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Ghrelin is a peptide hormone made up of 28 amino acids. It is involved in various biological processes, including the stimulation of growth hormone release, control of food intake, and metabolic and cytoprotective eff ects. In 1999, this hormone was identifi ed as a ligand for the GHSR1a growth hormone secretagogue receptor. Ghrelin hormone-receptor complexes have been modeled in a few previous in-silico studies, but none of them have investigated the eff ects of the gene variation rs34911341/(R51Q) on the full-length ghrelin model and on the hormone-receptor binding. It was established that the full-length ghrelin model’s secondary structure was unaff ected by the R to Q amino acid substitution. Additionally, the mutant hormone-receptor complex exhibited better outcomes and altered the molecular interactions between the mutant ligand and the receptor by creating novel interactions, according to the post-molecular dynamic simulation analysis.

Objective: To isolate a prevalent G9P[8] group A rotavirus (RVA) strain (N4006) in China and investigate its genomic and evolutionary characteristics, with the goal of facilitating the development of a new rotavirus vaccine. Methods: An RVA strain of the G9P[8] genotype from a diarrhea sample was passaged in MA104 cells. The strain was evaluated by SEM, polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, and indirect immunofluorescence assay. The complete genome of the strain was obtained by RT-PCR and sequencing. The genomic and evolutionary characteristics of the strain were evaluated by nucleic acid sequence analysis with MEGA ver. 5.0.5 and DNASTAR software. The neutralizing epitopes of VP7 and VP4 (VP5* and VP8*) were analyzed using BioEdit ver. 7.0.9.0 and PyMOL ver. 2.5.2. Results: The N4006 strain (G9P[8] genotype) was adapted in MA104 cells with a high titer (105.5 PFU/mL). Whole-genome sequence analysis showed N4006 to be a reassortant rotavirus of Wa-like G9P[8] RVA and the NSP4 gene of DS-1-like G2P[4] RVA, with the genotype constellation G9-P[8]-I1-R1-C1-M1-A1-N1-T1-E2-H1 (G9P[8]-E2). Phylogenetic analysis indicated that N4006 had a common ancestor with Japanese G9P[8]-E2 rotavirus strains. Neutralizing epitope analysis showed that VP7, VP5*, and VP8* of N4006 had low homology with vaccine strains of the same genotype and marked differences with vaccine strains of other genotypes. Conclusion: The G9P[8] genotype rotavirus with the G9-P[8]-I1-R1-C1-M1-A1-N1-T1-E2-H1 (G9P[8]-E2) constellation predominates in China and may originate from reassortment between Japanese G9P[8] with Japanese DS-1-like G2P[4] rotaviruses. The antigenic variation of N4006 with the vaccine strain necessitates evaluation of the effect of the rotavirus vaccine on G9P[8]-E2 genotype rotavirus.

Vaccination is crucial in controlling the spread of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) that triggered the pandemic, but herd immunity can only work with high vaccination coverage in the population. This study aims to measure the COVID-19 knowledge level and determine the factors influencing COVID-19 vaccination intention among university students in Malaysia. A cross-sectional online survey was carried out with 1,274 Malaysian university students in July 2021. Univariate and multivariate analyses were employed to examine the relationships between the study variables. Results showed that the majority of university students had an acceptable level of knowledge of COVID-19. The knowledge, risk perception of COVID-19, social norms, and perceived benefit of COVID-19 vaccination were positively associated with vaccination intention. However, perceived trust in information sources of COVID-19 vaccination and the government's response to COVID-19 did not affect the university students' desire to receive the vaccination. These findings are essential for health policymakers and healthcare providers to implement evidence-based interventions to increase COVID-19 vaccination uptake among university students.

Microaerobacter geothermalis Nad S1 T is a rare Bacillaceae thermophile that grows optimally at 55°C and circumneutral pH. Although strain Nad S1 T was discovered >10 years ago, its genome is yet to be described. The release of the Nad S1 T genome sequence serves as reference genetic information for subsequent use.

