Repurposing of SARS-CoV-2 compounds against Marburg Virus using MD simulation, mm/GBSA, PCA analysis, and free energy landscape.

The significant mortality rate associated with Marburg virus infection made it the greatest hazard among infectious diseases. Drug repurposing using in silico methods has been crucial in identifying potential compounds that could prevent viral replication by targeting the virus's primary proteins. This study aimed at repurposing the drugs of SARS-CoV-2 for identifying potential candidates against the matrix protein VP40 of the Marburg virus. Virtual screening was performed where the control compound, Nilotinib, showed a binding score of -9.99 kcal/mol. Based on binding scores, hit compounds 9549298, 11960895, 44545852, 51039094, and 89670174 were selected that had a lower binding score than the control. Subsequent molecular dynamics (MD) simulation revealed that compound 9549298 consistently formed a hydrogen bond with the residue Gln290. This was observed both in molecular docking and MD simulation poses, indicating a strong and significant interaction with the protein. 11960895 had the most stable and consistent RMSD pattern exhibited in 100 ns simulation, while 9549298 had the most identical RMSD plot compared to the control molecule. MM/PBSA analysis showed that the binding free energy (ΔG) of 9549298 and 11960895 was lower than the control, with -30.84 and -38.86 kcal/mol, respectively. It was observed by the PCA (principal component analysis) and FEL (free energy landscape) analysis that compounds 9549298 and 11960895 had lesser conformational variation. Overall, this study proposed 9549298 and 11960895 as potential binders of VP40 MARV that can cause its inhibition, however it inherently lacks experimental validation. Furthermore, the study proposes in-vitro experiments as the next step to validate these computational findings, offering a practical approach to further explore these compounds' potential as antiviral agents.Communicated by Ramaswamy H. Sarma.

Anticancer Drug Discovery Based on Natural Products: From Computational Approaches to Clinical Studies.

Globally, malignancies cause one out of six mortalities, which is a serious health problem. Cancer therapy has always been challenging, apart from major advances in immunotherapies, stem cell transplantation, targeted therapies, hormonal therapies, precision medicine, and palliative care, and traditional therapies such as surgery, radiation therapy, and chemotherapy. Natural products are integral to the development of innovative anticancer drugs in cancer research, offering the scientific community the possibility of exploring novel natural compounds against cancers. The role of natural products like Vincristine and Vinblastine has been thoroughly implicated in the management of leukemia and Hodgkin's disease. The computational method is the initial key approach in drug discovery, among various approaches. This review investigates the synergy between natural products and computational techniques, and highlights their significance in the drug discovery process. The transition from computational to experimental validation has been highlighted through in vitro and in vivo studies, with examples such as betulinic acid and withaferin A. The path toward therapeutic applications have been demonstrated through clinical studies of compounds such as silvestrol and artemisinin, from preclinical investigations to clinical trials. This article also addresses the challenges and limitations in the development of natural products as potential anti-cancer drugs. Moreover, the integration of deep learning and artificial intelligence with traditional computational drug discovery methods may be useful for enhancing the anticancer potential of natural products.

Plant-Derived Natural Compounds as an Emerging Antiviral in Combating COVID-19.

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is a human virus that burst at Wuhan in China and spread quickly over the world, leading to millions of deaths globally. The journey of this deadly virus to different mutant strains is still ongoing. The plethora of drugs and vaccines have been tested to cope up this pandemic. The herbal plants and different spices have received great attention during pandemic, because of their anti-inflammatory, and immunomodulatory properties in treating viruses and their symptoms. Also, it has been shown that nano-formulation of phytochemicals has potential therapeutic effect against COVID-19. Furthermore, the plant derived compound nano-formulation specifically increases its antiviral property by enhancing its bioavailability, solubility, and target-specific delivery system. This review highlights the potentiality of herbal plants and their phytochemical against SARS-CoV-2 utilizing different mechanisms such as blocking the ACE-2 receptors, inhibiting the main proteases, binding spike proteins and reducing the cytokine storms.

Oxidative Stress and Natural Antioxidants: Back and Forth in the Neurological Mechanisms of Alzheimer's Disease.

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is characterized by the progressive degeneration of neuronal cells. With the increase in aged population, there is a prevalence of irreversible neurodegenerative changes, causing a significant mental, social, and economic burden globally. The factors contributing to AD are multidimensional, highly complex, and not completely understood. However, it is widely known that aging, neuroinflammation, and excessive production of reactive oxygen species (ROS), along with other free radicals, substantially contribute to oxidative stress and cell death, which are inextricably linked. While oxidative stress is undeniably important in AD, limiting free radicals and ROS levels is an intriguing and potential strategy for deferring the process of neurodegeneration and alleviating associated symptoms. Therapeutic compounds from natural sources have recently become increasingly accepted and have been effectively studied for AD treatment. These phytocompounds are widely available and a multitude of holistic therapeutic efficiencies for treating AD owing to their antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and biological activities. Some of these compounds also function by stimulating cholinergic neurotransmission, facilitating the suppression of beta-site amyloid precursor protein-cleaving enzyme 1, α-synuclein, and monoamine oxidase proteins, and deterring the occurrence of AD. Additionally, various phenolic, flavonoid, and terpenoid phytocompounds have been extensively described as potential palliative agents for AD progression. Preclinical studies have shown their involvement in modulating the cellular redox balance and minimizing ROS formation, displaying them as antioxidant agents with neuroprotective abilities. This review emphasizes the mechanistic role of natural products in the treatment of AD and discusses the various pathological hypotheses proposed for AD.

CRISPR/Cas9 as a therapeutic tool for triple negative breast cancer: from bench to clinics.

Clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR) is a third-generation genome editing method that has revolutionized the world with its high throughput results. It has been used in the treatment of various biological diseases and infections. Various bacteria and other prokaryotes such as archaea also have CRISPR/Cas9 systems to guard themselves against bacteriophage. Reportedly, CRISPR/Cas9-based strategy may inhibit the growth and development of triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) via targeting the potentially altered resistance genes, transcription, and epigenetic regulation. These therapeutic activities could help with the complex issues such as drug resistance which is observed even in TNBC. Currently, various methods have been utilized for the delivery of CRISPR/Cas9 into the targeted cell such as physical (microinjection, electroporation, and hydrodynamic mode), viral (adeno-associated virus and lentivirus), and non-viral (liposomes and lipid nano-particles). Although different models have been developed to investigate the molecular causes of TNBC, but the lack of sensitive and targeted delivery methods for in-vivo genome editing tools limits their clinical application. Therefore, based on the available evidences, this review comprehensively highlighted the advancement, challenges limitations, and prospects of CRISPR/Cas9 for the treatment of TNBC. We also underscored how integrating artificial intelligence and machine learning could improve CRISPR/Cas9 strategies in TNBC therapy.

Identification of small molecule inhibitors of RAD52 for breast cancer therapy: in silico approach.

The breast cancer susceptibility gene 1/2 (BRCA1/2) are the key regulators in maintaining the genomic integrity and mutations in these genes have been associated with development of breast and ovarian cancers. Also, synthetic lethality has been shown in BRCA1/2 deficient cancers, when the RAD52 gene is silenced by shRNA or small molecules aptamers, suggesting a role for RAD52 in the breast cancers pathogenesis. Thus, to find the potential inhibitors of RAD52, a collection of 21,000 compounds from the ChemBridge screening library was screened to conduct molecular docking and molecular dynamics simulation (MD) against RAD52. Further, the results were validated by a density functional theory (DFT) analysis and using post-dynamics free energy calculations. Out of all screened molecules, the docking study revealed five compounds were found to have promising activities against RAD52. Moreover, the catalytic amino acid residues of RAD52 developed stable contacts with compound 8758 and 10593, as anticipated by DFT calculation, MD simulation, and post dynamics MM-GBSA energy calculation. It appears that compound 8758 is the best inhibitor against RAD52 followed by 10593 compared to the other top hits, in terms of the HOMO orbital energy (-1.0966 eV and -1.2136 eV) from DFT and the post dynamics binding free energy calculation (-54.71 and -52.43 Kcal/mol). Furthermore, a drug-like properties of lead molecules (8758 and 10593) were also seen via ADMET analysis. Based on our computational analysis, we hypothesize that a small molecule 8758 and 10593 possess the therapeutic potential in the management for breast cancer patients with a BRCA mutation via targeting RAD52.Communicated by Ramaswamy H. Sarma.

