{"title":"Structural Diversity of Glycosylated Cytochalasins and Congeners from the Endophytic Fungus Trichoderma harzianum MLJ-4 with Anti-NSCLC Activity","authors":"Yan-Jiang Zhang, , , Lei-Ming Wu, , , Jia-Qian Chen, , , Lei Li, , , Jian-Kai Xia, , , Qi-Lang Zhou, , , Tao Yuan, , , Zhang-Hua Sun, , , Jia-Luo Huang, , , Sheng Yin, , and , Gui-Hua Tang*, ","doi":"10.1021/acs.jafc.5c08868","DOIUrl":"10.1021/acs.jafc.5c08868","url":null,"abstract":"<p >The endophytic fungus <i>Trichoderma harzianum</i> MLJ-4, a proven agricultural biocontrol agent with untapped biosynthetic potential, yielded 11 new (<b>1</b>–<b>11</b>) and 22 known (<b>12</b>–<b>33</b>) macrocyclic cytochalasins (CYTs) via rice solid culture. Structural elucidation, including absolute configurations, employed HRESIMS, NMR, NMR calculations with DP4+ probability analysis, chemical methods, ECD calculations, and X-ray crystallography. Trichoharzchalasins A–C (<b>1</b>–<b>3</b>) represent the first reported glycosylated CYTs, and trichoharzchalasin D (<b>4</b>) is a rare example of 12-<i>nor</i>-cytochalasin. Cytotoxicity screening against non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) H1975 cells identified five active compounds (IC<sub>50</sub> = 4.04–14.87 μM), with trichoharzchalasin H (<b>8</b>) showing superior potency (IC<sub>50</sub> = 4.04 μM) to gefitinib (IC<sub>50</sub> = 11.33 μM) and comparable efficacy to cisplatin (IC<sub>50</sub> = 4.34 μM). Mechanistically, <b>8</b> induced G2/M phase arrest and mitochondrial-mediated apoptosis. These findings underscore the biosynthetic potential of <i>T. harzianum</i> and highlight CYTs as promising NSCLC drug leads.</p>","PeriodicalId":41,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry","volume":"73 39","pages":"24779–24794"},"PeriodicalIF":6.2,"publicationDate":"2025-09-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145116771","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Auxin Response Factor 4 Regulates the ABA Catabolism Gene CYP707A2 to Reduce the Accumulation of ABA and Inhibit Anthocyanin Synthesis in Malus “Pinkspire” Fruits","authors":"Mingkun Chen, , , Yue Yang, , , Xiaoyun Cao, , , Yu Wang, , , Xiaolong Liang, , , Jun Wei, , , Zhuanxia Xin, , and , Houhua Li*, ","doi":"10.1021/acs.jafc.5c05701","DOIUrl":"10.1021/acs.jafc.5c05701","url":null,"abstract":"<p >Anthocyanins are natural pigments that have attracted significant attention due to their broad-spectrum antioxidant, antimutagenic, and health-promoting properties. During fruit ripening, endogenous auxin levels decrease, while abscisic acid (ABA) and anthocyanin contents increase. However, the interaction between endogenous auxin and ABA and the molecular mechanisms regulating anthocyanin biosynthesis remain unclear. Here, we report that the auxin response factor MpARF4 plays a key role in anthocyanin synthesis in <i>Malus</i> “<i>Pinkspire</i>” peel by regulating the catabolism of ABA. Transient overexpression assays and RT-qPCR demonstrated that <i>MpARF4</i> overexpression significantly reduced ABA content in peel and inhibited anthocyanin synthesis. Virus-induced gene silencing experiments confirmed that silencing <i>MpARF4</i> markedly promoted ABA accumulation and anthocyanin biosynthesis, indicating that <i>MpARF4</i> negatively regulates both ABA and anthocyanin accumulation. The results of yeast single hybridization, electrophoretic mobility shift assays, and dual fluorescein tests showed that MpARF4 activates the expression of the ABA catabolism gene <i>MpCYP707A2</i> to reduce the level of ABA. The decreased level of ABA led to the inhibition of the expression of anthocyanin synthesis regulatory factors <i>MpMYB10</i> and <i>MpDFR</i>, thereby affecting the biosynthesis of anthocyanin. Our research has revealed the mechanism by which auxin response factor regulate anthocyanin synthesis through controlling the ABA catabolism.