Scientific Reports
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2025
·Vol. 15
·期 1
·1-11
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IF 3.9
Bie Songtao,Yuan Hui,Shi Chen,Li Chunshuang,Lu Ming,Yao Ze,Liu Ruobing,Lu Ding,Ma Tenglong,Yu Heshui
In chronic infections caused by Staphylococcus aureus , biofilm is a major virulence factor. In Staphylococcus aureus biofilms, bacteria are embedded in a matrix of extracellular polymeric substances and are highly tolerant to antimicrobial drugs. However, the lack of effective solutions to inhibit biofilm formation remains a challenge, and the mechanism of inhibition of biofilm formation targeting extracellular polymeric substances is unclear. The aim of the present study was to investigate the inhibitory mechanisms of Plumbagin against Staphylococcus aureus biofilms formation by affecting secretion of extracellular polymeric substances using the high-content screening. Our results showed Plumbagin (16 µg/mL) inhibited biofilm formation, revealing a significant reduction in both biomass and bacterial metabolic activity, and disrupted the biofilm structure, leading to a significant decrease in both biological volume and average thickness ( P ≤ 0.01). High-content screening imaging indicated that the Plumbagin treatment induced alterations in the extracellular polymeric substances of Staphylococcus aureus biofilm, significantly reducing the quantities of extracellular polysaccharide, proteins and extracellular DNA. Interestingly, extracellular DNA within the matrix was found to be the most sensitive to Plumbagin treatment. Extracellular DNA formation was significantly inhibited at a concentration of 4 µg/mL, whereas the inhibition of extracellular polysaccharide and proteins required a higher concentration of 8 µg/mL. Overall, these results demonstrated the inhibitory effects of Plumbagin on Staphylococcus aureus biofilm formation and extracellular polymeric substances secretion, suggesting that extracellular DNA may be a potential target for the anti-biofilm activity of Plumbagin. These findings will provide new insights into the mode of action of Plumbagin in treating infections caused by Staphylococcus aureus biofilms.
研究领域:
微生物学
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药理学
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感染病学
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产品关联
DOI
PubMed
高影响因子
BIORESOURCE TECHNOLOGY
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2022
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IF 11.889
Lei Yu,Wei-xin Cheng,Quan Wang
Biohydrogen productions from xylose and glucose under dark condition were enhanced by the presence of natural Fe 3 O 4 . The electron equivalent of H 2 fractions accounted for 4.55 % and 5.69 % of the total given xylose and glucose in the experiments without Fe 3 O 4 , and that were correspondingly increased to 5.14 % and 6.50 % in the experiments with 100 mg/L of Fe 3 O 4 , respectively. Moreover, Fe 3 O 4 increased the total intracellular NAD(H) concentrations by 8.84 % and 8.37 %, and boosted the ratios of NADH/NAD + by 8.33 % and 17.72 % in xylose and glucose fermentation, respectively, comparing to the corresponding control experiments. The formation of electron couples of Fe(III)/Fe(II) during the iron oxide respiration and more generation of active extracellular polymeric substances components were determined as the important reasons for the improved biohydrogen production performance. Thus, a promotion mechanism of the internal “driving forces” from extracellular iron oxide respiration on the biohydrogen production was proposed.
