Binding of CML-Modified as Well as Heat-Glycated beta-lactoglobulin to Receptors for AGEs Is Determined by Charge and Hydrophobicity

Intake of dietary advanced glycation end products (AGEs) is associated with inflammation-related health problems. Nε-carboxymethyl lysine (CML) is one of the best characterised AGEs in processed food. AGEs have been described as ligands for receptors present on antigen presenting cells. However, changes in protein secondary and tertiary structure also induce binding to AGE receptors. We aimed to discriminate the role of different protein modifications in binding to AGE receptors. Therefore, β-lactoglobulin was chemically modified with glyoxylic acid to produce CML and compared to β-lactoglobulin glycated with lactose. Secondary structure was monitored with circular dichroism, while hydrophobicity and formation of β-sheet structures was measured with ANS-assay and ThT-assay, respectively. Aggregation was monitored using native-PAGE. Binding to sRAGE, CD36, and galectin-3 was measured using inhibition ELISA. Even though no changes in secondary structure were observed in all tested samples, binding to AGE receptors increased with CML concentration of CML-modified β-lactoglobulin. The negative charge of CML was a crucial determinant for the binding of protein bound CML, while binding of glycated BLG was determined by increasing hydrophobicity. This shows that sRAGE, galectin-3, and CD36 bind to protein bound CML and points out the role of negatively charged AGEs in binding to AGE receptors

Long-Distance Translocation of Protein during Morphogenesis of the Fruiting Body in the Filamentous Fungus, Agaricus bisporus

Commercial cultivation of the mushroom fungus, Agaricus bisporus, utilizes a substrate consisting of a lower layer of compost and upper layer of peat. Typically, the two layers are seeded with individual mycelial inoculants representing a single genotype of A. bisporus. Studies aimed at examining the potential of this fungal species as a heterologous protein expression system have revealed unexpected contributions of the mycelial inoculants in the morphogenesis of the fruiting body. These contributions were elucidated using a dual-inoculant method whereby the two layers were differientially inoculated with transgenic β-glucuronidase (GUS) and wild-type (WT) lines. Surprisingly, use of a transgenic GUS line in the lower substrate and a WT line in the upper substrate yielded fruiting bodies expressing GUS activity while lacking the GUS transgene. Results of PCR and RT-PCR analyses for the GUS transgene and RNA transcript, respectively, suggested translocation of the GUS protein from the transgenic mycelium colonizing the lower layer into the fruiting body that developed exclusively from WT mycelium colonizing the upper layer. Effective translocation of the GUS protein depended on the use of a transgenic line in the lower layer in which the GUS gene was controlled by a vegetative mycelium-active promoter (laccase 2 and β-actin), rather than a fruiting body-active promoter (hydrophobin A). GUS-expressing fruiting bodies lacking the GUS gene had a bonafide WT genotype, confirmed by the absence of stably inherited GUS and hygromycin phosphotransferase selectable marker activities in their derived basidiospores and mycelial tissue cultures. Differientially inoculating the two substrate layers with individual lines carrying the GUS gene controlled by different tissue-preferred promoters resulted in up to a ∼3.5-fold increase in GUS activity over that obtained with a single inoculant. Our findings support the existence of a previously undescribed phenomenon of long-distance protein translocation in A. bisporus that has potential application in recombinant protein expression and biotechnological approaches for crop improvement

OPTIMIZATION OF THE BIOTRANSFORMATION OF L-TYROSINE INTO L-DIHYDROXYPHENYLALANINE (DOPA) BY ALGINATE-ENTRAPPED CELLS OF MUCUNA-PRURIENS

The optimization of the biotransformation of l-tyrosine into l-dihydroxyphenylalanine (DOPA), and of formyl-tyrosine into formyl-DOPA by alginate-entrapped cells of Mucuna pruriens is reported. This optimization is discussed in terms of parameters that are relevant for the entrapped cell system (charge of the beads with cells, bead diameter, permeation of the cells) and some parameters that are relevant for the enzymatic transformation (pH, pO2, concentration of ascorbate). The optimization experiments resulted in the description of a biotransformation system which operates at a constant redox potential. With this transformation system a transformation efficiency of 70% could be obtained, at a biotransformation-rate of 435 μmol·h-1·g-1 (DW of cells) at a substrate concentration of 19 mM

OCCURRENCE OF L-DOPA AND DOPAMINE IN PLANTS AND CELL-CULTURES OF MUCUNA-PRURIENS AND EFFECTS OF 2,4-D AND NACL ON THESE COMPOUNDS

The development of the L-DOPA-content of roots, stems and leaves of Mucuna pruriens during growth of the plants is described. Besides L-DOPA, the leaves, but not the stems and the roots, also contain the related catechol dopamine. The time course of dopamine accumulation is compared to that of L-DOPA. In cell suspension cultures of M. pruriens dopamine can be detected as well. Its level is strongly increased by addition of the growth regulator 2,4-D top the medium, a condition that suppresses cell growth and L-DOPA-accumulation. Dopamine induction appears to be a specific metabolic effect of 2,4-D. Salt stress, as caused by the addition of NaCl, gives no induction of dopamine formation, whereas L-DOPA is released into the medium