Molecular Detection and Genotyping of Enterocytozoon bieneusi in Pigs in Shanxi Province, North China.

Enterocytozoon bieneusi is a common opportunistic intestinal pathogen that can cause acute diarrhea in immunosuppressed humans and animals. Though E. bieneusi has been widely detected in pigs around the world, little is known of its prevalence and genotype distribution in pigs in Shanxi province, north China. In this study, a total of 362 fecal samples were collected from pigs in three representative counties in north, south, and central Shanxi province, China. The prevalence and genotypes of E. bieneusi were investigated by nested PCR amplification of the ribosomal internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region of the ribosomal RNA (rRNA) gene. Overall, the prevalence of E. bieneusi in pigs in Shanxi province was 54.70% (198/362). Statistical analysis showed the difference in prevalence was statistically significant between regions (χ2 = 41.94, df = 2, P < 0.001) and ages (χ2 = 80.37, df = 1, P < 0.001). In addition, 16 genotypes of E. bieneusi were identified in this study by sequence analysis of the ITS region, including 15 known genotypes (EbpC, EbpA, EbpB, pigEb4, PigEBITS5, I, Henan-I, G, WildBoar 7, SH10, EbpD, CHC5, PigSpEb1, PigSpEb2, and CHG19) and one novel genotype (designated as PigSX-1). Phylogenetic analysis revealed that 14 known genotypes and the novel genotype were clustered into Group 1, whereas genotype I belonged to Group 2. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report on the prevalence and genotypes of E. bieneusi in pigs in Shanxi province. These findings enrich the genetic diversity of E. bieneusi and provide the baseline data for the prevention and control of E. bieneusi in pigs in the study regions.

Engineering Saccharomyces cerevisiae for Hyperproduction of ß-Amyrin by Mitigating the Inhibition Effect of Squalene on ß-Amyrin Synthase.

The study aims to enhance ß-amyrin production in Saccharomyces cerevisiae by peroxisome compartmentalization. First, overaccumulated squalene was determined as a key limiting factor for the production of ß-amyrin since it could inhibit the activity of ß-amyrin synthase GgbAs1. Second, to mitigate the inhibition effect, the enhanced squalene synthesis pathway was compartmentalized into peroxisomes to insulate overaccumulated squalene from GgbAs1, and thus the specific titer of ß-amyrin reached 57.8 mg/g dry cell weight (DCW), which was 2.6-fold higher than that of the cytosol engineering strain. Third, by combining peroxisome compartmentalization with the "push-pull-restrain" strategy (ERG1 and GgbAs1 overexpression and ERG7 weakening), the production of ß-amyrin was further increased to 81.0 mg/g DCW (347.0 mg/L). Finally, through fed-batch fermentation in a 5 L fermenter, the titer of ß-amyrin reached 2.6 g/L, which is the highest reported to date. The study provides a new perspective to engineering yeasts as a platform for triterpene production.

Metabolic compartmentalization in yeast mitochondria: Burden and solution for squalene overproduction.

Harnessing mitochondria is considered as a promising method for biosynthesis of terpenes due to the adequate supply of acetyl-CoA and redox equivalents in mitochondria. However, mitochondrial engineering often causes serious metabolic burden indicated by poor cell growth. Here, we systematically analyzed the metabolic burden caused by the compartmentalization of the MVA pathway in yeast mitochondria for squalene synthesis. The phosphorylated intermediates of the MVA pathway, especially mevalonate-5-P and mevalonate-5-PP, conferred serious toxicity within mitochondria, which significantly compromised its possible advantages for squalene synthesis and was difficult to be significantly improved by routine pathway optimization. These phosphorylated intermediates were converted into ATP analogues, which strongly inhibited ATP-related cell function, such as mitochondrial oxidative respiration. Fortunately, the introduction of a partial MVA pathway from acetyl-CoA to mevalonate in mitochondria as well as the augmentation of the synthesis of mevalonate in cytosol could significantly promote the growth of yeasts. Accordingly, a combinatorial strategy of cytoplasmic and mitochondrial engineering was proposed to alleviate the metabolic burden caused by the compartmentalized MVA pathway in mitochondria and improve cell growth. The strategy also displayed the superimposed effect of cytoplasmic engineering and mitochondrial engineering on squalene production. Through a two-stage fermentation process, the squalene titer reached 21.1 g/L with a specific squalene titer of 437.1 mg/g dcw, which was the highest at present. This provides new insight into the production of squalene and other terpenes in yeasts based on the advantages of mitochondrial engineering.

