@article {pmid39264951,
year = {2024},
author = {Pfennig, T and Kullmann, E and Zavřel, T and Nakielski, A and Ebenhöh, O and Červený, J and Bernát, G and Matuszyńska, AB},
title = {Shedding light on blue-green photosynthesis: A wavelength-dependent mathematical model of photosynthesis in Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803.},
journal = {PLoS computational biology},
volume = {20},
number = {9},
pages = {e1012445},
doi = {10.1371/journal.pcbi.1012445},
pmid = {39264951},
issn = {1553-7358},
abstract = {Cyanobacteria hold great potential to revolutionize conventional industries and farming practices with their light-driven chemical production. To fully exploit their photosynthetic capacity and enhance product yield, it is crucial to investigate their intricate interplay with the environment including the light intensity and spectrum. Mathematical models provide valuable insights for optimizing strategies in this pursuit. In this study, we present an ordinary differential equation-based model for the cyanobacterium Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803 to assess its performance under various light sources, including monochromatic light. Our model can reproduce a variety of physiologically measured quantities, e.g. experimentally reported partitioning of electrons through four main pathways, O2 evolution, and the rate of carbon fixation for ambient and saturated CO2. By capturing the interactions between different components of a photosynthetic system, our model helps in understanding the underlying mechanisms driving system behavior. Our model qualitatively reproduces fluorescence emitted under various light regimes, replicating Pulse-amplitude modulation (PAM) fluorometry experiments with saturating pulses. Using our model, we test four hypothesized mechanisms of cyanobacterial state transitions for ensemble of parameter sets and found no physiological benefit of a model assuming phycobilisome detachment. Moreover, we evaluate metabolic control for biotechnological production under diverse light colors and irradiances. We suggest gene targets for overexpression under different illuminations to increase the yield. By offering a comprehensive computational model of cyanobacterial photosynthesis, our work enhances the basic understanding of light-dependent cyanobacterial behavior and sets the first wavelength-dependent framework to systematically test their producing capacity for biocatalysis.},
}

@article {pmid39264809,
year = {2024},
author = {Boverhoff, D and Kool, J and Pijnacker, R and Ducarmon, QR and Zeller, G and Shetty, S and Sie, S and Mulder, AC and van der Klis, F and Franz, E and Mughini-Gras, L and van Baarle, D and Fuentes, S},
title = {Profiling the fecal microbiome and its modulators across the lifespan in the Netherlands.},
journal = {Cell reports},
volume = {43},
number = {9},
pages = {114729},
doi = {10.1016/j.celrep.2024.114729},
pmid = {39264809},
issn = {2211-1247},
abstract = {Defining what constitutes a healthy microbiome throughout our lives remains an ongoing challenge. Understanding to what extent host and environmental factors can influence it has been the primary motivation for large population studies worldwide. Here, we describe the fecal microbiome of 3,746 individuals (0-87 years of age) in a nationwide study in the Netherlands, in association with extensive questionnaires. We validate previous findings, such as infant-adult trajectories, and explore the collective impact of our variables, which explain over 40% of the variation in microbiome composition. We identify associations with less explored factors, particularly those ethnic related, which show the largest impact on the adult microbiome composition, diversity, metabolic profiles, and CAZy (carbohydrate-active enzyme) repertoires. Understanding the sources of microbiome variability is crucial, given its potential as a modifiable target with therapeutic possibilities. With this work, we aim to serve as a foundational element for the design of health interventions and fundamental research.},
}

@article {pmid39264366,
year = {2024},
author = {Yüksel, E and Voragen, AGJ and Kort, R},
title = {The pectin metabolizing capacity of the human gut microbiota.},
journal = {Critical reviews in food science and nutrition},
volume = {},
number = {},
pages = {1-23},
doi = {10.1080/10408398.2024.2400235},
pmid = {39264366},
issn = {1549-7852},
abstract = {The human gastrointestinal microbiota, densely populated with a diverse array of microorganisms primarily from the bacterial phyla Bacteroidota, Bacillota, and Actinomycetota, is crucial for maintaining health and physiological functions. Dietary fibers, particularly pectin, significantly influence the composition and metabolic activity of the gut microbiome. Pectin is fermented by gut bacteria using carbohydrate-active enzymes (CAZymes), resulting in the production of short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) such as acetate, propionate, and butyrate, which provide various health benefits. The gastrointestinal microbiota has evolved to produce CAZymes that target different pectin components, facilitating cross-feeding within the microbial community. This review explores the fermentation of pectin by various gut bacteria, focusing on the involved transport systems, CAZyme families, SCFA synthesis capacity, and effects on microbial ecology in the gut. It addresses the complexities of the gut microbiome's response to pectin and highlights the importance of microbial cross-feeding in maintaining a balanced and diverse gut ecosystem. Through a systematic analysis of pectinolytic CAZyme production, this review provides insights into the enzymatic mechanisms underlying pectin degradation and their broader implications for human health, paving the way for more targeted and personalized dietary strategies.},
}

@article {pmid39264291,
year = {2024},
author = {Jones, BS and DeWitt, ME and Wenner, JJ and Sanders, JW},
title = {Lyme Disease Under-Ascertainment During the COVID-19 Pandemic in the United States: Retrospective Study.},
journal = {JMIR public health and surveillance},
volume = {10},
number = {},
pages = {e56571},
doi = {10.2196/56571},
pmid = {39264291},
issn = {2369-2960},
mesh = {Humans ; *Lyme Disease/epidemiology ; *COVID-19/epidemiology ; United States/epidemiology ; North Carolina/epidemiology ; Retrospective Studies ; Pandemics ; Bayes Theorem ; },
abstract = {BACKGROUND: The COVID-19 pandemic resulted in a massive disruption in access to care and thus passive, hospital- and clinic-based surveillance programs. In 2020, the reported cases of Lyme disease were the lowest both across the United States and North Carolina in recent years. During this period, human contact patterns began to shift with higher rates of greenspace utilization and outdoor activities, putting more people into contact with potential vectors and associated vector-borne diseases. Lyme disease reporting relies on passive surveillance systems, which were likely disrupted by changes in health care-seeking behavior during the pandemic.

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to quantify the likely under-ascertainment of cases of Lyme disease during the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States and North Carolina.

METHODS: We fitted publicly available, reported Lyme disease cases for both the United States and North Carolina prior to the year 2020 to predict the number of anticipated Lyme disease cases in the absence of the pandemic using a Bayesian modeling approach. We then compared the ratio of reported cases divided by the predicted cases to quantify the number of likely under-ascertained cases. We then fitted geospatial models to further quantify the spatial distribution of the likely under-ascertained cases and characterize spatial dynamics at local scales.

RESULTS: Reported cases of Lyme Disease were lower in 2020 in both the United States and North Carolina than prior years. Our findings suggest that roughly 14,200 cases may have gone undetected given historical trends prior to the pandemic. Furthermore, we estimate that only 40% to 80% of Lyme diseases cases were detected in North Carolina between August 2020 and February 2021, the peak months of the COVID-19 pandemic in both the United States and North Carolina, with prior ascertainment rates returning to normal levels after this period. Our models suggest both strong temporal effects with higher numbers of cases reported in the summer months as well as strong geographic effects.

CONCLUSIONS: Ascertainment rates of Lyme disease were highly variable during the pandemic period both at national and subnational scales. Our findings suggest that there may have been a substantial number of unreported Lyme disease cases despite an apparent increase in greenspace utilization. The use of counterfactual modeling using spatial and historical trends can provide insight into the likely numbers of missed cases. Variable ascertainment of cases has implications for passive surveillance programs, especially in the trending of disease morbidity and outbreak detection, suggesting that other methods may be appropriate for outbreak detection during disturbances to these passive surveillance systems.},
}

Humans
*Lyme Disease/epidemiology
*COVID-19/epidemiology
United States/epidemiology
North Carolina/epidemiology
Retrospective Studies
Pandemics
Bayes Theorem

@article {pmid39260494,
year = {2024},
author = {Ejaz, MR and Badr, K and Hassan, ZU and Al-Thani, R and Jaoua, S},
title = {Metagenomic approaches and opportunities in arid soil research.},
journal = {The Science of the total environment},
volume = {},
number = {},
pages = {176173},
doi = {10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.176173},
pmid = {39260494},
issn = {1879-1026},
abstract = {Arid soils present unique challenges and opportunities for studying microbial diversity and bioactive potential due to the extreme environmental conditions they bear. This review article investigates soil metagenomics as an emerging tool to explore complex microbial dynamics and unexplored bioactive potential in harsh environments. Utilizing advanced metagenomic techniques, diverse microbial populations that grow under extreme conditions such as high temperatures, salinity, high pH levels, and exposure to metals and radiation can be studied. The use of extremophiles to discover novel natural products and biocatalysts emphasizes the role of functional metagenomics in identifying enzymes and secondary metabolites for industrial and pharmaceutical purposes. Metagenomic sequencing uncovers a complex network of microbial diversity, offering significant potential for discovering new bioactive compounds. Functional metagenomics, connecting taxonomic diversity to genetic capabilities, provides a pathway to identify microbes' mechanisms to synthesize valuable secondary metabolites and other bioactive substances. Contrary to the common perception of desert soil as barren land, the metagenomic analysis reveals a rich diversity of life forms adept at extreme survival. It provides valuable findings into their resilience and potential applications in biotechnology. Moreover, the challenges associated with metagenomics in arid soils, such as low microbial biomass, high DNA degradation rates, and DNA extraction inhibitors and strategies to overcome these issues, outline the latest advancements in extraction methods, high-throughput sequencing, and bioinformatics. The importance of metagenomics for investigating diverse environments opens the way for future research to develop sustainable solutions in agriculture, industry, and medicine. Extensive studies are necessary to utilize the full potential of these powerful microbial communities. This research will significantly improve our understanding of microbial ecology and biotechnology in arid environments.},
}

@article {pmid39259499,
year = {2024},
author = {Schwab, ST and Bühler, LY and Schleheck, D and Nelson, TF and Mecking, S},
title = {Correlation of Enzymatic Depolymerization Rates with the Structure of Polyethylene-Like Long-Chain Aliphatic Polyesters.},
journal = {ACS macro letters},
volume = {},
number = {},
pages = {1245-1250},
doi = {10.1021/acsmacrolett.4c00463},
pmid = {39259499},
issn = {2161-1653},
abstract = {Long-chain aliphatic polyesters are emerging sustainable materials that exhibit polyethylene-like properties while being amenable to chemical recycling and biodegradation. However, varying polyester chemical structures results in markedly different degradation rates, which cannot be predicted from commonly correlated bulk polyester properties, such as polymer melting temperature. To elucidate these structure-degradability relationships, long-chain polyesters varying in their monomer composition and crystallinity were subjected to enzymatic hydrolysis, the rates of which were quantified via detection of formed monomers. Copolymers with poorly water-soluble, long-chain diol monomers (e.g., 1,18-octadecanediol) demonstrated strongly reduced depolymerization rates compared to copolymers with shorter chain length diol monomers. This was illustrated by, e.g., the 20× faster hydrolysis of PE-4,18, consisting of 1,4-butanediol and 1,18-octadecanedicarboxylic acid monomers, relative to PE-18,4. The insoluble long-chain diol monomer released upon hydrolysis was proposed to remain attached to the bulk polymer surface, decreasing the accessibility of the remaining ester bonds to enzymes for further hydrolysis. Tuning of polyester crystallinity via the introduction of branched monomers led to variable hydrolysis rates, which increased by an order of magnitude when crystallinity decreased from 72% to 45%. The results reported enables the informed design of polyester structures with balanced material properties and amenability to depolymerization.},
}

@article {pmid39259393,
year = {2024},
author = {Berlow, M and Mesa, M and Creek, M and Duarte, JG and Carpenter, E and Phinizy, B and Andonian, K and Dlugosch, KM},
title = {Plant G × Microbial E: Plant Genotype Interaction with Soil Bacterial Community Shapes Rhizosphere Composition During Invasion.},
journal = {Microbial ecology},
volume = {87},
number = {1},
pages = {113},
pmid = {39259393},
issn = {1432-184X},
support = {1750280//NSF/ ; 1750280//NSF/ ; 1750280//NSF/ ; 1750280//NSF/ ; 1750280//NSF/ ; 1750280//NSF/ ; 1750280//NSF/ ; 1750280//NSF/ ; 2023-67012-40306//USDA/ ; 2023-67013-40169//USDA/ ; 2023-67013-40169//USDA/ ; },
mesh = {*Soil Microbiology ; *Rhizosphere ; *Introduced Species ; *Genotype ; *Microbiota ; *Bacteria/genetics/classification/isolation & purification ; Centaurea/microbiology/genetics ; Plant Roots/microbiology ; California ; Soil/chemistry ; },
abstract = {It is increasingly recognized that different genetic variants of hosts can uniquely shape their microbiomes. Invasive species often evolve in their introduced ranges, but little is known about the potential for their microbial associations to change during invasion as a result. We asked whether host genotype (G), microbial environment (E), or their interaction (G × E) affected the composition and diversity of host-associated microbiomes in Centaurea solstitialis (yellow starthistle), a Eurasian plant that is known to have evolved novel genotypes and phenotypes and to have altered microbial interactions, in its severe invasion of CA, USA. We conducted an experiment in which native and invading plant genotypes were inoculated with native and invaded range soil microbial communities. We used amplicon sequencing to characterize rhizosphere bacteria in both the experiment and the field soils from which they were derived. We found that native and invading plant genotypes accumulated different microbial associations at the family level in each soil community, often counter to differences in family abundance between soil communities. Root associations with potentially beneficial Streptomycetaceae were particularly interesting, as these were more abundant in the invaded range field soil and accumulated on invading genotypes. We also found that bacterial diversity is higher in invaded soils, but that invading genotypes accumulated a lower diversity of bacteria and unique microbial composition in experimental inoculations, relative to native genotypes. Thus variation in microbial associations of invaders was driven by the interaction of plant G and microbial E, and rhizosphere microbial communities appear to change in composition in response to host evolution during invasion.},
}

*Soil Microbiology
*Rhizosphere
*Introduced Species
*Genotype
*Microbiota
*Bacteria/genetics/classification/isolation & purification
Centaurea/microbiology/genetics
Plant Roots/microbiology
California
Soil/chemistry

@article {pmid39259373,
year = {2024},
author = {Zhang, K and Tan, X and Zhang, Q},
title = {Nutritional Quality of Basal Resource in Stream Food Webs Increased with Light Reduction-Implications for Riparian Revegetation.},
journal = {Microbial ecology},
volume = {87},
number = {1},
pages = {114},
pmid = {39259373},
issn = {1432-184X},
support = {Nos. 32271665, 32030069//National Natural Science Foundation of China/ ; Nos. 32271665, 32030069//National Natural Science Foundation of China/ ; Nos. 32271665, 32030069//National Natural Science Foundation of China/ ; },
mesh = {*Rivers/microbiology/chemistry ; *Food Chain ; *Fatty Acids, Unsaturated/analysis/metabolism ; *Light ; Cyanobacteria/metabolism/growth & development ; Chlorophyta/metabolism/growth & development ; Diatoms/metabolism/growth & development ; Nutritive Value ; },
abstract = {Biofilms are considered a basal resource with high nutritional quality in stream food webs, as periphytic algae are abundant of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs). PUFAs are essential for growth and reproduction of consumers who cannot or have very limited capacity to biosynthesize. Yet, how the nutritional quality based on PUFA of basal food sources changes with light intensity remains unclear. We conducted a manipulative experiment in mesocosms to explore the response and mechanisms of nutritional quality to shading, simulating riparian restoration. We found a significant increase in PUFA% (including arachidonic acid, ARA) under shading conditions. The increased PUFA is caused by the algal community succession from Cyanobacteria and Chlorophyta to Bacillariophyta which is abundant of PUFA (especially eicosapentaenoic acid, EPA; docosahexaenoic acid, DHA). On the other hand, shading increased PUFA via upregulating enzymes such as Δ12 desaturase (FAD2, EC:1.14.19.6) and 3-ketoacyl-CoA synthase (KCS, EC:2.3.1.199) in the biosynthesis of unsaturated fatty acid elongation pathways. Our findings imply that riparian reforestation by decreasing light intensity increases the nutritional quality of basal resources in streams, which may enhance transfer of good quality carbon to consumers in higher trophic levels through bottom-up effects.},
}

*Rivers/microbiology/chemistry
*Food Chain
*Fatty Acids, Unsaturated/analysis/metabolism
*Light
Cyanobacteria/metabolism/growth & development
Chlorophyta/metabolism/growth & development
Diatoms/metabolism/growth & development
Nutritive Value

@article {pmid39258201,
year = {2024},
author = {Iliopoulou, S and Kourteli, M and Damialis, A and Kapsanaki-Gotsi, E and Pyrri, I},
title = {Air mycobiome in the National Library of Greece following relocation to novel premises.},
journal = {Heliyon},
volume = {10},
number = {16},
pages = {e36362},
doi = {10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e36362},
pmid = {39258201},
issn = {2405-8440},
abstract = {The aim of this work was to study the diversity and spatiotemporal fluctuations of airborne fungi in the National Library of Greece after its relocation from the Vallianeio historic building in the center of Athens to entirely new premises at the Stavros Niarchos Foundation Cultural Center, and also to compare the fungal aerosol in between the two sites. The air mycobiota were studied by a volumetric culture-based method, during the year 2019 in order to assess their diversity and abundance and to compare with those previously reported in the historic building. Twenty-eight genera of filamentous fungi were recovered indoors and 17 outdoors, in addition to yeasts registered as a group. The number of fungal genera recovered was almost similar in both premises, whereas seventeen genera indoors were identical, dominated by Penicillium, Cladosporium and Aspergillus. The mean daily fungal concentration was found to be 66 CFU m[-3] indoors and 927 CFU m[-3] outdoors in the new location vs 293 and 428 CFU m[-] [3] indoors and 707 and 648 CFU m[-] [3] outdoors in the previous one. The mean daily concentration indoors was consistently and significantly lower (P < 0.05) in the new building than in the historic one, although it was higher outdoors. The indoor/outdoor ratio for the total fungi was 0.07 in the new vs 0.41 and 0.66 in the previous one and reveals a superior indoor air quality in the new site. Air temperature and occupancy had a statistically significant impact on the concentration of indoor fungi. The remarkably reduced concentration of the mycobiota in the new premises indicated a considerable decline in fungal burden, mainly due to technological excellency of the facility and continuous preventive measures to ensure an enhanced indoor air quality in the National Library of Greece. This case study provides a paradigm about upgrading of indoor air after re-establishment of a facility in another setting.},
}

@article {pmid39256405,
year = {2024},
author = {Gan, L and Zheng, J and Xu, WH and Lin, J and Liu, J and Zhang, Y and Wu, Z and Lv, Z and Jia, Y and Guo, Q and Chen, S and Liu, C and Defoirdt, T and Qin, Q and Liu, Y},
title = {Author Correction: Deciphering the virulent Vibrio harveyi causing spoilage in muscle of aquatic crustacean Litopenaeus vannamei.},
journal = {Scientific reports},
volume = {14},
number = {1},
pages = {21131},
doi = {10.1038/s41598-024-71652-4},
pmid = {39256405},
issn = {2045-2322},
}

@article {pmid39256399,
year = {2024},
author = {Huang, WRH and Braam, C and Kretschmer, C and Villanueva, SL and Liu, H and Ferik, F and van der Burgh, AM and Boeren, S and Wu, J and Zhang, L and Nürnberger, T and Wang, Y and Seidl, MF and Evangelisti, E and Stuttmann, J and Joosten, MHAJ},
title = {Author Correction: Receptor-like cytoplasmic kinases of different subfamilies differentially regulate SOBIR1/BAK1-mediated immune responses in Nicotiana benthamiana.},
journal = {Nature communications},
volume = {15},
number = {1},
pages = {7910},
doi = {10.1038/s41467-024-52322-5},
pmid = {39256399},
issn = {2041-1723},
}

@article {pmid39255667,
year = {2024},
author = {Mei, Z and Wang, F and Fu, Y and Liu, Y and Hashsham, SA and Wang, Y and Harindintwali, JD and Dou, Q and Virta, M and Jiang, X and Deng, Y and Zhang, T and Tiedje, JM},
title = {Biofilm enhanced the mitigations of antibiotics and resistome in sulfadiazine and trimethoprim co-contaminated soils.},
journal = {Journal of hazardous materials},
volume = {479},
number = {},
pages = {135721},
doi = {10.1016/j.jhazmat.2024.135721},
pmid = {39255667},
issn = {1873-3336},
abstract = {Reducing antibiotic levels in soil ecosystems is vital to curb the dissemination of antimicrobial resistance genes (ARGs) and mitigate global health threats. However, gaps persist in understanding how antibiotic resistome can be suppressed during antibiotic degradation. Herein, we investigate the efficacy of a biochar biofilm incorporating antibiotics-degrading bacterial strain (Arthrobacter sp. D2) to mitigate antibiotic resistome in non-manured and manure-amended soils with sulfadiazine (SDZ) and trimethoprim (TMP) contamination. Results show that biofilm enhanced SDZ degradation by 83.0% within three days and increased TMP attenuation by 55.4% over 60 days in non-manured soils. In the non-manured black soil, the relative abundance of ARGs increased initially after biofilm inoculation. However, by day 30, it decreased by 20.5% compared to the controls. Moreover, after 7 days, biofilm reduced TMP by 38.5% in manured soils and decreased the total ARG abundance by 19.0%. Thus, while SDZ degradation did not increase sulfonamide resistance genes, TMP dissipation led to a proliferation of insertion sequences and related TMP resistance genes. This study underscores the importance of antibiotic degradation in reducing related ARGs while cautioning against the potential proliferation and various ARGs transfer by resistant microorganisms.},
}

@article {pmid39254334,
year = {2024},
author = {Lyng, M and Þórisdóttir, B and Sveinsdóttir, SH and Hansen, ML and Jelsbak, L and Maróti, G and Kovács, ÁT},
title = {Taxonomy of Pseudomonas spp. determines interactions with Bacillus subtilis.},
journal = {mSystems},
volume = {},
number = {},
pages = {e0021224},
doi = {10.1128/msystems.00212-24},
pmid = {39254334},
issn = {2379-5077},
abstract = {UNLABELLED: Bacilli and pseudomonads are among the most well-studied microorganisms commonly found in soil and frequently co-isolated. Isolates from these two genera are frequently used as plant beneficial microorganisms; therefore, their interaction in the plant rhizosphere is relevant for agricultural applications. Despite this, no systematic approach has been employed to assess the coexistence of members from these genera. Here, we screened 720 fluorescent soil isolates for their effects on Bacillus subtilis pellicle formation in two types of media and found a predictor for interaction outcome in Pseudomonas taxonomy. Interactions were context-dependent, and both medium composition and culture conditions strongly influenced interactions. Negative interactions were associated with Pseudomonas capeferrum, Pseudomonas entomophila, and Pseudomonas protegens, and 2,4-diacetylphloroglucinol was confirmed as a strong (but not exclusive) inhibitor of B. subtilis. Non-inhibiting strains were closely related to Pseudomonas trivialis and Pseudomonas lini. Using such a non-inhibiting isolate, Pseudomonas P9_31, which increased B. subtilis pellicle formation demonstrated that the two species were spatially segregated in cocultures. Our study is the first one to propose an overall negative outcome from pairwise interactions between B. subtilis and fluorescent pseudomonads; hence, cocultures comprising members from these groups are likely to require additional microorganisms for coexistence.

