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Environmental Microbiology Reports Jun 2024The Lobaria pulmonaria holobiont comprises algal, fungal, cyanobacterial and bacterial components. We investigated L. pulmonaria's bacterial microbiome in the adaptation...
The Lobaria pulmonaria holobiont comprises algal, fungal, cyanobacterial and bacterial components. We investigated L. pulmonaria's bacterial microbiome in the adaptation of this ecologically sensitive lichen species to diverse climatic conditions. Our central hypothesis posited that microbiome composition and functionality aligns with subcontinental-scale (a stretch of ~1100 km) climatic parameters related to temperature and precipitation. We also tested the impact of short-term weather dynamics, sampling season and algal/fungal genotypes on microbiome variation. Metaproteomics provided insights into compositional and functional changes within the microbiome. Climatic variables explained 41.64% of microbiome variation, surpassing the combined influence of local weather and sampling season at 31.63%. Notably, annual mean temperature and temperature seasonality emerged as significant climatic drivers. Microbiome composition correlated with algal, not fungal genotype, suggesting similar environmental recruitment for the algal partner and microbiome. Differential abundance analyses revealed distinct protein compositions in Sub-Atlantic Lowland and Alpine regions, indicating differential microbiome responses to contrasting environmental/climatic conditions. Proteins involved in oxidative and cellular stress were notably different. Our findings highlight microbiome plasticity in adapting to stable climates, with limited responsiveness to short-term fluctuations, offering new insights into climate adaptation in lichen symbiosis.
Topics: Lichens; Microbiota; Climate; Bacteria; Symbiosis; Fungi; Seasons; Genotype
PubMed: 38923181
DOI: 10.1111/1758-2229.13289 -
Parasitology Research Jun 2024Avian haemosporidians of the genera Plasmodium and Haemoproteus are a group of widely distributed blood parasites that can negatively affect the fitness of their hosts....
Avian haemosporidians of the genera Plasmodium and Haemoproteus are a group of widely distributed blood parasites that can negatively affect the fitness of their hosts. Colombia contains the greatest diversity of birds on the planet, but knowledge about the associations between haemosporidian and its avifauna is scarce and fragmented. We collected blood samples from 255 birds (203 residents and 52 neotropical migrants) belonging to 27 families and 108 species. The study was conducted in six localities in the inter-Andean valleys of the Cauca and Magdalena rivers. Parasites of the genera Plasmodium and Haemoproteus were identified in the samples by morphological and molecular analysis of a fragment of the mitochondrial gene cyt b. Among the samples, 9.3% (n = 24) were positive for Plasmodium or Haemoproteus. Co-infection with Plasmodium and Haemoproteus was found in Red-eyed Vireo. Seventeen haemosporidian lineages were identified, five of which were reported for the first time in resident birds (Common Ground Dove, Checker-throated Stipplethroat, Tropical Kingbird, Pale-breasted Thrush, and Ruddy-breasted Seedeater) and one in the Summer Tanager (neotropical migrant). The research results confirm the wide diversity of haemosporidian present in tropical lowlands and the possible role of neotropical migratory birds in dissemination on haemosporidian along their migratory routes.
Topics: Animals; Colombia; Haemosporida; Birds; Bird Diseases; Plasmodium; Protozoan Infections, Animal; Cytochromes b; Animal Migration; Phylogeny; Coinfection
PubMed: 38922536
DOI: 10.1007/s00436-024-08260-8 -
Anais Da Academia Brasileira de Ciencias 2024Klebsiella pneumoniae (K. pneumoniae) is a major cause of healthcare-associated infections and plays a prominent role in the widespread antibiotic resistance crisis....
