{"title":"Secretory expression in Bacillus subtilis, purification, and characterization of a persistent protein-degrading enzyme from Nocardiopsis sp. TOA-1.","authors":"Aoto Takano, Mamiko Yano, Tomoka Nakamura, Kazufumi Takano, Shun-Ichi Tanaka","doi":"10.1093/bbb/zbae191","DOIUrl":"10.1093/bbb/zbae191","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Keratinase from Nocardiopsis sp. TOA-1 (NAPase) holds significant potential for industrial and medical applications. Here, we developed a heterologous secretory expression system for NAPase in Bacillus subtilis. The recombinant enzyme exhibited catalytic properties comparable to the native enzyme, demonstrating its suitability for further protein engineering. This work provides a foundation for enhancing NAPase activity and stability, expediting its biotechnological applications.</p>","PeriodicalId":9175,"journal":{"name":"Bioscience, Biotechnology, and Biochemistry","volume":" ","pages":"413-416"},"PeriodicalIF":1.4,"publicationDate":"2025-02-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142805915","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Heterologous expression and enzymological characterization of L-glutamate oxidase from the marine actinomycete Streptomyces lydicamycinicus NBRC 110027.","authors":"Tadao Oikawa, Kazuya Yamanaka","doi":"10.1093/bbb/zbae184","DOIUrl":"10.1093/bbb/zbae184","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>We successfully constructed a heterologous expression system for L-glutamate oxidase from the marine actinomycete Streptomyces lydicamycinicus NBRC 110027 (Sl-LGOX) in Escherichia coli BL21(DE3) as a host. This is the first example of L-glutamate oxidase from a marine microorganism. A chemically synthesized gene optimized for codon usage in E. coli was used as the inserted fragment, which was effective for enzyme expression. We expressed Sl-LGOX in the soluble fraction of E. coli BL21(DE3)/pET21b-Sl-lgox. We also succeeded in purifying the recombinant Sl-LGOX (rSl-LGOX) to homogeneity from the cell-free extract of this clone via an Ni-NTA column. rSl-LGOX showed high specificity for L-Glu and was active and stable over a wide range of temperatures and pH values. In particular, it showed high specific activity and stability at an acidic pH. A variety of applications can take advantage of the unique enzymatic properties of rSl-LGOX.</p>","PeriodicalId":9175,"journal":{"name":"Bioscience, Biotechnology, and Biochemistry","volume":" ","pages":"371-381"},"PeriodicalIF":1.4,"publicationDate":"2025-02-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142827106","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Adapting Caenorhabditis elegans to evaluating functional foods and ingredients for cholesterol absorption.","authors":"Kanato Sakamoto, Tsuyoshi Kawano","doi":"10.1093/bbb/zbae193","DOIUrl":"10.1093/bbb/zbae193","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The nematode Caenorhabditis elegans is an excellent model organism for elucidating higher life phenomena. C. elegans and humans are common in many aspects. During our research on development and life span regulation, we identified RAB-18, a small guanosine triphosphatase (GTPase) involved in the membrane trafficking of NCR-1, a cholesterol transporter mainly expressed in the intestine. We expressed the human NPC1L1, an intestinal cholesterol transporter, in mutant C. elegans lacking NCR-1. NPC1L1-expressing animals revealed almost the same larval diapause in the presence of a diapause-inducing pheromone and lipid droplets containing cholesterol as in wild-type C. elegans. This result indicates that C. elegans NCR-1 and human NPC1L1 are exchangeable and that C. elegans RAB-18 transports human NPC1L1 to the apical membrane in the C. elegans intestine. This transgenic C. elegans could be adapted to evaluate functional foods and ingredients regarding cholesterol absorption.</p>","PeriodicalId":9175,"journal":{"name":"Bioscience, Biotechnology, and Biochemistry","volume":" ","pages":"342-346"},"PeriodicalIF":1.4,"publicationDate":"2025-02-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142812023","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Angiogenin-catalyzed cleavage within tRNA anticodon-loops identified by cP-RNA-seq.","authors":"Megumi Shigematsu, Ryuma Matsubara, Justin Gumas, Takuya Kawamura, Yohei Kirino","doi":"10.1093/bbb/zbae192","DOIUrl":"10.1093/bbb/zbae192","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Angiogenin (Ang), an endoribonuclease belonging to the RNase A superfamily, cleaves the anticodon-loops of tRNAs to produce tRNA-half molecules. Although previous studies have demonstrated the involvement of Ang in the pathobiology of neurodegenerative disorders, the characterization of Ang-generated tRNA halves in neuronal cells remains limited. This is partly due to the technical limitations of standard RNA-seq methods, which cannot capture Ang-generated RNAs containing a 2',3'-cyclic phosphate (cP). In this report, we established an Ang-treatment model using SH-SY5Y, a human neuroblastoma cell line, and demonstrated Ang-dependent accumulation of tRNA halves. By performing cP-RNA-seq, which selectively captures cP-containing RNAs, we identified Ang-generated tRNA halves and the specific cleavage positions within tRNA anticodon-loops responsible for their generation. Our results provide insights into the anticodon-loop cleavage and the selective production of a specific subset of tRNA halves by Ang.