Platelet-Released Factors: Their Role in Viral Disease and Applications for Extracellular Vesicle (EV) Therapy

Platelets, which are small anuclear cell fragments, play important roles in thrombosis and hemostasis, but also actively release factors that can both suppress and induce viral infections. Platelet-released factors include sCD40L, microvesicles (MVs), and alpha granules that have the capacity to exert either pro-inflammatory or anti-inflammatory effects depending on the virus. These factors are prime targets for use in extracellular vesicle (EV)-based therapy due to their ability to reduce viral infections and exert anti-inflammatory effects. While there are some studies regarding platelet microvesicle-based (PMV-based) therapy, there is still much to learn about PMVs before such therapy can be used. This review provides the background necessary to understand the roles of platelet-released factors, how these factors might be useful in PMV-based therapy, and a critical discussion of current knowledge of platelets and their role in viral diseases.     

Heterogenicity within the LPS Structure in Relation to the Chosen Genomic and Physiological Features of the Plant Pathogen Pectobacterium parmentieri

Pectobacterium parmentieri is a pectinolytic plant pathogenic bacterium causing high economic losses of cultivated plants. The highly devastating potential of this phytopathogen results from the efficient production of plant cell wall-degrading enzymes, i.e., pectinases, cellulases and proteases, in addition to the impact of accessory virulence factors such as motility, siderophores, biofilm and lipopolysaccharide (LPS). LPS belongs to pathogen-associated molecular patterns (PAMPs) and plays an important role in plant colonization and interaction with the defense systems of the host. Therefore, we decided to investigate the heterogeneity of O-polysaccharides (OPS) of LPS of different strains of P. parmentieri, in search of an association between the selected genomic and phenotypic features of the strains that share an identical structure of the OPS molecule. In the current study, OPS were isolated from the LPS of two P. parmentieri strains obtained either in Finland in the 1980s (SCC3193) or in Poland in 2013 (IFB5432). The purified polysaccharides were analyzed by utilizing 1D and 2D NMR spectroscopy (¹H, DQF-COSY, TOCSY, ROESY, HSQC, HSQC-TOCSY and HMBC) in addition to chemical methods. Sugar and methylation analyses of native polysaccharides, absolute configuration assignment of constituent monosaccharides and NMR spectroscopy data revealed that these two P. parmentieri strains isolated in different countries possess the same structure of OPS with a very rare residue of 5,7-diamino-3,5,7,9-tetradeoxy-l-glycero-l-manno-non-2-ulosonic acid (pseudaminic acid) substituted in the position C-8: →3)-β-d-Galf-(1→3)-α-d-Galp-(1→8)-β-Pse4Ac5Ac7Ac-(2→6)-α-d-Glcp-(1→6)-β-d-Glcp-(1→. The previous study indicated that three other P. parmentieri strains, namely IFB5427, IFB5408 and IFB5443, exhibit a different OPS molecule than SCC3193 and IFB5432. The conducted biodiversity-oriented assays revealed that the P. parmentieri IFB5427 and IFB5408 strains possessing the same OPS structure yielded the highest genome-wide similarity, according to average nucleotide identity analyses, in addition to the greatest ability to macerate chicory tissue among the studied P. parmentieri strains. The current research demonstrated a novel OPS structure, characteristic of at least two P. parmentieri strains (SCC3193 and IFB5432), and discussed the observed heterogenicity in the OPS of P. parmentieri in a broad genomic and phenotype-related context.     

Using ELP Repeats as a Scaffold for De Novo Construction of Gadolinium-Binding Domains within Multifunctional Recombinant Proteins for Targeted Delivery of Gadolinium to Tumour Cells

