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Saudi Journal of Biological Sciences Jun 2021Chlorpyriphos is one of the major organophosphorus pesticides used widely to control a range of insect pests across several crops. This insecticide is hazardous to the...
Chlorpyriphos is one of the major organophosphorus pesticides used widely to control a range of insect pests across several crops. This insecticide is hazardous to the environment and toxic to mammals, thus, it is essential to remove the same from the environment. Similarly, use of polythene is also increasing day by day. Therefore, it is highly important to identify ways to degrade chlorpyriphos and other pesticides from the environment. We studied the degradation of chlorpyriphos and polyethylene by Citrus mealybug () bacterial endosymbionts such as and . This investigation revealed that bacterial endosymbionts use the polythene as a source of carbon and solubilize them by their enzymatic machinery. The degradation of polyethylene by endosymbionts showed a significant reduction in weight of polyethylene sheet after 15, 30 and 45 days of treatment. The SEM images showed localized degradation of the polyethylene around the bacterial cells in the biofilm. Further, the tensile strength (percentage elongation) was significantly reduced after 45 days of incubation. The weight of paraffin wax showed significant reduction in . A significant reduction in total amount of chlorpyriphos in soil was observed at an interval of 7, 14 and 21 days after treatment by the bacterial isolates. Among the bacteria, and were found to be most effective. The results from this study show that endosymbionts can be significantly implicated in degrading chlorpyriphos and polyethylene from the environment.
PubMed: 34121858
DOI: 10.1016/j.sjbs.2021.03.058 -
PloS One 2023The exponential increase in the prevalence of multidrug resistant bacteria has resulted in limiting surgical treatment options globally, potentially causing...
The exponential increase in the prevalence of multidrug resistant bacteria has resulted in limiting surgical treatment options globally, potentially causing biofilm-related complications, implant failure, and severe consequences. This study aims to isolate and characterize bacteria from post-surgical orthopaedic implant infections and screening for multiple antibiotic resistance. A cross-sectional study was conducted, involving isolation of forty-four dominant pathogenic bacterial isolates from 16 infected implant samples from across Islamabad and Rawalpindi. Out of forty-four, 38% cocci and 61% bacilli were obtained. Approximately 90% of isolates showed multiple antibiotic resistance (MAR) index of more than 0.2. Eleven strains were identified via 16S rRNA gene sequencing as Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Bacillus spp., Planococcus chinensis, Staphylococcus, Escherichia coli and Enterobacter cloacae. The bacterial strain E. coli MB641 showed sensitivity to Polymyxin only, and was resistant to all other antibiotics used. Maximum biofilm forming ability 0.532 ± 0.06, 0.55 ± 0.01 and 0.557 ± 0.07 was observed in Pseudomonas aeruginosa MB663, Pseudomonas aeruginosa MB664 and Bacillus spp. MB647 respectively after 24 hours of incubation. EPS production of bacterial strains was assessed, the polysaccharides and protein content of EPS were found to be in the range of 11-32 μg/ml and 2-10 μg/ml, respectively. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopic analysis of EPS showed the presence of carbohydrates, proteins, alkyl halides, and nucleic acids. X-ray diffraction analysis revealed crystalline structure of EPS extracted from biofilm forming bacteria. These findings suggest a high prevalence of antibiotic-resistant bacteria in orthopaedic implant-associated surgeries, highlighting the urgent need for ongoing monitoring and microorganism testing in infected implants.
Topics: Humans; Escherichia coli; Orthopedics; Pakistan; RNA, Ribosomal, 16S; Cross-Sectional Studies; Virulence; Microbial Sensitivity Tests; Bacteria; Pseudomonas aeruginosa; Drug Resistance, Multiple, Bacterial; Anti-Bacterial Agents; Postoperative Complications
PubMed: 37847701
DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0292956 -
Ecology and Evolution Feb 2019Associations between Sternorrhyncha insects and intracellular bacteria are common in nature. Mealybugs are destructive pests that seriously threaten the production of...
