TRP channels: branching out into the fungal kingdom

Fungal lectins are a large family of carbohydrate-binding proteins with no enzymatic activity. They play fundamental biological roles in the interactions of fungi with their environment and are found in many different species across the fungal kingdom. In particular, their contribution to defense against feeders has been emphasized, and when secreted, lectins may be involved in the recognition of bacteria, fungal competitors and specific host plants. Carbohydrate specificities and quaternary structures vary widely, but evidence for an evolutionary relationship within the different classes of fungal lectins is supported by a high degree of amino acid sequence identity. The UniLectin3D database contains 194 fungal lectin 3D structures, of which 129 are characterized with a carbohydrate ligand. Using the UniLectin3D lectin classification system, 109 lectin sequence motifs were defined to screen 1223 species deposited in the genomic portal MycoCosm of the Joint Genome Institute. The resulting 33,485 putative lectin sequences are organized in MycoLec, a publicly available and searchable database. These results shed light on the evolution of the lectin gene families in fungi.

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TRP Channels in Cancer Pain

European Journal of Pharmacology ◽

10.1016/j.ejphar.2021.174185 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 174185

Author(s):

Amanda Spring de Almeida ◽

Laura de Barros Bernardes ◽

Gabriela Trevisan

Keyword(s):

Cancer Pain ◽

Trp Channels

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Isolation and Characterization of Antibacterial Carotane Sesquiterpenes from Artemisia argyi Associated Endophytic Trichoderma virens QA-8

Antibiotics ◽

10.3390/antibiotics10020213 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 10 (2) ◽

pp. 213

Author(s):

Xiao-Shan Shi ◽

Yin-Ping Song ◽

Ling-Hong Meng ◽

Sui-Qun Yang ◽

Dun-Jia Wang ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Endophytic Fungus ◽

Micrococcus Luteus ◽

Crystallographic Analysis ◽

Medicinal Herb ◽

Trichoderma Virens ◽

Isolation And Characterization ◽

Artemisia Argyi ◽

Detailed Interpretation ◽

Fungal Kingdom

Carotane sesquiterpenes are commonly found in plants but are infrequently reported in the fungal kingdom. Chemical investigation of Trichoderma virens QA-8, an endophytic fungus associated with the inner root tissue of the grown medicinal herb Artemisia argyi H. Lév. and Vaniot, resulted in the isolation and characterization of five new carotane sesquiterpenes trichocarotins I–M (1–5), which have diverse substitution patterns, and seven known related analogues (6–12). The structures of these compounds were established on the basis of a detailed interpretation of their NMR and mass spectroscopic data, and the structures including the relative and absolute configurations of compounds 1–3, 5, 9, and 10 were confirmed by X-ray crystallographic analysis. In the antibacterial assays, all isolates exhibited potent activity against Escherichia coli EMBLC-1, with MIC values ranging from 0.5 to 32 µg/mL, while 7β-hydroxy CAF-603 (7) strongly inhibited Micrococcus luteus QDIO-3 (MIC = 0.5 µg/mL). Structure-activity relationships of these compounds were discussed. The results from this study demonstrate that the endophytic fungus T. virens QA-8 from the planted medicinal herb A. argyi is a rich source of antibacterial carotane sesquiterpenes, and some of them might be interesting for further study to be developed as novel antibacterial agents.

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New Insights on the Role of TRP Channels in Calcium Signalling and Immunomodulation: Review of Pathways and Implications for Clinical Practice

Clinical Reviews in Allergy & Immunology ◽

10.1007/s12016-020-08824-3 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Saied Froghi ◽

Charlotte R. Grant ◽

Radhika Tandon ◽

Alberto Quaglia ◽

Brian Davidson ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Immune System ◽

Calcium Release ◽

Transient Receptor Potential ◽

Trp Channels ◽

Calcium Influx ◽

Calcium Signalling ◽

Chronic Fatigue ◽

Diverse Range ◽

Immune System Activation

AbstractCalcium is the most abundant mineral in the human body and is central to many physiological processes, including immune system activation and maintenance. Studies continue to reveal the intricacies of calcium signalling within the immune system. Perhaps the most well-understood mechanism of calcium influx into cells is store-operated calcium entry (SOCE), which occurs via calcium release-activated channels (CRACs). SOCE is central to the activation of immune system cells; however, more recent studies have demonstrated the crucial role of other calcium channels, including transient receptor potential (TRP) channels. In this review, we describe the expression and function of TRP channels within the immune system and outline associations with murine models of disease and human conditions. Therefore, highlighting the importance of TRP channels in disease and reviewing potential. The TRP channel family is significant, and its members have a continually growing number of cellular processes. Within the immune system, TRP channels are involved in a diverse range of functions including T and B cell receptor signalling and activation, antigen presentation by dendritic cells, neutrophil and macrophage bactericidal activity, and mast cell degranulation. Not surprisingly, these channels have been linked to many pathological conditions such as inflammatory bowel disease, chronic fatigue syndrome and myalgic encephalomyelitis, atherosclerosis, hypertension and atopy.

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