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Spectrophotometric methods for total protein analysis are generally simple, rapid and sensitive. Such sensitive protein assays may have applications in forensic science, in the detection of protein contaminants in drugs and in a number of other applications of research interest. Biuret reaction with proteins and peptides is widely used in clinical and biological laboratories. In this work, instead of copper sulphate, sodium hydroxide and Seignette salt, we used insoluble copper phosphate, potassium or sodium hydro...

Halobacterium salinarum is an extremely halophilic marine Gram-negative obligate aerobic archaeon. Despite its name, this is not a bacterium, but rather a member of the domain Archaea, which lives in hypersaline lakes. Bacteriorhodopsin (BRh) is the red retinal-containing protein found in the cell membranes of H. salinarum and is considered a light-activated proton pump that transports protons across the plasma membrane. Bacteriorhodopsin photointermediates have been defined in kinetic and spectroscopic terms as B...

Peptide-drug conjugates are therapeutic agents that combine one or more drug molecules with a peptide through a biodegradable linker. Even if the peptides used in synthesis of such conjugates have a smaller pharmacological action than the small molecule of organic drug, they easily penetrate the membranes and then bind to receptors. Peptide-drug conjugates are used in various fields, such as: (i) anticancer therapy; (ii) antimicrobial application; (iii) anti-inflammatory application. In the last decades, researche...

Zein proteins belong to the class of prolamin proteins which, in maize, represent more than 60% of the total endosperm protein. Based on their molecular weight, sequence and solubility, zeins are classified into four different zein structures (?, ?, ?, ?). The major maize seed storage proteins, zeins, are deficient in lysine and tryptophan content, which contribute to the poor nutritional quality of corn. Therefore, we report here on an original and novel process, which consists in successive grinding and sieving ...

The long-term activity of a polymetallic ore mine in the region of Tarnita-Suceava, Romania, has resulted in an enormous amount of waste material, collected in tailing dumps and ponds. The impact of the waste materials on the surrounding ecosystem and human health are far to be fully estimated. The deposited waste has exerted negative impact on the environment, especially on the soils that host dumps and drainage waters. Heavy metals, including arsenic also interfere with the metabolism of plants, and reduce the n...

Alzheimer?s disease, the most common age-related dementia worldwide, is characterized by two pathologies: deposition of ?-amyloid plaque and neurofibrillary tangles of hyperphosphorylated tau. To this date, several factors, such as oxidative stress, metal ions, or genetic factors are associated with Alzheimer`s diseases, but there are still some question marks regarding: (i) how the misfolding and aggregation of A? occurs and which is the aggregation mechanism; (ii) how the metal ions binds to A? and how they init...

Bacteriorhodopsin (bR) is a red-colored protein found in cell membranes of the organism Halobacterium salinarum, being considered as a light activated proton pump that transports protons across the plasma membrane. Because bacteriorhodopsin is one of the simplest ATP-producing systems known in biology, it has been the subject of intensive investigations. The bR photo-intermediates were seen in the mechanistic model considering that this protein links light energy to the translocation of protons across the bacteria...

The stoichiometry of metal?protein complexes is pH dependent. Since mass spectrometric measurements at higher pH values are difficult in the presence of usual buffers, we extended this approach to pH in excess of 10 by adding ethanolamine to the electrospray solution being investigated. Therefore, a new method for probing the metal ion-peptide complexes at high pH utilizing electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (ESI-MS) has been advanced. Nevertheless, the high pH ESI-MS spectra of peptides are far too complex...

The stoichiometry of metal?protein complexes is pH dependent. Since mass spectrometric measurements at higher pH values are difficult in the presence of usual buffers, we extended this approach to pH in excess of 10 by adding ethanolamine to the electrospray solution being investigated. Therefore, a new method for probing the metal ion-peptide complexes at high pH utilizing electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (ESI-MS) has been advanced. Nevertheless, the high pH ESI-MS spectra of peptides are far too complex...

Heavy-metal pollution of forest soils around closed mines represents an important environmental concern and we measured the contamination level in the forest plants. The waste material generated by the now-abandoned ore-processing plant of Tarni?a-Suceava, Romania, situated in the Eastern Carpathians, contain large amount of heavy metals, aluminum, and arsenic. The high risk of environmental contamination of sterile dumps is amplified by their susceptibility to airborne, hydromechanical and hydrochemical transport...