β-Hydroxylation of α-amino-β-hydroxylbutanoyl-glycyluridine catalyzed by a nonheme hydroxylase ensures the maturation of caprazamycin.

Caprazamycin is a nucleoside antibiotic that inhibits phospho-N-acetylmuramyl-pentapeptide translocase (MraY). The biosynthesis of nucleoside antibiotics has been studied but is still far from completion. The present study characterized enzymes Cpz10, Cpz15, Cpz27, Mur17, Mur23 out of caprazamycin/muraymycin biosynthetic gene cluster, particularly the nonheme αKG-dependent enzyme Cpz10.

Synthesis of macrocyclic nucleoside antibacterials and their interactions with MraY.

The development of new antibacterial drugs with different mechanisms of action is urgently needed to address antimicrobial resistance. MraY is an essential membrane enzyme required for bacterial cell wall synthesis. Sphaerimicins are naturally occurring macrocyclic nucleoside inhibitors of MraY and are considered a promising target in antibacterial discovery.

Effects of storytelling on the childhood brain: near-infrared spectroscopic comparison with the effects of picture-book reading.

In children, storytelling provides many psychological and educational benefits, such as enhanced imagination to help visualize spoken words, improved vocabulary, and more refined communication skills. However, the brain mechanisms underlying the effects of storytelling on children are not clear. In this study, the effects of storytelling on the brains of children were assessed by using near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS).