{"title":"Proteases: Importance, Immobilization Protocols, Potential of Activated Carbon as Support, and the Importance of Modifying Supports for Immobilization.","authors":"Mateus Pereira Flores Santos, Evaldo Cardozo de Souza Junior, Carolina Villadóniga, Diego Vallés, Susana Castro-Sowinski, Renata Cristina Ferreira Bonomo, Cristiane Martins Veloso","doi":"10.3390/biotech13020013","DOIUrl":"10.3390/biotech13020013","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Although enzymes have been used for thousands of years, their application in industrial processes has gained importance since the 20th century due to technological and scientific advances in several areas, including biochemistry [...].</p>","PeriodicalId":34490,"journal":{"name":"BioTech","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-04-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11130871/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141158507","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
BioTechPub Date : 2024-04-26DOI: 10.3390/biotech13020012
Daniela Sateriale, Giuseppina Forgione, Giuseppa Anna De Cristofaro, Leonardo Continisio, Chiara Pagliuca, Roberta Colicchio, Paola Salvatore, Marina Paolucci, Caterina Pagliarulo
{"title":"Eco-Friendly Sanitization of Indoor Environments: Effectiveness of Thyme Essential Oil in Controlling Bioaerosol Levels and Disinfecting Surfaces.","authors":"Daniela Sateriale, Giuseppina Forgione, Giuseppa Anna De Cristofaro, Leonardo Continisio, Chiara Pagliuca, Roberta Colicchio, Paola Salvatore, Marina Paolucci, Caterina Pagliarulo","doi":"10.3390/biotech13020012","DOIUrl":"10.3390/biotech13020012","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Bioaerosols and pathogens in indoor workplaces and residential environments are the primary culprits of several infections. Techniques for sanitizing air and surfaces typically involve the use of UV rays or chemical sanitizers, which may release chemical residues harmful to human health. Essential oils, natural substances derived from plants, which exhibit broad antimicrobial properties, could be a viable alternative for air and surface sanitation. The objective of this study has been to investigate the efficacy of thyme essential oil (TEO) in environmental sanitation processes. In Vitro assays through agar well diffusion, disk volatilization and tube dilution methods revealed significant antimicrobial activity of TEO 100% against foodborne and environmental isolates, with both bacteriostatic/fungistatic and bactericidal/fungicidal effects. Therefore, aqueous solutions of TEO 2.5% and 5% were formulated for air sanitation through nebulization and surface disinfection via direct contact. Bioaerosol samples and surface swabs were analyzed before and after sanitation, demonstrating the efficacy of aqueous solutions of TEO in reducing mesophilic and psychrophilic bacteria and environmental fungi levels in both air and on surfaces. The obtained results prove the antimicrobial potential of aqueous solutions of TEO in improving indoor air quality and surface cleanliness, suggesting thyme essential oil as an effective and safe natural sanitizer with minimal environmental impact compared to dangerous chemical disinfectants.</p>","PeriodicalId":34490,"journal":{"name":"BioTech","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-04-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11130963/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141158493","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Development of the 12-Base Short Dimeric Myogenetic Oligodeoxynucleotide That Induces Myogenic Differentiation.","authors":"Koji Umezawa, Rena Ikeda, Taiichi Sakamoto, Yuya Enomoto, Yuma Nihashi, Sayaka Shinji, Takeshi Shimosato, Hiroshi Kagami, Tomohide Takaya","doi":"10.3390/biotech13020011","DOIUrl":"10.3390/biotech13020011","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>A myogenetic oligodeoxynucleotide (myoDN), iSN04 (5'-AGA TTA GGG TGA GGG TGA-3'), is a single-stranded 18-base telomeric DNA that serves as an anti-nucleolin aptamer and induces myogenic differentiation, which is expected to be a nucleic acid drug for the prevention of disease-associated muscle wasting. To improve the drug efficacy and synthesis cost of myoDN, shortening the sequence while maintaining its structure-based function is a major challenge. Here, we report the novel 12-base non-telomeric myoDN, iMyo01 (5'-TTG GGT GGG GAA-3'), which has comparable myogenic activity to iSN04. iMyo01 as well as iSN04 promoted myotube formation of primary-cultured human myoblasts with upregulation of myogenic gene expression. Both iMyo01 and iSN04 interacted with nucleolin, but iMyo01 did not bind to berberine, the isoquinoline alkaloid that stabilizes iSN04. Nuclear magnetic resonance revealed that iMyo01 forms a G-quadruplex structure despite its short sequence. Native polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and a computational molecular dynamics simulation indicated that iMyo01 forms a homodimer to generate a G-quadruplex. These results provide new insights into the aptamer truncation technology that preserves aptamer conformation and bioactivity for the development of efficient nucleic acid drugs.