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The enzymatic activity of soil arylsulfatase and β-glucosidase enzymes are biological parameters used to measure the biological activity of soils, an important tool for identifying disturbances in agricultural systems, as they are more sensitive to differentiate changes in soil management when compared to physical and chemical attributes. Thus, the aim was to evaluate arylsulfatase and β-glucosidase levels in different succession systems. Soil samples were collected in agricultural areas with 5 years of experimentation, with four treatments: (1) soybean/corn + brachiaria (Urochloa ruzizienses), (2) soybean/corn, (3) soybean/brachiaria (Urochloa ruzizienses) and (4) soybean/millet. Routine chemical analyses were performed, and the determination of β-glucosidase and arylsulfatase was carried out according to the p-nitrophenyl colorimetric method. As a result, both enzymes presented higher average values in treatment 3. In the biological IQS, treatment 3 differed from treatments 1 and 2. Under the study circumstances, the use of soil with soybean, corn, millet and brachiaria crops provided adequate sustainability conditions, providing high arylsulfatase and β-glucosidase levels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Environmental evaluations of metal nanoparticles (NP) rely on seperating the effects of the metal NP from its dissolution products. However, the coordinating or counter anion used in experimental controls may potentially influence biotic indicators used in ecotoxicology and soil health monitoring, thereby compromising the ability to detect real nanoparticle effects and potentially confounding interpretation of metal-NP impacts. Using the example of copper oxide (CuO) NP, we demonstrate for the first time that depending on the anion used in the metal ion control (CuCl2 versus CuSO4), different and even opposite conclusions may be drawn for CuO-NP effects. This include a key biological indicator such as enzyme activity in soil samples. Moreover, this effect was specific to environmental conditions and indicator type, raising important methodological and interpretive implications to assess the CuO-NP impacts on soils. Our findings imply that assessments of soil health impacts of metal-NP should consider multiple coordinating anion controls for a given metal, especially when the counterion is known to impact the biological indicator including nutrient ions.

Flea beetles of the genus Psylliodes have evolved specialized interactions with plant species belonging to several distantly related families, mainly Brassicaceae, Solanaceae, and Fagaceae. This diverse host use indicates that Psylliodes flea beetles are able to cope with different chemical defense metabolites, including glucosinolates, the characteristic defense metabolites of Brassicaceae. Here we investigated the evolution of host use and the emergence of a glucosinolate-specific detoxification mechanism in Psylliodes flea beetles. In phylogenetic analyses, Psylliodes species clustered into four major clades, three of which contained mainly species specialized on either Brassicaceae, Solanaceae, or Fagaceae. Most members of the fourth clade have broader host use, including Brassicaceae and Poaceae as major host plant families. Ancestral state reconstructions suggest that Psylliodes flea beetles were initially associated with Brassicaceae and then either shifted to Solanaceae or Fagaceae, or expanded their host repertoire to Poaceae. Despite a putative ancestral association with Brassicaceae, we found evidence that the evolution of glucosinolate-specific detoxification enzymes coincides with the radiation of Psylliodes on Brassicaceae, suggesting that these are not required for using Brassicaceae as hosts but could improve the efficiency of host use by specialized Psylliodes species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The enzymatic activity of soil arylsulfatase and β-glucosidase enzymes are biological parameters used to measure the biological activity of soils, an important tool for identifying disturbances in agricultural systems, as they are more sensitive to differentiate changes in soil management when compared to physical and chemical attributes. Thus, the aim was to evaluate arylsulfatase and β-glucosidase levels in different succession systems. Soil samples were collected in agricultural areas with 5 years of experimentation, with four treatments: (1) soybean/corn + brachiaria (Urochloa ruzizienses), (2) soybean/corn, (3) soybean/brachiaria (Urochloa ruzizienses) and (4) soybean/millet. Routine chemical analyses were performed, and the determination of β-glucosidase and arylsulfatase was carried out according to the p-nitrophenyl colorimetric method. As a result, both enzymes presented higher average values in treatment 3. In the biological IQS, treatment 3 differed from treatments 1 and 2. Under the study circumstances, the use of soil with soybean, corn, millet and brachiaria crops provided adequate sustainability conditions, providing high arylsulfatase and β-glucosidase levels.

