Though proteins can be stored with cosolvents such as salts and polyols to enhance their stability and activity for biological and biotechnological applications, however, the mechanisms for protein stability remain elusive. Generally, these cosolvents promote the shifting of protein conformations towards a more compact form and …
Biogenic amines are the amines found in the biological system with many vital functions and roles. First, let me describe what is an amine. Amines are organic compounds containing an amino group as a functional group. They are basically considered as a derivative of ammonia in …
A short introduction about HMG-CoA reductase HMG-CoA reductase or 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme-A reductase is an endoplasmic reticulum membrane-bound enzyme. It catalyzes the conversion of HMG-CoA to mevalonate. This step, the formation of the mevalonate, is the rate-limiting step of cholesterol biosynthesis as well as the synthesis of …
Everybody knows HDL cholesterol or High-Density Lipoprotein is good for health while LDL or Low-Density Lipoprotein is bad. However, HDL is not always good for health. One recent study shows HDL can be bad for heart health. Before getting into the topic, I would like to …
What is niacin? Niacin is an organic acid the IUPAC name of which is pyrimidine-3-carboxylic acid. It is also called nicotinic acid or vitamin B3. However, the biologically active form is nicotinamide, not niacin which is formed during the formation of niacin-derived cofactors nicotinamide adenine …
Angiotensin II from Angiotensinogen Angiotensin is a group of peptide hormones that contains mainly four types; I, II, III, and IV. However, the biologically active form is angiotensin II. All of these are produced from the single precursor protein angiotensinogen in different steps. Angiotensinogen is a …
Classification of the lipids Lipids are classified into two classes; saponifiable lipids and non-saponifiable lipids. In a saponifiable lipid family, there are two types of lipids Glycerol Esters and Non-glycerol Esters. Glycerol esters include triacylglycerols and phosphoglycerols while non-glycerol esters include two classes of lipids; waxes …
Proteins associated with or embedded in a biological cell membrane are called membrane proteins. Membrane proteins are of two types. Integral Proteins Proteins that are embedded deeply in the plasma membrane are integral proteins. They are held inside the membrane by hydrophobic interaction. Integral proteins may …
An introduction to the glycoproteins The glycoprotein is a type of glycoconjugate. It is a biological molecule that contains proteins as well as carbohydrates (especially oligosaccharides) linked to each other through the covalent linkage between the sugar unit of oligosaccharide and a side chain of certain types …
Gluconeogenesis is a biosynthetic pathway involved in glucose production from non-carbohydrate precursors. Glucose is necessary for all tissues as it is the main source of energy production. Some tissues such as the brain, RBCs, and exercising muscles require glucose more preferentially than any other source and, …
