Strategic concept paper for Bioeconomy in Slovenia: from a patchwork of good practices to an integrated, sustainable and robust bioeconomy system.

While Slovenia has significant bioeconomy potential, it remains underutilized, facing challenges in primary bioeconomy sectors, their integration along value chains, uptake of industrial innovation, and institutional coordination. This paper aims to support the unlocking of Slovenia's bioeconomy potential, and foster sustainable and integrated development of its value chains. It provides the evidence base of the composition, volumes and current utilization of the available biomass streams from agriculture, forestry and aquatic systems.

Late Blight Resistance Conferred by in Potato Genotypes In Vitro Depends on the Genetic Background.

Potato production worldwide is threatened by late blight, caused by the oomycete (Mont.) de Bary. Highly resistant potato cultivars were developed in breeding programs, using resistance gene pyramiding methods.

Orchestration of plant development and defense by indirect crosstalk of salicylic acid and brassinosteorid signaling via transcription factor GhTINY2.

Salicylic acid (SA) and brassinosteroids (BRs) are well known to regulate diverse processes of plant development and stress responses, but the mechanisms by which these phytohormones mediate the growth and defense trade-off are largely unclear. In addition, little is known about the roles of DEHYDRATION RESPONSIVE ELEMENT BINDING transcription factors, especially in biotic stress and plant growth. Here, we identified a cotton (Gossypium hirsutum) APETALA2/ETHYLENE RESPONSIVE FACTOR gene GhTINY2 that is strongly induced by Verticillium dahliae.

Hop Polyphenols in Relation to Verticillium Wilt Resistance and Their Antifungal Activity.

(1) Background: Verticillium wilt (VW) of hop is a devastating disease caused by the soil-borne fungi and . As suggested by quantitative trait locus (QTL) mapping and RNA-Seq analyses, the underlying molecular mechanisms of resistance in hop are complex, consisting of preformed and induced defense responses, including the synthesis of various phenolic compounds. (2) Methods: We determined the total polyphenolic content at two phenological stages in roots and stems of 14 hop varieties differing in VW resistance, examined the changes in the total polyphenols of VW resistant variety Wye Target (WT) and susceptible Celeia (CE) on infection with , and assessed the antifungal activity of six commercial phenolic compounds and total polyphenolic extracts from roots and stems of VW resistant WT and susceptible CE on the growth of two different hop pathotypes.

Chitin-Binding Protein of Disguises Fungus from Plant Chitinases and Suppresses Chitin-Triggered Host Immunity.

During fungal infections, plant cells secrete chitinases, which digest chitin in the fungal cell walls. The recognition of released chitin oligomers via lysin motif (LysM)-containing immune host receptors results in the activation of defense signaling pathways. We report here that , a hemibiotrophic xylem-invading fungus, prevents these digestion and recognition processes by secreting a carbohydrate-binding motif 18 (CBM18)-chitin-binding protein, VnaChtBP, which is transcriptionally activated specifically during the parasitic life stages.

APS8 Delays Tumor Growth in Mice by Inducing Apoptosis of Lung Adenocarcinoma Cells Expressing High Number of α7 Nicotinic Receptors.

The alkylpyridinium polymer APS8, a potent antagonist of α7 nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs), selectively induces apoptosis in non-small cell lung cancer cells but not in normal lung fibroblasts. To explore the potential therapeutic value of APS8 for at least certain types of lung cancer, we determined its systemic and organ-specific toxicity in mice, evaluated its antitumor activity against adenocarcinoma xenograft models, and examined the mechanisms of APS8 in terms of apoptosis, cytotoxicity, and viability. We also measured Ca influx into cells, and evaluated the effects of APS8 on Ca uptake while siRNA silencing of the gene for α7 nAChRs, .

Comprehensive analysis of Verticillium nonalfalfae in silico secretome uncovers putative effector proteins expressed during hop invasion.