Klebsiella pneumoniae (K. pneumoniae) is a major cause of healthcare-associated infections and plays a prominent role in the widespread antibiotic resistance crisis. Accurate identification of carbapenemases is essential to facilitate effective antibiotic treatment and reduce transmission of K. pneumoniae. This study aimed to detect carbapenemase production in carbapenem-resistant K. pneumoniae strains using phenotypic and genotypic methods. A total of 67 carbapenem-resistant K. pneumoniae strains obtained from various clinical samples were utilized for identification and antimicrobial susceptibility by the Vitek 2 Compact system (Biomerieux, France). Carbapenemase production was determined by using the Polymerase chain reaction, Blue-carba test (BCT) and Carbapenem inactivation method (CIM). Out of the isolates, 59 (88.1%) were positive bla OXA-48, 16 (23.9%) bla IMP, and five (7.5%) were positive bla NDM. No bla KPC genes were detected. The CIM identified 62 (92.5%), BCT identified 63 (94%) of PCR-positive isolates. The sensitivity and specificity of the BCT and the CIM were determined to be 96.7%, 40%, and 96.7%, 25% respectively. The bla OXA-48 gene was found to be the most prevalent in K. pneumoniae isolates. Early identification of carbapenem resistance plays a vital role in designing effective infection control strategies and mitigating the emergence and transmission of carbapenem resistance, thus reducing healthcare-associated infections.
Topics: Klebsiella pneumoniae; Humans; Phenotype; Microbial Sensitivity Tests; Genotype; Anti-Bacterial Agents; Carbapenems; beta-Lactamases; Polymerase Chain Reaction; Bacterial Proteins; Klebsiella Infections; Carbapenem-Resistant Enterobacteriaceae
PubMed: 38922280
DOI: 10.1590/0001-3765202420231322 -
Anais Da Academia Brasileira de Ciencias 2024The genus Flavivirus comprises approximately 80 different viruses. Phylogenetic relationships among its members indicate a clear ecological separation between those...
The genus Flavivirus comprises approximately 80 different viruses. Phylogenetic relationships among its members indicate a clear ecological separation between those viruses transmitted by mosquitoes, ticks, with no known vector, and insect-specific Flaviviruses. The diversity and phylogenetic relationships among insect-specific flaviviruses circulating in the central and northern regions of Argentina were studied by performing molecular detection and characterization of the NS5 protein gene in mosquitoes collected in Córdoba, Chaco and Tucumán provinces. Overall, 68 out of 1776 pools were positive. CxFV, KRV and CFAV circulate in the 3 studied provinces. Several mosquito species (Aedes aegypti, Culex bidens, Cx. dolosus, Cx. interfor, Cx. quinquefasciatus, Cx. saltanensis, Haemagogus spegazzini) were found infected. A wide circulation of CxFV was observed in the central-northern region of Argentina. CxFV strains detected in our study clustered with strains circulating in Santa Fe and Buenos Aires provinces (Argentina), and other countries such as Indonesia, Mexico, Uganda and Taiwan. The presence of these viruses in mosquitoes could play an important role from the public health perspective, because it has been shown that previous CxFV infection can increase or block the infection of the mosquito by other pathogenic flaviviruses.
Topics: Animals; Argentina; Flavivirus; Culicidae; Phylogeny; Mosquito Vectors
PubMed: 38922274
DOI: 10.1590/0001-3765202420230452 -
Toxins May 2024Cardiovascular disease (CVD) frequently occurs in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD), particularly those undergoing dialysis. The mechanisms behind this may be... (Review)
Review
Cardiovascular disease (CVD) frequently occurs in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD), particularly those undergoing dialysis. The mechanisms behind this may be related to traditional risk factors and CKD-specific factors that accelerate atherosclerosis and vascular calcification in CKD patients. The accumulation of uremic toxins is a significant factor in CKD-related systemic disorders. Basic research suggests that indoxyl sulfate (IS), a small protein-bound uremic toxin, is associated with macrophage dysfunctions, including increased oxidative stress, exacerbation of chronic inflammation, and abnormalities in lipid metabolism. Strategies to mitigate the toxicity of IS include optimizing gut microbiota, intervening against the abnormality of intracellular signal transduction, and using blood purification therapy with higher efficiency. Further research is needed to examine whether lowering protein-bound uremic toxins through intervention leads to a reduction in CVD in patients with CKD.
Topics: Indican; Humans; Atherosclerosis; Macrophages; Animals; Uremia; Renal Insufficiency, Chronic; Uremic Toxins; Gastrointestinal Microbiome; Oxidative Stress
PubMed: 38922148
DOI: 10.3390/toxins16060254 -
Toxins May 2024Ricin and abrin are highly potent plant-derived toxins, categorized as type II ribosome-inactivating proteins. High toxicity, accessibility, and the lack of effective...
