Publications by authors named "Flora Cozzolino"

The identification of reliable biomarkers is essential for improving breast cancer (BC) detection, prognosis, and treatment. This study explores a human telomeric G-quadruplex (G4) model, tel, functionalized on Controlled Pore Glass (CPG) support, as a novel biomarker discovery tool. The oligonucleotide tel mimics multimeric G4 structures in telomeric overhangs.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Recent studies emphasize the involvement of the nuclear H ferritin subunit (FTH1; also known as ferritin heavy chain) in DNA protection from oxidative damage and transcriptional regulation. Bromodomain and extra-terminal domain (BET) proteins act as epigenome readers for transcriptional regulation. Among them, the role of bromodomain-containing protein 2 (BRD2) in non-small cell lung carcinoma (NSCLC) remains unclear.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Cardiovascular disease has been recognized as the main cause of death in adults with sickle cell disease (SCD). Although the exact mechanism linking SCD to cardiomyopathy remains elusive, a possible role of subclinical acute transient myocardial ischemia during acute sickle cell-related vaso-occlusive crises (VOCs) has been suggested. We approached SCD cardiomyopathy by integrated omics using humanized SS mice exposed to hypoxia/reoxygenation (H/R; 10 hours hypoxia followed by 3 hours reoxygenation) stress, mimicking acute VOCs.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

The SARS-CoV-2 papain-like protease PLpro has multiple roles in the viral replication cycle, related to both its polypeptide cleavage function and its ability to antagonize the host immune response. Targeting the PLpro function is recognized as a promising mechanism to modulate viral replication, while supporting host immune responses. However, the development of PLpro-specific inhibitors remains challenging.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

SARS-CoV-2 encodes a 3C-like protease (3CL) that is essential for viral replication. This cysteine protease cleaves viral polyproteins to release functional nonstructural proteins, making it a prime target for antiviral drug development. We investigated the inhibitory effects of halicin, a known c-Jun N-terminal kinase inhibitor, on 3CL.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Cyclin-dependent kinase-like 5 (CDKL5) is a serine/threonine protein kinase involved in human brain development and functioning. Mutations in CDKL5, especially in its catalytic domain, cause a severe developmental condition named CDKL5 deficiency disorder. Nevertheless, molecular studies investigating the structural consequences of such mutations are still missing.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF
Article Synopsis
  • Isolated amyloid deposition is common in stenotic aortic valves (AVs) among patients who do not have systemic or cardiac amyloidosis, with significant findings from a study of 130 patients undergoing cardiac surgery.
  • In the study, amyloid was found in 37% of aortic stenosis valves, leading to higher levels of AV fibrosis and calcification, but no differences in clinical characteristics or survival rates were observed between those with and without amyloid deposition.
  • The research suggests that local inflammation might contribute to amyloid deposition in AVs, highlighting its potential role in the pathophysiology of aortic stenosis despite its lack of direct clinical relevance.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Agri-food residues offer significant potential as a raw material for the production of L-lactic acid through microbial fermentation. Weizmannia coagulans, previously known as Bacillus coagulans, is a spore-forming, lactic acid-producing, gram-positive, with known probiotic and prebiotic properties. This study aimed to evaluate the feasibility of utilizing untreated citrus waste as a sustainable feedstock for the production of L-lactic acid in a one-step process, by using the strain W.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Introduction: Aging is a physiological process occurring in all living organisms. It is characterized by a progressive deterioration of the physiological and cognitive functions of the organism, accompanied by a gradual impairment of mechanisms involved in the regulation of tissue and organ homeostasis, thus exacerbating the risk of developing pathologies, including cancer and neurodegenerative disorders.

Methods: In the present work, for the first time, the influence of aging has been investigated in the brain cortex of the Podolica cattle breed, through LC-MS/MS-based differential proteomics and the bioinformatic analysis approach (data are available via ProteomeXchange with identifier PXD044108), with the aim of identifying potential aging or longevity markers, also associated with a specific lifestyle.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Brain aging is a physiological process associated with physical and cognitive decline; however, in both humans and animals, it can be regarded as a risk factor for neurodegenerative disorders, such as Alzheimer's disease. Among several brain regions, hippocampus appears to be more susceptible to detrimental effects of aging. Hippocampus belongs to limbic system and is mainly involved in declarative memories and context-dependent spatial-learning, whose integrity is compromised in an age-dependent manner.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF
Article Synopsis
  • The tobacco budworm larvae are targeted by a parasitoid wasp, which injects both eggs and substances from its own glands into the larvae, including a virus and proteins known as Ovarian calyx fluid Proteins (OPs).
  • These OPs negatively impact the immune system of the larvae by inducing oxidative stress, modifying cellular structures, causing cell vacuolization, and impairing immune functions.
  • The study used advanced techniques to identify the main components of these proteins and explore their functions, aiming to improve understanding of how these factors contribute to the wasp’s success in parasitizing the larvae.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF
Article Synopsis
  • Metals are essential for all living organisms, and imbalances in metal levels can cause health issues due to disrupted homeostasis.
  • Transition metals are increasingly used in pharmaceuticals for diagnostics and treatments due to their unique electronic properties that interact with biological molecules differently than organic ones.
  • This review summarizes recent advancements in studying metal-drug complexes, focusing on various techniques for identifying protein targets and understanding how metallodrugs work, which could lead to the development of new drugs or enhancements to existing ones.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) are a chemically and structurally heterogeneous family of molecules produced by a large variety of living organisms, whose expression is predominant in the sites most exposed to microbial invasion. One of the richest natural sources of AMPs is insects which, over the course of their very long evolutionary history, have adapted to numerous and different habitats by developing a powerful innate immune system that has allowed them to survive but also to assert themselves in the new environment. Recently, due to the increase in antibiotic-resistant bacterial strains, interest in AMPs has risen.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF
Article Synopsis
  • Enzyme replacement therapy (ERT) is currently the only treatment for Fabry patients lacking AGAL activity, but it has side effects, is expensive, and requires a lot of recombinant human protein.
  • The report discusses two potential approaches to optimize ERT: combining it with pharmacological chaperones and identifying AGAL interactors as new therapeutic targets.
  • Preliminary findings suggest that galactose can enhance the half-life of AGAL in cells and highlight the need to analyze AGAL interactomes to discover drug sensitivities that could improve ERT outcomes.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Gain-of-function mutations in PIEZO1 cause dehydrated hereditary stomatocytosis (DHS) or hereditary xerocytosis, an autosomal dominant hemolytic anemia characterized by high reticulocyte count, a tendency to macrocytosis, and mild jaundice, as well as by other variably penetrant clinical features, such as perinatal edema, severe thromboembolic complications after splenectomy, and hepatic iron overload. PIEZO1 mutations in DHS lead to slowed inactivation kinetics of the ion channel and/or facilitation of channel opening in response to physiological stimuli. To characterize the alterations of red blood cell proteome in patients with mutated PIEZO1, we used a differential approach to compare the proteome of patients with DHS (16 patients from 13 unrelated ancestries) vs healthy individuals.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

