The chemical composition of the essential oil obtained from the leaves of Pulicaria undulata Gamal Ed Din (syn P. oriental sensu Schwartz and P. jaubertii Gamal Ed Din) was analyzed by GC-MS. Major compounds of P. undulata oil were the oxygenated monoterpenenes, carvotanacetone (91.4%) and 2,5-dimethoxy-p-cymene (2.6.%). The antimicrobial activity of the essential oil was evaluated against six microorganisms, Escherichia coli Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Staphylococcus aureus, methicillin-resistant S. aureus, Bacillus subtilis, and Candida albicans, using disc diffusion and broth microdilution methods. The oil showed the strongest bactericidal activity against Staphylococcus aureus and methicillin-resistant S. aureus, as well as Candida albicans. The essential oil showed moderate cytotoxic activity against MCF-7 breast tumor cells, with an IC50 of 64.6 ±13.7 μg/mL. Bioautographic assays were used to evaluate the acetylcholinesterase inhibitory effect as well as antifungal activity of the oil against Cladosporium cucumerinum.

Ammonia and selenoaldehydes are both problematic components in Ugi reactions. Here we report the efficient direct multicomponent synthesis of sensitive selenocysteinepeptides without the use of convertible (protected) primary amines, including suitable deprotection protocols for selenols.

The chemical composition, antimicrobial, antioxidant and cytotoxic activities of the essential oils isolated from the leaves of Plectranthus cylindraceus Hoechst. ex. Benth. (EOPC) and Meriandra benghalensis (Roxb.) Benth. (EOMB) were investigated. Sixteen compounds were identified in P. cylindraceus oil representing 94.5% of the oil content with thymol (68.5%), terpinolene (5.3%), β-selinene (4.7%), β-caryophyllene (4.0%), δ-cadinol (2.1%), and ar-curcumene (1.7%) as the major compounds. In M. benghalensis oil, 12 compounds were identified, which made up 82.0% of the total oil. The most abundant constituents were camphor (43.6%), 1,8-cineole (10.7%), α-eudesmol (5.8%), caryophyllene oxide (5.8%), camphene (5.3%) and borneol (3.4%). The antimicrobial activities of both oils were evaluated against five microorganisms with the disc diffusion test, the broth micro-dilution method and a semiquantitative bioautographic test. The most sensitive microorganisms for P. cylindraceus oil were S. aureus, B. subtilis, and C. albicans with inhibition zones of 38, 42, and 43 mm and MIC values of 0.39, 0.18, and, 0.18 μL/mL, respectively. M. benghalensis oil showed weak to moderate activity against the tested microorganisms. 2,2-Diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) assay was employed to study the potential antioxidant activities of both oils. The antioxidant activity of P. cylindraceus oil (IC50 34.5 μg/mL) appeared to be higher than that of M. benghalensis oil (IC50 935 μg/mL). At a concentration of 100 μg/mL, EOMB showed a stronger cytotoxic activity, with growth inhibition of 71% against HT29 tumor cells, than EOPC (18%).

A novel strategy for the formation, without the need for organic solvents, of stable giant proteopolymersomes from the highly water-soluble triblock copolymer poly(2,3-dihydroxypropyl methacrylate)-b-poly(propylene oxide)-b-poly(2,3-dihydroxypropyl methacrylate) and the protein assembly streptavidin (SAv)-biotin-bovine serum albumin is presented. The method yields bioactive polymersomes with sizes in the tens of micrometers range having an SAv-functionalized membrane, thus, offering binding sites for a broad range of biotin conjugates. The vesiculation mechanism and the distribution of polymer and proteins in the proteopolymersomes membrane are investigated by confocal laser scanning microscopy and supported by molecular dynamic simulations.

The chemical composition of the hydrodistilled leaf essential oil from Pulicaria stephanocarpa Balf Fil was determined by GC-MS analysis, and its antimicrobial, antioxidant and anticholinesterase (AChE) activities were evaluated. Eighty-three compounds were identified representing 97.2% of the total oil. (E)-Caryophyllene 13.4%, (E)-nerolidol 8.5%, caryophyllene oxide 8.5%, α-cadinol 8.2% spathulenol 6.8% and τ-cadinol 4.7%, were the main components. Antimicrobial activity of the oil, evaluated using the disc diffusion and broth dilution methods, demonstrated the highest susceptibility on Gram-positive bacteria and Candida albicans. The free radical scavenging ability of the oil was assessed by the DPPH assay to show antiradical activity with IC50 of 330 μg/mL. Moreover, the oil revealed an AChE inhibitory activity of 47% at a concentration of 200 μg/mL using Ellman's method.

