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Journal of Bacteriology May 2023Next to Escherichia coli, Bacillus subtilis is the most studied and best understood organism that also serves as a model for many important pathogens. Due to its ability... (Review)
Review
Next to Escherichia coli, Bacillus subtilis is the most studied and best understood organism that also serves as a model for many important pathogens. Due to its ability to form heat-resistant spores that can germinate even after very long periods of time, B. subtilis has attracted much scientific interest. Another feature of B. subtilis is its genetic competence, a developmental state in which B. subtilis actively takes up exogenous DNA. This makes B. subtilis amenable to genetic manipulation and investigation. The bacterium was one of the first with a fully sequenced genome, and it has been subject to a wide variety of genome- and proteome-wide studies that give important insights into many aspects of the biology of B. subtilis. Due to its ability to secrete large amounts of proteins and to produce a wide range of commercially interesting compounds, B. subtilis has become a major workhorse in biotechnology. Here, we review the development of important aspects of the research on B. subtilis with a specific focus on its cell biology and biotechnological and practical applications from vitamin production to concrete healing. The intriguing complexity of the developmental programs of B. subtilis, paired with the availability of sophisticated tools for genetic manipulation, positions it at the leading edge for discovering new biological concepts and deepening our understanding of the organization of bacterial cells.
Topics: Bacillus subtilis; Biotechnology; Spores, Bacterial
PubMed: 37140386
DOI: 10.1128/jb.00102-23 -
International Journal of Molecular... Jul 2023Psoriasis is a chronic inflammatory skin disease with autoimmune pathological characteristics. Recent research has found a link between psoriasis, inflammation, and gut... (Clinical Trial)
Clinical Trial
Psoriasis is a chronic inflammatory skin disease with autoimmune pathological characteristics. Recent research has found a link between psoriasis, inflammation, and gut microbiota dysbiosis, and that probiotics and prebiotics provide benefits to patients. This 12-week open-label, single-center clinical trial evaluated the efficacy of probiotics ( (HU36), (HU58), (SC208), (SL307), and (SC109)) and precision prebiotics (fructooligosaccharides, xylooligosaccharides, and galactooligosaccharides) in patients with psoriasis receiving topical therapy, with an emphasis on potential metabolic, immunological, and gut microbiota changes. In total, 63 patients were evaluated, with the first 42 enrolled patients assigned to the intervention group and the next 21 assigned to the control group (2:1 ratio; non-randomized). There were between-group differences in several patient characteristics at baseline, including age, psoriasis severity (the incidence of severe psoriasis was greater in the intervention group than in the control group), the presence of nail psoriasis, and psoriatic arthritis, though it is not clear whether or how these differences may have affected the study findings. Patients with psoriasis receiving anti-psoriatic local therapy and probiotic and prebiotic supplementation performed better in measures of disease activity, including Psoriasis Area and Severity Index, Dermatology Life Quality Index, inflammatory markers, and skin thickness compared with those not receiving supplementation. Furthermore, in the 15/42 patients in the intervention group who received gut microbiota analysis, the gut microbiota changed favorably following 12 weeks of probiotic and prebiotic supplementation, with a shift towards an anti-inflammatory profile.
Topics: Humans; Arthritis, Psoriatic; Gastrointestinal Microbiome; Prebiotics; Probiotics; Psoriasis
PubMed: 37446403
DOI: 10.3390/ijms241311225 -
Science Advances May 2023Chronic hard-to-heal wounds draw great attention worldwide, as their treatments are limited by infections and hypoxia. Inspired by the natural oxygen production capacity...
Chronic hard-to-heal wounds draw great attention worldwide, as their treatments are limited by infections and hypoxia. Inspired by the natural oxygen production capacity of algae and the competitive advantage of beneficial bacteria over other microbes, we presented a living microecological hydrogel (LMH) with functionalized and encapsulation to realize continuous oxygen delivery and anti-infections for promoting chronic wound healing. As the hydrogel consisted of thermosensitive Pluronic F-127 and wet-adhesive polydopamine, the LMH could keep liquid at a low temperature while quickly solidifying and tightly adhering to the wound bed. It was demonstrated that by optimizing the proportion of the encapsulated microorganism, the could continuously produce oxygen to relieve hypoxia and support the proliferation of , while could eliminate the colonized pathogenic bacteria. Thus, the LMH substantially promoted the healing of infected diabetic wounds. These features make the LMH valuable for practical clinical applications.
