Vibrio parahaemolyticus (Vp) is the etiological agent of the acute hepatopancreatic necrosis disease (AHPND) in Penaeus vannamei shrimp. Vp possesses a 63–70 kb conjugative plasmid that encodes the binary toxin PirA^vp/PirB^vp. The 250 kDa PirAB^vp complex was purified by affinity chromatography with galactose-sepharose 4B and on a stroma from glutaraldehyde-fixed rat erythrocytes column, as a heterotetramer of PirA^vp and PirB^vp subunits. In addition, recombinant pirB (rPirB^vp) and pirA (rPirA^vp) were obtained. The homogeneity of the purified protein was determined by SDS-PAGE analysis, and the yield of protein was 488 ng/100 μg of total protein of extracellular products. The PirAB^vp complex and the rPirB^vp showed hemagglutinating activity toward rat erythrocytes. The rPirA^vp showed no hemagglutinating capacity toward the animal red cells tested. Among different mono and disaccharides tested, only GalNH₂ and GlcNH₂ were able to inhibit hemagglutination of the PirAB^vp complex and the rPirB^vp. Glycoproteins showed inhibitory specificity, and fetuin was the glycoprotein that showed the highest inhibition. Other glycoproteins, such as mucin, and glycosaminoglycans, such as heparin, also inhibited the activity. Desialylation of erythrocytes enhanced the hemagglutinating activity. This confirms that Gal or Gal (β1,4) GlcNAc are the main ligands for PirAB^vp. The agglutinating activity of the PirAB^vp complex and the rPirB^vp is not dependent on cations, because addition of Mg²⁺ or Ca²⁺ showed no effect on the protein capacity. Our results strongly suggest that the PirB^vp subunit is a lectin, which is part of the PirA/PirB^vp complex, and it seems to participate in bacterial pathogenicity.

DNAM-1 (CD226) is an activating receptor expressed in CD8+ T cells, NK cells, and monocytes. It has been reported that two SNPs in the DNAM-1 gene, rs763361 C>T and rs727088 G>A, have been associated with different autoimmune diseases; however, the role of DNAM-1 in ankylosing spondylitis has been less studied. For this reason, we focused on the study of these two SNPs in association with ankylosing spondylitis. For this, 34 patients and 70 controls were analyzed using endpoint PCR with allele-specific primers. Our results suggest that rs763361 C>T is involved as a possible protective factor under the CT co-dominant model (OR = 0.34, 95% CI = 0.13–0.88, p = 0.022) and the CT + TT dominant model (OR = 0.39, 95% CI = 0.17–0.90, p = 0.025), while rs727088 G>A did not show an association with the disease in any of the inheritance models. When analyzing the relationships of the haplotypes, we found that the T + A haplotype (OR = 0.31, 95% CI = 0.13–0.73, p = 0.0083) is a protective factor for developing the disease. In conclusion, the CT and CT + TT variants of rs763361 C>T and the T + A haplotype were considered as protective factors for developing ankylosing spondylitis.

Traditional Mexican medicine commonly uses infusions of Ternstroemia spp. to treat insomnia, injuries, and infections. The antibacterial activities of Ternstroemia dentisepala and Ternstroemia lineata were evaluated for the first time against a panel of Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria that have implications for human health, including Enterococcus faecalis, Streptococcus agalactiae, Streptococcus pyogenes, Salmonella typhi, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Vibrio parahaemolyticus. Furthermore, the scavenging potential of the hydroalcoholic (HAEs) and total phenolic extracts (TPEs) from the leaves of both plants by a 2,2’-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) assay (ABTS^•+) was determined. Also, the total phenolic contents of the HAEs using the Folin–Ciocalteu reagent were assayed. T. dentisepala HAE and TPE were active against all bacterial strains tested, with a minimum inhibitory concentration between 1.0 and 6.0 mg/mL, with the last one being the most active. However, the T. lineata extracts only demonstrated effectiveness against S. typhi and P. aeruginosa. The TPEs from T. dentisepala and T. lineata improved the activity by approximately 30% in all bacteria tested in comparison with the HAEs. The T. dentisepala HAE had a higher total phenolic content than the T. lineata extract, which was consistent with its ABTS^•+-scavenging activity. The two HAEs had different chemical profiles, mostly because of the types and amounts of phenolic compounds they contained. These profiles were obtained using thin-layer chromatography (TLC), high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), and proton nuclear magnetic resonance (¹H NMR) experiments.

Metabolomic profiling of the leaves, floral buds, flowers, and fruits of Ternstroemia lineata was conducted across the dry and rainy seasons in Mexico. The presence of katsumadin was determined and its antibacterial activity was evaluated. Multivariate data analysis was performed using proton nuclear magnetic resonance (¹H NMR) and Principal Component Analysis (PCA). Katsumadin was identified by ¹H NMR and, quantified by HPLC, and its antibacterial activity was assessed using a microdilution assay. The results revealed conserved ¹H NMR signals among leaf, flower buds, flowers and fruits, as well as signals that were either organ-specific or time-dependent. The spatial and temporal distribution of katsumadin was monitored over a nine-month period. During the dry season, katsumadin reached 1.5 mg/g DW in the leaves, whereas it was not detected during the rainy season. Higher katsumadin contents were observed in floral buds, fruits, and flowers (6.09 ± 0.10, 3.0 ± 0.79, and 3.4 ± 0.42 mg/g DW, respectively). In addition, katsumadin was evaluated against Salmonella Typhi and Pseudomonas aeruginosa, exhibiting a minimum inhibitory concentration and bactericidal effect at 0.5 mg/mL.