Platform Engineering of Corynebacterium glutamicum with Reduced Pyruvate Dehydrogenase Complex Activity for Improved Production of l-Lysine,l-Valine,and 2-Ketoisovalerate

Exchange of the native Corynebacterium glutamicum promoter of the aceE gene, encoding the E1p subunit of the pyruvate dehydrogenase complex (PDHC), with mutated dapA promoter variants led to a series of C. glutamicum strains with gradually reduced growth rates and PDHC activities. Upon overexpression of the l-valine biosynthetic genes ilvBNCE, all strains produced l-valine. Among these strains, C. glutamicum aceE A16 (pJC4 ilvBNCE) showed the highest biomass and product yields, and thus it was further improved by additional deletion of the pqo and ppc genes, encoding pyruvate:quinone oxidoreductase and phosphoenolpyruvate carboxylase, respectively. In fed-batch fermentations at high cell densities, C. glutamicum aceE A16 Δpqo Δppc (pJC4 ilvBNCE) produced up to 738 mM (i.e., 86.5 g/liter) l-valine with an overall yield (Y_P/S) of 0.36 mol per mol of glucose and a volumetric productivity (Q_P) of 13.6 mM per h [1.6 g/(liter × h)]. Additional inactivation of the transaminase B gene (ilvE) and overexpression of ilvBNCD instead of ilvBNCE transformed the l-valine-producing strain into a 2-ketoisovalerate producer, excreting up to 303 mM (35 g/liter) 2-ketoisovalerate with a Y_P/S of 0.24 mol per mol of glucose and a Q_P of 6.9 mM per h [0.8 g/(liter × h)]. The replacement of the aceE promoter by the dapA-A16 promoter in the two C. glutamicum l-lysine producers DM1800 and DM1933 improved the production by 100% and 44%, respectively. These results demonstrate that C. glutamicum strains with reduced PDHC activity are an excellent platform for the production of pyruvate-derived products.     

Quorum sensing governs a transmissive Legionella subpopulation at the pathogen vacuole periphery

The Gram‐negative bacterium Legionella pneumophila is the causative agent of Legionnaires'' disease and replicates in amoebae and macrophages within a distinct compartment, the Legionella‐containing vacuole (LCV). The facultative intracellular pathogen switches between a replicative, non‐virulent and a non‐replicating, virulent/transmissive phase. Here, we show on a single‐cell level that at late stages of infection, individual motile (P_flaA‐GFP‐positive) and virulent (P_ralF‐ and P_sidC‐GFP‐positive) L. pneumophila emerge in the cluster of non‐growing bacteria within an LCV. Comparative proteomics of P_flaA‐GFP‐positive and P_flaA‐GFP‐negative L. pneumophila subpopulations reveals distinct proteomes with flagellar proteins or cell division proteins being preferentially produced by the former or the latter, respectively. Toward the end of an infection cycle (˜ 48 h), the P_flaA‐GFP‐positive L. pneumophila subpopulation emerges at the cluster periphery, predominantly escapes the LCV, and spreads from the bursting host cell. These processes are mediated by the Legionella quorum sensing (Lqs) system. Thus, quorum sensing regulates the emergence of a subpopulation of transmissive L. pneumophila at the LCV periphery, and phenotypic heterogeneity underlies the intravacuolar bi‐phasic life cycle of L. pneumophila.     

