Induction of acetylation and bundling of cellular microtubules by 9-(4-vinylphenyl) noscapine elicits S-phase arrest in MDA-MB-231 cells.

Noscapine is an alkaloid present in the latex of Papaver somniferum. It has been known for its anticancer efficacy and lack of severe toxicities to normal tissues. Structural alterations in noscapine core architecture have produced a number of potent analogues of noscapine.

A revised mechanism for the α-ketoacid hydroxylamine amide forming ligations.

Computational investigations of the α-ketoacid-hydroxylamine amide-forming (KAHA) ligation of O-unsubstituted (type-I) and O-benzoyl substituted (type-II) hydroxylamine have revealed a distinct mechanistic pathway for the KAHA ligation reactions. Instead of a pathway involving lactone and oxiridine intermediates for the reaction of O-unsubstituted hydroxylamine and ketoacids (type-I KAHA), as had been proposed in the experimental studies, the computational results favor the pathway which involves migration of the hydroxy group (-OH) to the adjacent carbon in one of the key steps. The new pathway for the type I KAHA reaction explains the distribution of the O label in the final product (amide) that is observed in O labeling experiments of type-I ligation reaction.

Synergistic Inhibition of Protein Fibrillation by Proline and Sorbitol: Biophysical Investigations.

We report here interesting synergistic effects of proline and sorbitol, two well-known chemical chaperones, in the inhibition of fibrillation of two proteins, insulin and lysozyme. A combination of many biophysical techniques has been used to understand the structural morphology and modes of interaction of the chaperones with the proteins during fibrillation. Both the chaperones establish stronger polar interactions in the elongation and saturation stages of fibrillation compared to that in the native stage.

Systems-level chromosomal parameters represent a suprachromosomal basis for the non-random chromosomal arrangement in human interphase nuclei.

Forty-six chromosome territories (CTs) are positioned uniquely in human interphase nuclei, wherein each of their positions can range from the centre of the nucleus to its periphery. A non-empirical basis for their non-random arrangement remains unreported. Here, we derive a suprachromosomal basis of that overall arrangement (which we refer to as a CT constellation), and report a hierarchical nature of the same.

A comparative study of fibrillation kinetics of two homologous proteins under identical solution condition.

Human lysozyme is homologous in the three-dimensional structure to hen lysozyme and the latter is commonly used to understand folding and amyloid aggregation pathway of the former. The fibrillation of the two proteins is known to occur via partial unfolding. A work dedicated to comparing the aggregation-prone conformations and their subsequent conversion into amyloid-like fibrils in an identical condition is not available.

Enzyme Immobilization: An Overview on Methods, Support Material, and Applications of Immobilized Enzymes.

Immobilized enzymes can be used in a wide range of processes. In recent years, a variety of new approaches have emerged for the immobilization of enzymes that have greater efficiency and wider usage. During the course of the last two decades, this area has rapidly expanded into a multidisciplinary field.

Hadamard Homonuclear Broadband Decoupled TOCSY NMR: Improved Efficacy in Detecting Long-range Chemical Shift Correlations.

The importance of Hadamard encoding pulses in one-dimensional pure shift yielded by the chirp excitation version of selective total correlation spectroscopy (1D PSYCHE-TOCSY) experiments is discussed for chemical-shift analysis of complex natural products at ultrahigh resolution. Herein, we adapted H Hadamard matrices to 1D PSYCHE-TOCSY and observed an overall circa square root of n-fold enhancement in the signal-to-noise (S/N) ratio when compared to conventional 1D PSYCHE-TOCSY recorded by refocusing only one spin at a time. This enhancement in S/N facilitates the observation of very weak long-range chemical-shift correlations from Hadamard-encoded PSYCHE-TOCSY (HE-PSYCHE-TOCSY).

Genome-wide positioning of bivalent mononucleosomes.

