Decolourization of remazol brilliant blue R by enzymatic extract and submerged cultures of a newly isolated Pleurotus ostreatus MR3

A local white-rot fungus basidiomycete Pleurotus ostreatus MR3 was isolated from MacRitchie Reservoir Park, Singapore. Among all the ligninolytic activities, laccase was the only enzyme detected in the supernatant when the fungus was grown in liquid culture. This newly isolated white rot fungus was able to completely decolourise remazol brilliant blue R (RBBR) in-vivo on agar plates within five days and in the liquid culture (in the presence of inducers) within three days. The addition of inducers was able to enhance laccase production and therefore enhanced in-vivo RBBR decolourisation. Veratryl alcohol was shown to be the best inducer for laccase production with the maximum laccase activity reaching about 5.99 U/mL. Cu2+ also had a positive effect on laccase production, the laccase activity being enhanced to 5.24 U/mL. In-vitro RBBR decolourisation using the laccase from P. ostreatus MR3 was much comparable to that using the commercial laccase from Trameters versicolor.Keywords: Dyes, remazol brilliant blue R, Pleurotus ostreatus MR3, decolourisation, inducers, laccase activityAfrican Journal of Biotechnology Vol. 12(39), pp. 5778-578

N-Terminal Deletion of Peptide:N-Glycanase Results in Enhanced Deglycosylation Activity

Peptide:N-glycanase catalyzes the detachment of N-linked glycan chains from glycopeptides or glycoproteins by hydrolyzing the β-aspartylglucosaminyl bond. Peptide:N-glycanase in yeast binds to Rad23p through its N-terminus. In this study, the complex formed between Peptide:N-glycanase and Rad23p was found to exhibit enhanced deglycosylation activity, which suggests an important role for this enzyme in the misfolded glycoprotein degradation pathway in vivo. To investigate the role of this enzyme in this pathway, we made stepwise deletions of the N-terminal helices of peptide:N-glycanase. Enzymatic analysis of the deletion mutants showed that deletion of the N-terminal H1 helix (Png1p-ΔH1) enhanced the deglycosylation activity of N-glycanase towards denatured glycoproteins. In addition, this mutant exhibited high deglycosylation activity towards native glycoproteins. Dynamic simulations of the wild type and N-terminal H1 deletion mutant implied that Png1p-ΔH1 is more flexible than wild type Png1p. The efficient deglycosylation of Png1p-ΔH1 towards native and non-native glycoproteins offers a potential biotechnological application

Engineering Scheffersomyces segobiensis for palmitoleic acid‐rich lipid production

Palmitoleic acid (POA; C16:1) is an essential high- value ω- 7- conjugated fatty acid with beneficial bioactivities and potential applications in the nu-traceutical and pharmaceutical industries. Previously, the oleaginous yeast Scheffersomyces segobiensis DSM27193 has been identified as a promis-ing production host as an alternative for POA extraction from plant or animal sources. Here, the POA-producing capacity of this host was further expanded by optimizing the fermentation process and molecular strain engineering. Specifically, a dual fermentation strategy (O-S dynamic regulation strategy) focused on the substrate and dissolved oxygen concentration was designed to eliminate ethanol and pyruvate accumulation during fermentation. Key genes influencing POA production, such as jen, dgat, ole were identified on the transcriptional level and were subsequently over-expressed. Furthermore, the phosphoketolase (Xpk)/phosphotransacetylase (Pta) pathway was intro-duced to improve the yield of the precursor acetyl-CoA from glucose. The resulting cell factory SS-12 produced 7.3 g/L of POA, corresponding to an 11-fold increase compared to the wild type, presenting the highest POA titre reported using oleaginous yeast to date. An economic evaluation based on the raw materials, utilities and facility-dependent costs showed that microbial POA production using S. segobiensis can supersede the current extraction method from plant oil and marine fish. This study reports the construction of a promising cell factory and an effective microbial fermentation strategy for commercial POA production

Evaluating EEG neurofeedback in sport psychology: a systematic review of RCT studies for insights into mechanisms and performance improvement

Electroencephalographic Neurofeedback Training (EEG NFT) aims to improve sport performance by teaching athletes to control their mental states, leading to better cognitive, emotional, and physical outcomes. The psychomotor efficiency hypothesis suggests that optimizing brain function could enhance athletic ability, indicating the potential of EEG NFT. However, evidence for EEG-NFT’s ability to alter critical brain activity patterns, such as sensorimotor rhythm and frontal midline theta—key for concentration and relaxation—is not fully established. Current research lacks standardized methods and comprehensive studies. This shortfall is due to inconsistent EEG target selection and insufficient focus on coherence in training. This review aims to provide empirical support for EEG target selection, conduct detailed control analyses, and examine the specificity of electrodes and frequencies to relation to the psychomotor efficiency hypothesis. Following the PRISMA method, 2,869 empirical studies were identified from PubMed, Science Direct, Web of Science, Embase, CNKI, and PsycINFO. Thirteen studies met the inclusion criteria: (i) proficient skill levels; (ii) use of EEG; (iii) neurofeedback training (NFT); (iv) motor performance metrics (reaction time, precision, dexterity, balance); (v) control group for NFT comparison; (vi) peer-reviewed English-language publication; and (vii) randomized controlled trial (RCT) design. Studies indicate that NFT can enhance sports performance, including improvements in shooting accuracy, golf putting, and overall motor skills, as supported by the psychomotor efficiency hypothesis. EEG NFT demonstrates potential in enhancing sports performance by optimizing performers’ mental states and psychomotor efficiency. However, the current body of research is hampered by inconsistent methodologies and a lack of standardized EEG target selection. To strengthen the empirical evidence supporting EEG NFT, future studies need to focus on standardizing target selection, employing rigorous control analyses, and investigating underexplored EEG markers. These steps are vital to bolster the evidence for EEG NFT and enhance its effectiveness in boosting sport performance