Journal of Applied Biotechnology Reports
Volume:9 Issue: 4, Autumn 2022

COVID-19 raised a flood of events all through the world in multiple fields. Reaching an agreement to generate and use vaccines against SARSCoV-2 (the cause of COVID-19) was likely the most controversial topic among different communities. Being new developed and lack of longitudinal characterization of these vaccines, the growing concerns were expectable. Now, regarding the conduction of large global studies, it is more possible to figure out the ambiguous characteristics of common anti-COVID-19 vaccines. The aim of the present study was to make a rapid overview on the efficacy and side effects of eight common COVID-19 vaccines used in Iran (Sinopharm, Oxford-AstraZeneca, BIV1-CovIran (COVIran Barekat), Pastocovac, Sputnik V, Covaxin (Bharat), Noora, and Pfizer-BioNTech). Using the designed search syntax, composed of MeSh terms, the published records were searched in PubMed database. The high-quality articles, meeting the inclusion criteria, were exploited to extract the interesting data. The final data pool, minded for all eight vaccines, was summarized, categorized, arranged, and presented separately. The trimmed findings demonstrated that all approved vaccines have several mild to moderate side effects. The final results of the present study depicted a big picture of commonly used vaccines and rapidly overviewed their efficacies and side effects.

Microbial Fuel Cells (MFCs) can be applied as biological sensors for the monitoring of Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD), toxic substances, and nutrients in the water. Research on the application of MFC biosensors in ornamental aquariums is relatively limited. In order to carry out this study, we applied a single-chamber and mediator-free sediment MFC in an ornamental seawater aquarium as an economical and straightforward biosensor to monitor water quality. Accordingly, the water quality parameters, including temperature, pH, Dissolved Oxygen (DO), Oxidation-Reduction Potential (ORP), and Electrical Conductivity (EC) were analyzed. After the induction of an artificial die-off environment, the Dissolved Oxygen and Oxidation-Reduction Potential showed decreasing trends, and the Electrical Conductivity showed an increasing trend. The voltage output decreased during the initial die-off stage. Principal Component Analysis (PCA) clusters the individuals of the initial die-off stage at the boundary of the regular individuals. Spearman correlation suggests that electricity generation during the initial die-off stage is positively correlated with ORP. According to the findings of the present study, it can be stated that the die-off stress causes electrochemical inhibition, resulting in a decrease in electricity generation.

Several isolated species from symptomatic frozen leaves and soil produce ice nucleation proteins and have been exploited for their Ice Nucleation Activity (INA). Ice nucleation proteins can be employed as promising substances for biotechnological applications such as artificial snow-making, cryopreservation of tissues, and the condensation of ice nuclei in clouds. Considering INA has a direct relationship with bacterial growth, optimization of the culture medium seems indispensable. In this study, the INA of a newly isolated Pseudomonas sp. IRL.INP1 was evaluated. Plackett–Burman was applied for screening several cost-effective carbon and nitrogen sources affecting bacterial growth and INA. The response surface method was employed for medium optimization. Moreover, biomass, whole-cell protein, specific growth rate, and INA were estimated. Rice bran, ammonium sulfate, temperature, and olive oil had significant effects on the INA of Pseudomonas sp. IRL.INP1. Results demonstrated that 5% rice bran, 31 °C, 1.0% olive oil, and 6 g/L ammonium sulfate led to the best INA. The final optical density at 600 nm was 2.3. Also, 1.94 g/L biomass, 1.75 µg/µl whole-cell protein, and 0.26 specific growth rate (day-1) were obtained, and INA was observed after 5 sec at -5 °C. The present research is the first study using agricultural waste for INA optimization. Since rice bran is a cost-effective agro-waste and a qualified replacement for glucose, it can be utilized as a promising substrate for bacterial growth and INA.

