Photocatalytic Degradation of Bacterial Lipopolysaccharides by Peptide-Coated TiO Nanoparticles.

In this study, we report the degradation of smooth and rough lipopolysaccharides (LPS) from Gram-negative bacteria and of lipoteichoic acid (LTA) from Gram-positive bacteria by peptide-coated TiO nanoparticles (TiO NPs). While bare TiO NPs displayed minor binding to both LPS and LTA, coating TiO NPs with the antimicrobial peptide LL-37 dramatically increased the level of binding to both LPS and LTA, decorating these uniformly. Importantly, peptide coating did not suppress reactive oxygen species generation of TiO NPs; hence, UV illumination triggered pronounced degradation of LPS and LTA by peptide-coated TiO NPs.

Entrance channels to coproheme in coproporphyrin ferrochelatase probed by exogenous imidazole binding.

Iron insertion into porphyrins is an essential step in heme biosynthesis. In the coproporphyrin-dependent pathway, specific to monoderm bacteria, this reaction is catalyzed by the monomeric enzyme coproporphyrin ferrochelatase. In addition to the mechanistic details of the metalation of the porphyrin, the identification of the substrate access channel for ferrous iron to the active site is important to fully understand this enzymatic system.

Advances in the design and delivery of RNA vaccines for infectious diseases.

RNA medicines represent a paradigm shift in treatment and prevention of critical diseases of global significance, e.g., infectious diseases.

Exploring the Influence of Date Palm Cultivars on Soil Microbiota.

Plants thrive in diverse environments, where root-microbe interactions play a pivotal role. Date palm (Phoenix dactylifera L.), with its genetic diversity and resilience, is an ideal model for studying microbial adaptation to different genotypes and stresses.

The de novo, chromosome-level genome assembly of the sweet chestnut (Castanea sativa Mill.) Cv. Marrone Di Chiusa Pesio.

Objectives: The sweet chestnut Castanea sativa Mill. is the only native Castanea species in Europe, and it is a tree of high economic value that provides appreciated fruits and valuable wood. In this study, we assembled a high-quality nuclear genome of the ancient Italian chestnut variety 'Marrone di Chiusa Pesio' using a combination of Oxford Nanopore Technologies long reads, whole-genome and Omni-C Illumina short reads.