Article
Agriculture, Multidisciplinary
Xin Fu, Xin-Yi Zan, Lei Sun, Ming Tan, Feng-Jie Cui, Ying-Ying Liang, Li-Juan Meng, Wen-Jing Sun
Summary: In this study, the gene CMGLS encoding the membrane-bound beta-1,3-glucan synthase CMGLS in Cordyceps militaris was cloned and analyzed. The three-dimensional structure of CMGLS and its binding features with substrate UDP-glucose were proposed for the first time. These findings provide insights into the glucan synthesis process and catalytic mechanism of beta-1,3-glucan synthases in mushrooms.
JOURNAL OF AGRICULTURAL AND FOOD CHEMISTRY
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Xinlin Hu, Ping Yang, Changdong Chai, Jia Liu, Huanhuan Sun, Yanan Wu, Mingjie Zhang, Min Zhang, Xiaotian Liu, Hongjun Yu
Summary: This study reveals the structures and mechanisms of yeast FKS1 and the echinocandin-resistant mutant FKS1(S643P) using cryo-electron microscopy, advancing the understanding of fungal β-1,3-glucan biosynthesis and providing insights into drug-resistant mutations of FKS1. It establishes a foundation for the development of new antifungal drugs by targeting FKS.
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Brian W. Vogler, Amy Ashford, Matthew C. Posewitz
Summary: The study knocked out two key enzymes responsible for chrysolaminarin synthesis in Nannochloropsis species using CRISPR/Cas9 technology, resulting in a significant decrease in soluble carbohydrate accumulation following nitrogen starvation.
ALGAL RESEARCH-BIOMASS BIOFUELS AND BIOPRODUCTS
(2021)
Article
Microbiology
Cristina Jimenez-Ortigosa, Jennifer Jiang, Muyuan Chen, Xuyuan Kuang, Kelley R. Healey, Paul Castellano, Nikpreet Boparai, Steven J. Ludtke, David S. Perlin, Wei Dai
Summary: Echinocandin drugs have become a front-line therapy against Candida spp. infections, but the rising resistance to these drugs by Candida species is a concern. By using cryo-ET and subtomogram analysis, researchers have provided a preliminary structure of the putative C. glabrata GS complex, laying the foundation for future studies on this elusive protein complex.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Yong-Liang Xu, Huan Yuan, Na Li, Jian-Hui Xiao, Jun-Wei Xu
Summary: A β-1,3-glucan synthase gene was cloned and overexpressed in Ganoderma lingzhi, leading to an increase in intra-cellular polysaccharides content. Simultaneous overexpression of this gene and UDP-glucose pyrophosphorylase gene further enhanced the production of polysaccharides, with higher glucose content and improved antioxidative and anti-senescence activities.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF BIOLOGICAL MACROMOLECULES
(2023)
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Li-Hua Jiang, Xiang-Fei Li, Xin-Yi Zan, Xin Fu, Feng-Jie Cui, Hong-An Zhu, Wen-Jing Sun, Ting-Lei Tao
Summary: The study revealed that GFGLS2 plays a major role in mycelial growth and polysaccharide synthesis, with higher efficiency in downregulation compared to GFGLS. Cosilencing GFGLS and GFGLS2 had a synergistic effect, resulting in slower mycelial growth of Grifola frondosa.
APPLIED MICROBIOLOGY AND BIOTECHNOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Pediatrics
Zuzana Rennerova, Leandro Pico Sirvent, Eva Carvajal Roca, Jaroslaw Pasnik, Mateja Logar, Katarina Milosevic, Juraj Majtan, Milos Jesenak
Summary: Preschool children are prone to recurrent respiratory tract infections (RRTIs) due to their immature immune system. This study assessed the incidence of respiratory tract infections in children with a history of RRTIs who were given pleuran supplementation. The results showed that pleuran supplementation significantly reduced the number and duration of infections compared to the previous year, and it was found to be safe for children.
