ying Qiu

Turkish Journal of Biology

Heterogeneous nuclear ribonucleoprotein (HNRNP) A1 and A2 are the most abundant HNRNPs with nearly identical functions, and play important roles in regulating gene expression at multiple levels (i.e. transcription, posttranscription, and translation). However, the expression and regulation mechanism of HNRNPA1 and A2 themselves remain unclear. In this study, the amino acid sequences of HNRNPA1 and HNRNPA2 were compared and found to have 78% and 86% homology in key functional domains. Transfection of HEK293 cells with small interfering RNA and overexpression vectors of HNRNPA1 and HNRNPA2 demonstrated that HNRNPA1 and HNRNPA2 paralogs regulate each other?s expression in a compensatory manner at …


Determination Of The Interaction Between The Receptor Binding Domain Of 2019-Ncov Spike Protein, Tmprss2, Cathepsin B And Cathepsin L And Glycosidic And Aglycon Forms Of Some Flavonols, Erman Sali̇h İsti̇fli̇, Arzuhan Şihoğlu Tepe, Paulo Augusto Netz, Cengi̇z Sarikürkcü, İbrahi̇m Hali̇l Kiliç, Bektaş Tepe Jan 2021

Determination Of The Interaction Between The Receptor Binding Domain Of 2019-Ncov Spike Protein, Tmprss2, Cathepsin B And Cathepsin L And Glycosidic And Aglycon Forms Of Some Flavonols, Erman Sali̇h İsti̇fli̇, Arzuhan Şihoğlu Tepe, Paulo Augusto Netz, Cengi̇z Sarikürkcü, İbrahi̇m Hali̇l Kiliç, Bektaş Tepe

Turkish Journal of Biology

The novel coronavirus (COVID-19, SARS-CoV-2) is a rapidly spreading disease with a high mortality. In this research, the interactions between specific flavonols and the 2019-nCoV receptor binding domain (RBD), transmembrane protease, serine 2 (TMPRSS2), and cathepsins (CatB and CatL) were analyzed. According to the relative binding capacity index (RBCI) calculated based on the free energy of binding and calculated inhibition constants, it was determined that robinin (ROB) and gossypetin (GOS) were the most effective flavonols on all targets. While the binding free energy of ROB with the spike glycoprotein RBD, TMPRSS2, CatB, and CatL were -5.02, -7.57, -10.10, and -6.11 …


Helicobacter-Stimulated Il-10-Producing B Cells Suppress Differentiation Of Lipopolysaccharide/Helicobacter Felis-Activated Stimulatory Dendritic Cells, Doğuş Altunöz, Ayça Sayi Yazgan Jan 2021

Helicobacter-Stimulated Il-10-Producing B Cells Suppress Differentiation Of Lipopolysaccharide/Helicobacter Felis-Activated Stimulatory Dendritic Cells, Doğuş Altunöz, Ayça Sayi Yazgan

Turkish Journal of Biology

Regulatory B cells (Bregs) produce antiinflammatory cytokines and inhibits proinflammatory response. Recently, immunosuppressive roles of Bregs in the effector functions of dendritic cells (DCs) were demonstrated. However, cross talk between Bregs and DCs in Helicobacter infection remains unknown. Here, we showed that direct stimulation of bone marrow-derived DCs (BMDCs) with Helicobacter felis (H. felis) antigen upregulates their CD86 surface expression and causes the production of interleukin-6 (IL-6), tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α), interleukin-12 (IL-12), and interleukin-10 (IL-10). Furthermore, prestimulation of DCs with supernatants derived from both Helicobacter-stimulated IL-10- B (Hfstim-IL-10- B) or IL-10+ B (Hfstim-IL-10+) cells suppresses the secretion of …


Expression Profiles Of Interferon-Related Genes In Cells Infected With Influenza A Viruses Or Transiently Transfected With Plasmids Encoding Viral Rna Polymerase, Eli̇f Çağlayan, Kadi̇r Turan Jan 2021

Expression Profiles Of Interferon-Related Genes In Cells Infected With Influenza A Viruses Or Transiently Transfected With Plasmids Encoding Viral Rna Polymerase, Eli̇f Çağlayan, Kadi̇r Turan

Turkish Journal of Biology

Influenza A viruses frequently change their genetic characteristics, which leads to the emergence of new viruses. Consequently, elucidation of the relationship between influenza A virus and host cells has a great importance to cope with viral infections. In this study, it was aimed to determine expression profiles of interferon response genes in human embryonic kidney 293 (HEK293) cells infected with human (A/WSN-H1N1) and avian influenza A viruses (duck/Pennsylvania/10218/84/H5N2) or transfected with plasmids encoding viral RdRP subunits and, to obtain clues about the genes that may be important for the viral pathogenesis. The HEK293 cells cultured in a 12-well plate were …


Prediction Of Host-Pathogen Protein Interactions By Extended Network Model, İrfan Kösesoy, Murat Gök, Tamer Kahveci̇ Jan 2021

Prediction Of Host-Pathogen Protein Interactions By Extended Network Model, İrfan Kösesoy, Murat Gök, Tamer Kahveci̇

Turkish Journal of Biology

Knowledge of the pathogen-host interactions between the species is essentialin order to develop a solution strategy against infectious diseases. In vitro methods take extended periods of time to detect interactions and provide very few of the possible interaction pairs. Hence, modelling interactions between proteins has necessitated the development of computational methods. The main scope of this paper is integrating the known protein interactions between thehost and pathogen organisms to improve the prediction success rate of unknown pathogen-host interactions. Thus, the truepositive rate of the predictions was expected to increase.In order to perform this study extensively, encoding methods and learning algorithms …


Classification Of Bladder Cancer Cell Lines According To Regulon Activity, Aleyna Eray, Serap Erkek Özhan Jan 2021

Classification Of Bladder Cancer Cell Lines According To Regulon Activity, Aleyna Eray, Serap Erkek Özhan

Turkish Journal of Biology

Bladder cancer is one of the most frequent cancers and causes more than 150.000 deaths each year. During the last decade, several studies provided important aspects about genomic characterization, consensus subgroup definition, and transcriptional regulation of bladder cancer. Still, much more research needs to be done to characterize molecular signatures of this cancer in depth. At this point, the use of bladder cancer cell lines is quite useful for the identification and test of new signatures. In this study, we classified the bladder cancer cell lines according to the activities of regulons implicated in the regulation of primary bladder tumors. …


Identifying Specific Matrix Metalloproteinase-2-Inhibiting Peptides Through Phage Display-Based Subtractive Screening, Ayli̇n Özdemi̇r Bahadir, Bertan Koray Balcioğlu, Müge Serhatli, Şeyma Işik, Berri̇n Erdağ Jan 2021

Identifying Specific Matrix Metalloproteinase-2-Inhibiting Peptides Through Phage Display-Based Subtractive Screening, Ayli̇n Özdemi̇r Bahadir, Bertan Koray Balcioğlu, Müge Serhatli, Şeyma Işik, Berri̇n Erdağ

Turkish Journal of Biology

Gelatinases A and B, which are members of the matrix metalloproteinase (MMP) family, play essential roles in cancer development and metastasis, as they can break down basal membranes. Therefore, the determination and inhibition of gelatinases is essential for cancer treatment. Peptides that can specifically block each gelatinase may, therefore, be useful for cancer treatment. In this study, subtractive panning was carried out using a 12-mer peptide library to identify peptides that block gelatinase A activity (MMP-2), which is a key pharmacological target. Using this method, 17 unique peptide sequences were determined. MMP-2 inhibition by these peptides was evaluated through zymogram …


The Potential Use Of Drosophila As An In Vivo Model Organism For Covid-19-Related Research: A Review, Eşref Demi̇r Jan 2021

The Potential Use Of Drosophila As An In Vivo Model Organism For Covid-19-Related Research: A Review, Eşref Demi̇r

Turkish Journal of Biology

The world urgently needs effective antiviral approaches against emerging viruses, as shown by the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, which has become an exponentially growing health crisis. Scientists from diverse backgrounds have directed their efforts towards identifying key features of SARS-CoV-2 and clinical manifestations of COVID-19 infection. Reports of more transmissible variants of SARS-CoV-2 also raise concerns over the possibility of an explosive trajectory of the pandemic, so scientific attention should focus on developing new weapons to help win the fight against coronaviruses that may undergo further mutations in the future. Drosophila melanogaster offers a powerful and potential in vivo …


