From the dried fruiting bodies of the toxic mushroom
Inocybe umbrinella, a novel lectin with a molecular mass of 17
kDa has been isolated with about 160-fold purification. The purification protocol ...comprised ion exchange chromatography on DEAE-cellulose, and CM-cellulose, and gel filtration on Superdex 75. Among the carbohydrates tested, raffinose,
d-melibiose, α-lactose and
d(+)-galactose could inhibit the hemagglutinating activity of the lectin. The hemagglutinating activity was stable between 10 and 60
°C, in 12.5–100
mM HCl, and in 50
mM NaOH. The hemagglutinating activity was inhibited by Ca
2+, Mn
2+and Mg
2+ ions, but was unaffected by Fe
3+, Zn
2+ and Al
3+ ions. The lectin inhibited HIV-1 reverse transcriptase with an IC
50 of 4.7
±
0.2
μM. Proliferation of tumor cells including hepatoma HepG2 cells and breast cancer MCF7 cells was inhibited by the lectin with an IC
50 of 3.5
±
0.2
μM and 7.4
±
0.3
μM, respectively. The lectin has a unique N-terminal amino acid sequence, DGVLATNAVA. It did not exhibit antifungal activity. The present report is the first on an
Inocybe lectin and represents one of the very few reports on lectins from toxic mushrooms.
One of the most challenging fundamental problems in establishing prebiotically plausible routes for phosphorylation reactions using phosphate is that they are thermodynamically unfavorable in aqueous ...conditions. Diamidophosphate (DAP), a potentially prebiotically relevant compound, was shown to phosphorylate nucleosides in aqueous medium, albeit at a very slow rate (days/weeks). Here, we demonstrate that performing these reactions within an aerosol environment, a suitable model for the early Earth ocean-air interface, yields higher reaction rates when compared to bulk solution, thus overcoming these rate limitations. As a proof-of-concept, we demonstrate the effective conversion (~6.5-10%) of uridine to uridine-2',3'-cyclophosphate in less than 1 h. These results suggest that aerosol environments are a possible scenario in which prebiotic phosphorylation could have occurred despite unfavorable rates in bulk solution.
Lactoferricin and lactoferrampin, peptides derived from the whey protein lactoferrin, are antimicrobial agents with a promising prospect and are currently one of the research focuses. In this review, ...a basic introduction including location and solution structures of these two peptides is given. Their biological activities encompassing antiviral, antibacterial, antifungal and anti-inflammatory activities with possible mechanisms are mentioned. In terms of modification studies, research about identification of their active derivatives and crucial amino acid residues is also discussed. Various attempts at modification of lactoferricin and lactoferrampin such as introducing big hydrophobic side-chains; employing special amino acids for synthesis; N-acetylization, amidation, cyclization and peptide chimera are summarized. The studies on lactoferricin-lactoferrampin chimera are discussed in detail. Future prospects of lactoferricin and lactoferrampin are covered.
Asthma is the most common chronic lower respiratory disease in childhood throughout the world. Several guidelines and/or consensus documents are available to support medical decisions on pediatric ...asthma. Although there is no doubt that the use of common systematic approaches for management can considerably improve outcomes, dissemination and implementation of these are still major challenges. Consequently, the International Collaboration in Asthma, Allergy and Immunology (iCAALL), recently formed by the EAACI, AAAAI, ACAAI, and WAO, has decided to propose an International Consensus on (ICON) Pediatric Asthma. The purpose of this document is to highlight the key messages that are common to many of the existing guidelines, while critically reviewing and commenting on any differences, thus providing a concise reference. The principles of pediatric asthma management are generally accepted. Overall, the treatment goal is disease control. To achieve this, patients and their parents should be educated to optimally manage the disease, in collaboration with healthcare professionals. Identification and avoidance of triggers is also of significant importance. Assessment and monitoring should be performed regularly to re‐evaluate and fine‐tune treatment. Pharmacotherapy is the cornerstone of treatment. The optimal use of medication can, in most cases, help patients control symptoms and reduce the risk for future morbidity. The management of exacerbations is a major consideration, independent of chronic treatment. There is a trend toward considering phenotype‐specific treatment choices; however, this goal has not yet been achieved.
