World journal of microbiology & biotechnology最新文献

{"title":"Effects of an endophytic bacterial consortium derived from Zingiberaceae on growth, yield, and curcuminoid biosynthesis in Curcuma longa L.","authors":"Majida Rahim, Ganga G","doi":"10.1007/s11274-026-05292-3","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s11274-026-05292-3","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Endophytic bacteria, integral to the plant microbiome, possess considerable potential for improving the cultivation and sustainability of medicinal plants. These bacteria are essential for various plant functions, including growth enhancement, nutrient uptake, and resistance to biotic and abiotic stressors. This study recovered 29 endophytic bacterial isolates from the rhizomes of five Zingiberaceae species: Zingiber officinale, Curcuma longa, Kaempferia galanga, Alpinia purpurata, and Hedychium coronarium. These isolates were evaluated for plant growth-promoting (PGP) traits, including mineral solubilization, indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) production, siderophore production, ammonia production, and hydrogen cyanide (HCN) production. From these, superior isolates were chosen to create five distinct compatible consortia, whose plant growth-promoting (PGP) activities were further assessed to ultimately identify the most effective consortium, C4, which included Bacillus sp. and Lysinibacillus sp., and exhibited the highest overall PGP activity among the consortia tested. In vivo assessment utilizing mung bean determined 10⁸ CFU mL⁻¹ as the optimal inoculum concentration, demonstrating the greatest improvement in vegetative development. The subsequent field application in turmeric markedly enhanced plant height (36.5%), leaf area (28.8%), tiller production (82.1%), and rhizome yield (69.6%) relative to the control. The re-isolation of the inoculated bacteria from harvested rhizomes supported their persistence within plant tissues under field conditions. Consortium-treated plants exhibited enhanced biochemical quality, evidenced by estimated increases in curcumin (29.7%), demethoxycurcumin (26.0%), bisdemethoxycurcumin (40.7%), total curcuminoids (30.2%), and volatile oil content (5.4%). Quantitative real-time PCR demonstrated a 1.51-fold upregulation of the curcumin synthase gene (CURS2), which was associated with increased curcuminoid accumulation, suggesting a potential influence on curcuminoid biosynthesis. These findings demonstrate that consortium C4 represents a promising eco-friendly microbial bioinoculant for sustainable turmeric cultivation and quality improvement.</p>","PeriodicalId":23703,"journal":{"name":"World journal of microbiology & biotechnology","volume":"42 10","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.7,"publicationDate":"2026-10-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149115549","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Clinical features and factors associated with severe illness in pediatric acute respiratory tract infections due to Escherichia coli: a retrospective tNGS-based study.","authors":"Chunyun Fu, Yao Wang, Yan Chen, Lishai Mo, Jiangyang Zhao, Junming Lu, Xuehua Hu, Xiaoying Chen, Jie Tan, Ya Huang","doi":"10.1007/s11274-026-05326-w","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s11274-026-05326-w","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>To investigate the detection rate, clinical characteristics, and factors associated with intensive care unit (ICU) admission in hospitalized children with acute respiratory tract infection (ARTI) involving Escherichia coli (E. coli). Bronchoalveolar lavage fluid samples from 4,199 hospitalized children were tested using targeted next-generation sequencing (tNGS). Clinical characteristics, laboratory parameters, imaging findings, and outcomes of E. coli-positive children were analyzed, with comparisons between ICU and non-ICU groups. E. coli was detected in 107 cases (2.5%). The median age was 7 months; males accounted for 70.1%, and 29.0% had underlying diseases. Mixed infections occurred in 95.3% of cases, with cytomegalovirus (47.7%), Pneumocystis jirovecii (38.3%), Mycoplasma pneumoniae (28.0%), and rhinovirus (27.1%) being the most common co-pathogens. Chest CT findings mainly showed increased bronchovascular markings (78.2%) and patchy opacities (72.3%). Respiratory support was required in 43.9% of cases, and 18.7% were admitted to the ICU. The median hospital stay was 9 days, and 95.3% were discharged after recovery. Compared with the non-ICU group, the ICU group had higher proportions of children aged ≤ 1 month (25.0% vs. 8.0%), underlying diseases (50.0% vs. 24.1%), fever, tachypnea, and dyspnea, as well as elevated procalcitonin and D-dimer levels (all P < 0.05). The detection rate of E. coli in hospitalized children with ARTI was 2.5%, predominantly affecting young infants and frequently involving underlying comorbidities (29.0%). Mixed infections are common, and 18.7% of patients require admission to the ICU. Young age, underlying diseases, fever, tachypnea, and elevated procalcitonin and D-dimer levels were clinical features significantly associated with ICU admission in affected children.