Search

This study aimed to investigate the structural characteristics and biological activity of polysaccharides from selenium-enriched Cordyceps militaris. A homogeneous polysaccharide (SeCMP0.2) was isolated and purified from the fruiting bodies of selenium-enriched C. militaris by water extraction and alcohol precipitation, followed by anion exchange column chromatography. The structural characteristics of SeCMP0.2 were characterized by high-performance gel permeation chromatography (HPGPC), high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (NMR), and atomic force microscopy (AFM). The immunoregulatory activity of SeCMP0.2 was evaluated by using RAW264.7 mouse macrophages. Results showed that the weight average molecular mass and selenium content of SeCMP0.2 were 440.7 kDa and 49.1 μg/g, respectively. SeCMP0.2, with a triple-helix conformation, was aggregated in aqueous solution. Moreover, it was a heteropolysaccharide mainly composed of galactose (53.1%), glucose (8.2%), and mannose (37.1%), containing both α- and β-type glycosidic linkages. The dominant residues in SeCMP0.2 including T-Galp-(1→, →2)-Galp-(1→, and →6)-Manp-(1→ accounted for 16.6%, 29.4% and 26.9%, respectively. Additionally, the in vitro immunomodulatory assays showed that SeCMP0.2 could significantly upregulate the mRNA expression levels of inducible nitric oxide synthetase (iNOS), tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), interleukin-6 (IL-6), and interleukin-1β (IL-1β) by activating the mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs) and nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) signaling pathways, thereby exerting immunoregulatory activity. These results will lay the foundation for further development and utilization of selenium-enriched C. militaris resources.

Objective: This study aimed to explore the composition and the functional bioactivity of tea polyphenols from cocoa tea. Methods: Chemical components of crude green tea polyphenol extracts from cocoa tea were analyzed and identified using high resolution mass spectrometry. Additionally, their potential functional effects were predicted by network pharmacological analysis. Results: The in vitro hyperglycemic potential of crude green tea polyphenol from cocoa tea was preliminarily confirmed based on their strong inhibition on α-glucosidase and α-amylase. Six key targets including GAPDH and AKT and multiple pathways such as PI3K-AKT were predicted to be involved in the underying mechanisms behind the hyperglycemic effects of crude green tea polyphenol from cocoa tea through the GO enrichment and KEGG enrichment analysis. Ten polyphenol components including myricetin, anthocyanin, etc. were suggested to play a key role in the hyperglycemic activities of crude green tea polyphenol from cocoa tea via the construction of a “component-target-pathway” network combined with the molecular docking between these components and starch hydrolase. Conclusion: Crude green tea polyphenols from cocoa tea exerted a high hypoglycemic effect by regulating multi-targets through multi-pathways via multi-components.