Background: Bivalent chromatin refers to overlapping regions containing activating histone H3 Lys4 trimethylation (H3K4me3) and inactivating H3K27me3 marks. Existence of such bivalent marks on the same nucleosome has only recently been suggested. Previous genome-wide efforts to characterize bivalent chromatin have focused primarily on individual marks to define overlapping zones of bivalency rather than mapping positions of truly bivalent mononucleosomes.

Chemical synthesis, pharmacological evaluation and in silico analysis of new 2,3,3a,4,5,6-hexahydrocyclopenta[c]pyrazole derivatives as potential anti-mitotic agents.

We have synthesized new, biologically active mono- and di-substituted 2,3,3a,4,5,6-hexahydrocyclopenta[c]pyrazole derivatives bearing electron withdrawing groups and electron donating groups. These derivative structures were characterized by their spectral and analytical data. The newly synthesized hexahydropyrazole analogues were evaluated for their in vitro anticancer activity against breast and lung cancer cell lines using a cytotoxicity bioassay.

Chromosome territory relocation during DNA repair requires nuclear myosin 1 recruitment to chromatin mediated by ϒ-H2AX signaling.

During DNA damage response (DDR), certain gene rich chromosome territories (CTs) relocate to newer positions within interphase nuclei and revert to their native locations following repair. Such dynamic relocation of CTs has been observed under various cellular conditions, however, the underlying mechanistic basis of the same has remained largely elusive. In this study, we aim to understand the temporal and molecular details of such crosstalk between DDR signaling and CT relocation dynamics.

Understanding curcumin-induced modulation of protein aggregation.

Curcumin, a diarylheptanoid compound, found in spice turmeric is known to alter the aggregation of proteins and reduce the toxicity of the aggregates. This review looks at the molecular basis of modulating protein aggregation and toxicity of the aggregates. Foremost, we identify the interaction of curcumin and its derivatives with proteins/peptides and the effect of their interaction on the conformational stability and unfolding/folding pathway(s).

Myc-binding protein orthologue interacts with AKAP240 in the central pair apparatus of the Chlamydomonas flagella.

Background: Flagella and cilia are fine thread-like organelles protruding from cells that harbour them. The typical '9 + 2' cilia confer motility on these cells. Although the mechanistic details of motility remain elusive, the dynein-driven motility is regulated by various kinases and phosphatases.

Optical control of filamentation-induced damage to DNA by intense, ultrashort, near-infrared laser pulses.

We report on damage to DNA in an aqueous medium induced by ultrashort pulses of intense laser light of 800 nm wavelength. Focusing of such pulses, using lenses of various focal lengths, induces plasma formation within the aqueous medium. Such plasma can have a spatial extent that is far in excess of the Rayleigh range.

Optically trapping tumor cells to assess differentiation and prognosis of cancers.

We report an optical trapping method that may enable assessment of the differentiation status of cancerous cells by determining the minimum time required for cell-cell adhesion to occur. A single, live cell is trapped and brought into close proximity of another; the minimum contact time required for cell-cell adhesion to occur is measured using transformed cells from neural tumor cell lines: the human neuroblastoma SK-N-SH and rat C6 glioma cells. Earlier work on live adult rat hippocampal neural progenitors/stem cells had shown that a contact minimum of ~5 s was required for cells to adhere to each other.

Population Dynamics of Early Human Migration in Britain.

Background: Early human migration is largely determined by geography and human needs. These are both deterministic parameters when small populations move into unoccupied areas where conflicts and large group dynamics are not important. The early period of human migration into the British Isles provides such a laboratory which, because of its relative geographical isolation, may allow some insights into the complex dynamics of early human migration and interaction.

Non-Uniform-Sampling Ultrahigh Resolution TOCSY NMR: Analysis of Complex Mixtures at Microgram Levels.

Non-uniform sampling in combination with homonuclear broadband decoupling along an indirect dimension, and indirect covariance processing are used to record ultrahigh resolution two-dimensional TOCSY spectra in less than half an hour, for typical sample concentrations in the mm range. TOCSY correlations belonging to protons separated by as little as ≈2 Hz can be distinctly discerned. The utility of the technique for low concentrations has been demonstrated.

