ABSTRACT
Focusing on the Malayalam film Ka Bodyscapes (2016), this article attempts to historically trace and critically engage with the representations of gay sexuality in Malayalam cinema from the South Indian state of Kerala. It interrogates how Ka Bodyscapes brought to the forefront hitherto unexplored visual dynamics of the gay male body and homoeroticism on screen while troubling the heterosexual dynamics of the Malayalam film industry. By situating this film within the history of representation of male homosexuality in Malayalam cinema and the changing regimes of queer politics and feminist interventions in Kerala in the last decade, the article argues how the film's radical visual representation of gay sexuality at the intersection of caste and religion problematizes the heterosexual family/state, thereby challenging the patriarchal masculinity that marginalizes women and sexual minorities in Kerala.
ABSTRACT
α-Synuclein (αSyn) aggregation is associated with Parkinson's disease (PD). The region αSyn36-42 acts as the nucleation 'master controller' and αSyn1-12 as a 'secondary nucleation site'. They drive monomeric αSyn to aggregation. Small molecules targeting these motifs are promising for disease-modifying therapy. Using computational techniques, we screened thirty phytochemicals for αSyn binding. The top three compounds were experimentally validated for their binding affinity. Amongst them, celastrol showed high binding affinity. NMR analysis confirmed stable αSyn-celastrol interactions involving several residues in the N-terminus and NAC regions but not in the C-terminal tail. Importantly, celastrol interacted extensively with the key motifs that drive αSyn aggregation. Thioflavin-T assay indicated that celastrol reduced αSyn aggregation. Thus, celastrol holds promise as a potent drug candidate for PD.Communicated by Ramaswamy H. Sarma.