FRONTIERS IN PEDIATRICS
(2022)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Muhammad Yusuf, Umi Baroroh, Rina Fajri Nuwarda, Fiddy Semba Prasetiya, Safri Ishmayana, Mia Tria Novianti, Taufik Ramdani Tohari, Ari Hardianto, Toto Subroto, Jean-Luc Mouget, Pamela Pasetto
Summary: Marennine is a blue pigment produced by Haslea ostrearia, and it has biological activities that cause oysters to turn green. Other blue diatoms also produce similar pigments with similar activities. These diatoms have commercial potential in various industries. However, the exact molecular structure of marennine has remained a mystery for a hundred years. Recent research found that it is a macromolecule mainly composed of carbohydrates with a complex composition, specifically containing 1,3-beta-glucan.
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Xiao Jiang, Baohua Zhu, Changchao Tu, Yun Li, Yan Zhao, Guanpin Yang, Kehou Pan
Summary: Silencing of the 1,3-beta-glucan synthase gene (Ptbgs) in Phaeodactylum tricornutum resulted in significantly lower chrysolaminarin content and increased total lipid content. This study demonstrates that Ptbgs mainly affects carbon flow distribution, leading to changes in fatty acid composition and increased production of polyunsaturated fatty acids.
ALGAL RESEARCH-BIOMASS BIOFUELS AND BIOPRODUCTS
(2022)
Article
Medicine, Research & Experimental
Georgios D. Kitsios, Daniel Kotok, Haopu Yang, Malcolm A. Finkelman, Yonglong Zhang, Noel Britton, Xiaoyun Li, Marina S. Levochkina, Amy K. Wagner, Caitlin Schaefer, John J. Villandre, Rui Guo, John W. Evankovich, William Bain, Faraaz Shah, Yingze Zhang, Barbara A. Methe, Panayiotis Benos, Bryan J. McVerry, Alison Morris
Summary: The study suggests that elevated levels of BDG in critically ill patients are associated with inflammation and poor outcomes. BDG measurements can predict ventilator-free days and survival, and may translocate from either the lung or gut compartment.
Article
Biology
Abhishek Chhetri, Anna Loksztejn, Kenichi Yokoyama
Summary: The study developed a size exclusion chromatography-based method for detailed functional and mechanistic characterization of (1,3)-beta-D-glucan synthase. This new approach utilizes the pH-dependent solubility of (1,3)-beta-D-glucan to analyze the total amount and length of glucan produced by GS, providing a new pathway for studying GS catalysis.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Elleansar Okwei, Shannon T. Smith, Brian J. Bender, Brittany Allison, Soumya Ganguly, Alexander Geanes, Xuan Zhang, Kaitlyn Ledwitch, Jens Meiler
Summary: Fragment-based drug discovery involves identifying small molecules that weakly bind to the target protein. This technique is challenging for computational docking methods due to the specific nature of binding interactions. In this study, RosettaLigand was tested by docking fragments to a protein and comparing the results with experimental NMR screens. NMR spectroscopy provided information on binding affinities and confirmed the accuracy of RosettaLigand in identifying plausible binding poses.
Article
Engineering, Biomedical
John Morales, Jonathan Moeyersons, Pablo Armanac, Michele Orini, Luca Faes, Sebastiaan Overeem, Merel Van Gilst, Johannes Van Dijk, Sabine Van Huffel, Raquel Bailon, Carolina Varon
Summary: This study compared seven state-of-the-art methods for RSA quantification using simulated data and a real-life application, with some methods showing the best performance on simulated data and capturing expected trends in changes in cardiorespiratory coupling during sleep. The objective comparison of methods presented in this study can guide future analyses and the proposed simulation model is freely accessible online for further research.
IEEE TRANSACTIONS ON BIOMEDICAL ENGINEERING
(2021)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Yaxue Wang, Tianli Yue, Yahong Yuan
Summary: The aim of this study was to investigate the adsorption mechanisms of PAT by beta-1, 3-D-glucan. Through molecular docking and molecular dynamics simulation, the researchers revealed that steric complementarity, intermolecular H-bond, and Pi-Sigma interaction are the driving forces behind the interaction between beta-1, 3-D-glucan and PAT. They also found that SPG is the most promising adsorbent for PAT.
