Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Suresh Pal, Bryce Plapp
Summary: X-ray crystallography has revealed that the threonine residue (Thr-45) in the yeast alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH1) plays an important role in catalysis and its substitution results in a significant decrease in catalytic efficiency. Conformational changes of the enzyme and ligand exchanges on the catalytic zinc are severely impacted by the removal of the hydroxyethyl group of Thr-45.
CHEMICO-BIOLOGICAL INTERACTIONS
(2021)
Article
Microbiology
Xu Feng, Baochang Zhang, Ruyi Xu, Zhe Gao, Xiaotong Liu, Guanhua Yuan, Sonoko Ishino, Mingxia Feng, Yulong Shen, Yoshizumi Ishino, Qunxin She
Summary: ABasic sites are common DNA lesions requiring specialized DNA polymerases for replication. In archaea, the coordinated actions of Dpo2 and Dpo4 are essential for efficient lesion bypass, with Dpo2 bridging the activity gap between Dpo4 and Dpo1 in translesion DNA synthesis.
FRONTIERS IN MICROBIOLOGY
(2021)
Review
Agricultural Engineering
Hongliang Guo, Ying Zhao, Jo-Shu Chang, Duu-Jong Lee
Summary: Enzymatic hydrolysis is crucial for efficient biorefinery of lignocellulosic biomass. Understanding the properties of key enzymes and their interactions with biomass is essential for improving the process efficiency. This article provides an update on the research of key enzymes in lignocellulose biorefinery, including their properties, interactions with biomass, adsorption, and hydrolysis. The advanced analytical techniques for investigating these interactions and future research prospects are discussed.
BIORESOURCE TECHNOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Danielle Williams, Weronika Brzezinski, Heather Gordon, Vincenzo De Luca
Summary: The study explores the formation pathway of the most abundant monoterpenoid indole alkaloids in Catharanthus roseus roots. It reveals the structural differences between V19H and T3O and provides experimental evidence for the common ancestor hypothesis between V19H and T3O.
Article
Agricultural Engineering
Misa Mojca Cajnko, Jost Oblak, Miha Grilc, Blaz Likozar
Summary: Enzymes play a crucial role in lignin valorization, with different enzymes involved in various elementary reaction mechanisms. Degradation of lignin depends on enzyme activity and the interaction with proteins in ways that target specific covalent bonds in lignin. Various factors influence enzymatic activity, which must be taken into consideration for optimal functionality and synthesis yields.
BIORESOURCE TECHNOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Microbiology
Maria Masoura, Mathew T. Milner, Tim W. Overton, Konstantinos Gkatzionis, Peter A. Lund
Summary: This study used high-throughput techniques to investigate the antibacterial mechanism of honey, identifying genes related to fitness loss when cells were exposed to honey, as well as genes that confer enhanced resistance to honey treatment when mutated.
FRONTIERS IN MICROBIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Microbiology
Emily C. Hoedt, Francesca Bottacini, Nora Cash, Roger S. Bongers, Kees van Limpt, Kaouther Ben Amor, Jan Knol, John MacSharry, Douwe van Sinderen
Summary: Members of the genus Bifidobacterium are difficult to genetically manipulate due to their extensive and variable Restriction-Modification systems. A modified suicide vector, pFREM28, was developed to target specific genes in B. breve by removing known restriction sites, reducing the time, effort, and resources required for generating site-directed mutants. This approach could be applied to other (bifido)bacterial species as well.
FRONTIERS IN MICROBIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Agriculture, Multidisciplinary
Su-Jin Jun, Jung-A Lee, Young-Wan Kim, Sang-Ho Yoo
Summary: Through site-directed mutagenesis, a robust mutant Bifidobacterium thermophilum (BtAS) strain BtAS(Y414F/P200R) with enhanced turanose productivity was successfully developed, showing an increase in turanose yield by two times compared to the wild type BtAS and completing the reaction in half the time.
