One-carbon metabolism in cancer

Cells require one-carbon units for nucleotide synthesis, methylation and reductive metabolism, and these pathways support the high proliferative rate of cancer cells. As such, anti-folates, drugs that target one-carbon metabolism, have long been used in the treatment of cancer. Amino acids, such as serine are a major one-carbon source, and cancer cells are particularly susceptible to deprivation of one-carbon units by serine restriction or inhibition of de novo serine synthesis. Recent work has also begun to decipher the specific pathways and sub-cellular compartments that are important for one-carbon metabolism in cancer cells. In this review we summarise the historical understanding of one-carbon metabolism in cancer, describe the recent findings regarding the generation and usage of one-carbon units and explore possible future therapeutics that could exploit the dependency of cancer cells on one-carbon metabolism

Prospect and potential of Burkholderia sp. against Phytophthora capsici Leonian: a causative agent for foot rot disease of black pepper

Foot rot disease is a very destructive disease in black pepper in Malaysia. It is caused by Phytophthora capsici Leonian, which is a soilborne pathogenic protist (phylum, Oomycota) that infects aerial and subterranean structures of many host plants. This pathogen is a polycyclic, such that multiple cycles of infection and inoculum production occur in a single growing season. It is more prevalent in the tropics because of the favourable environmental conditions. The utilization of plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) as a biological control agent has been successfully implemented in controlling many plant pathogens. Many studies on the exploration of beneficial organisms have been carried out such as Pseudomonas fluorescens, which is one of the best examples used for the control of Fusarium wilt in tomato. Similarly, P. fluorescens is found to be an effective biocontrol agent against the foot rot disease in black pepper. Nowadays there is tremendous novel increase in the species of Burkholderia with either mutualistic or antagonistic interactions in the environment. Burkholderia sp. is an indigenous PGPR capable of producing a large number of commercially important hydrolytic enzymes and bioactive substances that promote plant growth and health; are eco-friendly, biodegradable and specific in their actions; and have a broad spectrum of antimicrobial activity in keeping down the population of phytopathogens, thus playing a great role in promoting sustainable agriculture today. Hence, in this book chapter, the potential applications of Burkholderia sp. to control foot rot disease of black pepper in Malaysia, their control mechanisms, plant growth promotion, commercial potentials and the future prospects as indigenous PGPR were discussed in relation to sustainable agriculture

Ozone concentration dependent autohaemotherapy effects on baboon antioxidant capacity and DNA integrity and repair capacity of lymphocytes

Although ozone is widely used as an alternative medicine, its safety and efficiency are met with scepticism. To shed some light on this, we assessed the effect of ozone-autohaemotherapy, using anO2/O3 gas mixture containing three different O3 concentrations (20, 40 and 80 ìg/ml), on the antioxidant status and lymphocyte DNA integrity in baboons. Ultra pure O2 was used as a control because morethan 95% of the O2/O3 gas mixture consisted of oxygen. Five percent of the blood volume of a baboon was withdrawn and treated with O3. Baboons were anesthetized with intramuscular ketamine hydrochloride (±10 mg/kg). Blood was collected before ozone-autohaemotherapy and again 4, 24 and 48 h after treatment. In general, the changes in measurements were concentration dependant. Ozoneautohaemotherapyup regulated the antioxidant capacity as measured by the Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity assay. Total glutathione levels decreased after ozone-autohaemotherapy, most likely due to reaction with reactive oxygen species that was quenched by the GSH system. The activityof superoxide dismutase increased after ozone-autohaemotherapy with 20 ìg/ml O3. Ozoneautohaemotherapy caused a slight increase in DNA damage. However, very little DNA damage occurred following treatment with 80 ìg/ml O3, which also caused the highest increase in the antioxidant capacity. DNA repair capacity decreased and thus can have severe long term effects