In silico gene knockout prediction using a hybrid of Bat algorithm and minimization of metabolic adjustment

Microorganisms commonly produce many high-demand industrial products like fuels, food, vitamins, and other chemicals. Microbial strains are the strains of microorganisms, which can be optimized to improve their technological properties through metabolic engineering. Metabolic engineering is the process of overcoming cellular regulation in order to achieve a desired product or to generate a new product that the host cells do not usually need to produce. The prediction of genetic manipulations such as gene knockout is part of metabolic engineering. Gene knockout can be used to optimize the microbial strains, such as to maximize the production rate of chemicals of interest. Metabolic and genetic engineering is important in producing the chemicals of interest as, without them, the product yields of many microorganisms are normally low. As a result, the aim of this paper is to propose a combination of the Bat algorithm and the minimization of metabolic adjustment (BATMOMA) to predict which genes to knock out in order to increase the succinate and lactate production rates in Escherichia coli (E. coli).

Metabolic Adjustment of Glycine max (L.) Merril in the Presence of Nitrate and Bradyrhizobium japonicum

Reactive oxygen species are generated during the processes of photosynthesis and nitrate reduction, which can compromise the integrity of biomolecules and membranes. During the vegetative phase of Fabaceae species, around half of translocated carbohydrate is used for nodule growth, while the other half returns to the aerial part with nitrogen incorporated. These sugars may be yet involved with membrane stabilization, signaling, and activation of important genetic pathways for plant development. Thus, the aim was to study the adjustments of the photosynthetic and antioxidant systems and the accumulation of carbohydrates and biomass in Glycine–Bradyrhizobium cultivated with nitrate (NO3−). Four treatments were evaluated in completely randomized blocks. Glycine–Bradyrhizobium was grown with 1.7 mM of NO3− (GB: 1.7 mM NO3−) and without NO3− (GB: 0 mM NO3−), and Glycine was grown with 1.7 mM of NO3− (G: 1.7 mM NO3−) and without NO3− (G: 0 mM NO3−). Glycine–Bradyrhizobium symbiosis contributes to photosynthetic metabolism and total sugars, reduces the action of antioxidant enzymes, and minimizes the use of nitrate in soybean cultivation.; Glycine–Bradyrhizobium with nitrate provided greater plant dry mass in the vegetative phase, along with increased enzymatic activity and reduced nodule mass.

The haemato-metabolic profile of high producing dairy cows during the transition period

The objective of the present study was to assess the haematological [haemoglobin, packed cell volume (PCV), total erythrocyte count (TEC), erythrocytic indices, total leucocyte count (TLC) and differential leucocyte count (DLC)] changes and metabolic adjustment, viz. blood glucose, blood urea nitrogen (BUN), non-esterified fatty acid (NEFA) and cholesterol, in high-yielding Sahiwal and Karan Fries cows during the transition period. For this purpose, blood samples were collected from 8 pregnant Karan Fries crossbred cows and 8 pregnant Sahiwal cows on days -15, -7, 0 (the day of calving), +7 and +15 from calving, and used for estimation of haemoglobin, PCV, TLC, TEC, erythrocytic indices and DLC, and metabolic parameters, such as blood glucose, BUN, NEFA and cholesterol. It was found that haemoglobin concentrations, PCV and TEC increased significantly (P<0.01) up to the day of calving, and gradually decreased thereafter to reach pre-partum levels in the subsequent weeks post-calving. While the TLC, number of neutrophils and monocytes were found to increase (P<0.01), the number of lymphocytes decreased significantly (P<0.01) on the day of calving and then reached pre-partum levels after calving. No significant effect was observed on erythrocytic indices parameters. Blood glucose, BUN and NEFA levels showed an increasing trend (P<0.01) from 2 weeks pre-partum until the day of calving, and then decreased to the pre-partum level after calving. Unlike the other parameters, the plasma cholesterol level increased consistently from 2 weeks pre-partum to 2 weeks post-partum. In conclusion, the results of our study clearly show a definite pattern of the haematological and metabolic adjustment of high-producing dairy cows during the pre-partum to postpartum transition.