{"title":"A novel paraprobiotic strain, Lentilactobacillus hilgardii H-50 enhances intestinal IgA production via TLR2-dependent IL-6 induction driven by its cell surface components.","authors":"Yoshinari Yamamoto, Rina Kanazawa, Yoshihiro Sambongi, Takuya Suzuki","doi":"10.1093/bbb/zbag098","DOIUrl":"10.1093/bbb/zbag098","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Lactic acid bacteria enhance intestinal immunoglobulin A (IgA) secretion; however, the underlying mechanisms are often strain specific. In this study, we found a novel strain, Lentilactobacillus hilgardii H-50, that enhanced intestinal IgA production among L. hilgardii strains. Heat-killed H-50 strain increased IgA secretion from mouse Peyer's patch cells and elevated faecal IgA levels in vivo. Although this strain also induced the secretion of interleukin-6 (IL-6) and IL-10, IL-6 was essential for IgA production, whereas IL-10 contributed less to it. Cell surface components, including cell wall components and S-layer protein, but not nucleic acids, enhanced IL-6 induction and IgA production. Furthermore, H-50 exhibited TLR2 ligand activity, and blockade of TLR2 signaling abolished IL-6 induction and IgA production. These results indicate that H-50 enhances intestinal IgA production via a TLR2-dependent, IL-6-mediated mechanism. This strain can potentially be used as a paraprobiotics.</p>","PeriodicalId":9175,"journal":{"name":"Bioscience, Biotechnology, and Biochemistry","volume":" ","pages":"1390-1398"},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2026-09-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148359260","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":"Dehydrometabolites of siphonaxanthin predominate in skin tissues and retain biological activity in keratinocytes.","authors":"Yuki Manabe, Natsuki Hashimoto, Chika Nakayama, Tomoaki Nitta, Tatsuya Sugawara","doi":"10.1093/bbb/zbag100","DOIUrl":"10.1093/bbb/zbag100","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Siphonaxanthin attenuated ultraviolet B (UVB)-induced cytokine expression in HaCaT cells and primary normal human epidermal keratinocytes. After oral intake of siphonaxanthin in mice, siphonaxanthin and its dehydrometabolites were detected in plasma and skin-related tissues, with dehydrometabolites predominating. The metabolites modulated UVB-induced responses as well as siphonaxanthin itself, suggesting that the metabolic conversion does not abolish the activity.</p>","PeriodicalId":9175,"journal":{"name":"Bioscience, Biotechnology, and Biochemistry","volume":" ","pages":"1416-1419"},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2026-09-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148395644","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":"Regulatory T cells link food and the immune system.","authors":"Satoshi Hachimura","doi":"10.1093/bbb/zbag132","DOIUrl":"10.1093/bbb/zbag132","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Professor Shimon Sakaguchi received the 2025 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for his discovery and elucidation of regulatory T cells (Tregs). This review celebrates his achievement by discussing the important role of Tregs in immune responses to food. Tregs, which primarily differentiate in the thymus, are integral to suppressing immune reactions to self antigens and thus maintaining self tolerance. In addition, peripheral Tregs may differentiate in other sites, namely the intestinal immune system. Immune tolerance may be established to orally ingested antigen, termed oral tolerance, and Tregs induced in the intestinal immune system are involved. In addition, Tregs mediate immunomodulation by food, such as the alleviation of pollinosis, and may be involved in suppressing inflammation in other situations. This review also addresses the mechanisms, including those mediated by dendritic cells.</p>","PeriodicalId":9175,"journal":{"name":"Bioscience, Biotechnology, and Biochemistry","volume":" ","pages":"1287-1291"},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2026-09-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148910805","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":"Correction to: Asymmetric synthesis of (+)-gomadalactones A and (-)-B: contact sex pheromones of white-spotted longicorn beetle.","authors":"","doi":"10.1093/bbb/zbag107","DOIUrl":"10.1093/bbb/zbag107","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":9175,"journal":{"name":"Bioscience, Biotechnology, and Biochemistry","volume":" ","pages":"1432"},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2026-09-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148700723","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}
