Mechanistic Insights into the Binding of Boar Salivary Pheromones and Putative Molecule with Receptor Proteins: A Comparative Computational Approach.

Precise estrus detection in sows is pivotal in increasing the productivity within the pork industry. Sows in estrus exhibit exclusive behaviors when exposed to either a live boar or the steroid pheromones androstenone and androstenol. Recently, a study employing solid-phase microextraction-gas chromatography-mass spectrometry has identified a novel salivary molecule in boars, known as quinoline. This finding has intriguing implications as a synthetic mixture of androstenone, androstenol, and quinoline induces estrus behaviors in sows. Nevertheless, the precise pheromonal characteristics of quinoline remain elusive. In this study, we validate and compare the binding efficiency of androstenone, androstenol, and quinoline with porcine olfactory receptor proteins (odorant-binding protein [OBP], pheromaxein, salivary lipocalin [SAL], and Von Ebner's gland protein [VEGP]) using molecular docking and molecular dynamics simulations. All protein-ligand complexes demonstrated stability, as evidenced by the root-mean-square deviation (RMSD), root-mean-square fluctuation (RMSF), radius of gyration (Rg), solvent-accessible surface area (SASA), and hydrogen-bond (H-bond) plots. Furthermore, quinoline displayed higher binding efficiency with OBP, measured at -85.456 ± 8.268 kJ/mol, compared to androstenone and androstenol, as determined by molecular mechanics-Poisson-Boltzmann surface area (MM-PBSA) calculations. Conversely, quinoline exhibited a lower binding efficacy when interacting with SAL, pheromaxein, and VEGP compared to androstenone and androstenol. These findings, in part, suggest the binding possibility of quinoline with carrier proteins and warrant further investigation to support the role of quinoline in porcine chemical communication.

Hexadecanoic acid analogs as potential CviR-mediated quorum sensing inhibitors in Chromobacterium violaceum: an in silico study.

Chromobacterium violaceum is a Gram-negative, rod-shaped and opportunistic human pathogen. C. violaceum is resistant to various antibiotics due to the production of quorum sensing (QS)-controlled virulence factor and biofilm formation. Hence, we need to find alternative strategies to overcome the antimicrobial resistance and biofilm formation in Gram-negative bacteria. QS is a mechanism in which bacteria's ability to regulate the virulence factors and biofilm formations leads to disease progression. Previously, hexadecanoic acid was identified as a CviR-mediated quorum-sensing inhibitor. In this study, we aimed to discover potential analogs of hexadecanoic acid as a CviR-mediated quorum-sensing inhibitor against C. violaceum by using ADME/T prediction, density functional theory, molecular docking, molecular dynamics and free energy binding calculations. ADME/T properties predicted for analogs were acceptable for human oral absorption and feasibility. The highest occupied molecular orbitals and lowest unoccupied molecular orbitals gap energies predicted and found oleic acid with -0.3748 energies. Docosatrienoic acid exhibited the highest binding affinity -8.15 Kcal/mol and strong and stable interactions with the amino acid residues on the active site of the CviR protein. These compounds on MD simulations for 100 ns show strong hydrogen-bonding interactions with the protein and remain stable inside the active site. Our results suggest hexadecanoic acid analogs could serve as anti-QS and anti-biofilm molecules for treating C. violaceum infections. However, further validation and investigation of these inhibitors against CviR are needed to claim their candidacy for clinical trials.Communicated by Ramaswamy H. Sarma.

Ectopic pregnancy: search for biomarker in salivary proteome.

Ectopic pregnancy (EP) is associated with high maternal morbidity and mortality. Ultrasonography is the only dependable diagnostic tool for confirming an ectopic pregnancy. In view of inadequate early detection methods, women suffer from a high-life risk due to the severity of EP. Early detection of EP using pathological/molecular markers will possibly improve clinical diagnosis and patient management. Salivary proteins contain potential biomarkers for diagnosing and detecting various physiological and/or pathological conditions. Therefore, the present investigation was designed to explore the salivary proteome with special reference to EP. Gel-based protein separation was performed on saliva, followed by identification of proteins using Liquid Chromatography-Tandem Mass Spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). Totally, 326 proteins were identified in the salivary samples, among which 101 were found to be specific for ruptured ectopic pregnancy (EPR). Reactome analysis revealed innate immune system, neutrophil degranulation, cell surface interactions at the vascular wall, and FCERI-mediated NF-kB activation as the major pathways to which the salivary proteins identified during EPR are associated. Glutathione-S-transferase omega-1 (GSTO1) is specific for EPR and has been reported as a candidate biomarker in the serum of EPR patients. Therefore, saliva would be a potential source of diagnostic non-invasive protein biomarker(s) for EP. Intensive investigation on the salivary proteins specific to EP can potentially lead to setting up of a panel of candidate biomarkers and developing a non-invasive protein-based diagnostic kit.

