Draft genome sequence data of multidrug-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa WO7 from a hospital wastewater treatment plant in Thailand.

Multidrug-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa WO7 was isolated from an untreated water sample from a hospital wastewater treatment plant in Thailand. This report presents the draft genome sequence data of P. aeruginosa WO7. Genomic DNA was obtained from a pure culture of P. aeruginosa WO7, and paired-end reads were generated using an Illumina MiSeq sequencer. The draft genome consisted of 111 contigs with a total size of 6,784,206 base pairs, an N50 of 209,424 base pairs, and a GC content of 65.85%. The dDDH value between WO7 and Pseudomonas aeruginosa DSM 50071T was determined to be 90.7%, indicating that the strain is Pseudomonas aeruginosa. The data presented indicate the potential for bacterial classification, comparative genomics, comprehensive analysis of antimicrobial resistance, and assessment of bacterial virulence factors in P. aeruginosa. The draft genome sequence data have been deposited at the NCBI under Bioproject accession number PRJNA550309.

Glucosidase inhibition and compound identification of stingless bee honey and preserved fruits of Citrus japonica.

Food preservation has many benefits, such as increasing shelf life, retaining nutritional values and biological activities. In the current study, total phenolic content (TCP), antioxidant and anti-glucosidase activities, and kinetic of glucose inhibition of stingless bee honey, honey mixed with fruits, and extracts of Citrus japonica were evaluated by measuring color of a reaction using a spectrophotometer. The result showed that high TPC was found in ethanol extract of C. japonica leaves and fruits (26.79 ± 6.94 and 12.79 ± 0.87 mg of gallic acid per g extract), while stingless bee honey revealed the highest antioxidant activity (1/EC50 = 0.2921) and honey mixed with fruits revealed the strongest anti-glucosidase activity (1/EC50 = 1.8181), significantly (P-value <0.05). Kinetic of glucosidase inhibition of honey were found as uncompetitive and mixed competitive inhibition, while the honey mixed with fruits showed mixed competitive inhibition. The FTIR and GC-MS analysis demonstrated the presence of several bioactive compounds. Very strong positive relationship between total phenolic content with GC-MS data was found (r = 0.926, P-value < 0.05). This knowledge confirmed that stingless bee honey and honey mixed with fruits had greater anti-diabatic potential in comparison with the extracts of C. japonica leaves and fruits.

Relationship between Potential Trace Elements Contamination in Sediment and Macrofauna in the Upper Gulf of Thailand.

The relationship between heavy metal contamination in sediment and macrofauna in the upper Gulf of Thailand is presented as an indication of the environmental quality of coastal waters. This study aims to monitor five heavy metal elements (As, Cd, Mn, Ni, and Pb) between sediment and the sandworm (Perinereis quatrefagesi (P. quatrefagesi)). The geoaccumulation index (I geo), enrichment factor (EF), and contamination factor (CF), including the pollution load index (PLI), were used for statistical analyses by one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA), and differences in the data were compared using the least significant difference (LSD) test. The sediment heavy metal concentrations were found to decrease (Al > Mn > Pb > Ni > Cd > As), and the quantity of heavy metal contamination in the sediment was not over the emergency point defined by the Pollution Control Department in Thailand. The Mn at the SH and SP points has I geo > 0 but <1 and is considered not polluted to moderately polluted. The EF overall is <2 and is deficient in mineral enrichment. The CF of the Samut Sakhon (SH) and Samut Prakan (SP) sites had high Al and Mn values, indicating a low pollution level, but the PLI had an all-site average of 0.0215 ± 0.0252, which is <1. This indicates that the present areas are close to ideal and not polluted. To measure heavy metals in macrofauna, P. quatrefagesi was assessed, and concentrations were found to decrease (Mn > Ni > Cd > Pb > As). The Mn between sediment and the sandworm was directly correlated (r = 0.976; p < 0.01). The sandworm performs as a bioindicator for the quality of coastal sediment, specifically with Mn; thus, the result present at a baseline level may grow in the future if there is no control measure for defensive measures.

Purification, crystallization and preliminary X-ray analysis of recombinant betaine aldehyde dehydrogenase 2 (OsBADH2), a protein involved in jasmine aroma, from Thai fragrant rice (Oryza sativa L.).

Fragrant rice (Oryza sativa L.) betaine aldehyde dehydrogenase 2 (OsBADH2) is a key enzyme in the synthesis of fragrance aroma compounds. The extremely low activity of OsBADH2 in catalyzing the oxidation of acetaldehyde is believed to be crucial for the accumulation of the volatile compound 2-acetyl-1-pyrroline (2AP) in many scented plants, including fragrant rice. Recombinant fragrant rice OsBADH2 was expressed in Escherichia coli as an N-terminal hexahistidine fusion protein, purified using Ni Sepharose affinity chromatography and crystallized using the microbatch method. Initial crystals were obtained within 24 h using 0.1 M Tris pH 8.5 with 30%(w/v) PEG 4000 and 0.2 M magnesium chloride as the precipitating agent at 291 K. Crystal quality was improved when the enzyme was cocrystallized with NAD(+). Improved crystals were grown in 0.1 M HEPES pH 7.4, 24%(w/v) PEG 4000 and 0.2 M ammonium chloride and diffracted to beyond 2.95 Å resolution after being cooled in a stream of N(2) immediately prior to X-ray diffraction experiments. The crystals belonged to space group C222(1), with unit-cell parameters a = 66.03, b = 183.94, c = 172.28 Å. An initial molecular-replacement solution has been obtained and refinement is in progress.

Simple and rapid determination of the enzyme kinetics of HIV-1 reverse transcriptase and anti-HIV-1 agents by a fluorescence based method.

Highly sensitive fluorescence dye, PicoGreen, can detect a small amount of polynucleotide duplex. The DNA/RNA duplex is a reaction product of HIV-1 reverse transcriptase (HIV-RT), which demonstrated that the HIV-1 RT kinetics and anti-HIV agent efficiency could be determined rapidly by a fluorometric method using PicoGreen dye. A small amount of dye is enough to test a minimal quantity of substrate to rapidly determine the enzyme kinetic properties K(m) and V(max). This method was applied to screen HIV-RT inhibitors. The enzymatic inhibition of 11 dipyridodiazepinone derivative inhibitors was compared. The IC(50) of all compounds was determined and it was found that two showed high inhibition efficiency. In addition, this method is applied for screening of many natural agents belonging to diverse sources. The proposed fluorometric method using PicoGreen dye is an easy, rapid, and sensitive detection method to determine HIV-RT activity, monitor enzyme kinetics and perform high-throughput screening of anti-HIV-1 RT agents.