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Joyce SA, Clarke DJ. Microbial metabolites as modulators of host physiology. Adv Microb Physiol 2024; 84:83-133. [PMID: 38821635 DOI: 10.1016/bs.ampbs.2023.12.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/02/2024]
Abstract
The gut microbiota is increasingly recognised as a key player in influencing human health and changes in the gut microbiota have been strongly linked with many non-communicable conditions in humans such as type 2 diabetes, obesity and cardiovascular disease. However, characterising the molecular mechanisms that underpin these associations remains an important challenge for researchers. The gut microbiota is a complex microbial community that acts as a metabolic interface to transform ingested food (and other xenobiotics) into metabolites that are detected in the host faeces, urine and blood. Many of these metabolites are only produced by microbes and there is accumulating evidence to suggest that these microbe-specific metabolites do act as effectors to influence human physiology. For example, the gut microbiota can digest dietary complex polysaccharides (such as fibre) into short-chain fatty acids (SCFA) such as acetate, propionate and butyrate that have a pervasive role in host physiology from nutrition to immune function. In this review we will outline our current understanding of the role of some key microbial metabolites, such as SCFA, indole and bile acids, in human health. Whilst many studies linking microbial metabolites with human health are correlative we will try to highlight examples where genetic evidence is available to support a specific role for a microbial metabolite in host health and well-being.
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Affiliation(s)
- Susan A Joyce
- School of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland; APC Microbiome Ireland, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland
| | - David J Clarke
- APC Microbiome Ireland, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland; School of Microbiology, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland.
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2
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Wang X, Zhao Y, Hou Z, Chen X, Jiang S, Liu W, Hu X, Dai J, Zhao G. Large-scale pathway reconstruction and colorimetric screening accelerate cellular metabolism engineering. Metab Eng 2023; 80:107-118. [PMID: 37717647 DOI: 10.1016/j.ymben.2023.09.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/18/2023] [Revised: 08/12/2023] [Accepted: 09/14/2023] [Indexed: 09/19/2023]
Abstract
The capability to manipulate and analyze hard-wired metabolic pathways sets the pace at which we can engineer cellular metabolism. Here, we present a framework to extensively rewrite the central metabolic pathway for malonyl-CoA biosynthesis in yeast and readily assess malonyl-CoA output based on pathway-scale DNA reconstruction in combination with colorimetric screening (Pracs). We applied Pracs to generate and test millions of enzyme variants by introducing genetic mutations into the whole set of genes encoding the malonyl-CoA biosynthetic pathway and identified hundreds of beneficial enzyme mutants with increased malonyl-CoA output. Furthermore, the synthetic pathways reconstructed by randomly integrating these beneficial enzyme variants generated vast phenotypic diversity, with some displaying higher production of malonyl-CoA as well as other metabolites, such as carotenoids and betaxanthin, thus demonstrating the generic utility of Pracs to efficiently orchestrate central metabolism to optimize the production of different chemicals in various metabolic pathways. Pracs will be broadly useful to advance our ability to understand and engineer cellular metabolism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiangxiang Wang
- School of Ecology and Environment, Northwestern Polytechnical University, Xi'an, 710129, China
| | - Yuyu Zhao
- School of Ecology and Environment, Northwestern Polytechnical University, Xi'an, 710129, China
| | - Zhaohua Hou
- School of Ecology and Environment, Northwestern Polytechnical University, Xi'an, 710129, China
| | - Xiaoxu Chen
- School of Ecology and Environment, Northwestern Polytechnical University, Xi'an, 710129, China
| | - Shuangying Jiang
- CAS Key Laboratory of Quantitative Engineering Biology, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Synthetic Genomics and Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Synthetic Genomics, Shenzhen Institute of Synthetic Biology, Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, 518055, China
| | - Wei Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Resources and Evolution, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, 650223, China
| | - Xin Hu
- School of Ecology and Environment, Northwestern Polytechnical University, Xi'an, 710129, China
| | - Junbiao Dai
- CAS Key Laboratory of Quantitative Engineering Biology, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Synthetic Genomics and Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Synthetic Genomics, Shenzhen Institute of Synthetic Biology, Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, 518055, China; Shenzhen Branch, Guangdong Laboratory for Lingnan Modern Agriculture, Key Laboratory of Synthetic Biology, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Agricultural Genomics Institute at Shenzhen, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Shenzhen, China.
| | - Guanghou Zhao
- School of Ecology and Environment, Northwestern Polytechnical University, Xi'an, 710129, China.
