Displaying publications 21 - 40 of 46 in total

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  1. Fulltext Pluronic F-68 Improves Callus Proliferation of Recalcitrant Rice Cultivar via Enhanced Carbon and Nitrogen Metabolism and Nutrients Uptake
    Kok AD, Mohd Yusoff NF, Sekeli R, Wee CY, Lamasudin DU, Ong-Abdullah J, et al.
    Front Plant Sci, 2021;12:667434.
    PMID: 34149763 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2021.667434
    Pluronic F-68 (PF-68) is a non-ionic surfactant used in plant tissue culture as a growth additive. Despite its usage as a plant growth enhancer, the mechanism underlying the growth-promoting effects of PF-68 remains largely unknown. Hence, this study was undertaken to elucidate the growth-promoting mechanism of PF-68 using recalcitrant MR 219 callus as a model. Supplementation of 0.04% PF-68 (optimum concentration) was shown to enhance callus proliferation. The treated callus recorded enhanced sugar content, protein content, and glutamate synthase activity as exemplified in the comparative proteome analysis, showing protein abundance involved in carbohydrate metabolism (alpha amylase), protein biosynthesis (ribosomal proteins), and nitrogen metabolism (glutamate synthase), which are crucial to plant growth and development. Moreover, an increase in nutrients uptake was also noted with potassium topping the list, suggesting a vital role of K in governing plant growth. In contrast, 0.10% PF-68 (high concentration) induced stress response in the callus, revealing an increment in phenylalanine ammonia lyase activity, malondialdehyde content, and peroxidase activity, which were consistent with high abundance of phenylalanine ammonia lyase, peroxidase, and peroxiredoxin proteins detected and concomitant with a reduced level of esterase activity. The data highlighted that incorporation of PF-68 at optimum concentration improved callus proliferation of recalcitrant MR 219 through enhanced carbohydrate metabolism, nitrogen metabolism, and nutrient uptake. However, growth-promoting effects of PF-68 are concentration dependent.
  2. Fulltext Transcriptomic analysis of multi-drug resistant Escherichia coli K-12 strain in response to Lavandula angustifolia essential oil
    Lai PJ, Ng EV, Yang SK, Moo CL, Low WY, Yap PS, et al.
    3 Biotech, 2020 Jul;10(7):313.
    PMID: 32596098 DOI: 10.1007/s13205-020-02304-3
    To better understand the synergistic antibacterial activity between piperacillin and Lavandula angustifolia essential oil (LEO) against multidrug-resistant Escherichia coli, we performed microarray transcriptomic analysis of LEO when used alone and in combination with piperacillin against the non-treated control. In total, 90 genes were differentially expressed after the combination of LEO and piperacillin treatment. Among the up-regulated genes, nfsB, nemA, fruA, nfsB, nemA are known to control microbial metabolism and nitrotoluene degradation, which were observed only in the LEO-piperacillin combinatory treatment. Four candidate genes from the microarray result, srIA, srID, waaR and nfsB, were validated by qRT-PCR as these genes showed differential expression consistently in the two methods. Biochemical pathway analysis showed that there was upregulation of genes involved in several biological processes including fructose and mannose metabolism, phosphotransferase system (PTS), lipopolysaccharide biosynthesis and nitrotoluene degradation. Genes involved in microbial metabolism in diverse environments were found both up- and down-regulated in LEO-piperacillin combinatory treatment. Our study provides new information concerning the transcriptional changes that occur during the LEO and piperacillin interaction against the multidrug-resistant bacteria and contributes to unravel the mechanisms underlying this synergism.
  3. Mechanisms of Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) and Alternative Approaches to Overcome AMR
    Moo CL, Yang SK, Yusoff K, Ajat M, Thomas W, Abushelaibi A, et al.
    Curr Drug Discov Technol, 2020;17(4):430-447.
    PMID: 30836923 DOI: 10.2174/1570163816666190304122219
    Antimicrobials are useful compounds intended to eradicate or stop the growth of harmful microorganisms. The sustained increase in the rates of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) worldwide is worrying and poses a major public health threat. The development of new antimicrobial agents is one of the critical approaches to overcome AMR. However, in the race towards developing alternative approaches to combat AMR, it appears that the scientific community is falling behind when pitched against the evolutionary capacity of multi-drug resistant (MDR) bacteria. Although the "pioneering strategy" of discovering completely new drugs is a rational approach, the time and effort taken are considerable, the process of drug development could instead be expedited if efforts were concentrated on enhancing the efficacy of existing antimicrobials through: combination therapies; bacteriophage therapy; antimicrobial adjuvants therapy or the application of nanotechnology. This review will briefly detail the causes and mechanisms of AMR as background, and then provide insights into a novel, future emerging or evolving strategies that are currently being evaluated and which may be developed in the future to tackle the progression of AMR.
