Structural insights into carboxylic polyester-degrading enzymes and their functional depolymerizing neighbors

Copyright: © 2021 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative CommonsAttribution (CC BY) license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).Esters are organic compounds widely represented in cellular structures and metabolism, originated by the condensation of organic acids and alcohols. Esterification reactions are also used by chemical industries for the production of synthetic plastic polymers. Polyester plastics are an increasing source of environmental pollution due to their intrinsic stability and limited recycling efforts. Bioremediation of polyesters based on the use of specific microbial enzymes is an interesting alternative to the current methods for the valorization of used plastics. Microbial esterases are promising catalysts for the biodegradation of polyesters that can be engineered to improve their biochemical properties. In this work, we analyzed the structure-activity relationships in microbial esterases, with special focus on the recently described plastic-degrading enzymes isolated from marine microorganisms and their structural homologs. Our analysis, based on structure-alignment, molecular docking, coevolution of amino acids and surface electrostatics determined the specific characteristics of some polyester hydrolases that could be related with their efficiency in the degradation of aromatic polyesters, such as phthalates.This work is supported by the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT) under the framework of the research grant PTDC-MED-GEN-29389-2017.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Systematic structure-based search for Ochratoxin-degrading enzymes in Proteomes from Filamentous fungi

© 2021 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).Background: ochratoxins are mycotoxins produced by filamentous fungi with important implications in the food manufacturing industry due to their toxicity. Decontamination by specific ochratoxin-degrading enzymes has become an interesting alternative for the treatment of contaminated food commodities. Methods: using a structure-based approach based on homology modeling, blind molecular docking of substrates and characterization of low-frequency protein motions, we performed a proteome mining in filamentous fungi to characterize new enzymes with potential ochratoxinase activity. Results: the proteome mining results demonstrated the ubiquitous presence of fungal binuclear zinc-dependent amido-hydrolases with a high degree of structural homology to the already characterized ochratoxinase from Aspergillus niger. Ochratoxinase-like enzymes from ochratoxin-producing fungi showed more favorable substrate-binding pockets to accommodate ochratoxins A and B. Conclusions: filamentous fungi are an interesting and rich source of hydrolases potentially capable of degrading ochratoxins, and could be used for the detoxification of diverse food commodities.This work is supported by the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT) under the framework of the research grant PTDC-MED-GEN-29389-2017.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Atitudes Empreendedoras e Desafios da Gestão Universitária Enterprising Attitudes and Challenges of the Management University

Esta pesquisa teve como objetivo identificar na literatura as atitudes e elencar os desafios empreendedores que possam contribuir para o desenvolvimento de estratégias de gestão nas universidades brasileiras, em especial as empreendedoras. A revisão conceitual procurou contribuir com uma nova visão de gestão universitária e universidade empreendedora a fim de alavancar o desenvolvimento destas instituições num cenário evolutivo, instável e dinâmico que tem se colocado como desafio a gerencia. Pontuou-se algumas atitudes e desafios empreendedores como necessários a gestão universitária. Por fim, a pesquisa revelou a necessidade de estratégias gerencias empreendedoras, voltadas ao atendimento das novas demandas da sociedade

The Concept of Justice: Argumentation and Dialogism

This paper presents a reflection attempting to situate the concepts of justice and argumentation in Perelman’s approach in dialogue with the Bakhtin Circle’s theories. For this purpose, it analyses the concept of justice, deals with the concept of argumentation in order to situate its field and to emphasize how it supports the concept of justice, highlights the ethical and dialogical aspects of legal argumentation, establishing connections between Perelman’s ideas and dialogic principles of language, and, finally, attempts to show how different voices intersect in the argumentative confrontation through the analysis of two excerpts of legal discourses

Transcriptomic Analysis of Acetaminophen Biodegradation by Penicillium chrysogenum var. halophenolicum and Insights into Energy and Stress Response Pathways

Publisher Copyright: © 2023 by the authors. This research received no external funding(1) Background: Acetaminophen (APAP), an active component of many analgesic and antipyretic drugs, is one of the most concerning trace contaminants in the environment and is considered as an emergent pollutant of marine and aquatic ecosystems. Despite its biodegradability, APAP has become a recalcitrant compound due to the growth of the global population, the ease of availability, and the inefficient wastewater treatment applied. (2) Methods: In this study, we used a transcriptomic approach to obtain functional and metabolic insights about the metabolization of APAP by a phenol-degrading fungal strain, Penicillium chrysogenum var. halophenolicum. (3) Results: We determined that the transcriptomic profile exhibited by the fungal strain during APAP degradation was very dynamic, being characterized by an abundance of dysregulated transcripts which were proportional to the drug metabolization. Using a systems biology approach, we also inferred the protein functional interaction networks that could be related to APAP degradation. We proposed the involvement of intracellular and extracellular enzymes, such as amidases, cytochrome P450, laccases, and extradiol-dioxygenases, among others. (4) Conclusions: Our data suggested that the fungus could metabolize APAP via a complex metabolic pathway, generating nontoxic metabolites, which demonstrated its potential in the bioremediation of this drug.publishersversionpublishe

