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Kuczyńska-Wiśnik D, Stojowska-Swędrzyńska K, Laskowska E. Intracellular Protective Functions and Therapeutical Potential of Trehalose. Molecules 2024; 29:2088. [PMID: 38731579 PMCID: PMC11085779 DOI: 10.3390/molecules29092088] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2024] [Revised: 04/28/2024] [Accepted: 04/30/2024] [Indexed: 05/13/2024] Open
Abstract
Trehalose is a naturally occurring, non-reducing saccharide widely distributed in nature. Over the years, research on trehalose has revealed that this initially thought simple storage molecule is a multifunctional and multitasking compound protecting cells against various stress factors. This review presents data on the role of trehalose in maintaining cellular homeostasis under stress conditions and in the virulence of bacteria and fungi. Numerous studies have demonstrated that trehalose acts in the cell as an osmoprotectant, chemical chaperone, free radical scavenger, carbon source, virulence factor, and metabolic regulator. The increasingly researched medical and therapeutic applications of trehalose are also discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Ewa Laskowska
- Department of General and Medical Biochemistry, Faculty of Biology, University of Gdansk, Wita Stwosza 59, 80-308 Gdansk, Poland; (D.K.-W.); (K.S.-S.)
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Stojowska-Swędrzyńska K, Kuczyńska-Wiśnik D, Laskowska E. Influence of N ε-Lysine Acetylation on the Formation of Protein Aggregates and Antibiotic Persistence in E. coli. Molecules 2024; 29:383. [PMID: 38257296 PMCID: PMC10819833 DOI: 10.3390/molecules29020383] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2023] [Revised: 01/07/2024] [Accepted: 01/10/2024] [Indexed: 01/24/2024] Open
Abstract
Numerous studies indicate that reversible Nε-lysine acetylation in bacteria may play a key role in the regulation of metabolic processes, transcription and translation, biofilm formation, virulence, and drug resistance. Using appropriate mutant strains deficient in non-enzymatic acetylation and enzymatic acetylation or deacetylation pathways, we investigated the influence of protein acetylation on cell viability, protein aggregation, and persister formation in Escherichia coli. Lysine acetylation was found to increase protein aggregation and cell viability under the late stationary phase. Moreover, increased lysine acetylation stimulated the formation of persisters. These results suggest that acetylation-dependent aggregation may improve the survival of bacteria under adverse conditions (such as the late stationary phase) and during antibiotic treatment. Further experiments revealed that acetylation-favorable conditions may increase persister formation in Klebsiella pneumoniae clinical isolate. However, the exact mechanisms underlying the relationship between acetylation and persistence in this pathogen remain to be elucidated.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Ewa Laskowska
- Department of General and Medical Biochemistry, Faculty of Biology, University of Gdansk, Wita Stwosza 59, 80-308 Gdansk, Poland; (K.S.-S.); (D.K.-W.)
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Kuczyńska-Wiśnik D, Stojowska-Swędrzyńska K, Laskowska E. Liquid-Liquid Phase Separation and Protective Protein Aggregates in Bacteria. Molecules 2023; 28:6582. [PMID: 37764358 PMCID: PMC10534466 DOI: 10.3390/molecules28186582] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2023] [Revised: 09/09/2023] [Accepted: 09/09/2023] [Indexed: 09/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Liquid-liquid phase separation (LLPS) and the formation of membraneless organelles (MLOs) contribute to the spatiotemporal organization of various physiological processes in the cell. These phenomena have been studied and characterized mainly in eukaryotic cells. However, increasing evidence indicates that LLPS-driven protein condensation may also occur in prokaryotes. Recent studies indicate that aggregates formed during proteotoxic stresses may also play the role of MLOs and increase the fitness of bacteria under stress. The beneficial effect of aggregates may result from the sequestration and protection of proteins against irreversible inactivation or degradation, activation of the protein quality control system and induction of dormancy. The most common stress that bacteria encounter in the natural environment is water loss. Therefore, in this review, we focus on protein aggregates formed in E. coli upon desiccation-rehydration stress. In silico analyses suggest that various mechanisms and interactions are responsible for their formation, including LLPS, disordered sequences and aggregation-prone regions. These data support findings that intrinsically disordered proteins and LLPS may contribute to desiccation tolerance not only in eukaryotic cells but also in bacteria. LLPS-driven aggregation may be a strategy used by pathogens to survive antibiotic treatment and desiccation stress in the hospital environment.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Ewa Laskowska
- Department of General and Medical Biochemistry, Faculty of Biology, University of Gdansk, Wita Stwosza 59, 80-308 Gdansk, Poland; (D.K.-W.); (K.S.-S.)
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Stojowska-Swędrzyńska K, Kuczyńska-Wiśnik D, Laskowska E. New Strategies to Kill Metabolically-Dormant Cells Directly Bypassing the Need for Active Cellular Processes. Antibiotics (Basel) 2023; 12:1044. [PMID: 37370363 DOI: 10.3390/antibiotics12061044] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/21/2023] [Revised: 06/09/2023] [Accepted: 06/11/2023] [Indexed: 06/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Antibiotic therapy failure is often caused by the presence of persister cells, which are metabolically-dormant bacteria capable of surviving exposure to antimicrobials. Under favorable conditions, persisters can resume growth leading to recurrent infections. Moreover, several studies have indicated that persisters may promote the evolution of antimicrobial resistance and facilitate the selection of specific resistant mutants; therefore, in light of the increasing numbers of multidrug-resistant infections worldwide, developing efficient strategies against dormant cells is of paramount importance. In this review, we present and discuss the efficacy of various agents whose antimicrobial activity is independent of the metabolic status of the bacteria as they target cell envelope structures. Since the biofilm-environment is favorable for the formation of dormant subpopulations, anti-persister strategies should also include agents that destroy the biofilm matrix or inhibit biofilm development. This article reviews examples of selected cell wall hydrolases, polysaccharide depolymerases and antimicrobial peptides. Their combination with standard antibiotics seems to be the most promising approach in combating persistent infections.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karolina Stojowska-Swędrzyńska
- Department of General and Medical Biochemistry, Faculty of Biology, University of Gdansk, Wita Stwosza 59, 80-308 Gdansk, Poland
| | - Dorota Kuczyńska-Wiśnik
- Department of General and Medical Biochemistry, Faculty of Biology, University of Gdansk, Wita Stwosza 59, 80-308 Gdansk, Poland
| | - Ewa Laskowska
- Department of General and Medical Biochemistry, Faculty of Biology, University of Gdansk, Wita Stwosza 59, 80-308 Gdansk, Poland
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Łupkowska A, Monem S, Dębski J, Stojowska-Swędrzyńska K, Kuczyńska-Wiśnik D, Laskowska E. Protein aggregation and glycation in Escherichia coli exposed to desiccation-rehydration stress. Microbiol Res 2023; 270:127335. [PMID: 36841129 DOI: 10.1016/j.micres.2023.127335] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/22/2022] [Revised: 02/09/2023] [Accepted: 02/10/2023] [Indexed: 02/18/2023]
Abstract
In natural environments, bacteria often enter a state of anhydrobiosis due to water loss. Multiple studies have demonstrated that desiccation may lead to protein aggregation and glycation both in vivo and in vitro. However, the exact effects of water-loss-induced proteotoxic stress and the interplay between protein glycation and aggregation in bacteria remain elusive. Our studies revealed that protein aggregates formation in Escherichia coli started during desiccation and continued during the rehydration stage. The aggregates were enriched in proteins prone to liquid-liquid phase separation. Although it is known that glycation may induce protein aggregation in vitro, the aggregates formed in E. coli contained low levels of glycation products compared to the soluble protein fraction. Carnosine, glycine betaine and trehalose diminished the formation of protein aggregates and glycation products, resulting in increased E. coli viability. Notably, although high concentrations of glycine-betaine and trehalose significantly enhanced protein aggregation, glycation was still inhibited and E. coli cells survived desiccation better than bacteria grown without osmolytes. Taken together, our results suggest that the aggregates might play protective functions during early desiccation-rehydration stress. Moreover, it seems glycation rather than protein aggregation is the main cause of E. coli death upon desiccation-rehydration stress.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adrianna Łupkowska
- Department of General and Medical Biochemistry, Faculty of Biology, University of Gdansk, Wita Stwosza 59, 80-308 Gdansk, Poland
| | - Soroosh Monem
- Department of General and Medical Biochemistry, Faculty of Biology, University of Gdansk, Wita Stwosza 59, 80-308 Gdansk, Poland
| | - Janusz Dębski
- Institute of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Polish Academy of Sciences, Pawińskiego 5a, 02-106 Warsaw, Poland
| | - Karolina Stojowska-Swędrzyńska
- Department of General and Medical Biochemistry, Faculty of Biology, University of Gdansk, Wita Stwosza 59, 80-308 Gdansk, Poland
| | - Dorota Kuczyńska-Wiśnik
- Department of General and Medical Biochemistry, Faculty of Biology, University of Gdansk, Wita Stwosza 59, 80-308 Gdansk, Poland.