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3
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Shelake RM, Jadhav AM, Bhosale PB, Kim JY. Unlocking secrets of nature's chemists: Potential of CRISPR/Cas-based tools in plant metabolic engineering for customized nutraceutical and medicinal profiles. PLANT PHYSIOLOGY AND BIOCHEMISTRY : PPB 2023; 203:108070. [PMID: 37816270 DOI: 10.1016/j.plaphy.2023.108070] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/18/2023] [Revised: 09/26/2023] [Accepted: 09/28/2023] [Indexed: 10/12/2023]
Abstract
Plant species have evolved diverse metabolic pathways to effectively respond to internal and external signals throughout their life cycle, allowing adaptation to their sessile and phototropic nature. These pathways selectively activate specific metabolic processes, producing plant secondary metabolites (PSMs) governed by genetic and environmental factors. Humans have utilized PSM-enriched plant sources for millennia in medicine and nutraceuticals. Recent technological advances have significantly contributed to discovering metabolic pathways and related genes involved in the biosynthesis of specific PSM in different food crops and medicinal plants. Consequently, there is a growing demand for plant materials rich in nutrients and bioactive compounds, marketed as "superfoods". To meet the industrial demand for superfoods and therapeutic PSMs, modern methods such as system biology, omics, synthetic biology, and genome editing (GE) play a crucial role in identifying the molecular players, limiting steps, and regulatory circuitry involved in PSM production. Among these methods, clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats-CRISPR associated protein (CRISPR/Cas) is the most widely used system for plant GE due to its simple design, flexibility, precision, and multiplexing capabilities. Utilizing the CRISPR-based toolbox for metabolic engineering (ME) offers an ideal solution for developing plants with tailored preventive (nutraceuticals) and curative (therapeutic) metabolic profiles in an ecofriendly way. This review discusses recent advances in understanding the multifactorial regulation of metabolic pathways, the application of CRISPR-based tools for plant ME, and the potential research areas for enhancing plant metabolic profiles.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rahul Mahadev Shelake
- Division of Applied Life Science (BK21 Four Program), Plant Molecular Biology and Biotechnology Research Center, Gyeongsang National University, Jinju, 52828, Republic of Korea.
| | - Amol Maruti Jadhav
- Research Institute of Green Energy Convergence Technology (RIGET), Gyeongsang National University, 501 Jinju-daero, Jinju, 52828, Republic of Korea
| | - Pritam Bhagwan Bhosale
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, Research Institute of Life Science, Gyeongsang National University, 501 Jinju-daero, Jinju, 52828, Republic of Korea
| | - Jae-Yean Kim
- Division of Applied Life Science (BK21 Four Program), Plant Molecular Biology and Biotechnology Research Center, Gyeongsang National University, Jinju, 52828, Republic of Korea; Division of Life Science, Gyeongsang National University, 501 Jinju-daero, Jinju, 52828, Republic of Korea; Nulla Bio Inc, 501 Jinju-daero, Jinju, 52828, Republic of Korea.
