Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Eswarayya Ramireddy, Hilde Nelissen, Jan Erik Leuendorf, Mieke Van Lijsebettens, Dirk Inze, Thomas Schmuelling
Summary: Root-specific expression of a CKX gene in maize leads to larger root system and higher element content in shoot organs. The engineered plants show increased root dry weight without affecting shoot growth, with elevated concentrations of certain elements in leaves, particularly those with low soil mobility.
PLANT MOLECULAR BIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Plant Sciences
Matthew J. van Voorthuizen, Jaroslav Nisler, Jiancheng Song, Lukas Spichal, Paula E. Jameson
Summary: The study showed that INCYDE significantly increased seed yield in Rapid Cycling Brassica rapa, while TD-K had a transient effect on the regulation of BrCKX3.
Article
Plant Sciences
Matthew J. van Voorthuizen, Jiancheng Song, Ondrej Novak, Paula E. Jameson
Summary: The use of plant growth regulators to enhance wheat and barley yields by altering cytokinin levels showed no significant improvement, potentially due to the inability to change yield components. Analysis of endogenous cytokinin content revealed slight changes under specific conditions.
Editorial Material
Plant Sciences
Manoj Kumar Gupta, Gayatri Gouda, Ravindra Donde, Ramakrishna Vadde, Lambodar Behera
Summary: The study found that novel CKX inhibitors can enhance stress tolerance, delay senescence, improve regeneration capacity in plants, and increase crop yield, showing potential applications in the biotechnological industry and agriculture.
JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL BOTANY
(2021)
Review
Genetics & Heredity
Sayanti Mandal, Mimosa Ghorai, Uttpal Anand, Debleena Roy, Nishi Kant, Tulika Mishra, Abhijit Bhagwan Mane, Niraj Kumar Jha, Milan Kumar Lal, Rahul Kumar Tiwari, Manoj Kumar, Arabinda Ghosh, Rahul Bhattacharjee, Jaroslaw Prockow, Abhijit Dey
Summary: In the last decade, there has been significant progress in understanding the synthesis, perception, and signaling pathways of the plant hormone cytokinins (CKs). Interfering with any of these steps has a major impact on plant growth and development due to the complex interactions with other hormones and signaling networks. CKs are widely used in agriculture for yield improvement and plant management, with the cytokinin oxidase/dehydrogenase (CKO/CKX) gene as a primary target. The CRISPR/Cas9 system has shown promising results in editing the CKO/CKX gene and this review provides updated information on the applications of CRISPR-based gene-editing tools for manipulating cytokinin metabolism and increasing crop yields.
FRONTIERS IN GENETICS
(2022)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Mohammed Hamed Alqarni, Ahmed Ibrahim Foudah, Magdy Mohamed Muharram, Haritium Budurian, Nikolaos E. Labrou
Summary: AMPS-HDB reacts covalently with CbFDH, leading to complete inactivation of the enzyme activity, while NAD(+) and NADH protect CbFDH from inactivation by AMPS-HDB. Molecular modelling studies identified Arg174 as the target for AMPS-HDB, confirmed by site-directed mutagenesis.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Mengyue Liu, Yupeng Cui, Fanjia Peng, Shuai Wang, Ruifeng Cui, Xiaoyu Liu, Yuexin Zhang, Hui Huang, Yapeng Fan, Tiantian Jiang, Xixian Feng, Yuqian Lei, Kesong Ni, Mingge Han, Wenhua Chen, Yuan Meng, Junjuan Wang, Xiugui Chen, Xuke Lu, Delong Wang, Lixue Guo, Lanjie Zhao, Jing Jiang, Wuwei Ye
Summary: Cytokinin oxidase/dehydrogenase (CKX) plays a key role in the degradation of the plant hormone cytokinin (CK) in cotton. The study identified several CKXs in different cotton species and analyzed their expression patterns under various abiotic stresses. The research also found that silencing a specific GhCKX gene resulted in oxidative damage and decreased salt tolerance in cotton plants.
