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Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology Sep 2022Young adults are increasingly using non-cigarette products, such as hookahs, since they are perceived as healthier alternatives to cigarette smoking. However, hookah...
Young adults are increasingly using non-cigarette products, such as hookahs, since they are perceived as healthier alternatives to cigarette smoking. However, hookah users are exposed to not only carcinogenic compounds but also microorganisms that may play an active role in the development of both infectious and chronic diseases among users. Nevertheless, existing hookah research in this area has focused only on microorganisms that may be transferred to users through the smoking apparatus and not on bacterial communities associated with hookah tobacco. To address this knowledge gap, we conducted time-series experiments on commercially available hookah brands (Al Fakher (flavors: two apple, mint, and watermelon) and Fumari (flavors: white gummy bear, ambrosia, and mint chocolate chill)) stored under three different temperature and relative humidity conditions over 14 days. To characterize bacterial communities, the total DNA was extracted on days 0, 5, 9, and 14, PCR-amplified for the V3V4 region of the bacterial 16S rRNA gene, sequenced on the Illumina HiSeq platform, and analyzed using R. Diversity (alpha and beta) analyses revealed that the microbiotas of Fumari and Al Fakher products differed significantly and that flavor had a significant effect on the hookah microbiota. Overall, Pseudomonas, Bacillus, Sphingomonas, and Methylobacterium were the predominant bacterial taxa across all products. Additionally, we observed compositional differences between hookah brands across the 14-day incubation. These data suggest that the bacterial communities of hookah tobacco are diverse and differ across brands and flavors, which may have critical implications regarding exposures to specific bacteria among hookah users. KEY POINTS: • Commercial hookah products harbor diverse bacterial communities. • Brands and flavors impact the diversity of these communities. • Research on their viability and transmission to users' respiratory tracts is needed.
Topics: Bacteria; Humans; RNA, Ribosomal, 16S; Smoking Water Pipes; Nicotiana; Tobacco Products; Young Adult
PubMed: 35927334
DOI: 10.1007/s00253-022-12079-7 -
Environmental Science and Ecotechnology Sep 2024The pathogen , responsible for a variety of diseases, poses a considerable threat to global crop yields. Emerging biocontrol strategies employ antagonistic...
The pathogen , responsible for a variety of diseases, poses a considerable threat to global crop yields. Emerging biocontrol strategies employ antagonistic microorganisms, utilizing phyllosphere microecology and systemic resistance to combat this disease. However, the interactions between phyllosphere microbial dynamics and the activation of the plant defense system remain poorly understood. Here we show significant alterations in phyllosphere microbiota structure and plant gene expression following the application of biocontrol agents. We reveal enhanced collaboration and integration of and within the microbial co-occurrence network. Notably, inhibits by disrupting pathogen chemotaxis and virulence. Additionally, both and activate plant defenses by upregulating pathogenesis-related gene expression through abscisic acid, ethylene, jasmonate acid, and salicylic acid signaling pathways. Our results highlighted that biocontrol agents promote plant health, from reconstructing beneficial microbial consortia to enhancing plant immunity. The findings enrich our comprehension of the synergistic interplays between phyllosphere microbiota and plant immunity, offering potential enhancements in biocontrol efficacy for crop protection.
PubMed: 38883559
DOI: 10.1016/j.ese.2024.100431 -
Disease Markers 2022The aims of our experiment were to compare the microorganisms in meibomian gland secretions from patients with internal hordeolum before and after treatment using...
OBJECTIVE
The aims of our experiment were to compare the microorganisms in meibomian gland secretions from patients with internal hordeolum before and after treatment using hypochlorous acid eyelid wipes, to elucidate the mechanism underlying hypochlorous acid eyelid wipe treatment of internal hordeolum.
METHODS
This was a prospective, matched-pair study. A total of eight patients with internal hordeolum who attended the ophthalmology clinic of our hospital from April to August 2020 were included. Meibomian gland secretions were collected from subjects before treatment (Group A) and from patients cured after eyelid cleaning with hypochlorous acid eyelid wipes for 7 days (Group B). Samples were submitted to 16S rRNA high-throughput sequencing, and the resulting data were analyzed to compare the differences in the structure and composition of meibomian gland secretion microbial flora before and after treatment of internal hordeolum.
