Excision of Oxidatively Generated Guanine Lesions by Competitive DNA Repair Pathways

The base and nucleotide excision repair pathways (BER and NER, respectively) are two major mechanisms that remove DNA lesions formed by the reactions of genotoxic intermediates with cellular DNA. It is generally believed that small non-bulky oxidatively generated DNA base modifications are removed by BER pathways, whereas DNA helix-distorting bulky lesions derived from the attack of chemical carcinogens or UV irradiation are repaired by the NER machinery. However, existing and growing experimental evidence indicates that oxidatively generated DNA lesions can be repaired by competitive BER and NER pathways in human cell extracts and intact human cells. Here, we focus on the interplay and competition of BER and NER pathways in excising oxidatively generated guanine lesions site-specifically positioned in plasmid DNA templates constructed by a gapped-vector technology. These experiments demonstrate a significant enhancement of the NER yields in covalently closed circular DNA plasmids (relative to the same, but linearized form of the same plasmid) harboring certain oxidatively generated guanine lesions. The interplay between the BER and NER pathways that remove oxidatively generated guanine lesions are reviewed and discussed in terms of competitive binding of the BER proteins and the DNA damage-sensing NER factor XPC-RAD23B to these lesions.     

Role of the HSP70 Co-Chaperone SIL1 in Health and Disease

Cell surface and secreted proteins provide essential functions for multicellular life. They enter the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) lumen co-translationally, where they mature and fold into their complex three-dimensional structures. The ER is populated with a host of molecular chaperones, associated co-factors, and enzymes that assist and stabilize folded states. Together, they ensure that nascent proteins mature properly or, if this process fails, target them for degradation. BiP, the ER HSP70 chaperone, interacts with unfolded client proteins in a nucleotide-dependent manner, which is tightly regulated by eight DnaJ-type proteins and two nucleotide exchange factors (NEFs), SIL1 and GRP170. Loss of SIL1′s function is the leading cause of Marinesco-Sjögren syndrome (MSS), an autosomal recessive, multisystem disorder. The development of animal models has provided insights into SIL1′s functions and MSS-associated pathologies. This review provides an in-depth update on the current understanding of the molecular mechanisms underlying SIL1′s NEF activity and its role in maintaining ER homeostasis and normal physiology. A precise understanding of the underlying molecular mechanisms associated with the loss of SIL1 may allow for the development of new pharmacological approaches to treat MSS.     

Improved formic acid oxidation using electrodeposited Pd–Cd electrocatalysts in sulfuric acid solution

In the present research, nanostructured Pd–Cd alloy electrocatalysts with different compositions were produced using the electrodeposition process. The morphology of the samples was studied by scanning electron microscopy analysis. Also, the elemental composition of the samples was determined by energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy and elemental mapping tests. Tafel polarization and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy methods were employed to determine the electrochemical corrosion properties of the synthesized samples in a solution containing 0.5 M sulfuric acid and 0.1 M formic acid. The linear sweep voltammetry, cyclic voltammetry, and chronoamperometry techniques were also employed to evaluate the electrocatalytic activity of prepared samples toward the oxidation of formic acid. In this respect, the influence of some factors such as formic acid and sulfuric acid concentrations and also potential scan rate was investigated. Compared to the pure Pd sample, the Pd–Cd samples were more reactive for the oxidation of formic acid. Besides, the sample with a lower amount of Pd (Pd_1·3Cd) demonstrated much higher electrocatalytic activity than the Pd_7·1Cd and Pd_2·1Cd samples. The observed high mass activity of 15.06 A mg^?1_Pd for the Pd_1·3Cd sample which is 21.1 times higher than Pd/C is an interesting result of this study.     

