Activation tagging identifies Arabidopsis transcription factor AtMYB68 for heat and drought tolerance at yield determining reproductive stages.

Heat stress occurring at reproductive stages can result in significant and permanent damage to crop yields. However, previous genetic studies in understanding heat stress response and signaling were performed mostly on seedling and plants at early vegetative stages. Here we identify, using a developmentally defined, gain-of-function genetic screen with approximately 18 000 Arabidopsis thaliana activation-tagged lines, a mutant that maintained productive seed set post-severe heat stress during flowering.

Controlling the Growth of the Skin Commensal Staphylococcus epidermidis Using d-Alanine Auxotrophy.

Using live microbes as therapeutic candidates is a strategy that has gained traction across multiple therapeutic areas. In the skin, commensal microorganisms play a crucial role in maintaining skin barrier function, homeostasis, and cutaneous immunity. Alterations of the homeostatic skin microbiome are associated with a number of skin diseases.

Linoleic acid isomerase from Propionibacterium acnes: purification, characterization, molecular cloning, and heterologous expression.

Propionibacterium acnes strain ATCC 6919 catalyzes the isomerization of the double bond at the C9 position in linoleic acid (c9,c12, 18:2) to form t10,c12 conjugated linoleic acid (CLA, 18:2). CLA has significant health benefits in animal and human. The linoleic acid C9 isomerase was purified to an apparent homogeneity by successive chromatography on diethylaminoethyl (DEAE) anion exchange, hydrophobic interaction, and chromatofocusing columns.

Directed evolution and characterization of Escherichia coli glucosamine synthase.

Glucosamine synthase (GlmS) converts fructose-6-phosphate to glucosamine-6-phosphate. Overexpression of GlmS in Escherichia coli increased synthesis of glucosamine-6-P, which was dephosphorylated and secreted as glucosamine into the growth medium. The E.

Metabolic engineering of Escherichia coli for industrial production of glucosamine and N-acetylglucosamine.

Glucosamine and N-acetylglucosamine are currently produced by extraction and acid hydrolysis of chitin from shellfish waste. Production could be limited by the amount of raw material available and the product potentially carries the risk of shellfish protein contamination. Escherichia coli was modified by metabolic engineering to develop a fermentation process.