Current Protein and Peptide Science - Volume 17, Issue 2, 2016

The present review article highlights recent findings in the reactions between different dinuclear Pt(II) complexes with peptides containing cysteine, methionine and histidine residues. The reactions of {trans-[Pt(NH3)2Cl]2(μ-X)}2+ and {trans-[Pt(NH3)2(H2O)]2(μ-X)}4+ type complexes with different bridging ligands (X) (X = pyrazine, 4,4′-bipyridyl and 1,2-bis(4-pyridyl)ethane) with the tripeptide glutathione proceeded in two s Read More

Earlier, we have collected an experimental evidence showing that low molecular weight chiral carboxylic acids (amino acids included) can spontaneously undergo an oscillatory chiral conversion and an oscillatory condensation in abiotic aqueous and non-aqueous liquid systems, stored for certain amount of time under mild external conditions. These earlier findings are summarized in the introductory part of this study. I Read More

The relatively simple peptides assembled on the templates are excellent mimic of complex conformational and functional defined binding sites of proteins. The main benefit of experiments with artificial receptors arises from the relative simplicity of the interacting host-guest system allowing the understanding of the rules controlling the model process of the molecular recognition. Efficient modification of molecular receptors Read More

Interactions between DNA/RNA and huge variety of peptides are quite common in nature, controlling vast number of processes. Also, there are several naturally occurring small molecules which contain peptide and DNA intercalator in structure, whereby their biological activity is based on synergistic interactions of both components; for instance bis-intercalator echinomycin. Versatility of synthetic approaches to short pepti Read More

STATs promote fundamental cellular processes, marking them as convergence points of many oncogenic and inflammatory pathways. Therefore, aberrant activation of STAT signaling is implicated in a plethora of human diseases, like cancer, inflammation and auto-immunity. Identification of STAT-specific inhibitors is the topic of great practical importance, and various inhibitory strategies are being pursued. An interesting app Read More

By using two different synthetic techniques several polypeptides interacting with Class B type G-protein coupled receptors were prepared. These polypeptides of different lengths (20 ≤ amino acids ≤ 40), structural and aggregation properties, were prepared both by solid phase peptide synthesis (SPPS) and E.coli bacterial expression. Their purity, synthetic yields, by-products and 15N/13Clabelling characteristics were co Read More

The structure-based drug design has been an extremely useful technique used for searching and developing of new therapeutic agents in various biological systems. In the case of AD, this approach has been difficult to implement. Among other several causes, the main problem might be the lack of a specific stable and reliable molecular target. In this paper the results obtained using a pentameric amyloid beta (Aβ) model as Read More

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is characterized by severe cognitive impairment and memory loss. AD is classified both into the “protein conformational” and the “endoplasmic reticulum-mitochondria stress” disorders. AD is a very complex, multifactorial disease of heterogeneous genetic and environmental background. The amyloid hypothesis of AD cannot fully explain the various clinical forms of the disease. Protein folding a Read More

Staphylococcus aureus is a major cause of infection in humans and animals, causing a wide variety of diseases, from local inflammations to fatal sepsis. The bacterium is commonly multi-drug resistant and thus many front-line antibiotics have been rendered ineffective for treating such infections. Research on murein/peptidoglycan hydrolases, derived from bacterial viruses (bacteriophages), has demonstrated that such Read More

Artificial nucleases are designed for in vivo gene engineering, as the DNA cleavage performed at a specific target site enhances the effectiveness of the cell’s DNA repair machinery. The therapeutic potential of the above phenomenon stems from the knowledge that (i) the shifted reading frame can be restored by non-homologous end-joining, or (ii) a DNA of erroneous sequence – causing a genetic disease – can be correct Read More

Structural changes of human serum albumin (HSA) caused by old age and coexisting diseases result in differences in the binding of doxazosin (DOX). DOX is a postsynaptic α1- adrenoreceptor antagonist used for treatment of hypertension and benign prostatic hyperplasia. In elderly people suffering from various renal or hepatic diseases the significant portion of N-form of human serum albumin (normal) is converted to A-fo Read More