Alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency (DAAT) is a genetic disorder that manifests as pulmonary emphysema, liver cirrhosis, and, rarely, as the skin disease panniculitis [1], but other rare skin manifestations had been described previously in literature [2]. Despite being one of the most frequent genetic diseases, professionals need high clinical suspicion for its diagnosis.

Retroviruses replicate by means of reverse transcription, utilizing an enzyme, reverse transcriptase, in conjunction with integrase. Their elements have been found in humans, animals, fungi, plants, and bacteria alike. For millions of years, these elements are continuing to integrate into the eukaryotic genomes and affecting these organisms to date. Specifically, endogenous retroviruses have been shown to comprise a large portion of vertebrate genomes. Studies have shown that these microscopic viral elements within the genome are influencing gene expression and in turn evolution, by affecting adjacent gene expression patterns. In the medical field, these retroviruses can present illnesses for many, such as those living with Human Immunodeficiency Virus or Human T Cell Lymphotropic Viruses. With modern advances in bioinformatics, genomics, and drug design, retroviruses are being understood much better. A multitude of new discoveries is advancing the scientific communities to mitigate, prevent, and hopefully cure serious medical ailments caused by retroviruses.

Intestinal microbiotas modulate multiple biochemical reactions and immune hemostasis of the host, numerous pieces of evidence have revealed that they are also tightly involved in the efficacy of antitumor immunotherapy. However,s which way local intestinal microbiota influences the activity of distant organs is still unknown. In this review, we highlighted the importance of metabolites produced by intestinal microbiotas which disorder prompted cytotoxic capability of adoptive γδT cells. The microbiota-metabolites-γδT cell axis is dominant in the antitumor immune response of adoptive γδT cell immunotherapy.

Proteases are the most important industrial enzymes which have attracted enormous attention due to their vast variety and well-defined specificity. Microbial proteases are superior to other sources like plant and animal proteases because of their desired characteristics for biotechnological application. In this regard, Lysobacter enzymogenes is a rich source for the production of antibiotics and proteases. However, strain improvement in order to obtain overproduced microorganisms is always demanded at an industrial scale. Therefore, in the present study in order to enhance L. enzymogenes protease production, random mutagenesis was applied using N-methyl-N’-nitro-N-nitrosoguanidine (NTG) as a chemical mutagen. Random mutagenesis was conducted on L. enzymogenes suspension cultivated on nutrient broth using different concentrations of NTG (100, 150, and 200 µg/ml) for 20 and 40 minutes. The treated bacteria were cultivated on nutrient agar containing casein as a selective media. Primary and secondary screenings were performed by measuring the diameter of the casein hydrolysis zones in the isolated bacteria and the related supernatants, respectively. Finally, the unit of protease activity was quantified by Anson’s method of examining bacterial supernatants. Among the total of 30 isolated mutants, two mutants showed the highest level of extracellular proteolytic activity which showed 2.65 and 1.86 fold increments in contrast to the wild type, respectively. In general, the effect of mutagenesis by NTG can be emphasized to increase protease activity.

Background: In aquatic environments, microbial biofilms are hot spots of microbial diversity, as well as a substrate for larval settlement of many invertebrate species. Examining the functional diversity of microorganisms in polar regions is a new and still unknown field of aquatic microbiology, that is attracting increasing interest for its significance in both scientific research and resources exploitation. The context and purpose of the study: In the framework of research aimed at studying microbial colonization occurring at Terra Nova Bay, culturable heterotrophic bacteria were quantified and characterized phenotypically at two study areas (Road Bay and Tethys Bay) with different environmental characteristics: the first one was close to Mario Zucchelli research station and impacted by anthropogenic pressure due to sewage wastes, while the second was exposed to salinity gradients due to glacier melting. In this context, artificial structures hosting plastic (polyvinyl chloride, PVC and polyethylene, PE) panels were deployed at -5 and -20m depths at each of the stations (one Impact and one Control) chosen per each study area. Water samples were contextually collected at the time of recovery of the plastic panels, namely after 12 months of deployment; at Road Bay, at the -5 m depth, a short-term experiment was also performed, with the recovery of the panels after 2.5 and 9 months of deployment. Bacterial strains were isolated in axenic culture both from water and biofilm matrices, and examined for their main phenotypical traits and functional diversity, through Gram staining, oxidase production, glucose fermentation and screened for enzymatic activity profiles (proteolytic, glycolytic and phosphatasic activities) using specific fluorogenic substrates. Results: Most of the bacterial isolates were Gram-negative, oxidase-positive and glucose-fermenting strains. Higher enzyme diversification was found in Road Bay at the site impacted by the sewage wastes from the research station, compared to the control site. A higher abundance of heterotrophic bacteria was detected on PVC compared to PE. Several pigmented strains, ascribable to Flavobacterium sp., were isolated from biofilm with respect to the ones isolated from the pelagic environment. Main findings: The screening of bacterial isolates for the production of hydrolytic enzymes revealed that proteolytic and phosphatase activities were a common metabolic trait of both water and biofilm-derived isolated. Microbes inhabiting Antarctica represent a very important and not completely known source of bioactive molecules with possibly multiple applications, from biomedicine to pharmaceutical, cosmetics, biodegradation, and so on. Conclusions: This is the first contribution to characterize phenotypically the bacteria colonizing the Ross Sea seabed in comparison with pelagic heterotrophic bacteria and to explore their metabolic abilities and the biotechnological potential of these microorganisms. The preliminary data regarding the metabolic profiles and composition of the microbial community have highlighted the plasticity of the microbial community, whose metabolism is modulated by the organic matter supplies found near the Mario Zucchelli Station. Brief summary: Heterotrophic bacteria in the waters and in the biofilm covering the surface of settlement panels in plastics deployed at sea for different time periods were studied in two bays of the Ross Sea, Road Bay and Tethys Bay. The main phenotypical characteristics of the bacterial isolates were examined. The production of hydrolytic enzymes makes microbial biofilms interesting sources of molecules with a potential applicative interest. Any potential implications: Bioprospecting research on polar microorganisms represents an attractive field of microbiology that is supported by increasing attention towards the discovery of hydrolytic enzymes as new active compounds having unexplored properties and applications.

There are many patents for magnetic nanoparticles as tumor magnetic resonance imaging enhancers, but the gadolinium complexes commonly used in the clinic are difficult to target the diseased tissues, while nanoliposomes are ideal carriers for anti-tumor drugs.