MrgA1 and MrgC11 belong to a recently identified family of orphan G-protein coupled receptors, called mrgs (mas-related genes). They are only expressed in a specific subset of sensory neurons that are known to detect painful stimuli. However, the precise physiological function of Mrg receptors and their underlying mechanisms of signal transduction are not known. We therefore have screened a ser...

OBJECTIVE Rheumatic fever (RF) and the antiphospholipid syndrome (APS) are autoimmune diseases that share similar cardiac and neurological pathologies. We assessed the presence of shared epitopes between M protein, N-acetyl-beta-D-glucosamine (GlcNAc) and beta2 glycoprotein-I (beta2GPI), the pathogenic molecules engaged in these autoimmune conditions. METHODS Sera from the APS patients were a...

Recent work has led to the hypothesis that kisspeptin/neurokinin B/dynorphin (KNDy) neurons in the arcuate nucleus (ARC) play a key role in gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) pulse generation and gonadal steroid feedback, with kisspeptin driving GnRH release and neurokinin B and dynorphin acting as pulse start and stop signals, respectively. A separate cell group, expressing RFamide-related ...

We used ultraviolet resonance Raman (UVRR) spectra to examine the spatial dependence and the thermodynamics of R-helix melting of an isotopically labeled R-helical, 21-residue, mainly alanine peptide. The peptide was synthesized with six natural abundance amino acids at the center and mainly perdeuterated residues elsewhere. CR deuteration of a peptide bond decouples CR-H bending from N-H bendi...

The present work describes the synthesis of a new class glycolipids with systematic variation in linkage region as well aglycon part using Cu(I) catalyzed click reaction. between sugar and was diversified amide, amido-triazole, 5-benzoyl triazole moieties. structural diversity further amplified by incorporating several polar peptide foldamer groups such triazole, peptide, or N-aryl peptoid it. ...

Redox regulation of protein tyrosine phosphatase 1B (PTP1B) involves oxidative conversion of the active site cysteine thiolate into an electrophilic sulfenyl amide residue. Reduction of the sulfenyl amide by biological thiols regenerates the native cysteine residue. Here we explored fundamental chemical reactions that may enable covalent capture of the sulfenyl amide residue in oxidized PTP1B. ...

Amide peptide backbone methylation is a characteristic post-translational modification found in family of ribosomally synthesized and post-translationally modified natural products (RiPPs) called borosins. Previously, we bioinformatically identified >1500...