Article
Microbiology
L. Picard, M-P Turpault, P. M. Oger, S. Uroz
Summary: This study revealed a new type of glucose dehydrogenase dependent on the specific cofactor pyrroloquinoline quinone (PQQ) in the mineral weathering process of the bacterial strain Collimonas pratensis. Through genome analysis and mutant studies, mutants with weakened weathering abilities were identified, demonstrating the importance of PQQ-independent GDH in mineral weathering.
FEMS MICROBIOLOGY ECOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Chemistry, Applied
Qiaolong Zhai, Shuangmei Han, Kui Wang, Jianchun Jiang, Junming Xu
Summary: Electrocatalytic hydrodeoxygenation is a promising strategy for upgrading lignin-derived compounds. The study found that the C-O bonds of α-O-4 and β-O-4 linkages mainly cleaved by hydrolysis and reductive hydrolysis, while the C-O bonds of the 4-O-5 linkage cleaved by parallel hydrolysis and reductive hydrolysis.
FUEL PROCESSING TECHNOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Energy & Fuels
Guodian Zhu, Yuehua Wu, Yuebin Xi, Shaoqu Xie, Guoqiang Yin, Xiaojing Lv, Xuliang Lin
Summary: This work demonstrates that the dehydration of benzylic alcohol can significantly enhance the cleavage reactivity of the beta-O-4 bond in lignin model dimer. The reaction rate of the beta-O-4 bond is higher when attached to alpha-hydroxyl group compared to alpha-carbonyl group. The easy formation of alpha-hydrogen atom contributes to the enhancement of beta-O-4 bond cleavage reactivity. Therefore, this study highlights the prospect of efficient depolymerization of lignin into monoaromatics.
Article
Microbiology
Sudarma Dita Wijayanti, Leander Suetzl, Adele Duval, Dietmar Haltrich
Summary: The CAZy auxiliary activity family 3 (AA3) comprises FAD-dependent enzymes belonging to the superfamily of GMC oxidoreductases, including glucose oxidase and glucose dehydrogenase. Recent phylogenetic analysis revealed new clades of AA3_2 glucose oxidoreductases with diverse substrate specificities and catalytic efficiencies. The newly studied AA3_2 glucose oxidoreductases showed a broader substrate spectrum than the archetypal GOx from Aspergillus niger.
Article
Microbiology
Anne-Soisig Steunou, Marion Babot, Anne Durand, Marie-Line Bourbon, Sylviane Liotenberg, Guylaine Miotello, Jean Armengaud, Soufian Ouchane
Summary: The high toxicity of Cu, Cd, Pb, As, and other metals arises from their ability to cross membranes and target metalloenzymes in the cytoplasm. Identifying these targets provides insights into the toxicity mechanisms. The vulnerability of metalloenzymes arises from the accessibility of their cofactors to ions.
MICROBIOLOGY SPECTRUM
(2023)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Natalie Payne, Arlette Kpebe, Chloe Guendon, Carole Baffert, Julien Ros, Regine Lebrun, Yann Denis, Laetitia Shintu, Myriam Brugna
Summary: Through studying Desulfovibrio fructosovorans, we discovered that Hnd is involved in ethanol metabolism and oxidizes H-2 via its electron bifurcation mechanism, producing NADH and reduced ferredoxin.
MOLECULAR MICROBIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Lisa Hitschler, Laura Sofie Nissen, Michelle Kuntz, Mirko Basen
Summary: By studying enzymes in Thermoanaerobacter, it was found that AdhE and AdhB play important roles in alcohol production from sugar and reduction of organic acids, while the functions of AdhA-type enzymes are less clear. Future research is needed to elucidate the role of aldehyde:ferredoxin oxidoreductase in bio-alcohol formation.
BIOTECHNOLOGY FOR BIOFUELS
(2021)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Zonghui Ma, Ling Jiang, Bingyan Li, Dailin Liang, Yu Feng, Li Liu, Cheng Jiang
Summary: A series of benzimidazole derivatives were designed, synthesized, and evaluated, with some compounds showing excellent inhibitory activity against ALDH1A1, indicating potential for further research.
BIOORGANIC & MEDICINAL CHEMISTRY
(2021)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Jamin C. Wood, R. Axayacatl Gonzalez-Garcia, Dara Daygon, Gert Talbo, Manuel R. Plan, Esteban Marcellin, Bernardino Virdis
Summary: Methanol is a promising renewable energy carrier due to its high energy efficiency conversion and ease of integration within existing infrastructure. Some acetogenic bacteria have the ability to utilize methanol and other C-1 substrates to produce valuable chemicals. This study investigates the metabolism of Eubacterium limosum under methanol growth conditions and highlights key aspects of methanol metabolism and bottleneck conditions preventing the formation of valuable products.
