Immunosensor based on magnetic relaxation switch and biotin-streptavidin system for the detection of Kanamycin in milk

A rapid, sensitive, and simple immunosensor was developed for the detection of Kanamycin (KM) in milk. This immunosensor is based on magnetic relaxation switch (MRS) assay and biotin-streptavidin system (B-SA system). The target analyte (KM) competed with those on the surface of the superparamagnetic iron oxide (SPIO) nanoparticles and hence affected the formation of SPIO aggregates. The dispersed and aggregated states of SPIO can modulate the spin-spin relaxation time (T(2)) of the neighboring water molecule. T(2) was then changed as an effect of the target analyte. The B-SA system was used to amplify the SPIO binding, thus enhance the sensitivity. The detection working was 1.5 to 25.2ngmL(-1) and limit of detection (LOD) was determined to be 0.1ngmL(-1). The LOD of the immunosensor decreased tenfold, and its analysis time (45min) was much shorter than that of enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (6h to 8h). The average recoveries of the KM at various spiking levels ranged from 80.2% to 85.6% with a relative standard deviation (RSD) below 4.0%. The results showed that the MRS immunosensor was a promising platform for the determination of small molecular residues because of its high sensitivity, specificity, homogeneity, and speed.     

Purification,Chemical Characterization,and Bioactivity of an Extracellular Polysaccharide Produced by the Marine Sponge Endogenous Fungus <Emphasis Type="Italic">Alternaria</Emphasis> sp. SP-32

Marine sponges are ancient and simple multicellular filter-feeding invertebrates attached to solid substrates in benthic habitats and host a variety of fungi both inside and on their surface because of its unique ingestion and digest system. Investigation on marine sponge-associated fungi mainly focused on the small molecular metabolites, yet little attention had been paid to the extracellular polysaccharides. In this study, a homogeneous extracellular polysaccharide AS2-1 was obtained from the fermented broth of the marine sponge endogenous fungus Alternaria sp. SP-32 using ethanol precipitation, anion-exchange, and size-exclusion chromatography. Results of chemical and spectroscopic analyses showed that AS2-1 was composed of mannose, glucose, and galactose with a molar ratio of 1.00:0.67:0.35, and its molecular weight was 27.4 kDa. AS2-1 consists of a mannan core and a galactoglucan chain. The mannan core is composed of (1→6)-α-Manp substituted at C-2 by (1→2)-α-Manp with different degrees of polymerization. The galactoglucan chain consists of (1→6)-α-Glcp residues with (1→6)-β-Galf residues attached to the last glucopyranose residue at C-6. (1→6)-β-Galf residues have additional branches at C-2 consisting of disaccharide units of (1→2)-β-Galf and (1→2)-α-Glcp residues. The glucopyranose residue of the galactoglucan chain is linked to the mannan core. AS2-1 possessed a high antioxidant activity as evaluated by scavenging of 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl and hydroxyl radicals in vitro. AS2-1 was also evaluated for cytotoxic activity on Hela, HL-60, and K562 cell lines by the MTT and SRB methods. The investigation demonstrated that AS2-1 was a novel extracellular polysaccharide with different characterization from extracellular polysaccharides produced by other marine microorganisms.     

TICKET attracts pollen tubes and mediates reproductive isolation between relative species in Brassicaceae

In flowering plants, pollen tubes are attracted to the ovule by secreted peptides to release the sperm cells for double fertilization.This process is species-specific and acts as an important stage of reproductive isolation between species. Here we identified a cysteine-rich peptide TICKET2 in Arabidopsis thaliana and its orthologs in Arabidopsis lyrata and Capsella rebella that can attract the conspecific pollen tubes, but not the pollen tubes of relative species in Brassicaceae. Genetic knockout of the AtTICKET subclade compromised the pollen tube attraction efficiency. This study identified a new pollen tube attracting signal and shed light on the molecular basis of reproductive isolation.     

13th Annual Biotechnology Congress (BAC Madrid 2019): abstract collection

Background

Tobacco stalk (TS), a major agricultural waste abundant in pectin, has resulted in concerns about the need for its reuse. The nicotine in TS is considered a chemical that is to\xic and hazardous to the environment.

Results

In this study, Bacillus tequilensis CAS-MEI-2-33 was isolated from cigar wrappers to produce alkaline pectinase using TS. Subsequently, the medium and fermentation conditions for the production of pectinase by B. tequilensis CAS-MEI-2-33 were optimized. The optimal fermentation period, pH of the initial fermentation medium, concentration of TS, and inoculum amount for B. tequilensis CAS-MEI-2-33 were 40 h, 40 g/L, 7.0, and 3%, respectively. Under optimal conditions, the pectinase activity was 1370 U/mL. Then, the enzymatic properties, such as the optimum pH, reaction temperature, temperature stability, and effects of metal ions, were studied. The optimal pH was determined to be 10.0, indicating that the enzyme was an alkaline pectinase. The optimal temperature was 40 °C, and pectinase activity was stable at 40 °C. The Ag⁺ metal ions were shown to remarkably promote enzyme activity. The pectinase was partly purified by ammonium sulfate precipitation, ion exchange chromatography, and Sephacryl S-100 chromatography. Sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) and LC-MS/MS analyses were utilized to analyze the pectinase.

Conclusions

This study provided a new alkaline pectinase candidate and a new strategy for the use of TS.

