Impaired Autophagy Flux is Associated with Proinflammatory Microglia Activation Following Japanese Encephalitis Virus Infection

Neurochemical Research - Role of autophagy in Japanese encephalitis viral (JEV) infection is not well known. In the present study, we reported the role of autophagy flux in microglia activation,...     

Influence of foliar-applied triacontanol on growth, gas exchange characteristics, and chlorophyll fluorescence at different growth stages in wheat under saline conditions

A greenhouse experiment was conducted to examine the effect of foliar application of triacontanol (TRIA) on two cultivars (cv. S-24 and MH-97) of wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) at different growth stages. Plants were grown in full strength Hoagland’s nutrient solution under salt stress (150 mM NaCl) or control (0 mM NaCl) conditions. Three TRIA concentrations (0, 10, and 20 μM) were sprayed over leaves at three different growth stages, i.e. vegetative (V), boot (B), and vegetative + boot (VB) stages (two sprays on same plants, i.e., the first at 30-d-old plants and the second 78-d-old plants). Salt stress decreased significantly growth, net photosynthetic rate (P _N), transpiration rate (E), chlorophyll contents (Chl a and b), and electron transport rate (ETR), while membrane permeability increased in both wheat cultivars. Stomatal conductance (g _s) decreased only in salt-sensitive cv. MH-97 under saline conditions. Foliar application of TRIA at different growth stages enhanced significantly the growth, P _N, g _s, Chl a and b contents, and ETR, while membrane permeability was reduced in both cultivars under salt stress. Of various growth stages, foliar-applied TRIA was comparatively more effective when it was applied at V and VB stages. Overall, 10 μM TRIA concentration was the most efficient in reducing negative effects of salinity stress in both wheat cultivars. The cv. S-24 showed the better growth and ETR, while cv. MH-97 exhibited higher nonphotochemical quenching.     

KAISO inhibition: an atomic insight

In today’s world, the pursuit of a novel anti-cancer agent remains top priority because of the fact that the global burden of this malady is continuously increasing. Our work is no different from others in searching for new therapeutic solutions. To achieve this, we are looking into Epigenetics, the phenomenon governed by hypermethylation and hypomethylation of tumor suppressor genes and oncogenes, respectively. Our target for this study is an important intermediary methyl-CpG binding protein named kaiso. In our study, we have used the X-ray crystallographic structure of Kaiso for virtual screening and molecular dynamics simulations to study the binding modes of possible inhibitors. The C2H2 domain comprising LYS539 was used for screening the inter bio screen Database having 48,531 natural compounds. Our approach of using computer-aided drug designing methods helped us to remove the execrable compounds and narrowed our focus on a selected few for molecular simulation studies. The top ranked compound (chem. ID 28127) exhibited the highest binding affinity and was also found to be stable throughout the 20 ns timeframe. This compound is therefore a good starting point for developing strong inhibitors.     

The Structure of NtdA,a Sugar Aminotransferase Involved in the Kanosamine Biosynthetic Pathway in Bacillus subtilis,Reveals a New Subclass of Aminotransferases

NtdA from Bacillus subtilis is a sugar aminotransferase that catalyzes the pyridoxal phosphate-dependent equatorial transamination of 3-oxo-α-d-glucose 6-phosphate to form α-d-kanosamine 6-phosphate. The crystal structure of NtdA shows that NtdA shares the common aspartate aminotransferase fold (Type 1) with residues from both monomers forming the active site. The crystal structures of NtdA alone, co-crystallized with the product α-d-kanosamine 6-phosphate, and incubated with the amine donor glutamate reveal three key structures in the mechanistic pathway of NtdA. The structure of NtdA alone reveals the internal aldimine form of NtdA with the cofactor pyridoxal phosphate covalently attached to Lys-247. The addition of glutamate results in formation of pyridoxamine phosphate. Co-crystallization with kanosamine 6-phosphate results in the formation of the external aldimine. Only α-d-kanosamine 6-phosphate is observed in the active site of NtdA, not the β-anomer. A comparison of the structure and sequence of NtdA with other sugar aminotransferases enables us to propose that the VI_β family of aminotransferases should be divided into subfamilies based on the catalytic lysine motif.     

