New biotechnologyPub Date : 2025-09-25DOI: 10.1016/j.nbt.2025.09.008
Elia Rivera-Sánchez , Silvia Villaró-Cos , María Salinas-García , Francisco Javier Alarcón , Marco García-Vaquero , Lucie K. Tintrop , Daniel Kurpan , Tomás Lafarga
{"title":"Effect of salinity on the composition of a seawater-adapted strain of Scenedesmus almeriensis","authors":"Elia Rivera-Sánchez , Silvia Villaró-Cos , María Salinas-García , Francisco Javier Alarcón , Marco García-Vaquero , Lucie K. Tintrop , Daniel Kurpan , Tomás Lafarga","doi":"10.1016/j.nbt.2025.09.008","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.nbt.2025.09.008","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The main objective of this study was to evaluate the potential adaptation to seawater of the freshwater strain <em>Scenedesmus almeriensis</em> and to evaluate the effect of salinity on its growth, morphology, and biochemical composition. Incorporating low seawater concentrations into the culture medium (up to 103 mM NaCl) resulted in an increase in biomass productivity from 0.15 to 0.22 g·L<sup>-¹</sup> ·day<sup>-¹</sup> and an increase in the maximum specific growth rate from 0.14 to 0.26 day<sup>-¹</sup>. This was attributed to the presence of micronutrients in the seawater and adaptive responses to stress. Despite a lower biomass productivity (0.11 g·L<sup>−1</sup>·day<sup>-¹</sup>), <em>Scenedesmus almeriensis</em> was able to grow well (0.15 day<sup>−1</sup>) in a medium formulated with only seawater and commercial fertilisers. Cell morphology was significantly affected, with a 150 % increase in cell perimeter and an increase in roundness from 61.5 % (freshwater) to 95.8 % (seawater). The use of seawater also affected the chemical composition of the biomass. Seawater favoured the synthesis of specific fatty acids that have nutritional and industrial value, including polyunsaturated fatty acids. The protein content was slightly reduced under saline conditions but remained at 40 % (which is high compared to other biomasses). The results highlight the potential of seawater as a sustainable and cost-effective substitute for freshwater to produce <em>Scenedesmus almeriensis</em>. Future studies will validate the production of these strains at the large scale and identify potential industrial uses for the biomass produced.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":19190,"journal":{"name":"New biotechnology","volume":"90 ","pages":"Pages 114-121"},"PeriodicalIF":4.9,"publicationDate":"2025-09-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145154160","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
New biotechnologyPub Date : 2025-09-24DOI: 10.1016/j.nbt.2025.09.007
Yaping Yin , Raja Asad Ali Khan , Liping Li , Yinggu Wu , Chun Li , Yuejian Li , Sen Ren , Jing Zhang , Weiwei Wang , Runmao Lin , Manman Zhang , Xiaojun Liu , Jumei Hou , Genyun Liang
{"title":"The diversity and keystone species of cucumber rhizosphere microbiome: Unveiling their role in driving cucumber growth and microbial communities","authors":"Yaping Yin , Raja Asad Ali Khan , Liping Li , Yinggu Wu , Chun Li , Yuejian Li , Sen Ren , Jing Zhang , Weiwei Wang , Runmao Lin , Manman Zhang , Xiaojun Liu , Jumei Hou , Genyun Liang","doi":"10.1016/j.nbt.2025.09.007","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.nbt.2025.09.007","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><div>Studying the interrelationship between agroecosystems and the microbiome is essential in achieving sustainable agricultural development. In particular, the relationship between the rhizosphere microbiome and crops is critical to the health and stability of agroecosystems. This study evaluated the diversity and keystone species of the cucumber rhizosphere microbiome and investigated their contributing role in cucumber growth and microbial community regulation. A total of 108 soil samples were collected from the rhizosphere and bulk soil of cucumber crops in different locations and under different cultivation modes in a high-yield area. These samples were analyzed to study the interrelationships between different cultivation modes and crop rhizosphere microorganisms.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>The results revealed significant regional differences in microbial communities due to microhabitat (rhizosphere and bulk soil) and geographic location. Common bacteria such as <em>Pseudomonas</em>, <em>Sphingomonas</em>, <em>Lysobacter</em> and <em>Rhodanobacter</em> were the most abundant and showed strong correlations with several other bacteria through co-occurrence networking. In addition, <em>Flavobacterium</em> sp. and <em>Bacillus</em> sp. were identified as keystone species for the rhizobia community structure. Synthetic microbial communities and pot experiments confirmed that these two keystone species could enrich the soil microbime and promote cucumber growth. <em>Flavobacterium</em> sp. may promote cucumber growth by regulating the rhizosphere microbial community while <em>Bacillus</em> sp. may influence cucumber growth by stabilizing the rhizosphere microbial biomass, further enhancing nutrient cycling efficiency and improving system stability, which in turn affected the agroecosystem.