Phylogeography of sugar kelp: Northern ice‐age refugia in the Gulf of Alaska

Many Northeast (NE) Pacific fishes and invertebrates survived Pleistocene glaciations in northern refugia, but the extent that kelps survived in northern areas is uncertain. Here, we test the hypothesis that populations of sugar kelp (Saccharina latissima) persisted in the Gulf of Alaska during ice‐age maxima when the western margin of the Cordilleran ice sheet covered coastal areas around the NE Pacific Ocean. We estimated genetic diversities within and phylogeographical relationships among 14 populations along 2,800 km in the NE Pacific and Bering Sea with partial sequences of mitochondrial DNA 5′‐cytochrome oxidase subunit I (COI, bp = 624, n = 543), chloroplast DNA ribulose‐1,5‐bisphosphate carboxylase large subunit‐3′ (rbcL, bp = 735, n = 514), and 11 microsatellite loci. Concatenated sequences of rbcL and COI showed moderate levels of within‐population genetic diversity (mean h = 0.200) but substantial differences among populations (Φ_ST = 0.834, p < .0001). Microsatellites showed moderate levels of heterozygosity within populations (mean H _E = 0.391). Kelps in the same organellar lineage tended to cluster together, regardless of geographic origins, as indicated in a principal coordinate analysis (PCoA) of microsatellite genotypes. The PCoA also showed evidence of nuclear hybridizations between co‐occurring organellar lineages. Individual admixture plots with population clusters of K = 2, 6, and 9 showed increasing complexity with considerable historical admixture between some clusters. A time‐calibrated phylogeny placed divergences between rbcL‐COI lineages at 1.4 million years at most. The time frames of mutation in the rbcL‐COI lineages and microsatellite population clusters differed among locations. The existence of ancient lineages in the Gulf of Alaska, moderate levels of genetic diversity, and the absence of departures from neutrality are consistent with northern refugia during multiple Croll‐Milankovitch climate cycles in the Pleistocene Epoch.     

Limited heat tolerance in an Arctic passerine: Thermoregulatory implications for cold‐specialized birds in a rapidly warming world

1. Arctic animals inhabit some of the coldest environments on the planet and have evolved physiological mechanisms for minimizing heat loss under extreme cold. However, the Arctic is warming faster than the global average and how well Arctic animals tolerate even moderately high air temperatures (T _a) is unknown.
2. Using flow‐through respirometry, we investigated the heat tolerance and evaporative cooling capacity of snow buntings (Plectrophenax nivalis; ≈31 g, N = 42), a cold specialist, Arctic songbird. We exposed buntings to increasing T _a and measured body temperature (T _b), resting metabolic rate (RMR), rates of evaporative water loss (EWL), and evaporative cooling efficiency (the ratio of evaporative heat loss to metabolic heat production).
3. Buntings had an average (±SD) T _b of 41.3 ± 0.2°C at thermoneutral T _a and increased T _b to a maximum of 43.5 ± 0.3°C. Buntings started panting at T _a of 33.2 ± 1.7°C, with rapid increases in EWL starting at T _a = 34.6°C, meaning they experienced heat stress when air temperatures were well below their body temperature. Maximum rates of EWL were only 2.9× baseline rates at thermoneutral T _a, a markedly lower increase than seen in more heat‐tolerant arid‐zone species (e.g., ≥4.7× baseline rates). Heat‐stressed buntings also had low evaporative cooling efficiencies, with 95% of individuals unable to evaporatively dissipate an amount of heat equivalent to their own metabolic heat production.
4. Our results suggest that buntings’ well‐developed cold tolerance may come at the cost of reduced heat tolerance. As the Arctic warms, and this and other species experience increased periods of heat stress, a limited capacity for evaporative cooling may force birds to increasingly rely on behavioral thermoregulation, such as minimizing activity, at the expense of diminished performance or reproductive investment.

     

Increasing skeletal muscle carnitine content in older individuals increases whole‐body fat oxidation during moderate‐intensity exercise