Ricin and abrin are highly potent plant-derived toxins, categorized as type II ribosome-inactivating proteins. High toxicity, accessibility, and the lack of effective countermeasures make them potential agents in bioterrorism and biowarfare, posing significant threats to public safety. Despite the existence of many effective analytical strategies for detecting these two lethal toxins, current methods are often hindered by limitations such as insufficient sensitivity, complex sample preparation, and most importantly, the inability to distinguish between biologically active and inactive toxin. In this study, a cytotoxicity assay was developed to detect active ricin and abrin based on their potent cell-killing capability. Among nine human cell lines derived from various organs, HeLa cells exhibited exceptional sensitivity, with limits of detection reaching 0.3 ng/mL and 0.03 ng/mL for ricin and abrin, respectively. Subsequently, toxin-specific neutralizing monoclonal antibodies MIL50 and 10D8 were used to facilitate the precise identification and differentiation of ricin and abrin. The method provides straightforward and sensitive detection in complex matrices including milk, plasma, coffee, orange juice, and tea via a simple serial-dilution procedure without any complex purification and enrichment steps. Furthermore, this assay was successfully applied in the unambiguous identification of active ricin and abrin in samples from OPCW biotoxin exercises.
Topics: Ricin; Abrin; Humans; Antibodies, Neutralizing; Antibodies, Monoclonal; Animals
PubMed: 38922132
DOI: 10.3390/toxins16060237 -
Marine Drugs Jun 2024is one of the most economically significant and widely cultured and consumed algae in the world. species present excellent nutraceutic properties due to their...
is one of the most economically significant and widely cultured and consumed algae in the world. species present excellent nutraceutic properties due to their bioactive compounds (BACs). This research aimed to find the most efficient aqueous extraction method for BACs by examining alkaline and enzymatic hydrolysis. Alkaline hydrolysis with 2.5% sodium carbonate (SC) and at 80 °C proved optimal for extracting all BACs (phycobiliproteins, soluble proteins, polyphenols, and carbohydrates) except mycosporine-like amino acids (MAAs), which were best extracted with water only, and at 80 °C. Enzymatic hydrolysis, particularly with the 'Miura' enzymatic cocktail (cellulase, xylanase, glycoside hydrolase, and β-glucanase), showed superior results in extracting phycoerythrin (PE), phycocyanin (PC), soluble proteins, and carbohydrates, with increases of approximately 195%, 510%, 890%, and 65%, respectively, compared to the best alkaline hydrolysis extraction (2.5% SC and 80 °C). Phenolic content analysis showed no significant difference between the 'Miura' cocktail and 2.5% SC treatments. Antioxidant activity was higher in samples from alkaline hydrolysis, while extraction of MAAs showed no significant difference between water-only and 'Miura' treatments. The study concludes that enzymatic hydrolysis improves the efficiency of BACs extraction in , highlighting its potential for the nutraceutical industry, and especially with respect to MAAs for topical and oral UV-photoprotectors.
Topics: Porphyra; Hydrolysis; Dietary Supplements; Antioxidants; Carbonates; Phenols; Carbohydrates
PubMed: 38921595
DOI: 10.3390/md22060284 -
Marine Drugs Jun 2024Overwhelming evidence points to an aberrant Wnt/β-catenin signaling as a critical factor in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and cervical cancer (CC) pathogenesis....