Advances in various clean energy conversion and storage technologies (e.g., fuel cells, water electrolysis, and metal–air batteries) require catalysts that are highly active, selective, and stable. Single-atom catalysts, with their unique structure, high atom utilization and well-defined active sites, have gained considerable attention in electrocatalysis. However, their practical applications are hindered by low metal loading and the fact that they comprise only a single specific type of active site. Integrating single atoms with nanoparticles (including clusters) into a single catalytic entity (SA/NPCs) has been demonstrated to be an effective way to overcome these challenges by synergizing different active species, thus leading to considerably enhanced catalytic performance. This review aims to provide a systematic summary of recent advances in this emerging field. First, we classify the integrated effects that contribute to the enhanced activity, selectivity, and stability of SA/NPCs into the electron transfer effect, tandem effect, and parallel effect. Then, the realization and synthetic challenges of SA/NPCs are discussed based on two types of substrates, i.e., carbon- and metal-based carriers. Furthermore, we summarize and elaborate on the state-of-the-art applications of these catalysts in various electrochemical reactions, including the oxygen reduction reaction, oxygen evolution reaction, hydrogen evolution reaction, and other emerging electrocatalytic reactions such as carbon dioxide and nitrogen reduction reactions. Finally, the challenges and opportunities associated with the development and implementation of this class of catalysts are highlighted to provide insights for future endeavors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cryptococcus neoformans is a fungal pathogen of the top critical priority recognized by the World Health Organization. This clinically important fungus also serves as a eukaryotic model organism. A variety of resources have been generated to facilitate investigation of the C. neoformans species complex, including congenic pairs, well-annotated genomes, genetic editing tools, and gene deletion sets. Here, we generated a set of strains with all major organelles fluorescently marked. We tested short organelle-specific targeting sequences and successfully labeled the following organelles by fusing the targeting sequences with a fluorescence protein: the plasma membrane, the nucleus, the peroxisome, and the mitochondrion. We used native cryptococcal Golgi and late endosomal proteins fused with a fluorescent protein to label these two organelles. These fluorescence markers were verified via colocalization using organelle-specific dyes. All the constructs for the fluorescent protein tags were integrated in an intergenic safe haven region. These organelle-marked strains were examined for growth and various phenotypes. We demonstrated that these tagged strains could be employed to track cryptococcal interaction with the host in phagocytosis assays. These strains also allowed us to discover remarkable differences in the dynamics of proteins targeted to different organelles during sexual reproduction. Additionally, we revealed that "dormant" spores transcribed and synthesized their own proteins and trafficked the proteins to the appropriate subcellular compartments, demonstrating that spores are metabolically active. We anticipate that these newly generated fluorescent markers will greatly facilitate further investigation of cryptococcal biology and pathogenesis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Parameter selection in ultrasonic pretreatment is closely related to the quality of dried fruits and vegetables, so it is essential to investigate the impact of various parameters of ultrasonic pretreatment on the product quality. In this paper, data from 67 relevant literatures were collected to evaluate the effects of ultrasonic pretreatment on dried fruits and vegetables through meta‐analysis. Overall, the findings indicated that ultrasonic pretreatment could shorten drying time, reduce hardness and improve color appearance of dried products. Subgroup analysis showed that high power ultrasound (P ≥ 300 W) could increase total phenol content and antioxidant activity of dried fruits and vegetables. Additionally, applying short‐duration ultrasound (t < 15 min) increased antioxidant activity, while medium‐duration ultrasound (15 min < t < 30 min) simultaneously enhanced flavonoid content and antioxidant activity. In summary, the application of ultrasonic pretreatment has a positive impact on processing high quality dried fruits and vegetables and obtains better‐quality products in a shorter time compared to direct drying technology. Practical applications: Obtaining higher quality dried fruit and vegetable products in a shorter time has always been a research hotspot in the food industry. This study emphasized the positive effects of ultrasonic pretreatment on fruit and vegetable drying, and provided a theoretical basis for the selection of ultrasonic pretreatment parameters. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Perineural invasion (PNI) leads to the poor prognosis of head and neck squamous cancer (HNSCC) patients, but the mechanism of PNI remains unclear. Dickkopf‐1 (DKK1), a secretory protein in the Wnt signaling pathway, was found indeed upregulated in HNSCC cells and tissues. Higher expression of DKK1 was statistically relevant to T stage, N stage, PNI, and poor prognosis of HNSCC. DKK1 overexpression enhanced the migration abilities of cancer cells. Moreover, DKK1‐overexpressing cancer cells promoted cancer cells invasion of peripheral nerves in vitro and in vivo. Mechanistically, DKK1 could promote the PI3K–AKT signaling pathway. The migration abilities of neuroblastoma cells, which were enhanced by DKK1‐overexpressing HNSCC cell lines, could be reversed by an inhibitor of Akt (MK2206). The association of DKK1 with PNI was also confirmed in HNSCC samples. Variables, including T stage, N stage, DKK1 expression, and PNI, were used to establish a nomogram to predict the survival probability and disease‐free probability at 3 and 5 years. In summary, DKK1 can promote the PI3K–AKT signaling pathway in tumor cells and then could induce neuritogenesis and facilitate PNI. MK2206 may be a potential therapeutic target drug for HNSCC patients with PNI. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Morphogenesis in fungi is often induced by extracellular factors and executed by fungal genetic factors. Cell surface changes and alterations of the microenvironment often accompany morphogenetic changes in fungi. In this review, we will first discuss the general traits of yeast and hyphal morphotypes and how morphogenesis affects development and adaptation by fungi to their native niches, including host niches. Then we will focus on the molecular machinery responsible for the two most fundamental growth forms, yeast and hyphae. Last, we will describe how fungi incorporate exogenous environmental and host signals together with genetic factors to determine their morphotype and how morphogenesis, in turn, shapes the fungal microenvironment.