  4. Application, monitoring and adverse effects in pesticide use: The importance of reinforcement of Good Agricultural Practices (GAPs)
    Leong WH, Teh SY, Hossain MM, Nadarajaw T, Zabidi-Hussin Z, Chin SY, et al.
    J Environ Manage, 2020 Apr 15;260:109987.
    PMID: 32090796 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2019.109987
    This review intends to integrate the relevant information that is related to pesticide applications in food commodities and will cover three main sections. The first section encompasses some of the guidelines that have been implemented on management of pesticide application worldwide, such as the establishment of a value called Maximum Residue Level (MRL) through the application of Good Agricultural Practices (GAPs) into daily agricultural activities. A brief overview of the methods adopted in quantification of these trace residues in different food samples will also be covered. Briefly, pesticide analysis is usually performed in two stages: sample preparation and analytical instrumentation. Some of the preparation methods such as QuEChERs still remain as the technique of choice for most of the analytical scientists. In terms of the instrumentation such as the gas chromatography-mass spectrophotometry (GC-MS) and high performance-liquid chromatography (HPLC), these are still widely used, in spite of new inventions that are more sustainable and efficient such as the capillary electrophoresis (CE). Finally, the third section emphasizes on how pesticides can affect our health significantly whereby different types of pesticides result in different adverse health implications, despite its application benefits in agriculture in controlling pests. To date, there are limited reviews on pesticide usage in many agricultural-based nations; for the purpose of this review, Malaysia is selected to better illustrate pesticide regulations and implementation of policies. Finally, the review aims to provide an insight on how implementation of GAP and food safety assurance are inter-related and with this established correlation, to identify further measures for improvement to enable reinforcement of optimised agricultural practices specifically in these countries.
  5. Fulltext Antibacterial Activity and Mode of Action of β-caryophyllene on Bacillus cereus
    Moo CL, Yang SK, Osman MA, Yuswan MH, Loh JY, Lim WM, et al.
    Pol J Microbiol, 2020;69:1-6.
    PMID: 32162852 DOI: 10.33073/pjm-2020-007
    Natural products such as essential oils (EOs) are secondary metabolites that can be obtained from either plant or animal sources or produced by microorganisms. Much attention has been given to exploring the use of secondary metabolites as natural antibacterial agents. This study investigates the antibacterial activity and mechanism of β-caryophyllene, a compound that can be found in various EOs, against Bacillus cereus. The minimum inhibitory concentration of β-caryophyllene against B. cereus was 2.5% (v/v), whereas killing kinetics of β-caryophyllene at minimum inhibitory concentration recorded complete bactericidal activity within 2 hours. Zeta-potential measurement in the cells treated with half the minimum inhibitory concentration of β-caryophyllene at 1.25% (v/v) showed an increase in the membrane permeability surface charge to -3.98 mV, compared to untreated cells (-5.46 mV). Intracellular contents leakage of UV-absorbing materials was detected in the cells treated with β-caryophyllene. Additionally, β-caryophyllene does not interfere with the efflux activity of B. cereus via the ethidium bromide influx/efflux activity. The results revealed that β-caryophyllene was able to alter membrane permeability and integrity of B. cereus, leading to membrane damage and intracellular content leakage, which eventually caused cell death.

    Natural products such as essential oils (EOs) are secondary metabolites that can be obtained from either plant or animal sources or produced by microorganisms. Much attention has been given to exploring the use of secondary metabolites as natural antibacterial agents. This study investigates the antibacterial activity and mechanism of β-caryophyllene, a compound that can be found in various EOs, against Bacillus cereus. The minimum inhibitory concentration of β-caryophyllene against B. cereus was 2.5% (v/v), whereas killing kinetics of β-caryophyllene at minimum inhibitory concentration recorded complete bactericidal activity within 2 hours. Zeta-potential measurement in the cells treated with half the minimum inhibitory concentration of β-caryophyllene at 1.25% (v/v) showed an increase in the membrane permeability surface charge to –3.98 mV, compared to untreated cells (–5.46 mV). Intracellular contents leakage of UV-absorbing materials was detected in the cells treated with β-caryophyllene. Additionally, β-caryophyllene does not interfere with the efflux activity of B. cereus via the ethidium bromide influx/efflux activity. The results revealed that β-caryophyllene was able to alter membrane permeability and integrity of B. cereus, leading to membrane damage and intracellular content leakage, which eventually caused cell death.