</p>","PeriodicalId":23703,"journal":{"name":"World journal of microbiology & biotechnology","volume":"42 10","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.7,"publicationDate":"2026-10-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149115554","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Tartaric acid and barium chloride pretreatment of distillery spent wash enhances biomethanation efficiency and methanogenic diversity: insights from mcrA amplicon sequencing.","authors":"S Vigneshraj, Pragadeesh Ayyamuthu Rajarathinam Uma, Alagirisamy Bharani, Subburamu Karthikeyan, Desikan Ramesh, P Vijayakumary, Rathinasamy Parimala Devi","doi":"10.1007/s11274-026-05311-3","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s11274-026-05311-3","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The distillery sector discharges approximately 40 billion litres of distillery spent wash (DSW) annually, a recalcitrant pollutant characterised by high organic loading, excessive potassium concentration (> 8000 ppm), elevated sulphate levels (> 600 ppm), heavy metals, high electrical conductivity (EC), and acidic pH. The indiscriminate discharge of untreated distillery spent wash presents a profound hazard to ecosystems and environmental integrity. Despite its considerable potential as an efficient feedstock for biogas production, the effluent's inhibitory components, mainly potassium and sulphate, require a strategic remediation strategy. This study elucidates the efficacy of selective chemical pretreatment using 1 M tartaric acid (1:1 v/v) and barium chloride (9.2 g L^- 1), individually achieving 82 (± 0.03) % potassium and 86 (± 0.04) % sulphate removal. The combined pretreatment reduced potassium and sulphate concentrations by 80.78% and 83.28%, respectively. Biomethanation of this TA + BC-DSW (combined tartaric acid and barium chloride) mixed with cow dung (1:1 v/v) produced 12.10 L of biogas, a 6.8-fold increase over untreated DSW (1.79 L of biogas), while the methane content increased from 45.0% to 69.5%. Scale-up in a 12 L reactor yielded 62.56 L of biogas containing 73.5% methane. Amplicon (mcrA) gene-based nanopore sequencing revealed enrichment of methanogenic taxa, particularly Methanocorpusculum, and greater methanogenic diversity in pretreated samples. Overall, the integrated pretreatment-biomethanation approach offers a promising and potentially scalable strategy for converting inhibitory DSW into renewable biogas while mitigating its environmental pollution, thereby advancing sustainable waste valorisation and supporting circular bioeconomy practices.</p>","PeriodicalId":23703,"journal":{"name":"World journal of microbiology & biotechnology","volume":"42 10","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.7,"publicationDate":"2026-10-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149115547","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Integrated characterization of extracellular matrix remodeling in Candida parapsilosis biofilms by surface-enhanced raman spectroscopy, protein analysis, ultrastructural imaging and multivariate analysis.","authors":"Mihrinur Yapıcı, Bükay Yenice Gürsu, Kursad Osman Ay, Betül Yılmaz Öztürk, İlknur Dağ","doi":"10.1007/s11274-026-05305-1","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s11274-026-05305-1","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The extracellular matrix (ECM) of Candida parapsilosis biofilms undergoes dynamic changes during maturation, but its temporal molecular and structural organization remains poorly characterized. This study investigated ECM changes in a reference strain (C. parapsilosis ATCC 22019) and a clinical isolate (C. parapsilosis 1799) using Surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS), Bradford protein analysis, Scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM), and Principal component analysis (PCA). SERS profiles showed marked time-associated changes between 72 and 96 h, including attenuation of several nucleic-acid-, glycosidic-, and polysaccharide-associated signals and enhancement of other spectral regions. Soluble protein content decreased in both isolates, whereas selected SERS signals increased, indicating that SERS intensity did not directly reflect bulk protein abundance. STEM revealed increased electron-dense clustered structures at 96 h. PCA demonstrated clear time-associated spectral differentiation, which was retained after exclusion of major citrate-associated spectral regions. The two isolates also displayed distinct temporal SERS profiles, suggesting isolate-dependent ECM maturation changes. The combined findings support dynamic and potentially isolate specific remodeling of the C. parapsilosis ECM during biofilm maturation rather than simple matrix accumulation or degradation. SERS shows potential for monitoring these changes, although tentative spectral assignments, substrate related contributions, and limited biological replication warrant independent molecular validation and further longitudinal studies.