Topics: Chlorella; Hydrogels; Hypoxia; Oxygen; Wound Healing
PubMed: 37224242
DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.adg3478 -
Plants (Basel, Switzerland) Dec 2023Peanut root rot, caused by spp., is a devastating fungal disease. As part of a program to obtain a biocontrol agent to control peanut root rot in the field, a bacterial...
Peanut root rot, caused by spp., is a devastating fungal disease. As part of a program to obtain a biocontrol agent to control peanut root rot in the field, a bacterial strain LY-1 capable of inhibiting the growth of the fungus in vitro was isolated from rhizosphere soil samples collected from wild mint by agar disk dilution and dual-culture assay. Strain LY-1 was identified as based on morphological characteristics, 16S rDNA, and sequence analyses. The bacterial suspension and cell-free culture filtrate of LY-1 could significantly inhibit the growth of , and , but volatile organic compounds from the cultures had only a weak effect on mycelial growth. The percentage inhibition of 20% concentration of the cell-free culture filtrate of LY-1 on conidium production of each of the three species was greater than 72.38%, and the percentage inhibition by the culture filtration on the germination of conidia of the three species was at least 62.37%. The production of extracellular enzyme activity by LY-1 was studied in functional assays, showing protease, cellulase, amylase, chitinase, and β-1,3-glucanase activity, while LY-1 contained a gene encoding iturin, an antifungal lipopeptide. In addition, under pot culture in a greenhouse, culture filtrate of LY-1 significantly promoted the growth of peanut, increasing the fresh and dry mass of the plant by 30.77% and 27.27%, respectively, in comparison with the no-filtrate control. The culture filtrate of LY-1 increased the resistance of peanut plants to , with the biocontrol efficiency reaching 44.71%. In conclusion, LY-1, a plant-growth-promoting rhizobacterium, was able to protect peanuts from spp. infection.
PubMed: 38140485
DOI: 10.3390/plants12244158 -
Vaccines Jul 2023Oral vaccines are gaining more attention due to their ease of administration, lower invasiveness, generally greater safety, and lower cost than injectable vaccines. This... (Review)
Review
Oral vaccines are gaining more attention due to their ease of administration, lower invasiveness, generally greater safety, and lower cost than injectable vaccines. This review introduces certified oral vaccines for adenovirus, recombinant protein-based, and transgenic plant-based oral vaccines, and their mechanisms for inducing an immune response. Procedures for regulatory approval and clinical trials of injectable and oral vaccines are also covered. Challenges such as instability and reduced efficacy in low-income countries associated with oral vaccines are discussed, as well as recent developments, such as Bacillus-subtilis-based and nanoparticle-based delivery systems that have the potential to improve the effectiveness of oral vaccines.
PubMed: 37515047
DOI: 10.3390/vaccines11071232 -
The Plant Journal : For Cell and... Nov 2023Circadian regulation produces a biological measure of time within cells. The daily cycle in the availability of light for photosynthesis causes dramatic changes in... (Review)
Review
Circadian regulation produces a biological measure of time within cells. The daily cycle in the availability of light for photosynthesis causes dramatic changes in biochemical processes in photosynthetic organisms, with the circadian clock having crucial roles in adaptation to these fluctuating conditions. Correct alignment between the circadian clock and environmental day-night cycles maximizes plant productivity through its regulation of metabolism. Therefore, the processes that integrate circadian regulation with metabolism are key to understanding how the circadian clock contributes to plant productivity. This forms an important part of exploiting knowledge of circadian regulation to enhance sustainable crop production. Here, we examine the roles of circadian regulation in metabolic processes in source and sink organ structures of Arabidopsis. We also evaluate possible roles for circadian regulation in root exudation processes that deposit carbon into the soil, and the nature of the rhythmic interactions between plants and their associated microbial communities. Finally, we examine shared and differing aspects of the circadian regulation of metabolism between Arabidopsis and other model photosynthetic organisms, and between circadian control of metabolism in photosynthetic and non-photosynthetic organisms. This synthesis identifies a variety of future research topics, including a focus on metabolic processes that underlie biotic interactions within ecosystems.
