Potato bacterial wilt suppression and plant health improvement after application of different antioxidants

Bacterial wilt caused by Ralstonia solanacearum is a devastating disease that often threatens potato production and exportation. The potential of four antioxidants (seaweed extract (SWE), yeast, chitosan and ascorbic acid (ASA)) in controlling the disease was evaluated in vitro, under glasshouse and field conditions. The field experiment was conducted in two naturally infested locations: Wardan, Giza (sandy soil), and Talia, Minufiya (silty clay soil). Only chitosan showed antibacterial properties against the pathogen in vitro. SWE, yeast and chitosan showed disease suppression under both glasshouse and field conditions. The disease suppression was accompanied by an increase in the ratio of soil copiotrophic to oligotrophic bacteria. The three antioxidants increased plant nitrogen content, decreased soil OM content and decreased C/N ratio. Disease suppression after chitosan application was clearly observed only in Wardan area, which was characterized by a higher soil alkalinity. A high percentage of antagonistic fluorescent strains similar to Pseudomonas putida group were detected for chitosan‐treated plants in Wardan area (sandy soil). ASA drastically decreased the count of the pathogen in soil, but was conducive to the pathogen in plant tissues. A remarkable increase in microbial (bacterial and fungal) soil and rhizosphere diversity as indicated by PCR‐DGGE analysis for bacterial 16S rRNA and fungal 18S rRNA was recorded. In Talia area (silty clay soil), the soil microbial community was more stable and was in general resistant to the disease where the soils were characterized by high electrical conductivity. SWE, yeast and ASA significantly increased crop production in Talia area only.     

人工软骨支架中TGF-β1缓释壳聚糖微球对ATDC-5细胞生长的促进作用

为了提高本课题组前期构建的Ⅱ型胶原蛋白-透明质酸-硫酸软骨素的人工三维软骨支架对软骨细胞生长的促进作用,采用乳化交联法以壳聚糖为原料,加入细胞转化生长因子TGF-β1,并通过真空冷冻干燥技术制备了包裹TGF-β1的壳聚糖微球。然后分别将其与空白壳聚糖微球整合进软骨支架中,并接种小鼠软骨细胞ATDC-5,通过观察细胞生长状态来评价缓释微球在人工软骨支架中对软骨细胞生长是否具有促进作用。结果显示所制得的壳聚糖微球球体表面光滑,分散均匀,直径在100 nm左右,吸水率良好可达983.73%±4.38%,抗酶解作用较强,第28天时降解率仅达到51.0%±1.8%。由TGF-β1累积释放曲线可知TGF-β1在开始的24 h内释放最快,之后逐渐减慢,在120 h之后进入平台期,具有缓释效果。MTT试验以及荧光染色试验充分表明,由Ⅱ型胶原蛋白、透明质酸以及硫酸软骨素构建的三维软骨支架适合ATDC-5细胞的生长增殖,并且壳聚糖微球对TGF-β1的缓释能够显著促进细胞的生长。     

壳聚糖对镉胁迫下玉米幼苗根系抗氧化酶活性和内源激素水平的影响

为探究壳聚糖对增强玉米幼苗抗镉胁迫能力的生理生化机制,以玉米(Zea mays L.)杂交种‘郑单958’为试验材料,采用室内Hoagland水培法,探讨外施100mg·L~(-1)壳聚糖对镉胁迫(80mg·L~(-1))不同时间(0h、24h、48h、72h和96h)下玉米幼苗根系抗氧化酶活性和内源激素水平的影响。结果显示:(1)镉胁迫显著抑制玉米幼苗根系生长,并诱导根系活性氧产生、抗氧化酶活性增加、内源激素的平衡受到破坏。(2)镉胁迫下,外施壳聚糖处理96h后根系干重提高16.1%,根系的O-·2产生速率和H2O2含量分别降低9.1%和19.2%,SOD、POD和CAT活性分别提高32.5%、20.4%和21.3%,IAA、ZR和GA含量分别增加34.4%、40.4%和42.5%,ABA含量减少19.1%,IAA/ABA、ZR/ABA和GA/ABA分别提升66.1%、73.5%和76.0%。研究表明,壳聚糖能够调控镉胁迫下玉米幼苗根系内源激素的含量及平衡,减轻胁迫对抗氧化酶系统的破坏,增强其清除活性氧的能力,从而降低镉胁迫对根系的毒害,提高玉米幼苗对镉胁迫的抵抗能力,为玉米抗逆栽培提供了理论及试验依据。     

