Biochemistry and Biophysics Reports最新文献

{"title":"Carica papaya leaf and root extracts attenuate hyperglycemia-induced insulin resistance by modulating MAPK and PI3K/AKT signalling in hepatic and skeletal muscle cells","authors":"Mthokozisi Bongani Nxumalo,&nbsp;Rene Bernadette Khan,&nbsp;Nosipho Ntanzi,&nbsp;Fave Yohanna Tata,&nbsp;Hezekiel Mathambo Kumalo","doi":"10.1016/j.bbrep.2026.102497","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.bbrep.2026.102497","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is characterised by impaired glucose homeostasis arising from insulin resistance and inadequate insulin action in peripheral tissues. <em>Carica papaya</em> has been reported to exert antidiabetic effects; however, its molecular mechanisms in hepatic and skeletal muscle cells under hyperglycemic conditions remain incompletely understood. This study investigated the effects of <em>C. papaya</em> leaf and root extracts on glucose uptake and insulin-related signalling pathways in HepG2 hepatocytes and C2C12 myotubes. Enzyme inhibition assays were used to assess α-amylase and α-glucosidase activity, while protein and gene expression of key components of the MAPK and PI3K/AKT pathways were evaluated using Western blotting and qPCR. <em>C. papaya</em> extracts significantly inhibited α-amylase activity (<em>p</em> &lt; 0.05), with a non-significant inhibitory trend observed for α-glucosidase, suggesting reduced glucose availability under hyperglycemic conditions. In both HepG2 and C2C12 cells, <em>C. papaya</em> attenuated MAPK signalling through suppression of Erk1/2 and p38 MAPK, while JNK inhibition was observed exclusively in HepG2 cells (<em>p</em> &lt; 0.05). In HepG2 cells, AKT and GLUT2 gene expression remained unchanged; however, AMPKα and IRS-1 were significantly upregulated, indicating enhanced glucose uptake potential despite a concomitant reduction in glycogen synthase expression (<em>p</em> &lt; 0.05). In contrast, C2C12 myotubes exhibited enhanced insulin signalling characterised by increased phosphorylated IRS-1, AKT activation, and elevated glycogen synthase expression, supporting improved glucose uptake and storage (<em>p</em> &lt; 0.05). Collectively, these findings demonstrate that <em>C. papaya</em> extracts mitigate hyperglycemia-induced insulin resistance by suppressing MAPK signalling and enhancing glucose uptake through distinct, cell-specific mechanisms in hepatic and skeletal muscle cells.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":8771,"journal":{"name":"Biochemistry and Biophysics Reports","volume":"45 ","pages":"Article 102497"},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2026-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146185159","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"The development of a methodology to measure primary ciliary length in neural progenitor cells with a target molecule knocked down","authors":"Masaki Saito ,&nbsp;Wataru Otsu ,&nbsp;Kenichi Ishibashi ,&nbsp;Gen-ichi Atsumi","doi":"10.1016/j.bbrep.2026.102489","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.bbrep.2026.102489","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The primary cilium is an immotile cellular antenna that extends from the basal body and protrudes from the cell surface during the G₀/G₁ phases. The cilium is resorbed when it receives growth factor stimuli, and the ciliary resorption triggers the cell cycle re-entry into the G₁/S phases. The dysregulation of ciliary dynamics during embryonic development can lead to various hereditary organ dysplasias, including microcephaly. Neural progenitor cells display primary cilia on their apical surfaces during the embryonic stage. Ciliary resorption in the cells is responsible for cell proliferation and corticogenesis. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying ciliary resorption in the neural progenitor cells <em>in vivo</em> are poorly understood. Mapping cilia to knockdown cells on a one-to-one basis is technically challenging and represents the biggest barrier to solving these mechanisms. In this study, we developed a short hairpin RNA (shRNA)-based pCAGI-Arl13b-tdTomato plasmid to label cilia in knockdown cells. This plasmid contains a shRNA sequence and a cilium marker, Arl13b-tdTomato. Using <em>in utero</em> electroporation, we transfected the plasmid into embryonic neural progenitor cells and found that the primary cilia of the transfected cells specifically expressed Arl13b-tdTomato. We also found that Arl13b-tdTomato expression did not alter the ciliary length. Microtubule-associated serine/threonine kinase and <em>t</em>-complex testis expressed-1 are major regulators of ciliary resorption. Knocking down each of these molecules resulted in longer cilia. These results suggest that the pCAGI-Arl13b-tdTomato plasmid is useful for measuring ciliary length in the shRNA-transfected developing cortical neural progenitor cells <em>in vivo</em>.