JOURNAL OF AGRICULTURAL AND FOOD CHEMISTRY
(2022)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Soroosh Pouyan, Milad Lagzian, Mohammad Hossein Sangtarash
Summary: This study characterized a new alpha-amylase from Bacillus cereus GL96 and used an in-silico approach to redesign the enzyme for improved thermal stability. The engineered enzyme showed higher stability and activity at elevated temperatures compared to the wild-type enzyme. Specifically, the D162K mutation resulted in the best performance, with increased optimum temperature and improved stability. This mutant enzyme holds promise for further investigation and industrial applications.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF BIOLOGICAL MACROMOLECULES
(2022)
Article
Plant Sciences
Xia Li, Geng Chen, Qing-Qing Gao, Chun-Fan Xiang, Cheng-Xiao Yuan, Xiao-Ning Li, Yan-Yu Shu, Guang-Hui Zhang, Yan-Li Liang, Sheng-Chao Yang, Chen-Xi Zhai, Yan Zhao
Summary: This study explored the key enzymes involved in cucurbitacins biosynthesis in the Chinese traditional medicinal plant Hemsleya chinensis. Using AlphaFold2 and molecular docking, the researchers successfully predicted the 3D structure of HcOSC6 and its binding features to 2,3-oxidosqualene. Mutagenesis experiments identified three key amino acid residues, E246, M261, and D490, which significantly affected the activity of HcOSC6. This study not only characterized three potential key residues for producing cucurbitacins, but also provided insights into their significant role in metabolic engineering.
FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Christoph P. Sager, Susanne Weber, Matthias Negri, Pauline Banachowicz, Gabriele Moeller, Jerzy Adamski, Rolf W. Hartmann, Sandrine Marchais-Oberwinkler
Summary: This study aimed to determine the topology of 17 beta-Hydroxystemid dehydrogenase type 2 (17β-HSD2) by constructing a homology model in complex with NAD(+) and 17 beta-estradiol, which was confirmed to be of high quality through site-directed mutagenesis. The model identified key amino acids involved in ligand or internal structure stabilization, providing a basis for further experiments and drug design studies.
JOURNAL OF STEROID BIOCHEMISTRY AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Chemistry, Organic
Marco Rabuffetti, Giovanna Speranza, Cinzia Calvio, Carlo F. Morelli
Summary: Gamma-glutamyltransferases (GGTs) have been proposed as biocatalysts for synthesizing naturally occurring gamma-glutamyl derivatives. However, the presence of hydrolysis and autotranspeptidation side-reactions limits the yields. This study describes the design and use of two E. coli GGT mutants as biocatalysts for preparative purposes.
EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF ORGANIC CHEMISTRY
(2022)
Article
Food Science & Technology
Fangyu Wang, Ning Li, Yunshang Zhang, Xuefeng Sun, Man Hu, Yali Zhao, Jianming Fan
Summary: A highly sensitive anti-CIP scFv was obtained through phage library construction and directional evolution, with an IC-ELISA method established for the detection of CIP residue in animal-derived edible tissues. The IC50 value of the mutant scFv assay was 1.58 ng/mL, showing significantly improved affinity and sensitivity compared to the parental scFv assay. The results indicate the potential for using this method in detecting CIP residues in animal-derived food products.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Lena Goshayeshi, Sara Yousefi Taemeh, Nima Dehdilani, Mohammadreza Nasiri, Mohammad M. Ghahramani Seno, Hesam Dehghani
Summary: The study demonstrates the use of an RNA-guided piggyBac transposase and dual sgRNAs for site-directed integrations in the human ROSA26 safe harbor region. This methodology shows promise for targeting specific genomic regions, such as in cancer cells for inserting sequences into target regions or activating tumor suppressor genes.
Article
Agriculture, Multidisciplinary
Cheng-Hua Wang, Wu-Ping Xiong, Cheng Huang, Xiao-Ming Li, Qing-Yan Wang, Ri-Bo Huang
Summary: This study successfully increased the catalytic activity and efficiency of an exoinulinase under acidic conditions through rational site-directed mutagenesis. The mutants showed improved substrate preference for inulin and may serve as promising candidates for industrial inulin hydrolysis. The study demonstrates the potential of mutating non-conserved substrate recognition residues for industrial enzyme improvements.
