scholarly journals Discovery of digestive enzymes in carnivorous plants with focus on proteases

Author(s):  
Rishiesvari Ravee ◽  
Faris ‘Imadi Mohd Salleh ◽  
Hoe-Han Goh

Background. Carnivorous plants have been fascinating researchers with their unique characters and bioinspired applications. These include medicinal trait of some carnivorous plants with potentials for pharmaceutical industry. Methods. This review will cover recent progress based on current studies on digestive enzymes secreted by different genera of carnivorous plants: Drosera (sundews), Dionaea (Venus flytrap), Nepenthes (tropical pitcher plants), Sarracenia (North American pitcher plants), Cephalotus (Australian pitcher plants), Genlisea (corkscrew plants), and Utricularia (bladderworts). Results. Since the discovery of secreted protease nepenthesin in Nepenthes pitcher, digestive enzymes from carnivorous plants have been the focus of many studies. Recent genomics approaches have accelerated digestive enzyme discovery. Furthermore, the advancement in recombinant technology and protein purification helped in the identification and characterisation of enzymes in carnivorous plants. Discussion. These different aspects will be described and discussed in this review with focus on the role of secreted plant proteases and their potential industrial applications.

PeerJ ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 6 ◽  
pp. e4914 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rishiesvari Ravee ◽  
Faris ‘Imadi Mohd Salleh ◽  
Hoe-Han Goh

BackgroundCarnivorous plants have been fascinating researchers with their unique characters and bioinspired applications. These include medicinal trait of some carnivorous plants with potentials for pharmaceutical industry.MethodsThis review will cover recent progress based on current studies on digestive enzymes secreted by different genera of carnivorous plants:Drosera(sundews),Dionaea(Venus flytrap), Nepenthes(tropical pitcher plants),Sarracenia(North American pitcher plants), Cephalotus(Australian pitcher plants), Genlisea(corkscrew plants),andUtricularia(bladderworts).ResultsSince the discovery of secreted protease nepenthesin inNepenthespitcher, digestive enzymes from carnivorous plants have been the focus of many studies. Recent genomics approaches have accelerated digestive enzyme discovery. Furthermore, the advancement in recombinant technology and protein purification helped in the identification and characterisation of enzymes in carnivorous plants.DiscussionThese different aspects will be described and discussed in this review with focus on the role of secreted plant proteases and their potential industrial applications.


2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rishiesvari Ravee ◽  
Faris ‘Imadi Mohd Salleh ◽  
Hoe-Han Goh

Background. Carnivorous plants have been fascinating researchers with their unique characters and bioinspired applications. These include medicinal trait of some carnivorous plants with potentials for pharmaceutical industry. Methods. This review will cover recent progress based on current studies on digestive enzymes secreted by different genera of carnivorous plants: Drosera (sundews), Dionaea (Venus flytrap), Nepenthes (tropical pitcher plants), Sarracenia (North American pitcher plants), Cephalotus (Australian pitcher plants), Genlisea (corkscrew plants), and Utricularia (bladderworts). Results. Since the discovery of secreted protease nepenthesin in Nepenthes pitcher, digestive enzymes from carnivorous plants have been the focus of many studies. Recent genomics approaches have accelerated digestive enzyme discovery. Furthermore, the advancement in recombinant technology and protein purification helped in the identification and characterisation of enzymes in carnivorous plants. Discussion. These different aspects will be described and discussed in this review with focus on the role of secreted plant proteases and their potential industrial applications.


2020 ◽  
Vol 71 (12) ◽  
pp. 3749-3758 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ondřej Kocáb ◽  
Jana Jakšová ◽  
Ondřej Novák ◽  
Ivan Petřík ◽  
René Lenobel ◽  
...  