An antifungal peptide with a molecular mass of 9
kDa was isolated from fresh fruiting bodies of the mushroom
Agrocybe cylindracea. The isolation procedure comprised ion exchange chromatography on ...DEAE-cellulose, affinity chromatography on Affi-gel blue gel, ion exchange chromatography by fast protein liquid chromatography (FPLC) on Mono S, and FPLC-gel filtration on a Superdex 75 column. The antifungal peptide, designated as agrocybin, was unadsorbed on DEAE-cellulose, and adsorbed on Affi-gel blue gel and Mono S. Agrocybin exerted antifungal activity against several fungal species but lacked inhibitory activity against bacteria when tested up to 300
μM. The activity of HIV-1 reverse transcriptase was attenuated in the presence of agrocybin. It exhibited weaker mitogenic activity than Con A on isolated murine splenocytes, but was devoid of antiproliferative activity on Hep G2 (hepatoma) cells when tested at 110
μM.
Glycosylation is the most common post-translational modification and is altered in disease. The typical glycosylation change in patients with inflammatory arthritis (IA) is a decrease in ...galactosylation levels on IgG. The aim of this study is to evaluate the effect of anti-TNF therapy on whole serum glycosylation from IA patients and determine whether these alterations in the glycome change upon treatment of the disease.
Serum samples were collected from 54 IA patients before treatment and at 1 and 12 months after commencing anti-TNF therapy. N-linked glycans from whole serum samples were analysed using a high-throughput hydrophilic interaction liquid chromatography-based method.
Glycosylation on the serum proteins of IA patients changed significantly with anti-TNF treatment. We observed an increase in galactosylated glycans from IgG, also an increase in core-fucosylated biantennary galactosylated glycans and a decrease in sialylated triantennary glycans with and without outer arm fucose. This increase in galactosylated IgG glycans suggests a reversing of the N-glycome towards normal healthy profiles. These changes are strongly correlated with decreasing CRP, suggesting a link between glycosylation changes and decreases in inflammatory processes.
Glycosylation changes in the serum of IA patients on anti-TNF therapy are strongly associated with a decrease in inflammatory processes and reflect the effect of anti-TNF on the immune system.
An 18-kDa lectin, with an N-terminal sequence displaying slight similarity to some lectins and fungal immunomodulatory proteins, was isolated from the mushroom
Ganoderma capense (Lloyd) Teng. It ...exhibited more potent mitogenic activity than that of concanavalin A toward mouse splenocytes, and antiproliferative activity toward leukemia (L1210 and M1) cells and hepatoma (HepG2) cells. The isolation procedure entailed ion exchange chromatography on Q-Sepharose, fast protein liquid chromatography (FPLC)-ion exchange chromatography on Mono S, and FPLC-gel filtration on Superdex 75.
d(+)-galactose and
d(+)-galactosamine specifically inhibited the hemagglutinating activity of the lectin. The hemagglutinating activity of the lectin was not affected over the temperature range 0–100
°C and after exposure to 100
°C for 60
min. The activity was stable in the pH range of 4–11, and after incubation with solutions of various chlorides (from 3.125 to 50
mM) including NaCl, KCl, CaCl
2, MgCl
2, ZnCl
2, MnCl
2, and AlCl
3. However, it was potentiated by 12.5–50
mM FeCl
3. The lectin was devoid of HIV-1 reverse transcriptase inhibitory and antifungal activities.
A dimeric 64-kDa hemagglutinin was isolated with a high yield from dried
Phaseolus vulgaris cultivar “French bean number 35” seeds using a chromatographic protocol that involved Blue-Sepharose, ...Q-Sepharose, and Superdex 75. The yield was exceptionally high (1.1
g hemagglutinin per 100
g seed), which is around 10–85 times higher than other
Phaseolus cultivars. Its N-terminal sequence resembled those of other
Phaseolus hemagglutinins. The hemagglutinating activity of the hemagglutinin was stable in the pH range 6–8, and in the temperature range 0
°C–50
°C. It inhibited HIV-1 reverse transcriptase with an IC
50 of 2
μM. It suppressed mycelial growth in
Valsa mali with an IC
50 of 10
μM. It inhibited proliferation of hepatoma HepG2 cells and breast cancer MCF-7 cells with an IC
50 of 100 and 2
μM, respectively. It had no antiproliferative effect on normal embryonic liver WRL68 cells.
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