Targeting Cov-2 Spike Rbd And Ace-2 Interaction With Flavonoids Of Anatolian Propolis By In Silico And In Vitro Studies In Terms Of Possible Covid-19 Therapeutics, Hali̇l İbrahi̇m Güler, Fulya Ay Şal, Zehra Can, Yakup Kara, Oktay Yildiz, Ali̇ Osman Beldüz, Sabri̇ye Çanakçi, Sevgi̇ Kolayli Jan 2021

Targeting Cov-2 Spike Rbd And Ace-2 Interaction With Flavonoids Of Anatolian Propolis By In Silico And In Vitro Studies In Terms Of Possible Covid-19 Therapeutics, Hali̇l İbrahi̇m Güler, Fulya Ay Şal, Zehra Can, Yakup Kara, Oktay Yildiz, Ali̇ Osman Beldüz, Sabri̇ye Çanakçi, Sevgi̇ Kolayli

Turkish Journal of Biology

Propolis is a multi-functional bee product rich in polyphenols. In this study, the inhibitory effect of Anatolian propolis against SARS-coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) was investigated in vitro and in silico. Raw and commercial propolis samples were used, and both samples were found to be rich in caffeic acid, p-coumaric acid, ferulic acid, t-cinnamic acid, hesperetin, chrysin, pinocembrin, and caffeic acid phenethyl ester (CAPE) at HPLC-UV analysis. Ethanolic propolis extracts (EPE) were used in the ELISA screening test against the spike S1 protein (SARS-CoV-2): ACE-2 interaction for in vitro study. The binding energy values of these polyphenols to the SARS-CoV-2 spike and ACE-2 …


Phylostat: A Web-Based Tool To Analyze Paralogous Clade Divergencein Phylogenetic Trees, Eli̇f Özçeli̇k, Nurdan Kuru, Ogün Adebali̇ Jan 2021

Phylostat: A Web-Based Tool To Analyze Paralogous Clade Divergencein Phylogenetic Trees, Eli̇f Özçeli̇k, Nurdan Kuru, Ogün Adebali̇

Turkish Journal of Biology

Phylogenetic trees are useful tools to infer evolutionary relationships between genetic entities. Phylogenetics enables not only evolution-based gene clustering but also the assignment of gene duplication and deletion events to the nodes when coupled with statistical approaches such as bootstrapping. However, extensive gene duplication and deletion events bring along a challenge in interpreting phylogenetic trees and require manual inference. In particular, there has been no robust method of determining whether one of the paralog clades systematically shows higher divergence following the gene duplication event as a sign of functional divergence. Here, we provide Phylostat, a graphical user interface that enables …


Investigation Of Neuro-Inflammatory Parameters In A Cuprizone Induced Mouse Model Of Multiple Sclerosis, Ti̇muçi̇n Avşar, Gökçe Erdem, Gökhan Terzi̇oğlu, Eda Tahi̇r Turanli Jan 2021

Investigation Of Neuro-Inflammatory Parameters In A Cuprizone Induced Mouse Model Of Multiple Sclerosis, Ti̇muçi̇n Avşar, Gökçe Erdem, Gökhan Terzi̇oğlu, Eda Tahi̇r Turanli

Turkish Journal of Biology

Cuprizone, copper chelator, treatment of mouse is a toxic model of multiple sclerosis (MS) in which oligodendrocyte death, demyelination and remyelination can be observed. Understanding T and B cell subset as well as their cytokines involved in MS pathogenesis still requires further scrutiny to better understand immune component of MS. The study presented here, aimed to evaluate relevant cytokines, lymphocytes, and gene expressions profiles during demyelination and remyelination in the cuprizone mouse model of MS. Eighty male C57BL/6J mice fed with 0.2% cuprizone for eight weeks. Cuprizone has been removed from the diet in the following eight weeks. Cuprizone treated …


Identification Of Differentially Expressed Genomic Repeats In Primary Hepatocellular Carcinoma And Their Potential Links To Biological Processes And Survival, Gökhan Karakülah, Ci̇hangi̇r Yandim Jan 2021

Identification Of Differentially Expressed Genomic Repeats In Primary Hepatocellular Carcinoma And Their Potential Links To Biological Processes And Survival, Gökhan Karakülah, Ci̇hangi̇r Yandim

