Sample records for galactose galacturonic acid

  1. Lack of galactose or galacturonic acid in Bradyrhizobium japonicum USDA 110 exopolysaccharide leads to different symbiotic responses in soybean.

    PubMed

    Quelas, Juan Ignacio; Mongiardini, Elías J; Casabuono, Adriana; López-García, Silvina L; Althabegoiti, M Julia; Covelli, Julieta M; Pérez-Giménez, Julieta; Couto, Alicia; Lodeiro, Aníbal R

    2010-12-01

    Exopolysaccharide (EPS) and lipopolysaccharide (LPS) from Bradyrhizobium japonicum are important for infection and nodulation of soybean (Glycine max), although their roles are not completely understood. To better understand this, we constructed mutants in B. japonicum USDA 110 impaired in galactose or galacturonic acid incorporation into the EPS without affecting the LPS. The derivative LP 3010 had a deletion of lspL-ugdH and produced EPS without galacturonic acid whereas LP 3013, with an insertion in exoB, produced EPS without galactose. In addition, the strain LP 3017, with both mutations, had EPS devoid of both galactosides. The missing galactosides were not replaced by other sugars. The defects in EPS had different consequences. LP 3010 formed biofilms and nodulated but was defective in competitiveness for nodulation; and, inside nodules, the peribacteroid membranes tended to fuse, leading to the merging of symbiosomes. Meanwhile, LP 3013 and LP 3017 were unable to form biofilms and produced empty pseudonodules but exoB suppressor mutants were obtained when LP 3013 plant inoculation was supplemented with wild-type EPS. Similar phenotypes were observed with all these mutants in G. soja. Therefore, the lack of each galactoside in the EPS has a different functional effect on the B. japonicum-soybean symbiosis.

  2. L-Altruronic acid formed by epimerization of D-galacturonic acid methyl esters during saponification of citrus pectin.

    PubMed

    Zhan, D; Qiu, F; Mort, A J

    2001-02-15

    While searching for oligosaccharides containing rhamnose residues in the endopolygalacturonase (EPG) digest of saponified citrus pectin, we found several oligomers containing, in addition to galacturonic acid, a sugar previously unreported in pectin. The 1- and 2-D 1H NMR spectra of the oligosaccharides were consistent with the sugar being a uronic acid with its 2- and 3-hydroxyls being axial and 4-hydroxyl being equatorial. MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry indicated that the oligomers consisted solely of uronic acids. Reduction of the uronic acids in the oligosaccharides converted them to galactose and altrose. The altrose was found to be the L enantiomer by comparison of its trimethylsilyl (-)-2-butyl glycosides to those of authentic D-altrose and a racemic mixture. The sugar was not found in oligosaccharides prepared from EPG digestion of citrus pectin deesterified with pectin methylesterase rather than saponification. Thus, it appears that during saponification, a small proportion of the methylesterified galacturonic acid residues in pectins is epimerized at C-5 leading to formation of L-altruronic acid residues.

  3. Purification, characterization and in vitro anticoagulant activity of polysaccharides from Gentiana scabra Bunge roots.

    PubMed

    Cai, Weirong; Xu, Huiling; Xie, Liangliang; Sun, Jian; Sun, Taotao; Wu, Xiaoyan; Fu, Qinbao

    2016-04-20

    Three water-soluble polysaccharide fractions (GSP-1, GSP-2 and GSP-3) were obtained from Gentiana scabra Bunge roots by DEAE-Sepharose CL-6B and Sepharose CL-6B column chromatography. Their chemical characterizations were determined by high performance gel permeation chromatography (HPGPC), high performance anion exchange chromatography coupled with pulsed amperometric detection (HPAEC-PAD) and Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectrometer. Moreover, their in vitro anticoagulant activities were evaluated by activated partial thromboplastin time (APTT), thrombin time (TT) and prothrombin time (PT) assays. GSP-1 and GSP-2 were composed of rhamnose, arabinose, galactose, glucose and galacturonic acid, while GSP-3 consisted of rhamnose, arabinose, galactose and galacturonic acid with a weight-average molecular weight of 5.8×10(4)Da. In comparison with the control group (saline), GSP, GSP-1, GSP-2 and GSP-3 could prolong APTT and TT, but not PT. Overall, GSP-3 exhibited potent anticoagulant activity and would be expected to be a potential source of anticoagulant. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  4. Purification, characterization and immunomodulatory activity of polysaccharides from stem lettuce.

    PubMed

    Nie, Chenzhipeng; Zhu, Peilei; Ma, Shuping; Wang, Mingchun; Hu, Youdong

    2018-05-15

    Stem lettuce has a long history of cultivation in China and possesses high nutritional and medicinal value. In our previous studies, extraction optimization, characterization, and bioactivities of stem lettuce polysaccharides (SLP) were investigated. In this study, SLP were further separated into two purified polysaccharides, SLP-1 and SLP-2, by anion exchange chromatography followed by size exclusion chromatography. SLP-1, with a molecular weight of 90 KDa, was mainly composed of galacturonic acid, galactose and arabinose in a molar ratio of 17.6:41.7:33.9. SLP-2, with a molecular weight of 44 KDa, was mainly composed of mannose, galacturonic acid, galactose and arabinose in a molar ratio of 11.5:69.5:9.3:8.2. In addition, both purified polysaccharides contain sulphate radicals, have triple helical structures and can promote macrophage proliferation without cytotoxicity. SLP-2 was better able to stimulate phagocytic and nitric oxide production than SLP-1. The results suggest that polysaccharides from stem lettuce could be explored as immunomodulatory agents in the field of pharmaceuticals and functional foods. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  5. Yield and quality of pectins extractable from the peels of thai mango cultivars depending on fruit ripeness.

    PubMed

    Sirisakulwat, Suparat; Nagel, Andreas; Sruamsiri, Pittaya; Carle, Reinhold; Neidhart, Sybille

    2008-11-26

    Pectins, recovered from the peels of four mango ( Mangifera indica L.) cultivars by mimicking industrial techniques, were evaluated in terms of yield, composition, macromolecular properties, and technofunctional quality. Freeze-dried peels of mature-green fruits, after major mesocarp softening, and at full ripeness were extracted using hot acid. The pectins were precipitated in propan-2-ol and their crude yields quantified as alcohol-insoluble substance. Like apple pomace, the dried peels provided hardly acetylated (DAc < 6.3%) rapid-set to ultrarapid-set high-methoxyl pectins at starch-adjusted yields of 11-21 g/100 g. However, despite similar high molecular weight fractions and galacturonic acid/rhamnose ratios, their average molecular weight was markedly reduced by a characteristic, almost monodisperse fraction of 16000-19000. Expanded galactans, indicated by galactose/rhamnose ratios of 15-24 mol/mol, probably represented arabinogalactan side-chain fragments withstanding hot-acid extraction at pH 1.5 and 2.0, as implied by arabinose/galactose ratios of 8-15 and 33-56 mol/100 mol, respectively. Limited galacturonic acid contents made the mango peel pectins less valuable than commercial apple pectins with regard to gelling capacity and thickening properties. Whereas starch and matrix glycan fragments almost completely degraded during ripening, depolymerization of pectins and galactans was insignificant. Technofunctional properties, modulated by extraction at different pH values, were ascribed to structural differences influencing macromolecular entanglements.

  6. The isolation and the characterization of two polysaccharides from the branch bark of mulberry (Morus alba L.).

    PubMed

    Qiu, Fan; He, Tian-Zhen; Zhang, Yu-Qing

    2016-07-01

    Two water-soluble polysaccharides termed MBBP-1 and MBBP-2 were isolated from the branches of the mulberry tree (Morus alba L.) using hot water extraction and purified on Anion-exchange DEAE52-cellulose and Sephadex G-100 column. MBBP-1 was shown to be composed of rhamnose, xylose, arabinose, mannose, glucose and galactose in the molar ratio of 4.53:2.49:4.38:4.67:17.85:5.88. MBBP-2 was composed of rhamnose, xylose, arabinose, mannose, glucose, galactose and galacturonic acid in the molar ratio of 26.85:13.8:3.14:4.4:6.1:3.19:4.9. Their structural characteristics were further investigated by FI-IR spectroscopy, Smith degradation, methylation analysis and NMR spectroscopy. Based on the data obtained, MBBP-1 had a backbone mainly consisting of (1 → 3)-linked glucose. MBBP-2 had a backbone mainly consisting of (1 → 3)-linked rhamnose and (1 → 2, 4)-linked xylose. Antioxidant assays indicated that antioxidant activities of MBBP-2 were significantly stronger than those of MBBP-1, and this was likely in relation to the different content of 8.2 % galacturonic acid in MBBP-2.

  7. Quinoa (Chenopodium quinoa W.) and amaranth (Amaranthus caudatus L.) provide dietary fibres high in pectic substances and xyloglucans.

    PubMed

    Lamothe, Lisa M; Srichuwong, Sathaporn; Reuhs, Bradley L; Hamaker, Bruce R

    2015-01-15

    Dietary fibre of quinoa and amaranth was analysed for its insoluble and soluble fibre content, composition, and structure. Total dietary fibre content was 10% for quinoa and 11% for amaranth. For both pseudocereals, 78% of its dietary fibre was insoluble. Insoluble fibre (IDF) from quinoa and amaranth was mainly composed of galacturonic acid, arabinose, galactose, xylose and glucose. Linkage analysis indicated that IDF was composed of homogalacturonans and rhamnogalacturonan-I with arabinan side-chains (∼55-60%), as well as highly branched xyloglucans (∼30%) and cellulose. For both pseudocereals, 22% of total dietary fibre was soluble; a higher proportion than that found in wheat and maize (∼15%). The soluble fibre (SDF) was composed of glucose, galacturonic acid and arabinose; for amaranth, xylose was also a major constituent. Xyloglucans made up ∼40-60% of the SDF and arabinose-rich pectic polysaccharides represented ∼34-55%. Copyright © 2014. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

  8. Isolation, purification and some structural features of the mucilaginous exudate from Musa paradisiaca.

    PubMed

    Mondal, S K; Ray, B; Thakur, S; Ghosal, P K

    2001-03-01

    The water-soluble polysaccharides isolated from the vascular gel of Musa paradisiaca, were fractionated via anion exchange chromatography into four fractions. Fractionated polymers contained arabinose, xylose and galacturonic acid as major sugars, together with traces of galactose, rhamnose, mannose and glucose residues. Methylation analysis revealed the presence of a highly branched arabinoxylan with a significant amount of terminal arabinopyranosyl units and an arabinogalactan type I pectin. Periodate oxidation studies supported the results of methylation analysis.

  9. Isolation and structure elucidation of pectic polysaccharide from rose hip fruits (Rosa canina L.).

    PubMed

    Ognyanov, Manol; Remoroza, Connie; Schols, Henk A; Georgiev, Yordan; Kratchanova, Maria; Kratchanov, Christo

    2016-10-20

    A pectic polysaccharide from rose hip (RH) fruits has been obtained by extraction with 1% aqueous citric acid. It was found that the polysaccharide fraction mainly consisted of galacturonic acid (45.5%) next to galactose (5.5%) and arabinose (4.7%). RH pectin is having a relatively high degree of methylesterification (62%) and acetylation (10%) and consists of different molecular weight populations in the range of 10-100kDa. Enzymatic fingerprinting was performed using a combination of pectin lyase (PL) and endo-polygalacturonase. Detailed information about the structure and level of galacturonic acid oligomers released was obtained using LC-HILIC-MS/ELSD and HPAEC. Predominantly, unsaturated and methyl-esterified oligomers (DP 3-5) were released indicating that high proportions of methylesterified 'PL degradable' areas were present within the pectin. The data revealed that homogalacturonan is the main building block of the extracted pectin and consists of long methylesterified/acetylated GalA sequences interspersed with small blocks of non-methyl-esterified GalA units. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  10. Structural characterization of anti-complementary polysaccharides from the leaves of Artemisia princeps.

    PubMed

    Yamada, H; Otsuka, Y; Omura, S

    1986-08-01

    Structural characterizations of the anti-complementary acidic heteroglycans, AAF IIb-2 and IIb-3, obtained from the leaves of Artemisia princeps pamp have been studied. AAF IIb-2 consists of rhamnose, xylose, arabinose, galactose, glucose and uronic acids (glucuronic acid and galacturonic acid) in the molar ratio of 7.6:7.6:13.0:10.9:3.0:57.9, and AAF IIb-3 consists of the same sugars in the ratio of 3.9:2.6:24.7:19.7:2.6:46.5. Methylation analysis including carboxyl-reduction and also selective enzymolysis using EXO-alpha- L-arabinofuranosidase suggested that AAF IIb-3 has a main chain consisting of (1-->4)-linked galacturonic acid and (1-->2)-linked rhamnose mostly substituted at the O-4 position. AAF IIb-3 also contained arabino-3,6-galactan moiety and most of the arabinose was present as an alpha- L-furanosyl residue in the non-reducing terminals and highly branched side chains which mostly attached to the O-3 position of (1-->6)-linked galactopyranosyl residue. The basic structure of AAF IIb-2 is similar to that of AAF IIb-3, but IIb-3 has a higher arabinogalactan content than IIb-2.

  11. Chemical analysis of a polysaccharide of unripe (green) tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum).

    PubMed

    Chandra, Krishnendu; Ghosh, Kaushik; Ojha, Arnab K; Islam, Syed S

    2009-11-02

    A polysaccharide (PS-I) isolated from the aqueous extract of the unripe (green) tomatoes (Lycopersicon esculentum) consists of D-galactose, D-methyl galacturonate, D-arabinose, L-arabinose, and L-rhamnose. Structural investigation of the polysaccharide was carried out using total acid hydrolysis, methylation analysis, periodate oxidation study, and NMR studies ((1)H, (13)C, DQF-COSY, TOCSY, NOESY, ROESY, HMQC, and HMBC). On the basis of above-mentioned experiments the structure of the repeating unit of the polysaccharide (PS-I) was established as: [structure: see text].

  12. In vitro fermentation of mulberry fruit polysaccharides by human fecal inocula and impact on microbiota.

    PubMed

    Chen, Chun; Huang, Qiang; Fu, Xiong; Liu, Rui Hai

    2016-11-09

    This study investigated the in vitro fermentation of polysaccharides from Morus alba L., the contribution of its carbohydrates to the fermentation, and the effect on the composition of gut microbiota. Over 48 h of fermentation, the pH value in the fecal culture decreased from 7.12 to 6.14, and the total short chain fatty acids (SCFA) and acetic, propionic, and butyric acids all significantly increased. After 48 h of fermentation, 45.36 ± 1.36% of the total carbohydrates in the polysaccharide, including 35.72 ± 1.51% of arabinose, 23.1 ± 1.19% of galactose, 41.43 ± 1.52% of glucose, 26.36 ± 1.93% of rhamnose and 65.57 ± 1.07% of galacturic acid, were consumed. The increase in acetic and butyric acids was primarily due to the fermentation of galactose and galacturonic acid in the polysaccharide, while the increase in propionic acid resulted mainly from the fermentation of arabinose and glucose. In addition, the polysaccharide could modulate the gut microbiota composition by increasing the Bacteroidetes population and decreasing the Firmicutes population. The results may facilitate the development of food products known as prebiotics, aimed at improving gastrointestinal health.

  13. Centrifugal partition chromatography in a biorefinery context: Separation of monosaccharides from hydrolysed sugar beet pulp.

    PubMed

    Ward, David P; Cárdenas-Fernández, Max; Hewitson, Peter; Ignatova, Svetlana; Lye, Gary J

    2015-09-11

    A critical step in the bioprocessing of sustainable biomass feedstocks, such as sugar beet pulp (SBP), is the isolation of the component sugars from the hydrolysed polysaccharides. This facilitates their subsequent conversion into higher value chemicals and pharmaceutical intermediates. Separation methodologies such as centrifugal partition chromatography (CPC) offer an alternative to traditional resin-based chromatographic techniques for multicomponent sugar separations. Highly polar two-phase systems containing ethanol and aqueous ammonium sulphate are examined here for the separation of monosaccharides present in hydrolysed SBP pectin: l-rhamnose, l-arabinose, d-galactose and d-galacturonic acid. Dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) was selected as an effective phase system modifier improving monosaccharide separation. The best phase system identified was ethanol:DMSO:aqueous ammonium sulphate (300gL(-1)) (0.8:0.1:1.8, v:v:v) which enabled separation of the SBP monosaccharides by CPC (200mL column) in ascending mode (upper phase as mobile phase) with a mobile phase flow rate of 8mLmin(-1). A mixture containing all four monosaccharides (1.08g total sugars) in the proportions found in hydrolysed SBP was separated into three main fractions; a pure l-rhamnose fraction (>90%), a mixed l-arabinose/d-galactose fraction and a pure d-galacturonic acid fraction (>90%). The separation took less than 2h demonstrating that CPC is a promising technique for the separation of these sugars with potential for application within an integrated, whole crop biorefinery. Copyright © 2015 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  14. Automated UV-C mutagenesis of Kluyveromyces marxianus NRRL Y-1109 and selection for microaerophilic growth and ethanol production at elevated temperature on biomass sugars.

    PubMed

    Hughes, Stephen R; Bang, Sookie S; Cox, Elby J; Schoepke, Andrew; Ochwat, Kate; Pinkelman, Rebecca; Nelson, Danielle; Qureshi, Nasib; Gibbons, William R; Kurtzman, Cletus P; Bischoff, Kenneth M; Liu, Siqing; Cote, Gregory L; Rich, Joseph O; Jones, Marjorie A; Cedeño, David; Doran-Peterson, Joy; Riaño-Herrera, Nestor M; Rodríguez-Valencia, Nelson; López-Núñez, Juan C

    2013-08-01

    The yeast Kluyveromyces marxianus is a potential microbial catalyst for fuel ethanol production from a wide range of biomass substrates. To improve its growth and ethanol yield at elevated temperature under microaerophilic conditions, K. marxianus NRRL Y-1109 was irradiated with UV-C using automated protocols on a robotic platform for picking and spreading irradiated cultures and for processing the resulting plates. The plates were incubated under anaerobic conditions on xylose or glucose for 5 mo at 46 °C. Two K. marxianus mutant strains (designated 7-1 and 8-1) survived and were isolated from the glucose plates. Both mutant strains, but not wild type, grew aerobically on glucose at 47 °C. All strains grew anaerobically at 46 °C on glucose, galactose, galacturonic acid, and pectin; however, only 7-1 grew anaerobically on xylose at 46 °C. Saccharomyces cerevisiae NRRL Y-2403 did not grow at 46 °C on any of these substrates. With glucose as a carbon source, ethanol yield after 3 d at 46 °C was higher for 8-1 than for wild type (0.51 and 0.43 g ethanol/g glucose, respectively). With galacturonic acid as a carbon source, the ethanol yield after 7 d at 46 °C was higher for 7-1 than for wild type (0.48 and 0.34 g ethanol/g galacturonic acid, respectively). These mutant strains have potential application in fuel ethanol production at elevated temperature from sugar constituents of starch, sucrose, pectin, and cellulosic biomass.

  15. Pectic polysaccharide from the green fruits of Momordica charantia (Karela): structural characterization and study of immunoenhancing and antioxidant properties.

    PubMed

    Panda, Bibhash C; Mondal, Soumitra; Devi, K Sanjana P; Maiti, Tapas K; Khatua, Somanjana; Acharya, Krishnendu; Islam, Syed S

    2015-01-12

    A water soluble pectic polysaccharide (PS) isolated from the aqueous extract of the green fruits of Momordica charantia contains D-galactose and D-methyl galacturonate in a molar ratio of nearly 1:4. It showed splenocyte, thymocyte as well as macrophage activations. Moreover, it exhibited potent antioxidant activities. On the basis of total acid hydrolysis, methylation analysis, periodate oxidation, and 1D and 2D NMR studies, the structure of the repeating unit of the pectic polysaccharide was established as: [Formula: see text]. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  16. Fermentative production of l-galactonate by using recombinant Saccharomyces cerevisiae containing the endogenous galacturonate reductase gene from Cryptococcus diffluens.

    PubMed

    Matsubara, Takeo; Hamada, Shohei; Wakabayashi, Ayaka; Kishida, Masao

    2016-11-01

    The GAR1 gene, encoding d-galacturonate reductase in Cryptococcus diffluens, was isolated, and the GAR1-expression plasmid was constructed by insertion of GAR1 downstream of the yeast constitutive promoter in the yeast-integrating vector. Recombinant Saccharomyces cerevisiae expressing C. diffluensd-galacturonate reductase from a genome integrated copy of the gene was cultured for use the conversion of d-galacturonic acid to l-galactonic acid. The optimum conditions for l-galactonic acid production were determined in terms of the initial concentration of d-galacturonic acid, fermentation pH, and mixed sugars. The following conditions yielded high efficiency in the conversion of d-galacturonic acid to l-galactonic acid in large-scale cultures: 0.1% initial d-galacturonic acid concentration, pH 3.5, and glucose as additional sugar. The aerobic condition was necessary for the conversion of d-galacturonic acid. Subculture of that recombinant was not showing to decrease of the d-galacturonic acid conversion rate even though it was repeated in ten generations. Culturing in scale-up, the conversion rate of d-galacturonic acid to l-galactonic acid was increased. Copyright © 2016 The Society for Biotechnology, Japan. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  17. Secretory Expression and Characterization of an Acidic Endo-Polygalacturonase Gene from Aspergillus niger SC323 in Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

    PubMed

    Zhou, Huoxiang; Li, Xi; Guo, Mingyue; Xu, Qingrui; Cao, Yu; Qiao, Dairong; Cao, Yi; Xu, Hui

    2015-07-01

    The endo-polygalacturonase gene (endo-pgaA) was cloned from DNA of Aspergillus niger SC323 using the cDNA synthesized by overlapping PCR, and successfully expressed in Saccharomyces cerevisiae EBY100 through fusing the α-factor signal peptide of yeast. The full-length cDNA consists of 1,113 bp and encodes a protein of 370 amino acids with a calculated molecular mass of 38.8 kDa. After induction by galactose for 48 h, the activity of recombinant endo-PgaA in the culture supernatant can reach up to 1,448.48 U/mg. The recombinant protein was purified to homogeneity by ammonium sulfate precipitation and gel filtration column chromatography and subsequently characterized. The optimal pH and temperature of the purified recombinant enzyme were 5.0 and 50°C, respectively. The Michaelis-Menten constant (Km) and maximal velocity (Vmax) of the enzyme for pectin were 88.54 μmol/ml and 175.44 μmol/mg/min, respectively. The enzyme activity was enhanced by Ca(2+), Cu(2+), and Na(+), and strongly inhibited by Pb(2+) and Mn(2+). The pectin hydrolysates were mainly galacturonic acid and other oligo-galacturonates. Therefore, these characteristics suggest that the recombinant endo-PgaA may be of potential use in the food and feed industries.

  18. The beta-1,4-endogalactanase A gene from Aspergillus niger is specifically induced on arabinose and galacturonic acid and plays an important role in the degradation of pectic hairy regions.

    PubMed

    De Vries, Ronald P; Parenicová, Lucie; Hinz, Sandra W A; Kester, Harry C M; Beldman, Gerrit; Benen, Jacques A E; Visser, Jaap

    2002-10-01

    The Aspergillus nigerbeta-1,4-endogalactanase encoding gene (galA) was cloned and characterized. The expression of galA in A. niger was only detected in the presence of sugar beet pectin, d-galacturonic acid and l-arabinose, suggesting that galA is coregulated with both the pectinolytic genes as well as the arabinanolytic genes. The corresponding enzyme, endogalactanase A (GALA), contains both active site residues identified previously for the Pseudomonas fluorescensbeta-1,4-endogalactanase. The galA gene was overexpressed to facilitate purification of GALA. The enzyme has a molecular mass of 48.5 kDa and a pH optimum between 4 and 4.5. Incubations of arabinogalactans of potato, onion and soy with GALA resulted initially in the release of d-galactotriose and d-galactotetraose, whereas prolonged incubation resulted in d-galactose and d-galactobiose, predominantly. MALDI-TOF analysis revealed the release of l-arabinose substituted d-galacto-oligosaccharides from soy arabinogalactan. This is the first report of the ability of a beta-1,4-endogalactanase to release substituted d-galacto-oligosaccharides. GALA was not active towards d-galacto-oligosaccharides that were substituted with d-glucose at the reducing end.

  19. Purification, characterization and anti-proliferation activities of polysaccharides extracted from Viscum coloratum (Kom.) Nakai.

    PubMed

    Chai, Yangyang; Zhao, Min

    2016-09-20

    Three polysaccharides, VCP1, VCP2 and VCP3 were isolated from Viscum coloratum (Kom.) Nakai using DEAE-cellulose chromatography. VCP1 (32KDa) was composed of glucose, galactose, arabinose, rhamnose and mannose, while VCP2 (280KDa) and VCP3 (21KDa) were consisted of glucose, galactose, arabinose, rhamnose, mannose, glucuronic acid and galacturonic acid. The optical rotation was measured at 20+1°C. The characteristic absorptive bands of purified fraction were determined by FT-IR. (13)C NMR spectroscopy analysis showed that VCP1 was a neutral polysaccharide, and VCP2 and VCP3 were RG-I type pectin. The linkage patterns of VCP2 were evaluated by methylation analysis: 1,5-linked Araf, 1,4-linked Galp, 1,2-linked Rhap, and 1,2,4-linked Rhap. The degree of esterification was 50%. The anti-proliferation ability against HepG2 cells and HepG2.2.15 cells of VCP2 was stronger than VCP1 and VCP3. So the polysaccharides from Viscum coloratum (Kom.) Nakai could be used as potential natural sources with inhibiting tumor cells proliferation. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  20. Preparation, characterization and bioactivities of Athelia rolfsii exopolysaccharide-zinc complex (AEPS-zinc).

    PubMed

    Dong, Jinman; Li, Hongmei; Min, Weihong

    2018-07-01

    A new Athelia rolfsii exopolysaccharides (AEPS) were purified by Sephacryl S-300 and S-200. The physicochemical characteristics of AEPS fractions were assayed by HPGPC and GC methods. The structures of AEPS and AEPS‑zinc complex were characterized by SEM, FTIR and NMR. Moreover, the bioactivities of complex were also evaluated by experiments in vitro and in vivo. AEPSI consisted of glucose, galacturonic acid, talose, galactose, mannose and xylose, the relative contents of them were 24.74, 19.60, 33.65, 8.77, 7.97 and 5.28%, respectively. AEPSII consisted of glucose, inositol, galacturonic acid, ribitol, gluconic acid, talose and xylose, whose relative contents were 36.06, 21.21, 12.78, 11.07, 6.58, 5.45 and 6.82%, respectively. The Mw and Mn of AEPSI were 6.1324×10 4 and 1.4218×10 4 Da, those of AEPSII were 517 and 248Da. SEM observations showed that microstructures of AEPS and AEPS‑zinc complex were obviously different both in size and shape. FTIR and NMR analysis indicated that AEPS might chelate with zinc ion through hydroxy and carboxy group. In vitro experiments showed that AEPS‑zinc complex had a good bioavailability, in vivo experiments showed that it had good effect on improving zinc deficiency and antioxidant activities, which suggested that it could be used as zinc supplementation with high antioxidant activities. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  1. Sugar composition of the pectic polysaccharides of charophytes, the closest algal relatives of land-plants: presence of 3-O-methyl-D-galactose residues.

    PubMed

    O'Rourke, Christina; Gregson, Timothy; Murray, Lorna; Sadler, Ian H; Fry, Stephen C

    2015-08-01

    During evolution, plants have acquired and/or lost diverse sugar residues as cell-wall constituents. Of particular interest are primordial cell-wall features that existed, and in some cases abruptly changed, during the momentous step whereby land-plants arose from charophytic algal ancestors. Polysaccharides were extracted from four charophyte orders [Chlorokybales (Chlorokybus atmophyticus), Klebsormidiales (Klebsormidium fluitans, K. subtile), Charales (Chara vulgaris, Nitella flexilis), Coleochaetales (Coleochaete scutata)] and an early-diverging land-plant (Anthoceros agrestis). 'Pectins' and 'hemicelluloses', operationally defined as extractable in oxalate (100 °C) and 6 m NaOH (37 °C), respectively, were acid- or Driselase-hydrolysed, and the monosaccharides analysed chromatographically. One unusual monosaccharide, 'U', was characterized by (1)H/(13)C-nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy and also enzymically. 'U' was identified as 3-O-methyl-D-galactose (3-MeGal). All pectins, except in Klebsormidium, contained acid- and Driselase-releasable galacturonate, suggesting homogalacturonan. All pectins, without exception, released rhamnose and galactose on acid hydrolysis; however, only in 'higher' charophytes (Charales, Coleochaetales) and Anthoceros were these sugars also efficiently released by Driselase, suggesting rhamnogalacturonan-I. Pectins of 'higher' charophytes, especially Chara, contained little arabinose, instead possessing 3-MeGal. Anthoceros hemicelluloses were rich in glucose, xylose, galactose and arabinose (suggesting xyloglucan and arabinoxylan), none of which was consistently present in charophyte hemicelluloses. Homogalacturonan is an ancient streptophyte feature, albeit secondarily lost in Klebsormidium. When conquering the land, the first embryophytes already possessed rhamnogalacturonan-I. In contrast, charophyte and land-plant hemicelluloses differ substantially, indicating major changes during terrestrialization. The presence of 3-MeGal in charophytes and lycophytes but not in the 'intervening' bryophytes confirms that cell-wall chemistry changed drastically between major phylogenetic grades. © The Author 2015. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Annals of Botany Company. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

  2. Sugar composition of the pectic polysaccharides of charophytes, the closest algal relatives of land-plants: presence of 3-O-methyl-d-galactose residues

    PubMed Central

    O’Rourke, Christina; Gregson, Timothy; Murray, Lorna; Sadler, Ian H.; Fry, Stephen C.

    2015-01-01

    Background and Aims During evolution, plants have acquired and/or lost diverse sugar residues as cell-wall constituents. Of particular interest are primordial cell-wall features that existed, and in some cases abruptly changed, during the momentous step whereby land-plants arose from charophytic algal ancestors. Methods Polysaccharides were extracted from four charophyte orders [Chlorokybales (Chlorokybus atmophyticus), Klebsormidiales (Klebsormidium fluitans, K. subtile), Charales (Chara vulgaris, Nitella flexilis), Coleochaetales (Coleochaete scutata)] and an early-diverging land-plant (Anthoceros agrestis). ‘Pectins’ and ‘hemicelluloses’, operationally defined as extractable in oxalate (100 °C) and 6 m NaOH (37 °C), respectively, were acid- or Driselase-hydrolysed, and the monosaccharides analysed chromatographically. One unusual monosaccharide, ‘U’, was characterized by 1H/13C-nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy and also enzymically. Key Results ‘U’ was identified as 3-O-methyl-d-galactose (3-MeGal). All pectins, except in Klebsormidium, contained acid- and Driselase-releasable galacturonate, suggesting homogalacturonan. All pectins, without exception, released rhamnose and galactose on acid hydrolysis; however, only in ‘higher’ charophytes (Charales, Coleochaetales) and Anthoceros were these sugars also efficiently released by Driselase, suggesting rhamnogalacturonan-I. Pectins of ‘higher’ charophytes, especially Chara, contained little arabinose, instead possessing 3-MeGal. Anthoceros hemicelluloses were rich in glucose, xylose, galactose and arabinose (suggesting xyloglucan and arabinoxylan), none of which was consistently present in charophyte hemicelluloses. Conclusions Homogalacturonan is an ancient streptophyte feature, albeit secondarily lost in Klebsormidium. When conquering the land, the first embryophytes already possessed rhamnogalacturonan-I. In contrast, charophyte and land-plant hemicelluloses differ substantially, indicating major changes during terrestrialization. The presence of 3-MeGal in charophytes and lycophytes but not in the ‘intervening’ bryophytes confirms that cell-wall chemistry changed drastically between major phylogenetic grades. PMID:26113633

  3. Characterisation of a haemagglutinin from Hokkaido red bean (Phaseolus vulgaris cv. Hokkaido red bean).

    PubMed

    Wong, Jack H; Wan, Chung T; Ng, Tzi B

    2010-01-15

    A haemagglutinin was purified from Japanese Hokkaido red beans (Phaseolus vulgaris cv. Hokkaido red bean) with a procedure that included three chromatographic media. Haemagglutinating activity was adsorbed on DEAE cellulose, Affi-gel blue gel and Mono S. The pure haemagglutinin was a homodimer and each subunit was around 30 kDa in molecular mass. The haemagglutinating activity of this agglutinin could not be inhibited by a variety of simple sugars at 200 mmol L(-1) concentration including alpha-L-fucose, D(+)-galactose, D(+)-glucose, D(+)-glucosamine, D(-)galactosamine, galacturonic acid, (+)-lactose, D(+)-melibose, L(-)-mannose, D(+)-mannose, D-mannosamine, D(+)-raffinose, L-rhamnose, (+)-xylose and galacturonic acid. The haemagglutinating activity was fully retained at pH 4-11 and at 0-80 degrees C, but was completely lost at extreme pH values (0-2 and 13-14) and at very high temperatures (90 degrees C and 100 degrees C). The haemagglutinin exhibited a weak mitogenic activity toward mouse splenocytes, a stronger anti-proliferative activity than Con A toward HepG2 (human hepatoma) cells and inhibited >80% of HIV-1 reverse transcriptase inhibitory activity at 3.3 micromol L(-1). It was devoid of anti-fungal activity. Hokkaido red bean haemagglutinin possesses a potent anti-proliferative effect on HepG2 cells. Copyright (c) 2009 Society of Chemical Industry.

  4. Evidence for rapid uptake of D-galacturonic acid in the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae by a channel-type transport system.

    PubMed

    Souffriau, Ben; den Abt, Tom; Thevelein, Johan M

    2012-07-30

    D-Galacturonic acid is a major component of pectins but cannot be metabolized by Saccharomyces cerevisiae. It is assumed not to be taken up. We show that yeast displays surprisingly rapid low-affinity uptake of D-galacturonic acid, strongly increasing with decreasing extracellular pH and without saturation up to 1.5 M. There was no intracellular concentration above the extracellular level and transport was reversible. Among more than 160 single and multiple deletion mutants in channels and transporters, no strain was affected in D-galacturonic acid uptake. The uptake was not inhibited by any compound tested as candidate competitive inhibitor, including D-glucuronic acid, which was also transported. The characteristics of D-galacturonic acid uptake are consistent with involvement of a channel-type system, probably encoded by multiple genes. Copyright © 2012 Federation of European Biochemical Societies. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  5. Structural analysis of an innate immunostimulant from broccoli, Brassica oleracea var. italica.

    PubMed

    Urai, Makoto; Kataoka, Keiko; Nishida, Satoshi; Sekimizu, Kazuhisa

    2017-11-22

    Vegetables are eaten as part of a healthy diet throughout the world, and some are also applied topically as a traditional medicine. We evaluated the innate immunostimulating activities of hot water extracts of various vegetables using the silkworm muscle contraction assay system, and found that broccoli, Brassica oleracea var. italica, contains a strong innate immunostimulant. We purified the innate immunostimulant from broccoli, and characterized the chemical structure by chemical analyses and NMR spectroscopy. The innate immunostimulant comprised galacturonic acid, galactose, glucose, arabinose, and rhamnose, and had a pectic-like polysaccharide structure. To determine the structural motif involved in the innate immunostimulating activity, we modified the structure by chemical and enzymatic treatment, and found that the activity was attenuated by pectinase digestion. These findings suggest that a pectic-like polysaccharide purified from broccoli has innate immune-stimulating activity, for which the polygalacturonic acid structure is necessary.

  6. The introduction of the fungal D-galacturonate pathway enables the consumption of D-galacturonic acid by Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

    PubMed

    Biz, Alessandra; Sugai-Guérios, Maura Harumi; Kuivanen, Joosu; Maaheimo, Hannu; Krieger, Nadia; Mitchell, David Alexander; Richard, Peter

    2016-08-18

    Pectin-rich wastes, such as citrus pulp and sugar beet pulp, are produced in considerable amounts by the juice and sugar industry and could be used as raw materials for biorefineries. One possible process in such biorefineries is the hydrolysis of these wastes and the subsequent production of ethanol. However, the ethanol-producing organism of choice, Saccharomyces cerevisiae, is not able to catabolize D-galacturonic acid, which represents a considerable amount of the sugars in the hydrolysate, namely, 18 % (w/w) from citrus pulp and 16 % (w/w) sugar beet pulp. In the current work, we describe the construction of a strain of S. cerevisiae in which the five genes of the fungal reductive pathway for D-galacturonic acid catabolism were integrated into the yeast chromosomes: gaaA, gaaC and gaaD from Aspergillus niger and lgd1 from Trichoderma reesei, and the recently described D-galacturonic acid transporter protein, gat1, from Neurospora crassa. This strain metabolized D-galacturonic acid in a medium containing D-fructose as co-substrate. This work is the first demonstration of the expression of a functional heterologous pathway for D-galacturonic acid catabolism in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. It is a preliminary step for engineering a yeast strain for the fermentation of pectin-rich substrates to ethanol.

  7. Physicochemical properties and antioxidant activities of polysaccharides from Gynura procumbens leaves by fractional precipitation.

    PubMed

    Li, Jing-En; Wang, Wen-Jun; Zheng, Guo-Dong; Li, Lin-Yan

    2017-02-01

    Four new polysaccharides (GPP-20, GPP-40, GPP-60 and GPP-80) were fractionated from Gynura procumbens leaves by 20%, 40%, 60% and 80% (v/v) ethanol, successively. Their physicochemical properties including the contents of neutral sugar, uronic acid and protein, as well as the monosaccharide composition were determined. In addition, the antioxidant activities of them were investigated via the reducing power assay and scavenging capacities of 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) free radicals and hydroxyl free radicals, respectively. The results indicated that apart from neutral sugar, they all contained uronic acids and proteins in their structures, which were further proved by the UV-vis and FT-IR spectra. Monosaccharide composition analysis implied that they all belonged to heteropolysaccharides consisted of arabinose, galactose, glucose, xylose and galacturonic acid with different types and ratios. What's more, GPP-20, GPP-40 and GPP-80 always exhibited better antioxidant activities than GPP-60 among these three antioxidant assays in vitro. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  8. Structural diversity of pectins isolated from the Styrian oil-pumpkin (Cucurbita pepo var. styriaca) fruit.

    PubMed

    Košťálová, Zuzana; Hromádková, Zdenka; Ebringerová, Anna

    2013-03-01

    To evaluate the seeded fruit biomass of the Styrian oil-pumpkin in view of its pectin component, a series of acidic polysaccharides were isolated by a six-step sequential extraction using hot water, EDTA, dilute HCl (twice) and dilute and stronger NaOH solutions. Chemical, physicochemical and spectroscopy analyses revealed that the first four fractions comprised partially methyl-esterified and acetylated pectins with varying proportions of rhamnogalacturonan regions ramified with galactose- and arabinose-containing side chains and showed considerable polymolecularity. The alkali-extracted polysaccharides contained lower amounts of pectins with homogalacturonan and arabinose-rich rhamnogalacturonan regions next to hemicelluloses prevailing in the last polysaccharide. Using (1)H-(13)C HSQC and HMBC spectroscopy, the resonances of free and methylesterified galacturonic acid residues in the purified acid-extracted pectin were unambiguously established and various diads formed by both residues identified. The results might serve as a basis for searching technological conditions to produce pectin from the oil-pumpkin fruit biomass. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  9. Component analysis and free radicals scavenging activity of Cicer arietinum L. husk pectin.

    PubMed

    Urias-Orona, Vania; Huerta-Oros, Joselina; Carvajal-Millán, Elizabeth; Lizardi-Mendoza, Jaime; Rascón-Chu, Agustin; Gardea, Alfonso A

    2010-10-11

    A pectin (CAP) was extracted from the husk of Cicer arietinum L. Monosaccharide analysis of CAP revealed the dominance of galacturonic acid and smaller amounts of galactose, arabinose, rhamnose, glucose, xylose and mannose. Viscosimetric analysis showed that the intrinsic viscosity ([η]) and the molecular weight (MW) of CAP were 296 mL/g and 105 kDa, respectively. The degree of esterification (DE = 10%) was determined by FTIR spectroscopy. CAP exhibited a dose-dependent free radical scavenging activity, as shown by its DPPH radical inhibition. At 1.0 mg/mL CAP exhibited a scavenging rate of 29% on DPPH radicals. The evaluation of antioxidant activity suggested that CAP had good potential for DPPH radical scavenging activity and should be explored as a novel potential antioxidant.

  10. Tomato Fruit Cell Wall 1

    PubMed Central

    Koch, James L.; Nevins, Donald J.

    1989-01-01

    Cell wall isolation procedures were evaluated to determine their effect on the total pectin content and the degree of methylesterification of tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum L.) fruit cell walls. Water homogenates liberate substantial amounts of buffer soluble uronic acid, 5.2 milligrams uronic acid/100 milligrams wall. Solubilization appears to be a consequence of autohydrolysis mediated by polygalacturonase II, isoenzymes A and B, since the uronic acid release from the wall residue can be suppressed by homogenization in the presence of 50% ethanol followed by heating. The extent of methylesterification in heat-inactivated cell walls, 94 mole%, was significantly greater than with water homogenates, 56 mole%. The results suggest that autohydrolysis, mediated by cell wall-associated enzymes, accounts for the solubilization of tomato fruit pectin in vitro. Endogenous enzymes also account for a decrease in the methylesterification during the cell wall preparation. The heat-inactivated cell wall preparation was superior to the other methods studied since it reduces β-elimination during heating and inactivates constitutive enzymes that may modify pectin structure. This heat-inactivated cell wall preparation was used in subsequent enzymatic analysis of the pectin structure. Purified tomato fruit polygalacturonase and partially purified pectinmethylesterase were used to assess changes in constitutive substrates during tomato fruit ripening. Polygalacturonase treatment of heat-inactivated cell walls from mature green and breaker stages released 14% of the uronic acid. The extent of the release of polyuronides by polygalacturonase was fruit development stage dependent. At the turning stage, 21% of the pectin fraction was released, a value which increased to a maximum of 28% of the uronides at the red ripe stage. Pretreatment of the walls with purified tomato pectinesterase rendered walls from all ripening stages equally susceptible to polygalacturonase. Quantitatively, the release of uronides by polygalacturonase from all pectinesterase treated cell walls was equivalent to polygalacturonase treatment of walls at the ripe stage. Uronide polymers released by polygalacturonase contain galacturonic acid, rhamnose, galactose, arabinose, xylose, and glucose. As a function of development, an increase in the release of galacturonic acid and rhamnose was observed (40 and 6% of these polymers at the mature green stage to 54 and 15% at the red ripe stage, respectively). The amount of galactose and arabinose released by exogenous polygalacturonase decreased during development (41 and 11% from walls of mature green fruit to 11 and 6% at the red ripe stage, respectively). Minor amounts of glucose and xylose released from the wall by exogenous polygalacturonase (4-7%) remained constant throughout fruit development. PMID:16667142

  11. Effect of Extraction Conditions on the Saccharide (Neutral and Acidic) Composition of the Crude Pectic Extract from Various Agro-Industrial Residues.

    PubMed

    Babbar, Neha; Roy, Sandra Van; Wijnants, Marc; Dejonghe, Winnie; Caligiani, Augusta; Sforza, Stefano; Elst, Kathy

    2016-01-13

    The influence of different extraction methodologies was assessed on the composition of both neutral (arabinose, rhamnose, galactose) and acidic (galacturonic acid) pectic polysaccharides obtained from four agro-industrial residues, namely, berry pomace (BP), onion hulls (OH), pressed pumpkin (PP), and sugar beet pulp (SBP). For acidic pectic polysaccharides, the extraction efficiency was obtained as BP (nitric acid-assisted extraction, 2 h, 62.9%), PP (enzymatic-assisted extraction, 12 h, 75.0%), SBP (enzymatic-assisted extraction, 48 h, 89.8%; and nitric acid-assisted extraction, 4 h, 76.5%), and OH (sodium hexametaphosphate-assisted extraction, 0.5 h, 100%; and ammonium oxalate-assisted extraction, 0.5 h, 100%). For neutral pectic polysaccharides, the following results were achieved: BP (enzymatic-assisted extraction, 24 h, 85.9%), PP (nitric acid-assisted extraction, 6 h, 82.2%), and SBP (enzymatic assisted extraction, 48 h, 97.5%; and nitric acid-assisted extraction, 4 h, 83.2%). On the basis of the high recovery of pectic sugars, SBP and OH are interesting candidates for the further purification of pectin and production of pectin-derived products.

  12. Purification, Preliminary Characterization and Hepatoprotective Effects of Polysaccharides from Dandelion Root.

    PubMed

    Cai, Liangliang; Wan, Dongwei; Yi, Fanglian; Luan, Libiao

    2017-08-25

    In this study, purification, preliminary characterization and hepatoprotective effects of water-soluble polysaccharides from dandelion root (DRP) were investigated. Two polysaccharides, DRP1 and DRP2, were isolated from DRP. The two polysaccharides were α-type polysaccharides and didn't contain protein. DRP1, with a molecular weight of 5695 Da, was composed of glucose, galactose and arabinose, whereas DRP2, with molecular weight of 8882 Da, was composed of rhamnose, galacturonic acid, glucose, galactose and arabinose. The backbone of DRP1 was mainly composed of (1→6)-linked-α-d-Glc and (1→3,4)-linked-α-d-Glc. DRP2 was mainly composed of (1→)-linked-α-d-Ara and (1→)-linked-α-d-Glc. A proof-of-concept study was performed to assess the therapeutic potential of DRP1 and DRP2 in a mouse model that mimics acetaminophen (APAP) -induced liver injury (AILI) in humans. The present study shows DRP1 and DRP2 could protect the liver from APAP-induced hepatic injury by activating the Nrf2-Keap1 pathway. These conclusions demonstrate that the DRP1 and DRP2 might be suitable as functional foods and natural drugs in preventing APAP-induced liver injury.

  13. Characterization and biological activities of a novel polysaccharide isolated from raspberry (Rubus idaeus L.) fruits.

    PubMed

    Yu, Zeyuan; Liu, Lu; Xu, Yaqin; Wang, Libo; Teng, Xin; Li, Xingguo; Dai, Jing

    2015-11-05

    A water-soluble polysaccharide namely RCP-II from raspberry fruits was obtained by complex enzyme method followed by successive purification using macroporous resin D4020 and Sephadex G-100 columns. RCP-II was an acidic heteropolysaccharide and the characteristic structure of polysaccharide was determined. The carbohydrate of RCP-II was composed with galacturonic acid, rhamnose, arabinose, xylose, glucose and galactose in a molar ratio of 1.00:0.55:1.19:0.52:0.44:1.90 and the average molecular weight was estimated to be 4013 Da, based on dextran standards. RCP-II presented high scavenging activity toward DPPH•, HO•, O2(•-) in a concentration-dependent manner. The determination of the inhibitory activity on protein glycation showed that in 14 days of incubation the inhibitory ability of RCP-II was more effective on the development of non-enzymatic glycation reaction at early phase than that at the following two phases. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  14. Extraction and Characterization of Highly Gelling Low Methoxy Pectin from Cashew Apple Pomace

    PubMed Central

    Yapo, Beda M.; Koffi, Kouassi L.

    2013-01-01

    Investigation on the pectic substances of cashew (Anacardium occidentale L.) apple under different acid-extraction conditions (pH 1.0, 1.5, and 2.0) showed that more than 10%–25% of A. occidentale pectins (AOP) could be extracted, depending on the extractant strength. The extracted AOP contained high amounts of galacturonic acid (GalA: 69.9%–84.5%) with some neutral sugars of which rhamnose (Rha: 1.3%–2.5%), arabinose (Ara: 2.6%–5.4%), and galactose (Gal: 4.7%–8.6%) were the main constituents. The degree of methoxylation (DM) was in the range of 28%–46% and was only slightly affected by the extractant strength, thereby indicating isolation of naturally low methoxy pectins (LMP). In terms of gelling capability, AOP yielded firmer Ca2+-mediated LMP gels than commercial citrus LMP with comparable DM. Cashew apple pomace, therefore, appears to be a potentially viable source for possible production of “non-chemically or enzymatically-tailored” LMP. PMID:28234301

  15. Optimization of polysaccharides extraction from watermelon rinds: Structure, functional and biological activities.

    PubMed

    Romdhane, Molka Ben; Haddar, Anissa; Ghazala, Imen; Jeddou, Khawla Ben; Helbert, Claire Boisset; Ellouz-Chaabouni, Semia

    2017-02-01

    In the present work, optimization of hot water extraction, structural characteristics, functional properties, and biological activities of polysaccharides extracted from watermelon rinds (WMRP) were investigated. The physicochemical characteristics and the monosaccharide composition of these polysaccharides were then determined using chemical composition analysis, Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and gas chromatography-flame ionization detection (GC-FID). SEM images showed that extracted polysaccharides had a rough surface with many cavities. GC-FID results proved that galactose was the dominant sugar in the extracted polysaccharides, followed by arabinose, glucose, galacturonic acid, rhamnose, mannose, xylose and traces of glucuronic acid. The findings revealed that WMRP displayed excellent antihypertensive and antioxidant activities. Those polysaccharides had also a protection effect against hydroxyl radical-induced DNA damage. Functional properties of extracted polysaccharides were also evaluated. WMRP showed good interfacial dose-dependent proprieties. Overall, the results suggested that WMRP presents a promising natural source of antioxidants and antihypertensive agents. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  16. Purification, Biochemical Characterization, and Amino Acid Sequence of a Novel Type of Lectin from Aplysia dactylomela Eggs with Antibacterial/Antibiofilm Potential.

    PubMed

    Carneiro, Rômulo Farias; Torres, Renato Cézar Farias; Chaves, Renata Pinheiro; de Vasconcelos, Mayron Alves; de Sousa, Bruno Lopes; Goveia, André Castelo Rodrigues; Arruda, Francisco Vassiliepe; Matos, Maria Nágila Carneiro; Matthews-Cascon, Helena; Freire, Valder Nogueira; Teixeira, Edson Holanda; Nagano, Celso Shiniti; Sampaio, Alexandre Holanda

    2017-02-01

    A new lectin from Aplysia dactylomela eggs (ADEL) was isolated by affinity chromatography on HCl-activated Sepharose™ media. Hemagglutination caused by ADEL was inhibited by several galactosides, mainly galacturonic acid (Ka = 6.05 × 10 6  M -1 ). The primary structure of ADEL consists of 217 residues, including 11 half-cystines involved in five intrachain and one interchain disulfide bond, resulting in a molecular mass of 57,228 ± 2 Da, as determined by matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time of flight mass spectrometry. ADEL showed high similarity with lectins isolated from Aplysia eggs, but not with other known lectins, indicating that these lectins could be grouped into a new family of animal lectins. Three glycosylation sites were found in its polypeptide backbone. Data from peptide-N-glycosidase F digestion and MS suggest that all oligosaccharides attached to ADEL are high in mannose. The secondary structure of ADEL is predominantly β-sheet, and its tertiary structure is sensitive to the presence of ligands, as observed by CD. A 3D structure model of ADEL was created and shows two domains connected by a short loop. Domain A is composed of a flat three-stranded and a curved five-stranded β-sheet, while domain B presents a flat three-stranded and a curved four-stranded β-sheet. Molecular docking revealed favorable binding energies for interactions between lectin and galacturonic acid, lactose, galactosamine, and galactose. Moreover, ADEL was able to agglutinate and inhibit biofilm formation of Staphylococcus aureus, suggesting that this lectin may be a potential alternative to conventional use of antimicrobial agents in the treatment of infections caused by Staphylococcal biofilms.

  17. Monosaccharide composition of acidic gum exudates from Indian Acacia tortilis ssp. raddiana (Savi) Brenan.

    PubMed

    Lakhera, Ajeet Kumar; Kumar, Vineet

    2017-01-01

    Acacia tortilis ssp. raddiana (Savi) Brenan commonly known as Israeli Babool has contributed immensely for sand dunes management in Indian desert leading to wind erosion control and increased biological productivity. The species is extensively used in traditional medicine system for a number of therapeutic applications and as nutraceutical. The polysaccharide was isolated in 43.6% yield from gum exudates. The monosaccharides, L-arabinose, D-galactose D-glucose, L-rhamnose and D-mannose were determined in molar ratio of 78.1%, 18.64%, 0.60%, 1.71% and 0.74% respectively. The molar ratio of uronic acids was studied using diverse spectrophotometric methods and compared with GLC. The content of D-galacturonic acid and D-glucuronic was determined as 3.88% and 4.35% respectively by GLC. The results were compared with the spectrophotometric methods. The results using DMP as chromogenic reagent are closer to that obtained by GLC. Structural analysis of the polysaccharide may provide scientific basis for nutraceutical, pharmaceutical and biological applications of gum exudates from A. tortilis, which is extensively planted in India. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  18. D-Galacturonic Acid: A Highly Reactive Compound in Nonenzymatic Browning. 2. Formation of Amino-Specific Degradation Products.

    PubMed

    Wegener, Steffen; Bornik, Maria-Anna; Kroh, Lothar W

    2015-07-22

    Thermal treatment of aqueous solutions of D-galacturonic acid and L-alanine at pH 3, 5, and 8 led to rapid and more intensive nonenzymatic browning reactions compared to similar solutions of other uronic acids and to Maillard reactions of reducing sugars. The hemiacetal ring structures of uronic acids had a high impact on browning behavior and reaction pathways. Besides reductic acid (1,2-dihydroxy-2-cyclopenten-1-one), 4,5-dihydroxy-2-cyclopenten-1-one (DHCP), furan-2-carboxaldehyde, and norfuraneol (4-hydroxy-5-methyl-3-(2H)-furanone) could be detected as typical products of nonenzymatic uronic acid browning reactions. 2-(2-Formyl-1H-pyrrole-1-yl)propanoic acid (FPA) and 1-(1-carboxyethyl)-3-hydroxypyridin-1-ium (HPA) were identified as specific reaction products of uronic acids with amine participation like l-alanine. In contrast, the structurally related D-galacturonic acid methyl ester showed less browning activity and degradation under equal reaction conditions. Pectin-specific degradation products such as 5-formyl-2-furanoic acid and 2-furanoic acid were found but could not be verified for d-galacturonic acid monomers alone.

  19. Ultrasound-assisted extraction of polysaccharides from Artemisia selengensis Turcz and its antioxidant and anticancer activities.

    PubMed

    Wang, Juan; Lu, He Dong; Muḥammad, Umair; Han, Jin Zhi; Wei, Zhao Hui; Lu, Zhao Xin; Bie, Xiao Mei; Lu, Feng Xia

    2016-02-01

    Artemisia selengensis Turcz (AST) is a perennial herb with therapeutic and economic applications in China. The effects of ultrasound-assisted extraction (UAE) parameters upon extraction yield (EY%), antioxidant and antitumor activities of the polysaccharides extracts were studied by using a factorial design and response surface methodology. The optimal conditions determined were as: ultrasonic power 146 W, extraction time 14.5 min. and extraction temperature 60 °C. The average molecular weights of two homogeneous polysaccharides (APS1 and APS2) purified by DEAE cellulose-52 and Sephadex G-100 column chromatography were 125.4 and 184.1 kDa, respectively. Monosaccharide analysis showed that APS1 and APS2 were composed of five common monomers i.e., galactose, mannose, arabinose, xylose and rhamnose and one different monomer glucose and galacturonic acid respectively, with a most abundant part in molar % of APS1 and APS2 were glucose (83.01 %) and galacturonic acid (48.87 %) while least were xylose (0.80 %) and mannose (1.73 %) respectively. The antioxidant properties were determined by evaluating DPPH, hydroxyl radical scavenging activity and reducing power which indicated both APS1 and APS2 showed strong scavenging activities and anticancer activities on HT-29, BGC823 and antitumor activity on HepG-2. As UAE improved the polysaccharides yield than CSE, meanwhile, no significant difference of polysaccharides chemical compositions. Therefore, the present study suggests that the consumption of AST leaves may beneficial for the treatment of many diseases.

  20. Ethanol production from eucalyptus wood hemicellulose hydrolysate by Pichia stipitis.

    PubMed

    Ferrari, M D; Neirotti, E; Albornoz, C; Saucedo, E

    1992-10-05

    Ethanol production was evaluated from eucalyptus wood hemicellulose acid hydrolysate using Pichia stipitis NRRL Y-7124. An initial lag phase characterized by flocculation and viability loss of the yeast inoculated was observed. Subsequently, cell regrowth occurred with sequential consumption of sugars and production of ethanol. Polyol formation was detected. Acetic acid present in the hydrolysate was an important inhibitor of the fermentation, reducing the rate and the yield. Its toxic effect was due essentially to its undissociated form. The fermentation was more effective at an oxygen transfer rate between 1.2 and 2.4 mmol/L h and an initial pH of 6.5. The hydrolysate used in the experiences had the following composition (expressed in grams per liter): xylose 30, arabinose 2.8, glucose 1.5, galactose 3.7, mannose 1.0, cellobiose 0.5, acetic acid 10, glucuronic acid 1.5, and galacturonic acid 1.0. The best values obtained were maximum ethanol concentration 12.6 g/L, fermentation time 75 h, fermentable sugar consumption 99% ethanol yield 0.35 g/g sugars consumed, and volumetric ethanol productivity 4 g/L day. ( (c) 1992 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

  1. Pectin-modifying enzymes and pectin-derived materials: applications and impacts.

    PubMed

    Bonnin, Estelle; Garnier, Catherine; Ralet, Marie-Christine

    2014-01-01

    Pectins are complex branched polysaccharides present in primary cell walls. As a distinctive feature, they contain high amount of partly methyl-esterified galacturonic acid and low amount of rhamnose and carry arabinose and galactose as major neutral sugars. Due to their structural complexity, they are modifiable by many different enzymes, including hydrolases, lyases, and esterases. Their peculiar structure is the origin of their physicochemical properties. Among others, their remarkable gelling properties make them a key additive for food industries. Pectin-degrading enzymes and -modifying enzymes may be used in a wide variety of applications to modulate pectin properties or produce pectin derivatives and oligosaccharides with functional as well as nutritional interests. This paper reviews the scientific information available on pectin structure, pectin-modifying enzymes, and the use of enzymes to produce pectin with controlled structure or pectin-derived oligosaccharides, with functional or nutritional interesting properties.

  2. Composition of the sheath produced by the green alga Chlorella sorokiniana.

    PubMed

    Watanabe, K; Imase, M; Sasaki, K; Ohmura, N; Saiki, H; Tanaka, H

    2006-05-01

    To investigate the chemical characterization of the mucilage sheath produced by Chlorella sorokiniana. Algal mucilage sheath was hydrolysed with NaOH, containing EDTA. The purity of the hydrolysed sheath was determined by an ATP assay. The composition of polysaccharide in the sheath was investigated by high-performance anion-exchange chromatography with pulsed amperometric detection. Sucrose, galacturonic acid, xylitol, inositol, ribose, mannose, arabinose, galactose, rhamnose and fructose were detected in the sheath as sugar components. Magnesium was detected in the sheath as a divalent cation using inductively coupled argon plasma. The sheath matrix also contained protein. It appears that the sheath is composed of sugars and metals. Mucilage sheath contains many kinds of saccharides that are produced as photosynthetic metabolites and divalent cations that are contained in the culture medium. This is the first report on chemical characterization of the sheath matrix produced by C. sorokiniana.

  3. Nutrients, phytochemicals and antioxidant activities of 26 kidney bean cultivars.

    PubMed

    Kan, Lijiao; Nie, Shaoping; Hu, Jielun; Wang, Sunan; Cui, Steve W; Li, Yawen; Xu, Sifan; Wu, Yue; Wang, Junqiao; Bai, Zhouya; Xie, Mingyong

    2017-10-01

    Detailed characterization in nutrients and phytochemicals with antioxidant activities of 26 kidney beans was performed. The kidney beans contained high levels of dietary fiber (29.32-46.77%), resistant starch (9.16-18.09%) and protein (22.06-32.63%) but low levels of lipid (1.05-2.83%) and sugars (1.55-9.07%). The monosaccharide composition of soluble fiber was dominated by arabinose, galactose, mannose and galacturonic acid. The ratio of essential amino acid to the total amino acid was ranged from 0.29 to 0.36. The predominant fatty acid was polyunsaturated fatty acids, accounting for 47.54-67.26% of total fatty acids. The total tocopherol content was in the range of 12.83-68.35 μg/g, predominantly γ-tocopherol, followed by δ-tocopherol. In addition, certain levels of total phenolics and flavonoids with respective values of 0.25-3.79 mg gallic acid equivalent/g dry weight and 0.19-7.05 mg rutin equivalent/g dry weight resulted in significant antioxidant activities. And a good correlation was observed between TPC and FRAP values (R2 = 0.8030). The results indicated that kidney beans are excellent sources of health-promoting compounds. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  4. A Galacturonic Acid–Containing Xyloglucan Is Involved in Arabidopsis Root Hair Tip Growth[W

    PubMed Central

    Peña, Maria J.; Kong, Yingzhen; York, William S.; O’Neill, Malcolm A.

    2012-01-01

    Root hairs provide a model system to study plant cell growth, yet little is known about the polysaccharide compositions of their walls or the role of these polysaccharides in wall expansion. We report that Arabidopsis thaliana root hair walls contain a previously unidentified xyloglucan that is composed of both neutral and galacturonic acid–containing subunits, the latter containing the β-d-galactosyluronic acid-(1→2)-α-d-xylosyl-(1→ and/or α-l-fucosyl-(1→2)-β-d-galactosyluronic acid-(1→2)-α-d-xylosyl-(1→) side chains. Arabidopsis mutants lacking root hairs have no acidic xyloglucan. A loss-of-function mutation in At1g63450, a root hair–specific gene encoding a family GT47 glycosyltransferase, results in the synthesis of xyloglucan that lacks galacturonic acid. The root hairs of this mutant are shorter than those of the wild type. This mutant phenotype and the absence of galacturonic acid in the root xyloglucan are complemented by At1g63450. The leaf and stem cell walls of wild-type Arabidopsis contain no acidic xyloglucan. However, overexpression of At1g63450 led to the synthesis of galacturonic acid–containing xyloglucan in these tissues. We propose that At1g63450 encodes XYLOGLUCAN-SPECIFIC GALACTURONOSYLTRANSFERASE1, which catalyzes the formation of the galactosyluronic acid-(1→2)-α-d-xylopyranosyl linkage and that the acidic xyloglucan is present only in root hair cell walls. The role of the acidic xyloglucan in root hair tip growth is discussed. PMID:23175743

  5. Subsite binding energies of an exo-polygalacturonase using isothermal titration calorimetry

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    Thermodynamic parameters for binding of a series of galacturonic acid oligomers to an exo-polygalacturonase, RPG16 from Rhizopus oryzae, were determined by isothermal titration calorimetry. Binding of oligomers varying in chain length from two to five galacturonic acid residues is an exothermic proc...

  6. Regulation of L-ascorbic acid content in strawberry fruits

    PubMed Central

    Cruz-Rus, Eduardo; Amaya, Iraida; Sánchez-Sevilla, José F.; Botella, Miguel A.; Valpuesta, Victoriano

    2011-01-01

    Plants have several L-ascorbic acid (AsA) biosynthetic pathways, but the contribution of each one to the synthesis of AsA varyies between different species, organs, and developmental stages. Strawberry (Fragaria×ananassa) fruits are rich in AsA. The pathway that uses D-galacturonate as the initial substrate is functional in ripe fruits, but the contribution of other pathways to AsA biosynthesis has not been studied. The transcription of genes encoding biosynthetic enzymes such as D-galacturonate reductase (FaGalUR) and myo-inositol oxygenase (FaMIOX), and the AsA recycling enzyme monodehydroascorbate reductase (FaMDHAR) were positively correlated with the increase in AsA during fruit ripening. Fruit storage for 72 h in a cold room reduced the AsA content by 30%. Under an ozone atmosphere, this reduction was 15%. Ozone treatment increased the expression of the FaGalUR, FaMIOX, and L-galactose-1-phosphate phosphatase (FaGIPP) genes, and transcription of the L-galactono-1,4-lactone dehydrogenase (FaGLDH) and FAMDHAR genes was higher in the ozone-stored than in the air-stored fruits. Analysis of AsA content in a segregating population from two strawberry cultivars showed high variability, which did not correlate with the transcription of any of the genes studied. Study of GalUR protein in diverse cultivars of strawberry and different Fragaria species showed that a correlation between GalUR and AsA content was apparent in most cases, but it was not general. Three alleles were identified in strawberry, but any sequence effect on the AsA variability was eliminated by analysis of the allele-specific expression. Taken together, these results indicate that FaGalUR shares the control of AsA levels with other enzymes and regulatory elements in strawberry fruit. PMID:21561953

  7. Further analysis of the structure and immunological activity of an RG-I type pectin from Panax ginseng.

    PubMed

    Zhang, Xu; Li, Shanshan; Sun, Lin; Ji, Li; Zhu, Jingjing; Fan, Yuying; Tai, Guihua; Zhou, Yifa

    2012-06-20

    In this paper, we further analysed the structure of a type I rhamnogalacturonan (RG-I) pectin (WGPA-2-RG) fractionated from ginseng polysaccharides. Methylation and periodate oxidation analyses showed that WGPA-2-RG has a backbone consisting of alternating rhamnose (Rha) and galacturonic acid (GalA) residues and side chains consisting of type II arabinogalactan (AG-II). Partial acidic hydrolysis for 6h completely removed arabinose (Ara), partial galactose (Gal), but little GalA and Rha. During partial hydrolysis, the molecular weight of WGPA-2-RG decreased smoothly, suggesting that the Ara and cleavable Gal residues exist on the surface of the molecule, while GalA and Rha residues exist in the core of the molecule. The bioactivity assay showed that the arabinogalactan side chains of WGPA-2-RG are essential structures for stimulating NO secretion and lymphocyte proliferation. However, removal of the Ara and Gal residues through hydrolysis did not appreciably affect the ability of WGPA-2-RG to enhance macrophage phagocytosis. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  8. Glucose-1-phosphate uridylyltransferase from Erwinia amylovora: Activity, structure and substrate specificity.

    PubMed

    Benini, Stefano; Toccafondi, Mirco; Rejzek, Martin; Musiani, Francesco; Wagstaff, Ben A; Wuerges, Jochen; Cianci, Michele; Field, Robert A

    2017-11-01

    Erwinia amylovora, a Gram-negative plant pathogen, is the causal agent of Fire Blight, a contagious necrotic disease affecting plants belonging to the Rosaceae family, including apple and pear. E. amylovora is highly virulent and capable of rapid dissemination in orchards; effective control methods are still lacking. One of its most important pathogenicity factors is the exopolysaccharide amylovoran. Amylovoran is a branched polymer made by the repetition of units mainly composed of galactose, with some residues of glucose, glucuronic acid and pyruvate. E. amylovora glucose-1-phosphate uridylyltransferase (UDP-glucose pyrophosphorylase, EC 2.7.7.9) has a key role in amylovoran biosynthesis. This enzyme catalyses the production of UDP-glucose from glucose-1-phosphate and UTP, which the epimerase GalE converts into UDP-galactose, the main building block of amylovoran. We determined EaGalU kinetic parameters and substrate specificity with a range of sugar 1-phosphates. At time point 120min the enzyme catalysed conversion of the sugar 1-phosphate into the corresponding UDP-sugar reached 74% for N-acetyl-α-d-glucosamine 1-phosphate, 28% for α-d-galactose 1-phosphate, 0% for α-d-galactosamine 1-phosphate, 100% for α-d-xylose 1-phosphate, 100% for α-d-glucosamine 1-phosphate, 70% for α-d-mannose 1-phosphate, and 0% for α-d-galacturonic acid 1-phosphate. To explain our results we obtained the crystal structure of EaGalU and augmented our study by docking the different sugar 1-phosphates into EaGalU active site, providing both reliable models for substrate binding and enzyme specificity, and a rationale that explains the different activity of EaGalU on the sugar 1-phosphates used. These data demonstrate EaGalU potential as a biocatalyst for biotechnological purposes, as an alternative to the enzyme from Escherichia coli, besides playing an important role in E. amylovora pathogenicity. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  9. Purification and biochemical characterization of a D-galactose binding lectin from Japanese sea hare (Aplysia kurodai) eggs.

    PubMed

    Kawsar, S M A; Matsumoto, R; Fujii, Y; Yasumitsu, H; Dogasaki, C; Hosono, M; Nitta, K; Hamako, J; Matsui, T; Kojima, N; Ozeki, Y

    2009-07-01

    A lectin was purified from Japanese sea hare Aplysia kurodai by lactosyl-agarose affinity chromatography. The molecular mass of the lectin was determined to be 56 and 32 kDa by SDS-PAGE under non-reducing and reducing conditions, respectively. It was found to agglutinate trypsinized and glutaraldehyde-fixed rabbit and human erythrocytes in the absence of divalent cations. The lectin exhibited stable thermo-tolerance as it retained hemagglutinating activity for 1 h even at 80 degrees C and showed stability at pH 10. By contrast, it was very sensitive at pH less than 5 and in the presence of the sulfhydryl-group preserving reagent, beta-mercaptoethanol. The hemagglutinating activity by the lectin was specifically inhibited by D-galactose, galacturonic acid, methyl-alpha- and methyl-beta-D-galactopyranoside, lactose, melibiose, and asialofetuin. The association rate constant (k(ass)) and dissociation rate constant (k(diss)) were determined for the lectin to be 4.3 x 10(5) M(-1) x sec(-1) and 2.2 x 10(-3) sec(-1), respectively, using a surface plasmon resonance biosensor. The lectin moderately inhibited cell proliferation in the P388 cell line dose dependently. Interestingly, lectin-treated cells did not show a fragmented DNA ladder as is caused by apoptosis, suggesting that the cell proliferation inhibition was caused by another unknown mechanism.

  10. Structural Analysis and Immuno-Stimulating Activity of an Acidic Polysaccharide from the Stems of Dendrobium nobile Lindl.

    PubMed

    Wang, Jun-Hui; Zuo, Shu-Rong; Luo, Jian-Ping

    2017-04-10

    Dendrobium nobile Lindl., an epiphytic herb distributed in the Southeast Asia, is used as a tonic and antipyretic herbal medicine in China. In this study, a water-soluble acidic heteropolysaccharide, DNP-W4, containing mannose, glucose, galactose, xylose, rhamnose, and galacturonic acid, in the molar ratios of 1.0:4.9:2.5:0.5:1.0:0.9, was obtained from the stems of Dendrobium nobile Lindl. Using methylation analysis, partial acid hydrolysis, pectolyase treatment, NMR, and ESI-MS, the structure of DNP-W4 was elucidated. The obtained data indicated that DNP-W4 was a complex heteropolysaccharide and possessed a backbone composed of (1→4)-linked β-d-Glcp, (1→6)-linked β-d-Glcp, and (1→6)-linked β-d-Galp, with substitutes at O-4/6 of Glcp residues and O-3 of Galp. The branches of DNP-W4 were composed of terminal Manp, (1→6)-linked β-d-Manp, (1→3)-linked β-d-Glcp, β-d-Glcp, β-d-Galp, (1→4)-linked α-d-GalAp, (1→2)-linked α-L-Rhap, and Xylp. DNP-W4 had little immunological activities, but its derivatives had immuno-stimulating activities to some extent.

  11. Kinetic properties of two Rhizopus exo-polygalacturonase enzymes hydrolyzing galacturonic acid oligomers using isothermal titration calorimetry

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    The kinetic characteristics of two Rhizopus oryzae exo-polygalacturonases acting on galacturonic acid oligomers (GalpA) were determined using isothermal titration calorimetry (ITC). RPG15 hydrolyzing (GalpA)2 demonstrated a Km of 55 uM and kcat of 10.3 s^-1^ while RPG16 was shown to have greater af...

  12. Polysaccharides from Arctium lappa L.: Chemical structure and biological activity.

    PubMed

    Carlotto, Juliane; de Souza, Lauro M; Baggio, Cristiane H; Werner, Maria Fernanda de P; Maria-Ferreira, Daniele; Sassaki, Guilherme L; Iacomini, Marcello; Cipriani, Thales R

    2016-10-01

    The plant Arctium lappa L. is popularly used to relieve symptoms of inflammatory disorders. A crude polysaccharide fraction (SAA) resulting of aqueous extraction of A. lappa leaves showed a dose dependent anti-edematogenic activity on carrageenan-induced paw edema, which persisted for up to 48h. Sequential fractionation by ultrafiltration at 50kDa and 30kDa cut-off membranes yielded three fractions, namely RF50, RF30, and EF30. All these maintained the anti-edematogenic effect, but RF30 showed a more potent action, inhibiting 57% of the paw edema at a dose of 4.9mg/kg. The polysaccharide RF30 contained galacturonic acid, galactose, arabinose, rhamnose, glucose, and mannose in a 7:4:2:1:2:1 ratio and had a Mw of 91,000g/mol. Methylation analysis and NMR spectroscopy indicated that RF30 is mainly constituted by a type I rhamnogalacturonan branched by side chains of types I and II arabinogalactans, and arabinan. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  13. Antioxidant and immunological activities of polysaccharides from Gentiana scabra Bunge roots.

    PubMed

    Wang, Zhanyong; Wang, Chenyu; Su, Tingting; Zhang, Jing

    2014-11-04

    Two polysaccharide fractions, GSP I-a and GSP II-b, were isolated from Gentiana scabra Bunge roots. Both GSP I-a and GSP II-b comprised seven monosaccharides: fructose, mannose, rhamnose, galacturonic acid, glucose, galactose, and fucose. Ultraviolet and infrared analyses show that GSP I-a and GSP II-b are proteoglycans. In vitro evaluation of the antioxidant activity suggests that GSP I-a and GSP II-b scavenge 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl radicals. However, the scavenging activity of the latter is stronger than that of the former. GSP I-a and GSP II-b have relatively low reducing powers and scavenging activities toward superoxide anions and hydroxyls. GSP I-a and GSP II-b significantly increase lymphocyte proliferation when lipopolysaccharide is used as a mitogen for lymphocytes, but only GSP I-a can significantly increase lymphocyte proliferation within the test-dosage range when concanavalin A is used as a mitogen. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  14. Optimization and antioxidant activity of polysaccharides from Plantago depressa.

    PubMed

    Han, Na; Wang, Lin; Song, Zehai; Lin, Junyu; Ye, Chun; Liu, Zhihui; Yin, Jun

    2016-12-01

    Polysaccharide from the herb of Plantago depressa (PDP) was obtained through ethanol precipitation preceded by a water extraction step. The optimum extraction yield of 5.68±0.46% was obtained with the treatment of raw material in water (w/v, 1:25.34) at 80.44°C during 1.97h, 3.28 times. Under these conditions, obtained yield value was in total agreement with value predicted by the model executed by Box-Behnken design (BBD). Following analysis by IR, HPLC-UV, MS and 1 H NMR, the composition of PDP was found to be l-rhamnose, galactose, arabinose, glucose and d-galacturonic acid. The maximum tolerated dose of PDP was 10g/kg. The antioxidant activity of PDP was investigated using five tests and it was found that PDP was able to scavenge hydroxyl, DPPH and ABTS radicals, besides their β-carotene bleaching inhibitory activity. In particular, in the test of β-carotene bleaching inhibition, PDP displayed higher activity than Vitamin C. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  15. Expression and Characterization of Hyperthermostable Exo-polygalacturonase TtGH28 from Thermotoga thermophilus.

    PubMed

    Wagschal, Kurt; Rose Stoller, J; Chan, Victor J; Lee, Charles C; Grigorescu, Arabela A; Jordan, Douglas B

    2016-07-01

    D-galacturonic acid is a potential platform chemical comprising the principal component of pectin in the citrus processing waste stream. Several enzyme activities are required for the enzymatic production of galacturonic acid from pectin, including exo- and endo-polygalacturonases. The gene TtGH28 encoding a putative GH28 polygalacturonase from Pseudothermotoga thermarum DSM 5069 (Theth_0397, NCBI# AEH50492.1) was synthesized, expressed in Escherichia coli, and characterized. Alignment of the amino acid sequence of gene product TtGH28 with other GH28 proteins whose structures and details of their catalytic mechanism have been elucidated shows that three catalytic Asp residues and several other key active site residues are strictly conserved. Purified TtGH28 was dimeric and hyperthermostable, with K t (0.5)  = 86.3 °C. Kinetic parameters for activity on digalacturonic acid, trigalacturonic acid, and polygalacturonic acid were obtained. No substrate inhibition was observed for polygalacturonate, while the K si values for the oligogalacturonides were in the low mM range, and K i for product galacturonic acid was in the low μM range. Kinetic modeling of the progress of reaction showed that the enzyme is both fully exo- and fully non-processional.

  16. CLOSTRIDIUM RUBRUM SP. N. AND OTHER PECTINOLYTIC CLOSTRIDIA FROM SOIL1

    PubMed Central

    Ng, Henry; Vaughn, Reese H.

    1963-01-01

    Ng, Henry (University of California, Davis) and Reese H. Vaughn. Clostridium rubrum sp. n. and other pectinolytic clostridia from soil. J. Bacteriol. 85:1104–1113. 1963.—Reports in the literature and results of experiments described herein suggest that pectinolytic anaerobes constitute a very heterogeneous group. The cultures isolated in this study all belonged to the genus Clostridium. The following species were identified: C. butyricum, C. fallax, C. multifermentans, and C. indolis. In addition, a species believed to be previously undescribed was named C. rubrum sp. n. The ability to ferment galacturonic acid was found to be adaptive. Some cultures fermented pectin and pectic acid to the same degree, whereas others fermented pectin only partially. The partial fermentation was attributed to the lack of a pectinesterase. On the basis of fermentation balances, it was concluded that the four strains of galacturonic acid fermenters selected for study yielded identical end products in approximately the same proportions. Per mole of galacturonic acid fermented, about 2 moles of CO2, 1.5 moles of H2, 1.5 moles of acetic acid, and 0.25 mole of butyric acid were produced. PMID:14044001

  17. Macrophage immunomodulatory activity of polysaccharides isolated from Opuntia polyacantha

    PubMed Central

    Schepetkin, Igor A.; Xie, Gang; Kirpotina, Liliya N.; Klein, Robyn A.; Jutila, Mark A.; Quinn, Mark T.

    2008-01-01

    Opuntia polyacantha (prickly pear cactus) has been used extensively for its nutritional properties; however, less is known regarding medicinal properties of Opuntia tissues. In the present study, we extracted polysaccharides from O. polyacantha and used size-exclusion chromatography to fractionate the crude polysaccharides into four polysaccharide fractions (designated as Opuntia polysaccharides C-I to C-IV). The average Mr of fractions C-I through C-IV was estimated to be 733, 550, 310, and 168 kDa, respectively, and sugar composition analysis revealed that Opuntia polysaccharides consisted primarily of galactose, galacturonic acid, xylose, arabinose, and rhamnose. Analysis of the effects of Opuntia polysaccharides on human and murine macrophages demonstrated that all four fractions had potent immunomodulatory activity, inducing production of reactive oxygen species, nitric oxide, tumor necrosis factor α, and interleukin 6. Furthermore, modulation of macrophage function by Opuntia polysaccharides was mediated, at least in part, through activation of nuclear factor κB. Together, our results provide a molecular basis to explain a portion of the beneficial therapeutic properties of extracts from O. polyacantha and support the concept of using Opuntia polysaccharides as an immunotherapeutic adjuvant. PMID:18597716

  18. Primary characterization and evaluation of anti ulcerogenic activity of an aqueous extract from callus culture of Cereus peruvianus Mill. (Cactaceae).

    PubMed

    Jayme, Milena O; Ames, Franciele Q; Bersani-Amado, Ciomar A; Machado, Maria de Fatima P S; Mangolin, Claudete A; Goncalves, Regina A C; de Oliveira, Arildo J B

    2015-01-01

    In the current study we reported cultivation, extraction procedure, analysis and preliminary characterization of the aqueous extract from Cereus peruvianus callus culture and evaluated its anti ulcerogenic activity in vivo models of experimental ulcers in Wistar rats. The obtained aqueous extract from callus (AC) was dialyzed and subjected to freeze-thaw process, providing a possible polysaccharide. The carbohydrate and protein contents of the aqueous extract were estimated at 53.4% and 0.66%, respectively, composed primarily of galactose, arabinose and galacturonic acid, with minor amounts of glucose. This appeared heterogeneous when analyzed by high-performance size-exclusion chromatography and a multiangle laser light scattering detector (HPSEC-MALLS). The AC was found to be significantly effective against ethanol-induced lesions but was ineffective against indomethacin-induced lesions. The callus culture of C. peruvianus is an alternative source for the synthesis of substances originally produced by plants. The calluses grown indefinitely in vitro under controlled conditions are stable tissues, and the aqueous extract from calluses may be used instead of fully developed plants using the protocols described in this study.

  19. Qualitation and quantification of specific polysaccharides from Panax species using GC-MS, saccharide mapping and HPSEC-RID-MALLS.

    PubMed

    Cheong, Kit-Leong; Wu, Ding-Tao; Deng, Yong; Leong, Fong; Zhao, Jing; Zhang, Wen-Jie; Li, Shao-Ping

    2016-11-20

    The objective of this study was to qualify and quantify the specific polysaccharides in Panax spp. The analyses of specific polysaccharides were performed by using GC-MS, saccharide mapping and high performance size exclusion chromatography (HPSEC) coupled with multi angle laser light scattering (MALLS) and refractive index detector (RID). Results showed that compositional monosaccharides were the same in different species of Panax and composed of rhamnose, arabinose, galacturonic acid, mannose, glucose, and galactose. Saccharide mapping results showed that glycosides linkages, which existed in specific polysaccharides from Panax spp., were similar. Additionally, the content of specific polysaccharides of P. ginseng, P. notoginseng and P. quinquefolium were 17.9-20.5mg/g, 11.9-15.0mg/g, and 9.9-13.3mg/g, respectively. P. ginseng, P. notoginseng, and P. quinquefolium could be clustered into three groups using both hierarchical cluster analysis and principal component analysis. The results possessed great potential in characterization and content determination of specific polysaccharides in Panax spp. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  20. Characteristics of fucose-containing polysaccharides from submerged fermentation of Agaricus blazei Murill.

    PubMed

    Wang, Hsueh-Ting; Yang, Li-Chan; Yu, Hui-Ching; Chen, Miaw-Ling; Wang, Huei-Ju; Lu, Ting-Jang

    2018-04-01

    Fucose is one of important residues of recognition pattern for many immune cells. In this study, we characterized bioactive fucose-containing acidic polysaccharides from submerged fermentation of Agaricus blazei Murill. We obtained the polysaccharides through a cell-based activity-guided strategy, and used carbohydrate recognition monoclonal antibodies based Enzyme-Linked Immuno Sorbent Assay (ELISA) along with methylation and NMR analyses to investigate the structural characteristics of the polysaccharides. The polysaccharides had Mw of 3.5 × 10 5  Da. The major sugars were l-fucose, l-arabinose, d-galactose, d-xylose, and d-galacturonic acid in the molar ratio of 6.4, 15.5, 28.5, 14.7, and 25.0% with a small amount of d-glucose, d-mannose, l-rhamnose, and d-glucuronic acid. Results indicated that the bioactive polysaccharides consisted of a (1,4)-Galp and (1,4)-GalAp back bone; (1,2)-Xyl and (1,2)-Rha might also comprise backbone or constitute side chain; linkage (1,5)-Ara and terminal fucosyl residues were also involved in the polysaccharides. Regarding bioactivity, removal of the terminal l-fucosyl residues reduced the TNF-α cytokine stimulating activity of the polysaccharides in a RAW 264.7 macrophage cell-line test, whereas NF-κB and TLR4 affected the polysaccharide-induced TNF-α production. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier B.V.

  1. Differential metabolic responses of perennial grass Cynodon transvaalensis×Cynodon dactylon (C₄) and Poa Pratensis (C₃) to heat stress.

    PubMed

    Du, Hongmei; Wang, Zhaolong; Yu, Wenjuan; Liu, Yimin; Huang, Bingru

    2011-03-01

    Differential metabolic responses to heat stress may be associated with variations in heat tolerance between cool-season (C₃) and warm-season (C₄) perennial grass species. The main objective of this study was to identify metabolites associated with differential heat tolerance between C₄ bermudagrass and C₃ Kentucky bluegrass by performing metabolite profile analysis using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. Plants of Kentucky bluegrass (Poa Pratensis'Midnight') and hybrid bermudagrass (Cynodon transvaalensis x Cynodon dactylon'Tifdwarf') were grown under optimum temperature conditions (20/15 °C for Kentucky bluegrass and 30/25 °C for bermudagrass) or heat stress (35/30 °C for Kentucky bluegrass and 45/40 °C for bermudagrass). Physiological responses to heat stress were evaluated by visual rating of grass quality, measuring photochemical efficiency (variable fluorescence to maximal fluorescence) and electrolyte leakage. All of these parameters indicated that bermudagrass exhibited better heat tolerance than Kentucky bluegrass. The metabolite analysis of leaf polar extracts revealed 36 heat-responsive metabolites identified in both grass species, mainly consisting of organic acids, amino acids, sugars and sugar alcohols. Most metabolites showed higher accumulation in bermudagrass compared with Kentucky bluegrass, especially following long-term (18 days) heat stress. The differentially accumulated metabolites included seven sugars (sucrose, fructose, galactose, floridoside, melibiose, maltose and xylose), a sugar alcohol (inositol), six organic acids (malic acid, citric acid, threonic acid, galacturonic acid, isocitric acid and methyl malonic acid) and nine amino acids (Asn, Ala, Val, Thr, γ-aminobutyric acid, IIe, Gly, Lys and Met). The differential accumulation of those metabolites could be associated with the differential heat tolerance between C₃ Kentucky bluegrass and C₄ bermudagrass. Copyright © Physiologia Plantarum 2010.

  2. [Analysis of monosaccharides and uronic acids in polysaccharides by pre-column derivatization with p-aminobenzoic acid and high performance liquid chromatography].

    PubMed

    Hao, Guitang; Chen, Shangwei; Zhu, Song; Yin, Hongping; Dai, Jun; Cao, Yuhua

    2007-01-01

    An ion-pair reversed-phase high performance liquid chromatographic (RP-HPLC) method for the simultaneous determination of carbohydrate and uronic acids was developed. p-Aminobenzoic acid (p-AMBA) was used for pre-column derivatization of the analytes, enabling fluorescence (lambda(ex) = 313 nm, lambda(em) = 358 nm) or ultraviolet (UV at 303 nm) detection. Reaction conditions such as reaction temperature and reaction time were optimized. Atlantis dC18 column with hydrophilic end capping was selected for the separation of derivatives. Effects of mobile phase compositions such as ion pairs and their concentrations and pH on the retention behaviors and separation results of 9 monosaccharides and 2 uronic acids were investigated. Derivatives of fructose, galactose, glucose, mannose, xylose, arabinose, ribose, galacturonic acid, fucose, glucuronic acid and rhamnose were separated within 42 min, applying tetrabutyl ammonium hydrogen bisulfate (TBAHSO4) as the ion pair reagent. The detection limits were between 3.38 x 10(-8) mol/L and 176 x 10(-8) mol/L for fluorescence detection and between 2.55 x 10(-7) mol/L and 13.4 x 10(-7) mol/L for UV detection. Good linearities were obtained with correlation coefficients (r2) above 0.99. The relative standard deviations (RSDs) of the peak area of the derivatives in 12 - 51 h after derivatization were from 2.5% to 3.9%. This method has been applied for the determination of mono-/disaccharides and uronic acids in spirulina polysaccharide after dissolved in trifluoroacetic acid solution (2 mol/L). The results showed this method is suitable for the analysis of monosaccharide compositions in polysaccharides.

  3. Head-group acylation of monogalactosyldiacylglycerol is a common stress response, and the acyl-galactose acyl composition varies with the plant species and applied stress

    PubMed Central

    Vu, Hieu Sy; Roth, Mary R.; Tamura, Pamela; Samarakoon, Thilani; Shiva, Sunitha; Honey, Samuel; Lowe, Kaleb; Schmelz, Eric A.; Williams, Todd D.; Welti, Ruth

    2014-01-01

    Formation of galactose-acylated monogalactosyldiacylglycerols has been shown to be induced by leaf homogenization, mechanical wounding, avirulent bacterial infection, and thawing after snap-freezing. Here, lipidomic analysis using mass spectrometry showed that galactose-acylated monogalactosyldiacylglycerols, formed in wheat (Triticum aestivum) and tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) leaves upon wounding, have acyl-galactose profiles that differ from those of wounded Arabidopsis thaliana, indicating that different plant species accumulate different acyl-galactose components in response to the same stress. Additionally, the composition of the acyl-galactose component of Arabidopsis acMGDG depends on the stress treatment. After sub-lethal freezing treatment, acMGDG contained mainly non-oxidized fatty acids esterified to galactose, whereas mostly oxidized fatty acids accumulated on galactose after wounding or bacterial infection. Compositional data are consistent with acMGDG being formed in vivo by transacylation with fatty acids from digalactosyldiacylglycerols. Oxophytodienoic acid, an oxidized fatty acid, was more concentrated on the galactosyl ring of acylated monogalactosyldiacylglycerols than in galactolipids in general. Also, oxidized fatty acid-containing acylated monogalactosyldiacylglycerols increased cumulatively when wounded Arabidopsis leaves were wounded again. These findings suggest that, in Arabidopsis, the pool of galactose-acylated monogalactosyldiacylglycerols may serve to sequester oxidized fatty acids during stress responses. PMID:24286212

  4. Combining FT-IR spectroscopy and multivariate analysis for qualitative and quantitative analysis of the cell wall composition changes during apples development.

    PubMed

    Szymanska-Chargot, M; Chylinska, M; Kruk, B; Zdunek, A

    2015-01-22

    The aim of this work was to quantitatively and qualitatively determine the composition of the cell wall material from apples during development by means of Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy. The FT-IR region of 1500-800 cm(-1), containing characteristic bands for galacturonic acid, hemicellulose and cellulose, was examined using principal component analysis (PCA), k-means clustering and partial least squares (PLS). The samples were differentiated by development stage and cultivar using PCA and k-means clustering. PLS calibration models for galacturonic acid, hemicellulose and cellulose content from FT-IR spectra were developed and validated with the reference data. PLS models were tested using the root-mean-square errors of cross-validation for contents of galacturonic acid, hemicellulose and cellulose which was 8.30 mg/g, 4.08% and 1.74%, respectively. It was proven that FT-IR spectroscopy combined with chemometric methods has potential for fast and reliable determination of the main constituents of fruit cell walls. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  5. D-Galacturonic acid as a highly reactive compound in nonenzymatic browning. 1. Formation of browning active degradation products.

