Stem cells from human exfoliated deciduous teeth attenuate mechanical allodynia in mice through distinct from the siglec-9/MCP-1-mediated tissue-repairing mechanism

The effects of stem cells from human exfoliated deciduous teeth (SHED) on mechanical allodynia were examined in mice. A single intravenous injection of SHED and conditioned medium from SHED (SHED-CM) through the left external jugular vein significantly reversed the established mechanical allodynia induced by spinal nerve transection at 6 days after injection. SHED or SHED-CM significantly decreased the mean numbers of activating transcription factor 3-positive neurons and macrophages in the ipsilateral side of the dorsal root ganglion (DRG) at 20 days after spinal nerve transection. SHED or SHED-CM also suppressed activation of microglia and astrocytes in the ipsilateral side of the dorsal spinal cord. A single intravenous injection of secreted ectodomain of sialic acid-binding Ig-like lectin-9 and monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 had no effect on the established mechanical allodynia, whereas a single intravenous injection of protein component(s) contained in SHED-CM with molecular weight of between 30 and 50 kDa reversed the pain. Therefore, it may be concluded that protein component(s) with molecular mass of 30–50 kDa secreted by SHED could protect and/or repair DRG neurons damaged by nerve transection, thereby ameliorating mechanical allodynia.

BIOLOGICAL VALUE OF PROTEINS OF MILK OF SIMMENTAL COWS PRODUCED UNDER CONDITIONS OF INTENSIVE TECHNOLOGY

Taking into account modern requirements, the biological value of the protein component of the Simmental breed Krov milk produced under intensive technology has been studied. The amino acid composition of milk proteins was identified by high-performance liquid chromatography. To analyze the biological value of proteins, calculated indicators were used: the amino acid index and the amino acid number (skor) of essential amino acids, taking into account the true digestibility of each of them. As a result of the research, all the essential and interchangeable amino acids and a fairly high concentration of many of them were identified. Among the essential amino acids, the largest amount in the milk samples contained phenylalanine+tyrosine, leucine, lysine, valine, and the smallest-tryptophan, methionine+cysteine. In the aggregate of interchangeable amino acids, the highest saturation was noted for glutamic acid+glutamine, arginine, proline, and the lowest-glycine, alanine. The predominance of interchangeable amino acids was noted in the protein component, which caused a low amino acid index (0.61). The amount of assimilated essential amino acids was higher relative to the reference protein. However, the amino acid score had a wide oscillation amplitude: from 149.6 % for the amino acids phenylalanine + tyrosine to 61.2 and 87.8 %, respectively, for tryptophan and methionine+cysteine, which indicated their imbalance. The essential amino acids tryptophan and methionine+cysteine were limiting, since their amino acid number (skor) is below 100 %.

Increased alpha-helicity of a supercharged coiled-coil protein increases siRNA delivery efficiency of protein-lipid hybrid vehicle

Gene therapy has the potential to treat various diseases and has recently gained new interest due to the deployment nucleic acid based vaccines for COVID-19. Despite these developments, there still remains a need for further development of gene delivery vehicles to increase their safety and efficacy.. We have recently developed a lipoproteoplex (LPP) consisting of a super-charged coiled-coil protein (CSP) and a cationic liposomal carrier, that has the ability to condense nucleic acids and deliver them in vivo. The LPP is distinct from other liposomal gene delivery systems in that it utilizes a modular protein component to drive transfection activity as opposed to relying on the passive effects of the cationic lipids. A CSP library has been rationally designed to improve the efficacy of the LPP compared to the parent protein via improved alpha-helical structure and increased nucleic acid binding through the use of extended histidine tags and increased positive charge. The secondary structure and nucleic acid binding ability of each library member was assessed, then compared to functional transfection data in NIH-3T3 mouse fibroblasts. Structural and functional data suggests that increasing alpha-helicity of the protein component of the LPP compared to the parent sequence doubles nucleic acid binding affinity and increases transfection activity almost 3-fold with a favorable safety profile.

