A comprehensive review of capsaicin: Biosynthesis, industrial productions, processing to applications, and clinical uses.

Capsaicin, the main bioactive compound in chili peppers, is widely known for its diverse pharmacological effects, including antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anticancer effects. Despite its therapeutic potential, the low yield of natural capsaicin and the challenges in producing it on a large-scale limit broader industrial and clinical applications. This review provides a comprehensive analysis of capsaicin's biosynthesis in plants, chemical and enzymatic synthesis methods, and recent advancements in green production technologies.

Spatiotemporal Cellular Dynamics of Germinal Center Reaction in Coronavirus Disease 2019 Lung-Draining Lymph Node Based on Imaging-Based Spatial Transcriptomics.

Although lymph node structures may be compromised in severe SARS-CoV-2 infection, the extent and parameters of recovery in convalescing patients remain unclear. Therefore, this study aimed to elucidate the nuances of lymphoid structural recovery and their implications for immunologic memory in nonhuman primates infected with SARS-CoV-2. To do so, we utilized imaging-based spatial transcriptomics to delineate immune cell composition and tissue architecture formation in the lung-draining lymph nodes during primary infection, convalescence, and reinfection from COVID-19.

Complete genome and carbohydrate-active enzymes of Arenibacter antarcticus KCTC 52924 isolated from deep sea sediment of Ross Sea, Antarctica.

Members of the genus Arenibacter were widely distributed in oceanic habitats around the world and have been studied for a variety of useful properties, including antigen deactivation, pollutant degradation, and the production of antimicrobial agents. Arenibacter antarcticus KCTC 52924 of our interest is an aerobic, non-motile, Gram-negative, psychrotolerant type strain isolated from the deep-sea sediment of Ross Sea, Antarctica. The extreme conditions of this habitat are believed to have diversified the substrate spectrum and range of operational conditions of the enzymes, offering both scientific interest and potential industrial benefits.

Niclosamide attenuates calcification in human heart valvular interstitial cells through inhibition of the AMPK/mTOR signaling pathway.

Calcific aortic valve disease (CAVD) is a considerable health burden with a lack of effective therapeutic options. There is an urgent need to develop interventions that inhibit the osteogenic transformation of valvular interstitial cells (VICs) and delay the calcification process. Niclosamide, an FDA-approved anti-helminthic drug, has emerged as a promising candidate that demonstrates a negative regulatory effect on porcine VICs calcification.

Towards maximizing biomass and lipid productivity: high-throughput screening assay for prospecting heterotrophic growth for new microalgal isolates.

Background: Microalgae have emerged as sustainable alternatives to fossil fuels and high-value petrochemicals. Despite the commercial potential of microalgae, their low biomass productivity is a significant limiting factor for large-scale production. In the photoautotrophic cultivation of microalgae, achievable cell density levels depend on the light transmittance of the production system, which can significantly decrease the photosynthetic rate and biomass production.

Lactate utilization in Lace1 knockout mice promotes browning of inguinal white adipose tissue.

Recent studies have focused on identifying novel genes involved in the browning process of inguinal white adipose tissue (iWAT). In this context, we propose that the mitochondrial ATPase gene lactation elevated 1 (Lace1) utilizes lactate to regulate the browning capacity of iWAT, specifically in response to challenge with CL-316,243 (CL), a beta3-adrenergic receptor (β3-AR) agonist. The mice were injected with CL over a span of 3 days and exposed to cold temperatures (4-6 °C) for 1 week.

Sphingomonas arvum sp. nov.: A promising microbial chassis for high-yield and sustainable zeaxanthin biomanufacturing.

The yield of natural products from plants is currently insufficient and cannot be considered a sustainable and secure source of supply, especially given the challenges posed by global climate change. Therefore, a biofoundry that can quickly and accurately produce desired materials from microorganisms based on synthetic biology is urgently needed. Moreover, it is important to find new microbial and genetic chassis to meet the rapidly growing global market for high-value-added zeaxanthin.

