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1.
Objectives
To improve the stability and sweetness of the sweet-tasting protein, monellin, by using site-directed mutagenesis and a Pichia pastoris expression system with a GAPDH constitutive promoter.Results
Both wild-type and E2 N mutant of single-chain monellin gene were cloned into the PGAPZαA vector and expressed in Pichia pastoris. The majority of the secreted recombinant protein, at 0.15 g/l supernatant, was monellin. This was purified by Sephadex G50 chromatography. The sweetness threshold of wild-type and E2 N were 30 μg/ml and 20 μg/ml, respectively. Compared with the proteins expressed in Escherichia coli, the thermostability of both proteins was improved. The N-terminal sequence is determinative for the sweetness of the proteins expressed in yeast strains.Conclusions
Site-directed mutagenesis, modification of the N-terminus of monellin, and without the need of methanol induction in P. pastoris expression system, indicate the possibility for large-scale production of this sweet-tasting protein.2.
Objectives
To investigate the contribution of direct electron transfer mechanisms to electricity production in microbial fuel cells by physically retaining Shewanella oneidensis cells close to or away from the anode electrode.Results
A maximum power output of 114 ± 6 mWm?2 was obtained when cells were retained close to the anode using a dialysis membrane. This was 3.5 times more than when the cells were separated away from the anode. Without the membrane the maximum power output was 129 ± 6 mWm?2. The direct mechanisms of electron transfer contributed significantly to overall electron transfer from S. oneidensis to electrodes, a result that was corroborated by another experiment where S. oneidensis cells were entrapped in alginate gels.Conclusion
S. oneidensis transfers electrons primarily by direct electron transfer as opposed to mediated electron transfer.3.
Objectives
To investigate the mode of action of leucocin K7 against Listeria monocytogenes and to assess its inhibitory effect on Lis. monocytogenes in refrigerated milk.Results
A bacteriocin-producing strain, Leuconostoc mesenteroides K7, was isolated from a fermented pickle. The bacteriocin, leucocin K7, exhibited antagonistic activity against Lis. monocytogenes with an MIC of 28 µg/ml. It was sensitive to proteaseS and displayed good thermal stability and broad active pH range. Leucocin K7 had no effect on the efflux of ATP from Lis. monocytogenes but triggered the efflux of K+ and the intracellular hydrolysis of ATP. It also dissipated the transmembrane electrical potential completely and transmembrane pH gradient partially. It 80 AU/ml inhibited the growth of Lis. monocytogenes by 2.3–3.9 log units in milk; when combined with glycine (5 mg/ml), it completely eliminated viable Lis. monocytogenes over 7 daysConclusion
Leucocin K7 shows different mode of action from nisin and may have potential application in milk preservation.4.
Ziv Dadon Assaf Cohen Yael M. Szterenlicht Marc V. Assous Yair Barzilay David Raveh-Brawer Amos M. Yinnon Gabriel Munter 《Annals of clinical microbiology and antimicrobials》2017,16(1):68
Background
Streptococcus gordonii is an infrequent cause of infective endocarditis (IE); associated spondylodiskitis has not yet been described in the literature.Purpose
We describe 2 patients who presented with new-onset, severe back pain; blood cultures revealed S. gordonii bacteremia, which led to the diagnosis of spondylodiskitis and IE. We review our 2-decade experience with S. gordonii bacteremia to describe the clinical and epidemiological characteristics of these patients.Results
In our hospital over the last 20 years (1998–2017), a total of 15 patients with S. gordonii bacteremia were diagnosed, including 11 men and 4 women, and the mean age was 65 ± 22 (range 23–95). The most common diagnosis was IE (9 patients), spondylodiskitis (the presented 2 patients, who in addition were diagnosed with endocarditis), necrotizing fasciitis (1), sternitis (1), septic arthritis (1) and pneumonia (1). The 11 patients with IE were treated with penicillin ± gentamicin, or ceftriaxone for 6 weeks, 5 required valve surgery and 10/11 (91%) attained complete cure. The 2 patients with diskitis required 2–3 months of intravenous antibiotics to achieve complete cure.Conclusion
Spondylodiskitis was the presenting symptom of 2/11 (18%) patients with S. gordonii endocarditis. Spondylodiskitis should probably be looked for in patients diagnosed with S. gordonii endocarditis and back pain as duration of antibiotic treatment to achieve complete cure may be considerably longer.5.