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusions</h3><div>Our study demonstrates that specific keystone species are important in shaping the cucumber rhizosphere microbiome and plant growth. These results provide insights into agroecosystem-microbe interrelationships and provide a potential basis for optimizing agricultural management strategies.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":19190,"journal":{"name":"New biotechnology","volume":"90 ","pages":"Pages 134-144"},"PeriodicalIF":4.9,"publicationDate":"2025-09-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145154725","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
New biotechnologyPub Date : 2025-09-20DOI: 10.1016/j.nbt.2025.09.005
Laura Esposito, Francesca Accardo, Barbara Prandi, Tullia Tedeschi
{"title":"How food wastes can be converted into new products: European legislation and analysis of enzymatic hydrolysis","authors":"Laura Esposito, Francesca Accardo, Barbara Prandi, Tullia Tedeschi","doi":"10.1016/j.nbt.2025.09.005","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.nbt.2025.09.005","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The generated food waste has a significant economic and environmental impact. Since most of this is considered nutrient-rich substrate, it can be reduced or converted to avoid negative effects. In recent years, new technologies have increasingly focused on this aim by extracting and recovering valuable components for the formulation of new products. Herein, this review analyses food waste management strategies and emerging scientific advancements. Among these, enzymatic hydrolysis represents a promising sustainable alternative to traditional chemical extraction. Unlike chemical methods, it operates under mild conditions, reducing energy consumption and harmful by-products, while efficiently recovering fibres, proteins, phenolic compounds, and other biomolecules of interest from food waste. Furthermore, its effectiveness can be significantly enhanced when combined with other techniques. However, most of these applications are currently at the laboratory scale, and a thorough assessment of the potential benefits and the feasibility at an industrial level is required. In this context, integrating enzymatic hydrolysis within circular economy models can further improve resource efficiency by promoting waste valorisation in industrial applications. This approach aligns with sustainable development goals, fostering the creation of bio-based products and reducing dependence on non-renewable resources. Despite facing challenges such as regulatory constraints and the need for scalable, cost-effective processes, the development of innovative and sustainable practices can bring significant economic, social, and environmental benefits.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":19190,"journal":{"name":"New biotechnology","volume":"90 ","pages":"Pages 122-133"},"PeriodicalIF":4.9,"publicationDate":"2025-09-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145125093","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
New biotechnologyPub Date : 2025-09-16DOI: 10.1016/j.nbt.2025.09.002
Pimvisuth Chunkrua, Mirjam A. Kabel, Jean-Paul Vincken, Willem J.H. van Berkel, Wouter J.C. de Bruijn
{"title":"Prenylation of diverse indole derivatives by the fungal aromatic prenyltransferase RePT","authors":"Pimvisuth Chunkrua, Mirjam A. Kabel, Jean-Paul Vincken, Willem J.H. van Berkel, Wouter J.C. de Bruijn","doi":"10.1016/j.nbt.2025.09.002","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.nbt.2025.09.002","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Prenylation is a widespread natural modification of compounds that serves to functionalize and often enhance the bioactivity of plant and microbial secondary metabolites, including indole derivatives. In this study, we aimed to expand the library of prenylated indoles using RePT, a fungal (i.e. <em>Rasamsonia emersonii</em>) aromatic prenyltransferase from the dimethylallyl tryptophan synthase (DMATS) family. Previous work showed that RePT readily <em>C</em>7- and <em>N</em>1-prenylated <span>l</span>-tryptophan, and <em>O</em>-prenylated <span>l</span>-tyrosine and a number of phenolic stilbenes. Here, we investigated its regioselectivity further with 23 indole substrates, including tryptophan derivatives with varying <em>C</em>4-<em>C</em>7 substituents and several <em>C</em>3-substituted indoles. High conversion was observed primarily with fluorinated tryptophans and unsubstituted indole. Product analysis by