Targeted Drug Delivery in Plants: Enzyme‐Responsive Lignin Nanocarriers for the Curative Treatment of the Worldwide Grapevine Trunk Disease Esca

Abstract Nanocarrier (NC)‐mediated drug delivery is widely researched in medicine but to date has not been used in agriculture. The first curative NC‐based treatment of the worldwide occurring grapevine trunk disease Esca, with more than 2 billion infected plants causing a loss yearly of $1.5 billion, is presented. To date, only repetitive spraying of fungicides is used to reduce chances of infection. This long‐term treatment against Esca uses minimal amounts of fungicide encapsulated in biobased and biodegradable lignin NCs. A single trunk injection of <10 mg fungicide results in curing of an infected plant. Only upon Esca infection, ligninolytic enzymes, secreted by the Esca‐associated fu…

Evaluating ancient Egyptian prescriptions today: Anti-inflammatory activity of Ziziphus spina-christi.

Abstract Background Ziziphus spina-christi (L.) Desf. (Christ's Thorn Jujube) is a wild tree today found in Jordan, Israel, Egypt, and some parts of Africa, which was already in use as a medicinal plant in Ancient Egypt. In ancient Egyptian prescriptions, it was used in remedies against swellings, pain, and heat, and thus should have anti-inflammatory effects. Nowadays, Z. spina-christi, is used in Egypt (by Bedouins, and Nubians), the Arabian Peninsula, Jordan, Iraq, and Morocco against a wide range of illnesses, most of them associated with inflammation. Pharmacological research undertaken to date suggests that it possesses anti-inflammatory, hypoglycemic, hypotensive and anti-microbial e…

GKK1032A2, a secondary metabolite from Penicillium sp. IBWF-029-96, inhibits conidial germination in the rice blast fungus Magnaporthe oryzae

GKK1032A 2 , a secondary metabolite from Penicillium sp. IBWF-029-96, inhibits conidial germination in the rice blast fungus Magnaporthe oryzae

Magnaporthe oryzae as an expression host for the production of the unspecific peroxygenase AaeUPO from the basidiomycete Agrocybe aegerita.

Abstract The filamentous fungus Magnaporthe oryzae has the potential to be developed as an alternative platform organism for the heterologous production of industrially important enzymes. M. oryzae is easy to handle, fast‐growing and unlike yeast, posttranslational modifications like N‐glycosylations are similar to the human organism. Here, we established M. oryzae as a host for the expression of the unspecific peroxygenase from the basidiomycete Agrocybe aegerita (AaeUPO). Note, UPOs are attractive biocatalysts for selective oxyfunctionalization of non‐activated carbon‐hydrogen bonds. To improve and simplify the isolation of AaeUPO in M. oryzae, we fused a Magnaporthe signal peptide for pr…

Screening of herbal extracts for TLR2- and TLR4-dependent anti-inflammatory effects.

Herbal extracts represent an ample source of natural compounds, with potential to be used in improving human health. There is a growing interest in using natural extracts as possible new treatment strategies for inflammatory diseases. We therefore aimed at identifying herbal extracts that affect inflammatory signaling pathways through toll-like receptors (TLRs), TLR2 and TLR4. Ninety-nine ethanolic extracts were screened in THP-1 monocytes and HeLa-TLR4 transfected reporter cells for their effects on stimulated TLR2 and TLR4 signaling pathways. The 28 identified anti-inflammatory extracts were tested in comparative assays of stimulated HEK-TLR2 and HEK-TLR4 transfected reporter cells to dif…

A new member of the fusaricidin family – structure elucidation and synthesis of fusaricidin E

Two hitherto unknown fusaricidins were obtained from fermentation broths of three Paenibacillus strains. After structure elucidation based on tandem mass spectrometry and NMR spectroscopy, fusaricidin E was synthesized to confirm the structure and the suggested stereochemistry. The synthesis was based on a new strategy which includes an efficient access to the 15-guanidino-3-hydroxypentadecanoyl (GHPD) side chain from erucamide.

