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Variable individual response against the antigens of Mycobacterium tuberculosis necessitates detection of multiple antibodies for enhancing reliability of serodiagnosis of tuberculosis. Fusion molecules consisting of two or more antigens showing high sensitivity would be helpful in achieving this objective. Antigens of M. tuberculosis HSPX and PE35 were expressed in a soluble form whereas tnPstS1 and FbpC1 were expressed as inclusion bodies at 37°C. Heat shock protein HSPX when attached to the N-termini of the antigens PE35, tnPstS1 and FbpC1, all the fusion molecules were expressed at high levels in E. coli in a soluble form. ELISA analysis of the plasma samples of TB patients against HSPX-tnPstS1 showed 57.7% sensitivity which is nearly the same as the expected combined value obtained after deducting the number of plasma samples (32) containing the antibodies against both the individual antigens. Likewise, the 54.4% sensitivity of HSPX-PE35 was nearly the same as that expected from the combined values of the contributing antigens. Structural analysis of all the fusion molecules by CD spectroscopy showed that α-helical and β-sheet contents were found close to those obtained through molecular modeling. Molecular modeling studies of HSPX-tnPstS1 and HSPX-PE35 support the analytical results as most of the epitopes of the contributing antigens were found to be available for binding to the corresponding antibodies. Using these fusion molecules in combination with other antigenic molecules should reduce the number of antigenic proteins required for a more reliable and economical serodiagnosis of tuberculosis. Also, HSPX seems to have potential application in soluble expression of heterologous proteins in E. coli.

A simple extrusion method was used to entrap Synechocystis sp.P2A in alginate beads. The viability, growth response and Indoleacetic acid (IAA) production at different pH were studied in alginate immobilized Synechocystis sp.P2A. 2.6% sodium alginate (w/v) and pH-7 was found to be optimum for growth of Synechocystis sp. P2A as well as IAA production (79µg/ml). To prepare effective formulation for plant inoculation, alginate beads were further modified by coating with chitosan or chitosan-polyethylene glycol. Effect of all formulations containing Synechocystis sp. P2A in free and immobilized form on growth of Triticumaestivum was evaluated. Soil inoculation of entrapped Synechocystis in alginate beads coated with chitosan resulted in 20% increase in root length and 14% increase in dry weight as compared to non-inoculated seedlings. Free and immobilized cyanobacteria were allowed to grow in BG11 medium supplemented with 100µg/ml K 2 CrO 4 and chromium reduction was measured at variable pH. At pH 7 immobilized showed 5% more reduction than free form. The current study showed that alginate immobilized Synechocystis sp. P2A can accomplish viable functions including plant growth promoting hormone production and chromium reduction and therefore propose an efficient and convenient method for storage and use of cyanobacteria.

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Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a type of malignant tumor. miRNAs are noncoding RNAs and their differential expression patterns are observed in HCC-induced by alcoholism, HBV and HCV infections. By acting as a competing endogenous RNA (ceRNA), circRNA regulates the miRNA function, indirectly controlling the gene expression and leading to HCC progression. In the present study, data mining was performed to screen out all miRNAs and circRNA involved in alcohol, HBV or HCV-induced HCC with statistically significant (≤0.05%) expression levels reported in various studies. Further, the interaction of miRNAs and circRNA was also investigated to explore their role in HCC due to various causative agents. Together, these study data provide a deeper understanding of the circRNA–miRNA regulatory mechanisms in HCC. These screened circRNA, miRNA and their interactions can be used as prognostic biomarkers or therapeutic targets for the treatment of HCC.

This study aims to achieve high-level soluble expression and characterization of a thermostable industrially important enzyme, i.e., beta-glucosidase (BglA; EC: 3.2.1.21), from Clostridium thermocellum (C. thermocellum) by cloning in an Escherichia coli (E. coli) expression system. BglA was expressed as a partially soluble component of total cellular protein (TCP) having a molecular weight of ∼53 kDa with 50% of it as soluble fraction. Purification in two steps, namely, heat inactivation and Ni-chromatography, yielded approximately 30% and 15% of BglA, respectively. The purified (∼98%) BglA enzyme showed promising activity against the salicin substrate having a Km of 19.83 mM and a Vmax of 0.12 μmol/min. The enzyme had an optimal temperature and pH of 50°C and 7.0, respectively, while retaining its catalytic activity up till 60°C and at pH 7. The optimized maximum expression level was attained in M9NG medium with lactose as an inducer. Circular dichroism revealed presence of alpha helix (43.50%) and small percentage of beta sheets (10.60%). Factors like high-end cellulolytic activity, fair thermal stability, stability against low pH, and ease of purification make BglA from C. thermocellum a potential candidate in industrial applications.