Molecular determinants of the interaction between Doa1 and Hse1 involved in endosomal sorting

The Comparison of Surface Modification Methods of the Heavy Metals Adsorption of Activated Carbon from Rice Husk

Surface modification of activated carbon (AC) could be done through different methods in order to modify their specific physical and chemical properties to facilitate metals removal from wastewater. Three methods were used to modify the rice husk AC (RHAC) including the use of (1) HNO3, (2) dithizone and (3) the combination of HNO3 with dithizone. These modification agents were increased its affinity towards the desired pollutant. The modification methods demonstrated the effective process for the metal ions adsorption capability and the removal of them from water. For Ni2+ and Cd2+ adsorption, RHAC was modified by HNO3 giving the best adsorption capacity in comparison with using dithizone or the combination of HNO3 with dithizone. That adsorption was reached 17.23 mg/g for Ni2+ and 29.61 mg/g for Cd2+. Additionally, the surface area, which was characterized by BET (Brunauer–Emmett–Teller) of RHAC, was 710.8 m2/g and DA micropore volume was 0.447 (cm3/g). Especially, the only modified RHACs had the peak of N-H functional group by using Fourier transform infrared spectrum (FTIR). Besides, the only RHAC modification by HNO3 had peak of C=O. That significantly contributed to increase the metal ions adsorption capacity of RHAC.

A Mighty "Protein Extractor" of the Cell: Structure and Function of the p97/CDC48 ATPase

p97/VCP (known as Cdc48 in S. cerevisiae or TER94 in Drosophila) is one of the most abundant cytosolic ATPases. It is highly conserved from archaebacteria to eukaryotes. In conjunction with a large number of cofactors and adaptors, it couples ATP hydrolysis to segregation of polypeptides from immobile cellular structures such as protein assemblies, membranes, ribosome, and chromatin. This often results in proteasomal degradation of extracted polypeptides. Given the diversity of p97 substrates, this "segregase" activity has profound influence on cellular physiology ranging from protein homeostasis to DNA lesion sensing, and mutations in p97 have been linked to several human diseases. Here we summarize our current understanding of the structure and function of this important cellular machinery and discuss the relevant clinical implications.

PLAA Mutations Cause a Lethal Infantile Epileptic Encephalopathy by Disrupting Ubiquitin-Mediated Endolysosomal Degradation of Synaptic Proteins

During neurotransmission, synaptic vesicles undergo multiple rounds of exo-endocytosis, involving recycling and/or degradation of synaptic proteins. While ubiquitin signaling at synapses is essential for neural function, it has been assumed that synaptic proteostasis requires the ubiquitin-proteasome system (UPS). We demonstrate here that turnover of synaptic membrane proteins via the endolysosomal pathway is essential for synaptic function. In both human and mouse, hypomorphic mutations in the ubiquitin adaptor protein PLAA cause an infantile-lethal neurodysfunction syndrome with seizures. Resulting from perturbed endolysosomal degradation, Plaa mutant neurons accumulate K63-polyubiquitylated proteins and synaptic membrane proteins, disrupting synaptic vesicle recycling and neurotransmission. Through characterization of this neurological intracellular trafficking disorder, we establish the importance of ubiquitin-mediated endolysosomal trafficking at the synapse.