Abstract Carnivorous plants within the order Caryophyllales use jasmonates, a class of phytohormone, in the regulation of digestive enzyme activities. We used the carnivorous butterwort Pinguicula × Tina from the order Lamiales to investigate whether jasmonate signaling is a universal and ubiquitous signaling pathway that exists outside the order Caryophyllales. We measured the electrical signals, enzyme activities, and phytohormone tissue levels in response to prey capture. Mass spectrometry was used to identify proteins in the digestive secretion. We identified eight enzymes in the digestive secretion, many of which were previously found in other genera of carnivorous plants. Among them, alpha-amylase is unique in carnivorous plants. Enzymatic activities increased in response to prey capture; however, the tissue content of jasmonic acid and its isoleucine conjugate remained rather low in contrast to the jasmonate response to wounding. Enzyme activities did not increase in response to the exogenous application of jasmonic acid or coronatine. Whereas similar digestive enzymes were co-opted from plant defense mechanisms among carnivorous plants, the mode of their regulation differs. The butterwort has not co-opted jasmonate signaling for the induction of enzyme activities in response to prey capture. Moreover, the presence of alpha-amylase in digestive fluid of P. × Tina, which has not been found in other genera of carnivorous plants, might indicate that non-defense-related genes have also been co-opted for carnivory.


1995 ◽  
Vol 268 (2) ◽  
pp. E349-E359 ◽  
Author(s):  
D. Maouyo ◽  
J. Morisset

We investigated the effects of somatostatin (SMS)-201-995, atropine, and MK-329 on the role of cholinergic- and cholecystokinin-related systems and on the secretory relationship between five pancreatic digestive enzymes in rats. Animals kept in restraint cages and provided with pancreatic, biliary, duodenal, and jugular vein cannulas were treated as follows: 1) 0.25 micrograms.kg-1.h-1 caerulein alone, 2) both 0.25 micrograms.kg-1.h-1 caerulein and 100 micrograms.kg-1.h-1 atropine, 3) both caerulein and 5 micrograms.kg-1.h-1 SMS, 4) 91.3 micrograms.kg-1.h-1 carbachol alone, 5) both carbachol and 0.5 mg.kg-1.h-1 MK-329, and 6) both carbachol and 5 micrograms.kg-1.h-1 SMS, respectively. Food, but not water, was denied rats starting 10 h before the experiment and throughout the 6-h experimental period. The secretory patterns over the 6-h experimental period showed noticeably independent regulation of pancreatic secretion of individual digestive enzymes. The relationship between paired enzymes significantly varied according to the treatment. The correlation between chymotrypsinogen and the other enzymes was markedly modulated by MK-329. Our results suggest that SMS is a major "gate-keeper" in the regulation of exocrine pancreatic secretion and that the secretion of each digestive enzyme is individually regulated. Furthermore, they suggest that cholecystokinin and acetylcholine and their respective agonists are essentially initiators of secretory processes of the pancreas. Therefore, the paradigms of the regulation of pancreatic secretion heretofore accepted should be reexamined.


PeerJ ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 7 ◽  
pp. e6151 ◽  
Author(s):  
Daniel Doherty-Weason ◽  
Fernanda X. Oyarzun ◽  
Luciano Vera ◽  
Miguel Bascur ◽  
Fabián Guzmán ◽  
...  

In marine invertebrates, the modes of development at early stages are related to the type and capacity of larval feeding to achieve growth. Therefore, studying the factors that determine larval feeding strategies can help to understand the diversity of life histories and evolution of marine invertebrates. The polychaete Boccardia wellingtonensis is a poecilogonous species that encapsulates and incubates its offspring. This species produces two types of larvae: (1) larvae that do not feed within the capsule and hatch as planktotrophic larvae (indirect development), and (2) adelphophagic larvae that feed on nurse eggs and other larvae inside the capsule to hatch as advanced larvae or juveniles (direct development). Otherwise, the larval types are indistinguishable at the same stage of development. The non-apparent morphological differences between both types of larvae suggest that other factors are influencing their feeding behavior. This work studied the potential role of the activity of 19 digestive enzymes on the different feeding capacities of planktotrophic and adelphophagic larvae of B. wellingtonensis. Also, differences in larval feeding structures and the larval capacity to feed from intracapsular fluid were evaluated by electron and fluorescence microscopy. Results showed that both types of larvae present similar feeding structures and had the capacity to ingest intracapsular fluid protein. Adelphophagic larvae showed overall the highest activities of digestive enzymes. Significant differences between larval types were observed in nine enzymes related to the use of internal and external nutritional sources. Given that larval feeding is closely related to larval development in species with encapsulation, this work supports that the study of the digestive enzymatic machinery of larvae may contribute to understanding the evolution of developmental modes.


