North Eastern Hill University

About: North Eastern Hill University is a education organization based out in Shillong, Meghalaya, India. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Population & Catalysis. The organization has 2318 authors who have published 4476 publications receiving 48894 citations.

Can SARS-CoV-2 Accumulate Mutations in the S-Protein to Increase Pathogenicity?

Abstract: SARS-CoV-2 has developed a substantial number of mutations, especially in the S-protein. With the advancement of the pandemic, accumulations of further mutations at the S-protein receptor-binding domain could enhance the infectivity and pathogenicity of the virus. Prediction and evaluation of such mutations are essential for understanding the potential development of more pathogenic strains and for COVID-19 management.

The effect of slash burning on soil microflora

Abstract: The effect of slash-burning on the soil microflora was investigated for a period of one year during 1979–80. Quantitatively, the microflora was drastically reduced in the burnt plot. The density of the fungal population reached to their original level within one month after burning, whereas for bacteria and actinomycetes it took about 20 days. The effect of fire was restricted to the surface layer of 0–2 cm and below this depth no effect of fire was observed. This will be dependent upon the intensity and duration of fire.

Autophagy Modulation as a Treatment of Amyloid Diseases

Abstract: Amyloids are fibrous proteins aggregated into toxic forms that are implicated in several chronic disorders. More than 30 diseases show deposition of fibrous amyloid proteins associated with cell loss and degeneration in the affected tissues. Evidence demonstrates that amyloid diseases result from protein aggregation or impaired amyloid clearance, but the connection between amyloid accumulation and tissue degeneration is not clear. Common examples of amyloid diseases are Alzheimer’s disease (AD), Parkinson’s disease (PD) and tauopathies, which are the most common forms of neurodegenerative diseases, as well as polyglutamine disorders and certain peripheral metabolic diseases. In these diseases, increased accumulation of toxic amyloid proteins is suspected to be one of the main causative factors in the disease pathogenesis. It is therefore important to more clearly understand how these toxic amyloid proteins accumulate as this will aide in the development of more effective preventive and therapeutic strategies. Protein homeostasis, or proteostasis, is maintained by multiple cellular pathways—including protein synthesis, quality control, and clearance—which are collectively responsible for preventing protein misfolding or aggregation. Modulating protein degradation is a very complex but attractive treatment strategy used to remove amyloid and improve cell survival. This review will focus on autophagy, an important clearance pathway of amyloid proteins, and strategies for using it as a potential therapeutic target for amyloid diseases. The physiological role of autophagy in cells, pathways for its modulation, its connection with apoptosis, cell models and caveats in developing autophagy as a treatment and as a biomarker is discussed.