Search Results (6)

This research delved into the protective capacities of deinoxanthin, a carotenoid present in Deinococcus radiodurans, against UVA- and UVB-mediated skin damage using human fibroblast foreskin cells (HFF-1). Using the MTT assay, HFF-1 cells treated with 10 µM DNX displayed 20% and 31.7% higher viability than the positive (Vitamin C-treated) and negative (DNX-untreated) control groups, respectively, upon 100 mJ/cm² UVB exposure. At 24 J/cm² UVA, 20 µM DNX-treated cells showed 80.6% viability, exceeding the positive and negative control groups by 28.6% and 33.6%, respectively. Flow cytometry analysis revealed that cells treated with DNX and exposed to 24 J/cm² UVA exhibited a 69.32% reduction in apoptotic processes compared to untreated cells. Similarly, when exposed to 100 mJ/cm² UVB, DNX-treated cells demonstrated a 72.35% decrease in apoptotic processes relative to their untreated counterparts. DNX also displayed dose-dependent inhibition on tyrosinase activity. The study emphasized DNX’s antioxidative capacity, evident in its modulation of superoxide dismutase activity and measurements of Malondialdehyde and intracellular reactive oxygen species levels. DNX-treated cells exhibited higher hydroxyproline levels, suggesting healthier collagen production. Additionally, the wound-healing assay method confirmed an accelerated healing rate in DNX-treated cells. Conclusively, DNX offers significant protection against UV-induced skin damage, emphasizing its potential for skincare and therapeutics. Full article

Carotenoids are a large and diverse group of compounds that have been shown to have a wide range of potential health benefits. While some carotenoids have been extensively studied, many others have not received as much attention. Studying the physicochemical properties of carotenoids using electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) and density functional theory (DFT) helped us understand their chemical structure and how they interact with other molecules in different environments. Ultimately, this can provide insights into their potential biological activity and how they might be used to promote health. In particular, some rare carotenoids, such as sioxanthin, siphonaxanthin and crocin, that are described here contain more functional groups than the conventional carotenoids, or have similar groups but with some situated outside of the rings, such as sapronaxanthin, myxol, deinoxanthin and sarcinaxanthin. By careful design or self-assembly, these rare carotenoids can form multiple H-bonds and coordination bonds in host molecules. The stability, oxidation potentials and antioxidant activity of the carotenoids can be improved in host molecules, and the photo-oxidation efficiency of the carotenoids can also be controlled. The photostability of the carotenoids can be increased if the carotenoids are embedded in a nonpolar environment when no bonds are formed. In addition, the application of nanosized supramolecular systems for carotenoid delivery can improve the stability and biological activity of rare carotenoids. Full article

The Altiplano-Puna region is a high-altitude plateau in South America characterized by extreme conditions, including the highest UV incidence on Earth. The Laguna Negra is a hypersaline lake located in the Catamarca Province, northwestern Argentina, where stromatolites and other microbialites are found, and where life is mostly restricted to microbial mats. In this study, a particular microbial mat that covers the shore of the lake was explored, to unravel its layer-by-layer vertical structure in response to the environmental stressors therein. Microbial community composition was assessed by high-throughput 16S rRNA gene sequencing and pigment content analyses, complemented with microscopy tools to characterize its spatial arrangement within the mat. The top layer of the mat has a remarkable UV-tolerance feature, characterized by the presence of Deinococcus-Thermus and deinoxanthin, which might reflect a shielding strategy to cope with high UV radiation. Chloroflexi and Deltaproteobacteria were abundant in the second and third underlying layers, respectively. The bottom layer harbors copious Halanaerobiaeota. Subspherical aggregates composed of calcite, extracellular polymeric substances, abundant diatoms, and other microorganisms were observed all along the mat as the main structural component. This detailed study provides insights into the strategies of microbial communities to thrive under high UV radiation and hypersalinity in high-altitude lakes in the Altiplano-Puna region. Full article

Deinoxanthin, a xanthophyll derived from Deinococcus species, is a unique organic compound that provides greater antioxidant effects compared to other carotenoids due to its superior scavenging activity against singlet oxygen and hydrogen peroxide. Therefore, it has attracted significant attention as a next-generation organic compound that has great potential as a natural ingredient in a food supplements. Although the microbial identification of deinoxanthin has been identified, mass production has not yet been achieved. Here, we report, for the first time, the development of an engineered extremophilic microorganism, Deinococcus radiodurans strain R1, that is capable of producing deinoxanthin through rational metabolic engineering and process optimization. The genes crtB and dxs were first introduced into the genome to reinforce the metabolic flux towards deinoxanthin. The optimal temperature was then identified through a comparative analysis of the mRNA expression of the two genes, while the carbon source was further optimized to increase deinoxanthin production. The final engineered D. radiodurans strain R1 was able to produce 394 ± 17.6 mg/L (102 ± 11.1 mg/g DCW) of deinoxanthin with a yield of 40.4 ± 1.2 mg/g sucrose and a productivity of 8.4 ± 0.2 mg/L/h from 10 g/L of sucrose. The final engineered strain and the strategies developed in the present study can act as the foundation for the industrial application of extremophilic microorganisms. Full article

Our purpose was to characterize the structures of deinoxanthin from Deinococcus sp. AJ005. The latter is a novel reddish strain and was found to synthesize two main acyclic carotenoids: deinoxanthin and its derivative. The derivative (2-keto-deinoxanthin) contains a 2-keto functional group instead of a 2-hydroxyl group on a β-ionone ring. A deinoxanthin biosynthesis pathway of Deinococcus sp. AJ005 involving eight putative enzymes was proposed according to genome annotation analysis and chemical identification of deinoxanthin. Optimal culture pH and temperature for Deinococcus sp. AJ005 growth were pH 7.4 and 20 °C. Sucrose as a carbon source significantly enhanced the cell growth in comparison with glucose, glycerol, maltose, lactose, and galactose. When batch fermentation was performed in a bioreactor containing 40g/L sucrose, total carotenoid production was 650% higher than that in a medium without sucrose supplementation. The culture conditions found in this study should provide the basis for the development of fermentation strategies for the production of deinoxanthin and of its derivative by means of Deinococcus sp. AJ005. Full article

Deinoxanthin (DX) is a unique carotenoid synthesized by Deinococcus radiodurans, one of the most radioresistant organisms known. In comparison with other carotenoids, DX was proven to exhibit significantly stronger reactive oxygen species (ROS)-scavenging activity, which plays an important role in the radioresistance of D. radiodurans. In this work, to gain deeper insights into the strong antioxidant activity of DX, the parameters characterizing ROS-scavenging potential were calculated by means of quantum chemical calculations. It was found that DX possesses lower lowest triplet excitation energy for its unique structure than other carotenoids, such as β-carotene and zeaxanthin, which endows DX strong potential in the energy transfer-based ROS‑scavenging process. Moreover, the H-atom donating potential of DX is similar to zeaxanthin according to the theoretical homolytic O-H bond dissociation enthalpy. Thus, the large number of conjugated double bonds should be crucial for its strong antioxidant activity. Full article