Molecular characterization of matrix metalloproteinase-1 (MMP-1) in Lucilia sericata larvae for potential therapeutic applications

Background: The salivary glands of Lucilia sericata are the first organs to express specific endopeptidase enzymes. These enzymes play a central role in wound healing, and they have potential to be used therapeutically. Methods: Rapid amplification of cDNA ends and rapid amplification of genomic ends were used to identify the coding sequence of MMP-1 from L. sericata. Different segments of MMP1 gene, namely the middle part, 3\u2032 end, and 5\u2032 end, were cloned, sequenced, and analyzed using bioinformatics tools to determine the distinct features of MMP-1 protein. Results: Assembling the different segments revealed that the complete mRNA sequence of MMP-1 is 1932 bp long. CDS is 1212 bp long and is responsible for the production of MMP-1 of 404 amino acid residues with a predicted molecular weight of 45.1 kDa. The middle part, 3\u2032 end, and 5\u2032 end sequences were 933, 503, and 496 bp. In addition, it was revealed that the MMP-1 genomic sequence includes three exons and two introns. Furthermore, the three-dimensional structure of L. sericata MMP-1 protein was evaluated, and its alignment defined that it has high similarity to chain A of human MMP-2 with 100% confidence, 72% coverage, and 38% identity according to the SWISS-MODEL modeling analysis. Conclusions:MMP-1 of L. sericata has a close relationshipwith its homologs in invertebrates and other insects. The present study significantly contributes to understanding the function, classification, and evolution of the characterized MMP-1 from L. sericata and provides basic required information for the development of an effective medical bioproduct

Therapeutic applications of collagenase (metalloproteases): A review

Non-invasive therapeutic methods have recently been used in medical sciences. Enzymes have shown high activity at very low concentrations in laboratories and pharmaceutical, enabling them to play crucial roles in different biological phenomena related to living organism, especially human medicine. Recently, using the therapeutic methods based on non-invasive approaches has been emphasized in medical society. Researchers have focused on producing medicines and tools reducing invasive procedures in medical. Collagenases are proteins which catalyze chemical processes and break the peptide bonds in collagen. Collagen may be generated more than the required amount or produced in unsuitable sites or may not degrade after a certain time. In such cases, using an injectable collagenase or its ointment can be helpful in collagen degradation. In both in vitro and in vivo tests, it has been revealed that collagenases have several therapeutic properties in wound healing, burns, nipple pain and some diseases including intervertebral disc herniation, keloid, cellulite, lipoma among others. This review describes the therapeutic application of collagenase in medical sciences and the process for its production using novel methods, paving the way for more effective and safe applications of collagenases

A brief review and a new automatic method for interpretation of polypropylene modified bitumen based on fuzzy radon transform and watershed segmentation

This paper reviews development exploitation semi and full automatic strategies for interpretation of Polypropylene Modifed Bitumen (PMB) in the last decade. The main purpose of this study is to provide a new automatic method for the interpretation of Polypropylene Modifed Bitumen (PMB) properties. An image-based system was developed for interpretation. Several statistical criteria were developed based on Fuzzy segmentation (FCM) and Radon transform for approximation of polypropylene features, which include the High Amplitude Radon Percentage, High Energy Radon Percentage, Standard Deviation, Momentum and a set of Morphological Features (number, position, area, value, etc.). Optical microscopy was used to take the images from membrane of PMB bitumen samples at an intensifcation measure of 100×. Theoretical analysis and experimental results are addressed in this paper.No sponso

Composition of Anopheles Species Collected from Selected Malarious Areas of Afghanistan and Iran

Background: Malarious areas in Iran are close to Afghanistan and Pakistan that urge the researchers to extend their knowledge on malaria epidemiology to the neighboring countries as well. Vectorial capacity differs at species or even at population level, the first essential step is accurate identification of vectors. This study aimed to identify Anopheles species composition in selected malarious areas of Afghanistan and Iran, providing further applied data for other research in two countries. Methods: Adults Anopheles spp. were collected from four provinces in Afghanistan (Badakhshan, Herat, Kunduz, Nangarhar) by pyrethrum spray catch, hand collection methods through WHO/EMRO coordination and from Chaba­har County in Iran by pyrethrum spray catch method. Identification was performed using reliable identification key. Results: Totally, 800 female Anopheles mosquitos, 400 from each country were identified at species level. Anophe­les composition in Afghanistan was An. superpictus, An. stephensi and An. hyrcanus. Most prevalent species in Ba­dakhshan and Kunduz were An. superpictus, whereas An. stephensi and An. hyrcanus were respectively found in Nangarhar and Heart. Anopheles species in Chabahar County of Iran were An. stephensi, An. fluviatilis, An. culicifa­cies and An. sergentii. The most prevalent species was An. stephensi. Conclusion: Current study provides a basis for future research such as detection of Plasmodium infection in col­lected samples which is on process by the authors, also for effective implementation of evidence-based malaria vec­tor intervention strategies