The H Ferritin subunit (FTH1), as well as regulating the homeostasis of intracellular iron, is involved in complex pathways that might promote or inhibit carcinogenesis. This function may be mediated by its ability to interact with different molecules. To gain insight into the FTH1 interacting molecules, we analyzed its interactome in HEK293T cells.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) causes Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19), which, since 2019 in China, has rapidly become a worldwide pandemic. The aggressiveness and global spread were enhanced by the many SARS-CoV-2 variants that have been isolated up to now. These mutations affect mostly the viral glycoprotein Spike (S), the capsid protein mainly involved in the early stages of viral entry processes, through the recognition of specific receptors on the host cell surface.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

The endophagous parasitoid (Viereck) (Hymenoptera, Braconidae) of the larval stages of the tobacco budworm (Fabricius) (Lepidoptera, Noctuidae) injects the egg, the venom, the calyx fluid, which includes a Polydnavirus ( BracoVirus: BV) and the Ovarian Proteins (OPs) into the host body during oviposition. The host metabolism and immune system are disrupted prematurely shortly after parasitization by the combined action of the BV, venom, and OPs. OPs are involved in the early suppression of host immune response, before BV infects and expresses its genes in the host tissues.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF
Article Synopsis
  • Global warming is significantly impacting the maritime Antarctica climate, causing glaciers to melt and allowing more plant colonization.
  • The study focuses on a vascular plant native to the Antarctic Peninsula and investigates its response to increased temperatures using open top chambers (OTCs) which simulate global warming effects.
  • Results show that plants grown in OTCs underwent metabolic changes that improved their ability to handle light stress and oxidative stress while also decreasing certain cell wall components, ultimately benefiting their growth.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF

The tumor microenvironment modulates cancer growth. Extracellular vesicles (EVs) have been identified as key mediators of intercellular communication, but their role in tumor growth is largely unexplored. Here, we demonstrate that EVs from sarcoma patients promote neoangiogenesis via a purinergic X receptor 4 (P2XR4) -dependent mechanism in vitro and in vivo.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

The fields of application of functional proteomics are not limited to the study of protein-protein interactions; they also extend to those involving protein complexes that bind DNA or RNA. These interactions affect fundamental processes such as replication, transcription, and repair in the case of DNA, as well as transport, translation, splicing, and silencing in the case of RNA. Analytical or preparative experimental approaches, both and , have been developed to isolate and identify DNA/RNA binding proteins by exploiting the advantage of the affinity shown by these proteins toward a specific oligonucleotide sequence.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF
Article Synopsis
  • Chorea-Acanthocytosis (ChAc) is a serious neurodegenerative disease linked to VPS13A mutations, characterized by neuroinflammation and disrupted autophagy.
  • Research using Vps13a mice models showed that active Lyn tyrosine kinase accumulation contributed to these issues, leading to the identification of potential therapeutic targets.
  • Nilotinib, a specific Lyn kinase inhibitor that crosses the blood-brain barrier, showed promise in improving both blood and neurological symptoms in these mice, suggesting it could be a potential treatment for ChAc patients.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background: The spore-forming lactic acid bacterium Bacillus coagulans MA-13 has been isolated from canned beans manufacturing and successfully employed for the sustainable production of lactic acid from lignocellulosic biomass. Among lactic acid bacteria, B. coagulans strains are generally recognized as safe (GRAS) for human consumption.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Trichostatin A ([R-(E,E)]-7-[4-(dimethylamino) phenyl]-N-hydroxy- 4,6-dimethyl- 7-oxo-2,4-heptadienamide, TSA) affects chromatin state through its potent histone deacetylase inhibitory activity. Interfering with the removal of acetyl groups from lysine residues in histones is one of many epigenetic regulatory processes that control gene expression. Histone deacetylase inhibition drives cells toward the differentiation stage, favoring the activation of specific genes.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF