Single Partner Research Articles

Short term global health experiences and local partnership models: a framework.

Contemporary interest in in short-term experiences in global health (STEGH) has led to important questions of ethics, responsibility, and potential harms to receiving communities. In addressing these issues, the role of local engagement through partnerships between external STEGH facilitating organization(s) and internal community organization(s) has been identified as crucial to mitigating potential pitfalls. This perspective piece offers a framework to categorize different models of local engagement in STEGH based on professional experiences and a review of the existing literature. This framework will encourage STEGH stakeholders to consider partnership models in the development and evaluation of new or existing programs.The proposed framework examines the community context in which STEGH may occur, and considers three broad categories: number of visiting external groups conducting STEGH (single/multiple), number of host entities that interact with the STEGH (none/single/multiple), and frequency of STEGH (continuous/intermittent). These factors culminate in a specific model that provides a description of opportunities and challenges presented by each model.Considering different models, single visiting partners, working without a local partner on an intermittent (or even one-time) basis provided the greatest flexibility to the STEGH participants, but represented the least integration locally and subsequently the greatest potential harm for the receiving community. Other models, such as multiple visiting teams continuously working with a single local partner, provided an opportunity for centralization of efforts and local input, but required investment in consensus-building and streamlining of processes across different groups.We conclude that involving host partners in the design, implementation, and evaluation of STEGH requires more effort on the part of visiting STEGH groups and facilitators, but has the greatest potential benefit for meaningful, locally-relevant improvements from STEGH for the receiving community. There are four key themes that underpin the application of the framework: Meaningful impact to host communities requires some form of local engagement and measurementSingle STEGH without local partner engagement is rarely ethically justifiedModels should be tailored to the health and resource context in which the STEGH occursSending institutions should employ a model that ultimately benefits local receiving communities first and STEGH participants second.Accounting for these themes in program planning for STEGH will lead to more equitable outcomes for both receiving communities and their sending partners.

Social determinants of HIV infection, hotspot areas and subpopulation groups in Ethiopia: evidence from the National Demographic and Health Survey in 2011

ObjectiveThis study identifies social determinants of HIV infection, hotspot areas and subpopulation groups in Ethiopia.DesignThe study used data from the 2011 Ethiopian Demographic and Health Survey (EDHS). Sample blood tests...

Adesão à dupla contracepção entre mulheres infectadas pelo HIV

To determine adherence to dual contraception using depot-medroxyprogesterone acetate (DMPA) and condom among HIV-infected women. A cross-sectional study carried out from December 2013 to September 2014 at a local reference center, with application of questionnaire elaborated after Delphi panel and content validation to 114 HIV(+) women aged 15 to 49 years, using DMPA plus condom for contraception. Mean age was 33.2 ± 7.2 years, mean time since HIV detection was 8.1 ± 5.2 years, mean time of antiretroviral use was 6.8 ± 5 years and mean CD4 cells/mm3 count was 737.6 ± 341.1. Sexual HIV acquisition was reported by 98.2% (112/114), antiretroviral use by 85.9% (98/114), and 77.7% (84/114) had a CD4>500/mm3 count. Having a single sex partner was reported by 78.9% (90/114), with HIV serodiscordance in 41.2% (47/114) of couples, 21.9% did not know the serological status of their partner and in 37.7% of cases (43/114) the partner was unaware of the HIV(+) status of the woman. The last pregnancy was unplanned in 71.9% of cases (82/114) and 14.9% of the women had become pregnant the year before, with pregnancy being unplanned in 70.5% (12/17) of cases. Current use of DMPA was reported by 64.9% (74/114), with genital bleeding in 48.2% (55/114) and weight gain in 67.5% (77/114). Use of a male condom was reported by 62.2% of the subjects (71/114). Three reported that they always used a female condom and ten that they eventually used it. Unprotected vaginal sex was reported by 37.7% (43/114) and unprotected anal intercourse was reported by 32.4% (37/114). Partner resistance to use a condom occurred in 30.7% of cases (35/114). Dual contraception using DMPA with condom was reported by 42.9% (49/114). A partner who resisted wearing a condom was associated with poor adhesion (PR=0.3; 95%CI 0.2-0.7; p<0.001). A partner who was unaware that a woman was infected with HIV favored adherence (PR=1.8; 95%CI 1.2-2.7; p=0.013). The percentage of dual contraception using DMPA plus condom was 42.9%, maintaining unplanned pregnancies and unprotected sex. Resistance of partners to use a condom increased three times the chance of a woman not adhering to dual contraception, and the partner not knowing women's HIV infection almost doubled the chance to adhere to safe contraception. to offer new hormonal contraceptives and to involve the partners in contraception and serologic detection tests.

