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Ahmad N, Hussain H, Naeem M, Rahman SU, Khan KA, Iqbal B, Umar AW. Metabolites-induced co-evolutionary warfare between plants, viruses, and their associated vectors: So close yet so far away. PLANT SCIENCE : AN INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL PLANT BIOLOGY 2024; 346:112165. [PMID: 38925477 DOI: 10.1016/j.plantsci.2024.112165] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2024] [Revised: 06/11/2024] [Accepted: 06/16/2024] [Indexed: 06/28/2024]
Abstract
Agriculture and global food security encounter significant challenges due to viral threats. In the following decades, several molecular studies have focused on discovering biosynthetic pathways of numerous defensive and signaling compounds, as key regulators of plant interactions, either with viruses or their associated vectors. Nevertheless, the complexities of specialized metabolites mediated plant-virus-vector tripartite viewpoint and the identification of their co-evolutionary crossroads toward antiviral defense system, remain elusive. The current study reviews the various roles of plant-specialized metabolites (PSMs) and how plants use these metabolites to defend against viruses. It discusses recent examples of specialized metabolites that have broad-spectrum antiviral properties. Additionally, the study presents the co-evolutionary basis of metabolite-mediated plant-virus-insect interactions as a potential bioinspired approach to combat viral threats. The prospects also show promising metabolic engineering strategies aimed at discovering a wide range of PSMs that are effective in fending off viruses and their related vectors. These advances in understanding the potential role of PSMs in plant-virus interactions not only serve as a cornerstone for developing plant antiviral systems, but also highlight essential principles of biological control.
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Affiliation(s)
- Naveed Ahmad
- Joint Center for Single Cell Biology, Shanghai Collaborative Innovation Center of Agri-Seeds, School of Agriculture and Biology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, People's Republic of China.
| | - Hamad Hussain
- Department of Agriculture, Faculty of Chemical and Life Sciences, Abdul Wali Khan University Mardan, Mardan 23390, Pakistan.
| | - Muhammad Naeem
- Department of Plant Science, School of Agriculture and Biology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, People's Republic of China.
| | - Saeed Ur Rahman
- School of Agriculture and Biology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Dongchuan Road 800, Shanghai 200240, People's Republic of China.
| | - Khalid Ali Khan
- Applied College, Center of Bee Research and its Products (CBRP), and Unit of Bee Research and Honey Production, King Khalid University, P.O. Box 9004, Abha 61413, Saudi Arabia.
| | - Babar Iqbal
- School of Environment and Safety Engineering, School of Emergency Management, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang 212013, People's Republic of China.
| | - Abdul Wakeel Umar
- BNU-HKUST Laboratory of Green Innovation, Advanced Institute of Natural Sciences, Beijing Normal University at Zhuhai (BNUZ), Zhuhai City 519087, People's Republic of China.
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Cook GD, Stasulli NM. Employing synthetic biology to expand antibiotic discovery. SLAS Technol 2024; 29:100120. [PMID: 38340893 DOI: 10.1016/j.slast.2024.100120] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/16/2023] [Revised: 01/04/2024] [Accepted: 02/07/2024] [Indexed: 02/12/2024]
Abstract
Antimicrobial-resistant (AMR) bacterial pathogens are a continually growing threat as our methods for combating these infections continue to be overcome by the evolution of resistance mechanisms. Recent therapeutic methods have not staved off the concern of AMR infections, so continued research focuses on new ways of identifying small molecules to treat AMR pathogens. While chemical modification of existing antibiotics is possible, there has been rapid development of resistance by pathogens that were initially susceptible to these compounds. Synthetic biology is becoming a key strategy in trying to predict and induce novel, natural antibiotics. Advances in cloning and mutagenesis techniques applied through a synthetic biology lens can help characterize the native regulation of antibiotic biosynthetic gene clusters (BGCs) to identify potential modifications leading to more potent antibiotic activity. Additionally, many cryptic antibiotic BGCs are derived from non-ribosomal peptide synthase (NRPS) and polyketide synthase (PKS) biosynthetic pathways; complex, clustered genetic sequences that give rise to amino acid-derived natural products. Synthetic biology can be applied to modify and metabolically engineer these enzyme-based systems to promote rapid and sustainable production of natural products and their variants. This review will focus on recent advances related to synthetic biology as applied to genetic pathway characterization and identification of antibiotics from naturally occurring BGCs. Specifically, we will summarize recent efforts to characterize BGCs via general genomic mutagenesis, endogenous gene expression, and heterologous gene expression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Greta D Cook
- Department of Biology and Environmental Science, University of New Haven, 300 Boston Post Rd, Dodds Hall 316, West Haven 06516 USA
| | - Nikolas M Stasulli
- Department of Biology and Environmental Science, University of New Haven, 300 Boston Post Rd, Dodds Hall 316, West Haven 06516 USA.