Identification of Patulin from Penicillium coprobium as a Toxin for Enteric Neurons

The identification and characterization of fungal commensals of the human gut (the mycobiota) is ongoing, and the effects of their various secondary metabolites on the health and disease of the host is a matter of current research. While the neurons of the central nervous system might be affected indirectly by compounds from gut microorganisms, the largest peripheral neuronal network (the enteric nervous system) is located within the gut and is exposed directly to such metabolites. We analyzed 320 fungal extracts and their effect on the viability of a human neuronal cell line (SH-SY5Y), as well as their effects on the viability and functionality of the most effective compound on primary ent…

Extract of Caragana sinica as a potential therapeutic option for increasing alpha-secretase gene expression

Abstract Background Alzheimer's disease represents one of the main neurological disorders in the aging population. Treatment options so far are only of symptomatic nature and efforts in developing disease modifying drugs by targeting amyloid beta peptide-generating enzymes remain fruitless in the majority of human studies. During the last years, an alternative approach emerged to target the physiological alpha-secretase ADAM10, which is not only able to prevent formation of toxic amyloid beta peptides but also provides a neuroprotective fragment of the amyloid precursor protein – sAPPalpha. Purpose To identify novel alpha-secretase enhancers from a library of 313 extracts of medicinal plant…

Coumarin derivatives from Pedilanthus tithymaloides as inhibitors of conidial germination in Magnaporthe oryzae

In a screening for inhibitors of infection-related morphogenesis in the rice blast fungus Magnaporthe oryzae, a series of 10 coumarin derivatives were isolated from Pedilanthus tithymaloides (Euphorbiaceae). Seven of these compounds turned out to be known while three represent previously unreported natural products. Their structures were established on the basis of spectroscopic data and X-ray crystallography. Nine out of 10 coumarin derivatives were found to inhibit conidial germination in the phytopathogenic fungus at low concentrations.

Tanzawaic acids I-L: Four new polyketides from Penicillium sp. IBWF104-06.

Four new polyketides have been identified in culture filtrates of the fungal strain Penicillium sp. IBWF104-06 isolated from a soil sample. They are structurally based on the same trans-decalinpentanoic acid skeleton as tanzawaic acids A–H. One of the new compounds was found to inhibit the conidial germination in the rice blast fungus Magnaporthe oryzae at concentrations of 25 μg/mL.

Drimane Sesquiterpenoids from Marasmius sp. Inhibiting the Conidial Germination of Plant-Pathogenic Fungi

From the basidiomycete Marasmius sp., strain IBWF 96046, three new sesquiterpenoids based on the drimane skeleton were isolated and named marasmene B and marasmals B and C. In this study, their isolation, structure elucidation, and biological evaluation are described. The compounds have a pronounced inhibitory effect on the conidial germination of several plant-pathogenic fungi.

Back Cover: Promoter Activation in Δ hfq Mutants as an Efficient Tool for Specialized Metabolite Production Enabling Direct Bioactivity Testing (Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 52/2019)

Histidine kinases mediate differentiation, stress response, and pathogenicity in Magnaporthe oryzae.

The aim of this study is a functional characterization of 10 putative histidine kinases (HIKs)-encoding genes in the phytopathogenic fungus Magnaporthe oryzae. Two HIKs were found to be required for pathogenicity in the fungus. It was found that the mutant strains ΔMohik5 and ΔMohik8 show abnormal conidial morphology and furthermore ΔMohik5 is unable to form appressoria. Both HIKs MoHik5p and MoHik8p appear to be essential for pathogenicity since the mutants fail to infect rice plants. MoSln1p and MoHik1p were previously reported to be components of the HOG pathway in M. oryzae. The ΔMosln1 mutant is more susceptible to salt stress compared to ΔMohik1, whereas ΔMohik1 appears to be stronger…

Biodegradable lignin nanocontainers

The abundant biomaterial lignin was used to prepare hollow nanocapsules by interfacial polyaddition in inverse miniemulsions. These cross-linked lignin nanocontainers can be loaded with hydrophilic substances which can be released by an enzymatic trigger from natural plant extracts revealing them as potential nanocontainers for agricultural applications.

