biochemical bases for a widespread tolerance of cyanobacteria to the phosphonate herbicide glyphosate

Possible non-target effects of the widely used, non-selective herbicide glyphosate were examined in six cyanobacterial strains, and the basis of their resistance was investigated. All cyanobacteria showed a remarkable tolerance to the herbicide up to millimolar levels. Two of them were found to possess an insensitive form of glyphosate target, the shikimate pathway enzyme 5-enol-pyruvyl-shikimate-3-phosphate synthase. Four strains were able to use the phosphonate as the only phosphorus source. Low uptake rates were measured only under phosphorus deprivation. Experimental evidence for glyphosate metabolism was also obtained in strains apparently unable to use the phosphonate. Results suggest that various mechanisms may concur in providing cyanobacterial strains with herbicide tolerance. The data also account for their widespread ability to metabolize the phosphonate. However, such a capability seems limited by low cell permeability to glyphosate, and is rapidly repressed when inorganic phosphate is available

Characterization of the Plasmodium falciparum M17 leucyl aminopeptidase. A protease involved in amino acid regulation with potential for antimalarial drug development

Amino acids generated from the catabolism of hemoglobin by intra-erythrocytic malaria parasites are not only essential for protein synthesis but also function in maintaining an osmotically stable environment, and creating a gradient by which amino acids that are rare or not present in hemoglobin are drawn into the parasite from host serum. We have proposed that a Plasmodium falciparum M17 leucyl aminopeptidase (PfLAP) generates and regulates the internal pool of free amino acids and therefore represents a target for novel antimalarial drugs. This enzyme has been expressed in insect cells as a functional 320-kDa homo-hexamer that is optimally active at neutral or alkaline pH, is dependent on metal ions for activity, and exhibits a substrate preference for N-terminally exposed hydrophobic amino acids, particularly leucine. PfLAP is produced by all stages in the intra-erythrocytic developmental cycle of malaria but was most highly expressed by trophozoites, a stage at which hemoglobin degradation and parasite protein synthesis are elevated. The enzyme was located by immunohistochemical methods and by transfecting malaria cells with a PfLAP-green fluorescent protein construct, to the cytosolic compartment of the cell at all developmental stages, including segregated merozoites. Amino acid dipeptide analogs, such as bestatin and its derivatives, are potent inhibitors of the protease and also block the growth of P. falciparum malaria parasites in culture. This study provides a biochemical basis for the antimalarial activity of aminopeptidase inhibitors. Availability of functionally active recombinant PfLAP, coupled with a simple enzymatic readout, will aid medicinal chemistry and/or high throughput approaches for the future design/discovery of new antimalarial drugs

The 42nd Symposium Chromatographic Methods of Investigating Organic Compounds : Book of abstracts

The 42nd Symposium Chromatographic Methods of Investigating Organic Compounds : Book of abstracts. June 4-7, 2019, Szczyrk, Polan

Rainbow code of biotechnology

Biotechnologia jest uważana za jedną z dziedzin, która będzie decydować o prawidłowym rozwoju gospodarki w naszym wieku. Jest niezwykle rozległym obszarem działalności technicznej człowieka, i jej rozwój jest zależny od współdziałania między różnymi dziedzinami nauki i techniki. Znanych jest kilka podziałów biotechnologii, ale chyba najpopularniejszym jest tradycyjny, bazujący na kolorach. Zazwyczaj wymienia się cztery kolory: czerwony, biały, zielony i fioletowy. Istnieje także podział szerszy, wykorzystujący znacznie szerszą gamę barw - nieomal wszystkie barwy tęczy.Biotechnology is considered as a driving force of progress and simultaneously as a major threat of humanity. Although there several classifications of biotechnology, the one using color code is most popularly used. Most commonly four major colors are considered, namely red, green, white and purple. However classifications using many more colors, nearly all tones of rainbow, also exist

Czy wykorzystanie energii słonecznej jest rozwiązaniem problemów ludzkości?

Prognozy mówią, że w bliskiej przyszłości nastąpi wyczerpanie kopalnych źródeł energii i ludzkość może dotknąć kryzys energetyczny. Badane są zatem różne sposoby zastąpienia tych źródeł przez inne, które nazywamy alternatywnymi. Jednym z nich jest wykorzystanie energii światła słonecznego

Biotechnology: Dr Jekyll or Mr Hyde?

Biotechnologia jest dyscypliną nauki rozwijająca się niezwykle intensywnie, ale też budzącą wiele emocji i stwarzająca nowe problemy moralne i etyczne. Czy są to problemy rzeczywiste, czy też wyimaginowane i wyolbrzymione? W poniższym artykule przedstawiono różne oblicza biotechnologii i pokazano jak skomplikowaną jest obiektywna ocena jej osiągnięć i zamierzeń.Biotechnology is considered as a intensively developing discipline of science. On the other hand it creates new molar and ethical problems. Are these problems real or imaginary and exaggerated? In this report various faces of biotechnology are presented and indication given how difficult objective evaluation its achievements and intentions

Unusual survival strategies of organisms. Do they have a technical meaning?

Autor zwraca uwagę na ekosystem jako złożoną i dynamiczną zbiorowość gatunków zwierząt i roślin wraz z fizycznym środowiskiem, w którym żyją. Pokazuje, że Natura może być źródłem pomysłów badawczych, a baczna obserwacja sposobów wypracowanych przez konkretne organizmy i zrozumienie ich molekularnych mechanizmów może być inspiracją do konstrukcji urządzeń służących człowiekowi.The author draws attention to the ecosystem as a complex and dynamic community of plant and animal species in the physical environment in which they live. It shows that nature can be a source of research ideas, and beneficial to observe the ways developed by specific organisms and understand their molecular mechanisms may be the inspiration for the design of devices profitable for human beings