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Knowledge and Skills Statement

Science concepts--biological structures, functions, and processes. The student knows that biological structures at multiple levels of organization perform specific functions and processes that affect life.

any molecule that is produced by living organisms which perform specific functions in biological processes, including photosynthesis, cellular respiration, transport of molecules, replication, and synthesis of DNA and RNA

the reason for which an object or a process occurs in a system

hydrophobic biomolecule; main component of cell membranes; also used for long-term energy storage and thermoregulation

long-chain polymeric biomolecule; main information-carrying molecule of the cell; determines the inherited characteristics of every living thing

a natural phenomenon marked by gradual changes that lead toward a particular result; a continuing natural or biological activity or function

large, complex biomolecule formed by one or more twisted and folded strands of amino acids (polypeptides); functions as enzymes, antibodies, transport molecules, hormones, and structural components of living organisms

something arranged in a definite pattern of organization; the arrangement of particles or parts in a substance or body; the aggregate of elements of an entity in their relationships to each other

Research

Oliveira, Isadora, Victor Costa, Flávio Veras, Isabela Ferreira, Fernando Cunha ,Thiago Cunha, Wuelton Monteiro, Eliane Arantes, and Manuela Pucca. "A Promising Biomolecule Able to Degrade Neutrophil Extracellular Traps: CdcPDE, a Rattlesnake Phosphodiesterase." Toxins 15, no. 44 (January 2023). https://doi.org/10.3390/toxins15010044

Summary:  Neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs) are an important mechanism for defense against pathogens. Their overproduction can be harmful since excessive NET formation promotes inflammation and tissue damage in several diseases. Nucleases degrade NET via their DNA hydrolysis activity, including the CdcPDE, a nuclease isolated from Crotalus durissus collilineatus snake venom. Here, we demonstrate the efficiency of CdcPDE in degrading cell-free DNA from NETs. CdcPDE is a potential candidate to assist in therapies targeting inflammatory diseases.