Sulphur (S) plays a vital role in improving the quality of mulberry leaves because of its involvement in protein synthesis. The knowledge of different pools of S in soils and its bioavailability for mulberry nutrition is thus, required for optimizing S fertilization. Hence, the present study was designed to ascertain the influence of chemical fertilizer and farmyard manure (both are S sources) on S fractions and its bioavailability in soils. In this regard, four nutrient management practices viz., control (without any chemical fertilizers and organic manures), recommended doses of N, P and K fertilizers (100% RDF), 80% RDF, 60% RDF with four mulberry varieties viz., V-1, G-4, AGB-8 and MSG-2 besides a fallow were considered for the study. Furthermore, the bioavailability of S in soils was tested using four commonly used chemical extractants viz., CaCl2, NaHCO3, AB-DTPA and Mehlich-3 (with different modes and chemistry of extraction). Organic S was the dominant fraction in the experimental soils accounting for 94.7% of total soil S while the inorganic fraction constituted only 5.3% that includes water soluble, sorbed and carbonate occluded S. Lowest amount of organic S content in soils of unmanured control (579.6 mg kg−1) was observed while the 100% RDF treatment (673.2 mg kg−1) maintained a higher content of soil organic S. High amount of sorbed and occluded S was observed in control plot compared to other fertilizer treatments (100% RDF, 80% RDF and 60% RDF). There was a gradual decline in soil S fractions when the fertilizer inputs were reduced to 60% suggesting that recommended doses of fertilizer inputs could maintain the soil S fractions. In addition, the extractable fractions of S were influenced by the fertilizer application rates and the extractability of all four extractants decreased with the reduction in fertilizer inputs. The amount of S extracted by all four chemical extractants followed the order of NaHCO3 > Mehlich-3 > AB-DTPA > CaCl2 across the tested soils. Dynamic relationships among the extractants indicated that they could extract the S from the same pools in soil. Of the four extractants tested for evaluating plant available S, Mehlich-3 showed a higher degree of correlations with plant tissue S concentration and applied S through chemical fertilizers and farmyard manure. Furthermore, it could maintain strong correlations with water soluble and organic S fractions which were found to contribute significantly to plant S concentration. Thus, Mehlich-3 can be recommended for the assessment of bioavailable S for the nutrition of mulberry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to determine the effect of sulfur (S) application on a root-associated microbial community resulting in a rhizosphere microbiome with better nutrient mobilizing capacity. Soybean plants were cultivated with or without S application, the organic acids secreted from the roots were compared. High-throughput sequencing of 16S rRNA was used to analyze the effect of S on microbial community structure of the soybean rhizosphere. Several plant growth-promoting bacteria (PGPB) isolated from the rhizosphere were identified that can be harnessed for crop productivity. The amount of malic acid secreted from the soybean roots was significantly induced by S application. According to the microbiota analysis, the relative abundance of Polaromonas, identified to have positive association with malic acid, and arylsulfatase-producing Pseudomonas, were increased in S-applied soil. Burkholderia sp. JSA5, obtained from S-applied soil, showed multiple nutrient-mobilizing traits among the isolates. In this study, S application affected the soybean rhizosphere bacterial community structure, suggesting the contribution of changing plant conditions such as in the increase in organic acid secretion. Not only the shift of the microbiota but also isolated strains from S-fertilized soil showed PGPB activity, as well as isolated bacteria that have the potential to be harnessed for crop productivity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Arylsulfatases exhibit great potential in industry for desulfation applications, but less is known about the metallo-β-lactamase (MBL) fold arylsulfatases. To learn more about them, an MBL fold arylsulfatase from Pseudoalteromonas atlantica T6c (PaAst) was identified and characterized, and its structure was elaborated in this study. PaAst was sequence analyzed, heterologously expressed in E. coli, purified by Ni2+-NTA resin affinity chromatography and size-exclusion chromatography, functionally studied by p-nitrophenyl sulfate (pNPS), and crystallized for structure determination. The MBL fold arylsulfatase was identified by sequence analysis and confirmed by enzymatic assay on pNPS with Km 1.00 mM and Vmax 60.80 U/mg at 50 °C and pH 7.5. Furthermore, its crystals were obtained in 0.2 M sodium thiocyamate, 20% PEG3350, and its structure was determined at 2.0 Å that formed a dimer with MBL fold. Our work highlighted the MBL fold arylsulfatases from structural insights and could be the theoretical foundation for investigations into their catalytic mechanism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Proteases, catalysing protein hydrolysis, and arylsulfatases, catalysing sulfate-ester hydrolysis, are key microbial enzymes for N and S mineralization in soil. However, knowledge gaps remain regarding the effect of crop successions and seasonal and interannual meteorological variations on microbial communities responsible for those activities. Here, we compared the effect of six cropping sequences on the abundance and activity of microbial communities involved in proteolysis and sulfate-ester hydrolysis in northern France over four years, with two sampling dates per year. Crop sequences impacted soil microbial communities involved in proteolysis but not those involved in sulfate-ester hydrolysis. Oilseed rape following wheat presented a higher abundance of fungal 18S rDNA, culturable bacteria and alkaline metalloprotease genes and higher protease activity than other crop sequences (wheat following oilseed rape or pea, barley following wheat and pea following barley). Net N and S mineralization was not impacted by the cropping sequence. However, interannual variability of microbial parameters was large, and largely overcame the effect of crop sequences. Precipitation variability between years was the likely cause of this effect. In conclusion, the interaction between current crop, previous crops and yearly meteorology can strongly impact the soil microbial communities in agroecosystems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Infrastructure & Ecology of Rural Areas / Infrastruktura & Ekologia Terenów Wiejskich is the property of Stowarzyszenie Infrastruktura & Ekologia Terenow Wiejskich and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Agricultural Research in the Tropics / Pesquisa Agropecuária Tropical is the property of Pesquisa Agropecuaria Tropical and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

We found the activity of arylsulfatase in the midgut contents of the silkworm, Bombyx mori. We identified a 60-kDa protein that comigrates with the activity on a column chromatography following ammonium sulfate precipitation. Based on its partial amino acid sequence, we searched for its coding gene using Basic Local Alignment Search Tool (BLAST) and identified KWMTBOMO05106. Transcriptional data suggest a specific expression of the gene in middle silk glands. The majority (80%) of arylsulfatase activity was found in the silk glands, concurring the specific transcription in the silk gland. Observing the feeding behaviour of the silkworm, we found that silkworms smear a mucus secretes from the spinneret on the food pellet as they feed on. Arylsulfatase activity was also detected in the food pellet bitten by the silkworm as well as in the gut content. Furthermore, arylsulfatase activity was not detected either in the food pellet and in the gut content when silkworms had obstructed the spinneret. These results suggest that arylsulfatase is secreted from the silk glands and may contribute to digestive function. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sulfate is an essential macroelement for all living organisms. However, sulfate can be limited in agricultural settings. Microorganisms change their gene expression to acclimate to sulfate deficient conditions. Green microalga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii expresses and secretes extracellular arylsulfatase (ARS) under sulfate deficient conditions. Our results show that C. reinhardtii ARS can hydrolyze both sulfate monoester (5-bromo-4-chloro-3 indolyl sulfate; X-SO42-) and phosphate monoester (5-bromo-4-chloro-3 indolyl phosphate; X-PO43-) providing evidence that ARS enzyme has promiscuous activity. C. reinhardtii is found in soil and fresh water habitats in nature. This promiscuous activity can be beneficial in making both sulfate and phosphate bioavailable for uptake by soil organisms and plant roots. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For years, the impacts of using cover crops in productive systems have been measured by their relation with soil chemical and physical characteristics. Consequently, the effects on the soil microbiological characteristics have been little explored. This research aimed to measure the short-term effects of cover crop systems on the enzymatic activity of arylsulfatase and beta-glycosidase, as well as the wheat grain yield. Thirty-five cover crop systems (18 single and 17 intercropped) were implemented, with 3 replications of the following variables for each treatment: enzymatic activity of arylsulfatase and beta-glycosidase, soil organic matter and sulfur contents, and wheat grain yield. The data were submitted to descriptive analysis, multivariate cluster analysis by dendrograms for the single and intercropped plant systems, and t-test for independent samples between the average scores of each group in the dendrograms. Independently of the crop system, there were short-term effects on the enzymatic activity and grain yield. Plants from the same botanic family presented different effects among them. Therefore, in the short-term, cover crops affect the enzymatic activity, and plants that present a higher enzymatic activity do not necessarily result in higher grain yields.

