Significance of hydrophobic and charged sequence similarities in sodium-bile acid cotransporter and vitamin D-binding protein macrophage activating factor

Abstract

Sodium-bile acid cotransporter, also denominated sodium-taurocholate cotransporting polypeptide (NTCP) is an integral membrane protein with multiple hydrophobic transmembrane domains. The third extracellular domain of NTCP presents a stretch of nine aminoacids (KGIVISLVL) that is characterized by pronounced hydrophobicity and serves as receptor for a protein, preS1, showing the hydrophobic epta-peptide sequence NPLGFFP. Vitamin D-binding protein macrophage activating factor (DBP-MAF) is a multifunctional protein that is characterized by two hydrophobic regions able to bind fatty acids and vitamin D, respectively. Here we demonstrate that NTCP and DBP-MAF show significant sequence similarities as far as hydrophobic stretches of aminoacids are concerned. Alignment of the sequence of seven aminoacids preceding the 157-KGIVISLVL-165 stretch of NTCP shows four aminoacids that are identical to those of the corresponding sequence of DBP-MAF, and two that are conserved substitutions. In addition, in the sequence of DBP-MAF that is aligned with the sequence YKGIVISLVL of NTCP, there are two contiguous negatively charged aminoacids (ED) and, in the preceding epta-peptide sequence, there are three negatively charged aminoacids (D-ED), whereas in the corresponding sequence of NTCP there are only two (D--D) that are not contiguous. This concentration of negatively charged aminoacids may be involved in binding of protein inserts characterized by high density of positively charges residues. The alternating hydrophobic and electrostatic interactions described in this paper may help elucidating the biological roles of these proteins as far as protein-protein interactions are concerned.

Effects on the Immune System of a Three-Month Consumption of an Extremely Diverse Probiotic Yogurt: Decrease of Serum Alpha-N-Acetylgalactosaminidase Activity, Detoxification and Gut Microbiota Normalization

“…However, the response associated with consumption of the probiotic yogurt was robust with regard to nagalase activity reduction, as well as to detoxification and microbiota reconstitution. Despite the short observational time period, the results were substantial and confirm and expand previous observations (Blythe et al, 2017;Antonucci et al, 2019;Carter et al, 2020;Zunaid et al, 2020).…”

“…The experience of the subject suggests that the consumption of an extremely biodiverse probiotic yogurt is associated increased urinary excretion of toxicants, modulation of the immune system and rebalance of the gut microbiota with overall positive effects on health. The authors wish to emphasize that the data in this case report are from one individual and not part of a larger study even though they confirm and expand the results observed in other, unrelated, articles (Blythe et al, 2017;Carter et al, 2020;Antonucci et al, 2019;Zunaid et al, 2020).…”

“…We have previously observed and reported in two recent articles (Pacini and Ruggiero, 2019; that the consumption of an extremely biodiverse probiotic yogurt with a unique microbial composition is associated with detoxification of non-metal toxicants (Blythe et al, 2017), decrease of serum alpha-N-acetylgalactosaminidase (nagalase) activity (Blythe et al, 2017;Carter et al, 2020), decrease of serum C-Reactive Protein (CRP) (Carter et al, 2020), decrease of markers specific for multiple myeloma (Antonucci et al, 2019) and a dramatic decrease of viral load in Hepatitis B (Zunaid et al, 2020).…”

Effects on the immune system of a three-month consumption of an extremely diverse probiotic yogurt: decrease of serum alpha-N-acetylgalactosaminidase activity, detoxification and gut microbiota normalization

“…The experience of the subject suggests that the consumption of an extremely biodiverse probiotic yogurt described in references 1 and 2 is associated increased urinary excretion of toxicants, modulation of the immune system, and rebalance of the gut microbiota with overall positive effects on health. The authors wish to emphasize that the data in this case report are from one individual, and not part of a larger study even though they confirm and expand the results observed in other, unrelated, articles (3)(4)(5)(6).…”

“…We have previously observed and reported in two recent articles (1,2) that the consumption of an extremely biodiverse probiotic yogurt with a unique microbial composition is associated with detoxification of non-metal toxicants (3), decrease of serum alpha-Nacetylgalactosaminidase (nagalase) activity (3,4), decrease of serum C-reactive protein (CRP) (4), decrease of markers specific for multiple myeloma (5), and a dramatic decrease of viral load in Hepatitis B (6).…”