Predictions to Increase Lasso Peptide Production in the Heterologous Host Streptomyces coelicolor M1152.

Production of specialized metabolites are restricted to the metabolic capabilities of the organisms. Genome-scale models (GEM)s are useful to study the whole metabolism and to find metabolic engineering targets to increase the yield of a target compound. In this work we use a modified model of Streptomyces coelicolor M145 to simulate the production of lagmysin A (LP4) and the novel lagmysin B (LP2) lasso peptide, in the heterologous host Streptomyces coelicolor M1152.

NKG2C Sequence Polymorphism Modulates the Expansion of Adaptive NK Cells in Response to Human CMV.

A subpopulation of NK cells with distinctive phenotype and function differentiates and expands specifically in response to infection by human cytomegalovirus (HCMV). A hallmark of these adaptive NK cells is their increased expression levels of the activating CD94/NKG2C receptor for HLA-E, and lack of expression of its inhibitory homologue CD94/NKG2A. Their frequency is highly variable in HCMV individuals, and the basis for such differences is only partially understood.

Atacama desert actinomycetes: taxonomic analysis, drought tolerance and plant growth promoting potential.

This study was designed to recover representative culturable actinomycetes from the Atacama Desert, and to detect their ability to promote plant growth under drought conditions. Environmental samples were taken from three Atacama Desert habitats, namely, from the Aguas Calientes, Lomas Bayas and Yungay core regions. With one exception higher actinomycete counts were obtained when isolation media were inoculated with mineral particles than with corresponding aliquots of serial dilution.

sp. nov. and sp. nov., isolated from the rhizosphere of a plant growing in the Salar de Tara region of the Central Andes in Chile.

Two novel strains, STR1-7 and STR1S-6, were isolated from the rhizosphere of a plant growing in the Salar de Tara region of the Atacama Desert, Chile. Chemotaxonomic, cultural and phenotypic features confirmed that the isolates belonged to the genus . They grew from 20 to 37 °C, from pH7 to 8 and in the presence of up to 3 %, w/v NaCl.

Coenzyme Q in sp. RT2316-16: Effect of the Medium Composition.

Coenzyme Q (CoQ; ubiquinone) is an essential component of the respiratory chain. It is also a potent antioxidant that prevents oxidative damage to DNA, biological membranes, and lipoproteins. CoQ comprises a six-carbon ring with polar substituents that interact with electron acceptors and donors, and a hydrophobic polyisoprenoid chain that allows for its localization in cellular membranes.

Nitrogen Sources Affect the Long-Chain Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids Content in sp. RT2316-16.

The psychrophilic marine microorganism sp. RT2316-16 can produce carotenoids as well as lipids containing the omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) eicosapentaenoic acid and docosahexaenoic acid. This work reports on the effects of the composition of the culture medium, including certain amino acids, on growth and lipid synthesis by RT2316-16.

Mutactimycin AP, a New Mutactimycin Isolated from an Actinobacteria from the Atacama Desert.

Bacteria belonging to the phylum are a very good source of antibiotics, and indeed dominate the current clinical antibiotic space. This paper reports Mutactimycin AP, a new compound belonging to an anthracycline-type family of antibiotics, isolated from a This actinobacterial strain was isolated from the rhizosphere of lupine plants growing in the extreme hyper-arid Atacama Desert. Structural characterization was carried out using electrospray ionization-mass spectrometry (ESI-MS) and NMR spectroscopy in combination with molecular modelling.

Total mutational load and clinical features as predictors of the metastatic status in lung adenocarcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma patients.

Background: Recently, extensive cancer genomic studies have revealed mutational and clinical data of large cohorts of cancer patients. For example, the Pan-Lung Cancer 2016 dataset (part of The Cancer Genome Atlas project), summarises the mutational and clinical profiles of different subtypes of Lung Cancer (LC). Mutational and clinical signatures have been used independently for tumour typification and prediction of metastasis in LC patients.

Generalized Property-Based Encoders and Digital Signal Processing Facilitate Predictive Tasks in Protein Engineering.

Computational methods in protein engineering often require encoding amino acid sequences, i.e., converting them into numeric arrays.

Production of Carotenoids and Phospholipids by sp. in Batch and Repeated-Batch Culture.

The carotenogenic thraustochytrid sp. RT2316-16 was grown in batch and repeated-batch cultures using different feeds containing glucose, or glycerol, and yeast extract, for the production of lipids, phospholipids and carotenoids. RT2316-16 produced canthaxanthin, astaxanthin and β-carotene.

Diversity of NKG2C genotypes in a European population: Conserved and recombinant haplotypes in the coding, promoter, and 3'-untranslated regions.

NK cells monitor altered molecular patterns in tumors and infected cells through an ample array of receptors. Two families of evolutionarily distant receptors have converged to enable human NK cells to sense levels of HLA class I ligands, frequently abnormal in altered cells. Whilst different forms of polymorphism are a hallmark of killer-cell immunoglobulin-like receptors and their classic HLA-A, B, and C ligands, genetic diversity of killer-cell lectin-like receptors for the non-classical HLA-E (CD94/NKG2 heterodimers) is less conspicuous and has attracted less attention.