Odor released from the sewage sludge composting process often has a negative impact on the sewage sludge treatment facility and becomes a hindrance to promoting compost technology. This study investigated the effect of adding KNO3 on the emissions of volatile sulfur compounds, such as hydrogen sulfide (H2S), dimethyl sulfide (DMS), and carbon disulfide (CS2), during sewage sludge composting and on the physicochemical properties of compost products, such as arylsulfatase activity, available sulfur, total sulfur, moisture content, and germination index. The results showed that the addition of KNO3 could inhibit the emissions of volatile sulfur compounds during composting. KNO3 can also increase the heating rate and peak temperature of the compost pile and reduce the available sulfur loss. The addition of 4% and 8% KNO3 had the best effect on H2S emissions, and it reduced the emissions of H2S during composting by 19.5% and 20.0%, respectively. The addition of 4% KNO3 had the best effect on DMS and CS2 emissions, and it reduced the emissions of DMS and CS2 by 75.8% and 63.0%, respectively. Furthermore, adding 4% KNO3 had the best effect from the perspective of improving the germination index of the compost. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Background The soil quality and health of the tea plantations are dependent on agriculture management practices, and long-term chemical fertilizer use is implicated in soil decline. Hence, several sustainable practices are used to improve and maintain the soil quality. Here, in this study, changes in soil properties, enzymatic activity, and dysbiosis in bacterial community composition were compared using three agricultural management practices, namely conventional (CA), sustainable (SA), and transformational agriculture (TA) in the tea plantation during 2016 and 2017 period. Soil samples at two-months intervals were collected and analyzed. Results The results of the enzyme activities revealed that acid phosphatase, arylsulfatase, β-glucosidase, and urease activities differed considerably among the soils representing the three management practices. Combining the redundancy and multiple regression analysis, the change in the arylsulfatase activity was explained by soil pH as a significant predictor in the SA soils. The soil bacterial community was predominated by the phyla Proteobacteria, Acidobacteria, Actinobacteria, Chloroflexi, and Bacteroidetes in the soil throughout the sampling period. Higher Alpha diversity scores indicated increased bacterial abundance and diversity in the SA soils. A significant relationship between bacterial richness indices (SOBS, Chao and ACE) and soil pH, K and, P was observed in the SA soils. The diversity indices namely Shannon and Simpson also showed variations, suggesting the shift in the diversity of less abundant and more common species. Furthermore, the agricultural management practices, soil pH fluctuation, and the extractable elements had a greater influence on bacterial structure than that of temporal change. Conclusions Based on the cross-over analysis of the bacterial composition, enzymatic activity, and soil properties, the relationship between bacterial composition and biologically-driven ecological processes can be identified as indicators of sustainability for the tea plantation.

Sulphur (S) plays a vital role in improving the quality of mulberry leaves because of its involvement in protein synthesis. The knowledge of different pools of S in soils and its bioavailability for mulberry nutrition is thus, required for optimizing S fertilization. Hence, the present study was designed to ascertain the influence of chemical fertilizer and farmyard manure (both are S sources) on S fractions and its bioavailability in soils. In this regard, four nutrient management practices viz., control (without any chemical fertilizers and organic manures), recommended doses of N, P and K fertilizers (100% RDF), 80% RDF, 60% RDF with four mulberry varieties viz., V-1, G-4, AGB-8 and MSG-2 besides a fallow were considered for the study. Furthermore, the bioavailability of S in soils was tested using four commonly used chemical extractants viz., CaCl2, NaHCO3, AB-DTPA and Mehlich-3 (with different modes and chemistry of extraction). Organic S was the dominant fraction in the experimental soils accounting for 94.7% of total soil S while the inorganic fraction constituted only 5.3% that includes water soluble, sorbed and carbonate occluded S. Lowest amount of organic S content in soils of unmanured control (579.6 mg kg−1) was observed while the 100% RDF treatment (673.2 mg kg−1) maintained a higher content of soil organic S. High amount of sorbed and occluded S was observed in control plot compared to other fertilizer treatments (100% RDF, 80% RDF and 60% RDF). There was a gradual decline in soil S fractions when the fertilizer inputs were reduced to 60% suggesting that recommended doses of fertilizer inputs could maintain the soil S fractions. In addition, the extractable fractions of S were influenced by the fertilizer application rates and the extractability of all four extractants decreased with the reduction in fertilizer inputs. The amount of S extracted by all four chemical extractants followed the order of NaHCO3 > Mehlich-3 > AB-DTPA > CaCl2 across the tested soils. Dynamic relationships among the extractants indicated that they could extract the S from the same pools in soil. Of the four extractants tested for evaluating plant available S, Mehlich-3 showed a higher degree of correlations with plant tissue S concentration and applied S through chemical fertilizers and farmyard manure. Furthermore, it could maintain strong correlations with water soluble and organic S fractions which were found to contribute significantly to plant S concentration. Thus, Mehlich-3 can be recommended for the assessment of bioavailable S for the nutrition of mulberry.

This study aimed to determine the effect of sulfur (S) application on a root-associated microbial community resulting in a rhizosphere microbiome with better nutrient mobilizing capacity. Soybean plants were cultivated with or without S application, the organic acids secreted from the roots were compared. High-throughput sequencing of 16S rRNA was used to analyze the effect of S on microbial community structure of the soybean rhizosphere. Several plant growth-promoting bacteria (PGPB) isolated from the rhizosphere were identified that can be harnessed for crop productivity. The amount of malic acid secreted from the soybean roots was significantly induced by S application. According to the microbiota analysis, the relative abundance of Polaromonas, identified to have positive association with malic acid, and arylsulfatase-producing Pseudomonas, were increased in S-applied soil. Burkholderia sp. JSA5, obtained from S-applied soil, showed multiple nutrient-mobilizing traits among the isolates. In this study, S application affected the soybean rhizosphere bacterial community structure, suggesting the contribution of changing plant conditions such as in the increase in organic acid secretion. Not only the shift of the microbiota but also isolated strains from S-fertilized soil showed PGPB activity, as well as isolated bacteria that have the potential to be harnessed for crop productivity.

