Computational Investigation of Regulatory Region SNPs of Autophagy Gene BECN1

The autophagy process plays a cytoprotective role and ensures the healthy survival of a cell. The role of autophagy has been implicated in various diseases, making it an essential candidate for therapeutic interventions. Beclin 1, a candidate autophagy protein, plays a critical role during autophagy initiation and maturation by interacting with various other autophagy proteins. Beclin1 has been reported to be involved in various human diseases. This study uses a computational approach to study the effect of non-coding region single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of gene encoding beclin1. RegulomeDB, SNP2TFBS, and PROMO ALLGEN were used to predict the effect of promoter region variants on transcription factor binding sites. SNPs located within 3'UTR were analyzed by miRdSNP, PolymiRTS Database 3.0, miRNASNP-V3, MicroSNIPER, and miRmap. Nine promoter region variants that alter the transcription factor binding sites and 4 variants in 3'UTR were identified that either create a new target site for miRNA or disrupt an existing one. The functional analysis of these identified SNPs could be done experimentally to unravel their relation with a particular disease and the genetic predisposition of human subjects for a disease

Exploration of Indian traditional recipe “Tarvaani” from the drained rice gruel for nutritional and probiotic potential

Study background: Traditional fermented foods are the source of probiotic bacteria which can be envisaged as formulation ingredients in various food and beverages. Scope and approach: The present research aimed to explore one of the Indian traditional recipes, “Tarvaani,” for nutritional and probiotic potential as a part of its healthy perspectives. Main findings and conclusion: The traditional recipe was found to contain the lactic acid bacteria and isolated. The isolated product showed prominent curdling activity after 48 h, and bacterial growth was seen in all the pH (pH 3–7) tested. The antibiotic susceptibility test found that streptomycin, vancomycin, and kanamycin were resistant to the bacterial culture, and imipenem, gentamycin, rifampicin, and tetracycline were found to be resistant susceptible to the bacterial culture according to zone diameter interpretative criteria given in ICMR SOP 2015. A clear halo zone around the tested colony was obtained in the amylase test, which indicated that starch was degraded and α-amylase was produced. The culture also showed prominent antimicrobial action and inhibited the growth of the pathogenic strains tested by a well-diffusion assay. Moreover, the isolates only showed no haemolysis activity after incubation at 30 ◦C for 24 h under anaerobic conditions. Overall, the present research findings showcase the nutritional and probiotic potential of Lactobacillus sp. of “Tarvaani” as a viable option as a formulation ingredient in traditional-based functional foodsUniversidade de Vigo/CISU

Edible mushroom: occurrence, management and health benefits

Owing to medicinal and nutraceutical properties, mushrooms have been consumed worldwide for many years. They are valued for their unique flavor, texture, and versatility in cooking. Numerous species of edible mushrooms have different habitats, ecological niches, and growth patterns. In a vegetarian diet, mushrooms have been preferred and widely accepted over a non-vegetarian one because of their low-calorie, high-protein content and their good source of carbohydrates and lipids. Edible mushrooms provide various macronutrients, micronutrients, minerals, and vitamins. Bioactive compounds extracted from different species of mushrooms exhibit various medicinal properties, such as antitumor, antioxidant, hypocholesterolemic, antiallergic, anti-inflammatory, and hypoglycemic effects. These properties are mainly due to polysaccharides like β-glucan, polyphenols like phenolic acids and flavonoids, carotenoids, and vitamins. Edible mushrooms are also potential prebiotics and are beneficial for human gut health. Secondary metabolites extracted from edible mushrooms are used to develop drugs to treat chronic diseases.In conclusion, edible mushrooms contain essential food supplements and versatile food sources that provide numerous health benefits. Effective management of edible mushroom production is crucial to ensure their continued availability, quality, and sustainability. The study of edible mushrooms and their health benefits continues to be an area of active research, and additional benefits will likely be further discovered

Comparative Proteomics of Inner Membrane Fraction from Carbapenem-Resistant Acinetobacter baumannii with a Reference Strain