Acylated Aminooligosaccharides from the Yellow Sea Streptomyces sp. HO1518 as Both α-Glucosidase and Lipase Inhibitors.

Three new acylated aminooligosaccharide (1-3), along with five known congeners (4-8), were isolated from the marine-derived Streptomyces sp. HO1518. Their structures were fully elucidated by extensive spectroscopic analysis, mainly based on 1D-selective and 2D TOCSY, HSQC-TOCSY, and HRESIMS spectrometry measurements, and by chemical transformations. All of the compounds were evaluated for their α-glucosidase and pancreatic lipase inhibitory activities. Among the isolates, D6-O-isobutyryl-acarviostatin II03 (3) and D6-O-acetyl-acarviostatin II03 (8), sharing acarviostatin II03-type structure, showed the most potent α-glucosidase and lipase inhibitory effects, far stronger than the antidiabetic acarbose towards α-glucosidase and almost equal to the anti-obesity orlistat towards lipase in vitro. This is the first report on inhibitory activities against the two major digestive enzymes for acylated aminooligosaccharides. The results from our investigation highlight the potential of acylated aminooligosaccharides for the future development of multi-target anti-diabetic drug.

Metabolic Engineering of Saccharomyces cerevisiae To Overproduce Squalene.

Squalene has wide applications in the food and pharmaceutical industries. Engineering microbes to produce squalene is a promising alternative for traditional production approaches. In this study, squalene production was enhanced to 978.24 mg/L through stepwise overexpression of the enzymes that catalyze acetyl-CoA to squalene. Subsequently, to increase the activity of HMG-CoA reductase and alleviate the high dependence on NADPH, the HMG-CoA reductase (NADH-HMGR) from Silicibacter pomeroyi, highly specific for NADH, was introduced, which increased squalene production to 1086.31 mg/L. Native ethanol dehydrogenase ADH2 and acetaldehyde dehydrogenase ADA from Dickeya zeae were further overexpressed, which enhanced the capability to utilize ethanol for squalene synthesis and endowed the engineered strain with greater adaptability to high ethanol concentrations. Finally, a remarkable squalene production of 9472 mg/L was obtained from ethanol via carbon source-controlled fed-batch fermentation. This study will greatly accelerate the process of developing microbial cell factories for squalene production.

The yeast peroxisome: A dynamic storage depot and subcellular factory for squalene overproduction.

Engineering microbes to produce terpenes from renewable feedstock is a promising alternative to traditional production approaches. Generally, terpenes are not readily secreted by microbial cells, and their distribution within cells is usually obscure and often a restricting factor for the overproduction of terpenes due to the storage limitation. Here, we determined that squalene overproduced in the cytoplasm of Saccharomyces cerevisiae was distributed in a form similar to oil droplets. Interestingly, these suspected oil droplets were confirmed to be inflated peroxisomes that were swollen along with the production of squalene, indicating that peroxisomes in S. cerevisiae are dynamic depots for the storage of squalene. In view of this, harnessing peroxisomes as subcellular compartments for squalene synthesis was performed, achieving a 138-fold improvement in squalene titer (1312.82 mg/L) relative to the parent strain, suggesting that the peroxisome of S. cerevisiae is an efficient subcellular factory for the synthesis of terpenes. By dual modulation of cytoplasmic and peroxisomal engineering, the squalene titer was further improved to 1698.02 mg/L. After optimizing a two-stage fed-batch fermentation method, the squalene titer reached 11.00 g/L, the highest ever reported. This provides new insight into the synthesis and storage of squalene in peroxisomes and reveals the potential of harnessing peroxisomes to overproduce terpenes in S. cerevisiae through dual cytoplasmic-peroxisomal engineering.

