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Acquadro S, Civra A, Cagliero C, Marengo A, Rittà M, Francese R, Sanna C, Bertea C, Sgorbini B, Lembo D, Donalisio M, Rubiolo P. Punica granatum Leaf Ethanolic Extract and Ellagic Acid as Inhibitors of Zika Virus Infection. Planta Med 2020; 86:1363-1374. [PMID: 32937663 DOI: 10.1055/a-1232-5705] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Zika virus, an arthropod-borne flavivirus, is an emerging healthcare threat worldwide. Zika virus is responsible for severe neurological effects, such as paralytic Guillain-Barrè syndrome, in adults, and also congenital malformations, especially microcephaly. No specific antiviral drugs and vaccines are currently available, and treatments are palliative, but medicinal plants show great potential as natural sources of anti-Zika phytochemicals. This study deals with the investigation of the composition, cytotoxicity, and anti-Zika activity of Punica granatum leaf ethanolic extract, fractions, and phytoconstituents. P. granatum leaves were collected from different areas in Italy and Greece in different seasons. Crude extracts were analyzed and fractionated, and the pure compounds were isolated. The phytochemical and biomolecular fingerprint of the pomegranate leaves was determined. The antiviral activities of the leaf extract, fractions, and compounds were investigated against the MR766 and HPF2013 Zika virus strains in vitro. Both the extract and its fractions were found to be active against Zika virus infection. Of the compounds isolated, ellagic acid showed particular anti-Zika activities, with EC50 values of 30.86 µM for MR766 and 46.23 µM for HPF2013. The mechanism of action was investigated using specific antiviral assays, and it was demonstrated that ellagic acid was primarily active as it prevented Zika virus infection and was able to significantly reduce Zika virus progeny production. Our data demonstrate the anti-Zika activity of pomegranate leaf extract and ellagic acid for the first time. These findings identify ellagic acid as a possible anti-Zika candidate compound that can be used for preventive and therapeutic interventions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stefano Acquadro
- Department of Drug Science and Technology, University of Turin, Turin, Italy
| | - Andrea Civra
- Department of Clinical and Biological Sciences, University of Turin, Orbassano, Italy
| | - Cecilia Cagliero
- Department of Drug Science and Technology, University of Turin, Turin, Italy
| | - Arianna Marengo
- Department of Drug Science and Technology, University of Turin, Turin, Italy
| | - Massimo Rittà
- Department of Clinical and Biological Sciences, University of Turin, Orbassano, Italy
| | - Rachele Francese
- Department of Clinical and Biological Sciences, University of Turin, Orbassano, Italy
| | - Cinzia Sanna
- Department of Environmental and Life Sciences University of Cagliari, Cagliari, Italy
| | - Cinzia Bertea
- Department of Life Sciences and Systems Biology, University of Turin, Turin, Italy
| | - Barbara Sgorbini
- Department of Drug Science and Technology, University of Turin, Turin, Italy
| | - David Lembo
- Department of Clinical and Biological Sciences, University of Turin, Orbassano, Italy
| | - Manuela Donalisio
- Department of Clinical and Biological Sciences, University of Turin, Orbassano, Italy
| | - Patrizia Rubiolo
- Department of Drug Science and Technology, University of Turin, Turin, Italy
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Kanchiswamy CN, Takahashi H, Quadro S, Maffei ME, Bossi S, Bertea C, Zebelo SA, Muroi A, Ishihama N, Yoshioka H, Boland W, Takabayashi J, Endo Y, Sawasaki T, Arimura GI. Regulation of Arabidopsis defense responses against Spodoptera littoralis by CPK-mediated calcium signaling. BMC Plant Biol 2010; 10:97. [PMID: 20504319 PMCID: PMC3095362 DOI: 10.1186/1471-2229-10-97] [Citation(s) in RCA: 88] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/07/2010] [Accepted: 05/26/2010] [Indexed: 05/20/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Plant Ca2+ signals are involved in a wide array of intracellular signaling pathways after pest invasion. Ca2+-binding sensory proteins such as Ca2+-dependent protein kinases (CPKs) have been predicted to mediate the signaling following Ca2+ influx after insect herbivory. However, until now this prediction was not testable. RESULTS To investigate the roles CPKs play in a herbivore response-signaling pathway, we screened the characteristics of Arabidopsis CPK mutants damaged by a feeding generalist herbivore, Spodoptera littoralis. Following insect attack, the cpk3 and cpk13 mutants showed lower transcript levels of plant defensin gene PDF1.2 compared to wild-type plants. The CPK cascade was not directly linked to the herbivory-induced signaling pathways that were mediated by defense-related phytohormones such as jasmonic acid and ethylene. CPK3 was also suggested to be involved in a negative feedback regulation of the cytosolic Ca2+ levels after herbivory