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  1. Article ; Online: SARS-CoV-2 Amino Acid Mutations Detection in Greek Patients Infected in the First Wave of the Pandemic

    Niki Vassilaki / Konstantinos Papadimitriou / Anastasios Ioannidis / Nikos C. Papandreou / Raphaela S. Milona / Vassiliki A. Iconomidou / Stylianos Chatzipanagiotou

    Microorganisms, Vol 10, Iss 7, p

    2022  Volume 1430

    Abstract: Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), a novel virus that belongs to the Coronoviridae family, emerged in December 2019, causing the COVID-19 pandemic in March 2020. Unlike previous SARS and Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS) ... ...

    Abstract Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), a novel virus that belongs to the Coronoviridae family, emerged in December 2019, causing the COVID-19 pandemic in March 2020. Unlike previous SARS and Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS) outbreaks, this virus has a higher transmissibility rate, albeit a lower case fatality rate, which results in accumulation of a significant number of mutations and a faster evolution rate. Genomic studies on the mutation rate of the virus, as well as the identification of mutations that prevail and their impact on disease severity, are of great importance for pandemic surveillance and vaccine and drug development. Here, we aim to identify mutations on the SARS-CoV-2 viral genome and their effect on the proteins they are located in, in Greek patients infected in the first wave of the pandemic. To this end, we perform SARS-CoV-2 amplicon-based NGS sequencing on nasopharyngeal swab samples from Greek patients and bioinformatic analysis of the results. Although SARS-CoV-2 is considered genetically stable, we discover a variety of mutations on the viral genome. In detail, 18 mutations are detected in total on 10 SARS-CoV-2 isolates. The mutations are located on ORF1ab, S protein, M protein, ORF3a and ORF7a. Sixteen are also detected in patients from other regions around the world, and two are identified for the first time in the present study. Most of them result in amino acid substitutions. These substitutions are analyzed using computational tools, and the results indicate minor or major impact on the proteins’ structural stability, which could probably affect viral transmissibility and pathogenesis. The correlation of these variations with the viral load levels is examined, and their implication for disease severity and the biology of the virus are discussed.
    Keywords SARS-CoV-2 ; mutations ; ORF1ab ; S protein ; M protein ; ORF3a ; Biology (General) ; QH301-705.5
    Subject code 616
    Language English
    Publishing date 2022-07-01T00:00:00Z
    Publisher MDPI AG
    Document type Article ; Online
    Database BASE - Bielefeld Academic Search Engine (life sciences selection)

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  2. Article ; Online: Exploring the conservation of Alzheimer-related pathways between H. sapiens and C. elegans

    Avgi E. Apostolakou / Xhuliana K. Sula / Katerina C. Nastou / Georgia I. Nasi / Vassiliki A. Iconomidou

    Scientific Reports, Vol 11, Iss 1, Pp 1-

    a network alignment approach

    2021  Volume 11

    Abstract: Abstract Alzheimer disease (AD) is a neurodegenerative disorder with an –as of yet– unclear etiology and pathogenesis. Research to unveil disease processes underlying AD often relies on the use of neurodegenerative disease model organisms, such as ... ...

    Abstract Abstract Alzheimer disease (AD) is a neurodegenerative disorder with an –as of yet– unclear etiology and pathogenesis. Research to unveil disease processes underlying AD often relies on the use of neurodegenerative disease model organisms, such as Caenorhabditis elegans. This study sought to identify biological pathways implicated in AD that are conserved in Homo sapiens and C. elegans. Protein–protein interaction networks were assembled for amyloid precursor protein (APP) and Tau in H. sapiens—two proteins whose aggregation is a hallmark in AD—and their orthologs APL-1 and PTL-1 for C. elegans. Global network alignment was used to compare these networks and determine similar, likely conserved, network regions. This comparison revealed that two prominent pathways, the APP-processing and the Tau-phosphorylation pathways, are highly conserved in both organisms. While the majority of interactions between proteins in those pathways are known to be associated with AD in human, they remain unexamined in C. elegans, signifying the need for their further investigation. In this work, we have highlighted conserved interactions related to AD in humans and have identified specific proteins that can act as targets for experimental studies in C. elegans, aiming to uncover the underlying mechanisms of AD.
    Keywords Medicine ; R ; Science ; Q
    Subject code 571
    Language English
    Publishing date 2021-02-01T00:00:00Z
    Publisher Nature Portfolio
    Document type Article ; Online
    Database BASE - Bielefeld Academic Search Engine (life sciences selection)

