Zi Yao Yu,Wen Bin Zhu,Han Gao,Ching Yuan Hu,Chao Qun Zhang,Yong Hong Meng
{"title":"Rubisco-Centric Strategies for Carbon Conservation in Synthetic Biology.","authors":"Zi Yao Yu,Wen Bin Zhu,Han Gao,Ching Yuan Hu,Chao Qun Zhang,Yong Hong Meng","doi":"10.1021/acs.jafc.5c04813","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.jafc.5c04813","url":null,"abstract":"The escalating global climate crisis urgently demands biomanufacturing technologies with higher carbon efficiency. Ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase (Rubisco), the central enzyme catalyzing carbon dioxide fixation in the Calvin-Benson cycle, exhibits low efficiency, thereby limiting its industrial application. This review summarizes fundamental Rubisco research, laying the foundation for its efficiency-enhancing engineering and biomanufacturing applications. We first outline the discovery, systematic classification, and molecular evolution of Rubisco, and then elucidate the structural dynamics underlying its activation and inhibition mechanisms. Subsequently, we provide the first systematic synthesis of five enzyme-efficiency enhancement strategies, spanning classical directed evolution to artificial intelligence-driven rational design. Recent advances in the utilization of Rubisco by autotrophic and heterotrophic microorganisms for the synthesis of biobased products are also critically examined. The resulting cross-scale design framework integrates evolutionary biology, structural dynamics, and synthetic biology, offering an extensible paradigm for sustainable, carbon-neutral biomanufacturing.","PeriodicalId":41,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry","volume":"102 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":6.1,"publicationDate":"2025-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145195113","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":"Inducible Sesquiterpene Synthase and a Phenylpropanoid Phytoalexin of Eggplants (Solanum melongena) Synergistically Promote Nonhost Resistance against Phytophthora infestans.","authors":"Yantao Wang,Na Li,Caiyan Ma,Yanling Cai,Lei Pi,Sheng Yu,Zhiqing Wang,Suomeng Dong,Sanwen Huang,Shaoqun Zhou","doi":"10.1021/acs.jafc.5c06499","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.jafc.5c06499","url":null,"abstract":"Late blight caused by Phytophthora infestans is a devastating disease on potatoes (Solanum tuberosum) and tomatoes (Solanum lycopersicum). By contrast, eggplants (Solanum melongena) are a nonhost species of late blight, though the mechanisms underlying their resistance remain elusive. In this study, comparative transcriptomics analyses revealed that a sesquiterpene synthase-encoding SmTPS28 could enhance potato resistance against late blight when expressed as a transgene. Further targeted metabolomics analyses showed that syringaldehyde, a phenylpropanoid phytoalexin in eggplant leaves, could induce immune-related gene expression and protect potatoes from late blight when exogenously applied prior to pathogen exposure. Intriguingly, syringaldehyde exhibited a greater protective efficiency on SmTPS28-overexpressing potato plants than on their wild-type progenitors, suggesting functional synergism between these two components of nonhost resistance. These findings reveal novel perspectives of the nonhost resistance mechanisms of eggplants against late blight, and could facilitate the development of new tools and technologies for sustainable late blight management.","PeriodicalId":41,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry","volume":"2 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":6.1,"publicationDate":"2025-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145203571","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":"Antifungal Activity and Mechanistic Insights of 1-O-Alkylglycerols against Monilinia fructigena.","authors":"Yijie Li,Shun Zeng,Weinong Zhang,Junbo He,Jiangtao Feng","doi":"10.1021/acs.jafc.5c07375","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.jafc.5c07375","url":null,"abstract":"Peach brown rot, caused by Monilinia fructigena (M. fructigena), is a destructive disease that affects peaches during pre- and postharvest stages. In this study, two 1-O-alkylglycerols (AKGs), namely, AKG-2 (1-O-dodecylglycerol) and AKG-4 (3-(2-ethylhexyloxy)propane-1,2-diol), demonstrated significant in vitro antifungal activity against M. fructigena, with EC50 values of 102 and 103 μg/mL, respectively. At a concentration of 200 μg/mL, both compounds effectively suppressed brown rot symptoms in inoculated peaches, achieving