Matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS)-based microbial identification is a popular analytical method. Strain Solution proteotyping software available for MALDI-TOF MS has great potential for the precise and detailed discrimination of microorganisms at serotype- or strain-level, beyond the conventional mass fingerprinting approaches. Here, we constructed a theoretically calculated mass database of Salmonella enterica subspecies enterica consisting of 12 biomarker proteins: ribosomal proteins S8, L15, L17, L21, L25, and S7, Mn-cofactor-containing superoxide dismutase (SodA), peptidyl-prolyl cis-trans isomerase C (PPIase C), and protein Gns, and uncharacterized proteins YibT, YaiA, and YciF, that can allow serotyping of Salmonella. Strain Solution ver. 2 software with the novel database constructed in this study demonstrated that 109 strains (94%), including the major outbreak-associated serotypes, Enteritidis, Typhimurium, and Infantis, could be correctly identified from others by colony-directed MALDI-TOF MS using 116 strains belonging to 23 kinds of typed and untyped serotypes of S. enterica from culture collections, patients, and foods. We conclude that Strain Solution ver. 2 software integrated with the accurate mass database will be useful for the bacterial proteotyping by MALDI-TOF MS-based microbial classification in the clinical and food safety fields.

Although flavones act as potent androgen receptor (AR) antagonists, it remains unclear how flavones interact with AR. The aim of this in silico study was to investigate the molecular recognition processes of newly synthesized 5,4′-difluoroflavone with the highest activity (IC50 value = 0.19 μM) in the AR-ligand binding domain (AR-LBD). The results demonstrated that at its 4′-position of 5,4′-difluoroflavone the substituents may face Arg752 and that in AR-LBD, the submolecular bulk of substituents is unfavorable for AR antagonists and the negative electrostatic interaction site prefers the stronger hydrogen bond capability of substituents of AR antagonists. The prediction model is a valuable tool for designing a novel AR antagonist.

•New software Strain Solution with MALDI-TOF MS was evaluated.•E. coli O157, O26, and O111 were automatically discriminated by Strain Solution.•Mixed bacterial samples were identified by Strain Solution.•Strain Solution is useful for detailed discrimination of microorganisms.O157, O26, and O111 are the most important O serogroups of enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli worldwide. Recently we reported a strategy for discriminating these serotypes from the others using matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization-time of flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS) based on the S10-spc-alpha operon gene-encoded ribosomal protein mass spectrum (S10-GERMS) method. To realize the fully automated identification of microorganisms at species- or serotype-level with the concept of S10-GERMS method, novel software named Strain Solution for MALDI-TOF MS was developed. In this study, the Strain Solution was evaluated with a total of 45 E. coli isolates including O26, O91, O103, O111, O115, O121, O128, O145, O157, O159, and untyped serotypes. The Strain Solution could accurately discriminate 92% (11/12) of O157 strains, 100% (13/13) of O26 and O111 strains from the others with three biomarkers in an automated manner. In addition, this software could identify 2 different E. coli strains (K-12 as a non-O157 representative and O157) in mixed samples. The results suggest that Strain Solution will be useful for species- or serotype-level classification of microorganisms in the fields of food safety and diagnostics.Download full-size image