    PubMed

    Bornik, Maria-Anna; Kroh, Lothar W

    2013-04-10

    Thermal treatment of an aqueous solution of D-galacturonic acid at pH 3, 5, and 8 led to rapid browning of the solution and to the formation of carbocyclic compounds such as reductic acid (2,3-dihydroxy-2-cyclopenten-1-one), DHCP (4,5-dihydroxy-2-cyclopenten-1-one), and furan-2-carbaldehyde, as degradation products in weak acidic solution. Studies on their formation revealed 2-ketoglutaraldehyde as their common key intermediate. Norfuraneol (4-hydroxy-5-methyl-3-(2H)-furanone) is a typical alkaline degradation product and formed after isomerization. Further model studies revealed reductic acid as an important and more browning active compound than furan-2-carbaldehyde, which led to a red color of the model solution. This red-brown color is also characteristic of thermally treated uronic acid solutions.

  6. Combined enzymatic and colorimetric method for determining the uronic acid and methylester content of pectin: Application to tomato products.

    PubMed

    Anthon, Gordon E; Barrett, Diane M

    2008-09-01

    A simple procedure for determining the galacturonic acid and methanol contents of soluble and insoluble pectins, relying on enzymatic pectin hydrolysis and colorimetric quantification, is described. Pectin samples are incubated with a commercial pectinase preparation, Viscozyme, then the galacturonic acid content of the hydrolyzed pectin is quantified colorimetrically using a modification of the Cu reduction procedure originally described by Avigad and Milner. This modification, substituting the commonly used Folin-Ciocalteau reagent for the arsenic containing Nelson reagent, gives a response that is linear, sensitive, and selective for uronic acids over neutral sugars. This method also avoids the use of concentrated acids needed for the commonly used m-phenylphenol method. Methanol, released by the action of the pectin methylesterase found in the Viscozyme, is quantified using alcohol oxidase and Purpald. This combined enzymatic and colorimetric procedure correctly determined the galacturonic acid and methanol content of purified, soluble citrus pectin. Application of the procedure to water insoluble pectins was evaluated with water insoluble material from apples and oranges. In both cases good agreement was obtained between this method and commonly used methods based on chemical pectin hydrolysis. Good agreement between these procedures was also found in the analysis of both soluble and insoluble pectins from several tomato products. Copyright © 2008 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  7. Substituted galacturonan from starfruit: Chemical structure and antinociceptive and anti-inflammatory effects.

    PubMed

    Leivas, Carolina L; Nascimento, Leandro F; Barros, Wellinghton M; Santos, Adair R S; Iacomini, Marcello; Cordeiro, Lucimara M C

    2016-03-01

    Starfruit (Averrhoa carambola L.) is an edible tropical fruit, which is usually consumed as a fresh table fruit or as fruit juice. It also exhibits various pharmacological activities. In this study, polysaccharides were extracted with boiling water and purified by freeze-thawing and Fehling treatments. After purification steps, a homogenous fraction was obtained. It was analyzed by sugar composition, gel permeation chromatography, methylation, and two-dimensional nuclear magnetic resonance (2D NMR) spectroscopy analyses. It comprised arabinose (Ara), galactose (Gal), and galacturonic acid (GalA) in a molar ratio of 12.3:1.7:86.0. Methylation and NMR spectroscopy analyses showed that it contained a substituted galacturonan composed of (1→4)-linked α-D-Galp A units branched at O-2 by (1→5)-linked α-L-Araf and terminal α-L-Araf and α-D-Galp A units. The effect of PFSCW (10-300mg/kg, i.p.) on nocifensive behavior induced by intraplantar injection of formalin in mice was evaluated. The fraction demonstrated antinociceptive and anti-inflammatory properties, suggesting that it may be useful in therapeutic intervention for the management of inflammatory pain. Copyright © 2015. Published by Elsevier B.V.

  8. The structurally effect of surface coated rhamnogalacturonan I on response of the osteoblast-like cell line SaOS-2.

    PubMed

    Svava, Rikke; Gurzawska, Katarzyna; Yihau, Yu; Haugshøj, Kenneth Brian; Dirscherl, Kai; Levery, Steven B; Jørgensen, Niklas Rye; Gotfredsen, Klaus; Damager, Iben; Ulvskov, Peter; Jørgensen, Bodil

    2014-06-01

    Osseointegration is important when implants are inserted into the bone and can be improved by biochemical surface coating of the implant. In this paper enzymatically modified rhamnogalacturonan I (RG-I) from apple and lupin was used for biochemical coating of aminated surfaces and the importance of the quality of RG-I, the nature of the binding, the fine structure of RG-I, and its effect on SaOS-2 cell line cultured on coated surfaces was investigated. SaOS-2 cells are osteoblast-like cells and a well-established in vitro model of bone-matrix forming osteoblasts. Purification by gel filtration could remove small fragments of galacturonic acid (GalA) and binding studies showed that the purity of the RG-I molecules was important for the quality of the coating. The structure of RG-I and osteoblast-like cells' viability were positively correlated so that high content of 1,4-linked galactose (Gal) and a low content of arabinose in the RG-I molecules favored cell viability. These results indicate that coating of implants with RG-I affect osseointegration positively. Copyright © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  9. Modified pectic polysaccharide from turmeric (Curcuma longa): A potent dietary component against gastric ulcer.

    PubMed

    Harsha, Mysore R; Chandra Prakash, Serkad V; Dharmesh, Shylaja M

    2016-03-15

    Native, intact (TrPP) and modified, low-molecular-weight (MTrPP) forms of pectic polysaccharides isolated from turmeric were evaluated for ulcer-preventive potentials in in vitro and in vivo models. Data indicated that MTrPP possessed significantly better ulcer-preventive property than TrPP; inhibiting ulcer scores up to 85%. Results were substantiated by effective muco-protection, H(+),K(+)-ATPase down-regulation, inhibition of H. pylori growth/adherence, higher antioxidant/cytoprotective mechanisms. Structural data indicated TrPP and MTrPP differ in their molecular weights and structural characteristics with different sugar compositions and side chain ratios. MTrPP was rich in galacturonic acid (687mg/g; TrPP-544mg/g) and galactose (52.9%; TrPP-21.7%). Results were substantiated by NMR/FTIR data indicating the presence of homogalacturonan and rhamnogalacturonam-I containing galactans. By virtue of binding to inflammatory marker (galectin-3), galactans may reduce inflammation induced ulcerations. The low molecular weight of MTrPP (155kDa; TrPP-13kDa) may increase its bioavailability than TrPP, thus MTrPP may possess higher antiulcer potential. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  10. [Study on Monosaccharide Compositions of Polysaccharide in Dendrobium Stems of Different Resources by PMP-HPCE].

    PubMed

    Chen, Nai-dong; Meng, Yun-fei; Yao, Hou-jun; Cao, Cai-yun; Chen, Chen; Li, Jun

    2015-08-01

    To establish a PMP-HPCE method for comparing the monosaccharides of polysaccharide in tissue-cultured and wild Dedrobium huoshanese and Dedrobium moniliforme as well as wild Dedrobium henanese, in order to investigate the similarities of their bioactive components. The PMP-monosaccharides of polysaccharide from the five investigated Dedrobium samples were separated by HPCE on a fused silica capillary column(100 cm x 50 µm) at 25 °C with 350 mmol/L BAS (adjusted to pH 10 with 1.0 mol/L NaOH) as running buffer for 34 min. The applied voltage was 20 kV and the detection wavelength was set at 250 nm. Total six monosaccharides including xylose, glucose, mannose, galactose, galacturonic acid and ribose were detected in the five Dendrobiurms samples and the similarity coefficients between the ten batches of the same Dendrobium species were all above 0. 98,while remarkable dissimilarity were exhibited among species and different resources. PMP-HPCE technique combined with chemometrics is simple, convenient, precise, reproducible and proved to be an effective strategy for identifying the species and origins, especially in the quality assessment of Dendrobium stems.

  11. Similarity Evaluation of Different Origins and Species of Dendrobiums by GC-MS and FTIR Analysis of Polysaccharides

    PubMed Central

    Chen, Nai-Dong; Chen, Nai-Fu; Li, Jun; Cao, Cai-Yun; Wang, Jin-Mei; Huang, He-Ping

    2015-01-01

    GC-MS method combined with FTIR techniques by the analysis of polysaccharide was applied to evaluate the similarity between wild (W) and tissue-cultured (TC) Dendrobium huoshanense (DHS), Dendrobium officinale (DO), and Dendrobium moniliforme (DM) as well as 3 wild Dendrobium spp.: Dendrobium henanense (DHN), Dendrobium loddigesii (DL), and Dendrobium crepidatum (DC). Eight monosaccharides involving xylose, arabinose, rhamnose, glucose, mannose, fructose, galactose, and galacturonic acid were identified in the polysaccharide from each Dendrobium sample while the contents of the monosugars varied remarkably across origins and species. Further similarity evaluation based on GC-MS data showed that the r cor values of different origins of DHS, DO, and DM were 0.831, 0.865, and 0.884, respectively, while the r cor values ranged from 0.475 to 0.837 across species. FTIR files of the polysaccharides revealed that the similarity coefficients between W and TC-DHS, DO, and DM were 88.7%, 86.8%, and 88.5%, respectively, in contrast to the similarity coefficients varying from 57.4% to 82.6% across species. These results suggested that the structures of polysaccharides between different origins of the investigated Dendrobiums might be higher than what we had supposed. PMID:26539215

  12. Optimisation of enzymatic hydrolysis of apple pomace for production of biofuel and biorefinery chemicals using commercial enzymes.

    PubMed

    Gama, Repson; Van Dyk, J Susan; Pletschke, Brett I

    2015-12-01

    Apple pomace, a waste product from the apple juice industry is a potential feedstock for biofuel and biorefinery chemical production. Optimisation of hydrolysis conditions for apple pomace hydrolysis using Viscozyme L and Celluclast 1.5L was investigated using 1 L reaction volumes. The effects of temperature, pH, β-glucosidase supplementation and substrate feeding regimes were determined. Hydrolysis at room temperature using an unbuffered system gave optimal performance. Reactors in batch mode resulted in a better performance (4.2 g/L glucose and 16.8 g/L reducing sugar, 75 % yield for both) than fed-batch (3.2 g/L glucose and 14.6 g/L reducing sugar, 65.5 and 73.1 % yield respectively) in 72 h. The addition of Novozyme 188 to the core mixture of Viscozyme L and Celluclast 1.5L resulted in the doubling of glucose released. The main products (yield %) released from apple pomace hydrolysis were galacturonic acid (78 %), glucose (75 %), arabinose (90 %) and galactose (87 %). These products are potential raw materials for biofuel and biorefinery chemical production.

  13. Changes in cell wall pectins and their relation to postharvest mesocarp softening of "Hass" avocados (Persea americana Mill.).

    PubMed

    Defilippi, Bruno G; Ejsmentewicz, Troy; Covarrubias, María Paz; Gudenschwager, Orianne; Campos-Vargas, Reinaldo

    2018-05-17

    The avocado is a climacteric fruit and begins a softening process after harvest. During ripening, the mesocarp changes in texture, and this affects fruit quality and cold storage capacity. Softening is commonly associated with cell wall disassembly in climacteric fruits. However, changes in the cell wall structure and composition during avocado softening are poorly understood. To understand this process, cell wall pectins in "Hass" avocado fruit were studied during ripening at 20 °C after harvest and after cold storage. Additionally, avocados were treated with 1-MCP to evaluate the delay in softening. Biochemical analysis showed a decrease in galacturonic acid (GalA) in alcohol-insoluble residues (AIR) and water-soluble pectin concomitant to softening, paralleled by an increase in polygalacturonase (PG) activity. In the same way, the β-galactosidase activity increased in soft avocado fruit, along with a reduction in galactose in cell wall material and the Na 2 CO 3 -soluble fraction. The arabinose content in the cell wall material did not change during softening. However, there was a change in arabinose ratios between the different fractions of pectin, mainly in the fractions soluble in water and in Na 2 CO 3 . The cold storage of avocado fruit did not induce softening of the fruit, but the content of GalA showed a substantial decrease, accompanied by an increase in PG activity. Thus, our work supports the hypothesis that the solubilization of neutral sugars such as arabinose and rhamnose, as well as the loss of galactose content mediated by the enzyme β-galactosidase, were the main factors that began the coordinated action of cell wall remodeling enzymes that resulted in the loss of firmness of avocado fruit. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

  14. The Effects of Different Purifying Methods on the Chemical Properties, in Vitro Anti-Tumor and Immunomodulatory Activities of Abrus cantoniensis Polysaccharide Fractions

    PubMed Central

    Wu, Shaowei; Fu, Xiong; Brennan, Margaret A.; Brennan, Charles S.; Chun, Chen

    2016-01-01

    Abrus cantoniensis (Hance) is a popular Chinese vegetable consumed as a beverage, soup or folk medicine. To fully exploit the potential of the polysaccharide in Abrus cantoniensis, nine polysaccharide fractions of Abrus cantoniensis were isolated and purified (AP-AOH30-1, AP-AOH30-2, AP-AOH80-1, AP-AOH80-2, AP-ACl-1, AP-ACl-2, AP-ACl-3, AP-H and AP-L). Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) and gas chromatography (GC) were used to characterize these Abrus polysaccharides fractions (APF). In vitro anti-tumor and immunomodulatory activities were also investigated and compared using the rank-sum ratio (RSR) method. Results demonstrated significant differences in the structure and bioactivities among APF, which were associated to the process used for their purification. Among the APF, AP-ACl-3 yield was 613.5 mg/kg of product and consisted of rhamnose (9.8%), arabinose (8.9%), fructose (3.0%), galactose (9.9%), glucose (4.3%), galacturonic acid (3.0%) and glucuronic acid (61.1%) with a molecular weight of 4.4 × 104 Da. Furthermore, AP-ACl-3 exhibited considerable bioactivities significantly preventing the migration of MCF-7 cells and stimulating lymphocyte proliferation along with nitric oxide (NO) production of peritoneal macrophages. AP-ACl-3 could be explored as a novel potential anti-tumor and immunomodulatory agent. PMID:27058538

  15. Preparation, characterization, and α-glycosidase inhibition activity of a carboxymethylated polysaccharide from the residue of Sarcandra glabra (Thunb.) Nakai.

    PubMed

    Liu, Wei; Hu, Cheng; Liu, Yameng; Dai, Shijie; Lu, Weisheng; Lv, Xing; Yao, Wenbing; Gao, Xiangdong

    2017-06-01

    A carboxymethylated polysaccharide (CMSERP) was prepared from the residue of Sarcandra glabra (Thunb.) Nakai. CMSERP was mainly composed of galacturonic acid (GalA), glucose (Glc), galactose (Gal), glucuronic acid (GlcA), arabinose (Ara), rhamnose (Rha), xylose (Xyl), ribose (Rib), and fucose (Fuc) at the ratio of 29.79:19.30:11.92:6.32:4.68:3.95:3.39:2.31:1.00. The primary structure features of CMSERP were determined to be a pectin like polysaccharide according to FT-IR, NMR, and HPAEC-PAD. The results of HPSEC-MALLS-RID and DLS indicated the Mw, Mn, Mz, and S2Z1/2 of CMSERP were 5.515×10 4 g/mol, 1.566×10 4 g/mol, 1.510×10 6 g/mol, and 62.8 (±1.2%) nm, respectively. TEM and AFM revealed CMSERP was dispersed in 0.05M sodium sulfate but aggregated in water. Moreover, a high α-glucosidase inhibition activity (83.38%±2.30% at 1000μg/mL) of CMSERP which is higher than that of acarbose was observed. The results proved the effects of carboxymethylation on poor water-soluble polysaccharides and explore a potential α-glucosidase inhibitor which from abandoned extracted residue for the functional foods and pharmaceutical industries. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  16. Characterizations and hepatoprotective effect of polysaccharides from Mori Fructus in rats with alcoholic-induced liver injury.

    PubMed

    Zhou, Xin; Deng, Qingfang; Chen, Huaguo; Hu, Enming; Zhao, Chao; Gong, Xiaojian

    2017-09-01

    Crude polysaccharides of Mori Fructus (MFPs) were found to have anti-inflammatory antioxidant, and immuno-enhancing activities. However, the structure of the polysaccharides was ambiguous and its holistic hepatic protection evaluation was defective. This study was conducted to illustrate the characterization of MFPs, and evaluate its hepatoprotective activities. The results found that MFPs contained 67.93±1.18% carbohydrates, 31.03±0.54% uronic acid, and little protein and sulfate. The average molecular weight was ranging from 112.2kDa to 181.9kDa. Monosaccharide component analysis indicated that MFPs was mainly composed of glucose, galacturonic acid, rhamnose and galactose. Both the acute and subacute alcoholic-induced liver injury animal models were adopted to evaluate the MFPs's hepatoprotective activity. After administration of MFPs, both serological indexes (aspartate aminotransferase and alanine aminotransferase) and hepatic indicators (glutathione, superoxide dismutase, glutathione peroxidase and malondialdehyde) were improved by comparing with the non-MFPs group. The hepatic histopathology results also showed a prominent lipid degeneration and microvesicular steatosis attenuation in the MFPs groups. These outstanding hepatic protecting activities of MFPs might be related to its activation of ethanol dehydrogenase, elimination of free radicals and/or inhibition of lipid peroxidation capacities. MFPs could be important active substances for preventing and remedying liver injury. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier B.V.

  17. Hepatoprotective and inhibiting HBV effects of polysaccharides from roots of Sophora flavescens.

    PubMed

    Yang, Hua; Zhou, Zhenhua; He, Lifang; Ma, Hao; Qu, Wensheng; Yin, Jiye; Jia, Mengfan; Zhao, Xiunan; Shan, Junjie; Gao, Yueqiu

    2018-03-01

    Roots of Sophora flavescens is an important herbal medicine for treatment of HBV and hepatic carcinoma in China. Alkaloids in the root were well known for exhibiting good hepato-protective and anti-HBV effects. However, polysaccharides as main components in the root remained unknown. In the studies, we investigated the chemical features and hepatoprotective effects of Sophora flavescens polysaccharides (SFP-100 and its active fractions) with ConA-induced hepatitis mice, human liver LO2 cells and HepG2.2.15 cells. The results showed that SFP-100 was composed of arabinose, glucose, galactose and galacturonic acid, SFP-100-A mainly contained glucose. SFP-100-B and SFP-100-C were acidic polysaccharides. SFP-100 significantly decreased hepatocytes apoptosis, inhibited the infiltration of neutrophils and macrophages into liver, and improved the production of IFN-γ and IL-6 of splenocytes in ConA-induced hepatitis mice. SFP-100 and its two sugar fractions increased LO2 cell proliferation and reduced cell apoptosis induced by ConA. SFP-100, SFP-100-A and SFP-100-C remarkedly inhibited the secretion of HBsAg and HBeAg by HepG2.2.15 cells.These results suggested Sophora flavescens polysaccharides exerts significant hepatoprotective and anti-HBV roles, and further is used for treatment of immune-mediated liver disease in the future. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier B.V.

  18. Characterization of an acidic polysaccharide isolated from the leaves of Corchorus olitorius (Moroheiya).

    PubMed

    Ohtani, K; Okai, K; Yamashita, U; Yuasa, I; Misaki, A

    1995-03-01

    An acidic polysaccharide was isolated from the water-soluble mucilage extracted from dried leaves of Corchorus olitorius, known as Moroheiya in Japan (3.0 g per 100 g). This polysaccharide showed a single peak in a Sepharose CL-6B column, and the specific rotation in H2O at 25 degrees C was +250 degrees. The polysaccharide was rich in uronic acid (65%), and consisted of rhamnose, glucose, galacturonic acid, and glucuronic acid in a molar ratio of 1.0:0.2:0.2:0.9:1.7, in addition to 3.7% of the acetyl group. A methylation analysis, Smith degradation study and fragmentation analysis suggested that this polysaccharide mainly consisted of O-4 substituted galacturonic acid and glucuronic acid, and O-2 substituted rhamnose residues, and that most of the (1-->4)-linked uronic acid residues were substituted at the O-3 position with glucuronic acid residues. This polysaccharide showed proliferative activity toward the murine splenocyte.

  19. The transcriptional activator GaaR of Aspergillus niger is required for release and utilization of d- galacturonic acid from pectin

    DOE PAGES

    Alazi, Ebru; Niu, Jing; Kowalczyk, Joanna E.; ...

    2016-05-13

    We identified the d-galacturonic acid (GA)-responsive transcriptional activator GaaR of the saprotrophic fungus, Aspergillus niger, which was found to be essential for growth on GA and polygalacturonic acid (PGA). Growth of the ΔgaaR strain was reduced on complex pectins. Genome-wide expression analysis showed that GaaR is required for the expression of genes necessary to release GA from PGA and more complex pectins, to transport GA into the cell, and to induce the GA catabolic pathway. Residual growth of ΔgaaR on complex pectins is likely due to the expression of pectinases acting on rhamnogalacturonan and subsequent metabolism of the monosaccharides othermore » than GA.« less

  20. Coccolithophores put a CAP on calcification and carbon

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Rickaby, R. E. M.; Lee, R. B. Y.; Mavridou, D. A. I.; Papadakos, G.; McClelland, H. L. O.; Anderson, C. J.

    2014-12-01

    Unlike the majority of biomineralization, mediated via proteins, the coccolithophores employ acidic polysaccharides (CAPs) as the template for the multitude of intricate calcium carbonate liths which are precipitated inside their cells and expelled to form an external spherical armour. Massive accumulations of these calcium carbonate coccoliths (we estimate a flux of ~ 6x1025 liths/year) form sediments on the deep seafloor, a dominant sink of carbon from the atmosphere over geological timescales, and a buffer for seawater chemistry. This acidic, coccolith-associated polysaccharide (CAP) plays a dual role, likely determined by the calcifying vesicle chemistry, promoting and limiting precipitation. We have developed and demonstrated novel techniques for the extraction and characterisation of these biomineral-mediating molecules, encapsulated and preserved within liths from sediments as old as the Mesozoic. Modern cultures of extant coccolithophores show that the composition of CAP is distinctive for different species, and even strains of e.g. Emiliania huxleyi, suggestive that interactions with galacturonic acid residues are key to dictating the architecture of the liths. Furthermore, it appears that the galacturonic acid content reflects an adaptive response of the CAP to the chemistry within the coccolith vesicle where calcification is induced; in particular the size of the internal carbon pool and inferred saturation state. Extraction of CAPs from the Coccolithale fraction of sediments suggests that the galacturonic acid content of these relatively large and inefficient carbon concentrators evolves in response to declining CO2 availability and thus may provide a novel means for reconstructing paleo pCO2.

  1. Butyric acid production from red algae by a newly isolated Clostridium sp. S1.

    PubMed

    Lee, Kyung Min; Choi, Okkyoung; Kim, Ki-Yeon; Woo, Han Min; Kim, Yunje; Han, Sung Ok; Sang, Byoung-In; Um, Youngsoon

    2015-09-01

    To produce butyric acid from red algae such as Gelidium amansii in which galactose is a main carbohydrate, microorganisms utilizing galactose and tolerating inhibitors in hydrolysis including levulinic acid and 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF) are required. A newly isolated bacterium, Clostridium sp. S1 produced butyric acid not only from galactose as the sole carbon source but also from a mixture of galactose and glucose through simultaneous utilization. Notably, Clostridium sp. S1 produced butyric acid and a small amount of acetic acid with the butyrate:acetate ratio of 45.4:1 and it even converted acetate to butyric acid. Clostridium sp. S1 tolerated 0.5-2 g levulinic acid/l and recovered from HMF inhibition at 0.6-2.5 g/l, resulting in 85-92% butyric acid concentration of the control culture. When acid-pretreated G. amansii hydrolysate was used, Clostridium sp. S1 produced 4.83 g butyric acid/l from 10 g galactose/l and 1 g glucose/l. Clostridium sp. S1 produces butyric acid from red algae due to its characteristics in sugar utilization and tolerance to inhibitors, demonstrating its advantage as a red algae-utilizing microorganism.

  2. Occurrence of lipid A variants with 27-hydroxyoctacosanoic acid in lipopolysaccharides from members of the family Rhizobiaceae

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Bhat, U.R.; Carlson, R.W.; Mayer, H.

    1991-04-01

    Lipopolysaccharides (LPSs) isolated from several strains of Rhizobium, Bradyrhizobium, Agrobacterium, and Azorhizobium were screened for the presence of 27-hydroxyoctacosanoic acid. The LPSs from all strains, with the exception of Azorhizobium caulinodans, contained various amounts of this long-chain hydroxy fatty acid in the lipid A fractions. Analysis of the lipid A sugars revealed three types of backbones: those containing glucosamine (as found in Rhizobium meliloti and Thizobium fredii), those containing glucosamine and galacturonic acid (as found in Rhizobium leguminosarum bv. phaseoli, trifolii, and viciae), and those containing clucosamine and galacturonic acid (as found in Rhizobium leguminosarum bv. phaseoli, trifolii, and viciae),more » and those containing 2,3-diamino-2,3-dideoxyglucose either alone or in combination with glucosamine (as found in Bradyrhizobium japonicum and Bradyrhizobium sp. (Lupinus) strain DSM 30140). The distribution of 27-hydroxyoctacosamoic acid as well as analysis of lipid A backbone sugars revealed the taxonomic relatedness of various strains of the Rhizobiaceae.« less

  3. Optimization of the microwave-assisted enzymatic extraction of Rosa roxburghii Tratt. polysaccharides using response surface methodology and its antioxidant and α-d-glucosidase inhibitory activity.

    PubMed

    Wang, Huizhu; Li, Yan; Ren, Zhihui; Cong, Zhongcheng; Chen, Mengjie; Shi, Lin; Han, Xu; Pei, Jin

    2018-06-01

    An extraction assay applying microwave-assisted enzymatic treatment for polysaccharides in Rosa roxburghii was developed using response surface methodology. The process parameters were optimized using Plackett-Burman (PB) design and central composite design to enhance the Rosa roxburghii polysaccharide extraction yield. Specific conditions (microwave power, 575W; microwave time, 18min; liquid-to-material ratio, 13.5:1mL/g; and enzyme dose, 6.5g/mL) generated an experimental yield of 36.21±0.62%, which closely agreed with the predicted value of 35.75%. Purification with a DEAE-52 cellulose column generated two fractions, PR-1 (from 6.2×10 3 to 7.4KDa) and PR-2 (from 559.8 to 106.6KDa). Subsequently, the antioxidant activity and α-d-glucosidase inhibitory activity of the two polysaccharide fractions were assessed; PR-1 exhibited stronger antioxidant activity and α-d-glucosidase inhibitory activity than PR-2. Finally, the monosaccharide composition of PR-1 was determined by HPLC using a 1-phenyl-3-methyl-5-pyrazolone precolumn derivatization method. The result showed that PR-1 contained mannose, ribose, rhamnose, glucosamine hydrochloride, glucuronic acid, galacturonic acid, glucose, galactose, arabinose and fucose with molar percentages of 2.1%, 0.54%, 2.1%, 0.26%, 1.5%, 22.7%, 24.0%, 26.4%, 19.6% and 0.89%, respectively. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  4. Optimization for ultrasound-assisted extraction of polysaccharides with chemical composition and antioxidant activity from the Artemisia sphaerocephala Krasch seeds.

    PubMed

    Zheng, Quan; Ren, Daoyuan; Yang, Nana; Yang, Xingbin

    2016-10-01

    Artemisia sphaerocephala Krasch seeds polysaccharides have been reported to have a variety of important biological activities. However, effective extraction of Artemisia sphaerocephala Krasch seeds polysaccharides is still an unsolved issue. In this study, the orthogonal rotatable central composite design was employed to optimize ultrasound-assisted extraction conditions of Artemisia sphaerocephala Krasch seeds polysaccharides. Based on a single-factor analysis method, ultrasonic power, extraction time, solid-liquid ratio and extraction temperature were shown to significantly affect the yield of polysaccharides extracted from the A. sphaerocephala Krasch seeds. The optimal conditions for extraction of Artemisia sphaerocephala Krasch seeds polysaccharides were determined as following: ultrasonic power 243W, extraction time 125min, solid-liquid ratio 64:1 and extraction temperature 64°C, where the experimental yield was 14.78%, which was well matched with the predicted value of 14.81%. Furthermore, ASKP was identified as a typical heteropolysaccharide with d-galacturonic acid (38.8%) d-galactose (20.2%) and d-xylose (15.5%) being the main constitutive monosaccharides. Moreover, Artemisia sphaerocephala Krasch seeds polysaccharides exhibited high total reducing power and considerable scavenging activities on DPPH, hydroxyl and superoxide radicals, in a concentration-dependent manner in vitro. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  5. Extraction of pectins and hemicelluloses from cell walls of suspension culture cells of cotton by endopolygalacturonase treatment

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    An, Jinhua; Maness, N.O.; Mort, A.J.

    1989-04-01

    Walls of cotton suspension cultures were treated with a highly purified endopolygalacturonase coded for by a gene from Erwinia carotovora expressed in E. coli. About 80 percent of the walls galacturonic acid was solubilized and could be fractionated by ion exchange chromatography into three classes: (1) tri- and tetra-galacturonides from digestion of homogalacturonans, (2) high molecular weight fragments rich in galacturonic acid, rhamnose and other neutral sugars indicative of rhamnogalacturonan I, and (3) a well defined low molecular weight polymer resembling rhamnogalacturonan II. Treatment of the insoluble wall residue with alkali allowed extraction of the remainder of the wall galacturonicmore » acid as high molecular weight polymers resembling rhamnogalacturonan I but in association with what is probably xyloglucan. The purified polymers will be compared to those obtained by others from different species, especially those of sycamore.« less

  6. Microwave-assisted extraction of pectin from cocoa peel

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Sarah, M.; Hanum, F.; Rizky, M.; Hisham, M. F.

    2018-02-01

    Pectin is a polymer of d-galacturonate acids linked by β-1,4 glycosidic bond. This study isolates pectin from cocoa peel (Theobroma cacao) using citric acid as solvent by microwave-assisted extraction method. Cocoa peels (moisture content of 10%) with citric acid solution (pH of 1.5) irradiated by microwave energy at various microwave power (180, 300, 450 and 600 W) for 10, 15, 20, 25 and 30 minutes respectively. Pectin obtained from this study was collected and filtrated by adding 96% ethanol to precipitate the pectin. The best results obtained from extraction process using microwave power of 180 Watt for 30 minutes. This combination of power and time yielded 42.3% pectin with moisture content, ash content, weight equivalent, methoxyl content and galacturonate levels were 8.08%, 5%, 833.33 mg, 6.51% and 58,08%, respectively. The result finding suggested that microwave-assisted extraction method has a great potency on the commercial pectin production.

  7. Influence of sialic acids on the galactose-recognizing receptor of rat peritoneal macrophages.

    PubMed

    Lee, H Y; Kelm, S; Michalski, J C; Schauer, R

    1990-04-01

    The interaction of the galactose-recognizing receptor from rat peritoneal macrophages with ligands containing terminal galactose residues, such as asialoorosomucoid, desialylated erythrocytes or lymphocytes, can be inhibited by free N-acetylneuraminic acid (Neu5Ac) and oligosaccharides or glycoproteins containing this sugar in terminal position. This effect of Neu5Ac on the receptor is specific. The other naturally occurring or most of synthetic neuraminic acid derivatives tested do not exhibit an equivalent inhibitory potency as Neu5Ac. Although free Neu5Ac inhibits 5-fold stronger (K50 = 0.2mM) than free galactose, clustering of Neu5Ac in oligosaccharides and glycoproteins does not lead to stronger inhibition, which is in contrast to galactose-containing ligands. A more branched (triantennary) sialooligosaccharide inhibits less than biantennary and unbranched sialooligosaccharides. This may be the reason, why complex sialic acid-containing ligands like native orosomucoid or blood cells are not bound and internalized by the macrophages. The dissociation of asialoorosomucoid from the receptor is slow under the influence of Neu5Ac and requires relatively high concentrations of this sugar, whereas the dissociation mediated by galactose is rapid and requires lower concentrations. An allosteric influence of Neu5Ac on the binding of galactose by the receptor is discussed.

  8. Kinetic characteristics of polygalacturonase enzymes hydrolyzing galacturonic acid oligomers using isothermal titration calorimetry

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    Polygalacturonase enzymes hydrolyze the polygalacturonic acid chains found in pectin. Interest in polygalacturonase enzymes continues as they are useful in a number of industrial processes and conversely, detrimental, as they are involved in maceration of economically important crops. While a good...

  9. Analysis of the monosaccharide composition of water-soluble polysaccharides from Sargassum fusiforme by high performance liquid chromatography/electrospray ionisation mass spectrometry.

    PubMed

    Wu, Xiaodan; Jiang, Wei; Lu, Jiajia; Yu, Ying; Wu, Bin

    2014-02-15

    Sargassum fusiforme (hijiki) is the well-known edible algae, whose polysaccharides have been proved to possess interesting bioactivities like antitumor, antioxidant, antimicrobial and immunomodulatory activities. A facile and sensitive method based on high-performance liquid chromatography method of pre-column derivatization with 1-phenyl-3-methyl-5-pyrazolone (PMP) coupled with electrospray ionisation mass spectrometry (HPLC/ESI-MS) has been established for the analysis of the monosaccharide composition of polysaccharides in S. fusiforme. Monosaccharides have been converted into PMP-labelled derivatives with aqueous ammonia as a catalyst at 70 °C for 30 min. The optimisation of the pre-column derivatization process was studied. The LODs of the monosaccharides were in the range from 0.01 to 0.02 nmol. PMP-labelled mixture of monosaccharides has been well separated by a reverse-phase HPLC and detected by on-line ESI-MS method under optimised conditions. The mobile phase of elution system was chosen as acetonitrile (solvent A) and 20mM aqueous ammonium acetate (solvent B) (pH 3.0) with Zorbax XDB-C18 column at 30 °C for the separation of the monosaccharide derivatives. Identification of the monosaccharides composition was carried out by analysis with mass spectral behaviour and chromatography characteristics of 1-phenyl-3-methyl-5-pyrazolone (PMP) labelled monosaccharides. All PMP-labelled derivatives display high chemical stabilities, whose regular MS fragmentation is specific for reducing labelled sugars. The result showed that the S. fusiforme polysaccharide consisted of mannose, glucose, galactose, xylose, fucose and glucuronic acid or galacturonic acid, or both uronic acids. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  10. Valeriana officinalis extract and its main component, valerenic acid, ameliorate D-galactose-induced reductions in memory, cell proliferation, and neuroblast differentiation by reducing corticosterone levels and lipid peroxidation.

    PubMed

    Nam, Sung Min; Choi, Jung Hoon; Yoo, Dae Young; Kim, Woosuk; Jung, Hyo Young; Kim, Jong Whi; Kang, Soo-Yong; Park, Jaeil; Kim, Dong-Woo; Kim, Wan Jae; Yoon, Yeo Sung; Hwang, In Koo

    2013-11-01

    Valeriana officinalis is used in herbal medicine of many cultures as mild sedatives and tranquilizers. In this study, we investigated the effects of extract from valerian root extracts and its major component, valerenic acid on memory function, cell proliferation, neuroblast differentiation, serum corticosterone, and lipid peroxidation in adult and aged mice. For the aging model, D-galactose (100 mg/kg) was administered subcutaneously to 6-week-old male mice for 10 weeks. At 13 weeks of age, valerian root extracts (100 mg/kg) or valerenic acid (340 μg/kg) was administered orally to control and D-galactose-treated mice for 3 weeks. The dosage of valerenic acid (340 μg/kg), which is the active ingredient of valerian root extract, was determined by the content of valerenic acid in valerian root extract (3.401±0.066 mg/g) measured by HPLC. The administration of valerian root extract and valerenic acid significantly improved the preferential exploration of new objects in novel object recognition test and the escape latency, swimming speeds, platform crossings, and spatial preference for the target quadrant in Morris water maze test compared to the D-galactose-treated mice. Cell proliferation and neuroblast differentiation were significantly decreased, while serum corticosterone level and lipid peroxidation in hippocampus were significantly increased in the D-galactose-treated group compared to that in the control group. The administration of valerian root extract significantly ameliorated these changes in the dentate gyrus of both control and D-galactose-treated groups. In addition, valerenic acid also mitigated the D-galactose-induced reduction of these changes. These results indicate that valerian root extract and valerenic acid enhance cognitive function, promote cell proliferation and neuroblast differentiation, and reduce serum corticosterone and lipid peroxidation in aged mice. © 2013.

  11. The metabolism of galactose in the human gastric mucous membrane.

    PubMed

    Kopacz-Jodczyk, T; Zwierz, K; Gałasiński, W

    1984-12-01

    After incubating pieces of human gastric mucous membrane with radioactive galactose, labeled metabolites of glycolysis (FDP,PEP,pyruvate):hexose and hexosamine intermediates in glycoconjugate biosynthesis (gal-1P, UDP-gal,acetylated hexosamines, and their phosphate esters), amino acids (glycine, alanine, and serine), and oxoglutarate as a metabolite of the citric acid cycle were isolated from the acid-soluble fraction. These results suggest that galactose in the human gastric mucous membrane is epimerized to glucose and metabolized in the glycolytic pathway together with oxidation in the citric acid cycle and in the direction of glycoconjugate biosynthesis.

  12. High production of D-tagatose by the addition of boric acid.

    PubMed

    Lim, Byung-Chul; Kim, Hye-Jung; Oh, Deok-Kun

    2007-01-01

    An L-arabinose isomerase mutant enzyme from Geobacillus thermodenitrificans was used to catalyze the isomerization of D-galactose to D-tagatose with boric acid. Maximum production of D-tagatose occurred at pH 8.5-9.0, 60 degrees C, and 0.4 molar ratio of boric acid to D-galactose, and the production increased with increasing enzyme concentration. Under the optimum conditions, the enzyme (10.8 units/mL) converted 300 g/L D-galactose to 230 g/L D-tagatose for 20 h with a yield of 77% (w/w); the production and conversion yield with boric acid were 1.5-fold and 24% higher than without boric acid, respectively. In 24 h, the enzyme produced 370 g/L D-tagatose from 500 g/L D-galactose with boric acid, corresponding to a conversion yield of 74% (w/w) and a production rate of 15.4 g/L.h. The production and yield of D-tagatose obtained in this study are unprecedented.

  13. Purification and Characterization of Biofilm-Associated EPS Exopolysaccharides from ESKAPE Organisms and Other Pathogens.

    PubMed

    Bales, Patrick M; Renke, Emilija Miljkovic; May, Sarah L; Shen, Yang; Nelson, Daniel C

    2013-01-01

    In bacterial biofilms, high molecular weight, secreted exopolysaccharides can serve as a scaffold to which additional carbohydrates, proteins, lipids, and nucleic acids adhere, forming the matrix of the developing biofilm. Here we report methods to extract and purify high molecular weight (>15 kDa) exopolysaccharides from biofilms of eight human pathogens, including species of Staphylcococcus, Klebsiella, Acinetobacter, Pseudomonas, and a toxigenic strain of Escherichia coli O157:H7. Glycosyl composition analysis indicated a high total mannose content across all strains with P. aeruginosa and A. baumannii exopolysaccharides comprised of 80-90% mannose, K. pneumoniae and S. epidermidis strains containing 40-50% mannose, and E. coli with ∼10% mannose. Galactose and glucose were also present in all eight strains, usually as the second and third most abundant carbohydrates. N-acetyl-glucosamine and galacturonic acid were found in 6 of 8 strains, while arabinose, fucose, rhamnose, and xylose were found in 5 of 8 strains. For linkage analysis, 33 distinct residue-linkage combinations were detected with the most abundant being mannose-linked moieties, in line with the composition analysis. The exopolysaccharides of two P. aeruginosa strains analyzed were consistent with the Psl carbohydrate, but not Pel or alginate. The S. epidermidis strain had a composition rich in mannose and glucose, which is consistent with the previously described slime associated antigen (SAA) and the extracellular slime substance (ESS), respectively, but no polysaccharide intracellular adhesion (PIA) was detected. The high molecular weight exopolysaccharides from E. coli, K. pneumoniae, and A. baumannii appear to be novel, based on composition and/or ratio analysis of carbohydrates.

  14. Characterization and Biological Activity of Taishan Pinus massoniana Pollen Polysaccharide In Vitro

    PubMed Central

    Yang, Shifa; Wei, Kai; Jia, Fengjuan; Zhao, Xue; Cui, Guolin; Guo, Fanxia; Zhu, Ruiliang

    2015-01-01

    Taishan Pinus massoniana pollen polysaccharide (TPPPS) improves cellular and humoral immune responses of animals and is a novel potential immunomodulator. However, the components of TPPPS have not been recognized. To investigate the composition of TPPPS, crude polysaccharide was obtained from Taishan P. massoniana pollen through water extraction and ethanol precipitation. Three homogeneous polysaccharide fractions (TPPPS1, TPPPS2, and TPPPS3) were purified from TPPPS by DEAE-cellulose column chromatography. The average molecular weights of the three polysaccharides were 56, 25, and 128 kDa, respectively. Results of high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) showed that TPPPS comprised mannose, ribose, xylose, glucuronic acid, galacturonic acid, glucose, galactose, and arabinose. The biological activity assays showed that TPPPS2 and TPPPS3 significantly promoted spleen lymphocyte proliferation, and that TPPPS3 showed better effect than TPPPS2. TPPPS3 enhanced the secretion of cytokine IL-2 and TNF, whereas TPPPS2 mainly elevated IL-2 secretion. By contrast, TPPPS1 exhibited other effects, and it induced the highest amount of NO production, thereby indicating that TPPPS1 had the best antioxidant activity. TPPPS3 at 50 μg/mL significantly inhibited the proliferation of subgroup B Avian Leukosis virus (ALV-B) through virus adsorption interference in vitro. Results indicated that TPPPS comprised three main components, among which, TPPPS1 mainly showed antioxidant effects, whereas TPPPS2 and TPPPS3 played key roles in immunomodulation, especially TPPPS3. Further studies on the use of a reasonable proportion of TPPPS1-3 may facilitate the development of an effective immunomodulator. PMID:25782009

  15. Ion chromatography characterization of polysaccharides in ancient wall paintings.

    PubMed

    Colombin, Maria Perla; Ceccarini, Alessio; Carmignani, Alessia

    2002-08-30

    An analytical procedure for the characterisation of polysaccharides and the identification of plant gums in old polychrome samples is described. The procedure is based on hydrolysis with 2 M trifluoroacetic acid assisted by microwaves (20 min, 120 degrees C, 500 W), clean-up of the hydrolysate by an ion-exchange resin, and analysis by high-performance anion-exchange chromatography with pulsed amperometric detection. Using this method the hydrolysis time was reduced to 20 min and the chromatographic separation of seven monosaccharides (fucose, rhamnose, arabinose, galactose, glucose, mannose, xylose) and two uronic acids (galacturonic and glucuronic) was achieved in 40 min. The whole analytical procedure allows sugar determination in plant gums at picomole levels, with an average recovery of 72% with an RSD of 8% as tested on arabic gum. The analytical procedure was tested with several raw gums, watercolour samples and reference painting specimens prepared according to old recipes at the Opificio delle Pietre Dure of Florence (Italian Ministry of Cultural Heritage, Italy). All the data collected expressed in relative sugar percentage contents were submitted to principal components analysis for gum identification: five groups were spatially separated and this enabled the identification of arabic, tragacanth, karaya, cherry+ghatty, and guar+locust bean gum. Wall painting samples from Macedonian tombs (Greece) of the 4th-3rd Centuries B.C., processed by the suggested method, showed the presence of a complex paint media mainly consisting of tragacanth and fruit tree gums. Moreover, starch had probably been added to plaster as highlighted by the presence of a huge amount of glucose.

  16. Optimization of pectin extraction from banana peels with citric acid by using response surface methodology.

    PubMed

    Oliveira, Túlio Ítalo S; Rosa, Morsyleide F; Cavalcante, Fabio Lima; Pereira, Paulo Henrique F; Moates, Graham K; Wellner, Nikolaus; Mazzetto, Selma E; Waldron, Keith W; Azeredo, Henriette M C

    2016-05-01

    A central composite design was used to determine effects of pH (2.0-4.5), extraction temperature (70-90 °C) and time (120-240 min) on the yield, degree of methoxylation (DM) and galacturonic acid content (GA) of pectins extracted from banana peels with citric acid. Changes in composition during the main steps of pectin extraction were followed by Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy. FTIR was also used to determine DM and GA of pectins. Harsh temperature and pH conditions enhanced the extraction yield, but decreased DM. GA presented a maximum value at 83 °C, 190 min, and pH 2.7. The yield of galacturonic acid (YGA), which took into account both the extraction yield and the pectin purity, was improved by higher temperature and lower pH values. The optimum extraction conditions, defined as those resulting in a maximum YGA while keeping DM at a minimum of 51%, were: 87 °C, 160 min, pH 2.0. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  17. Microbial Community-Level Physiological Profiles (CLPP) and herbicide mineralization potential in groundwater affected by agricultural land use

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Janniche, Gry Sander; Spliid, Henrik; Albrechtsen, Hans-Jørgen

    2012-10-01

    Diffuse groundwater pollution from agricultural land use may impact the microbial groundwater community, which was investigated as Community-Level Physiological Profiles (CLPP) using EcoPlate™. Water was sampled from seven piezometers and a spring in a small agricultural catchment with diffuse herbicide and nitrate pollution. Based on the Shannon-Wiener and Simpson's diversity indices the diversity in the microbial communities was high. The response from the EcoPlates™ showed which substrates support groundwater bacteria, and all 31 carbon sources were utilized by organisms from at least one water sample. However, only nine carbon sources were utilized by all water samples: D-Mannitol, N-acetyl-D-glucosamine, putrescine, D-galacturonic acid, itaconic acid, 4-hydroxy benzoic acid, tween 40, tween 80, and L-asparagine. In all water samples the microorganisms preferred D-mannitol, D-galacturonic acid, tween 40, and 4-hydroxy benzoic acid as substrates, whereas none preferred 2-hydroxy benzoic acid, α-D-lactose, D,L-α-glycerol phosphate, α-ketobutyric acid, L-threonine and glycyl-L-glutamic acid. Principal Component Analysis of the CLPP's clustered the most agriculturally affected groundwater samples, indicating that the agricultural land use affects the groundwater microbial communities. Furthermore, the ability to mineralize atrazine and isoproturon, which have been used in the catchment, was also associated with this cluster.

  18. The specificity of induction of alpha-galactosidase from Saccharomyces carlsbergensis.

    PubMed

    Flórez, I G; Lazo, P S; Ochoa, A G; Gascón, S

    1981-04-17

    A number of sugars and derivatives have been tested for their ability to induce the synthesis of alpha-galactosidase from Saccharomyces carlsbergensis. Besides galactose and the substrates of the enzyme melibiose, raffinose and stachyose, D-galacturonic acid, L-arabinose, D-tagatose, methyl-alpha-D-galactoside, lactose and isopropyl-beta-D-thiogalactoside were able to act as inducers. Of these, methyl-alpha-D-galactoside, lactose, isopropyl-beta-D-thiogalactoside and L-arabinose have been shown to be gratuitous inducers with which kinetic studies of induction have been carried out. Lactose was the most efficient inducer, giving a maximal differential rate of synthesis of the enzyme of 110 mU/10(7) cells at a concentration of 180 mM, followed by L-arabinose (60 mU/10(7) cells at 40 mM), isopropyl-beta-D-thiogalactoside (43 mU/10(7) cells at 60 mM) and methyl-alpha-D-galactoside (25 mU/10(7) cells at 150 mM). The concentration of inducer required to obtain half-maximal induction was similar for lactose, L-arabinose and isopropyl-beta-D-thiogalactoside and about 5-fold higher for methyl-alpha-D-galactoside. The property of the compounds to act as inducers was compared to their ability to interact with the enzyme and the results discussed in terms of the molecular structures which are recognized by the enzyme and by the induction machinery.

  19. Polyphenolic-polysaccharide conjugates from flowers and fruits of single-seeded hawthorn (Crataegus monogyna Jacq.): Chemical profiles and mechanisms of anticoagulant activity.

    PubMed

    Pawlaczyk-Graja, Izabela

    2018-05-17

    The polyphenolic-polysaccharide conjugates were isolated from flowers and fruits of medicinal plant Crataegus monogyna Jacq. (Lindm.) by the alkaline extraction, followed by neutralization, partitioning with organic solvents and dialysis against water. The isolates from flowers as well as from fruits were homogenous macromolecular compounds, with a molecular weight over 760 × 10 3  g/mol and 970 × 10 3  g/mol, respectively, what was assessed in HPGPC analysis. Both products were characterized spectrophotometrically, and by GLC-MS, FT-IR and NMR techniques. They were composed of polyphenolic matrices containing some flavonoid units and of polysaccharide structures rich in galacturonic acid with low esterification degree. Moreover, galactose, glucose, rhamnose and arabinose residues, with different proportions of monosaccharides were present, depending on the type of the starting plant material. Both plant preparations were able to prolong the plasma coagulation process in vitro tests, even at the concentration of 31.25 μg/mL. However, they differed in the mechanisms of the activity, where only the product isolated from flowers of C. monogyna was highly selective in its action. It was mainly the non-direct inhibitor of factor Xa, mediated by antithrombin, where such mechanism of activity is typical for highly sulfated glycosaminoglycans. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  20. Production of sugars and levulinic acid from marine biomass Gelidium amansii.

    PubMed

    Jeong, Gwi-Taek; Park, Don-Hee

    2010-05-01

    This study focused on optimization of reaction conditions for formation of sugars and levulinic acid from marine algal biomass Gelidium amansii using acid catalyst and by using statistical approach. By this approach, optimal conditions for production of sugars and levulinic acid were found as follows: glucose (reaction temperature of 139.4 degrees C, reaction time of 15.0 min, and catalyst concentration of 3.0%), galactose (108.2 degrees C, 45.0 min, and 3.0%), and levulinic acid (160.0 degrees C, 43.1 min, and 3.0%). While trying to optimize the conditions for the production of glucose and galactose, levulinic acid production was found to be minimum. Similarly, the production of glucose and galactose were found to be minimum while optimizing the conditions for the production of levulinic acid. In addition, optimized production of glucose required a higher reaction temperature and shorter reaction time than that of galactose. Levulinic acid was formed at a high reaction temperature, long reaction time, and high catalyst concentration. The combined results of this study may provide useful information to develop more economical and efficient systems for production of sugars and chemicals from marine biomass.

  1. Synthesis, physico-chemical properties and complexing abilities of new amphiphilic ligands from D-galacturonic acid.

    PubMed

    Allam, Anas; Behr, Jean-Bernard; Dupont, Laurent; Nardello-Rataj, Véronique; Plantier-Royon, Richard

    2010-04-19

    This paper describes a convenient and efficient synthesis of new complexing surfactants from d-galacturonic acid and n-octanol as renewable raw materials in a two-step sequence. In the first step, simultaneous O-glycosidation-esterification under Fischer conditions was achieved. The anomeric ratio of the products was studied based on the main experimental parameters and the activation mode (thermal or microwave). In the second step, aminolysis of the n-octyl ester was achieved with various functionalized primary amines under standard thermal or microwave activation. The physico-chemical properties of these new amphiphilic ligands were measured and these compounds were found to exhibit interesting surface properties. Complexing abilities of one uronamide ligand functionalized with a pyridine moiety toward Cu(II) ions was investigated in solution by EPR titrations. A solid compound was also synthesized and characterized, its relative structure was deduced from spectroscopic data. Copyright (c) 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  2. Characterisation of pectins extracted from banana peels (Musa AAA) under different conditions using an experimental design.

    PubMed

    Happi Emaga, Thomas; Ronkart, Sébastien N; Robert, Christelle; Wathelet, Bernard; Paquot, Michel

    2008-05-15

    An experimental design was used to study the influence of pH (1.5 and 2.0), temperature (80 and 90°C) and time (1 and 4h) on extraction of pectin from banana peels (Musa AAA). Yield of extracted pectins, their composition (neutral sugars, galacturonic acid, and degree of esterification) and some macromolecular characteristics (average molecular weight, intrinsic viscosity) were determined. It was found that extraction pH was the most important parameter influencing yield and pectin chemical composition. Lower pH values negatively affected the galacturonic acid content of pectin, but increased the pectin yield. The values of degree of methylation decreased significantly with increasing temperature and time of extraction. The average molecular weight ranged widely from 87 to 248kDa and was mainly influenced by pH and extraction time. Copyright © 2007 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  3. Anemia Causes Hypoglycemia in Intensive Care Unit Patients Due to Error in Single-Channel Glucometers: Methods of Reducing Patient Risk

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2010-01-01

    hematocrit, low oxygen tension, acetaminophen, uric acid , ascorbic acid , maltose, galactose, xy- lose, lactose, operator inexperience, age of strips, heat...Biomedical, Waltham, MA) that corrects for the effects of anemia, low oxygen tension, acetaminophen, uric acid , ascorbic acid , maltose, galactose, xylose, and...resulted in inappropriately high glucometer values (data not shown). The effects of interfering substances (acetaminophen, uric acid , ascorbic acid

  4. Identification of novel isomeric pectic oligosaccharides using hydrophilic interaction chromatography coupled to traveling-wave ion mobility mass spectrometry.

    PubMed

    Leijdekkers, Antonius G M; Huang, Jie-Hong; Bakx, Edwin J; Gruppen, Harry; Schols, Henk A

    2015-03-02

    Separation and characterization of complex mixtures of pectic oligosaccharides still remains challenging and often requires the use of multiple analytical techniques, especially when isomeric structures are present. In this work, it is demonstrated that the coupling of hydrophilic interaction chromatography (HILIC) to traveling-wave ion mobility mass spectrometry (TWIMMS) enabled the simultaneous separation and characterization of complex mixtures of various isomeric pectic oligosaccharides. Labeling of oligosaccharides with 3-aminoquinoline (3-AQ) improved MS-ionization efficiency of the oligosaccharides and reduced the complexity of the product ion mass spectra, without losing resolution of the HILIC separation. In addition, labeling enabled quantification of oligosaccharides on molar basis using in-line fluorescence detection. Isomeric structures were distinguished using TWIMMS. The 3-AQ-HILIC-TWIMMS method was used to characterize a series of isomeric sugar beet rhamnogalacturonan I derived oligosaccharides carrying a glucuronic acid substituent. Thereby, some novel structural features were identified for the first time: glucuronic acid was attached to O-3 or to O-2 of galacturonic acid residues and a single galacturonic acid residue within an oligomer could contain both an acetyl group and a glucuronic acid substituent. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  5. Galactose alters markers of oxidative stress and acetylcholinesterase activity in the cerebrum of rats: protective role of antioxidants.

    PubMed

    Delwing-de Lima, Daniela; Fröhlich, Monique; Dalmedico, Leticia; Aurélio, Juliana Gruenwaldt Maia; Delwing-Dal Magro, Débora; Pereira, Eduardo Manoel; Wyse, Angela T S

    2017-04-01

    We evaluated the in vitro effects of galactose at 0.1, 3.0, 5.0 and 10.0 mM on thiobarbituric acid-reactive substances (TBA-RS), total sulfhydryl content, protein carbonyl content, on the activities of the antioxidant enzymes catalase (CAT), superoxide dismutase (SOD) and glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) and on acetylcholinesterase (AChE) activity in the cerebral cortex, cerebellum and hippocampus of rats. We also investigated the influence of the antioxidants (each at 1 mM), α-tocopherol, ascorbic acid and glutathione, on the effects elicited by galactose on the parameters tested. Results showed that galactose, at a concentration of 3.0 mM, enhanced TBA-RS levels in the hippocampus, cerebral cortex and cerebellum of rats. In the cerebral cortex, galactose at concentrations of 5.0 and 10.0 mM increased TBA-RS and protein carbonyl content, and at 10.0 mM increased CAT activity and decreased AChE activity. In the cerebellum, galactose at concentrations of 5.0 and 10.0 mM increased TBA-RS, SOD and GSH-Px activities. In the hippocampus, galactose at concentrations of 5.0 and 10.0 mM increased TBA-RS and CAT activity and at 10.0 mM decreased GSH-Px. Data showed that at the pathologically high concentration (greater than 5.0 mM), galactose induces lipid peroxidation, protein carbonylation, alters antioxidant defenses in the cerebrum, and also alters cholinesterase activity. Trolox, ascorbic acid and glutathione addition prevented the majority of alterations in oxidative stress parameters and the decrease in AChE activity that were caused by galactose. Our findings lend support to a potential therapeutic strategy for this condition, which may include the use of appropriate antioxidants for ameliorating the damage caused by galactose.

  6. Hypoglycemic effect of polysaccharides with different molecular weight of Pseudostellaria heterophylla

    PubMed Central

    2013-01-01

    Abstracts Background The aims of this study were to evaluate the antidiabetic activity and to detect molecular size of Pseudostellaria heterophylla polysaccharide (PHP). Pseudostellaria heterophylla is a medicine extensively used in traditional Chinese medicine formulas to treat diabetes and its complications. Methods Molecular weight of PHP was determined by gel permeation chromatography combined with phenol-sulphuric acid method and the monosaccharides composition was determined by HPLC with a precolumn derivatization. Four polysaccharides with different molecular weight were compared for hypoglycemic active on two animal models both high does alloxan induced type1 diabetic mellitus (T1DM) and high-fat/lower does streptozotocin induced type2 diabetic mellitus (T2DM). Blood sugar, glucose tolerance, and insulin tolerance were detected. Rat serum IL-1β, IL-2, IL-10, Leptin, TNF-α, Acrp30 and CRP were also analyzed by sandwich-ELISA approaches to preliminary probe the hypoglycemic mechanism of PHP. Results The hypoglycemic effects related to molecular size of polysaccharide were more effective against T2DM than T1DM. PHP comprise four monosaccharides of galacturonic acid, glucose, galactose and arabinos. T2DM rats daily receiving oral dose of polysaccharide(100 ~ 400 mg/kg) with 50 ~ 210 kDa molecular weight (PF40) could not only significantly lower blood sugar but also reduce total triglyceride level in serum. PF40 improves in insulin tolerance inhibited the expression of some biomarkers including inflammatory cytokine TNF-α and elevated anti-inflammatory cytokine IL-10, regulated adiponectin Acrp30 and leptin. Conclusions PF40 prevent the cascade of inflammatory events in the treatment of T2DM to block overweight progresses to obesity. PMID:24131482

  7. Ultrasound-assisted extraction, characterization, and antioxidant activity in vitro and in vivo of polysaccharides from Chestnut rose (Rosa roxburghii tratt) fruit.

    PubMed

    Chen, Guangjing; Kan, Jianquan

    2018-03-01

    In this study, the response surface methodology was utilized to determine optimum conditions for extracting the polysaccharides from Rosa roxburghii Tratt fruit (RRTPs) using ultrasonic-assisted extraction, and the characterization and antioxidant activities of the RRTPs were discussed. RRTPs yield was 6.59 ± 1.34%, which was well consistent with the predicted value of 6.716%, under the following optimum conditions: ratio of water to raw material 40.18 mL/g, extraction temperature 78.8 °C, ultrasonic power 148 W, and extraction time 32.8 min. The monosaccharide composition analysis indicated that RRTPs were composed of mannose (Man), rhamnose (Rha), glucuronic acid (GlcA), galacturonic acid (GalA), glucose (Glc), galactose (Gal), arabinose (Ara) and xylose (Xyl). The molecular weight distribution analysis showed that RRTPs had four main components with molecular weights of 332.56, 183.96, 11.92 and 5.95 kDa, respectively. In vitro antioxidant studies revealed RRTPs exhibited significant antioxidant potential on hydroxyl, superoxide and DPPH radicals. In addition, antioxidant assays in vivo demonstrated that RRTPs can significantly increase the superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) and catalase (CAT) activities, and total antioxidant capacity (TAOC) to some extent, as well as decrease the level of malondialdehyde (MDA) in both serum and liver of d-Gal aging-induced mice. These data suggested that RRTPs could be a potential candidate of natural antioxidants for applications in functional food, pharmaceuticals or cosmetic industries. In summary, this work provided an effective method for the exploitation and utilization of value-added R. roxburghii Tratt fruit which would be useful to fully utilize this resource.

  8. Purification, crystallization and preliminary X-ray diffraction analysis of a novel keto-deoxy-d-galactarate (KDG) dehydratase from Agrobacterium tumefaciens

    PubMed Central

    Taberman, Helena; Andberg, Martina; Parkkinen, Tarja; Richard, Peter; Hakulinen, Nina; Koivula, Anu; Rouvinen, Juha

    2014-01-01

    d-Galacturonic acid is the main component of pectin. It could be used to produce affordable renewable fuels, chemicals and materials through biotechnical conversion. Keto-deoxy-d-galactarate (KDG) dehydratase is an enzyme in the oxidative pathway of d-galacturonic acid in Agrobacterium tumefaciens (At). It converts 3-deoxy-2-keto-l-threo-hexarate to α-ketoglutaric semialdehyde. At KDG dehydratase was crystallized by the hanging-drop vapour-diffusion method. The crystals belonged to the monoclinic space group C2, with unit-cell parameters a = 169.1, b = 117.8, c = 74.3 Å, β = 112.4° and an asymmetric unit of four monomers. X-ray diffraction data were collected to 1.9 Å resolution using synchrotron radiation. The three-dimensional structure of At KDG dehydratase will provide valuable information on the function of the enzyme and will allow it to be engineered for biorefinery-based applications. PMID:24419616

  9. Extraction, characterization and gelling behavior enhancement of pectins from the cladodes of Opuntia ficus indica.

    PubMed

    Lefsih, Khalef; Delattre, Cédric; Pierre, Guillaume; Michaud, Philippe; Aminabhavi, Tejraj M; Dahmoune, Farid; Madani, Khodir

    2016-01-01

    Total Pectins Fraction (TPF) was extracted at room temperature from dried cladodes of Opuntia ficus indica. TPF is constituted of three pectic fractions WSP, CSP and ASP, which are made up of 66.6%, 44.3% and 81.1% (w/w) of galacturonic acid, respectively. The antioxidant ability of TPF increased with the concentration increasing. It scavenged hydroxyl radical by 90% and chelated 90% of ferrous ions at 5 g/L. FTIR study was carried out. Strong characteristic absorption peaks at 1,618 cm(-1) assigned to the vibration of COO(-) group of galacturonic acid. In the fingerprint region, we noticed three well-defined peaks at 1054, 1085, and 1,154 cm(-1) characteristic of pectic polysaccharides. TPF are non-gelling pectins. The co-crosslinking of TPF with carrageenan was carried out and the gelling behavior was successfully improved. Thermo-sensitive hydrogel was obtained with 82% of TPF and 18% of carrageenan (w/w). Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  10. Recent Progress on the Characterization of Aldonolactone Oxidoreductases

    PubMed Central

    Aboobucker, Siddique I; Lorence, Argelia

    2015-01-01

    l-Ascorbic acid (ascorbate, AsA, vitamin C) is essential for animal and plant health. Despite our dependence on fruits and vegetables to fulfill our requirement for this vitamin, the metabolic network leading to its formation in plants is just being fully elucidated. There is evidence supporting the operation of at least four biosynthetic pathways leading to AsA formation in plants. These routes use d-mannose/l-Galactose, l-gulose, d-galacturonate, and myo-inositol as the main precursors. This review focuses on aldonolactone oxidoreductases, a subgroup of the vanillyl alcohol oxidase (VAO; EC 1.1.3.38) superfamily, enzymes that catalyze the terminal step in AsA biosynthesis in bacteria, protozoa, animals, and plants. In this report, we review the properties of well characterized aldonolactone oxidoreductases to date. A shared feature in these proteins is the presence of a flavin cofactor as well as a thiol group. The flavin cofactor in many cases is bound to the N terminus of the enzymes or to a recently discovered HWXK motif in the C terminus. The binding between the flavin moiety and the protein can be either covalent or non-covalent. Substrate specificity and subcellular localization differ among the isozymes of each kingdom. All oxidases among these enzymes possess dehydrogenase activity, however, exclusive dehydrogenases are also found. We also discuss recent evidence indicating that plants have both l-gulono-1,4-lactone oxidases and l-Galactono-1,4-lactone dehydrogenases involved in AsA biosynthesis. PMID:26696130

  11. Polygalacturonase production by AR2 pectinolytic bacteria through submerged fermentation of raja nangka banana peel (Musa paradisiaca var. formatypica) with variation of carbon source and pectin

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Utami, R.; Widowati, E.; Ivenaria, A.; Mahajoeno, E.

    2017-04-01

    Polygalacturonase (EC 3.1.2.15) catalyzes the hydrolysis of α-1,4-glycosidic bonds on galacturonic acid. Polygalacturonase can be produced from AR2 pectinolytic bacteria isolated from orange peel and vegetable waste. Commonly cost production of enzymes were high. However, with the advancement of technology, enzymes can now be manufactured at a low cost. Production of enzymes in low cost media with agro-industrial waste is interesting. Raja nangka banana peel is agro-industrial waste that is uneconomic. Therefore, this material can be used as a pectin source in polygalacturonase production. Polygalacturonase was produced by AR2 pectinolytic bacteria with the addition of various carbon sources (1% glucose, 1% galactose, 1% lactose) and variation of pectin concentrations (5%; 7.5%; 10%). This study used submerged fermentation with a cultivation temperature of 55°C and an agitation speed of 144 rpm for a 48-h incubation time. The results showed that variation of carbon sources and pectin concentrations affected the production of polygalacturonase. After 48 h fermentation, the results showed that the number of cells of samples ranged from 8.3 to 9.445 log cells/mL; the used pectin of samples ranged from 87.170-93.745%; and the polygalacturonase activity of samples ranged from 0.030 to 0.151 U/mL. The highest polygalacturonase activity was obtained by production of polygalacturonase on 1% glucose and 10% pectin medium.

  12. Cell-wall polysaccharide composition and glycanase activity of Silene vulgaris callus transformed with rolB and rolC genes.

    PubMed

    Günter, Elena A; Shkryl, Yury N; Popeyko, Oxana V; Veremeichik, Galina N; Bulgakov, Victor P

    2015-03-15

    The aim of this research is to investigate the effects of the Agrobacterium rhizogenes rol genes on the composition of cell-wall polysaccharides and glycanase activity in the campion callus. The expression of the rolC gene reduces the yield of campion pectin, while the expression of the rolB or rolC gene inhibits the volumetric production of both pectin and intracellular arabinogalactan. The rol genes are involved in regulating the activity of glycanases and esterases, thereby contributing to the modification of polysaccharide structures, their molecular weight (Mw) and the degree of pectin methyl esterification (DE). The increase in pectin arabinose residue appears to be connected to a decrease in intracellular and extracellular α-l-arabinofuranosidase activity in transgenic campion calluses. In transgenic calluses expressing the rolB and rolC genes, the increase in pectin galactose residue is likely due to a decrease in β-galactosidase activity. The decrease in the Mw of pectin and its d-galacturonic acid content appears to be connected to an increase in extracellular polygalacturonase activity. Finally, the increase in pectinesterase activity causes a decrease in the DE of pectin. Thus, the expression of rolB and rolC genes in campion callus has a considerable effect on pectin's sugar composition, DE and Mw, while it appears to have an insignificant influence on intracellular and extracellular arabinogalactans. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  13. Histochemistry of glycoconjugates in the skin of the bovine muzzle, with special reference to glandular structures.

    PubMed

    Meyer, W; Tsukise, A

    1989-01-01

    The distribution of glycoconjugates in the muzzle of young adult Holstein cows has been studied by means of selected light-microscopic histochemical methods, including lectin histochemistry. In the skin layers, strong reactions were confined to intercellular substances in between the cells of the vital epidermis, exhibiting neutral glycoconjugates mainly with alpha-D-galactosyl and N-acetyl-D-galactosaminyl residues. In the nasolabial glands, distinctly positive staining for neutral glycoproteins with various saccharide residues (alpha-D-galactose, alpha-N-acetylgalactosamine, D-galactose-beta(1----3)D-N-acetylgalactosamine, beta-D-galactose), and for smaller amounts of acidic glycoconjugates, was found in the secretory cells and the luminal secretion. The cells of the excretory duct system showed weak to moderate reactions (alpha-D-galactose, beta-D-galactose), only the collecting ducts reacted positively for acidic glycoproteins with sialyl residues. The results obtained are discussed in view of muzzle function, with special reference to the salivary nature of the secretion of bovine nasolabial glands.

  14. Acid-catalyzed conversion of mono- and poly-sugars into platform chemicals: effects of molecular structure of sugar substrate.

    PubMed

    Hu, Xun; Wu, Liping; Wang, Yi; Song, Yao; Mourant, Daniel; Gunawan, Richard; Gholizadeh, Mortaza; Li, Chun-Zhu

    2013-04-01

    Hydrolysis/pyrolysis of lignocellulosic biomass always produces a mixture of sugars with distinct structures as intermediates or products. This study tried to elucidate the effects of molecular structure of sugars on their acid-catalyzed conversions in ethanol/water. Location of carbonyl group in sugars (fructose versus glucose) and steric configuration of hydroxyl groups (glucose versus galactose) significantly affected yields of levulinic acid/ester (fructose>glucose>galactose). The dehydration of fructose to 5-(hydroxymethyl)furfural produces much less soluble polymer than that from glucose and galactose, which results in high yields of levulinic acid/ester from fructose. Anhydrate sugar such as levoglucosan tends to undergo the undesirable decomposition to form less levulinic acid/ester. Catalytic behaviors of the poly-sugars (sucrose, maltose, raffinose, β-cyclodextrins) were determined much by their basic units. However, their big molecular sizes create the steric hindrance that significantly affects their followed conversion over solid acid catalyst. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  15. Overexpression of an alfalfa GDP-mannose 3, 5-epimerase gene enhances acid, drought and salt tolerance in transgenic Arabidopsis by increasing ascorbate accumulation.

    PubMed

    Ma, Lichao; Wang, Yanrong; Liu, Wenxian; Liu, Zhipeng

    2014-11-01

    GDP-mannose 3', 5'-epimerase (GME) catalyses the conversion of GDP-D-mannose to GDP-L-galactose, an important step in the ascorbic acid (ascorbic acid) biosynthetic pathway in higher plants. In this study, a novel cDNA fragment (MsGME) encoding a GME protein was isolated and characterised from alfalfa (Medicago sativa). An expression analysis confirmed that MsGME expression was induced by salinity, PEG and acidity stresses. MsGME overexpression in Arabidopsis enhanced tolerance of the transgenic plants to salt, drought and acid. Real-time PCR analysis revealed that the transcript levels of GDP-D-mannose pyrophosphorylase (GMP), L-galactose-phosphate 1-P phosphatase (GP) and GDP-L-galactose phosphorylase (GGP) were increased in transgenic Arabidopsis (T3 generation). Moreover, the ascorbate content was increased in transgenic Arabidopsis. Our results suggest that MsGME can effectively enhance tolerance of transgenic Arabidopsis to acid, drought and salt by increasing ascorbate accumulation.

  16. The missing step of the L-galactose pathway of ascorbate biosynthesis in plants, an L-galactose guanyltransferase, increases leaf ascorbate content.

    PubMed

    Laing, William A; Wright, Michele A; Cooney, Janine; Bulley, Sean M

    2007-05-29

    The gene for one postulated enzyme that converts GDP-L-galactose to L-galactose-1-phosphate is unknown in the L-galactose pathway of ascorbic acid biosynthesis and a possible candidate identified through map-based cloning is the uncharacterized gene At4g26850. We identified a putative function for At4g26850 using PSI-Blast and motif searching to show it was a member of the histidine triad superfamily, which includes D-galactose uridyltransferase. We cloned and expressed this Arabidopsis gene and the homologous gene from Actinidia chinensis in Escherichia coli and assayed the expressed protein for activities related to converting GDP-L-galactose to L-galactose-1-P. The expressed protein is best described as a GDP-L-galactose-hexose-1-phosphate guanyltransferase (EC 2.7.7.), catalyzing the transfer of GMP from GDP-l-galactose to a hexose-1-P, most likely D-mannose-1-phosphate in vivo. Transient expression of this A. chinensis gene in tobacco leaves resulted in a >3-fold increase in leaf ascorbate as well as a 50-fold increase in GDP-L-galactose-D-mannose-1-phosphate guanyltransferase activity.

  17. The missing step of the l-galactose pathway of ascorbate biosynthesis in plants, an l-galactose guanyltransferase, increases leaf ascorbate content

    PubMed Central

    Laing, William A.; Wright, Michele A.; Cooney, Janine; Bulley, Sean M.

    2007-01-01

    The gene for one postulated enzyme that converts GDP-l-galactose to l-galactose-1-phosphate is unknown in the l-galactose pathway of ascorbic acid biosynthesis and a possible candidate identified through map-based cloning is the uncharacterized gene At4g26850. We identified a putative function for At4g26850 using PSI-Blast and motif searching to show it was a member of the histidine triad superfamily, which includes d-galactose uridyltransferase. We cloned and expressed this Arabidopsis gene and the homologous gene from Actinidia chinensis in Escherichia coli and assayed the expressed protein for activities related to converting GDP-l-galactose to l-galactose-1-P. The expressed protein is best described as a GDP-l-galactose-hexose-1-phosphate guanyltransferase (EC 2.7.7.), catalyzing the transfer of GMP from GDP-l-galactose to a hexose-1-P, most likely d-mannose-1-phosphate in vivo. Transient expression of this A. chinensis gene in tobacco leaves resulted in a >3-fold increase in leaf ascorbate as well as a 50-fold increase in GDP-l-galactose-d-mannose-1-phosphate guanyltransferase activity. PMID:17485667

  18. Effects of microwave power and irradiation time on pectin extraction from watermelon rinds (Citrullus lanatus) with acetic acid using microwave assisted extraction method

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Sari, A. M.; Ishartani, D.; Dewanty, P. S.

    2018-01-01

    The aims of this research are to study the effect of microwave power (119.7 W, 199.5 W and 279.3 W) and irradiation time (6, 9 and 12 min) on pectin extraction by using Microwave Assisted Extraction (MAE) with acetic acid and to do a preliminary characterization of pectin from watermelon rinds. A randomized factorial design with two factors was used to determine the effect of microwave power and processing time on the yield, equivalent weight, degree of methoxylation (DM), galacturonic acid content (GA) and the degree of esterification (DE) of extracted pectin. The results showed that extracted pectin from watermelon rinds using MAE method have yield ranged from 3.925% to 5.766%, with equivalent weight ranged from 1249.702 to 2007.756. Extracted pectin have a DM value ranged from 3.89% to 10.81%. Galacturonic acid content that meets with IPPA standard resulted from extraction condition of 279.3-watt microwave power for 9 min and 12 min. The degree of esterification (DE) value ranged from 56.86% to 85.76%, and this value exhibited a relatively high methoxyl pectin (>50%). The best pectin properties was obtained at a microwave power of 279.3 watts for 12 min.

  19. Kinetic properties of Rhizopus oryzae RPG1 endo-polygalacturonase hydrolyzing galacturonic acid oligomers

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    Future fuel and specialty chemical production will benefit from the use of agricultural biomass. Efficient and effective use of agricultural biomass requires conversion to simple sugars by chemical pre-treatments and enzymes into simple sugars. Rhizopus oryzae, a filamentous fungus, makes enzymes ca...

  20. Expression and characterization of hyperthermostable exo-polygalacturonase RmGH28 from Rhodothermus marinus

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    The gene RmGH28 from the organism Rhodothermus marinus putatively encoding a glycosyl hydrolase family 28 polygalacturonase was expressed in E. coli, and the enzyme purified and biochemically characterized. The gene was found to encode an exo- polygalacturonase, with galacturonic acid monomer and th...

  1. Biosorption properties of citrus peel derived oligogalacturonides, enzyme-modified pectin and peel hydrolysis residues

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    Data is presented on the biosorption properties of modified pectins and pectin fragments using lead as a model cation. Samples tested for their sorption capacity are Narrow-Range Size-Classes of galacturonic acid oligomers, well characterized homogalacturonan demethylations series produced at pH 7....

  2. 4-O-(1-carboxyethyl)-D-galactose. A new acidic sugar from the extracellular polysaccharide produced by Butyrivibrio fibrisolvens strain 49.

    PubMed Central

    Stack, R J; Stein, T M; Plattner, R D

    1988-01-01

    The structure of a new acidic sugar from the extracellular polysaccharide of Butyrivibrio fibrisolvens strain 49 was determined as 4-O-(1-carboxyethyl)-D-galactose on the basis of 13C-n.m.r. and 1H-n.m.r. spectroscopy, m.s. and chemical degradation studies. PMID:3223950

  3. Molecularly imprinted polymers for separation of various sugars from human urine.

    PubMed

    Okutucu, Burcu; Onal, Seçil

    2011-12-15

    Molecularly imprinted polymers were the new, simple and unexpensive materials that can be used in several clinical applications. Phenylboronic acid has been frequently used as functional monomer for the covalent imprinting of diols. In this study, the phenylboronic acid esters of fructose, galactose, glucose and raffinose were synthesized and then used as template analytes. The adsorption capacities of fructose, galactose and glucose-phenylboronic acid imprinted polymers were 75, 10 and 30%, respectively. The batch rebinding studies and Scatchard analysis were done for all sugar imprinted polymer. Glucose is one of the mostly found sugar in the urine. The glucose:phenylboronic acid imprinted polymer was used for the analysis of glucose, fructose, galactose, sucrose, maltose, lactose and raffinose in spiked urine. The selectivity of glucose:phenylboronic acid imprinted polymer to urine monosaccharides was found as nearly 45-55% and to di- and polysaccharides was found as 30-35%, respectively. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  4. Improvement of hydrogen fermentation of galactose by combined inoculation strategy.

    PubMed

    Sivagurunathan, Periyasamy; Anburajan, Parthiban; Kumar, Gopalakrishnan; Arivalagan, Pugazhendhi; Bakonyi, Péter; Kim, Sang-Hyoun

    2017-03-01

    This study evaluated the feasibility of anaerobic hydrogen fermentation of galactose, a red algal biomass sugar, using individual and combined mixed culture inocula. Heat-treated (90°C, 30 min) samples of granular sludge (GS) and suspended digester sludge (SDS) were used as inoculum sources. The type of mixed culture inoculum played an important role in hydrogen production from galactose. Between two inocula, granular sludge showed higher hydrogen production rate (HPR) and hydrogen yield (HY) of 2.2 L H 2 /L-d and 1.09 mol H 2 /mol galactose added , respectively. Combined inoculation (GS + SDS) led to an elevated HPR and HY of 3.1 L H 2 /L-d and 1.28 mol H 2 /mol galactose added , respectively. Acetic and butyric acids are the major organic acids during fermentation. Quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) revealed that the mixed culture generated using the combined inoculation contained a higher cluster I Clostridium abundance than the culture produced using the single inoculum. Copyright © 2016 The Society for Biotechnology, Japan. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  5. Genome-Wide Identification and Expression Analysis of the UGlcAE Gene Family in Tomato.

    PubMed

    Ding, Xing; Li, Jinhua; Pan, Yu; Zhang, Yue; Ni, Lei; Wang, Yaling; Zhang, Xingguo

    2018-05-27

    The UGlcAE has the capability of interconverting UDP-d-galacturonic acid and UDP-d-glucuronic acid, and UDP-d-galacturonic acid is an activated precursor for the synthesis of pectins in plants. In this study, we identified nine UGlcAE protein-encoding genes in tomato. The nine UGlcAE genes that were distributed on eight chromosomes in tomato, and the corresponding proteins contained one or two trans-membrane domains. The phylogenetic analysis showed that SlUGlcAE genes could be divided into seven groups, designated UGlcAE1 to UGlcAE6 , of which the UGlcAE2 were classified into two groups. Expression profile analysis revealed that the SlUGlcAE genes display diverse expression patterns in various tomato tissues. Selective pressure analysis indicated that all of the amino acid sites of SlUGlcAE proteins are undergoing purifying selection. Fifteen stress-, hormone-, and development-related elements were identified in the upstream regions (0.5 kb) of these SlUGlcAE genes. Furthermore, we investigated the expression patterns of SlUGlcAE genes in response to three hormones (indole-3-acetic acid (IAA), gibberellin (GA), and salicylic acid (SA)). We detected firmness, pectin contents, and expression levels of UGlcAE family genes during the development of tomato fruit. Here, we systematically summarize the general characteristics of the SlUGlcAE genes in tomato, which could provide a basis for further function studies of tomato UGlcAE genes.

  6. Divergent synthetic approach to 6”-modified α-GalCer analogues

    PubMed Central

    Pauwels, Nora; Aspeslagh, Sandrine; Vanhoenacker, Gerd; Sandra, Koen; Yu, Esther D.; Zajonc, Dirk M.; Elewaut, Dirk; Linclau, Bruno; Van Calenbergh, Serge

    2011-01-01

    A synthetic approach is presented for the synthesis of galacturonic acid and d-fucosyl modified KRN7000. The approach allows for late-stage functionalisation of both the sugar 6”-OH and the sphingosine amino groups, which enables convenient synthesis of promising 6”-modified KRN7000 analogues. PMID:22042483

  7. Nanostructural Characterization of Modified Homogalacturonan with Pectin Methylesterase from Jelly Fig (Ficus awkeotsang Makino) Achenes and Modeling of Enzyme Mode of Action

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    1. Justification: Pectin is a major hydrocolloid used in various food, cosmetics, and medicine pharmaceutical products. The relative amount of unmethylesterified galacturonic acid (GalA)residues and their distribution are key determinants of pectin functionality. Pectin methylesterase (PME) modifies...

  8. Pectin from Opuntia ficus indica: Optimization of microwave-assisted extraction and preliminary characterization.

    PubMed

    Lefsih, Khalef; Giacomazza, Daniela; Dahmoune, Farid; Mangione, Maria Rosalia; Bulone, Donatella; San Biagio, Pier Luigi; Passantino, Rosa; Costa, Maria Assunta; Guarrasi, Valeria; Madani, Khodir

    2017-04-15

    Optimization of microwave-assisted extraction (MAE) of water-soluble pectin (WSP) from Opuntia ficus indica cladodes was performed using Response Surface Methodology. The effect of extraction time (X 1 ), microwave power (X 2 ), pH (X 3 ) and solid-to-liquid ratio (X 4 ) on the extraction yield was examined. The optimum conditions of MAE were as follows: X 1 =2.15min; X 2 =517W; X 3 =2.26 and X 4 =2g/30.6mL. The maximum obtained yield of pectin extraction was 12.57%. Total carbohydrate content of WSP is about 95.5% including 34.4% of Galacturonic acid. Pectin-related proteins represent only the 0.66% of WSP mass. HPSEC and light scattering analyses reveal that WSP is mostly constituted of high molecular pectin and FTIR measurements show that the microwave treatment does not alter the chemical structure of WSP, in which Galacturonic acid content and yield are 34.4% and 4.33%, respectively. Overall, application of MAE can give rise to high quality pectin. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  9. Production of Bakers' Yeast in Cheese Whey Ultrafiltrate †

    PubMed Central

    Champagne, C. P.; Goulet, J.; Lachance, R. A.

    1990-01-01

    A process for the production of bakers' yeast in whey ultrafiltrate (WU) is described. Lactose in WU was converted to lactic acid and galactose by fermentation. Streptococcus thermophilus was selected for this purpose. Preculturing of S. thermophilus in skim milk considerably reduced its lag. Lactic fermentation in 2.3×-concentrated WU was delayed compared with that in unconcentrated whey, and fermentation could not be completed within 60 h. The growth rate of bakers' yeast in fermented WU differed among strains. The rate of galactose utilization was similar for all strains, but differences in lactic acid utilization occurred. Optimal pH ranges for galactose and lactic acid utilization were 5.5 to 6.0 and 5.0 to 5.5, respectively. The addition of 4 g of corn steep liquor per liter to fermented WU increased cell yields. Two sources of nitrogen were available for growth of Saccharomyces cerevisiae: amino acids (corn steep liquor) and ammonium (added during the lactic acid fermentation). Ammonium was mostly assimilated during growth on lactic acid. This process could permit the substitution of molasses by WU for the industrial production of bakers' yeast. PMID:16348117

  10. Factors Affecting the Initial Adhesion and Retention of the Plant Pathogen Xylella fastidiosa in the Foregut of an Insect Vector

    PubMed Central

    Almeida, Rodrigo P. P.

    2014-01-01

    Vector transmission of bacterial plant pathogens involves three steps: pathogen acquisition from an infected host, retention within the vector, and inoculation of cells into susceptible tissue of an uninfected plant. In this study, a combination of plant and artificial diet systems were used to determine the importance of several genes on the initial adhesion and retention of the bacterium Xylella fastidiosa to an efficient insect vector. Mutant strains included fimbrial (fimA and pilB) and afimbrial (hxfA and hxfB) adhesins and three loci involved in regulatory systems (rpfF, rpfC, and cgsA). Transmission assays with variable retention time indicated that HxfA and HxfB were primarily important for early adhesion to vectors, while FimA was necessary for both adhesion and retention. The long pilus protein PilB was not deficient in initial adhesion but may be important for retention. Genes upregulated under the control of rpfF are important for both initial adhesion and retention, as transmission rates of this mutant strain were initially low and decreased over time, while disruption of rpfC and cgsA yielded trends similar to that shown by the wild-type control. Because induction of an X. fastidiosa transmissible state requires pectin, a series of experiments were used to test the roles of a polygalacturonase (pglA) and the pectin and galacturonic acid carbohydrates on the transmission of X. fastidiosa. Results show that galacturonic acid, or PglA activity breaking pectin into its major subunit (galacturonic acid), is required for X. fastidiosa vector transmission using an artificial diet system. This study shows that early adhesion and retention of X. fastidiosa are mediated by different factors. It also illustrates that the interpretation of results of vector transmission experiments, in the context of vector-pathogen interaction studies, is highly dependent on experimental design. PMID:24185853

  11. Factors affecting the initial adhesion and retention of the plant pathogen Xylella fastidiosa in the foregut of an insect vector.

    PubMed

    Killiny, Nabil; Almeida, Rodrigo P P

    2014-01-01

    Vector transmission of bacterial plant pathogens involves three steps: pathogen acquisition from an infected host, retention within the vector, and inoculation of cells into susceptible tissue of an uninfected plant. In this study, a combination of plant and artificial diet systems were used to determine the importance of several genes on the initial adhesion and retention of the bacterium Xylella fastidiosa to an efficient insect vector. Mutant strains included fimbrial (fimA and pilB) and afimbrial (hxfA and hxfB) adhesins and three loci involved in regulatory systems (rpfF, rpfC, and cgsA). Transmission assays with variable retention time indicated that HxfA and HxfB were primarily important for early adhesion to vectors, while FimA was necessary for both adhesion and retention. The long pilus protein PilB was not deficient in initial adhesion but may be important for retention. Genes upregulated under the control of rpfF are important for both initial adhesion and retention, as transmission rates of this mutant strain were initially low and decreased over time, while disruption of rpfC and cgsA yielded trends similar to that shown by the wild-type control. Because induction of an X. fastidiosa transmissible state requires pectin, a series of experiments were used to test the roles of a polygalacturonase (pglA) and the pectin and galacturonic acid carbohydrates on the transmission of X. fastidiosa. Results show that galacturonic acid, or PglA activity breaking pectin into its major subunit (galacturonic acid), is required for X. fastidiosa vector transmission using an artificial diet system. This study shows that early adhesion and retention of X. fastidiosa are mediated by different factors. It also illustrates that the interpretation of results of vector transmission experiments, in the context of vector-pathogen interaction studies, is highly dependent on experimental design.

  12. Ascorbate metabolism and the developmental demand for tartaric and oxalic acids in ripening grape berries

    PubMed Central

    2009-01-01

    Background Fresh fruits are well accepted as a good source of the dietary antioxidant ascorbic acid (Asc, Vitamin C). However, fruits such as grapes do not accumulate exceptionally high quantities of Asc. Grapes, unlike most other cultivated fruits do however use Asc as a precursor for the synthesis of both oxalic (OA) and tartaric acids (TA). TA is a commercially important product in the wine industry and due to its acidifying effect on crushed juice it can influence the organoleptic properties of the wine. Despite the interest in Asc accumulation in fruits, little is known about the mechanisms whereby Asc concentration is regulated. The purpose of this study was to gain insights into Asc metabolism in wine grapes (Vitis vinifera c.v. Shiraz.) and thus ascertain whether the developmental demand for TA and OA synthesis influences Asc accumulation in the berry. Results We provide evidence for developmentally differentiated up-regulation of Asc biosynthetic pathways and subsequent fluctuations in Asc, TA and OA accumulation. Rapid accumulation of Asc and a low Asc to dehydroascorbate (DHA) ratio in young berries was co-ordinated with up-regulation of three of the primary Asc biosynthetic (Smirnoff-Wheeler) pathway genes. Immature berries synthesised Asc in-situ from the primary pathway precursors D-mannose and L-galactose. Immature berries also accumulated TA in early berry development in co-ordination with up-regulation of a TA biosynthetic gene. In contrast, ripe berries have up-regulated expression of the alternative Asc biosynthetic pathway gene D-galacturonic acid reductase with only residual expression of Smirnoff-Wheeler Asc biosynthetic pathway genes and of the TA biosynthetic gene. The ripening phase was further associated with up-regulation of Asc recycling genes, a secondary phase of increased accumulation of Asc and an increase in the Asc to DHA ratio. Conclusion We demonstrate strong developmental regulation of Asc biosynthetic, recycling and catabolic genes in grape berries. Integration of the transcript, radiotracer and metabolite data demonstrates that Asc and TA metabolism are developmentally regulated in grapevines; resulting in low accumulated levels of the biosynthetic intermediate Asc, and high accumulated levels of the metabolic end-product TA. PMID:19995454

  13. Induced Autolysis of Aspergillus oryzae (A. niger group)

    PubMed Central

    Emiliani, Ezio; de Davie, I. Ucha

    1962-01-01

    The examination of substances formed during induced autolysis by Aspergillus niger was continued in this work, which dealt in particular with carbohydrates. The autolysate contained a large amount of d-glucose (14 to 20% dry wt) and traces of glycolic aldehyde, dihydroxyacetone, ribose, xylose, and fructose. It also contained glycopeptides (about 10% dry wt), which were split from the cell wall during autolysis and which differed from one another in their level of polymerization and their composition. They were constituted by glucose and mannose, glucose and galactose, or mannose, glucose, and galactose (mannose being the most abundant in this case), and amino acids (chiefly alanine, serine, glutamic acid, and aspartic acid). During autolysis, only a part of the cell wall was dissolved, since it retained its shape. Upon further chemical hydrolysis, it produced mostly glucose and glucosamine, and smaller amounts of mannose, galactose, and amino acids. Presumably, glucomannoproteins and glucogalactoproteins were present in the intact cell as a macromolecular complex, constituting, together with chitin, the major part of the cell wall of Aspergillus. PMID:16349623

  14. An Evaluation of the Binding Strength of Okra Gum and the Drug Release Characteristics of Tablets Prepared from It.

    PubMed

    Hussain, Amjad; Qureshi, Farah; Abbas, Nasir; Arshad, Muhammad Sohail; Ali, Ejaz

    2017-06-02

    The aim of this study is to evaluate the adhesion ability of okra gum, which is gaining popularity as a tablet binder. For this purpose, gum was extracted from okra pods, and the binding strength of different concentrations (1%, 3%, and 5%) was determined quantitatively. Additionally, naproxen sodium tablets were prepared by using okra gum as a binder and were evaluated for their properties including hardness, friability, disintegration time, and dissolution rate. The binding strength values were compared with that of pre-gelatinized starch, a commonly used tablet binder. The results from universal testing machine indicate that the binding strengths of all dispersions of okra increase as the concentration increases from 1% to 5% and ranges from 2.5 to 4.5 N, which are almost twice a high as those of pre-gelatinized starch. The tablets prepared with okra gum have shown good mechanical strength with hardness values of 7-8.5 kg/cm² and a friability <1%, comparable to tablets prepared with starch. The disintegration time was longer (7.50 min with okra gum and 5.05 min with starch paste), and the drug release from these tablets was slower than the formulations with starch. The higher binding ability of okra gum probably linked with its chemical composition as it mainly contains galactose, rhamnose, and galacturonic acid. This study concludes that okra gum is a better binder than pre-gelatinized starch, it might be explored in future for introduction as a cost-effective binder in the pharmaceutical industry.