Sota Honma, Aoi Kimishima, Taichi Kamo, Yukiko Ujie, Yukihiro Asami
{"title":"Identification of aurodox as a plant immunity inducer against suspension culture cells of Arabidopsis thaliana from the Ōmura natural product library.","authors":"Sota Honma, Aoi Kimishima, Taichi Kamo, Yukiko Ujie, Yukihiro Asami","doi":"10.1093/bbb/zbag097","DOIUrl":"10.1093/bbb/zbag097","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>When plants are infected with pathogens, they activate their immune systems, resulting in hypersensitive cell death, which prevents the spread of pathogens. Therefore, the compounds that induce plant immunity (ie immunity inducers) can protect plants from pathogens by activating the plant immune system without exhibiting antipathogenic activity, which may decrease the risk of drug resistance. However, the number of marketed plant immunity inducers is limited compared to that of marketed pesticides, and their plant protection efficiency remains insufficient. In this study, we screened for compounds that specifically potentiate pathogen-activated cell death from the Ōmura natural product library using an established high-throughput screening system with cultured suspension cells of Arabidopsis thaliana. Our results show that aurodox potentiates pathogen-activated plant cell death but exhibits weak antibacterial activity against Pseudomonas syringae pv. tomato, suggesting the potential of aurodox as an inducer of plant immunity.</p>","PeriodicalId":9175,"journal":{"name":"Bioscience, Biotechnology, and Biochemistry","volume":" ","pages":"1366-1371"},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2026-09-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148338076","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":"Structural elucidation of micro-scale natural products through analytical and synthetic approaches.","authors":"Yuta Kudo","doi":"10.1093/bbb/zbag099","DOIUrl":"10.1093/bbb/zbag099","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Natural products exhibit extraordinary structural diversity and play central roles in chemical ecology, biological interactions, and drug discovery. However, many natural products are available only in trace amounts, making structural elucidation a major analytical challenge. This review summarizes landmark studies and recent advances in the structural analysis of natural products available in microgram- to sub-milligram quantities. It focuses primarily on NMR-based structural elucidation, including the use of high-field instrumentation, cryogenic probes, and advanced pulse sequences, while also covering approaches based on comparison with synthetic standards, DFT-assisted structure validation, the crystalline sponge method, and MicroED. Representative examples, including natural toxins, biosynthetic intermediates, and microbial signaling molecules, illustrate how integrated analytical and synthetic approaches enable reliable structure determination from limited material. These methodologies provide an important foundation not only for natural product discovery but also for understanding biosynthesis, biological activity, and chemical ecology at the molecular level.</p>","PeriodicalId":9175,"journal":{"name":"Bioscience, Biotechnology, and Biochemistry","volume":" ","pages":"1299-1316"},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2026-09-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148359418","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":"Chemical studies on novel functional secondary metabolites from mushroom-forming fungi.","authors":"Jing Wu","doi":"10.1093/bbb/zbag113","DOIUrl":"10.1093/bbb/zbag113","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Mushroom-forming fungi, primarily belonging to Agaricomycetes, produce a wide range of unique bioactive compounds. Many of these compounds exhibit pharmacological activities. This review summarizes our studies on biologically active compounds isolated from mushroom-forming fungi. In our research, we isolated and structurally elucidated 56 bioactive compounds, including endoplasmic reticulum stress suppressors, osteoclast-forming suppressing compounds, and Axl and immune checkpoint inhibitors. Notably, we discovered strophasterols, which possess unique and unprecedented carbon skeletons. Furthermore, we demonstrated that cyclopropylvirgines, a unique class of cyclopropane-containing natural products, occur naturally as racemates in mushroom-forming fungi. These findings highlight mushroom-forming fungi as a rich and underexplored source of structurally diverse bioactive natural products with great potential for drug discovery and pharmaceutical development.</p>","PeriodicalId":9175,"journal":{"name":"Bioscience, Biotechnology, and Biochemistry","volume":" ","pages":"1292-1298"},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2026-09-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148560732","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}