Targeted proteomics via selected reaction monitoring is a powerful mass spectrometric technique affording higher dynamic range, increased specificity and lower limits of detection than other shotgun mass spectrometry methods when applied to proteome analyses. However, it involves selective measurement of predetermined analytes, which requires more preparation in the form of selecting appropriate signatures for the proteins and peptides that are to be targeted. There is a growing number of software programs and resources for selecting optimal transitions and the instrument settings used for the detection and quantification of the targeted peptides, but the exchange of this information is hindered by a lack of a standard format. We have developed a new standardized format, called TraML, for encoding transition lists and associated metadata. In addition to introducing the TraML format, we demonstrate several implementations across the community, and provide semantic validators, extensive documentation, and multiple example instances to demonstrate correctly written documents. Widespread use of TraML will facilitate the exchange of transitions, reduce time spent handling incompatible list formats, increase the reusability of previously optimized transitions, and thus accelerate the widespread adoption of targeted proteomics via selected reaction monitoring.

The Lotus japonicus SYMBIOSIS RECEPTOR-LIKE KINASE (SYMRK) is required for symbiotic signal transduction upon stimulation of root cells by microbial signaling molecules. Here, we identified members of the SEVEN IN ABSENTIA (SINA) E3 ubiquitin-ligase family as SYMRK interactors and confirmed their predicted ubiquitin-ligase activity. In Nicotiana benthamiana leaves, SYMRK–yellow fluorescent protein was localized at the plasma membrane, and interaction with SINAs, as determined by bimolecular fluorescence complementation, was observed in small punctae at the cytosolic interface of the plasma membrane. Moreover, fluorescence-tagged SINA4 partially colocalized with SYMRK and caused SYMRK relocalization as well as disappearance of SYMRK from the plasma membrane. Neither the localization nor the abundance of Nod-factor receptor1 was altered by the presence of SINA4. SINA4 was transcriptionally upregulated during root symbiosis, and rhizobia inoculated roots ectopically expressing SINA4 showed reduced SYMRK protein levels. In accordance with a negative regulatory role in symbiosis, infection thread development was impaired upon ectopic expression of SINA4. Our results implicate SINA4 E3 ubiquitin ligase in the turnover of SYMRK and provide a conceptual mechanism for its symbiosis-appropriate spatio-temporal containment.

The allelopathic potential of Terminalia catappa L. Combretaceae fruits and leaves on Lactuca sativa L. (lettuce), Euphorbia heterophylla L. and Commelina benghalensis L. was studied. Bioassays indicated the highest activity for dichloromethane and ethyl-acetate fractions of ethanolic extracts from fruits, and the mean effective concentration (EC50) was determined. 2-Pentadecanone; vanillic, siringic, ferulic, p-coumaric, palmitic and stearic acids were characterized in the dichloromethane fraction, and 3,4,4′-tri-O-methyl ellagic acid and β-sitosterol-3-O-β-d-glucoside were isolated from it. No allelopathic effects were observed when the dichloromethane extracts of T. catappa fruit or leaf extracts were applied to the weeds E. heterophylla and C. benghalensis. Bioassays with seasonal sampling revealed an influence on the allelochemical potential of T. catappa. Considering the methodology adopted and the experimental results, the allelopathic activity of T. catappa seems to be related to the interaction of different groups of substances, some of them identified and characterized in this work.

The pollen tube is a tip-growing system that delivers sperm to the ovule and thus is essential for sexual plant reproduction. Sucrose and other microelements act as nutrients and signaling molecules through pathways that are not yet fully understood. Taking advantage of high-throughput liquid chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry (LC-MS), we performed a label-free shotgun proteomic analysis of pollen in response to nutrient limitation using mass accuracy precursor alignment. We compared 168 LC-MS analyses and more than 1 million precursor ions and could define the proteomic phenotypes of pollen under different conditions. In total, 166 proteins and 42 phosphoproteins were identified as differentially regulated. These proteins are involved in a variety of signaling pathways, providing new insights into the multifaceted mechanism of nutrient function. The phosphorylation of proteins involved in cytoskeleton dynamics was found to be specifically responsive to Ca2+ and sucrose deficiency, suggesting that sucrose and extracellular Ca2+ influx are necessary for the maintenance of cytoskeleton polymerization. Sucrose limitation leads to widespread accumulation of proteins involved in carbohydrate metabolism and protein degradation. This highlights the wide range of metabolic and cellular processes that are modulated by sucrose but complicates dissection of the signaling pathways.

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