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1.
Arch Microbiol ; 206(7): 325, 2024 Jun 24.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38913205

ABSTRACT

The increase of multiple drug resistance bacteria significantly diminishes the effectiveness of antibiotic armory and subsequently exaggerates the level of therapeutic failure. Phytoconstituents are exceptional substitutes for resistance-modifying vehicles. The plants appear to be a deep well for the discovery of novel antibacterial compounds. This is owing to the numerous enticing characteristics of plants, they are easily accessible and inexpensive, extracts or chemicals derived from plants typically have significant levels of action against infections, and they rarely cause serious adverse effects. The enormous selection of phytochemicals offers very distinct chemical structures that may provide both novel mechanisms of antimicrobial activity and deliver us with different targets in the interior of the bacterial cell. They can directly affect bacteria or act together with the crucial events of pathogenicity, in this manner decreasing the aptitude of bacteria to create resistance. Abundant phytoconstituents demonstrate various mechanisms of action toward multi drug resistance bacteria. Overall, this comprehensive review will provide insights into the potential of phytoconstituents as alternative treatments for bacterial infections, particularly those caused by multi drug resistance strains. By examining the current state of research in this area, the review will shed light on potential future directions for the development of new antimicrobial therapies.


Subject(s)
Anti-Bacterial Agents , Bacteria , Drug Resistance, Multiple, Bacterial , Phytochemicals , Anti-Bacterial Agents/pharmacology , Anti-Bacterial Agents/chemistry , Phytochemicals/pharmacology , Phytochemicals/chemistry , Bacteria/drug effects , Bacterial Infections/drug therapy , Bacterial Infections/microbiology , Plant Extracts/pharmacology , Plant Extracts/chemistry , Humans
2.
Environ Res ; 242: 117812, 2024 Feb 01.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38042517

ABSTRACT

Developing efficient and effective photocatalysts is essential for organic dyes and antibiotic degradation in wastewater. Ni-doped α-Fe2O3/g-C3N4 (NFGCN) photocatalysts were synthesised through a simple co-precipitation technique and used for the ciprofloxacin (CIP) and methylene blue (MB) degradation through photocatalysis. The XRD data indicated the crystallinity of the synthesised iron oxide and its composites with rhombohedral structures with the nature of high purity. The morphology of the NFGCN composite revealed the construction of Ni-doped α-Fe2O3 (NFO) nanoparticles onto the g-C3N4 (GCN) sheet surface along with the close interface that induced a Z-scheme heterojunction. The synthesised photocatalysts showed photocatalytic activity with good degradation efficiency of 82.1 % and 92.0 % for CIP and MB, respectively, within 120 min under solar light exposure. The improved photocatalytic degradation efficiency was attained owing to the synthesised composite's enhanced light absorption in the visible range. The narrow band gap energies and interaction between Ni-doped α-Fe2O3 and g-C3N4 displayed by these materials result in enhanced visible light absorption, effective charge carrier separation and transportation to the pollutants. CIP degradation pathways were investigated utilising the LC-MS analysis. NFGCN composites showed good recyclability (5 cycles), magnetic retrievability, and stability for degrading organic and emerging pollutants from wastewater through photocatalysis.


Subject(s)
Environmental Pollutants , Ferric Compounds , Graphite , Nanocomposites , Nitrogen Compounds , Ciprofloxacin/chemistry , Wastewater , Light , Nanocomposites/chemistry
3.
Plant J ; 111(5): 1453-1468, 2022 09.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-35816116