It is important to keep natural estrogen conjugates (C-NEs) intact in aqueous environmental sample before sample preparation; otherwise, this may influence the accurate determination of NEs. Therefore, this work thoroughly investigated the stability of C-NEs in three different aqueous environmental samples under four different storage conditions, room temperature, low temperature of 4 °C, low pH of 3, and addition of HgCl2 at 2 g/L. Results showed that C-NEs in aqueous sample were easily deconjugated under low temperature of 4 °C, which has been widely used in sample collection and storage. Both the low pH of 3 and addition of HgCl2 at 2 g/L under room temperature could keep C-NEs intact in domestic wastewaters and river water within 36 h, but the latter could keep C-NEs stable longer. This work is the first to show that low pH of 3 alone could keep C-NEs intact, which suggested that the combined condition at low temperature of 4 °C that has been widely used could be omitted. Meanwhile, compared to pH adjustment, addition of 2 g/L HgCl2 into aqueous sample is more convenient and practical for 24-h composite sampling, which may be widely applied. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Arylsulfatase and β‐glucuronidase are two important enzymes in wastewater and surface water, which play important roles on cleavage of sulfate/glucuronide estrogens. In this work, a high‐performance liquid chromatography (HPLC)‐based new method was firstly established for arylsulfatase/β‐glucuronidase with determination of p‐nitrophenyl sulfate (pNPS)/p‐nitrophenyl‐β‐D‐glucuronide (pNPG). The limits of detections (LODs) of the developed method for pNPS and pNPG were 0.164 and 0.098 μM, respectively. Intraday and interday reproducibility expressed as relative standard deviation (RSD) values of retention times and peak areas was 0.39%–3.68% and 0.23%–4.74%, respectively. The respective recovery efficiencies of this HPLC‐based method spiking at three different concentrations for p‐nitrophenol (pNP), pNPS, and pNPG in activated sludge were 76.5%–88.1%, 79.2%–93.1%, and 84.2%–96.1%, with RSD below 3.9%. The HPLC‐based method was finally applied to estimate the enzyme activity of arylsulfatase/β‐glucuronidase in one activated sludge system and along which the classical spectrophotometric method was also evaluated. Compared with the classic spectrophotometric analytical method, the HPLC‐based new method could simultaneously measure arylsulfatase/β‐glucuronidase one time, which was convenient and time‐saving. Moreover, the developed method could effectively avoid possible underestimation that the spectrophotometric method might encounter. Practitioner points: A new HPLC‐based method for activity estimation of arylsulfatase and β‐glucuronidase was developed.The HPLC‐based method can simultaneously estimate enzyme activity of both arylsulfatase and β‐glucuronidase.The HPLC‐based method can avoid possible underestimation that spectrophotometric method may encounter. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Steroid arylsulfatase is an important enzyme in human, which plays an important role in dynamic equilibrium of natural estrogens. On the other hand, sulfite can be endogenously produced as a consequence of human body's metabolism of sulfur-containing amino acids, while its main sources to human are mainly derived from food as it is a widely used additive. Sulfite-sensitivity is a well-known phenomenon to a small proportion of populations. However, its potential adverse effects on healthy individuals have been hardly reported. It was for the first time reported in this study that sulfite could effectively inhibit arylsulfatase, and its IC50 values for the snail- and human urine–derived arylsulfatase were determined to be 71.9 and 142.8 µM, which were lower than the concentration of sulfite in some healthy population. Consequently, it appears that sulfite might disrupt estrogen homeostasis in human, and this deserves further investigation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research evaluated the effects of coffee cultivation with two different water regimes associated or not with liming and the presence/absence of brachiaria as intercrop on the activities of the soil enzymes β-glucosidase, arylsulfatase and acid phosphatase. The study was carried out at the experimental farm of Embrapa Cerrados, using the cultivar IAC 144 (Coffea arabica L.), under a clayey dystrophic Cerrado Oxisol. Two water regimes (WR) were considered, WR1 with irrigation shifts throughout the year and WR3 with controlled water stress, for about 70 days, in the dry season. In each water regime, effects of lime application (with/without) and the presence/absence of brachiaria cultivated between the lines of coffee plants were evaluated. The activities of the enzymes β-glucosidase, arylsulfatase and acid phosphatase were evaluated during the rainy and dry seasons. Liming and intercropped brachiaria positively affected the activities of the three enzymes assessed in this study at varying degrees, depending on season and/or the WR. Our findings evidenced that intercropped brachiaria in coffee rows was the factor that most positively impacted soil enzymes activities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Steroid sulfate esters are important metabolites for anti-doping efforts in sports, pathology and research. Analysis of these metabolites is facilitated by hydrolysis using either acid or enzymatic catalysis. Although enzymatic hydrolysis is preferred for operating at neutral pH, no known enzyme is capable of hydrolyzing all steroid sulfate metabolites. Pseudomonas aeruginosa arylsulfatase (PaS) is ideal for the hydrolysis of β-configured steroid sulfates but like other known class I sulfatases it is inefficient at hydrolyzing α-configured steroid sulfates. We have used directed evolution with liquid chromatography mass spectrometry screening to find variants capable of hydrolyzing a α-configured steroid sulfate: etiocholanolone sulfate (ECS). After targeting two regions of PaS, four residues were identified and optimized to yield a final variant with a total of seven mutations (DRN-PaS) capable of hydrolyzing ECS ~80 times faster than the best PaS variant previously available. This DRN-PaS also shows improved activity for other α-configured steroid sulfates. Simultaneous mutagenesis was essential to obtain DRN-PaS due to complementarity between targeted residues. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Proteoglycans are essential constituents of tissue- and organ microenvironments, modulating both the structural scaffolds that surround cells as well as signaling cues that determine cellular phenotype. An important modification of proteoglycans is the sulfation of the monosaccharides that comprise them. Sulfates are added by sulfotransferases and desulfation occurs through the action of sulfatases. In this essay, we examine the biochemistry of a conserved family of desulfating enzymes known as arylsulfatases. A subset of these enzymes mediates the desulfation of proteoglycans. We review the consequences of their aberrant expression in the light of carcinogenesis and carcinomatosis: the dissemination of cancer cells. A closer understanding of their cellular-molecular roles reveals their promise for future strategies for cancer therapy.

Proteases, catalysing protein hydrolysis, and arylsulfatases, catalysing sulfate-ester hydrolysis, are key microbial enzymes for N and S mineralization in soil. However, knowledge gaps remain regarding the effect of crop successions and seasonal and interannual meteorological variations on microbial communities responsible for those activities. Here, we compared the effect of six cropping sequences on the abundance and activity of microbial communities involved in proteolysis and sulfate-ester hydrolysis in northern France over four years, with two sampling dates per year. Crop sequences impacted soil microbial communities involved in proteolysis but not those involved in sulfate-ester hydrolysis. Oilseed rape following wheat presented a higher abundance of fungal 18S rDNA, culturable bacteria and alkaline metalloprotease genes and higher protease activity than other crop sequences (wheat following oilseed rape or pea, barley following wheat and pea following barley). Net N and S mineralization was not impacted by the cropping sequence. However, interannual variability of microbial parameters was large, and largely overcame the effect of crop sequences. Precipitation variability between years was the likely cause of this effect. In conclusion, the interaction between current crop, previous crops and yearly meteorology can strongly impact the soil microbial communities in agroecosystems.

The presence of sulfate groups in agar compromises the agar quality by affecting the crosslinking during gelling process. Some arylsulfatases can catalyze the hydrolysis of sulfate bonds in agar to improve the agar quality. Immobilized arylsulfatases prove beneficial advantages for their industrial applications. Here, a previously characterized mutant arylsulfatase K253H/H260L was immobilized on the synthesized magnetic Fe3O4 nanoparticles after functionalization by tannic acid (MNPs@TA). The surface properties and molecular structures of the immobilized arylsulfatase (MNPs@TA@ARS) were examined by scanning electron microscopy and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. Enzymatic characterization showed that MNPs@TA@ARS exhibited shifted optimal temperature and pH with deviated apparent Km and Vmax compared to its free counterpart. The immobilized arylsulfatase demonstrated improved thermal and pH stability and enhanced storage stability with modest reusability. In addition, MNPs@TA@ARS displayed enhanced tolerance to various inhibitors and detergents. The utilization of the immobilized arylsulfatase for agar desulfation brought the treated agar with improved quality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, focusing on new potent anticancer agents with selective activity is one of the greatest challenges in cancer therapy. Breast cancer is the most common cancer and the main cause of cancer deaths in women. The sulfatase enzyme plays an important role in converting the sulfated steroids into non-sulfate steroid hormones, which increases the growth and development of many hormone-dependent cancers, such as breast cancer. In this regard, structure-based optimization was conducted to design novel flavone-sulfonates pharmacophore as a new steroid sulfatase inhibitor. In the present work, the conventional methods for the synthesis of 4-oxo-2-phenyl-4H-chromen-7-yl methanesulfonate derivatives were reported. Their cytotoxicity was evaluated with MTT assay against a breast cancer cell line (MCF-7). The apoptosis inducing activity of the most cytotoxic compound 3c with an IC50 value of 0.615 µM was evaluated in comparison to docetaxel in the presence of estradiol which is a crucial growth factor to survive the cancerous cells. The results of double staining Annexin V-FITC/PI analysis suggested that the cytotoxic activity of this compound 3c in MCF-7 cells occurs via apoptosis. Molecular docking studies were conducted to clarify the inhibition mode of the most promising compound (3c) over the sulfatase (1P49) binding site. The analysis revealed the role of hydrogen bond interaction with Gly181 and hydrophobic interactions through the 1P49 active site in the ligand-receptor complex as significant descriptors to rationalize the potential inhibition activity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ABSTRACT: This research evaluated the effects of coffee cultivation with two different water regimes associated or not with liming and the presence/absence of brachiaria as intercrop on the activities of the soil enzymes β-glucosidase, arylsulfatase and acid phosphatase. The study was carried out at the experimental farm of Embrapa Cerrados, using the cultivar IAC 144 (Coffea arabica L.), under a clayey dystrophic Cerrado Oxisol. Two water regimes (WR) were considered, WR1 with irrigation shifts throughout the year and WR3 with controlled water stress, for about 70 days, in the dry season. In each water regime, effects of lime application (with/without) and the presence/absence of brachiaria cultivated between the lines of coffee plants were evaluated. The activities of the enzymes β-glucosidase, arylsulfatase and acid phosphatase were evaluated during the rainy and dry seasons. Liming and intercropped brachiaria positively affected the activities of the three enzymes assessed in this study at varying degrees, depending on season and/or the WR. Our findings evidenced that intercropped brachiaria in coffee rows was the factor that most positively impacted soil enzymes activities.

