Search results for "Endotoxin"
showing 10 items of 144 documents
Activity of lupane triterpenoids from Maytenus species as inhibitors of nitric oxide and prostaglandin E2
2005
In the present study, we report that three new lupane triterpenes (1-3), in addition to 16 known ones (4-19), were isolated from the root bark of Maytenus cuzcoina and the leaves of Maytenus chiapensis. Their structures were elucidated by spectral analysis, including homonuclear and heteronuclear correlation NMR experiments (COSY, ROESY, HSQC, and HMBC). The natural compounds and derivatives 6a, 6b, 9a, and 9b have been tested for potential anti-inflammatory activity, and several compounds including 3-epicalenduladiol (2), 11alpha-hydroxy-glochidone (3), rigidenol (6), acetoxy-rigidenol (6a), 11alpha-acetoxy-30-chloro-3-oxo-lup-20(29)-ene (6b), betulin (9), 28-acetoxy-betulin (9a), epibetul…
Activation of complement by the alternative pathway as a factor in the pathogenesis of periodontal disease.
1976
Dental plaque and a bacterium, Actinomyces viscosus, isolated from plaque that can reproduce periodontal disease in germ-free rats, are activators of complement by the alternative pathway. It is suggested that this process is involved in the pathogenesis of chronic inflammatory periodontal disease.
The actin-based motility of intracellularListeria monocytogenesis not controlled by small GTP-binding proteins of the Rho- and Ras-subfamilies
1999
In this study, we analyzed whether the actin-based motility of intracellular Listeria monocytogenes is controlled by the small GTP-binding proteins of the Rho- and Ras-subfamilies. These signalling proteins are key regulatory elements in the control of actin dynamics and their activity is essential for the maintenance of most cellular microfilament structures. We used the Clostridium difficile toxins TcdB-10463 and TcdB-1470 to specifically inactivate these GTP-binding proteins. Treatment of eukaryotic cells with either of these toxins led to a dramatic breakdown of the normal actin cytoskeleton, but did not abrogate the invasion of epithelial cells by L. monocytogenes and had no effect on …
Potential of the Bacillus thuringiensis Toxin Reservoir for the Control of Lobesia botrana (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae), a Major Pest of Grape Plants▿
2006
ABSTRACT The potential of Bacillus thuringiensis Cry proteins to control the grape pest Lobesia botrana was explored by testing first-instar larvae with Cry proteins belonging to the Cry1, Cry2, and Cry9 groups selected for their documented activities against Lepidoptera. Cry9Ca, a toxin from B. thuringiensis , was the protein most toxic to L. botrana larvae, followed in decreasing order by Cry2Ab, Cry1Ab, Cry2Aa, and Cry1Ia7, with 50% lethal concentration values of 0.09, 0.1, 1.4, 3.2, and 8.5 μg/ml of diet, respectively. In contrast, Cry1Fa and Cry1JA were not active at the assayed concentration (100 μg/ml). In vitro binding and competition experiments showed that none of the toxins teste…
Toxicity of several d-endotoxins of Bacillus thuringiensis against Helicoverpa armigera (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) from Spain
2005
Abstract Toxicity and larval growth inhibition of 11 insecticidal proteins of Bacillus thuringiensis were evaluated against neonate larvae of Helicoverpa armigera, a major pest of important crops in Spain and other countries, by a whole-diet contamination method. The most active toxins were Cry1Ac4 and Cry2Aa1, with LC50 values of 3.5 and 6.3 μg/ml, respectively. At the concentrations tested, Cry1Ac4, Cry2Aa1, Cry9Ca, Cry1Fa1, Cry1Ab3, Cry2Ab2, Cry1Da, and Cry1Ja1, produced a significant growth inhibition, whereas Cry1Aa3, Cry1Ca2, and Cry1Ea had no effect.
Occupational hygiene in a Finnish drum composting plant
2005
Bioaerosols (microbes, dust and endotoxins) and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) were determined in the working air of a drum composting plant treating source-separated catering waste. Different composting activities at the Oulu drum composting plant take place in their own units separated by modular design and constructions. Important implication of this is that the control room is a relatively clean working environment and the risk of exposure to harmful factors is low. However, the number of viable airborne microbes was high both in the biowaste receiving hall and in the drum composting hall. The concentration (geometric average) of total microbes was 21.8 million pcs/m3 in the biowaste…
Unshared binding sites for Bacillus thuringiensis Cry3Aa and Cry3Ca proteins in the weevil Cylas puncticollis (Brentidae)
2016
Bacillus thuringiensis Cry3Aa and Cry3Ca proteins have been reported to be toxic against the African sweetpotato pest Cylas puncticollis. In the present work, the binding sites of these proteins in C. puncticollis brush border vesicles suggest the occurrence of different binding sites, but only one of them is shared. Our results suggest that pest resistance mediated by alteration of the shared Cry-receptor binding site might not render both Cry proteins ineffective.
Extent of variation of the Bacillus thuringiensis toxin reservoir: the case of the geranium bronze, Cacyreus marshalli butler (Lepidoptera: Lycaenida…
2002
ABSTRACT Despite the fact that around 200 cry genes from Bacillus thuringiensis have already been cloned, only a few Cry proteins are toxic towards a given pest. A crucial step in the mode of action of Cry proteins is binding to specific sites in the midgut of susceptible insects. Binding studies in insects that have developed cross-resistance discourage the combined use of Cry proteins sharing the same binding site. If resistance management strategies are to be implemented, the arsenal of Cry proteins suitable to control a given pest may be not so vast as it might seem at first. The present study evaluates the potential of B. thuringiensis for the control of a new pest, the geranium bronze…
Dissimilar Regulation of Antimicrobial Proteins in the Midgut of Spodoptera exigua Larvae Challenged with Bacillus thuringiensis Toxins or Baculoviru…
2015
Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) and lysozymes are the main effectors of the insect immune system, and they are involved in both local and systemic responses. Among local responses, midgut immune reaction plays an important role in fighting pathogens that reach the insect body through the oral route, as do many microorganisms used in pest control. Under this point of view, understanding how insects defend themselves locally during the first phases of infections caused by food-borne pathogens is important to further improve microbial control strategies. In the present study, we analyzed the transcriptional response of AMPs and lysozymes in the midgut of Spodoptera exigua (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae…
Binding analysis of Bacillus thuringiensis Cry1 proteins in the sugarcane borer, Diatraea saccharalis (Lepidoptera: Crambidae).
2015
Sugarcane borer (Diatraea saccharalis, F.) is an important corn pest in South America and United States. The aim of the present study was to analyze the susceptibility and binding interactions of three Cry1A proteins and Cry1Fa in a Brazilian D. saccharalis population. The results showed that Cry1Ab was the most active, followed by Cry1Ac, Cry1Fa and Cry1Aa. All Cry1-biotinylated proteins tested bound specifically to the D. saccharalis brush border membrane vesicles (BBMV). Heterologous competition assays showed shared binding sites for all Cry1A proteins and another one shared by Cry1Fa and Cry1Ab. Thus, pyramiding Cry1Aa/Cry1Ac and Cry1F proteins would be a recommended strategy for managi…