PubMed İndeksli Yayınlar Koleksiyonu / PubMed Indexed Publications Collection

Permanent URI for this collectionhttps://hdl.handle.net/11147/7645

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  • Article
    Alterations in Secondary Lipids Are Associated with Neuroinflammation in the Brain of Neu1-Deficient Mice
    (Springer, 2026) Ada, Ebru; Seyrantepe, Volkan
    Neu1 (lysosomal sialidase 1) is essential for removing sialic acid from oligosaccharides and glycoconjugates. Neu1 deficiency impairs lysosomal digestion, leading to sialidosis and sialoglycoprotein accumulation. It also increases lipids, including gangliosides GM3, GD3, GM4, and LM1, in the kidney, liver, and spleen. Neu1-/- mice display symptoms resembling Type II sialidosis, including enlarged spleen and liver, kidney issues, neurological problems, spinal defects, and oligosaccharide buildup. The study examined secondary lipid alterations and inflammation in the cortex and cerebellum of these mice. Lipidomic, molecular, and immunohistochemical analyses of tissues from 2 and 5 M Neu1-/- mice revealed reduced levels of lipids, including PC, PE, PS, and CL, along with increased pro-inflammatory cytokines and loss of oligodendrocytes and neurons. Signs of astrogliosis and microgliosis emerged in specific brain regions. These results indicate that reduced levels of glycerophospholipids could serve as an indicator of inflammation in sialidosis mice. Future research should investigate therapies targeting these lipid changes, as modulating glycerophospholipids might slow disease progression in sialidosis patients.
  • Article
    Gamma Secretase Inhibitors, DAPT and MK0752, Exhibit Synergistic Anticancer Effects with Cisplatin and Docetaxel in 2D and 3D Models of Breast Cancer
    (TÜBİTAK Scientific & Technological Research Council of Turkey, 2025) Telli, Kubra; Gubat, Johannes; D'Arcy, Padraig; Ozuysal, Ozden Yalcin
    Background/aim: Breast cancer remains a major malignancy among women, and severe side effects and the development of acquired drug resistance frequently hinder current therapeutic strategies. The Notch signaling pathway, a key regulator of cell fate, is commonly dysregulated in breast cancer and associated with poor prognosis. Gamma-secretase inhibitors (GSIs) block Notch receptor activation and have shown potential anticancer efficacy. This study aimed to investigate the synergistic activity of two commonly used GSIs, DAPT and MK0752, combined with docetaxel or cisplatin in both 2D and 3D breast cancer models. Materials and methods: Triple-negative, highly metastatic MDA-MB-231 and ER+/PR+ MCF-7 breast cancer cell lines were treated with DAPT or MK0752 alone or in combination with docetaxel or cisplatin. Drug efficacy and potential synergism were evaluated in 2D monolayer cultures and 3D spheroid models. Sequential treatment strategies were also assessed, where docetaxel or cisplatin was administered prior to GSI exposure. Results: Both MDA-MB-231 and MCF-7 cell lines exhibited notable sensitivity to DAPT and MK0752 combinations with docetaxel or cisplatin in 2D and 3D cultures. Synergistic enhancement of cytotoxicity was observed, particularly in sequential treatment regimens. Pretreatment with docetaxel or cisplatin followed by GSI exposure demonstrated superior growth inhibition compared with either monotherapy or simultaneous combination treatments. Conclusion: This study highlights the therapeutic potential of combining GSIs with standard chemotherapeutics to overcome drug resistance in breast cancer. The observed synergy and sequencing effects provide a strong basis for further mechanistic and translational investigations to optimize GSI-based combinational therapy strategies.
