Biochemistry Commons^™

High-Throughput Mutation, Selection, And Phenotype Screening Of Mutant Methanogenic Archaea, Mary E. Walter, Alicia Ortiz, Casey Sondgeroth, Nathan M. Sindt, Nikolas Duszenko, Jennie L. Catlett, You Zhou, Shah R. Valloppilly, Christopher Anderson, Samodha Fernando, Nicole R. Buan

Department of Biochemistry: Faculty Publications

Bacterial and archaeal genomes can contain 30% or more hypothetical genes with no predicted function. Phylogenetically deep-branching microbes, such as methane-producing archaea (methanogens), contain up to 50% genes with unknown function. In order to formulate hypotheses about the function of hypothetical gene functions in the strict anaerobe, Methanosarcina acetivorans, we have developed high-throughput anaerobic techniques to UV mutagenize, screen, and select for mutant strains in 96-well plates. Using these approaches we have isolated 10 mutant strains that exhibit a variety of physiological changes including increased or decreased growth rate relative to the parent strain when cells use methanol and/or …

Mutual Information Upper Bound Of Molecular Communication Based On Cell Metabolism, Massimiliano Pierobon, Zahmeeth Sakkaff, Jennie L. Catlett, Nicole R. Buan

Department of Biochemistry: Faculty Publications

Synthetic biology is providing novel tools to engineer cells and access the basis of their molecular information processing, including their communication channels based on chemical reactions and molecule exchange. Molecular communication is a discipline in communication engineering that studies these types of communications and ways to exploit them for novel purposes, such as the development of ubiquitous and heterogeneous communication networks to interconnect biological cells with nano and biotechnology-enabled devices, i.e., the Internet of Bio-Nano Things. One major problem in synthetic biology stands in the development of reliable techniques to control the engineered cells from the external environment. In this …

Reactive Oxygen Species Homeostasis And Proline Catabolism, Lu Zhang

Department of Biochemistry: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

The role of proline metabolism in regulating cellular redox status was first proposed three decades ago. Proline catabolism was then later found to induce programmed cell death and cell apoptosis by regulating ROS signaling. Proline oxidation was also found to promote cell survival under oxidative stress. Proline catabolism-mediated reactive oxygen species (ROS) were suggested to be involved in both cases by serving as a regulatory signal. In this work, the sources of proline oxidation-induced ROS production were explored in both bacteria and animal cells. Proline oxidation-induced ROS was found to be shared by bacteria (Escherichia coli) and animals …

Investigation Of Pathways For Complex Sphingolipid Biosynthesis In Arabidopsis Thaliana (L.) Heynh, Kyle Luttgeharm

Department of Biochemistry: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Sphingolipids are essential components of eukaryote membranes. The ceramide backbone of complex sphingolipids is composed of an 18 carbon Long Chain Base (LCB) bound to a 16-26 carbon fatty acid (FA) through an amide linkage. Ceramides are synthesized de novo from a free LCB and fatty acyl coA by ceramide synthase (sphingosine N-acyl transferase, EC 2.3.1.24) which can be inhibited by the fungal mycotoxin Fumonisin B₁. Arabidopsis thaliana contains three ceramide synthases denoted LOH1, LOH2, and LOH3 that have previously been hypothesized to have unique substrate preferences that control the final sphingolipid composition, different susceptibilities to …

Chemical Inhibition Of Fatty Acid Absorption And Cellular Uptake Limits Lipotoxic Cell Death, Constance Ahowesso, Paul N. Black, Nipun Saini, David Montefusco, Jessica Chekal, Chrysa Malosh, Craig W. Lindsley, Shaun R. Stauffer, Concetta Dirusso

Department of Biochemistry: Faculty Publications

Chronic elevation of plasma free fatty acid (FFA) levels is commonly associated with obesity, type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease and some cancers. Experimental evidence indicates FFA and their metabolites contribute to disease development through lipotoxicity. Previously, we identified a specific fatty acid transport inhibitor CB16.2, a.k.a. Lipofermata, using high throughput screening methods. In this study, efficacy of transport inhibition was measured in four cell lines that are models for myocytes (mmC2C12), pancreatic ß-cells (rnINS-1E), intestinal epithelial cells (hsCaco-2), and hepatocytes (hsHepG2), as well as primary human adipocytes. The compound was effective in inhibiting uptake with IC₅₀s between 3 …

Characterization Of Inhibitors Of Fatty Acid Transport Protein-2 In Cell And Animal Models, Nipun Saini

