sp. nov., a moderately halophilic and alkaliphilic bacterium isolated from an inland saltern in central Portugal and reclassification of as sp. nov.

A novel moderately halophilic and alkaliphilic Gram-stain-negative, strictly aerobic, bacterial strain (N2) was isolated from an inland saltern in central Portugal. The taxonomic position of this isolate was determined based on polyphasic taxonomic and phylogenomic analysis. Phylogenetic analysis based on 16S rRNA gene sequences indicated that isolate N2 belongs to the genus , showing the highest similarity to 2W32 (98.

The fungicide cymoxanil impairs respiration in Saccharomyces cerevisiae via cytochrome c oxidase inhibition.

Cymoxanil (CYM) is a widely used synthetic acetamide fungicide, but its biochemical mode of action remains elusive. Since CYM inhibits cell growth, biomass production, and respiration in Saccharomyces cerevisiae, we used this model to characterize the effect of CYM on mitochondria. We found it inhibits oxygen consumption in both whole cells and isolated mitochondria, specifically inhibiting cytochrome c oxidase (CcO) activity during oxidative phosphorylation.

Heterologous expression and structure prediction of a xylanase identified from a compost metagenomic library.

Xylanases are key biocatalysts in the degradation of the β-1,4-glycosidic linkages in the xylan backbone of hemicellulose. These enzymes are potentially applied in a wide range of bioprocessing industries under harsh conditions. Metagenomics has emerged as powerful tools for the bioprospection and discovery of interesting bioactive molecules from extreme ecosystems with unique features, such as high temperatures.

Current and novel approaches in yeast cell death research.

The study of cell death mechanisms in fungi, particularly yeasts, has gained substantial interest in recent decades driven by the potential for biotechnological advancements and therapeutic interventions. Examples include the development of robust yeast strains for industrial fermentations and high-value compound production, novel food preservation strategies against spoilage yeasts, and the identification of targets for treating fungal infections in the clinic. In this review, we discuss a wide range of methods to characterize cellular alterations associated with yeast cell death, noting the advantages and limitations.

Enhancement of Acetate-Induced Apoptosis of Colorectal Cancer Cells by Cathepsin D Inhibition Depends on Oligomycin A-Sensitive Respiration.

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is a leading cause of death worldwide. Conventional therapies are available with varying effectiveness. Acetate, a short-chain fatty acid produced by human intestinal bacteria, triggers mitochondria-mediated apoptosis preferentially in CRC but not in normal colonocytes, which has spurred an interest in its use for CRC prevention/therapy.

Exosomes modified with anti-MEK1 siRNA lead to an effective silencing of triple negative breast cancer cells.

Triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) is a highly heterogenous disease not sensitive to endocrine or HER2 therapy and standardized treatment regimens are still missing. Therefore, development of novel TNBC treatment approaches is of utmost relevance. Herein, the potential of MAPK/ERK downregulation by RNAi-based therapeutics in a panel of mesenchymal stem-like TNBC cell lines was uncovered.

Bovine Lactoferrin-Loaded Plasmonic Magnetoliposomes for Antifungal Therapeutic Applications.

Bovine lactoferrin (bLf) is a milk-derived protein that exhibits potent broad-spectrum antifungal activity against multiple fungi. bLf is susceptible to degradation, while some of its properties depend on the tertiary structure. So, the encapsulation of bLf in stimuli-responsive therapeutic formulations provides an added value to enhance its biological activities.

Functional and sequence-based metagenomics to uncover carbohydrate-degrading enzymes from composting samples.

The renewable, abundant , and low-cost nature of lignocellulosic biomass can play an important role in the sustainable production of bioenergy and several added-value bioproducts, thus providing alternative solutions to counteract the global energetic and industrial demands. The efficient conversion of lignocellulosic biomass greatly relies on the catalytic activity of carbohydrate-active enzymes (CAZymes). Finding novel and robust biocatalysts, capable of being active under harsh industrial conditions, is thus imperative to achieve an economically feasible process.

Synthesis and Cytotoxicity Assessment of Citrate-Coated Calcium and Manganese Ferrite Nanoparticles for Magnetic Hyperthermia.

Calcium-doped manganese ferrite nanoparticles (NPs) are gaining special interest in the biomedical field due to their lower cytotoxicity compared with other ferrites, and the fact that they have improved magnetic properties. Magnetic hyperthermia (MH) is an alternative cancer treatment, in which magnetic nanoparticles promote local heating that can lead to the apoptosis of cancer cells. In this work, manganese/calcium ferrite NPs coated with citrate (CaMnFeO ( = 0, 0.

Lactoferrin perturbs intracellular trafficking, disrupts cholesterol-rich lipid rafts and inhibits glycolysis of highly metastatic cancer cells harbouring plasmalemmal V-ATPase.

The milk-derived bovine lactoferrin (bLf) is an iron-binding glycoprotein with remarkable selective anticancer activity towards highly metastatic cancer cells displaying the proton pump V-ATPase at the plasma membrane. As studies aiming to dissect the bLf mechanisms of action are critical to improve its efficacy and boost its targeted clinical use, herein we sought to further uncover the molecular basis of bLf anticancer activity. We showed that bLf co-localizes with V-ATPase and cholesterol-rich lipid rafts at the plasma membrane of highly metastatic cancer cells.

Acetic acid triggers cytochrome c release in yeast heterologously expressing human Bax.

Proteins of the Bcl-2 protein family, including pro-apoptotic Bax and anti-apoptotic Bcl-xL, are critical for mitochondrial-mediated apoptosis regulation. Since yeast lacks obvious orthologs of Bcl-2 family members, heterologous expression of these proteins has been used to investigate their molecular and functional aspects. Active Bax is involved in the formation of mitochondrial outer membrane pores, through which cytochrome c (cyt c) is released, triggering a cascade of downstream apoptotic events.

Plasmalemmal V-ATPase as a Potential Biomarker for Lactoferrin-Based Anticancer Therapy.

Lactoferrin (Lf) is a milk-derived protein with well-recognized potential as a therapeutic agent against a wide variety of cancers. This natural protein exhibits health-promoting effects and has several interesting features, including its selectivity towards cancer cells, good tolerability in humans, worldwide availability, and holding a generally recognized as safe (GRAS) status. To prompt the rational clinical application of this promising anticancer compound, previous works aimed to unveil the molecular mechanisms underlying its selective anticancer activity, where plasmalemmal V-ATPase was identified as an Lf target in cancer cells.

A review on lactoferrin as a proton pump inhibitor.

Lactoferrin (Lf) is a versatile natural milk-derived protein that exhibits multiple interesting biological activities. Since it is safe for human administration and currently manufactured using low cost and well-established large-scale processes, the Lf scientific community has been devoted at dissecting its mechanisms of action towards its more rational and efficient use for various applications. Emerging literature has identified proton pumping ATPases as molecular targets of Lf in different cellular models linked to distinct activities of this natural protein.

Regulation of Cell Death Induced by Acetic Acid in Yeasts.

Acetic acid has long been considered a molecule of great interest in the yeast research field. It is mostly recognized as a by-product of alcoholic fermentation or as a product of the metabolism of acetic and lactic acid bacteria, as well as of lignocellulosic biomass pretreatment. High acetic acid levels are commonly associated with arrested fermentations or with utilization as vinegar in the food industry.

The milk-derived lactoferrin inhibits V-ATPase activity by targeting its V1 domain.

Lactoferrin (Lf), a bioactive milk protein, exhibits strong anticancer and antifungal activities. The search for Lf targets and mechanisms of action is of utmost importance to enhance its effective applications. A common feature among Lf-treated cancer and fungal cells is the inhibition of a proton pump called V-ATPase.

Emerging insights on the role of V-ATPase in human diseases: Therapeutic challenges and opportunities.

The control of the intracellular pH is vital for the survival of all organisms. Membrane transporters, both at the plasma and intracellular membranes, are key players in maintaining a finely tuned pH balance between intra- and extracellular spaces, and therefore in cellular homeostasis. V-ATPase is a housekeeping ATP-driven proton pump highly conserved among prokaryotes and eukaryotes.

Lactoferrin perturbs lipid rafts and requires integrity of Pma1p-lipid rafts association to exert its antifungal activity against Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

Lactoferrin (Lf) is a bioactive milk-derived protein with remarkable wide-spectrum antifungal activity. To deepen our understanding of the molecular mechanisms underlying Lf cytotoxicity, the role of plasma membrane ergosterol- and sphingolipid-rich lipid rafts and their association with the proton pump Pma1p was explored. Pma1p was previously identified as a Lf-binding protein.

Selection of a new peptide homing SK-BR-3 breast cancer cells.

Breast cancer diagnosis remains a challenge, mostly due to its heterogeneity. This reality translates in delayed treatments, increasing treatment aggressiveness and lower chances of overall survival. The conventional detection techniques, although becoming increasingly sophisticated each year, still lack the ability to provide reliable conclusions without being time consuming, expensive, and uncomfortable for the patients.

Resveratrol-Loaded Lipid Nanocarriers Are Internalized By Endocytosis in Yeast.

Different positive pharmacological effects have been attributed to the natural product resveratrol (RSV), including antioxidant, antiaging, and cancer chemopreventive properties. However, its low bioavailability and rapid metabolic degradation has led to the suspicion that many of the biological activities of this compound observed in vitro may not be attainable in humans. To improve its bioavailability and pharmacokinetic profile, attempts have been made to encapsulate RSV into lipid-based nanocarrier systems.

openEHR Based Systems and the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).

The concerns about privacy and personal data protection resulted in reforms of the existing legislation in European Union (EU). The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) aims to reform the existing measures on the topic of personal data protection of the European Union citizens, with a strong input on the rights and freedoms of people and in the establishment of rules for the processing of personal data. OpenEHR is a standard that embodies many principles of interoperable and secure software for electronic health records.

HS.Register - An Audit-Trail Tool to Respond to the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).

Introduction The new General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) compels health care institutions and their software providers to properly document all personal data processing and provide clear evidence that their systems are inline with the GDPR. All applications involved in personal data processing should therefore produce meaningful event logs that can later be used for the effective auditing of complex processes. Aim This paper aims to describe and evaluate HS.

Analysis of the quality of hospital information systems Audit Trails.

Background: Audit Trails (AT) are fundamental to information security in order to guarantee access traceability but can also be used to improve Health information System's (HIS) quality namely to assess how they are used or misused. This paper aims at analysing the existence and quality of AT, describing scenarios in hospitals and making some recommendations to improve the quality of information.

Methods: The responsibles of HIS for eight Portuguese hospitals were contacted in order to arrange an interview about the importance of AT and to collect audit trail data from their HIS.