No abstract

No abstract

Nicotine is a natural alkaloid produced by tobacco plants, and the mechanisms of its catabolism by microorganisms are diverse. In the present study, we reported the mutation, cloning, and identification of two novel genes involved in nicotine degradation from the newly isolated Pseudomonas sp. strain HZN6. Transposon mutagenesis identified a HZN6 mutant in which the nicotine-degrading pathway was blocked at pseudooxynicotine. A 3,874-bp DNA fragment flanking the transposon insertion site was obtained through self-formed adaptor PCR. Two open reading frames (designated pao and sap) were analyzed, and the deduced amino acid sequences shared 29% identity with 6-hydroxy-L-nicotine oxidase from Arthrobacter nicotinovorans and 49% identity with an aldehyde dehydrogenase from Bartonella henselae. Both pao and sap were cloned and functionally expressed in recombinant Escherichia coli BL21. The pao gene encoded a novel pseudooxynicotine amine oxidase with noncovalently bound flavin adenine dinucleotide (FAD) and exhibited substrate specificity removing the methylamine from pseudooxynicotine with the formation of 3-succinoylsemialdehyde-pyridine and hydrogen dioxide. The sap gene encoded a NADP ؉ -dependent 3-succinoylsemialdehyde-pyridine dehydrogenase that catalyzed the dehydrogenation of 3-succinoylsemialdehyde-pyridine to 3-succinoyl-pyridine. Genetic analyses indicated that the pao gene played an essential role in nicotine or pseudooxynicotine mineralization in strain HZN6, whereas the sap gene did not. This study provides novel insight into the nicotine-degrading mechanism at the genetic level in Pseudomonas spp.

No abstract

Myanmar, one of the most active tectonic regions in the world, endures the risk of destructive earthquakes. Based on seismic data recorded at the recently deployed dense array of the China-Myanmar Geophysical Survey in the Myanmar Orogen (CMGSMO), we detect 854 and locate 599 shallow earthquakes with high precision and determine the focal mechanisms of 40 earthquakes. We identify two NW-SE trending fault zones accommodating dextral strike-slip earthquakes beneath the Central Basin, indicating potential seismic risk in the region. We also recognize a nearly N-S trending seismic zone in the overlying Indo-Burma Ranges (IBR) crust near the Kabaw Fault (KBF). The earthquakes within this seismic zone mostly show thrusting focal mechanisms. Our results suggest that strike-slip deformation dominates to the east of the KBF, while shortening is mainly confined to the west of the KBF in Central Myanmar.Plain Language Summary Myanmar in Southeast Asia suffers from disasters resulting from destructive earthquakes. However, the present knowledge on their causative faults is limited due to the deployment of few seismic observation stations in Myanmar. We deployed a seismic observation network containing 71 stations for 1.5 years and tried to identify unknown causative faults and their characteristics by studying the small earthquakes there. Our results suggest that larger areas than previously expected in Myanmar may encounter significant seismic hazards. More attention to mitigating hazards should be paid to the Central Basin and western mountain areas, where densely populated cities are located.

Reactive oxygen species (ROS) are considered to be the key players in cell toxicity. However, cross talk between the enantioselective toxicity of pesticides, heavy metals, and ROS is poorly understood. To decipher the puzzle, the effects of copper (Cu) on the enantioselective ecotoxicity of the chiral pesticide dichlorprop (DCPP) to Scenedesmus obliquus were investigated. The results showed that the presence of DCPP and Cu, both individually and in combination, caused a sudden increase of ROS. This in turn stimulated the response of antioxidant defenses, impaired subcellular structure and physiological function, and finally resulted in cell growth inhibition. In the absence of Cu, ROS production after exposure to the herbicidally active (R)-enantiomer was higher than that of the (S)-enantiomer, suggesting a preference for an (R)-enantiomer-induced production of ROS. When DCPP and Cu were both added to algae simultaneously, (R)-DCPP preferentially induced production of ROS was observed. However, the enantioselective induced production of ROS was reversed when DCPP was mixed with Cu for 24 h prior to addition to the algae solution. It was also found that the generation of ROS, antioxidant response, and growth inhibition rate in Scenedesmus obliquus were all (R)-enantiomer preferentially induced. These findings implied that ROS play a primary role in chemical contaminant toxicity, and interactions between contaminants can tune the enantioselectivity of chiral herbicides, which should be considered in future risk assessment.

Dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT) is ubiquitous in the environment, and the exposure to DDT and its related pesticides has long been linked to endocrine disruption. The mechanism of endocrine disruption toward targeted receptors, however, remains unclear. Probing the molecular recognition of DDT analogs by targeted receptors at the atomic level is critical for deciphering this mechanism. Molecular dynamics (MD) simulations were applied to probe the molecular recognition process of DDT and its five analogs, including dichlordiphenyldichloroethylene (DDE), dichlorodiphenyldichloroethane (DDD), methoxychlor (MXC), p,p'-hydroxy-DDT (HPTE), and dicofol by human estrogen receptor (ER) α and human ER-related receptor (ERR) γ. Van der Waals interactions mainly drive the interactions of DDT analogs with ERα ligand-binding domain (LBD) and ERRγ LBD. Minor structural changes of DDT analogs in the number and position of chlorine and phenolic hydroxyl moiety cause differences in binding modes through aromatic stacking and hydrogen bonding and thus affect differently conformational changes of ERα LBD and ERRγ LBD. The binding of DDT analogs affects the helix 12 orientation of ERα LBD but causes no rearrangement of helix 12 of ERRγ LBD. These results extend our understanding of how DDT analogs exert their estrogen-disrupting effects toward different receptors via multiple mechanisms.

No abstract