研究领域:
生物技术
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环境工程
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微生物学
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产品关联
DOI
PubMed
高影响因子
PHYTOMEDICINE
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2021
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IF 5.34
Zi-ling Zou,Ming-hui Sun,Wei-feng Yin,Lei Yang,Ling-yi Kong
Background Osteoarthritis (OA) is an intractable degenerative disease of the whole joint, which is characterized by synovitis inflammation, cartilage damage, and chronic pain. Tumor necrosis factor receptor (TNFR)-associated factor 6 (TRAF6) performs an important role in OA. Purpose We aim to investigate avicularin to protect cartilage extracellular matrix degradation (ECM) and suppresses inflammation both in rat and human chondrocytes . Methods 5-Ethynyl-2′-deoxyuridine (EdU) staining, Quantitative real-time PCR, TRAF6 plasmid transfection, Western blot , Measurement of nitric oxide (NO), ROS detection and Immunofluorescence were utilized in vitro . micro-CT scanning, Safranin O-Fast Green, toluidine blue and immunohistochemistry staining were performed in vivo . Results In vitro , avicularin attenuates the degradation of ECM and inflammation, which could inhibit the activation of TRAF6/MAPK pathway via targeting TRAF6. Increased MMP3 and MMP13 expressions and decreased Aggrecan and Collagen Ⅱ levels were observed in anterior cruciate ligament transection (ACLT) induced osteoarthritic rats. Interestingly, intra-articular injection of avicularin attenuates this phenomenon. Conclusions Taken together, our results indicate that avicularin suppresses cartilage extracellular matrix degradation and inflammation via TRAF6/MAPK activation by targeting TRAF6. These observations identify TRAF6 as a relevant drug target, and avicularin may as a potential therapeutic agent in osteoarthritis.
研究领域:
药理学
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风湿病学
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骨科
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细胞生物学
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产品关联
DOI
PubMed
高影响因子
ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH
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2022
·
IF 8.431
Qiming Zhang,Guodong Cui,Xiao He,Zheng Wang,Tian Tang,Qing Zhao,Yangsheng Liu
Electro-dewatering technology shows a good application prospect because of its high efficiency in removing water from sludge and low energy consumption, but the potential mechanisms of sludge electro-dewatering have not been investigated in depth, which seriously limits the further development and application of electro-dewatering technology. In this study, the effects of voltage and pressure on sludge electro-dewatering performance, physicochemical characteristics and extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) compositions and distributions were investigated. The spatial distributions of EPS main components, including polysaccharide (PS) and protein (PN), were characterized by a confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM). The experimental results showed that under the conditions of a voltage of 40 V and a pressure of 90 kPa, the moisture content of sludge was reduced from 83.15% to 53.12%, and the bound water content of sludge in the anode layer, middle layer and cathode layer were decreased significantly from 1.16 g/g dry solid (DS) to 0.20, 0.47 and 0.35 g/g DS, respectively. The PN content of EPS in anode layer was significantly lower than that in cathode layer due to the electrochemical oxidation , while the variation of PS content showed the opposite trend, which agreed with the results visualized by CLSM. Pearson's correlation coefficient and hierarchical cluster analysis revealed that PN in TB-EPS was the major factor influencing the effect of sludge electro-dewatering. This work can be helpful to understand the potential mechanisms of electro-dewatering and provide theoretical support for the further popularization and application of electro-dewatering technology.
研究领域:
环境科学
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污水处理
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DOI
PubMed
高影响因子
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF BIOLOGICAL MACROMOLECULES
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2025
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IF 8.5
Jingwei Wu,Zhihui Li,Zhuoting Zhang,Jian Zhang,Hangyu Hu,Hanglian Lan,Weilian Hong,Zhennai Yang
Exopolysaccharides (EPSs) produced by lactic acid bacteria have been extensively studied, but the EPSs as postbiotics are much less investigated. In this study, the EPS, designated as ET22-EPS, was extracted and purified from the culture broth of Lacticaseibacillus paracasei ET-22 previously characterized with strong postbiotic activities. ET22-EPS was determined with a molecular weight of 5.12 × 10 5 Da, and a monosaccharide composition of mannose, galactose, glucose, and N -acetylglucosamine in a molar ratio of 0.662:0.103:0.095:0.026. ET22-EPS exhibited a sheet-like and fibrous stacking morphology with a networked structure. ET22-EPS also showed high thermal stability with a degradation temperature of 295.33 °C. ET22-EPS was identified to consist of an octasaccharide repeating unit with a backbone structure of four consecutively linked →2)-α-D-Man p (1 → together with →2,6)-α-D-Man p (1 → 2)-α-D-Glc p (1→, and a branch chain of α-D-Gal p (1 → 6)-α-D-Man p (1→. The in vitro bioassay indicated that ET22-EPS effectively scavenged the free radicals of diammonium 2,2′-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonate), 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl, hydroxyls, and superoxide anion. ET22-EPS showed strong anti-inflammatory effects by reducing cell phagocytosis, nitric oxide production, pro-inflammatory cytokine secretion, and the TNF-α/IL-10 ratio in a RAW264.7 cell model. Therefore, ET-22-EPS shows good prospects as potential postbiotics in the development of health foods.
