Mutualistic relationship between Nitrospira and concomitant heterotrophs.

Nitrifying chemoautotrophs support the growth of diverse concomitant heterotrophs in natural or engineered environments by supplying organic compounds. In this study, we aimed to investigate this microbial association, especially (i) to distinguish whether the relationship between nitrifying chemoautotrophs and heterotrophs is commensal or mutualistic, and (ii) to clarify how heterotrophs promote the growth of autotrophic nitrite-oxidizing bacteria (Nitrospira). Pure cultured Nitrospira (Nitrospira sp.

Triggering Growth via Growth Initiation Factors in Nature: A Putative Mechanism for Cultivation of Previously Uncultivated Microorganisms.

Most microorganisms resist cultivation under standard laboratory conditions. On the other hand, cultivating microbes in a membrane-bound device incubated in nature ( cultivation) can be an effective approach to overcome this limitation. In the present study, we applied cultivation to isolate diverse previously uncultivated marine sponge-associated microbes and comparatively analyzed this method's efficiencies with those of the conventional method.

Peptide precursors that acquire denatured collagen-hybridizing ability by O-to-N acyl migration at physiological pH.

Here, we report peptide probes with either single or cyclic double stranded collagen-like sequences that spontaneously acquire collagen-hybridizing ability at physiological pH. These peptides have ester bonds derived from O-acyl isopeptide units that are converted to amide bonds via intramolecular O-to-N acyl migration by a pH shift. The peptides that do not require pre-treatment for disassembly will be useful as prodrugs in theranostic treatments targeting unfolded collagen.

Sameuramide A, a new cyclic depsipeptide isolated from an ascidian of the family Didemnidae.

Sameuramide A (1), a new cyclic depsipeptide encompassing one each of alanine, N-methyl alanine, N-methyl dehydroalanine, N,O-dimethyl threonine, phenyllactic acid, three β-hydroxy leucines, and two propionates, was isolated from a didemnid ascidian collected at the northern part of Japan. The planar structure was established based on the interpretation of MS and NMR data. The absolute configuration of the subunits was determined by the advanced Marfey's method and the chiral LC-MS analysis.

Cinanthrenol A, an estrogenic steroid containing phenanthrene nucleus, from a marine sponge Cinachyrella sp.

Cinanthrenol A (1), a new steroid composed of a phenanthrene and a spiro[2,4]heptane system, was isolated from the marine sponge Cinachyrella sp. It is the first phenathrene-containing steroid with estrogen activity.