Stanley Tabi Besong, Ziyun Zhang, Fofou Yonta Tostani, Nobuyuki Nishibe, Shinsaku Maruta
{"title":"Photoregulation of G protein Ras function using photoresponsive protein.","authors":"Stanley Tabi Besong, Ziyun Zhang, Fofou Yonta Tostani, Nobuyuki Nishibe, Shinsaku Maruta","doi":"10.1093/bbb/zbag111","DOIUrl":"10.1093/bbb/zbag111","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The small GTPase Ras functions as a molecular switch in intracellular signaling by cycling between GTP-bound active and GDP-bound inactive states. Here, we developed a photoregulated Ras (PR-Ras) by fusing the photoresponsive protein LOV2-Jα as a photoswitch to its N-terminus. PR-Ras retained intrinsic GTPase activity and reversible photoresponsiveness of LOV2-Jα, with no light-dependent changes in basal GTPase activity. In contrast, clear light-dependent regulation emerged in the presence of regulatory proteins, particularly the Ras-specific guanine nucleotide exchange factor (GEF) under limited GTPase activating protein conditions (GAP). Optimization of GAP concentration enabled visualization of GEF-dependent photocontrol across varying GEF levels. Importantly, disruption of the Ras-GEF allosteric interaction using a GEF mutant abolished light-dependent regulation. These findings demonstrate that PR-Ras photocontrol arises from modulation of regulatory interactions rather than intrinsic catalysis, suggesting that the Ras-GEF allosteric interaction contributes to this regulatory mechanism.</p>","PeriodicalId":9175,"journal":{"name":"Bioscience, Biotechnology, and Biochemistry","volume":" ","pages":"1357-1365"},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2026-09-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148547810","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":"Polyhydroxyalkanoate synthase mutant derived from Bacillus cereus YB-4, which synthesizes lower molecular-weight polymers, exhibits higher enzyme activity.","authors":"Manami Ishii-Hyakutake, Unurbat Uranbileg, Yuki Miyahara, Takeharu Tsuge","doi":"10.1093/bbb/zbag110","DOIUrl":"10.1093/bbb/zbag110","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA) synthase (PhaRCYB4) from Bacillus cereus YB-4 is a useful enzyme that produces PHA with various molecular weights depending on the host. The PhaRCYB4 mutant with an amino acid replacement of alanine at position 77 with serine in the PhaCYB4 subunit, which synthesized lower molecular-weight PHA, exhibited 2-fold higher polymerization activity than that of the wild-type enzyme.</p>","PeriodicalId":9175,"journal":{"name":"Bioscience, Biotechnology, and Biochemistry","volume":" ","pages":"1428-1431"},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2026-09-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148519782","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":"Isolation and characterization of rare actinomycetes from diverse animal samples.","authors":"Nozomi Mosu, Kou Nakamura, Sayu Yatagai, Namiho Suzuki, Chihiro Kase, Naoyuki Aihara, Hirotaka Katahira, Mari Kobayashi, Kei Kazama, Yushi Futamura, Jumpei Uchiyama, Shinji Kamisuki","doi":"10.1093/bbb/zbag101","DOIUrl":"10.1093/bbb/zbag101","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>We isolated 61 actinomycete strains from diverse animal-derived samples. Although Streptomyces predominates in soil environments, actinomycetes recovered from animal samples were primarily non-Streptomyces taxa, including rare genera such as Micromonospora sp. The antimicrobial activities of the isolated actinomycetes were evaluated, and several strains exhibited antibacterial and antifungal activities. These findings highlight animal-derived actinomycetes as promising sources of bioactive natural products.</p>","PeriodicalId":9175,"journal":{"name":"Bioscience, Biotechnology, and Biochemistry","volume":" ","pages":"1334-1338"},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2026-09-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148418664","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}