Resilience and sexual health among menopausal women: a cross-sectional study.

Objectives: Resilience can be defined as the capacity to overcome stressful situations, such as menopausal transition. Female sexual dysfunction is a problem that prevents women from experiencing satisfaction from sexual activity. In this study, we assessed resilience, sexual function, and quality of life among a sample of mid-aged Spanish menopausal women.

Antarctic Thraustochytrids as Sources of Carotenoids and High-Value Fatty Acids.

Eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), and carotenoids are needed as human dietary supplements and are essential components in commercial feeds for the production of aquacultured seafood. Microorganisms such as thraustochytrids are potential natural sources of these compounds. This research reports on the lipid and carotenoid production capacity of thraustochytrids that were isolated from coastal waters of Antarctica.

SARS-CoV-2 Seroconversion and Viral Clearance in Patients Hospitalized With COVID-19: Viral Load Predicts Antibody Response.

Background: The interdependencies of viral replication and the host immune response in patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) remain to be defined. We investigated the viral determinants of antibody response, the predictors of nonseroconversion, and the role of antibodies on viral dynamics.

Methods: This was a prospective study in patients hospitalized with COVID-19 that was microbiologically confirmed by real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR).

Complete genomic characterization of a new KLRC2 allele, NKG2C*03.

The novel NKG2C*03 allele encodes a hybrid of the NKG2C*01 and NKG2C*02 primary structures.

Temperature Differentially Affects Gene Expression in Antarctic Thraustochytrid sp. RT2316-13.

RT2316-13 synthesizes lipids rich in eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA). The content of these fatty acids in the total lipids depended on growth temperature. Sequencing technology was used in this work to examine the thraustochytrid's response to a decrease in growth temperature from 15 °C to 5 °C.

Iron-meditated fungal starvation by lupine rhizosphere-associated and extremotolerant Streptomyces sp. S29 desferrioxamine production.

Siderophores are iron-chelating compounds that aid iron uptake, one of the key strategies for microorganisms to carve out ecological niches in microbially diverse environments. Desferrioxamines are the principal siderophores produced by Streptomyces spp. Their biosynthesis has been well studied and as a consequence, the chemical potential of the pathway continues to expand.

Expanded and activated allogeneic NK cells are cytotoxic against B-chronic lymphocytic leukemia (B-CLL) cells with sporadic cases of resistance.

Adoptive transfer of allogeneic natural killer (NK) cells is becoming a credible immunotherapy for hematological malignancies. In the present work, using an optimized expansion/activation protocol of human NK cells, we generate expanded NK cells (eNK) with increased expression of CD56 and NKp44, while maintaining that of CD16. These eNK cells exerted significant cytotoxicity against cells from 34 B-CLL patients, with only 1 sample exhibiting resistance.

Hemizygous amplification and complete Sanger sequencing of HLA-C*07:37:01:02 from a South European Caucasoid.

The novel C*07:37:01:02 was completely sequenced after haplo-specific amplification from a European Caucasoid carrying B*07:02.

Cutting the Gordian knot: early and complete amino acid sequence confirmation of class II lasso peptides by HCD fragmentation.

Lasso peptides are a diverse class of ribosomally synthesized and post-translationally modified peptides (RiPPs). Their proteolytic and thermal stability alongside their growing potential as therapeutics has increased attention to these antimicrobial peptides. With the advent of genome mining, the discovery of RiPPs allows for the accurate prediction of putatively encoded structures, however, MS experiments only provide partial sequence confirmation, therefore 2D NMR experiments are necessary for characterisation.

openPFGE: An open source and low cost pulsed-field gel electrophoresis equipment.

DNA electrophoresis is a fundamental technique in molecular biology that allows the separation of DNA molecules up to ~50 Kbp. Pulsed-field gel electrophoresis [PFGE] is a variation of the conventional DNA electrophoresis technique that allows the separation of very large DNA molecules up to ~10 Mbp. PFGE equipment is very expensive and it becomes an access barrier to many laboratories.

Dynamic flux balance analysis of biomass and lipid production by Antarctic thraustochytrid Oblongichytrium sp. RT2316-13.

Production of biomass and lipids in batch cultures of the Antarctic thraustochytrid Oblongichytrium sp. RT2316-13, is reported. The microorganism proved capable of producing nearly 67% docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and 15% eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) in its total lipid fraction.

Neuropathic pain after thoracotomy: Tracking signs and symptoms before and at monthly intervals following surgery.

Background: As the development of neuropathic symptoms contributes to pain severity and chronification after surgery, their early prediction is important to allow targeted treatment.

Objectives: We longitudinally investigated trajectories of signs and symptoms in patients undergoing thoracotomy and assessed whether and at which time they were related to the development of neuropathic pain symptoms 6 months after surgery.

Methods: Presurgical and 6 monthly postsurgical assessments included questionnaires for mental and physical well-being (e.