Structural insights of RmXyn10A - A prebiotic-producing GH10 xylanase with a non-conserved aglycone binding region.

Hydrolysis of arabinoxylan (AX) by glycoside hydrolase family 10 (GH10) xylanases produces xylo- and arabinoxylo-oligosaccharides ((A)XOS) which have shown prebiotic effects. The thermostable GH10 xylanase RmXyn10A has shown great potential to produce (A)XOS. In this study, the structure of RmXyn10A was investigated, the catalytic module by homology modelling and site-directed mutagenesis and the arrangement of its five domains by small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS). Substrate specificity was explored in silico by manual docking and molecular dynamic simulations. It has been shown in the literature that the glycone subsites of GH10 xylanases are well conserved and our results suggest that RmXyn10A is no exception. The aglycone subsites are less investigated, and the modelled structure of RmXyn10A suggests that loop ß6α6 in the aglycone part of the active site contains a non-conserved α-helix, which blocks the otherwise conserved space of subsite +2. This structural feature has only been observed for one other GH10 xylanase. In RmXyn10A, docking revealed two alternative binding regions, one on either side of the α-helix. However, only one was able to accommodate arabinose-substitutions and the mutation study suggests that the same region is responsible for binding XOS. Several non-conserved structural features are most likely to be responsible for providing affinity for arabinose-substitutions in subsites +1 and +2. The SAXS rigid model of the modular arrangement of RmXyn10A displays the catalytic module close to the cell-anchoring domain while the carbohydrate binding modules are further away, likely explaining the observed lack of contribution of the CBMs to activity.

Impedance and morphology of hydroxy- and chloro-functionalized poly(3,4-propylenedioxythiophene) nanostructures.

The new 3,4-propylenedioxythiophenes (ProDOT) bearing hydroxy- or chloro-functionalized side chains of varying length and polarity were synthesized and electropolymerized on single carbon fiber microelectrode (SCFME) using cyclo-voltammetry. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) revealed highest capacitance values for the hydroxy-functionalized Poly 5 carrying a side chain of medium length. The EIS data were fitted with an equivalent electrical circuit giving a good correlation. AFM analysis of the topography showed higher roughness values for Poly 5 than for the two other polymers bearing longer side chains. Due to their reactive end groups the polymers should be useful for post-polymerization functionalization of the electrode surface.

Maternal serum and umbilical cord tumor marker levels at term pregnancy.

BACKGROUND: The aim of the study was to compare the levels in fetal and maternal compartments of cancer antigen (CA) 125, CA 15-3, carbohydrate antigen (CA) 19-9, and carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) and to determine the effects of fetal sex, parity, and fetal weight on umbilical cord (UC) and maternal serum (MS) levels of these markers. METHODS: MS and UC levels of these markers were determined in blood samples taken simultaneously during cesarean delivery for 53 cases. All statistical analyses were performed using nonparametric tests (Wilcoxon's signed rank test, Mann-Whitney U-test, Kruskal-Wallis anova). Correlations were evaluated with Spearman's rank correlation coefficients. RESULTS: All marker levels of MS were significantly different to those of UC. There was no association between MS and UC levels of four markers and fetal sex. No significant difference could be demonstrated between fetal weight and marker levels in MS and UC. No significant difference could be demonstrated between parity and marker levels except CEA in MS that was elevated in multigravida group. CONCLUSIONS: Our results support that all markers except CA 15-3 have oncofetal origin. We concluded that further studies are required to reveal the effects of fetal sex on MS CA 19-9 and effects of parity on MS CEA levels.

The effects of Maras powder (smokeless tobacco) on oxidative stress in users.

Maras Powder (MP) is a special kind of smokeless tobacco widely used in the southeast region of Turkey especially in Kahramanmaras and Gaziantep and other southeastern cities. It is obtained from a tobacco species, Nicotiana rustica L and ash of oak or grapevine wood. Tobacco may increase oxidative stress, which is related to the products of the oxygen metabolism taking place in all cells. Cellular antioxidants, e.g. catalase (CAT), superoxide dismutase (SOD) and glucose 6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) protect the cell against oxidative damage. An imbalance between the ROS and antioxidants in favour of ROS is described as oxidative stress. In this study, we aimed to investigate the effect of MP on antioxidant enzyme levels and lipid peroxidation. We measured malondialdehyde (MDA), CAT, SOD and G6PD levels in blood of 68 MP users and 30 healthy controls who did not use MP. CAT, SOD and G6PD levels were lower in MP users than in the controls. On the other hand, lipid peroxidation levels (MDA), one of the best indicators of cytological damage, was increased in MP users compared with the controls. The present study showed that MP increases oxidative stress, which may cause many systemic disorders, including arteriosclerosis.