Evolution of Decisions in Population Games with Sequentially Searching Individuals

In many social situations, individuals endeavor to find the single best possible partner, but are constrained to evaluate the candidates in sequence. Examples include the search for mates, economic partnerships, or any other long-term ties where the choice to interact involves two parties. Surprisingly, however, previous theoretical work on mutual choice problems focuses on finding equilibrium solutions, while ignoring the evolutionary dynamics of decisions. Empirically, this may be of high importance, as some equilibrium solutions can never be reached unless the population undergoes radical changes and a sufficient number of individuals change their decisions simultaneously. To address this question, we apply a mutual choice sequential search problem in an evolutionary game-theoretical model that allows one to find solutions that are favored by evolution. As an example, we study the influence of sequential search on the evolutionary dynamics of cooperation. For this, we focus on the classic snowdrift game and the prisoner’s dilemma game.

P04.09 Association of gender of sexual partners with women’s sexually transmitted infection risk

Background Previous data suggest that women who have sex with women and men (WSWM) have the highest STI risk compared to other female sexual behaviour groups. We compared risk behaviours and STI rates among women who have sex with women (WSW), WSWM, women with a single male partner (WSM), and women with multiple male partners. We hypothesised a continuum of STI risk with WSW having the lowest risk, followed by WSM with one partner, WSM with multiple partners, and WSWM. Methods A secondary analysis of data from two studies of African American women evaluated at a Birmingham, Alabama STD clinic was performed. One study included exclusive WSW (n = 78) and WSWM (n = 85) during the preceding year while the other evaluated WSM (n = 91 with one male partner and n = 78 with multiple male partners) during this timeframe. All participants completed a questionnaire and were tested for STIs. Results Groups did not differ by education, employment status, or recent alcohol/drug use. WSWM and WSM with multiple partners were more likely to report prior incarceration, transactional sex, and new/casual partner (s) within the past month. Rates of chlamydia and gonorrhoea were significantly different across groups with WSM more likely to have chlamydia and WSWM and WSM more likely to have gonorrhoea. In contrast, WSW and WSWM were more likely to have trichomoniasis than WSM. With the exception of WSW (25%), HSV-2 seroprevalence was high (>50%) among all groups. WSWM and WSM with multiple partners were more likely to report condom use at their last sexual encounter than WSM with single male partners and WSW. Conclusion Among women attending an STD clinic, STIs were common in all groups however prevalence appears to vary in association with partner gender and number. Even in STD clinics, partner gender and number are important factors to consider in sexual health counselling. Disclosure of interest statement Funding for original research was received from a Development Award from the American Sexually Transmitted Disease Association. No pharmaceutical grants were received in the development of this study.

Partnership Ties Shape Friendship Networks: A Dynamic Social Network Study

Partnership ties shape friendship networks through different social forces. First, partnership ties drive clustering in friendship networks: individuals who are in a partnership tend to have common friends and befriend other couples. Second, partnership ties influence the level of homophily in these emerging friendship clusters. Partners tend to be similar in a number of attributes (homogamy). If one partner selects friends based on preferences for homophily, then the other partner may befriend the same person regardless of whether they also have homophilic preferences. Thus, two homophilic ties emerge based on a single partner's preferences. This amplification of homophily can be observed in many attributes (e.g., ethnicity, religion, age). Gender homophily, however, may be de-amplified, as the gender of partners differs in hetero-sexual partnerships. In our study, we follow dynamic friendship formation among 126 individuals and their cohabiting partners in a university-related graduate housing community over a period of nine months ( N = 2,250 self-reported friendship relations). We find that partnership ties strongly shape the dynamic process of friendship formation. They are a main driver of local network clustering and explain a striking amount of homophily.

Reputational concerns, not altruism, motivate restraint when gambling with other people's money.

People may behave prosocially not only because they value the welfare of others, but also to protect their own reputation. We examined the separate roles of altruism and reputational concerns in moral-hazard gambling tasks, which allowed subjects to gamble with a partner's money. In Study 1, subjects who were told that their partner would see their choices were more prosocial. In Study 2, subjects were more prosocial to a single partner when their choices were transparent than when their choices were attributed to a third party. We conclude that reputational concerns are a key restraint on selfish exploitation under moral hazard.

Current intimate relationship status, depression, and alcohol use among bisexual women: The mediating roles of bisexual-specific minority stressors.

Current intimate relationship characteristics, including gender and number of partner(s), may affect one's visibility as a bisexual individual and the minority stressors they experience, which may in turn influence their health. The current study tested four hypotheses: 1) minority stressors vary by current intimate relationship status; 2) higher minority stressors are associated with higher depressive symptoms and alcohol-related outcomes; 3) depressive symptoms and alcohol-related outcomes vary by current intimate relationship status; and 4) minority stressors will mediate differences in these outcomes. Participants included 470 self-identified bisexual women (65% Caucasian, mean age: 21) from a sample of sexual minority women recruited from different geographic regions in the United States through advertisements on social networking sites and Craigslist. Participants completed a 45 minute survey. Respondents with single partners were first grouped by partner gender (male partner: n=282; female partner: n=56). Second, women were grouped by partner gender/number (single female/male partner: n = 338; women with multiple female and male partners: n=132). Women with single male partners and women with multiple male and female partners exhibited elevated experienced bi-negativity and differences in outness (H1). Experienced and internalized bi-negativity were associated with health outcomes, but not outness (H2). Differences in outcomes emerged by partner number and partner number/gender (H3); these differences were mediated by experienced bi-negativity (H4). These results suggest that experiences of discrimination may underlie differences in health related to bisexual women's relationship structure and highlight the importance of evaluating women's relational context as well as sexual identification in understanding health risk behaviors.

P24 Outbreak or illusion: consequences of “improved” diagnostics for gonorrhoea: Abstract P24 Table 1

Background/introduction The service introduced gonorrhoea nucleic acid testing (NAATs) using the BD Viper LT™ System in August 2012. Since then rates of gonorrhoea have increased threefold (Table 1). Concerns were raised by Public Health England in 2014 that this increase represented an outbreak. Aim(s)/objectives To ascertain if there was an outbreak. Methods We reviewed all 153 gonorrhoea (GC) cases seen from January to June 2014. Results Of 45 female cases, 16 (36%) were not known GC contacts, and were culture negative: all were NAATS positive at the cervix. Of 43 cases in heterosexual men, 4 were positive by NAATs only and not known contacts of GC: one had a single partner who tested negative for GC. There were 65 cases in MSM. Of 36 (55%) NAATS positive only who were asymptomatic and not a known GC contact, 32 had isolated pharyngeal infection, 3 rectal infections only and 1 dual rectal and pharynx infection. Discussion/conclusion At an incident control meeting with the local authority, PHE and local GUM service, it was agreed there was insufficient evidence to confirm a cluster of cases and that at least some of the increase could be attributable to the introduction of NAATs testing. It was agreed to prospectively audit GC cases, until March 2015 and to send NAAT positive/culture negative samples to reference laboratory for confirmatory testing. Initial results from the first 2 months suggest that a significant number of cases are not confirmed. The full data will be presented and the implications for GC testing in our clinic population discussed.

Minimal coital dilution in Accra, Ghana.

Coital dilution, the reduction in the coital frequency per partner when an additional ongoing partner is added, may reduce the transmission potential of partnership concurrency for HIV and other sexually transmitted infections. Empirical estimates of dilution, especially dilution of sexual acts unprotected by condoms, are needed to inform prevention research. Sexually active adults in Accra, Ghana were recruited in a multistage household probability sample. Degree (number of ongoing partners), total acts, and unprotected acts were measured retrospectively for each month in the past year through an event history calendar. Random-effects negative binomial models estimated the association between degree and coital frequency. Compared with person-months with a single partner (monogamy), 2.06 times as many total acts and 1.94 times as many unprotected acts occurred in months with 2 partners. In months with 3 partners, 2.90 times as many total acts and 2.39 times as many unprotected acts occurred compared with monogamous months. Total acts but not unprotected acts also declined with partnership duration. No dilution was observed for total acts with up to 3 concurrent partners, but a small amount of dilution was observed for unprotected acts for months with multiple concurrencies. This suggests moderate selective condom use in months with multiple concurrencies. The implications of the observed dilution for future HIV transmission must be investigated with mathematical models.

Sexual risk behaviors and HIV risk among Americans aged 50 years or older: a review.

Although HIV-related sexual risk behaviors have been studied extensively in adolescents and young adults, there is limited information about these behaviors among older Americans, which make up a growing segment of the US population and an understudied population. This review of the literature dealing with sexual behaviors that increase the risk of becoming HIV-infected found a low prevalence of condom use among older adults, even when not in a long-term relationship with a single partner. A seminal study by Schick et al published in 2010 reported that the prevalence of condom use at last intercourse was highest among those aged 50–59 years (24.3%; 95% confidence interval, 15.6–35.8) and declined with age, with a 17.1% prevalence among those aged 60–69 years (17.1%; 95% confidence interval, 7.3–34.2). Studies have shown that older Americans may underestimate their risk of becoming HIV-infected. Substance use also increases the risk for sexual risk behaviors, and studies have indicated that the prevalence of substance use among older adults has increased in the past decade. As is the case with younger adults, the prevalence of HIV infections is elevated among ethnic minorities, drug users (eg, injection drug users), and men who have sex with men. When infected, older adults are likely to be diagnosed with HIV-related medical disorders later in the course of illness compared with their younger counterparts. Physicians are less likely to discuss sexual risk behaviors with older adults and to test them for HIV compared with younger adults. Thus, it is important to educate clinicians about sexual risk behaviors in the older age group and to design preventive interventions specifically designed for older adults.

10. Daily Emotional and Behavioral Interactions in Young Men's and Young Women's Single and Multiple Partner Relationships

Public health risk reduction efforts commonly focus on avoiding multiple-partner relationships, as they can be associated with increased sexual risk behaviors (e.g. inconsistent condom-use). During adolescence, however, young people normatively participate in different romantic/sexual relationships – some of which occur simultaneously (e.g. dating two people). Since emerging relationships support learning to manage emotional and behavioral aspects of sexuality, it is possible that different types of relationships confer specific developmental skills.

Effects of polygamy on the activity/rest rhythm of male fruit flies Drosophila melanogaster.

Although polygamy is common in insects, its extent varies enormously among natural populations. Mating systems influence the evolution of reproductive traits and the difference in extent of polygamy between males and females may be a key factor in determining traits which come under the influence of sexual selection. Fruit flies Drosophila melanogaster are promiscuous as both males and females mate with multiple partners. Mating has severe consequences on the physiology and behaviour of flies, and it affects their activity/rest rhythm in a sex-specific manner. In this study, we attempted to discern the effects of mating with multiple partners as opposed to a single partner, or of remaining unmated, on the activity/rest rhythm of flies under cyclic semi-natural (SN) and constant dark (DD) conditions. The results revealed that while evening activity of mated flies was significantly reduced compared to virgins, polygamous males showed a more severe reduction compared to monogamous males. In contrast, though mated females showed reduction in evening activity compared to virgins, activity levels were not different between polygamous and monogamous females. Although there was no detectable effect of mating on clock period, power of the activity/rest rhythm was significantly reduced in mated females with no difference seen between polygamous and monogamous individuals. These results suggest that courtship motivation, represented by evening activity, is successively reduced in males due to mating with one or more partners, while in females, it does not depend on the number of mating partners. Based on these results we conclude that polygamy affects the activity/rest rhythm of fruit flies D. melanogaster in a sex-dependent manner.

AIDS awareness and associated factors among men in Bangladesh: evidence from Bangladesh Demographic and Health Survey 2007

Awareness is the key to prevention of acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). It is important to identify associated factors and the aim of the present paper was to explore AIDS awareness among the country representative male population in Bangladesh along with identifying the associated factors. To assess the AIDS awareness among ever-married men in Bangladesh, this study used data extracted from the Bangladesh Demographic and Health Survey 2007. Of the 3771 ever-married men included in the study, most were Muslims (89.8%) and from rural areas (61.7%). Of the respondents, 85.9% had ever heard of AIDS. More than 70% of the respondents reported that a healthy looking person can have HIV, a person can get AIDS by using unsterilized needle or syringe and a person can get AIDS through unsafe blood transfusions, but always using condoms during sex and having single sex partner who has no other partner might reduce chances of getting AIDS. Multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed that AIDS awareness was strongly and positively associated with education of the respondents, varied significantly across different parts of the country. AIDS awareness was higher among urban residents than rural, and among them who had access to newspaper or magazine, television and radio than those who had not. AIDS awareness may be further increased providing easy access to education, mass-media, and promotion of condom use for prevention of AIDS in Bangladesh. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3329/mediscope.v1i1.21630 Mediscope Vol. 1, No. 1: 2014, Pages 1-13