</p>","PeriodicalId":23703,"journal":{"name":"World journal of microbiology & biotechnology","volume":"42 10","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.7,"publicationDate":"2026-10-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149115579","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"A catechol-reactive Bacillus velezensis cell-free supernatant promotes Lentinula edodes mycelial growth and elicits an iron-homeostasis-related transcriptional response.","authors":"Jiayi Feng, Liang Chen, Xiaofen Wu, Hui Qi, Dongning Wei, Ming Deng, Leike Xiao, An Liu, Bo Xia","doi":"10.1007/s11274-026-05293-2","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s11274-026-05293-2","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Microbial metabolites offer a potential means of improving edible-fungus cultivation, but the response of Lentinula edodes to catechol-reactive bacterial secretions is poorly defined. We quantified species- and concentration-dependent effects of Bacillus velezensis BAC81712 cell-free supernatant, normalized as 2,3-dihydroxybenzoic acid (2,3-DHBA) equivalents, and characterized the L. edodes response using growth, biomass, biochemical, RNA-seq, and qRT-PCR measurements. Among three edible fungi, L. edodes showed the largest response; at 3 µmol/L, its colony-growth AUC was 32.54% above the sterile-KMB control. An exploratory supernatant from dhbB-expressing Escherichia coli produced a comparable growth-associated phenotype, although it was not used for gene-specific inference because a matched vector control was unavailable. RNA sequencing of CK and the native B. velezensis-supernatant condition identified 28 FDR-significant genes. GH64- and GH81-like transcripts decreased significantly, whereas Fet3-, ferric-reductase-, and Ftr1-like candidates increased at the nominal level. qRT-PCR measurements agreed in direction with RNA-seq. Together, the data establish a concentration-dependent whole-supernatant phenotype in L. edodes and associate it with a selective iron-homeostasis- and cell-wall-related transcriptional response. Active-metabolite identity and causal mechanism remain targets for a separate compound-focused study.</p>","PeriodicalId":23703,"journal":{"name":"World journal of microbiology & biotechnology","volume":"42 10","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.7,"publicationDate":"2026-10-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149115537","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Next-generation probiotics and microbiome-based therapeutics highlighting Akkermansia muciniphila and Amuc_1100.","authors":"Mansheen Kaur, Alok Kumar Mishra","doi":"10.1007/s11274-026-05300-6","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s11274-026-05300-6","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The gut microbiota is pivotal in regulating host metabolism, immune signaling, and the integrity of the mucosal barrier, thus serving as a critical factor in various metabolic, inflammatory, and gastrointestinal disorders. Traditional probiotics, primarily comprising Lacticaseibacillus and Bifidobacterium species, have been utilized to enhance gut health; however, the strain-dependent effects and variable clinical outcomes associated with these probiotics have prompted increased interest in next-generation probiotics (NGPs). Akkermansia muciniphila, a commensal organism that degrades mucin and resides at the mucosal interface, has emerged as a prominent NGP owing to its ability to reinforce epithelial integrity, modulate immune responses, and foster metabolic homeostasis. Of particular significance is its surface protein, Amuc_1100, which acts as a parabiotic molecule. This protein engages host pattern-recognition pathways, bolsters tight-junction proteins, and alleviates low-grade inflammation. In contrast to live bacterial formulations, purified Amuc_1100 presents advantages concerning stability, safety, and regulatory compliance. This review aims to synthesize contemporary insights into gut microbiome functionality while comparing traditional probiotics with next-generation alternatives. Additionally, it delineates the therapeutic potential of A. muciniphila and Amuc_1100. The discussion further encompasses clinical advancements, regulatory frameworks, and formulation considerations that are propelling the shift towards mechanism-based microbiome therapeutics.</p>","PeriodicalId":23703,"journal":{"name":"World journal of microbiology & biotechnology","volume":"42 10","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.7,"publicationDate":"2026-10-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149115524","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Valorization of tofu-processing wastewater for sustainable nattokinase production: insights from integrated multi-omics analysis.","authors":"Tao Li, Wanting Du, Yang Xu, Yafei Zhang, Gege Guo, Yu Bai, Ning Hao","doi":"10.1007/s11274-026-05310-4","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s11274-026-05310-4","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Nattokinase (NK) is a fibrinolytic enzyme with considerable potential for applications in functional foods and biomedicine; however, its economical and efficient production remains challenging. In this study, tofu-processing wastewater (TPW) was employed as a low-cost nitrogen source for NK production, and integrated transcriptomic and metabolomic analyses were performed to characterize cellular responses and potential regulatory processes under different nitrogen sources. To evaluate