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4
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Correia GD, Marchesi JR, MacIntyre DA. Moving beyond DNA: towards functional analysis of the vaginal microbiome by non-sequencing-based methods. Curr Opin Microbiol 2023; 73:102292. [PMID: 36931094 DOI: 10.1016/j.mib.2023.102292] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2022] [Revised: 02/10/2023] [Accepted: 02/14/2023] [Indexed: 03/17/2023]
Abstract
Over the last two decades, sequencing-based methods have revolutionised our understanding of niche-specific microbial complexity. In the lower female reproductive tract, these approaches have enabled identification of bacterial compositional structures associated with health and disease. Application of metagenomics and metatranscriptomics strategies have provided insight into the putative function of these communities but it is increasingly clear that direct measures of microbial and host cell function are required to understand the contribution of microbe-host interactions to pathophysiology. Here we explore and discuss current methods and approaches, many of which rely upon mass-spectrometry, being used to capture functional insight into the vaginal mucosal interface. In addition to improving mechanistic understanding, these methods offer innovative solutions for the development of diagnostic and therapeutic strategies designed to improve women's health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gonçalo Ds Correia
- Institute of Reproductive and Developmental Biology, Department of Metabolism, Digestion and Reproduction, Imperial College London, London W12 0NN, UK; March of Dimes Prematurity Research Centre at Imperial College London, London, UK
| | - Julian R Marchesi
- March of Dimes Prematurity Research Centre at Imperial College London, London, UK; Centre for Digestive Diseases, Department of Metabolism, Digestion and Reproduction, Imperial College London, Imperial College London, London W2 1NY, UK
| | - David A MacIntyre
- Institute of Reproductive and Developmental Biology, Department of Metabolism, Digestion and Reproduction, Imperial College London, London W12 0NN, UK; March of Dimes Prematurity Research Centre at Imperial College London, London, UK.
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5
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Curtis BJ, Schwertfeger TJ, Burkhardt RN, Fox BW, Andrzejewski J, Wrobel CJJ, Yu J, Rodrigues PR, Tauffenberger A, Schroeder FC. Oligonucleotide Catabolism-Derived Gluconucleosides in Caenorhabditis elegans. J Am Chem Soc 2023; 145:11611-11621. [PMID: 37192367 PMCID: PMC10536790 DOI: 10.1021/jacs.3c01151] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/18/2023]
Abstract
Nucleosides are essential cornerstones of life, and nucleoside derivatives and synthetic analogues have important biomedical applications. Correspondingly, production of non-canonical nucleoside derivatives in animal model systems is of particular interest. Here, we report the discovery of diverse glucose-based nucleosides in Caenorhabditis elegans and related nematodes. Using a mass spectrometric screen based on all-ion fragmentation in combination with total synthesis, we show that C. elegans selectively glucosylates a series of modified purines but not the canonical purine and pyrimidine bases. Analogous to ribonucleosides, the resulting gluconucleosides exist as phosphorylated and non-phosphorylated forms. The phosphorylated gluconucleosides can be additionally decorated with diverse acyl moieties from amino acid catabolism. Syntheses of representative variants, facilitated by a novel 2'-O- to 3'-O-dibenzyl phosphoryl transesterification reaction, demonstrated selective incorporation of different nucleobases and acyl moieties. Using stable-isotope labeling, we further show that gluconucleosides incorporate modified nucleobases derived from RNA and possibly DNA breakdown, revealing extensive recycling of oligonucleotide catabolites. Gluconucleosides are conserved in other nematodes, and biosynthesis of specific subsets is increased in germline mutants and during aging. Bioassays indicate that gluconucleosides may function in stress response pathways.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brian J Curtis
- Boyce Thompson Institute and Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York 14853, United States
| | - Tyler J Schwertfeger
- Boyce Thompson Institute and Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York 14853, United States
| | - Russell N Burkhardt
- Boyce Thompson Institute and Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York 14853, United States
| | - Bennett W Fox
- Boyce Thompson Institute and Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York 14853, United States
| | - Jude Andrzejewski
- Boyce Thompson Institute and Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York 14853, United States
| | - Chester J J Wrobel
- Boyce Thompson Institute and Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York 14853, United States
| | - Jingfang Yu
- Boyce Thompson Institute and Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York 14853, United States
| | - Pedro R Rodrigues
- Boyce Thompson Institute and Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York 14853, United States
| | - Arnaud Tauffenberger
- Boyce Thompson Institute and Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York 14853, United States
