Comparison of Structural and Functional Characterizations of Arabinoxylans from Different Wheat Processing Varieties

Plant Foods for Human Nutrition - Water-extracted arabinoxylans (WEAXs) of different varieties and structures have important effects on wheat end products. However, the functional performances of...     

An In-Silico Comparative Study of Lipases from the Antarctic Psychrophilic Ciliate Euplotes focardii and the Mesophilic Congeneric Species Euplotes crassus: Insight into Molecular Cold-Adaptation

Cold-adapted enzymes produced by psychrophilic organisms have elevated catalytic activities at low temperatures compared to their mesophilic counterparts. This is largely due to amino acids changes in the protein sequence that often confer increased molecular flexibility in the cold. Comparison of structural changes between psychrophilic and mesophilic enzymes often reveal molecular cold adaptation. In the present study, we performed an in-silico comparative analysis of 104 hydrolytic enzymes belonging to the family of lipases from two evolutionary close marine ciliate species: The Antarctic psychrophilic Euplotes focardii and the mesophilic Euplotes crassus. By applying bioinformatics approaches, we compared amino acid composition and predicted secondary and tertiary structures of these lipases to extract relevant information relative to cold adaptation. Our results not only confirm the importance of several previous recognized amino acid substitutions for cold adaptation, as the preference for small amino acid, but also identify some new factors correlated with the secondary structure possibly responsible for enhanced enzyme activity at low temperatures. This study emphasizes the subtle sequence and structural modifications that may help to transform mesophilic into psychrophilic enzymes for industrial applications by protein engineering.     

分子印迹技术在茶叶功能成份分离与分析中的应用

分子印迹技术是一项新兴的分子识别技术,特异的识别性能使其在许多领域得到广泛的研究与应用。本文概述了分子印迹原理和特点,重点介绍了分子印迹聚合物在分离、分析领域的研究现状,同时对该技术在茶叶研究中的应用进展和今后的发展方向作了阐述。     

Isolation and Analysis of the Cppsy Gene and Promoter from Chlorella protothecoides CS-41

Phytoene synthase (PSY) catalyzes the condensation of two molecules of geranylgeranyl pyrophosphate to form phytoene, the first colorless carotene in the carotenoid biosynthesis pathway. So it is regarded as the crucial enzyme for carotenoid production, and has unsurprisingly been involved in genetic engineering studies of carotenoid production. In this study, the psy gene from Chlorella protothecoides CS-41, designated Cppsy, was cloned using rapid amplification of cDNA ends. The full-length DNA was 2488 bp, and the corresponding cDNA was 1143 bp, which encoded 380 amino acids. Computational analysis suggested that this protein belongs to the Isoprenoid_Biosyn_C1 superfamily. It contained the consensus sequence, including three predicted substrate-Mg²⁺ binding sites. The Cppsy gene promoter was also cloned and characterized. Analysis revealed several candidate motifs for the promoter, which exhibited light- and methyl jasmonate (MeJA)-responsive characteristics, as well as some typical domains universally discovered in promoter sequences, such as the TATA-box and CAAT-box. Light- and MeJA treatment showed that the Cppsy expression level was significantly enhanced by light and MeJA. These results provide a basis for genetically modifying the carotenoid biosynthesis pathway in C. protothecoides.     

Structure-Based Pharmacophore Modeling,Virtual Screening,Molecular Docking,ADMET, and Molecular Dynamics (MD) Simulation of Potential Inhibitors of PD-L1 from the Library of Marine Natural Products

Background: In the past decade, several antibodies directed against the PD-1/PD-L1 interaction have been approved. However, therapeutic antibodies also exhibit some shortcomings. Using small molecules to regulate the PD-1/PD-L1 pathway may be another way to mobilize the immune system to fight cancer. Method: 52,765 marine natural products were screened against PD-L1(PDBID: 6R3K). To identify natural compounds, a structure-based pharmacophore model was generated, following by virtual screening and molecular docking. Then, the absorption, distribution, metabolism, and excretion (ADME) test was carried out to select the most suitable compounds. Finally, molecular dynamics simulation was also performed to validate the binding property of the top compound. Results: Initially, 12 small marine molecules were screened based on the pharmacophore model. Then, two compounds were selected for further evaluation based on the molecular docking scores. After ADME and toxicity studies, molecule 51320 was selected for further verification. By molecular dynamics analysis, molecule 51320 maintains a stable conformation with the target protein, so it has the chance to become an inhibitor of PD-L1. Conclusions: Through structure-based pharmacophore modeling, virtual screening, molecular docking, ADMET approaches, and molecular dynamics (MD) simulation, the marine natural compound 51320 can be used as a small molecule inhibitor of PD-L1.     

