Phytosterol conversion into C9 non-hydroxylated derivatives through gene regulation in Mycobacterium fortuitum.

Androst-4-ene-3,17-dione (AD) and 22-hydroxy-23,24-bisnorchol-4-ene-3-one (4-HBC) are important drug intermediates that can be biosynthesized from phytosterols. However, the C9 hydroxylation of steroids via 3-ketosteroid 9α-hydroxylase (KSH) limits AD and 4-HBC accumulation. Five active KshAs, the oxidation component of KSH, were identified in Mycobacterium fortuitum ATCC 35855 for the first time.

Functional analysis of acyl-CoA dehydrogenases and their application to C22 steroid production.

Acyl-CoA dehydrogenase (ChsE) is involved in the steroid side-chain degradation process. However, their function in vivo remains unclear. In this study, three ChsE, ChsE1-ChsE2, ChsE3, and ChsE4-ChsE5, were identified in Mycolicibacterium neoaurum, and their functions in vivo are studied and compared with those from Mycobacterium tuberculosis in vitro.

Actinoplanes aureus sp. nov., a novel protease-producing actinobacterium isolated from soil.

A novel protease-producing actinobacterium, designated strain NEAU-A11, was isolated from soil collected from Aohan banner, Chifeng, Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, China, and characterised using a polyphasic approach. The hydrolytic enzymes, such as proteases, played critical roles in destruction of fungi by degrading the protein linkages to disrupt integrity in the cell wall. This suggested that the isolate could be a good biocontrol candidate against pathogens to control fungal diseases.

A ras GTPase-activating protein-binding protein, TaG3BP, associated with the modulation of male fertility in a thermo-sensitive cytoplasmic male sterile wheat line.

Hybrid wheat development may contribute to higher, more stable yield and could result in greater food security for much of the world's growing population. YS type thermo-sensitive cytoplasmic male sterile (TCMS) wheat lines were developed for use in hybrid wheat breeding in China. To investigate the molecular mechanism of modulation of male fertility in the YS-type TCMS wheat lines, a ras GTPase-activating protein-binding protein (TaG3BP) was examined.

[Cloning and expression analysis of drought-tolerant and wa-ter-saving related gene PmMYB in broomcorn millet].

Exploring novel genes and gene combinations are of primary importance in plant drought-tolerance and water-saving research. Based on the EST sequence of MYB gene obtained in the research on molecular basis of drought-tolerance and water-saving in broomcorn millet (Panicum miliaceum L.), a 1 739 bp genomic sequence of MYB gene, designated PmMYB, was amplified using primers based on this EST sequence and that of rice MYB18.

[Representativeness of Northeast China spring soybeans and their genetic diversity at SSR loci].

A total of 283 accessions were selected from the total 3 226 Northeast China spring soybeans, which represented > 80% of the whole based on their qualitative and quantitative traits. The representative samples were analyzed by 61 SSR loci, and a total of 534 alleles were detected, ranging 2 - 16 alleles per locus, with an average of 8.75 alleles per locus.