Three artificial proteins that bind the gadolinium ion (Gd³⁺) with tumour-specific ligands were de novo engineered and tested as candidate drugs for binary radiotherapy (BRT) and contrast agents for magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Gd³⁺-binding modules were derived from calmodulin. They were joined with elastin-like polypeptide (ELP) repeats from human elastin to form the four-centre Gd³⁺-binding domain (4MBS-domain) that further was combined with F3 peptide (a ligand of nucleolin, a tumour marker) to form the F3-W4 block. The F3-W4 block was taken alone (E2-13W4 protein), as two repeats (E1-W8) and as three repeats (E1-W12). Each protein was supplemented with three copies of the RGD motif (a ligand of integrin αvβ3) and green fluorescent protein (GFP). In contrast to Magnevist (a Gd-containing contrast agent), the proteins exhibited three to four times higher accumulation in U87MG glioma and A375 melanoma cell lines than in normal fibroblasts. The proteins remained for >24 h in tumours induced by Ca755 adenocarcinoma in C57BL/6 mice. They exhibited stability towards blood proteases and only accumulated in the liver and kidney. The technological advantages of using the engineered proteins as a basis for developing efficient and non-toxic agents for early diagnosis of tumours by MRI as well as part of BRT were demonstrated.     

Remote sensing of wetlands in South America: status and challenges

South America has a large proportion of wetlands compared with other continents. While most of these wetlands were conserved in a relatively good condition until a few decades ago, pressures brought about by land use and climate change have threaten their integrity in recent years. The aim of this article is to provide a bibliometric analysis of the available scientific literature relating to the remote sensing of wetlands in South America. From 1960 to 2015, 153 articles were published in 63 different journals, with the number of articles published per year increasing progressively since 1990. This rise is also paralleled by an increase in the contribution of local authors. The most intensively studied regions are the wetland macrosystems of South American mega-rivers: the Amazon and Paraná Rivers, along with the Pantanal at the headwaters of Paraguay River. Few studies spanned more than two countries. The most frequent objectives were mapping, covering all types of wetlands with optical data, and hydrology, focusing on floodplain wetlands with microwave data as the preferred data source. The last decade substantial growth reflects an increase in technological and scientific capacities. Nevertheless, the state of the art regarding the remote sensing of wetlands in South America remains enigmatic. Fundamental questions and guidelines which may contribute to the understanding of the functioning of these ecosystems are yet to be fully defined and there is considerable dispersion in the use of data and remote-sensing approaches.     

Biotransformation of hop derived compounds by Brettanomyces yeast strains

Several hop derived compounds in wort are known to be converted by yeast during fermentation, influencing the overall perception of the beer. A deeper understanding of such metabolic processes during fermentation is needed to achieve better control of the outcome. Here, the interaction between hop derived compounds and the yeast genera Brettanomyces was studied. Several Brettanomyces strains with different genomic backgrounds were selected, focusing on two traits: beta-glucosidase activity and nitrate assimilation. The role of three beta-glucosidases present in Brettanomyces bruxellensis and Brettanomyces anomalus and their impact on the final monoterpene alcohol profile was analysed. The beta-glucosidase activity was highly strain dependent, with B. anomalus CRL-49 exhibiting the highest conversion. Such activity could not be related to the release of aglycones from hops during fermentation, as a substantial part of such activity was intracellular. Nevertheless, the reduction of geraniol to β-citronellol was remarkably efficient for all Brettanomyces strains during fermentation, and it is suggested that two oxidoreductases BbHye2 and BbHye3 may have an influence. Moreover, the transfer of nitrate from hops to wort and its further assimilation by Brettanomyces species was analysed. The amount of nitrate in wort proved to be linearly proportional to the contact time of the hops with the wort. The level of nitrate assimilation by yeast was shown to be dependent on the nitrate assimilation cluster (YNR, YNI, YNT). Hence, the desired yeast strains may be selected according to the genetic make-up. © 2020 The Authors. Journal of the Institute of Brewing published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of The Institute of Brewing & Distilling     

The effects of cooking method on selected quality traits of broccoli and green asparagus

Broccoli and green asparagus were cooked using boiling water, steam, microwave oven and combi oven with overheated steam and combination of hot air with overheated steam (only broccoli). Vegetables were analysed for chlorophylls a and b, carotenoids, total polyphenols, antioxidant activity, colour parameters and sensory properties. Cooking in the combi oven with overheated steam was an effective method to achieve the highest levels of polyphenols and antioxidant activity, but it negatively influenced the contents of chlorophylls in both vegetables and carotenoids in asparagus. Boiling and cooking in the combi oven with overheated steam or hot air and steam ensured the best and comparable sensory properties of broccoli. Asparagus showed a lower susceptibility to heat treatments than broccoli as none of the treatments applied caused significant differences in colour redness and yellowness, polyphenol content and sensory properties of this vegetable.