Sheng wu gong cheng xue bao = Chinese journal of biotechnology最新文献

Synthetic biology and biomanufacturing, two cutting-edge directions in biotechnology, are rapidly developing and regarded as the core driving force of the "third biotechnology revolution". They reshape the paradigm of industrial manufacturing through designing life and making useful products and promote the industrial revolution in healthcare, energy, agriculture, and environmental protection. However, the development of synthetic biology and biomanufacturing, especially in terms of designing life for practical applications, still faces challenges such as insufficient screening capabilities, culture heterogeneity, and limited regulation and control over biological processes. Microfluidics, with its micro-scale fluid manipulation capability, offers new solutions to these challenges through single-cell precision, high-throughput screening, and rapid iteration. This study reviews microfluidics regarding the applications in the design-build-test-learn (DBTL) cycle of synthetic biology and the role in intensifying biomanufacturing processes, including upstream stain and culture improvement and downstream processing integration and optimization. Then, some case studies of microfluidics-driven synthetic biology and biomanufacturing in the fields of chemicals & materials, agrifood, and healthcare were summarized. Finally, the bottlenecks of microfluidics in synthetic biology and biomanufacturing, such as micro-scale amplification and chip materials, were analyzed, and the future directions, including its role as an enabling technology, interdisciplinary integration, and AI-driven intelligent systems, were discussed. This review is expected to serve as a valuable reference for further innovation in synthetic biology and biomanufacturing.

Common wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) is one of the main staple food crops in China. The protein quality of wheat grains directly determines the processing quality and nutritional quality of flour foods. With the growth of the population, the upgrading of the dietary structure, and the transformation of the demand in the food industry, the research on wheat in China has shifted from simply pursuing high yields to a new stage of coordinated improvement of yield, quality, and nutrition. This article systematically reviews the main progress in the research on the quality of wheat grain protein, including the identification of gluten proteins and high-quality subunits, the analysis of the expression regulation of gluten protein genes, the mining of quality-related genes based on multi-omics, the impact of the interaction between proteins and other components on processing characteristics, and the application of biotechnology in the breeding of high-quality wheat. In view of the complex evaluation process and environmental susceptibility of wheat quality traits, as well as the goal of achieving synergistic optimization of nutrition and functionality in protein quality research under the National Whole Grain Action Plan, we examine the challenges and future development prospects of cutting-edge technologies such as marker-assisted selection and gene editing. This review aims to provide theoretical support for the upgrading of the high-quality wheat industry.

The objective of this study was to prepare polyclonal antibodies (pAb) against the Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae (Mhp) membrane protein Mhp271 and systematically evaluate their immunological characteristics and potential applications. The mhp271 gene (3 156 bp) was amplified by PCR and cloned into the prokaryotic expression vector pMAL-c5x to construct the recombinant plasmid pMAL-c5x-mhp271. After verification by PCR and DNA sequencing, the construct was transformed into Escherichia coli BL21(DE3) competent cells, and the expression of recombinant Mhp271 (rMhp271) was induced with IPTG. Western blotting revealed a specific band at approximately 160 kDa, confirming successful expression of rMhp271. Purified rMhp271 was emulsified and used to immunize BALB/c mice three times. Serum samples were collected one week after the final immunization, and anti-Mhp271 specific pAb was isolated. To assess the reactivity of the anti-Mhp271 pAb, we used porcine alveolar macrophages (PAMs) to establish a cell model of Mhp infection. After Mhp infection for 12 h, Western blotting and indirect immunofluorescence assay (IFA) were employed to assess protein expression. Western blotting results showed a specific band at approximately 118 kDa in the lysate from Mhp-infected PAMs, while no corresponding band was detected in the uninfected control group. IFA demonstrated distinct green fluorescence signals in infected cells, whereas no fluorescence was observed in the uninfected control group. Furthermore, the potential of anti-Mhp271 pAb to inhibit Mhp infection was evaluated through in vitro blocking assays. Mhp was pre-incubated with either 100-fold diluted anti-Mhp271 serum (experimental group) or negative serum (control group) for 30 min before being inoculated into PAMs for 12 h. TaqMan real-time quantitative PCR indicated a significant reduction in Mhp load in the experimental group compared with the control group, which was further confirmed by the weakened fluorescence in IFA. Overall, the prepared anti-Mhp271 pAb demonstrated good reactogenicity and anti-infective activity, being suitable for immunological detection methods such as Western blotting and IFA.

Drought stress impacts the growth, development, and yields of crops and is a major factor limiting global agricultural production. This paper primarily reviews the molecular mechanisms underlying crop responses to drought stress and the molecular strategies for breeding drought-resistant varieties. We first elaborate on the perception mechanisms of plants to drought stress and delve into the core signal transduction pathways underpinning drought stress responses, the transcriptional regulation and expression of drought-responsive genes, and the signaling pathways of other plant hormones involved in drought stress responses of crops. Additionally, we summarize the molecular strategies for breeding drought-resistant crops, including the identification of candidate drought resistance genes, molecular marker-assisted breeding, multi-omics-assisted breeding, and advancements in transgenic and gene-editing technologies. Finally, we introduce the current status, research hotspots, and future directions in the research on crop drought stress. This paper aims to provide a comprehensive reference for understanding the mechanisms of crop responses to drought stress and facilitate the breeding of drought-resistant crop varieties.