MicBall800-coated metal clip as a novel fluorescent marker for image-guided laparoscopic surgery.

Accurate tumor localization is crucial for the success of minimally invasive surgery, as it minimizes the resection of normal tissues surrounding tumors. Traditional methods for marking gastrointestinal (GI) tumors, such as ink tattooing, intraoperative gastroscopy or colonoscopy, and placement of metal clips, have major drawbacks in their application in laparoscopic surgery. Therefore, the development of safe and easy-to-operate marking methods for accurate and real-time detection of GI tumors during laparoscopic surgery remains an ongoing challenge.

GCM and gcType in 2024: comprehensive resources for microbial strains and genomic data.

Microbial culture collections play a crucial role in the collection, maintenance, and distribution of quality-assured living microbial strains, along with their associated phenotypic and omics data. To enhance the find-able, accessible, interoperable, and re-usable (FAIR) data utilization of microbial resources, the World Data Center for Microorganisms (WDCM) has developed the Global Catalogue of Microorganisms (GCM) and the Global Catalogue of Type Strains (gcType). These platforms provide interactive interfaces for cataloging the holdings of collections, along with detailed annotations of type strain genomes and curated metadata, including ecosystems, growth conditions, and collection locations.

Improving plant salt tolerance through sp. nov., isolated from the halophyte .

, commonly known as glasswort, thrives in reclaimed land and coastal areas with high salinity, demonstrating remarkable adaptation to the arid conditions of such environments. Two aerobic, Gram-stain-negative, non-motile, rod-shaped bacterial strains, designated TR-M5 and TR-M9, were isolated from the root of plants. These bacteria exhibit plant growth-promoting and salt tolerance-enhancing abilities, which have not been reported in other species of the genus.

Identification of flavonol derivatives inhibiting MDR1: a strategy to overcome multidrug resistance in cancer.

Multidrug resistance is a crucial factor contributing to the failure of cancer treatment. Multidrug resistance protein 1 (MDR1) is the most relevant efflux transporter associated with multidrug resistance. The objective of this study was to identify potent MDR1 inhibitors from flavonols.

Exploring structural and biological insights of TEAD through rational design and synthesis of niflumic acid derivatives.

Transcriptional enhanced associate domain (TEAD) transcription factors undergo auto-palmitoylation, which is critical to mediate their function and maintain stability. Targeting the palmitate binding pocket of TEAD holds considerable promise for drug discovery, and it can be characterised into three components: a conserved cysteine, a hydrophobic main pocket, and a hydrophilic side pocket. Endogenous palmitate and several known TEAD inhibitors interact with the cysteine and hydrophobic residues in the deep hydrophobic pocket.

Single-Molecule-Based, Label-Free Monitoring of Molecular Glue Efficacies for Promoting Protein-Protein Interactions Using YaxAB Nanopores.

Modulating protein-protein interactions (PPIs) is an attractive strategy in drug discovery. Molecular glues, bifunctional small-molecule drugs that promote PPIs, offer an approach to targeting traditionally undruggable targets. However, the efficient discovery of molecular glues has been hampered by the current limitations of conventional ensemble-averaging-based methods.

Comprehensive phenotypic assessment of nonsense mutations in mitochondrial ND5 in mice.

Mitochondrial dysfunction induced by mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) mutations has been implicated in various human diseases. A comprehensive analysis of mitochondrial genetic disorders requires suitable animal models for human disease studies. While gene knockout via premature stop codons is a powerful method for investigating the unique functions of target genes, achieving knockout of mtDNA has been rare.

SMYD family in cancer: epigenetic regulation and molecular mechanisms of cancer proliferation, metastasis, and drug resistance.