Deqiang Zhu Jianrong Wu Xiaobei Zhan Li Zhu Zhiyong Zheng Minjie Gao 《Biotechnology letters》2017,39(2):227-234
Objectives
N-Acetyl-d-neuraminic acid (Neu5Ac) is often synthesized from exogenous N-acetylglucosamine (GlcNAc) and excess pyruvate. We have previously constructed a recombinant Escherichia coli strain for Neu5Ac production using GlcNAc and intracellular phosphoenolpyruvate (PEP) as substrates (Zhu et al. Biotechnol Lett 38:1–9, 2016).Results
PEP synthesis-related genes, pck and ppsA, were overexpressed within different modes to construct PEP-supply modules, and their effects on Neu5Ac production were investigated. All the PEP-supply modules enhanced Neu5Ac production. For the best module, pCDF-pck-ppsA increased Neu5Ac production to 8.6 ± 0.15 g l?1, compared with 3.6 ± 0.15 g l?1 of the original strain. Neu5Ac production was further increased to 15 ± 0.33 g l?1 in a 1 l fermenter.Conclusions
The PEP-supply module can improve the intracellular PEP supply and enhance Neu5Ac production, which benefited industrial Neu5Ac production.6.
Changling Zhang Haifeng Pan Lingli Yao Wenna Bao Jinxin Wang Zhipeng Xie Jianguo Zhang 《Biotechnology letters》2016,38(8):1301-1306
Objectives
To enhance activity of cis-epoxysuccinate hydrolase from Klebsiella sp. BK-58 for converting cis-epoxysuccinate to tartrate.Results
By semi-saturation mutagenesis, all the mutants of the six important conserved residues almost completely lost activity. Then random mutation by error-prone PCR and high throughput screening were further performed to screen higher activity enzyme. We obtained a positive mutant F10D after screening 6000 mutations. Saturation mutagenesis on residues Phe10 showed that most of mutants exhibited higher activity than the wild-type, and the highest mutant was F10Q with activity of 812 U mg?1 (k cat /K m , 9.8 ± 0.1 mM?1 s?1), which was 230 % higher than that of wild-type enzyme 355 U mg?1 (k cat /K m , 5.3 ± 0.1 mM?1 s?1). However, the thermostability of the mutant F10Q slightly decreased.Conclusions
The catalytic activity of a cis-epoxysuccinate hydrolase was efficient improved by a single mutation F10Q and Phe10 might play an important role in the catalysis.7.
Objective
To re-engineer the active site of proteins for non-natural substrates using a position-based prediction method (PBPM).Results
The approach has been applied to re-engineer the E. coli glutamate dehydrogenase to alter its substrate from glutamate to homoserine for a de novo 1,3-propanediol biosynthetic pathway. After identification of key residues that determine the substrate specificity, residue K92 was selected as a candidate site for mutation. Among the three mutations (K92V, K92C, and K92M) suggested by PBPM, the specific activity of the best mutant (K92 V) was increased from 171 ± 35 to 1328 ± 71 μU mg?1.Conclusion
The PBPM approach has a high efficiency for re-engineering the substrate specificity of natural enzymes for new substrates.8.
