Josué Barragán-Iglesias , Juan Rodríguez-Ramírez , Lilia L. Méndez-Lagunas
{"title":"Pectin-microfibrillated cellulose composite modified by calcium diffusion: Analysis of calcic microstructures, connectivity, mechanical properties, and behavior during thermal treatment","authors":"Josué Barragán-Iglesias , Juan Rodríguez-Ramírez , Lilia L. Méndez-Lagunas","doi":"10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2025.144631","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2025.144631","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Pectin and microfibrillated cellulose (MFC) form a composite with a modifiable microstructure during calcium (Ca<sup>2+</sup>) diffusion. This study aimed to analyze the microstructural changes, chemical composition, and structural connectivity in the pectin-microfibrillated cellulose (PMFC) composite caused by Ca<sup>2+</sup> diffusion. It also examined how the modified structure influences thermal treatment and compression forces. PMFC was formulated with MFC suspension and pectin to simulate plant cell wall components, pretreated with a calcium hydroxide solution, and exposed to thermal treatment. SEM analysis revealed that pectin and MFC formed large, fibrillated, amorphous structures. When calcium pretreatment was applied to PMFC, it changed into a uniform firm structure with modified three-dimensional networks consisting of shorter microstructures with more skeletons and branches (Ca<sup>2+</sup>-branched arrangement) compared to calcium-free structures. EDX analysis showed calcium peaks at different PMFC thicknesses, with calcium content increasing in the PMFC until equilibrium, reaching a calcium diffusion coefficient of 3.25 × 10<sup>−10</sup> m<sup>2</sup>/s. The Ca<sup>2+</sup>-branched structures remained stable during thermal treatment, preventing deformation and collapse, and a moisture diffusion coefficient of 2.80 × 10<sup>−9</sup> m<sup>2</sup>/s. Furthermore, the Ca<sup>2+</sup>-branched structures provided hardness, elasticity, and resistance to stress-deformation during compression. Ca<sup>2+</sup> modifies three-dimensional networks even after the physicochemical interaction between pectin and MFC has occurred.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":333,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Biological Macromolecules","volume":"315 ","pages":"Article 144631"},"PeriodicalIF":7.7,"publicationDate":"2025-05-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144137897","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Whole genome sequence analysis of an environmental isolate Bacillus subtilis K3C: Genome plasticity and acquisition of hyaluronic acid capsule traits through horizontal multigene transfer","authors":"Simran Gagneja , Neena Capalash , Prince Sharma","doi":"10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2025.144696","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2025.144696","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div><em>B. subtilis</em> K3C was isolated from an environmental sample. Genomic analysis revealed that the GRAS strain harbors a circular chromosome of 4,120,051 bp composed of 4361 protein coding sequences with a GC content of 43.4 %, 80 tRNA, and 3 rRNA genes. Two regions containing complete assembly of prophages encoded by 83 prophage genes were present suggesting the role of bacteriophage infection in evolutionary accumulation of strain-specific genes contributing towards strain diversification. Strong recombination, repair, transfer and competence systems were identified, suggesting their role in strain fitness and evolutionary process. Pan-genomic analysis revealed 3824 protein homologs as the bacterial core genome shared among different strains and 390 singletons in the pan-genome orthologous groups. The hyaluronic acid capsule trait in the isolate seems to be acquired through selective pressure to adapt in environmentally stressed niches. Phyloproteomic analysis showed that the acquired genes responsible for HA production were phylogenetically closer to Streptococcal clade, evidencing the role of horizontal gene transfer<em>.</em> The bacterial genome showed the presence of multiple HA genes translating HasB and HasC proteins suggesting gene dosage in the strain. However, no gene rearrangement events seem to have taken course as the HA genes were integrated in different contigs of the genome.