Development of the Esterase PestE for Amide Bond Synthesis Under Aqueous Conditions: Enzyme Cascades for Converting Waste PET into Tamibarotene.

A growing number of hydrolase enzymes show promiscuous acyltransferase activity, even under aqueous conditions. Here we report, for the first time, the ability of Pyrobaculum calidifontis VA1 esterase (PestE) to catalyse the formation of a wide range of amides in buffer, where the acyl donor forms a significant structural component in the amide product. The reactions occur under mild conditions and can achieve conversions up to 97 % in 6 h for formation of N-benzylfuranamide as the model reaction.

LiveWell, a smartphone-based self-management intervention for bipolar disorder: Intervention participation and usability analysis.

Background: Understanding how individuals utilize and perceive digital mental health interventions may improve engagement and effectiveness. To support intervention improvement, participant feedback was obtained and app use patterns were examined for a randomized clinical trial evaluating a smartphone-based intervention for individuals with bipolar disorder.

Methods: App use and coaching engagement were examined (n = 124).

Engineering a Carboxyl Methyltransferase for the Formation of a Furan-Based Bioplastic Precursor.

FtpM from Aspergillus fumigatus was the first carboxyl methyltransferase reported to catalyse the dimethylation of dicarboxylic acids. Here the creation of mutant R166M that can catalyse the quantitative conversion of bio-derived 2,5-furandicarboxylic acid (FDCA) to its dimethyl ester (FDME), a bioplastics precursor, was reported. Wild type FtpM gave low conversion due to its reduced catalytic efficiency for the second methylation step.

Actin-related protein ACTL7B ablation leads to OAT with multiple morphological abnormalities of the flagellum and male infertility in mice†.

The formation of fertilisation-competent sperm requires spermatid morphogenesis (spermiogenesis), a poorly understood program that involves complex coordinated restructuring and specialised cytoskeletal structures. A major class of cytoskeletal regulators are the actin-related proteins (ARPs), which include conventional actin variants, and related proteins that play essential roles in complexes regulating actin dynamics, intracellular transport, and chromatin remodeling. Multiple testis-specific ARPs are well conserved among mammals, but their functional roles are unknown.

Effects of a Smartphone-Based Self-management Intervention for Individuals With Bipolar Disorder on Relapse, Symptom Burden, and Quality of Life: A Randomized Clinical Trial.

Importance: Bipolar disorder-specific psychotherapy combined with pharmacotherapy improves relapse risk, symptom burden, and quality of life, but psychotherapy is not easily accessible.

Objective: To determine if a smartphone-based self-management intervention (LiveWell) can assist individuals with bipolar disorder to maintain wellness.

Design, Setting, And Participants: An assessor-blind randomized clinical trial enrolled participants from March 20, 2017, to April 25, 2019, with 48-week follow-up ending on April 10, 2020.