PRRSV is an immunosuppressive virus that is prone to secondary infection by other viral and microbial pathogens, exacerbating its harm to pigs. The development of multivalent vaccines that can prevent and control multiple pathogens is of great significance for the pig industry. In order to evaluate the potential of commercial PRRSV vaccines as the viral vectors for the trivalent...
This study explored the bioreduction of N-(3-oxobutyl)heterocycles with (partially) saturated heterocyclic moieties using whole-cell forms of wild-type yeast strains and commercially available baker’s yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae). Eleven wild-type yeast strains and baker’s yeast were screened for ketoreductase activity on a series of five flexible N-heterocycles with...
Red clover isoflavones, particularly biochanin A and formononetin, are known for their benefits in enhancing feed efficiency and nitrogen utilization in ruminants. However, their specific effects on rumen fermentation and microbial diversity remain insufficiently explored. This study investigated the impacts of red clover isoflavones on rumen function and bacterial diversity in...
Aldehyde dehydrogenases participate in many biochemical pathways, either by degrading organic substrates via organic acids or by producing reactive aldehyde intermediates in many biosynthetic pathways, and are becoming increasingly important for constructing synthetic metabolic pathways. Although they consist of simple and highly conserved basic structural motifs, they exhibit a...
Lignocellulosic biomass represents the largest available renewable source of carbon. It is a recalcitrant mixture of different polysaccharides and lignin. For its complete degradation, a large set of enzymes capable of cleaving its individual components is required. Several anaerobic bacteria produce high-molecular-weight multienzyme complexes called cellulosomes where the...
In this study, we characterized two novel enzymes of the glycoside hydrolase family 10 (GH10), Xyl10 C and Xyl10E, identified in the termite gut microbiome. The activities of both enzymes were assayed using beechwood xylan, barley β-glucan, and pretreated Sorghum bicolor bagasse (SBB) as substrates. Both enzymes, assessed individually and in combination, showed activity on...
The NAD+-dependent aldehyde dehydrogenase AldB from Aromatoleum aromaticum was recombinantly produced in Escherichia coli and biochemically characterized. As suggested by its substrate spectrum, the most probably physiological function of AldB is the oxidation of short aliphatic aldehydes such as acetaldehyde, which occur as intermediates in the degradation of the corresponding...
Senecavirus A (SVA) causes swine blister diseases in the crown of hooves, abortion syndrome, and increased mortality rates in piglets. Vaccination is the best defense against SVA infection. However, evaluations of the efficacy of SVA vaccines currently rely on challenging pigs with SVA, which is time-consuming, labor-intensive, and inconsistent with animal welfare mandates. To...
Enhancing product efflux is crucial in improving fermentative bioproduction. Despite advancements in metabolic engineering guided by the design-build-test-learn cycle, membrane transport engineering of product efflux remains underdeveloped, limiting the efficient production of target chemicals. This review explores the historical findings on product efflux, regardless of passive...
Since biodeterioration is considered one of the main issues related to the conservation of cultural heritage stone materials, an investigation was conducted into preventive sustainable antimicrobial alternatives to protect the stone surfaces. The study focuses on using MCM-41 mesoporous silica particles and vegetal extracts: the mesoporous materials act as nanocontainers...
The demand for sustainable and eco-friendly alternatives to fossil and plant oil-derived chemicals has spurred interest in microbial production of lipids, particularly triacylglycerols, fatty acids, and their derivatives. Yeasts are promising platforms for synthesizing these compounds due to their high lipid accumulation capabilities, robust growth, and generally recognized as...
Lactobacilli play essential roles in the food industry and have a significant potential as probiotics and therapeutic agents. Genomic and genetic information has increasingly accumulated and been linked to their various functions, to which transgenic approaches are being performed to verify crucial genes. In order to reasonably develop more useful strains, beneficial traits need...
