Search

Arabinoxylans (AXs) belong to the components of plant cells which are mainly degraded by microbial xylanases during colonization of grain by phytopathogens. For the defence, cereals contain proteinaceous xylanase inhibitors (XIs), namely xylanase inhibitor protein (XIP), Triticum aestivum xylanase inhibitor (TAXI) and thaumatin-like xylanase inhibitor (TLXI). Their presence in cereals in high levels can be a serious problem in different industrial applications. XIs regulate AX hydrolysis and participate in plant defence mechanisms. XIs have various specificity against microbial xylanases from the glycoside hydrolase (GH) families of GH10 and GH11. Therefore, this review brings new information about the function of XIs as defence responses to pathogen infection of plants and as a problem in plant material processing in different industrial applications.

Piranhas are feared freshwater fishes commonly found in the waters of southern Venezuela to the north of Argentina. At present this species is a favourite domesticated article of our aquarists. The authors describe the histopathologic picture of a cutaneous lesion of the right hand thumb of a 60-year old piranha keeper who was bitten by this predatory fish. A firm node with increasing soreness gradually developed in the area of the lesion, and after 7 months the symptoms of the carpal tunnel syndrome were also present. Granulomatous foci--some sarcoid-like, others with central necrosis--were permeated with fibrinoid substance. Epithelioid granuloma cells with huge incorporated multinuclear elements were covered mainly by T-lymphocytes. Ziehl-Neelsen stain did not prove the presence of diagnostic acid-fast rods. Only in some macrophages rare acid-fast spheric microstructures were present in the cytoplasm. Both the local dermatologic finding and histological examination gave evidence that the skin was infected with atypical mycobacteria--swimming pool granuloma.