ABSTRACT

Large enzyme families catalyze metabolic diversification by virtue of their ability to use diverse chemical scaffolds. How enzyme families attain such functional diversity is not clear. Furthermore, duplication and promiscuity in such enzyme families limits their functional prediction, which has produced a burgeoning set of incompletely annotated genes in plant genomes. Here, we address these challenges using BAHD acyltransferases as a model. This fast-evolving family expanded drastically in land plants, increasing from one to five copies in algae to approximately 100 copies in diploid angiosperm genomes. Compilation of >160 published activities helped visualize the chemical space occupied by this family and define eight different classes based on structural similarities between acceptor substrates. Using orthologous groups (OGs) across 52 sequenced plant genomes, we developed a method to predict BAHD acceptor substrate class utilization as well as origins of individual BAHD OGs in plant evolution. This method was validated using six novel and 28 previously characterized enzymes and helped improve putative substrate class predictions for BAHDs in the tomato genome. Our results also revealed that while cuticular wax and lignin biosynthetic activities were more ancient, anthocyanin acylation activity was fixed in BAHDs later near the origin of angiosperms. The OG-based analysis enabled identification of signature motifs in anthocyanin-acylating BAHDs, whose importance was validated via molecular dynamic simulations, site-directed mutagenesis and kinetic assays. Our results not only describe how BAHDs contributed to evolution of multiple chemical phenotypes in the plant world but also propose a biocuration-enabled approach for improved functional annotation of plant enzyme families.


Subject(s)
Acyltransferases , Solanum lycopersicum , Acyltransferases/metabolism , Anthocyanins/metabolism , Genome, Plant/genetics , Solanum lycopersicum/genetics , Phylogeny , Plants/metabolism
4.
J Evol Biol ; 36(1): 5-14, 2023 01.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-36083189

ABSTRACT

The transition of plants from water to land is considered one of the most significant events in the evolution of life on Earth. The colonization of land by plants, accompanied by their morphological, physiological and developmental changes, resulted in plant biodiversity. Besides significantly influencing oxygen levels in the air and on land, plants manufacture organic matter from CO2 and water with the help of sunlight, paving the way for the diversification of nonplant lineages ranging from microscopic organisms to animals. Land plants regulate the climate by adjusting total biomass and energy flow. At the genetic level, these innovations are achieved through the rearrangement of pre-existing genetic information. Advances in genome sequencing technology are revamping our understanding of plant evolution. This study highlights the morphological and genomic innovations that allow plants to integrate life on Earth.


Subject(s)
Biological Evolution , Embryophyta , Phylogeny , Plants/genetics , Embryophyta/genetics , Water , Evolution, Molecular
5.
Biotechnol Bioeng ; 120(8): 2253-2268, 2023 08.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-37386894

ABSTRACT

Carbohydrate binding modules (CBMs) are noncatalytic domains that assist tethered catalytic domains in substrate targeting. CBMs have therefore been used to visualize distinct polysaccharides present in the cell wall of plant cells and tissues. However, most previous studies provide a qualitative analysis of CBM-polysaccharide interactions, with limited characterization of engineered tandem CBM designs for recognizing polysaccharides like cellulose and limited application of CBM-based probes to visualize cellulose fibrils synthesis in model plant protoplasts with regenerating cell walls. Here, we examine the dynamic interactions of engineered type-A CBMs from families 3a and 64 with crystalline cellulose-I and phosphoric acid swollen cellulose. We generated tandem CBM designs to determine various characteristic properties including binding reversibility toward cellulose-I using equilibrium binding assays. To compute the adsorption (nkon ) and desorption (koff ) rate constants of single versus tandem CBM designs toward nanocrystalline cellulose, we employed dynamic kinetic binding assays using quartz crystal microbalance with dissipation. Our results indicate that tandem CBM3a exhibited the highest adsorption rate to cellulose and displayed reversible binding to both crystalline/amorphous cellulose, unlike other CBM designs, making tandem CBM3a better suited for live plant cell wall biosynthesis imaging applications. We used several engineered CBMs to visualize Arabidopsis thaliana protoplasts with regenerated cell walls using confocal laser scanning microscopy and wide-field fluorescence microscopy. Lastly, we also demonstrated how CBMs as probe reagents can enable in situ visualization of cellulose fibrils during cell wall regeneration in Arabidopsis protoplasts.