</p>","PeriodicalId":41,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry","volume":"73 39","pages":"24701–24712"},"PeriodicalIF":6.2,"publicationDate":"2025-09-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145116767","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Using a Proteomic Approach to Differentiate Saccharomyces cerevisiae for Superior Alternative Protein Sources","authors":"Yan Zhao, , , Bingyu Chen, , , Xiaoyue Zhang, , , Xuchun Zhu, , , Mingzheng Huang*, , and , Hongzhi Liu*, ","doi":"10.1021/acs.jafc.5c04137","DOIUrl":"10.1021/acs.jafc.5c04137","url":null,"abstract":"<p >This study aims to screen yeast strains with a high protein content from a proteomics perspective, with the aim of exploring potential sustainable sources of alternative protein. A comparative proteomics analysis of four nonindustrial brewing yeasts revealed that proteins involved in synthesis and degradation were significantly more prevalent in high-protein strains. Yeast-A (Y-A) strain, which had the highest protein content (54.26 ± 0.89/100 g) and fastest growth rate, was selected for in-depth functional analysis. Differentially expressed proteins (such as <i>PAI3</i> and <i>PEP4</i>) were identified using fold change (FC > 2 or FC < 1/2) and <i>p</i>-value (<i>p</i> < 0.01) as thresholds. These findings imply that protein synthesis and degradation pathways coordinate transcription and translation to regulate protein content and growth. Future research should focus on optimizing these pathways through genetic engineering to enhance the efficiency with which yeast produces protein.</p>","PeriodicalId":41,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry","volume":"73 39","pages":"25065–25075"},"PeriodicalIF":6.2,"publicationDate":"2025-09-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145103289","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Bing-Yi Zhou, , , Jun-Gang Wang, , , Ju Luo, , , Ferdinand Ndikuryayo, , , Zhichao Jin*, , and , Wen-Chao Yang*,
{"title":"Synthesis and Anti-insect Activity of Triazole-Containing Amide Derivatives","authors":"Bing-Yi Zhou, , , Jun-Gang Wang, , , Ju Luo, , , Ferdinand Ndikuryayo, , , Zhichao Jin*, , and , Wen-Chao Yang*, ","doi":"10.1021/acs.jafc.5c04894","DOIUrl":"10.1021/acs.jafc.5c04894","url":null,"abstract":"<p >The outbreak of crop diseases and insect pests, especially hemipteran piercing insects, poses a major threat to global food security. This study was designed to synthesize a series of novel flonicamid (<b>FL</b>) derivatives using an active substructure splicing strategy. Their insecticidal activities were evaluated against key pests, including <i>Myzus persicae</i>, <i>Bemisia tabaci</i> and <i>Tetranychus urticae</i><i>.</i> The LC<sub>50</sub> values of compounds <b>3ea</b>, <b>3fa</b>, <b>3ga</b>, and <b>5cab</b> against <i>B. tabaci</i> were 69.8 mg/L, 186 mg/L, 91.9 mg/L, and 112 mg/L, respectively. For <i>M. persicae</i>, the <b>LC</b><sub><b>50</b></sub> values of compounds <b>3aa</b>, <b>5gaa</b>, and <b>5fab</b> were 5.31 mg/L, 5.43 mg/L, and 4.67 mg/L, respectively, with compound <b>5fab</b> exhibiting significantly better activity than the reference <b>FL</b> (5.08 mg/L). Molecular docking revealed that high activity correlates with strong hydrogen bonding and π–π interactions with key residues. ADMET predictions suggest compounds <b>3aa</b> and <b>5fab</b> are promising lead candidates for developing new insecticides.</p>","PeriodicalId":41,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry","volume":"73 39","pages":"24643–24652"},"PeriodicalIF":6.2,"publicationDate":"2025-09-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145116765","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Thien H. Nguyen, , , Ethan W. Darby, , and , John P. Munafo Jr.*,
