Xylanase from Marine Filamentous Fungus Pestalotiopsis sp. AN-7 Was Activated with Diluted Salt Solution Like Brackish Water

The genus Pestalotiopsis are endophytic fungi that have recently been identified as cellulolytic system producers. We herein cloned a gene coding for a xylanase belonging to glycoside hydrolase (GH) family 10 (PesXyn10A) from Pestalotiopsis sp. AN-7, which was isolated from the soil of a mangrove forest. This protein was heterologously expressed by Pichia pastoris as a host, and its enzymatic properties were characterized. PesXyn10A was produced as a glycosylated protein and coincident to theoretical molecular weight (35.3 kDa) after deglycosylation by peptide-NfF-glycosidase F. Purified recombinant PesXyn10A exhibited maximal activity at pH 6.0 and 50 °C, and activity was maintained at 90 % at pH 5.0 and temperatures lower than 30 °C for 24 h. The substrate specificity of PesXyn10A was limited and it hydrolyzed glucuronoxylan and arabinoxylan, but not β-glucan. The final hydrolysis products from birchwood xylan were xylose, xylobiose, and 1,2³-α-D-(4-O-methyl-glucuronyl)-1,4-β-D-xylotriose. The addition of metallic salts (NaCl, KCl, MgCl₂, and CaCl₂) activated PesXyn10A for xylan degradation, and maximal activation by these divalent cations was approximately 160 % at a concentration of 5 mM. The thermostability of PesXyn10A significantly increased in the presence of 50 mM NaCl or 5 mM MgCl₂. The present results suggest that the presence of metallic salts at a low concentration, similar to brackish water, exerts positive effects on the enzyme activity and thermal stability of PesXyn10A.     

Influence of Vanadium Content on Hot Deformation Behavior of Low-Carbon Boron Microalloyed Steel

Single-pass compression tests were performed to investigate the hot deformation behavior of low-carbon boron microalloyed steel containing three various vanadium contents at 900-1100℃ and strain rate of 0.01-10 s~(-1) using the MMS-300 thermal mechanical simulator.The flow stress curves of investigated steels were obtained under the different deformation conditions,and the effects of the deformation temperature and strain rate on the flow stress were discussed.The characteristic points of flow stress were obtained from the stress dependence of strain hardening rate;the activation energy of investigated steels was determined by the regression analysis;the flow stress constitutive equations were developed;the effect of vanadium content on the flow stress and dynamic recrystallization(DRX) was investigated.The result showed that the flow stress and activation energy(3-6.5 kJ mol~(-1)) of the steel containing 0.18 wt% V were significantly higher than those of the steels with0.042 wt% and 0.086 wt% V,which was related to the increase in solute drag and precipitation effects for higher vanadium content.DRX analysis showed that the addition of vanadium can delay the initiation and the rate of DRX.     

Roles and action mechanisms of herbs added to the emulsion on its lipid oxidation

Food Science and Biotechnology - Quality of food emulsions is mainly determined by their physicochemical stability such as lipid oxidation, and herbs as antioxidative food materials are added to...     

Synthetic Biology Approaches in the Development of Engineered Therapeutic Microbes

Since the intimate relationship between microbes and human health has been uncovered, microbes have been in the spotlight as therapeutic targets for several diseases. Microbes contribute to a wide range of diseases, such as gastrointestinal disorders, diabetes and cancer. However, as host-microbiome interactions have not been fully elucidated, treatments such as probiotic administration and fecal transplantations that are used to modulate the microbial community often cause nonspecific results with serious safety concerns. As an alternative, synthetic biology can be used to rewire microbial networks such that the microbes can function as therapeutic agents. Genetic sensors can be transformed to detect biomarkers associated with disease occurrence and progression. Moreover, microbes can be reprogrammed to produce various therapeutic molecules from the host and bacterial proteins, such as cytokines, enzymes and signaling molecules, in response to a disturbed physiological state of the host. These therapeutic treatment systems are composed of several genetic parts, either identified in bacterial endogenous regulation systems or developed through synthetic design. Such genetic components are connected to form complex genetic logic circuits for sophisticated therapy. In this review, we discussed the synthetic biology strategies that can be used to construct engineered therapeutic microbes for improved microbiome-based treatment.