Type IV secretion (T4S) systems translocate DNA and protein effectors through the double membrane of Gram-negative bacteria. The paradigmatic T4S system in Agrobacterium tumefaciens is assembled from 11 VirB subunits and VirD4. Two subunits, VirB9 and VirB7, form an important stabilizing complex in the outer membrane. We describe here the NMR structure of a complex between the C-terminal domain...

Vesicle transfer processes in eukaryotes depend on specific proteins, which mediate the selective packing of cargo molecules for subsequent release out of the cells after vesicle fusion to the plasma membrane. The protein Tvp38 is conserved in yeasts and higher eukaryotes and potentially involved in vesicle transfer processes at the Golgi membrane. Members of the so-called "SNARE-associated pro...

Elucidation of membrane protein structures have been greatly hampered by difficulties in producing adequately large quantities of the functional protein and stabilizing them. A6D and A6K are promising solutions to the problem and have recently been used for the rapid production of membrane-bound G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs). We propose that despite their short lengths, these peptides can...

Phosphatidic acid (PA) is a minor but important phospholipid that, through specific interactions with proteins, plays a central role in several key cellular processes. The simple yet unique structure of PA, carrying just a phosphomonoester head group, suggests an important role for interactions with the positively charged essential residues in these proteins. We analyzed by solid-state magic an...

Docking, the initial association of secretory vesicles with the plasma membrane, precedes formation of the SNARE complex, which drives membrane fusion. For many years, the molecular identity of the docked state, and especially the vesicular docking protein, has been unknown, as has the link to SNARE complex assembly. Here, using adrenal chromaffin cells, we identify the vesicular docking partne...

Aim: To synthesize silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) from Azadirachta indica leaf extract and determine its effect on membrane stability.
 Place Duration of Study: Department Biochemistry, Sokoto State University, Sokoto, Nigeria, between January 2021 April 2021.
 Methodology: Simple characterization using uv-vis spectroscopy was conducted the well-known method for osmotic fragility employ...

in this study the catalytic dehydrogenation of ethylbenzene to styrene was investigated in a simulated tubular sodalite membrane reactor. the high quality microporous sodalite membrane was synthesized by direct hydrothermal method and characterized by single gas permeation measurements. the performance of the prepared membrane showed high potential for application in a dehydrogenation membrane ...

In the present study, anti-anaphylactic, anti-inflammatory and membrane stabilizing properties of a lupine alkaloid plumerianine (compound 1), isolated from the root bark of Plumeria acutifolia Poir were investigated in animal models. The anti-anaphylactic activity of compound 1 (10, 25 and 50 mg/Kg) was studied by using models such as passive cutaneous anaphylaxis, passive paw anaphylaxis and ...

The endocytic protein dynamin participates in the formation of actin-based membrane protrusions such as podosomes, pseudopodia, and invadopodia, which facilitate cancer cell migration, invasion, and metastasis. However, the role of dynamin in the formation of actin-based membrane protrusions at the leading edge of cancer cells is unclear. In this study, we demonstrate that the ubiquitously expr...

Factor XIII (FXIII) stabilizes thrombi against fibrinolysis by cross-linking α2-antiplasmin (α2AP) to fibrin. Cellular FXIII (FXIII-A) is abundant in platelets, but the extracellular functions of this pool are unclear because it is not released by classical secretion mechanisms. We examined the function of platelet FXIII-A using Chandler model thrombi formed from FXIII-depleted plasma. Platelet...