DNA damage analysis concerning GSTM1 and GSTT1 gene polymorphism in gold jewellery workers from Peshawar Pakistan

Abstract

Purpose

To evaluate the genotoxic effects of gold jewellery fumes and its association with GSTM1 and GSTT1 genetic polymorphisms.     

Influence of silicon and chitosan on growth and physiological attributes of maize in a saline field

Soil salinity is the main constraint for crop productivity in many parts of the world. Application of silicon (Si) and chitosan (Chi) can improve crop growth under saline soil conditions. The current study was aimed to examine the effects of Si and Chi on mitigation of salinity, morphological and physiological attributes as well as the antioxidant system of maize (Zea mays L.) under saline soil conditions. A field experiment was conducted that comprised of nine treatments as follows: (i) Control (no amendment), (ii) Silicon 40 kg ha⁻¹ (Si1), (iii) Chitosan 15 kg ha⁻¹ (Chi1), (iv) Si1 + Chi1, (v) Silicon 80 kg ha⁻¹ (Si2), (vi) Chitosan 30 kg ha⁻¹ (Chi2), (vii) Si2 + Chi2, (viii) Si1 + Chi2 and (ix) Si2 + Chi1. Application of Si and Chi substantially improved the morphological and physiological attributes as well as antioxidant enzymes such as superoxide dismutase (SOD), peroxidase (POD) and catalase (CAT) of maize plants, and combined application of Si and Chi was more effective when compared with Si and Chi treatments separately. Membrane stability index was improved by 25%, relative water content by 26%, chlorophyll a by 69% and b by 56% with combined application of Si and chitosan (Si2 + Chi2) compared with control. The SOD, POD and CAT increased by 36%, 38% and 65% with Si2 + Chi2 compared with control. The results suggest that Si and Chi application is the possible option for alleviating salinity stress in maize plant. Further research is suggested to examine Si and Chi effects on various crop''s growth.     

Sodium dodecylbenzenesulfonate–based silver nanoparticles and their potent application as antibiofilm,antimicrobial agent,and trace level determination of amlodipine

Herein, we presented the synthesis and application of sodium dodecylbenzenesulfonate–based silver nanoparticles (termed as SDBS-AgNPs). The SDBS reverse micelles (RMs) in ethanol was used as nanoreactor for green AgNPs synthesis. The size, structure, and shape of SDBS-AgNPs were well distinct by UV/visible (UV/Vis), Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, dynamic light scattering (DLS), and atomic force microscopy (AFM) techniques. The SDBS-AgNPs were quite stable even at high temperature (80 °C), salt concentration (up to 300 μM), and wide pH range (2 to 12). Moreover, SDBS-AgNPs were found to be highly sensitive and selective colorimetric sensor for antihypertensive drug amlodipine (AML). The interaction of AML with SDBS-AgNPs resulted as a substantial increase in the absorbance and a prominent blue shift in wavelength from 426 to 400 nm. DLS results were further confirmed that the SDBS-AgNPs break into smaller sized particles. Similarly, FTIR results also verified the SDBS-AgNPs etching–based sensing of AML molecules due to the strong attraction by amine and carbonyl functional groups on the target drug. The proposed sensor exhibited linear response in the range of 0.001–200 μM (R² = 0.9917) with limit of detection (LOD) and quantification (LOQ) of 0.161 and 0.49 μM, respectively. The probe remained selective against AML, even in the presence of equimolar interfering species (including other drugs and metal ions). Furthermore, findings proposed that the SDBS-AgNPs might be used as effective substitute to minimize infection severity by obstructing the biofilm formation against nosocomial and urinary tract infection (UTI) causing pathogens.

Graphical abstract

     

Purification of CBS 819.72 α-amylase by aqueous two-phase systems: Modelling using Response Surface Methodology

The partition and purification of α-amylase from a culture supernatant of Aspergillus oryzae CBS 819.72 was made in aqueous two-phase system (ATPS). According to bibliography and preliminary studies, the factors polyethylene glycol (PEG) molecular weight (M_PEG) and concentration (C_PEG), buffer type (BU) and concentration (C_BU), temperature (T), salt nature (SALT) and concentration (C_SALT), bioligand (BL) and concentration (C_BL) and pH were investigated using a Plackett–Burman design to identify the factors affecting separation. Taking into consideration a simultaneous increase in enzyme recovery (R_Y) and purification factor (P_F), the best performance of the system was obtained at 4 °C and pH 6 using PEG 8000 g/mol, citrate buffer, KCl and sucrose. Experimental Box–Behnken design together with the Response Surface Methodology (RSM) have been used to find optimum C_PEG, C_Citrate and C_SALT. Quadratic models were predicted for P_F and R_Y in the top phase and a better compromise between these two parameters can be found by superimposing the contour plots of P_F and R_Y for 8% citrate. A region in the experimental space can be defined where the purification factor is always higher than 3 with yields exceeding 65%.     

