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Canadian Journal of Microbiology Jul 2024The ecologically and economically vital symbiosis between nitrogen-fixing rhizobia and leguminous plants is often thought of as a bi-partite interaction, yet studies...
The ecologically and economically vital symbiosis between nitrogen-fixing rhizobia and leguminous plants is often thought of as a bi-partite interaction, yet studies increasingly show the prevalence of non-rhizobial endophytes (NREs) that occupy nodules alongside rhizobia. Yet, what impact these NREs have on plant or rhizobium fitness remains unclear. Here, we investigated four NRE strains found to naturally co-occupy nodules of the legume alongside in native soils. Our objectives were to (1) examine the direct and indirect effects of NREs on and fitness, and (2) determine whether NREs can re-colonize root and nodule tissues upon reinoculation. We identified one NRE strain (522) as a novel species, another strain (717A) as a novel species, and the other two (702A and 733B) as novel species. Additionally, we found that two NREs (Bacillus 717A and Pseudomonas 733B) reduced the fitness benefits obtained from symbiosis for both partners, while the other two (522, 702A) had little effect. Lastly, we found that NREs were able to co-infect host tissues alongside . This study demonstrates that variation of NREs present in natural populations must be considered to better understand legume-rhizobium dynamics in soil communities.
Topics: Symbiosis; Medicago truncatula; Root Nodules, Plant; Sinorhizobium meliloti; Soil Microbiology; Endophytes; Pseudomonas; Paenibacillus; Bacillus; Nitrogen Fixation
PubMed: 38507780
DOI: 10.1139/cjm-2023-0209 -
JDS Communications Mar 2024Bacterial endospores, or simply spores, are formed by a diverse group of members within the phylum and include notable genera such as , , and . Spores are distributed... (Review)
Review
Bacterial endospores, or simply spores, are formed by a diverse group of members within the phylum and include notable genera such as , , and . Spores are distributed ubiquitously in natural environments, with soil being an important primary reservoir for these microbes. As such, spores are present throughout the dairy farm environment, and transmission into raw milk occurs through several pathways that coalesce at the point of milk harvest. Despite the very low spore concentrations typically found in bulk tank raw milk, the impact of spores on dairy product quality, safety, and product conformance is widely documented. Processed dairy products affected by the presence of sporeforming bacteria include milk, cheese, dairy powders, ice cream mix, and more. Although raw milk is a major source of spores leading to quality, safety, and conformance issues in dairy products, the impact of other sources should not be discounted and may include ingredients (e.g., cocoa powder), contamination originating from biofilms in processing equipment, and even cross-contamination from the processing environment itself. Addressing spore contamination in the dairy system is complicated by this widespread distribution and by the diversity of these organisms, and successful source tracking often requires discriminatory molecular subtyping tools. Here, we review the key sources of sporeforming bacteria in the dairy system, the factors leading to the transmission of this diverse group of microbes into processed dairy products, and methods employed to enumerate and track spore contaminants.
PubMed: 38482119
DOI: 10.3168/jdsc.2023-0428 -
BMC Genomics Mar 2024Plant diseases caused by pathogenic fungi are devastating. However, commonly used fungicides are harmful to the environment, and some are becoming ineffective due to...
BACKGROUND
Plant diseases caused by pathogenic fungi are devastating. However, commonly used fungicides are harmful to the environment, and some are becoming ineffective due to fungal resistance. Therefore, eco-friendly biological methods to control pathogenic fungi are urgently needed.
RESULTS
In this study, a strain, Paenibacillus sp. lzh-N1, that could inhibit the growth of the pathogenic fungus Mycosphaerella sentina (Fr) Schrorter was isolated from the rhizosphere soil of pear trees, and the complete genome sequence of the strain was obtained, annotated, and analyzed to reveal the genetic foundation of its antagonistic ability. The entire genome of this strain contained a circular chromosome of 5,641,488 bp with a GC content of 45.50%. The results of species identification show that the strain belongs to the same species as P. polymyxa Sb3-1 and P. polymyxa CJX518. Sixteen secondary metabolic biosynthetic gene clusters were predicted by antiSMASH, including those of the antifungal peptides fusaricidin B and paenilarvins. In addition, biofilm formation-related genes containing two potential gene clusters for cyclic lactone autoinducer, a gene encoding S-ribosylhomocysteine lyase (LuxS), and three genes encoding exopolysaccharide biosynthesis protein were identified.
CONCLUSIONS
Antifungal peptides and glucanase biosynthesized by Paenibacillus sp. lzh-N1 may be responsible for its antagonistic effect. Moreover, quorum sensing systems may influence the biocontrol activity of this strain directly or indirectly.
Topics: Paenibacillus; Antifungal Agents; Quorum Sensing; Genome, Bacterial
PubMed: 38481158
DOI: 10.1186/s12864-024-10206-4 -
International Journal of Hygiene and... May 2024Free living amoeba (FLA) are among the organisms commonly found in wastewater and are well-established hosts for diverse microbial communities. Despite its clinical...