  6. Fulltext Sodium lignosulfonate improves shoot growth of Oryza sativa via enhancement of photosynthetic activity and reduced accumulation of reactive oxygen species
    Kok AD, Wan Abdullah WMAN, Tang CN, Low LY, Yuswan MH, Ong-Abdullah J, et al.
    Sci Rep, 2021 06 24;11(1):13226.
    PMID: 34168171 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-92401-x
    Lignosulfonate (LS) is a by-product obtained during sulfite pulping process and is commonly used as a growth enhancer in plant growth. However, the underlying growth promoting mechanism of LS on shoot growth remains largely unknown. Hence, this study was undertaken to determine the potential application of eco-friendly ion-chelated LS complex [sodium LS (NaLS) and calcium LS (CaLS)] to enhance recalcitrant indica rice MR 219 shoot growth and to elucidate its underlying growth promoting mechanisms. In this study, the shoot apex of MR 219 rice was grown on Murashige and Skoog medium supplemented with different ion chelated LS complex (NaLS and CaLS) at 100, 200, 300 and 400 mg/L The NaLS was shown to be a better shoot growth enhancer as compared to CaLS, with optimum concentration of 300 mg/L. Subsequent comparative proteomic analysis revealed an increase of photosynthesis-related proteins [photosystem II (PSII) CP43 reaction center protein, photosystem I (PSI) iron-sulfur center, PSII CP47 reaction center protein, PSII protein D1], ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase (Rubisco), carbohydrate metabolism-related proteins (glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase 3, fructose-bisphosphate aldolase) and stress regulator proteins (peptide methionine sulfoxide reductase A4, delta-1-pyrroline-5-carboxylate synthase 1) abundance in NaLS-treated rice as compared to the control (MSO). Consistent with proteins detected, a significant increase in biochemical analyses involved in photosynthetic activities, carbohydrate metabolism and protein biosynthesis such as total chlorophyll, rubisco activity, total sugar and total protein contents were observed in NaLS-treated rice. This implies that NaLS plays a role in empowering photosynthesis activities that led to plant growth enhancement. In addition, the increased in abundance of stress regulator proteins were consistent with low levels of peroxidase activity, malondialdehyde content and phenylalanine ammonia lyase activity observed in NaLS-treated rice. These results suggest that NaLS plays a role in modulating cellular homeostasis to provide a conducive cellular environment for plant growth. Taken together, NaLS improved shoot growth of recalcitrant MR 219 rice by upregulation of photosynthetic activities and reduction of ROS accumulation leading to better plant growth.
  7. Fulltext Functional and structural analysis of non-synonymous single nucleotide polymorphisms (nsSNPs) in the MYB oncoproteins associated with human cancer
    Lim SW, Tan KJ, Azuraidi OM, Sathiya M, Lim EC, Lai KS, et al.
    Sci Rep, 2021 12 17;11(1):24206.
    PMID: 34921182 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-03624-x
    MYB proteins are highly conserved DNA-binding domains (DBD) and mutations in MYB oncoproteins have been reported to cause aberrant and augmented cancer progression. Identification of MYB molecular biomarkers predictive of cancer progression can be used for improving cancer management. To address this, a biomarker discovery pipeline was employed in investigating deleterious non-synonymous single nucleotide polymorphisms (nsSNPs) in predicting damaging and potential alterations on the properties of proteins. The nsSNP of the MYB family; MYB, MYBL1, and MYBL2 was extracted from the NCBI database. Five in silico tools (PROVEAN, SIFT, PolyPhen-2, SNPs&GO and PhD-SNP) were utilized to investigate the outcomes of nsSNPs. A total of 45 nsSNPs were predicted as high-risk and damaging, and were subjected to PMut and I-Mutant 2.0 for protein stability analysis. This resulted in 32 nsSNPs with decreased stability with a DDG score lower than - 0.5, indicating damaging effect. G111S, N183S, G122S, and S178C located within the helix-turn-helix (HTH) domain were predicted to be conserved, further posttranslational modifications and 3-D protein analysis indicated these nsSNPs to shift DNA-binding specificity of the protein thus altering the protein function. Findings from this study would help in the field of pharmacogenomic and cancer therapy towards better intervention and management of cancer.