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":333,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Biological Macromolecules","volume":"316 ","pages":"Article 144696"},"PeriodicalIF":7.7,"publicationDate":"2025-05-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144169064","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"An alternative pathway for 50S assembly in the absence of functional DbpA","authors":"Ting Yu , Yannan Tian , Qianxi Yu , Zexin Huang , Junyi Jiang , Fuxing Zeng","doi":"10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2025.144698","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2025.144698","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>DbpA, a DEAD-box RNA helicase, is known to bind helix 92 (H92) of the peptidyl transferase center (PTC) during 50S ribosomal subunit maturation. The presence of H92 and ss/dsRNA junction is essential for its ATP-dependent unwinding activity. However, the precise role of DbpA in 50S precursors (pre50S) and its underlying mechanism remain unclear. In this study, we used cryo-electron microscopy to characterize a series of pre50S intermediates isolated from <em>Escherichia coli</em> cells expressing a catalytically inactive mutant, DbpA(R331A). Pull-down assays revealed that DbpA recognizes only a small subset of pre50S particles in which the central protuberance (CP) is folded, while the PTC remains unfolded. Structural analysis uncovered a series of late-stage intermediates along a progressive assembly pathway, revealing an alternative route for 50S subunit maturation in the presence of non-functional DbpA. In summary, our study provides mechanistic insights into how DbpA facilitates 50S subunit maturation and how the ribosome assembles in its absence.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":333,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Biological Macromolecules","volume":"316 ","pages":"Article 144698"},"PeriodicalIF":7.7,"publicationDate":"2025-05-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144168038","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Dong Chen , Qinqin Yang , Fuzhou Tang , Xinping Wang , Honghong Zhang , Xiaomin Sun , Xiang Wang , Lijing Teng
{"title":"Osteoinductive gelatin-based porous nanocomposite hydrogel for enhanced hemorrhagic bone defect repair","authors":"Dong Chen , Qinqin Yang , Fuzhou Tang , Xinping Wang , Honghong Zhang , Xiaomin Sun , Xiang Wang , Lijing Teng","doi":"10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2025.144658","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2025.144658","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Bone defects with uncontrolled hemorrhage significantly threaten patient survival, and traditional hemostatic agents are insufficient to synergistically treat noncompressible bone bleeding and enhance healing. Thus, developing a multifunctional material with excellent hemostatic and osteogenic performance is highly desirable. Herein, porous methacrylate-modified gelatin (GelMA)/Laponite (LAP) nanocomposite hydrogel (GLNH) via freeze-induced physicochemical cross-linking are readily constructed to treat bone defects with intractable bleeding. Porous GLNH exhibits a remarkable absorption capacity of up to 20 times, along with excellent physiological stability, adjustable pore size, and outstanding shape recovery capacity. In addition, porous GLNH demonstrates excellent biocompatibility and enhances osteogenesis by up-regulating the expression of osteo-specific genes. In a rat skull defect, porous GLNH exhibits favorable hemostatic effect, low inflammation, and improved bone repair. Overall, the multifunctional porous GLNH holds great potential for treating bone defects with intractable bleeding.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":333,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Biological Macromolecules","volume":"316 ","pages":"Article 144658"},"PeriodicalIF":7.7,"publicationDate":"2025-05-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144167905","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Qi Zhao, Defeng Yang, Shu Chen, Nan Yang, Tongtong Yan, Chuanjian Lan, Xin Sui, Lingfeng Li, Bowei Wang, Zhihui Liu
{"title":"Carbon nanotube bacterial cellulose polycaprolactone scaffolds for bone tissue engineering using top-heating fused deposition three-dimensional printing.","authors":"Qi Zhao, Defeng Yang, Shu Chen, Nan Yang, Tongtong Yan, Chuanjian Lan, Xin Sui, Lingfeng Li, Bowei Wang, Zhihui Liu","doi":"10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2025.144588","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2025.144588","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Mandibular bone defects are a common clinical challenge for oral surgeons, and extensive research has been dedicated to developing bone scaffold substitutes. 3D printing is a common strategy for constructing personalized scaffolds to treat mandibular defects. Carboxylated multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) and bacterial cellulose (BC) were used to construct composites with 0, 0.25, 0.5, and 1 wt% gradients. Based on physicochemical properties, bioactivity, and osteogenic performance, 1 wt% MWCNT@BC was selected as the optimal filler for polycaprolactone (PCL). A novel top-heating 3D printing method was employed to construct a bone tissue engineering scaffold that exhibited a suitable scaffold morphology and enhanced mechanical properties, with a compressive strength reaching 85.99 ± 10.03 MPa. Cellular experiments demonstrated that the scaffold possessed good biocompatibility, cell adhesion properties, and effective osteoinductive performance. This was corroborated by a rat mandibular defect model that showed excellent biocompatibility and mandibular repair capabilities in vivo. In conclusion, this study addressed the previously unexplored impact of determined dispersion levels of MWCNTs on BC when used as a filler in PCL to ultimately offer new insights into their functional and regenerative potential. Furthermore, we established a novel three-dimensional (3D) printed bone tissue engineering scaffold, offering a new approach for the clinical treatment of mandibular bone defects.</p>","PeriodicalId":333,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Biological Macromolecules","volume":" ","pages":"144588"},"PeriodicalIF":7.7,"publicationDate":"2025-05-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144172331","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Junhe Zhang , Weifeng Wang , Xi Zhang , Fang Wang , Shaolei Geng , Xiaoyin Wang , Tianyun Wang