  • Article
    Mass Spectrometric Profiling Reveals Alterations in N-Glycans and O-Glycans in Tay-Sachs Disease Under Autophagy-Induced Conditions
    (Springer, 2025) Can, Melike; Basirli, Hande; Jin, Chunsheng; Karlsson, Niclas G.; Bojar, Daniel; Seyrantepe, Volkan
    Tay-Sachs disease is a rare neurodegenerative disorder caused by mutations in the HEXA gene. The HEXA gene encodes the alpha-subunit of the enzyme beta-hexosaminidase A, which degrades GM2 ganglioside. Previously, we identified impaired autophagy in the brains of a mouse model of Tay-Sachs disease, which exhibited neuropathological and clinical abnormalities. Moreover, we demonstrated autophagosome clearance in Tay-Sachs cells under lithium-induced conditions. Here, we further aimed to evaluate N- and O-glycan changes in these cells and examine whether glycan alterations are linked to ER stress. The profiles of N- and O-glycans were analyzed using LC-MS/MS in fibroblasts and neuroglial cells from 5-month-old Hexa-/-Neu3-/- mice and neuroglial cells from Tay-Sachs patients under lithium induction and nutrient deprivation. The expression levels of ER stress-related markers were assessed using qRT-PCR and Western blot analyses. We demonstrated higher levels of high mannose and lower levels of complex types of N-glycans, along with increased O-glycan levels in Tay-Sachs cells. Compared to control groups, we observed upregulated expression of endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress-related markers, CHOP and ATF-6, in Tay-Sachs cells. Our study demonstrated that autophagy induction causes the degradation of accumulated high-mannose N-glycans and O-glycans, which is associated with the downregulation of ER stress-related genes in Tay-Sachs cells. Our study is the first to show this phenomenon in Tay-Sachs cells and suggests the presence of ER stress-mediated autophagy. Therefore, targeting glycans through autophagy induction could offer therapeutic benefits to patients with Tay-Sachs disease in future studies.
  • Article
    Dimensionality Effects in Anisotropic Single Layers TiSe5 and TiTe5: a Comparative Study of 2D Sheets and 1D Nanochains
    (IOP Publishing Ltd, 2026) Can Dogan, Kadir; Kutay Tamdogan, Omer; Bozkurt, Yagmur; Cetin, Zebih; Yagmurcukardes, Mehmet
    In this study, we present a comprehensive first-principles investigation of the structural, vibrational, and electronic properties of titanium pentachalcogenide structures in both two-dimensional (2D) and one-dimensional (1D) nanochain (NC) forms. Total energy and geometry optimizations reveal that the 2D TiX5 (X = Se, Te) structures exhibit in-plane anisotropy arising from the trigonal prismatic TiX3 units interconnected via the chalcogenide chains. Phonon band dispersions and elastic tensor elements confirm the dynamical and mechanical stability of the 2D layers, respectively. Electronically, while TiTe5 is a metal, TiSe5 possesses direct band gap semiconducting behavior. In addition, free-standing 1D NC counterparts, which are sub-units of the 2D structures, are investigated by means of their stability. Three stable 1D NCs, namely TiTe5-NC, TiSe7-NC, and TiTe7-NC, are found to be composed of edge-sharing TiX6-like units with either five- or seven-fold coordination. The dynamically stable 1D NCs are shown to be semiconductors with relatively larger band gaps as compared to 2D layers. Predicted Raman spectra reveal clear signatures of vibrational mode evaluations as a result of quantum confinement from the 2D layer to the 1D NC. Moreover, finite-temperature ab-initio quantum molecular dynamics simulations at 300 K confirm the thermal stability of both the 2D TiX5 layers and 1D NC derivatives, showing that the Ti-based systems retain their structural integrity under ambient conditions and are feasible candidates for experimental synthesis. Our findings highlight the formation of stable semiconducting 1D NCs of Ti-pentachalcogenides from their 2D counterparts.
  • Article
    Semi-Synthetic Sapogenin Derivatives Inhibit Inflammation-Induced Tumorigenic Signaling Alterations in Prostate Carcinogenesis
    (Elsevier Science Inc, 2026) Debelec-Butuner, Bilge; Ozturk, Mert Burak; Tag, Ozgur; Akgun, Ismail Hakki; Bedir, Erdal
    Prostatic inflammation plays a pivotal role in prostate cancer development and progression via altering key cellular mechanisms, including proliferation, metastasis, and angiogenesis. Therefore, the use of antiinflammatory drugs could provide a valid contribution to PCa prevention and treatment. In our research, we explored semi-synthetic derivatives of cycloastragenol (CA) and astragenol (AG) to assess their potential to inhibit inflammation-mediated tumorigenic signaling. Building on our previous findings, which demonstrated their inhibitory activity on NFxB, we discovered that these molecules also suppress inflammation-induced cell proliferation and migration through distinct mechanisms. They effectively alleviated inflammation by reducing levels of ROS, NO, and VEGF expression. Furthermore, these molecules partially restored the expression of AR and the tumor suppressor NKX3.1, both of which are critical in prostate tumorigenesis within an inflammatory microenvironment. They also reversed inflammation-induced activation of Akt and (3-catenin signaling, suggesting their potential to inhibit inflammation-related prostate tumorigenesis. Our study further demonstrated that these molecules exhibited dose-dependent effects on inducing cell cycle arrest and apoptosis, as evidenced by increased p21 and decreased BCL-2 protein levels, leading to activated cell death and suppressed cellular migration. In conclusion, these semi-synthetic sapogenol derivatives demonstrate significant potential as antiinflammatory and anticancer agents, offering a promising approach for targeting prostatic inflammation and inflammation-driven prostate carcinogenesis.
