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Biology Jul 2022Improved cellulose biosynthesis and plant biomass represent important economic targets for several biotechnological applications including bioenergy and biofuel...
Improved cellulose biosynthesis and plant biomass represent important economic targets for several biotechnological applications including bioenergy and biofuel production. The attempts to increase the biosynthesis of cellulose by overexpressing CesAs proteins, components of the cellulose synthase complex, has not always produced consistent results. Analyses of morphological and molecular data and of the chemical composition of cell walls showed that tobacco plants (F1 line), stably expressing the CesA6 fused to GFP, exhibits a "giant" phenotype with no apparent other morphological aberrations. In the F1 line, all evaluated growth parameters, such as stem and root length, leaf size, and lignified secondary xylem, were significantly higher than in wt. Furthermore, F1 line exhibited increased flower and seed number, and an advance of about 20 days in the anthesis. In the leaves of F1 seedlings, the expression of primary (, , and ) was enhanced, as well as of proteins involved in the biosynthesis of non-cellulosic polysaccharides (xyloglucans and galacturonans, , ), cell wall remodeling ( and XTHs), and cell expansion ( and ). While in leaves the expression level of all secondary cell wall (, , and ) did not change significantly, both primary and secondary were differentially expressed in the stem. The amount of cellulose and matrix polysaccharides significantly increased in the F1 seedlings with no differences in pectin and hemicellulose glycosyl composition. Our results highlight the potentiality to overexpress primary in tobacco plants to enhance cellulose synthesis and biomass production.
PubMed: 36009766
DOI: 10.3390/biology11081139 -
Frontiers in Pharmacology 2021infection (CDI) is a leading cause of antibiotic-associated diarrhoea. Adhesion of this Gram-positive pathogen to the intestinal epithelium is a crucial step in CDI,...
infection (CDI) is a leading cause of antibiotic-associated diarrhoea. Adhesion of this Gram-positive pathogen to the intestinal epithelium is a crucial step in CDI, with recurrence and relapse of disease dependent on epithelial interaction of its endospores. Close proximity, or adhesion of, hypervirulent strains to the intestinal mucosa are also likely to be necessary for the release of toxins, which when internalized, result in intestinal epithelial cell rounding, damage, inflammation, loss of barrier function and diarrhoea. Interrupting these -epithelium interactions could therefore represent a promising therapeutic strategy to prevent and treat CDI. Intake of dietary fibre is widely recognised as being beneficial for intestinal health, and we have previously shown that soluble non-starch polysaccharides (NSP) from plantain banana ( spp.), can block epithelial adhesion and invasion of a number of gut pathogens, such as and Salmonellae. Here, we assessed the action of plantain NSP, and a range of alternative soluble plant fibres, for inhibitory action on epithelial interactions of clinical isolates, purified endospore preparations and toxins. We found that plantain NSP possessed ability to disrupt epithelial adhesion of vegetative cells and spores, with inhibitory activity against found within the acidic (pectin-rich) polysaccharide component, through interaction with the intestinal epithelium. Similar activity was found with NSP purified from broccoli and leek, although seen to be less potent than NSP from plantain. Whilst plantain NSP could not block the interaction and intracellular action of purified toxins, it significantly diminished the epithelial impact of , reducing both bacteria and toxin induced inflammation, activation of caspase 3/7 and cytotoxicity in human intestinal cell-line and murine intestinal organoid cultures. Dietary supplementation with soluble NSP from plantain may therefore confer a protective effect in CDI patients by preventing adhesion of to the mucosa, i.e. a "contrabiotic" effect, and diminishing its epithelial impact. This suggests that plantain soluble dietary fibre may be a therapeutically effective nutritional product for use in the prevention or treatment of CDI and antibiotic-associated diarrhoea.
PubMed: 34955836
DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2021.766293 -
Helicobacter Jun 2023Bismuth-containing quadruple therapy is an effective regimen for Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) treatment. No head-to-head comparison trials have been conducted to... (Randomized Controlled Trial)
Randomized Controlled Trial
Colloidal bismuth pectin-containing quadruple therapy as the first-line treatment of Helicobacter pylori infection: A multicenter, randomized, double-blind, non-inferiority clinical trial.
BACKGROUND
Bismuth-containing quadruple therapy is an effective regimen for Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) treatment. No head-to-head comparison trials have been conducted to evaluate the efficacy of colloidal bismuth pectin (CBP) in quadruple therapy for eradicating H. pylori. We aimed to compare the efficacy and safety of CBP quadruple therapy and bismuth potassium citrate (BPC) quadruple therapy for 14 days in the first-line treatment of H. pylori.
