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Small molecules (xenobiotics) that inhibit cell-wall-localised enzymes are valuable for elucidating the enzymes’ biological roles. We applied a high-throughput fluorescent dot-blot screen to search for inhibitors of Petroselinum xyloglucan endotransglucosylase (XET) activity in vitro . Of 4216 xenobiotics tested, with cellulose-bound xyloglucan as donor-substrate, 18 inhibited XET activity and 18 promoted it (especially anthraquinones and flavonoids). No compounds promoted XET in quantitative assays with (cellulose-free) soluble xyloglucan as substrate, suggesting that promotion was dependent on enzyme–cellulose interactions. With cellulose-free xyloglucan as substrate, we found 22 XET-inhibitors – especially compounds that generate singlet oxygen ( 1 O 2 ) e.g., riboflavin (IC 50 29 μM), retinoic acid, eosin (IC 50 27 μM) and erythrosin (IC 50 36 μM). The riboflavin effect was light-dependent, supporting 1 O 2 involvement. Other inhibitors included tannins, sulphydryl reagents and triphenylmethanes. Some inhibitors (vulpinic acid and brilliant blue G) were relatively specific to XET, affecting only two or three, respectively, of nine other wall-enzyme activities tested; others [e.g. (−)-epigallocatechin gallate and riboflavin] were non-specific. In vivo , out of eight XET-inhibitors bioassayed, erythrosin (1 μM) inhibited cell expansion in Rosa and Zea cell-suspension cultures, and 40 μM mycophenolic acid and (−)-epigallocatechin gallate inhibited Zea culture growth. Our work showcases a general high-throughput strategy for discovering wall-enzyme inhibitors, some being plant growth inhibitors potentially valuable as physiological tools or herbicide leads. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Twenty-four compounds, including the previously unknown artoxanthocarpuone A, artoxanthocarpuone B, hydroxylakoochin A, methoxylakoochin A, epoxylakoochin A, and artoxanthol, were isolated and characterized spectroscopically. Among them, artoxanthol is stilbene oligomer presumably constructed in a 5,11,12-triphenyl hexahydrochrysene scaffold by a Diels–Alder type of reaction, for which a biosynthetic pathway is proposed. Artoxanthol, alboctalol, steppogenin, norartocarpetin, resveratrol, oxyresveratrol, and chlorophorin potently inhibited mushroom tyrosinase activity with IC 50 values from 0.9 to 5.7 μM that were all far stronger than the positive controls. Artoxanthocarpuone A, artoxanthocarpuone B, methoxylakoochin A, lakoochin A, cudraflavone C, artonin A, resveratrol, and chlorophorin reduced tyrosinase activity and inhibited α-melanocyte-stimulating hormone-induced melanin production in B16F10 melanoma cells without affecting cell proliferation. Collectively, the results suggest that the constituents of Artocarpus xanthocarpus have potential to be used as depigmentation agents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sawdust hemicellulosic hydrolysate can be used as a promising xylose source for enzymatic conversion to xylitol, a specialty product. The aim of this study was to design various factors by observing their effects on xylitol production from hemicellulosic hydrolysate by xylose reductase (XR) enzyme. The one-factor-at-a-time (OFAT) strategy was adopted to determine the effective levels of process factors influencing xylitol yield. Enzymatic xylitol production was conducted in batch mode using different levels of reaction time (2-18 h), temperature (20-70°C), pH (4.0-9.0), xylose concentration (9.4-37.6 g/L), NADPH concentration (1.17-5.32 g/L), enzyme concentration (2-6%), and agitation (50-150rpm). Among the factors examined, time, temperature, pH, NADPH, and enzyme concentration significantly influenced the biosynthesis of xylitol with the suitable level of 10 h, 30 °C, 7.0,3.66 g/L, and 3% (v/v), respectively. Xylitol yield obtained was 56% (w/w) under these observed optimum conditions. This is the first report on the bioproduction of xylitol from lignocellulosic substrate by XR. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Enzymatic hydrolysis is a widely used approach to improve the functional, nutritional and physiological properties of food proteins. In this study, cross-linked enzyme aggregates (CLEAs) have been prepared from cell-envelope proteinases (CEPs) of Lactobacillus delbruecfeii subsp. lactis 313 and their proteolytic properties have been evaluated using several food proteins. We have optimized cross-linking conditions including ammonium sulphate concentration, incubation temperatures, agitation speed, glutaraldehyde cross-linker concentration, reaction time and the addition of proteic feeders. Particularly, the presence of BSA improves retained activity of cross-linked CEP aggregates (CLCEPAs) from 21.5% to 40.9%. Blocking unreacted cross-linking groups on aggregates is important to enhance recyclability of CLCEPAs. CLCEPAs had attractive thermal stability at 50 °C and it showed enhanced catalytic activity over long-term storage after lyophilization. We have demonstrated that CLCEPAs has proteolytic properties on different food proteins including complex (chicken egg albumin, skimmed-milk protein), fractionated (bovine casein, whey protein isolate), and purified (bovine serum albumin) proteins. Being the first report of CLEAs from lactobacilli CEPs, this study demonstrates the feasibility of using LDL 313 CLCEPAs for degradation of various food proteins. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In plants sugar sensing and signal transduction involves pathways dependent or independent on HXK1 as a glucose sensor. Research was conducted to determine which pathway is responsible for regulation of the nitrate reduction. The effect of selected carbon and nitrogen metabolites on nitrate reductase (NR) activity in Arabidopsis thaliana wild type (WT) and hxk1 mutant roots was studied. Exogenously supplied sugar, sucrose (Suc) and organic acid, 2-oxoglutarate (2-OG) led to an increase in the total and actual activity of NR. It was due to both the increase in expression of NIA genes and NR activation state. The stimulatory effect of Suc and 2-OG on nitrate reduction was less pronounced in hxk1 mutant roots with T-DNA insertion in the AtHXK1 gene encoding hexokinase1 (HXK1) and characterized by reduced hexokinase activity and root level of G6P and F6P. On the other hand, it was shown that exogenous glucose did not mimic Suc-mediated NR activation in Arabidopsis roots. Taken together, this data suggest that the Suc signaling pathway might be independent from hexose's sensor dependent mechanism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Transgenic tomato lines (cv. Kashi Vishesh) over-expressing AtDREB1A/CBF3 driven by stress-inducible rd29A promoter showed significantly higher activities of key antioxidant enzymes when exposed to water-deficit for 7, 14, and 21 days. Transgenic tomato plants exposed to water-deficit recorded lower levels of hydrogen peroxide and superoxide anion formation compared to the non-transgenic plants, suggesting alleviation of reactive oxygen species (ROS). A significant increase in activities of enzymes superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), ascorbate peroxidase (APX), glutathione reductase (GR), dehydroascorbate reductase (DHAR), and monodehydroascorbate reductase (MDHAR) was observed in response to the different durations of water-deficit conditions. In contrast, enzyme guaiacol peroxidase (POD) activity was lower in the transgenic lines and showed a negative correlation with ROS, ascorbic acid (AsA), and glutathione levels. The concentrations of AsA, glutathione and their reduced forms were higher in the transgenic plants and increased with ROS levels. These results indicate that AtDREB1A transgenic tomato lines are better adapted to water-deficit as they showed lower drought-induced oxidative stress due to activation of the antioxidant response. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Vitamin B6 (pyridoxal 5′-phosphate and its vitamers) is an important cofactor in numerous enzymatic reactions. In spite of its importance, the consequences of altering vitamin B6 content on plant growth and development are not well understood. This study compares two mutants for vitamin B6-metabolizing enzymes in Arabidopsis thaliana: a pdx1.3 mutant in the de novo synthesis pathway and a salvage pathway sos4 mutant that accumulates more vitamin B6. We show that despite a difference in total B6 content in leaf tissue, both mutants share similar phenotypes, including chlorosis, decreased size, altered chloroplast ultrastructure, and root sensitivity to sucrose. Assay of B6 vitamer content from isolated chloroplasts showed that, despite differing B6 vitamer content in whole leaf tissue, both mutants share a common deficiency in total and phosphorylated vitamers in chloroplasts. One of the splice variants of the SOS4 proteins was shown to be located in the chloroplast. Our data indicate that some of the phenotypic consequences shared between the pdx1.3 and sos4 mutants are due to B6 deficiency in chloroplasts, and show that SOS4 is required for maintenance of phosphorylated B6 vitamer concentrations in chloroplasts. Further, our data are consistent with a diffusion model for transport of vitamin B6 into chloroplasts. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]