  15. Acidification of apple and orange hosts by Penicillium digitatum and Penicillium expansum.

    PubMed

    Vilanova, L; Viñas, I; Torres, R; Usall, J; Buron-Moles, G; Teixidó, N

    2014-05-16

    New information about virulence mechanisms of Penicillium digitatum and Penicillium expansum could be an important avenue to control fungal diseases. In this study, the ability of P. digitatum and P. expansum to enhance their virulence by locally modulating the pH of oranges and apples was evaluated. For each host, pH changes with a compatible pathogen and a non-host pathogen were recorded, and the levels of different organic acids were evaluated to establish possible relationships with host pH modifications. Moreover, fruits were harvested at three maturity stages to determine whether fruit maturity could affect the pathogens' virulence. The pH of oranges and apples decreased when the compatible pathogens (P. digitatum and P. expansum, respectively) decayed the fruit. The main organic acid detected in P. digitatum-decayed oranges was galacturonic acid produced as a consequence of host maceration in the rot development process. However, the obtained results showed that this acid was not responsible for the pH decrease in decayed orange tissue. The mixture of malic and citric acids could at least contribute to the acidification of P. digitatum-decayed oranges. The pH decrease in P. expansum decayed apples is related to the accumulation of gluconic and fumaric acids. The pH of oranges and apples was not affected when the non-host pathogen was not able to macerate the tissues. However, different organic acid contents were detected in comparison to healthy tissues. The main organic acids detected in P. expansum-oranges were oxalic and gluconic and in P. digitatum-apples were citric, gluconic and galacturonic. Further research is needed to identify the pathogenicity factors of both fungi because the contribution of organic acids has profound implications. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  16. Edible films from pectin: Physical-mechanical and antimicrobial properties - A Review

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    Pectin is one of the main components of the plant cell wall and chemically, pectin is constituted by poly a1–4-galacturonic acids. According to its degree of esterification with methanol, pectin can be classified as high methoxyl pectin or low methoxyl pectin. In food industry, pectin is listed as g...

  17. [Studies on separation, purification and structure characteristics of a polysaccharide LTC-II from Pyrola corbieri].

    PubMed

    Mo, Zhengchang; Wu, Lanfang; Yang, Juan; Wang, Daoping

    2011-06-01

    To characterize the structure of polysaccharide LTC-II obtained from Pyrola corbieri. The polysaccharide was extracted from P. corbieri by hot water and ethanol precipitation. Crude polysaccharide was purified by DEAE-Cellulose chromatography and Sephacryl S-300 HR column chromatography. The purity and molecular weight of polysaccharide was determined by gel permeation chromatography. UV, IR, optical rotation, complete acid hydrolysis, periodate oxydation, Smith degradation, partial acid hydrolysis and methylation analysis were applied to determine the structural features. A homogeneous fraction LTC-II was obtained and its relative molecular mass was 22 000 Da. It consisted of arabinose, mannose, glucose, galactose in the molar ratio of 35. 2: 1.0: 13. 4: 4. 2. LTC-II had a backbone consisting glucose, mannose, galactose and mainly contained (1 --> 6)-linkaged glucose. The side chain possessed arabinose, glucose, galactose and mainly contained (1 --> 5)-linkaged arabinose. The terminal sugar were mainly glucose and galactose. Studies on the preliminary characterization of polysaccharide LTC-II from P. corbieri for the first time.

  18. Transport and metabolism of indole-3-acetyl-myo-inositol-galactoside in seedlings of Zea mays

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Komoszynski, M.; Bandurski, R. S.

    1986-01-01

    Indole-3-acetyl-myo-inositol galactoside labeled with 3H in the indole and 14C in the galactose moieties was applied to kernels of 5 day old germinating seedlings of Zea mays. Indole-3-acetyl-myo-inositol galactoside was not transported into either the shoot or root tissue as the intact molecule but was instead hydrolyzed to yield [3H]indole-3-acetyl-myo-inositol and [3H]indole-3-acetic acid which were then transported to the shoot with little radioactivity going to the root. With certain assumption concerning the equilibration of applied [3H]indole-3-acetyl-myo-inositol-[U-14C]galactose with the endogenous pool, it may be concluded that indole-3-acetyl-myo-inositol galactoside in the endosperm supplies about 2 picomoles per plant per hour of indole-3-acetyl-myo-inositol and 1 picomole per plant per hour of indole-3-acetic acid to the shoot and thus is comparable to indole-3-acetyl-myo-inositol as a source of indole-acetic acid for the shoot. Quantitative estimates of the amount of galactose in the kernels suggest that [3H]indole-3-acetyl-myo-inositol-[14C]galactose is hydrolyzed after the compound leaves the endosperm but before it reaches the shoot. In addition, [3H]indole-3-acetyl-myo-inositol-[14C]galactose supplies appreciable amounts of 14C to the shoot and both 14C and 3H to an uncharacterized insoluble fraction of the endosperm.

  19. Impact of Oxidative Stress on Ascorbate Biosynthesis in Chlamydomonas via Regulation of the VTC2 Gene Encoding a GDP-l-galactose Phosphorylase*

    PubMed Central

    Urzica, Eugen I.; Adler, Lital N.; Page, M. Dudley; Linster, Carole L.; Arbing, Mark A.; Casero, David; Pellegrini, Matteo; Merchant, Sabeeha S.; Clarke, Steven G.

    2012-01-01

    The l-galactose (Smirnoff-Wheeler) pathway represents the major route to l-ascorbic acid (vitamin C) biosynthesis in higher plants. Arabidopsis thaliana VTC2 and its paralogue VTC5 function as GDP-l-galactose phosphorylases converting GDP-l-galactose to l-galactose-1-P, thus catalyzing the first committed step in the biosynthesis of l-ascorbate. Here we report that the l-galactose pathway of ascorbate biosynthesis described in higher plants is conserved in green algae. The Chlamydomonas reinhardtii genome encodes all the enzymes required for vitamin C biosynthesis via the l-galactose pathway. We have characterized recombinant C. reinhardtii VTC2 as an active GDP-l-galactose phosphorylase. C. reinhardtii cells exposed to oxidative stress show increased VTC2 mRNA and l-ascorbate levels. Genes encoding enzymatic components of the ascorbate-glutathione system (e.g. ascorbate peroxidase, manganese superoxide dismutase, and dehydroascorbate reductase) are also up-regulated in response to increased oxidative stress. These results indicate that C. reinhardtii VTC2, like its plant homologs, is a highly regulated enzyme in ascorbate biosynthesis in green algae and that, together with the ascorbate recycling system, the l-galactose pathway represents the major route for providing protective levels of ascorbate in oxidatively stressed algal cells. PMID:22393048

  20. Sugar-binding sites of the HA1 subcomponent of Clostridium botulinum type C progenitor toxin.

    PubMed

    Nakamura, Toshio; Tonozuka, Takashi; Ide, Azusa; Yuzawa, Takayuki; Oguma, Keiji; Nishikawa, Atsushi

    2008-02-22

    Clostridium botulinum type C 16S progenitor toxin contains a hemagglutinin (HA) subcomponent, designated HA1, which appears to play an important role in the effective internalization of the toxin in gastrointestinal epithelial cells and in creating a broad specificity for the oligosaccharide structure that corresponds to various targets. In this study, using the recombinant protein fused to glutathione S-transferase, we investigated the binding specificity of the HA1 subcomponent to sugars and estimated the binding sites of HA1 based on X-ray crystallography and soaking experiments using various sugars. N-Acetylneuraminic acid, N-acetylgalactosamine, and galactose effectively inhibited the binding that occurs between glutathione S-transferase-HA1 and mucins, whereas N-acetylglucosamine and glucose did not inhibit it. The crystal structures of HA1 complex with N-acetylneuraminic acid, N-acetylgalactosamine, and galactose were also determined. There are two sugar-binding sites, sites I and II. Site I corresponds to the electron densities noted for all sugars and is located at the C-terminal beta-trefoil domain, while site II corresponds to the electron densities noted only for galactose. An aromatic amino acid residue, Trp176, at site I has a stacking interaction with the hexose ring of the sugars. On the other hand, there is no aromatic residue at site II; thus, the interaction with galactose seems to be poor. The double mutant W176A at site I and D271F at site II has no avidity for N-acetylneuraminic acid but has avidity for galactose. In this report, the binding specificity of botulinum C16S toxin HA1 to various sugars is demonstrated based on its structural features.

  1. 1-.sup.11 C-D-Glucose and related compounds

    DOEpatents

    Shiue, Chyng-Yann; Wolf, Alfred P.

    1984-03-27

    The novel compounds 1-.sup.11 C-D-glucose, 1-.sup.11 C-D-mannose, 1-.sup.11 C-D-galactose, 2-.sup.11 C-D-glucose, 2-.sup.11 C-D-mannose and 2-.sup.11 C-D-galactose which can be used in nuclear medicine to monitor the metabolism of glucose and galactose can be rapidly prepared by reaction of the appropriate aldose substrate with an alkali metal .sup.11 C-labeled cyanide followed by reduction with a Raney alloy in formic acid.

  2. Preliminary Analysis of Lipids and Fatty Acids of Green Bacteria and Chloroflexus aurantiacus

    PubMed Central

    Kenyon, Christine N.; Gray, Alane M.

    1974-01-01

    The complex lipids and fatty acids of the seven type species of green bacteria and three strains of Chloroflexus aurantiacus were analyzed. The green bacteria contained lipids that behaved as cardiolipin and phosphatidylglycerol on thin-layer chromatography. They did not contain phosphatidylethanolamine or phosphatidylserine. Similarly, Chloroflexus contained lipids that behaved as phosphatidylglycerol and phosphatidylinositol on thin-layer chromatography and did not contain phosphatidylethanolamine or phosphatidylserine. The green bacteria contained glycolipids I and II of Constantopoulos and Bloch (monogalactosyldiglyceride and a galactose- and rhamnose-containing diglyceride). Chloroflexus exhibited galactose-containing glycolipids that behaved identically with the mono- and digalactosyldiglycerides of spinach on thin-layer chromatography, and each contained galactose as well as at least one other sugar. The fatty acids of both groups of bacteria consisted entirely of saturated and monounsaturated fatty acids. In the green bacteria, myristic, palmitic, and hexadecenoic acids predominated. In Chloroflexus, palmitic, stearic, and oleic acids predominated. The positions of the double bonds in the monounsaturated fatty acids of Chloroflexus indicated synthesis by the anaerobic pathway. The lipid analyses suggest a close relationship between the green bacteria and Chloroflexus and further suggest that these groups of photosynthetic bacteria are more closely related to the blue-green algae than are the purple bacteria. Images PMID:4421249

  3. Combined HILIC-ELSD/ESI-MS(n) enables the separation, identification and quantification of sugar beet pectin derived oligomers.

    PubMed

    Remoroza, C; Cord-Landwehr, S; Leijdekkers, A G M; Moerschbacher, B M; Schols, H A; Gruppen, H

    2012-09-01

    The combined action of endo-polygalacturonase (endo-PGII), pectin lyase (PL), pectin methyl esterase (fungal PME) and RG-I degrading enzymes enabled the extended degradation of methylesterified and acetylated sugar beet pectins (SBPs). The released oligomers were separated, identified and quantified using hydrophilic interaction liquid chromatography (HILIC) with online electrospray ionization ion trap mass spectrometry (ESI-IT-MS(n)) and evaporative light scattering detection (ELSD). By MS(n), the structures of galacturonic acid (GalA) oligomers having an acetyl group in the O-2 and/or O-3 positions eluting from the HILIC column were elucidated. The presence of methylesterified and/or acetylated galacturonic acid units within an oligomer reduced the interaction with the HILIC column significantly compared to the unsubstituted GalA oligomers. The HILIC column enables a good separation of most oligomers present in the digest. The use of ELSD to quantify oligogalacturonides was validated using pure GalA standards and the signal was found to be independent of the chemical structure of the oligomer being detected. The combination of chromatographic and enzymatic strategies enables to distinguish SBPs having different methylesters and acetyl group distribution. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  4. Pectic oligosaccharides from agricultural by-products: production, characterization and health benefits.

    PubMed

    Babbar, Neha; Dejonghe, Winnie; Gatti, Monica; Sforza, Stefano; Elst, Kathy

    2016-08-01

    Pectin containing agricultural by-products are potential sources of a new class of prebiotics known as pectic oligosaccharides (POS). In general, pectin is made up of homogalacturonan (HG, α-1,4-linked galacturonic acid monomers) and rhamnogalacturonan (RG, alternate galacturonic acid and rhamnose backbone with neutral side chains). Controlled hydrolysis of pectin containing agricultural by-products like sugar beet, apple, olive and citrus by chemical, enzymatic and hydrothermal can be used to produce oligo-galacturonides (GalpOS), galacto-oligosaccharides (GalOS), rhamnogalacturonan-oligosaccharides (RGOS), etc. However, extensive research is needed to establish the role of POS, both as a prebiotic as well as therapeutic agent. This review comprehensively covers different facets of POS, including the nature and chemistry of pectin and POS, potential agricultural residual sources of pectin, pre-treatment methods for facilitating selective extraction of pectin, identification and characterization of POS, health benefits and important applications of POS in food and feed. This review has been compiled to establish a platform for future research in the purification and characterization of POS and for in vivo and in vitro studies of important POS, so that they could be commercially exploited.

  5. Improved fermentation performance to produce bioethanol from Gelidium amansii using Pichia stipitis adapted to galactose.

    PubMed

    Sukwong, Pailin; Ra, Chae Hun; Sunwoo, In Yung; Tantratian, Sumate; Jeong, Gwi-Taek; Kim, Sung-Koo

    2018-03-23

    This study employed a statistical method to obtain optimal hyper thermal acid hydrolysis conditions using Gelidium amansii (red seaweed) as a source of biomass. The optimal hyper thermal acid hydrolysis using G. amansii as biomass was determined as 12% (w/v) slurry content, 358.3 mM H 2 SO 4 , and temperature of 142.6 °C for 11 min. After hyper thermal acid hydrolysis, enzymatic saccharification was carried out. The total monosaccharide concentration was 45.1 g/L, 72.2% of the theoretical value of the total fermentable monosaccharides of 62.4 g/L based on 120 g dry weight/L in the G. amansii slurry. To increase ethanol production, 3.8 g/L 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF) in the hydrolysate was removed by treatment with 3.5% (w/v) activated carbon for 2 min and fermented with Pichia stipitis adapted to high galactose concentrations via separate hydrolysis and fermentation. With complete HMF removal and the use of P. stipitis adapted to high galactose concentrations, 22 g/L ethanol was produced (yield 0.50). Fermentation with total HMF removal and yeast adapted to high galactose concentrations increased the fermentation performance and decreased the fermentation time from 96 to 36 h compared to traditional fermentation.

  6. Pectin Biosynthesis Is Critical for Cell Wall Integrity and Immunity in Arabidopsis thaliana

    PubMed Central

    Bethke, Gerit; Thao, Amanda; Xiong, Guangyan; Hatsugai, Noriyuki; Katagiri, Fumiaki; Pauly, Markus

    2016-01-01

    Plant cell walls are important barriers against microbial pathogens. Cell walls of Arabidopsis thaliana leaves contain three major types of polysaccharides: cellulose, various hemicelluloses, and pectins. UDP-d-galacturonic acid, the key building block of pectins, is produced from the precursor UDP-d-glucuronic acid by the action of glucuronate 4-epimerases (GAEs). Pseudomonas syringae pv maculicola ES4326 (Pma ES4326) repressed expression of GAE1 and GAE6 in Arabidopsis, and immunity to Pma ES4326 was compromised in gae6 and gae1 gae6 mutant plants. These plants had brittle leaves and cell walls of leaves had less galacturonic acid. Resistance to specific Botrytis cinerea isolates was also compromised in gae1 gae6 double mutant plants. Although oligogalacturonide (OG)-induced immune signaling was unaltered in gae1 gae6 mutant plants, immune signaling induced by a commercial pectinase, macerozyme, was reduced. Macerozyme treatment or infection with B. cinerea released less soluble uronic acid, likely reflecting fewer OGs, from gae1 gae6 cell walls than from wild-type Col-0. Although both OGs and macerozyme-induced immunity to B. cinerea in Col-0, only OGs also induced immunity in gae1 gae6. Pectin is thus an important contributor to plant immunity, and this is due at least in part to the induction of immune responses by soluble pectin, likely OGs, that are released during plant-pathogen interactions. PMID:26813622

  7. In utero and lactational β-carotene supplementation attenuates D-galactose-induced hearing loss in newborn rats.

    PubMed

    Yu, Fei; Hao, Shuai; Zhao, Yue; Yang, Hui; Fan, Xiao-Lan; Yang, Jun

    2011-08-01

    D-Galactose could give rise to free radical damage by disturbing the some maternal antioxidants. The oxidative stress induced by D-galactose is a potent inducer of apoptosis, which is accompanied by the activation of protein-splitting enzymes called caspases. Apoptosis is a crucial physiological determinant of embryonic and neonatal development, and play an essential role in the development of the inner ear structures. Recently the increasing of D-galactose exposure is due to high consumption of dairy foods or reduced galactose metabolism. An overwhelming presence of D-galactose is known to become highly ototoxicity to humans. The purpose of this study was to investigate whether supplementation of pregnant and lactational mothers with β-carotene could attenuate cochlear function damage and hair cells apoptosis induced by d-galactose in newborn rats. Pregnant rats were supplemented with D-galactose, or D-galactose and β-carotene from gestational day (GD) 7 until postnatal day (PND) 21. On PND 22, offspring were examined in the distortion product otoacoustic emission (DPOAE) task, cochleae were then harvested for assessment of apoptosis by immunohistochemical stain for cysteine-aspartic acid proteases 3 (caspase-3) and terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP nick end-labeling (TUNEL) assay. Maternal and offspring blood samples were then collected by direct cardiac puncture in heparin tubes, blood levels of D-galactose and β-carotene were measured, plasma was separated for malondialdehyde (MDA) analysis, erythrocytes were left for superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px), and glutathione (GSH). D-Galactose could significantly disturb the balance between maternal antioxidants and free radicals, and induce hearing loss in the offspring and cochlear hair cell apoptosis. In contrast, β-carotene supplementation, coincidentally with D-galactose exposure, ameliorated these changes. Our data offer a conceptual framework for designing clinical trials using a safe micronutrient, β-carotene, as a simple preventive strategy for D-galactose-induced ototoxicity. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  8. [Characterization of an extracellular glycolipid from Lentinus edodes (Berk.) Sing [Lentinula edodes (Berk.) Pegler

    PubMed

    Tsivileva, O M; Nikitina, V E; Makarov, O E

    2008-01-01

    Submerged mycelium of a xylotrophic basidiomycete Lentinus edodes produces an extracellular glycolipid, S3, associated with a lectin. Galactose glycan residue, as well as the lipid pool composition, which includes nonhydroxylated short-chain fatty acids, is uncommon for basidiomycetes. The glycolipid consists of D-galactopyranose (15% of S3 contains galactose sulfate) acylated by octadecanoic and nonadecanoic fatty acid residues (28 and 72%, respectively). The glycolipid structure and composition are confirmed by physicochemical analysis. The glycolipid is assumed to be a regulator of lectin activity.

  9. In vitro metabolism of radiolabeled carbohydrates by protective cecal anaerobic bacteria.

    PubMed

    Hume, M E; Beier, R C; Hinton, A; Scanlan, C M; Corrier, D E; Peterson, D V; DeLoach, J R

    1993-12-01

    Cecal anaerobic bacteria from adult broilers were cultured in media containing .25% glucose or .25% lactose. Media also contained either [14C]-labeled lactose, glucose, galactose, or lactic acid as metabolic tracers. Cultures were analyzed at 4, 8, and 12 h for pH, radiolabeled and unlabeled volatile fatty acids, and lactic acid. The pH values of cultures containing .25% lactose were significantly (P < .05) higher than the pH values of cultures containing .25% glucose. Lactose cultures reached their lowest pH more slowly than glucose cultures. Concentrations of unlabeled volatile fatty acids increased and lactic acid decreased during incubation of the cultures. Radiolabeled sugars and lactic acid were more readily metabolized to volatile fatty acids in media containing lactose than in media containing glucose. The preferred metabolism of [14C]substrates, independent of media carbohydrate, was in the following order: lactic acid > galactose, lactose > glucose. The volatile fatty acids in which radiolabel was most concentrated were acetic acid, propionic acid, or butyric acid.

  10. Cloning, expression, and characterization of bacterial L-arabinose 1-dehydrogenase involved in an alternative pathway of L-arabinose metabolism.

    PubMed

    Watanabe, Seiya; Kodaki, Tsutomu; Kodak, Tsutomu; Makino, Keisuke

    2006-02-03

    Azospirillum brasiliense converts L-arabinose to alpha-ketoglutarate via five hypothetical enzymatic steps. We purified and characterized L-arabinose 1-dehydrogenase (EC 1.1.1.46), catalyzing the conversion of L-arabinose to L-arabino-gamma-lactone as an enzyme responsible for the first step of this alternative pathway of L-arabinose metabolism. The purified enzyme preferred NADP+ to NAD+ as a coenzyme. Kinetic analysis revealed that the enzyme had high catalytic efficiency for both L-arabinose and D-galactose. The gene encoding L-arabinose 1-dehydrogenase was cloned using a partial peptide sequence of the purified enzyme and was overexpressed in Escherichia coli as a fully active enzyme. The enzyme consists of 308 amino acids and has a calculated molecular mass of 33,663.92 Da. The deduced amino acid sequence had some similarity to glucose-fructose oxidoreductase, D-xylose 1-dehydrogenase, and D-galactose 1-dehydrogenase. Site-directed mutagenesis revealed that the enzyme possesses unique catalytic amino acid residues. Northern blot analysis showed that this gene was induced by L-arabinose but not by D-galactose. Furthermore, a disruptant of the L-arabinose 1-dehydrogenase gene did not grow on L-arabinose but grew on D-galactose at the same growth rate as the wild-type strain. There was a partial gene for L-arabinose transport in the flanking region of the L-arabinose 1-dehydrogenase gene. These results indicated that the enzyme is involved in the metabolism of L-arabinose but not D-galactose. This is the first identification of a gene involved in an alternative pathway of L-arabinose metabolism in bacterium.

  11. FT-IR study of the polysaccharides isolated from the skin juice, gel juice, and flower of Aloe vera tissues affected by fertilizer treatment

    PubMed Central

    2012-01-01

    Background This experiment was conducted to evaluate the effect of different amounts of fertilizers on the polysaccharides of Aloe vera plant. There were four different treatments, viz. T1 = 150% N, T2 = 150% P, T3 = 150% K, and T4 = 150% NPK (50% N + 50% P + 50% K) soil. Crude water-soluble polysaccharides were isolated from the gel juice, skin juice, and flowers of A. vera planted in these soils. Results Result indicates that skin juice contained 2.4 times the level of polysaccharides in gel juice from one plant, suggesting the potential industrial application of A. vera skin rather than discarding it. After anion-exchange chromatography, neutral polysaccharides accounted for 58.1% and 78.5% of the total recovered neutral and acidic polysaccharide preparations from the gel juice and skin juice, respectively, whereas the crude flower polysaccharides were largely composed of weakly acidic polysaccharides (84.2%). Sugar analysis of the polysaccharides after gel permeation chromatography revealed that glucose and galactose were the most abundant monosaccharide in the neutral polysaccharides from the gel juice and skin juice, respectively. The acidic polysaccharides from the two juices consisted of glucuronic acid, galactose, glucose, mannose, and xylose with variable proportions. Conclusions Except glucuronic acid (15.4%) in flower acidic polysaccharide, the flower neutral and acidic polysaccharides contained galactose, glucose, and mannose as the main sugar components. Glucuronic acid was the major uronic acid in all acidic polysaccharides from different tissues. PMID:23095284

  12. Studies of Biosilicification; The Role of Proteins, Carbohydrates and Model Compounds in Structure Control

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2005-12-31

    No. carbons Pore volume data. Resolution of complex monosaccharide mixtures from plant cell wall isolates by high pH anion exchange chromatography. To...interwoven polysaccharide chains embedded in a gel matrix of galacturonic acid rich polysaccharides connected by calcium bridges. This network also...picomolar levels). Also, it allows the determination of intact monosaccharides without pre or post column derivatisation, decreasing the time of

  13. Protective effects of Petroselinum crispum (Mill) Nyman ex A. W. Hill leaf extract on D-galactose-induced oxidative stress in mouse brain.

    PubMed

    Vora, Shreya R; Patil, Rahul B; Pillai, Meena M

    2009-05-01

    With an aim to examine the effect of ethanolic extract of P. crispum (Parsley) leaves on the D-galactose-induced oxidative stress in the brain of mouse, the activities of antioxidant enzymes (superoxide dismutase, catalase and glutathione peroxidase) involved in oxygen radical (OR)-detoxification and antiperoxidative defense were measured in conjunction with an index of lipid peroxidation in mitochondrial fraction of various regions of the mouse brain. A significant decrease in superoxide dismutase and glutathione peroxidase activity was observed in D-galactose-stressed mice, while catalase activity was increased. Treatment of D-galactose-stressed mice with the ethanolic extract of P. crispum showed protection against the induced oxidative stress in brain regions. Concentration of thiobarbituric acid-reactive product was greatly elevated in D-galactose stress-induced mice and was significantly reduced in the brain regions of these mice upon treatment with P. crispum. It is postulated that parsley shows a protective effect against mitochondrial oxidative damage in the mouse brain.

  14. Activation of immobilized enzymes by acoustic wave resonance oscillation.

    PubMed

    Nishiyama, Hiroshi; Watanabe, Tomoya; Inoue, Yasunobu

    2014-12-01

    Acoustic wave resonance oscillation has been used successfully in the development of methods to activate immobilized enzyme catalysts. In this study, resonance oscillation effects were demonstrated for enzyme reactions on galactose oxidase (GAD), D-amino acid oxidase (DAAO), and L-amino acid oxidase (LAAO), all of which were immobilized covalently on a ferroelectric lead zirconate titanate (PZT) device that could generate thickness-extensional resonance oscillations (TERO) of acoustic waves. For galactose oxidation on immobilized GAD in a microreactor, TERO generation immediately increased enzyme activity 2- to 3-fold. Eliminating TERO caused a slight decrease in the activity, with ∼90% of the enhanced activity retained while the reaction proceeded. Contact of the enhanced enzyme with a galactose-free solution caused almost complete reversion of the activity to the original low level before TERO generation, indicating that, not only TERO-induced GAD activation, but also preservation of the increased activity, required a galactose substrate. Similar activity changes with TERO were observed for enzyme reactions on DAAO and LAAO. Kinetic analysis demonstrated that TERO helped strengthen the interactions of the immobilized enzyme with the reactant substrate and promoted formation of an activation complex. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  15. Enhancing the Sweetness of Yoghurt through Metabolic Remodeling of Carbohydrate Metabolism in Streptococcus thermophilus and Lactobacillus delbrueckii subsp. bulgaricus

    PubMed Central

    Sørensen, Kim I.; Curic-Bawden, Mirjana; Junge, Mette P.; Janzen, Thomas

    2016-01-01

    ABSTRACT Streptococcus thermophilus and Lactobacillus delbrueckii subsp. bulgaricus are used in the fermentation of milk to produce yoghurt. These species normally metabolize only the glucose moiety of lactose, secreting galactose and producing lactic acid as the main metabolic end product. We used multiple serial selection steps to isolate spontaneous mutants of industrial strains of S. thermophilus and L. delbrueckii subsp. bulgaricus that secreted glucose rather than galactose when utilizing lactose as a carbon source. Sequencing revealed that the S. thermophilus strains had mutations in the galKTEM promoter, the glucokinase gene, and genes encoding elements of the glucose/mannose phosphotransferase system (PTS). These strains metabolize galactose but are unable to phosphorylate glucose internally or via the PTS. The L. delbrueckii subsp. bulgaricus mutants had mutations in genes of the glucose/mannose PTS and in the pyruvate kinase gene. These strains cannot grow on exogenous glucose but are proficient at metabolizing internal glucose released from lactose by β-galactosidase. The resulting strains can be combined to ferment milk, producing yoghurt with no detectable lactose, moderate levels of galactose, and high levels of glucose. Since glucose tastes considerably sweeter than either lactose or galactose, the sweetness of the yoghurt is perceptibly enhanced. These strains were produced without the use of recombinant DNA technology and can be used for the industrial production of yoghurt with enhanced intrinsic sweetness and low residual levels of lactose. IMPORTANCE Based on a good understanding of the physiology of the lactic acid bacteria Streptococcus thermophilus and Lactobacillus delbrueckii subsp. bulgaricus, we were able, by selecting spontaneously occurring mutants, to change dramatically the metabolic products secreted into the growth medium. These mutants consume substantially more of the lactose, metabolize some of the galactose, and secrete the remaining galactose and most of the glucose back into the milk. This allows production of yoghurt with very low lactose levels and enhanced natural sweetness, because humans perceive glucose as sweeter than either lactose or galactose. PMID:27107115

  16. Enhancing the Sweetness of Yoghurt through Metabolic Remodeling of Carbohydrate Metabolism in Streptococcus thermophilus and Lactobacillus delbrueckii subsp. bulgaricus.

    PubMed

    Sørensen, Kim I; Curic-Bawden, Mirjana; Junge, Mette P; Janzen, Thomas; Johansen, Eric

    2016-06-15

    Streptococcus thermophilus and Lactobacillus delbrueckii subsp. bulgaricus are used in the fermentation of milk to produce yoghurt. These species normally metabolize only the glucose moiety of lactose, secreting galactose and producing lactic acid as the main metabolic end product. We used multiple serial selection steps to isolate spontaneous mutants of industrial strains of S. thermophilus and L. delbrueckii subsp. bulgaricus that secreted glucose rather than galactose when utilizing lactose as a carbon source. Sequencing revealed that the S. thermophilus strains had mutations in the galKTEM promoter, the glucokinase gene, and genes encoding elements of the glucose/mannose phosphotransferase system (PTS). These strains metabolize galactose but are unable to phosphorylate glucose internally or via the PTS. The L. delbrueckii subsp. bulgaricus mutants had mutations in genes of the glucose/mannose PTS and in the pyruvate kinase gene. These strains cannot grow on exogenous glucose but are proficient at metabolizing internal glucose released from lactose by β-galactosidase. The resulting strains can be combined to ferment milk, producing yoghurt with no detectable lactose, moderate levels of galactose, and high levels of glucose. Since glucose tastes considerably sweeter than either lactose or galactose, the sweetness of the yoghurt is perceptibly enhanced. These strains were produced without the use of recombinant DNA technology and can be used for the industrial production of yoghurt with enhanced intrinsic sweetness and low residual levels of lactose. Based on a good understanding of the physiology of the lactic acid bacteria Streptococcus thermophilus and Lactobacillus delbrueckii subsp. bulgaricus, we were able, by selecting spontaneously occurring mutants, to change dramatically the metabolic products secreted into the growth medium. These mutants consume substantially more of the lactose, metabolize some of the galactose, and secrete the remaining galactose and most of the glucose back into the milk. This allows production of yoghurt with very low lactose levels and enhanced natural sweetness, because humans perceive glucose as sweeter than either lactose or galactose. Copyright © 2016, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

  17. Detection of human antibodies binding with smooth and rough LPSs from Proteus mirabilis O3 strains S1959, R110, R45.

    PubMed

    Gleńska-Olender, J; Durlik, K; Konieczna, I; Kowalska, P; Gawęda, J; Kaca, W

    2017-11-01

    Bacteria of the genus Proteus of the family Enterobacteriaceae are facultative human pathogens responsible mainly for urinary tract and wound infections, bacteremia and the development of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). We have analyzed and compared by ELISA the titer of antibodies in plasmas of healthy individuals and in sera of rheumatoid arthritis patients recognizing a potential host cross-reactive epitope (lysine-galacturonic acid epitopes) present in Proteus lipopolysaccharide (LPS). In our experiments LPSs isolated from two mutants of smooth Proteus mirabilis 1959 (O3), i.e. strains R110 and R45, were used. R110 (Ra type mutant) is lacking the O-specific polysaccharide, but possesses a complete core oligosaccharide, while R45 (Re type) has a reduced core oligosaccharide and contains two 3-deoxy-D-manno-oct-2-ulosonic acid residues and one of 4-amino-4-deoxy-L-arabinopyranose residues. Titer of P. mirabilis S1959 LPS-specific-antibodies increased with the age of blood donors. RA and blood donors' sera contained antibodies against S and Ra and Re type of P. mirabilis O3 LPSs. Antibodies recognizing lysine-galacturonic acid epitopes of O3 LPS were detected by ELISA in some plasmas of healthy individuals and sera of rheumatoid arthritis patients. RA patients antibodies reacting with P. mirabilis S1959 S and R LPSs may indicate a potential role of anti-LPS antibodies in molecular mimicry in RA diseases.

  18. A novel highly charged exopolysaccharide produced by two strains of Stenotrophomonas maltophilia recovered from patients with cystic fibrosis.

    PubMed

    Cescutti, Paola; Cuzzi, Bruno; Liut, Gianfranco; Segonds, Christine; Di Bonaventura, Giovanni; Rizzo, Roberto

    2011-09-27

    Stenotrophomonas maltophilia is a non-fermenting Gram-negative microorganism capable of causing chronic pulmonary infection in cystic fibrosis patients and its ability to form biofilms on polystyrene and glass surfaces, as well as on cystic fibrosis-derived bronchial epithelial IB3-I cells was recently demonstrated. The latter evidence might explain the power of S. maltophilia to produce persistent lung infections, despite intensive antibiotic treatment. In addition to being important components of the extracellular biofilm matrix, polysaccharides are involved in virulence, as they contribute to bacterial survival in a hostile environment. With the aim of contributing to the elucidation of S. maltophilia virulence factors, the exopolysaccharides produced by two mucoid clinical isolates of S. maltophilia obtained from two cystic fibrosis patients were completely characterised, mainly by means of ESI-MS and NMR spectroscopy. The results showed that, although the two isolates were recovered from two different patients living in different countries (Italy and France), the exopolysaccharides produced have an identical primary structure, with the following repeating unit: The exopolysaccharide is highly negatively charged for the presence of three uronic acids on four residues in the repeating unit. Moreover, an ether-linked d-lactate substituent is located on C-3 and one O-acetyl group on C-4 of the galacturonic acid side chain. Another O-acetyl group substitutes C-2 of the galacturonic acid in the backbone, making this primary structure unique. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  19. Growth and gas production of a novel obligatory heterofermentative Cheddar cheese nonstarter lactobacilli species on ribose and galactose.

    PubMed

    Ortakci, Fatih; Broadbent, Jeffery R; Oberg, Craig J; McMahon, Donald J

    2015-06-01

    An obligatory heterofermentative lactic acid bacterium, Lactobacillus wasatchii sp. nov., isolated from gassy Cheddar cheese was studied for growth, gas formation, salt tolerance, and survival against pasteurization treatments at 63°C and 72°C. Initially, Lb. wasatchii was thought to use only ribose as a sugar source and we were interested in whether it could also utilize galactose. We conducted experiments to determine the rate and extent of growth and gas production in carbohydrate-restricted (CR) de Man, Rogosa, and Sharpe (MRS) medium under anaerobic conditions with various combinations of ribose and galactose at 12, 23, and 37°C, with 23°C being the optimum growth temperature of Lb. wasatchii among the 3 temperatures studied. When Lb. wasatchii was grown on ribose (0.1, 0.5, and 1%), maximum specific growth rates (µmax) within each temperature were similar. When galactose was the only sugar, compared with ribose, µmax was 2 to 4 times lower. At all temperatures, the highest final cell densities (optical density at 640 nm) of Lb. wasatchii were achieved in CR-MRS plus 1% ribose, 0.5% ribose and 0.5% galactose, or 1% ribose and 1% galactose. Similar µmax values and final cell densities were achieved when 50% of the ribose in CR-MRS was substituted with galactose. Such enhanced utilization of galactose in the presence of ribose to support bacterial growth has not previously been reported. It appears that Lb. wasatchii co-metabolizes ribose and galactose, utilizing ribose for energy and galactose for other functions such as cell wall biosynthesis. Co-utilization of both sugars could be an adaptation mechanism of Lb. wasatchii to the cheese environment to efficiently ferment available sugars for maximizing metabolism and growth. As expected, gas formation by the heterofermenter was observed only when galactose was present in the medium. Growth experiments with MRS plus 1.5% ribose at pH 5.2 or 6.5 with 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, or 5% NaCl revealed that Lb. wasatchii is able to grow under salt and pH conditions typical of Cheddar cheese (4 to 5% salt-in-moisture, pH ~5.2). Finally, we found that Lb. wasatchii cannot survive low-temperature, long-time pasteurization but survives high-temperature, short-time (HTST) laboratory pasteurization, under which a 4.5 log reduction occurred. The ability of Lb. wasatchii to survive HTST pasteurization and grow under cheese ripening conditions implies that the presence of this nonstarter lactic acid bacterium can be a serious contributor to gas formation and textural defects in Cheddar cheese. Copyright © 2015 American Dairy Science Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  20. Determination of 3-O- and 4-O-methylated monosaccharide constituents in snail glycans.

    PubMed

    Stepan, Herwig; Bleckmann, Christina; Geyer, Hildegard; Geyer, Rudolf; Staudacher, Erika

    2010-07-02

    The N- and O-glycans of Arianta arbustorum, Achatina fulica, Arion lusitanicus and Planorbarius corneus were analysed for their monosaccharide pattern by reversed-phase HPLC after labelling with 2-aminobenzoic acid or 3-methyl-1-phenyl-2-pyrazolin-5-one and by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. Glucosamine, galactosamine, mannose, galactose, glucose, fucose and xylose were identified. Furthermore, three different methylated sugars were detected: 3-O-methyl-mannose and 3-O-methyl-galactose were confirmed to be a common snail feature; 4-O-methyl-galactose was detected for the first time in snails. Copyright 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  1. Anoxybacter fermentans gen. nov., sp. nov., a piezophilic, thermophilic, anaerobic, fermentative bacterium isolated from a deep-sea hydrothermal vent.

    PubMed

    Zeng, Xiang; Zhang, Zhao; Li, Xi; Zhang, Xiaobo; Cao, Junwei; Jebbar, Mohamed; Alain, Karine; Shao, Zongze

    2015-02-01

    A novel piezophilic, thermophilic, anaerobic, fermentative bacterial strain, designated strain DY22613(T), was isolated from a deep-sea hydrothermal sulfide deposit at the East Pacific Rise (GPS position: 102.6° W 3.1° S). Cells of strain DY22613(T) were long, motile rods (10 to 20 µm in length and 0.5 µm in width) with peritrichous flagella and were Gram-stain-negative. Growth was recorded at 44-72 °C (optimum 60-62 °C) and at hydrostatic pressures of 0.1-55 MPa (optimum 20 MPa). The pH range for growth was from pH 5.0 to 9.0 with an optimum at pH 7.0. Growth was observed in the presence of 1 to 8 % (w/v) sea salts and 0.65 to 5.2 % (w/v) NaCl, with optimum salt concentrations at 3.5 % for sea salts and at 2.3 % for NaCl. Under optimal growth conditions, the shortest generation time observed was 27 min (60 °C, 20 MPa). Strain DY22613(T) was heterotrophic, able to utilize complex organic compounds, amino acids, sugars and organic acids including peptone, tryptone, beef extract, yeast extract, alanine, glutamine, methionine, phenylalanine, serine, threonine, fructose, fucose, galactose, gentiobiose, glucose, mannose, melibiose, palatinose, rhamnose, turanose, pyruvate, lactic acid, methyl ester, erythritol, galacturonic acid and glucosaminic acid. Strain DY22613(T) was able to reduce Fe(III) compounds, including Fe(III) oxyhydroxide (pH 7.0), amorphous iron(III) oxide (pH 9.0), goethite (α-FeOOH, pH 12.0), Fe(III) citrate and elementary sulfur. Products of fermentation were butyrate, acetate and hydrogen. Main cellular fatty acids were iso-C15 : 0, iso-C14 : 0 3-OH and C14 : 0. The genomic DNA G+C content of strain DY22613(T) was 36.7 mol%. Based on 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis, the strain forms a novel lineage within the class Clostridia and clusters with the order Haloanaerobiales (86.92 % 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity). The phylogenetic data suggest that the lineage represents at least a novel genus and species, for which the name Anoxybacter fermentans gen. nov., sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is DY22613(T) ( = JCM 19466(T) = DSM 28033(T) = MCCC 1A06456(T)). © 2015 IUMS.

  2. Glycoproteomics enabled by tagging sialic acid- or galactose-terminated glycans

    PubMed Central

    Ramya, T N C; Weerapana, Eranthie; Cravatt, Benjamin F; Paulson, James C

    2013-01-01

    In this paper, we present two complementary strategies for enrichment of glycoproteins on living cells that combine the desirable attributes of “robust enrichment” afforded by covalent-labeling techniques and “specificity for glycoproteins” typically provided by lectin or antibody affinity reagents. Our strategy involves the selective introduction of aldehydes either into sialic acids by periodate oxidation (periodate oxidation and aniline-catalyzed oxime ligation (PAL)) or into terminal galactose and N-acetylgalactosamine residues by galactose oxidase (galactose oxidase and aniline-catalyzed oxime ligation (GAL)), followed by aniline-catalyzed oxime ligation with aminooxy-biotin to biotinylate the glycans of glycoprotein subpopulations with high efficiency and cell viability. As expected, the two methods exhibit reciprocal tagging efficiencies when applied to fully sialylated cells compared with sialic acid-deficient cells. To assess the utility of these labeling methods for glycoproteomics, we enriched the PAL- and GAL-labeled (biotinylated) glycoproteome by adsorption onto immobilized streptavidin. Glycoprotein identities (IDs) and N-glycosylation site information were then obtained by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry on total tryptic peptides and on peptides subsequently released from N-glycans still bound to the beads using peptide N-glycosidase F. A total of 175 unique N-glycosylation sites were identified, belonging to 108 nonredundant glycoproteins. Of the 108 glycoproteins, 48 were identified by both methods of labeling and the remainder was identified using PAL on sialylated cells (40) or GAL on sialic acid-deficient cells (20). Our results demonstrate that PAL and GAL can be employed as complementary methods of chemical tagging for targeted proteomics of glycoprotein subpopulations and identification of glycosylation sites of proteins on cells with an altered sialylation status. PMID:23070960

  3. Purification and Characterization of Phosphonoglycans from Glycomyces sp. Strain NRRL B-16210 and Stackebrandtia nassauensis NRRL B-16338

    PubMed Central

    Yu, Xiaomin; Price, Neil P. J.; Evans, Bradley S.

    2014-01-01

    Two related actinomycetes, Glycomyces sp. strain NRRL B-16210 and Stackebrandtia nassauensis NRRL B-16338, were identified as potential phosphonic acid producers by screening for the gene encoding phosphoenolpyruvate (PEP) mutase, which is required for the biosynthesis of most phosphonates. Using a variety of analytical techniques, both strains were subsequently shown to produce phosphonate-containing exopolysaccharides (EPS), also known as phosphonoglycans. The phosphonoglycans were purified by sequential organic solvent extractions, methanol precipitation, and ultrafiltration. The EPS from the Glycomyces strain has a mass of 40 to 50 kDa and is composed of galactose, xylose, and five distinct partially O-methylated galactose residues. Per-deutero-methylation analysis indicated that galactosyl residues in the polysaccharide backbone are 3,4-linked Gal, 2,4-linked 3-MeGal, 2,3-linked Gal, 3,6-linked 2-MeGal, and 4,6-linked 2,3-diMeGal. The EPS from the Stackebrandtia strain is comprised of glucose, galactose, xylose, and four partially O-methylated galactose residues. Isotopic labeling indicated that the O-methyl groups in the Stackebrandtia phosphonoglycan arise from S-adenosylmethionine. The phosphonate moiety in both phosphonoglycans was shown to be 2-hydroxyethylphosphonate (2-HEP) by 31P nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) and mass spectrometry following strong acid hydrolysis of the purified molecules. Partial acid hydrolysis of the purified EPS from Glycomyces yielded 2-HEP in ester linkage to the O-5 or O-6 position of a hexose and a 2-HEP mono(2,3-dihydroxypropyl)ester. Partial acid hydrolysis of Stackebrandtia EPS also revealed the presence of 2-HEP mono(2,3-dihydroxypropyl)ester. Examination of the genome sequences of the two strains revealed similar pepM-containing gene clusters that are likely to be required for phosphonoglycan synthesis. PMID:24584498

  4. Influence of calcium and phosphorus, lactose, and salt-to-moisture ratio on Cheddar cheese quality: changes in residual sugars and water-soluble organic acids during ripening.

    PubMed

    Upreti, P; McKay, L L; Metzger, L E

    2006-02-01

    Cheddar cheese ripening involves the conversion of lactose to glucose and galactose or galactose-6-phosphate by starter and nonstarter lactic acid bacteria. Under ideal conditions (i.e., where bacteria grow under no stress of pH, water activity, and salt), these sugars are mainly converted to lactic acid. However, during ripening of cheese, survival and growth of bacteria occurs under the stressed condition of low pH, low water activity, and high salt content. This forces bacteria to use alternate biochemical pathways resulting in production of other organic acids. The objective of this study was to determine if the level and type of organic acids produced during ripening was influenced by calcium (Ca) and phosphorus (P), residual lactose, and salt-to-moisture ratio (S/M) of cheese. Eight cheeses with 2 levels of Ca and P (0.67 and 0.47% vs. 0.53 and 0.39%, respectively), lactose at pressing (2.4 vs. 0.78%), and S/M (6.4 vs. 4.8%) were manufactured. The cheeses were analyzed for organic acids (citric, orotic, pyruvic, lactic, formic, uric, acetic, propanoic, and butyric acids) and residual sugars (lactose, galactose) during 48 wk of ripening using an HPLC-based method. Different factors influenced changes in concentration of residual sugars and organic acids during ripening and are discussed in detail. Our results indicated that the largest decrease in lactose and the largest increase in lactic acid occurred between salting and d 1 of ripening. It was interesting to observe that although the lactose content in cheese was influenced by several factors (Ca and P, residual lactose, and S/M), the concentration of lactic acid was influenced only by S/M. More lactic acid was produced in low S/M treatments compared with high S/M treatments. Although surprising for Cheddar cheese, a substantial amount (0.2 to 0.4%) of galactose was observed throughout ripening in all treatments. Minor changes in the levels of citric, uric, butyric, and propanoic acids were observed during early ripening, whereas during later ripening, a substantial increase was observed. A gradual decrease in orotic acid and a gradual increase in pyruvic acid content of the cheeses were observed during 12 mo of ripening. In contrast, acetic acid did not show a particular trend, indicating its role as an intermediate in a biochemical pathway, rather than a final product.

  5. Ethanol production from the seaweed Gelidium amansii, using specific sugar acclimated yeasts.

    PubMed

    Cho, Hyeyoung; Ra, Chae-Hun; Kim, Sung-Koo

    2014-02-28

    For the production of ethanol from seaweed as the source material, thermal acid hydrolysis and enzymatic saccharification were carried out for monosugars production of 25.5 g/l galactose and 7.6 g/l glucose using Gelidium amansii. The fermentation was performed with Pichia stipitis KCTC 7228 or Saccharomyces cerevisiae KCCM 1129. When wild P. stipitis and S. cerevisiae were used, the ethanol productions of 11.2 g/l and 6.9 g/l were produced, respectively. The ethanol productions of 16.6 g/l and 14.6 g/l were produced using P. stipitis and S. cerevisiae acclimated to high concentration of galactose, respectively. The yields of ethanol fermentation increased to 0.5 and 0.44 from 0.34 and 0.21 using acclimated P. stipitis and S. cerevisiae, respectively. Therefore, acclimation of yeasts to a specific sugar such as galactose reduced the glucose-induced repression on the transport of galactose.

  6. GDP-D-mannose epimerase regulates male gametophyte development, plant growth and leaf senescence in Arabidopsis.

    PubMed

    Qi, Tiancong; Liu, Zhipeng; Fan, Meng; Chen, Yan; Tian, Haixia; Wu, Dewei; Gao, Hua; Ren, Chunmei; Song, Susheng; Xie, Daoxin

    2017-09-04

    Plant GDP-D-mannose epimerase (GME) converts GDP-D-mannose to GDP-L-galactose, a precursor of both L-ascorbate (vitamin C) and cell wall polysaccharides. However, the genetic functions of GME in Arabidopsis are unclear. In this study, we found that mutations in Arabidopsis GME affect pollen germination, pollen tube elongation, and transmission and development of the male gametophyte through analysis of the heterozygous GME/gme plants and the homozygous gme plants. Arabidopsis gme mutants also exhibit severe growth defects and early leaf senescence. Surprisingly, the defects in male gametophyte in the gme plants are not restored by L-ascorbate, boric acid or GDP-L-galactose, though boric acid rescues the growth defects of the mutants, indicating that GME may regulate male gametophyte development independent of L-ascorbate and GDP-L-galactose. These results reveal key roles for Arabidopsis GME in reproductive development, vegetative growth and leaf senescence, and suggest that GME regulates plant growth and controls male gametophyte development in different manners.

  7. Biosynthesis of l-Ascorbic Acid and Conversion of Carbons 1 and 2 of l-Ascorbic Acid to Oxalic Acid Occurs within Individual Calcium Oxalate Crystal Idioblasts1

    PubMed Central

    Kostman, Todd A.; Tarlyn, Nathan M.; Loewus, Frank A.; Franceschi, Vincent R.

    2001-01-01

    l-Ascorbic acid (AsA) and its metabolic precursors give rise to oxalic acid (OxA) found in calcium oxalate crystals in specialized crystal idioblast cells in plants; however, it is not known if AsA and OxA are synthesized within the crystal idioblast cell or transported in from surrounding mesophyll cells. Isolated developing crystal idioblasts from Pistia stratiotes were used to study the pathway of OxA biosynthesis and to determine if idioblasts contain the entire path and are essentially independent in OxA synthesis. Idioblasts were supplied with various 14C-labeled compounds and examined by micro-autoradiography for incorporation of 14C into calcium oxalate crystals. [14C]OxA gave heavy labeling of crystals, indicating the isolated idioblasts are functional in crystal formation. Incubation with [1-14C]AsA also gave heavy labeling of crystals, whereas [6-14C]AsA gave no labeling. Labeled precursors of AsA (l-[1-14C]galactose; d-[1-14C]mannose) also resulted in crystal labeling, as did the ascorbic acid analog, d-[1-14C]erythorbic acid. Intensity of labeling of isolated idioblasts followed the pattern OxA > AsA (erythorbic acid) > l-galactose > d-mannose. Our results demonstrate that P. stratiotes crystal idioblasts synthesize the OxA used for crystal formation, the OxA is derived from the number 1 and 2 carbons of AsA, and the proposed pathway of ascorbic acid synthesis via d-mannose and l-galactose is operational in individual P. stratiotes crystal idioblasts. These results are discussed with respect to fine control of calcium oxalate precipitation and the concept of crystal idioblasts as independent physiological compartments. PMID:11161021

  8. Enzymatic conversion of D-galactose to D-tagatose: heterologous expression and characterisation of a thermostable L-arabinose isomerase from Thermoanaerobacter mathranii.

    PubMed

    Jørgensen, F; Hansen, O C; Stougaard, P

    2004-06-01

    The ability to convert D-galactose into D-tagatose was compared among a number of bacterial L-arabinose isomerases ( araA). One of the most efficient enzymes, from the anaerobic thermophilic bacterium Thermoanaerobacter mathranii, was produced heterologously in Escherichia coli and characterised. Amino acid sequence comparisons indicated that this enzyme is only distantly related to the group of previously known araA sequences in which the sequence similarity is evident. The substrate specificity and the Michaelis-Menten constants of the enzyme determined with L-arabinose, D-galactose and D-fucose also indicated that this enzyme is an unusual, versatile L-arabinose isomerase which is able to isomerise structurally related sugars. The enzyme was immobilised and used for production of D-tagatose at 65 degrees C. Starting from a 30% solution of D-galactose, the yield of D-tagatose was 42% and no sugars other than D-tagatose and D-galactose were detected. Direct conversion of lactose to D-tagatose in a single reactor was demonstrated using a thermostable beta-galactosidase together with the thermostable L-arabinose isomerase. The two enzymes were also successfully combined with a commercially available glucose isomerase for conversion of lactose into a sweetening mixture comprising lactose, glucose, galactose, fructose and tagatose.

  9. Host Glycan Sugar-Specific Pathways in Streptococcus pneumonia: Galactose as a Key Sugar in Colonisation and Infection

    PubMed Central

    Paixão, Laura; Oliveira, Joana; Veríssimo, André; Vinga, Susana; Lourenço, Eva C.; Ventura, M. Rita; Kjos, Morten; Veening, Jan-Willem; Fernandes, Vitor E.; Andrew, Peter W.; Yesilkaya, Hasan; Neves, Ana Rute

    2015-01-01

    The human pathogen Streptococcus pneumoniae is a strictly fermentative organism that relies on glycolytic metabolism to obtain energy. In the human nasopharynx S. pneumoniae encounters glycoconjugates composed of a variety of monosaccharides, which can potentially be used as nutrients once depolymerized by glycosidases. Therefore, it is reasonable to hypothesise that the pneumococcus would rely on these glycan-derived sugars to grow. Here, we identified the sugar-specific catabolic pathways used by S. pneumoniae during growth on mucin. Transcriptome analysis of cells grown on mucin showed specific upregulation of genes likely to be involved in deglycosylation, transport and catabolism of galactose, mannose and N acetylglucosamine. In contrast to growth on mannose and N-acetylglucosamine, S. pneumoniae grown on galactose re-route their metabolic pathway from homolactic fermentation to a truly mixed acid fermentation regime. By measuring intracellular metabolites, enzymatic activities and mutant analysis, we provide an accurate map of the biochemical pathways for galactose, mannose and N-acetylglucosamine catabolism in S. pneumoniae. Intranasal mouse infection models of pneumococcal colonisation and disease showed that only mutants in galactose catabolic genes were attenuated. Our data pinpoint galactose as a key nutrient for growth in the respiratory tract and highlights the importance of central carbon metabolism for pneumococcal pathogenesis. PMID:25826206

  10. A novel reagentless sensing system for measuring glucose based on the galactose/glucose-binding protein

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Salins, L. L.; Ware, R. A.; Ensor, C. M.; Daunert, S.

    2001-01-01

    The galactose/glucose-binding protein (GBP) is synthesized in the cytoplasm of Escherichia coli in a precursor form and exported into the periplasmic space upon cleavage of a 23-amino-acid leader sequence. GBP binds galactose and glucose in a highly specific manner. The ligand induces a hinge motion in GBP and the resultant protein conformational change constitutes the basis of the sensing system. The mglB gene, which codes for GBP, was isolated from the chromosome of E. coli using the polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Since wild-type GBP lacks cysteines in its structure, introducing this amino acid by site-directed mutagenesis ensures single-label attachment at specific sites with a sulfhydro-specific fluorescent probe. Site-directed mutagenesis by overlap extension PCR was performed to prepare three different mutants to introduce a single cysteine residue at positions 148, 152, and 182. Since these residues are not involved in ligand binding and since they are located at the edge of the binding cleft, they experience a significant change in environment upon binding of galactose or glucose. The sensing system strategy is based on the fluorescence changes of the probe as the protein undergoes a structural change on binding. In this work a reagentless sensing system has been rationally designed that can detect submicromolar concentrations of glucose. The calibration plots have a linear working range of three orders of magnitude. Although the system can sense galactose as well, this epimer is not a potential interfering substance since its concentration in blood is negligible. Copyright 2001 Academic Press.

  11. Pectin-rich biomass as feedstock for fuel ethanol production.

    PubMed

    Edwards, Meredith C; Doran-Peterson, Joy

    2012-08-01

    The USA has proposed that 30 % of liquid transportation fuel be produced from renewable resources by 2030 (Perlack and Stokes 2011). It will be impossible to reach this goal using corn kernel-based ethanol alone. Pectin-rich biomass, an under-utilized waste product of the sugar and juice industry, can augment US ethanol supplies by capitalizing on this already established feedstock. Currently, pectin-rich biomass is sold (at low value) as animal feed. This review focuses on the three most studied types of pectin-rich biomass: sugar beet pulp, citrus waste and apple pomace. Fermentations of these materials have been conducted with a variety of ethanologens, including yeasts and bacteria. Escherichia coli can ferment a wide range of sugars including galacturonic acid, the primary component of pectin. However, the mixed acid metabolism of E. coli can produce unwanted side products. Saccharomyces cerevisiae cannot naturally ferment galacturonic acid nor pentose sugars but has a homoethanol pathway. Erwinia chrysanthemi is capable of degrading many of the cell wall components of pectin-rich materials, including pectin. Klebsiella oxytoca can metabolize a diverse array of sugars including cellobiose, one degradation product of cellulose. However, both E. chrysanthemi and K. oxytoca produce side products during fermentation, similar to E. coli. Using pectin-rich residues from industrial processes is beneficial because the material is already collected and partially pretreated to facilitate enzymatic deconstruction of the plant cell walls. Using biomass already produced for other purposes is an attractive practice because fewer greenhouse gases (GHG) will be anticipated from land-use changes.

  12. Characterization of a uronate dehydrogenase from Thermobispora bispora for production of glucaric acid from hemicellulose substrate.

    PubMed

    Li, Yaxian; Xue, Yemin; Cao, Zhigang; Zhou, Tao; Alnadari, Fawze

    2018-06-23

    A thermostable uronate dehydrogenase Tb-UDH from Thermobispora bispora was over-expressed in Escherichia coli using the T7 polymerase expression system. The Tb-UDH was purified by metal affinity chromatography, and gave a single band on SDS-PAGE. The maximum activity on glucuronic acid was found at 60 °C and pH 7.0. The purified enzyme retained over 58% of its activity after holding a pH ranging from 7.0 to 7.5 for 1 h at 60 °C. The K m and V max values of the purified Tb-UDH for Glucuronic acid (GluUA) were 0.165 mM and 117.7 U mg -1 , respectively, those for galacturonic acid (GalUA) were 0.115 mM and 104.2 U mg -1 , respectively, and those for NAD + were 0.120 mM and 133.3 U mg -1 , respectively; the turnover number (k cat ) with GluUA as a substrate was higher than that with GalUA; however, the Michaelis constant (K m ) for GalUA was lower than that for GluUA. After 60 min of incubation at 50 °C, Tb-UDH exhibited a conversion ratio for glucuronic acid to the glucaric acid of 84% on chemical reagent and 81.3% on hydrolysates from breech xylans formed by xylanase and α-glucuronidase. This work shows that biocatalytic routes have great potential for the conversion of hemicellulose substrate into value-added products derived from renewable biomass. TOC GRAPHIC: (A) The structure of the xylan is described and the site of action of the xylan degrading enzyme is indicated. (B) The effect of substrate concentration on recombinant Tb-UDH activity when galacturonic acid was used as substrate. (C) SDS-PAGE analysis of E. coli BL21 (DE3) harboring pET-20b(+) and pET-20b-Tb-UDH. (D) Oxidative conversion of glucuronic acid from a beechwood xylan to glucaric acid.

  13. Bauhinia championi (Benth.) Benth. polysaccharides upregulate Wnt/β-catenin signaling in chondrocytes.

    PubMed

    Li, Huiting; Li, Xihai; Liu, Guozhong; Chen, Jiashou; Weng, Xiaping; Liu, Fayuan; Xu, Huifeng; Liu, Xianxiang; Ye, Hongzhi

    2013-12-01

    Bauhinia championi (Benth.) Benth. polysaccharides (BCBPs), extracted from Bauhinia championi (Benth.) Benth., which has been used in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) for the treatment of osteoarthritis (OA), are the bioactive constituents of Bauhinia championi (Benth.) rattan. However, the molecular mechanisms responsible for their effects on OA are poorly understood. The Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway plays an important role in the proliferation of chondrocytes. In the present study, the effects of BCBPs on Wnt/β-catenin signaling in chondrocytes were investigated. BCBPs were obtained by hot-water extraction and identified by the modified high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) method. Chondrocytes were isolated from the knees of Sprague‑Dawley rats and identified by type II collagen immunohistochemistry. The chondrocytes were treated with or without BCBPs for 48 h. Cell viability was evaluated by MTT assay. The mRNA and protein levels of Wnt-4, β-catenin, Frizzled-2, glycogen synthase kinase (GSK)-3β, cyclin D1 and collagen II were detected by western blot analysis and reverse transcription PCR (RT-PCR), respectively. We found that the BCBPs contained at least seven monosaccharides, including D-mannose, rhamnose, D-(+) glucuronic acid, D-(+) galacturonic acid, D-glucose, galactose and arabinose. The cell viability of the chondrocytes treated with 50, 100 and 200 µg/ml BCBPs was significantly higher than that of the chondroctyes in the control group (treated with 0 µg/ml BCBPs). Furthermore, compared with the control group, the mRNA and protein expression of Wnt-4, β-catenin, Frizzled-2 and cyclin D1 in the BCBP-treated groups markedly increased, whereas the mRNA and protein expression of GSK-3β significantly decreased. Of note, the dose of 100 µg/ml BCBPs was more effective than the dose of 50 µg/ml BCBPs and 200 µg/ml BCBPs. In addition, we found that treatment with BCBPs upregulated the protein levels of collagen II in the chondrocytes. These results indicate that BCBPs upregulate Wnt/β-catenin signaling, thus promoting chondrocyte proliferation.

  14. Applications of pectinases in the commercial sector: a review.

    PubMed

    Kashyap, D R; Vohra, P K; Chopra, S; Tewari, R

    2001-05-01

    Pectinases are one of the upcoming enzymes of fruit and textile industries. These enzymes break down complex polysaccharides of plant tissues into simpler molecules like galacturonic acids. The role of acidic pectinases in bringing down the cloudiness and bitterness of fruit juices is well established. Recently, there has been a good number of reports on the application of alkaline pectinases in the textile industry for the retting and degumming of fiber crops, production of good quality paper, fermentation of coffee and tea, oil extractions and treatment of pectic waste water. This review discusses various types of pectinases and their applications in the commercial sector.

  15. Interaction between lactic acid bacteria and yeasts in airag, an alcoholic fermented milk.

    PubMed

    Sudun; Wulijideligen; Arakawa, Kensuke; Miyamoto, Mari; Miyamoto, Taku

    2013-01-01

    The interaction between nine lactic acid bacteria (LAB) and five yeast strains isolated from airag of Inner Mongolia Autonomic Region, China was investigated. Three representative LAB and two yeasts showed symbioses were selected and incubated in 10% (w/v) reconstituted skim milk as single and mixed cultures to measure viable count, titratable acidity, ethanol and sugar content every 24 h for 1 week. LAB and yeasts showed high viable counts in the mixed cultures compared to the single cultures. Titratable acidity of the mixed cultures was obviously enhanced compared with that of the single cultures, except for the combinations of Lactobacillus reuteri 940B3 with Saccharomyces cerevisiae 4C and Lactobacillus helveticus 130B4 with Candida kefyr 2Y305. C. kefyr 2Y305 produced large amounts of ethanol (maximum 1.35 g/L), whereas non-lactose-fermenting S. cerevisiae 4C produced large amounts of ethanol only in the mixed cultures. Total glucose and galactose content increased while lactose content decreased in the single cultures of Leuconostoc mesenteroides 6B2081 and Lb. helveticus 130B4. However, both glucose and galactose were completely consumed and lactose was markedly reduced in the mixed cultures with yeasts. The result suggests that yeasts utilize glucose and galactose produced by LAB lactase to promote cell growth. © 2012 The Authors. Animal Science Journal © 2012 Japanese Society of Animal Science.

  16. Galactose Is the Limiting Factor for the Browning or Discoloration of Cheese during Storage.

    PubMed

    Igoshi, Asuka; Sato, Yui; Kameyama, Kumi; Murata, Masatsune

    2017-01-01

    The browning or discoloration of cheese is often observed during long-time ripening or aging. In the present study, we identified galactose as a limiting factor for the browning, and clarified the involvement of the Maillard reaction for the discoloration. A precursor of browning of Cheddar cheese was isolated by procedures of solvent extraction and chromatography. D-Galactose and D-lactose were identified as a precursor of browning of Cheddar cheese A and B, respectively. Cheddar cheese (A, B, and C), sugar-added cheese, and nine kinds of retail cheese were stored at 4 to 70ºC for 0 to 10 d, before the L*-, a*-, and b*-values and sugar contents of each sample were measured. Cheese to which galactose was added turned brown more intensively during storage than the non-added control and the other sugar-added cheese. The more galactose was added, the more intensive the browning of the cheese appeared. The decrease in galactose correlated with the ΔL*-, Δa*-, Δb*-, and ΔE-values indicating the browning or discoloration of cheese samples. The decrease in sugars of nine kinds of retail cheese during storage also correlated with the ΔL*-, Δa*-, and ΔE-values of these cheese samples. These results clearly indicate that sugars, especially galactose, in cheese are an important factor for the browning of cheese during storage. In general, a high amount of amino acids, peptides, and proteins exists in ripe or mature cheese. Therefore, sugars, especially galactose, were considered to be the limiting factor for the Maillard reaction causing the browning of ripe or mature cheese during storage.

  17. Mannose and galactose as substrates for production of itaconic acid by Aspergillus terreus

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    Itaconic acid (IA), an unsaturated 5-carbon dicarboxylic acid, is a building block platform chemical that is currently produced industrially from glucose by fermentation with Aspergillus terreus. Softwood has the potential to serve as low cost source of sugars for its production. Effective utilizati...

  18. {sup 252}Cf-plasma desorption mass spectra of bacterial oligosaccharides

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Elkin, Y.N.; Komandrova, N.A.; Tomshich, S.V.

    1994-07-20

    The possibility has been investigated of using the MSBKh instrument ({sup 252}Cf plasma desorption mass spectrometer) for studying the oligosaccharides of the O-specific chains of bacterial lipopolysaccharides. Experimental results on the ionization of galacturonic acid and of neutral and bacterial oligosaccharides containing NHR and COOH groups have been obtained and are discussed. The instrument has been used for estimating the compositions of fractions in the separation of degradation products of O-specific polysaccharide chains and establishing their structures.

  19. The pectic disaccharides lepidimoic acid and β-d-xylopyranosyl-(1→3)-d-galacturonic acid occur in cress-seed exudate but lack allelochemical activity

    PubMed Central

    Iqbal, Amjad; Miller, Janice G.; Murray, Lorna; Sadler, Ian H.; Fry, Stephen C.

    2016-01-01

    Background and aims Cress-seed (Lepidium sativum) exudate exerts an allelochemical effect, promoting excessive hypocotyl elongation and inhibiting root growth in neighbouring Amaranthus caudatus seedlings. We investigated acidic disaccharides present in cress-seed exudate, testing the proposal that the allelochemical is an oligosaccharin—lepidimoic acid (LMA; 4-deoxy-β-l-threo-hex-4-enopyranuronosyl-(1→2)-l-rhamnose). Methods Cress-seed exudate was variously treated [heating, ethanolic precipitation, solvent partitioning, high-voltage paper electrophoresis and gel-permeation chromatography (GPC)], and the products were bioassayed for effects on dark-grown Amaranthus seedlings. Two acidic disaccharides, including LMA, were isolated and characterized by electrophoresis, thin-layer chromatography (TLC) and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy, and then bioassayed. Key Results Cress-seed exudate contained low-Mr, hydrophilic, heat-stable material that strongly promoted Amaranthus hypocotyl elongation and inhibited root growth, but that separated from LMA on electrophoresis and GPC. Cress-seed exudate contained ∼250 µm LMA, whose TLC and electrophoretic mobilities, susceptibility to mild acid hydrolysis and NMR spectra are reported. A second acidic disaccharide, present at ∼120 µm, was similarly characterized, and shown to be β-d-xylopyranosyl-(1→3)-d-galacturonic acid (Xyl→GalA), a repeat unit of xylogalacturonan. Purified LMA and Xyl→GalA when applied at 360 and 740 µm, respectively, only slightly promoted Amaranthus hypocotyl growth, but equally promoted root growth and thus had no effect on the hypocotyl:root ratio, unlike total cress-seed exudate. Conclusions LMA is present in cress seeds, probably formed by rhamnogalacturonan lyase action on rhamnogalacturonan-I during seed development. Our results contradict the hypothesis that LMA is a cress allelochemical that appreciably perturbs the growth of potentially competing seedlings. Since LMA and Xyl→GalA slightly promoted both hypocotyl and root elongation, their effect could be nutritional. We conclude that rhamnogalacturonan-I and xylogalacturonan (pectin domains) are not sources of oligosaccharins with allelochemical activity, and the biological roles (if any) of the disaccharides derived from them are unknown. The main allelochemical principle in cress-seed exudate remains to be identified. PMID:26957370

  20. Two genes in Arabidopsis thaliana encoding GDP-L-galactose phosphorylase are required for ascorbate biosynthesis and seedling viability.

    PubMed

    Dowdle, John; Ishikawa, Takahiro; Gatzek, Stephan; Rolinski, Susanne; Smirnoff, Nicholas

    2007-11-01

    Plants synthesize ascorbate from guanosine diphosphate (GDP)-mannose via L-galactose/L-gulose, although uronic acids have also been proposed as precursors. Genes encoding all the enzymes of the GDP-mannose pathway have previously been identified, with the exception of the step that converts GDP-L-galactose to L-galactose 1-P. We show that a GDP-L-galactose phosphorylase, encoded by the Arabidopsis thaliana VTC2 gene, catalyses this step in the ascorbate biosynthetic pathway. Furthermore, a homologue of VTC2, At5g55120, encodes a second GDP-L-galactose phosphorylase with similar properties to VTC2. Two At5g55120 T-DNA insertion mutants (vtc5-1 and vtc5-2) have 80% of the wild-type ascorbate level. Double mutants were produced by crossing the loss-of-function vtc2-1 mutant with each of the two vtc5 alleles. These show growth arrest immediately upon germination and the cotyledons subsequently bleach. Normal growth was restored by supplementation with ascorbate or L-galactose, indicating that both enzymes are necessary for ascorbate generation. vtc2-1 leaves contain more mannose 6-P than wild-type. We conclude that the GDP-mannose pathway is the only significant source of ascorbate in A. thaliana seedlings, and that ascorbate is essential for seedling growth. A. thaliana leaves accumulate more ascorbate after acclimatization to high light intensity. VTC2 expression and GDP-L-galactose phosphorylase activity rapidly increase on transfer to high light, but the activity of other enzymes in the GDP-mannose pathway is little affected. VTC2 and At5g55120 (VTC5) expression also peak in at the beginning of the light cycle and are controlled by the circadian clock. The GDP-L-galactose phosphorylase step may therefore play an important role in controlling ascorbate biosynthesis.

  1. Glycosyltransferases A and B: Four Critical Amino Acids Determine Blood Type

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Rose, Natisha L.; Palcic, Monica M.; Evans, Stephen V.

    2005-12-01

    Human A, B, and O blood type is determined by the presence or absence of distinct carbohydrate structures on red blood cells. Type O individuals have α-fucose(1→2)galactose disaccharides [O(H) structures] on their cell surfaces while in type A or B individuals, the O antigen is capped by the addition of an α- N -acetylgalactosamine or α-galactose residue, respectively. The addition of these monosaccharides is catalyzed by glycosyltransferase A (GTA) or glycosyltransferase B (GTB). These are homologous enzymes differing by only 4 amino acids out of 354 that change the specificity from GTA to GTB. In this review the chemistry of the blood group ABO system and the role of GTA, GTB, and the four critical amino acids in determining blood group status are discussed. See JCE Featured Molecules .

  2. Gene expression studies in kiwifruit and gene over-expression in Arabidopsis indicates that GDP-L-galactose guanyltransferase is a major control point of vitamin C biosynthesis.

    PubMed

    Bulley, Sean M; Rassam, Maysoon; Hoser, Dana; Otto, Wolfgang; Schünemann, Nicole; Wright, Michele; MacRae, Elspeth; Gleave, Andrew; Laing, William

    2009-01-01

    Vitamin C (L-ascorbic acid, AsA) is an essential metabolite for plants and animals. Kiwifruit (Actinidia spp.) are a rich dietary source of AsA for humans. To understand AsA biosynthesis in kiwifruit, AsA levels and the relative expression of genes putatively involved in AsA biosynthesis, regeneration, and transport were correlated by quantitative polymerase chain reaction in leaves and during fruit development in four kiwifruit genotypes (three species; A. eriantha, A. chinensis, and A. deliciosa). During fruit development, fruit AsA concentration peaked between 4 and 6 weeks after anthesis with A. eriantha having 3-16-fold higher AsA than other genotypes. The rise in AsA concentration typically occurred close to the peak in expression of the L-galactose pathway biosynthetic genes, particularly the GDP-L-galactose guanyltransferase gene. The high concentration of AsA found in the fruit of A. eriantha is probably due to higher expression of the GDP-mannose-3',5'-epimerase and GDP-L-galactose guanyltransferase genes. Over-expression of the kiwifruit GDP-L-galactose guanyltransferase gene in Arabidopsis resulted in up to a 4-fold increase in AsA, while up to a 7-fold increase in AsA was observed in transient expression studies where both GDP-L-galactose guanyltransferase and GDP-mannose-3',5'-epimerase genes were co-expressed. These studies show the importance of GDP-L-galactose guanyltransferase as a rate-limiting step to AsA, and demonstrate how AsA can be significantly increased in plants.

  3. Molecular and Biochemical Analysis of the Galactose Phenotype of Dairy Streptococcus thermophilus Strains Reveals Four Different Fermentation Profiles

    PubMed Central

    de Vin, Filip; Rådström, Peter; Herman, Lieve; De Vuyst, Luc

    2005-01-01

    Lactose-limited fermentations of 49 dairy Streptococcus thermophilus strains revealed four distinct fermentation profiles with respect to galactose consumption after lactose depletion. All the strains excreted galactose into the medium during growth on lactose, except for strain IMDOST40, which also displayed extremely high galactokinase (GalK) activity. Among this strain collection eight galactose-positive phenotypes sensu stricto were found and their fermentation characteristics and Leloir enzyme activities were measured. As the gal promoter seems to play an important role in the galactose phenotype, the galR-galK intergenic region was sequenced for all strains yielding eight different nucleotide sequences (NS1 to NS8). The gal promoter played an important role in the Gal-positive phenotype but did not determine it exclusively. Although GalT and GalE activities were detected for all Gal-positive strains, GalK activity could only be detected for two out of eight Gal-positive strains. This finding suggests that the other six S. thermophilus strains metabolize galactose via an alternative route. For each type of fermentation profile obtained, a representative strain was chosen and four complete Leloir gene clusters were sequenced. It turned out that Gal-positive strains contained more amino acid differences within their gal genes than Gal-negative strains. Finally, the biodiversity regarding lactose-galactose utilization among the different S. thermophilus strains used in this study was shown by RAPD-PCR. Five Gal-positive strains that contain nucleotide sequence NS2 in their galR-galK intergenic region were closely related. PMID:16000774

  4. Exopolysaccharides produced by Burkholderia cenocepacia recA lineages IIIA and IIIB.

    PubMed

    Chiarini, Luigi; Cescutti, Paola; Drigo, Laura; Impallomeni, Giuseppe; Herasimenka, Yury; Bevivino, Annamaria; Dalmastri, Claudia; Tabacchioni, Silvia; Manno, Graziana; Zanetti, Flavio; Rizzo, Roberto

    2004-08-01

    Clinical and environmental strains of Burkholderia cenocepacia belonging to the recA lineages IIIA and IIIB were examined for exopolysaccharide (EPS) production. The exopolysaccharides structure was determined using mainly gas chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry and NMR spectroscopy. All the strains produced Cepacian, a highly branched polysaccharide constituted of a heptasaccharide repeating unit, composed of one rhamnose, one glucose, one glucuronic acid, one mannose and three galactose residues. This polymer is the most common exopolysaccharide produced by strains of the Burkholderia cepacia (Bcc) complex. One clinical strain produced also another polysaccharide constituted of three galactose units and one 3-deoxy-D-manno-2-octulosonic acid residues, a polymer that was previously isolated from two strains of B. cepacia genomovar I and B. cenocepacia IIIA.

  5. Metagenomic and Metatranscriptomic Analyses of Diverse Watermelon Cultivars Reveal the Role of Fruit Associated Microbiome in Carbohydrate Metabolism and Ripening of Mature Fruits.

    PubMed

    Saminathan, Thangasamy; García, Marleny; Ghimire, Bandana; Lopez, Carlos; Bodunrin, Abiodun; Nimmakayala, Padma; Abburi, Venkata L; Levi, Amnon; Balagurusamy, Nagamani; Reddy, Umesh K

    2018-01-01

    The plant microbiome is a key determinant of plant health and productivity, and changes in the plant microbiome can alter the tolerance to biotic and abiotic stresses and the quality of end produce. Little is known about the microbial diversity and its effect on carbohydrate metabolism in ripe fruits. In this study, we aimed to understand the diversity and function of microorganisms in relation to carbohydrate metabolism of ripe watermelon fruits. We used 16S metagenomics and RNAseq metatranscriptomics for analysis of red (PI459074, Congo, and SDRose) and yellow fruit-flesh cultivars (PI227202, PI435990, and JBush) of geographically and metabolically diverse watermelon cultivars. Metagenomics data showed that Proteobacteria were abundant in SDRose and PI227202, whereas Cyanobacteria were most abundant in Congo and PI4559074. In the case of metatranscriptome data, Proteobacteria was the most abundant in all cultivars. High expression of genes linked to infectious diseases and the expression of peptidoglycan hydrolases associated to pathogenicity of eukaryotic hosts was observed in SDRose, which could have resulted in low microbial diversity in this cultivar. The presence of GH28, associated with polygalacturonase activity in JBush and SDRose could be related to cell wall modifications including de-esterification and depolymerization, and consequent loss of galacturonic acid and neutral sugars. Moreover, based on the KEGG annotation of the expressed genes, nine α-galactosidase genes involved in key processes of galactosyl oligosaccharide metabolism, such as raffinose family were identified and galactose metabolism pathway was reconstructed. Results of this study underline the links between the host and fruit-associated microbiome in carbohydrate metabolism of the ripe fruits. The cultivar difference in watermelon reflects the quantum and diversity of the microbiome, which would benefit watermelon and other plant breeders aiming at the holobiont concept to incorporate associated microbiomes in breeding programs.

  6. Metagenomic and Metatranscriptomic Analyses of Diverse Watermelon Cultivars Reveal the Role of Fruit Associated Microbiome in Carbohydrate Metabolism and Ripening of Mature Fruits

    PubMed Central

    Saminathan, Thangasamy; García, Marleny; Ghimire, Bandana; Lopez, Carlos; Bodunrin, Abiodun; Nimmakayala, Padma; Abburi, Venkata L.; Levi, Amnon; Balagurusamy, Nagamani; Reddy, Umesh K.

    2018-01-01

    The plant microbiome is a key determinant of plant health and productivity, and changes in the plant microbiome can alter the tolerance to biotic and abiotic stresses and the quality of end produce. Little is known about the microbial diversity and its effect on carbohydrate metabolism in ripe fruits. In this study, we aimed to understand the diversity and function of microorganisms in relation to carbohydrate metabolism of ripe watermelon fruits. We used 16S metagenomics and RNAseq metatranscriptomics for analysis of red (PI459074, Congo, and SDRose) and yellow fruit-flesh cultivars (PI227202, PI435990, and JBush) of geographically and metabolically diverse watermelon cultivars. Metagenomics data showed that Proteobacteria were abundant in SDRose and PI227202, whereas Cyanobacteria were most abundant in Congo and PI4559074. In the case of metatranscriptome data, Proteobacteria was the most abundant in all cultivars. High expression of genes linked to infectious diseases and the expression of peptidoglycan hydrolases associated to pathogenicity of eukaryotic hosts was observed in SDRose, which could have resulted in low microbial diversity in this cultivar. The presence of GH28, associated with polygalacturonase activity in JBush and SDRose could be related to cell wall modifications including de-esterification and depolymerization, and consequent loss of galacturonic acid and neutral sugars. Moreover, based on the KEGG annotation of the expressed genes, nine α-galactosidase genes involved in key processes of galactosyl oligosaccharide metabolism, such as raffinose family were identified and galactose metabolism pathway was reconstructed. Results of this study underline the links between the host and fruit-associated microbiome in carbohydrate metabolism of the ripe fruits. The cultivar difference in watermelon reflects the quantum and diversity of the microbiome, which would benefit watermelon and other plant breeders aiming at the holobiont concept to incorporate associated microbiomes in breeding programs. PMID:29403516

  7. Gene expression studies in kiwifruit and gene over-expression in Arabidopsis indicates that GDP-L-galactose guanyltransferase is a major control point of vitamin C biosynthesis

    PubMed Central

    Bulley, Sean M.; Rassam, Maysoon; Hoser, Dana; Otto, Wolfgang; Schünemann, Nicole; Wright, Michele; MacRae, Elspeth; Gleave, Andrew; Laing, William

    2009-01-01

    Vitamin C (L-ascorbic acid, AsA) is an essential metabolite for plants and animals. Kiwifruit (Actinidia spp.) are a rich dietary source of AsA for humans. To understand AsA biosynthesis in kiwifruit, AsA levels and the relative expression of genes putatively involved in AsA biosynthesis, regeneration, and transport were correlated by quantitative polymerase chain reaction in leaves and during fruit development in four kiwifruit genotypes (three species; A. eriantha, A. chinensis, and A. deliciosa). During fruit development, fruit AsA concentration peaked between 4 and 6 weeks after anthesis with A. eriantha having 3–16-fold higher AsA than other genotypes. The rise in AsA concentration typically occurred close to the peak in expression of the L-galactose pathway biosynthetic genes, particularly the GDP-L-galactose guanyltransferase gene. The high concentration of AsA found in the fruit of A. eriantha is probably due to higher expression of the GDP-mannose-3′,5′-epimerase and GDP-L-galactose guanyltransferase genes. Over-expression of the kiwifruit GDP-L-galactose guanyltransferase gene in Arabidopsis resulted in up to a 4-fold increase in AsA, while up to a 7-fold increase in AsA was observed in transient expression studies where both GDP-L-galactose guanyltransferase and GDP-mannose-3′,5′-epimerase genes were co-expressed. These studies show the importance of GDP-L-galactose guanyltransferase as a rate-limiting step to AsA, and demonstrate how AsA can be significantly increased in plants. PMID:19129165

  8. Fructo-oligosaccharide improved brain β-amyloid, β-secretase, cognitive function, and plasma antioxidant levels in D-galactose-treated Balb/cJ mice.

    PubMed

    Yen, Chi-Hua; Wang, Cheng-Hsin; Wu, Wen-Tzu; Chen, Hsiao-Ling

    2017-05-01

    Long-term d-galactose injection induces accelerated aging in experimental rodent models. The aim of this study was to determine the effects of dietary fructo-oligosaccharide (FO) on the brain β-amyloid (Aβ), amyloid-associated enzymes, cognitive function, and plasma antioxidant levels in d-galactose-treated Balb/c mice. The subcutaneous (s.c.) injection and the dietary treatment were conducted simultaneously for 49 days. Mice (12 weeks of age) were divided into five groups (n = 14/group): control (s.c. saline, control diet) serving as a young control, DG (s.c. 1.2 g d-galactose/kg body weight, control diet), DG + LFO (2.5% w/w FO, low-dose FO diet), DG + HFO (5% w/w FO, high-dose FO diet), and DG + E (α-tocopherol 0.2% w/w, vitamin E diet) as an antioxidant reference group. Another group of older mice (64 weeks of age) without any injection served as a natural aging (NA) group. The DG and NA groups had greater Aβ levels in the cortex, hippocampus, and the whole brain. High-dose FO, similar to α-tocopherol, attenuated the d-galactose-induced Aβ density in the cortex and hippocampus. In addition, FO attenuated the d-galactose-induced protein expression of Aβ and beta-site amyloid precursor cleaving enzyme of the whole brain in a dose-response manner. Either dose of FO supplementation, similar to α-tocopherol, attenuated the d-galactose-induced cognitive dysfunction. In addition, FO improved the plasma ascorbic acid level in a dose-response manner. Dietary FO (2.5-5% w/w diet) could attenuate the development of Alzheimer's disease, which was likely to be associated with its systematic antioxidant effects.

  9. Characterization of a mutated Geobacillus stearothermophilus L-arabinose isomerase that increases the production rate of D-tagatose.

    PubMed

    Kim, H-J; Kim, J-H; Oh, H-J; Oh, D-K

    2006-07-01

    Characterization of a mutated Geobacillus stearothermophilus L-arabinose isomerase used to increase the production rate of D-tagatose. A mutated gene was obtained by an error-prone polymerase chain reaction using L-arabinose isomerase gene from G. stearothermophilus as a template and the gene was expressed in Escherichia coli. The expressed mutated L-arabinose isomerase exhibited the change of three amino acids (Met322-->Val, Ser393-->Thr, and Val408-->Ala), compared with the wild-type enzyme and was then purified to homogeneity. The mutated enzyme had a maximum galactose isomerization activity at pH 8.0, 65 degrees C, and 1.0 mM Co2+, while the wild-type enzyme had a maximum activity at pH 8.0, 60 degrees C, and 1.0-mM Mn2+. The mutated L-arabinose isomerase exhibited increases in D-galactose isomerization activity, optimum temperature, catalytic efficiency (kcat/Km) for D-galactose, and the production rate of D-tagatose from D-galactose. The mutated L-arabinose isomerase from G. stearothermophilus is valuable for the commercial production of D-tagatose. This work contributes knowledge on the characterization of a mutated L-arabinose isomerase, and allows an increased production rate for D-tagatose from D-galactose using the mutated enzyme.

  10. Hydrolysis of hemicellulose to produce fermentable monosaccharides by plasma acid.

    PubMed

    Wang, Ying; Yuan, Bo; Ji, Yingchao; Li, Hong

    2013-09-12

    In this paper, plasma acid was obtained by treating distilled water with dielectric barrier discharge to hydrolyze hemicellulose. The orthogonal experiment L₂₅(5(6)) was used to optimize such hydrolysis conditions. The total reducing sugar (TRS) was measured by the DNS method. To determine whether the oligosaccharide existed in the hydrolysis products, it was hydrolyzed by sulfuric acid for a second time following the same procedure as reported earlier. The monosaccharide compositions of the hydrolyzed sample were analyzed by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and Fourier transformed infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). The results showed that pH 2.81 of plasma acid, 100 °C and 50 min were assigned as an optimal hydrolysis condition by plasma acid. Under this condition, the hemicellulose was hydrolyzed completely to produce monosaccharides including xylose, glucose, and galactose with the mole ratio being 17:3:1. The yields of xylose, glucose, and galactose were 38.67%, 9.28% and 3.09%, respectively. Compared with the hemicellulose hydrolysis results by sulfuric acid, it is concluded that plasma acid is an environmental-friendly and efficient method to explore and hydrolyze the hemicellulose existed in biomass. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  11. Effect of heterogeneity of carcinoembryonic antigen on liver cell membrane binding and its kinetics of removal from circulation.

    PubMed

    Byrn, R A; Medrek, P; Thomas, P; Jeanloz, R W; Zamcheck, N

    1985-07-01

    Carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) is a glycoprotein metabolized primarily by the liver. Subcellular fractions of rat liver were examined for CEA binding activity. Hepatocyte plasma membrane and microsome fractions bound CEA, and this binding shared the calcium requirement, neuraminidase sensitivity, and carbohydrate specificity of the hepatocyte asialoglycoprotein receptor. CEA had previously been shown to react with this galactose-specific receptor, in vivo, only following neuraminidase treatment. Galactose receptor binding of CEA was measured in three different purified CEA preparations. The fraction of CEA capable of binding to excess levels of galactose receptor on membranes varied (46.5%, 40.2%, and 4.7% for CEA-1, -2, and -3, respectively). These CEAs were shown to be 2.3%, 7.9%, and 0.7% as effective, respectively, as asialo-alpha 1-acid glycoprotein in inhibiting the binding of radiolabeled asialo-alpha 1-acid glycoprotein to liver cell membranes. Each of the three CEA preparations showed different clearance kinetics from the circulation of mice. Coinjection of asialo-alpha 1-acid glycoprotein with the CEAs revealed differing inhibition of the clearances. These results show that differences in the carbohydrate components of purified CEA preparations affect their rate of removal from circulation and thus possibly the relationship between CEA production and observed plasma levels in patients. The possible origin of these CEA differences is discussed with their clinical implications.

  12. Galactose utilization sheds new light on sugar metabolism in the sequenced strain Dekkera bruxellensis CBS 2499.

    PubMed

    Moktaduzzaman, Md; Galafassi, Silvia; Capusoni, Claudia; Vigentini, Ileana; Ling, Zhihao; Piškur, Jure; Compagno, Concetta

    2015-03-01

    Dekkera bruxellensis and Saccharomyces cerevisiae are considered two phylogenetically distant relatives, but they share several industrial relevant traits such as the ability to produce ethanol under aerobic conditions (Crabtree effect), high tolerance towards ethanol and acids, and ability to grow without oxygen. Beside a huge adaptability, D. bruxellensis exhibits a broader spectrum in utilization of carbon and nitrogen sources in comparison to S. cerevisiae. With the aim to better characterize its carbon source metabolism and regulation, the usage of galactose and the role that glucose plays on sugar metabolism were investigated in D. bruxellensis CBS 2499. The results indicate that in this yeast galactose is a non-fermentable carbon source, in contrast to S. cerevisiae that can ferment it. In particular, its metabolism is affected by the nitrogen source. Interestingly, D. bruxellensis CBS 2499 exhibits the 'short-term Crabtree effect', and the expression of genes involved in galactose utilization and in respiratory metabolism is repressed by glucose, similarly to what occurs in S. cerevisiae. © FEMS 2015. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permission@oup.com.

  13. Production of D-tagatose, a low caloric sweetener during milk fermentation using L-arabinose isomerase.

    PubMed

    Rhimi, Moez; Chouayekh, Hichem; Gouillouard, Isabelle; Maguin, Emmanuelle; Bejar, Samir

    2011-02-01

    Lactobacillusdelbrueckii subsp. bulgaricus and Streptococcus thermophilus are used for the biotransformation of milk in yoghurt. During milk fermentation, these lactic acid bacteria (LAB) hydrolyze lactose producing a glucose moiety that is further metabolized and a galactose moiety that they are enable to metabolize. We investigated the ability of L. bulgaricus and S. thermophilus strains expressing a heterologous L-arabinose isomerase to convert residual D-galactose to D-tagatose. The Bacillus stearothermophilus US100l-arabinose isomerase (US100l-AI) was expressed in both LAB, using a new shuttle vector where the araA US100 gene is under the control of the strong and constitutive promoter of the L. bulgaricus ATCC 11842 hlbA gene. The production of L-AI by these LAB allowed the bioconversion of D-galactose to D-tagatose during fermentation in laboratory media and milk. We also established that the addition of L-AI to milk also allowed the conversion of D-galactose into D-tagatose during the fermentation process. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  14. Studies on chemical modification of cold agglutinin from the snail Achatina fulica.

    PubMed Central

    Sarkar, M; Mitra, D; Sen, A K

    1987-01-01

    The cold agglutinin isolated from the albumin gland of the snail Achatina fulica was modified with various chemical reagents in order to detect the amino acids and/or carbohydrate residues present in its carbohydrate-binding sites. Treatment with reagents considered specific for modification of lysine, arginine and tryptophan residues of the cold agglutinin did not affect the carbohydrate-binding activity of the agglutinin. Modification of tyrosine residues showed some change. However, modification with carbodiimide followed by alpha-aminobutyric acid methyl ester causes almost complete loss of its binding activity, indicating the involvement of aspartic acid and glutamic acid in its carbohydrate-binding activity. The carbohydrate residues of the cold agglutinin were removed by beta-elimination reaction, indicating that the sugars are O-glycosidically linked to protein part of the molecule. Removal of galactose residues from the cold agglutinin by the action of beta-galactosidase indicated that the galactose molecules are beta-linked. These carbohydrate-modified glycoproteins showed a marked change in agglutination property, i.e. they agglutinated rabbit erythrocytes at both 10 degrees C and 25 degrees C, indicating that the galactose residues of the glycoprotein play an important role in the cold-agglutination property of the glycoprotein. The c.d. data showed the presence of an almost identical type of random-coil conformation in the native cold agglutinin at 10 degrees C and in the carbohydrate-modified glycoprotein at 10 degrees C and 25 degrees C. This particular random-coil conformation is essential for carbohydrate-binding property of the agglutinin. Images Fig. 1. PMID:3118867

  15. Streptococcus oralis Neuraminidase Modulates Adherence to Multiple Carbohydrates on Platelets.

    PubMed

    Singh, Anirudh K; Woodiga, Shireen A; Grau, Margaret A; King, Samantha J

    2017-03-01

    Adherence to host surfaces is often mediated by bacterial binding to surface carbohydrates. Although it is widely appreciated that some bacterial species express glycosidases, previous studies have not considered whether bacteria bind to multiple carbohydrates within host glycans as they are modified by bacterial glycosidases. Streptococcus oralis is a leading cause of subacute infective endocarditis. Binding to platelets is a critical step in disease; however, the mechanisms utilized by S. oralis remain largely undefined. Studies revealed that S. oralis , like Streptococcus gordonii and Streptococcus sanguinis , binds platelets via terminal sialic acid. However, unlike those organisms, S. oralis produces a neuraminidase, NanA, which cleaves terminal sialic acid. Further studies revealed that following NanA-dependent removal of terminal sialic acid, S. oralis bound exposed β-1,4-linked galactose. Adherence to both these carbohydrates required Fap1, the S. oralis member of the serine-rich repeat protein (SRRP) family of adhesins. Mutation of a conserved residue required for sialic acid binding by other SRRPs significantly reduced platelet binding, supporting the hypothesis that Fap1 binds this carbohydrate. The mechanism by which Fap1 contributes to β-1,4-linked galactose binding remains to be defined; however, binding may occur via additional domains of unknown function within the nonrepeat region, one of which shares some similarity with a carbohydrate binding module. This study is the first demonstration that an SRRP is required to bind β-1,4-linked galactose and the first time that one of these adhesins has been shown to be required for binding of multiple glycan receptors. Copyright © 2017 American Society for Microbiology.

  16. Effect of Maillard Reacted Peptides on Human Salt Taste and the Amiloride-Insensitive Salt Taste Receptor (TRPV1t)

    PubMed Central

    Katsumata, Tadayoshi; Nakakuki, Hiroko; Tokunaga, Chikara; Fujii, Noboru; Egi, Makoto; Phan, Tam-Hao T.; Mummalaneni, Shobha; DeSimone, John A.

    2008-01-01

    Maillard reacted peptides (MRPs) were synthesized by conjugating a peptide fraction (1000–5000 Da) purified from soy protein hydrolyzate with galacturonic acid, glucosamine, xylose, fructose, or glucose. The effect of MRPs was investigated on human salt taste and on the chorda tympani (CT) taste nerve responses to NaCl in Sprague–Dawley rats, wild-type, and transient receptor potential vanilloid 1 (TRPV1) knockout mice. MRPs produced a biphasic effect on human salt taste perception and on the CT responses in rats and wild-type mice in the presence of NaCl + benzamil (Bz, a blocker of epithelial Na+ channels), enhancing the NaCl response at low concentrations and suppressing it at high concentrations. The effectiveness of MRPs as salt taste enhancers varied with the conjugated sugar moiety: galacturonic acid = glucosamine > xylose > fructose > glucose. The concentrations at which MRPs enhanced human salt taste were significantly lower than the concentrations of MRPs that produced increase in the NaCl CT response. Elevated temperature, resiniferatoxin, capsaicin, and ethanol produced additive effects on the NaCl CT responses in the presence of MRPs. Elevated temperature and ethanol also enhanced human salt taste perception. N-(3-methoxyphenyl)-4-chlorocinnamid (a blocker of TRPV1t) inhibited the Bz-insensitive NaCl CT responses in the absence and presence of MRPs. TRPV1 knockout mice demonstrated no Bz-insensitive NaCl CT response in the absence or presence of MRPs. The results suggest that MRPs modulate human salt taste and the NaCl + Bz CT responses by interacting with TRPV1t. PMID:18603652

  17. A selective glucose sensor: the cooperative effect of monoboronic acid-modified poly(amidoamine) dendrimers.

    PubMed

    Tsai, Ching-Hua; Tang, Yi-Hsuan; Chen, Hui-Ting; Yao, Yi-Wen; Chien, Tun-Cheng; Kao, Chai-Lin

    2018-05-01

    Selective glucose binding was identified through five generations of monoboronic acid-functionalized PAMAM dendrimers. The best selectivity obtained when using G3 dendrimers (1b) generated 71.1, 94.9, and 1309 times stronger binding than when using galactose, fructose, and lactose, respectively. Further experiments using dendrimer analogues and glucose derivatives suggested that two nearby monoboronic acids cooperatively bound one glucose.

  18. Phenolic components of the primary cell wall. Feruloylated disaccharides of D-galactose and L-arabinose from spinach polysaccharide.

    PubMed Central

    Fry, S C

    1982-01-01

    1. Cell walls from rapidly growing cell suspension cultures of Spinacia oleracea L. contained ferulic acid and p-coumaric acid esterified with a water-insoluble polymer. 2. Prolonged treatment with trypsin did not release may feruloyl esters from dearabinofuranosylated cell walls, and the polymer was also insoluble in phenol/acetic acid/water (2:1:1, w/v/v). 3. Treatment of the cell walls with the fungal hydrolase preparation "Driselase' did liberate low-Mr feruloyl esters. The major esters were 4-O-(6-O-feruloyl-beta-D-galactopyranosyl)-D-galactose and 3?-O-feruloyl-alpha-L-arabinopyranosyl)-L-arabinose. These two esters accounted for about 60% of the cell-wall ferulate. 4. It is concluded that the feruloylation of cell-wall polymers is not a random process, but occurs at very specific sites, probably on the arabinogalactan component of pectin. 5. The possible role of such phenolic substituents in cell-wall architecture and growth is discussed. PMID:7115300

  19. Production of 5'-phosphodiesterase by Catharanthus roseus cells promoted by heat-degraded products generated from uronic acid.

    PubMed

    Akimoto-Tomiyama, Chiharu; Aoyagi, Hideki; Ozawa, Tetsuo; Tanaka, Hideo

    2002-01-01

    Polyalginate was autoclaved at 121 degrees C for 20 min and its molecular weight distribution was analyzed. The autoclaved alginate yielded alginate polymer, oligomer and heat degraded products (HDPs). Each of the separated substances promoted 5'-phosphodiesterase (5'-PDase) production in suspension culture of Catharanthus roseus cells. HDPs could also be generated from other uronic acids (galacturonic acid and glucuronic acid) by autoclave treatment. The most effective substance in the HDPs was isolated and characterized as trans-4,5-dihydroxy-2-cyclopenten-1-one (DHCP). The optimal conditions for DHCP production were also established (autoclaving 1 mg/ml monogalacturonic acid [pH 2] at 121 degrees C for 2 h). A combination of oligo-alginate (below 4 kDa) and HDPs significantly promoted the production of 5'-PDase in C. roseus. Based on the above results, a novel alginate complex that gave a 44-fold increase in 5'-PDase production by C. roseus was developed.

  20. A Mutation in PGM2 Causing Inefficient Galactose Metabolism in the Probiotic Yeast Saccharomyces boulardii.

    PubMed

    Liu, Jing-Jing; Zhang, Guo-Chang; Kong, In Iok; Yun, Eun Ju; Zheng, Jia-Qi; Kweon, Dae-Hyuk; Jin, Yong-Su

    2018-05-15

    The probiotic yeast Saccharomyces boulardii has been extensively studied for the prevention and treatment of diarrheal diseases, and it is now commercially available in some countries. S. boulardii displays notable phenotypic characteristics, such as a high optimal growth temperature, high tolerance against acidic conditions, and the inability to form ascospores, which differentiate S. boulardii from Saccharomyces cerevisiae The majority of prior studies stated that S. boulardii exhibits sluggish or halted galactose utilization. Nonetheless, the molecular mechanisms underlying inefficient galactose uptake have yet to be elucidated. When the galactose utilization of a widely used S. boulardii strain, ATCC MYA-796, was examined under various culture conditions, the S. boulardii strain could consume galactose, but at a much lower rate than that of S. cerevisiae While all GAL genes were present in the S. boulardii genome, according to analysis of genomic sequencing data in a previous study, a point mutation (G1278A) in PGM2 , which codes for phosphoglucomutase, was identified in the genome of the S. boulardii strain. As the point mutation resulted in the truncation of the Pgm2 protein, which is known to play a pivotal role in galactose utilization, we hypothesized that the truncated Pgm2 might be associated with inefficient galactose metabolism. Indeed, complementation of S. cerevisiae PGM2 in S. boulardii restored galactose utilization. After reverting the point mutation to a full-length PGM2 in S. boulardii by Cas9-based genome editing, the growth rates of wild-type (with a truncated PGM2 gene) and mutant (with a full-length PGM2 ) strains with glucose or galactose as the carbon source were examined. As expected, the mutant (with a full-length PGM2 ) was able to ferment galactose faster than the wild-type strain. Interestingly, the mutant showed a lower growth rate than that of the wild-type strain on glucose at 37°C. Also, the wild-type strain was enriched in the mixed culture of wild-type and mutant strains on glucose at 37°C, suggesting that the truncated PGM2 might offer better growth on glucose at a higher temperature in return for inefficient galactose utilization. Our results suggest that the point mutation in PGM2 might be involved in multiple phenotypes with different effects. IMPORTANCE Saccharomyces boulardii is a probiotic yeast strain capable of preventing and treating diarrheal diseases. However, the genetics and metabolism of this yeast are largely unexplored. In particular, molecular mechanisms underlying the inefficient galactose metabolism of S. boulardii remain unknown. Our study reports that a point mutation in PGM2 , which codes for phosphoglucomutase, is responsible for inferior galactose utilization by S. boulardii After correction of the mutated PGM2 via genome editing, the resulting strain was able to use galactose faster than a parental strain. While the PGM2 mutation made the yeast use galactose slowly, investigation of the genomic sequencing data of other S. boulardii strains revealed that the PGM2 mutation is evolutionarily conserved. Interestingly, the PGM2 mutation was beneficial for growth at a higher temperature on glucose. We speculate that the PGM2 mutation was enriched due to selection of S. boulardii in the natural habitat (sugar-rich fruits in tropical areas). Copyright © 2018 American Society for Microbiology.

  1. Sequential extraction of flavonoids and pectin from yellow passion fruit rind using pressurized solvent or ultrasound.

    PubMed

    de Souza, Caroline G; Rodrigues, Tigressa Hs; E Silva, Lorena Ma; Ribeiro, Paulo Rv; de Brito, Edy S

    2018-03-01

    Passion fruit rind (PFR) represents 90% of the total fruit weight and is wasted during juice processing. Passion fruit rind is known to contain flavonoids and pectin. An alternative use for this fruit juice industrial residue is to obtain these compounds. This study aimed to verify the influence of pressurized solvent extraction (PSE) or ultrasound assisted extraction (UAE) of flavonoid and pectin in a sequential process. The PSE using ethanol at 60:40 (v/v) yielded a total polyphenol content of 4.67 g GAE kg -1 PFR, orientin-7-O-glucoside (1.57 g kg -1 PFR) and luteolin-6-C-glucoside (2.44 g kg -1 PFR). Pectin yield was 165 g kg -1 PFR, either in PSE or UAE. Pectin characterization indicates that the pectic structure has basically homogalacturonans and galacturonate followed by a galacturonic acid ester unit, with methylation degree of 70%. With this study it can be concluded that mixtures of alcohols with water favor the extraction of bioactive compounds of passion fruit peel. Both PSE and UAE were effective in sequentially extracting flavonoids and pectin. The preferred solvent is ethanol due to its lower toxicity. © 2017 Society of Chemical Industry. © 2017 Society of Chemical Industry.

  2. Flux-Enabled Exploration of the Role of Sip1 in Galactose Yeast Metabolism

    DOE PAGES

    Shymansky, Christopher M.; Wang, George; Baidoo, Edward E. K.; ...

    2017-05-24

    13C metabolic flux analysis ( 13C MFA) is an important systems biology technique that has been used to investigate microbial metabolism for decades. The heterotrimer Snf1 kinase complex plays a key role in the preference Saccharomyces cerevisiae exhibits for glucose over galactose, a phenomenon known as glucose repression or carbon catabolite repression. The SIP1 gene, encoding a part of this complex, has received little attention, presumably, because its knockout lacks a growth phenotype. We present a fluxomic investigation of the relative effects of the presence of galactose in classically glucose-repressing media and/or knockout of SIP1 using a multi-scale variant ofmore » 13C MFA known as 2-Scale 13C metabolic flux analysis (2S- 13C MFA). In this study, all strains have the galactose metabolism deactivated (gal1Δ background) so as to be able to separate the metabolic effects purely related to glucose repression from those arising from galactose metabolism. The resulting flux profiles reveal that the presence of galactose in classically glucose-repressing conditions, for a CEN.PK113-7D gal1Δ background, results in a substantial decrease in pentose phosphate pathway (PPP) flux and increased flow from cytosolic pyruvate and malate through the mitochondria toward cytosolic branched-chain amino acid biosynthesis. These fluxomic redistributions are accompanied by a higher maximum specific growth rate, both seemingly in violation of glucose repression. Deletion of SIP1 in the CEN.PK113-7D gal1Δ cells grown in mixed glucose/galactose medium results in a further increase. Knockout of this gene in cells grown in glucose-only medium results in no change in growth rate and a corresponding decrease in glucose and ethanol exchange fluxes and flux through pathways involved in aspartate/threonine biosynthesis. Glucose repression appears to be violated at a 1/10 ratio of galactose-to-glucose. Based on the scientific literature, we may have conducted our experiments near a critical sugar ratio that is known to allow galactose to enter the cell. Additionally, we report a number of fluxomic changes associated with these growth rate increases and unexpected flux profile redistributions resulting from deletion of SIP1 in glucose-only medium.« less

  3. Flux-Enabled Exploration of the Role of Sip1 in Galactose Yeast Metabolism

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Shymansky, Christopher M.; Wang, George; Baidoo, Edward E. K.

    13C metabolic flux analysis ( 13C MFA) is an important systems biology technique that has been used to investigate microbial metabolism for decades. The heterotrimer Snf1 kinase complex plays a key role in the preference Saccharomyces cerevisiae exhibits for glucose over galactose, a phenomenon known as glucose repression or carbon catabolite repression. The SIP1 gene, encoding a part of this complex, has received little attention, presumably, because its knockout lacks a growth phenotype. We present a fluxomic investigation of the relative effects of the presence of galactose in classically glucose-repressing media and/or knockout of SIP1 using a multi-scale variant ofmore » 13C MFA known as 2-Scale 13C metabolic flux analysis (2S- 13C MFA). In this study, all strains have the galactose metabolism deactivated (gal1Δ background) so as to be able to separate the metabolic effects purely related to glucose repression from those arising from galactose metabolism. The resulting flux profiles reveal that the presence of galactose in classically glucose-repressing conditions, for a CEN.PK113-7D gal1Δ background, results in a substantial decrease in pentose phosphate pathway (PPP) flux and increased flow from cytosolic pyruvate and malate through the mitochondria toward cytosolic branched-chain amino acid biosynthesis. These fluxomic redistributions are accompanied by a higher maximum specific growth rate, both seemingly in violation of glucose repression. Deletion of SIP1 in the CEN.PK113-7D gal1Δ cells grown in mixed glucose/galactose medium results in a further increase. Knockout of this gene in cells grown in glucose-only medium results in no change in growth rate and a corresponding decrease in glucose and ethanol exchange fluxes and flux through pathways involved in aspartate/threonine biosynthesis. Glucose repression appears to be violated at a 1/10 ratio of galactose-to-glucose. Based on the scientific literature, we may have conducted our experiments near a critical sugar ratio that is known to allow galactose to enter the cell. Additionally, we report a number of fluxomic changes associated with these growth rate increases and unexpected flux profile redistributions resulting from deletion of SIP1 in glucose-only medium.« less

  4. Flux-Enabled Exploration of the Role of Sip1 in Galactose Yeast Metabolism

    PubMed Central

    Shymansky, Christopher M.; Wang, George; Baidoo, Edward E. K.; Gin, Jennifer; Apel, Amanda Reider; Mukhopadhyay, Aindrila; García Martín, Héctor; Keasling, Jay D.

    2017-01-01

    13C metabolic flux analysis (13C MFA) is an important systems biology technique that has been used to investigate microbial metabolism for decades. The heterotrimer Snf1 kinase complex plays a key role in the preference Saccharomyces cerevisiae exhibits for glucose over galactose, a phenomenon known as glucose repression or carbon catabolite repression. The SIP1 gene, encoding a part of this complex, has received little attention, presumably, because its knockout lacks a growth phenotype. We present a fluxomic investigation of the relative effects of the presence of galactose in classically glucose-repressing media and/or knockout of SIP1 using a multi-scale variant of 13C MFA known as 2-Scale 13C metabolic flux analysis (2S-13C MFA). In this study, all strains have the galactose metabolism deactivated (gal1Δ background) so as to be able to separate the metabolic effects purely related to glucose repression from those arising from galactose metabolism. The resulting flux profiles reveal that the presence of galactose in classically glucose-repressing conditions, for a CEN.PK113-7D gal1Δ background, results in a substantial decrease in pentose phosphate pathway (PPP) flux and increased flow from cytosolic pyruvate and malate through the mitochondria toward cytosolic branched-chain amino acid biosynthesis. These fluxomic redistributions are accompanied by a higher maximum specific growth rate, both seemingly in violation of glucose repression. Deletion of SIP1 in the CEN.PK113-7D gal1Δ cells grown in mixed glucose/galactose medium results in a further increase. Knockout of this gene in cells grown in glucose-only medium results in no change in growth rate and a corresponding decrease in glucose and ethanol exchange fluxes and flux through pathways involved in aspartate/threonine biosynthesis. Glucose repression appears to be violated at a 1/10 ratio of galactose-to-glucose. Based on the scientific literature, we may have conducted our experiments near a critical sugar ratio that is known to allow galactose to enter the cell. Additionally, we report a number of fluxomic changes associated with these growth rate increases and unexpected flux profile redistributions resulting from deletion of SIP1 in glucose-only medium. PMID:28596955

  5. Effects of dimethylaminoethanol and compound amino acid on D-galactose induced skin aging model of rat.

    PubMed

    Liu, Su; Chen, Zhenyu; Cai, Xia; Sun, Ying; Zhao, Cailing; Liu, Fangjun; Liu, Dalie

    2014-01-01

    A lasting dream of human beings is to reverse or postpone aging. In this study, dimethylaminoethanol (DMAE) and compound amino acid (AA) in Mesotherapy were investigated for their potential antiaging effects on D-galactose induced aging skin. At 18 days after D-gal induction, each rat was treated with intradermal microinjection of saline, AA, 0.1% DMAE, 0.2% DMAE, 0.1% DMAE + AA, or 0.2% DMAE + AA, respectively. At 42 days after treatment, the skin wound was harvested and assayed. Measurement of epidermal and dermal thickness in 0.1% DMAE + AA and 0.2% DMAE + AA groups appeared significantly thicker than aging control rats. No differences were found in tissue water content among groups. Hydroxyproline in 0.1% DMAE + AA, 0.2% DMAE + AA, and sham control groups was much higher than all other groups. Collagen type I, type III, and MMP-1 expression was highly upregulated in both 0.1% DMAE + AA and 0.2% DMAE + AA groups compared with aging control. In contrast, TIMP-1 expression levels of various aging groups were significantly reduced when compared to sham control. Coinjection of DMAE and AA into target tissue has marked antiaging effects on D-galactose induced skin aging model of rat.

  6. Effects of Dimethylaminoethanol and Compound Amino Acid on D-Galactose Induced Skin Aging Model of Rat

    PubMed Central

    Liu, Su; Chen, Zhenyu; Cai, Xia; Sun, Ying; Zhao, Cailing

    2014-01-01

    A lasting dream of human beings is to reverse or postpone aging. In this study, dimethylaminoethanol (DMAE) and compound amino acid (AA) in Mesotherapy were investigated for their potential antiaging effects on D-galactose induced aging skin. At 18 days after D-gal induction, each rat was treated with intradermal microinjection of saline, AA, 0.1% DMAE, 0.2% DMAE, 0.1% DMAE + AA, or 0.2% DMAE + AA, respectively. At 42 days after treatment, the skin wound was harvested and assayed. Measurement of epidermal and dermal thickness in 0.1% DMAE + AA and 0.2% DMAE + AA groups appeared significantly thicker than aging control rats. No differences were found in tissue water content among groups. Hydroxyproline in 0.1% DMAE + AA, 0.2% DMAE + AA, and sham control groups was much higher than all other groups. Collagen type I, type III, and MMP-1 expression was highly upregulated in both 0.1% DMAE + AA and 0.2% DMAE + AA groups compared with aging control. In contrast, TIMP-1 expression levels of various aging groups were significantly reduced when compared to sham control. Coinjection of DMAE and AA into target tissue has marked antiaging effects on D-galactose induced skin aging model of rat. PMID:25133239

  7. Improved ganoderic acids production in Ganoderma lucidum by wood decaying components

    PubMed Central

    Hu, Yanru; Ahmed, Shakeel; Li, Jiawei; Luo, Biaobiao; Gao, Zengyan; Zhang, Qiyun; Li, Xiaohua; Hu, Xuebo

    2017-01-01

    Ganoderma lucidum is a legendary Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) over a few thousands of years and one kind of its major active components are Ganoderic acids (GAs). GAs are largely produced in the mushroom primordium and fruiting body but much less in mycelium stage. However, little is known on the underlying regulatory mechanism. As a saprophytic fungus, G. lucidum solely obtains nutrients by wood decaying. Wood in general contains sophisticated chemical components with diverse structural units. To explore a strategy that extensively leads to GAs induction in the submerged liquid fermentation, all chemical components that might be possibly from the wood decaying were tested individually as GAs inducers. It was found that GAs production increased 85.96% by 1.5% microcrystalline cellulose (MCC) and 63.90% by 0.5% D-galactose. The transcription level of a few rate-limiting or chemically diverting enzymes responsible for GAs biosynthesis was greatly induced by MCC and D-galactose. The concentration and time-course titration study indicated that these two chemicals might not be utilized as carbon sources but they played a comprehensive role in the secondary metabolites synthesis. Our data indicated that MCC and D-galactose might be further industrialized for higher GAs production in G. lucidum in submerged fermentation. PMID:28422185

  8. Conformational divergence in the HA-33/HA-17 trimer of serotype C and D botulinum toxin complex.

    PubMed

    Sagane, Yoshimasa; Hayashi, Shintaro; Akiyama, Tomonori; Matsumoto, Takashi; Hasegawa, Kimiko; Yamano, Akihito; Suzuki, Tomonori; Niwa, Koichi; Watanabe, Toshihiro; Yajima, Shunsuke

    2016-08-05

    Clostridium botulinum produces a large toxin complex (L-TC) comprising botulinum neurotoxin associated with auxiliary nontoxic proteins. A complex of 33- and 17-kDa hemagglutinins (an HA-33/HA-17 trimer) enhances L-TC transport across the intestinal epithelial cell layer via binding HA-33 to a sugar on the cell surface. At least two subtypes of serotype C/D HA-33 exhibit differing preferences for the sugars sialic acid and galactose. Here, we compared the three-dimensional structures of the galactose-binding HA-33 and HA-33/HA-17 trimers produced by the C-Yoichi strain. Comparisons of serotype C/D HA-33 sequences reveal a variable region with relatively low sequence similarity across the C. botulinum strains; the variability of this region may influence the manner of sugar-recognition by HA-33. Crystal structures of sialic acid- and galactose-binding HA-33 are broadly similar in appearance. However, small-angle X-ray scattering revealed distinct solution structures for HA-33/HA-17 trimers. A structural change in the C-terminal variable region of HA-33 might cause a dramatic shift in the conformation and sugar-recognition mode of HA-33/HA-17 trimer. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  9. Analysis of Keystone Enzyme in Agar Hydrolysis Provides Insight into the Degradation (of a Polysaccharide from) Red Seaweeds*

    PubMed Central

    Hehemann, Jan-Hendrik; Smyth, Leo; Yadav, Anuj; Vocadlo, David J.; Boraston, Alisdair B.

    2012-01-01

    Agars are abundant polysaccharides from marine red algae, and their chemical structure consists of alternating d-galactose and 3,6-anhydro-l-galactose residues, the latter of which are presumed to make the polymer recalcitrant to degradation by most terrestrial bacteria. Here we study a family 117 glycoside hydrolase (BpGH117) encoded within a recently discovered locus from the human gut bacterium Bacteroides plebeius. Consistent with this locus being involved in agarocolloid degradation, we show that BpGH117 is an exo-acting 3,6-anhydro-α-(1,3)-l-galactosidase that removes the 3,6-anhydrogalactose from the non-reducing end of neoagaro-oligosaccharides. A Michaelis complex of BpGH117 with neoagarobiose reveals the distortion of the constrained 3,6-anhydro-l-galactose into a conformation that favors catalysis. Furthermore, this complex, supported by analysis of site-directed mutants, provides evidence for an organization of the active site and positioning of the catalytic residues that are consistent with an inverting mechanism of catalysis and suggests that a histidine residue acts as the general acid. This latter feature differs from the vast majority of glycoside hydrolases, which use a carboxylic acid, highlighting the alternative strategies that enzymes may utilize in catalyzing the cleavage of glycosidic bonds. PMID:22393053

  10. Two rhamnogalacturonide tetrasaccharides isolated from semi-retted flax fibers are signaling molecules in Rubus fruticosus L. cells.

    PubMed Central

    Dinand, E; Excoffier, G; Liénart, Y; Vignon, M R

    1997-01-01

    Water extraction of semi-retted flax (Linum usitatissimum L.) fiber bundles yielded a mixture of pectic oligosaccharides and two acidic rhamnogalacturonide tetrasaccharides that were separated by size-exclusion chromatography. One- and two-dimensional nuclear magnetic resonance studies and fast atom bombardment-mass spectrometry experiments indicated that the two tetrasaccharides have a common primary structure, i.e. alpha-D-delta GalpA(1-->2)-alpha-L- Rhap(1-->4)-alpha-D-GalpA-(1-->2)-L-alpha,beta-Rhap, with a rhamnopyranose as terminal reducing end, and a 4-deoxy-beta-L-threo-hex-4-enopyranosiduronic acid at the nonreducing end. However, the two tetrasaccharides differ by an acetyl group located at the O-3 position of the internal galacturonic acid residue. These two tetrasaccharides induce the activation of D-glycohydrolases of Rubus fructicosus L. cells or protoplasts within minutes. PMID:9342877

  11. Metabolic Respiration Induces AMPK- and Ire1p-Dependent Activation of the p38-Type HOG MAPK Pathway

    PubMed Central

    Adhikari, Hema; Cullen, Paul J.

    2014-01-01

    Evolutionarily conserved mitogen activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathways regulate the response to stress as well as cell differentiation. In Saccharomyces cerevisiae, growth in non-preferred carbon sources (like galactose) induces differentiation to the filamentous cell type through an extracellular-signal regulated kinase (ERK)-type MAPK pathway. The filamentous growth MAPK pathway shares components with a p38-type High Osmolarity Glycerol response (HOG) pathway, which regulates the response to changes in osmolarity. To determine the extent of functional overlap between the MAPK pathways, comparative RNA sequencing was performed, which uncovered an unexpected role for the HOG pathway in regulating the response to growth in galactose. The HOG pathway was induced during growth in galactose, which required the nutrient regulatory AMP-dependent protein kinase (AMPK) Snf1p, an intact respiratory chain, and a functional tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle. The unfolded protein response (UPR) kinase Ire1p was also required for HOG pathway activation in this context. Thus, the filamentous growth and HOG pathways are both active during growth in galactose. The two pathways redundantly promoted growth in galactose, but paradoxically, they also inhibited each other's activities. Such cross-modulation was critical to optimize the differentiation response. The human fungal pathogen Candida albicans showed a similar regulatory circuit. Thus, an evolutionarily conserved regulatory axis links metabolic respiration and AMPK to Ire1p, which regulates a differentiation response involving the modulated activity of ERK and p38 MAPK pathways. PMID:25356552

  12. Pectic type II arabinogalactans from starfruit (Averrhoa carambola L.).

    PubMed

    Leivas, Carolina Lopes; Iacomini, Marcello; Cordeiro, Lucimara M C

    2016-05-15

    A structural characterization of polysaccharides from edible tropical fruit named starfruit (Averrhoa carambola L.) was carried out. After the purification steps, two homogeneous fractions were obtained. Fraction 50R was composed of rhamnose, arabinose, galactose and uronic acid in 4.3:56.2:37.4:2M ratio, respectively and fraction 10R was composed of rhamnose, arabinose, galactose and uronic acid in 2.8:65.8:28.5:3M ratio, respectively. Methylation and NMR spectroscopy analyses showed that these fractions are formed by pectic arabinogalactans, which contain (1→3), (1→6) and (1→3,6)-linked Galp units. The side chains have 3-O-, 5-O- and 3,5-di-O-linked α-Araf and nonreducing end-units of α-Araf, Arap, β-Galp and α-GlcpA. These arabinogalactans were linked to type I rhamnogalacturonans. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  13. Influence of essential oil of Hyssopus officinalis on the chemical composition of the walls of Aspergillus fumigatus (Fresenius).

    PubMed

    Ghfir, B; Fonvieille, J L; Dargent, R

    1997-07-01

    The cell walls of the growing hyphae of Aspergillus fumigatus (Fresenius) cultured in the presence or absence of the essential oil of Hyssopus officinalis were isolated and their chemical composition analysed. The presence of the essential oil led to a reduction in levels of neutral sugars, uronic acid and proteins, whereas amino sugars, lipids and phosphorus levels were increased. HPLC analysis of the neutral sugars showed that they consisted mainly of glucose, mannose and galactose, while the amino sugars consisted of glucosamine and galactosamine. The presence of the essential oil in the culture medium induced marked changes in the content of galactose and galactosamine. Cell walls were fractionated by treatment with alkali and acid. The essential oil induced similar alterations in the various fractions with a more marked effect on the major constituents. The alterations were related to changes in the structure of the cells.

  14. Stabilization of anthocyanins in blackberry juice by glutathione fortification.

    PubMed

    Stebbins, Nathan B; Howard, Luke R; Prior, Ronald L; Brownmiller, Cindi; Mauromoustakos, Andy

    2017-10-18

    Blackberry anthocyanins provide attractive color and antioxidant activity. However, anthocyanins degrade during juice processing and storage, so maintaining high anthocyanin concentrations in berry juices may lead to greater antioxidant and health benefits for the consumer. This study evaluated potential additives to stabilize anthocyanins during blackberry juice storage. The anthocyanin stabilizing agents used were: glutathione, galacturonic acid, diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid and tannic acid, which were added at a level of 500 mg L -1 . Juice anthocyanin, flavonol, and ellagitannin content and percent polymeric color were measured over five weeks of accelerated storage at 30 °C. Glutathione had the greatest protective effect on total anthocyanins and polymeric color. Therefore a second study was performed with glutathione in combination with lipoic and ascorbic acids in an effort to use antioxidant recycling to achieve a synergistic effect. However, the antioxidant recycling system had no protective effect relative to glutathione alone. Glutathione appears to be a promising blackberry juice additive to protect against anthocyanin degradation during storage.

  15. Effects of Pectin Molecular Weight Changes on the Structure, Dynamics, and Polysaccharide Interactions of Primary Cell Walls of Arabidopsis thaliana: Insights from Solid-State NMR.

    PubMed

    Phyo, Pyae; Wang, Tuo; Xiao, Chaowen; Anderson, Charles T; Hong, Mei

    2017-09-11

    Significant cellulose-pectin interactions in plant cell walls have been reported recently based on 2D 13 C solid-state NMR spectra of intact cell walls, but how these interactions affect cell growth has not been probed. Here, we characterize two Arabidopsis thaliana lines with altered expression of the POLYGALACTURONASE INVOLVED IN EXPANSION1 (PGX1) gene, which encodes a polygalacturonase that cleaves homogalacturonan (HG). PGX1 AT plants overexpress PGX1, have HG with lower molecular weight, and grow larger, whereas pgx1-2 knockout plants have HG with higher molecular weight and grow smaller. Quantitative 13 C solid-state NMR spectra show that PGX1 AT cell walls have lower galacturonic acid and xylose contents and higher HG methyl esterification than controls, whereas high molecular weight pgx1-2 walls have similar galacturonic acid content and methyl esterification as controls. 1 H-transferred 13 C INEPT spectra indicate that the interfibrillar HG backbones are more aggregated whereas the RG-I side chains are more dispersed in PGX1 AT cell walls than in pgx1-2 walls. In contrast, the pectins that are close to cellulose become more mobile and have weaker cross peaks with cellulose in PGX1 AT walls than in pgx1-2 walls. Together, these results show that polygalacturonase-mediated plant growth is accompanied by increased esterification and decreased cross-linking of HG, increased aggregation of interfibrillar HG, and weaker HG-cellulose interactions. These structural and dynamical differences give molecular insights into how pectins influence wall dynamics during cell growth.

  16. Improved sample preparation and rapid UHPLC analysis of SO2 binding carbonyls in wine by derivatisation to 2,4-dinitrophenylhydrazine.

    PubMed

    Jackowetz, J N; Mira de Orduña, R

    2013-08-15

    Sulphur dioxide (SO2) is essential for the preservation of wines. The presence of SO2 binding compounds in musts and wines may limit sulphite efficacy leading to higher total SO2 additions, which may exceed SO2 limits permitted by law and pose health risks for sensitive individuals. An improved method for the quantification of significant wine SO2 binding compounds is presented that applies a novel sample treatment approach and rapid UHPLC separation. Glucose, galacturonic acid, alpha-ketoglutarate, pyruvate, acetoin and acetaldehyde were derivatised with 2,4-dinitrophenylhydrazine and separated using a solid core C18 phase by ultra high performance liquid chromatography. Addition of EDTA to samples prevented de novo acetaldehyde formation from ethanol oxidation. Optimised derivatisation duration enhanced reproducibility and allowed for glucose and galacturonic acid quantification. High glucose residues were found to interfere with the recovery of other SO2 binders, but practical SO2 concentrations and red wine pigments did not affect derivatisation efficiency. The calibration range, method accuracy, precision and limits of detection were found to be satisfactory for routine analysis of SO2 binders in wines. The current method represents a significant improvement in the comprehensive analysis of SO2 binding wine carbonyls. It allows for the quantification of major SO2 binders at practical analyte concentrations, and uses a simple sample treatment method that prevents treatment artifacts. Equipment utilisation could be reduced by rapid LC separation while maintaining analytical performance parameters. The improved method will be a valuable addition for the analysis of total SO2 binder pools in oenological samples. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

  17. Chlorogenic acid protects D-galactose-induced liver and kidney injury via antioxidation and anti-inflammation effects in mice.

    PubMed

    Feng, Yan; Yu, Ying-Hua; Wang, Shu-Ting; Ren, Jing; Camer, Danielle; Hua, Yu-Zhou; Zhang, Qian; Huang, Jie; Xue, Dan-Lu; Zhang, Xiao-Fei; Huang, Xu-Feng; Liu, Yi

    2016-01-01

    Oxidative stress and inflammation are implicated in the aging process and its related hepatic and renal function decline. Chlorogenic acid (CGA) is one of the most abundant polyphenol compounds in the human diet. Recently, CGA has shown in vivo and in vitro antioxidant properties. The current study investigates the effects of protective effects of chlorogenic acid (CGA) on D-galactose-induced liver and kidney injury. Hepatic and renal injuries were induced in a mouse model by subcutaneously injection of D-galactose (D-gal; 100 mg/kg) once a day for 8 consecutive weeks and orally administered simultaneously with CGA included in the food (200 mg/kg of diet). The liver and renal functions were examined. Histological analyses of liver and kidney were done by haematoxylin and eosin staining. The oxidative stress markers and pro-inflammatory cytokines in the liver and the kidney were measured. Results CGA significantly reduced the serum aminotransferase, serum creatinine (SCr) and blood urea nitrogen (BUN) levels in D-gal mice (p <0.05). CGA also restored superoxide dismutase, catalase, and malondialdehyde levels and decreased glutathione content in the liver and kidney in D-gal mice (p <0.05). Improvements in liver and kidney were also noted in histopathological studies. CGA reduced tumour necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) and interleukin-6 (IL-6) protein levels in the liver and kidney in D-gal mice (p <0.05). These findings suggest that CGA attenuates D-gal-induced chronic liver and kidney injury and that this protection may be due to its antioxidative and anti-inflammatory activities.

  18. Acid Mucopolysaccharide of the Crustacean Cuticle.

    PubMed

    Meenakshi, V R; Scheer, B T

    1959-10-30

    The acid mucopolysaccharide found in the crab Hemigrapsus nudus and containing glucose, galactose, and fucose residues is found both in the cuticle and in the digestive gland of the crab. The concentration of mucopolysaccharide is somewhat higher in the cuticle, where it it the only soluble polysaccharide, than in the digestive gland, where it makes up 10 to 25 percent of the total polysaccharide content.

  19. Ascorbic acid metabolism during sweet cherry (Prunus avium) fruit development

    PubMed Central

    Ni, Zhiyou; Lin, Lijin; Tang, Yi; Wang, Zhihui; Wang, Xun; Wang, Jin; Lv, Xiulan; Xia, Hui

    2017-01-01

    To elucidate metabolism of ascorbic acid (AsA) in sweet cherry fruit (Prunus avium ‘Hongdeng’), we quantified AsA concentration, cloned sequences involved in AsA metabolism and investigated their mRNA expression levels, and determined the activity levels of selected enzymes during fruit development and maturation. We found that AsA concentration was highest at the petal-fall period (0 days after anthesis) and decreased progressively during ripening, but with a slight increase at maturity. AsA did nevertheless continue to accumulate over time because of the increase in fruit fresh weight. Full-length cDNAs of 10 genes involved in the L-galactose pathway of AsA biosynthesis and 10 involved in recycling were obtained. Gene expression patterns of GDP-L-galactose phosphorylase (GGP2), L-galactono-1, 4-lactone dehydrogenase (GalLDH), ascorbate peroxidase (APX3), ascorbate oxidase (AO2), glutathione reductase (GR1), and dehydroascorbate reductase (DHAR1) were in accordance with the AsA concentration pattern during fruit development, indicating that genes involved in ascorbic acid biosynthesis, degradation, and recycling worked in concert to regulate ascorbic acid accumulation in sweet cherry fruit. PMID:28245268

  20. Galactose-functionalized multi-responsive nanogels for hepatoma-targeted drug delivery

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Lou, Shaofeng; Gao, Shan; Wang, Weiwei; Zhang, Mingming; Zhang, Ju; Wang, Chun; Li, Chen; Kong, Deling; Zhao, Qiang

    2015-02-01

    We report here a hepatoma-targeting multi-responsive biodegradable crosslinked nanogel, poly(6-O-vinyladipoyl-d-galactose-ss-N-vinylcaprolactam-ss-methacrylic acid) P(ODGal-VCL-MAA), using a combination of enzymatic transesterification and emulsion copolymerization for intracellular drug delivery. The nanogel exhibited redox, pH and temperature-responsive properties, which can be adjusted by varying the monomer feeding ratio. Furthermore, the volume phase transition temperature (VPTT) of the nanogels was close to body temperature and can result in rapid thermal gelation at 37 °C. Scanning electron microscopy also revealed that the P(ODGal-VCL-MAA) nanogel showed uniform spherical monodispersion. With pyrene as a probe, the fluorescence excitation spectra demonstrated nanogel degradation in response to glutathione (GSH). X-ray diffraction (XRD) showed an amorphous property of DOX within the nanogel, which was used in this study as a model anti-cancer drug. Drug-releasing characteristics of the nanogel were examined in vitro. The results showed multi-responsiveness of DOX release by the variation of environmental pH values, temperature or the availability of GSH, a biological reductase. An in vitro cytotoxicity assay showed a higher anti-tumor activity of the galactose-functionalized DOX-loaded nanogels against human hepatoma HepG2 cells, which was, at least in part, due to specific binding between the galactose segments and the asialoglycoprotein receptors (ASGP-Rs) in hepatic cells. Confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM) and flow cytometric profiles further confirmed elevated cellular uptake of DOX by the galactose-functionalised nanogels. Thus, we report here a multi-responsive P(ODGal-VCL-MAA) nanogel with a hepatoma-specific targeting ability for anti-cancer drug delivery.We report here a hepatoma-targeting multi-responsive biodegradable crosslinked nanogel, poly(6-O-vinyladipoyl-d-galactose-ss-N-vinylcaprolactam-ss-methacrylic acid) P(ODGal-VCL-MAA), using a combination of enzymatic transesterification and emulsion copolymerization for intracellular drug delivery. The nanogel exhibited redox, pH and temperature-responsive properties, which can be adjusted by varying the monomer feeding ratio. Furthermore, the volume phase transition temperature (VPTT) of the nanogels was close to body temperature and can result in rapid thermal gelation at 37 °C. Scanning electron microscopy also revealed that the P(ODGal-VCL-MAA) nanogel showed uniform spherical monodispersion. With pyrene as a probe, the fluorescence excitation spectra demonstrated nanogel degradation in response to glutathione (GSH). X-ray diffraction (XRD) showed an amorphous property of DOX within the nanogel, which was used in this study as a model anti-cancer drug. Drug-releasing characteristics of the nanogel were examined in vitro. The results showed multi-responsiveness of DOX release by the variation of environmental pH values, temperature or the availability of GSH, a biological reductase. An in vitro cytotoxicity assay showed a higher anti-tumor activity of the galactose-functionalized DOX-loaded nanogels against human hepatoma HepG2 cells, which was, at least in part, due to specific binding between the galactose segments and the asialoglycoprotein receptors (ASGP-Rs) in hepatic cells. Confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM) and flow cytometric profiles further confirmed elevated cellular uptake of DOX by the galactose-functionalised nanogels. Thus, we report here a multi-responsive P(ODGal-VCL-MAA) nanogel with a hepatoma-specific targeting ability for anti-cancer drug delivery. Electronic supplementary information (ESI) available. See DOI: 10.1039/c4nr06714b

  1. Structural analysis of the asparagine-linked oligosaccharides of cholinesterases. N-linked carbohydrates of cholinesterases

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Saxena, A.; Doctor, B.P.

    1995-12-31

    Cholinesterases are serine esterases that hydrolyse choline esters faster than other substrates. They are highly glycosylated proteins with up to 24% of their molecular weight constituted of carbohydrates. Here we report the results of our studies on the glycosylation of fetal bovine serum acetylcholinesterase (FBS AChE) and horse serum butyrylcholinesterase (Eq BChE). Analysis of the monosaccharide content of the two enzymes indicated that Eq BChE contained 520 nmoles of monosaccharide/mg protein, as compared to 1290 nmoles/mg protein for Eq BChE. Both enzymes contained mannose, galactose, N-acetylglucosamine and sialic acid. Fucose was present in Eq BChE only. The structures of themore » two major oligosaccharides from FBS AChE and one major oligosaccharide from Eq BChE were determined and found to be very similar except that one of the oligosaccharides from FBS AChE contained a galactose alphal-3 galactose betal-4-determinant which has been identified as a potentially immunogenic determinant.« less

  2. A glycoproteomic approach reveals that the S-layer glycoprotein of Lactobacillus kefiri CIDCA 83111 is O- and N-glycosylated.

    PubMed

    Cavallero, Gustavo J; Malamud, Mariano; Casabuono, Adriana C; Serradell, M de Los Ángeles; Couto, Alicia S

    2017-06-06

    In Gram-positive bacteria, such as lactic acid bacteria, general glycosylation systems have not been documented so far. The aim of this work was to characterize in detail the glycosylation of the S-layer protein of Lactobacillus kefiri CIDCA 83111. A reductive β-elimination treatment followed by anion exchange high performance liquid chromatography analysis was useful to characterize the O-glycosidic structures. MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry analysis confirmed the presence of oligosaccharides bearing from 5 to 8 glucose units carrying galacturonic acid. Further nanoHPLC-ESI analysis of the glycopeptides showed two O-glycosylated peptides: the peptide sequence SSASSASSA already identified as a signature glycosylation motif in L. buchneri, substituted on average with eight glucose residues and decorated with galacturonic acid and another O-glycosylated site on peptide 471-476, with a Glc 5-8 GalA 2 structure. As ten characteristic sequons (Asn-X-Ser/Thr) are present in the S-layer amino acid sequence, we performed a PNGase F digestion to release N-linked oligosaccharides. Anion exchange chromatography analysis showed mainly short N-linked chains. NanoHPLC-ESI in the positive and negative ion modes were useful to determine two different peptides substituted with short N-glycan structures. To our knowledge, this is the first description of the structure of N-glycans in S-layer glycoproteins from Lactobacillus species. A detailed characterization of protein glycosylation is essential to establish the basis for understanding and investigating its biological role. It is known that S-layer proteins from kefir-isolated L. kefiri strains are involved in the interaction of bacterial cells with yeasts present in kefir grains and are also capable to antagonize the adverse effects of different enteric pathogens. Therefore, characterization of type and site of glycosidic chains in this protein may help to understand these important properties. Furthermore, this is the first description of N-glycosidic chains in S-layer glycoprotein from Lactobacillus spp. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  3. Cell-free biosynthesis of lipophosphoglycan from Leishmania donovani. Characterization of microsomal galactosyltransferase and mannosyltransferase activities

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Carver, M.A.; Turco, S.J.

    1991-06-15

    Incubation of microsomal preparations from Leishmania donovani parasites with UDP-({sup 3}H)galactose or GDP-({sup 14}C)mannose resulted in incorporation of radiolabel into an endogenous product that exhibited the chemical and chromatographic characteristics of the parasite's major surface glycoconjugate, lipophosphoglycan. The ({sup 3}H)galactose- or ({sup 14}C)mannose-labeled product was (1) cleaved by phosphatidylinositol-specific phospholipase C; (2) deaminated by nitrous acid; and (3) degraded into radioactive, low molecular weight fragments upon hydrolysis with mild acid. Analysis of the products of mild acid hydrolysis revealed the presence of phosphorylated Gal-beta-Man as the major fragment with lesser amounts of mono-, tri-, and tetrasaccharides. The incorporation of themore » two isotopic precursors was neither stimulated by the addition of dolichylphosphate nor inhibited by amphomycin, indicating that dolichol-saccharide intermediates are not involved in assembly of the repeating units of lipophosphoglycan. Development of this cell-free glycosylating system will facilitate further studies on the pathway and enzymes involved in lipophosphoglycan biosynthesis.« less

  4. Anti-Aging Effects of Some Selected Iranian Folk Medicinal Herbs-Biochemical Evidences

    PubMed Central

    Mohammadirad, Azadeh; Aghamohammadali-Sarraf, Fatemeh; Badiei, Simin; Faraji, Zakie; Hajiaghaee, Reza; Baeeri, Maryam; Gholami, Mahdi; Abdollahi, Mohammad

    2013-01-01

    Objective(s): In the current study, the effects of selected folk medicinal herbs were evaluated in D-galactose-induced aging in male mice. Materials and Methods: Male BALB/c mice were randomly divided into 12 groups composing sham, control, and treated groups. Aging was induced by administration of D-galactose (500 mg/kg/day for 6 weeks). A positive control group was assigned that received vitamin E (200 mg/kg/day). The extract of herbs was prepared, lyophilized, and used in this study. The herbs were administered by gavage for 4 weeks to D-galactose-aged animals at the selected doses (mg/kg/day) as follows: Zingiber officinale (250), Glycyrrhiza glabra (150), Rosmarinus officinalis (300), Peganum harmala (50), Aloe vera (150), Satureja hortensis (200), Teucrium scordium (200), Hypericum perforatum (135) and Silybum marianum (150). One group of animals was assigned as sham and not given D-galactose. Results: At the end of treatment, pro-inflammatory markers including tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), interlukine-1β (IL-β), interlukine-6 (IL-6), NF-kappaB (NF-κb), total antioxidant power (TAP), thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) as lipid peroxidation (LPO) marker and male sex hormones i.e. testosterone and dehydroepiandrosterone-sulfate (DHEA-S) were measured in the blood. Conclusion: These data for the first time indicate significant anti-aging potential of examined herbs. Results showed that D-galactose induces a significant oxidative stress and promotes proinflammatory cascade of aging while all herbs more or less recovered these changes. Among 9 herbal extracts, Silybum marianum showed the best effect in restoring aging changes. PMID:24494070

  5. Constitutive and inducible pectinolytic enzymes from Aspergillus flavipes FP-500 and their modulation by pH and carbon source

    PubMed Central

    Martínez-Trujillo, Aurora; Aranda, Juan S.; Gómez-Sánchez, Carlos; Trejo-Aguilar, Blanca; Aguilar-Osorio, Guillermo

    2009-01-01

    Growth and enzymes production by Aspergillus flavipes FP-500 were evaluated on pectin, polygalacturonic acid, galacturonic acid, arabinose, rhamnose, xylose, glycerol and glucose at different initial pH values. We found that the strain produced exopectinases, endopectinases and pectin lyases. Exopectinases and pectin lyase were found to be produced at basal levels as constitutive enzymes and their production was modulated by the available carbon source and pH of culture medium and stimulated by the presence of inducer in the culture medium. Endo-pectinase was basically inducible and was only produced when pectin was used as carbon source. Our results suggest that pectinases in A. flavipes FP-500 are produced in a concerted way. The first enzyme to be produced was exopectinase followed by Pectin Lyase and Endo-pectinase. PMID:24031315

  6. Succinic acid production by Actinobacillus succinogenes from batch fermentation of mixed sugars.

    PubMed

    Almqvist, Henrik; Pateraki, Chrysanthi; Alexandri, Maria; Koutinas, Apostolis; Lidén, Gunnar

    2016-08-01

    Succinic acid production from the monosaccharides xylose, arabinose, glucose, mannose and galactose was studied using the bacterium Actinobacillus succinogenes. In Duran bottle cultures, containing 10 g/L of each of sugar, succinic acid was produced from all sugars except for galactose. The highest succinate yield, 0.56 g/g, was obtained with glucose, whereas the succinate yield was 0.42, 0.38 and 0.44 g/g for xylose, mannose and arabinose, respectively. The specific succinate productivity was 0.7 g/g h for glucose, but below 0.2 g/g h for the other sugars. Batch bioreactor fermentations were carried out using a sugar mixture of the five sugars giving a total concentration of 50 g/L, mimicking the distribution of sugars in spent sulfite liquor (SSL) from Eucalyptus which is rich in xylose. In this mixture, an almost complete conversion of all sugars (except galactose) was achieved resulting in a final succinate concentration of 21.8-26.8 g/L and a total yield of 0.59-0.68 g/g. There was evidence of co-consumption of glucose and xylose, whereas mannose was consumed after glucose. The main by-products were acetate 0.14-0.20 g/g and formate 0.08-0.13 g/g. NADH balance calculations suggested that NADH required for succinate production was not met solely from formate and acetate production, but other means of NADH production was necessary. Results from mixed sugar fermentations were verified using SSL as substrate resulting in a succinate yield of 0.60 g/g. In addition, it was found that CO2 sparging could replace carbonate supply in the form of MgCO3 without affecting the succinate yield.

  7. Differential Expression of Three α-Galactosidase Genes and a Single β-Galactosidase Gene from Aspergillus niger

    PubMed Central

    de Vries, Ronald P.; van den Broeck, Hetty C.; Dekkers, Ester; Manzanares, Paloma; de Graaff, Leo H.; Visser, Jaap

    1999-01-01

    A gene encoding a third α-galactosidase (AglB) from Aspergillus niger has been cloned and sequenced. The gene consists of an open reading frame of 1,750 bp containing six introns. The gene encodes a protein of 443 amino acids which contains a eukaryotic signal sequence of 16 amino acids and seven putative N-glycosylation sites. The mature protein has a calculated molecular mass of 48,835 Da and a predicted pI of 4.6. An alignment of the AglB amino acid sequence with those of other α-galactosidases revealed that it belongs to a subfamily of α-galactosidases that also includes A. niger AglA. A. niger AglC belongs to a different subfamily that consists mainly of prokaryotic α-galactosidases. The expression of aglA, aglB, aglC, and lacA, the latter of which encodes an A. niger β-galactosidase, has been studied by using a number of monomeric, oligomeric, and polymeric compounds as growth substrates. Expression of aglA is only detected on galactose and galactose-containing oligomers and polymers. The aglB gene is expressed on all of the carbon sources tested, including glucose. Elevated expression was observed on xylan, which could be assigned to regulation via XlnR, the xylanolytic transcriptional activator. Expression of aglC was only observed on glucose, fructose, and combinations of glucose with xylose and galactose. High expression of lacA was detected on arabinose, xylose, xylan, and pectin. Similar to aglB, the expression on xylose and xylan can be assigned to regulation via XlnR. All four genes have distinct expression patterns which seem to mirror the natural substrates of the encoded proteins. PMID:10347026

  8. FmLC5, a putative galactose-binding C-type lectin with two QPD motifs from the hemocytes of Fenneropenaeus merguiensis participates in shrimp immune defense.

    PubMed

    Senghoi, Wilaiwan; Runsaeng, Phanthipha; Utarabhand, Prapaporn

    2017-11-01

    Crustaceans are deficient in adaptive immune system. They depend completely on an innate immunity to protect themselves from invading microorganisms. One kind of pattern recognition receptors that contribute roles in the innate immunity is lectin. A new C-type lectin gene designated as FmLC5 was isolated from Fenneropenaeus merguiensis. Its full-length cDNA is composed of 1526bp and one open reading frame of 852bp encoding a peptide of 284 amino acids. The deduced amino acid sequence of FmLC5 comprises a signal peptide of 20 contiguous amino acids with a molecular mass of 31.47kDa and an isoelectric point of 4.35. The primary structure of FmLC5 consists of two similar carbohydrate recognition domains (CRDs), each CRD contains a Ca 2+ binding site-2 and a QPD motif specific for galactose-binding. The FmLC5 transcripts were detected only in the hemocytes analyzed by RT-PCR and in situ hybridization. The FmLC5 expression was significantly up-regulated after challenge with Vibrio harveyi, white spot syndrome virus (WSSV) or lipopolysaccharide. RNAi-based silencing with co-injection by V. harveyi or WSSV resulted in critical suppression of the FmLC5 expression, increasing in mortality and reduction of the median lethal time. These results conclude that FmLC5 is unique putative galactose-binding C-type lectin in F. merguiensis that may contribute as receptor molecule in the immune response to defend the shrimp from pathogenic bacteria and viruses. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  9. One-step ligand exchange reaction as an efficient way for functionalization of magnetic nanoparticles

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Mrówczyński, Radosław; Rednic, Lidia; Turcu, Rodica; Liebscher, Jürgen

    2012-07-01

    Novel magnetic Fe3O4 nanoparticles (NPs) covered by one layer of functionalized fatty acids, bearing entities (Hayashi catalyst, biotin, quinine, proline, and galactose) of high interest for practical application in nanomedicine or organocatalysis, were synthesized. The functionalized fatty acids were obtained by Cu(I)-catalyzed azide-alkyne cycloaddition (CuAAC) of azido fatty acids with alkynes. All the magnetic NPs show superparamagnetic behavior with high values of magnetization and high colloidal stability in DCM solution.

  10. Galactose transport in Kluyveromyces lactis: major role of the glucose permease Hgt1.

    PubMed

    Baruffini, Enrico; Goffrini, Paola; Donnini, Claudia; Lodi, Tiziana

    2006-12-01

    In Kluyveromyces lactis, galactose transport has been thought to be mediated by the lactose permease encoded by LAC12. In fact, a lac12 mutant unable to grow on lactose did not grow on galactose either and showed low and uninducible galactose uptake activity. The existence of other galactose transport systems, at low and at high affinity, had, however, been hypothesized on the basis of galactose uptake kinetics studies. Here we confirmed the existence of a second galactose transporter and we isolated its structural gene. It turned out to be HGT1, previously identified as encoding the high-affinity glucose carrier. Analysis of galactose transporter mutants, hgt1 and lac12, and the double mutant hgt1lac12, suggested that Hgt1 was the high-affinity and Lac12 was the low-affinity galactose transporter. HGT1 expression was strongly induced by galactose and insensitive to glucose repression. This could explain the rapid adaptation to galactose observed in K. lactis after a shift from glucose to galactose medium.

  11. Mucin can enhance growth, biofilm formation, and survival of Streptococcus mutans.

    PubMed

    Mothey, Deepa; Buttaro, Bettina A; Piggot, Patrick J

    2014-01-01

    Streptococcus mutans is a member of the dental plaque and is the primary causative agent of dental caries. It can survive extended periods of starvation, which may occur in different niches within the oral cavity. We have found that mucin compensated for the absence of amino acids to promote exponential growth and biofilm formation of S. mutans in minimal medium supplemented with glucose and sucrose, respectively. Mucin extended survival in conditions where there was no net growth provided the operon encoding the pyruvate dehydrogenase complex was intact. Mucin extended survival in conditions of amino acid sufficiency provided the tagatose pathway for galactose utilization was intact, suggesting that S. mutans can scavenge sufficient galactose from mucin to enhance survival, although not to serve as a primary carbon and energy source. The results suggest that mucin has a metabolic role in promoting survival of S. mutans. © 2013 Federation of European Microbiological Societies. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd. All rights reserved.

  12. pH-Independent Recognition of Polyhydroxy Compounds by Niobium(V) Porphyrin Complex with Unique Sugar Selectivity.

    PubMed

    Doi, Takuya; Kachikawa, Norihide; Yasui, Takashi; Yuchi, Akio

    2017-01-01

    The niobium(V) complex with tetraphenylporphin having OH - as an auxilliay ligand exists as a dimeric complex, [Nb 2 (tpp) 2 O 3 ] at a total concentration >10 -4.5 mol dm -3 , and reacts with an aliphatic or aromatic polyhydroxy compound to form a monomeric complex containing chelate rings by coordination of the deprotonated species, and to cause an appreciable UV-Vis spectral change. In contrast to phenylboronic acid (PBA), the reactivity of [Nb 2 (tpp) 2 O 3 ] is independent of pH at least between 4 and 8. Aliphatic comounds are more reactive than aromatic compounds in dioxane-water, while the reactivity order is reversed in the two-phase reaction. The sugar selectivity order of [Nb 2 (tpp) 2 O 3 ] in dioxane-water (10:1) (sorbose > fructose > mannose > arabinose, galactose > glucose) is appreciably different from that of PBA (fructose > sorbose > arabinose > galactose > mannose > glucose). This may be related to the difference in size of the Lewis acidic center.

  13. Fermentation of lignocellulosic sugars to acetic acid by Moorella thermoacetica.

    PubMed

    Ehsanipour, Mandana; Suko, Azra Vajzovic; Bura, Renata

    2016-06-01

    A systematic study of bioconversion of lignocellulosic sugars to acetic acid by Moorella thermoacetica (strain ATCC 39073) was conducted. Four different water-soluble fractions (hydrolysates) obtained after steam pretreatment of lignocellulosic biomass were selected and fermented to acetic acid in batch fermentations. M. thermoacetica can effectively ferment xylose and glucose in hydrolysates from wheat straw, forest residues, switchgrass, and sugarcane straw to acetic acid. Xylose and glucose were completely utilized, with xylose being consumed first. M. thermoacetica consumed up to 62 % of arabinose, 49 % galactose and 66 % of mannose within 72 h of fermentation in the mixture of lignocellulosic sugars. The highest acetic acid yield was obtained from sugarcane straw hydrolysate, with 71 % of theoretical yield based on total sugars (17 g/L acetic acid from 24 g/L total sugars). The lowest acetic acid yield was observed in forest residues hydrolysate, with 39 % of theoretical yield based on total sugars (18 g/L acetic acid from 49 g/L total sugars). Process derived compounds from steam explosion pretreatment, including 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (0.4 g/L), furfural (0.1 g/L) and total phenolics (3 g/L), did not inhibit microbial growth and acetic acid production yield. This research identified two major factors that adversely affected acetic acid yield in all hydrolysates, especially in forest residues: (i) glucose to xylose ratio and (ii) incomplete consumption of arabinose, galactose and mannose. For efficient bioconversion of lignocellulosic sugars to acetic acid, it is imperative to have an appropriate balance of sugars in a hydrolysate. Hence, the choice of lignocellulosic biomass and steam pretreatment design are fundamental steps for the industrial application of this process.

  14. Substrate and Substrate-Mimetic Chaperone Binding Sites in Human α-Galactosidase A Revealed by Affinity-Mass Spectrometry

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Moise, Adrian; Maeser, Stefan; Rawer, Stephan; Eggers, Frederike; Murphy, Mary; Bornheim, Jeff; Przybylski, Michael

    2016-06-01

    Fabry disease (FD) is a rare metabolic disorder of a group of lysosomal storage diseases, caused by deficiency or reduced activity of the enzyme α-galactosidase. Human α-galactosidase A (hαGAL) hydrolyses the terminal α-galactosyl moiety from glycosphingolipids, predominantly globotriaosylceramide (Gb3). Enzyme deficiency leads to incomplete or blocked breakdown and progressive accumulation of Gb3, with detrimental effects on normal organ functions. FD is successfully treated by enzyme replacement therapy (ERT) with purified recombinant hαGAL. An emerging treatment strategy, pharmacologic chaperone therapy (PCT), employs small molecules that can increase and/or reconstitute the activity of lysosomal enzyme trafficking by stabilizing misfolded isoforms. One such chaperone, 1-deoxygalactonojirimycin (DGJ), is a structural galactose analogue currently validated in clinical trials. DGJ is an active-site-chaperone that binds at the same or similar location as galactose; however, the molecular determination of chaperone binding sites in lysosomal enzymes represents a considerable challenge. Here we report the identification of the galactose and DGJ binding sites in recombinant α-galactosidase through a new affinity-mass spectrometry-based approach that employs selective proteolytic digestion of the enzyme-galactose or -inhibitor complex. Binding site peptides identified by mass spectrometry, [39-49], [83-100], and [141-168], contain the essential ligand-contacting amino acids, in agreement with the known X-ray crystal structures. The inhibitory effect of DGJ on galactose recognition was directly characterized through competitive binding experiments and mass spectrometry. The methods successfully employed in this study should have high potential for the characterization of (mutated) enzyme-substrate and -chaperone interactions, and for identifying chaperones without inhibitory effects.

  15. Glycopolymer micelles with reducible ionic cores for hepatocytes-targeting delivery of DOX.

    PubMed

    Wang, Yanxia; Zhang, Xinge; Yu, Peien; Li, Chaoxing

    2013-01-30

    A novel galactose-decorated cross-linked micelles (cl-micelles) with ionic cores using cystamine (Cys) as a biodegradable cross-linker was prepared by using block ionomer complexes of poly(ethylene glycol)-b-poly(2-acryloxyethyl-galactose)-b-poly(acrylic acid) (PEG-b-PAEG-b-PAA) and Ca(2+) (PEG-b-PAEG-b-PAA cl-micelles/Cys). Doxorubicin (DOX) was successfully incorporated into the ionic cores of such micelles via electrostatic interactions. Proton nuclear magnetic resonance spectrum and Fourier transform infrared spectrometer indicated galactose ligands were exposed at the micellar surface. The micelles were spherical in shape, with an average size of 100nm. The in vitro release studies confirmed that DOX-loaded PEG-b-PAEG-b-PAA cl-micelles/Cys accomplished rapid drug release under reducing condition. Remarkably, PEG-b-PAEG-b-PAA cl-micelles/Cys efficiently delivered and released DOX into the cell nucleus of HepG2 cells, and the intensity of fluorescence observed in HepG2 cells was stronger than that incubated with the micelles without galactose ligands. In contrast, little fluorescence was observed in NIH3T3 cells after incubation with PEG-b-PAEG-b-PAA cl-micelles/Cys. Interestingly, cytotoxicity assays showed that DOX-loaded PEG-b-PAEG-b-PAA cl-micelles/Cys retained higher cell inhibition efficiency in HepG2 cells as compared with NIH3T3 cells, and were more potent than the micelles without galactose ligands and the micelles with non degradable cross-links. These results indicate that PEG-b-PAEG-b-PAA cl-micelles/Cys have great potential in liver tumor-targeted chemotherapy. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  16. Mineral and metabolic profiles in tea leaves and flowers during flower development.

    PubMed

    Jia, Sisi; Wang, Yu; Hu, Jianhui; Ding, Zhaotang; Liang, Qing; Zhang, Yinfei; Wang, Hui

    2016-09-01

    Tea [Camellia sinensis (L.) O. Kuntze] is one of the most popular non-alcoholic beverage crops in the world, and the physiological processes and gene regulations involved in development in tea plants have been well characterized. However, relatively little is known about the metabolic changes combined with mineral distributions that occur during flower development. Here we detected the contents of 11 elements in tea leaves and flowers and found that, some of them, especially phosphorus, sulfur and copper, showed significant changes during tea flowering. We also detected 122 metabolites in tea leaves and flowers and found that, 72 of them showed significant differences between flowers and leaves, of which sugars, organic acids, and flavonoids dominated. The sugars, such as trehalose and galactose, all accumulated in tea flowers, and the organic acids, such as malic acid, citric acid and fumaric acid involved in TCA cycle. The flavonoids, like epicatechin, catechin gallate and epigallocatechin, were more abundant in leaves. Furthermore, we found that the contents of 33 metabolites changed during the development of flowers. Especially, citric acid, phenylalanine and most flavonoids decreased while fructose and galactose increased during flowering stages in flowers. We also analyzed the correlations between the ions and metabolites and found that, some mineral nutrients including phosphorus, sulfur, manganese and zinc had close relations to organic acids, flavonoids, sugars and several amino acids during flowering. We mapped the metabolic pathway according to the KEGG database. This work will serve as the foundation for a systems biology approach to the understanding of mineral metabolism. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

  17. Purification and structural characterization of Chinese yam polysaccharide and its activities.

    PubMed

    Yang, Weifang; Wang, Ying; Li, Xiuping; Yu, Ping

    2015-03-06

    Purification and structural characterization of Chinese yam polysaccharide were investigated and its activities were analyzed. Results indicated that a single component polysaccharide with a molecular weight of 16,619 Da was obtained after hot water extraction with sequential sevage deproteinization, HSCCC and Sephadex G-100 size-exclusion chromatography. The FTIR analysis showed that it had characteristic absorptive peaks and contained uronic acid. The methylation and GC-MS analysis showed that it comprised of glucose and galactose with a molar ratio of 1.52:1, and that it mainly contained 1,3-linked-glc, 1-linked-gal and 1,6-linked-gal glycosidic bonds. (1)H NMR and (13)C NMR spectra analysis showed that there were two α-configurations and one β-configuration, and that β-1,3-glucose, α-1-galactose, α-1,6-galactose might exist in the structure of the purified polysaccharide. The determination of the antioxidative activity showed that it could scavenge hydroxyl and superoxide radicals. The purified polysaccharide displayed a certain inhibitory activity against Escherichia coli, with a MIC of 2.5 mg/mL. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  18. Physicochemical Behavior of Some Amino Acids/Glycylglycine in Aqueous D-Galactose Solutions at Different Temperatures

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ali, Anwar; Patel, Rajan; Shahjahan; Ansari, Nizamul Haque

    2010-03-01

    The apparent molar volumes {(overline{V_2})} for glycine (Gly), l-alanine (Ala), phenylalanine (Phe), and glycylglycine (Gly-Gly) in 0.10 m aqueous d-galactose solutions have been determined from density measurements at (298.15, 303.15, 308.15, and 313.15) K. The data for {(overline{V_2})} were utilized to estimate the partial molar volume at infinite dilution {(overline{V_2^0})} , and experimental slope {(S_v^ast)} . The transfer volume, {(overline{V2^0}_(tr))} , and hydration number, ( n H) were also evaluated. The viscosity data were used to evaluate A- and B-coefficients of the Jones-Dole equation, the free energy of activation of viscous flow per mole of the solvent {left(Δ μ1^{0ast} right)} and the solute {left(Δ μ 2^{0ast} right)} . The molar refractivity ( R D) was calculated from refractive index data. The results were discussed in terms of hydrophilic-ionic, hydrophilic-hydrophobic, and hydrophobic-hydrophobic interactions, and structure-making/-breaking ability of the solute (AAs/peptide) in aqueous d-galactose solutions.

  19. Isolation and structures of glycoprotein-derived free oligosaccharides from the unfertilized eggs of Scyliorhinus caniculus. Characterization of the sequences galactose(alpha 1-4)galactose(beta 1-3)-N-acetylglucosamine and N-acetylneuraminic acid(alpha 2-6)galactose(beta 1-3)-N-acetylglucosamine.

    PubMed

    Plancke, Y; Delplace, F; Wieruszeski, J M; Maes, E; Strecker, G

    1996-01-15

    As previously reported [Ishii, K., Iwasaki, M., Inoue, S., Kenny, P. T. M., Komura, H. & Inoue, Y. (1989) J. Biol. Chem. 264, 1623-1630; Inoue, S., Iwasaki, M., Ishii, K., Kitajima, K. & Inoue, Y. (1989) J. Biol. Chem. 264, 18520-185261, the unfertilized eggs of two different species of fresh-water fish, Plecoglossus altivelis and Tribodolon hakonensis, contain relatively large amounts of free sialooligosaccharides. These oligosaccharides were found to derive from glycophosphoproteins, owing to the activity of a peptide - N4-(N-acetyl-beta-D-glucosaminyl)asparagine amidase [Iwasaki, M., Seko, A., Kitajima, K., Inoue, Y. & Inoue, S. (1992) J. Biol. Chem. 267, 24287-24296; Seko, A., Kitajima, K., Inoue, Y. & Inoue, S. (1991) J. Biol. Chem. 266, 22110-22114]. Here we describe a new type of free oligosaccharides, isolated from unfertilized eggs of Scyliorhinus caniculus. From the structural analysis, based upon 1H-NMR spectroscopy, the following glycan units are proposed.[Formula: see text

  20. The Most Abundant Glycoprotein of Amebic Cyst Walls (Jacob) Is a Lectin with Five Cys-Rich, Chitin-Binding Domains

    PubMed Central

    Frisardi, Marta; Ghosh, Sudip K.; Field, Jessica; Van Dellen, Katrina; Rogers, Rick; Robbins, Phillips; Samuelson, John

    2000-01-01

    The infectious stage of amebae is the chitin-walled cyst, which is resistant to stomach acids. In this study an extraordinarily abundant, encystation-specific glycoprotein (Jacob) was identified on two-dimensional protein gels of cyst walls purified from Entamoeba invadens. Jacob, which was acidic and had an apparent molecular mass of ∼100 kDa, contained sugars that bound to concanavalin A and ricin. The jacob gene encoded a 45-kDa protein with a ladder-like series of five Cys-rich domains. These Cys-rich domains were reminiscent of but not homologous to the Cys-rich chitin-binding domains of insect chitinases and peritrophic matrix proteins that surround the food bolus in the insect gut. Jacob bound purified chitin and chitin remaining in sodium dodecyl sulfate-treated cyst walls. Conversely, the E. histolytica plasma membrane Gal/GalNAc lectin bound sugars of intact cyst walls and purified Jacob. In the presence of galactose, E. invadens formed wall-less cysts, which were quadranucleate and contained Jacob and chitinase (another encystation-specific protein) in secretory vesicles. A galactose lectin was found to be present on the surface of wall-less cysts, which phagocytosed bacteria and mucin-coated beads. These results suggest that the E. invadens cyst wall forms when the plasma membrane galactose lectin binds sugars on Jacob, which in turn binds chitin via its five chitin-binding domains. PMID:10858239

  1. Examination of an aloe vera galacturonate polysaccharide capable of in situ gelation for the controlled release of protein therapeutics

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    McConaughy, Shawn David

    A therapeutic delivery platform has been investigated with the ultimate goal of designing a sustained protein release matrix utilizing an in-situ gelling, acidic polysaccharide derived from the Aloe vera plant. The Aloe vera polysaccharide (AvP) has been examined in order to determine how chemical composition, structure, molecular weight and solution behavior affect gelation and protein/peptide delivery. Correlations are drawn between structural characteristics and solution behavior in order to determine the impact of polymer conformation and solvation on gel formation under conditions designed to simulate nasal applications. Steady state and dynamic rheology, classic and dynamic light scattering, zeta potential, pulse field gradient nuclear magnetic resonance and fluorescence spectroscopy have been employed to gain insight into the effects of galacturonic acid content, degree of methylation, entanglement and ionic strength on both solution behavior and the hydrogel state which ultimately governs protein/peptide release. This dissertation is divided into two sections. In the first section, a series of Aloe vera polysaccharides (AvP), from the pectin family have been structurally characterized indicating high galacturonic acid (GalA) content, low degree of methylester substitution (DM), low numbers of rhamnose residues and high molecular weight with respect to pectins extracted from traditional sources. The behavior of AvP was examined utilizing dilute solution, low-shear rheological techniques for specific molecular weight samples at selected conditions of ionic strength. From these dilute aqueous solution studies, the Mark-Houwink-Sakurada (MHS) constants (K and alpha), persistence length (Lp) and inherent chain stiffness (B parameter) were determined, indicating an expanded random coil in aqueous salt solutions. The critical concentration for transition from dilute to concentrated solution, C e, was determined by measuring both the zero shear viscosity and fluorescence emission of the probe molecule 1,8-anilino-1-naphthalene sulphonic acid (1,8-ANS) as a function of polymer concentration. Correlations are drawn between viscosity experiments and measurement of zeta potential. Increased degrees of intermolecular interactions are responsible for a shift of Ce to lower polymer concentrations with increasing ionic strength. Additionally, dynamic rheology data are presented highlighting the ability of AvP to form gels at low polymer and calcium ion concentrations, exemplifying the technological potential of this polysaccharide for in-situ drug delivery. In the second section, properties of Aloe vera galacturonate hydrogels formed via Ca2+ crosslinking have been studied in regard to key parameters influencing gel formation including molecular weight, ionic strength and molar ratio of Ca2+ to COO- functionality. Dynamic oscillatory rheology and pulsed field gradient NMR (PFG-NMR) studies have been conducted on hydrogels formed at specified Ca2+ concentrations in the presence and absence of Na+ and K+ ions, in order to assess the feasibility of in situ gelation for controlled delivery of therapeutics. Aqueous Ca2+ concentrations similar to those present in nasal and subcutaneous fluids induce the formation of elastic Aloe vera polysaccharide (AvP) hydrogel networks. By altering the ratio of Ca2+ to COO- functionality, networks may be tailored to provide elastic modulus (G') values between 20 and 20,000 Pa. The Aloe vera polysaccharide exhibits time dependent phase separation in the presence of monovalent electrolytes. Thus the relative rates of calcium induced gelation and phase separation become major considerations when designing a system for in situ delivery applications where both monovalent (Na+, K+) and divalent (Ca2+) ions are present. PFG-NMR and fluorescence microscopy confirm that distinctly different morphologies are present in gels formed in the presence and absence 0.15 M NaCl. Curve fitting of theoretical models to experimental release profiles of fluorescein labeled dextrans indicate diffusion rates are related to hydrogel morphology. These studies suggest that for efficient in situ release of therapeutic agents, polymer concentrations should be maintained above the critical entanglement concentration (Ce, 0.60 wt%) when [Ca2+]/[COO -] ratios are less than 1. Additionally, the monovalent electrolyte concentration in AvP solutions should not exceed 0.10 M prior to Ca 2+ crosslinking.

  2. The galactose-binding lectin isolated from Bauhinia bauhinioides Mart seeds inhibits neutrophil rolling and adhesion via primary cytokines.

    PubMed

    Girão, Deysen Kerlla Fernandes Bezerra; Cavada, Benildo Sousa; de Freitas Pires, Alana; Martins, Timna Varela; Franco, Álvaro Xavier; Morais, Cecília Mendes; Santiago do Nascimento, Kyria; Delatorre, Plinio; da Silva, Helton Colares; Nagano, Celso Shiniti; Assreuy, Ana Maria Sampaio; Soares, Pedro Marcos Gomes

    2015-05-01

    In this study, the amino acid sequence and anti-inflammatory effect of Bauhinia bauhinioides (BBL) lectin were evaluated. Tandem mass spectrometry revealed that BBL possesses 86 amino acid residues. BBL (1 mg/kg) intravenously injected in rats 30 min prior to inflammatory stimuli inhibited the cellular edema induced by carrageenan in only the second phase (21% - 3 h, 19% - 4 h) and did not alter the osmotic edema induced by dextran. BBL also inhibited carrageenan peritoneal neutrophil migration (51%), leukocyte rolling (58%) and adhesion (68%) and the neutrophil migration induced by TNF-α (64%). These effects were reversed by the association of BBL with galactose, demonstrating that the carbohydrate-binding domain is essential for lectin activity. In addition, BBL reduced myeloperoxidase activity (84%) and TNF-α (68%) and IL1-β (47%) levels. In conclusion, the present investigation demonstrated that BBL contains highly homologous isolectins, resulting in a total of 86 amino acid residues, and exhibits anti-inflammatory activity by inhibiting neutrophil migration by reducing TNF-α and IL1-β levels via the lectin domain. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

  3. Oleanane-type triterpene saponins from Calendula stellata.

    PubMed

    Lehbili, Meryem; Alabdul Magid, Abdulmagid; Kabouche, Ahmed; Voutquenne-Nazabadioko, Laurence; Abedini, Amin; Morjani, Hamid; Sarazin, Thomas; Gangloff, Sophie C; Kabouche, Zahia

    2017-12-01

    Five previously undescribed bisdesmosidic triterpenoid saponins named calendustellatosides A-E, along with fifteen known compounds were isolated from the 70% ethanol whole plant extract of Calendula stellata Cav. (Asteraceae). Their structures were determined by 1D- and 2D-NMR spectroscopy as well as high resolution mass spectrometry and acid hydrolysis. The saponins comprised oleanolic acid, echinocystic acid, morolic acid or mesembryanthemoidigenic acid as the aglycones and saccharide moieties at C-3 and C-28. Like most Calendula saponins, the sugar moiety linked at C-3 was either β-d-glucose or β-d-glucuronic acid which could be substituted at C-3 by a β-d-galactose and/or C-2 by a supplementary β-d-galactose or a β-d-glucose. The sugar moiety linked to C-28 was determined as β-d-glucose. The antibacterial evaluation of compounds 1-20 by bioautography on Staphylococcus aureus followed by the determination of MIC values of active compounds by serial dilution technique against 5 bacteria revealed that; calendustellatoside D was the most active against Enterococcus faecalis with an antibacterial effect comparable to antibiotics. The cytotoxic activities of isolated compounds were evaluated against fibrosarcoma cell line (HT1080) and human lung cancer cell line (A549). Calendustellatosides B and D exhibited a low cytotoxic activity against HT1080 cell line with IC 50 values of 47 ± 0.6 and 39 ± 0.5 μM, respectively. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  4. Quantitative reconstruction of the nonvolatile sensometabolome of a red wine.

    PubMed

    Hufnagel, Jan Carlos; Hofmann, Thomas

    2008-10-08

    The first comprehensive quantitative determination of 82 putative taste-active metabolites and mineral salts, the ranking of these compounds in their sensory impact based on dose-over-threshold (DoT) factors, followed by the confirmation of their sensory relevance by taste reconstruction and omission experiments enabled the decoding of the nonvolatile sensometabolome of a red wine. For the first time, the bitterness of the red wine could be demonstrated to be induced by subthreshold concentrations of phenolic acid ethyl esters and flavan-3-ols. Whereas the velvety astringent onset was imparted by three flavon-3-ol glucosides and dihydroflavon-3-ol rhamnosides, the puckering astringent offset was caused by a polymeric fraction exhibiting molecular masses above >5 kDa and was found to be amplified by the organic acids. The perceived sourness was imparted by l-tartaric acid, d-galacturonic acid, acetic acid, succinic acid, l-malic acid, and l-lactic acid and was slightly suppressed by the chlorides of potassium, magnesium, and ammonium, respectively. In addition, d-fructose and glycerol as well as subthreshold concentrations of glucose, 1,2-propandiol, and myo-inositol were found to be responsible for the sweetness, whereas the mouthfulness and body of the red wine were induced only by glycerol, 1,2-propandiol, and myo-inositol.

  5. Isolation of Erwinia chrysanthemi kduD mutants altered in pectin degradation.

    PubMed Central

    Condemine, G; Hugouvieux-Cotte-Pattat, N; Robert-Baudouy, J

    1986-01-01

    Mutants of Erwinia chrysanthemi impaired in pectin degradation were isolated by chemical and Mu d(Ap lac) insertion mutagenesis. A mutation in the kduD gene coding for 2-keto-3-deoxygluconate oxidoreductase prevented the growth of the bacteria on polygalacturonate as the sole carbon source. Analysis of the kduD::Mu d(Ap lac) insertions indicated that kduD is either an isolated gene or the last gene of a polycistronic operon. Some of the Mu d(Ap lac) insertions were kduD-lac fusions in which beta-galactosidase synthesis reflected kduD gene expression. In all these fusions, beta-galactosidase activity was shown to be sensitive to catabolite repression by glucose and to be inducible by polygalacturonate, galacturonate, and other intermediates of polygalacturonate catabolism. Galacturonate-mediated induction was prevented by a mutation which blocked its metabolism to 2-keto-3-deoxygluconate. 2-Keto-3-deoxygluconate appeared to be the true inducer of kduD expression resulting from galacturonate degradation. 5-Keto-4-deoxyuronate or 2,5-diketo-3-deoxygluconate were the true inducers, originating from polygalacturonate cleavage. These three intermediates also appeared to induce pectate lyases, oligogalacturonate lyase, and 5-keto-4-deoxyuronate isomerase synthesis. PMID:3949717

  6. Extraction and characterisation of pomace pectin from gold kiwifruit (Actinidia chinensis).

    PubMed

    Yuliarti, Oni; Goh, Kelvin K T; Matia-Merino, Lara; Mawson, John; Brennan, Charles

    2015-11-15

    Gold kiwifruit pomace extracted using citric acid, water and enzyme (Celluclast 1.5L) were studied in terms of pectin yield, protein, ash, non-starch polysaccharide, galacturonic acid (GalA), neutral sugar composition, molar mass (Mw), viscosity and degree of branching. Water-extracted pectin was considered closest to its native form. Enzyme extracted pectin showed the highest yield (∼ 4.5%w/w) as compared with the acid and water extraction methods (∼ 3.6-3.8%w/w). Pectin obtained from different extraction methods showed different degree of branching. The Mw and root mean square (RMS) radius varied with the extraction methods with values of 8.4 × 10(5) g/mol and 92 nm, 8.5 × 10(5)g/mol and 102 nm, 6.7 × 10(5) g/mol and 52 nm for acid, water and enzymatic extraction methods, respectively. Similar trend was observed for pectin viscosity, with water-extracted pectin giving a slightly higher viscosity followed by acid and enzyme-extracted pectin. This study showed that gold kiwifruit pomace pectin has potential application in food products. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  7. A novel promising strain of Trichoderma evansii (WF-3) for extracellular α-galactosidase production by utilizing different carbon sources under optimized culture conditions.

    PubMed

    Chauhan, Aishwarya; Siddiqi, Nikhat Jamal; Sharma, Bechan

    2014-01-01

    A potential fungal strain of Trichoderma sp. (WF-3) was isolated and selected for the production of α-galactosidase. Optimum conditions for mycelial growth and enzyme induction were determined. Basal media selected for the growth of fungal isolate containing different carbon sources like guar gum (GG), soya bean meal (SM), and wheat straw (WS) and combinations of these carbon substrates with basic sugars like galactose and sucrose were used to monitor their effects on α-galactosidase production. The results of this study indicated that galactose and sucrose enhanced the enzyme activity in guar gum (GG) and wheat straw (WS). Maximum α-galactosidase production (213.63 U mL(-1)) was obtained when the basic medium containing GG is supplemented with galactose (5 mg/mL). However, the presence of galactose and sucrose alone in the growth media shows no effect. Soya meal alone was able to support T. evansii to produce maximum enzyme activity (170.36 U mL(-1)). The incubation time, temperature, and pH for the maximum enzyme synthesis were found to be 120 h (5 days), 28°C, and 4.5-5.5, respectively. All the carbon sources tested exhibited maximum enzyme production at 10 mg/mL concentration. Among the metal ions tested, Hg was found to be the strongest inhibitor of the enzyme. Among the chelators, EDTA acted as stronger inhibitor than succinic acid.

  8. A Novel Promising Strain of Trichoderma evansii (WF-3) for Extracellular α-Galactosidase Production by Utilizing Different Carbon Sources under Optimized Culture Conditions

    PubMed Central

    Chauhan, Aishwarya; Siddiqi, Nikhat Jamal

    2014-01-01

    A potential fungal strain of Trichoderma sp. (WF-3) was isolated and selected for the production of α-galactosidase. Optimum conditions for mycelial growth and enzyme induction were determined. Basal media selected for the growth of fungal isolate containing different carbon sources like guar gum (GG), soya bean meal (SM), and wheat straw (WS) and combinations of these carbon substrates with basic sugars like galactose and sucrose were used to monitor their effects on α-galactosidase production. The results of this study indicated that galactose and sucrose enhanced the enzyme activity in guar gum (GG) and wheat straw (WS). Maximum α-galactosidase production (213.63 UmL−1) was obtained when the basic medium containing GG is supplemented with galactose (5 mg/mL). However, the presence of galactose and sucrose alone in the growth media shows no effect. Soya meal alone was able to support T. evansii to produce maximum enzyme activity (170.36 UmL−1). The incubation time, temperature, and pH for the maximum enzyme synthesis were found to be 120 h (5 days), 28°C, and 4.5–5.5, respectively. All the carbon sources tested exhibited maximum enzyme production at 10 mg/mL concentration. Among the metal ions tested, Hg was found to be the strongest inhibitor of the enzyme. Among the chelators, EDTA acted as stronger inhibitor than succinic acid. PMID:25126562

  9. Efficient production of free fatty acids from soybean meal carbohydrates.

    PubMed

    Wang, Dan; Thakker, Chandresh; Liu, Ping; Bennett, George N; San, Ka-Yiu

    2015-11-01

    Conversion of biomass feedstock to chemicals and fuels has attracted increasing attention recently. Soybean meal, containing significant quantities of carbohydrates, is an inexpensive renewable feedstock. Glucose, galactose, and fructose can be obtained by enzymatic hydrolysis of soluble carbohydrates of soybean meal. Free fatty acids (FFAs) are valuable molecules that can be used as precursors for the production of fuels and other value-added chemicals. In this study, free fatty acids were produced by mutant Escherichia coli strains with plasmid pXZ18Z (carrying acyl-ACP thioesterase (TE) and (3R)-hydroxyacyl-ACP dehydratase) using individual sugars, sugar mixtures, and enzymatic hydrolyzed soybean meal extract. For individual sugar fermentations, strain ML211 (MG1655 fadD(-) fabR(-) )/pXZ18Z showed the best performance, which produced 4.22, 3.79, 3.49 g/L free fatty acids on glucose, fructose, and galactose, respectively. While the strain ML211/pXZ18Z performed the best with individual sugars, however, for sugar mixture fermentation, the triple mutant strain XZK211 (MG1655 fadD(-) fabR(-) ptsG(-) )/pXZ18Z with an additional deletion of ptsG encoding the glucose-specific transporter, functioned the best due to relieved catabolite repression. This strain produced approximately 3.18 g/L of fatty acids with a yield of 0.22 g fatty acids/g total sugar. Maximum free fatty acids production of 2.78 g/L with a high yield of 0.21 g/g was achieved using soybean meal extract hydrolysate. The results suggested that soybean meal carbohydrates after enzymatic treatment could serve as an inexpensive feedstock for the efficient production of free fatty acids. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  10. The binding of decomposition products of UDP-galactose to the microsomes and polyribosomes isolated from rat liver.

    PubMed

    Kopacz-Jodczyk, T; Gałasiński, W

    1987-10-01

    UDP-D-[U-14C]galactose is decomposed to [U-14C]galactose-1-phosphate and [U-14C]galactose by rat liver microsomal and crude polyribosomal fractions, under conditions commonly used to assay of glycosyltransferase activities. UDP-D-[U-14C]galactose, at neutral pH, is also chemically degraded to the [U-14C]galactose-1,2-cyclic phosphate. The 1,2-cyclic phosphate derivative of galactose also exists in the commercial UDP-D-[U-14C]galactose. It is a very important finding that products of the UDP-D-[U-14C]galactose decomposition are tightly, although nonenzymatically, bound to tested subcellular fractions and may create a false impression of protein glycosylation. The application of controls containing all radioactive substances present in suitable samples is recommended in order to avoid incorrect interpretations of the results.

  11. Binding of decomposition products of UDP-galactose to the microsomes and polyribosomes isolated from rat liver

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Kopacz-Jodczyk, T.; Galasinski, W.

    1987-10-01

    UDP-D-(U-/sup 14/C)galactose is decomposed to (U-/sup 14/C)galactose-1-phosphate and (U-/sup 14/C)galactose by rat liver microsomal and crude polyribosomal fractions, under conditions commonly used to assay of glycosyltransferase activities. UDP-D-(U-/sup 14/C)galactose, at neutral pH, is also chemically degraded to the (U-/sup 14/C)galactose-1,2-cyclic phosphate. The 1,2-cyclic phosphate derivative of galactose also exists in the commercial UDP-D-(U-/sup 14/C)galactose. It is a very important finding that products of the UDP-D-(U-/sup 14/C)galactose decomposition are tightly, although nonenzymatically, bound to tested subcellular fractions and may create a false impression of protein glycosylation. The application of controls containing all radioactive substances present in suitable samples is recommended inmore » order to avoid incorrect interpretations of the results.« less

  12. Galactose metabolism and toxicity in Ustilago maydis.

    PubMed

    Schuler, David; Höll, Christina; Grün, Nathalie; Ulrich, Jonas; Dillner, Bastian; Klebl, Franz; Ammon, Alexandra; Voll, Lars M; Kämper, Jörg

    2018-05-01

    In most organisms, galactose is metabolized via the Leloir pathway, which is conserved from bacteria to mammals. Utilization of galactose requires a close interplay of the metabolic enzymes, as misregulation or malfunction of individual components can lead to the accumulation of toxic intermediate compounds. For the phytopathogenic basidiomycete Ustilago maydis, galactose is toxic for wildtype strains, i.e. leads to growth repression despite the presence of favorable carbon sources as sucrose. The galactose sensitivity can be relieved by two independent modifications: (1) by disruption of Hxt1, which we identify as the major transporter for galactose, and (2) by a point mutation in the gene encoding the galactokinase Gal1, the first enzyme of the Leloir pathway. The mutation in gal1(Y67F) leads to reduced enzymatic activity of Gal1 and thus may limit the formation of putatively toxic galactose-1-phosphate. However, systematic deletions and double deletions of different genes involved in galactose metabolism point to a minor role of galactose-1-phosphate in galactose toxicity. Our results show that molecular triggers for galactose toxicity in U. maydis differ from yeast and mammals. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  13. EPA or DHA enhanced oxidative stress and aging protein expression in brain of d-galactose treated mice.

    PubMed

    Hsu, Yuan-Man; Yin, Mei-Chin

    2016-06-01

    Effects of eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA, 20:5) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA, 22:6) upon fatty acid composition, oxidative and inflammatory factors and aging proteins in brain of d-galactose (DG) treated aging mice were examined. Each fatty acid at 7 mg/kg BW/week was supplied for 8 weeks. Brain aging was induced by DG treatment (100 mg/kg body weight) via daily subcutaneous injection for 8 weeks. DG, EPA and DHA treatments changed brain fatty acid composition. DG down-regulated brain Bcl-2 expression and up-regulated Bax expression. Compared with DG groups, EPA and DHA further enhanced Bax expression. DG decreased glutathione content, increased reactive oxygen species (ROS) and oxidized glutathione (GSSG) production, the intake of EPA or DHA caused greater ROS and GSSG formation. DG treatments up-regulated the protein expression of p47(phox) and gp91(phox), and the intake of EPA or DHA led to greater p47(phox) and gp91(phox) expression. DG increased brain prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) levels, and cyclooxygenase (COX)-2 expression and activity, the intake of EPA or DHA reduced brain COX-2 activity and PGE2 formation. DG enhanced brain p53, p16 and p21 expression. EPA and DHA intake led to greater p21 expression, and EPA only caused greater p53 and p16 expression. These findings suggest that these two PUFAs have toxic effects toward aging brain.

  14. Preparation of low galactose yogurt using cultures of Gal(+) Streptococcus thermophilus in combination with Lactobacillus delbrueckii ssp. bulgaricus.

    PubMed

    Anbukkarasi, Kaliyaperumal; UmaMaheswari, Thiyagamoorthy; Hemalatha, Thiagarajan; Nanda, Dhiraj Kumar; Singh, Prashant; Singh, Rameshwar

    2014-09-01

    Streptococcus thermophilus is an important lactic starter used in the production of yogurt. Most strains of S. thermophilus are galactose negative (Gal(-)) and are able to metabolize only glucose portion of lactose and expel galactose into the medium. This metabolic defect leads to the accumulation of free galactose in yogurt, resulting in galactosemia among consumers. Hence there is an absolute need to develop low galactose yogurt. Therefore, in this study, three galactose positive (Gal(+)) S. thermophilus strains from National Collection of Dairy Cultures (NCDC) viz. NCDC 659 (AJM), NCDC 660 (JM1), NCDC 661 (KM3) and a reference galactose negative (Gal(-)) S. thermophilus NCDC 218 were used for preparation of low galactose yogurt. In milk fermented using S. thermophilus isolates alone, NCDC 659 released less galactose (0.27 %) followed by NCDC 661 (0.3 %) and NCDC 660 (0.45 %) after 10 h at 42 °C. Milk was fermented in combination with Gal(-) L. delbrueckii subsp. bulgaricus NCDC 04, in which NCDC 659 released least galactose upto 0.49 % followed by NCDC 661 (0.51 %) and NCDC 660 (0.60 %) than reference Gal(-) NCDC 218(0.79 %). Low galactose yogurt was prepared following standard procedure using Gal(+) S. thermophilus isolates and Gal(-) L. delbrueckii subsp. bulgaricus NCDC 04 in 1:1 ratio. Among which low galactose yogurt by NCDC 659 combination contained less galactose 0.37 % followed by NCDC 661 (0.51 %), NCDC 660 (0.65 %) and reference Gal(-) NCDC 218 (0.98 %) after 4 h of fermentation. This study clearly reveals that Gal(+) S. thermophilus isolates can be paired with Gal(-) L. delbrueckii subsp. bulgaricus for developing low galactose yogurt.

  15. Ferulic acid ameliorates memory impairment in d-galactose-induced aging mouse model.

    PubMed

    Yang, Honggai; Qu, Zhuo; Zhang, Jingze; Huo, Liqin; Gao, Jing; Gao, Wenyuan

    2016-11-01

    Ferulic acid (FA) acts as a powerful antioxidant against various age-related diseases. To investigate the effect and underlying mechanism of FA against d-galactose(d-gal)-induced memory deficit, mice were injected with d-gal to induce memory impairment and simultaneously treated with FA and donepezil. The behavioral results revealed that chronic FA treatment reversed d-gal-induced memory impairment. Further, FA treatment inhibited d-gal-induced AChE activity and oxidative stress via increase of superoxide dismutase activity and reduced glutathione content, as well as decrease of malondialdehyde and nitric oxide levels. We also observed that FA significantly inhibits inflammation in the brain through reduction of NF-κB and IL-1β by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Additionally, FA treatment significantly reduces the caspase-3 level in the hippocampus of d-gal-treated mice. Hematoxylin and eosin and Nissl staining showed that FA prevents neurodegeneration induced by d-gal. These findings showed that FA inhibits d-gal-induced AChE activity, oxidative stress, neuroinflammation and neurodegeneration, and consequently ameliorates memory impairment.

  16. Amino acid sequence of the Fv region of a human monoclonal IgM (protein WEA) with antibody activity against 3,4-pyruvylated galactose in Klebsiella polysaccharides K30 and K33.

    PubMed Central

    Goñi, F; Frangione, B

    1983-01-01

    We have determined the amino acid sequence of the Fv [variable heavy (VH) and variable light (VL)] region of a human monoclonal IgM-kappa with antibody activity against 3,4-pyruvylated galactose, isolated from the plasma of patient WEA with Waldenström macroglobulinemia. The VH region has 114 residues, belongs to subgroup III, and has a very short third complementarity-determining region (CDR3), probably due to a small D segment/or an unusual D-J rearrangement (D, diversity; J, joining). The VL region has 108 residues and belongs to subgroup V kappa I. Compared to other members of the human VHIII and V kappa I families, WEA Fv does not appear to have significant differences within the framework residues but has unique CDRs that might be responsible for the particular antibody activity. Another IgM-kappa (GAL), which has an as-yet-undetermined antibody activity, shares a striking homology in V kappa with WEA, including an identical CDR1. PMID:6410398

  17. Enhanced isoprene biosynthesis in Saccharomyces cerevisiae by engineering of the native acetyl-CoA and mevalonic acid pathways with a push-pull-restrain strategy.

    PubMed

    Lv, Xiaomei; Xie, Wenping; Lu, Wenqiang; Guo, Fei; Gu, Jiali; Yu, Hongwei; Ye, Lidan

    2014-09-30

    To explore the capacity of isoprene production in Saccharomyces cerevisiae, a rational push-pull-restrain strategy was proposed to engineer the mevalonic acid (MVA) and acetyl-CoA pathways. The strategy can be decomposed into the up-regulation of precursor supply in the acetyl-CoA module and the MVA pathway (push-strategy), increase of the isoprene branch flux (pull-strategy), and down-regulation of the competing pathway (restrain-strategy). Furthermore, to reduce the production cost arising from galactose addition and meanwhile maintain the high expression of Gal promoters, the galactose regulatory network was modulated by Gal80p deletion. Finally, the engineered strain YXM10-ispS-ispS could accumulate up to 37 mg/L isoprene (about 782-fold increase compared to the parental strain) under aerobic conditions with glycerol-sucrose as carbon source. In this way, a new potential platform for isoprene production was established via metabolic engineering of the yeast native pathways. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  18. Sequential acid and enzymatic hydrolysis in situ and bioethanol production from Gracilaria biomass.

    PubMed

    Wu, Fang-Chen; Wu, Jane-Yii; Liao, Yi-Jyun; Wang, Man-Ying; Shih, Ing-Lung

    2014-03-01

    Gracilaria sp., a red alga, was used as a feedstock for the production of bioethanol. Saccharification of Gracilaria sp. by sequential acid and enzyme hydrolysis in situ produced a high quality hydrolysate that ensured its fermentability to produce ethanol. The optimal saccharification process resulted in total 11.85g/L (59.26%) of glucose and galactose, Saccharomyces cerevisiae Wu-Y2 showed a good performance on co-fermentability of glucose and galactose released in the hydrolysate from Gracilaria sp. The final ethanol concentrations of 4.72g/L (0.48g/g sugar consumed; 94% conversion efficiency) and the ethanol productivity 4.93g/L/d were achieved. 1g of dry Gracilaria can be converted to 0.236g (23.6%) of bioethanol via the processes developed. Efficient alcohol production by immobilized S. cerevisiae Wu-Y2 in batch and repeated batch fermentation was also demonstrated. The findings of this study revealed that Gracilaria sp. can be a potential feedstock in biorefinery for ethanol production. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  19. Carbohydrate metabolism changes in Prunus persica gummosis infected with Lasiodiplodia theobromae.

    PubMed

    Li, Z; Gao, L; Wang, Y T; Zhu, W; Ye, J L; Li, G H

    2014-05-01

    Peach gummosis represents a significant global disease of stone fruit trees and a major disease in the south peach production area of the Yangtze River of China. In this study, the carbohydrate composition of peach shoots during infection by Lasiodiplodia theobromae was examined. The expression of genes related to metabolic enzymes was also investigated. Control wounded and noninoculated tissue, lesion tissue, and wounded and inoculated surrounding lesion tissue of peach shoots were analyzed. Soluble sugars, glucose, mannose, arabinose, and xylose significantly increased in inoculated tissues of peach shoots compared with control tissues at different times after inoculation. Accumulation of polysaccharides was also observed by section observation and periodic acid Schiff's reagent staining during infection. Analysis using quantitative reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction revealed that the abundance of key transcripts on the synthesis pathway of uridine diphosphate (UDP)-D-glucuronate, UDP-D-galactose, and UDP-D-arabinose increased but the synthesis of L-galactose and guanosine diphosphate-L-galactose were inhibited. After inoculation, the transcript levels of sugar transport-related genes (namely, SUT, SOT, GMT, and UGT) was induced. These changes in sugar content and gene expression were directly associated with peach gum polysaccharide formation and may be responsible for the symptoms of peach gummosis.

  20. Structure, properties and enhanced expression of galactose-binding C-type lectins in mucous cells of gills from freshwater Japanese eels (Anguilla japonica).

    PubMed

    Mistry, A C; Honda, S; Hirose, S

    2001-11-15

    Using a Japanese-eel (Anguilla japonica) gill cDNA subtraction library, two novel beta-d-galactose-binding lectins were identified that belong to group VII of the animal C-type lectin family. The eel C-type lectins, termed eCL-1 and eCL-2, are simple lectins composed of 163 amino acid residues, including a 22-residue signal peptide for secretion and a single carbohydrate-recognition domain (CRD) of approximately 130 residues typical of C-type lectins. The galactose specificity of the CRD was suggested by the presence of a QPD motif and confirmed by a competitive binding assay. Using Ruthenium Red staining, the lectins were shown to bind Ca(2+) ions. SDS/PAGE showed that native eCL-1 and eCL-2 have an SDS-resistant octameric structure (a tetramer of disulphide-linked dimers). Northern and Western blot analyses demonstrated high-level expression of eCL-1 and eCL-2 mRNAs and their protein products in gills from freshwater eels, which decreased markedly when the eels were transferred from freshwater to seawater. Immunohistochemistry showed that the eel lectins are localized in the exocrine mucous cells of the gill.

  1. Lactose uptake driven by galactose efflux in Streptococcus thermophilus: Evidence for a galactose-lactose antiporter

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Hutkins, R.W.; Ponne, C.

    1991-04-01

    Galactose-nonfermenting (Gal{sup {minus}}) Streptococcus thermophilus TS2 releases galactose into the extracellular medium when grown in medium containing excess lactose. Starved and de-energized Gal{sup {minus}} cells, however, could be loaded with galactose to levels approximately equal to the extracellular concentration (0 to 50 mM). When loaded cells were separated from the medium and resuspended in fresh broth containing 5 mM lactose, galactose efflux occurred. De-energized, galactose-loaded cells, resuspended in buffer or medium, accumulated ({sup 14}C)lactose at a greater rate and to significantly higher intracellular concentrations than unloaded cells. Uptake of lactose by loaded cells was inhibited more than that by unloadedmore » cells in the presence of extracellular galactose, indicating that a galactose gradient was involved in the exchange system. When de-energized, galactose-loaded cells were resuspended in carbohydrate-free medium at pH 6.7, a proton motive force ({Delta}p) of 86 to 90 mV was formed, whereas de-energized, nonloaded cells maintained a {Delta}p of about 56 mV. However, uptake of lactose by loaded cells occurred when the proton motive force was abolished by the addition of an uncoupler or in the presence of a proton-translocating ATPase inhibitor. These results support the hypothesis that galactose efflux in Gal{sup {minus}} S. thermophilus is electrogenic and that the exchange reaction (lactose uptake and galactose efflux) probably occurs via an antiporter system.« less

  2. Extraction and characterization of polysaccharides from Semen Cassiae by microwave-assisted aqueous two-phase extraction coupled with spectroscopy and HPLC.

    PubMed

    Chen, Zhi; Zhang, Wei; Tang, Xunyou; Fan, Huajun; Xie, Xiujuan; Wan, Qiang; Wu, Xuehao; Tang, James Z

    2016-06-25

    A novel and rapid method for simultaneous extraction and separation of the different polysaccharides from Semen Cassiae (SC) was developed by microwave-assisted aqueous two-phase extraction (MAATPE) in a one-step procedure. Using ethanol/ammonium sulfate system as a multiphase solvent, the effects of MAATPE on the extraction of polysaccharides from SC such as the composition of the ATPS, extraction time, temperature and solvent-to-material ratio were investigated by UV-vis analysis. Under the optimum conditions, the yields of polysaccharides were 4.49% for the top phase, 8.80% for the bottom phase and 13.29% for total polysaccharides, respectively. Compared with heating solvent extraction and ultrasonic assisted extraction, MAATPE exhibited the higher extraction yields in shorter time. Fourier-transform infrared spectra showed that two polysaccharides extracted from SC to the top and bottom phases by MAATPE were different from each other in their chemical structures. Through acid hydrolysis and PMP derivatization prior to HPLC, analytical results by indicated that a polysaccharide of the top phases was a relatively homogeneous homepolysaccharide composed of dominant gucose glucose while that of the bottom phase was a water-soluble heteropolysaccharide with multiple components of glucose, xylose, arabinose, galactose, mannose and glucuronic acid. Molar ratios of monosaccharides were 95.13:4.27:0.60 of glucose: arabinose: galactose for the polysaccharide from the top phase and 62.96:14.07:6.67: 6.67:5.19:4.44 of glucose: xylose: arabinose: galactose: mannose: glucuronic acid for that from the bottom phase, respectively. The mechanism for MAATPE process was also discussed in detail. MAATPE with the aid of microwave and the selectivity of the ATPS not only improved yields of the extraction, but also obtained a variety of polysaccharides. Hence, it was proved as a green, efficient and promising alternative to simultaneous extraction of polysaccharides from SC. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  3. The allelochemical trans-cinnamic acid stimulates salicylic acid production and galactose pathway in maize leaves: A potential mechanism of stress tolerance.

    PubMed

    Araniti, Fabrizio; Lupini, Antonio; Mauceri, Antonio; Zumbo, Antonino; Sunseri, Francesco; Abenavoli, Maria Rosa

    2018-05-05

    In this study, the effects (5 days) of the secondary metabolite trans-cinnamic acid on maize leaves (Zea mays L.), through a physiological and an untargeted metabolomic approach, were evaluated. A reduction in leaf growth and development accompanied by a decrease in protein content was observed in treated seedlings. Besides, trans-cinnamic acid stimulated the photosynthetic machinery with a significant increment in pigment content (chlorophyll a, b and carotenoids), a stimulation of the light adapted PSII efficiency (ɸ II ) as well as the chlorophyll a fluorescence (Y NO ), the apparent electron transport rate, and the regulated dissipation of the energy (Y NPQ ). By contrast, the dark adapted PSII parameter (Fv/Fm) was not affected suggesting that no physical damages to the antenna complex were caused by trans-cinnamic acid. These results suggested that maize seedlings were experiencing a stress but, at the same time, were able to cope with it. This hypothesis was confirmed by both the increment in benzoic and salicylic acids, important molecules involved in stress response, and the metabolomic results, which pointed out that the seedlings are directing their metabolism towards galactose production modulating its pathway, which is pivotal for the production of the antioxidant compound ascorbic acid (ASA). Indeed, in treated plants, a significant increment in total ASA content (28%) was observed. The results suggested that the main strategy adopted by plants to cope with trans-cinnamic-induced stress consisted in the modulation of their metabolism in order to increase the total ASA and carotenoids concentration, radical scavenging species. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

  4. Comparative glycopattern analysis of mucins in the Brunner's glands of the guinea-pig and the house mouse (Rodentia).

    PubMed

    Scillitani, Giovanni; Mentino, Donatella

    2015-09-01

    The mucins secreted by the Brunner's glands and the duodenal goblet cells of the Guinea-pig and the house mouse were compared by conventional and FITC-conjugated lectin histochemistry. Methylation/saponification and sialidase digestion were performed prior to lectin binding to detect the residues subterminal to sulfated groups and sialic acid, respectively. In the Guinea-pig the Brunner's glands produce class-III stable sulfosialomucins. Sialic acid is mostly 2,6-linked to galactose or to N-acetylgalactosamine and is in part O-acetylated in C7, C8, and C9. Sulfated groups are probably linked to sialic acid and N-acetylgalactosamine. Terminal residuals of N-acetylglucosamine, galactose, N-acetylgalactosamine and fucose linked in α1,2, α1,3, and α1,4 are also present. Duodenal goblet cells of the Guinea-pig present a lower number of residuals in respect to the Brunner's glandular ones, with sialic acid and N-acetylgalactosamine subterminal to sulfated groups. In the house mouse the Brunner's glands produce class-III stable neutral mucins, binding to same lectins as in the Guinea-pig except for those specific to sialic acid. A diversity of fucosylated residuals higher than in the Guinea-pig is observed. The mouse duodenal goblet cells lack stable class-III mucins, have little sialic acid and present a lower number of residuals in respect to the correspondent Brunner's glands. Regulation of the acidic intestinal microenvironment, prevention of pathologies and hosting of microflora can explain the observed results and the differences observed between the two rodents. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.

  5. Schisantherin A Improves Learning and Memory of Mice with D-Galactose-Induced Learning and Memory Impairment through Its Antioxidation and Regulation of p19/p53/p21/Cyclin D1/CDK4/RB Gene Expressions.

    PubMed

    Liu, Cong; Sun, Weijing; Li, Ning; Gao, Jiaqi; Yu, Chunyan; Wang, Chunmei; Sun, Jinghui; Jing, Shu; Chen, Jianguang; Li, He

    2018-05-31

    Schisantherin A (SCA) was evaluated for possible function in restoring the learning and memory impairment induced by D-galactose in mice. ICR mice were treated with D-galactose subcutaneously (220 mg·kg -1 ), and followed by SCA in different doses (1.25, 2.50 and 5.00 mg·kg -1 , administered orally) for 42 days. Effects of SCA on learning and memory were examined by step-through tests and Morris water maze tests. The activity of superoxide dismutase (SOD), the content of malondialdehyde (MDA) in the peripheral blood and hippocampus of mice were assayed by water-soluble tetrazolium-1 (WST-1) and thiobarbituric acid (TBA) methods. The contents of 8 hydroxy deoxy guanosine (8-OHdG) in the hippocampus of mice were detected by immunosorbent assay methods, respectively. Quantitative real-time PCR and Western Blot were respectively used to detect the expression of p19, p53, p21, cyclin D1, CDK4 and RB genes, and the phosphorylation of RB in the hippocampus of mice. We found that SCA significantly improved the learning and memory impairment induced by D-galactose in mice. After SCA treatment, SOD activity was increased and the content of MDA was decreased in both peripheral blood and hippocampus of mice. 8-OHDG content was also decreased in the hippocampus of mice. Furthermore, the expression of p19, p53 and p21 genes was reduced and the expression of cyclin D1 and CDK4 and the phosphorylation of RB protein were elevated in the hippocampus. SCA may improve the learning and memory impairment induced by D-galactose by enhancing the antioxidant capacity, and regulating the expression of p19/p53/p21/cyclinD1/CDK4 genes, and the phosphorylation of RB protein in the hippocampus of mice.

  6. CcpA Ensures Optimal Metabolic Fitness of Streptococcus pneumoniae

    PubMed Central

    Kuipers, Oscar P.; Neves, Ana Rute

    2011-01-01

    In Gram-positive bacteria, the transcriptional regulator CcpA is at the core of catabolite control mechanisms. In the human pathogen Streptococcus pneumoniae, links between CcpA and virulence have been established, but its role as a master regulator in different nutritional environments remains to be elucidated. Thus, we performed whole-transcriptome and metabolic analyses of S. pneumoniae D39 and its isogenic ccpA mutant during growth on glucose or galactose, rapidly and slowly metabolized carbohydrates presumably encountered by the bacterium in different host niches. CcpA affected the expression of up to 19% of the genome covering multiple cellular processes, including virulence, regulatory networks and central metabolism. Its prevalent function as a repressor was observed on glucose, but unexpectedly also on galactose. Carbohydrate-dependent CcpA regulation was also observed, as for the tagatose 6-phosphate pathway genes, which were activated by galactose and repressed by glucose. Metabolite analyses revealed that two pathways for galactose catabolism are functionally active, despite repression of the Leloir genes by CcpA. Surprisingly, galactose-induced mixed-acid fermentation apparently required CcpA, since genes involved in this type of metabolism were mostly under CcpA-repression. These findings indicate that the role of CcpA extends beyond transcriptional regulation, which seemingly is overlaid by other regulatory mechanisms. In agreement, CcpA influenced the level of many intracellular metabolites potentially involved in metabolic regulation. Our data strengthen the view that a true understanding of cell physiology demands thorough analyses at different cellular levels. Moreover, integration of transcriptional and metabolic data uncovered a link between CcpA and the association of surface molecules (e.g. capsule) to the cell wall. Hence, CcpA may play a key role in mediating the interaction of S. pneumoniae with its host. Overall, our results support the hypothesis that S. pneumoniae optimizes basic metabolic processes, likely enhancing in vivo fitness, in a CcpA-mediated manner. PMID:22039538

  7. Impact of pectin esterification on the antimicrobial activity of nisin-loaded pectin particles.

    PubMed

    Krivorotova, Tatjana; Staneviciene, Ramune; Luksa, Juliana; Serviene, Elena; Sereikaite, Jolanta

    2017-01-01

    The relationship between pectin structure and the antimicrobial activity of nisin-loaded pectin particles was examined. The antimicrobial activity of five different nisin-loaded pectin particles, i.e., nisin-loaded high methoxyl pectin, low methoxyl pectin, pectic acid, dodecyl pectin with 5.4 and 25% degree of substitution were tested in the pH range of 4.0-7.0 by agar-diffusion assay and agar plate count methods. It was found that the degree of esterification of carboxyl group of galacturonic acid in pectin molecule is important for the antimicrobial activity of nisin-loaded pectin particles. Nisin-loaded particles prepared using pectic acid or the pectin with low degree of esterification exhibit higher antimicrobial activity than nisin-loaded high methoxyl pectin particles. Pectins with free carboxyl groups or of low degree of esterification are the most suitable for particles preparation. Moreover, nisin-loaded pectin particles were active at close to neutral or neutral pH values. Therefore, they could be effectively applied for food preservation. © 2016 American Institute of Chemical Engineers Biotechnol. Prog., 33:245-251, 2017. © 2016 American Institute of Chemical Engineers.

  8. Dietary fibre components and pectin chemical features of peels during ripening in banana and plantain varieties.

    PubMed

    Happi Emaga, Thomas; Robert, Christelle; Ronkart, Sébastien N; Wathelet, Bernard; Paquot, Michel

    2008-07-01

    The effects of the ripeness stage of banana (Musa AAA) and plantain (Musa AAB) peels on neutral detergent fibre, acid detergent fibre, cellulose, hemicelluloses, lignin, pectin contents, and pectin chemical features were studied. Plantain peels contained a higher amount of lignin but had a lower hemicellulose content than banana peels. A sequential extraction of pectins showed that acid extraction was the most efficient to isolate banana peel pectins, whereas an ammonium oxalate extraction was more appropriate for plantain peels. In all the stages of maturation, the pectin content in banana peels was higher compared to plantain peels. Moreover, the galacturonic acid and methoxy group contents in banana peels were higher than in plantain peels. The average molecular weights of the extracted pectins were in the range of 132.6-573.8 kDa and were not dependant on peel variety, while the stage of maturation did not affect the dietary fibre yields and the composition in pectic polysaccharides in a consistent manner. This study has showed that banana peels are a potential source of dietary fibres and pectins.

  9. A Novel Colletotrichum graminicola Raffinose Oxidase in the AA5 Family

    PubMed Central

    Mollerup, Filip; Parikka, Kirsti; Koutaniemi, Sanna; Boer, Harry; Juvonen, Minna; Master, Emma; Tenkanen, Maija; Kruus, Kristiina

    2017-01-01

    ABSTRACT We describe here the identification and characterization of a copper radical oxidase from auxiliary activities family 5 (AA5_2) that was distinguished by showing preferential activity toward raffinose. Despite the biotechnological potential of carbohydrate oxidases from family AA5, very few members have been characterized. The gene encoding raffinose oxidase from Colletotrichum graminicola (CgRaOx; EC 1.1.3.−) was identified utilizing a bioinformatics approach based on the known modular structure of a characterized AA5_2 galactose oxidase. CgRaOx was expressed in Pichia pastoris, and the purified enzyme displayed the highest activity on the trisaccharide raffinose, whereas the activity on the disaccharide melibiose was three times lower and more than ten times lower activity was detected on d-galactose at a 300 mM substrate concentration. Thus, the substrate preference of CgRaOx was distinguished clearly from the substrate preferences of the known galactose oxidases. The site of oxidation for raffinose was studied by 1H nuclear magnetic resonance and mass spectrometry, and we confirmed that the hydroxyl group at the C-6 position was oxidized to an aldehyde and that in addition uronic acid was produced as a side product. A new electrospray ionization mass spectrometry method for the identification of C-6 oxidized products was developed, and the formation mechanism of the uronic acid was studied. CgRaOx presented a novel activity pattern in the AA5 family. IMPORTANCE Currently, there are only a few characterized members of the CAZy AA5 protein family. These enzymes are interesting from an application point of view because of their ability to utilize the cheap and abundant oxidant O2 without the requirement of complex cofactors such as FAD or NAD(P). Here, we present the identification and characterization of a novel AA5 member from Colletotrichum graminicola. As discussed in the present study, the bioinformatics approach using the modular structure of galactose oxidase was successful in finding a C-6 hydroxyl carbohydrate oxidase having substrate preference for the trisaccharide raffinose. By the discovery of this activity, the diversity of the CAZy AA5 family is increasing. PMID:28778886

  10. Overlapping and distinct roles of Aspergillus fumigatus UDP-glucose 4-epimerases in galactose metabolism and the synthesis of galactose-containing cell wall polysaccharides.

    PubMed

    Lee, Mark J; Gravelat, Fabrice N; Cerone, Robert P; Baptista, Stefanie D; Campoli, Paolo V; Choe, Se-In; Kravtsov, Ilia; Vinogradov, Evgeny; Creuzenet, Carole; Liu, Hong; Berghuis, Albert M; Latgé, Jean-Paul; Filler, Scott G; Fontaine, Thierry; Sheppard, Donald C

    2014-01-17

    The cell wall of Aspergillus fumigatus contains two galactose-containing polysaccharides, galactomannan and galactosaminogalactan, whose biosynthetic pathways are not well understood. The A. fumigatus genome contains three genes encoding putative UDP-glucose 4-epimerases, uge3, uge4, and uge5. We undertook this study to elucidate the function of these epimerases. We found that uge4 is minimally expressed and is not required for the synthesis of galactose-containing exopolysaccharides or galactose metabolism. Uge5 is the dominant UDP-glucose 4-epimerase in A. fumigatus and is essential for normal growth in galactose-based medium. Uge5 is required for synthesis of the galactofuranose (Galf) component of galactomannan and contributes galactose to the synthesis of galactosaminogalactan. Uge3 can mediate production of both UDP-galactose and UDP-N-acetylgalactosamine (GalNAc) and is required for the production of galactosaminogalactan but not galactomannan. In the absence of Uge5, Uge3 activity is sufficient for growth on galactose and the synthesis of galactosaminogalactan containing lower levels of galactose but not the synthesis of Galf. A double deletion of uge5 and uge3 blocked growth on galactose and synthesis of both Galf and galactosaminogalactan. This study is the first survey of glucose epimerases in A. fumigatus and contributes to our understanding of the role of these enzymes in metabolism and cell wall synthesis.

  11. A protease-resistant exo-polygalacturonase from Klebsiella sp. Y1 with good activity and stability over a wide pH range in the digestive tract.

    PubMed

    Yuan, Peng; Meng, Kun; Wang, Yaru; Luo, Huiying; Shi, Pengjun; Huang, Huoqing; Bai, Yingguo; Yang, Peilong; Yao, Bin

    2012-11-01

    Polygalacturonases are important feed and food additives. In the present study an exo-polygalacturonase gene (pgu B) was cloned from Klebsiella sp. Y1 CGMCC 4433 and expressed in Escherichia coli BL21 (DE3). pgu B encodes a 658-amino acid polypeptide belonging to Glycoside Hydrolase Family 28. The optimal pH and temperature of exo-PGU B activity were 6.0 and 40-50°C, respectively. The enzyme exhibited >35% of maximum activity within the pH range of 2.0-12.0. Exo-PGU B or an exo-PGU B/ endo-polygalacturonase mixture reduced the viscosity of polygalacturonic acid (1.0%, w/v) by 15.6 and 39.4%, respectively. Under simulated alimentary tract conditions, exo-PGU B was very stable (>25% activity from pH 1.5 to 6.8) and active, releasing 53.7 and 109.6μg of galacturonic acid from 400 to 800μg of polygalacturonic acid, respectively. These properties make exo-PGU B a potentially valuable additive for applications in feed and food. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  12. Anti-EBOV GP IgGs Lacking α1-3-Galactose and Neu5Gc Prolong Survival and Decrease Blood Viral Load in EBOV-Infected Guinea Pigs

    PubMed Central

    Reynard, Olivier; Jacquot, Frédéric; Evanno, Gwénaëlle; Mai, Hoa Le; Martinet, Bernard; Duvaux, Odile; Bach, Jean-Marie; Conchon, Sophie; Judor, Jean-Paul; Perota, Andrea; Lagutina, Irina; Duchi, Roberto; Lazzari, Giovanna; Le Berre, Ludmilla; Perreault, Hélène; Lheriteau, Elsa; Raoul, Hervé; Volchkov, Viktor; Galli, Cesare; Soulillou, Jean-Paul

    2016-01-01

    Polyclonal xenogenic IgGs, although having been used in the prevention and cure of severe infectious diseases, are highly immunogenic, which may restrict their usage in new applications such as Ebola hemorrhagic fever. IgG glycans display powerful xenogeneic antigens in humans, for example α1–3 Galactose and the glycolyl form of neuraminic acid Neu5Gc, and IgGs deprived of these key sugar epitopes may represent an advantage for passive immunotherapy. In this paper, we explored whether low immunogenicity IgGs had a protective effect on a guinea pig model of Ebola virus (EBOV) infection. For this purpose, a double knock-out pig lacking α1–3 Galactose and Neu5Gc was immunized against virus-like particles displaying surface EBOV glycoprotein GP. Following purification from serum, hyper-immune polyclonal IgGs were obtained, exhibiting an anti-EBOV GP titer of 1:100,000 and a virus neutralizing titer of 1:100. Guinea pigs were injected intramuscularly with purified IgGs on day 0 and day 3 post-EBOV infection. Compared to control animals treated with IgGs from non-immunized double KO pigs, the anti-EBOV IgGs-treated animals exhibited a significantly prolonged survival and a decreased virus load in blood on day 3. The data obtained indicated that IgGs lacking α1–3 Galactose and Neu5Gc, two highly immunogenic epitopes in humans, have a protective effect upon EBOV infection. PMID:27280712

  13. The role of gtcA in the pathogenesis of gastrointestinal listeriosis in mice

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    Serotype 4b strains of Listeria monocytogenes have been responsible for most large outbreaks of listeriosis. In L. monocytogenes serotype 4b, gtcA and gltA have been implicated in serotype-specific glycosylation of the teichoic acid of the cell wall with galactose and glucose. In this study, we inve...

  14. A new approach to the modification of cell membrane glycosphingolipids: Ganglioside composition of JTC-12 P3 cells altered by feeding with galactose as a sole carbohydrate source in protein- and lipid-free synthetic medium

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Kawaguchi, Tatsuya; Takaoka, Toshiko; Yoshida, Eiko

    1988-12-01

    A significant difference in the glycosphingolipid composition of JTC-12 P3 cells established from monkey kidney tissue was observed when cells cultured in a protein- and lipid-free synthetic medium containing glucose (DM-160) as a sole carbohydrate source were transferred and cultured in the same medium containing galactose and pyruvic acid (DM-170) in place of glucose. In particular, the amounts of gangliosides GM3, GM2, and GD3 in the cells cultured in DM-170 were 5.3-, 17.8-, and more than 8-fold those in the cells cultured in DM-160, respectively, indicating that anabolism of gangliosides is greatly enhanced in cells cultured in the presence ofmore » galactose and pyruvic acid, as compared with cells cultured in the presence of glucose. In fact, after cultivation of cells in the medium with N-acetyl-D-({sup 14}C)mannosamine for 96 h, the radioactivity incorporated into the gangliosides of the cells in DM-170 was 10-fold that of the cells in DM-160. Among the gangliosides of the cells in DM-170, highly sialylated molecules such as GD3, GD1a, GD1b, and GT1b were preferentially labeled, indicating that the sialytransferases responsible for the synthesis of gangliosides are significantly more activated in cells cultured in DM-170 than in DM-160. These observations reveal that the glycosphingolipid composition of the plasma membrane can be modified epigenetically under well-defined conditions and provide important clues for clarifying the roles of glycosphingolipids associated with particular cell functions.« less

  15. Borate-aided anion exchange high-performance liquid chromatography of uridine diphosphate-sugars in brain, heart, adipose and liver tissues.

    PubMed

    Oikari, Sanna; Venäläinen, Tuula; Tammi, Markku

    2014-01-03

    In this paper we describe a method optimized for the purification of uridine diphosphate (UDP)-sugars from liver, adipose tissue, brain, and heart, with highly reproducible up to 85% recoveries. Rapid tissue homogenization in cold ethanol, lipid removal by butanol extraction, and purification with a graphitized carbon column resulted in isolation of picomolar quantities of the UDP-sugars from 10 to 30mg of tissue. The UDP-sugars were baseline separated from each other, and from all major nucleotides using a CarboPac PA1 anion exchange column eluted with a gradient of acetate and borate buffers. The extraction and purification protocol produced samples with few unidentified peaks. UDP-N-acetylglucosamine was a dominant UDP-sugar in all the rat tissues studied. However, brain and adipose tissue showed high UDP-glucose levels, equal to that of UDP-N-acetylglucosamine. The UDP-N-acetylglucosamine showed 2.3-2.7 times higher levels than UDP-N-acetylgalactosamine in all tissues, and about the same ratio was found between UDP-glucose and UDP-galactose in adipose tissue and brain (2.6 and 2.8, respectively). Interestingly, the UDP-glucose/UDP-galactose ratio was markedly lower in liver (1.1) and heart (1.7). The UDP-N-acetylglucosamine/UDP-glucuronic acid ratio was also constant, between 9.7 and 7.7, except in liver with the ratio as low as 1.8. The distinct UDP-glucose/galactose ratio, and the abundance of UDP-glucuronic acid may reflect the specific role of liver in glycogen synthesis, and metabolism of hormones and xenobiotics, respectively, using these UDP-sugars as substrates. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  16. Enhancement of hydrolysis of Chlorella vulgaris by hydrochloric acid.

    PubMed

    Park, Charnho; Lee, Ja Hyun; Yang, Xiaoguang; Yoo, Hah Young; Lee, Ju Hun; Lee, Soo Kweon; Kim, Seung Wook

    2016-06-01

    Chlorella vulgaris is considered as one of the potential sources of biomass for bio-based products because it consists of large amounts of carbohydrates. In this study, hydrothermal acid hydrolysis with five different acids (hydrochloric acid, nitric acid, peracetic acid, phosphoric acid, and sulfuric acid) was carried out to produce fermentable sugars (glucose, galactose). The hydrothermal acid hydrolysis by hydrochloric acid showed the highest sugar production. C. vulgaris was hydrolyzed with various concentrations of hydrochloric acid [0.5-10 % (w/w)] and microalgal biomass [20-140 g/L (w/v)] at 121 °C for 20 min. Among the concentrations examined, 2 % hydrochloric acid with 100 g/L biomass yielded the highest conversion of carbohydrates (92.5 %) into reducing sugars. The hydrolysate thus produced from C. vulgaris was fermented using the yeast Brettanomyces custersii H1-603 and obtained bioethanol yield of 0.37 g/g of algal sugars.

  17. Exopolysaccharide production by a marine Pseudoalteromonas sp. strain isolated from Madeira Archipelago ocean sediments.

    PubMed

    Roca, Christophe; Lehmann, Mareen; Torres, Cristiana A V; Baptista, Sílvia; Gaudêncio, Susana P; Freitas, Filomena; Reis, Maria A M

    2016-06-25

    Exopolysaccharides (EPS) are polymers excreted by some microorganisms with interesting properties and used in many industrial applications. A new Pseudoalteromonas sp. strain, MD12-642, was isolated from marine sediments and cultivated in bioreactor in saline culture medium containing glucose as carbon source. Its ability to produce EPS under saline conditions was demonstrated reaching an EPS production of 4.4g/L within 17hours of cultivation, corresponding to a volumetric productivity of 0.25g/Lh, the highest value so far obtained for Pseudoalteromonas sp. strains. The compositional analysis of the EPS revealed the presence of galacturonic acid (41-42mol%), glucuronic acid (25-26mol%), rhamnose (16-22mol%) and glucosamine (12-16mol%) sugar residues. The polymer presents a high molecular weight (above 1000kDa). These results encourage the biotechnological exploitation of strain MD12-642 for the production of valuable EPS with unique composition, using saline by-products/wastes as feedstocks. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  18. Hypolipidemic effects of crude green tea polysaccharide on rats, and structural features of tea polysaccharides isolated from the crude polysaccharide.

    PubMed

    Nakamura, Michiko; Miura, Sayaka; Takagaki, Akiko; Nanjo, Fumio

    2017-05-01

    Crude tea polysaccharide (crude TPS) was prepared from instant green tea by ethanol precipitation followed by ultrafiltration membrane treatment and its effects on blood lipid, liver lipid, and fecal lipid levels were examined with Sprague-Dawley rats fed a high-fat diet. Although crude TPS showed no effects on the serum lipid levels, it suppressed the liver lipid accumulation and increased the fecal excretion of dietary fat. Then, the structural features of crude TPS were investigated. After separation of crude TPS by DEAE-cellulose and gel-filtration column chromatography, two kinds of neutral tea polysaccharides (NTPS-LP and NTPS-HH) and an acidic polysaccharide (ATPS-MH) were obtained. According to monosaccharide composition, methylation, and NMR analyses, NTPS-LP, NPTS-HH, and ATPS-MH were presumed to be starch, arabinogalactan with β-1,3-linked galactosyl backbone blanched at position 6 and with 1,5-linked arabinofuranosyl residues, and α-1,4-linked galacturonic acid backbone with arabinogalactan region, respectively.

  19. Protease and Hemicellulase Assisted Extraction of Dietary Fiber from Wastes of Cynara cardunculus

    PubMed Central

    Santo Domingo, Cinthia; Soria, Marcelo; Rojas, Ana M.; Fissore, Eliana N.; Gerschenson, Lía N.

    2015-01-01

    The action of protease and hemicellulase for the extraction of fractions enriched in soluble fiber from bracts and stems of Cynara cardunculus was evaluated. Using a two-factor simplex design comprising protease amounts of 0–200 μL and hemicellulase amounts of 0–200 mg for 5 g of material, we explored the effect of a 5 h enzymatic treatment at 40 °C on the chemical composition and yield of the fractions isolated. The fractions contained inulin and pectin. In general, the protein, inulin, and polyphenol contents and also the yields were higher for fractions obtained from stems. The most marked effects were observed when enzymes were used at higher concentrations, especially for hemicellulase. The inclusion of a pre-heating step increased the yield and the inulin content for fractions isolated from bracts and stems and decreased the protein and polyphenol contents, and the galacturonic acid for bracts. These fractions, in general, contained the polyphenolic compounds monocaffeoylquinic acid, apigenin, and pinoresinol. PMID:25809605

  20. Kinetic modeling of batch fermentation for Populus hydrolysate tolerant mutant and wild type strains of Clostridium thermocellum.

    PubMed

    Linville, Jessica L; Rodriguez, Miguel; Mielenz, Jonathan R; Cox, Chris D

    2013-11-01

    The extent of inhibition of two strains of Clostridium thermocellum by a Populus hydrolysate was investigated. A Monod-based model of wild type (WT) and Populus hydrolysate tolerant mutant (PM) strains of the cellulolytic bacterium C. thermocellum was developed to quantify growth kinetics in standard media and the extent of inhibition to a Populus hydrolysate. The PM was characterized by a higher growth rate (μmax=1.223 vs. 0.571 h(-1)) and less inhibition (KI,gen=0.991 vs. 0.757) in 10% v/v Populus hydrolysate compared to the WT. In 17.5% v/v Populus hydrolysate inhibition of PM increased slightly (KI,gen=0.888), whereas the WT was strongly inhibited and did not grow in a reproducible manner. Of the individual inhibitors tested, 4-hydroxybenzoic acid was the most inhibitory, followed by galacturonic acid. The PM did not have a greater ability to detoxify the hydrolysate than the WT. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  1. The galactose-induced decrease in phosphate levels leads to toxicity in yeast models of galactosemia.

    PubMed

    Machado, Caio M; De-Souza, Evandro A; De-Queiroz, Ana Luiza F V; Pimentel, Felipe S A; Silva, Guilherme F S; Gomes, Fabio M; Montero-Lomelí, Mónica; Masuda, Claudio A

    2017-06-01

    Classic galactosemia is an inborn error of metabolism caused by deleterious mutations in the GALT gene. A number of evidences indicate that the galactose-1-phosphate accumulation observed in patient cells is a cause of toxicity in this disease. Nevertheless, the consequent molecular events caused by the galactose-1-phosphate accumulation remain elusive. Here we show that intracellular inorganic phosphate levels decreased when yeast models of classic galactosemia were exposed to galactose. The decrease in phosphate levels is probably due to the trapping of phosphate in the accumulated galactose-1-phosphate since the deletion of the galactokinase encoding gene GAL1 suppressed this phenotype. Galactose-induced phosphate depletion caused an increase in glycogen content, an expected result since glycogen breakdown by the enzyme glycogen phosphorylase is dependent on inorganic phosphate. Accordingly, an increase in intracellular phosphate levels suppressed the galactose effect on glycogen content and conferred galactose tolerance to yeast models of galactosemia. These results support the hypothesis that the galactose-induced decrease in phosphate levels leads to toxicity in galactosemia and opens new possibilities for the development of better treatments for this disease. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  2. Lactobacillus casei 64H Contains a Phosphoenolpyruvate-Dependent Phosphotransferase System for Uptake of Galactose, as Confirmed by Analysis of ptsH and Different gal Mutants

    PubMed Central

    Bettenbrock, Katja; Siebers, Ulrike; Ehrenreich, Petra; Alpert, Carl-Alfred

    1999-01-01

    Galactose metabolism in Lactobacillus casei 64H was analyzed by genetic and biochemical methods. Mutants with defects in ptsH, galK, or the tagatose 6-phosphate pathway were isolated either by positive selection using 2-deoxyglucose or 2-deoxygalactose or by an enrichment procedure with streptozotocin. ptsH mutations abolish growth on lactose, cellobiose, N-acetylglucosamine, mannose, fructose, mannitol, glucitol, and ribitol, while growth on galactose continues at a reduced rate. Growth on galactose is also reduced, but not abolished, in galK mutants. A mutation in galK in combination with a mutation in the tagatose 6-phosphate pathway results in sensitivity to galactose and lactose, while a galK mutation in combination with a mutation in ptsH completely abolishes galactose metabolism. Transport assays, in vitro phosphorylation assays, and thin-layer chromatography of intermediates of galactose metabolism also indicate the functioning of a permease/Leloir pathway and a phosphoenolpyruvate-dependent phosphotransferase system (PTS)/tagatose 6-phosphate pathway. The galactose-PTS is induced by growth on either galactose or lactose, but the induction kinetics for the two substrates are different. PMID:9864334

  3. Plasma metabolic profiling on postoperative colorectal cancer patients with different traditional Chinese medicine syndromes.

    PubMed

    Hu, Xue-Qing; Wei, Bin; Song, Ya-Nan; Ji, Qing; Li, Qi; Luo, Yun-Quan; Wang, Wen-Hai; Su, Shi-Bing

    2018-02-01

    This study aims to investigate the metabolic profiles of postoperative colorectal cancer (PCRC) patients with different traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) syndromes and to discuss the metabolic mechanism under PCRC progression and TCM syndrome classification. Fifty healthy controls (HC) and 70 PCRC patients, including 10 Dampness and heat syndrome (DHS), 33 Spleen deficiency syndrome (SDS), 19 Liver and kidney Yin deficiency syndrome (LKYDS) and 8 with non-TCM syndrome (NS) were enrolled. Plasma metabolic profiles were detected by Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) and analyzed by principal component analysis (PCA) and partial least squares-discriminate analysis (PLS-DA). Furthermore, pathway enrichment was analyzed based on KEGG and DAVID databases and metabolic network was constructed via metaboanalyst and cytoscape. The top-3 metabolites with higher abundance in PCRC compared with HC were terephthalic acid (165.417-fold), ornithine (24.484-fold) and aminomalonic acid (21.346-fold). And the cholesterol (0.588-fold) level was decreased in PCRC. l-Alanine, 1, 2-ethanediamine, urea, glycerol, glycine, aminomalonic acid, creatinine and palmitic acid were specifically altered in the DHS, while d-tryptophan was exclusively changed in SDS, and l-proline, 1, 2, 3-propanetricarboxylic acid, d-galactose and 2-indolecarboxylic acids in LKYDS. The plasma metabolic profiles were perturbed in PCRC patients. Increased levels of terephthalic acid might indicate high risk of relapse and elevated ornithine may contribute to the post-operational recovery or may raise the susceptibility to PCRC recurrence. The metabolic profiles of DHS, SDS, LKYDS and NS were almost separately clustered, indicating the possibility of explaining TCM syndromes classification using metabolomics. Furthermore, creatinine and aminomalonic acid alternation might correlate with the formation of DHS, while d-tryptophan may associate with SDS and d-galactose and 1, 2, 3-propanetricarboxylic acid may relate to LKYDS. As numbers of patients in each TCM syndrome are small, further study is needed to verify those results. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  4. Rapid and efficient galactose fermentation by engineered Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

    PubMed

    Quarterman, Josh; Skerker, Jeffrey M; Feng, Xueyang; Liu, Ian Y; Zhao, Huimin; Arkin, Adam P; Jin, Yong-Su

    2016-07-10

    In the important industrial yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae, galactose metabolism requires energy production by respiration; therefore, this yeast cannot metabolize galactose under strict anaerobic conditions. While the respiratory dependence of galactose metabolism provides benefits in terms of cell growth and population stability, it is not advantageous for producing fuels and chemicals since a substantial fraction of consumed galactose is converted to carbon dioxide. In order to force S. cerevisiae to use galactose without respiration, a subunit (COX9) of a respiratory enzyme was deleted, but the resulting deletion mutant (Δcox9) was impaired in terms of galactose assimilation. Interestingly, after serial sub-cultures on galactose, the mutant evolved rapidly and was able to use galactose via fermentation only. The evolved strain (JQ-G1) produced ethanol from galactose with a 94% increase in yield and 6.9-fold improvement in specific productivity as compared to the wild-type strain. (13)C-metabolic flux analysis demonstrated a three-fold reduction in carbon flux through the TCA cycle of the evolved mutant with redirection of flux toward the fermentation pathway. Genome sequencing of the JQ-G1 strain revealed a loss of function mutation in a master negative regulator of the Leloir pathway (Gal80p). The mutation (Glu348*) in Gal80p was found to act synergistically with deletion of COX9 for efficient galactose fermentation, and thus the double deletion mutant Δcox9Δgal80 produced ethanol 2.4 times faster and with 35% higher yield than a single knockout mutant with deletion of GAL80 alone. When we introduced a functional COX9 cassette back into the JQ-G1 strain, the JQ-G1-COX9 strain showed a 33% reduction in specific galactose uptake rate and a 49% reduction in specific ethanol production rate as compared to JQ-G1. The wild-type strain was also subjected to serial sub-cultures on galactose but we failed to isolate a mutant capable of utilizing galactose without respiration. We concluded that the metabolic "death valley" (i.e. no galactose utilization by the Δcox9 mutant) is a necessary intermediate phenotype to facilitate galactose utilization without respiration in yeast. The results in this study demonstrate a promising approach for directing adaptive evolution toward fermentative metabolism and for generating evolved yeast strains with improved phenotypes under anaerobic conditions. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  5. The potential of species-specific tagatose-6-phosphate (T6P) pathway in Lactobacillus casei group for galactose reduction in fermented dairy foods.

    PubMed

    Wu, Qinglong; Shah, Nagendra P

    2017-04-01

    Residual lactose and galactose in fermented dairy foods leads to several industrial and health concerns. There is very little information pertaining to manufacture of fermented dairy foods that are low in lactose and galactose. In the present study, comparative genomic survey demonstrated the constant presence of chromosome-encoded tagatose-6-phosphate (T6P) pathway in Lactobacillus casei group. Lactose/galactose utilization tests and β-galactosidase assay suggest that PTS Gal system, PTS Lac system and T6P pathway are major contributors for lactose/galactose catabolism in this group of organisms. In addition, it was found than lactose catabolism by Lb. casei group accumulated very limited galactose in the MRS-lactose medium and in reconstituted skim milk, whereas Streptococcus thermophilus and Lb. delbrueckii subsp. bulgaricus (Lb. bulgaricus) strains secreted high amount of galactose extracellularly. Moreover, co-culturing Lb. casei group with Str. thermophilus showed significant reduction in galactose content, while co-culturing Lb. casei group with Lb. bulgaricus showed significant reduction in lactose content but significant increase in galactose content in milk. Overall, the present study highlighted the potential of Lb. casei group for reducing galactose accumulation in fermented milks due to its species-specific T6P pathway. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  6. Galactose Metabolism Plays a Crucial Role in Biofilm Formation by Bacillus subtilis

    PubMed Central

    Chai, Yunrong; Beauregard, Pascale B.; Vlamakis, Hera; Losick, Richard; Kolter, Roberto

    2012-01-01

    ABSTRACT Galactose is a common monosaccharide that can be utilized by all living organisms via the activities of three main enzymes that make up the Leloir pathway: GalK, GalT, and GalE. In Bacillus subtilis, the absence of GalE causes sensitivity to exogenous galactose, leading to rapid cell lysis. This effect can be attributed to the accumulation of toxic galactose metabolites, since the galE mutant is blocked in the final step of galactose catabolism. In a screen for suppressor mutants restoring viability to a galE null mutant in the presence of galactose, we identified mutations in sinR, which is the major biofilm repressor gene. These mutations caused an increase in the production of the exopolysaccharide (EPS) component of the biofilm matrix. We propose that UDP-galactose is the toxic galactose metabolite and that it is used in the synthesis of EPS. Thus, EPS production can function as a shunt mechanism for this toxic molecule. Additionally, we demonstrated that galactose metabolism genes play an essential role in B. subtilis biofilm formation and that the expressions of both the gal and eps genes are interrelated. Finally, we propose that B. subtilis and other members of the Bacillus genus may have evolved to utilize naturally occurring polymers of galactose, such as galactan, as carbon sources. PMID:22893383

  7. Free galactose concentrations in fresh and stored apples (Malus domestica) and processed apple products.

    PubMed

    Scaman, Christine H; Jim, Vickie Jin Wai; Hartnett, Carol

    2004-02-11

    Gas chromatography was used to quantitate free galactose in Braeburn, Fuji, Red Delicious, and Spartan apples during cold storage, after thermal processing of apple slices and in juice produced using clarification and/or liquifaction enzymes. Spartan had significantly higher galactose levels as compared to Red Delicious apples, but changes in galactose in all varieties during 9 months of cold storage were insignificant. Blanching and canning decreased galactose levels, but doubling the thermal processing during canning increased the free galactose concentration detected in plant tissue. An enzymatic liquefaction aid used to prepare apple juice dramatically increased the free galactose content while a clarification aid caused only a slight increase due to its selective action on soluble pectin. These findings provide useful information for dietitians to base diet recommendations for galactosemic patients.

  8. Pancreatic protective and hypoglycemic effects of Vitex agnus-castus L. fruit hydroalcoholic extract in D-galactose-induced aging mouse model

    PubMed Central

    Ahangarpour, Akram; Oroojan, Ali Akbar; Khorsandi, Layasadat; Najimi, Seyedeh Asma

    2017-01-01

    D-galactose induces pancreatic disorder along with aging mouse model. Vitex agnus-castus (VAC) has potential pancreatic protective effect. Hence, this study was designed to evaluate the hypoglycemic and pancreas protective effects of VAC hydroalcoholic extract in D-galactose-induced aging female mice. In the present experimental study, 72 adult female Naval Medical Research Institute (NMRI) mice (weighing 30–35 g) were divided into 6 groups of control, VAC hydroalcoholic extract, D-galactose, D-galactose + VAC hydroalcoholic extract, aged, aged + VAC hydroalcoholic extract. The aged model was prepared by subcutaneous injection of D-galactose for 45 days and, VAC hydroalcoholic extract was gavaged twice a day in the last 7 days. 24 h after the last drug and extract administrations, serum samples and pancreatic tissues were removed to evaluate experimental and histological determinations. Serum glucose level decreased in VAC, D-galactose and, aged-treated groups compared to the control (P < 0.05). Insulin level increased in VAC and decreased in D-galactose and aged VAC-treated mice compared to the control (P < 0.05). Homeostasis model assessment-estimated insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) increased in D-galactose, aging, and VAC hydroalcoholic extract groups (P < 0.05) and, administration of VAC hydroalcoholic extract improved HOMA-IR in D-galactose and aging treated animals. Despite the size of pancreatic islets decreased in aged and D-galactose groups, VAC administration recovered it. Present data showed that VAC hydroalcoholic extract has hypoglycemic and pancreatic protective effects in natural aged and aging model mice. PMID:28515766

  9. Pancreatic protective and hypoglycemic effects of Vitex agnus-castus L. fruit hydroalcoholic extract in D-galactose-induced aging mouse model.

    PubMed

    Ahangarpour, Akram; Oroojan, Ali Akbar; Khorsandi, Layasadat; Najimi, Seyedeh Asma

    2017-04-01

    D-galactose induces pancreatic disorder along with aging mouse model. Vitex agnus-castus (VAC) has potential pancreatic protective effect. Hence, this study was designed to evaluate the hypoglycemic and pancreas protective effects of VAC hydroalcoholic extract in D-galactose-induced aging female mice. In the present experimental study, 72 adult female Naval Medical Research Institute (NMRI) mice (weighing 30-35 g) were divided into 6 groups of control, VAC hydroalcoholic extract, D-galactose, D-galactose + VAC hydroalcoholic extract, aged, aged + VAC hydroalcoholic extract. The aged model was prepared by subcutaneous injection of D-galactose for 45 days and, VAC hydroalcoholic extract was gavaged twice a day in the last 7 days. 24 h after the last drug and extract administrations, serum samples and pancreatic tissues were removed to evaluate experimental and histological determinations. Serum glucose level decreased in VAC, D-galactose and, aged-treated groups compared to the control ( P < 0.05). Insulin level increased in VAC and decreased in D-galactose and aged VAC-treated mice compared to the control ( P < 0.05). Homeostasis model assessment-estimated insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) increased in D-galactose, aging, and VAC hydroalcoholic extract groups ( P < 0.05) and, administration of VAC hydroalcoholic extract improved HOMA-IR in D-galactose and aging treated animals. Despite the size of pancreatic islets decreased in aged and D-galactose groups, VAC administration recovered it. Present data showed that VAC hydroalcoholic extract has hypoglycemic and pancreatic protective effects in natural aged and aging model mice.

  10. Evaluation of carbohydrates in natural and cultured Cordyceps by pressurized liquid extraction and gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry.

    PubMed

    Guan, Jia; Yang, Feng-Qing; Li, Shao-Ping

    2010-06-11

    Free and polymeric carbohydrates in Cordyceps, a valued edible mushroom and well-known traditional Chinese medicine, were determined using stepwise pressurized liquid extraction (PLE) extraction and GC-MS. Based on the optimized PLE conditions, acid hydrolysis and derivatization, ten monosaccharides, namely rhamnose, ribose, arabinose, xylose, mannose, glucose, galactose, mannitol, fructose and sorbose in 13 samples of natural and cultured Cordyceps were qualitatively and quantitatively analyzed and compared with myo-inositol hexaacetate as internal standard. The results showed that natural C. sinensis contained more than 7.99% free mannitol and a small amount of glucose, while its polysaccharides were usually composed of mannose, glucose and galactose with a molar ratio of 1.00:16.61-3.82:1.60-1.28. However, mannitol in cultured C. sinensis and cultured C. militaris were less than 5.83%, and free glucose was only detected in a few samples, while their polysaccharides were mainly composed of mannose, glucose and galactose with molar ratios of 1.00:3.01-1.09:3.30-1.05 and 1.00:2.86-1.28:1.07-0.78, respectively. Natural and cultured Cordyceps could be discriminated by hierarchical clustering analysis based on its free carbohydrate contents.

  11. Structure, properties and enhanced expression of galactose-binding C-type lectins in mucous cells of gills from freshwater Japanese eels (Anguilla japonica).

    PubMed Central

    Mistry, A C; Honda, S; Hirose, S

    2001-01-01

    Using a Japanese-eel (Anguilla japonica) gill cDNA subtraction library, two novel beta-d-galactose-binding lectins were identified that belong to group VII of the animal C-type lectin family. The eel C-type lectins, termed eCL-1 and eCL-2, are simple lectins composed of 163 amino acid residues, including a 22-residue signal peptide for secretion and a single carbohydrate-recognition domain (CRD) of approximately 130 residues typical of C-type lectins. The galactose specificity of the CRD was suggested by the presence of a QPD motif and confirmed by a competitive binding assay. Using Ruthenium Red staining, the lectins were shown to bind Ca(2+) ions. SDS/PAGE showed that native eCL-1 and eCL-2 have an SDS-resistant octameric structure (a tetramer of disulphide-linked dimers). Northern and Western blot analyses demonstrated high-level expression of eCL-1 and eCL-2 mRNAs and their protein products in gills from freshwater eels, which decreased markedly when the eels were transferred from freshwater to seawater. Immunohistochemistry showed that the eel lectins are localized in the exocrine mucous cells of the gill. PMID:11695997

  12. Experience of the Manitoba Perinatal Screening Program, 1965-85.

    PubMed Central

    Fox, J G

    1987-01-01

    The Manitoba Perinatal Screening Program is guided by a committee of medical specialists with skills in the diagnosis and management of disorders of metabolism in the newborn. The program is voluntary and is centralized at Cadham Provincial Laboratory, in Winnipeg. A filter card blood specimen is collected from newborns on discharge from hospital, and a filter card urine sample is collected and mailed to the laboratory by the mother when the infant is about 2 weeks of age. The overall compliance rates for the blood and urine specimens are approximately 100% and 84% respectively. The blood specimen is screened for phenylalanine and other amino acids, thyroxine, galactose, galactose-1-phosphate and biotinidase. The urine specimen is screened for amino acids, including cystine, as well as methylmalonic acid and homocystine. Between 1965 and 1985, 83 cases of metabolic disorders were detected, including 23 cases of primary hypothyroidism, 14 of classic phenylketonuria, 5 of galactosemia variants, 3 of galactosemia, 2 of maple syrup urine disease and 1 of hereditary tyrosinemia. The direct cost per infant screened is $5.50, and the cost:benefit ratio is approximately 7.5:1. Maternal serum alpha-fetoprotein screening is being made available as the necessary supporting clinical facilities become available. On the basis of this experience, the author outlines the components that are important for an effective screening program. PMID:3676929

  13. Galactose uncovers face recognition and mental images in congenital prosopagnosia: the first case report.

    PubMed

    Esins, Janina; Schultz, Johannes; Bülthoff, Isabelle; Kennerknecht, Ingo

    2014-09-01

    A woman in her early 40s with congenital prosopagnosia and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder observed for the first time sudden and extensive improvement of her face recognition abilities, mental imagery, and sense of navigation after galactose intake. This effect of galactose on prosopagnosia has never been reported before. Even if this effect is restricted to a subform of congenital prosopagnosia, galactose might improve the condition of other prosopagnosics. Congenital prosopagnosia, the inability to recognize other people by their face, has extensive negative impact on everyday life. It has a high prevalence of about 2.5%. Monosaccharides are known to have a positive impact on cognitive performance. Here, we report the case of a prosopagnosic woman for whom the daily intake of 5 g of galactose resulted in a remarkable improvement of her lifelong face blindness, along with improved sense of orientation and more vivid mental imagery. All these improvements vanished after discontinuing galactose intake. The self-reported effects of galactose were wide-ranging and remarkably strong but could not be reproduced for 16 other prosopagnosics tested. Indications about heterogeneity within prosopagnosia have been reported; this could explain the difficulty to find similar effects in other prosopagnosics. Detailed analyses of the effects of galactose in prosopagnosia might give more insight into the effects of galactose on human cognition in general. Galactose is cheap and easy to obtain, therefore, a systematic test of its positive effects on other cases of congenital prosopagnosia may be warranted.

  14. Purification of an Exopolygalacturonase from Penicillium viridicatum RFC3 Produced in Submerged Fermentation.

    PubMed

    Gomes, Eleni; Leite, Rodrigo Simões Ribeiro; da Silva, Roberto; Silva, Dênis

    2009-01-01

    An exo-PG obtained from Penicillium viridicatum in submerged fermentation was purified to homogeneity. The apparent molecular weight of the enzyme was 92 kDa, optimum pH and temperature for activity were pH 5 and 50-55 degrees C. The exo-PG showed a profile of an exo-polygalacturonase, releasing galacturonic acid by hydrolysis of pectin with a high degree of esterification (D.E.). Ions Ca(2+) enhanced the stability of enzyme and its activity by 30%. The K(m) was 1.30 in absence of Ca(2+) and 1.16 mg mL(-1) in presence of this ion. In relation to the V(max) the presence of this ion increased from 1.76 to 2.07 mumol min(-1)mg(-1).

  15. DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Wu, Xiangmei; Mort, Andrew

    A comore » mmercial apple pectin was sequentially digested with the cloned enzymes endopolygalacturonase, galactanase, arabinofuranosidase, xylogalacturonase, and rhamnogalacturonan hydrolase. The rhamnogalacturonan hydrolase-generated oligosaccharides were separated by ultrafiltration, anion exchange, and size-exclusion chromatography. Fractions from the ion exchange chromatography were pooled, lyophilized, and screened by MALDI-TOF MS. An oligosaccharide (RGP14P3) was identified and its structure, α -D-Gal p A- ( 1 → 2 ) - α -L-Rha p - ( 1 → 4 ) - α -D-Gal p A- ( 1 → 2 ) - α -L-Rha p - ( 1 → 4 ) - α -D-Gal p A, determined by 1D and 2D NMR spectrometry. This oligosaccharide probably represents a direct connection between homogalacturonan and rhamnogalacturonan in pectin. Alternatively, it could indicate that the nonreducing end of rhamnogalacturonan starts with a galacturonic acid residue.« less

  16. Structure of a pectin methylesterase from Yersinia enterocolitica.

    PubMed

    Boraston, Alisdair B; Abbott, D Wade

    2012-02-01

    Pectin methylesterases (PMEs) are family 8 carbohydrate esterases (CE8s) which remove the methyl group from methylesterified galacturonic acid (GalA) residues within pectin. Although the role of pectinases such as PMEs within dedicated phytopathogens has been well established, the significance of homologous enzymes found within the genomes of human enteropathogens remains to be determined. Presented here is the low-resolution (3.5 Å) structure of the CE8 from Yersinia enterocolitica (YeCE8). The high degree of structural conservation in the topology of the active-site cleft and catalytic apparatus that is shared with a characterized PME from a bacterial phytopathogen (i) indicates that YeCE8 is active on methylated pectin and (ii) highlights a more prominent role for pectin utilization in Yersinia than in other enteropathogenic species.

  17. Antisense down-regulation of the strawberry β-galactosidase gene FaβGal4 increases cell wall galactose levels and reduces fruit softening

    PubMed Central

    Paniagua, Candelas; Blanco-Portales, Rosario; Barceló-Muñoz, Marta; García-Gago, Juan A.; Waldron, Keith W.; Quesada, Miguel A.; Muñoz-Blanco, Juan; Mercado, José A.

    2016-01-01

    Strawberry softening is characterized by an increase in the solubilization and depolymerization of pectins from cell walls. Galactose release from pectin side chains by β-galactosidase enzymes has been proposed as one reason for the increase in soluble pectins. A putative β-galactosidase gene, FaβGal4, has been identified using a custom-made oligonucleotide-based strawberry microarray platform. FaβGal4 was expressed mainly in the receptacle during fruit ripening, and was positively regulated by abscisic acid and negatively regulated by auxins. To ascertain the role of FaβGal4 in strawberry softening, transgenic plants containing an antisense sequence of this gene under the control of the CaMV35S promoter were generated. Phenotypic analyses were carried out in transgenic plants during three consecutive growing seasons, using non-transformed plants as control. Two out of nine independent transgenic lines yielded fruits that were 30% firmer than control at the ripe stage. FaβGal4 mRNA levels were reduced by 70% in ripe fruits from these selected transgenic lines, but they also showed significant silencing of FaβGal1, although the genes did not share significant similarity. These two transgenic lines also showed an increase in pectin covalently bound to the cell wall, extracted using Na2CO3. The amount of galactose in cell walls from transgenic fruits was 30% higher than in control; notably, the galactose increase was larger in the 1 M KOH fraction, which is enriched in hemicellulose. These results suggest that FaβGal4 participates in the solubilization of covalently bound pectins during ripening, reducing strawberry fruit firmness. PMID:26585222

  18. Antisense down-regulation of the strawberry β-galactosidase gene FaβGal4 increases cell wall galactose levels and reduces fruit softening.

    PubMed

    Paniagua, Candelas; Blanco-Portales, Rosario; Barceló-Muñoz, Marta; García-Gago, Juan A; Waldron, Keith W; Quesada, Miguel A; Muñoz-Blanco, Juan; Mercado, José A

    2016-02-01

    Strawberry softening is characterized by an increase in the solubilization and depolymerization of pectins from cell walls. Galactose release from pectin side chains by β-galactosidase enzymes has been proposed as one reason for the increase in soluble pectins. A putative β-galactosidase gene, FaβGal4, has been identified using a custom-made oligonucleotide-based strawberry microarray platform. FaβGal4 was expressed mainly in the receptacle during fruit ripening, and was positively regulated by abscisic acid and negatively regulated by auxins. To ascertain the role of FaβGal4 in strawberry softening, transgenic plants containing an antisense sequence of this gene under the control of the CaMV35S promoter were generated. Phenotypic analyses were carried out in transgenic plants during three consecutive growing seasons, using non-transformed plants as control. Two out of nine independent transgenic lines yielded fruits that were 30% firmer than control at the ripe stage. FaβGal4 mRNA levels were reduced by 70% in ripe fruits from these selected transgenic lines, but they also showed significant silencing of FaβGal1, although the genes did not share significant similarity. These two transgenic lines also showed an increase in pectin covalently bound to the cell wall, extracted using Na2CO3. The amount of galactose in cell walls from transgenic fruits was 30% higher than in control; notably, the galactose increase was larger in the 1 M KOH fraction, which is enriched in hemicellulose. These results suggest that FaβGal4 participates in the solubilization of covalently bound pectins during ripening, reducing strawberry fruit firmness. © The Author 2015. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Society for Experimental Biology.

  19. Mannose-recognition mutant of the galactose/N-acetylgalactosamine-specific C-type lectin CEL-I engineered by site-directed mutagenesis.

    PubMed

    Moriuchi, Hiromi; Unno, Hideaki; Goda, Shuichiro; Tateno, Hiroaki; Hirabayashi, Jun; Hatakeyama, Tomomitsu

    2015-07-01

    CEL-I is a galactose/N-acetylgalactosamine-specific C-type lectin isolated from the sea cucumber Cucumaria echinata. Its carbohydrate-binding site contains a QPD (Gln-Pro-Asp) motif, which is generally recognized as the galactose specificity-determining motif in the C-type lectins. In our previous study, replacement of the QPD motif by an EPN (Glu-Pro-Asn) motif led to a weak binding affinity for mannose. Therefore, we examined the effects of an additional mutation in the carbohydrate-binding site on the specificity of the lectin. Trp105 of EPN-CEL-I was replaced by a histidine residue using site-directed mutagenesis, and the binding affinity of the resulting mutant, EPNH-CEL-I, was examined by sugar-polyamidoamine dendrimer assay, isothermal titration calorimetry, and glycoconjugate microarray analysis. Tertiary structure of the EPNH-CEL-I/mannose complex was determined by X-ray crystallographic analysis. Sugar-polyamidoamine dendrimer assay and glycoconjugate microarray analysis revealed a drastic change in the specificity of EPNH-CEL-I from galactose/N-acetylgalactosamine to mannose. The association constant of EPNH-CEL-I for mannose was determined to be 3.17×10(3) M(-1) at 25°C. Mannose specificity of EPNH-CEL-I was achieved by stabilization of the binding of mannose in a correct orientation, in which the EPN motif can form proper hydrogen bonds with 3- and 4-hydroxy groups of the bound mannose. Specificity of CEL-I can be engineered by mutating a limited number of amino acid residues in addition to the QPD/EPN motifs. Versatility of the C-type carbohydrate-recognition domain structure in the recognition of various carbohydrate chains could become a promising platform to develop novel molecular recognition proteins. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  20. Comparative performance assessment of point-of-care testing devices for measuring glucose and ketones at the patient bedside.

    PubMed

    Ceriotti, Ferruccio; Kaczmarek, Ewa; Guerra, Elena; Mastrantonio, Fabrizio; Lucarelli, Fausto; Valgimigli, Francesco; Mosca, Andrea

    2015-03-01

    Point-of-care (POC) testing devices for monitoring glucose and ketones can play a key role in the management of dysglycemia in hospitalized diabetes patients. The accuracy of glucose devices can be influenced by biochemical changes that commonly occur in critically ill hospital patients and by the medication prescribed. Little is known about the influence of these factors on ketone POC measurements. The aim of this study was to assess the analytical performance of POC hospital whole-blood glucose and ketone meters and the extent of glucose interference factors on the design and accuracy of ketone results. StatStrip glucose/ketone, Optium FreeStyle glucose/ketone, and Accu-Chek Performa glucose were also assessed and results compared to a central laboratory reference method. The analytical evaluation was performed according to Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute (CLSI) protocols for precision, linearity, method comparison, and interference. The interferences assessed included acetoacetate, acetaminophen, ascorbic acid, galactose, maltose, uric acid, and sodium. The accuracies of both Optium ketone and glucose measurements were significantly influenced by varying levels of hematocrit and ascorbic acid. StatStrip ketone and glucose measurements were unaffected by the interferences tested with exception of ascorbic acid, which reduced the higher level ketone value. The accuracy of Accu-Chek glucose measurements was affected by hematocrit, by ascorbic acid, and significantly by galactose. The method correlation assessment indicated differences between the meters in compliance to ISO 15197 and CLSI 12-A3 performance criteria. Combined POC glucose/ketone methods are now available. The use of these devices in a hospital setting requires careful consideration with regard to the selection of instruments not sensitive to hematocrit variation and presence of interfering substances. © 2014 Diabetes Technology Society.

  1. Antioxidant potential of fungal metabolite nigerloxin during eye lens abnormalities in galactose-fed rats.

    PubMed

    Suresha, Bharathinagar S; Srinivasan, Krishnapura

    2013-10-01

    The role of osmotic and oxidative stress has been strongly implicated in the pathogenesis of cataract. Nigerloxin, a fungal metabolite, has been shown to possess aldose reductase inhibition and improved antioxidant defense system in lens of diabetic rats. In the present study, the beneficial influence of nigerloxin was investigated in galactose-induced cataract in experimental animals. Cataract was induced in Wistar rats by feeding 30% galactose in diet. Groups of galactose-fed rats were orally administered with nigerloxin (25 and 100 mg/kg body weight/day) for 24 days. Lens aldose reductase activity was increased significantly in galactose-fed animals. Lens lipid peroxides and advanced glycation end products were also significantly increased. Antioxidant molecule - reduced glutathione, total thiols and activities of antioxidant enzymes superoxide dismutase and glutathione peroxidase were decreased in the lens of galactose-fed animals. Oral administration of nigerloxin once a day for 24 days at a dose of 100 mg/kg body weight, significantly decreased lens lipid peroxides and advanced glycation end products in galactose-fed rats. Lens aldose reductase activity was reduced and lens antioxidant molecules and antioxidant enzyme activities were elevated significantly by nigerloxin administration. The results suggest that alteration in polyol pathway and antioxidant defense system were countered by nigerloxin in the lens of galactose-fed animals, suggesting the potential of nigerloxin in ameliorating the development of galactose-induced cataract in experimental animals.

  2. Enzymatic desulfation of the red seaweeds agar by Marinomonas arylsulfatase.

    PubMed

    Wang, Xueyan; Duan, Delin; Fu, Xiaoting

    2016-12-01

    Agar and sulfated galactans were isolated from the red seaweeds Gracilariopsis lemaneiformis and Gelidium amansii. A previously purified arylsulfatase from Marinomonas sp. FW-1 was used to remove sulfate groups in agar and sulfated galactans. After enzymatic desulfation, the sulfate content decreased to about 0.16% and gel strength increased about two folds. Moreover, there was no difference between the DNA electrophoresis spectrum on the gel of the arylsulfatase-treated agar and that of the commercial agarose. In order to reveal the desulfation ratio and site, chemical and structural identification of sulfated galactan were carried out. G. amansii sulfated galactan with 7.4% sulfated content was composed of galactose and 3,6-anhydro-l-galactose. Meanwhile, G. lemaneiformis sulfated galactan with 8.5% sulfated content was composed of galactose, 3,6-anhydro-l-galactose, 2-O-methyl-3,6-anhydro-l-galactose and xylose. Data from 13 C NMR, FT-IR, GC-MS provided evidence of sulfate groups at C-4 and C-6 of d-galactose and C-6 of l-galactose both in GRAP and GEAP. Data from GC-MS revealed that desulfation was carried out by the arylsulfatase at the sulfate bonds at C-4 and C-6 of d-galactose and C-6 of l-galactose, with a desulfation ratio of 83.4% and 86.0% against GEAP and GRAP, respectively. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  3. Dendropanax morbifera Léveille extract ameliorates D-galactose-induced memory deficits by decreasing inflammatory responses in the hippocampus.

    PubMed

    Lee, Kwon Young; Jung, Hyo Young; Yoo, Dae Young; Kim, Woosuk; Kim, Jong Whi; Kwon, Hyun Jung; Kim, Dae Won; Yoon, Yeo Sung; Hwang, In Koo; Choi, Jung Hoon

    2017-12-01

    In the present study, we examined the effects of Dendropanax morbifera Léveille leaf extract (DML) on D-galactose-induced morphological changes in microglia and cytokines, including pro-inflammatory cytokines (interleukin [IL]-1β, IL-6, and tumor necrosis factor [TNF]-α) and anti-inflammatory cytokines (IL-4 and IL-10) in the hippocampus. Administration of DML to D-galactose-treated mice significantly improved D-galactose-induced reduction in escape latency, swimming speed, and spatial preference for the target quadrant. In addition, administration of DML to D-galactose-treated mice significantly ameliorated the microglial activation and increases of IL-1β, IL-6, and TNF-α levels in the hippocampus. Administration of D-galactose significantly reduced IL-4 levels in the hippocampus, while administration of DML to D-galactose-treated mice significantly increased IL-4 level. However, we did not observe any significant changes in IL-10 levels in hippocampal homogenates. These results suggest that DML reduces D-galactose-induced mouse senescence by reducing pro-inflammatory cytokines such as IL-1β, IL-6, and TNF-α, as well as increasing anti-inflammatory cytokine IL-4.

  4. Energetic metabolism of Chromobacterium violaceum.

    PubMed

    Creczynski-Pasa, Tânia B; Antônio, Regina V

    2004-03-31

    Chromobacterium violaceum is a free-living microorganism, normally exposed to diverse environmental conditions; it has a versatile energy-generating metabolism. This bacterium is capable of exploiting a wide range of energy resources by using appropriate oxidases and reductases. This allows C. violaceum to live in both aerobic and anaerobic conditions. In aerobic conditions, C. violaceum is able to grow in a minimal medium with simple sugars, such as glucose, fructose, galactose, and ribose; both Embden-Meyerhoff, tricarboxylic acid and glyoxylate cycles are used. The respiratory chain supplies energy, as well as substrates for other metabolic pathways. Under anaerobic conditions, C. violaceum metabolizes glucose, producing acetic and formic acid, but not lactic acid or ethanol. C. violaceum is also able to use amino acids and lipids as an energy supply.

  5. Histochemical Characterization of Oocytes in the Pink Cuskeel (Genypterus blacodes).

    PubMed

    Cohen, Stefanía; Petcoff, Gladys; Freijo, Roberto O; Portiansky, Enrique L; Barbeito, Claudio G; Macchi, Gustavo J; Díaz, Alcira O

    2015-08-01

    In the present study we histochemically and lectinhistochemically characterized the growing oocytes of the pink cuskeel (Genypterus blacodes). We used histochemical methods for the localization and characterization of glycoconjugates (GCs) and lectin histochemical techniques for the identification of specific sugar residues. We analyzed presence and distribution of GCs in the different structures of the growing follicles (cortical alveoli, globules, yolk granules and zona radiata). During the initial stage of vitellogenesis, the oocytes presented small yolk granules composed of GCs that gradually increased during exogenous vitellogenesis. These GCs contained moderate quantities of α-D-mannose, D-glucose, N-acetylglucosamine and N-acetyl-neuraminic acid. The cortical alveoli contained both neutral and carboxylated GCs, and lectin techniques detected N-acetylgalactosamine, galactose and L-fucose. The zona radiata showed a strong positive reaction to PAS and it reacted weakly with more specific techniques, such as KOH/PA*S and PA/Bh/KOH/PAS. This structure showed GCs with oxidizable vicinal diols, O-acyl sugars and sialic acid residues with different substitution types and presented N-acetylgalactosamine and L-fucose specific residues. The oocytes follicular envelope evidenced neutral and acidic non-sulfated GCs and high concentrations of α-D-mannose, D-glucose, galactose and N-acetylgalactosamine. The intergranular cytoplasmic GCs were mainly rich in α-D-mannose, D-glucose, N-acetylgalactosamine, N-acetylglucosamine and N-acetyl-neuraminic acid. These results enhance the comprehension of the structure and functionality of the pink cuskeel ovarian follicles, and provide a useful tool for the study of this tissue in other teleost species.

  6. The homologue of mannose-binding lectin in the carp family Cyprinidae is expressed at high level in spleen, and the deduced primary structure predicts affinity for galactose.

    PubMed

    Vitved, L; Holmskov, U; Koch, C; Teisner, B; Hansen, S; Salomonsen, J; Skjødt, K

    2000-09-01

    Mannose-binding lectin (MBL) participates in the innate immune system as an activator of the complement system and as an opsonin after binding to certain carbohydrate structures on microorganisms. We isolated and characterized cDNA transcripts encoding an MBL homologue from three members of the carp family Cyprinidae, the zebrafish Danio rerio, the goldfish Carassius auratus, and the carp Cyprinus carpio. The carp and zebrafish transcripts contain two polyadenylation sites and RT-PCR on mRNA from carp tissues revealed the carp transcript to be most prominently expressed in the spleen. The deduced mature proteins contain 228 or 233 amino acids with a short N-terminal segment containing a single conserved cysteine expected to form interchain disulfide bridges, a collagen domain interrupted by four amino acids between two glycine residues, a neck region predicted to form an alpha-helical coiled-coil structure, and a C-terminal carbohydrate recognition domain (CRD). Several of the structurally important residues in the CRD are conserved, but the residues known to interact with the calcium ion and hydroxyl groups of the carbohydrate ligand are different. The amino acid motif EPN, important for mannose specificity, was QPD in the Cyprinidae homologue, suggesting specificity for galactose instead. The identity between the deduced amino acid sequences is more than 90% between the carp and the goldfish and 68% and 65% between these two species, respectively, and the zebrafish. The identity with bird and mammalian MBLs ranges from 28 to 33%.

  7. The Small Intestinal Epithelia of Beef Steers Differentially Express Sugar Transporter Messenger Ribonucleic Acid in Response to Abomasal Versus Ruminal Infusion of Starch Hydrolysate

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    In mammals, the absorption of mono¬saccharides from small intestinal lumen involves at least 3 sugar transporters (SugT): sodium-dependent glucose transporter 1 (SGLT1; gene SLC5A1) transports glucose and galactose, whereas glucose transporter (GLUT) 5 (GLUT5; gene SLC2A5) transports fructose, acros...

  8. 21 CFR 862.1315 - Galactose-1-phosphate uridyl transferase test system.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-04-01

    ... of the enzyme galactose-1-phosphate uridyl transferase in erythrocytes (red blood cells... hereditary disease galactosemia (disorder of galactose metabolism) in infants. (b) Classification. Class II. ...

  9. Cacao pod husks as a source of low-methoxyl, highly acetylated pectins able to gel in acidic media.

    PubMed

    Vriesmann, Lúcia Cristina; de Oliveira Petkowicz, Carmen Lúcia

    2017-08-01

    Cacao pod husks, the main by-product from cocoa production, have been investigated for pectin isolation. In the present study, the rheological properties of two low-methoxyl (LM) pectins isolated from cacao pod husks using different extraction conditions were evaluated. One pectin was obtained from optimized conditions employing aqueous nitric acid as an extractant, and the other one was extracted with boiling water. Pectin gels (0.99% galacturonic acid equivalent, w/w) were prepared at pH 2.5-3.0 in the presence of 60% sucrose (w/w) and subjected to rheological analysis. Dynamic oscillatory experiments at 25°C indicated that better gels were obtained at the lowest pH (2.5). Steady shear measurements revealed a shear-thinning behavior. The apparent viscosities of the samples increased as pH decreased. Gelation with calcium ions was not observed for either of the highly acetylated LM pectins analyzed. The rheological analysis results showed that despite their high acetyl content, LM pectins extracted by different methods from cacao pod husks were able to form gels at low pH under reduced water activity, suggesting a possible application in acidic products. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  10. Effect of heat-generated product from uronic acids on the physiological activities of microbial cells and its application.

    PubMed

    Aoyagi, Hideki; Ishii, Hideki; Ugwu, Charles U; Tanaka, Hideo

    2008-07-01

    Filtered samples of monogalacturonic (GA) and monoglucuronic acids (GL) that were prepared using millipore filter (pore size=0.2 microm) slightly inhibited the growth of Escherichia coli while the autoclaved (at 121 degrees C for 20 min) samples of GA and GL completely inhibited the growth of E. coli. The most effective substance generated upon autoclave treatment was isolated and characterized as trans-4,5-dihydroxy-2-cyclopenten-1-one (DHCP). The optimal conditions for DHCP generation were also established by autoclaving GA (pH 2.3) at 121 degrees C for 3h. DHCP completely inhibited the growth of E. coli. However, the growth of E. coli was restored when superoxide dismutase and catalase were added to the culture broth that contained DHCP. It was thought that DHCP might have induced the release of active oxygen, which resulted in the inhibition of microbial growth. In the case of gram-positive bacteria (Bacillus cereus, Bacillus subtilis and Staphylococcus aureus) and yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Candida brassicae), DHCP inhibited the cell growth. Based on our results, methods for preparation of food preservatives that contained pectin degraded products (oligo-galacturonic acid and monogalacturonic acid) and DHCP were developed. The preservatives were very effective in inhibiting the growth of E. coli and S. cerevisiae.

  11. Characterization of gold kiwifruit pectin from fruit of different maturities and extraction methods.

    PubMed

    Yuliarti, Oni; Matia-Merino, Lara; Goh, Kelvin K T; Mawson, John; Williams, Martin A K; Brennan, Charles

    2015-01-01

    Studies on gold kiwifruit pectins are limited. In this work, the characterization of pectin isolated from two different stages of maturity of gold kiwifruit, namely early harvested fruit (EHF) and main harvested fruit (MHF) isolated by three methods (acid, water, enzymatic) was carried out. Pectins isolated from MHF were higher in galacturonic acid content (52-59% w/w) and weight-average molecular weights (Mw, 1.7-3.8 × 10(6)g/mol) compared with EHF pectins (29-49% w/w and 0.2-1.7 × 10(6)g/mol respectively). Enzymatic treatment gave the highest yield but lowest in Mw, viscosity and mechanical spectra for both maturities. The pectin of both maturities was classified as high-methoxyl pectin with the degree of esterification ranged from 82% to 90%. Water-extracted MHF pectin molecules had the highest RMS radius (182.7 nm) and Mw (3.75 × 10(6)g/mol). The water extraction method appeared to retain the native state of pectin molecules compared with acid and enzymatic extraction methods based on the Mw and viscosity data. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  12. Purification and Biochemical and Kinetic Properties of an Endo-Polygalacturonase from the Industrial Fungus Aspergillus sojae.

    PubMed

    Fratebianchi, Dante; Cavello, Ivana Alejandra; Cavalitto, Sebastián Fernando

    2017-01-01

    An endo-polygalacturonase secreted by Aspergillus sojae was characterized after being purified to homogeneity from submerged cultures with orange peel as the sole carbon source by gel filtration and ion-exchange chromatographies. According to SDS-PAGE and analytical isoelectric focusing analyses, the enzyme presents a molecular weight of 47 kDa and pI value of 4.2. This enzyme exhibits considerable stability under highly acidic to neutral conditions (pH 1.5-6.5) and presents a half-life of 2 h at 50°C. Besides its activity towards pectin and polygalacturonic acid, the enzyme displays pectin-releasing activity, acting best in a pH range of 3.3-5.0. Thin-layer chromatographic analysis revealed that tri-galacturonate is the main enzymatic end product of polygalacturonic acid hydrolysis, indicating that it is an endo-polygalacturonase. The enzyme exhibits Michaelis-Menten kinetics, with KM and VMAX values of 0.134 mg/mL and 9.6 µmol/mg/min, respectively, and remained stable and active in the presence of SO2, ethanol, and various cations assayed except Hg2+. © 2017 S. Karger AG, Basel.

  13. A polygalacturonase localized in the Golgi apparatus in Pisum sativum.

    PubMed

    Ohashi, Takao; Jinno, Jun; Inoue, Yoshiyuki; Ito, Shoko; Fujiyama, Kazuhito; Ishimizu, Takeshi

    2017-09-01

    Pectin is a plant cell wall constituent that is mainly composed of polygalacturonic acid (PGA), a linear α1,4-d-galacturonic acid (GalUA) backbone. Polygalacturonase (PG) hydrolyzes the α1,4-linkages in PGA. Nearly all plant PGs identified thus far are secreted as soluble proteins. Here we describe the microsomal PG activity in pea (Pisum sativum) epicotyls and present biochemical evidence that it was localized to the Golgi apparatus, where pectins are biosynthesized. The microsomal PG was purified, and it was enzymatically characterized. The purified enzyme showed maximum activity towards pyridylaminated oligogalacturonic acids with six degrees of polymerization (PA-GalUA6), with a Km value of 11 μM for PA-GalUA6. The substrate preference of the enzyme was complementary to that of PGA synthase. The main PG activity in microsomes was detected in the Golgi fraction by sucrose density gradient ultracentrifugation. The activity of the microsomal PG was lower in rapidly growing epicotyls, in contrast to the high expression of PGA synthase. The role of this PG in the regulation of pectin biosynthesis or plant growth is discussed. © The Authors 2017. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Japanese Biochemical Society. All rights reserved.

