Scientific background The proteasome is a 2.5 MDa molecular machine which catalyzes protein degradation. It is the central enzyme of the ubiquitin pathway of protein degradation. This pathway is central to an incredible multitude of processes and is involved in a wide range of biological aspects, including degradation of improperly or unfolded proteins, activation of the immune system, regulati...

List of Abbreviations CIIAPTER ONE General Introduction Pollution of Saudi Arabian soil with crude oil Chemistry and biodegradability of petroleum hydrocarbon Environmental fate of petroleum Factors influencing petroleum hydrocarbon biodegradation Distribution of petroleum-utilizing microorganisms in the environment Biological degradation of petroleum hydrocarbon Bacterial degradation of oil Fu...

Chaperone-Mediated Autophagy is a selective form of autophagy. Recently, the degradation of a newly identified CMA substrate, the HIF1A transcription factor, was found to be regulated by the ubiquitin ligase STUB1. In this study we show, for the first time, that K63 ubiquitination is necessary for CMA degradation of HIF1A in vitro and in vivo. Additionally, STUB1 mediates K63 linked ubiquitinat...

The identification of the molecular structure of fibrinogen has given a better understanding of many clinical conditions associated with abnormalities of fibrinogen. Proteolysis of fibrinogen or fibrin by its natural lytic enzyme, plasmin, leads to the formation of degradation products which are of great importance in the laboratory diagnosis of many pathological conditions. The biochemical and...

The synthesis of a series of novel, water-soluble poly(organophosphazenes) prepared via living cationic polymerization is presented. The degradation profiles of the polyphosphazenes prepared are analyzed by GPC, 31P NMR spectroscopy, and UV-Vis spectroscopy in aqueous media and show tunable degradation rates ranging from days to months, adjusted by subtle changes to the chemical structure of th...

Research was conducted into biological degradation of PVAL modified samples, mixed with starch in an anaerobic environment. The test of biodegradability was performed in an aqueous environment under anaerobic conditions with digested activated sludge from municipal wastewater treatment plant. Evalution of biodegradation was based on methane and carbon dioxide produced in the gas phase and TOC d...