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":8771,"journal":{"name":"Biochemistry and Biophysics Reports","volume":"45 ","pages":"Article 102489"},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2026-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146185164","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"The research progress of ferroptosis in acute lung injury","authors":"Yixuan Bai ,&nbsp;Yongming Ma ,&nbsp;Xingfang Li","doi":"10.1016/j.bbrep.2025.102434","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.bbrep.2025.102434","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Ferroptosis, an iron-dependent form of regulated cell death driven by lipid peroxidation, is increasingly recognized as a pivotal mechanism in the pathogenesis of acute lung injury (ALI) and its severe form, acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). Its core molecular machinery, including glutathione peroxidase 4 (GPX4), acyl-CoA synthetase long-chain family member 4 (ACSL4), and the cystine/glutamate antiporter system Xc-, becomes dysregulated across various ALI subtypes, such as sepsis, ischemia-reperfusion, and COVID-19.This review delineates how ferroptosis contributes to ALI through iron overload, uncontrolled lipid peroxidation, and failure of antioxidant defenses, ultimately leading to pulmonary endothelial and epithelial cell death. We further summarize subtype-specific mechanisms and evaluate emerging therapeutic strategies, including ferroptosis inhibitors (e.g., liproxstatin-1), Nrf2 activators, and iron chelators, highlighting their potential for targeted intervention in ALI/ARDS.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":8771,"journal":{"name":"Biochemistry and Biophysics Reports","volume":"45 ","pages":"Article 102434"},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2026-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146034558","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Enhancement of prime editing by recruiting engineered or evolved components and implementing novel strategies","authors":"Mobina Arabi ,&nbsp;Farzaneh Alizadeh ,&nbsp;Yasamin Yousefi ,&nbsp;Hamed Afarandeh ,&nbsp;Sina Mozaffari Jovin ,&nbsp;Atieh Eslahi ,&nbsp;Majid Mojarrad","doi":"10.1016/j.bbrep.2026.102495","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.bbrep.2026.102495","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Prime editing has recently gained attention for its promising potential in treating genetic disorders caused by different types of mutations. This method, based on Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats (CRISPR), has led to the development of new strategies that offer improved editing efficiency. Additionally, the components of prime editing—namely, the prime editor (PE) and the prime editing guide RNA (PegRNA)—have been enhanced through rational design and direct evolution of structural modifications. These improvements have resulted in better performance and new capabilities, driven by novel mutations or components. In this review, we compare various studies that report enhanced versions of PE or PegRNA, which achieve more efficient results. These advancements hold the potential to accelerate and simplify the development of gene therapies for a range of genetic disorders.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":8771,"journal":{"name":"Biochemistry and Biophysics Reports","volume":"45 ","pages":"Article 102495"},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2026-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147301603","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Analysis and characterization of a novel metallophosphoesterase from Akkermansia muciniphila involved in lipid degradation","authors":"Miao Guan ,&nbsp;Lei Li ,&nbsp;Yang Zheng ,&nbsp;Shaoxing Dai ,&nbsp;Runling Wei ,&nbsp;Zhenglong Sun","doi":"10.1016/j.bbrep.2025.102437","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.bbrep.2025.102437","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Gut microbes play an important role in the regulation of host health. Multiple studies have shown that <em>Akkermansia muciniphila</em>, as a promising beneficial gut bacterium, is robustly associated with positive effects on host metabolism, immunological regulation, and its presence inversely correlates with body weight. But the precise function played by this bacterium underlying lipid degradation is still unknown. Here we identify a metallophosphoesterase from <em>A. muciniphila.