We conducted a genome-wide association study of pancreatic cancer in 3,851 affected individuals (cases) and 3,934 unaffected controls drawn from 12 prospective cohort studies and 8 case-control studies. Based on a logistic regression model for genotype trend effect that was adjusted for study, age, sex, self-described ancestry and five principal components, we identified eight SNPs that map to three loci on chromosomes 13q22.1, 1q32.1 and 5p15.33. Two correlated SNPs, rs9543325 (P = 3.27 x 10(-11), per-allele odds ratio (OR) 1.26, 95% CI 1.18-1.35) and rs9564966 (P = 5.86 x 10(-8), per-allele OR 1.21, 95% CI 1.13-1.30), map to a nongenic region on chromosome 13q22.1. Five SNPs on 1q32.1 map to NR5A2, and the strongest signal was at rs3790844 (P = 2.45 x 10(-10), per-allele OR 0.77, 95% CI 0.71-0.84). A single SNP, rs401681 (P = 3.66 x 10(-7), per-allele OR 1.19, 95% CI 1.11-1.27), maps to the CLPTM1L-TERT locus on 5p15.33, which is associated with multiple cancers. Our study has identified common susceptibility loci for pancreatic cancer that warrant follow-up studies.

A genome-wide association study identifies pancreatic cancer susceptibility loci on chromosomes 13q22.1, 1q32.1 and 5p15.33

The human body is colonized by a vast number of microorganisms collectively referred to as the human microbiota. One of the main microbiota body sites is the female genital tract, commonly dominated by Lactobacillus spp., in approximately 70% of women. Each individual species can constitute approximately 99% of the ribotypes observed in any individual woman. The most frequently isolated species are Lactobacillus crispatus, Lactobacillus gasseri, Lactobacillus jensenii and Lactobacillus iners. Residing at the port of entry of bacterial and viral pathogens, the vaginal Lactobacillus species can create a barrier against pathogen invasion since mainly products of their metabolism secreted in the cervicovaginal fluid can play an important role in the inhibition of bacterial and viral infections. Therefore, a Lactobacillus-dominated microbiota appears to be a good biomarker for a healthy vaginal ecosystem. This balance can be rapidly altered during processes such as menstruation, sexual activity, pregnancy and various infections. An abnormal vaginal microbiota is characterized by an increased diversity of microbial species, leading to a condition known as bacterial vaginosis. Information on the vaginal microbiota can be gathered from the analysis of cervicovaginal fluid, by using the Nugent scoring or the Amsel’s criteria, or at the molecular level by investigating the number and type of Lactobacillus species. However, when translating this to the clinical setting, it should be noted that the absence of a Lactobacillus-dominated microbiota does not appear to directly imply a diseased condition or dysbiosis. Nevertheless, the widely documented beneficial role of vaginal Lactobacillus species demonstrates the potential of data on the composition and activity of lactobacilli as biomarkers for vaginal health. The substantiation and further validation of such biomarkers will allow the design of better targeted probiotic strategies.

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Lactobacillus species as biomarkers and agents that can promote various aspects of vaginal health.

Plant growth promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) with 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylic acid (ACC) deaminase activity has the potential to promote plant growth and development under adverse environmental conditions. In the present study, rhizobacterial strains were isolated from Garlic (Allium sativum) rhizosphere and were screened in vitro ACC deaminase activity in DF salt minimal media supplemented with 3 mM ACC. Out of six isolates, two could degrade ACC into α-ketobutyrate, exhibiting ACC deaminase activity producing more than ∼1500 nmol of α-ketobutyrate mg protein-1 h-1, and assessed for other plant growth promoting (PGP) functions including indole acetic acid production (greater than ∼30 μg/ml), siderophore, Ammonia, Hydrogen cyanide production and inorganic Ca3(PO4)2 (∼85 mg/L) and ZnSO4 solubilization. Besides facilitating multifarious PGP activities, these two isolates augmented in vitro stress tolerance in response to 6% w/v NaCl salt stress and drought stress (-0.73 Mpa). The strains ACC02 and ACC06 were identified Aneurinibacillus aneurinilyticus and Paenibacillus sp., respectively on the basis of 16S rDNA gene sequence analysis and were evaluated for growth promoting potential in French bean seedlings under non-saline and salinity stress conditions through pot experiments. The seed bacterization by ACC02 and ACC06 revealed that treatment of plants with bacterial isolates in the form of consortia significantly declined (∼60%) stress stimulated ethylene levels and its associated growth inhibition by virtue of their ACC deaminase activity. The consortia treatment alleviated the negative effects of salinity stress and increased root length (110%), root fresh weight (∼45%), shoot length (60%), shoot fresh weight (255%), root biomass (220%), shoot biomass (425%), and total chlorophyll content (∼57%) of French bean seedlings subjected to salinity stress.

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ACC Deaminase Producing Bacteria With Multifarious Plant Growth Promoting Traits Alleviates Salinity Stress in French Bean (Phaseolus vulgaris) Plants.

Alkaline phosphatase (ALP, EC 3.1.3.1.) is a membrane-bound metalloenzyme that consists of a group of true isoenzymes, all glycoproteins, encoded for by at least four different gene loci: tissue-no...

