Molecular Insights into the Specific Targeting of c-MYC G-Quadruplex by Thiazole Peptides.

Stabilization of a G-quadruplex (G4) in the promotor of the c-MYC proto-oncogene leads to inhibition of gene expression, and it thus represents a potentially attractive new strategy for cancer treatment. However, most G4 stabilizers show little selectivity among the many G4s present in the cellular complement of DNA and RNA. Intriguingly, a crescent-shaped cell-penetrating thiazole peptide, TH3, preferentially stabilizes the c-MYC G4 over other promotor G4s, but the mechanisms leading to this selective binding remain obscure. To investigate these mechanisms at the atomic level, we performed an in silico comparative investigation of the binding of TH3 and its analogue TH1 to the G4s from the promotors of c-MYC, c-KIT1, c-KIT2, and BCL2. Molecular docking and molecular dynamics simulations, combined with in-depth analyses of non-covalent interactions and bulk and per-nucleotide binding free energies, revealed that both TH3 and TH1 can induce the formation of a sandwich-like framework through stacking with both the top and bottom G-tetrads of the c-MYC G4 and the adjacent terminal capping nucleotides. This framework produces enhanced binding affinities for c-MYC G4 relative to other promotor G4s, with TH3 exhibiting an outstanding binding priority. Van der Waals interactions were identified to be the key factor in complex formation in all cases. Collectively, our findings fully agree with available experimental data. Therefore, the identified mechanisms leading to specific binding of TH3 towards c-MYC G4 provide valuable information to guide the development of new selective G4 stabilizers.

Wound Microenvironment Self-Adjusting Hydrogels with Thermo-Sensitivity for Promoting Diabetic Wound Healing.

The hard-healing chronic wounds of diabetics are still one of the most intractable problems in clinical skin injury repair. Wound microenvironments directly affect wound healing speed, but conventional dressings exhibit limited efficacy in regulating the wound microenvironment and facilitating healing. To address this serious issue, we designed a thermo-sensitive drug-controlled hydrogel with wound self-adjusting effects, consisting of a sodium alginate (SA), Antheraeapernyi silk gland protein (ASGP) and poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) (PNIPAM) for a self-adjusting microenvironment, resulting in an intelligent releasing drug which promotes skin regeneration. PNIPAM has a benign temperature-sensitive effect. The contraction, drugs and water molecules expulsion of hydrogel were generated upon surpassing lower critical solution temperatures, which made the hydrogel system have smart drug release properties. The addition of ASGP further improves the biocompatibility and endows the thermo-sensitive drug-controlled hydrogel with adhesion. Additionally, in vitro assays demonstrate that the thermo-sensitive drug-controlled hydrogels have good biocompatibility, including the ability to promote the adhesion and proliferation of human skin fibroblast cells. This work proposes an approach for smart drug-controlled hydrogels with a thermo response to promote wound healing by self-adjusting the wound microenvironment.

A Study on Tencel/LMPET-TPU/Triclosan Laminated Membranes: Excellent Water Resistance and Antimicrobial Ability.

Medical product contamination has become a threatening issue against human health, which is the main reason why protective nonwoven fabrics have gained considerable attention. In the present, there is a soaring number of studies on establishing protection systems with nonwoven composites via needle punch. Meanwhile, the disadvantages of composites, such as poor mechanical performance and texture, impose restrictions. Hence, in this study, an eco-friendly method composed of needling, hot pressing, and lamination is applied to produce water-resistant, windproof, and antimicrobial Tencel/low-melting-point polyester-thermoplastic polyurethane/Triclosan (Tencel/LMPET-TPU/TCL) laminated membranes. Field-emission scanning electron microscope (SEM) images and FTIR show needle-punched Tencel/LMPET membranes successfully coated with TPU/TCL laminated membranes, thereby extensively improving nonwoven membranes in terms of water-resistant, windproof, and antimicrobial attributes. Parameters including needle punch depth, content of LMPET fibers, and concentration of TCL are changed during the production. Specifically, Tencel/LMPET-TPU/TCL-0.1 laminated nonwovens acquire good water resistance (100 kPa), outstanding windproof performance (<0.1 cm3/cm2/s), and good antimicrobial ability against Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus. Made with a green production process that is pollution-free, the proposed products are windproof, water resistant, and antimicrobial, which ensures promising uses in the medical and protective textile fields.