IMPORTANCE: There is a strong interest in the microbial ecology field to predict interaction among microorganisms, whether two microbial isolates will promote each other's growth or compete for resources. Numerous studies have been performed based on surveying the available literature or testing phylogenetically diverse sets of species in synthetic communities. Here, a high throughput screening has been performed using 720 Pseudomonas isolates, and their impact on the biofilm formation of Bacillus subtilis was tested. The aim was to determine whether a majority of Pseudomonas will promote or inhibit the biofilms of B. subtilis in the co-cultures. This study reports that Pseudomonas taxonomy is a good predictor of interaction outcome, and only a minority of Pseudomonas isolates promote Bacillus biofilm establishment.},
}

@article {pmid39252061,
year = {2024},
author = {Trego, A and O'Sullivan, S and O'Flaherty, V and Collins, G and Ijaz, UZ},
title = {Individual methanogenic granules are whole-ecosystem replicates with reproducible responses to environmental cues.},
journal = {Environmental microbiome},
volume = {19},
number = {1},
pages = {68},
pmid = {39252061},
issn = {2524-6372},
support = {3C-BIOTECH 261330/ERC_/European Research Council/International ; 3C-BIOTECH 261330/ERC_/European Research Council/International ; 3C-BIOTECH 261330/ERC_/European Research Council/International ; TC/2014/0016//Enterprise Ireland/ ; 14/IA/2371/SFI_/Science Foundation Ireland/Ireland ; 17/CDA/4658/SFI_/Science Foundation Ireland/Ireland ; NE/L011956/1//Natural Environment Research Council/ ; },
abstract = {BACKGROUND: In this study, individual methanogenic (anaerobic), granular biofilms were used as true community replicates to assess whole-microbial-community responses to environmental cues. The aggregates were sourced from a lab-scale, engineered, biological wastewater treatment system, were size-separated, and the largest granules were individually subjected to controlled environmental cues in micro-batch reactors (μBRs).

RESULTS: Individual granules were identical with respect to the structure of the active community based on cDNA analysis. Additionally, it was observed that the active microbial community of individual granules, at the depth of 16S rRNA gene sequencing, produced reproducible responses to environmental changes in pH, temperature, substrate, and trace-metal supplementation. We identified resilient and susceptible taxa associated with each environmental condition tested, as well as selected specialists, whose niche preferences span the entire trophic chain required for the complete anaerobic degradation of organic matter.

CONCLUSIONS: We found that single anaerobic granules can be considered highly-replicated whole-ecosystems with potential usefulness for the field of microbial ecology. Additionally, they act as the smallest whole-community unit within the meta-community of an engineered bioreactor. When subjected to various environmental cues, anaerobic granules responded reproducibly allowing for rare or unique opportunities for high-throughput studies testing whole-community responses to a wide range of environmental conditions.},
}

@article {pmid39250422,
year = {2024},
author = {Vijay, S and Bao, NLH and Vinh, DN and Nhat, LTH and Thu, DDA and Quang, NL and Trieu, LPT and Nhung, HN and Ha, VTN and Thai, PVK and Ha, DTM and Lan, NH and Caws, M and Thwaites, GE and Javid, B and Thuong, NT},
title = {Rifampicin tolerance and growth fitness among isoniazid-resistant clinical Mycobacterium tuberculosis isolates from a longitudinal study.},
journal = {eLife},
volume = {13},
number = {},
pages = {},
doi = {10.7554/eLife.93243},
pmid = {39250422},
issn = {2050-084X},
support = {10.35802/206724/WT_/Wellcome Trust/United Kingdom ; 10.35802/207487/WT_/Wellcome Trust/United Kingdom ; 10.35802/106680/WT_/Wellcome Trust/United Kingdom ; R21AI169005//National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases/ ; },
mesh = {*Rifampin/pharmacology ; *Mycobacterium tuberculosis/drug effects/genetics ; *Isoniazid/pharmacology ; Longitudinal Studies ; *Microbial Sensitivity Tests ; Humans ; *Antitubercular Agents/pharmacology ; *Drug Resistance, Bacterial/genetics ; Tuberculosis, Multidrug-Resistant/microbiology/drug therapy ; Tuberculosis/microbiology/drug therapy ; },
abstract = {Antibiotic tolerance in Mycobacterium tuberculosis reduces bacterial killing, worsens treatment outcomes, and contributes to resistance. We studied rifampicin tolerance in isolates with or without isoniazid resistance (IR). Using a minimum duration of killing assay, we measured rifampicin survival in isoniazid-susceptible (IS, n=119) and resistant (IR, n=84) isolates, correlating tolerance with bacterial growth, rifampicin minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs), and isoniazid-resistant mutations. Longitudinal IR isolates were analyzed for changes in rifampicin tolerance and genetic variant emergence. The median time for rifampicin to reduce the bacterial population by 90% (MDK90) increased from 1.23 days (IS) and 1.31 days (IR) to 2.55 days (IS) and 1.98 days (IR) over 15-60 days of incubation, indicating fast and slow-growing tolerant sub-populations. A 6 log10-fold survival fraction classified tolerance as low, medium, or high, showing that IR is linked to increased tolerance and faster growth (OR = 2.68 for low vs. medium, OR = 4.42 for low vs. high, p-trend = 0.0003). High tolerance in IR isolates was associated with rifampicin treatment in patients and genetic microvariants. These findings suggest that IR tuberculosis should be assessed for high rifampicin tolerance to optimize treatment and prevent the development of multi-drug-resistant tuberculosis.},
}

*Rifampin/pharmacology
*Mycobacterium tuberculosis/drug effects/genetics
*Isoniazid/pharmacology
Longitudinal Studies
*Microbial Sensitivity Tests
Humans
*Antitubercular Agents/pharmacology
*Drug Resistance, Bacterial/genetics
Tuberculosis, Multidrug-Resistant/microbiology/drug therapy
Tuberculosis/microbiology/drug therapy

@article {pmid39249553,
year = {2024},
author = {Morimura, H and Ishigami, K and Sato, T and Sone, T and Kikuchi, Y},
title = {Geographical, Seasonal, and Growth-Related Dynamics of Gut Microbiota in a Grapevine Pest, Apolygus spinolae (Heteroptera: Miridae).},
journal = {Microbial ecology},
volume = {87},
number = {1},
pages = {112},
pmid = {39249553},
issn = {1432-184X},
support = {22KJ0057//Japan Society for the Promotion of Science/ ; 21K20579//Japan Society for the Promotion of Science/ ; S-3-7//Northern Advancement Center for Science and Technology/ ; },
mesh = {Animals ; *Gastrointestinal Microbiome ; *Vitis/microbiology ; *Heteroptera/microbiology/growth & development ; *Seasons ; *Bacteria/classification/genetics/isolation & purification ; *Symbiosis ; Japan ; Nymph/microbiology/growth & development ; },
abstract = {A number of insects are associated with gut symbiotic microorganisms, wherein symbiotic partners play pivotal metabolic roles for each other such as nutrient supplementation, diet degradation, and pesticide detoxification. Despite the ecological and evolutionary importance of gut microbial communities in insects, their diversity and dynamics remain unclear in many species. The green plant bug Apolygus spinolae, a notorious grapevine pest in Japan, damages grape shoots and severely reduces grape berry yield and quality. The plant bug possesses a simple tubular gut housing ~ 10[4] bacteria. Here, we investigated geographic, seasonal, and growth-related dynamics of gut microbiota by high-throughput sequencing in 82 individuals (11 nymphs and 71 adults) from five locations in Hokkaido, Japan. In plant bugs, gut microbiota changed dynamically depending on region, season, and developmental stage. Among the gut bacteria, Serratia was consistently and abundantly detected and was significantly affected by seasonal changes. In addition, Caballeronia, known as a specific symbiont in some stinkbug species, was abundantly detected, especially in insects collected in late summer despite A. spinolae complete lack of midgut crypts known as symbiotic organ harboring Caballeronia in other stinkbug species. Considering their prevalence among host bug populations, it is possible these gut microorganisms play a pivotal role in the adaptation of the green plant bug to grapevine fields, although further confirmation through rearing experiments is needed.},
}

Animals
*Gastrointestinal Microbiome
*Vitis/microbiology
*Heteroptera/microbiology/growth & development
*Seasons
*Bacteria/classification/genetics/isolation & purification
*Symbiosis
Japan
Nymph/microbiology/growth & development

@article {pmid39248572,
year = {2024},
author = {Sivaloganathan, DM and Wan, X and Leon, G and Brynildsen, MP},
title = {Loss of Gre factors leads to phenotypic heterogeneity and cheating in Escherichia coli populations under nitric oxide stress.},
journal = {mBio},
volume = {},
number = {},
pages = {e0222924},
doi = {10.1128/mbio.02229-24},
pmid = {39248572},
issn = {2150-7511},
abstract = {Nitric oxide (·NO) is one of the toxic metabolites that bacteria can be exposed to within phagosomes. Gre factors, which are also known as transcript cleavage factors or transcription elongation factors, relieve back-tracked transcription elongation complexes by cleaving nascent RNAs, which allows transcription to resume after stalling. Here we discovered that loss of both Gre factors in Escherichia coli, GreA and GreB, significantly compromised ·NO detoxification due to ·NO-induced phenotypic heterogeneity in ΔgreAΔgreB populations, which did not occur in wild-type cultures. Under normal culturing conditions, both wild-type and ΔgreAΔgreB synthesized transcripts uniformly, whereas treatment with ·NO led to bimodal transcript levels in ΔgreAΔgreB that were unimodal in wild-type. Interestingly, exposure to another toxic metabolite of phagosomes, hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), produced analogous results. Furthermore, we showed that loss of Gre factors led to cheating under ·NO stress where transcriptionally deficient cells benefited from the detoxification activities of the transcriptionally proficient subpopulation. Collectively, these results show that loss of Gre factor activities produces phenotypic heterogeneity under ·NO and H2O2 stress that can yield cheating between subpopulations.IMPORTANCEToxic metabolite stress occurs in a broad range of contexts that are important to human health, microbial ecology, and biotechnology, whereas Gre factors are highly conserved throughout the bacterial kingdom. Here we discovered that loss of Gre factors in E. coli leads to phenotypic heterogeneity under ·NO and H2O2 stress, which we further show with ·NO results in cheating between subpopulations. Collectively, these data suggest that Gre factors play a role in coping with toxic metabolite stress, and that loss of Gre factors can produce cheating between neighbors.},
}

@article {pmid39248476,
year = {2024},
author = {Maitra, P and Hrynkiewicz, K and Szuba, A and Niestrawska, A and Mucha, J},
title = {The effects of Pinus sylvestris L. geographical origin on the community and co-occurrence of fungal and bacterial endophytes in a common garden experiment.},
journal = {Microbiology spectrum},
volume = {},
number = {},
pages = {e0080724},
doi = {10.1128/spectrum.00807-24},
pmid = {39248476},
issn = {2165-0497},
abstract = {UNLABELLED: Below-ground microorganisms, particularly endophytes, are pivotal for plant establishment and functioning through nutrient acquisition and enhancing resistance to abiotic and biotic stresses. The impact of host plant origin within a species on the composition and interaction networks of root endophytic fungi and bacteria has been less explored compared with plant phylogeny and biological distance. This study investigates the effect of geographic origin on the fungal and bacterial microbiomes of Pinus sylvestris L. root endophytes. Roots from plants grown in a common garden, originating from six locations, were harvested in two distinct seasons. Fungal and bacterial microbiomes were analyzed using Illumina MiSeq sequencing. The operational taxonomic unit (OTU) richness of endophytic fungi and bacteria showed no significant variation due to tree origin or season. However, the Shannon diversity index for endophytic fungi was seasonally influenced. The composition of endophytic fungal and bacterial communities was affected by both tree origin and season, correlating with host root biochemical parameters, such as starch, total non-structural carbohydrates, carbon, nitrogen, and climatic factors, such as mean annual precipitation and temperature. Moreover, the abundance of specific endophytic fungi and bacteria varied across different P. sylvestris origins, depending on the season. The complexity of the co-occurrence networks of fungal and bacterial endophytes within P. sylvestris also differed by geographical origin and season. This study highlights the significant role of biochemical and climatic factors associated with tree origin in shaping interactions with endophytic communities, potentially affecting plant health and adaptability across diverse environments.

IMPORTANCE: This study advances our understanding of how plant ecotype and seasonal changes influence root endophytic communities in Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris). By examining trees from various origins grown in a common garden, it highlights the role of tree origin and season in shaping fungal and bacterial community and co-occurrence networks. Importantly, this research demonstrates that tree origin impacts the composition and interaction networks of root endophytes and depends on the season. The study's findings suggest that root biochemical traits and climatic conditions (e.g., temperature, precipitation) associated with tree origin are crucial in determining the assembly of endophytic communities. This understanding could lead to innovative strategies for enhancing plant health and adaptability across different environments, contributing to forestry and conservation efforts. The research underscores the complexity of plant-microbe interactions and the need for a comprehensive approach to studying them, highlighting the interplay between tree origin and microbial ecology in forest ecosystems.},
}

@article {pmid39248406,
year = {2024},
author = {Yuan, X and Qing, J and Zhi, W and Wu, F and Yan, Y and Li, Y},
title = {Gut and respiratory microbiota landscapes in IgA nephropathy: a cross-sectional study.},
journal = {Renal failure},
volume = {46},
number = {2},
pages = {2399749},
doi = {10.1080/0886022X.2024.2399749},
pmid = {39248406},
issn = {1525-6049},
mesh = {Humans ; *Glomerulonephritis, IGA/microbiology ; Cross-Sectional Studies ; Male ; Female ; Adult ; *Gastrointestinal Microbiome ; Middle Aged ; RNA, Ribosomal, 16S/genetics ; Feces/microbiology ; Machine Learning ; Case-Control Studies ; Bacteria/isolation & purification/classification/genetics ; Microbiota ; Young Adult ; },
abstract = {BACKGROUND: IgA nephropathy (IgAN) is intimately linked to mucosal immune responses, with nasopharyngeal and intestinal lymphoid tissues being crucial for its abnormal mucosal immunity. The specific pathogenic bacteria in these sites associated with IgAN, however, remain elusive. Our study employs 16S rRNA sequencing and machine learning (ML) approaches to identify specific pathogenic bacteria in these locations and to investigate common pathogens that may exacerbate IgAN.

METHODS: In this cross-sectional analysis, we collected pharyngeal swabs and stool specimens from IgAN patients and healthy controls. We applied 16SrRNA sequencing to identify differential microbial populations. ML algorithms were then used to classify IgAN based on these microbial differences. Spearman correlation analysis was employed to link key bacteria with clinical parameters.

RESULTS: We observed a reduced microbial diversity in IgAN patients compared to healthy controls. In the gut microbiota of IgAN patients, increases in Bacteroides, Escherichia-Shigella, and Parabacteroides, and decreases in Parasutterella, Dialister, Faecalibacterium, and Subdoligranulum were notable. In the respiratory microbiota, increases in Neisseria, Streptococcus, Fusobacterium, Porphyromonas, and Ralstonia, and decreases in Prevotella, Leptotrichia, and Veillonella were observed. Post-immunosuppressive therapy, Oxalobacter and Butyricoccus levels were significantly reduced in the gut, while Neisseria and Actinobacillus levels decreased in the respiratory tract. Veillonella and Fusobacterium appeared to influence IgAN through dual immune loci, with Fusobacterium abundance correlating with IgAN severity.

CONCLUSIONS: This study revealing that changes in flora structure could provide important pathological insights for identifying therapeutic targets, and ML could facilitate noninvasive diagnostic methods for IgAN.},
}

Humans
*Glomerulonephritis, IGA/microbiology
Cross-Sectional Studies
Male
Female
Adult
*Gastrointestinal Microbiome
Middle Aged
RNA, Ribosomal, 16S/genetics
Feces/microbiology
Machine Learning
Case-Control Studies
Bacteria/isolation & purification/classification/genetics
Microbiota
Young Adult

@article {pmid39247694,
year = {2024},
author = {Nasher, F and Wren, BW},
title = {Unravelling mechanisms of bacterial recognition by Acanthamoeba: insights into microbial ecology and immune responses.},
journal = {Frontiers in microbiology},
volume = {15},
number = {},
pages = {1405133},
pmid = {39247694},
issn = {1664-302X},
abstract = {Acanthamoeba, are ubiquitous eukaryotic microorganisms, that play a pivotal role in recognizing and engulfing various microbes during predation, offering insights into microbial dynamics and immune responses. An intriguing observation lies in the apparent preference of Acanthamoeba for Gram-negative over Gram-positive bacteria, suggesting potential differences in the recognition and response mechanisms to bacterial prey. Here, we comprehensively review pattern recognition receptors (PRRs) and microbe associated molecular patterns (MAMPs) that influence Acanthamoeba interactions with bacteria. We analyze the molecular mechanisms underlying these interactions, and the key finding of this review is that Acanthamoeba exhibits an affinity for bacterial cell surface appendages that are decorated with carbohydrates. Notably, this parallels warm-blooded immune cells, underscoring a conserved evolutionary strategy in microbial recognition. This review aims to serve as a foundation for exploring PRRs and MAMPs. These insights enhance our understanding of ecological and evolutionary dynamics in microbial interactions and shed light on fundamental principles governing immune responses. Leveraging Acanthamoeba as a model organism, provides a bridge between ecological interactions and immunology, offering valuable perspectives for future research.},
}

@article {pmid39247294,
year = {2024},
author = {Grimm, H and Drabesch, S and Nicol, A and Straub, D and Joshi, P and Zarfl, C and Planer-Friedrich, B and Muehe, EM and Kappler, A},
title = {Arsenic immobilization and greenhouse gas emission depend on quantity and frequency of nitrogen fertilization in paddy soil.},
journal = {Heliyon},
volume = {10},
number = {16},
pages = {e35706},
pmid = {39247294},
issn = {2405-8440},
abstract = {Nitrogen (N) fertilization in paddy soils decreases arsenic mobility and methane emissions. However, it is unknown how quantity and frequency of N fertilization affects the interlinked redox reactions of iron(II)-driven denitrification, iron mineral (trans-)formation with subsequent arsenic (im-)mobilization, methane and nitrous oxide emissions, and how this links to microbiome composition. Thus, we incubated paddy soil from Vercelli, Italy, over 129 days and applied nitrate fertilizer at different concentrations (control: 0, low: ∼35, medium: ∼100, high: ∼200 mg N kg[-1] soil[-1]) once at the beginning and after 49 days. In the high N treatment, nitrate reduction was coupled to oxidation of dissolved and solid-phase iron(II), while naturally occurring arsenic was retained on iron minerals due to suppression of reductive iron(III) mineral dissolution. In the low N treatment, 40 μg L[-1] of arsenic was mobilized into solution after nitrate depletion, with 69 % being immobilized after a second nitrate application. In the non-fertilized control, concentrations of dissolved arsenic were as high as 76 μg L[-1], driven by mobilization of 36 % of the initial mineral-bound arsenic. Generally, N fertilization led to 1.5-fold higher total GHG emissions (sum of CO2, CH4 and N2O as CO2 equivalents), 158-fold higher N2O, and 7.5-fold lower CH4 emissions compared to non-fertilization. On day 37, Gallionellaceae, Comamonadaceae and Rhodospirillales were more abundant in the high N treatment compared to the non-fertilized control, indicating their potential role as key players in nitrate reduction coupled to iron(II) oxidation. The findings underscore the dual effect of N fertilization, immobilizing arsenic in the short-term (low/medium N) or long-term (high N), while simultaneously increasing N2O and lowering CH4 emissions. This highlights the significance of both the quantity and frequency of N fertilizer application in paddy soils.},
}

@article {pmid39244369,
year = {2024},
author = {Baptista, RC and Ferrocino, I and Pavani, M and Guerreiro, TM and Câmara, AA and Lang, É and Dos Santos, JLP and Catharino, RR and Alves Filho, EG and Rodrigues, S and de Brito, ES and Caturla, MYR and Sant'Ana, AS and Cocolin, L},
title = {Microbiota diversity of three Brazilian native fishes during ice and frozen storage.},
journal = {Food microbiology},
volume = {124},
number = {},
pages = {104617},
doi = {10.1016/j.fm.2024.104617},
pmid = {39244369},
issn = {1095-9998},
mesh = {Animals ; *Microbiota ; *Bacteria/classification/genetics/isolation & purification/metabolism ; *Volatile Organic Compounds/analysis/metabolism ; *Food Storage ; *Fishes/microbiology ; Brazil ; *Seafood/microbiology/analysis ; *RNA, Ribosomal, 16S/genetics ; *Freezing ; Ice ; Food Microbiology ; Biodiversity ; Female ; },
abstract = {This study aimed to assess the bacterial microbiota involved in the spoilage of pacu (Piaractus mesopotamics), patinga (female Piaractus mesopotamics x male Piaractus brachypomus), and tambacu (female Colossoma macropomum × male Piaractus mesopotamics) during ice and frozen storage. Changes in the microbiota of three fish species (N = 22) during storage were studied through 16S rRNA amplicon-based sequencing and correlated with volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and metabolites assessed by nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR). Storage conditions (time and temperature) affected the microbiota diversity in all fish samples. Fish microbiota comprised mainly of Pseudomonas sp., Brochothrix sp., Acinetobacter sp., Bacillus sp., Lactiplantibacillus sp., Kocuria sp., and Enterococcus sp. The relative abundance of Kocuria, P. fragi, L. plantarum, Enterococcus, and Acinetobacter was positively correlated with the metabolic pathways of ether lipid metabolism while B. thermosphacta and P. fragi were correlated with metabolic pathways involved in amino acid metabolism. P. fragi was the most prevalent spoilage bacteria in both storage conditions (ice and frozen), followed by B. thermosphacta. Moreover, the relative abundance of identified Bacillus strains in fish samples stored in ice was positively correlated with the production of VOCs (1-hexanol, nonanal, octenol, and 2-ethyl-1-hexanol) associated with off-flavors. [1]H NMR analysis confirmed that amino acids, acetic acid, and ATP degradation products increase over (ice) storage, and therefore considered chemical spoilage index of fish fillets.},
}

