Recent Advance in Molecular and Cellular Biology

A special issue of Symmetry (ISSN 2073-8994). This special issue belongs to the section "Life Sciences".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 June 2022) | Viewed by 5050

Special Issue Editors

Department of Regenerative and Precision Medicine and Ionian Area-DiMePReJ, Hematology Section, Policlinico-University of Bari, P.zza G. Cesare, 11, 70124 Bari, Italy
Interests: hematologic neoplasms; cancer genetics; molecular diagnostics; target therapy; precision medicine
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Section of Hematology, Department of Emergency and Organ Transplantations, University of Bari “Aldo Moro”, Bari, Italy
Interests: Hematologic neoplasms; cancer genetics; chromosomal rearrangement; next-generation sequencing; third-generation sequencing; droplet digital pcr; precision medicine; personalized medicine
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Life is a balance between symmetry and its breaking. The biological kingdom is ruled by physicochemical symmetries that intertwine in increasing degrees of complexity. The preservation/loss of symmetries plays a pivotal role in the basic structural, functional, and biological unit of life: the cell. Symmetric or asymmetric cellular division induces similar or different fates for daughter cells, respectively, allowing the self-renewal or differentiation of the mother cell. Furthermore, symmetry carefully drives several molecular processes, such as DNA replication or chromosome set distribution, during mitosis phases.

Development and disease happen when some inherited symmetries are broken, and novel symmetries appear. More broadly speaking, the breaking of symmetry is the basis of evolution through various, growing stages of complexity at the molecular and cellular level, and it is a phenomenon that is commonly referred to as mutation. In the human species, mutation can be responsible for the onset of congenital or somatic diseases, such as neurodevelopmental disorders or cancer, even if it is not always understood with a negative meaning.

The scope of the present Special Issue is to debate the most recent findings on the basis of molecular and cellular biology, with particular interest in evolutionary or disease-related points of view. Contributions (research and review articles) addressing mechanisms implicated in the preservation/loss of cellular and molecular symmetries are welcome.

Dr. Nicoletta Coccaro
Dr. Cosimo Cumbo
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Symmetry is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • cellular symmetry
  • molecular symmetry
  • symmetry breaking
  • evolution
  • mutation
  • congenital disease
  • cancer

Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

19 pages, 16463 KiB  
Article
Molecular Collective Response and Dynamical Symmetry Properties in Biopotentials of Superior Plants: Experimental Observations and Quantum Field Theory Modeling
by Alessandro Chiolerio, Mohammad Mahdi Dehshibi, Giuseppe Vitiello and Andrew Adamatzky
Symmetry 2022, 14(9), 1792; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/sym14091792 - 29 Aug 2022
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1627
Abstract
Trees employ impulses of electrical activity to coordinate actions of their bodies and long-distance communication. There are indications that the vascular system might act as a network of pathways for traveling electrical impulses. A question arises about the correlation and interplay between the [...] Read more.
Trees employ impulses of electrical activity to coordinate actions of their bodies and long-distance communication. There are indications that the vascular system might act as a network of pathways for traveling electrical impulses. A question arises about the correlation and interplay between the molecular (microscopic) level and the macroscopic observable behavior of the system (the electrical impulses), for individual trees and as a component of the larger living ecosystem, the forest. Results from the “Cyberforest Experiment” in the Paneveggio forest (Valle di Fiemme, Trento, Italy) are presented. It is shown that: (i) biopotential features of xylem biomolecular activity can be correlated with the solar (and lunar) cycle, (ii) tree stubs show an electrical molecular activity that is correlated with that of neighboring trees, (iii) statistical features of spike-like peaks and entropy can be correlated with corresponding thermal entropy, and (iv) basic symmetries of the quantum field theory dynamics are responsible for the entanglement phenomenon in the molecular interactions resulting in the molecular collective behavior of the forest. Findings suggest implementing technology that goes in the direction of understanding the language of trees, eventually of fungi, which have created a universal living network perhaps using a common language. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Recent Advance in Molecular and Cellular Biology)
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8 pages, 937 KiB  
Communication
Damage-Induced Mutation Clustering in Gram-Positive Bacteria: Preliminary Data
by Raushan Nugmanova, Yerlan Ramankulov and Pavel Tarlykov
Symmetry 2022, 14(7), 1431; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/sym14071431 - 12 Jul 2022
Viewed by 1131
Abstract
The phenomenon of a nonrandom distribution of mutations in a genome has been observed for many years. In fact, recent findings have indicated the presence of mutation clusters in different biological systems, including chemically treated yeast, transgenic mice, and human cancer cells. Until [...] Read more.
The phenomenon of a nonrandom distribution of mutations in a genome has been observed for many years. In fact, recent findings have indicated the presence of mutation clusters in different biological systems, including chemically treated yeast, transgenic mice, and human cancer cells. Until now, an asymmetrical distribution of mutations was only described in a single bacterial species. Here, we used ethyl methanesulfonate mutagenesis and a whole-genome sequencing approach to determine if this phenomenon is universal and not confined to Gram-negative bacteria. The Gram-positive bacterium Bacillus subtilis was selected for ethyl methanesulfonate treatment, followed by the next-generation sequencing of several mutagenized B. subtilis genomes. A nonrandom distribution of mutations was observed. This pilot study with a limited number of sequenced clones may indicate not only the universality of the phenomenon of mutation clusters but also the effectiveness of the use of a whole-genome sequencing approach in studying this phenomenon. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Recent Advance in Molecular and Cellular Biology)
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11 pages, 10052 KiB  
Article
Symmetry of Post-Translational Modifications in a Human Enzyme
by Teresa Maria Carusone and Giuseppe Manco
Symmetry 2022, 14(2), 212; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/sym14020212 - 22 Jan 2022
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Abstract
Paraoxonase 2 (PON2) is a member of a small family of human lactonases. Recently, post-translational modifications (PTMs) of PON2 were highlighted, one of which involved the modulation of the enzyme activity. Furthermore, two important single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) involved in type 2 diabetes [...] Read more.
Paraoxonase 2 (PON2) is a member of a small family of human lactonases. Recently, post-translational modifications (PTMs) of PON2 were highlighted, one of which involved the modulation of the enzyme activity. Furthermore, two important single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) involved in type 2 diabetes and its consequences, were found to modulate the enzyme activity as well. The position on the PON2 structural model of both residues corresponding to SNPs and PTMs suggested a symmetry of the molecule. By sequence and structure superposition we were able to confirm this finding. The result will be discussed in light of the evolution of symmetry in biological molecules and their function. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Recent Advance in Molecular and Cellular Biology)
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