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES EUROPE
(2023)
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Tomas Hluska, Lucia Hluskova, R. J. Neil Emery
Summary: Cytokinins are plant hormones involved in various physiological processes, with different forms potentially having unique functions and mechanisms. Using a metaphorical comparison to Marvel superheroes helps illustrate the complexities of cytokinins and their related enzymes and functions. This framework can aid in understanding the diverse roles of cytokinins in plant development and interactions with other organisms.
Article
Plant Sciences
Sylva Prerostova, Martin Cerny, Petre Dobrev, Vaclav Motyka, Lucia Hluskova, Barbara Zupkova, Alena Gaudinova, Vojtech Knirsch, Tibor Janda, Bretislav Brzobohaty, Radomira Vankova
Summary: The study revealed the significant impact of light intensity on the cold stress response in Arabidopsis thaliana, especially under low light conditions. Cytokinins play a key role in the response to cold stress, suggesting a potential regulatory strategy for improving stress tolerance in plants.
FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE
(2021)
Article
Plant Sciences
Tengyu Li, Kun Luo, Chenlei Wang, Lanxin Wu, Jingwen Pan, Mingyang Wang, Jinwei Liu, Yan Li, Jinbo Yao, Wei Chen, Shouhong Zhu, Yongshan Zhang
Summary: In this study, a total of 27 GhCKXs genes were identified by genome-wide investigation and were distributed across 18 chromosomes. The gene structure and motif analysis showed that GhCKXs were remarkably conserved among the four groups, and cis-acting elements related to abiotic stress, hormones, and light response were found in their promoter regions. Transcriptome data and RT-qPCR analysis indicated that GhCKX genes had higher expression levels in various tissues and were involved in cotton's abiotic stress and phytohormone response. The protein-protein interaction network suggested that the CKX family may play a role in redox regulation and plant growth and development. Functionally, the GhCKX14 gene was found to improve drought resistance through modulating antioxidant-related activities via virus-induced gene silencing (VIGS).
Article
Plant Sciences
Federica Brunoni, Enrico Rolli, Eugenia Polverini, Lukas Spichal, Ada Ricci
Summary: This study investigated the action spectrum of two urea derivatives and their possible adjuvant activity on cytokinins. The experimental results suggest that these compounds may have a dual activity: blocking the conformational re-adaption of the cytokinin receptor CRE1/AHK4 and inhibiting the activity of cytokinin oxidase/dehydrogenase, potentially enhancing the kinase action of cytokinins and preventing their cleavage.
PLANT GROWTH REGULATION
(2021)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Xiaoling Ma, Kangjia Li, Jiajia Cai, David W. Ow
Summary: As plants face environmental stresses, it is important for them to allocate resources judiciously to respond to stress. The ZmOXS2a, a member of the OXS2 family in maize, has been found to inhibit growth but improve heat tolerance when expressed in Arabidopsis. This study suggests that ZmOXS2a may be involved in RNA degradation and disrupts the response to ABA and cytokinin. It also affects hormone pathways related to stress response-related plant growth.
Article
Horticulture
Yang Liu, Xun Wang, Xiaofei Wang, Wensheng Gao, Chunxiang You
Summary: This study identified 10 MdCKX genes in apple through genome-wide analysis and further investigated their phylogenetics, chromosome locations, and genome structures. Expression analysis revealed different expression profiles and roles of these genes in apple. Transgenic Arabidopsis experiments showed that the MdCKX5.2 gene plays a significant role in promoting root development, responding to exogenous cytokinins, and conferring drought and salt tolerance in apples.