Intramyocellular lipid (IMCL) utilization is impaired in older individuals, and IMCL accumulation is associated with insulin resistance. We hypothesized that increasing muscle total carnitine content in older men would increase fat oxidation and IMCL utilization during exercise, and improve insulin sensitivity. Fourteen healthy older men (69 ± 1 year, BMI 26.5 ± 0.8 kg/m²) performed 1 h of cycling at 50% VO₂max and, on a separate occasion, underwent a 60 mU/m²/min euglycaemic hyperinsulinaemic clamp before and after 25 weeks of daily ingestion of a 220 ml insulinogenic beverage (44.4 g carbohydrate, 13.8 g protein) containing 4.5 g placebo (n = 7) or L‐carnitine L‐tartrate (n = 7). During supplementation, participants performed twice‐weekly cycling for 1 h at 50% VO₂max. Placebo ingestion had no effect on muscle carnitine content or total fat oxidation during exercise at 50% VO₂max. L‐carnitine supplementation resulted in a 20% increase in muscle total carnitine content (20.1 ± 1.2 to 23.9 ± 1.7 mmol/kg/dm; p < 0.01) and a 20% increase in total fat oxidation (181.1 ± 15.0 to 220.4 ± 19.6 J/kg lbm/min; p < 0.01), predominantly due to increased IMCL utilization. These changes were associated with increased expression of genes involved in fat metabolism (ACAT1, DGKD & PLIN2; p < 0.05). There was no change in resting insulin‐stimulated whole‐body or skeletal muscle glucose disposal after supplementation. This is the first study to demonstrate that a carnitine‐mediated increase in fat oxidation is achievable in older individuals. This warrants further investigation given reduced lipid turnover is associated with poor metabolic health in older adults.     

Neuroprotective effects on microglia and insights into the structure–activity relationship of an antioxidant peptide isolated from Pelophylax perezi

Tryptophyllins constitute a heterogeneous group of peptides that are one of the first classes of peptides identified from amphibian’s skin secretions. Here, we report the structural characterization and antioxidant properties of a novel tryptophyllin‐like peptide, named PpT‐2, isolated from the Iberian green frog Pelophylax perezi. The skin secretion of P. perezi was obtained by electrical stimulation and fractionated using RP‐HPLC. De novo peptide sequencing was conducted using MALDI MS/MS. The primary structure of PpT‐2 (FPWLLS‐NH₂) was confirmed by Edman degradation and subsequently investigated using in silico tools. PpT‐2 shared physicochemical properties with other well‐known antioxidants. To test PpT‐2 for antioxidant activity in vitro, the peptide was synthesized by solid phase and assessed in the chemical‐based ABTS and DPPH scavenging assays. Then, a flow cytometry experiment was conducted to assess PpT‐2 antioxidant activity in oxidatively challenged murine microglial cells. As predicted by the in silico analyses, PpT‐2 scavenged free radicals in vitro and suppressed the generation of reactive species in PMA‐stimulated BV‐2 microglia cells. We further explored possible bioactivities of PpT‐2 against prostate cancer cells and bacteria, against which the peptide exerted a moderate antiproliferative effect and negligible antimicrobial activity. The biocompatibility of PpT‐2 was evaluated in cytotoxicity assays and in vivo toxicity with Galleria mellonella. No toxicity was detected in cells treated with up to 512 µg/ml and in G. mellonella treated with up to 40 mg/kg PpT‐2. This novel peptide, PpT‐2, stands as a promising peptide with potential therapeutic and biotechnological applications, mainly for the treatment/prevention of neurodegenerative disorders.     

Integrative analysis of clinical and epigenetic biomarkers of mortality

DNA methylation (DNAm) has been reported to be associated with many diseases and with mortality. We hypothesized that the integration of DNAm with clinical risk factors would improve mortality prediction. We performed an epigenome‐wide association study of whole blood DNAm in relation to mortality in 15 cohorts (n = 15,013). During a mean follow‐up of 10 years, there were 4314 deaths from all causes including 1235 cardiovascular disease (CVD) deaths and 868 cancer deaths. Ancestry‐stratified meta‐analysis of all‐cause mortality identified 163 CpGs in European ancestry (EA) and 17 in African ancestry (AA) participants at p < 1 × 10⁻⁷, of which 41 (EA) and 16 (AA) were also associated with CVD death, and 15 (EA) and 9 (AA) with cancer death. We built DNAm‐based prediction models for all‐cause mortality that predicted mortality risk after adjusting for clinical risk factors. The mortality prediction model trained by integrating DNAm with clinical risk factors showed an improvement in prediction of cancer death with 5% increase in the C‐index in a replication cohort, compared with the model including clinical risk factors alone. Mendelian randomization identified 15 putatively causal CpGs in relation to longevity, CVD, or cancer risk. For example, cg06885782 (in KCNQ4) was positively associated with risk for prostate cancer (Beta = 1.2, P _MR = 4.1 × 10⁻⁴) and negatively associated with longevity (Beta = −1.9, P _MR = 0.02). Pathway analysis revealed that genes associated with mortality‐related CpGs are enriched for immune‐ and cancer‐related pathways. We identified replicable DNAm signatures of mortality and demonstrated the potential utility of CpGs as informative biomarkers for prediction of mortality risk.     

Corynebacterium glutamicum tailored for efficient isobutanol production

We recently engineered Corynebacterium glutamicum for aerobic production of 2-ketoisovalerate by inactivation of the pyruvate dehydrogenase complex, pyruvate:quinone oxidoreductase, transaminase B, and additional overexpression of the ilvBNCD genes, encoding acetohydroxyacid synthase, acetohydroxyacid isomeroreductase, and dihydroxyacid dehydratase. Based on this strain, we engineered C. glutamicum for the production of isobutanol from glucose under oxygen deprivation conditions by inactivation of l-lactate and malate dehydrogenases, implementation of ketoacid decarboxylase from Lactococcus lactis, alcohol dehydrogenase 2 (ADH2) from Saccharomyces cerevisiae, and expression of the pntAB transhydrogenase genes from Escherichia coli. The resulting strain produced isobutanol with a substrate-specific yield (Y_P/S) of 0.60 ± 0.02 mol per mol of glucose. Interestingly, a chromosomally encoded alcohol dehydrogenase rather than the plasmid-encoded ADH2 from S. cerevisiae was involved in isobutanol formation with C. glutamicum, and overexpression of the corresponding adhA gene increased the Y_P/S to 0.77 ± 0.01 mol of isobutanol per mol of glucose. Inactivation of the malic enzyme significantly reduced the Y_P/S, indicating that the metabolic cycle consisting of pyruvate and/or phosphoenolpyruvate carboxylase, malate dehydrogenase, and malic enzyme is responsible for the conversion of NADH+H⁺ to NADPH+H⁺. In fed-batch fermentations with an aerobic growth phase and an oxygen-depleted production phase, the most promising strain, C. glutamicum ΔaceE Δpqo ΔilvE ΔldhA Δmdh(pJC4ilvBNCD-pntAB)(pBB1kivd-adhA), produced about 175 mM isobutanol, with a volumetric productivity of 4.4 mM h⁻¹, and showed an overall Y_P/S of about 0.48 mol per mol of glucose in the production phase.     

3,6'‐disinapoyl sucrose attenuates Aβ1‐42‐ induced neurotoxicity in Caenorhabditis elegans by enhancing antioxidation and regulating autophagy

The aggregation of β‐amyloid (Aβ) has the neurotoxicity, which is thought to play critical role in the pathogenesis of Alzheimer''s disease (AD). Inhibiting Aβ deposition and neurotoxicity has been considered as an important strategy for AD treatment. 3,6''‐Disinapoyl sucrose (DISS), one of the oligosaccharide esters derived from traditional Chinese medicine Polygalae Radix, possesses antioxidative activity, neuroprotective effect and anti‐depressive activity. This study was to explore whether DISS could attenuate the pathological changes of Aβ_1‐42 transgenic Caenorhabditis elegans (C. elegans). The results showed that DISS (5 and 50 μM) treatment significantly prolonged the life span, increased the number of egg‐laying, reduced paralysis rate, decreased the levels of lipofuscin and ROS and attenuated Aβ deposition in Aβ_1‐42 transgenic C. elegans. Gene analysis showed that DISS could up‐regulate the mRNA expression of sod‐3, gst‐4, daf‐16, bec‐1 and lgg‐1, while down‐regulate the mRNA expression of daf‐2 and daf‐15 in Aβ_1‐42 transgenic C. elegans. These results suggested that DISS has the protective effect against Aβ_1‐42‐induced pathological damages and prolongs the life span of C. elegans, which may be related to the reduction of Aβ deposition and neurotoxicity by regulating expression of genes related to antioxidation and autophagy.     