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Lopez-Ortiz C, Gracia-Rodriguez C, Belcher S, Flores-Iga G, Das A, Nimmakayala P, Balagurusamy N, Reddy UK. Drosophila melanogaster as a Translational Model System to Explore the Impact of Phytochemicals on Human Health. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:13365. [PMID: 37686177 PMCID: PMC10487418 DOI: 10.3390/ijms241713365] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/07/2023] [Revised: 08/25/2023] [Accepted: 08/27/2023] [Indexed: 09/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Fruits, vegetables, and spices are natural sources of bioactive phytochemicals, such as polyphenols, carotenoids, flavonoids, curcuminoids, terpenoids, and capsaicinoids, possessing multiple health benefits and relatively low toxicity. These compounds found in the diet play a central role in organism development and fitness. Given the complexity of the whole-body response to dietary changes, invertebrate model organisms can be valuable tools to examine the interplay between genes, signaling pathways, and metabolism. Drosophila melanogaster, an invertebrate model with its extensively studied genome, has more than 70% gene homology to humans and has been used as a model system in biological studies for a long time. The notable advantages of Drosophila as a model system, such as their low maintenance cost, high reproductive rate, short generation time and lifespan, and the high similarity of metabolic pathways between Drosophila and mammals, have encouraged the use of Drosophila in the context of screening and evaluating the impact of phytochemicals present in the diet. Here, we review the benefits of Drosophila as a model system for use in the study of phytochemical ingestion and describe the previously reported effects of phytochemical consumption in Drosophila.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carlos Lopez-Ortiz
- Department of Biology, Gus R. Douglass Institute, West Virginia State University, Institute, WV 25112-1000, USA; (C.L.-O.); (C.G.-R.); (S.B.); (G.F.-I.); (A.D.); (P.N.)
| | - Celeste Gracia-Rodriguez
- Department of Biology, Gus R. Douglass Institute, West Virginia State University, Institute, WV 25112-1000, USA; (C.L.-O.); (C.G.-R.); (S.B.); (G.F.-I.); (A.D.); (P.N.)
- Laboratorio de Biorremediación, Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas, Universidad Autónoma de Coahuila, Torreón 27275, Coahuila, Mexico;
| | - Samantha Belcher
- Department of Biology, Gus R. Douglass Institute, West Virginia State University, Institute, WV 25112-1000, USA; (C.L.-O.); (C.G.-R.); (S.B.); (G.F.-I.); (A.D.); (P.N.)
| | - Gerardo Flores-Iga
- Department of Biology, Gus R. Douglass Institute, West Virginia State University, Institute, WV 25112-1000, USA; (C.L.-O.); (C.G.-R.); (S.B.); (G.F.-I.); (A.D.); (P.N.)
- Laboratorio de Biorremediación, Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas, Universidad Autónoma de Coahuila, Torreón 27275, Coahuila, Mexico;
| | - Amartya Das
- Department of Biology, Gus R. Douglass Institute, West Virginia State University, Institute, WV 25112-1000, USA; (C.L.-O.); (C.G.-R.); (S.B.); (G.F.-I.); (A.D.); (P.N.)
| | - Padma Nimmakayala
- Department of Biology, Gus R. Douglass Institute, West Virginia State University, Institute, WV 25112-1000, USA; (C.L.-O.); (C.G.-R.); (S.B.); (G.F.-I.); (A.D.); (P.N.)
| | - Nagamani Balagurusamy
- Laboratorio de Biorremediación, Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas, Universidad Autónoma de Coahuila, Torreón 27275, Coahuila, Mexico;
| | - Umesh K. Reddy
- Department of Biology, Gus R. Douglass Institute, West Virginia State University, Institute, WV 25112-1000, USA; (C.L.-O.); (C.G.-R.); (S.B.); (G.F.-I.); (A.D.); (P.N.)
