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In the field of biocatalysis and the development of a bio-based economy, hemicellulases have attracted great interest for various applications in industrial processes. However, the study of the catalytic activity of the lignocellulose-degrading enzymes needs to be improved to achieve the efficient hydrolysis of plant biomasses. In this framework, hemicellulases from hyperthermophilic archaea show interesting features as biocatalysts and provide many advantages in industrial applications thanks to their stability in the harsh conditions encountered during the pretreatment process. However, the hemicellulases from archaea are less studied compared to their bacterial counterpart, and the activity of most of them has been barely tested on natural substrates. Here, we investigated the hydrolysis of xyloglucan oligosaccharides from two different plants by using, both synergistically and individually, three glycoside hydrolases from Saccharolobus solfataricus: a GH1 β-gluco-/β-galactosidase, a α-fucosidase belonging to GH29, and a α-xylosidase from GH31. The results showed that the three enzymes were able to release monosaccharides from xyloglucan oligosaccharides after incubation at 65 °C. The concerted actions of β-gluco-/β-galactosidase and the α-xylosidase on both xyloglucan oligosaccharides have been observed, while the α-fucosidase was capable of releasing all α-linked fucose units from xyloglucan from apple pomace, representing the first GH29 enzyme belonging to subfamily A that is active on xyloglucan.

Ageritin is the prototype of a new ribotoxin-like protein family, which has been recently identified also in basidiomycetes. The protein exhibits specific RNase activity through the cleavage of a single phosphodiester bond located at sarcin/ricin loop of the large rRNA, thus inhibiting protein biosynthesis at early stages. Conversely to other ribotoxins, its activity requires the presence of divalent cations. In the present study, we report the activity of Ageritin on both prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells showing that the protein has a prominent effect on cancer cells viability and no effects on eukaryotic and bacterial cells. In order to rationalize these findings, the ability of the protein to interact with various liposomes mimicking normal, cancer and bacterial cell membranes was explored. The collected results indicate that Ageritin can interact with DPPC/DPPS/Chol vesicles, used as a model of cancer cell membranes, and with DPPC/DPPG vesicles, used as a model of bacterial cell membranes, suggesting a selective interaction with anionic lipids. However, a different perturbation of the two model membranes, mediated by cholesterol redistribution, was observed and this might be at the basis of Ageritin selective toxicity towards cancer cells.

Terrestrial hot springs are of great interest to the general public and to scientists alike due to their unique and extreme conditions. These have been sought out by geochemists, astrobiologists, and microbiologists around the globe who are interested in their chemical properties, which provide a strong selective pressure on local microorganisms. Drivers of microbial community composition in these springs include temperature, pH, in-situ chemistry, and biogeography. Microbes in these communities have evolved strategies to thrive in these conditions by converting hot spring chemicals and organic matter into cellular energy. Following our previous metagenomic analysis of Pisciarelli hot springs (Naples, Italy), we report here the comparative metagenomic study of three novel sites, formed in Pisciarelli as result of recent geothermal activity. This study adds comprehensive information about phylogenetic diversity within Pisciarelli hot springs by peeking into possible mechanisms of adaptation to biogeochemical cycles, and high applicative potential of the entire set of genes involved in the carbohydrate metabolism in this environment (CAZome). This site is an excellent model for the study of biodiversity on Earth and biosignature identification, and for the study of the origin and limits of life.

Flavonoid natural products are well known for their beneficial antimicrobial, antitumor, and anti-inflammatory properties, however, some of these natural products often are rhamnosylated, which severely limits their bioavailability. The lack of endogenous rhamnosidases in the human GI tract not only prevents many of these glycosylated compounds from being of value in functional foods but also limits the modification of natural product libraries being tested for drug discovery. RHA-P is a catalytically efficient, thermostable α- l -rhamnosidase from the marine bacterium Novosphingobium sp. PP1Y that selectively hydrolyzes α-1,6 and α-1,2 glycosidic linkages between a terminal rhamnose and a flavonoid moiety. This work reports the 2.2 A resolution crystal structure of RHA-P, which is an essential step forward in the characterization of RHA-P as a potential catalyst to increase the bioavailability of rhamnosylated natural compounds. The structure shows highly conserved rhamnose- and calcium-binding residues in a shallow active site that is housed in the (β/α)8 domain. In comparison to BT0986 (pdbID: 5MQN), the only known structure of an RHA-P homolog, the morphology, electrostatic potentials and amino acid composition of the substrate binding pocket are significantly different, offering insight into the substrate preference of RHA-P for glycosylated aryl compounds such as hesperidin, naringin, rutin, and quercitrin, over polysaccharides, which are preferred by BT0986. These preferences were further explored by using in silico docking, the results of which are consistent with the known kinetic data for RHA-P acting on different rhamnosylated flavonoids. Due to its promiscuity, relative thermostability compared to other known rhamnosidases, and catalytic efficiency even in significant concentrations of organic solvents, RHA-P continues to show potential for biocatalytic applications.