Bioconversion of lovastatin to simvastatin by Streptomyces carpaticus toward the inhibition of HMG-CoA activity.

The aim of this study was the modification of lovastatin by microbes to improve its potential. Actinobacteria exhibit staggering diversity in terms of their biosynthetic capability for specialized metabolites which has been traced back to the presence of specialized gene clusters. The objective of the study is to exploit the potential of Actinobacteria strain(s), which can biotransform lovastatin to simvastatin, which might be a more potent therapeutic agent than lovastatin. We have screened 40 Actinobacteria strains and assessed their biotransformation potential primarily through thin layer chromatography (TLC) analysis, followed by high performance thin layer chromatography and high performance liquid chromatography analysis. One strain C7 (CTL S12) has been identified as a potential Actinobacteria that favored the simvastatin biotransformation. The morphological and biochemical analysis together with 16S rRNA sequencing coupled with phylogenetic analysis confirmed the ideal strain (C7) as Streptomyces carpaticus. Successively, the purified simvastatin from S. carpaticus was characterized by liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS), infrared spectrometry, nuclear magnetic resonance, and HMG-CoA assay. In the LC-MS analysis, a peak at 419.24 m/z confirmed the elemental composition of simvastatin (C25 H39 O5 ). In HMG-CoA assay, the IC50 of simvastatin was 50 µg/ml, and the inhibitory potential was 1.36 times higher compared to that of lovastatin. Thus, the biotransformation of simvastatin from lovastatin by S. carpaticus is reported for the first time.

Pheromones, binding proteins, and olfactory systems in the pig (Sus scrofa): An updated review.

Pigs utilize multimodal communication for reproductive and other behaviors, and chemical communication is one of the key components. The success of reproduction relies on chemical communication favored by the steroid pheromones from boar saliva. These steroids were proven to be involved in advancing puberty in gilts (the boar effect) and in promoting estrus behaviors in gilts/sows, thereby helping to detect estrus and facilitating the timing of artificial insemination. The steroid pheromones bound with carrier proteins are evidenced in the mandibular (submandibular) salivary secretions of the boar. These salivary steroids bind with carrier proteins in the nasal mucus and vomeronasal organ (VNO) of the sows, eventually triggering a cascade of activities at the olfactory and endocrine levels. Besides steroid pheromones, pig appeasing pheromones (from mammary skin secretions of sows) have also been demonstrated to bind with carrier proteins in the nasal mucus and VNO of the piglets. Thus far, four different proteins have been identified and confirmed in the nasal mucus and VNO of pigs, including odorant binding proteins (OBPs), salivary lipocalin (SAL), pheromaxein, and Von Ebner's Gland Protein (VEGP). The critical roles of the chemosensory systems, main olfactory systems and VNO, have been comprehensively reported for pigs. This review summarizes the current knowledge on pheromones, their receptor proteins, and the olfactory systems of porcine species.

Histomorphology and Chemical Constituents of Interdigital Gland of Vembur Sheep, Ovis aries.

