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Biotech (Basel (Switzerland)) Oct 2021Many techniques are currently in use to study microbes. These can be aimed at detecting, identifying, and characterizing bacterial, fungal, and viral species. One... (Review)
Review
Many techniques are currently in use to study microbes. These can be aimed at detecting, identifying, and characterizing bacterial, fungal, and viral species. One technique that is suitable for high-throughput analysis is flow cytometry-based fluorescence in situ hybridization, or Flow-FISH. This technique employs (fluorescently labeled) probes directed against DNA or (m)RNA, for instance targeting a gene or microorganism of interest and provides information on a single-cell level. Furthermore, by combining Flow-FISH with antibody-based protein detection, proteins of interest can be measured simultaneously with genetic material. Additionally, depending on the type of Flow-FISH assay, Flow-FISH can also be multiplexed, allowing for the simultaneous measurement of multiple gene targets and/or microorganisms. Together, this allows for, e.g., single-cell gene expression analysis or identification of (sub)strains in mixed cultures. Flow-FISH has been used in mammalian cells but has also been extensively employed to study diverse microbial species. Here, the use of Flow-FISH for studying microorganisms is reviewed. Specifically, the detection of (intracellular) pathogens, studying microorganism biology and disease pathogenesis, and identification of bacterial, fungal, and viral strains in mixed cultures is discussed, with a particular focus on the viruses EBV, HIV-1, and SARS-CoV-2.
PubMed: 35822795
DOI: 10.3390/biotech10040021 -
Microbiology Spectrum Apr 2016Microbial endocrinology represents the intersection of two seemingly disparate fields, microbiology and neurobiology, and is based on the shared presence of... (Review)
Review
Microbial endocrinology represents the intersection of two seemingly disparate fields, microbiology and neurobiology, and is based on the shared presence of neurochemicals that are exactly the same in host as well as in the microorganism. The ability of microorganisms to not only respond to, but also produce, many of the same neurochemicals that are produced by the host, such as during periods of stress, has led to the introduction of this evolutionary-based mechanism which has a role in the pathogenesis of infectious disease. The consideration of microbial endocrinology-based mechanisms has demonstrated, for example, that the prevalent use of catecholamine-based synthetic drugs in the clinical setting contributes to the formation of biofilms in indwelling medical devices. Production of neurochemicals by microorganisms most often employs the same biosynthetic pathways as those utilized by the host, indicating that acquisition of host neurochemical-based signaling system in the host may have been acquired due to lateral gene transfer from microorganisms. That both host and microorganism produce and respond to the very same neurochemicals means that there is bidirectionality contained with the theoretical underpinnings of microbial endocrinology. This can be seen in the role of microbial endocrinology in the microbiota-gut-brain axis and its relevance to infectious disease. Such shared pathways argue for a role of microorganism-neurochemical interactions in infectious disease.
Topics: Animals; Brain; Communicable Diseases; Digestive System; Endocrinology; Gastrointestinal Microbiome; Host-Pathogen Interactions; Humans; Microbial Interactions; Neurotransmitter Agents; Stress, Physiological
PubMed: 27227308
DOI: 10.1128/microbiolspec.VMBF-0021-2015 -
Annals of Saudi Medicine 2024Inevitably, the floors of mosques are contaminated with microorganisms, and the risk of pathogen transmission is probably high between the many visitors, but the issue...
BACKGROUND
Inevitably, the floors of mosques are contaminated with microorganisms, and the risk of pathogen transmission is probably high between the many visitors, but the issue has been infrequently studied.
OBJECTIVES
Investigate microorganism variety and risk of contamination on commonly used carpets and rosaries (prayer beads).
DESIGN
Cross-sectional.
SETTINGS
Mosques.
METHODS
This study was carried out in three different cities of Turkey in 2023, focusing on mosques located around hospitals. Forty mosques were included in the study and from each mosque 10 samples were collected from various parts of carpets and rosaries. The number of positive culture isolates were identified.
MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES
Diversity and distribution of microorganisms isolated from mosque carpets and rosaries; methicillin-resistance rates in .
SAMPLE SIZE
400 samples.
RESULTS
Growth was observed in 368 (92%) of 400 samples examined. The microorganisms isolated in the highest number were methicillin-susceptible coagulase negative (MSCoNS) (59.8%), (41%) and diphtheroids (31.3%). The rates of total growth (=.001), including diphtheroids (=.018), methicillin-resistant coagulase negative (P=.001), (=.036) and (=.002) rates were significantly higher in the rosary samples than carpet samples. At mosques in Tokat, a province center, 4 samples were positive for , two samples were positive for and one sample for methicillin-resistant (MRSA), and these were isolated from rosaries. 0.3% of isolates were MRSA.