RESULTS
A total of 2127 operational taxonomic units were obtained from the two groups of samples, and there was no significant difference in alpha diversity before and after eyelid cleaning. At the phylum level, there was no significant difference between the two groups. The predominant phyla in Group A included the following: (32.78% ± 20.16%), (26.73% ± 7.49%), (10.58% ± 11.45%), (9.05% ± 6.63%), (8.48% ±1.77%), and (3.15% ± 3.12%), while those in Group B were the following: (31.86% ± 9.69%), (29.07% ± 24.20%), (11.33% ± 7.53%), (7.10% ± 1.98%), (5.39% ± 5.17%), and (3.89% ± 3.67%). Starting from the class level, significant differences in microbial communities were detected before and after eyelid cleaning ( < 0.05). Linear discriminant analysis effect size analysis showed the core flora in Group A microbiome comprising , , , , , , , , were sp., , , , , , and .
CONCLUSION
Eyelid cleaning with hypochlorous acid eyelid wipes does not change the biodiversity in the meibomian gland secretions of patients with internal hordeolum. Hypochlorous acid eyelid wipes may affect the internal hordeolum through broad-spectrum antibacterial action to effectively reduce the relative abundance of symbiotic pathogens, such as , , , and and increase that of i and other symbiotic probiotics with anti-inflammatory effects.
Topics: Adult; Bacteria; Biodiversity; Female; Hordeolum; Humans; Hypochlorous Acid; Male; Meibomian Glands; Microbiota; Oxidants; Prospective Studies; RNA, Ribosomal, 16S
PubMed: 35251376
DOI: 10.1155/2022/7550090 -
Frontiers in Microbiology 2022Bees and their microbes interact in complex networks in which bees form symbiotic relationships with their bacteria and fungi. Microbial composition and abundance affect...
Bees and their microbes interact in complex networks in which bees form symbiotic relationships with their bacteria and fungi. Microbial composition and abundance affect bee health through nutrition, immunity, and fitness. In ever-expanding urban landscapes, land use development changes bee habitats and floral resource availability, thus altering the sources of microbes that wild bees need to establish their microbiome. Here, we implement metabarcoding of the bacterial 16S and fungal ITS regions to characterize the diversity and composition of the microbiome in 58 small carpenter bees, across urban land use gradients (study area 6,425 km). By categorizing land use development, green space, precipitation, and temperature variables as indicators of habitat across the city, we found that land use variables can predict microbial diversity. Microbial composition was also found to vary across urban land use gradients, with certain microbes such as and overrepresented in less urban locations and more abundant in developed areas. Environmental features may also lead to differences in microbe interactions, as co-occurrences between bacteria and fungi varied across percent land use development, exemplified by the correlation between and being more prevalent in areas of higher urban development. Surrounding landscapes change the microbial landscape in wild bees and alter the relationships they have with their microbiome. As such, urban centres should consider the impact of growing cities on their pollinators' health and protect wild bees from the effects of anthropogenic activities.
PubMed: 36466654
DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2022.992660 -
PeerJ 2021Globally, there is a large amount of salinized land. These soils have varying degrees of salt stress, causing ionic toxicity and osmotic stress on plants. However, it is...
BACKGROUND
Globally, there is a large amount of salinized land. These soils have varying degrees of salt stress, causing ionic toxicity and osmotic stress on plants. However, it is not clear how different degrees of salt stress affect plant nutrients and microbial communities. Thus, a comprehensive understanding of plant major nutrients and microbial communities response to salt stress is desirable.
RESULTS
We analyzed the main nutrients of the salt-tolerant ZhongMu No. 3 alfalfa variety planted in a salt stress environment. In mild and moderate group, the protein content and fatty acid content of alfalfa were the highest, indicating the best nutritional value. The severe group of salt stress affected the growth and development of alfalfa, as manifested by a decrease in the nutritional quality of alfalfa. and that from alfalfa stem and leaf endophytes also increased with an increase in salt stress. In contrast, , , and decrease with increasing salt stress. and have extremely significant differences in response to salt stress, and also shows significant differences.
