Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology This is an RSS file. You can use it to subscribe to this data in your favourite RSS reader or to display this data on your own website or blog.

Rerouting phytosterol degradation pathway for directed androst-1,4-diene-3,17-dione microbial bioconversion
In this study, the catabolic switch between the C19- and C22-steroidal subpathways was investigated in resting cells of Mycobacterium neoaurum NRRL B-3805, and a dose-dependent transcriptional response toward the induction of phytosterol with increased concentrations was found in the putative node enzymes including ChoM2, KstD1, OpccR, Sal, and Hsd4A. Aldolase Sal presented a dominant role in the C22 steroidal side-chain cleavage, and the byproduct was eliminated after sequential deletion of opccR and sal. Meanwhile, the molar yield of androst-1,4-diene-3,17-dione (ADD) was increased from 59.4 to 71.3%. With the regard of ...
Source: Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology - February 1, 2024 Category: Microbiology Authors: Xia Ke Jia-Hao Cui Qi-Jie Ren Tong Zheng Xin-Xin Wang Zhi-Qiang Liu Yu-Guo Zheng Source Type: research

Functional and structural analysis of a cyclization domain in a cyclic β-1,2-glucan synthase
Appl Microbiol Biotechnol. 2024 Feb 1;108(1):187. doi: 10.1007/s00253-024-13013-9.ABSTRACTCyclic β-1,2-glucan synthase (CGS) is a key enzyme in production of cyclic β-1,2-glucans (CβGs) which are involved in bacterial infection or symbiosis to host organisms. Nevertheless, a mechanism of cyclization, the final step in the CGS reaction, has not been fully understood. Here we performed functional and structural analyses of the cyclization domain of CGS alone from Thermoanaerobacter italicus (TiCGSCy). We first found that β-glucosidase-resistant compounds are produced by TiCGSCy with linear β-1,2-glucans as substrates. T...
Source: Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology - February 1, 2024 Category: Microbiology Authors: Nobukiyo Tanaka Ryotaro Saito Kaito Kobayashi Hiroyuki Nakai Shogo Kamo Kouji Kuramochi Hayao Taguchi Masahiro Nakajima Tomoko Masaike Source Type: research

Sensing chemical-induced DNA damage using CRISPR/Cas9-mediated gene-deletion yeast-reporter strains
In this study, we developed both chromosomally integrated and single-copy plasmid-based reporter assays in budding yeast using a RNR3 promoter-driven luciferase gene. These assays were designed to compare the response to genotoxic chemicals with a pre-established multicopy plasmid-based assay. Despite exhibiting the lowest luciferase activity, the chromosomally integrated reporter assay showed the highest fold induction (i.e., the ratio of luciferase activity in the presence and absence of the chemical) compared with the established plasmid-based assay. Using CRISPR/Cas9 technology, we generated mutants with single- or dou...
Source: Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology - February 1, 2024 Category: Microbiology Authors: Kosuke Yamamoto Shintaro Tochikawa Yuuki Miura Shogo Matsunobu Yuu Hirose Toshihiko Eki Source Type: research

Bacillus and Streptomyces spp. as hosts for production of industrially relevant enzymes
Appl Microbiol Biotechnol. 2024 Jan 30;108(1):185. doi: 10.1007/s00253-023-12900-x.ABSTRACTThe application of enzymes is expanding across diverse industries due to their nontoxic and biodegradable characteristics. Another advantage is their cost-effectiveness, reflected in reduced processing time, water, and energy consumption. Although Gram-positive bacteria, Bacillus, and Streptomyces spp. are successfully used for production of industrially relevant enzymes, they still lag far behind Escherichia coli as hosts for recombinant protein production. Generally, proteins secreted by Bacillus and Streptomyces hosts are released...
Source: Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology - January 30, 2024 Category: Microbiology Authors: Sandra Vojnovic Ivana Aleksic Tatjana Ilic-Tomic Milena Stevanovic Jasmina Nikodinovic-Runic Source Type: research

Identification of a novel thermostable transaminase and its application in L-phosphinothricin biosynthesis
Appl Microbiol Biotechnol. 2024 Jan 30;108(1):184. doi: 10.1007/s00253-024-13023-7.ABSTRACTTransaminase (TA) is a crucial biocatalyst for enantioselective production of the herbicide L-phosphinothricin (L-PPT). The use of enzymatic cascades has been shown to effectively overcome the unfavorable thermodynamic equilibrium of TA-catalyzed transamination reaction, also increasing demand for TA stability. In this work, a novel thermostable transaminase (PtTA) from Pseudomonas thermotolerans was mined and characterized. The PtTA showed a high specific activity (28.63 U/mg) towards 2-oxo-4-[(hydroxy)(methyl)phosphinoyl]butyric ac...
Source: Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology - January 30, 2024 Category: Microbiology Authors: Han-Lin Liu Pu-Hong Yi Jia-Min Wu Feng Cheng Zhi-Qiang Liu Li-Qun Jin Ya-Ping Xue Yu-Guo Zheng Source Type: research