Value of rifampicin-resistant real-time fluorescence quantitative nucleic acid amplification detection technology in the fast diagnosis of pulmonary tuberculosis / 中国热带医学

@#Abstract: Objective　To evaluate the value and significance of rifampicin-resistant real-time fluorescence quantitative nucleic acid amplification detection technology (GeneXpert MTB/RIF) in the diagnosis of pulmonary tuberculosis. 　　Methods　The clinical data of 228 patients with suspected pulmonary tuberculosis, who admitted to Hebei Chest Hospital from January 2018 to December 2019, were analyzed retrospectively. The sputum was collected for GeneXpert MTB/RIF, sandwich cup liquid-based bacterial acid-fast staining smear microscopy (referred to as “sandwich cup method”) and Loop-Mediated isothermal amplification (referred to as “LAMP method”) and the results were statistically analyzed by SPSS 17.0 software. Results　Among the 228 patients with suspected cases, 200 cases were clinically diagnosed as pulmonary tuberculosis and 28 were non-tuberculosis. The positive detection rate of GeneXpert MTB/RIF (81.0%, 162/200) was significantly higher than that of sandwich cup method (62.5%, 125/200) and LAMP method (72.5%,145/200) (χ2=16.885, 4.049, P<0.05). Taking clinical diagnosis as gold standard, the sensitivity of GeneXpert MTB/RIF (80.00%,160/200) was significantly higher than that of sandwich cup method (60.00%, 120/200) and LAMP method (70.50%, 141/200) (χ2=19.048, 4.846, P<0.05). The diagnostic consistency of GeneXpert MTB/RIF (K=0.73) was higher than that of sandwich cup method (K=0.39) and LAMP method (K=0.56). Conclusions The GeneXpert MTB/RIF detection method is rapid and simple, and can diagnose pulmonary tuberculosis rapidly and simultaneously detect rifampicin resistance of Mycobacterium tuberculosis with high sensitivity. It has high clinical value for early diagnosis of pulmonary tuberculosis and guidance of treatment in general and specialized hospitals.

Highly Breathable and Abrasion-Resistant Membranes with Micro-/Nano-Channels for Eco-Friendly Moisture-Wicking Medical Textiles.

One-way water transport is a predominant feature of comfortable textiles used in daily life. However, shortcomings related to the textiles include their poor breathability and durability. In this study, low-cost and eco-friendly PLA/low-melt (polylactic acid) LMPLA-thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) membranes were fabricated through a needle punch/hot press and electrospinning method. The micro-/nano-channels, used for the first time, endowed the composite membranes with robust, breathable, moisture-permeable, and abrasion-resistant performance. By varying the nano- layer thickness, the resulting 16-40 µm membranes exhibited excellent one-way water transport, robust breathability and moisture permeability, and good abrasion resistance. Nano-layer thickness was found to be a critical performance factor, balancing comfort and protection. These results may be useful for developing low-cost, eco-friendly, and versatile protective products for medical application.

Triple quantitative detection of three inflammatory biomarkers with a biotin-streptavidin-phycoerythrin based lateral flow immunoassay.

Quantified inflammatory biomarkers are effective clinical strategy for correct and reasonable drug treatment. In the study, a triple lateral flow immunoassay (triple LFIA) had firstly been developed for specific and simultaneous detection of three pivotal inflammatory biomarkers (PCT, CRP and SAA) via biotin-streptavidin-phycoerythrin signal amplification system in one strip. The developed triple LFIA adopted phycoerythrin (PE) as chromophore to eliminate auto-fluorescence interference from plasma biomolecules and anti-PE mAb as single control line to reduce the nonspecific adsorption, which featured particular advantages in high sensitivity and specificity in a large range of analyte concentrations with the LODs of 0.106 ng/mL for PCT, 0.345 µg/mL for CRP and 3.112 µg/mL SAA, respectively. And the linear quantitative detection ranges were from 0.106 to 100 ng/mL, from 0.345 to 200 µg/mL, and from 3.112 to 200 µg/mL, respectively. Compared to commercial chemiluminescence immunoassay method, the correlations for tested PCT, CRP and SAA in 108 clinical samples were 0.989, 0.987 and 0.988, respectively. In summary, we had proposed a rapid and accurate plasma detection to measure inflammation factors, which facilitated the clinical value to achieve precise treatment.

