Here we report a jute endophyte Staphylococcus hominis strain MBL_AB63 isolated from jute seeds which showed promising antimicrobial activity against Staphylococcus aureus SG511 when screening for antimicrobial substances. The whole genome sequence of this strain, annotated using BAGEL4 and antiSMASH 5.0 to predict the gene clusters for antimicrobial substances identified a novel antimicrobial peptide cluster that belongs to the class I lantibiotic group. The predicted lantibiotic (homicorcin) was found to be 82% similar to a reported peptide epicidin 280 having a difference of seven amino acids at several positions of the core peptide. Two distinct peaks obtained at close retention times from a RP-HPLC purified fraction have comparable antimicrobial activities and LC–MS revealed the molecular mass of these peaks to be 3046.5 and 3043.2 Da. The presence of an oxidoreductase (homO) similar to that of epicidin 280- associated eciO or epilancin 15X- associated elxO in the homicorcin gene cluster is predicted to be responsible for the reduction of the first dehydrated residue dehydroalanine (Dha) to 2-hydroxypropionate that causes an increase of 3 Da mass of homicorcin 1. Trypsin digestion of the core peptide and its variant followed by ESI–MS analysis suggests the presence of three ring structures, one in the N-terminal and other two interlocking rings at the C-terminal region that remain undigested. Homicorcin exerts bactericidal activity against susceptible cells by disrupting the integrity of the cytoplasmic membrane through pore formation as observed under FE-SEM.

No abstract

No abstract

No abstract

GLP-1 (Glucagon-like peptide-1) is a peptide that stimulates insulin secretion from the β-cell for glycemic control of the plasma blood glucose level. Its mimetic exenatide (synthetic Exendin-4) with a longer half-life of approximately 3.3–4 h is widely used in clinical application to treat diabetes. Currently, exenatide is chemically synthesized. In this study, we report that the GLP-1 analogue recombinant Exendin-4 (Exdn-4) can be produced at a high level in Nicotiana benthamiana, with an estimated yield of 50.0 µg/g fresh biomass. For high-level expression, we generated a recombinant gene, B:GB1:ddCBD1m:8xHis : Exendin-4 (BGC : Exdn-4), for the production of Exendin-4 using various domains such as the BiP signal peptide, the GB1 domain (B1 domain of streptococcal G protein), a double cellulose binding domain 1 (CBD1), and 8 His residues (8xHis) to the N-terminus of Exendin-4. GB1 was used to increase the expression, whereas double CBD1 and 8xHis were included as affinity tags for easy purification using MCC beads and Ni2+-NTA resin, respectively. BGC : Exdn-4 was purified by single-step purification to near homogeneity using both Ni2+-NTA resin and microcrystalline cellulose (MCC) beads. Moreover, Exdn-4 without any extra residues was produced from BGC : Exdn-4 bound onto MCC beads by treating with enterokinase. Plant-produced Exdn-4 (Exendin-4) was as effective as chemically synthesized Exendin-4 in glucose-induced insulin secretion (GIIS) from mouse MIN6m9 cells a pancreatic beta cell line.

No abstract

Hypocrisy is the practice of engaging in the behavior or activity for which one critics the other. George Orwell’s ‘Shooting an Elephant’ is an essay where hypocrisy is exposed. Because in one side Orwell claims that imperialism is an evil thing and he hates it more bitterly and at the end of the story he establishes himself as an example of a genuine imperialist by performing his noble duty- that really carries his true identity as a hypocrite. It is an act of hypocrisy not heroics in a sense that he shows no courage to express the truth publicly and likes to impose it on the natives. As an agent of British imperialism Orwell shows the tendency of an act of hypocrite by wearing the musk of imperialism and finally unfolded it through the actions and his attitudes. So this paper is a modest attempt to show how hypocrisy is focused through the actions and the descriptions of the narrator who is bold enough in speaking the truth and exposing the lies. Actually the writer as an agent of the British Raj at first knows what he should do to the natives but he tries to show his innocence which becomes an issue here.

No abstract