CONCLUSION
As there is a high risk of contamination of carpets and prayer beads on the mosque floor with human flora, the use of appropriate hygiene practices is necessary. We also found some emerging bacteria in addition to the normal human flora.
LIMITATIONS
Our study was conducted in three provinces. Further studies might cover a wider geography.
Topics: Humans; Coagulase; Cross-Sectional Studies; Floors and Floorcoverings; Methicillin; Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus
PubMed: 38615188
DOI: 10.5144/0256-4947.2024.67 -
Frontiers in Plant Science 2020Soil microorganisms can form a stable dynamic system with plant root systems. The composition of the soil microorganism community is related to the growth and stress... (Review)
Review
Soil microorganisms can form a stable dynamic system with plant root systems. The composition of the soil microorganism community is related to the growth and stress resistance of plants; in turn, soil microorganisms are also regulated by plant genotypes and root exudates. Therefore, research on how to identify microorganisms that are beneficial or harmful to plants, study the interaction between microorganisms and plants, and form stable microbial communities for better plant growth plays an important role in sustainable agriculture. It is of great significance to identify and analyze rhizosphere microorganisms and plant endophytes through high-throughput methods, especially to analyze which microorganisms are beneficial to plants, which are harmful to plants, and which are opportunistic pathogens. This review provides a theoretical basis and outlook for the utilization of beneficial microbes in sustainable agriculture.
PubMed: 33013992
DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2020.569742 -
Indian Journal of Microbiology Mar 2021Oil tea Camellia is a major woody oil plant, which has a positive influence on alleviating the contradiction between supply and demand of edible oil in China. Microbial... (Review)
Review
Oil tea Camellia is a major woody oil plant, which has a positive influence on alleviating the contradiction between supply and demand of edible oil in China. Microbial fertilizer for Oil tea Camellia is urgently needed in current production, and it is of great significance to improve the yield and quality. Culturable functional microorganisms are the basis of research and development for microbial fertilizer. In this study, culturable microorganisms which had abilities of antagonism, growth promotion, phosphorus solubility, nitrogen fixation and drought resistance, were integrated from oil tea literature. And the strains potential application ability were evaluated in terms of functionality, safety and adaptability, culture characteristics, suitable conditions and colonization or infection ability of strains. The results showed that the strains with strongest antagonistic ability were s D2WM and Y13. BbTK-01 and FJMa201101 had the strongest insect resistant ability. and can promote oil tea fastest growth. Phosphorus dissolving ability of NC285 and 6-Y-09 were strongest. The strains with strongest Nitrogen fixing ability were N7-3 and B7-7, and the strains with strongest improving drought resistance ability were and Comprehensive evaluation of strains showed that Y13 and N7-3 had a good applied potential ability. This study would save time-consuming of isolate, purify and identify repetitively for the researchers of functional bacteria of oil tea Camellia. Meanwhile it provides a research basis for selecting targeted strains and constructing the combination of functional strains, therefore provides data support for fertilizer efficiency.
PubMed: 33505087
DOI: 10.1007/s12088-020-00904-4 -
Theranostics 2022The occurrence of microorganisms has been confirmed in the tumor microenvironment (TME) of many different organs. Microorganisms (e.g., phage, virus, bacteria, fungi,... (Review)
Review
The occurrence of microorganisms has been confirmed in the tumor microenvironment (TME) of many different organs. Microorganisms (e.g., phage, virus, bacteria, fungi, and protozoa) present in TME modulate TME to inhibit or promote tumor growth in species-dependent manners due to the special physiological and pathological features of each microorganism. Such microorganism-TME interactions have recently been emulated to turn microorganisms into powerful cancer theranostic agents. To facilitate scientists to explore microorganisms-TME interactions further to develop improved cancer theranostics, here we critically review the characteristics of different microorganisms that can be found in TME, their interactions with TME, and their current applications in cancer diagnosis and therapy. Clinical trials of using microorganisms for cancer theranostics are also summarized and discussed. Moreover, the emerging technology of whole-metagenome sequencing that can be employed to precisely determine microbiota spectra is described. Such technology enables scientists to gain an in-depth understanding of the species and distributions of microorganisms in TME. Therefore, scientists now have new tools to identify microorganisms (either naturally present in or introduced into TME) that can be used as effective probes, monitors, vaccines, or drugs for potentially advancing cancer theranostics to clinical applications.