Animals
*Microbiota
*Bacteria/classification/genetics/isolation & purification/metabolism
*Volatile Organic Compounds/analysis/metabolism
*Food Storage
*Fishes/microbiology
Brazil
*Seafood/microbiology/analysis
*RNA, Ribosomal, 16S/genetics
*Freezing
Ice
Food Microbiology
Biodiversity
Female

@article {pmid39243903,
year = {2024},
author = {Macedo Silva, JR and Petra de Oliveira Barros, V and Terceiro, PS and Nunes de Oliveira, Í and Francisco da Silva Moura, O and Duarte de Freitas, J and Crispim, AC and Maciel Melo, VM and Thompson, FL and Maraschin, M and Landell, MF},
title = {Brazilian mangrove sediments as a source of biosurfactant-producing yeast Pichia pseudolambica for bioremediation.},
journal = {Chemosphere},
volume = {},
number = {},
pages = {143285},
doi = {10.1016/j.chemosphere.2024.143285},
pmid = {39243903},
issn = {1879-1298},
abstract = {This work highlights the biosurfactant production potential of yeasts from mangroves in northeastern Brazil. The biosurfactants were evaluated by their emulsifying capacity (EI24), with 6 isolates showing values between 50% and 62%. Surfactant properties from crude extract were measured using drop collapse, oil displacement, Parafilm® M, surface tension and critical micellar concentration tests. The effects of temperature, salinity, pH, and the ability to emulsify different hydrocarbons were analyzed, showing a promising potential of the yeast species investigated to tolerance to high temperatures and acidic pH, in addition to emulsifying different sources of hydrocarbons with environmental impact. It is important to note that the Pichia pseudolambica isolates showed a remarkable ability to reduce the surface tension of water, from 70.82 mN/m to 36.47 mN/m. In addition, the critical micellar concentration (CMC) values ranged from 7 to 16 mg/mL, highlighting the promising surfactant activity of these isolates for future applications. It was identified that the biosurfactant adhered to the yeast cell wall, and FTIR and 1H NMR spectroscopy analysis was carried out on the yeast biomass and its post-sonication supernatant. The results indicate the presence of characteristic functional groups and peaks found in biosurfactants of a glycolipid nature. Taking together the results reveals the promising potential of biosurfactant biosynthesis of P. pseudolambica yeast, a trait not reported in the literature so far for this species. P. pseudolambica presents a relevant metabolic potential for alternative substrate use and resilience to adverse conditions that could enable it to produce biosurfactants for the biotechnological remediation of areas contaminated by oil derivatives. The metabolic properties herein investigated, together with their presence in Brazilian mangroves, make P. pseudolambica an emerging candidate for developing industrial processes and sustainable strategies for the recovery of ecosystems impacted by oil spills, being positioned as a sustainable alternative to conventional surfactants.},
}

@article {pmid39243542,
year = {2024},
author = {Song, Y and Zhang, Z and Liu, Y and Peng, F and Feng, Y},
title = {Enhancement of anaerobic treatment of antibiotic pharmaceutical wastewater through the development of iron-based and carbon-based materials: A critical review.},
journal = {Journal of hazardous materials},
volume = {479},
number = {},
pages = {135514},
doi = {10.1016/j.jhazmat.2024.135514},
pmid = {39243542},
issn = {1873-3336},
abstract = {The extensive use of antibiotics has created an urgent need to address antibiotic wastewater treatment, posing significant challenges for environmental protection and public health. Recent advances in the efficacy and mechanisms of conductive materials (CMs) for enhancing the anaerobic biological treatment of antibiotic pharmaceutical wastewater are reviewed. For the first time, the focus is on the various application forms of iron-based and carbon-based CMs in strengthening the anaerobic methanogenic system. This includes the use of single CMs such as zero-valent iron (ZVI), magnetite, biochar (BC), activated carbon (AC), and graphene (GP), as well as iron-based and carbon-based composite CMs with diverse structures. These structures include mixed, surface-loaded, and core-shell combinations, reflecting the development of CMs. Iron-based and carbon-based CMs promote the rapid removal of antibiotics through adsorption and enhanced biodegradation. They also mitigate the inhibitory effects of toxic pollutants on microbial activity and reduce the expression of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs). Additionally, as effective electron carriers, these CMs enrich microorganisms with direct interspecies electron transfer (DIET) functions, accelerate interspecies electron transfer, and facilitate the conversion of organic matter into methane. Finally, this review proposes the use of advanced molecular detection technologies to clarify microbial ecology and metabolic mechanisms, along with microscopic characterization techniques for the modification of CMs. These methods can provide more direct evidence to analyze the mechanisms underlying the cooperative anaerobic treatment of refractory organic wastewater by CMs and microorganisms.},
}

@article {pmid39239791,
year = {2024},
author = {Fouad, AM and Abo-Al-Ela, HG and Negm, EA and Abdelhaseib, M and Alian, A and Abdelsater, N and Said, REM and Anwar, FAS and Assar, DH and Mohamed, SA},
title = {Impact of Polyonchobothrium magnum on health and gut microbial ecology of African catfish (Clarias gariepinus): Insights from morphological, molecular, and microbiological analyses.},
journal = {Journal of fish diseases},
volume = {},
number = {},
pages = {e14013},
doi = {10.1111/jfd.14013},
pmid = {39239791},
issn = {1365-2761},
abstract = {Parasites pose significant challenges to aquaculture and fisheries industries. Our study focuses on the Polyonchobothrium magnum and African catfish to address a potential health issue in aquaculture, explore host-parasite interactions that can help develop effective management practices to ensure fish health and industry sustainability. P. magnum was isolated from the stomach of African catfish (Clarias gariepinus) as the primary site of infection, with a prevalence of 10%. Most affected fish were heavily infected (8 out of 10). Infection was confirmed by sequencing the PCR-targeted region of the nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide dehydrogenase subunit 1 (ND1) gene, along with light and scanning electron microscopes. The parasite had an elongated scolex with deep bothria, a prominent apical disc wider than the scolex itself, and a four-lobed appearance. The scolex contained a central rostellum divided into two semicircles, bearing 26-30 hooks, with an average of 28. The apical disc had large hooks arranged in four quadrants, with 6-8 hooks each, averaging 7 per quadrant. No neck was observed. Phylogenetic analysis of our sequence showed a 100% match with isolates from Guangzhou, China. In infected fish, the anterior kidney showed increased expression levels of nuclear factor kappa B and lysozyme, but decreased levels of in major histocompatibility complex antigen II. Plasma analysis revealed a significant drop in superoxide dismutase, a rise in interleukin-1 beta, and lower IgM levels compared to non-infected controls. Non-infected fish displayed greater gut microbiota diversity, with dominant families including Moraxellaceae, Enterobacteriaceae, Fusobacteriaceae, and Caulobacteraceae, and prevalent genera such as Acinetobacter, Cetobacterium, and Brevundimonas. In contrast, infected fish exhibited very low diversity, with significantly higher proportions of Enterobacteriaceae (45.99%) and Aeromonadaceae (41.79%) compared to non-infected fish, which had 13.76% and 3.64% respectively. Cetobacterium somerae was prevalent in non-infected fish, while infected fish harboured Aeromonas fluvialis, Plesiomonas shigelloides, and Gallaecimonas xiamenensis. Overall, P. magnum disrupted the immune status and gut microbiota of the host, thereby impacting its health.},
}

@article {pmid39236824,
year = {2024},
author = {Guo, Q and Xiao, Y and Zhu, Y and Korpelainen, H and Li, C},
title = {Selenium availability in tea: Unraveling the role of microbiota assembly and functions.},
journal = {The Science of the total environment},
volume = {952},
number = {},
pages = {175995},
doi = {10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.175995},
pmid = {39236824},
issn = {1879-1026},
abstract = {Tea (Camellia sinensis (L.) O. Kuntze) plants have a strong ability to accumulate selenium (Se). However, the question of how tea plants affect Se availability has received little attention. In this study, five tea cultivars, including Soubei (SB), Aolǜ (AL), Longjing43 (LJ), Zhaori (ZR) and Fenglǜ (FL), were chosen for the study. Quantitative Microbial Ecology Chip and high-throughput sequencing were used to explore the effects of five tea cultivars on soil functions, microbial community structures and Se availability. The results showed that the total soil Se content in the FL garden was lower compared to LJ and SB gardens, whereas available Se was highest in the FL garden. Based on the Bray-Curtis distances, tea cultivar was the main factor affecting bacterial and fungal community structures. The abundance of functional genes concerning carbon, nitrogen, phosphorus and sulfur cycling processes varied among tea gardens. The higher soil NH4[+] and NO3[-] contents, and higher abundance of functional genes like nifH, amoA1 and narG, whereas lower total nitrogen in the FL garden than in the AL and LJ tea gardens demonstrated that the FL tea plants induced microbes to accelerate soil nitrogen cycling processes. Dominant microbes that positively related with functional genes like nifH, narG, and amoA1 were also positively related with the available Se content. In conclusion, tea cultivars could regulate soil functions through affecting microbial community structures and then affecting the soil Se availability. The soil nitrogen cycle processes are suggested to be closely related with Se transformation in tea gardens.},
}

@article {pmid39236233,
year = {2024},
author = {Richards, L and Cremin, K and Coates, M and Vigor, F and Schäfer, P and Soyer, OS},
title = {Ammonia leakage can underpin nitrogen-sharing among soil microorganisms.},
journal = {The ISME journal},
volume = {},
number = {},
pages = {},
doi = {10.1093/ismejo/wrae171},
pmid = {39236233},
issn = {1751-7370},
abstract = {Soil microbial communities host a large number of microbial species that support important ecological functions such as biogeochemical cycling and plant nutrition. The extent and stability of these functions are affected by inter-species interactions among soil microorganisms, yet the different mechanisms underpinning microbial interactions in the soil are not fully understood. Here, we study the extent of nutrient-based interactions among two model, plant-supporting soil microorganisms, the fungi Serendipita indica, and the bacteria Bacillus subtilis. We found that S. indica is unable to grow with nitrate - a common nitrogen source in the soil - but this inability could be rescued, and growth restored in the presence of B. subtilis. We demonstrate that this effect is due to B. subtilis utilising nitrate and releasing ammonia, which can be used by S. indica. We refer to this type of mechanism as ammonia mediated nitrogen sharing (N-sharing). Using a mathematical model, we demonstrated that the pH dependent equilibrium between ammonia (NH3) and ammonium (NH+4) results in an inherent cellular leakiness, and that reduced amonnium uptake or assimilation rates could result in higher levels of leaked ammonia. In line with this model, a mutant B. subtilis - devoid of ammonia uptake - showed higher S. indica growth support in nitrate media. These findings highlight that ammonia based N-sharing can be a previously under-appreciated mechanism underpinning interaction among soil microorganisms and could be influenced by microbial or abiotic alteration of pH in microenvironments.},
}

@article {pmid39235751,
year = {2025},
author = {Lemée, P and Bridier, A},
title = {Bioinformatic Pipeline for Profiling Foodborne Bacterial Ecology and Resistome from Short-Read Metagenomics.},
journal = {Methods in molecular biology (Clifton, N.J.)},
volume = {2852},
number = {},
pages = {289-309},
pmid = {39235751},
issn = {1940-6029},
mesh = {*Metagenomics/methods ; *Computational Biology/methods ; *Food Microbiology/methods ; *Bacteria/genetics ; *High-Throughput Nucleotide Sequencing/methods ; Metagenome ; Microbiota/genetics ; },
abstract = {Next-generation sequencing revolutionized food safety management these last years providing access to a huge quantity of valuable data to identify, characterize, and monitor bacterial pathogens on the food chain. Shotgun metagenomics emerged as a particularly promising approach as it enables in-depth taxonomic profiling and functional investigation of food microbial communities. In this chapter, we provide a comprehensive step-by-step bioinformatical workflow to characterize bacterial ecology and resistome composition from metagenomic short-reads obtained by shotgun sequencing.},
}

*Metagenomics/methods
*Computational Biology/methods
*Food Microbiology/methods
*Bacteria/genetics
*High-Throughput Nucleotide Sequencing/methods
Metagenome
Microbiota/genetics

@article {pmid39235736,
year = {2025},
author = {Islam, DT and Mobasser, S and Kotaru, S and Telli, AE and Telli, N and Cupples, AM and Hashsham, SA},
title = {Electrochemical Detection of Nucleic Acids Using Three-Dimensional Graphene Screen-Printed Electrodes.},
journal = {Methods in molecular biology (Clifton, N.J.)},
volume = {2852},
number = {},
pages = {47-64},
pmid = {39235736},
issn = {1940-6029},
mesh = {*Graphite/chemistry ; *Electrodes ; *Electrochemical Techniques/methods/instrumentation ; *Biosensing Techniques/methods/instrumentation ; Nucleic Acids/analysis ; Humans ; DNA/analysis ; },
abstract = {Electrochemical approaches, along with miniaturization of electrodes, are increasingly being employed to detect and quantify nucleic acid biomarkers. Miniaturization of the electrodes is achieved through the use of screen-printed electrodes (SPEs), which consist of one to a few dozen sets of electrodes, or by utilizing printed circuit boards. Electrode materials used in SPEs include glassy carbon (Chiang H-C, Wang Y, Zhang Q, Levon K, Biosensors (Basel) 9:2-11, 2019), platinum, carbon, and graphene (Cheng FF, He TT, Miao HT, Shi JJ, Jiang LP, Zhu JJ, ACS Appl Mater Interfaces 7:2979-2985, 2015). There are numerous modifications to the electrode surfaces as well (Cheng FF, He TT, Miao HT, Shi JJ, Jiang LP, Zhu JJ, ACS Appl Mater Interfaces 7:2979-2985, 2015). These approaches offer distinct advantages, primarily due to their demonstrated superior limit of detection without amplification. Using the SPEs and potentiostats, we can detect cells, proteins, DNA, and RNA concentrations in the nanomolar (nM) to attomolar (aM) range. The focus of this chapter is to describe the basic approach adopted for the use of SPEs for nucleic acid measurement.},
}

*Graphite/chemistry
*Electrodes
*Electrochemical Techniques/methods/instrumentation
*Biosensing Techniques/methods/instrumentation
Nucleic Acids/analysis
Humans
DNA/analysis

@article {pmid39235733,
year = {2025},
author = {Williams, MR and Telli, AE and Telli, N and Islam, DT and Hashsham, SA},
title = {Direct or DNA Extraction-Free Amplification and Quantification of Foodborne Pathogens.},
journal = {Methods in molecular biology (Clifton, N.J.)},
volume = {2852},
number = {},
pages = {3-17},
pmid = {39235733},
issn = {1940-6029},
mesh = {*Nucleic Acid Amplification Techniques/methods ; *Food Microbiology/methods ; Animals ; *Milk/microbiology ; *Salmonella/genetics/isolation & purification ; *DNA, Bacterial/genetics/isolation & purification ; *Polymerase Chain Reaction/methods ; Foodborne Diseases/microbiology ; Escherichia coli/genetics/isolation & purification ; Molecular Diagnostic Techniques/methods ; Swine ; },
abstract = {The use of direct nucleic acid amplification of pathogens from food matrices has the potential to reduce time to results over DNA extraction-based approaches as well as traditional culture-based approaches. Here we describe protocols for assay design and experiments for direct amplification of foodborne pathogens in food sample matrices using loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) and polymerase chain reaction (PCR). The examples provided include the detection of Escherichia coli in milk samples and Salmonella in pork meat samples. This protocol includes relevant reagents and methods including obtaining target sequences, assay design, sample processing, and amplification. These methods, though used for specific example matrices, could be applied to many other foodborne pathogens and sample types.},
}

*Nucleic Acid Amplification Techniques/methods
*Food Microbiology/methods
Animals
*Milk/microbiology
*Salmonella/genetics/isolation & purification
*DNA, Bacterial/genetics/isolation & purification
*Polymerase Chain Reaction/methods
Foodborne Diseases/microbiology
Escherichia coli/genetics/isolation & purification
Molecular Diagnostic Techniques/methods
Swine

@article {pmid39234658,
year = {2024},
author = {King, WL and Hayward, RJ and Goebel, M and Fleishman, SM and Bauerle, TL and Bell, TH},
title = {Getting to the root of root-microbe interactions.},
journal = {Science progress},
volume = {107},
number = {3},
pages = {368504241278783},
doi = {10.1177/00368504241278783},
pmid = {39234658},
issn = {2047-7163},
mesh = {*Plant Roots/microbiology/metabolism ; Microbiota/physiology ; Soil Microbiology ; Ecosystem ; Plants/microbiology/metabolism ; },
abstract = {Microbial relationships with roots influence many ecosystem functions and nutrient fluxes, including their sometimes-profound effects on plant health and productivity. Fine roots were often classified with a diameter less than 2 mm, but fine roots under that size perform distinct functional roles in the environment. Importantly, two broad functional categories of fine roots are absorptive and transportive, with absorptive fine roots acting as metabolic hotspots for root activity. In two of our recent studies, we have shown that several microbial community characteristics differ between absorptive and transportive fine roots, including composition, abundance, and function, as well as the root metabolome. This highlights a growing recognition within microbial ecology that we must consider fine-scale environmental variability, such as root physiology and morphology, when interpreting microbial patterns. In this commentary, we summarize the findings of our latest article, further speculate on some of these patterns, and suggest future studies for examining decomposition and applying cutting-edge single-cell sequencing techniques.},
}

*Plant Roots/microbiology/metabolism
Microbiota/physiology
Soil Microbiology
Ecosystem
Plants/microbiology/metabolism

@article {pmid39234547,
year = {2024},
author = {Marshall, IPG},
title = {Electromicrobiological concentration cells are an overlooked potential energy conservation mechanism for subsurface microorganisms.},
journal = {Frontiers in microbiology},
volume = {15},
number = {},
pages = {1407868},
pmid = {39234547},
issn = {1664-302X},
abstract = {Thermodynamics has predicted many different kinds of microbial metabolism by determining which pairs of electron acceptors and donors will react to produce an exergonic reaction (a negative net change in Gibbs free energy). In energy-limited environments, such as the deep subsurface, such an approach can reveal the potential for unexpected or counter-intuitive energy sources for microbial metabolism. Up until recently, these thermodynamic calculations have been carried out with the assumption that chemical species appearing on the reactant and product side of a reaction formula have a constant concentration, and thus do not count towards net concentration changes and the overall direction of the reaction. This assumption is reasonable considering microorganisms are too small (~1 μm) for any significant differences in concentration to overcome diffusion. However, recent discoveries have demonstrated that the reductive and oxidative halves of reactions can be separated by much larger distances, from millimetres to centimetres via conductive filamentous bacteria, mineral conductivity, and biofilm conductivity. This means that the concentrations of reactants and products can indeed be different, and that concentration differences can contribute to the net negative change in Gibbs free energy. It even means that the same redox reaction, simultaneously running in forward and reverse, can drive energy conservation, in an ElectroMicrobiological Concentration Cell (EMCC). This paper presents a model to investigate this phenomenon and predict under which circumstances such concentration-driven metabolism might take place. The specific cases of oxygen concentration cells, sulfide concentration cells, and hydrogen concentration cells are examined in more detail.},
}

@article {pmid39233440,
year = {2024},
author = {Hosseiniyan Khatibi, SM and Dimaano, NG and Veliz, E and Sundaresan, V and Ali, J},
title = {Exploring and exploiting the rice phytobiome to tackle climate change challenges.},
journal = {Plant communications},
volume = {},
number = {},
pages = {101078},
doi = {10.1016/j.xplc.2024.101078},
pmid = {39233440},
issn = {2590-3462},
abstract = {The future of agriculture is uncertain under the current climate change scenario. Climate change directly and indirectly affects the biotic and abiotic elements that control agroecosystems, jeopardizing the safety of the world's food supply. A new area that focuses on characterizing the phytobiome is emerging. The phytobiome comprises plants and their immediate surroundings, involving numerous interdependent microscopic and macroscopic organisms that affect the health and productivity of plants. Phytobiome studies primarily focus on the microbial communities associated with plants, which are referred to as the plant microbiome. The development of high-throughput sequencing technologies over the past ten years has dramatically advanced the understanding of the structure, functionality, and dynamics of the phytobiome; however, comprehensive methods for using this knowledge are lacking, particularly on major crops such as rice. Taking into account the impact of rice production on world food security, gaining fresh perspectives on the interdependent and interrelated components of the rice phytobiome could enhance rice production and crop health, sustain rice ecosystem function, and combat the effects of climate change. Our review re-conceptualizes the complex dynamics of the microscopic and macroscopic components in the rice phytobiome as influenced by human interventions and changing environmental conditions driven by climate change. We also discuss the interdisciplinary and systematic approaches to decipher and reprogram the sophisticated interactions in the rice phytobiome using novel strategies and cutting-edge technology. Converging the gigantic datasets and complex information on the rice phytobiome and its application in the context of regenerative agriculture could lead to sustainable rice farming practices that are resilient to the impacts of climate change.},
}

@article {pmid39233079,
year = {2024},
author = {Zhang, G and Guo, Z and Ke, Y and Li, H and Xiao, X and Lin, D and Lujian, L and Wang, Y and Liu, J and Lu, H and Hong, H and Yan, C},
title = {Comparative analysis of size-fractional eukaryotic microbes in subtropical riverine systems inferred from 18S rRNA gene V4 and V9 regions.},
journal = {The Science of the total environment},
volume = {},
number = {},
pages = {175972},
doi = {10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.175972},
pmid = {39233079},
issn = {1879-1026},
abstract = {Eukaryotic microbes play key ecological roles in riverine ecosystems. Amplicon sequencing has greatly facilitated the identification and characterization of eukaryotic microbial communities. Currently, 18S rRNA gene V4 and V9 hypervariable regions are widely used for sequencing eukaryotic microbes. Identifying optimal regions for the profiling of size-fractional eukaryotic microbial communities is critical for microbial ecological studies. In this study, we spanned three rivers with typical natural-human influenced transition gradients to evaluate the performance of the 18S rRNA gene V4 and V9 hypervariable regions for sequencing size-fractional eukaryotic microbes (>180 μm, 20-180 μm, 5-20 μm, 3-5 μm, 0.8-3 μm). Our comparative analysis revealed that amplicon results depend on the specific species and microbial size. The V9 region was most effective for detecting a broad taxonomic range of species. The V4 region was superior to the V9 region for the identification of microbes in the minor 3 μm and at the family and genus levels, especially for specific microbial groups, such as Labyrinthulomycetes. However, the V9 region was more effective for studies of diverse eukaryotic groups, including Archamoebae, Heterolobosea, and Microsporidia, and various algae, such as Haptophyta, Florideophycidae, and Bangiales. Our results highlight the importance of accounting for potential misclassifications when employing both V4 and V9 regions for the identification of microbial sequences. The use of optimal regions for amplification could enhance the utility of amplicon sequencing in environmental studies. The insights gained from this work will aid future studies that employ amplicon-based identification approaches for the characterization of eukaryotic microbial communities and contribute to our understanding of microbial ecology within aquatic systems.},
}