Eco-Friendly Bio-Hydrogels Based on Antheraea Pernyi Silk Gland Protein for Cell and Drug Delivery.

The Antheraea Pernyi silk gland protein originates from natural organisms and synthesized by tussah silk glands and has widely potential biomaterial applications due to the superior biocompatibility. This study investigates the Antheraea Pernyi silk gland protein-based drug-loaded bio-hydrogels for bioengineered tissue fabricated by using an eco-friendly method without the harsh extracting process and the usage of toxic chemicals. The drug-loaded bio-hydrogels exhibited a porous structure and interconnected pore walls. The swelling ratio and water absorption of drug-loaded bio-hydrogels were, respectively, above 95% and 1.5 × 103%. The cumulative release of drug loaded hydrogels all reached more than 90% within 4 h, and this indicates the potential of drug-loaded hydrogels as future drug-carrying biomaterials. RSC96 Schwann cells cultured on drug-loaded hydrogels for 72 h under cell culture medium show no toxic effects and more pro-proliferative effects. The results suggest the suitability of drug-loaded bio-hydrogels as natural biopolymer for the potential in vitro RSC96 cell culture platform and other biomaterial applications.

An Eco-Friendly Antheraea Pernyi Silk Gland Protein/Sodium Alginate Multiple Network Hydrogel as Potential Drug Release Systems.

To improve the versatility of the sodium alginate-loaded bio-hydrogels, Antheraea pernyi silk gland protein/sodium alginate drug-loaded hydrogels were prepared by using an eco-friendly multiple network cross-link technology. Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy and UV-Vis spectrophotometer were used separately to evaluate the chemical structure and drug release behavior of drug-loaded hydrogels. The antibacterial drug carrier gels were evaluated by using inhibition zone test against the S. aureus and E. coli. The CCK-8 assay was used to assess the biocompatibility of drug loaded hydrogels. The FT-IR results showed that there was a strong interaction within the drug loaded hydrogels, and the ASGP was beneficial to enhance the interaction within the drug loaded hydrogels. UV-Vis spectrophotometer results indicated the cumulative release reached 80% within 400 min. Antibacterial bio-hydrogels had a good antibacterial property, especially the antibacterial bio-hydrogels with bacitracin exhibits superior to other antibacterial agents. The drug-loaded bio-hydrogels exhibited the adhesion and proliferation of RSC96 cells and perfected biocompatibility. This provides a new idea for further research and development of tissue-friendly drug-loaded biomaterials.

Further new nardosinane-type sesquiterpenoids from the Xisha soft coral Litophyton nigrum.

Further chemical investigation of the Xisha soft coral Litophyton nigrum has resulted in the isolation of four new nardosinane-type sesquiterpenoids, namely linardosinenes D-G (1-4). The structures of new compounds were elucidated by extensive analyses of their spectroscopic data and by comparison with the reported data of known related ones. All compounds exhibited weak inhibitory effect against bromodomain-containing protein 4 (BRD4), a promising therapeutic target in various human diseases, at a concentration of 10 µM.

Fabrication of Antheraea pernyi Silk Fibroin-Based Thermoresponsive Hydrogel Nanofibers for Colon Cancer Cell Culture.