UHPLC-PDA-ESI-MS<sup>n</sup> and NMR revealed that RePT mainly catalyzed either normal prenylation at <em>C</em>7 or reverse prenylation at <em>N</em>1 on a series of halogenated tryptophans. The regioselectivity observed for several substrates was strongly influenced by the position of the halogen substituent, particularly fluorine, which displayed its characteristic <em>ortho-</em>/<em>para-</em>directing effect. In the absence of the amino acid moiety, RePT’s regioselectivity in some cases shifted from its typical preference, leading to prenylation at alternative positions such as <em>C</em>3 and <em>C</em>6. These findings showcase the versatility of RePT for modifying diverse indole derivatives and demonstrate, for the first time, halogen-induced steering of the regioselectivity of DMATS to facilitate synthesis of bioactive prenylated compounds and intermediates.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":19190,"journal":{"name":"New biotechnology","volume":"90 ","pages":"Pages 88-96"},"PeriodicalIF":4.9,"publicationDate":"2025-09-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145086626","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
New biotechnologyPub Date : 2025-09-12DOI: 10.1016/j.nbt.2025.09.004
Jasmine De Baets, Irene Parmentier, Brecht De Paepe, Marjan De Mey
{"title":"Expanding the quorum sensing toolbox: Promoter libraries and hybrid promoter for dynamic genetic circuits","authors":"Jasmine De Baets, Irene Parmentier, Brecht De Paepe, Marjan De Mey","doi":"10.1016/j.nbt.2025.09.004","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.nbt.2025.09.004","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The interesting features of quorum sensing systems make them very appealing for synthetic biology applications. The first steps have already been taken in characterizing these systems to accelerate their successful implementation. In this work, we explore the next step, tuning. Multiple strategies exist for tuning genetic circuits and quorum sensing systems in general, where the most straightforward solution is to vary the expression level of the synthase or transcription factor. However, these tuning possibilities can be broadened by expanding the variety of quorum sensing-regulated promoters. Here, we expand the range of tuning possibilities by constructing promoter libraries for P<sub>lasI</sub> (LasI/LasR system) and P<sub>esaR/PesaS</sub> (EsaI/EsaR system), enabling direct modulation of downstream gene expression levels. Next, the quorum sensing synthetic biology toolbox was further expanded with the creation of a new-to-nature genetic part, the hybrid promoter, which requires two autoinducers for activation, namely 3-oxo-hexanoyl- and 3-oxo-dodecanoyl-homoserine lactone. This promoter was optimized and applied to design a multistage genetic switch capable of creating a growth stage followed by two sequential production stages. Additionally, the circuit was optimized by incorporating the new promoter variants created in this study. This complex genetic circuit demonstrates the true potential of these quorum sensing systems for achieving various cell-density related dynamic circuits.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":19190,"journal":{"name":"New biotechnology","volume":"90 ","pages":"Pages 97-113"},"PeriodicalIF":4.9,"publicationDate":"2025-09-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145058526","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"The Filterprep: A simple and efficient approach for high-yield, high-purity plasmid DNA purification","authors":"Yu-Hsuan Cheng , Yu-Jiu Wu , Yung-Chun Shih , Yu-Qian Lin , Yu-Wei Chang , Yu-Heng Wu , En-Wei Hu , Ren-Hsuan Ku , Cheng-Mu Wu , Shao-Chi Wu , Ting-Yu Yeh , Chung-Te Chang","doi":"10.1016/j.nbt.2025.09.003","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.nbt.2025.09.003","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Plasmid DNA purification remains a fundamental yet resource-intensive step in molecular biology and biotechnology. Conventional protocols often yield plasmids with suboptimal purity, while commercial kits, though efficient, are costly and use proprietary formulations with limited transparency for troubleshooting or customization. Here, we present Filterprep, a hybrid method combining classical ethanol precipitation with a single spin-column cleanup step, enabling rapid recovery of high-purity plasmid DNA with yields notably higher than those obtained using commercial kits, in approximately 40 min, with yields up to 5-fold greater than those of representative commercial midiprep kits under matched conditions. Filterprep offers a transparent, cost-effective, and scalable alternative, simplifying workflows and reducing hands-on time without compromising DNA quality. The purified plasmids are compatible with a variety of downstream applications, including mammalian cell transfection, protein expression, and reporter assays, while remaining stable for 12 months at −20 °C. With its balance of efficiency and practicality, Filterprep is well suited for high-throughput laboratories and resource-limited settings.