@article {pmid39231820,
year = {2024},
author = {Song, X and Li, J and Xiong, Z and Sha, H and Wang, G and Liu, Q and Zeng, T},
title = {Effects of Detoxifying Substances on Uranium Removal by Bacteria Isolated from Mine Soils: Performance, Mechanisms, and Bacterial Communities.},
journal = {Microbial ecology},
volume = {87},
number = {1},
pages = {111},
pmid = {39231820},
issn = {1432-184X},
support = {52170164//National Natural Science Foundation of China/ ; 2022RC1184//Science and Technology Innovation Program of Hunan Province of China/ ; },
mesh = {*Uranium/metabolism ; *Soil Microbiology ; *Bacteria/metabolism/genetics/isolation & purification/classification ; *Mining ; *Biodegradation, Environmental ; Acyl-Butyrolactones/metabolism ; Glutathione/metabolism ; Soil Pollutants, Radioactive/metabolism ; },
abstract = {In this study, we investigated the effect of detoxifying substances on U(VI) removal by bacteria isolated from mine soil. The results demonstrated that the highest U(VI) removal efficiency (85.6%) was achieved at pH 6.0 and a temperature of 35 °C, with an initial U(VI) concentration of 10 mg/L. For detoxifying substances, signaling molecules acyl homoserine lactone (AHLs, 0.1 µmol/L), anthraquinone-2, 6-disulfonic acid (AQDS, 1 mmol/L), reduced glutathione (GSH, 0.1 mmol/L), selenium (Se, 1 mg/L), montmorillonite (MT, 1 g/L), and ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA, 0.1 mmol/L) substantially enhanced the bacterial U(VI) removal by 34.9%, 37.4%, 54.5%, 35.1%, 32.8%, and 47.8% after 12 h, respectively. This was due to the alleviation of U(VI) toxicity in bacteria through detoxifying substances, as evidenced by lower malondialdehyde (MDA) content and higher superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT) activities for bacteria exposed to U(VI) and detoxifying substances, compared to those exposed to U(VI) alone. FTIR results showed that hydroxyl, carboxyl, phosphorus, and amide groups participated in the U(VI) removal. After exposure to U(VI), the relative abundances of Chryseobacterium and Stenotrophomonas increased by 48.5% and 12.5%, respectively, suggesting their tolerance ability to U(VI). Gene function prediction further demonstrated that the detoxifying substances AHLs alleviate U(VI) toxicity by influencing bacterial metabolism. This study suggests the potential application of detoxifying substances in the U(VI)-containing wastewater treatment through bioremediation.},
}

*Uranium/metabolism
*Soil Microbiology
*Bacteria/metabolism/genetics/isolation & purification/classification
*Mining
*Biodegradation, Environmental
Acyl-Butyrolactones/metabolism
Glutathione/metabolism
Soil Pollutants, Radioactive/metabolism

@article {pmid39230264,
year = {2024},
author = {Rodriguez-Gonzalez, RA and Balacheff, Q and Debarbieux, L and Marchi, J and Weitz, JS},
title = {Metapopulation model of phage therapy of an acute Pseudomonas aeruginosa lung infection.},
journal = {mSystems},
volume = {},
number = {},
pages = {e0017124},
doi = {10.1128/msystems.00171-24},
pmid = {39230264},
issn = {2379-5077},
abstract = {UNLABELLED: Infections caused by multidrug resistant (MDR) pathogenic bacteria are a global health threat. Bacteriophages ("phage") are increasingly used as alternative or last-resort therapeutics to treat patients infected by MDR bacteria. However, the therapeutic outcomes of phage therapy may be limited by the emergence of phage resistance during treatment and/or by physical constraints that impede phage-bacteria interactions in vivo. In this work, we evaluate the role of lung spatial structure on the efficacy of phage therapy for Pseudomonas aeruginosa infections. To do so, we developed a spatially structured metapopulation network model based on the geometry of the bronchial tree, including host innate immune responses and the emergence of phage-resistant bacterial mutants. We model the ecological interactions between bacteria, phage, and the host innate immune system at the airway (node) level. The model predicts the synergistic elimination of a P. aeruginosa infection due to the combined effects of phage and neutrophils, given the sufficient innate immune activity and efficient phage-induced lysis. The metapopulation model simulations also predict that MDR bacteria are cleared faster at distal nodes of the bronchial tree. Notably, image analysis of lung tissue time series from wild-type and lymphocyte-depleted mice revealed a concordant, statistically significant pattern: infection intensity cleared in the bottom before the top of the lungs. Overall, the combined use of simulations and image analysis of in vivo experiments further supports the use of phage therapy for treating acute lung infections caused by P. aeruginosa, while highlighting potential limits to therapy in a spatially structured environment given impaired innate immune responses and/or inefficient phage-induced lysis.

IMPORTANCE: Phage therapy is increasingly employed as a compassionate treatment for severe infections caused by multidrug-resistant (MDR) bacteria. However, the mixed outcomes observed in larger clinical studies highlight a gap in understanding when phage therapy succeeds or fails. Previous research from our team, using in vivo experiments and single-compartment mathematical models, demonstrated the synergistic clearance of acute P. aeruginosa pneumonia by phage and neutrophils despite the emergence of phage-resistant bacteria. In fact, the lung environment is highly structured, prompting the question of whether immunophage synergy explains the curative treatment of P. aeruginosa when incorporating realistic physical connectivity. To address this, we developed a metapopulation network model mimicking the lung branching structure to assess phage therapy efficacy for MDR P. aeruginosa pneumonia. The model predicts the synergistic elimination of P. aeruginosa by phage and neutrophils but emphasizes potential challenges in spatially structured environments, suggesting that higher innate immune levels may be required for successful bacterial clearance. Model simulations reveal a spatial pattern in pathogen clearance where P. aeruginosa are cleared faster at distal nodes of the bronchial tree than in primary nodes. Interestingly, image analysis of infected mice reveals a concordant and statistically significant pattern: infection intensity clears in the bottom before the top of the lungs. The combined use of modeling and image analysis supports the application of phage therapy for acute P. aeruginosa pneumonia while emphasizing potential challenges to curative success in spatially structured in vivo environments, including impaired innate immune responses and reduced phage efficacy.},
}

@article {pmid39229495,
year = {2024},
author = {Li, L and Chen, S and Xue, X and Chen, J and Tian, J and Huo, L and Zhang, T and Zeng, X and Su, S},
title = {Purifying selection drives distinctive arsenic metabolism pathways in prokaryotic and eukaryotic microbes.},
journal = {ISME communications},
volume = {4},
number = {1},
pages = {ycae106},
pmid = {39229495},
issn = {2730-6151},
abstract = {Microbes play a crucial role in the arsenic biogeochemical cycle through specific metabolic pathways to adapt to arsenic toxicity. However, the different arsenic-detoxification strategies between prokaryotic and eukaryotic microbes are poorly understood. This hampers our comprehension of how microbe-arsenic interactions drive the arsenic cycle and the development of microbial methods for remediation. In this study, we utilized conserved protein domains from 16 arsenic biotransformation genes (ABGs) to search for homologous proteins in 670 microbial genomes. Prokaryotes exhibited a wider species distribution of arsenic reduction- and arsenic efflux-related genes than fungi, whereas arsenic oxidation-related genes were more prevalent in fungi than in prokaryotes. This was supported by significantly higher acr3 (arsenite efflux permease) expression in bacteria (upregulated 3.72-fold) than in fungi (upregulated 1.54-fold) and higher aoxA (arsenite oxidase) expression in fungi (upregulated 5.11-fold) than in bacteria (upregulated 2.05-fold) under arsenite stress. The average values of nonsynonymous substitutions per nonsynonymous site to synonymous substitutions per synonymous site (dN/dS) of homologous ABGs were higher in archaea (0.098) and bacteria (0.124) than in fungi (0.051). Significant negative correlations between the dN/dS of ABGs and species distribution breadth and gene expression levels in archaea, bacteria, and fungi indicated that microbes establish the distinct strength of purifying selection for homologous ABGs. These differences contribute to the distinct arsenic metabolism pathways in prokaryotic and eukaryotic microbes. These observations facilitate a significant shift from studying individual or several ABGs to characterizing the comprehensive microbial strategies of arsenic detoxification.},
}

@article {pmid39226184,
year = {2024},
author = {Zhai, Z and Yang, Y and Chen, S and Wu, Z},
title = {Long-Term Exposure to Polystyrene Microspheres and High-Fat Diet-Induced Obesity in Mice: Evaluating a Role for Microbiota Dysbiosis.},
journal = {Environmental health perspectives},
volume = {132},
number = {9},
pages = {97002},
pmid = {39226184},
issn = {1552-9924},
mesh = {Animals ; *Dysbiosis/microbiology ; Mice ; *Obesity/microbiology ; *Diet, High-Fat ; *Mice, Inbred C57BL ; *Microspheres ; *Polystyrenes/toxicity ; *Gastrointestinal Microbiome/drug effects ; Male ; Microplastics/toxicity ; RNA, Ribosomal, 16S ; },
abstract = {BACKGROUND: Microplastics (MPs) have become a global environmental problem, emerging as contaminants with potentially alarming consequences. However, long-term exposure to polystyrene microspheres (PS-MS) and its effects on diet-induced obesity are not yet fully understood.

OBJECTIVES: We aimed to investigate the effect of PS-MS exposure on high-fat diet (HFD)-induced obesity and underlying mechanisms.

METHODS: In the present study, C57BL/6J mice were fed a normal diet (ND) or a HFD in the absence or presence of PS-MS via oral administration for 8 wk. Antibiotic depletion of the microbiota and fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) were performed to assess the influence of PS-MS on intestinal microbial ecology. We performed 16S rRNA sequencing to dissect microbial discrepancies and investigated the dysbiosis-associated intestinal integrity and inflammation in serum.

RESULTS: Compared with HFD mice, mice fed the HFD with PS-MS exhibited higher body weight, liver weight, metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) activity scores, and mass of white adipose tissue, as well as higher blood glucose and serum lipid concentrations. Furthermore, 16S rRNA sequencing of the fecal microbiota revealed that mice fed the HFD with PS-MS had greater α-diversity and greater relative abundances of Lachnospiraceae, Oscillospiraceae, Bacteroidaceae, Akkermansiaceae, Marinifilaceae, Deferribacteres, and Desulfovibrio, but lower relative abundances of Atopobiaceae, Bifidobacterium, and Parabacteroides. Mice fed the HFD with PS-MS exhibited lower expression of MUC2 mucin and higher levels of lipopolysaccharide and inflammatory cytokines [tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), interleukin-6 (IL-6), IL-1β, and IL-17A] in serum. Correlation analyses revealed that differences in the microbial flora of mice exposed to PS-MS were associated with obesity. Interestingly, microbiota-depleted mice did not show the same PS-MS-associated differences in Muc2 and Tjp1 expression in the distal colon, expression of inflammatory cytokines in serum, or obesity outcomes between HFD and HFD + PS-MS. Importantly, transplantation of feces from HFD + PS-MS mice to microbiota-depleted HFD-fed mice resulted in a lower expression of mucus proteins, higher expression of inflammatory cytokines, and obesity outcomes, similar to the findings in HFD + PS-MS mice.

CONCLUSIONS: Our findings provide a new gut microbiota-driven mechanism for PS-MS-induced obesity in HFD-fed mice, suggesting the need to reevaluate the adverse health effects of MPs commonly found in daily life, particularly in susceptible populations. https://doi.org/10.1289/EHP13913.},
}

Animals
*Dysbiosis/microbiology
Mice
*Obesity/microbiology
*Diet, High-Fat
*Mice, Inbred C57BL
*Microspheres
*Polystyrenes/toxicity
*Gastrointestinal Microbiome/drug effects
Male
Microplastics/toxicity
RNA, Ribosomal, 16S

@article {pmid39224076,
year = {2024},
author = {McMillan, AS and Theriot, CM},
title = {Bile acids impact the microbiota, host, and C. difficile dynamics providing insight into mechanisms of efficacy of FMTs and microbiota-focused therapeutics.},
journal = {Gut microbes},
volume = {16},
number = {1},
pages = {2393766},
pmid = {39224076},
issn = {1949-0984},
mesh = {*Bile Acids and Salts/metabolism ; Humans ; *Fecal Microbiota Transplantation ; *Clostridioides difficile/physiology ; *Gastrointestinal Microbiome ; *Clostridium Infections/therapy/microbiology ; Animals ; },
abstract = {Clostridioides difficile is a major nosocomial pathogen, causing significant morbidity and mortality worldwide. Antibiotic usage, a major risk factor for Clostridioides difficile infection (CDI), disrupts the gut microbiota, allowing C. difficile to proliferate and cause infection, and can often lead to recurrent CDI (rCDI). Fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) and live biotherapeutic products (LBPs) have emerged as effective treatments for rCDI and aim to restore colonization resistance provided by a healthy gut microbiota. However, much is still unknown about the mechanisms mediating their success. Bile acids, extensively modified by gut microbes, affect C. difficile's germination, growth, and toxin production while also shaping the gut microbiota and influencing host immune responses. Additionally, microbial interactions, such as nutrient competition and cross-feeding, contribute to colonization resistance against C. difficile and may contribute to the success of microbiota-focused therapeutics. Bile acids as well as other microbial mediated interactions could have implications for other diseases being treated with microbiota-focused therapeutics. This review focuses on the intricate interplay between bile acid modifications, microbial ecology, and host responses with a focus on C. difficile, hoping to shed light on how to move forward with the development of new microbiota mediated therapeutic strategies to combat rCDI and other intestinal diseases.},
}

*Bile Acids and Salts/metabolism
Humans
*Fecal Microbiota Transplantation
*Clostridioides difficile/physiology
*Gastrointestinal Microbiome
*Clostridium Infections/therapy/microbiology
Animals

@article {pmid39222062,
year = {2024},
author = {Acheampong, DA and Jenjaroenpun, P and Wongsurawat, T and Kurilung, A and Pomyen, Y and Kandel, S and Kunadirek, P and Chuaypen, N and Kusonmano, K and Nookaew, I},
title = {CAIM: coverage-based analysis for identification of microbiome.},
journal = {Briefings in bioinformatics},
volume = {25},
number = {5},
pages = {},
pmid = {39222062},
issn = {1477-4054},
support = {P20GM125503//National Institute of General Medical Sciences of the National Institutes of Health/ ; R01CA143130/NH/NIH HHS/United States ; },
mesh = {Humans ; *Microbiota/genetics ; *Metagenomics/methods ; Computational Biology/methods ; Metagenome ; High-Throughput Nucleotide Sequencing/methods ; Software ; Algorithms ; Sequence Analysis, DNA/methods ; },
abstract = {Accurate taxonomic profiling of microbial taxa in a metagenomic sample is vital to gain insights into microbial ecology. Recent advancements in sequencing technologies have contributed tremendously toward understanding these microbes at species resolution through a whole shotgun metagenomic approach. In this study, we developed a new bioinformatics tool, coverage-based analysis for identification of microbiome (CAIM), for accurate taxonomic classification and quantification within both long- and short-read metagenomic samples using an alignment-based method. CAIM depends on two different containment techniques to identify species in metagenomic samples using their genome coverage information to filter out false positives rather than the traditional approach of relative abundance. In addition, we propose a nucleotide-count-based abundance estimation, which yield lesser root mean square error than the traditional read-count approach. We evaluated the performance of CAIM on 28 metagenomic mock communities and 2 synthetic datasets by comparing it with other top-performing tools. CAIM maintained a consistently good performance across datasets in identifying microbial taxa and in estimating relative abundances than other tools. CAIM was then applied to a real dataset sequenced on both Nanopore (with and without amplification) and Illumina sequencing platforms and found high similarity of taxonomic profiles between the sequencing platforms. Lastly, CAIM was applied to fecal shotgun metagenomic datasets of 232 colorectal cancer patients and 229 controls obtained from 4 different countries and 44 primary liver cancer patients and 76 controls. The predictive performance of models using the genome-coverage cutoff was better than those using the relative-abundance cutoffs in discriminating colorectal cancer and primary liver cancer patients from healthy controls with a highly confident species markers.},
}

Humans
*Microbiota/genetics
*Metagenomics/methods
Computational Biology/methods
Metagenome
High-Throughput Nucleotide Sequencing/methods
Software
Algorithms
Sequence Analysis, DNA/methods

@article {pmid39221110,
year = {2024},
author = {Mohr, AE and Jasbi, P and van Woerden, I and Chi, J and Gu, H and Bruening, M and Whisner, CM},
title = {Microbial Ecology and Metabolism of Emerging Adulthood: Gut Microbiome Insights from a College Freshman Cohort.},
journal = {Gut microbes reports},
volume = {1},
number = {1},
pages = {1-23},
pmid = {39221110},
issn = {2993-3935},
support = {DP5 OD017910/OD/NIH HHS/United States ; T32 DK137525/DK/NIDDK NIH HHS/United States ; },
abstract = {The human gut microbiome (GM) undergoes dynamic changes throughout life, transitioning from infancy to adulthood. Despite improved understanding over the past years about how genetics, lifestyle, and the external environment impact the GM, limited research has explored the GM's evolution during late-stage adolescence, especially among college students. This study addresses this gap by investigating the longitudinal dynamics of fecal microbial, functional, and metabolomic signatures in a diverse group of first-year, dormitory-housed college students. A total of 485 stool samples from 246 participants were analyzed, identifying four primary GM community types, predominantly led by Bacteroides (66.8% of samples), as well as Blautia and Prevotella. The Prevotella/Bacteroides (P/B) ratio emerged as a robust GM composition indicator, predictively associated with 15 metabolites. Notably, higher P/B ratios correlated negatively with p-cresol sulfate and cholesterol sulfate, implying potential health implications, while positively correlating with kynurenic acid. Distinct GM transition and stability patterns were found from a detailed longitudinal subset of 93 participants over an academic year. Parasutterella and the Ruminococcus gnavus group exhibited positive associations with compositional variability, whereas Faecalibacterium and Eubacterium ventriosum group displayed negative associations, the latter suggesting stabilizing roles in the GM. Most notably, nearly half of the longitudinal cohort experienced GM community shifts, emphasizing long-term GM adaptability. Comparing individuals with stable community types to those undergoing transitions, we observed significant differences in microbial composition and diversity, signifying substantial shifts in the microbiota during transitions. Although diet-related variables contributed to some observed variance, diet did not independently predict the probability of switching between community types within the study's timeframe via multi-state Markov modeling. Furthermore, exploration of stability within dynamic microbiomes among the longitudinal cohort experiencing shifts in community types revealed that microbiome taxa at the genus level exhibited significantly higher total variance than estimated functional and fecal metabolomic features. This suggests tight control of function and metabolism, despite community shifting. Overall, this study highlights the dynamic nature of the late-stage adolescent GM, the role of core taxa, metabolic pathways, the fecal metabolome, and lifestyle and dietary factors, contributing to our understanding of GM assembly and potential health implications during this life phase.},
}

@article {pmid39218095,
year = {2024},
author = {Anedda, E and Alexa, EA and Farrell, ML and Croffie, M and Madigan, G and Morris, D and Burgess, CM},
title = {Comparison of antimicrobial resistant Enterobacterales isolates from the dairy production environment in low and high zinc containing regions.},
journal = {The Science of the total environment},
volume = {},
number = {},
pages = {175905},
doi = {10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.175905},
pmid = {39218095},
issn = {1879-1026},
abstract = {Heavy metals occur naturally in the environment, and their concentration varies in soil across different regions. However, the presence of heavy metals may influence the antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in bacterial populations. Therefore, the objective of this study was to investigate and characterise the antimicrobial resistance profiles of Enterobacterales in soil and bovine milk filters from high and low zinc-containing regions in Ireland. In total, 50 soil samples and 29 milk filters were collected from two geographic locations with varying soil zinc concentrations. Samples were cultured for the enumeration and detection of Enterobacterales. Specifically, extended-spectrum beta-lactamase-producing Enterobacterales, carbapenem-resistant Enterobacterales and ciprofloxacin-resistant Enterobacterales were isolated using selective media. Species identification was performed using MALDI-TOF. The phenotypic resistance profiles of selected Enterobacterales were determined by disk diffusion testing, following EUCAST and CLSI criteria; while, the genotypic resistance profiles of the same isolates were determined by whole genome sequencing (WGS). Heavy metal concentrations were also measured for all soil samples. A total of 40 antimicrobial resistant Enterobacterales were identified in soil (n = 31) and milk filters (n = 9). The predominant species detected in the high zinc-containing region was Escherichia coli in both sample types (soil n = 10, milk filters n = 2), while in the low zinc-containing region Serratia fonticola was predominant in soil samples (n = 8) and E. coli in milk filters (n = 4). Ten E. coli isolates identified from soil samples in the high zinc-containing region were multidrug resistant, showing resistance to all the antimicrobials tested, except for carbapenems. The WGS findings confirmed the phenotypic resistance results. Moreover, zinc resistance-associated genes and genes encoding for efflux pumps were identified. The current study revealed distinct phenotypic resistance profiles of Enterobacterales in low and high zinc-containing regions, and highlighted the benefit of utilising milk filters for AMR surveillance in dairy production.},
}

@article {pmid39216241,
year = {2024},
author = {Liao, X and Hou, L and Zhang, L and Grossart, HP and Liu, K and Liu, J and Chen, Y and Liu, Y and Hu, A},
title = {Distinct influences of altitude on microbiome and antibiotic resistome assembly in a glacial river ecosystem of Mount Everest.},
journal = {Journal of hazardous materials},
volume = {479},
number = {},
pages = {135675},
doi = {10.1016/j.jhazmat.2024.135675},
pmid = {39216241},
issn = {1873-3336},
abstract = {The profound influences of altitude on aquatic microbiome were well documented. However, differences in the responses of different life domains (bacteria, microeukaryotes, viruses) and antibiotics resistance genes (ARGs) in glacier river ecosystems to altitude remain unknown. Here, we employed shotgun metagenomic and amplicon sequencing to characterize the altitudinal variations of microbiome and ARGs in the Rongbu River, Mount Everest. Our results indicated the relative influences of stochastic processes on microbiome and ARGs assembly in water and sediment were in the following order: microeukaryotes < ARGs < viruses < bacteria. Moreover, distinct assembly patterns of the microbiome and ARGs were found in response to differences in altitude, the latter of which shift from deterministic to stochastic processes with increasing differences in altitude. Partial least squares path modeling revealed that mobile genetic elements (MGEs) and viral β-diversity were the major factors influencing the ARG abundances. Taken together, our work revealed that altitude-caused environmental changes led to significant changes in the composition and assembly processes of the microbiome and ARGs, while ARGs had a unique response pattern to altitude. Our findings provide novel insights into the impacts of altitude on the biogeographic distribution of microbiome and ARGs, and the associated driving forces in glacier river ecosystems.},
}