Free living amoeba (FLA) are among the organisms commonly found in wastewater and are well-established hosts for diverse microbial communities. Despite its clinical significance, there is little knowledge on the FLA microbiome and resistome, with previous studies relying mostly on conventional approaches. In this study we comprehensively analyzed the microbiome, antibiotic resistome and virulence factors (VFs) within FLA isolated from final treated effluents of two wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) using shotgun metagenomics. Acanthamoeba has been identified as the most common FLA, followed by Entamoeba. The bacterial diversity showed no significant difference (p > 0.05) in FLA microbiomes obtained from the two WWTPs. At phylum level, the most dominant taxa were Proteobacteria, followed by Firmicutes and Actinobacteria. The most abundant genera identified were Enterobacter followed by Citrobacter, Paenibacillus, and Cupriavidus. The latter three genera are reported here for the first time in Acanthamoeba. In total, we identified 43 types of ARG conferring resistance to cephalosporins, phenicol, streptomycin, trimethoprim, quinolones, cephalosporins, tigecycline, rifamycin, and kanamycin. Similarly, a variety of VFs in FLA metagenomes were detected which included flagellar proteins, Type IV pili twitching motility proteins (pilH and rpoN), alginate biosynthesis genes AlgI, AlgG, AlgD and AlgW and Type VI secretion system proteins and general secretion pathway proteins (tssM, tssA, tssL, tssK, tssJ, fha, tssG, tssF, tssC and tssB, gspC, gspE, gspD, gspF, gspG, gspH, gspI, gspJ, gspK, and gspM). To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study of its kind to examine both the microbiomes and resistome in FLA, as well as their potential pathogenicity in treated effluents. Additionally, this study showed that FLA can host a variety of potentially pathogenic bacteria including Paenibacillus, and Cupriavidus that had not previously been reported, indicating that their relationship may play a role in the spread and persistence of antibiotic resistant bacteria (ARBs) and antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) as well as the evolution of novel pathogens.
Topics: Wastewater; Anti-Bacterial Agents; Amoeba; Angiotensin Receptor Antagonists; Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme Inhibitors; Microbiota; Bacteria; Genes, Bacterial; Drug Resistance, Microbial; Cephalosporins
PubMed: 38471337
DOI: 10.1016/j.ijheh.2024.114345 -
ACS Infectious Diseases Apr 2024The polymyxins are nonribosomal lipopeptides produced by and are potent antibiotics with activity specifically directed against Gram-negative bacteria. While the... (Review)
Review
The polymyxins are nonribosomal lipopeptides produced by and are potent antibiotics with activity specifically directed against Gram-negative bacteria. While the clinical use of polymyxins has historically been limited due to their toxicity, their use is on the rise given the lack of alternative treatment options for infections due to multidrug resistant Gram-negative pathogens. The Gram-negative specificity of the polymyxins is due to their ability to target lipid A, the membrane embedded LPS anchor that decorates the cell surface of Gram-negative bacteria. Notably, the mechanisms responsible for polymyxin toxicity, and in particular their nephrotoxicity, are only partially understood with most insights coming from studies carried out in the past decade. In parallel, many synthetic and semisynthetic polymyxin analogues have been developed in recent years in an attempt to mitigate the nephrotoxicity of the natural products. Despite these efforts, to date, no polymyxin analogues have gained clinical approval. This may soon change, however, as at the moment there are three novel polymyxin analogues in clinical trials. In this context, this review provides an update of the most recent insights with regard to the structure-activity relationships and nephrotoxicity of new polymyxin variants reported since 2010. We also discuss advances in the synthetic methods used to generate new polymyxin analogues, both via total synthesis and semisynthesis.
Topics: Anti-Bacterial Agents; Polymyxins; Lipopeptides; Gram-Negative Bacteria; Structure-Activity Relationship
PubMed: 38470446
DOI: 10.1021/acsinfecdis.3c00630 -
BioTechniques May 2024is a rich source of high-value natural components. Endophytic fungi are well studied, yet bacteria research is limited. In this study, endophytic bacteria from were...
is a rich source of high-value natural components. Endophytic fungi are well studied, yet bacteria research is limited. In this study, endophytic bacteria from were isolated using an improved method, showing inhibition of pathogens and growth promotion. JC-3jx, identified as , exhibited significant inhibitory activity against tested fungi and bacteria, including . JC-3jx also promoted corn seed rooting and growth, highlighting its excellent biocontrol and growth-promoting potential.
Topics: Dendrobium; Paenibacillus; Endophytes; Plant Roots; Zea mays
PubMed: 38469872
DOI: 10.2144/btn-2023-0083 -
Microbial Ecology Mar 2024Intensive crop production leads to the disruption of the symbiosis between plants and their associated microorganisms, resulting in suboptimal plant productivity and...
