Applied Biochemistry and Biotechnology最新文献

Quinoline is a nitrogen-containing heterocycle compound widely used in the medical industry for its pharmacological properties, such as its antimalarial, antimicrobial, antiparasitic, anti-inflammatory, and anticancer activities. Beyond its medical significance, quinoline shows promising applications in agriculture as a safe and effective pesticide, herbicide, and fertilizer. This review explores the evolution of quinoline research, beginning with its history and synthesis and transitioning to its biological activities and their relevance in agriculture. It then highlights the potential applications of quinoline in modern agriculture, such as pesticides, herbicides, and fertilizers, for increasing crop yields and resilience while reducing crop waste. Moreover, it discusses formulation strategies that can enhance the efficacy of quinoline. Finally, the review addresses potential challenges, such as toxicity and environmental impact, underscoring the need for further research to harness quinoline's full potential in sustainable agriculture.

The synthesis and characterization of benzo[d]thiazol-2-amine derivatives, which were prepared by reacting benzothiazole with para-aminobenzophenone in ethanol, supplemented with glacial acetic acid. Subsequently, compound (2) was synthesized from compound (1) using NaNO₂, H₃PO₄, and HNO₃ in a water-based solvent, resulting in 2-hydroxy-1-naphthaldehyde. Another derivative, compound (3), was synthesized by reacting compound (1) with vanillin under similar conditions. Structural characterization involved IR spectroscopy and melting point determination, while molecular properties were estimated to assess drug-like characteristics. The main point of this study is to synthesize and research drug-like characteristics, biological activities, and docking studies. Molecular docking studies (MDS) were conducted using AutoDock Vina to evaluate the binding affinity of compounds 1, 2, and 3 with the enzyme Human Epidermal growth factor receptor (HER). The docking simulations aimed to elucidate drug-DNA interactions, focusing on hydrogen bonding, hydrophobic interactions, and binding energies. The compounds' conformations were analyzed to identify their potential binding modes within the DNA groove. Compounds 2 and 3 exhibited higher binding affinities to the HER enzyme compared to compound 1, with compound 2 showing the highest affinity docking scores of - 10.4, - 9.9, and - 9.8 kcal/mol for the top three poses. These results suggest that compounds 2 and 3 could potentially interact more effectively with the enzyme and DNA, attributed to their structural features and interaction profiles. Synthesized and characterized benzo[d]thiazol-2-amine derivatives and evaluated their biological activities against gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria. The compounds demonstrated diverse biological activities, likely due to the various functional groups within their 4- to 5-ring structures. Molecular docking studies indicated that compounds 2 and 3 have promising potential as cancer therapy candidates, showing strong binding affinities to the HER enzyme and effective interactions with DNA.

The current research was conducted to synthesize Parietaria alsinifolia-mediated iron oxide nanoparticles (P.A@FeONPs) using the green and eco-friendly protocol. The biosynthesized P.A@FeONPs were characterized using various approaches like UVs, FTIR, SEM, EDX, and DLS. The mean crystallite size was calculated to be ~ 21.48 nm using the Debye-Scherrer equation. Further, various in vitro biological assays were performed to analyze the therapeutic potentials of FeONPs. 2,2-Diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazy (DPPH) antioxidant activity was performed to reveal the DPPH radical scavenging potential of P.A@FeONPs and was calculated as 72%. Similarly, the total reducing power was determined as 65.45 ± 1.77%. In addition, P.A@FeONPs exhibited a significant total antioxidant capacity of 87 ± 4.8%. Antibacterial and antifungal assays were performed using the disc diffusion method. Among the different bacterial strains accession (EFB-10-2023 M.B), Rhodococcus jostii has shown the highest zone of inhibition (23.9 mm at 1000 μg/mL), while Escherichia coli displayed a 22.65 mm zone of inhibition at (1000 μg/mL). Similarly, Aspergillus niger exhibited a substantial zone of inhibition (28.75 mm). A brine shrimp cytotoxicity assay revealed the cytotoxicity potential (LC₅₀ 244.92 μg/mL). P.A@FeONPs were also tested against red blood cells, HEK-293, and VERO cell lines (< 200 μg/mL) to validate their biocompatibility. An alpha-amylase inhibition assay demonstrated 68.66% inhibition and substantial cytotoxicity against Hep-2 liver cancer cells (IC₅₀ 100 μg/mL). In conclusion, P.A@FeONPs have shown significant bioactivities. In the future, we recommend other biological and catalytic activities using different animal models to explore its potential further.