@article {pmid39215820,
year = {2024},
author = {Thompson, C and Silva, R and Gibran, FZ and Bacha, L and de Freitas, MAM and Thompson, M and Landuci, F and Tschoeke, D and Zhang, XH and Wang, X and Zhao, W and Gatts, PV and de Almeida, MG and de Rezende, CE and Thompson, F},
title = {The Abrolhos Nominally Herbivorous Coral Reef Fish Acanthurus chirurgus, Kyphosus sp., Scarus trispinosus, and Sparisoma axillare Have Similarities in Feeding But Species-Specific Microbiomes.},
journal = {Microbial ecology},
volume = {87},
number = {1},
pages = {110},
pmid = {39215820},
issn = {1432-184X},
mesh = {Animals ; *Coral Reefs ; *RNA, Ribosomal, 16S/genetics ; *Fishes/microbiology ; *Gastrointestinal Microbiome ; *Bacteria/classification/genetics/isolation & purification ; Herbivory ; Species Specificity ; Carbon Isotopes/analysis ; Nitrogen Isotopes/analysis ; Perciformes/microbiology ; Diet/veterinary ; },
abstract = {Coral reefs rely heavily on reef fish for their health, yet overfishing has resulted in their decline, leading to an increase in fast-growing algae and changes in reef ecosystems, a phenomenon described as the phase-shift. A clearer understanding of the intricate interplay between herbivorous, their food, and their gut microbiomes could enhance reef health. This study examines the gut microbiome and isotopic markers (δ[13]C and δ[15]N) of four key nominally herbivorous reef fish species (Acanthurus chirurgus, Kyphosus sp., Scarus trispinosus, and Sparisoma axillare) in the Southwestern Atlantic's Abrolhos Reef systems. Approximately 16.8 million 16S rRNA sequences were produced for the four fish species, with an average of 317,047 ± 57,007 per species. Bacteria such as Proteobacteria, Firmicutes, and Cyanobacteria were prevalent in their microbiomes. These fish show unique microbiomes that result from co-diversification, diet, and restricted movement. Coral-associated bacteria (Endozoicomonas, Rhizobia, and Ruegeria) were found in abundance in the gut contents of the parrotfish species Sc. trispinosus and Sp. axillare. These parrotfishes could aid coral health by disseminating such beneficial bacteria across the reef. Meanwhile, Kyphosus sp. predominantly had Pirellulaceae and Rhodobacteraceae. Four fish species had a diet composed of turf components (filamentous Cyanobacteria) and brown algae (Dictyopteris). They also had similar isotopic niches, suggesting they shared food sources. A significant difference was observed between the isotopic signature of fish muscular gut tissue and gut contents, pointing to the role that host genetics and gut microbes play in differentiating fish tissues.},
}

Animals
*Coral Reefs
*RNA, Ribosomal, 16S/genetics
*Fishes/microbiology
*Gastrointestinal Microbiome
*Bacteria/classification/genetics/isolation & purification
Herbivory
Species Specificity
Carbon Isotopes/analysis
Nitrogen Isotopes/analysis
Perciformes/microbiology
Diet/veterinary

@article {pmid39215735,
year = {2024},
author = {Paulo, LM and Liu, YC and Castilla-Archilla, J and Ramiro-Garcia, J and Hughes, D and Mahony, T and Holohan, BC and Wilmes, P and O'Flaherty, V},
title = {Full-scale study on high-rate low-temperature anaerobic digestion of agro-food wastewater: process performances and microbial community.},
journal = {Water science and technology : a journal of the International Association on Water Pollution Research},
volume = {90},
number = {4},
pages = {1239-1249},
pmid = {39215735},
issn = {0273-1223},
support = {14/IA/2371/SFI_/Science Foundation Ireland/Ireland ; TC/2014/0016//Enterprise Ireland/ ; },
mesh = {*Bioreactors ; Anaerobiosis ; *Wastewater ; *Waste Disposal, Fluid/methods ; Temperature ; Biological Oxygen Demand Analysis ; Bacteria/metabolism/classification ; Biofuels ; Industrial Waste ; },
abstract = {The fast-growing global population has led to a substantial increase in food production, which generates large volumes of wastewater during the process. Despite most industrial wastewater being discharged at lower ambient temperatures (<20 °C), majority of the high-rate anaerobic reactors are operated at mesophilic temperatures (>30 °C). High-rate low-temperature anaerobic digestion (LtAD) has proven successful in treating industrial wastewater both at laboratory and pilot scales, boasting efficient organic removal and biogas production. In this study, we demonstrated the feasibility of two full-scale high-rate LtAD bioreactors treating meat processing and dairy wastewater, and the microbial communities in both reactors were examined. Both reactors exhibited rapid start-up, achieving considerable chemical oxygen demand (COD) removal efficiencies (total COD removal >80%) and generating high-quality biogas (CH4% in biogas >75%). Long-term operations (6-12 months) underscored the robustness of LtAD bioreactors even during winter periods (average temperature <12 °C), as evidenced by sustained high COD removal rates (total COD removal >80%). The stable performance was underpinned by a resilient microbial community comprising active acetoclastic methanogens, hydrolytic, and fermentative bacteria. These findings underscore the feasibility of high-rate low-temperature anaerobic wastewater treatment, offering promising solutions to the zero-emission wastewater treatment challenge.},
}

*Bioreactors
Anaerobiosis
*Wastewater
*Waste Disposal, Fluid/methods
Temperature
Biological Oxygen Demand Analysis
Bacteria/metabolism/classification
Biofuels
Industrial Waste

@article {pmid39212186,
year = {2024},
author = {Junker Mentzel, CM and Hui, Y and Hammerich, TMS and Klug-Dambmann, M and Liu, Y and Zachariassen, LF and Hansen, LH and Aslampaloglou, A and Kiersgaard, M and Nielsen, DS and Hansen, AK and Krych, L},
title = {Low-gainer diet-induced obese microbiota transplanted mice exhibit increased fighting.},
journal = {Clinical and translational science},
volume = {17},
number = {9},
pages = {e13906},
pmid = {39212186},
issn = {1752-8062},
support = {//LIFEPHARM/ ; //Novo Nordisk A/S/ ; //Center for Applied Laboratory Animal Research/ ; },
mesh = {Animals ; Male ; *Obesity/microbiology/etiology ; *Gastrointestinal Microbiome/physiology ; *Fecal Microbiota Transplantation ; *Mice, Inbred C57BL ; *Diet, High-Fat/adverse effects ; *Weight Gain ; Mice ; Disease Models, Animal ; Leptin/blood/metabolism ; Feces/microbiology ; },
abstract = {Weight gain variation is a great challenge in diet-induced obesity studies since low-gainer animals are of limited experimental value. The inbred C57BL/6 (B6) mice are frequently used models due to their genetic homogeneity and susceptibility to diet-induced obesity (DIO). The aim of this study is to investigate if the gut microbiota (GM) influences the fraction of low weight gainers in DIO studies. A total of 100 male B6 mice (donor population) were fed a high-fat diet for 14 weeks and divided into the study groups high gainer (HG) and low gainer (LG) based on their weight gain. Subsequently, fecal matter transplantation (FMT) was done on germ-free B6 mice with GM from HG and LG donors (FMT population). LG (13.35 ± 2.5 g) and HG (25.52 ± 2.0 g) animals were identified by the weight gain from week 1 to week 12. Interestingly, the start weight of the LG (20.36 ± 1.4 g) and HG (21.59 ± 0.7 g) groups differed significantly. Transplanting LG or HG fecal matter to germ-free mice resulted in significant differences in weight gain between HG and LG, as well as differences in serum leptin levels and epididymal fat pad weight. A clear LG-specific GM composition could not be distinguished by 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing. Surprisingly, significantly more fighting was recorded in LG groups of both donor populations and when transplanted to germ-free mice. The HG and LG phenotypes could be transferred to germ-free mice. The increased fighting in the LG group in both studies suggests not only that the tendency to fight can be transferred by FMT in these mice, but also that fighting should be prevented in DIO studies to minimize the number of LG animals.},
}

Animals
Male
*Obesity/microbiology/etiology
*Gastrointestinal Microbiome/physiology
*Fecal Microbiota Transplantation
*Mice, Inbred C57BL
*Diet, High-Fat/adverse effects
*Weight Gain
Mice
Disease Models, Animal
Leptin/blood/metabolism
Feces/microbiology

@article {pmid39214074,
year = {2024},
author = {Letourneau, J and Carrion, VM and Zeng, J and Jiang, S and Osborne, OW and Holmes, ZC and Fox, A and Epstein, P and Tan, CY and Kirtley, M and Surana, NK and David, LA},
title = {Interplay between particle size and microbial ecology in the gut microbiome.},
journal = {The ISME journal},
volume = {},
number = {},
pages = {},
doi = {10.1093/ismejo/wrae168},
pmid = {39214074},
issn = {1751-7370},
abstract = {Physical particles can serve as critical abiotic factors that structure the ecology of microbial communities. For non-human vertebrate gut microbiomes, fecal particle size (FPS) has been known to be shaped by chewing efficiency and diet. However, little is known about what drives FPS in the human gut. Here, we analyzed FPS by laser diffraction across a total of 76 individuals and found FPS to be strongly individualized. Contrary to our initial hypothesis, a behavioral intervention with 41 volunteers designed to increase chewing efficiency did not impact FPS. Dietary patterns could also not be associated with FPS. Instead, we found evidence that human and mouse gut microbiomes shaped FPS. Fecal samples from germ-free and antibiotic-treated mice exhibited increased FPS relative to colonized mice. In humans, markers of longer transit time were correlated with smaller FPS. Gut microbiota diversity and composition were also associated with FPS. Finally, ex vivo culture experiments using human fecal microbiota from distinct donors showed that differences in microbiota community composition can drive variation in particle size. Together, our results support an ecological model in which the human gut microbiome plays a key role in reducing the size of food particles during digestion. This finding has important implications for our understanding of energy extraction and subsequent uptake in gastrointestinal tract. FPS may therefore be viewed as an informative functional readout, providing new insights into the metabolic state of the gut microbiome.},
}

@article {pmid39211880,
year = {2024},
author = {Schluter, J and Matheis, F and Ebina, W and Jogia, W and Sullivan, AP and Gordon, K and Fanega de la Cruz, E and Victory-Hays, ME and Heinly, MJ and Diefenbach, CS and Peled, JU and Foster, KR and Levitt, A and McLaughlin, E},
title = {A randomized controlled trial of postbiotic administration during antibiotic treatment increases microbiome diversity and enriches health associated taxa.},
journal = {medRxiv : the preprint server for health sciences},
volume = {},
number = {},
pages = {},
doi = {10.1101/2024.07.25.24311015},
pmid = {39211880},
abstract = {Antibiotic-induced microbiome injury, defined as a reduction of ecological diversity and obligate anaerobe taxa, is associated with negative health outcomes in hospitalized patients, and healthy individuals who received antibiotics in the past are at higher risk for autoimmune diseases. No interventions are currently available that effectively target the microbial ecosystem in the gut to prevent this negative collateral damage of antibiotics. Here, we present the results from a single-center, randomized placebo-controlled trial involving 32 patients who received an oral, fermentation-derived postbiotic alongside oral antibiotic therapy for gastrointestinal (GI)-unrelated infections. Postbiotics comprise complex mixtures of metabolites produced by bacteria during fermentation and other processes, which can mediate microbial ecology. Bacterial ecosystem alpha diversity, quantified by the inverse Simpson index, during the end of the antibiotic course was significantly higher (+40%) across the 16 postbiotic-treated patients compared with the 16 patients who received a placebo, and the postbiotic was well-tolerated. Secondary analyses of 157 stool samples collected longitudinally revealed that the increased diversity was driven by enrichment in health-associated microbial genera: obligate anaerobe Firmicutes, in particular taxa belonging to the Lachnospiraceae family, were higher in treated patients; conversely, Escherichia/Shigella abundances, which comprise pathobionts and antimicrobial-resistant strains, were reduced in postbiotic-treated patients at the end of their antibiotic course and up to 10 days later. Taken together, these results indicate that postbiotic co-administration during antibiotic therapy could support a health-associated gut microbiome community and may reduce antibiotic-induced microbiome injury.},
}

@article {pmid39204682,
year = {2024},
author = {Andreata, MFL and Afonso, L and Niekawa, ETG and Salomão, JM and Basso, KR and Silva, MCD and Alves, LC and Alarcon, SF and Parra, MEA and Grzegorczyk, KG and Chryssafidis, AL and Andrade, G},
title = {Microbial Fertilizers: A Study on the Current Scenario of Brazilian Inoculants and Future Perspectives.},
journal = {Plants (Basel, Switzerland)},
volume = {13},
number = {16},
pages = {},
pmid = {39204682},
issn = {2223-7747},
abstract = {The increasing need for sustainable agricultural practices, combined with the demand for enhanced crop productivity, has led to a growing interest in utilizing microorganisms for biocontrol of diseases and pests, as well as for growth promotion. In Brazilian agriculture, the use of plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) and plant growth-promoting fungi (PGPF) has become increasingly prevalent, with a corresponding rise in the number of registered microbial inoculants each year. PGPR and PGPF occupy diverse niches within the rhizosphere, playing a crucial role in soil nutrient cycling and influencing a wide range of plant physiological processes. This review examines the primary mechanisms employed by these microbial agents to promote growth, as well as the strategy of co-inoculation to enhance product efficacy. Furthermore, we provide a comprehensive analysis of the microbial inoculants currently available in Brazil, detailing the microorganisms accessible for major crops, and discuss the market's prospects for the research and development of novel products in light of current challenges faced in the coming years.},
}

@article {pmid39203927,
year = {2024},
author = {Govaert, M and Rotsaert, C and Vannieuwenhuyse, C and Duysburgh, C and Medlin, S and Marzorati, M and Jarrett, H},
title = {Survival of Probiotic Bacterial Cells in the Upper Gastrointestinal Tract and the Effect of the Surviving Population on the Colonic Microbial Community Activity and Composition.},
journal = {Nutrients},
volume = {16},
number = {16},
pages = {},
doi = {10.3390/nu16162791},
pmid = {39203927},
issn = {2072-6643},
support = {Not applicable//Heights/ ; },
mesh = {*Probiotics ; Humans ; *Gastrointestinal Microbiome ; *Colon/microbiology ; *Upper Gastrointestinal Tract/microbiology ; Microbial Viability ; Bacteria/growth & development ; Fatty Acids, Volatile/metabolism ; },
abstract = {Many health-promoting effects have been attributed to the intake of probiotic cells. However, it is important that probiotic cells arrive at the site of their activity in a viable state in order to exert their beneficial effects. Careful selection of the appropriate probiotic formulation is therefore required as mainly the type of probiotic species/strain and the administration strategy may affect survival of the probiotic cells during the upper gastrointestinal (GIT) passage. Therefore, the current study implemented Simulator of the Human Microbial Ecosystem (SHIME[®]) technology to investigate the efficacy of different commercially available probiotic formulations on the survival and culturability of probiotic bacteria during upper GIT passage. Moreover, Colon-on-a-Plate (CoaP™) technology was applied to assess the effect of the surviving probiotic bacteria on the gut microbial community (activity and composition) of three human donors. Significantly greater survival and culturability rates were reported for the delayed-release capsule formulation (>50%) as compared to the powder, liquid, and standard capsule formulations (<1%) (p < 0.05), indicating that the delayed-release capsule was most efficacious in delivering live bacteria cells. Indeed, administration of the delayed-release capsule probiotic digest resulted in enhanced production of SCFAs and shifted gut microbial community composition towards beneficial bacterial species. These results thus indicate that careful selection of the appropriate probiotic formulation and administration strategy is crucial to deliver probiotic cells in a viable state at the site of their activity (distal ileum and colon).},
}

*Probiotics
Humans
*Gastrointestinal Microbiome
*Colon/microbiology
*Upper Gastrointestinal Tract/microbiology
Microbial Viability
Bacteria/growth & development
Fatty Acids, Volatile/metabolism

@article {pmid39203578,
year = {2024},
author = {Yan, Y and Shi, Z and Wang, C and Jin, Z and Yin, J and Zhu, G},
title = {Viral Diversity and Ecological Impact of DNA Viruses in Dominant Tick Species in China.},
journal = {Microorganisms},
volume = {12},
number = {8},
pages = {},
pmid = {39203578},
issn = {2076-2607},
support = {RCYJ2012//Basic Scientific Research Funds of Hangzhou Medical College/ ; },
abstract = {Ticks are blood-feeding ectoparasites that also transmit various pathogens, posing severe risks to human and animal health. DNA viruses play a crucial role in the microbial ecology of ticks, but their distribution and ecological significance remain largely undetermined. Here, we assembled an extensive catalog encompassing 4320 viral operational taxonomic units (vOTUs) from six main dominant tick species in China, of which 94.8% have not been found in any other environment. To bridge the knowledge gap in tick DNA virus research and provide a crucial resource platform, we developed the Tick DNA Virus Database. This database includes the vOTUs that are known to cause diseases. Most of the predicted vOTUs are associated with dominant bacterial and archaeal phyla. We identified 105 virus-encoded putative auxiliary metabolic genes (AMGs) that are involved in host metabolism and environmental adaptation, potentially influencing ticks through both top-down and bottom-up mechanisms. The identification of microbial communities and antibiotic resistance in wild tick species suggests that wild ticks are reservoirs of antibiotic resistance and potential spreaders of antibiotic resistance. These findings reveal the potential role of tick viruses in ecosystems, highlighting the importance of monitoring tick microbiomes to address global public health challenges.},
}

@article {pmid39203418,
year = {2024},
author = {Barazetti, AR and Dealis, ML and Basso, KR and Silva, MCD and Alves, LDC and Parra, MEA and Simionato, AS and Cely, MVT and Macedo, AL and Silva, DB and Andrade, G},
title = {Evaluation of Resistance Induction Promoted by Bioactive Compounds of Pseudomonas aeruginosa LV Strain against Asian Soybean Rust.},
journal = {Microorganisms},
volume = {12},
number = {8},
pages = {},
doi = {10.3390/microorganisms12081576},
pmid = {39203418},
issn = {2076-2607},
abstract = {Pseudomonas are known as higher producers of secondary metabolites with antimicrobial properties and plant growth promoters, including resistance induction. These mechanisms should be an alternative to pesticide use in crop production. Phakopsora pachyrhizi causes Asian soybean rust, representing a high loss of yield around the world. The objective of this paper was to evaluate the application of secondary metabolites produced by Pseudomonas aeruginosa LV strain from the semi-purified fraction F4A in soybean plants to induce plant resistance against P. pachyrhizi in field conditions. The experimental design was performed in randomized blocks with three replicates using two F4A doses (1 and 10 μg mL[-1]) combined or not with fungicides (Unizeb Gold[®] or Sphere Max[®]). The control treatment, with Uni + Sph, saponins, flavonoids, and sphingolipids, showed higher intensities in the plants. In contrast, plants treated with the F4A fraction mainly exhibited fatty acid derivatives and some non-identified compounds with nitrogen. Plants treated with Sphere Max[®], with or without F4A10, showed higher intensities of glycosylated flavonoids, such as kaempferol, luteolin, narigenin, and apigenin. Plants treated with F4A showed higher intensities of genistein and fatty acid derivatives. These increases in flavonoid compound biosynthesis and antioxidant properties probably contribute to the protection against reactive oxygen species (ROS).},
}

@article {pmid39203403,
year = {2024},
author = {Al-Tarshi, M and Dobretsov, S and Al-Belushi, M},
title = {Bacterial Communities across Multiple Ecological Niches (Water, Sediment, Plastic, and Snail Gut) in Mangrove Habitats.},
journal = {Microorganisms},
volume = {12},
number = {8},
pages = {},
doi = {10.3390/microorganisms12081561},
pmid = {39203403},
issn = {2076-2607},
support = {RC/GRG-AGR/FISH/22/01//Ministry of Higher Education, Research and Innovation/ ; RC/GRG-AGR/FISH/22/01//Sultan Qaboos University/ ; },
abstract = {Microbial composition across substrates in mangroves, particularly in the Middle East, remains unclear. This study characterized bacterial communities in sediment, water, Terebralia palustris snail guts, and plastic associated with Avicennia marina mangrove forests in two coastal lagoons in the Sea of Oman using 16S rDNA gene MiSeq sequencing. The genus Vibrio dominated all substrates except water. In the gut of snails, Vibrio is composed of 80-99% of all bacterial genera. The water samples showed a different pattern, with the genus Sunxiuqinia being dominant in both Sawadi (50.80%) and Qurum (49.29%) lagoons. There were significant differences in bacterial communities on different substrata, in particular plastic. Snail guts harbored the highest number of unique Operational Taxonomic Units (OTUs) in both lagoons, accounting for 30.97% OTUs in Sawadi and 28.91% OTUs in Qurum, compared to other substrates. Plastic in the polluted Sawadi lagoon with low salinity harbored distinct genera such as Vibrio, Aestuariibacter, Zunongwangia, and Jeotgalibacillus, which were absent in the Qurum lagoon with higher salinity and lower pollution. Sawadi lagoon exhibited higher species diversity in sediment and plastic substrates, while Qurum lagoon demonstrated lower species diversity. The principal component analysis (PCA) indicates that environmental factors such as salinity, pH, and nutrient levels significantly influence bacterial community composition across substrates. Variations in organic matter and potential anthropogenic influences, particularly from plastics, further shape bacterial communities. This study highlights the complex microbial communities in mangrove ecosystems, emphasizing the importance of considering multiple substrates in mangrove microbial ecology studies. The understanding of microbial dynamics and anthropogenic impacts is crucial for shaping effective conservation and management strategies in mangrove ecosystems, particularly in the face of environmental changes.},
}

