Title: Characteristics of a recombinant Fusarium verticillioides cutinase and its effects on enzymatic hydrolysis of rice straw Gu S, Liu C, Zhang W, Qu M, Li Y, Zang Y, Xiong X, Pan K, Zhao X Ref: Int J Biol Macromol, 171:382, 2021 : PubMed
The current study heterologously expressed a cutinase from Fusarium verticillioides by Pichia pastoris and investigated its properties and effects on the hydrolysis of rice straw. The optimal pH and temperature for F. verticillioides cutinase were 8.0 and 50 degreesC, respectively. F. verticillioides cutinase had poor thermal stability and could be inhibited by some metal ions, inhibitors, and detergents (5 mM), including Ni(2+), Zn(2+), Cu(2+), Ca(2+), Mn(2+), sodium dodecyl sulfate, EDTA, and Tween-20. F. verticillioides cutinase could tolerate 15% methanol and dimethyl sulfoxide but was significantly repressed by 15% ethanol and acetone with 48% and 63% residual activity, respectively. F. verticillioides cutinase could degrade the cuticle of rice straw with palmitic acid and stearic acid as the main products. However, the dissolving sugars released from the rice straw treated with F. verticillioides cutinase were significantly reduced by 29.2 microg/mL compared with the control (107.9 microg/mL). Similarly, the reducing sugars produced from the cellulase hydrolysis of rice straw pretreated with F. verticillioides cutinase were reduced by 63.5 microg/mL relative to the control (253.6 microg/mL). Scanning electron microscopy results showed that numerous tuberculate or warty protrusions were present nearly everywhere on the surface of rice straw treated with F. verticillioides cutinase, and some protrusions even covered and blocked the stomata of the rice straw surface. Current limited data indicate that F. verticillioides cutinase might not be an appropriate choice for improving the utilization of agricultural straws.
Title: Androgen-dependent miR-125a-5p targets LYPLA1 and regulates global protein palmitoylation level in late-onset hypogonadism males Qu M, Zhao Y, Qing X, Zhang X, Li H Ref: Journal of Cellular Physiology, 236:4738, 2021 : PubMed
Late-onset hypogonadism (LOH) is defined as a clinical and biochemical syndrome with multiple symptoms caused by testosterone deficiency in aging males. An in-depth exploration of the molecular mechanism underlying LOH development is insufficient. We previously identified miR-125a-5p as a dysregulated microRNA in LOH patients and potential diagnostic biomarker for LOH. The present study demonstrated that plasma miR-125a-5p was upregulated after testosterone supplementation in both LOH patients and castrated mice, and positively associated with the testosterone concentrations, suggesting direct regulation of miR-125a-5p expression by testosterone. Androgen response element in the promoter of miR-125a-5p was subsequently identified. Target gene screening and confirmation verified that LYPLA1, encoding acyl-protein thioesterase 1 which catalyzed protein depalmitoylation process, was a target gene of miR-125a-5p. Furthermore, in cells cultured with testosterone deprivation and organs from castrated mice, testosterone deficiency led to decreased global protein palmitoylation level. In aging males, global protein palmitoylation in peripheral blood showed a notable decline in LOH patients contrast to the normal elderly males. And the palmitoylation level was positively correlative with serum testosterone concentrations. Our results suggested that testosterone could regulate global palmitoylation level through miR-125a-5p/LYPLA1 signaling pathway. Given that protein palmitoylation is pivotal for protein function and constitutes the pathogenesis of various diseases, testosterone/miR-125a-5p/LYPLA1 may contribute to the molecular mechanism underlying multiple symptoms caused by testosterone deficiency in LOH patients, and aberrant global palmitoylation could be a potential biomarker for LOH.
Title: Enhancing Therapeutic Efficacy of Donepezil by Combined Therapy: A Comprehensive Review Rong X, Jiang L, Qu M, Hassan SSU, Liu Z Ref: Curr Pharm Des, 27:332, 2021 : PubMed
Combination therapy involving different therapeutic strategies mostly provides more rapid and effective results as compared to monotherapy in diverse areas of clinical practice. The most worldwide famous acetylcholinesterase inhibitor (AChEIs) donepezil for its dominant role in Alzheimer's disease (AD) has also attracted the attention of many pharmaceuticals due to its promising pharmacological potencies such as neuroprotective, muscle relaxant, and sleep inducer. Recently, a combination of donepezil with other agents has displayed better desirable results in managing several disorders, including the most common Alzheimer's disease (AD). This study involves all the data regarding the therapeutic effect of donepezil in its combination with other agents and explains its therapeutic targets and mode of action. Furthermore, this review also puts light on the current status of donepezil with other agents in clinical trials. The combination therapy of donepezil with symptomatic relief drugs and disease-modifying agents opens a new road for treating multiple pathological disorders. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report encircling all the pharmacologic effects of donepezil in its combination therapy with other agents and their current status in clinical trials.
Fatty acids have a high turnover rate in cancer cells to supply energy for tumor growth and proliferation. Lipolysis is particularly important for the regulation of fatty acid homeostasis and in the maintenance of cancer cells. In the current study, we explored how 2,4-Dienoyl-CoA reductase (DECR1), a short-chain dehydrogenase/reductase associated with mitochondrial and cytoplasmic compartments, promotes cancer cell growth. We report that DECR1 overexpression significantly reduced the triglyceride (TAG) content in HeLa cells; conversely, DECR1 silencing increased intracellular TAG content. Subsequently, our experiments demonstrate that DECR1 promotes lipolysis via effects on hormone sensitive lipase (HSL). The direct interaction of DECR1 with HSL increases HSL phosphorylation and activity, facilitating the translocation of HSL to lipid droplets. The ensuing enhancement of lipolysis thus increases the release of free fatty acids. Downstream effects include the promotion of cervical cancer cell migration and growth, associated with the enhanced levels of p62 protein. In summary, high levels of DECR1 serves to enhance lipolysis and the release of fatty acid energy stores to support cervical cancer cell growth.