Subject(s)
Cellulose , Protoplasts , Humans , Protoplasts/metabolism , Cellulose/metabolism , Polysaccharides/metabolism , Plants/chemistry , Carbohydrate Metabolism
6.
Environ Res ; 212(Pt A): 113168, 2022 09.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-35346658

ABSTRACT

With the advancement of nanotechnology, the use of nanoparticles (NPs) and nanomaterials (NMs) in agriculture including perishable vegetable crops cultivation has been increased significantly. NPs/NMs positively affect plant growth and development, seed germination, plant stress management, and postharvest handling of fruits and vegetables. However, these NPs sometimes cause toxicity in plants by oxidative stress and excess reactive oxygen species production that affect cellular biomolecules resulting in imbalanced biological and metabolic processes in plants. Therefore, information about the mechanism underlying interactions of NPs with plants is important for the understanding of various physiological and biochemical responses of plants, evaluating phytotoxicity, and developing mitigation strategies for vegetable crops cultivation. To address this, recent morpho-physiological, biochemical and molecular insights of nanotoxicity in the vegetable crops have been discussed in this review. Further, factors affecting the nanotoxicity in vegetables and mitigation strategies for sustainable cultivation have been reviewed. Moreover, the bioaccumulation and biomagnification of NPs and associated phytotoxicity can cause serious effects on human health which has also been summarized. The review also highlights the use of advanced omics approaches and interdisciplinary tools for understanding the nanotoxicity and their possible use for mitigating phytotoxicity.


Subject(s)
Nanoparticles , Vegetables , Crops, Agricultural , Humans , Nanoparticles/chemistry , Nanoparticles/toxicity , Nanotechnology , Plant Development
7.
Curr Microbiol ; 79(8): 223, 2022 Jun 15.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-35704102

ABSTRACT

This study evaluates the antibacterial activity and phytochemical characterizations of Andrographis paniculata extract (APE) and Berberis aristata extract (BAE). The stem of Andrographis paniculata (AP) and root of Berberis aristata (BA) were extracted with methanol. The results confirmed that APE and BAE possess high phenolic and flavonoid content. The antioxidant activity of the APE and BAE showed an elevated potential to scavenge DPPH (2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl) radicals with IC50 of 95.03 µg/mL and 256.26 µg/mL, respectively. A total of 35 and 32 metabolites in APE and BAE, respectively, were identified through mass spectrometry analysis, whereas 17 and 12 metabolites in APE and BAE, respectively, were detected through high-performance thin-layer chromatography (HPTLC) fingerprinting profiling. Antibacterial activity of the extracts was performed by the well diffusion and microdilution method, and the findings showed that APE and BAE had antibacterial activities against E. coli and S. aureus. The growth curve and time-kill study showed that the extracts had a bacteriostatic effect. A combination study with the standard drug was carried out using the microdilution checkerboard method in which most of the combinations showed synergistic interactions. The findings of this study have shown that APE and BAE are good sources of antibacterial compounds and can be used for treating infectious diseases caused by E. coli and S. aureus.


Subject(s)
Berberis , Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus , Andrographis paniculata , Anti-Bacterial Agents/pharmacology , Berberis/chemistry , Escherichia coli , Methanol , Plant Extracts/chemistry , Plant Extracts/pharmacology , Staphylococcus aureus
8.
Rheumatol Int ; 42(8): 1363-1371, 2022 08.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-33723658

ABSTRACT

Acute pancreatitis (AP) is a rare but life threatening manifestation of Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE). The current study aims to study the clinical characteristics, severity, mortality, and outcome of SLE-related AP in Indian population. We retrospectively reviewed medical records of patients with SLE who had AP in the past. Data from 13 rheumatology centers across India were compiled. All patients satisfied SLICC criteria for SLE and ATLANTA criteria for AP. AP was classified in to mild, moderate and severe using revised Atlanta classification. Patients with known risk factors like gall stone and alcohol were excluded.Sixty-six patients (six, children) were studied. Majority of patients were females (82%). The median age of presentation was 24 (11-63) years and most patients (57.5%) presented within first year of diagnosis of lupus. AP occurred mostly in the setting of active lupus (89%). Active nephritis was seen in 39% while a fourth had CNS disease. Patients with severe AP had lower C3. Ascites and sepsis were most common local and systemic complications, respectively. Mortality was 17%. Hypocalcemia, presence of sepsis and shock predicted mortality. In the multivariate analysis, only presence of shock remained as independent predictor of death (OR 63.0, 95% CI: 5.2-760.3). Pancreatitis is an early manifestation of SLE and is associated with active disease. Significant mortality is seen particularly with severe pancreatitis.