Antheraea pernyi silk fibroin (ASF)-based nanofibers have wide potential for biomaterial applications due to superior biocompatibility. It is not clear whether the ASF-based nanofibers scaffold can be used as an in vitro cancer cell culture platform. In the current study, we fabricated novel ASF-based thermoresponsive hydrogel nanofibers by aqueous electrospinning for colon cancer (LoVo) cells culture. ASF was reacted with allyl glycidyl ether (AGE) for the preparation of allyl silk fibroin (ASF-AGE), which provided the possibility of copolymerization with allyl monomer. The investigation of ASF-AGE structure by 1H NMR revealed that reactive allyl groups were successfully linked with ASF. ASF-based thermoresponsive hydrogel nanofibers (p (ASF-AGE-NIPAAm)) were successfully manufactured by aqueous electrospinning with the polymerization of ASF and N-isopropylacrylamide (NIPAAm). The p (ASF-AGE-NIPAAm) spinning solution showed good spinnability with the increase of polymerization time, and uniform nanofibers were formed at the polymerization time of 360 min. The obtained hydrogel nanofibers exhibited good thermoresponsive that the LCST was similar with PNIPAAm at about 32 °C, and good degradability in protease XIV PBS solution. In addition, the cytocompatibility of colon cancer (LoVo) cells cultured in hydrogel nanofibers was assessed. It was demonstrated that LoVo cells grown on hydrogel nanofibers showed improved cell adhesion, proliferation, and viability than those on hydrogel. The results suggest that the p (ASF-AGE-NIPAAm) hydrogel nanofibers have potential application in LoVo cells culture in vitro. This study demonstrates the feasibility of fabricating ASF-based nanofibers to culture LoVo cancer cells that can potentially be used as an in vitro cancer cell culture platform.

Comparison of therapeutic effects between artificial dermis combined with autologous split-thickness skin grafting and autologous intermediate-thickness skin grafting alone in severely burned patients: A prospective randomised study.

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the therapeutic effects of artificial dermis combined with autologous split-thickness skin grafting (STSG) compared with autologous intermediate-thickness skin grafting (ITSG) alone in severely burned patients. Fifty-six severely burned patients admitted to our hospital from December 2017 to January 2019 were enrolled and evenly grouped according to the random number table method [AD-STSG group: 28 patients, receiving the treatment of artificial dermis (AD) combined with autologous STSG; ITSG group: 28 patients, receiving autologous ITSG treatment alone]. The healing time and Vancouver Scar Scale (VSS) score of the donor area and graft area, survival rate and infection status of the autologous skin, psychological status (determined by Self-rating Anxiety Scale and Self-rating Depression Scale), and the activity of functional parts of all enrolled patients were included in the evaluation. General items of patients in AD-STSG group and ITSG group, including age, sex, and degree of burn, were all comparable. A significantly shortened healing time of donor skin in AD-STSG group was observed when compared with ITSG group (P < .05) while the recipient skin healed in the same tendency between the two groups. In addition, 21 days after the operation, AD-STSG group presented with significantly higher survival rate of graft skin than ITSG group (P < .05) while same infection status was observed in the two groups. Significantly lower VSS scores were found in AD-STSG group than that in ITSG group 3-, 6- and 10-months after operation (P < .05). Statistical difference regarding psychological status of patients from two groups was unobservable before operation while significantly lower Self-rating Anxiety Scale (SAS) and Self-rating Depression Scale (SDS) scores were found in AD-STSG group than that in ITSG group 3-, 6- and 10-months after operation (P < .05). Also, AD-STSG group presented improved mobility of functional part than that in ITSG group 10-months after operation without statistical difference (P = .051). Artificial dermis combined with autologous split-thickness skin grafting showed better therapeutic outcomes for the treatment of severely burned patients than autologous intermediate-thickness skin grafting in terms of graft healing time, scar formation, psychological recovery, and perhaps in functional reconstruction.

Uncommon nornardosinane, seconeolemnane and related sesquiterpenoids from Xisha soft coral Litophyton nigrum.

