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Topic Review
Oral and Periodontal Bacteria Microbiota Photobiomodulation
The visible and near-infrared wavelengths can affect bacterial growth. Like in eukaryotic cells also in bacteria, photobiomodulation can affect cellular metabolism, homeostasis, defence to stress, and life-and-death mechanisms. Light-bacteria interaction for microbiota management can represent a supportive medical approach in health and illness patients.
  • 1.3K
  • 11 Feb 2022
Topic Review
Fish Waste as Resource
Following the growth of the global population and the subsequent rapid increase in urbanization and industrialization, the fisheries and aquaculture production has seen a massive increase driven mainly by the development of fishing technologies. Accordingly, a remarkable increase in the amount of fish waste has been produced around the world; it has been estimated that about two-thirds of the total amount of fish is discarded as waste, creating huge economic and environmental concerns.
  • 1.3K
  • 28 Sep 2021
Topic Review
Enteropathogenic Escherichia coli
E. coli is a versatile microorganism, and even if the invasive infections are those that are more likely to evolve with life threatening complications, the diarrheagenic strains of E. coli are still important pathogens, especially in the pediatric departments.
  • 1.3K
  • 03 Mar 2021
Topic Review
Phytoplasma Taxonomy
Phytoplasmas are pleomorphic, wall-less intracellular bacteria that can cause devastating diseases in a wide variety of plant species. Rapid diagnosis and precise identification of phytoplasmas responsible for emerging plant diseases are crucial to preventing further spread of the diseases and reducing economic losses. Phytoplasma taxonomy (identification, nomenclature, and classification) has lagged in comparison to culturable bacteria, largely due to lack of axenic phytoplasma culture and consequent inaccessibility of phenotypic characteristics. However, the rapid expansion of molecular techniques and the advent of high throughput genome sequencing have tremendously enhanced the nucleotide sequence-based phytoplasma taxonomy. 
  • 1.3K
  • 01 Sep 2022
Topic Review
The Cytokine Storm Syndrome
The SARS-CoV-2 (severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2) is a high-risk viral agent involved in the recent pandemic stated worldwide by the World Health Organization. The infection is correlated to a severe systemic and respiratory disease in many cases, which is clinically treated with a multi-drug pharmacological approach. 
  • 1.3K
  • 16 Mar 2021
Topic Review
Yeast Communities Associated with Insects
Yeast communities associated with insects were identified either from entire insect bodies, which were previously surface-sterilized or not, or from dissected organs using culture-dependent and independent approaches. Independent cultural approaches usually involved DNA extractions from insect tissues followed by the amplification of taxonomic markers allowing a discrimination at the genus or species level, such as the Internal Transcribed Spacer (ITS) regions and the D1/D2 region of 26S ribosomal DNA.
  • 1.3K
  • 02 Sep 2021
Topic Review
Phage Therapy for Resistant Staphylococcus aureus Infections
The production and use of antibiotics increased significantly after the Second World War due to their effectiveness against bacterial infections. However, bacterial resistance also emerged and has now become an important global issue. Those most in need are typically high-risk and include individuals who experience burns and other wounds, as well as those with pulmonary infections caused by antibiotic-resistant bacteria, such as Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Acinetobacter sp, and Staphylococcus sp. With investment to develop new antibiotics waning, finding and developing alternative therapeutic strategies to tackle this issue is imperative. One option remerging in popularity is bacteriophage (phage) therapy. 
  • 1.3K
  • 07 Mar 2023
Topic Review
Competitive Exclusion of Aspergillus flavus
The pre-harvest biocontrol approach currently used includes laboratory inoculations using non-aflatoxigenic strains of Aspergillus flavus. This strategy effectively suppresses the indigenous aflatoxigenic strains and reduces aflatoxin accumulation in sweetcorn.  The reduction in AFB1 with population expressions of AF+ strains by the AF− strains and supports the notion of competitive exclusion through vigorous development and propagation of the non-aflatoxigenic fungi. 
