Nepenthes regulates enzyme activities by sensing stimuli from the insect prey. Protein is the best inductor mimicking the presence of an insect prey. Carnivorous plants of the genus Nepenthes have evolved passive pitcher traps for prey capture. In this study, we investigated the ability of chemical signals from a prey (chitin, protein, and ammonium) to induce transcription and synthesis of digestive enzymes in Nepenthes × Mixta. We used real-time PCR and specific antibodies generated against the aspartic proteases nepenthesins, and type III and type IV chitinases to investigate the induction of digestive enzyme synthesis in response to different chemical stimuli from the prey. Transcription of nepenthesins was strongly induced by ammonium, protein and live prey; chitin induced transcription only very slightly. This is in accordance with the amount of released enzyme and proteolytic activity in the digestive fluid. Although transcription of type III chitinase was induced by all investigated stimuli, a significant accumulation of the enzyme in the digestive fluid was found mainly after protein and live prey addition. Protein and live prey were also the best inducers for accumulation of type IV chitinase in the digestive fluid. Although ammonium strongly induced transcription of all investigated genes probably through membrane depolarization, strong acidification of the digestive fluid affected stability and abundance of both chitinases in the digestive fluid. The study showed that the proteins are universal inductors of enzyme activities in carnivorous pitcher plants best mimicking the presence of insect prey. This is not surprising, because proteins are a much valuable source of nitrogen, superior to chitin. Extensive vesicular activity was observed in prey-activated glands.

• Klíčová slova
• Carnivorous plant, Chitin, Chitinase, Enzyme, Nepenthesin, Pitcher plant, Protease,
• MeSH
• Caryophyllales enzymologie   fyziologie   ultrastruktura   MeSH
• chitin metabolismus   MeSH
• chlorid amonný farmakologie   MeSH
• enzymy genetika   metabolismus   MeSH
• koncentrace vodíkových iontů MeSH
• masožravci MeSH
• membránové potenciály MeSH
• regulace genové exprese u rostlin * MeSH
• rostlinné proteiny genetika   metabolismus   MeSH
• sérový albumin hovězí metabolismus   MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• Názvy látek
• chitin MeSH
• chlorid amonný MeSH
• enzymy MeSH
• rostlinné proteiny MeSH
• sérový albumin hovězí MeSH

Permafrost-affected soils in the Northern latitudes store huge amounts of organic carbon (OC) that is prone to microbial degradation and subsequent release of greenhouse gasses to the atmosphere. In Greenland, the consequences of permafrost thaw have only recently been addressed, and predictions on its impact on the carbon budget are thus still highly uncertain. However, the fate of OC is not only determined by abiotic factors, but closely tied to microbial activity. We investigated eight soil profiles in northeast Greenland comprising two sites with typical tundra vegetation and one wet fen site. We assessed microbial community structure and diversity (SSU rRNA gene tag sequencing, quantification of bacteria, archaea and fungi), and measured hydrolytic and oxidative enzyme activities. Sampling site and thus abiotic factors had a significant impact on microbial community structure, diversity and activity, the wet fen site exhibiting higher potential enzyme activities and presumably being a hot spot for anaerobic degradation processes such as fermentation and methanogenesis. Lowest fungal to bacterial ratios were found in topsoils that had been relocated by cryoturbation ("buried topsoils"), resulting from a decrease in fungal abundance compared to recent ("unburied") topsoils. Actinobacteria (in particular Intrasporangiaceae) accounted for a major fraction of the microbial community in buried topsoils, but were only of minor abundance in all other soil horizons. It was indicated that the distribution pattern of Actinobacteria and a variety of other bacterial classes was related to the activity of phenol oxidases and peroxidases supporting the hypothesis that bacteria might resume the role of fungi in oxidative enzyme production and degradation of phenolic and other complex substrates in these soils. Our study sheds light on the highly diverse, but poorly-studied communities in permafrost-affected soils in Greenland and their role in OC degradation.

• Klíčová slova
• Greenland, climate change, extracellular enzyme activities, microbial communities, permafrost-affected soils,
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH

Taking into consideration the biological importance of interaction between antioxidant defense (AD) enzymes and sexual steroid hormones it was deemed important to compare our recent achievements in the field with the state of current knowledge. The main goal of the present review was to investigate the changes of AD enzyme activities: superoxide dismutases, catalase, glutathione peroxidase, glutathione-S-transferase and glutathione reductase in the brain of female and male rats depending on progesterone and estradiol. These ovarian steroids produce their effects by acting on numerous target tissues and organs, such as the reproductive organs, bone tissue and cartilage, peripheral blood vessels and the central nervous system (CNS). We have chosen it as a new parameter that might represent an important indicator of the changes within the CNS, bearing in mind the biological importance of the enzymes of the AD system. Our experimental results indicate that the AD enzyme activities in the brain tissue of female and male rats show a certain dependence on the concentration of progesterone and estradiol. The present review suggests that the modulation of the oxidative and antioxidative capacity by sexual steroid hormones is mediated through antioxidant metabolizing enzymes.

