The role of N-glycosylation sites in the activity,stability, and expression of the recombinant elastase expressed by Pichia pastoris

The Pseudomonas aeruginosa elastase (PAE), produced by Pseudomonas aeruginosa (P. aeruginosa), is a promising biocatalyst for peptide synthesis in organic solvents. As P. aeruginosa is an opportunistic pathogen, the enzyme has been heterologously over-expressed in the safe and efficient host, Pichia pastoris (P. pastoris) for its industrial application. The recombinant elastase (rPAE) contains three potential N-glycosylation sites (Asn-Xaa-Ser/Thr consensus sequences), and is heterogeneously N-glycosylated. To investigate the role of N-glycosylation in the activity, stability, and expression of rPAE, these potential N-glycosylation sites (N43, N212, and N280) were mutated using site-directed mutagenesis. Specifically the asparagine (Asn, N) residues were converted to glutamine (Gln, Q). The enzymatic activity and stability of non-glycosylated and glycosylated rPAE were then compared. The results indicated that the influence of N-glycosylation on its activity was insignificant. The non- and glycosylated isoforms of rPAE displayed similar kinetic parameters for hydrolyzing casein in aqueous medium, and when catalyzing bipeptide synthesis in 50% (v/v) DMSO, they exhibited identical substrate specificity and activity, and produced similar yields. However, N-glycosylation improved rPAE stability both in aqueous medium and in 50% (v/v) organic solvents. The half-lives of the glycosylated and non-glycosylated forms of rPAE at 70 °C were 32.2 and 23.1 min, respectively. Mutation of any potential N-glycosylation site was detrimental to its expression in P. pastoris. There was a 23.9% decrease in expression of the N43Q mutant, 63.6% of the N212Q mutant, and 63.7% of the N280Q mutant compared with the wild type. Furthermore, combined mutation of these sites resulted in an additional decrease in the caseinolytic activities of the mutants. These results indicated that all of the N-glycosylation sites were necessary for high-level expression of rPAE.     

Hydroxyproline-O-glycosylated peptide tags enhance recombinant protein yields in tobacco transient expression

Plant transient expression provides a rapid production platform for recombinant proteins but is linked with low protein yields. To test if plant-specific hydroxyproline (Hyp)-O-glycosylated peptide tags attached to a target protein can improve overall yields of recombinant protein transiently expressed in Nicotiana benthamiana, enhanced green fluorescence protein (EGFP) was expressed as a fusion with 5 or 32 tandem repeats of a serine–proline motif, designated (SP)₅ or (SP)₃₂, which is known to direct extensive Hyp-O-glycosylation in plants. EGFP containing the (SP)_n motif showed enhanced yields in the order as follows: EGFP < EGFP-(SP)₅ ≪ (SP)₅-EGFP < (SP)₃₂-EGFP. The EGFP equivalent yield of (SP)₃₂-EGFP was up to 16-fold greater than that of the EGFP control. In addition, both fully glycosylated (SP)₃₂-EGFP (∼115 kDa) and partially glycosylated (SP)₃₂-EGFP (∼40 kDa) were detected in protein extracts of N. benthamiana. These two types of glycoforms were completely segregated between media and cells in tobacco BY-2 cell cultures.     

Secretory expression and characterization of a novel peroxiredoxin for zearalenone detoxification in Saccharomyces cerevisiae