Leishmania is flagellate protozoa, the cause of leishmaniasis that has affected more than 12 million people in 88 countries throughout the world. The aim of this study was to evaluate the cytotoxic effect of the aqueous leaf extract and the main metabolites of Pelargonium quercetorum plant species on amastigotes and promastigotes forms of Leishmania major via in vitro and in silico surveys. The cytotoxicity on the promastigotes and amastigotes was calculated by direct counting and MTT assay for 24, 48, and 72 h in different concentrations of the plant extract. In silico study, the interactions of four major metabolites of P. quercetorum including α-Pinene, α-Fenchyl acetate, limonene, and trans-β-Caryophyllene were evaluated towards the major virulence factor of L. major (GP63). After three days, samples exposed to 1, 5, and 10 mg/ml of plant extract showed a significant reduction compared to the control group. IC50 values of P. quercetorum extract and amphotericin B were 1508.99 and 86.34 µg/ml, respectively, following 24 h of incubation. Surprisingly, in vitro results indicated that the P. quercetorum extract had a cytotoxic effect on amastigotes and promastigotes of L. major by non-dose-dependent effect. Molecular docking illustrated that the highest binding affinity (˗6.1 kcal/mol) was found for trans-β Caryophyllene as bicyclic sesquiterpene. Docking studies showed a more efficient interaction of trans-β-Caryophyllene with GP63 compared to other metabolites.

Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) produced by Plant Growth Promoting fungi (PGPF) have recently been investigated due to their role in plant growth promotion and defense. Whereas many VOCs produced by PGPF promote seed growth. It is known that VOCs, among several other mechanisms, are responsible for the antagonistic activity produced by microorganisms. In this study, we focused on a comparative study between the VOCs emitted by the endophyte A. flavus AFEG-2017 and its host plant (Eleocharis geniculata) and the role of these VOCs in the growth promotion and biological control of some economic plants.   VOCs from AFEG-2017 and E. geniculata were extracted using ethyl acetate.  Then, the analysis of emitted VOCs was accomplished by using gas chromatography mass (GC-MS). Seedling stimulation assay was investigated on seeds of Trigonella foenum-graecum, Solanum lycopersicum, Portulaca oleracea, and Lepidium sativum. In addition, the antifungal activity of VOCs was evaluated against some plant pathogenic fungi.     The GC-MS analysis of the volatile emitted from A. flavus (AFEG-2017) resulted in 25 organic and bioactive compounds; of them 2-(2-hydroxy-3-isobutoxypropyl) pent-4-enoic acid, hydrazide was the most abundant compound. The findings of the present study advocate that linalool, linalyl acetate, geranyl acetate, oleic acid, 1-eicosanol, and 1-chloro-octadecane are suitable as biocontrol agents against phytopathogenic fungi. In addition, the volatiles of Euphorbia geniculata showed 28 bioactive compounds, in which Phytol was the most abundant one. The VOCs produced by AFEG-2017 enhanced the seedling growth of T. foenum-graecum, S. lycopersicum, P. oleracea, and L. sativum. Also, VOCS showed inhibition in the tested pathogenic fungi growth like Fusarium oxysporum which showed the highest inhibition percentage in the growth (40%).  This study proved that there is a harmony between VOCs produced by the medicinal plant E. geniculata and its endophyte A. flavus. These volatiles could successfully accelerate plant seeding and limit the growth of some important phytopathogens.

TWIST is a key role player in the Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition (EMT), which is determinative for tumor progression and metastasis. The main exploratory goal of this study was to access the association of TWIST1 mRNA expression with clinical pathological parameters of Colorectal Cancer (CRC) patients.

Seventy formalin-fixed/paraffin-embedded colorectal tumor specimens were evaluated for TWIST1 mRNA expression by quantitative Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction (qRT-PCR).

The mean Relative Quantification (RQ) of TWIST1 mRNA expression in the CRC patients was 10.5 ± 2.7 No significant association was observed between age (p = 0.786), gender (p = 0.163), tumor location (p = 0.300), tumor size (p = 0.438), and the TWIST1 RQ. The mean value of TWIST1 RQ was significantly (p = 0.040) higher in the patients with nodal invasion in comparison with the patients without nodal invasion. The subgroup of tumor specimens with T3-4 stages had significantly (p = 0.024) higher mean TWIST1 RQ than T1-2 stage specimens. Moreover, the mean value of TWIST1 RQ of the tumors with distant metastasis was significantly (p = 0.032) higher than tumors with no metastasis.