  14. Galactose metabolism plays a crucial role in biofilm formation by Bacillus subtilis.

    PubMed

    Chai, Yunrong; Beauregard, Pascale B; Vlamakis, Hera; Losick, Richard; Kolter, Roberto

    2012-01-01

    Galactose is a common monosaccharide that can be utilized by all living organisms via the activities of three main enzymes that make up the Leloir pathway: GalK, GalT, and GalE. In Bacillus subtilis, the absence of GalE causes sensitivity to exogenous galactose, leading to rapid cell lysis. This effect can be attributed to the accumulation of toxic galactose metabolites, since the galE mutant is blocked in the final step of galactose catabolism. In a screen for suppressor mutants restoring viability to a galE null mutant in the presence of galactose, we identified mutations in sinR, which is the major biofilm repressor gene. These mutations caused an increase in the production of the exopolysaccharide (EPS) component of the biofilm matrix. We propose that UDP-galactose is the toxic galactose metabolite and that it is used in the synthesis of EPS. Thus, EPS production can function as a shunt mechanism for this toxic molecule. Additionally, we demonstrated that galactose metabolism genes play an essential role in B. subtilis biofilm formation and that the expressions of both the gal and eps genes are interrelated. Finally, we propose that B. subtilis and other members of the Bacillus genus may have evolved to utilize naturally occurring polymers of galactose, such as galactan, as carbon sources. Bacteria switch from unicellular to multicellular states by producing extracellular matrices that contain exopolysaccharides. In such aggregates, known as biofilms, bacteria are more resistant to antibiotics. This makes biofilms a serious problem in clinical settings. The resilience of biofilms makes them very useful in industrial settings. Thus, understanding the production of biofilm matrices is an important problem in microbiology. In studying the synthesis of the biofilm matrix of Bacillus subtilis, we provide further understanding of a long-standing microbiological observation that certain mutants defective in the utilization of galactose became sensitive to it. In this work, we show that the toxicity observed before was because cells were grown under conditions that were not propitious to produce the exopolysaccharide component of the matrix. When cells are grown under conditions that favor matrix production, the toxicity of galactose is relieved. This allowed us to demonstrate that galactose metabolism is essential for the synthesis of the extracellular matrix.

  15. Metabolic active-high density VERO cell cultures on microcarriers following apoptosis prevention by galactose/glutamine feeding.

    PubMed

    Mendonça, Ronaldo Z; Arrózio, Sara J; Antoniazzi, Marta M; Ferreira, Jorge M C; Pereira, Carlos A

    2002-07-17

    The control of cell death occurring in high density cultures performed in bioreactors is an important factor in production processes. In this work, medium nutrient removal or feeding was used to determine at which extension apoptosis could be, respectively, involved or prevented in VERO cell cultures on microcarriers. Glutamine and galactose present in the VERO cell culture medium was consumed after, respectively, 6 and 12 days of culture. Kinetics studies showed that fresh medium replacement and, to some extent, galactose or glutamine depleted-fresh medium replacement provided a nutritional environment, allowing the VERO cell cultures to attain high densities. Galactose was shown to be a more critical nutrient when cultures reached a high density. In agreement with that, VERO cell cultures supplemented with galactose and/or glutamine were shown to confirm previous findings and, again at high densities, galactose was shown to be a critical nutrient for VERO cell growth. These observations also indicated that in VERO cell cultures, for feeding purposes, the glutamine could be replaced by galactose. The inverse was not true and led, at high densities, to a decrease of cell viability. In the absence of glutamine and galactose, apoptosis was observed in VERO cell cultures by cytofluorometry, Acridine orange staining or light and electron microscopy, reaching high levels when compared to cultures performed with complete medium. VERO cells apoptosis process could be prevented by the galactose and/or glutamine feeding and, at high densities, galactose was more efficient in protecting the cultures. These cultures, prevented from apoptosis, were shown to synthesize high levels of measles virus following infection. Our data show that apoptosis prevention by glutamine/galactose feeding, led to high productive and metabolic active VERO cell cultures, as indicated by the high cell density obtained and the virus multiplication leading to higher virus titers.

  16. Rigor of non-dairy galactose restriction in early childhood, measured by retrospective survey, does not associate with severity of five long-term outcomes quantified in 231 children and adults with classic galactosemia

    PubMed Central

    Frederick, Allison B.; Cutler, David J.; Fridovich-Keil, Judith L.

    2017-01-01

    One of many vexing decisions faced by parents of an infant with classic galactosemia (CG) is how carefully to restrict non-dairy galactose from their growing child’s diet. Until recently, many experts recommended vigorous lifelong dietary restriction of milk and all high-galactose dairy products as well as some non-dairy sources of galactose such as legumes and specific fruits and vegetables. Recently, experts have begun to relax their recommendations. The new recommendations, that restrict only high galactose dairy products, were made in the face of uncertainty, however, because no sufficiently powered study had been reported testing for possible association between rigor of non-dairy galactose restriction and severity of long-term outcomes in CG. Here we describe the largest study of diet and outcomes in CG reported to date, conducted using information gathered from 231 patients with CG and 71 unaffected sibling controls. We compared rigor of dietary galactose restriction, measured using a 4-point scale by a retrospective parent-response survey, with outcomes including growth, adaptive behaviors, receipt of speech therapy, receipt of special educational services, and for girls and women, a plasma marker of ovarian function (AMH). Our results confirmed the expected differences between patients and controls, but among patients showed no significant association between rigor of non-dairy galactose restriction in early childhood and any of the outcomes quantified. Indeed, some weak associations were seen suggesting that rigorous restriction of non-dairy galactose may be deleterious rather than beneficial. Despite limitations, these findings support the ongoing trend toward diet liberalization with regard to non-dairy sources of galactose for children and adults with classic galactosemia. PMID:28695375

  17. Mutations in GAL2 or GAL4 alleviate catabolite repression produced by galactose in Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

    PubMed

    Rodríguez; Flores

    2000-06-01

    Galactose does not allow growth of pyruvate carboxylase mutants in media with ammonium as a nitrogen source, and inhibits growth of strains defective in phosphoglyceromutase in ethanol-glycerol mixtures. Starting with pyc1, pyc2, and gpm1 strains, we isolated mutants that eliminated those galactose effects. The mutations were recessive and were named dgr1-1 and dgr2-1. Strains bearing those mutations in an otherwise wild-type background grew slower than the wild type in rich galactose media, and their growth was dependent on respiration. Galactose repression of several enzymes was relieved in the mutants. Biochemical and genetic evidence showed that dgr1-1 was allelic with GAL2 and dgr2-1 with GAL4. The results indicate that the rate of galactose consumption is critical to cause catabolite repression.

  18. The Lactose and Galactose Content of Cheese Suitable for Galactosaemia: New Analysis.

    PubMed

    Portnoi, P A; MacDonald, A

    2016-01-01

    The UK Medical Advisory Panel of the Galactosaemia Support Group report the lactose and galactose content of 5 brands of mature Cheddar cheese, Comte and Emmi Emmental fondue mix from 32 cheese samples. The Medical Advisory Panel define suitable cheese in galactosaemia to have a lactose and galactose content consistently below 10 mg/100 g. A total of 32 samples (5 types of mature Cheddar cheese, Comte and "Emmi Swiss Fondue", an emmental fondue mix) were analysed by high-performance anion exchange chromatography with pulsed amperometric detection (HPAEC-PAD) technology used to perform lactose and galactose analysis. Cheddar cheese types: Valley Spire West Country, Parkham, Lye Cross Vintage, Lye Cross Mature, Tesco West Country Farmhouse Extra Mature and Sainsbury's TTD West Country Farmhouse Extra Mature had a lactose and galactose content consistently below 10 mg/100 g (range <0.05 to 12.65 mg). All Comte samples had a lactose content below the lower limit of detection (<0.05 mg) with galactose content from <0.05 to 1.86 mg/100 g; all samples of Emmi Swiss Fondue had lactose below the lower limit of detection (<0.05 mg) and galactose between 2.19 and 3.04 mg/100 g. All of these cheese types were suitable for inclusion in a low galactose diet for galactosaemia. It is possible that the galactose content of cheese may change over time depending on its processing, fermentation time and packaging techniques.

  19. Composition of Fatty Acids and Carbohydrates in Leptospira1

    PubMed Central

    Kondo, Eiko; Ueta, Nobuo

    1972-01-01

    The fatty acid and monosaccharide composition of four pathogenic and two saprophytic strains of Leptospira was analyzed by gas chromatography (GC) and GC-mass spectrometry. Among the fatty acids, palmitic acid was most abundant and constituted 30 to 50% of the total fatty acids. Even-numbered unsaturated acids including octadecenoic, hexadecenoic, octadecadienoic, and tetradecadienoic acids comprised 40 to 60% of the total fatty acids. Tetradecanoic acid was about 5% in saprophytic strains, but 1% or less in pathogenic strains. The amount of chloroform-methanol extract of L. biflexa strain Ancona was 14 to 20% of the dry weight of the cell. Tetradecadienoic acid was found in the chloroform-methanol insoluble fraction, suggesting the presence of the acid in a bound form. GC analysis of monosaccharides revealed the existence of arabinose, xylose, rhamnose, mannose, galactose, glucose, glucosamine, and muramic acid in the cells. Among the neutral sugars, glucose was a minor component and was especially low in pathogenic strains. Total pentose content was about two to three times greater than total hexose. PMID:5022167

  20. Gordonia polyisoprenivorans sp. nov., a rubber-degrading actinomycete isolated from an automobile tyre.

    PubMed

    Linos, A; Steinbüchel, A; Spröer, C; Kroppenstedt, R M

    1999-10-01

    A rubber-degrading bacterium (strain Kd2T) was isolated from fouling tyre water inside a deteriorated automobile tyre. The strain was aerobic, Grampositive, produced elementary branching hyphae which fragmented into rod/coccus-like elements and showed chemotaxonomic markers which were consistent with the classification of Gordonia, i.e. meso-diaminopimelic acid, N-glycolyl muramic acid, arabinose and galactose as diagnostic sugars, a fatty acid pattern composed of unbranched saturated and monounsaturated fatty acids with a considerable amount of tuberculostearic acid, and mycolic acids comprising 58-66 carbon atoms with two principal mycolic acids C60 and C62 counting for over 60%. Results of 16S rDNA analyses as well as chemotaxonomic results, led to the conclusion that Gordonia sp. strain Kd2T (= DSM 44302T) represents a new species within the genus Gordonia for which the name Gordonia polyisoprenivorans is proposed.

  1. Effects of hydro-alcoholic extract of Vitex agnus-castus fruit on kidney of D-galactose-induced aging model in female mice

    PubMed Central

    Oroojan, A. A.; Ahangarpour, A.; Khorsandi, L.; Najimi, S. A.

    2016-01-01

    The aim of the present study was to evaluate the effect of a hydro-alcoholic extract of Vitex agnus-castus (VAC) fruit on blood urea nitrogen (BUN), creatinine (Cr) and, kidney histology of a female mouse model of D-galactose induced aging. In this experimental study, 72 NMRI mice were divided into 6 groups: control, VAC, D-galactose, D-galactose+VAC, aging, and aging+VAC. D-galactose was injected for 45 days and, VAC extract administered in the last 7 days, twice a day. Serum BUN and Cr levels were not significantly changed in the D-galactose and natural aged animals in comparison to control group. Histological changes such as nuclear pyknosis, proximal cell swelling, infiltration of inflammatory cells, tubular dilatation and, vasodilatation were observed in both D-galactose and natural aged mice. Further, glomerules diameter was decreased in them. Administration of VAC could attenuate the histological alterations. These results indicate that VAC may have beneficial effects on aging and aging related kidney disease. PMID:27822252

  2. Effects of hydro-alcoholic extract of Vitex agnus-castus fruit on kidney of D-galactose-induced aging model in female mice.

    PubMed

    Oroojan, A A; Ahangarpour, A; Khorsandi, L; Najimi, S A

    2016-01-01

    The aim of the present study was to evaluate the effect of a hydro-alcoholic extract of Vitex agnus-castus (VAC) fruit on blood urea nitrogen (BUN), creatinine (Cr) and, kidney histology of a female mouse model of D-galactose induced aging. In this experimental study, 72 NMRI mice were divided into 6 groups: control, VAC, D-galactose, D-galactose+VAC, aging, and aging+VAC. D-galactose was injected for 45 days and, VAC extract administered in the last 7 days, twice a day. Serum BUN and Cr levels were not significantly changed in the D-galactose and natural aged animals in comparison to control group. Histological changes such as nuclear pyknosis, proximal cell swelling, infiltration of inflammatory cells, tubular dilatation and, vasodilatation were observed in both D-galactose and natural aged mice. Further, glomerules diameter was decreased in them. Administration of VAC could attenuate the histological alterations. These results indicate that VAC may have beneficial effects on aging and aging related kidney disease.

  3. Pentavalent Bismuth-Mediated Glycosylation Methods to Activate Sialic and Uronic Acids and the Incorporation of Sialic Acids Into Insulin

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kabotso, Daniel Elorm Kwame

    The negative charge at physiological pH of carboxylic acid-containing monosaccharides modulate the properties of many natural biomolecules such as oligosaccharides and glycoconjugates. Unfortunately, these altered electronic properties also make the incorporation of such acidic sugars more challenging as compared to the more commonly studied neutral sugars. Herein are reported the first demonstration of glycosylation reactions mediated by triphenylbis(1,1,1-trifluoromethanesulfonato)-bismuth with thioglycosides containing carboxylic acid substituents protected as esters. Unlike with many neutral sugar substrates, the addition of 1-propanethiol to the reactions proved critical to obtaining good yields of the desired glycosylation products using sialic acid, galacturonic acid, and glucuronic acid. The protocol was demonstrated to be amenable to automation using a liquid-handling platform. The consequences of artificially incorporating carboxylic-acid-containing sugars into proteins were tested by the design of a linker containing 1 to 4 sialic acids--a sugar found in many human proteins and brain tissues--that was attached via reductive amination of trityl thiopropylaldehyde at the phenyl alanine terminal end of the protein insulin produced through solid-phase peptide synthesis. Removal of the trityl group with neat trifluoroacetic acid furnished the thiol-free modified insulin that was ligated via a disulfide bond to the peptide scaffold bearing acetyl protected sialic acids. A 14-15% ammonium hydroxide solution was found to be effective in deprotecting the acetyl groups without degradation of the disulfide bond. In addition to maintaining the potency and bioactivity of insulin, the sialic acid-containing linker rendered insulin more resistant to aggregation due to heat and mechanical agitation compared to the unmodified protein.

  4. Increase in D-tagatose production rate by site-directed mutagenesis of L-arabinose isomerase from Geobacillus thermodenitrificans.

    PubMed

    Oh, Hyo-Jung; Kim, Hye-Jung; Oh, Deok-Kun

    2006-02-01

    Among single-site mutations of L-arabinose isomerase derived from Geobacillus thermodenitrificans, two mutants were produced having the lowest and highest activities of D-tagatose production. Site-directed mutagenesis at these sites showed that the aromatic ring at amino acid 164 and the size of amino acid 475 were important for D-tagatose production. Among double-site mutations, one mutant converted D-galactose into D-tagatose with a yield of 58% whereas the wild type gave 46% D-tagatose conversion after 300 min at 65 degrees C.

  5. Effect of Induced Oxidative Stress and Herbal Extracts on Acid Phosphatase Activity in Lysosomal and Microsomal Fractions of Midgut Tissue of the Silkworm, Bombyx mori

    PubMed Central

    Gaikwad, Y. B.; Gaikwad, S. M.; Bhawane, G. P.

    2010-01-01

    Lysosomal and microsomal acid phosphatase activity was estimated in midgut tissue of silkworm larvae, Bombyx mori L. (Lepidoptera: Bombycidae), after induced oxidative stress by D-galactose. The larvae were simultaneously were treated with ethanolic extracts of Bacopa monniera and Lactuca sativa to study their antioxidant properties. Lipid peroxidation and fluorescence was measured to analyze extent of oxidative stress. The ethanolic extract of Lactuca sativa was found to be more effective in protecting membranes against oxidative stress than Bacopa monniera. PMID:20874583

  6. Probiotic culture survival and implications in fermented frozen yogurt characteristics.

    PubMed

    Davidson, R H; Duncan, S E; Hackney, C R; Eigel, W N; Boling, J W

    2000-04-01

    Low-fat ice cream mix was fermented with probiotic-supplemented and traditional starter culture systems and evaluated for culture survival, composition, and sensory characteristics of frozen product. Fermentations were stopped when the titratable acidity reached 0.15% greater than the initial titratable acidity (end point 1) or when the pH reached 5.6 (end point 2). Mix was frozen and stored for 11 wk at -20 degrees C. The traditional yogurt culture system contained the strains Streptococcus salivarius ssp. thermophilus and Lactobacillus delbrueckii ssp. bulgaricus. The probiotic-supplemented system contained the traditional cultures as well as Bifidobacterium longum and Lactobacillus acidophilus. We compared recovery of Bifodobacterium by three methods, a repair-detection system with roll-tubes and plates on modified bifid glucose medium and plates with maltose + galactose reinforced clostridial medium. Culture bacteria in both systems did not decrease in the yogurt during frozen storage. The roll-tube method with modified bifid glucose agar and repair detection system provided at least one-half log10 cfu/ml higher recovery of B. longum compared with recoveries using modified bifid glucose agar or maltose + galactose reinforced clostridial agar on petri plates. No change in concentrations of lactose or protein for products fermented with either culture system occurred during storage. Acid flavor was more intense when product was fermented to pH 5.6, but yogurt flavor was not intensified. The presence of probiotic bacteria in the supplemented system seemed to cause no differences in protein and lactose concentration and sensory characteristics.

  7. Surface charge-switchable polymeric magnetic nanoparticles for the controlled release of anticancer drug.

    PubMed

    Shen, Jian-Min; Yin, Tao; Tian, Xiao-Zhu; Gao, Fei-Yun; Xu, Shuang

    2013-08-14

    We develop paclitaxel (PTX) and magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs) coencapsulated, surface charge-switchable, thermosensitive poly(d,l-lactic-co-glycolic acid)-l-lysine-d-galactose (PTX-MNP-PLGA-Lys-Gal) NPs for the controlled release of the anticancer drug. The novel dual signal-responsive nanovehicle is formulated to shield off target at pH 7.4 but bind avidly to tumor cells in acidity, alleviating toxicity and side effects of the drug to normal tissues. The mechanism involves pH-sensitive NPs surface charge switching by the deblocking process of galactose molecules followed by protonation of ε-NH2 in lysine residue at acidic pH. Magnetic hyperthermia under near infrared (NIR) irradiation induced the contraction of PTX-MNP-PLGA-Lys-Gal NPs and, in turn, triggered burst release of PTX. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM), fluorescence microscope analyses, Fourier transform infrared (FTIR), X-ray diffraction (XRD), vibrating sample magnetometer (VSM), dynamic light scattering (DLS), and ξ-potential analyses were performed to characterize physicochemical properties of the as-prepared NPs. The size range of the globule PTX-MNP-PLGA-Lys-Gal NPs after being prescreened was from 130 to 150 nm under simulated physiological medium. The high encapsulation efficiencies of MNPs and PTX were obtained, reaching 85 and 78 wt % for PTX-MNP-PLGA-Lys-Gal NPs, respectively. The tumor inhibitory rate of 78.8% reflected that the resulting NPs could be promising to treat cancer by specific binding and targeting release drug to tumor.

  8. Purification of an Exopolygalacturonase from Penicillium viridicatum RFC3 Produced in Submerged Fermentation

    PubMed Central

    Gomes, Eleni; Leite, Rodrigo Simões Ribeiro; da Silva, Roberto; Silva, Dênis

    2009-01-01

    An exo-PG obtained from Penicillium viridicatum in submerged fermentation was purified to homogeneity. The apparent molecular weight of the enzyme was 92 kDa, optimum pH and temperature for activity were pH 5 and 50–55°C. The exo-PG showed a profile of an exo-polygalacturonase, releasing galacturonic acid by hydrolysis of pectin with a high degree of esterification (D.E.). Ions Ca2+ enhanced the stability of enzyme and its activity by 30%. The K m was 1.30 in absence of Ca2+ and 1.16 mg mL−1 in presence of this ion. In relation to the V max the presence of this ion increased from 1.76 to 2.07 μmol min−1mg−1. PMID:20148174

  9. Structure of a Rhamnogalacturonan Fragment from Apple Pectin: Implications for Pectin Architecture

    DOE PAGES

    Wu, Xiangmei; Mort, Andrew

    2014-01-01

    A comore » mmercial apple pectin was sequentially digested with the cloned enzymes endopolygalacturonase, galactanase, arabinofuranosidase, xylogalacturonase, and rhamnogalacturonan hydrolase. The rhamnogalacturonan hydrolase-generated oligosaccharides were separated by ultrafiltration, anion exchange, and size-exclusion chromatography. Fractions from the ion exchange chromatography were pooled, lyophilized, and screened by MALDI-TOF MS. An oligosaccharide (RGP14P3) was identified and its structure, α -D-Gal p A- ( 1 → 2 ) - α -L-Rha p - ( 1 → 4 ) - α -D-Gal p A- ( 1 → 2 ) - α -L-Rha p - ( 1 → 4 ) - α -D-Gal p A, determined by 1D and 2D NMR spectrometry. This oligosaccharide probably represents a direct connection between homogalacturonan and rhamnogalacturonan in pectin. Alternatively, it could indicate that the nonreducing end of rhamnogalacturonan starts with a galacturonic acid residue.« less

  10. Proteus mirabilis RMS 203 as a new representative of the O13 Proteus serogroup.

    PubMed

    Palusiak, Agata; Siwińska, Małgorzata; Zabłotni, Agnieszka

    2015-01-01

    The unique feature of some Proteus O-polysaccharides is occurrence of an amide of galacturonic acid with N(ε)-[(S/R)-1-Carboxyethyl]-L-lysine, GalA6(2S,8S/R-AlaLys). The results of the serological studies presented here, with reference to known O-antigens structures suggest that GalA6(2S,8S/R-AlaLys) or 2S,8R-AlaLys contribute to cross-reactions of O13 Proteus antisera, and Proteeae LPSs. It was also revealed that the Proteus mirabilis RMS 203 strain can be classified into the O13 serogroup, represented so far by two strains: Proteus mirabilis 26/57 and Proteus vulgaris 8344. The O13 LPS is a serologically important antigen with a fragment common to LPSs of different species in the Proteeae tribe.

  11. Anatomical, chemical, and biochemical characterization of cladodes from prickly pear [Opuntia ficus-indica (L.) Mill.].

    PubMed

    Ginestra, Giovanna; Parker, Mary L; Bennett, Richard N; Robertson, Jim; Mandalari, Giuseppina; Narbad, Arjan; Lo Curto, Rosario B; Bisignano, Giuseppe; Faulds, Craig B; Waldron, Keith W

    2009-11-11

    Opuntia ficus-indica cladodes represent the green stem of the plant and are generally used as animal feed or disposed of in landfills. The present work investigated the anatomical and chemical composition of Opuntia cladodes, which form the basis of their pharmacological effects. Glucose and galacturonic acid were the main sugars of Opuntia cladodes, whereas high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) analysis showed the presence of mainly kaempherol and isorhamnetin glycosides (glucoside and rhamnoside). The presence of high amounts of calcium oxalate crystals was demonstrated by light microscopy on fresh and lyophilized cladodes. No antimicrobial activity was observed even after enzymatic treatment. O. ficus-indica cladodes may retain material tightly associated with cell-wall components, and this property will have the potential to greatly reduce the bioavailability of bioactive compounds.

  12. Structure of a pectin methylesterase from Yersinia enterocolitica

    PubMed Central

    Boraston, Alisdair B.; Abbott, D. Wade

    2012-01-01

    Pectin methylesterases (PMEs) are family 8 carbohydrate esterases (CE8s) which remove the methyl group from methylesterified galacturonic acid (GalA) residues within pectin. Although the role of pectinases such as PMEs within dedicated phytopathogens has been well established, the significance of homologous enzymes found within the genomes of human enteropathogens remains to be determined. Presented here is the low-resolution (3.5 Å) structure of the CE8 from Yersinia enterocolitica (YeCE8). The high degree of structural conservation in the topology of the active-site cleft and catalytic apparatus that is shared with a characterized PME from a bacterial phytopathogen (i) indicates that YeCE8 is active on methylated pectin and (ii) highlights a more prominent role for pectin utilization in Yersinia than in other enteropathogenic species. PMID:22297983

  13. Identification and characterisation of water and alkali soluble oligosaccharides from hazelnut skin (Corylus avellana L.).

    PubMed

    Montella, Rosa; Coïsson, Jean Daniel; Travaglia, Fabiano; Locatelli, Monica; Bordiga, Matteo; Meyrand, Mickael; Barile, Daniela; Arlorio, Marco

    2013-10-15

    Hazelnut skins are a good example of agricultural by-product with the potential to become a valuable source of functional ingredients. In this work, the fibre from hazelnut skins was extracted by using water and alkali solution and characterised by a suite of analytical tools (MALDI-FTICR, nano LC-Chip-Q-ToF and gas chromatography). Over thirty complex free oligosaccharides, composed mainly of galacturonic acid and N-acetylgalactosamine, were characterised for the first time in the present study. Their concentration ranged between 16 and 34mg per g of extract. The oligosaccharides isolated from this agricultural by-product are mainly hexose oligosaccharides (potentially galacto-oligosaccharides,) and xyloglucans. The identified composition could justify the bioactive activity of the extracts, namely prebiotic activity, previously demonstrated. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  14. Electrochemical biosensing of galactose based on carbon materials: graphene versus multi-walled carbon nanotubes.

    PubMed

    Dalkıran, Berna; Erden, Pınar Esra; Kılıç, Esma

    2016-06-01

    In this study, two enzyme electrodes based on graphene (GR), Co3O4 nanoparticles and chitosan (CS) or multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs), Co3O4 nanoparticles, and CS, were fabricated as novel biosensing platforms for galactose determination, and their performances were compared. Galactose oxidase (GaOx) was immobilized onto the electrode surfaces by crosslinking with glutaraldehyde. Optimum working conditions of the biosensors were investigated and the analytical performance of the biosensors was compared with respect to detection limit, linearity, repeatability, and stability. The MWCNTs-based galactose biosensor provided about 1.6-fold higher sensitivity than its graphene counterpart. Moreover, the linear working range and detection limit of the MWCNTs-based galactose biosensor was superior to the graphene-modified biosensor. The successful application of the purposed biosensors for galactose biosensing in human serum samples was also investigated.

  15. Higher transcription levels in ascorbic acid biosynthetic and recycling genes were associated with higher ascorbic acid accumulation in blueberry.

    PubMed

    Liu, Fenghong; Wang, Lei; Gu, Liang; Zhao, Wei; Su, Hongyan; Cheng, Xianhao

    2015-12-01

    In our preliminary study, the ripe fruits of two highbush blueberry (Vaccinium corymbosum L.) cultivars, cv 'Berkeley' and cv 'Bluecrop', were found to contain different levels of ascorbic acid. However, factors responsible for these differences are still unknown. In the present study, ascorbic acid content in fruits was compared with expression profiles of ascorbic acid biosynthetic and recycling genes between 'Bluecrop' and 'Berkeley' cultivars. The results indicated that the l-galactose pathway was the predominant route of ascorbic acid biosynthesis in blueberry fruits. Moreover, higher expression levels of the ascorbic acid biosynthetic genes GME, GGP, and GLDH, as well as the recycling genes MDHAR and DHAR, were associated with higher ascorbic acid content in 'Bluecrop' compared with 'Berkeley', which indicated that a higher efficiency ascorbic acid biosynthesis and regeneration was likely to be responsible for the higher ascorbic acid accumulation in 'Bluecrop'. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  16. Specialized sugar sensing in diverse fungi.

    PubMed

    Brown, Victoria; Sabina, Jeffrey; Johnston, Mark

    2009-03-10

    S. cerevisiae senses glucose and galactose differently. Glucose is detected through sensors that reside in the cellular plasma membrane. When activated, the sensors initiate a signal-transduction cascade that ultimately inactivates the Rgt1 transcriptional repressor by causing degradation of its corepressors Mth1 and Std1. This results in the expression of many HXT genes encoding glucose transporters. The ensuing flood of glucose into the cell activates Mig1, a transcriptional repressor that mediates "glucose repression" of many genes, including the GAL genes; hence, glucose sensing hinders galactose utilization. Galactose is sensed in the cytoplasm via Gal3. Upon binding galactose (and ATP), Gal3 sequesters the Gal80 protein, thereby emancipating the Gal4 transcriptional activator of the GAL genes. Gal4 also activates expression of MTH1, encoding a corepressor critical for Rgt1 function. Thus, galactose inhibits glucose assimilation by encouraging repression of HXT genes. C. albicans senses glucose similarly to S. cerevisiae but does not sense galactose through Gal3-Gal80-Gal4. Its genome harbors no GAL80 ortholog, and the severely truncated CaGal4 does not regulate CaGAL genes. We present evidence that C. albicans senses galactose with its Hgt4 glucose sensor, a capability that is enabled by transcriptional "rewiring" of its sugar-sensing signal-transduction pathways. We suggest that galactose sensing through Hgt4 is ancestral in fungi.

  17. Leishmania UDP-sugar pyrophosphorylase: the missing link in galactose salvage?

    PubMed

    Damerow, Sebastian; Lamerz, Anne-Christin; Haselhorst, Thomas; Führing, Jana; Zarnovican, Patricia; von Itzstein, Mark; Routier, Françoise H

    2010-01-08

    The Leishmania parasite glycocalyx is rich in galactose-containing glycoconjugates that are synthesized by specific glycosyltransferases that use UDP-galactose as a glycosyl donor. UDP-galactose biosynthesis is thought to be predominantly a de novo process involving epimerization of the abundant nucleotide sugar UDP-glucose by the UDP-glucose 4-epimerase, although galactose salvage from the environment has been demonstrated for Leishmania major. Here, we present the characterization of an L. major UDP-sugar pyrophosphorylase able to reversibly activate galactose 1-phosphate into UDP-galactose thus proving the existence of the Isselbacher salvage pathway in this parasite. The ordered bisubstrate mechanism and high affinity of the enzyme for UTP seem to favor the synthesis of nucleotide sugar rather than their pyrophosphorolysis. Although L. major UDP-sugar pyrophosphorylase preferentially activates galactose 1-phosphate and glucose 1-phosphate, the enzyme is able to act on a variety of hexose 1-phosphates as well as pentose 1-phosphates but not hexosamine 1-phosphates and hence presents a broad in vitro specificity. The newly identified enzyme exhibits a low but significant homology with UDP-glucose pyrophosphorylases and conserved in particular is the pyrophosphorylase consensus sequence and residues involved in nucleotide and phosphate binding. Saturation transfer difference NMR spectroscopy experiments confirm the importance of these moieties for substrate binding. The described leishmanial enzyme is closely related to plant UDP-sugar pyrophosphorylases and presents a similar substrate specificity suggesting their common origin.

  18. Extraction Optimization, Purification and Physicochemical Properties of Polysaccharides from Gynura medica.

    PubMed

    Li, Fengwei; Gao, Jian; Xue, Feng; Yu, Xiaohong; Shao, Tao

    2016-03-23

    Extraction of polysaccharides from Gynura medica (GMPs) was optimized by response surface methodology (RSM). A central composition design including three parameters, namely extraction temperature (X₁), ratio of water to raw material (X₂) and extraction time (X₃), was used. The best conditions were extraction temperature of 91.7 °C, extraction time of 4.06 h and ratio of water to raw material of 29.1 mL/g. Under the optimized conditions, the yield of GMPs was 5.56%, which was similar to the predicted polysaccharides yield of 5.66%. A fraction named GMP-1 was obtained after isolation and purification by DEAE-52 and Sephadex G-100 gel chromatography, respectively. GMP-1, with a molecular weight of 401 kDa, mainly consisted of galacturonic acid (GalA), xylose (Xyl), glucose (Glu). Infrared spectroscopy was used to characterize the major functional groups of GMP-1 and the results indicated that it was an acidic polysaccharide. The antioxidant and α-glucosidase inhibitory activities of GMPs and GMP-1 were determined in vitro. The results indicated that GMPs and GMP-1 show potential for use in functional foods or medicines.

  19. Combined action of the major secreted exo- and endopolygalacturonases is required for full virulence of Fusarium oxysporum.

    PubMed

    Bravo Ruiz, Gustavo; Di Pietro, Antonio; Roncero, M Isabel G

    2016-04-01

    The genome of the tomato pathogen Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. lycopersici encodes eight different polygalacturonases (PGs): four endoPGs and four exoPGs. Quantitative real-time reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) revealed that endoPGs pg1 and pg5 and exoPGs pgx4 and pgx6 are expressed at significant levels during growth on citrus pectin, polygalacturonic acid or the monomer galacturonic acid, as well as during the infection of tomato plants. The remaining PG genes exhibit low expression levels under all the conditions tested. Secreted PG activity was decreased significantly during growth on pectin in the single deletion mutants lacking either pg1 or pgx6, as well as in the double mutant. Although the single deletion mutants did not display a significant virulence reduction on tomato plants, the Δpg1Δpgx6 double mutant was significantly attenuated in virulence. The combined action of exoPGs and endoPGs is thus essential for plant infection by the vascular wilt fungus F. oxysporum. © 2015 BSPP and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  20. Mistletoe lectin I in complex with galactose and lactose reveals distinct sugar-binding properties

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Mikeska, Ruth; Wacker, Roland; Arni, Raghuvir

    2005-01-01

    The structures of mistletoe lectin I in complex with lactose and galactose reveal differences in binding by the two known sites in subdomains α1 and γ2 and suggest the presence of a third low-affinity site in subdomain β1. The structures of mistletoe lectin I (ML-I) from Viscum album complexed with lactose and galactose have been determined at 2.3 Å resolution and refined to R factors of 20.9% (R{sub free} = 23.6%) and 20.9 (R{sub free} = 24.6%), respectively. ML-I is a heterodimer and belongs to the class of ribosome-inactivating proteins of type II, which consist of two chains. The A-chainmore » has rRNA N-glycosidase activity and irreversibly inhibits eukaryotic ribosomes. The B-chain is a lectin and preferentially binds to galactose-terminated glycolipids and glycoproteins on cell membranes. Saccharide binding is performed by two binding sites in subdomains α1 and γ2 of the ML-I B-chain separated by ∼62 Å from each other. The favoured binding of galactose in subdomain α1 is achieved via hydrogen bonds connecting the 4-hydroxyl and 3-hydroxyl groups of the sugar moiety with the side chains of Asp23B, Gln36B and Lys41B and the main chain of 26B. The aromatic ring of Trp38B on top of the preferred binding pocket supports van der Waals packing of the apolar face of galactose and stabilizes the sugar–lectin complex. In the galactose-binding site II of subdomain γ2, Tyr249B provides the hydrophobic stacking and the side chains of Asp235B, Gln238B and Asn256B are hydrogen-bonding partners for galactose. In the case of the galactose-binding site I, the 2-hydroxyl group also stabilizes the sugar–protein complex, an interaction thus far rarely detected in galactose-specific lectins. Finally, a potential third low-affinity galactose-binding site in subunit β1 was identified in the present ML-I structures, in which a glycerol molecule from the cryoprotectant buffer has bound, mimicking the sugar compound.« less

  1. Structural basis for binding of fluorinated glucose and galactose to Trametes multicolor pyranose 2-oxidase variants with improved galactose conversion.

    PubMed

    Tan, Tien Chye; Spadiut, Oliver; Gandini, Rosaria; Haltrich, Dietmar; Divne, Christina

    2014-01-01

    Each year, about six million tons of lactose are generated from liquid whey as industrial byproduct, and optimally this large carbohydrate waste should be used for the production of value-added products. Trametes multicolor pyranose 2-oxidase (TmP2O) catalyzes the oxidation of various monosaccharides to the corresponding 2-keto sugars. Thus, a potential use of TmP2O is to convert the products from lactose hydrolysis, D-glucose and D-galactose, to more valuable products such as tagatose. Oxidation of glucose is however strongly favored over galactose, and oxidation of both substrates at more equal rates is desirable. Characterization of TmP2O variants (H450G, V546C, H450G/V546C) with improved D-galactose conversion has been given earlier, of which H450G displayed the best relative conversion between the substrates. To rationalize the changes in conversion rates, we have analyzed high-resolution crystal structures of the aforementioned mutants with bound 2- and 3-fluorinated glucose and galactose. Binding of glucose and galactose in the productive 2-oxidation binding mode is nearly identical in all mutants, suggesting that this binding mode is essentially unaffected by the mutations. For the competing glucose binding mode, enzyme variants carrying the H450G replacement stabilize glucose as the α-anomer in position for 3-oxidation. The backbone relaxation at position 450 allows the substrate-binding loop to fold tightly around the ligand. V546C however stabilize glucose as the β-anomer using an open loop conformation. Improved binding of galactose is enabled by subtle relaxation effects at key active-site backbone positions. The competing binding mode for galactose 2-oxidation by V546C stabilizes the β-anomer for oxidation at C1, whereas H450G variants stabilize the 3-oxidation binding mode of the galactose α-anomer. The present study provides a detailed description of binding modes that rationalize changes in the relative conversion rates of D-glucose and D-galactose and can be used to refine future enzyme designs for more efficient use of lactose-hydrolysis byproducts.

  2. Structural Basis for Binding of Fluorinated Glucose and Galactose to Trametes multicolor Pyranose 2-Oxidase Variants with Improved Galactose Conversion

    PubMed Central

    Gandini, Rosaria; Haltrich, Dietmar; Divne, Christina

    2014-01-01

    Each year, about six million tons of lactose are generated from liquid whey as industrial byproduct, and optimally this large carbohydrate waste should be used for the production of value-added products. Trametes multicolor pyranose 2-oxidase (TmP2O) catalyzes the oxidation of various monosaccharides to the corresponding 2-keto sugars. Thus, a potential use of TmP2O is to convert the products from lactose hydrolysis, D-glucose and D-galactose, to more valuable products such as tagatose. Oxidation of glucose is however strongly favored over galactose, and oxidation of both substrates at more equal rates is desirable. Characterization of TmP2O variants (H450G, V546C, H450G/V546C) with improved D-galactose conversion has been given earlier, of which H450G displayed the best relative conversion between the substrates. To rationalize the changes in conversion rates, we have analyzed high-resolution crystal structures of the aforementioned mutants with bound 2- and 3-fluorinated glucose and galactose. Binding of glucose and galactose in the productive 2-oxidation binding mode is nearly identical in all mutants, suggesting that this binding mode is essentially unaffected by the mutations. For the competing glucose binding mode, enzyme variants carrying the H450G replacement stabilize glucose as the α-anomer in position for 3-oxidation. The backbone relaxation at position 450 allows the substrate-binding loop to fold tightly around the ligand. V546C however stabilize glucose as the β-anomer using an open loop conformation. Improved binding of galactose is enabled by subtle relaxation effects at key active-site backbone positions. The competing binding mode for galactose 2-oxidation by V546C stabilizes the β-anomer for oxidation at C1, whereas H450G variants stabilize the 3-oxidation binding mode of the galactose α-anomer. The present study provides a detailed description of binding modes that rationalize changes in the relative conversion rates of D-glucose and D-galactose and can be used to refine future enzyme designs for more efficient use of lactose-hydrolysis byproducts. PMID:24466218

  3. A Novel Acid-Stable Endo-Polygalacturonase from Penicillium oxalicum CZ1028: Purification, Characterization, and Application in the Beverage Industry.

    PubMed

    Cheng, Zhong; Chen, Dong; Lu, Bo; Wei, Yutuo; Xian, Liang; Li, Yi; Luo, Zhenzhen; Huang, Ribo

    2016-06-28

    Acidic endo-polygalacturonases are the major part of pectinase preparations and extensively applied in the clarification of fruits juice, vegetables extracts, and wines. However, most of the reported fungal endo-polygalacturonases are active and stable under narrow pH range and low temperatures. In this study, an acidic endo-polygalacturonase (EPG4) was purified and characterized from a mutant strain of Penicillium oxalicum. The N-terminal amino acid sequence of EPG4 (ATTCTFSGSNGAASASKSQT) was different from those of reported endopolygalacturonases. EPG4 displayed optimal pH and temperature at 5.0 and 60-70°C towards polygalacturonic acid (PGA), respectively, and was notably stable at pH 2.2-7.0. When tested against pectins, EPG4 showed enzyme activity over a broad acidic pH range (>15.0% activity at pH 2.2-6.0 towards citrus pectin; and >26.6% activity at pH 2.2-7.0 towards apple pectin). The Km and Vmax values were determined as 1.27 mg/ml and 5,504.6 U/mg, respectively. The enzyme hydrolyzed PGA in endo-manner, releasing oligo-galacturonates from PGA, as determined by TLC. Addition of EPG4 (3.6 U/ml) significantly reduced the viscosity (by 42.4%) and increased the light transmittance (by 29.5%) of the papaya pulp, and increased the recovery (by 24.4%) of the papaya extraction. All of these properties make the enzyme a potential application in the beverage industry.

  4. Monitoring the ripening process of Cheddar cheese based on hydrophilic component profiling using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry.

    PubMed

    Ochi, H; Sakai, Y; Koishihara, H; Abe, F; Bamba, T; Fukusaki, E

    2013-01-01

    We proposed an application methodology that combines metabolic profiling with multiple appropriate multivariate analyses and verified it on the industrial scale of the ripening process of Cheddar cheese to make practical use of hydrophilic low-molecular-weight compound profiling using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry to design optimal conditions and quality monitoring of the cheese ripening process. Principal components analysis provided an overview of the effect of sodium chloride content and kind of lactic acid bacteria starter on the metabolic profile in the ripening process of Cheddar cheese and orthogonal partial least squares-discriminant analysis unveiled the difference in characteristic metabolites. When the sodium chloride contents were different (1.6 and 0.2%) but the same lactic acid bacteria starter was used, the 2 cheeses were classified by orthogonal partial least squares-discriminant analysis from their metabolic profiles, but were not given perfect discrimination. Not much difference existed in the metabolic profile between the 2 cheeses. Compounds including lactose, galactose, lactic acid, 4-aminobutyric acid, and phosphate were identified as contents that differed between the 2 cheeses. On the other hand, in the case of the same salt content of 1.6%, but different kinds of lactic acid bacteria starter, an excellent distinctive discrimination model was obtained, which showed that the difference of lactic acid bacteria starter caused an obvious difference in metabolic profiles. Compounds including lactic acid, lactose, urea, 4-aminobutyric acid, galactose, phosphate, proline, isoleucine, glycine, alanine, lysine, leucine, valine, and pyroglutamic acid were identified as contents that differed between the 2 cheeses. Then, a good sensory prediction model for "rich flavor," which was defined as "thick and rich, including umami taste and soy sauce-like flavor," was constructed based on the metabolic profile during ripening using partial least squares regression analysis. The amino acids proline, leucine, valine, isoleucine, pyroglutamic acid, alanine, glutamic acid, glycine, lysine, tyrosine, serine, phenylalanine, methionine, aspartic acid, and ornithine were extracted as ripening process markers. The present study is not limited to Cheddar cheese and can be applied to various maturation-type natural cheeses. This study provides the technical platform for designing optimal conditions and quality monitoring of the cheese ripening process. Copyright © 2013 American Dairy Science Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  5. Uncoupling of attenuated myo-(3H)inositol uptake and dysfunction in Na(+)-K(+)-ATPase pumping activity in hypergalactosemic cultured bovine lens epithelial cells

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Cammarata, P.R.; Tse, D.; Yorio, T.

    1991-06-01

    Attenuation of both the active transport of myo-inositol and Na(+)-K(+)-ATPase pumping activity has been implicated in the onset of sugar cataract and other diabetic complications in cell culture and animal models of the disease. Cultured bovine lens epithelial cells (BLECs) maintained in galactose-free Eagle's minimal essential medium (MEM) or 40 mM galactose with and without sorbinil for up to 5 days were examined to determine the temporal effects of hypergalactosemia on Na(+)-K(+)-ATPase and myo-inositol uptake. The Na(+)-K(+)-ATPase pumping activity after 5 days of continuous exposure to galactose did not change, as demonstrated by 86Rb uptake. The uptake of myo-(3H)inositol wasmore » lowered after 20 h of incubation in galactose and remained below that of the control throughout the 5-day exposure period. The coadministration of sorbinil to the galactose medium normalized the myo-(3H)inositol uptake. No significant difference in the rates of passive efflux of myo-(3H)inositol or 86Rb from preloaded galactose-treated and control cultures was observed. Culture-media reversal studies were also carried out to determine whether the galactose-induced dysfunction in myo-inositol uptake could be corrected. BLECs were incubated in galactose for 5 days, then changed to galactose-free physiological medium with and without sorbinil for a 1-day recovery period. myo-Inositol uptake was reduced to 34% of control after 6 days of continuous exposure to galactose. Within 24 h of media reversal, myo-inositol uptake returned to or exceeded control values in BLECs switched to either MEM or MEM with sorbinil.2+ reversible and occurred independently of changes in Na(+)-K(+)-ATPase pumping activity in cultured lens epithelium, indicating that the two parameters are not strictly associated and that the deficit in myo-inositol uptake occurs rapidly during hypergalactosemia.« less

  6. Factors interfering with the accuracy of five blood glucose meters used in Chinese hospitals.

    PubMed

    Lv, Hong; Zhang, Guo-jun; Kang, Xi-xiong; Yuan, Hui; Lv, Yan-wei; Wang, Wen-wen; Randall, Rollins

    2013-09-01

    The prevalence of diabetes is increasing in China. Glucose control is very important in diabetic patients. The aim of this study was to compare the accuracy of five glucose meters used in Chinese hospitals with a reference method, in the absence and presence of various factors that may interfere with the meters. Within-run precision of the meters was evaluated include Roche Accu-Chek Inform®, Abbott Precision PCx FreeStyle®, Bayer Contour®, J&J LifeScan SureStep Flexx®, and Nova Biomedical StatStrip®. The interference of hematocrit level, maltose, ascorbic acid, acetaminophen, galactose, dopamine, and uric acid were tested in three levels of blood glucose, namely low, medium, and high concentrations. Accuracy (bias) of the meters and analytical interference by various factors were evaluated by comparing results obtained in whole blood specimens with those in plasma samples of the whole blood specimens run on the reference method. Impact of oxygen tension on above five blood glucose meters was detected. Precision was acceptable and slightly different between meters. There were no significant differences in the measurements between the meters and the reference method. The hematocrit level significantly interfered with all meters, except StatStrip. Measurements were affected to varying degrees by different substances at different glucose levels, e.g. acetaminophen and ascorbic acid (Freestyle), maltose and galactose (FreeStyle, Accu-Chek), uric acid (FreeStyle, Bayer Contour), and dopamine (Bayer Contour). The measurements with the five meters showed a good correlation with the plasma hexokinase reference method, but most were affected by the hematocrit level. Some meters also showed marked interference by other substances. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  7. Optimization of culture conditions for gamma-aminobutyric acid production in fermented adzuki bean milk.

    PubMed

    Song, Hung Yi; Yu, Roch Chui

    2018-01-01

    γ-Aminobutyric acid (GABA), a nonprotein amino acid, is widely distributed in nature and fulfills several physiological functions. In this study, various lactic acid strains commonly used to produce fermented milk products were inoculated into adzuki bean milk for producing GABA. The high GABA producing strain was selected in further experiment to improve the GABA production utilizing culture medium optimization. The results demonstrated that adzuki bean milk inoculated with Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG increased GABA content from 0.05 mg/mL to 0.44 mg/mL after 36 hours of fermentation, which showed the greatest elevation in this study. Furthermore, the optimal cultural condition to adzuki bean milk inoculated with L. rhamnosus GG to improve the GABA content was performed using response surface methodology. The results showed that GABA content was dependent on the addition of galactose, monosodium glutamate, and pyridoxine with which the increasing ratios of GABA were 23-38%, 24-68%, and 8-36%, respectively. The optimal culture condition for GABA production of adzuki bean milk was found at the content of 1.44% galactose, 2.27% monosodium glutamate, and 0.20% pyridoxine. Under the optimal cultural condition, the amount of GABA produced in the fermented adzuki bean milk was 1.12 mg/mL, which was 22.4-fold higher than that of the unfermented adzuki bean milk (0.05 mg/100 mL). The results suggested that the optimized cultural condition of adzuki bean milk inoculated with L. rhamnosus GG can increase GABA content for consumers as a daily supplement as suggested. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier B.V.

  8. Chemical characteristics and anticoagulant activities of two sulfated polysaccharides from Enteromorpha linza (Chlorophyta)

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Qi, Xiaohui; Mao, Wenjun; Chen, Yin; Chen, Yanli; Zhao, Chunqi; Li, Na; Wang, Chunyan

    2013-03-01

    Two sulfated polysaccharides, designated MP and SP, were extracted from the marine green alga Enteromorpha linza using hot water and then purified using ion-exchange and size-exclusion chromatography. The anticoagulant activities of MP and SP were examined by determination of their activated partial thromboplastin time (APTT), thrombin time (TT) and prothrombin time (PT) using human plasma. Results showed that MP and SP were composed of abundant rhamnose with small amounts of xylose and glucuronic acid, whereas SP also contained a small amount of galactose. Approximate molecular weights of MP and SP were 535 and 502 kDa, respectively. As compared with SP, MP had higher contents of sulfate ester (19.0%) and uronic acid (14.9%). The MP mainly consisted of (1→4)-linked rhamnose residues with partially sulfated groups at the C-3 position, and small amounts of (1→3, 4)-linked rhamnose, (1→2, 4)-linked rhamnose, (1→4)-linked glucuronic acid and (1→4)-linked xylose residues. The SP contained abundant (1→4)-linked rhamnose with minor amounts of (1→3)-linked rhamnose, (1→3, 4)-linked rhamnose, (1→2, 4)-linked rhamnose, (1→4)-linked glucuronic acid, (1→4)-linked xylose, and (1→3)-linked galactose residues. The sulfate groups were mainly located at C-3 of (1→4)-linked rhamnose residues. Both MP and SP, in particular the former, effectively prolonged APTT and TT. This work demonstrates that MP and SP have unique structural characteristics distinct from those of other sulfated polysaccharides from Enteromorpha. The MP is a potential source of anticoagulant, and the difference in anticoagulant activities of the two sulfated polysaccharides is directly linked to the discrepancy of their chemical features.

  9. Anti-inflammatory effect of sugar-amino acid Maillard reaction products on intestinal inflammation model in vitro and in vivo.

    PubMed

    Oh, Jun-Gu; Chun, Su-Hyun; Kim, Da Hyun; Kim, Jin Hye; Shin, Hye Soo; Cho, Yong Soo; Kim, Yong Ki; Choi, Hee-Don; Lee, Kwang-Won

    2017-09-08

    The Maillard reaction is a nonenzymatic reaction between an amino acid and a reducing sugar that usually occurs upon heating. This reaction occurs routinely in cooking, generates numerous products, which are collectively referred to as Maillard reaction products (MRPs) contributing to aroma and color features. Advanced glycation end-products (AGEs) transformed from MRPs are participated in many types of inflammation reaction. In this study, various sugar-amino acid MRPs were prepared from three different amino acids (lysine, arginine, and glycine) and sugars (glucose, fructose, and galactose) for 1 h with heating at 121 °C. Treatment of lipopolysaccharide-stimulated RAW264.7 macrophages with the MRPs decreased nitric oxide (NO) expression compared to control without MRPs treatment. MRPs derived from lysine and galactose (Lys-Gal MRPs) significantly inhibited NO expression. The retentate fraction of Lys-Gal MRPs with cut-off of molecular weight of 3-10 kDa (LGCM) suppressed NO expression more effectively than did Lys-Gal MRPs. The anti-inflammatory effect of LGCM was evaluated using a co-culture system consisting of Caco-2 (apical side) and RAW264.7 or THP-1 (basolateral side) cells to investigate the gut inflammation reaction by stimulated macrophage cells. In this system, LGCM prevented a decreased transepithelial electrical resistance, and decreased both tumor necrosis factor-α production in macrophages and interleukin (IL)-8 and IL-1β mRNA expression in Caco-2 cells. In co-culture and in vivo dextran sulfate sodium (DSS)-induced colitis model study, we also observed the anti-inflammatory activity of LGCM. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  10. The effect of enteric galactose on neonatal canine carbohydrate metabolism

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Kliegman, R.M.; Miettinen, E.L.; Kalhan, S.C.

    1981-01-01

    Newborn pups were assigned to a fasting group or to a group receiving intravenous glucose alimentation. Glucose turnover was determined during steady state equilibration of simultaneously infused (6-/sup 3/H) glucose. Thereafter, pups from each group received 0.625 g/Kg of either oral (U-/sup 14/C) galactose or (U-/sup 14/C) glucose. In fasted or intravenously alimented pups enteric glucose resulted in a rapid and sustained elevation of blood glucose concentrations. Systemic appearance of /sup 14/C label from enteric glucose increased rapidly as did the enrichment of blood (/sup 14/C) glucose specific activity. In those pups given enteric galactose, blood glucose values were equivalentmore » to that in the glucose fed groups, however /sup 14/C appearing in blood glucose and blood glucose specific activity was significantly lower. The peak values for rates of appearance and disappearance of systemic glucose were significantly lower in pups fed galactose than among pups fed glucose. Glucose clearance was also significantly lower in these pups despite equivalent plasma insulin responses. Among fasting pups hepatic glycogen content was significantly higher in those given either oral glucose or galactose when compared to a completely starved control group. In contrast, among alimented pups galactose administration significantly enhanced hepatic glycogen content compared to those fed glucose. In addition, hepatic glycogen synthase (glucose-6-phosphate independent) activity was increased only among alimented pups fed galactose when compared to completely fasted pups. In conclusion these data suggest that following gastrointestinal galactose administration, hepatic carbohydrate uptake is augmented while glycogen synthesis may be enhanced. Augmented glycogen synthesis following galactose administration may reflect alterations in hepatic glycogen synthase activity or enhanced hepatic carbohydrate uptake.« less

  11. Analysis of concentration and (13)C enrichment of D-galactose in human plasma.

    PubMed

    Schadewaldt, P; Hammen, H W; Loganathan, K; Bodner-Leidecker, A; Wendel, U

    2000-05-01

    A stable-isotope dilution method for the sensitive determination of D-galactose in human plasma was established. D-[(13)C]Galactose was added to plasma, and the concentration was measured after D-glucose was removed from the plasma by treatment with D-glucose oxidase and the sample was purified by ion-exchange chromatography. For gas chromatographic-mass spectrometric analysis, aldononitrile pentaacetate derivatives were prepared. Monitoring of the [MH-60](+) ion intensities at m/z 328, 329, and 334 in the positive chemical ionization mode allowed the assessment of 1-(12)C-, 1-(13)C-, and U-(13)C(6)-labeled D-galactose, respectively. The D-galactose concentration was quantified on the basis of the (13)C-labeled internal standard. The method was linear (range examined, 0.1-5 micromol/L) and of good repeatability in the low and high concentration ranges (within- and between-run CVs <15%). The limit of quantification for plasma D-galactose was <0.02 micromol/L. Measurements in plasma of postabsorptive subjects yielded D-galactose concentrations (mean +/- SD) of 0.12 +/- 0.03 (n = 16), 0.11 +/- 0.04 (n = 15), 1.44 +/- 0.54 (n = 10), and 0.17 +/- 0.07 (n = 5) micromol/L in healthy adults, diabetic patients, patients with classical galactosemia, and obligate heterozygous parents thereof, respectively. These data were considerably lower (3- to 18-fold) than the values of a conventional enzymatic assay. The procedure was also applied successfully in a stable-isotope turnover study to evaluate endogenous D-galactose formation. The present findings establish that detection of D-galactose from endogenous sources is feasible in human plasma and show that erroneously high results may be obtained by enzymatic methods.

  12. Melatonin attenuates D-galactose-induced memory impairment, neuroinflammation and neurodegeneration via RAGE/NF-K B/JNK signaling pathway in aging mouse model.

    PubMed

    Ali, Tahir; Badshah, Haroon; Kim, Tae Hyun; Kim, Myeong Ok

    2015-01-01

    Melatonin acts as a pleiotropic agent in various age-related neurodegenerative diseases. In this study, we examined the underlying neuroprotective mechanism of melatonin against D-galactose-induced memory and synaptic dysfunction, elevated reactive oxygen species (ROS), neuroinflammation and neurodegeneration. D-galactose was administered (100 mg/kg intraperitoneally (i.p.)) for 60 days. After 30 days of D-galactose administration, vehicle (same volume) or melatonin (10 mg/kg, i.p.) was administered for 30 days. Our behavioral (Morris water maze and Y-maze test) results revealed that chronic melatonin treatment alleviated D-galactose-induced memory impairment. Additionally, melatonin treatment reversed D-galactose-induced synaptic disorder via increasing the level of memory-related pre-and postsynaptic protein markers. We also determined that melatonin enhances memory function in the D-galactose-treated mice possibly via reduction of elevated ROS and receptor for advanced glycation end products (RAGE). Furthermore, Western blot and morphological results showed that melatonin treatment significantly reduced D-galactose-induced neuroinflammation through inhibition of microgliosis (Iba-1) and astrocytosis (GFAP), and downregulating other inflammatory mediators such as p-IKKβ, p-NF-K B65, COX2, NOS2, IL-1β, and TNFα. Moreover, melatonin lowered the oxidative stress kinase p-JNK which suppressed various apoptotic markers, that is, cytochrome C, caspase-9, caspase-3 and PARP-1, and prevent neurodegeneration. Hence, melatonin attenuated the D-galactose-induced memory impairment, neuroinflammation and neurodegeneration possibly through RAGE/NF-K B/JNK pathway. Taken together, our data suggest that melatonin could be a promising, safe and endogenous compatible antioxidant candidate for age-related neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's disease (AD). © 2014 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  13. D-Galactose High-Dose Administration Failed to Induce Accelerated Aging Changes in Neurogenesis, Anxiety, and Spatial Memory on Young Male Wistar Rats.

    PubMed

    Cardoso, Armando; Magano, Sara; Marrana, Francisco; Andrade, José P

    2015-12-01

    The model of accelerated senescence with the prolonged administration of d-galactose is used in anti-aging studies because it mimics several aging-associated alterations such as increase of oxidative stress and decline of cognition. However, there is no standardized protocol for this aging model, and recently some reports have questioned its effectiveness. To clarify this issue, we used a model of high-dose d-galactose on 1-month-old male Wistar rats and studied the hippocampus, one of the most affected brain regions. In one group (n = 10), d-galactose was daily administered intraperitoneally (300 mg/kg) during 8 weeks whereas age-matched controls (n = 10) were injected intraperitoneally with saline. A third group (n = 10) was treated with the same dose of d-galactose and with oral epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG) (2 grams/L), a green tea catechin with anti-oxidant and neuroprotective properties. After treatments, animals were submitted to open-field, elevated plus-maze and Morris water maze tests, and neurogenesis in the dentate gyrus subgranular layer was quantified. There were no significant alterations when the three groups were compared in the number of doublecortin- and Ki-67-immunoreactive cells, and also on anxiety levels, spatial learning, and memory. Therefore, d-galactose was not effective in the induction of accelerated aging, and EGCG administered to d-galactose-treated animals did not improve behavior and had no effects on neurogenesis. We conclude that daily 300 mg/kg of d-galactose administered intraperitoneally may not be a suitable model for inducing age-related neurobehavioral alterations in young male Wistar rats. More studies are necessary to obtain a reliable and reproducible model of accelerated senescence in rodents using d-galactose.

  14. The biosynthesis of glycoconjugates from galactose in the human gastric mucous membrane.

    PubMed

    Kopacz-Jodczyk, T; Zwierz, K; Gałasiński, W

    1984-12-01

    Pieces of human gastric mucosa were incubated with labeled galactose. The ratio of glucosamine-galactosamine radioactivity in human gastric glycoconjugates, after incubation of the tissue with labeled galactose, was similar to that of the two compounds after incubation with labeled glucose.

  15. Tandem mass spectrometric analysis of aspergillus niger pectin methylesterase: mode of action on fully methyl-esterified oligogalacturonates.

    PubMed

    Kester, H C; Benen, J A; Visser, J; Warren, M E; Orlando, R; Bergmann, C; Magaud, D; Anker, D; Doutheau, A

    2000-03-01

    The substrate specificity and the mode of action of Aspergillus niger pectin methylesterase (PME) was determined using both fully methyl-esterified oligogalacturonates with degrees of polymerization (DP) 2-6 and chemically synthesized monomethyl trigalacturonates. The enzymic activity on the different substrates and a preliminary characterization of the reaction products were performed by using high-performance anion-exchange chromatography at neutral pH. Electrospray ionization tandem MS (ESI-MS/MS) was used to localize the methyl esters on the (18)O-labelled reaction products during the course of the enzymic reaction. A. niger PME is able to hydrolyse the methyl esters of fully methyl-esterified oligogalacturonates with DP 2, and preferentially hydrolyses the methyl esters located on the internal galacturonate residues, followed by hydrolysis of the methyl esters towards the reducing end. This PME is unable to hydrolyse the methyl ester of the galacturonate moiety at the non-reducing end.

  16. Heat stress causes alterations in the cell-wall polymers and anatomy of coffee leaves (Coffea arabica L.).

    PubMed

    Lima, Rogério Barbosa; dos Santos, Tiago Benedito; Vieira, Luiz Gonzaga Esteves; Ferrarese, Maria de Lourdes Lúcio; Ferrarese-Filho, Osvaldo; Donatti, Lucélia; Boeger, Maria Regina Torres; Petkowicz, Carmen Lúcia de Oliveira

    2013-03-01

    Coffee plants were subjected to heat stress (37 °C) and compared with control plants (24 °C). Cell wall polysaccharides were extracted using water (W), EDTA (E) and 4M NaOH (H30 and H70). In addition, monolignols were analyzed, and the leaves were observed by microscopy. Plants under heat stress accumulated higher contents of arabinose and galactose in fraction W. Xylose contents were observed to decrease in H30 fractions after the heat stress, whereas galactose and uronic acid increased. H70 fractions from plants exposed to heat stress showed increased xylose contents, whereas the contents of arabinose and glucose decreased. Differences in the molar-mass profiles of polysaccharides were also observed. The primary monolignol contents increased after the heat stress. Structural alterations in palisade cells and ultrastructural damage in chloroplasts were also observed. Our results demonstrate that the chemical profile of coffee cell-wall polymers and structural cell anatomy change under heat stress. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  17. 3,6-Anhydro-l-galactose, a rare sugar from agar, a new anticariogenic sugar to replace xylitol.

    PubMed

    Yun, Eun Ju; Lee, Ah Reum; Kim, Jung Hyun; Cho, Kyung Mun; Kim, Kyoung Heon

    2017-04-15

    The significance for anticariogenic sugar substitutes is growing due to increasing demands for dietary sugars and rising concerns of dental caries. Xylitol is widely used as an anticariogenic sugar substitute, but the inhibitory effects of xylitol on Streptococcus mutans, the main cause of tooth decay, are exhibited only at high concentrations. Here, the inhibitory effects of 3,6-anhydro-l-galactose (AHG), a rare sugar from red macroalgae, were evaluated on S. mutans, in comparison with those of xylitol. In the presence of 5g/l of AHG, the growth of S. mutans was retarded. At 10g/l of AHG, the growth and acid production by S. mutans were completely inhibited. However, in the presence of xylitol, at a much higher concentration (i.e., 40g/l), the growth of S. mutans still occurred. These results suggest that AHG can be used as a new anticariogenic sugar substitute for preventing dental caries. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  18. Genetic Evidence for the Physiological Significance of the d-Tagatose 6-Phosphate Pathway of Lactose and d-Galactose Degradation in Staphylococcus aureus1

    PubMed Central

    Bissett, Donald L.; Anderson, Richard L.

    1974-01-01

    Mutants of Staphylococcus aureus were isolated which were unable to utilize d-galactose or lactose, but which were able to utilize all other carbohydrates tested. Growth of the mutants on a peptone-containing medium was inhibited by d-galactose. Of those mutants selected for further study, one (tagI2) was missing d-galactose 6-phosphate isomerase, one (tagK3) was missing d-tagatose 6-phosphate kinase, and one (tagA4) was missing d-tagatose 1, 6-diphosphate aldolase. Each of these mutants accumulated the substrate of the missing enzyme intracellularly. Spontaneous revertants of each of the mutants simultaneously regained their ability to utilize d-galactose and lactose, lost their sensitivity to d-galactose, regained the missing enzymatic activities, and no longer accumulated intermediates of the d-tagatose 6-phosphate pathway. These data support our previous contention that the physiologically significant route for the metabolism of d-galactose and the d-galactosyl moiety of lactose in S. aureus is the d-tagatose 6-phosphate pathway. Furthermore, a mutant constitutive for all three enzymes of this pathway was isolated, indicating that the products of the tagI, tagK, and tagA genes are under common genetic control. This conclusion was supported by the demonstration that d-galactose 6-phosphate isomerase, d-tagatose 6-phosphate kinase, and d-tagatose 1, 6-diphosphate aldolase are coordinately induced in the parental strain. PMID:4277494

  19. 13C-methacetin and 13C-galactose breath tests can assess restricted liver function even in early stages of primary biliary cirrhosis.

    PubMed

    Holtmeier, Julia; Leuschner, Maria; Schneider, Arne; Leuschner, Ulrich; Caspary, Wolfgang F; Braden, Barbara

    2006-11-01

    The 13C-methacetin breath test quantitatively evaluates cytochrome P450-dependent liver function. The 13C-galactose breath test non-invasively measures the galactose oxidation capacity of the liver. The aim of this study was to find out whether these breath tests are sensitive parameters also in non-cirrhotic patients with primary biliary cirrhosis. Nineteen patients with early-stage primary biliary cirrhosis (no cirrhotic alterations in the liver biopsy, Ludwig stage I-III) and 20 healthy controls underwent the 13C-methacetin and 13C-galactose breath tests. Patients with primary biliary cirrhosis metabolized less 13C-methacetin than controls (cumulative recovery within 30 min 7.5+/-2.4% versus 14.0+/-2.6%; p < 0.001). When a cut-off > 9.8% was used for the cumulative recovery after 30 min, the methacetin breath test reached 84.2% sensitivity and 95.0 specificity. In the 13C-galactose breath test, the percentage recovery at 60 min in patients was 3.1+/-1.3%/h, and 6.3+/-1.1%/h in controls (p < 0.001). Using a cut-off > 4.7%/h, the galactose breath test reached 89.5% sensitivity and 95.0 specificity. In non-cirrhotic, early-stage, primary biliary cirrhosis the 13C-methacetin breath test and the 13C-galactose breath test reliably indicate decreased liver function. The 13C-galactose breath test can also predict the histological score.

  20. Stannous Fluoride Effects on Gene Expression of Streptococcus mutans and Actinomyces viscosus.

    PubMed

    Shi, Y; Li, R; White, D J; Biesbrock, A R

    2018-02-01

    A genome-wide transcriptional analysis was performed to elucidate the bacterial cellular response of Streptococcus mutans and Actinomyces viscosus to NaF and SnF 2 . The minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) and minimal bactericidal concentration (MBC) of SnF 2 were predetermined before microarray study. Gene expression profiling microarray experiments were carried out in the absence (control) and presence (experimental) of 10 ppm and 100 ppm Sn 2+ (in the form of SnF 2 ) and fluoride controls for 10-min exposures (4 biological replicates/treatment). These Sn 2+ levels and treatment time were chosen because they have been shown to slow bacterial growth of S. mutans (10 ppm) and A. viscosus (100 ppm) without affecting cell viability. All data generated by microarray experiments were analyzed with bioinformatics tools by applying the following criteria: 1) a q value should be ≤0.05, and 2) an absolute fold change in transcript level should be ≥1.5. Microarray results showed SnF 2 significantly inhibited several genes encoding enzymes of the galactose pathway upon a 10-min exposure versus a negative control: lacA and lacB (A and B subunits of the galactose-6-P isomerase), lacC (tagatose-6-P kinase), lacD (tagatose-1,6-bP adolase), galK (galactokinase), galT (galactose-1-phosphate uridylyltransferase), and galE (UDP-glucose 4-epimerase). A gene fruK encoding fructose-1-phosphate kinase in the fructose pathway was also significantly inhibited. Several genes encoding fructose/mannose-specific enzyme IIABC components in the phosphotransferase system (PTS) were also downregulated, as was ldh encoding lactate dehydrogenase, a key enzyme involved in lactic acid synthesis. SnF 2 downregulated the transcription of most key enzyme genes involved in the galactose pathway and also suppressed several key genes involved in the PTS, which transports sugars into the cell in the first step of glycolysis.

  1. Anaphylaxis to succinylated gelatin in a patient with a meat allergy: galactose-α(1, 3)-galactose (α-gal) as antigenic determinant.

    PubMed

    Uyttebroek, A; Sabato, V; Bridts, C H; De Clerck, L S; Ebo, D G

    2014-11-01

    Specific immunoglobulin E (sIgE) antibodies towards the galactose-α(1,3)-galactose (α-gal) moieties may elicit life-threatening and fatal anaphylactic reactions. Patients sensitized to α-gal moieties from mammalian meat may also react towards mammalian gelatins and gelatin-containing drugs such as bovine gelatin-based colloid plasma substitute. The case of a 56 year old woman with a meat allergy who suffered anaphylaxis to succinylated gelatin is reported. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  2. Determination of the chemical structure of the capsular polysaccharide of strain B33, a fast-growing soya bean-nodulating bacterium isolated from an arid region of China.

    PubMed Central

    Rodríguez-Carvajal, M A; Tejero-Mateo, P; Espartero, J L; Ruiz-Sainz, J E; Buendía-Clavería, A M; Ollero, F J; Yang, S S; Gil-Serrano, A M

    2001-01-01

    We have determined the structure of a polysaccharide from strain B33, a fast-growing bacterium that forms nitrogen-fixing nodules with Asiatic and American soya bean cultivars. On the basis of monosaccharide analysis, methylation analysis, one-dimensional 1H- and 13C-NMR and two-dimensional NMR experiments, the structure was shown to consist of a polymer having the repeating unit -->6)-4-O-methyl-alpha-D-Glcp-(1-->4)-3-O-methyl-beta-D-GlcpA-(1--> (where GlcpA is glucopyranuronic acid and Glcp is glucopyranose). Strain B33 produces a K-antigen polysaccharide repeating unit that does not have the structural motif sugar-Kdx [where Kdx is 3-deoxy-D-manno-2-octulosonic acid (Kdo) or a Kdo-related acid] proposed for different Sinorhizobium fredii strains, all of them being effective with Asiatic soya bean cultivars but unable to form nitrogen-fixing nodules with American soya bean cultivars. Instead, it resembles the K-antigen of S. fredii strain HH303 (rhamnose, galacturonic acid)n, which is also effective with both groups of soya bean cultivars. Only the capsular polysaccharide from strains B33 and HH303 have monosaccharide components that are also present in the surface polysaccharide of Bradyrhizobium elkanii strains, which consists of a 4-O-methyl-D-glucurono-L-rhamnan. PMID:11439101

  3. Differential Selectivity of the Escherichia coli Cell Membrane Shifts the Equilibrium for the Enzyme-Catalyzed Isomerization of Galactose to Tagatose▿

    PubMed Central

    Kim, Jin-Ha; Lim, Byung-Chul; Yeom, Soo-Jin; Kim, Yeong-Su; Kim, Hye-Jung; Lee, Jung-Kul; Lee, Sook-Hee; Kim, Seon-Won; Oh, Deok-Kun

    2008-01-01

    An Escherichia coli galactose kinase gene knockout (ΔgalK) strain, which contains the l-arabinose isomerase gene (araA) to isomerize d-galactose to d-tagatose, showed a high conversion yield of tagatose compared with the original galK strain because galactose was not metabolized by endogenous galactose kinase. In whole cells of the ΔgalK strain, the isomerase-catalyzed reaction exhibited an equilibrium shift toward tagatose, producing a tagatose fraction of 68% at 37°C, whereas the purified l-arabinose isomerase gave a tagatose equilibrium fraction of 36%. These equilibrium fractions are close to those predicted from the measured equilibrium constants of the isomerization reaction catalyzed in whole cells and by the purified enzyme. The equilibrium shift in these cells resulted from the higher uptake and lower release rates for galactose, which is a common sugar substrate, than for tagatose, which is a rare sugar product. A ΔmglB mutant had decreased uptake rates for galactose and tagatose, indicating that a methylgalactoside transport system, MglABC, is the primary contributing transporter for the sugars. In the present study, whole-cell conversion using differential selectivity of the cell membrane was proposed as a method for shifting the equilibrium in sugar isomerization reactions. PMID:18263746

  4. Differential selectivity of the Escherichia coli cell membrane shifts the equilibrium for the enzyme-catalyzed isomerization of galactose to tagatose.

    PubMed

    Kim, Jin-Ha; Lim, Byung-Chul; Yeom, Soo-Jin; Kim, Yeong-Su; Kim, Hye-Jung; Lee, Jung-Kul; Lee, Sook-Hee; Kim, Seon-Won; Oh, Deok-Kun

    2008-04-01

    An Escherichia coli galactose kinase gene knockout (DeltagalK) strain, which contains the l-arabinose isomerase gene (araA) to isomerize d-galactose to d-tagatose, showed a high conversion yield of tagatose compared with the original galK strain because galactose was not metabolized by endogenous galactose kinase. In whole cells of the DeltagalK strain, the isomerase-catalyzed reaction exhibited an equilibrium shift toward tagatose, producing a tagatose fraction of 68% at 37 degrees C, whereas the purified l-arabinose isomerase gave a tagatose equilibrium fraction of 36%. These equilibrium fractions are close to those predicted from the measured equilibrium constants of the isomerization reaction catalyzed in whole cells and by the purified enzyme. The equilibrium shift in these cells resulted from the higher uptake and lower release rates for galactose, which is a common sugar substrate, than for tagatose, which is a rare sugar product. A DeltamglB mutant had decreased uptake rates for galactose and tagatose, indicating that a methylgalactoside transport system, MglABC, is the primary contributing transporter for the sugars. In the present study, whole-cell conversion using differential selectivity of the cell membrane was proposed as a method for shifting the equilibrium in sugar isomerization reactions.

  5. The role of water molecules in stereoselectivity of glucose/galactose-binding protein

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kim, Minsup; Cho, Art E.

    2016-11-01

    Using molecular dynamics (MD) simulation methods, we attempted to explain the experimental results on ligand specificity of glucose/galactose-binding protein (GGBP) to β-D-glucose and β-D-galactose. For the simulation, a three-dimensional structure of GGBP was prepared, and homology modeling was performed to generate variant structures of GGBP with mutations at Asp14. Then, docking was carried out to find a reasonable β-D-glucose and β-D-galactose binding conformations with GGBP. Subsequent molecular dynamics simulations of β-D-glucose-GGBP and β-D-galactose-GGBP complexes and estimation of the orientation and stability of water molecules at the binding site revealed how water molecules influence ligand specificity. In our simulation, water molecules mediated interactions of β-D-glucose or β-D-galactose with residue 14 of GGBP. In this mechanism, the Phe16Ala mutant leaves both sugar molecules free to move, and the specific role of water molecules were eliminated, while the wild type, Asp14Asn mutant, and Asp14Glu mutant make hydrogen bond interactions with β-D-glucose more favorable. Our results demonstrate that bound water molecules at the binding site of GGBP are related to localized conformational change, contributing to ligand specificity of GGBP for β-D-glucose over β-D-galactose.

  6. Adipose stem cells’ antagonism in glycosylation of D-galactose-induced skin aging of nude mice and its skin recovery function

    PubMed Central

    Wang, Haiying; Wei, Shuyue; Xue, Xinxin; You, Yuntian; Ma, Qiang

    2016-01-01

    This study aims to discuss adipose stem cells’ (ASCs) antagonism in glycosylation of D-galactose-induced skin aging of nude mice and its skin recovery function; the study also aims to explore a new mechanism of anti-aging to provide clinical anti-aging therapy with new thoughts and methods. We selected 40 healthy specific pathogen-free (SPF) nude mice and divided them randomly into four groups which were: blank control group; D-galactose + phosphate buffer saline (PBS) group; D-galactose + ASCs treatment group; and D-galactose + aminoguanidine (AG) group. Results showed that the superoxide dismutase (SOD) level of mice in the D-galactose-induced model group (87.15 ± 4.95 U/g) decreased significantly compared with that of control group (146.21 ± 4.76 U/g), while malonaldehyde (MDA) level of mice in D-galactose induced model group (11.12 ± 2.08 nmol/mg) increased significantly compared with that of control group (5.46 ± 2.05 nmol/mg) (P <0.05); thus D-galactose induced sub-acutely aging mice models were duplicated successfully. Results also indicated that transplantation of ASCs could reverse expression of aging-related biomarkers such as MDA, SOD, and advanced glycosylation end products (AGEs); hematoxylin and eosin (HE) staining showed that thickness of the dermis layer as well as the collagen content of mice in the D-galactose-induced model group increased significantly after ASC transplantation compared with that of control group. In addition, immunohistochemical assay showed that expression quantity of CD31 and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) of mice in the D-galactose-induced model group increased significantly after ASC transplantation compared with that of control group. In conclusion, ASCs can trace cell distribution successfully through bioluminescence, and they survive for a short time in the skin after transplantation, which provides a basis for the application of ASC transplantation in clinical practices. Moreover, ASCs can control glycosylation level of D-galactose-induced skin aging of nude mice, reverse expression of aging-related biomarkers as well as restrain formation of advanced glycation end products, which are similar to the effects of AG inhibitors of advanced glycation end products. Thus, ASCs can prevent glycosylation-induced skin aging as well as recover functions of skin. PMID:26916459

  7. Adipose stem cells' antagonism in glycosylation of D-galactose-induced skin aging of nude mice and its skin recovery function.

    PubMed

    Wang, Haiying; Wei, Shuyue; Xue, Xinxin; You, Yuntian; Ma, Qiang

    2016-09-01

    This study aims to discuss adipose stem cells' (ASCs) antagonism in glycosylation of D-galactose-induced skin aging of nude mice and its skin recovery function; the study also aims to explore a new mechanism of anti-aging to provide clinical anti-aging therapy with new thoughts and methods. We selected 40 healthy specific pathogen-free (SPF) nude mice and divided them randomly into four groups which were: blank control group; D-galactose + phosphate buffer saline (PBS) group; D-galactose + ASCs treatment group; and D-galactose + aminoguanidine (AG) group. Results showed that the superoxide dismutase (SOD) level of mice in the D-galactose-induced model group (87.15 ± 4.95 U/g) decreased significantly compared with that of control group (146.21 ± 4.76 U/g), while malonaldehyde (MDA) level of mice in D-galactose induced model group (11.12 ± 2.08 nmol/mg) increased significantly compared with that of control group (5.46 ± 2.05 nmol/mg) (P <0.05); thus D-galactose induced sub-acutely aging mice models were duplicated successfully. Results also indicated that transplantation of ASCs could reverse expression of aging-related biomarkers such as MDA, SOD, and advanced glycosylation end products (AGEs); hematoxylin and eosin (HE) staining showed that thickness of the dermis layer as well as the collagen content of mice in the D-galactose-induced model group increased significantly after ASC transplantation compared with that of control group. In addition, immunohistochemical assay showed that expression quantity of CD31 and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) of mice in the D-galactose-induced model group increased significantly after ASC transplantation compared with that of control group. In conclusion, ASCs can trace cell distribution successfully through bioluminescence, and they survive for a short time in the skin after transplantation, which provides a basis for the application of ASC transplantation in clinical practices. Moreover, ASCs can control glycosylation level of D-galactose-induced skin aging of nude mice, reverse expression of aging-related biomarkers as well as restrain formation of advanced glycation end products, which are similar to the effects of AG inhibitors of advanced glycation end products. Thus, ASCs can prevent glycosylation-induced skin aging as well as recover functions of skin. © The Author(s) 2016.

  8. Production and recovery of monosaccharides from lignocellulose hot water extracts in a pulp mill biorefinery.

    PubMed

    Sainio, Tuomo; Kallioinen, Mari; Nakari, Olli; Mänttäri, Mika

    2013-05-01

    Processing of hemicelluloses obtained with pressurized hot water extraction (PHWE) from Scots pine to monosaccharides and other chemicals was investigated experimentally. A process scheme consisting of ultrafiltration, acid hydrolysis, and chromatographic separation was proposed and evaluated. A two-stage ultrafiltration was found necessary for efficient fractionation of the wood extract. It was shown that the monosaccharides can be released from a concentrated hemicellulose fraction with sulfuric acid hydrolysis without a significant loss of yield due to decomposition of monosaccharides. Acid hydrolysate was successfully fractionated with ion exchange chromatography and the hydrolysis acid was recovered for reuse. The product fractions obtained include polyphenols and high molar mass hemicelluloses (from UF stage 1), arabinose (from UF stage 2), as well as acetic acid and a mixture of monosaccharides (xylose, galactose, mannose, glucose) from chromatography. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  9. A new boronic acid fluorescent sensor based on fluorene for monosaccharides at physiological pH

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Hosseinzadeh, Rahman; Mohadjerani, Maryam; Pooryousef, Mona; Eslami, Abbas; Emami, Saeed

    2015-06-01

    Fluorescent boronic acids are very useful fluorescent sensor for detection of biologically important saccharides. Herein we synthesized a new fluorene-based fluorescent boronic acid that shows significant fluorescence changes upon addition of saccharides at physiological pH. Upon addition of fructose, sorbitol, glucose, galactose, ribose, and maltose at different concentration to the solution of 7-(dimethylamino)-9,9-dimethyl-9H-fluoren-2-yl-2-boronic acid (7-DMAFBA, 1), significant decreases in fluorescent intensity were observed. It was found that this boronic acid has high affinity (Ka = 3582.88 M-1) and selectivity for fructose over glucose at pH = 7.4. The sensor 1 showed a linear response toward D-fructose in the concentrations ranging from 2.5 × 10-5 to 4 × 10-4 mol L-1 with the detection limit of 1.3 × 10-5 mol L-1.

  10. Isolation and characterization of an anaerobic ruminal bacterium capable of degrading hydrolyzable tannins.

    PubMed Central

    Nelson, K E; Pell, A N; Schofield, P; Zinder, S

    1995-01-01

    An anaerobic diplococcoid bacterium able to degrade hydrolyzable tannins was isolated from the ruminal fluid of a goat fed desmodium (Desmodium ovalifolium), a tropical legume which contains levels as high as 17% condensed tannins. This strain grew under anaerobic conditions in the presence of up to 30 g of tannic acid per liter and tolerated a range of phenolic monomers, including gallic, ferulic, and p-coumaric acids. The predominant fermentation product from tannic acid breakdown was pyrogallol, as detected by high-performance liquid chromatography and mass spectrometry. Tannic acid degradation was dependent on the presence of a sugar such as glucose, fructose, arabinose, sucrose, galactose, cellobiose, or soluble starch as an added carbon and energy source. The strain also demonstrated resistance to condensed tannins up to a level of 4 g/liter. PMID:7574640

  11. High-performance liquid chromatography of methanol released from pectins after its oxidation to formaldehyde and condensation with 2,4-dinitrophenylhydrazine.

    PubMed

    Zegota, H

    1999-11-26

    A procedure was developed to measure the content of methanol in pectins after the base-catalysed hydrolysis of galacturonic acid methyl esters and oxidation of released methanol with potassium permanganate followed by condensation of the resulting formaldehyde (HCHO) with 2,4-dinitrophenylhydrazine (DNPH) dissolved in acetonitrile. The constant yields of resultant formaldehyde 2,4-dinitrophenylhydrazone (HCHO-DNPH derivative) were obtained at molar ratios of DNPH/HCHO higher than 5. The separation of the HCHO-DNPH derivative from DNPH reagent was achieved by isocratic reversed-phase HPLC equipped with the spectrophotometric detector set at a wavelength of 351 nm. The calibration curve was linear in the methanol concentration range between 0.04 and 15 micromol/ml (R=0.9995). The total recovery from pectin solutions spiked with methanol was equal to 100.6+/-5.1%.

  12. Oligosaccharide formation during commercial pear juice processing.

    PubMed

    Willems, Jamie L; Low, Nicholas H

    2016-08-01

    The effect of enzyme treatment and processing on the oligosaccharide profile of commercial pear juice samples was examined by high performance anion exchange chromatography with pulsed amperometric detection and capillary gas chromatography with flame ionization detection. Industrial samples representing the major stages of processing produced with various commercial enzyme preparations were studied. Through the use of commercially available standards and laboratory scale enzymatic hydrolysis of pectin, starch and xyloglucan; galacturonic acid oligomers, glucose oligomers (e.g., maltose and cellotriose) and isoprimeverose were identified as being formed during pear juice production. It was found that the majority of polysaccharide hydrolysis and oligosaccharide formation occurred during enzymatic treatment at the pear mashing stage and that the remaining processing steps had minimal impact on the carbohydrate-based chromatographic profile of pear juice. Also, all commercial enzyme preparations and conditions (time and temperature) studied produced similar carbohydrate-based chromatographic profiles. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  13. Transcriptome-Based Characterization of Interactions between Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Lactobacillus delbrueckii subsp. bulgaricus in Lactose-Grown Chemostat Cocultures

    PubMed Central

    Mendes, Filipa; Sieuwerts, Sander; de Hulster, Erik; Almering, Marinka J. H.; Luttik, Marijke A. H.; Pronk, Jack T.; Smid, Eddy J.; Bron, Peter A.

    2013-01-01

    Mixed populations of Saccharomyces cerevisiae yeasts and lactic acid bacteria occur in many dairy, food, and beverage fermentations, but knowledge about their interactions is incomplete. In the present study, interactions between Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Lactobacillus delbrueckii subsp. bulgaricus, two microorganisms that co-occur in kefir fermentations, were studied during anaerobic growth on lactose. By combining physiological and transcriptome analysis of the two strains in the cocultures, five mechanisms of interaction were identified. (i) Lb. delbrueckii subsp. bulgaricus hydrolyzes lactose, which cannot be metabolized by S. cerevisiae, to galactose and glucose. Subsequently, galactose, which cannot be metabolized by Lb. delbrueckii subsp. bulgaricus, is excreted and provides a carbon source for yeast. (ii) In pure cultures, Lb. delbrueckii subsp. bulgaricus grows only in the presence of increased CO2 concentrations. In anaerobic mixed cultures, the yeast provides this CO2 via alcoholic fermentation. (iii) Analysis of amino acid consumption from the defined medium indicated that S. cerevisiae supplied alanine to the bacterium. (iv) A mild but significant low-iron response in the yeast transcriptome, identified by DNA microarray analysis, was consistent with the chelation of iron by the lactate produced by Lb. delbrueckii subsp. bulgaricus. (v) Transcriptome analysis of Lb. delbrueckii subsp. bulgaricus in mixed cultures showed an overrepresentation of transcripts involved in lipid metabolism, suggesting either a competition of the two microorganisms for fatty acids or a response to the ethanol produced by S. cerevisiae. This study demonstrates that chemostat-based transcriptome analysis is a powerful tool to investigate microbial interactions in mixed populations. PMID:23872557

  14. Transcriptome-based characterization of interactions between Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Lactobacillus delbrueckii subsp. bulgaricus in lactose-grown chemostat cocultures.

    PubMed

    Mendes, Filipa; Sieuwerts, Sander; de Hulster, Erik; Almering, Marinka J H; Luttik, Marijke A H; Pronk, Jack T; Smid, Eddy J; Bron, Peter A; Daran-Lapujade, Pascale

    2013-10-01

    Mixed populations of Saccharomyces cerevisiae yeasts and lactic acid bacteria occur in many dairy, food, and beverage fermentations, but knowledge about their interactions is incomplete. In the present study, interactions between Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Lactobacillus delbrueckii subsp. bulgaricus, two microorganisms that co-occur in kefir fermentations, were studied during anaerobic growth on lactose. By combining physiological and transcriptome analysis of the two strains in the cocultures, five mechanisms of interaction were identified. (i) Lb. delbrueckii subsp. bulgaricus hydrolyzes lactose, which cannot be metabolized by S. cerevisiae, to galactose and glucose. Subsequently, galactose, which cannot be metabolized by Lb. delbrueckii subsp. bulgaricus, is excreted and provides a carbon source for yeast. (ii) In pure cultures, Lb. delbrueckii subsp. bulgaricus grows only in the presence of increased CO2 concentrations. In anaerobic mixed cultures, the yeast provides this CO2 via alcoholic fermentation. (iii) Analysis of amino acid consumption from the defined medium indicated that S. cerevisiae supplied alanine to the bacterium. (iv) A mild but significant low-iron response in the yeast transcriptome, identified by DNA microarray analysis, was consistent with the chelation of iron by the lactate produced by Lb. delbrueckii subsp. bulgaricus. (v) Transcriptome analysis of Lb. delbrueckii subsp. bulgaricus in mixed cultures showed an overrepresentation of transcripts involved in lipid metabolism, suggesting either a competition of the two microorganisms for fatty acids or a response to the ethanol produced by S. cerevisiae. This study demonstrates that chemostat-based transcriptome analysis is a powerful tool to investigate microbial interactions in mixed populations.

  15. The Contribution of Intestinal Gluconeogenesis to Glucose Homeostasis Is Low in 2-Day-Old Pigs.

    PubMed

    Cherbuy, Claire; Vaugelade, Pierre; Labarthe, Simon; Honvo-Houeto, Edith; Darcy-Vrillon, Béatrice; Watford, Malcolm; Duée, Pierre-Henri

    2017-03-01

    Background: Active gluconeogenesis is essential to maintain blood glucose concentrations in neonatal piglets because of the high glucose requirements after birth. In several adult mammals, the liver, kidney, and possibly the gut may exhibit gluconeogenesis during fasting and insulinopenic conditions. During the postnatal period, the intestine expresses all of the gluconeogenic enzymes, suggesting the potential for gluconeogenesis. Galactose in milk is a potential gluconeogenic precursor for newborns. Objective: Our aim was to quantify the rate of intestinal glucose production from galactose in piglets compared with the overall rate of glucose production. Methods: A single bolus of [U- 14 C]-galactose was injected into 2-d-old piglets (females and males; mean ± SEM weight: 1.64 ± 0.07 kg) through a gastric catheter. Galactosemia, glycemia, and glucose turnover rate (assessed by monitoring d-[6- 3 H]-glucose) were monitored. Intestinal glucose production from [U- 14 C]-galactose was calculated from [U- 14 C]-glucose appearance in the blood and isotopic dilution. Galactose metabolism was also investigated in vitro in enterocytes isolated from 2-d-old piglets that were incubated with increasing concentrations of galactose. Results: In piglet enterocytes, galactose metabolism was active (mean ± SEM maximum rate of reaction: 2.26 ± 0.45 nmol · min -1 · 10 6 cells -1 ) and predominantly oriented toward lactate and pyruvate production (74.0% ± 14.5%) rather than glucose production (26.0% ± 14.5%). In conscious piglets, gastric galactose administration led to an increase in arterial galactosemia (from 0 to 1.0 ± 0.8 mmol/L) and glycemia (35% ± 12%). The initial increase in arterial glycemia after galactose administration was linked to an increase in glucose production rate (33% ± 15%) rather than to a decrease in glucose utilization rate (3% ± 6%). The contribution of intestinal glucose production from galactose was <10% of total glucose production in 2-d-old piglets. Conclusion: Our results indicate that there is a low contribution to glucose homeostasis from intestinal gluconeogenesis in 2-d-old piglets. © 2017 American Society for Nutrition.