Marco Graziano Raul Benito Josep V. Planas Arjan P. Palstra 《BMC developmental biology》2018,18(1):10
Background
Male European seabass, already predominant (~?70%) in cultured stocks, show a high incidence (20–30%) of precocious sexual maturation under current aquaculture practices, leading to important economic losses for the industry. In view of the known modulation of reproductive development by swimming exercise in other teleost species, we aimed at investigating the effects of sustained swimming on reproductive development in seabass males during the first year of life in order to determine if swimming could potentially reduce precocious sexual maturation.Methods
Pre-pubertal seabass (3.91?±?0.22 g of body weight (BW)) were subjected to a 10 week swimming regime at their optimal swimming speed (Uopt) in an oval-shaped Brett-type flume or kept at rest during this period. Using Blazka-type swim tunnels, Uopt was determined three times during the course of the experiment: 0.66 m s??1 at 19?±?1 g BW, 10.2?±?0.2 cm of standard length (SL) (week 1); 0.69 m s??1 at 38?±?3 g BW, 12.7?±?0.3 cm SL (week 5), and also 0.69 m s??1 at 77?±?7 g BW, 15.7?±?0.5 cm SL (week 9). Every 2 weeks, size and gonadal weight were monitored in the exercised (N?=?15) and non-exercised fish (N?=?15). After 10 weeks, exercised and non-exercised males were sampled to determine plasma 11-ketotestosterone levels, testicular mRNA expression levels of genes involved in steroidogenesis and gametogenesis by qPCR, as well as the relative abundance of germ cells representing the different spermatogenic stages by histological examination.Results
Our results indicate that sustained swimming exercise at Uopt delays testicular development in male European seabass as evidenced by decreased gonado-somatic index, slower progression of testicular development and by reduced mRNA expression levels of follicle stimulating hormone receptor (fshR), 3-beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase (3βhsd), 11-beta hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase (11βhsd), estrogen receptor-beta (erβ2), anti-mullerian hormone (amh), structural maintenance of chromosomes protein 1B (smc1β), inhibin beta A (inhba) and gonado-somal derived factor 1 (gsdf1) in exercised males as compared with the non-exercised males.Conclusions
Swimming exercise may represent a natural and non-invasive tool to reduce the incidence of sexually precocious males in seabass aquaculture.9.
10.
Andrelisse Arruda Viviane Castelo Branco Reis Vinícius Daniel Ferreira Batista Bruno Sahim Daher Luiza Cesca Piva Janice Lisboa De Marco Lidia Maria Pepe de Moraes Fernando Araripe Gonçalves Torres 《Biotechnology letters》2016,38(3):509-517
Objectives
To develop a new vector for constitutive expression in Pichia pastoris based on the endogenous glycolytic PGK1 promoter.Results
P. pastoris plasmids bearing at least 415 bp of PGK1 promoter sequences can be used to drive plasmid integration by addition at this locus without affecting cell growth. Based on this result, a new P. pastoris integrative vector, pPICK2, was constructed bearing some features that facilitate protein production in this yeast: a ~620 bp PGK1 promoter fragment with three options of restriction sites for plasmid linearization prior to yeast transformation: a codon-optimized α-factor secretion signal, a new polylinker, and the kan marker for vector propagation in bacteria and selection of yeast transformants.Conclusions
A new constitutive vector for P. pastoris represents an alternative platform for recombinant protein production and metabolic engineering purposes.11.
Tobias Lahmer Clarissa Prazeres da Costa Jürgen Held Sebastian Rasch Ursula Ehmer Roland M. Schmid Wolfgang Huber 《Mycopathologia》2017,182(7-8):701-708
Introduction
Pneumocystis jirovecii pneumonia (PCP) is a major cause of disease in immunocompromised individuals. Diagnosis is typically obtained by microscopy and/or PCR. For ambiguous PCR results, we evaluated the new biomarker 1,3-Beta-d-Glucan (BDG).Methods
BDG serum levels were assessed and correlated to PCR results in immunosuppressed patients with ARDS.Results
11 (22%) out of 50 patients had suspected PCP. APACHE II (26 vs. 24; p < 0.002), SOFA score (16 vs. 14; p < 0.010) and mortality rate (34 vs. 69% p < 0.004; 34 vs. 80% p < 0.003) were significantly altered in patients with positive (pPCR) and slightly positive (spPCR) PCJ PCR as compared to patients with no-PCP (nPCP). BDG levels were significantly lower in patients with nPCP (86; 30–315 pg/ml) than in patients with pPCR (589; 356–1000 pg/ml; p < 0.001) and spPCP (398; 297–516 pg/ml; p < 0.004) referring to the cutoff in this study for PCP of 275 pg/ml. An overall sensitivity (S) of 92% (95% CI 86–96%) and specificity (SP) of 84% (95% CI 79–85%) for PCP were found for the BDG Fungitell assay. In detail, S of 98% (95% CI 94–100%) and SP of 86% (95% CI 82–92%) for pPCP and S of 98% (95% CI 96–100%) and SP of 88% (95% CI 86–96%) for spPCO were found.Conclusion
Serum BDG levels were strongly elevated in PCP, and the negative predictive value is high. BDG could be used as a preliminary test for patients with suspected PCP, especially in patients with slightly positive PCR results.12.
