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Beauverolides (beauveriolides) are abundant, biologically active cyclodepsipeptides produced by many entomopathogenic fungi, including those that are used as biopesticides. Beauverolides act as cholesterol acyltransferase inhibitors in humans; thus, their mode of action has been the subject of pharmacological and clinical research. The cost‐effective analytical methods are needed for fast, routine laboratory analysis of beauverolides. We isolated beauverolides from the fungal strain Isaria fumosorosea PFR 97‐Apopka and opened the rings of the isolated beauverolides using a pyridine alkaline medium. We separated fractions of cyclic and linearized beauverolides by thin‐layer chromatography, and found the chloroform–acetate (9:1, v/v) and chloroform–acetonitrile–acetate (8:1:1, v/v/v) mobile phases, respectively, to be the most efficient. We examined all the fractions by liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry using ion trap and Orbitrap high resolution mass spectrometry. For rapid screening of the contents of cyclic, and, particularly, linearized beauverolides, we developed a novel analytical method that consisted of using capillary electrophoresis coupled with contactless conductivity detection. Furthermore, we improved the separation of the peptides by applying capillary micellar electrokinetic chromatography with the N‐cyclohexyl‐2‐aminoethanesulfonic acid:SDS:NaOH buffer, pH 9.8 as the background electrolyte. The described novel methods allow fast and cost‐effective separation of chemically related groups of beauverolides. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Background: CD16 was previously suggested to be a new marker of basophils that is subject to downregulation by FcεRI crosslinking. Certain compounds, including supraoptimal concentrations of the PKC inhibitors, bisindolylmaleimides, decouple the release of granules containing CD203c, CD63 and histamine, and may thus help to identify the mechanisms related to the CD16 externalization. Objective: We hypothesized that CD16 is differentially expressed on the surface of basophils in patients with birch pollen or insect venom allergy and is subject to a regulation in response to allergens. We also employed CD203c and CD63 externalization decoupling by bisindolylmaleimides. Methods: We performed a basophil activation test coupled with CD16 and histamine detection using cells isolated from patients with allergy to birch pollen or insect venom and negative controls. We employed two PKC inhibitors, bisindolylmaleimide II and Ro 31‐8220 at their supraoptimal concentrations and, after difficulties reproducing previously published data, we analyzed the fluorescence of these inhibitors alone. We identified the CD16 isoforms by sequencing nested RT‐PCR amplicons from flow cytometry sorted basophils and by cleaving the CD16b GPI anchor using a phospholipase C. Results: We provide the first evidence that CD16a is expressed as a surface antigen on a small subpopulation of human basophils in patients with respiratory and insect venom allergy, and this antigen shows increased surface expression following allergen challenge or FcεRI crosslinking. We rejected the apparent decoupling of the surface expression of basophil activation markers following the administration of bisindolylmaleimides. Conclusions & Clinical Relevance: The inclusion of αCD16 in negative selection cocktails selects against a subset of basophils that are CD16+ or CD16dim. Using CD16dim basophils and unstained leucocytes, we show that previous studies with supraoptimal concentrations of bisindolylmaleimides are likely flawed and are not associated with the differential expression of CD203c and CD63. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We report the first heterologous production of a fungal rutinosidase (6- O-α- L-rhamnopyranosyl-β- D-glucopyranosidase) in Pichia pastoris. The recombinant rutinosidase was purified from the culture medium to apparent homogeneity and biochemically characterized. The enzyme reacts with rutin and cleaves the glycosidic linkage between the disaccharide rutinose and the aglycone. Furthermore, it exhibits high transglycosylation activity, transferring rutinose from rutin as a glycosyl donor onto various alcohols and phenols. The utility of the recombinant rutinosidase was demonstrated by its use for the synthesis of a broad spectrum of rutinosides of primary (saturated and unsaturated), secondary, acyclic and phenolic alcohols as well as for the preparation of free rutinose. Moreover, the α- L-rhamnosidase-catalyzed synthesis of a chromogenic substrate for a rutinosidase assay - para-nitrophenyl β-rutinoside - is described. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recombinant α-L-rhamnosidase from Aspergillus terreus expressed in Pichia pastoris was immobilized in LentiKats® lens-shaped polyvinylalcohol (PVA) capsules with an activity of 7 U g− 1, which was 21% of its original activity. Immobilization did not significantly affect the pH and temperature profile of α-L-rhamnosidase, KM increased by a factor of 3.4 whereas Vmax decreased more than 10-fold. No decrease in activity was observed after 27 repeated batch runs of rutin derhamnosylation. The enzyme proved to have an excellent storage stability (136 days) in 60 g L− 1 ethanol with no change in its activity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]