Zearalenone (ZEN) is a Fusarium mycotoxin, which is considered to be an oestrogenic endocrine disruptor found to cause severe morphological and functional disorders of reproductive organs in livestock. Increasing attention has been paid to the development of an effective strategy for ZEN decontamination. ZEN is oxidized into smaller estrogenic metabolites by a novel peroxiredoxin (Prx) isolated from Acinetobacter sp. SM04. The Prx coding gene was cloned in a secretory vector pYES2-alpha (pYα) with an alpha (α) signal peptide gene inserted into the multiple cloning site of pYES2. The recombinant Prx was secreted from Saccharomyces cerevisiae INVSc1 after inducing with 2% (w/v) galactose for 72 h, and was found to be nearly 20 kDa through 12% SDS-PAGE. The expressed amount of recombinant Prx was 0.24 mg/mL in the extracellular supernatant. Recombinant Prx showed a gradient increase at the beginning of ZEN degradation. The final ZEN degradation amount was 0.43 μg by one unit recombinant Prx after 12 h. Furthermore, the temperature, H₂O₂ concentration, and pH for highest peroxidase activity of recombinant Prx were 80 °C, 20 mM and 9.0, respectively. When compared with other peroxidases, the thermal stability and alkali resistance of recombinant Prx were much better. The results suggest that recombinant Prx is successfully expressed in S. cerevisiae.     

Optimization of the cryopreservation of African clawed frog (Xenopus laevis) sperm

Cryopreservation of testicular sperm in the African clawed frog, Xenopus laevis, was tested using three penetrating cryoprotectants (DMSO, methanol, and glycerol) and three semen diluents (300 mmol/L glucose, 300 mmol/L sucrose, and a motility inhibiting saline [MIS] solution [150 mmol/L NaCl, 3 mmol/L KCL, 1 mmol/L Mg₂SO₄, 1 mmol/L CaCl₂, and 20 mmol/L Tris, pH 8.0]). Three freezing rates and four thawing rates were also tested, and the best freezing/thawing conditions have been determined. The responses of sperm motility, viability, and fertility were assessed. Incubation of the sperm macerates with penetrating cryoprotectants showed that DMSO was the least toxic and methanol the most toxic. Semen in cryodiluents frozen 10 cm above the surface of liquid nitrogen (freezing rate of 20 to 25 °C/min) and thawed at room temperature for 40 sec had significantly higher percentages of motile and viable sperm than that of semen frozen 5 cm or 8 cm above the surface of liquid nitrogen and thawed at 5, 25, or 30 °C for 10, 15, or 60 sec, respectively. Sperm frozen in MIS containing 5% DMSO had a higher hatching rate than that of sperm frozen in sucrose and glucose diluents containing 5% or 10% DMSO and in MIS containing 10% DMSO. Addition of 73 mmol/L sucrose to the sperm extender MIS + 5% DMSO could improve the postthaw sperm motility and fertility. In conclusion, dilution of collected sperm in MIS solution (to have a final concentration of 6.5 × 10⁶ to 8 × 10⁶/mL) containing 5% DMSO and 73 mmol/L sucrose, freezing in a vapor of liquid nitrogen at 10 cm above the surface, and thawing at room temperature for 40 sec was the best cryopreservation protocol. This protocol gave 70% hatching rate, 80% motility rate, and 75% viability rate of fresh hormonally induced sperm.     

Recombinant α-l-rhamnosidase from Aspergillus terreus in selective trimming of rutin

α-l-Rhamnosidase (EC 3.2.1.40) is a biotechnologically important enzyme used for derhamnosylation of many natural compounds. The extracellular α-l-rhamnosidase was purified from the culture of Aspergillus terreus grown on l-rhamnose-rich medium. This enzyme was found to be thermo- and alkali-tolerant, able to operate at 70 °C and pH 8.0. The α-l-rhamnosidase cDNA was cloned from A. terreus, sequenced, and expressed in the yeast Pichia pastoris as a fully functional protein. The recombinant protein was purified to apparent homogeneity and biochemically characterized. Both the native and the recombinant α-l-rhamnosidases catalyzed the conversion of rutin into quercetin-3-glucopyranoside (isoquercitrin), a pharmacologically significant flavonoid usable in nutraceutics. This procedure has high volumetric productivity (up to 300 g/L) and yields the product void of unwanted quercetin. The significant advantage of our expression system consists in shorter production times, up to fourfold increase in enzyme yields and the absence of unwanted β-d-glucosidase as compared to the native production system. Thanks to its unique properties, this enzyme is applicable in a selective synthesis/hydrolysis of various rhamnose containing structures.     