Department of Biochemistry: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Obesity is correlated with insulin resistance and elevated levels of glucose, triglycerides and free fatty acids in blood. This affects overall metabolism and leads to disease. In the obese state, fat also accumulates in non-adipose tissue including liver, muscle and pancreas, where it can lead to cellular dysfunction and death. Currently, only a limited number of drugs are available to combat obesity and it is clear that new drugs, which more narrowly target the metabolic pathways involved, are required. Fatty Acid Transport Proteins (FATPs) are bifunctional proteins involved in the uptake and activation of fatty acids by esterification with coenzyme …

Fatty Acid Transport Protein-2 Inhibitor Grassofermata/Cb5 Protects Cells Against Lipid Accumulation And Toxicity, Nipun Saini, Paul N. Black, David Montefusco, Concetta Dirusso

Department of Biochemistry: Faculty Publications

The inhibition of the fatty acid uptake into non-adipose tissues provides an attractive target for prevention of lipotoxicity leading to obesity-associated non-alcoholic fatty liver disease and type 2 diabetes. Fatty acid transport proteins (FATPs) are bifunctional proteins involved in the uptake and activation of fatty acids by esterification with coenzyme A. Here we characterize Grassofermata/CB5, previously identified as a fatty acid uptake inhibitor directed against HsFATP2. The compound was effective in inhibiting the uptake of fatty acids in the low micro-molar range (IC₅₀ 8–11μM) and prevented palmitate-mediated lipid accumulation and cell death in cell lines that are models for …

Rerouting Cellular Electron Flux To Increase The Rate Of Biological Methane Production, Jennie L. Catlett, Alicia M. Ortiz, Nicole R. Buan

Department of Biochemistry: Faculty Publications

Methanogens are anaerobic archaea that grow by producing methane, a gas that is both an efficient renewable fuel and a potent greenhouse gas. We observed that overexpression of the cyoplasmic heterodisulfide reductase enzyme HdrABC increased the rate of methane production from methanol by 30% without affecting the growth rate relative to the parent strain. Hdr enzymes are essential in all known methane-producing archaea. They function as the terminal oxidases in the methanogen electron transport system by reducing the coenzyme M (2-mercaptoethane sulfonate) and coenxyme B (7-mercaptoheptaonylthreonine sulfonate) heterodisulfide, CoM-S-S-CoB, to regenerate the thiol-coenzymes for reuse. In Methanosarcina acetivorans, HdrABC expression …

Assessment Of Variation In Susceptibility Of The Fall Armyworm, Spodoptera Frugiperda (J.E. Smith) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae), To Bacillus Thuringiensis Toxins, Karen Ferreira Da Silva

Department of Entomology: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

The fall armyworm, Spodoptera frugiperda, is a polyphagous insect pest affecting multiple crops. Fall armyworm is managed with insecticides and corn hybrids expressing insecticidal proteins derived from Bacillus thuringiensis. The early detection of insect resistance is important for making appropriate management decisions informs IPM and IRM recommendations.

The objective of the first study was to establish baseline susceptibility of fall armyworm populations to the Cry1F Bt insecticidal protein, emphasizing collections from locations where fall armyworm overwinters in the U.S. Fall armyworm neonates were exposed to artificial diet treated with increasing Cry1F concentrations, and mortality and growth inhibition were …

Investigations Into The Molecular Mechanisms Of Bacterial Pathogen–Host Interactions: Construction Of A Dual Plasmid System For Incorporation Of Unnatural Amino Acids Into Pseudomonas Syringae Pv. Tomato Dc3000, Scotty D. Raber

Department of Chemistry: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

A dual plasmid system for the incorporation of unnatural amino acids into plant pathogen, Pseudomonas syringae pv. tomato DC3000, has been designed. This invention is expected to allow (a) mutations of proteins synthesized by the bacterium, P. syringae pv. tomato DC3000, that can capture molecular targets, especially for such modified proteins secreted by the phytopathogen into the host plant cells of A. thaliana and S. lycopersicum, (b) expression of biological probes in the bacterial species to monitor changes in redox, nutritional, and other small molecule states over pre-, post- and in situ disease stages, and secretion of such biological …

Functional Genomic Analyses Of Switchgrass Developmental Processes, Nathan Palmer

Department of Biochemistry: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Switchgrass (Panicum virgatum L.), a C_4-perennial grass species, is being developed as a bioenergy crop. Although much is known from a breeding perspective, there is limited information on the functional genomics of this crop, specifically regarding molecular mechanisms controlling aerial senescence, winter dormancy, and traits that confer winter hardiness. Using functional genomics to generate a transcriptional roadmap underpinning senescence and winter dormancy will provide researchers with a molecular understanding that can be applied to improve switchgrass germplasm.

