Articles tagged with Cysteine
A new study reveals that high levels of cysteine are toxic to cells due to its ability to unleash stored iron, overwhelming mitochondria and triggering cell death. Cells keep free cysteine levels low by converting it into the antioxidant glutathione, which is safer to maintain at higher concentrations.
A molecular geneticist at Montana State University has discovered a previously unknown system in mammalian cells that can produce cysteine without the primary disulfide reductase system. This backup system may help humans survive by protecting cells from toxins, and could also make cancer cells more susceptible to therapies.
Researchers have identified PEG400 as a potential antimalarial therapy by targeting the malaria parasite's enzyme Falcipain-2. This study offers hope for selective and cumulative benefits in reducing malaria treatment challenges.
A diet rich in cysteine has been shown to activate immune cells that help regenerate intestinal tissue, potentially offering a new way to heal tissue damage from radiation or chemotherapy treatment. The researchers found that cysteine initiates a chain of events leading to the activation of CD8 T cells, which produce cytokines like IL-...
A recent study published in Nature Metabolism discovered that reducing cysteine intake leads to increased fat burning, thermogenesis, and weight loss. Researchers found that cysteine triggers the transition of white fat cells to brown fat cells, a more active form of fat cells that burn energy.
Scientists have uncovered fast chemical reactions in living cells that may protect against cell damage. These reactions involve the amino acid cysteine and could lead to new anti-aging strategies.
Researchers at Chalmers University of Technology have developed a novel approach to packaging canned tuna, using a water-based solution of amino acid cysteine, which removes up to 35% of accumulated mercury. This technology has the potential to improve food safety and reduce human exposure to mercury via food.
Researchers at Case Western Reserve University developed a method to detect inflammation using antibodies, potentially leading to blood tests for disease-specific biomarkers. The breakthrough also holds promise for drug discovery.
Overexpressing hepatic SLC7A11 leads to glutamate and serine deficiency, promoting MASLD progression through ferroptosis. Serine supplementation rescues the disease phenotype.
A study by Chiba University researchers has identified 106 compounds in pregnant women's serum samples, including phthalates, nitrogenous compounds, and parabens, which may impact biological pathways. The study proposes a non-targeted approach for detecting foreign chemicals and evaluating their potential health effects.
Researchers validate increase of specific t-Cys sites associated with aging in human proteome, suggesting potential role in age-related diseases. The study expands beyond classical proteinopathic paradigms, highlighting trioxidized cysteine as a key molecular mechanism underlying aging.
Researchers at Howard University have identified a new therapeutic strategy to combat prostate cancer by depleting amino acids. This depletion induces oxidative stress and DNA damage in cancer cells, making them more susceptible to treatment with DNA repair-targeted and immune checkpoint blockade therapies.
A study of 360 adult moyamoya disease patients found that high glutamine levels are positively correlated with an increased risk of stroke. Manipulation of Integrin Subunit Beta 4 and atorvastatin were reported to alleviate the glutamine-induced EndMT, offering potential new therapeutic approaches for MMD.
Researchers at Xi'an Jiaotong-Liverpool University developed a new method that enables the efficient production of cysteine-rich peptides and microproteins in their naturally folded 3D structure. The approach uses organic solvents to mimic nature's oxidative folding process, resulting in speeds of over 100,000 times faster than aqueous...
A research team at the University of Göttingen has discovered 'protective switches' in the SARS-CoV-2 virus that shield it from attacks by the immune system. These molecular structures were found to stabilize the protein's structure against oxidative damage, allowing the virus to replicate effectively.
Cysteine is sensed by a protein called Pib2 and binds with it to activate TORC1, promoting cell proliferation. The study found that all 20 amino acids differently affect TORC1 using two pathways: Pib2 and Gtr.
Researchers at Kyoto University developed a new reactant demonstrating efficacy on proteins with drug-resistant mutations. The new inhibitor, ArNASA, reacts with lysine residues and is highly stable in physiological environments.
Researchers at Scripps Research have identified promising cancer drug targets by combining precise genome engineering and protein activity profiling. They used base editing to alter thousands of possible drug targets, then integrated the data with chemical proteomic information to pinpoint hundreds of potential targets.
Scientists used Insilico Medicine's generative AI platform to identify actionable drug targets for cystinosis and validate them in preclinical models. The study found that hyperactive mTOR signaling drives kidney tubular cell dysfunction, making it a targetable pathway.