In vitro hepatic differentiation of umbilical cord-derived mesenchymal stem cell

Recently hepatic differentiation of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) from bone marrow (BM), adipose tissue (AT), umbilical cord blood (UCB), and umbilical cord (UC) has been reported. In this study, the four-step sequential exposure with oncostatin M (OSM) plus trichostatin A (TSA) or OSM plus dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) at the final step induced hepatic differentiation of UC-MSCs. As a result, the morphology and protein expression were sequentially changed in the step-dependent manner. And the urea synthesis rates of (OSM plus TSA)- and (OSM plus DMSO)-treated cells on day 21 reached to 23 ± 0.4 and 20 ± 0.5 μg/10⁶ cells/day, respectively. The ammonia concentrations 24 h after culture with 1 mM NH₄Cl-supplemented medium dropped to 0.41 ± 0.08 mM (OSM plus TSA) and 0.57 ± 0.05 mM (OSM plus DMSO). Also the ethoxyresorufin O-deethylase (EROD) activities were 3.4-fold (OSM plus TSA) and 2.2-fold (OSM plus DMSO) higher than non-induced controls on day 21. It is thought that TSA and DMSO cause the expression of key genes through epigenetic change. Although sequential exposure with TSA or DMSO induced some liver-specific functions to some extent, the degree of activities are yet lower than those of mature hepatocytes. So it will be necessary to optimize the concentration and exposure time for achieving comparable activities to normal hepatocytes in the future.     

Optimisation and scale-up of α-glucuronidase production by recombinant Saccharomyces cerevisiae in aerobic fed-batch culture with constant growth rate

α-Glucuronidase (EC 3.2.1.139) of family GH 115 from Scheffersomyces stipitis is a valuable enzyme for the modification of water-soluble xylan into insoluble biopolymers, due to its unique ability to act on polymeric xylans. The influence of growth rate on the production of α-glucuronidase by recombinant Saccharomyces cerevisiae MH1000pbk10D-glu in glucose-limited fed-batch culture was studied at 14 and 100 L scale. At and below the critical specific growth rate (μ_crit) of 0.12 h⁻¹ at 14 L scale, the biomass yield coefficient (Y_x/s) remained constant at 0.4 g g⁻¹ with no ethanol production, whereas ethanol yields relative to biomass (k_eth/x) of up to 0.54 g g⁻¹ and a steady decrease in Y_x/s were observed at μ > 0.12 h⁻¹. Production of α-glucuronidase was growth associated at a product yield (k_α-glu/x) of 0.45 mg g⁻¹, with the highest biomass (37.35 g/L) and α-glucuronidase (14.03 mg/L) concentrations, were recorded during fed-batch culture at or near to μ_crit. Scale-up with constant k_La from 14 to 100 L resulted in ethanol concentrations of up to 2.5 g/L at μ = 0.12 h⁻¹. At this scale, α-glucuronidase yield could be maximised at growth rates below μ_crit, to prevent localised high glucose concentration pockets at the feed entry zone that would induce oxido-reductive metabolism. This is the first report where recombinant production of α-glucuronidase (EC 3.2.1.139) by S. cerevisiae was optimised for application at pilot scale.     

Farsenyl pyrophosphate synthase is a potential molecular drug target of risedronate in Babesia bovis