</p>","PeriodicalId":9175,"journal":{"name":"Bioscience, Biotechnology, and Biochemistry","volume":" ","pages":"398-405"},"PeriodicalIF":1.4,"publicationDate":"2025-02-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11840711/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142805604","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"A new phthalide derivative from the mushroom Cyclocybe cf. erebia culture filtrate affects the phase of circadian rhythms in mouse fibroblasts.","authors":"Yusei Kobayashi, Yuanyuan Lu, Nan Li, Naoki Endo, Kozue Sotome, Kotomi Ueno, Yu Tahara, Atsushi Ishihara","doi":"10.1093/bbb/zbae187","DOIUrl":"10.1093/bbb/zbae187","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Circadian rhythms are biological systems that provide approximately 24-h cycles for the behavior and physiological functions of organisms. As diverse modern lifestyles often cause disturbances in circadian rhythms, new approaches to their regulation are required. Therefore, new compounds that affect circadian rhythms have been explored in edible mushrooms. The extract from the culture filtrate of Cyclocybe cf. erebia showed activity that advanced the circadian rhythm in a bioassay with mouse fibroblasts expressing the LUCIFERASE protein under the control of the Period2 promoter. Bioassay-guided fractionation of the extract resulted in the isolation of the compound. Spectroscopic analyses identified the compound as a phthalide derivative, and the compound was named cyclocybelide. Treatment of mouse fibroblasts with the compound shifted the circadian rhythm forward, irrespective of the timing of treatment. In addition, some phthalide derivatives with hydroxy and methoxy groups showed similar effects on circadian rhythms.</p>","PeriodicalId":9175,"journal":{"name":"Bioscience, Biotechnology, and Biochemistry","volume":" ","pages":"354-361"},"PeriodicalIF":1.4,"publicationDate":"2025-02-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142827104","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Physiology of vitamin B12: a study on its molecular mechanisms using a Caenorhabditis elegans model.","authors":"Tomohiro Bito","doi":"10.1093/bbb/zbae169","DOIUrl":"10.1093/bbb/zbae169","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Vitamin B12 (B12) is a water-soluble substance that is a member of the B-vitamin family. Its recommended daily dose in adult men and women is 2.4 µg, which is the lowest among the 13 vitamins. B12 deficiency causes megaloblastic anemia and neurological disorders. It is also associated with cognitive decline, growth retardation, infertility, and other symptoms. Nevertheless, the detailed mechanisms of which remain unclear. Caenorhabditis elegans is a small organism, with a length of approximately 1 mm and a lifespan of approximately 3 weeks. It has similar fundamental biological structures, such as the muscles, nervous system, and digestive tract, with mammals. Previous studies have shown that B12 is required for the normal development of C. elegans, similar to that of mammals. The current study aimed to perform a detailed investigation of the mechanisms underlying the development of B12 deficiency using a dietary B12-deficient C. elegans model.</p>","PeriodicalId":9175,"journal":{"name":"Bioscience, Biotechnology, and Biochemistry","volume":" ","pages":"338-341"},"PeriodicalIF":1.4,"publicationDate":"2025-02-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142715415","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"The usefulness of Caenorhabditis elegans lifespan analysis in screening for functional foods.","authors":"Kayo Yasuda","doi":"10.1093/bbb/zbae178","DOIUrl":"10.1093/bbb/zbae178","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Caenorhabditis elegans is a type of nematode that has significantly contributed to aging research as a multicellular animal model because of its high reproductive rate, ease of cultivation, low cost, short generation cycle, body transparency, and eukaryotic nature. Since the discovery of long-lived mutant strains of C. elegans, signaling pathways involved in lifespan have been elucidated. Some of these pathways are shared with mammals, indicating that aging research in C. elegans may be applied to other animals, including humans. Studies on the mechanisms of aging have advanced with the availability of mutants for these pathways. In recent years, C. elegans has also contributed to the discovery of antioxidants and the elucidation of the molecular mechanisms responsible for the anti-aging effects of foods and traditional medicines with lifespan as an indicator. This review summarizes the characteristics of C. elegans for lifespan analysis associated with functional foods.