Antioxidative Effect of Chlorella Pyrenoidosa Protein Hydrolysates and Their Application in Krill Oil-in-Water Emulsions

Chlorella pyrenoidosa is an excellent source of protein, and in this research, we assessed the antioxidant and emulsifying effects of Chlorella protein hydrolysate (CPH) using neutral proteases and alkaline proteases, as well as the properties of CPH-derived krill oil-in-water (O/W) emulsions. The CPHs exhibited the ability to scavenge several kinds of free radicals, including 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH), O₂⁻, hydroxyl, and ABTS. Additionally, the CPHs (5 mg/mL) scavenged approximately 100% of the DPPH and ABTS. The CPHs showed similar emulsifying activities to Tween 20 and excellent foaming activities (max FS 74%), which helped to stabilize the krill oil-in-water emulsion. Less than 10 mg/mL CPHs was able to form fresh krill oil-in-water emulsions; moreover, the CPHs (5 mg/mL) in a krill O/W emulsion were homogenous, opaque, and stable for at least 30 days. Based on their inhibitory effects on the peroxide value (POV) and thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TRABS), the CPHs were found to be able to inhibit lipid oxidation in both emulsifying systems and krill O/W emulsions. Thus, the CPHs could improve superoxide dismutase (SOD) activities by 5- or 10-fold and decrease the high reactive oxygen species (ROS) level caused by the addition of H₂O₂ in vitro. In conclusion, health-promoting CPHs could be applied in krill oil-in-water emulsions as both emulsifiers and antioxidants, which could help to improve the oxidative and physical stability of emulsions.     

Functional Genomics of the Aeromonas salmonicida Lipopolysaccharide O-Antigen and A-Layer from Typical and Atypical Strains

The A. salmonicida A450 LPS O-antigen, encoded by the wb_salmo gene cluster, is exported through an ABC-2 transporter-dependent pathway. It represents the first example of an O-antigen LPS polysaccharide with three different monosaccharides in their repeating unit assembled by this pathway. Until now, only repeating units with one or two different monosaccharides have been described. Functional genomic analysis of this wb_salmo region is mostly in agreement with the LPS O-antigen structure of acetylated l-rhamnose (Rha), d-glucose (Glc), and 2-amino-2-deoxy-d-mannose (ManN). Between genes of the wb_salmo we found the genes responsible for the biosynthesis and assembly of the S-layer (named A-layer in these strains). Through comparative genomic analysis and in-frame deletions of some of the genes, we concluded that all the A. salmonicida typical and atypical strains, other than A. salmonicida subsp. pectinolytica strains, shared the same wb_salmo and presence of A-layer. A. salmonicida subsp. pectinolytica strains lack wb_salmo and A-layer, two major virulence factors, and this could be the reason they are the only ones not found as fish pathogens.     

激素IAA和ABA对小球藻（Chlorella sp.）生长和油脂积累的影响

从北部湾地区淡水水域分离得到一株高含油量小球藻藻株,将其培养在高碳培养基TAP上,研究不同浓度IAA和ABA对其生物量和油脂积累的影响。结果表明：添加10μmol/L IAA对藻株的生长有明显的促进作用,其最大生物量比对照组增加了58.24%,但其油脂含量却比对照组降低了34.71%;而当增加IAA浓度为20μmol/L时,对藻株的生长表现出明显的抑制作用,其最大生物量比对照组减少了53.60%,但其油脂含量与对照组相比显著增加,增加了95.46%。添加2μmol/L ABA对藻株生长的抑制作用极其明显,其生物量比对照组降低了57.52%,但其油脂含量与对照组相比显著提高,提高了121.49%。同时添加IAA（20μmol/L）和ABA（2μmol/L）的实验藻种的蛋白质和总糖的含量较对照组有所降低,此外也使叶绿素含量和光合效率降低。       