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  3. Article ; Online: Linear B-Cell Epitope Prediction for In Silico Vaccine Design

    Kosmas A. Galanis / Katerina C. Nastou / Nikos C. Papandreou / Georgios N. Petichakis / Diomidis G. Pigis / Vassiliki A. Iconomidou

    International Journal of Molecular Sciences, Vol 22, Iss 3210, p

    A Performance Review of Methods Available via Command-Line Interface

    2021  Volume 3210

    Abstract: Linear B-cell epitope prediction research has received a steadily growing interest ever since the first method was developed in 1981. B-cell epitope identification with the help of an accurate prediction method can lead to an overall faster and cheaper ... ...

    Abstract Linear B-cell epitope prediction research has received a steadily growing interest ever since the first method was developed in 1981. B-cell epitope identification with the help of an accurate prediction method can lead to an overall faster and cheaper vaccine design process, a crucial necessity in the COVID-19 era. Consequently, several B-cell epitope prediction methods have been developed over the past few decades, but without significant success. In this study, we review the current performance and methodology of some of the most widely used linear B-cell epitope predictors which are available via a command-line interface, namely, BcePred, BepiPred, ABCpred, COBEpro, SVMTriP, LBtope, and LBEEP. Additionally, we attempted to remedy performance issues of the individual methods by developing a consensus classifier, which combines the separate predictions of these methods into a single output, accelerating the epitope-based vaccine design. While the method comparison was performed with some necessary caveats and individual methods might perform much better for specialized datasets, we hope that this update in performance can aid researchers towards the choice of a predictor, for the development of biomedical applications such as designed vaccines, diagnostic kits, immunotherapeutics, immunodiagnostic tests, antibody production, and disease diagnosis and therapy.
    Keywords B-cell epitope ; linear epitope ; consensus prediction method ; immunotherapy ; vaccine design ; Biology (General) ; QH301-705.5 ; Chemistry ; QD1-999
    Language English
    Publishing date 2021-03-01T00:00:00Z
    Publisher MDPI AG
    Document type Article ; Online
    Database BASE - Bielefeld Academic Search Engine (life sciences selection)

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  4. Article ; Online: HGCA2.0

    Vasileios L. Zogopoulos / Apostolos Malatras / Konstantinos Kyriakidis / Chrysanthi Charalampous / Evanthia A. Makrygianni / Stéphanie Duguez / Marianna A. Koutsi / Marialena Pouliou / Christos Vasileiou / William J. Duddy / Marios Agelopoulos / George P. Chrousos / Vassiliki A. Iconomidou / Ioannis Michalopoulos

    Cells, Vol 12, Iss 388, p

    An RNA-Seq Based Webtool for Gene Coexpression Analysis in Homo sapiens

    2023  Volume 388

    Abstract: Genes with similar expression patterns in a set of diverse samples may be considered coexpressed. Human Gene Coexpression Analysis 2.0 (HGCA2.0) is a webtool which studies the global coexpression landscape of human genes. The website is based on the ... ...

    Abstract Genes with similar expression patterns in a set of diverse samples may be considered coexpressed. Human Gene Coexpression Analysis 2.0 (HGCA2.0) is a webtool which studies the global coexpression landscape of human genes. The website is based on the hierarchical clustering of 55,431 Homo sapiens genes based on a large-scale coexpression analysis of 3500 GTEx bulk RNA-Seq samples of healthy individuals, which were selected as the best representative samples of each tissue type. HGCA2.0 presents subclades of coexpressed genes to a gene of interest, and performs various built-in gene term enrichment analyses on the coexpressed genes, including gene ontologies, biological pathways, protein families, and diseases, while also being unique in revealing enriched transcription factors driving coexpression. HGCA2.0 has been successful in identifying not only genes with ubiquitous expression patterns, but also tissue-specific genes. Benchmarking showed that HGCA2.0 belongs to the top performing coexpression webtools, as shown by STRING analysis. HGCA2.0 creates working hypotheses for the discovery of gene partners or common biological processes that can be experimentally validated. It offers a simple and intuitive website design and user interface, as well as an API endpoint.
    Keywords gene coexpression analysis ; gene coexpression network ; co-expression ; RNA-Seq ; transcriptomics ; bioinformatics ; Biology (General) ; QH301-705.5
    Subject code 612
    Language English
    Publishing date 2023-01-01T00:00:00Z
    Publisher MDPI AG
    Document type Article ; Online
    Database BASE - Bielefeld Academic Search Engine (life sciences selection)