Assessment of biotechnological potentials of strains isolated from repasso olive pomace in Tunisia

The agri-food industry generates significant amounts of byproducts, among them repasso olive pomace (ROP) which are rejected and can constitute a serious environmental problem. Our study aimed to investigate the diversity of microbiota isolated from ROP and screen for their biotechnological potentials. A collection of 102 strains (88 bacteria and 14 fungi) was obtained from a ROP sample. The diversity of the bacterial collection was evaluated by amplification of the internal transcribed spacers between the 16S and the 23S rRNA genes (ITS-PCR) and by 16S rRNA sequencing. Fungal identification was performed by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) amplification of the ITS1–5.8S–ITS2 ribosomal DNA region. The specific enzymatic screening of the detected microorganisms was tested. Partial 16S rRNA gene sequencing performed on 44 isolates showed a high level of identity with known strains. Fungal strains identification showed that they belong to four families: Trichocomaceae, Pleurostomataceae, Mucoraceae, and Bionectriaceae. Our results demonstrated that Gram-positive bacteria were mostly active, particularly for protease, lipase, amylase, cellulase laccase, and for biosurfactant production. From the 88 isolated bacteria, Firmicutes were the most prevalent and microdiverse. Bacillus and Paenibacillus, together with some other Gram-negative bacteria such as Pseudocitrobacter anthropi, and Acinetobacter johnsonii showed significant hydrolytic activities and biosurfactant production. The 14 isolated fungi showed a high capacity of enzyme production. This is the first study in Tunisia describing the microbial diversity in ROP as well as the isolation of Bacillus mojavensis producing lipase. Microorganisms especially fungi present in the repasso olive cake produce diverse hydrolytic enzymes of industrial interest.     

eIF4E3 forms an active eIF4F complex during stresses (eIF4FS) targeting mTOR and re-programs the translatome

The eIF4E are a family of initiation factors that bind the mRNA 5′ cap, regulating the proteome and the cellular phenotype. eIF4E1 mediates global translation and its activity is controlled via the PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway. mTOR down-regulation results in eIF4E1 sequestration into an inactive complex with the 4E binding proteins (4EBPs). The second member, eIF4E2, regulates the translatome during hypoxia. However, the exact function of the third member, eIF4E3, has remained elusive. We have dissected its function using a range of techniques. Starting from the observation that it does not interact with 4EBP1, we demonstrate that eIF4E3 recruitment into an eIF4F complex occurs when Torin1 inhibits the mTOR pathway. Ribo-seq studies demonstrate that this complex (eIF4F^S) is translationally active during stress and that it selects specific mRNA populations based on 5′ TL (UTR) length. The interactome reveals that it associates with cellular proteins beyond the cognate initiation factors, suggesting that it may have ‘moon-lighting’ functions. Finally, we provide evidence that cellular metabolism is altered in an eIF4E3 KO background but only upon Torin1 treatment. We propose that eIF4E3 acts as a second branch of the integrated stress response, re-programming the translatome to promote ‘stress resistance’ and adaptation.     

In vitro radiotherapy and chemotherapy alter migration of brain cancer cells before cell death

Although radiotherapy and most cancer drugs target the proliferation of cancer cells, it is metastasis, the complex process by which cancer cells spread from the primary tumor to other tissues and organs of the body where they form new tumors, that leads to over 90% of all cancer deaths. Thus, there is an urgent need for anti-metastasis strategies alongside chemotherapy and radiotherapy. An important step in the metastatic cascade is migration. It is the first step in metastasis via local invasion. Here we address the question whether ionizing radiation and/or chemotherapy might inadvertently promote metastasis and/or invasiveness by enhancing cell migration. We used a standard laboratory irradiator, Faxitron CellRad, to irradiate both non-cancer (HCN2 neurons) and cancer cells (T98G glioblastoma) with 2 Gy, 10 Gy and 20 Gy of X-rays. Paclitaxel (5 μM) was used for chemotherapy. We then measured the attachment and migration of the cells using an electric cell substrate impedance sensing device. Both the irradiated HCN2 cells and T98G cells showed significantly (p < 0.01) enhanced migration compared to non-irradiated cells, within the first 20–40 h following irradiation with 20 Gy. Our results suggest that cell migration should be a therapeutic target in anti-metastasis/anti-invasion strategies for improved radiotherapy and chemotherapy outcomes.