The effective role of positive charge saturation in bioluminescence color and thermostability of firefly luciferase

Alipour, Bagher Said,Hosseinkhani, Saman,Ardestani, Sussan K.,Moradi, Ali Korean Society of Photoscience 2009 Photochemical & photobiological sciences Vol.8 No.6

Luciferases are the enzymes that catalyze the reactions that produce light in bioluminescence. The bioluminescence color of firefly luciferases is determined by the luciferase structure and assay conditions. Amongst different beetle luciferases, those from phrixothrix rail-road worm with a unique additional residue (Arg353) emit red bioluminescence color naturally. Insertion of $Arg^{356}$ in Lampyris turkestanicus luciferase changed the emitted light to red with a bimodal bioluminescence spectrum. By insertion and substitution of positively-charged residues, different specific mutation (E354R/$Arg^{356}$, E354K/$Arg^{356}$, E354R, E354K) lead to changes of the bioluminescence color. Bioluminescence emission spectra indicate that substitution of E354 by R along with insertion of $Arg^{356}$ produces a luciferase that emits red light with a single peak bioluminescence spectrum. The comparison of mutants with native luciferase shows that mutations of firefly luciferase resulted in structural and functional thermostability. Comparative study of native and mutant luciferase (E354R/$Arg^{356}$) by intrinsic and extrinsic fluorescence, CD spectropolarimetry, and homology modeling revealed mutation brought about an increase in content of secondary structure and globular compactness of L. turkestanicus luciferase. On the other hand, $pK_a$ of amino acids in the flexible loop decreased upon introducing of positive charges.

The effect of adding ethanolic saffron petal extract and vitamin E on growth performance, blood metabolites and antioxidant status in Baluchi male lambs

Fereshteh Alipour,Ali Reza Vakili,Mohsen Danesh Mesgaran,Hadi Ebrahimi 아세아·태평양축산학회 2019 Animal Bioscience Vol.32 No.11

Objective: This study investigated the effects of the administration of ethanolic saffron petal extract (SPE) and vitamin E (Vit E) on growth performance, blood metabolites and antioxidant status in Baluchi lambs. Methods: Thirty-two Baluchi male lambs (35.22±5.75 kg) were randomly divided into 4 groups. The 1st (control), 2nd (injectable saffron petal extract [ISPE]), and 3rd (Vit E) groups were respectively injected subcutaneously with either physiological saline (5 mL), SPE (25 mg/kg body weight [BW]) or DL-α-tocopheryl acetate (225 IU) once a week. An oral dose of SPE (500 mg/kg BW) was also administered to the 4th group (oral saffron petal extract [OSPE]). Feed intake and BW were measured for 42 days and blood samples were taken on days 1, 14, 28, and 42. The lambs were slaughtered, and tissue samples were taken. Results: Growth performance and many blood metabolites were not affected (p>0.05) by the treatments. Cholesterol of plasma in the ISPE and Vit E groups was similar and less (p< 0.01) than both the OSPE and control groups. Although there was no significant difference between the control and other groups for plasma triglyceride, the ISPE group showed lower (p<0.05) triglyceride than the OSPE and Vit E groups. The highest (p<0.01) plasma glutathione peroxidase (GPx) was detected in the OSPE group, while the ISPE and Vit E groups showed higher (p<0.01) superoxide dismutase (SOD) of plasma than the control. Malondialdehyde of plasma in the ISPE group was lower (p<0.05) than the OSPE. No differences (p>0.05) were observed among the groups for antioxidant status of both longissimus dorsi muscle and liver. However, the activity of GPx in the kidney and heart, as well as SOD activity in the kidney, were influenced (p≤0.01) by the treatments. Conclusion: Adding ethanolic SPE improved antioxidant status and lowered lipids oxidation in lambs. The SPE and Vit E demonstrated similar effects on antioxidant status in lambs.

