Journal of Microbiology

Journal Articles

Upgrading Isoquercitrin Concentration via Submerge Fermentation of Mulberry Fruit Extract with Edible Probiotics to Suppress Gene Targets for Controlling Kidney Cancer and Inflammation.: Md Rezaul Karim, Safia Iqbal, Shahnawaz Mohammad, Jong-Hoon Kim, Li Ling, Changbao Chen, Abdus Samad, Md Anwarul Haque, Deok-Chun Yang, Yeon Ju Kim, Dong Uk Yang; J. Microbiol. 2024;62(10):919-927. Published online October 8, 2024; DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12275-024-00163-8

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Abstract: In recent years, kidney cancer has become one of the most serious medical issues. Kidney cancer is treated with a variety of active compounds that trigger genes that cause cancer. We identified in our earlier research that isoquercitrin (IQ) can activate PIK3CA, IGF1R, and PTGS2. However, it has a very low bioavailability because of its lower solubility in water. So, we utilized sub-merge fermentation technology with two well-known probiotics, Lactobacillus acidophilus and Bacillus subtilis, as a microbial source and mulberry fruit extract as a substrate, which has a high IQ level to improve IQ yield. Furthermore, we compared the total phenolic, flavonoid, and antioxidant contents of fermented and non-fermented samples, and we found that the fermented samples had greater levels than non-fermented sample. In addition, the high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) results showed that the fermented mulberry fruit extract from B. subtilis and L. acidophilus showed higher IQ values (190.73 ± 0.004 μg/ml and 220.54 ± 0.007 μg/ml, respectively), compared to the non-fermented samples, which had IQ values (80.12 ± 0.002 μg/ml). Additionally, at 62.5 µg/ml doses of each sample, a normal kidney cell line (HEK 293) showed higher cell viability for fermented and non-fermented samples. Conversely, at the same doses, the fermented samples of L. acidophilus and B. subtilis in a kidney cancer cell line (A498) showed an inhibition of cell growth around 36% and 31%, respectively. Finally, we performed RT and qRT PCR assay, and we found a significant reduction in the expression of the PTGS2, PIK3CA, and IGF1R genes. We therefore can conclude that the fermented samples have a higher concentration of isoquercitrin, and also can inhibit the expression of the genes PTGS2, PIK3CA, and IGF1R, which in turn regulates kidney cancer and inflammation.

Potency of Phlebia species of white rot fungi for the aerobic degradation, transformation and mineralization of lindane: Pengfei Xiao , Ryuichiro Kondo; J. Microbiol. 2020;58(5):395-404. Published online March 28, 2020; DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12275-020-9492-x

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15 Citations

Abstract: The widespread use of the organochlorine insecticide lindane in the world has caused serious environmental problems. The main purpose of this paper is to investigate the potency of several Phlebia species of white rot fungi to degrade, transform and mineralize lindane, and to provide the feasibility of using white rot fungi for bioremediation at contaminated sites. Based on tolerance experiment results, Phlebia brevispora and Phlebia lindtneri had the highest tolerance to lindane and were screened by degradation tests. After 25 days of incubation, P. brevispora and P. lindtneri degraded 87.2 and 73.3% of lindane in low nitrogen medium and 75.8 and 64.9% of lindane in high nitrogen medium, respectively. Several unreported hydroxylation metabolites, including monohydroxylated, dehydroxylated, and trihydroxylated products, were detected and identified by GC/MS as metabolites of lindane. More than 10% of [14C] lindane was mineralized to 14CO2 by two fungi after 60 days of incubation, and the mineralization was slightly promoted by the addition of glucose. Additionally, the degradation of lindane and the formation of metabolites were efficiently inhibited by piperonyl butoxide, demonstrating that cytochrome P450 enzymes are involved in the fungal transformation of lindane. The present study showed that P. brevispora and P. lindtneri were efficient degraders of lindane; hence, they can be applied in the bioremediation process of lindane-contaminated sites.

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov'ts

Antiviral Activity of 3,4'-Dihydroxyflavone on Influenza A Virus: Mohammed Kawser Hossain , Hye Yeon Choi , Jae-Seon Hwang , Ahmed Abdal Dayem , Jung-Hyun Kim , Young Bong Kim , Haryoung Poo , Ssang-Goo Cho; J. Microbiol. 2014;52(6):521-526. Published online May 29, 2014; DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12275-014-4212-z