CONCLUSIONS
Soil salinity would be an important factor beyond which alfalfa nutrient quality and microbial community structure change. This study identified key levels of salt stress that may affect the nutrient quality and microbial community structure. These findings enhance our understanding of the effects of salt stress on the nutritional quality of alfalfa and provide a reference for the sustainable use of salinized soil in the future.
PubMed: 34316396
DOI: 10.7717/peerj.11729 -
Cancer Management and Research 2020Besides genetic and epigenetic alterations that lead to carcinogenesis and development of colorectal cancer (CRC), intestinal microbiomes are recently recognized to play...
INTRODUCTION
Besides genetic and epigenetic alterations that lead to carcinogenesis and development of colorectal cancer (CRC), intestinal microbiomes are recently recognized to play a critical role in CRC progression. The abundant species associated with human CRC have been proposed for their roles in promoting tumorigenesis. However, a recent "driver-passenger" model suggests that these CRC-associated species with high relative abundances may be passenger bacteria that take advantage of the tumor environment instead of initiating CRC, whereas the driver species that initiate CRC have been replaced by passenger bacteria due to the alteration of the intestinal niche.
METHODS
Here, to reveal potential driver and passenger bacteria during CRC progression, we compare the gut mucosal microbiomes of 75 triplet-paired CRC samples collected from on-tumor site, adjacent-tumor site, and off-tumor site, and 26 healthy controls.
RESULTS
Our analyses revealed potential driver bacteria in four genera and two families, and potential passenger bacteria in 14 genera or families. and were predicted to be potential driver bacteria. Moreover, 14 potential passenger bacteria were identified and divided into five groups. Group I passenger bacteria contain , and . Group II passenger bacteria contain . Group III passenger bacteria contain . Group IV passenger bacteria contain , and . Group V passenger bacteria contain . Co-occurrence network analysis reveals a low correlation relationship between driver and passenger bacteria in CRC patients compared with healthy controls.
DISCUSSION
These driver and passenger species may serve as bio-marker species for screening cohorts with high risk to initiate CRC or patients with CRC, respectively. Further functional studies will help understand the roles of driver and passenger bacteria in CRC initiation and development.
PubMed: 33209059
DOI: 10.2147/CMAR.S275316 -
Pathogens (Basel, Switzerland) Feb 2020spp. are emerging opportunistic premise plumbing pathogens. Human infections linked to premise plumbing provide evidence of their routes of infection. Cells of a...
spp. are emerging opportunistic premise plumbing pathogens. Human infections linked to premise plumbing provide evidence of their routes of infection. Cells of a collection of representative strains of different species were tested for hydrophobicity by contact angle, adherence and biofilm formation on different plumbing materials, and temperature tolerance (50-60 °C); characteristics shared by OPPPs. spp. strains were shown to grow in drinking water, have high cell-surface hydrophobicity, adhere to pipe surface materials, form biofilms, and survive exposure to high (60° C) temperatures. It can be concluded that spp. strains share traits in common with other opportunistic premise plumbing pathogens (OPPPs).
PubMed: 32098432
DOI: 10.3390/pathogens9020149 -
Microbial Ecology Jan 2021Aedes aegypti develop in aquatic habitats in which mosquito larvae are exposed to physicochemical elements and microorganisms that may influence their life cycle and...
Aedes aegypti develop in aquatic habitats in which mosquito larvae are exposed to physicochemical elements and microorganisms that may influence their life cycle and their ability to transmit arboviruses. Little is known about the natural bacterial communities associated with A. aegypti or their relation to the biotic and abiotic characteristics of their aquatic habitats. We characterized the physicochemical properties and bacterial microbiota of A. aegypti breeding sites and larvae on Guadeloupe and in French Guiana. In addition, we explored whether geographic location, the type of breeding site and physicochemical parameters influenced the microbiota associated with this mosquito species. We used large-scale 16S rRNA gene sequencing of 160 breeding sites and 147 pools of A. aegypti larvae and recorded 12 physicochemical parameters at the sampled breeding sites. Ordination plots and multiple linear regression were used to assess the influence of environmental factors on the bacterial microbiota of water and larvae. We found territory-specific differences in physicochemical properties (dissolved oxygen, conductivity) and the composition of bacterial communities in A. aegypti breeding sites that influenced the relative abundance of several bacteria genera (e.g., Methylobacterium, Roseoccocus) on the corresponding larvae. A significant fraction of the bacterial communities identified on larvae, dominated by Herbiconiux and Microvirga genera, were consistently enriched in mosquitoes regardless the location. In conclusion, territory-specific differences observed in the biotic and abiotic properties of A. aegypti breeding sites raise concern about the impact of these changes on pathogen transmission by different A. aegypti populations.