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Núñez-Montero K, Rojas-Villalta D, Barrientos L. Antarctic Sphingomonas sp. So64.6b showed evolutive divergence within its genus, including new biosynthetic gene clusters. Front Microbiol 2022; 13:1007225. [DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2022.1007225] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/30/2022] [Accepted: 10/26/2022] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
IntroductionThe antibiotic crisis is a major human health problem. Bioprospecting screenings suggest that proteobacteria and other extremophile microorganisms have biosynthetic potential for the production novel antimicrobial compounds. An Antarctic Sphingomonas strain (So64.6b) previously showed interesting antibiotic activity and elicitation response, then a relationship between environmental adaptations and its biosynthetic potential was hypothesized. We aimed to determine the genomic characteristics in So64.6b strain related to evolutive traits for the adaptation to the Antarctic environment that could lead to its diversity of potentially novel antibiotic metabolites.MethodsThe complete genome sequence of the Antarctic strain was obtained and mined for Biosynthetic Gene Clusters (BGCs) and other unique genes related to adaptation to extreme environments. Comparative genome analysis based on multi-locus phylogenomics, BGC phylogeny, and pangenomics were conducted within the closest genus, aiming to determine the taxonomic affiliation and differential characteristics of the Antarctic strain.Results and discussionThe Antarctic strain So64.6b showed a closest identity with Sphingomonas alpina, however containing a significant genomic difference of ortholog cluster related to degradation multiple pollutants. Strain So64.6b had a total of six BGC, which were predicted with low to no similarity with other reported clusters; three were associated with potential novel antibiotic compounds using ARTS tool. Phylogenetic and synteny analysis of a common BGC showed great diversity between Sphingomonas genus but grouping in clades according to similar isolation environments, suggesting an evolution of BGCs that could be linked to the specific ecosystems. Comparative genomic analysis also showed that Sphingomonas species isolated from extreme environments had the greatest number of predicted BGCs and a higher percentage of genetic content devoted to BGCs than the isolates from mesophilic environments. In addition, some extreme-exclusive clusters were found related to oxidative and thermal stress adaptations, while pangenome analysis showed unique resistance genes on the Antarctic strain included in genetic islands. Altogether, our results showed the unique genetic content on Antarctic strain Sphingomonas sp. So64.6, −a probable new species of this genetically divergent genus–, which could have potentially novel antibiotic compounds acquired to cope with Antarctic poly-extreme conditions.
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Quiñones-Muñoz TA, Villanueva-Rodríguez SJ, Torruco-Uco JG. Nutraceutical Properties of Medicago sativa L., Agave Spp., Zea mays L. and Avena sativa L.: A Review of Metabolites and Mechanisms. Metabolites 2022; 12:metabo12090806. [PMID: 36144213 PMCID: PMC9503698 DOI: 10.3390/metabo12090806] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/13/2022] [Revised: 08/23/2022] [Accepted: 08/24/2022] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Plants are the main sources of bioactive compounds (nutraceuticals) that function under different mechanisms of action for the benefit of human health. Mexico ranks fifth in the world in biodiversity, offering opportunities for healthy food. An important variety of crops are produced in the state of Hidalgo, e.g., based on the 2021 production, alfalfa, oats, maguey, and corn. The present review presents the latest findings of these crops, regarding the benefits they provide to health (bioactivity, nutraceuticals), and presents the compounds and mechanisms identified by which the benefit is provided. The knowledge compiled here is for the benefit of the recovery of the crops, the recognition of their bioactivities, in search of identifying the best routes of action for prevention, treatment and possible cure of chronic degenerative diseases (thereby promoting crop valorization). Exhaustive bibliographic research was carried out by means of engines and scientific databases. Articles published between 2001 and 2022 that included specific keywords (Scopus, EMBASE, EBSCO, PubMed, Science Direct, Web of Science, Google Scholar). Outstanding activities have been identified for the compounds in the crops, such as antiinflammatory, anticholesterolemic, antihypertensive, antidiabetic, anticancer, antimicrobial, antioxidant, and chelating. The compounds that provide these properties are total phenols, phenolic acids, tannins, anthocyanins, carotenoids, iso-flavones, phytosterols, saponins, fructans, glycosides, glucans, avenanthramides, and polysaccharides.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tannia A. Quiñones-Muñoz
- Consejo Nacional de Ciencia y Tecnología (CONACYT)—Centro de Investigación y Asistencia en Tecnología y Diseño del Estado de Jalisco (CIATEJ), Av. Normalistas 800, Colinas de la Normal, Guadalajara C.P. 44270, Mexico
- Correspondence:
| | - Socorro J. Villanueva-Rodríguez
- Centro de Investigación y Asistencia en Tecnología y Diseño del Estado de Jalisco (CIATEJ), Av. Normalistas 800, Colinas de la Normal, Guadalajara C.P. 44270, Mexico
| | - Juan G. Torruco-Uco
- Tecnológico Nacional de Mexico/Instituto Tecnológico de Tuxtepec, Calzada Dr. Víctor Bravo Ahuja, 561, Col. Predio el Paraíso, San Juan Bautista Tuxtepec C.P. 68350, Mexico
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