@article {pmid39200461,
year = {2024},
author = {Han, D and Yang, Y and Guo, Z and Dai, S and Jiang, M and Zhu, Y and Wang, Y and Yu, Z and Wang, K and Rong, C and Yu, Y},
title = {A Review on the Interaction of Acetic Acid Bacteria and Microbes in Food Fermentation: A Microbial Ecology Perspective.},
journal = {Foods (Basel, Switzerland)},
volume = {13},
number = {16},
pages = {},
doi = {10.3390/foods13162534},
pmid = {39200461},
issn = {2304-8158},
support = {32200012//National Natural Science Foundation of China/ ; 22KJB180016//Basic Science Research Program for Higher Education Institutions in Jiangsu Province (Natural Science)/ ; },
abstract = {In fermented foods, acetic acid bacteria (AAB), kinds of bacteria with a long history of utilization, contribute to safety, nutritional, and sensory properties primarily through acetic acid fermentation. AAB are commonly found in various fermented foods such as vinegar, sour beer, fermented cocoa and coffee beans, kefir beverages, kombucha, and sourdough. They interact and cooperate with a variety of microorganisms, resulting in the formation of diverse metabolites and the production of fermented foods with distinct flavors. Understanding the interactions between AAB and other microbes is crucial for effectively controlling and utilizing AAB in fermentation processes. However, these microbial interactions are influenced by factors such as strain type, nutritional conditions, ecological niches, and fermentation duration. In this review, we examine the relationships and research methodologies of microbial interactions and interaction studies between AAB and yeasts, lactic acid bacteria (LAB), and bacilli in different food fermentation processes involving these microorganisms. The objective of this review is to identify key interaction models involving AAB and other microorganisms. The insights gained will provide scientific guidance for the effective utilization of AAB as functional microorganisms in food fermentation processes.},
}

@article {pmid39198281,
year = {2024},
author = {He, Z and Smets, BF and Dechesne, A},
title = {Mating Assay: Plating Below a Cell Density Threshold is Required for Unbiased Estimation of Plasmid Conjugation Frequency of RP4 Transfer Between E. coli Strains.},
journal = {Microbial ecology},
volume = {87},
number = {1},
pages = {109},
pmid = {39198281},
issn = {1432-184X},
support = {0236-00022B//Innovationsfonden/ ; 0236-00022B//Innovationsfonden/ ; 0236-00022B//Innovationsfonden/ ; PhD Scholarship//Sino-Danish Center/ ; PhD Scholarship//Sino-Danish Center/ ; },
mesh = {*Escherichia coli/genetics ; *Conjugation, Genetic ; *Plasmids/genetics ; Gene Transfer, Horizontal ; },
abstract = {Mating assays are common laboratory experiments for measuring the conjugation frequency, i.e. efficiency at which a plasmid transfers from a population of donor cells to a population of recipient cells. Selective plating remains a widely used quantification method to enumerate transconjugants at the end of such assays. However, conjugation frequencies may be inaccurately estimated because plasmid transfer can occur on transconjugant-selective plates rather than only during the intended mating duration. We investigated the influence of cell density on this phenomenon. We conducted mating experiments with IncPα plasmid RP4 harbored in Escherichia coli at a fixed cell density and mating conditions, inoculated a serial dilution of the mating mixture on transconjugant-selective plates or in transconjugant-selective broth, and compared the results to a model of cell-to-cell distance distribution. Our findings suggest that irrespective of the mating mode (liquid vs solid), the enumeration of transconjugants becomes significantly biased if the plated cell density exceeds 28 Colony Forming Unit (CFU)/mm[2] (or 1.68•10[5] CFU/standard 9 cm Petri dish). This threshold is determined with a 95% confidence interval of ± 4 CFU/mm[2] (± 2.46•10[4] CFU/standard 9 cm Petri dish). Liquid mating assays were more sensitive to this bias because the conjugation frequency of RP4 is several orders of magnitude lower in suspension compared to surface mating. Therefore, if selective plating is used, we recommend to plate at this density threshold and that negative controls are performed where donors and recipients are briefly mixed before plating at the same dilutions as for the actual mating assay. As an alternative, a liquid enumeration method can be utilized to increase the signal-to-noise ratio and allow for more accurate enumeration of transconjugants.},
}

*Escherichia coli/genetics
*Conjugation, Genetic
*Plasmids/genetics
Gene Transfer, Horizontal

@article {pmid39197278,
year = {2024},
author = {Peng, C and Wang, Y and Sha, X and Li, M and Wang, X and Wang, J and Wang, Y and Liu, C and Wang, L},
title = {Adverse effect of TWPs on soil fungi and the contribution of benzothiazole rubber additives.},
journal = {Journal of hazardous materials},
volume = {479},
number = {},
pages = {135574},
doi = {10.1016/j.jhazmat.2024.135574},
pmid = {39197278},
issn = {1873-3336},
abstract = {Tire wear particles (TWPs) pollution is widely present in soil, especially in areas severely affected by traffic. Herein, regular variation of fungal biomass with TWPs was found in soils with different distances from the highway. In addition, the concentrations of benzothiazole compounds (BTHs), an important class of rubber vulcanization accelerators, were found to be positively correlated to the TWPs abundance. Sixty days' soil microcosm experiments were conducted to further confirm the adverse effect of TWPs and BTHs on soil fungi. TWPs spiking at 1000 mg/kg, a detectable level in the roadside, resulted in significant reduction of biomass and significant changes of soil fungal community structure, with Eurotium and Polyporales being the sensitive species. BTH+ 2-hydroxybenzothiazole (OHBT) (the dominant BTHs in soil) spiking at 200 ng/kg, the dose equivalent to 1000 mg/kg TWPs pollution, also caused a similar magnitude of soil fungal biomass reduction. Adonis demonstrated no significant difference of fungal community structure between TWPs and BTH+OHBT spiked soil, suggesting the adverse effect of TWPs on soil fungi may be explained by the act of BTHs. Pure culture using the representative soil fungi Eurotium and Polyporales also confirmed that BTHs were the main contributors to the adverse effect of TWPs on soil fungi.},
}

@article {pmid39196435,
year = {2024},
author = {Tenore, A and Russo, F and Jacob, J and Grattepanche, JD and Buttaro, B and Klapper, I},
title = {A Mathematical Model of Diel Activity and Long Time Survival in Phototrophic Mixed-Species Subaerial Biofilms.},
journal = {Bulletin of mathematical biology},
volume = {86},
number = {10},
pages = {123},
pmid = {39196435},
issn = {1522-9602},
support = {1951532//National Science Foundation/ ; 2325170//National Science Foundation/ ; },
mesh = {*Biofilms/growth & development ; *Models, Biological ; *Mathematical Concepts ; *Phototrophic Processes/physiology ; *Cyanobacteria/physiology/metabolism ; *Computer Simulation ; Biomass ; Heterotrophic Processes/physiology ; Microbial Interactions/physiology ; Bacterial Physiological Phenomena ; },
abstract = {Subaerial biofilms (SAB) are intricate microbial communities living on terrestrial surfaces, of interest in a variety of contexts including cultural heritage preservation, microbial ecology, biogeochemical cycling, and biotechnology. Here we propose a mathematical model aimed at better understanding the interplay between cyanobacteria and heterotrophic bacteria, common microbial SAB constituents, and their mutual dependence on local environmental conditions. SABs are modeled as thin mixed biofilm-liquid water layers sitting on stone. A system of ordinary differential equations regulates the dynamics of key SAB components: cyanobacteria, heterotrophs, polysaccharides and decayed biomass, as well as cellular levels of organic carbon, nitrogen and energy. These components are interconnected through a network of energetically dominant metabolic pathways, modeled with limitation terms reflecting the impact of biotic and abiotic factors. Daily cylces of temperature, humidity, and light intensity are considered as input model variables that regulate microbial activity by influencing water availability and metabolic kinetics. Relevant physico-chemical processes, including pH regulation, further contribute to a description of the SAB ecology. Numerical simulations explore the dynamics of SABs in a real-world context, revealing distinct daily activity periods shaped by water activity and light availability, as well as longer time scale survivability conditions. Results also suggest that heterotrophs could play a substantial role in decomposing non-volatile carbon compounds and regulating pH, thus influencing the overall composition and stability of the biofilm.},
}

*Biofilms/growth & development
*Models, Biological
*Mathematical Concepts
*Phototrophic Processes/physiology
*Cyanobacteria/physiology/metabolism
*Computer Simulation
Biomass
Heterotrophic Processes/physiology
Microbial Interactions/physiology
Bacterial Physiological Phenomena

@article {pmid39196422,
year = {2024},
author = {Toloza-Moreno, DL and Yockteng, R and Pérez-Zuñiga, JI and Salinas-Castillo, C and Caro-Quintero, A},
title = {Implications of Domestication in Theobroma cacao L. Seed-Borne Microbial Endophytes Diversity.},
journal = {Microbial ecology},
volume = {87},
number = {1},
pages = {108},
pmid = {39196422},
issn = {1432-184X},
mesh = {*Cacao/microbiology ; *Endophytes/genetics/classification/isolation & purification/physiology ; *Seeds/microbiology/growth & development ; *Bacteria/classification/genetics/isolation & purification ; *Domestication ; Microbiota ; Fungi/genetics/classification/isolation & purification ; Genotype ; Biodiversity ; },
abstract = {The study of plant-microbe interactions is a rapidly growing research field, with increasing attention to the role of seed-borne microbial endophytes in protecting the plant during its development from abiotic and biotic stresses. Recent evidence suggests that seed microbiota is crucial in establishing the plant microbial community, affecting its composition and structure, and influencing plant physiology and ecology. For Theobroma cacao L., the diversity and composition of vertically transmitted microbes have yet to be addressed in detail. We explored the composition and diversity of seed-borne endophytes in cacao pods of commercial genotypes (ICS95, IMC67), recently liberated genotypes from AGROSAVIA (TCS01, TCS19), and landraces from Tumaco (Colombia) (AC9, ROS1, ROS2), to evaluate microbial vertical transmission and establishment in various tissues during plant development. We observed a higher abundance of Pseudomonas and Pantoea genera in the landraces and AGROSAVIA genotypes, while the commercial genotypes presented a higher number of bacteria species but in low abundance. In addition, all the genotypes and plant tissues showed a high percentage of fungi of the genus Penicillium. These results indicate that domestication in cacao has increased bacterial endophyte diversity but has reduced their abundance. We isolated some of these seed-borne endophytes to evaluate their potential as growth promoters and found that Bacillus, Pantoea, and Pseudomonas strains presented high production of indole acetic acid and ACC deaminase activity. Our results suggest that cacao domestication could lead to the loss of essential bacteria for seedling establishment and development. This study improves our understanding of the relationship and interaction between perennial plants and seed-borne microbiota.},
}

*Cacao/microbiology
*Endophytes/genetics/classification/isolation & purification/physiology
*Seeds/microbiology/growth & development
*Bacteria/classification/genetics/isolation & purification
*Domestication
Microbiota
Fungi/genetics/classification/isolation & purification
Genotype
Biodiversity

@article {pmid39193431,
year = {2024},
author = {Ding, J and Cui, X and Wang, X and Zhai, F and Wang, L and Zhu, L},
title = {Multi-omics analysis of gut microbiota and metabolites reveals contrasting profiles in domestic pigs and wild boars across urban environments.},
journal = {Frontiers in microbiology},
volume = {15},
number = {},
pages = {1450306},
pmid = {39193431},
issn = {1664-302X},
abstract = {The gut microbiota plays a crucial role in host health and metabolism. This study explores the differences in gut microbiota and metabolites between domestic pigs (DP) and wild boars (WB) in urban environments. We analyzed gut microbial composition, metabolic profiles, virome composition, antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs), and human pathogenic bacteria (HPB) in both DP and WB. Our results revealed that DP exhibited a higher Firmicutes/Bacteroidetes ratio and were enriched in bacterial genera associated with domestication and modern feeding practices. Metabolomic analysis showed distinct profiles, with WB significantly enriched in the Pantothenate and CoA biosynthesis pathway, highlighting dietary and environmental influences on host metabolism. Additionally, DP had a distinct gut virome composition, particularly enriched in lytic phages of the Chaseviridae family. ARG analysis indicated a higher abundance of tetracycline resistance genes in DP, likely due to antibiotic use in pig farms. Furthermore, variations in HPB composition underscored potential health risks associated with contact with pig feces. These findings provide valuable insights into the microbial ecology of domestic pigs and wild boars, emphasizing the importance of these comparisons in identifying zoonotic pathogen transmission pathways and managing antibiotic resistance. Continued research in this area is essential for developing effective strategies to mitigate public health risks and promote sustainable livestock management practices.},
}

@article {pmid39191402,
year = {2024},
author = {Aoun, N and Georgoulis, SJ and Avalos, JK and Grulla, KJ and Miqueo, K and Tom, C and Lowe-Power, TM},
title = {A pangenomic atlas reveals eco-evolutionary dynamics that shape type VI secretion systems in plant-pathogenic Ralstonia.},
journal = {mBio},
volume = {},
number = {},
pages = {e0032324},
doi = {10.1128/mbio.00323-24},
pmid = {39191402},
issn = {2150-7511},
abstract = {Soilborne Ralstonia solanacearum species complex (RSSC) pathogens disrupt microbial communities as they invade roots and fatally wilt plants. RSSC pathogens secrete antimicrobial toxins using a type VI secretion system (T6SS). To investigate how evolution and ecology have shaped the T6SS of these bacterial pathogens, we analyzed the T6SS gene content and architecture across the RSSC and their evolutionary relatives. Our analysis reveals that two ecologically similar Burkholderiaceae taxa, xylem-pathogenic RSSC and Paracidovorax, have convergently evolved to wield large arsenals of T6SS toxins. To understand the mechanisms underlying genomic enrichment of T6SS toxins, we compiled an atlas of 1,066 auxiliary T6SS toxin clusters ("aux" clusters) across 99 high-quality RSSC genomes. We classified 25 types of aux clusters with toxins that predominantly target lipids, nucleic acids, or unknown cellular substrates. The aux clusters were located in diverse genetic neighborhoods and had complex phylogenetic distributions, suggesting frequent horizontal gene flow. Phages and other mobile genetic elements account for most of the aux cluster acquisition on the chromosome but very little on the megaplasmid. Nevertheless, RSSC genomes were more enriched in aux clusters on the megaplasmid. Although the single, ancestral T6SS was broadly conserved in the RSSC, the T6SS has been convergently lost in atypical, non-soilborne lineages. Overall, our data suggest dynamic interplay between the lifestyle of RSSC lineages and the evolution of T6SSes with robust arsenals of toxins. This pangenomic atlas poises the RSSC as an emerging, tractable model to understand the role of the T6SS in shaping pathogen populations.IMPORTANCEWe explored the eco-evolutionary dynamics that shape the inter-microbial warfare mechanisms of a globally significant plant pathogen, the Ralstonia solanacearum species complex. We discovered that most Ralstonia wilt pathogens have evolved extensive and diverse repertoires of type VI secretion system-associated antimicrobial toxins. These expansive toxin arsenals potentially enhance the ability of Ralstonia pathogens to invade plant microbiomes, enabling them to rapidly colonize and kill their host plants. We devised a classification system to categorize the Ralstonia toxins. Interestingly, many of the toxin gene clusters are encoded on mobile genetic elements, including prophages, which may be mutualistic symbionts that enhance the inter-microbial competitiveness of Ralstonia wilt pathogens. Moreover, our findings suggest that the convergent loss of this multi-gene trait contributes to genome reduction in two vector-transmitted lineages of Ralstonia pathogens. Our findings demonstrate that the interplay between microbial ecology and pathogen lifestyle shapes the evolution of a genetically complex antimicrobial weapon.},
}

@article {pmid39190978,
year = {2024},
author = {Xu, M and Wang, F and Stedtfeld, RD and Fu, Y and Xiang, L and Sheng, H and Li, Z and Hashsham, SA and Jiang, X and Tiedje, JM},
title = {Transfer of antibiotic resistance genes from soil to rice in paddy field.},
journal = {Environment international},
volume = {191},
number = {},
pages = {108956},
doi = {10.1016/j.envint.2024.108956},
pmid = {39190978},
issn = {1873-6750},
abstract = {The global spread and distribution of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) has received much attention whereas knowledge about the transmission of ARGs from one matrix to another is still insufficient. In this study, the paddy fields fertilized with chemical fertilizer, swine compost, and no fertilizer were investigated to assess the transfer of ARGs from soil to rice. Soil and plant samples were collected at day 0, 7, 30 and 79 representing various stages of paddy growth. High throughput qPCR was applied to quantify ARGs using a set of 144 primers. Gene copy number of ARGs measured in soil initially decreased and then increased in soil with no fertilizer and chemical fertilizer, indicating that crop planting and flooding conditions did influence the ARGs profiles in soil. Application of swine compost significantly enhanced the relative abundance and gene copy number of ARGs in paddy soil. Rice seedlings contained substantial amount of ARGs and their relative abundance continually decreased after transplant. Compared with initial stage, detection frequencies of ARGs increased in soil without swine compost at harvest time (day 79), indicating the transmission of ARGs from irrigation water to soil. Detection frequencies of ARGs increased in soil and rice root with swine compost at harvest time, indicating the transfer of ARGs from swine compost to soil and rice root. There was no significant difference in abundance and diversity of ARGs in rice grains with these three different fertilizations. The source of the ARGs in rice grain still needs further exploration.},
}

@article {pmid39189736,
year = {2024},
author = {Wang, L and Ducoste, JJ and de Los Reyes, FL},
title = {Perturbations to common gardens of anaerobic co-digesters reveal relationships between functional resilience and microbial community composition.},
journal = {Applied and environmental microbiology},
volume = {},
number = {},
pages = {e0029824},
doi = {10.1128/aem.00298-24},
pmid = {39189736},
issn = {1098-5336},
abstract = {We report the relationship between enrichment of adapted populations and enhancement of community functional resilience in methanogenic bioreactors. Although previous studies have shown the positive effects of acclimation, this work directly investigated the relationships between microbiome dynamics and performance of anaerobic co-digesting reactors in response to different levels of an environmental perturbation (loading of grease interceptor waste [GIW]). Using the methanogenic microbiome from a full-scale digester, we developed eight sets of microbial communities in triplicate using different feed sources. These substrate-specific microbiomes were then exposed to three independent disturbance events of low-, mid- and high-GIW loading rates. This approach allowed us to directly attribute differences in community responses to differences in community composition. Despite identical inocula, environment (digester operation, substrate loading rate, and feeding patterns) and general whole-community function (methane production and effluent quality) during the cultivation period, different substrates led to different microbial community assemblies. Lipid pre-acclimation led to enrichment of a pool of specialized populations, along with thriving of sub-dominant communities. The enrichment of these populations improved functional resilience and process performance when exposed to a low level of lipid-rich perturbation compared with less-acclimated communities. At higher levels of perturbation, the communities were not able to recover methanogenesis, indicating a loading limit to the resilience response. This study extends our current understanding of environmental perturbations, feed-specific adaptation, and functional resilience in methanogenic bioreactors.IMPORTANCEThis study demonstrates, for the first time for GIW co-digestion, how applying similar perturbations to different microbial communities was used to directly identify the causal relationships between microbial community, function, and environment in triplicate anaerobic microbiomes. We evaluated the impact of feed-specific adaptation on methanogenic microbiomes and demonstrated how microbiomes can be influenced to improve their functional (methanogenic) resilience to GIW inhibition. These findings demonstrate how an ecological framework can help improve a biological engineering application, and more specifically, increase the potential of anaerobic co-digestion for converting wastes to energy.},
}

@article {pmid39188310,
year = {2024},
author = {Berrios, L and Venturini, AM and Ansell, TB and Tok, E and Johnson, W and Willing, CE and Peay, KG},
title = {Co-inoculations of bacteria and mycorrhizal fungi often drive additive plant growth responses.},
journal = {ISME communications},
volume = {4},
number = {1},
pages = {ycae104},
pmid = {39188310},
issn = {2730-6151},
abstract = {Controlled greenhouse studies have shown the numerous ways that soil microbes can impact plant growth and development. However, natural soil communities are highly complex, and plants interact with many bacterial and fungal taxa simultaneously. Due to logistical challenges associated with manipulating more complex microbiome communities, how microbial communities impact emergent patterns of plant growth therefore remains poorly understood. For instance, do the interactions between bacteria and fungi generally yield additive (i.e. sum of their parts) or nonadditive, higher order plant growth responses? Without this information, our ability to accurately predict plant responses to microbial inoculants is weakened. To address these issues, we conducted a meta-analysis to determine the type (additive or higher-order, nonadditive interactions), frequency, direction (positive or negative), and strength that bacteria and mycorrhizal fungi (arbuscular and ectomycorrhizal) have on six phenotypic plant growth responses. Our results demonstrate that co-inoculations of bacteria and mycorrhizal fungi tend to have positive additive effects on many commonly reported plant responses. However, ectomycorrhizal plant shoot height responds positively and nonadditively to co-inoculations of bacteria and ectomycorrhizal fungi, and the strength of additive effects also differs between mycorrhizae type. These findings suggest that inferences from greenhouse studies likely scale to more complex field settings and that inoculating plants with diverse, beneficial microbes is a sound strategy to support plant growth.},
}

@article {pmid39187952,
year = {2024},
author = {Stryker, J and White, E and Díaz-Almeyda, E and Sidoti, B and Oberle, B},
title = {Tank formation transforms nitrogen metabolism of an epiphytic bromeliad and its phyllosphere bacteria.},
journal = {American journal of botany},
volume = {},
number = {},
pages = {e16396},
doi = {10.1002/ajb2.16396},
pmid = {39187952},
issn = {1537-2197},
abstract = {PREMISE: Up to half of tropical forest plant species grow on other plants. Lacking access to soils, vascular epiphytes have unique adaptations for mineral nutrition. Among the most distinctive is the tank growth form of certain large bromeliads, which absorb nutrients that are cycled by complex microbial communities in water trapped among their overlapping leaf bases. However, tanks form only after years of growth by juvenile plants, which must acquire nutrients differently. Understanding how nutrient dynamics change during tank bromeliad development can provide key insights into the role of microorganisms in the maintenance of tropical forest biodiversity.

METHODS: We evaluated variations in plant morphology, growth, foliar nitrogen physiology, and phyllosphere bacterial communities along a size gradient spanning the transition to tank formation in the threatened species Tillandsia utriculata.

RESULTS: Sequential morphological and growth phases coincided with the transition to tank formation when the longest leaf on plants was between 14 and 19 cm. Before this point, foliar ammonium concentrations were very high, but after, leaf segments absorbed significantly more nitrate. Leaf-surface bacterial communities tracked ontogenetic changes in plant morphology and nitrogen metabolism, with less-diverse communities in tankless plants distinguished by a high proportion of taxa implicated in ureolysis, nitrogen fixation, and methanotrophy, whereas nitrate reduction characterized communities on individuals that could form a tank.

