Virus-like Particles Produced in Plants: A Promising Platform for Recombinant Vaccine Development.

The capsid proteins of many viruses are capable of spontaneous self-assembly into virus-like particles (VLPs), which do not contain the viral genome and are therefore not infectious. VLPs are structurally similar to their parent viruses and are therefore effectively recognized by the immune system and can induce strong humoral and cellular immune responses. The structural features of VLPs make them an attractive platform for the development of potential vaccines and diagnostic tools.

Molecular Decoration and Unconventional Double Bond Migration in Irumamycin Biosynthesis.

Irumamycin (Iru) is a complex polyketide with pronounced antifungal activity produced by a type I polyketide (PKS) synthase. Iru features a unique hemiketal ring and an epoxide group, making its biosynthesis and the structural diversity of related compounds particularly intriguing. In this study, we performed a detailed analysis of the biosynthetic gene cluster (BGC) to uncover the mechanisms underlying Iru formation.

Draft genome sequences of strain I-540 isolated from grape must.

is a non-Saccharomyces yeast that is widely used in winemaking due to its ability to ferment malic acid, thus improving organoleptic properties of wine. We report the draft genome sequence of strain I-540, isolated from grape must in Russia.

Draft genome sequences of strain U848 isolated from .

is a yeast widely used in the dairy industry and frequently isolated from vineyards and wineries. Its capacity to metabolize diverse sugars makes it highly promising for winemaking applications. We report the draft genome sequence of the strain U848.

Chimeric Virus-like Particles of Physalis Mottle Virus as Carriers of M2e Peptides of Influenza a Virus.

Plant viruses and virus-like particles (VLPs) are safe for mammals and can be used as a carrier/platform for the presentation of foreign antigens in vaccine development. The aim of this study was to use the coat protein (CP) of Physalis mottle virus (PhMV) as a carrier to display the extracellular domain of the transmembrane protein M2 of influenza A virus (M2e). M2e is a highly conserved antigen, but to induce an effective immune response it must be linked to an adjuvant or carrier VLP.

Verrucomicrobia of the Family Participate in Xylan Degradation in Boreal Peat Soils.

The phylum is one of the main groups of soil prokaryotes, which remains poorly represented by cultivated organisms. The major recognized role of in soils is the degradation of plant-derived organic matter. These bacteria are particularly abundant in peatlands, where xylan-type hemicelluloses represent one of the most actively decomposed peat constituents.

Dendritic cells derived from induced pluripotent stem cells and stimulated by antigens of hepatitis C virus efficiently activate T-lymphocytes.

During infection, the hepatitis C virus (HCV) can evade immune response and cause chronic disease. Formation of effective T-cell response is important for the control of HCV infection. Dendritic cells derived from peripheral blood monocytes activated by immunodominant epitopes of the pathogen can effectively stimulate T-lymphocytes.

Influenza A Vaccine Candidates Based on Virus-like Particles Formed by Coat Proteins of Single-Stranded RNA Phages Beihai32 and PQ465.

Efficient control of influenza A infection can potentially be achieved through the development of broad-spectrum recombinant vaccines based on conserved antigens. The extracellular domain of the transmembrane protein M2 of influenza A virus (M2e) is highly conserved but poorly immunogenic and needs to be fused to an adjuvant protein or carrier virus-like particles (VLPs) to increase immunogenicity and provide protection against infection. In this study, we obtained VLPs based on capsid proteins (CPs) of single-stranded RNA phages Beihai32 and PQ465 bearing the M2e peptides.

Wastewater Treatment with Bacterial Representatives of the Morphotype.

Bacteria of the morphotype, comprising the genera , and , are frequently encountered in domestic and industrial wastewater treatment systems, but they are usually not clearly differentiated due to the marked similarity in their morphologies. Methods ranging from light microscopy, FISH and PCR to modern high-throughput sequencing are used to identify them. The development of these bacteria in wastewater treatment systems has both advantages and disadvantages.

Plant-Produced Chimeric Hepatitis E Virus-like Particles as Carriers for Antigen Presentation.

A wide range of virus-like particles (VLPs) is extensively employed as carriers to display various antigens for vaccine development to fight against different infections. The plant-produced truncated variant of the hepatitis E virus (HEV) coat protein is capable of forming VLPs. In this study, we demonstrated that recombinant fusion proteins comprising truncated HEV coat protein with green fluorescent protein (GFP) or four tandem copies of the extracellular domain of matrix protein 2 (M2e) of influenza A virus inserted at the Tyr485 position could be efficiently expressed in plants using self-replicating vector based on the potato virus X genome.

Planctomycetes of the Genus Possess Chitinolytic Capabilities.

Planctomycetes of the genus are common inhabitants of soils and peatlands. Although described members of this genus are characterized as possessing hydrolytic capabilities, the ability to degrade chitin has not yet been reported for these bacteria. In this study, a novel representative, strain Ch08, was isolated from a chitinolytic enrichment culture obtained from a boreal fen in Northern European Russia.

Phylogeny and Metabolic Potential of New Giant Sulfur Bacteria of the Family from Coastal-Marine Sulfur Mats of the White Sea.

The family is currently represented by 25 genera in the Genome Taxonomy Database, of which only 6 have a definite taxonomic status. Two metagenome-assembled genomes (MAGs), WS_Bin1 and WS_Bin3, were assembled from metagenomes of the sulfur mats coating laminaria remnants in the White Sea. Using the obtained MAGs, we first applied phylogenetic analysis based on whole-genome sequences to address the systematics of , which clarify the taxonomy of this family.

Metagenomic insights into the wastewater resistome before and after purification at large‑scale wastewater treatment plants in the Moscow city.

Wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) are considered to be hotspots for the spread of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs). We performed a metagenomic analysis of the raw wastewater, activated sludge and treated wastewater from two large WWTPs responsible for the treatment of urban wastewater in Moscow, Russia. In untreated wastewater, several hundred ARGs that could confer resistance to most commonly used classes of antibiotics were found.

New insight into the granule formation in the reactor for enhanced biological phosphorus removal.

While granulated activated sludge exhibits high productivity, the processes of granule formation are incompletely studied. The processes of granule formation and succession of communities were investigated in a laboratory sequencing batch reactor (SBR) under conditions for enhanced biological phosphorus removal (EBPR) using microbiological and molecular techniques. Active consumption of acetate, primarily by the phosphate-accumulating organisms (PAO), commenced at day 150 of cultivation.

Complete genome sequence of strain K19-3 isolated from grape must.

The lactic acid bacteria spp. are of significant interest in winemaking due to their ability to carry out malolactic fermentation, thereby improving the organoleptic properties of wine. Here we report the complete circular genome sequence of the strain К19-3, isolated from red grape must at Crimean wineries.

Shifts in the Microbial Populations of Bioleach Reactors Are Determined by Carbon Sources and Temperature.

In the present study, the effect of additional carbon sources (carbon dioxide and molasses) on the bio-oxidation of a pyrite-arsenopyrite concentrate at temperatures of 40-50 °C was studied, and novel data regarding the patterns of the bio-oxidation of gold-bearing sulfide concentrates and the composition of the microbial populations performing these processes were obtained. At 40 °C, additional carbon sources did not affect the bio-oxidation efficiency. At the same time, the application of additional carbon dioxide improved the bio-oxidation performance at temperatures of 45 and 50 °C and made it possible to avoid the inhibition of bio-oxidation due to an increase in the temperature.

and : New Molecular Markers for Phylogenetic and Biodiversity Studies of the Genus .

Currently, the phylogeny of the genus is based on comparative whole genome analysis because of the high homology of the 16S ribosomal RNA gene sequences within the genus. We analyzed the possibility of using various conservative genes as phylogenetic markers for the genus . We found that the levels of similarity of the nucleotide sequences of the tRNA(Ile)-lysidine synthase () and the β subunit of RNA polymerase () genes are in good agreement with the average nucleotide identity (ANI) values between the genomes of various representatives of the genus .

Ethyl Carbamate in Fermented Food Products: Sources of Appearance, Hazards and Methods for Reducing Its Content.

Ethyl carbamate, the ethyl ester of carbamic acid, has been identified in fermented foods and alcoholic beverages. Since ethyl carbamate is a probable human carcinogen, reduction of its content is important for food safety and human health. In alcoholic beverages, ethyl carbamate is mostly formed from the reaction of ethanol with urea, citrulline and carbamyl phosphate during fermentation and storage.

Metagenomic and Culture-Based Analyses of Microbial Communities from Petroleum Reservoirs with High-Salinity Formation Water, and Their Biotechnological Potential.

The reserves of light conditional oil in reservoirs with low-salinity formation water are decreasing worldwide, necessitating the extraction of heavy oil from petroleum reservoirs with high-salinity formation water. As the first stage of defining the microbial-enhanced oil recovery (MEOR) strategies for depleted petroleum reservoirs, microbial community composition was studied for petroleum reservoirs with high-salinity formation water located in Tatarstan (Russia) using metagenomic and culture-based approaches. Bacteria of the phyla , , , , and were revealed using 16S rRNA-based high-throughput sequencing in halophilic microbial communities.

CAR1 as a new selective marker for genetic engineering of wine yeasts.

A common problem in engineering industrial yeasts, and wine yeasts in particular, is the lack or scarcity of selective markers for introducing desired genetic changes. Almost all such markers, which are usually auxotrophic mutations, would reduce the growth characteristics of yeast strains. However, a potentially useful marker could be the CAR1 gene encoding arginase, the deletion of which reduces the accumulation of the carcinogen ethyl carbamate in wine, making such a deletion beneficial for wine production and maintainable in wine yeast strains.

The low-temperature germinating spores of the thermophilic contribute to an extremely high sulfate reduction in burning coal seams.

Burning coal seams, characterized by massive carbon monoxide (CO) emissions, the presence of secondary sulfates, and high temperatures, represent suitable environments for thermophilic sulfate reduction. The diversity and activity of dissimilatory sulfate reducers in these environments remain unexplored. In this study, using metagenomic approaches, activity measurements with a radioactive tracer, and cultivation we have shown that members of the genus are responsible for the extremely high sulfate reduction rate (SRR) in burning lignite seams in the Altai Mountains.

Nanoparticles Carrying Conserved Regions of Influenza A Hemagglutinin, Nucleoprotein, and M2 Protein Elicit a Strong Humoral and T Cell Immune Response and Protect Animals from Infection.

Current influenza vaccines are mainly strain-specific and have limited efficacy in preventing new influenza A strains. Efficient control of infection can potentially be achieved through the development of broad-spectrum vaccines based on conserved antigens. A combination of several such antigens, including the conserved region of the second subunit of the hemagglutinin (HA2), the extracellular domain of the M2 protein (M2e), and epitopes of nucleoprotein (NP), which together can elicit an antibody- and cell-mediated immune response, would be preferred for vaccine development.

Metagenomics Revealed a New Genus ' Thiocaldithrix dubininis' gen. nov., sp. nov. and a New Species ' Thiothrix putei' sp. nov. in the Family , Some Members of Which Have Traits of Both Na- and H-Motive Energetics.

Two metagenome-assembled genomes (MAGs), GKL-01 and GKL-02, related to the family have been assembled from the metagenome of bacterial mat obtained from a sulfide-rich thermal spring in the North Caucasus. Based on average amino acid identity (AAI) values and genome-based phylogeny, MAG GKL-01 represented a new genus within the family. The GC content of the GKL-01 DNA (44%) differed significantly from that of other known members of the genus (50.

Plant-Produced Nanoparticles Based on Artificial Self-Assembling Peptide Bearing the Influenza M2e Epitope.

Despite advances in vaccine development, influenza remains a persistent global health threat and the search for a broad-spectrum recombinant vaccine against influenza continues. The extracellular domain of the transmembrane protein M2 (M2e) of the influenza A virus is highly conserved and can be used to develop a universal vaccine. M2e is a poor immunogen by itself, but it becomes highly immunogenic when linked to an appropriate carrier.