2019 ◽  
Vol 8 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Peter Wang

Enterogastric reflux (EGR) is the reflux of bile and digestive enzymes from the small bowel into the stomach. While it is a normal physiologic process in small amounts, excessive reflux and chronic EGR can cause upper GI symptoms often mimicking more common diseases such as gallbladder disease and GERD that often leads to its underdiagnosis. Identifying EGR is significant as it has been associated with the development of gastroesophogeal pathology including gastritis, esophagitis, ulcers, and mucosal metaplasia. This article presents a 22-year-old male with enterogastric reflux causing upper abdominal pain and will discuss the role of hepatobiliary scintigraphy in its diagnosis.


2011 ◽  
Vol 31 (10) ◽  
pp. 1137-1139
Author(s):  
Qing-min WANG ◽  
Hui WAN ◽  
Fen-zhou SHI ◽  
Jun SHEN ◽  
Qiu-hong LIU

2018 ◽  
Vol 19 (11) ◽  
pp. 1079-1087 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ghulam Murtaza ◽  
Adeel Siddiqui ◽  
Izhar Hussain

Author(s):  
Vasiliki Courelli ◽  
Alla Ahmad ◽  
Majid Ghassemian ◽  
Chris Pruitt ◽  
Paul J. Mills ◽  
...  

Abstract Introduction Heart failure is associated with degradation of cell functions and extracellular matrix proteins, but the trigger mechanisms are uncertain. Our recent evidence shows that active digestive enzymes can leak out of the small intestine into the systemic circulation and cause cell dysfunctions and organ failure. Methods Accordingly, we investigated in morning fasting plasma of heart failure (HF) patients the presence of pancreatic trypsin, a major enzyme responsible for digestion. Results Western analysis shows that trypsin in plasma is significantly elevated in HF compared to matched controls and their concentrations correlate with the cardiac dysfunction biomarker BNP and inflammatory biomarkers CRP and TNF-α. The plasma trypsin levels in HF are accompanied by elevated pancreatic lipase concentrations. The trypsin has a significantly elevated activity as determined by substrate cleavage. Mass spectrometry shows that the number of plasma proteins in the HF patients is similar to controls while the number of peptides was increased about 20% in HF patients. The peptides are derived from extracellular and intracellular protein sources and exhibit cleavage sites by trypsin as well as other degrading proteases (data are available via ProteomeXchange with identifier PXD026332). Connclusions These results provide the first evidence that active digestive enzymes leak into the systemic circulation and may participate in myocardial cell dysfunctions and tissue destruction in HF patients. Conclusions These results provide the first evidence that active digestive enzymes leak into the systemic circulation and may participate in myocardial cell dysfunctions and tissue destruction in HF patients.


Polymers ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (11) ◽  
pp. 1729
Author(s):  
Patrizio Raffa

The study of interactions between polyelectrolytes (PE) and surfactants is of great interest for both fundamental and applied research. These mixtures can represent, for example, models of self-assembly and molecular organization in biological systems, but they are also relevant in industrial applications. Amphiphilic block polyelectrolytes represent an interesting class of PE, but their interactions with surfactants have not been extensively explored so far, most studies being restricted to non-associating PE. In this work, interactions between an anionic amphiphilic triblock polyelectrolyte and different types of surfactants bearing respectively negative, positive and no charge, are investigated via surface tension and solution rheology measurements for the first time. It is evidenced that the surfactants have different effects on viscosity and surface tension, depending on their charge type. Micellization of the surfactant is affected by the presence of the polymer in all cases; shear viscosity of polymer solutions decreases in presence of the same charge or nonionic surfactants, while the opposite charge surfactant causes precipitation. This study highlights the importance of the charge type, and the role of the associating hydrophobic block in the PE structure, on the solution behavior of the mixtures. Moreover, a possible interaction model is proposed, based on the obtained data.


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