     

Interaction between hesperetin and human serum albumin revealed by spectroscopic methods

Hesperetin (5,7,3'-trihydroxyl-4'-methoxyl-flavanone) is an important bioactive compound in Chinese traditional medicine and has multiple biological and pharmacological activities. The interaction of hesperetin with human serum albumin (HSA) has been investigated by UV absorption, fluorescence and Fourier transformed infrared spectrometry. Fluorescence results showed that one molecule of protein combined with one molecule of drug at the molar ratio of drug to HSA ranging from 0.3 to 7 and the binding affinity (K(A)) was 8.11x10(4) M(-1). The primary binding site was most likely located on subdomain IIA. The binding ability of the drug to protein decreased from pH 6.4 to 8.4 in the drug to protein molar ratio of 1. Combining the curve-fitting results of infrared amide I band in D2O and H2O phosphate buffers, the alterations of protein secondary structure after drug complexation were estimated. With increasing the drug concentration, the percentage of protein alpha-helix structure decreased gradually. The reduction of protein alpha-helix structure reached about 7-9% after the protein interacted with hesperetin in D2O and H2O buffer solution at pH 7.4 when the drug to protein molar ratio was 10. This indicated a partial unfolding of HSA in the presence of the drug. From the results of UV absorption, fluorescence and Fourier transformed infrared spectrometry, the binding mode was discussed. The main mechanism of protein fluorescence quenching was a static quenching process and the hydroxyl groups of the drug in its neutral part played an important role in the binding process.     

Interactions of human serum albumin with chlorogenic acid and ferulic acid

The interactions of chlorogenic acid and ferulic acid with human serum albumin (HSA) have been investigated by fluorescence and Fourier transformed infrared (FT-IR) spectrometry. Fluorescence results showed that one molecule of protein combined with one molecule of drugs at the molar ratio of drug to HSA ranging from 1 to 10, and their binding affinities (KA) are 4.37 x 10(4) M(-1) and 2.23 x 10(4) M(-1) for chlorogenic acid and ferulic acid, respectively. The primary binding site for chlorogenic acid is most likely located on IIA and that for ferulic acid in IIIA. The main mechanism of protein fluorescence quenching was static quenching process. Combining the curve-fitting results of infrared amide I and amide III bands, the alterations of protein secondary structure after drug complexation were estimated. With increasing the drug concentration, the protein alpha-helix structure decreased gradually and the reduction of protein alpha-helix structure reached about 7% and 5% for protein binding with chlorogenic acid and ferulic acid individually at the drug to protein molar ratio of 30. This indicated a partial unfolding of HSA in the presence of the two acids. From the fluorescence and FT-IR results, the binding mode was discussed.     

Nm23-H1 Protein Binds to APE1 at AP Sites and Stimulates AP Endonuclease Activity Following Ionizing Radiation of the Human Lung Cancer A549 Cells

Non-metastatic protein-23 homolog-1 (Nm23-H1) is a multifunctional protein with DNase and histidine protein kinase activities. Human apurinic endonuclease-1 (APE1) is the AP endonuclease DNA base excision repair (BER) enzyme involved in several important cellular functions. Since the relationship between Nm23-H1 and APE1 proteins is unclear, we evaluated their interaction at different time points after irradiating human lung cancer A549 cells with X-rays. We found that Nm23-H1 and APE1 overexpression was induced by irradiation in a dose- and time-dependent manner. Subcellular distribution pattern of both proteins was reversed after irradiation. After irradiation, APE1 that initially showed nuclear localization was gradually increased in the cytoplasm, whereas Nm23-H1 that mainly showed cytoplasmic localization was gradually increased in the nuclei of A549 cells. Nm23-H1 and APE1 interaction was demonstrated by His-pull-down and co-immunoprecipitation assays. The presence of Nm23-H1/APE1 complex in X-ray-irradiated A549 cells was also detected by DNA affinity precipitation analysis of a DNA fragment containing an AP site. Although the AP endonuclease activity of Nm23-H1 was too weak to be detected, the AP endonuclease activity of APE1 was increased with the enhanced Nm23-H1 expression. In conclusion, our data point to a mechanism by which Nm23-H1 protects cells against oxidative stress through the engagement of DNA BER enzyme APE1.     

Serum APE1 Autoantibodies: A Novel Potential Tumor Marker and Predictor of Chemotherapeutic Efficacy in Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer

Apurinic/apyrimidinic endonuclease 1 (APE1), which has the dual functions of both DNA repair and redox activity, has been reported to be highly expressed in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), and this appears to be a characteristic related to chemotherapy resistance. In this study, we identified serum APE1 autoantibodies (APE1-AAbs) in NSCLC patients and healthy controls by immunoblotting and investigated the expression of APE1-AAbs by indirect ELISA from the serum of 292 NSCLC patients and 300 healthy controls. In addition, serum APE1-AAbs level alterations of 91 patients were monitored before and after chemotherapy. Our results showed that serum APE1-AAbs can be detected in both NSCLC patients and healthy controls. Serum APE1-AAbs were significantly higher than those of healthy controls and closely related to APE1 antigen levels both in tumor tissues and the peripheral blood. Moreover, the change in levels of serum APE1-AAbs in NSCLC is closely associated with the response to chemotherapy. These results suggest that APE1-AAbs is a potential tumor marker and predictor of therapeutic efficacy in NSCLC.