  8. Fulltext Vacuolar Processing Enzymes Modulating Susceptibility Response to Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. cubense Tropical Race 4 Infections in Banana
    Wan Abdullah WMAN, Saidi NB, Yusof MT, Wee CY, Loh HS, Ong-Abdullah J, et al.
    Front Plant Sci, 2021;12:769855.
    PMID: 35095950 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2021.769855
    Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. cubense tropical race 4 (FocTR4) is a destructive necrotrophic fungal pathogen afflicting global banana production. Infection process involves the activation of programmed cell death (PCD). In this study, seven Musa acuminata vacuolar processing enzyme (MaVPE1-MaVPE7) genes associated with PCD were successfully identified. Phylogenetic analysis and tissue-specific expression categorized these MaVPEs into the seed and vegetative types. FocTR4 infection induced the majority of MaVPE expressions in the susceptible cultivar "Berangan" as compared to the resistant cultivar "Jari Buaya." Consistently, upon FocTR4 infection, high caspase-1 activity was detected in the susceptible cultivar, while low level of caspase-1 activity was recorded in the resistant cultivar. Furthermore, inhibition of MaVPE activities via caspase-1 inhibitor in the susceptible cultivar reduced tonoplast rupture, decreased lesion formation, and enhanced stress tolerance against FocTR4 infection. Additionally, the Arabidopsis VPE-null mutant exhibited higher tolerance to FocTR4 infection, indicated by reduced sporulation rate, low levels of H2O2 content, and high levels of cell viability. Comparative proteomic profiling analysis revealed increase in the abundance of cysteine proteinase in the inoculated susceptible cultivar, as opposed to cysteine proteinase inhibitors in the resistant cultivar. In conclusion, the increase in vacuolar processing enzyme (VPE)-mediated PCD played a crucial role in modulating susceptibility response during compatible interaction, which facilitated FocTR4 colonization in the host.
  9. Fulltext Antimicrobial activity and mode of action of 1,8-cineol against carbapenemase-producing Klebsiella pneumoniae
    Moo CL, Osman MA, Yang SK, Yap WS, Ismail S, Lim SH, et al.
    Sci Rep, 2021 10 21;11(1):20824.
    PMID: 34675255 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-00249-y
    Antimicrobial resistance remains one of the most challenging issues that threatens the health of people around the world. Plant-derived natural compounds have received considerable attention for their potential role to mitigate antibiotic resistance. This study was carried out to assess the antimicrobial activity and mode of action of a monoterpene, 1,8-cineol (CN) against carbapenemase-producing Klebsiella pneumoniae (KPC-KP). Results showed that resazurin microplate assay and time-kill analysis revealed bactericidal effects of CN at 28.83 mg/mL. Zeta potential showed that CN increased the surface charge of bacteria and an increase of outer membrane permeability was also detected. CN was able to cause leakage of proteins and nucleic acids in KPC-KP cells upon exposure to CN and ethidium bromide influx/efflux experiment showed the uptake of ethidium bromide into the cell; this was attributed to membrane damage. CN was also found to induce oxidative stress in CN-treated KPC-KP cells through generation of reactive oxygen species which initiated lipid peroxidation and thus damaging the bacterial cell membrane. Scanning and transmission electron microscopies further confirmed the disruption of bacterial cell membrane and loss of intracellular materials. In this study, we demonstrated that CN induced oxidative stress and membrane damage resulting in KPC-KP cell death.
  10. Fulltext Biochemical Composition and Biological Activities of Date Palm (Phoenix dactylifera L.) Seeds: A Review
    Alkhoori MA, Kong AS, Aljaafari MN, Abushelaibi A, Erin Lim SH, Cheng WH, et al.
    Biomolecules, 2022 Nov 03;12(11).
