Bacterial cytochrome P450 (CYP) enzymes are responsible for the hydroxylation of diverse endogenous substances with a heme molecule used as a cofactor. This study characterized two CYP154C3 proteins from Streptomyces sp. W2061 (CYP154C3-1) and Streptomyces sp. KCCM40643 (CYP154C3-2). The enzymatic activity assays of both CYPs conducted using heterologous redox partners' putidaredoxin and putidaredoxin

The diversity and plant growth-promoting ability of fungal endophytes that are associated with five halophytic plant species (Phragmites australis, Suaeda australis, Limonium tetragonum, Suaeda glauca Bunge, and Suaeda maritima) growing in the Buan salt marsh on the west coast of South Korea have been explored. About 188 fungal strains were isolated from these plant samples' roots and were then studied

Two genes encoding the probable α-L-arabinofuranosidase (EC 3.2.1.55) isozymes with 92.3% amino acid sequence identity, ABF51A and ABF51B, were found from the chromosomes 3 and 5 of Saccharomycopsis fibuligera KJJ81, the amylolytic yeast isolated from Korean wheat-based Nuruk, respectively. Each open reading frame consists of 1,551 nucleotides which encodes a protein of 517 amino acids with the molecular

Severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome virus (SFTSV) is an emerging phlebovirus of the Phenuiviridae family that has been circulating in East Asian countries, such as China, Japan, and South Korea. Despite the increasing infection rates and relatively high mortality rate, there is limited information available regarding SFTSV viral pathogenesis. In addition, there are currently no vaccines or

Comparative genomic analysis was performed on eight species of lactic acid bacteria (LAB)-Lactococcus (L.) lactis, Lactobacillus (Lb.) plantarum, Lb. casei, Lb. brevis, Leuconostoc (Leu.) mesenteroides, Lb. fermentum, Lb. buchneri, and Lb. curvatus-to assess their glutamic acid production pathways. Glutamic acid is important for umami taste in foods. The only genes for glutamic acid production identified

This study aimed to investigate the neuroprotective effects of 1-methoxylespeflorin G11 (MLG), a pterocarpan, against glutamate-induced neurotoxicity in neuronal HT22 hippocampal cells. The protective effects of MLG were evaluated using MTT assay and microscopic analysis. The extent of apoptosis was studied using flow cytometric analysis performed on the damaged cells probed with annexin V/propidium

Caffeine, a methylxanthine analog of purine bases, is a compound that is largely consumed in beverages and medications for psychoactive and diuretic effects and plays many beneficial roles in neuronal stimulation and enhancement of anti-tumor immune responses by blocking adenosine receptors in higher organisms. In single-cell eukaryotes, however, caffeine somehow impairs cellular fitness by compromising

Using salt-tolerant bacteria to protect plants from salt stress is a promising microbiological treatment strategy for saline-alkali soil improvement. This study conducted research on growth-promoting effect of Brevibacterium frigoritolerans on wheat under salt stress, which has rarely been addressed before. The synergistic effect of B. frigoritolerans combined with representative salt-tolerant bacteria

The World Health Organization (WHO) has declared the Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) as an international health emergency. Current diagnostic tests are based on the reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) method, which is the gold standard test that involves the amplification of viral RNA. However, the RT-qPCR assay has limitations in terms of sensitivity and quantification

Prodigiosins, which are natural tripyrrole red pigments and synthetic derivatives, reportedly have multiple biological effects mainly on various types of cancer cells. However, the effects of bacterial prodigiosin on non-cancerous HaCaT human skin keratinocytes have not been reported. Therefore, the present study aimed to investigate the functional activities of prodigiosin derived from cultures of

Bacterial cellulose (BC) is widely used in the food industry for products such as nata-de-coco. The mechanical properties including stiffness and viscoelasticity of BC hydrogel are determined by the hydrated fibril network. Generally, Komagataeibacter bacteria produce gluconic acids in a glucose medium, which may affect the pH, structure and mechanical properties of BC. In this work, the effect of

Chikungunya virus (CHIKV) was first identified in 1952 as a causative agent of outbreaks. CHIKV is transmitted by two mosquito species, Aedes aegypti and A. albopictus. Symptoms after CHIKV infection in human are typically fever and joint pain, but can also include headache, muscle pain, joint swelling, polyarthralgia, and rash. CHIKV is an enveloped single-stranded, positive-sense RNA virus with a

Shigella flexneri is a facultative intracellular pathogen that causes bacillary dysentery in humans. The organism can cause more than a million deaths yearly because of infections with Shigella flexneri and the victims are the children living in the developing countries. Therefore, identification of novel and unique drug targets of this pathogen is instrumental to overcome the problem of drug resistance

Phenotypic plasticity is a rapid response mechanism that enable organisms to acclimate and survive in changing environments. Chinese mitten crab (Eriocheir sinensis) survives and thrives in different and even invasive habitats, thereby indicating its high phenotypic plasticity. However, the underpinnings of the high plasticity of E. sinensis are not comprehensively investigated. In this study, we conducted

microRNA-361-3p (miR-361-3p) is involved in carcinogenesis of oral cancer and pancreatic catheter adenocarcinoma, and has anti-carcinogenic effects on non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), however, its effect on multiple myeloma (MM) is less reported. The current study found that up-regulating the expression of miR-361-3p inhibited MM cell viability and promoted MM apoptosis. Expressions of tumour necrosis

There is growing interest in the production of microalgae-based high-value by-products as an emerging green biotechnology. However, a cultivation platform for Oocystis sp. has yet to be established. To overcome this limitation, we examined the effect of bacterial culture additions on the growth and production of valuable compounds the Oocystis sp. KNUA044 microalgal strain isolated from a locally adapted

Many bacteria metabolize aromatic compounds via catechol as a catabolic intermediate, and possess multiple genes or clusters encoding catechol-cleavage enzymes. The presence of multiple isozyme-encoding genes is a widespread phenomenon that seems to give the carrying strains a selective advantage in the natural environment over those with only a single copy. In the naphthalene-degrading strain Pseudomonas

In this study, the culture conditions for Porphyridium cruentum were optimized to obtain the maximum biomass and lipid productions. The eicosapentaenoic acid content was increased by pH optimization. Porphyridium cruentum was cultured with modified F/2 medium in 14-L photo-bioreactors using a two-phase culture system, in which the green (520 nm) and red (625 nm) light-emitting diodes (LEDs) were used

Bacterial biofilm is a community of bacteria that are embedded and structured in self-secreted extracellular matrix. An important clinical-related characteristic of bacterial biofilms is that they are much more resistant to antimicrobial agents than the planktonic cells (up to 1000 times), which is one of the main causes of antibiotic resistance in clinics. Therefore, infections caused by biofilms

Vaccination is the most effective way to prevent influenza virus infections. However, conventional vaccines based on hemagglutinin (HA) have to be annually updated because the HA of influenza viruses constantly mutates. In this study, we produced a 3M2e-3HA2-NP chimeric protein as a vaccine antigen candidate using an Escherichia coli expression system. The vaccination of chimeric protein (15 μg) conferred

Ergosterol, an essential constituent of membrane lipids of yeast, is distributed in both the cell membrane and the intracellular endomembrane system such as vacuoles. Honokiol, a major polyphenol isolated from Magnolia officinalis, has been shown to inhibit the growth of Candida albicans. Here, we assessed the effect of honokiol on ergosterol biosynthesis and vacuole function in C. albicans. Honokiol

Periplanetasin-2 from cockroach exhibits broad spectrum of antimicrobial activity. The underlying antibacterial mechanisms rely on the stimulation of reactive oxygen species overproduction to induce apoptotic cell death. A promising strategy to increase the bioavailability of periplanetasin-2 involves reducing the dose through combination therapy with other antibacterials, that show synergistic effects

Inflammatory reactions activated by lipopolysaccharide (LPS) of gram-negative bacterium can lead to severe septic shocks. With recent emergence of multidrug-resistant gram-negative bacteria as well as lack of efficient ways to treat resulting infections, there is a need to develop novel anti-endotoxin agents. Antimicrobial peptides have been noticed as potential therapeutic molecules for bacterial

γ-glutamylcysteine synthetase (Gcs1) and glutathione reductase (Glr1) activity maintains minimal levels of cellular methylglyoxal in Candida albicans. In glutathione-depleted Δgcs1, we previously saw that NAD(H)-linked methylglyoxal oxidoreductase (Mgd1) and alcohol dehydrogenase (Adh1) are the most active methylglyoxal scavengers. With methylglyoxal accumulation, disruptants lacking MGD1 or ADH1 exhibit

Cyanobacteriochromes (CBCRs) are phytochrome-related photoreceptor proteins in cyanobacteria and cover a wide spectral range from ultraviolet to far-red. A single GAF domain that they contain can bind bilin(s) autocatalytically via heterologous recombination and then fluoresce, with potential applications as biomarkers and biosensors. Here, we report that a novel red/green CBCR GAF domain, SPI1085g2

Identifying the extracellular metabolites of microorganisms in fresh vegetables is industrially useful for assessing the quality of processed foods. Pectobacterium carotovorum subsp. carotovorum (PCC) is a plant pathogenic bacterium that causes soft rot disease in cabbages. This microbial species in plant tissues can emit specific volatile molecules with odors that are characteristic of the host cell

Most cervical cancers are associated with high-risk human papillomavirus (HPV) infection. Currently, cervical cancer treatment entails surgical removal of the lesion, but treatment of infection and preventing tissue damage are issues that still remain to be addressed. Herbal medicine and biological studies have focused on developing anti-viral drugs from natural sources. In this study, we analyzed

Vanillyl alcohol (VA), which is abundant in Vanilla bean, has strong antioxidant activity. However, the use of VA in the food and cosmetics industries is limited, due to its low solubility in emulsion or organic solvents. Meanwhile, medium chain fatty acids and medium chain monoglycerides have antibacterial activity. We synthesized butyric acid vanillyl ester (BAVE) or caprylic acid vanillyl ester

COVID-19, caused by a novel coronavirus, SARS-CoV-2, has spread globally and caused serious social and economic problems. The WHO has declared this outbreak a pandemic. Currently, there are no approved vaccines or antiviral drugs. Drugs already approved for clinical use would be ideal candidates for rapid development as COVID-19 treatments. In this work, we screened 1,473 FDA-approved drugs to identify

Since ZIKV was first detected at Uganda in 1947 and, serious outbreaks have globally occurred in the Yap Island, the French Polynesia and Brazil. Even though the number of infection and spread of ZIKV have sharply rise, the pathogenesis or replication mechanisms ZIKV have not been well studied. Zika virus (ZIKV) is recently highlighted Flavivirus, a mosquito born emerging virus causing microcephaly

Biosurfactant-producing bacteria were isolated from transformer oil-contaminated soil. The strain was identified as Pseudomonas aeruginosa PU1 based on its molecular characterization by 16S rRNA gene sequencing. The extraction of biosurfactant was done by acid precipitation method using 2 N hydrochloric acid and further purified by silica-gel column chromatography. The highest rhamnolipid biosurfactant

Polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHA) are a family of microbial polyesters that are used as biodegradable plastics in replacement of conventional plastics for various applications. However, the high production cost is the barrier for PHA market expansion. This study aimed to utilize food waste as low-cost feedstock to produce poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyvalerate) (PHBV) by Haloferax mediterranei . The

Leptolyngbya sp. KIOST-1 (LK1) is a newly isolated cyanobacterium that shows no obvious cytotoxicity and contains high protein content for both human and animal diets. However, only limited information is available on its toxic effects. The purpose of this study was to validate the safety of LK1 powder. Following Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) guidelines, a single-dose

Among various species of marine bacteria, those belonging to the genus Halomonas have several promising applications and have been studied well. However, there was not much information on antibiotic resistance of Halomonas species. As an effort to find antibiotic resistance of Halomonas socia CKY01, which showed production of various hydrolases and growth promotion by osmolytes in previous study, we

Candida albicans is a major fungal pathogen in humans. In our previous study, we reported that an ethanol extract from Aucklandia lappa weakens C. albicans cell wall by inhibiting synthesis or assembly of both (1,3)-β-D-glucan polymers and chitin. In the current study, we found that the extract is involved in permeabilization of C. albicans cell membranes. While uptake of ethidium bromide (EtBr) was

Carotenoids, which have biologically beneficial effects and occur naturally in microorganisms and plants, are pigments widely applied in the food, cosmetics and pharmaceutical industries. The compound 4,4'-diaponeurosporene is a C30 carotenoid produced by some Lactobacillus species, and L. plantarum is the main species producing it. In this study, the antioxidant activity of 4,4'-diaponeurosporene

Fibrinolytic enzymes with a direct mechanism of action and safer properties are currently requested for thrombolytic therapy. This paper reports on a new enzyme capable of degrading blood clots directly without impairing blood coagulation. This enzyme is also non-cytotoxic and constitutes an alternative to other thrombolytic enzymes known to cause undesired side effects. Twenty-four Bacillus isolates

More and more available fungal genome sequence data reveals a large number of secondary metabolite (SM) biosynthetic "dark matter" to be discovered. Heterogeneous expression approach is one of the most effective way to exploit these novel natural products, but it is limited by cloning of entire biosynthetic gene clusters (BGCs) without errors. So far, few effective technologies were developed to manipulate

Organophosphorus nerve agents (OPNAs), including both G- and V-type nerve agents such as sarin, soman, tabun and VX, are extremely neurotoxic organophosphorus compounds. Catalytic bioscavengers capable of hydrolyzing OPNAs are under development because of the low protective effects and adverse side effects of chemical antidotes to OPNA poisoning. However, these bioscavengers have certain limitations

Supplement of high protein food plays an important role in improving the symptoms of malnutrition and the immune capacity of the body, but the association of high protein diet and gut microbiota remained unaddressed. Here, we observed that pupae increased the concentration of blood glucose in C57, but not in PD-1H depleted mice, and chow diet feeding as no effect on weight change in C57 and PD-1H depleted

Enzyme replacement therapy for lysosomal storage diseases usually requires recombinant enzymes containing mannose-6-phosphate (M6P) glycans for cellular uptake and lysosomal targeting. For the first time, a strategy is established here for the in vitro mannosyl-phosphorylation of high-mannose type N-glycans that utilizes a recombinant Mnn14 protein derived from Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Among a series

Petroleum contaminated soil is considered among the most important potential anthropogenic atmospheric methane sources. Additionally, various rhizoremediation factors can affect methane emissions by altering soil ecosystem carbon cycles. Nonetheless, greenhouse gas emissions from soil have not been given due importance as a potentially relevant parameter in rhizoremediation techniques. Therefore, this

Hepatitis B virus (HBV) genome P-encoded protein-HBV DNA polymerase (Pol) has long been known as a reverse transcriptase during the HBV replication. In this study, we aimed at investigating the impact of HBV Pol on host cellular processes, mainly apoptosis, and the underlying mechanisms. We showed a marked reduction in apoptotic rates in the HBV Pol-expressed HepG2 cells compared to controls. Moreover

Rumex japonicus Houtt (RJH) is a valuable plant used in traditional medicine to treat several diseases, such as scabies and jaundice. In this study, Jurkat cell growth inhibitory extracts of R. japonicus roots were subjected to bioassay-guided fractionation, resulting in the isolation of three naphthalene derivatives (3-5) along with one anthraquinone (6) and two phenolic compounds (1 and 2). Among

Genetic markers currently used for the discrimination of Lactobacillus delbrueckii subspecies have low efficiency for identification at subspecies level. Therefore, the objective of this study was to select novel genetic markers for accurate identification and discrimination of six L. delbrueckii subspecies based on pangenome analysis. This study evaluated L. delbrueckii genomes to avoid making incorrect

Bifidobacterium strains can provide several health benefits, such as antimicrobial and immunomodulatory effects. Some strains inhibit growth or cell adhesion of pathogenic bacteria, including multidrug-resistant bacteria, and their antibacterial activity can be intensified when combined with certain antibiotics. In addition, some strains of bifidobacteria reduce viral infectivity, leading to less epithelial

Bacillus subtilis and Enterococcus faecium are commonly used probiotics. This study aimed to identify the effect of live combined Bacillus subtilis R0179 and Enterococcus faecium R0026 (LCBE) on obesity-associated hyperlipidaemia and gut microbiota in C57BL/6 mice. Forty male C57BL/6 mice were divided into four groups: normal group (N group), model group (M group), low dose group (L group), high dose

Tunicates are known to contain biologically active materials however, Halocynthia aurantium has not been thoroughly studied. The current study aimed to analyze the fatty acids profile of H. aurantium body wall and their immunomodulatory effects on RAW264.7 macrophage-like cells. The fatty acids were classified into three categories; saturated fatty acid (SFA), monounsaturated fatty acid (MUFA), and

Homoserine dehydrogenase (HSD) catalyzes the reversible conversion of L-aspartate-4-semialdehyde to L5 homoserine in the aspartate pathway for the biosynthesis of lysine, methionine, threonine, and isoleucine. HSD has attracted great attention for medical and industrial purposes because it is known for its application in the development of pesticides and is being utilized in the large scale production

Ethanol often accumulates during the process of wine fermentation, and mitophagy hascritical role in ethanol output. However, the relationship between mitophagy and ethanolstress is still unclear. In this study, the expression of ATG11 and ATG32 genes exposed toethanol stress was accessed by real-time quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chainreaction (qRT-PCR). The result indicated that ethanol

Persister cell formation and biofilms of pathogens are extensively involved in the development of chronic infectious diseases. Eradicating persister cells is challenging, owing to their tolerance to conventional antibiotics, which cannot kill cells in a metabolically dormant state. A high frequency of persisters in biofilms makes inactivating biofilm cells more difficult, because the biofilm matrix

The effect of Actinidia arguta sprout water extract (AASWE) as prebiotics and antioxidants on lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced cognitive deficit mice was investigated. AASWE increased viable cell count, titratable acidity, and acetic acid production in Lactobacillus reuteri strain and showed a cytoprotective effect on LPS-induced inflammation in HT-29 cells. Behavior assessment was measured using Y-maze

Although classical metabolic engineering strategies have succeeded in developing microbial strains capable of producing desired bioproducts, metabolic imbalance resulting from extensive genetic manipulation often leads to decreased productivity. Thus, abiotic strategies for improving microbial production performance can be an alternative to overcome drawbacks arising from intensive metabolic engineering

Phenol soluble modulins (PSMs) are responsible for regulating the following: biofilm formation, persister cell formation, pmtR expression, host cell lysis, and anti-bacterial effects. To determine the effect of psm deletion on MRSA, psm deletion mutants, such as Δpsmα, Δpsmβ, and Δpsmαβ, respectively, were studied; these mutants showed increased β-lactam antibiotic resistance to ampicillin and oxacillin

Mutant sugar transporter ScGAL2-N376F was overexpressed in Kluyveromyces marxianus for efficient utilization of xylose, which is one of main component of cellulosic biomass. K. marxianus ScGal2_N376F, the ScGAL2-N376F-overexpressing strain, exhibited 47.04 g/L xylose consumption and 26.55 g/L xylitol production, as compared to those (24.68 g/L and 7.03 g/L, respectively) from the parental strain when

Increasing evidence suggests a potential role of microbial colonization in the inception of chronic airway diseases. However, it is not clear whether the lung and gut microbiome dysbiosis is coincidental or a result of mutual interaction. In this study, we investigated the airway microbiome in interleukin 13 (IL-13)-rich lung environment and related alterations of the gut microbiome. IL-13-overexpressing

A newly cloned 4-α-glucanotransferase (αGT) from Deinococcus geothermalis and two typical bacterial αGTs from Thermus scotoductus and Escherichia coli (MalQ) were investigated. Among 4 types of catalysis, cyclization activity of αGTs that produces cycloamylose (CA), a valuable carbohydrate making inclusion complexes, was intensively studied. The new αGT, DgαGT showed close protein sequence to the αGT

Probiotics often infused into functional foods or encapsulated in a supplement form are important for maintaining a healthy balance between the gut microbiota and its host. Currently, in markets, there are milk-based functional foods such as yogurt and cheese. Thus, milk-based probiotics have been suggested incorporating skim milk proteins in a liquid capsule. Skim milk is mainly composed of casein

Hyper thermal (HT) acid hydrolysis of red seaweed Gelidium amansii was performed using 12% (w/v) slurry and an acid mix concentration of 180 mM at 150 °C for 10 min. Enzymatic saccharification when using a combination of Celluclast 1.5 L and Ctec2 at a dose of 16 U/mL led to the production of 12.0 g/L of reducing sugar with an the efficiency of enzymatic saccharification (Es) of 13.2%. After the enzymatic