a protective efficacy of 93.2%. Mechanistic investigations revealed that AKG-2 and AKG-4 disrupted the surface morphology and internal ultrastructure of fungal hyphae, compromised the integrity of the cell membrane and nucleus, and reduced mitochondrial membrane potential. Moreover, treatment with these compounds induced the accumulation of reactive oxygen species, leading to elevated malondialdehyde levels and decreased activities of key antioxidant enzymes including superoxide dismutase and catalase. These results suggest that AKG-2 and AKG-4 exhibit antifungal effects through multiple synergistic mechanisms including membrane and nuclear damage, mitochondrial dysfunction, and oxidative stress induction. This study, for the first time, provides valuable mechanistic insights into the antifungal effects of AKGs and supports their potential as naturally derived fungicidal agents for the protection of peach fruits.","PeriodicalId":41,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry","volume":"99 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":6.1,"publicationDate":"2025-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145195112","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":"Combined Acid and Enzymatic Hydrolysis Using an Endolytic κ-Carrageenase RsKC16A for Efficient Preparation of Carrageenanoligosaccharides.","authors":"Chengcheng Jiang,Xiangzhao Mao","doi":"10.1021/acs.jafc.5c09277","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.jafc.5c09277","url":null,"abstract":"κ-Carrageenases play a crucial role in the high-value utilization of carrageenan polysaccharides. This study characterized an endolytic κ-carrageenase, RsKC16A, and identified its main products as κ-neocarratetrose, κ-neocarrahexaose, κ-neocarraoctaose, and κ-neocarradecaose. A mixture of carrageenanoligosaccharides, consisting mainly of G4S, κ-carrabiose, κ-carratriose, κ-carrapentaose, κ-carraheptaose, κ-carranonaose, κ-carraundecaose, and κ-carrauntetradecaose, was prepared through acidolysis of κ-carrageenan. Further exploration of RsKC16A revealed that it primarily cleaves the pentasaccharide unit from the nonreducing end of κ-carraheptaose, κ-carranonaose, κ-carraundecaose, and κ-carrauntetradecaose. The oligosaccharides prepared by combining acid hydrolysis and enzymes are composed of κ-carratriose, κ-carrapentaose, and κ-carranonaose, with pentasaccharides being the most abundant component. 0.312 g of κ-carrapentaose was prepared from 3 g of κ-carrageenan. Additionally, the results demonstrated that relatively pure κ-carratriose can be produced using κ-neocarrabiose- or κ-neocarratetrose-producing κ-carrageenases. This study presents new methods for the efficient preparation of odd-numbered carrageenanoligosaccharides and expands the range of oligosaccharides that can be produced by κ-carrageenases.","PeriodicalId":41,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry","volume":"68 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":6.1,"publicationDate":"2025-09-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145189336","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}
Mingyan Yi,Hong Li,Sha Li,Shengping Liu,Lan Yang,Xiaoping Bao
{"title":"Design, Synthesis, X-ray Crystal Structure, and Agricultural Antifungal Evaluation of Novel Benzohydrazide Derivatives Bearing the Quinazoline Moiety and a Piperazine Linker.","authors":"Mingyan Yi,Hong Li,Sha Li,Shengping Liu,Lan Yang,Xiaoping Bao","doi":"10.1021/acs.jafc.5c08460","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.jafc.5c08460","url":null,"abstract":"To discover new fungicides, 32 benzohydrazide derivatives incorporating the quinazoline moiety and a piperazine linker were designed and synthesized through a molecular hybridization approach. Among them, the structure of compound A31 was confirmed via X-ray crystallography. The antifungal assays indicated that many derivatives displayed remarkable inhibition activities against the tested fungi, with in vitro EC50 (half-maximal effective concentration) values below 5.0 μg/mL. Particularly, compound A16 demonstrated potent and broad-spectrum inhibition efficacy against seven of the nine fungi, with an average inhibition rate of 96% at 50 μg/mL. Its inhibitory activity against Rhizoctonia solani was impressive, with EC50 = 1.49 μg/mL, roughly comparable to Boscalid (0.84 μg/mL). Aside from the disruption of cytomembrane integrity and the alteration of the mycelial morphology of R. solani by compound A16, this compound could act as a good inhibitor targeting fungal succinate dehydrogenase (SDH) with an IC50 value of 6.83 μg/mL, supported by molecular docking simulations.","PeriodicalId":41,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry","volume":"31 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":6.1,"publicationDate":"2025-09-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145194855","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":"Design, Synthesis, and Biological Activity Evaluation of Flavonol Derivatives Containing Piperazine and Piperidine Thiourea.","authors":"Yuhong Wang,Hong Fu,Haotao Pu,Hongqian Zou,Han Yang,Xiaoyan Pan,Xianghui Ruan,Wei Xue","doi":"10.1021/acs.jafc.5c08456","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.jafc.5c08456","url":null,"abstract":"A series of flavonol derivatives incorporating piperazine and piperidine thiourea moieties were designed and synthesized. The compounds were evaluated for their activity against 8 plant pathogenic fungi and 6 plant pathogenic bacteria in vitro. Among them, Q23 had better inhibitory activity against Phytophthora capsici (P. c.) with an EC50 of 6.68 μg/mL, outperforming the positive control azoxystrobin (Az, EC50= 72.60 μg/mL). Mechanistic studies indicated that Q23 inhibits fungal growth by disrupting hyphal integrity and inducing lipid peroxidation, as validated by SEM, FM, and MDA assays. Additionally, Q24 had better inhibitory activity against Xanthomonas axonopodis pv. citri (Xac), the pathogen responsible for citrus canker, with an EC50 of 5.13 μg/mL, surpassing the efficacy of the control agent thiodiazole-copper (TC, EC50 = 60.03 μg/mL). Further studies showed that Q24 inhibits Xac virulence by suppressing biofilm formation, reducing extracellular polysaccharides, and diminishing enzyme activity.","PeriodicalId":41,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry","volume":"71 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":6.1,"publicationDate":"2025-09-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145194863","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}
Chinmayee Bawkar,Long Hoang To,Chulhong Oh,Jae Won Lee,Min Jin Kim,Yeon-Ju Lee
{"title":"LC-MS-Guided Isolation of Triterpene Glycosides from Holothuria atra: Structural Features Governing TRPA1 Inhibition.","authors":"Chinmayee Bawkar,Long Hoang To,Chulhong Oh,Jae Won Lee,Min Jin Kim,Yeon-Ju Lee","doi":"10.1021/acs.jafc.5c11123","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.jafc.5c11123","url":null,"abstract":"The LC-MS-guided separation of the extract from the sea cucumber Holothuria atra led to the isolation of 16 triterpene glycosides (1-16), including seven previously unreported derivatives consisting of three sulfated (1, 3, 5) and four nonsulfated congeners (12, 13, 15, and 16). Notably, compounds 15 and 16 feature a new aglycone structure bearing an 8(9),11(12)-diene scaffold. All isolates were evaluated for their inhibitory activity toward transient receptor potential ankyrin 1 (TRPA1). In addition, to investigate the structural features governing the activity based on wider chemical diversity, desulfated derivatives (17-19) and sapogenins (20-22) were obtained through the chemical modifications of natural saponins and evaluated for their activity. The tetracyclic aglycone scaffold and the structure of the side branch attached to C-20 were critical for activity, with sulfated glycoside 6, containing a 9(11)-holostene-3β, 12α, 17α-triol with a side branch bearing a 22-hydroxy group, being the most potent (IC50 1.4 μM). The findings of this study may provide valuable insights into designing TRPA1 antagonists based on saponins.","PeriodicalId":41,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry","volume":"2 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":6.1,"publicationDate":"2025-09-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145189337","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":"Cereal Cyst Nematode Effector HfVAP2 Targets and Stabilizes TaCAT3-A1 to Suppress Immune Responses for Parasitism in Wheat.","authors":"Yingdong Zhang,Yunqing Li,Huan Peng,Wenkun Huang,Lingan Kong,Shiming Liu,Deliang Peng","doi":"10.1021/acs.jafc.5c08282","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.jafc.5c08282","url":null,"abstract":"The cereal cyst nematode Heterodera filipjevi secretes effectors into plant cells to promote infection. This study identified two venom allergen-like proteins, HfVAP1 and HfVAP2, which contain secretory signal peptides and are specifically expressed in subventral gland cells. These two proteins inhibit programmed cell death in Nicotiana benthamiana and interact