{"title":"Characterization of Important Odorants in Rehydrated Lobster Mushrooms","authors":"Thien H. Nguyen, , , Ethan W. Darby, , and , John P. Munafo Jr.*, ","doi":"10.1021/acs.jafc.5c07619","DOIUrl":"10.1021/acs.jafc.5c07619","url":null,"abstract":"<p >Lobster mushrooms, a type of wild edible mushroom found in the temperate forests of North America, are renowned for their unique seafood-like aroma. Due to their short harvesting season, these mushrooms are dried for year-round availability and are rehydrated before cooking. Little is known about the important odorants driving the rehydrated mushroom’s aroma. In this study, 35 odorants were identified in rehydrated lobster mushrooms through solvent assisted flavor evaporation (SAFE) and aroma extract dilution analysis (AEDA). Fourteen odorants were quantitated by stable isotope dilution assays (SIDAs) with 10 odorants exhibiting odor activity values (OAVs) ≥ 1. Important odorants included 2-acetyl-1-pyrroline (OAV 750), 1-octen-3-one (OAV 99), 2-phenylacetaldehyde (OAV 74), and 3-(methylsulfanyl)propanal (OAV 16). The study highlighted the quantitative changes induced by rehydration and investigated the reduction of organic acid content by quantitating these acids in the rehydration liquid. Additionally, an isotopologue enrichment experiment was performed to investigate the formation of 2-phenylacetaldehyde in an aqueous environment at ambient temperature. An aroma simulation model, developed using quantitative data, closely matched the aroma of rehydrated lobster mushrooms. This study enhances the understanding of how processing affects the flavor chemistry of lobster mushrooms, providing a foundation for further research on changes induced by thermal treatment.</p>","PeriodicalId":41,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry","volume":"73 39","pages":"24898–24906"},"PeriodicalIF":6.2,"publicationDate":"2025-09-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145116769","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Yue Li, , , Fedor A. Lakhvich, , , Tatyana S. Khlebnicova, , , Ying Fu*, , and , Fei Ye*,
{"title":"Advances in Pyrazole as an Active Fragment for Herbicide Discovery","authors":"Yue Li, , , Fedor A. Lakhvich, , , Tatyana S. Khlebnicova, , , Ying Fu*, , and , Fei Ye*, ","doi":"10.1021/acs.jafc.5c08390","DOIUrl":"10.1021/acs.jafc.5c08390","url":null,"abstract":"<p >Pyrazole and its derivatives have considerably advanced the discovery and development of innovative agrochemicals owing to their unique chemical structures and exceptional biological activities. Numerous pesticides featuring the pyrazole fragment as a key structural element have been extensively identified. This review systematically summarized pyrazole as a prevalent active fragment in the exploration of novel herbicides, focusing on its structural properties. Moreover, this work has primarily analyzed the herbicidal activity of pyrazole compounds, discussed the structure–activity relationships, and explored structure-based drug design strategies and mechanisms of action. The objective is to inspire new approaches for herbicide discovery.