Taking together, high TWIST1 mRNA expression was associated with high nodal stage, advanced clinical stage, and distant metastasis. Therefore, TWIST1 can be a biomarker for CRC patients.

Spermatogenesis is the process that Spermatogonial Stem Cells (SSCs) differentiate to spermatozoa. Effective in vitro differentiation of SSCs to sperm can be a promising sign for the reconstruction of spermatogenesis disorders. This research was designed to evaluate the effect of a 3D Polycaprolactone/Multi-Walled Carbon Nanotubes-based microfibrous scaffold on the culture and differentiation of mouse SSCs to germ cells.

In this research, by using the electrospinning technique, a microfibrous Polycaprolactone (PCL) scaffold incorporated with Multi-Walled Carbon Nanotubes (MWCNTs) was fabricated. The microfibrous PCL/MWCNTs were assessed using Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), Transmission Electron Microscope (TEM), Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR), and water contact angle measurements. Then, the isolated SSCs were characterized using flow cytometry. Also, the survival and differentiation of SSCs on the 3D fabricated scaffold and tissue culture plate (2D) were evaluated using MTT and real-time PCR for PLZF, ID4, C-Kit, and SYCP3 genes, respectively.

Morphological assessment of the scaffold showed that PCL/MWCNTs were randomly oriented as microfibrous. In addition, TEM images indicated the presence of Carbon Nanotube (CNT) into PCL polymer. The characterization result of SSCs indicated that approximately 99% of SSCs were positive for promyelocytic leukemia zinc finger (PLZF). Seeded SSCs on the PCL/MWCNTs scaffold had a high survival rate and differentiation.Accordingly, qRT-PCR results demonstrated that the SSCs on the 3D scaffold overexpressed the C-Kit and SYCP3 genes (Markers of differentiated cells) whereas expression of the PLZF and ID4 genes had no significant difference between 2D and 3D groups.

This research showed the engineered 3D scaffolds can support the proliferation and differentiation of SSCs to germ cells. In addition, this 3D microenvironment could be useful as a new approach in 3D culture systems, especially for culture and the differentiation of SSCs.

One of the most causes of diarrhea disease is Escherichia coli enterotoxigenic (ETEC). The first stage of the disease is the binding of ETEC to small intestinal epithelial cells by colonization factors. ETEC then produces Heat-labile enterotoxin (LT) and heat-stable (ST) enterotoxins. The yncE gene potentially encodes a protein with sequence similarity to a pyrroloquinoline quinone containing periplasmic oxidase. The YncE gene is conserved in various strains of E. coli. The protein encoded by the YncE gene is present in the membrane structure of the ETEC. The YncE gene can be considered as a novel protective vaccine candidate. The aim of the present study was to investigate herbal vaccines as a solution to health problems, especially in developing countries.

In the present study, the expression of the YncE protein in tobacco hairy roots and its immunogenicity in mice were investigated. The YncE gene was cloned downstream of the CaMV-35S promoter in the binary expression vector, pBI121-YncE, by using different strains of the Agrobacterium rhizogenes (A4, MSU, 15834) and LBA4404. Three groups of mice including edible, edible-injection, and control were examined. ELISA method was used to determination of IgG and IgA in Feces and Serum.

The amount of the YncE protein was estimated approximately 0.9% of the Total Soluble Protein (TSP) in the transgenic hairy roots. The results indicate that the recombinant YncE protein produced in the transgenic hairy roots tobacco was able to stimulate the immune response in BALB/c mice. Also, it can be stated that recombinant YncE protein is an effective immunogen. The results implied the potential of transgenic tobacco hairy roots–based expression for oral-injection and oral delivery of YncE protein. The antibody titer showed that the immune system was well stimulated.

The plant-based vaccine recombinant YncE protein could both humoral and mucosal the immune response, effectively. Therefore, the YncE antigen was able to stimulate the immune system of mice and produce antibodies. Actually, it appears to be a suitable vaccine candidate for ETEC-induced diarrhea.