Recombinant therapeutic proteins degradation and overcoming strategies in CHO cells
Appl Microbiol Biotechnol. 2024 Jan 29;108(1):182. doi: 10.1007/s00253-024-13008-6.ABSTRACTMammalian cell lines are frequently used as the preferred host cells for producing recombinant therapeutic proteins (RTPs) having post-translational modified modification similar to those observed in proteins produced by human cells. Nowadays, most RTPs approved for marketing are produced in Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells. Recombinant therapeutic antibodies are among the most important and promising RTPs for biomedical applications. One of the issues that occurs during development of RTPs is their degradation, which caused by a va...
Source: Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology - January 29, 2024 Category: Microbiology Authors: Shao-Lei Geng Xiao-Jie Zhao Xi Zhang Ji-Hong Zhang Chun-Liu Mi Tian-Yun Wang Source Type: research

Transcriptomic analyses of Vibrio parahaemolyticus under the phenyllactic acid stress
In this study, V. parahaemolyticus ATCC17802 (Vp17802) was cultured under the stress of 1/2MIC PLA, and then the antibacterial mechanisms were explored via transcriptomics. The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of PLA against Vp17802 was 3.2 mg/mL, and the time-kill analysis resulted that Vp17802 was inhibited. PLA was able to destroy the bacterial membrane, leading to the leakage of intracellular substances and decline of ATP levels. The RNA-sequencing analysis results indicated that 1616 significantly differentially expressed genes were identified, among which 190 were up-regulated and 1426 were down-regulated. Down...
Source: Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology - January 29, 2024 Category: Microbiology Authors: Yilin Lin Meimei Fang Jun Liu Yehui Zhang Yigang Yu Source Type: research

Performance insights into spray-dryer microencapsulated Bacillus thuringiensis cry pesticidal proteins with gum arabic and maltodextrin for effective pest control
Appl Microbiol Biotechnol. 2024 Jan 29;108(1):181. doi: 10.1007/s00253-023-12990-7.ABSTRACTBacillus thuringiensis (Bt) produces crystals composed mainly of Cry pesticidal proteins with insecticidal activity against pests but are highly susceptible to degradation by abiotic factors. In this sense, encapsulation techniques are designed to improve their performance and lifetime. However, the effects of polymeric matrix encapsulation such as gum arabic and maltodextrin by spray-dryer in the mechanisms of action of Bt kurstaki and Bt aizawai are unknown. We analyzed crystal solubilization, protoxin activation, and receptor bind...
Source: Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology - January 29, 2024 Category: Microbiology Authors: Jhones Luiz de Oliveira Isabel G ómez Jorge S ánchez Mario Sober ón Ricardo Antonio Polanczyk Alejandra Bravo Source Type: research

Recombinantly expressed rhFEB remodeled the skin defect of db/db mice
Appl Microbiol Biotechnol. 2024 Jan 29;108(1):183. doi: 10.1007/s00253-024-13021-9.ABSTRACTFibronectin (FN) and collagen are vital components of the extracellular matrix (ECM). These proteins are essential for tissue formation and cell alignment during the wound healing stage. In particular, FN interacts with collagens to activate various intracellular signaling pathways to maintain ECM stability. A novel recombinant extra domain-B fibronectin (EDB-FN)-COL3A1 fusion protein (rhFEB) was designed to mimic the ECM to promote chronic and refractory skin ulcer wound healing. rhFEB significantly enhanced cell adhesion and migrat...
Source: Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology - January 29, 2024 Category: Microbiology Authors: Xiaomin Li Xinliang Mao Jianhang Cong Qirong Zhang Wenjie Chen Kunjun Yan Yadong Huang Dun Su Qi Xiang Source Type: research

Caveats of chimpanzee ChAdOx1 adenovirus-vectored vaccines to boost anti-SARS-CoV-2 protective immunity in mice
Appl Microbiol Biotechnol. 2024 Jan 27;108(1):179. doi: 10.1007/s00253-023-12927-0.ABSTRACTSeveral COVID-19 vaccines use adenovirus vectors to deliver the SARS-CoV-2 spike (S) protein. Immunization with these vaccines promotes immunity against the S protein, but against also the adenovirus itself. This could interfere with the entry of the vaccine into the cell, reducing its efficacy. Herein, we evaluate the efficiency of an adenovirus-vectored vaccine (chimpanzee ChAdOx1 adenovirus, AZD1222) in boosting the specific immunity compared to that induced by a recombinant receptor-binding domain (RBD)-based vaccine without vira...
Source: Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology - January 27, 2024 Category: Microbiology Authors: Jacquelynne Cervantes-Torres Carlos Cabello-Guti érrez Dolores-Adriana Ay ón-Núñez Gloria Soldevila Roxana Olguin-Alor Georgina Diaz Gonzalo Acero Ren é Segura-Velázquez Leonor Huerta Isabel Gracia-Mora Laura Cobos Mayra P érez-Tapia Juan C Almagro Source Type: research