Topics: Circadian Rhythm; Arabidopsis; Ecosystem; Photosynthesis; Circadian Clocks; Gene Expression Regulation, Plant
PubMed: 37531328
DOI: 10.1111/tpj.16405 -
BMC Research Notes Oct 2023Natural products such as terpenoidal compounds have been extremely tested against pathogenic bacteria. Researches are frequently carried out to find out new natural,...
Natural products such as terpenoidal compounds have been extremely tested against pathogenic bacteria. Researches are frequently carried out to find out new natural, semisynthetic and synthetic antibacterial agents due to problems of resistance. Thymoquinone derivative was obtained in our previous study and the current research is a continuation. The antibacterial activity of a monoterpenoid; thymoquinone derivative, 5-isopropyl-2-methyloxepine-1-one (1) has been evaluated for the first time by following the Agar cup bioassay method employed. The bacterial strains used in this study were Escherichia coli and Bacillus subtilis. Compound 1 showed moderate activity against Gram-positive organism; B. subtilis and good activity against Gram-negative species; E. coli with zones of inhibition (ZOI) 10.0 ± 0.2 mm and 11.0 ± 0.2 mm against E. coli and B. subtilis, respectively, and in comparison with antibiotic, imipenem. The zones of inhibition were calculated as the mean of the triplicate. The antibacterial activity of thymoquinone derivative 1 could be explained by the presence of unsaturated lactone.
Topics: Escherichia coli; Anti-Bacterial Agents; Benzoquinones; Bacteria; Microbial Sensitivity Tests
PubMed: 37798782
DOI: 10.1186/s13104-023-06523-8 -
Microbiome Oct 2023Ruminant livestock production is a considerable source of enteric methane (CH) emissions. In a previous study, we found that dietary inclusions of Bacillus subtilis (BS)...
BACKGROUND
Ruminant livestock production is a considerable source of enteric methane (CH) emissions. In a previous study, we found that dietary inclusions of Bacillus subtilis (BS) and Macleaya cordata extract (MCE) increased dry matter intake and milk production, while reduced enteric CH emission in dairy cows. The objective of this study was to further elucidate the impact of feeding BS and MCE on rumen methanogenesis in dairy cows using rumen metagenomics techniques.
RESULTS
Sixty dairy cows were blocked in 20 groups of 3 cows accordingly to their live weight, milk yield, and days in milk, and within each group, the 3 cows were randomly allocated to 1 of 3 treatments: control diet (CON), control diet plus BS (BS), and control diet plus MCE (MCE). After 75 days of feeding experimental diets, 12 cows were selected from each treatment for collection of rumen samples for the metagenomic sequencing. Results showed that BS decreased ruminal acetate and butyrate, while increased propionate concentrations, resulting in decreased acetate:propionate ratio. The metagenomics analysis revealed that MCE reduced relative abundances of Methanobrevibacter wolinii, Methanobrevibacter sp. AbM4, Candidatus Methanomassiliicoccus intestinalis, Methanobrevibacter cuticularis, Methanomicrobium mobile, Methanobacterium formicicum, and Methanobacterium congolense. Both BS and MCE reduced relative abundances of Methanosphaera sp. WGK6 and Methanosphaera stadtmanae. The co-occurrence network analysis of rumen bacteria and archaea revealed that dietary treatments influenced microbial interaction patterns, with BS and MCE cows having more and stronger associations than CON cows. The random forest and heatmaps analysis demonstrated that the Halopenitus persicus was positively correlated with fat- and protein-corrected milk yield; Clostridium sp. CAG 269, Clostridium sp. 27 14, Haloarcula rubripromontorii, and Methanobrevibacter curvatus were negatively correlated with rumen acetate and butyrate concentrations, and acetate:propionate ratio, whereas Selenomonas rumiantium was positively correlated with those variables.