Transcriptomic Profiling Unravels Novel Deregulated Gene Signatures Associated with Acute Myocardial Infarction: A Bioinformatics Approach.

Acute myocardial infarction (AMI) is a severe disease with elevated morbidity and mortality rate worldwide. This is attributed to great losses of cardiomyocytes, which can trigger the alteration of gene expression patterns. Although several attempts have been made to assess the AMI biomarkers, to date their role in rescuing myocardial injury remains unclear. Therefore, the current study investigated three independent microarray-based gene expression datasets from AMI patients (n = 85) and their age-sex-matched healthy controls (n = 70), to identify novel gene signatures that might be involved in cardioprotection. The differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were analyzed using 'GEO2R', and weighted gene correlation network analysis (WGCNA) was performed to identify biomarkers/modules. We found 91 DEGs, of which the number of upregulated and downregulated genes were 22 and 5, respectively. Specifically, we found that the deregulated genes such as ADOR-A3, BMP6, VPS8, and GPx3, may be associated with AMI. WGCNA revealed four highly preserved modules among all datasets. The 'Enrichr' unveiled the presence of miR-660 and STAT1, which is known to affect AMI severity. Conclusively, these genes and miRNA might play a crucial role the rescue of cardiomyocytes from severe damage, which could be helpful in developing appropriate therapeutic strategies for the management of AMI.

Determining Carina and Clavicular Distance-Dependent Positioning of Endotracheal Tube in Critically Ill Patients: An Artificial Intelligence-Based Approach.

Early and accurate prediction of endotracheal tube (ETT) location is pivotal for critically ill patients. Automatic and timely detection of faulty ETT locations from chest X-ray images may avert patients' morbidity and mortality. Therefore, we designed convolutional neural network (CNN)-based algorithms to evaluate ETT position appropriateness relative to four detected key points, including tracheal tube end, carina, and left/right clavicular heads on chest radiographs. We estimated distances from the tube end to tracheal carina and the midpoint of clavicular heads. A DenseNet121 encoder transformed images into embedding features, and a CNN-based decoder generated the probability distributions. Based on four sets of tube-to-carina distance-dependent parameters (i.e., (i) 30-70 mm, (ii) 30-60 mm, (iii) 20-60 mm, and (iv) 20-55 mm), corresponding models were generated, and their accuracy was evaluated through the predicted L1 distance to ground-truth coordinates. Based on tube-to-carina and tube-to-clavicle distances, the highest sensitivity, and specificity of 92.85% and 84.62% respectively, were revealed for 20-55 mm. This implies that tube-to-carina distance between 20 and 55 mm is optimal for an AI-based key point appropriateness detection system and is empirically comparable to physicians' consensus.

Molecular mechanisms of developmental pathways in neurological disorders: a pharmacological and therapeutic review.

Developmental signalling pathways such as Wnt/ß-catenin, Notch and Sonic hedgehog play a central role in nearly all the stages of neuronal development. The term 'embryonic' might appear to be a misnomer to several people because these pathways are functional during the early stages of embryonic development and adulthood, albeit to a certain degree. Therefore, any aberration in these pathways or their associated components may contribute towards a detrimental outcome in the form of neurological disorders such as Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and stroke. In the last decade, researchers have extensively studied these pathways to decipher disease-related interactions, which can be used as therapeutic targets to improve outcomes in patients with neurological abnormalities. However, a lot remains to be understood in this domain. Nevertheless, there is strong evidence supporting the fact that embryonic signalling is indeed a crucial mechanism as is manifested by its role in driving memory loss, motor impairments and many other processes after brain trauma. In this review, we explore the key roles of three embryonic pathways in modulating a range of homeostatic processes such as maintaining blood-brain barrier integrity, mitochondrial dynamics and neuroinflammation. In addition, we extensively investigated the effect of these pathways in driving the pathophysiology of a range of disorders such as Alzheimer's, Parkinson's and diabetic neuropathy. The concluding section of the review is dedicated to neurotherapeutics, wherein we identify and list a range of biological molecules and compounds that have shown enormous potential in improving prognosis in patients with these disorders.