Topics: Humans; Neoplasms; Precision Medicine; Tumor Microenvironment
PubMed: 35401838
DOI: 10.7150/thno.70719 -
Frontiers in Microbiology 2022
PubMed: 35509318
DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2022.901161 -
SpringerPlus 2016Culture collections contain indispensable information about the microorganisms preserved in their repositories, such as taxonomical descriptions, origins, physiological... (Review)
Review
Culture collections contain indispensable information about the microorganisms preserved in their repositories, such as taxonomical descriptions, origins, physiological and biochemical characteristics, bibliographic references, etc. However, information currently accessible in databases rarely adheres to common standard protocols. The resultant heterogeneity between culture collections, in terms of both content and format, notably hampers microorganism-based research and development (R&D). The optimized exploitation of these resources thus requires standardized, and simplified, access to the associated information. To this end, and in the interest of supporting R&D in the fields of agriculture, health and biotechnology, a pan-European distributed research infrastructure, MIRRI, including over 40 public culture collections and research institutes from 19 European countries, was established. A prime objective of MIRRI is to unite and provide universal access to the fragmented, and untapped, resources, information and expertise available in European public collections of microorganisms; a key component of which is to develop a dynamic Information System. For the first time, both culture collection curators as well as their users have been consulted and their feedback, concerning the needs and requirements for collection databases and data accessibility, utilised. Users primarily noted that databases were not interoperable, thus rendering a global search of multiple databases impossible. Unreliable or out-of-date and, in particular, non-homogenous, taxonomic information was also considered to be a major obstacle to searching microbial data efficiently. Moreover, complex searches are rarely possible in online databases thus limiting the extent of search queries. Curators also consider that overall harmonization-including Standard Operating Procedures, data structure, and software tools-is necessary to facilitate their work and to make high-quality data easily accessible to their users. Clearly, the needs of culture collection curators coincide with those of users on the crucial point of database interoperability. In this regard, and in order to design an appropriate Information System, important aspects on which the culture collection community should focus include: the interoperability of data sets with the ontologies to be used; setting best practice in data management, and the definition of an appropriate data standard.
PubMed: 27386258
DOI: 10.1186/s40064-016-2450-8 -
Biomaterials Translational 2022Microorganisms with innate and artificial advantages have been regarded as intelligent drug delivery systems for cancer therapy with the help of engineering technology.... (Review)
Review
Microorganisms with innate and artificial advantages have been regarded as intelligent drug delivery systems for cancer therapy with the help of engineering technology. Although numerous studies have confirmed the promising prospects of microorganisms in cancer, several problems such as immunogenicity and toxicity should be addressed before further clinical applications. This review aims to investigate the development of engineered microorganism-based delivery systems for targeted cancer therapy. The main types of microorganisms such as bacteria, viruses, fungi, microalgae, and their components and characteristics are introduced in detail. Moreover, the engineering strategies and biomaterials design of microorganisms are further discussed. Most importantly, we discuss the innovative attempts and therapeutic effects of engineered microorganisms in cancer. Taken together, engineered microorganism-based delivery systems hold tremendous promise for biomedical applications in targeted cancer therapy.
PubMed: 36654778
DOI: 10.12336/biomatertransl.2022.03.004 -
Insects Nov 2022Olfaction plays an essential role in various insect behaviors, including habitat selection, access to food, avoidance of predators, inter-species communication,... (Review)
Review
Olfaction plays an essential role in various insect behaviors, including habitat selection, access to food, avoidance of predators, inter-species communication, aggregation, and reproduction. The olfactory process involves integrating multiple signals from external conditions and internal physiological states, including living environments, age, physiological conditions, and circadian rhythms. As microorganisms and insects form tight interactions, the behaviors of insects are constantly challenged by versatile microorganisms via olfactory cues. To better understand the microbial influences on insect behaviors via olfactory cues, this paper summarizes three different ways in which microorganisms modulate insect behaviors. Here, we deciphered three interesting aspects of microorganisms-contributed olfaction: (1) How do volatiles emitted by microorganisms affect the behaviors of insects? (2) How do microorganisms reshape the behaviors of insects by inducing changes in the synthesis of host volatiles? (3) How do symbiotic microorganisms act on insects by modulating behaviors?
PubMed: 36555004
DOI: 10.3390/insects13121094