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Most commercially available soy sauce is fermented by high-salt liquid-state (HS) fermentation, which has an excessive salt content and a long fermentation period. In this study, a new salt-reduced fermentation (SR) soy sauce technology involving multiple strains of bacteria was developed to reduce consumers’ salt intake. The SR soy sauce was found to have an amino acid nitrogen content of 8.40 g/L and over 80 kinds of flavor substances, which were significantly higher than those of low-salt solid-state fermented soy sauce and approximately equal to HS soy sauce. Compared with HS soy sauce, the salt content of the SR soy sauce was reduced by 59.2%, achieving the salt reduction goal. The proportion of umami amino acids in SR soy sauce reached 32.0% of the total level, enhancing SR soy sauce’s quality. Hence, the new fermentation process can decrease salt content and shorten fermentation time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Designing a modified virus that can be controlled to replicate will facilitate the study of pathogenic mechanisms of virus and virus-host interactions. Here, we report a universal switch element that enables precise control of virus replication after exposure to a small molecule. Inteins mediate a traceless protein splicing-ligation process, and we generate a series of modified vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV) with intein insertion into the nucleocapsid, phosphoprotein, or large RNA-dependent RNA polymerase of VSV. Two recombinant VSV, LC599 and LY1744, were screened for intein insertion in the large RNA-dependent RNA polymerase of VSV, and their replication was regulated in a dose-dependent manner with the small molecule 4-hydroxytamoxifen, which induces intein splicing to restore the VSV replication. Furthermore, in the presence of 4-hydroxytamoxifen, the intein-modified VSV LC599 replicated efficiently in an animal model like a prototype of VSV. Thus, we present a simple and highly adaptable tool for regulating virus replication. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Banana-type vibrating screen has been widely used in classification operations in coal cleaning and mining fields due to good screening performance and large processing capacity. In this work, a new analytical method was introduced to clarify the mechanism of equal-thickness formation of banana-type vibrating screens. The vibration characteristics of the collision between the screen surface and the particles were analyzed using the wavelet packet frequency and the energy spectra. The main frequency band of the collision at the infeed and outfeed ends was the 2nd frequency band (low-frequency band). The corresponding amplitude and energy percentage value of the screen surface at the infeed end were 0.12 mm and 4.3%, respectively, which were higher than those at the outfeed end. The spectral amplitude and the energy percentage value had "high-in and low-out" characteristics which verified the mechanisms of thin-layer penetration and equal-thickness formation of banana-type vibrating screens. This work contributes to the theory of equal-thickness screenings and provides new research ideas and technical support for designing vibrating screens. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The proper route for vaccine delivery plays an important role in activating a robust immune response. Several viral vector-based vaccines against Ebola disease administered intramuscularly have been found to have excellent immunogenicity and protectiveness. In this study, we evaluated different vaccine routes for Ad5-EBOV delivery by comparing humoral and cellular responses, germinal center reactions, dendritic cell activation and antigen expression. Mice injected intramuscularly with the vaccine exhibited an advantage in antigen expression, leading to more robust germinal center and humoral responses, while intradermal injection recruited more migrating DCs and induced a more polyfunctional cellular response. Our study provides more data for future use of viral vector-based vaccines. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although tremendous effort has been exerted to elucidate the pathogenesis of severe COVID-19 cases, the detailed mechanism of moderate cases, which accounts for 90% of all patients, remains unclear yet, partly limited by lacking the biopsy tissues. Here, we established the COVID-19 infection model in cynomolgus macaques (CMs), monitored the clinical and pathological features, and analyzed underlying pathogenic mechanisms at early infection stage by performing proteomic and metabolomic profiling of lung tissues and sera samples from COVID-19 CMs models. Our data demonstrated that innate immune response, neutrophile and platelet activation were mainly dysregulated in COVID-19 CMs. The symptom of neutrophilia, lymphopenia and massive "cytokines storm", main features of severe COVID-19 patients, were greatly weakened in most of the challenged CMs, which are more semblable as moderate patients. Thus, COVID-19 model in CMs is rational to understand the pathogenesis of moderate COVID-19 and may be a candidate model to assess the safety and efficacy of therapeutics and vaccines against SARS-CoV-2 infection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Zika virus (ZIKV) infection may be associated with severe complications and disseminated via both vector-borne and nonvector-borne routes. Adenovirus-vectored vaccines represent a favorable controlling measure for the ZIKV epidemic because they have been shown to be safe, immunogenic, and rapidly generable for other emerging viral infections. Evaluations of 2 previously reported adenovirus-vectored ZIKV vaccines were performed using nonlethal animal models and/or nonepidemic ZIKV strain.Methods: We constructed 2 novel human adenovirus 5 (Ad5)-vectored vaccines containing the ZIKV premembrane-envelope (Ad5-Sig-prM-Env) and envelope (Ad5-Env) proteins, respectively, and evaluated them in multiple nonlethal and lethal animal models using epidemic ZIKV strains.Results: Both vaccines elicited robust humoral and cellular immune responses in immunocompetent BALB/c mice. Dexamethasone-immunosuppressed mice vaccinated with either vaccine demonstrated robust and durable antibody responses and significantly lower blood and tissue viral loads than controls (P < .05). Similar findings were also observed in interferon-α/β receptor-deficient A129 mice. In both of these immunocompromised animal models, Ad5-Sig-prM-Env-vaccinated mice had significantly (P < .05) higher titers of anti-ZIKV-specific neutralizing antibody titers and lower (undetectable) viral loads than Ad5-Env-vaccinated mice. The close correlation between the neutralizing antibody titer and viral load helped to explain the better protective effect of Ad5-Sig-prM-Env than Ad5-Env. Anamnestic response was absent in Ad5-Sig-prM-Env-vaccinated A129 mice.Conclusions: Ad5-Sig-prM-Env provided sterilizing protection against ZIKV infection in mice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In developing countries, trauma patients and neonates are vulnerable to Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) and Clostridium tetani infections. It has been suggested that a combined vaccine against the two infections may be a reliable and cost-effective strategy. Previous studies have indicated that the S. aureus surface protein A (SasA) and the C fragment of tetanus neurotoxin (TeNT-Hc) may be suitable candidates for a vaccine against S. aureus and tetanus infections, respectively. In the present study, mice were immunized with a combined vaccine containing SasA and TeNT-Hc, which induced a robust immune response to both antigens, and mutual interference between SasA and TeNT-Hc was not observed. In the S.aureus challenge model, the combined vaccine fully protected BALB/c mice against lethal intraperitoneal challenges with 3x109 colony-forming units of a methicillin-resistant S. aureus USA300 strain. In the TeNT challenge model, the combined vaccine conferred complete protection against a lethal dose of (2x10³) xLD50 tetanus toxin. These results implied that SasA and TeNT-Hc promising components for a combined vaccine against S. aureus and tetanus infections. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A licensed vaccine against Ebola virus (EBOV) remains unavailable, despite >11 000 deaths from the 2014-2016 outbreak of EBOV disease in West Africa. Past studies have shown that recombinant vaccine viruses expressing EBOV glycoprotein (GP) are able to protect nonhuman primates (NHPs) from a lethal EBOV challenge. However, these vaccines express the viral GP-based EBOV variants found in Central Africa, which has 97.3% amino acid homology to the Makona variant found in West Africa. Our previous study showed that a recombinant adenovirus serotype 5 (Ad5)-vectored vaccine expressing theMakona EBOV GP (MakGP) was safe and immunogenic during clinical trials in China, but it is unknown whether the vaccine protects against EBOV infection. Here, we demonstrate that guinea pigs immunized with Ad5-MakGP developed robust humoral responses and were protected against exposure to guinea pig-adapted EBOV. Ad5-MakGP also elicited specific B- and T-cell immunity in NHPs and conferred 100% protection when animals were challenged 4 weeks after immunization. These results support further clinical development of this candidate and highlight the utility of Ad5-MakGP as a prophylactic measure in future outbreaks of EBOV disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tetanus