A cDNA encoding farnesyl pyrophosphate synthase of Babesia bovis (BbFPPS) has been isolated, cloned and characterized as molecular drug target. Sequence analysis revealed that BbFPPS contains an open reading frame of 1011 bp with predicted 336 amino acids and molecular mass of 38 kDa. Antiserum raised in mice against recombinant BbFPPS expressed in Escherichia coli specifically reacted with native protein of B. bovis parasites by Western blot analysis and indirect immunofluorescent test. Enzymatic assay using recombinant BbFPPS revealed that the K_m value of the enzyme for isopentenyl pyrophosphate and dimethylallyl pyrophosphate was 2.494 ± 1.536 μM. Risedronate inhibited the activity of BbFPPS yielding IC₅₀ value of 8.4 ± 1.2 nM. Furthermore, the in vitro growth of B. bovis was significantly inhibited in the presence of a micromolar concentration of risedronate (IC₅₀ = 4.02 ± 0.91 μM). No regrowth of B. bovis was observed at 10 μM of risedronate in the subsequent viability test. These results demonstrate that BbFPPS is the molecular target of risedronate, which could inhibit the in vitro growth of B. bovis.     

Enhanced activity of immobilized pepsin nanoparticles coated on solid substrates compared to free pepsin

In the present work nanoparticles (NPs) of pepsin were generated in an aqueous solution using high-intensity ultrasound, and were subsequently immobilized on low-density polyethylene (PE) films, or on polycarbonate (PC) plates, or on microscope glass slides. The pepsin NPs coated on the solid surfaces have been characterized by HRSEM, TEM, FTIR, XPS and DLS. The amount of enzyme introduced on the substrates, the leaching properties, and the catalytic activity of the immobilized enzyme on the three surfaces are compared. Catalytic activities of pepsin deposited onto the three solid surfaces as well as free pepsin, without sonication, and free pepsin NPs were compared at various pH levels and temperatures using a hemoglobin assay. Compared to native pepsin, pepsin coated onto PE showed the best catalytic activity in all the examined parameters. Pepsin immobilized on glass exhibited better activity than the native enzyme, especially at high temperatures. Enzyme activity of pepsin immobilized on PC was no better than native enzyme activity at all temperatures at pH 2, and only over a narrow pH range at 37 °C was the activity improved over the native enzyme. A remarkable observation is that immobilized pepsin on all the surfaces was still active to some extent even at pH 7, while free pepsin was completely inactive. The kinetic parameters, K_m and V_max were also calculated and compared for all the samples. Relative to the free enzyme, pepsin coated PE showed the greatest improvement in kinetic parameters (K_m = 15 g/L, V_max = 719 U/mg versus K_m = 12.6 g/L and V_max = 787 U/mg, respectively), whereas pepsin coated on PC exhibited the most unfavorable kinetic parameters (K_m = 18 g/L, V_max = 685 U/mg). The values for the anchored enzyme-glass were K_m = 19 g/L, V_max = 763 U/mg.     

Biosynthesis of ethyl caproate and other short ethyl esters catalyzed by cutinase in organic solvent

The main objective of this work was to study the enzymatic synthesis of short chain ethyl esters, a group of relevant aroma molecules, by Fusarium solani pisi cutinase in an organic solvent media (iso-octane), and to assess the influence of different parameters on the reaction yield.Cutinase displayed high initial esterification rates in iso-octane, which amounted to 1.15 μmol min⁻¹ mg⁻¹ for ethyl butyrate (C₄ acid chain) and 1.06 μmol min⁻¹ mg⁻¹ for ethyl valerate (C₅ acid chain). High product yields, 84% for ethyl butyrate and 96% for ethyl valerate, were observed after 6 h of reaction, for an initial equimolar concentration of substrates (0.1 M).The highest product yield (97%) was observed for ethyl caproate (C₆) synthesis, a compound which is a part of natural apple and pineapple flavour, for an alcohol:acid molar ratio of 2 (0.2 M ethanol concentration).Cutinase affinity for short chain length carboxylic acids (C₄–C₆) in ester synthesis in iso-octane confirmed previous observations in reversed micellar system.     