the effects of different nitrogen sources on NK production, fermentation was conducted using tryptone (T), soybean peptone (SP), or TPW as the nitrogen source. Both TPW- and SP-based media supported higher NK production than the T-based medium. Transcriptomic analysis showed that the expression of aprN, which encodes nattokinase, was significantly higher under TPW conditions. TPW was characterized by relatively low levels of free amino acids and relatively high abundances of specific oligopeptides and proteins, and these nutritional characteristics were associated with changes in aprN expression and related metabolic responses. Integrated transcriptomic and metabolomic analyses further indicated coordinated changes in nutrient sensing, oligopeptide transport and metabolism, amino acid metabolism, and energy metabolism under TPW conditions. The relatively low levels of branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs) detected in TPW occurred concomitantly with changes in the expression of codY and aprN, suggesting that BCAA-associated nutrient sensing may be associated with the transcriptional regulation of aprN. Meanwhile, changes in the expression of nutrient-responsive genes, including kinA and kinB, suggested that Spo0A-associated regulatory processes may be involved in the cellular response to the nutritional characteristics of TPW. In addition, changes in the expression of several oligopeptide transport-related genes, together with correlations between specific oligopeptides and aprN expression, suggested that oligopeptide transport and metabolism may be associated with NK production under TPW conditions. Genes involved in respiratory-chain and energy metabolism also showed substantial changes in expression, suggesting alterations in cellular energy metabolism that may be associated with NK production. Overall, TPW as an alternative nitrogen source was associated with coordinated changes in nutrient sensing, regulatory processes, and multiple metabolic pathways in B. subtilis, which may collectively contribute to increased NK production. This study provides further insights into the molecular and metabolic responses of B. subtilis to TPW and provides a theoretical basis for TPW valorization, medium optimization, and the economical and efficient production of NK.</p>","PeriodicalId":23703,"journal":{"name":"World journal of microbiology & biotechnology","volume":"42 10","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.7,"publicationDate":"2026-10-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149114828","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Urban Road Dust as a Microbial Hotspot: Spatial Variation of Bacterial Communities and Metal Associations in the Philippines.","authors":"Mary Therese J Balabat, Edgardo J Loquero, Najiha B Amer, Jade C Coñado, Harold Jade B Cabolbol, Rodolfo A Romarate, Jhonamie Mabuhay-Omar, Kozo Watanabe, Mei-Fang Chien, Hernando P Bacosa","doi":"10.1007/s11274-026-05307-z","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s11274-026-05307-z","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Urban road dust is a reservoir and transport medium for diverse microorganisms, yet its bacterial communities in tropical environments remain poorly understood. This study examined the spatial variation of road dust bacterial communities across three Philippine metropolitan areas: Metro Manila, Metro Cebu, and Metro Cagayan de Oro, spanning the country's three principal island groups. Dust from nine sites was analyzed using 16 S rRNA gene metabarcoding (V3-V4), with community composition, diversity, predicted functional potential (PICRUSt2), and metal associations evaluated; contamination was assessed using pollution indices (PLI, degree of contamination, and ecological risk). Proteobacteria and Actinobacteria dominated all sites, and a small core of genera: Paracoccus, Acinetobacter, Kocuria, and Deinococcus, was consistently detected. Alpha diversity did not differ among cities (Kruskal-Wallis, p > 0.05), whereas community composition did (PERMANOVA: R² = 0.466, p = 0.004), with distinct metropolitan clustering. This decoupling indicates that local conditions shape which taxa dominate rather than overall diversity, consistent with environmental filtering of a shared regional pool. Alkanindiges reached its highest relative abundance at Metro Cebu's commercial core. In Metro Cagayan de Oro, Paracoccus increased toward the most trace-metal-laden site (D3) and correlated positively with cobalt and nickel; with elevated predicted denitrification in this area, this points to a possible pollution-responsive signal. Metro Cagayan de Oro also showed a pronounced higher relative abundance of Chloroflexi, marking it as a distinctive, transitional urban environment. Pollution indices indicated baseline-to-moderate contamination across the sampled roadsides. Predicted function paralleled taxonomy (R² = 0.467). These findings establish a baseline for tropical road-dust microbiota and support integrating microbial assessment into urban environmental monitoring.