Acinetobacter baumannii has been identified by the Infectious Diseases Society of America as one of the six pathogens that cause majority of hospital infections. Increased resistance of A. baumannii even to the latest generation of β-lactams like carbapenem is an immediate threat to mankind. As inner-membrane fraction plays a significant role in survival of A. baumannii, we investigated the inner-membrane fraction proteome of carbapenem-resistant strain of A. baumannii using Differential In-Gel Electrophoresis (DIGE) followed by DeCyder, Progenesis and LC-MS/MS analysis. We identified 19 over-expressed and 4 down-regulated proteins (fold change>2, p<0.05) in resistant strain as compared to reference strain. Some of the upregulated proteins in resistant strain and their association with carbapenem resistance in A. baumannii are: i) β-lactamases, AmpC and OXA-51: cleave and inactivate carbapenem ii) metabolic enzymes, ATP synthase, malate dehydrogenase and 2-oxoglutarate dehydrogenase: help in increased energy production for the survival and iii) elongation factor Tu and ribosomal proteins: help in the overall protein production. Further, entry of carbapenem perhaps is limited by controlled production of OmpW and low levels of surface antigen help to evade host defence mechanism in developing resistance in A. baumannii. Present results support a model for the importance of proteins of inner-membrane fraction and their synergistic effect in the mediation of resistance of A. baumannii to carbapenem

Differential expression of Outer membrane proteins in early stages of meropenem-resistance in Acinetobacter baumannii

ABSTRACT Acinetobacter baumannii has emerged as one of the six most important drug-resistant microbes in the world. Resistance by A. baumannii to β-lactams and in particular to meropenem is a serious concern. In this connection, it is essential to understand the changes in the outer membrane proteome of A. baumannii in the initial stages of resistance. For this we have chosen one low resistant strain with MIC of 32 μg/ml and one intermediate strain with very low MIC of 0.8 μg/ml of meropenem and compared their outer membrane profiles with that of sensitive strain, ATCC 19606 of A. baumannii. Decreased expression of porins, transporters and increased production of metabolic enzymes like Succinyl-CoA synthetase, enoyl-CoA hydratase is a common feature in both intermediate strain and low resistant strains. Interestingly, the differential protein expression levels showed a direct relationship with increasing meropenem resistance. It is clear that initial exposure to meropenem resistance drives A. baumannii to restrict the production of OmpAb, CarO, transporters, while the upregulation of genes of altered CarO, metabolic enzymes, peroxidines and antioxidant protein assist in the survival of the bacterium. Because of these unique features of adaptation combined with high metabolic changes in response to antibiotic pressure, A. baumannii poses challenges in therapeutic strategies

ESTIMATION OF VIBRIO SPECIES INCIDENCES AND ANTIBIOTIC RESISTANCE IN DIARRHEA PATIENTS.

 Objectives: Diarrheal diseases are globally important public health concern due to high morbidity and mortality rates among all age groups. Incidences and antimicrobial resistance patterns of Vibrio species are either underreported or overlooked in low-to-middle income countries. The present study is a hospital surveillance conducted to estimate the incidences of Vibrio infections in diarrhea.Methods: A total of 572 diarrheal stool specimens were collected from two major hospitals and investigated using bacteriological tests coupled with molecular assays for characterization of Vibrio species. Kirby-Bauer's disk diffusion method was utilized to monitor antibiotic resistance against different antibiotic classes.Results: Biochemical and molecular analysis of isolates revealed that Vibrio species accounted for about 5% of diarrheal incidences. Higher rates of Vibrio spp. infections were observed among adolescent and adult age groups than children and elderly. Seasonal distribution analysis showed uniform Vibrio spp. infections throughout the year; however, frequency peaks were observed during rainy seasons. Vibrio spp. showed sensitivity for most antibiotics classes: Quinolones, aminoglycosides, and carbapenems; however, alarming resistance rates were observed against cephalosporins and nalidixic acid.Conclusion: The present study provides credible estimates of Vibrio incidences and resistance pattern in diarrheal patients. Our findings will help in establishing trends in diarrhea etiology and management of severe diarrhea cases

Schematic presentation of upregulated (↑) and downregulated (↓) proteins in the carbapenem-resistant <i>A.</i><i>baumannii</i>.

<p>Schematic presentation of upregulated (↑) and downregulated (↓) proteins in the carbapenem-resistant <i>A.</i><i>baumannii</i>.</p

Identification of differentially expressed proteins of inner membrane fraction of <i>Acinetobacter baumannii</i> resistant strain, RS307 with reference to ATCC 19606.

<p>Differential expression is shown as fold change (minimum 2 fold, p-value e0.05).</p

Differential In-Gel Electrophoresis of inner membrane fraction of <i>Acinetobacter baumannii</i> ATCC19606 and resistant strain RS307.

<p>Up-facing white arrow: Upregulated proteins; Down-facing yellow arrow: Down-regulated proteins.</p

Identification of differentially expressed proteins of inner membrane fraction of <i>Acinetobacter baumannii</i> resistant strain, RS307 with reference to ATCC 19606.

<p>Differential expression is shown as fold change (minimum 2 fold, p-value e0.05).</p