Efficacy of miltefosine compared with glucantime for the treatment of cutaneous leishmaniasis: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Sohrab Iranpour,Ali Hosseinzadeh,Abbas Alipour 한국역학회 2019 Epidemiology and Health Vol.41 No.-

Cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) is most common form of leishmaniasis and is characterized by ulcerative skin lesions. The objective of this study was to conduct a systematic review and meta-analysis of clinical trials that compared the efficacy of miltefosine and glucantime for the treatment of CL. We searched the following databases: Cochrane, PubMed, Embase, Scopus, Web of Science, ProQuest, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, International Clinical Trials Registry Platform search portal of World Health Organization, Sid, Irandoc, Magiran, and clinicaltrials.gov. We used keywords including “miltefosine,” “glucantime,” and “Leishmania.” The quality of studies was assessed using the Cochrane risk of bias tool. A random-effects model was employed for the analysis. We assessed heterogeneity by the chi-square test and the I2 index statistic. When heterogeneity was present, meta-regression analyses were performed. The Egger method was used to assess publication bias; when it was significant, the trim-and-fill method was used to test and adjust for publication bias. A total of 1,570 reports were identified, of which 10 studies were included in the meta-analysis. In the meta-analysis, there was no significant difference between the efficacy of miltefosine and glucantime; however, subgroup analysis showed that, regarding parasite species other than Leishmania braziliensis, miltefosine was significantly superior to glucantime (intention to treat; relative risk, 1.15; 95% confidence interval, 1.01 to 1.32). In the meta-regression, only the glucantime injection type was significant at the p=0.1 level. The Egger test found statistically significant publication bias; however, including the 3 missing studies in the trim-and-fill analysis did not change the results. This meta-analysis found that miltefosine seems to be more effective than glucantime, at least in species other than L. braziliensis, for treating CL.

Durability of CFRP strengthened RC beams under wetting and drying cycles of magnesium sulfate attack

Rahmani, Hamid,Alipour, Soha,Mansoorkhani, Ali Alipour Techno-Press 2019 Advances in concrete construction Vol.8 No.1

Durability of strengthened reinforced concrete (RC) beams with CFRP sheets under wetting and drying cycles of magnesium sulfate attack is investigated in this research. Accordingly, 18 RC beams were designed and made where 10 of them were strengthened by CFRP sheets at their tension side. Magnesium sulfate attack and wetting and drying cycles with water and magnesium sulfate solution were considered as exposure conditions. Finally, flexural performance of the beams was measured before and after 5 months of exposure. Results indicated that the bending capacity of the strengthened RC beams was reduced about 10% after 5 months of immersion in the magnesium sulfate solution. Wetting and drying cycles of magnesium sulfate solution reduced the bending capacity of the strengthened RC beams about 7%. Also, flexural capacity reduction of the strengthened RC beams in water and under wetting and drying cycles of water was negligible.

Chemical modification of polystyrene foam using functionalized chitosan with dithiocarbamate as an adsorbent for mercury removal from aqueous solutions

Babak Porkar,Pourya Alipour Atmianlu,Mahyar Mahdavi,Majid Baghdadi,Hamidreza Farimaniraad,Mohammad Ali Abdoli 한국화학공학회 2023 Korean Journal of Chemical Engineering Vol.40 No.4

One of the major environmental issues today is waste pollution, particularly non-biodegradable wastes such as polystyrene waste. Furthermore, heavy metal contamination is a major environmental threat. Mercury is one of the most hazardous and poisonous contaminants, and its usage in various industrial processes has resulted in contaminated effluents being released into surface runoff and groundwater. Because of the beneficial physical properties of polystyrene foam, this non-biodegradable waste was used in this study as a suitable medium for chemical modification. The polystyrene foam was first modified using crosslinked chitosan, and then it was reacted with carbon disulfide to improve its performance for the removal of Hg2+. The prepared composite was used for the removal of mercury ions from contaminated water. The adsorbent’s physical, chemical, and morphological properties were determined using energy-dispersive spectroscopy (EDS), Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), Field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM), and Brauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) analyses. Specific surface area, porosity, and average pore diameter were determined to be 314.8 m2/g, 0.345 cm2/g, and 1.96 nm, respectively. Experiments were designed to investigate the effects of pH, contact time, and contaminant concentration by the Box-Behnken response surface methodology. The maximum removal percentage of 79.85% was achieved for the initial mercury concentration of 50 mg/L at pH 4. Moreover, the adsorption was observed to follow the Dubinin-Radushkevich isotherm. Studies on adsorbent recovery also showed that the adsorbent can be recovered and reused for at least three cycles.