JOURNAL OF COMPUTATIONAL BIOPHYSICS AND CHEMISTRY
(2022)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Koichi Tamano, Shiori Nakai, Haruka Takayama, Yasuhiko Imai
Summary: The research team successfully increased the yield of free DGLA by disrupting genes and overexpressing them in the Aspergillus oryzae mutant strain DGLA3. They also found that enhancing the pentose phosphate pathway and disrupting the alpha-1,3-glucan synthase gene agsB can further increase the production of FFA. Overall, the yield was increased by 2.5-fold.
BIOSCIENCE BIOTECHNOLOGY AND BIOCHEMISTRY
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Applied
M. Graca Dias, Elsa Vasco, Francisco Ravasco, Lufsa Oliveira
Summary: This study estimated the vitamin D intake of "adults" and "elderly" populations in Portugal using the TDS methodology. The results showed that the majority of people had inadequate vitamin D intake, well below the Dietary Reference Values.
Article
Chemistry, Applied
Yanan Wang, Jiachen Shi, Yong-Jiang Xu, Chin-Ping Tan, Yuanfa Liu
Summary: This study investigates the variations in lipid digestion profiles among individuals of different ages using in vitro digestion models. The findings suggest that adults have a more comprehensive lipid digestion compared to infants, and infants tend to release shorter chain length and more saturated free fatty acids during digestion. Additionally, the particle sizes in the stomach of the elderly were consistently larger. This study enhances our understanding of how lipids with different degrees of unsaturation undergo digestion in diverse age groups.
Article
Chemistry, Applied
Hyunjong Yu, Huisu Kim, Pahn-Shick Chang
Summary: Chitosan-pectin emulsion-filled hydrogel (EFH) was developed to enhance the bioaccessibility of lipophilic bioactive compounds through intestinal delivery. The EFH, prepared without crosslinking agents, demonstrated improved mechanical strength and compactness with higher pectin concentration. It retained the emulsion at pH 2.0 and released it at pH 7.4, resulting in enhanced release of free fatty acids and improved bioaccessibility of curcumin.
Article
Chemistry, Applied
Tongze Zhang, Siqi Hong, Jia-Rong Zhang, Pin-He Liu, Siyi Li, Zixian Wen, Jianwei Xiao, Guirong Zhang, Olivier Habimana, Nagendra P. Shah, Zhongquan Sui, Harold Corke
Summary: Lactic acid fermentation significantly affects the morphology and physicochemical properties of proso millet starch, including the formation of surface indentations and small pores, decrease in gelatinization temperatures, and changes in hardness and adhesiveness.
Article
Chemistry, Applied
Liqin Kong, Feng Hong, Peng Luan, Yiping Chen, Yaoze Feng, Ming Zhu
Summary: This study presents a novel impedance biosensor using composite nanomaterials and T1R1 as a signal probe, which can competitively and ultra-sensitively detect umami intensity. The biosensor exhibits exceptional analytical performance and is suitable for food flavor evaluation.
Article
Chemistry, Applied
Kunying Lv, Yixin Yang, Qilong Li, Ran Chen, Liang Deng, Yiwei Zhang, Ning Jiang
Summary: Horse's milk, with its high nutritional value and low allergenic proteins, could be a substitute for cow's milk in infant consumption. A proteomic method was used to identify and compare milk fat globule membrane (MFGM) and whey proteins from different horse breeds. The study found differences in protein composition and functionality, which could support the development of formulas more suitable for human infants.
Article
Chemistry, Applied
Enrique Jacobo Diaz-Montana, Helene Brignot, Ramon Aparicio-Ruiz, Thierry Thomas- Danguin, Maria Teresa Morales
Summary: Sensory perception of virgin olive oil is influenced by phenols and volatiles, which are affected by the composition of the oil and biological factors. This study investigated the effect of saliva and phenols on the release of volatiles, and found that the presence of phenols decreased the release of saturated volatiles.
