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MBio Jan 2024Bacteria known as pink-pigmented facultative methylotrophs colonize many diverse environments on earth, play an important role in the carbon cycle, and in some cases...
Bacteria known as pink-pigmented facultative methylotrophs colonize many diverse environments on earth, play an important role in the carbon cycle, and in some cases promote plant growth. However, little is known about how these organisms interact with each other and their environment. In this work, we identify one of the chemical signals commonly used by these bacteria and discover that this signal controls swarming motility in the pink-pigmented facultative methylotroph DSM5686. This work provides new molecular details about interactions between these important bacteria and will help scientists predict these interactions and the group behaviors they regulate from genomic sequencing information.
Topics: Quorum Sensing; Acyl-Butyrolactones; Methylobacterium
PubMed: 38085021
DOI: 10.1128/mbio.01999-23 -
BMC Infectious Diseases Dec 2023Roseomonas mucosa (R. mucosa) is a pink-pigmented, Gram-negative short rod bacterium. It is isolated from moist environments and skin, resistant to multiple drugs,...
BACKGROUND
Roseomonas mucosa (R. mucosa) is a pink-pigmented, Gram-negative short rod bacterium. It is isolated from moist environments and skin, resistant to multiple drugs, including broad-spectrum cephalosporins, and a rare cause of infection with limited reports. R. mucosa mostly causes catheter-related bloodstream infections, with even fewer reports of skin and soft tissue infections.
CASE PRESENTATION
A 10-year-old boy received topical steroid treatment for sebum-deficient eczema. A few days before the visit, he was bitten by an insect on the front of his right lower leg and scratched it due to itching. The day before the visit, redness, swelling, and mild pain in the same area were observed. Based on his symptoms, he was diagnosed with cellulitis. He was treated with sulfamethoxazole/trimethoprim, and his symptoms improved. Pus culture revealed R. mucosa.
CONCLUSIONS
We report a rare case of cellulitis caused by R. mucosa. Infections caused by rare organisms that cause opportunistic infections, such as R. mucosa, should be considered in patients with compromised skin barrier function and regular topical steroid use. Gram stain detection of organisms other than Gram-positive cocci should be considered.
Topics: Male; Child; Humans; Cellulitis; Soft Tissue Infections; Methylobacteriaceae; Steroids
PubMed: 38082373
DOI: 10.1186/s12879-023-08875-9 -
The Science of the Total Environment Feb 2024Airborne microorganisms are important parts of the Moutai-flavor Baijiu brewing microbial community, which directly affects the quality of Baijiu. However, environmental...
Airborne microorganisms are important parts of the Moutai-flavor Baijiu brewing microbial community, which directly affects the quality of Baijiu. However, environmental factors usually shape airborne microbiomes in different distilleries, even in the different production areas of the same distillery. Unfortunately, current understanding of environmental factors shaping airborne microbiomes in distilleries is very limited. To bridge this gap, we compared airborne microbiomes in the Moutai-flavor Baijiu core production areas of different distilleries in the Chishui River Basin and systematically investigated the key environmental factors that shape the airborne microbiomes. The top abundant bacterial communities are mainly affiliated to the phyla Actinobacteriota, Firmicutes, and Proteobacteri, whereas Ascomycota and Basidiomycota are the predominant fungal communities. The Random Forest analysis indicated that the biomarkers in three distilleries are Saccharomonospora and Bacillus, Thermoactinomyces, Oceanobacillus, and Methylobacterium, which are the core functional flora contributing to the production of Daqu. The correlation and network analyses showed that the distillery age and environmental temperature have a strong regulatory effect on airborne microbiomes, suggesting that the fermentation environment has a domesticating effect on air microbiomes. Our findings will greatly help us understand the relationship between airborne microbiomes and environmental factors in distilleries and support the production of the high-quality Moutai-flavor Baijiu.
Topics: Bacillaceae; Bacillus; Fermentation; Firmicutes; Methylobacterium
PubMed: 38040348
DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.169010 -
Bioresource Technology Feb 2024This study explored the potential of methanol as a sustainable feedstock for biomanufacturing, focusing on Methylobacterium extorquens, a well-established representative...
This study explored the potential of methanol as a sustainable feedstock for biomanufacturing, focusing on Methylobacterium extorquens, a well-established representative of methylotrophic cell factories. Despite this bacterium's long history, its untapped photosynthetic capabilities for production enhancement have remained unreported. Using genome-scale flux balance analysis, it was hypothesized that introducing photon fluxes could boost the yield of 3-hydroxypropionic acid (3-HP), an energy- and reducing equivalent-consuming chemicals. To realize this, M. extorquens was genetically modified by eliminating the negative regulator of photosynthesis, leading to improved ATP levels and metabolic activity in non-growth cells during a two-stage fermentation process. This modification resulted in a remarkable 3.0-fold increase in 3-HP titer and a 2.1-fold increase in its yield during stage (II). Transcriptomics revealed that enhanced light-driven methanol oxidation, NADH transhydrogenation, ATP generation, and fatty acid degradation were key factors. This development of photo-methylotrophy as a platform technology introduced novel opportunities for future production enhancements.