Subject(s)
Lupus Erythematosus, Systemic , Pancreatitis , Sepsis , Acute Disease , Adult , Child , Female , Humans , Lupus Erythematosus, Systemic/complications , Lupus Erythematosus, Systemic/diagnosis , Male , Middle Aged , Pancreatitis/diagnosis , Pancreatitis/etiology , Retrospective Studies , Severity of Illness Index , Young Adult
9.
Ecotoxicol Environ Saf ; 222: 112535, 2021 Oct 01.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-34325203

ABSTRACT

Salicylic acid (SA) is a well-known plant growth regulator, which participates in many physiological processes of plants under normal and stressful conditions. In this study, we investigated the impact of SA supplementation on the components of ascorbate-glutathione cycle and glyoxalase system, photosynthesis and growth of rice (Oryza sativa) plants subjected to arsenic (As) stress. Plants grown with As exhibited enhanced As uptake, increased oxidative stress, and photosynthesis and growth inhibition. Application of SA promoted photosynthesis and growth in plants with or without As stress by improving plant defense systems and reducing oxidative stress through interaction with ethylene and nitric oxide (NO). SA acted as an ethylene antagonist, reducing stress ethylene formation under As stress, while NO formation was induced. This resulted in coordinated control over the antioxidant defense systems and enhanced As tolerance, protecting photosynthesis and growth from As-induced damage. The study showed that positive responses of SA in promoting photosynthesis and growth under As stress were the result of its interplay with ethylene and NO, enhanced capacity of defense systems to reduce oxidative stress. The crosstalk of SA with ethylene and NO will be useful in augmenting the performance of rice plants under As stress.


Subject(s)
Arsenic , Oryza , Antioxidants , Arsenic/toxicity , Oxidative Stress , Photosynthesis , Plant Growth Regulators , Salicylic Acid
11.
Appl Microbiol Biotechnol ; 102(22): 9731-9743, 2018 Nov.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-30121747

ABSTRACT

The morphological plasticity of Candida albicans is a virulence determinant as the hyphal form has significant roles in the infection process. Recently, phosphoregulation of proteins through phosphorylation and dephosphorylation events has gained importance in studying the regulation of pathogenicity at the molecular level. To understand the importance of phosphorylation in hyphal morphogenesis, global analysis of the phosphoproteome was performed after hyphal induction with elevated temperature, serum, and N-acetyl-glucosamine (GlcNAc) treatments. The study identified 60, 20, and 53 phosphoproteins unique to elevated temperature-, serum-, and GlcNAc-treated conditions, respectively. Distribution of unique phosphorylation sites sorted by the modified amino acids revealed that predominant phosphorylation occurs in serine, followed by threonine and tyrosine residues in all the datasets. However, the frequency distribution of phosphorylation sites in the proteins varied with treatment conditions. Further, interaction network-based functional annotation of protein kinases of C. albicans as well as identified phosphoproteins was performed, which demonstrated the interaction of kinases with phosphoproteins during filamentous growth. Altogether, the present findings will serve as a base for further functional studies in the aspects of protein kinase-target protein interaction in effectuating phosphorylation of target proteins, and delineating the downstream signaling networks linked to virulence characteristics of C. albicans.


Subject(s)
Candida albicans/metabolism , Fungal Proteins/metabolism , Hyphae/growth & development , Phosphoproteins/metabolism , Candida albicans/genetics , Candida albicans/growth & development , Candida albicans/pathogenicity , Fungal Proteins/chemistry , Fungal Proteins/genetics , Gene Expression Regulation, Fungal , Hyphae/genetics , Hyphae/metabolism , Phosphoproteins/chemistry , Phosphoproteins/genetics , Phosphorylation , Protein Binding , Protein Kinases/chemistry , Protein Kinases/genetics , Protein Kinases/metabolism , Virulence
12.
Luminescence ; 32(3): 298-308, 2017 May.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-27385637