Three new nardosinane-type sesquiterpenoids linardosinenes A-C (1-3) and four new neolemnane-type sesquiterpenoids lineolemnenes A-D (4-7), together with the related known compound 4-acetoxy-2,8-neolemnadien-5-one (8), were isolated from the Xisha soft coral Litophyton nigrum. The structures of these new compounds were elucidated by comprehensive analyses of spectroscopic data, in association withmodified Mosher's method and ECD calculations for configurational assignments and the absolute configuration of8was determined by X-ray diffraction analysis for the first time. Structurally uncommon nornardosinane and seconeolemnane skeletons for compounds 1 and 7, respectively, are rare carbon frameworks in naturally occurring sesquiterpenoids. The absolute configurations of 1, 7, and 8 were determined by modified Mosher's method, TDDFT ECD approach, and X-ray diffraction analysis, respectively. This is the first chemical study of L. nigrum and the first report of nornardosinane, seconeolemnane and related sesquiterpenoids from the genus Litophyton. The isolates 1-7 were evaluated for their cytotoxicity against THP-1, SNU-398, HT-29, Capan-1 and A549 cell lines and inhibitory activities against PTP1B, BRD4, HDAC1 and HDAC6 protein kinases. The results indicated that compounds 2-5 inhibited proliferation of human cancer cells. However, none of them were potent inhibitors of protein kinases.

[Effects of rapid and progressive ascent to Tibet plateau on cardiovascular function and stress factors of pre-selected expeditioners for Chinese Antarctic expedition for Kunlun station].

Objective: To explore the different effects of rapid and progressive ascent to Tibet plateau on cardiovascular function and stress factors in pre-selected expeditioners for the 31st, 32nd and 33rd Chinese Antarctic expedition for inland station, to provide a scientific basis for the selection of qualified expeditioners. Methods: A total of 85 pre-selected expeditioners for the 31st, 32nd and 33rd Chinese Antarctic expedition for Kunlun station were enrolled in this study. According to the different manners of entering the plateau, they were divided into the rapid ascent group by aircraft (RAG, n=55) and the progressive ascent group by train (PAG, n=30). Hemodynamics and electrocardiogram were examined at 4 m (Shanghai), areas at altitude of 3 658 m (Lhasa) and 4 300 m(Yangbajain), respectively. Saliva levels of stress factors, including testosterone (T), cortisol (COR) and immunoglobulin A (IgA), were tested by ELISA. Results: The heart rates (HR) were increased significantly, while the SpO2 was decreased significantly in the two groups within 24 hours at altitudes of 3 658 m and 4 300 m (P＜0.05), while there was no significant difference between the two groups at the same altitude. Compared with 4 m, the blood pressure (BP) of the two groups at 3 658 m and 4 300 m was significantly increased (P＜0.05), and some indexes of myocardial contraction and pumping function were significantly reduced (P＜0.05). However, due to the increase of HR, there was no significant change in Cardiac Output (CO). At 4 300 m, the Thoracic Fluid Content (TFC) of the rapid ascent group was significantly higher than that of the progressive ascent group (P＜0.05). Compared with 4m, there was no significant difference in salivary testosterone change between the two groups at 3 658 m above sea level (P＞0.05), while COR and IgA changes in the rapid ascent group were significantly higher than those in another group (P＜0.05). Conclusion: Compared with the progressive ascent by train,expeditioners that rapid ascent to high altitude have significant effects on cardiovascular function and the stress hormones and immunoglobulin levels in saliva. It's suggested that hypoxia adaptation before Antarctic expediting for Kunlun Station could ensure the selected expeditioners' physical and psychological health, so that the mission could be finished smoothly.

Improvement of Curvulamine Production by Precursors Co-addition Strategy in Liquid Culture of Marine-Derived Fungus Curvularia sp. IFB-Z10.

Curvulamine, a novel scaffold alkaloid with remarkable selective antibacterial activity, is produced by marine fungus Curvularia sp. IFB-Z10. However, its deep pharmaceutical research and application are severely restricted by the low yield, which needs to be solved urgently. The purpose of this study was to improve curvulamine production via precursors co-addition strategy and further reveal the regulation mechanism. In this work, the optimal precursors co-addition conditions were firstly obtained, and curvulamine production achieved 166.74 mg/L with the supply of 250 mg/L alanine and 200 mg/L proline at 60 h, which was 4.08 times that of control. It was observed that under alanine and proline stimulation, fungus exhibited the morphology of a small-diameter compact pellet. Furthermore, the organic acid levels in central carbon metabolism (CCM) were declined with precursors supplement. Besides, precursors also induced the critical biosynthetic gene transcriptions. The above findings collectively promoted curvulamine synthesis. Finally, Curvularia sp. IFB-Z10 fermentation process was successfully established by feeding alanine and proline at 0.021 g/L/h and 0.017 g/L/h rate from 60 to 72 h, and curvulamine production reached 133.58 mg/L in a 5-L bioreactor. The information acquired would facilitate the enhancement of curvulamine yield in submerged fermentation and the research on synthesis regulation of other alkaloids.