A Study of Sero-Prevalence of Cytomegalo Virus

Background : CMV seroprevalence varies considerably in differe nt population groups throughout the world. Sero- conversion results from close contact with virus po sitive individuals. It need to stop its transmissio n & save the population from CMV infection by adapting safety measures like safe sex, safe blood transfusion, scree ning ante- natal mothers for CMV & health education. Methodology : The study cohort consisted of 105 patients which included 60 males and 45 females. Seroprevalence of CMV IgG antibodies in HIV and non-HIV patients are done by ELISA. Results : The high seroprevalence CMV was reported in HIV positive patients sexually active age group of 16 to 49 yrs females than in males. Employee, lo wer educated, Heterosexual with single sex partner s CMV was highly prevalent. In the HIV negative group the hig h seroprevalance of CMV was reported in patients wi th age group of 16 to59 years, males, laborers and low une ducated patients.It was more common in heterosexuals and in patients exposed to multiple partners. Conclusion : This study showed varying influences of demographic and social factors on the prevalence of CMV. The sexual factor s and STD conditions showed common influence on seroprevalence of CMV.

Consistent Condom Use and Preference of HIV Risk Preventive Interventions among Undergraduate University Students in Southern Ethiopia: A Cross Sectional Study

Introduction: To reduce HIV (human immunodeficiency virus) infection, attention has been focused recently on the promotion of the “ABCs” (being abstinent, remaining faithful to one sexual partner, and using condoms consistently). In Ethiopia, despite the mushrooming number of students in the higher learning institutions, students were not equipped with the necessary skills to protect themselves from HIV infection. Methods and materials: This cross-sectional study was aimed to identify consistent condom use and students preference. A total of 770 students were sampled and selected using the principle of proportional to size allocation method. Then, students were selected from each department by simple random sampling technique using lists of students as sampling frame. Data were collected using structured self-administered questionnaire, focus group discussion guide and in depth interviews check lists as tools. Statistical tests were employed wherever necessary at the significance level of 0.05. Result: About 50.4% of students were used condom during sexual intercourse in the last 12 months, 33.2% of them used condom consistently. Male students preferred condom use while female students preferred to be sexually abstinent and being faithful with single regular partner. Students from urban residents were 8.3 times more likely to use condom consistently than those from rural areas. Students who had monthly income were 6 times more likely to use condoms consistently than their counter parts. Conclusion and recommendation: Less than one third of students use condom consistently and condom preference varies by gender among university students To respond proactively to the current needs of the target group based on evidence and scientific behavioral theories and proven interventions, the university needs not relying on any single intervention approach, rather using a combination of behavioral, structural and biomedical interventions coordinated to achieve maximum effect.

Fitting two- and three-site binding models to isothermal titration calorimetric data

As isothermal titration calorimetry (ITC) gains popularity for the characterization of enthalpies and equilibrium association constants of simple 1:1 biomolecular interactions, its use for more complex systems is growing. The method is increasingly used to study interactions in which a single binding partner (molecule “A”) interacts with multiple copies of a second partner (“B”); thus examinations of ABB and ABBB interactions are not uncommon. The structure of ITC data (commonly formatted as isotherms) has a strong bearing on the ability of the researcher to extract the necessary parameters from them. Usually, only 10–30 injections are recorded in a single ITC experiment. Even if replicates are performed, the data must support the extraction of up to twelve parameters from an ABBB system. Further, the refinement of some of the parameters is largely driven by only a subset of the data. The ability of ITC data to guide the deterministic estimation of these parameters may therefore be questioned. This work assesses the ability of both empirical and simulated ITC data of ABB and ABBB systems to support the simultaneous estimation of the desired thermodynamic parameters. The results demonstrate that multiphasic isotherms tend to (but do not always) support the estimation of multiple parameters. On the other hand, uniphasic data obtained from multi-site binding systems are more problematic. In all cases, a thorough exploration of how precisely the estimated parameters are specified by the data is justified.