Carrageenan has strong structural heterogeneity, resulting in the production of several hybridized forms in nature. Furcellaran is a typical hybrid type of carrageenan that includes both κ-carrageenan and β-carrageenan motifs in its structure. The discovery and characterization of a novel furcellaranase is of great significance for investigating and determining the structures of carrageenan. Herein, a new GH 16 enzyme CeFurA, with furcellaran and porphyran degrading activities, was cloned, and it included 350 amino acid residues and has a predicted theoretical molecular weight of 40.45 kDa. The enzyme displayed the highest biological activity (824.64 U/mg) on furcellaran at 35 °C and pH 9.0. Notably, CeFurA has excellent temperature stability throughout the wide 25 to 40 °C temperature range. It is useful and promising to efficient prepare hybrid bk-carrageenan oligosaccharides and elucidate the fine structure of the hybrid polysaccharide and oligosaccharides. TLC and ESI-MS indicate that CeFurA, as an endo-type enzyme, can specifically act on DA-Gβ1 → 4DA-G and DA-G4Sβ1 → 4DA-G4S glycosidic linkages within the furcellaran, producing disaccharides, tetrasaccharides, and hexasaccharides as the primary products. The CeFurA exhibited a sandwich-like structure according to structural modeling, which contains an embedded catalytic chamber formed by the β folded sheets placed in a reversing manner by acting on the internal DA-G4Sβ1 → 4DA-G4S glycosidic link. These exceptional properties make CeFurA a powerful tool for studying the heterogeneity of carrageenan structures and producing COS in the industry.

The study was designed to investigate the impact of N6-methyladenosine (m6A) writer Wilms tumor 1-associated protein (WTAP) on the progression of atherosclerosis (AS) and to further elucidate its possible regulatory mechanism. The m6A levels and WTAP expressions were initially assessed through RIP, qRT-PCR, and western blotting. An in vitro model of AS was constructed by ox-LDL treatment in RAW264.7 cells. Next, the impact of WTAP on macrophage pyroptosis and M1 polarization was evaluated. The relationship between WTAP and NLRP3 was then investigated using m6A modification quantification and RIP-qPCR assay. To investigate the effect of WTAP on AS development in vivo, we created an ApoE^-/-mouse model of AS by feeding high-fat diet (HFD). Furthermore, the influence of WTAP on macrophage pyroptosis and M1 polarization through NLRP3 was explored by NLRP3 overexpression AAV injection. Here, we found that WTAP was significantly upregulated in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) from AS patients, accompanied by increased total m6A methylation levels. The silencing of WTAP suppressed macrophage pyroptosis and M1 polarization induced by ox-LDL and also ameliorated aortic root lesion damage in AS mice. Mechanistically, m6A modification mediated by WTAP enhanced NLRP3 mRNA stabilization, thereby upregulating NLRP3 expression. Overexpression of NLRP3 was found to enhance macrophage pyroptosis and M1 polarization, contributing to the progression of AS. In conclusion, our findings suggest that WTAP knockdown mitigated AS progression by modulating NLRP3 in an m6A-dependent manner. Our study proposes that targeting WTAP could be a potential preventive and therapeutic strategy for AS patients.

Phosphorus in soil mostly exists in complex compounds such as phytic acid, which reduces the effectiveness of phosphorus and limits agricultural production. Phytase has the activity of hydrolyzing phytate into phosphate. The mineralization of phytate in soil by phytase secreted by microorganisms is an effective way to improve the utilization rate of phytate. This study isolated a high-yield phytase strain, identified as Pseudomonas by 16S rDNA and named Pseudomonas sp. S3-10. The fermentation medium composition and conditions were optimized using the single-factor method, Plackett-Burman design (PBD), and response surface methodology (RSM). The results showed that cane molasses, MgCl₂, and temperature significantly affected the fermentation biomass of the bacterium. The optimal fermentation conditions were cane molasses and MgCl₂ concentrations of 61.80 g/L and 5.94 g/L, respectively, at 34.4 °C. Compared with the unoptimized fermentation conditions, the maximum biomass increased by 160.17 ± 6.26% under the optimized fermentation conditions, reaching 9.13 ± 0.09 × 10⁹ CFU/mL. The pot experiment results showed that Pseudomonas sp. S3-10 has a significant promoting effect on soybean growth. The strain increased the fresh weight and length of soybean seedlings by 112.92 ± 28.41% and 74.02 ± 3.24%, respectively, and increased the phytase activity in the soil and available phosphorus concentration in the plant rhizosphere by 388.15 ± 24.24% and 365.05 ± 91.96%, respectively. This study provided a high-yield phytase strain and its optimal fermentation conditions. The bacterium has significant plant growth-promoting effects and can be used as a new type of biological fertilizer, which is of great significance for reducing phosphorus fertilizer usage, improving phosphorus utilization efficiency, and protecting the ecological environment in agricultural production.

