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The enzyme L-asparaginase from Escherichia coli is a therapeutic enzyme that has been a cornerstone in the clinical treatment of acute lymphoblastic leukemia for the last decades. However, treatment effectiveness is limited by the highly immunogenic nature of the protein and its cross-reactivity towards L-glutamine. In this work, a bioinformatic approach was used to identify, select and computationally characterize L-asparaginases from Streptomyces through sequence-based screening analyses, immunoinformatics, homology modeling, and molecular docking studies. Based on its predicted low immunogenicity and excellent enzymatic activity, we selected a previously uncharacterized L-asparaginase from Streptomyces scabrisporus. Furthermore, two putative asparaginase binding sites were identified and a 3D model is proposed. These promising features allow us to propose L-asparaginase from S. scabrisporus as an alternative for the treatment of acute lymphocytic leukemia.

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The aim of the present work was to examine the putative promoter region of the operon ansPAB and to determine the general elements required for the regulation of transcriptional activity. The transcriptional start site of the ansPAB promoter was determined by using highresolution S1-nuclease mapping. Sequence analysis of this region showed -10 and -35 elements, which were consistent with consensus sequences for R. etli promoters that are recognized by the major form of RNA polymerase containing the σ(70) transcription factor. Mutation studies affecting several regions located upstream of the transcriptional start site confirmed the importance of these elements on transcriptional expression.

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A simple plate-assay was developed with the purpose of detecting extracellular naringinase in streptomycetes. The naringin agar medium (NAM) was prepared by mixing carbon utilization medium (ISP9) and naringin. The clearing zones around colonies are correlated with the enzymatic activity. The assay validation was performed through the use of commercial naringinase (Penicillium decumbens).

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The use of antagonist microorganisms against fungal plant pathogens is an attractive and ecologically alternative to the use of chemical pesticides. Streptomyces are beneficial soil bacteria and potential candidates for biocontrol agents. This study reports the isolation, characterization and antagonist activity of soil streptomycetes from the Los Petenes Biosphere Reserve, a Natural protected area in Campeche, Mexico. The results showed morphological, physiological and biochemical characterization of six actinomycetes and their inhibitory activity against Curvularia sp., Aspergillus niger, Helminthosporium sp. and Fusarium sp. One isolate, identified as Streptomyces sp. CACIS-1.16CA showed the potential to inhibit additional pathogens as Alternaria sp., Phytophthora capsici, Colletotrichum sp. and Rhizoctonia sp. with percentages ranging from 47 to 90 %. This study identified a streptomycete strain with a broad antagonist activity that could be used for biocontrol of plant pathogenic fungi.

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Bacterial L-asparaginase has been a universal component of therapies for childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia since the 1970s. Two principal enzymes derived from Escherichia coli and Erwinia chrysanthemi are the only options clinically approved to date. We recently reported a study of recombinant L-asparaginase (AnsA) from Rhizobium etli and described an increasing type of AnsA family members. Sequence analysis revealed four conserved motifs with notable differences with respect to the conserved regions of amino acid sequences of type I and type II L-asparaginases, particularly in comparison with therapeutic enzymes from E. coli and E. chrysanthemi. These differences suggested a distinct immunological specificity. Here, we report an in silico analysis that revealed immunogenic determinants of AnsA. Also, we used an extensive approach to compare the crystal structures of E. coli and E. chrysantemi asparaginases with a computational model of AnsA and identified immunogenic epitopes. A three-dimensional model of AsnA revealed, as expected based on sequence dissimilarities, completely different folding and different immunogenic epitopes. This approach could be very useful in transcending the problem of immunogenicity in two major ways: by chemical modifications of epitopes to reduce drug immunogenicity, and by site-directed mutagenesis of amino acid residues to diminish immunogenicity without reduction of enzymatic activity.