Topics: Methylobacterium; Fermentation; Methanol; Adenosine Triphosphate; Metabolic Engineering; Lactic Acid
PubMed: 38008225
DOI: 10.1016/j.biortech.2023.130104 -
FEMS Microbiology Letters Jan 2023Methylobacterium species are abundant colonizers of the phyllosphere due to the availability of methanol, a waste product of pectin metabolism during plant cell...
Methylobacterium species are abundant colonizers of the phyllosphere due to the availability of methanol, a waste product of pectin metabolism during plant cell division. The phyllosphere is an extreme environment, with a landscape that is heterogeneous and continuously changing as the plant grows and is exposed to high levels of ultraviolet irradiation. Geographically, New Zealand (NZ) has been isolated for over a million years, has a biologically diverse flora, and is considered a biodiversity hotspot, with most native plants being endemic. We therefore hypothesize that the phyllosphere of NZ native plants harbor diverse groups of Methylobacterium species. Leaf imprinting using methanol-supplemented agar medium was used to isolate bacteria, and diversity was determined using ARDRA and 16S rRNA gene sequencing. Methylobacterium species were successfully isolated from the phyllosphere of 18 of the 20 native NZ plant species in this study, and six different species were identified: M. marchantiae, M. mesophilicum, M. adhaesivum, M. komagatae, M. extorquens, and M. phyllosphaerae. Other α, β, and γ-Proteobacteria, Actinomycetes, Bacteroidetes, and Firmicutes were also isolated, highlighting the presence of other potentially novel methanol utilizers within this ecosystem. This study identified that Methylobacterium are abundant members of the NZ phyllosphere, with species diversity and composition dependent on plant species.
Topics: Methylobacterium; Ecosystem; RNA, Ribosomal, 16S; Methanol; New Zealand; Plants; Plant Leaves
PubMed: 37985695
DOI: 10.1093/femsle/fnad124 -
Photochemical & Photobiological... Dec 2023Methylotrophs are a diverse group of bacteria that abundantly colonize the phyllosphere and have great potential to withstand UV irradiation because of their pigmented...
Methylotrophs are a diverse group of bacteria that abundantly colonize the phyllosphere and have great potential to withstand UV irradiation because of their pigmented nature and ability to promote plant growth through various mechanisms. The present study investigated the effects of UVB radiation on plant growth-promoting (PGP) properties of methylotrophic bacteria and the growth of Vigna radiata L. A total of 55 methylotrophic bacteria were isolated from desert plants, and 15 methylotrophs were resistant to UVB radiation for 4 h. All UVB-resistant methylotrophs possess a methyldehydrogenase gene. Identification based on 16S rRNA gene sequencing revealed that all 15 UVB-resistant methylotrophs belonged to the genera Methylorubrum (07), Methylobacterium (07), and Rhodococcus (01). Screening of methylotrophs for PGP activity in the presence and absence of UVB radiation revealed that all isolates showed ACC deaminase activity and growth on a nitrogen-free medium. Furthermore, the production of IAA-like substances ranged from 8.62 to 85.76 µg/mL, siderophore production increased from 3.47 to 65.75% compared to the control. Seed germination assay with V. radiata L. (mung bean) exposed to UVB radiation revealed that methylotrophs improved seed germination, root length, and shoot length compared to the control. The present findings revealed that the isolates SD3, SD2, KD1, KD5, UK1, and UK3 reduced the deleterious effects of UVB radiation on mung bean plants and can be used to protect seedlings from UVB radiation for sustainable agriculture.
Topics: Vigna; RNA, Ribosomal, 16S; Methylobacterium; Seedlings
PubMed: 37838625
DOI: 10.1007/s43630-023-00490-6 -
Antonie Van Leeuwenhoek Dec 2023Methylorubrum extorquens is an important model methylotroph and has enormous potential for the development of C1-based microbial cell factories. During strain...
Methylorubrum extorquens is an important model methylotroph and has enormous potential for the development of C1-based microbial cell factories. During strain construction, regulated promoters with a low background expression level are important genetic tools for expression of potentially toxic genes. Here we present an accordingly optimised promoter, which can be used for that purpose. During construction and testing of terpene production strains harbouring a recombinant mevalonate pathway, strong growth defects were observed which made strain development impossible. After isolation and characterisation of suppressor mutants, we discovered a variant of the cumate-inducible promoter P used in this approach. Deletion of 28 nucleotides resulted in an extremely low background expression level, but also reduced the maximal expression strength to about 30% of the original promoter. This tightly repressed promoter version is a powerful module for controlled expression of potentially toxic genes in M. extorquens.
Topics: Promoter Regions, Genetic; Methylobacterium extorquens; Methanol
PubMed: 37751033
DOI: 10.1007/s10482-023-01880-7 -
PloS One 2023Nontuberculous mycobacteria (NTM) are ubiquitous environmental opportunistic pathogens that can cause chronic lung disease. Within the United States, Hawai'i has the...