</p>","PeriodicalId":9175,"journal":{"name":"Bioscience, Biotechnology, and Biochemistry","volume":" ","pages":"319-323"},"PeriodicalIF":1.4,"publicationDate":"2025-02-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142726202","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Isomaltodextrin inhibits kidney enlargement induced by a high-protein diet through its metabolism by gut microbiota.","authors":"Ryodai Takagaki, Jun Takahashi, Shin Endo, Ryota Kujirai, Mizuki Abe, Koichi Kikuchi, Chitose Suzuki, Yotaro Matsumoto, Yoshihisa Tomioka, Takaaki Abe, Hidetoshi Morita","doi":"10.1093/bbb/zbae188","DOIUrl":"10.1093/bbb/zbae188","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>To evaluate the effects of the soluble fiber isomaltodextrin in a protein-biased diet, a 21-day protein diet trial was conducted in rats, with 60% of the calories derived from protein. The results revealed that the high-protein diet alone led to a significant increase in kidney weight. In contrast, the consumption of water with 5% isomaltodextrin dissolved in it, along with a high-protein diet, suppressed this weight gain. To elucidate this mechanism, an analysis of serum urea toxins confirmed that the concentrations of phenyl sulfate were significantly higher with high protein, and significantly lower with isomaltodextrin. The impact of a high-protein diet increased phenol in cecal contents, an increase that was mitigated by isomaltodextrin. This suggests that the inhibitory effect of isomaltodextrin on renal hypertrophy was due to the suppression of urea toxin precursor production by the gut microbiota.</p>","PeriodicalId":9175,"journal":{"name":"Bioscience, Biotechnology, and Biochemistry","volume":" ","pages":"423-430"},"PeriodicalIF":1.4,"publicationDate":"2025-02-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142805792","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Caenorhabditis elegans as a model host to study effects of lactic acid bacteria and functional food factors.","authors":"Tomomi Komura, Yoshikazu Nishikawa","doi":"10.1093/bbb/zbae172","DOIUrl":"10.1093/bbb/zbae172","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Several approaches for regulating health and disease by intestinal bacteria, bacteria isolated from food products, and food factors have been investigated; however, the molecular mechanisms underlying the interactions between these bacteria and their hosts are still unknown. Caenorhabditis elegans is a crucial model for exploring various biological phenomena and has been used in studying intestinal bacteria, mainly in the field of anti-aging, anti-amyloid β activity in Alzheimer's disease, and its interaction to hosts. The nematode model is expected to be increasingly utilized for elucidating the interactions of beneficial bacteria or food factors with hosts. Herein, we review anti-aging and suppression of amyloid β expression in a C. elegans model fed lactic acid bacteria, and our developed methods for orally administering food factors and assessing advanced glycation end products as an aging indicator.</p>","PeriodicalId":9175,"journal":{"name":"Bioscience, Biotechnology, and Biochemistry","volume":" ","pages":"324-331"},"PeriodicalIF":1.4,"publicationDate":"2025-02-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142692708","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Screening of novel lactic acid bacteria with high induction of immunoglobulin A production, dendritic cell activation, and interleukin-12 production.","authors":"Keigo Tsuruno, Takashi Mawatari, Yukimasa Tanaka-Azuma, Atsushi Yamatsu, Soichi Tanabe","doi":"10.1093/bbb/zbae196","DOIUrl":"10.1093/bbb/zbae196","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>In this study, we screened 308 lactic acid bacteria strains for high immunoglobulin A (IgA) production, dendritic cell activation, and interleukin-12 (IL-12) production using human-derived cells. Among them, Lactobacillus helveticus GCL1815 demonstrated superior performance in all aspects, indicating its remarkable potential for immunomodulatory functions in both innate and adaptive immunity.</p>","PeriodicalId":9175,"journal":{"name":"Bioscience, Biotechnology, and Biochemistry","volume":" ","pages":"459-464"},"PeriodicalIF":1.4,"publicationDate":"2025-02-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142823491","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}