| | - Frank C Schroeder
- Boyce Thompson Institute and Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York 14853, United States
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Du R, Xiong W, Xu L, Xu Y, Wu Q. Metagenomics reveals the habitat specificity of biosynthetic potential of secondary metabolites in global food fermentations. MICROBIOME 2023; 11:115. [PMID: 37210545 DOI: 10.1186/s40168-023-01536-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2022] [Accepted: 03/28/2023] [Indexed: 05/22/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Fermented foods are considered to be beneficial for human health. Secondary metabolites determined by biosynthetic gene clusters (BGCs) are precious bioactive compounds with various biological activities. However, the diversity and distribution of the biosynthetic potential of secondary metabolites in global food fermentations remain largely unknown. In this study, we performed a large-scale and comprehensive investigation for the BGCs in global food fermentations by metagenomics analysis. RESULTS We recovered 653 bacterial metagenome-assembled genomes (MAGs) from 367 metagenomic sequencing datasets covering 15 general food fermentation types worldwide. In total, 2334 secondary metabolite BGCs, including 1003 novel BGCs, were identified in these MAGs. Bacillaceae, Streptococcaceae, Streptomycetaceae, Brevibacteriaceae and Lactobacillaceae contained high abundances of novel BGCs (≥ 60 novel BGCs). Among 2334 BGCs, 1655 were habitat-specific, originating from habitat-specific species (80.54%) and habitat-specific genotypes within multi-habitat species (19.46%) in different food fermentation types. Biological activity analysis suggested that 183 BGC-producing secondary metabolites exhibited high probabilities of antibacterial activity (> 80%). These 183 BGCs were distributed across all 15 food fermentation types, and cheese fermentation contained the most BGC number. CONCLUSIONS This study demonstrates that food fermentation systems are an untapped reservoir of BGCs and bioactive secondary metabolites, and it provides novel insights into the potential human health benefits of fermented foods. Video Abstract.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rubing Du
- Lab of Brewing Microbiology and Applied Enzymology, The Key Laboratory of Industrial Biotechnology, Ministry of Education, State Key Laboratory of Food Science and Technology, School of Biotechnology, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, 214122, Jiangsu, People's Republic of China
| | - Wu Xiong
- Laboratory of Bio-Interactions and Crop Health, Jiangsu Provincial Key Lab of Solid Organic Waste Utilization, Jiangsu Collaborative Innovation Center of Solid Organic Wastes, Educational Ministry Engineering Center of Resource-Saving Fertilizers, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, 210095, Jiangsu, People's Republic of China
| | - Lei Xu
- Lab of Brewing Microbiology and Applied Enzymology, The Key Laboratory of Industrial Biotechnology, Ministry of Education, State Key Laboratory of Food Science and Technology, School of Biotechnology, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, 214122, Jiangsu, People's Republic of China
| | - Yan Xu
- Lab of Brewing Microbiology and Applied Enzymology, The Key Laboratory of Industrial Biotechnology, Ministry of Education, State Key Laboratory of Food Science and Technology, School of Biotechnology, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, 214122, Jiangsu, People's Republic of China
| | - Qun Wu
- Lab of Brewing Microbiology and Applied Enzymology, The Key Laboratory of Industrial Biotechnology, Ministry of Education, State Key Laboratory of Food Science and Technology, School of Biotechnology, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, 214122, Jiangsu, People's Republic of China.
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7
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Li L. Accessing hidden microbial biosynthetic potential from underexplored sources for novel drug discovery. Biotechnol Adv 2023:108176. [PMID: 37211187 DOI: 10.1016/j.biotechadv.2023.108176] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/14/2022] [Revised: 05/15/2023] [Accepted: 05/16/2023] [Indexed: 05/23/2023]
Abstract
Microbial natural products and their structural analogues have widely used as pharmaceutical agents, especially for infectious diseases and cancer. Despite this success, new structural classes with innovative chemistry and modes of action are urgently needed to be developed to combat the growing antimicrobial resistance and other public health problems. The advances in next-generation sequencing technologies and powerful computational tools open up new opportunities to explore microbial biosynthetic potential from underexplored sources, with millions of secondary metabolites awaiting discovery. The review highlights challenges associated with discovery of new chemical entities, rich reservoirs provided by untapped taxa, ecological niches or host microbiomes, emerging synthetic biotechnologies to unearth the hidden microbial biosynthetic potential for novel drug discovery at scale and speed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lei Li
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Metabolism and School of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, 800 Dongchuan Rd., Shanghai 200240, China.
