Characterization of a New Glucose-Tolerant GH1 β-Glycosidase from with Transglycosylation Activity.

Concern over environmental impacts has spurred many efforts to replace fossil fuels with biofuels such as ethanol. However, for this to be possible, it is necessary to invest in other production technologies, such as second generation (2G) ethanol, in order to raise the levels of this product and meet the growing demand. Currently, this type of production is not yet economically feasible, due to the high costs of the enzyme cocktails used in saccharification stage of lignocellulosic biomass.

Mast cell-T cell axis alters development of colitis-dependent and colitis-independent colorectal tumours: potential for therapeutically targeting via mast cell inhibition.

Background: Colorectal cancer (CRC) has a high mortality rate and can develop in either colitis-dependent (colitis-associated (CA)-CRC) or colitis-independent (sporadic (s)CRC) manner. There has been a significant debate about whether mast cells (MCs) promote or inhibit the development of CRC. Herein we investigated MC activity throughout the multistepped development of CRC in both human patients and animal models.

Novel Insights into the Molecular Mechanisms Involved in the Neuroprotective Effects of C-Phycocyanin against Brain Ischemia in Rats.

Background: Ischemic stroke produces a large health impact worldwide, with scarce therapeutic options.

Objective: This study aimed to reveal the role of NADPH oxidase and neuroinflammatory genes in the cerebral anti-ischemic effects of C-Phycocyanin (C-PC), the chief biliprotein of Spirulina platensis.

Methods: Rats with either focal cerebral ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) or acute brain hypoperfusion, received C-PC at different doses, or a vehicle, for up to 6 h post-stroke.

Effects of liquid extract from Plinia cauliflora fruits residues on Chinese hamsters biochemical parameters.

Plinia cauliflora (Mart.) Kausel, popularly known as jabuticaba, is rich in polyphenols. Phenolic compounds exhibit several biological properties, which reflect on biomarkers such as biochemical parameters.

, a typical species of the Brazilian cerrado, attenuates DNA damage, preneoplastic lesions and oxidative stress in experimental rat colon carcinogenesis.

Pohl, a typical species from the Brazilian cerrado, commonly known as "benjoeiro", is used to treat gastroduodenal diseases. In previous studies carried out by our research group, hydroalcoholic extract of stems (SCHE) exhibited antigenotoxic and antiproliferative effects. For a comparative analysis of the chemopreventive effect of SCHE, the aim of this study was to investigate the influence of SCHE against carcinogen 1,2-dimethylhydrazine (DMH)-induced DNA damage and pre-neoplastic lesions in Wistar rat colon.

LPMO AA9_B and Cellobiohydrolase Cel6A from Boost Enzymatic Saccharification Activity of Cellulase Cocktail.

Cellulose is the most abundant polysaccharide in lignocellulosic biomass, where it is interlinked with lignin and hemicellulose. Bioethanol can be produced from biomass. Since breaking down biomass is difficult, cellulose-active enzymes secreted by filamentous fungi play an important role in degrading recalcitrant lignocellulosic biomass.

Chemical features of the photosensitizers new methylene blue N and S137 influence their subcellular localization and photoinactivation efficiency in Candida albicans.

Antimicrobial photodynamic treatment (APDT) has emerged as an effective therapy against pathogenic fungi with both acquired and intrinsic resistance to commonly used antifungal agents. Success of APDT depends on the availability of effective photosensitizers capable of acting on different fungal structures and species. Among the phenothiazinium dyes tested as photoantifungals, new methylene blue N (NMBN) and the novel pentacyclic compound S137 are the most efficient.

The Dual Role of Serotonin in Colorectal Cancer.

Serotonin (5-HT) has complex effects on the central nervous system (CNS), neuroendocrine mechanisms, immunological reactions, intestinal microbiome, and cancer. It has been associated with more severe signs and symptoms of colitis, as well as promoting colorectal cancer (CRC) cells toward expansion. However, recent findings revealed that impairments in 5-HT synthesis lead to high levels of DNA damage in colonocytes, which is linked with inflammatory reactions promoting the development of CRC.

Age-Related and Gender-Related Increases in Colorectal Cancer Mortality Rates in Brazil Between 1979 and 2015: Projections for Continuing Rises in Disease.

Purpose: Brazil is the largest country in South America. Although a developing nation, birth rates have been decreasing in the last few decades, while its overall population is undergoing lifestyle changes and ageing significantly. Moreover, Brazil has had increasingly high mortality rates related to colorectal cancer (CRC).

Lytic Polysaccharide Monooxygenase from Aspergillus fumigatus can Improve Enzymatic Cocktail Activity During Sugarcane Bagasse Hydrolysis.

Background: Lytic Polysaccharide Monooxygenases (LPMOs) are auxiliary accessory enzymes that act synergistically with cellulases and which are increasingly being used in secondgeneration bioethanol production from biomasses. Several LPMOs have been identified in various filamentous fungi, including Aspergillus fumigatus. However, many LPMOs have not been characterized yet.

Serotonin synthesis protects the mouse colonic crypt from DNA damage and colorectal tumorigenesis.

Serotonin (5-HT) signaling pathways are thought to be involved in colorectal tumorigenesis (CRT), but the role of 5-HT synthesis in the early steps of this process is presently unknown. In this study, we used carcinogen treatment in the tryptophan hydroxylase 1 knockout (Tph1KO) and transgenic (Tph1 Villin ) mouse models defective in 5-HT synthesis to investigate the early mutagenic events associated with CRT. Our observations of the colonic crypt post-treatment followed a timeline designed to understand how disruption of 5-HT synthesis affects the initial steps leading to CRT.

SET protein accumulation prevents cell death in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma through regulation of redox state and autophagy.