Laccase Immobilization onto Magnetic β-Cyclodextrin-Modified Chitosan: Improved Enzyme Stability and Efficient Performance for Phenolic Compounds Elimination

Roghayeh Tarasi,Masoumeh Alipour,Lena Gorgannezhad,Somaye Imanparast,Aliakbar Yousefi-Ahmadipour,Ali Ramezani,Mohammad Reza Ganjali,Abbas Shafiee,Mohammad Ali Faramarzi,Mehdi Khoobi 한국고분자학회 2018 Macromolecular Research Vol.26 No.8

Three types of improved Fe3O4 magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs), including poly(amidoisophthalicacid) coated magnetite nanoparticles (Fe@PA), cyclodextrin (CD) anchored Fe@PA (Fe@PA-CD), and chitosan (Cs) coated Fe@PA-CD (Fe@PACD- Cs) were successfully developed and characterized. Laccase immobilization onto MNPs was carried out via physical adsorption. The maximal and minimal loading capacity were obtained for Fe@PA and Fe@PA-CD-Cs, respectively. Fe@PA-CDCs- laccase exhibited around 100% of the maximum activity at pH 4 and maintained 70% of its initial activity within the temperature range of 15-55 °C; and Cs coated nanoparticles were more efficient than non-coated. Fe@PA-CD-Cs-laccase maintained 70% of its initial activity up to 12 d from the first day of storage at 25 °C whereas the free laccase, Fe@PA-laccase, and Fe@PA-CD-laccase kept 10%, 28%, and 33% of initial activity, respectively. Furthermore, bio-removal of phenolic compounds was performed by the free and immobilized enzyme. Fe@PA-CD-Cs-laccase showed maximal removal with 96.4% and 85.5% for phenol and bisphenol A, respectively. It seems that Fe@PA-CD-Cs could be an appropriate support for immobilization of other enzymes in various industrial application especially bioremoval of phenolic compounds.

Molecular Target Therapy of AKT and NF-kB Signaling Pathways and Multidrug Resistance by Specific Cell Penetrating Inhibitor Peptides in HL-60 Cells

Davoudi, Zahra,Akbarzadeh, Abolfazl,Rahmatiyamchi, Mohammad,Movassaghpour, Ali Akbar,Alipour, Mohsen,Nejati-Koshki, Kazem,Sadeghi, Zohre,Dariushnejad, Hassan,Zarghami, Nosratollah Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention 2014 Asian Pacific journal of cancer prevention Vol.15 No.10

Background: PI3/AKT and NF-kB signaling pathways are constitutively active in acute myeloid leukemia and cross-talk between the two has been shown in various cancers. However, their role in acute myeloid leukemia has not been completely explored. We therefore used cell penetrating inhibitor peptides to define the contributions of AKT and NF-kB to survival and multi drug resistance (MDR) in HL-60 cells. Materials and Methods: Inhibition of AKT and NF-kB activity by AKT inhibitor peptide and NBD inhibitor peptide, respectively, resulted in decreased expression of mRNA for the MDR1 gene as assessed by real time PCR. In addition, treatment of HL-60 cells with AKT and NBD inhibitor peptides led to inhibition of cell viability and induction of apoptosis in a dose dependent manner as detected by flow cytometer. Results: Finally, co-treatment of HL-60 cells with sub-optimal doses of AKT and NBD inhibitor peptides led to synergistic apoptotic responses in AML cells. Conclusions: These data support a strong biological link between NF-kB and PI3-kinase/AKT pathways in the modulation of antiapoptotic and multi drug resistant effects in AML cells. Synergistic targeting of these pathways using NF-kB and PI3-kinase/AK inhibitor peptides may have a therapeutic potential for AML and possibly other malignancies with constitutive activation of these pathways.