</p>","PeriodicalId":34490,"journal":{"name":"BioTech","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-04-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11130974/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141158485","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
BioTechPub Date : 2024-04-10DOI: 10.3390/biotech13020010
Sandra Soria, Ofelia E. Carreón-Rodríguez, R. de Anda, N. Flores, A. Escalante, Francisco Bolívar
{"title":"Transcriptional and Metabolic Response of a Strain of Escherichia coli PTS− to a Perturbation of the Energetic Level by Modification of [ATP]/[ADP] Ratio","authors":"Sandra Soria, Ofelia E. Carreón-Rodríguez, R. de Anda, N. Flores, A. Escalante, Francisco Bolívar","doi":"10.3390/biotech13020010","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3390/biotech13020010","url":null,"abstract":"The intracellular [ATP]/[ADP] ratio is crucial for Escherichia coli’s cellular functions, impacting transport, phosphorylation, signaling, and stress responses. Overexpression of F1-ATPase genes in E. coli increases glucose consumption, lowers energy levels, and triggers transcriptional responses in central carbon metabolism genes, particularly glycolytic ones, enhancing carbon flux. In this contribution, we report the impact of the perturbation of the energetic level in a PTS− mutant of E. coli by modifying the [ATP]/[ADP] ratio by uncoupling the cytoplasmic activity of the F1 subunit of the ATP synthase. The disruption of [ATP]/[ADP] ratio in the evolved strain of E. coli PB12 (PTS−) was achieved by the expression of the atpAGD operon encoding the soluble portion of ATP synthase F1-ATPase (strain PB12AGD+). The analysis of the physiological and metabolic response of the PTS− strain to the ATP disruption was determined using RT–qPCR of 96 genes involved in glucose and acetate transport, glycolysis and gluconeogenesis, pentose phosphate pathway (PPP), TCA cycle and glyoxylate shunt, several anaplerotic, respiratory chain, and fermentative pathways genes, sigma factors, and global regulators. The apt mutant exhibited reduced growth despite increased glucose transport due to decreased energy levels. It heightened stress response capabilities under glucose-induced energetic starvation, suggesting that the carbon flux from glycolysis is distributed toward the pentose phosphate and the Entner–Duodoroff pathway with the concomitant. Increase acetate transport, production, and utilization in response to the reduction in the [ATP]/[ADP] ratio. Upregulation of several genes encoding the TCA cycle and the glyoxylate shunt as several respiratory genes indicates increased respiratory capabilities, coupled possibly with increased availability of electron donor compounds from the TCA cycle, as this mutant increased respiratory capability by 240% more than in the PB12. The reduction in the intracellular concentration of cAMP in the atp mutant resulted in a reduced number of upregulated genes compared to PB12, suggesting that the mutant remains a robust genetic background despite the severe disruption in its energetic level.","PeriodicalId":34490,"journal":{"name":"BioTech","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-04-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140716273","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
BioTechPub Date : 2024-04-08DOI: 10.3390/biotech13020009
P. Marinova, K. Tamahkyarova
{"title":"Synthesis and Biological Activities of Some Metal Complexes of Peptides: A Review","authors":"P. Marinova, K. Tamahkyarova","doi":"10.3390/biotech13020009","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3390/biotech13020009","url":null,"abstract":"Peptides, both natural and synthetic, are well suited for a wide range of purposes and offer versatile applications in different fields such as biocatalysts, injectable hydrogels, tumor treatment, and drug delivery. The research of the better part of the cited papers was conducted using various database platforms such as MetalPDB. The rising prominence of therapeutic peptides encompasses anticancer, antiviral, antimicrobial, and anti-neurodegenerative properties. The metals Na, K, Mg, Ca, Fe, Mn, Co, Cu, Zn, and Mo are ten of the twenty elements that are considered essential for life. Crucial for understanding the biological role of metals is the exploration of metal-bound proteins and peptides. Aside from essential metals, there are other non-essential metals that also interact biologically, exhibiting either therapeutic or toxic effects. Irregularities in metal binding contribute to diseases like Alzheimer’s, neurodegenerative disorders, Wilson’s, and Menkes disease. Certain metal complexes have potential applications as radiopharmaceuticals. The examination of these complexes was achieved by preforming UV–Vis, IR, EPR, NMR spectroscopy, and X-ray analysis. This summary, although unable to cover all of the studies in the field, offers a review of the ongoing experimentation and is a basis for new ideas, as well as strategies to explore and gain knowledge from the extensive realm of peptide-chelated metals and biotechnologies.","PeriodicalId":34490,"journal":{"name":"BioTech","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-04-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140728946","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
BioTechPub Date : 2024-03-30DOI: 10.3390/biotech13020008
Franciene Rabico, T. C. Borelli, R. Alnoch, M. Polizeli, Ricardo da Silva, Rafael Silva-Rocha, M. Guazzaroni
{"title":"Novel Pseudomonas Species Prevent the Growth of the Phytopathogenic Fungus Aspergillus flavus","authors":"Franciene Rabico, T. C. Borelli, R. Alnoch, M. Polizeli, Ricardo da Silva, Rafael Silva-Rocha, M. Guazzaroni","doi":"10.3390/biotech13020008","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3390/biotech13020008","url":null,"abstract":"In response to the escalating demand for sustainable agricultural methodologies, the utilization of microbial volatile organic compounds (VOCs) as antagonists against phytopathogens has emerged as a viable eco-friendly alternative. Microbial volatiles exhibit rapid diffusion rates, facilitating prompt chemical interactions. Moreover, microorganisms possess the capacity to emit volatiles constitutively, as well as in response to biological interactions and environmental stimuli. In addition to volatile compounds, these bacteria demonstrate the ability to produce soluble metabolites with antifungal properties, such as APE Vf, pyoverdin, and fragin. In this study, we identified two Pseudomonas strains (BJa3 and MCal1) capable of inhibiting the in vitro mycelial growth of the phytopathogenic fungus Aspergillus flavus, which serves as the causal agent of diseases in sugarcane and maize. Utilizing GC/MS analysis, we detected 47 distinct VOCs which were produced by these bacterial strains. Notably, certain volatile compounds, including 1-heptoxydecane and tridecan-2-one, emerged as primary candidates for inhibiting fungal growth. These compounds belong to essential chemical classes previously documented for their antifungal activity, while others represent novel molecules. Furthermore, examination via confocal microscopy unveiled significant morphological alterations, particularly in the cell wall, of mycelia exposed to VOCs emitted by both Pseudomonas species. These findings underscore the potential of the identified BJa3 and MCal1 Pseudomonas strains as promising agents for fungal biocontrol in agricultural crops.","PeriodicalId":34490,"journal":{"name":"BioTech","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-03-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140362786","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
BioTechPub Date : 2024-03-21DOI: 10.3390/biotech13010007
Hana El Tannir, Diana Houhou, Espérance Debs, Mohamed Koubaa, A. Jammoul, Bilal Azakir, Mahmoud Khalil, Nada El Darra, N. Louka
{"title":"Optimization of Aqueous Extraction of Polyphenols from Cuminum cyminum Seeds Using Response Surface Methodology and Assessment of Biological Activity","authors":"Hana El Tannir, Diana Houhou, Espérance Debs, Mohamed Koubaa, A. Jammoul, Bilal Azakir, Mahmoud Khalil, Nada El Darra, N. Louka","doi":"10.3390/biotech13010007","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3390/biotech13010007","url":null,"abstract":"(1) Background: Cumin seeds, extracted from the plant Cuminum cyminum, are abundant in phenolic compounds and have been extensively researched for their chemical makeup and biological effects. The objective of this research is to enhance the water extraction of polyphenols through the water bath (WB) technique and to evaluate the antiradical, antibacterial, and anticancer effects of the