CONCLUSIONS: Coupled changes in plant morphology, physiology, and microbiome function facilitate the transition between alternative nutritional modes in tank bromeliads. Comparing bromeliads across life stages and habitats may illuminate how nitrogen-use varies across scales.},
}

@article {pmid39182301,
year = {2024},
author = {Peruzzo, A and Petrin, S and Boscolo Anzoletti, A and Mancin, M and Di Cesare, A and Sabatino, R and Lavagnolo, MC and Beggio, G and Baggio, G and Danesi, P and Barco, L and Losasso, C},
title = {The integration of omics and cultivation-dependent methods could effectively determine the biological risks associated with the utilization of soil conditioners in agriculture.},
journal = {Journal of hazardous materials},
volume = {478},
number = {},
pages = {135567},
doi = {10.1016/j.jhazmat.2024.135567},
pmid = {39182301},
issn = {1873-3336},
abstract = {In the circular economy, reusing agricultural residues, treated biowaste, and sewage sludges-commonly referred to as soil conditioners-in agriculture is essential for converting waste into valuable resources. However, these materials can also contribute to the spread of antimicrobial-resistant pathogens in treated soils. In this study, we analyzed different soil conditioners categorized into five groups: compost from source-separated biowaste and green waste, agro-industrial digestate, digestate from anaerobic digestion of source-separated biowaste, compost from biowaste digestate, and sludges from wastewater treatment plants. Under Italian law, only the first two categories are approved for agricultural use, despite Regulation 1009/2019/EU allowing the use of digestate from anaerobic digestion of source-separated biowaste in CE-marked fertilizers. We examined the bacterial community and associated resistome of each sample using metagenomic approaches. Additionally, we detected and isolated various pathogens to provide a comprehensive understanding of the potential risks associated with sludge application in agriculture. The compost samples exhibited higher bacterial diversity and a greater abundance of potentially pathogenic bacteria compared to other samples, except for wastewater treatment plant sludges, which had the highest frequency of Salmonella isolation and resistome diversity. Our findings suggest integrating omics and cultivation-dependent methods to accurately assess the biological risks of using sludge in agriculture.},
}

@article {pmid39180136,
year = {2024},
author = {Khadem, S and Berry, D and Al-Khlifeh, E},
title = {Climate influences the gut eukaryome of wild rodents in the Great Rift Valley of Jordan.},
journal = {Parasites & vectors},
volume = {17},
number = {1},
pages = {358},
pmid = {39180136},
issn = {1756-3305},
mesh = {Animals ; Jordan/epidemiology ; Mice ; *Gastrointestinal Microbiome ; *Feces/parasitology/microbiology ; *Climate ; Eukaryota/classification/isolation & purification/genetics ; Animals, Wild/parasitology ; RNA, Ribosomal, 18S/genetics ; Rodentia/microbiology/parasitology ; Biodiversity ; Murinae/parasitology ; },
abstract = {BACKGROUND: The mammalian gut microbiome includes a community of eukaryotes with significant taxonomic and functional diversity termed the eukaryome. The molecular analysis of eukaryotic diversity in microbiomes of wild mammals is still in its early stages due to the recent emergence of interest in this field. This study aimed to fill this knowledge gap by collecting data on eukaryotic species found in the intestines of wild rodents. Because little is known about the influence of climate on the gut eukaryome, we compared the composition of the gut eukaryotes in two rodent species, Mus musculus domesticus and Acomys cahirinus, which inhabit a transect crossing a temperate and tropical zone on the Jordanian side of the Great Rift Valley (GRV).

METHODS: We used high-throughput amplicon sequencing targeting the 18S rRNA gene in fecal samples from rodents to identify eukaryotic organisms, their relative abundance, and their potential for pathogenicity.

RESULTS: Nematodes and protozoa were the most prevalent species in the eukaryome communities, whereas fungi made up 6.5% of the total. Sixty percent of the eukaryotic ASVs belonged to taxa that included known pathogens. Eighty percent of the rodents were infected with pinworms, specifically Syphacia obvelata. Eukaryotic species diversity differed significantly between bioclimatic zones (p = 0.001). Nippostrongylus brasiliensis and Aspiculuris tetraptera were found to be present exclusively in the Sudanian zone rodents. This area has not reported any cases of Trichuris infections. Yet, Capillaria infestations were unique to the Mediterranean region, while Trichuris vulpis infestations were also prevalent in the Mediterranean and Irano-Turanian regions.

CONCLUSIONS: This study highlights the importance of considering host species diversity and environmental factors when studying eukaryome composition in wild mammals. These data will be valuable as a reference to eukaryome study.},
}

Animals
Jordan/epidemiology
Mice
*Gastrointestinal Microbiome
*Feces/parasitology/microbiology
*Climate
Eukaryota/classification/isolation & purification/genetics
Animals, Wild/parasitology
RNA, Ribosomal, 18S/genetics
Rodentia/microbiology/parasitology
Biodiversity
Murinae/parasitology

@article {pmid39178936,
year = {2024},
author = {Anedda, E and Ekhlas, D and Alexa, E and Farrell, ML and Gaffney, MT and Madigan, G and Morris, D and Burgess, CM},
title = {Characterization of antimicrobial resistant Enterobacterales isolated from spinach and soil following zinc amendment.},
journal = {Environmental pollution (Barking, Essex : 1987)},
volume = {},
number = {},
pages = {124774},
doi = {10.1016/j.envpol.2024.124774},
pmid = {39178936},
issn = {1873-6424},
abstract = {Antimicrobial resistant bacteria can occur in the primary food production environment. The emergence and dissemination of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in the environment can be influenced by several factors, including the presence of heavy metals. The aim of this study was to examine the presence and characteristics of antimicrobial resistant Enterobacterales in soils and spinach grown in soils with and without zinc amendment. A total of 160 samples (92 soil and 68 spinach) were collected from two locations, in which some plots had been amended with zinc. Samples were cultured on selective agars for detection of extended-spectrum beta-lactamase-producing Enterobacterales (ESBL), carbapenem-resistant Enterobacterales and ciprofloxacin-resistant Enterobacterales. Samples were also cultured for enumeration of total Enterobacterales. Isolates were identified by MALDI-TOF. Antimicrobial susceptibility testing was carried out in accordance with EUCAST (2021) and CLSI (2020) criteria. The whole genome sequence (WGS) of selected isolates was determined. Inductively Coupled Plasma Atomic Emission Spectrometer was performed on soil samples in order to measure the concentration of zinc. In total 20 antimicrobial resistant Enterobacterales were isolated from the soil (n = 8) and spinach samples (n = 12). In both sample types, Serratia fonticola (n= 16) was the dominant species, followed by Escherichia coli (n=1), Citrobacter freundii (n=1) and Morganella morganii (n=1) detected in spinach samples, and Enterobacter cloacae (n=1) detected in a soil sample. The WGS identified genes conferring resistance to different antimicrobials in agreement with the phenotypic results, 14 S. fonticola isolates were confirmed as ESBL producers and harboured the blaFONA gene. Genes that encoded for zinc resistance and multidrug efflux pumps, transporters that can target both antimicrobials and heavy metals, were also identified. Overall, the findings of this study suggest the presence of zinc did not influence the AMR Enterobacterales in soil or spinach samples.},
}

@article {pmid39178591,
year = {2024},
author = {Gao, FZ and Hu, LX and Liu, YS and Qiao, LK and Chen, ZY and Su, JQ and He, LY and Bai, H and Zhu, YG and Ying, GG},
title = {Unveiling the overlooked small-sized microbiome in river ecosystems.},
journal = {Water research},
volume = {265},
number = {},
pages = {122302},
doi = {10.1016/j.watres.2024.122302},
pmid = {39178591},
issn = {1879-2448},
abstract = {Enriching microorganisms using a 0.22-μm pore size is a general pretreatment procedure in river microbiome research. However, it remains unclear the extent to which this method loses microbiome information. Here, we conducted a comparative metagenomics-based study on microbiomes with sizes over 0.22 μm (large-sized) and between 0.22 μm and 0.1 μm (small-sized) in a subtropical river. Although the absolute concentration of small-sized microbiome was about two orders of magnitude lower than that of large-sized microbiome, sequencing only large-sized microbiome resulted in a significant loss of microbiome diversity. Specifically, the microbial community was different between two sizes, and 347 genera were only detected in small-sized microbiome. Small-sized microbiome had much more diverse viral community than large-sized fraction. The viruses had abundant ecological functions and were hosted by 825 species of 169 families, including pathogen-related families. Small-sized microbiome had distinct antimicrobial resistance risks from large-sized microbiome, showing an enrichment of eight antibiotic resistance gene (ARG) types as well as the detection of 140 unique ARG subtypes and five enriched risk rank I ARGs. Draft genomes of five major resistant pathogens having diverse ecological and pollutant-degrading functions were only assembled in small-sized microbiome. These findings provide novel insights into river ecosystems, and highlight the overlooked small-sized microbiome in the environment.},
}

@article {pmid39175749,
year = {2024},
author = {Peña-Salinas, ME and Speth, DR and Utter, DR and Spelz, RM and Lim, S and Zierenberg, R and Caress, DW and Núñez, PG and Vázquez, R and Orphan, VJ},
title = {Thermotogota diversity and distribution patterns revealed in Auka and JaichMaa 'ja 'ag hydrothermal vent fields in the Pescadero Basin, Gulf of California.},
journal = {PeerJ},
volume = {12},
number = {},
pages = {e17724},
pmid = {39175749},
issn = {2167-8359},
mesh = {*Hydrothermal Vents/microbiology ; *Geologic Sediments/microbiology/chemistry ; RNA, Ribosomal, 16S/genetics ; Biodiversity ; Seawater/microbiology/chemistry ; California ; Bacteria/genetics/classification ; },
abstract = {Discovering new deep hydrothermal vent systems is one of the biggest challenges in ocean exploration. They are a unique window to elucidate the physical, geochemical, and biological processes that occur on the seafloor and are involved in the evolution of life on Earth. In this study, we present a molecular analysis of the microbial composition within the newly discovered hydrothermal vent field, JaichMaa 'ja 'ag, situated in the Southern Pescadero Basin within the Gulf of California. During the cruise expedition FK181031 in 2018, 33 sediment cores were collected from various sites within the Pescadero vent fields and processed for 16S rRNA amplicon sequence variants (ASVs) and geochemical analysis. Correlative analysis of the chemical composition of hydrothermal pore fluids and microbial abundances identified several sediment-associated phyla, including Thermotogota, that appear to be enriched in sediment horizons impacted by hydrothermal fluid flow. Comparative analysis of Thermotogota with the previously explored Auka hydrothermal vent field situated 2 km away displayed broad similarity between the two locations, although at finer scales (e.g., ASV level), there were notable differences that point to core-to-core and site-level factors revealing distinct patterns of distribution and abundance within these two sediment-hosted hydrothermal vent fields. These patterns are intricately linked to the specific physical and geochemical conditions defining each vent, illuminating the complexity of this unique deep ocean chemosynthetic ecosystem.},
}

*Hydrothermal Vents/microbiology
*Geologic Sediments/microbiology/chemistry
RNA, Ribosomal, 16S/genetics
Biodiversity
Seawater/microbiology/chemistry
California
Bacteria/genetics/classification

@article {pmid39175056,
year = {2024},
author = {Sbardellati, DL and Vannette, RL},
title = {Targeted viromes and total metagenomes capture distinct components of bee gut phage communities.},
journal = {Microbiome},
volume = {12},
number = {1},
pages = {155},
pmid = {39175056},
issn = {2049-2618},
support = {2023-67011-40501//U.S. Department of Agriculture/ ; 1929516//National Science Foundation/ ; },
mesh = {Bees/virology/microbiology ; Animals ; *Bacteriophages/genetics/isolation & purification/classification ; *Virome ; *Metagenome ; Gastrointestinal Microbiome/genetics ; Metagenomics/methods ; Gastrointestinal Tract/microbiology/virology ; },
abstract = {BACKGROUND: Despite being among the most abundant biological entities on earth, bacteriophage (phage) remain an understudied component of host-associated systems. One limitation to studying host-associated phage is the lack of consensus on methods for sampling phage communities. Here, we compare paired total metagenomes and viral size fraction metagenomes (viromes) as methods for investigating the dsDNA viral communities associated with the GI tract of two bee species: the European honey bee Apis mellifera and the eastern bumble bee Bombus impatiens.

RESULTS: We find that viromes successfully enriched for phage, thereby increasing phage recovery, but only in honey bees. In contrast, for bumble bees, total metagenomes recovered greater phage diversity. Across both bee species, viromes better sampled low occupancy phage, while total metagenomes were biased towards sampling temperate phage. Additionally, many of the phage captured by total metagenomes were absent altogether from viromes. Comparing between bees, we show that phage communities in commercially reared bumble bees are significantly reduced in diversity compared to honey bees, likely reflecting differences in bacterial titer and diversity. In a broader context, these results highlight the complementary nature of total metagenomes and targeted viromes, especially when applied to host-associated environments.

CONCLUSIONS: Overall, we suggest that studies interested in assessing total communities of host-associated phage should consider using both approaches. However, given the constraints of virome sampling, total metagenomes may serve to sample phage communities with the understanding that they will preferentially sample dominant and temperate phage. Video Abstract.},
}

Bees/virology/microbiology
Animals
*Bacteriophages/genetics/isolation & purification/classification
*Virome
*Metagenome
Gastrointestinal Microbiome/genetics
Metagenomics/methods
Gastrointestinal Tract/microbiology/virology

@article {pmid39174521,
year = {2024},
author = {Foulquier, A and Datry, T and Corti, R and von Schiller, D and Tockner, K and Stubbington, R and Gessner, MO and Boyer, F and Ohlmann, M and Thuiller, W and Rioux, D and Miquel, C and Albariño, R and Allen, DC and Altermatt, F and Arce, MI and Arnon, S and Banas, D and Banegas-Medina, A and Beller, E and Blanchette, ML and Blessing, J and Boëchat, IG and Boersma, K and Bogan, M and Bonada, N and Bond, N and Brintrup, K and Bruder, A and Burrows, R and Cancellario, T and Canhoto, C and Carlson, S and Cid, N and Cornut, J and Danger, M and de Freitas Terra, B and De Girolamo, AM and Del Campo, R and Díaz Villanueva, V and Dyer, F and Elosegi, A and Febria, C and Figueroa Jara, R and Four, B and Gafny, S and Gómez, R and Gómez-Gener, L and Guareschi, S and Gücker, B and Hwan, J and Jones, JI and Kubheka, PS and Laini, A and Langhans, SD and Launay, B and Le Goff, G and Leigh, C and Little, C and Lorenz, S and Marshall, J and Martin Sanz, EJ and McIntosh, A and Mendoza-Lera, C and Meyer, EI and Miliša, M and Mlambo, MC and Morais, M and Moya, N and Negus, P and Niyogi, D and Pagán, I and Papatheodoulou, A and Pappagallo, G and Pardo, I and Pařil, P and Pauls, SU and Polášek, M and Rodríguez-Lozano, P and Rolls, RJ and Sánchez-Montoya, MM and Savić, A and Shumilova, O and Sridhar, KR and Steward, A and Taleb, A and Uzan, A and Valladares, Y and Vander Vorste, R and Waltham, NJ and Zak, DH and Zoppini, A},
title = {Unravelling large-scale patterns and drivers of biodiversity in dry rivers.},
journal = {Nature communications},
volume = {15},
number = {1},
pages = {7233},
pmid = {39174521},
issn = {2041-1723},
support = {869226 (DRYvER)//EC | EU Framework Programme for Research and Innovation H2020 | H2020 European Institute of Innovation and Technology (H2020 The European Institute of Innovation and Technology)/ ; },
mesh = {*Biodiversity ; *Rivers/microbiology ; Animals ; Fungi/classification/genetics ; Geologic Sediments/microbiology ; Bacteria/classification/genetics ; Invertebrates/classification ; DNA Barcoding, Taxonomic ; Plants/classification ; Archaea/classification/genetics ; },
abstract = {More than half of the world's rivers dry up periodically, but our understanding of the biological communities in dry riverbeds remains limited. Specifically, the roles of dispersal, environmental filtering and biotic interactions in driving biodiversity in dry rivers are poorly understood. Here, we conduct a large-scale coordinated survey of patterns and drivers of biodiversity in dry riverbeds. We focus on eight major taxa, including microorganisms, invertebrates and plants: Algae, Archaea, Bacteria, Fungi, Protozoa, Arthropods, Nematodes and Streptophyta. We use environmental DNA metabarcoding to assess biodiversity in dry sediments collected over a 1-year period from 84 non-perennial rivers across 19 countries on four continents. Both direct factors, such as nutrient and carbon availability, and indirect factors such as climate influence the local biodiversity of most taxa. Limited resource availability and prolonged dry phases favor oligotrophic microbial taxa. Co-variation among taxa, particularly Bacteria, Fungi, Algae and Protozoa, explain more spatial variation in community composition than dispersal or environmental gradients. This finding suggests that biotic interactions or unmeasured ecological and evolutionary factors may strongly influence communities during dry phases, altering biodiversity responses to global changes.},
}

*Biodiversity
*Rivers/microbiology
Animals
Fungi/classification/genetics
Geologic Sediments/microbiology
Bacteria/classification/genetics
Invertebrates/classification
DNA Barcoding, Taxonomic
Plants/classification
Archaea/classification/genetics

@article {pmid39172818,
year = {2024},
author = {Frazier, AN and Belk, AD and Beck, MR and Koziel, JA},
title = {Impact of methane mitigation strategies on the native ruminant microbiome: A protocol for a systematic review and meta-analysis.},
journal = {PloS one},
volume = {19},
number = {8},
pages = {e0308914},
pmid = {39172818},
issn = {1932-6203},
mesh = {*Methane/metabolism ; *Ruminants/microbiology ; Animals ; *Microbiota ; *Systematic Reviews as Topic ; *RNA, Ribosomal, 16S/genetics ; *Meta-Analysis as Topic ; },
abstract = {Recently, research has investigated the role of the ruminant native microbiome, and the role microbes play in methane (CH4) production and mitigation. However, the variation across microbiome studies makes implementing impactful strategies difficult. The first objective of this study is to identify, summarize, compile, and discuss the current literature on CH4 mitigation strategies and how they interact with the native ruminant microbiome. The second objective is to perform a meta-analysis on the identified16S rRNA sequencing data. A literature search using Web of Science, Scopus, AGRIS, and Google Scholar will be implemented. Eligible criteria will be defined using PICO (population, intervention, comparator, and outcomes) elements. Two independent reviewers will be utilized for both the literature search and data compilation. Risk of bias will be assessed using the Cochrane Risk Bias 2.0 tool. Publicly available 16S rRNA amplicon gene sequencing data will be downloaded from NCBI Sequence Read Archive, European Nucleotide Archive or similar database using appropriate extraction methods. Data processing will be performed using QIIME2 following a standardized protocol. Meta-analyses will be performed on both alpha and beta diversity as well as taxonomic analyses. Alpha diversity metrics will be tested using a Kruskal-Wallis test with a Benjamini-Hochberg multiple testing correction. Beta diversity will be statistically tested using PERMANOVA testing with multiple test corrections. Hedge's g standardized mean difference statistic will be used to calculate fixed and random effects model estimates using a 95% confidence interval. Heterogeneity between studies will be assessed using the I2 statistic. Potential publication bias will be further assessed using Begg's correlation test and Egger's regression test. The GRADE approach will be used to assess the certainty of evidence. The following protocol will be used to guide future research and meta-analyses for investigating CH4 mitigation strategies and ruminant microbial ecology. The future work could be used to enhance livestock management techniques for GHG control. This protocol is registered in Open Science Framework (https://osf.io/vt56c) and available in the Systematic Reviews for Animals and Food (https://www.syreaf.org/contact).},
}

*Methane/metabolism
*Ruminants/microbiology
Animals
*Microbiota
*Systematic Reviews as Topic
*RNA, Ribosomal, 16S/genetics
*Meta-Analysis as Topic

@article {pmid39171106,
year = {2024},
author = {Pi, X and Du, Z and Teng, W and Fu, H and Hu, L and Li, J and Ding, J and Yang, X and Zhang, Y},
title = {Characteristics of stachyose-induced effects on gut microbiota and microbial metabolites in vitro associated with obesity in children.},
journal = {Frontiers in nutrition},
volume = {11},
number = {},
pages = {1411374},
pmid = {39171106},
issn = {2296-861X},
abstract = {Childhood obesity presents a serious health concern associated with gut microbiota alterations. Dietary interventions targeting the gut microbiota have emerged as promising strategies for managing obesity in children. This study aimed to elucidate the impact of stachyose (STS) supplementation on the gut microbiota composition and metabolic processes in obese children. Fecal samples were collected from 40 obese children (20 boys and 20 girls) aged between 6 and 15 and in vitro fermentation was conducted with or without the addition of STS, respectively, followed by 16S rRNA amplicon sequencing and analysis of short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) and gases. Notably, our results revealed that STS supplementation led to significant alterations in gut microbiota composition, including an increase in the abundance of beneficial bacteria such as Bifidobacterium and Faecalibacterium, and a decrease in harmful bacteria including Escherichia-Shigella, Parabacteroides, Eggerthella, and Flavonifractor. Moreover, STS supplementation resulted in changes in SCFAs production, with significant increases in acetate levels and reductions in propionate and propionate, while simultaneously reducing the generation of gases such as H2S, H2, and NH3. The Area Under the Curve (AUC)-Random Forest algorithm and PICRUSt 2 were employed to identify valuable biomarkers and predict associations between the gut microbiota, metabolites, and metabolic pathways. The results not only contribute to the elucidation of STS's modulatory effects on gut microbiota but also underscore its potential in shaping metabolic activities within the gastrointestinal environment. Furthermore, our study underscores the significance of personalized nutrition interventions, particularly utilizing STS supplementation, in the management of childhood obesity through targeted modulation of gut microbial ecology and metabolic function.},
}

@article {pmid39168311,
year = {2024},
author = {MacGibeny, MA and Adjei, S and Pyle, H and Bunick, CG and Ghannoum, M and Grada, A and Harris-Tryon, T and Tyring, SK and Kong, HH},
title = {The Human Skin Microbiome in Health: CME Part 1.},
journal = {Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology},
volume = {},
number = {},
pages = {},
doi = {10.1016/j.jaad.2024.07.1498},
pmid = {39168311},
issn = {1097-6787},
abstract = {Human skin is home to a myriad of microorganisms, including bacteria, viruses, fungi, and mites, many of which are considered commensal microbes that aid in maintaining the overall homeostasis or steady-state condition of the skin and contribute to skin health. Our understanding of the complexities of the skin's interaction with its microorganisms is evolving. This knowledge is based primarily on in vitro and animal studies, and more work is needed to understand how this knowledge relates to humans. Here, we introduce the concept of the skin microbiome and discuss skin microbial ecology, some intrinsic factors with potential influence on the human skin microbiome, and possible microbiome-host interactions. The second article of this two-part CME series describes how microbiome alterations may be associated with skin disease, how medications can affect the microbiome, and what microbiome-based therapies are under investigation.},
}

