Noriyuki Iwabuchi, Yuki Tsuchiya, Tomoko Aizawa, Jun Ogihara
{"title":"Induced heat resistance in Rhodococcus strains via alkane phase translocation in aqueous-alkane 2-phase cultures.","authors":"Noriyuki Iwabuchi, Yuki Tsuchiya, Tomoko Aizawa, Jun Ogihara","doi":"10.1093/bbb/zbaf074","DOIUrl":"10.1093/bbb/zbaf074","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>We reported previously that approximately 70% of Rhodococcus strains translocate and grow well in the alkane phase of a 2-phase aqueous-alkane culture. In addition, we recently demonstrated that Rhodococcus strains are capable of growth in alkanes and that they utilize the dissolved oxygen present in the alkane phase. In this study, we observed that some of the cells remained viable even after boiling, suggesting that cells translocated into the alkane phase exhibit increased heat resistance. To clarify this phenomenon, we assessed the heat-resistance of rhodococcal cells. Findings showed that the cells that translocated into alkanes were capable of growth on agar plates even after heat treatment. LIVE/DEAD staining confirmed that a subset of the cells survived heat treatment, whereas those grown without alkanes did not exhibit this response. These results suggest that rhodococcal cells grown in the presence of alkanes became more heat-resistant than those grown without hydrophobic liquids.</p>","PeriodicalId":9175,"journal":{"name":"Bioscience, Biotechnology, and Biochemistry","volume":" ","pages":"1248-1255"},"PeriodicalIF":1.4,"publicationDate":"2025-07-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144075720","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":"Utility of a plastic film bag with high gas permeability and transparency for convenient observation of aseptic cultured cells.","authors":"Yuki Naka, Motomu Akita","doi":"10.1093/bbb/zbaf078","DOIUrl":"10.1093/bbb/zbaf078","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>We introduce a culture method using poly(4-methyl-1-pentene) film bags for continuous microscopic observation of explant cultures. We used the moss Physcomitrium patens as a model system. Expression of green fluorescent protein in moss gametophores is observable and protoplast regeneration into protonemata is achievable in the film-bag culture system. We demonstrate that the film-bag system allows observation and analysis of plant-fungus interaction.</p>","PeriodicalId":9175,"journal":{"name":"Bioscience, Biotechnology, and Biochemistry","volume":" ","pages":"1173-1176"},"PeriodicalIF":1.4,"publicationDate":"2025-07-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144131861","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}
Maimuna Qazi, Kota Kambara, Shashi K Gupta, Tetsuo Takano, Daisuke Tsugama
{"title":"Evidence that abscisic acid mediates gene activation under dehydrating conditions in pearl millet.","authors":"Maimuna Qazi, Kota Kambara, Shashi K Gupta, Tetsuo Takano, Daisuke Tsugama","doi":"10.1093/bbb/zbaf070","DOIUrl":"10.1093/bbb/zbaf070","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Pearl millet (Cenchrus americanus) is a drought-tolerant cereal crop. Differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were previously identified from multiple independent RNA sequencing (RNA-Seq) analyses of transcriptomes in dehydrated pearl millet plants. However, because such DEGs and their promoters were rarely compared between those independent analyses, upstream regulators of such transcriptomic changes remain unclear. Here, motifs in promoters of 68 sets of DEGs from publicly available 135 RNA-Seq data from unstressed and dehydrated leaves and roots were detected, which revealed that the majority of the sets of promoters of genes upregulated by such stresses contain abscisic acid (ABA) response elements. Genes potentially regulating ABA biosynthesis and signaling under such conditions were narrowed down by further analyzing the above data and newly obtained RNA-Seq data from ABA-treated plants and by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction. These results underscore the importance of ABA in pearl millet dehydration responses and the usefulness of promoter analyses.</p>","PeriodicalId":9175,"journal":{"name":"Bioscience, Biotechnology, and Biochemistry","volume":" ","pages":"1081-1091"},"PeriodicalIF":1.4,"publicationDate":"2025-07-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144109663","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":"Enhancement of carbohydrate metabolism by probiotic and prebiotic intake promotes short-chain fatty acid production in the gut microbiome: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled crossover trial.","authors":"Yuhei Baba, Daisuke Tsuge, Ryo Aoki","doi":"10.1093/bbb/zbaf071","DOIUrl":"10.1093/bbb/zbaf071","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) are thought to be a key factor in the health benefits of prebiotics and probiotics. This study investigated the effect of Bifidobacterium animalis subsp. lactis GCL2505 and inulin (BL + IN) on fecal SCFAs and gut microbial composition and function. A placebo-controlled, randomized, double-blind, crossover study was conducted with 120 participants. Two weeks of BL + IN intake significantly increased acetate, propionate, and butyrate concentrations and Bifidobacterium abundance compared to placebo. Functional analysis of the gut metagenome showed enrichment of genes associated with carbohydrate and amino acid metabolism, suggesting an enhanced capacity for SCFA production. A responder was defined as a participant with increased fecal SCFAs after BL + IN consumption. Responder metagenomes exhibited greater enrichment of genes involved in SCFA production and carbohydrate metabolism. In conclusion, short-term BL + IN ingestion may benefit healthy adults by increasing fecal SCFAs through influencing the composition and functional activation of SCFA-associated pathways in the gut microbiome.