Glycosylated notch and cancer

Glycosylation is one of the key components influencing several signaling pathways implicated in cell survival and growth. The Notch signaling pathway plays a pivotal role in numerous cell fate specifications during metazoan development. Both Notch and its ligands are repeatedly glycosylated by the addition of sugar moieties, such as O-fucose, O-glucose, or O-xylose, to bring about structural and functional changes. Disruption to glycosylation processes of Notch proteins result in developmental disorders and disease, including cancer. This review summarizes the importance and recent updates on the role of glycosylated Notch proteins in tumorigenesis and tumor metastasis

On the role of photosynthesis in the nitrate-dependent induction of the alternative oxidase in<i>Chlamydomonas reinhardtii</i>

In the green alga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii Dangeard a shift in nitrogen source from ammonium to nitrate results in the rapid induction of the mitochondrial alternative oxidase (AOX). It has been hypothesized that this induction compensates for the increased generation of ATP in the chloroplast. Based upon light response curves of oxygen evolution, a shift from ammonium to nitrate resulted in a significant increase in both apparent quantum yield of oxygen evolution and photosynthetic capacity. Changes in chlorophyll a fluorescence including a decrease in both excitation pressure and nonphotochemical quenching were also observed over a 12 h nitrate shift. To investigate whether changes in chloroplast ATP generation were behind the nitrate-dependent induction of AOX, transcript and protein accumulation were monitored in cells grown under high, moderate and low irradiances. No major differences in Aox1 gene expression or AOX accumulation were found among the different light regimes. These data do not support the hypothesis that an increase in AOX within the mitochondrion in response to nitrate is tied to changes in photosynthesis occurring within the chloroplast.</jats:p

Optical Interactions in Bio-Electricity Generation from Photosynthesis in Microfluidic Micro-Photosynthetic Power Cells

Within the realm of renewable energy sources, biological-based power systems have emerged as pivotal players particularly suited for low- and ultra-low-power applications. Unlike microbial fuel cells (MFCs), which invariably rely on external carbon feedstock, micro-photosynthetic cells (&micro;PSCs) exhibit a unique feature by operating independently of organic fuel. They harness the principles of photosynthesis and respiration to generate electricity in both illuminated and dark settings through water-splitting reactions. Here, we present a viable, easy, and cost-effective method to fabricate &micro;PSCs. We meticulously examined the performance of a fabricated &micro;PSC under varying illuminations and even in the absence of light. With an electrode surface area spanning 4.84 cm2, the &micro;PSC achieved its peak power output of 200.6 &micro;W when exposed to an illumination of 2 &micro;molm&minus;2s&minus;1 (equivalent to 147 lux). Of the three light intensities studied, 2 &micro;molm&minus;2s&minus;1, 8 &micro;molm&minus;2s&minus;1 (595 lux), and 20 &micro;molm&minus;2s&minus;1 (1500 lux), the &micro;PSC exhibited its optimal performance at a light intensity of 2 &micro;molm&minus;2s&minus;1, establishing this as the ideal operational illumination. Furthermore, intermittent toggling of the illumination had no discernible impact on the &micro;PSC&rsquo;s performance. However, subjecting it to a dark environment for 30 min resulted in a reduction in the maximum power to 81 &micro;W, marking a significant 119% decrease when compared to the peak power output achieved under 2 &micro;molm&minus;2s&minus;1 illumination

Micro Photosynthetic Power Cell Array for Energy Harvesting: Bio-Inspired Modeling, Testing and Verification

A micro-photosynthetic power cell (&micro;PSC) generates electricity through the exploitation of living photosynthetic organisms through the principles of photosynthesis and respiration. Modeling such systems will enhance insights into the &micro;PSC that can be employed to design real-time applications from &micro;PSC. In this study, the bio-inspired electrical equivalent modeling of the array of &micro;PSC is elucidated. The model is validated for array configurations of the micro-photosynthetic power cells. The developed arrayed model foresees the steady-state response at various electrical loadings. The polarization characteristics of the current-voltage (I-V) and current-power (I-P) characteristics of the array of &micro;PSC in series and parallel, and their combinations in series and parallel connected &micro;PSCs were validated with the experimental results. From this analysis, it is predicted that the arraying of the &micro;PSC in the combination of series and parallel is the optimal array strategy to obtain the desired voltage and current from the &micro;PSC such that it can be used to power real-time low and ultra-low power devices

Invivo and systematic analysis of random multigenic deletions associated with human diseases during epithelial morphogenesis in Drosophila

AbstractRandom loss of multigenic loci on chromosomes, a crucial drive for evolution, occurs frequently in all living organisms. Analysis of such chromosomal disruption and understanding the consequences of their impact on the growth and development of multicellular organisms is challenging. In this report, we have addressed this issue using invivo mosaic analysis of deficiency lines in Drosophila. Genes on fly deficiency lines were compared with human orthologs for their implications in disease development during cytoskeletal processes and epithelial morphogenesis. The cytoskeletal phenotypes from the fly has been utilized to predict the function of human orthologs. In addition, as these Drosophila deficiency lines are equivalent to human microdeletions, based on the clonal behaviour and phenotypes generated, a systematic analysis has been carried out to establish the critical loci that correspond to Microdeletion Syndromes and Mendelian Disorders in humans. Further we have drawn the synteny that exists between these chromosomes and have identified critical region corresponding to defects. A few potential candidates that might have an implication in epithelial morphogenesis are also identified.</jats:p