Immuno-Enhancing Effects of Galium aparine L. in Cyclophosphamide-Induced Immunosuppressed Animal Models.

This study investigates the immunomodulatory potential of Galium aparine L. (GAE) in immunodeficient animals. In this study, animals were categorized into five groups: the normal group, CYP group (cyclophosphamide intraperitoneal injection), GA5 group (cyclophosphamide + 5 µg GAE), GA50 group (cyclophosphamide + 50 µg GAE), and GA500 group (cyclophosphamide + 500 µg GAE). The CYP group exhibited significantly reduced spleen weights compared to the normal group, while the groups obtaining GAE displayed a dose-dependent increase in spleen weight. Furthermore, the GAE demonstrated dose-dependent enhancement of splenocyte proliferating activity, with significant increases observed in both LPS and ConA-induced assays. NK cell activity significantly increased in the GA50 and GA500 groups compared to the CYP group. Cytokine analysis revealed a significant increase in IL-6, TNF-α, and IFN-γ levels in ConA-induced splenocytes treated with GAE. Gene expression analysis identified 2434 DEG genes in the extract groups. Notable genes, such as Entpd1, Pgf, Thdb, Syt7, Sqor, and Rsc1al, displayed substantial differences in individual gene expression levels, suggesting their potential as target genes for immune enhancement. In conclusion, Galium aparine L. extract exhibits immunomodulatory properties. The observed gene expression changes further support the potential of Galium aparine L. extract as a natural agent for immune augmentation.

THAP9 Transposase Cleaves DNA via Conserved Acidic Residues in an RNaseH-Like Domain.

The catalytic domain of most 'cut and paste' DNA transposases have the canonical RNase-H fold, which is also shared by other polynucleotidyl transferases such as the retroviral integrases and the RAG1 subunit of V(D)J recombinase. The RNase-H fold is a mixture of beta sheets and alpha helices with three acidic residues (Asp, Asp, Glu/Asp-DDE/D) that are involved in the metal-mediated cleavage and subsequent integration of DNA. Human THAP9 (hTHAP9), homologous to the well-studied Drosophila P-element transposase (DmTNP), is an active DNA transposase that, although domesticated, still retains the catalytic activity to mobilize transposons. In this study we have modeled the structure of hTHAP9 using the recently available cryo-EM structure of DmTNP as a template to identify an RNase-H like fold along with important acidic residues in its catalytic domain. Site-directed mutagenesis of the predicted catalytic residues followed by screening for DNA excision and integration activity has led to the identification of candidate Ds and Es in the RNaseH fold that may be a part of the catalytic triad in hTHAP9. This study has helped widen our knowledge about the catalytic activity of a functionally uncharacterized transposon-derived gene in the human genome.

Impact of River Water and Bottom Sediment Pollution on Accumulation of Metal(loid)s and Arsenic Species in the Coastal Plants Stuckenia pectinata L., Galium aparine L., and Urtica dioica L.: A Chemometric and Environmental Study.

The role of water and bottom sediment pollution of a river subjected to a strong industrial anthropo-pressure in coastal plants was investigated. The work presented the influence of polluted environment on accumulation of metal(loid)s (including arsenic and its species) in Stuckenia pectinata L., Galium aparine L., and Urtica dioica L. The study provided important information on the contents of organic and inorganic arsenic species in selected plants and their response to heavy metal and arsenic contamination. The As(III), As(V), AB (arsenobetaine), MMA (monomethylarsonic acid), and DMA (dimethylarsinic acid) ions were successfully separated on the Hamilton PRP-X100 column with high-performance liquid chromatography-inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (HPLC-ICP-MS) techniques. The Pollution Load Index and geo-accumulation Index (Igeo) values clearly indicate significant pollution of the examined ecosystem with heavy metals. The chemometric analysis with the concepts of (Dis)similarity Analysis, Cluster Analysis, and Principal Component Analysis helped to visualize the variability of the As species concentrations and to analyse correlations between sampling point locations and analyte contents.

Effects of mutual intercropping on the cadmium accumulation in accumulator plants Stellaria media, Malachium aquaticum, and Galium aparine.