  • 1.2K
  • 18 Jun 2021
Topic Review
Extremophilic Actinobacteria: Microbes to Medicine
Actinobacteria constitute prolific sources of novel and vital bioactive metabolites for pharmaceutical utilization. In recent years, research has focused on exploring actinobacteria that thrive in extreme conditions to unearth their beneficial bioactive compounds for natural product drug discovery. Natural products have a significant role in resolving public health issues such as antibiotic resistance and cancer. The breakthrough of new technologies has overcome the difficulties in sampling and culturing extremophiles, leading to the outpouring of more studies on actinobacteria from extreme environments. This review focuses on the diversity and bioactive potentials/medically relevant biomolecules of extremophilic actinobacteria found from various unique and extreme niches. Actinobacteria possess an excellent capability to produce various enzymes and secondary metabolites to combat harsh conditions. In particular, a few strains have displayed substantial antibacterial activity against methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), shedding light on the development of MRSA-sensitive antibiotics. Several strains exhibited other prominent bioactivities such as antifungal, anti-HIV, anticancer, and anti-inflammation. By providing an overview of the recently found extremophilic actinobacteria and their important metabolites, we hope to enhance the understanding of their potential for the medical world.
  • 1.2K
  • 17 Jun 2021
Topic Review
Microorganisms in the Nucleation of Carbonates
Microbially induced carbonate precipitation (MICP) is an important process in the synthesis of carbonate minerals, and thus, it is widely explored as a novel approach with potential for many technological applications. The processes and mechanisms involved in carbonate mineral formation in the presence of microbes are not yet fully understood. This research covers the current knowledge regarding the role of microbial cells and metabolic products (e.g., extracellular polymeric substances, proteins and amino acids) on the adsorption of divalent metals, adsorption of ionic species and as templates for crystal nucleation. Moreover, they can play a role in the mineral precipitation, size, morphology and lattice. By understanding how microbes and their metabolic products promote suitable physicochemical conditions (pH, Mg/Ca ratio and free carbonate ions) to induce carbonate nucleation and precipitation, the manipulation of the final mineral precipitates could be a reality for (geo)biotechnological approaches. The applications and implications of biogenic carbonates in areas such as geology and engineering are presented and discussed in this research, with a major focus on biotechnology.
  • 1.2K
  • 03 Jan 2023
Topic Review
RNA Interference in Fungi
RNA interference (RNAi) was discovered at the end of last millennium, changing the way scientists understood regulation of gene expression. Within the following two decades, a variety of different RNAi mechanisms were found in eukaryotes, reflecting the evolutive diversity that RNAi entails. The essential silencing mechanism consists of an RNase III enzyme called Dicer that cleaves double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) generating small interfering RNAs (siRNAs), a hallmark of RNAi. These siRNAs are loaded into the RNA-induced silencing complex (RISC) triggering the cleavage of complementary messenger RNAs by the Argonaute protein, the main component of the complex. Consequently, the expression of target genes is silenced. This mechanism has been thoroughly studied in fungi due to their proximity to the animal phylum and the conservation of the RNAi mechanism from lower to higher eukaryotes. However, the role and even the presence of RNAi differ across the fungal kingdom, as it has evolved adapting to the particularities and needs of each species. Fungi have exploited RNAi to regulate a variety of cell activities as different as defense against exogenous and potentially harmful DNA, genome integrity, development, drug tolerance, or virulence. This pathway has offered versatility to fungi through evolution, favoring the enormous diversity this kingdom comprises. 
  • 1.2K
  • 11 Oct 2021
Topic Review
Pathogenicity in Pseudomonas aeruginosa
Pseudomonas aeruginosa has the ability to infect not only humans, but also animals and plants. Given its role as an important human pathogen, several virulence factors have been studied, as well as their regulatory systems.
  • 1.2K
  • 10 Dec 2021
Topic Review
Virulence Factor of Legionella
Pathogenic species of Legionella can infect human alveolar macrophages through Legionella-containing aerosols to cause a disease called Legionellosis, which has two forms: a flu-like Pontiac fever and severe pneumonia named Legionnaires’ disease (LD). Legionella is an opportunistic pathogen that frequently presents in aquatic environments as a biofilm or protozoa parasite. Long-term interaction and extensive co-evolution with various genera of amoebae render Legionellae pathogenic to infect humans and also generate virulence differentiation and heterogeneity.
  • 1.2K
  • 13 Jan 2023
Topic Review
Anti- and Pro-Oxidant Properties of Essential Oils
Natural products such as plant extracts and essential oils (EOs) have been viewed as potential candidates to combat antimicrobial resistance (AMR) due to their complex chemistry that carries inherent pro-oxidant and antioxidant properties. EOs and their constituents that hold pro-oxidant properties can induce oxidative stress by producing reactive oxygen species (ROS), leading to biological damage in target cells. In contrast, the antioxidant properties scavenge free radicals through offsetting ROS. Both pro-oxidant and antioxidant activities in EOs represent a promising strategy to tackle AMR.