The interdigital gland is a specialized skin gland located between the digits of Artiodactyla (i.e., even-toed ungulates). Its secretion participates in semiochemical communication, and protects from ultraviolet radiation as well as fungal and bacterial infections of the feet. The present study aimed at finding if there are male-female differences in the anatomy, morphology, and volatile compounds of the interdigital gland of the South Indian breed of Vembur sheep. A total of 24 sheep (12 each of male and female) were spotted at the slaughterhouse and the interdigital gland was removed for examination. The anatomical examination revealed it to resemble a tobacco pipe and to consist of a body, flexure, and excretory duct with an external orifice located at the cleft of the digits. Morphometrically, the interdigital glands differed between males and females. The gland possesses a distinct fibrous capsule, epidermis, and dermis. The fibrous capsule contains several parallel bundles of collagen fibers, nerve fibers, and blood vessels, etc. The epidermis consists of keratinized squamous epithelium formed of stratum basale, stratum granulosum and stratum spinosum. The dermis consists of hair follicles, nerve plexuses, arrector pili muscles, and apocrine and sebaceous glandular lobules. The latter, lined by a simple cuboidal epithelium, are arranged in clusters of acini in the upper portion of the dermis. The apocrine secretory lobules, made up of parenchymal cells, are found in the lower portion of the dermis. The density and diameter of the apocrine and sebaceous secretory lobules were significantly higher in the males than females. Scanning electron microscopic (SEM) analysis confirmed the apocrine and sebaceous secretory components. Twenty-three major compounds were identified in the interdigital gland postings of male and female sheep, among which butanoic acid, 2-methylpropanoic acid, 1-heptanol and octadecanoic acid were present only in the male glandular post, whereas octane, 7-hexyl-tridecane, tetradecane, heptadecane and decanoic acid were present only in the female glandular post. Tetradecanol, tetradecanoic acid and hexadecanol peaks, reportedly antibacterial compounds in pronghorn antelopes, were highly prominent in both male and female sheep. Thus, the interdigital gland of Vembur sheep has two major secretory lobules, namely, sebaceous and apocrine, larger in males than females, which secrete a variety chemical compounds that may serve as chemical communication systems and protect the sheep from foot-borne diseases.

Structural Characterization, Antimicrobial, Antibiofilm, Antioxidant, Anticancer and Acute Toxicity Properties of N-(2-hydroxyphenyl)-2-phenazinamine From Nocardiopsis exhalans (KP149558).

The present study aimed to isolate and identify potential drugs from marine actinomycete Nocardiopsis exhalans and screen them for biomedical applications. The cell-free culture of N. exhalans was extracted with ethyl acetate and the solvent extract showed six fractions in thin-layer chromatography. The fractions were subjected to column chromatography for purification and evaluated for activity against human clinical pathogens. Fraction 4 showed significant activity and was identified as N-(2-hydroxyphenyl)-2-phenazinamine (NHP) using spectral analyses. Further, NHP showed excellent biofilm inhibitory activity against human clinical pathogens Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Staphylococcus aureus. The in vitro antioxidant activity confirmed that NHP is scavenging the oxidative stress-enhancing molecules. The anti-proliferative activity of NHP against human breast cancer cells showed significant activity at 300 µg/ml and less cytotoxic activity against normal cells. Additionally, the toxicity assessment against zebrafish revealed that NHP does not cause any toxicity in the important organs. The results highlight N. exhalans as a promising candidate for the development of antibiotics with potential therapeutic applications.

The Exoproteome of Staphylococcus pasteuri Isolated from Cervical Mucus during the Estrus Phase in Water Buffalo (Bubalus bubalis).

Bacterial extracellular proteins participate in the host cell communication by virtue of the modulation of pathogenicity, commensalism and mutualism. Studies on the microbiome of cervical mucus of the water buffalo (Bubalus bubalis) have shown the occurrence of Staphylococcus pasteuri and that the presence of this bacterium is indicative of various physiological and reproductive states in the host. Recently, S. pasteuri has been isolated from the cervical mucus of the buffalo during the different phases of estrous cycle, and has proved to be much more pronounced during the estrus phase. The basis underlying the availability of a significantly increased S. pasteuri population, specifically during the estrus phase, is not known. Consequently, it is important to determine the significance of the specific abundance of S. pasteuri during the estrus phase of the buffalo host, particularly from the perspective of whether this bacterial species is capable of contributing to sexual communication via its extracellular proteins and volatiles. Therefore, the relevance of S. pasteuri exoproteome in the buffalo cervical mucus during the estrus phase was analyzed using LC-MS/MS. As many as 219 proteins were identified, among which elongation factor Tu (EF-Tu), 60-kDa chaperonin (Cpn60), enolase, fructose-bisphosphate aldolase class 1 (FBP aldolase), enoyl-[acyl-carrier-protein] reductase [NADPH] (ENR) and lipoprotein (Lpp) were the functionally important candidates. Most of the proteins present in the exoproteome of S. pasteuri were those involved in cellular-metabolic functions, as well as catalytic- and binding activities. Moreover, computational studies of Lpp have shown enhanced interaction with volatiles such as acetic-, butanoic-, isovaleric- and valeric acids, which were identified in the cervical mucus S. pasteuri culture supernatant. The present findings suggest that S. pasteuri extracellular proteins may play an important role in buffalo sexual communication during the estrus phase.