Determination of asiatic acid in beagle dog plasma after oral administration of Centella asiatica extract by precolumn derivatization RP-HPLC

A novel precolumn derivatization reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography (RP-HPLC) method with UV–vis detection for the quantitative determination of total concentration of asiatic acid (AA) in beagle dog plasma is described. AA was extracted with n-hexane-dichloromethane-2-propanol (20:10:1, v/v/v) from plasma, which had been hydrolyzed by acid and derivatized with p-Toluidine. Chromatographic separation was achieved on a C₁₈ column using gradient elution in a water–methanol system. Detection was set at UV wavelength of 248 nm. A calibration curve ranging from 0.01 to 1.5 μg/mL was shown to be linear, and the lower limit of quantification (LLOQ) was 0.01 μg/mL. The intra- and inter-day precisions which were determined by three different concentrations (0.05, 0.2 and 0.8 μg/mL) ranged from 4.4% to 13.1% and 4.6% to 14.2%, respectively. Mean extraction recoveries were no less than 65% for AA and ursolic acid (IS). Plasma samples containing asiatic acid were stable for 30 days at ?20 °C. The method was successfully applied to a pharmacokinetic study in beagle dogs after oral administration of Centella asiatica extract, and the main pharmacokinetic parameters obtained were: T_1/2, 4.29 h; T_max, 2.70 h; C_max, 0.74 μg/mL; AUC_0–t and AUC_0–∞, 3.74 and 3.82 μg h/mL, respectively.     

Codon optimization,promoter and expression system selection that achieved high-level production of Yarrowia lipolytica lipase in Pichia pastoris

Lipase (EC 3.1.1.3) stands amongst the most important and promising biocatalysts for industrial applications. In this study, in order to realize a high-level expression of the Yarrowia lipolytica lipase gene in Pichia pastoris, we optimized the codon of LIP2 by de novo gene design and synthesis, which significantly improved the lipase expression when compared to the native lip2 gene. We also comparatively analyzed the effects of the promoter types (P_AOX1 and P_FLD1) and the Pichia expression systems, including the newly developed PichiaPink system, on lipase production and obtained the optimal recombinants. Bench-top scale fermentation studies indicated that the recombinant carrying the codon-optimized lipase gene syn-lip under the control of promoter P_AOX1 has a significantly higher lipase production capacity in the fermenter than other types of recombinants. After undergoing methanol inducible expression for 96 h, the wet cell weight of Pichia, the lipase activity and the protein content in the fermentation broth reached their highest values of 262 g/L, 38,500 U/mL and 2.82 g/L, respectively. This study has not only greatly facilitated the bioapplication of lipase in industrial fields but the strategies utilized, such as de novo gene design and synthesis, the comparative analysis among promoters and different generations of Pichia expression systems will also be useful as references for future work in this field.     

Bioprocess development of the production of the mutant P-219-L human d-amino acid oxidase for high soluble fraction expression in recombinant Escherichia coli

In order to examine the structure–activity relationship and the substrate specificity of human d-amino acid oxidase (h.DAO), a single amino acid mutation had been established as proline-219-luecine (P-219-L). The gene encoding mutant h.DAO has been cloned and expressed in Escherichia coli BL21 (DE3). It was observed that the host cell was negatively affected by the expressed mutant h.DAO, resulting in a remarkable decrease in the cell growth and consequently the amount of the produced enzyme. To overcome this problem, we investigated several factors that may affect the cell growth rate and the mutant h.DAO production such as optimization of the glucose concentration as a main carbon source and the yeast extract concentration as a main nitrogen source, optimization of dissolved oxygen (DO%) concentration and the addition of benzyl alcohol (BA, which can artificially induce a strong heat shock response at low temperature), to enhance the production of natively folded soluble fraction of the recombinant protein. These parameters were tested on both shake flask level and fed-batch bioreactor level. The Western blot analysis and the enzyme activity assay indicated the higher level of the mutant expression towards enhancement of the conditions by using our designed approach.The specific activity (which was used as an indicator for the level of the desired protein produced = U/mg protein) and the OD_600 nm of the host cells (which was used as an indicator for the cell growth), reached to be 0.061 U/mg protein and 3.44, respectively upon using fed-batch culture system containing the optimized medium composition (15 g/l glucose and 5 g/l yeast extract). While upon using the shake flask level, these values were 0.032 and 1.1, respectively. Enhancement of the cell growth and the enzyme production was noticed after DO% optimization upon using 500 rpm agitation speed and 1.8 v.v.m. (volume volume minute) aeration. The specific activity for the mutant enzyme and the OD_600 nm of the host cells reached to be 0.14 U/mg protein and 7.1, respectively. Finally upon using the optimized culture composition (15 g/l glucose and 5 g/l yeast extract), optimized DO% (using 500 rpm agitation speed and 1.8 v.v.m.) and 0.1 mM BA at the fed-batch bioreactor level, the specific activity and the OD_600 nm of the host cells increased significantly to be 0.21 U/mg protein and 11.3, respectively at 24 h culture. These results indicate the importance of our approaches to overproducing mutant h.DAO in soluble form in E. coli.     