Article
Chemistry, Applied
Wei Zhou, Rui Zhang, Zhen Cai, Fangfang Wu, Yong Hu, Chao Huang, Kun Hu, Yun Chen
Summary: Environmentally friendly and outstanding pH-responsive cationic starch nanoparticles (CSNP) were prepared from pH-sensitive starch. CSNP exhibited nanosize and regular sphere, highly free-flowing molecular chains, and demonstrated excellent pH responsiveness through multiple emulsion/demulsification transitions.
Article
Chemistry, Applied
Andrea Koo, Vinayak Ghate, Weibiao Zhou
Summary: This study suggests that direct seeding may negatively affect the nutritional quality of crops, causing a decrease in ascorbic acid, vitamin K, and total glucosinolate content.
Article
Chemistry, Applied
Tonghao Du, Yazhou Xu, Xiaoyan Xu, Shijin Xiong, Linli Zhang, Biao Dong, Jinqing Huang, Tao Huang, Muyan Xiao, Tao Xiong, Mingyong Xie
Summary: This study successfully improved the ACE inhibitory activity of black sesame seeds by fermenting them with Lactobacillus Plantarum NCU116 and hydrolyzing them using acid protease. The RF-PSO model was used to predict the ACE inhibitory activity during the hydrolysis process. Eight peptides with ACE inhibitory activity were identified from fermented black sesame seed hydrolysates after separation and screening.
Article
Chemistry, Applied
Yao Liu, Songyi Lin, Kexin Liu, Shan Wang, Qiaozhen Liu, Na Sun
Summary: This study analyzed the structural changes of shrimp proteins during digestion, predicted the immunodominant epitopes, and validated their allergenicity. The results showed that shrimp proteins were degraded into peptides during digestion, but still carried IgE epitopes that trigger allergic reactions.
Article
Chemistry, Applied
Tiantian Fu, Hongwei Cao, Yu Zhang, Xiao Guan
Summary: This study investigates the impact of milling on the active components in rice, with a focus on the stability and bioaccessibility of phenols, VB1, and alpha-GABA during cooking and digestion. The findings show that milling exacerbates the instability of gamma-GABA during cooking and VB1 during digestion, and it affects the bioaccessibility of these active compounds.
Article
Chemistry, Applied
Zhihao Yang, Yanru Hou, Min Zhang, Puxin Hou, Chang Liu, Lu Dou, Xiaoyu Chen, Lihua Zhao, Lin Su, Ye Jin
Summary: This study investigated the molecular mechanism of feeding regimes on lamb flavor by using TMT labeling combined with MS. The results showed that pasture-fed groups had higher levels of amino acids and volatile flavor substances compared to concentrate-fed groups. Additionally, several differentially abundant proteins associated with lamb flavor were identified.
Article
Chemistry, Applied
Zixuan Xie, De Zhang, Junyu Zhu, Qianqian Luo, Jun Liu, Jingtao Zhou, Xiaoyong Wang, Yuqiong Chen, Zhi Yu, Dejiang Ni
Summary: This study investigated the acidification of aroma-enhanced black tea during storage. Analysis of non-volatile substances and organic acids using UPLC-Q-TOF/MS and HPLC revealed a decrease in soluble sugars and amino acids, while an increase in organic acids such as oxalic acid, malic acid, and quinic acid. In vitro experiments further demonstrated that the acidification is a result of the decomposition of sugars and amino acids by heating, as well as the oxidation of aromatic aldehydes. Additionally, the study showed that the taste composition of tea infusion is altered, with reduced amino acids, catechins, soluble sugars, and flavonoids. This research provides a theoretical basis for improving the quality of black tea.
Article
Chemistry, Applied
Lin Wang, Falai Ma, Zihan Li, Yan Zhang
Summary: This study developed time-temperature integrators based on amyloglucosidase@Cu3(PO4)2 nanoflowers for monitoring the freshness of chilled pork. The results showed that the integrators were highly reliable and accurate in predicting the quality of chilled pork.