Mollification of Doxorubicin (DOX)-Mediated Cardiotoxicity Using Conjugated Chitosan Nanoparticles with Supplementation of Propionic Acid.

Doxorubicin is an extensively prescribed antineoplastic agent. It is also known for adverse effects, among which cardiotoxicity tops the list. The possible mechanism underlying doxorubicin (DOX)-mediated cardiotoxicity has been investigated in this study. Further, to reduce the DOX-mediated cardiotoxicity, DOX was conjugated with Chitosan Nanoparticles (DCNPs) and supplemented with propionic acid. Initially, the drug loading efficacy and conjugation of DOX with chitosan was confirmed by UV-Visible Spectroscopy (UV) and Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR). The average sizes of the synthesized Chitosan Nanoparticles (CNPs) and DCNPs were measured by Dynamic Light Scattering (DLS) analysis as 187.9 ± 1.05 nm and 277.3 ± 8.15 nm, respectively, and the zeta potential values were recorded as 55.2 ± 0.7 mV and 51.9 ± 1.0 mV, respectively. The size and shape of CNPs and DCNPs were recorded using a High-Resolution Electron Microscopy (HRTEM). The particles measured <30 nm and 33-84 nm, respectively. The toxic effects of DCNPs and propionic acid were evaluated in rat model. The data from the electrocardiogram (ECG), cardiac biomarkers, Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma (PPARγ) and histological observations indicated evidence of DOX-mediated cardiotoxicity, whereas the administration of DCNPs, as well as Propionic Acid (PA), brought about a restoration to normalcy and offered protection in the context of DOX-induced cardiotoxicity.

Staphylococcus pasteuri (BCVME2) Resident in Buffalo Cervical Vaginal Mucus: A Potential Source of Estrus-Specific Sex Pheromone(s).

Mammals have microbes resident in their reproductive tract, some of which can be pathogenic while others may play a role in protecting the tract from infection. Volatile compounds play a role as sex pheromones that attract males for coitus during female estrus or heat. It is likely that these compounds themselves are secondary metabolites of bacterial flora resident in the vagina. In order to substantiate this hypothesis, bacteria were isolated from cervico-vaginal mucus (CVM) of buffalo during various phases of the estrous cycle and identified, using morphological, biochemical and molecular characteristics, as Bacillus during preestrus and diestrus, and as Staphylococcus during all three phases of the estrous cycle. Populations of Staphylococcus differed between different phases of the estrous cycle, the predominant forms being S. warneri (BCVMPE1_1) during preestrus, S. pastueri (BCVME2) during estrus and S. epidermis (BCVMDE3) during diestrus. Mice were used as chemosensors to differentiate the estrus-specific S. pasteuri (BCVME2) from the others. Chemical analysis showed that S. pasteuri (BCVME2) produced acetic, propanoic, isobutyric, butyric, isovaleric and valeric acids. In addition, it was shown that S. pasteuri (BCVME2) volatiles influenced the sexual behaviors, flehmen and mounting, of the bull. Thus, S. pasteuri (BCVME2) is a potential source of vaginal pheromone(s) during estrus in buffalo.

Molecular and functional characterization of buffalo nasal epithelial odorant binding proteins and their structural insights by in silico and biochemical approaches.

