Quorum sensing is a microbial signaling process that relies on the production, release, and response to extracellular molecules called autoinducers. This Review covers quorum-sensing systems controlled by pyrazine-type autoinducer, 3,5-dimethyl-pyrazin-2-ol (DPO). The we cover span human pathogen Vibrio cholerae, where DPO regulates pathogenicity biofilm formation, phage VP882, controls lytic d...

Background: Silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) are among the most effective antimicrobial agents that are used in the medicine and pharmaceutics. During the past decades, metal nanoparticles synthesis through application of the biological methods has increasingly been used, as the biologically synthesized particles are mostly non-toxic as well as effective. Objectives: The main goal for undertaking t...

The concept of "proteoglycans" as discrete molecules surfaced some 40 years ago, out of previously muddled notions of the extracellular matrix. Core proteins were gradually recognized as molecular entities, distinct with regard to location, substitution with glycosaminoglycan (GAG) chains and biological function. This development is surveyed, with brief outline of methodological approaches, bio...

The biosynthesis of acetylcholinesterase in mammalian erythroid cells during differentiation and maturation was studied using a cytochemical method. Acetylcholinesterase was actively synthesized in basophilic erythroblasts I and II, and polychromatophilic erythroblasts, where it was present in the nuclear membrane, endoplasmic reticulum and Golgi apparatus. In orthochromatophilic erythroblasts ...

Extracts of defatted cocoa inhibited the biosynthesis of extracellular polysaccharide by both cell-free and cell-associated streptococcal glucosyltransferases, but did not affect growth or acid production. Both water-insoluble and water-soluble polysaccharide syntheses were inhibited, and the net result was a shift away from adherence-supportive polysaccharide. Inhibition was non-competitive wi...

GLYCEROL-3-PHOSPHATE ACYLTRANSFERASE (GPAT) genes encode enzymes involved in glycerolipid biosynthesis in plants. Ten GPAT homologues have been identified in Arabidopsis. GPATs 4-8 have been shown to be involved in the production of extracellular lipid barrier polyesters. Recently, GPAT9 was reported to be essential for triacylglycerol (TAG) biosynthesis in developing Arabidopsis seeds. The enz...

Structurally diverse polyketides provide a rich reservoir of bioactive molecules. Actinorhodin, a model aromatic polyketide, is synthesized by minimal type II polyketide synthase and tailoring enzymes. The ActIII actinorhodin ketoreductase is a key tailoring enzyme in actinorhodin biosynthesis. With purified antibodies against actinorhodin polyketide synthase alpha subunit (KSalpha) and ketored...

Isolated abdomen and pheromone gland bioassays were utilized to determine the physiological action of the pheromone-biosynthesis-activating neuropeptide (PBAN) in the corn earworm moth Helicoverpa (= Heliothis) zea. An isolated pheromone gland bioassay showed that synthetic PBAN was active at 0.02 pmol, with maximal activity occurring at 0.5 pmol and 60 min of incubation. Second-messenger studi...

one of the main members of the large aggregating proteoglycans (pgs) family is versican which is able to bind to hyaluronate. versican is a chondroitin sulfate proteoglycan and is a key ingredient of the extracellular matrix.  due to its widespread expression in the body, versican is involved in cell adhesion, proliferation and migration. induced expression of versican is often observed in tiss...