Recent advances in the production of malic acid by native fungi and engineered microbes.

Malic acid is mainly produced by chemical methods which lead to various environmental sustainability concerns associated with CO emissions and resulting global warming. Since malic acid is naturally synthesized, microorganisms offer an eco-friendly and cost-effective alternative for its production. An additional advantage of microbial production is the synthesis of pure L-form of malic acid.

Expression of Escherichia coli malic enzyme gene in Zymomonas mobilis for production of malic acid.

Malic acid is one of the organic acids which is used in various industries including food and pharmaceuticals. Biotechnological production of malic acid by an efficient microorganism is highly desirable as the process will be eco-friendly and cost-effective. In this study, malic acid synthesis by Zymomonas mobilis was studied by expressing Escherichia coli malic enzyme gene under Pchap, Ptac and Ppdc promoters.

Characterization of Zymomonas mobilis promoters that are functional in Escherichia coli.

Zymomonas mobilis ZM4 is a gram-negative, facultative anaerobic, natural ethanologenic bacterium used in industrial production of bio-products. For expression of genes, promoters are required. However, most of the promoters reported from Z.

Evidence of Biocontrol Activity of Bioinoculants Against a Human Pathogen, .

Due to rhizodeposits and various microbial interactions, the rhizosphere is an extremely dynamic system, which provides a conductive niche not only for bacteria beneficial to plants but also for those that might pose a potential threat to humans. The importance of bioinoculants as biocontrol agents to combat phytopathogens has been widely recognized. However, little information exists with respect to their role in inhibiting human pathogens in the rhizosphere.

Bioinoculants play a significant role in shaping the rhizospheric microbial community: a field study with Cajanus cajan.

The present study is an attempt to understand the impact of bioinoculants, Azotobacter chroococcum (A), Bacillus megaterium (B), Pseudomonas fluorescens (P), on (a) soil and plant nutrient status, (b) total resident and active bacterial communities, and (c) genes and transcripts involved in nitrogen cycle, during cultivation of Cajanus cajan. In terms of available macro- and micro-nutrients, triple inoculation of the bioinoculants (ABP) competed well with chemical fertilizer (CF). Their 'non-target' effects were assessed in terms of the abundance and activity of the resident bacterial community by employing denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE).

Impact of abiotic stressors on native rhizospheric bacterial community of Cajanus cajan.

Salinity and drought are the major abiotic stresses that limit agricultural productivity. Application of plant growth promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) is an attractive technology but with the bottlenecks of reduced efficacy and survivability in the environment. For increased efficiency of PGPR strains, the impact of stresses on the native bacterial community needs to be studied.

Deletion of pyruvate decarboxylase gene in Zymomonas mobilis by recombineering through bacteriophage lambda red genes.

Zymomonas mobilis ZM4 is a gram negative ethanologenic bacterium used in several biotechnological applications. Metabolic engineering in this bacterium is limited because of the available genome engineering tools. In the present study, we report genome engineering in this bacterium using bacteriophage lambda Red genes.

Effectiveness of cross-linked enzyme aggregates of cellulolytic enzymes in hydrolyzing wheat straw.

Development of industrially potent cellulolytic enzymes is one of the greatest challenges faced in lignocellulosic feed-stock based bio-refining. In the current work cross-linked enzyme aggregates (CLEAs) of commercial cellulase mix were successfully prepared and their performance to be used as potential industrial enzymes in terms of stability and wheat straw hydrolysis was evaluated. The CLEAs were more stable compared to native enzymes with half-lives being 2.

In vitro synthesis of 9,10-dihydroxyhexadecanoic acid using recombinant Escherichia coli.

Background: Hydroxy fatty acids are widely used in food, chemical and cosmetic industries. A variety of dihydroxy fatty acids have been synthesized so far; however, no studies have been done on the synthesis of 9,10-dihydroxyhexadecanoic acid. In the present study recombinant E.

Effect of Agricultural Amendments on Cajanus cajan (Pigeon Pea) and Its Rhizospheric Microbial Communities--A Comparison between Chemical Fertilizers and Bioinoculants.

Inoculation of leguminous seeds with bioinoculants has been practiced in agriculture for decades to ameliorate grain yield by enhanced growth parameters and soil fertility. However, effective enhancement of plant growth parameters results not only from the direct effects these bioinoculants impose on them but also from their non-target effects. The ability of bioinoculants to reduce the application of chemicals for obtaining optimum yield of legume appears to be of great ecological and economic importance.

Enhanced withanolide production by overexpression of squalene synthase in Withania somnifera.

Withania somnifera commonly known as Ashwagandha, is held in high repute in traditional Indian medicine, largely due to the presence of steroidal lactone phytocompounds collectively known as withanolides, such as withanolide A, withaferin A and withanone. These withanolides have diverse pharmacological properties and are prospective high-value drug candidates. To meet the ever-increasing demands of these compounds, plant cell technology offers a viable alternative.

Effect of formulated root endophytic fungus Piriformospora indica and plant growth promoting rhizobacteria fluorescent pseudomonads R62 and R81 on Vigna mungo.

In the present investigation, the effect of three beneficial organisms (root endophytic fungus Piriformospora indica (Pi) and pseudomonads strains R62 and R81) and their four different consortia (Pi+R62, Pi+R81, R62+R81, Pi+R62+R81) was investigated on the plant Vigna mungo through their inorganic carrier-based (talcum powder and vermiculite) formulations. All the treatments resulted in significant increase in growth parameters under glasshouse as well as field conditions and showed a consistency in their performance on moving from glasshouse to field conditions. In glasshouse conditions, a maximum increase of 4.

Non-nucleosidic inhibition of Herpes simplex virus DNA polymerase: mechanistic insights into the anti-herpetic mode of action of herbal drug withaferin A.

Background: Herpes Simplex Virus 1 and 2 causes several infections in humans including cold sores and encephalitis. Previous antiviral studies on herpes viruses have focussed on developing nucleoside analogues that can inhibit viral polymerase and terminate the replicating viral DNA. However, these drugs bear an intrinsic non-specificity as they can also inhibit cellular polymerase apart from the viral one.

Enhanced production of 2,3-butanediol by engineered Bacillus subtilis.

Production of 2,3-butanediol by Bacillus subtilis takes place in late-log or stationary phase, depending on the expression of bdhA gene encoding acetoin reductase, which converts acetoin to 2,3-butanediol. The present work focuses on the development of a strain of B. subtilis for enhanced production of 2,3-butanediol in early log phase of growth cycle.

Ashwagandha derived withanone targets TPX2-Aurora A complex: computational and experimental evidence to its anticancer activity.

Cancer is largely marked by genetic instability. Specific inhibition of individual proteins or signalling pathways that regulate genetic stability during cell division thus hold a great potential for cancer therapy. The Aurora A kinase is a Ser/Thr kinase that plays a critical role during mitosis and cytokinesis and is found upregulated in several cancer types.

Computational evidence to inhibition of human acetyl cholinesterase by withanolide a for Alzheimer treatment.

Alzheimer's disease (AD), a neurodegenerative disorder, is the most common cause of dementia. So far only five drugs have been approved by US FDA that temporarily slow worsening of symptoms for about six to twelve months. The limited number of therapeutic options for AD drives the exploration of new drugs.

Withanone binds to mortalin and abrogates mortalin-p53 complex: computational and experimental evidence.

Mortalin binds to p53 tumor suppressor protein and sequesters it in the cytoplasm. This results in an inhibition of the transcriptional activation and control of centrosome duplication functions of p53, thus contributing to human carcinogenesis. Abrogation of mortalin-p53 interaction and reactivation of p53 function could be a valid proposition for cancer therapy.

Shelf-life enhancement of bio-inoculant formulation by optimizing the trace metals ions in the culture medium for production of DAPG using fluorescent pseudomonad R62.

Statistical experimental design was used to optimize the concentration of trace elements for production of antifungal compound, 2,4-diacetylphloroglucinol (DAPG), from fluorescent pseudomonad R62 in shake-flask cultivation. The selection of the trace metal ions, influencing DAPG production, was done using Plackett-Burman design (PBD). Only Zn(2+), Mn(2+) and MoO(4)(2-) were the most significant components (p<0.

Application of inorganic carrier-based formulations of fluorescent pseudomonads and Piriformospora indica on tomato plants and evaluation of their efficacy.

Aims: Fluorescent pseudomonads are widely used as bioinoculants for improving plant growth and controlling phytopathogenic fungi. Piriformospora indica (Pi), a symbiotic root endophyte, also has beneficial effects on a number of plants. The present study focuses on the improvement of growth yields of tomato plants and control of Fusarium wilt using inorganic carrier-based formulations of two fluorescent pseudomonad strains (R62 and R81) and Pi.

Hsp90/Cdc37 chaperone/co-chaperone complex, a novel junction anticancer target elucidated by the mode of action of herbal drug Withaferin A.

Background: HSPs (Heat shock proteins) are highly conserved ubiquitous proteins among species which are involved in maintaining appropriate folding and conformation of other proteins and are thus referred to as molecular chaperones. Hsp90 (Heat-shock protein 90 kDa) is one of a group of molecular chaperones responsible for managing protein folding and quality control in cell environment. However it is also involved in the maturation and stabilization of a wide range of oncogenic client proteins which are crucial for oncogenesis and malignant progression.

Bioconversion of lignocellulose-derived sugars to ethanol by engineered Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

Lignocellulosic biomass from agricultural and agro-industrial residues represents one of the most important renewable resources that can be utilized for the biological production of ethanol. The yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae is widely used for the commercial production of bioethanol from sucrose or starch-derived glucose. While glucose and other hexose sugars like galactose and mannose can be fermented to ethanol by S.

Inhibition of the NEMO/IKKβ association complex formation, a novel mechanism associated with the NF-κB activation suppression by Withania somnifera's key metabolite withaferin A.

Background: Nuclear Factor kappa B (NF-κB) is a transcription factor involved in the regulation of cell signaling responses and is a key regulator of cellular processes involved in the immune response, differentiation, cell proliferation, and apoptosis. The constitutive activation of NF-κB contributes to multiple cellular outcomes and pathophysiological conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis, asthma, inflammatory bowel disease, AIDS and cancer. Thus there lies a huge therapeutic potential beneath inhibition of NF-κB signalling pathway for reducing these chronic ailments.

Probing the anticancer mechanism of prospective herbal drug Withaferin A on mammals: a case study on human and bovine proteasomes.

Background: The UPP (ubiquitin proteasome pathway) is the major proteolytic system in the cytosol and nucleus of all eukaryotic cells which regulates cellular events, including mitotis, differentiation, signal transduction, apoptosis, and inflammation. UPP controls activation of the transcriptional factor NF-κB (nuclear factor κB), which is a regulatory protein playing central role in a variety of cellular processes including immune and inflammatory responses, apoptosis, and cellular proliferation. Since the primary interaction of proteasomes occurs with endogenous proteins, the signalling action of transcription factor NF-κB can be blocked by inhibition of proteasomes.

Blocking the chaperone kinome pathway: mechanistic insights into a novel dual inhibition approach for supra-additive suppression of malignant tumors.

The chaperone Hsp90 is involved in regulating the stability and activation state of more than 200 'client' proteins and takes part in the cancer diseased states. The major clientele-protein kinases depend on Hsp90 for their proper folding and functioning. Cdc37, a kinase targeting co-chaperone of Hsp90, mediates the interactions between Hsp90 and protein kinases.