Mechanisms of nanotoxicity – biomolecule coronas protect pathological fungi against nanoparticle-based eradication

Whereas nanotoxicity is intensely studied in mammalian systems, our knowledge of desired or unwanted nano-based effects for microbes is still limited. Fungal infections are global socio-economic health and agricultural problems, and current chemical antifungals may induce adverse side-effects in humans and ecosystems. Thus, nanoparticles are discussed as potential novel and sustainable antifungals via the desired nanotoxicity but often fail in practical applications. In our study, we found that nanoparticles' toxicity strongly depends on their binding to fungal spores, including the clinically relevant pathogen

Lifestyle dependent occurrence of airborne fungi

Abstract. Fungi play important roles in the environment, agriculture, and human health. Most fungal species spread by wind-driven dispersal of spores, determining their occurrence and distribution in different environments. The dynamics of airborne fungi and their dependence on lifestyle and environmental conditions, however, are not well characterized. Here, we categorize the fungi detected in coarse and fine aerosol samples from continental boundary layer air using a lifestyle classification scheme that differentiates whether the fungi are (A) primarily associated to herbaceous or woody plants and (B), whether they are saprophytic, plant pathogenic, or surface inhabitants. Herbaceous fung…

Anti-phytopathogen terpenoid glycosides from the root bark of Chytranthus macrobotrys and Radlkofera calodendron

Abstract Chytranthus macrobotrys and Radlkofera calodendron are two Sapindaceae characterized by a lack of phytochemical data. Both root barks from the two Sapindaceae species were processed by ethanol extraction followed by the isolation of their primary constituents by liquid chromatography. This process yielded four previously undescribed terpenoid glycosides together with eight known analogues. Extracts and isolated compounds from C. macrobotrys and R. calodendron were then screened for antimicrobial activity against fifteen phytopathogens. The biological screening also involved extracts and pure compounds from Blighia unijugata and Blighia welwitschii, two Sapindaceae previously studie…

Native Electrospray-based Metabolomics Enables the Detection of Metal-binding Compounds

AbstractMetals are essential for the molecular machineries of life, and microbes have evolved a variety of small molecules to acquire, compete for, and utilize metals. Systematic methods for the discovery of metal-small molecule complexes from biological samples are limited. Here we describe a two-step native electrospray ionization mass spectrometry method, in which double-barrel post-column metal-infusion and pH adjustment is combined with ion identity molecular networking, a rule-based informatics workflow. This method can be used to identify metal-binding compounds in complex samples based on defined mass (m/z) offsets of ion features with the same chromatographic profiles. As this nati…

Resistance to Nano-Based Antifungals Is Mediated by Biomolecule Coronas.

Fungal infections are a growing global health and agricultural threat, and current chemical antifungals may induce various side-effects. Thus, nanoparticles are investigated as potential novel antifungals. We report that nanoparticles' antifungal activity strongly depends on their binding to fungal spores, focusing on the clinically important fungal pathogen Aspergillus fumigatus as well as common plant pathogens, such as Botrytis cinerea. We show that nanoparticle-spore complex formation was enhanced by the small nanoparticle size rather than the material, shape or charge, and could not be prevented by steric surface modifications. Fungal resistance to metal-based nanoparticles, such as Zn…

Visualizing fungicide action: anin vivotool for rapid validation of fungicides with target location HOG pathway

BACKGROUND The mitogen-activated protein kinase MoHog1p was fused with a green fluorescent protein (GFP) in the filamentous fungus Magnaporthe oryzae. The MoHOG1::GFP mutant was found to be an excellent tool visualizing in vivo fungicide-dependent translocation of MoHog1p into the nucleus. Validation of pathway specificity was achieved by generating fluorescence-labelled MoHog1p in the ΔMohik1 'loss of function' mutant strain. RESULTS GFP-labelled MoHog1p expressed in the wildtype and in ΔMohik1 demonstrates that fludioxonil is acting on the HOG pathway and even more precisely that fungicide action is dependent on the group III histidine kinase MoHik1p. GFP-tagged MoHog1p translocated into …

Assignment of Configuration in a Series of Dioxolanone-Type Secondary Metabolites fromGuignardia bidwellii- A Comparison of VCD and ECD Spectroscopy

The absolute configurations of a series of phytotoxic dioxolanone-type secondary metabolites isolated from culture filtrates of the grape black rot fungus Guignardia bidwellii were determined by vibrational circular dichroism (VCD) spectroscopy in the mid-IR frequency range. Comparison of the recorded data with DFT calculations showed good agreement between experiment and theory for VCD, whereas electronic circular dichroism (ECD) data for the compounds matched poorly with the predicted spectra obtained by time-dependent DFT (TDDFT) calculations at the same level of theory.