    PMID: 36358976 DOI: 10.3390/biom12111626
    Date palm (Phoenix dactylifera L.) is an essential agricultural crop in most Middle Eastern countries, and its fruit, known as dates, is consumed by millions of people. Date seeds, a by-product of the date fruit processing industry, are a waste product used as food for domestic farm animals. Date seeds contain abundant sources of carbohydrates, oil, dietary fiber, and protein; they also contain bioactive phenolic compounds that may possess potential biological properties. In addition, its rich chemical composition makes date seeds suitable for use in food product formulation, cosmetics, and medicinal supplements. This review aims to provide a discourse on the nutritional value of date seeds. The latest data on the cytotoxicity of date seed compounds against cancer cell lines, its ability to combat diabetes, antioxidant potential, antimicrobial effect, and anti-inflammatory activity will be provided, considering its potential to be a nutritional therapeutic agent for chronic diseases. Application of date seeds in the form of powder and oil will also be discussed.
  11. Fulltext CD36-Fatty Acid-Mediated Metastasis via the Bidirectional Interactions of Cancer Cells and Macrophages
    Zaidi NE, Shazali NAH, Leow TC, Osman MA, Ibrahim K, Cheng WH, et al.
    Cells, 2022 Nov 10;11(22).
    PMID: 36428985 DOI: 10.3390/cells11223556
    Tumour heterogeneity refers to the complexity of cell subpopulations coexisting within the tumour microenvironment (TME), such as proliferating tumour cells, tumour stromal cells and infiltrating immune cells. The bidirectional interactions between cancer and the surrounding microenvironment mark the tumour survival and promotion functions, which allow the cancer cells to become invasive and initiate the metastatic cascade. Importantly, these interactions have been closely associated with metabolic reprogramming, which can modulate the differentiation and functions of immune cells and thus initiate the antitumour response. The purpose of this report is to review the CD36 receptor, a prominent cell receptor in metabolic activity specifically in fatty acid (FA) uptake, for the metabolic symbiosis of cancer-macrophage. In this review, we provide an update on metabolic communication between tumour cells and macrophages, as well as how the immunometabolism indirectly orchestrates the tumour metastasis.
  12. Fulltext Kinetic studies and homology modeling of a dual-substrate linalool/nerolidol synthase from Plectranthus amboinicus
    Ashaari NS, Ab Rahim MH, Sabri S, Lai KS, Song AA, Abdul Rahim R, et al.
    Sci Rep, 2021 Aug 24;11(1):17094.
    PMID: 34429465 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-96524-z
    Linalool and nerolidol are terpene alcohols that occur naturally in many aromatic plants and are commonly used in food and cosmetic industries as flavors and fragrances. In plants, linalool and nerolidol are biosynthesized as a result of respective linalool synthase and nerolidol synthase, or a single linalool/nerolidol synthase. In our previous work, we have isolated a linalool/nerolidol synthase (designated as PamTps1) from a local herbal plant, Plectranthus amboinicus, and successfully demonstrated the production of linalool and nerolidol in an Escherichia coli system. In this work, the biochemical properties of PamTps1 were analyzed, and its 3D homology model with the docking positions of its substrates, geranyl pyrophosphate (C10) and farnesyl pyrophosphate (C15) in the active site were constructed. PamTps1 exhibited the highest enzymatic activity at an optimal pH and temperature of 6.5 and 30 °C, respectively, and in the presence of 20 mM magnesium as a cofactor. The Michaelis-Menten constant (Km) and catalytic efficiency (kcat/Km) values of 16.72 ± 1.32 µM and 9.57 × 10-3 µM-1 s-1, respectively, showed that PamTps1 had a higher binding affinity and specificity for GPP instead of FPP as expected for a monoterpene synthase. The PamTps1 exhibits feature of a class I terpene synthase fold that made up of α-helices architecture with N-terminal domain and catalytic C-terminal domain. Nine aromatic residues (W268, Y272, Y299, F371, Y378, Y379, F447, Y517 and Y523) outlined the hydrophobic walls of the active site cavity, whilst residues from the RRx8W motif, RxR motif, H-α1 and J-K loops formed the active site lid that shielded the highly reactive carbocationic intermediates from the solvents. The dual substrates use by PamTps1 was hypothesized to be possible due to the architecture and residues lining the catalytic site that can accommodate larger substrate (FPP) as demonstrated by the protein modelling and docking analysis. This model serves as a first glimpse into the structural insights of the PamTps1 catalytic active site as a multi-substrate linalool/nerolidol synthase.
  13. Fulltext Identification of NRAS Diagnostic Biomarkers and Drug Targets for Endometrial Cancer-An Integrated in Silico Approach
    Alessandro L, Low KE, Abushelaibi A, Lim SE, Cheng WH, Chang SK, et al.