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":19190,"journal":{"name":"New biotechnology","volume":"90 ","pages":"Pages 77-87"},"PeriodicalIF":4.9,"publicationDate":"2025-09-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145060003","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Effect of culture medium composition and reuse on the growth of Porphyridium cruentum","authors":"Florencia Cáceres-Ferroni , María Salinas-García , Silvia Villaró-Cos , Elia Rivera-Sánchez , Tomás Lafarga","doi":"10.1016/j.nbt.2025.09.001","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.nbt.2025.09.001","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The aim of this study was to develop a fertiliser-based culture medium to reduce production costs and to enhance the sustainability of producing <em>Porphyridium cruentum</em>, a red marine microalga of commercial interest. Additionally, the impact of water recirculation on microalgal growth was assessed. Overall, the results indicated that the nitrogen source significantly affected biomass growth, with sodium nitrate supporting higher biomass productivity (0.23 g·L<sup>−1</sup>·day<sup>−1</sup>), surpassing sodium nitrite (0.18 g·L<sup>−1</sup>·day<sup>−1</sup>) and ammonium chloride (0.14 g·L<sup>−1</sup>·day<sup>−1</sup>). Urea had a negative impact on growth. A N:P molar ratio of 20:1 increased biomass productivity by approximately 24 % compared to the lower ratio studied (8:1) while also reducing phosphorus demand. The optimal medium composition was: 1.75 g·L<sup>−1</sup> NaNO<sub>3</sub>, 0.23 g·L<sup>−1</sup> K<sub>2</sub>HPO<sub>4</sub>·3 H<sub>2</sub>O, 0.04 g·L<sup>−1</sup> CaCl<sub>2</sub>, 0.49 g·L<sup>−1</sup> MgSO<sub>4</sub>·7 H<sub>2</sub>O, and 24.0 mg·L<sup>−1</sup> Karentol®. Lastly, water reutilisation negatively impacted biomass concentration, promoting the accumulation of extracellular organic carbon and bacteria as well as increasing the viscosity and turbidity of the culture.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":19190,"journal":{"name":"New biotechnology","volume":"90 ","pages":"Pages 65-76"},"PeriodicalIF":4.9,"publicationDate":"2025-09-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145045397","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Proximity-based site-specific labeling of a native IgG Fab fragment by a fusion microbial transglutaminase-protein G variant","authors":"Koki Murozono , Riko Nishioka , Yoshirou Kawaguchi , Michio Kimura , Noriho Kamiya","doi":"10.1016/j.nbt.2025.08.004","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.nbt.2025.08.004","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The fragment antigen-binding (Fab) fragment of IgG has been studied widely as a delivery vehicle for tumor-targeting drugs and dyes due to its high specificity and enhanced tumor penetration, which is attributed to its small size. Functionalizing Fab with chemical entities requires site-specific modification to preserve the binding ninity and ensure product homogeneity. In this study, we report a tag-free, site-specific labeling approach targeting a Lys residue in Fab using the recently developed engineered zymogen of microbial transglutaminase fused with an antibody-binding protein G. Fab of trastuzumab, prepared via papain digestion, was selectively modified at Lys 65 in the heavy chain with a glutamine-donor fluorescent substrate, achieving a high labeling efficiency (∼96 %). Bio-layer interferometry experiments confirmed that the modified Fab retained antigen-binding affinity (<em>K</em><sub>D</sub> = 5.71 ± 3.89 nM) comparable to its native counterpart (4.72 ± 3.19 nM). Confocal microscopy analysis demonstrated selective binding of the fluorescent-modified Fab to human epidermal growth factor receptor type2 (HER2)-positive SK-BR-3 cells, with negligible binding to HER2-negative MDA-MB-231 cells. The proposed strategy enables site-specific Fab modification without genetic engineering, offering a streamlined approach to producing homogeneous Fab conjugates for diagnostic imaging and therapeutic antibody engineering applications.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":19190,"journal":{"name":"New biotechnology","volume":"90 ","pages":"Pages 56-64"},"PeriodicalIF":4.9,"publicationDate":"2025-08-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144907111","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
New biotechnologyPub Date : 2025-08-20DOI: 10.1016/j.nbt.2025.08.005
Laura Troiani , Alessia Levante , Hannes Russmayer , Hans Marx , Erasmo Neviani , Valentina Bernini , Camilla Lazzi , Michael Sauer