Molecular alterations in cell death pathways and imbalances in regulators of up- or downstream signaling pathways can lead to resistance to cell death, which is one of the hallmarks of cancer. These signaling modifications are strategies that tumor cells use to resist chemotherapy and that contribute to the high recurrence rate of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC). The SET oncoprotein is a PP2A inhibitor that accumulates in HNSCC and represents a promising therapeutic target.

Increased exposure to pesticides and colon cancer: Early evidence in Brazil.

Environmental factors may increase colon cancer (CC) risk. It has been suggested that pesticides could play a significant role in the etiology of this malignancy. As agriculture is one of the mainstays of the Brazilian economy, this country has become the largest pesticides consumer worldwide.

Functional characterization of GH7 endo-1,4-β-glucanase from Aspergillus fumigatus and its potential industrial application.

A gene encoding an endo-1,4-β-glucanase (Afu6g01800) from A. fumigatus was cloned into the vector pET-28a(+) and expressed in the E. coli strain RosettaTM (DE3) pLysS.

Transcriptome and secretome analysis of Aspergillus fumigatus in the presence of sugarcane bagasse.

Background: Sugarcane bagasse has been proposed as a lignocellulosic residue for second-generation ethanol (2G) produced by breaking down biomass into fermentable sugars. The enzymatic cocktails for biomass degradation are mostly produced by fungi, but low cost and high efficiency can consolidate 2G technologies. A.

Mast Cells and Serotonin Synthesis Modulate Chagas Disease in the Colon: Clinical and Experimental Evidence.

Background: Trypanosoma cruzi (T. cruzi) infects millions of Latin Americans each year and can induce chagasic megacolon. Little is known about how serotonin (5-HT) modulates this condition.

Heterologous expression of mitochondrial nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide transporter (Ndt1) from Aspergillus fumigatus rescues impaired growth in Δndt1Δndt2 Saccharomyces cerevisiae strain.

Our understanding of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide mitochondrial transporter 1 (Ndt1A) in Aspergillus fumigatus remains poor. Thus, we investigated whether Ndt1A could alter fungi survival. To this end, we engineered the expression of an Ndt1A-encoding region in a Δndt1Δndt2 yeast strain.

A Perspective Discussion on Rising Pesticide Levels and Colon Cancer Burden in Brazil.

Agriculture is a mainstay of many developing countries' economy, such as Brazil. According to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, Brazil is the major global consumer of pesticides. Irrespective of the fact that the International Agency for Research on Cancer suggests that pesticides promote human cancer risk, a prospective study reports that colorectal cancer (CRC) burden will increase in developing countries by approximately 60% in the coming decades.

Chemopreventive effects of a Tamarindus indica fruit extract against colon carcinogenesis depends on the dietary cholesterol levels in hamsters.

Tamarind has significant antioxidant potential. We showed that tamarind protects hypercholesterolemic hamsters from atherosclerosis. Hypercholesterolemia might increase the risk of colon cancer.

High-Fat and Fat-Enriched Diets Impair the Benefits of Moderate Physical Training in the Aorta and the Heart in Rats.

Aim: Millions of people die each year due to cardiovascular disease (CVD). A Western lifestyle not only fuses a significant intake of fat with physical inactivity and obesity but also promotes CVD. Recent evidence suggests that dietary fat intake impairs the benefits of physical training.

The cytotoxic effects of VE-3N, a novel 1,4-dihydropyridine derivative, involve the mitochondrial bioenergetic disruption via uncoupling mechanisms.

Several 1,4-dihydropyridine derivatives overcome the multidrug resistance in tumors, but their intrinsic cytotoxic mechanisms remain unclear. Here we addressed if mitochondria are involved in the cytotoxicity of the novel 1,4-dihydropyridine derivative VE-3N [ethyl 6-chloro-5-formyl-2-methyl-4-(3-nitrophenyl)-1,4-dihydropyridine-3-carboxylate] towards cancer cells by employing hepatic carcinoma (HepG2) cells and isolated rat liver mitochondria. In HepG2 cells, VE-3N induced mitochondrial membrane potential dissipation, ATP depletion, annexin V/propidium iodide double labeling, and Hoechst staining; events indicating apoptosis induction.

A critical discussion on diet, genomic mutations and repair mechanisms in colon carcinogenesis.

Colon cancer is one of the most common malignancies and its etiology closely tied to dietary habits. Recent epidemiological data shows that colon cancer incidence is shifting to a much younger population. In this regard, some dietary components from a regular human meal might have various DNA-damaging compounds.

Auto-inhibitory regulation of angiotensin II functionality in hamster aorta during the early phases of dyslipidemia.

Emerging data point the crosstalk between dyslipidemia and renin-angiotensin system (RAS). Advanced dyslipidemia is described to induce RAS activation in the vasculature. However, the interplay between early dyslipidemia and the RAS remains unexplored.

The combination of conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) and extra virgin olive oil increases mitochondrial and body metabolism and prevents CLA-associated insulin resistance and liver hypertrophy in C57Bl/6 mice.

Clinical conditions associated with obesity can be improved by daily intake of conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) or extra virgin olive oil (EVOO). Here we investigated whether dietary supplementation with CLA and EVOO, either alone or in combination, changes body metabolism associated with mitochondrial energetics. Male C57Bl/6 mice were divided into one of four groups: CLA (1:1 cis-9, trans-11:trans-10, cis-12; 18:2 isomers), EVOO, CLA plus EVOO or control (linoleic acid).

Aerobic Training Activates Interleukin 10 for Colon Anticarcinogenic Effects.

Purpose: Physical exercise has been shown to be protective against colon carcinogenesis. Physical exercise, however, covers a wide range of modalities, from which different effects on the human body have been reported. We sought to clarify whether aerobic and resistance trainings would differently affect the development of early carcinogenic events in the colon.