ABSTRACT

A series of Schiff base molecules derived from a phthalimide scaffold was investigated as efficient antibacterial, antioxidant and DNA-interacting agents. The spectroscopic characterization of these derivatives was studied in detail using elemental analysis and spectroscopic techniques. The DNA-binding profile of title molecules against Ct-DNA (calf thymus) was investigated by absorbance, fluorescence, hydrodynamics and thermal denaturation investigations. The bacterial inhibition potential of these molecules was investigated against Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus. Molecule 3c emerged as the most active against S. aureus (IC50 : 14.8 µg/mL), whereas compounds 3a and 3b displayed potential antibacterial activities against E. coli (IC50 : 49.7 and 67.6 µg/mL). Molecular docking studies of these compounds against GlcN-6-P synthase were carried out to rationalize antibacterial efficiency of these molecules. These newly synthesized molecules were screened for their scavenging capacity against 2,2-diphenyl-1-picryl-hydrazyl (DPPH) and H2 O2 free radicals and the results were compared with ascorbic acid as synthetic antioxidant. The title molecules 3a, 3b and 3e showed less than 20% hemolysis, which indicated their significant non-toxic behavior.


Subject(s)
Anti-Bacterial Agents/pharmacology , Antioxidants/pharmacology , DNA/chemistry , Hemolysis/drug effects , Molecular Docking Simulation , Phthalimides/chemistry , Phthalimides/pharmacology , Animals , Anti-Bacterial Agents/chemistry , Antioxidants/chemistry , Cattle , Dose-Response Relationship, Drug , Microbial Sensitivity Tests , Staphylococcus aureus/drug effects , Structure-Activity Relationship
13.
Plant Biotechnol J ; 14(6): 1394-405, 2016 06.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-26798990

ABSTRACT

Soya bean (Glycine max) and grass pea (Lathyrus sativus) seeds are important sources of dietary proteins; however, they also contain antinutritional metabolite oxalic acid (OA). Excess dietary intake of OA leads to nephrolithiasis due to the formation of calcium oxalate crystals in kidneys. Besides, OA is also a known precursor of ß-N-oxalyl-L-α,ß-diaminopropionic acid (ß-ODAP), a neurotoxin found in grass pea. Here, we report the reduction in OA level in soya bean (up to 73%) and grass pea (up to 75%) seeds by constitutive and/or seed-specific expression of an oxalate-degrading enzyme, oxalate decarboxylase (FvOXDC) of Flammulina velutipes. In addition, ß-ODAP level of grass pea seeds was also reduced up to 73%. Reduced OA content was interrelated with the associated increase in seeds micronutrients such as calcium, iron and zinc. Moreover, constitutive expression of FvOXDC led to improved tolerance to the fungal pathogen Sclerotinia sclerotiorum that requires OA during host colonization. Importantly, FvOXDC-expressing soya bean and grass pea plants were similar to the wild type with respect to the morphology and photosynthetic rates, and seed protein pool remained unaltered as revealed by the comparative proteomic analysis. Taken together, these results demonstrated improved seed quality and tolerance to the fungal pathogen in two important legume crops, by the expression of an oxalate-degrading enzyme.


Subject(s)
Carboxy-Lyases/genetics , Disease Resistance/genetics , Glycine max/genetics , Lathyrus/genetics , Nutritive Value/genetics , Oxalic Acid/metabolism , Carboxy-Lyases/metabolism , Carboxy-Lyases/physiology , Flammulina/genetics , Lathyrus/chemistry , Lathyrus/metabolism , Plants, Genetically Modified/metabolism , Seeds/chemistry , Seeds/metabolism , Glycine max/chemistry , Glycine max/metabolism
14.
Org Biomol Chem ; 14(45): 10599-10619, 2016 Dec 07.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-27735963