and wounding damage. In vitro kinase assays of CPK3 protein with a suite of substrates demonstrated that the protein phosphorylates transcription factors (including ERF1, HsfB2a and CZF1/ZFAR1) in the presence of Ca2+. CPK13 strongly phosphorylated only HsfB2a, irrespective of the presence of Ca2+. Furthermore, in vivo agroinfiltration assays showed that CPK3-or CPK13-derived phosphorylation of a heat shock factor (HsfB2a) promotes PDF1.2 transcriptional activation in the defense response. CONCLUSIONS These results reveal the involvement of two Arabidopsis CPKs (CPK3 and CPK13) in the herbivory-induced signaling network via HsfB2a-mediated regulation of the defense-related transcriptional machinery. This cascade is not involved in the phytohormone-related signaling pathways, but rather directly impacts transcription factors for defense responses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chidananda Nagamangala Kanchiswamy
- Global COE Program: Evolution and Biodiversity, Graduate School of Science, Kyoto University, Kyoto 606-8502, Japan
- Center for Ecological Research, Kyoto University, Otsu 520-2113, Japan
- Plant Physiology Unit, Department of Plant Biology and Innovation Centre, University of Turin, 10135 Turin, Italy
| | - Hirotaka Takahashi
- Current Address: Department of Microbiology, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore 117597, Singapore
- Cell-free Science and Technology Research Center, Ehime University, Matsuyama 790-8577, Japan
| | - Stefano Quadro
- Department of Bioorganic Chemistry, Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology, 07745, Germany
| | - Massimo E Maffei
- Plant Physiology Unit, Department of Plant Biology and Innovation Centre, University of Turin, 10135 Turin, Italy
| | - Simone Bossi
- Plant Physiology Unit, Department of Plant Biology and Innovation Centre, University of Turin, 10135 Turin, Italy
| | - Cinzia Bertea
- Plant Physiology Unit, Department of Plant Biology and Innovation Centre, University of Turin, 10135 Turin, Italy
| | - Simon Atsbaha Zebelo
- Plant Physiology Unit, Department of Plant Biology and Innovation Centre, University of Turin, 10135 Turin, Italy
| | - Atsushi Muroi
- Global COE Program: Evolution and Biodiversity, Graduate School of Science, Kyoto University, Kyoto 606-8502, Japan
- Center for Ecological Research, Kyoto University, Otsu 520-2113, Japan
| | - Nobuaki Ishihama
- Graduate School of Bioagricultural Sciences, Nagoya University, Nagoya 464-8601, Japan
| | - Hirofumi Yoshioka
- Graduate School of Bioagricultural Sciences, Nagoya University, Nagoya 464-8601, Japan
| | - Wilhelm Boland
- Department of Bioorganic Chemistry, Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology, 07745, Germany
| | - Junji Takabayashi
- Center for Ecological Research, Kyoto University, Otsu 520-2113, Japan
| | - Yaeta Endo
- Cell-free Science and Technology Research Center, Ehime University, Matsuyama 790-8577, Japan
| | - Tatsuya Sawasaki
- Cell-free Science and Technology Research Center, Ehime University, Matsuyama 790-8577, Japan
| | - Gen-ichiro Arimura
- Global COE Program: Evolution and Biodiversity, Graduate School of Science, Kyoto University, Kyoto 606-8502, Japan
- Center for Ecological Research, Kyoto University, Otsu 520-2113, Japan
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Rubiolo P, Matteodo M, Bicchi C, Appendino G, Gnavi G, Bertea C, Maffei M. Chemical and biomolecular characterization of Artemisia umbelliformis Lam., an important ingredient of the alpine liqueur "Genepi". J Agric Food Chem 2009; 57:3436-3443. [PMID: 19326948 DOI: 10.1021/jf803915v] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/27/2023]
Abstract
Artemisia umbelliformis Lam., an important alpine plant used for the preparation of flavored beverages, showed a remarkable intraspecific variability, at both genomic and gene product (secondary metabolites) levels. The variability of A. umbelliformis Lam. currently cultivated in Piedmont (Italy, Au1) and in Switzerland (Au2) was investigated by combining the chemical analysis of essential oil and sesquiterpene lactones and the molecular characterization of the 5S-rRNA-NTS gene by PCR and PCR-RFLP. Marked differences were observed between the two plants. Au1 essential oil contained alpha- and beta-thujones as the main components, whereas Au2 contained 1,8-cineole, borneol, and beta-pinene. Au1 sesquiterpene lactone fractions contained cis-8-eudesmanolide derivatives and Au2 the trans-6-germacranolide costunolide. Specific A. umbelliformis Au1 and Au2 primers were designed on the sequence of the 5S-rRNA gene spacer region. Furthermore, a PCR-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) method was applied using RsaI and TaqI restriction enzymes. Chemical and biomolecular data contributed to the characterization of A. umbeliformis chemotypes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patrizia Rubiolo
- Dipartimento di Scienza e Tecnologia del Farmaco, Università di Torino, Via P. Giuria 9, I-10125 Torino, Italy.
