28 research outputs found
Fucoidan-degrading fungal strains: screening, morphometric evaluation, and influence of medium composition
Ten different fungal strains from the genus Aspergillus, Penicillium, and Mucor
were screened for fucoidan hydrolyzing ability aiming to find microorganisms able to
produce sulfated fucan-degrading enzymes. Screening was carried out by measuring the
strains kinetic and morphometric behavior over plate assays using Laminaria japonica
fucoidan as only carbon source, testing three nitrogen sources (urea, peptone, and sodium
nitrate). The selected fungal strains were subsequently used in submerged fermentations,
which were performed for (1) selection of the strains able to growth over fucoidan medium
and (2) media selection, testing the synergy of fucoidan with other sugars for inducing high
enzyme titles. Radial expansion and hyphae parameters were observed for Aspergillus niger
PSH, Mucor sp. 3P, and Penicillium purpurogenum GH2 grown only over fucoidan-urea
medium. A. niger PSH showed the maximum enzymatic activity values, which were
significantly different (p<0.05) from those achieved by the other selected fungi. Sucrose
addition to fucoidan media proportioned the highest fucoidanase activity values for this
fungal strain. This research allowed establishing optimal conditions for metabolites
synthesis by fungal stains able to act toward fucoidan ramified matrix.Mexican
Science and Technology Council (CONACYT
Evolution of the B3 DNA Binding Superfamily: New Insights into REM Family Gene Diversification
Background: The B3 DNA binding domain includes five families: auxin response factor (ARF), abscisic acid-insensitive3 (ABI3), high level expression of sugar inducible (HSI), related to ABI3/VP1 (RAV) and reproductive meristem (REM). The release of the complete genomes of the angiosperm eudicots Arabidopsis thaliana and Populus trichocarpa, the monocot Orysa sativa, the bryophyte Physcomitrella patens,the green algae Chlamydomonas reinhardtii and Volvox carteri and the red algae Cyanidioschyzon melorae provided an exceptional opportunity to study the evolution of this superfamily. Methodology: In order to better understand the origin and the diversification of B3 domains in plants, we combined comparative phylogenetic analysis with exon/intron structure and duplication events. In addition, we investigated the conservation and divergence of the B3 domain during the origin and evolution of each family. Conclusions: Our data indicate that showed that the B3 containing genes have undergone extensive duplication events, and that the REM family B3 domain has a highly diverged DNA binding. Our results also indicate that the founding member of the B3 gene family is likely to be similar to the ABI3/HSI genes found in C. reinhardtii and V. carteri. Among the B3 families, ABI3, HSI, RAV and ARF are most structurally conserved, whereas the REM family has experienced a rapid divergence. Thes
Association of IL1Β (-511 A/C) and IL6 (-174 G > C) polymorphisms with higher disease activity and clinical pattern of psoriatic arthritis
The objective of this study is to analyze whether IL1β (-511G > A) and IL6 (-174 G > C) polymorphisms are associated with inflammatory activity, radiographic damage or clinical pattern of psoriatic arthritis (PsA). One hundred twenty-five patients classified as PsA according to the Classification of Psoriatic Arthritis (CASPAR) criteria were included. Patients were stratified according to their clinical pattern at inclusion as peripheral, axial, or mixed involvement. Disease activity in peripheral or mixed forms was measured using the number of swollen and tender joints, pain analog visual scale, erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), C-reactive protein (CRP), and disease activity score 28 (DAS28). Bath Ankylosing Spondylitis Disease Activity Index (BASDAI) was used for axial and mixed forms, as were pain visual analog scale, ESR and CRP. Radiographic damage was evaluated using a modified Sharp score and modified stoke ankylosing spondylitis spinal score (SASSSm). The polymorphisms for the promoter region of IL1β (-511 G/A) and IL-6 (-174 G/C) were analyzed. The G allele of IL1B (-511G/A) polymorphism was associated with higher peripheral joint disease activity (OR 3.13; p C) polymorphism presented a strong trend to be associated with peripheral forms (70.86 %) (OR 1.89; p < 0.03; CI 95 % 1.06–3.39, p-corrected 0.05). In addition, this allele showed a lower association with HLA-B27 (15.78 %) compared with C allele (28.57 %) (OR 0.469; p = 0.02; CI 95 % 0.238–0.923, p-corrected 0.03). This study suggests that the G allele polymorphism of IL1B (-511 A/C) is associated with higher peripheral joint disease activity. On the other hand, the IL6 (-174 G/C) polymorphism showed a strong trend to be associated with the peripheral pattern of PsA.This study was supported by a grant from the Fundación Española de Reumatología (to C. Montilla) and FIS PI PI13/01741.Peer Reviewe
Dihydropyridine-Based Multicomponent Reactions. Efficient Entry into New Tetrahydroquinoline Systems through Lewis Acid-Catalyzed Formal [4 + 2] Cycloadditions
High spatial dynamics-photoluminescence imaging reveals the metallurgy of the earliest lost-wax cast object
International audiencePhotoluminescence spectroscopy is a key method to monitor defects in semiconductors from nanophotonics to solar cell systems. Paradoxically, its great sensitivity to small variations of local environment becomes a handicap for heterogeneous systems, such as are encountered in environmental, medical, ancient materials sciences and engineering. Here we demonstrate that a novel full-field photoluminescence imaging approach allows accessing the spatial distribution of crystal defect fluctuations at the crystallite level across centimetre-wide fields of view. This capacity is illustrated in archaeology and material sciences. The coexistence of two hitherto indistinguishable non-stoichiometric cuprous oxide phases is revealed in a 6,000-year-old amulet from Mehrgarh (Baluchistan, Pakistan), identified as the oldest known artefact made by lost-wax casting and providing a better understanding of this fundamental invention. Low-concentration crystal defect fluctuations are readily mapped within ZnO nanowires. High spatial dynamics-photoluminescence imaging holds great promise for the characterization of bulk heterogeneous systems across multiple disciplines