• MeSH
• antioxidancia metabolismus   MeSH
• enzymy metabolismus   MeSH
• estradiol metabolismus   MeSH
• glutathionperoxidasa metabolismus   MeSH
• glutathionreduktasa metabolismus   MeSH
• glutathiontransferasa metabolismus   MeSH
• katalasa metabolismus   MeSH
• krysa rodu Rattus MeSH
• mozek enzymologie   MeSH
• pohlavní steroidní hormony metabolismus   MeSH
• progesteron metabolismus   MeSH
• reaktivní formy kyslíku metabolismus   MeSH
• sexuální faktory MeSH
• superoxiddismutasa metabolismus   MeSH
• zvířata MeSH
• Check Tag
• krysa rodu Rattus MeSH
• mužské pohlaví MeSH
• ženské pohlaví MeSH
• zvířata MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• práce podpořená grantem MeSH
• přehledy MeSH
• Názvy látek
• antioxidancia MeSH
• enzymy MeSH
• estradiol MeSH
• glutathionperoxidasa MeSH
• glutathionreduktasa MeSH
• glutathiontransferasa MeSH
• katalasa MeSH
• pohlavní steroidní hormony MeSH
• progesteron MeSH
• reaktivní formy kyslíku MeSH
• superoxiddismutasa MeSH

Coppicing consists of periodically cutting back tree stems to ground level to stimulate the growth of multiple stems from the stool. In Central Europe, many coppiced forests were abandoned at the beginning of the last century owing to a decline in the demand for charcoal and wood. This was assumed to enable the forests to recover and the properties to become similar to those of unmanaged forest (high forest). Most studies on abandoned coppiced forest have focused on forest recovery, while soil recovery has generally been overlooked. With the aim of filling this gap, this study investigated the effect of coppicing abandonment on soil recovery by analysing the changes in soil enzyme activities (dehydrogenase, β-glucosidase, invertase, urease, acid phosphatase and arylsulphatase). Two differently managed sessile oak (Quercus petraea) forests were selected for study: a former coppice forest, abandoned >90 years ago, and an undisturbed forest. The analytical data were compared to assess the degree of recovery of the soil in the abandoned coppice forest. The soil organic matter content was two times lower in the abandoned coppice than in the high forest, suggesting that organic matter depletion due the past coppicing is a long-term effect. All of the absolute enzyme activities were also two times lower in the abandoned coppice forest soil than in the high forest soil. However, the specific enzyme activities were similar in both types of soil. This indicates that metabolic activity is similar in both soil types, suggesting that it either recovers faster than organic matter and soil enzyme activity or that, despite the depletion in organic matter and enzyme activities, metabolic activity was sustained in coppiced forest soil. However, in the latter case this would imply that organic matter and soil enzymes were lost in exactly the same proportion, which is highly improbable.

• Klíčová slova
• Coppicing, Quercus petraea forests, Sessile oak forest, Soil hydrolytic enzyme activities, Soil oxidoreductase activity,
• MeSH
• dub (rod) MeSH
• lesy * MeSH
• monitorování životního prostředí metody   MeSH
• půda MeSH
• půdní mikrobiologie * MeSH
• stromy MeSH
• zachování přírodních zdrojů * MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• Názvy látek
• půda MeSH

Enzyme-mediated decomposition of soil organic matter (SOM) is controlled, amongst other factors, by organic matter properties and by the microbial decomposer community present. Since microbial community composition and SOM properties are often interrelated and both change with soil depth, the drivers of enzymatic decomposition are hard to dissect. We investigated soils from three regions in the Siberian Arctic, where carbon rich topsoil material has been incorporated into the subsoil (cryoturbation). We took advantage of this subduction to test if SOM properties shape microbial community composition, and to identify controls of both on enzyme activities. We found that microbial community composition (estimated by phospholipid fatty acid analysis), was similar in cryoturbated material and in surrounding subsoil, although carbon and nitrogen contents were similar in cryoturbated material and topsoils. This suggests that the microbial community in cryoturbated material was not well adapted to SOM properties. We also measured three potential enzyme activities (cellobiohydrolase, leucine-amino-peptidase and phenoloxidase) and used structural equation models (SEMs) to identify direct and indirect drivers of the three enzyme activities. The models included microbial community composition, carbon and nitrogen contents, clay content, water content, and pH. Models for regular horizons, excluding cryoturbated material, showed that all enzyme activities were mainly controlled by carbon or nitrogen. Microbial community composition had no effect. In contrast, models for cryoturbated material showed that enzyme activities were also related to microbial community composition. The additional control of microbial community composition could have restrained enzyme activities and furthermore decomposition in general. The functional decoupling of SOM properties and microbial community composition might thus be one of the reasons for low decomposition rates and the persistence of 400 Gt carbon stored in cryoturbated material.

