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Role of Water in Biological Systems 2.0
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Role of Water in Biological Systems 2.0

A special issue of International Journal of Molecular Sciences (ISSN 1422-0067). This special issue belongs to the section "Molecular Biophysics".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 September 2023) | Viewed by 41650

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Boris Zaslavsky

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Cleveland Diagnostics, Cleveland, OH 44114, USA
Interests: water in biology; aqueous two-phase systems; early cancer detection; membrane-less organelles
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Prof. Dr. Vladimir N. Uversky

grade E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Molecular Medicine and USF Health Byrd Alzheimer's Institute, Morsani College of Medicine, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL 33612, USA
Interests: protein physics; protein folding; protein misfolding; intrinsically disordered proteins; protein function; protein interactions
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Being the only natural liquid that exists on the surface of our planet in enormous quantities, water is the basis of life on Earth. In fact, water was the unique environment in which life originated. The processes that take place in the cells of all the organisms take place in an aqueous environment. Water is an active component of various biological processes ranging from enzymatic catalysis to protein folding, to the assembly of biological complexes, and to liquid–liquid phase transitions serving as a foundation of the biogenesis of various membrane-less organelles. To stress the inseparable link of biological processes with water, we have decided to launch a Special Issue titled “Role of Water in Biological Systems”.

In this Special Issue, we welcome the submission of papers focusing on both experimental and computational approaches to underscore the unique position of water in a variety of biological systems. Fields of interest include but are not limited to the roles of water in protein folding, enzymatic catalysis, the assembly and functionality of biological complexes, liquid–liquid phase transitions in aqueous media, the partition of various solutes in formed phases, the biogenesis of membrane-less organelles, as well as the structure of bulk water, the structure of hydration shell water, and the solvent properties of water.

Dr. Boris Y. Zaslavsky
Prof. Dr. Vladimir N. Uversky
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. International Journal of Molecular Sciences is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. There is an Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal. For details about the APC please see here. 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

  • water structure
  • solvent properties of water
  • membrane-less organelles
  • liquid–liquid phase transition
  • phase separation
  • aqueous two-phase systems

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Published Papers (3 papers)

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Review

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21 pages, 1378 KiB  
Review
Electrolyzed–Reduced Water: Review I. Molecular Hydrogen Is the Exclusive Agent Responsible for the Therapeutic Effects
by Tyler W. LeBaron, Randy Sharpe and Kinji Ohno
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2022, 23(23), 14750; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms232314750 - 25 Nov 2022
Cited by 13 | Viewed by 22618
Abstract
Numerous benefits have been attributed to alkaline-electrolyzed–reduced water (ERW). Sometimes these claims are associated with easily debunked concepts. The observed benefits have been conjectured to be due to the intrinsic properties of ERW (e.g., negative oxidation–reduction potential (ORP), alkaline pH, H2 gas), [...] Read more.
Numerous benefits have been attributed to alkaline-electrolyzed–reduced water (ERW). Sometimes these claims are associated with easily debunked concepts. The observed benefits have been conjectured to be due to the intrinsic properties of ERW (e.g., negative oxidation–reduction potential (ORP), alkaline pH, H2 gas), as well enigmatic characteristics (e.g., altered water structure, microclusters, free electrons, active hydrogen, mineral hydrides). The associated pseudoscientific marketing has contributed to the reluctance of mainstream science to accept ERW as having biological effects. Finally, through many in vitro and in vivo studies, each one of these propositions was examined and refuted one-by-one until it was conclusively demonstrated that H2 was the exclusive agent responsible for both the negative ORP and the observed therapeutic effects of ERW. This article briefly apprised the history of ERW and comprehensively reviewed the sequential research demonstrating the importance of H2. We illustrated that the effects of ERW could be readily explained by the known biological effects of H2 and by utilizing conventional chemistry without requiring any metaphysical conjecture (e.g., microclustering, free electrons, etc.) or reliance on implausible notions (e.g., alkaline water neutralizes acidic waste). The H2 concentration of ERW should be measured to ensure it is comparable to those used in clinical studies. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Role of Water in Biological Systems 2.0)
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14 pages, 611 KiB  
Review
Electrolyzed–Reduced Water: Review II: Safety Concerns and Effectiveness as a Source of Hydrogen Water
by Tyler W. LeBaron, Randy Sharpe and Kinji Ohno
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2022, 23(23), 14508; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms232314508 - 22 Nov 2022
Cited by 7 | Viewed by 17492
Abstract
Many studies demonstrate the safety of alkaline-electrolyzed–reduced water (ERW); however, several animal studies have reported significant tissue damage and hyperkalemia after drinking ERW. The mechanism responsible for these results remains unknown but may be due to electrode degradation associated with the production of [...] Read more.
Many studies demonstrate the safety of alkaline-electrolyzed–reduced water (ERW); however, several animal studies have reported significant tissue damage and hyperkalemia after drinking ERW. The mechanism responsible for these results remains unknown but may be due to electrode degradation associated with the production of higher pH, in which platinum nanoparticles and other metals that have harmful effects may leach into the water. Clinical studies have reported that, when ERW exceeds pH 9.8, some people develop dangerous hyperkalemia. Accordingly, regulations on ERW mandate that the pH of ERW should not exceed 9.8. It is recommended that those with impaired kidney function refrain from using ERW without medical supervision. Other potential safety concerns include impaired growth, reduced mineral, vitamin, and nutrient absorption, harmful bacterial overgrowth, and damage to the mucosal lining causing excessive thirst. Since the concentration of H2 in ERW may be well below therapeutic levels, users are encouraged to frequently measure the H2 concentration with accurate methods, avoiding ORP or ORP-based H2 meters. Importantly, although, there have been many people that have used high-pH ERW without any issues, additional safety research on ERW is warranted, and ERW users should follow recommendations to not ingest ERW above 9.8 pH. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Role of Water in Biological Systems 2.0)
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Other

Jump to: Review

25 pages, 5648 KiB  
Perspective
What Can Be Learned from the Partitioning Behavior of Proteins in Aqueous Two-Phase Systems?
by Vladimir N. Uversky, Pedro P. Madeira and Boris Y. Zaslavsky
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2024, 25(12), 6339; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms25126339 - 7 Jun 2024
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 704
Abstract
This review covers the analytical applications of protein partitioning in aqueous two-phase systems (ATPSs). We review the advancements in the analytical application of protein partitioning in ATPSs that have been achieved over the last two decades. Multiple examples of different applications, such as [...] Read more.
This review covers the analytical applications of protein partitioning in aqueous two-phase systems (ATPSs). We review the advancements in the analytical application of protein partitioning in ATPSs that have been achieved over the last two decades. Multiple examples of different applications, such as the quality control of recombinant proteins, analysis of protein misfolding, characterization of structural changes as small as a single-point mutation, conformational changes upon binding of different ligands, detection of protein–protein interactions, and analysis of structurally different isoforms of a protein are presented. The new approach to discovering new drugs for a known target (e.g., a receptor) is described when one or more previous drugs are already available with well-characterized biological efficacy profiles. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Role of Water in Biological Systems 2.0)
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