  • Article
    A Machine Learning Model for Predicting Oligoclonal Band Positivity Using Routine Cerebrospinal Fluid and Serum Biochemical Markers
    (Oxford University Press Inc, 2025) Gözgöz, Hazar; Orhan, Oğuzhan; Akan Konuk, Başak; Akan, Pınar
    OBJECTIVE: To develop and validate a machine learning model for predicting oligoclonal band (OCB) positivity using routine cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and serum biochemical markers to improve the diagnostic accuracy and efficiency of assessing intrathecal immunoglobulin G (IgG) synthesis. METHODS: In this retrospective study (n = 1709), an ensemble model was developed using 8 refined CSF and serum parameters. Combining optimized CatBoost, XGBoost, and LightGBM classifiers, the model was trained and evaluated using a 2-phase workflow, including 5-fold cross-validation and validation on independent internal (n = 342) and external (n = 49) cohorts. RESULTS: The developed ensemble model achieved a receiver operating characteristic-area under the curve (ROC-AUC) of 0.902 on the internal test set, significantly outperforming the conventional IgG index (ROC-AUC, 0.795). At its optimal threshold, the model demonstrated an accuracy of 0.830, with a sensitivity of 0.714 and a specificity of 0.916. On the external validation cohort, it achieved 90% accuracy and 96% sensitivity. CONCLUSIONS: A novel machine learning ensemble model accurately predicts OCB positivity using routine laboratory data and demonstrates superior performance compared with the IgG index. This approach represents a significant step in applying artificial intelligence in laboratory medicine, with the potential to enhance diagnostic efficiency. Prospective, multicenter validation is essential for broader clinical implementation. © The Author(s) 2025.
  • Article
    Citation - WoS: 1
    Citation - Scopus: 1
    Biophysical Assessment of Protein Stability in Ethanol-Stressed Environments via UV Absorption and Fluorescence Spectroscopies
    (Elsevier, 2026) Akyuz, Ersed; Vorob'ev, Mikhail M.; Guler, Gunnur
    Maintaining the structure and functionality of proteins is crucial in applications ranging from food preservation to pharmaceutical formulation. Ethanol, while commonly used as a solvent and preservative, can induce structural changes in proteins depending on its concentration and the specific structure of the protein itself. This study investigates the structural effects of ethanol on three types of model proteins, namely bovine serum albumin (BSA), beta-Lactoglobulin (beta-Lg), and beta-Casein (beta-Cn), by using UV-Vis spectroscopy and fluorescence spectroscopy. The conformational responses of proteins in water-EtOH solutions of various ethanol concentrations (0-10 %, v/v) were analyzed through absorbance and emission spectral changes. At increasing ethanol concentration, UV absorption data showed distinct protein-dependent spectral changes. beta-Lg and beta-Cn exhibited strong hypochromism (an absorbance decrease of similar to 25 %) and red-shifting at 222 nm and 220 nm, respectively, indicating partial unfolding and solvent exposure of aromatic residues. BSA demonstrated subtle changes, and consistent quenching in fluorescence with a continuous blue-shifting to 330 nm, suggesting a moderate overall stability and local rearrangements in its structure. beta-Cn exhibited red-shifted fluorescence and quenching, reflecting its flexible, disordered structure and heterogeneous response to solvent conditions. Statistical analysis revealed that while fluorescence spectroscopy was highly sensitive to the intrinsic differences between proteins (p < 0.001), the ethanol-induced conformational changes were too subtle to be detected as a statistically significant treatment effect. The consistency of these trends indicates a rational underlying mechanism of interaction. This reflects the subtle nature of the effect at the tested concentrations rather than the absence of an effect. Moreover, these results unveil the protein-specific effects of ethanol and strongly emphasize the importance of solvent composition in maintaining protein integrity. Ethanol concentrations up to 5 % may offer protein stability whereas high ethanol levels (>= 5-10 %) promote structural perturbations. These results will be useful for both basic scientific research, such as biophysical studies and the advancement of optical techniques, and various industrial uses.
  • Article
    One-Pot, Light-Induced, Liquid Crystal-Templated Synthesis of Nanoporous Silver Films at Room Temperature
    (TÜBİTAK, 2025) Mert-Balci, F.