In an initial study, a de novo assembly of the crown and rhizome transcriptome from an upland cultivar Summer was …

Proline Metabolism Increases Katg Expression And Oxidative Stress Resistance In Escherichia Coli, Lu Zhang, James R. Alfano, Donald F. Becker

Department of Biochemistry: Faculty Publications

The oxidation of L-proline to glutamate in Gram-negative bacteria is catalyzed by the proline utilization A (PutA) flavoenzyme, which contains proline dehydrogenase (PRODH) and _1-pyrroline-5-carboxylate (P5C) dehydrogenase domains in a single polypeptide. Previous studies have suggested that aside from providing energy, proline metabolism influences oxidative stress resistance in different organisms. To explore this potential role and the mechanism, we characterized the oxidative stress resistance of wild-type and putA mutant strains of Escherichia coli. Initial stress assays revealed that the putA mutant strain was significantly more sensitive to oxidative stress than the parental wild-type strain. Expression of PutA in the …

Tissue-Specific Splice Variants Of Hare/Stabilin-2 Are Expressed In Bone Marrow, Lymph Node, And Spleen, Amanda K. Hare, Edward N. Harris

Department of Biochemistry: Faculty Publications

The hyaluronan receptor for endocytosis (HARE), or Stabilin-2, is the mammalian endocytic clearance receptor for HA, heparin, advanced glycation end-products, acetylated and oxidized low-density lipoproteins and collagen N-terminal propeptides. This large 2551 amino acid receptor is encoded by a gene that covers over 180 kbp on human chromosome 12 and is predicted to be composed of 69 exons. Due to the expression profile of this gene and the number of exons it contains, we hypothesized that splice variants of stab2 are encoded in these tissues. In addition, a correlation between alternative splice variants and cancer progression has been shown in …

Hyaluronidase Hyal1 Increases Tumor Cell Proliferation And Motility Through Accelerated Vesicle Trafficking, Caitlin O Mcatee, Abigail R. Berkebile, Christian Elowsky, Teresa Fangman, Joseph J. Barycki, James K. Wahl Iii, Oleh Khalimonchuk, Naava Naslavsky, Steve Caplan, Melanie A. Simpson

Department of Biochemistry: Faculty Publications

Background: Hyal1 is a turnover enzyme for hyaluronan that accelerates metastatic cancer by increasing cell motility.

Results: Hyal1-overexpressing cells have a higher rate of endocytosis that impacts cargo internalization and recycling.

Conclusion: The higher rate of vesicle trafficking increases motility receptor function and nutrient uptake.

Significance: This novel mechanism implicates Hyal1 trafficking in multiple signaling events during tumor progression.

Cytosolic Fe-S Cluster Protein Maturation And Iron Regulation Are Independent Of The Mitochondrial Erv1/Mia40 Import System, Hatice K. Ozer, Adrienne C. Dlouhy, Jeremy D. Thornton, Jingjing Hu, Yilin Liu, Joseph J. Barycki, Janneke Balk, Caryn E. Outten

Department of Biochemistry: Faculty Publications

Background: The mitochondrial sulfhydryl oxidase Erv1 is implicated in cytosolic iron-sulfur protein maturation and iron regulation.

Results: An erv1 yeast strain used in previous iron metabolism studies is glutathione-deficient, and erv1/mia40 mutants with sufficient glutathione do not exhibit iron-related defects.

Conclusion: Iron homeostasis is independent of Erv1/Mia40 function. Significance: The unexplained role of Erv1 in yeast iron metabolism is resolved.

