Rhodobacter azotoformans LPS (RAP99-LPS) Is a TLR4 Agonist That Inhibits Lung Metastasis and Enhances TLR3-Mediated Chemokine Expression

Detection of Cereibacter azotoformans-YS02 as a Novel Source of Coenzyme Q10 and Its Metabolic Analysis

Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10), a high-value-added nutraceutical antioxidant, exhibits an excellent ability to prevent cardiovascular disease. Here, a novel Cereibacter azotoformans strain, designated YS02, was isolated for its ability to produce CoQ10 and genetically characterized by whole genome sequencing (WGS). The CoQ10 biosynthesis and metabolism differences of YS02 under various culture conditions were also systematically investigated. Phylogenetic analysis based on 16 S rRNA genes, along with taxonomic verification using average nucleotide identity (ANI) analysis, confirmed its classification as C. azotoformans. Enzymatic genes dxs, dxr, idi, ubiA, and ubiG were annotated in YS02, which are critical genetic hallmarks for CoQ10 biosynthesis. Under aerobic-dark cultivation, YS02 grows well, and CoQ10 production can reach 201 mg/kg. A total of 542 small-molecule metabolites were identified from YS02 in aerobic-dark and anaerobic-light cultivation via ultra-high performance liquid chromatography-coupled quadrupole orbitrap high-resolution mass spectrometry (UPLC-Q-Exactive Orbitrap MS). Additionally, 40 differential metabolites were screened through multivariate statistical analysis. Metabolic pathway analysis revealed that the biosynthesis of phenylalanine, tyrosine, and tryptophan might be latent factors influencing CoQ10 production discrepancies within YS02 under both cultural modes. These findings represent new insights into the metabolic mechanism of YS02 and underscore its potential as an alternative strain source for industrial CoQ10 production, enriching the existing resources.

Protective effects of lipid emulsion on vital organs through the LPS/TLR4 pathway in acute organophosphate poisoning

Organophosphorus poisoning (OP), a prevalent form of pesticide intoxication, induces severe multiorgan dysfunction. While combined lipid emulsion (ILE) and standard treatment (pralidoxime methiodide & atropine) demonstrate improved clinical outcomes, the therapeutic mechanisms remain elusive.

METHODS

An OP rat model was established for: (1) histopathological assessment via hematoxylin-eosin (H&E) staining; (2) LPS/Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) quantification through flow cytometry; (3) inflammatory cytokine measurement using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA); and (4) cytokine mRNA analysis via reverse transcription PCR (RT-PCR). TLR4 pathway validation employed anti-TLR4 intervention.

RESULTS

After survived 24 h, multiple organs were damaged in rats with organophosphorus poisoning. Treatment with standard treatment or only lipid emulsion slightly alleviated the symptoms of poisoning, However, when standard treatment was combined with lipid emulsion, the symptoms were significantly alleviated, and the expression level of TLR4 was significantly decreased in the ST + ILE group. After anti-TLR4 was used to block the LPS/TLR4 pathway, liver function and acetylcholinesterase(AchE) levels in rats were significantly improved(P < 0.001), lung and heart pathology improved, and inflammatory cytokines were reduced; Moreover, the expression level of TLR4 in heart and lung also decreased significantly(P < 0.01). As a result, the symptoms of organ poisoning were relieved.

CONCLUSION

Lipid emulsion is involved in the protective effect via the LPS/TLR4 pathway on vital organs inacute or organophosphorus poisoning.

Mechanisms of lipopolysaccharide protection in tumor drug-induced macrophage damage

Malignant tumors contribute significantly to human mortality. Chemotherapy is a commonly used treatment for tumors. However, due to the low selectivity of chemotherapeutic drugs, immune cells can be damaged during antitumor treatment, resulting in toxicity. Lipopolysaccharide (LPS) can stimulate immune cells to respond to foreign substances. Here, we found that 10 ng/mL LPS could induce tolerance to antitumor drugs in macrophages without altering the effect of the drugs on tumor cells. Differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified between cells before and after LPS administration using transcriptome sequencing and found to be mainly associated with ATP-binding cassette (ABC)-resistant transporters and glutathione S-transferase (GST). LPS was shown by qRT-PCR and western blotting to promote the expression of ABCC1, GSTT1, and GSTP1 by 38.3 %, 194.8 %, and 27.0 %. Furthermore, three inhibitors (inhibitors of GST, glutathione synthesis, and ABCC1) were used for further investigation, showing that these inhibitors reduced macrophage survival rates by 44.0 %, 52.3 %, and 43.3 %, while the intracellular adriamycin content increased by 28.9 %, 42.9 %, and 51.3 %, respectively. These findings suggest that the protective mechanism of LPS on macrophages is associated with increased GST activity, the consumption of glutathione, and increased expression of ABCC1 protein. Therefore, LPS has a potential role in enhancing immunity.

Recent progress in the use of purple non-sulfur bacteria as probiotics in aquaculture

The use of probiotics in aquaculture is widely recognized as an ecological and cost-effective approach to raising healthy, pathogen-tolerant aquatic animals, including fish and shrimp. In particular for shrimp, probiotics are viewed as a promising countermeasure to the recent severe damage to the shrimp industry by bacterial and viral pathogens. Purple non-sulfur bacteria (PNSB) are Gram-negative, non-pathogenic bacteria with wide application potential in agriculture, wastewater treatment, and bioenergy/biomaterials production. In aquaculture, lactic bacteria and Bacillus are the major probiotic bacteria used, but PNSB, like Rhodopseudomonas and Rhodobacter, are also used. In this review, we summarize the previous work on the use of PNSB in aquaculture, overview the previous studies on the stimulation of innate immunity of shrimp by various probiotic microorganisms, and also share our results in the probiotic performance of Rhodovulum sulfidophilum KKMI01, a marine PNSB, which showed a superior effect in promotion of growth and stimulation of immunity in shrimp at a quite low concentration of 1 × 10³ cfu (colony forming unit)/ml in rearing water.

Suppressive effects of bioactive herbal polysaccharides against different cancers: From mechanisms to translational advancements

BACKGROUND

Fueled by rapidly evolving comprehension of multifaceted nature of cancers, recently emerging preclinical and clinical data have supported researchers in the resolution of knowledge gaps to deepen the understanding of the molecular mechanisms. The extra-ordinary and bewildering chemical diversity encompassed by biologically active natural products continues to be of relevance to drug discovery. Accumulating evidence has spurred a remarkable evolution of concepts related to pharmacological target of oncogenic signaling pathways by polysaccharides in different cancers.

PURPOSE

The objective of the current review is to provide new insights into study progress on anticancer effects of bioactive herbal polysaccharides.

METHODS

PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, Embase, and other databases were searched for articles related to anticancer effects of polysaccharides. Searches were conducted to locate relevant publications published up to October 2022.

RESULTS

Polysaccharides have been reported to pleiotropically modulate TGF/SMAD, BMP/SMAD, TLR4, mTOR, CXCR4 and VEGF/VEGFR cascades. We have also summarized how different polysaccharides regulated apoptosis and non-coding RNAs. Additionally, this mini-review describes increasingly sophisticated understanding related to polysaccharides mediated tumor suppressive and anti-metastatic effects in tumor-bearing mice. We have also provided an overview of the clinical trials related to chemopreventive role of polysaccharides.

CONCLUSION

Genomic and proteomic findings from these studies will facilitate 'next-generation' clinical initiatives in the prevention/inhibition of cancer.

Sevoflurane postconditioning ameliorates cerebral ischemia-reperfusion injury in rats via TLR4/MyD88/TRAF6 signaling pathway

To determine whether sevoflurane postconditioning protects against cerebral ischemia reperfusion (I/R) injury and its potential mechanism, we employed bioinformatic analysis, neurological assessments, and western blot analysis, as well as triphenyl tetrazolium chloride, hematoxylin and eosin, Nissl, and immunofluorescence staining. We identified 103 differentially expressed genes induced by cerebral I/R, including 75 upregulated genes and 28 downregulated genes enriched for certain biological processes (involving regulation of inflammatory responses, cellular responses to interleukin 1, and chemokine activity) and signaling pathways (such as transcriptional misregulation in cancer, interleukin-17 signaling, rheumatoid arthritis, MAPK signaling, and Toll-like receptor signaling). As a typical path in Toll-like receptor signaling pathway, in the current study, we investigated the protective effect of sevoflurane postconditioning in cerebral I/R rats and further explore the role of TLR4/MyD88/TRAF6 signaling pathway in it. The results showed cerebral I/R-induced neurological deficits were comparatively less severe following sevoflurane postconditioning. In addition, TLR4/MyD88/TRAF6 signaling pathway-related proteins and neuropathic damage were ameliorated in aged rats following sevoflurane postconditioning, while the TLR4 agonist lipopolysaccharide aggravated these changes. Together, these findings suggest that sevoflurane postconditioning ameliorates cerebral I/R injury by a mechanism involving inhibition of the TLR4/MyD88/TRAF6 signaling pathway to suppress neuroinflammatory responses.

Yersinia enterocolitica-Derived Outer Membrane Vesicles Inhibit Initial Stage of Biofilm Formation

Yersinia enterocolitica (Y. enterocolitica) is an important food-borne and zoonotic pathogen. It can form biofilm on the surface of food, increasing the risk to food safety. Generally, outer membrane vesicles (OMVs) are spherical nanostructures secreted by Gram-negative bacteria during growth. They play a role in biological processes because they contain biologically active molecules. Several studies have reported that OMVs secreted by various bacteria are associated with the formation of biofilms. However, the interactions between Y. enterocolitica OMVs and biofilm are unknown. This study aims to investigate the effect of Y. enterocolitica OMVs on biofilm formation. Firstly, OMVs were extracted from Y. enterocolitica Y1083, which has a strong biofilm-forming ability, at 15 °C, 28 °C and 37 °C and then characterized. The characterization results showed differences in the yield and protein content of three types of OMVs. Next, by co-culturing the OMVs with Y. enterocolitica, it was observed that the OMVs inhibited the initial stage of Y. enterocolitica biofilm formation but did not affect the growth of Y. enterocolitica. Furthermore, biofilm formation by Salmonella enteritidis and Staphylococcus aureus were also inhibited by OMVs. Subsequently, it was proved that lipopolysaccharides (LPS) in OMVs inhibited biofilm formation., The proteins, DNA or RNA in OMVs could not inhibit biofilm formation. Bacterial motility and the expression of the biofilm-related genes pgaABC, motB and flhBD were inhibited by LPS. LPS demonstrated good anti-biofilm activity against various bacteria. This study provides a new approach to the prevention and control of pathogenic bacterial biofilm.

LPS-Induced Activation of the cGAS-STING Pathway is Regulated by Mitochondrial Dysfunction and Mitochondrial DNA Leakage in Endometritis

Introduction

Chronic endometritis is a common disease in women of childbearing age and can cause pelvic inflammatory disease. The cGAS-STING pathway plays an important role in many inflammatory diseases.

Purpose

The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between the cGAS-STING pathway and endometritis.

Methods

We collected endometrium samples from patients with endometritis to detect changes in the cGAS-STING pathway. In vitro, human endometrial stromal cells (HESC) were stimulated with lipopolysaccharide (LPS), and a mouse STING gene-knockout model was established by CRISPR/cas9 for STING to further explore the mechanism underlying its effects in endometritis. We used Western blotting (WB) and immunohistochemical staining to detect the variations in protein levels and real-time PCR to study the variations in gene expression.

Results

We observed the activation of the cGAS-STING pathway and an increase in the expression of cytokine-encoding genes, including IL-8, IL-6, IL-1β, and IFN-β1, in endometrial tissues of patients with endometritis. Stimulation of HESCs using LPS demonstrated increase in the expression of proteins involved the cGAS-STING pathway and the gene expression of inflammatory cytokines. STING-knockdown experiments demonstrated a decrease in the gene expression levels of inflammatory cytokines. Moreover, we also identified the translocation of IRF3 and STING after LPS stimulation. Regarding mitochondrial function, LPS led to an increase in reactive oxygen species levels and a reduction in mitochondrial membrane potential. However, we observed that the mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) leaked into the cytoplasm, upregulating the levels of proteins involved in the cGAS-STING pathway upon LPS stimulation. Furthermore, our results showed that LPS induced hyperemia, inflammatory factor production, and expression of Pho-TBK1 in wild-type mice compared with the levels in control mice, and STING gene-knockdown alleviated these effects.

Conclusion

LPS induces mitochondrial dysfunction in endometrial stromal cells, resulting in mtDNA leakage and promoting endometritis by stimulating the cGAS-STING pathway.

Activation of Inflammatory Networks in the Lungs Caused by Chronic Cold Stress Is Moderately Attenuated by Glucose Supplementation

Mammals that live in cold climates endure months of exposure to low temperature in the winter. The incidence of respiratory diseases has increased. The goal of this study was to investigate the effects of chronic cold stress on lung inflammatory networks, apoptosis, and mitochondrial function via Yorkshire pig models, as well as the ameliorative effect of glucose as energy supplements. Here, two trials were conducted (chronic cold stress and glucose supplementation). The results showed that chronic cold stress induced obvious inflammatory cell infiltration in the lungs and damaged the lung tissue structure. Compared with the Y-Con group, the expression of toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4), myeloid differentiation primary response 88 (MyD88), high mobility group box 1 (HMGB1), nucleotide-binding domain, and leucine-rich repeat protein 3 (NLRP3), IL-1β, IL-2, IL-6, and IFN-γ in the lungs of the Y-CS group was enhanced by chronic cold stress (p < 0.05). Moreover, chronic cold stress promoted the expression of the Bax and Mfn2 in lungs of Y-CS group (p < 0.05). Interestingly, dietary glucose supplementation significantly reduced inflammatory cell infiltration in the lungs. Moreover, glucose supplementation inhibited the expression of TLR4, MyD88, HMGB1, NLRP3, IL-1β, IL-2, IL-6, IFN-γ, and Bax during chronic cold stress. In conclusion, chronic cold stress promoted inflammatory networks, apoptosis, and mitochondrial fusion in the lungs. Dietary glucose supplementation inhibited the inflammatory network during chronic cold stress.

A Water Extract from Chlorella sorokiniana Cell Walls Stimulates Growth of Bone Marrow Cells and Splenocytes

A water extract derived from the isolated cell walls of Chlorella sorokiniana (C. sorokiniana, Chlorella water extract, CWE) was analyzed for the presence of lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-related material via the Limulus amebocyte lysate (LAL) assay and evaluated for its growth stimulation effect on the bone marrow cells and splenocytes in vitro cell cultures. The extract contained low levels of LPS-related material, and a mass spectrum suggested that the extract contained many components, including a low level of a lipid A precursor, a compound known as lipid X, which is known to elicit a positive response in the LAL assay. Treatment with the CWE dose- and time-dependently stimulated the growth of mouse bone marrow cells (BMCs) and splenocytes (SPLs). Treatment with the CWE also increased specific BMC subpopulations, including antigen-presenting cells (CD19⁺ B cells, 33D1⁺ dendritic cells and CD68⁺ macrophages), and CD4⁺ and CD8⁺ T cells, but decreased the number of LY6G⁺ granulocytes. Treatment with the CWE also increased cytokine mRNA associated with T cell activation, including TNFα, IFNγ, and granzyme B in human lymphoblasts. The present study indicates that the cell wall fraction of C.sorokiniana contains an LPS-like material and suggests a candidate source for the bioactivity that stimulates growth of both innate and adaptive immune cells.

Genome Sequence and Characterization of a Xanthorhodopsin-Containing, Aerobic Anoxygenic Phototrophic Rhodobacter Species, Isolated from Mesophilic Conditions at Yellowstone National Park

The genus Rhodobacter consists of purple nonsulfur photosynthetic alphaproteobacteria known for their diverse metabolic capabilities. Here, we report the genome sequence and initial characterization of a novel Rhodobacter species, strain M37P, isolated from Mushroom hot spring runoff in Yellowstone National Park at 37 °C. Genome-based analyses and initial growth characteristics helped to define the differentiating characteristics of this species and identified it as an aerobic anoxygenic phototroph (AAP). This is the first AAP identified in the genus Rhodobacter. Strain M37P has a pinkish-red pigmentation that is present under aerobic dark conditions but disappears under light incubation. Whole genome-based analysis and average nucleotide identity (ANI) comparison indicate that strain M37P belongs to a specific clade of recently identified species that are genetically and physiologically unique from other representative Rhodobacter species. The genome encodes a unique xanthorhodopsin, not found in any other Rhodobacter species, which may be responsible for the pinkish-red pigmentation. These analyses indicates that strain M37P is a unique species that is well-adapted to optimized growth in the Yellowstone hot spring runoff, for which we propose the name Rhodobacter calidifons sp. nov.