Cytotoxicity ofSalvia miltiorrhizaAgainst Multidrug-Resistant Cancer Cells

Salvia miltiorrhiza Bunge (Lamiaceae) is a well-known Chinese herb that possesses numerous therapeutic activities, including anticancer effects. In this study, the cytotoxicity and the biological mechanisms of S. miltiorrhiza (SM) root extract on diverse resistant and sensitive cancer cell lines were investigated. CEM/ADR5000 cells were 1.68-fold resistant to CCRF-CEM cells, while HCT116 (p53[Formula: see text] and U87.MG[Formula: see text]EGFR cells were hypersensitive (collateral sensitive) compared to their parental cells. SM root extract stimulated ROS generation, cell cycle S phase arrest and apoptosis. The induction of the intrinsic apoptotic pathway was validated by increased cleavag…

Unravelling the biosynthesis of pyriculol in the rice blast fungus Magnaporthe oryzae

Pyriculol was isolated from the rice blast fungus Magnaporthe oryzae and found to induce lesion formation on rice leaves. These findings suggest that it could be involved in virulence. The gene MoPKS19 was identified to encode a polyketide synthase essential for the production of the polyketide pyriculol in the rice blast fungus M. oryzae. The transcript abundance of MoPKS19 correlates with the biosynthesis rate of pyriculol in a time-dependent manner. Furthermore, gene inactivation of MoPKS19 resulted in a mutant unable to produce pyriculol, pyriculariol and their dihydro derivatives. Inactivation of a putative oxidase-encoding gene MoC19OXR1, which was found to be located in the genome cl…

Rücktitelbild: Promoter Activation in Δ hfq Mutants as an Efficient Tool for Specialized Metabolite Production Enabling Direct Bioactivity Testing (Angew. Chem. 52/2019)

Fungicide resistance towards fludioxonil conferred by overexpression of the phosphatase gene Mo PTP 2 in Magnaporthe oryzae

The fungicide fludioxonil causes hyperactivation of the Hog1p MAPK within the high-osmolarity glycerol signaling pathway essential for osmoregulation in pathogenic fungi. The molecular regulation of MoHog1p phosphorylation is not completely understood in pathogenic fungi. Thus, we identified and characterized the putative MoHog1p-interacting phosphatase gene MoPTP2 in the filamentous rice pathogen Magnaporthe oryzae. We found overexpression of MoPTP2 conferred fludioxonil resistance in M. oryzae, whereas the 'loss of function' mutant ΔMoptp2 was more susceptible toward the fungicide. Additionally, quantitative phosphoproteome profiling of MoHog1p phosphorylation revealed lower phosphorylati…

ChemInform Abstract: Total Synthesis of (-)-Hymenosetin.

Hymenosetin (I) and its N-methyl analogue are prepared in 11 and 8 steps, respectively, from citronellal employing an intramolecular Diels-Alder reaction as the key step.

Drug Delivery in Plants: Targeted Drug Delivery in Plants: Enzyme-Responsive Lignin Nanocarriers for the Curative Treatment of the Worldwide Grapevine Trunk Disease Esca (Adv. Sci. 15/2019)

In article number 1802315, Jochen Fischer, Frederik R. Wurm, and co‐workers report the first nanocarrier‐mediated drug delivery in plants. Enzyme‐degradable lignin nanocarriers are injected into the trunks of grapevine plants. They release a fungicide selectively inside of the plants and are able to cure the worldwide fungal plant disease Esca for the first time. This strategy will reduce the extensive spraying of pesticides in agriculture. Image credit: Katharina Maisenbacher.

Total Synthesis of (-)-Hymenosetin.