Genome-Wide Scanning of Potential Hotspots for Adenosine Methylation: A Potential Path to Neuronal Development.

Methylation of adenosines at N6 position (m6A) is the most frequent internal modification in mRNAs of the human genome and attributable to diverse roles in physiological development, and pathophysiological processes. However, studies on the role of m6A in neuronal development are sparse and not well-documented. The m6A detection remains challenging due to its inconsistent pattern and less sensitivity by the current detection techniques. Therefore, we applied a sliding window technique to identify the consensus site (5'-GGACT-3') n ≥ 2 and annotated all m6A hotspots in the human genome. Over 6.78 × 107 hotspots were identified and 96.4% were found to be located in the non-coding regions, suggesting that methylation occurs before splicing. Several genes, RPS6K, NRP1, NRXN, EGFR, YTHDF2, have been involved in various stages of neuron development and their functioning. However, the contribution of m6A in these genes needs further validation in the experimental model. Thus, the present study elaborates the location of m6A in the human genome and its function in neuron physiology.

Reenvisioning Traditional to Regenerative Therapeutic Advances in Managing Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease in Diabetes Mellitus.

Reports indicate the increasing prevalence of liver disorders in diabetes mellitus (DM) patients. Clinically, it has also been revealed that the existence of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) enhances the incidence of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), while T2DM exacerbates NAFLD to extremely severe forms of steatohepatitis, cirrhosis, and hepatocellular carcinoma. This implies the coexistence and bidirectional nature of NAFLD and T2DM, which function synergistically to drive adverse consequences in clinical practice. For treatment of such comorbid state, though the existing practices such as lifestyle management, traditional Chinese medicines (TCM), and pharmaceuticals have offered somewhat relief, the debate continues about the optimal therapeutic impacts. Recent developments in the field of tissue engineering have led to a renewed interest in novel biomaterial alternatives such as stem cells. This might be attributable to their differentiation potential towards hepatic and pancreatic lineage. These cellular therapies could be further complemented by platelet-derived biomaterials, TCM formulations, or any specific drug. Based on these abovementioned approaches, we aimed to comprehensively analyze various preclinical and clinical studies from traditional to regenerative therapeutic approaches in managing concomitant NAFLD and T2DM.

Extracellular Vesicle-Based Therapy for COVID-19: Promises, Challenges and Future Prospects.

The COVID-19 pandemic has become a serious concern and has negatively impacted public health and the economy. It primarily targets the lungs, causing acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS); however, it may also lead to multiple organ failure (MOF) and enhanced mortality rates. Hence, there is an urgent need to develop potential effective therapeutic strategies for COVID-19 patients. Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are released from various types of cells that participate in intercellular communication to maintain physiological and pathological processes. EVs derived from various cellular origins have revealed suppressive effects on the cytokine storm during systemic hyper-inflammatory states of severe COVID-19, leading to enhanced alveolar fluid clearance, promoted epithelial and endothelial recovery, and cell proliferation. Being the smallest subclass of EVs, exosomes offer striking characteristics such as cell targeting, being nano-carriers for drug delivery, high biocompatibility, safety, and low-immunogenicity, thus rendering them a potential cell-free therapeutic candidate against the pathogeneses of various diseases. Due to these properties, numerous studies and clinical trials have been performed to assess their safety and therapeutic efficacy against COVID-19. Hence, in this review, we have comprehensively described current updates on progress and challenges for EVs as a potential therapeutic agent for the management of COVID-19.

Correlation between Diabetes Mellitus and Knee Osteoarthritis: A Dry-To-Wet Lab Approach.