    Int J Mol Sci, 2022 Nov 18;23(22).
    PMID: 36430761 DOI: 10.3390/ijms232214285
    The diagnosis of endometrial cancer involves sequential, invasive tests to assess the thickness of the endometrium by a transvaginal ultrasound scan. In 6−33% of cases, endometrial biopsy results in inadequate tissue for a conclusive pathological diagnosis and 6% of postmenopausal women with non-diagnostic specimens are later discovered to have severe endometrial lesions. Thus, identifying diagnostic biomarkers could offer a non-invasive diagnosis for community or home-based triage of symptomatic or asymptomatic women. Herein, this study identified high-risk pathogenic nsSNPs in the NRAS gene. The nsSNPs of NRAS were retrieved from the NCBI database. PROVEAN, SIFT, PolyPhen-2, SNPs&GO, PhD-SNP and PANTHER were used to predict the pathogenicity of the nsSNPs. Eleven nsSNPs were identified as “damaging”, and further stability analysis using I-Mutant 2.0 and MutPred 2 indicated eight nsSNPs to cause decreased stability (DDG scores < −0.5). Post-translational modification and protein−protein interactions (PPI) analysis showed putative phosphorylation sites. The PPI network indicated a GFR-MAPK signalling pathway with higher node degrees that were further evaluated for drug targets. The P34L, G12C and Y64D showed significantly lower binding affinity towards GTP than wild-type. Furthermore, the Kaplan−Meier bioinformatics analyses indicated that the NRAS gene deregulation affected the overall survival rate of patients with endometrial cancer, leading to prognostic significance. Findings from this could be considered novel diagnostic and therapeutic markers.
  14. Fulltext In-Silico Analysis of Deleterious SNPs of FGF4 Gene and Their Impacts on Protein Structure, Function and Bladder Cancer Prognosis
    Lim EC, Lim SW, Tan KJ, Sathiya M, Cheng WH, Lai KS, et al.
    Life (Basel), 2022 Jul 09;12(7).
    PMID: 35888106 DOI: 10.3390/life12071018
    Dysregulation of fibroblast growth factors is linked to the pathogenesis of bladder cancer. The role of FGF1 and FGF3 is evident in bladder cancer; however, the role of FGF4 is vague. Despite being reported that FGF4 interacts with FGF1 and FGF3 in MAPK pathways, its pathogenesis and mechanism of action are yet to be elucidated. Therefore, this study aimed to elucidate pathogenic nsSNPs and their role in the prognosis of bladder cancer by employing in-silico analysis. The nsSNPs of FGF4 were retrieved from the NCBI database. Different in silico tools, PROVEAN, SIFT, PolyPhen-2, SNPs&GO, and PhD-SNP, were used for predicting the pathogenicity of the nsSNPs. Twenty-seven nsSNPs were identified as “damaging”, and further stability analysis using I-Mutant 2.0 and MUPro indicated 22 nsSNPs to cause decreased stability (DDG scores < −0.5). Conservation analysis predicted that Q97K, G106V, N164S, and N167S were highly conserved and exposed. Biophysical characterisation indicated these nsSNPs were not tolerated, and protein-protein interaction analysis showed their involvement in the GFR-MAPK signalling pathway. Furthermore, Kaplan Meier bioinformatics analyses indicated that the FGF4 gene deregulation affected the overall survival rate of patients with bladder cancer, leading to prognostic significance. Thus, based on these analyses, our study suggests that the reported nsSNPs of FGF4 may serve as potential targets for diagnoses and therapeutic interventions focusing on bladder cancer.
  15. Fulltext Bioactive Compounds from Marine Sponges: Fundamentals and Applications
    Varijakzhan D, Loh JY, Yap WS, Yusoff K, Seboussi R, Lim SE, et al.
    Mar Drugs, 2021 Apr 27;19(5).
