L-pipecolic acid (L-PA) is the higher homolog of proline. It occurs naturally in
many organisms, including primates, as an intermediate in lysine degradation. The
pathway by which lysine is converted into L-pipecolic acid employs the enzyme Lpipecolate
oxidase (L-PO), and appears to be tissue specific to the central nervous system...
Clostridium perfringens type A isolates producing enterotoxin (CPE) are an
important cause of both food poisoning (FP) and non food borne gastrointestinal
diseases (NFBGID) in both humans and animals. C. perfringens type A food
poisoning is caused by isolates carrying the CPE encoding gene (cpe) on the
chromosome while the...
Molecular genetic and enzymological techniques have been employed to study antibiotic biosynthesis. The nonproteinogenic amino acid capreomycidine is the signature residue found in the tuberactinomycin family of antitubercular peptide antibiotics and an important element of the pharmacophore. Recombinant VioG, a single module peptide synthetase from the viomycin gene cluster cloned...
Ascorbic acid, or vitamin C, is well known as a co-factor for proline-hydroxylase and as an anti-oxidant. However, it is also capable of forming covalent bonds, particularly in the role of a nucleophile, henceforth termed 'ascorbylation'.
The ascorbylation of electrophiles can occur under physiological conditions. Furthermore, there are a number...
Gall-associated phytopathogens have unique evolutionary histories that haveshaped both their modes of infection and genomic structures. Pathogenicity of the gall-associated plant pathogens of the Rhodococcus, Agrobacterium, and Rathayibactergenera is mediated by horizontally acquired virulence loci. The relative ease of gainand loss of the virulence loci has confounded accurate characterization of...
COUP-TFI, an orphan nuclear receptor of the steroid/thyroid hormone receptor superfamily, plays important roles in homeostasis and the CNS development, including differentiation, patterning, axonal projection, cell migration, cortical arealization and the temporal specification of neural stem cells. A number of COUP-interacting proteins have been described previously, and the majority of...
Oxidative stress occurs when the balance between reactive oxygen species and antioxidant defense mechanisms in the body becomes tipped heavily in favor of the reactive oxygen species. Reactive oxygen species can be present in excess due to elevated O2 levels, radiation, infection, smoking, or even excessive exercise. It is also...
Atopic Dermatitis (AD) is a widespread skin disorder, affecting some 20% of the world’s population. Though the precise molecular underpinnings are still being understood, changes in lipid composition within the epidermal stratum corneum (SC) layer have been shown to be closely linked with AD. Previous studies have identified several specific...
In biology, function and disease are closely intertwined, requiring the coordination of hundreds of intricate chemical reactions. Interdisciplinary cooperation between chemical and biological approaches is necessary to decipher the chemical links between physiological and pathological conditions. In this arena, the precision tools made possible with chemical biology can manipulate and...
M. avium subsp. hominissuis (MAH) and M. abscessus subsp. abscessus (MAB) both belong to the clinically important non-tuberculous mycobacterial (NTM) group that infect immunocompromised patients with AIDS and individuals with underlining lung conditions such as bronchiectasis or cystic fibrosis. The main challenge of treating MAH and MAB patients is an...