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Bertea C, Schalk M, Mau CJD, Karp F, Wildung MR, Croteau R. Molecular evaluation of a spearmint mutant altered in the expression of limonene hydroxylases that direct essential oil monoterpene biosynthesis. Phytochemistry 2003; 64:1203-1211. [PMID: 14599518 DOI: 10.1016/j.phytochem.2003.09.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/24/2023]
Abstract
Gamma irradiation of Scotch spearmint created a mutant line, 643-10-74, which has an altered essential oil reminiscent of peppermint because the monoterpene metabolites in the oil glands of the mutant are predominantly oxygenated at the C3 position of the p-menthane ring instead of the C6 position normally found in spearmint. The limonene hydroxylase genes responsible for directing the regiochemistry of oxygenation were cloned from Scotch spearmint and mutant 643 and expressed in Escherichia coli. The limonene bydroxylase from the wild-type parent hydroxylated the C6 position while the enzyme from the mutant oxygenated the C3 position. Comparison of the amino acid sequences with other limonene hydroxylases showed that the mutant enzyme was more closely related to the peppermint limonene-3-hydroxylases than to the spearmint limonene-6-hydroxylases. Because of the sequence differences between the Scotch spearmint and mutant 643 limonene hydroxylases, it is most likely that the mutation did not occur within the structural gene for limonene hydroxylase but rather at a regulatory site within the genome that controls the expression of one or the other regiospecific variants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cinzia Bertea
- Institute of Biological Chemistry, Washington State University, 385 Clark Hall, Pullman, WA 99164-6340, USA
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Mucciarelli M, Scannerini S, Bertea C, Maffei M. In vitro and in vivo peppermint (Mentha piperita) growth promotion by nonmycorrhizal fungal colonization. New Phytol 2003; 158:579-591. [PMID: 36056516 DOI: 10.1046/j.1469-8137.2003.00762.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
• Here peppermint growth and terpene production of in vitro generated plants (Mentha piperita) in response to inoculation with a leaf fungal endophyte were characterized. • Peppermint plants were studied by means of morphometric, biochemical and image analysis, employing both in vitro and in pot cultures. Leaf essential oils were analysed by gascromatography-mass spectrometry. • The endophyte induced profound effects on the growth of peppermint, which responded with taller plants bearing more expanded leaves. The observed increase of leaf dry matter over leaf area suggested a real improvement of peppermint metabolic and photosynthetic apparatus. Root architecture was of the herring-bone type, showing greater dry biomass percentage over the total. A sustained lowering of (+)-menthofuran and an increase of (+)-menthol percentage concentrations were found in plants from both in vitro and pot cultures. • The study represents the first report on specialized endophytic fungi in peppermint green tissues and highlights some of the principal morphological and biochemical aspects of this mutualism. Effects exerted on plant growth and essential oil production in peppermint suggest further biotechnological applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marco Mucciarelli
- Department of Veterinary Morphophysiology, University of Turin, Via Leonardo da Vinci 44-10095 Grugliasco (To), Italy
| | - Silvano Scannerini
- Department of Plant Biology, University of Turin, Viale P.A. Mattioli 25-10125 Torino, Italy
| | - Cinzia Bertea
- Department of Plant Biology, University of Turin, Viale P.A. Mattioli 25-10125 Torino, Italy
| | - Massimo Maffei
- Department of Plant Biology, University of Turin, Viale P.A. Mattioli 25-10125 Torino, Italy
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