Biocomposite of subtilisin Carlsberg with chitosan as an effective biocatalyst for hydrolysis and synthesis of peptides

New biocatalysts, preparations of subtilisin Carlsberg immobilized on chitosan (a deacetylated derivative of chitin), were obtained. The enzyme content, hydrolytic activity, and ability to catalyze peptide bond formation in organic solvents were characterized for these preparations. The influence of the form and composition of the biocomplosite (content of the enzyme and glutaraldehyde, the cross-linking agent) and buffer pH on the biocatalytic properties of the immobilized enzyme was studied in the reactions of peptide bond hydrolysis. The synthase activity of the preparations was investigated in the reaction of synthesis of Z-Ala-Ala-Leu-Phe-pNA in a 6:4 DMF-acetonitrile mixture in dependence on the reaction time. The yield of this product was 100% after only 40 min.     

Effect of chitosan on hyphal growth and spore germination of plant pathogenic and biocontrol fungi

Aims: To investigate the toxic effect of chitosan on important root pathogenic and biocontrol fungi (nematophagous, entomopathogenic and mycoparasitic). Methods and Results: We have used standard bioassays to investigate the effect of chitosan on colony growth and developed bioassays to test spore germination. The results showed that the root pathogenic and mycoparasitic fungi tested were more sensitive to chitosan than nematophagous and entomopathogenic fungi. Chitosanases (and perhaps related enzymes) are involved in the resistance to chitosan. Two fungi, one sensitive to chitosan, Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. radicis‐lycopersici, and one less sensitive, Pochonia chlamydosporia, were selected for ultrastructural investigations. Transmission electron microscopy revealed differences in the ultrastructural alterations caused by chitosan in the spores of the plant pathogenic fungus and in those of the nematophagous fungus. Confocal laser microscopy showed that Rhodamine‐labelled chitosan enters rapidly into conidia of both fungi, in an energy‐dependent process. Conclusions: Nematophagous and entomopathogenic fungi are rather resistant to the toxic effect of chitosan. Resistance of nematophagous and entomopathogenic fungi to chitosan could be associated with their high extracellular chitosanolytic activity. Furthermore, ultrastructural damage is much more severe in the chitosan sensitive fungus. Significance and impact of the study: The results of this paper suggest that biocontrol fungi tested could be combined with chitosan for biological control of plant pathogens and pests.     

Methylated N-(4-N,N-Dimethylaminobenzyl) Chitosan, a Novel Chitosan Derivative, Enhances Paracellular Permeability Across Intestinal Epithelial Cells (Caco-2)

The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of methylated N-(4-N,N-dimethylaminobenzyl) chitosan, TM-Bz-CS, on the paracellular permeability of Caco-2 cell monolayers and its toxicity towards the cell lines. The factors affecting epithelial permeability, e.g., degree of quaternization (DQ) and extent of dimethylaminobenzyl substitution (ES), were evaluated in intestinal cell monolayers of Caco-2 cells using the transepithelial electrical resistance and permeability of Caco-2 cell monolayers, with fluorescein isothiocyanate dextran 4,400 (FD-4) as a model compound for paracellular tight-junction transport. Cytotoxicity was evaluated with the 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyl tetrazolium bromide viability assay. The results revealed that, at pH 7.4, TM-Bz-CS appeared to increase cell permeability in a concentration-dependent manner, and this effect was relatively reversible at lower doses of 0.05–0.5 mM. Higher DQ and the ES caused the permeability of FD-4 to be higher. The cytotoxicity of TM-Bz-CS depended on concentration, %DQ, and %ES. These studies demonstrated that this novel modified chitosan has potential as an absorption enhancer.     

