Correlation between Protein Features and the Properties of pH-Driven-Assembled Nanoparticles: Control of Particle Size.

This study sought to understand how the features of proteins impact the properties of nanoparticles assembled using the pH-shifting approach and the mechanism behind. Four legume protein isolates from faba bean, mung bean, soy, and pea were fractionated into natural aqueous-soluble (Sup) and aqueous-insoluble (Sed) fractions, which were proved to serve as shell and core, respectively, for the pH-driven-assembled nanoparticles. Using zein instead of Sed fractions as the core improved size uniformity, and particle size can be precisely controlled by adjusting core/shell ratios.

Improving thermostability of Bacillus amyloliquefaciens alpha-amylase by multipoint mutations.

The medium-temperature alpha-amylase of Bacillus amyloliquefaciens is widely used in the food and washing process. Enhancing the thermostability of alpha-amylases and investigating the mechanism of stability are important for enzyme industry development. The optimal temperature and pH of the wild-type BAA and mutant MuBAA (D28E/V118A/S187D/K370 N) were all 60 °C and 6.

Characterisation of a laccase isolated from Trametes hirsuta and its application in the oligomerisation of phenolic compounds.

Phenolic compounds are widely distributed in nature and industrial environment, and their detoxification or bioactive enhancement is of great value to environmental protection and industrial development. Laccases are multicopper oxidases that catalyse the oligo- or polymerisation of phenolic compounds. Identifying new laccase producers and investigating their application potential are of great importance.

Characteristics of Crosslinking Polymers Play Major Roles in Improving the Stability and Catalytic Properties of Immobilized Lipase.

This study aimed to improve the stability and catalytic properties of Thermomyces lanuginosus lipase (TLL) adsorbed on a hydrophobic support. At the optimized conditions (pH 5 and 25 °C without any additions), the Sips isotherm model effectively fitted the equilibrium adsorption data, indicating a monolayer and the homogenous distribution of immobilized lipase molecules. To preserve the high specific activity of adsorbed lipase, the immobilized lipase (IL) with a moderate loading amount (approximately 40% surface coverage) was selected.

Considerations regarding affinity determinants for aflatoxin B in binding cavity of fungal laccase based on in silico mutational and in vitro verification studies.

Laccase, a multicopper oxidase, is well known for its industrial potentials to remove environmental pollutants due to its low substrate specificity to oxidize phenols and thus catalytic versatility. Many efforts focused on the metabolic mechanism, yet to decipher the structural determinants responsible for the differentiation between substrates. Aflatoxin B (AFB), a new substrate for laccase, is a mycotoxin with a formidable environmental threat to public health and food safety.

Exogenous Alanine Reverses the Bacterial Resistance to Zhongshengmycin with the Promotion of the P Cycle in .

Microbial antibiotic resistance has become a worldwide concern, as it weakens the efficiency of the control of pathogenic microbes in both the fields of medicine and plant protection. A better understanding of antibiotic resistance mechanisms is helpful for the development of efficient approaches to settle this issue. In the present study, GC-MS-based metabolomic analysis was applied to explore the mechanisms of Zhongshengmycin (ZSM) resistance in (Xoo), a bacterium that causes serious disease in rice.

Analyses of transcriptomics and metabolomics reveal pathway of vacuolar Sur7 contributed to biocontrol potential of entomopathogenic Beauveria bassiana.

Beauveria bassiana is a critical entomopathogenic fungus for pest biocontrol, whose efficiency depends on fungal development and stress resistance. Unlike its revealed location in plasma membrane patches in other organisms, B. bassiana Sur7 specifically localized in vacuoles.

Transcriptomic analysis of Sur7-mediated response of Beauveria bassiana to different nutritional conditions.

Integrity of the cell wall is requisite for fungal growth and function. Sur7 governs cell wall composition, and affects conidial sporulation and germination in Beauveria bassiana, a filamentous entomopathogenic fungus. The role of Sur7 in fungal growth on various nutrients remains unclear.

Flow-through enzymatic reactors using polymer monoliths: From motivation to application.

The application of monolithic materials as carriers for enzymes has rapidly expanded to the realization of flow-through analysis and bioconversion processes. This expansion is partly attributed to the absence from diffusion limitation in many monoliths-based enzyme reactors. Particularly, the relatively ease of introducing functional groups renders polymer monoliths attractive as enzyme carriers.

A New Laccase of Lac 2 from the White Rot Fungus 6884 and Lac 2-Mediated Degradation of Aflatoxin B.

Aflatoxin B (AFB) is a known toxic human carcinogen and can be detoxified by laccases, which are multicopper oxidases that convert several environmental pollutants and toxins. In this study, a new laccase that could catalyze AFB degradation was purified and identified from the white-rot fungus 6884. The laccase was purified using (NH)SO precipitation and anion exchange chromatography, and then identified as Lac 2 through zymogram and UHPLC-MS/MS based on the Illumina transcriptome analysis of 6884.

Correction to: Screening of pectinase-producing bacteria from citrus peel and characterization of a recombinant pectate lyase with applied potential.

In the original article.

Mushroom extracts and compounds with suppressive action on breast cancer: evidence from studies using cultured cancer cells, tumor-bearing animals, and clinical trials.

This article reviews mushrooms with anti-breast cancer activity. The mushrooms covered which are better known include the following: button mushroom Agaricus bisporus, Brazilian mushroom Agaricus blazei, Amauroderma rugosum, stout camphor fungus Antrodia camphorata, Jew's ear (black) fungus or black wood ear fungus Auricularia auricula-judae, reishi mushroom or Lingzhi Ganoderma lucidum, Ganoderma sinense, maitake mushroom or sheep's head mushroom Grifola frondosa, lion's mane mushroom or monkey head mushroom Hericium erinaceum, brown beech mushroom Hypsizigus marmoreus, sulfur polypore mushroom Laetiporus sulphureus, Lentinula edodes (shiitake mushroom), Phellinus linteus (Japanese "meshimakobu," Chinese "song gen," Korean "sanghwang," American "black hoof mushroom"), abalone mushroom Pleurotus abalonus, king oyster mushroom Pleurotus eryngii, oyster mushroom Pleurotus ostreatus, tuckahoe or Fu Ling Poria cocos, and split gill mushroom Schizophyllum commune. Antineoplastic effectiveness in human clinical trials and mechanism of anticancer action have been reported for Antrodia camphorata, Cordyceps sinensis, Coriolus versicolor, Ganoderma lucidum, Grifola frondosa, and Lentinula edodes.

Archives of microbiology: screening of pectinase-producing bacteria from citrus peel and characterization of a recombinant pectate lyase with applied potential.

Pectinase is widely used in numerous industrial fields, including the food, wine, and paper industries. In this work, seven bacteria were isolated from orange peel and their pectinase production activity was assayed. One bacterium (OR-B2) identified as a Bacillus sp.

Hyponatremia in Children With Bacterial Meningitis.

Hyponatremia has frequently been described as a common complication associated with bacterial meningitis, though its frequency and clinical course in children with bacterial meningitis are unclear. The present study aimed to investigate the frequency, clinical characteristics, and prognosis associated with pediatric hyponatremia due to bacterial meningitis. We performed a retrospective review of children with bacterial meningitis provided with standard care.

Development of Novel Shortenings Structured by Ethylcellulose Oleogels.

A novel shortening was developed based on oleogels structured by ethylcellulose (EC) polymers. The texture and oil retention ability of EC oleogels were characterized against the level of viscosity of different grades of EC, as well as the rheological properties in relation to the polymer structure in the gel network. EC100, which has an average viscosity of 100 cP, was selected as the most suitable organogelator at 4% (w/w) in combination with base oil (30% degree of saturation by mixing palm stearin and soybean oil) to form the shortening.

A New Extremely Halophilic, Calcium-Independent and Surfactant-Resistant Alpha-Amylase from sp. SL3.

A new α-amylase-encoding gene () of glycoside hydrolase (GH) family 13 was identified in soda lake isolate sp. SL3. The deduced AmySL3 shares high identities (82-98%) with putative α-amylases from the genus , but has low identities (<53%) with functionally characterized counterparts.

High-throughput amplicon sequencing demonstrates extensive diversity of xylanase genes in the sediment of soda lake Dabusu.

Objective: To explore the diversity of glycoside hydrolase family 10 xylanase genes in the sediment of soda lake Dabusu by using high-throughput amplicon sequencing based on the Illumina HiSeq2500 platform.

Results: A total of 227,420 clean reads, representing approximately 49.5 M bp, were obtained.

Metabolomics approach used for understanding temperature-related pectinase activity in Bacillus licheniformis DY2.

Pectinases are enzymes that catalyze pectin degradation. There is a global demand for pectinases because of their wide utility and catalytic efficiency. Optimization of the fermentation process to increase the pectolytic enzyme activity is generally practiced to lower process costs, but whether temperature influences the metabolome, enhancing pectinase activity, is not known.

Functional metabolomics approach reveals the reduced biosynthesis of fatty acids and TCA cycle is required for pectinase activity in Bacillus licheniformis.

Increase of pectinase activity is especially important in fermentation industry. Understanding of the metabolic mechanisms can find metabolic modulation approach to promote high yield of pectinase. Higher activity of pectinase was detected in DY1 than DY2, two strains of Bacillus licheniformis.

A novel GH16 beta-agarase isolated from a marine bacterium, Microbulbifer sp. BN3 and its characterization and high-level expression in Pichia pastoris.

An agar-degrading bacterium, strain BN3, was isolated from a coastal soil sample collected in Taiwan Strait, China and identified to be a novel species of the genus Microbulbifer. The gene (N3-1) encoding for a novel β-agarase from the isolate was cloned and sequenced. It encoded a mature protein with 274 amino acids and a calculated molecular mass of 34.

Novel Salt-Tolerant Xylanase from a Mangrove-Isolated Fungus sp. MF13 and Its Application in Chinese Steamed Bread.

A novel glycosyl hydrolase family 11 xylanase gene, , was cloned from sp. MF13, a xylanase-producing fungus isolated from mangrove sediment. was heterologously expressed in , and the recombinant XynMF13A (rXynMF13A) was purified by Ni-affinity chromatography.

Antifungal Proteins with Antiproliferative Activity on Cancer Cells and HIV-1 Enzyme Inhibitory Activity from Medicinal Plants and Medicinal Fungi.

A variety of fungi, plants, and their different tissues are used in Traditional Chinese Medicine to improve health, and some of them are recommended for dietary therapy. Many of these plants and fungi contain antifungal proteins and peptides which suppress spore germination and hyphal growth in phytopathogenic fungi. The aim of this article is to review antifungal proteins produced by medicinal plants and fungi used in Chinese medicine which also possess anticancer and human immunodeficiency virus-1 (HIV-1) enzyme inhibitory activities.

Basal ganglia calcification and novel compound heterozygous mutations in the PANK2 gene in a Chinese boy with classic Pantothenate kinase-associated neurodegeneration: A case report.

Rationale: Pantothenate kinase-associated neurodegeneration (PKAN) represents an autosomal recessive hereditary disease. In this report, a PANK2 gene mutation in a Chinese child was identified, as well as detections of PKAN among his family members. Our findings exposed a world-wide novel compound heterozygous mutation.

Management of Refractory Orofacial Dyskinesia Caused by Anti--methyl-d-aspartate Receptor Encephalitis Using Botulinum Toxin.

The use of botulinum neurotoxin serotype A (BoNT-A) injections for the treatment of orofacial dyskinesia secondary to anti--methyl-d-aspartate receptor (NMDAR) encephalitis is rarely reported. Here, we report a case of an urgent, successful management of severe orofacial dyskinesia in an 8-year-old girl with anti-NMDAR encephalitis using BoNT-A injection. The patient presented with unilateral paroxysmal movement disorder progressing to generalized dystonia and repetitive orofacial dyskinesia.