Recent years have witnessed an increased prevalence of knee osteoarthritis (KOA) among diabetes mellitus (DM) patients-conditions which might share common risk factors such as obesity and advanced aging. Therefore, we conducted dry-to-wet lab research approaches to assess the correlation of type 1 DM (T1DM) and type 2 DM (T2DM) with KOA among all age and genders of Taiwanese population. The strength of association (odds ratio: OR) was analyzed using a phenome-wide association study portal. Populations of 37,353 T1DM and 1,218,254 T2DM were included. We observed a significant association of KOA with T1DM (OR: 1.40 (1.33⁻1.47), p< 0.0001) and T2DM (OR: 2.75 (2.72⁻2.78), p< 0.0001). The association between T1DM and KOA among the obese (OR: 0.99 (0.54⁻1.67), p = 0.0477) was insignificant compared to the non-obese (OR: 1.40 (1.33⁻1.48), p < 0.0001). Interestingly, a higher association between T2DM and KOA among non-obese persons (OR: 2.75, (2.72⁻2.79), p < 0.0001) compared to the obese (OR: 1.71 (1.55⁻1.89), p < 0.0001) was noted. Further, histopathologic and Western blot studies of diabetic mice knee joints revealed enhanced carboxymethyl lysine (advanced glycation end product), matrix metalloproteinase-1, and reduced cartilage-specific proteins, including type II collagen (Col II), SOX9, and aggrecan (AGN), indicating deteriorated articular cartilage and proteoglycans. Results indicate that DM is strongly associated with KOA, and obesity may not be a confounding factor.

Revisiting the Advances in Isolation, Characterization and Secretome of Adipose-Derived Stromal/Stem Cells.

Adipose-derived stromal/stem cells (ASCs) seems to be a promising regenerative therapeutic agent due to the minimally invasive approach of their harvest and multi-lineage differentiation potential. The harvested adipose tissues are further digested to extract stromal vascular fraction (SVF), which is cultured, and the anchorage-dependent cells are isolated in order to characterize their stemness, surface markers, and multi-differentiation potential. The differentiation potential of ASCs is directed through manipulating culture medium composition with an introduction of growth factors to obtain the desired cell type. ASCs have been widely studied for its regenerative therapeutic solution to neurologic, skin, wound, muscle, bone, and other disorders. These therapeutic outcomes of ASCs are achieved possibly via autocrine and paracrine effects of their secretome comprising of cytokines, extracellular proteins and RNAs. Therefore, secretome-derivatives might offer huge advantages over cells through their synthesis and storage for long-term use. When considering the therapeutic significance and future prospects of ASCs, this review summarizes the recent developments made in harvesting, isolation, and characterization. Furthermore, this article also provides a deeper insight into secretome of ASCs mediating regenerative efficacy.

Addressing Stem Cell Therapeutic Approaches in Pathobiology of Diabetes and Its Complications.

High morbidity and mortality of diabetes mellitus (DM) throughout the human population is a serious threat which needs to be addressed cautiously. Type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) and type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) are most prevalent forms. Disruption in insulin regulation and resistance leads to increased formation and accumulation of advanced end products (AGEs), which further enhance oxidative and nitrosative stress leading to microvascular (retinopathy, neuropathy, and nephropathy) and macrovascular complications. These complications affect the normal function of organ and tissues and may cause life-threatening disorders, if hyperglycemia persists and improperly controlled. Current and traditional treatment procedures are only focused on to regulate the insulin level and do not cure the diabetic complications. Pancreatic transplantation seemed a viable alternative; however, it is limited due to lack of donors. Cell-based therapy such as stem cells is considered as a promising therapeutic agent against DM and diabetic complications owing to their multilineage differentiation and regeneration potential. Previous studies have demonstrated the various impacts of both pluripotent and multipotent stem cells on DM and its micro- and macrovascular complications. Therefore, this review summarizes the potential of stem cells to treat DM and its related complications.

Enhancing cellulose functionalities by size reduction using media-mill.

This study explored the feasibility of enhancing cellulose functionalities by using media milling to reduce the size of cellulose particles, and assayed various physicochemical and physiological properties of the resulting cellulose. Cellulose has been recognized as dietary fiber by USFDA due to its health benefits. However, its properties like low degradability, stiff texture, and insolubility in water limits its applicability in foods. Milling reduced the volume mean size of cellulose from 25.7 µm to 0.9 µm, which in turn increased the specific surface area (36.78-fold), and swelling capacity (9-fold). Conversely, a reduction in the bulk density (1.41 to 1.32 g/mL) and intrinsic viscosity (165.64 to 77.28 mL/g) were found. The milled cellulose also had significantly enhanced capacity for holding water and binding bile acids and sugars. Moreover, the size reduction also resulted in increased fermentability of cellulose into short chain fatty acids using three human fecal microflora samples. The increase in production of acetate (2880.60%), propionate (2738.52%), and butyrate (2865.89%) after fermentation of cellulose for 24 h were significantly enhanced by size reduction. With these improved characteristics, the milled cellulose might have beneficial physiological effects including laxation as well as reduced blood cholesterol and glucose attenuation.

