Exopolysaccharides produced by Lactobacillus plantarum: technological properties,biological activity,and potential application in the food industry

Some lactic acid bacteria are capable of producing capsular or extracellular polysaccharides, with desirable technological properties and biological activities. Such polysaccharides produced by lactic acid bacteria are called exopolysaccharides and can be used to alter rheological properties, acting in processes involving viscosity, emulsification, and flocculation, among others. They may also be involved in prebiotic, probiotic, and biological activities, as well as having potential application in the food industry. In this mini-review, the objectives were to present some beneficial properties of exopolysaccharides (EPS) produced by Lactobacillus plantarum that have not been commercially explored. For that, the article focused to summarize revision of current publications within the following topics: (1) rheological properties, (2) prebiotic properties, (3) biological activities, and (4) potential application in the food industry. EPS produced by Lb. plantarum can be used as gelling agent, emulsifier, or stabilizer for food products. The glucan nature of the produced EPS enhances probiotic properties of this LAB species. Lactobacillus plantarum EPS has antioxidant, antibiofilm, and antitumor activities. Finally, there is an improvement in texture of fermented food products where Lb. plantarum is used as starter culture which is related to EPS production in situ. Therefore, EPS produced by Lb. plantarum have important and desirable properties to be explored for several applications, including health and food areas.     

Proteogenomic Refinement of the Neomegalonema perideroedesT Genome Annotation

Neomegalonema perideroedes (formerly Meganema perideroedes) str. G1 is the type strain and only described isolate of the genus Neomegalonema (formerly Meganema) which belongs to the Alphaproteobacteria. N. perideroedes is distinguished by the ability to accumulate high amounts of polyhydroxyalkanoates and has been associated with bulking problems in wastewater treatment plants due to its filamentous morphology. In 2013, its genome was sequenced as part of the Genomic Encyclopedia of Bacteria and Archaea (GEBA), which aims to improve the sequencing coverage of the poorly represented regions of the bacterial and archaeal branches of the tree of life. As N. perideroedes str. G1 is relatively distantly related to well described species—being the only sequenced member of its proposed family—the in silico prediction of genes by nucleotide homology to reference genes might be less reliable. Here, a proteomic dataset for the refinement of the N. perideroedes genome annotations is generated which clearly indicates the shortcomings of high‐throughput in silico genome annotation.     

Mast Cell-Derived Histamine Regulates Liver Ketogenesis via Oleoylethanolamide Signaling

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Efficiency and allometry of seed production in grassland forbs: site and year comparative study in the Italian Eastern Pre-Alps

Forbs are important biodiversity components of grasslands and are often threatened by management intensification. As most forbs propagate predominantly by seed, knowledge of their seed regenerative traits would improve the conservation and restoration of forb-rich ecosystems. The main seed production traits of six forbs that are common in European species-rich grasslands were studied by collecting fertile shoots from different sites and over several years. Among sites and years, variability was high, particularly in the number of inflorescences per shoot, which affected ovule production more than any other trait. Relationships between inflorescence size and the number of ovules were mainly negatively allometric or almost so, with lower flower densities in larger inflorescences. The average ovule-to-seed transformation efficiency was 58%. There was significant variation among collections of the same species, and even more between species. Species with a low ovule-to-seed transformation efficiency generally exhibited compensatory, high seed viability. Large inflorescences had high ovule to seed utilization values, probably because of better nutrient conditions. Seed germinability (average, 30%) was much lower than seed viability (average, 54%); therefore, seed dormancy was an important feature of the species studied.     

Melanin processing by keratinocytes: A non‐microbial type of host‐pathogen interaction?

The mechanisms that regulate skin pigmentation have been the subject of intense research in recent decades. In contrast with melanin biogenesis and transport within melanocytes, little is known about how melanin is transferred and processed within keratinocytes. Several models have been proposed for how melanin is transferred, with strong evidence supporting coupled exo/endocytosis. Recently, two reports suggest that upon internalization, melanin is stored within keratinocytes in an arrested compartment, allowing the pigment to persist for long periods. In this commentary, we identify a striking parallelism between melanin processing within keratinocytes and the host‐pathogen interaction with Plasmodium, opening new avenues to understand the complex molecular mechanisms that ensure skin pigmentation and photoprotection.      

Comparative life cycle assessment of first- and second-generation ethanol from sugarcane in Brazil

The International Journal of Life Cycle Assessment - The use of bagasse and trash from sugarcane fields in ethanol production is supposed to increase the ethanol yield per hectare, to reduce the...     

Mechanism of Bidirectional Leading-Strand Synthesis Establishment at Eukaryotic DNA Replication Origins

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Precise Gene Editing Preserves Hematopoietic Stem Cell Function following Transient p53-Mediated DNA Damage Response

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Plasmodium yoelii: the effect of second blood meal and anti-sporozoite antibodies on development and gene expression in the mosquito vector, Anopheles stephensi

The sporogonic development of the malaria parasite takes place in the mosquito and a wide range of factors modulates it. Among those, the contents of the blood meal can influence the parasite development directly or indirectly through the mosquito response to the infection. We have studied the effect of a second blood meal in previously infected mosquitoes and the effect of anti-sporozoite immune serum on parasite development and mosquito response to the infection. The prevalence and intensity of infection and gene expression of both Plasmodium yoelii and Anopheles stephensi was analyzed. We verified that a second blood meal and its immune status interfere with parasite development and with Plasmodium and mosquito gene expression.