Epigenetic modifiers (miRNAs, histone methyltransferases (HMTs)/demethylases, and DNA methyltransferases/demethylases) are associated with cancer proliferation, metastasis, angiogenesis, and drug resistance. Among these modifiers, HMTs are frequently overexpressed in various cancers, and recent studies have increasingly identified these proteins as potential therapeutic targets. In this review, we discuss members of the SET and MYND domain-containing protein (SMYD) family that are topics of extensive research on the histone methylation and nonhistone methylation of cancer-related genes.

TGFβ2-Driven Ferritin Degradation and Subsequent Ferroptosis Underlie Salivary Gland Dysfunction in Postmenopausal Conditions.

Despite the high incidence of dry mouth in postmenopausal women, its underlying mechanisms and therapeutic interventions remain underexplored. Using ovariectomized (OVX) mouse models, here this study identifies ferroptosis, an iron-dependent regulated cell death, as a central mechanism driving postmenopausal salivary gland (SG) dysfunction. In the OVX-SGs, TGFβ signaling pathway is enhanced with the aberrant TGFβ2 expression in SG mesenchymal cells.

Transport of Golgi-localized β-catenin p-S47 by KIF11 or KIFC3 induces primary ciliogenesis.

Primary cilium is an important hub for cell signaling and dysregulation of primary cilia assembly and disassembly is associated with the development of cancer and chemotherapeutic drug resistance, as well as the genetic disorders collectively known as ciliopathy. β-catenin plays a major role in canonical Wnt signaling; however, its association with primary cilia has only recently been highlighted in reports of β-catenin-mediated primary ciliogenesis. In this study, we found that β-catenin p-S47 was localized to the Golgi apparatus and the nucleus, and the amount of β-catenin p-S47 at these locations was significantly higher during primary ciliogenesis compared with asynchronous cell growth conditions.

Nanoplasmonic microarray-based solid-phase amplification for highly sensitive and multiplexed molecular diagnostics: application for detecting SARS-CoV-2.

A novel approach is introduced using nanoplasmonic microarray-based solid-phase recombinase polymerase amplification (RPA) that offers high sensitivity and multiplexing capabilities for gene detection. Nanoplasmonic microarrays were developed through one-step immobilization of streptavidin/biotin primers and fine-tuning the amplicon size to achieve high plasmon-enhanced fluorescence (PEF) on the nanoplasmonic substrate, thereby improving sensitivity. The specificity and sensitivity of solid-phase RPA on nanoplasmonic microarrays was evaluated in detecting E, N, and RdRP genes of SARS-CoV-2.

Dual Roles of Host Zinc Finger Proteins in Viral RNA Regulation: Decay or Stabilization.

Host defense mechanisms against viral infections have been extensively studied over the past few decades and continue to be a crucial area of research in understanding human diseases caused by acute and chronic viral infections. Among various host mechanisms, recent findings have revealed that several host RNA-binding proteins play pivotal roles in regulating viral RNA to suppress viral replication and eliminate infection. We have focused on identifying host proteins that function as regulators of viral RNA, specifically targeting viral components without adversely affecting host cells.

Association between hepatocyte TM4SF5 expression and gut microbiome dysbiosis during non-alcoholic fatty liver disease development.

Gut microbiome dysbiosis is involved in non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) development. Hepatic transmembrane 4 L six family member 5 (TM4SF5) overexpression promotes NAFLD. However, how gut microbiota are associated with TM4SF5-mediated NAFLD remains unexplored.

sp. nov., an actinobacterium isolated from the gut of marine sandworm ().

A novel Gram-stain-positive, facultatively anaerobic, non-motile, catalase-positive, oxidase-negative and ovoid cocci, designated as A1S7, was isolated from the gut of a marine sandworm (). Strain A1S7 exhibited optimal growth at temperatures of 20-30 ℃, pH 6-8 and in the presence of 2-4% (w/v) NaCl. Phylogenetic analysis based on the 16S rRNA gene sequence indicated that strain A1S7 belonged to the genus , exhibiting a similarity of 99.