Huihui Xu Yang Zhang Xin Feng Kunyuan Tie Yuan Cao Wenyu Han 《Biotechnology letters》2017,39(6):897-903
Objectives
To identify and characterize a novel antimicrobial peptide, catesbeianin-1.Results
Catesbeianin-1 is 25 amino acids long and is α-helical, cationic and amphipathic. It had antimicrobial activity against Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria. It was resistant against trypsin and pepsin. Catesbeianin-1 exhibited moderate hemolytic activity (approx 8%) at 100 μg/ml, and its HC50 (50% hemolytic concentration) was 300 μg/ml. Its cytotoxicity was approx 10–20% at 100 μg/ml, and its CC50 (50% cytotoxic concentration) was >100 μg/ml. The LD50 of catesbeianin-1 in mice was 80 mg/kg. At 3.1 µg/ml, catesbeianin-1 significantly inhibited the growth of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus.Conclusions
A new antimicrobial peptide from the skin of Lithobates catesbeianus (American bullfrog) may represent a template for the development of novel antimicrobial agents.13.
Xiaojie Duan Mingming Zheng Yu Liu Zhengqiang Jiang Shaoqing Yang 《Biotechnology letters》2016,38(12):2127-2135
Objectives
To identify novel cold-active lipases from fungal sources and improve their production by heterologous expression in Pichia pastoris.Results
A novel cold-active lipase gene (ReLipB) from Rhizomucor endophyticus was cloned. ReLipB was expressed at a high level in Pichia pastoris using high cell-density fermentation in a 5-l fermentor with the highest lipase activity of 1395 U/ml. The recombinant lipase (RelipB) was purified and biochemically characterized. ReLipB was most active at pH 7.5 and 25 °C. It was stable from pH 4.5–9.0. It exhibited broad substrate specificity towards p-nitrophenyl (pNP) esters (C2–C16) and triacylglycerols (C2–C12), showing the highest specific activities towards pNP laurate (231 U/mg) and tricaprylin (1840 U/mg), respectively. In addition, the enzyme displayed excellent stability with high concentrations of organic solvents including cyclohexane, n-hexane, n-heptane, isooctane and petroleum ester and surfactants.Conclusions
A novel cold-active lipase from Rhizomucor endophyticus was identified, expressed at a high level and biochemically characterized. The high yield and unique enzymatic properties make this lipase of some potential for industrial applications.14.
Aims
Despite extensive studies on effects of elevated CO2 concentration ([CO2]e) on plant growth, few studies have investigated the responses of native grassland plant species to [CO2]e in terms of nutrient acquisition.Methods
The effects of [CO2]e (769 ± 23 ppm) on Artemisia frigida and Stipa krylovii, two dominant species in Inner Mongolia steppe were investigated by growing them for 7 weeks in Open-Top Chambers (OTC).Results
Exposure to [CO2]e enhanced shoot and root growth of A. frigida and S. krylovii. Elevated [CO2] increased photosynthetic rates (Pn) by 34 % in A. frigida but decreased Pn by 52 % in S. krylovii. Moreover, root-secreted acid phosphatase activity in A. frigida was stimulated by [CO2]e, while exudation of malate from roots of S. krylovii was suppressed by [CO2]e. Exposure to [CO2]e led to a decrease in P concentration in shoots and roots of A. frigida and S. krylovii, but total amount of P accumulated in shoots and roots of both species was increased by [CO2]e.Conclusions
The two dominant species in temperate steppes differed in their responses to [CO2]e, such that A. frigida was more adapted to [CO2]e than S. krylovii under low availability of soil P.15.