The 3-decalinoyltetramic acid (−)-hymenosetin and its N-methyl analogue were prepared in 11 and 8 steps, respectively, from (+)-citronellal using an intramolecular Diels–Alder reaction as the key step. This method represents the first example for the synthesis of a 3-decalinoyltetramic acid with a free NH moiety. The stereochemistry of the title compound, an unnatural diastereomer, and of a decalin building block was studied in detail using circular dichroism spectroscopy in the IR and UV/VIS freqeuncy range. This allowed to determine the absolute configuration of the natural product and to plan the synthetic route.

Identification of NF-κB as Determinant of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder and Its Inhibition by the Chinese Herbal Remedy Free and Easy Wanderer

Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a mental disorder developing after exposure to traumatic events. Although psychotherapy reveals some therapeutic effectiveness, clinically sustainable cure is still uncertain. Some Chinese herbal formulae are reported to work well clinically against mental diseases in Asian countries, but the safety and their mode of action are still unclear. In this study, we investigated the mechanisms of Chinese remedy free and easy wanderer (FAEW) on PTSD. We used a reverse pharmacology approach combining clinical data to search for mechanisms of PTSD with subsequent in vitro verification and bioinformatics techniques as follows: (1) by analyzing microarray-based …

Species Richness, rRNA Gene Abundance, and Seasonal Dynamics of Airborne Plant-Pathogenic Oomycetes

Oomycetes, also named Peronosporomycetes, are one of the most important and widespread groups of plant pathogens, leading to significant losses in the global agricultural productivity. They have been studied extensively in ground water, soil, and host plants, but their atmospheric transport vector is not well characterized. In this study, the occurrence of airborne Oomycetes was investigated by Sanger sequencing and quantitative PCR of coarse and fine aerosol particle samples (57 filter pairs) collected over a 1-year period (2006–2007) and full seasonal cycle in Mainz, Germany. In coarse particulate matter, we found 55 different hypothetical species (OTUs), of which 54 were plant pathogens …

Corrigendum: Species Richness, rRNA Gene Abundance, and Seasonal Dynamics of Airborne Plant-Pathogenic Oomycetes

Anti-inflammatory effects of cinnamon extract and identification of active compounds influencing the TLR2 and TLR4 signaling pathways

Purpose: Inflammatory processes are involved in many diseases. The bark of Cinnamomum verum and its extracts are well known for anti-inflammatory effects, but the underlying active compounds and chemical mechanisms are not yet fully identified. The objective of this study was to elucidate how cinnamon extract, specifically active compounds, and their combinations influence the signaling pathways of inflammation, especially through toll-like receptors TLR2 and TLR4. Methods: Bioassay-guided fractionation was performed for standard ethanolic cinnamon extract using high performance liquid chromatography followed by compound identification in the determined active fractions by high-resolution m…

Bioassays to monitor taspase1 function for the identification of pharmacogenetic inhibitors

Background Threonine Aspartase 1 (Taspase1) mediates cleavage of the mixed lineage leukemia (MLL) protein and leukemia provoking MLL-fusions. In contrast to other proteases, the understanding of Taspase1's (patho)biological relevance and function is limited, since neither small molecule inhibitors nor cell based functional assays for Taspase1 are currently available. Methodology/Findings Efficient cell-based assays to probe Taspase1 function in vivo are presented here. These are composed of glutathione S-transferase, autofluorescent protein variants, Taspase1 cleavage sites and rational combinations of nuclear import and export signals. The biosensors localize predominantly to the cytoplasm…

The exceptionality of stress response in Magnaporthe oryzae: a set of “salt stress-induced” genes unique to the rice blast fungus

The ability of pathogens to signal perception and adaptation to environmental changes is an important prerequisite for successful colonization of the host organism. Filamentous phytopathogenic fungi, for example, have to cope with rapid changes in the environment during invasive growth in planta. Consequently, they have evolved a range of specific factors contributing to environmental adaptation facilitating host invasion. In addition to conserved pathways, including genes participating in stress response, unique/individual genes within the pathogens might represent determinants of pathogenicity. Therefore, identification of unique genes could provide a set of excellent candidates for novel…

Synthesis of Bioactive 2-Aza-Analogues of Ipecac and Alangium Alkaloids

Hunting the plant surrender signal activating apoplexy in grapevines after Neofusicoccum parvum infection

