Phytocystatins constitute a multigene family that regulates the activity of endogenous and/or exogenous cysteine proteinases. Cereal crops like wheat are continuously threatened by a multitude of pathogens, therefore ...Phytocystatins constitute a multigene family that regulates the activity of endogenous and/or exogenous cysteine proteinases. Cereal crops like wheat are continuously threatened by a multitude of pathogens, therefore cystatins offer to play a pivotal role in deciding the plant response. In order to study the need of having diverse specificities and activities of various cystatins, we conducted comparative analysis of six wheat cystatins （WCs） with twelve rice, seven barley, one sorghum and ten corn cystatin sequences employing different bioinformatics tools. The obtained results identified highly conserved signature sequences in all the cystatins considered. Several other motifs were also identified, based on which the sequences could be categorized into groups in congruence with the phylogenetic clustering. Homology modeling of WCs revealed 3D structural topology so well shared by other cystatins. Protein-protein interaction of WCs with papain supported the notion that functional diversity is a con- sequence of existing differences in amino acid residues in highly conserved as well as relatively less conserved motifs. Thus there is a significant conservation at the sequential and structural levels; however, concomitant variations maintain the functional diversity in this protein family, which constantly modulates itself to reciprocate the diversity while counteracting the cysteine proteinases.展开更多
Approximately 30%-40%of individuals with diabetes develop chronic kidney disease during their lifetime,and patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus have a high risk of developing and progressing to this condition.The tw...Approximately 30%-40%of individuals with diabetes develop chronic kidney disease during their lifetime,and patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus have a high risk of developing and progressing to this condition.The two comorbidities represent a lethal combination that exacerbates both diseases.It is crucial to measure the glomerular filtration rate and to monitor and assess the renal functionality of these patients.Serum creatinine,the traditional marker of kidney assessment,has been shown to be susceptible to too many variables that can significantly alter the final estimated glomerular filtration rate outcome.Cystatin C-based formulas appear to have reasonable accuracy in this population and help to ensure better tailored therapy and renal assessment.The purpose of this editorial was to provide an examination of the advantage of using cystatin C as a valid marker for determining estimated glomerular filtration rate,free from any interfering factors,allowing a more accurate assessment of renal function.展开更多
The occurrence of acute kidney injury(AKI)in critically ill patients is often associated with increased morbidity and mortality rates.Despite extensive research,a consensus is yet to be arrived,especially regarding th...The occurrence of acute kidney injury(AKI)in critically ill patients is often associated with increased morbidity and mortality rates.Despite extensive research,a consensus is yet to be arrived,especially regarding the optimal timing and indications for initiation of kidney replacement therapy(KRT)for critically ill patients.There is no clear guidance available on the timing of weaning from KRT.More recently,various biomarkers have produced promising prognostic pre-diction in such patients,regarding the need for KRT and its termination.Most of these biomarkers are indicative of kidney damage and stress,rather than re-covery.However,large-scale validation studies are required to guide the cutoff values of these biomarkers among different patient cohorts so as to identify the optimum timing for KRT.This article reviews the kidney biomarkers in detail and summarizes the individual roles of biomarkers in the decision-making process for initiation and termination of the KRT among critically ill AKI patients and the supportive literature.展开更多
文摘Phytocystatins constitute a multigene family that regulates the activity of endogenous and/or exogenous cysteine proteinases. Cereal crops like wheat are continuously threatened by a multitude of pathogens, therefore cystatins offer to play a pivotal role in deciding the plant response. In order to study the need of having diverse specificities and activities of various cystatins, we conducted comparative analysis of six wheat cystatins （WCs） with twelve rice, seven barley, one sorghum and ten corn cystatin sequences employing different bioinformatics tools. The obtained results identified highly conserved signature sequences in all the cystatins considered. Several other motifs were also identified, based on which the sequences could be categorized into groups in congruence with the phylogenetic clustering. Homology modeling of WCs revealed 3D structural topology so well shared by other cystatins. Protein-protein interaction of WCs with papain supported the notion that functional diversity is a con- sequence of existing differences in amino acid residues in highly conserved as well as relatively less conserved motifs. Thus there is a significant conservation at the sequential and structural levels; however, concomitant variations maintain the functional diversity in this protein family, which constantly modulates itself to reciprocate the diversity while counteracting the cysteine proteinases.
文摘Approximately 30%-40%of individuals with diabetes develop chronic kidney disease during their lifetime,and patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus have a high risk of developing and progressing to this condition.The two comorbidities represent a lethal combination that exacerbates both diseases.It is crucial to measure the glomerular filtration rate and to monitor and assess the renal functionality of these patients.Serum creatinine,the traditional marker of kidney assessment,has been shown to be susceptible to too many variables that can significantly alter the final estimated glomerular filtration rate outcome.Cystatin C-based formulas appear to have reasonable accuracy in this population and help to ensure better tailored therapy and renal assessment.The purpose of this editorial was to provide an examination of the advantage of using cystatin C as a valid marker for determining estimated glomerular filtration rate,free from any interfering factors,allowing a more accurate assessment of renal function.
文摘The occurrence of acute kidney injury(AKI)in critically ill patients is often associated with increased morbidity and mortality rates.Despite extensive research,a consensus is yet to be arrived,especially regarding the optimal timing and indications for initiation of kidney replacement therapy(KRT)for critically ill patients.There is no clear guidance available on the timing of weaning from KRT.More recently,various biomarkers have produced promising prognostic pre-diction in such patients,regarding the need for KRT and its termination.Most of these biomarkers are indicative of kidney damage and stress,rather than re-covery.However,large-scale validation studies are required to guide the cutoff values of these biomarkers among different patient cohorts so as to identify the optimum timing for KRT.This article reviews the kidney biomarkers in detail and summarizes the individual roles of biomarkers in the decision-making process for initiation and termination of the KRT among critically ill AKI patients and the supportive literature.
