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Violacein
Violacein is a naturally-occurring bis-indole pigment with antibiotic (anti-bacterial, anti-viral, anti-fungal and anti-tumor) properties. Violacein is produced by several species of bacteria, including ''Chromobacterium violaceum'', and gives these organisms their striking purple hues. Violacein shows increasing commercially interesting uses, especially for industrial applications in cosmetics, medicines and fabrics. Biosynthesis Violacein is formed by enzymatic condensation of two tryptophan molecules, requiring the action of five proteins. The genes required for its production, ''vioABCDE'', and the regulatory mechanisms employed have been studied within a small number of violacein-producing strains. Production of violacein is controlled by quorum sensing using acyl-homoserine lactones (AHLs). Only a few genera of bacteria have been reported to produce violacein. These include ''Chromobacterium'', '' Duganella'', ''Pseudoalteromonas'', '' Janthinobacterium'', ''Iodobacter'', ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Duganella
''Duganella'' is a genus of bacteria in the Oxalobacteraceae The Oxalobacteraceae are a family of bacteria, included in the order Burkholderiales. Like all Pseudomonadota, Oxalobacteraceae are Gram-negative. The family includes strict aerobes, strict anaerobes, and nitrogen-fixing Nitrogen fixation is a ... family. ''Duganella'' is named after the American microbiologist, P.R. Dugan, who first isolated the organism from sewage and polluted water. ''Duganella'' is in class Betaproteobacteria and order Burkholderiales. The molecular percent of Duganella's G/C content is 63–64. Morphological characteristics consist of: straight or slightly curved rods, and in liquid growth media, either colonies that are “occasionally fingerlike,” appear, or dispersed growth with little or no formation of colonies appear. When grown on nutrient agar, the colonies are pale yellow to “straw-colored.” ''Duganella'' is able to produce violacein, a vibrant purple compound derived from the ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Massilia (bacterium)
The genus ''Massilia'' belongs to the family Oxalobacteriaceae, and describes a group of gram-negative, motile, rod-shaped cells. They may contain either peritrichous or polar flagella. This genus was first described in 1998, after the type species, '' Massilia timonae'', was isolated from the blood of an immunocompromised patient. The genus was named after the old Greek and Roman name for the city of Marseille, France, where the organism was first isolated. The ''Massilia'' genus is a diverse group that resides in many different environments, has many heterotrophic means of gathering energy, and is commonly found in association with plants. Culture of ''Massilia'' Isolation of ''Massilia'' sp. commonly occurs on Reasoner's 2A (R2A) agar. Colonies are often shades of white, yellow, or orange, but may be blue-purple if producing the compound violacein. As of 2022, 16S rRNA-based phylogenetic trees place the ''Massilia'' genus within a polyphyletic group of the Oxalobacteriacea ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Janthinobacterium
''Janthinobacterium'' is a genus of Gram-negative soil bacteria. The name is from Latin ''janthinus'', which means "violet" or "violet-blue". It produces a purple-violet pigment, manifests diverse energy metabolism abilities, and tolerates cold, ultraviolet radiation, and other environmental stressors. References http://genomea.asm.org/content/4/1/e01600-15 Burkholderiales Bacteria genera {{Betaproteobacteria-stub ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Chromobacterium Violaceum
''Chromobacterium violaceum'' is a Gram-negative, facultative anaerobic, non-sporing coccobacillus. It is motile with the help of a single flagellum which is located at the pole of the coccobacillus. Usually, there are one or two more lateral flagella as well. It is part of the normal flora of water and soil of tropical and sub-tropical regions of the world. It produces a natural antibiotic called '' violacein'', which may be useful for the treatment of colon and other cancers. It grows readily on nutrient agar, producing distinctive smooth low convex colonies with a dark violet metallic sheen (due to violacein production). Some strains of the bacteria which do not produce this pigment have also been reported. It has the ability to break down tarballs. Biochemistry ''C. violaceum'' ferments glucose, trehalose, ''N''-acetylglucosamine and gluconate but not L- arabinose, D-galactose, or D- maltose. It is positive for catalase and oxidase reactions. Bacterial isolates in many c ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Indoles
Indole is an aromatic heterocyclic organic compound with the formula C8 H7 N. It has a bicyclic structure, consisting of a six-membered benzene ring fused to a five-membered pyrrole ring. Indole is widely distributed in the natural environment and can be produced by a variety of bacteria. As an intercellular signal molecule, indole regulates various aspects of bacterial physiology, including spore formation, plasmid stability, resistance to drugs, biofilm formation, and virulence. The amino acid tryptophan is an indole derivative and the precursor of the neurotransmitter serotonin. General properties and occurrence Indole is a solid at room temperature. It occurs naturally in human feces and has an intense fecal odor. At very low concentrations, however, it has a flowery smell, and is a constituent of many perfumes. It also occurs in coal tar. The corresponding substituent is called indolyl. Indole undergoes electrophilic substitution, mainly at position 3 (see diagram i ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Synthetic Biology
Synthetic biology (SynBio) is a multidisciplinary area of research that seeks to create new biological parts, devices, and systems, or to redesign systems that are already found in nature. It is a branch of science that encompasses a broad range of methodologies from various disciplines, such as biotechnology, biomaterials, material science/engineering, genetic engineering, molecular biology, molecular engineering, systems biology, membrane science, biophysics, chemical and biological engineering, electrical and computer engineering, control engineering and evolutionary biology. Due to more powerful genetic engineering capabilities and decreased DNA synthesis and sequencing costs, the field of synthetic biology is rapidly growing. In 2016, more than 350 companies across 40 countries were actively engaged in synthetic biology applications; all these companies had an estimated net worth of $3.9 billion in the global market. Definition Synthetic biology currently has no gen ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Genetic Engineering