</p>","PeriodicalId":41,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry","volume":"73 39","pages":"24528–24542"},"PeriodicalIF":6.2,"publicationDate":"2025-09-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145103288","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Discovery of Aromatic Amide Derivatives Bearing Oxime Ethers Targeting Succinate Dehydrogenase.","authors":"Zesheng Hao,Jintao Han,Yue Zhang,Xiaokang Zhang,Kun Li,Haoyin Chen,Zhihong Wang,Wei Gao,Liangfu Tang,Zhijin Fan","doi":"10.1021/acs.jafc.5c02252","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.jafc.5c02252","url":null,"abstract":"Based on analyzing the pharmacophore model of commercial succinate dehydrogenase inhibitor (SDHI) fungicides, a molecular database was reasonably designed for computer-aided molecular design, and the potential heterocyclic oxime-ether-containing skeleton was found for derivation. A fungicidal bioassay indicated that the EC50 values of the compounds I-5 (2.23 μg/mL), I-6 (2.15 μg/mL), I-9 (0.07 μg/mL), and I-11 (0.81 μg/mL) showed better in vitro activity against Rhizoctonia solani than that of trifloxystrobin (4.88 μg/mL). Especially, I-9 showed comparable activity to thifluzamide, with EC50 of 0.07 μg/mL vs 0.06 μg/mL, and better activity than fluxapyroxad and boscalid, with EC50 of 0.10 and 2.49 μg/mL, respectively. Like thifluzamide and fluxapyroxad, compounds I-1, I-3, and I-9 showed excellent in vivo activity against R. solani at 200 μg/mL. The IC50 of the R. solani SDH (RsSDH) enzyme of compound I-9 was 0.35 μg/mL, which was near that of fluxapyroxad (0.28 μg/mL). The high potency of I-9 against RsSDH was also reflected in a steeper dose-response tendency in the fluorescence quenching assay, and it was well-docked into the active site of the target enzyme SDH. Molecular docking and molecular dynamics studies have provided a reasonable explanation for compound I-9 being able to act as a SDHI. Our studies supported that I-9 was a promising SDH-based fungicide highly active compound deserving of further study.","PeriodicalId":41,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry","volume":"29 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":6.1,"publicationDate":"2025-09-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145103577","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Inhibition of Autophagy Is Involved in the Collagen Deposition Promoted by Dietary Leucin in Chu’s Croaker (Nibea coibor)","authors":"Chunsheng Liu, , , Lanfei Xiao, , , Jiarong Cai, , , Wanying Jiang, , , Xiaokang Ye, , , Shuqi Wang, , , Xiaobo Wen*, , and , Fan Lin*, ","doi":"10.1021/acs.jafc.5c08836","DOIUrl":"10.1021/acs.jafc.5c08836","url":null,"abstract":"<p >Leucine (Leu), an essential branched-chain amino acid, is well-known for stimulating protein synthesis via mTOR activation. However, its regulatory role in autophagy-mediated protein degradation remains poorly characterized. Collagen is the most abundant protein in animals. In this study, we investigated the effects of Leu on growth and collagen deposition and explored the role of autophagy in the process, using the swim bladder of Chu’s croaker (<i>Nibea coibor</i>) as a model. Our results demonstrated that Leu supplementation significantly enhanced growth performance, antioxidant capacity, and collagen deposition in the swim bladder. Mechanistically, Leu suppressed autophagy in swim bladder cells by reducing autophagosome formation and expression of autophagy marker proteins (LC3, Beclin1, etc.). The autophagy inhibitor (3-MA) elevated collagen content, while the autophagy activator (rapamycin) attenuated Leu-induced collagen deposition in swim bladder cells. These findings first demonstrate that Leu could promote collagen deposition by inhibiting autophagy, providing novel insights into the mechanism underlying amino acid-regulated protein metabolism in vertebrates.