Chapters authored
Unlocking the Potential of Ghost Probiotics in Combating Antimicrobial Resistance
Antimicrobial resistance is a global concern that requires immediate attention. Major causes of development of antimicrobial resistance in microbial cells are overuse of antimicrobials along the food chain especially in livestock, in preventing infections as well as misuse of antimicrobials by patients. Probiotics could be a viable alternative to antibiotics in the fight against antimicrobial resistance. Probiotic strains can act as a complement to antimicrobial therapy, improving antimicrobial function and enhancing immunity. However, there are safety concerns regarding the extensive use of live microbial cells especially in immunocompromised individuals; these include microbial translocation, inhibition of other beneficial microorganisms and development of antimicrobial resistance, among other concerns. Inevitably, ghost probiotics have become the favored alternative as they eliminate the safety and shelf-life problems associated with use of probiotics. Ghost probiotics are non-viable microbial cells (intact or broken) or metabolic products from microorganisms, which when administered in adequate amounts have biologic activity in the host and confer health benefits. Ghost probiotics exert biological effects similar to probiotics. However, the major drawback of using ghost probiotics is that the mechanism of action of these is currently unknown, hence more research is required and regulatory instruments are needed to assure the safety of consumers.
Part of the book: The Global Antimicrobial Resistance Epidemic
The Knowledge Landscape of Adenylyl Cyclases in Model Plant, Arabidopsis thaliana
One strategy for improving responses and adaptation systems of plants to stress is to target molecules involved in signaling and transduction of the stimuli effected by stresses. One such molecule is adenylyl cyclase (AC) – an enzyme that catalyzes the conversion of adenosine 5′-triphosphate (ATP) to the second messenger, 3′,5′-cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP). cAMP, in turn, transduces signals in response to the various biotic and abiotic stress factors. Surprisingly, as far as five decades ago, attempts to isolate ACs and/or detect cAMP from the research model plant, Arabidopsis thaliana, were inconclusive or a matter of serious debates due to the absence of appropriate techniques or advanced technologies. This chapter, therefore, herein takes the reader on a journey from the 1970s to the present day, unraveling the challenges encountered, developments made, and successes realized in efforts and attempts to identify and characterize ACs in A. thaliana. The chapter covers from the early age of unsuccessful attempts to the more recent and successful advanced technologies such as the motif search approach, omics analysis and homologous cloning. Perspectives on the direction that future knowledge-building around this important group of plant proteins are also shared.
Part of the book: Abiotic Stress in Crop Plants