A lectin in the fruiting bodies of Psathyrella velutina was purified by affinity chromatography on a chitin column and subsequent ion-exchange chromatography. P. velutina lectin (PVL) tends to aggregate irreversibly in buffered saline, but the addition of glycerol (10%, v/v) to lectin solutions was found to prevent aggregate formation. PVL is assumed to occur as a monomer of a polypeptide of Mr...

Xenorhabdus nematophila secretes insecticidal proteins to kill its larval prey. We have isolated an approximately 58-kDa GroEL homolog, secreted in the culture medium through outer membrane vesicles. The protein was orally insecticidal to the major crop pest Helicoverpa armigera with an LC50 of approximately 3.6 microg/g diet. For optimal insecticidal activity all three domains of the protein, ...

The functionalization of cross-linked chitosan (Chito) by an original sulfonating process allows synthesizing a highly efficient sorbent (Sulfo-C) for Li(I) recovery from acidic solution (at pH ?2). FTIR and XPS analyses show the main contributions amine sulfonic groups in binding mechanism. Maximum sorption capacity reaches 20 mmol Li g?1, isotherms are fitted Langmuir Dual Site equation; bein...

Chito-oligosaccharide (COS) is a natural bioactive compound, which has been shown to suppress lipid metabolic genes and lipid accumulation in differentiating adipocytes. Leptin has been identified as a key regulator of energy homeostasis and is known to be under epigenetic regulation during adipogenesis. Hence, the first objective of this experiment was to compare leptin gene (LEP) expression a...

Rhizobium (Sinorhizobium) sp. strain NGR234 contains three replicons, the smallest of which (pNGR234a) carries most symbiotic genes, including those required for nodulation and lipo-chito-oligosaccharide (Nod factor) biosynthesis. Activation of nod gene expression depends on plant-derived flavonoids, NodD transcriptional activators, and nod box promoter elements. Nod boxes NB6 and NB7 delimit s...

BACKGROUND Lactobacillus plantarum is considered as a potential cell factory because of its GRAS (generally recognized as safe) status and long history of use in food applications. Its possible applications include in situ delivery of proteins to a host, based on its ability to persist at mucosal surfaces of the human intestine, and the production of food-related enzymes. By displaying differen...

The following paragraphs are reproduced from the publisher's website [1]. There is a great deal of consumer interest in natural bioactive substances due to their health benefits. Offering the potential to provide valuable nutraceuticals and functional food ingredients, marine-derived compounds are an abundant source of nutritionally and pharmacologically active agents, with both chemical divers...

The endo-type chitin deacetylase (EC 3.5.1.41) from a deuteromycete, Colletotrichum lindemuthianum (ATCC 56676), catalyses the hydrolysis of the acetamido group of GlcNAc (2-acetamido-2-deoxy-D-glucose) residues in chitin or chito-oligosaccharides with a degree of polymerization (n) equal to or greater than 2. The steady-state kinetic parameters for the initial deacetylation reactions of (GlcNA...

Chitin derivatives, chitosan and substituted chito-oligosaccharides from fungi present a wide spectrum of applications and they have been studied in many fields such as medicine, cosmetics, agriculture, aquaculture, and food as dietary supplements [1]. Chitin is a copolymer with N-acetyl-D-glucosamine units linked with b(1-4)-glycosidic bonds which provide rigidity to the cell wall in chitinous...