is caused by the tetanus neurotoxin (TeNT) and is one of the most dreaded diseases especially in the developing countries. The current vaccine against tetanus is based on an inactivated tetanus toxin, which is effective but has many drawbacks. In our previous study, we developed a recombinant tetanus vaccine based on protein TeNT-Hc, with clear advantages over the toxoid vaccine in terms of production, characterization, and homogeneity. In this study, the titers, growth extinction, and persistence of specific antibodies induced by the two types of vaccine in mice, rats, and cynomolgus monkeys were compared. The booster vaccination efficacy of the two types of vaccines at different time points and protection mechanism in animals were also compared. The recombinant tetanus vaccine induced persistent and better antibody titers and strengthened the immunity compared with the commercially available toxoid vaccine in animals. Our results provide a theoretical basis for the development of a safe and effective recombinant tetanus vaccine to enhance the immunity of adolescents and adults as a substitute for the current toxoid vaccine. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Anthrax toxin causes anthrax pathogenesis and expression levels of ANTXR2 (anthrax toxin receptor 2) are strongly correlated with anthrax toxin susceptibility. Previous studies found that ANTXR2 transcript abundance varies considerably in individuals of different ethnic/geographical groups, but no eQTLs (expression quantitative trait loci) have been identified. By using 3C (chromatin conformation capture), CRISPR-mediated genomic deletion and dual-luciferase reporter assay, gene loci containing cis-regulatory elements of ANTXR2 were localized. Two SNPs (single nucleotide polymorphism) at the conserved CREB-binding motif, rs13140055 and rs80314910 in the promoter region of the gene, modulating ANTXR2 promoter activity were identified. Combining these two regulatory SNPs with a previously reported SNP, rs12647691, for the first time, a statistically significant correlation between human genetic variations and anthrax toxin sensitivity was observed. These findings further our understanding of human variability in ANTXR2 expression and anthrax toxin susceptibility. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this study was to establish a tumor model in mice with the expression of luciferase (Luc) and human prostate stem cell antigen (PSCA), in order to evaluate the activities of anticancer drugs or vaccines for prostate cancer. RM-1 cells were stably transfected with pcDNA-Luc and pcDNA-PSCA plasmids. The Luc-expressing cells were examined using a luminometer and the PSCA-expressing cells were examined using a reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and flow cytometric analysis. Male C57BL/6 mice were inoculated subcutaneously with the RM-PSCA/Luc cells, prior to the tumor growth and survival time of the mice being measured, respectively. In vivo bioluminescence imaging was used to detect Luc expression and immunohistochemical analysis was used to detect PSCA expression. Inoculation of the tumor cells into the C57BL/6 mice closely mimicked the tumor growth of prostate cancer. All of the inoculated mice exhibited a detectable tumor within two weeks. Tumor progression was able to be quantitatively monitored following the inoculation of 1x106 RM-PSCA/Luc cells. There was an excellent correlation (R²=0.9849) between the photon counts and tumor volume. The expression of PSCA in tumor tissues was confirmed using immunohistochemical analysis. The Luc and PSCA co-expression tumor model was successfully established in mice, which is likely to accelerate the understanding of the pathogenesis of prostate cancer and facilitate the development of novel antitumor drugs or vaccines for the disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Salmonella typhi is a pathogen that causes the human disease of typhoid fever. The aim of this study was to investigate the viable but nonculturable (VBNC) state of S. typhi. Some samples were stimulated at 4°C or -20°C, while others were induced by different concentrations of CuSO4. Total cell counts remained constant throughout several days by acridine orange direct counting; however, plate counts declined to undetectable levels within 48 hours by plate counting at -20°C. The direct viable counts remained fairly constant at this level by direct viable counting. Carbon and nitrogen materials slowly decreased which indicated that a large population of cells existed in the VBNC state and entered the VBNC state in response to exposure to 0.01 or 0.015 mmol/L CuSO4 for more than 14 or 12 days, respectively. Adding 3% Tween 20 or 1% catalase enabled cells to become culturable again, with