Promotion of Wound Healing and Prevention of Frostbite Injury in Rat Skin by Exopolysaccharide from the Arctic Marine Bacterium sp. SM1127.

Many marine microorganisms synthesize exopolysaccharides (EPSs), and some of these EPSs have been reported to have potential in different fields. However, the pharmaceutical potentials of marine EPSs are rarely reported. The EPS secreted by the Artic marine bacterium sp.

Deep RNA sequencing reveals a high frequency of alternative splicing events in the fungus Trichoderma longibrachiatum.

Background: Alternative splicing is crucial for proteome diversity and functional complexity in higher organisms. However, the alternative splicing landscape in fungi is still elusive.

Results: The transcriptome of the filamentous fungus Trichoderma longibrachiatum was deep sequenced using Illumina Solexa technology.

Comparative genomics provide insights into evolution of trichoderma nutrition style.

Saprotrophy on plant biomass is a recently developed nutrition strategy for Trichoderma. However, the physiology and evolution of this new nutrition strategy is still elusive. We report the deep sequencing and analysis of the genome of Trichoderma longibrachiatum, an efficient cellulase producer.

Cu-catalyzed asymmetric borylative cyclization of cyclohexadienone-containing 1,6-enynes.

The first Cu-catalyzed asymmetric borylative cyclization of cyclohexadienone-containing 1,6-enynes is achieved through a tandem process: selective β-borylation of propargylic ether and subsequent conjugate addition to cyclohexadienone. The reaction proceeds with excellent regioselectivity and enantioselectivity to afford an optically pure cis-hydrobenzofuran framework bearing alkenylboronate and enone substructures. Furthermore, the resulting bicyclic products could be converted to bridged and tricyclic ring structures.

Gene cloning, expression and characterization of a novel xylanase from the marine bacterium, Glaciecola mesophila KMM241.

Marine xylanases are rather less studied compared to terrestrial xylanases. In this study, a new xylanase gene, xynB, was cloned from the marine bacterium, Glaciecola mesophila KMM241, and expressed in Escherichia coli. xynB encodes a multi-domain xylanase XynB of glycoside hydrolase (GH) family 8.

Antimicrobial peptaibols from Trichoderma pseudokoningii induce programmed cell death in plant fungal pathogens.

Antibiosis is one of the widespread strategies used by Trichoderma spp. against plant fungal pathogens, the mechanism of which, however, remains poorly understood. Peptaibols are a large family of antimicrobial peptides produced by Trichoderma spp.

Antimicrobial peptaibols, novel suppressors of tumor cells, targeted calcium-mediated apoptosis and autophagy in human hepatocellular carcinoma cells.

Background: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the most common cancers in the world which is highly chemoresistant to currently available chemotherapeutic agents. Thus, novel therapeutic targets are needed to be sought for the successful treatment of HCC. Peptaibols, a family of peptides synthesized non-ribosomally by the Trichoderma species and other fungi, exhibit antibiotic activities against bacteria and fungi.

Purification and enzymatic characterization of two beta-endoxylanases from Trichoderma sp. K9301 and their actions in xylooligosaccharide production.

Trichoderma sp. K9301 secreting endoxylanases with an activity of 2836 U/g (dry weight) was screened for XOs production. Two acidic beta-endoxylanases EX1 (30.

Gene cloning, expression and characterization of a new cold-active and salt-tolerant endo-beta-1,4-xylanase from marine Glaciecola mesophila KMM 241.

Although a lot of xylanases are studied, only a few xylanases from marine microorganisms have been reported. A new xylanase gene, xynA, was cloned from marine bacterium Glaciecola mesophila KMM 241. Gene xynA contains 1,272 bp and encodes a 423-amino acid xylanase precursor.

Purification and functional characterization of endo-beta-mannanase MAN5 and its application in oligosaccharide production from konjac flour.

MAN5, the main extracellular saccharide hydrolase from Bacillus sp. MSJ-5, is an endo-beta-mannanase with a demand of at least five sugar moieties for effective cleavage. It has a pH optimum of 5.

Novel use for the osmolyte trimethylamine N-oxide: retaining the psychrophilic characters of cold-adapted protease deseasin MCP-01 and simultaneously improving its thermostability.

The low thermostability of cold-adapted enzymes is a main barrier for their application. A simple and reliable method to improve both the stability and the activity of cold-adapted enzymes is still rare. As a protein stabilizer, the effect of trimethylamine N-oxide (TMAO) on a cold-adapted enzyme or protein has not been reported.

Pilot and plant scaled production of ACE inhibitory hydrolysates from Acetes chinensis and its in vivo antihypertensive effect.

The angiotensin-I-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitory oligopeptide-enriched hydrolysates from Acetes chinensis by treatment with the protease from Bacillus sp. SM98011 were produced at pilot scale (100 L) and plant scale (1000 L). The pilot and plant scaled hydrolysate products almost had the same properties as that at laboratory scale.

Production of novel angiotensin I-converting enzyme inhibitory peptides by fermentation of marine shrimp Acetes chinensis with Lactobacillus fermentum SM 605.