The purpose of the sewage treatment process is to decrease the concentration of contaminants, including pathogens, before discharging into the receiving streams. And the standard operating procedure of STP in Malaysia is to discharge the treated wastewater with low nutrient and low organic materials into the streams but the bacterial content of the discharge and its risk to the stream’s natural microbial verity or health is unknown. However, studies reported that pathogens could escape sewage treatment plants (STPs) processes and showed health risk of streams impacted by STP effluent. On the other hand, majority of these studies relied on metagenomic strategy, without assessing changes to culturable bacteria. Isolation of living microbes provides realistic risk assessment compared to metagenome survey alone. Therefore, this study aims to determine the presence of culturable pathogenic bacteria from water impacted by STP effluent to establish justifiable public health risk. For that, the presence of bile resistant bacteria was determined from water taken from surface water receiving effluent from STP-1 (Kolej 9, UTM) in Malaysia. Enumeration and isolation of bacteria were done on MacConkey agar through membrane filtration method, followed by partial identification, using Triple Sugar Iron agar (TSI). The result showed that STP effluent changes the diversity, and abundance, of bile resistant bacteria (specifically Enterobacteriaceae family) of receiving streams. Most of the isolated bile resistant bacteria are opportunistic pathogens for human. Findings from this study provide a snapshot of the bigger picture of microbial changes in a stream impacted by STP effluent painted initially by metagenome studies. And shows that despite of treatment, some contaminants (microbes) remained and released into surface waters, which contribute to the water pollutions.

The SKY hot spring is a unique site filled with a thick layer of plant litter. With the advancement of next-generation sequencing, it is now possible to mine many new biocatalyst sequences. In this study, we aimed to (i) identify the metataxonomic of prokaryotes and eukaryotes in microbial mats using 16S and 18S rRNA markers, (ii) and explore carbohydrate degrading enzymes (CAZymes) that have a high potential for future applications. Green microbial mat, predominantly photosynthetic bacteria, was attached to submerged or floating leaves litter. At the spring head, the sediment mixture consisted of plant debris, predominantly brownish-reddish gelatinous microbial mat, pale tan biofilm, and grey-white filament biofilm. The population in the spring head had a higher percentage of archaea and hyperthermophiles than the green mat. Concurrently, we cataloged nearly 10,000 sequences of CAZymes in both green and brown biofilms using the shotgun metagenomic sequencing approach. These sequences include β-glucosidase, cellulase, xylanase, α-N-arabinofuranosidase, α-l-arabinofuranosidase, and other CAZymes. In conclusion, this work elucidated that SKY is a unique hot spring due to its rich lignocellulosic material, often absent in other hot springs. The data collected from this study serves as a repository of new thermostable macromolecules, in particular families of glycoside hydrolases.

Thousands of prokaryotic genera have been published, but methodological bias in the study of prokaryotes is noted. Prokaryotes that are relatively easy to isolate have been well-studied from multiple aspects. Massive quantities of experimental findings and knowledge generated from the well-known prokaryotic strains are inundating scientific publications. However, researchers may neglect or pay little attention to the uncommon prokaryotes and hard-to-cultivate microorganisms. In this review, we provide a systematic update on the discovery of underexplored culturable and unculturable prokaryotes and discuss the insights accumulated from various research efforts. Examining these neglected prokaryotes may elucidate their novelties and functions and pave the way for their industrial applications. In addition, we hope that this review will prompt the scientific community to reconsider these untapped pragmatic resources.

A styrylpyrone derivative (SPD) known as goniothalamin is a compound isolated from Goniothalamus umbrosus. Herein, we showed SPD inhibition of human herpes virus type-1 (HHV-1) infection. In addition, the possible mechanism of anti-HHV-1 activity was proposed through a combination treatment between SPD and commercial antiherpetic drug, Foscarnet (PFA).

The antioxidant, antibacterial, and antiviral effects of crude methanol extract from the leaves of Goniothalamus umbrosus were studied. Good free radical scavenging activity using 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) assay was shown by the extract at EC50 of 0.263 mg/ml compared to 0.01 mg/ml for trolox as the positive control. The extract showed greater antibacterial activity against Gram-positive bacteria than Gram-negative with methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) isolates were more sensitive than methicillin sensitive S. aureus. Cytotoxicity testing of the leaf extract and goniothalamin a styrylpyrone derivative (SPD) as a lead compound found mostly in the genus Goniothalamus was performed on Vero cells. From the test, the CC50 value for the extract was 125 µg/ml and for SPD 31.25 µg/mL (1.563x10-7 µM). Antiviral test was carried out against Herpes Simplex virus type 1 infected to Vero cells. The results showed that G. umbrosus leaf methanol extract was effective in showing the antiviral activity in all three treatments but SPD is effective only in the first treatment; 1) (C+V)+E, extract and SPD were able to control virus post-infection 2) (C+E)+V: the extract has prophylactic activity implied by treatment of cells with the extract for one day before viral infection and 3) C+(V+E) refers to the ability of extract to control viral infectivity when extract and virus was added simultaneously to cell. This study showed the potential of non-cytotoxic G. umbrosus leaf methanol extract as herbal alternative against MRSA and herpes simplexviruse (HSV) -1. Key words: Goniothalamus umbrosus, leaf, methanol extract, styrylpyrone derivative, antioxidant, antibacterial, cytotoxicity, antivirus.

Thermophiles and hyperthermophiles are present in various regions of the Earth, including volcanic environments, hot springs, mud pots, fumaroles, geysers, coastal thermal springs, and even deep-sea hydrothermal vents. They are also found in man-made environments, such as heated compost facilities, reactors, and spray dryers. Thermophiles, hyperthermophiles, and their bioproducts facilitate various industrial, agricultural, and medicinal applications and offer potential solutions to environmental damages and the demand for biofuels. Intensified efforts to sequence the entire genome of hyperthermophiles and thermophiles are increasing rapidly, as evidenced by the fact that over 120 complete genome sequences of the hyperthermophiles Aquificae, Thermotogae, Crenarchaeota, and Euryarchaeota are now available. In this review, we summarise the major current applications of thermophiles and thermozymes. In addition, emphasis is placed on recent progress in understanding the biodiversity, genomes, transcriptomes, metagenomes, and single-cell sequencing of thermophiles in the genomic era. Fil: Urbieta, María Sofía. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - la Plata. Centro de Investigación y Desarrollo En Fermentaciones Industriales. Universidad Nacional de la Plata. Facultad de Cs.exactas. Centro de Investigación y Desarrollo En Fermentaciones Industriales; Argentina Fil: Donati, Edgardo Ruben. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - la Plata. Centro de Investigación y Desarrollo En Fermentaciones Industriales. Universidad Nacional de la Plata. Facultad de Cs.exactas. Centro de Investigación y Desarrollo En Fermentaciones Industriales; Argentina Fil: Chan, Kok Gan. University of Malaya; Malasia Fil: Shahar, Saleha. Universiti Teknologi Malaysia; Malasia Fil: Sin, Lee Li. Universiti Teknologi Malaysia; Malasia Fil: Goh, Kian Mau. Universiti Teknologi Malaysia; Malasia

Species of Anoxybacillus are widespread in geothermal springs, manure, and milk-processing plants. The genus is composed of 22 species and two subspecies, but the relationship between its lifestyle and genome is little understood. In this study, two high-quality draft genomes were generated from Anoxybacillus spp. SK3-4 and DT3-1, isolated from Malaysian hot springs. De novo assembly and annotation were performed, followed by comparative genome analysis with the complete genome of Anoxybacillus flavithermus WK1 and two additional draft genomes, of A. flavithermus TNO-09.006 and A. kamchatkensis G10. The genomes of Anoxybacillus spp. are among the smaller of the family Bacillaceae. Despite having smaller genomes, their essential genes related to lifestyle adaptations at elevated temperature, extreme pH, and protection against ultraviolet are complete. Due to the presence of various competence proteins, Anoxybacillus spp. SK3-4 and DT3-1 are able to take up foreign DNA fragments, and some of these transferred genes are important for the survival of the cells. The analysis of intact putative prophage genomes shows that they are highly diversified. Based on the genome analysis using SEED, many of the annotated sequences are involved in carbohydrate metabolism. The presence of glycosyl hydrolases among the Anoxybacillus spp. was compared, and the potential applications of these unexplored enzymes are suggested here. This is the first study that compares Anoxybacillus genomes from the aspect of lifestyle adaptations, the capacity for horizontal gene transfer, and carbohydrate metabolism.

Viruses frequently exploit host cell cycle machineries for their own benefit, often by targeting 'master switches' of cell cycle regulation. By doing so, they achieve maximum effect from minimal input. One such master switch is the anaphase promoting complex or cyclosome (APC/C), a multicomponent ubiquitin ligase and a dominant regulator of the cell cycle. A growing number of viruses have been shown to target the APC/C. Although differing strategies are employed, viral manipulation of the APC/C seems to serve a common purpose, namely, to create an environment supportive of viral replication. Here, the molecular mechanisms employed by these viruses are summarized and discussed.