Characterization and engineering control of the effects of reactive oxygen species on the conversion of sterols to steroid synthons in Mycobacterium neoaurum.

The conversion of sterols to steroid synthons by engineered mycobacteria comprises one of the basic ways for the production of steroid medications in the pharmaceutical industry. Here, we revealed that high amounts of reactive oxygen species (ROS) generate during the conversion process of sterols, which impairs the cell viability of mycobacterial cells and thus hinders the conversion of sterols to steroid synthons. Accordingly, the endogenous antioxidants for detoxifying ROS in mycobacteria, ROS scavenging enzymes and low molecular weight thiols, were examined. The results revealed that three antioxidants, catalase (CAT), mycothiol (MSH), and ergothioneine (EGT), demonstrated efficacy toward neutralizing the excessive ROS produced during sterol metabolism. CAT overexpression or MSH or EGT augmentation enhanced the conversion of phytosterols to 22-hydroxy-23,24-bisnorchol-4-ene-3-one (4-HBC) by 18.9%, 23.8%, and 32.1%, respectively, and also enhanced the cell viability, indicating the benefits of these antioxidants in reducing ROS-induced stress. Further combinatorial augmentation of CAT, MSH, and EGT demonstrated enhanced effects toward intracellular ROS scavenging, resulting in 54.2% greater cell viability and 47.5% enhancement in 4-HBC production. These findings indicated that the excessive ROS induces cell stress, in turn limiting the conversion of sterols, whereas neutralization of the excessive ROS by combined control of CAT, MSH, and EGT serves as an effective strategy to boost the conversion productivity of sterols to steroid synthons.

Enhanced conversion of sterols to steroid synthons by augmenting the peptidoglycan synthesis gene pbpB in Mycobacterium neoaurum.

Some species of mycobacteria have been modified to transform sterols to valuable steroid synthons. The unique cell wall of mycobacteria has been recognized as an important organelle to absorb sterols. Some cell wall inhibitors (e.g., vancomycin and glycine) have been validated to enhance sterol conversion by interfering with transpeptidation in peptidoglycan biosynthesis. Therefore, two transpeptidase genes, pbpA and pbpB, were selected to rationally modify the cell wall to simulate the enhancement effect of vancomycin and glycine on sterol conversion in a 22-hydroxy-23,24-bisnorchol-4-ene-3-one (4-HBC) producing strain (WIII). Unexpectedly, the pbpA or pbpB gene augmentation was conducive to the utilization of sterols. The pbpB augmentation strain WIII-pbpB was further investigated for its better performance. Compared to WIII, the morphology of WIII-pbpB was markedly changed from oval to spindle, indicating alterations of the cell wall. Biochemical analysis indicated that the altered cell wall properties of WIII-pbpB might contribute to the positive effect on sterol utilization. The productivity of 4-HBC was enhanced by 28% in the WIII-pbpB strain compared to that of WIII. These results demonstrated that the modification of peptidoglycan synthesis can improve the conversion of sterols to steroid synthons in mycobacteria.

Engineering diverse eubacteria promoters for robust Gene expression in Streptomyces lividans.