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20 Citations

Abstract: Influenza virus infection causes thousands of deaths and millions of hospitalizations worldwide every year and the emergence of resistance to anti-influenza drugs has prompted scientists to seek new natural antiviral materials. In this study, we screened 13 different flavonoids from various flavonoid groups to identify the most potent antiviral flavonoid against human influenza A/PR/8/34 (H1N1). The 3-hydroxyl group flavonoids, including 3,2'-dihydroxyflavone (3,2'-DHF) and 3,4'-dihydroxyflavone (3,4'-DHF), showed potent anti-influenza activity. They inhibited viral neuraminidase activity and viral adsorption onto cells. To confirm the anti-influenza activity of these flavonoids, we used an in vivo mouse model. In mice infected with human influenza, oral administration of 3,4'-DHF significantly decreased virus titers and pathological changes in the lung and reduced body weight loss and death. Our data suggest that 3-hydroxyl group flavonoids, particularly 3,4'-DHF, have potent antiviral activity against human influenza A/PR/8/34 (H1N1) in vitro and in vivo. Further clinical studies are needed to investigate the therapeutic and prophylactic potential of the 3-hydroxyl group flavonoids in treating influenza pandemics.

Antiviral Activities of Flavonoids Isolated from the Bark of Rhus verniciflua Stokes against Fish Pathogenic Viruses In Vitro: So Young Kang , Ji-Young Kang , Myung-Joo Oh; J. Microbiol. 2012;50(2):293-300. Published online April 27, 2012; DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12275-012-2068-7

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91 Citations

Abstract: An 80% methanolic extract of Rhus verniciflua Stokes bark showed significant anti-viral activity against fish pathogenic infectious hematopoietic necrosis virus (IHNV) and viral hemorrhagic septicemia virus (VHSV) in a cell-based assay measuring virus-induced cytopathic effect (CPE). Activity-guided fractionation and isolation for the 80% methanolic extract of R. verniciflua yielded the most active ethyl acetate fraction, and methyl gallate (1) and four flavonoids: fustin (2), fisetin (3), butin (4) and sulfuretin (5). Among them, fisetin (3) exhibited high antiviral activities against both IHNV and VHSV showing EC50 values of 27.1 and 33.3 μM with selective indices (SI = CC50/EC50) more than 15, respectively. Fustin (2) and sulfuretin (5) displayed significant antiviral activities showing EC50 values of 91.2– 197.3 μM against IHNV and VHSV. In addition, the antiviral activity of fisetin against IHNV and VHSV occurred up to 5 hr post-infection and was not associated with direct virucidal effects in a timed addition study using a plaque reduction assay. These results suggested that the bark of R. verniciflua and isolated flavonoids have significant anti-viral activity against IHNV and VHSV, and also have potential to be used as anti-viral therapeutics against fish viral diseases.

Review

Genomics Reveals Traces of Fungal Phenylpropanoid-flavonoid Metabolic Pathway in the F ilamentous Fungus Aspergillus oryzae: Praveen Rao Juvvadi , Yasuyo Seshime , Katsuhiko Kitamoto; J. Microbiol. 2005;43(6):475-486.; DOI: https://doi.org/2302 [pii]

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Abstract: Fungal secondary metabolites constitute a wide variety of compounds which either play a vital role in agricultural, pharmaceutical and industrial contexts, or have devastating effects on agriculture, animal and human affairs by virtue of their toxigenicity. Owing to their beneficial and deleterious characteristics, these complex compounds and the genes responsible for their synthesis have been the subjects of extensive investigation by microbiologists and pharmacologists. A majority of the fungal secondary metabolic genes are classified as type I polyketide synthases (PKS) which are often clustered with other secondary metabolism related genes. In this review we discuss on the significance of our recent discovery of chalcone synthase (CHS) genes belonging to the type III PKS superfamily in an industrially important fungus, Aspergillus oryzae. CHS genes are known to play a vital role in the biosynthesis of flavonoids in plants. A comparative genome analyses revealed the unique character of A. oryzae with four CHS-like genes (csyA, csyB, csyC and csyD) amongst other Aspergilli (Aspergillus nidulans and Aspergillus fumigatus) which contained none of the CHS-like genes. Some other fungi such as Neurospora crassa, Fusarium graminearum, Magnaporthe grisea, Podospora anserina and Phanerochaete chrysosporium also contained putative type III PKSs, with a phylogenic distinction from bacteria and plants. The enzymatically active nature of these newly discovered homologues is expected owing to the conservation in the catalytic residues across the different species of plants and fungi, and also by the fact that a majority of these genes (csyA, csyB and csyD) were expressed in A. oryzae. While this finding brings filamentous fungi closer to plants and bacteria which until recently were the only ones considered to possess the type III PKSs, the presence of putative genes encoding other principal enzymes involved in the phenylpropanoid and flavonoid biosynthesis (viz., phenylalanine ammonia-lyase, cinnamic acid hydroxylase and p-coumarate CoA ligase) in the A. oryzae genome undoubtedly prove the extent of its metabolic diversity. Since many of these genes have not been identified earlier, knowledge on their corresponding products or activities remain undeciphered. In future, it is anticipated that these enzymes may be reasonable targets for metabolic engineering in fungi to produce agriculturally and nutritionally important metabolites.

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