Genetic engineering, also called genetic modification or genetic manipulation, is the modification and manipulation of an organism's genes using technology. It is a set of technologies used to change the genetic makeup of cells, including the transfer of genes within and across species boundaries to produce improved or novel organisms. New DNA is obtained by either isolating and copying the genetic material of interest using recombinant DNA methods or by artificially synthesising the DNA. A construct is usually created and used to insert this DNA into the host organism. The first recombinant DNA molecule was made by Paul Berg in 1972 by combining DNA from the monkey virus SV40 with the lambda virus. As well as inserting genes, the process can be used to remove, or "knock out", genes. The new DNA can be inserted randomly, or targeted to a specific part of the genome. An organism that is generated through genetic engineering is considered to be genetically modified (GM) an ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Fermentation
Fermentation is a metabolic process that produces chemical changes in organic substrates through the action of enzymes. In biochemistry, it is narrowly defined as the extraction of energy from carbohydrates in the absence of oxygen. In food production, it may more broadly refer to any process in which the activity of microorganisms brings about a desirable change to a foodstuff or beverage. The science of fermentation is known as zymology. In microorganisms, fermentation is the primary means of producing adenosine triphosphate (ATP) by the degradation of organic nutrients anaerobically. Humans have used fermentation to produce foodstuffs and beverages since the Neolithic age. For example, fermentation is used for preservation in a process that produces lactic acid found in such sour foods as pickled cucumbers, kombucha, kimchi, and yogurt, as well as for producing alcoholic beverages such as wine and beer. Fermentation also occurs within the gastrointestinal tracts of all a ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Gram-positive
In bacteriology, gram-positive bacteria are bacteria that give a positive result in the Gram stain test, which is traditionally used to quickly classify bacteria into two broad categories according to their type of cell wall. Gram-positive bacteria take up the crystal violet stain used in the test, and then appear to be purple-coloured when seen through an optical microscope. This is because the thick peptidoglycan layer in the bacterial cell wall retains the stain after it is washed away from the rest of the sample, in the decolorization stage of the test. Conversely, gram-negative bacteria cannot retain the violet stain after the decolorization step; alcohol used in this stage degrades the outer membrane of gram-negative cells, making the cell wall more porous and incapable of retaining the crystal violet stain. Their peptidoglycan layer is much thinner and sandwiched between an inner cell membrane and a bacterial outer membrane, causing them to take up the counterstain (saf ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Staphylococcus Aureus
''Staphylococcus aureus'' is a Gram-positive spherically shaped bacterium, a member of the Bacillota, and is a usual member of the microbiota of the body, frequently found in the upper respiratory tract and on the skin. It is often positive for catalase and nitrate reduction and is a facultative anaerobe that can grow without the need for oxygen. Although ''S. aureus'' usually acts as a commensal of the human microbiota, it can also become an opportunistic pathogen, being a common cause of skin infections including abscesses, respiratory infections such as sinusitis, and food poisoning. Pathogenic strains often promote infections by producing virulence factors such as potent protein toxins, and the expression of a cell-surface protein that binds and inactivates antibodies. ''S. aureus'' is one of the leading pathogens for deaths associated with antimicrobial resistance and the emergence of antibiotic-resistant strains, such as methicillin-resistant ''S. aureus'' (MRSA ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Cytotoxic
Cytotoxicity is the quality of being toxic to cells. Examples of toxic agents are an immune cell or some types of venom, e.g. from the puff adder (''Bitis arietans'') or brown recluse spider (''Loxosceles reclusa''). Cell physiology Treating cells with the cytotoxic compound can result in a variety of cell fates. The cells may undergo necrosis, in which they lose membrane integrity and die rapidly as a result of cell lysis. The cells can stop actively growing and dividing (a decrease in cell viability), or the cells can activate a genetic program of controlled cell death (apoptosis). Cells undergoing necrosis typically exhibit rapid swelling, lose membrane integrity, shut down metabolism, and release their contents into the environment. Cells that undergo rapid necrosis in vitro do not have sufficient time or energy to activate apoptotic machinery and will not express apoptotic markers. Apoptosis is characterized by well defined cytological and molecular events including a change i ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Indole
Indole is an aromatic heterocyclic organic compound with the formula C8 H7 N. It has a bicyclic structure, consisting of a six-membered benzene ring fused to a five-membered pyrrole ring. Indole is widely distributed in the natural environment and can be produced by a variety of bacteria. As an intercellular signal molecule, indole regulates various aspects of bacterial physiology, including spore formation, plasmid stability, resistance to drugs, biofilm formation, and virulence. The amino acid tryptophan is an indole derivative and the precursor of the neurotransmitter serotonin. General properties and occurrence Indole is a solid at room temperature. It occurs naturally in human feces and has an intense fecal odor. At very low concentrations, however, it has a flowery smell, and is a constituent of many perfumes. It also occurs in coal tar. The corresponding substituent is called indolyl. Indole undergoes electrophilic substitution, mainly at position 3 (see diagra ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
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