Thermophilic (55°C) and moderately hyperthermophilic (65°C) fermentation of poultry manure triggers release of high heavy metal concentrations leading to enhanced genotoxicity

Proper disposal of waste from poultry industries may be done by thermophilic anaerobic digestion. Particularly, thermophilic fermentation exhibits pivotal advantages. However, not only the accrued waste material (digestate) serves as organic fertilizer but also poses environmental problems when the pollutant release is poorly synchronized with the environmental demand. To minimize environmental risks, additional hyperthermophilic (moderately hyperthermophilic) treatment of animal by‐products is necessary, but concurrent release of pollutants is notably increased. To estimate the quantity and quality of pollutants released, we analyzed various organic compounds as well as 21 metals and tested their genotoxic/mutagenic potential by using the Allium cepa assay and the Ames test. As, Cd, Ni, and W were not detected or had low concentration (0.01–0.47 mg/kg) and were considered of little relevance. Co, Cr, Ni, Pb, and Mo were detected at concentrations up to 5.76 mg/kg. Fe, Mn, Zn, and Cu had the highest concentrations and were accumulated to inhibitory levels. Phenolic compounds were detected in negligible concentrations. We found that approximately 30% of onion root chromosomes were permanently damaged by high heavy metal concentrations released from the digestates. Higher temperatures and longer fermentation times fostered an increased release of pollutants above permissible limits.     

Extremely stable indole-3-glycerol-phosphate synthase from hyperthermophilic archaeon Pyrococcus furiosus

Extremophiles - The gene-encoding Indole-3-glycerol phosphate synthase, a key enzyme involved in the cyclization of 1-(o-carboxyphenylamino)-1-deoxyribulose 5-phosphate, from Pyrococcus furiosus...     

Genome‐wide association study identifies variation of glucosidase being linked to natural variation of the maximal quantum yield of photosystem II

The maximum quantum yield of photosystem II (as reflected by variable to maximum chlorophyll a fluorescence, F_v/F_m) is regarded as one of the most important photosynthetic parameters. The genetic basis underlying natural variation in F_v/F_m, which shows low level of variations in plants under non‐stress conditions, is not easy to be exploited using the conventional gene cloning approaches. Thus, in order to answer this question, we have followed another strategy: we used genome‐wide association study (GWAS) and transgenic analysis in a rice mini‐core collection. We report here that four single‐nucleotide polymorphisms, located in the promoter region of β‐glucosidase 5 (BGlu‐5), are associated with observed variation in F_v/F_m. Indeed, our transgenic analysis showed a good correlation between BGlu‐5 and F_v/F_m. Thus, our work demonstrates the feasibility of using GWAS to study natural variation in F_v/F_m, suggesting that cis‐element polymorphism, affecting the BGlu‐5 expression level, may, indirectly, contribute to F_v/F_m variation in rice through the gibberellin signaling pathway. Further research is needed to understand the mechanism of our novel observation.     

Changes in the photosynthesis properties and photoprotection capacity in rice (Oryza sativa) grown under red,blue, or white light

Photosynthesis Research - Non-photochemical quenching (NPQ) of the excited state of chlorophyll a is a major photoprotective mechanism plants utilize to survive under high light. Here, we report...     

Bacillus cereus biofilm formation on central venous catheters of hospitalised cardiac patients

Formation of bacterial biofilms is a risk with many in situ medical devices. Biofilm-forming Bacillus species are associated with potentially life-threatening catheter-related blood stream infections in immunocompromised patients. Here, bacteria were isolated from biofilm-like structures within the lumen of central venous catheters (CVCs) from two patients admitted to cardiac hospital wards. Isolates belonged to the Bacillus cereus group, exhibited strong biofilm formation propensity, and mapped phylogenetically close to the B. cereus emetic cluster. Together, whole genome sequencing and quantitative PCR confirmed that the isolates constituted the same strain and possessed a range of genes important for and up-regulated during biofilm formation. Antimicrobial susceptibility testing demonstrated resistance to trimethoprim-sulphamethoxazole, clindamycin, penicillin and ampicillin. Inspection of the genome revealed several chromosomal β-lactamase genes and a sulphonamide resistant variant of folP. This study clearly shows that B. cereus persisting in hospital ward environments may constitute a risk factor from repeated contamination of CVCs.