    PMID: 33925365 DOI: 10.3390/md19050246
    Marine sponges are sessile invertebrates that can be found in temperate, polar and tropical regions. They are known to be major contributors of bioactive compounds, which are discovered in and extracted from the marine environment. The compounds extracted from these sponges are known to exhibit various bioactivities, such as antimicrobial, antitumor and general cytotoxicity. For example, various compounds isolated from Theonella swinhoei have showcased various bioactivities, such as those that are antibacterial, antiviral and antifungal. In this review, we discuss bioactive compounds that have been identified from marine sponges that showcase the ability to act as antibacterial, antiviral, anti-malarial and antifungal agents against human pathogens and fish pathogens in the aquaculture industry. Moreover, the application of such compounds as antimicrobial agents in other veterinary commodities, such as poultry, cattle farming and domesticated cats, is discussed, along with a brief discussion regarding the mode of action of these compounds on the targeted sites in various pathogens. The bioactivity of the compounds discussed in this review is focused mainly on compounds that have been identified between 2000 and 2020 and includes the novel compounds discovered from 2018 to 2021.
  16. Fulltext Epitope Presentation of Dengue Viral Envelope Glycoprotein Domain III on Hepatitis B Core Protein Virus-Like Particles Produced in Nicotiana benthamiana
    Pang EL, Peyret H, Ramirez A, Loh HS, Lai KS, Fang CM, et al.
    Front Plant Sci, 2019;10:455.
    PMID: 31057572 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2019.00455
    Dengue fever is currently ranked as the top emerging tropical disease, driven by increased global travel, urbanization, and poor hygiene conditions as well as global warming effects which facilitate the spread of Aedes mosquitoes beyond their current distribution. Today, more than 100 countries are affected most of which are tropical Asian and Latin American nations with limited access to medical care. Hence, the development of a dengue vaccine that is dually cost-effective and able to confer a comprehensive protection is ultimately needed. In this study, a consensus sequence of the antigenic dengue viral glycoprotein domain III (cEDIII) was used aiming to provide comprehensive coverage against all four circulating dengue viral serotypes and potential clade replacement event. Utilizing hepatitis B tandem core technology, the cEDIII sequence was inserted into the immunodominant c/e1 loop region so that it could be displayed on the spike structures of assembled particles. The tandem core particles displaying cEDIII epitopes (tHBcAg-cEDIII) were successfully produced in Nicotiana benthamiana via Agrobacterium-mediated transient expression strategy to give a protein of ∼54 kDa, detected in both soluble and insoluble fractions of plant extracts. The assembled tHBcAg-cEDIII virus-like particles (VLPs) were also visualized from transmission electron microscopy. These VLPs had diameters that range from 32 to 35 nm, presenting an apparent size increment as compared to tHBcAg control particles without cEDIII display (namely tEL). Mice immunized with tHBcAg-cEDIII VLPs showed a positive seroconversion to cEDIII antigen, thereby signifying that the assembled tHBcAg-cEDIII VLPs have successfully displayed cEDIII antigen to the immune system. If it is proven to be successful, tHBcAg-cEDIII has the potential to be developed as a cost-effective vaccine candidate that confers a simultaneous protection against all four infecting dengue viral serotypes.
  17. Fulltext Growth promoting effects of Pluronic F-68 on callus proliferation of recalcitrant rice cultivar
    Kok AD, Wan Abdullah WMAN, Tan NP, Ong-Abdullah J, Sekeli R, Wee CY, et al.
    3 Biotech, 2020 Mar;10(3):116.
    PMID: 32117677 DOI: 10.1007/s13205-020-2118-5
    This study was undertaken to evaluate growth-promoting effects of Pluronic F-68 (PF-68) on recalcitrant MR 219 rice callus. Our study shows that calli grown on Murashige and Skoog medium supplemented with 0.04% PF-68 significantly increased callus proliferation by 58.80% (fresh weight) and 23.98% (dry weight) while root formation from callus was enhanced by 28.57%. Enhanced callus proliferation was supported by biochemical analysis, whereby highest amount of soluble sugar (1.77 mg/mL) and protein (0.17 mg/mL) contents were recorded in calli grown on 0.04% PF-68. Furthermore, enhanced expression of sucrose synthase (2.65-folds) and NADH-dependent glutamate synthase (1.86-folds) genes in calli grown on 0.04% PF-68 also correlates with enhanced callus proliferation. In contrast, high concentration of PF-68 (0.10%) recorded highest amount of phenolic (0.74 mg/mL), flavonoid (0.08 mg/mL), and hydrogen peroxide content (0.06 mg/mL) as compared to other treatment groups indicates activation of plant defence mechanism towards stress. Similarly, high expression of 4-coumarate:CoA ligase 3 (1.28-folds), chalcone-flavonone isomerase (1.65-folds) and ascorbate peroxidase (1.61-folds) genes were observed in calli grown on 0.10% PF-68 further supports increasing stress caused by the high concentration of PF-68. Taken together, our study revealed that optimum concentration of PF-68 could improve recalcitrant rice callus proliferation via enhanced sugar metabolism and amino acid biosynthesis which are crucial towards plant growth and development. However, at high concentration, PF-68 induces stress in plant which enhance the production of secondary metabolite to maintain cellular homeostasis.
