Structural and molecular dynamics simulation studies of CBL-interacting protein kinase CIPK and its complexes related to plant salinity stress.

Context: Calcium-dependent signaling in plants is responsible for several major cellular events, including the activation of the salinity-responsive pathways. Calcium binds to calcineurin B-like protein (CBL), and the resulting CBL-Ca complex binds to CBL-interacting protein kinase (CIPK). The CBL-CIPK complex enhances the CIPK interaction with an upstream kinase.

Coupling Peptide-Based Encapsulation of Enzymes with Bacteria for Paraoxon Bioremediation.

The catalytic efficiency of enzymes can be harnessed as an environmentally friendly solution for decontaminating various xenobiotics and toxins. However, for some xenobiotics, several enzymatic steps are needed to obtain nontoxic products. Another challenge is the low durability and stability of many native enzymes in their purified form.

Unveiling the Chemical Composition and Biofunctionality of spp. Fungi: A Comprehensive Overview.

In recent years, research on mushrooms belonging to the genus has attracted considerable attention due to their unique appearance and well-known medicinal properties. These mushrooms are abundant in bioactive chemicals like polysaccharides, hericenones, erinacines, hericerins, resorcinols, steroids, mono- and diterpenes, and corallocins, alongside essential nutrients. These compounds demonstrate beneficial bioactivities which are related to various physiological systems of the body, including the digestive, immune, and nervous systems.

A systematic exploration of bacterial form I rubisco maximal carboxylation rates.

Autotrophy is the basis for complex life on Earth. Central to this process is rubisco-the enzyme that catalyzes almost all carbon fixation on the planet. Yet, with only a small fraction of rubisco diversity kinetically characterized so far, the underlying biological factors driving the evolution of fast rubiscos in nature remain unclear.

Bacterial-fungal crosstalk is defined by a fungal lactone mycotoxin and its degradation by a bacterial lactonase.

Unlabelled: Bacteria, fungi, and mammals contain lactonases that can degrade the Gram-negative bacterial quorum sensing (QS) molecules N-acyl homoserine lactones (AHLs). AHLs are critical for bacteria to coordinate gene expression and pathogenicity with population density. However, AHL-degrading lactonases present variable substrate ranges, including degradation of the lactone mycotoxin patulin.

Curing of a field strain of Salmonella enterica serovar Infantis isolated from poultry from its highly stable pESI like plasmid.

Salmonella enterica serovar Infantis (S. infantis) is an important emerging pathogen, associated with poultry and poultry products and related to an increasing number of human infections in many countries. A concerning trend among S.

Engineering of methionine-auxotroph via parallel evolution of two enzymes from direct-sulfurylation pathway enables its recovery in minimal medium.

Methionine biosynthesis relies on the sequential catalysis of multiple enzymes. , the main bacteria used in research and industry for protein production and engineering, utilizes the three-step trans-sulfurylation pathway catalyzed by L-homoserine O-succinyl transferase, cystathionine gamma synthase and cystathionine beta lyase to convert L-homoserine to L-homocysteine. However, most bacteria employ the two-step direct-sulfurylation pathway involving L-homoserine O-acetyltransferases and O-acetyl homoserine sulfhydrylase.

Preparation and properties of a metal-organic frameworks polymer material based on Sa-son seed gum capable of simultaneously absorbing liquid water and water vapor.

Atmospheric water harvesting (AWH) technology has attracted significant attention as an effective strategy to tackle the global shortage of freshwater resources. Work has focused on the use of hydrogel-based composite adsorbents in water harvesting and water conservation. The approaches adopted to make use of hygroscopic inorganic salts which subject to a "salting out" effect.

Hemolymph metabolism of black soldier fly (Diptera: Stratiomyidae), response to different supplemental fungi.

The black soldier fly, Hermetia illucens L. (Diptera: Stratiomyidae), is commonly used for organic waste recycling and animal feed production. However, the often inadequate nutrients in organic waste necessitate nutritional enhancement of black soldier fly larvae, e.

Microbiota Metabolite Profiles and Dietary Intake in Older Individuals with Insomnia of Short vs. Normal Sleep Duration.

Recent evidence suggests that the gut microbiota plays a role in insomnia pathogenesis. This study compared the dietary habits and microbiota metabolites of older adults with insomnia of short vs. normal sleep duration (ISSD and INSD, respectively).

Integrated Management of the Cotton Charcoal Rot Disease Using Biological Agents and Chemical Pesticides.

Charcoal rot disease (CRD), caused by the phytopathogenic fungus , is a significant threat to cotton production in Israel and worldwide. The pathogen secretes toxins and degrading enzymes that disrupt the water and nutrient uptake, leading to death at the late stages of growth. While many control strategies were tested over the years to reduce CRD impact, reaching that goal remains a significant challenge.

Ovarian cancer ascites confers platinum chemoresistance to ovarian cancer cells.

Ovarian cancer (OC), the second most common form of gynecologic malignancy, has a poor prognosis and is often discovered in the late stages. Platinum-based chemotherapy is the first line of therapy. Nevertheless, treatment OC has proven challenging due to toxicity and the development of acquired resistance to therapy.

Fathers and sons, mothers and daughters: Sex-specific genetic architecture for fetal testosterone in a wild mammal.

Testosterone plays a critical role in mediating fitness-related traits in many species. Although it is highly responsive to environmental and social conditions, evidence from several species show a heritable component to its individual variation. Despite the known effects that in utero testosterone exposure have on adult fitness, the heritable component of individual testosterone variation in fetuses is mostly unexplored.