  16. Ultrasound-assisted extraction of pectins from grape pomace using citric acid: a response surface methodology approach.

    PubMed

    Minjares-Fuentes, R; Femenia, A; Garau, M C; Meza-Velázquez, J A; Simal, S; Rosselló, C

    2014-06-15

    An ultrasound-assisted procedure for the extraction of pectins from grape pomace with citric acid as the extracting agent was established. A Box-Behnken design (BBD) was employed to optimize the extraction temperature (X1: 35-75°C), extraction time (X2: 20-60 min) and pH (X3: 1.0-2.0) to obtain a high yield of pectins with high average molecular weight (MW) and degree of esterification (DE) from grape pomace. Analysis of variance showed that the contribution of a quadratic model was significant for the pectin extraction yield and for pectin MW whereas the DE of pectins was more influenced by a linear model. An optimization study using response surface methodology was performed and 3D response surfaces were plotted from the mathematical model. According to the RSM model, the highest pectin yield (∼32.3%) can be achieved when the UAE process is carried out at 75°C for 60 min using a citric acid solution of pH 2.0. These pectic polysaccharides, composed mainly by galacturonic acid units (<97% of total sugars), have an average MW of 163.9 kDa and a DE of 55.2%. Close agreement between experimental and predicted values was found. These results suggest that ultrasound-assisted extraction could be a good option for the extraction of functional pectins with citric acid from grape pomace at industrial level. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  17. Structural and technological characterisation of pectin extracted with sodium citrate and nitric acid from sunflower heads.

    PubMed

    Muñoz-Almagro, Nerea; Rico-Rodriguez, Fabián; Wilde, Peter J; Montilla, Antonia; Villamiel, Mar

    2018-05-18

    An optimisation of temperature, time and extracting agent concentration of pectin extraction from sunflower heads using sodium citrate and nitric acid (SP-SC and SP-NA) was carried out. At optimal conditions, the yield of extraction with nitric acid (SPO-NA) was 2-fold greater than the corresponding with sodium citrate (SPO-SC) (14.3 vs 7.7%, respectively). Regarding pectin structure, the galacturonic acid (GalA) content in both, SPO-SC and SPO-NA, was similar (∼85%). However, SPO-NA showed lower molecular weight (Mw) (88.9 kDa) and neutral sugar content (4%) than SPO-SC (464 kDa, 9%), indicating that nitric acid deeply degraded pectin structure. These differences derived into dissimilar behaviour in their technological functionality. SPO-SC showed higher viscosity and better emulsifying capacity than SPO-NA, although any of them were able to stabilise the oil/water emulsion. Both sunflower pectins formed gels with Ca 2+ (75 mg/g of pectin) at pH 3.0. However, when sucrose was added, the gels formed by SP-SC and 20% sucrose presented the same hardness as those of SP-NA with 40% sucrose. These results suggest that the pectin extracted with sodium citrate, an eco-friendly agent, could be a promising ingredient, with good thickening and gelling properties. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

  18. [Mode of action and inhibition of polygalacturonase covalently bound to polysaccharide and glass carriers].

    PubMed

    Bock, W; Krause, M; Göbel, H; Anger, H; Schawaller, H J; Flemming, C; Gabert, A

    1978-01-01

    Endo-polygalacturonase (EC 3.2.1.15.) from Aspergillus spec. is much changed as far as its mode of action and the interaction with vegetable inhibitors of pectinase (from green beans and cucumbers) are concerned when it is covalently bound to insoluble carriers (Sepharose, cellulose powder, macroporous glass and nonporous ballotinis). Whereas a 2% degradation of substrate by the soluble enzyme caused a 50% decrease of viscosity of citrus pectic acid, the comparable degradation of substrate was increased to a level of about 10% with the investigated polygalacturonase carrier complexes apparently independent of the properties of the carriers and the kind of binding of the enzyme. In contrast to this the higher degradation of substrate of 15 and 20% respectively which was further stated at a 50% decrease of viscosity is unambiguously connected with the carriers and is in direct correlation with the specific activity of the polygalacturonase carrier complexes. Contrary to the soluble enzyme the covalently bound enzyme produces more lower oligomerous galacturonic acids by an exo-mechanism or by multiple attack already at the beginning of the hydrolysis of pectic acid. During the final stage there is an enrichment of trigalacturonic acid besides mono- and digalacturonic acids independent of the state of solution of the enzyme. It could further be stated that the strong inhibition of the soluble endo-polygalacturonase by selected pectinase inhibitors which was described earlier is reduced by degrees with the enzyme covalently bound to the insoluble carriers.

  19. Two Gene Clusters Coordinate Galactose and Lactose Metabolism in Streptococcus gordonii

    PubMed Central

    Zeng, Lin; Martino, Nicole C.

    2012-01-01

    Streptococcus gordonii is an early colonizer of the human oral cavity and an abundant constituent of oral biofilms. Two tandemly arranged gene clusters, designated lac and gal, were identified in the S. gordonii DL1 genome, which encode genes of the tagatose pathway (lacABCD) and sugar phosphotransferase system (PTS) enzyme II permeases. Genes encoding a predicted phospho-β-galactosidase (LacG), a DeoR family transcriptional regulator (LacR), and a transcriptional antiterminator (LacT) were also present in the clusters. Growth and PTS assays supported that the permease designated EIILac transports lactose and galactose, whereas EIIGal transports galactose. The expression of the gene for EIIGal was markedly upregulated in cells growing on galactose. Using promoter-cat fusions, a role for LacR in the regulation of the expressions of both gene clusters was demonstrated, and the gal cluster was also shown to be sensitive to repression by CcpA. The deletion of lacT caused an inability to grow on lactose, apparently because of its role in the regulation of the expression of the genes for EIILac, but had little effect on galactose utilization. S. gordonii maintained a selective advantage over Streptococcus mutans in a mixed-species competition assay, associated with its possession of a high-affinity galactose PTS, although S. mutans could persist better at low pHs. Collectively, these results support the concept that the galactose and lactose systems of S. gordonii are subject to complex regulation and that a high-affinity galactose PTS may be advantageous when S. gordonii is competing against the caries pathogen S. mutans in oral biofilms. PMID:22660715

  20. Genes involved in lactose catabolism and organic acid production during growth of Lactobacillus delbrueckii UFV H2b20 in skimmed milk.

    PubMed

    Do Carmo, A P; De Oliveira, M N V; Da Silva, D F; Castro, S B; Borges, A C; De Carvalho, A F; De Moraes, C A

    2012-03-01

    There are three main reasons for using lactic acid bacteria (LAB) as starter cultures in industrial food fermentation processes: food preservation due to lactic acid production; flavour formation due to a range of organic molecules derived from sugar, lipid and protein catabolism; and probiotic properties attributed to some strains of LAB, mainly of lactobacilli. The aim of this study was to identify some genes involved in lactose metabolism of the probiotic Lactobacillus delbrueckii UFV H2b20, and analyse its organic acid production during growth in skimmed milk. The following genes were identified, encoding the respective enzymes: ldh - lactate dehydrogenase, adhE - Ldb1707 acetaldehyde dehydrogenase, and ccpA-pepR1 - catabolite control protein A. It was observed that L. delbrueckii UFV H2b20 cultivated in different media has the unexpected ability to catabolyse galactose, and to produce high amounts of succinic acid, which was absent in the beginning, raising doubts about the subspecies in question. The phylogenetic analyses showed that this strain can be compared physiologically to L. delbrueckii subsp. bulgaricus and L. delbrueckii subsp. lactis, which are able to degrade lactose and can grow in milk. L. delbrueckii UFV H2b20 sequences have grouped with L. delbrueckii subsp. bulgaricus ATCC 11842 and L. delbrueckii subsp. bulgaricus ATCC BAA-365, strengthening the classification of this probiotic strain in the NCFM group proposed by a previous study. Additionally, L. delbrueckii UFV H2b20 presented an evolutionary pattern closer to that of probiotic Lactobacillus acidophilus NCFM, corroborating the suggestion that this strain might be considered as a new and unusual subspecies among L. delbrueckii subspecies, the first one identified as a probiotic. In addition, its unusual ability to metabolise galactose, which was significantly consumed in the fermentation medium, might be exploited to produce low-browning probiotic Mozzarella cheeses, a desirable property for pizza cheeses.

  1. Comparison of sulfuric and hydrochloric acids as catalysts in hydrolysis of Kappaphycus alvarezii (cottonii).

    PubMed

    Meinita, Maria Dyah Nur; Hong, Yong-Ki; Jeong, Gwi-Taek

    2012-01-01

    In this study, hydrolysis of marine algal biomass Kappaphhycus alvarezii using two different acid catalysts was examined with the goal of identifying optimal reaction conditions for the formation of sugars and by-products. K. alvarezii were hydrolyzed by autoclave using sulfuric acid or hydrochloric acid as catalyst with different acid concentrations (0.1-1.0 M), substrate concentrations (1.0-13.5%), hydrolysis time (10-90 min) and hydrolysis temperatures (100-130 (°)C). A difference in galactose, glucose, reducing sugar and total sugar content was observed under the different hydrolysis conditions. Different by-product compounds such as 5-hydroxymethylfurfural and levulinic acid were also observed under the different reaction conditions. The optimal conditions for hydrolysis were achieved at a sulfuric acid concentration, temperature and reaction time of 0.2 M, 130 °C and 15 min, respectively. These results may provide useful information for the development of more efficient systems for biofuel production from marine biomass.

  2. Protective effect of curcumin (Curcuma longa) against D-galactose-induced senescence in mice.

    PubMed

    Kumar, Anil; Prakash, Atish; Dogra, Samrita

    2011-01-01

    Brain senescence plays an important role in cognitive dysfunction and neurodegenerative disorders. Curcumin was reported to have beneficial effect against several neurodegenerative disorders including Alzheimer's disease. Therefore, the present study was conducted in order to explore the possible role of curcumin against D-galactose-induced cognitive dysfunction, oxidative damage, and mitochondrial dysfunction in mice. Chronic administration of D-galactose for 6 weeks significantly impaired cognitive function (both in Morris water maze and elevated plus maze), locomotor activity, oxidative defense (raised lipid peroxidation, nitrite concentration, depletion of reduced glutathione and catalase activity), and mitochondrial enzyme complex activities (I, II, and III) as compared to vehicle treated group. Curcumin (15 and 30 mg/kg) and galantamine (5 mg/kg) treatment for 6 weeks significantly improved cognitive tasks, locomotor activity, oxidative defense, and restored mitochondrial enzyme complex activity as compared to control (D-galactose). Chronic D-galactose treatment also significantly increased acetylcholine esterase activity that was attenuated by curcumin (15 and 30 mg/kg) and galantamine (5 mg/kg) treatment. In conclusion, the present study highlights the therapeutic potential of curcumin against d-galactose induced senescence in mice.

  3. Of the milk sugars, galactose, but not prebiotic galacto-oligosaccharide, improves insulin sensitivity in male Sprague-Dawley rats.

    PubMed

    Stahel, Priska; Kim, Julie J; Xiao, Changting; Cant, John P

    2017-01-01

    Consumption of dairy products reduces risk of type 2 diabetes. Milk proteins and fats exhibit anti-diabetic properties but milk sugars have been studied little in this context. Galactose from milk lactose is readily converted to glycogen in the liver but its effects on insulin sensitivity have not been assessed. Prebiotic oligosaccharides from milk alter gut microbiota and can thereby influence host metabolism. Our objective was to assess the effect on insulin sensitivity of dietary galactose compared to glucose and fructose, and fermentable galacto-oligosaccharides compared to non-fermentable methylcellulose. Diets containing 15% of dry matter from glucose, fructose, galactose, galacto-oligosaccharides, or methylcellulose were fed to 36 rats per diet for 9 weeks. Hyperinsulinemic-euglycemic clamps with [3-3H]glucose infusion and a steady-state 2-[1-14C]deoxyglucose bolus injection were used to assess insulin sensitivity and glucose uptake indices. Tissue was collected in fed, fasted and fasted, insulin-stimulated states. Galactose increased glucose infusion rate during the clamp by 53% and decreased endogenous glucose production by 57% compared to glucose and fructose. Fed-state hepatic glycogen content was greater with galactose compared to glucose and fructose, consistent with a potentiation of the insulin effect on glycogen synthase by dephosphorylation. Galactose decreased the fecal Firmicutes:Bacteroidetes ratio while galacto-oligosaccharides increased abundance of fecal Bifidobacterium spp. 481-fold compared to methylcellulose, and also increased abundance of Lactobacillus spp. and Bacteroidetes. Galacto-oligosaccharides did not affect glucose infusion rate or endogenous glucose production during basal or clamp periods compared to methylcellulose. Galactose at 15% of daily intake improved hepatic insulin sensitivity in rats compared to glucose and fructose. Galactose caused an increase in fed-state hepatic glycogen content and a favourable shift in gut microbial populations. Intake of galacto-oligosaccharides improved the gut microbial profile but did not improve insulin sensitivity.

  4. Anti-apoptosis effect of polysaccharide isolated from the seeds of Cuscuta chinensis Lam on cardiomyocytes in aging rats.

    PubMed

    Sun, Shou-Li; Guo, Li; Ren, Ya-Chao; Wang, Bing; Li, Rong-Hui; Qi, Yu-Shan; Yu, Hui; Chang, Nai-Dan; Li, Ming-Hui; Peng, Hai-Sheng

    2014-09-01

    To investigate the mechanism of apoptosis in myocardial cells of aging rats induced by D-galactose and to study the effect of the Polysaccharide isolated from the seeds of Cuscuta chinensis Lam (PCCL) on apoptosis of cardiomyocytes and its corresponding machinasim in aging rat model. Fifty male SD rats were randomly divided into 5 groups. Normal control group (NC). D-galactose (100 mg · kg(-1)d(-1) for 56 day) indued aging group (MC), D-galactose plus 100 mg kg(-1) d(-1) PCCL group (ML), D-galactose plus 200 mg kg(-1) d(-1) PCCL group (MM), and D-galactose plus 400 mg kg(-1) d(-1) PCCL group (MH). Same volume of solution (water, or PCCL aqueous solution) was given by gavage for 56 days. Then the hearts were collected and apoptosis parameters were evaluated. Caspase-3 and Cyt c were determined by fluorescence spectrometer, the apoptosis rate was assessed by AnnexinV-FITC method by Flow-Cytometry, [Ca(2+)]i and [Ca(2+)]i overloaded by KCL were observed by laser scanning confocal microscopy (LSCM); Bcl-2 and Bax were examined by immunohistochemistry. The content of Cyt C, [Ca(2+)]i of cardiomyocytes, the activity of Caspase-3, Bax expression level in D-galactose induced aging group were higher than NC (p < 0.05). The ratio of Bcl-2/Bax was decreased in D-galactose induced aging group compared to NC. On the other hand, the content of Cyt C, [Ca(2+)]i of cardiomyocytes, the activity of Caspase-3 and apoptosis rate, as well as Bax expression level in all three PCCL groups were decreased compared to galactose induced group (p < 0.05). Bcl-2/Bax ratio was increased in all PCCL groups compared to galactose induced aging group. PCCL could decrease the apoptosis of cardiomyocytes by the mitochondria apoptosis pathway.

  5. [Protective effect of Angelica sinensis polysaccharides on subacute renal damages induced by D-galactose in mice and its mechanism].

    PubMed

    Fan, Yan-ling; Xia, Jie-yu; Jia, Dao-yong; Zhang, Meng-si; Zhang, Yan-yan; Wang, Lu; Huang, Guo-ning; Wang, Ya-ping

    2015-11-01

    To explore the protective effect of Angelica sinensis polysaccharides(ASP) on subacute renal damages induced by D-galactose in mice and its mechanism. Male C57BL/6J mice were randomly divided into 3 groups, with 10 mice in each group. The D-galactose model group was subcutaneously injected with D-galactose (120 mg x kg(-1)), qd x 42; the ASP + D-galactose model group was intraperitoneally injected with ASP since the 8th day of the replication of the D-galactose model, qd x 35; and the normal control group was subcutaneously injected with saline at the same dose and time. On the 2nd day of after the injection, the peripheral blood was collected to measure the content of BUN, Crea, UA, Cys-C; paraffin sections were made to observe the renal histomorphology by HE staining; senescence-associated β-g-alactosidase (SA-β-Gal) stain was used to observe the relative optical density (ROD) in renal tissues; transmission electron microscopy was assayed to observe the renal ultrastructure; the renal tissue homogenate was prepared to measure the content of SOD, GSH-PX, MDA; the content of AGEs and 8-OH-dG were measured by ELISA. According to the result, compared with the D-galactose model group, the ASP + D-galactose model group showed obviously decreases in the content of BUN, Crea, UA, Cysc, AGES, 8-OH-dG, the number of hardening renal corpuscle, renal capsular space and renal tubular lumen, ROD of SA-β-Gal staining positive kidney cells, mesangial cells, basement membrane thickness, podocyte secondary processes fusion and MDA and increases in the number of normal renal corpuscle, ribosome and rough endoplasmic reticulum in podocytes, the activity of SOD and GSH-PX. In Conclusion, A. sinensis polysaccharides can antagonize kidney subacute damages induced by D-galactose in mice. Its protective mechanism may be correlated with the inhibition of the oxidative stress injury.

  6. Lymphatic trafficking kinetics and near-infrared imaging using star polymer architectures with controlled anionic character

    PubMed Central

    Bagby, Taryn R.; Cai, Shuang; Duan, Shaofeng; Yang, Qiuhong; Thati, Sharadvi; Berkland, Cory; Aires, Daniel J.; Forrest, M. Laird

    2015-01-01

    Targeted lymphatic delivery of nanoparticles for drug delivery and imaging is primarily dependent on size and charge. Prior studies have observed increased lymphatic uptake and retentions of over 48 hrs for negatively charged particles compared to neutral and positively charged particles. We have developed new polymeric materials that extend retention over a more pharmaceutically relevant 7-day period. We used whole body fluorescence imaging to observe in mice the lymphatic trafficking of a series of anionic star poly-(6-O-methacryloyl-D-galactose) polymer-NIR dye (IR820) conjugates. The anionic charge of polymers was increased by modifying galactose moieties in the star polymers with succinic anhydride. Increasing anionic nature was associated with enhanced lymphatic uptake up to a zeta potential of ca. -40 mV; further negative charge did not affect lymphatic uptake. Compared to the 20% acid-conjugate, the 40 to 90% acid-star-polymer conjugates exhibited a 2.5- to 3.5-fold increase in lymphatic uptake in both the popliteal and iliac nodes. The polymer conjugates exhibited node half-lives of 2 to 20 hrs in the popliteal nodes and 19 to 114 hrs in the deeper iliac nodes. These polymer conjugates can deliver drugs or imaging agents with rapid lymphatic uptake and prolonged deep-nodal retention; thus they may provide a useful vehicle for sustained intralymphatic drug delivery with low toxicity. PMID:22546180

  7. Protein enrichment of an Opuntia ficus-indica cladode hydrolysate by cultivation of Candida utilis and Kluyveromyces marxianus.

    PubMed

    Akanni, Gabriel B; du Preez, James C; Steyn, Laurinda; Kilian, Stephanus G

    2015-03-30

    The cladodes of Opuntia ficus-indica (prickly pear cactus) have a low protein content; for use as a balanced feed, supplementation with other protein sources is therefore desirable. We investigated protein enrichment by cultivation of the yeasts Candida utilis and Kluyveromyces marxianus in an enzymatic hydrolysate of the cladode biomass. Dilute acid pretreatment and enzymatic hydrolysis of sun-dried cladodes resulted in a hydrolysate containing (per litre) 45.5 g glucose, 6.3 g xylose, 9.1 g galactose, 10.8 g arabinose and 9.6 g fructose. Even though K. marxianus had a much higher growth rate and utilized l-arabinose and d-galactose more completely than C. utilis, its biomass yield coefficient was lower due to ethanol and ethyl acetate production despite aerobic cultivation. Yeast cultivation more than doubled the protein content of the hydrolysate, with an essential amino acid profile superior to sorghum and millet grains. This K. marxianus strain was weakly Crabtree positive. Despite its low biomass yield, its performance compared well with C. utilis. This is the first report showing that the protein content and quality of O. ficus-indica cladode biomass could substantially be improved by yeast cultivation, including a comparative evaluation of C. utilis and K. marxianus. © 2014 The Authors. Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Society of Chemical Industry.

  8. Lactose metabolism by Staphylococcus aureus: characterization of lacABCD, the structural genes of the tagatose 6-phosphate pathway.

    PubMed Central

    Rosey, E L; Oskouian, B; Stewart, G C

    1991-01-01

    The nucleotide and deduced amino acid sequences of the lacA and lacB genes of the Staphylococcus aureus lactose operon (lacABCDFEG) are presented. The primary translation products are polypeptides of 142 (Mr = 15,425) and 171 (Mr = 18,953) amino acids, respectively. The lacABCD loci were shown to encode enzymes of the tagatose 6-phosphate pathway through both in vitro studies and complementation analysis in Escherichia coli. A serum aldolase assay, modified to allow detection of the tagatose 6-phosphate pathway enzymes utilizing galactose 6-phosphate or fructose phosphate analogs as substrate, is described. Expression of both lacA and lacB was required for galactose 6-phosphate isomerase activity. LacC (34 kDa) demonstrated tagatose 6-phosphate kinase activity and was found to share significant homology with LacC from Lactococcus lactis and with both the minor 6-phosphofructokinase (PfkB) and 1-phosphofructokinase (FruK) from E. coli. Detection of tagatose 1,6-bisphosphate aldolase activity was dependent on expression of the 36-kDa protein specified by lacD. The LacD protein is highly homologous with LacD of L. lactis. Thus, the lacABCD genes comprise the tagatose 6-phosphate pathway and are cotranscribed with genes lacFEG, which specify proteins for transport and cleavage of lactose in S. aureus. PMID:1655695

  9. Thermostable L-arabinose isomerase from Bacillus stearothermophilus IAM 11001 for D-tagatose production: gene cloning, purification and characterisation.

    PubMed

    Cheng, Lifang; Mu, Wanmeng; Jiang, Bo

    2010-06-01

    D-Tagatose, as one of the rare sugars, has been found to be a natural and safe low-calorie sweetener in food products and is classified as a GRAS substance. L-Arabinose isomerase (L-AI, EC 5.3.1.4), catalysing the isomerisations of L-arabinose and D-galactose to L-ribulose and D-tagatose respectively, is considered to be the most promising enzyme for the production of D-tagatose. The araA gene encoding an L-AI from Bacillus stearothermophilus IAM 11001 was cloned, sequenced and overexpressed in Escherichia coli. The gene is composed of 1491 bp nucleotides and codes for a protein of 496 amino acid residues. The recombinant L-AI was purified to electrophoretical homogeneity by affinity chromatography. The purified enzyme was optimally active at 65 degrees C and pH 7.5 and had an absolute requirement for the divalent metal ion Mn(2+) for both catalytic activity and thermostability. The enzyme was relatively active and stable at acidic pH of 6. The bioconversion yield of D-galactose to D-tagatose by the purified L-AI after 12 h at 65 degrees C reached 36%. The purified L-AI from B. stearothermophilus IAM 11001 was characterised and shown to be a good candidate for potential application in D-tagatose production. Copyright (c) 2010 Society of Chemical Industry.

  10. Structure analysis of a novel heteroxylan from the stem of Dendrobium officinale and anti-angiogenesis activities of its sulfated derivative.

    PubMed

    Yue, Han; Liu, Yanqiu; Qu, Huanhuan; Ding, Kan

    2017-10-01

    Dendrobium officinale Kimura et Migo (Tie-Pi-Shi-Hu), a precious folk medicine exhibiting multiple bioactivities, including antitumor, immune-enhancing and so on. Although evidences showed polysaccharide is one of the major bioactive substances from this herb, several of them were homogenous with fine structures elucidated. In this study, we showed a novel homogeneous heteroxylan obtained from alkali-extracted crude polysaccharide. It composed of arabinose, xylose, glucose and 4-O-methylglucuronic acid (4-MGA) as well as trace amount of rhamnose and galactose in a ratio of 8.9:62.7:8.5:12.3:3.9:3.7. We further showed that it contained a backbone of 1,4-linked β-d-xylan, with branches of 1,4-linked α-d-glucose, 1,3-linked α-l-rhamnose, and terminal-linked α-l-arabinose, β-d-galactose, 4-MGA, and β-d-xylose directly or indirectly attached to C-2 position of glycosyl residues on backbone. The sulfated derivative with substitution degree about 0.9 was prepared according to the chlorosulfonic acid (CSA)-pyridine method. Bioactivity tests suggested that the sulfated polysaccharide could significantly disrupt tube formation and inhibit the migration of human microvascular endothelial cells (HMEC-1) at a low concentration (0.29μM) in a dose-dependent way without significant cytotoxity. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  11. Immunochemical characterization of the "native" type III polysaccharide of group B Streptococcus

    PubMed Central

    1976-01-01

    The type III polysaccharide of -roup B Streptococcus has been isolated and purified by a method that employs washing of intact cells at neutral pH. That the polysaccharide prepared by this procedure is the "native" type III antigen is suggested by its molecular size in excess of 10(6) daltons, its degradation by acid and heat treatment to a fragment with immunologic characteristics of the classical HCl antigen, and its type-specific serologic activity. The type III polysaccharide in native form contains sialic acid, galactose, glucose, glucosamine, heptose, and mannose. It is acidic in nature, is resistant to neuramindiase degradation, contains no O-acetyl groups, and does not share antigenic determinants with capsular type K1 antigen of Escherichia coli or Group B polysaccharide antigen of Neiserria meningitidis. PMID:55450

  12. Effects of Vitex agnus-castus fruit on sex hormones and antioxidant indices in a d-galactose-induced aging female mouse model.

    PubMed

    Ahangarpour, Akram; Najimi, Seyedeh Asma; Farbood, Yaghoob

    2016-11-01

    Aging is associated with the loss of endocrine function. In this study, Vitex agnus-castus (Vitex), which has antioxidant effects and high levels of phytoestrogen, was investigated with regard to the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis and antioxidant indices in natural aging and in a d-galactose induced aging model in female mice. The mice were subcutaneously injected with d-galactose (500 mg/kg/d for 45 days). Extract of Vitex (600 mg/kg/bid for 7 days by gavage) was used to treat d-galactose-induced aging and natural aging in mice. Seventy-two female NMRI mice (48 3-month-old normal mice and 24 18-24-month-old mice), weighing 30-35 g were randomly divided into six groups: control, Vitex, d-galactose, Vitex + d-galactose, Aging, and Vitex + Aging. The antioxidant indices and sex hormone levels were subsequently measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay kits. Body weight and the levels of malondialdehyde (MDA), follicle-stimulating hormone, and luteinizing hormone levels were significantly increased in the d-galactose aging and natural aging groups, whereas catalase and superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity and estrogen level were significantly decreased in these same groups. d-Galactose can also disrupt the estrous cycle and damage the uterus and ovarian tissues. Vitex could effectively attenuate these alterations. Vitex improved some aging events in the reproductive system of female mice. Therefore, because of its apparent antiaging effects, Vitex can be suitable for some aging problems such as oxidative stress, female sex hormone deficiency, and an atrophic endometrium. Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier Taiwan LLC.

  13. Structural elucidation of polysaccharide containing 3-O-methyl galactose from fruiting bodies of Pleurotus citrinopileatus.

    PubMed

    He, Pengfei; Zhang, Anqiang; Zhou, Saijing; Zhang, Fuming; Linhardt, Robert J; Sun, Peilong

    2016-11-03

    A water-soluble polysaccharide containing 3-O-methyl galactose (PCP60W) was isolated from fruiting bodies of Pleurotus citrinopileatus and purified by anion-exchange and gel column chromatography. This polysaccharide has an average molecular weight of 2.74 × 10 4  Da and its structure was elucidated using monosaccharide composition and methylation analysis combined with one- and two-dimensional (COSY, TOCSY, NOESY, HMQC and HMBC) NMR spectroscopy. PCP60W was shown to be a linear partially 3-O-methylated α-galactopyranan comprised of 6-linked galactose, 6-linked 3-O-methyl galactose and 4-linked glucose in a ratio of 3.0:1.0:0.6. This work provides additional evidence for the view that 3-O-methyl galactose is common to the genus Pleurotus. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  14. Trabulsiella guamensis, a new genus and species of the family Enterobacteriaceae that resembles Salmonella subgroups 4 and 5.

    PubMed

    McWhorter, A C; Haddock, R L; Nocon, F A; Steigerwalt, A G; Brenner, D J; Aleksić, S; Bockemühl, J; Farmer, J J

    1991-07-01

    In 1985 the vernacular name Enteric Group 90 was coined for a small group of strains that had been referred to our laboratory as probable strains of Salmonella but did not agglutinate in Salmonella typing antisera. By DNA-DNA hybridization (hydroxyapatite method, 32P), seven strains of Enteric Group 90 were found to be closely related (98 to 100% at 60 degrees C and 94 to 100% at 75 degrees C) to the first strain received (0370-85). The relatedness of Enteric Group 90 to 62 strains of other species of the family Enterobacteriaceae was only 6 to 41%, with the highest values obtained with strains of Salmonella, Kluyvera, Shigella, Klebsiella, Enterobacter, and Citrobacter. We propose a new genus, Trabulsiella, with a single new species, Trabulsiella guamensis, for the highly related group of eight strains formerly known as Enteric Group 90. The type strain is designated ATCC 49490 (CDC 0370-85). T. guamensis strains grew well at 36 degrees C and had positive reactions in the following tests: methyl red, citrate utilization (Simmons) (38% positive at day 1, 88% positive at 2 days), H2S production, lysine decarboxylase, arginine dihydrolase (50% positive at 2 days, 100% positive at 7 days), ornithine decarboxylase, motility, growth in KCN medium, mucate fermentation, acetate utilization, nitrate reduction to nitrite, weak tyrosine hydrolysis (88% positive at 2 days, 100% positive at 7 days), and ONPG (o-nitrophenyl-beta-D-galactopyranoside) test. The strains fermented D-glucose with gas production and fermented L-arabinose, cellobiose, D-galactose, D-galacturonate, maltose, D-mannitol, D-mannose, L-rhamnose, D-sorbitol, trehalose, and D-xylose. T. guamensis strains had negative reactions in the following tests: indole production (13% positive), Voges-Proskauer, urea hydrolysis, phenylalanine deaminase, malonate utilization, lipase (corn oil), DNase, oxidase, pigment production, and acid production from adonitol, D-arabitol, dulcitol, erythritol, myo-inositol, melibiose, alpha-methyl-D-glucoside, raffinose, and sucrose. There were delayed positive reactions for gelatin liquefaction (22 degrees C), which was positive at 12 to 23 days, esculin hydrolysis (13% positive at day 1, 50% positive at 7 days), lactose fermentation (13% positive at 3 to 7 days, 100% positive at 8 to 10 days), glycerol fermentation (88% positive at 7 days), and salicin fermentation (13% positive at day 1, 88% positive at 7 days). All strains were susceptible by the disk diffusion method to colistin, nalidixic acid, gentamicin, streptomycin, kanamycin, chloramphenicol, and trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole, and most strains were susceptible to sulfadiazine (75% susceptible), tetracycline (88%), and carbenicillin (75%). The strains were resistant to penicillin, cephalothin, and ampicillin. The strains were isolated from vacuum cleaner dust (five strains), soil (one strain), and human feces (two strains). Although T. guamensis can occur in human diarrheal stools, there is no evidence that it actually causes diarrhea. Its main interest to clinical microbiologists may be its possible misidentification as a strain Salmonella.

  15. The molecular dynamics of Trypanosoma brucei UDP-galactose 4'-epimerase: a drug target for African sleeping sickness.

    PubMed

    Friedman, Aaron J; Durrant, Jacob D; Pierce, Levi C T; McCorvie, Thomas J; Timson, David J; McCammon, J Andrew

    2012-08-01

    During the past century, several epidemics of human African trypanosomiasis, a deadly disease caused by the protist Trypanosoma brucei, have afflicted sub-Saharan Africa. Over 10 000 new victims are reported each year, with hundreds of thousands more at risk. As current drug treatments are either highly toxic or ineffective, novel trypanocides are urgently needed. The T. brucei galactose synthesis pathway is one potential therapeutic target. Although galactose is essential for T. brucei survival, the parasite lacks the transporters required to intake galactose from the environment. UDP-galactose 4'-epimerase (TbGalE) is responsible for the epimerization of UDP-glucose to UDP-galactose and is therefore of great interest to medicinal chemists. Using molecular dynamics simulations, we investigate the atomistic motions of TbGalE in both the apo and holo states. The sampled conformations and protein dynamics depend not only on the presence of a UDP-sugar ligand, but also on the chirality of the UDP-sugar C4 atom. This dependence provides important insights into TbGalE function and may help guide future computer-aided drug discovery efforts targeting this protein. © 2012 John Wiley & Sons A/S.

  16. Ethylene signaling triggered by low concentrations of ascorbic acid regulates biomass accumulation in Arabidopsis thaliana.

    PubMed

    Caviglia, M; Mazorra Morales, L M; Concellón, A; Gergoff Grozeff, G E; Wilson, M; Foyer, C H; Bartoli, C G

    2018-02-02

    Ascorbic acid (AA) is a major redox buffer in plant cells. The role of ethylene in the redox signaling pathways that influence photosynthesis and growth was explored in two independent AA deficient Arabidopsis thaliana mutants (vtc2-1 and vtc2-4). Both mutants, which are defective in the AA biosynthesis gene GDP-L-galactose phosphorylase, produce higher amounts of ethylene than wt plants. In contrast to the wt, the inhibition of ethylene signaling increased leaf conductance, photosynthesis and dry weight in both vtc2 mutant lines. The AA-deficient mutants showed altered expression of genes encoding proteins involved in the synthesis/responses to phytohormones that control growth, particularly auxin, cytokinins, abscisic acid, brassinosterioids, ethylene and salicylic acid. These results demonstrate that AA deficiency modifies hormone signaling in plants, redox-ethylene interactions providing a regulatory node controlling shoot biomass accumulation. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  17. Improve the Recovery of Fermentable Sugar from Rice Straw by Sonication and Its Mathematical Modeling

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Bhattacharyya, Saurav; Dutta, Somenath; Datta, Sidhartha; Bhattacharjee, Chiranjib

    2012-08-01

    Rice straw is waste renewable agricultural biomass, which contains sufficient amount of fermentable sugars like glucose, galactose fructose, xylose etc. These sugars can be treated with fermentation pathway to produce ethanol. Hydrolysis of pretreated rice straw in dilute sulfuric acid was investigated at different acid concentrations (0.25-0.75 % w/v), and sonication was carried out to improve the extent of sugar extraction. The current work examines the effect of sonication on extraction of total reducing sugar (TRS) and an empirical mathematical model has been established to predict it. Effects of various operating variables of sonication, including amplitude (60-100 %), cycle (0.6-1.0), treatment time (0-15 min) have been analyzed for each acid concentration. Observation shows that on optimization of the sonication conditions (100 % amplitude, 0.8 cycle and 10 min) around 90 % improvement of TRS extraction occurs at 0.5 % (w/v) acid concentration.

  18. Effect of Regular Exercise on the Histochemical Changes of d-Galactose-Induced Oxidative Renal Injury in High-Fat Diet-Fed Rats

    PubMed Central

    Park, Sok; Kim, Chan-Sik; Lee, Jin; Suk Kim, Jung; Kim, Junghyun

    2013-01-01

    Renal lipid accumulation exhibits slowly developing chronic kidney disease and is associated with increased oxidative stress. The impact of exercise on the obese- and oxidative stress-related renal disease is not well understood. The purpose of this study was to investigate whether a high-fat diet (HFD) would accelerate d-galactose-induced aging process in rat kidney and to examine the preventive effect of regular exercise on the obese- and oxidative stress-related renal disease. Oxidative stress was induced by an administration of d-galactose (100 mg/kg intraperitoneally injected) for 9 weeks, and d-galactose-treated rats were also fed with a high-fat diet (60% kcal as fat) for 9 weeks to induce obesity. We investigated the efficacy of regular exercise in reducing renal injury by analyzing Nε-carboxymethyllysine (CML), 8-hydroxygluanine (8-OHdG) and apoptosis. When rats were fed with a HFD for 9 weeks in d-galactose-treated rats, an increased CML accumulation, oxidative DNA damage and renal podocyte loss were observed in renal glomerular cells and tubular epithelial cells. However, the regular exercise restored all these renal changes in HFD plus d-galactose-treated rats. Our data suggested that long-term HFD may accelerate the deposition of lipoxidation adducts and oxidative renal injury in d-galactose-treated rats. The regular exercise protects against obese- and oxidative stress-related renal injury by inhibiting this lipoxidation burden. PMID:24023395

  19. Metadynamics Simulations Reveal a Na+ Independent Exiting Path of Galactose for the Inward-Facing Conformation of vSGLT

    PubMed Central

    Bisha, Ina; Rodriguez, Alex; Laio, Alessandro; Magistrato, Alessandra

    2014-01-01

    Sodium-Galactose Transporter (SGLT) is a secondary active symporter which accumulates sugars into cells by using the electrochemical gradient of Na+ across the membrane. Previous computational studies provided insights into the release process of the two ligands (galactose and sodium ion) into the cytoplasm from the inward-facing conformation of Vibrio parahaemolyticus sodium/galactose transporter (vSGLT). Several aspects of the transport mechanism of this symporter remain to be clarified: (i) a detailed kinetic and thermodynamic characterization of the exit path of the two ligands is still lacking; (ii) contradictory conclusions have been drawn concerning the gating role of Y263; (iii) the role of Na+ in modulating the release path of galactose is not clear. In this work, we use bias-exchange metadynamics simulations to characterize the free energy profile of the galactose and Na+ release processes toward the intracellular side. Surprisingly, we find that the exit of Na+ and galactose is non-concerted as the cooperativity between the two ligands is associated to a transition that is not rate limiting. The dissociation barriers are of the order of 11–12 kcal/mol for both the ion and the substrate, in line with kinetic information concerning this type of transporters. On the basis of these results we propose a branched six-state alternating access mechanism, which may be shared also by other members of the LeuT-fold transporters. PMID:25522004

  20. [The structure of the glycerophosphate-containing O-specific polysaccharide from Escherichia coli 0130].

    PubMed

    Perepelov, A V; Lu, B; Sebchenkova, S N; Shevelev, S D; Wang, V; Shashkov, A S; Feng, L; Wang, L; Knirel', Iu A

    2007-01-01

    A phosphorylated O-specific polysaccharide was obtained by mild acidic degradation of the lipopolysaccharide from the intestinal bacterium Escherichia coli 0130 and characterized by the methods of chemical analysis, including dephosphorylation, and 1H and 13C NMR spectroscopy. The polysaccharide was shown to be composed of branched tetrasaccharide repeating units containing two N-acetyl-D-galactosamine residues, D-galactose, D-glucose, and glycerophosphate residues (one of each). The polysaccharide has the following structure, which is unique among the known bacterial polysaccharides.

  1. Combinatorial control of gene expression in Aspergillus niger grown on sugar beet pectin.

    PubMed

    Kowalczyk, Joanna E; Lubbers, Ronnie J M; Peng, Mao; Battaglia, Evy; Visser, Jaap; de Vries, Ronald P

    2017-09-27

    Aspergillus niger produces an arsenal of extracellular enzymes that allow synergistic degradation of plant biomass found in its environment. Pectin is a heteropolymer abundantly present in the primary cell wall of plants. The complex structure of pectin requires multiple enzymes to act together. Production of pectinolytic enzymes in A. niger is highly regulated, which allows flexible and efficient capture of nutrients. So far, three transcriptional activators have been linked to regulation of pectin degradation in A. niger. The L-rhamnose-responsive regulator RhaR controls the production of enzymes that degrade rhamnogalacturonan-I. The L-arabinose-responsive regulator AraR controls the production of enzymes that decompose the arabinan and arabinogalactan side chains of rhamnogalacturonan-II. The D-galacturonic acid-responsive regulator GaaR controls the production of enzymes that act on the polygalacturonic acid backbone of pectin. This project aims to better understand how RhaR, AraR and GaaR co-regulate pectin degradation. For that reason, we constructed single, double and triple disruptant strains of these regulators and analyzed their growth phenotype and pectinolytic gene expression in A. niger grown on sugar beet pectin.

  2. Investigation of the Activity of the Microorganisms in a Reblochon-Style Cheese by Metatranscriptomic Analysis

    PubMed Central

    Monnet, Christophe; Dugat-Bony, Eric; Swennen, Dominique; Beckerich, Jean-Marie; Irlinger, Françoise; Fraud, Sébastien; Bonnarme, Pascal

    2016-01-01

    The microbial communities in cheeses are composed of varying bacteria, yeasts, and molds, which contribute to the development of their typical sensory properties. In situ studies are needed to better understand their growth and activity during cheese ripening. Our objective was to investigate the activity of the microorganisms used for manufacturing a surface-ripened cheese by means of metatranscriptomic analysis. The cheeses were produced using two lactic acid bacteria (Streptococcus thermophilus and Lactobacillus delbrueckii ssp. bulgaricus), one ripening bacterium (Brevibacterium aurantiacum), and two yeasts (Debaryomyces hansenii and Geotrichum candidum). RNA was extracted from the cheese rinds and, after depletion of most ribosomal RNA, sequencing was performed using a short-read sequencing technology that generated ~75 million reads per sample. Except for B. aurantiacum, which failed to grow in the cheeses, a large number of CDS reads were generated for the inoculated species, making it possible to investigate their individual transcriptome over time. From day 5 to 35, G. candidum accounted for the largest proportion of CDS reads, suggesting that this species was the most active. Only minor changes occurred in the transcriptomes of the lactic acid bacteria. For the two yeasts, we compared the expression of genes involved in the catabolism of lactose, galactose, lactate, amino acids, and free fatty acids. During ripening, genes involved in ammonia assimilation and galactose catabolism were down-regulated in the two species. Genes involved in amino acid catabolism were up-regulated in G. candidum from day 14 to day 35, whereas in D. hansenii, they were up-regulated mainly at day 35, suggesting that this species catabolized the cheese amino acids later. In addition, after 35 days of ripening, there was a down-regulation of genes involved in the electron transport chain, suggesting a lower cellular activity. The present study has exemplified how metatranscriptomic analyses provide insight into the activity of cheese microbial communities for which reference genome sequences are available. In the future, such studies will be facilitated by the progress in DNA sequencing technologies and by the greater availability of the genome sequences of cheese microorganisms. PMID:27148224

  3. Isolation, Purification, Characterization and Effect upon HepG2 Cells of Anemaran from Rhizome Anemarrhena.

    PubMed

    Jiang, Qian-Qian; Zhao, Yun-Ping; Gao, Wen-Yuan; Li, Xia; Huang, Lu-Qi; Xiao, Pei-Gen

    2013-01-01

    The rhizome of Anemarrhena asphodeloides is used as food and traditional Chinese medicine for its hypoglycemic effect. The aim of this study was to investigate the isolation, purification and hypoglycemic activity of Anemaran as the active component. The influence factors (isolation duration, ratio of residuals to water and extracting times) during the isolation process were evaluated. The optimal conditions for NA and AA were extraction temperature 90ºC and 100ºC, duration 1h and 1.5 h, extraction time 3 and 3, and the solid-liquor ratio 1:20 and 1:15, respectively. Neutral and acid Anemaran (NA and AA) were isolated from the rhizome of Anemarrhena asphodeloides. Five fractions of NA-1, NA-2, NA-3, AA-1 and AA-2 were obtained after crude neutral and acid Anemaran purified through DEAE- 52 cellulose anion-exchange column. The characterizations of Anemaran and its different fractions were both analyzed by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) and scanning electron micrographs (SEM). Structural properties of different fractions were examined by FT-IR. Strong characteristic absorption peaks were observed at around 1744 cm(-1)and 1650 cm(-1) caused by the C=O group of uronic acids, and the band between 1440 cm(-1) and 1395 cm(-1) associated with the stretching vibration of C-O of galacturonic acid. Neither the crude neutral, nor the acid anemaran significantly inhibited the growth of HepG2 cells in-vitro, which indicated the low cytotoxicity of the anemaran. Furthermore, both neutral and acid anemaran showed hypoglycemic effect. The hypoglycemic effect of neutral anemaran was much higher than that of acid anemaran.

  4. Characterization of human-induced pluripotent stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes: bioenergetics and utilization in safety screening.

    PubMed

    Rana, Payal; Anson, Blake; Engle, Sandra; Will, Yvonne

    2012-11-01

    Cardiotoxicity remains the number one reason for drug withdrawal from the market, and Food and Drug Administration issued black box warnings, thus demonstrating the need for more predictive preclinical safety screening, especially early in the drug discovery process when much chemical substrate is available. Whereas human-ether-a-go-go related gene screening has become routine to mitigate proarrhythmic risk, the development of in vitro assays predicting additional on- and off-target biochemical toxicities will benefit from cellular models exhibiting true cardiomyocyte characteristics such as native tissue-like mitochondrial activity. Human stem cell-derived tissue cells may provide such a model. This hypothesis was tested using a combination of flux analysis, gene and protein expression, and toxicity-profiling techniques to characterize mitochondrial function in induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC) derived human cardiomyocytes in the presence of differing carbon sources over extended periods in cell culture. Functional analyses demonstrate that iPSC-derived cardiomyocytes are (1) capable of utilizing anaerobic or aerobic respiration depending upon the available carbon substrate and (2) bioenergetically closest to adult heart tissue cells when cultured in galactose or galactose supplemented with fatty acids. We utilized this model to test a variety of kinase inhibitors with known clinical cardiac liabilities for their potential toxicity toward these cells. We found that the kinase inhibitors showed a dose-dependent toxicity to iPSC cardiomyocytes grown in galactose and that oxygen consumption rates were significantly more affected than adenosine triphosphate production. Sorafenib was found to have the most effect, followed by sunitinib, dasatinib, imatinib, lapatinib, and nioltinib.

  5. Model Study To Assess Softwood Hemicellulose Hydrolysates as the Carbon Source for PHB Production in Paraburkholderia sacchari IPT 101.

    PubMed

    Dietrich, Karolin; Dumont, Marie-Josée; Schwinghamer, Timothy; Orsat, Valérie; Del Rio, Luis F

    2018-01-08

    Softwood hemicellulose hydrolysates are a cheap source of sugars that can be used as a feedstock to produce polyhydroxybutyrates (PHB), which are biobased and compostable bacterial polyesters. To assess the potential of the hemicellulosic sugars as a carbon source for PHB production, synthetic media containing softwood hemicellulose sugars (glucose, mannose, galactose, xylose, arabinose) and the potentially inhibitory lignocellulose degradation products (acetic acid, 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF), furfural, and vanillin) were fermented with the model strain Paraburkholderia sacchari IPT 101. Relative to pure glucose, individual fermentation for 24 h with 20 g/L mannose or galactose exhibited maximum specific growth rates of 97% and 60%, respectively. On the other hand, with sugar mixtures of glucose, mannose, galactose, xylose, and arabinose, the strain converted all sugars simultaneously to reach a maximum PHB concentration of 5.72 g/L and 80.5% PHB after 51 h. The addition of the inhibitor mixture at the following concentration, sodium acetate (2.11 g/L), HMF (0.67 g/L), furfural (0.66 g/L), and vanillin (0.93 g/L), to the sugar mixture stopped the growth entirely within 24 h. Individually, the inhibitors either had no effect or only reduced growth. Moreover, it was found that a bacterial inoculum with high initial cell density (optical density, OD ≥ 5.6) could overcome the growth inhibition to yield an OD of 13 within 24 h. Therefore, softwood hemicellulose sugars are viable carbon sources for PHB production. Nevertheless, real softwood hemicellulose hydrolysates need detoxification or a high inoculum to overcome inhibitory effects and allow bacterial growth.

  6. Xyloglucan oligosaccharides promote growth and activate cellulase: Evidence for a role of cellulase in cell expansion. [Pisum sativum L

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    McDougall, G.J.; Fry, S.C.

    1990-07-01

    Oligosaccharides produced by the action of fungal cellulase on xyloglucans promoted the elongation of etiolated pea (Pisum sativum L.) stem segments in a straight-growth bioassay designed for the determination of auxins. The oligosaccharides were most active at about 1 micromolar. We tested the relative growth-promoting activities of four HPLC-purified oligosaccharides which shared a common glucose{sub 4} {center dot} xylose{sub 3} (XG7) core. The substituted oligosaccharides XG8 (glucose{sub 4} {center dot} xylose{sub 3} {center dot} galactose) and XG9n (glucose{sub 4} {center dot} xylose{sub 3} {center dot} galactose{sub 2}) were more effective than XG7 itself and XG9 (glucose{sub 4} {center dot} xylose{submore » 3} {center dot} galactose {center dot} fucose). The same oligosaccharides also promoted the degradation, assayed viscometrically, of xyloglucan by an acidic cellulase from bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) leaves. The oligosaccharides were highly active at 10{sup {minus}4} molar, causing up to a fourfold increase in activity, but the effect was still detectable at 1 micromolar. Those oligosaccharides (XG8 and XG9n) which best promoted growth, stimulated cellulase activity to the greatest extent. The oligosaccharides did not stimulate the action of the cellulase in an assay based on the conversion of ({sup 3}H)xyloglucan to ethanol-soluble fragments. This suggests that the oligosaccharides enhanced the midchain hydrolysis of xyloglucan molecules (which would rapidly reduce the viscosity of the solution), at the expense of cleavage near the termini (which would yield ethanol-soluble products).« less

  7. Crystal structure of β1→6-galactosidase from Bifidobacterium bifidum S17: trimeric architecture, molecular determinants of the enzymatic activity and its inhibition by α-galactose.

    PubMed

    Godoy, Andre Schutzer; Camilo, Cesar Moises; Kadowaki, Marco Antonio; Muniz, Heloisa Dos S; Espirito Santo, Melissa; Murakami, Mario Tyago; Nascimento, Alessandro S; Polikarpov, Igor

    2016-11-01

    In a search for better comprehension of β-galactosidase function and specificity, we solved the crystal structures of the GH42 β-galactosidase BbgII from Bifidobacterium bifidum S17, a well-adapted probiotic microorganism from the human digestive tract, and its complex with d-α-galactose. BbgII is a three-domain molecule that forms barrel-shaped trimers in solution. BbgII interactions with d-α-galactose, a competitive inhibitor, showed a number of residues that are involved in the coordination of ligands. A combination of site-directed mutagenesis of these amino acid residues with enzymatic activity measurements confirmed that Glu161 and Glu320 are fundamental for catalysis and their substitution by alanines led to catalytically inactive mutants. Mutation Asn160Ala resulted in a two orders of magnitude decrease of the enzyme k cat without significant modification in its K m , whereas mutations Tyr289Phe and His371Phe simultaneously decreased k cat and increased K m values. Enzymatic activity of Glu368Ala mutant was too low to be detected. Our docking and molecular dynamics simulations showed that the enzyme recognizes and tightly binds substrates with β1→6 and β1→3 bonds, while binding of the substrates with β1→4 linkages is less favorable. Structural data are available in the PDB under the accession numbers 4UZS and 4UCF. © 2016 Federation of European Biochemical Societies.

  8. Comparative study of hemagglutination and lectin activity in Australian medicinal mushrooms (higher Basidiomycetes).

    PubMed

    Rouf, Razina; Tiralongo, Evelin; Krahl, Anja; Maes, Karen; Spaan, Lina; Wolf, Stefan; May, Tom W; Tiralongo, Joe

    2011-01-01

    Fifteen Australian mushroom species (higher Basidiomycetes) were assessed for hemagglutination and lectin activity. Hemagglutination activity was evaluated using both neuraminidase treated and untreated rabbit and human A, B, and O erythrocytes. Lectin activity was determined by the ability of various mono- and oligosaccharides to inhibit hemagglutination activity. Of the mushrooms evaluated, seven contained lectin activity. However, five (Agaricus bitorquis, Chlorophyllum brunneum, Coprinus comatus, Cortinarius sp. TWM 1710, and Omphalotus nidiformis) expressed lectin activity in only one of two collections tested. The two remaining lectin active mushroom species (Phlebopus marginatus and Psathyrella asperospora) possessed lectin activity with the same sugar specificity in both collections. Although lectins were identified with diverse specificity, lactose-specific lectin activity was most frequently identified, being present in Agaricus bitorquis, Copronus comatus, Omphalotus nidiformis, and Phlebopus marginatus. In contrast, Psathyrella asperospora, Cortinarius sp. TWM 1710, and Chlorophyllum brunneum were found to possess lectin activity specific for N-acetyl-D-glucosamine, galactose, and N-acetyl-neurammic acid, respectively. Significantly, the galactose-specific lectin activity identified in Cortinarius sp. TWM 1710 and the lactose-specific lectin activity in Phlebopus marginatus have not been previously reported.

  9. Structural characters and protecting β-cells of a polysaccharide from flowers of Inula japonica.

    PubMed

    Zhao, Chunzhi; Diao, Yulin; Wang, Changzhen; Qu, Wensheng; Zhao, Xiunan; Ma, Hao; Shan, Junjie; Sun, Guohui

    2017-08-01

    Our previous studies found that the crude polysaccharides (IJP) from flowers of Inula japonica exhibited significantly anti-diabetic activity in alloxan or MLD-STZ induced diabetic mice. In this study, we will trace an active polysaccharide from IJP and investigate its physico-chemical property and its protective mechanism on islet cell damage. The result showed that an active polysaccharide (IJP-B-1) was isolated from IJP, its molecular mass was 3.7×10 4 Da. IJP-B-1 was composed of rhamnose, arabinose, xylose, mannose, glucose, galactose and galactocuronic acid. Its major backbone structure was (1→3, 6)-linked-galactose and other branched residues. IJP-B-1 could protect pancreatic cells against STZ impairment at 50μg/mL and scavenge OH and O 2 radicals to decrease reactive oxygen generation in islet-cells in vitro. These results suggested that IJP-B-1 might be useful for protecting β-cells and against oxidative stress as an anti-diabetic candidate drug in future. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  10. Sequential hydrolysis of waste newspaper and bioethanol production from the hydrolysate.

    PubMed

    Wu, Fang-Chen; Huang, Shu-Sing; Shih, Ing-Lung

    2014-09-01

    A practical process was developed for production of a high quality hydrolysate of waste newspaper that ensured its complete fermentability to bioethanol. After pretreatment with 0.1N NaOH for 12h and sequential acid and enzyme hydrolysis, 10.1g/L of glucose (50.5%), 1.38 g/L of mannose (6.9%) and 0.28 g/L of galactose (1.4%), a total of 11.76 g/L of fermentable sugars was obtained, which accounts for 88.7% of saccharification efficiency. The Saccharomyces cerevisiae BCRC20271 showed excellent co-fermentability of glucose, mannose and galactose in hydrolysate of waste newspaper. After cultivation of the hydrolysate at 24°C in static culture for 48 h, the final ethanol concentration of 5.72 g/L (96% conversion efficiency) was produced. Overall, 1000 kg of waste newspaper will produce 286 kg (362 L) of ethanol by the process developed, which reveals that waste newspaper has higher potential than many other lignocellulosic and seaweed feedstocks for bioethanol production. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  11. Preparation of bioactive neoagaroligosaccharides through hydrolysis of Gracilaria lemaneiformis agar: A comparative study.

    PubMed

    Xu, Xin-Qi; Su, Bing-Mei; Xie, Jin-Sheng; Li, Ren-Kuan; Yang, Jie; Lin, Juan; Ye, Xiu-Yun

    2018-02-01

    Hydrolysis of Gracilaria lemaneiformis agar by β-agarase was compared with HCl hydrolysis. The results showed that optimum catalysis conditions for the β-agarase were pH 7.0 at 45°C. Mass spectroscopy, thin-layer chromatography and GPC results showed that the polymerization degrees of the hydrolysis products by the β-agarase were mainly four, six and eight (more specific than the hydrolysate by HCl). The enzymatic degradation products of agar were distinctly different from those of HCl hydrolysis in the ratios among galactose and 3,6-anhydro-galactose and sulfate group contents. The NMR spectrometry proved that the products of β-agarase were neoagaroligosaccharides, which was not found in the agarolytic products by HCl. The neoagarotetraose inhibited tyrosinase activity competitively with the K I value of 16.0mg/ml. Hydroxyl radical-scavenging ability of neoagaroligosaccharides was much greater than that of agar HCl hydrolysate. This work suggests that neoagaroligosaccharide products produced by our β-agarase could be more effective in function than products from acid hydrolysis. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  12. Glucose meters: evaluation of the new formulation measuring strips from Roche (Accu-Chek) and Abbott (MediSense).

    PubMed

    Dimeski, G; Jones, B W; Tilley, V; Greenslade, M N; Russell, A W

    2010-07-01

    Both Roche and Abbott have released new glucose meter strips. They supply the entire Australian hospital market. The present study compared the performance of the new strips utilizing various specimen types (capillary, venous lithium heparin whole blood, venous lithium heparin plasma and serum) and evaluated how well they comply with the International Standards Organization (ISO) 15197 criteria. The study included imprecision, patient comparison and interference studies. Participants with and without diabetes were recruited to evaluate the performance of various specimen types against the Beckman DxC800 glucose method. The strips were tested for different interferences: galactose, maltose, lactose, Icodextrin, Intragam, paracetamol, sodium, ascorbic acid, variable strip storage temperature, haematocrit, haemolysis and lipaemia. The imprecision of the two strips was approximately 5% or less, except for the Abbott strip at very low values (1.4 mmol/L), approximately 7%. In total, 78% and 84%, respectively, of the results from the finger prick capillary specimens with the Roche (Accu-Chek Performa meter) and Abbott (Optium Xceed meter) strips, not 95% or greater as recommended by the ISO guideline, were within the recommended limits compared with reference plasma estimation on laboratory analysers. Galactose, ascorbic acid, haematocrit and sodium on the Roche and ascorbic acid and haematocrit on the Abbott strip continue to interfere to a variable degree with the glucose measurement. Analytically small differences exist between the glucose meter strips. The most significant analytical difference with the strips was at low glucose levels when compared with laboratory analyses and this may be of clinical importance. The impact of some of the interferences is variable between the two strips. Individuals, health-care professionals and health-care institutions should consider these data when selecting glucose meters for the management of people with diabetes mellitus.

  13. Concomitant ingestion of lactic acid bacteria and black tea synergistically enhances flavonoid bioavailability and attenuates d-galactose-induced oxidative stress in mice via modulating glutathione antioxidant system.

    PubMed

    Zhao, Danyue; Shah, Nagendra P

    2016-12-01

    Black tea (BT) has been positively linked to improved redox status, while its efficacy is limited due to the low bioavailability of BT flavonoids. In addition to the direct antioxidant activity, flavonoids regulate redox balance via inducing endogenous antioxidants, particularly glutathione (GSH) and GSH-dependent antioxidant enzymes. This work first examined the effect of lactic acid bacteria (LAB) and BT alone or in combination on flavonoid bioavailability and metabolism; next, the effect of LAB-fermented BT diet in attenuating oxidative stress in mice and the underlying mechanisms were studied. Phenolic profiles of plasma, urine and feces from healthy mice consuming plain yogurt, BT milk (BTM) or BT yogurt (BTY) were acquired using LC-MS/MS. Plasma antioxidant capacity, lipid peroxidation level, content of nonprotein thiols and expression of GSH-related antioxidant enzymes and Nrf2 were examined in d-galactose-treated mice. Total flavonoid content in plasma following a single dose of BTY attained 0.657 μmol/l, increased by 50% compared with the BTM group. Increased excretion of phenolic metabolite and hippuric acid in urine and feces indicated enhanced metabolism of flavonoids in BTY-fed mice. In the second study, 8-week concomitant LAB-BT treatment of oxidatively stressed mice effectively restored plasma antioxidant capacity and GSH levels, and mitigated lipid peroxidation, which were associated with significant induction of GSH-dependent antioxidant enzymes and nuclear accumulation of Nrf2. Our results demonstrated the effect of LAB fermentation in enhancing BT flavonoid bioavailability in vivo. The synergistic antioxidant efficacy of LAB-BT diet implied its therapeutic potential in enhancing antioxidant defenses and protecting organisms from oxidative damage. Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier Inc.

  14. [The low molecular weight carbohydrates and polyols in the cambial sap of beech (Fagus silvatica L.) and a number of other deciduous trees].

    PubMed

    Oesch, F

    1969-12-01

    The low molecular-weight carbohydrates sucrose, D-glucose, D-fructose, myoinositol, O-α-D-galactopyranosyl-(1→1)-myoinositol, raffinose, D,L-inositol, stachyose, α,α-trehalose and D-galactose (in decreasing order of percentage by weight) were isolated from the cambial sap of the beech (Fagus silvatica L.). The acidic compounds glucose-6-phosphate, glucose-1-phosphate, fructose-1,6-diphosphate, malic acid and oxalic acid were also tentatively identified.Practically the only difference between the cambial saps of beech trees felled at different times during the period of most active secondary growth was in their content of myoinositol and an as yet unidentified extremely labile basic substance (BF 2). The content of both these substances increased greatly towards the end of the growing season. The cambial sap of any tree differed little from that of the xylem which had already begun to differentiate. On the other hand the cambial sap next to the bark and the phloem sap had a completely different composition. In the former sucrose constituted ca. 90% and in the latter practically 100% of the neutral, water-soluble fraction.A comparison of the cambial saps of beech and a number of other deciduous trees brought to light a number of characteristic differences that appeared to be chemotaxonomically significant. Trehalose and D,L-inositol were detected only in the genus Fagus and never in the closely related genus Nothofagus. The presence of large amounts of stachyose and mannitol was characteristic for Fraxinus, and a high content of 2-O-methyl-L-inositol was typical of Acer. Galactose was not detected in all trees studied.

  15. A re-evaluation of life-long severe galactose restriction for the nutrition management of classic galactosemia.

    PubMed

    Van Calcar, Sandra C; Bernstein, Laurie E; Rohr, Frances J; Scaman, Christine H; Yannicelli, Steven; Berry, Gerard T

    2014-07-01

    The galactose-restricted diet is life-saving for infants with classic galactosemia. However, the benefit and extent of dietary galactose restriction required after infancy remain unclear and variation exists in practice. There is a need for evidence-based recommendations to better standardize treatment for this disorder. This paper reviews the association between diet treatment and outcomes in classic galactosemia and evaluates the contribution of food sources of free galactose in the diet. Recommendations include allowing all fruits, vegetables, legumes, soy products that are not fermented, various aged cheeses and foods containing caseinates. Further research directions are discussed. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  16. Identification of the UDP-glucose-4-epimerase required for galactofuranose biosynthesis and galactose metabolism in A. niger.

    PubMed

    Park, Joohae; Tefsen, Boris; Arentshorst, Mark; Lagendijk, Ellen; van den Hondel, Cees Amjj; van Die, Irma; Ram, Arthur Fj

    2014-01-01

    Galactofuranose (Gal f )-containing glycoconjugates are important to secure the integrity of the cell wall of filamentous fungi. Mutations that prevent the biosynthesis of Gal f -containing molecules compromise cell wall integrity. In response to cell wall weakening, the cell wall integrity (CWI)-pathway is activated to reinforce the strength of the cell wall. Activation of CWI-pathway in Aspergillus niger is characterized by the specific induction of the agsA gene, which encodes a cell wall α-glucan synthase. In this study, we screened a collection of cell wall mutants with an induced expression of agsA for defects in Gal f biosynthesis using a with anti-Gal f antibody (L10). From this collection of mutants, we previously identified mutants in the UDP-galactopyranose mutase encoding gene ( ugmA ). Here, we have identified six additional UDP-galactopyranose mutase ( ugmA ) mutants and one mutant (named mutant #41) in an additional complementation group that displayed strongly reduced Gal f -levels in the cell wall. By using a whole genome sequencing approach, 21 SNPs in coding regions were identified between mutant #41 and its parental strain which changed the amino acid sequence of the encoded proteins. One of these mutations was in gene An14g03820, which codes for a putative UDP-glucose-4-epimerase (UgeA). The A to G mutation in this gene causes an amino acid change of Asn to Asp at position 191 in the UgeA protein. Targeted deletion of ugeA resulted in an even more severe reduction of Gal f in N-linked glucans, indicating that the UgeA protein in mutant #41 is partially active. The ugeA gene is also required for growth on galactose despite the presence of two UgeA homologs in the A. niger genome. By using a classical mutant screen and whole genome sequencing of a new Gal f -deficient mutant, the UDP-glucose-4-epimerase gene ( ugeA ) has been identified. UgeA is required for the biosynthesis of Gal f as well as for galactose metabolism in Aspergillus niger .

  17. A novel C-type lectin from the sea cucumber Apostichopus japonicus (AjCTL-2) with preferential binding of d-galactose.

    PubMed

    Wang, Hui; Xue, Zhuang; Liu, Zhaoqun; Wang, Weilin; Wang, Feifei; Wang, Ying; Wang, Lingling; Song, Linsheng

    2018-05-15

    C-type lectins (CTLs) are Ca 2+ dependent carbohydrate-binding proteins that share structural homology in their carbohydrate-recognition domains (CRDs). In the present study, a novel CTL was identified from sea cucumber Apostichopus japonicus (named as AjCTL-2). The deduced amino acid sequence of AjCTL-2 was homologous to CTLs from other animals with the identities ranging from 33% to 40%. It contained a canonical signal peptide at the N-terminus, a low density lipoprotein receptor class A (LDLa), a C1r/C1s/Uegf/bone morphogenetic protein 1 (CUB), and a CRD with two motifs Glu-Pro-Asn (EPN) and Trp-Asn-Asp (WND) in Ca 2+ binding site 2. The mRNA transcripts of AjCTL-2 were extensively expressed in all the tested tissues including respiratory tree, muscle, gut, coelomocyte, tube-foot, body wall and gonad, and the highest expression level of AjCTL-2 in coelomocyte was about 4.2-fold (p < 0.05) of that in body wall. The mRNA expression level of AjCTL-2 in coelomocyte increased significantly after Vibrio splendidus stimulation, and dramatically peaked at 12 h, which was 206.4-fold (p < 0.05) of that in control group. AjCTL-2 protein was mainly detected in cytoplasm of coelomocyte by immunofluorescence. The recombinant AjCTL-2 (rAjCTL-2) displayed binding activity to d-galactose independent of Ca 2+ , while the binding activity to other tested pathogen-associated molecular patterns (PAMPs) including lipopolysaccharide (LPS), peptidoglycan (PGN), and mannose (Man) could not be detected. Surface plasmon resonance (SPR) analysis further revealed the high binding specificity and moderate binding affinity of rAjCTL-2 to d-galactose (KD = 4.093 × 10 -6  M). After rAjCTL-2 was blocked by its polyclonal antibody, the binding activity to d-galactose could not be detected by using a blocking ELISA (B-ELISA). Moreover, rAjCTL-2 could bind various microorganisms including V. splendidus, V. anguillarum, Staphylococcus aureus, Bifidobacterium breve and Yarrowia lipolytica with the strongest binding activity to B. breve. These results collectively suggested that AjCTL-2 was a member of CTL superfamily (CTLs) with preferential binding of d-galactose and participated in the immune response of sea cucumber. Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

  18. [Effects of chrysalis oil on learning, memory and oxidative stress in D-galactose-induced ageing model of mice].

    PubMed

    Chen, Weiping; Yang, Qiongjie; Wei, Xing

    2013-11-01

    To investigate the effects of chrysalis oil on learning, memory and oxidative stress in D-galactose-induced ageing model of mice. Mice were injected intraperitoneally with D-galactose daily and received chrysalis oil intragastrically simultaneously for 30 d. Then mice underwent space navigation test and spatial probe test, superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione peroxidase (GSH-PX) activity and malondialdehyde (MDA) contents in mouse brain were measured. Compared to model group, escape latency in mice treated with 6 ml/kg*d chrysalis oil was significantly shorter (P<0.05), crossing times in 12 ml/kg*d group and 6 ml/kg*d group treated with chrysalis oil were significantly increased (P<0.05). Chrysalis oil treatment (12ml/kg*d) significantly increased SOD and GSH-PX activity and reduced MDA contents in brain of D-galactose-induced aging mice. Chrysalis oil can improve the ability of learning and memory in D-galactose-induced aging mice, and inhibit peroxidation in brain tissue.

  19. Sorbitol dehydrogenase of Aspergillus niger, SdhA, is part of the oxido-reductive D-galactose pathway and essential for D-sorbitol catabolism.

    PubMed

    Koivistoinen, Outi M; Richard, Peter; Penttilä, Merja; Ruohonen, Laura; Mojzita, Dominik

    2012-02-17

    In filamentous fungi D-galactose can be catabolised through the oxido-reductive and/or the Leloir pathway. In the oxido-reductive pathway D-galactose is converted to d-fructose in a series of steps where the last step is the oxidation of d-sorbitol by an NAD-dependent dehydrogenase. We identified a sorbitol dehydrogenase gene, sdhA (JGI53356), in Aspergillus niger encoding a medium chain dehydrogenase which is involved in D-galactose and D-sorbitol catabolism. The gene is upregulated in the presence of D-galactose, galactitol and D-sorbitol. An sdhA deletion strain showed reduced growth on galactitol and growth on D-sorbitol was completely abolished. The purified enzyme converted D-sorbitol to D-fructose with K(m) of 50±5 mM and v(max) of 80±10 U/mg. Copyright © 2012 Federation of European Biochemical Societies. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  20. Generation of organic acids and monosaccharides by hydrolytic and oxidative transformation of food processing residues.

    PubMed

    Fischer, Klaus; Bipp, Hans-Peter

    2005-05-01

    Carbohydrate-rich biomass residues, i.e. sugar beet molasses, whey powder, wine yeast, potato peel sludge, spent hops, malt dust and apple marc, were tested as starting materials for the generation of marketable chemicals, e.g. aliphatic acids, sugar acids and mono-/disaccharides. Residues were oxidized or hydrolyzed under acidic or alkaline conditions applying conventional laboratory digestion methods and microwave assisted techniques. Yields and compositions of the oxidation products differed according to the oxidizing agent used. Main products of oxidation by 30% HNO(3) were acetic, glucaric, oxalic and glycolic acids. Applying H(2)O(2)/CuO in alkaline solution, the organic acid yields were remarkably lower with formic, acetic and threonic acids as main products. Gluconic acid was formed instead of glucaric acid throughout. Reaction of a 10% H(2)O(2) solution with sugar beet molasses generated formic and lactic acids mainly. Na(2)S(2)O(8) solutions were very inefficient at oxidizing the residues. Glucose, arabinose and galactose were formed during acidic hydrolysis of malt dust and apple marc. The glucose content reached 0.35 g per gram of residue. Important advantages of the microwave application were lower reaction times and reduced reagent demands.

  1. The composition of cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus) milk.

    PubMed

    Osthoff, G; Hugo, A; de Wit, M

    2006-01-01

    Milk was obtained from two captive bred cheetahs. The nutrient content was 99.6 g protein; 64.8 g fat; and 40.21 g lactose per kg milk. Small amounts of oligosaccharides, glucose, galactose and fucose were noted. The protein fraction respectively consisted of 34.2 g caseins per kg milk and of 65.3 g whey proteins per kg milk. Very little variation in milk composition among the individual cheetahs was noted. Electrophoresis and identification of protein bands showed a similar migrating sequence of proteins as seen in lion's and cat's milk, with small differences in the beta-caseins. The lipid fraction contains 290.4 g saturated and 337.3 g mono-unsaturated fatty acids per kg milk fat respectively. The high content of 279.5 g kg(-1) milk fat of polyunsaturated fatty acids is due to a high content in alpha-linolenic acid. No short chain fatty acids, but substantial levels of uneven carbon chain fatty acids were observed.

  2. A new boronic acid fluorescent sensor based on fluorene for monosaccharides at physiological pH.

    PubMed

    Hosseinzadeh, Rahman; Mohadjerani, Maryam; Pooryousef, Mona; Eslami, Abbas; Emami, Saeed

    2015-06-05

    Fluorescent boronic acids are very useful fluorescent sensor for detection of biologically important saccharides. Herein we synthesized a new fluorene-based fluorescent boronic acid that shows significant fluorescence changes upon addition of saccharides at physiological pH. Upon addition of fructose, sorbitol, glucose, galactose, ribose, and maltose at different concentration to the solution of 7-(dimethylamino)-9,9-dimethyl-9H-fluoren-2-yl-2-boronic acid (7-DMAFBA, 1), significant decreases in fluorescent intensity were observed. It was found that this boronic acid has high affinity (K(a)=3582.88 M(-1)) and selectivity for fructose over glucose at pH=7.4. The sensor 1 showed a linear response toward d-fructose in the concentrations ranging from 2.5×10(-5) to 4×10(-4) mol L(-1) with the detection limit of 1.3×10(-5) mol L(-1). Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  3. Electrochemical l-Lactic Acid Sensor Based on Immobilized ZnO Nanorods with Lactate Oxidase

    PubMed Central

    Ibupoto, Zafar Hussain; Ali Shah, Syed Muhammad Usman; Khun, Kimleang; Willander, Magnus

    2012-01-01

    In this work, fabrication of gold coated glass substrate, growth of ZnO nanorods and potentiometric response of lactic acid are explained. The biosensor was developed by immobilizing the lactate oxidase on the ZnO nanorods in combination with glutaraldehyde as a cross linker for lactate oxidase enzyme. The potentiometric technique was applied for the measuring the output (EMF) response of l-lactic acid biosensor. We noticed that the present biosensor has wide linear detection range of concentration from 1 × 10−4–1 × 100 mM with acceptable sensitivity about 41.33 ± 1.58 mV/decade. In addition, the proposed biosensor showed fast response time less than 10 s, a good selectivity towards l-lactic acid in presence of common interfering substances such as ascorbic acid, urea, glucose, galactose, magnesium ions and calcium ions. The present biosensor based on immobilized ZnO nanorods with lactate oxidase sustained its stability for more than three weeks. PMID:22736960

  4. Electrochemical L-lactic acid sensor based on immobilized ZnO nanorods with lactate oxidase.

    PubMed

    Ibupoto, Zafar Hussain; Shah, Syed Muhammad Usman Ali; Khun, Kimleang; Willander, Magnus

    2012-01-01

    In this work, fabrication of gold coated glass substrate, growth of ZnO nanorods and potentiometric response of lactic acid are explained. The biosensor was developed by immobilizing the lactate oxidase on the ZnO nanorods in combination with glutaraldehyde as a cross linker for lactate oxidase enzyme. The potentiometric technique was applied for the measuring the output (EMF) response of l-lactic acid biosensor. We noticed that the present biosensor has wide linear detection range of concentration from 1 × 10(-4)-1 × 10(0) mM with acceptable sensitivity about 41.33 ± 1.58 mV/decade. In addition, the proposed biosensor showed fast response time less than 10 s, a good selectivity towards l-lactic acid in presence of common interfering substances such as ascorbic acid, urea, glucose, galactose, magnesium ions and calcium ions. The present biosensor based on immobilized ZnO nanorods with lactate oxidase sustained its stability for more than three weeks.

  5. Unravelling evolutionary strategies of yeast for improving galactose utilization through integrated systems level analysis.

    PubMed

    Hong, Kuk-Ki; Vongsangnak, Wanwipa; Vemuri, Goutham N; Nielsen, Jens

    2011-07-19

    Identification of the underlying molecular mechanisms for a derived phenotype by adaptive evolution is difficult. Here, we performed a systems-level inquiry into the metabolic changes occurring in the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae as a result of its adaptive evolution to increase its specific growth rate on galactose and related these changes to the acquired phenotypic properties. Three evolved mutants (62A, 62B, and 62C) with higher specific growth rates and faster specific galactose uptake were isolated. The evolved mutants were compared with a reference strain and two engineered strains, SO16 and PGM2, which also showed higher galactose uptake rate in previous studies. The profile of intermediates in galactose metabolism was similar in evolved and engineered mutants, whereas reserve carbohydrates metabolism was specifically elevated in the evolved mutants and one evolved strain showed changes in ergosterol biosynthesis. Mutations were identified in proteins involved in the global carbon sensing Ras/PKA pathway, which is known to regulate the reserve carbohydrates metabolism. We evaluated one of the identified mutations, RAS2(Tyr112), and this mutation resulted in an increased specific growth rate on galactose. These results show that adaptive evolution results in the utilization of unpredicted routes to accommodate increased galactose flux in contrast to rationally engineered strains. Our study demonstrates that adaptive evolution represents a valuable alternative to rational design in bioengineering of improved strains and, that through systems biology, it is possible to identify mutations in evolved strain that can serve as unforeseen metabolic engineering targets for improving microbial strains for production of biofuels and chemicals.

  6. Recovery of phenotypes obtained by adaptive evolution through inverse metabolic engineering.

    PubMed

    Hong, Kuk-Ki; Nielsen, Jens

    2012-11-01

    In a previous study, system level analysis of adaptively evolved yeast mutants showing improved galactose utilization revealed relevant mutations. The governing mutations were suggested to be in the Ras/PKA signaling pathway and ergosterol metabolism. Here, site-directed mutants having one of the mutations RAS2(Lys77), RAS2(Tyr112), and ERG5(Pro370) were constructed and evaluated. The mutants were also combined with overexpression of PGM2, earlier proved as a beneficial target for galactose utilization. The constructed strains were analyzed for their gross phenotype, transcriptome and targeted metabolites, and the results were compared to those obtained from reference strains and the evolved strains. The RAS2(Lys77) mutation resulted in the highest specific galactose uptake rate among all of the strains with an increased maximum specific growth rate on galactose. The RAS2(Tyr112) mutation also improved the specific galactose uptake rate and also resulted in many transcriptional changes, including ergosterol metabolism. The ERG5(Pro370) mutation only showed a small improvement, but when it was combined with PGM2 overexpression, the phenotype was almost the same as that of the evolved mutants. Combination of the RAS2 mutations with PGM2 overexpression also led to a complete recovery of the adaptive phenotype in galactose utilization. Recovery of the gross phenotype by the reconstructed mutants was achieved with much fewer changes in the genome and transcriptome than for the evolved mutants. Our study demonstrates how the identification of specific mutations by systems biology can direct new metabolic engineering strategies for improving galactose utilization by yeast.

  7. Metabolic adaptation via regulated enzyme degradation in the pathogenic yeast Candida albicans.

    PubMed

    Ting, S Y; Ishola, O A; Ahmed, M A; Tabana, Y M; Dahham, S; Agha, M T; Musa, S F; Muhammed, R; Than, L T L; Sandai, D

    2017-03-01

    The virulence of Candida albicans is dependent upon fitness attributes as well as virulence factors. These attributes include robust stress responses and metabolic flexibility. The assimilation of carbon sources is important for growth and essential for the establishment of infections by C. albicans. Previous studies showed that the C. albicans ICL1 genes, which encode the glyoxylate cycle enzymes isocitratelyase are required for growth on non-fermentable carbon sources such as lactate and oleic acid and were repressed by 2% glucose. In contrast to S. cerevsiae, the enzyme CaIcl1 was not destabilised by glucose, resulting with its metabolite remaining at high levels. Further glucose addition has caused CaIcl1 to lose its signal and mechanisms that trigger destabilization in response to glucose. Another purpose of this study was to test the stability of the Icl1 enzyme in response to the dietary sugars, fructose, and galactose. In the present study, the ICL1 mRNAs expression was quantified using Quantitative Real Time PCR, whereby the stability of protein was measured and quantified using Western blot and phosphoimager, and the replacing and cloning of ICL1 ORF by gene recombination and ubiquitin binding was conducted via co-immuno-precipitation. Following an analogous experimental approach, the analysis was repeated using S. cerevisiaeas a control. Both galactose and fructose were found to trigger the degradation of the ICL1 transcript in C. albicans. The Icl1 enzyme was stable following galactose addition but was degraded in response to fructose. C. albicans Icl1 (CaIcl1) was also subjected to fructose-accelerated degradation when expressed in S. cerevisiae, indicating that, although it lacks a ubiquitination site, CaIcl1 is sensitive to fructose-accelerated protein degradation. The addition of an ubiquitination site to CaIcl1 resulted in this enzyme becoming sensitive to galactose-accelerated degradation and increases its rate of degradation in the presence of fructose. It can be concluded that ubiquitin-independent pathways of fructose-accelerated enzyme degradation exist in C. albicans. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

  8. The Fate of Marine Bacterial Exopolysaccharide in Natural Marine Microbial Communities

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Zhang, Zilian; Chen, Yi; Wang, Rui

    Most marine bacteria produce exopolysaccharides (EPS), and bacterial EPS represent an important source of dissolved organic carbon in marine ecosystems. It was proposed that bacterial EPS rich in uronic acid is resistant to mineralization by microbes and thus has a long residence time in global oceans. To confirm this hypothesis, bacterial EPS rich in galacturonic acid was isolated from Alteromonas sp. JL2810. The EPS was used to amend natural seawater to investigate the bioavailability of this EPS by native populations, in the presence and absence of ammonium and phosphate amendment. The data indicated that the bacterial EPS could not bemore » completely consumed during the cultivation period and that the bioavailability of EPS was not only determined by its intrinsic properties, but was also determined by other factors such as the availability of inorganic nutrients. During the experiment, the humic-like component of fluorescent dissolved organic matter (FDOM) was freshly produced. Bacterial community structure analysis indicated that the class Flavobacteria of the phylum Bacteroidetes was the major contributor for the utilization of EPS. This report is the first to indicate that Flavobacteria are a major contributor to bacterial EPS degradation. Finally, the fraction of EPS that could not be completely utilized and the FDOM (e.g., humic acid-like substances) produced de novo may be refractory and may contribute to the carbon storage in the oceans.« less

  9. Physicochemical properties of water-soluble polysaccharides from black cumin seeds.

    PubMed

    Trigui, Ines; Yaich, Héla; Sila, Assaâd; Cheikh-Rouhou, Salma; Bougatef, Ali; Blecker, Christophe; Attia, Hamadi; Ayadi, M A

    2018-06-01

    In the present work, water-soluble polysaccharides were isolated from black cumin seeds. Polysaccharides were characterized by their carbohydrate composition, molecular weight, thermal stability and by FTIR, NMR spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction. The surface, the functional and the antioxidant properties of black cumin water-soluble polysaccharides (BCWSP) were also investigated. BCWSP consisted mainly of galacturonic acid (30.20%), glucuronic acid (17.66%) and neutral sugar (22.99%). BCWSP was composed of high peak molecular weight. The FTIR spectrum obtained for BCWSP showed two most important absorptions, at 1659 and 1085 cm -1 , which corresponded to COO - of uronic acids and pyranose form, respectively. NMR spectroscopy data suggested that the BCWSP is probably a rhamnogalacturonan backbone with galactan and arabinan side chains. X-ray pattern revealed the semi-crystalline behavior of BCWSP. WHC and OHC of BCWSP were relatively high and varied with temperatures. The polysaccharide zeta potential was greatly affected by pH. Results indicated that the decrease of surface tension has influenced foaming and emulsifying capacities. The DPPH radical scavenging activity of the BCWSP was 63.25% at 1 mg/mL. The BCWSP displayed moderate reductive, β carotene bleaching and chelating abilities. Overall, our results suggested that BCWSP could be used as alternative additives in food and non-food products. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier B.V.

  10. Sequential ultrasound-microwave assisted acid extraction (UMAE) of pectin from pomelo peels.

    PubMed

    Liew, Shan Qin; Ngoh, Gek Cheng; Yusoff, Rozita; Teoh, Wen Hui

    2016-12-01

    This study aims to optimize sequential ultrasound-microwave assisted extraction (UMAE) on pomelo peel using citric acid. The effects of pH, sonication time, microwave power and irradiation time on the yield and the degree of esterification (DE) of pectin were investigated. Under optimized conditions of pH 1.80, 27.52min sonication followed by 6.40min microwave irradiation at 643.44W, the yield and the DE value of pectin obtained was respectively at 38.00% and 56.88%. Based upon optimized UMAE condition, the pectin from microwave-ultrasound assisted extraction (MUAE), ultrasound assisted extraction (UAE) and microwave assisted extraction (MAE) were studied. The yield of pectin adopting the UMAE was higher than all other techniques in the order of UMAE>MUAE>MAE>UAE. The pectin's galacturonic acid content obtained from combined extraction technique is higher than that obtained from sole extraction technique and the pectin gel produced from various techniques exhibited a pseudoplastic behaviour. The morphological structures of pectin extracted from MUAE and MAE closely resemble each other. The extracted pectin from UMAE with smaller and more regular surface differs greatly from that of UAE. This has substantiated the highest pectin yield of 36.33% from UMAE and further signified their compatibility and potentiality in pectin extraction. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  11. The Fate of Marine Bacterial Exopolysaccharide in Natural Marine Microbial Communities

    DOE PAGES

    Zhang, Zilian; Chen, Yi; Wang, Rui; ...

    2015-11-16

    Most marine bacteria produce exopolysaccharides (EPS), and bacterial EPS represent an important source of dissolved organic carbon in marine ecosystems. It was proposed that bacterial EPS rich in uronic acid is resistant to mineralization by microbes and thus has a long residence time in global oceans. To confirm this hypothesis, bacterial EPS rich in galacturonic acid was isolated from Alteromonas sp. JL2810. The EPS was used to amend natural seawater to investigate the bioavailability of this EPS by native populations, in the presence and absence of ammonium and phosphate amendment. The data indicated that the bacterial EPS could not bemore » completely consumed during the cultivation period and that the bioavailability of EPS was not only determined by its intrinsic properties, but was also determined by other factors such as the availability of inorganic nutrients. During the experiment, the humic-like component of fluorescent dissolved organic matter (FDOM) was freshly produced. Bacterial community structure analysis indicated that the class Flavobacteria of the phylum Bacteroidetes was the major contributor for the utilization of EPS. This report is the first to indicate that Flavobacteria are a major contributor to bacterial EPS degradation. Finally, the fraction of EPS that could not be completely utilized and the FDOM (e.g., humic acid-like substances) produced de novo may be refractory and may contribute to the carbon storage in the oceans.« less

  12. A polysaccharide from the stems of Rubus amabilis Focke and its immunological enhancement activity.

    PubMed

    Diao, Yu-Lin; Shan, Jun-Jie; Ma, Hao; Zhang, Tong; Liu, Bin

    2016-09-01

    A water-soluble polysaccharide (named RAP) was newly isolated from the stems of Rubus amabilis. Structural confirmation of the polysaccharide was provided by hydrolysis, periodate oxidation, Smith degradation, and methylation analysis, combined with nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), capillary electrophoresis (CE), infrared spectroscopy (IR), and gas chromatography-mass spectra (GC-MS). In vitro immunological enhancement activity was characterized using the proliferative activity of spleen lymphocytes and phagocytic activity of peritoneal macrophages in mice. The polysaccharide was mainly composed of xylose, arabinose, glucose, rhamnose, galactose, mannose, glucuronic acid, and galactocuronic acid in the molar ratio of 1.0:6.9:0.8:1.1:6.9:0.3:0.5:3.3, with the average molecular weight of 26.2 kDa. The linkage types of netural monosaccharides were as follows: the arabinose was →2) Ara (1→ and galactose were Gal (1→, →3) Gal (1→, →3,6) Gal (1→, →2,3,6) Gal (1→ and →2,3,6) Galf (1→. Xyl (1→, →6) Glc (1→, →2) Glc (1→, →3) Rha (1→, Rha (1→ and Man (1→ were also found in the structure. RAP-B-2 could improve the proliferative activity of spleen T cells and B cells and boost phagocytic activity of peritoneal macrophages at the concentration of 50 μg/ml (p < 0.05, p < 0.01).

  13. Protein enrichment of an Opuntia ficus-indica cladode hydrolysate by cultivation of Candida utilis and Kluyveromyces marxianus

    PubMed Central

    Akanni, Gabriel B; du Preez, James C; Steyn, Laurinda; Kilian, Stephanus G

    2015-01-01

    BACKGROUND The cladodes of Opuntia ficus-indica (prickly pear cactus) have a low protein content; for use as a balanced feed, supplementation with other protein sources is therefore desirable. We investigated protein enrichment by cultivation of the yeasts Candida utilis and Kluyveromyces marxianus in an enzymatic hydrolysate of the cladode biomass. RESULTS Dilute acid pretreatment and enzymatic hydrolysis of sun-dried cladodes resulted in a hydrolysate containing (per litre) 45.5 g glucose, 6.3 g xylose, 9.1 g galactose, 10.8 g arabinose and 9.6 g fructose. Even though K. marxianus had a much higher growth rate and utilized l-arabinose and d-galactose more completely than C. utilis, its biomass yield coefficient was lower due to ethanol and ethyl acetate production despite aerobic cultivation. Yeast cultivation more than doubled the protein content of the hydrolysate, with an essential amino acid profile superior to sorghum and millet grains. CONCLUSIONS This K. marxianus strain was weakly Crabtree positive. Despite its low biomass yield, its performance compared well with C. utilis. This is the first report showing that the protein content and quality of O. ficus-indica cladode biomass could substantially be improved by yeast cultivation, including a comparative evaluation of C. utilis and K. marxianus. © 2014 The Authors. Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Society of Chemical Industry. PMID:25371280

  14. Closely related glycosylation patterns of recombinant human IL-2 expressed in a CHO cell line and natural IL-2

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Vita, N.; Magazin, M.; Marchese, E.

