Microbial protein cell factories fight back?

Abstract This study investigated the effects of post-pyrolysis treated biochar on nutrient disappearance, total gas and methane (CH4) production, rumen fermentation and microbial protein synthesis in an artificial rumen system (RUSITEC) fed a barley silage-based diet. The basal diet consisted of 60% barley silage, 27% barley grain, 10% canola meal and 3% mineral/vitamin supplement (DM basis). Three spruced-based biochars, treated post-pyrolysis with either zinc chloride, hydrochloric acid/nitric acid mixture or sulfuric acid were added at 2.0% of substrate DM. In a randomized complete block design, treatments were assigned to sixteen vessels (n = 4/treatment) in two RUSITEC systems. The experiment was conducted over 15 d, with 8 d of adaptation and 7 d of sampling. Nutrient disappearance of dry matter (DM), organic matter (OM), acid detergent fiber (ADF) and neutral detergent fiber (NDF) was determined after 48 h of incubation from d 9 to 12, and microbial protein synthesis was measured from d 13–15. Data were analyzed using PROC MIXED in SAS, with the fixed effect of treatment and random effect of RUSITEC system and vessel. Biochar inclusion did not affect disappearance of DM (P = 0.49), OM (P = 0.60), CP (P = 0.14), NDF (P = 0.48), ADF (P = 0.11) or starch (P = 0.58). Biochar also had no effect on total gas production (P = 0.31) or CH4 produced expressed as a % of total gas production (P = 0.06), mg/d (P = 0.70), mg/g of DM incubated (P = 0.74), or mg/g of DM digested (P = 0.64). No effect on total VFA (P = 0.56) or NH3-N (P = 0.20) production were observed. Neither microbial protein synthesis nor total protozoa count were affected by biochar addition (P > 0.05). In conclusion, biochar inclusion in a silage-based diet did not exhibit the potential to mitigate CH4 emissions or improve digestion in a RUSITEC system.

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Membrane traffic related to endosome dynamics and protein secretion in filamentous fungi

Bioscience Biotechnology and Biochemistry ◽

10.1093/bbb/zbab004 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Yujiro Higuchi

Keyword(s):

Filamentous Fungi ◽

Protein Secretion ◽

Secretory Pathway ◽

Molecular Mechanisms ◽

Membrane Traffic ◽

Early Endosome ◽

Protein Glycosylation ◽

Hyphal Cell ◽

Cell Factories ◽

Membrane Contacts

ABSTRACT In eukaryotic cells, membrane-surrounded organelles are orchestrally organized spatiotemporally under environmental situations. Among such organelles, vesicular transports and membrane contacts occur to communicate each other, so-called membrane traffic. Filamentous fungal cells are highly polarized and thus membrane traffic is developed to have versatile functions. Early endosome (EE) is an endocytic organelle that dynamically exhibits constant long-range motility through the hyphal cell, which is proven to have physiological roles, such as other organelle distribution and signal transduction. Since filamentous fungal cells are also considered as cell factories, to produce valuable proteins extracellularly, molecular mechanisms of secretory pathway including protein glycosylation have been well investigated. In this review, molecular and physiological aspects of membrane traffic especially related to EE dynamics and protein secretion in filamentous fungi are summarized, and perspectives for application are also described.

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Molecular characterization of HEK293 cells as emerging versatile cell factories

Current Opinion in Biotechnology ◽

10.1016/j.copbio.2021.05.001 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 71 ◽

pp. 18-24

Author(s):

Michela Pulix ◽

Vera Lukashchuk ◽

Daniel C Smith ◽

Alan J Dickson

Keyword(s):

Molecular Characterization ◽

Hek293 Cells ◽

Cell Factories

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Anti-biofouling Assembly Strategies for Protein & Cell Repellent Surfaces: A mini-review

Journal of Biomaterials Science Polymer Edition ◽

10.1080/09205063.2021.1932357 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 1-21

Author(s):

