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In this issue: Biotechnology Journal 7/2009
Publication year - 2009
Publication title -
biotechnology journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.144
H-Index - 84
eISSN - 1860-7314
pISSN - 1860-6768
DOI - 10.1002/biot.200990061
Subject(s) - bacillus subtilis , computational biology , biosensor , biology , bacteria , dna microarray , surface plasmon resonance , microbiology and biotechnology , heterologous , nanotechnology , gene , gene expression , biochemistry , genetics , materials science , nanoparticle
Bacteria biosensors Dudak and Boyacı , Biotechnol. J. 2009, 4, 1003–1011 The identification and quantification of microorganisms is of high interest in biodefense, food safety, diagnostics, and drug discovery. The surface plasmon resonance (SPR) biosensor technology has been successfully used for the detection of various analytes such as proteins, drugs, DNA, and microorganisms. SPR‐based immunosensors that are coupled with a specific antigen‐antibody reaction have become a promising tool for the quantification of bacteria as they offer sensitive, specific, rapid, and label‐free detection. In this Review by Dudak and Boyacı from the Hacettepe University in Ankara the important issues in the development of SPR‐based immunoassays for bacteria detection as well as recent advances in SPR biosensing for sensitivity enhancement are discussed.Bacillus subtilis microarrays Kocabaş et al., Biotechnol. J. 2009, 4, 1012–1027 Bacillus species include a variety of industrially important hosts for several applications, including the production of recombinant proteins. Among them Bacillus subtilis has become a model system for the study of many aspects of the biochemistry, genetics, and physiology of grampositive bacteria. Researchers from the Middle East Technical University in Ankara now provide a global and comprehensive overview of microarray studies in B. subtilis . These studies were analyzed under seven thematic categories (with extensive supporting information online): effects of gene deletion(s) or overexpression, effects of overexpression of heterologous genes, comparison of global gene expression between aerobic and anaerobic respiration, effects of temperature change, effects of the growth media, effects of limitations and stress conditions, and other microarray studies in B. subtilis . This compilation of microarray data will improve our current understanding B. subtilis as a host and model system. Apoptosis in the gut Özören et al., Biotechnol. J. 2009, 4, 1046–1054 The BCL‐2 family of proteins play an important role in the induction of apoptosis and are often mutated in human cancer. Human BFK (BCL‐2 family kin) is a novel pro‐apoptotic BCL‐2 family member specifically expressed in the gastrointestinal tract. Özoren et al. from the Boğaziçi University in Istanbul report that BFK exhibits a striking similarity to BID as it is activated through cleavage during apoptosis. Human BFK interacts with BCL‐XL and BCL‐W, but not with BCL‐2 or BAD. Furthermore, the authors find that BFK is cleaved in a caspase‐dependent manner during DNA damage‐induced apoptosis. This study characterizes a new pro‐apoptotic BCL‐2 protein that will have an impact in apoptosis of the healthy and malignant gut.