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  5. Article ; Online: Hidden Aggregation Hot-Spots on Human Apolipoprotein E

    Paraskevi L. Tsiolaki / Aikaterini D. Katsafana / Fotis A. Baltoumas / Nikolaos N. Louros / Vassiliki A. Iconomidou

    International Journal of Molecular Sciences, Vol 20, Iss 9, p

    A Structural Study

    2019  Volume 2274

    Abstract: Human apolipoprotein E (apoE) is a major component of lipoprotein particles, and under physiological conditions, is involved in plasma cholesterol transport. Human apolipoprotein E found in three isoforms (E2; E3; E4) is a member of a family of ... ...

    Abstract Human apolipoprotein E (apoE) is a major component of lipoprotein particles, and under physiological conditions, is involved in plasma cholesterol transport. Human apolipoprotein E found in three isoforms (E2; E3; E4) is a member of a family of apolipoproteins that under pathological conditions are detected in extracellular amyloid depositions in several amyloidoses. Interestingly, the lipid-free apoE form has been shown to be co-localized with the amyloidogenic Aβ peptide in amyloid plaques in Alzheimer’s disease, whereas in particular, the apoE4 isoform is a crucial risk factor for late-onset Alzheimer’s disease. Evidence at the experimental level proves that apoE self-assembles into amyloid fibrilsin vitro, although the misfolding mechanism has not been clarified yet. Here, we explored the mechanistic insights of apoE misfolding by testing short apoE stretches predicted as amyloidogenic determinants by AMYLPRED, and we computationally investigated the dynamics of apoE and an apoE−Αβ complex. Our in vitro biophysical results prove that apoE peptide−analogues may act as the driving force needed to trigger apoE aggregation and are supported by the computational apoE outcome. Additional computational work concerning the apoE−Αβ complex also designates apoE amyloidogenic regions as important binding sites for oligomeric Αβ; taking an important step forward in the field of Alzheimer’s anti-aggregation drug development.
    Keywords apolipoprotein E ; amyloid fibrils ; Alzheimer’s disease ; Αβ oligomer ; Biology (General) ; QH301-705.5 ; Chemistry ; QD1-999
    Subject code 571
    Language English
    Publishing date 2019-05-01T00:00:00Z
    Publisher MDPI AG
    Document type Article ; Online
    Database BASE - Bielefeld Academic Search Engine (life sciences selection)

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  6. Article ; Online: The amyloid interactome

    Konstantina V Biza / Katerina C Nastou / Paraskevi L Tsiolaki / Chara V Mastrokalou / Stavros J Hamodrakas / Vassiliki A Iconomidou

    PLoS ONE, Vol 12, Iss 3, p e

    Exploring protein aggregation.

    2017  Volume 0173163

    Abstract: Protein-protein interactions are the quintessence of physiological activities, but also participate in pathological conditions. Amyloid formation, an abnormal protein-protein interaction process, is a widespread phenomenon in divergent proteins and ... ...

    Abstract Protein-protein interactions are the quintessence of physiological activities, but also participate in pathological conditions. Amyloid formation, an abnormal protein-protein interaction process, is a widespread phenomenon in divergent proteins and peptides, resulting in a variety of aggregation disorders. The complexity of the mechanisms underlying amyloid formation/amyloidogenicity is a matter of great scientific interest, since their revelation will provide important insight on principles governing protein misfolding, self-assembly and aggregation. The implication of more than one protein in the progression of different aggregation disorders, together with the cited synergistic occurrence between amyloidogenic proteins, highlights the necessity for a more universal approach, during the study of these proteins. In an attempt to address this pivotal need we constructed and analyzed the human amyloid interactome, a protein-protein interaction network of amyloidogenic proteins and their experimentally verified interactors. This network assembled known interconnections between well-characterized amyloidogenic proteins and proteins related to amyloid fibril formation. The consecutive extended computational analysis revealed significant topological characteristics and unraveled the functional roles of all constituent elements. This study introduces a detailed protein map of amyloidogenicity that will aid immensely towards separate intervention strategies, specifically targeting sub-networks of significant nodes, in an attempt to design possible novel therapeutics for aggregation disorders.
    Keywords Medicine ; R ; Science ; Q
    Subject code 612
    Language English
    Publishing date 2017-01-01T00:00:00Z
    Publisher Public Library of Science (PLoS)
    Document type Article ; Online
    Database BASE - Bielefeld Academic Search Engine (life sciences selection)

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  7. Article: The pentapeptide LQVVR plays a pivotal role in human cystatin C fibrillization

    Tsiolaki, Paraskevi L / Stavros J. Hamodrakas / Vassiliki A. Iconomidou

    FEBS letters. 2015 Jan. 02, v. 589, no. 1

    2015  

    Abstract: Human cystatin C (HCC) is a low molecular weight member of the cystatin family (type2). HCC consists of 120 amino acids. Normally it is an inhibitor of cysteine proteases, but in pathological conditions it forms amyloid fibrils in brain arteries of young ...