Validation by Molecular Dynamics of the Major Components of Sugarcane Vinasse, On a Surface of Calcium Carbonate (Calcite)

There is ongoing interest in the alcohol industry to significantly reduce and/or add value to the liquid residue, vinasse, produced after the distillation and rectification of ethanol from sugar cane. Vinasse contains potassium, glycerol, and a protein component that can cause environmental issues if improperly disposed of. Currently, some industries have optimized their processes to reduce waste, and a significant proportion of vinasse is being considered for use as an additive in other industrial processes. In the manufacture of cement and asphalt, vinasse has been used in the mixtures at low concentrations, albeit with some physical and mechanical problems. This work is the first molecular approximation of the components of the sugar cane vinasse in an industrial context, and it provides atomic details of complex molecular events. In the current study, the major components of sugar cane vinasse, alone or complexed on the surface of calcium carbonate, were modeled and simulated using molecular dynamics. The results showed that the protein component, represented by the mannoprotein Mp1p, has a high affinity for forming hydrogen bonds with potassium and glycerol in the vinasse. Additionally, it provides atomic stability to the calcium carbonate surface, preserving the calcite crystalline structure in the same way potassium ions interact with the carbonate group through ion–dipole interactions to improve the cohesion of the modeled surface. On the contrary, when the glycerol molecule interacts with calcium carbonate using more than two hydrogen bonds, it triggers the breakdown of the crystalline structure of calcite expanding the ionic pair.

An Alternative Approach to Evaluate the Quality of Protein-Based Raw Materials for Dry Pet Food

The majority of dry pet food currently on the market is produced using fresh meats (FMs) and especially meat meals (MMs) as the main protein source. The transport and storage conditions of the raw materials, together with thermal and mechanical treatments in the case of MMs, may result in undesirable alterations of food products and their protein content. This study was conducted to analyze the protein component of three different kinds of raw materials used for dry pet food production, i.e., chicken, pork, and salmon. The quantitative analysis of the protein component was determined using the traditional Kjeldahl method and near-infrared (NIR) spectroscopy, and an alternative method, i.e., the Bradford assay, while the qualitative analysis was performed through SDS-PAGE, followed by Coomassie Blue staining. The amino acid (AA) profile was also evaluated by quadrupole time-of-flight liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry (Q-TOF LC/MS). In addition, the digestibility was tested through in vitro gastric and small intestine digestion simulation. Statistical analysis was performed by the Student’s t-test, and data are reported as mean ± SEM, n = 10 (p < 0.05). The results showed that the MMs are lower in quality compared to FMs, both in terms of protein bioavailability and digestibility, having a lower soluble protein (SP) content (chicken MM = 8.6 g SP/100 g dry sample; pork MM = 6.2 g SP/100 g dry sample; salmon MM = 7.9 g SP/100 g dry sample) compared to FMs (chicken FM = 14.6 g SP/100 g dry sample; pork FM = 15.1 g SP/100 g dry sample; salmon FM = 13.7 g SP/100 g dry sample). FMs appear, therefore, to be higher-quality ingredients for pet food production. Moreover, the Bradford assay proved to be a quick and simple method to better estimate protein bioavailability in the raw materials used for dry pet food production, thanks to its correlation with the in vitro digestibility.

DNA–protein crosslink proteases in genome stability

Proteins covalently attached to DNA, also known as DNA–protein crosslinks (DPCs), are common and bulky DNA lesions that interfere with DNA replication, repair, transcription and recombination. Research in the past several years indicates that cells possess dedicated enzymes, known as DPC proteases, which digest the protein component of a DPC. Interestingly, DPC proteases also play a role in proteolysis beside DPC repair, such as in degrading excess histones during DNA replication or controlling DNA replication checkpoints. Here, we discuss the importance of DPC proteases in DNA replication, genome stability and their direct link to human diseases and cancer therapy.

Crucial Role of Water in the Formation of Basic Properties of Living Matter

A relation between the water properties and the behavior of aqueous solutions of albumin, the main protein component of human blood plasma, has been analyzed. The dependence of the pH index of acid-base balance in aqueous albumin solutions on the albumin concentration is experimentally studied. It is shown that the temperature dependences of pH in biological solutions are determined by the properties of water, and the concentration ones by the concentration of a protein component. It is albumin that makes the main contribution to the pHs of blood and blood plasma, and it should be considered as a factor that maintains the equilibrium pH value. It is shown that the most characteristic changes in the concentration dependences of the density and shear viscosity of human plasma occur at a protein concentration corresponding to the percolation threshold. A characteristic dimerization of albumin macromolecules is assumed to take place at the percolation threshold, which corresponds to the superposition on one another of heart-shaped medallions representing the spatial forms of albumin. The dependences of the effective radii of polyvinyl alcohol and albumin macromolecules on the solution temperature and concentration are demonstrated to be an indicator that water plays a decisive role in the formation of basic properties of biosolutions. In particular, it is responsible for the presence of an upper temperature limit of 42 ∘C for the existence of living matter. The universal nature of the water influence manifests itself in that the water properties affect the behavior of both the classic PVA polymer and protein biomolecules.