METHODS
In this multicenter, randomized, double-blind, non-inferiority clinical trial, H. pylori-infected subjects without eradication history were randomized to receive amoxicillin 1 g twice daily, tetracycline 500 mg three time daily, esomeprazole 20 mg twice daily in combination with CBP 200 mg three time daily or BPC 240 mg twice daily for 14 days. C-urea breath tests were used to access the eradication rate at least 4 weeks after treatment.
RESULTS
Between April 2021 and July 2022, 406 patients were assessed for eligibility and 339 subjects were randomized. The cure rates (primary outcome) of CBP and BPC quadruple therapy were 90.5% and 92.3% (p = 0.56) by intention-to-treat analysis, respectively, and 96.1% and 96.2% (p = 1.00) by per-protocol analysis, respectively. CBP quadruple therapy was non-inferior to BPC quadruple therapy in the intention-to-treat and per-protocol analysis (p < 0.025). The frequency of adverse events and compliance were not different among the two groups (p > 0.05).
CONCLUSIONS
Both CBP and BPC quadruple therapy for 14 days provide high efficacy, good compliance, and safety in the first-line treatment of H. pylori in China.
Topics: Humans; Helicobacter Infections; Bismuth; Helicobacter pylori; Anti-Bacterial Agents; Proton Pump Inhibitors; Drug Therapy, Combination; Amoxicillin; Pectins; Treatment Outcome
PubMed: 37002653
DOI: 10.1111/hel.12978 -
Horticulture Research 2020Glyoxalase I (Gly I) is the first enzyme in the glutathionine-dependent glyoxalase pathway for detoxification of methylglyoxal (MG) under stress conditions. Transgenic...
Glyoxalase I (Gly I) is the first enzyme in the glutathionine-dependent glyoxalase pathway for detoxification of methylglyoxal (MG) under stress conditions. Transgenic tomato 'Money Maker' plants overexpressing tomato gene (tomato unigene accession SGN-U582631/Solyc09g082120.3.1) were generated and homozygous lines were obtained after four generations of self-pollination. In this study, overepxressing line (GlyI), wild type (WT, negative control) and plants transformed with empty vector (ECtr, positive control), were subjected to Al-treatment by growing in Magnavaca's nutrient solution (pH 4.5) supplemented with 20 µM Al ion activity. After 30 days of treatments, the fresh and dry weight of shoots and roots of plants from Al-treated conditions decreased significantly compared to the non-treated conditions for all the three lines. When compared across the three lines, root fresh and dry weight of GlyI was significant higher than WT and ECtr, whereas there was no difference in shoot tissues. The basal 5 mm root-tips of GlyI plants expressed a significantly higher level of glyoxalase activity under both non-Al-treated and Al-treated conditions compared to the two control lines. Under Al-treated condition, there was a significant increase in MG content in ECtr and WT lines, but not in GlyI line. Quantitative proteomics analysis using tandem mass tags mass spectrometry identified 4080 quantifiable proteins and 201 Al-induced differentially expressed proteins (DEPs) in root-tip tissues from GlyI, and 4273 proteins and 230 DEPs from ECtr. The Al-down-regulated DEPs were classified into molecular pathways of gene transcription, RNA splicing and protein biosynthesis in both GlyI and ECtr lines. The Al-induced DEPs in GlyI associated with tolerance to Al and MG toxicity are involved in callose degradation, cell wall components (xylan acetylation and pectin degradation), oxidative stress (antioxidants) and turnover of Al-damaged epidermal cells, repair of damaged DNA, epigenetics, gene transcription, and protein translation. A protein-protein association network was constructed to aid the selection of proteins in the same pathway but differentially regulated in GlyI or ECtr lines. Proteomics data are available via ProteomeXchange with identifiers PXD009456 under project title '25Dec2017_Suping_XSexp2_ITAG3.2' for overexpressing tomato plants and PXD009848 under project title '25Dec2017_Suping_XSexp3_ITAG3.2' for positive control ECtr line transformed with empty vector.
PubMed: 32257229
DOI: 10.1038/s41438-020-0264-x -
International Journal of Biological... Jul 2022Gelatin (G) cross-linked with oxidized pectin (OP) was studied as a potential scaffold material for tissue engineering. The effect of oxidation on the chemical...