Intercropping affects heavy-metal uptake in plants. In this study, three cadmium (Cd)-accumulator species (Stellaria media, Malachium aquaticum, and Galium aparine) were intercropped together in Cd-contaminated soil to study the effects of intercropping on co-remediation. Mutual intercropping significantly increased the biomasses of S. media, M. aquaticum, and G. aparine compared with their respective monocultures. The photosynthetic pigment contents of three species were not significantly affected by mutual intercropping. Mutual intercropping did not increase the Cd contents in roots and shoots of G. aparine, but it increased the Cd contents in roots of S. media and M. aquaticum. It also decreased the Cd contents in shoots of S. media and M. aquaticum. Only G. aparine intercropped with M. aquaticum and three-species intercropping increased Cd-accumulation levels in whole plants of each species. Only S. media intercropped with M. aquaticum and three-species intercropping increased the Cd accumulation at the whole plant level in every plant in a single pot, with S. media intercropped with M. aquaticum showing the greatest increase. Therefore, S. media intercropped with M. aquaticum and three-species intercropping may improve the efficiency of phytoremediation of Cd-contaminated soil, with S. media intercropped with M. aquaticum representing the best combination.

Examination of secondary metabolites and antioxidant capacity of Anthyllis vulneraria, Fuchsia sp., Galium mollugo and Veronica beccabunga.

Anthyllis vulneraria L., Fuchsia sp., Galium mollugo L., and Veronica beccabunga L. were selected to analyse the phenolic content and the antioxidant activity by ferric ion reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) and trolox equivalent antioxidant capacity (TEAC) assays. The highest polyphenol, tannin, and flavonoid contents were measured in Fuchsia species (7.40 ± 0.8, 5.62 ± 0.7 and 0.72 ± 0.1 g/100 g dry weight), while the lowest values were detected in Anthyllis vulneraria (0.68 ± 0.02, 0.17 ± 0.03 and 0.45 ± 0.01 g/100 g dry weight) and Galium mollugo (1.77 ± 0.05, 0.49 ± 0.04 and 0.16 ± 0.06 g/100 g dry weight). The leaf extract of Fuchsia sp. had the highest, while the herb of A. vulneraria had the lowest antioxidant effect measured by both methods, which is probably related to total polyphenol, tannin, and flavonoid contents.

Combined chelation of bi-functional bis-hydroxypiridinone and mono-hydroxypiridinone: synthesis, solution and in vivo evaluation.

3-Hydroxy-4-pyridinones (3,4-HP) are well known iron-chelators with applications in medicinal chemistry, mainly associated with their high affinity towards trivalent hard metal ions (e.g. M(3+), M=Fe, Al, Ga) and use as decorporating agents in situations of metal accumulation. The polydenticity and the extra-functionality of 3,4-HP derivatives have been explored, aimed at improving the chelating efficacy and the selectivity of the interaction with specific biological receptors. However, the ideal conjugation of both features in one molecular unity usually leads to high molecular weight compounds which can have crossing-membrane limitations. Herein, a different approach is used combining a arylpiperazine-containing bis-hydroxypyridone (H(2)L(1)) with a biomimetic mono-hydroxypyridinone, ornithine-derivative (HL(2)), to assess the potential coadjuvating effect that could result from the administration of both compounds for the decorporation of hard metal ions. This work reports the results of solution and in vivo studies on their chelating efficacy either as a simple binary or a ternary system (H(2)L(1):HL(2):M(3+)), using potentiometric and spectrophotometric methods. The solution complexation studies with Fe(III) indicate that the solubility of the complexes is considerably increased in the ternary system, an important feature for the metal complex excretion, upon the metal sequestration. The results of the in vivo studies with (67)Ga-injected mice show differences on the biodistribution profiles of the radiotracer, upon the administration of each chelating agent, that are mainly ascribed to the differences of their extra-functional groups and lipo/hydrophilic character. However, administration of both chelating agents leads to a more steady metal mobilization, which may be attributed to an improved access to different cellular compartments.

Uptake, translocation and metabolism of the herbicide florasulam in wheat and broadleaf weeds.

