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The exploration of new sources of L-asparaginase with low glutaminase activity is of great interest in both medical and food applications. In the current study, a novel L-asparaginase gene (CobAsnase) from halotolerant Cobetia amphilecti AMI6 was cloned and over-expressed in Escherichia coli. The enzyme had a molecular mass of 37 kDa on SDS-PAGE and dynamic light scattering (DLS) analysis revealed that CobAsnase is a homotetramer in solution. The purified enzyme showed optimum activity at pH and temperature of 7 and 60 °C, respectively, with obvious thermal stability. It exhibited strict substrate specificity towards L-asparagine with no detectable activity on L-glutamine. Pre-treatment of potato slices by CobAsnase prior to frying reduced the acrylamide contents in the processed chips up to 81% compared with untreated control. These results suggest that CobAsnase is a potential candidate for applications in the food industry for mitigation of acrylamide formation in fried potato and baked foods., (Copyright © 2019 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Background and Study Aims: Colonized patients with carbapenamase producing Enterobacteriaceae (CPE) are vulnerable to invasive infections from their endogenous flora. We aimed to assess faecal colonization with (CPE) among children admitted to Cairo University paediatric intensive care units (ICUs). The phenotypic and genotypic characterizations of carbapenemase-producing Enterobacteriaceae were also studied., Patients and Methods: A total of 413 Enterobacteriaceae isolates have been isolated from cultured rectal swabs of 100 children. All swabs were inoculated on ChromID™ CARBA agar to screen for carbapenem resistant Enterobacteriaceae (CRE). Disk diffusion method, Modified Hodge test (MHT) and further genotypic detection of carbapenemases genes (bla OXA-48 , bla KPC and bla NDM-1 , bla VIM and bla IMP ) by multiplex PCR were done., Results: Out of 413 Enterobacteriaceae isolates; 100 isolates were defined as CRE. Bla OXA-48 was detected in (33%); Escherichia coli (n = 11), Klebsiella oxytoca (n = 3) and Klebsiella pneumoniae (n = 19), while (27%) carried bla NDM-1 Escherichia coli (n = 7), and Klebsiella pneumoniae (n = 20)., Conclusion: Prevalence of carbapenem resistant Enterobacteriaceae was 24%, various genes of carbapenemases were detected in 80% of carbapenem resistant Enterobacteriaceae with dominance of bla OXA-48 . Understanding the colonization status of our patients with strict infection control measures can reduce the risk of horizontal gene transfer of carbapenemases., (Copyright © 2019 Pan-Arab Association of Gastroenterology. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)