</p>","PeriodicalId":23703,"journal":{"name":"World journal of microbiology & biotechnology","volume":"42 10","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.7,"publicationDate":"2026-10-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149115571","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Critical review of artificial intelligence in synthetic biology: DBTL cycle applications, challenges, and design rules for microbial strain engineering.","authors":"Amir Razavinia, Abazar Razavinia, Negar Pourghasem, Mirmajid Majidi, Faezeh Khanjanimoghtader, Hosna Hamzavi, Zahra Salehi, Forouzan Shahri, Navid Pourzardosht, Bahman Khalesi, Zahra Sadat Hashemi, Saeed Khalili","doi":"10.1007/s11274-026-05314-0","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s11274-026-05314-0","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Artificial intelligence (AI) is changing the field of synthetic biology research. This approach has the potential to make the design-build-test-learn (DBTL) cycle more predictable by improving design prioritization, experimental planning, and data analysis. This review aims to analyze the application of artificial intelligence (AI), including machine learning (ML), deep learning (DL), and language models, across synthetic biology, specifically neural networks for genetic circuit design, protein engineering, metabolic pathway optimization, and multi-omics data analysis. The main focus is to identify how AI tools are applied across the DBTL cycle, from design to final data analysis, and to assess their validation and evidence levels. The reviewed studies indicate that, in specific applications, AI-based methods can reveal patterns and relationships that may be difficult to identify using conventional approaches, while deep learning (DL) and language models can reveal patterns and relationships that may be difficult to identify using conventional approaches. These studies also indicate that AI methods can improve prediction performance and reduce redundant experiments in specific applications. Furthermore, AI can support high-throughput technologies and has potential for genome-scale design. However, important limitations remain, including uncertainty in model behavior, limited data validation and transparency, difficulties in data analysis and interpretation, uncertainty in model predictions, and safety and ethical concerns. Therefore, the safe and widespread adoption of AI technologies in the healthcare, energy, and environmental biotechnology sectors requires the development of stronger regulatory and ethical standards.</p>","PeriodicalId":23703,"journal":{"name":"World journal of microbiology & biotechnology","volume":"42 10","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.7,"publicationDate":"2026-10-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149115514","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Multi-level metabolic engineering for squalene production: from pathway optimization to systematic regulation.","authors":"Zhanpeng Shan, Ning Jiao, Deyang Ding, Guodong Liu, Xin Zeng, Chunjun Zhan, Xiulai Chen","doi":"10.1007/s11274-026-05315-z","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s11274-026-05315-z","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Squalene is a high-value unsaturated triterpene extensively used in pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, and health products. Traditional extraction methods of squalene from shark oil are environmentally unfriendly, making it imperative to explore better production approaches. Microbial engineering for squalene production has drawn much attention due to its environmentally friendly nature, sustainability, and high efficiency. However, the capacity of squalene biosynthesis is still limited by many challenges, including insufficient precursor supply, metabolic flux competition, product toxicity, and extracellular transport. To address these issues, this review systematically summarizes various metabolic engineering strategies to enhance squalene production at three hierarchies, including pathway, organelle, and cell. At the pathway level, we discuss several common metabolic engineering strategies to improve the biosynthetic pathways of squalene, including enhancing precursor supply, regulating cofactor levels, and inhibiting competing metabolic pathways. At the organelle level, we underscore the application of organelle engineering in peroxisomes, mitochondria, and endoplasmic reticulum to achieve compartmentalized storage of squalene, alleviate product cytotoxicity, reduce distribution of precursor metabolic flux, and improve catalytic efficiency. At the cell level, cellular production capacity can be comprehensively improved to achieve high-level production of squalene by regulating lipid metabolism, promoting squalene secretion, modulating transcription factors, and combining mutagenesis and evolution. These metabolic engineering strategies not only offer comprehensive guidance for the efficient squalene biosynthesis but also establish a theoretical and technical foundation for the microbial production of other high-value terpenoids.</p>","PeriodicalId":23703,"journal":{"name":"World journal of microbiology & biotechnology","volume":"42 10","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.7,"publicationDate":"2026-10-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149115520","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}