Dominique Higgins and his team found that a specialized diet can induce ferroptosis, a type of cell death, in glioblastoma cells, making chemotherapy drugs more effective. This approach has shown promise in animal models and is being explored as a potential treatment for brain tumors.
Scientists at the University of Tsukuba have identified a system to transport excess reactive sulfur species out of cells, maintaining redox homeostasis and preventing oxidative stress. This discovery opens new avenues for research into sulfur stress and related diseases.
The study revealed an alternative pathway for cysteine biosynthesis in animals, using enzymes similar to those found in fungi and bacteria. This challenges the previous assumption that corals rely on symbiotic relationships with algae for cysteine production.
Researchers have identified a new mechanism involving the oxidation of cysteines in titin protein that modulates cardiac stiffness and dynamics. This discovery sheds light on how the heart adapts to various situations and responds to oxidative balance disorders.
Researchers at University of Cologne discovered that specific diets can safeguard against acute kidney injury in mouse models. The six tested diets showed overlapping changes in cysteine catabolism as a potential mechanism for organ protection.
Researchers have identified a way to improve bacterial vaginosis treatment by targeting the vaginal microbiome. By analyzing over 1,200 vaginal Lactobacillus genomes and growing a novel strain of Lactobacillus iners in the lab, scientists discovered that this species requires external cysteine sources, which can be blocked using inhibi...
Researchers at Kumamoto University developed a new analytical method to detect degraded beta-lactam antibiotics. Cysteine persulfide, a reactive sulfur species produced by bacteria, degrades and inactivates these antibiotics.
A team of scientists found that sulfur metabolism plays a crucial role in the transition from single-celled to multicellular organisms. By manipulating sulfur levels, they were able to induce or prevent the formation of multicellular aggregates in the slime mold Dictyostelium discoideum. This discovery has significant implications for ...
Researchers at Moffitt Cancer Center have identified a novel biochemical pathway that protects cells from ferroptosis, a type of cell death caused by oxidation imbalance. The discovery involves the activation of the protein GCLC, which leads to the production of gamma-glutamyl-peptides that shield cells against ferroptosis.
In a new study published in Science, UCL scientists have recreated how cysteine was formed at the origins of life, delivering vital catalysts that enabled the earliest protein molecules to form. The researchers observed how once-formed cysteine catalyses the fusion of peptides in water, a fundamental step towards protein enzymes.
A University of Michigan-led team has produced a synthetic microparticle with a twisted, spiky structure that surpasses nature's complexity. The particles show promise for improving fluid-and-particle mixes and could lead to new technologies in holographic projectors and biosensors.
A new study found that starving pancreatic cancer cells of cysteine leads to their death by ferroptosis, a form of programmed cell death. The compound was shown to be effective in mice with pancreatic cancer and may lead to new treatments for this deadly disease.
Researchers have made breakthrough in recreating nature's efficient machinery for generating hydrogen gas using biological enzymes. The study focuses on iron-iron hydrogenase enzyme, which is faster and more efficient than current industrial process.
A protein thought to be inert actually helps protect the lens of the eye from cataract formation. The protein's disulfide bond can drive damaged proteins to aggregate, leading to clouding and cataracts.
Researchers at EPFL have developed a new peptide format called double-bridged peptides that can bind to any disease target with high affinity and stability. By creating an enormous diversity of peptide architectures, they were able to isolate high-affinity binders to important protein targets, including kallikrein and interleukin-17.
A biochemical pathway in the Golgi apparatus helps cells counter oxidative stress, and researchers found it can be activated by a drug called monensin, which may protect cells against Huntington's disease.
Researchers at Indiana University discovered bacteria's 'sense of touch' by observing how they detect and cling to surfaces. The study revealed the role of ultra-thin hair-like appendages called pili in forming biofilms, which contribute to up to 65% of human infections.
These enzymes play essential roles in neurotransmitter synthesis and various physiological processes. A review highlights the importance of specific residues and regions for catalytic competence, including a mobile catalytic loop that undergoes an open-to-close conformational change upon coenzyme binding.
A study published in PNAS reveals that cysteine deficiency contributes to oxidative stress and nerve cell damage in Huntington's disease. Cysteine levels affect the activity of ATF4, a protein involved in antioxidant defenses.
