LC-QTOF/MS-Based Profiling of the Phytochemicals in Ice Plant (Mesembryanthemum crystallinum) and Their Bioactivities.

Recent assessments of the correlations between food and medicine underscore the importance of functional foods in disease prevention and management. Functional foods offer health benefits beyond basic nutrition, with fresh fruits and vegetables being particularly prominent because of their rich polyphenol content. In this study, we elucidated the phytochemicals in ice plant (Mesembryanthemum crystallinum), a globally consumed vegetable, using an LC-QTOF/MS-based untargeted detection method. The phytochemicals were clustered based on their structural similarity using molecular networking and annotated using the in silico tool for network annotation propagation. To identify the bioactive compounds, eight compounds were isolated from ice plant extracts. These compounds were identified using extensive spectroscopic methods, including 1H and 13C nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy. Additionally, we evaluated the antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities of all the isolates. Among the tested compounds, three showed antioxidant activity and all eight showed anti-inflammatory activity, demonstrating the potential of ice plant as a functional food.

Genomic and Metabolomic Analyses of Nocardiopsis maritima YSL2 as the Mycorrhizosphere Bacterium of Suaeda maritima (L.) Dumort.

Nine bacteria were isolated from the episphere of Suaeda maritima (L.) Dumort. Among them, the bacterial strain YSL2 displayed the highest antimicrobial activity on agar plates and exhibited significant novelty compared with other bacteria based on 16S rRNA analysis. Consequently, Nocardiopsis maritima YSL2T was subjected to phenotypic characterization and whole-genome sequencing. Phylogenetic analysis revealed its close association with Nocardiopsis aegyptia SNG49T. Furthermore, genomic analysis of strain YSL2T revealed the presence of various gene clusters, indicating its potential for producing antimicrobial secondary metabolites. Upon cultivation on a large scale, maritiamides A and B (1 and 2) were isolated and characterized as cyclic hexapeptides based on nuclear magnetic resonance, ultraviolet, infrared, and mass spectrometric data. The absolute configurations of the amino acid residues in the maritiamides were determined through chiral derivatization, utilizing FDAA and GITC. Maritiamides 1 and 2 exhibited promising antibacterial activities against Staphylococcus epidermidis and weakly inhibited the growth of Escherichia coli and Pseudomonas fluorescens.

Xinghamide A, a New Cyclic Nonapeptide Found in Streptomyces xinghaiensis.

Xinghamide A (1), a new nonapeptide, was discovered in Streptomyces xinghaiensis isolated from a halophyte, Suaeda maritima (L.) Dumort. Based on high-resolution mass and NMR spectroscopic data, the planar structure of 1 was established, and, in particular, the sequence of nine amino acids was determined with ROESY and HMBC NMR spectra. The absolute configurations of the α-carbon of each amino acid residue were determined with 1-fluoro-2,4-dinitrophenyl-l-and -d-leucine amide (Marfey's reagents) and 2,3,4,6-tetra-O-acetyl-ß-d-glucopyranosyl isothiocyanate, followed by LC-MS analysis. The anti-inflammatory activity of xinghamide A (1) was evaluated by inhibitory abilities against the nitric oxide (NO) secretion and cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) expression in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated RAW264.7 cells.

Metabolomic analysis of halotolerant endophytic bacterium Salinivibrio costicola isolated from Suaeda maritima (L.) dumort.

In this study, the Salinivibrio costicola strain was isolated from Suaeda maritima (L.) Dumort. collected in Sinan, Republic of Korea. The endophytic characteristics of the Gram-negative bacterium S. costicola were verified with metagenomics sequencing of S. maritima. S. costicola was cultivated for 3 days in a liquid medium with 3.3% sea salt and analyzed the metabolites produced by the strain cultured in five different bacterial cultivation media. From the bacterial cultures, polyhydroxybutyrate derivatives were detected using high-resolution mass spectrometry, and three major compounds were isolated by high-performance liquid chromatography. The chemical structures of the compounds were elucidated using nuclear magnetic resonance and MS analyses. The relationship between the compounds was confirmed with Global Natural Product Social Molecular Networking, which showed clustering of the compounds. From the S. maritima extract, polyhydroxybutyrate derivatives produced by S. costicola were detected as being accumulated in the host plant.

Lobophorin Producing Endophytic Streptomyces olivaceus JB1 Associated With Maesa japonica (Thunb.) Moritzi & Zoll.

In this study, we focused on endophytes of Maesa japonica (Thunb.) Moritzi & Zoll. and the plant-microbe interaction at metabolite levels. We isolated seven endophytes associated with M. japonica (JB1-7), and focused on Streptomyces olivaceus JB1 because of antibacterial activities of its secondary metabolites. We confirmed lobophorin analogs production from the bacterial strain JB1 by using spectroscopic techniques such as NMR, UV, and LC/Q-TOF-MS. In the LC/MS system, thirteen reported lobophorin analogs and twelve unreported analogs were detected. Among metabolites, lobophorin A was clearly detected in the dried foliar residues of M. japonica which implies that JB1 resides in the host and accumulates its secondary metabolites likely interacting with the plant. Antimicrobial activity tests of the secondary metabolites against undesirable contaminants isolated from the external surface of M. japonica supported the host and microbe mutualistic relationship. In the meantime, lobophorin producing Streptomyces spp. were isolated from marine environments such as marine sediments, algae, corals, and sponges. As lobophorin producing Streptomyces is isolated commonly from marine environments, we conducted a saline water stress tolerance test with JB1 showing saline medium does not accelerate the growth of the bacterium.

