BACKGROUND Abnormal zinc homeostasis is involved in β-amyloid (Aβ) plaque formation and, therefore, the zinc load is a contributing factor in Alzheimer's disease (AD). However, the involvement of zinc in amyloid precursor protein (APP) processing and Aβ deposition has not been well established in AD animal models in vivo. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS In the present study, APP and presenilin...

Researches about renewable rechargeable battery have attracted the attention of many scholars, due to increasing demands energy and global crisis. Zinc-air batteries are one most promising sources, but morphological changes forming dendritic zinc anodes greatly limit their cycle life during charging-discharging process. In order improve zinc-air electrochemical performance control growth, surfa...

Well planned vegetarian diets can provide adequate amounts of zinc from plant sources. Vegetarians appear to adapt to lower zinc intakes by increased absorption and retention of zinc. Good sources of zinc for vegetarians include whole grains, tofu, tempeh, legumes, nuts and seeds, fortified breakfast cereals and dairy products. The inhibitory effects of phytate on absorption of zinc can be mini...

The traditional roast-leach-electrowin(RLE) zinc production route was developed for the processing of sulphide ores. It can prove inefficient for some complex sulphides and is not readily applicable to the treatment of other ore types. Inherent to this route is the generation of SO2 gas that has to be fixed for environmental reasons, usually resulting in the production of sulphuric acid. These ...

This study investigated the impact of processing on retention of iron and zinc in D. rotundata. Fresh tubers were processed into boiled yam and yam flour and analyzed for zinc, iron, and physicochemical properties. Percent true retention (%TR) was assessed using paired samples and a formula that compensated for loss or gain of moisture and soluble solids. The retention of iron ranged from 55.5%...

HIV-1 integrase catalyzes the insertion of the viral genome into chromosomal DNA. We characterized the structural determinants of the 3'-processing reaction specificity--the first reaction of the integration process--at the DNA-binding level. We found that the integrase N-terminal domain, containing a pseudo zinc-finger motif, plays a key role, at least indirectly, in the formation of specific ...

Zinc, the most abundant trace metal in the brain, has numerous functions, both in health and in disease. Zinc is released into the synaptic cleft of glutamatergic neurons alongside glutamate from where it interacts and modulates NMDA and AMPA receptors. In addition, zinc has multifactorial functions in Alzheimer's disease (AD). Zinc is critical in the enzymatic nonamyloidogenic processing of th...

A novel active site has been identified in a family of zinc-dependent metalloendopeptidases that includes bacterial proteinase III, the human and Drosophila insulin-degrading enzymes, and the processing-enhancing protein subunit of the mitochondrial processing proteinase. None of these enzymes contains the conserved active site described in most other metalloendopeptidases, HEXXH; instead, all ...