Multiple coping strategies maintain stability of a small mammal population in a resource‐restricted environment

In semi‐arid environments, aperiodic rainfall pulses determine plant production and resource availability for higher trophic levels, creating strong bottom‐up regulation. The influence of climatic factors on population vital rates often shapes the dynamics of small mammal populations in such resource‐restricted environments. Using a 21‐year biannual capture–recapture dataset (1993 to 2014), we examined the impacts of climatic factors on the population dynamics of the brush mouse (Peromyscus boylii) in semi‐arid oak woodland of coastal‐central California. We applied Pradel''s temporal symmetry model to estimate capture probability (p), apparent survival (φ), recruitment (f), and realized population growth rate (λ) of the brush mouse and examined the effects of temperature, rainfall, and El Niño on these demographic parameters. The population was stable during the study period with a monthly realized population growth rate of 0.993 ± SE 0.032, but growth varied over time from 0.680 ± 0.054 to 1.450 ± 0.083. Monthly survival estimates averaged 0.789 ± 0.005 and monthly recruitment estimates averaged 0.175 ± 0.038. Survival probability and realized population growth rate were positively correlated with rainfall and negatively correlated with temperature. In contrast, recruitment was negatively correlated with rainfall and positively correlated with temperature. Brush mice maintained their population through multiple coping strategies, with high recruitment during warmer and drier periods and higher survival during cooler and wetter conditions. Although climatic change in coastal‐central California will likely favor recruitment over survival, varying strategies may serve as a mechanism by which brush mice maintain resilience in the face of climate change. Our results indicate that rainfall and temperature are both important drivers of brush mouse population dynamics and will play a significant role in predicting the future viability of brush mice under a changing climate.     

Grass bud responses to fire in a semiarid savanna system

Increasingly, land managers have attempted to use extreme prescribed fire as a method to address woody plant encroachment in savanna ecosystems. The effect that these fires have on herbaceous vegetation is poorly understood. We experimentally examined immediate (<24 hr) bud response of two dominant graminoids, a C₃ caespitose grass, Nassella leucotricha, and a C₄ stoloniferous grass, Hilaria belangeri, following fires of varying energy (J/m²) in a semiarid savanna in the Edwards Plateau ecoregion of Texas. Treatments included high‐ and low‐energy fires determined by contrasting fuel loading and a no burn (control) treatment. Belowground axillary buds were counted and their activities classified to determine immediate effects of fire energy on bud activity, dormancy, and mortality. High‐energy burns resulted in immediate mortality of N. leucotricha and H. belangeri buds (p < .05). Active buds decreased following high‐energy and low‐energy burns for both species (p < .05). In contrast, bud activity, dormancy, and mortality remained constant in the control. In the high‐energy treatment, 100% (n = 24) of N. leucotricha individuals resprouted while only 25% (n = 24) of H. belangeri individuals resprouted (p < .0001) 3 weeks following treatment application. Bud depths differed between species and may account for this divergence, with average bud depths for N. leucotricha 1.3 cm deeper than H. belangeri (p < .0001). Synthesis and applications: Our results suggest that fire energy directly affects bud activity and mortality through soil heating for these two species. It is imperative to understand how fire energy impacts the bud banks of grasses to better predict grass response to increased use of extreme prescribed fire in land management.     

