The large surplus of glycerol derived from the expanding biofuel industry raises economic and environmental concerns regarding disposal. In vitro synthetic biology is emerging as a useful biomanufacturing platform while the conversion of glycerol is rarely investigated. Here we develop a thermostable in vitro synthetic biosystem consisting of three enzymatic cascades for the biotransformation of glycerol into valuable chemicals with different degrees of reduction. Condensation of glycerol, phenol, and ammonium into L-tyrosine is achieved using four enzymes without the assistance of NAD + /NADH-related redox reactions. Production of chemicals with high degrees of reduction (e.g., optically pure L-lactate and D-lactate) is also verified through coupling with an NADH-regeneration system. The biotransformation of glycerol and ammonium into L-serine is achieved using four enzymes with self-sufficient NADH recycling.

Histone acetylation, an epigenetic modification, plays an important role in long-term memory formation. Recently, histone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibitors were demonstrated to promote memory formation, which raises the intriguing possibility that they may be used to rescue memory deficits. However, additional research is necessary to clarify the roles of individual HDACs in memory. In this study, we demonstrated that HDAC7, within the dorsal hippocampus of C57BL6J mice, had a late and persistent decrease after contextual fear conditioning (CFC) training (4-24 h), which was involved in long-term CFC memory formation. We also showed that HDAC7 decreased via ubiquitin-dependent degradation. CBX4 was one of the HDAC7 E3 ligases involved in this process. Nur77, as one of the target genes of HDAC7, increased 6-24 h after CFC training and, accordingly, modulated the formation of CFC memory. Finally, HDAC7 was involved in the formation of other hippocampal-dependent memories, including the Morris water maze and object location test. The current findings facilitate an understanding of the molecular and cellular mechanisms of HDAC7 in the regulation of hippocampal-dependent memory. The current findings demonstrated the effects of histone deacetylase 7 (HDAC7) on hippocampal-dependent memories. Moreover, we determined the mechanism of decreased HDAC7 in contextual fear conditioning (CFC) through ubiquitin-dependent protein degradation. We also verified that CBX4 was one of the HDAC7 E3 ligases. Finally, we demonstrated that Nur77, as one of the important targets for HDAC7, was involved in CFC memory formation. All of these proteins, including HDAC7, CBX4, and Nur77, could be potential therapeutic targets for preventing memory deficits in aging and neurological diseases.

Pseudomonas aeruginosa often establishes a chronic infection in the airways of patients with cystic fibrosis (CF). l-Lactate is the most abundant carbon source in the CF sputum, and l-lactate utilization may be important for P. aeruginosa to survive in the lungs of CF patients. In this study, the key enzymes involved in l-lactate utilization by P. aeruginosa PAO1 were characterized using the synthetic CF sputum medium (SCFM). A highly conserved membrane-bound NAD-independent l-lactate dehydrogenase (l-iLDH) encoded by lldD (PA4771) and a novel flavin-containing membrane-bound l-iLDH encoded by lldA (PA2382) were both found to contribute to l-lactate utilization by P. aeruginosa PAO1. In addition, an lldD and lldA double mutant was incapable of growing in a medium containing l-lactate as the sole carbon source. This study clarifies the mechanism and importance of l-lactate catabolism, and demonstrates the first Pseudomonas spp. expressing two l-lactate-oxidizing enzymes.