Sexual Partner Typologies Among Single Young Men Who Have Sex with Men.

Using data from a sample of single young men who have sex with men (N = 1,359, ages 18-24, 65 % White, 93 % gay), we examined whether the number of unprotected anal intercourse (UAI) partners with differed across relationship typologies (e.g., friends with benefits, hookups, romantic interests). We then examined how safer sex self-efficacy, decisional balance to forego condoms, ideal relationship attributes (i.e., intimacy, passion and commitment), and limerence were associated with UAI. Different partner types were associated with greater UAI partners; single partner types were associated with fewer UAI partners, irrespective of how they were categorized. UAI partners was associated with decisional balance (OR = 1.89, p < 0.001), passion ideation (OR = 1.38, p < 0.001), and difficulty negotiating safer sex with romantic partners (OR = 1.16, p < 0.001). Odds of UAI partners decreased with higher scores of commitment ideation (OR = 0.91, p < 0.05) and difficulty negotiating safer sex with casual partners (OR = 0.96, p < 0.05). We discuss the importance of acknowledging how different sexual partnerships, alongside its motivational correlates, influence UAI risk in order to inform HIV-prevention interventions.

R&amp;amp;D Cooperation and Firm Performance – Evaluation of Partnering Strategies in the Automotive Industry

The importance of R&D cooperation has been recognized as a consequence of growing complexity, dynamism of the environment, increasing risks and escalating costs of innovation. Collaboration with firms and academic institutions enables organizations to exploit external resources and competencies not available internally and adding additional value to the in-house ideas. Despite the large number of publications related to R&D cooperation, empirical studies on the impact of firm’s strategic partnering on firm performances are rather scarce. Thus, the goal of this paper is to contribute to the existing literature by discussing the strategic behavior of firms derived from the patent co-ownership network in order to establish a link between the variety of close relationships and the number of sold products. This paper discusses the influence of different strategic directions on firm performance, whereby the impact of uncertainty regarding the future technology development and the market acceptance is specifically high. First, the starting point is the analysis of co-patenting structure in the field automotive industry using patents related to lithium-ion batteries. This study investigates the characteristics of each resulting cluster derived from the collaboration network and then explores the heterogeneities of R&D collaboration strategies differentiating between three types of strategic partnering: doing-it-alone, concentration on single partners and open partnering. Second, analysis is undertaken to establish an empirical linkage between the strategic partnering behavior and the number of sold electric vehicles. The results indicate that there is no direct causal link between the intensity of the cooperation and performance.

BEM46 shows eisosomal localization and association with tryptophan-derived auxin pathway in Neurospora crassa.

BEM46 proteins are evolutionarily conserved, but their functions remain elusive. We reported previously that the BEM46 protein in Neurospora crassa is targeted to the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) and is essential for ascospore germination. In the present study, we established a bem46 knockout strain of N. crassa. This Δbem46 mutant exhibited a level of ascospore germination lower than that of the wild type but much higher than those of the previously characterized bem46-overexpressing and RNA interference (RNAi) lines. Reinvestigation of the RNAi transformants revealed two types of alternatively spliced bem46 mRNA; expression of either type led to a loss of ascospore germination. Our results indicated that the phenotype was not due to bem46 mRNA downregulation or loss but was caused by the alternatively spliced mRNAs and the peptides they encoded. Using the N. crassa ortholog of the eisosomal protein PILA from Aspergillus nidulans, we further demonstrated the colocalization of BEM46 with eisosomes. Employing the yeast two-hybrid system, we identified a single interaction partner: anthranilate synthase component II (encoded by trp-1). This interaction was confirmed in vivo by a split-YFP (yellow fluorescent protein) approach. The Δtrp-1 mutant showed reduced ascospore germination and increased indole production, and we used bioinformatic tools to identify a putative auxin biosynthetic pathway. The genes involved exhibited various levels of transcriptional regulation in the different bem46 transformant and mutant strains. We also investigated the indole production of the strains in different developmental stages. Our findings suggested that the regulation of indole biosynthesis genes was influenced by bem46 overexpression. Furthermore, we uncovered evidence of colocalization of BEM46 with the neutral amino acid transporter MTR.