JOURNAL OF THE SCIENCE OF FOOD AND AGRICULTURE
(2021)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Ahmed M. Yousif, Masateru Nishioka, Yoshito Wakui, Toshishige M. Suzuki
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Masateru Nishioka, Masato Miyakawa, Yohei Daino, Haruki Kataoka, Hidekazu Koda, Koichi Sato, Toshishige M. Suzuki
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Masateru Nishioka, Masato Miyakawa, Haruki Kataoka, Hidekazu Koda, Koichi Sato, Toshishige M. Suzuki
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Masateru Nishioka, Masato Miyakawa, Koichi Sato, Akira Miyazawa, Toshishige M. Suzuki
Article
Electrochemistry
Hiroshi Nanjo, Yasunori Suzuki, Junko Hayasaka, Fathy M. B. Hassan, Shanmugam Venkatachalam, Masateru Nishioka, Mitsuhiro Kanakubo, Tsutomu Aida, Jun Onagawa
ELECTROCHIMICA ACTA
(2010)
Article
Engineering, Chemical
Masateru Nishioka, Masato Miyakawa, Yohei Daino, Haruki Kataoka, Hidekazu Koda, Koichi Sato, Toshishige M. Suzuki
INDUSTRIAL & ENGINEERING CHEMISTRY RESEARCH
(2013)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Masateru Nishioka, Masato Miyakawa, Haruki Kataoka, Hidekazu Koda, Koichi Sato, Toshishige M. Suzuki
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Masato Miyakawa, Chizuru Shigaraki, Masateru Nishioka
CHEMISTRY-AN ASIAN JOURNAL
(2020)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Koichi Sato, Masato Miyakawa, Masateru Nishioka
Summary: A microwave heating system induced by a magnetic field was designed and applied to achieve uniform heating of a Pd membrane and control the temperature and hydrogen permeation rate. The system successfully controlled the temperature of the membrane and the hydrogen permeation rate through direct heating, ensuring high durability.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF HYDROGEN ENERGY
(2021)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Shuntaro Tsubaki, Tomoki Higuchi, Tomoki Matsuzawa, Satoshi Fujii, Masateru Nishioka, Yuji Wada
Article
Engineering, Chemical
Masato Miyakawa, Shinya Kanamori, Kouki Hagihara, Atsushi Itagaki, Takashi Nakamura, Masateru Nishioka
Summary: The developed microwave heating reactor can monitor dielectric properties in real time, estimate qualitative variations of dielectric constant and loss factor, and be used for continuous heating of ethylene glycol and resin-pellet drying. Resin-pellet drying states and differences in moisture reduction and melting can be distinguished through resonance frequency variation and the S21 parameter.
INDUSTRIAL & ENGINEERING CHEMISTRY RESEARCH
(2021)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Masateru Nishioka, Masato Miyakawa, Takako Nagase
Summary: A semiflow microwave heating reactor similar to a flow reactor system was developed for synthesizing various types of zeolite nanoparticles quickly. Slurry raw materials in the reaction tube were continuously heated and cooled by moving a thin MW resonator instead of flowing slurry raw materials.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Masato Miyakawa, Chizuru Shigaraki, Takashi Nakamura, Masateru Nishioka
Summary: A method for in situ fabrication of copper nanoparticles inside cotton fibers was developed, showing antiviral properties against the influenza A virus. The study found that the formation of copper nanoparticles on the cotton surface was significantly suppressed by the hydrophobic raw material solution compared to the hydrophilic raw material solution.
Article
Engineering, Chemical
Masato Miyakawa, Takashi Nakamura, Ryoko Iwabuchi, Masateru Nishioka
INDUSTRIAL & ENGINEERING CHEMISTRY RESEARCH
(2020)
Article
Chemistry, Applied
Takeshi Ohnishi, Koutarou Kawakami, Masateru Nishioka, Masaru Ogura