Interpretation and clinical significance of alkaline phosphatase isoenzyme patterns

In recent decades, bacteriocins have received substantial attention as antimicrobial compounds. Although bacteriocins have been predominantly exploited as food preservatives, they are now receiving increased attention as potential clinical antimicrobials and as possible immune-modulating agents. Infections caused by antibiotic-resistant bacteria have been declared as a global threat to public health. Bacteriocins represent a potential solution to this worldwide threat due to their broad- or narrow-spectrum activity against antibiotic-resistant bacteria. Notably, despite their role in food safety as natural alternatives to chemical preservatives, nisin remains the only bacteriocin legally approved by regulatory agencies as a food preservative. Moreover, insufficient data on the safety and toxicity of bacteriocins represent a barrier against the more widespread use of bacteriocins by the food and medical industry. Here, we focus on the most recent trends relating to the application of bacteriocins, their toxicity and impacts.

https://corpus.ulaval.ca/jspui/bitstream/20.500.11794/68102/1/fuaa039.pdf

Bacteriocins as a new generation of antimicrobials: toxicity aspects and regulations

http://www.scielo.br/pdf/bjm/v48n2/1517-8382-bjm-48-02-0294.pdf

Tricalcium phosphate solubilization and nitrogen fixation by newly isolated Aneurinibacillus aneurinilyticus CKMV1 from rhizosphere of Valeriana jatamansi and its growth promotional effect

Fermenticin HV6b is a class IIa antimicrobial peptide produced by Lactobacillus fermentum HV6b MTCC 10770 isolated from human vaginal ecosystem. It shows growth inhibition of a wide range of opportunistic pathogens of humans, for example, Bacteroides, Gardnerella vaginalis, Mobiluncus, Staphylococci, and Streptococci, associated with bacterial vaginosis in humans. It does possess an impressive sperm immobilization and spermicidal activity tested against human sperms which makes it an attractive proposition for formulating antibacterial vaginosis and contraceptive products. Apart from this, in vitro studies conducted against four different tissue models have indicated its potential to be used as a component of anticancerous drug therapy as it is reported to induce apoptosis in cancerous cells. This information could be integrated in future studies focusing on in vivo assessment of anticancerous activity of lactic acid bacterial toxins or bacteriocins.

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Biomedical applications of fermenticin HV6b isolated from Lactobacillus fermentum HV6b MTCC10770.

Pediocin CP2 is a natural antimicrobial peptide produced by Pediococcus acidilactici MTCC 5101. Its recombinant version was created by employing computational protein engineering approach and was expressed as a synthetic fusion protein in recombinant E. coli BL21(DE3)-pedA. Both native and rec-pediocin were comparatively evaluated for their cytotoxicity against HepG2 (a hepatocarcinoma cell line), HeLa (a cervical adenocarcinoma), MCF7 (a mammary gland adenocarcinoma) and Sp2/0-Ag14 (a spleen lymphoblast) cell lines. Inhibition of cell proliferation was quantitated by MTT assay and induction of apoptosis was studied by genomic DNA fragmentation assay. Results indicated a significantly higher cytotoxicity of rec-pediocin and damage of chromosomal DNA in bacteriocin tested cell lines.

/pdf/in-vitro-cytotoxicity-of-native-and-rec-pediocin-cp2-against-3pj7x7au6v.pdf

In Vitro Cytotoxicity of Native and Rec-Pediocin CP2 Against Cancer Cell Lines: A Comparative Study

The present study aims to investigate the probiotic nature of Pediococcus acidilactici MTCC5101 by an in vitro assay of bacterial adherence to intestinal epithelial cells of human gastrointestinal (GI) tract using Caco-2 cell line. Further to assess the in vivo survival in the GI tract, oral feeding was carried out with the help of 10 healthy volunteers. The effect on wellness was assessed by studying blood biochemical parameters of the volunteers. The survival of the bacteria was assessed using PCR-based detection of P. acidilactici MTCC5101 in fecal samples. The probiotic nature of P. acidilactici MTCC 5101 was strengthened by its adherence to the intestinal epithelial Caco-2 cell line in the in vitro SEM observations. Oral feeding study for assessing the survival of bacteria in GI tract of volunteers showed the strain to be established in the GI tract which survived for about 2 weeks after feeding.

/pdf/in-vitro-and-in-vivo-survival-and-colonic-adhesion-of-2ehe1diz47.pdf

In vitro and in vivo survival and colonic adhesion of Pediococcus acidilactici MTCC5101 in human gut.

Natural food biopreservatives have alwaysâ€™s remained the preference of health consciousconsumers. This necessity has led to the studies exploring better alternativeswhich are more acceptable, economical and safer than chemical preservatives. Bacteriocinsare one of such compounds produced by lactic acid bacteria which offera great potential to contribute in food, health and pharmaceutical industry. Presentreview focuses the complete biochemical, functional and molecular genetic characterizationof bacteriocins produced by Pediococcus spp. A great deal of diverseheterologous expression systems have been exploited for cloning, expression andpurification of pediocins at laboratory scale but data is lacking for industrial processes.Thus, there is an urgent need to design low cost, industrially viable and continuoussystem in order to exploit these natural bioactive compounds in food andpharmaceutical industry

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Praveen P. Balgir

Papers

Tricalcium phosphate solubilization and nitrogen fixation by newly isolated Aneurinibacillus aneurinilyticus CKMV1 from rhizosphere of Valeriana jatamansi and its growth promotional effect

Biomedical applications of fermenticin HV6b isolated from Lactobacillus fermentum HV6b MTCC10770.

In Vitro Cytotoxicity of Native and Rec-Pediocin CP2 Against Cancer Cell Lines: A Comparative Study

In vitro and in vivo survival and colonic adhesion of Pediococcus acidilactici MTCC5101 in human gut.

Cloning and expression of bacteriocins of Pediococcus spp.: A review