The olfactory system is capable of detecting and distinguishing thousands of environmental odorants that play a key role in reproduction, social behaviours including pheromones influenced classical events. Membrane secretary odorant binding proteins (OBPs) are soluble lipocalins, localized in the nasal membrane of mammals. They bind and carry odorants within the nasal epithelium to putative olfactory transmembrane receptors (ORs). OBP has not yet been exploited to develop a suitable technique to detect oestrus which is being reported as a difficult task in buffalo. In the present study, using molecular biology and protein engineering approaches, we have cloned six novel OBP isoforms from buffalo nasal epithelium odorant-binding proteins (bnOBPs). Furthermore, 3 D models were developed and molecular-docking, dynamics experiments were performed by in silico approaches. In particular, we found four residues (Phe104, Phe134, Phe69 and Asn118) in OBP1a, which contributed to favourable interactions towards two sex pheromones, specifically oleic acid and p-cresol. We expressed this protein in Escherichia coli from female buffalo urine and validated through fluorescence quenching studies to show similar strong binding affinities of OBP1a to oleic acid and p-cresol. By using structural data, the binding specificity was also verified by site-directed mutagenesis of the four residues followed by in vitro binding assays. Our results enable us to better understand the functions of different nasal epithelium OBP isoforms in buffaloes. They also lead to improved understanding of the interaction between olfactory proteins and odorants to develop highly selective biosensing devices for non-invasive detection of oestrus in buffaloes. Communicated by Ramaswamy H. Sarma.

Salivary Proteome Profile of Women during Fertile Phase of Menstrual Cycle as Characterized by Mass Spectrometry.

OBJECTIVES: Ovulation is such a critical physiological process that its noninvasive detection based on salivary constituents has several advantages in humans. Hence, the present study is proposed to identify the ovulatory-specific proteins in saliva in order to detect ovulation phase. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Samples were collected from women volunteers. The procedure adopted was approved by the Institutional Human Ethical Committee (DM/2014/101/38), Bharathidasan University. The saliva samples were collected from thirty healthy female volunteers, with a prior written consent. One-way analysis of variance was used to calculate protein concentration and band intensity using SPSS 16 software (SPSS Inc., Cary, NC, USA). The salivary protein expression pattern during different phases of menstrual cycle was analyzed using gel-based high resolution-liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry/mass spectrometry and matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization-time of flight/time of flight. Further, bioinformatics tools were adopted to annotate the proteins identified at various phases of menstrual cycle. RESULTS: As many as 530 proteins showed up in the saliva during ovulatory phase, whereas there were only 251 proteins identified during postovulatory phase. The functional annotation of salivary proteins revealed that the proteins got assigned to the class of "extracellular proteins" which are concerned with regulatory functions. The 16 unique and/or differentially expressed protein spots appeared during ovulatory phase, among which Cystatin-S, Prolactin-inducible protein, Cystatin-A, Cystatin-SN, BPI fold-containing family A member 2, Alpha-tubulin N-acetyltransferase 1, Carbonic anhydrase-6, Protein LEG1 homolog, Hemoglobin subunit beta, and Pancreatic alpha-amylase were identified. CONCLUSION: Total salivary proteome profile has been listed with respect to various phases of menstrual cycle. Among the protein listed, Cystatin-S offers a biomarker protein and/or indicator of ovulatory phase. However, extensive validation is required before arriving to a candidate bio-marker protein.

Anticancer Potential of L-Histidine-Capped Silver Nanoparticles against Human Cervical Cancer Cells (SiHA).

This study reports the synthesis of silver nanoparticles using amino acid L-histidine as a reducing and capping agent as an eco-friendly approach. Fabricated L-histidine-capped silver nanoparticles (L-HAgNPs) were characterized by spectroscopic and microscopic studies. Spherical shaped L-HAgNPs were synthesized with a particle size of 47.43 ± 19.83 nm and zeta potential of -20.5 ± 0.95 mV. Results of the anticancer potential of L-HAgNPs showed antiproliferative effect against SiHa cells in a dose-dependent manner with an IC50 value of 18.25 ± 0.36 µg/mL. Fluorescent microscopic analysis revealed L-HAgNPs induced reactive oxygen species (ROS) mediated mitochondrial dysfunction, leading to activation of apoptotic pathway and DNA damage eventually causing cell death. To conclude, L-HAgNPs can act as promising candidates for cervical cancer therapy.

Pig pheromones and behaviors: A review.