</em> The metallophosphoesterase is composed of a binuclear metal center connected with tyrosine residues and a highly conserved calcineurin-like_PHP_ApaH domain. The enzyme activity has reached its peak in the conditions of pH 8.0, temperature of 37 °C. The enzyme is active for esters with short fatty-acid chains, and has high catalytic activity for hydrolysis of phospholipid sodium salts. In addition, five of predicted active sites of the metallophosphoesterase affecting its enzymatic activity are individually analyzed. Point mutation of H47 reduces the catalytic activity of the metallophosphoesterase for its most preferred substrate, while mutation of H181 has the opposite effect of increasing the enzymatic activity. Overall, we report the first characterization of AMUC-1901, a novel metallophosphoesterase from <em>A. muciniphila</em> with lipid degradation capabilities, which has potential for further exploration in developing novel food or pharma supplements for obesity therapies.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":8771,"journal":{"name":"Biochemistry and Biophysics Reports","volume":"45 ","pages":"Article 102437"},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2026-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145938389","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Electrochemical and optical biosensors for periodontitis detection","authors":"Amir masoud zarasvandi ,&nbsp;Mohammad Gerayeli ,&nbsp;Mina Abasi ,&nbsp;Mehdi Goodarzi ,&nbsp;Shabnam Ganjehzadeh ,&nbsp;Raheleh solhmirzaei ,&nbsp;Asieh Mozaffari ,&nbsp;Haniyeh Alavi Milani","doi":"10.1016/j.bbrep.2025.102378","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.bbrep.2025.102378","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Periodontitis is a common chronic inflammatory disease that frequently results in tooth loss and systemic complications. Traditional diagnostic methods have limited sensitivity and often fail to detect early disease activity. Biosensors have emerged as promising tools for the early and accurate detection of specific biomarkers in saliva and gingival crevicular fluid. This review highlights recent advancements in electrochemical, optical, lab-on-a-chip technologies, and nanosensors for periodontal diagnosis. These innovations provide rapid, non-invasive, point-of-care capabilities, enabling improved monitoring and personalized treatment. While challenges remain in clinical translation, biosensors have significant potential to transform periodontal diagnostics and enhance patient outcomes.</div></div><div><h3>Clinical trial number</h3><div>not applicable.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":8771,"journal":{"name":"Biochemistry and Biophysics Reports","volume":"45 ","pages":"Article 102378"},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2026-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145594589","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Unlocking the potential of endophytes in enhancing plant secondary metabolite biosynthesis","authors":"Esther Ugo Alum ,&nbsp;Olisa Alfred Nwuruku ,&nbsp;Daniel Ejim Uti ,&nbsp;Darlington Arinze Echegu ,&nbsp;Okechukwu Paul-Chima Ugwu ,&nbsp;Simeon Ikechukwu Egba ,&nbsp;Peter Chinedu Agu ,&nbsp;Patrick Maduabuchi Aja","doi":"10.1016/j.bbrep.2025.102385","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.bbrep.2025.102385","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Plant secondary metabolites (PSMs) are vital bioactive compounds with wide pharmaceutical, agricultural, and industrial applications. However, their commercial production faces challenges due to low yields, environmental variability, and high extraction costs. Endophytes, microorganisms living within plant tissues, have emerged as key regulators of plant metabolism, enhancing PSM production through activation of biosynthetic gene clusters, secretion of precursor molecules, and modulation of plant stress responses. This narrative review explores recent advances in understanding endophyte-plant interactions, focusing on their mechanisms for stimulating metabolite production. It highlights biotechnological applications, including metabolic engineering, genome editing, and co-cultivation strategies, for optimizing endophyte-mediated biosynthesis. The review also identifies challenges in large-scale application and proposes recommendations for integrating endophytes into sustainable agriculture and pharmaceutical production. Harnessing endophytes offers an eco-friendly, cost-effective approach for scalable natural product biosynthesis, with significant potential for addressing global health, agricultural sustainability, and industrial needs.