ABSTRACT

The increasing incidence of human candidiasis and the tendency of Candida species to become resistant to existing chemotherapies are well-recognized health problems. The present study demonstrates the successful synthesis of novel triazole-amino acid hybrids with potent in vitro and in vivo inhibitory activity against Candida species. Particularly, compounds 68 and 70 showed potent in vitro activity against fluconazole (FLC) resistant as well as sensitive clinical isolates of Candida albicans. Time kill curve analysis of lead inhibitors 68 and 70 showed their fungistatic nature. Secretion of hydrolytic enzymes, mainly proteinases and phospholipases, decreased considerably in the presence of 68 and 70 indicating their interference in fungal virulence. TEM analysis of Candida cells exposed to compounds 68 and 70 clearly showed morphological changes and intracellular damage as their possible mode of action. A preliminary mechanistic study carried out on the two most effective inhibitors (68 and 70) revealed the inhibition of ergosterol biosynthesis thereby causing the cells to lose their integrity and viability. The selected compounds did not show significant cytotoxicity up to a concentration of 200 µg mL-1 in the HEK293 cell line. An in silico analysis of 68 and 70 binding to a modeled C. albicans CYP51 showed critical H-bonding as well as hydrophobic interactions with the important active site residues indicating the basis of their anti-Candida role. Studies on the larvae of Galleria mellonella showed that the selected inhibitors (68 and 70) were non-toxic, did not provoke an immune response and significantly reduced Candida proliferation in vivo.


Subject(s)
Amino Acids/chemistry , Amino Acids/pharmacology , Antifungal Agents/chemistry , Antifungal Agents/pharmacology , Candida/drug effects , Triazoles/chemistry , Triazoles/pharmacology , Candida/growth & development , Candida/metabolism , Candida/pathogenicity , Candidiasis/drug therapy , Fluconazole/pharmacology , HEK293 Cells , Humans , Microbial Sensitivity Tests , Molecular Docking Simulation , Sterol 14-Demethylase/metabolism , Virulence/drug effects
15.
J Enzyme Inhib Med Chem ; 31(5): 834-52, 2016 Oct.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-26133357

ABSTRACT

Novel monocyclic ß-lactam derivatives bearing aryl, phenyl and heterocyclic rings were synthesized as possible antibacterial agents. Cyclization of imines (3h, 3t) with phenylacetic acid in the presence of phosphoryl chloride and triethyl amine did not afford the expected ß-lactams. Instead, highly substituted 1,3-oxazin-4-ones (4h, 4t) were isolated as the only product and confirmed by single crystal X-ray analysis of 4t. The results of antibacterial activity showed that compound 4l exhibited considerable antibacterial activity with MIC and MBC values of 62.5 µg/mL against Klebsiella pneumoniae. Cytotoxicity assay on Chinese Hamster Ovary (CHO) cell line revealed non-cytotoxic behavior of compounds 4d, 4h, 4k and 4l up to 200 µg/mL conc. Molecular docking was performed for compound 4l with penicillin binding protein-5 to identify the nature of interactions. The results of both in silico and in vitro evaluation provide the basis for compound 4l to be carried as a potential lead molecule in the drug discovery pipeline against bacterial infections.


Subject(s)
Models, Molecular , Molecular Docking Simulation , Oxazoles , beta-Lactams , Animals , Anti-Bacterial Agents/chemical synthesis , Anti-Bacterial Agents/chemistry , Anti-Bacterial Agents/metabolism , Anti-Bacterial Agents/pharmacology , CHO Cells , Cell Survival/drug effects , Cricetinae , Cricetulus , Cyclization , Klebsiella pneumoniae/drug effects , Molecular Structure , Oxazoles/chemical synthesis , Oxazoles/chemistry , Oxazoles/metabolism , Oxazoles/pharmacology , beta-Lactams/chemical synthesis , beta-Lactams/chemistry , beta-Lactams/metabolism , beta-Lactams/pharmacology
16.
J Exp Bot ; 65(20): 5835-48, 2014 Nov.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-25129131

ABSTRACT

Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) fruit ripening-specific N-glycan processing enzyme, ß-D-N-acetylhexosaminidase (ß-Hex), plays an important role in the ripening-associated fruit-softening process. However, the regulation of fruit ripening-specific expression of ß-Hex is not well understood. We have identified and functionally characterized the fruit ripening-specific promoter of ß-Hex and provided insights into its transcriptional regulation during fruit ripening. Our results demonstrate that RIPENING INHIBITOR (RIN), a global fruit ripening regulator, and ABSCISIC ACID STRESS RIPENING 1 (SlASR1), a poorly characterized ripening-related protein, are the transcriptional regulators of ß-Hex. Both RIN and SlASR1 directly bound to the ß-Hex promoter fragments containing CArG and C2₋3(C/G)A cis-acting elements, the binding sites for RIN and SlASR1, respectively. Moreover, ß-Hex expression/promoter activity in tomato fruits was downregulated once expression of either RIN or SlASR1 was suppressed; indicating that RIN and SlASR1 positively regulate the transcription of ß-Hex during fruit ripening. Interestingly, RIN could also bind to the SlASR1 promoter, which contains several CArG cis-acting elements, and SlASR1 expression was suppressed in rin mutant fruits, indicating that RIN also acts as a positive regulator of SlASR1 expression during fruit ripening. Taken together, these results suggest that RIN, both directly and indirectly, through SlASR1, regulates the transcription of ß-Hex during fruit ripening. The fruit ripening-specific promoter of ß-Hex could be a useful tool in regulating gene expression during fruit ripening.


