Pantoea agglomerans, a bacterium associated with plants, is not an obligate infectious agent in humans. However, it could be a cause of opportunistic human infections, mostly by wound infection with plant material, or as a hospital-acquired infection, mostly in immunocompromised individuals. Wound infection with P. agglomerans usually follow piercing or laceration of skin with a plant thorn, wooden splinter or other plant material and subsequent inoculation of the plant-residing bacteria, mostly during performing of agricultural occupations and gardening, or children playing. Septic arthritis or synovitis appears as a common clinical outcome of exogenous infection with P. agglomerans, others include endophthalmitis, periostitis, endocarditis and osteomyelitis. Another major reason for clinical infection with P. agglomerans is exposure of hospitalized, often immunodeficient individuals to medical equipment or fluids contaminated with this bacterium. Epidemics of nosocomial septicemia with fatal cases have been described in several countries, both in adult and paediatric patients. In most cases, however, the clinical course of the hospital-acquired disease was mild and application of the proper antibiotic treatment led to full recovery. Compared to humans, there are only few reports on infectious diseases caused by Pantoea agglomerans in vertebrate animals. This species has been identified as a possible cause of equine abortion and placentitis and a haemorrhagic disease in dolphin fish (Coryphaena hippurus). P. agglomerans strains occur commonly, usually as symbionts, in insects and other arthropods. Pantoea agglomerans usually occurs in plants as an epi- or endophytic symbiont, often as mutualist. Nevertheless, this species has also also been identified as a cause of diseases in a range of cultivable plants, such as cotton, sweet onion, rice, maize, sorghum, bamboo, walnut, an ornamental plant called Chinese taro (Alocasia cucullata), and a grass called onion couch (Arrhenatherum elatius). Some plant-pathogenic strains of P. agglomerans are tumourigenic, inducing gall formation on table beet, an ornamental plant gypsophila (Gypsophila paniculata), wisteria, Douglas-fir and cranberry. Recently, a Pantoea species closely related to P. agglomerans has been identified as a cause of bacterial blight disease in the edible mushroom Pleurotus eryngii cultivated in China. The genetically governed determinants of plant pathogenicity in Pantoea agglomerans include such mechanisms as the hypersensitive response and pathogenicity (hrp) system, phytohormones, the quorum-sensing (QS) feedback system and type III secretion system (T3SS) injecting the effector proteins into the cytosol of a plant cell.

Pantoea agglomerans, a gammaproteobacterium of plant origin, possesses many beneficial traits that could be used for the prevention and/or treatment of human and animal diseases, combating plant pathogens, promotion of plant growth and bioremediation of the environment. It produces a number of antibiotics (herbicolin, pantocins, microcin, agglomerins, andrimid, phenazine, among others) which could be used for combating plant, animal and human pathogens or for food preservation. Japanese researchers have demonstrated that the low-molecular-mass lipopolysaccharide of P. agglomerans isolated by them and described as 'Immunopotentiator from Pantoea agglomerans 1 (IP-PA1)' reveals the extremely wide spectrum of healing properties, mainly due to its ability for the maintenance of homeostasis by macrophage activation. IP-PA1 was proved to be effective in the prevention and treatment of a broad range of human and animal disorders, such as tumours, hyperlipidaemia, diabetes, ulcer, various infectious diseases, atopic allergy and stress-induced immunosuppression; it also showed a strong analgesic effect. It is important that most of these effects could be achieved by the safe oral administration of IP-PA1. Taking into account that P. agglomerans occurs commonly as a symbiont of many species of insects, including mosquitoes transmitting the Plasmodium parasites causing malaria, successful attempts were made to apply the strategy of paratransgenesis, in which bacterial symbionts are genetically engineered to express and secrete anti-Plasmodium effector proteins. This strategy shows prospects for a successful eradication of malaria, a deadly disease killing annually over one million people, as well as of other vector-borne diseases of humans, animals and plants. Pantoea agglomerans has been identified as an antagonist of many plant pathogens belonging to bacteria and fungi, as a result of antibiotic production, competition mechanisms or induction of plant resistance. Its use as a biocontrol agent permits the decrease of pesticide doses, being a healthy and environmental-friendly procedure. The application of the preparations of this bacterium efficiently protects the stored pome, stone and citrus fruits against invasion of moulds. P. agglomerans strains associated with both rhizosphere and plant tissues (as endophytes) efficiently promote the growth of many plants, including rice and wheat, which are the staple food for the majority of mankind. The promotion mechanisms are diverse and include fixation of atmospheric nitrogen, production of phytohormones, as well as degradation of phytate and phosphate solubilizing which makes the soil phosphorus available for plants. Accordingly, P. agglomerans is regarded as an ideal candidate for an environmental-friendly bioinoculant replacing chemical fertilizers. It has been documented that the Pantoea strains show biodegradation activity on various chemical pollutants of soil and water, including petroleum hydrocarbons and toxic metals. P. agglomerans prevents the penetration of harmful industrial contaminants into deeper parts of soil by biofilm formation, and has an ability to produce hydrogen from waste. Thus, this bacterium appears as a valuable bioremediator which, in some cases, may be acquired as a cheap form of energy. In conclusion, in spite of the proven pathologic role of P. agglomerans in causing occupational diseases of allergic and/or immunotoxic background and accidental infections, the beneficial traits of this species, and of related species of Pantoea genus, are of great value for potential use in many areas of biotechnology. Hence, any restrictions on the use of these organisms and their products should be declined, providing safety precautions at work with the Pantoea biopreparations are maintained.