Due to the lack of powerful gene regulation elements, the engineering development of Streptomyces is often limited. Here, we disclosed that the heterologous σ70 -dependent promoters, which have been reported as inefficient tools for gene expression in Streptomyces, could be efficiently recognized by Streptomyces housekeeping factor σhrdB. Therefore, an effective strategy was developed to engineer these promoters for robust gene expression in Streptomyces by fusing them with optimized 5'-untranslation regions (5'-UTRs). As a proof of concept, the widely used Ptac in E. coli was engineered by fusing its core promoter region with the 5'-UTRR15 from a relatively powerful Streptomyces promoter PkasO*R15 and resulted in Ptac*, the activity of which was 8.1-fold that of Ptac and 1.7-fold that of PkasO*R15 in S. lividans TK24. Next, the 5'-UTRR15 was optimized by randomizing the ribosome binding site (RBS). Based on the base biases of those RBSs with higher activity, eight artificial RBSs were rationally designed, and the optimal resulting promoter Ptac*RBS3 showed about 2.1, 3.6, and 17.6 times the activity of Ptac*, PkasO*R15, and Ptac, respectively, demonstrating that the heterologous Ptac was converted into a type of robust Streptomyces promoters. This study thus greatly expands promoter diversity for the engineering of Streptomyces.

Establishment of a low-dosage-IPTG inducible expression system construction method in Escherichia coli.

The lac operon is a delicate inducible gene expression element in bacteria. To efficiently induce gene expression, a sufficient dosage of an inducer, usually that of 500-1000 µM isopropyl ß-D-1-thiogalactopyranoside (IPTG), is required to keep repressor LacI from its binding sites, which is a heavy cost burden in low-value-added products. So we propose a strategy to reduce the required dosage of IPTG by restricting LacI expression. To test this strategy, we employed a reconstructed IPTG inducible expression system based on lac operon, Promoter(lacO)-target gene-PtacL-lacI, where a modified promoter, Ptac, with a random synthetic library (PtacL) to instead of PlacI to optimize LacI expression in Escherichia coli. Finally, the PtacL mutant, PtacL4, which could maintain the same repression effect as the original PlacI while reducing the required dosage of IPTG from 500 to 20 µM, was selected. This method is simple and efficient and can be of a good reference point for attempts to reduce inducer concentration in the IPTG or similar inducible expression systems.

Study on the chromosomal karyotype and G-banding of Alpacas (Lama pacos).

Blood samples from 23 Huacaya alpacas, 3 males and 20 females, were used to study chromosomes and karyotypes, so as to provide some effective cytogenetic bases for the selection, improvement by crossing, disease diagnosis of alpacas, and genetic mechanisms of sex determination. Peripheral blood lymphocyte culture was used to prepare chromosome. A method of trypase-EDTA was used for G-banding. The results showed as follows: The number of diploid chromosomes was 2n=74, with the karyotype 74, XY and 74, XX for males and females respectively. Thirty-six homologous pairs of chromosomes were autosomes, in which chromosomes pairs No.1 to No.20 were acrocentric-subterminal and No.21 to No.36 metacentric-submetacentric. And X chromosome was metacentric, Y chromosome telocentric. The analysis of G-bands showed that bright and dark bands appeared by turn. It showed different bands. And every pair of chromosomes had its distinct band, and the longer the chromosomes, the more the number of bands, and the more clear the bands.

The protective effect of ascorbic acid derivative on PC12 cells: involvement of its ROS scavenging ability.

L-ascorbic acid 2-phosphate-6-palmitate (Asc2P6P) was synthesized and its effect on the damage of PC12 cells induced by H2O2 was investigated. 200 microM H2O2 in a treatment period of 4 hours in our experiment resulted in substantial cell loss. With the increasing concentration of antioxidants, such H2O2-induced cytotoxicity was significantly prevented and the corresponding intracellular and extracellular ROS levels decreased concurrently by pre-treatment with Asc2P6P and Asc. It was found that Asc2P6P was superior to L-ascorbic acid in its protective role and showed a dose-dependent manner during a 24-hour treatment. The higher potency of Asc2P6P's protective role on PC12 cells was correlated with its more effective ROS scavenging ability. HPLC assay demonstrated that Asc2P6P could easily enter the cells and be converted into Asc persistently, which contributed to its distinguished role in protecting PC12 cells against H2O2-induced cytotoxicity.