Nontuberculous mycobacteria (NTM) are ubiquitous environmental opportunistic pathogens that can cause chronic lung disease. Within the United States, Hawai'i has the highest incidence of NTM lung disease, though the precise reasons are yet to be fully elucidated. One possibility is the high prevalence of NTM in the Hawai'i environment acting as a potential reservoir for opportunistic NTM infections. Through our previous initiatives to collect and characterize NTM in Hawai'i, community scientists of Hawai'i have collected thousands of environmental samples for sequencing. Here, these community scientists were invited for the first time into a high school lab in O'ahu for a genomic sequencing workshop, where participants sequenced four of the collected isolate genomic samples using the Oxford Nanopore Technologies MinION sequencer. Participants generated high quality long read data that when combined with short read Illumina data yielded complete bacterial genomic assemblies suitable for in-depth analysis. The gene annotation analysis identified a suite of genes that might help NTM thrive in the Hawai'i environment. Further, we found evidence of co-occurring methylobacteria, revealed from the sequencing data, suggesting that in some cases methylobacteria and NTM may coexist in the same niche, challenging previously accepted paradigms. The sequencing efforts presented here generated novel insights regarding the potential survival strategies and microbial interactions of NTM in the geographic hot spot of Hawai'i. We highlight the contributions of community scientists and present an activity that can be reimplemented as a workshop or classroom activity by other research groups to engage their local communities.
Topics: Humans; Hawaii; Nontuberculous Mycobacteria; Mycobacterium Infections, Nontuberculous; Chromosome Mapping; Data Accuracy; Methylobacterium
PubMed: 37703253
DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0291072 -
Microbial Genomics Sep 2023comprises a diverse group of bacteria with various lifestyles. Although best known for their nodule-based nitrogen-fixation in symbiosis with legumes, a select group of...
comprises a diverse group of bacteria with various lifestyles. Although best known for their nodule-based nitrogen-fixation in symbiosis with legumes, a select group of bradyrhizobia are also capable of photosynthesis. This ability seems to be rare among rhizobia, and its origin and evolution in these bacteria remain a subject of substantial debate. Therefore, our aim here was to investigate the distribution and evolution of photosynthesis in using comparative genomics and representative genomes from closely related taxa in the families and . We identified photosynthesis gene clusters (PGCs) in 25 genomes belonging to three different lineages, notably the so-called Photosynthetic, and supergroups. Also, two different PGC architectures were observed. One of these, PGC1, was present in genomes from the Photosynthetic supergroup and in three genomes from a species in the supergroup. The second cluster, PGC2, was also present in some strains from the supergroup, as well as in those from the supergroup. PGC2 was largely syntenic to the cluster found in and . Bayesian ancestral state reconstruction unambiguously showed that the ancestor of lacked a PGC and that it was acquired horizontally by various lineages. Maximum-likelihood phylogenetic analyses of individual photosynthesis genes also suggested multiple acquisitions through horizontal gene transfer, followed by vertical inheritance and gene losses within the different lineages. Overall, our findings add to the existing body of knowledge on ’s evolution and provide a meaningful basis from which to explore how these PGCs and the photosynthesis itself impact the physiology and ecology of these bacteria.
Topics: Bradyrhizobium; Photosynthesis
PubMed: 37676703
DOI: 10.1099/mgen.0.001105 -
Environmental Microbiology Nov 2023While investigating aerobic anoxygenic phototrophs (AAP) from Lake Winnipeg's bacterial community, over 500 isolates were obtained. Relatives of 20 different species...
While investigating aerobic anoxygenic phototrophs (AAP) from Lake Winnipeg's bacterial community, over 500 isolates were obtained. Relatives of 20 different species were examined simultaneously, identifying conditions for optimal growth or pigment production to determine features that may unify this group of phototrophs. All were distributed among assorted α-Proteobacterial families including Erythrobacteraceae, Sphingomonadaceae, Sphingosinicellaceae, Acetobacteraceae, Methylobacteriaceae, and Rhodobacteraceae. Major phenotypic characteristics matched phylogenetic association, including pigmentation, morphology, metal transformations, tolerances, lipid configurations, and enzyme activities, which distinctly separated each taxonomic family. While varying pH and temperature had a limited independent impact on pigment production, bacteriochlorophyll synthesis was distinctly promoted under low nutrient conditions, whereas copiotrophy repressed its production but enhanced carotenoid yield. New AAP diversity was also reported by revealing strains related to non-phototrophic Rubellimicrobium and Sphingorhabdus, as well as spread throughout Roseomonas, Sphingomonas, and Methylobacterium/Methylorubrum, which previously only had a few known photosynthetic members. This study exemplified the overwhelming diversity of AAP in a single aquatic environment, confirming cultivation continues to be of importance in microbial ecology to discover functionality in both new and previously reported cohorts of bacteria as specific laboratory conditions were required to promote aerobic bacteriochlorophyll production.
Topics: Humans; Bacteriochlorophylls; Phylogeny; Bacteria, Aerobic; Ecosystem; Photosynthesis; Alphaproteobacteria
PubMed: 37604501
DOI: 10.1111/1462-2920.16482