| | - Ewa Laskowska
- Department of General and Medical Biochemistry, Faculty of Biology, University of Gdansk, Wita Stwosza 59, 80-308 Gdansk, Poland.
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Stojowska-Swędrzyńska K, Łupkowska A, Kuczyńska-Wiśnik D, Laskowska E. Antibiotic Heteroresistance in Klebsiella pneumoniae. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 23:449. [PMID: 35008891 PMCID: PMC8745652 DOI: 10.3390/ijms23010449] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/13/2021] [Revised: 12/28/2021] [Accepted: 12/29/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Klebsiella pneumoniae is one of the most common pathogens responsible for infections, including pneumonia, urinary tract infections, and bacteremias. The increasing prevalence of multidrug-resistant K. pneumoniae was recognized in 2017 by the World Health Organization as a critical public health threat. Heteroresistance, defined as the presence of a subpopulation of cells with a higher MIC than the dominant population, is a frequent phenotype in many pathogens. Numerous reports on heteroresistant K. pneumoniae isolates have been published in the last few years. Heteroresistance is difficult to detect and study due to its phenotypic and genetic instability. Recent findings provide strong evidence that heteroresistance may be associated with an increased risk of recurrent infections and antibiotic treatment failure. This review focuses on antibiotic heteroresistance mechanisms in K. pneumoniae and potential therapeutic strategies against antibiotic heteroresistant isolates.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Ewa Laskowska
- Department of General and Medical Biochemistry, Faculty of Biology, University of Gdansk, Wita Stwosza 59, 80-308 Gdansk, Poland; (K.S.-S.); (A.Ł.); (D.K.-W.)
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Monem S, Furmanek-Blaszk B, Łupkowska A, Kuczyńska-Wiśnik D, Stojowska-Swędrzyńska K, Laskowska E. Mechanisms Protecting Acinetobacter baumannii against Multiple Stresses Triggered by the Host Immune Response, Antibiotics and Outside-Host Environment. Int J Mol Sci 2020; 21:E5498. [PMID: 32752093 PMCID: PMC7432025 DOI: 10.3390/ijms21155498] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2020] [Revised: 07/29/2020] [Accepted: 07/30/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Acinetobacter baumannii is considered one of the most persistent pathogens responsible for nosocomial infections. Due to the emergence of multidrug resistant strains, as well as high morbidity and mortality caused by this pathogen, A. baumannii was placed on the World Health Organization (WHO) drug-resistant bacteria and antimicrobial resistance research priority list. This review summarizes current studies on mechanisms that protect A. baumannii against multiple stresses caused by the host immune response, outside host environment, and antibiotic treatment. We particularly focus on the ability of A. baumannii to survive long-term desiccation on abiotic surfaces and the population heterogeneity in A. baumannii biofilms. Insight into these protective mechanisms may provide clues for the development of new strategies to fight multidrug resistant strains of A. baumannii.