</p>","PeriodicalId":9175,"journal":{"name":"Bioscience, Biotechnology, and Biochemistry","volume":" ","pages":"1191-1202"},"PeriodicalIF":1.3,"publicationDate":"2025-07-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144075656","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":"Improved emulsifying property and reduced immunogenicity of β-lactoglobulin by conjugation with carboxymethyl cellulose of different molecular weight.","authors":"Moeko Ono, Tadashi Yoshida, Makoto Hattori","doi":"10.1093/bbb/zbaf069","DOIUrl":"10.1093/bbb/zbaf069","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>β-lactoglobulin (BLG) was conjugated with carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) by using 1-ethyl-3-(3-dimethylaminopropyl)-carbodiimide to improve its function. Three CMCs differing in molecular weight (1, 90, and 700 kDa) were used to investigate the effect of molecular weight of conjugated saccharide on the degree of functional changes. Reaction ratio was amino groups of BLG: carboxy groups of CMC: 1-ethyl-3-(3-dimethylaminopropyl)-carbodiimide (EDC) = 1:3.5:20 (molar ratio). Conjugation was confirmed by sodium dodecyl sulfate poly acrylamide gel electrophoresis. Composition of the BLG-low molecular weight (LMW) CMC, BLG-middle molecular weight (MMW) CMC, and BLG-high molecular weight (HMW) CMC was BLG: CMC = 1:1.26, 1:1.30, and 1:1.26 (weight ratio), respectively. Emulsifying property of BLG in the acidic pH range and in the presence of NaCl was much improved by conjugation with CMC and the conjugation with HMW CMC was particularly effective. Immunogenicity of BLG was reduced by conjugation with CMC. In particular, conjugation with MMW CMC was effective and brought about not only quantitative but also qualitative improvements.</p>","PeriodicalId":9175,"journal":{"name":"Bioscience, Biotechnology, and Biochemistry","volume":" ","pages":"1203-1211"},"PeriodicalIF":1.4,"publicationDate":"2025-07-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143972912","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":"Deficiency of BTB and CNC homology 1 promotes colon tumorigenesis by enhancing intestinal epithelial cell proliferation in mice.","authors":"Karen Kanamaru, Jun Tanikawa, Tomohisa Takagi, Akihiko Muto, Kazuhiko Igarashi, Yuji Naito, Yasuki Higashimura","doi":"10.1093/bbb/zbaf073","DOIUrl":"10.1093/bbb/zbaf073","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Intestinal epithelial cells serve as the frontline of host defense and function as a physical barrier. BTB and CNC homology 1 (Bach1) is a transcriptional repressor involved in gastrointestinal physiology, but its role in epithelial proliferation and colorectal tumorigenesis remains unclear. This study demonstrates that Bach1 deficiency promotes colonic epithelial proliferation and enhances colorectal tumorigenesis. In Bach1-deficient (Bach1-/-) mice, structural analysis revealed elongation of villi in the small intestine and pronounced changes in the colon, with increased Ki67+ and BrdU+ cells indicating hyperproliferation. In HT-29 colon cancer cells, BACH1 knockdown accelerated cell cycle progression by reducing G0/G1-phase cells and increasing S-phase and G2/M-phase cells, accompanied by upregulation of cell cycle-related genes. Additionally, in an azoxymethane-induced colorectal carcinogenesis model, Bach1-/- mice exhibited a significant increase in aberrant crypt foci formation. These findings suggest that Bach1 deficiency contributes to colorectal tumorigenesis by promoting epithelial hyperproliferation.</p>","PeriodicalId":9175,"journal":{"name":"Bioscience, Biotechnology, and Biochemistry","volume":" ","pages":"1120-1127"},"PeriodicalIF":1.4,"publicationDate":"2025-07-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144101385","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":"A cholic acid-supplemented diet suppresses very-low-density lipoprotein secretion in rats in the presence of insulin.","authors":"Fumika Yokoyama, Satoshi Tsuyama, Satoshi Ishizuka","doi":"10.1093/bbb/zbaf041","DOIUrl":"10.1093/bbb/zbaf041","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>We investigated whether dietary supplementation with cholic acid (CA) suppressed hepatic very-low-density lipoprotein (VLDL) secretion in rats. Dietary CA supplementation suppressed VLDL secretion in vivo in the presence of insulin. These results suggest that enterohepatic 12-hydroxylated bile acids further enhance insulin-induced suppression of hepatic VLDL secretion, which contributes to hepatic lipid accumulation.