• MeSH
• aktivace enzymů MeSH
• dusík metabolismus   MeSH
• enzymy metabolismus   MeSH
• hydrolýza MeSH
• mikrobiota * MeSH
• půda chemie   MeSH
• půdní mikrobiologie * MeSH
• uhlík metabolismus   MeSH
• zeměpis MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• práce podpořená grantem MeSH
• Geografické názvy
• Arktida MeSH
• Sibiř MeSH
• Názvy látek
• dusík MeSH
• enzymy MeSH
• půda MeSH
• uhlík MeSH

This review comprehensively summarizes recent advances in the field of hydrazinecarboxamide (semicarbazide) derivatives, highlighting their significant therapeutic potential and a broad spectrum of biological activities. As a promising and privileged scaffold in medicinal chemistry, hydrazinecarboxamides have emerged as a versatile class of compounds with significant bioactive properties. Based on their substitutions, their structural diversity permits extensive chemical modifications to enhance their interactions with various biological targets to combat multiple disorders. Notable, this group of compounds has shown significant efficacy against numerous cancer cell lines through diverse mechanisms of action and potent inhibition of enzymes, including cholinesterases, carbonic anhydrases, cyclooxygenases, lipoxygenases, etc. Beyond these, they have also been investigated for their anticonvulsive, analgesic/anti-inflammatory, and antioxidant properties, with detailed structure-activity relationships. For many applications, the hybridization of hydrazinecarboxamides with other bioactive scaffolds, such as primaquine, is of particular interest and offers advantages. Despite their promises, challenges such as suboptimal physicochemical properties and selectivity issues of certain derivatives require further effort. The review aims to inspire future innovation in the design and development of new potential hydrazinecarboxamide-based drugs, addressing existing challenges and expanding their therapeutic applications.

• Klíčová slova
• Anti-inflammatory activity, Anticancer activity, Anticonvulsive activity, Enzyme inhibition, Hydrazinecarboxamides, Semicarbazides, Structure-activity relationship,
• MeSH
• antiflogistika farmakologie   chemie   MeSH
• antikonvulziva * farmakologie   chemie   MeSH
• antioxidancia * farmakologie   chemie   MeSH
• antitumorózní látky * farmakologie   chemie   MeSH
• hydraziny * chemie   farmakologie   chemická syntéza   MeSH
• inhibitory enzymů farmakologie   chemie   chemická syntéza   MeSH
• lidé MeSH
• molekulární struktura MeSH
• semikarbazidy chemická syntéza   chemie   farmakologie   MeSH
• vztahy mezi strukturou a aktivitou MeSH
• zvířata MeSH
• Check Tag
• lidé MeSH
• zvířata MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• přehledy MeSH
• Názvy látek
• antiflogistika MeSH
• antikonvulziva * MeSH
• antioxidancia * MeSH
• antitumorózní látky * MeSH
• hydraziny * MeSH
• inhibitory enzymů MeSH
• semikarbazidy MeSH

Different types of enzymes such as lipases, several phosphatases, dehydrogenases, oxidases, amylases and others are well suited for the reactions in SC-CO(2). The stability and the activity of enzymes exposed to carbon dioxide under high pressure depend on enzyme species, water content in the solution and on the pressure and temperature of the reaction system. The three-dimensional structure of enzymes may be significantly altered under extreme conditions, causing their denaturation and consequent loss of activity. If the conditions are less adverse, the protein structure may be largely retained. Minor structural changes may induce an alternative active protein state with altered enzyme activity, specificity and stability.

• Klíčová slova
• enzyme, hydrolysis, inactivation, supercritical carbon dioxide, synthesis,
• MeSH
• aktivace enzymů účinky léků   MeSH
• enzymy chemie   metabolismus   MeSH
• hydrolýza MeSH
• oxid uhličitý chemie   metabolismus   farmakologie   MeSH
• stabilita enzymů MeSH
• teplota MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• práce podpořená grantem MeSH
• přehledy MeSH
• Názvy látek
• enzymy MeSH
• oxid uhličitý MeSH

