Efficient genome editing by CRISPR/Cas9 with a tRNA-sgRNA fusion in the methylotrophic yeast Ogataea polymorpha
Minori Numamoto, Hiromi Maekawa, Yoshinobu Kaneko

Improving the acetylcholinesterase inhibitory effect of Illigera henryi by solid-state fermentation with Clonostachys rogersoniana
Xue-Jiao Li, Jian-Wei Dong, Le Cai, Rui-Feng Mei, Zhong-Tao Ding

Highlights

・This is the first to report that pure strain fermentation processing of I. henryi.
・C. rogersoniana is an effective strain for fermentation of I. henryi.
・The AChE inhibitory activity of fermented I. henryi was improved significantly.
・A key biotransformation of (S)-actinodaphnine (1) to a new alkaloid 2 was found.
・New produced alkaloid 2 possessed stronger AChE inhibitory effect.

Orthogonal partial least squares/projections to latent structures regression-based metabolomics approach for identification of gene targets for improvement of 1-butanol production in Escherichia coli
Katsuaki Nitta, Walter A. Laviña, Sammy Pontrelli, James C. Liao, Sastia P. Putri, Eiichiro Fukusaki

Highlights

・This paper is the first report of an OPLSR-based metabolomics approach for strain improvement of 1-butanol producing E.coli.
・Resolving acetyl-CoA to acetoacetyl-CoA bottleneck reaction improved 1-butanol productivity in the highest producing strain.
・OPLSR-based metabolomics approach also indicated a CoA limitation in the highest producing strain.

Novel multifunctional plant growth–promoting bacteria in co-compost of palm oil industry waste
Clament Fui Seung Chin, Yoshihide Furuya, Mohd. Huzairi Mohd. Zainudin, Norhayati Ramli, Mohd Ali Hassan, Yukihiro Tashiro, Kenji Sakai

Highlights

・Twenty five strains with strong or multi-functional traits from unique co-compost were isolated.
・Citrobacter sedlakii strains exhibited a plant growth-stimulation in vivo plant cultivation test.
・Novel 3 strains were discovered for multi-functions as composting, plant growth promoting, and biocontrolling.

Isolation of six novel 7-oxo- or urso-type secondary bile acid-producing bacteria from rat cecal contents
Sarinya Tawthep, Satoru Fukiya, Ja-Young Lee, Masahito Hagio, Yoshitoshi Ogura, Tetsuya Hayashi, Atsushi Yokota

Switch on a more efficient pyruvate synthesis pathway based on transcriptome analysis and metabolic evolution
Maohua Yang, Ruonan Chen, Tingzhen Mu, Xiang Zhang, Jianmin Xing

Highlights

・A novel effective strategy to produce pyruvate was built based on ED pathway.
・Transcriptome analysis revealed the metabolic advantages of gluconate.
・The EMP and PP pathways were blocked in the new pyruvate producing strain.
・High pyruvate concentration and productivity was obtained in inorganic salt medium.

Continuous volatile fatty acid production from lignocellulosic biomass by a novel rumen-mimetic bioprocess
Hitosi Agematu, Takehiko Takahashi, Yoshio Hamano

Enzymatic characterization of a novel Xaa-Pro aminopeptidase XpmA from Aspergillus oryzae expressed in Escherichia coli
Mayumi Matsushita-Morita, Sawaki Tada, Satoshi Suzuki, Ryota Hattori, Ken-Ichi Kusumoto

Highlights

・XpmA is characterized as a novel Xaa-Pro aminopeptidase of Aspergillus oryzae.
・XpmA is activated by various divalent metal ions, especially Mn2+.
・XpmA can act in a broad alkaline pH range from 7.0 to 12.0.
・XpmA shows thermostability up to 50°C.
・XpmA is a halophilic aminopeptidase.

Probiotic-mediated blueberry (Vaccinium corymbosum L.) fruit fermentation to yield functionalized products for augmented antibacterial and antioxidant activity
Byung-Taek Oh, Seong-Yeop Jeong, Palanivel Velmurugan, Jung-Hee Park, Do-Youn Jeong

Comparison of electrochemical performances and microbial community structures of two photosynthetic microbial fuel cells
Wei Zheng, Teng Cai, Manhong Huang, Donghui Chen

Highlights

・Two newly algae cathode photosynthetic microbial fuel cells were constructed.
・Mediators decreased the redox current of SMFC but promoted performance of UMFC.
・Different bacterial structures caused performance difference between SMFC and UMFC.

Ecological distribution of extremely thermophilic bacteria belonging to the genus Calditerricola using the novel enrichment MPN-PCR method
Kathrina Mae Bienes, Minoru Ito, Kota Shiotsuka, Sachi Yamaguchi, Taiki Fujioka, Yukihiro Tashiro, Kenji Sakai

Characterization of novel Bacillus strain N31 from mariculture water capable of halophilic heterotrophic nitrification–aerobic denitrification
Fei Huang, Luqing Pan, Na Lv, Xianming Tang

Highlights

・A new halophilic Bacillus litoralis N31 was isolated from mariculture water.
・It had good heterotrophic nitrifying–aerobic denitrifying ability at high salinity.
・It preferentially removed ammonium in mixed N-sources by simultaneous nitrification and denitrification.
・Its nitrification rates increased with increasing initial image from 10 to 250 mg/L.
・It could be applied in marine aquaculture industry safely for water remediation and effluent treatments.

Transdifferentiation of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF)-secreting mesenchymal stem cells significantly enhance BDNF secretion and Schwann cell marker proteins
Metzere Bierlein De la Rosa, Anup D. Sharma, Surya K. Mallapragada, Donald S. Sakaguchi

Highlights

・MSCs were genetically modified to secrete BDNF.
・BDNF-hypersecreting cells stably released BDNF for multiple timepoints.
・BDNF-MSCs were transdifferentiated to Schwann-like cells (tMSCs).
・Transdifferentiated cells expressed higher Schwann cell marker proteins.
・tMSCs secrete BDNF that enhanced neurite outgrowth in PC12-TrkB cells.

Accumulative scFv-Fc antibody gene integration into the hprt chromosomal locus of Chinese hamster ovary cells
Xue Wang, Yoshinori Kawabe, Risa Kato, Takeshi Hada, Akira Ito, Yoshimasa Yamana, Masako Kondo, Masamichi Kamihira

Strategy for erythroid differentiation in ex vivo cultures: Lentiviral genetic modification of human hematopoietic stem cells with erythropoietin gene
Luisina A. Cappellino, Ricardo B. Kratje, Marina Etcheverrigaray, Claudio C. Prieto

Highlights

・hEPO-modified HSPCs produced and secreted recombinant hEPO into the culture medium.
・Modified HSPCs cultures showed erythroid differentiation in absence of exogenous hEPO.
・It is thus feasible that cultures self-stimulate their expansion and differentiation.
・This strategy aims to reduce the use of exogenous hEPO in erythroid cells production processes.