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Calcium represents a key biological signaling ion with the EF-hand loops being its most prevalent binding motif in proteins. We show using molecular dynamics simulations with umbrella sampling that including electronic polarization effects via ionic charge rescaling dramatically improves agreements with experiment in terms of the strength of calcium binding and structures of the calmodulin binding sites. The present study thus opens way to accurate calculations of interactions of calcium and other computationally difficult high-charge-density ions in biological contexts.
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http://dx.doi.org/10.1021/jz502099g | DOI Listing |
PLoS One
September 2025
Department of Urology, Kanazawa Medical University, Kahoku, Ishikawa, Japan.
Calcium oxalate (CaOx) stones are prevalent in urinary tract stone disease. While their formation can be induced in rats by administering ethylene glycol and vitamin D, the initial nucleation and formation processes are unclear. Here, we aimed to determine where CaOx crystals initially form, examine the associated histological and morphological changes, and clarify the genes whose expression varies at those sites and their function.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFNeurol Res
September 2025
Department of Neurosurgery, Xingtai Central Hospital, Xingtai, China.
Objective: To investigate the prognostic significance of concurrent monitoring of serum S100 calcium-binding protein A12 (S100A12) and optic nerve sheath diameter (ONSD) in patients with traumatic intracranial hematoma.
Methods: This prospective observational study included 198 patients with traumatic intracranial hematoma from Xingtai Central Hospital (February 2022-June 2024). Serum S100A12 and ONSD were measured at admission and postoperatively, and patients received minimally invasive therapy.
The present investigation elucidates the therapeutic potential of glycyrrhizin, the predominant triterpene saponin isolated from (licorice), in the management of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), an autoimmune disorder characterized by multisystemic involvement and therapeutic recalcitrance. Comprehensive interrogation of multiple disease-specific databases facilitated the identification of crucial SLE-associated molecular targets and hub genes, with MAPK1, MAPK3, TP53, JUN, and JAK2 demonstrating the highest degree of network centrality. Subsequent molecular docking simulations and binding affinity assessments revealed compounds with exceptional complementarity to these pivotal molecular targets, establishing as a pharmacologically promising botanical source and glycyrrhizin as its principal bioactive constituent meriting comprehensive mechanistic investigation.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPlant Biotechnol J
September 2025
National Key Laboratory for Germplasm Innovation & Utilization of Horticultural Crops, College of Horticulture and Forestry Sciences, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China.
Abscisic acid (ABA) and calcium respectively work as crucial plant hormones and second signalling molecules in the regulation of fruit development and quality formation, including the sugar content and flavour quality. However, the regulatory mechanisms of fruit sugar accumulation arising from the interaction between ABA and calcium have not yet been fully elucidated. Here, we show that the application of ABA or calcium enhances sugar accumulation in sweet orange (Citrus sinensis) fruit, accompanied by upregulation of the expression level of tonoplast sugar transporter 2 (CsTST2), which mediates the transport of sugars into the vacuole.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAdv Pharm Bull
July 2025
Department of Molecular Medicine, Institute of Medical Genetics, National Institute of Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, Tehran, Iran.
Purpose: Calumenin (CALU) is a calcium-binding protein involved in several physiological processes, exhibiting tumor-specific expression variation and emerging as a potential player in cancer progression. This study aimed to investigate the correlation between CALU and clinicopathological features in breast cancer (BC) and perform a functional assessment of CALU based on a microRNA-mediated knockdown approach.
Methods: The BC tissues' CALU expression was measured by q-RT-PCR.