We fabricated a self-assembled electric circuit to detect the electrical signals produced by two electrogenic probiotic bacteria [Leuconostoc mesenteroides (L. mesenteroides) and Lactococcus lactis (L. lactis)] on chicken egg chorioallantoic membranes as well as in the intestine lumen of mice. Inoculation of L. mesenteroides or L. lactis plus glucose onto a ferrozine assay...
Previous studies have established a correlation between the microbiome-derived metabolite trimethylamine N-oxide (TMAO) and decreased renal function, but with great heterogeneity. Moreover, population-based evidence remains scarce, particularly in Chinese populations. We designed a meta-analysis and a population-based cross-sectional study in China to examine the associations...
Ergothioneine (EGT) is a derivative of the amino acid L-histidine that is well known for its strong antioxidant properties. Recent studies on the functional characterization of EGT in both in vivo and in vitro systems have demonstrated its potential applications in pharmaceuticals, food, and cosmetics. The growing demand for EGT in novel applications necessitates the development...
The current strong reliance on synthetic chemicals, namely pesticides, is far from environmentally sustainable. These xenobiotics contribute significantly to global change and to the current biodiversity crisis, but have been overlooked when compared to other agents (e.g., climate change). Aquatic ecosystems are particularly vulnerable to pesticides, making monitoring programs...
Advanced industrial strains of Aspergillus oryzae have been used for decades for the production of recombinant proteins including food and feed enzymes at large scale. The A. oryzae strain lineage evaluated in this review derives from the proprietary Novozymes (now Novonesis) strain collection. A. oryzae wild-type strains have the potential to produce three different mycotoxins...
Presence of carbohydrates hampers protein degradation in anaerobic digesters. To understand this phenomenon, we used proteogenomics to identify the active protein-degraders in the presence of low and high carbohydrates concentrations. Active metabolic pathways of the identified protein-degraders were investigated using proteomics with 13C-protein substrates (protein stable...
Peptidyl-lys metalloendopeptidases (PKMs) are enzymes that selectively cleave peptide bonds at the N-terminus of lysine residues present in the P1′ position, making them valuable tools in proteomics. This mini-review presents an overview of PKMs, covering their traditional production from native sources, recent advances in recombinant production, and the current limitations in...
Current pneumococcal vaccines are based on the protection offered by capsular polysaccharides from only a few from > 100 serotypes; therefore, serotype-independent vaccines composed of pneumococcal surface proteins are being developed. Despite the immense number of publications on the discovery, characterization, and evaluation of new pneumococcal vaccine candidates, there are...
Vaginal infections caused by Candida albicans are a significant global health concern due to their recurrence and negative impact on quality of life. This review examines the pathogenesis of C. albicans infections, emphasizing critical virulence factors such as biofilm formation, adherence, and phenotypic switching. Risk factors include immune system suppression, antibiotic use...
The low frequency of homologous recombination together with poor efficiency in introducing DNA into the cell are the main factors hampering genetic manipulation of some bacterial strains. We faced this problem when trying to construct mutants of Streptomyces iranensis DSM 41954, a strain in which conjugation is particularly inefficient, and suicidal vectors had failed to yield...
Candida albicans is a major opportunistic pathogen, responsible for nearly half of clinical candidemia cases. The rising prevalence of azole-resistant Candida species represents a significant clinical challenge, underscoring the urgent need for alternative therapeutic strategies. Monoclonal antibody-based therapies have emerged as a promising and cost-effective approach to...
Saccharomyces cerevisiae, a unicellular eukaryotic microorganism, includes various strains used in alcoholic beverage production, like sake, shochu/awamori, and wine yeasts. Despite being the same “Saccharomyces cerevisiae”, each strain has unique genes and mutations that make them suitable for specific production processes. We focused on sake yeast, Saccharomyces cerevisiae...
β-Glucosidases are useful for hydrolysis of glycosidically-bound volatiles (GBV), thereby facilitating the release of aroma chemicals from the fruit matrices. In this study, 10 putative glycosyl hydrolases belonging to GH1 family from Lactiplantibacillus plantarum NCIM 2903 were cloned and recombinantly expressed. Interestingly, only one (LpBgl5) of the nine soluble proteins...