Dynamics of NK,CD8 and Tfh cell mediated the production of cytokines and antiviral antibodies in Chinese patients with moderate COVID‐19

Recent studies have demonstrated a marked decrease in peripheral lymphocyte levels in patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS‐CoV‐2). Few studies have focused on the changes of NK, T‐ and B‐cell subsets, inflammatory cytokines and virus‐specific antibodies in patients with moderate COVID‐19. A total of 11 RT‐PCR‐confirmed convalescent patients with COVID‐19 and 11 patients with non‐SARS‐CoV‐2 pneumonia (control patients) were enrolled in this study. NK, CD8⁺ T, CD4⁺ T, Tfh‐like and B‐cell subsets were analysed using flow cytometry. Cytokines and SARS‐CoV‐2‐specific antibodies were analysed using an electrochemiluminescence immunoassay. NK cell counts were significantly higher in patients with COVID‐19 than in control patients (P = 0.017). Effector memory CD8⁺ T‐cell counts significantly increased in patients with COVID‐19 during a convalescent period of 1 week (P = 0.041). TIM‐3⁺ Tfh‐like cell and CD226⁺ Tfh‐like cell counts significantly increased (P = 0.027) and decreased (P = 0.022), respectively, during the same period. Moreover, ICOS⁺ Tfh‐like cell counts tended to decrease (P = 0.074). No abnormal increase in cytokine levels was observed. The high expression of NK cells is important in innate immune response against SARS‐CoV‐2. The increase in effector memory CD8⁺ T‐cell counts, the up‐regulation of inhibitory molecules and the down‐regulation of active molecules on CD4⁺ T cells and Tfh‐like cells in patients with COVID‐19 would benefit the maintenance of balanced cellular and humoural immune responses, may prevent the development of severe cases and contribute to the recovery of patients with COVID‐19.     

What,how, and how much do herbivores eat? The Continuous Bite Monitoring method for assessing forage intake of grazing animals

Determining herbage intake is pivotal for studies on grazing ecology. Direct observation of animals allows describing the interactions of animals with the pastoral environment along the complex grazing process. The objectives of the study were to evaluate the reliability of the continuous bite monitoring (CBM) method in determining herbage intake in grazing sheep compared to the standard double‐weighing technique method during 45‐min feeding bouts; evaluate the degree of agreement between the two techniques; and to test the effect of different potential sources of variation on the reliability of the CBM. The CBM method has been used to describe the intake behavior of grazing herbivores. In this study, we evaluated a new approach to this method, that is, whether it is a good proxy for determining the intake of grazing animals. Three experiments with grazing sheep were carried out in which we tested for different sources of variations, such as the number of observers, level of detail of bite coding grid, forage species, forage allowance, sward surface height heterogeneity, experiment site, and animal weight, to determine the short‐term intake rate (45 min). Observer (P_exp1  = 0.018, P_exp2  = 0.078, and P_exp3  = 0.006), sward surface height (P_exp2  < 0.001), total number of bites observed per grazing session (P_exp2  < 0.001 and P_exp3  < 0.001), and sward depletion (P_exp3  < 0.001) were found to affect the absolute error of intake estimation. The results showed a high correlation and agreement between the two methods in the three experiments, although intake was overestimation by CBM on experiments 2 and 3 (181.38 and 214.24 units, respectively). This outcome indicates the potential of CBM to determining forage intake with the benefit of a greater level of detail on foraging patterns and components of the diet. Furthermore, direct observation is not invasive nor disrupts natural animal behavior.     

