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Engineering Saccharomyces cerevisiae for targeted hydrolysis and fermentation of glucuronoxylan through CRISPR/Cas9 genome editing Microb. Cell Fact. (IF 6.4) Pub Date : 2024-03-16 Jonas L. Ravn, João H.C. Manfrão-Netto, Jana B. Schaubeder, Luca Torello Pianale, Stefan Spirk, Iván F. Ciklic, Cecilia Geijer
The abundance of glucuronoxylan (GX) in agricultural and forestry residual side streams positions it as a promising feedstock for microbial conversion into valuable compounds. By engineering strains of the widely employed cell factory Saccharomyces cerevisiae with the ability to directly hydrolyze and ferment GX polymers, we can avoid the need for harsh chemical pretreatments and costly enzymatic hydrolysis
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Production, characterization and biomedical potential of biosurfactants produced by haloalkaliphilic archaea from Wadi El-Natrun, Egypt Microb. Cell Fact. (IF 6.4) Pub Date : 2024-03-14 Basma T. Alghamrawy, Ghada E. Hegazy, Soraya A. Sabry, Hanan Ghozlan
Extreme halophilic archaea that can live in high saline environments can offer potential applications in different biotechnological fields. This study delves into the fascinating field of halophilic archaea and their ability to produce biosurfactants. Some strains of haloarchaea were isolated from Wadi El-Natrun and were screened for biosurfactants production in a standard basal medium using emulsification
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RuBisCO activity assays: a simplified biochemical redox approach for in vitro quantification and an RNA sensor approach for in vivo monitoring Microb. Cell Fact. (IF 6.4) Pub Date : 2024-03-14 Muhammad Faisal, Aditya P. Sarnaik, Nandini Kannoju, Nima Hajinajaf, Muhammad Javaid Asad, Ryan W. Davis, Arul M. Varman
Ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase (RuBisCO) is the most abundant soluble protein in nature. Extensive studies have been conducted for improving its activity in photosynthesis through approaches like protein engineering. Concurrently, multiple biochemical and radiolabeling assays have been developed for determining its activity. Although these existing assays yield reliable results, they
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The strain-dependent cytostatic activity of Lactococcus lactis on CRC cell lines is mediated through the release of arginine deiminase Microb. Cell Fact. (IF 6.4) Pub Date : 2024-03-14 Rafał Jastrząb, Rafał Tomecki, Aneta Jurkiewicz, Damian Graczyk, Agnieszka K. Szczepankowska, Jennifer Mytych, Damian Wolman, Pawel Siedlecki
Colorectal cancer (CRC) is one of the most commonly diagnosed cancers, posing a serious public health challenge that necessitates the development of new therapeutics, therapies, and prevention methods. Among the various therapeutic approaches, interventions involving lactic acid bacteria (LAB) as probiotics and postbiotics have emerged as promising candidates for treating and preventing CRC. While
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Development of hybrid biomicroparticles: cellulose exposing functionalized fusion proteins Microb. Cell Fact. (IF 6.4) Pub Date : 2024-03-14 Joanna Żebrowska, Piotr Mucha, Maciej Prusinowski, Daria Krefft, Agnieszka Żylicz-Stachula, Milena Deptuła, Aneta Skoniecka, Agata Tymińska, Małgorzata Zawrzykraj, Jacek Zieliński, Michał Pikuła, Piotr M. Skowron
One of the leading current trends in technology is the miniaturization of devices to the microscale and nanoscale. The highly advanced approaches are based on biological systems, subjected to bioengineering using chemical, enzymatic and recombinant methods. Here we have utilised the biological affinity towards cellulose of the cellulose binding domain (CBD) fused with recombinant proteins. Here we
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Improving furfural tolerance in a xylose-fermenting yeast Spathaspora passalidarum CMUWF1–2 via adaptive laboratory evolution Microb. Cell Fact. (IF 6.4) Pub Date : 2024-03-13 Thanyalak Saengphing, Pachara Sattayawat, Thitisuda Kalawil, Nakarin Suwannarach, Jaturong Kumla, Mamoru Yamada, Watanalai Panbangred, Nadchanok Rodrussamee
Spathaspora passalidarum is a yeast with the highly effective capability of fermenting several monosaccharides in lignocellulosic hydrolysates, especially xylose. However, this yeast was shown to be sensitive to furfural released during pretreatment and hydrolysis processes of lignocellulose biomass. We aimed to improve furfural tolerance in a previously isolated S. passalidarum CMUWF1−2, which presented
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Unveiling the silver lining: examining the effects of biogenic silver nanoparticles on the growth dynamics of in vitro olive shoots Microb. Cell Fact. (IF 6.4) Pub Date : 2024-03-13 Mohamed S. Hasanin, Sayed A.M. Hassan, A. M. AbdAllatif, Osama M. Darwesh
The current study aimed to evaluate the effects of biogenic silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) on growth behavior and leaf anatomy of in vitro growing shoots of ‘Picual’ and ‘Dolce’ olive cultivars. Biosynthesis of AgNPs was carried out using the cell-free filtrate of Fusarium oxysporum. The dimension and shape of the synthesized AgNPs have been analyzed using spectroscopy and topography analysis tools,
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Production and bioprocessing of Taxol from Aspergillus niger, an endophyte of Encephalartos whitelockii, with a plausible biosynthetic stability: antiproliferative activity and cell cycle analysis Microb. Cell Fact. (IF 6.4) Pub Date : 2024-03-12 Asmaa Gamal, Eman Fikry, Nora Tawfeek, Azza M. El-Shafae, Ashraf S. A. El-Sayed, Maher M. El-Domiaty
The biosynthetic potency of Taxol by fungi raises their prospective to be a platform for commercial production of Taxol, nevertheless, the attenuation of its productivity with the fungal storage, is the challenge. Thus, screening for a novel fungal isolate inhabiting ethnopharmacological plants, with a plausible metabolic stability for Taxol production could be one of the most affordable approaches
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Transcriptome analysis reveals multiple targets of erythritol-related transcription factor EUF1 in unconventional yeast Yarrowia Lipolytica Microb. Cell Fact. (IF 6.4) Pub Date : 2024-03-12 DA. Rzechonek, M. Szczepańczyk, I. Borodina, C. Neuvéglise, AM. Mirończuk
Erythritol is a four-carbon polyol with an unclear role in metabolism of some unconventional yeasts. Its production has been linked to the osmotic stress response, but the mechanism of stress protection remains unclear. Additionally, erythritol can be used as a carbon source. In the yeast Yarrowia lipolytica, its assimilation is activated by the transcription factor Euf1. The study investigates whether
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Effective synthesis of high-content fructooligosaccharides in engineered Aspergillus niger Microb. Cell Fact. (IF 6.4) Pub Date : 2024-03-09 Xiufen Wan, Lu Wang, Jingjing Chang, Jing Zhang, Zhiyun Zhang, Kewen Li, Guilian Sun, Caixia Liu, Yaohua Zhong
Aspergillus niger ATCC 20611 is an industrially important fructooligosaccharides (FOS) producer since it produces the β-fructofuranosidase with superior transglycosylation activity, which is responsible for the conversion of sucrose to FOS accompanied by the by-product (glucose) generation. This study aims to consume glucose to enhance the content of FOS by heterologously expressing glucose oxidase
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Correction: Stable expression of HIV-1 MPER extended epitope on the surface of the recombinant probiotic bacteria Escherichia Coli Nissle 1917 using CRISPR/Cas9 Microb. Cell Fact. (IF 6.4) Pub Date : 2024-03-06 Nathaniel Ninyio, Katharina Schmitt, Gladys Sergon, Charlotta Nilsson, Sören Andersson, Nikolai Scherbak
Microbial Cell Factories (2024) 23:39 https://doi.org/10.1186/s12934-023-02290-0 In this article the author name Katharina Schmitt was incorrectly written as Katherina Schmitt. The original article has been corrected. Authors and Affiliations School of Medical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health, Örebro University, Örebro, Sweden Nathaniel Ninyio & Sören Andersson School of Science and Technology
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Automated workflow for characterization of bacteriocin production in natural producers Lactococcus lactis and Latilactobacillus sakei Microb. Cell Fact. (IF 6.4) Pub Date : 2024-03-03 Valentin Steier, Lisa Prigolovkin, Alexander Reiter, Tobias Neddermann, Wolfgang Wiechert, Sebastian J. Reich, Christian U. Riedel, Marco Oldiges
Lactic acid bacteria are commonly used as protective starter cultures in food products. Among their beneficial effects is the production of ribosomally synthesized peptides termed bacteriocins that kill or inhibit food-spoiling bacteria and pathogens, e.g., members of the Listeria species. As new bacteriocins and producer strains are being discovered rapidly, modern automated methods for strain evaluation
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Enhancement of cellulolytic enzyme production from intrageneric protoplast fusion of Aspergillus species and evaluating the hydrolysate scavenging activity Microb. Cell Fact. (IF 6.4) Pub Date : 2024-03-02 Doaa A. Goda, Huda M. Shakam, Mai E. Metwally, Hager A. Abdelrasoul, Mohamed M. Yacout
Lignocellulosic biomass provides a great starting point for the production of energy, chemicals, and fuels. The major component of lignocellulosic biomass is cellulose, the employment of highly effective enzymatic cocktails, which can be produced by a variety of microorganisms including species of the genus Aspergillus, is necessary for its utilization in a more productive manner. In this regard, molecular
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Engineering Escherichia coli for increased Und-P availability leads to material improvements in glycan expression technology Microb. Cell Fact. (IF 6.4) Pub Date : 2024-03-01 Emily J. Kay, Manoj K. Dooda, Joseph C. Bryant, Amanda J. Reid, Brendan W. Wren, Jerry M. Troutman, Matthew A. Jorgenson
Bacterial surface glycans are assembled by glycosyltransferases (GTs) that transfer sugar monomers to long-chained lipid carriers. Most bacteria employ the 55-carbon chain undecaprenyl phosphate (Und-P) to scaffold glycan assembly. The amount of Und-P available for glycan synthesis is thought to be limited by the rate of Und-P synthesis and by competition for Und-P between phosphoglycosyl transferases
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Shared and more specific genetic determinants and pathways underlying yeast tolerance to acetic, butyric, and octanoic acids Microb. Cell Fact. (IF 6.4) Pub Date : 2024-02-29 Marta N. Mota, Madalena Matos, Nada Bahri, Isabel Sá-Correia
The improvement of yeast tolerance to acetic, butyric, and octanoic acids is an important step for the implementation of economically and technologically sustainable bioprocesses for the bioconversion of renewable biomass resources and wastes. To guide genome engineering of promising yeast cell factories toward highly robust superior strains, it is instrumental to identify molecular targets and understand
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Set-up of a pharmaceutical cell bank of Magnetospirillum gryphiswaldense MSR1 magnetotactic bacteria producing highly pure magnetosomes Microb. Cell Fact. (IF 6.4) Pub Date : 2024-02-28 Théo Chades, Raphaël Le Fèvre, Imène Chebbi, Karine Blondeau, François Guyot, Edouard Alphandéry
We report the successful fabrication of a pharmaceutical cellular bank (PCB) containing magnetotactic bacteria (MTB), which belong to the Magnetospirillum gryphiswaldense MSR1 species. To produce such PCB, we amplified MTB in a minimal growth medium essentially devoid of other heavy metals than iron and of CMR (Carcinogenic, mutagenic and reprotoxic) products. The PCB enabled to acclimate MTB to such
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Engineering styrene biosynthesis: designing a functional trans-cinnamic acid decarboxylase in Pseudomonas Microb. Cell Fact. (IF 6.4) Pub Date : 2024-02-28 Ana García-Franco, Patricia Godoy, Estrella Duque, Juan L. Ramos
We are interested in converting second generation feedstocks into styrene, a valuable chemical compound, using the solvent-tolerant Pseudomonas putida DOT-T1E as a chassis. Styrene biosynthesis takes place from L-phenylalanine in two steps: firstly, L-phenylalanine is converted into trans-cinnamic acid (tCA) by PAL enzymes and secondly, a decarboxylase yields styrene. This study focuses on designing
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Production and characterization of melanin pigment from black fungus Curvularia soli AS21 ON076460 assisted gamma rays for promising medical uses Microb. Cell Fact. (IF 6.4) Pub Date : 2024-02-26 Amira S. Abd-EL-Aziz, Nermine N. Abed, Amira Y. Mahfouz, Rasha Mohammad Fathy
Owing to the growing need for natural materials in different fields, studying melanin production from biological sources is imperative. In the current study, the extracellular melanin pigment was produced by the fungus Curvularia soli AS21 ON076460. The factors that affect the production of melanin were optimized by the Plackett-Burman design (P-BD). The effect of gamma irradiation on melanin productivity
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“High-throughput screening of catalytically active inclusion bodies using laboratory automation and Bayesian optimization” Microb. Cell Fact. (IF 6.4) Pub Date : 2024-02-24 Laura Marie Helleckes, Kira Küsters, Christian Wagner, Rebecca Hamel, Ronja Saborowski, Jan Marienhagen, Wolfgang Wiechert, Marco Oldiges
In recent years, the production of inclusion bodies that retain substantial catalytic activity was demonstrated. These catalytically active inclusion bodies (CatIBs) are formed by genetic fusion of an aggregation-inducing tag to a gene of interest via short linker polypeptides. The resulting CatIBs are known for their easy and cost-efficient production, recyclability as well as their improved stability
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Unlocking Nature’s Toolbox: glutamate-inducible recombinant protein production from the Komagatella phaffii PEPCK promoter Microb. Cell Fact. (IF 6.4) Pub Date : 2024-02-24 Neetu Rajak, Trishna Dey, Yash Sharma, Vedanth Bellad, Pundi N. Rangarajan
Komagataella phaffii (a.k.a. Pichia pastoris) harbors a glutamate utilization pathway in which synthesis of glutamate dehydrogenase 2 and phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase (PEPCK) is induced by glutamate. Glutamate-inducible synthesis of these enzymes is regulated by Rtg1p, a cytosolic, basic helix-loop-helix protein. Here, we report food-grade monosodium glutamate (MSG)-inducible recombinant protein
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Multienzymatic biotransformation of flavokawain B by entomopathogenic filamentous fungi: structural modifications and pharmacological predictions Microb. Cell Fact. (IF 6.4) Pub Date : 2024-02-24 Paweł Chlipała, Tomasz Tronina, Monika Dymarska, Monika Urbaniak, Ewa Kozłowska, Łukasz Stępień, Edyta Kostrzewa-Susłow, Tomasz Janeczko
Flavokawain B is one of the naturally occurring chalcones in the kava plant (Piper methysticum). It exhibits anticancer, anti-inflammatory and antimalarial properties. Due to its therapeutic potential, flavokawain B holds promise for the treatment of many diseases. However, due to its poor bioavailability and low aqueous solubility, its application remains limited. The attachment of a sugar unit impacts
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Lead remediation by geological fluorapatite combined with Penicillium Oxalicum and Red yeast Microb. Cell Fact. (IF 6.4) Pub Date : 2024-02-24 Qiang Guan, Xiaohui Cheng, Yue He, Yifan Yan, Lei Zhang, Zhan Wang, Liangliang Zhang, Da Tian
Phosphate solubilizing fungi Penicillium oxalicum (POX) and Red yeast Rhodotorula mucilaginosa (Rho) have been applied in Pb remediation with the combination of fluorapatite (FAp), respectively. The secretion of oxalic acid by POX and the production of extracellular polymers (EPS) by Rho dominate the Pb remediation. In this study, the potential of Pb remediation by the fungal combined system (POX and
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Evaluating oleaginous yeasts for enhanced microbial lipid production using sweetwater as a sustainable feedstock Microb. Cell Fact. (IF 6.4) Pub Date : 2024-02-24 Valériane Malika Keita, Yi Qing Lee, Meiyappan Lakshmanan, Dave Siak-Wei Ow, Paul Staniland, Jessica Staniland, Ian Savill, Kang Lan Tee, Tuck Seng Wong, Dong-Yup Lee
Yeasts exhibit promising potential for the microbial conversion of crude glycerol, owing to their versatility in delivering a wide range of value-added products, particularly lipids. Sweetwater, a methanol-free by-product of the fat splitting process, has emerged as a promising alternative feedstock for the microbial utilization of crude glycerol. To further optimize sweetwater utilization, we compared
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A genome-reduced Corynebacterium glutamicum derivative discloses a hidden pathway relevant for 1,2-propanediol production Microb. Cell Fact. (IF 6.4) Pub Date : 2024-02-24 Daniel Siebert, Erich Glawischnig, Marie-Theres Wirth, Mieke Vannahme, Álvaro Salazar-Quirós, Annette Weiske, Ezgi Saydam, Dominik Möggenried, Volker F. Wendisch, Bastian Blombach
1,2-propanediol (1,2-PDO) is widely used in the cosmetic, food, and drug industries with a worldwide consumption of over 1.5 million metric tons per year. Although efforts have been made to engineer microbial hosts such as Corynebacterium glutamicum to produce 1,2-PDO from renewable resources, the performance of such strains is still improvable to be competitive with existing petrochemical production
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Recombinant L. lactis vaccine LL-plSAM-WAE targeting four virulence factors provides mucosal immunity against H. pylori infection Microb. Cell Fact. (IF 6.4) Pub Date : 2024-02-24 Furui Zhang, Linhan Ni, Zhen Zhang, Xuegang Luo, Xuequan Wang, Wenmiao Zhou, Jiale Chen, Jing Liu, Yuliang Qu, Kunmei Liu, Le Guo
Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) causes chronic gastric disease. An efficient oral vaccine would be mucosa-targeted and offer defense against colonization of invasive infection in the digestive system. Proteolytic enzymes and acidic environment in the gastrointestinal tract (GT) can, however, reduce the effectiveness of oral vaccinations. For the creation of an edible vaccine, L. lactis has been proposed
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Production and characterization of novel marine black yeast’s exopolysaccharide with potential antiradical and anticancer prospects Microb. Cell Fact. (IF 6.4) Pub Date : 2024-02-22 Eman H. Zaghloul, Hala H. Abdel-Latif, Asmaa Elsayis, Sahar W.M. Hassan
The marine black yeasts are characterized by the production of many novel protective substances. These compounds increase their physiological adaptation to multi-extreme environmental stress. Hence, the exopolysaccharide (EPS) producing marine black yeast SAHE was isolated in this study. It was molecularly identified as Hortaea werneckii (identity 98.5%) through ITS1 and ITS4 gene sequencing analysis
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Physicochemical characterization of polyhydroxybutyrate (PHB) produced by the rare halophile Brachybacterium paraconglomeratum MTCC 13074 Microb. Cell Fact. (IF 6.4) Pub Date : 2024-02-22 Teja Mandragutti, Tura Safawo Jarso, Sudhakar Godi, S Sharmila Begum, Beulah K
Polyhydroxybutyrate is a biopolymer produced by bacteria and archaea under nitrogen-limiting conditions. PHB is an essential polymer in the bioplastic sector because of its biodegradability, eco-friendliness, and adaptability. The characterization of PHB is a multifaceted process for studying the structure and its properties. This entire aspect can assure the long-term viability and performance attributes
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Analysis of heterologous expression of phaCBA promotes the acetoin stress response mechanism in Bacillus subtilis using transcriptomics and metabolomics approaches Microb. Cell Fact. (IF 6.4) Pub Date : 2024-02-21 Tao Li, Haixiang Li, Lei Zhong, Yufei Qin, Gege Guo, Zhaoxing Liu, Ning Hao, Pingkai Ouyang
Acetoin, a versatile platform chemical and popular food additive, poses a challenge to the biosafety strain Bacillus subtilis when produced in high concentrations due to its intrinsic toxicity. Incorporating the PHB synthesis pathway into Bacillus subtilis 168 has been shown to significantly enhance the strain’s acetoin tolerance. This study aims to elucidate the molecular mechanisms underlying the
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Metabolic engineering of Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803 for the improved production of phenylpropanoids Microb. Cell Fact. (IF 6.4) Pub Date : 2024-02-18 Kateryna Kukil, Pia Lindberg
Phenylpropanoids are a large group of plant secondary metabolites with various biological functions, derived from aromatic amino acids. Cyanobacteria are promising host organisms for sustainable production of plant phenylpropanoids. We have previously engineered Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803 to produce trans-cinnamic acid (tCA) and p-coumaric acid (pCou), the first intermediates of phenylpropanoid pathway
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Genetic characterization of a novel Salinicola salarius isolate applied for the bioconversion of agro-industrial wastes into polyhydroxybutyrate Microb. Cell Fact. (IF 6.4) Pub Date : 2024-02-17 Shymaa A. Abdelrahman, Olfat S. Barakat, Marwa N. Ahmed
Polyhydroxybutyrate (PHB) has emerged as a promising eco-friendly alternative to traditional petrochemical-based plastics. In the present study, we isolated and characterized a new strain of Salinicola salarius, a halophilic bacterium, from the New Suez Canal in Egypt and characterized exclusively as a potential PHB producer. Further genome analysis of the isolated strain, ES021, was conducted to identify
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Impact of cell wall polysaccharide modifications on the performance of Pichia pastoris: novel mutants with enhanced fitness and functionality for bioproduction applications Microb. Cell Fact. (IF 6.4) Pub Date : 2024-02-17 Bingjie Cheng, Keyang Yu, Xing Weng, Zhaojun Liu, Xuewu Huang, Yuhong Jiang, Shuai Zhang, Shuyan Wu, Xiaoyuan Wang, Xiaoqing Hu
Pichia pastoris is a widely utilized host for heterologous protein expression and biotransformation. Despite the numerous strategies developed to optimize the chassis host GS115, the potential impact of changes in cell wall polysaccharides on the fitness and performance of P. pastoris remains largely unexplored. This study aims to investigate how alterations in cell wall polysaccharides affect the
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Bio-upcycling of even and uneven medium-chain-length diols and dicarboxylates to polyhydroxyalkanoates using engineered Pseudomonas putida Microb. Cell Fact. (IF 6.4) Pub Date : 2024-02-16 Yannic S. Ackermann, Jan de Witt, Mariela P. Mezzina, Christoph Schroth, Tino Polen, Pablo I. Nikel, Benedikt Wynands, Nick Wierckx
Bio-upcycling of plastics is an emerging alternative process that focuses on extracting value from a wide range of plastic waste streams. Such streams are typically too contaminated to be effectively processed using traditional recycling technologies. Medium-chain-length (mcl) diols and dicarboxylates (DCA) are major products of chemically or enzymatically depolymerized plastics, such as polyesters
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A genetic toolbox to empower Paracoccus pantotrophus DSM 2944 as a metabolically versatile SynBio chassis Microb. Cell Fact. (IF 6.4) Pub Date : 2024-02-15 Upasana Pal, Denise Bachmann, Chiara Pelzer, Julia Christiansen, Lars M. Blank, Till Tiso
To contribute to the discovery of new microbial strains with metabolic and physiological robustness and develop them into successful chasses, Paracoccus pantotrophus DSM 2944, a Gram-negative bacterium from the phylum Alphaproteobacteria and the family Rhodobacteraceae, was chosen. The strain possesses an innate ability to tolerate high salt concentrations. It utilizes diverse substrates, including
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N-terminal truncation of PhaCBP-M-CPF4 and its effect on PHA production Microb. Cell Fact. (IF 6.4) Pub Date : 2024-02-15 Soon Zher Neoh, Hua Tiang Tan, Chanaporn Trakunjae, Min Fey Chek, Pilanee Vaithanomsat, Toshio Hakoshima, Kumar Sudesh
Among the polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA), poly[(R)-3-hydroxybutyrate-co-(R)-3-hydroxyhexanoate] [P(3HB-co-3HHx)] is reported to closely resemble polypropylene and low-density polyethylene. Studies have shown that PHA synthase (PhaC) from mangrove soil (PhaCBP-M-CPF4) is an efficient PhaC for P(3HB-co-3HHx) production and N-termini of PhaCs influence its substrate specificity, dimerization, granule morphology
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The recombinant l-lysine α-oxidase from the fungus Trichoderma harzianum promotes apoptosis and necrosis of leukemia CD34 + hematopoietic cells Microb. Cell Fact. (IF 6.4) Pub Date : 2024-02-14 Mariana do Nascimento Costa, Thiago Aparecido Silva, Dimitrius Santiago Passos Simões Fróes Guimarães, Rafael Ricci-Azevedo, Felipe Roberti Teixeira, Leonardo Reis Silveira, Marcelo Damário Gomes, Vítor Marcel Faça, Eduardo Brandt de Oliveira, Rodrigo T. Calado, Roberto N. Silva
In hematologic cancers, including leukemia, cells depend on amino acids for rapid growth. Anti-metabolites that prevent their synthesis or promote their degradation are considered potential cancer treatment agents. Amino acid deprivation triggers proliferation inhibition, autophagy, and programmed cell death. l-lysine, an essential amino acid, is required for tumor growth and has been investigated
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Serial cultures in invert emulsion and monophase systems for microbial community shaping and propagation Microb. Cell Fact. (IF 6.4) Pub Date : 2024-02-14 Alexis Dijamentiuk, Cécile Mangavel, Chloé Gapp, Annelore Elfassy, Anne-Marie Revol-Junelles, Frédéric Borges
Microbial communities harbor important biotechnological potential in diverse domains, however, the engineering and propagation of such communities still face both knowledge and know-how gaps. More specifically, culturing tools are needed to propagate and shape microbial communities, to obtain desired properties, and to exploit them. Previous work suggested that micro-confinement and segregation of
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Efficient production of 1,2,4-butanetriol from corn cob hydrolysate by metabolically engineered Escherichia coli Microb. Cell Fact. (IF 6.4) Pub Date : 2024-02-12 Ping Li, Mengjiao Wang, Haiyan Di, Qihang Du, Yipeng Zhang, Xiaoxu Tan, Ping Xu, Chao Gao, Tianyi Jiang, Chuanjuan Lü, Cuiqing Ma
Corn cob is a major waste mass-produced in corn agriculture. Corn cob hydrolysate containing xylose, arabinose, and glucose is the hydrolysis product of corn cob. Herein, a recombinant Escherichia coli strain BT-10 was constructed to transform corn cob hydrolysate into 1,2,4-butanetriol, a platform substance with diversified applications. To eliminate catabolite repression and enhance NADPH supply
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Scalable production of recombinant three-finger proteins: from inclusion bodies to high quality molecular probes Microb. Cell Fact. (IF 6.4) Pub Date : 2024-02-12 Jiang Xu, Xiao Lei, Ao Li, Jun Li, Shuxing Li, Lin Chen
The three-finger proteins are a collection of disulfide bond rich proteins of great biomedical interests. Scalable recombinant expression and purification of bioactive three-finger proteins is quite difficult. We introduce a working pipeline for expression, purification and validation of disulfide-bond rich three-finger proteins using E. coli as the expression host. With this pipeline, we have successfully
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Correction: A novel strategy for L-arginine production in engineered Escherichia coli Microb. Cell Fact. (IF 6.4) Pub Date : 2024-02-10 Mengzhen Nie, Jingyu Wang, Kechun Zhang
Correction to: Microbial Cell Factories (2023) 22:138 https://doi.org/10.1186/s12934-023-02145-8 In the Funding section of this article [1] the grant number relating to National Natural Science Foundation of China was incorrectly given as 10327A012001 and should have been 22078267. The original article has been corrected. Nie, M., Wang, J. & Zhang, K. A. Novel strategy for L-arginine production in
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Correction: Systematic engineering enables efficient biosynthesis of L-phenylalanine in E. Coli from inexpensive aromatic precursors Microb. Cell Fact. (IF 6.4) Pub Date : 2024-02-10 Mengzhen Nie, Jingyu Wang, Zeyao Chen, Chenkai Cao, Kechun Zhang
Correction to: Microbial Cell Factories (2023) 23:12 https://doi.org/10.1186/s12934-023-02282-0 In the Acknowledgements of this article [1] the grant number relating to National Natural Science Foundation of China was incorrectly given as 10327A012001 and should have been 22078267. The original article has been corrected. Nie, M., Wang, J., Chen, Z. et al. Systematic engineering enables efficient biosynthesis
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Development and characterization of a novel nanobody with SRMV neutralizing activity Microb. Cell Fact. (IF 6.4) Pub Date : 2024-02-10 Miao Sun, Changjiang Wang, Huaye Luo, Yanfei Chen, Guanggang Qu, Jian Chen, Ling Li, Min Zhang, Qinghong Xue
Peste des petits ruminants (PPR) is an acute, contact infectious disease caused by the small ruminant morbillivirus (SRMV), and its morbidity in goats and sheep can be up to 100% with significant mortality. Nanobody generated from camelid animals such as alpaca has attracted wide attention because of its unique advantages compared with conventional antibodies. The main objective of this study was to
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Quantifying microbial robustness in dynamic environments using microfluidic single-cell cultivation Microb. Cell Fact. (IF 6.4) Pub Date : 2024-02-09 Luisa Blöbaum, Luca Torello Pianale, Lisbeth Olsson, Alexander Grünberger
Microorganisms must respond to changes in their environment. Analysing the robustness of functions (i.e. performance stability) to such dynamic perturbations is of great interest in both laboratory and industrial settings. Recently, a quantification method capable of assessing the robustness of various functions, such as specific growth rate or product yield, across different conditions, time frames
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Protein production dynamics and physiological adaptation of recombinant Komagataella phaffii at near-zero growth rates Microb. Cell Fact. (IF 6.4) Pub Date : 2024-02-08 Corinna Rebnegger, Benjamin L. Coltman, Viktoria Kowarz, David A. Peña, Axel Mentler, Christina Troyer, Stephan Hann, Harald Schöny, Gunda Koellensperger, Diethard Mattanovich, Brigitte Gasser
Specific productivity (qP) in yeast correlates with growth, typically peaking at intermediate or maximum specific growth rates (μ). Understanding the factors limiting productivity at extremely low μ might reveal decoupling strategies, but knowledge of production dynamics and physiology in such conditions is scarce. Retentostats, a type of continuous cultivation, enable the well-controlled transition
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Discovery of a high-performance phage-derived promoter/repressor system for probiotic lactobacillus engineering Microb. Cell Fact. (IF 6.4) Pub Date : 2024-02-07 Marc Blanch-Asensio, Varun Sai Tadimarri, Alina Wilk, Shrikrishnan Sankaran
The Lactobacillaceae family comprises many species of great importance for the food and healthcare industries, with numerous strains identified as beneficial for humans and used as probiotics. Hence, there is a growing interest in engineering these probiotic bacteria as live biotherapeutics for animals and humans. However, the genetic parts needed to regulate gene expression in these bacteria remain
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Oral administration of a recombinant modified RBD antigen of SARS-CoV-2 as a possible immunostimulant for the care of COVID-19 Microb. Cell Fact. (IF 6.4) Pub Date : 2024-02-06 Norma A. Valdez‑Cruz, Diego Rosiles-Becerril, Constanza E. Martínez-Olivares, Enrique García‑Hernández, Laura Cobos-Marín, Daniel Garzón, Francisco E. López-Salas, Guadalupe Zavala, Axel Luviano, Alejandro Olvera, Alejandro Alagón, Octavio T. Ramírez, Mauricio A. Trujillo‑Roldán
Developing effective vaccines against SARS-CoV-2 that consider manufacturing limitations, equitable access, and acceptance is necessary for developing platforms to produce antigens that can be efficiently presented for generating neutralizing antibodies and as a model for new vaccines. This work presents the development of an applicable technology through the oral administration of the SARS-CoV-2 RBD
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Construction of recombinant Lactococcus expressing thymosin and interferon fusion protein and its application as an immune adjuvant Microb. Cell Fact. (IF 6.4) Pub Date : 2024-02-06 Zengqi Liu, Suhua Zhang, Hongjiao Hu, He Wang, Yu Qiu, Mingqi Dong, Muping Wang, Ziyang Cui, Hongyu Cui, Yunfeng Wang, Gaoming He
In recent years, biosafety and green food safety standards have increased the demand for immune enhancers and adjuvants. In the present study, recombinant food-grade Lactococcus lactis (r-L. lactis-Tα1-IFN) expressing thymosin Tα1 and chicken interferon fusion protein was constructed. The in vitro interactions with macrophages revealed a mixture of recombinant r-L. lactis-Tα1-IFN could significantly
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Stable expression of HIV-1 MPER extended epitope on the surface of the recombinant probiotic bacteria Escherichia Coli Nissle 1917 using CRISPR/Cas9 Microb. Cell Fact. (IF 6.4) Pub Date : 2024-02-04 Nathaniel Ninyio, Katherina Schmitt, Gladys Sergon, Charlotta Nilsson, Sören Andersson, Nikolai Scherbak
Mucosal vaccines have the potential to induce protective immune responses at the sites of infection. Applying CRISPR/Cas9 editing, we aimed to develop a probiotic-based vaccine candidate expressing the HIV-1 envelope membrane-proximal external region (MPER) on the surface of E. coli Nissle 1917. The HIV-1 MPER epitope was successfully introduced in the porin OmpF of the E. coli Nissle 1917 (EcN-MPER)
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Efficient production of 2′-fucosyllactose from fructose through metabolically engineered recombinant Escherichia coli Microb. Cell Fact. (IF 6.4) Pub Date : 2024-02-01 Ran You, Lei Wang, Meirong Hu, Yong Tao
The biosynthesis of human milk oligosaccharides (HMOs) using several microbial systems has garnered considerable interest for their value in pharmaceutics and food industries. 2′-Fucosyllactose (2′-FL), the most abundant oligosaccharide in HMOs, is usually produced using chemical synthesis with a complex and toxic process. Recombinant E. coli strains have been constructed by metabolic engineering strategies
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FastKnock: an efficient next-generation approach to identify all knockout strategies for strain optimization Microb. Cell Fact. (IF 6.4) Pub Date : 2024-01-29 Leila Hassani, Mohammad R. Moosavi, Payam Setoodeh, Habil Zare
Overproduction of desired native or nonnative biochemical(s) in (micro)organisms can be achieved through metabolic engineering. Appropriate rewiring of cell metabolism is performed by making rational changes such as insertion, up-/down-regulation and knockout of genes and consequently metabolic reactions. Finding appropriate targets (including proper sets of reactions to be knocked out) for metabolic
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Genome-wide screen identifies new set of genes for improved heterologous laccase expression in Saccharomyces cerevisiae Microb. Cell Fact. (IF 6.4) Pub Date : 2024-01-29 Garrett Strawn, Ryan W K Wong, Barry P Young, Michael Davey, Corey Nislow, Elizabeth Conibear, Christopher J R Loewen, Thibault Mayor
The yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae is widely used as a host cell for recombinant protein production due to its fast growth, cost-effective culturing, and ability to secrete large and complex proteins. However, one major drawback is the relatively low yield of produced proteins compared to other host systems. To address this issue, we developed an overlay assay to screen the yeast knockout collection
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Production and secretion of recombinant spider silk in Bacillus megaterium Microb. Cell Fact. (IF 6.4) Pub Date : 2024-01-26 Alexander Connor, R. Helen Zha, Mattheos Koffas
Silk proteins have emerged as versatile biomaterials with unique chemical and physical properties, making them appealing for various applications. Among them, spider silk, known for its exceptional mechanical strength, has attracted considerable attention. Recombinant production of spider silk represents the most promising route towards its scaled production; however, challenges persist within the
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Identification of squalene epoxidase in triterpenes biosynthesis in Poria cocos by molecular docking and CRISPR-Cas9 gene editing Microb. Cell Fact. (IF 6.4) Pub Date : 2024-01-25 Xiao-liu Liu, Jing Xie, Zhen-ni Xie, Can Zhong, Hao Liu, Shui-han Zhang, Jian Jin
Squalene epoxidase is one of the rate-limiting enzymes in the biosynthetic pathway of membrane sterols and triterpenoids. The enzyme catalyzes the formation of oxidized squalene, which is a common precursor of sterols and triterpenoids. In this study, the squalene epoxidase gene (PcSE) was evaluated in Poria cocos. Molecular docking between PcSE and squalene was performed and the active amino acids
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Intestinal mucosal microbiota mediate amino acid metabolism involved in the gastrointestinal adaptability to cold and humid environmental stress in mice Microb. Cell Fact. (IF 6.4) Pub Date : 2024-01-24 Chen-Yang Zhang, Xin-Xin Peng, Yi Wu, Mai-Jiao Peng, Tiao-Hao Liu, Zhou-Jin Tan
Growing evidence has demonstrated that cold and humid environmental stress triggers gastrointestinal (GI) disorders. In this study, we explored the effects of intestinal microbiota homeostasis on the intestinal mucus barrier and GI disorders by cold and humid environmental stress. Moreover, the inner link between the intestinal mucosal microbiota and metabolites in mice with cold and humid environmental
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Engineering strategies for enhanced heterologous protein production by Saccharomyces cerevisiae Microb. Cell Fact. (IF 6.4) Pub Date : 2024-01-22 Meirong Zhao, Jianfan Ma, Lei Zhang, Haishan Qi
Microbial proteins are promising substitutes for animal- and plant-based proteins. S. cerevisiae, a generally recognized as safe (GRAS) microorganism, has been frequently employed to generate heterologous proteins. However, constructing a universal yeast chassis for efficient protein production is still a challenge due to the varying properties of different proteins. With progress in synthetic biology
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Chitinous material bioconversion by three new chitinases from the yeast Mestchnikowia pulcherrima Microb. Cell Fact. (IF 6.4) Pub Date : 2024-01-20 Marina Minguet-Lobato, Fadia V. Cervantes, Noa Míguez, Francisco J. Plou, María Fernández-Lobato
Chitinases are widely distributed enzymes that perform the biotransformation of chitin, one of the most abundant polysaccharides on the biosphere, into useful value-added chitooligosaccharides (COS) with a wide variety of biotechnological applications in food, health, and agricultural fields. One of the most important group of enzymes involved in the degradation of chitin comprises the glycoside hydrolase
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Highly selective whole-cell 25-hydroxyvitamin D3 synthesis using molybdenum-dependent C25-steroid dehydrogenase and cyclodextrin recycling Microb. Cell Fact. (IF 6.4) Pub Date : 2024-01-20 Dennis Kosian, Max Willistein, Ralf Weßbecher, Constantin Eggers, Oliver May, Matthias Boll
The global prevalence of vitamin D (VitD) deficiency associated with numerous acute and chronic diseases has led to strategies to improve the VitD status through dietary intake of VitD-fortified foods and VitD supplementation. In this context, the circulating form of VitD3 (cholecalciferol) in the human body, 25-hydroxy-VitD3 (calcifediol, 25OHVitD3), has a much higher efficacy in improving the VitD
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Itaconate Production from Crude Substrates with U. maydis: Scale-up of an Industrially Relevant Bioprocess Microb. Cell Fact. (IF 6.4) Pub Date : 2024-01-20 Tabea Helm, Thilo Stausberg, Martina Previati, Philipp Ernst, Bianca Klein, Tobias Busche, Jörn Kalinowski, Daniel Wibberg, Wolfgang Wiechert, Lien Claerhout, Nick Wierckx, Stephan Noack
Industrial by-products accrue in most agricultural or food-related production processes, but additional value chains have already been established for many of them. Crude glycerol has a 60% lower market value than commercial glucose, as large quantities are produced in the biodiesel industry, but its valorisation is still underutilized. Due to its high carbon content and the natural ability of many
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How do the carbon and nitrogen sources affect the synthesis of β-(1,3/1,6)-glucan, its structure and the susceptibility of Candida utilis yeast cells to immunolabelling with β-(1,3)-glucan monoclonal antibodies? Microb. Cell Fact. (IF 6.4) Pub Date : 2024-01-19 Anna Bzducha-Wróbel, Pavol Farkaš, Sandra Bieliková, Alžbeta Čížová, Marzena Sujkowska-Rybkowska
The need to limit antibiotic therapy due to the spreading resistance of pathogenic microorganisms to these medicinal substances stimulates research on new therapeutic agents, including the treatment and prevention of animal diseases. This is one of the goals of the European Green Deal and the Farm-To-Fork strategy. Yeast biomass with an appropriate composition and exposure of cell wall polysaccharides
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Full quantitative resource utilization of raw mustard waste through integrating a comprehensive approach for producing hydrogen and soil amendments Microb. Cell Fact. (IF 6.4) Pub Date : 2024-01-19 Ling Zhou, JiaZhen Sun, XiaoJun Xu, MingXia Ma, YongZhi Li, Qiao Chen, HaiFeng Su
Pickled mustard, the largest cultivated vegetable in China, generates substantial waste annually, leading to significant environmental pollution due to challenges in timely disposal, leading to decomposition and sewage issues. Consequently, the imperative to address this concern centers on the reduction and comprehensive resource utilization of raw mustard waste (RMW). To achieve complete and quantitative
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‘Mother(Nature) knows best’ – hijacking nature-designed transcriptional programs for enhancing stress resistance and protein production in Yarrowia lipolytica; presentation of YaliFunTome database Microb. Cell Fact. (IF 6.4) Pub Date : 2024-01-18 Maria Gorczyca, Wojciech Białas, Jean-Marc Nicaud, Ewelina Celińska
In the era of rationally designed synthetic biology, heterologous metabolites production, and other counter-nature engineering of cellular metabolism, we took a step back and recalled that ‘Mother(-Nature) knows best’. While still aiming at synthetic, non-natural outcomes of generating an ‘over-production phenotype’ we dug into the pre-designed transcriptional programs evolved in our host organism—Yarrowia