Metagenome-based diversity analyses suggest a strong locality signal for bacterial communities associated with oyster aquaculture farms in Ofunato Bay.

Ofunato Bay, in Japan, is the home of buoy-and-rope-type oyster aquaculture activities. Since the oysters filter suspended materials and excrete organic matters into the seawater, bacterial communities residing in its vicinity may show dynamic changes depending on the oyster culture activities. We employed a shotgun metagenomic technique to study bacterial communities near oyster aquaculture facilities at the center of the bay (KSt.

Seasonal changes in the communities of photosynthetic picoeukaryotes in Ofunato Bay as revealed by shotgun metagenomic sequencing.

Small photosynthetic eukaryotes play important roles in oceanic food webs in coastal regions. We investigated seasonal changes in the communities of photosynthetic picoeukaryotes (PPEs) of the class Mamiellophyceae, including the genera Bathycoccus, Micromonas and Ostreococcus, in Ofunato Bay, which is located in northeastern Japan and faces the Pacific Ocean. The abundances of PPEs were assessed over a period of one year in 2015 at three sampling stations, KSt.

Seasonal changes in the abundance of bacterial genes related to dimethylsulfoniopropionate catabolism in seawater from Ofunato Bay revealed by metagenomic analysis.

Ofunato Bay is located in the northeastern Pacific Ocean area of Japan, and it has the highest biodiversity of marine organisms in the world, primarily due to tidal influences from the cold Oyashio and warm Kuroshio Currents. Our previous results from performing shotgun metagenomics indicated that Candidatus Pelagibacter ubique and Planktomarina temperata were the dominant bacteria (Reza et al., 2018a, 2018b).

Basin-scale seasonal changes in marine free-living bacterioplankton community in the Ofunato Bay.

The Ofunato Bay in the northeastern Pacific Ocean area of Japan possesses the highest biodiversity of marine organisms in the world and has attracted much attention due to its economic and environmental importance. We report here a shotgun metagenomic analysis of the year-round variation in free-living bacterioplankton collected across the entire length of the bay. Phylogenetic differences among spring, summer, autumn and winter bacterioplankton suggested that members of Proteobacteria tended to decrease at high water temperatures and increase at low temperatures.

Taxonomic profiles in metagenomic analyses of free-living microbial communities in the Ofunato Bay.

The Ofunato Bay in Iwate Prefecture, Japan is a deep coastal bay located at the center of the Sanriku Rias Coast and considered an economically and environmentally important asset. Here, we describe the first whole genome sequencing (WGS) study on the microbial community of the bay, where surface water samples were collected from three stations along its length to cover the entire bay; we preliminarily sequenced a 0.2 μm filter fraction among sequentially size-fractionated samples of 20.

X-ray crystallographic analysis of IMP-1 metallo-β-lactamase complexed with a 3-aminophthalic acid derivative, structure-based drug design, and synthesis of 3,6-disubstituted phthalic acid derivative inhibitors.

3-(4-Hydroxypiperidine-1-yl) phthalic acid 1 shows potent inhibitory activity against metallo-β-lactamase, which is known to inactivate β-lactam antibiotics such as carbapenems. Here, the structure of co-crystals of the metallo-β-lactamase IMP-1 and 1 was first analyzed by X-ray crystallography, and then used for structure-based drug design. Four novel compounds bearing substituents at the 6-position were synthesized to produce 3,6-disubstituted phthalic acid derivatives, and their IMP-1 inhibitory activity and synergistic effect with the carbapenem biapenem (BIPM) were evaluated.

Identification of 9α-hydroxy-17-oxo-1,2,3,4,10,19-hexanorandrostan-5-oic acid in steroid degradation by Comamonas testosteroni TA441 and its conversion to the corresponding 6-en-5-oyl coenzyme A (CoA) involving open reading frame 28 (ORF28)- and ORF30-encoded acyl-CoA dehydrogenases.

Comamonas testosteroni TA441 degrades steroids via aromatization and meta-cleavage of the A ring, followed by hydrolysis, and produces 9,17-dioxo-1,2,3,4,10,19-hexanorandrostan-5-oic acid as an intermediate compound. Herein, we identify a new intermediate compound, 9α-hydroxy-17-oxo-1,2,3,4,10,19-hexanorandrostan-5-oic acid. Open reading frame 28 (ORF28)- and ORF30-encoded acyl coenzyme A (acyl-CoA) dehydrogenase was shown to convert the CoA ester of 9α-hydroxy-17-oxo-1,2,3,4,10,19-hexanorandrostan-5-oic acid to the CoA ester of 9α-hydroxy-17-oxo-1,2,3,4,10,19-hexanorandrost-6-en-5-oic acid.

Draft Genome Sequences of Vibrio sp. Strains Isolated from Tetrodotoxin-Bearing Scavenging Gastropod.

Vibrio sp. strains JCM 18905 and JCM 19053 were isolated from a tetrodotoxin (TTX)-bearing scavenging gastropod, and Vibrio sp. strain JCM 18904 was isolated from a sea cucumber.

Draft Genome Sequences of Geomicrobium sp. Strains JCM 19037, JCM 19038, JCM 19039, and JCM 19055, Isolated from Aquatic Samples.

Haloalkaliphilic strains JCM 19037, JCM 19038, JCM 19039, and JCM 19055, closely related to Geomicrobium sediminis, were isolated from aquatic samples, and their draft genome sequences were determined. The genome information of these four strains will be useful for studies of their physiology and ecology.

Identification of 9α-hydroxy-17-oxo-1,2,3,4,10,19-hexanorandrost-6-en-5-oic acid and β-oxidation products of the C-17 side chain in cholic acid degradation by Comamonas testosteroni TA441.

Comamonas testosteroni degrades testosterone into 9,17-dioxo-1,2,3,4,10,19-hexanorandrostan-5-oic acid and 2-hydroxyhexa-2,4-dienoic acid via aromatization of the A-ring. The former compound is suggested to be degraded further by β-oxidation, but the details of the process remain unclear. In this study, we identified 9α-hydroxy-17-oxo-1,2,3,4,10,19-hexanorandrost-6-en-5-oic acid as an intermediate compound in the β-oxidation of this compound.

Draft Genome Sequences of Psychrobacter Strains JCM 18900, JCM 18901, JCM 18902, and JCM 18903, Isolated Preferentially from Frozen Aquatic Organisms.

Four Psychrobacter strains, JCM 18900, JCM 18901, JCM 18902, and JCM 18903, related to either Psychrobacter nivimaris or Psychrobacter cibarius, were isolated from frozen marine animals. The genome information of these four strains will be useful for studies of their physiology and adaptation properties to frozen conditions.

Draft Genome Sequences of Cyclodextrin-Producing Alkaliphilic Bacillus Strains JCM 19045, JCM 19046, and JCM 19047.

Bacillus strains JCM 19045, JCM 19046, and JCM 19047 are alkaliphiles that produce β-cyclodextrin from starch. They are related to Bacillus xiaoxiensis and Bacillus lehensis. The genome information for these three strains will be useful for studies of the physiological role of cyclodextrin and cyclodextrin production.

Metallo-β-lactamase inhibitory activity of 3-alkyloxy and 3-amino phthalic acid derivatives and their combination effect with carbapenem.

3-Alkyloxy and 3-amino phthalic acid derivatives were found to have metallo-β-lactamase inhibitory activity. Among them, 3-amino phthalic acid derivatives showed both potent activity against metallo-β-lactamase, IMP-1 inhibitory activity and a strong combination effect with biapenem (BIPM), carbapenem antibiotic. In particular, the 4'-hydroxy-piperidine derivative showed strong IMP-1 inhibitory activity and a combination effect with various antibiotics.

Physiological characterization of aerobic culturable bacteria in the intestine of the sea cucumber Apostichopus japonicus.

Various aerobic culturable bacteria (1,133 isolates) were isolated from the gut of Apostichopus japonicus (black adult, green adult, black small, green small, black juvenile, and green juvenile sea cucumbers) and from the sea sediment and the seawater using different culture conditions and without enrichment culture. By molecular analysis of partial 16S rRNA gene sequences of 231 isolates, they were tentatively affiliated with 53 described species in the phyla Firmicutes (42 species), Proteobacteria (9 species) and Actinobacteria (2 species). Eighteen species were often found among the intestines and the sea sediment.

Heterologous expression and characterization of a glycoside hydrolase family 45 endo-β-1,4-glucanase from a symbiotic protist of the lower termite, Reticulitermes speratus.

The termite symbiotic system is one of the efficient lignocellulose degradation systems. We tried to express and characterize a novel cellulolytic enzyme from this system. Here, we report the isolation of an endo-β-1,4-glucanase gene homolog of glycoside hydrolase family 45 from a symbiotic protistan community of Reticulitermes speratus.

Diversity and function of aerobic culturable bacteria in the intestine of the sea cucumber Holothuria leucospilota.

Sea cucumbers play an important role in nutrient cycling of marine ecosystems by consuming sediments and moving sand, thus occupying a similar niche to earthworms in terrestrial ecosystems. However, our understanding of microbial diversity and functions associated with sea cucumbers is meager. Here, we isolated 141 bacterial strains under aerobic conditions using various media from the intestine of Holothuria leucospilota, a common sea cucumber in Japanese warm waters.

Characterization of Halomonas sp. strain H11 α-glucosidase activated by monovalent cations and its application for efficient synthesis of α-D-glucosylglycerol.

An α-glucosidase (HaG) with the following unique properties was isolated from Halomonas sp. strain H11: (i) high transglucosylation activity, (ii) activation by monovalent cations, and (iii) very narrow substrate specificity. The molecular mass of the purified HaG was estimated to be 58 kDa by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE).

Screening of optimal cellulases from symbiotic protists of termites through expression in the secretory pathway of Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

For direct and efficient ethanol production from cellulosic materials, we screened optimal cellulases from symbiotic protists of termites through heterologous expression with Saccharomyces cerevisiae. 11 cellulases, belonging to glycoside hydrolase families 5, 7, and 45 endoglucanases (EGs), were confirmed to produce with S. cerevisiae for the first time.

Steroid degradation in Comamonas testosteroni.

Steroid degradation by Comamonas testosteroni and Nocardia restrictus have been intensively studied for the purpose of obtaining materials for steroid drug synthesis. C. testosteroni degrades side chains and converts single/double bonds of certain steroid compounds to produce androsta-1,4-diene 3,17-dione or the derivative.

Investigation of the histamine H3 receptor binding site. Design and synthesis of hybrid agonists with a lipophilic side chain.

As a part of our search for novel histamine H3 receptor agonists, we designed and synthesized hybrid compounds in which the lipophilic (4'-alkylphenylthio)ethyl moiety of a novel H3 receptor agonist, 4-(2-(4'-tert-butylphenylthio)ethyl)-1H-imidazole (1), was incorporated into N(alpha)-methylhistamine, immepip, and immethridine derivatives. These hybrid compounds were expected to interact concurrently with the histamine-binding site and a putative hydrophobic region in the H3 receptor. Among them, piperidine- and pyridine-type derivatives displayed partial agonist activity, and (S)-4-(1-(1H-imidazol-4-yl)-2-(4-(trifluoromethyl)phenylthio)ethyl)piperidine (36) was identified as a potent H3 agonist.

Steroid degradation genes in Comamonas testosteroni TA441: Isolation of genes encoding a Δ4(5)-isomerase and 3α- and 3β-dehydrogenases and evidence for a 100 kb steroid degradation gene hot spot.

In previous studies, we identified two major Comamonas testosteroni TA441 gene clusters involved in steroid degradation. Because most of the genes included in these clusters were revealed to be involved in degradation of basic steroidal structures and a few were suggested to be involved in the degradation of modified steroid compounds, we investigated the spectrum of steroid compounds degradable for TA441 to better identify the genes involved in steroid degradation. TA441 degraded testosterone, progesterone, epiandrosterone, dehydroepiandrosterone, cholic acid, deoxycholic acid, chenodeoxycholic acid, and lithocholic acid.