NMR assignments of mitochondrial cyclophilin Cpr3 from Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

Cyclophilins regulate protein folding, transport and signalling through catalysis of proline isomerization, and are ubiquitously expressed in both prokaryotes and eukaryotes. Cpr3 is the yeast mitochondrial cyclophilin and it is structurally and biophysically uncharacterized so far. Yeast cyclophilin gene cpr3 is essential for the lactate metabolism.

Competitive binding of anticancer drugs 5-fluorouracil and cyclophosphamide with serum albumin: Calorimetric insights.

Background: Isothermal titration calorimetry (ITC) has emerged as an excellent method to characterize drug-protein interactions. 5-Fluorouracil and cyclophosphamide have been used in combination for the treatment of breast carcinoma, though individually these drugs have also been useful in treating other types of cancer. A quantitative understanding of binding of these drugs with the transport protein under different conditions is essential for optimizing recognition by the protein and delivery at the target.

Physical basis for the ofloxacin-induced acceleration of lysozyme aggregation and polymorphism in amyloid fibrils.

Aggregation of globular proteins is an intractable problem which generally originates from partially folded structures. The partially folded structures first collapse non-specifically and then reorganize into amyloid-like fibrils via one or more oligomeric intermediates. The fibrils and their on/off pathway intermediates may be toxic to cells and form toxic deposits in different human organs.

Mechanistic Insights into the Initiation Step of the Base Promoted Direct C-H Arylation of Benzene in the Presence of Additive.

The direct arylation of unactivated arenes is a very practical and highly convenient procedure for the construction of biaryl scaffolds. Recently, a direct arylation of unactivated benzene has been achieved in the presence of base (tBuOK or tBuONa) and organic additive such as 1,10-phenanthroline. However, details of intimate mechanism of reaction as well as the role of additive have remained elusive until date.

Contrasting levels of absorption of intense femtosecond laser pulses by solids.

The absorption of ultraintense, femtosecond laser pulses by a solid unleashes relativistic electrons, thereby creating a regime of relativistic optics. This has enabled exciting applications of relativistic particle beams and coherent X-ray radiation, and fundamental leaps in high energy density science and laboratory astrophysics. Obviously, central to these possibilities lies the basic problem of understanding and if possible, manipulating laser absorption.

Inhibition of insulin fibrillation by osmolytes: Mechanistic insights.

We have studied here using a number of biophysical tools the effects of osmolytes, betaine, citrulline, proline and sorbitol which differ significantly in terms of their physical characteristics such as, charge distribution, polarity, H-bonding abilities etc, on the fibrillation of insulin. Among these, betaine, citrulline, and proline are very effective in decreasing the extent of fibrillation. Proline also causes a substantial delay in the onset of fibrillation in the concentration range (50-250 mM) whereas such an effect is seen for citrulline only at 250 mM, and in case of betaine this effect is not seen at all in the whole concentration range.

Thermodynamics of confined gallium clusters.

We report the results of ab initio molecular dynamics simulations of Ga13 and Ga17 clusters confined inside carbon nanotubes with different diameters. The cluster-tube interaction is simulated by the Lennard-Jones (LJ) potential. We discuss the geometries, the nature of the bonding and the thermodynamics under confinement.

Effects of eribulin on microtubule binding and dynamic instability are strengthened in the absence of the βIII tubulin isotype.

Eribulin mesylate (Halaven) is a microtubule-targeted anticancer drug used to treat patients with metastatic breast cancer who have previously received a taxane and an anthracycline. It binds at the plus ends of microtubules and has been shown to suppress plus end growth selectively. Because the class III β tubulin isotype is associated with resistance to microtubule targeting drugs, we sought to determine how βIII tubulin might mechanistically influence the effects of eribulin on microtubules.