extract. (2) Methods: Response Surface Methodology was used to find the best parameters to extract polyphenols. Three experimental parameters, time, temperature, and solid-liquid ratio, were tested. The disc diffusion method has been used to determine the antimicrobial activities against Salmonella Typhimurium, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, and Candida albicans. The antiradical activity was performed using the DPPH method, while total phenolic content was performed using Folin–Ciocalteu. High-Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) was conducted to analyze the phytochemical profile of WB extracts. The anticancer activity of the lyophilized extract was assessed against three cancer cell lines (colon (HT29), lung (A549), and breast (MCF7) cancer cell lines).; (3) Results: The optimal conditions for water extraction were 130 min at 72 °C. The total phenolic compounds yield (14.7 mg GAE/g DM) and antioxidant activity (0.52 mg trolox eq./mL) were obtained using a 1:40 solid–liquid ratio. The primary polyphenols identified were the flavonoids rutin (0.1 ppm) and ellagic acid (3.78 ppm). The extract had no antibacterial or antifungal activities against the microorganisms tested. The extract showed anticancer activity of about 98% against MCF7 (breast cancer cell line), about 81% against HT29 (colon cancer cell line), and 85% against A549 (lung cancer cell line) at high doses. (4) Conclusions: Extraction time and a high solid–liquid ratio had a positive impact on polyphenol recovery and in maintaining their quantity and quality. Furthermore, the optimal aqueous extract exhibited strong antiradical activity reflected by the inhibition of free radicals in addition to a significant specificity against the tested cancer cell lines.","PeriodicalId":34490,"journal":{"name":"BioTech","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-03-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140223232","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
BioTechPub Date : 2024-03-06DOI: 10.3390/biotech13010006
Tomoharu Takeuchi, Midori Oyama, Tomomi Hatanaka
{"title":"Effect of Chitosan Degradation Products, Glucosamine and Chitosan Oligosaccharide, on Osteoclastic Differentiation","authors":"Tomoharu Takeuchi, Midori Oyama, Tomomi Hatanaka","doi":"10.3390/biotech13010006","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3390/biotech13010006","url":null,"abstract":"Chitosan, a natural cationic polysaccharide derived from crustaceans and shellfish shells, is known for its advantageous biological properties, including biodegradability, biocompatibility, and antibacterial activity. Chitosan and its composite materials are studied for their potential for bone tissue repair. However, the effects of chitosan degradation products, glucosamine (GlcN) and chitosan oligosaccharide (COS), on osteoclasts remain unclear. If these chitosan degradation products promote osteoclastic differentiation, careful consideration is required for the use of chitosan and related materials in bone repair applications. Here, we assessed the effects of high (500 μg/mL) and low (0.5 μg/mL) concentrations of GlcN and COS on osteoclastic differentiation in human peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) and murine macrophage-like RAW264 cells. A tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase (TRAP) enzyme activity assay, TRAP staining, and actin staining were used to assess osteoclastic differentiation. High concentrations of GlcN and COS, but not low concentrations, suppressed macrophage colony-stimulating factor (M-CSF)- and RANKL-dependent increases in TRAP enzyme activity, TRAP-positive multinuclear osteoclast formation, and actin ring formation in PBMCs without cytotoxicity. Similar effects were observed in the RANKL-dependent osteoclastic differentiation of RAW264 cells. In conclusion, chitosan degradation products do not possess osteoclast-inducing properties, suggesting that chitosan and its composite materials can be safely used for bone tissue repair.","PeriodicalId":34490,"journal":{"name":"BioTech","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-03-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140260919","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
BioTechPub Date : 2024-02-20DOI: 10.3390/biotech13010005
Ricardo A Rincón, Daniel Rodríguez, Ericsson Coy-Barrera