Synthesis and in vivo evaluation of [11C]MPTQ: A potential PET tracer for alpha2A-adrenergic receptors

Radiosynthesis and in vivo evaluation of [N-methyl-¹¹C] 5-methyl-3-[4-(3-phenylallyl)-piperazin-1-ylmethyl]-3,3a,4,5-tetrahydroisoxazolo[4,3-c]quinoline (1), a potential PET tracer for alpha2-adrenergic receptors is described. Syntheses of nonradioactive standard 1 and corresponding desmethyl precursor 2 were achieved from 2-aminobenzaldehyde in 40% and 65% yields, respectively. Methylation using [¹¹C]CH₃I in presence of aqueous potassium hydroxide in DMSO afforded [¹¹C]1 in 25% yield (EOS) with >99% chemical and radiochemical purities with a specific activity ranged from 3–4 Ci/μmol (n = 6). The total synthesis time was 30 min from EOB. PET studies in anesthetized baboon show that [¹¹C]1 penetrates BBB and accumulates in alpha2A-AR enriched brain areas.     

An organic solvent and thermally stable lipase from Burkholderia ambifaria YCJ01: Purification,characteristics and application for chiral resolution of mandelic acid

A solvent-tolerant bacterium Burkholderia ambifaria YCJ01 was newly isolated by DMSO enrichment of the medium. The lipase from the strain YCJ01 was purified to homogeneity with apparent molecular mass of 34 kDa determined by SDS-PAGE. The purified lipase exhibited maximal activity at a temperature of 60 °C and a pH of 7.5. The lipase was very stable below 55 °C for 7 days (remaining 80.3% initial activity) or at 30 °C for 60 days. PMSF significantly inhibited the lipase activity, while EDTA had no effect on the activity. Strikingly, the lipase showed distinct super-stability to the most tested hydrophilic and hydrophobic solvents (25%, v/v) for 60 days, and different optimal pH in contrast with the alkaline lipase from B. cepacia S31. The lipase demonstrated excellent enantioselective transesterification toward the S-isomer of mandelic acid with a theoretical conversion yield of 50%, ee_p of 99.9% and ee_s of 99.9%, which made it an exploitable biocatalyst for organic synthesis and pharmaceutical industries.     

Galactose-limited fed-batch cultivation of Escherichia coli for the production of lacto-N-tetraose

Lacto-N-tetraose (Gal(β1-3)GlcNAc(β1-3)Gal(β1-4)Glc) is one of the most abundant oligosaccharide structures in human milk. We recently described the synthesis of lacto-N-tetraose by a whole-cell biotransformation with recombinant Escherichia coli cells. However, only about 5% of the lactose was converted into lacto-N-tetraose by this approach. The major product obtained was the intermediate lacto-N-triose II (GlcNAc(β1-3)Gal(β1-4)Glc).In order to improve the bioconversion of lactose to lacto-N-tetraose, we have investigated the influence of the carbon source on the formation of lacto-N-tetraose and on the intracellular availability of the glycosyltransferase substrates, UDP-N-acetylglucosamine and UDP-galactose. By growth of the recombinant E. coli cells on D-galactose, the yield of lacto-N-tetraose (810.8 mg L⁻¹ culture) was 3.6-times higher compared to cultivation on D-glucose.Using fed-batch cultivation with galactose as sole energy and carbon source, a large-scale synthesis of lacto-N-tetraose was demonstrated. During the 26 h feeding phase the growth rate (μ = 0.05) was maintained by an exponential galactose feed. In total, 16 g L⁻¹ lactose were fed and resulted in final yields of 12.72 ± 0.21 g L⁻¹ lacto-N-tetraose and 13.70 ± 0.10 g L⁻¹ lacto-N-triose II. In total, 173 g of lacto-N-tetraose were produced with a space-time yield of 0.37 g L⁻¹ h⁻¹.     

