Search results for "ta1182"
showing 10 items of 176 documents
Traditional Norwegian Kveik Are a Genetically Distinct Group of Domesticated Saccharomyces cerevisiae Brewing Yeasts
2018
The widespread production of fermented food and beverages has resulted in the domestication of Saccharomyces cerevisiae yeasts specifically adapted to beer production. While there is evidence beer yeast domestication was accelerated by industrialization of beer, there also exists a farmhouse brewing culture in western Norway which has passed down yeasts referred to as kveik for generations. This practice has resulted in ale yeasts which are typically highly flocculant, phenolic off flavor negative (POF-), and exhibit a high rate of fermentation, similar to previously characterized lineages of domesticated yeast. Additionally, kveik yeasts are reportedly high-temperature tolerant, likely due…
Gliding Motility and Expression of Motility-Related Genes in Spreading and Non-spreading Colonies of Flavobacterium columnare
2018
Gliding motility facilitates the movement of bacteria along surfaces in many Bacteroidetes species and results in spreading colonies. The adhesins required for the gliding are secreted through a gliding motility-associated protein secretion system, known as the type IX secretion system (T9SS). The fish pathogen Flavobacterium columnare produces spreading (rhizoid [Rz], soft [S]) and non-spreading (rough [R]) colony types, of which only the spreading Rz type is virulent. In this study, we explored the spreading behavior of these colony types by microscopic imaging and measured the expression of genes associated with gliding motility and T9SS (gldG, gldH, gldL, sprA, sprB, sprE, sprF, sprT, a…
Antiviral Agents From Fungi : Diversity, Mechanisms and Potential Applications
2018
Viral infections are amongst the most common diseases affecting people worldwide. New viruses emerge all the time and presently we have limited number of vaccines and only few antivirals to combat viral diseases. Fungi represent a vast source of bioactive molecules, which could potentially be used as antivirals in the future. Here, we have summarized the current knowledge of fungi as producers of antiviral compounds and discuss their potential applications. In particular, we have investigated how the antiviral action has been assessed and what is known about the molecular mechanisms and actual targets. Furthermore, we highlight the importance of accurate fungal species identification on ant…
On the (un)coupling of the chromophore, tongue interactions, and overall conformation in a bacterial phytochrome
2018
Phytochromes are photoreceptors in plants, fungi, and various microorganisms and cycle between metastable red light-absorbing (Pr) and far-red light-absorbing (Pfr) states. Their light responses are thought to follow a conserved structural mechanism that is triggered by isomerization of the chromophore. Downstream structural changes involve refolding of the so-called tongue extension of the phytochrome-specific GAF-related (PHY) domain of the photoreceptor. The tongue is connected to the chromophore by conserved DIP and PRXSF motifs and a conserved tyrosine, but the role of these residues in signal transduction is not clear. Here, we examine the tongue interactions and their interplay with …
Identification of estrogen receptor α ligands with virtual screening techniques.
2016
Utilization of computer-aided molecular discovery methods in virtual screening (VS) is a cost-effective approach to identify novel bioactive small molecules. Unfortunately, no universal VS strategy can guarantee high hit rates for all biological targets, but each target requires distinct, fine-tuned solutions. Here, we have studied in retrospective manner the effectiveness and usefulness of common pharmacophore hypothesis, molecular docking and negative image-based screening as potential VS tools for a widely applied drug discovery target, estrogen receptor α (ERα). The comparison of the methods helps to demonstrate the differences in their ability to identify active molecules. For example,…
Coordination of the biliverdin D-ring in bacteriophytochromes.
2018
Phytochrome proteins translate light into biochemical signals in plants, fungi and microorganisms. Light cues are absorbed by a bilin chromophore, leading to an isomerization and a rotation of the D-ring. This relays the signal to the protein matrix. A set of amino acids, which is conserved across the phytochrome superfamily, holds the chromophore in the binding pocket. However, the functional role of many of these amino acids is not yet understood. Here, we investigate the hydrogen bonding network which surrounds the D-ring of the chromophore in the resting (Pr) state. We use UV/vis spectroscopy, infrared absorption spectroscopy and X-ray crystallography to compare the photosensory domains…
Identification of the Privileged Position in the Imidazo[1,2-a]pyridine Ring of Phosphonocarboxylates for Development of Rab Geranylgeranyl Transfera…
2017
Members of the Rab GTPase family are master regulators of vesicle trafficking. When disregulated, they are associated with a number of pathological states. The inhibition of RGGT, an enzyme responsible for post-translational geranylgeranylation of Rab GTPases represents one way to control the activity of these proteins. Because the number of molecules modulating RGGT is limited, we combined molecular modeling with biological assays to ascertain how modifications of phosphonocarboxylates, the first reported RGGT inhibitors, rationally improve understanding of their structure-activity relationship. We have identified the privileged position in the core scaffold of the imidazo[1,2-a]pyridine r…
Molecular docking-based design and development of a highly selective probe substrate for UDP-glucuronosyltransferase 1A10
2018
Intestinal and hepatic glucuronidation by the UDP-glucuronosyltransferases (UGTs) greatly affect the bioavailability of phenolic compounds. UGT1A10 catalyzes glucuronidation reactions in the intestine, but not in the liver. Here, our aim was to develop selective, fluorescent substrates to easily elucidate UGT1A10 function. To this end, homology models were constructed and used to design new substrates, and subsequently, six novel C3-substituted (4-fluorophenyl, 4-hydroxyphenyl, 4-methoxyphenyl, 4-(dimethylamino)phenyl, 4-methylphenyl, or triazole) 7-hydroxycoumarin derivatives were synthesized from inexpensive starting materials. All tested compounds could be glucuronidated to nonfluorescen…
Genomic evolution of bacterial populations under coselection by antibiotics and phage
2017
Bacteria live in dynamic systems where selection pressures can alter rapidly, forcing adaptation to the prevailing conditions. In particular, bacteriophages and antibiotics of anthropogenic origin are major bacterial stressors in many environments. We previously observed that populations of the bacterium Pseudomonas fluorescens SBW25 exposed to the lytic bacteriophage SBW25Φ2 and a noninhibitive concentration of the antibiotic streptomycin (coselection) achieved higher levels of phage resistance compared to populations exposed to the phage alone. In addition, the phage became extinct under coselection while remaining present in the phage alone environment. Further, phenotypic tests indicate…
Discovery of a Pederin Family Compound in a Nonsymbiotic Bloom-Forming Cyanobacterium
2018
The pederin family includes a number of bioactive compounds isolated from symbiotic organisms of diverse evolutionary origin. Pederin is linked to beetle-induced dermatitis in humans, and pederin family members possess potent antitumor activity caused by selective inhibition of the eukaryotic ribosome. Their biosynthesis is accomplished by a polyketide/nonribosomal peptide synthetase machinery employing an unusual trans-acyltransferase mechanism. Here, we report a novel pederin type compound, cusperin, from the free-living cyanobacterium Cuspidothrix issatschenkoi (earlier Aphanizomenon). The chemical structure of cusperin is similar to that of nosperin recently isolated from the lichen cya…