    We report here the study of the glycosylation pattern of human recombinant (r) IL2 expressed in a Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cell line. The human rIL2 secreted by this high-producing recombinant CHO cell line was metabolically radiolabelled with (35S)-methionine, or with (3H)-glucosamine and (3H)-galactose, purified to homogeneity, and then characterized. The electrophoretic analysis of the (35S)-methionine-labelled proteins present in the culture medium of the CHO cell line showed that the rIL2 represents approximately 12% of the total secreted proteins. Furthermore, pulse-chase experiments showed that the glycosylated rIL2 is synthesized and secreted within 30 min. The point of attachment and themore » structure of the carbohydrate moiety of the rIL2 was determined by: amino-terminal sequencing and fingerprint analysis of the 3H-labelled rIL2, mass spectroscopy of the amino-terminal tryptic octapeptide, and carbohydrate analysis after enzymatic (Vibrio cholerae neuraminidase and Aspergillus oryzae beta-galactosidase) or sulfuric acid hydrolysis. The results indicate that the recombinant protein possesses a sugar moiety O-linked to the threonine residue at position 3 of the polypeptide chain, and that sialic acid, galactose and N-acetyl galactosamine are components of this carbohydrate moiety. Taken together these results suggest that the recombinant molecule is identical to natural IL2.« less

  15. Light and abiotic stresses regulate the expression of GDP-L-galactose phosphorylase and levels of ascorbic acid in two kiwifruit genotypes via light-responsive and stress-inducible cis-elements in their promoters.

    PubMed

    Li, Juan; Liang, Dong; Li, Mingjun; Ma, Fengwang

    2013-09-01

    Ascorbic acid (AsA) plays an essential role in plants by protecting cells against oxidative damage. GDP-L-galactose phosphorylase (GGP) is the first committed gene for AsA synthesis. Our research examined AsA levels, regulation of GGP gene expression, and how these are related to abiotic stresses in two species of Actinidia (kiwifruit). When leaves were subjected to continuous darkness or light, ABA or MeJA, heat, or a hypoxic environment, we found some correlation between the relative levels of GGP mRNA and AsA concentrations. In transformed tobacco plants, activity of the GGP promoter was induced by all of these treatments. However, the degree of inducibility in the two kiwifruit species differed among the GGP promoter deletions. We deduced that the G-box motif, a light-responsive element, may have an important function in regulating GGP transcripts under various light conditions in both A. deliciosa and A. eriantha. Other elements such as ABRE, the CGTCA motif, and HSE might also control the promoter activities of GGP in kiwifruit. Altogether, these data suggest that GGP expression in the two kiwifruit species is regulated by light or abiotic stress via the relative cis-elements in their promoters. Furthermore, GGP has a critical role in modulating AsA concentrations in kiwifruit species under abiotic stresses.

  16. Influence of casein hydrolysates on exopolysaccharide synthesis by Streptococcus thermophilus and Lactobacillus delbrueckii ssp. bulgaricus.

    PubMed

    Zhang, Qingli; Yang, Bao; Brashears, Mindy M; Yu, Zhimin; Zhao, Mouming; Liu, Ning; Li, Yinjuan

    2014-05-01

    A lot of interesting research has been undertaken to enhance the yield of exopolysaccharides (EPS) produced by lactic acid bacteria (LAB). The objective of this study was to determine the influence of casein hydrolysates (CH) with molecular weight less than 3 kDa on cell viability, EPS synthesis and the enzyme activity involved in EPS synthesis during the co-culturing of Streptococcus thermophilus and Lactobacillus delbrueckii ssp. bulgaricus in MRS broth for 72 h at 37 ± 0.1 °C. The highest EPS yield (150.1 mg L⁻¹) was obtained on CH prepared with papain (CHP) at 48 h. At 24 h, EPS were composed of galactose, glucose and rhamnose in a molar ratio of 1.0:2.4:1.5. The monosaccharide composition changed with extension of the fermentation time. The activities of α-phosphoglucomutase, uridine 5'-diphosphate (UDP)-glucose pyrophosphorylase and UDP-galactose 4-epimerase were associated with EPS synthesis. Moreover, the activities of β-phosphoglucomutase and deoxythymadine 5'-diphosphate (dTDP)-glucose pyrophosphorylase involved in rhamnose synthesis were very low at the exponential growth phase and could not be detected during other given periods. The influence of different CH (<3 kDa) on LAB viability, EPS production, EPS monomeric composition and activity levels of key metabolic enzymes was distinct. Besides, their influence was related to the distribution of amino acids. © 2013 Society of Chemical Industry.

  17. Safe administration of a gelatin-containing vaccine in an adult with galactose-α-1,3-galactose allergy.

    PubMed

    Pinson, Michelle L; Waibel, Kirk H

    2015-03-03

    Immunoglobulin (Ig) E antibodies to galactose-α-1,3-galactose (α-Gal) are associated with delayed anaphylaxis to mammalian food products and gelatin-based foods (Commins et al., J Allergy Clin Immunol 2009;123:426; Caponetto et al., J Allergy Clin Immunol Pract 2013;1:302). We describe a patient with α-Gal allergy who successfully tolerated the live zoster vaccine and we review anaphylactic reactions reported to this vaccine. Our patient, who tolerated a vaccine containing the highest gelatin content, is reassuring but continued safety assessment of gelatin-containing vaccines for this patient cohort is recommended as there are multiple factors for this patient cohort that influence the reaction risk. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

  18. Thermal treatment of galactose-branched polyelectrolyte microcapsules to improve drug delivery with reserved targetability.

    PubMed

    Zhang, Fu; Wu, Qi; Liu, Li-Jun; Chen, Zhi-Chun; Lin, Xian-Fu

    2008-06-05

    A novel multilayered drug delivery system by LbL assembly of galactosylated polyelectrolyte, which is possible to have the potential in hepatic targeting by the presence of galactose residues at the microcapsule's surface, is designed. Thermal treatment was performed on the capsules and a dramatic thermal shrinkage up to 60% decrease of capsule diameter above 50 degrees C was observed. This thermal behavior was then used to manipulate drug loading capacity and release rate. Heating after drug loading could seal the capsule shell, enhancing the loading capacity and reducing the release rate significantly. Excellent affinity between galactose-binding lectin and heated galactose-containing microcapsules were observed, indicating a stable targeting potential even after high temperature elevating up to 90 degrees C.

  19. Cytotoxic effect induced by retinoic acid loaded into galactosyl-sphingosine containing liposomes on human hepatoma cell lines.

    PubMed

    Díaz, Cecilia; Vargas, Ernesto; Gätjens-Boniche, Omar

    2006-11-15

    Two retinoids, ATRA and 13cisRA, were incorporated into liposomes of different composition and charge and added to two hepatoma cell lines with different degree of transformation to measure cytotoxicity by MTT assay. Retinoid-free cationic liposomes were more toxic than the other kinds (anionic and made only of PC) but were also the best delivery system for retinoic acid to induce specific cytotoxic effects on these tumor hepatoma cell lines. Galactosyl-sphingosine containing cationic liposomes increased the cytotoxic effect induced by ATRA on Hep3B cells when compared to glucosyl-sphingosine cationic liposomes, but did not improve the effect induced by free retinoid or ATRA loaded into liposomes without glycolipids. This suggests that in this cell line, ATRA is being incorporated by a mechanism mediated by the asialoglycoprotein receptor, but at the same time, non-specific sugar-independent capture is also taking place as well as free diffusion of ATRA directly through the membrane. Galactose-specific effect was not observed in HepG2 cells treated with ATRA or both cell lines treated with 13cisRA. In fact, treatment of HepG2 cells with retinoids entrapped into liposomes likely induces proliferation instead of cytotoxicity, a result that interferes with the measurement of cell death by MTT. Compared to the specific effect of ATRA entrapped into cationic liposomes, vesicles made only by PC, did not mediate a specific mechanism, since differences between ATRA in galactosyl- and glucosyl-shpingosine PC-liposomes were not statistically significant. The specific mechanism was not present in the myoblastic cell line C2C12, where ATRA incorporated into galactosyl- and glucosyl-sphingosine containing cationic and PC-liposomes, was able to induce cytotoxicity at the same extent. Micelles containing ATRA and galactosyl-sphingosine had a significantly more toxic effect than the retinoid administered together with glucosyl-sphingosine, in Hep3B cells. Also, micelles containing ATRA were more toxic than glycolipid-containing liposomes with ATRA, for both kinds of sphingosines. The same effect was not observed in C2C12 cells, where glycolipid-containing liposomes worked better than micelles, and a sugar-specific mechanism was not seen. This suggests that, even though galactose-containing cationic liposomes could be a promising approach, a galactose-specific emulsion system could be the best strategy to specifically deliver retinoic acid to liver tumor cells, since it shows tissue specificity (perhaps induced by ASGPR-mediated internalization) and a stronger cytotoxic effect than the retinoid incorporated into liposomes.

  20. [Lactose intolerance in neonates with non-infectious diarrhea].

    PubMed

    Su, Hui-Min; Jiang, Yi; Hu, Yu-Lian; Yang, Hui; Dong, Tian-Jin

    2016-04-01

    To investigate the development of lactose intolerance in neonates with non-infectious diarrhea and its association with diarrhea, and to evaluate the diagnostic values of fecal pH value and urine galactose determination for neonatal lactase deficiency. Seventy hospitalized neonates who developed non-infectious diarrhea between October 2012 and June 2015 were enrolled as the diarrhea group, and 162 hospitalized neonates without non-infectious diarrhea were enrolled as the non-diarrhea group. Test paper was used to determine fecal pH value. The galactose oxidase method was used to detect urine galactose. The neonates with positive galactose oxidase were diagnosed with lactase deficiency, and those with lactase deficiency and diarrhea were diagnosed with lactose intolerance. According to the results of urine galactose detection, 69 neonates in the diarrhea group who underwent urine galactose detection were classified into lactose intolerance group (45 neonates) and lactose tolerance group (24 neonates), and their conditions after treatment were compared between the two groups. The follow-up visits were performed for neonates with diarrhea at 3 months after discharge. Fecal pH value and positive rate of urine galactose (65% vs 54%) showed no significant differences between the diarrhea and non-diarrhea groups (P>0.05). Fecal pH value showed no significant difference between the lactose intolerance and lactose tolerance groups (P>0.05), while the neonates in the lactose intolerance group had a significantly longer time to recovery of defecation than those in the lactose tolerance group (P<0.05). The incidence of lactase deficiency is high in neonates, and diarrhea due to lactose intolerance tends to occur. Determination of fecal pH value has no significance in the diagnosis of lactose intolerance in neonates with diarrhea.

  1. Vascular filtration function in galactose-fed versus diabetic rats: The role of polyol pathway activity

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Pugliese, G.; Tilton, R.G.; Speedy, A.

    1990-07-01

    These studies were undertaken to assess the effects of increased galactose (v increased glucose) metabolism via the polyol pathway on vascular filtration function in the kidneys, eyes, nerves, and aorta. Quantitative radiolabeled tracer techniques were used to assess glomerular filtration rate (GFR) and regional tissue vascular clearance of plasma 131I-bovine serum albumin (BSA) in five groups of male Sprague-Dawley rats: nondiabetic controls, streptozotocin-diabetic rats, nondiabetic rats fed a 50% galactose diet, diabetic rats treated with sorbinil (an aldose reductase inhibitor), and galactose-fed rats treated with sorbinil. Sorbinil was added to the diet to provide a daily dose of approximately .2more » mmol/kg body weight. After 2 months of diabetes or galactose ingestion, albumin clearance was increased twofold to fourfold in the eye (anterior uvea, choroid, and retina), sciatic nerve, aorta, and kidney; GFR was increased approximately twofold and urinary excretion of endogenous albumin and IgG were increased approximately 10-fold. Sorbinil treatment markedly reduced or completely prevented all of these changes in galactose-fed, as well as in diabetic rats. These observations support the hypothesis that increased metabolism of glucose via the sorbitol pathway is of central importance in mediating virtually all of the early changes in vascular filtration function associated with diabetes in the kidney, as well as in the eyes, nerves, and aorta. On the other hand, renal hypertrophy in diabetic rats and polyuria, hyperphagia, and impaired weight gain in galactose-fed and in diabetic rats were unaffected by sorbinil and therefore are unlikely to be mediated by increased polyol metabolism.« less

  2. Novel Gal3 proteins showing altered Gal80p binding cause constitutive transcription of Gal4p-activated genes in Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

    PubMed Central

    Blank, T E; Woods, M P; Lebo, C M; Xin, P; Hopper, J E

    1997-01-01

    Gal4p-mediated activation of galactose gene expression in Saccharomyces cerevisiae normally requires both galactose and the activity of Gal3p. Recent evidence suggests that in cells exposed to galactose, Gal3p binds to and inhibits Ga180p, an inhibitor of the transcriptional activator Gal4p. Here, we report on the isolation and characterization of novel mutant forms of Gal3p that can induce Gal4p activity independently of galactose. Five mutant GAL3(c) alleles were isolated by using a selection demanding constitutive expression of a GAL1 promoter-driven HIS3 gene. This constitutive effect is not due to overproduction of Gal3p. The level of constitutive GAL gene expression in cells bearing different GAL3(c) alleles varies over more than a fourfold range and increases in response to galactose. Utilizing glutathione S-transferase-Gal3p fusions, we determined that the mutant Gal3p proteins show altered Gal80p-binding characteristics. The Gal3p mutant proteins differ in their requirements for galactose and ATP for their Gal80p-binding ability. The behavior of the novel Gal3p proteins provides strong support for a model wherein galactose causes an alteration in Gal3p that increases either its ability to bind to Gal80p or its access to Gal80p. With the Gal3p-Gal80p interaction being a critical step in the induction process, the Gal3p proteins constitute an important new reagent for studying the induction mechanism through both in vivo and in vitro methods. PMID:9111326

  3. BABA and Phytophthora nicotianae Induce Resistance to Phytophthora capsici in Chile Pepper (Capsicum annuum)

    PubMed Central

    Stamler, Rio A.; Holguin, Omar; Dungan, Barry; Schaub, Tanner; Sanogo, Soumaila; Goldberg, Natalie; Randall, Jennifer J.

    2015-01-01

    Induced resistance in plants is a systemic response to certain microorganisms or chemicals that enhances basal defense responses during subsequent plant infection by pathogens. Inoculation of chile pepper with zoospores of non-host Phytophthora nicotianae or the chemical elicitor beta-aminobutyric acid (BABA) significantly inhibited foliar blight caused by Phytophthora capsici. Tissue extract analyses by GC/MS identified conserved change in certain metabolite concentrations following P. nicotianae or BABA treatment. Induced chile pepper plants had reduced concentrations of sucrose and TCA cycle intermediates and increased concentrations of specific hexose-phosphates, hexose-disaccharides and amino acids. Galactose, which increased significantly in induced chile pepper plants, was shown to inhibit growth of P. capsici in a plate assay. PMID:26020237

  4. BABA and Phytophthora nicotianae Induce Resistance to Phytophthora capsici in Chile Pepper (Capsicum annuum).

    PubMed

    Stamler, Rio A; Holguin, Omar; Dungan, Barry; Schaub, Tanner; Sanogo, Soumaila; Goldberg, Natalie; Randall, Jennifer J

    2015-01-01

    Induced resistance in plants is a systemic response to certain microorganisms or chemicals that enhances basal defense responses during subsequent plant infection by pathogens. Inoculation of chile pepper with zoospores of non-host Phytophthora nicotianae or the chemical elicitor beta-aminobutyric acid (BABA) significantly inhibited foliar blight caused by Phytophthora capsici. Tissue extract analyses by GC/MS identified conserved change in certain metabolite concentrations following P. nicotianae or BABA treatment. Induced chile pepper plants had reduced concentrations of sucrose and TCA cycle intermediates and increased concentrations of specific hexose-phosphates, hexose-disaccharides and amino acids. Galactose, which increased significantly in induced chile pepper plants, was shown to inhibit growth of P. capsici in a plate assay.

  5. Pathogenic and Nonpathogenic Strains of Entamoeba histolytica can be Differentiated by Monoclonal Antibodies to the Galactose-Specific Adherence Lectin

    DTIC Science & Technology

    1991-04-01

    AD- A235 913 DEVELOPMENT Ei ENGINEERING CENTER CRDEC-TR-268 PATHOGENIC AND NONPATHOGENIC STRAINS OF ENTAMOEBA HISTOLYTICA CAN BE DIFFERENTIATED BY...Pathogenic and Nonpathogenic Strains of Entamoeba Histolytica can be Differentiated by Monoclonal PR-IFJlX2XXRPEW Antibodies to the Galactose-Specific...galactose lectin produced by Entamoeba histolytica provide the basis for development of a model system for the environmental detection of adherence and

  6. A feasible enzymatic process for D-tagatose production by an immobilized thermostable L-arabinose isomerase in a packed-bed bioreactor.

    PubMed

    Kim, Hye-Jung; Ryu, Se-Ah; Kim, Pil; Oh, Deok-Kun

    2003-01-01

    To develop a feasible enzymatic process for d-tagatose production, a thermostable l-arabinose isomerase, Gali152, was immobilized in alginate, and the galactose isomerization reaction conditions were optimized. The pH and temperature for the maximal galactose isomerization reaction were pH 8.0 and 65 degrees C in the immobilized enzyme system and pH 7.5 and 60 degrees C in the free enzyme system. The presence of manganese ion enhanced galactose isomerization to tagatose in both the free and immobilized enzyme systems. The immobilized enzyme was more stable than the free enzyme at the same pH and temperature. Under stable conditions of pH 8.0 and 60 degrees C, the immobilized enzyme produced 58 g/L of tagatose from 100 g/L galactose in 90 h by batch reaction, whereas the free enzyme produced 37 g/L tagatose due to its lower stability. A packed-bed bioreactor with immobilized Gali152 in alginate beads produced 50 g/L tagatose from 100 g/L galactose in 168 h, with a productivity of 13.3 (g of tagatose)/(L-reactor.h) in continuous mode. The bioreactor produced 230 g/L tagatose from 500 g/L galactose in continuous recycling mode, with a productivity of 9.6 g/(L.h) and a conversion yield of 46%.

  7. Plasmid linkage of the D-tagatose 6-phosphate pathway in Streptococcus lactis: effect on lactose and galactose metabolism.

    PubMed Central

    Crow, V L; Davey, G P; Pearce, L E; Thomas, T D

    1983-01-01

    The three enzymes of the D-tagatose 6-phosphate pathway (galactose 6-phosphate isomerase, D-tagatose 6-phosphate kinase, and tagatose 1,6-diphosphate aldolase) were absent in lactose-negative (Lac-) derivatives of Streptococcus lactis C10, H1, and 133 grown on galactose. The lactose phosphoenolpyruvate-dependent phosphotransferase system and phospho-beta-galactosidase activities were also absent in Lac- derivatives of strains H1 and 133 and were low (possibly absent) in C10 Lac-. In all three Lac- derivatives, low galactose phosphotransferase system activity was found. On galactose, Lac- derivatives grew more slowly (presumably using the Leloir pathway) than the wild-type strains and accumulated high intracellular concentrations of galactose 6-phosphate (up to 49 mM); no intracellular tagatose 1,6-diphosphate was detected. The data suggest that the Lac phenotype is plasmid linked in the three strains studied, with the evidence being more substantial for strain H1. A Lac- derivative of H1 contained a single plasmid (33 megadaltons) which was absent from the Lac- mutant. We suggest that the genes linked to the lactose plasmid in S. lactis are more numerous than previously envisaged, coding for all of the enzymes involved in lactose metabolism from initial transport to the formation of triose phosphates via the D-tagatose 6-phosphate pathway. Images PMID:6294064

  8. Effects of curcumin (Curcuma longa) on learning and spatial memory as well as cell proliferation and neuroblast differentiation in adult and aged mice by upregulating brain-derived neurotrophic factor and CREB signaling.

    PubMed

    Nam, Sung Min; Choi, Jung Hoon; Yoo, Dae Young; Kim, Woosuk; Jung, Hyo Young; Kim, Jong Whi; Yoo, Miyoung; Lee, Sanghee; Kim, Chul Jung; Yoon, Yeo Sung; Hwang, In Koo

    2014-06-01

    Aging is a progressive process, and it may lead to the initiation of neurological diseases. In this study, we investigated the effects of wild Indian Curcuma longa using a Morris water maze paradigm on learning and spatial memory in adult and D-galactose-induced aged mice. In addition, the effects on cell proliferation and neuroblast differentiation were assessed by immunohistochemistry for Ki67 and doublecortin (DCX) respectively. The aging model in mice was induced through the subcutaneous administration of D-galactose (100 mg/kg) for 10 weeks. C. longa (300 mg/kg) or its vehicle (physiological saline) was administered orally to adult and D-galactose-treated mice for the last three weeks before sacrifice. The administration of C. longa significantly shortened the escape latency in both adult and D-galactose-induced aged mice and significantly ameliorated D-galactose-induced reduction of cell proliferation and neuroblast differentiation in the subgranular zone of hippocampal dentate gyrus. In addition, the administration of C. longa significantly increased the levels of phosphorylated CREB and brain-derived neurotrophic factor in the subgranular zone of dentate gyrus. These results indicate that C. longa mitigates D-galactose-induced cognitive impairment, associated with decreased cell proliferation and neuroblast differentiation, by activating CREB signaling in the hippocampal dentate gyrus.

  9. Effects of Curcumin (Curcuma longa) on Learning and Spatial Memory as Well as Cell Proliferation and Neuroblast Differentiation in Adult and Aged Mice by Upregulating Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor and CREB Signaling

    PubMed Central

    Nam, Sung Min; Choi, Jung Hoon; Yoo, Dae Young; Kim, Woosuk; Jung, Hyo Young; Kim, Jong Whi; Yoo, Miyoung; Lee, Sanghee; Kim, Chul Jung; Yoon, Yeo Sung

    2014-01-01

    Abstract Aging is a progressive process, and it may lead to the initiation of neurological diseases. In this study, we investigated the effects of wild Indian Curcuma longa using a Morris water maze paradigm on learning and spatial memory in adult and D-galactose-induced aged mice. In addition, the effects on cell proliferation and neuroblast differentiation were assessed by immunohistochemistry for Ki67 and doublecortin (DCX) respectively. The aging model in mice was induced through the subcutaneous administration of D-galactose (100 mg/kg) for 10 weeks. C. longa (300 mg/kg) or its vehicle (physiological saline) was administered orally to adult and D-galactose-treated mice for the last three weeks before sacrifice. The administration of C. longa significantly shortened the escape latency in both adult and D-galactose-induced aged mice and significantly ameliorated D-galactose-induced reduction of cell proliferation and neuroblast differentiation in the subgranular zone of hippocampal dentate gyrus. In addition, the administration of C. longa significantly increased the levels of phosphorylated CREB and brain-derived neurotrophic factor in the subgranular zone of dentate gyrus. These results indicate that C. longa mitigates D-galactose-induced cognitive impairment, associated with decreased cell proliferation and neuroblast differentiation, by activating CREB signaling in the hippocampal dentate gyrus. PMID:24712702

  10. Polymorphisms in the yeast galactose sensor underlie a natural continuum of nutrient-decision phenotypes.

    PubMed

    Lee, Kayla B; Wang, Jue; Palme, Julius; Escalante-Chong, Renan; Hua, Bo; Springer, Michael

    2017-05-01

    In nature, microbes often need to "decide" which of several available nutrients to utilize, a choice that depends on a cell's inherent preference and external nutrient levels. While natural environments can have mixtures of different nutrients, phenotypic variation in microbes' decisions of which nutrient to utilize is poorly studied. Here, we quantified differences in the concentration of glucose and galactose required to induce galactose-responsive (GAL) genes across 36 wild S. cerevisiae strains. Using bulk segregant analysis, we found that a locus containing the galactose sensor GAL3 was associated with differences in GAL signaling in eight different crosses. Using allele replacements, we confirmed that GAL3 is the major driver of GAL induction variation, and that GAL3 allelic variation alone can explain as much as 90% of the variation in GAL induction in a cross. The GAL3 variants we found modulate the diauxic lag, a selectable trait. These results suggest that ecological constraints on the galactose pathway may have led to variation in a single protein, allowing cells to quantitatively tune their response to nutrient changes in the environment.

  11. Evolutionary engineering of Saccharomyces cerevisiae for efficient conversion of red algal biosugars to bioethanol.

    PubMed

    Lee, Hye-Jin; Kim, Soo-Jung; Yoon, Jeong-Jun; Kim, Kyoung Heon; Seo, Jin-Ho; Park, Yong-Cheol

    2015-09-01

    The aim of this work was to apply the evolutionary engineering to construct a mutant Saccharomyces cerevisiae HJ7-14 resistant on 2-deoxy-D-glucose and with an enhanced ability of bioethanol production from galactose, a mono-sugar in red algae. In batch and repeated-batch fermentations, HJ7-14 metabolized 5-fold more galactose and produced ethanol 2.1-fold faster than the parental D452-2 strain. Transcriptional analysis of genes involved in the galactose metabolism revealed that moderate relief from the glucose-mediated repression of the transcription of the GAL genes might enable HJ7-14 to metabolize galactose rapidly. HJ7-14 produced 7.4 g/L ethanol from hydrolysates of the red alga Gelidium amansii within 12 h, which was 1.5-times faster than that observed with D452-2. We demonstrate conclusively that evolutionary engineering is a promising tool to manipulate the complex galactose metabolism in S. cerevisiae to produce bioethanol from red alga. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  12. Tagatose production with pH control in a stirred tank reactor containing immobilized L-arabinose rom Thermotoga neapolitana.

    PubMed

    Lim, Byung-Chul; Kim, Hye-Jung; Oh, Deok-Kun

    2008-06-01

    Chitopearl beads were used as immobilization supports for D-tagatose production from D-galactose by L-arabinose isomerase from Thermotoga neapolitana because chitopearl beads were more stable than alginate beads at temperatures above 60 degrees C. The pH and temperature for the maximum isomerization of galactose were 7.5 and 90 degrees C, respectively. In thermostability experiments, the half-lives of the immobilized enzyme at 70, 75, 80, 85, and 90 degrees C were 388, 106, 54, 36, and 22 h, respectively. The reaction temperature was determined to be 70 degrees C because the enzyme is highly stable up to 70 degrees C during the reaction. When the reaction time, galactose concentration, and temperature were increased, the pH of a mixture containing enzyme and galactose decreased by the Maillard reaction, resulting in decreased tagatose production. With pH control at 7.5, tagatose production (138 g/L) at 70 degrees C in a stirred tank reactor containing immobilized enzyme and 300 g/L galactose increased two times higher, comparing that without pH control.

  13. Fermentative utilization of coffee mucilage using Bacillus coagulans and investigation of down-stream processing of fermentation broth for optically pure l(+)-lactic acid production.

    PubMed

    Neu, Anna-Katrin; Pleissner, Daniel; Mehlmann, Kerstin; Schneider, Roland; Puerta-Quintero, Gloria Inés; Venus, Joachim

    2016-07-01

    In this study, mucilage, a residue from coffee production, was investigated as substrate in fermentative l(+)-lactic acid production. Mucilage was provided as liquid suspension consisting glucose, galactose, fructose, xylose and sucrose as free sugars (up to 60gL(-1)), and used directly as medium in Bacillus coagulans batch fermentations carried out at 2 and 50L scales. Using mucilage and 5gL(-1) yeast extract as additional nitrogen source, more than 40gL(-1) lactic acid was obtained. Productivity and yield were 4-5gL(-1)h(-1) and 0.70-0.77g lactic acid per g of free sugars, respectively, irrespective the scale. Similar yield was found when no yeast extract was supplied, the productivity, however, was 1.5gL(-1)h(-1). Down-stream processing of culture broth, including filtration, electrodialysis, ion exchange chromatography and distillation, resulted in a pure lactic acid formulation containing 930gL(-1)l(+)-lactic acid. Optical purity was 99.8%. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  14. Curcumin improves alcoholic fatty liver by inhibiting fatty acid biosynthesis.

    PubMed

    Guo, Chang; Ma, Jingfan; Zhong, Qionghong; Zhao, Mengyuan; Hu, Tianxing; Chen, Tong; Qiu, Longxin; Wen, Longping

    2017-08-01

    Alcoholic fatty liver is a threat to human health. It has been long known that abstinence from alcohol is the most effective therapy, other effective therapies are not available for the treatment in humans. Curcumin has a great potential for anti-oxidation and anti-inflammation, but the effect on metabolic reconstruction remains little known. Here we performed metabolomic analysis by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry and explored ethanol pathogenic insight as well as curcumin action pattern. We identified seventy-one metabolites in mouse liver. Carbohydrates and lipids were characteristic categories. Pathway analysis results revealed that ethanol-induced pathways including biosynthesis of unsaturated fatty acids, fatty acid biosynthesis and pentose and glucuronate interconversions were suppressed by curcumin. Additionally, ethanol enhanced galactose metabolism and pentose phosphate pathway. Glyoxylate and dicarboxylate metabolism and pyruvate metabolism were inhibited in mice fed ethanol diet plus curcumin. Stearic acid, oleic acid and linoleic acid were disease biomarkers and therapical biomarkers. These results reflect the landscape of hepatic metabolism regulation. Our findings illustrate ethanol pathological pathway and metabolic mechanism of curcumin therapy. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier Inc.

  15. Aqueous extraction of pectin from sour orange peel and its preliminary physicochemical properties.

    PubMed

    Hosseini, Seyed Saeid; Khodaiyan, Faramarz; Yarmand, Mohammad Saeid

    2016-01-01

    Sour orange peel, a by-product of the fruit juice industry, was used as a source of pectin. The effects of temperature (75-95°C), time (30-90 min), and liquid-solid ratio (20-40, v/w) were investigated on yield, methoxylation degree (DE), and galacturonic acid content using a Box-Behnken design and response surface methodology. The highest extraction yield (17.95 ± 0.3%) was obtained at temperature of 95°C, time of 90 min, and liquid-solid ratio of 25 (v/w). The DE values for the pectin ranged from 17% to 30.5%, indicating that the pectin was low in methoxyle. The emulsifying activity of pectin extracted under optimal conditions was 45%. The emulsions were 86.6% stable at 4°C and 71.4% at 23°C after 30 days of storage. The pectin exhibited Newtonian flow at low concentrations (≤ 1.0%, w/v); as the concentration increased, pseudoplastic flow became dominant. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  16. Pectinolytic enzymes of anaerobic fungi.

    PubMed

    Kopecný, J; Hodrová, B

    1995-05-01

    Pectinolytic enzymes of four rumen fungi have been described. Three fungal species were monocentric Neocallimastix spp. H15, JL3 and OC2, and one isolate was a polycentric strain of Orpinomyces joyonii, A4. They differed in degree of pectin degradation and utilization. Only the strain Neocallimastix sp. H15 and partially Orpinomyces joyonii A4 were able to utilize pectin to a higher extent. The most important pectinolytic activity in all these isolates represented pectin lyase (EC 4.2.2.10) and polygalacturonase (EC 3.2.1.15). Their specific activities were in the range of 100-900 and 10-450 micrograms galacturonic acid h-1 mg protein-1 for pectin lyase and polygalacturonase, respectively. Polygalacturonase, located mainly in the endocellular fraction, was inhibited by calcium ions and had the main pH optimum at pH 6.0. All strains produced pectate lyase (EC 4.2.2.2). None of the strains tested produced pectinesterase (EC 3.1.1.11).

  17. Application of response surface methodology for optimization of polygalacturonase production by Aspergillus niger.

    PubMed

    Yadav, Kaushlesh K; Garg, Neelima; Kumar, Devendra; Kumar, Sanjay; Singh, Achal; Muthukumar, M

    2015-01-01

    Polygalacturonase (PG) degrades pectin into D-galacturonic acid monomers and is used widely in food industry especially for juice clarification. In the present study,. fermentation conditions for polygalacturonase production by Asgergillus niger NAIMCCF-02958, using mango peel as substrate, were optimized using the 2(3) factorial design with central composite rotatable experimental design (CCRD) of response surface methodology (RSM). The maximum PG activity 723.66 U g(-1) was achieved under pH 4.0, temperature 30 degrees C and 2% inoculum by response surface curve. The experimental value of PG activity wkas higher 607.65 U g(-1) than the predicted value 511.75 U g(-1). Under the proposed optimized conditions, the determination coefficient (R2) was equal to 0.66 indicating that the model could explain 66% of the total variation as well as establish the relationship between the variables and the responses. ANOVA analysis and the three dimensional plots also confirmed interactions among the parameters.

  18. Characterization of Two Homogalacturonan Pectins with Immunomodulatory Activity from Green Tea

    PubMed Central

    Wang, Huijun; Wei, Guodong; Liu, Fei; Banerjee, Gautam; Joshi, Manoj; Bligh, S. W. Annie; Shi, Songshan; Lian, Hui; Fan, Hongwei; Gu, Xuelan; Wang, Shunchun

    2014-01-01

    Two natural homogalacturonan (HG) pectins (MW ca. 20 kDa) were isolated from green tea based on their immunomodulatory activity. The crude tea polysaccharides (TPS1 and TPS2) were obtained from green tea leaves by hot water extraction and followed by 40% and 70% ethanol precipitation, respectively. Two homogenous water soluble polysaccharides (TPS1-2a and TPS1-2b) were obtained from TPS1 after purification with gel permeation, which gave a higher phagocytic effect than TPS2. A combination of composition, methylation and configuration analyses, as well as NMR (nuclear magnetic resonance) spectroscopy revealed that TPS1-2a and TPS1-2b were homogalacturonan (HG) pectins consisting of a backbone of 1,4-linked α-d-galacturonic acid (GalA) residues with 28.4% and 26.1% of carboxyl groups as methyl ester, respectively. The immunological assay results demonstrated that TPS1-2, which consisted mainly of HG pectins, showed phagocytosis-enhancing activity in HL-60 cells. PMID:24901527

  19. Bacterial succession and metabolite changes during flax (Linum usitatissimum L.) retting with Bacillus cereus HDYM-02.

    PubMed

    Zhao, Dan; Liu, Pengfei; Pan, Chao; Du, Renpeng; Ping, Wenxiang; Ge, Jingping

    2016-09-02

    High-throughput sequencing and GC-MS (gas chromatography-mass spectrometry) were jointly used to reveal the bacterial succession and metabolite changes during flax (Linum usitatissimum L.) retting. The inoculation of Bacillus cereus HDYM-02 decreased bacterial richness and diversity. This inoculum led to the replacement of Enterobacteriaceae by Bacillaceae. The level of aerobic Pseudomonadaceae (mainly Azotobacter) and anaerobic Clostridiaceae_1 gradually increased and decreased, respectively. Following the addition of B. cereus HDYM-02, the dominant groups were all degumming enzyme producers or have been proven to be involved in microbial retting throughout the entire retting period. These results could be verified by the metabolite changes, either degumming enzymes or their catalytic products galacturonic acid and reducing sugars. The GC-MS data showed a clear separation between flax retting with and without B. cereus HDYM-02, particularly within the first 72 h. These findings reveal the important bacterial groups that are involved in fiber retting and will facilitate improvements in the retting process.

  20. Pharmacological benefits of selective modulation of cannabinoid receptor type 2 (CB2) in experimental Alzheimer's disease.

    PubMed

    Jayant, Shalini; Sharma, Brij Mohan; Bansal, Rani; Sharma, Bhupesh

    2016-01-01

    Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder that pervasively affects the population across the world. Currently, there is no effective treatment available for this and existing drugs merely slow the progression of cognitive function decline. Thus, massive effort is required to find an intended therapeutic target to overcome this condition. The present study has been framed to investigate the ameliorative role of selective modulator of cannabinoid receptor type 2 (CB2), 1-phenylisatin in experimental AD condition. We have induced experimental AD in mice by using two induction models viz., intracerebroventricular (i.c.v.) administration of streptozotocin (STZ) and aluminum trichloride (AlCl3)+d-galactose. Morris water maze (MWM) and attentional set shifting test (ASST) were used to assess learning and memory. Hematoxylin-eosin and Congo red staining were used to examine the structural variation in brain. Brain oxidative stress (thiobarbituric acid reactive substance and glutathione), nitric oxide levels (nitrites/nitrates), acetyl cholinesterase activity, myeloperoxidase and calcium levels were also estimated. i.c.v. STZ as well as AlCl3+d-galactose have impaired spatial and reversal learning with executive functioning, increased brain oxidative and nitrosative stress, cholinergic activity, inflammation and calcium levels. Furthermore, these agents have also enhanced the burden of Aβ plaque in the brain. Treatment with 1-phenylisatin and donepezil attenuated i.c.v. STZ as well as AlCl3+d-galactose induced impairment of learning-memory, brain biochemistry and brain damage. Hence, this study concludes that CB2 receptor modulation can be a potential therapeutic target for the management of AD. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  1. CO2-H2O based pretreatment and enzyme hydrolysis of soybean hulls.

    PubMed

    Islam, S M Mahfuzul; Li, Qian; Loman, Abdullah Al; Ju, Lu-Kwang

    2017-11-01

    The high carbohydrate content of soybean hull makes it an attractive biorefinery resource. But hydrolyzing its complex structure requires concerted enzyme activities, at least cellulase, xylanase, pectinase and α-galactosidase. Effective pretreatment that generates minimal inhibitory products is important to facilitate enzymatic hydrolysis. Combined CO 2 -H 2 O pretreatment and enzymatic hydrolysis by Aspergillus niger and Trichoderma reesei enzyme broths was studied here. The pretreatment was evaluated at 80°C-180°C temperature and 750psi-1800psi pressure, with fixed moisture content (66.7%) and pretreatment time (30min). Ground hulls without and with different pretreatments were hydrolyzed by enzyme at 50°C and pH 4.8 and compared for glucose, xylose, galactose, arabinose, mannose and total reducing sugar release. CO 2 -H 2 O pretreatment at 1250psi and 130°C was found to be optimal. Compared to the unpretreated hulls hydrolyzed with 2.5-fold more enzyme, this pretreatment improved glucose, xylose, galactose, arabinose and mannose releases by 55%, 35%, 105%, 683% and 52%, respectively. Conversions of 97% for glucose, 98% for xylose, 41% for galactose, 59% for arabinose, 87% for mannose and 89% for total reducing sugar were achieved with Spezyme CP at 18FPU/g hull. Monomerization of all carbohydrate types was demonstrated. At the optimum pretreatment condition, generation of inhibitors acetic acid, furfural and hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF) was negligible, 1.5mg/g hull in total. The results confirmed the effective CO 2 -H 2 O pretreatment of soybean hulls at much lower pressure and temperature than those reported for biomass of higher lignin contents. The lower pressure requirement reduces the reactor cost and makes this new pretreatment method more practical and economical. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  2. [Glycosilated derivatives of substituted hydroxylamine. II. Phase transfer synthesis and investigation of glycosyl transfer reaction of glucosaminides of substituted hydroxylavine].

    PubMed

    Kur'ianov, V O; Lushchik, A A; Chupakhina, T A

    2013-01-01

    1-(2-Acetamido-3,4,6,-tri-O-acetyl-2-deoxy-beta-D-glucopyranosyloxy)-benzotriazole reacted in boiling dichloromethane, in the presence of Luis acids as a promotors with primary and secondary aliphatic and cycloaliphatic alcohols and diisopropilidene galactose with alkyl-O-1,2-trans-glucosaminides formation. It was shown that the other glucosaminides of substituted hydroxylamine are not participated in this reaction. Structures of glucosaminides were identify by 1H-NMR-spectroscopy and comparison with known compounds.

  3. Identification of Bacillus anthracis by Using Monoclonal Antibody to Cell Wall Galactose-N-Acetylglucosamine Polysaccharide

    DTIC Science & Technology

    1990-02-01

    which appear to be directed to an epitope associated with the galactose-N-acetyl-D- glucosamine polysaccharide. Both demonstrated specificity in their...liquid composed primarily of D-galactose and N-acetyl-D-glu - R medium (28) buffered with 50 mM Tris hydrochloride , pH cosamine (12, 13) (Gal-NAG...Ascites fluid (5 ml) was dialyzed (Cel-Line Associates, Inc., Newfield, N.J.). Suspensions against 20 mM Tris hydrochloride (pH 8.0) for 18 to 20 h, were

  4. Determination of a Unique Epitope Binding Site for a Complement-Lysis- Enhancing Monoclonal Antibody, 3D12, on the Galactose Adherence Lectin of Entamoeba histolytica, Using BIAcore.

    DTIC Science & Technology

    1992-05-01

    COMPLEMENT-LYSIS-ENHANCING MONOCLONAL ANTIBODY, 3D12, ON THE GALACTOSE ADHERENCE LECTIN OF ENTAMOEBA HISTOLYTICA, USING BIAcore Sheila J. Wood...Binding 5. FUNDING NUMBERS Site for a Complement-Lysis-Enhancing Monoclonal Antibody, 3D12, on the Galactose Adherence Lectin of Entamoeba Hiiutolitica...Mechani sms of pathogenicity used by Entamoeba histolytica to invade the bloodstream and cause liver abscess, include complement mediated lysis

  5. Purification and characterization of a new type lactose-binding Ulex europaeus lectin by affinity chromatography.

    PubMed

    Konami, Y; Yamamoto, K; Osawa, T

    1991-02-01

    A new type lactose-binding lectin was purified from extracts of Ulex europaeus seeds by affinity chromatography on a column of galactose-Sepharose 4B, followed by gel filtration on Sephacryl S-300. This lectin, designated as Ulex europaeus lectin III (UEA-III), was found to be inhibited by lactose. The dimeric lectin is a glycoprotein with a molecular mass of 70,000 Da; it consists of two apparently identical subunits of a molecular mass of 34,000 Da. Compositional analysis showed that this lectin contains 30% carbohydrate and a large amount of aspartic acid, serine and valine, but no sulfur-containing amino acids. The N-terminal amino-acid sequences of L-fucose-binding Ulex europaeus lectin I (UEA-I) and di-N-acetylchitobiose-binding Ulex europaeus lectin II (UEA-II), both of which we have already purified and characterized, and that of UEA-III were determined and compared.

  6. Microwave heating of tea residue yields polysaccharides, polyphenols, and plant biopolyester.

    PubMed

    Tsubaki, Shuntaro; Iida, Hiroyuki; Sakamoto, Masahiro; Azuma, Jun-ichi

    2008-12-10

    Microwave heating was used to produce aqueous-soluble components from green, oolong, and black tea residues. Heating at 200-230 degrees C for 2 min extracted 40-50% of polysaccharides and 60-70% of the polyphenols. Solubilization of arabinose and galactose by autohydrolysis occurred with heating above 170 degrees C, whereas heating above 200 degrees C was necessary to solubilize xylose. Catechins were soluble in water by heating at low temperature (110 degrees C); however, new polyphenols having strong antioxidant activity were produced above 200 degrees C. The amount of solubilized materials and antioxidant activity increased with increased fermentation of harvested tea leaves (green tea < oolong tea < black tea). Cutin, a plant biopolyester, remained in the residue after heating as did cellulose and lignin/tannin. The predominant cutin monomer that was recovered was 9,10-epoxy-18-hydroxyoctadecanoic acid, followed by dihydroxyhexadecanoic acid and 9,10,18-trihydroxyoctadecanoic acid.

  7. Galactose-1-phospate uridyltransferase

    MedlinePlus

    ... normal diets, most galactose comes from the breakdown ( metabolism ) of lactose, which is found in milk and ... Elsevier; 2013:550. Zinn AB. Inborn errors of metabolism. In: Martin RJ, Fanaroff AA, Walsh MC, eds. ...

  8. 21 CFR 862.1315 - Galactose-1-phosphate uridyl transferase test system.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-04-01

    ... HUMAN SERVICES (CONTINUED) MEDICAL DEVICES CLINICAL CHEMISTRY AND CLINICAL TOXICOLOGY DEVICES Clinical Chemistry Test Systems § 862.1315 Galactose-1-phosphate uridyl transferase test system. (a) Identification...

  9. 21 CFR 862.1315 - Galactose-1-phosphate uridyl transferase test system.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-04-01

    ... HUMAN SERVICES (CONTINUED) MEDICAL DEVICES CLINICAL CHEMISTRY AND CLINICAL TOXICOLOGY DEVICES Clinical Chemistry Test Systems § 862.1315 Galactose-1-phosphate uridyl transferase test system. (a) Identification...

  10. Modular design of metabolic network for robust production of n-butanol from galactose-glucose mixtures.

    PubMed

    Lim, Hyun Gyu; Lim, Jae Hyung; Jung, Gyoo Yeol

    2015-01-01

    Refactoring microorganisms for efficient production of advanced biofuel such as n-butanol from a mixture of sugars in the cheap feedstock is a prerequisite to achieve economic feasibility in biorefinery. However, production of biofuel from inedible and cheap feedstock is highly challenging due to the slower utilization of biomass-driven sugars, arising from complex assimilation pathway, difficulties in amplification of biosynthetic pathways for heterologous metabolite, and redox imbalance caused by consuming intracellular reducing power to produce quite reduced biofuel. Even with these problems, the microorganisms should show robust production of biofuel to obtain industrial feasibility. Thus, refactoring microorganisms for efficient conversion is highly desirable in biofuel production. In this study, we engineered robust Escherichia coli to accomplish high production of n-butanol from galactose-glucose mixtures via the design of modular pathway, an efficient and systematic way, to reconstruct the entire metabolic pathway with many target genes. Three modular pathways designed using the predictable genetic elements were assembled for efficient galactose utilization, n-butanol production, and redox re-balancing to robustly produce n-butanol from a sugar mixture of galactose and glucose. Specifically, the engineered strain showed dramatically increased n-butanol production (3.3-fold increased to 6.2 g/L after 48-h fermentation) compared to the parental strain (1.9 g/L) in galactose-supplemented medium. Moreover, fermentation with mixtures of galactose and glucose at various ratios from 2:1 to 1:2 confirmed that our engineered strain was able to robustly produce n-butanol regardless of sugar composition with simultaneous utilization of galactose and glucose. Collectively, modular pathway engineering of metabolic network can be an effective approach in strain development for optimal biofuel production with cost-effective fermentable sugars. To the best of our knowledge, this study demonstrated the first and highest n-butanol production from galactose in E. coli. Moreover, robust production of n-butanol with sugar mixtures with variable composition would facilitate the economic feasibility of the microbial process using a mixture of sugars from cheap biomass in the near future.

  11. Lactobacillus ghanensis sp. nov., a motile lactic acid bacterium isolated from Ghanaian cocoa fermentations.

    PubMed

    Nielsen, Dennis S; Schillinger, Ulrich; Franz, Charles M A P; Bresciani, José; Amoa-Awua, Wisdom; Holzapfel, Wilhelm H; Jakobsen, Mogens

    2007-07-01

    Three Gram-positive, catalase-negative, motile, rod-shaped strains, designated L486, L489(T) and L499, were isolated from fermenting cocoa. These organisms produced DL-lactic acid from glucose without gas formation. Ammonia was not produced from arginine. Acid was produced from amygdalin, D-cellobiose, aesculin, D-fructose, D-glucose, D-galactose, D-mannitol, D-mannose, N-acetylglucosamine, L-rhamnose, sucrose, salicin and D-trehalose. The cell walls contained peptidoglycan of the d-meso-diaminopimelic acid type. A 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis revealed that the isolates belong phylogenetically to the genus Lactobacillus and are closely related to Lactobacillus nagelii, Lactobacillus vini and Lactobacillus satsumensis. Low DNA-DNA reassociation values were obtained between the isolates and the phylogenetically closest neighbours. On the basis of the genetic and phenotypic results, the isolates are considered to represent a novel species, for which the name Lactobacillus ghanensis is proposed. The type strain is L489(T) (=DSM 18630(T)=CCUG 53453(T)).

  12. Complete oxidative conversion of lignocellulose derived non-glucose sugars to sugar acids by Gluconobacter oxydans.

    PubMed

    Yao, Ruimiao; Hou, Weiliang; Bao, Jie

    2017-11-01

    Non-glucose sugars derived from lignocellulose cover approximately 40% of the total carbohydrates of lignocellulose biomass. The conversion of the non-glucose sugars to the target products is an important task of lignocellulose biorefining research. Here we report a fast and complete conversion of the total non-glucose sugars from corn stover into the corresponding sugar acids by whole cell catalysis and aerobic fermentation of Gluconobacter oxydans. The conversions include xylose to xylonate, arabinose to arabonate, mannose to mannonate, and galactose to galactonate, as well as with glucose into gluconate. These cellulosic non-glucose sugar acids showed the excellent cement retard setting property. The mixed cellulosic sugar acids could be used as cement retard additives without separation. The conversion of the non-glucose sugars not only makes full use of lignocellulose derived sugars, but also effectively reduces the wastewater treatment burden by removal of residual sugars. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  13. Effect of Ethephon as an Ethylene-Releasing Compound on the Metabolic Profile of Chlorella vulgaris.

    PubMed

    Kim, So-Hyun; Lim, Sa Rang; Hong, Seong-Joo; Cho, Byung-Kwan; Lee, Hookeun; Lee, Choul-Gyun; Choi, Hyung-Kyoon

    2016-06-15

    In this study, Chlorella vulgaris (C. vulgaris) was treated with ethephon at low (50 μM) and high (200 μM) concentrations in medium and harvested at 0, 7, and 14 days, respectively. The presence of ethephon led to significant metabolic changes in C. vulgaris, with significantly higher levels of α-tocopherol, γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA), asparagine, and proline, but lower levels of glycine, citrate, and galactose relative to control. Ethephon induced increases in saturated fatty acids but decreases in unsaturated fatty acids. The levels of highly saturated sulfoquinovosyldiacylglycerol species and palmitic acid bound phospholipids were increased on day 7 of ethephon treatment. Among the metabolites, the productivities of α-tocopherol (0.70 μg/L/day) and GABA (1.90 μg/L/day) were highest for 50 and 200 μM ethephon on day 7, respectively. We propose that ethephon treatment involves various metabolic processes in C. vulgaris and can be an efficient way to enrich the contents of α-tocopherol and GABA.

  14. Galactose inhibition of ovulation in mice.

    PubMed

    Swartz, W J; Mattison, D R

    1988-03-01

    Clinical evidence suggests an association between galactosemia and premature ovarian failure. In the present study, adult female mice were fed a diet consisting of 50% galactose for either 2, 4, or 6 weeks. At all times there was a decrease in the normal ovulatory response, as evidenced by a reduction in the number of corpora lutea when compared with controls. Additionally, the exposure of galactose-treated mice to a superovulatory regimen of pregnant mare's serum gonadotropin (PMSG) and human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) failed to induce an increased ovulatory response. Morphologic alterations, such as the increase in interstitial tissue and the appearance of lipofuscin, coupled with the failure to respond to exogenous gonadotropins, suggest that the reduced ovulatory response may be occurring at the level of the ovary. This effect, however, is reversible with cessation of galactose treatment.

  15. Biosynthesis of digalactosyl diglyceride in Vicia faba leaves.

    PubMed

    Williams, J P; Khan, M; Leung, S

    1975-01-01

    Developing and mature leaf tissue from Vicia faba plants were pulse-fed 14-CO2. The lipids were extracted at intervals after exposure to light, and the galactolipids monogalactosyl diglyceride (MGDG) and digalactosyl diglyceride (DGDG) were separated. After methylation and methanolysis, gas-liquid chromatography was used to separate the two galactose units of DGDG and the galactose of MGDG. The specific activities of the galactoses and the changes over the time period of the experiment were determined. The results support the view that DGDG is formed by galactosylation of MGDG. This does not take place by a rapid two-enzyme system reaction but more slowly in two phases: galactosylation of a pool of newly formed MGDG and a more random galactosylation of MGDG. There is no evidence of a high turnover of galactose in these lipids.

  16. Saponins from Aralia taibaiensis Attenuate D-Galactose-Induced Aging in Rats by Activating FOXO3a and Nrf2 Pathways

    PubMed Central

    Li, Ying-Na; Guo, Yu; Xi, Miao-Miao; Yang, Pei; Zhou, Xue-Ying; Yin, Shuang; Hai, Chun-Xu; Li, Jin-Gang; Qin, Xu-Jun

    2014-01-01

    Reactive oxygen species (ROS) are closely related to the aging process. In our previous studies, we found that the saponins from Aralia taibaiensis have potent antioxidant activity, suggesting the potential protective activity on the aging. However, the protective effect of the saponins and the possible underlying molecular mechanism remain unknown. In the present study, we employed a D-galactose-induced aging rat model to investigate the protective effect of the saponins. We found that D-galactose treatment induced obvious aging-related changes such as the decreased thymus and spleen coefficients, the increased advanced glycation end products (AGEs) level, senescence-associated β-galactosidase (SAβ-gal) activity, and malondialdehyde (MDA) level. Further results showed that Forkhead box O3a (FOXO3a), nuclear factor-erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2), and their targeted antioxidants such as superoxide dismutase 2 (SOD2), catalase (CAT), glutathione reductase (GR), glutathione (GSH), glutamate-cysteine ligase (GCL), and heme oxygenase 1 (HO-1) were all inhibited in the aging rats induced by D-galactose treatment. Saponins supplementation showed effective protection on these changes. These results demonstrate that saponins from Aralia taibaiensis attenuate the D-galactose-induced rat aging. By activating FOXO3a and Nrf2 pathways, saponins increase their downstream multiple antioxidants expression and function, at least in part contributing to the protection on the D-galactose-induced aging in rats. PMID:24669284

  17. Effects of aluminum on the reduction of neural stem cells, proliferating cells, and differentiating neuroblasts in the dentate gyrus of D-galactose-treated mice via increasing oxidative stress

    PubMed Central

    Nam, Sung Min; Kim, Jong Whi; Yoo, Dae Young; Kim, Woosuk; Jung, Hyo Young; Choi, Jung Hoon; Hwang, In Koo; Seong, Je Kyung

    2016-01-01

    Aluminum (Al) accumulation increases with aging, and long-term exposure to Al is regarded as a risk factor for Alzheimer's disease. In this study, we investigated the effects of Al and/or D-galactose on neural stem cells, proliferating cells, differentiating neuroblasts, and mature neurons in the hippocampal dentate gyrus. AlCl3 (40 mg/kg/day) was intraperitoneally administered to C57BL/6J mice for 4 weeks. In addition, vehicle (physiological saline) or D-galactose (100 mg/kg) was subcutaneously injected to these mice immediately after AlCl3 treatment. Neural stem cells, proliferating cells, differentiating neuroblasts, and mature neurons were detected using the relevant marker for each cell type, including nestin, Ki67, doublecortin, and NeuN, respectively, via immunohistochemistry. Subchronic (4 weeks) exposure to Al in mice reduced neural stem cells, proliferating cells, and differentiating neuroblasts without causing any changes to mature neurons. This Al-induced reduction effect was exacerbated in D-galactose-treated mice compared to vehicle-treated adult mice. Moreover, exposure to Al enhanced lipid peroxidation in the hippocampus and expression of antioxidants such as Cu, Zn- and Mn-superoxide dismutase in D-galactose-treated mice. These results suggest that Al accelerates the reduction of neural stem cells, proliferating cells, and differentiating neuroblasts in D-galactose-treated mice via oxidative stress, without inducing loss in mature neurons. PMID:26243606

  18. The oligosaccharidic content of the glycoconjugates of the prepubertal descended and undescended testis: lectin histochemical study.

    PubMed

    Gheri, Gherardo; Sgambati, Eleonora; Thyrion, Giorgia D Zappoli; Vichi, Debora; Orlandini, Giovanni E

    2004-01-01

    The saccharidic content of the glycoconjugates has been studied in the descended the undescended testes of a 8 years old boy. For this purpose, a battery of seven HRP-conjugated lectins (SBA, DBA,PNA,WGA,UEAI, LTA and ConA) was used. D-galactose-N-acetyl-D-galactosamine and alpha-L-fucose sugar residues, which were present in the cytoplasm of the Sertoli cells of the normally positioned prepubertal testis, were not detected in the same cells of the undescended testis. The Leydig's cells of the descended testis appeared characterized by N-acetyl-D-glucosamine which was absent in the rare and atrophic Leydig's cells of the cryptorchid testis. Differences in sugar residues distribution between the descended and the undescended testis were also detected in the lamina propria of the seminiferous tubules. Peritubular myoid cells in the undescended testis only reacted with PNA, after neuraminidase digestion, thus revealing the presence of D-galactose (beta1-->3)-N-acetyl-D-galactosamine and sialic acid. In this study a complete distributional map of the sugar residues of the glycoconjugates in the descended and undescended prepubertal testis is reported.

  19. The Macrophage Galactose-Type Lectin Can Function as an Attachment and Entry Receptor for Influenza Virus

    PubMed Central

    Ng, Wy Ching; Liong, Stella; Tate, Michelle D.; Irimura, Tatsuro; Denda-Nagai, Kaori; Brooks, Andrew G.; Londrigan, Sarah L.

    2014-01-01

    Specific protein receptors that mediate internalization and entry of influenza A virus (IAV) have not been identified for any cell type. Sialic acid (SIA), the primary attachment factor for IAV hemagglutinin, is expressed by numerous cell surface glycoproteins and glycolipids, confounding efforts to identify specific receptors involved in virus infection. Lec1 Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) epithelial cells express cell surface SIA and bind IAV yet are largely resistant to infection. Here, we demonstrate that expression of the murine macrophage galactose-type lectin 1 (MGL1) by Lec1 cells enhanced Ca2+-dependent IAV binding and restored permissivity to infection. Lec1 cells expressing MGL1 were infected in the presence or absence of cell surface SIA, indicating that MGL1 can act as a primary receptor or as a coreceptor with SIA. Lec1 cells expressing endocytosis-deficient MGL1 mediated Ca2+-dependent IAV binding but were less sensitive to IAV infection, indicating that direct internalization via MGL1 can result in cellular infection. Together, these studies identify MGL1 as a cell surface glycoprotein that can act as an authentic receptor for both attachment and infectious entry of IAV. PMID:24257596

  20. Uptake and processing of modified bacteriophage M13 in mice: implications for phage display.

    PubMed

    Molenaar, Tom J M; Michon, Ingrid; de Haas, Sonja A M; van Berkel, Theo J C; Kuiper, Johan; Biessen, Erik A L

    2002-02-01

    Internalization and degradation of filamentous bacteriophage M13 by a specific target cell may have major consequences for the recovery of phage in in vivo biopanning of phage libraries. Therefore, we investigated the pharmacokinetics and processing of native and receptor-targeted phage in mice. (35)S-radiolabeled M13 was chemically modified by conjugation of either galactose (lacM13) or succinic acid groups (sucM13) to the coat protein of the phage to stimulate uptake by galactose recognizing hepatic receptors and scavenger receptors, respectively. Receptor-mediated endocytosis of modified phage reduced the plasma half-life of native M13 (t(1/2) = 4.5 h) to 18 min for lactosylated and 1.5 min for succinylated bacterophage. Internalization of sucM13 was complete within 30 min after injection and resulted in up to 5000-fold reduction of bioactive phage within 90 min. In conclusion, these data provide information on the in vivo behavior of wild-type and receptor-targeted M13, which has important implications for future in vivo phage display experiments and for the potential use of M13 as a viral gene delivery vehicle.

  1. The Structure-Activity Relationship between Marine Algae Polysaccharides and Anti-Complement Activity

    PubMed Central

    Jin, Weihua; Zhang, Wenjing; Liang, Hongze; Zhang, Quanbin

    2015-01-01

    In this study, 33 different polysaccharides were prepared to investigate the structure-activity relationships between the polysaccharides, mainly from marine algae, and anti-complement activity in the classical pathway. Factors considered included extraction methods, fractionations, molecular weight, molar ratio of galactose to fucose, sulfate, uronic acid (UA) content, linkage, branching, and the type of monosaccharide. It was shown that the larger the molecular weights, the better the activities. The molar ratio of galactose (Gal) to fucose (Fuc) was a positive factor at a concentration lower than 10 µg/mL, while it had no effect at a concentration more than 10 µg/mL. In addition, sulfate was necessary; however, the sulfate content, the sulfate pattern, linkage and branching had no effect at a concentration of more than 10 µg/mL. Moreover, the type of monosaccharide had no effect. Laminaran and UA fractions had no activity; however, they could reduce the activity by decreasing the effective concentration of the active composition when they were mixed with the active compositions. The effect of the extraction methods could not be determined. Finally, it was observed that sulfated galactofucan showed good anti-complement activity after separation. PMID:26712768

  2. Characterization and in vitro antioxidant activities of polysaccharides from Pleurotus ostreatus.

    PubMed

    Zhang, Yunxia; Dai, Ling; Kong, Xiaowei; Chen, Liangwen

    2012-10-01

    Two polysaccharide fractions (PSPO-1a and PSPO-4a) were isolated from the fruiting bodies of Pleurotus ostreatus using ethanol precipitation, anion-exchange chromatography and gel permeation chromatography. Both fractions were heteropolysaccharide containing protein and uronic acid. PSPO-1a was composed of mannose, glucose, galactose, xylose and rhamnose with a molar ratio of 2.47:0.91:1.00:1.66:3.87. PSPO-4a was composed of only three monosaccharides: rhamnose, mannose and galactose with a molar ratio of 0.92:2.69:1.00. The average molecular weight of PSPO-1a and PSPO-4a determined by HPLC were estimated to be 1.8 × 10(4)Da and 1.1 × 10(6)Da respectively. The in vitro tests revealed that two polysaccharides were natural potential antioxidant. Both polysaccharides presented stronger DPPH radical and superoxide anion radical scavenging activity with increasing concentrations, but less effective on scavenging hydroxyl radical. Compared with PSPO-4a, PSPO-1a was the more effective free-radical scavenger. In conclusion, the two polysaccharides may be useful as a naturally potential antioxidant agent for application in food and medicinal fields. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  3. Separation of Glucose and Pentose Sugars by Selective Enzyme Hydrolysis of AFEX-Treated Corn Fiber

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Hanchar, Robert J.; Teymouri, Farzaneh; Nielson, Chandra D.; McCalla, Darold; Stowers, Mark D.

    A process was developed to fractionate corn fiber into glucose- and pentose-rich fractions. Corn fiber was ammonia fiber explosion treated at 90°C, using 1 g anhydrous ammonia per gram of dry biomass, 60% moisture, and 30-min residence time. Twenty four hour hydrolysis of ammonia fiber explosion-treated corn fiber with cellulase converted 83% of available glucanto-glucose. In this hydrolysis the hemicellulose was partially broken down with 81% of the xylan and 68% of the arabinan being contained in the hydrolysate after filtration to remove lignin and other insoluble material. Addition of ethanol was used to precipitate and recover the solubilized hemicellulose from the hydrolysate, followed by hydrolysis with 2% (v/v) sulfuric acid to convert the recovered xylan and arabinan to monomeric sugars. Using this method, 57% of xylose and 54% of arabinose available in corn fiber were recovered in a pentose-rich stream. The carbohydrate composition of the pentose-enriched stream was 5% glucose, 57% xylose, 27% arabinose, and 11% galactose. The carbohydrate composition of the glucose-enriched stream was 87% glucose, 5% xylose, 6% arabinose, and 1% galactose, and contained 83% of glucose available from the corn fiber.

  4. Substrate-induced growth and isolation of Acidobacteria from acidic Sphagnum peat.

    PubMed

    Pankratov, Timofei A; Serkebaeva, Yulia M; Kulichevskaya, Irina S; Liesack, Werner; Dedysh, Svetlana N

    2008-05-01

    Fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) was applied to estimate the population size of the poorly characterized phylum Acidobacteria in acidic peat sampled from nine different Sphagnum-dominated wetlands of Northern Russia. The cell numbers of these bacteria in oxic peat layers ranged from 0.4 x 10(6) to 1.3 x 10(7) cells per g of wet peat, comprising up to 4% of total bacterial cells. Substrate-induced growth of acidobacteria was observed after amendment of peat samples with glucose, pectin, xylan, starch, ethanol and methanol, while weak or no response was obtained for acetate, pyruvate, mannitol and cellobiose. Using low-nutrient media and FISH-mediated monitoring of the isolation procedure, we succeeded in obtaining nine strains of acidobacteria in pure cultures. These strains belonged to subdivisions 1 and 3 of the Acidobacteria and represented strictly aerobic, heterotrophic organisms. Except for methanol, the substrate utilization patterns of these isolates matched the results obtained in our substrate-amendment experiments with native peat. All strains were also capable of utilizing galacturonic acid, a characteristic component of the cell wall in Sphagnum spp, which is released during moss decomposition. Most isolates from subdivision 1 were truly acidophilic organisms with the growth optimum at pH 3.5-4.5, while the isolates from subdivision 3 grew optimally at pH 5.5-6.5. Another important phenotypic trait of novel strains was their capability of active growth at low temperatures. Both acidophily and low-temperature growth are consistent with the occurrence of acidobacteria in cold and acidic northern wetlands.

  5. Lectin activity in mycelial extracts of Fusarium species.

    PubMed

    Bhari, Ranjeeta; Kaur, Bhawanpreet; Singh, Ram S

    2016-01-01

    Lectins are non-immunogenic carbohydrate-recognizing proteins that bind to glycoproteins, glycolipids, or polysaccharides with high affinity and exhibit remarkable ability to agglutinate erythrocytes and other cells. In the present study, ten Fusarium species previously not explored for lectins were screened for the presence of lectin activity. Mycelial extracts of F. fujikuroi, F. beomiformii, F. begoniae, F. nisikadoi, F. anthophilum, F. incarnatum, and F. tabacinum manifested agglutination of rabbit erythrocytes. Neuraminidase treatment of rabbit erythrocytes increased lectin titers of F. nisikadoi and F. tabacinum extracts, whereas the protease treatment resulted in a significant decline in agglutination by most of the lectins. Results of hapten inhibition studies demonstrated unique carbohydrate specificity of Fusarium lectins toward O-acetyl sialic acids. Activity of the majority of Fusarium lectins exhibited binding affinity to d-ribose, l-fucose, d-glucose, l-arabinose, d-mannitol, d-galactosamine hydrochloride, d-galacturonic acid, N-acetyl-d-galactosamine, N-acetyl-neuraminic acid, 2-deoxy-d-ribose, fetuin, asialofetuin, and bovine submaxillary mucin. Melibiose and N-glycolyl neuraminic acid did not inhibit the activity of any of the Fusarium lectins. Mycelial extracts of F. begoniae, F. nisikadoi, F. anthophilum, and F. incarnatum interacted with most of the carbohydrates tested. F. fujikuroi and F. anthophilum extracts displayed strong interaction with starch. The expression of lectin activity as a function of culture age was investigated. Most species displayed lectin activity on the 7th day of cultivation, and it varied with progressing of culture age. Copyright © 2016 Sociedade Brasileira de Microbiologia. Published by Elsevier Editora Ltda. All rights reserved.

  6. Polyclonal antibody against a complement-activating pectin from the roots of Angelica acutiloba.

    PubMed

    Wang, N L; Kiyohara, H; Matsumoto, T; Otsuka, H; Hirano, M; Yamada, H

    1994-10-01

    Anti-sera against a complement-activating pectin (AR-2IIb), which was purified from the roots of Angelica acutiloba Kitagawa, were obtained by immunization of rabbits, and a polyclonal anti-AR-2IIb antibody of the IgG class was purified by affinity chromatography on AR-2IIb-immobilized Sepharose and Protein G-Sepharose. Periodate oxidation of AR-2IIb significantly reduced its inhibitory activity on the reactivity of AR-2IIb to anti-AR-2IIb-IgG, but pronase digestion of AR-2IIb did not affect its inhibitory activity. Other pharmacologically active pectins from A. autiloba, Bupleurum falcatum, and Glycyrrhiza uralensis and the complement-activating pectic arabinogalactan from A. autiloba also showed significant inhibitory activities on the reactivity of AR-2IIb to anti-AR-2IIb-IgG, but these inhibitory activities were lower than that of AR-2IIb. Other pectins, polygalacturonic acid, arabinogalactan, galactan, and araban tested had negligible inhibitory activity. Endo-a-(1-->4)-polygalacturonase digestion of AR-2IIb indicated that its "ramified" region (rhamnogalacturonan core possessing neutral oligosaccharide side-chains) contained epitopes for anti-AR-2IIb-IgG, but that 2-keto-3-deoxyoctulosonic acid (KDO)-containing regions and oligogalacturonides obtained from AR-2IIb were not recognized by anti-AR-2IIb-IgG. Although carboxyl-reduction of galacturonic acid in the "ramified" region decreased the inhibitory activity of the "ramified" on its reactivity to anti-AR-2IIb, an acidic tetrasaccharide unit in the rhamnogalacturonan core had negligible inhibitory activity.

  7. Structural characterization and immunomodulatory effect of a polysaccharide HCP-2 from Houttuynia cordata.

    PubMed

    Cheng, Bao-Hui; Chan, Judy Yuet-Wa; Chan, Ben Chung-Lap; Lin, Huang-Quan; Han, Xiao-Qiang; Zhou, Xuelin; Wan, David Chi-Cheong; Wang, Yi-Fen; Leung, Ping-Chung; Fung, Kwok-Pui; Lau, Clara Bik-San

    2014-03-15

    Immunomodulation of natural polysaccharides has been the hot topic of research in recent years. In order to explore the immunomodulatory effect of Houttuynia cordata Thunb., the water extract was studied and a polysaccharide HCP-2 with molecular weight of 60,000 Da was isolated by chromatography using DEAE Sepharose CL-6B and Sephacryl S-500 [corrected] HR columns. The structure characterization of HCP-2 was performed by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), acidic hydrolysis, PMP derivation, HPLC analysis and nuclear magnetic resonance spectra (NMR). HCP-2 was elucidated as a pectic polysaccharide with a linear chain of 1,4-linked α-D-galacturonic acid residues in which part of the 6-carboxyl groups were methyl esterified and part of 2-hydroxyl groups were acetylated. The bioactivity assays showed that HCP-2 could increase the secretions of interleukin-1β (IL-1β), tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), macrophage inhibitory protein-1α (MIP-1α), macrophage inhibitory protein-1β (MIP-1β), and RANTES (regulated on activation, normal T cell expressed and secreted) in human peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs), which play critical roles in the innate immune system and shape the adaptive immunity. Our results implied that HCP-2 could be an immune enhancer. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  8. Effect of raw legume diets on intestinal absorption of D-galactose by chick.

    PubMed

    Lasheras, B; Bolufer, J; Cenarruzabeitia, M N; Lluch, M; Larralde, J

    1980-03-01

    The effect of four raw legume diets on the intestinal absorption of D-galactose and oxygen consumption were studied in chick. Field beans (Vicia faba), soybeans (Glycine soja), bitter vetch (Vicia ervilia), and navy beans (Phaseolus vulgaris), were used. The intestinal absorption was determined by both in vivo and in vitro techniques. In vivo, only navy beans and soybeans inhibit intestinal transport of D-galactose, while in vitro all the diets do. Oxygen consumption by intestinal rings increases in chicks fed on bitter vetch diet.

  9. [Separation, purification and primary reverse cholesterol transport study of Cordyceps militaris polysaccharide].

    PubMed

    Guo, Shou-Dong; Cui, Ying-Jie; Wang, Ren-Zhong; Wang, Ren-Yuan; Wu, Wen-Xue; Ma, Teng

    2014-09-01

    The authors designed to separate, purify and determine the monosaccharide composition of the polysaccharide from Cordyceps militaris, and study its effect on reverse cholesterol transport in vivo by isotope tracing assay. Polysaccharides were separate and purify by ion exchange column Q-sepharose Fast Flow and size exclusion column Sephacryl S200HR; the molecular weight and monosaccharide composition of the polysaccharides were determined by high performance gel permeation chromatography and high performance liquid chromatography coming with pre-column derivation, respectively. Finally, three purified polysaccharides CMBW1, CMBW2 and CMYW1 were obtained, their total carbohydrate contents were 87%, 89%, 95%, respectively; their protein contents were 6.5%, 1.3%, 2.8%, respectively; their molecular weights were 772.1, 20.9, 13.2 kDa, respectively; CMBW1 was composed of mannose, glucosamine, rhamnose, glucuronic acid, glucose, galactose and arabinose with a molar ratio of 7.25: 0.17: 1.29: 0.23: 6.30: 11.08: 0.79; CMBW2 was composed of mannose, glucosamine, galactose and arabinose with a molar ratio of 2.40: 0.16: 2.92: 0.24; CMYW1 was composed of mannose, glucosamine, glucuronic acid and glucose with a molar ratio of 0.59: 0.57: 0.45: 25.61. Polysaccharide at 50 mg x kg(-1) could significantly improve the transport of 3H- cholesterol to blood and excretion from feces. All of the three purified polysaccharides CMBW1, CMBW2 and CMYW1 were heteropolysaccharide; and they could improve reverse cholesterol transport in vivo, the underlying mechanisms are being studied.

  10. Isolation and Characterization of an Agaro-Oligosaccharide (AO)-Hydrolyzing Bacterium from the Gut Microflora of Chinese Individuals

    PubMed Central

    Li, Miaomiao; Li, Guangsheng; Zhu, Liying; Yin, Yeshi; Zhao, Xiaoliang; Xiang, Charlie; Yu, Guangli; Wang, Xin

    2014-01-01

    Agarose (AP) from red algae has a long history as food ingredients in East Asia. Agaro-oligosaccharides (AO) derived from AP have shown potential prebiotic effects. However, the human gut microbes responsible for the degradation of AO and AP have not yet been fully investigated. Here, we reported that AO and AP can be degraded and utilized at various rates by fecal microbiota obtained from different individuals. Bacteroides uniformis L8 isolated from human feces showed a pronounced ability to degrade AO and generate D-galactose as its final end product. PCR-DGGE analysis showed B. uniformis to be common in the fecal samples, but only B. uniformis L8 had the ability to degrade AO. A synergistic strain, here classified as Escherichia coli B2, was also identified because it could utilize the D-galactose as the growth substrate. The cross-feeding interaction between B. uniformis L8 and E. coli B2 led to exhaustion of the AO supply. Bifidobacterium infantis and Bifidobacterium adolescentis can utilize one of the intermediates of AO hydrolysis, agarotriose. Growth curves indicated that AO was the substrate that most favorably sustained the growth of B. uniformis L8. In contrast, κ-carrageenan oligosaccharides (KCO), guluronic acid oligosaccharides (GO), and mannuronic acid oligosaccharides (MO) were found to be unusable to B. uniformis L8. Current results indicate that B. uniformis L8 is a special degrader of AO in the gut microbiota. Because B. uniformis can mitigate high-fat-diet-induced metabolic disorders, further study is required to determine the potential applications of AO. PMID:24622338

  11. Lactobacillus brantae sp. nov., isolated from faeces of Canada geese (Branta canadensis).

    PubMed

    Volokhov, Dmitriy V; Amselle, Megan; Beck, Brian J; Popham, David L; Whittaker, Paul; Wang, Hua; Kerrigan, Elizabeth; Chizhikov, Vladimir E

    2012-09-01

    Three strains of lactic acid bacteria (LAB) were isolated from the faeces of apparently healthy wild Canada geese (Branta canadensis) in 2010 by cultivating faecal LAB on Rogosa SL agar under aerobic conditions. These three isolates were found to share 99.9 % gene sequence similarity of their 16S rRNA, their 16S-23S intergenic transcribed spacer region (ITS), partial 23S rRNA, rpoB, rpoC, rpoA and pheS gene sequences. However, the three strains exhibited lower levels of sequence similarity of these genetic targets to all known LAB, and the phylogenetically closest species to the geese strains were Lactobacillus casei, Lactobacillus paracasei, Lactobacillus rhamnosus and Lactobacillus saniviri. In comparison to L. casei ATCC 393(T), L. paracasei ATCC 25302(T), L. rhamnosus ATCC 7469(T) and L. saniviri DSM 24301(T), the novel isolates reacted uniquely in tests for cellobiose, galactose, mannitol, citric acid, aesculin and dextrin, and gave negative results in tests for l-proline arylamidase and l-pyrrolydonyl-arylamidase, and in the Voges-Proskauer test. Biochemical tests for cellobiose, aesculin, galactose, gentiobiose, mannitol, melezitose, ribose, salicin, sucrose, trehalose, raffinose, turanose, amygdalin and arbutin could be used for differentiation between L. saniviri and the novel strains. On the basis of phenotypic and genotypic characteristics, and phylogenetic data, the three isolates represent a novel species of the genus Lactobacillus, for which the name Lactobacillus brantae sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is SL1108(T) (= ATCC BAA-2142(T) = LMG 26001(T) = DSM 23927(T)) and two additional strains are SL1170 and SL60106.

  12. Isolation and characterization of an agaro-oligosaccharide (AO)-hydrolyzing bacterium from the gut microflora of Chinese individuals.

    PubMed

    Li, Miaomiao; Li, Guangsheng; Zhu, Liying; Yin, Yeshi; Zhao, Xiaoliang; Xiang, Charlie; Yu, Guangli; Wang, Xin

    2014-01-01

    Agarose (AP) from red algae has a long history as food ingredients in East Asia. Agaro-oligosaccharides (AO) derived from AP have shown potential prebiotic effects. However, the human gut microbes responsible for the degradation of AO and AP have not yet been fully investigated. Here, we reported that AO and AP can be degraded and utilized at various rates by fecal microbiota obtained from different individuals. Bacteroides uniformis L8 isolated from human feces showed a pronounced ability to degrade AO and generate D-galactose as its final end product. PCR-DGGE analysis showed B. uniformis to be common in the fecal samples, but only B. uniformis L8 had the ability to degrade AO. A synergistic strain, here classified as Escherichia coli B2, was also identified because it could utilize the D-galactose as the growth substrate. The cross-feeding interaction between B. uniformis L8 and E. coli B2 led to exhaustion of the AO supply. Bifidobacterium infantis and Bifidobacterium adolescentis can utilize one of the intermediates of AO hydrolysis, agarotriose. Growth curves indicated that AO was the substrate that most favorably sustained the growth of B. uniformis L8. In contrast, κ-carrageenan oligosaccharides (KCO), guluronic acid oligosaccharides (GO), and mannuronic acid oligosaccharides (MO) were found to be unusable to B. uniformis L8. Current results indicate that B. uniformis L8 is a special degrader of AO in the gut microbiota. Because B. uniformis can mitigate high-fat-diet-induced metabolic disorders, further study is required to determine the potential applications of AO.

  13. Purification, characterization and biological effect of lectin from the marine sponge Stylissa flexibilis (Lévi, 1961).

    PubMed

    Hung, Le Dinh; Ly, Bui Minh; Hao, Vo Thi; Trung, Dinh Thanh; Trang, Vo Thi Dieu; Trinh, Phan Thi Hoai; Ngoc, Ngo Thi Duy; Quang, Thai Minh

    2018-02-01

    SFL, a lectin from the marine sponge Stylissa flexibilis was purified by cold ethanol precipitation followed by ion exchange chromatography on DEAE Sepharose column and Sephacryl S-200 gel filtration. SFL is a dimeric glycoprotein of 32kDa subunits linked by a disulfide bridge with a molecular mass of 64kDa by SDS-PAGE and 65kDa by Sephacryl S-200 gel filtration. SFL preferentially agglutinated enzyme treated human A erythrocytes. The activity of lectin was strongly inhibited by monosaccharide d-galactose and glycoproteins asialo-porcine stomach mucin and asialo-fetuin. The lectin was Ca 2+ dependent, stable over a range of pH from 5 to 8, and up to 60°C for 30min. The N-terminal amino acid sequence of SFL was also determined and a blast search on amino acid sequences revealed that the protein showed similarity only with lectins from the marine sponge Spheciospongia vesparia. SFL caused agglutination of Vibrio alginolyticus and V. parahaemolyticus in a dose dependent manner and inhibited the growth rates of the virulent bacterial strains. Growth inhibition of V. alginolyticus and V. parahaemolyticus with SFL was not observed in the presence of d-galactose or asialo-porcine stomach mucin, suggesting that the lectin caused the agglutination through binding to the target receptor(s) on the surface of Vibrios. Thus, the marine sponge S. flexibilis could promise to be a good source of a lectin(s) that may be useful as a carbohydrate probe and an antibacterial reagent. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  14. Potential Prebiotic Oligosaccharide Mixtures from Acidic Hydrolysis of Rice Bran and Cassava Pulp.

    PubMed

    Hansawasdi, Chanida; Kurdi, Peter

    2017-12-01

    Two agricultural wastes, rice bran and cassava pulp were subjected to acidic hydrolysis by 2 M sulfuric acid which resulted in hemicellulosic oligosaccharide mixtures. Monosaccharide component analysis of these mixtures revealed that the oligosaccharides of rice bran acid hydrolysate (RAHF) composed of glucose and arabinose while cassava pulp acid hydrolysate (CAHF) was found to be comprised of glucose, galactose and arabinose. Both RAHF and CAHF were able to fuel all of the tested three Lactobacillus, five Bifidobacterium and three Bacteroides strains indicating the prebiotic potential of these oligosaccharide mixtures. Moreover, Lb. gasseri grew significantly better on RAHF than on inulin, a benchmark prebiotic oligo- and polysaccharide mixture. When the digestibility of RAHF and CAHF were tested it was found that these oligosaccharide mixtures were only slightly hydrolyzed upon exposure to simulated human gastric (by less than 8%) and pancreatic juices (by less than 3%). Additionally, most sensory attributes of the above obtained oligosaccharide mixtures supplemented two model cereal drink formulations were generally not different from those of the control, while the overall acceptance was not affected significantly in one cereal drink formulation.

  15. Evaluation of physicochemical properties, proximate and nutritional composition of Gracilaria edulis collected from Palk Bay.

    PubMed

    Sakthivel, Ravi; Pandima Devi, Kasi

    2015-05-01

    Gracilaria edulis, a red alga present in southeast coast of India was evaluated for its nutritional composition. FT-IR analysis of soluble polysaccharides revealed the presence of galactans, 3,6-anhydro-α-L-galactopyranose, sulphated galactose and the gelling agent agar, with the sulphate content estimated as 51.01 μg/mg of polysaccharide. Results of physicochemical properties and nutritional profile reveal the presence of dietary fibre (8.9 ± 0.62% DW), carbohydrate (101.61 ± 1.8 mg/g DW), crude protein (6.68 ± 0.94 mg/g DW) and lipid content (8.3 ± 1.03 mg/g DW). G. edulis contains biologically important fatty acids like palmitic acid (2.06%), linolenic acid (2.56%), and oleic acid (1.98%). The other nutritional components present in high amounts are proline, chlorophyll A and B, all the essential amino acids and vitamin A, E and C. These findings suggest that G. edulis has potent nutritional value which might be used as a source of nutrients for human and animals. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  16. Exploring the Role of Different Neonatal Nutrition Regimens during the First Week of Life by Urinary GC-MS Metabolomics

    PubMed Central

    Dessì, Angelica; Murgia, Antonio; Agostino, Rocco; Pattumelli, Maria Grazia; Schirru, Andrea; Scano, Paola; Fanos, Vassilios; Caboni, Pierluigi

    2016-01-01

    In this study, a gas-chromatography mass spectrometry (GC-MS) metabolomics study was applied to examine urine metabolite profiles of different classes of neonates under different nutrition regimens. The study population included 35 neonates, exclusively either breastfed or formula milk fed, in a seven-day timeframe. Urine samples were collected from intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR), large for gestational age (LGA), and appropriate gestational age (AGA) neonates. At birth, IUGR and LGA neonates showed similarities in their urine metabolite profiles that differed from AGA. When neonates started milk feeding, their metabolite excretion profile was strongly characterized by the different diet regimens. After three days of formula milk nutrition, urine had higher levels of glucose, galactose, glycine and myo-inositol, while up-regulated aconitic acid, aminomalonic acid and adipic acid were found in breast milk fed neonates. At seven days, neonates fed with formula milk shared higher levels of pseudouridine with IUGR and LGA at birth. Breastfed neonates shared up-regulated pyroglutamic acid, citric acid, and homoserine, with AGA at birth. The role of most important metabolites is herein discussed. PMID:26907266

  17. Evaluation of hyper thermal acid hydrolysis of Kappaphycus alvarezii for enhanced bioethanol production.

    PubMed

    Ra, Chae Hun; Nguyen, Trung Hau; Jeong, Gwi-Taek; Kim, Sung-Koo

    2016-06-01

    Hyper thermal (HT) acid hydrolysis of Kappaphycus alvarezii, a red seaweed, was optimized to 12% (w/v) seaweed slurry content, 180mM H2SO4 at 140°C for 5min. The maximum monosaccharide concentration of 38.3g/L and 66.7% conversion from total fermentable monosaccharides of 57.6g/L with 120gdw/L K. alvarezii slurry were obtained from HT acid hydrolysis and enzymatic saccharification. HT acid hydrolysis at a severity factor of 0.78 efficiently converted the carbohydrates of seaweed to monosaccharides and produced a low concentration of inhibitory compounds. The levels of ethanol production by separate hydrolysis and fermentation with non-adapted and adapted Kluyveromyces marxianus to high concentration of galactose were 6.1g/L with ethanol yield (YEtOH) of 0.19 at 84h and 16.0g/L with YEtOH of 0.42 at 72h, respectively. Development of the HT acid hydrolysis process and adapted yeast could enhance the overall ethanol fermentation yields of K. alvarezii seaweed. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  18. GamR, the LysR-Type Galactose Metabolism Regulator, Regulates hrp Gene Expression via Transcriptional Activation of Two Key hrp Regulators, HrpG and HrpX, in Xanthomonas oryzae pv. oryzae.

    PubMed

    Rashid, M Mamunur; Ikawa, Yumi; Tsuge, Seiji

    2016-07-01

    Xanthomonas oryzae pv. oryzae is the causal agent of bacterial leaf blight of rice. For the virulence of the bacterium, the hrp genes, encoding components of the type III secretion system, are indispensable. The expression of hrp genes is regulated by two key hrp regulators, HrpG and HrpX: HrpG regulates hrpX, and HrpX regulates other hrp genes. Several other regulators have been shown to be involved in the regulation of hrp genes. Here, we found that a LysR-type transcriptional regulator that we named GamR, encoded by XOO_2767 of X. oryzae pv. oryzae strain MAFF311018, positively regulated the transcription of both hrpG and hrpX, which are adjacent to each other but have opposite orientations, with an intergenic upstream region in common. In a gel electrophoresis mobility shift assay, GamR bound directly to the middle of the upstream region common to hrpG and hrpX The loss of either GamR or its binding sites decreased hrpG and hrpX expression. Also, GamR bound to the upstream region of either a galactose metabolism-related gene (XOO_2768) or a galactose metabolism-related operon (XOO_2768 to XOO_2771) located next to gamR itself and positively regulated the genes. The deletion of the regulator gene resulted in less bacterial growth in a synthetic medium with galactose as a sole sugar source. Interestingly, induction of the galactose metabolism-related gene was dependent on galactose, while that of the hrp regulator genes was galactose independent. Our results indicate that the LysR-type transcriptional regulator that regulates the galactose metabolism-related gene(s) also acts in positive regulation of two key hrp regulators and the following hrp genes in X. oryzae pv. oryzae. The expression of hrp genes encoding components of the type III secretion system is essential for the virulence of many plant-pathogenic bacteria, including Xanthomonas oryzae pv. oryzae. It is specifically induced during infection. Research has revealed that in this bacterium, hrp gene expression is controlled by two key hrp regulators, HrpG and HrpX, along with several other regulators in the complex regulatory network, but the details remain unclear. Here, we found that a novel LysR-type transcriptional activator, named GamR, functions as an hrp regulator by directly activating the transcription of both hrpG and hrpX Interestingly, GamR also regulates a galactose metabolism-related gene (or operon) in a galactose-dependent manner, while the regulation of hrpG and hrpX is independent of the sugar. Our finding of a novel hrp regulator that directly and simultaneously regulates two key hrp regulators provides new insights into an important and complex regulation system of X. oryzae pv. oryzae hrp genes. Copyright © 2016, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

  19. Molecular galactose-galectin association in neuroblastoma cells: An unconventional tool for qualitative/quantitative screening.

    PubMed

    Pastorino, Fabio; Ponzoni, Mirco; Simone, Giuseppina

    2017-05-01

    Galectin decorates the cell membrane and forms an extracellular molecular association with galactoside units. Here, galactoside probes have been used to study galectin expression in neuroblastoma cells. The hypothesis behind this investigation has been that the molecular mechanisms by which glycans modulate neural metastatic cells involve a protein-carbohydrate association, galectin-galactose. Preliminary screening to validate the hypothesis has been performed with galactose moieties anchored to beads. The molecular association has been studied by FACS. In vitro experiments reveal the molecular binding preferences of the metastatic neuroblastoma cells. Ex vivo, the galactose probes discriminate healthy tissues. The unconventional assay in microfluidics used in this study displayed results analogous to the above (GI-LI-N cell capture efficiency overcomes IMR-32). At the point of equilibrium of shear and binding forces, the capture yield inside the chamber was measured to 60 ± 4.4% in GI-LI-N versus 40 ± 2.1% in IMR-32. Staining of the fished cells and subsequent conjugation with red beads bearing the galactose also have evidenced that microfluidics can be used to study and quantify the molecular association of galectin-galactose. Most importantly, a crucial insight for obtaining single-cell qualitative/quantitative glycome analysis has been achieved. Finally, the specificity of the assay performed in microfluidics is demonstrated by comparing GI-LI-N fishing efficiency in galactose and fucose environments. The residual adhesion to fucose confirmed the existence of receptors for this glycan and that its eventual unspecific binding (i.e. due to electrostatic interactions) is insignificant compared with the molecular binding. Identification and understanding of this mechanism of discrimination can be relevant for diagnostic monitoring and for producing probes tailored to interfere with galectin activities associated with the malignant phenotype. Besides, the given strategy has implications for the rational design of galectin-specific ligands. © 2017 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  20. Cross-reactions between engineered xylose and galactose pathways in recombinant Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

    PubMed

    Garcia Sanchez, Rosa; Hahn-Hägerdal, Bärbel; Gorwa-Grauslund, Marie F

    2010-09-01

    Overexpression of the PGM2 gene encoding phosphoglucomutase (Pgm2p) has been shown to improve galactose utilization both under aerobic and under anaerobic conditions. Similarly, xylose utilization has been improved by overexpression of genes encoding xylulokinase (XK), enzymes from the non-oxidative pentose phosphate pathway (non-ox PPP) and deletion of the endogenous aldose reductase GRE3 gene in engineered Saccharomyces cerevisiae strains carrying either fungal or bacterial xylose pathways. In the present study, we investigated how the combination of these traits affect xylose and galactose utilization in the presence or absence of glucose in S. cerevisiae strains engineered with the xylose reductase (XR)-xylitol dehydrogenase (XDH) pathway. In the absence of PGM2 overexpression, the combined overexpression of XK, the non-ox PPP and deletion of the GRE3 gene significantly delayed aerobic growth on galactose, whereas no difference was observed between the control strain and the xylose-engineered strain when the PGM2 gene was overexpressed. Under anaerobic conditions, the overexpression of the PGM2 gene increased the ethanol yield and the xylose consumption rate in medium containing xylose as the only carbon source. The possibility of Pgm2p acting as a xylose isomerase (XI) could be excluded by measuring the XI activity in both strains. The additional copy of the PGM2 gene also resulted in a shorter fermentation time during the co-consumption of galactose and xylose. However, the effect was lost upon addition of glucose to the growth medium. PGM2 overexpression was shown to benefit xylose and galactose fermentation, alone and in combination. In contrast, galactose fermentation was impaired in the engineered xylose-utilizing strain harbouring extra copies of the non-ox PPP genes and a deletion of the GRE3 gene, unless PGM2 was overexpressed. These cross-reactions are of particular relevance for the fermentation of mixed sugars from lignocellulosic feedstock.

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