研究领域:
食品科学
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微生物学
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营养学
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产品关联
DOI
PubMed
高影响因子
JOURNAL OF HAZARDOUS MATERIALS
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2022
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IF 14.224
Mengmeng Zhao,Xiaoyan Bai,Yaping Zhang,Yong Yuan,Jian Sun
Antibiotic residues in effluents discharged from wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) have been considered high-risk organics due to biorefractory property and potential toxicity. Secondary pollution and unsustainability existed in advanced treatment of secondary effluent are currently in urgent need of improvement. In this study, a sustainably green strategy based on Rhodopseudomonas palustris ( R.palustris ) by regulating the structure of extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) was proposed for the first time to achieve efficiently removal of sulfadiazine (SDZ). Results showed that 0.2 V was the optimal external potential for R.palustris to efficiently remove SDZ, where the biodegradation rate constant obtained at this potential was 4.87-folds higher than that in open-circuit mode and a complete removal was achieved within 58 h in the presence of EPS extracted at this potential. Three-dimensional excitation-emission matrix (3D-EEM) spectra analysis suggested that tryptophan protein-like, tyrosine protein-like, humic acid-like and fulvic acid-like substances present in EPS were the main effective components which was responsible for the indirect photodegradation of SDZ. The quenching experiments showed that 3 EPS* was the dominant reactive species which accounted for 90% of SDZ removal. This study provides new implications for the advanced treatment of secondary effluent organic matters by developing eco-friendly bioaugmentation technology and biomaterials.
研究领域:
环境科学
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微生物学
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产品关联
DOI
PubMed
高影响因子
Processes
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2022
·Vol. 10
·期 5
·891
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IF 3.352
Lu Liang,Min Xu,Lei Pan,Zhijiang Zhou,Ye Han
Sugarcane molasses is an agricultural by-product containing sucrose. In this study, the exopolysaccharide (M-EPS) produced byLeuconostoc citreumB-2 in molasses-based medium was characterized, optimized, and its application in set yogurt was investigated. The structure analysis, including gel permeation chromatography, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, and nuclear magnetic resonance, revealed that the M-EPS was a linear dextran composed of D-glucose units, which were linked by α-(1→6) glycosidic bonds with 19.3% α-(1→3) branches. The M-EPS showed a lower molecular weight than that produced from sucrose. The M-EPS was added into the set yogurt, and then the water holding capacity, pH, and microstructure of set yogurt were evaluated. Compared with the controls, the addition of M-EPS improved the water holding capacity and reduced the pH of set yogurt. Meanwhile, the structure of the three-dimensional network was also observed in the set yogurt containing M-EPS, indicating that M-EPS had a positive effect on the stability of set yogurt. The results provide a theoretical basis for the cost-effective utilization of sugarcane molasses.Keywords:exopolysaccharide;molasses;structure;optimization;set yogurt
研究领域:
食品科学
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微生物学
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化学
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DOI
高影响因子
PREPARATIVE BIOCHEMISTRY & BIOTECHNOLOGY
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2025
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IF 1.9
Shuhan Yang,Shouqi Zhao,Yingying Ning,Dan Zhao
Previous studies have shown that co-culture methods can enhance exopolysaccharide production, no studies have reported this enhancement in co-cultures between Weissella confusa and Candida shehatae. This study developed an efficient co-culture system combining W. confusa XG-3 and C. shehatae (1:1 ratio), and employed response surface methodology to optimize both exopolysaccharide yield and properties. The initial co-culture produced 56.82 ± 0.12 g/L exopolysaccharide, a 1.63-fold increase over single culture. Optimization (sucrose: 105.97 g/L; yeast extract: 5.81 g/L; peptone: 6.24 g/L) further increased the yield to 115.66 g/L, a 2.04-fold improvement. The co-cultured exopolysaccharide had high water solubility (60.45 ± 0.70%) and water holding capacity (614.74 ± 9.26%). The co-cultured EPS showed significant antioxidant activity. At 5 mg/mL, the scavenging rates of ABTS, DPPH, hydroxyl, superoxide, H2O2 and total reducing power reached the highest 52.22 ± 0.47%, 50.79 ± 2.86%, 55.80 ± 2.56%, 36.05 ± 2.07%, 66.85 ± 0.30%, and 0.39 ± 0.01. It also had a superior effect on the proliferation of several probiotics compared with commercial prebiotics and exhibited high thermostability with a degradation threshold at 292.5 °C. These results demonstrate a novel, scalable strategy for producing multifunctional EPS with broad applications in the food industry.