{"title":"Screening and bioreactor cultivation of wild-type lactic acid bacteria for high purity D-lactic acid production","authors":"Laura Troiani , Alessia Levante , Hannes Russmayer , Hans Marx , Erasmo Neviani , Valentina Bernini , Camilla Lazzi , Michael Sauer","doi":"10.1016/j.nbt.2025.08.005","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.nbt.2025.08.005","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Biodegradable polymers are the green alternative to conventional oil-based plastics and have a key role in the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals of Agenda 2030. Nowadays, polylactic acid (PLA) is one of the most common bioplastics present in the global market. Optically pure D-lactic acid (D-LA) is a valuable monomer for the production of high-performance PLA materials. This study aims to select wild-type lactic acid bacteria capable of producing D-LA with high optical purity and to define an optimized fermentation process in bioreactors to maximize production. A total of 150 LAB strains from the University of Parma Culture Collection (UPCCO) were screened using enzymatic assays and HPLC analysis. Among them, <em>Lactobacillus delbrueckii</em> UPCCO 2214 and <em>Leuconostoc citreum</em> UPCCO 4516 were selected for fed-batch cultivations for their high D-LA production and purity (>97 %). After optimization of fermentation parameters, <em>L. delbrueckii</em> UPCCO 2214 was found to be the most efficient strain for D-LA production, with a yield of 0.74 g/g and a volumetric productivity of 0.96 g/L/h, outperforming <em>L. citreum</em> UPCCO 4516. Bioreactors cultivation has helped to understand microbial production and boost their potentialities. This work supports further investigations and improvements in D-LA production processes to advance the field of biomaterials with benefits for both industry and the environment.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":19190,"journal":{"name":"New biotechnology","volume":"90 ","pages":"Pages 48-55"},"PeriodicalIF":4.9,"publicationDate":"2025-08-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144894877","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
New biotechnologyPub Date : 2025-08-19DOI: 10.1016/j.nbt.2025.08.003
Juwon Choi , Jay-Young Jo , Jisu Lee , Jo Eun Son , Sun Young Kim , Hye Eun Lee , Yeong-Je Seong , Keon Heo , Yongbaek Kim , Myeong Soo Park , Sanguine Byun
{"title":"Lactobacillus salivarius HHuMin-U attenuates vulvovaginal candidiasis via vaginal epithelial immune enhancement mediated by NF-κB activation","authors":"Juwon Choi , Jay-Young Jo , Jisu Lee , Jo Eun Son , Sun Young Kim , Hye Eun Lee , Yeong-Je Seong , Keon Heo , Yongbaek Kim , Myeong Soo Park , Sanguine Byun","doi":"10.1016/j.nbt.2025.08.003","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.nbt.2025.08.003","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Vulvovaginal candidiasis (VVC), primarily caused by <em>Candida albicans</em> infection, is one of the most common diseases among women and leads to various symptoms that adversely impact quality of life. VVC is conventionally treated with antifungal agents, but the high recurrence rates and the risk of inducing vaginal microbiome dysbiosis pose major concerns in effective treatment. Probiotics with immune-enhancing properties can be an effective strategy by strengthening mucosal immunity and reducing susceptibility to infection. Herein, this study investigates the therapeutic potential of <em>Lactobacillus salivarius</em> HHuMin-U (HMU) as a probiotic agent for treating VVC. Phenotype screening identified HMU as a top candidate with antifungal activity against <em>C. albicans</em>. HMU significantly upregulated immunomodulatory factors such as antimicrobial peptides, cytokines, and chemokines in human vaginal epithelial cells, which can strengthen the antifungal immune system. In an animal study, administration of HMU in a mouse VVC model significantly decreased the fungal burden and protected the mice from vaginal infection. Additionally, cellular infection models revealed that HMU reduced fungal adhesion and the cytolytic activity of <em>C. albicans</em>, while conditioned media from HMU-treated epithelial cells inhibited fungal growth. Transcriptomic analysis revealed that HMU treatment enriched gene sets related to epithelial barrier integrity, innate immune responses mediated by epithelial cells, and immune cell regulation. Mechanistically, the NF-κB pathway emerged as a key mediator of these responses. Collectively, HMU inhibits VVC by enhancing epithelial immunity and thus could be considered as a probiotic agent for the prevention and treatment of VVC.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":19190,"journal":{"name":"New biotechnology","volume":"90 ","pages":"Pages 36-47"},"PeriodicalIF":4.9,"publicationDate":"2025-08-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144889218","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}