Thermodynamically Coupled Three-Enzyme Cascade Converts Styrene to Cinnamic Acid, l-Phenylalanine, and Phenylpyruvate via CO Fixation without External Energy Cofactors.

We report the development of a cofactor-free CO fixation platform based on a three-enzyme cascade comprising ferulic acid decarboxylase (AnFDC), phenylalanine ammonia-lyase (AvPAL), and l-amino acid deaminase (PmLAAD). Unlike canonical ATP- or NADPH-dependent CO assimilation pathways, this system uses a prFMN-dependent carboxylation mechanism, enabling efficient CO incorporation under ambient conditions without energy-intensive cofactors. Systematic screening identified AnFDC as the optimal decarboxylase for styrene carboxylation, while AvPAL and PmLAAD were selected for their superior catalytic efficiencies in the cascade.

Elucidation of Broad Substrate Specificity of a Novel γ-Glutamyl Transferase from and Rational Design for Enhanced Substrate Selectivity.

γ-Glutamyl methionine (γ-Glu-Met) is a potential kokumi substance as a food ingredient with an exceptionally low taste threshold. This study proposes the γ-glutamyl transferase from (BaGGT) as a superior enzyme that outperforms other candidates including previously reported enzymes. BaGGT displayed a superior specific activity (413 U/mg) for l-methionine (Met) under 20:1 molar ratio of Met to l-glutamine (Gln), highlighting its potentiality as a highly efficient catalyst for γ-Glu-Met production.

Comparing the efficacy of combined versus single immune cell adaptive therapy targeting colorectal cancer.

Purpose: Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the most frequent cancer with limited therapeutic achievements. Recently, adoptive cellular immunotherapy has been developed as an antitumor therapy. However, its efficacy has not been tested in CRC.

Dual-function transaminases with hybrid nanoflower for the production of value-added chemicals from biobased levulinic acid.

The U.S. Department of Energy has listed levulinic acid (LA) as one of the top 12 compounds derived from biomass.

Asprosin impairs insulin secretion in response to glucose and viability through TLR4/JNK-mediated inflammation.

Severe inflammation in the islets is observed in obese patients with type 2 diabetes. Inflammation in the islets is caused by obesity-induced serum free fatty acids. Asprosin is a fasting-induced adipokine, which contributes to hepatic glucose production.

BAIBA Attenuates the Expression of Inflammatory Cytokines and Attachment Molecules and ER Stress in HUVECs and THP-1 Cells.

Objective: β-Aminoisobutyric acid (BAIBA), a myokine, is a thymine catabolite that is induced during exercise, leading to browning of white fat, hepatic fatty acid oxidation, and suppression of hepatic lipogenesis. However, the effects of BAIBA on the progression of atherosclerosis remain unclear.

Methods: We performed a Western blot analyses to determine various protein expression.

Fibronectin Type III Domain Containing 4 attenuates hyperlipidemia-induced insulin resistance via suppression of inflammation and ER stress through HO-1 expression in adipocytes.

Although Fibronectin Type III Domain Containing 4 (FNDC4) has been reported to be involved in the modulation of inflammation in macrophages, its effects on inflammation and insulin resistance in adipose tissue are unknown. In the current study, we investigated the effects of FNDC4 on hyperlipidemia-mediated endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress, inflammation, and insulin resistance in adipocytes via the AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK)/heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1)-mediated pathway. Hyperlipidemia-induced nuclear factor κB (NFκB), inhibitory κBα (IκBα) phosphorylation, and pro-inflammatory cytokines such as TNFα and MCP-1 were markedly mitigated by FNDC4.