CONCLUSIONS
The present results provided new information for mitigation of enteric methane emissions of dairy cows by feeding BS and MCE to influence rumen microbial activities. This fundamental knowledge is essential for developing enteric CH4 reduction strategies to mitigate climate change and reduce dietary energy waste. Video Abstract.
Topics: Female; Cattle; Animals; Lactation; Bacillus subtilis; Rumen; Propionates; Methane; Diet; Microbiota; Acetates; Butyrates; Plant Extracts; Fermentation
PubMed: 37858227
DOI: 10.1186/s40168-023-01654-3 -
Frontiers in Bioengineering and... 2023In recent years, massive bacterial infections have led to human illness and death, reminding us of the urgent need to develop effective and long-lasting antimicrobial...
In recent years, massive bacterial infections have led to human illness and death, reminding us of the urgent need to develop effective and long-lasting antimicrobial materials. In this paper, Ag-TiO/ZIF-8 with good environmental friendliness and biological antibacterial activity was prepared by solvothermal method. The structure and morphology of the synthesized materials were characterized by XRD, FT-IR, SEM-EDS, TEM, XPS, and BET. To investigate the antibacterial activity of the synthesized samples, and were used as target bacteria for experimental studies of zone of inhibition, bacterial growth curves, minimum bactericidal concentration and antibacterial durability. The results demonstrated that 20 wt.%Ag-TiO/ZIF-8 had the best bacteriostatic effect on and under dark and UV conditions compared to TiO and ZIF-8. Under the same conditions, the diameter of the inhibition circle of 20 wt% Ag-TiO/ZIF-8 is 8.5-11.5 mm larger than that of its constituent material 4 wt% Ag-TiO, with more obvious antibacterial effect and better antibacterial performance. It is also proposed that the excellent antibacterial activity of Ag-TiO/ZIF-8 is due to the synergistic effect of Ag-TiO and ZIF-8 under UV light. In addition, the prepared material has good stability and durability with effective antimicrobial activity for more than 5 months.
PubMed: 37576996
DOI: 10.3389/fbioe.2023.1221458 -
Animal Models and Experimental Medicine Jul 2023Nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) is characterized by liver steatosis, inflammation, and even fibrosis. NASH is likely to develop into cirrhosis and liver cancer, the...
BACKGROUND
Nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) is characterized by liver steatosis, inflammation, and even fibrosis. NASH is likely to develop into cirrhosis and liver cancer, the major causes of liver related deaths. We aimed to study the effect of probiotics on NASH via the gut-liver axis.
METHODS
Thirty male Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into three groups. A control group of 10 rats was fed on a standard chow for 16 weeks. Twenty rats fed on a high-fat diet for 8 weeks were separated to two groups: a model group (10 rats) fed on vehicle for 8 weeks and a treatment group (10 rats) supplemented with binary Bacillus subtilis for 8 weeks. Hepatic expression of IL-6 and TNF-ɑ and ileum expression of IL-17 and occludin were measured.
RESULTS
The high-fat diet caused inflammation of the liver and ileum in rats. Binary Bacillus subtilis treatment reduces liver inflammation through the intestinal liver axis. Increased levels of IL-6 and TNF-α were detected in rats fed a high-fat diet, which were reduced to lower levels after treatment with binary Bacillus subtilis. In rats on the high-fat diet, elevated IL-17 levels and decreased occludin levels were observed. Treatment with Bacillus subtilis reduced IL-17 levels and restored the expression of occludin.
CONCLUSION
Binary Bacillus subtilis has a beneficial effect on liver inflammation and intestinal damage.
PubMed: 37469297
DOI: 10.1002/ame2.12337