Subject(s)
Fruit/enzymology , Gene Expression Regulation, Plant , Glucans/metabolism , Plant Proteins/genetics , Solanum lycopersicum/enzymology , beta-N-Acetylhexosaminidases/genetics , Abscisic Acid/metabolism , Ethylenes/metabolism , Flowers/enzymology , Flowers/genetics , Flowers/physiology , Fruit/genetics , Fruit/physiology , Gene Expression Regulation, Enzymologic , Solanum lycopersicum/genetics , Solanum lycopersicum/physiology , MADS Domain Proteins/metabolism , Plant Growth Regulators/metabolism , Plant Leaves/enzymology , Plant Leaves/genetics , Plant Leaves/physiology , Plant Proteins/metabolism , Plant Roots/enzymology , Plant Roots/genetics , Plant Roots/physiology , Plant Stems/enzymology , Plant Stems/genetics , Plant Stems/physiology , Promoter Regions, Genetic/genetics , Two-Hybrid System Techniques , beta-N-Acetylhexosaminidases/metabolism
17.
Plants (Basel) ; 13(7)2024 Mar 25.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38611478

ABSTRACT

Symbiodiniaceae species is a dinoflagellate that plays a crucial role in maintaining the symbiotic mutualism of reef-building corals in the ocean. Reef-building corals, as hosts, provide the nutrition and habitat to endosymbiotic Symbiodiniaceae species and Symbiodiniaceae species transfer the fixed carbon to the corals for growth. Environmental stress is one of the factors impacting the physiology and metabolism of the corals-dinoflagellate association. The environmental stress triggers the metabolic changes in Symbiodiniaceae species resulting in an increase in the production of survival organelles related to storage components such as lipid droplets (LD). LDs are found as unique organelles, mainly composed of triacylglycerols surrounded by phospholipids embedded with some proteins. To date, it has been reported that investigation of lipid droplets significantly present in animals and plants led to the understanding that lipid droplets play a key role in lipid storage and transport. The major challenge of investigating endosymbiotic Symbiodiniaceae species lies in overcoming the strategies in isolating lesser lipid droplets present in its intercellular cells. Here, we review the most recent highlights of LD research in endosymbiotic Symbiodiniaceae species particularly focusing on LD biogenesis, mechanism, and major lipid droplet proteins. Moreover, to comprehend potential novel ways of energy storage in the symbiotic interaction between endosymbiotic Symbiodiniaceae species and its host, we also emphasize recent emerging environmental factors such as temperature, ocean acidification, and nutrient impacting the accumulation of lipid droplets in endosymbiotic Symbiodiniaceae species.

