Fungal Community Analyses of Endophytic Fungi from Two Oak Species,Quercus mongolica and Quercus serrata,in Korea

Fungal endophytes have been recorded in various plant species with a richness of diversity, and their presence plays an essential role in host plant protection against biotic and abiotic stresses. This study applied the Illumina MiSeq sequencing platform based on the amplification of fungal ribosomal ITS2 region to analyze fungal endophytic communities of two oak species (Quercus mongolica and Q. serrata) with different oak wilt disease susceptibilities in Korea. The results showed a total of 230,768 sequencing reads were obtained and clustered at a 97% similarity threshold into 709 operational taxonomic units (OTUs). The OTUs of Q. serrata were higher than that of Q. mongolica with the number of 617 OTUs and 512 OTUs, respectively. Shannon index also showed that Q. serrata had a significantly higher level of fungal diversity than Q. mongolica. Total of OTUs were assigned into 5 fungal phyla, 17 classes, 60 orders, 133 families, 195 genera, and 280 species. Ascomycota was the dominant phylum with 75.11% relative abundance, followed by Basidiomycota with 5.28%. Leptosillia, Aureobasidium and Acanthostigma were the most abundant genera detected in Q. serrata with the average relative abundance of 2.85, 2.76, and 2.19%, respectively. On the other hand, Peltaster, Cladosporium and Monochaetia were the most common genera detected in Q. mongolica with the average relative abundance of 4.83, 3.03, and 2.87%, respectively. Our results indicated that fungal endophytic communities were significantly different between two oak species and these differences could influence responses of host trees to oak wilt disease caused by Raffaelea quercus-mongolicae.     

Neuroprotective effects of flavones on hydrogen peroxide-induced apoptosis in SH-SY5Y neuroblostoma cells

Neuroprotective effects of flavones were examined. Luteolin and apigenin exhibited neuroprotection against oxidative stress-induced cell death in SH-SY5Y cells. Free radical scavenging activity and neuroprotection assays revealed that flavones exerted their neuroprotective effects via the direct interaction with the apoptotic caspase pathway independently of their antioxidant activity.     

Curcumin suppresses activation of NF-kappaB and AP-1 induced by phorbol ester in cultured human promyelocytic leukemia cells

Many components that are derived from medicinal or dietary plants possess potential chemopreventive properties. Curcumin, a yellow coloring agent from turmeric (Curcuma longa Linn, Zingiberaceae), possesses strong antimutagenic and anticarcinogenic activities. In this study, we have found that curcumin inhibits the 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate (TPA)-induced nuclear factor kB (NF-kappaB) activation by preventing the degradation of the inhibitory protein IkBalpa; and the subsequent translocation of the p65 subunit in cultured human promyelocytic leukemia (HL-60) cells. Alternatively, curcumin repressed the TPA-induced activation of NF-kappaB through direct interruption of the binding of NF-kappaB to its consensus DNA sequences. Likewise, the TPA-induced DNA binding of the activator protein-1 (AP-1) was inhibited by curcumin pretreatment.     

Measurement of blood viscosity using mass-detecting sensor

A newly designed mass-detecting capillary viscometer is extended to measure the viscosity of whole blood over a range of shear rates without the use of anticoagulants in a clinical setting. In the present study as proof of principle, a single measurement of liquid-mass variation with time replaces the flow rate and pressure drop measurements that are usually required for the operation of a capillary tube viscometer. Using a load cell and capillary, we measured the change of mass flowing through capillary tube with respect to the time, m(t), from which viscosity and shear rate were mathematically calculated. For water and adulterated bloods, excellent agreement was found between the results from the mass-detecting capillary viscometer and those from a commercially available rotating viscometer. Also, the mass-detecting capillary viscometer measured the viscosity of unadulterated whole blood without heparin or EDTA. This new method overcomes the drawbacks of conventional viscometers in the measurement of the whole blood viscosity. First, the mass-detecting capillary viscometer can accurately and consistently measure the unadulterated blood viscosity over a range of shear rates in less than 2 min without any anticoagulants. Second, this design provides simplicity (i.e. ease of operation, no moving parts, and disposable) and low cost.     

Development of DNA microarray for pathogen detection

Pathogens pose a significant threat to humans, animals, and plants. Consequently, a considerable effort has been devoted to developing rapid, convenient, and accurate assays for the detection of these unfavorable organisms. Recently, DNA-microarray based technology is receiving much attention as a powerful tool for pathogen detection. After the target gene is first selected for the unique identification of microorganisms, species-specific probes are designed through bioinformatic analysis of the sequences, which uses the information present in the databases. DNA samples, which were obtained from reference and/or clinical isolates, are properly processed and hybridized with species-specific probes that are immobilized on the surface of the microarray for fluorescent detection. In this study, we review the methods and strategies for the development of DNA microarray for pathogen detection, with the focus on probe design.     