Factores genéticos de risco para acidente vascular cerebral jovem

Mestrado em Biologia Molecular CelularAs doenças cardiovasculares (DCV) são a principal causa de morte e morbilidade na união europeia. Os Acidentes Vasculares Cerebrais (AVC) jovens são raros e de difícil diagnóstico, devido ao grande número de causas possíveis, quando comparado com os AVC’s em idosos. A maioria dos estudos são pouco conclusivos no que diz respeito aos factores de risco associados a este tipo de AVC. Na origem dos AVC’s jovens estão implicados vários factores: genéticos, ambientais, dietéticos, inflamatórios, entre outros. Tendo em conta o aumento de incidência desta patologia, a determinação de factores genéticos de risco trombótico poderá ser um passo importante para prevenção desta doença. Apesar da variedade de factores genéticos, apenas alguns deles foram objecto deste estudo, nomeadamente: o Factor V Leiden (F V Leiden), G20210 na protrombina, 4G/5G no Inibidor do Activador do Plasminogénio-1 (PAI-1), C677T e A1298C na Metilenotetrahidrofolato Redutase (MTHFR) e as posições T334C e C472T da Apolipoproteína E (Apo E). O principal objectivo deste trabalho foi associar estes polimorfismos à ocorrência do AVC jovem. Paralelamente à análise individual dos polimorfismos, desenvolveu-se um teste PCR-SSP multiplex com a maioria das mutações estudadas. Neste estudo, foram analisadas amostras de sangue periférico de 294 indivíduos, divididos em três grupos distintos (98 AVC jovem, 98 população normal e 98 controlos) por PCR-SSP. Comparando a frequência dos polimorfismos, entre pacientes com AVC jovem e controlos, apenas se verificou diferenças significativas no factor V (alelo A e genótipo GA) e na Apo E (isoforma E2). O factor V Leiden revelou maior frequência no grupo AVC jovem (p < 0,05). Por outro lado, a isoforma E2 da Apo E apresentou maior prevalência na população controlo (p=0,0399). Para além dos resultados significativos, obtiveram-se duas tendências, uma no genótipo E4E4, mais prevalente no grupo alvo (p=0,0827), e outra no E2E2, que foi mais prevalente na população controlo (p=0,0827). Não foi possível correlacionar a maioria dos polimorfismos com a susceptibilidade para a AVC em jovem. Pode apenas concluir-se que o genótipo GA e o alelo A do factor V Leiden, e o genótipo E4E4 da Apo E podem ser considerados factores de risco e possíveis preditores da ocorrência de AVC jovem enquanto a isoforma E2 e o genótipo E2E2 podem ser consideradas factores responsáveis pela diminuição da susceptibilidade para AVC Jovem, podendo mesmo ter papel protector. Por fim, foi optimizada uma reacção multiplex bastante completa para a tipagem da maioria dos polimorfismos que demonstrou ser reprodutível, rápida, versátil, sensível, específica e económica.Cardiovascular diseases (CVD) are the leading cause of death and morbidity in the European Union. The Strokes (CVA) in young adults are rare and difficult to diagnose due to the large number of possible causes, compared with strokes in the elderly. Most studies are inconclusive with regard to risk factors associated with this type of stroke. In the origins of the strokes in young adults, are involved several factors: genetic, environmental, dietary, inflammatory, and others. Having regard to the increased incidence of this pathology, the determination of genetic risk of thrombosis may be an important step in preventing this disease. Despite the variety of genetic factors, only some of them were the subject of this study, namely: Factor V Leiden (FV Leiden), the G20210 in prothrombin, 4G/5G in plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1), C677T and A1298C in the methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) and the positions T334C e C472T of the Apolipoprotein E (Apo E). The main goal of this work was to associate these polymorphisms with the occurrence of stroke in young age. Parallel to the individual polymorphisms analysis, we developed a multiplex PCR-SSP reaction with most of the studied mutations. In this work, we analyzed peripheral blood samples of 294 individuals, from three distinct groups (98 stroke in young adults, 98 standard population and 98 controls) by PCR-SSP. Comparing the frequency of polymorphisms among young stroke patients and controls, we only detect significant differences in the factor V (allele and genotype GA) and Apo E (E2 isoform). The factor V Leiden revealed more frequently in young stroke group (p <0.05). Moreover, the E2 isoform of Apo E showed the highest prevalence in controls (p = 0.0399). In addition to the significant results were obtained two trends, one in E4E4, more prevalent in the target group (p = 0.0827), and another in E2E2, which was more prevalent in controls (p = 0.0827). It was not possible to correlate most polymorphisms with susceptibility to stroke in young age. It´s only possible to conclude that the GA genotype and allele A of factor V Leiden, and the E4E4 genotype of Apo E can be considered risk factors and possible predictors of the occurrence of stroke in young, while the isoform E2 and E2E2 genotype can be considered a factor responsible for decreased susceptibility to stroke young and may have protective role. Finally, we optimized a multiplex reaction a lot of typing to complete most of the polymorphisms that proved to be reproducible, rapid, versatile, sensitive, specific and economi

