Novel Plant-Associated Brevibacillus and Lysinibacillus Genomospecies Harbor a Rich Biosynthetic Potential of Antimicrobial Compounds.

We have previously reported the draft genome sequences of 59 endospore-forming Gram-positive bacterial strains isolated from Vietnamese crop plants due to their ability to suppress plant pathogens. Based on their draft genome sequence, eleven of them were assigned to the Brevibacillus and one to the Lysinibacillus genus. Further analysis including full genome sequencing revealed that several of these strains represent novel genomospecies. In vitro and in vivo assays demonstrated their ability to promote plant growth, as well as the strong biocontrol potential of Brevibacilli directed against phytopathogenic bacteria, fungi, and nematodes. Genome mining identified 157 natural product biosynthesis gene clusters (BGCs), including 36 novel BGCs not present in the MIBiG data bank. Our findings indicate that plant-associated Brevibacilli are a rich source of putative antimicrobial compounds and might serve as a valuable starting point for the development of novel biocontrol agents.

Essential Oils from the Leaves, Stem, and Roots of Blumea lanceolaria (Roxb.) Druce in Vietnam: Determination of Chemical Composition, and In Vitro, In Vivo, and In Silico Studies on Anti-Inflammatory Activity.

Blumea lanceolaria (Roxb.) Druce, a flowering plant, is used for treating cancer and inflammatory diseases. In this study, we determined the chemical composition of the EOs extracted from the leaves (LBEO), stem (SBEO), and roots (RBEO) of B. lanceolaria and analyzed their anti-inflammation potential. Overall, 30 compounds representing 99.12%, 98.44%, and 96.89% of total EO constituents of the leaves, stem, and roots, respectively, were identified using GC-MS. ELISA, Western blotting, and qRT-PCR studies showed that LBEO, SBEO, and RBEO inhibited multiple steps in the inflammatory responses in the RAW 264.7 cell model, including NO production; TNF-α, IL-6, iNOS, and COX-2 transcription and translation; and phosphorylation of IκBα and p65 of the NF-κB pathway. In the carrageenan-induced paw edema model, all three EOs inhibited paw edema at both early and delayed phases. Molecular docking studies indicated that the main components of B. lanceolaria EOs (BEOs) targeted and inhibited major components of inflammation-related pathways, including the arachidonic acid metabolic pathway, NF-κB pathway, and MAPK pathway. We present the first study to characterize the chemical composition of BEOs and confirm their potent anti-inflammatory effects in in vitro, in vivo, and in silico analysis. These results can facilitate the development of effective anti-inflammatory drugs with limited side effects in the future.

Frequency and distribution of HLA-DQB1 alleles from 2076 cord blood samples of the Vietnamese cohort.

Human leucocyte antigen (HLA) alleles are very diverse and characterized by ethnicity. To date, information about the frequencies and distributions of HLA alleles among the Vietnamese population is still limited. In this study, HLA-DQB1 alleles of 2076 cord blood units from individuals belonging to Vietnam's Kinh ethnic people were genotyped using Luminex-based polymerase chain reaction sequence-specific oligonucleotide. The results of the study demonstrated that there were 23 alleles on the locus HLA-DQB1. Among those, there were six alleles with high frequencies of over 5%, including DQB1* 03:01 (35.9%), DQB1* 05:01 (12.8%), DQB1* 03:03 (12.2%); DQB1* 06:01 (7.20%), DQB1* 05:02 (6.62%) and DQB1* 02:01 (5.30%) and five rare alleles with low frequencies of below 0.1%. More importantly, this study for the first time reported the presence of two new rare alleles including DQB1* 01:01 and DQB1* 01:02. Conclusively, this study provided significant information about HLA-DQB1 alleles for further investigations and clinical applications.