Introducing new rigid I-beam to box column connections by using a stiffened channel link

Allah Reza Moradi Garoosi,Mehrzad Tahamouli Roudsari,Morteza Torkaman,Shahab Bonyadirad,Ali Saeedmanesh,Khalil soleimani,Hosein Reza Lotfi,Roya Jowkar,Ali Alipour 국제구조공학회 2021 Steel and Composite Structures, An International J Vol.41 No.4

The aim of this study is to present a new and suitable connection for I-shaped beams and box columns that is both constructionally convenient to implement and reliable in terms of its performance. Six full-scale experimental samples were constructed and subjected to cyclic Quasi-static loading. The first sample included an I-shaped beam which was directly connected to a box column, the second sample incorporated a channel link, and stiffened channel links were used in the remaining four samples. The results show that compared to the direct connection, using the stiffened channel link significantly improves the performance of the connection and increases its ultimate strength and ductility by 58% and 70%, respectively. Also, these connections satisfy the code-specified criteria for special moment resisting frames. They are therefore a suitable detail for rigid I-shaped-beam-to-box-column connections in seismically active regions.

MGMT-B Gene Promoter Hypermethylation in Patients with Inflammatory Bowel Disease - A Novel Finding

Mokarram, Pooneh,Kavousipour, Soudabeh,Sarabi, Mostafa Moradi,Mehrabani, Golnosh,Fahmidehkar, Mohammad Ali,Shamsdin, Seyedeh Azra,Alipour, Abbas,Naini, Mahvash Alizade Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention 2015 Asian Pacific journal of cancer prevention Vol.16 No.5

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is a disease strongly associated with colorectal cancer (CRC) as a well-known precancerous condition. Alterations in DNA methylation and mutation in K-ras are believed to play an early etiopathogenic role in CRC and may also an initiating event through deregulation of molecular signaling. Epigenetic silencing of APC and SFRP2 in the WNT signaling pathway may also be involved in IBD-CRC. The role of aberrant DNA methylation in precancerous state of colorectal cancer (CRC) is under intensive investigation worldwide. The aim of this study was to investigate the status of promoter methylation of MGMT-B, APC1A and SFRP2 genes, in inflamed and normal colon tissues of patients with IBD compared with control normal tissues. A total of 52 IBD tissues as well as corresponding normal tissues and 30 samples from healthy participants were obtained. We determined promoter methylation status of MGMT-B, SFRP2 and APC1A genes by chemical treatment with sodium bisulfite and subsequent MSP. The most frequently methylated locus was MGMT-B (71%; 34 of 48), followed by SFRP2 (66.6 %; 32 of 48), and APC1A (43.7%; 21 of 48). Our study demonstrated for the first time that hypermethylation of the MGMT-B and the SFRP2 gene promoter regions might be involved in IBD development. Methylation of MGMT-B and SFRP2 in IBD patients may provide a method for early detection of IBD-associated neoplasia.

Engineered Probiotics for the Management of Congenital Metabolic Diseases: A Systematic Review

Meisam Barati,Erfan Mosharkesh,Amir Hossein Tahmassian,Maryam Khodaei,Masoumeh Jabbari,Ali Kalhori,Mohsen Alipour,Afshin Abdi Ghavidel,Sajad Khalili-Moghadam,Anwar Fathollahi,Sayed Hossein Davoodi 한국식품영양과학회 2024 Preventive Nutrition and Food Science Vol.29 No.1

Engineered probiotics (EPs) can be used to treat/manage chronic and congenital diseases. However, to the best of our knowledge, no systematic review has evaluated the effects of EPs on congenital metabolic disorders in murine models and human subjects. Thus, the present study systematically reviewed interventional studies that assessed the effects of EPs on congenital metabolic disorders. PubMed, Web of Science, and Scopus databases were searched up to February 2023 to retrieve related publications. Seventy-six articles were obtained in the primary step. After screening the titles/abstracts based on the inclusion and exclusion criteria, 11 papers were included. Finally, only seven articles were included after performing full-text evaluation. The included articles evaluated the effects of EPs on managing phenylketonuria (PKU, n=4) and hyperammonemia (n=3). Moreover, these studies examined mice and/or rats (n=6), monkeys (n=1), and humans (n=2). Studies on EPs and hyperammonemia revealed that some wild strains such as Lactobacillus plantarum have an innate ammonia-hyper-consuming potential; thus, there was no need to manipulate them. However, manipulation is needed to obtain a phenylalanine- metabolizing strain. In conclusion, EPs can be used to manage or treat congenital metabolic diseases including PKU.