</p>","PeriodicalId":41,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry","volume":"73 39","pages":"24795–24804"},"PeriodicalIF":6.2,"publicationDate":"2025-09-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145103290","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Heterodera avenae Effector HaGLAND5 Promotes Nematode Parasitism by Suppressing Wheat Immunity through Enhancing Acetylation of Susceptibility Gene TaEMB3003","authors":"Wei Zhao, , , Fayu Li, , , Senyi Wei, , , Jingjing Huang, , , Tong Qin, , , Ruyi Wang, , , Dong Chen, , , Xiaoxiao Zhang, , , Qian Liu, , , Heng Jian, , and , Shanshan Yang*, ","doi":"10.1021/acs.jafc.5c07603","DOIUrl":"10.1021/acs.jafc.5c07603","url":null,"abstract":"<p >Wheat, a cornerstone of global food security, is critically threatened by pests such as the cyst nematode<i>Heterodera avenae</i>, which secretes effector HaGLAND5 to manipulate wheat susceptibility. Here, we demonstrate that HaGLAND5 directly interacts with the pyruvate dehydrogenase subunit TaEMB3003 in wheat. TaEMB3003 functions as a susceptibility factor, where its overexpression increases nematode infection by 147.06%, whereas silencing reduces infestation by 53.96%. Mechanistically, TaEMB3003 suppresses PTI (inhibiting <i>NbPti5</i>, <i>NbAcre31</i>, and <i>NbGras2</i> expression), attenuates a flg22-induced ROS burst, and disrupts SA/JA signaling (downregulating <i>TaFAD</i>, <i>TaLOX</i>, <i>TaPAL</i>, and <i>TaPR1</i>). Critically, HaGLAND5 enhances TaEMB3003 acetylation at lysine 39 (K39) and K39A mutation abolishes TaEMB3003-mediated susceptibility. Our findings reveal a novel strategy whereby a nematode effector hijacks a host metabolic enzyme via post-translational modification to suppress immunity and promote parasitism.</p>","PeriodicalId":41,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry","volume":"73 39","pages":"24596–24609"},"PeriodicalIF":6.2,"publicationDate":"2025-09-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145103291","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Hamed I. Hamouda, , , Mohamed H. El-Sayed, , , Hussein N. Nassar, , , Nour Sh. El-Gendy, , , Samah Baleegh Meawad, , , Wenxia Wang, , , Tang Li*, , and , Heng Yin*,
{"title":"Characterization of a Novel α-l-Fucosidase from Truepera sp. for Efficient Transfucosylation and 2′-Fucosyllactose Biosynthesis","authors":"Hamed I. Hamouda, , , Mohamed H. El-Sayed, , , Hussein N. Nassar, , , Nour Sh. El-Gendy, , , Samah Baleegh Meawad, , , Wenxia Wang, , , Tang Li*, , and , Heng Yin*, ","doi":"10.1021/acs.jafc.5c06107","DOIUrl":"10.1021/acs.jafc.5c06107","url":null,"abstract":"<p >Fucose is a key deoxyhexose found in polysaccharides, glycolipids, and glycoproteins. 2′-Fucosyllactose (2′FL), a major human milk oligosaccharide with health benefits for infants, faces production challenges due to the limited availability of efficient α-<span>l</span>-fucosidases. Here, we present a novel α-<span>l</span>-fucosidase, True-Fuc, from <i>Truepera</i> sp. heterologously expressed for 2′FL biosynthesis. True-Fuc, a GH29A family enzyme (50 kDa), showed optimal activity at 50 °C and pH 8.0, hydrolyzing para-nitrophenyl-α-<span>l</span>-fucopyranoside (<i>p</i>NP-α-Fuc), Lewis<sup>a</sup>, and Lewis<sup>x</sup> substrates. It catalyzed 2′FL synthesis via transfucosylation using <i>p</i>NP-α-Fuc and lactose with minimal degradation of 2′FL and 3-fucosyllactose (3FL). Molecular dynamics simulations revealed that loops 1–4 surrounding the substrate pocket mediate substrate recognition, while the flexible C-terminal loop 5 plays a minor role. These results establish True-Fuc as a promising tool for cost-effective 2′FL production and novel glycoside synthesis.</p>","PeriodicalId":41,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry","volume":"73 39","pages":"24830–24844"},"PeriodicalIF":6.2,"publicationDate":"2025-09-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145089130","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}