Basidiomycete mushrooms represent a valuable source of biologically active compounds with anticancer properties. This feature is primarily attributed to polysaccharides and their derivatives. The anticancer potential of polysaccharides is linked to their origin, composition and chemical...

Ydj1 of Saccharomyces cerevisiae is an abundant cytosolic Hsp40, or J-type, molecular chaperone. Ydj1 cooperates with Hsp70 of the Ssa family in the translocation of preproteins to the ER and mitochondria and in the maturation of Hsp90 client proteins. The substrate-binding domain of Ydj1 directly interacts with steroid receptors and is required for the activity of diverse Hsp90-dependent client proteins. However, the effect of Ydj1 alteration on client interaction was unknown. We analyzed the in vivo interaction of Ydj1 with the protein kinase Ste11 and the glucocorticoid receptor. Amino acid alterations in the proposed client-binding domain or zinc-binding domain had minor effects on the physical interaction of Ydj1 with both clients. However, alteration of the carboxy-terminal farnesylation signal disrupted the functional and physical interaction of Ydj1 and Hsp90 with both clients. Similar effects were observed upon deletion of RAM1, which encodes one of the subunits of yeast farnesyltransferase. Our results indicate that farnesylation is a major factor contributing to the specific requirement for Ydj1 in promoting proper regulation and activation of diverse Hsp90 clients.

In the present study, ergosterol peroxide and ergosterol were isolated for the first time from fresh fruit bodies of Hygrophoropsis aurantiaca (False Chanterelle). The substances were characterized mainly by spectroscopic methods (¹H-NMR, ¹³C-NMR, DEPT-45, DEPT-90, DEPT-135, 2D-NMR). In our study, a new specific thin layer chromatographic method was developed for determination of ergosterol and ergosterol peroxide in H. aurantiaca extract. The method is based on the separation of n-hexane extract on silica gel (Silica Gel G) TLC plates using the optimized solvent system toluene/ethyl acetate (3:1; v/v). The main advantages of the developed method are the simplicity of operation and the low cost. The in vitro study results revealed the antiproliferative properties of ergosterol peroxide against LS180 human colon cancer cells. The described effect was attributed both to altered mitochondrial activity and decreased DNA synthesis. Additionally, in the same concentration range the investigated compound was not toxic to CCD 841 CoTr human colon epithelial cells. The present study suggests that fruit bodies of H. aurantiaca have great potential for producing substances and extracts with potential applications in medicine.