受稻瘟病菌诱导的水稻OsBTB基因的分子特征和功能初探

报道了1个从稻瘟病菌诱导的水稻近等基因系H7R/H7S中克隆的类GMPOZ基因--OsBTB,通过测序获其全长cDNA并分析了该基因的序列特征。根据水稻基因组序列数据库搜索,将OsBTB基因定位在水稻基因组第2染色体上。Northern和Western杂交结果表明,OsBTB基因在水稻近等基因系H7R/H7S中均受稻瘟病菌诱导表达,且在非亲和与亲和互作中表达差异明显。定量PCR结果表明该基因的表达模式与所选取的抗性及抗性相关基因的表达模式一致。综合结果提示该基因可能参与了稻瘟病菌诱导的抗性反应。     

Biosynthesis of Long-Chain Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids in Marine Gammarids: Molecular Cloning and Functional Characterisation of Three Fatty Acyl Elongases

Long-chain (C_20–24) polyunsaturated fatty acids (LC-PUFAs) are essential nutrients that are mostly produced in marine ecosystems. Previous studies suggested that gammarids have some capacity to endogenously produce LC-PUFAs. This study aimed to investigate the repertoire and functions of elongation of very long-chain fatty acid (Elovl) proteins in gammarids. Our results show that gammarids have, at least, three distinct elovl genes with putative roles in LC-PUFA biosynthesis. Phylogenetics allowed us to classify two elongases as Elovl4 and Elovl6, as they were bona fide orthologues of vertebrate Elovl4 and Elovl6. Moreover, a third elongase was named as “Elovl1/7-like” since it grouped closely to the Elovl1 and Elovl7 found in vertebrates. Molecular analysis of the deduced protein sequences indicated that the gammarid Elovl4 and Elovl1/7-like were indeed polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) elongases, whereas Elovl6 had molecular features typically found in non-PUFA elongases. This was partly confirmed in the functional assays performed on the marine gammarid Echinogammarus marinus Elovl, which showed that both Elovl4 and Elovl1/7-like elongated PUFA substrates ranging from C₁₈ to C₂₂. E. marinus Elovl6 was only able to elongate C₁₈ PUFA substrates, suggesting that this enzyme does not play major roles in the LC-PUFA biosynthesis of gammarids.     

利用RAPD对中国热带地区疫霉菌分类的初步研究

以来自中国热带地区的2个疫霉种(柑桔褐腐疫霉P.citrophthora和芋疫霉P.colocasiae)16个菌株的菌丝体的总DNA为模板,使用5种随机引物进行PCR扩增,获得随机扩增多态性DNA(RAP- D),分析与各菌株相对应的RAPD的相似性。结果表明,RAPD 不但能辨别这2个疫霉种间的差异,而且可以辨别种内的分类单元。初步肯定了RAPD可以用于中国热带地区疫霉菌的分类鉴定     

Chlorella zofingiensis as an Alternative Microalgal Producer of Astaxanthin: Biology and Industrial Potential

Astaxanthin (3,3′-dihydroxy-β,β-carotene-4,4′-dione), a high-value ketocarotenoid with a broad range of applications in food, feed, nutraceutical, and pharmaceutical industries, has been gaining great attention from science and the public in recent years. The green microalgae Haematococcus pluvialis and Chlorella zofingiensis represent the most promising producers of natural astaxanthin. Although H. pluvialis possesses the highest intracellular astaxanthin content and is now believed to be a good producer of astaxanthin, it has intrinsic shortcomings such as slow growth rate, low biomass yield, and a high light requirement. In contrast, C. zofingiensis grows fast phototrophically, heterotrophically and mixtrophically, is easy to be cultured and scaled up both indoors and outdoors, and can achieve ultrahigh cell densities. These robust biotechnological traits provide C. zofingiensis with high potential to be a better organism than H. pluvialis for mass astaxanthin production. This review aims to provide an overview of the biology and industrial potential of C. zofingiensis as an alternative astaxanthin producer. The path forward for further expansion of the astaxanthin production from C. zofingiensis with respect to both challenges and opportunities is also discussed.     