We newly elaborated and adapted several radiometric enzyme assays for the determination of activities of the key enzymes engaged in the biosynthesis (thyroid peroxidase, TPO) and metabolic transformations (conjugating enzymes and iodothyronine deiodinases, IDs) of thyroid hormones (THs) in the thyroid gland and in peripheral tissues, especially in white adipose tissue (WAT). We also elaborated novel, reliable radiometric methods for extremely sensitive determination of enzyme activities of IDs of types 1, 2 and 3 in microsomal fractions of different rat and human tissues, as well as in homogenates of cultured mammalian cells. The use of optimized TLC separation of radioactive products from the unconsumed substrates and film-less autoradiography of radiochromatograms, taking advantage of storage phosphor screens, enabled us to determine IDs enzyme activities as low as 10(-18) katals. In studies of the interaction of fluoxetine (Fluox) with the metabolism of THs, we applied adapted radiometric enzyme assays for iodothyronine sulfotransferases (ST) and uridine 5'-diphospho-glucuronyltransferase (UDP-GT). Fluox is the most frequently used representative of a new group of non-tricyclic antidepressant drugs--selective serotonin re-uptake inhibitors. We used the elaborated assays for quantification the effects of Fluox and for the assessment of the degree of potential induction of rat liver ST and/or UDP-GT enzyme activities by Fluox alone or in combination with T(3). Furthermore, we studied possible changes in IDs activities in murine adipose tissue under the conditions that promoted either tissue hypertrophy (obesogenic treatment) or involution (caloric restriction), and in response to leptin, using our newly developed radiometric enzyme assays for IDs. Our results suggest that deiodinase D1 has a functional role in WAT, with D1 possibly being involved in the control of adipose tissue metabolism and/or accumulation of the tissue. Significant positive correlation between specific enzyme activity of D1 in WAT and plasma leptin levels was found. The newly developed and adapted radiometric enzyme assays proved to be very useful tools for studies of factors modulating THs metabolism, not only in model animals but also in clinical studies of human obesity.

• MeSH
• enzymy metabolismus   MeSH
• hmotnostní spektrometrie metody   MeSH
• hormony štítné žlázy metabolismus   MeSH
• lidé MeSH
• radiofarmaka farmakokinetika   MeSH
• radiometrie metody   MeSH
• tuková tkáň enzymologie   MeSH
• zvířata MeSH
• Check Tag
• lidé MeSH
• zvířata MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• práce podpořená grantem MeSH
• přehledy MeSH
• Názvy látek
• enzymy MeSH
• hormony štítné žlázy MeSH
• radiofarmaka MeSH

The proposed system of continuous monitoring of enzyme activities is based primarily on the electrochemical behaviour of thiol compounds, and the experimental equipment is extremely simple. The determination of cholinesterase (EC 3.1.1.8) activity is described. The normal values obtained for men (73.9, s +/- 10.3 microkat/l) and for women (71.1, s +/- 10.2 microkat/l), lie within the usual range of analogous photometric methods. Systems for determination of the activities of alkaline phosphatase (EC 3.1.3.1) and adenosylhomocysteinase (EC 3.3.1.1) are described. The activity of aspartate aminotransferase (EC 2.6.1.1) is determined by a combination of enzyme reactions, in which CoA is released from acetyl-CoA. Analogous procedures are discussed for determinations of alanine aminotransferase (EC 2.6.1.2), lactate dehydrogenase (EC 1.1.1.27), lipase (EC 3.1.1.2), and phospholipase A2 (EC 3.1.1.4) activities, and for determination of substrates, e.g., acetate and carnitine. Possible determinations of an additional 199 enzyme activities and of some of substrates are suggested. By determining electrochemically active groups other than thiols this method becomes almost universally applicable.

• MeSH
• adenosylhomocysteinasa MeSH
• alkalická fosfatasa metabolismus   MeSH
• aspartátaminotransferasy krev   MeSH
• autoanalýza přístrojové vybavení   metody   MeSH
• cholinesterasy krev   MeSH
• elektrody MeSH
• enzymy metabolismus   MeSH
• hydrolasy metabolismus   MeSH
• indikátory a reagencie MeSH
• lidé MeSH
• referenční hodnoty MeSH
• substrátová specifita MeSH
• Check Tag
• lidé MeSH
• mužské pohlaví MeSH
• ženské pohlaví MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• Názvy látek
• adenosylhomocysteinasa MeSH
• alkalická fosfatasa MeSH
• aspartátaminotransferasy MeSH
• cholinesterasy MeSH
• enzymy MeSH
• hydrolasy MeSH
• indikátory a reagencie MeSH

• MeSH
• barvení a značení MeSH
• embryo savčí MeSH
• enzymy metabolismus   MeSH
• histocytochemie MeSH
• lidé MeSH
• plíce embryologie   enzymologie   MeSH
• plod MeSH
• těhotenství MeSH
• Check Tag
• lidé MeSH
• těhotenství MeSH
• ženské pohlaví MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• Názvy látek
• enzymy MeSH