Isolation, characterization and biotechnological potentials of Thraustochytrids from Icelandic waters

The following study reports on the first thraustochytrid isolates identified from Iceland. They were collected from three different locations off the northern coast of the country (Location A, Skagaströnd; Location B, Hveravík; and Location C, Eyjafjörður). Using 18S rDNA sequence analysis, isolates from Locations A and B were identified within the Thraustochytrium kinnei species while other isolates within the Sicyoidochytrium minutum species when compared to other known strains. Cells isolated from Locations A ( 2.10±0.70 g/L) and B ( 1.54±0.17 g/L) produced more biomass than the ones isolated from Location C ( 0.43±0.02 g/L). This study offers the first-time examination of the utility of byproducts from fisheries as a nitrogen source in media formulation for thraustochytrids. Experiments showed that isolates produced more biomass (per unit of substrate) when cultured on nitrogen of marine ( 2.55±0.74 g/L) as compared to of commercial origin ( 1.06±0.57 g/L). Glycerol ( 2.43±0.56 g/L) was a better carbon source than glucose ( 1.84±0.57 g/L) in growth studies. Fatty acid (FA) profiles showed that the isolates from Location C (S. minutum) had low ratios of monounsaturated ( 4.21±2.96% ) and omega-6 ( 0.68±0.59% ) FAs. However, the isolates also had high ratios of docosahexaenoic acid (DHA; 35.65±1.73% ) and total omega-3 FAs ( 40.39±2.39% ), indicating that they could serve as a source of marine oils for human consumption and in aquaculture feeds. The T. kinnei isolates from Location A could be used in biodiesel production due to their high ratios of monounsaturated ( 18.38±6.27% ) long chain ( 57.43±8.27% ) FAs.The research reported here was partly funded by the AVS R&D Fund of the Ministry of Fisheries and Agriculture in Iceland, grant number AVS: R 047-10.Peer Reviewe

Histopathology and levels of proteins in plasma associate with survival after colorectal cancer diagnosis

Funding Information: The authors thank the subjects who have donated their time and their samples that were used in this research. Publisher Copyright: © 2023, The Author(s).Background: The TNM system is used to assess prognosis after colorectal cancer (CRC) diagnosis. Other prognostic factors reported include histopathological assessments of the tumour, tumour mutations and proteins in the blood. As some of these factors are strongly correlated, it is important to evaluate the independent effects they may have on survival. Methods: Tumour samples from 2162 CRC patients were visually assessed for amount of tumour stroma, severity of lymphocytic infiltrate at the tumour margins and the presence of lymphoid follicles. Somatic mutations in the tumour were assessed for 2134 individuals. Pre-surgical levels of 4963 plasma proteins were measured in 128 individuals. The associations between these features and prognosis were inspected by a Cox Proportional Hazards Model (CPH). Results: Levels of stroma, lymphocytic infiltration and presence of lymphoid follicles all associate with prognosis, along with high tumour mutation burden, high microsatellite instability and TP53 and BRAF mutations. The somatic mutations are correlated with the histopathology and none of the somatic mutations associate with survival in a multivariate analysis. Amount of stroma and lymphocytic infiltration associate with local invasion of tumours. Elevated levels of two plasma proteins, CA-125 and PPP1R1A, associate with a worse prognosis. Conclusions: Tumour stroma and lymphocytic infiltration variables are strongly associated with prognosis of CRC and capture the prognostic effects of tumour mutation status. CA-125 and PPP1R1A may be useful prognostic biomarkers in CRC.Peer reviewe

Genetics and epidemiology of mutational barcode-defined clonal hematopoiesis

Publisher Copyright: © 2023, The Author(s).Clonal hematopoiesis (CH) arises when a substantial proportion of mature blood cells is derived from a single hematopoietic stem cell lineage. Using whole-genome sequencing of 45,510 Icelandic and 130,709 UK Biobank participants combined with a mutational barcode method, we identified 16,306 people with CH. Prevalence approaches 50% in elderly participants. Smoking demonstrates a dosage-dependent impact on risk of CH. CH associates with several smoking-related diseases. Contrary to published claims, we find no evidence that CH is associated with cardiovascular disease. We provide evidence that CH is driven by genes that are commonly mutated in myeloid neoplasia and implicate several new driver genes. The presence and nature of a driver mutation alters the risk profile for hematological disorders. Nevertheless, most CH cases have no known driver mutations. A CH genome-wide association study identified 25 loci, including 19 not implicated previously in CH. Splicing, protein and expression quantitative trait loci were identified for CD164 and TCL1A.Peer reviewe

Development of growth media from agricultural by-products for cultivation of PUFA-producing sicyoidochytrium minutum

Funding Information: This research was funded by: AVS-Fisheries research fund. Ministry of Fisheries and Agriculture in Iceland. Publisher Copyright: © 2021 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland.The demand for novel sources of marine oils, which contain polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs), has increased due to the realization of the importance of PUFAs, e.g., docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), in the human diet. However, the natural supply is limited. By-product peptones (BYPP) intended as a growth medium for the PUFA-producing strain Sicyoidochytrium minutum of family Thraustochytriaceae were produced after several experiments on the pancreatic digestion of bovine lungs and spleens. S. minutum was able to grow in a medium containing BYPP made from the pancreatic digestion of lung and spleen with glycerol, resulting in 1.14 ± 0.03 g cell dry weight (CDW)/L and 1.44 ± 0.24 g CDW/L, respectively, after 5 days of incubation at 25 °C, compared to 1.92 ± 0.25 g CDW/L in Basal Medium (BM) containing tryptone, peptone, and glycerol. The lipid content, obtained after growth in lung BYPP media with glycerol as a carbon source, was significantly higher (28.17% ± 1.33 of dry weight) than in the control basal medium (BM) (21.72% ± 2.45); however, DHA as a percentage of total fatty acids was lower in BYPP than in the control BM (25.24% ± 1.56 and 33.02% ± 2.37, respectively). It is concluded that low-value by-products from abattoirs can be used as ingredients for the cultivation of oligogenic Thraustochytriaceae.The demand for novel sources of marine oils, which contain polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs), has increased due to the realization of the importance of PUFAs, e.g., docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), in the human diet. However, the natural supply is limited. By-product peptones (BYPP) intended as a growth medium for the PUFA-producing strain Sicyoidochytrium minutum of family Thraustochytriaceae were produced after several experiments on the pancreatic digestion of bovine lungs and spleens. S. minutum was able to grow in a medium containing BYPP made from the pancreatic digestion of lung and spleen with glycerol, resulting in 1.14 ± 0.03 g cell dry weight (CDW)/L and 1.44 ± 0.24 g CDW/L, respectively, after 5 days of incubation at 25◦ C, compared to 1.92 ± 0.25 g CDW/L in Basal Medium (BM) containing tryptone, peptone, and glycerol. The lipid content, obtained after growth in lung BYPP media with glycerol as a carbon source, was significantly higher (28.17% ± 1.33 of dry weight) than in the control basal medium (BM) (21.72% ± 2.45); however, DHA as a percentage of total fatty acids was lower in BYPP than in the control BM (25.24% ± 1.56 and 33.02% ± 2.37, respectively). It is concluded that low-value by-products from abattoirs can be used as ingredients for the cultivation of oligogenic Thraustochytriaceae.Peer reviewe