Biocatalytic Production of Aldehydes: Exploring the Potential of Lathyrus cicera Amine Oxidase

Aldehydes are a class of carbonyl compounds widely used as intermediates in the pharmaceutical, cosmetic and food industries. To date, there are few fully enzymatic methods for synthesizing these highly reactive chemicals. In the present work, we explore the biocatalytic potential of an amino oxidase extracted from the etiolated shoots of Lathyrus cicera for the synthesis of value-added aldehydes, starting from the corresponding primary amines. In this frame, we have developed a completely chromatography-free purification protocol based on crossflow ultrafiltration, which makes the production of this enzyme easily scalable. Furthermore, we determined the kinetic parameters of the amine oxidase toward 20 differently substituted aliphatic and aromatic primary amines, and we developed a biocatalytic process for their conversion into the corresponding aldehydes. The reaction occurs in aqueous media at neutral pH in the presence of catalase, which removes the hydrogen peroxide produced during the reaction itself, contributing to the recycling of oxygen. A high conversion (>95%) was achieved within 3 h for all the tested compounds.

LOXL3 Function Beyond Amino Oxidase and Role in Pathologies, Including Cancer

Lysyl oxidase like 3 (LOXL3) is a copper-dependent amine oxidase responsible for the crosslinking of collagen and elastin in the extracellular matrix. LOXL3 belongs to a family including other members: LOX, LOXL1, LOXL2, and LOXL4. Autosomal recessive mutations are rare and described in patients with Stickler syndrome, early-onset myopia and non-syndromic cleft palate. Along with an essential function in embryonic development, multiple biological functions have been attributed to LOXL3 in various pathologies related to amino oxidase activity. Additionally, various novel roles have been described for LOXL3, such as the oxidation of fibronectin in myotendinous junction formation, and of deacetylation and deacetylimination activities of STAT3 to control of inflammatory response. In tumors, three distinct roles were described: (1) LOXL3 interacts with SNAIL and contributes to proliferation and metastasis by inducing epithelial-mesenchymal transition in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma cells; (2) LOXL3 is localized predominantly in the nucleus associated with invasion and poor gastric cancer prognosis; (3) LOXL3 interacts with proteins involved in DNA stability and mitosis completion, contributing to melanoma progression and sustained proliferation. Here we review the structure, function and activity of LOXL3 in normal and pathological conditions and discuss the potential of LOXL3 as a therapeutic target in various diseases.

Dermal Collagen Stabilization by Polyphenols and Spray Drying as an Encapsulation Strategy

Collagen, the most abundant component in mammalian tissues, has a crucial impact at skin level. Both promotion and maintenance of cross-linked collagen at the skin are critical to sustain the functionality and appearance of that tissue. Lysyl oxidases, also known as LOX enzymes, are the major collagen cross-linking enzymes that play a pivotal role in homeostasis. This minireview summarizes evidence that describes an amino oxidase-like activity, which could be attributed to polyphenols, or where polyphenols could be required. We also discuss some available collagen formulations and the scientific evidence that describes the impact on dermal extracellular matrix. In addition, information about encapsulation strategies to carry polyphenols, and some examples are also provided.

Identification and expression profiling of flax (Linum usitatissimum L.) polyamine oxidase genes in response to stimuli

Polyamine oxidases (PAOs) are known to be involved in either the terminal catabolism or the back conversion of polyamines, which affect a range of physiological processes, including growth, development, and stress responses. In this study, based on genome-wide analysis, we identified five putative PAO genes (LuPAO1toLuPAO5) in flax (Linum usitatissimumL.) that contain the amino-oxidase domain and FAD-binding-domain. The expression analysis using quantitative real-time PCR revealed spatial variations in the expression ofLuPAOsin different organs. In addition, the expression level ofLuPAOsin the flax cell suspension culture was increased by treatment with methyl-jasmonate (MeJA) or pectin, but not with salicylic acid or chitosan. This indicates that LuPAOs might be involved in the MeJA-mediated biological activities. Taken together, our genome-wide analysis of PAO genes and expression profiling of these genes provide the first step toward the functional dissection of LuPAOs.

Case Report: Three Years of Refractory Atypical Depression Successfully Treated With“Old School” Moclobemide (maoi-r)

BackgroundAtypical depression is linked to bipolarity and specific response to mono amino oxidase inhibitors (MAOI), treatments not commonly used due to their complex handling. We describe a successfully treated case.MethodologyClinical description. Depression severity is assessed with Montgomery Asberg depression rating scale (MADRS).Clinical caseFemale, 54-year-old. Major depression, since 2011, refractory to venlafaxine/aripiprazol and escitalopram 20 mg/day. Manic episode with psychotic symptoms after potentiation with duloxetine. Diagnose of schizoaffective disorder was made, treated with aripiprazol 10 mg/day, with established chronical depressive symptoms, despite addition of valproate and venlafaxine, and partial response to pramipexole up to 1 mg/day.– Decision of cleaning up aripiprazol during 8 days and switch to moclobemide monotherapy was made due to atypical features. Baseline MADRS: 31. At week 2, there is change in mood, expression, psychomotor features and speech formal and content alterations. At week 4, activity increases, and biorythms normalize. At week 8 (with 600 mg/day increased dose), full response is obtained, including drive, and anxiety, with MADRS 12.– After one year of treatment, she has kept stability with no manic or psychotic symptoms emergence. Reduction in dose are linked to depression relapses. She still struggles with psychosocial recovery.– Tolerance has been good in all moment, except for headache crisis, not linked to high blood pressure or diet.ConclusionsMAOI still has a role in affective disorders treatment, given its effectiveness, unique mechanism of action and good tolerability. Targeted psychopharmacological and phenomenology knowledge can be the key to a recovery.Disclosure of interestThe authors have not supplied their declaration of competing interest.