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Wang C, Bai J, Chen X, Song J, Zhang Y, Wang H, Suo H. Gut microbiome-based strategies for host health and disease. Crit Rev Food Sci Nutr 2023; 64:6834-6849. [PMID: 36803092 DOI: 10.1080/10408398.2023.2176464] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/22/2023]
Abstract
Host health and disease are influenced by changes in the abundance and structure of intestinal flora. Current strategies are focused on regulating the structure of intestinal flora to ensure host health by alleviating disease. However, these strategies are limited by multiple factors, such as host genotype, physiology (microbiome, immunity, and gender), intervention, and diet. Accordingly, we reviewed the prospects and limitations of all strategies regulating the structure and abundance of microflora, including probiotics, prebiotics, diet, fecal microbiota transplantation, antibiotics, and phages. Some new technologies that can improve these strategies are also introduced. Compared with other strategies, diets and prebiotics are associated with reduced risk and high security. Besides, phages have the potential for application in the targeted regulation of intestinal microbiota due to their high specificity. Notably, the variability in individual microflora and their metabolic response to different interventions should be considered. Future studies should use artificial intelligence combined with multi-omics to investigate the host genome and physiology based on factors, such as blood type, dietary habits, and exercise, in order to develop individualized intervention strategies to improve host health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chen Wang
- College of Food Science, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
| | - Junying Bai
- Citrus Research Institute, National Citrus Engineering Research Center, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
| | - Xiaoyong Chen
- College of Food Science, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
| | - Jiajia Song
- College of Food Science, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
| | - Yu Zhang
- College of Food Science, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
| | - Hongwei Wang
- College of Food Science, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
| | - Huayi Suo
- College of Food Science, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
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Cancer Prevention Prioritized at AACR Annual Meeting and a New Working Group. Cancer Prev Res (Phila) 2022; 15:475-479. [DOI: 10.1158/1940-6207.capr-22-0310] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/28/2022] [Revised: 07/08/2022] [Accepted: 07/08/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Abstract
Scientific advances in the late 19th century set the stage for progress in understanding and treating cancer, a disease that was previously considered almost hopeless. One hundred years later, cancer prevention is becoming an increasingly important focus for oncology research. New tools and ideas bring to the field some extremely promising molecular, organizational, social, and political approaches, which were a focus of the American Association for Cancer Research 2022 Annual Meeting and of the newly launched AACR Cancer Prevention Working Group (CPWG). We are moving toward precision prevention, better tools for early detection and for risk assessment, the use of a Precancer Atlas, unveiling of new biomarkers. Besides improving lifestyle, by avoiding risk factors such as tobacco use, excessive UV exposure, infectious agents, as well as poor dietary habits, lack of exercise, overweight, and obesity, many other factors can impact cancer risk, which is a warning to consider a multifaceted molecular but also social approach. Gender, ethnicity, geographic, and economic lines are associated with disparities in prevention, which we want to overcome. Here we summarize some challenges and priorities in cancer prevention emerging from the work of AACR and CPWG.
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Augustijn HE, Medema MH. Freedom of expression: A synthetic route to metabolites. Cell 2022; 185:1449-1451. [PMID: 35487188 DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2022.04.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/04/2022] [Revised: 04/04/2022] [Accepted: 04/04/2022] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Microbial specialized metabolites play key roles in microbiome interactions, but their biosynthetic pathways are difficult to characterize. In this issue, Patel et al. (2022) describe new technologies for the computer-aided redesign of gene clusters to facilitate heterologous expression across diverse hosts and showcase their utility by identifying a new class of microbiome-derived nucleotide metabolites.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hannah E Augustijn
- Bioinformatics Group, Wageningen University, Wageningen, The Netherlands; Institute of Biology, Leiden University, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Marnix H Medema
- Bioinformatics Group, Wageningen University, Wageningen, The Netherlands; Institute of Biology, Leiden University, Leiden, The Netherlands.
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