Mahdi Aghajani ◽

Fariba Esmaeili

Keyword(s):

Protein Cell

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Enzymatic Hydrolysate of Cinnamon Waste Material as Feedstock for the Microbial Production of Carotenoids

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health ◽

10.3390/ijerph18031146 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 18 (3) ◽

pp. 1146

Author(s):

Stefano Bertacchi ◽

Stefania Pagliari ◽

Chiara Cantù ◽

Ilaria Bruni ◽

Massimo Labra ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Industrial Sector ◽

Waste Material ◽

Fungal Cell ◽

Enzymatic Hydrolysate ◽

Carbon And Nitrogen ◽

Microbial Cell Factories ◽

Cell Factories ◽

Separate Hydrolysis And Fermentation ◽

Additional Processing ◽

Microbial Cultivation

In the context of the global need to move towards circular economies, microbial cell factories can be employed thanks to their ability to use side-stream biomasses from the agro-industrial sector to obtain additional products. The valorization of residues allows for better and complete use of natural resources and, at the same time, for the avoidance of waste management to address our needs. In this work, we focused our attention on the microbial valorization of cinnamon waste material after polyphenol extraction (C-PEW) (Cinnamomum verum J.Presl), generally discarded without any additional processing. The sugars embedded in C-PEW were released by enzymatic hydrolysis, more compatible than acid hydrolysis with the subsequent microbial cultivation. We demonstrated that the yeast Rhodosporidium toruloides was able to grow and produce up to 2.00 (±0.23) mg/L of carotenoids in the resulting hydrolysate as a sole carbon and nitrogen source despite the presence of antimicrobial compounds typical of cinnamon. To further extend the potential of our finding, we tested other fungal cell factories for growth on the same media. Overall, these results are opening the possibility to develop separate hydrolysis and fermentation (SHF) bioprocesses based on C-PEW and microbial biotransformation to obtain high-value molecules.

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Operational Strategies to Selectively Produce Purple Bacteria for Microbial Protein in Raceway Reactors

Environmental Science & Technology ◽

10.1021/acs.est.0c08204 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Abbas Alloul ◽

Marta Cerruti ◽

Damian Adamczyk ◽

David G. Weissbrodt ◽

Siegfried E. Vlaeminck

Keyword(s):

Purple Bacteria ◽

Microbial Protein ◽

Operational Strategies

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Protein-Engineered Polymers Functionalized with Antimicrobial Peptides for the Development of Active Surfaces

Applied Sciences ◽

10.3390/app11125352 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 11 (12) ◽

pp. 5352

Author(s):

Ana Margarida Pereira ◽

Diana Gomes ◽

André da Costa ◽

Simoni Campos Dias ◽

Margarida Casal ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Antimicrobial Activity ◽

Antimicrobial Peptides ◽

Recombinant Dna ◽

Biological Properties ◽

Resistant Bacteria ◽

Recombinant Dna Technology ◽

Free Standing ◽

Microbial Cell Factories ◽

Cell Factories ◽

Antimicrobial Materials

Antibacterial resistance is a major worldwide threat due to the increasing number of infections caused by antibiotic-resistant bacteria with medical devices being a major source of these infections. This suggests the need for new antimicrobial biomaterial designs able to withstand the increasing pressure of antimicrobial resistance. Recombinant protein polymers (rPPs) are an emerging class of nature-inspired biopolymers with unique chemical, physical and biological properties. These polymers can be functionalized with antimicrobial molecules utilizing recombinant DNA technology and then produced in microbial cell factories. In this work, we report the functionalization of rPBPs based on elastin and silk-elastin with different antimicrobial peptides (AMPs). These polymers were produced in Escherichia coli, successfully purified by employing non-chromatographic processes, and used for the production of free-standing films. The antimicrobial activity of the materials was evaluated against Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria, and results showed that the polymers demonstrated antimicrobial activity, pointing out the potential of these biopolymers for the development of new advanced antimicrobial materials.

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