SummaryApoplectic breakdown from Grapevines Trunk Diseases (GTDs) has become a serious challenge to viticulture in consequence to drought stress. We hypothesise that fungal aggressiveness is controlled by a chemical communication between host and colonising fungus.We introduce the new concept of a “plant surrender signal” accumulating in host plants under stress and triggering aggressive behaviour of the strain Neofusicoccum parvum (Bt-67) causing Botryosphaeriaceae-related dieback in grapevines.Using a cell-based experimental system (Vitis cells) and bioactivity-guided fractionation, we identify trans-ferulic acid, a monolignol precursor, as “surrender signal”. We show that this signal spe…

Bioaerosols in the Earth system: Climate, health, and ecosystem interactions

Abstract Aerosols of biological origin play a vital role in the Earth system, particularly in the interactions between atmosphere, biosphere, climate, and public health. Airborne bacteria, fungal spores, pollen, and other bioparticles are essential for the reproduction and spread of organisms across various ecosystems, and they can cause or enhance human, animal, and plant diseases. Moreover, they can serve as nuclei for cloud droplets, ice crystals, and precipitation, thus influencing the hydrological cycle and climate. The sources, abundance, composition, and effects of biological aerosols and the atmospheric microbiome are, however, not yet well characterized and constitute a large gap i…

Phytotoxic dioxolanone-type secondary metabolites from Guignardia bidwellii.

Phenguignardic acid was recently described as a phytotoxic secondary metabolite from submerged cultures of the grape black rot fungus Guignardia bidwellii. Since the production rate of this natural product in submerged culture is very low, fermentation optimisation was carried out. The optimisation of cultivation conditions led to the identification of seven secondary metabolites, structurally related to guignardic acid, a known secondary metabolite from Guignardia species containing a dioxolanone moiety. All metabolites presented here have not been described to date and are presumably biosynthesised via deamination products of amino acids, such as phenylalanine, valine, tyrosine, and alani…

Terphenyl Derivatives from Allantophomopsis lycopodina.

Three secondary fungal metabolites 1–3 with a benzo[b]naphtho[2,1-d]furan skeleton were isolated from submerged cultures of the ascomycete Allantophomopsis lycopodina. The NMR-based structure elucidation was challenging due to a low H/C ratio of only 0.64 and 0.68, respectively. NMR measurements in two different solvents and the use of NMR experiments such as HSQC-TOCSY and LR-HSQMBC proved to be helpful in this respect. The proposed structures obtained from the comprehensive analysis of the NMR data were verified by comparison of recorded and computed NMR chemical shifts from quantum chemical calculations of several constitutional isomers and were further analyzed with the aid of the DP4 a…

Discovery of an Extended Austinoid Biosynthetic Pathway in Aspergillus calidoustus

Filamentous fungi produce a wide range of natural products that are commonly used in various industrial contexts (e.g., pharmaceuticals and insecticides). Meroterpenoids are natural products of interest because of their various biological activities. Among the meroterpenoids, there is a group of insecticidal compounds known as the austinoids. These compounds have also been studied because of their intriguing spiro-lactone ring formation along with various modifications. Here, we present an extension of the original austinol/dehydroaustinol biosynthesis pathway from Aspergillus nidulans in the recently identified filamentous fungus Aspergillus calidoustus. Besides the discovery and elucidati…

High osmolarity glycerol (HOG) signalling in Magnaporthe oryzae: Identification of MoYPD1 and its role in osmoregulation, fungicide action, and pathogenicity

AbstractThis study comprises a first functional analysis of an YPD1-homologue in filamentous phytopathogenic fungi and its role in the HOG signalling pathway. We generated a gene deletion mutant of the gene MoYPD1 in Magnaporthe oryzae and characterized the resulting mutant strain. We have shown that MoYpd1p is a component of the phosphorelay system acting in the HOG pathway due to its Y2H protein interaction with the HKs MoHik1p and MoSln1p as well as with the response regulator MoSsk1p. Fungicidal activity of fludioxonil was reported to be based on the inhibition of MoHik1p resulting in hyperactivation of the HOG signalling pathway and lethality. Western analysis proved that both, osmotic…

Phenguignardic acid and guignardic acid, phytotoxic secondary metabolites from Guignardia bidwellii.

