Development of a versatile method for targeted gene deletion and insertion by using the pyrF gene in the psychrotrophic bacterium, Shewanella livingstonensis Ac10
Tomokazu Ito, Chunjie Gong, Jun Kawamoto, Tatsuo Kurihara

Antimicrobial activity against Porphyromonas gingivalis and mechanism of action of the cationic octadecapeptide AmyI-1-18 and its amino acid-substituted analogs
Masayuki Taniguchi, Akihito Ochiai, Kiyoshi Takahashi, Shun-ichi Nakamichi, Takafumi Nomoto, Eiichi Saitoh, Tetsuo Kato, Takaaki Tanaka

In vitro synthesis of polyhydroxyalkanoates using thermostable acetyl-CoA synthetase, CoA transferase, and PHA synthase from thermotorelant bacteria
Kenji Tajima, Xuerong Han, Yoshiki Hashimoto, Yasuharu Satoh, Toshifumi Satoh, Seiichi Taguchi

Highlights

・A gene of acetyl-CoA synthetase (ACSPt) was cloned from Pelotomaculum thermopropionicum JCM10971.
・A gene of CoA transferase (CTTt) was cloned from Thermus thermophilus JCM10941.
・ACSPt and CTTt were confirmed to have high thermostability.
・In vitro PHA synthesis was successfully performed by ACSPt, CTTt, PhaC1SG(STQK).
・Yields of PHAs at 37°C were 1.4-fold higher than those of the system with non-thermostable enzymes.

Novel synthetic kojic acid-methimazole derivatives inhibit mushroom tyrosinase and melanogenesis
Ming-Jen Chen, Chih-Chuan Hung, Yan-Ru Chen, Shih-Ting Lai, Chin-Feng Chan

Constitutive expression of recombinant human hyaluronidase PH20 by Pichia pastoris
Kuan-Jung Chen, Sabrina Sabrina, Nermeen S. El-Safory, Guan-Chiun Lee, Cheng-Kang Lee

Characterization of an O-methyltransferase specific to guaiacol-type benzenoids from the flowers of loquat (Eriobotrya japonica)
Takao Koeduka, Mami Kajiyama, Takumi Furuta, Hideyuki Suzuki, Tomohiko Tsuge, Kenji Matsui

Effect of NADH kinase on poly-3-hydroxybutyrate production by recombinant Escherichia coli
Peng-Hui Hong, Jie Zhang, Xiao-Jie Liu, Tian-Wei Tan, Zheng-Jun Li

Ophthalmic acid accumulation in an Escherichia coli mutant lacking the conserved pyridoxal 5′-phosphate-binding protein YggS
Tomokazu Ito, Ayako Yamauchi, Hisashi Hemmi, Tohru Yoshimura

Expression and characterization of alkaline protease from the metagenomic library of tannery activated sludge
Selvaraju Gayathri Devi, Anwar Aliya Fathima, Mary Sanitha, Sellamuthu Iyappan, Wayne R. Curtis, Mohandass Ramya

Extracellular mercury sequestration by exopolymeric substances produced by Yarrowia spp.: Thermodynamics, equilibria, and kinetics studies
Ganiyu Oladunjoye Oyetibo, Keisuke Miyauchi, Hitoshi Suzuki, Satoru Ishikawa, Ginro Endo

Highlights

・Mercury resistant Yarrowia produced exopolymeric substances (EPS).
・The biopolymer is a polyfunctional heterogeneous molecules.
・The biopolymer forms complex with mercuric ions through its functional sites.
・It binds Hg2+ via heterogeneous multilayer adsorption.
・Chemisorption as a rate-limiting step controls Hg2+ uptake during complexation with EPS.

16S rRNA gene-based comprehensive analysis of microbial community compositions in a full-scale leachate treatment system
Hoang T.N. Dao, Kyohei Kuroda, Nozomi Nakahara, Tsuyoshi Danshita, Masashi Hatamoto, Takashi Yamaguchi

Heterologous expression of a new manganese-dependent peroxidase gene from Peniophora incarnata KUC8836 and its ability to remove anthracene in Saccharomyces cerevisiae
Aslan Hwanhwi Lee, Chang-Min Kang, Young Min Lee, Hanbyul Lee, Cheol-Won Yun, Gyu-Hyeok Kim, Jae-Jin Kim

Highlights

・Transformation of Saccharomyces cerevisiae with a new MnP gene, pimp1.
・Heterologous expression of MnP gene from Peniophora incarnata.
・Ability of MnP gene to remove PAH in S. cerevisiae.
・Degradation rate of PAH was enhanced by the transformant with addition of Tween 80.

Comparative evaluation of short-term stress of Cd(II), Hg(II), Pb(II), As(III) and Cr(VI) on anammox granules by batch test
Cheng Yu, Yu-Xia Song, Li-Yuan Chai, Cheng-Shan Duan, Chong-Jian Tang, Mohammad Ali, Cong Peng

Styrene production from a biomass-derived carbon source using a coculture system of phenylalanine ammonia lyase and phenylacrylic acid decarboxylase-expressing Streptomyces lividans transformants
Ryosuke Fujiwara, Shuhei Noda, Tsutomu Tanaka, Akihiko Kondo

Novel spectrophotometric approach for determination of validamycin A in fermentation of Streptomyces hygroscopicus
Wei Li, Jinsong Feng, Yan Liu, Jing Jiang, Xiaodong Zheng, Wen-Wen Zhou

Highlights

・A stable relationship between pigment secretion and Val-A production was found.
・An equation with SA value of pigment to determine Val-A was fitted.
・Accuracy and applicability of Spectrophotometry was proved in determining Val-A productivity and screening high-yield mutants.
・Spectrophotometry assay is reported first as a rapid method in antibiotic fermentation.

Activation of CO2-reducing methanogens in oil reservoir after addition of nutrient
Guang-Chao Yang, Lei Zhou, Serge Maurice Mbadinga, Jing You, Hua-Zhen Yang, Jin-Feng Liu, Shi-Zhong Yang, Ji-Dong Gu, Bo-Zhong Mu

Highlights

・Nutrient addition activated CO2-reducing methanogens in the oil reservoir.
・Nutrient addition decreased Firmicutes as acetogens in the oil reservoir.
・The functional community in oil reservoir could be switched by the intervention.

Mechanoporation of living cells for delivery of macromolecules using nanoneedle array
Daisuke Matsumoto, Ayana Yamagishi, Megumi Saito, Ramachandra Rao Sathuluri, Yaron R. Silberberg, Futoshi Iwata, Takeshi Kobayashi, Chikashi Nakamura

Vessel-like channels supported by poly-l-lysine tubes
Nobuhito Mori, Yuya Morimoto, Shoji Takeuchi

Novel perfusion-decellularized method to prepare decellularized ureters for ureteral tissue-engineered repair
Shu-wei Xiao, Peng-chao Wang, Wei-jun Fu, Zhong-xin Wang, Gang Li, Xu Zhang

Acoustic vibration can enhance bacterial biofilm formation
Mark F. Murphy, Thomas Edwards, Glyn Hobbs, Joanna Shepherd, Frederic Bezombes