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Molecular Research in Prebiotics, Probiotics and Postbiotics: 2nd Edition

A special issue of International Journal of Molecular Sciences (ISSN 1422-0067). This special issue belongs to the section "Molecular Microbiology".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 28 February 2025 | Viewed by 735

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor
Laboratory of Immunobiotechnology, Reference Centre for Lactobacilli (CERELA-CONICET), Chacabuco 145, San Miguel de Tucuman CP400, Argentina
Interests: probiotics; immunobiotics; mucosal immunology; genomics; lactic acid bacteria; microbiota
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

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Guest Editor
Laboratory of Animal Food Function, Graduate School of Agricultural Science, Tohoku University, Sendai 981-8555, Japan
Interests: probiotics; immunobiotics; mucosal immunology; lactic acid bacteria; functional foods; animal science
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

This Special Issue is a continuation of our previous Special Issue, titled "Molecular Research in Prebiotics, Probiotics and Postbiotics".

In recent decades, we have witnessed remarkable advances in the study of beneficial microorganisms and their impact on both human and animal health. The field of probiotics has expanded, and thanks to advances in microbiology, immunology, molecular biology, and “omic” tools, the effects and mechanisms of probiotics, prebiotics, and postbiotics are now understood. This Special Issue is supervised by Dr. Julio Villena and Prof. Dr. Haruki Kitazawa, with assistance from our Topical Advisory Panel Member, Dr. Leonardo Albarracín.

This Special Issue provides a platform for the submission of high-quality publications that address recent advances in prebiotics, probiotics, and postbiotics. Studies that address the cellular and molecular interactions between beneficial microorganisms or their effector molecules and the host, as well as the development of new functional foods and feeds, are welcome.

Dr. Julio Villena
Prof. Dr. Haruki Kitazawa
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. International Journal of Molecular Sciences is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

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Keywords

  • probiotics
  • prebiotics
  • postbiotics
  • symbiotics
  • immunobiotics
  • functional foods
  • health improvement
  • mucosal immunology
  • microbiota

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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Research

16 pages, 15546 KiB  
Article
Enhancing β-Galactosidase Performance for Galactooligosaccharides Preparation via Strategic Glucose Re-Tunneling
by Jihua Zhao, Dandan Niu, Jiaqi Liu, Zhuolin Jin, Nokuthula Peace Mchunu, Suren Singh and Zhengxiang Wang
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2024, 25(22), 12316; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms252212316 - 16 Nov 2024
Viewed by 517
Abstract
This study focuses on the characterization and re-engineering of glucose transport in β-galactosidase (BglD) to enhance its catalytic efficiency. Computational prediction methods were employed to identify key residues constituting access tunnels for lactose and glucose, revealing distinct pockets for both substrates. In silico [...] Read more.
This study focuses on the characterization and re-engineering of glucose transport in β-galactosidase (BglD) to enhance its catalytic efficiency. Computational prediction methods were employed to identify key residues constituting access tunnels for lactose and glucose, revealing distinct pockets for both substrates. In silico simulated saturation mutagenesis of residues T215 and T473 led to the identification of eight mutant variants exhibiting potential enhancements in glucose transport. Site-directed mutagenesis at T215 and T473 resulted in mutants with consistently enhanced specific activities, turnover rates, and catalytic efficiencies. These mutants also demonstrated improved galactooligosaccharide (GOS) synthesis, yielding an 8.1–10.6% enhancement over wild-type BglD yield. Structural analysis revealed that the mutants exhibited transformed configurations and localizations of glucose conduits, facilitating expedited glucose release. This study’s findings suggest that the re-engineered mutants offer promising avenues for enhancing BglD’s catalytic efficiency and glucose translocation, thereby improving GOS synthesis. By-product (glucose) re-tunneling is a viable approach for enzyme tunnel engineering and holds significant promise for the molecular evolution of enzymes. Full article
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