18.
J Ayub Med Coll Abbottabad ; 25(3-4): 27-30, 2013.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-25226733

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Schizophrenia is a devastating disorder not only for the patients but also for their caregivers. The caregivers of the patients suffer from psychological distress but receive minimum support from psychiatric services. Objectives were to assess the stress level in caregivers of patients with schizophrenia and to determine the association of stress with demographic variables of caregivers. METHODS: It was a descriptive hospital based study carried out in Psychiatry Department of Khyber Teaching Hospital, Peshawar. Fifty caregivers were included in the study during a period of one year. Socio-demographic variables were recorded on specially designed pro forma. Stress level was assessed by using Self Report Questionnaire (SRQ-20) with a cut off score of 9 being taken as stressed. RESULTS: Mean age of the caregivers was 45.44 +/- 14.25 years. Forty-two (84%) caregivers were males and 8 (16%) were females. Twenty-eight (56%) were uneducated, 16 (32%) had Primary education, 4 (8%) were matriculates and 2 (4%) graduates. Thirty-four (68%) of the caregivers were married 8 (16% each unmarried and widows/widowers. Thirty-two (64%) were unemployed and 18 (36%) were employed. Two (4%) had been providing care for less than 6 months, 4 (8%) for less than 12 months, 10 (20%) for less than 18 months, 2 (4%) for less than 24 months and 32 (64%) for more than 24 months. 22 (44%) were parents, 14 (28%) were siblings, 2 (4%) were children of the patients. Thirty-six (72%) caregivers were having score of more than 9 on SRQ-20. Stress showed a statistically significant association only with age (p-value < 0.004). CONCLUSION: Psychological distress is present in majority of the caregivers of patients with schizophrenia. There is statistically significant association between age of the caregiver and psychological distress, while gender, educational status, marital status, occupational status, duration of care and relation with the patient are not associated with psychological distress.


Subject(s)
Caregivers/psychology , Caregivers/statistics & numerical data , Schizophrenia/therapy , Stress, Psychological/epidemiology , Adult , Cohort Studies , Female , Humans , Male , Middle Aged , Socioeconomic Factors , Surveys and Questionnaires
19.
Curr Opin Plant Biol ; 73: 102348, 2023 Jun.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-36842412

ABSTRACT

Acylsugars constitute a diverse class of secondary metabolites found in many flowering plant families. Comprising sugar cores and acyl groups connected by ester and/or ether linkages, acylsugar structures vary considerably at all taxonomic levels - from populations of the same species to across species of the same family and across flowering plants, with some species producing hundreds of acylsugars in a single organ. Acylsugars have been most well-studied in the Solanaceae family, but structurally analogous compounds have also been reported in the Convolvulaceae, Martyniaceae, Geraniaceae, Rubiaceae, Rosaceae and Caryophyllaceae families. Focusing on Solanaceae and Convolvulaceae acylsugars, this review highlights their structural diversity, the potential biosynthetic mechanisms that produce this diversity, and its functional significance. Finally, we also discuss the possibility that some of this diversity is merely "noise", arising out of enzyme promiscuity and/or non-adaptive evolutionary mechanisms.


Subject(s)
Magnoliopsida , Sugars , Sugars/metabolism , Magnoliopsida/metabolism , Biological Evolution
20.
Antibiotics (Basel) ; 12(4)2023 Mar 26.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-37107015

ABSTRACT

Hospital and municipal wastewater contribute to the spread of antibiotic-resistant bacteria and genes in the environment. This study aimed to examine the antibiotic resistance and ß-lactamase production in clinically significant Gram-negative bacteria isolated from hospital and municipal wastewater. The susceptibility of bacteria to antibiotics was tested using the disk diffusion method, and the presence of extended-spectrum ß-lactamases (ESBL) and carbapenemases was determined using an enzyme inhibitor and standard multiplex PCR. Analysis of antimicrobial resistance of total bacterial strains (n = 23) revealed that most of them were resistant to cefotaxime (69.56%), imipenem (43.47%), meropenem (47.82%) and amoxicillin-clavulanate (43.47%), gentamicin (39.13%), cefepime and ciprofloxacin (34.78%), trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole (30.43%). A total of 8 of 11 phenotypically confirmed isolates were found to have ESBL genes. The blaTEM gene was present in 2 of the isolates, while the blaSHV gene was found in 2 of the isolates. Furthermore, the blaCTX-M gene was found in 3 of the isolates. In one isolate, both the blaTEM and blaSHV genes were identified. Furthermore, of the 9 isolates that have been phenotypically confirmed to have carbapenemase, 3 were confirmed by PCR. Specifically, 2 isolates have the blaOXA-48 type gene and 1 have the blaNDM-1 gene. In conclusion, our investigation shows that there is a significant rate of bacteria that produce ESBL and carbapenemase, which can promote the spread of bacterial resistance. Identifying ESBL and carbapenemase production genes in wastewater samples and their resistance patterns can provide valuable data and guide the development of pathogen management strategies that could potentially help reduce the occurrence of multidrug resistance.

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