(Press-News.org) Alexandria, VA – A symposium exploring the significance, interactions, and evolutionary mechanisms of salivary mucins was featured at the 52nd Annual Meeting & Exhibition of the AADOCR, held in conjunction with the 47th Annual Meeting of the CADR. The AADOCR/CADR Annual Meeting & Exhibition took place at the Oregon Convention Center in Portland on March 15-18, 2023.
Mucin proteins in saliva are responsible for the unique physicochemical properties of saliva that include lubrication, viscosity, and barrier function. A dense array of O-glycans attached to the mucin protein backbone provide mucins with their typical functions.
Recently, with the help of novel glycomics approaches , we have gained better insights into the significance of these O-glycans. The O-glycans also form an interface for interactions with the oral microbiota allowing commensal bacteria to attach to saliva-coated surfaces in the mouth. Conversely, mucins can also aggregate microbes and thus aid in the clearance of unwanted pathogens. Such host-microbe interactions likely acted as selective drivers of mucin and glycan evolution during host-microbe coevolution. A better understanding of the structural and functional properties of mucins will help in the generation of artificial mucin analogues that can be used in the composition of novel artificial saliva surrogates.
Sponsored by the IADR Salivary Research Group, the symposium featured the presentations, “Exploring the O-Glycome” by Lawrence A. Tabak of the National Institutes for Health, “A Mechanism of Gene Evolution Generating Mucin Function” by Omer Gokcumen of the University at Buffalo, “Interaction of Commensal Streptococci with Salivary Mucins” by Barbara Bensing of the University of California, San Francisco, and “Artificial Mucin Analogues” by Kamil Godula of the University of California, San Diego.
The symposium, “Salivary Mucins,” took place on Saturday, March 18th, 2023, at 8 a.m. – 9:30 a.m. Pacific Daylight Time (UTC-07:00).
About AADOCR
The American Association for Dental, Oral, and Craniofacial Research (AADOCR) is a nonprofit organization with a mission to drive dental, oral, and craniofacial research to advance health and well-being. AADOCR represents the individual scientists, clinician-scientists, dental professionals, and students based in academic, government, non-profit and private-sector institutions who share our mission. AADOCR is the largest division of the International Association for Dental Research. Learn more at www.aadocr.org.
END
Towards a better understanding of the structural and functional properties of salivary mucins
2023-03-18
ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:
Can ChatGPT be counted on?
2023-03-18
A study in the Journal of The National Cancer Institute Cancer Spectrum looked at chatbots and artificial intelligence (AI), as they become popular resources for cancer information. They found these resources give accurate information when asked about common cancer myths and misconceptions. In the first study of its kind, Skyler Johnson, MD, physician-scientist at Huntsman Cancer Institute and assistant professor in the department of radiation oncology at the University of Utah (the U), evaluated the reliability and accuracy of ChatGPT’s ...
Step forward in gene therapy to treat cause of sudden cardiac arrest in athletes
2023-03-18
University of Utah Health scientists have corrected abnormal heart rhythms in mice by restoring healthy levels of a protein that heart cells need to establish connections with one another. That protein, GJA1-20k, is underproduced in people with a genetic condition called arrhythmogenic cardiomyopathy, one of the leading causes of sudden cardiac arrest in athletes under the age of 35.
The finding, reported in the journal Circulation Research, suggests a new strategy for treating the abnormal heart rhythms caused by arrhythmogenic cardiomyopathy.
The results may also have implications for treating dangerous arrhythmias associated with more common ...
Inmates with opioid addiction report peer navigators are crucial for successful community reentry
2023-03-18
Recently incarcerated people with opioid use disorder have trust in working with peer support specialists who recovered from addiction and faced similar life experiences, according to a Rutgers study.
The study, published in the journal Psychiatric Services, found that peer support specialists were most valued for providing emotional and community-based addiction recovery support as well as housing and employment information — crucial when going back into the community.
More than ...
Hansel and Gretel's breadcrumb trick inspires robotic exploration of caves on Mars and beyond
2023-03-18
House hunting on Mars could soon become a thing, and researchers at the University of Arizona are already in the business of scouting real estate that future astronauts could use as habitats. Researchers in the UArizona College of Engineering have developed technology that would allow a flock of robots to explore subsurface environments on other worlds.
"Lava tubes and caves would make perfect habitats for astronauts because you don't have to build a structure; you are shielded from harmful cosmic radiation, so all you need to do is ...
3D radar scan provides clues about threats to iconic Alaskan glacier
2023-03-18
A detailed "body scan" of Malaspina Glacier, one of Alaska's most iconic glaciers, revealed that its bulk lies below sea level and is undercut by channels that may allow ocean water to gain access, should its coastal barrier erode. This makes the glacier more vulnerable to seawater intrusion than previously thought and may cause it to retreat faster than predicted.
The findings, published by University of Arizona researchers in the Journal of Geophysical Research, underscore ...
Changes in mangrove blue carbon under elevated atmospheric CO2
2023-03-18
As one of the major blue carbon ecosystems, mangroves provide critical ecosystem services in mitigating global climate change. However, the future complex and variable climate conditions may lead to the uncertainty in trajectories of blue carbon capacity. Elevated atmospheric CO2 concentrations (eCO2) is projected to become a prominent driver to mangrove blue carbon in the future.
A group of scientists working on blue carbon reviewed studies on “changes in mangrove blue carbon under elevated atmospheric CO2” to identify the pathways for how eCO2 might influence mangrove ecosystem carbon cycling. The research is published as a review article in Ecosystem health and sustainability, ...
Study examines the link between mental health and oral health
2023-03-18
Alexandria, VA – A study examining the mental health-oral health association cross-sectionally and longitudinally was presented at the 52nd Annual Meeting & Exhibition of the AADOCR, held in conjunction with the 47th Annual Meeting of the CADR. The AADOCR/CADR Annual Meeting & Exhibition took place at the Oregon Convention Center in Portland on March 15-18, 2023.
The study, led by Alex Kalaigian of the University of California, San Francisco School of Dentistry, acquired self-reported data from the Population ...
New catalyst helps turn plastic waste into useful organosilane compounds
2023-03-18
Tokyo, Japan – Researchers from Tokyo Metropolitan University have found that gold nanoparticles supported on a zirconium oxide surface help turn waste materials like biomass and polyester into organosilane compounds, valuable chemicals used in a wide range of applications. The new protocol leverages the cooperation between gold nanoparticles and the amphoteric (both acid and base) nature of the zirconium oxide support. The result is a reaction that requires less demanding conditions, a greener method for upcycling waste.
Recycling is a big part of humanity’s solution to the global issue of plastic waste. Much ...
DOE funds next-generation Center for Bioenergy Innovation to advance renewable jet fuel
2023-03-17
The Center for Bioenergy Innovation has been renewed by the Department of Energy as one of four bioenergy research centers across the nation to advance robust, economical production of plant-based fuels and chemicals. CBI, led by Oak Ridge National Laboratory, is focused on the development of nonfood biomass crops and specialty processes for the production of sustainable jet fuel to help decarbonize the aviation sector.
The DOE announcement provides $590 million to the centers over the next five years. Initial funding for the four ...
DOE renews CABBI for five more years
2023-03-17
The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has committed another round of funding to the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign to lead the second phase of its Bioenergy Research Center — one of four large-scale DOE-funded research centers focused on innovation in biofuels, bioproducts, and a clean energy future for the country.
Earlier today the DOE announced a five-year extension of funding for the Center for Advanced Bioenergy and Bioproducts Innovation (CABBI), to a total of $237.9 million for the period from 2017 to 2027. CABBI ...