    Abstract Human cystatin C (HCC) is a low molecular weight member of the cystatin family (type2). HCC consists of 120 amino acids. Normally it is an inhibitor of cysteine proteases, but in pathological conditions it forms amyloid fibrils in brain arteries of young adults. An ‘aggregation-prone’ pentapeptide (47LQVVR51) was located within the HCC sequence using AmylPred, an ‘aggregation-prone’ peptide prediction algorithm developed in our lab. This peptide was synthesized and self-assembled into amyloid-like fibrils in vitro, as electron microscopy, X-ray fiber diffraction, Attenuated Total Reflectance Fourier-Transform Spectroscopy and Congo red staining studies reveal. Thus, the 47LQVVR51 peptide seems to have an important role in HCC fibrillization.
    Keywords X-radiation ; algorithms ; amino acids ; amyloid ; arteries ; brain ; cysteine proteinases ; electron microscopy ; humans ; molecular weight ; prediction ; reflectance ; spectroscopy ; staining ; young adults
    Language English
    Dates of publication 2015-0102
    Size p. 159-164.
    Publishing place Elsevier B.V.
    Document type Article
    ZDB-ID 212746-5
    ISSN 1873-3468 ; 0014-5793
    ISSN (online) 1873-3468
    ISSN 0014-5793
    DOI 10.1016/j.febslet.2014.11.041
    Database NAL-Catalogue (AGRICOLA)

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  8. Article ; Online: A consensus method for the prediction of 'aggregation-prone' peptides in globular proteins.

    Antonios C Tsolis / Nikos C Papandreou / Vassiliki A Iconomidou / Stavros J Hamodrakas

    PLoS ONE, Vol 8, Iss 1, p e

    2013  Volume 54175

    Abstract: The purpose of this work was to construct a consensus prediction algorithm of 'aggregation-prone' peptides in globular proteins, combining existing tools. This allows comparison of the different algorithms and the production of more objective and ... ...

    Abstract The purpose of this work was to construct a consensus prediction algorithm of 'aggregation-prone' peptides in globular proteins, combining existing tools. This allows comparison of the different algorithms and the production of more objective and accurate results. Eleven (11) individual methods are combined and produce AMYLPRED2, a publicly, freely available web tool to academic users (http://biophysics.biol.uoa.gr/AMYLPRED2), for the consensus prediction of amyloidogenic determinants/'aggregation-prone' peptides in proteins, from sequence alone. The performance of AMYLPRED2 indicates that it functions better than individual aggregation-prediction algorithms, as perhaps expected. AMYLPRED2 is a useful tool for identifying amyloid-forming regions in proteins that are associated with several conformational diseases, called amyloidoses, such as Altzheimer's, Parkinson's, prion diseases and type II diabetes. It may also be useful for understanding the properties of protein folding and misfolding and for helping to the control of protein aggregation/solubility in biotechnology (recombinant proteins forming bacterial inclusion bodies) and biotherapeutics (monoclonal antibodies and biopharmaceutical proteins).
    Keywords Medicine ; R ; Science ; Q
    Subject code 612
    Language English
    Publishing date 2013-01-01T00:00:00Z
    Publisher Public Library of Science (PLoS)
    Document type Article ; Online
    Database BASE - Bielefeld Academic Search Engine (life sciences selection)

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  9. Article ; Online: Structural analysis of peptide-analogues of human Zona Pellucida ZP1 protein with amyloidogenic properties

    Nikolaos N Louros / Vassiliki A Iconomidou / Polina Giannelou / Stavros J Hamodrakas

    PLoS ONE, Vol 8, Iss 9, p e

    insights into mammalian Zona Pellucida formation.

    2013  Volume 73258

    Abstract: Zona pellucida (ZP) is an extracellular matrix surrounding and protecting mammalian and fish oocytes, which is responsible for sperm binding. Mammalian ZP consists of three to four glycoproteins, called ZP1, ZP2, ZP3, ZP4. These proteins polymerize into ... ...