Potential Anti-Obesity,Anti-Steatosis,and Anti-Inflammatory Properties of Extracts from the Microalgae Chlorella vulgaris and Chlorococcum amblystomatis under Different Growth Conditions

Microalgae are known as a producer of proteins and lipids, but also of valuable compounds for human health benefits (e.g., polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs); minerals, vitamins, or other compounds). The overall objective of this research was to prospect novel products, such as nutraceuticals from microalgae, for application in human health, particularly for metabolic diseases. Chlorella vulgaris and Chlorococcum amblystomatis were grown autotrophically, and C. vulgaris was additionally grown heterotrophically. Microalgae biomass was extracted using organic solvents (dichloromethane, ethanol, ethanol with ultrasound-assisted extraction). Those extracts were evaluated for their bioactivities, toxicity, and metabolite profile. Some of the extracts reduced the neutral lipid content using the zebrafish larvae fat metabolism assay, reduced lipid accumulation in fatty-acid-overloaded HepG2 liver cells, or decreased the LPS-induced inflammation reaction in RAW264.7 macrophages. Toxicity was not observed in the MTT assay in vitro or by the appearance of lethality or malformations in zebrafish larvae in vivo. Differences in metabolite profiles of microalgae extracts obtained by UPLC-LC-MS/MS and GNPS analyses revealed unique compounds in the active extracts, whose majority did not have a match in mass spectrometry databases and could be potentially novel compounds. In conclusion, microalgae extracts demonstrated anti-obesity, anti-steatosis, and anti-inflammatory activities and could be valuable resources for developing future nutraceuticals. In particular, the ultrasound-assisted ethanolic extract of the heterotrophic C. vulgaris significantly enhanced the anti-obesity activity and demonstrated that the alteration of culture conditions is a valuable approach to increase the production of high-value compounds.     

利用分子育种技术改良水稻稻瘟病抗性

为选育具有稻瘟病持久抗性的水稻新品系提供可利用资源,1993 年以小粒野生稻为外源DNA供体,采用花粉管通道法,将其稻瘟病抗性导入栽培稻24D中。经过4 年连续6 代的选择,成功地将小粒野生稻稻瘟病抗性转移到栽培稻中,获得了9 份苗叶瘟和穗颈瘟均得到改良的抗性材料。因此,利用分子育种技术改良水稻抗病性是可行的。     

分子筛负载杂多酸催化大豆油制备生物柴油

采用等体积浸渍法制备了负载型催化剂PW/MCM-41,并以此催化大豆油与甲醇酯交换反应制备生物柴油.考察了磷钨酸负载量和催化剂焙烧温度对催化剂催化活性的影响,以及醇油物质的量比、催化剂用量、反应时间和反应温度对生物柴油产率的影响.结果表明:磷钨酸负载量为30%、焙烧温度为300℃时,催化剂活性最高.酯交换反应的最佳条件...     

Comparative Assessment of Nitrogen Concentration Effect on Microalgal Growth and Biochemical Characteristics of Two Chlorella Strains Cultivated in Digestate

Microalgae have been recently recognized as a promising alternative for the effective treatment of anaerobic digestion effluents. However, to date, a widely applied microalgae-based process is still absent, due to several constraints mainly attributed to high ammonia concentrations and turbidity, both hindering microalgal growth. Within this scope, the purpose of the present study was to investigate the performance of two Chlorella strains, SAG 211-11b and a local Algerian isolate, under different nitrogen levels, upon ammonia stripping. The experiments were performed on cylindrical photobioreactors under controlled pH (7.8 ± 0.2) and temperature (25 ± 2 °C). Cultures were monitored for biomass production and substrate consumption. After sampling at the beginning of the stationary phase of growth (12th day) and after the maturation of the cells (24th day), an analysis of the produced biomass was conducted, in terms of its biochemical components. The local isolate grew better than C. vulgaris 211-11b, resulting in 1.43 mg L⁻¹ biomass compared to 1.02 mg L⁻¹ under 25 mg NH₄-N L⁻¹, while organic carbon and nutrient consumption varied between the two strains and different conditions. Concerning biomass quality, a high initial NH₄-N concentration led to high protein content, while low nitrogen levels favored fatty acid (FA) accumulation, though the production of pigments was inhibited. In particular, the protein content of the final biomass was determined close to 45% of the dry weight in all experimental scenarios with adequate nitrogen, while proteins decreased, and the fatty acids approached 20% in the case of the local isolate grown on the substrate with the lowest initial ammonium nitrogen (25 mg NH₄-N L⁻¹). The novelty of the present work lies in the comparison of a microalga with industrial applications against a local isolate of the same species, which may prove to be even more robust and profitable.     

