Leuconostoc aquikimchii sp. nov., a Lactic Acid Bacterium Isolated from Cabbage Watery Kimchi.

Two Gram-stain-positive, facultatively anaerobic, non-hemolytic, coccoid-shaped bacterial strains, designated MS01 and MS02, were isolated from cabbage watery kimchi in the Republic of Korea. Cellular growth occurred at 5-25 ℃ (optimum, 20 ℃), pH 5-8 (optimum, pH 7) and in the presence of 0-5% (w/v) NaCl (optimum, 1%). Results of 16S rRNA gene-based phylogenetic analyses showed that strains MS01 and MS02 shared identical sequences, clustered within the Leuconostoc clade in phylogenetic trees, and were most closely related to Leuconostoc inhae IH003 and Leuconostoc gasicomitatum LMG 18811 with sequence similarities of 98.

Stage dependent microbial dynamics in hepatocellular carcinoma and adjacent normal liver tissues.

The interactive pathway of the gut-liver axis underscores the significance of microbiome modulation in the pathogenesis and progression of various liver diseases, including hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). This study aims to investigate the disparities in the composition and functionality of the hepatic microbiota between tumor tissues and adjacent normal liver tissues, and their implications in the etiology of HCC. We conducted a comparative analysis of the hepatic microbiome between adjacent normal liver tissues and tumor tissues from HCC patients.

Enhanced anti-cancer efficacy of arginine deaminase expressed by tumor-seeking Salmonella Gallinarum.

Amino acid deprivation, particularly of nonessential amino acids that can be synthesized by normal cells but not by cancer cells with specific defects in the biosynthesis pathway, has emerged as a potential strategy in cancer therapeutics. In normal cells, arginine is synthesized from citrulline in two steps via two enzymes: argininosuccinate synthetase (ASS1) and argininosuccinate lyase. Several cancer cells exhibit arginine auxotrophy due to the loss or down-regulation of ASS1.

Oral Administration of Alcohol-Tolerant Lactic Acid Bacteria Alleviates Blood Alcohol Concentration and Ethanol-Induced Liver Damage in Rodents.

Excessive alcohol consumption can have serious negative consequences on health, including addiction, liver damage, and other long-term effects. The causes of hangovers include dehydration, alcohol and alcohol metabolite toxicity, and nutrient deficiency due to absorption disorders. Additionally, alcohol consumption can slow reaction times, making it more difficult to rapidly respond to situations that require quick thinking.

Synthesis and evaluation of F-labeled procainamide as a PET imaging agent for malignant melanoma.

Malignant melanoma has an aggressive nature and a high metastatic propensity resulting in the highest mortality rate of any skin cancer. In this study, we synthesized F-labeled procainamide (PCA) for detection of melanoma using positron emission tomography (PET), and evaluated its biological characteristics. The non-decay-corrected radiochemical yield of F-PCA was 10-15% and its in vitro stability was over 98% for 2 h.

Kimchi intake alleviates obesity-induced neuroinflammation by modulating the gut-brain axis.

A high-fat diet (HFD) induces low-grade, chronic inflammation throughout the body including the hypothalamus, a key brain region involved in the control of satiety and energy expenditure in central nervous system (CNS). Kimchi is a traditional fermented Korean food, which is recognized as a healthy food. In this study, we evaluated its ability to suppress the obesity-induced inflammation in mice fed an HFD.

Variation in biogenic calcite production by coccolithophores across mesoscale eddies in the Bay of Bengal.

Coccolithophore calcite production (CP) was investigated for the first time in the Bay of Bengal. Against expectation, calcite production was not fueled by the nutrient-enriched cold eddy because of the reduced light penetration. CP rate was observed to be higher at the anticyclonic eddy possibly benefited from rare species production.

Reporter gene-based optoacoustic imaging of E. coli targeted colon cancer in vivo.

Bacteria-mediated cancer-targeted therapy is a novel experimental strategy for the treatment of cancers. Bacteria can be engineered to overcome a major challenge of existing therapeutics by differentiating between malignant and healthy tissue. A prerequisite for further development and study of engineered bacteria is a suitable imaging concept which allows bacterial visualization in tissue and monitoring bacterial targeting and proliferation.

WIKIM31 Decelerates Weight Gain in High-Fat Diet-Induced Obese Mice by Modulating Lipid Metabolism and Suppressing Inflammation.

Obesity and related metabolic diseases are major problems worldwide. Some probiotics are currently considered potential therapeutic strategies for obesity. We aimed to investigate the antiobesity efficacy of WIKIM31 in obese mice induced by a high fat diet.

Alteration of Gut Microbiota After Antibiotic Exposure in Finishing Swine.

Subclinical doses of antimicrobials are commonly used in the swine industry to control infectious diseases and growth performance. Accumulating evidence suggests that swine administered with antibiotics are susceptible to disease development due to disruption of the beneficial gut microbial community, which is associated with host immune regulation, nutrient digestion, and colonization resistance against pathogens. In this study, we found that finishing swine administered with lincomycin showed gut dysbiosis and increased diarrhea incidence compared with control swine.

Imaging Calreticulin for Early Detection of Immunogenic Cell Death During Anticancer Treatment.

Surface-exposed calreticulin (ecto-CRT) is a well-known "eat-me" signal exhibited by dying cells that contributes to their recognition and destruction by the immune system. We assessed the use of a CRT-specific binding peptide for imaging ecto-CRT during immunogenic cell death and its utility for early prediction of treatment response. A synthetic CRT-specific peptide, KLGFFKR (CRTpep), was labeled with fluorescein isothiocyanate or F, and the characteristics of ecto-CRT were evaluated in a colon cancer cell line in vitro and in vivo.

Deep tissue photoacoustic imaging of nickel(II) dithiolene-containing polymeric nanoparticles in the second near-infrared window.

Photoacoustic imaging is gaining great attention in the medical world due to its significant potential for clinical translation. Light excitation in the second near-infrared (NIR-II) window (1000-1350 nm) has resolution and penetration depth suitable for several clinical applications. However, the significant challenge exists for clinical translation because of the absence of notable intrinsic chromophores in this clinically significant optical range to generate diagnostic images.

-(2-(Dimethylamino)Ethyl)-4-F-Fluorobenzamide: A Novel Molecular Probe for High-Contrast PET Imaging of Malignant Melanoma.

Malignant melanoma is an aggressive and serious form of skin cancer, with prognosis and treatment outcome depending heavily on the clinical stage of the disease at the time of diagnosis. Here, we synthesized a novel F-labeled benzamide derivative to target melanoma and then evaluated its biologic characteristics in small-animal models. -(2-(dimethylamino)ethyl)-4-F-fluorobenzamide (F-DMFB) was synthesized by reaction of -succinimidyl 4-F-fluorobenzoate with -dimethylethylenediamine.

Selective De-Cross-Linking of Transformable, Double-Network Hydrogels: Preparation, Structural Conversion, and Controlled Release.

This study has demonstrated the design of stimuli-responsive double-network hydrogels that are formed by sequential polymerization and show chemical transformation by selective de-cross-linking without structural failure owing to chemical orthogonality. Each self-immolative and thermoresponsive network established together the double-network structure through a thiol-ene click reaction and radical polymerization. The hydrogel exhibited enhanced mechanical strength but chemically transformed through the selective de-cross-linking of specific network triggered by a molecular stimulus, which significantly alters physical properties of the material such as tunable toughness and lower critical solution temperature behavior.

Mixture of Two Lactobacillus plantarum Strains Modulates the Gut Microbiota Structure and Regulatory T Cell Response in Diet-Induced Obese Mice.

Scope: The gut microbiota has been linked to diet-induced obesity, and microorganisms that influence obesity have important health implications. In this study, the anti-obesity effects of two Lactobacillus plantarum strains (DSR M2 and DSR 920) isolated from kimchi are investigated.

Methods And Results: Mice are fed a normal or high-fat diet with or without DSR M2 and DSR 920 (DSR, 1 × 10 CFU d ) for 12 weeks.

WIKIM30 Ameliorates Atopic Dermatitis-Like Skin Lesions by Inducing Regulatory T Cells and Altering Gut Microbiota Structure in Mice.

WIKIM30 is a Gram-positive facultative anaerobic bacterium isolated from kimchi, a Korean fermented vegetable food. In this study, we found that WIKIM30 promoted regulatory T cell (Treg) differentiation by inducing dendritic cells with tolerogenic properties. The production of the T helper (Th) 2-associated cytokine interleukin (IL)-4 was decreased, but that of the Treg-associated cytokine IL-10 was increased in splenocytes from ovalbumin-sensitized mice treated with WIKIM30.

Mind-altering with the gut: Modulation of the gut-brain axis with probiotics.

It is increasingly evident that bidirectional interactions exist among the gastrointestinal tract, the enteric nervous system, and the central nervous system. Recent preclinical and clinical trials have shown that gut microbiota plays an important role in these gut-brain interactions. Furthermore, alterations in gut microbiota composition may be associated with pathogenesis of various neurological disorders, including stress, autism, depression, Parkinson's disease, and Alzheimer's disease.

Acetazolamide-based [F]-PET tracer: In vivo validation of carbonic anhydrase IX as a sole target for imaging of CA-IX expressing hypoxic solid tumors.

Carbonic anhydrase IX is overexpressed in many solid tumors including hypoxic tumors and is a potential target for cancer therapy and diagnosis. Reported imaging agents targeting CA-IX are successful mostly in clear cell renal carcinoma as SKRC-52 and no candidate was approved yet in clinical trials for imaging of CA-IX. To validate CA-IX as a valid target for imaging of hypoxic tumor, we designed and synthesized novel [F]-PET tracer (1) based on acetazolamide which is one of the well-known CA-IX inhibitors and performed imaging study in CA-IX expressing hypoxic tumor model as 4T1 and HT-29 in vivo models other than SKRC-52.

A Mild Form of COG5 Defect Showing Early-Childhood-Onset Friedreich's-Ataxia-Like Phenotypes with Isolated Cerebellar Atrophy.

Progressive cerebellar ataxias are rare diseases during childhood, especially under 6 years of age. In a single family, three affected siblings exhibited Friedreich's-ataxia-like phenotypes before 2 years of age. They had progressive cerebellar atrophy, intellectual disability, and scoliosis.

Cu-Labeled Repebody Molecules for Imaging of Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor-Expressing Tumors.

The epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) is a member of the erbB family of receptors and is overexpressed in many tumor types. A repebody is a newly designed nonantibody protein scaffold for tumor targeting that contains leucine-rich repeat modules. In this study, 3 Cu-labeled anti-EGFR repebodies with different chelators were synthesized, and their biologic characteristics were assessed in cultured cells and tumor-bearing mice.

A High-Affinity Repebody for Molecular Imaging of EGFR-Expressing Malignant Tumors.

The accurate detection of disease-related biomarkers is crucial for the early diagnosis and management of disease in personalized medicine. Here, we present a molecular imaging of human epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR)-expressing malignant tumors using an EGFR-specific repebody composed of leucine-rich repeat (LRR) modules. The repebody was labeled with either a fluorescent dye or radioisotope, and used for imaging of EGFR-expressing malignant tumors using an optical method and positron emission tomography.

Proteomic Analysis of a Rat Cerebral Ischemic Injury Model after Human Cerebral Endothelial Cell Transplantation.

Objective: Cerebral endothelial cells have unique biological features and are fascinating candidate cells for stroke therapy.

Methods: In order to understand the molecular mechanisms of human cerebral endothelial cell (hCMEC/D3) transplantation in a rat stroke model, we performed proteomic analysis using 2-dimensional electrophoresis and matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry. Protein expression was confirmed by quantitative real-time PCR and Western blot.

Salmonella typhimurium Suppresses Tumor Growth via the Pro-Inflammatory Cytokine Interleukin-1β.

Although strains of attenuated Salmonella typhimurium and wild-type Escherichia coli show similar tumor-targeting capacities, only S. typhimurium significantly suppresses tumor growth in mice. The aim of the present study was to examine bacteria-mediated immune responses by conducting comparative analyses of the cytokine profiles and immune cell populations within tumor tissues colonized by E.

Enzymatic prenylation and oxime ligation for the synthesis of stable and homogeneous protein-drug conjugates for targeted therapy.

Targeted therapy based on protein-drug conjugates has attracted significant attention owing to its high efficacy and low side effects. However, efficient and stable drug conjugation to a protein binder remains a challenge. Herein, a chemoenzymatic method to generate highly stable and homogenous drug conjugates with high efficiency is presented.