Chemical signals play indispensable roles in the communication and social behavior of many organisms. Pheromones are a class of chemical signals identified initially in insects. Later, it became evident that diverse animals secrete pheromones in their body exudates and from exocrine glands and use them for social communication. The pig is a vital food animal in which steroid pheromones have been identified and their behavioral effects known since the 1960s. More recently, non-steroidal pheromones have been identified. To date, studies have reported various pheromone sources in boars (saliva, urine, and glandular secretions) and sows (urine, mammary gland secretions, and feces) and pheromone-mediated behavioral consequences are evidenced. These include the boar effect on puberty onset and subsequent estrous behaviors as well as agonistic and avoidance behaviors. Recent research has facilitated the development and evaluation of pheromone-based applications and products to improve the welfare and reproductive performance of pigs. This review aims to summarize the current knowledge of pig pheromones, and their implications in behaviors.

Alzheimer's Disease: A Molecular View of ß-Amyloid Induced Morbific Events.

Amyloid-ß (Aß) is a dynamic peptide of Alzheimer's disease (AD) which accelerates the disease progression. At the cell membrane and cell compartments, the amyloid precursor protein (APP) undergoes amyloidogenic cleavage by ß- and γ-secretases and engenders the Aß. In addition, externally produced Aß gets inside the cells by receptors mediated internalization. An elevated amount of Aß yields spontaneous aggregation which causes organelles impairment. Aß stimulates the hyperphosphorylation of tau protein via acceleration by several kinases. Aß travels to the mitochondria and interacts with its functional complexes, which impairs the mitochondrial function leading to the activation of apoptotic signaling cascade. Aß disrupts the Ca2+ and protein homeostasis of the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) and Golgi complex (GC) that promotes the organelle stress and inhibits its stress recovery machinery such as unfolded protein response (UPR) and ER-associated degradation (ERAD). At lysosome, Aß precedes autophagy dysfunction upon interacting with autophagy molecules. Interestingly, Aß act as a transcription regulator as well as inhibits telomerase activity. Both Aß and p-tau interaction with neuronal and glial receptors elevate the inflammatory molecules and persuade inflammation. Here, we have expounded the Aß mediated events in the cells and its cosmopolitan role on neurodegeneration, and the current clinical status of anti-amyloid therapy.

Salivary luteinizing hormone: An open window to detect oestrous period in buffalo.

Silent oestrus is an unsurmountable problem in the management of buffalo reproduction. In addressing this issue, we have earlier reported variation in the levels of urinary luteinizing hormone (LH) through the different phases of oestrous cycle with an extended window during the mid-oestrous phase. Based on this report, the present study is designed to assess the salivary LH levels in buffalo during the different phases of oestrous cycle. Bovine LH ELISA kit was used to determine the level of salivary LH. We observed a notable variation in salivary LH levels during the different phases of oestrous cycle. The maximum LH level, 39.07 mIU/ml, observed during oestrus, which was significantly (p < .05) higher than other consecutive phases. Altogether, the results showed a significant (p < .05) fold variation during oestrus compared with other phases. Therefore, the study convincingly shows that salivary LH has the potential of application in development of a modality for non-invasive oestrous detection in buffalo.

Nglyc: A Random Forest Method for Prediction of N-Glycosylation Sites in Eukaryotic Protein Sequence.

BACKGROUND: N-Glycosylation is one of the most important post-translational mechanisms in eukaryotes. N-glycosylation predominantly occurs in N-X-[S/T] sequon where X is any amino acid other than proline. However, not all N-X-[S/T] sequons in proteins are glycosylated. Therefore, accurate prediction of N-glycosylation sites is essential to understand Nglycosylation mechanism. OBJECTIVE: In this article, our motivation is to develop a computational method to predict Nglycosylation sites in eukaryotic protein sequences. METHODS: In this article, we report a random forest method, Nglyc, to predict N-glycosylation site from protein sequence, using 315 sequence features. The method was trained using a dataset of 600 N-glycosylation sites and 600 non-glycosylation sites and tested on the dataset containing 295 Nglycosylation sites and 253 non-glycosylation sites. Nglyc prediction was compared with NetNGlyc, EnsembleGly and GPP methods. Further, the performance of Nglyc was evaluated using human and mouse N-glycosylation sites. RESULT: Nglyc method achieved an overall training accuracy of 0.8033 with all 315 features. Performance comparison with NetNGlyc, EnsembleGly and GPP methods shows that Nglyc performs better than the other methods with high sensitivity and specificity rate. CONCLUSION: Our method achieved an overall accuracy of 0.8248 with 0.8305 sensitivity and 0.8182 specificity. Comparison study shows that our method performs better than the other methods. Applicability and success of our method was further evaluated using human and mouse N-glycosylation sites. Nglyc method is freely available at https://github.com/bioinformaticsML/ Ngly.

