Screening and Characterization of Immunobiotic Lactic Acid Bacteria with Porcine Immunoassay Systems.

Microorganisms with the ability to modulate the immune system (immunobiotics) have shown to interact with different pattern recognition receptors (PRRs) expressed in nonimmune and immune cells and exert beneficial effects on host's health maintenance and promotion. Suitable assay systems are necessary for an efficient and rapid screening of potential immunobiotic strains. More than a decade of research has allowed us to develop efficient in vitro models based on porcine receptors and cells (porcine immunoassay systems) to study the immunomodulatory effects of lactic acid bacteria (LAB).

Introduction of Spontaneous Mutations Using Streptomycin as a Method for Lactic Acid Bacteria Breeding.

The chapter presents a technique for inducing spontaneous mutations using antibiotics that target microbial ribosomes and/or RNA polymerase, employed in bacterial breeding. In contrast to UV-based mutagenesis, this method allows control of the mutation sites, specifically targeting the rpsL gene. The outlined methodology introduces spontaneous mutations using streptomycin in Lacticaseibacillus rhamnosus GG ATCC 53103 (LGG), a widely studied lactic acid bacterium.

Embryonic genome instability upon DNA replication timing program emergence.

Faithful DNA replication is essential for genome integrity. Under-replicated DNA leads to defects in chromosome segregation, which are common during embryogenesis. However, the regulation of DNA replication remains poorly understood in early mammalian embryos.

Comparative genomics reveals convergent signals associated with the high metabolism and longevity in birds and bats.

Birds and bats have long lifespans relative to their body size compared with non-flying animals. However, the genomic basis associated with longer lifespan of flying species despite their higher metabolism was unclear. In this study, we hypothesized that genes involved in the regulation of metabolism and lifespan changed with the acquisition of flight and searched for genes that show specific evolutionary patterns in flying species.

A resilient mutualistic interaction between cucumber mosaic virus and its natural host to adapt to an excess zinc environment and drought stress.

A perennial pseudometallophyte Arabidopsis halleri is frequently infected with cucumber mosaic virus (CMV) in its natural habitat. The purpose of this study was to characterize the effect of CMV infection on the environmental adaptation of its natural host A. halleri.

Chitin nanofibers promote rhizobial symbiotic nitrogen fixation in Lotus japonicus.

Chitin, an N-acetyl-D-glucosamine polymer, has multiple functions in living organisms, including the induction of disease resistance and growth promotion in plants. In addition, chitin oligosaccharides (COs) are used as the backbone of the signaling molecule Nod factor secreted by soil bacteria rhizobia to establish a mutual symbiosis with leguminous plants. Nod factor perception triggers host plant responses for rhizobial symbiosis.

A Natural Chalcone Cardamonin Inhibited Transformation of Aryl Hydrocarbon Receptor Through Binding to the Receptor Competitively.

Scope: Chalcones are widely present in most plants and have various health beneficial functions. This study investigates the suppressive effect of 13 natural and synthetic chalcones on transformation of aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) induced by 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD) and 3-methylcholanthrene (3-MC) in a cell-free system, Hepa-1c1c7 cells, and liver of ICR mice.

Methods And Results: In the cell-free system, cardamonin dose-dependently inhibits AhR transformation.

Emergence of Amphiphilicity on Surfaces of Pure Cellulose Nanofibrils Directly Generated by Aqueous Counter Collision Process.

The present paper describes a downsizing mechanism of an aqueous counter collision (ACC) process that enables the rapid preparation of cellulose nanofibrils (CNFs) as an aqueous dispersion solely by impinging a pair of water jets containing the raw materials. Extensive studies have revealed that the resulting CNFs by ACC have amphiphilic fiber surfaces, in which two kinds of faces with different natures are present along the entire fiber axis. They therefore have superior adsorption to surfaces of various conventional polymer plastics.

Development of a new extraction method and functional analysis of phycocyanobilin from unique filamentous cyanobacteria.

As current methods of production of phycocyanobilin, a photosynthetic blue pigment derived from phycocyanin of filamentous cyanobacteria, Pseudanabaena sp. ABRG5-3, Limnothrix sp. SK1-2-1, and Spirulina sp.

Extraction of water-soluble polysaccharides from lupin beans and their function of protein dispersion and stabilization under acidic conditions.

In the current environment whereby new sources of proteins are extracted from plant material, it is also important to study the potential use of the resulting side streams. Although a number of studies have been conducted on various polysaccharides extracted from plant raw material, a polysaccharide fraction extracted from lupin bean is yet to be explored, in spite of the emerging interest in this crop as a source of food ingredients. In this work lupin soluble polysaccharide (LuPS) was obtained with a recovery as high as 46 % by extraction at pH 8, 120 °C, for 90 min.

Exploring strain-level diversity in the gut microbiome through mucin particle adhesion.

Unlabelled: Mucin glycoproteins are a significant source of carbon for the gut bacteria. Various gut microbial species possess diverse hydrolytic enzymes and catabolic pathways for breaking down mucin glycans, resulting in competition for the limited nutrients within the gut environment. Adherence to mucin glycans represents a crucial strategy used by gut microbes to access nutrient reservoirs.

Requirement of two simultaneous environmental signals for activation of Arabidopsis promoter in response to high light, cold, and UV-B stresses.

Arabidopsis EARLY LIGH-INDUCIBLE PROTEIN 2 (ELIP2) is a chlorophyll- and carotenoid-binding protein and is involved in photoprotection under stress conditions. Because its expression is induced through high light, cold, or UV-B stressors, its mechanism of induction has been studied. It is known that a functional unit found in the promoter, which is composed of Element B and Element A, is required and sufficient for full activation by these stressors.

Role of immunomodulatory probiotics in alleviating bacterial diarrhea in piglets: a systematic review.

Diarrhea is a common enteric disease in piglets that leads to high mortality and economic losses in swine production worldwide. Antibiotics are commonly used to prevent or treat diarrhea in piglets. However, irrational antibiotic use contributes to the development of resistance in bacteria and antibiotic residues in animal products, threatening public health, while causing gut microbiota dysbiosis and antibiotic-resistant bacterial infection in piglets.

Efficacy of medicinal plants and their derived biomolecules against Plasmodium falciparum.

Many apicomplexan pathogens pose significant threats to humans and domestic animals, with the lack of effective drugs and drug resistance representing major challenges in disease management. To address this, the search for new and potent antimalarial drugs is crucial. Plant-based formulations offer a promising alternative for such drug development.

Effect of Oral Skim Milk Administration on Skeletal Muscle Protein Synthesis after Total Gastrectomy in Rat.

Leucine is a branched-chain amino acid that is present in protein, and it is an essential factor in activating the mechanistic target of the rapamycin complex 1 signaling pathway and increasing muscle protein synthesis. However, the loss of digestive function after total gastrectomy leads to impaired protein absorption, potentially failing to stimulate muscle protein synthesis. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate whether muscle protein synthesis is enhanced by oral skim milk administration after total gastrectomy.

Computational Study on the Conformational Flexibility-Mediated Intramolecular Oxidative Spirocyclization of Procyanidin B4.

Procyanidins, found widely in foods and beverages, are prone to oxidation, yet the chemical structures of their oxidation products and the mechanisms involved remain unclear. Herein, we report that the conformation of procyanidin B4 influences its oxidation products and their stereochemistry. Eight spirocyclized oxidation products were obtained from procyanidin B4 and classified as - or -forms based on the configuration of the spiro carbons.

Subgradient-projection-based stable phase-retrieval algorithm for X-ray ptychography.

X-ray ptychography is a lensless imaging technique that visualizes the nano-structure of a thick specimen which cannot be observed with an electron microscope. It reconstructs a complex-valued refractive index of the specimen from observed diffraction patterns. This reconstruction problem is called phase retrieval (PR).

Optimisation of acid hydrolysis conditions of choline esters and mass spectrometric determination of total choline in various foods.

Determining the content of the nutrient choline in foods and obtaining the required amount from the diet are crucial. One way to measure choline in foods is by converting choline esters to free choline via acid hydrolysis, followed by quantifying the total choline, as adopted by the AOAC method (AOAC-Choline); however, certain choline esters are difficult to hydrolyse. Here, we investigated various acid hydrolysis conditions to establish a reliable method for determining the total choline in foods by detecting free choline using highly sensitive and selective mass spectrometry.

Secondary contact zone and genetic introgression in closely related haplodiploid social spider mites.

How frequently hybridisation and gene flow occur in the contact zones of diverging taxa is important for understanding the speciation process. Stigmaeopsis sabelisi and Stigmaeopsis miscanthi high-aggression form (hereafter, S. miscanthi HG) are haplodiploid, social spider mites that infest the Chinese silver grass, Miscanthus sinensis.

Antagonistic Effects of 090104 on Respiratory Pathogens.

In previous studies, it was demonstrated that 090104, isolated from the human nasopharynx, modulates respiratory immunity, improving protection against infections. Here, the antagonistic effect of the 090104 strain on respiratory pathogens, including , , , , and , was explored. In a series of in vitro studies, the capacity of 090104, its bacterium-like particles, and its culture supernatants to coaggregate, inhibit the growth, and change the virulent phenotype of pathogenic bacteria was evaluated.

The Efficacy of β-Carotene in Cow Reproduction: A Review.

β-carotene supplementation improves the reproductive performance of cattle. However, the research results on this topic have been inconsistent, and no clear conclusion has been reached. In previous reviews of this topic, the functional mechanism of β-carotene in reproduction remained unclear, but subsequent studies have shown that the antioxidant effects of β-carotene protect enzymes involved in ovarian sex steroid hormone production from the effects of oxygen radicals.

Investigation of Metabolites in Fermented Wheat Bran and Its Bio Function in Alleviating Colitis in Mice Model.

Wheat bran (WB) is a low-value by-product of the wheat milling industry. Solid-state fermentation with is performed to improve WB's nutritional quality (RH). Twenty-five mice (11-week-old C57BL/6N male mice) were divided into three groups.