An understanding of the changes in water holding capacity of rehydrated shiitake mushroom (Lentinula edodes) from cell wall, cell membrane and protein.

Water holding capacity (WHC) is an important factor for the evaluation of rehydrated shiitake mushroom as WHC largely affects sensory attributes. Here, WHC of the rehydrated shiitake mushroom as affected by different hot-air drying temperature was investigated from aspects of cell membrane integrity, status of cell wall fibrous material and protein denaturation. Among the three factors, protein denaturation played the most important role to affect the WHC of rehydrated mushroom as protein denaturation was closely related to the maintenance of porous structure after rehydration. Effect of status of the cell wall fibrous material to the WHC changes was relatively weak and was largely correlated to the WHC changes at high temperature (>80 °C). Cell membrane was unlikely to contribute to WHC changes of the rehydrated shiitake mushroom due to the loss of integrity.

Undergraduate dental sudents' perspectives about experiences in primary care for their education in the field of health / Perspectivas de graduandos em odontologia acerca das experiências na atenção básica para sua formação em saúde

Supervised training periods in primary care have been used as spaces for teaching and extension in the area of health, making it feasible to include undergraduates in concrete teaching-learning scenarios. The aim of this study was to analyze the perceptions of dental students about the importance of supervised training periods in Family Health Units to their professional education. The sample consisted of 185 students who answered the question: What is your opinion about the importance of this training period in SUS to your professional education? Comment on this experience and its positive and negative aspects The responses were analyzed by the quali-quantitative Collective Subject Discourse (CSD) technique. The students appreciated learning through practice in the service; contact with professionals from other areas; opportunity for technical-operative improvement and demonstrated sensitivity in the face of social reality, although they appeared to be concerned about being absent from the faculty, arguing that they were being prejudiced as regards their intramural clinical productivity, exhaustively demanded of them. It was concluded that students placed value on the extramural experience, however, it was perceived that there was still a predominant influence of focus on intramural clinical training.

Os estágios supervisionados na atenção básica vêm sendo utilizados como espaços de ensino e extensão nas áreas da saúde, viabilizando a inserção dos graduandos em cenários concretos de ensino-aprendizagem. O objetivo deste estudo foi analisar as percepções de acadêmicos de odontologia sobre a importância do estágio supervisionado em Unidades de Saúde da Família, para sua formação profissional. A amostra foi constituída por 184 acadêmicos que responderam à questão: Qual a sua opinião em relação à importância deste estágio no SUS para a sua formação profissional? Comente esta experiência e seus aspectos positivos e negativos. As respostas foram analisadas através da técnica qualiquantitativa do discurso do sujeito coletivo. Os alunos valorizaram o aprendizado através da prática no serviço, do contato com profissionais de outras áreas, da oportunidade de aperfeiçoamento técnico-operatório e demonstraram sensibilização frente à realidade social, embora tenham aparentado incômodo por se ausentarem da faculdade, sob o argumento de serem prejudicados quanto à produtividade da clínica intramuros, exaustivamente cobrada. Concluiu-se que os alunos valorizaram a experiência extramural, entretanto, percebeu-se que ainda há uma hegemonia do foco no treinamento clínico intramuros.

Enzymatic formation of gold nanoparticles by submerged culture of the basidiomycete Lentinus edodes.

We report for the first time that the medicinal basidiomycete Lentinus edodes can reduce Au(III) from chloroauric acid (HAuCl4) to elemental Au [Au(0)], forming nanoparticles. Several methods, including transmission electron microscopy, electron energy loss spectroscopy, X-ray fluorescence, and dynamic light scattering, were used to show that when the fungus was grown submerged, colloidal gold accumulated on the surface of and inside the mycelial hyphae as electron-dense particles mostly spherical in shape, with sizes ranging from 5 to 50nm. Homogeneous proteins (the fungal enzymes laccase, tyrosinase, and Mn-peroxidase) were found for the first time to be involved in the reduction of Au(III) to Au(0) from HAuCl4. A possible mechanism forming Au nanoparticles is discussed.

The tyrosinase-encoding gene of Lentinula edodes, Letyr, is abundantly expressed in the gills of the fruit-body during post-harvest preservation.

The gill browning of Lentinula edodes fruit-bodies during preservation is thought to be due to melanin biosynthesis catalyzed by tyrosinase. We isolated a genomic DNA sequence and cDNA encoding a putative tyrosinase from the white rot basidiomycete Lentinula edodes (shiitake mushroom). The gene, named Letyr, consists of a 1,854-bp open reading frame interrupted by eight introns, and encodes a putative protein of 618 amino acid residues with an estimated molecular mass of 68 kDa. Amino acid residues known to be involved in copper-binding domains were conserved in the deduced amino acid residues of LeTyr. Transcriptional and translational expression of Letyr in the gills of the fruit-body increased during preservation after harvest. This correlation between Letyr expression and fruit-body preservation suggests that tyrosinase gene expression contributes to gill browning.

Analysis of recQ gene transcript in fruiting bodies of basidiomycetous mushroom Lentinula edodes.

Quantitative reverse transcription PCR analysis and total RNA staining demonstrated that Lentinula edodes recQ gene (Le.recQ) transcript is present in all the parts of the fruiting body, but in hymenophore at the highest density. Results of in situ RNA-RNA hybridization showed that the Le.recQ transcript level within the hymenophore is higher in the hymenium, subhymenium, and the outer region of the trama. Trama cells themselves contain a lower level of the transcript.

Distribution of hydrophobin 1 gene transcript in developing fruiting bodies of Lentinula edodes.

Results of in situ RNA-RNA hybridization showed the presence of transcripts of the Lentinula edodes hydrophobin 1 gene, Le.hyd1, everywhere in the mycelial tissues of developing fruiting bodies except for the top parts of the pileus (cap) and for the prehymenophore. A high level of the transcript was detected in the parts surrounding the prehymenophore.