SUSTAINABLE ENERGY & FUELS
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Dongdong Meng, Meixia Liu, Hao Su, Haiyan Song, Lijie Chen, Qiangzi Li, Ya-nan Liu, Zhiguang Zhu, Weidong Liu, Xiang Sheng, Chun You, Job Zhang
Summary: In this study, the catalytic efficiency of glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PDH) on oxidized nicotinamide mononucleotide (NMN+) was improved by coenzyme engineering, resulting in a 112-fold enhancement. Structural analysis revealed that the mutant enzyme had a more compact substrate/coenzyme-binding site, favoring the binding of the substrate and NMN+. Furthermore, a glucose biosensor based on the NMN+-dependent G6PDH was constructed, demonstrating the potential of using biomimetic nicotinamide coenzymes in biocatalysis and biosensing applications.
Article
Cell Biology
Avital Granit Mizrahi, Ahinoam Gugenheim, Haneen Hamad, Roa'a Hamed, Nino Tetro, Ofra Maimon, Salome Khutsurauli, Hovav Nechushtan, Benjamin Nisman, Deborah Duran, Widad Samman, Liron Birimberg-Schwartz, Myriam Grunewald, Sara Eyal, Tamar Peretz
Summary: This study found that histone deacetylase inhibitor valproic acid (VPA) can alter glucose metabolism in triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) cells and is correlated with cisplatin sensitivity. Overexpression of ALDH may be one mechanism of cellular resistance to VPA, and its inhibition can enhance the therapeutic efficacy of VPA-chemotherapeutic drug combinations.
FRONTIERS IN CELL AND DEVELOPMENTAL BIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Agricultural Engineering
Mengya Sun, Xiu Wang, Shuzhen Ni, Liang Jiao, Huiyang Bian, Hongqi Dai
Summary: In this study, the pseudocapacitance of lignin was improved by demethylation and cleavage of ether bonds, resulting in enhanced energy storage performance. The DAL@rGO composites prepared using this method exhibited excellent energy storage capacity and rate capacity.
INDUSTRIAL CROPS AND PRODUCTS
(2022)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Tetsuya Ito, Hisaharu Masaki, Koki Fujita, Hiromi Murakami, Motohiro Shizuma, Taro Kiso, Takaaki Kiryu
Summary: D-Glucaric acid is identified as a potential biopolymer building block, and through genetic manipulation of Pseudogluconobacter saccharoketogenes strains, particularly the mutant Rh47-3, higher yields of D-glucaric acid can be achieved. Key enzymes, such as Ps-ADH, Ps-ALDH, and Ps-GADH, play essential roles in the production of D-glucaric acid, with Ps-GADH impacting the formation of byproduct 2-keto-D-gluconic acid.
BIOSCIENCE BIOTECHNOLOGY AND BIOCHEMISTRY
(2022)
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Helene Lemieux, Pierre U. Blier
Summary: Temperature changes have significant impacts on the adaptations and physiological functions of animals. Understanding the mechanisms of these adaptations is crucial for assessing the survival capacity of ectothermic organisms in the face of global climate change. Mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation plays a vital role in this process, but further research is needed to explore its complex interactions with other pathways for a comprehensive understanding of aerobic metabolism.
Article
Microbiology
Arlette Kpebe, Chloe Guendon, Natalie Payne, Julien Ros, Manel Khelil Berbar, Regine Lebrun, Carole Baffert, Laetitia Shintu, Myriam Brugna
Summary: This study confirms the role of Hnd hydrogenase in ethanol metabolism and uncovers an essential function for a Desulfovibrio hydrogenase for the first time. Hnd is required for S. fructosivorans growth on ethanol, and it produces H-2 from NADH and reduced ferredoxin for ethanol conversion.
FRONTIERS IN MICROBIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Yudai Higuchi, Naofumi Kamimura, Hiroki Takenami, Yusei Kikuiri, Chieko Yasuta, Kenta Tanatani, Toru Shobuda, Yuichiro Otsuka, Masaya Nakamura, Tomonori Sonoki, Eiji Masai
Summary: The acvABCDEF genes were identified as specifically induced genes during the growth of Sphingobium sp. strain SYK-6 cells with acetovanillone, and these genes were essential for SYK-6 growth on acetovanillone and acetosyringone. The study also demonstrated the potential of using these genes for the production of cis,cis-muconic acid from acetovanillone.
