2019 June - 68 articles
Animal venoms are complex mixtures of highly specialized toxic molecules. Cnidarians and arachnids produce pore-forming proteins (PFPs) directed against the plasma membrane of their target cells. Among PFPs from cnidarians, actinoporins stand out for...
Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) represents a collection of gastrointestinal disorders resulting from genetic and environmental factors. Microcystin-leucine arginine (MC-LR) is a toxin produced by cyanobacteria during algal blooms and demonstrates bi...
Understanding the functions and mechanisms of biological systems is an outstanding challenge. One way to overcome it is to combine together several approaches such as molecular modeling and experimental structural biology techniques. Indeed, the inte...
Fescue toxicosis is a multifaceted syndrome that elicits many negative effects on livestock consuming ergot alkaloids produced by endophyte-infected tall fescue. The economic losses associated with fescue toxicosis are primarily due to reproductive f...
The C3-like toxins are single-domain proteins that represent a minimal mono-ADP-ribosyl transferase (mART) enzyme with a simple model scaffold for the entire cholera toxin (CT)-group. These proteins possess a single (A-domain) that modifies Rho prote...
Cyanobacteria have been shown to produce a number of bioactive compounds, including toxins. Some bioactive compounds obtained from a marine cyanobacterium Moorea producens (formerly Lyngbya majuscula) have been recognized as drug leads; one of these...
Phlotoxin-1 (PhlTx1) is a peptide previously identified in tarantula venom (Phlogius species) that belongs to the inhibitory cysteine-knot (ICK) toxin family. Like many ICK-based spider toxins, the synthesis of PhlTx1 appears particularly challenging...
Vip3 proteins are increasingly used in insect control in transgenic crops. To shed light on the structure of these proteins, we used the approach of the trypsin fragmentation of mutants altering the conformation of the Vip3Af protein. From an alanine...
Spasticity is a muscle tone disorder associated with different neurological conditions. Spasticity could be associated with pain, high disability, poor functional recovery, and reduced quality of life. Botulinum neurotoxin type A (BoNT-A) is consider...
Citreoviridin (CTVD), a mycotoxin called yellow rice toxin, is reported to be related to acute cardiac beriberi; however, its toxicokinetics remain unclear. The present study elucidated the toxicokinetics through in vivo experiments in swine and pred...
The phytochemical constituents of apple waste were established as potential antifungal agents against four crops pathogens, specifically, Botrytis sp., Fusarium oxysporum, Petriella setifera, and Neosartorya fischeri. Crude, purified extracts and fra...
Myeloid phagocytes have evolved to rapidly recognize invading pathogens and clear them through opsonophagocytic killing. The adenylate cyclase toxin (CyaA) of Bordetella pertussis and the edema toxin (ET) of Bacillus anthracis are both calmodulin-act...
Snakebite envenoming (SBE) is a priority neglected tropical disease, which kills in excess of 100,000 people per year. Additionally, many millions of survivors also suffer through disabilities and long-term health consequences. The only treatment for...
Brown spider envenomation results in dermonecrosis with gravitational spreading characterized by a marked inflammatory reaction and with lower prevalence of systemic manifestations such as renal failure and hematological disturbances. Several toxins...
Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) is a common pathogen of the eye, capable of infecting external tissues such as the tear duct, conjunctiva, and the cornea, as well the inner and more delicate anterior and posterior chambers. S. aureus produces numer...
Emerging mycotoxins such as moniliformin (MON), enniatins (ENs), beauvericin (BEA), and fusaproliferin (FUS) may contaminate maize and negatively influence the yield and quality of grain. The aim of this study was to determine the content of emerging...
Bee venom contains a number of pharmacologically active components, including enzymes and polypeptides such as phospholipase A2 (PLA2) and melittin, which have been shown to exhibit therapeutic benefits, mainly via attenuation of inflammation, neurot...
Destruxin A (DA), a major secondary metabolite of Metarhizium anisopliae, has anti-immunity to insects. However, the detailed mechanism and its interactions with target proteins are elusive. Previously, three immunophilins, peptidyl–prolyl cis&...
Mycotoxins exposure by inhalation and/or dermal contact is possible in different branches of industry especially where heavily dusty settings are present and the handling of dusty commodities is performed. This study aims to explore the validity of t...
Ricin can be isolated from the seeds of the castor bean plant (Ricinus communis). It belongs to the ribosome-inactivating protein (RIP) family of toxins classified as a bio-threat agent due to its high toxicity, stability and availability. Ricin is a...
Deoxynivalenol (DON) is one of the most abundant and important trichothecene mycotoxins produced by Fusarium species. In chickens, DON intake causes feed refusal, impairs performance, gut barrier function, and immunity, and raises oxidative stress. T...
Although Radix Aconiti Lateralis (Fuzi) is an extensively used traditional Chinese medicine with promising therapeutic effects and relatively well-reported toxicities, the related toxic aconitum alkaloid concentrations in major organs after its short...
Pore-forming toxins (PFTs) form nanoscale pores across target membranes causing cell death. The pore-forming cytolysins of the RTX (repeats in toxin) family belong to a steadily increasing family of proteins characterized by having in their primary s...
Botulinum neurotoxins (BoNT) are potential biothreat agents due to their high lethality, potency, and ease of distribution, thus the development of antitoxins is a high priority to the US government. This study examined pre-clinical pharmacokinetic s...
In the past, it has proved challenging to generate antibodies against mycolactone, the primary lipidic toxin A of Mycobacterium ulcerans causing Buruli ulcer, due to its immunosuppressive properties. Here we show that in vitro display, comprising bot...
Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) is a Gram-positive soil bacteria that infects invertebrates, predominantly of Arthropoda phylum. Due to its immense host range Bt has become a leading producer of biopesticides applied both in biotechnology and agriculture...
Clostridium difficile induces antibiotic-associated diarrhea due to the release of toxin A (TcdA) and toxin B (TcdB), the latter being its main virulence factor. The epidemic strain NAP1/027 has an increased virulence attributed to different factors....
Peptidyl-prolyl cis/trans isomerases (PPIases) are enzymes that catalyze the cis-to-trans isomerization around proline bonds, allowing proteins to fold into their correct confirmation. Previously, we identified two PPIase enzymes in Staphylococcus au...
Ricin, a lethal toxin derived from castor oil beans, is a potential bio-threat due to its high availability and simplicity of preparation. Ricin is prepared according to simple recipes available on the internet, and was recently considered in terrori...
A survey including 228 pig feed samples from Spain has been developed, exploring the occurrence of 19 mycotoxins (aflatoxins B1, B2, G1 and G2, ochratoxin A, fumonisins B1 and B2, citrinin, zearalenone, deoxynivalenol, fusarenon X, sterigmatocystin,...
Staphylococcus aureus (SA) infections cause high mortality and morbidity in humans. Being central to its pathogenesis, S. aureus thwarts the host defense by secreting a myriad of virulence factors, including bicomponent, pore-forming leukotoxins. Whi...
For the first time, pinnatoxins have been detected in shellfish from the Atlantic and Cantabrian coasts of Spain. High sensitivity LC-MS/MS systems were used to monitor all the currently known pinnatoxins (A–H). Pinnatoxin G (PnTX G) was the mo...
Mycotoxins are produced by a number of fungal genera spp., for example, Aspergillus, Penicillium, Alternaria, Fusarium, and Claviceps. Beauvericin (BEA) and Ochratoxin A (OTA) are present in various cereal crops and processed grains. This goal of thi...
Ochratoxin A (OTA) produced by mycotoxigenic fungi (Aspergillus and Penicillium spp.) is an extremely toxic and carcinogenic metabolite. The use of cold plasma to inhibit toxin-producing microorganisms in coffee could be an important alternative to a...
Targeted therapy has been a very hot research topic in the last decade [...]
Zearalenone (ZEA) is a prevalent mycotoxin with high toxicity in animals. In order to study its effect on juvenile grass carp (Ctenopharyngodon idella), six diets supplemented with different levels of ZEA (0, 535, 1041, 1548, 2002, and 2507 μg/kg...
Maize is a staple crop in rural subsistence regions of southern Africa, is mainly produced for direct household consumption and is often contaminated with high levels of mycotoxins. Chronic exposure to mycotoxins is a risk factor for human diseases a...
MiDCA1, a phospholipase A2 (PLA2) neurotoxin isolated from Micrurus dumerilii carinicauda coral snake venom, inhibited a major component of voltage-activated potassium (Kv) currents (41 ± 3% inhibition with 1 μM toxin) in mouse cultured dor...
Cytolytic leukotoxins of the repeat in toxin (RTX) family are large proteins excreted by gram-negative bacterial pathogens through the type 1 secretion system (T1SS). Due to low yields and poor stability in cultures of the original pathogens, it is u...
Tetrodotoxin (TTX) is a potent neurotoxin that is receiving increasing interest in the European Union because it has been found in different fishery products (fish, bivalves and gastropods) captured in European waters. Since available information is...
Necrotizing soft tissue infections (NSTIs) are critical clinical conditions characterized by extensive necrosis of any layer of the soft tissue and systemic toxicity. Group A streptococci (GAS) and Staphylococcus aureus are two major pathogens associ...
Food raw materials can contain the mycotoxin ochratoxin A (OTA). Thermal processing of these materials may result in decreased OTA levels but also in the formation of the thermal isomerization product 2′R-ochratoxin A (2′R-OTA). So far, o...
Zearalenone (ZEN) is an estrogenic mycotoxin which can cause loss in animal production. The aim of this study was to screen Bacillus strains for their ZEN detoxification capability and use a fermentation process to validate their potential applicatio...
The mycotoxin fumonisin is known to be harmful to humans and animals, and thus it is desirable to reduce fumonisin content in crop products. We explored the functions of several genes that function in fumonisin biosynthesis (FUM1, FUM6, FUM8, FUM19,...
The fumonisins producing fungi, Fusarium spp., are ubiquitous in nature and contaminate several food matrices that pose detrimental health hazards on humans as well as on animals. This has necessitated profound research for the control and management...
The castor plant (Ricinus communis L.) has been known since time immemorial in traditional medicine in the pharmacopeia of Mediterranean and eastern ancient cultures. Moreover, it is still used in folk medicine worldwide. Castor bean has been mainly...
Ribosome-inactivating proteins (RIPs) are cytotoxic enzymes that inhibit protein translation by depurinating ribosomal RNA. Although most plant RIPs are synthesized with leader sequences that sequester them away from the host ribosomes, several RIPs...
Clostridium perfringens (C. perfringens) is responsible for food-borne gastroenteritis and other infectious diseases, and toxins produced by this bacterium play a key role in pathogenesis. Although various toxins have been described for C. perfringen...
Barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) is a multipurpose crop that can be harvested as grain or cut prior to maturity for use as forage. Fusarium head blight (FHB) is a devastating disease of barley that reduces quality of grain. FHB can also result in the accu...
Fusarium diseases, including corn root rot, sheath rot, stalk rot, and ear rot are frequently occurring in maize producing areas of China. Fusarium stalk rot and ear rot are the most serious diseases and often occur at the same time, but it is unclea...
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