Connecting Proline Metabolism And Signaling Pathways In Plant Senescence, Lu Zhang, Donald F. Becker

Department of Biochemistry: Faculty Publications

The amino acid proline has a unique biological role in stress adaptation. Proline metabolism is manipulated under stress by multiple and complex regulatory pathways and can profoundly influence cell death and survival in microorganisms, plants, and animals. Though the effects of proline are mediated by diverse signaling pathways, a common theme appears to be the generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) due to proline oxidation being coupled to the respiratory electron transport chain. Considerable research has been devoted to understand how plants exploit proline metabolism in response to abiotic and biotic stress. Here, we review potential mechanisms by which proline …

Chloroplast Lipid Transfer Processes In Chlamydomonas Reinhardtii Involving A Trigalactosyldiacylglycerol 2 (Tgd2) Ortholog, Jaruswan Warakanont, Chia-Hong Tsai, Elena J.S. Michel, George R. Murphy Iii, Peter Y. Hsueh, Rebecca L. Roston, Barbara B. Sears, Christoph Benning

Department of Biochemistry: Faculty Publications

In plants, lipids of the photosynthetic membrane are synthesized by parallel pathways associated with the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) and the chloroplast envelope membranes. Lipids derived from the two pathways are distinguished by their acyl-constituents. Following this plant paradigm, the prevalent acyl composition of chloroplast lipids suggests that Chlamydomonas reinhardtii (Chlamydomonas) does not use the ER pathway; however, the Chlamydomonas genome encodes presumed plant orthologs of a chloroplast lipid transporter consisting of TGD (TRIGALACTOSYLDIACYLGLYCEROL) proteins that are required for ER-tochloroplast lipid trafficking in plants. To resolve this conundrum, we identified a mutant of Chlamydomonas deleted in the TGD2 gene and characterized …

Phenotypic Screening Identifies Brefeldin A/Ascotoxin As An Inducer Of Lipid Storage In The Algae Chlamydomonas Reinhardtii, Nishikant Wase, Boqiang Tu, Paul N. Black, Concetta C. Dirusso

Department of Biochemistry: Faculty Publications

The use of microalgae as a biofuel feedstock is highly desired, but current methods to induce lipid accumulation cause severe stress responses that limit biomass and, thus oil yield. To address these issues, a high throughput screening (HTS) method was devised to identify chemical inducers of growth and lipid accumulation. Optimization was performed to determine the most effective cell density, DMSO and Nile Red (NR) concentrations to monitor growth and lipid accumulation. The method was tested using 1717 compounds from National Cancer Institute (NCI) Diversity Set III and Natural Products Set II in Chlamydomonas reinhardtii. Cells were inoculated at …

Sestrin2, A Regulator Of Thermogenesis And Mitohormesis In Brown Adipose Tissue, Seung-Hyun Ro, Ian Semple, Allison Ho, Hwan-Woo Park, Jun Hee Lee

Department of Biochemistry: Faculty Publications

Sestrin2 is a stress-inducible protein that functions as an antioxidant and inhibitor of mTOR complex 1. In a recent study, we found that Sestrin2 overexpression in brown adipocytes interfered with normal metabolism by reducing mitochondrial respiration through the suppression of uncoupling protein 1 (UCP1) expression. The metabolic effects of Sestrin2 in brown adipocytes were dependent on its antioxidant activity, and chemical antioxidants produced similar effects in inhibiting UCP1-dependent thermogenesis. These observations suggest that low levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in brown adipocytes can actually be beneficial and necessary for proper metabolic homeostasis. In addition, considering that Sestrins are ROS …

How Do Free-Living, Lerp-Forming, And Gall-Inducing Aphalaridae (Hemiptera: Psylloidea) Affect The Nutritional Quality Of Eucalyptus Leaves?, Anamika Sharma, James Allen, Soundararajan Madhavan, Anantanarayanan Raman, Gary S. Taylor, Murray J. Fletcher

Department of Biochemistry: Faculty Publications

About 380 described species of Psylloidea occur on Eucalyptus in Australia. These show differences in diversification, feeding behavior, and apparent patterns of development. We analyzed the quality of nutrients used by three species of Aphalaridae belonging to different feeding guilds on three species of Eucalyptus. We evaluated the quantity and quality of total nonstructural carbohydrates (TNC), δ¹³C and δ¹⁵N isotope ratios, amino acids, and fatty acids. In general, TNC levels were greater in infested leaves than in uninfested leaves of the three species of Eucalyptus. TNC levels in the leaves of E. macrorhyncha F. …

Overaccumulation Of Γ-Glutamylcysteine In A Jasmonate-Hypersensitive Arabidopsis Mutant Causes Jasmonate-Dependent Growth Inhibition, Hsin-Ho Wei, Martha Rowe, Jean-Jack M. Riethoven, Ryan Grove, Jiri Adamec, Yusuke Jikumaru, Paul E. Staswick

Department of Biochemistry: Faculty Publications

Glutathione (GSH) is essential for many aspects of plant biology and is associated with jasmonate signaling in stress responses. We characterized an Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) jasmonate-hypersensitive mutant (jah2) with seedling root growth 100-fold more sensitive to inhibition by the hormone jasmonyl-isoleucine than the wild type. Genetic mapping and genome sequencing determined that the mutation is in intron 6 of GLUTATHIONE SYNTHETASE2, encoding the enzyme that converts γ-glutamylcysteine (γ-EC) to GSH. The level of GSH in jah2 was 71% of the wild type, while the phytoalexin-deficient2-1 (pad2-1) mutant, defective in GSH1 and …

First Evidence For Substrate Channeling Between Proline Catabolic Enzymes A Validation Of Domain Fusion Analysis For Predicting Protein-Protein Interactions, Nikhilesh Sanyal, Benjamin W. Arentson, John J. Tanner, Donald F. Becker

Department of Biochemistry: Faculty Publications

Background: PRODH and P5CDH from Thermus thermophilus are monofunctional enzymes in proline catabolism.

Results: Steady-state kinetics and intermediate trapping data show the PRODH and P5CDH reactions are coupled by a channeling step.

Conclusion: Substrate channeling in monofunctional enzymes is achieved via weak interactions.

Significance: Evidence for substrate channeling between monofunctional proline catabolic enzymes is shown and confirms the Rosetta Stone hypothesis.

Drosophila Muller F Elements Maintain A Distinct Set Of Genomic Properties Over 40 Million Years Of Evolution, Wilson Leung, Cheryl Bailey, Participating Students And Faculty Of The Genomics Education Partnership

Department of Biochemistry: Faculty Publications

The Muller F element (4.2 Mb, ~80 protein-coding genes) is an unusual autosome of Drosophila melanogaster; it is mostly heterochromatic with a low recombination rate. To investigate how these properties impact the evolution of repeats and genes, we manually improved the sequence and annotated the genes on the D. erecta, D. mojavensis, and D. grimshawi F elements and euchromatic domains from the Muller D element. We find that F elements have greater transposon density (25–50%) than euchromatic reference regions (3–11%). Among the F elements, D. grimshawi has the lowest transposon density (particularly DINE-1: 2% vs. 11–27%). F …

Overexpression Of Alpha-Synuclein At Non-Toxic Levels Increases Dopaminergic Cell Death Induced By Copper Exposure Via Modulation Of Protein Degradation Pathways, Annadurai Anandhan, Humberto Rodriguez-Rocha, Iryna Bohovych, Amy M. Griggs, Laura Zavala-Flores, Elsa M. Reyes-Reyes, Javier Seravalli, Lia A. Stanciu, Jaekwon Lee, Jean-Christophe Rochet, Oleh Khalimonchuk, Rodrigo Franco

Department of Biochemistry: Faculty Publications

Gene multiplications or point mutations in alpha (α)-synuclein are associated with familial and sporadic Parkinson’s disease (PD). An increase in copper (Cu) levels has been reported in the cerebrospinal fluid and blood of PD patients, while occupational exposure to Cu has been suggested to augment the risk to develop PD. We aimed to elucidate the mechanisms by which α-synuclein and Cu regulate dopaminergic cell death. Short-term overexpression of WT or A53T α-synuclein had no toxic effect in human dopaminergic cells and primary midbrain cultures, but it exerted a synergistic effect on Cu-induced cell death. Cell death induced by Cu was …

Triacylglycerol Synthesis During Nitrogen Stress Involves The Prokaryotic Lipid Synthesis Pathway And Acyl Chain Remodeling In The Microalgae Coccomyxa Subellipsoidea, James W. Allen, Concetta C. Dirusso, Paul N. Black

Department of Biochemistry: Faculty Publications

Triglyceride (TAG) synthesis during nitrogen starvation and recovery was addressed using Coccomyxa subellipsoidea by analyzing acylchain composition and redistribution using a bioreactor-controlled time course. Galactolipids, phospholipids and TAGs were profiled using liquid chromatography tandem mass spectroscopy (LC–MS/MS). TAG levels increased linearly through 10 days of N starvation to a final concentration of 12.6% dry weight (DW), while chloroplast membrane lipids decreased from 5% to 1.5% DW. The relative quantities of TAG molecular species, differing in acyl chain length and glycerol backbone position, remained unchanged from 3 to 10 days of N starvation. Six TAG species comprised approximately half the TAG …