{"title":"Using endoplasmic reticulum engineering to improve recombinant protein production in CHO cells","authors":"Junhe Zhang , Weifeng Wang , Xi Zhang , Fang Wang , Shaolei Geng , Xiaoyin Wang , Tianyun Wang","doi":"10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2025.144695","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2025.144695","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells are commonly used to produce recombinant therapeutic proteins (RTPs). While recent strategies have significantly improved the expression levels of RTPs in CHO cells, insufficient secretion and endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress remain major bottlenecks. Therefore, further understanding of the mechanism of the ER stress response, optimization of ER-related folding and degradation pathways, and development of more efficient ER engineering tools are expected to overcome this issue and maximize RTP production. In this review, we summarize the role of ER in recombinant proteins production and explore ER engineering strategies to improve the yield of recombinant proteins in CHO cells. We further discuss ER-related strategies that can improve recombinant protein production, future research directions, and prospective applications.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":333,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Biological Macromolecules","volume":"315 ","pages":"Article 144695"},"PeriodicalIF":7.7,"publicationDate":"2025-05-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144137746","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Hongyu Gao , Ling Qin , Huawen Shi , Haibin Song , Zhiguo Li , Yingwei Xue , Tianbo Liu
{"title":"ASAP1 protein macromolecule promotes the growth and development of gastric cancer cells and the remodeling of F-actin cytoskeleton: Expression of VEGF and HIF-1 α proteins","authors":"Hongyu Gao , Ling Qin , Huawen Shi , Haibin Song , Zhiguo Li , Yingwei Xue , Tianbo Liu","doi":"10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2025.144589","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2025.144589","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>ASAP1 (Ankyrin Repeat and PH Domain 1) is a macromolecular regulatory protein, which has been shown to play an important role in a variety of tumors in recent years. Gastric cancer (GC), as a highly lethal malignancy worldwide, is in urgent need of new biomarkers and therapeutic targets. Tissue samples from multiple gastric cancer patients were collected and analyzed through TCGA and GEO databases. The expression of ASAP1 and its correlation with clinicopathological features were evaluated by tissue microarray and immunohistochemical staining. The biological function of ASAP1 was analyzed by cell line culture, Westernblot and real-time fluorescence quantitative PCR. Cell migration, invasion, in vitro tube formation and xenotransplantation models were performed to detect the effects of ASAP1 on tumor growth and angiogenesis. The cytoskeletal remodeling process was evaluated by luciferase reporting assay and Phalloidin staining assay. It has been found that the expression of ASAP1 in gastric cancer tissues is significantly increased, and it is closely related to the prognosis of patients. The expression of ASAP1 was positively correlated with the levels of VEGF and HIF-1 alpha. The elimination of ASAP1 significantly inhibited the migration, invasion and angiogenesis of gastric cancer cells. In xenograft experiments, ASAP1 promoted tumor growth and angiogenesis. miR-let-7a-5p can affect the migration, invasion and F-actin bundle formation of gastric cancer cells by targeting ASAP1.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":333,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Biological Macromolecules","volume":"315 ","pages":"Article 144589"},"PeriodicalIF":7.7,"publicationDate":"2025-05-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144137855","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Corrigendum to \"Review: Advances in multifunctional hydrogels based on carbohydrate polymer and protein in the treatment of diabetic wounds\" [Int. J. Biol. Macromol. 309 (2025) 142693].","authors":"Jishang Sun, Leyang Song, Yi Zhou, Keying Wu, Cuiyao Li, Baoqin Han, Jing Chang","doi":"10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2025.144510","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2025.144510","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":333,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Biological Macromolecules","volume":" ","pages":"144510"},"PeriodicalIF":7.7,"publicationDate":"2025-05-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144155355","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Amit Kumar , Shaik Sameer Basha , Mukilarasi B , Vimalraj Selvaraj , Pijush Ghosh , Swathi Sudhakar