The vascular plant pathogen Verticillium nonalfalfae causes Verticillium wilt in several important crops. VnaSSP4.2 was recently discovered as a V.

Comparative transcriptional analysis of hop responses to infection with Verticillium nonalfalfae.

Dynamic transcriptome profiling revealed excessive, yet ineffective, immune response to V. nonalfalfae infection in susceptible hop, global gene downregulation in shoots of resistant hop and only a few infection-associated genes in roots. Hop (Humulus lupulus L.

Benzoic acid derivatives with improved antifungal activity: Design, synthesis, structure-activity relationship (SAR) and CYP53 docking studies.

Previously, we identified CYP53 as a fungal-specific target of natural phenolic antifungal compounds and discovered several inhibitors with antifungal properties. In this study, we performed similarity-based virtual screening and synthesis to obtain benzoic acid-derived compounds and assessed their antifungal activity against Cochliobolus lunatus, Aspergillus niger and Pleurotus ostreatus. In addition, we generated structural models of CYP53 enzyme and used them in docking trials with 40 selected compounds.

Antifouling activity of synthetic alkylpyridinium polymers using the barnacle model.

Polymeric alkylpyridinium salts (poly-APS) isolated from the Mediterranean marine sponge, Haliclona (Rhizoniera) sarai, effectively inhibit barnacle larva settlement and natural marine biofilm formation through a non-toxic and reversible mechanism. Potential use of poly-APS-like compounds as antifouling agents led to the chemical synthesis of monomeric and oligomeric 3-alkylpyridinium analogues. However, these are less efficient in settlement assays and have greater toxicity than the natural polymers.

Recombinant human erythropoietin alters gene expression and stimulates proliferation of MCF-7 breast cancer cells.

Background: Functional erythropoietin (EPO) signaling is not specific only to erythroid lineages and has been confirmed in several solid tumors, including breast. Three different isoforms of erythropoietin receptor (EPOR) have been reported, the soluble (EPOR-S) and truncated (EPOR-T) forms acting antagonistically to the functional EPOR. In this study, we investigated the effect of human recombinant erythropoietin (rHuEPO) on cell proliferation, early gene response and the expression of EPOR isoforms in the MCF-7 breast cancer cell line.

Virtual screening yields inhibitors of novel antifungal drug target, benzoate 4-monooxygenase.

Fungal CYP53 enzymes are highly conserved proteins, involved in phenolic detoxification, and have no homologues in higher eukaryotes, rendering them favorable drug targets. Aiming to discover novel CYP53 inhibitors, we employed two parallel virtual screening protocols and evaluated highest scoring hit compounds by analyzing the spectral binding interactions, by surveying the antifungal activity, and assessing the inhibition of catalytic activity. On the basis of combined results, we selected 3-methyl-4-(1H-pyrrol-1-yl)benzoic acid (compound 2) as the best candidate for hit-to-lead follow-up in the antifungal drug discovery process.

The versatility of the fungal cytochrome P450 monooxygenase system is instrumental in xenobiotic detoxification.

Cytochromes P450 (CYPs) catalyse diverse reactions and are key enzymes in fungal primary and secondary metabolism, and xenobiotic detoxification. CYP enzymatic properties and substrate specificity determine the reaction outcome. However, CYP-mediated reactions may also be influenced by their redox partners.

Aegerolysins: structure, function, and putative biological role.

Aegerolysins, discovered in fungi, bacteria and plants, are highly similar proteins with interesting biological properties. Certain aegerolysins possess antitumoral, antiproliferative, and antibacterial activities. Further possible medicinal applications include their use in the prevention of atherosclerosis, or as vaccines.

Induction of fruiting in oyster mushroom (Pleurotus ostreatus) by polymeric 3-alkylpyridinium salts.

Polymeric 3-alkylpyridinium salts (poly-APS), surface-active compounds from the marine sponge Reniera sarai, have been shown to stimulate the fruit body formation from Pleurotus ostreatus mycelium. In nutrient media supplemented with poly-APS (>or= 0.01 microg ml(-1)), the formation of primordia and development of fruit bodies were detected approximately 10d earlier than in the absence of poly-APS, and also led to a considerably larger quantity of young mushrooms.

