A simple method for the production of low molecular weight hyaluronan by in situ degradation in fermentation broth

AbstractFermentation of hyaluronan (HA) by Streptococcus zooepidemicus was carried out in a 10-L fermentor. When the medium pH was controlled at 7.0 and the temperature was maintained at 38°C for 12 h followed by 35°C for 8 h, the yield of HA was 4.83 g/L with a molecular weight of 1,890 kDa. After the cells were removed by centrifugation from the fermentation broth, HA was slowly degraded to low molecular weight HA by hyaluronidase at a suitable temperature without a decrease in HA concentration. If the time and temperature for enzymatic degradation were controlled, the desired low molecular weight HA could be obtained by in situ degradation in the fermentation broth. The method does not require the addition of exogenous hyaluronidase, and is a simple way to produce low molecular weight HA.</jats:p

A Biotransformation Process for Production of Genistein from Sophoricoside by a Strain of Rhizopus oryza

AbstractGenistein is known to have multiple biological activities and has great potential for use as a preventative medicine and in disease treatment. Genistein can be extracted from plants, but also can be obtained from its glycoside form, sophoricoside, which is more abundant in some plants. Biotransformation by unpurified microbial enzymes has the advantage of low cost and is a preferred method for production of natural compounds. This study isolated a strain of Rhizopus oryzae that could produce β-glucosidase, which efficiently hydrolyzes sophoricoside into genistein, from an enrichment culture of the dried fruits of Sophora japonica. After the composition of enzyme-producing medium and biotransformation conditions were optimized, a genistein yield of 85.6% was obtained after 24 h in a shake-flask biotransformation at pH 7.0 using an initial substrate concentration of 1 g/L. The developed process provides an alternative method for production of genistein, and would be suitable for scale-up production in the pharmaceutical industry.</jats:p

The Emerging Role of Microglia in Neuromyelitis Optica

Neuromyelitis optica (NMO) is an autoantibody-triggered neuro-inflammatory disease which preferentially attacks the spinal cord and optic nerve. Its defining autoantibody is specific for the water channel protein, aquaporin‐4 (AQP4), which primarily is localized at the end-feet of astrocytes. Histopathology studies of early NMO lesions demonstrated prominent activation of microglia, the resident immune sentinels of the central nervous system (CNS). Significant microglial reactivity is also observed in NMO animal models induced by introducing AQP4-IgG into the CNS. Here we review the potential roles for microglial activation in human NMO patients as well as different animal models of NMO. We will focus primarily on the molecular mechanisms underlying microglial function and microglia-astrocyte interaction in NMO pathogenesis. Understanding the role of microglia in NMO pathology may yield novel therapeutic approaches for this disease.</jats:p