Review
Plant Sciences
Qinglin Li, Ning Liu, Chenglai Wu
Summary: In maize, intrinsic hormone activities and sap fluxes play a crucial role in organogenesis patterning and overall plant development, which should be a primary focus for developmental biology and agricultural optimization strategies.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Eiichiro Takamura, Shunsuke Taki, Hiroaki Sakamoto, Takenori Satomura, Haruhiko Sakuraba, Toshihisa Ohshima, Shin-ichiro Suye
Summary: Enzymes from hyperthermophilic archaea have potential industrial applications due to their superior thermal and long-term stability, but multicopper oxidases from these archaea have lower redox potential, impacting the cell voltage of biofuel cells. This study successfully increased the redox potential of the multicopper oxidase from a hyperthermophilic archaeon through mutations, enhancing catalytic activity and providing useful biocathode catalysts for high-voltage biofuel cells.
APPLIED BIOCHEMISTRY AND BIOTECHNOLOGY
(2021)
Review
Spectroscopy
Marek Sebela
Summary: Activity assays are crucial for studying enzyme properties. This review focuses on the use of MALDI-TOF MS as a growing and modern alternative, offering high speed, sensitivity, versatility, and cost-effectiveness. Examples of its application for assaying hydrolases and other enzymes are provided.
MASS SPECTROMETRY REVIEWS
(2023)
Article
Plant Sciences
Jaroslav Nisler, Zuzana Pekna, Radka Koncitikova, Pavel Klimes, Alena Kadlecova, Nino Murvanidze, Stefaan P. O. Werbrouck, Lenka Plackova, David Kopecny, David Zalabak, Lukas Spichal, Miroslav Strnad
Summary: The study explores novel inhibitors of cytokinin degradation, which show increased selectivity and efficiency for agricultural and biotechnological applications. By investigating the structure-activity relationship of two series of CKX inhibitors, the researchers identified key substituents with enhanced selectivity for specific plant species and improved inhibitory activity. These inhibitors protect cytokinins from degradation and promote shoot regeneration in plants. Furthermore, the study also revealed clear differences in toxicity among the tested compounds.
JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL BOTANY
(2022)
Article
Electrochemistry
Jan Langmaier, Jana Skopalova, Monika Zajacova Cechova, Tereza Kahankova, Radek Jerga, Petr Bartak, Zdenek Samec, Tomas Navratil
Summary: Ion transfer voltammetry and LC/MS were used to investigate the oxidative degradation of the opioid fentanyl and its analogs. The presence of Fe2+ ions and hydrogen peroxide was found to be essential in the degradation process, with the concentration of fentanyl having less influence on the reaction rate. LC/MS analysis detected a variety of fentanyl degradation products.
ELECTROCHIMICA ACTA
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Medicinal
Milan Dak, Veronika Slachtova, Marek Sebela, Vaclav Bazgier, Karel Berka, Natalia Smiejkowska, Lauren Oorts, Davie Cappoen, Lucie Brulikova
Summary: This paper examines the inhibitory effect of thiazolidinediones 2 on the intracellular survival of Mycobacterium tuberculosis. The most active derivative 2f showed a significant reduction of bacterial survival within the macrophage host cell. These findings suggest that thiazolidinediones 2 have the potential to be used as Zmp1 inhibitors for the treatment of tuberculosis.
EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF MEDICINAL CHEMISTRY
(2022)
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Marek Sebela
Summary: Matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS) is widely used in food and beverage analysis, providing compound identification and molecular profiling with high discriminating power. Its advantages include speed, simplicity, versatility, minimum sample preparation needs, and high tolerance to salts.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2022)
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
A. Klajmon, K. Makowska, J. Zimny, S. Oleszczuk, M. Libik-Konieczny, M. Sebela, I. Gasparikova, W. Baba, R. Konieczny
Summary: This study investigates the antioxidant activity of gum Arabic (GA) in barley anthers during androgenesis. The results show that GA enhances the activity of antioxidant enzymes in the anthers, leading to effective ROS scavenging and successful androgenesis. The presence of GA does not directly contribute to the total antioxidant capacity, but rather affects the activity of the anther antioxidant system.