{"title":"Leveraging cancer microenvironment pH shift for actuation-induced multidrug release from chitosan/carboxymethyl cellulose bilayer film","authors":"Amit Kumar , Shaik Sameer Basha , Mukilarasi B , Vimalraj Selvaraj , Pijush Ghosh , Swathi Sudhakar","doi":"10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2025.144701","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2025.144701","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>In this work, we leverage the pH shift of the tumor microenvironment to achieve controlled, multidrug release from an implantable, pH-responsive bilayer film composed of chitosan (CS) and carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC). Drug release is driven by out-of-plane actuation, where curvature is induced in response to acidic pH, serving as a physiological stimulus. The kinetics of release are modulated by the degree of curvature and the rate of actuation at a given pH. This system enables programmable delivery of a combination of cisplatin (Cis), 5-fluorouracil (5-Fu), and quercetin (Que), targeting multiple cancer pathways to combat drug resistance. In vitro studies with MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cells demonstrated a four-fold increase in cytotoxicity compared to individual drugs, attributed to synergistic effects and controlled release. Additionally, ex-ovo chick chorioallantoic membrane (CAM) assays confirmed the system's antiangiogenic potential, with significant downregulation of key markers, including Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A (VEGFA), Fibroblast Growth Factor 2 (FGF2), and Angiopoietin 1 (ANG1). Overall, this platform offers a promising strategy for site-specific, sustained delivery of combination therapies in complex cancer environments.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":333,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Biological Macromolecules","volume":"316 ","pages":"Article 144701"},"PeriodicalIF":7.7,"publicationDate":"2025-05-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144168059","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Guojie Song , Wenhao Hu , Qiangqiang Liu , Zhichao Deng , Hui Zhang , Changrong Shi , Meysam Madadi , Chihe Sun , Fubao Sun
{"title":"Co-production of easily hydrolysable cellulosic substrates and UV-blocking lignin nanoparticles through “lignin-first” polyethylene glycol fractionation","authors":"Guojie Song , Wenhao Hu , Qiangqiang Liu , Zhichao Deng , Hui Zhang , Changrong Shi , Meysam Madadi , Chihe Sun , Fubao Sun","doi":"10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2025.144709","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2025.144709","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>A novel polyethylene glycol (PEG 400)-assisted lignin-first strategy was developed to selectively fractionate sugarcane bagasse while co-producing hydrolyzable cellulosic substrates and structurally modified lignin nanoparticles (LNPs). Under mild conditions catalyzed by Lewis acid (120 °C and 1.5 % AlCl<sub>3</sub>), the process achieved 92 % cellulose retention, 81 % delignification, and 76 % hemicellulose removal, significantly enhancing hydrolysis efficiency to 86 %. PEG had extensive esterification or etherification modifications on the lignin aromatic monomers, as well as on its C<sub>a</sub> position, side-chain aliphatic –OH, and phenolic –OH. PEG-modified lignin retained high β-O-4 linkages, limited recondensation, and improved hydrophilicity, enabling the LNPs preparation with uniform and small particle sizes. Structural analyses revealed that lignin S/G ratio, β-O-4 linkages, molecular weight, and contact angle (R<sup>2</sup> > 0.84) strongly influenced the self-assembly of LNPs. The application of LNPs has been broadened in UV-blocking materials, particularly for protecting against ultraviolet A wavelengths (320–400 nm). They demonstrated good biocompatibility, with 94 %–99 % cell viability, alongside enhanced antioxidant activities (1.25–7.6 times higher) and photostability. Adding 1 %–7 % of LNPs elevated the sun protection factor of commercial sunscreen (∼46) to an impressive range of 91.6–143.5. This work offers an efficient and sustainable route for co-producing fermentable sugars and functional lignin-based materials, contributing to a circular bioeconomy.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":333,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Biological Macromolecules","volume":"316 ","pages":"Article 144709"},"PeriodicalIF":7.7,"publicationDate":"2025-05-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144167852","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}