To cover the rising demand for natural food dyes, new sources and production methods are needed. Microbial fermentation of nature-identical colours, such as the red pigment betanin, has the potential to be a cost-efficient alternative to plant extraction. The last step of betanin production is catalysed by a UDP-glycosyltransferase (UGT). To find a high-performing UGT, we screened 27 UGTs from different plant species and tested their ability to produce betanin in vivo in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. We identified two new UGTs likely involved in the betanin synthesis in the plant they derive from: CqGT2 (UGT73A37) from Chenopodium quinoa and BgGT2 (UGT92X1) from Bougainvillea glabra. The betanin-producing UGTs were also tested in Yarrowia lipolytica, where CqGT2 was the best-performing glycosyltransferase for betanin production. While it has previously been shown that the UGTs can glycosylate either betanidin or cyclo-DOPA to ultimately form betanin, the molecular mechanism behind the preference for the acceptor molecule has not been elucidated. Therefore, we performed in silico structural analysis to characterise the betanin-producing UGTs further, particularly by looking into their binding mechanism. The docking model suggested that a smaller binding site found in some UGTs only allows glycosylation of cDOPA, while a wider binding site allows glycosylation of both cyclo-DOPA and betanidin.

This study explores the potential of vacuoles derived from Saccharomyces cerevisiae (S. cerevisiae) as a novel form of drug carrier, specifically focusing on their application in enhancing the delivery of the chemotherapeutic agent Daunorubicin (DNR). We isolated and reassembled these vacuoles, referred to as Reassembled Vacuoles (ReV), aiming to overcome the challenges of drug degradation caused by hydrolytic enzymes within traditional vacuoles. ReV encapsulating DNR were tested against HL-60 cells, a model for acute myeloid leukemia, to evaluate their therapeutic impact. Through various analyses, including Nanoparticle tracking analysis (NTA) and Field-emission electron scanning microscope (FE-SEM), we characterized the properties of ReV. Our findings revealed that ReV exhibited superior stability, drug release rate, and cytotoxic efficacy compared to normal vacuoles (NorV). Notably, ReV demonstrated a higher apoptosis rate in HL-60 cells, efficient and complete release of DNR within 24 h, and reduced cytotoxic side effects. These results suggest that ReV could represent a new and effective drug delivery system in anticancer therapy, paving the way for more targeted and safer cancer treatment modalities.

Early childhood caries (ECC), a severe form of dental caries, is exacerbated by the synergistic interaction between Streptococcus mutans and Candida albicans, leading to greater disease severity than their individual effects. This underscores the need for more targeted and potent therapeutic alternatives. Given the promising anti-infective properties of quaternary ammonium surfactants (QAS), this study explores the microbicidal properties of one such QAS, cetyltrimethylammonium chloride (CTAC), against both individual- and dual-species cultures of S. mutans and C. albicans for effective ECC treatment. Initially, the minimal inhibitory concentrations (MICs) of CTAC were determined to range from 4 to 8 µg/mL against S. mutans, C. albicans, and dual-species cultures. Time-kill kinetics, assessed via spot assays and spectrometry, demonstrated that CTAC completely eradicated both individual- and dual-species cultures within 30 min of exposure. Furthermore, at sub-MIC concentrations, CTAC effectively reduced biofilm formation and virulence traits in S. mutans (including acidogenicity and aciduricity) and C. albicans (including yeast-to-hyphal transition and filamentation). To explore therapeutic application, a mouthwash containing CTAC was formulated. The results showed that the formulated CTAC mouthwash was as effective at eradicating pathogens as a commercially available mouthwash containing 0.075% cetylpyridinium chloride (CPC). Moreover, the CTAC mouthwash maintained stable physicochemical characteristics and antimicrobial activity over 4 weeks. It exhibited rapid killing activity against pathogens, achieving efficacy within just 2 min of exposure. Fluorescence microscopy and SEM micrographs confirmed the strong biofilm eradication potential of the CTAC mouthwash. The non-toxic nature of the formulated mouthwash was validated using human buccal epithelial cells, and in vivo studies further demonstrated that CTAC mouthwash significantly reduced bacterial and fungal loads in Galleria mellonella. Overall, the findings of this study highlight the potential application of QAS-CTAC in the treatment of ECC.

Electrochemical and shake flask tests were used to examine the corrosion characteristics of typical gangue minerals in biometallurgical systems and their impact on microbial communities. The results show that the solubility order of the three gangue minerals is feldspar, mica, and quartz in descending order. Their corrosion processes are mainly controlled by cathodic electron-donating processes. They are subjected to triple resistance, which is defined as solution-resistant, colloidal silica passivation, and iron precipitation (ferric hydroxide or jarosite passivation). Fe³⁺ and microorganisms both greatly improve the corrosion capacity of the system for the three gangue minerals. The community diversity may rise to 9.3, 8.6, and 4.4 times that of the initial HQ0211 strain, respectively, in the presence of feldspar, mica, and quartz.. The proportions of autotrophic microorganisms Leptospirillum, Sulfobacillus, and Acidiplasma decreased significantly, and the mixed trophic archaeon Ferroplasma and heterotrophic archaeon Cuniculiplasma became the dominant microorganisms in the system. Finally, the dissolution mechanism of gangue minerals in biometallurgical systems is discussed. The results enrich the theory of the gangue mineral corrosion process, which can lay a foundation for the effective regulation of biometallurgical processes.