宰前倒挂应激对鸭血凝胶特性的影响

宰前倒挂因能有效提高屠宰效率成为肉鸭宰杀前必经的一个工艺过程，但倒挂往往会加剧肉鸭的应激程度，影响其血液品质，已成为工厂生产中亟待解决的问题。因此，本实验旨在借助血液学与凝血相关指标探究宰前倒挂应激对鸭血凝胶特性的影响。在屠宰前，将40 只樱桃谷鸭随机分为2 个处理组：对照组和宰前倒挂组（宰前倒挂2.5 min），屠宰后采集血样并制备血凝块，随后分析血液指标（应激指标、血液学指标、凝血指标）以及鸭血凝胶特性。结果表明，宰前倒挂组鸭血中皮质酮激素及促肾上腺皮质激素的水平均高于对照组，说明实验所建立宰前倒挂模型成立。倒挂应激后，红细胞计数、血小板计数、血红蛋白质量浓度增加，红细胞比容、平均红细胞体积及平均血小板体积增大；凝血酶原的水平极显著上升（P＜0.01），组织因子的水平显著上升（P＜0.05）。宰前倒挂最终导致鸭血凝胶化加快，鸭血凝胶体系中水分迁移速率增大，结合水与自由水比例减少，不易流动水比例增大，质构特性和保水性变差。研究揭示了宰前倒挂应激通过影响鸭血的血液学指标和凝血系统从而改变其凝胶行为及凝胶特性，可为工厂改善应激对鸭血凝胶品质的影响提供理论依据。     

Influence of α′‐/α‐crystal polymorphism on properties of poly(l‐lactic acid)

Poly(l ‐lactic acid) (PLLA) is a biodegradable and biocompatible thermoplastic polyester produced from renewable sources, widely used for biomedical devices, in food packaging and in agriculture. It is a semicrystalline polymer, and as such its properties are strongly affected by the developed semicrystalline morphology. As a function of the crystallization temperature, PLLA can form different crystal modifications, namely α′‐crystals below about 120 °C and α‐crystals at higher temperatures. The α′ modification is therefore of special importance as it may be the preferred polymorph developing at processing‐relevant conditions. It is a metastable modification which typically transforms into the more stable α‐crystals on annealing at elevated temperature. The structure, kinetics of formation and thermodynamics of α′‐ and α‐crystals of PLLA are reviewed in this contribution, together with the effect of α′‐/α‐crystal polymorphism on the properties of PLLA. © 2018 Society of Chemical Industry     

Combination of vegetable soup and glucan demonstrates synergistic effects on macrophage-mediated immune responses

Vegetable soup (VS), a plant-based functional food, has been used as a traditional folk medicine and is attracting attention for its ability to enhance the immune response. β-Glucan, a well-established and effective immunomodulator, has synergistic effects when used in combination with some bioactive compounds. In the present study, we aimed to evaluate the synergistic immunomodulatory effects of the combination of VS and β-glucan on macrophage-mediated immune responses. β-Glucan was demonstrated to synergistically enhance the VS-stimulated immune response, including the production of interleukin-6, tumor necrosis factor-α, and nitric oxide, mainly through the mitogen-activated protein kinase pathway in macrophages. In addition, this combination has the potential for further development in functional foods with immune-enhancing activity.Supplementary InformationThe online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s10068-021-00888-x.     

热烫温度对小麦面团介观特性的影响机制

本实验以热烫面团为研究对象，通过凯氏定氮法、粒径分析、傅里叶变换红外光谱以及快速黏度分析等手段，研究55、65、75、85 ℃和95 ℃热烫温度下小麦面团中麦谷蛋白大聚体的质量分数、粒径分布、蛋白质二级结构以及面团中淀粉的糊化特性的变化情况。结果表明：随着热烫温度的升高，面团中麦谷蛋白大聚体质量分数呈现显著增大的趋势（P＜0.05），小粒径的麦谷蛋白大聚体向中粒径和大粒径转变；面团中蛋白质二级结构发生变化，部分α-螺旋和β-折叠结构转变为β-转角和无规卷曲。同时，面团中淀粉的糊化度随着热烫温度的升高逐渐增大；淀粉的峰值黏度、最低黏度、衰减值、最终黏度、回生值和峰值时间均呈现出减小的趋势，在热烫温度高于75 ℃时，这种变化更加显著。