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Affiliation(s)
- Soroosh Monem
- Department of General and Medical Biochemistry, Faculty of Biology, University of Gdansk, Wita Stwosza 59, 80-308 Gdansk, Poland; (S.M.); (A.Ł.); (D.K.-W.); (K.S.-S.)
| | - Beata Furmanek-Blaszk
- Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Biology, University of Gdansk, Wita Stwosza 59, 80-308 Gdansk, Poland;
| | - Adrianna Łupkowska
- Department of General and Medical Biochemistry, Faculty of Biology, University of Gdansk, Wita Stwosza 59, 80-308 Gdansk, Poland; (S.M.); (A.Ł.); (D.K.-W.); (K.S.-S.)
| | - Dorota Kuczyńska-Wiśnik
- Department of General and Medical Biochemistry, Faculty of Biology, University of Gdansk, Wita Stwosza 59, 80-308 Gdansk, Poland; (S.M.); (A.Ł.); (D.K.-W.); (K.S.-S.)
| | - Karolina Stojowska-Swędrzyńska
- Department of General and Medical Biochemistry, Faculty of Biology, University of Gdansk, Wita Stwosza 59, 80-308 Gdansk, Poland; (S.M.); (A.Ł.); (D.K.-W.); (K.S.-S.)
| | - Ewa Laskowska
- Department of General and Medical Biochemistry, Faculty of Biology, University of Gdansk, Wita Stwosza 59, 80-308 Gdansk, Poland; (S.M.); (A.Ł.); (D.K.-W.); (K.S.-S.)
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Kuczyńska-Wiśnik D, Moruno-Algara M, Stojowska-Swędrzyńska K, Laskowska E. The effect of protein acetylation on the formation and processing of inclusion bodies and endogenous protein aggregates in Escherichia coli cells. Microb Cell Fact 2016; 15:189. [PMID: 27832787 PMCID: PMC5105262 DOI: 10.1186/s12934-016-0590-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2016] [Accepted: 11/03/2016] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Acetylation of lysine residues is a reversible post-translational modification conserved from bacteria to humans. Several recent studies have revealed hundreds of lysine-acetylated proteins in various bacteria; however, the physiological role of these modifications remains largely unknown. Since lysine acetylation changes the size and charge of proteins and thereby may affect their conformation, we assumed that lysine acetylation can stimulate aggregation of proteins, especially for overproduced recombinant proteins that form inclusion bodies. Results To verify this assumption, we used Escherichia coli strains that overproduce aggregation-prone VP1GFP protein. We found that in ΔackA-pta cells, which display diminished protein acetylation, inclusion bodies were formed with a delay and processed faster than in the wild-type cells. Moreover, in ΔackA-pta cells, inclusion bodies exhibited significantly increased specific GFP fluorescence. In CobB deacetylase-deficient cells, in which protein acetylation was enhanced, the formation of inclusion bodies was increased and their processing was significantly inhibited. Similar results were obtained with regard to endogenous protein aggregates formed during the late stationary phase in ΔackA-pta and ΔcobB cells. Conclusions Our studies revealed that protein acetylation affected the aggregation of endogenous E. coli proteins and the yield, solubility, and biological activity of a model recombinant protein. In general, decreased lysine acetylation inhibited the formation of protein aggregates, whereas increased lysine acetylation stabilized protein aggregates. These findings should be considered during the designing of efficient strategies for the production of recombinant proteins in E. coli cells. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12934-016-0590-8) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dorota Kuczyńska-Wiśnik
- Department of General and Medical Biochemistry, Faculty of Biology, University of Gdansk, Wita Stwosza 59, 80-308, Gdansk, Poland
| | - María Moruno-Algara
- Department of General and Medical Biochemistry, Faculty of Biology, University of Gdansk, Wita Stwosza 59, 80-308, Gdansk, Poland
| | - Karolina Stojowska-Swędrzyńska
- Department of General and Medical Biochemistry, Faculty of Biology, University of Gdansk, Wita Stwosza 59, 80-308, Gdansk, Poland
| | - Ewa Laskowska
- Department of General and Medical Biochemistry, Faculty of Biology, University of Gdansk, Wita Stwosza 59, 80-308, Gdansk, Poland.