with TaCAT3-A1, a key hydrogen peroxide-scavenging catalase in wheat. Notably, HfVAP2 stabilized TaCAT3-A1 and enhanced its enzymatic activity. Knockout of TaCAT3-A1 in wheat led to increased accumulation of reactive oxygen species (ROS), upregulation of pathogen-related (PR) genes, and suppression of the jasmonic acid (JA) signal pathway, resulting in enhanced resistance to H. filipjevi. Our findings reveal that H. filipjevi secretes HfVAP2 to stabilize TaCAT3-A1, thereby suppressing ROS accumulation and PRs expression, while activating the JA signal pathway to facilitate nematode infection. This study provides new insights into the molecular strategies employed by cereal cyst nematodes (CCNs) to manipulate host immunity.","PeriodicalId":41,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry","volume":"14 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":6.1,"publicationDate":"2025-09-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145194842","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":"Selenium-GPX4 Axis Relieves Arachidonic Acid-Induced Sperm Damage.","authors":"Huihui Tian,Jiaying Chen,Shijie Fan,Pengyu Cao,Luxi Lin,Hao Zhao,Qingyu Zhao,Junmin Zhang,Chaohua Tang","doi":"10.1021/acs.jafc.5c05677","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.jafc.5c05677","url":null,"abstract":"Selenium (Se) and glutathione peroxidase 4 (GPX4) are essential for male reproduction, regulating spermatogenesis, and resisting peroxidative damage. Arachidonic acid (AA) is closely related to male fertility, but excessive intake adversely affects sperm quality. However, how the Se-GPX4 axis ameliorates AA-induced testicular and sperm injury remains unclear. In this study, an AA-induced sperm injury model was established. Combined with Se supplementation and testicular-specific GPX4 knockout, we measured testicular injury and sperm quality phenotypes and explored the potential mechanism via omics. Results showed that Se supplementation improved AA-induced testicular/sperm damage by regulating GPX4 expression, relieving oxidative stress, apoptosis, sex hormone disorders, and inflammation. Conversely, the GPX4 knockout exacerbated this damage. Oxylipidomics revealed changes in testicular polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) metabolites, while transcriptomics pointed to key pathways. Overall, the Se-GPX4 axis may ameliorate sperm damage by regulating PUFA metabolites, activating glutathione metabolism, alleviating AA-induced testicular oxidative stress, apoptosis and inflammation, and repairing steroid hormone biosynthesis.","PeriodicalId":41,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry","volume":"99 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":6.1,"publicationDate":"2025-09-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145195091","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":"2'-Fucosyllactose Ameliorates Cognitive Impairment and Neuroinflammation in AD Mice.","authors":"Yumeng Ma,Ming Zhang,Yutong Jin,Yifei Wang,Tengteng Ji,Fang Wu,Yixuan Li,Ran Wang,Huiyuan Guo,Fazheng Ren,Bing Fang","doi":"10.1021/acs.jafc.5c06137","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.jafc.5c06137","url":null,"abstract":"2'-Fucosyllactose (2'-FL) supplementation is beneficial to brain function. Our previous study has already reported the prevention of AD by 2'-FL in mice; in this study, the effects of 2'-FL in AD were evaluated. Five month-old male 5 × FAD mice were gavaged with 2'-FL for 11 weeks, and 2 mg of 2'-FL significantly improved cognitive deficits, even restoring them to the normal level. The destroyed neurons, damaged synaptic plasticity characterized by decreased cholinergic neurons and glutaminergic neurons, and the activation of microglial cells were all significantly improved by 2'-FL. 2'-FL also significantly down-regulated mRNA expression of Il-6 and Il-1β and alleviated oxidative damages through the Keap1-Nrf2 pathway to up-regulate Nqo1 expression. AD-increased PC (18:4/20:5) and DG (18:4/22:6/0:0) in the feces and serum were both decreased by 2'-FL, which was significantly positively correlated with inflammation and negatively correlated with synaptic plasticity. This study lays a theoretical basis for the application of 2'-FL in neurodegenerative diseases.","PeriodicalId":41,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry","volume":"32 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":6.1,"publicationDate":"2025-09-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145189334","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}