Inflammation and bacteriophages affect DNA inversion states and functionality of the gut microbiota.

Reversible genomic DNA inversions control the expression of numerous gut bacterial molecules, but how this impacts disease remains uncertain. By analyzing metagenomic samples from inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) cohorts, we identified multiple invertible regions where a particular orientation correlated with disease. These include the promoter of polysaccharide A (PSA) of Bacteroides fragilis, which induces regulatory T cells (Tregs) and ameliorates experimental colitis.

Production and characterization of Trichoderma asperellum chitinases and their use in synergy with Bacillus thuringiensis for lepidopteran control.

Background: Despite their known negative effects on ecosystems and human health, synthetic pesticides are still largely used to control crop insect pests. Currently, the biopesticide market for insect biocontrol mainly relies on the entomopathogenic bacterium Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt). New biocontrol tools for crop protection might derive from fungi, in particular from Trichoderma spp.

Transcriptome variation in banded newt (Ommatotriton vittatus) during its life cycle and habitat transition.

Israel represents the southern limit of the distribution of the banded newt (Ommatotriton vittatus). The life cycle of O. vittatus includes several distinct phases: eggs, aquatic larvae, a terrestrial phase and an aquatic reproductive phase.

5,6-diHETE lactone (EPA-L) mediates hypertensive microvascular dilation by activating the endothelial GPR-PLC-IP signaling pathway.

Endothelial microvascular dysfunction affects multi-organ pathologic processes that contribute to increased vascular tone and is at the base of impaired metabolic and cardiovascular diseases. The vascular dilation impaired by nitric oxide (NO) deficiency in such dysfunctional endothelium is often balanced by endothelial-derived hyperpolarizing factors (EDHFs), which play a critical role in managing vascular tone. Our latest research has uncovered a new group of lactone oxylipins produced in the polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) CYP450 epoxygenase pathway, significantly affecting vascular dilation.

PON1 has palmitoyl-protein thioesterase (PPT) activity, and can affect the presence of SR-B1 on the endothelial cell membrane.

The high-density lipoprotein (HDL)-associated enzyme paraoxonase 1 (PON1) is expressed almost exclusively in the liver and is then transported by HDL to the peripheral tissues. The lipophilic nature of PON1 enables its easy exchange between the lipoprotein and cell membranes in a process that is dependent on the HDL receptor scavenger receptor class B, type 1 (SR-B1). In endothelial cells, PON1 binding to the cell membrane leads to its internalization by endocytosis and subsequent lysosomal degradation.

Short-Range Effects in the Special Pair of Photosystem II Reaction Centers: The Nonconservative Nature of Circular Dichroism.

Photosystem II reaction centers extract electrons from water, providing the basis of oxygenic life on earth. Among the light-sensitive pigments of the reaction center, a central chlorophyll dimer, known as the special pair, so far has escaped a complete theoretical characterization of its excited state properties. The close proximity of the special pair pigments gives rise to short-range effects that comprise a coupling between local and charge transfer (CT) excited states as well as other intermolecular quantum effects.

Novel bioactive lipids enhanced HDL-mediated cholesterol efflux from macrophages through the ABCA1 receptor pathway.

High-density lipoprotein (HDL) has traditionally been acknowledged as "good cholesterol" owing to its significant association with a decreased risk of atherosclerosis. This association is primarily attributed to HDL's direct involvement in cholesterol efflux capacity, which plays a pivotal role in reverse cholesterol transport. A novel active compound from Nannochloropsis microalgae termed lyso-DGTS, a lipid that contains EPA fatty acids, was previously isolated and found to increase paraoxonase 1 activity and enhance HDL-mediated cholesterol efflux and HDL-induced endothelial nitric oxide release.

Effect of entomopathogenic fungus Beauveria bassiana on the growth characteristics and metabolism of black soldier fly larvae.

Beauveria bassiana is an entomopathogenic fungus widely used in agriculture to reduce populations of various pests. However, when agricultural waste is utilized for organic recycling, B. bassiana has the potential to impact recycling performance, by affecting the survival, and body mass of decomposing organisms (such as insect's larvae).

Genetic Modification of Tumor-Infiltrating Lymphocytes, Peripheral T Cells, and T-Cell Model Cell Lines.

Genetic modification of tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) or circulating T cells has become an important avenue in cancer therapy. Here we describe a comprehensive method for establishing and expanding TIL cultures and genetically modifying them with a gene of interest (GOI) via retroviral transduction or mRNA transfection. The method includes all the important steps starting with TIL extraction from tumors through to the maintenance of the genetically modified TILs.

The potential of young vegetative quinoa (Chenopodium quinoa) as a new sustainable protein-rich winter leafy crop under Mediterranean climate.

The demand for protein products has significantly risen in the last few years. In western countries, animals are the primary source of protein; however, plants could take a share of this market due to lower production costs, among other advantages such as a lower environmental footprint. Quinoa (Chenopodium quinoa Willd.

Plant-Derived Epi-Nutraceuticals as Potential Broad-Spectrum Anti-Viral Agents.

Although the COVID-19 pandemic appears to be diminishing, the emergence of SARS-CoV-2 variants represents a threat to humans due to their inherent transmissibility, immunological evasion, virulence, and invulnerability to existing therapies. The COVID-19 pandemic affected more than 500 million people and caused over 6 million deaths. Vaccines are essential, but in circumstances in which vaccination is not accessible or in individuals with compromised immune systems, drugs can provide additional protection.