Geodermatophilus marinus sp. nov., isolated from the marine sponge Leucetta chagosensis.

A novel actinobacterium, designated LHW52908T, was isolated from a marine sponge, Leucettachagosensis, collected in the South China Sea. Phylogenetic analyses based on 16S rRNA gene sequences showed that strain LHW52908T was member of the family Geodermatophilaceae, with highest similarities to Geodermatophilus obscurus DSM 43160T (97.7 %), Geodermatophilus siccatus CF6T (97.6 %) and Geodermatophiluschilensis B12T (97.5 %). Multilocus sequence analysis confirmed that the strain should be a member of genus Geodermatophilus. Chemotaxonomic characteristics confirmed the genus-level affiliation of strain LHW52908T. Based on phylogenetic data, average nucleotide identity and digital DNA-DNA hybridization results, strain LHW52908T could be distinguished from its closest neighbours, representing a novel species of the genus Geodermatophilus, for which the name Geodermatophilusmarinus sp. nov. is proposed, with the type strain LHW52908T (=DSM 106570T=CCTCC AA 2018014T).

Ammonium Acetate Supplement Strategy for Enhancement of Chaetominine Production in Liquid Culture of Marine-Derived Aspergillus fumigatus CY018.

Pharmacological research on (CHA), a marine-derived quinazolinone alkaloid with significant cytotoxic activity, is restricted by low yields and is a problem that needs to be settled urgently. In this work, the selection of additional nitrogen sources and the optimization of additional concentrations and longer fermentation times using ammonium acetate, were investigated. CHA production was optimized to 62.1 mg/l with the addition of 50 mM ammonium acetate at 120 h of the fermentation in the shaker flask. This feeding strategy significantly increased 3- deoxy-arabino-heptulosonate-7-phosphate synthase activity and transcript levels of critical genes (laeA, dahp and trpC) in the shikimate pathway compared with the non-treatment group. In addition, the selection of the feeding rate (0.01 and 0.03 g/l/h) was investigated in a 5-L bioreactor. As a result, CHA production was increased by 57.9 mg/l with a 0.01 g/l/h ammonium acetate feeding rate. This work shows that the strategy of ammonium acetate supplementation had an effective role in improving CHA production by Aspergillus fumigatus CY018. It also shows that this strategy could serve as an important example of large-scale fermentation of a marine fungus in submerged culture.

Actinomadura craniellae sp. nov., isolated from a marine sponge in the South China Sea.

A novel marine actinomycete, designated LHW63021T, was isolated from a marine sponge, genus Craniella, collected in the South China Sea. A polyphasic approach was applied to characterize the taxonomic position of this strain. The strain was found to have scarce aerial mycelia that differentiated into spore chains. The cell-wall hydrolysates contained meso-diaminopimelic acid as the diagnostic diamino acid. Glucose, galactose, mannose and madurose were found in the whole-cell hydrolysates. The dominant polar lipids were phosphatidylinositol and diphosphatidylglycerol. MK-9(H6) and MK-9(H8) were the predominant menaquinones. The major fatty acids were iso-C16 : 0, iso-C18 : 0, 10-methyl C17 : 0 and C18 : 1 ω9c. The DNA G+C content based on the draft genome sequence was 72.0 mol%. 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis indicated that strain LHW63021T was a member of the genus Actinomadura and had the highest similarity to Actinomadura echinospora DSM 43163T (97.3 %). Phylogenetic trees supported their close relationship. The average nucleotide identity and digital DNA-DNA hybridization values between the whole genome sequences of strain LHW63021T and A. echinospora DSM 43163T were 79.13 and 23.20 %, respectively. The evidence from the polyphasic study shows that strain LHW63021T represents a novel species of the genus Actinomadura, for which the name Actinomadura craniellae sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is LHW63021T (=DSM 106125T=CCTCC AA 2018015T).

