Role of Probiotics in Pancreatic Cancer Prevention: The Prospects and Challenges

Pancreatic cancer is expressed as a disorder of chaos that leads to impairment in biochemical and metabolic physiology of pancreas. It is considered as the most intractable and fatal among all gastrointestinal (GI) cancers. The early occurrence of metastatic spread and the development of intrinsic and acquired resistance during drug treatment limit its prognosis at the right time. The universalized treatment involves surgical resection in which only a minority (in vitro, animal and clinical studies are required for worthy manifestations.

Metabiotics: The Functional Metabolic Signatures of Probiotics: Current State-of-Art and Future Research Priorities—Metabiotics: Probiotics Effector Molecules

The intricate “orchestered molecular conversation” between the host and gut microbiome is one of the most dynamic research areas in recent years. The rhythmic chemical cross talk in the form of bioactive metabolites and signalling molecules synthesized by gut microbiome plays a significant role for the modulation of human health in diversified ways. They are recognized as low molecular weight (LMW) molecules having versatile chemical attributes. They possess magnificent capability of interacting with surrounding environment and controlling the genes for various genetic, biochemical and physiological functions for maintaining the homeostasis that is now-a-days termed as “small molecules microbes originated (SMOM) homeostasis” in the host. These metabolic signatures have close structural and functional resemblance with small molecules synthesized by host eukaryotic cells and dietary components. Therefore, they may be considered as universalized metabolites contributing to the remarkable phenomenon of epigenetic regulation, cell to cell communication and stability of genome manifesting the overall growth and development of the host and known as “metabiotics”. The wide panorama of utilization of probiotics is continuously expanding and conferring the major health benefits through metabiotic components are gaining tremendous momentum therefore recognized as “hidden soldiers” of the body. Therefore firstly, we outline the need and types of metabiotic molecules and depicting their role in human health. Then, we summarize their preventive and therapeutic avenues in various diseases and finally, we propose the current technological interventions, bottlenecks and future perspectives in this field that are implied for accelerating their comprehensive understanding and utilization at industrial scale.

Bacterial Surface Layer Proteins: A Promising Nano-Technological Tool for Bio-Sensing Applications

The phenomenal rise in the demand of biosensors accelerated their rapid development and immersive applications in the myriads of fields. The essential requirement of developing efficient bio-sensing platform is to find stable well organized interfacial architecture that can serve as an excellent matrix for binding and recognizing biomolecules. In this context, the enormous potential has been envisaged in surface layer proteins that represented themselves as most primitive and simplest self-assembled system with repetitive physicochemical properties for the molecular functionalization of surfaces and various interfaces. The prominence of S-layer proteins has been broadened by integrating genetic engineering approaches for the fine tuning of functional groups and protein domains in geometrically well-defined manner. The efficient and stable binding of various nanomaterials with S-layers in regular arrays has led to paradigmatic shift in their nano-biotechnological sensing applications. More recently, functional S-layer supported lipid membranes have been generated through covalent binding of lipid molecules either with native or recombinant S-layer proteins at nano-scale dimensions serving as “proof of concept” for the development of bio-sensing platform. Thus, in the light of benefits conferred by surface layer proteins for the development of highly efficient biosensors, an exciting path has been opened for broadening their translational applications in drug delivery, disease diagnosis, vaccines development, lab-on-chip devices etc. Therefore, this review intends to describe about the importance of surface layer proteins in the development of biosensors.

Bacterial Surface Layer Proteins: From Moonlighting to Biomimetics: A New Horizonto Lead

The landmark discovery of moonlighting proteins embarks the significant progress in understanding the biological complexity and their closed-circuit analysis. The growing continuum in the variety of moonlighting functions paved the way for further elucidation of structural-functional aspects of protein evolution and design of proteins with novel functions. Currently, the moonlighting functions in various adhesive properties of surface layer proteins, an essential component of cell surface architecture of archaea and all phylogenetic groups of eubacteria become more prominently recognized. The remarkable credentials of surface layer proteins to self-assemble into supramolecular structures at nano-scale dimension have been exploited for the production of smart biomaterials in the form of biomimetics has been thrust area of research. The finely tuned topological features in terms of shape, size, geometry and surface chemistry of surface layer proteins are crucial for the production of biomimetics. The current developments of biomimetic lipid bilayers and composite membranes find applicability in understanding the functional dynamism of evolutionary relationship of bacterial cell envelopes and vaccine development, drug development and drug delivery. Though the development of biomimetics embraces fascination but faces with technological challenges. The plethora of literature has been available for the moonlighting aspects and nano-technological applications separately but none of the review describes towards the rhythmic transition from moonlighting functions of surface layer proteins of bacteria to biomimetics development and applications. Therefore, this review describes certain basic aspects of moonlighting functions and their mechanism of action, surface layer proteins and their moonlighting functions of commensal bacteria and their transition towards biomimetics. The recent developments of biomimetics based on surface layer proteins have been summarized and also posited different challenges and future prospects.