Overwhelming evidence points to an aberrant Wnt/β-catenin signaling as a critical factor in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and cervical cancer (CC) pathogenesis. Dicerandrol C (DD-9), a dimeric tetrahydroxanthenone isolated from the endophytic fungus DHS-48 obtained from mangrove plant via chemical epigenetic manipulation of the culture, has demonstrated effective anti-tumor properties, with an obscure action mechanism. The objective of the current study was to explore the efficacy of DD-9 on HepG2 and HeLa cancer cells and its functional mechanism amid the Wnt/β catenin signaling cascade. Isolation of DD-9 was carried out using various column chromatographic methods, and its structure was elucidated with 1D NMR. The cytotoxicity of DD-9 on HepG2 and HeLa cells was observed with respect to the proliferation, clonality, migration, invasion, apoptosis, cell cycle, and Wnt/β-catenin signaling cascade. We found that DD-9 treatment significantly reduced tumor cell proliferation in dose- and time-dependent manners in HepG2 and HeLa cells. The subsequent experiments in vitro implied that DD-63 could significantly suppress the tumor clonality, metastases, and induced apoptosis, and that it arrested the cell cycle at the G/G phase of HepG2 and HeLa cells. Dual luciferase assay, Western blot, and immunofluorescence assay showed that DD-9 could dose-dependently attenuate the Wnt/β-catenin signaling by inhibiting β-catenin transcriptional activity and abrogating β-catenin translocated to the nucleus; down-regulating the transcription level of β-catenin-stimulated Wnt target gene and the expression of related proteins including -GSK3-β, β-catenin, LEF1, Axin1, -Myc, and CyclinD1; and up-regulating GSK3-β expression, which indicates that DD-9 stabilized the β-catenin degradation complex, thereby inducing β-catenin degradation and inactivation of the Wnt/β-catenin pathway. The possible interaction between DD-9 and β-catenin and GSK3-β protein was further confirmed by molecular docking studies. Collectively, DD-9 may suppress proliferation and induce apoptosis of liver and cervical cancer cells, possibly at least in part via GSK3-β-mediated crosstalk with the Wnt/β-catenin signaling axis, providing insights into the mechanism for the potency of DD-9 on hepatocellular and cervical cancer.
Topics: Humans; HeLa Cells; Apoptosis; Wnt Signaling Pathway; Cell Proliferation; Hep G2 Cells; beta Catenin; Antineoplastic Agents; Liver Neoplasms; Xanthones; Carcinoma, Hepatocellular; Cell Movement; Uterine Cervical Neoplasms
PubMed: 38921589
DOI: 10.3390/md22060278 -
Marine Drugs Jun 2024A novel fibrinolytic enzyme, BSFE1, was isolated from the marine bacterium sp. S-3685 (GenBank No.: KJ023685) found in the South China Sea. This enzyme, with a...
A novel fibrinolytic enzyme, BSFE1, was isolated from the marine bacterium sp. S-3685 (GenBank No.: KJ023685) found in the South China Sea. This enzyme, with a molecular weight of approximately 42 kDa and a specific activity of 736.4 U/mg, exhibited its highest activity at 37 °C in a phosphate buffer at pH 8.0. The fibrinolytic enzyme remained stable over a pH range of 7.5 to 10.0 and retained about 76% of its activity after being incubated at 37 °C for 2 h. The K and V values of the enzyme at 37 °C were determined to be 2.1 μM and 49.0 μmol min mg, respectively. The fibrinolytic activity of BSFE1 was enhanced by Na, Ba, K, Co, Mn, Al, and Cu, while it was inhibited by Fe, Ca, Mg, Zn, and Fe. These findings indicate that the fibrinolytic enzyme isolated in this study exhibits a strong affinity for fibrin. Moreover, the enzyme we have purified demonstrates thrombolytic enzymatic activity. These characteristics make BSFE1 a promising candidate for thrombolytic therapy. In conclusion, the results obtained from this study suggest that our work holds potential in the development of agents for thrombolytic treatment.
Topics: Bacillus; Fibrinolytic Agents; Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; China; Molecular Weight; Temperature; Fibrin; Oceans and Seas; Aquatic Organisms
PubMed: 38921578
DOI: 10.3390/md22060267 -
Marine Drugs Jun 2024Three new cyclic lipopeptides, olenamidonins A-C (-), in addition to two previously reported metabolites ( and ), were accumulated in the Δ deletion mutant of...
Three new cyclic lipopeptides, olenamidonins A-C (-), in addition to two previously reported metabolites ( and ), were accumulated in the Δ deletion mutant of deepsea-derived SCSIO 1071. The structures of these cyclic lipopeptides were determined by a combination of spectroscopic methods and circular dichroism (CD) measurement. The antibacterial assay results showed that compounds displayed different degrees of growth inhibition against multidrug-resistant (MDR) bacterial strains CCARM 5172 and CCARM 5203 with minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) of 1.56-6.25 μg/mL.
Topics: Streptomyces; Lipopeptides; Microbial Sensitivity Tests; Anti-Bacterial Agents; Enterococcus faecalis; Peptides, Cyclic; Enterococcus faecium; Drug Resistance, Multiple, Bacterial; Bacterial Proteins
PubMed: 38921573
DOI: 10.3390/md22060262