One-dimensional helical coordination polymers of cobalt(II) and iron(II) ions with 2,2′-bipyridyl-3,3′-dicarboxylate (BPDC)

One-dimensional (1-D) helical coordination polymers, [M^II(H₂O)₃(BPDC)]_n · nH₂O (M = Co (1), Fe (2)), have been prepared by the self-assembly of cobalt(II) and iron(II) ions, respectively, with 2,2′-bipyridyl-3,3′-dicarboxylic acid (H₂BPDC) in an aqueous solution. X-ray crystal structures of compounds 1 and 2 show that each metal ion displays a distorted octahedral coordination geometry including three water oxygen atoms, one oxygen atom of the carboxylate of a BPDC²⁻ belonging to the adjacent metal ion and two nitrogen atoms from the BPDC²⁻ acting as a chelating ligand. In 1 and 2, one carboxylate oxygen atom of coordinated BPDC²⁻ binds to the neighboring metal ion, which give rise to 1-D helical coordination polymers. The helical chains of 1 and 2 are linked by the hydrogen bonding interactions between the carboxylate oxygen atom of the BPDC²⁻ ion belonging to a chain and the water molecule of the adjacent helical chain, which lead to 2-D networks extending along the ab plane. The supramolecules 1 and 2 show isomorphous structures regardless of the metal ions.     

Gene-gene interaction analysis identifies a new genetic risk factor for colorectal cancer

Background

Adiponectin levels have been shown to be associated with colorectal cancer (CRC). Furthermore, a newly identified adiponectin receptor, T-cadherin, has been associated with plasma adiponectin levels. Therefore, we investigated the potential for a genetic association between T-cadherin and CRC risk.

Result

We conducted a case–control study using the Korean Cancer Prevention study-II cohort, which is composed of 325 CRC patients and 977 normal individuals. Study results revealed that rs3865188 in the 5’ flanking region of the T-cadherin gene (CDH13) was significantly associated with CRC (p = 0.0474). The odds ratio (OR) for the TT genotype as compared to the TA + AA genotype was 1.577 (p = 0.0144). In addition, the interaction between CDH13 and the adiponectin gene (APN) for CRC risk was investigated using a logistic regression analysis. Among six APN single nucleotide polymorphisms (rs182052, rs17366568, rs2241767, rs3821799, rs3774261, and rs6773957), an interaction with the rs3865188 was found for four (rs2241767, rs3821799, rs3774261, and rs6773957). The group with combined genotypes of TT for rs3865188 and GG for rs377426 displayed the highest risk for CRC development as compared to those with the other genotype combinations. The OR for the TT/GG genotype as compared to the AA/AA genotype was 4.108 (p = 0.004). Furthermore, the plasma adiponectin level showed a correlation with the gene-gene interaction, and the group with the highest risk for CRC had the lowest adiponectin level (median, 4.8 μg/mL for the TT/GG genotype vs.7.835 μg/mL for the AA/AA genotype, p = 0.0017).

Conclusions

The present study identified a new genetic factor for CRC risk and an interaction between CDH13 and APN in CRC risk. These genetic factors may be useful for predicting CRC risk.

Electronic supplementary material

The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12929-015-0180-9) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.Keyword: Gene-gene interaction, CRC, CDH13, rs3865188, APNSNPs     

Prolonged cell-free protein synthesis using dual energy sources: Combined use of creatine phosphate and glucose for the efficient supply of ATP and retarded accumulation of phosphate

The accumulation of inorganic phosphate inhibits protein synthesis in cell-free protein synthesis reactions that are energized by high-energy-phosphate-containing compounds. This study developed a new scheme for supplying energy using dual energy sources to enhance the regeneration of ATP and lower the rate of phosphate accumulation. In the proposed scheme, where creatine phosphate (CP) and glucose were simultaneously used as the energy sources, the phosphate released from the CP was subsequently used in the glycolytic pathway for the utilization of the glucose, which enhanced the ATP supply and reduced the rate of inorganic phosphate accumulation. When tested against different proteins, the developed method produced 2-3 times more protein than the conventional ATP regeneration methods using single energy sources.     

Microbial platforms to produce commercially vital carotenoids at industrial scale: an updated review of critical issues

Journal of Industrial Microbiology & Biotechnology - Carotenoids are a diverse group of isoprenoid pigments that play crucial roles in plants, animals, and microorganisms, including body...