Associations between Sternorrhyncha insects and intracellular bacteria are common in nature. Mealybugs are destructive pests that seriously threaten the production of agriculture and forestry. Mealybugs have evolved intimate endosymbiotic relationships with bacteria, which provide them with essential amino acids, vitamins, and other nutrients. In this study, the divergence of five mealybugs was analyzed based up the sequences of the mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase I (mtCOI). Meanwhile, the distinct regions of the 16S rRNA gene of primary symbionts in the mealybugs were sequenced. Finally, high-throughput sequencing (HTS) techniques were used to study the microbial abundance and diversity in mealybugs. Molecular phylogenetic analyses revealed that these five mealybugs were subdivided into two different clusters. One cluster of mealybugs (, , and ) harbored the primary endosymbiont " Tremblaya princeps," and another cluster ( and ) harbored ". Tremblaya phenacola." The mtCOI sequence divergence between the two clusters was similar to the 16S rRNA sequence divergence between and . Thus, we concluded that the symbiont phylogeny was largely concordant with the host phylogeny. The HTS showed that the microbial abundance and diversity within and were highly similar, and there was lower overall species richness compared to the other mealybugs. Among the five mealybugs, we also found significant differences in Shannon diversity and observed species. These results provide a theoretical basis for further research on the coevolution of mealybugs and their symbiotic microorganisms. These findings are also useful for research on the effect of symbiont diversity on the pest status of mealybugs in agricultural systems.
PubMed: 30847086
DOI: 10.1002/ece3.4889 -
Marine Drugs May 2014In the last decades, research has focused on the capabilities of microbes to secrete exopolysaccharides (EPS), because these polymers differ from the commercial ones... (Review)
Review
In the last decades, research has focused on the capabilities of microbes to secrete exopolysaccharides (EPS), because these polymers differ from the commercial ones derived essentially from plants or algae in their numerous valuable qualities. These biopolymers have emerged as new polymeric materials with novel and unique physical characteristics that have found extensive applications. In marine microorganisms the produced EPS provide an instrument to survive in adverse conditions: They are found to envelope the cells by allowing the entrapment of nutrients or the adhesion to solid substrates. Even if the processes of synthesis and release of exopolysaccharides request high-energy investments for the bacterium, these biopolymers permit resistance under extreme environmental conditions. Marine bacteria like Bacillus, Halomonas, Planococcus, Enterobacter, Alteromonas, Pseudoalteromonas, Vibrio, Rhodococcus, Zoogloea but also Archaea as Haloferax and Thermococcus are here described as EPS producers underlining biopolymer hyperproduction, related fermentation strategies including the effects of the chemical composition of the media, the physical parameters of the growth conditions and the genetic and predicted experimental design tools.
Topics: Bacteria; Fermentation; Polysaccharides; Water Microbiology
PubMed: 24857960
DOI: 10.3390/md12053005 -
Foods (Basel, Switzerland) May 2024The composition and continuous succession of natural microbial communities during grape growth play important roles in grape health and flavor quality as well as in...
The composition and continuous succession of natural microbial communities during grape growth play important roles in grape health and flavor quality as well as in characterizing the regional wine terroir. This study explored the diversity and dynamics of fruit epidermal microbes at each growth and developmental stage of Ecolly grapes under an extremely simplified eco-cultivation model, analyzed microbial interactions and associations of weather parameters to specific communities, and emphasized metabolic functional characteristics of microecology. The results indicated that the natural microbial community changed significantly during the grape growth phase. The dominant fungal genera mainly included , , , , , , and , and the dominant bacterial genera mainly contained , , , , , , and . In summary, filamentous fungi gradually shifted to basidiomycetous yeasts along with fruit ripening, with a decline in the number of Gram-negative bacteria and a relative increase in Gram-positive bacteria. The community assembly process reflects the fact that microbial ecology may be influenced by a variety of factors, but the fungal community was more stable, and the bacterial community fluctuated more from year to year, which may reflect their response to weather conditions over the years. Overall, our study helps to comprehensively profile the ecological characteristics of the grape microbial system, highlights the natural ecological viticulture concept, and promotes the sustainable development of the grape and wine industry.