resuscitation times of 48 h and 24 h, respectively. The atomic force microscope results showed that cells gradually changed in shape from short rods to coccoids, and decreased in size when they entered the VBNC state. Further animal experiments suggested that resuscitated cells might regain pathogenicity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The immune responses of natural killer cells are regulated, in part, by killer cell immunoglobulin-like receptors (KIR). The 16 closely-related genes in the KIR gene system have been diversified by gene duplication and unequal crossing over, thereby generating haplotypes with variation in gene copy number. Allelic variation also contributes to diversity within the complex. In this study, we estimated allele-level haplotype frequencies and pairwise linkage disequilibrium statistics for 14 KIR loci. The typing utilized multiple methodologies by four laboratories to provide at least 2x coverage for each allele. The computational methods generated maximum-likelihood estimates of allele-level haplotypes. Our results indicate the most extensive allele diversity was observed for the KIR framework genes and for the genes localized to the telomeric region of the KIR A haplotype. Particular alleles of the stimulatory loci appear to be nearly fixed on specific, common haplotypes while many of the less frequent alleles of the inhibitory loci appeared on multiple haplotypes, some with common haplotype structures. Haplotype structures cA01 and/or tA01 predominate in this cohort, as has been observed in most populations worldwide. Linkage disequilibrium is high within the centromeric and telomeric haplotype regions but not between them and is particularly strong between centromeric gene pairs KIR2DL5~KIR2DS3S5 and KIR2DS3S5~KIR2DL1, and telomeric KIR3DL1~KIR2DS4. Although 93% of the individuals have unique pairs of full-length allelic haplotypes, large genomic blocks sharing specific sets of alleles are seen in the most frequent haplotypes. These high-resolution, high-quality haplotypes extend our basic knowledge of the KIR gene system and may be used to support clinical studies beyond single gene analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents the findings of a research conducted on developing optimized method for screening and evaluating Tet repressor (7erR) expressing cell lines. It discusses the methodology used in conducting the research including Western blotting, reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and statistical analysis. The research reveals the development of enhanced green fluorescence protein (EGFP) based screening method.

Background: Ebola viruses (EBOVs) cause severe hemorrhagic fever with a high mortality rate. At present, there are no licensed vaccines or efficient therapies to combat EBOV infection. Previous studies have shown that both humoral and cellular immune responses are crucial for controlling Ebola infection. CD8+ T cells play an important role in mediating vaccine-induced protective immunity. The objective of this study was to identify H-2d-specific T cell epitopes in EBOV glycoproteins (GPs). Results: Computer-assisted algorithms were used to predict H-2d-specific T cell epitopes in two species of EBOV (Sudan and Zaire) GP. The predicted peptides were synthesized and identified in BALB/c mice immunized with replication-deficient adenovirus vectors expressing the EBOV GP. Enzyme-linked immunospot assays and intracellular cytokine staining showed that the peptides RPHTPQFLF (Sudan EBOV), GPCAGDFAF and LYDRLASTV (Zaire EBOV) could stimulate splenoctyes in immunized mice to produce large amounts of interferon-gamma. Conclusion: Three peptides within the GPs of two EBOV strains were identified as T cell epitopes. The identification of these epitopes should facilitate the evaluation of vaccines based on the Ebola virus glycoprotein in a BALB/c mouse model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Traditional real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) requires a purified DNA sample for PCR amplification and detection. This requires PCR tests be conducted in clean laboratories, and limits its applications for field tests. This work developed a method that can carry out DNA purification, amplification and detection in a single PCR tube. The polypropylene PCR tube was first treated with chromic acid and peptide nucleic acids (PNA) as DNA-capturer were immobilized on the internal surface of the tube. Cauliflower mosaic virus 35S (CaMV-35S) promoter in the crude extract was hybridized with the PNA on the tube surface, and the inhibitors, interfering agents and irrelevant DNA in the crude extract were effectively removed by rinsing with buffer solutions. The tube that has captured the target DNA can be used for the following real-time PCR (RT-PCR). By using this approach, the detection of less than 2500 copies of 35S plasmids in a complex sample could be completed within 3 hours. Chocolate samples were tested for real sample analysis, and 35S plasmids in genetically modified chocolate samples have been successfully identified with this method in situ. The novel One-PCR-tube method is competitive for commercial kits with the same time and simpler operation procedure. This method may be widely used for identifying food that contains modified DNA and specific pathogens in the field. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