Aim
To retrospectively investigate the epidemiology of cryptococcosis in Ljubljana, Slovenia.Methodology
Forty-six sequentially obtained isolates from 19 patients were subjected to amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP) genotyping, microsatellite typing, mating- and serotype PCRs and antifungal susceptibility testing.Results
Majority of the isolates were Cryptococcus deneoformans (n = 29/46; 63%) followed by Cryptococcus neoformans (n = 16/46; 34.8%) and their interspecies hybrid (n = 1/46; 2.2%). Mating-type α was predominant, two mating-type a C. deneoformans isolates and one mating-type a/α isolate were observed. Several mixed infections were found by microsatellite typing; one patient had a persisting C. deneoformans infection for > 2.5 years. For C. deneoformans, the in vitro antifungal MIC90 and susceptibility ranges were for amphotericin B 0.25 µg/ml (0.031–0.25 µg/ml), 5-fluorocytosine 0.25 µg/ml (0.063–4 µg/ml), fluconazole 8 µg/ml (0.5–16 µg/ml), voriconazole 0.063 µg/ml (0.008–0.125 µg/ml), posaconazole 0.063 µg/ml (0.008–0.063 µg/ml) and itraconazole 0.063 µg/ml (0.031–0.125 µg/ml). For C. neoformans, these values were for amphotericin B 0.25 µg/ml (0.063–0.5 µg/ml), 5-fluorocytosine 1 µg/ml (0.063–1 µg/ml), fluconazole 16 µg/ml (0.5–64 µg/ml), voriconazole 0.125 µg/ml (0.008–0.25 µg/ml), posaconazole 0.063 µg/ml (0.008–0.063 µg/ml) and itraconazole 0.063 µg/ml (0.031–0.125 µg/ml).Conclusions
Majority of the cases were caused by C. deneoformans; mating-type α was predominant. Several mixed infections were identified by AFLP genotyping and microsatellite typing. Despite antifungal therapy, a cryptococcal isolate could persist for years. Voriconazole, itraconazole and posaconazole were the most potent antifungal drugs.16.
Jiwei Mao Quanli Liu Xiaofei Song Hesuiyuan Wang Hui Feng Haijin Xu Mingqiang Qiao 《Biotechnology letters》2017,39(7):977-982
Objective
To identify new enzymatic bottlenecks of l-tyrosine pathway for further improving the production of l-tyrosine and its derivatives.Result
When ARO4 and ARO7 were deregulated by their feedback resistant derivatives in the host strains, the ARO2 and TYR1 genes, coding for chorismate synthase and prephenate dehydrogenase were further identified as new important rate-limiting steps. The yield of p-coumaric acid in the feedback-resistant strain overexpressing ARO2 or TYR1, was significantly increased from 6.4 to 16.2 and 15.3 mg l?1, respectively. Subsequently, we improved the strain by combinatorial engineering of pathway genes increasing the yield of p-coumaric acid by 12.5-fold (from 1.7 to 21.3 mg l?1) compared with the wild-type strain. Batch cultivations revealed that p-coumaric acid production was correlated with cell growth, and the formation of by-product acetate of the best producer NK-M6 increased to 31.1 mM whereas only 19.1 mM acetate was accumulated by the wild-type strain.Conclusion
Combinatorial metabolic engineering provides a new strategy for further improvement of l-tyrosine or other metabolic biosynthesis pathways in S. cerevisiae.17.
Objectives
To enhance acid tolerance of Candida glabrata for pyruvate production by engineering AMP metabolism.Results
The physiological function of AMP deaminase in AMP metabolism from C. glabrata was investigated by deleting or overexpresseing the corresponding gene, CgAMD1. At pH 4, CgAMD1 overexpression resulted in 59 and 51% increases in biomass and cell viability compared to those of wild type strain, respectively. In addition, the intracellular ATP level of strain Cgamd1Δ/CgAMD1 was down-regulated by 22%, which led to a 94% increase in pyruvate production. Further, various strengths of CgAMD1 expression cassettes were designed, thus resulting in a 59% increase in pyruvate production at pH 4. Strain Cgamd1Δ/CgAMD1 (H) was grown in a 30 l batch bioreactor at pH 4, and pyruvate reached 46.1 g/l.Conclusion
CgAMD1 overexpression plays an active role in improving acid tolerance and pyruvate fermentation performance of C. glabrata at pH 4.18.