Antioxidative,antimicrobial and cytotoxic effects of the phenolics of Leea indica leaf extract

This study investigated the phytochemical, antioxidative, antimicrobial and cytotoxic effects of Leea indica leaf ethanol extract. Phytochemical values namely total phenolic and flavonoid contents, total antioxidant capacity, DPPH radical scavenging effect, FeCl₃ reducing power, DMSO superoxide scavenging effect and Iron chelating effects were studied by established methods. Antibacterial, antifungal and cytotoxic effects were screened by disk diffusion technique, food poison technique and brine shrimp bioassay, respectively. Results showed the total phenolic content 24.00 ± 0.81 g GAE/100 g, total flavonoid content 194.68 ± 2.43 g quercetin/100 g and total antioxidant capacity 106.61 ± 1.84 g AA/100 g dry extract. Significant (P < 0.05) IC₅₀ values compared to respective standards were recorded in DPPH radical scavenging (139.83 ± 1.40 μg/ml), FeCl₃ reduction (16.48 ± 0.64 μg/ml), DMSO superoxide scavenging (676.08 ± 5.80 μg/ml) and Iron chelating (519.33 ± 16.96 μg/ml) methods. In antibacterial screening, the extract showed significant (P < 0.05) zone of inhibitions compared to positive controls Ampicillin and Tetracycline against Gram positive Bacillus subtilis, Bacillus cereus, Bacillus megaterium, and Staphylococcus aureus and Gram negative Salmonella typhi, Salmonella paratyphi, Pseudomonas aeroginosa, Shigella dysenteriae, Vibrio cholerae, and Escherichia coli. Significant minimum inhibitory concentrations compared to tetracycline were obtained against the above organisms. In antifungal assay, the extract inhibited the growth of Aspergillus flavus, Candida albicans and Fusarium equisetii by 38.09 ± 0.59, 22.58 ± 2.22, and 22.58 ± 2.22%, respectively. The extract showed a significant LC₅₀ value compared to vincristine sulfate in cytotoxic assay. The results evidenced the potential antioxidative, antimicrobial and cytotoxic capacities of Leea inidica leaf extract to be processed for pharmaceutical use.     

Synthesis of cellobiose-containing oligosaccharides by intermolecular transglucosylation of cyclodextrin glycosyltransferase from Paenibacillus sp. A11

Intermolecular transglucosylation of cyclodextrin glycosyltransferase (CGTase) was investigated for its use in oligosaccharide synthesis. From the kinetic parameters of the CGTase-catalyzed transglucosylation reaction, using β-cyclodextrin (β-CD) as the glucosyl donor and various saccharides or derivatives as acceptors, the efficient acceptors of the Paenibacillus sp. A11 enzyme were glucose, sorbose, lactose and cellobiose. Amongst these acceptors, cellobiose showed the highest k_cat/K_m value. The transglucosylation yields of the reactions for cellobiose, sorbose and glucose acceptors were 78, 57 and 54%, respectively, making cellobiose the most efficient acceptor of the tested saccharides in coupling with β-CD. The optimal condition for the coupling reaction was determined as: 2% (w/v) β-CD and 0.5% (w/v) cellobiose, incubated with 64 U/mL of CGTase at 30 °C for 2 h. Two main transfer products detected by HPLC, PC1 and PC2, with retention times of 3.81 and 4.42 min, respectively, and a product ratio of 3:1, had a molecular mass of 504 and 666 Da, respectively, as analyzed by mass spectrometry. The structures suggested by NMR were a trisaccharide and a novel tetrasaccharide-containing cellobiose of the structures glc (α1 → 4) glc (β1 → 4) glc and glc (α1 → 4) glc (α1 → 4) glc (β1 → 4) glc, respectively. The products were found to be resistant to hydrolysis by α-amylase.     