Odor released from the sewage sludge composting process often has a negative impact on the sewage sludge treatment facility and becomes a hindrance to promoting compost technology. This study investigated the effect of adding KNO3 on the emissions of volatile sulfur compounds, such as hydrogen sulfide (H2S), dimethyl sulfide (DMS), and carbon disulfide (CS2), during sewage sludge composting and on the physicochemical properties of compost products, such as arylsulfatase activity, available sulfur, total sulfur, moisture content, and germination index. The results showed that the addition of KNO3 could inhibit the emissions of volatile sulfur compounds during composting. KNO3 can also increase the heating rate and peak temperature of the compost pile and reduce the available sulfur loss. The addition of 4% and 8% KNO3 had the best effect on H2S emissions, and it reduced the emissions of H2S during composting by 19.5% and 20.0%, respectively. The addition of 4% KNO3 had the best effect on DMS and CS2 emissions, and it reduced the emissions of DMS and CS2 by 75.8% and 63.0%, respectively. Furthermore, adding 4% KNO3 had the best effect from the perspective of improving the germination index of the compost.

Background: The soil quality and health of the tea plantations are dependent on agriculture management practices, and long-term chemical fertilizer use is implicated in soil decline. Hence, several sustainable practices are used to improve and maintain the soil quality. Here, in this study, changes in soil properties, enzymatic activity, and dysbiosis in bacterial community composition were compared using three agricultural management practices, namely conventional (CA), sustainable (SA), and transformational agriculture (TA) in the tea plantation during 2016 and 2017 period. Soil samples at two-months intervals were collected and analyzed. Results: The results of the enzyme activities revealed that acid phosphatase, arylsulfatase, β-glucosidase, and urease activities differed considerably among the soils representing the three management practices. Combining the redundancy and multiple regression analysis, the change in the arylsulfatase activity was explained by soil pH as a significant predictor in the SA soils. The soil bacterial community was predominated by the phyla Proteobacteria, Acidobacteria, Actinobacteria, Chloroflexi, and Bacteroidetes in the soil throughout the sampling period. Higher Alpha diversity scores indicated increased bacterial abundance and diversity in the SA soils. A significant relationship between bacterial richness indices (SOBS, Chao and ACE) and soil pH, K and, P was observed in the SA soils. The diversity indices namely Shannon and Simpson also showed variations, suggesting the shift in the diversity of less abundant and more common species. Furthermore, the agricultural management practices, soil pH fluctuation, and the extractable elements had a greater influence on bacterial structure than that of temporal change. Conclusions: Based on the cross-over analysis of the bacterial composition, enzymatic activity, and soil properties, the relationship between bacterial composition and biologically-driven ecological processes can be identified as indicators of sustainability for the tea plantation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims: Minoxidil is a hair growth drug for treating androgenetic alopecia. Although minoxidil is generally administered as a topical formulation, this prodrug must be converted to its active form (minoxidil sulfate) by sulfotransferase in hair follicle tissue. Therefore, its effect may be affected by the sulfureting of minoxidil and de-sulfureting of minoxidil sulfate in hair follicles. To investigate the biotransformation of minoxidil sulfate to minoxidil in hair follicle component cells, a method for simultaneous determination of minoxidil and minoxidil sulfate by high-performance liquid chromatography with UV-detection was established. Main methods: Minoxidil and minoxidil sulfate were separated by a reversed-phase chromatography. Minoxidil sulfate was incubated with human hair follicle keratinocyte- and dermal papilla cell-derived arylsulfatases as well as snail-derived sulfatase. The enzyme mixture was applied on HPLC system directly. Key findings: Minoxidil and minoxidil sulfate were separated simultaneously. The limit of detection of minoxidil and minoxidil sulfate was 25 and 100 pg inj−1, respectively. Snail-derived sulfatase as well as human hair follicle keratinocyte- and dermal papilla cell-derived arylsulfatases hydrolyzed minoxidil sulfate to minoxidil. Arylsulfatase in hair follicle metabolized the active form of minoxidil to the inactive form. Inactivation of active minoxidil (sulfate) was inhibited by the natural substrate of arylsulfatase A, ascorbate-2-sulfate. Significance: Arylsulfatase inhibitors may sustain the effect of minoxidil sulfate in AGA therapy. The developed technique was effective for studies of minoxidil metabolism and bioavailability.

Abstract Our study aimed to evaluate the influence of rubber tree plantations (Clones IAN 873 and FX 3864) on microbial activity, total organic carbon (TOC), and soils chemical attributes, using as reference pasture and secondary forest, in Rio de Janeiro. The plantations areas showed pH; Mg2+, Ca2+, K+ levels; sum of bases; base saturation, basal respiration; metabolic quotient; and arylsulfatase and FDA activities in the soil similar to or greater than the values found in the forest. In contrast, showed lower P and TOC levels; carbon and nitrogen in the microbial biomass; and β-glucosidase activity than of forest and pasture. Higher acid phosphatase and laccase enzymes activities was observed in the forest and plantations than in the pasture. Thus, we verified that the rubber tree plantations (Clones: IAN 873; FX 3864) maintain or improve the quality of some chemical and microbiological attributes of the soil regarding secondary forest and pasture.