UbiA-type terpene cyclases represent a class of non-classical terpenoid synthases recently discovered in fungi and bacteria. These enzymes catalyze the cyclization of linear terpene precursors via a carbocation-mediated mechanism, enabling the construction of complex terpene skeletons. The discovery of these enzymes has significantly expanded the enzymatic toolkit for natural product biosynthesis and broadened the structural diversity of terpenoids. Since the identification of FmaTC in Aspergillus fumigatus in 2013, 31 distinct members of the UbiA family have been characterized. We review the research progress in these enzymes, including their conserved motifs, phylogenetic relationships, biosynthetic gene clusters, and the structural diversity of their products. We highlight representative natural products such as sesquiterpenes, diterpenes, and diheterosesquiterpenes, along with their corresponding cyclases. Additionally, we discuss compounds generated through the synergistic action of these cyclases with modifying enzymes such as cytochrome P450s, shedding light on the potential role of UbiA family members in driving natural product diversity. The discovery of UbiA-type terpene cyclases not only enriches the library of enzymes for the biosynthesis of terpenoids but also gives novel insights into the biosynthesis and application of bioactive natural products.

As artificially constructed microbial communities with specific functions, synthetic microbiomes have shown great application potential in bioremediation in recent years. Compared with single strains, synthetic microbiomes have significant advantages in mineralizing complex pollutants and simultaneously metabolizing multiple pollutants. The construction of synthetic microbiomes involves various strategies and methods, which contribute to the design of microbial communities with diverse functions and adaptability to different environments. Conventional experiment-based studies on synthetic microbiomes often struggle to systematically elucidate the complex metabolic interactions among microbial community members, which limits the design and application of synthetic microbiomes. Genome-scale metabolic model (GSMM) technology has paved new avenues for the design, construction, and functional optimization of synthetic microbiomes. This review concentrates on the advantages of synthetic microbiomes in bioremediation and the current theories and strategies involved in the design and construction of synthetic microbiomes, and highlights the application potential of GSMMs in the design of synthetic microbiomes and the bioremediation of polluted environments. This paper can provide a theoretical basis and technical support for the research on synthetic microbiomes and their application in environmental bioremediation.

Synthetic biology aims to reconstruct living systems through engineering principles, requiring molecular mechanism elucidation at the atomic level as its theoretical foundation. Protein crystallographic structural analysis, by revealing three-dimensional conformations, dynamic conformational changes, and molecular interaction networks of proteins, provides indispensable atomic-scale blueprints for the functional design and performance optimization of components in synthetic biology. Recent breakthroughs in cryo-electron microscopy, X-ray crystallography, and artificial intelligence-based prediction methods have significantly advanced the applications of protein structure determination in synthetic biology, including protein engineering, metabolic pathway optimization, biosensor design, and artificial biological system construction. This review summarizes key technological advancements in protein structure determination and discusses their specific applications in synthetic biology, along with future development trends, aiming to provide theoretical references and technical perspectives for related research fields.

There are diverse plant viruses, which cause harm to the growth of almost all crops. With the in-depth research on the mechanisms of virus infection and transmission in host plants and the development of biosynthesis technology, more and more genomes of viruses have been unveiled. These research achievements not only serve as a pillar for the establishment and optimization of plant virus expression vectors but also provide a new opportunity for the research and development of unknown functional genes in host plants. In the last decade, rapid development occurred in the construction, optimization, and application of plant virus vectors. The notable progress ranges from the breakthrough research on a well-known ancient tobacco mosaic virus (TMV) vector to exploring the use of complicated negative-sense RNA virus vectors. Particularly, the application of these virus vectors in the production of plant-derived pharmaceutical proteins and the molecular breeding has garnered increasing attention. The establishment and optimization of each virus vector rely on the solid theoretical knowledge about the replication and transcription mechanisms of the viral genome, as well as the molecular interaction mechanisms between viruses and their hosts. In return, the development of plant virus vectors is conducive to revealing the interactions between viruses and their hosts in new aspects. To facilitate the understanding of the research and application of plant virus vectors, this review expounds on the design and engineering strategies of plant virus vectors, the novel functions of viral movement proteins, host immune responses to virus infections, virus-induced gene editing (VIGE), and application of virus vectors in molecular breeding. Finally, the challenges faced by the development and application of virus vectors are discussed. As the understanding of viral gene regulation and the virus-host interaction mechanisms deepens, more plant viruses with small genomes will serve to improve the grain yield and quality and the human health. The development of plant virus vector has facilitated the evolution of 'a pathogen' into 'a practical tool' that promoted innovation in plant biotechnology research.

Yeast cells are the preferred microbial chassis for metabolic engineering and have been engineered into microbial cell factories for producing biofuels, materials, and chemicals. The development of gene editing technologies and synthetic biology tools has significantly accelerated the metabolic engineering in yeast, enabling the design of complex metabolic pathways and comprehensive metabolic rewiring. This review introduces the physiological characteristics of several common yeast species, compares their advantages and disadvantages as chassis cells for biosynthesis, and shows their current applications. We then summarize the latest research progress in metabolic engineering strategies. Finally, the future research directions of yeast metabolic engineering are prospected in light of the latest technological advances. This review will guide the development and engineering applications of next generation yeast chassis cells.

Ferroptosis is a novel type of programmed cell death discovered in recent years. Inhibiting ferroptosis can reduce lipid peroxidation, decrease liver cell necrosis, and inhibit inflammatory responses. Therefore, targeting key targets in the ferroptosis pathway may become a new strategy for the treatment of metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD). This article reviews the research advances in the roles, molecular mechanisms, signaling pathways, and drug applications of ferroptosis in MASLD, providing a reference for the development of drugs for MASLD.