</p>","PeriodicalId":9175,"journal":{"name":"Bioscience, Biotechnology, and Biochemistry","volume":" ","pages":"1045-1049"},"PeriodicalIF":1.4,"publicationDate":"2025-06-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143668966","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":"Anti-allergic properties of Australian bee pollen.","authors":"Chie Watanabe, Taichi Mitsui, Satoshi Uchiyama, Tomomi Morimoto, Masashi Kato, Yoko Saito, Aoi Yanagihara, Ryo Miyata, Chihiro Honda, Shigenori Kumazawa","doi":"10.1093/bbb/zbaf045","DOIUrl":"10.1093/bbb/zbaf045","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Bee pollen, an apicultural product collected by honeybees from flower stamens, is attracting attention as a functional food material. Our previous studies have shown that the major components of Australian bee pollen are hydroxycinnamoyl acid amides (HCAAs) (1-4) and flavonoids (5-8). In this study, we aimed to elucidate the effectiveness of Australian bee pollen. Australian bee pollen extracts and their main compounds were tested for their inhibition of hyaluronidase activity and leukotriene B4 (LTB4) release. HCAAs strongly inhibited hyaluronidase activity and LTB4 release. Subsequently, the anti-allergy effects of Australian bee pollen extracts were studied using a guinea pig rhinitis model. Administration of Australian bee pollen inhibited nasal secretion in the guinea pig rhinitis model. Australian bee pollen, which likely exhibits anti-allergic properties, is anticipated to be highly valuable for use.</p>","PeriodicalId":9175,"journal":{"name":"Bioscience, Biotechnology, and Biochemistry","volume":" ","pages":"1000-1005"},"PeriodicalIF":1.4,"publicationDate":"2025-06-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143735614","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":"Different suppressive effects of canthaxanthin and fucoxanthin on cellular responses of human dermal fibroblasts to ultraviolet A irradiation.","authors":"Nao Wakuda, Yuki Manabe, Takuya Seko, Tatsuya Sugawara","doi":"10.1093/bbb/zbaf056","DOIUrl":"10.1093/bbb/zbaf056","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Ultraviolet A (UVA) exposure is a major cause of skin damage and changes in the skin's appearance. UVA promotes the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS), which damages dermal fibroblasts. ROS also induce the expression of matrix metalloproteinase-1 (MMP-1), an enzyme that degrades collagen, leading to wrinkle formation. We focused on carotenoids, widely distributed natural antioxidants, to find candidate cytoprotective and anti-wrinkle agents. Canthaxanthin and fucoxanthin suppressed the UVA-induced decrease in cell viability. Fucoxanthin also suppressed ROS production; hence, this may be a molecular mechanism. In contrast, canthaxanthin significantly suppressed MMP-1 mRNA expression in UVA-irradiated fibroblasts without inhibiting ROS production. Subsequent analyses suggested that canthaxanthin could bind and inhibit p38 kinase activity by which it shows a cytoprotective effect and an inhibitory effect on MMP-1 mRNA expression. These 2 carotenoids may be potential agents for attenuating UVA-induced skin damage, and canthaxanthin may be a potential anti-wrinkle agent.</p>","PeriodicalId":9175,"journal":{"name":"Bioscience, Biotechnology, and Biochemistry","volume":" ","pages":"1038-1044"},"PeriodicalIF":1.4,"publicationDate":"2025-06-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143978375","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":"Detailed analysis of amylose content of rice grains and its relation to the physical properties of cooked rice.","authors":"Eiichi Kimura","doi":"10.1093/bbb/zbaf053","DOIUrl":"10.1093/bbb/zbaf053","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Amylose content is a critical factor in the physical characteristics of cooked rice. This study analyzed the relationship between amylose content in grain and the physical characteristics of cooked rice by analyzing amylose content in stratified layers of rice grains. Amylose content in grain differed among cultivars and showed annual change in every analyzed cultivar. Regarding amylose content and cooked rice, \"surface hardness\" was related to amylose content localized on the surface part of grain and in the central part; \"overall hardness\" was related to overall amylose content, including the central part; \"surface stickiness\" was partly related to amylose content localized on the surface part; \"surface balance degree\" was partly associated with amylose content of the surface part; and \"overall balance degree\" was correlated with amylose content of the overall part. These results provide a basis for understanding the contribution of amylose to the properties of cooked rice.</p>","PeriodicalId":9175,"journal":{"name":"Bioscience, Biotechnology, and Biochemistry","volume":" ","pages":"1006-1014"},"PeriodicalIF":1.4,"publicationDate":"2025-06-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143975414","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}