研究领域:
微生物学
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食品科学
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生物技术
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产品关联
DOI
PubMed
高影响因子
Biotechnology for Biofuels and Bioproducts
·
2024
·Vol. 17
·期 1
·1-16
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IF 3.3
Wei Xiaoyu,Yang Lijie,Chen Zhen,Xia Wenhao,Chen Yongbin,Cao Mingfeng,He Ning
Background The structural diversity of extracellular polymeric substances produced by microorganisms is attracting particular attention. Poly-gamma-glutamic acid (γ-PGA) is a widely studied extracellular polymeric substance from Bacillus species. The function of γ-PGA varies with its molecular weight (Mw). Results Herein, different endogenous promoters in Bacillus licheniformis were selected to regulate the expression levels of pgdS , resulting in the formation of γ-PGA with Mw values ranging from 1.61 × 10 3 to 2.03 × 10 4 kDa. The yields of γ-PGA and exopolysaccharides (EPS) both increased in the pgdS engineered strain with the lowest Mw and viscosity, in which the EPS content was almost tenfold higher than that of the wild-type strain. Subsequently, the compositions of EPS from the pgdS engineered strain also changed. Metabolomics and RT-qPCR further revealed that improving the transportation efficiency of EPS and the regulation of carbon flow of monosaccharide synthesis could affect the EPS yield. Conclusions Here, we present a novel insight that increased pgdS expression led to the degradation of γ-PGA Mw and changes in EPS composition, thereby stimulating EPS and γ-PGA production. The results indicated a close relationship between γ-PGA and EPS in B. licheniformis and provided an effective strategy for the controlled synthesis of extracellular polymeric substances.
研究领域:
微生物学
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生物化学
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合成生物学
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DOI
PubMed
高影响因子
Frontiers in Immunology
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2025
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IF 5.9
Rongrong Huang,Ranran Chen,Lijuan Xing,Lianhao Wu,Wenwen Zhu,Junsong Jing,Ting Zhou,Yueguo Wu,Sheng Zhang,Zhenqiang You
Background Viral pneumonia is the most common and lethal pandemic disease, but there are no broad-spectrum antiviral drugs with high genetic barriers to resistance. To elucidate the mechanisms of viral pneumonia progression and potential targets for its treatment. Methods Viral pneumonia models were induced by the PR8 virus strain in wild-type (WT) and STING knockout (STING-KO) mice. Series of molecular biology techniques were used to evaluate the severity of pneumonia and cytokine levels. Results In this study, STING (stimulator of interferon genes) was activated in the lungs of virus-infected mice, leading to cytokine production and amplification of the immune response, thereby causing rapid deterioration of symptoms. Furthermore, excessive activation of innate immune response via STING was prevented by a STING inhibitor (C-176), which significantly reduced viral lung inflammation. The formation of neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs) was similarly suppressed during viral pneumonia treatment with STING inhibitors (C-176), and NETs formation and STING expression were positively correlated, indicating that STING plays an important role in NETs formation. Symptoms of pneumonia in STING-KO mice infected with PR8 were significantly milder than those in WT mice, and NETs were less likely to form in the lung tissue of STING-KO mice. Additionally, transcriptomic analysis revealed that STING-mediated regulation of NETs may be associated with gasdermin D (GSDMD), and immunoprecipitation experiments revealed that STING, GSDMD, and NETs-related proteins interact with each other. Immunofluorescence assays revealed that in neutrophils from WT mice, STING and GSDMD were colocalized on the membrane after viral infection, whereas in neutrophils from STING-KO mice, GSDMD expression was decreased after exposure to the virus. Conclusions Our study demonstrated that targeted intervention with STING alleviated pneumonia by inhibiting inflammation and NETs formation. The study also revealed that blocking STING could inhibit the activation of GSDMD to inhibit NETs formation, slowing the progression of viral pneumonia.