  18. Fulltext An Overview of the Potential Therapeutic Applications of Essential Oils
    Aljaafari MN, AlAli AO, Baqais L, Alqubaisy M, AlAli M, Molouki A, et al.
    Molecules, 2021 Jan 26;26(3).
    PMID: 33530290 DOI: 10.3390/molecules26030628
    The emergence of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) has urged researchers to explore therapeutic alternatives, one of which includes the use of natural plant products such as essential oils (EO). In fact, EO obtained from clove, oregano, thymus, cinnamon bark, rosemary, eucalyptus, and lavender have been shown to present significant inhibitory effects on bacteria, fungi, and viruses; many studies have been done to measure EO efficacy against microorganisms. The strategy of combinatory effects via conventional and non-conventional methods revealed that the combined effects of EO-EO or EO-antibiotic exhibit enhanced efficacy. This paper aims to review the antimicrobial effects of EO, modes of EO action (membrane disruption, efflux inhibition, increase membrane permeability, and decrease in intracellular ATP), and their compounds' potential as effective agents against bacteria, fungi, and viruses. It is hoped that the integration of EO applications in this work can be used to consider EO for future clinical applications.
  19. Fulltext Spectrum of COVID-19 induced liver injury: A review report
    Singh L, Kumar A, Rai M, Basnet B, Rai N, Khanal P, et al.
    World J Hepatol, 2024 Apr 27;16(4):517-536.
    PMID: 38689748 DOI: 10.4254/wjh.v16.i4.517
    The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has caused changes in the global health system, causing significant setbacks in healthcare systems worldwide. This pandemic has also shown resilience, flexibility, and creativity in reacting to the tragedy. The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection targets most of the respiratory tract, resulting in a severe sickness called acute respiratory distress syndrome that may be fatal in some individuals. Although the lung is the primary organ targeted by COVID-19 viruses, the clinical aspect of the disease is varied and ranges from asymptomatic to respiratory failure. However, due to an unorganized immune response and several affected mechanisms, the liver may also experience liver cell injury, ischemic liver dysfunction, and drug-induced liver injury, which can result in respiratory failure because of the immune system's disordered response and other compromised processes that can end in multisystem organ failure. Patients with liver cirrhosis or those who have impaired immune systems may be more likely than other groups to experience worse results from the SARS-CoV-2 infection. We thus intend to examine the pathogenesis, current therapy, and consequences of liver damage concerning COVID-19.
  20. Fulltext In-silico identification of deleterious non-synonymous SNPs of TBX1 gene: Functional and structural impact towards 22q11.2DS
    Almakhari M, Chen Y, Kong AS, Moradigaravand D, Lai KS, Lim SE, et al.
    PLoS One, 2024;19(6):e0298092.
    PMID: 38905172 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0298092
    The TBX1 gene plays a critical role in the development of 22q11.2 deletion syndrome (22q11.2DS), a complex genetic disorder associated with various phenotypic manifestations. In this study, we performed in-silico analysis to identify potentially deleterious non-synonymous single nucleotide polymorphisms (nsSNPs) within the TBX1 gene and evaluate their functional and structural impact on 22q11.2DS. A comprehensive analysis pipeline involving multiple computational tools was employed to predict the pathogenicity of nsSNPs. This study assessed protein stability and explored potential alterations in protein-protein interactions. The results revealed the rs751339103(C>A), rs780800634(G>A), rs1936727304(T>C), rs1223320618(G>A), rs1248532217(T>C), rs1294927055 (C>T), rs1331240435 (A>G, rs1601289406 (A>C), rs1936726164 (G>A), and rs911796187(G>A) with a high-risk potential for affecting protein function and stability. These nsSNPs were further analyzed for their impact on post-translational modifications and structural characteristics, indicating their potential disruption of molecular pathways associated with TBX1 and its interacting partners. These findings provide a foundation for further experimental studies and elucidation of potential therapeutic targets and personalized treatment approaches for individuals affected by 22q11.2DS.
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