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Stojowska-Swędrzyńska K, Krawczyk B. A new assay for the simultaneous identification and differentiation of Klebsiella oxytoca strains. Appl Microbiol Biotechnol 2016; 100:10115-10123. [PMID: 27717967 PMCID: PMC5102950 DOI: 10.1007/s00253-016-7881-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2016] [Revised: 09/06/2016] [Accepted: 09/20/2016] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Klebsiella oxytoca is the second most frequently identified species of Klebsiella isolated from hospitalized patients. Klebsiella spp. is difficult to identify using conventional methods and is often misclassified in clinical microbiology laboratories. K. oxytoca is responsible for an increasing number of multi-resistant infections in hospitals because of insufficient detection and identification. In this study, we propose a new simple method called pehX-LM PCR/XbaI, which simultaneously indicates K. oxytoca species and genotype by the fingerprint pattern. The pehX-LM PCR/XbaI is a combination of the following two methods: species-specific amplification of pehX gene and non-specific amplification of short restriction fragments by the LM PCR method. The specificity and the discrimination power of the pehX-LM PCR/XbaI method were determined by typing 209 K. oxytoca strains (included 9 reference strains), 28 K. pneumoniae, and other 25 strains belonging to the Enterobacteriaceae. The typing results were confirmed by the PCR melting profile method. Unlike the known fingerprinting methods, the pehX-LM PCR/XbaI leads to a clear pattern (approx. 3–5 bands) with a sufficient, relatively high discriminatory power. As a result, the time and cost of a single analysis are lower. The method can be used both in clinical and environmental research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karolina Stojowska-Swędrzyńska
- Department of Molecular Biotechnology and Microbiology, Gdańsk University of Technology, ul. G. Narutowicza 11/12, 80-233, Gdańsk, Poland
| | - Beata Krawczyk
- Department of Molecular Biotechnology and Microbiology, Gdańsk University of Technology, ul. G. Narutowicza 11/12, 80-233, Gdańsk, Poland.
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Krawczyk B, Kur J, Stojowska-Swędrzyńska K, Śpibida M. Principles and applications of Ligation Mediated PCR methods for DNA-based typing of microbial organisms. Acta Biochim Pol 2016; 63:39-52. [PMID: 26885774 DOI: 10.18388/abp.2015_1192] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/23/2015] [Revised: 11/25/2015] [Accepted: 12/18/2015] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Abstract
A significant number of DNA-based techniques has been introduced into the field of microorganisms' characterization and taxonomy. These genomic fingerprinting methods were developed to detect DNA sequence polymorphisms by using general principles, such as restriction endonuclease analysis, molecular hybridization, and PCR amplification. In recent years, some alternative techniques based on ligation of oligonucleotide adapters before DNA amplification by PCR, known as Ligation-Mediated PCR methods (LM PCR), have been successfully applied for the typing of microorganisms below the species level. These molecular methods include: Amplified Fragment Length Polymorphism (AFLP), Amplification of DNA fragments Surrounding Rare Restriction Sites (ADSRRS), PCR Melting Profiles (PCR MP), Ligation Mediated PCR/Shifter (LM PCR/Shifter), Infrequent-Restriction-Site Amplification (IRS PCR), double digestion Ligation Mediated Suppression PCR (ddLMS PCR). These techniques are now applied more and more often because they involve less time, are comparably inexpensive, and require only standard lab equipment. Here, we present a general review of this group of methods showing their possibilities and limitations. We also identify questions and propose solutions which may be helpful in choosing a particular LM PCR method for the achievement of the required goal.
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Affiliation(s)
- Beata Krawczyk
- Department of Molecular Biotechnology and Microbiology, Faculty of Chemistry, Gdańsk University of Technology, Gdańsk, Poland
| | - Józef Kur
- Department of Molecular Biotechnology and Microbiology, Faculty of Chemistry, Gdańsk University of Technology, Gdańsk, Poland
| | | | - Marta Śpibida
- Department of Molecular Biotechnology and Microbiology, Faculty of Chemistry, Gdańsk University of Technology, Gdańsk, Poland
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