绿茶EGCG防癌作用的分子靶点

表没食子儿茶素没食子酸酯（EGCG）是绿茶中含量最高、活性最强的多酚类成分。近年来绿茶EGCG癌症预防作用的分子靶点一直备受关注。本文对已报道的EGCG癌症预防作用机制及其可能的作用靶点进行了综述,讨论了将EGCG开发为癌症化学预防剂应采取的策略,以期为设计预防癌症的新方案提供借鉴。     

二穗短柄草异戊烯基转移酶(IPT)编码基因的进化及功能分析

细胞分裂素(CTK)是一类重要的植物激素,主要作用是引起细胞分裂,诱导芽的形成和促进芽的生长。此外,CTK能够通过参与细胞分化来调控根分生组织大小,对根系生长有负调控作用。异戊烯基转移酶(IPT)是CTK合成过程中的一个关键的限速酶,在高等植物中均以多同源拷贝形式存在。为了探寻二穗短柄草IPT基因的进化起源,并阐明同源基因间潜在的功能分化及其在根系生长过程中的生物学功能,首先,对拟南芥及二穗短柄草的IPT基因进行了序列比对和进化分析,其次,利用荧光定量的方法对二穗短柄草中各IPT基因在不同组织不同发育阶段的转录水平进行了定量分析,最后,通过构建IPT基因RNAi的表达载体,对二穗短柄草中多个IPT基因的转录进行了沉默干扰。结果表明,tRNA-IPT可能代表了IPT祖先基因的功能,而且是ATP/ADP-IPT基因的供体基因。二穗短柄草各IPT基因具有一定的组织表达特异性,大部分ATP/ADP-IPTs处于转录不活跃状态,而tRNA-IPTs在根部和叶部的表达量都很高。因此,IPT基因在单子叶模式植物二穗短柄草中可能采用了不同于拟南芥的方式发挥功能,其主要的发挥功能形式是tRNA类型。二穗短柄草转IPT-RNAi植株表现出根系增强的表型,说明在根系早期发育阶段,二穗短柄草ATP/ADP型IPT基因起到了一定的调节作用。由于IPT基因在早熟禾亚科物种中较为保守,本研究可为增强麦类作物根系发育与提高抗旱性提供必要理论基础。     

Functional and Structural Characterization of FAU Gene/Protein from Marine Sponge Suberites domuncula

Finkel-Biskis-Reilly murine sarcoma virus (FBR-MuSV) ubiquitously expressed (FAU) gene is down-regulated in human prostate, breast and ovarian cancers. Moreover, its dysregulation is associated with poor prognosis in breast cancer. Sponges (Porifera) are animals without tissues which branched off first from the common ancestor of all metazoans. A large majority of genes implicated in human cancers have their homologues in the sponge genome. Our study suggests that FAU gene from the sponge Suberites domuncula reflects characteristics of the FAU gene from the metazoan ancestor, which have changed only slightly during the course of animal evolution. We found pro-apoptotic activity of sponge FAU protein. The same as its human homologue, sponge FAU increases apoptosis in human HEK293T cells. This indicates that the biological functions of FAU, usually associated with “higher” metazoans, particularly in cancer etiology, possess a biochemical background established early in metazoan evolution. The ancestor of all animals possibly possessed FAU protein with the structure and function similar to evolutionarily more recent versions of the protein, even before the appearance of true tissues and the origin of tumors and metastasis. It provides an opportunity to use pre-bilaterian animals as a simpler model for studying complex interactions in human cancerogenesis.