Purification and characterization of a hemocyanin with lectin-like activity isolated from the hemolymph of speckled shrimp, Metapenaeusmonoceros.

Lectins or agglutinins are mainly proteins or glycoproteins, reported to uphold an ability to agglutinate the red blood cells (RBCs) with a known sugar specificity in a diverse group of organisms. In the present study, we purified a hemocyanin (named as MmHc) from a shrimp, Metapenaeus monoceros by size-exclusion chromatography. Further characterization revealed that the purified MmHc showed hemagglutination activity that was found to be specifically inhibited by Lewis B and Lewis Y tetrasaccharides.

Epigenetic alterations induced by aflatoxin B: An in vitro and in vivo approach with emphasis on enhancer of zeste homologue-2/p21 axis.

The potent environmental toxicant aflatoxin B (AFB), is a group I carcinogen reported to induce the expression of many cancer associated proteins. Epigenetic alterations such as DNA methylation and histone modifications play vital role in AFB-mediated carcinogenesis. These epigenetic modifications may result in the recruitment of specific proteins and transcription factors to the promoter region and regulate gene expression.

Aflatoxin B induced multiple epigenetic modulators in human epithelial cell lines.

The compulsive and insidious secondary metabolite aflatoxin B, produced by the opportunistic fungi Aspergillus flavus, upholds a distinguished place in midst of the toxicants causing fatal hazards to humans. Aflatoxins alter the function of host cells by inducing multiple effects through genetic and non-genetic pathways. Epigenetic mechanisms drag major attention towards finding novel and new mechanisms involved in this process.

Aflatoxin-induced upregulation of protein arginine methyltransferase 5 is mediated by protein kinase C and extracellular signal-regulated kinase.

Aflatoxins are fungal metabolites classified into four major groups such as B, B, G, and G. These natural aflatoxins are designated as group I carcinogen by the International Agency for Research on Cancer. Among these, the aflatoxin B is more potent.

A fucose specific lectin from Aspergillus flavus induced interleukin-8 expression is mediated by mitogen activated protein kinase p38.

Aspergillus flavus is an ubiquitous, opportunistic fungus responsible to cause invasive fungal allergic diseases, including bronchopulmonary invasive aspergillosis in persons with altered immune function. Lectins have been implicated as interaction mediators between the pathogenic fungi and human host. We isolated L-fucose specific lectin from A.

Aflatoxin B1 induced upregulation of protein arginine methyltransferase 5 in human cell lines.

The exposure of naturally occurring mycotoxins affects human health and play a vital role in cancer initiation and progression. Aflatoxin B1 is a difuranocoumarin mycotoxin, classified as a group I carcinogen. The present study was conducted to assess the effect of aflatoxin B1 on epigenetic regulatory proteins.