Study on Lesion Assessment of Cerebello-Thalamo-Cortical Network in Wilson's Disease with Diffusion Tensor Imaging.

Wilson's disease (WD) is a genetic disorder of copper metabolism with pathological copper accumulation in the brain and any other tissues. This article aimed to assess lesions in cerebello-thalamo-cortical network with an advanced technique of diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) in WD. 35 WD patients and 30 age- and sex-matched healthy volunteers were recruited to accept diffusion-weighted images with 15 gradient vectors and conventional magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). The DTI parameters, including fractional anisotropy (FA) and mean diffusion (MD), were calculated by diffusion kurtosis estimator software. After registration, patient groups with FA mappings and MD mappings and normal groups were compared with 3dttest and receiver-operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis, corrected with FDR simulations (p = 0.001, α = 0.05, cluster size = 326). We found that the degree of FA increased in the bilateral head of the caudate nucleus (HCN), lenticular nucleus (LN), ventral thalamus, substantia nigra (SN), red nucleus (RN), right dentate nucleus (DN), and decreased in the mediodorsal thalamus and extensive white matter. The value of MD increased in HCN, LN, SN, RN, and extensive white matter. The technique of DTI provides higher sensitivity and specificity than conventional MRI to detect Wilson's disease. Besides, lesions in the basal ganglia, thalamus, and cerebellum might disconnect the basal ganglia-thalamo-cortical circuits or dentato-rubro-thalamic (DRT) track and disrupt cerebello-thalamo-cortical network finally, which may cause clinical extrapyramidal symptoms.

Cortical Reorganization in Patients Recovered from Bell's Palsy: An Orofacial and Finger Movements Task-State fMRI Study.

Objective. To explore cortical reorganization of patients recovered from Bell's palsy (BP) by task-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) during finger and orofacial movements and provide more evidence for acupuncture clinical treatment of BP. Methods. We collected 17 BP patients with complete clinical recovery (BP group) and 20 healthy volunteers (control group) accepted the task-state fMRI scans with lip pursing movements and finger movements, respectively. Results. It was found that there were significant differences of brain functional status between the two groups. Conclusions. The results showed that there was cortical reorganization in the brain of patients recovered from BP after acupuncture treatment, which also suggested the relationship between the hand motor areas and facial motor areas of BP patients.

Calmodulin dynamically regulates the trafficking of the metabotropic glutamate receptor mGluR5.

Metabotropic glutamate receptors (mGluRs) 1-8 are G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) that modulate excitatory neurotransmission, neurotransmitter release, and synaptic plasticity. PKC regulates many aspects of mGluR function, including protein-protein interactions, Ca(2+) signaling, and receptor desensitization. However, the mechanisms by which PKC regulates mGluR function are poorly understood. We have now identified calmodulin (CaM) as a dynamic regulator of mGluR5 trafficking. We show that the major PKC phosphorylation site on the intracellular C terminus of mGluR5 is serine 901 (S901), and phosphorylation of this residue is up-regulated in response to both receptor and PKC activation. In addition, S901 phosphorylation inhibits mGluR5 binding to CaM, decreasing mGluR5 surface expression. Furthermore, blocking PKC phosphorylation of mGluR5 on S901 dramatically affects mGluR5 signaling by prolonging Ca(2+) oscillations. Thus, our data demonstrate that mGluR5 activation triggers phosphorylation of S901, thereby directly linking PKC phosphorylation, CaM binding, receptor trafficking, and downstream signaling.

Metabotropic glutamate receptors: phosphorylation and receptor signaling.

Metabotropic glutamate receptors (mGluRs) play important roles in neurotransmission, neuronal development, synaptic plasticity, and neurological disorders. Recent studies have revealed a sophisticated interplay between mGluRs and protein kinases: activation of mGluRs regulates the activity of a number of kinases, and direct phosphorylation of mGluRs affects receptor signaling, trafficking, and desensitization. Here we review the emerging literature on mGluR phosphorylation, signaling, and synaptic function.

Entropically driven formation of hierarchically ordered nanocomposites.

Using theoretical models, we undertake the first investigation into the rich behavior that emerges when binary particle mixtures are blended with microphase-separating copolymers. We isolate an example of coupled self-assembly in such materials, where the system undergoes a nanoscale ordering of the particles along with a phase transformation in the copolymer matrix. Furthermore, the self-assembly is driven by entropic effects involving all the different components. The results reveal that entropy can be exploited to create highly ordered nanocomposites with potentially unique electronic and photonic properties.

Isolation and characterization of water-soluble intermediates of blue pigments transformed from geniposide of Gardenia jasminoides.

Gardenia blue dye was obtained through the reaction of methylamine with genipin, the aglycone of geniposide isolated from the fruits of Gardenia jasminoides. The resulting blue pigments were passed through Bio-Gel P-2 resin yielding five fractions, GM1-GM5. Four fractions (GM1-GM4) were all blue pigments, and the first eluted higher molecular weight fraction GM1 had a higher tinctorial strength than the later eluted lower molecular weight fractions, GM2-GM4. The last eluted GM5 fraction with lambda(max) of 292 nm was colorless and was confirmed as the true intermediate of the blue pigments on the basis of UV-vis spectrophotometric evidence. The GM5 fraction was composed of two epimeric isomers, and their structures were characterized by (1)H NMR, (1)H-(1)H COSY, (13)C NMR, and HMQC and HMBC spectral measurements.