Topics: Aedes; Animals; Bacteria; French Guiana; Guadeloupe; Larva; Microbiota; Mosquito Vectors; RNA, Ribosomal, 16S; Water
PubMed: 32621210
DOI: 10.1007/s00248-020-01544-3 -
Biotechnology Journal Aug 2018Developing methylotrophic bacteria into cell factories that meet the chemical demand of the future could be both economical and environmentally friendly. Methane is not... (Review)
Review
Developing methylotrophic bacteria into cell factories that meet the chemical demand of the future could be both economical and environmentally friendly. Methane is not only an abundant, low-cost resource but also a potent greenhouse gas, the capture of which could help to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Rational strain design workflows rely on the availability of carefully combined knowledge often in the form of genome-scale metabolic models to construct high-producer organisms. In this review, the authors present the most recent genome-scale metabolic models in aerobic methylotrophy and their applications. Further, the authors present models for the study of anaerobic methanotrophy through reverse methanogenesis and suggest organisms that may be of interest for expanding one-carbon industrial biotechnology. Metabolic models of methylotrophs are scarce, yet they are important first steps toward rational strain-design in these organisms.
Topics: Anaerobiosis; Biotechnology; Industrial Microbiology; Methane; Methanococcus; Methylobacterium; Models, Biological
PubMed: 29917330
DOI: 10.1002/biot.201800011 -
Plants (Basel, Switzerland) May 2022Understanding the unique and unexplored microbial environment of xylem sap is starting to be of relevant importance for plant health, as it could include microbes that...
Understanding the unique and unexplored microbial environment of xylem sap is starting to be of relevant importance for plant health, as it could include microbes that may protect plants against xylem-limited pathogens, such as Verticillium dahliae and Xylella fastidiosa. In this study, we evaluated the effects that the method for extracting the xylem bacterial communities, the plant age and the PCR primers may have on characterizing the xylem-bacterial-community composition by using an NGS approach. Xylem sap was extracted from xylem vessels by using a Scholander pressure chamber, or by macerating wood shavings that were obtained from xylem tissues by using branches from 10-year-old olive trees, or the entire canopy of 1-year-old olive plantlets. Additionally, we compared four different PCR-primer pairs that target 16S rRNA for their efficacy to avoid the coamplification of mitochondria and chloroplast 16S rRNA, as this represents an important drawback in metabarcoding studies. The highest amplifications in the mitochondria and chloroplast reads were obtained when using xylem woody chips with the PCR1-799F/1062R (76.05%) and PCR3-967F/1391R (99.96%) primer pairs. To the contrary, the PCR2-799F/1115R and PCR4-799F/1193R primer pairs showed the lowest mitochondria 16S rRNA amplification (<27.48%), no chloroplast sequences and the highest numbers of bacterial OTUs identified (i.e., 254 and 266, respectively). Interestingly, only 73 out of 172 and 46 out of 181 genera were shared between the xylem sap and woody chips after amplification with PCR2 or PCR4 primers, respectively, which indicates a strong bias of the bacterial-community description, depending on the primers used. Globally, the most abundant bacterial genera (>60% of reads) included Anoxybacillus, Cutibacterium, Pseudomonas, Spirosoma, Methylobacterium-Methylorubrum and Sphingomonas; however, their relative importance varied, depending on the matrix that was used for the DNA extraction and the primer pairs that were used, with the lowest effect due to plant age. These results will help to optimize the analysis of xylem-inhabiting bacteria, depending on whether whole xylematic tissue or xylem sap is used for the DNA extraction. More importantly, it will help to better understand the driving and modifying factors that shape the olive-xylem-bacterial-community composition.
PubMed: 35631745
DOI: 10.3390/plants11101320