APPLIED AND ENVIRONMENTAL MICROBIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Agricultural Engineering
Miho Akutsu, Nanase Abe, Chiho Sakamoto, Yuki Kurimoto, Haruka Sugita, Makoto Tanaka, Yudai Higuchi, Kimitoshi Sakamoto, Naofumi Kamimura, Hiroyuki Kurihara, Eiji Masai, Tomonori Sonoki
Summary: The Pseudomonas sp. NGC7 strain has been shown to produce glucose-free ccMA even from a mixture of lignin-derived aromatics that does not contain essential syringyl nucleus compounds. By introducing a gene set for the PCA-shunt and making certain genetic modifications, a ccMA-producing strain that grows on a lignin-derived aromatics mixture was successfully constructed. The engineered strain demonstrated high ccMA production efficiency from sugar cane bagasse alkaline extract.
BIORESOURCE TECHNOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Materials Science, Paper & Wood
Stephanie C. Hernandez, Romain Milotskyi, Shohei Takagi, Elisabeth R. D. Ito, Shiori Suzuki, Naoki Wada, Kenji Takahashi
Summary: Cellulose mixed esters (CMEs) with tunable properties are difficult to produce due to the insolubility of cellulose. A rapid and scalable production method of CMEs was demonstrated using a twin-screw extruder as a flow reactor. By using a co-solvent system and continuous extrusion, cellulose acetate propionate (CAP) was obtained within minutes with high conversion rates.
Review
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Shiori Suzuki, Kenji Takahashi
Summary: Ionic liquids (ILs) are the only media capable of homogeneous organocatalytic reactions of lignocellulosic biomass. This review summarizes recent achievements in organocatalytic approaches for converting lignocellulose into polymer materials based on our established principles of IL design. The methods involve mild chemical modification of cellulose and lignin, with high conversions, selectivity, and atom economy. Similar reactions and fractionation processes are used for lignocellulose, and a highly productive reaction system is developed using a twin-screw extruder specific to IL media.
Article
Polymer Science
Akina Yoshizawa, Chie Maruyama, Samuel Budi Wardhana Kusuma, Naoki Wada, Kosuke Kuroda, Daisuke Hirose, Kenji Takahashi
Summary: In this study, aryloxy ILs were prepared as non-carboxylate-type and basic ILs to prevent the introduction of an acyl group from the IL onto the hydroxy group of cellulose during esterification. The optimized Emim2OPy IL and mixed solvent system achieved rapid cellulose esterification within 30 minutes with an excellent degree of substitution, without any undesired substituent introduction.
Article
Agricultural Engineering
Yuichiro Otsuka, Takuma Araki, Yuzo Suzuki, Masaya Nakamura, Naofumi Kamimura, Eiji Masai
Summary: This study aimed to design a fermentation process for producing 2-pyrone-4,6-dicarboxylic acid (PDC) from vanillic acid, which could be applied to industrial production. Metabolomic analysis revealed that a high primary metabolic activity within cells was required to improve production efficiency. The resulting optimized process yielded the highest reported PDC titer and productivity: 99.9 g/L and 1.69 g/L/h, respectively.
BIORESOURCE TECHNOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Anne Kelsen, Robyn J. Kent, Anne V. Snyder, Eddie Wehri, Stephen Bishop, Rachel K. Stadler, Cameron J. Powell, Bruno Martorelli M. di Genova, Pramod J. Rompikuntal, Martin Boulanger, David E. Warshaw, Nicholas Westwood, Julia Schaletzky, Gary Ward
Summary: In this study, a drug called KNX-002 was found to effectively inhibit the motility and growth of Toxoplasma gondii, and slow down disease progression in mice. The research confirmed that a parasite-specific myosin protein, TgMyoA, is a target for KNX-002, providing a promising approach to treat diseases caused by T. gondii and other apicomplexan parasites.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Shiori Suzuki, Yosuke Hamano, Naoki Wada, Kenji Takahashi
Summary: Lignocellulosic agricultural waste is converted into valuable thermoplastics using an ionic liquid. The mechanical properties of the resulting plastic are enhanced, making it a sustainable source of biomass-based plastics.