Homolactate Fermentation by Metabolically Engineered Escherichia coli Strains

We report the homofermentative production of lactate in Escherichia coli strains containing mutations in the aceEF, pfl, poxB, and pps genes, which encode the pyruvate dehydrogenase complex, pyruvate formate lyase, pyruvate oxidase, and phosphoenolpyruvate synthase, respectively. The process uses a defined medium and two distinct fermentation phases: aerobic growth to an optical density of about 30, followed by nongrowth, anaerobic production. Strain YYC202 (aceEF pfl poxB pps) generated 90 g/liter lactate in 16 h during the anaerobic phase (with a yield of 0.95 g/g and a productivity of 5.6 g/liter · h). Ca(OH)₂ was found to be superior to NaOH for pH control, and interestingly, significant succinate also accumulated (over 7 g/liter) despite the use of N₂ for maintaining anaerobic conditions. Strain ALS961 (YYC202 ppc) prevented succinate accumulation, but growth was very poor. Strain ALS974 (YYC202 frdABCD) reduced succinate formation by 70% to less than 3 g/liter. ¹³C nuclear magnetic resonance analysis using uniformly labeled acetate demonstrated that succinate formation by ALS974 was biochemically derived from acetate in the medium. The absence of uniformly labeled succinate, however, demonstrated that glyoxylate did not reenter the tricarboxylic acid cycle via oxaloacetate. By minimizing the residual acetate at the time that the production phase commenced, the process with ALS974 achieved 138 g/liter lactate (1.55 M, 97% of the carbon products), with a yield of 0.99 g/g and a productivity of 6.3 g/liter · h during the anaerobic phase.     

Measuring how two proteins affect each other's net charge in a crowded environment

Theory predicts that the net charge (Z) of a protein can be altered by the net charge of a neighboring protein as the two approach one another below the Debye length. This type of charge regulation suggests that a protein''s charge and perhaps function might be affected by neighboring proteins without direct binding. Charge regulation during protein crowding has never been directly measured due to analytical challenges. Here, we show that lysine specific protein crosslinkers (NHS ester‐Staudinger pairs) can be used to mimic crowding by linking two non‐interacting proteins at a maximal distance of ~7.9 Å. The net charge of the regioisomeric dimers and preceding monomers can then be determined with lysine‐acyl “protein charge ladders” and capillary electrophoresis. As a proof of concept, we covalently linked myoglobin (Z _monomer = −0.43 ± 0.01) and α‐lactalbumin (Z _monomer = −4.63 ± 0.05). Amide hydrogen/deuterium exchange and circular dichroism spectroscopy demonstrated that crosslinking did not significantly alter the structure of either protein or result in direct binding (thus mimicking crowding). Ultimately, capillary electrophoretic analysis of the dimeric charge ladder detected a change in charge of ΔZ = −0.04 ± 0.09 upon crowding by this pair (Z _dimer = −5.10 ± 0.07). These small values of ΔZ are not necessarily general to protein crowding (qualitatively or quantitatively) but will vary per protein size, charge, and solvent conditions.     

Exposure to a fungal pathogen increases the critical thermal minimum of two frog species

The ability of an organism to tolerate seasonal temperature changes, such as extremely cold temperatures during the winter, can be influenced by their pathogens. We tested how exposure to a virulent fungal pathogen, Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd), affected the critical thermal minimum (CT_min) of two frog species, Hyla versicolor (gray treefrog) and Lithobates palustris (pickerel frog). The CT_min is the minimum thermal performance point of an organism, which we estimated via righting response trials. For both frog species, we compared the righting response of Bd‐exposed and Bd‐unexposed individuals in either a constant (15ºC) environment or with decreasing temperatures (−1°C/2.5 min) starting from 15°C. The CT_min for both species was higher for Bd‐exposed frogs than unexposed frogs, and the CT_min of H. versicolor was higher than L. palustris. We also found that Bd‐exposed frogs of both species righted themselves significantly fewer times in both decreasing and constant temperature trials. Our findings show that pathogen exposure can reduce cold tolerance and limit the thermal performance range of hosts, which may lead to increased overwintering mortality.     

A novel multikinase inhibitor SKLB‐YTH‐60 ameliorates inflammation and fibrosis in bleomycin‐induced lung fibrosis mouse models

ObjectivesIdiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is marked by the excessive accumulation of extracellular matrix, which participates in a variety of chronic diseases or injuries and seriously threatens human health. Due to the side effects of clinical drugs, there is still a need to develop novel and less toxic drugs to treat pulmonary fibrosis.Materials and MethodsSKLB‐YTH‐60 was developed through computer‐aided drug design, de novo synthesis and high‐throughput screening. We employed the bleomycin (BLM)‐induced lung fibrosis animal models and used TGF‐β₁ to induce the epithelial‐mesenchymal transition (EMT) of A549 cells in vitro. Meanwhile, the protein expression of collagen I and the α‐smooth muscle actin (α‐SMA), E‐cadherin, p‐FGFR1, p‐PLCγ, p‐Smad2/3 and p‐Erk1/2 was detected by western blot.ResultsYTH‐60 has obvious anti‐proliferative activity on fibroblasts and A549 cells. Moreover, YTH‐60 could impair the EMT of A549 cells and suppressed fibrosis by inhibiting FGFR and TGF‐β/Smad‐dependent pathways. Intraperitoneal administration of preventive YTH‐60 could significantly reduce the degree of fibrosis in mice and regulate the imbalance of the immune microenvironment. In addition, we observed that therapeutic YTH‐60 treatment attenuated fibrotic changes in mice during the period of fibrosis. Importantly, YTH‐60 has shown an acceptable oral bioavailability (F = 17.86%) and appropriate eliminated half‐life time (T _1/2 = 8.03 hours).ConclusionsTaken together, these preclinical evaluations suggested that YTH‐60 could be a promising drug candidate for treating IPF.     

Coupling the fermentation and membrane separation process for polyamides monomer cadaverine production from feedstock lysine

Nylon is a polyamide material with excellent performance used widely in the aviation and automobile industries, and other fields. Nylon monomers such as hexamethylene diamine and other monomers are in huge demand. Therefore, in order to expand the methods of nylon production, we tried to develop alternative bio‐manufacturing processes which would make a positive contribution to the nylon industry. In this study, the engineered E. coli‐overexpressing Lysine decarboxylases (LDCs) were used for the bioconversion of l‐lysine to cadaverine. An integrated fermentation and microfiltration (MF) process for high‐level cadaverine production by E. coli was established. Concentration was increased from 87 to 263.6 g/L cadaverine after six batch coupling with a productivity of 3.65 g/L‐h. The cadaverine concentration was also increased significantly from 0.43 g cadaverine/g l‐lysine to 0.88 g cadaverine/g l‐lysine by repeated batch fermentation. These experimental results indicate that coupling the fermentation and membrane separation process could benefit the continuous production of cadaverine at high levels.     

Genome‐wide selective detection of Mile red‐bone goat using next‐generation sequencing technology

The ecotype population of goats (Capra hircus) was created by long‐term artificial selection and natural adaptation. Mile red‐bone goat is an indigenous breed with visible red bones, and its special bone structure has received extensive attention. This study aimed to identify genetic variants and candidate genes associated with specific bone phenotypes using next‐generation sequencing technology (NGS). The results revealed that 31,828,206 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were obtained from 72 goats (20 Mile red‐bone goats and 52 common goats) by NGS. A total of 100 candidate genes were identified on the basis top 1% window interaction from nucleotide diversity (π), π ratio (π _A/π _B), and pairwise fixation index (F _ST). Exactly 77 known signaling pathways were enriched. Specifically, three coding genes (NMNAT2, LOC102172983, and PNLIP) were annotated in the vitamin metabolism signaling pathways, and NCF2 was annotated to the osteoclast (OC) differentiation pathway. Furthermore, 5862 reliable copy number variations (CNVs) were obtained, and 14 and 24 genes were annotated with the top 1‰ CNV based on F _ST (>0.490) and V _ST (>0.527), respectively. Several pathways related to bone development and metabolism of exogenous substances in vivo, including calcium signaling pathway, OC differentiation, and glycerophospholipid metabolism, were annotated. Specifically, six genes from 19 candidate CNVs, which were obtained by interaction of the top 1‰ CNVs with F _ST and V _ST, were annotated to mucin‐type O‐glycan biosynthesis and metabolic pathways. Briefly, the results implied that pseudopurpurin and specific genetic variants work together to contribute to the red‐bone color and specific bone structure of Mile red‐bone goat. This study is helpful to understanding the genetic basis of the unique bone phenotype of Mile red‐bone goats.