d-galactose-specific lectin, MW = 40 kDa, had been purified from pupae of Musca domestica (MPL). MPL significantly promoted the proliferation of B cells and enhanced the production of IL-12 in a dose-dependent manner. MPL stimulated IκB-α degradation, NF-κB translocation and ERK1/2 phosphorylation which played an upstream role for NF-кB in MPL-induced B cells. Moreover, MPL regulated cell proliferation and induced IL-12 production through ERK1/2-NF-κB signaling pathway. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To optimize Chinese Hamster Ovary (CHO) cell culture to recombinant protein therapeutic production, we stably overexpressed survivin and cyclin D1 in three CHO DG44-derived cell lines. The modifications conferred increases of 56-94% in S-phase fractions and decreases of 33-43% in early-stage apoptosis fractions. Clone 6.3, which expressed the highest levels of survivin and cyclin D1, reached significantly greater cell densities in suspension (2.7 × 10 cells/ml) following serum deprivation. Nude mice inoculated with the modified cells showed no tumorigenesis suggesting that the CHO DG44-derived cell lines are viable candidates for biopharmaceutical production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

KIR2DL5 alleles were physically linked to alleles at adjacent KIR loci to define this region of KIR haplotypes in 55 gene-positive random African Americans. The majority carried KIR2DL5B. Three KIR2DL5A and six KIR2DL5B alleles that have been previously described and 11 novel KIR2DL5 alleles were identified by DNA sequencing. Novel alleles included variation that may impact promoter activity; two alleles carried nonsynonymous coding region variation. Based on linkage with KIR2DS1, KIR2DS3, KIR2DS5, KIR2DL2, KIR2DL3, and KIR3DS1 alleles, seven haplotypes of KIR2DL5A and 23 haplotypes of KIR2DL5B were observed. The phylogenetic relationships among the KIR2DL5 alleles predicted their association with either KIR2DS3 (six alleles) or KIR2DS5 (seven alleles). All of the KIR2DL5A alleles were linked either to KIR3DS1*01301 or KIR3DS1*049N. The majority of the KIR2DL5B alleles were linked to seven KIR2DL2 alleles; two were linked to a novel allele of KIR2DL3. These findings underscore the diversity of KIR haplotypes present in this population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fermentation properties under the control of multiple genes are difficult to alter with traditional methods in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Here, a novel genome engineering approach is developed to improve ethanol production in very high gravity fermentation with 300 g/L glucose as the carbon source. This strategy involved constructing aneuploid strains on the base of tetraploid cells. The tetraploid strain was constructed by using the plasmid YCplac33-GHK, which harbored the HO gene encoding the site-specific Ho endonucleases. The aneuploid strain, WT4-M, was selected and screened after the tetraploid cells were treated with methyl benzimidazole-2-yl-carbamate to induce loss of mitotic chromosomes. It was found that aneuploid strain WT4-M not only exhibited an increase in ethanol production and osmotic and thermal tolerance, but also an improvement in the sugar-ethanol conversion rate. Notably, WT4-M provided up to 9.8% improvement in ethanol production compared with the control strain. The results demonstrated that the strategy of aneuploidy was valuable for creating yeast strains with better fermentation characteristics. Les propriétés de fermentation contrôlées par de multiples gènes sont difficiles à modifier par les méthodes traditionnelles chez Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Une nouvelle approche d’ingénierie du génome a été développée ici afin d’améliorer la production d’éthanol par la fermentation à très haute gravité de glucose 300 g/L utilisé comme source de carbone. Cette stratégie a impliqué la construction de souches aneuploïdes à partir de cellules tétraploïdes. La souche tétraploïde a été construite à l’aide du plasmide YCplac33-GHK, qui comprend le gène HO codant les endonucléases de restriction Ho. La souche aneuploïde WT4-M a été sélectionnée et