Seedling emergence in monocots depends mainly on mesocotyl elongation, requiring coordination between developmental signals and environmental stimuli. Strigolactones (SLs) and karrikins are butenolide compounds that regulate various developmental processes; both are able to negatively regulate rice (Oryza sativa) mesocotyl elongation in the dark. Here, we report that a karrikin signaling complex, DWARF14-LIKE (D14L)-DWARF3 (D3)-O. sativa SUPPRESSOR OF MAX2 1 (OsSMAX1) mediates the regulation of rice mesocotyl elongation in the dark. We demonstrate that D14L recognizes the karrikin signal and recruits the SCF(D3) ubiquitin ligase for the ubiquitination and degradation of OsSMAX1, mirroring the SL-induced and D14- and D3-dependent ubiquitination and degradation of D53. Overexpression of OsSMAX1 promoted mesocotyl elongation in the dark, whereas knockout of OsSMAX1 suppressed the elongated-mesocotyl phenotypes of d14l and d3 OsSMAX1 localizes to the nucleus and interacts with TOPLESS-RELATED PROTEINs, regulating downstream gene expression. Moreover, we showed that the GR24 enantiomers GR24(5DS) and GR24 (ent-5DS) specifically inhibit mesocotyl elongation and regulate downstream gene expression in a D14- and D14L-dependent manner, respectively. Our work revealed that karrikin and SL signaling play parallel and additive roles in modulating downstream gene expression and negatively regulating mesocotyl elongation in the dark.
Title: Immobilized MAS1 lipase showed high esterification activity in the production of triacylglycerols with n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids Wang X, Li D, Qu M, Durrani R, Yang B, Wang Y Ref: Food Chem, 216:260, 2017 : PubMed
Immobilization of lipase MAS1 from marine Streptomyces sp. strain W007 and its application in catalyzing esterification of n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) with glycerol were investigated. The resin XAD1180 was selected as a suitable support for the immobilization of lipase MAS1, and its absorption ability was 75mg/g (lipase/resin ratio) with initial buffer pH value of 8.0. The thermal stability of immobilized MAS1 was improved significantly compared with that of the free lipase. Immobilized MAS1 had no regiospecificity in the hydrolysis of triolein. The highest esterification degree (99.31%) and TAG content (92.26%) by immobilized MAS1-catalyzed esterification were achieved under the optimized conditions, which were significantly better than those (82.16% and 47.26%, respectively) by Novozym 435. More than 92% n-3 PUFA was incorporated into TAG that had similar fatty acids composition to the substrate (n-3 PUFA). The immobilized MAS1 exhibited 50% of its initial activity after being used for five cycles.
Title: Mutation in acetylcholinesterase1 associated with triazophos resistance in rice stem borer, Chilo suppressalis (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae) Jiang X, Qu M, Denholm I, Fang J, Jiang W, Han Z Ref: Biochemical & Biophysical Research Communications, 378:269, 2009 : PubMed
Two full-length genes encoding different acetylcholinesterases (AChEs), designated as Ch-ace1 and Ch-ace2, were cloned from strains of the rice stem borer (Chilo suppressalis) susceptible and resistant to the organophosphate insecticide triazophos. Sequence analysis found an amino acid mutation A314S in Ch-ace1 (corresponding to A201 in Torpedo californica AChE) that was consistently associated with the occurrence of resistance. This mutation removed an MspA1 I restriction site from the wild type allele. An assay based on restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) analysis was developed to diagnose A314S genotypes in field populations. Results showed a strong correlation between frequencies of the mutation and phenotypic levels of resistance to triazophos. The assay offers a prospect for rapid monitoring of resistance and assisting with the appropriate choice of insecticide for combating damage caused by C. suppressalis.
Title: Resistance mechanisms and associated mutations in acetylcholinesteras genes in Sitobion avenae (Fabricius) Chen M, Han Z, Qiao X, Qu M Ref: Pesticide Biochemistry and Physiology, 87:189, 2007 : PubMed
Wheat aphid, Sitobion avenae (fabricius), is one of the most important wheat pests and has been reported to be resistant to commonly used insecticides in China. To determine the resistance mechanism, the resistant and susceptible strains were developed in laboratory and comparably studied. A bioassay revealed that the resistant strain showed high resistance to pirimicarb (RR: 161.8), moderate reistance to omethoate (32.5) and monocrotophos (33.5), and low resistance to deltamethrin (6.3) and thiodicarb (5.5). A biochemistry analysis showed that both strains had similar glutathione-S-transferase (GST) activity, but the resistant strain had 3.8-fold higher esterase activity, and its AChE was insensitive to this treatment. The I50 increased by 25.8-, 10.7-, and 10.4-folds for pirimicarb, omethoate, and monocrotophos, respectively,
demonstrating that GST had not been involved in the resistance of S. avenae.
The enhanced esterase contributed to low level resistance to all the insecticides tested, whereas higher resistance to pirimicarb, omethoate,
and monocrotophos mainly depended on AChE insensitivity. However, the AChE of the resistant strain was still sensitive to thiodicarb (1.7-fold). Thus, thiodicarb could be used as substitute for control of the resistant S. avenae in this case. Furthermore, the two different AChE genes cloned from different resistant and susceptible individuals were also compared. Two mutations, L436(336)S in Sa.Ace1 and W516(435)R in Sa.Ace2, were found consistently associated with the insensitivity of AChE. They were thought to be the possible resistance mutations,
but further work is needed to confirm this hypothesis.