Ostreolysin enhances fruiting initiation in the oyster mushroom (Pleurotus ostreatus).

Fruiting initiation in mushrooms can be triggered by a variety of environmental and biochemical stimuli, including substances of natural or synthetic origin. In this work ostreolysin, a cytolytic protein specifically expressed during the formation of primordia and fruit bodies of Pleurotus ostreatus, was applied to nutrient media inoculated with mycelium of P. ostreatus, and its effects on mycelial growth and fructification of the mushroom studied.

Effect of pH on the pore forming activity and conformational stability of ostreolysin, a lipid raft-binding protein from the edible mushroom Pleurotus ostreatus.

Ostreolysin, a pore-forming protein from the edible oyster mushroom (Pleurotus ostreatus), is a member of the aegerolysin protein family, a novel group of small acidic proteins found in bacteria, molds, mushrooms, and plants. It binds to lipid rafts and interacts specifically with cholesterol-rich lipid domains. In this study, ostreolysin was classified as a single-domain all-beta-structured protein on the basis of cDNA sequencing.

Temporal and spatial expression of ostreolysin during development of the oyster mushroom (Pleurotus ostreatus).

In the mushrooms Pleurotus ostreatus and Agrocybe aegerita, expression of the hemolytic proteins ostreolysin and aegerolysin, which belong to the aegerolysin family, has been shown to be initiated specifically during formation of primordia and fruiting bodies. We used rabbit anti-ostreolysin and fluorescent rhodamine-labelled secondary goat antibodies for monitoring ostreolysin and aegerolysin in situ during the mushrooms' development. In parallel, the protein level in developing tissues was monitored with SDS-PAGE and hemolytic assay.

Ostreolysin, a pore-forming protein from the oyster mushroom, interacts specifically with membrane cholesterol-rich lipid domains.

Ostreolysin, a 15 kDa pore-forming protein from the edible oyster mushroom (Pleurotus ostreatus), is lytic to membranes containing both cholesterol and sphingomyelin. Its cytotoxicity to Chinese hamster ovary cells correlates with their cholesterol contents and with the occurrence of ostreolysin in the cells detergent resistant membranes. Moreover, ostreolysin binds to supported monolayers and efficiently permeabilizes sonicated lipid vesicles, only if cholesterol is combined with either sphingomyelin or dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine.

Isolation and characterisation of a cytolytic protein from mucus secretions of the Antarctic heteronemertine Parborlasia corrugatus.

From freeze dried mucus of the Antarctic nemertine Parborlasia corrugatus we have isolated 10.3 kDa basic (pI>9.0) cytolytic protein, referred to as parborlysin.

Interaction of ostreolysin, a cytolytic protein from the edible mushroom Pleurotus ostreatus, with lipid membranes and modulation by lysophospholipids.

Ostreolysin is a 16-kDa cytolytic protein specifically expressed in primordia and fruiting bodies of the edible mushroom Pleurotus ostreatus. To understand its interaction with lipid membranes, we compared its effects on mammalian cells, on vesicles prepared with either pure lipids or total lipid extracts, and on dispersions of lysophospholipids or fatty acids. At nanomolar concentrations, the protein lysed human, bovine and sheep erythrocytes by a colloid-osmotic mechanism, compatible with the formation of pores of 4 nm diameter, and was cytotoxic to mammalian tumor cells.

Pleurotus and Agrocybe hemolysins, new proteins hypothetically involved in fungal fruiting.

Novel hemolytic proteins, ostreolysin and aegerolysin, were purified from the fruiting bodies of the edible mushrooms Pleurotus ostreatus and Agrocybe aegerita. Both ostreolysin and aegerolysin have a molecular weight of about 16 kDa, have low isoelectric points of 5.0 and 4.