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":8771,"journal":{"name":"Biochemistry and Biophysics Reports","volume":"45 ","pages":"Article 102385"},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2026-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145594593","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Recognition of immunogenomic signature and prognostic value of the subtype of epithelial-mesenchymal transition in breast cancer","authors":"Wei Liang ,&nbsp;Zi-ying Wang ,&nbsp;Quan-feng Shao ,&nbsp;Yuan-yuan Li ,&nbsp;Bei Zhu ,&nbsp;Xi-hu Qin ,&nbsp;Wei-xian Chen","doi":"10.1016/j.bbrep.2026.102456","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.bbrep.2026.102456","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><div>Accumulating evidence has revealed that epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) plays a crucial role in tumor progression and the immune microenvironment, which further results in a high rate of recurrence and metastasis. The EMT immune signaling pathway provides a great perspective for designing personalized therapies.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>In this study, 1223 RNA-seq samples were obtained from the TCGA-BRCA dataset. A total of 381 EMT-related differentially expressed genes were analyzed and combined with clinical parameters, and the matrix was randomly divided into training and testing cohorts at a ratio of 7:3. The training cohort was used to develop an EMT signature, including <em>GKN2</em>, <em>FZD2</em>, <em>NDRG2</em>, <em>SCUBE2</em>, <em>ALX4</em>, <em>CCL19</em>, <em>SDC1</em>, <em>EZR</em>, <em>CPEB1</em>, and <em>HRG</em> genes, and the accuracy of this signature was validated by testing and GSE158309 cohorts.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>A risk score model and clinical parameters were used to establish a nomogram for predicting prognosis. The C-index (0.719), calibration curves, and model comparison with four previous studies demonstrated the reliability of the EMT signature, the biological phenotypes of which were tested for functional enrichment, immune infiltration, and tumor mutation. Additionally, patients' responses to immunotherapy and chemotherapy were assessed. Our results showed that the low-risk group had higher immune infiltration, tumor mutational burden, microsatellite instability levels, immune checkpoint inhibitor expression, tumor immune dysfunction and exclusion scores, and immunophenoscore, which could predict patient sensitivity to immunotherapy. Moreover, low-risk patients exhibit better sensitivity to chemotherapy.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusion</h3><div>This novel EMT signature offers excellent potential for predicting the prognosis, tumor immune heterogeneity, and therapeutic responses in breast cancer.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":8771,"journal":{"name":"Biochemistry and Biophysics Reports","volume":"45 ","pages":"Article 102456"},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2026-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146034421","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Exploring potential biomarkers of NETosis-Related genes in spinal cord injury through machine learning and multi-omics analysis","authors":"Xinliao Sun ,&nbsp;Yuchang Gui ,&nbsp;Yuting Lu ,&nbsp;Kewen Wang ,&nbsp;Jingzhi Yao ,&nbsp;Zi Li ,&nbsp;Dandan Lu ,&nbsp;Qian Guo ,&nbsp;Ruixue Liu ,&nbsp;Jianwen Xu","doi":"10.1016/j.bbrep.2025.102439","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.bbrep.2025.102439","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Spinal cord injury (SCI) is a serious condition typically caused by mechanical trauma, often resulting in significant motor, sensory, and autonomic dysfunction. It places a heavy burden on individuals, families, and society; however, effective treatment options are still limited because of the complex pathophysiology behind primary and secondary injury mechanisms. Neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs) created by neutrophils play a crucial role in exacerbating secondary injury following spinal cord injury by promoting inflammation and hindering neural repair. This study aims to clarify the molecular basis of neutrophil extracellular trap-related genes (NRGs) in SCI through an integrated bioinformatics approach. We utilized the GSE151371 dataset from the GEO database, which includes gene expression profiles