研究领域:
免疫学
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病毒学
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分子生物学
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呼吸病学
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药理学
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细胞生物学
✓ 已验证
产品关联
DOI
PubMed
高影响因子
FOOD CHEMISTRY
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2025
·
IF 9.8
Hang Liu,Chen Yang,Xiaolin Wu,Shengfeng Peng,Lei Zhou,David Julian McClements,Wei Liu
Plant-derived extracellular vesicles have considerable potential as natural pharmaceutical and nutraceutical delivery systems. However, the impact of plant maturity on the physicochemical and structural properties of isolated extracellular vesicles is currently unknown. In this work, extracellular vesicles isolated from oranges at different maturity stages were first characterized and compared. Afterwards, polyphenol-load orange juices were successfully prepared by incorporating polyphenols (mainly curcumin) into extracellular vesicles originated from orange juices. Encapsulation in vesicles was found to increase the solubility, stability, bioaccessibility, and antioxidant activity of curcumin, but the effects depended on the maturity of oranges. Specifically, the vesicles from unripe and ripe orange juices were more effective for curcumin delivery than those from overripe orange juice. Conclusively, this study has provided important new information about the optimum maturity for isolating fruit-derived extracellular vesicles. Moreover, the extracellular vesicle-based delivery systems developed in this study may facilitate the design of more effective functional foods and beverages.
研究领域:
食品科学
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植物学
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产品关联
DOI
PubMed
高影响因子
APPLIED SOIL ECOLOGY
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2024
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IF 4.8
Jiahui Liao,Yuanyuan Li,Juanping Ni,Tingting Ren,Ke Shi,Xiaoming Zou,Han Y.H. Chen,Manuel Delgado-Baquerizo,Honghua Ruan
Soil microbial extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) are important components of soil organic carbon (SOC), which are thought to promote the formation of soil structures and induce the stabilization of SOC. Earthworms may not only stimulate the production of EPS through the promotion of microbial activity and microbial biomass, but might also accelerate the decomposition of EPS via ingestion, resulting in SOC sequestration or loss. However, the exact impacts of earthworms on EPS in soils have never been evaluated. Here, a pioneering experiment involving two species of endogeic earthworms ( Drawida gisti and Metaphire guillelmi ) with different body sizes was conducted to investigate their impacts on soil EPS. It was found that the D. gisti and M. guillelmi earthworms reduced the soil EPS-protein concentrations by 12.6 % and 17.6 %, respectively; however, they did not affect the EPS-polysaccharide concentration. Moreover, the presence of these endogeic earthworms increased soil microbial biomass, and elevated microbial respiration, microbial metabolic quotient, dissolved organic carbon, and soil pH. The results of this study provide the first evidence for the decoupling effects of earthworms on extracellular residual components. This suggests that earthworms may alter the molecular composition of SOM, thereby influencing its persistence and soil-atmosphere carbon exchange.
研究领域:
生态学
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土壤学
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产品关联
DOI
高影响因子
危险品化学品经营许可证（带存储）