Combating Osteoarthritis through Stem Cell Therapies by Rejuvenating Cartilage: A Review.

Knee osteoarthritis (OA) is a chronic degenerative disorder which could be distinguished by erosion of articular cartilage, pain, stiffness, and crepitus. Not only aging-associated alterations but also the metabolic factors such as hyperglycemia, dyslipidemia, and obesity affect articular tissues and may initiate or exacerbate the OA. The poor self-healing ability of articular cartilage due to limited regeneration in chondrocytes further adversely affects the osteoarthritic microenvironment. Traditional and current surgical treatment procedures for OA are limited and incapable to reverse the damage of articular cartilage. To overcome these limitations, cell-based therapies are currently being employed to repair and regenerate the structure and function of articular tissues. These therapies not only depend upon source and type of stem cells but also on environmental conditions, growth factors, and chemical and mechanical stimuli. Recently, the pluripotent and various multipotent mesenchymal stem cells have been employed for OA therapy, due to their differentiation potential towards chondrogenic lineage. Additionally, the stem cells have also been supplemented with growth factors to achieve higher healing response in osteoarthritic cartilage. In this review, we summarized the current status of stem cell therapies in OA pathophysiology and also highlighted the potential areas of further research needed in regenerative medicine.

Association between anxiety state and mitral valve disorders: A Taiwanese population-wide observational study.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Despite substantial research progress in concurrent diseases, for instance comorbidities involving anxiety state (AS) and mitral valve disorders (MVD), the current measures and care are limited and no consensus about their association has yet been reached. Hence, this study aims to analyze the prevalence and association between AS and MVD among Taiwanese population. METHODS: We employed phenome-wide association study (PWAS) portal to investigate the association between AS and MVD using claim data of Taiwan's National Health Insurance Research Database (NHIRD) from year 2000 to 2002. Association strength between AS and MVD was analyzed among overall age and gender groups. RESULTS: We found an overall stronger association between AS and MVD, which was significantly higher in younger age group (OR 15, 95% CI 14.82-16.88) than in the elderly age group (OR 1.99, 95% CI 1.76-2.24). Also, the study reveals a higher incidence of co-occurrence in females than males, particularly in age group of 40-49. CONCLUSIONS: Based on our results showing considerable strength of association between AS and MVD, this study suggests the necessity of MVD assessment in all patients with AS, particularly in younger females. Moreover, we also propose psychotherapeutic as well as pharmacologic intervention for comorbidity-based pathologies to better the quality care for high-need Taiwanese population.

Screening of natural yeast isolates under the effects of stresses associated with second-generation biofuel production.

Robust microorganisms are required for sustainable second-generation biofuel production. We evaluated the growth and fermentation performance of six natural isolates that were derived from grape wine and medicinal herbs using a wide range of carbon sources, rice and wheat straw hydrolysates as well as stress conditions associated with second-generation ethanol production. Sequence analysis of the 5.8S internal transcribed spacer (ITS) and species-specific PCR amplification of the HO gene region assigned the natural isolates to Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) analysis of the mitochondrial DNA revealed that natural yeast isolates are genetically closer to the laboratory strain BY4741 than to the CEN.PK strains. Dextrose fermentation by a natural isolate, MTCC4780, under semi-anaerobic conditions produced maximum ethanol yields of 0.44 g/g and 0.39 g/g, respectively, with and without the stresses encountered during lignocellulosic ethanol fermentation. However, MTCC4780 produced ethanol yields of 0.48 g/g, 0.42 g/g and 0.45 g/g, respectively, with glucose, rice and wheat straw enzymatic hydrolysate fermentation in a bioreactor. The isolates MTCC4781 and MTCC4796 showed higher growth and fermentation performance than did MTCC4780 in the presence of elevated temperature and pre-treatment inhibitors. Taken together, the MTCC4780, MTCC4781 and MTCC4796 strains have the potential to serve as a platform for lignocellulosic ethanol production under stresses associated with second-generation biofuel production.