  • 1.2K
  • 09 Oct 2022
Topic Review
MetS and Gut Microbiota Metabolites
Metabolic syndrome (MetS) is a complex pathophysiological state with incidence similar to that of a global epidemic and represents a risk factor for the onset of chronic non-communicable degenerative diseases (NCDDs), including cardiovascular disease (CVD), type 2 diabetes mellitus, chronic kidney disease, and some types of cancer. A plethora of literature data suggest the potential role of gut microbiota in interfering with the host metabolism, thus influencing several MetS risk factors. 
  • 1.2K
  • 07 May 2021
Topic Review
Green Tea Catechins
Green tea and green tea catechins have been shown to be strongly inhibitory to cancer formation in rodents. They are believed to do this by altering cells after they have been initiated on the path toward cancer. Green tea and green tea catechin prevention of cancer in humans has been hard to detect. We discuss that the reason for this difference is likely to be the digestive tract microbiome. If green tea catechins are to be continue to be tested for cancer prevention properties in humans it will be necessary to take into account variable digestive tract microbiome metabolism in people so the dose can be optimized for each person thus avoiding toxicity. 
  • 1.2K
  • 03 Nov 2020
Topic Review
Phenolic Compounds in Fermented Quinoa
Quinoa (Chenopodium quinoa Willd.) is a pseudocereal crop, indigenous to the Andean region, increasingly singled out as a healthy food with an excellent nutritional profile. Fermentation can be used to increase phenolic compound content in quinoa seeds and flours. The use of fermented quinoa flours allows obtaining bread and pasta richer in phenolic compounds and with a greater antioxidant capacity. Fungi are the main starters used in quinoa seed fermentation, while Lactobacillus strains have been applied to produce sourdoughs. Quinoa has been also fermented to obtain yogurt-like beverages with a higher content in phenolic compounds and a greater antioxidant activity. Strains of Lactobacillus sp. and Bifidobacterium sp. have been used as starters.
  • 1.2K
  • 12 Jul 2021
Topic Review
Drinking Water Microbiome
Microbial communities interact with us and affect our health in ways that are only beginning to be understood. Microorganisms have been detected in every ecosystem on Earth, as well as in any built environment that has been investigated. Drinking water sources, drinking water treatment plants and distribution systems provide peculiar microbial ecological niches, dismantling the belief of the “biological simplicity” of drinking water. The assemblage of microbes within drinking water is referred to as the drinking water microbiota (“microbiome” when referring to the associated genetic information), and it accounts for about 106–108 cells/L. Recent DNA sequencing and meta-omics advancements allow a deeper understanding of drinking water microbiota.
  • 1.2K
  • 16 Nov 2022
Topic Review
LC3-Associated Phagocytosis in Bacterial Infection
LC3-associated phagocytosis (LAP) is a noncanonical autophagy process reported in recent years and is one of the effective mechanisms of host defense against bacterial infection. During LAP, bacteria are recognized by pattern recognition receptors (PRRs), enter the body, and then recruit LC3 onto a single-membrane phagosome to form a LAPosome. LC3 conjugation can promote the fusion of the LAPosomes with lysosomes, resulting in their maturation into phagolysosomes, which can effectively kill the identified pathogens.
  • 1.2K
  • 15 Aug 2022
Topic Review
Caveolin-3
The etiology of chicken muscular dystrophy is the synthesis of aberrant WWP1 protein made by a missense mutation of WWP1 gene. The β-dystroglycan that confers stability to sarcolemma was identified by Cho et al. as a substrate of WWP protein, which induces the next molecular collapse. The dystrophin-glycoprotein complex (DGC) is a core protein of costamere that is an essential part of force transduction and protects the muscle fibers from contraction-induced damage. Caveolin-3 (Cav-3) and dystrophin bind competitively to the same site of β-dystroglycan, and excessive Cav-3 on sarcolemma will block the interaction of dystrophin with β-dystroglycan, which is another reason for the disruption of the DGC. It is known that fast-twitch glycolytic fibers are more sensitive and vulnerable to contraction-induced small tears than slow-twitch oxidative fibers under a variety of diseased conditions. Accordingly, the fast glycolytic αW fibers must be easy with rapid damage of sarcolemma corruption seen in chicken muscular dystrophy, but the slow oxidative fibers are able to escape from these damages.
  • 1.2K
  • 27 Aug 2020
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