PubMed: 38790880
DOI: 10.3390/foods13101580 -
Microorganisms Feb 2024Soil salinization is negatively affecting soils globally, and the spread of this problem is of great concern due to the loss of functions and benefits offered by the...
Soil salinization is negatively affecting soils globally, and the spread of this problem is of great concern due to the loss of functions and benefits offered by the soil resource. In the present study, we explored the diversity of halophilic and halotolerant microorganisms in the arable fraction of a sodic-saline soil without agricultural practices and two soils with agricultural practices (one sodic and one saline) near the geothermal area "Los Negritos" in Villamar, Michoacán state. This was achieved through their isolation and molecular identification, as well as the characterization of their potential for the production of metabolites and enzymes of biotechnological interest under saline conditions. Using culture-dependent techniques, 62 halotolerant and moderately halophilic strains belonging to the genera , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , and were isolated. The different strains synthesized hydrolytic enzymes under 15% (/) of salts, as well as metabolites with plant-growth-promoting (PGP) characteristics, such as indole acetic acid (IAA), under saline conditions. Furthermore, the production of biopolymers was detected among the strains; members of , , , and showed extracellular polymeric substance (EPS) production, and the strain sp. LNSP3E3-1.2 produced polyhydroxybutyrate (PHB) under 10% (/) of total salts.
PubMed: 38543532
DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms12030482 -
PloS One 2022Auxospore production is a sexual reproductive strategy by diatoms to re-attain normal size after the size-reducing effect of clonal reproduction. Aside from the minimum...
Auxospore production is a sexual reproductive strategy by diatoms to re-attain normal size after the size-reducing effect of clonal reproduction. Aside from the minimum size threshold used as a sex clock by diatoms, the environmental or chemical triggers that can induce sex in diatoms are still not well understood. Here we investigated the influence of six marine bacteria from five families on the production of sexual cells and auxospores of the ubiquitous marine polar centric diatom, Odontella sp. Microbiome association and co-occurrence with the diatom in culture and in nature were investigated using 16S rRNA amplicon sequencing. Indole acetic acid (IAA) secretion, a phytohormone that regulates plants' growth and sexual development, was explored as a potential inducer of sexual reproduction in Odontella and compared between bacterial associates. We found that Odontella co-cultured with Flavobacteriaceae (Polaribacter and Cellulophaga) have significantly more sexual cells and auxospores than bacteria-free Odontella and Odontella co-cultured with other bacteria from Vibrionaceae (Vibrio), Pseudoalteromonadaceae (Pseudoalteromonas), Rhodobacteraceae (Sulfitobacter), or Planococcaceae (Planococcus) family. Differences in IAA secretion were observed between bacterial isolates, but this did not correspond consistently with the diatom's clonal growth or production of sexual cells and auxospores. Microbiome composition survey of Odontella cultures showed that the diatom harbors homologous sequences of the four bacterial isolates at varying proportions, with Sulfitobacter and Polaribacter at high abundances. Microbiome surveys at Santa Cruz Wharf, Monterey Bay, from 2014-2015 showed that Odontella abundance is positively correlated with Flavobacteriaceae and Rhodobacteraceae abundances. Our study demonstrates that specific members of the diatom microbiome can enhance the host's sexual reproduction, with the interkingdom interaction driven by partner compatibility and long-term association. Sex-enhancing bacteria may even be needed by the diatom host to carry out the optimal inducement of sex under normal conditions, allowing for size restitution and maintaining genetic diversity in culture and in nature.
Topics: Humans; Animals; Diatoms; RNA, Ribosomal, 16S; Plant Growth Regulators; Microbiota; Arthropods; Reproduction; Rhodobacteraceae
PubMed: 36260629
DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0276305 -
Frontiers in Microbiology 2021Protease-producing bacteria play vital roles in degrading organic matter of aquaculture system, while the knowledge of diversity and bacterial community structure of...