Article
Materials Science, Composites
Romain Milotskyi, Ryo Serizawa, Kaoru Yanagisawa, Gyanendra Sharma, Elisabeth Rada Desideria Ito, Tetsuo Fujie, Naoki Wada, Kenji Takahashi
Summary: In this study, the poor chemical compatibility between cellulose nanofibers (CNF) and bio-based polymeric matrices was improved by cross-linking the residual hydroxyl groups of cellulose acetate butyrate (CAB) and the hydroxyl groups on the surface of CNF using a bio-derived polyisocyanurate. When a certain amount of cross-linking agent was added, the resulting composite material exhibited significantly improved tensile and flexural strength compared to neat CAB.
JOURNAL OF COMPOSITES SCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Applied
Satoshi Katsuhara, Naoki Sunagawa, Kiyohiko Igarashi, Yutaka Takeuchi, Kenji Takahashi, Takuya Yamamoto, Feng Li, Kenji Tajima, Takuya Isono, Toshifumi Satoh
Summary: This study synthesized cellulose acetate-based TPEs with different degrees of substitution (DS) and investigated the impact of DS on their structure and properties. The results showed that decreasing DS led to the formation of a more ordered microphase-separated structure, improved toughness, suppressed stress relaxation, and enhanced biodegradability potential. This work demonstrates the potential of cellulose acetate-based TPEs as next-generation sustainable materials.
CARBOHYDRATE POLYMERS
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Daniel J. Davidson, Fei Lu, Laura Faas, Daniel M. Dawson, Geoffrey P. Warren, Isabella Panovic, James R. D. Montgomery, Xiaoyan Ma, Boris G. Bosilkov, Alexandra M. Z. Slawin, Tomas Lebl, Afroditi Chatzifragkou, Steve Robinson, Sharon E. Ashbrook, Liz J. Shaw, Smilja Lambert, Isabella Van Damme, Leonardo D. Gomez, Dimitris Charalampopoulos, Nicholas J. Westwood
Summary: Cocoa pod husks, an underutilized resource in chocolate manufacturing, contain lignin with potential applications. An optimized extraction method led to high-quality lignin, allowing for further investigation of its structure and chemical transformation abilities. Preliminary analysis of other product streams from the husks was also conducted.
ACS SUSTAINABLE CHEMISTRY & ENGINEERING
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Organic
O. Stephen Ojo, Hannah J. Steel, Haralampos N. Miras
Summary: This study describes the 1,4-reduction of β- and γ-substituted butenolides using 5 mol% of NiCl2 & BULL;6H(2)O and NaBH4 in MeOH, providing a rapid access to cis-β,γ-disubstituted γ-butyrolactones. The reaction selectively produces cis-products with good to excellent yields. The influence of steric hindrance and angle strain on the diastereoselectivity of conjugate reductions using in situ generated nickel-hydride is showcased.
ORGANIC & BIOMOLECULAR CHEMISTRY
(2023)
Review
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Laszlo Szabo, Romain Milotskyi, Gyanendra Sharma, Kenji Takahashi
Summary: The introduction of ionic liquids about 20 years ago revolutionized the shaping of cellulose into functional materials. Compared to existing technologies, ionic liquids provide a more environmentally friendly and adjustable platform for cellulose processing, due to their non-volatile nature and high thermal and chemical stability. Over the past few decades, there have been significant developments in materials based on ionic liquid/cellulose processing systems, with various emerging applications in coatings, filtration membranes, enzyme immobilization, energy storage, etc.
Article
Chemistry, Organic
O. Stephen Ojo, David L. Hughes, Christopher J. Richards
Summary: The parent Josiphos ligand showed high enantioselectivity (95-99%) and good yields (60-97%) in the copper-catalysed asymmetric conjugate reduction of beta-aryl alpha,beta-unsaturated lactones and lactams with PMHS. These substrates were obtained from stereospecific copper-catalysed addition of arylboronic acids to alkynoates, followed by deprotection and cyclisation. The acyclic lactam precursors also underwent reduction with good enantioselectivity (83-85%) and yields (79-95%). Application of this asymmetric reduction methodology included the synthesis of the natural product lucidulactone A.
ORGANIC & BIOMOLECULAR CHEMISTRY
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Romain Milotskyi, Gyanendra Sharma, Tetsuo Fujie, Daisuke Hirose, Naoki Wada, Kenji Takahashi
Summary: More energy efficient and greener processes are needed in chemical engineering. Reactive extrusion is a new innovation targeting cleaner and more sustainable processes. This study examined the solubility of microcrystalline cellulose, developed a new method of measuring residence time distribution inside the extruder, performed transesterification of cellulose, and evaluated the effect of cellulose concentration on the properties of cellulose laurate films.
REACTION CHEMISTRY & ENGINEERING
(2023)