Regulation of cellulase production via calcium signaling in Trichoderma reesei under PEG8000 stress
In this study, the effect of polyethylene glycol 8000 (PEG8000) stress on cellulase biosynthesis in Trichoderma reesei CICC2626 via calcium signaling was investigated, and a plausible mechanism by which intracellular Ca2+ regulates the transcription of cellulase genes was proposed. The results indicated that the total cellulase (filter paper-hydrolyzing activity [FPase]), endoglucanase (carboxymethyl cellulase activity [CMCase]), and β-glucosidase activities of the strain were 1.3-, 1.2-, and 1.3-fold higher than those of the control (no PEG8000 addition) at a final concentration of 1.5% (w/v) PEG8000. Moreover, the trans...
Source: Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology - January 26, 2024 Category: Microbiology Authors: Shuai Liu Lin Quan Mei Yang Dan Wang Yong-Zhong Wang Source Type: research

Yeast communities related to honeybees: occurrence and distribution in flowers, gut mycobiota, and bee products
In this study, a deep knowledge on yeast community characterizing the honeybees' environmental was carried out. For this, a total of 93 samples were collected: flowers as food sources, bee gut mycobiota, and bee products (bee pollen, bee bread, propolis), and processed using culture-dependent techniques and a molecular approach for identification. The occurrence of yeast populations was quantitatively similar among flowers, bee gut mycobiota, and bee products. Overall, 27 genera and 51 species were identified. Basidiomycetes genera were predominant in the flowers while the yeast genera detected in all environments were Aur...
Source: Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology - January 26, 2024 Category: Microbiology Authors: Alice Agarbati Silvia Gattucci Laura Canonico Maurizio Ciani Francesca Comitini Source Type: research

Humic acid biosynthesis and bacterial community evolution during aerobic composting of rice straw
In this study, the effects of inoculum ratio, substrate particle size and aeration rate on humic acid (HA) biosynthesis during aerobic composting of rice straw were investigated, respectively. The contents of total organic carbon, total nitrogen and HA, as well as lignocellulose degradation in the composting were evaluated, respectively. It is found that the maximal HA yield of 356.9 g kg-1 was obtained at an inoculum ratio of 20%, a substrate particle size of 0.83 mm and an aeration rate of 0.3 L·kg-1 DM min-1 in the process of composting. The changes of microbial communities and metabolic functions at different stages o...
Source: Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology - January 26, 2024 Category: Microbiology Authors: Yuwei Gao Shuai Liu Nan Wang Yong-Zhong Wang Source Type: research

Expression and purification of epinecidin-1 variant (Ac-Var-1) by acid cleavage
In this study, we bio-synthesized and purified a functional enhanced variant of the AMP epinecidin-1, known as Ac-Var-1 (acid-cleavable variant-1). To generate the active peptide, we cloned the gene for Ac-Var-1 with acid-cleavable site (aspartic acid-proline) into the pET-32a expression vector, purified the fusion protein by His tag enrichment chromatography, and performed acid cleavage to release the active Ac-Var-1 peptide. After acid cleavage, the active Ac-Var-1 was purified and characterized by SDS-PAGE and mass spectrometry. The results from both techniques provided confirmation of the intactness of the purified Ac-...
Source: Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology - January 26, 2024 Category: Microbiology Authors: Sivakumar Jeyarajan Ansu Susan Peter Aswathy Sathyan Sukumar Ranjith Indira Kandasamy Senbagam Duraisamy Prahalathan Chidambaram Anbarasu Kumarasamy Source Type: research

DNA methylases for site-selective inhibition of type IIS restriction enzyme activity
Appl Microbiol Biotechnol. 2024 Jan 25;108(1):174. doi: 10.1007/s00253-024-13015-7.ABSTRACTDNA methylases of the restriction-modifications (R-M) systems are promising enzymes for the development of novel molecular and synthetic biology tools. Their use in vitro enables the deployment of independent and controlled catalytic reactions. This work aimed to produce recombinant DNA methylases belonging to the R-M systems, capable of in vitro inhibition of the type IIS restriction enzymes BsaI, BpiI, or LguI. Non-switchable methylases are those whose recognition sequences fully overlap the recognition sequences of their associate...
Source: Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology - January 25, 2024 Category: Microbiology Authors: Carol N Flores-Fern ández Da Lin Katherine Robins Chris A O'Callaghan Source Type: research