Microencapsulation by Spray Coagulation of Diltiazem HCl in Calcium Alginate-Coated Chitosan

The aim of this work was to develop a procedure for encapsulation of diltiazem HCl by spray coagulation. Factors affecting the formulations such as the effect of NaCl on the solubility of diltiazem in alginate solution, surface tension, pH, viscosity of the coagulation medium, and the effect of drug load on drug release were studied. The drug load was increased substantially from 10 up to 320 mg/mL by adding 1.2% w/v NaCl in 1% w/v alginate solution. More stable microcapsules were obtained at pH 4.6 (acetate buffer) than at a pH 2.8 (lactic acid), and the microencapsulation process was favored by the type of chitosan that produced low turbidity and viscosity in the coagulation medium. A dose of 50 mg/mL of diltiazem HCl, 1.2% w/v NaCl, and chitosan CS allowed higher amount of drug to be encapsulated. The high water solubility of diltiazem HCl leads to fast release from the microcapsules.     

Formulation Variables Influencing Drug Release from Layered Matrix System Comprising Chitosan and Xanthan Gum

The purpose of this study was to investigate the formulation variables influencing the drug release from the layered tablets containing chitosan and xanthan gum as matrix component. Increasing the amount of lactose could diminish pH sensitive release behavior of these matrix tablets. Effect of formulation variables on drug release from the prepared three-layered matrix tablets was investigated. The amount of drug loading did not affect the drug release which was influenced by the hydrodynamic force and the matrix composition. An increase in stirring rate correspondingly increased the release rate. Moreover, incorporation of soluble diluents in core or barrier could enhance the drug release. Least square fitting the experimental dissolution data to the mathematical expressions (power law, first order, Higuchi’s and zero order) was carried out to study the drug release mechanism. Most dissolution profiles of the prepared three-layered tablets provided a better fit to zero order kinetic than to first order kinetic and Higuchi’s equation.     

低聚糖诱导小麦抗条锈性及相关酶活性变化的研究

用自行设计的方法从植物细胞壁中得到的低聚糖提取物5号对小麦浸种和苗期喷雾处理,均使接种条锈菌的小麦叶片产生了明显的过敏性坏死反应。对几种与抗病性密切相关的酶活性变化的分析表明,经低聚糖预先处理能显著提高小麦叶片的过氧化物酶(POD)、多酚氧化酶(PPO)和苯丙氨基酸解氨酶(PAL)的活性。     

Cloning and expression of mannosylphospho dolichol synthase from bovine adrenal medullary capillary endothelial cells

Mannosylphospho dolichol synthase (DPMS) is a critical enzyme in the biosynthesis of lipid-linked oligosaccharide (LLO; Glc₃Man₉GlcNAc₂-PP-Dol), a pre-requisite for asparagine-linked (N-linked) protein glycosylation. We have shown earlier that DPMS is important for angiogenesis, i.e., endothelial cell proliferation. This is true when cAMP is used for intracellular signaling. During cAMP signaling, DPMS is activated and ER stress is reduced. To understand the activation of DPMS at the molecular level we have isolated a cDNA clone for the DPMS gene (bDPMS) from the capillary endothelial cells of bovine adrenal medulla. DNA sequencing and the deduced amino acid sequence have established that bDPMS has a motif to be phosphorylated by cAMP-dependent protein kinase (PKA). Based on the sequence information Serine 165 has been found to be the phosphorylation target in bDPMS. Hydropathy Index when plotted against amino acid number indicates the presence of a hydrophobic region around the amino acid residues 120–160, supporting that bDPMS has one membrane spanning region. The recombinant bDPMS has now been purified as His-tag protein with an apparent molecular weight of M _r 33 kDa. Additionally, we show here that overexpression of DPMS is indeed angiogenic. The capillary endothelial cells proliferate at a higher rate carrying the DPMS overexpression plasmid over the parental cells or the vector.