Bioactivity-guided isolation led to the identification of phenguignardic acid (2), a new phytotoxic secondary metabolite from submerged cultures of grape black rot fungus, Guignardia bidwellii. The compound is structurally related to guignardic acid (1), a dioxolanone moiety-containing metabolite isolated previously from Guignardia species. However, in contrast to guignardic acid, which is presumably synthesized from deamination products of valine and phenylalanine, the biochemical precursor for the biosynthesis of the new phytotoxin appears to be exclusively phenylalanine. Guignardic acid was also found in extracts of cultures from Guignardia bidwellii. The phytotoxic activities of both co…

Hog1p activation by marasmic acid through inhibition of the histidine kinase Sln1p

BACKGROUND The histidine kinase (HK) MoHik1p within the high-osmolarity glycerol (HOG) pathway is known to be the target of the fungicide fludioxonil. Treatment of the fungus with fludioxonil causes an uncontrolled hyperactivation of the pathway and cell death. In this study, we used a target-based in vivo test system with mutant strains of the rice blast fungus Magnaporthe oryzae to search for new fungicidal compounds having various target locations within the HOG pathway. Mutants with inactivated HOG signalling are resistant to fungicides having the target located in the HOG pathway. RESULTS The HK MoSln1p was identified as being involved in the new antifungal mode of action of marasmic a…

Reactive Layer Assembly Sustains an Interlocked Structure in Green Processed and Scalable High-Performance Layered Wood

Wood can be processed into structural materials by partial removal of lignin and subsequent hot compression. The fundamental challenge of this process is achieving a cost-effective, green, and scal...

Promoter Activation in Dhfq Mutants as an Efficient Tool for Specialized Metabolite Production Enabling Direct Bioactivity Testing

Abstract Natural products (NPs) from microorganisms have been important sources for discovering new therapeutic and chemical entities. While their corresponding biosynthetic gene clusters (BGCs) can be easily identified by gene‐sequence‐similarity‐based bioinformatics strategies, the actual access to these NPs for structure elucidation and bioactivity testing remains difficult. Deletion of the gene encoding the RNA chaperone, Hfq, results in strains losing the production of most NPs. By exchanging the native promoter of a desired BGC against an inducible promoter in Δhfq mutants, almost exclusive production of the corresponding NP from the targeted BGC in Photorhabdus, Xenorhabdus and Pseud…

Identification of factors involved in dimorphism and pathogenicity of Zymoseptoria tritici

A forward genetics approach was applied in order to investigate the molecular basis of morphological transition in the wheat pathogenic fungus Zymoseptoria tritici. Z. tritici is a dimorphic plant pathogen displaying environmentally regulated morphogenetic transition between yeast-like and hyphal growth. Considering the infection mode of Z. tritici, the switching to hyphal growth is essential for pathogenicity allowing the fungus the host invasion through natural openings like stomata. We exploited a previously developed Agrobacterium tumefaciens-mediated transformation (ATMT) to generate a mutant library by insertional mutagenesis including more than 10,000 random mutants. To identify gene…

CCDC 861603: Experimental Crystal Structure Determination

Related Article: Louis P. Sandjo, Andrew J. Foster, Joachim Rheinheimer, Heidrun Anke, Till Opatz, Eckhard Thines|2012|Tetrahedron Lett.|53|2153|doi:10.1016/j.tetlet.2012.02.056

CCDC 962065: Experimental Crystal Structure Determination

Related Article: Louis P. Sandjo, Eckhard Thines, Till Opatz and Anja Schüffler|2014|Beilstein J.Org.Chem.|10|251|doi:10.3762/bjoc.10.20

CCDC 962066: Experimental Crystal Structure Determination

Related Article: Louis P. Sandjo, Eckhard Thines, Till Opatz and Anja Schüffler|2014|Beilstein J.Org.Chem.|10|251|doi:10.3762/bjoc.10.20

CCDC 2081480: Experimental Crystal Structure Determination

Related Article: Leander Geske, Ulrich Kauhl, Mohamed Saeed, Anja Schüffler, Eckhard Thines, Thomas Efferth, Till Opatz|2021|Molecules|26|3224|doi:10.3390/molecules26113224