Turkish Journal of Biology

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the deadliest cancers. Research on HCC so far primarily focused on genes and provided limited information on genomic repeats, which constitute more than half of the human genome and contribute to genomic stability. In line with this, repeat dysregulation was significantly shown to be pathological in various cancers and other diseases. In this study, we aimed to determine the full repeat expression profile of HCC for the first time. We utilised two independent RNA-seq datasets obtained from primary HCC tumours with matched normal tissues of 20 and 17 HCC patients, respectively. We quantified repeat …


A Cytoplasmic Escapee: Desmin Is Going Nuclear, Ecem Kural Mangit, Ni̇lüfer Düz, Pervi̇n Ruki̇ye Di̇nçer Jan 2021

A Cytoplasmic Escapee: Desmin Is Going Nuclear, Ecem Kural Mangit, Ni̇lüfer Düz, Pervi̇n Ruki̇ye Di̇nçer

Turkish Journal of Biology

It has been a long time since researchers have focused on the cytoskeletal proteins' unconventional functions in the nucleus. Subcellular localization of a protein not only affects its functions but also determines the accessibility for cellular processes. Desmin is a muscle-specific, cytoplasmic intermediate filament protein, the cytoplasmic roles of which are defined. Yet, there is some evidence pointing out nuclear functions for desmin. In silico and wet lab analysis shows that desmin can enter and function in the nucleus. Furthermore, the candidate nuclear partners of desmin support the notion that desmin can serve as a transcriptional regulator inside the nucleus. …


Analyzing Differentially Expressed Genes And Pathways Of Bex2-Deficient Mouse Lung Via Rna-Seq, Noor Bahadar, Hanif Ullah, Salah Adlat, Rajiv Kumar Sah, May Zun Zaw Myint, Zin Mar Oo, Fatoumata Binta Bah, Farooq Hayel Nagi, Hsu Htoo, Ahmad Ud Din, Xuechao Feng, Yaowu Zheng Jan 2021

Analyzing Differentially Expressed Genes And Pathways Of Bex2-Deficient Mouse Lung Via Rna-Seq, Noor Bahadar, Hanif Ullah, Salah Adlat, Rajiv Kumar Sah, May Zun Zaw Myint, Zin Mar Oo, Fatoumata Binta Bah, Farooq Hayel Nagi, Hsu Htoo, Ahmad Ud Din, Xuechao Feng, Yaowu Zheng

Turkish Journal of Biology

Bex2 is well known for its role in the nervous system, and is associated with neurological disorders, but its role in the lung's physiology is still not reported. To elucidate the functional role of Bex2 in the lung, we generated a Bex2 knock-out (KO) mouse model using the CRISPR-Cas9 technology and performed transcriptomic analysis. A total of 652 genes were identified as differentially expressed between Bex2-/- and Bex2+/+ mice, out of which 500 were downregulated, while 152 were upregulated genes. Among these DEGs, Ucp1, Myh6, Coxa7a1, Myl3, Ryr2, RNaset2b, Npy, Enob1, Krt5, Myl2, Hba-a2, and Nrob2 are the most prominent …


Ss-Carboline Alkaloids Induce Structural Plasticity And Inhibition Of Sars-Cov-2 Nsp3 Macrodomain More Potently Than Remdesivir Metabolite Gs-441524: Computational Approach, Yusuf Oloruntoyin Ayipo, Sani Najib Yahaya, Halimah Funmilayo Babamale, Iqrar Ahmad, Harun Patel, Mohd Nizam Mordi Jan 2021

Ss-Carboline Alkaloids Induce Structural Plasticity And Inhibition Of Sars-Cov-2 Nsp3 Macrodomain More Potently Than Remdesivir Metabolite Gs-441524: Computational Approach, Yusuf Oloruntoyin Ayipo, Sani Najib Yahaya, Halimah Funmilayo Babamale, Iqrar Ahmad, Harun Patel, Mohd Nizam Mordi

Turkish Journal of Biology

The nsp3 macrodomain is implicated in the viral replication, pathogenesis and host immune responses through the removal of ADP-ribosylation sites during infections of coronaviruses including the SARS-CoV-2. It has ever been modulated by macromolecules including the ADP-ribose until Ni and co-workers recently reported its inhibition and plasticity enhancement unprecedentedly by remdesivir metabolite, GS-441524, creating an opportunity for investigating other biodiverse small molecules such as ß-Carboline (ßC) alkaloids. In this study, 1497 ßC analogues from the HiT2LEAD chemical database were screened, using computational approaches of Glide XP docking, molecular dynamics simulation and pk-CSM ADMET predictions. Selectively, ßC ligands, 129, 584, 1303 …


Binary-Qsar Guided Virtual Screening Of Fda Approved Drugs And Compounds In Clinical Investigation Against Sars-Cov-2 Main Protease, Lalehan Oktay, Ece Erdemoğlu, İlayda Tolu, Yeşi̇m Yumak, Ayşenur Özcan, Eli̇f Acar, Şehri̇ban Büyükkiliç, Alpsu Olkan, Serdar Durdaği Jan 2021

Binary-Qsar Guided Virtual Screening Of Fda Approved Drugs And Compounds In Clinical Investigation Against Sars-Cov-2 Main Protease, Lalehan Oktay, Ece Erdemoğlu, İlayda Tolu, Yeşi̇m Yumak, Ayşenur Özcan, Eli̇f Acar, Şehri̇ban Büyükkiliç, Alpsu Olkan, Serdar Durdaği

Turkish Journal of Biology

With the emergence of the new SARS-CoV-2 virus, drug repurposing studies have gained substantial importance. Combined with the efficacy of recent improvements in ligand- and target-based virtual screening approaches, virtual screening has become faster and more productive than ever. In the current study, an FDA library of approved drugs and compounds under clinical investigation were screened for their antiviral activity using the antiviral therapeutic activity binary QSAR model of the MetaCore/MetaDrug platform. Among 6733-compound collection, we found 370 compounds with a normalized therapeutic activity value greater than a cutoff of 0.75. Only these selected compounds were used for molecular docking …


The Current State Of Validated Small Molecules Inhibiting Sars-Cov-2 Non-Structural Proteins, Fati̇h Kocabaş, Merve Uslu Jan 2021

The Current State Of Validated Small Molecules Inhibiting Sars-Cov-2 Non-Structural Proteins, Fati̇h Kocabaş, Merve Uslu

Turkish Journal of Biology

The current COVID-19 outbreak has had a profound influence on public health and daily life. Despite all restrictions and vaccination programs, COVID-19 still can lead to fatality due to a lack of COVID-19-specific treatments. A number of studies have demonstrated the feasibility to develop therapeutics by targeting underlying components of the viral proteome. Here we reviewed recently developed and validated small molecule inhibitors of SARS-CoV-2's nonstructural proteins. We described the validation level of identified compounds specific for SARS-CoV-2 in the presence of in vitro and in vivo supporting data. The mechanisms of pharmacological activity, as well as approaches for developing …


Treatment Of Covid-19 Patients With Quercetin In Combination With Vitamin C And Bromelain: A Prospective, Single - Centre, Randomized, Controlled Trial, Hasan Önal, Bengü Arslan, Nurcan Üçüncü Ergun, Hani̇m Şeyma Topuz, Seda Yilmaz Semerci̇, Mehmet Eren Kurnaz, Yulet Mi̇ray Molu, Mehmet Abdussamet Bozkurt, Nuretti̇n Süner, Ali̇ Kocataş Jan 2021

Treatment Of Covid-19 Patients With Quercetin In Combination With Vitamin C And Bromelain: A Prospective, Single - Centre, Randomized, Controlled Trial, Hasan Önal, Bengü Arslan, Nurcan Üçüncü Ergun, Hani̇m Şeyma Topuz, Seda Yilmaz Semerci̇, Mehmet Eren Kurnaz, Yulet Mi̇ray Molu, Mehmet Abdussamet Bozkurt, Nuretti̇n Süner, Ali̇ Kocataş

Turkish Journal of Biology

Scientific research continues on new preventive and therapeutic strategies against severe acute respiratory syndrome Coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2). So far, there is no proven curative treatment, and a valid alternative therapeutic approach needs to be developed. This study is designed to evaluate the effect of quercetin in COVID-19 treatment. This was a single-centre, prospective randomized controlled cohort study. Routine care versus QCB (quercetin, vitamin C, bromelain) supplementation was compared between 429 patients with at least one chronic disease and moderate-to-severe respiratory symptoms. Demographic features, signs, laboratory results and drug administration data of patients were recorded. The endpoint was that QCB supplementation was …