We investigated the impacts of 14-year continuous N addition on activities of arylsulfatase (AS) and phosphodiesterase (PDE), which catalyze soil organic sulfur (S) and phosphorus (P), respectively. The response of AS to N addition was compared with that of C- and N-acquiring enzymes, i.e., β-1,4-glucosidase (BG), β-D-cellobiohydrolase (CBH), β-1,4-Xylosidase (BX), β-1,4-N-acetyl-glucosaminnidase (NAG), and leucine amino peptidase (LAP). We also compared the impact of N addition on PDE activity with that on phosphomonoesterase (PME) activity. The results showed that N addition clearly decreased soil AS activity, whereas activities of C- and N-acquiring enzymes did not exhibit similar changes. The inconsistent response of AS activity with the enzymes was attributed to soil acidification induced by long-term N addition, which shifts the pH condition to a more optimal condition for AS activity and accelerates the accumulation of S in soils. The ratio of PME to PDE were significantly elevated by N addition, implying that the microbial and plant resource allocation to PME relative to PDE increased after N addition at our study site. The shift in resource allocation may have occurred because (i) the types of phosphatases secreted by biota shifted toward phosphatases that require one-step reaction to obtain P (such as PME) in the more-severely P-depleted condition, or (ii) soil acidification provided a more optimal condition for PDE than PME, which resulted in lower PDE production appearing as lower enzyme activity at the same pH condition in the laboratory. Overall, our results indicated different responses of exoenzyme activities to external N input. This highlights the importance of atmospheric N deposition on microbial activity and collateral C and nutrient dynamics in tropical natural forests.

The objective of this study was to evaluate the influence of agroforestry systems of different ages (AFS1: one-year old; AFS5: five-years old) on the biological attributes of soil; the following systems were used for comparison: a slash-and-burn (SBF) farming area, Caatinga which has been undergoing regeneration for 6 years (CaR6), and native Caatinga (NCa) in Brazil. Enzyme activity, abundance and composition of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF), and production of glomalin-related soil proteins (GRSP) were evaluated at soil depths of 0–0.05 m. AMF species composition in the AFS was more similar to that in the NCa than in the SBF and CaR6 systems. In the rainy season, sporulation was most abundant in the AFS-1, CaR6, and SBF systems, whereas GRSP concentrations were highest in the AFS5 during the dry season. Acid phosphatase and arylsulfatase enzyme activity was lower in the AFS1 soils than in the NCa and SBF soils (rainy period), and levels of β-glucosidase and fluorescein diacetate hydrolysis in the AFS were equal to or higher than those in the NCa in the dry season but lower in the rainy season. AFS thus appear to promote the maintenance of soil biological quality, and may be more sustainable than SBF farming systems in the Brazilian Caatinga over the long term.

The economic crisis at the beginning of the eighties impacted 20th-century Costa Rica inmany different ways. Government programs were successful in reducing the proportionof poor people from 35% in 1985 to 23% in 2000. This article utilizes official HouseholdSurveys corresponding to the period 1981-2002 and Population Censuses to performan estimation of age, cohort, and period effects, in order to show that poverty amongthe elderly can be understood as a cohort effect. Their poverty conditions areassociated with their low schooling, mainly among men. The probability of having theright to a retirement pension and the fact that individuals with lower educational levelsearned low income during their later working years, intervene in the relationshipbetween schooling and poverty as a cohort effect.Soon after the end of the civil war in 1948, Costa Rica underwent political and economicchanges that aided the expansion of the social benefits initialized in the 40’s, such asuniversalizing Social Security, promoting health and educational policy, and providinginfrastructure and services to both rural and urban communities. Nevertheless, at theend of the 70’s, increasing oil prices had a strong negative impact on many countriesaround the world. Costa Rica was no exception, and during the 1980 – 1982 period itwent through an economic crisis characterized by hyperinflation, increasedunemployment and underemployment rates, and the declaration of a moratorium on foreign debt payments (Barahona Montero 1999a). The governments after 1982 wererelatively successful in promoting economic recovery by changing the developmentmodel based on import substitution to one promoting non-traditional product exportsand tourism (Barahona Montero 1999a, González Mejía 1999). In spite of the recoveryand public policies designed to combat poverty, since 1991, it has not been possible toreduce the proportion of poor households below 18%, maintaining an annual average ofaround 20%.2 In addition, economists consider that within this one-fifth of the nation’spopulation, there is a group of “hard-core poor”, i.e., persons who systematically live ona minimal income, and who cannot easily climb out of their chronic condition (ProyectoEstado de la Nación-PEN 2002).One group in which the proportion of poor is relatively high with regard to the rest of thepopulation is that of the elderly: 31% of individuals 65 or more years of age live inhouseholds with incomes below the poverty line, according to the 2002 Encuesta deHogares (National Household Survey). The objective of this paper is to show that ifpoverty among the elderly is associated with structural characteristics within this groupof the population, its incidence can be represented as a cohort effect. In other words, alarge percentage of the Costa Rican elderly would be living in poverty, not because oldage leads to poverty, but because the characteristics that they acquired throughout theirlives – given the historical moments they lived – make them more susceptible to beingpoor, in comparison with other groups born more recently. In order to provide separateestimates of the cohort, age, and period effects, we consolidated the Encuestas deHogares from 1980 to 2002, whose basic dependent variable is the proportion ofpersons living in poor households. The paper presents variations of these effectsproduced by the inclusion of certain independent variables in the model, in particular thelevel of education of the cohorts. It also emphasizes the importance of the economiccrisis at the beginning of the 80’s on the incidence of poverty among the elderly, and atthe end of the paper, we relate this phenomenon to educational levels among thesegenerations and their access to Social Security.