Capacidade Empreendedora em uma Instituição Pública

O presente estudo teve como objetivo identificar a existência de capacidades empreendedoras na gestão administrativa da Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina - UFSC. Apresenta uma visão fundamentada conceitualmente na produção científica, entrevista a gestores e análise de documentos. Tomou-se por base algumas capacidades empreendedoras e seus indicadores pré-estabelecidos. A pesquisa pretende contribuir com a produção científica e com outros estudos futuros nas Instituições públicas, buscando a identificação das capacidades empreendedoras e o grau de aplicabilidade das mesmas na gestão da UFSC

RNA Regulatory Networks 2.0

© 2023 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).The central role of RNA molecules in cell biology has been an expanding subject of study since the proposal of the "RNA world" hypothesis 60 years ago [...].info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Non-random genome editing and natural cellular engineering in cognition-based evolution

Publisher Copyright: © 2021 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland.Neo-Darwinism presumes that biological variation is a product of random genetic replication errors and natural selection. Cognition-Based Evolution (CBE) asserts a comprehensive alterna-tive approach to phenotypic variation and the generation of biological novelty. In CBE, evolutionary variation is the product of natural cellular engineering that permits purposive genetic adjustments as cellular problem-solving. CBE upholds that the cornerstone of biology is the intelligent measuring cell. Since all biological information that is available to cells is ambiguous, multicellularity arises from the cellular requirement to maximize the validity of available environmental information. This is best accomplished through collective measurement purposed towards maintaining and optimizing individual cellular states of homeorhesis as dynamic flux that sustains cellular equipoise. The collective action of the multicellular measurement and assessment of information and its collaborative communication is natural cellular engineering. Its yield is linked cellular ecologies and mutualized niche constructions that comprise biofilms and holobionts. In this context, biological variation is the product of collective differential assessment of ambiguous environmental cues by networking intelligent cells. Such concerted action is enabled by non-random natural genomic editing in response to epigenetic impacts and environmental stresses. Random genetic activity can be either constrained or deployed as a ‘harnessing of stochasticity’. Therefore, genes are cellular tools. Selection filters cellular solutions to environmental stresses to assure continuous cellular-organismal-environmental complementarity. Since all multicellular eukaryotes are holobionts as vast assemblages of participants of each of the three cellular domains (Prokaryota, Archaea, Eukaryota) and the virome, multicellular variation is necessarily a product of co-engineering among them.publishersversionpublishe

DNA damage induced by hydroquinone can be prevented by fungal detoxification

© 2014 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ireland Ltd. This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/).Hydroquinone is a benzene metabolite with a wide range of industrial applications, which has potential for widespread human exposure; however, the toxicity of hydroquinone on human cells remains unclear. The aims of this study are to investigate the cytotoxicity and genotoxicity of hydroquinone in human primary fibroblasts and human colon cancer cells (HCT116). Low doses of hydroquinone (227-454 μM) reduce the viability of fibroblasts and HCT116 cells, determined by resazurin conversion, and induce genotoxic damage (DNA strand breaks), as assessed by alkaline comet assays. Bioremediation may provide an excellent alternative to promote the degradation of hydroquinone, however few microorganisms are known that efficiently degrade it. Here we also investigate the capacity of a halotolerant fungus, Penicillium chrysogenum var. halophenolicum, to remove hydroquinone toxicity under hypersaline condition. The fungus is able to tolerate high concentrations of hydroquinone and can reverse these noxious effects via degradation of hydroquinone to completion, even when the initial concentration of this compound is as high as 7265 μM. Our findings reveal that P. chrysogenum var. halophenolicum efficiently degrade hydroquinone under hypersaline conditions, placing this fungus among the best candidates for the detoxification of habitats contaminated with this aromatic compound.This work was partially supported by a Gulbenkian Foundation research grant (#96526/2009) awarded to JF, and PD received support from Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia/FCT-Portugal (SFRH/BD/45502/2008).info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio