A naturally evolved metal ion transfer mechanism that improves the catalytic performance and stability of superoxide dismutase.

Inadequate binding of metal ions is a major cause of low activity and loss of function in metalloenzymes such as superoxide dismutase (SOD). In this study, we report a previously undescribed metal ion transfer mechanism mediated by the metal ion binding domain (MIBD) of SOD, which significantly improves SOD activity and stability. MIBD is mainly found in the N-terminal domain of SOD from Paenibacillus, which evolves under a metal ion deficient environment.

Gut mucosal microbiota profiles linked to development of positional-specific human colorectal cancer.

Colorectal cancer (CRC) continuously ranks as the third most common cause of cancer-related deaths worldwide. Based on anatomical classifications and clinical diagnoses, CRC is classified into right-sided, left-sided, and rectal CRC. Importantly, the three types of positional-specific CRC affect the prognosis outcomes, thus indicating that positional-specific treatments for CRC are required.

Factors Influencing Time to First Medical Contact in Patients with Acute ST-Segment Elevation Myocardial Infarction: A Retrospective Analysis.

BACKGROUND Exploring the factors that impact the time from symptom onset to first medical contact (S2FMC) is crucial for improving outcomes in elderly patients diagnosed with acute ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI). This study conducted a retrospective analysis on 282 patients who underwent emergency percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) or percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty (PTCA) in Guangzhou City District to identify significant factors affecting S2FMC. MATERIAL AND METHODS A retrospective analysis was conducted on 282 patients with STEMI who underwent emergency percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI).

Identification of important genes associated with acute myocardial infarction using multiple cell death patterns.

Acute myocardial infarction (AMI) is a global health threat, and programmed cell death (PCD) plays a crucial role in its occurrence and development. In this study, integrated bioinformatics tools were used to explore new biomarkers and therapeutic targets in AMI. Thirteen types of PCD-related genes were identified through literature review, KEGG, and GSEA pathways.

Platycodin D represses β-catenin to suppress metastasis of cetuximab-treated KRAS wild-type colorectal cancer cells.

Cetuximab, an epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) inhibitor, is extensively used for clinical therapy in KRAS wild-type colorectal cancer (CRC) patients. However, some patients still cannot get benefit from the therapy, because metastasis and resistance occur frequently after cetuximab treatment. New adjunctive therapy is urgently needed to suppress metastasis of cetuximab-treated CRC cells.

Genetic and functional characterization of multiple thermophilic organosulfur-removal systems reveals desulfurization potentials for waste residue oil cleaning.

Heavy oil and petroleum refining residues usually contain high concentrations of recalcitrant hazardous organosulfur compounds, causing long-term serious global environmental pollution during leakage and combustion. Research conducted here identified a unique thermophilic bacterium Parageobacillus thermoglucosidasius W-36 with the notable ability of waste residue oil desulfurization, utilization and tolerance of multiplex hazardous organosulfur pollutants. Genome information mining revealed multiple desulfurization systems in three organosulfur-utilizing gene clusters.

Bacteria reduce flagellin synthesis to evade microglia-astrocyte-driven immunity in the brain.

The immune response of brain cells to invading bacteria in vivo and the mechanism used by pathogenic bacteria to escape brain immune surveillance remain largely unknown. It is believed that microglia eliminate bacteria by phagocytosis based on in vitro data. Here we find that a small percentage of microglia in the brain engulf neonatal meningitis-causing Escherichia coli (NMEC), but more microglia are activated to produce tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNFα), which activates astrocytes to secrete complement component 3 (C3) involved in anti-bacterial activity.

Gut mucosal microbiota profiles linked to colorectal cancer recurrence.

Background: Emerging evidence links gut microbiota to various human diseases including colorectal cancer (CRC) initiation and development. However, gut microbiota profiles associated with CRC recurrence and patient prognosis are not completely understood yet, especially in a Chinese cohort.

Aim: To investigate the relationship between gut mucosal microbiota profiles and CRC recurrence and patient prognosis.

Multi-parameter optimization maximizes the performance of genetically engineered Geobacillus for degradation of high-concentration nitroalkanes in wastewater.

Nitroalkanes are important toxic pollutants for which there is no effective removal method at present. Although genetic engineering bacteria have been developed as a promising bioremediation strategy for years, their actual performance is far lower than expected. In this study, important factors affecting the application of engineered Geobacillus for nitroalkanes degradation were comprehensively optimized.

Bacterial diversity and competitors for degradation of hazardous oil refining waste under selective pressures of temperature and oxygen.

Oil refining waste (ORW) contains complex, hazardous, and refractory components, causing more severe long-term environmental pollution than petroleum. Here, ORW was used to simulate the accelerated domestication of bacteria from oily sludges and polymer-flooding wastewater, and the effects of key factors, oxygen and temperature, on the ORW degradation were evaluated. Bacterial communities acclimated respectively in 30/60 °C, aerobic/anaerobic conditions showed differentiated degradation rates of ORW, ranging from 5% to 34%.

The Aphelenchus avenae genome highlights evolutionary adaptation to desiccation.

Some organisms can withstand complete body water loss (losing up to 99% of body water) and stay in ametabolic state for decades until rehydration, which is known as anhydrobiosis. Few multicellular eukaryotes on their adult stage can withstand life without water. We still have an incomplete understanding of the mechanism for metazoan survival of anhydrobiosis.

Differential Mucosal Microbiome Profiles across Stages of Human Colorectal Cancer.

Emerging evidences link gut microbiota to colorectal cancer (CRC) initiation and development. However, the CRC stage- and spatial-specific bacterial taxa were less investigated, especially in a Chinese cohort, leading to our incomplete understanding of the functional roles of gut microbiota in promoting CRC progression and recurrence. Here, we report the composition and structure of gut microbiota across CRC stages I, II and III, by analyzing the gut mucosal microbiomes of 75 triplet-paired samples collected from on-tumor, adjacent-tumor and off-tumor sites and 26 healthy controls.

Eubacterium rectale contributes to colorectal cancer initiation via promoting colitis.

Background: Inflammatory bowel disease caused by microbial dysbiosis is an important factor contributing to colorectal cancer (CRC) initiation. The 'driver-passenger' model in human gut microbial dysbiosis suggests that 'driver' bacteria may colonize with low relative abundance on tumor site but persistently induce chronic change in normal intestinal epithelium and initiate CRC. They are gradually replaced by 'passenger' bacteria later on, due to their low adaptability to the on-tumor site niche.

An ArcA-Modulated Small RNA in Pathogenic K1.

K1 is the leading cause of meningitis in newborns. Understanding the molecular basis of K1 pathogenicity will help develop treatment of meningitis and prevent neurological sequelae. K1 replicates in host blood and forms a high level of bacteremia to cause meningitis in human.

Analyses of Potential Driver and Passenger Bacteria in Human Colorectal Cancer.

Introduction: Besides genetic and epigenetic alterations that lead to carcinogenesis and development of colorectal cancer (CRC), intestinal microbiomes are recently recognized to play a critical role in CRC progression. The abundant species associated with human CRC have been proposed for their roles in promoting tumorigenesis. However, a recent "driver-passenger" model suggests that these CRC-associated species with high relative abundances may be passenger bacteria that take advantage of the tumor environment instead of initiating CRC, whereas the driver species that initiate CRC have been replaced by passenger bacteria due to the alteration of the intestinal niche.

Comparative Genome Analyses Reveal the Genomic Traits and Host Plant Adaptations of IK-1.

The genus contains a large group of commensal bacteria identified in diverse terrestrial and aquatic habitats. We compared the genome of a new species IK-1 to public available genomes of species to reveal the genomic traits and ecological roles of IK-1. Principle component analysis (PCA) of carbohydrate-active enzyme classes suggests that IK-1 belongs to a terrestrial clade of .

Impact of main vessel calcification on procedural and clinical outcomes of bifurcation lesion undergoing provisional single-stenting intervention: a multicenter, prospective, observational study.

Background: Few data on the combined effects of bifurcation and calcification on coronary artery disease (CAD) patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) are available. This study evaluated the impact of main vessel (MV) calcification on the procedural and long-term outcomes in patients with CAD who underwent provisional single stent PCI.

Methods: This is a multicenter, prospective, observational study.

Genomic sequencing is required for identification of tuberculosis transmission in Hawaii.

Background: Tuberculosis (TB) caused an estimated 1.4 million deaths and 10.4 million new cases globally in 2015.

Whole genome SNP analysis suggests unique virulence factor differences of the Beijing and Manila families of Mycobacterium tuberculosis found in Hawaii.

While tuberculosis (TB) remains a global disease, the WHO estimates that 62% of the incident TB cases in 2016 occurred in the WHO South-East Asia and Western Pacific regions. TB in the Pacific is composed predominantly of two genetic families of Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb): Beijing and Manila. The Manila family is historically under-studied relative to the families that comprise the majority of TB in Europe and North America (e.

Rheinheimera salexigens sp. nov., isolated from a fishing hook, and emended description of the genus Rheinheimera.

A Gram-negative, rod-shaped bacterium, designated KH87, was isolated from a fishing hook that had been baited and suspended in seawater off O'ahu, Hawai'i. Based on a comparison of 1524 nt of the 16S rRNA gene sequence of strain KH87, its nearest neighbours were the GammaproteobacteriaRheinheimera nanhaiensis E407-8 (96.2 % identity), Rheinheimera chironomi K19414 (96.

Draft Genome Sequence of a Novel sp. Strain, MD30, Isolated from a Biofilm in an Air Conditioner Condensate Pipe.

Most of the 24 known species were originally isolated from soils. We report the draft genome sequence of a putatively novel sp. from a biofilm in an air conditioner condensate pipe.

The importance of conserved amino acids in heme-based globin-coupled diguanylate cyclases.

Globin-coupled diguanylate cyclases contain globin, middle, and diguanylate cyclase domains that sense O2 to synthesize c-di-GMP and regulate bacterial motility, biofilm formation, and virulence. However, relatively few studies have extensively examined the roles of individual residues and domains of globin-coupled diguanylate cyclases, which can shed light on their signaling mechanisms and provide drug targets. Here, we report the critical residues of two globin-coupled diguanylate cyclases, EcGReg from Escherichia coli and BpeGReg from Bordetella pertussis, and show that their diguanylate cyclase activity requires an intact globin domain.

Genomic analyses of the ancestral Manila family of Mycobacterium tuberculosis.

With its airborne transmission and prolonged latency period, Mycobacterium tuberculosis spreads worldwide as one of the most successful bacterial pathogens and continues to kill millions of people every year. M. tuberculosis lineage 1 is inferred to originate ancestrally based on the presence of the 52-bp TbD1 sequence and analysis of single nucleotide polymorphisms.

Comparative genomics of two jute species and insight into fibre biogenesis.

Jute (Corchorus sp.) is one of the most important sources of natural fibre, covering ∼80% of global bast fibre production. Only Corchorus olitorius and Corchorus capsularis are commercially cultivated, though there are more than 100 Corchorus species in the Malvaceae family.