Gelatin (G) cross-linked with oxidized pectin (OP) was studied as a potential scaffold material for tissue engineering. The effect of oxidation on the chemical properties of pectin was investigated by determining the carbonyl and carboxyl amounts. The OP treatment led to a significant decrease of all values (Mn, Mw, [η] and Rh) determined by size exclusion chromatography (SEC) coupled on line with multiangle light scattering and viscometer detectors. Cross-linking parameters were elucidated by FTIR and TNBS assay. In general, the degree of crosslinking increased with the oxidation of pectin. It was found that the presence of the crosslinking agents caused a reduction in swelling and in the gelatin release which was determined by the BCA kit assay. From the hemolysis test, the membrane of red blood cells was not disrupted by the contact of films and the rate of release of hemoglobin was lower than 5%. The coagulation properties were evaluated by the dynamic blood clotting test. The G/OP hydrogels manifested a good activity of wound healing in the albino rats' model. Moreover, the films did not produce any unwilling symptoms. So, it was concluded that studied films have the potentiality to be used as wound healing biomaterials.
Topics: Animals; Biocompatible Materials; Gelatin; Hydrogels; Pectins; Rats; Wound Healing
PubMed: 35577187
DOI: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2022.05.082 -
Biomaterials Science Oct 2019The emergence of drug-resistant bacteria poses a serious threat to public health. The traditional antibiotics have specific intracellular targets and disinfect via...
The emergence of drug-resistant bacteria poses a serious threat to public health. The traditional antibiotics have specific intracellular targets and disinfect via chemical ways, which easily lead to the development of drug resistance, therefore, cationic peptides as promising antibiotic agents have attracted extensive attention due to their unique properties. Herein, we report a class of amphiphilic peptide-based pectinate polymers with primary amino groups. The polymers spontaneously self-assembled into the positively charged nanoparticles, which were evaluated and confirmed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and dynamic light scattering (DLS). Biological assays revealed that the nanoparticles showed broad-spectrum antibacterial efficacy against both Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria, exhibiting a MIC of 16 μg mL against six clinical bacteria, namely, E. faecalis, S. aureus, MRSA, VRE, P. aeruginosa, and K. pneumonia, and three bacterial strains E. coli and E. coli producing NDM-1 and ImiS, and showed a sterilization rate of 95.6% and 94.7% on S. aureus and E. coli, respectively. Importantly, the nanoparticles did not result in drug-resistance for both the normal and drug-resistant bacteria tested after 14 passages and showed low toxicity on the mouse fibroblast cells (L929). The fluorescence staining, electrical conductivity, SEM, and surface plasmon resonance (SPR) characterization suggested that the nanoparticles initially bound to the surface of the bacteria, then pierced into the membranes of the bacteria with their phenyl groups, and finally disrupted the membranes, resulting in ions leaking out and thus exhibiting broad-spectrum antibacterial efficacy. This bactericidal mechanism that the nanoparticles employed does not lead the bacteria susceptible to developing drug resistance. This study provides a promising pathway for the development of the efficient antibacterial materials.
Topics: Animals; Anti-Bacterial Agents; Cell Line; Cell Survival; Drug Resistance, Bacterial; Gram-Negative Bacteria; Gram-Positive Bacteria; Mice; Nanoparticles; Peptides; Polymers
PubMed: 31364616
DOI: 10.1039/c9bm01050e -
International Journal of Molecular... Sep 2023Common smut caused by is one of the dominant fungal diseases in plants. The resistance mechanism to infection involving alterations in the cell wall is poorly studied....
Common smut caused by is one of the dominant fungal diseases in plants. The resistance mechanism to infection involving alterations in the cell wall is poorly studied. In this study, the resistant single segment substitution line (SSSL) R445 and its susceptible recurrent parent line Ye478 of maize were infected with , and the changes in cell wall components and structure were studied at 0, 2, 4, 8, and 12 days postinfection. In R445 and Ye478, the contents of cellulose, hemicellulose, pectin, and lignin increased by varying degrees, and pectin methylesterase (PME) activity increased. The changes in hemicellulose and pectin in the cell wall after infection were analyzed via immunolabeling using monoclonal antibodies against hemicellulsic xylans and high/low-methylated pectin. infection altered methyl esterification of pectin, and the degree of methyl esterification was correlated with the resistance of maize to . Furthermore, the relationship between methyl esterification of pectin and host resistance was validated using 15 maize inbred lines with different resistance levels. The results revealed that cell wall components, particularly pectin, were important factors affecting the colonization and propagation of in maize, and methyl esterification of pectin played a role in the resistance of maize to infection.
Topics: Plant Diseases; Esterification; Zea mays; Pectins; Ustilago; Cell Wall
PubMed: 37834187
DOI: 10.3390/ijms241914737 -
Carbohydrate Polymers Sep 2022Roots of Aconitum carmichaelii are used in Asian countries due to its content of bioactive alkaloids. In the production of root preparations, tons of leaves are usually...
Roots of Aconitum carmichaelii are used in Asian countries due to its content of bioactive alkaloids. In the production of root preparations, tons of leaves are usually discarded, leading to a huge waste of herbal material. The aim of this study is to investigate the polysaccharides in these unutilized leaves. A neutral polysaccharide (AL-N) appeared to be a mixture of heteromannans, and two purified acidic polysaccharides (AL-I-I and AL-I-II) were shown to be pectins containing a homogalacturonan backbone substituted with terminal β-Xylp-units. AL-I-I consisted of a type-I rhamnogalacturonan core, with arabinan and type-II arabinogalactan domains while AL-I-II was less branched. AL-N and AL-I-I were able to modulate the complement system, while AL-I-II was inactive. Interestingly, AL-N, AL-I-I and AL-I-II were shown to exert anti-inflammatory effects on porcine enterocyte IPEC-J2 cells. AL-I-I and AL-I-II were able to down-regulate the expression of toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) and nucleotide-binding oligomerization domain 1 (NOD1).
Topics: Aconitum; Alkaloids; Animals; Anti-Inflammatory Agents; Cell Line; Enterocytes; Plant Leaves; Polysaccharides; Swine
PubMed: 35698356
DOI: 10.1016/j.carbpol.2022.119655 -
Scientific Reports Dec 2020Contemplating the exemplary benefits of pectin on human health, we precisely characterized and evaluated the antibacterial and anticancer activities from purified...
Contemplating the exemplary benefits of pectin on human health, we precisely characterized and evaluated the antibacterial and anticancer activities from purified Mulberry Fruit Pectins (MFP). Here, we tested BR-2 and S-13 varieties of mulberry fruit pectins against six bacterial strains and two human cancer cell lines (HT-29 and Hep G-2), using MIC and an in vitro cell-based assay respectively. The BR-2 mulberry fruit pectin performs superior to S-13 by inhibiting strong bacterial growth (MIC = 500-1000 μg/mL) against tested bacterial strains and cytotoxic activities at the lowest concentration (10 µg/ml) against the Hep G-2 cell line. However, both tested drugs failed to exhibit cytotoxicity on the human colon cancer cell line (HT-29). Based on molecular interaction through docking, pectin binds effectively with the receptors (1e3g, 3t0c, 5czz, 6j7l, 6v40, 5ibs, 5zsy, and 6ggb) and proven to be a promising antimicrobial and anti-cancer agents. The pursuit of unexploited drugs from mulberry fruit pectin will potentially combat against bacterial and cancer diseases. Finally, future perspectives of MFP for the treatment of many chronic diseases will help immensely due to their therapeutic properties.
Topics: Anti-Bacterial Agents; Cytotoxins; Drug Screening Assays, Antitumor; Fruit; HT29 Cells; Hep G2 Cells; Humans; Molecular Docking Simulation; Morus; Pectins
PubMed: 33311512
DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-78086-8 -
Molecules (Basel, Switzerland) Mar 2021The biological activity of apple pectin extracted conventionally or enzymatically using endo-xylanase and endo-cellulase, was tested in vitro. The analyses were...
The biological activity of apple pectin extracted conventionally or enzymatically using endo-xylanase and endo-cellulase, was tested in vitro. The analyses were performerd in tetraplicates and the statistical significance of the differences were assessed using ANOVA, Tukey post hoc and LSD (the least significant difference) tests. Multivariate regression analysis was applied to determine the structural components that have a crucial importance for antioxidant and antitumor properties of pectins. The pectins extracted by enzymes contained up to four times more ferulic acid and showed twice as great ability to neutralize free radicals and Fe(III) reduction. The antiradical potential positively correlated with phenols, fucose and rhamnose content. In the assays performed on HT-29 human adenocarcinoma and B16F10 melanoma cell cultures, the "green" pectins, contrary to acid isolated ones, exhibited remarkable anti-neoplastic potential while being nontoxic to nontransformed L929 cell line. The pectins in the dose of 1 mg/mL were capable of inhibiting adhesion (max 23.1%), proliferation (max 40.4%), invasion (max 76.9%) and anchorage-independent growth (max 90%) of HT-29 cells (significance level < 0.001). These pectin preparations were slightly less active towards B16F10 cells. The enzyme-isolated apple pectins may be useful as a functional food additive and an ingredient of the ointment formulas for post-surgical melanoma treatment.
Topics: Antineoplastic Agents; Antioxidants; Apoptosis; Cell Proliferation; Cellulase; Colonic Neoplasms; Endo-1,4-beta Xylanases; Humans; Malus; Melanoma; Pectins; Tumor Cells, Cultured
PubMed: 33800895
DOI: 10.3390/molecules26051434