Background
Takotsubo cardiomyopathy (TCC) is a transient condition characterised by severe left ventricular dysfunction combined with symptoms and signs mimicking myocardial infarction. Emotional triggers are common, but little is known about the psychological background characteristics of TCC. This study examined whether patients with TTC have higher levels of psychological distress (depressive symptoms, perceived stress, general anxiety), illness-related anxiety and distinct personality factors compared with healthy controls and patients with heart failure.Methods and Results
Patients with TCC (N = 18; mean age 68.3 ± 11.7 years, 77.8?% women) and two comparison groups (healthy controls: N = 19, age 60.0 ± 7.6, 68.4?% women and patients with chronic heart failure: N = 19, age 68.8 ± 10.1, 68.4?% women) completed standardised questionnaires to measure depression (PHQ?9), perceived stress (PSS-10), general anxiety (GAD-7), illness-related anxiety (WI-7) and personality factors (NEO-FFI and DS-14). Psychological measures were obtained at 23 ± 18 months following the acute TTC event. Results showed that patients with TCC had higher levels of depressive symptoms (5.2 ± 5.2 vs. 2.5 ± 2.4, p = 0.039) and illness-related anxiety (2.1 ± 1.7 vs. 0.7 ± 1.3, p = 0.005) compared with healthy controls. Patients with TCC did not display significantly elevated perceived stress (p = 0.072) or general anxiety (p = 0.170). Regarding personality factors, levels of openness were lower in TCC compared with healthy controls (34.2 ± 4.3 vs. 38.2 ± 5.6, p = 0.021). No differences between TCC and heart failure patients were found regarding the psychological measures.Conclusions
TCC is associated with higher levels of depressive symptoms, more illness-related anxiety and less openness compared with healthy controls. These data suggest that TCC is associated with adverse psychological factors that may persist well after the acute episode.19.
Grace C. Lee Ronald G. Hall Natalie K. Boyd Steven D. Dallas Liem C. Du Lucina B. Treviño Sylvia B. Treviño Chad Retzloff Kenneth A. Lawson James Wilson Randall J. Olsen Yufeng Wang Christopher R. Frei 《Annals of clinical microbiology and antimicrobials》2016,15(1):58
Background
The incidence of outpatient visits for skin and soft tissue infections (SSTIs) has substantially increased over the last decade. The emergence of community-associated methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (CA-MRSA) has made the management of S. aureus SSTIs complex and challenging. The objective of this study was to identify risk factors contributing to treatment failures associated with community-associated S. aureus skin and soft tissue infections SSTIs.Methods
This was a prospective, observational study among 14 primary care clinics within the South Texas Ambulatory Research Network. The primary outcome was treatment failure within 90 days of the initial visit. Univariate associations between the explanatory variables and treatment failure were examined. A generalized linear mixed-effect model was developed to identify independent risk factors associated with treatment failure.Results
Overall, 21% (22/106) patients with S. aureus SSTIs experienced treatment failure. The occurrence of treatment failure was similar among patients with methicillin-resistant S. aureus and those with methicillin-susceptible S. aureus SSTIs (19 vs. 24%; p = 0.70). Independent predictors of treatment failure among cases with S. aureus SSTIs was a duration of infection of ≥7 days prior to initial visit [aOR, 6.02 (95% CI 1.74–19.61)] and a lesion diameter size ≥5 cm [5.25 (1.58–17.20)].Conclusions
Predictors for treatment failure included a duration of infection for ≥7 days prior to the initial visit and a wound diameter of ≥5 cm. A heightened awareness of these risk factors could help direct targeted interventions in high-risk populations.20.
A.M. Otten J.P. Ottervanger T. Symersky H. Suryapranata M.J. de Boer A.H.E.M. Maas 《Netherlands heart journal》2016,24(9):520-529