from 38 SCI patients and 10 healthy controls, and we identified differentially expressed genes (DEGs) using the limma package in R. We identified 4878 DEGs, and we performed functional analysis of these genes using GO and KEGG. Immune cell infiltration analysis conducted with CIBERSORT showed significant differences in immune cell populations between the SCI group and the control group, with notable differences in the infiltration of Neutrophils, B cells memory and Macrophages M0. Weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA) identified a module highly associated with SCI, which resulted in the selection of 12 candidate genes. We built a predictive model using machine learning algorithms, identifying NLRP3, LRG1, and TLR8 as key genes with high diagnostic potential (AUC &gt;0.9). Subsequently, through multi-omics analysis, including gene set enrichment analysis (GESA), protein interaction analysis, and correlation analysis between key genes and immune cells, we explored the relationship between key NRGs and the pathological processes in SCI patients. Finally, these findings were validated through molecular biology experiments in a rat SCI model and clinical samples, confirming the clinical relevance of our findings regarding these biomarkers. In summary, this study provides a comprehensive analysis of NRGs in SCI, highlighting their diagnostic and therapeutic potential. Future research could focus on developing interventions targeting NETs formation, providing new opportunities to enhance treatment outcomes for SCI.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":8771,"journal":{"name":"Biochemistry and Biophysics Reports","volume":"45 ","pages":"Article 102439"},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2026-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146034423","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"In silico exploration of the genomic repertoire of Iranian aquatic bacteria: Prophage carriage, bioactive compound potential, CRISPR-Cas immunity, and integrated defensive-metabolic islands","authors":"Mohammadreza Rahimian ,&nbsp;Mohammad Aghazadeh-Soltan-Ahmadi ,&nbsp;Bahman Panahi","doi":"10.1016/j.bbrep.2026.102452","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.bbrep.2026.102452","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The unique and underexplored aquatic ecosystems of Iran represent a significant reservoir of microbial diversity. This study presents the first comprehensive genomic survey of 38 native Iranian bacterial strains from hypersaline lakes and wetlands, integrating in silico analyses of their secondary metabolome, bacteriocin potential, resident prophages, and genomic architecture. Our genome mining revealed a prolific capacity for secondary metabolite production, identifying dozens of biosynthetic gene clusters (BGCs). Ectoine biosynthesis was ubiquitous, underscoring its role as a key osmoprotectant, while diverse BGCs for terpenes, polyketides, and hybrid metabolites were also prevalent. Concurrently, we identified a wide array of ribosomally synthesized and post-translationally modified peptides (RiPPs), including known bacteriocins. Furthermore, we characterized eight high-quality prophages integrated within these genomes, encoding auxiliary genes such as carbohydrate-active enzymes (CAZymes) and putative <em>anti</em>-CRISPR (ACR) proteins. The bacterial hosts themselves were equipped with robust defense systems, with CRISPR-Cas loci, predominantly Type I, detected in most strains. Crucially, we identified multi-functional genomic islands that physically link BGCs with defense systems (e.g., CRISPR-Cas, restriction-modification) and prophage regions. We propose the “Fortress Hypothesis” to explain this architecture, wherein the co-localization of metabolite production and defense machinery protects metabolic investment against phage predation and genetic loss. This integrative genomic arrangement highlights a sophisticated co-evolutionary strategy for survival in extreme environments. Our findings position these indigenous bacteria as a promising genetic repository for discovering novel bioactive compounds, enzymes, and biotechnological tools, with implications for antibiotic discovery, CRISPR modulation, and understanding adaptive microbial genomics in extreme niches.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":8771,"journal":{"name":"Biochemistry and Biophysics Reports","volume":"45 ","pages":"Article 102452"},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2026-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146073832","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}