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We report the expression, purification, and characterization of L-asparaginase (AnsA) from Rhizobium etli. The enzyme was purified to homogeneity in a single-step procedure involving affinity chromatography, and the kinetic parameters K(m), V(max), and k(cat) for L-asparagine were determined. The enzymatic activity in the presence of a number of substrates and metal ions was investigated. The molecular mass of the enzyme was 47 kDa by SDS-PAGE. The enzyme showed a maximal activity at 50 degrees C, but the optimal temperature of activity was 37 degrees C. It also showed maximal and optimal activities at pH 9.0. The values of K(m), V(max), k(cat), and k(cat)/K(m) were 8.9 +/- 0.967 × 10⁻³ M, 128 +/- 2.8 U/mg protein, 106 +/- 2 s⁻¹, and 1.2 +/- 0.105 × 104 M⁻¹s⁻¹, respectively. The L-asparaginase activity was reduced in the presence of Mn²âº, Zn²âº, Ca²âº, and Mg²âº metal ions for about 52% to 31%. In addition, we found that NH4⁺, L-Asp, D-Asn, and beta-aspartyl-hydroxamate in the reaction buffer reduced the activity of the enzyme, whereas L-Gln did not modify its enzymatic activity. This is the first report on the expression and characterization of the L-asparaginase (AnsA) from R. etli. Phylogenetic analysis of asparaginases reveals an increasing group of known sequences of the Rhizobialtype asparaginase II family.

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Triatoma barberi Usinger is a widely recognized vector of the protozoa Trypanosoma cruzi. The determination of its presence in the rural houses is made by direct observation of adults, nymphs, exuviae or eggs. For this reason, egg structural characteristics could facilitate the differentiation and identification of species that inhabit such environments. In here, the morphologic characteristics of eggs of T. barberi are described and analyzed with special attention to the anterior pole of the egg. The structural analysis of eggs by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) showed the presence of a wide and rough chorion edge, which contain aeropyles and micropyles. A deep spermatic canal between the endochorion and exochorion, and a trabecular network in the interior were also observed. The operculum showed cells with irregular growth and undefined polygonal shape. Externally, the operculum cells forms two rings of projections that surround a single extension located to the center. The cellular projections resemble respiratory horns, although the presence of aeropyles was not observed. The chorion structural characteristics can help to identify and separate close species in the Triatominae subfamily.

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Triatoma barberi Usinger is a widely recognized vector of the protozoa Trypanosoma cruzi. The determination of its presence in the rural houses is made by direct observation of adults, nymphs, exuviae or eggs. For this reason, egg structural characteristics could facilitate the differentiation and identification of species that inhabit such environments. In here, the morphologic characteristics of eggs of T. barberi are described and analyzed with special attention to the anterior pole of the egg. The structural analysis of eggs by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) showed the presence of a wide and rough chorion edge, which contain aeropyles and micropyles. A deep spermatic canal between the endochorion and exochorion, and a trabecular network in the interior were also observed. The operculum showed cells with irregular growth and undefined polygonal shape. Externally, the operculum cells forms two rings of projections that surround a single extension located to the center. The cellular projections resemble respiratory horns, although the presence of aeropyles was not observed. The chorion structural characteristics can help to identify and separate close species in the Triatominae subfamily.

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Expression of the Streptomyces exfoliatus lipA gene, which encodes an extracellular lipase, depends on LipR, a transcriptional activator that belongs to the STAND class of P-loop nucleoside triphosphatases. LipR is closely related to activators present in some antibiotic biosynthesis clusters of actinomycetes, forming the LipR/TchG family of regulators. In this work we showed that purified LipR protein is essential for activation of lipA transcription in vitro and that this transcription depends on the presence of a conserved inverted repeat, the LipR box, located upstream of the lipA promoter. Mutagenesis of the lipA promoter region indicated that most transcription depends on LipR binding to the proximal half-site of the LipR box in close proximity to the -35 region of the promoter. Our experiments also indicated that LipR establishes contact with the RNA polymerase on both sides of the LipR box, since some activation was observed when only the distal half-site was present or when the entire LipR box was moved further upstream. We also showed that the LipR proteins of S. exfoliatus and Streptomyces coelicolor are functionally interchangeable both in vitro and in vivo, revealing the functional conservation of the regulatory elements in these two species.

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