Pre-plant fumigation of agricultural soils with a combination of methyl bromide (MeBr) and chloropicrin (CP) to control nematodes, soil-borne pathogens and weeds has been a common practice in strawberry (Fragaria X ananassa Duchesne) production since the 1960s. MeBr will be phased out by 2005, but little is known about the impacts of alternative fumigants on soil microbial processes. We investigated the response of microbial biomass and enzyme activities in soils fumigated over two years with MeBr+CP and the alternatives propargyl bromide (PrBr), InLine, Midas and CP. Results were compared to control soils, which were not fumigated for the last 4-5 years for Watsonville and Oxnard, respectively, but had a 10 year history of MeBr+CP fumigation (history soils). Soil samples (0-15 cm) were taken from two sites in the coastal areas of California, USA, in Watsonville and Oxnard, at peak strawberry production after two years of repeated application. In addition to the soil enzymes, the activities of purified reference enzymes of beta-glucosidase, acid phosphatase and arylsulfatase were assayed before and after fumigation with MeBr+CP and alternative biocides. At the Oxnard site, microbial respiration significantly decreased in soils fumigated with MeBr+ CP (P=0.036), while microbial biomass C and N showed no response to fumigation at both sites. These results may indicate that fumigation promotes the growth of resistant species or that soil microorganisms had recovered at the time of sampling. Repeated soil fumigation with MeBr+CP significantly decreased the activities of P-glucosidase and acid phosphatase at the Watsonville site, and dehydrogenase activity at the Oxnard site. Although, enzyme activities in soils fumigated with PrBr, InLine, Midas and CP were lower compared to the control soil, effects were, in general, not significant. Fumigation with MeBr+ CP and alternatives reduced the activities of purified reference enzymes by 13, 76 and 28% for acid phosphatase, beta-glucosidase and arylsulfatase, respectively. Mean enzyme protein concentrations in fumigated agricultural soils were 2.93, 0.105, and 2.95 mg protein kg(-1) soil for acid phosphatase, beta-glucosidase and arylsulfatase, respectively, all lower than in control soils. Organic matter turnover and nutrient cycling, and thus, the long-term productivity of agricultural soils seem unaffected in soils repeatedly fumigated with PrBr, InLine, Midas and CP. (C) 2004 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Four enzymes activities (EAs) have been targeted as soil health indicators for their important role in reactions releasing bioavailable nutrients within C (β-glucosidase), N and C (β-glucosaminidase), P (acid phosphomonoesterase) and S (arylsulfatase) cycling. Traditionally these EAs are assayed independently on air-dried soil by measuring the release of p -nitrophenol from a substrate analog. Previously, we suggested a novel approach to assess multiple EAs simultaneously in the same soil sample by adding two or three substrates to obtain a comparable index. Our current study provides a combined assay for simultaneous determination of these four EAs in the same soil sample. For the incubation step of our combined assay, we tested modified universal buffer (MUB) because it is used for assaying β-glucosidase and acid phosphomonoesterase activities and tested acetate buffer as it is used for assaying β-glucosaminidase and arylsulfatase activities. Using the acetate buffer (pH 5.8) for the combined assay showed the lowest percent of difference (average of −14%) compared with the sum of individual EAs, and showed positive significant correlations (p < 0.001) with the sum of the individual EAs (r = 0.97) and with soil organic C (r = 0.94) and total nitrogen (TN) (r = 0.93). This combined acetate buffer assay (" CNPS activity") differentiated among agroecosystems similarly to the sum of the individual EAs in Texas soils (cotton < grass < Conservation Reserve Program) and both approaches showed a tendency for higher activities in a diversified rotation compared to corn-soybean and a grass system for Minnesota soils. Use of the novel CNPS activity will provide a uniform biogeochemical cycling index while reducing time and resources compared to assaying the EAs individually. • Combined assays were designed to measure multiple enzymes in same sample at a time. • Positive correlations between activities of combined assays and sum of individual assays. • Positive correlations between combined enzyme activities and soil organic carbon. • Combined assays provide biogeochemical potential indexes to compare across regions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract The FERTBIO soil sample concept considers the advantages that standardization of the sampling time and pretreatment procedures for soil chemical fertility (FERT) and microbiological (BIO) analyses offer to farmers and commercial laboratories. This study examined the effects of two soil sampling/handling strategies (flowering/field-moist soil samples (FFM) and post-harvest/air-dried soil samples (PHAD)) on the critical limits (CLs) for microbial biomass carbon (MBC) and soil enzymes (β-glucosidase, arylsulfatase, acid phosphatase and dehydrogenase). Soil samples (0 to 10 cm depth) were collected in 2013 and 2015 from 24 treatments from three long-term experiments on a Cerrado clayey Red Oxisol. Reduced Major Axis (RMA) regressions showed that PHAD sampling was representative of FFM. Despite the significant reductions in MBC (11%), β-glucosidase (55%), arylsulfatase (49%), acid phosphatase (54%) and dehydrogenase (46%), PHAD sampling preserved the ranking of treatments and did not alter the adjustment of regression models between soil organic carbon (SOC) and microbial indicators. Critical limits specific to post-harvest air-dried soil samples were established for each microbial indicator. The interpretative table generated using the FERTBIO soil sample concept represents an important step in research efforts to incorporate microbial indicators into routine commercial soil analyses in Brazil. In this regard, soil enzyme determinations are more advantageous, as they can be performed directly on air-dried soil samples. Graphical abstract Highlights • Limits (low, moderate, adequate) for bioindicators were defined at post-harvest/air-dried soil. • Standardization of soil chemical/microbiological sampling procedures is feasible. • Soil enzymes are better suited as they can be directly analysed in air-dried soil. • This work supports the routine use of soil microbial analyses in Brazil. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to improve the thermostability of arylsulfatase from Pseudoalteromonas carrageenovora. A library of P. carrageenovora arylsulfatase mutants was constructed by introducing random mutagenesis using error-prone PCR. After screening, two mutants of H260L and D84A/H260L showed enhanced thermal stability than the wild-type predecessor (WT). Site-directed mutagenesis demonstrated that only amino acid residue at Position 260 plays an important role in the thermostability of P. carrageenovora arylsulfatase. Thermal inactivation analysis showed that the half-life (t1/2) values at 55°C for H260L, H260I, H260Q, H260F and H260R were 40.6, 48.4, 30.9, 29.1 and 34.5 min, respectively, while that of WT was 9.1 min. Structure modeling demonstrated that the additional hydrogen bonds and/or optimization of surface charge-charge interactions could be responsible for the increased thermostability imparted by H260L, H260I, H260Q, H260F and H260R. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective To compare the overall efficiency and cost of the construction and screening of libraries of Pseudomonas aeruginosa arylsulfatase (PAAS) through site-directed saturation mutagenesis with random primers (NNN) and precise primers for PCR. Methods Site-directed mutagenesis libraries were constructed using the random primers (NNN) of the selected site, an equal-mole mixture of precise primers and a purified precise primer each time for the amplification of the fusion vector of Escherichia coli alkaline phosphatase (ECAP) and PAAS through PCR. The libraries were screened in a high-throughput mode through the assay of activity ratios of PAAS/ mutants to ECAP after alkaline lysis of host cells. Three approaches for site-directed saturation mutagenesis were compared for their number of monoclones screened, the number of their expected mutants discovered, overall time consumed, overall cost and other pertinent factors. Results The site-directed saturation mutagenesis of M72 with random primers for PCR resulted in only 10 among 20 expected mutants after the screening of over 600 monoclones, besides obvious codon bias. In contrast, no obvious codon bias was observed and there were already 18 among 20 expected mutants after the screening of less than 150 monoclones for site-directed saturation mutagenesis of G138 with similar random primers. The site-directed saturation mutagenesis of M72 with an equal-mole mixture of precise primers yielded all of the 19 expected mutants after the screening of less than 190 monoclones; the site-directed saturation mutagenesis of M72 with the purified precise primers for PCR one-by-one gave all of the 19 expected mutants after the screening of just 2 