Improving stereoselectivity of phosphotriesterase (PTE) for kinetic resolution of chiral phosphates.

Specific stereoisomer is paramount as it is vital for optimizing drug efficacy and safety. The quest for the isolation of desired stereoisomer of active pharmaceutical ingredients or key intermediates drives innovation in drug synthetic and biocatalytic methods. Chiral phosphoramidate is an important building block for the synthesis of antiviral drugs such as remdesivir and sofosbuvir.

A chromosome-level reference genome assembly and a full-length transcriptome assembly of the giant freshwater prawn (Macrobrachium rosenbergii).

The giant freshwater prawn (Macrobrachium rosenbergii) is a key species in the aquaculture industry in several Asian, African, and South American countries. Despite a considerable growth in its production worldwide, the genetic complexities of M. rosenbergii various morphotypes pose challenges in cultivation.

Metagenomic discovery of lipases with predicted structural similarity to Candida antarctica lipase B.

Here we employed sequence-based and structure-based screening for prospecting lipases that have structural homolog to Candida antarctica lipase B (CalB). CalB, a widely used biocatalyst, was used as structural template reference because of its enzymatic properties. Structural homolog could aid in the discovery of novel wild-type enzymes with desirable features and serve as a scaffold for further biocatalyst design.

Thermal impacts on transcriptome of Pectoralis major muscle collected from commercial broilers, Thai native chickens and its crossbreeds.

Objective: The main objective of this study was to define molecular mechanisms associated with thermal stress responses of chickens from commercial broilers (BR, Ross 308), Thai native chickens (NT) and crossbreeds between BR×NT (H75).

Methods: Twenty days before reaching specific market age, chickens from each breed were divided into control and thermal-stressed groups. The stressed groups were exposed to a cyclic thermal challenge (35°C±1°C for 6 h, followed by 26°C±1°C for 18 h) for 20 days.

Comparative effects of different bacterial lipopolysaccharides on modulation of immune levels to improve survival of the black tiger shrimp.

To prevent loss from disease, immunostimulants have been used as dietary supplements to improve immunity and survival of shrimps. Among the various types of immunostimulants, there is increasing evidence that a diet enriched with bacterial lipopolysaccharide can reduce the mortality rate of shrimp under exposure to pathogens. Here, the immunostimulatory effects of bacterial lipopolysaccharide (LPS) from various bacterial sources were explored.

Enhancement of catalytic activity and alkaline stability of cellobiohydrolase by structure-based protein engineering.

Unlabelled: Alkaline cellobiohydrolases have the potential for application in various industries, including pulp processing and laundry where operation under high pH conditions is preferred. In this study, variants of Cel6A cellobiohydrolase from were generated by structural-based protein engineering with the rationale of increasing catalytic activity and alkaline stability. The variants included removal of the carbohydrate-binding module (CBM) and substitution of residues 173 and 200.

Identification of novel SARS-CoV-2 RNA dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp) inhibitors: From screening to experimentally validated inhibitory activity.

The emergence of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) in 2019 has posed a serious threat to global health and the economy for over two years, prompting the need for development of antiviral inhibitors. Due to its vital role in viral replication, RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp) is a promising therapeutic target. Herein, we analyzed amino acid sequence conservation of RdRp across coronaviruses.

Comparison of the Effects of Microbial Inoculants on Fermentation Quality and Microbiota in Napier Grass () and Corn ( L.) Silage.

Forage preservation for livestock feeding is usually done by drying the plant material and storing it as hay or ensiling it into silage. During the ensiling process, the pH in the system is lowered by the activities of lactic acid-producing bacteria (LAB), inhibiting the growth of spoilage microorganisms and maintaining the quality of the ensiled product. To improve this process, inoculation of LAB could be used as starter cultures to shorten the ensiling time and control the fermentation process.

Comparative Analysis of PacBio and Oxford Nanopore Sequencing Technologies for Transcriptomic Landscape Identification of .

With the advantages that long-read sequencing platforms such as Pacific Biosciences (Menlo Park, CA, USA) (PacBio) and Oxford Nanopore Technologies (Oxford, UK) (ONT) can offer, various research fields such as genomics and transcriptomics can exploit their benefits. Selecting an appropriate sequencing platform is undoubtedly crucial for the success of the research outcome, thus there is a need to compare these long-read sequencing platforms and evaluate them for specific research questions. This study aims to compare the performance of PacBio and ONT platforms for transcriptomic analysis by utilizing transcriptome data from three different tissues (hepatopancreas, intestine, and gonads) of the juvenile black tiger shrimp, .

Insights Into Transcriptome Profiles Associated With Wooden Breast Myopathy in Broilers Slaughtered at the Age of 6 or 7 Weeks.

Transcriptomes associated with wooden breast (WB) were characterized in broilers at two different market ages. Breasts () were collected, 20-min postmortem, from male Ross 308 broilers slaughtered at 6 and 7 weeks of age. The breasts were classified as "non-WB" or "WB" based on palpation hardness scoring (non-WB = no abnormal hardness, WB = consistently hardened).

Transcriptomic analysis of the black tiger shrimp (Penaeus monodon) reveals insights into immune development in their early life stages.

With the rapid growth in the global demand, the shrimp industry needs integrated approaches for sustainable production. A high-quality shrimp larva is one of the crucial key requirements to maximize shrimp production. Survival and growth rates during larval development are often criteria to evaluate larval quality, however many aspects of gene regulation during shrimp larval development have not yet been identified.

A chromosome-level assembly of the black tiger shrimp (Penaeus monodon) genome facilitates the identification of growth-associated genes.

To salvage marine ecosystems from fishery overexploitation, sustainable and efficient aquaculture must be emphasized. The knowledge obtained from available genome sequence of marine organisms has accelerated marine aquaculture in many cases. The black tiger shrimp (Penaeus monodon) is one of the most prominent cultured penaeid shrimps (Crustacean) with an average annual global production of half a million tons in the last decade.

Nutritional Properties and Oxidative Indices of Broiler Breast Meat Affected by Wooden Breast Abnormality.

Wooden breast (WB) abnormality adversely impacts the quality of chicken meat and has been linked with oxidative stress. In this study, breast samples were taken from carcasses of 7-week-old Ross 308 broilers 20-min and 24-h postmortem. Five WB and seven non-WB control samples were assigned based on palpatory hardness (non-WB = no unusual characteristics and WB = focal or diffused hardness).

Optimization of high molecular weight DNA extraction methods in shrimp for a long-read sequencing platform.

Marine organisms are important to global food security as they are the largest source of animal proteins feeding mankind. Genomics-assisted aquaculture can increase yield while preserving the environment to ensure sufficient and sustainable production for global food security. However, only few high-quality genome sequences of marine organisms, especially shellfish, are available to the public partly because of the difficulty in the sequence assembly due to the complex nature of their genomes.

Multi-omics analysis to examine microbiota, host gene expression and metabolites in the intestine of black tiger shrimp () with different growth performance.

Understanding the correlation between shrimp growth and their intestinal bacteria would be necessary to optimize animal's growth performance. Here, we compared the bacterial profiles along with the shrimp's gene expression responses and metabolites in the intestines between the Top and the Bottom weight groups. Black tiger shrimp () were collected from the same population and rearing environments.

Engineering of β-mannanase from Aspergillus niger to increase product selectivity towards medium chain length mannooligosaccharides.

Mannooligosaccharides (MOSs) are one of the most commonly used biomass-derived feed additives. The effectiveness of MOS varies with the length of oligosaccharides, medium length MOSs such as mannotetraose and mannopentaose being the most efficient. This study aims at improving specificity of β-mannanase from Aspergillus niger toward the desirable product size through rational-based enzyme engineering.

Transcriptional Profiles of Skeletal Muscle Associated With Increasing Severity of White Striping in Commercial Broilers.

Development of the white striping (WS) abnormality adversely impacts overall quality of broiler breast meat. Its etiology remains unclear. This study aimed at exploring transcriptional profiles of broiler skeletal muscles exhibiting different WS severity to elucidate molecular mechanisms underlying the development and progression of WS.

Bacterial analysis in the early developmental stages of the black tiger shrimp (Penaeus monodon).

Microbial colonization is an essential process in the early life of animal hosts-a crucial phase that could help influence and determine their health status at the later stages. The establishment of bacterial community in a host has been comprehensively studied in many animal models; however, knowledge on bacterial community associated with the early life stages of Penaeus monodon (the black tiger shrimp) is still limited. Here, we examined the bacterial community structures in four life stages (nauplius, zoea, mysis and postlarva) of two black tiger shrimp families using 16S rRNA amplicon sequencing by a next-generation sequencing.

Absolute expressions of hypoxia-inducible factor-1 alpha (HIF1A) transcript and the associated genes in chicken skeletal muscle with white striping and wooden breast myopathies.

Development of white striping (WS) and wooden breast (WB) in broiler breast meat have been linked to hypoxia, but their etiologies are not fully understood. This study aimed at investigating absolute expression of hypoxia-inducible factor-1 alpha subunit (HIF1A) and genes involved in stress responses and muscle repair using a droplet digital polymerase chain reaction. Total RNA was isolated from pectoralis major collected from male 6-week-old medium (carcass weight ≤ 2.

Monitoring of white striping and wooden breast cases and impacts on quality of breast meat collected from commercial broilers (Gallus gallus).

Objective: This study aimed at investigating white striping (WS) and wooden breast (WB) cases in breast meat collected from commercial broilers.

Methods: A total of 183 breast samples were collected from male Ross 308 broilers slaughtered at the age of 6 weeks (n = 100) and 7 weeks (n = 83). The breasts were subjected to meat defect inspection, meat quality determination and histology evaluation.

Transcriptome-based discovery of pathways and genes related to reproduction of the black tiger shrimp (Penaeus monodon).

The black tiger shrimp (Penaeus monodon) is an aquatic animal with considerable economic importance. Poor reproductive maturation in captivity impedes sustainable aquaculture production of this species. This study aims to provide transcriptomic information on reproductive organs using 454 pyrosequencing technology.

Enantiomerically Pure 2-Methyltetrahydro-3-benzazepin-1-ols Selectively Blocking GluN2B Subunit Containing N-Methyl-D-aspartate Receptors.

A chiral pool synthesis was developed to obtain all four stereoisomeric 2-methyl-3-(4-phenylbutyl)tetrahydro-3-benzazepin-1-ols 21, 31, and 32 in a seven- to eight-step sequence. The phenols 32 reveal slightly higher GluN2B affinity than the methyl ethers 21. The GluN2B affinity increases in the order (1R,2S) < (1S,2S) < (1S,2R) < (1R,2R).

Effects of forest management practices in temperate beech forests on bacterial and fungal communities involved in leaf litter degradation.

Forest management practices (FMPs) significantly influence important ecological processes and services in Central European forests, such as leaf litter decomposition and nutrient cycling. Changes in leaf litter diversity, and thus, its quality as well as microbial community structure and function induced by different FMPs were hypothesized to be the main drivers causing shifts in decomposition rates and nutrient release in managed forests. In a litterbag experiment lasting 473 days, we aimed to investigate the effects of FMPs (even-aged timber management, selective logging and unmanaged) on bacterial and fungal communities involved in leaf litter degradation over time.

Analysis of the Resistance of Hepatitis C Virus NS5B Polymerase Inhibitors via Docking and Molecular Dynamics Simulation.

In this work, we examined how known single point mutations (P495S, P495L, P495A, P496A, P496S and V499A) in Hepatitis C virus NS5B polymerase influence the binding of benzimidazole-5-carboxamide derivatives which are potent NS5B inhibitors. Docking and molecular dynamics simulations were performed to analyze the binding of the inhibitors to the wild-type and mutant enzymes. Binding free energy calculations (MM-GB/SA method) and analyzing the decomposed binding free energy of individual residues were able to explain the differences in the inhibitory potency of the compounds at wild-type and mutant enzymes and hence account for the appearance of resistance of mutant enzymes to the studied inhibitors.

Identification and characterization of a cellulase-encoding gene from the buffalo rumen metagenomic library.

Microorganisms residing in the rumens of cattle represent a rich source of lignocellulose-degrading enzymes, since their diet consists of plant-based materials that are high in cellulose and hemicellulose. In this study, a metagenomic library was constructed from buffalo rumen contents using pCC1FOS fosmid vector. Ninety-three clones from the pooled library of approximately 10,000 clones showed degrading activity against AZCL-HE-Cellulose, whereas four other clones showed activity against AZCL-Xylan.