Metalloprotease Oma1 Fine-Tunes Mitochondrial Bioenergetic Function And Respiratory Supercomplex Stability, Iryna Bohovych, Mario R. Fernandez, Jennifer J. Rahn, Krista D. Stackley, Jennifer E. Bestman, Annadurai Anandhan, Rodrigo Franco, Steven M. Claypool, Robert E. Lewis, Sherine S.L. Chan, Oleh Khalimonchuk

Department of Biochemistry: Faculty Publications

Mitochondria are involved in key cellular functions including energy production, metabolic homeostasis, and apoptosis. Normal mitochondrial function is preserved by several interrelated mechanisms. One mechanism – intramitochondrial quality control (IMQC) – is represented by conserved proteases distributed across mitochondrial compartments. Many aspects and physiological roles of IMQC components remain unclear. Here, we show that the IMQC protease Oma₁ is required for the stability of the respiratory supercomplexes and thus balanced and tunable bioenergetic function. Loss of Oma1 activity leads to a specific destabilization of respiratory supercomplexes and consequently to unbalanced respiration and progressive respiratory decline in yeast. Similarly, experiments …

Rerouting Cellular Electron Flux To Increase The Rate Of Biological Methane Production, Jennie L. Catlett, Alicia M. Ortiz, Nicole R. Baun

Department of Biochemistry: Faculty Publications

Methanogens are anaerobic archaea that grow by producing methane, a gas that is both an efficient renewable fuel and a potent greenhouse gas. We observed that overexpression of the cytoplasmic heterodisulfide reductase enzyme HdrABC increased the rate of methane production from methanol by 30% without affecting the growth rate relative to the parent strain. Hdr enzymes are essential in all known methane-producing archaea. They function as the terminal oxidases in the methanogen electron transport system by reducing the coenzymeM(2-mercaptoethane sulfonate) and coenzyme B (7-mercaptoheptanoylthreonine sulfonate) heterodisulfide, CoM-S-S-CoB, to regenerate the thiol-coenzymes for reuse. In Methanosarcina acetivorans, HdrABC expression caused …

Correction For Sandai Et Al., The Evolutionary Rewiring Of Ubiquitination Targets Has Reprogrammed The Regulation Of Carbon Assimilation In The Pathogenic Yeast Candida Albicans, Doblin Sandai, Zhikang Yin, Laura Selway, David Stead, Janet Walker, Michelle D. Leach, Iryna Bohovych, Iuliana V. Ene, Stavroula Kastora, Susan Budge, Carol A. Munro, Frank C. Odds, Neil A.R. Gow, Alistair J.P. Brown

Department of Biochemistry: Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Role Of Micrornas In Alcohol-Induced Multi-Organ Injury, Sathish Kumar Natarajan, Joseph M. Pachunka, Justin L. Mott

Department of Biochemistry: Faculty Publications

Alcohol consumption and its abuse is a major health problem resulting in significant healthcare cost in the United States. Chronic alcoholism results in damage to most of the vital organs in the human body. Among the alcohol-induced injuries, alcoholic liver disease is one of the most prevalent in the United States. Remarkably, ethanol alters expression of a wide variety of microRNAs that can regulate alcohol-induced complications or dysfunctions. In this review, we will discuss the role of microRNAs in alcoholic pancreatitis, alcohol-induced liver damage, intestinal epithelial barrier dysfunction, and brain damage including altered hippocampus structure and function, and neuronal loss, …

Some Of The Most Interesting Casp11 Targets Through The Eyes Of Their Authors, Andriy Kryshtafovych, John Moult, Arnaud Basle, Alex Burgin, Timonthy K. Craig, Robert A. Edwards, Deborah Fass, Marcus D. Hartmann, Mateusz Korycinski, Richard J. Lewis, Donald Lorimer, Andrei N. Lupas, Janet Newman, Thomas S. Peat, Kurt H. Piepenbrink, Janani Prahlad, Mark J. Van Raaij, Forest Rohwer, Anca M. Segall, Victor Seguritan, Eric J. Sundberg, Abhimanyu K. Singh, Mark A. Wilson, Torsten Schwede

Department of Biochemistry: Faculty Publications

The Critical Assessment of protein Structure Prediction (CASP) experiment would not have been possible without the prediction targets provided by the experimental structural biology community. In this article, selected crystallographers providing targets for the CASP11 experiment discuss the functional and biological significance of the target proteins, highlight their most interesting structural features, and assess whether these features were correctly reproduced in the predictions submitted to CASP11.