    Nanoporous silver (NPS) films, characterized by a 3-dimensional bicontinuous structure of interconnected nanopores and ligaments, have found widespread use in spectroscopy, plasmonics, solar cells, catalysis, and chemical sensing. Traditionally, NPS films are fabricated via chemical dealloying, where a less noble metal (e.g., Cu or Al) is selectively removed through harsh chemical etching. However, residual traces of these metals can adversely affect the performance of NPS thin films in applications such as plasmonics and catalysis. This paper reports a one-pot, liquid crystal-templated method for synthesizing ultrapure NPS thin films at room temperature for the first time. The process begins with the preparation of an LLC composed of a nonionic surfactant and AgNO<inf>3</inf> that is then coated onto solid substrates. Exposure of the LLC film to ultraviolet light facilitates the in situ synthesis of Ag nanoparticles within the liquid crystal film. Subsequent solvent washing removes the surfactant molecules and any unreacted metal ions, yielding NPS films comprised of densely packed Ag nanoparticles on glass substrates. The resulting NPS films feature a 3-dimensional structure with uniformly distributed, interconnected nanopores. Synthesized under ambient conditions and scalable over large areas, these ultrapure NPS films present a highly promising platform for advanced applications in catalysis, spectroscopy, plasmonics, and biosensing. © TÜBİTAK.
  • Article
    Subtype-Specific Divergent Roles of Calpain-1 and Calpain-2 in Basal a Triple-Negative Breast Cancer
    (BMC, 2025) Uner, Goklem; Oztarhan, Gokhan; Kirmizibayrak, Petek Ballar
    BackgroundCAPN-1 and CAPN-2, two ubiquitously expressed calpains, have been implicated in cancer progression, but their distinct roles in breast cancer remain poorly defined. This study aims to define the opposing roles of CAPN-1 and CAPN-2 in breast cancer progression, with a focus on their regulatory impact on cell proliferation. Since these calpains may have different functions in the mammary gland, we aimed to investigate the possible antagonistic roles of CAPN-1 and CAPN-2 in breast cancer progression, focusing on their expression patterns and functional impact on cell proliferation.Methods and resultsWe analyzed breast cancer cell lines using immunoblotting and real-time cellular assays, showing that HCC1937 cells exhibit an opposite expression pattern of CAPN-1 and CAPN-2 compared to non-cancerous breast cells. CAPN-1 promoted cancer cell survival and negatively regulated CAPN-2 at both the protein and mRNA levels, whereas CAPN-2 suppressed proliferation. Additionally, the calpain activator AG-08 triggered cell death through CAPN-2 but not CAPN-1. In silico analysis confirmed higher CAPN-1 and lower CAPN-2 expression levels in breast cancer samples compared to normal tissue.ConclusionsThese findings indicate that CAPN-1 and CAPN-2 may exert antagonistic roles in breast cancer, but importantly, this effect was restricted to HCC1937 cells, representing a basal A TNBC subtype. Validation in additional basal A models and patient-derived samples will be essential to confirm these results. Our study, therefore, provides preliminary, model-specific insights into calpain regulation in TNBC and suggests that future therapeutic strategies should carefully account for subtype heterogeneity.
  • Article
    Enhancement of Corchorus Olitorius L. on Osteogenic Differentiation of MC3T3-E1 Pre-Osteoblast Cells by Increasing Alkaline Phosphatase and Hydroxyproline
    (Taylor & Francis Ltd, 2025) Ertugruloglu, Pinar; Baris, Elif; Okkali, Gaye Sumer; Boke Sarikahya, Nazli
    Corchorus olitorius L. (jute mallow or molehiya) belongs to the Malvaceae family valued for its nutritional and medicinal properties. In this study, the potential to enhance osteogenesis in MC3T3-E1(Murine Calvaria-derived 3T3 Subclone E1) pre-osteoblastic cells was investigated to support bone formation and mineralisation. Leaf ethanolic extract was prepared and applied to MC3T3-E1 cells. Osteogenic effects were evaluated through three methods: MTT assays for cell viability, Alizarin Red S staining for calcium deposition, enzymatic analyses for alkaline phosphatase (ALP) and hydroxyproline (HYP). A non-cytotoxic concentration of C. olitorius extract (0.5 mg/mL) significantly increased ALP and HYP levels, promoting osteogenic differentiation in both undifferentiated and differentiated cells. HYP levels were notably elevated in differentiated cells. The findings suggested that C. olitorius extract may be a promising natural agent for enhancing bone health, warranting further in vivo and clinical studies to confirm its therapeutic potential.