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Article
Open AccessThe activity of the saponin ginsenoside Rh2 is enhanced by the interaction with membrane sphingomyelin but depressed by cholesterol
The membrane activity of some saponins, such as digitonin or alpha-hederin, is usually attributed to their interaction with membrane cholesterol (Chol). This contrasts with our recent publication showing that ...
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Article
Open AccessNew insights into the biosynthesis of esterified oxylipins and their involvement in plant defense and developmental mechanisms
Plant oxylipins produced following oxidation of unsaturated fatty acids are structurally diverse metabolites that play crucial developmental and defensive roles. Whereas free oxylipins are well studied, oxylip...
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Article
Open AccessHow different sterols contribute to saponin tolerant plasma membranes in sea cucumbers
Sea cucumbers produce saponins as a chemical defense mechanism, however their cells can tolerate the cytotoxic nature of these chemicals. To elucidate the molecular mechanisms behind this tolerance a suite of ...
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Article
Open AccessInteraction between the barley allelochemical compounds gramine and hordenine and artificial lipid bilayers mimicking the plant plasma membrane
Some plants affect the development of neighbouring plants by releasing secondary metabolites into their environment. This phenomenon is known as allelopathy and is a potential tool for weed management within t...
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Article
Open AccessSynthetic Rhamnolipid Bolaforms trigger an innate immune response in Arabidopsis thaliana
Stimulation of plant innate immunity by natural and synthetic elicitors is a promising alternative to conventional pesticides for a more sustainable agriculture. Sugar-based bolaamphiphiles are known for their...
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Article
Open AccessAn interaction map for HTLV-1 Tax and PDZ-containing proteins
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Article
Mechanism of Trypanosoma brucei gambiense resistance to human serum
This study shows that Trypanosoma brucei gambiense resists trypanolytic factors (TLFs) in a multifactorial manner, relying on a hydrophobic β-sheet of the TgsGP glycoprotein, which prevents APOL1 toxicity and ind...
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Article
Open AccessA new in-silico method for determination of helical transmembrane domains based on the PepLook scan: application to IL-2Rβ and IL-2Rγc receptor chains
Modeling of transmembrane domains (TMDs) requires correct prediction of interfacial residues for in-silico modeling and membrane insertion studies. This implies the defining of a target sequence long enough to...
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Chapter and Conference Paper
Determination of the minimal fusion peptide of HIV, SIV and BLV fusion glycoproteins
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Article
Open AccessDistantly related lipocalins share two conserved clusters of hydrophobic residues: use in homology modeling
Lipocalins are widely distributed in nature and are found in bacteria, plants, arthropoda and vertebra. In hematophagous arthropods, they are implicated in the successful accomplishment of the blood meal, inte...
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Article
Apolipoprotein L-I is the trypanosome lytic factor of human serum
Human slee** sickness in east Africa is caused by the parasite Trypanosoma brucei rhodesiense. The basis of this pathology is the resistance of these parasites to lysis by normal human serum (NHS)1,2. Resistanc...
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Article
Are Amphipathic Asymmetric Peptides Ubiquitous Structures for Membrane Destabilisation?
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Article
The Erythrocyte/Brain Glucose Transporter (GLUT1) May Adopt a Two–Channel Transmembrane α/β Structure.
There are two models of topology for the membrane domains of the erythrocyte/brain facilitative glucose transporter, GLUT1. The first is composed of 12 membrane–spanning α–helices, the second of 16 membrane-sp...
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Article
Structure and orientation of Apo B-100 peptides into a lipid bilayer
Peptides corresponding to lipid binding domains of Apo B-100 were synthesized, purified, and incubated with dimyristoylphosphatidylcholine (DMPC) liposomes. The secondary structure of the apo B-100 peptide-lip...