Improvement on the yield of polyhydroxyalkanotes production from cheese whey by a recombinant Escherichia coli strain using the proton suicide methodology

In this work Escherichia coli strain CML3-1 was engineered through the insertion of Cupriavidus necator P(3HB)-synthesis genes, fused to a lactose-inducible promoter, into the chromosome, via transposition-mediated mechanism. It was shown that polyhydroxyalkanotes (PHAs) production by this strain, using cheese whey, was low due to a significant organic acids (OA) synthesis. The proton suicide method was used as a strategy to obtain an E. coli mutant strain with a reduced OA-producing capacity, aiming at driving bacterial metabolism toward PHAs synthesis.Thirteen E. coli mutant strains were obtained and tested in shake flask assays, using either rich or defined media supplemented with lactose. P8-X8 was selected as the best candidate strain for bioreactor fed-batch tests using cheese whey as the sole carbon source. Although cell growth was considerably slower for this mutant strain, a lower yield of OA on substrate (0.04 Cmol_OA/Cmol_lac) and a higher P(3HB) production (18.88 g_P(3HB)/L) were achieved, comparing to the original recombinant strain (0.11 Cmol_OA/Cmol_lac and 7.8 g_P(3HB)/L, respectively). This methodology showed to be effective on the reduction of OA yield by consequently improving the P(3HB) yield on lactose (0.28 Cmol_P(3HB)/Cmol_lac vs 0.10 Cmol_P(3HB)/Cmol_lac of the original strain).     

The importance of pyridoxine for the impact of the dietary selenium sources on redox balance,embryo development,and reproductive performance in gilts

This study aimed to determine the effects of dietary pyridoxine and selenium (Se) on embryo development, reproductive performance and redox system in gilts. Eighty-four gilts were fed one of five diets: CONT) basal diet; MSeB₆0) CONT + 0.3 mg/kg of Na-selenite; MSeB₆10) diet 2 + 10 mg/kg of HCl-pyridoxine; OSeB₆0) CONT + 0.3 mg/kg of Se-enriched yeast; and OSeB₆10) diet 4 + 10 mg/kg of HCl-pyridoxine. Blood samples were collected for long-term (each estrus and slaughter) and peri-estrus (fourth estrus d −4 to d +3) profiles. At slaughter (gestation d 30), organs and embryos were collected. For long-term and peri-estrus profiles, Se level and source affected (P < 0.01) blood Se concentration whereas B₆ level increased (P < 0.01) erythrocyte pyridoxal-5-phosphate concentration. A B₆ level (P < 0.05) effect was observed on long-term plasma Se-dependent glutathione peroxidase (Se-GPX) activity whereas peri-estrus Se-GPX was minimum on d −1 (P < 0.01). Selenium level increased sows’ organs and embryo Se concentration (P < 0.01). Selenium source tended to enhance embryo Se content (P = 0.06). Within-litter embryo Se content was increased by B₆ level (P < 0.01). Selenium level tended to affect Se-GPX and total GPX activities in organs mitochondria (P = 0.09 and 0.07, respectively). Selenium source affected kidney ATP synthesis (P = 0.05). In conclusion, B₆ level affected the Se-GPX activity on a long-term basis, whereas the basal level of Se was adequate during the peri-estrus period. Embryo quality was not improved by dietary Se, and B₆ impaired within-litter homogeneity.