Cannabinoids For Sars-Cov-2 And Is There Evidence Of Their Therapeutic Efficacy?, Ahmet Onay, Abdulselam Ertaş, Veysel Süzerer, İsmai̇l Yener, Mustafa Abdullah Yilmaz, Emi̇ne Ayaz Ti̇lkat, Remzi̇ Eki̇nci̇, Nesri̇n Bozhan, Sevgi̇ İrtegün Jan 2021

Cannabinoids For Sars-Cov-2 And Is There Evidence Of Their Therapeutic Efficacy?, Ahmet Onay, Abdulselam Ertaş, Veysel Süzerer, İsmai̇l Yener, Mustafa Abdullah Yilmaz, Emi̇ne Ayaz Ti̇lkat, Remzi̇ Eki̇nci̇, Nesri̇n Bozhan, Sevgi̇ İrtegün

Turkish Journal of Biology

To combat the coronaviruses and their novel variants, therapeutic drugs and the development of vaccines that are to be effective throughout human life are urgently needed. The endocannabinoid system (ECS) acts as a modulator in the activation of the microcirculation, immune system, and autonomic nervous system, along with controlling pharmacological functions such as emotional responses, homeostasis, motor functions, cognition, and motivation. The ECS contains endogenous cannabinoids, cannabinoid receptor (CBRs), and enzymes that regulate their biosynthesis, transport, and degradation. Moreover, phytocannabinoids and synthetic cannabinoids that mimic the action of endocannabinoids also play an essential role in the modulation of the ECS. …


Pathogenesis And Treatment Of Cytokine Storm In Covid-19, Mehmet Soy, Gökhan Keser, Mehmet Pami̇r Atagündüz Jan 2021

Pathogenesis And Treatment Of Cytokine Storm In Covid-19, Mehmet Soy, Gökhan Keser, Mehmet Pami̇r Atagündüz

Turkish Journal of Biology

COVID-19 is a viral infection caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) that killed a large number of patients around the world. A hyperinflammatory state resulting in a cytokine storm and adult respiratory distress syndrome seems to be the major cause of the death. Many mechanisms have been suggested in the pathogenesis of COVID-19 associated cytokine storm (COVID-CS). Insufficient viral clearance and persistence of a strong cytokine response despite inadequate antiviral immunity seem to be the main mechanisms underlying the pathogenesis. The diagnosis of COVID-19 is based on relatively constant clinical symptoms, clinical findings, laboratory tests, and …


Genomic Chronicle Of Sars-Cov-2: A Mutational Analysis With Over 1 Million Genome Sequences, Osman Mutluhan Uğurel, Oğuz Ata, Di̇lek Balik Jan 2021

Genomic Chronicle Of Sars-Cov-2: A Mutational Analysis With Over 1 Million Genome Sequences, Osman Mutluhan Uğurel, Oğuz Ata, Di̇lek Balik

Turkish Journal of Biology

Use of information technologies to analyse big data on SARS-CoV-2 genome provides an insight for tracking variations and examining the evolution of the virus. Nevertheless, storing, processing, alignment and analyses of these numerous genomes are still a challenge. In this study, over 1 million SARS-CoV-2 genomes have been analysed to show distribution and relationship of variations that could enlighten development and evolution of the virus. In all genomes analysed in this study, a total of over 215M SNVs have been detected and average number of SNV per isolate was found to be 21.83. Single nucleotide variant (SNV) average is observed …


Novel Approaches For Covid-19 Diagnosis And Treatment: A Nonsystematic Review, Şebnem Gari̇p Ustaoğlu, Hakan Kaygusuz, Mehmet Di̇nçer Bi̇lgi̇n, Feri̇de Severcan Jan 2021

Novel Approaches For Covid-19 Diagnosis And Treatment: A Nonsystematic Review, Şebnem Gari̇p Ustaoğlu, Hakan Kaygusuz, Mehmet Di̇nçer Bi̇lgi̇n, Feri̇de Severcan

Turkish Journal of Biology

Since COVID-19 pandemic has been continuously rising and spreading, several original contributions and review articles on COVID-19 started to appear in the literature. The review articles are mainly focus on the current status of the pandemic along with current status of the corona diagnosis and treatment process. Due to some disadvantages of the currently used methods, the improvement on the novel promising diagnosis and treatment methods of corona virus is very important issue. In this review, after briefly discussing the status of current diagnosis and treatment methods, we present to the scientific community, novel promising methods in the diagnosis and …