Protease-producing bacteria play vital roles in degrading organic matter of aquaculture system, while the knowledge of diversity and bacterial community structure of protease-producing bacteria is limited in this system, especially in the tropical region. Herein, 1,179 cultivable protease-producing bacterial strains that belonged to Actinobacteria, Firmicutes, and Proteobacteria were isolated from tropical aquaculture systems, of which the most abundant genus was , followed by . The diversity and relative abundance of protease-producing bacteria in sediment were generally higher than those in water. Twenty-one genera from sediment and 16 genera from water were identified, of which dominated by in both and dominated by in water were the dominant genera. The unique genera in sediment or water accounted for tiny percentage may play important roles in the stability of community structure. Eighty isolates were clustered into four clusters (ET-1-ET-4) at 58% of similarity by ERIC-PCR (enterobacterial repetitive intergenic consensus-polymerase chain reaction), which was identified as a novel branch of . Additionally, strains belonged to ET-3 and ET-4 were detected in most aquaculture ponds without outbreak of epidemics, indicating that these protease-producing bacteria may be used as potential beneficial bacteria for wastewater purification. Environmental variables played important roles in shaping protease-producing bacterial diversity and community structure in aquaculture systems. In sediment, dissolved oxygen (DO), chemical oxygen demand (COD), and salinity as the main factors positively affected the distributions of dominant genus () and unique genera ( and ), whereas temperature negatively affected that of (except ). In water, as unique genus and were negatively affected by NO -N and NO -N, respectively, whereas pH as the main factor positively affected the distribution of . These findings will lay a foundation for the development of protease-producing bacterial agents for wastewater purification and the construction of an environment-friendly tropical aquaculture model.
PubMed: 33613508
DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2021.638129 -
Biology Mar 2022The Taklimakan Desert located in China is the second-largest shifting sand desert in the world and is known for its harsh conditions. Types of γ-rays or UV...
The Taklimakan Desert located in China is the second-largest shifting sand desert in the world and is known for its harsh conditions. Types of γ-rays or UV radiation-resistant bacterial strains have been isolated from this desert. However, there is no information regarding the proportions of the radiation-resistant strains in the total culturable microbes. We isolated 352 bacterial strains from nine sites across the Taklimakan Desert from north to south. They belong to Actinobacteria, Firmicutes, Proteobacteria, and Bacteroidetes. The phylum Actinobacteria was the most predominant in abundance and Firmicutes had the highest species richness. Bacteroidetes had the lowest abundance and was found in four sites only, while the other three phyla were found in every site but with different distribution profiles. After irradiating with 1000 J/m and 6000 J/m UV-C, the strains with survival rates higher than 10% occupied 72.3% and 36.9% of all culturable bacteria, respectively. The members from Proteobacteria had the highest proportions, with survival rates higher than 10%. After radiation with 10 kGy γ-rays, sp. TKL1057 and sp. TKL1152 showed higher radiation-resistant capabilities than R1. Besides obtaining several radiation-resistant extremophiles, this study measured the proportions of the radiation-resistant strains in the total culturable microbes for the first time. This study may help to better understand the origin of radioresistance, especially by quantitatively comparing proportions of radiation-resistant extremophiles from different environments in the future.
PubMed: 35453702
DOI: 10.3390/biology11040501 -
ELife Aug 2017Gut bacteria occupy the interface between the organism and the external environment, contributing to homeostasis and disease. Yet, the causal role of the gut microbiota...
Gut bacteria occupy the interface between the organism and the external environment, contributing to homeostasis and disease. Yet, the causal role of the gut microbiota during host aging is largely unexplored. Here, using the African turquoise killifish (), a naturally short-lived vertebrate, we show that the gut microbiota plays a key role in modulating vertebrate life span. Recolonizing the gut of middle-age individuals with bacteria from young donors resulted in life span extension and delayed behavioral decline. This intervention prevented the decrease in microbial diversity associated with host aging and maintained a young-like gut bacterial community, characterized by overrepresentation of the key genera and . Our findings demonstrate that the natural microbial gut community of young individuals can causally induce long-lasting beneficial systemic effects that lead to life span extension in a vertebrate model.
Topics: Aging; Animals; Fundulidae; Gastrointestinal Microbiome; Gastrointestinal Tract; Longevity
PubMed: 28826469
DOI: 10.7554/eLife.27014