Florasulam is a triazolopyrimidine sulfonanilide post-emergence broadleaf herbicide for use in wheat (Triticum aestivum L.). The selectivity of florasulam to wheat has been determined to be related primarily to a differential rate of metabolism between wheat with a half-life of 2.4 h and broadleaf weeds with half-lives ranging from 19 to >48 h. To a lesser extent, selectivity, at least for the broadleaf weed cleavers (Galium aparine L.), involves uptake differences. Rate of metabolism data were generated using greenhouse-grown plants injected with radiolabelled florasulam and subsequent extraction and processing by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). Structures of metabolites were determined by isolation for nuclear magnetic resonance and liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry. Wheat plants metabolised florasulam by hydroxylation of the aniline ring para to the nitrogen, followed by conjugation to glucose. Metabolism by broadleaf weeds was so slow that isolation of metabolite was not possible, but comparison of HPLC data suggested hydroxylation as the major pathway.

Increases in jasmonic acid caused by indole-3-acetic acid and auxin herbicides in cleavers (Galium aparine).

The effects of indole-3-acetic acid and auxin herbicides on endogenous jasmonic acid (JA) concentrations were studied in relation to changes in ethylene and abscisic acid (ABA) levels in cleavers (Galium aparine). When plants were root-treated with increasing concentrations of indole-3-acetic acid (IAA), ethylene biosynthesis was stimulated in response to the accumulation of endogenous IAA in the shoot tissue. Within 25h of treatment, stimulated ethylene formation was accompanied by increases in immunoreactive concentrations of JA and ABA, which reached maxima of 4.5-fold and 26-fold of the control, respectively, at 100 microM of applied IAA. Corresponding effects were obtained using synthetic auxins and when the ethylene-releasing compound ethephon was applied exogenously. This represents the first report, to our knowledge, of an auxin-mediated increase in JA levels. The increase in JA may be triggered by ethylene.

On the mechanism of selectivity of the corn herbicide BAS 662H: a combination of the novel auxin transport inhibitor diflufenzopyr and the auxin herbicide dicamba.

BAS 662H, a 1:2.5 combination of the semicarbazone-type auxin transport inhibitor diflufenzopyr and the auxin herbicide dicamba, is used as a post-emergence herbicide in corn. The combination has been observed to provide more effective broadleaf weed control and improved tolerance in corn than typical rates of dicamba used alone. In order to analyze this phenomenon, the uptake, translocation, metabolism and action of both compounds, applied alone and in combination, were investigated in Amaranthus retroflexus L, Galium aparine L and corn (Zea mays L). When plants at the third-leaf stage were foliarly treated with diflufenzopyr and dicamba equivalent to field rates of 100 and 250 gha-1, respectively, diflufenzopyr synergistically increased dicamba-induced 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylic acid (ACC) synthase activity and ethylene formation in G aparine and even more in A retroflexus, followed by accumulations of (+)-abscisic acid (ABA) in the shoot tissue within 20 h. This correlated with subsequent growth inhibition, hydrogen peroxide overproduction and progressive tissue damage. Diflufenzopyr also enhanced the activity of other auxin herbicides, such as quinclorac and picloram, and of the synthetic auxin, 1-naphthaleneacetic acid. After foliar and root application of [14C]diflufenzopyr, alone or as BAS 662H, considerably lower tissue concentrations and systemic translocation of radioactivity beyond treated plant parts were found in corn, compared to G aparine and particularly A retroflexus. Furthermore, diflufenzopyr decreased foliar uptake of [14C]dicamba by c 50% selectively in corn, compared to the treatment alone. Metabolism of [14C]diflufenzopyr was more rapid in corn than in the weed species. In combination, the two compounds had no mutual effect on their metabolic degradation. In BAS 662H, diflufenzopyr synergizes the herbicidal activity of dicamba in sensitive weed species. In corn this effect is prevented by a more rapid metabolism of diflufenzopyr, coupled with lower uptake and translocation. Selectivity of BAS 662H is additionally favoured by a higher crop tolerance to dicamba because of reduced foliar uptake of this herbicide in corn under the influence of diflufenzopyr.