Intensive crop production leads to the disruption of the symbiosis between plants and their associated microorganisms, resulting in suboptimal plant productivity and lower yield quality. Therefore, it is necessary to improve existing methods and explore modern, environmentally friendly approaches to crop production. One of these methods is biotization, which involves the inoculation of plants with appropriately selected symbiotic microorganisms which play a beneficial role in plant adaptation to the environment. In this study, we tested the possibility of using a multi-microorganismal inoculum composed of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) and AMF spore-associated bacteria for biotization of the red raspberry. Bacteria were isolated from the spores of AMF, and their plant growth-promoting properties were tested. AMF inocula were supplemented with selected bacterial strains to investigate their effect on the growth and vitality of the raspberry. The investigations were carried out in the laboratory and on a semi-industrial scale in a polytunnel where commercial production of seedlings is carried out. In the semi-industrial experiment, we tested the growth parameters of plants and physiological response of the plant to temporary water shortage. We isolated over fifty strains of bacteria associated with spores of AMF. Only part of them showed plant growth-promoting properties, and six of these (belonging to the Paenibacillus genus) were used for the inoculum. AMF inoculation and co-inoculation of AMF and bacteria isolated from AMF spores improved plant growth and vitality in both experimental setups. Plant dry weight was improved by 70%, and selected chlorophyll fluorescence parameters (the contribution of light to primary photochemistry and fraction of reaction centre chlorophyll per chlorophyll of the antennae) were increased. The inoculum improved carbon assimilation, photosynthetic rate, stomatal conductance and transpiration after temporary water shortage. Raspberry biotization with AMF and bacteria associated with spores has potential applications in horticulture where ecological methods based on plant microorganism interaction are in demand.
Topics: Mycorrhizae; Rubus; Spores, Fungal; Plants; Bacteria; Chlorophyll; Water
PubMed: 38466433
DOI: 10.1007/s00248-024-02364-5 -
IScience Mar 2024Azasugars, such as 1-deoxynojirimycin (1-DNJ), exhibit unique physiological functions and hold promising applications in medicine and health fields. However, the...
Azasugars, such as 1-deoxynojirimycin (1-DNJ), exhibit unique physiological functions and hold promising applications in medicine and health fields. However, the biosynthesis of 1-DNJ is hindered by the low activity and thermostability of the transaminase. In this study, the transaminase from (MvTA) with activity toward d-fructose was engineered through semi-rational design and high-throughput screening method. The final mutant M9-1 demonstrated a remarkable 31.2-fold increase in specific activity and an impressive 200-fold improvement in thermostability compared to the wild-type enzyme. Molecular dynamics (MD) simulations revealed that the mutation sites of H69R and K145R in M9-1 played crucial roles in the binding of the amino acceptor and donor, leading to the stable conformation of substrates within the active pocket. An enzyme cascade reaction was developed using M9-1 and the dehydrogenase from (GutB1) for the production of mannojirimycin (MJ), which provided a new idea for the biosynthesis of 1-DNJ.
PubMed: 38433920
DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2024.109034 -
Heliyon Feb 2024Fog causes enhancement of bacterial loading in the atmosphere. Current study represents the impact of occurrences of fog on the alteration of diversity of airborne...
Fog causes enhancement of bacterial loading in the atmosphere. Current study represents the impact of occurrences of fog on the alteration of diversity of airborne bacteria and their network computed from metagenomic data of airborne samples collected at Arthauli (25.95°N, 85.10°E) situated at central Indo-Gangetic Plain (IGP) during 1-14 January 2021. A distinct bacterial diversity with a complex network is identified in foggy condition due to the enrichment of unique types of bacteria. Present investigation highlights a statistically significant enrichment of airborne pathogenic bacteria found in a unique ecosystem within air evolved due to the occurrences of fog over central IGP. In the foggy network, , an opportunistic pathogen, is identified to be interacting maximum (21 edges) with other bacteria with statistically significant copresence relation, which are responsible for various infections for human beings. A 40-60% increase (p < 0.01) in the abundance of pathogenic bacteria for respiratory and skin diseases is noticed in fog period. Among the fog-enriched bacteria, are examples of opportunistic bacteria causing various respiratory diseases, while can even cause skin cancer and acute lymphoblastic leukemia.
PubMed: 38420377
DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e26370 -
Physiology (Bethesda, Md.) Jul 2024Bees are the most important insect pollinators of the crops humans grow, and , the Western honey bee, is the most commonly managed species for this purpose. In addition... (Review)
Review
Bees are the most important insect pollinators of the crops humans grow, and , the Western honey bee, is the most commonly managed species for this purpose. In addition to providing agricultural services, the complex biology of honey bees has been the subject of scientific study since the 18th century, and the intricate behaviors of honey bees and ants, fellow hymenopterans, inspired much sociobiological inquest. Unfortunately, honey bees are constantly exposed to parasites, pathogens, and xenobiotics, all of which pose threats to their health. Despite our curiosity about and dependence on honey bees, defining the molecular mechanisms underlying their interactions with biotic and abiotic stressors has been challenging. The very aspects of their physiology and behavior that make them so important to agriculture also make them challenging to study, relative to canonical model organisms. However, because we rely on so much for pollination, we must continue our efforts to understand what ails them. Here, we review major advancements in our knowledge of honey bee physiology, focusing on immunity and detoxification, and highlight some challenges that remain.
Topics: Animals; Bees; Pesticides; Host-Pathogen Interactions
PubMed: 38411571
DOI: 10.1152/physiol.00033.2023