Acetes chinensis is an underutilized shrimp species thriving in Bo Hai Gulf of China. Its hydrolysate digested with protease SM98011 has been previously shown to have high angiotensin I-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitory activity (He et al., J Pept Sci 12:726-733, 2006).

Solid-state fermentation for Trichokonins production from Trichoderma koningii SMF2 and preparative purification of Trichokonin VI by a simple protocol.

Trichokonins are peptaibols produced by Trichoderma koningii SMF2. The main isoforms are Trichokonin VI, Trichokonin VII and Trichokonin VIII. The solid-state fermentation (SSF) was applied for the production of Trichokonin VI.

Autolysis of a novel multidomain subtilase-cold-adapted deseasin MCP-01 is pH-dependent and the surface loops in its catalytic domain, the linker, and the P_proprotein domain are susceptible to proteolytic attack.

Cold-adapted deseasin MCP-01 is a novel type subtilase with a multidomain structure containing a catalytic domain, a linker, a P_proprotein domain, and a PKD domain. Its autolysis was pH-dependent due to its flexible structure. N-terminal sequence analysis of the autolytic peptides revealed four autolytic sites in the catalytic domain.

High throughput and rapid screening of marine protein hydrolysates enriched in peptides with angiotensin-I-converting enzyme inhibitory activity by capillary electrophoresis.

Twelve kinds of marine protein materials, including fish, shrimp, seashell, algae and seafood wastes were selected for the hydrolysis using four different proteases. The IC(50) values for angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitory activity of 48 hydrolysates were rapidly determined by capillary electrophoresis (CE). The values ranged from 0.

Analysis of novel angiotensin-I-converting enzyme inhibitory peptides from protease-hydrolyzed marine shrimp Acetes chinensis.

Acetes chinensis is an underutilized shrimp species thriving in the Bo Hai Gulf of China. In a previous study, we had used the protease from Bacillus sp. SM98011 to digest this kind of shrimp and found that the oligopeptide-enriched hydrolysate possessed antioxidant activity and high angiotensin I-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitory activity with an IC50 value of 0.

Broad-spectrum antimicrobial activity and high stability of Trichokonins from Trichoderma koningii SMF2 against plant pathogens.

Antimicrobial metabolites produced by Trichoderma koningii SMF2 exhibited antimicrobial activity against a range of Gram-positive bacterial and fungal phytopathogens. Purification of these metabolites was achieved using combinations of gel filtration and high-performance liquid chromatography. Identified by liquid chromatography electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry, the active metabolites proved to be three known peptaibols: Trichokonin VI, VII and VIII.

Total synthesis of phorboxazole B.

An efficient and highly convergent total synthesis of the potent antitumor agent phorboxazole B has been achieved. The synthetic strategy of this synthesis features: 1) a highly efficient substrate-controlled hydrogenation to construct the functionalized cis-tetrahydropyrane unit; 2) iterative crotyl addition to synthesize the segment that contains alternating hydroxyl and methyl substituents; 3) Hg(OAc)2/I2-induced cyclization to establish the cis-tetrahydropyrane moiety; 4) 1,3-asymmetric induction in the Mukaiyama aldol reaction to afford the stereogenic centers at C9 and C3; and 5) the exploration of the Still-Gennari olefination reaction to complete the macrolide ring of phorboxazoloe B.

A novel approach to estimate in vitro antibacterial potency of Chinese medicine using a concentration-killing curve method.

The antibacterial pharmacodynamics against E. coli of Chinese medicine (CM) Rhizoma coptidis (Coptis Root) and its formula Sanhuang, and the control antibiotics enoxacin, were analyzed by a concentration-killing curve (CKC) approach, and the novel parameters BC50 and r for antibacterial potency were proposed. Using the agar plate method, about 400 cells of E.

Toward the total synthesis of phorboxazole B: an efficient synthesis of the C20-C46 segment.

An efficient synthesis of the C20-C46 segment of phorboxazole B is described. The key steps involved Hg(OAc)(2)/I(2)-induced cyclization to construct the cis-tetrahydropyran moiety, the coupling of the metalated 2-methyloxazole 7 with lactone 6, and Julia olefination to furnish the conjugated diene moiety.

Dissecting and exploiting nonribosomal peptide synthetases.

A large number of therapeutically useful cyclic and linear peptides of bacteria or fungal origin are synthesized via a template-directed, nucleic-acid-independent nonribosomal mechanism. This process is carried out by mega-enzymes called nonribosomal peptide synthetases (NRPSs). NRPSs contain repeated coordinated groups of active sites called modules, and each module is composed of several domains with different catalytic activities.

Effects of different buffers on the thermostability and autolysis of a cold-adapted protease MCP-01.

A cold-adapted protease MCP-01 was obtained from deep-sea psychrotrophic bacterium Pseudoaltermonas sp. SM9913. The effects of four different buffers, all at 50 mmol/l concentration, on its thermostability and autolysis were studied.