Blood brain barrier: A tissue engineered microfluidic chip.

With the increasing concern of neurological diseases, the improvised therapy for neurodegenerative disorders such as Alzheimer's disease is crucial. Yet, the efficacious delivery of drug across blood-brain barrier (BBB) remains a formidable challenge. BBB acts as a gate keeper to prevent the ingress of harmful foreign agents into the brain. It has built a great interest in designing BBB models to boost the field of neurotherapeutics. Recently, microfluidic systems are gaining ground in cell culture and bio-system analysis. It creates a new era of micro engineered laboratory onto a chip by combining the benefits of both in vitro and in vivo models. The high-fidelity microfluidic BBB-on-a-Chip possess the engineered physiological microenvironment for real time monitoring of barrier properties with human derived stem cells. These emerging models have intrinsic merits of regulating micro-scale fluid delivery and versatile fabrication. Moreover, the progress of 3D printing technology and versatility of stem cells assist in fabricating these robust and reproducible models. This review revolves around the various approaches of modelling microfluidic BBBs and emphasises on the limitations of existing models and technology. It contributes to the interdisciplinary engineering aspects of BBB research and its magnificent impact on drug development.

A novel method to detect bovine sex pheromones using l-tyrosine-capped silver nanoparticles: Special reference to nanosensor based estrus detection.

In the present study, a simple and a selective colorimetric method for pheromone detection to diagnose estrus in cattle was established based on the l-tyrosine functionalized silver nanoparticles (l-TyrAgNPs). The synthesized silver nanoparticles was spotted by color change (colorless to pale yellow) due to surface plasmon resonance (SPR). In order to confirm, Ag nanoparticles was characterized by field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), dynamic light scattering (DLS) and zeta potential, X-ray diffraction (XRD) and UV- Vis spectrophotometer. It was found that the pre-colored Ag colloids could be turned from yellow to reddish-brown by the addition of the sex pheromones such as acetic acid or propionic acid, which may have potential application in the colorimetric sensor. The augmented optical nature of nanoparticles furnishes a suitable base to develop a colorimetric sensor for bovine sex pheromones detection. In addition, the computational analyses are critically required to validate residual interactions of bovine odorant-binding protein (OBP) with pheromones. The method was successfully applied to the detection of acetic acid or propionic acid using a biological molecule l-Tyr AgNPs. These results clearly indicate that the biosynthesis of l-Tyr AgNPs can be used as a promising colorimetric sensor for accurate time of estrus prediction in bovine.

Identification of potential pheromone source in sows.

Pheromones play a pivotal role in intra-species communication for reproduction and social behavior in a variety of mammals, such as boars. For boars, saliva is a rich source of pheromones, however, the identification of additional sources and relative abundance of pheromones in various body fluids of sows is also essential to understand the reproductive behaviors of pigs. The present study was designed to identify the source(s) of pheromones in sows. We collected urine, feces, saliva and cervical mucus/vaginal wash samples from sows at pre-estrus, estrus and post-estrus phases, and from gilts and exposed boars to each of these potential sources of pheromones. All the boars tested spent more time sniffing and hyper-salivating in response to urine from sows in estrus than that from sows not in estrus. The sniffing behavior of boars towards estrus samples differed from that towards the samples from non-estrus sows (P < 0.005) and gilts (P < 0.001). Further, hypersalivation behavior of boars differed between estrus samples and gilt samples (P < 0.05) and estrus samples compared to pre-estrus samples (P < 0.05). This is an indication that pheromones are abundant in the estrus samples. We conclude that urine of estrus sows can be a rich source of pheromones and the same can be used to identify, purify and characterize novel pheromone molecules.