Concern over antibiotic resistance is growing, and new classes of antibiotics, particularly against Gram-negative bacteria, are needed. Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) have been proposed as a new class of clinically useful antimicrobials. Special attention has been devoted to frog-skin temporins. In particular, temporin L (TL) is strongly active against Gram-positive, Gram-negative bacteria and yeast strains. With the aim of overcoming some of the main drawbacks preventing the widespread clinical use of this peptide, i.e. toxicity and unfavorable pharmacokinetics profile, we designed new formulations combining TL with different types of cyclodextrins (CDs). TL was associated to a panel of neutral or negatively charged, monomeric and polymeric CDs. The impact of CDs association on TL solubility, as well as the transport through bacterial alginates was assessed. The biocompatibility on human cells together with the antimicrobial and antibiofilm properties of TL/CD systems was explored.

Outer membrane vesicles (OMVs) are nanostructures of 20– 200 nm diameter deriving from the surface of several Gram- negative bacteria. OMVs are emerging as shuttles involved in several mechanisms of communication and environmental adaptation. In this work, OMVs were isolated and charac- terized from Novosphingobium sp. PP1Y, a Gram-negative non-pathogenic microorganism lacking LPS on the outer membrane surface and whose genome was sequenced and annotated. Scanning electron microscopy performed on sam- ples obtained from a culture in minimal medium highlighted the presence of PP1Y cells embedded in an extracellular ma- trix rich in vesicular structures. OMVs were collected from the exhausted growth medium during the mid-exponential phase, and purified by ultracentrifugation on a sucrose gra- dient. Atomic force microscopy, dynamic light scattering and nanoparticle tracking analysis showed that purified PP1Y OMVs had a spherical morphology with a diameter of ca. 150 nm and were homogenous in size and shape. Moreover, pro- teomic and fatty acid analysis of purified OMVs revealed a specific biochemical “fingerprint”, suggesting interesting de- tails concerning their biogenesis and physiological role. More- over, these extracellular nanostructures do not appear to be cytotoxic on HaCaT cell line, thus paving the way to their future use as novel drug delivery systems.

In the framework of the discovery of new thermophilic enzymes of potential biotechnological interest, we embarked in the characterization of a new thermophilic esterase from the thermophilic bacterium Geobacillus thermodenitrificans. The phylogenetic analysis of the GTNG_0744 esterase indicated that the sequence belongs to the enterochelin/enterobactin esterase group, which have never been recognized as a family in the lipases/esterase classification. These enzymes catalyze the last step in the acquisition of environmental Fe3+ through siderophore hydrolysis. In silico analysis revealed, for the first time, that the machinery for the uptake of siderophores is present in G. thermodenitrificans. The purified recombinant enzyme, EstGtA3, showed different substrate specificity from known enterochelin/enterobactin esterases, recognizing short chain esters with a higher specificity constant for 4-NP caprylate. The enzyme does not require cofactors for its activity, is active in the pH range 7.0–8.5, has highest activity at 60 °C and is 100% stable when incubated for 16 h at 55 °C. DTT, β-mercaptoethanol and Triton X-100 have an activating effect on the enzymatic activity. Organic solvents have in general a negative effect on the enzyme, but n-hexane is a strong activator up to 150, making EstGtA3 a good candidate for applications in biotechnology.

Objective The antioxidant activity and protective effect of a methanolic extract obtained from themarine Gram-negative bacterium Novosphingobium sp. PP1Y, isolated from the surface water of a polluted area in the harbour of Pozzuoli (Naples, Italy), was evaluated. Results The extract was tested in vitro on epithelial colorectal adenocarcinoma cells and in vivo on Caenorhabditis elegans. It showed strong protectiveactivity against oxidative stress, in both experimental systems, by preventing ROS accumulation. In the case of the cells, pre-treatment with methanolic extract was also able to maintain unaltered intracellular GSH levels and phosphorylation levels of mitogen-activated protein kinases p38. Instead, in the case of the worms, the extract was able to modulate the expression levels of stress response genes, by activating the transcription factor skn-1. Conclusions From a biotechnological and economical point of view, antioxidants from microorganisms are convenient as they provide a valid alternative to chemical synthesis and respond to the ever-growing market demand for natural antioxidants.