Researchers at Washington University in St. Louis have discovered a previously unknown strategy that allows photosynthetic organisms like Chlorobaculum tepidum to survive exposure to oxygen, which could harm them. The 'photosynthetic volume control' mechanism involves two normal amino acids and works by dissipating excess energy as har...
The study compares the interactions between silver nanoparticles and two thiols, mercaptohexanol (MH) and cysteine. MH forms a sparingly soluble silver(I) thiolate complex AgSRm on the surface, while cysteine replaces the citrate capping agent to form cysteine capped nanoparticles.
EPFL researchers developed a synthetic amino acid that can impact 3D structure of bioactive peptides, enhancing their potency. The amino acid, similar to cysteine, forms bridges influencing overall structure and function of peptides and proteins.
Researchers identified cysteine deficiency as a cause of brain degeneration in Huntington's disease. A cysteine-rich diet slowed disease progression in mice, but its effectiveness in humans is unclear.
A team of scientists at the University of California, San Francisco has identified a previously unknown pocket on the K-Ras protein that can be targeted by a new compound. This compound inhibits only mutant K-Ras and leaves normal protein untouched, offering real translational implications for cancer patients.
Researchers at the Salk Institute have developed a new tool for protein engineering by adding strong, unbreakable bonds between two points in a protein or between two proteins. This technique enables the design of novel drugs, imaging agents, and molecules that aid basic research.
Scientists at Scripps Research Institute have discovered the first chemical compounds that inhibit PRMT1, an enzyme linked to asthma, arthritis, and certain cancers. The new inhibitors were identified using a selective screening technique that targets a specific amino acid found on PRMT1.
Biophysicists at Penn have developed a new technique to study how proteins respond to physical stress, particularly in red blood cells. The technique, which measures the degree of exposed cysteine in proteins, reveals that stressed cells are more fluorescent under microscopy.
A Scripps Research chemist devised a new method to quantify changes in proteins resulting from stress, which could provide insights into disease progression and treatment. The technique focuses on cysteine S-hydroxylation, allowing researchers to monitor protein modifications at the individual cysteine site.
Scripps Research scientists devise broad new technique for screening proteins, enabling efficient detection of functional sites. The method may have applications in basic research and drug development, allowing researchers to characterize unknown proteins and identify new functional sites on existing ones.
Researchers discovered a new antioxidant system that shields single cysteine residues from oxidative harm, reducing cancer and heart disease risk
Scientists at VIB have identified a bacterial defense mechanism that repairs damaged proteins caused by oxygen. The discovery, using the intestinal bacterium E. coli, has implications for human cells and may provide new insights into protein protection against oxidation.
Researchers at Emory University School of Medicine have identified a substance in the blood that may predict an individual's risk for heart disease. High levels of cystine, an oxidized form of the amino acid cysteine, were found to be twice as likely to result in a heart attack or death over a few years.
A team of scientists at Emory University School of Medicine identified a direct link between oxidative stress and inflammatory signals in the blood. They found that supplementing the diet with cysteine can reduce inflammation by blunting the impact of sepsis-like inflammation.
Researchers at Johns Hopkins have identified the chemical step involved in blocking the phosphodiesterase 5 enzyme, which slows down the breakdown of cyclic GMP and contributes to heart failure. The discovery paves the way for targeted drug therapies to stall progression of heart failure and hypertrophy.
Researchers at Scripps Florida have received a $1.5 million grant to develop novel drug targets for amebiasis and giardiasis, two serious water- and food-borne illnesses caused by microscopic parasites. The goal is to create small molecule inhibitors that target specific proteases playing a critical role in parasite lifecycle.
A Scripps Research study discovered that TRPA1 is directly activated by reactive chemicals through covalent modification of cysteine amino acids. This unique mechanism differs from other ion channels, which typically bind reversibly.
Researchers identified EAAC1 protein as the main transporter of cysteine into neurons, providing vital antioxidant protection. The study found that mice deficient in EAAC1 exhibited signs of senility and oxidative stress, supporting the idea that oxidative stress contributes to brain aging.
A recent study found that women with higher plasma cysteine levels had a significantly reduced risk of developing breast cancer. The association was strongest among leaner women, suggesting potential chemopreventive benefits against breast cancer.
Researchers have successfully attached molecules to the surface of a virus, creating a novel method for immobilizing large molecules on viral surfaces. This technique has potential applications in nanotechnology, materials science, and medicine.