    Abstract Zona pellucida (ZP) is an extracellular matrix surrounding and protecting mammalian and fish oocytes, which is responsible for sperm binding. Mammalian ZP consists of three to four glycoproteins, called ZP1, ZP2, ZP3, ZP4. These proteins polymerize into long interconnected filaments, through a common structural unit, known as the ZP domain, which consists of two domains, ZP-N and ZP-C. ZP is related in function to silkmoth chorion and in an evolutionary fashion to the teleostean fish chorion, also fibrous structures protecting the oocyte and embryo, that both have been proven to be functional amyloids. Two peptides were predicted as 'aggregation-prone' by our prediction tool, AMYLPRED, from the sequence of the human ZP1-N domain. Here, we present results from transmission electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, Congo red staining and attenuated total reflectance Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (ATR FT-IR), of two synthetic peptide-analogues of these predicted 'aggregation-prone' parts of the human ZP1-N domain, that we consider crucial for ZP protein polymerization, showing that they both self-assemble into amyloid-like fibrils. Based on our experimental data, we propose that human ZP (hZP) might be considered as a novel, putative, natural protective amyloid, in close analogy to silkmoth and teleostean fish chorions. Experiments are in progress to verify this proposal. We also attempt to provide insights into ZP formation, proposing a possible model for hZP1-N domain polymerization.
    Keywords Medicine ; R ; Science ; Q
    Subject code 006
    Language English
    Publishing date 2013-01-01T00:00:00Z
    Publisher Public Library of Science (PLoS)
    Document type Article ; Online
    Database BASE - Bielefeld Academic Search Engine (life sciences selection)

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  10. Article ; Online: Targeting of copper-trafficking chaperones causes gene-specific systemic pathology in Drosophila melanogaster

    Eleni I. Theotoki / Athanassios D. Velentzas / Stamatia A. Katarachia / Nikos C. Papandreou / Nikolas I. Kalavros / Sofia N. Pasadaki / Aikaterini F. Giannopoulou / Panagiotis Giannios / Vassiliki A. Iconomidou / Eumorphia G. Konstantakou / Ema Anastasiadou / Issidora S. Papassideri / Dimitrios J. Stravopodis

    Biology Open, Vol 8, Iss

    prospective expansion of mutational landscapes that regulate tumor resistance to cisplatin

    2019  Volume 10

    Abstract: Copper, a transition metal, is an essential component for normal growth and development. It acts as a critical co-factor of many enzymes that play key roles in diverse cellular processes. The present study attempts to investigate the regulatory functions ...

    Abstract Copper, a transition metal, is an essential component for normal growth and development. It acts as a critical co-factor of many enzymes that play key roles in diverse cellular processes. The present study attempts to investigate the regulatory functions decisively controlling copper trafficking during development and aging of the Drosophila model system. Hence, through engagement of the GAL4/UAS genetic platform and RNAi technology, we herein examined the in vivo significance of Atox1 and CCS genes, products of which pivotally govern cellular copper trafficking in fly tissue pathophysiology. Specifically, we analyzed the systemic effects of their targeted downregulation on the eye, wing, neuronal cell populations and whole-body tissues of the fly. Our results reveal that, in contrast to the eye, suppression of their expression in the wing leads to a notable increase in the percentage of malformed organs observed. Furthermore, we show that Atox1 or CCS gene silencing in either neuronal or whole-body tissues can critically affect the viability and climbing capacity of transgenic flies, while their double-genetic targeting suggests a rather synergistic mode of action of the cognate protein products. Interestingly, pharmacological intervention with the anti-cancer drug cisplatin indicates the major contribution of CCS copper chaperone to cisplatin's cellular trafficking, and presumably to tumor resistance often acquired during chemotherapy. Altogether, it seems that Atox1 and CCS proteins serve as tissue/organ-specific principal regulators of physiological Drosophila development and aging, while their tissue-dependent downregulation can provide important insights for Atox1 and CCS potential exploitation as predictive gene biomarkers of cancer-cell chemotherapy responses.
    Keywords atox1 ; ccs ; chaperone ; cisplatin ; copper ; drosophila ; menkes ; wilson's ; Science ; Q ; Biology (General) ; QH301-705.5
    Subject code 612
    Language English
    Publishing date 2019-10-01T00:00:00Z
    Publisher The Company of Biologists
    Document type Article ; Online
    Database BASE - Bielefeld Academic Search Engine (life sciences selection)

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