α-L-Rhamnosidases (α-RHAs, EC 3.2.1.40) are glycosyl hydrolases (GHs) hydrolyzing terminal α-l-rhamnose residues from different substrates such as heteropolysaccharides, glycosylated proteins and natural flavonoids. Although the possibility to hydrolyze rhamnose from natural flavonoids has boosted the use of these enzymes in several biotechnological applications over the past decades, to date only few bacterial rhamnosidases have been fully characterized and only one crystal structure of a rhamnosidase of the GH106 family has been described. In our previous work, an α-l-rhamnosidase belonging to this family, named RHA-P, was isolated from the marine microorganism Novosphingobium sp. PP1Y. The initial biochemical characterization highlighted the biotechnological potential of RHA-P for bioconversion applications. In this work, further functional and structural characterization of the enzyme is provided. The recombinant protein was obtained fused to a C-terminal His-tag and, starting from the periplasmic fractions of induced recombinant cells of E. coli strain BL21(DE3), was purified through a single step purification protocol. Homology modeling of RHA-P in combination with a site directed mutagenesis analysis confirmed the function of residues D503, E506, E644, likely located at the catalytic site of RHA-P. In addition, a kinetic characterization of the enzyme on natural flavonoids such as naringin, rutin, hesperidin and quercitrin was performed. RHA-P showed activity on all flavonoids tested, with a catalytic efficiency comparable or even higher than other bacterial α-RHAs described in literature. The results confirm that RHA-P is able to hydrolyze both α-1,2 and α-1,6 glycosidic linkages, and suggest that the enzyme may locate different polyphenolic aromatic moities in the active site.

Oxidative stress is generally considered as the consequence of an imbalance between pro- and antioxidants species, which often results into indiscriminate and global damage at the organismal level. Elderly people are more susceptible to oxidative stress and this depends, almost in part, from a decreased performance of their endogenous antioxidant system. As many studies reported an inverse correlation between systemic levels of antioxidants and several diseases, primarily cardiovascular diseases, but also diabetes and neurological disorders, antioxidant supplementation has been foreseen as an effective preventive and therapeutic intervention for aging-associated pathologies. However, the expectations of this therapeutic approach have often been partially disappointed by clinical trials. The interplay of both endogenous and exogenous antioxidants with the systemic redox system is very complex and represents an issue that is still under debate. In this review a selection of recent clinical studies concerning antioxidants supplementation and the evaluation of their influence in aging-related diseases is analyzed. The controversial outcomes of antioxidants supplementation therapies, which might partially depend from an underestimation of the patient specific metabolic demand and genetic background, are presented.

α- l -Rhamnosidases (α-RHAs) are a group of glycosyl hydrolases of biotechnological potential in industrial processes, which catalyze the hydrolysis of α- l -rhamnose terminal residues from several natural compounds. A novel α–RHA activity was identified in the crude extract of Novosphingobium sp. PP1Y, a marine bacterium able to grow on a wide range of aromatic polycyclic compounds. In this work, this α-RHA activity was isolated from the native microorganism and the corresponding orf was identified in the completely sequenced and annotated genome of strain PP1Y. The coding gene was expressed in Escherichia coli, strain BL21(DE3), and the recombinant protein, rRHA-P, was purified and characterized as an inverting monomeric glycosidase of ca. 120 kDa belonging to the GH106 family. A biochemical characterization of this enzyme using pNPR as substrate was performed, which showed that rRHA-P had a moderate tolerance to organic solvents, a significant thermal stability up to 45 °C and a catalytic efficiency, at pH 6.9, significantly higher than other bacterial α-RHAs described in literature. Moreover, rRHA-P was able to hydrolyze natural glycosylated flavonoids (naringin, rutin, neohesperidin dihydrochalcone) containing α- l -rhamnose bound to β- d -glucose with either α-1,2 or α-1,6 glycosidic linkages. Data presented in this manuscript strongly support the potential use of RHA-P as a biocatalyst for diverse biotechnological applications.

Monocyclic phenols and catechols are important antioxidant compounds for the food and pharmaceutic industries; their production through biotransformation of low-added value starting compounds is of major biotechnological interest. The toluene o-xylene monooxygenase (ToMO) from Pseudomonas sp. OX1 is a bacterial multicomponent monooxygenase (BMM) that is able to hydroxylate a wide array of aromatic compounds and has already proven to be a versatile biochemical tool to produce mono- and dihydroxylated derivatives of aromatic compounds. The molecular determinants of its regioselectivity and substrate specificity have been thoroughly investigated, and a computational strategy has been developed which allows designing mutants able to hydroxylate non-natural substrates of this enzyme to obtain high-added value compounds of commercial interest. In this work, we have investigated the use of recombinant ToMO, expressed in cells of Escherichia coli strain JM109, for the biotransformation of non-natural substrates of this enzyme such as 2- phenoxyethanol, phthalan and 2-indanol to produce six hydroxylated derivatives. The hydroxylated products obtained were identified, isolated and their antioxidant potential was assessed both in vitro, using the DPPH assay, and on the rat cardiomyoblast cell line H9c2. Incubation of H9c2 cells with the hydroxylated compounds obtained from ToMO-catalyzed biotransformation induced a differential protective effect towards a mild oxidative stress induced by the presence of sodium arsenite. The results obtained confirm once again the versatility of the ToMO system for oxyfunctionalization reactions of biotechnological importance. Moreover, the hydroxylated derivatives obtained possess an interesting antioxidant potential that encourages the use of the enzyme for further functionalization reactions and their possible use as scaffolds to design novel bioactive molecules.