{"title":"Susceptibility of <i>Tetranychus urticae</i> to the Alkaloidal Extract of <i>Zanthoxylum schreberi</i> Bark: Phenotypic and Biochemical Insights for Biotechnological Exploitation.","authors":"Ricardo A Rincón, Daniel Rodríguez, Ericsson Coy-Barrera","doi":"10.3390/biotech13010005","DOIUrl":"10.3390/biotech13010005","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p><i>Tetranychus urticae</i> Koch, a phytophagous mite, is one of the most significant crop pests globally. The primary method employed for controlling <i>T. urticae</i> involves chemical means, utilizing synthesized products, posing the risk of developing resistance. The urgency for novel strategies integrated into pest management programs to combat this mite is becoming increasingly imperative. Botanical pesticides emerge as a promising tool to forestall arthropod resistance. Among these, extracts from Rutaceae plants, abundant in bioactive specialized metabolites, have demonstrated potential as insecticides and miticides. In this study, various concentrations of alkaloidal extracts sourced from the bark of <i>Zanthoxylum schreberi</i> J.F.Gmel. (Rutaceae) were evaluated against <i>T. urticae</i> adult females. Furthermore, the extract's combination with three distinct commercial acaricides (i.e., chlorfenapyr, cyflumetofen, and abamectin) was also assessed for this mite. Chemical characterization of the extract via LC-MS allowed for the annotation of various compounds related to ten benzylisoquinoline-derived alkaloids. The extract, both alone and in combination with commercial insecticides, yielded varying responses, inducing over 40% mortality at 2% <i>w</i>/<i>w</i>, demonstrating a 90% repellency rate at the same concentration, and exerting a moderate impact on fecundity. These treatments extended beyond phenotypic responses, delving into the biochemical effects on treated <i>T. urticae</i> females through an exploration of the impact on four enzymes, i.e., acetylcholinesterase (AChE), glutathione <i>S</i>-transferase (GST), esterases (GE), and P450-like monooxygenases (PMO). Employing consensus docking studies and in vitro enzymatic evaluations, it was discovered that the <i>Z. schreberi</i>-derived extract and its constituents significantly affected two key enzymes, AChE and GST (IC<sub>50</sub> < 6 µM), which were associated with the phenotypic observations of <i>T. urticae</i> females. The evaluation of alkaloid-rich botanicals showcases promising potential as a relevant biotechnological strategy in addressing mite-related concerns, offering a pathway toward innovative and sustainable pest management solutions.</p>","PeriodicalId":34490,"journal":{"name":"BioTech","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-02-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10885115/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139933216","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
BioTechPub Date : 2024-02-07DOI: 10.3390/biotech13010004
Aaron S. Birchfield, C. McIntosh
{"title":"Expression and Purification of Cp3GT: Structural Analysis and Modeling of a Key Plant Flavonol-3-O Glucosyltransferase from Citrus paradisi","authors":"Aaron S. Birchfield, C. McIntosh","doi":"10.3390/biotech13010004","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3390/biotech13010004","url":null,"abstract":"Glycosyltransferases (GTs) are pivotal enzymes in the biosynthesis of various biological molecules. This study focuses on the scale-up, expression, and purification of a plant flavonol-specific 3-O glucosyltransferase (Cp3GT), a key enzyme from Citrus paradisi, for structural analysis and modeling. The challenges associated with recombinant protein production in Pichia pastoris, such as proteolytic degradation, were addressed through the optimization of culture conditions and purification processes. The purification strategy employed affinity, anion exchange, and size exclusion chromatography, leading to greater than 95% homogeneity for Cp3GT. In silico modeling, using D-I-TASSER and COFACTOR integrated with the AlphaFold2 pipeline, provided insights into the structural dynamics of Cp3GT and its ligand binding sites, offering predictions for enzyme–substrate interactions. These models were compared to experimentally derived structures, enhancing understanding of the enzyme’s functional mechanisms. The findings present a comprehensive approach to produce a highly purified Cp3GT which is suitable for crystallographic studies and to shed light on the structural basis of flavonol specificity in plant GTs. The significant implications of these results for synthetic biology and enzyme engineering in pharmaceutical applications are also considered.","PeriodicalId":34490,"journal":{"name":"BioTech","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-02-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139797193","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}