PLANT CELL TISSUE AND ORGAN CULTURE
(2023)
Article
Pharmacology & Pharmacy
Zdenek Travnicek, Tomas Malina, Jan Vanco, Marek Sebela, Zdenek Dvorak
Summary: The paper describes the synthesis and characterization of six heteroleptic copper(II) complexes with different ligands. The results showed that complex 2 exhibited high cytotoxicity against cancer cells, while showing low toxicity against healthy cells. Further experiments revealed that complex 2 induced apoptosis and autophagy in A2780 cancer cells through the activation of caspases 3/7, ROS overproduction, and autophagy induction.
Letter
Plant Sciences
Federica Brunoni, Ales Pencik, Asta Zukauskaite, Anita Ament, Martina Kopecna, Silvio Collani, David Kopecny, Ondrej Novak
Article
Plant Sciences
Jakub Belicek, Eva L'uptakova, David Kopecny, Jan Frommel, Armelle Vigouroux, Sanja Cavar Zeljkovic, Franjo Jagic, Pierre Briozzo, David Jaroslav Kopecny, Petr Tarkowski, Jaroslav Nisler, Nuria De Diego, Solange Morera, Martina Kopecna
Summary: Polyamines such as spermidine and spermine are crucial regulators of cell growth, differentiation, and stress tolerance. The levels of these polyamines are controlled by the enzyme SSAT, which either degrades them or exports them out of the cell. This study demonstrates that plant SSATs have a broad substrate specificity and can acetylate various polyamines and amino acids, providing a detailed understanding of their biochemical and structural properties.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Karolina Ondrova, Iveta Zuvalova, Barbora Vyhlidalova, Kristyna Krasulova, Eva Mikova, Radim Vrzal, Petr Nadvornik, Binod Nepal, Sandhya Kortagere, Martina Kopecna, David Kopecny, Marek Sebela, Fraydoon Rastinejad, Hua Pu, Miroslav Soural, Katharina Maria Rolfes, Thomas Haarmann-Stemmann, Hao Li, Sridhar Mani, Zdenek Dvorak
Summary: The researchers identified carvones as noncompetitive antagonists of the human aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) and demonstrated their ability to inhibit AhR's interaction with its canonical partner ARNT, as well as its binding to CYP1A1. They also showed the protective effects of carvones against UV skin damage in female mice, providing potential opportunities for disease treatment modified by AhR.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2023)
Article
Veterinary Sciences
Alena Vrablikova, Veronika Brezani, Ivan Psikal, Martin Fraiberk, Marek Sebela, Martina Fojtikova, Pavel Kulich, Renata Hezova, Josef Masek
Summary: Bovine papillomavirus type 1 L1 protein was expressed, purified, and confirmed as virus-like particles (VLPs) through electron microscopy and mass spectrometry analysis. Mice immunized with purified VLPs showed an increased humoral immune response, with the best response observed in the group immunized with the highest dose of antigen. These VLPs purified by affinity chromatography using lectins have potential applications for prophylactic immunization in veterinary medicine.
FRONTIERS IN VETERINARY SCIENCE
(2023)
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Marek Sebela, Michaela Raskova
Summary: Polyamine-derived aminoaldehydes are cytotoxic and may be involved in the development of various diseases. The main challenge in current research is to find clear linkages between aldehyde-induced protein modifications and the development of diseases.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Kiall F. Suazo, Jakub Belicek, Garrett L. Schey, Shelby A. Auger, Alexandru M. Petre, Ling Li, Katarzyna M. Blazewska, David Kopecny, Mark D. Distefano
Summary: This study discusses the discovery of a non-canonical protein prenylation modification on ALDH9A1 and suggests that it may originate from endogenous farnesal or geranygeranial. This reversible prenoyl modification expands the current understanding of protein prenylation and may serve as a new mechanism for controlling enzyme function.
RSC CHEMICAL BIOLOGY
(2023)