criblée après que les cellules tétraploïdes aient été traitées au méthyl benzimidazole-2-yl-carbamate afin d’induire une perte chromosomique lors de la mitose. La souche aneuploïde WT4-M montrait non seulement une augmentation de production d’éthanol et une tolérance osmotique et thermique, mais elle montrait aussi une amélioration du taux de conversion sucre-éthanol. WT4-M démontrait notamment une amélioration de 9,8 % de production d’éthanol comparativement à la souche contrôle. Ces résultats ont démontré que la stratégie de l’aneuploïdie était appropriée pour créer des souches de levures possédant de meilleures caractéristiques de fermentation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fermentation properties under the control of multiple genes of industrial Saccharomyces cerevisiae strain are difficult to alter with traditional methods. Here, we describe efficient and reliable genome shuffling to increase ethanol production through the rapid improvement of stress resistance. The strategy is carried out using yeast sexual and asexual reproduction by itself instead of polyethylene glycol-mediated protoplast fusion. After three rounds of genome shuffling, the best performing strain S3-10 was obtained on the special plate containing a high ethanol concentration. It exhibits substantial improvement in multiple stress tolerance to ethanol, glucose, and heat. The cycle of fermentation of S3-10 was not only shortened, but also, ethanol yield was increased by up to 10.96% compared with the control in very-high-gravity (VHG) fermentations. In total, S3-10 possesses optimized fermentation characteristics, which will be propitious to the development of bioethanol fermentation industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Genome shuffling of Candida versatilis was applied to improve the soy-sauce flavour by further increasing salt stress resistance. A mutant S3-5, with a stronger resistance to salt, was isolated after three rounds of genome shuffling. It is found that S3-5 improved stress tolerance to higher potassium chloride and lithium chloride. S3-5 not only grew well in the YPD (peptone, yeast extract and dextrose) medium containing high concentrations of sodium chloride with various pH values, but also exhibited improvement of growth ability in soy-sauce medium. The main aroma compounds in soy sauce were distinctly improved. Notably, S3-5 produced about 2.78 times as much ethanol as the control strain. Another important aroma compound, 4-hydroxy-2 (or 5)-ethyl-5 (or 2)-methyl-3 (2H)-furanone (HEMF) was enhanced by up to 80%. Meanwhile, S3-5 accelerated flavour formation of soy sauce thus decreasing the total time required for the aroma development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Genome shuffling can improve complex phenotypes; however, there are several obstacles towards its broader applicability due to increased complexity of eukaryotic cells. Here, we describe novel, efficient and reliable methods for genome shuffling to increase ethanol production of Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Using yeast sexual and asexual reproduction by itself, mutant diploid cells were shuffled through highly efficient sporulation and adequate cross among the haploid cells, followed by selection on the special plates. The selected strain obtained after three round genome shuffling not only distinctly improved the resistance to ethanol, but also, increased ethanol yield by up to 13% compared with the control. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sequencing of polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-amplified genomic DNA encompassing the putative proximal promoter and the coding region was used to identify KIR2DL5 alleles from 77 unrelated Caucasian individuals. PCR and sequencing were used to link each new allele to its neighboring KIR locus to identify 2DL5A or 2DL5B loci. Allele 2DL5A*001 was found in 24 of the 37 2DL5 positive individuals; 2DL5B*0020101 and 2DL5A*0050101 were also observed. Two new alleles, 2DL5B*008 and 2DL5B*009, contained substitutions altering the amino acid sequence of the leader and transmembrane region, respectively. Two other novel alleles, 2DL5B*0020102 and 2DL5A*0050102, contained alterations of the 5′ upstream region, bringing the number of unique promoter sequences to six. Promoter activity of the alleles was compared using luciferase reporter assays. Our results support those recently published, in which the promoter of 2DL5B*0020101 was shown to be more active in vitro compared to 2DL5A*001, and also provide additional information about the transcriptional activity of the promoters of the newly characterized alleles related to two altered transcription factor binding sites. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]