Micromonospora craniellae sp. nov., isolated from a marine sponge, and reclassification of Jishengella endophytica as Micromonospora endophytica comb. nov.

A novel marine actinomycete, designated LHW63014T, isolated from a marine sponge, Craniella species, collected in the South China Sea, was examined using a polyphasic approach. The 16S rRNA gene sequence of strain LHW63014T showed highest similarities to Jishengella endophytica 202201T (98.9 %), Micromonospora olivasterospora DSM 43868T (98.7 %), Micromonospora maris AB-18-032T (98.6 %) and Micromonospora gifhornensis DSM 44337T (98.6 %). Phylogenetic analyses of the family Micromonosporaceae based on the 16S rRNA and gyrB gene sequences indicated that strain LHW63014T and J. endophytica 202201T located within the genus Micromonospora. Morphological and chemotaxonomic characteristics confirmed their affiliation to the genus Micromonospora. Based on phenotypic characteristics, phylogenetic data and digital DNA-DNA hybridization results, strain LHW63014T could be distinguished from its closest taxa, representing a novel species of the genus Micromonospora, for which the name Micromonospora craniellae sp. nov., is proposed, with the type strain LHW63014T (=DSM 106193T=CCTCC AA 2018012T). It is also proposed that J. endophytica be transferred to genus Micromonospora as Micromonospora endophytica comb. nov. (type strain 202201T =CGMCC 4.5597T=DSM 45430T).

Streptomyces reniochalinae sp. nov. and Streptomyces diacarni sp. nov., from marine sponges.

Two marine actinomycete strains, LHW50302T and LHW51701T, were isolated from marine sponges collected in Sansha, Hainan Province, China. The morphological, chemotaxonomic and phylogenetic characteristics were consistent with their classification in the genus Streptomyces. The strains formed hooked and looped chains of arthrospores with smooth surfaces. The cell-wall hydrolysates of the strains contained ll-diaminopimelic acid as the diagnostic diamino acid. MK-9(H8) was the predominant menaquinone. The major polar lipids were diphosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylethanolamine and phosphatidylinositol. Major fatty acids of the strains were iso-C16 : 0, anteiso-C15 : 0 and anteiso-C17 : 0. The 16S rRNA gene sequences indicated that the strains clustered together with Streptomyces albus CGMCC 4.1640T and Streptomyces qinglanensis CGMCC 4.6825T. Multilocus sequence analysis (MLSA) confirmed their relationship. Genome relatedness in forms of average nucleotide identity, digital DNA-DNA hybridization value and MLSA evolutionary distance between each of the strains and its closest relatives showed that they belonged to distinct species. On the basis of these results, strains LHW50302T and LHW51701T belong to two novel species in the genus Streptomyces, for which the names Streptomyces reniochalinae sp. nov. (type strain LHW50302T=CCTCC AA 2018013T=DSM 106194T) and Streptomyces diacarni sp. nov. (type strain LHW51701T=CCTCC AA 2018017T=DSM 106126T) are proposed, respectively.

Curvulaide A, a bicyclic polyketide with anti-anaerobic bacteria activity from marine-derived Curvularia sp.

Curvulaide A (1), a new bicyclic polyketide, together with its known congener preussilide D, were produced by solid-state fermentation with Curvularia sp. IFB-Z10. The structure of 1 was elucidated using a combination of spectral methods, including extensive one-dimensional (1D) and two-dimensional (2D) nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) data, high resolution electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (HRESIMS), experimental and calculated electronic circular dichroism (ECD) spectra. Curvulaide A (1) exhibited moderate anti-anaerobic bacteria activity against periodontal pathogen Porphyromonas gingivalis with the MIC value of 62.5 µM, and showed moderate cytotoxicity against human hepatoma cell lines BEL7402/5-Fu with IC50 values of 12.46 µM.