monoclones for every expected mutant. The use of the purified precise primers for PCR one-by-one was thus more favorable for the construction of libraries of site-directed saturation mutagenesis for the minimum number of monoclones screened, the least overall time and cost. In comparison to the use of the purified precise primers for PCR one-by-one, the use of random primers or the equal-mole mixture of precise primers for PCR to generate the libraries tolerated much greater overall cost and longer time. Conclusion The generation and screening of the site-directed saturation mutagenesis libraries with precise primers for PCR one-by-one were more practical in elucidating the sequence-activity relationship while the use of equal-mole mixture of precise primers for PCR was preferable for the screening of positive mutants during site-directed saturation mutagenesis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As the fourth most essential nutrient element, sulfur plays an important role in plant growth and development, but limited information is available regarding sulfur and its bioavailability after the restoration of degraded wetlands. A field experiment was conducted on three different mixed-vegetation types and planting densities to investigate the effects of vegetation type and density on sulfur and arylsulfatase in mangrove surface soils at the Jinjiang estuary in China. The total sulfur (TS), H2O-S, absorbed-S, available sulfur (AS) and arylsulfatase contents in soils 2 and 3 years after restoration were measured, and the sulfur availability index (SAI) was calculated. The results indicated that vegetation type and planting density significantly affected the TS and bioavailability of soil sulfur, and higher TS, H2O-S, absorbed-S, AS and arylsulfatase contents appeared at LQT 1.0 × 1.0 m (1918 mg/kg, 137 mg/kg, 387 mg/kg, 960 mg/kg and 38 μg*g−1*h−1, respectively). Furthermore, the bioavailability of sulfur increased after restoration from the second to third year. Arylsulfatase was significantly correlated with AS (p < 0.05) and highly correlated with soil organic matter (SOM) (p < 0.01), but no significant correlations were observed among arylsulfatase, SOM and TS. No sulfur fertilizer was required for mangrove plants during restoration in this study area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Graphical abstract Abstract Sulfatases hydrolyze sulfated metabolites to their corresponding alcohols and are present in all domains of life. These enzymes have found major application in metabolic investigation of drugs, doping control analysis and recently in metabolomics. Interest in sulfatases has increased due to a link between metabolic processes involving sulfated metabolites and pathophysiological conditions in humans. Herein, we present the first comprehensive substrate specificity and kinetic analysis of the most commonly used arylsulfatase extracted from the snail Helix pomatia. In the past, this enzyme has been used in the form of a crude mixture of enzymes, however, recently we have purified this sulfatase for a new application in metabolomics-driven discovery of sulfated metabolites. To evaluate the substrate specificity of this promiscuous sulfatase, we have synthesized a series of new sulfated metabolites of diverse structure and employed a mass spectrometric assay for kinetic substrate hydrolysis evaluation. Our analysis of the purified enzyme revealed that the sulfatase has a strong preference for metabolites with a bi- or tricyclic aromatic scaffold and to a lesser extent for monocyclic aromatic phenols. This metabolite library and mass spectrometric method can be applied for the characterization of other sulfatases from humans and gut microbiota to investigate their involvement in disease development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract To evaluate whether microbial stoichiometries of biomass and enzyme activity could vary in response to changes in nutrient availability in an arable soil during the crop growth period, temporal variation in nutrient availability, soil enzyme activities associated with carbon (C), nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), and sulfur (S) acquisition, and microbial biomass C, N, and P were measured in an Allophanic Andosol amended with chemical fertilizer and cow manure. The ratio of l -asparaginase to β- d -glucosidase activities had a significant negative correlation with potentially mineralizable N. In addition, the ratio of arylsulfatase to β- d -glucosidase activities showed a significant negative correlation with available S. Thus, it seems plausible that microorganisms in the soil would allocate their resources to synthesis of N - and S-acquiring enzymes in response to variation in the nutrient availability caused by fertilization and over time. Also, the ratio of microbial biomass C/P had a significant negative correlation with available P, suggesting that this stoichiometry could reflect P availability in the soil. These results imply that microbial biomass and ecoenzymatic stoichiometries are useful for evaluating nutrient availability in soils. Highlights • Microbial arylsulfatase synthesis responds to sulfur availability in soil. • Ecoenzymatic stoichiometry changes depending on variation of nutrient availability. • Microbial biomass carbon/phosphorus negatively correlated with available phosphorus. • Ecoenzymatic stoichiometry could be useful for evaluating nutrient availability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Arylsulfatase is a subset of sulfatase which catalyzes the hydrolysis of aryl sulfate ester. Arylsulfatase is widely distributed among microorganisms, mammals and green algae, but the arylsulfatase-encoding gene has not yet been found in the genomes of higher plants so far. Arylsulfatase plays an important role in the sulfur flows between nature and organisms. In this review, we present the maturation and catalytic mechanism of arylsulfatase, and the recent literature on the expression and production of arylsulfatase in wild-type and engineered microorganisms, as well as the modification of arylsulfatase by genetic engineering are summarized. We focus on arylsulfatases from microbial origin and give an overview of different assays and substrates used to determine the arylsulfatase activity. Furthermore, the researches about arylsulfatase application on the field of agar desulfation, soil sulfur cycle and soil evaluation are also discussed. Finally, the perspectives concerning the future research on arylsulfatase are prospected. • The maturation and catalytic mechanism of arylsulfatase is summarized. • The detection methods of arylsulfatase activity are summarized. • Production of arylsulfatase in wild and engineered microorganisms is reviewed. • Arylsulfatase modification by protein engineering is summarized. • Arylsulfatase application in agar desulfation, soil sulfur cycle, etc. is reviewed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sulfur (S) availability plays key roles in the growth and health of microbes and plants, but little is known about how land use change and phosphorus (P) addition affect the soil S cycle. Based on a 10-year field nitrogen (N) and P addition experiment in three tropical forests (a primary forest, a rehabilitated forest and a disturbed forest), this study investigated the effects of land cover change, N addition and P addition on soil enzymes involved in carbon (C), N, P and S cycles. Results showed that the two secondary forests had lower S availability and higher microbial investments in arylsulfatase than the primary forest, indicating S deficiency in the two secondary forests. Correlation and path analysis showed that forest succession theory could explain the changes of absolute arylsulfatase activity while resource allocation theory explained the changes of specific arylsulfatase activity across the primary and secondary forests. Phosphorus addition had larger effects on soil properties and microbial biomass and activity compared to N addition. Phosphorus and NP addition significantly decreased extractable S by 27%∼43% in the three forests, resulting in increased absolute arylsulfatase activity (51%∼90%) and specific arylsulfatase activity (28%∼57%) in the primary and disturbed forests, but had little effect on absolute and specific arylsulfatase activity in the rehabilitated forest. Moreover, P and NP addition increased enzymatic stoichiometry of arylsulfatase to C and N-acquiring enzymes in the primary and disturbed forests, while tended to decrease ratios of arylsulfatase to C and N-acquiring enzymes in the rehabilitated forest. These results indicate that P fertilization with and without N addition can decrease soil S availability and induce S shortage for microbes. Results from this study advocate that we need to pay attention to S availability beyond N and P under the background of the decrease in atmospheric S deposition. [Display omitted] • Primary forest had higher S availability and lower specific arylsulfatase activity. • N addition had little effects on soil S availability and arylsulfatase activity. • P and NP addition decreased S availability and increased arylsulfatase activity. • Change from primary forest to secondary forest and P addition could cause S shortage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]