Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
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Query: EC:3.2.1.21 (beta-glucosidase)
 3,280 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

Hydrolysis of glucosylceramides by the enzyme glucosylceramide-beta-glucosidase (GlcCer'ase) results in ceramide, a critical component of the intercellular lamellae that mediates the epidermal permeability barrier. A disturbance of ceramide formation is supposed to influence the transepidermal water loss in common skin diseases like atopic eczema or psoriasis. The aim of this study was to investigate whether GlcCer'ase levels were altered in the skin of subjects with psoriasis vulgaris. Skin punch biopsies were taken from lesional and non-lesional psoriatic skin and GlcCer'ase was evaluated both at the RNA and at the protein level. Normal skin from surgical patients provided the baseline GlcCer'ase expression in healthy subjects. Our results show that GlcCer'ase mRNA expression was decreased in psoriatic non-lesional skin compared to normal controls in all cases. Interestingly, in lesional psoriatic skin the level of GlcCer'ase was increased compared to non-lesional skin in all cases. For the immunohistochemical analysis, we used a newly synthesized monoclonal antibody anti-human GBC (GlcCer'ase-GST fusion protein). The results confirmed that GlcCer'ase, mainly present in the upper epidermis, was decreased in psoriatic skin compared to normal control and was increased in lesional compared to non-lesional psoriatic skin. Our findings support the concept that alteration in water permeability barrier in lesional psoriatic skin can serve as a trigger for the upregulation of the expression of enzymes like GlcCer'ase with consequent stimulation of ceramide generation.
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PMID:Alterations of glucosylceramide-beta-glucosidase levels in the skin of patients with psoriasis vulgaris. 1561 May 10

Exploring new beta-glucosidase genes is of great importance to industrialize beta-glucosidase. The genomes of Aspergillus fumigatus contain a bgl gene, which encodes a 65 kDa putative beta-glucosidase. The bgl gene was cloned into an expression plasmid and transformed to Escherichia coli BL21 (DE3). The bgl was expressed upon induction of Isopropyl beta-D-1-thiogalactopyranoside (IPTG). The recombinant protein was purified by GST-tag affinity chromatography. The purified recombinant Bgl was characterized using Esculin as substrate. The optimum temperature and pH were 45 degrees C and 5.0-6.0, respectively. The K(m) for Esculin was 17.7 mmol/L. The enzyme was stable in the range of pH 4-7. After incubation at 70 degrees C for 2 h, the recombinant Bgl remained 60% of its activity. Metal ions and chemical reagents had different influences on the activity of beta-glucosidase. Ca2+ (1 mmol/L) could increase enzyme activity slightly. On the contrary, the enzyme activity was greatly inhibited by 5 mmol/L Sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS). Based on our results, the A. fumigatus Bgl was thermostable beta-glucosidase.
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PMID:[Cloning, expression and characterization of beta-glucosidase from Aspergillus fumigatus]. 2440 88

The cockroach, Periplaneta americana, is an obnoxious and notorious pest of the world, with a strong ability to adapt to a variety of complex environments. However, the molecular mechanism of this adaptability is mostly unknown. In this study, the genes and microbiota composition associated with the adaptation mechanism were studied by analyzing the transcriptome and 16S rDNA pyrosequencing of the P. americana midgut, respectively. Midgut transcriptome analysis identified 82,905 unigenes, among which 64 genes putatively involved in digestion (11 genes), detoxification (37 genes) and oxidative stress response (16 genes) were found. Evaluation of gene expression following treatment with cycloxaprid further revealed that the selected genes (CYP6J1, CYP4C1, CYP6K1, Delta GST, alpha-amylase, beta-glucosidase and aminopeptidase) were upregulated at least 2.0-fold at the transcriptional level, and four genes were upregulated more than 10.0-fold. An interesting finding was that three digestive enzymes positively responded to cycloxaprid application. Tissue expression profiles further showed that most of the selected genes were midgut-biased, with the exception of CYP6K1. The midgut microbiota composition was obtained via 16S rDNA pyrosequencing and was found to be mainly dominated by organisms from the Firmicutes phylum, among which Clostridiales, Lactobacillales and Burkholderiales were the main orders which might assist the host in the food digestion or detoxification of noxious compounds. The preponderant species, Clostridium cellulovorans, was previously reported to degrade lignocellulose efficiently in insects. The abundance of genes involved in digestion, detoxification and response to oxidative stress, and the diversity of microbiota in the midgut might provide P. americana high capacity to adapt to complex environments.
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PMID:Midgut Transcriptome of the Cockroach Periplaneta americana and Its Microbiota: Digestion, Detoxification and Oxidative Stress Response. 2715