@article {pmid39165397,
year = {2024},
author = {Jacob, M and Thomas, PK and Giebel, HA and Billerbeck, S and Simon, M and Striebel, M and Dlugosch, L},
title = {Cross-domain diversity effects: linking diatom species richness, intraspecific richness, and biomass production to host-associated bacterial diversity.},
journal = {ISME communications},
volume = {4},
number = {1},
pages = {ycae046},
pmid = {39165397},
issn = {2730-6151},
abstract = {Interactions between bacteria and microalgae are important for the functioning of aquatic ecosystems, yet interactions based on the biodiversity of these two taxonomic domains have been scarcely studied. Specifically, it is unclear whether a positive biodiversity-productivity relationship in phytoplankton is largely facilitated by niche partitioning among the phytoplankton organisms themselves or whether associated bacterial communities play an additional role in modifying these diversity effects. Moreover, the effects of intraspecific diversity in phytoplankton communities on bacterial community diversity have not been tested. To address these points, we factorially manipulated both species and intraspecific richness of three diatoms to test the effects of diatom species/strain diversity on biomass production and bacterial diversity in algae-bacteria communities. The results show that diatom intraspecific diversity has significant positive effects on culture biomass and the diversity of the associated free-living bacterial community (0.2-3 μm size fraction), which are comparable in magnitude to species diversity effects. However, there were little to no effects of diatom diversity on host-associated bacterial diversity (>3 μm size fraction), or of bacterial diversity on biomass production. These results suggest a decoupling of bacterial diversity from the diatom diversity-productivity relationship and provide early insights regarding the relations between diversity across domains in aquatic ecosystems.},
}

@article {pmid39165109,
year = {2024},
author = {Gloder, G and Bourne, ME and Cuny, MAC and Verreth, C and Crauwels, S and Dicke, M and Poelman, EH and Jacquemyn, H and Lievens, B},
title = {Caterpillar-parasitoid interactions: species-specific influences on host microbiome composition.},
journal = {FEMS microbiology ecology},
volume = {},
number = {},
pages = {},
doi = {10.1093/femsec/fiae115},
pmid = {39165109},
issn = {1574-6941},
abstract = {There is increasing evidence that host-parasitoid interactions can have a pronounced impact on the microbiome of host insects, but it is unclear to what extent this is caused by the host and/or parasitoid. Here, we compared the internal and external microbiome of caterpillars of Pieris brassicae and Pieris rapae parasitised by Cotesia glomerata or Cotesia rubecula with non-parasitised caterpillars. Additionally, we investigated the internal and external microbiome of the parasitoid larvae. Both internal and external bacterial densities were significantly higher for P. brassicae than P. rapae, while no differences were found between parasitised and non-parasitised caterpillars. In contrast, parasitism significantly affected the composition of the internal and external microbiome of the caterpillars and the parasitoid larvae, but the effects were dependent on the host and parasitoid species. Irrespective of host species, a Wolbachia species was exclusively found inside caterpillars parasitised by C. glomerata, as well as in the corresponding developing parasitoid larvae. Similarly, a Nosema species was abundantly present inside parasitised caterpillars and the parasitoid larvae, but this was independent of the host and the parasitoid species. We conclude that parasitism has pronounced effects on host microbiomes, but the effects depend on both the host and parasitoid species.},
}

@article {pmid39163484,
year = {2024},
author = {Dede, B and Reeves, EP and Walter, M and Bach, W and Amann, R and Meyerdierks, A},
title = {Bacterial chemolithoautotrophy in ultramafic plumes along the mid-Atlantic ridge.},
journal = {The ISME journal},
volume = {},
number = {},
pages = {},
doi = {10.1093/ismejo/wrae165},
pmid = {39163484},
issn = {1751-7370},
abstract = {Hydrothermal vent systems release reduced chemical compounds that act as an important energy source in the deep sea. Chemolithoautotrophic microbes inhabiting hydrothermal plumes oxidize these compounds, in particular hydrogen and reduced sulfur, to obtain the energy required for CO2 fixation. Here, we analysed the planktonic communities of four hydrothermal systems located along the Mid-Atlantic Ridge: Irinovskoe, Semenov-2, Logatchev-1, and Ashadze-2, by combining long-read 16S rRNA gene analysis, fluorescence in situ hybridization, meta-omics, and thermodynamic calculations. Sulfurimonas and SUP05 dominated the microbial communities in these hydrothermal plumes. Investigation of Sulfurimonas and SUP05 MAGs, and their gene transcription in plumes indicated a niche partitioning driven by hydrogen and sulfur. In addition to sulfur and hydrogen oxidation, a novel SAR202 clade inhabiting the plume, here referred to as genus Carboxydicoccus, harbours the capability for CO-oxidation and CO2 fixation via reverse TCA cycle. Both pathways were also highly transcribed in other hydrogen-rich plumes, including the Von Damm vent field. Carboxydicoccus profundi reached up to 4% relative abundance (1.0 x 103 cell ml- 1) in Irinovskoe non-buoyant plume and was also abundant in non-hydrothermally influenced deep-sea metagenomes (up to 5 RPKM). Therefore, CO, which is probably not sourced from the hydrothermal fluids (1.9-4 μM), but rather from biological activities within the fluid, may serve as a significant energy source in hydrothermal plumes. Taken together, this study sheds light on the chemolithoautotrophic potential of the bacterial community in Mid-Atlantic Ridge plumes.},
}

@article {pmid39162854,
year = {2024},
author = {Joshi, S and Pham, K and Moe, L and McNees, R},
title = {Exploring the Microbial Diversity and Composition of Three Cigar Product Categories.},
journal = {Microbial ecology},
volume = {87},
number = {1},
pages = {107},
pmid = {39162854},
issn = {1432-184X},
mesh = {*Tobacco Products ; *RNA, Ribosomal, 16S/genetics ; *Bacteria/classification/genetics/isolation & purification ; *Microbiota ; *Biodiversity ; Phylogeny ; High-Throughput Nucleotide Sequencing ; DNA, Bacterial/genetics ; },
abstract = {Cigars and cigarillos are emerging as popular tobacco alternatives to cigarettes. However, these products may be equally harmful to human health than cigarettes and are associated with similar adverse health effects. We used 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing to extensively characterize the microbial diversity and investigate differences in microbial composition across 23 different products representing three different cigar product categories: filtered cigar, cigarillo, and large cigar. High throughput sequencing of the V4 hypervariable region of the 16 s rRNA gene revealed 2124 Operational Taxonomic Units (OTUs). Our findings showed that the three categories of cigars differed significantly in observed richness and Shannon diversity, with filtered cigars exhibiting lower diversity compared to large cigars and cigarillos. We also found a shared and unique microbiota among different product types. Firmicutes was the most abundant phylum in all product categories, followed by Actinobacteria. Among the 16 genera shared across all product types were Bacillus, Staphylococcus, Pseudomonas, and Pantoea. Nine genera were exclusively shared by large cigars and cigarillos and an additional thirteen genera were exclusive to filtered cigars. Analysis of individual cigar products showed consistent microbial composition across replicates for most large cigars and cigarillos while filtered cigars showed more inter-product variability. These findings provide important insights into the microbial diversity of the different cigar product types.},
}

*Tobacco Products
*RNA, Ribosomal, 16S/genetics
*Bacteria/classification/genetics/isolation & purification
*Microbiota
*Biodiversity
Phylogeny
High-Throughput Nucleotide Sequencing
DNA, Bacterial/genetics

@article {pmid39162497,
year = {2024},
author = {Chatzigiannidou, I and Heyse, J and Props, R and Rubbens, P and Mermans, F and Teughels, W and Van de Wiele, T and Boon, N},
title = {Real-time flow cytometry to assess qualitative and quantitative responses of oral pathobionts during exposure to antiseptics.},
journal = {Microbiology spectrum},
volume = {},
number = {},
pages = {e0095524},
doi = {10.1128/spectrum.00955-24},
pmid = {39162497},
issn = {2165-0497},
abstract = {UNLABELLED: Antiseptics are widely used in oral healthcare to prevent or treat oral diseases, such as gingivitis and periodontitis. However, the incidence of bacteria being tolerant to standard antiseptics has sharply increased over the last few years. This stresses the urgency for surveillance against tolerant organisms, as well as the discovery of novel antimicrobials. Traditionally, susceptibility to antimicrobials is assessed by broth micro-dilution or disk diffusion assays, both of which are time-consuming, labor-intensive, and provide limited information on the mode of action of the antimicrobials. The abovementioned limitations highlight the need for the development of new methods to monitor and further understand antimicrobial susceptibility. In this study, we used real-time flow cytometry, combined with membrane permeability staining, as a quick and sensitive technology to study the quantitative and qualitative responses of two oral pathobionts to different concentrations of chlorhexidine (CHX), cetylpyridinium chloride (CPC), or triclosan. Apart from the real-time monitoring of cell damage, we further applied a phenotypic fingerprinting method to differentiate between the bacterial subpopulations that arose due to treatment. We quantified the pathobiont damage rate of different antiseptics at different concentrations within 15 minutes of exposure and identified the conditions under which the bacteria were most susceptible. Moreover, we detected species-specific and treatment-specific phenotypic subpopulations. This proves that real-time flow cytometry can provide information on the susceptibility of different microorganisms in a short time frame while differentiating between antiseptics and thus could be a valuable tool in the discovery of novel antimicrobial compound, while at the same time deciphering their mode of action.

IMPORTANCE: With increasing evidence that microorganisms are becoming more tolerant to standard antimicrobials, faster and more accessible antimicrobial susceptibility testing methods are needed. However, traditional susceptibility assays are laborious and time-consuming. To overcome the abovementioned limitations, we introduce a novel approach to define antimicrobial susceptibility in a much shorter time frame with the use of real-time flow cytometry. Furthermore, phenotypic fingerprinting analysis can be applied on the data to study the way antiseptics affect the bacterial cell morphology over time and, thus, gain information on the mode of action of a certain compound.},
}

@article {pmid39162262,
year = {2024},
author = {Liu, M and Li, Q and Xu, W and Wang, L and Wu, F and Tan, L and Li, L and Zhang, G},
title = {Characterization of water microbiota and their relationship with resident oysters during an oyster mortality event.},
journal = {Microbiology spectrum},
volume = {},
number = {},
pages = {e0288123},
doi = {10.1128/spectrum.02881-23},
pmid = {39162262},
issn = {2165-0497},
abstract = {Microorganisms are vital for the health of marine invertebrates, and their assembly is driven by both deterministic and stochastic factors that regulate residents (innate to the host) and transients (from ambient water). However, the role of water microbiota and the significance of deterministic and stochastic processes in aquatic hosts facing mortality threats are largely unknown. This study examines the shifts in water microbiota during an oyster mortality event using amplicon sequencing and compared with those of resident oysters to disentangle the balance of the deterministic and stochastic factors involved. Water temperature and dissolved oxygen significantly shape the microbial community with a distinct monthly pattern, and Cyanobacteria blooms might exacerbate oyster mortality. The comparative analysis of microbial communities in oysters and water revealed that ≤ 21% of the genera were shared between oysters and water, implying that water microbiota cannot easily transfer into oysters. Furthermore, these shared genera had different functions, with oysters more involved in promoting host digestion and nutrient acquisition and water bacteria enriched more in functions promoting their own growth and survival. These findings illustrate that oysters may possess specific selection or barrier mechanisms that permit a small percentage of transients, controlled by stochastic factors and having a minimal effect on oyster mortality, to enter, whereas the majority of oyster microbiota are residents governed by deterministic factors. Consequently, oysters exhibit some plasticity in their symbiotic microbiota, enabling them to maintain microbial homeostasis and adapt to complex microbial surroundings. This may be a shared mechanism among marine invertebrates for survival in complex marine environments.IMPORTANCEPacific oysters are widely cultured and play vital ecological roles. However, the summer mortality hinders sustainable oyster farming. Untangling causative mechanisms of oyster mortality is a complex task due to the intricate "interactome" involving environmental factors, hosts, and pathogens. Interactions between hosts and microorganisms offer an ideal avenue for investigating the truth. We systematically investigated the microbial community in water and resident oysters during a summer mortality event and proposed that the assembly of oyster microbiota is primarily governed by deterministic processes independent of mortality. Pathogens mainly originate from resident members of the oyster microbiota, with a limited influence from the microbial community in the water. Additionally, environmental degraders, such as Cyanobacteria blooms, cannot be overlooked as a contributing factor of oyster mortality. This study evaluated the weight of deterministic and stochastic factors in microbial assembly during an oyster mortality event and greatly broadened our understanding of the "interactome" through the interaction between oysters and water in microbiota.},
}

@article {pmid39161630,
year = {2024},
author = {Blázquez, M and Pérez-Vargas, I and Garrido-Benavent, I and Villar-dePablo, M and Turégano, Y and Frías-López, C and Sánchez-Gracia, A and de Los Ríos, A and Gasulla, F and Pérez-Ortega, S},
title = {Endless forms most frustrating: disentangling species boundaries in the Ramalina decipiens group (Lecanoromycetes, Ascomycota), with the description of six new species and a key to the group.},
journal = {Persoonia},
volume = {52},
number = {},
pages = {44-93},
pmid = {39161630},
issn = {0031-5850},
abstract = {Oceanic islands have been recognized as natural laboratories in which to study a great variety of evolutionary processes. One such process is evolutionary radiations, the diversification of a single ancestor into a number of species that inhabit different environments and differ in the traits that allow them to exploit those environments. The factors that drive evolutionary radiations have been studied for decades in charismatic organisms such as birds or lizards, but are lacking in lichen-forming fungi, despite recent reports of some lineages showing diversification patterns congruent with radiation. Here we propose the Ramalina decipiens group as a model system in which to carry out such studies. This group is currently thought to be comprised of five saxicolous species, all of them endemic to the Macaronesian region (the Azores, Madeira, Selvagens, Canary and Cape Verde islands). Three species are single-island endemics (a rare geographic distribution pattern in lichens), whereas two are widespread and show extreme morphological variation. The latter are suspected to harbor unrecognized species-level lineages. In order to use the Ramalina decipiens group as a model system it is necessary to resolve the group's phylogeny and to clarify its species boundaries. In this study we attempt to do so following an integrative taxonomy approach. We constructed a phylogenetic tree based on six molecular markers, four of which are newly developed and generated competing species hypotheses based on molecular (species discovery strategies based on both single locus and multilocus datasets) and phenotypic data (unsupervised clustering algorithms based on morphology, secondary chemistry and geographic origin). We found that taxonomic diversity in the Ramalina decipiens group has been highly underestimated in previous studies. In consequence, we describe six new species, most of them single-island endemics and provide a key to the group. Phylogenetic relationships among species have been reconstructed with almost full support which, coupled with the endemic character of the group, makes it an excellent system for the study of island radiations in lichen-forming fungi. Citation: Blázquez M, Pérez-Vargas I, Garrido-Benavent I, et al. 2024. Endless forms most frustrating: disentangling species boundaries in the Ramalina decipiens group (Lecanoromycetes, Ascomycota), with the description of six new species and a key to the group. Persoonia 52: 44-93. https://doi.org/10.3767/persoonia.2024.52.03 .},
}

@article {pmid39160591,
year = {2024},
author = {Lee, H and Hwang, K and Cho, A and Kim, S and Kim, M and Morgan-Kiss, R and Priscu, JC and Kim, KM and Kim, OS},
title = {Microbial assemblages and associated biogeochemical processes in Lake Bonney, a permanently ice-covered lake in the McMurdo Dry Valleys, Antarctica.},
journal = {Environmental microbiome},
volume = {19},
number = {1},
pages = {60},
pmid = {39160591},
issn = {2524-6372},
support = {PE23130//Korea Polar Research Institute/ ; PE23130//Korea Polar Research Institute/ ; PE23130//Korea Polar Research Institute/ ; PE23130//Korea Polar Research Institute/ ; PE23130//Korea Polar Research Institute/ ; PE23130//Korea Polar Research Institute/ ; PE23130//Korea Polar Research Institute/ ; OPP 1637708//National Science Foundation/ ; OPP 1637708//National Science Foundation/ ; },
abstract = {BACKGROUND: Lake Bonney, which is divided into a west lobe (WLB) and an east lobe (ELB), is a perennially ice-covered lake located in the McMurdo Dry Valleys of Antarctica. Despite previous reports on the microbial community dynamics of ice-covered lakes in this region, there is a paucity of information on the relationship between microbial genomic diversity and associated nutrient cycling. Here, we applied gene- and genome-centric approaches to investigate the microbial ecology and reconstruct microbial metabolic potential along the depth gradient in Lake Bonney.

RESULTS: Lake Bonney is strongly chemically stratified with three distinct redox zones, yielding different microbial niches. Our genome enabled approach revealed that in the sunlit and relatively freshwater epilimnion, oxygenic photosynthetic production by the cyanobacterium Pseudanabaena and a diversity of protists and microalgae may provide new organic carbon to the environment. CO-oxidizing bacteria, such as Acidimicrobiales, Nanopelagicales, and Burkholderiaceae were also prominent in the epilimnion and their ability to oxidize carbon monoxide to carbon dioxide may serve as a supplementary energy conservation strategy. In the more saline metalimnion of ELB, an accumulation of inorganic nitrogen and phosphorus supports photosynthesis despite relatively low light levels. Conversely, in WLB the release of organic rich subglacial discharge from Taylor Glacier into WLB would be implicated in the possible high abundance of heterotrophs supported by increased potential for glycolysis, beta-oxidation, and glycoside hydrolase and may contribute to the growth of iron reducers in the dark and extremely saline hypolimnion of WLB. The suboxic and subzero temperature zones beneath the metalimnia in both lobes supported microorganisms capable of utilizing reduced nitrogens and sulfurs as electron donors. Heterotrophs, including nitrate reducing sulfur oxidizing bacteria, such as Acidimicrobiales (MAG72) and Salinisphaeraceae (MAG109), and denitrifying bacteria, such as Gracilimonas (MAG7), Acidimicrobiales (MAG72) and Salinisphaeraceae (MAG109), dominated the hypolimnion of WLB, whereas the environmental harshness of the hypolimnion of ELB was supported by the relatively low in metabolic potential, as well as the abundance of halophile Halomonas and endospore-forming Virgibacillus.

CONCLUSIONS: The vertical distribution of microbially driven C, N and S cycling genes/pathways in Lake Bonney reveals the importance of geochemical gradients to microbial diversity and biogeochemical cycles with the vertical water column.},
}

@article {pmid39159439,
year = {2024},
author = {Dos Santos, A and Schultz, J and Almeida Trapp, M and Modolon, F and Romanenko, A and Kumar Jaiswal, A and Gomes, L and Rodrigues-Filho, E and Rosado, AS},
title = {Investigating Polyextremophilic Bacteria in Al Wahbah Crater, Saudi Arabia: A Terrestrial Model for Life on Saturn's Moon Enceladus.},
journal = {Astrobiology},
volume = {24},
number = {8},
pages = {824-838},
doi = {10.1089/ast.2024.0017},
pmid = {39159439},
issn = {1557-8070},
mesh = {Saudi Arabia ; *Exobiology/methods ; *Extraterrestrial Environment ; Genome, Bacterial/genetics ; Mars ; Bacteria/genetics/isolation & purification ; Phylogeny ; },
abstract = {The study of extremophilic microorganisms has sparked interest in understanding extraterrestrial microbial life. Such organisms are fundamental for investigating life forms on Saturn's icy moons, such as Enceladus, which is characterized by potentially habitable saline and alkaline niches. Our study focused on the salt-alkaline soil of the Al Wahbah crater in Saudi Arabia, where we identified microorganisms that could be used as biological models to understand potential life on Enceladus. The search involved isolating 48 bacterial strains, sequencing the genomes of two thermo-haloalkaliphilic strains, and characterizing them for astrobiological application. A deeper understanding of the genetic composition and functional capabilities of the two novel strains of Halalkalibacterium halodurans provided valuable insights into their survival strategies and the presence of coding genes and pathways related to adaptations to environmental stressors. We also used mass spectrometry with a molecular network approach, highlighting various classes of molecules, such as phospholipids and nonproteinogenic amino acids, as potential biosignatures. These are essential features for understanding life's adaptability under extreme conditions and could be used as targets for biosignatures in upcoming missions exploring Enceladus' orbit. Furthermore, our study reinforces the need to look at new extreme environments on Earth that might contribute to the astrobiology field.},
}

Saudi Arabia
*Exobiology/methods
*Extraterrestrial Environment
Genome, Bacterial/genetics
Mars
Bacteria/genetics/isolation & purification
Phylogeny

@article {pmid39158314,
year = {2024},
author = {Guéneau, V and Jiménez, G and Castex, M and Briandet, R},
title = {Insights into the genomic and phenotypic characteristics of Bacillus spp. strains isolated from biofilms in broiler farms.},
journal = {Applied and environmental microbiology},
volume = {},
number = {},
pages = {e0066324},
doi = {10.1128/aem.00663-24},
pmid = {39158314},
issn = {1098-5336},
abstract = {The characterization of surface microbiota living in biofilms within livestock buildings has been relatively unexplored, despite its potential impact on animal health. To enhance our understanding of these microbial communities, we characterized 11 spore-forming strains isolated from two commercial broiler chicken farms. Sequencing of the strains revealed them to belong to three species Bacillus velezensis, Bacillus subtilis, and Bacillus licheniformis. Genomic analysis revealed the presence of antimicrobial resistance genes and genes associated with antimicrobial secretion specific to each species. We conducted a comprehensive characterization of the biofilm formed by these strains under various conditions, and we revealed significant structural heterogeneity across the different strains. A macro-colony interaction model was employed to assess the compatibility of these strains to coexist in mixed biofilms. We identified highly competitive B. velezensis strains, which cannot coexist with other Bacillus spp. Using confocal laser scanning microscopy along with a specific dye for extracellular DNA, we uncovered the importance of extracellular DNA for the formation of B. licheniformis biofilms. Altogether, the results highlight the heterogeneity in both genome and biofilm structure among Bacillus spp. isolated from biofilms present within livestock buildings.IMPORTANCELittle is known about the microbial communities that develop on farms in direct contact with animals. Nonpathogenic strains of Bacillus velezensis, Bacillus subtilis, and Bacillus licheniformis were found in biofilm samples collected from surfaces in contact with animals. Significant genetic and phenotypic diversity was described among these Bacillus strains. The strains do not possess mobile antibiotic resistance genes in their genomes and have a strong capacity to form structured biofilms. Among these species, B. velezensis was noted for its high competitiveness compared with the other Bacillus spp. Additionally, the importance of extracellular DNA in the formation of B. licheniformis biofilms was observed. These findings provide insights for the management of these surface microbiota that can influence animal health, such as the use of competitive strains to minimize the establishment of undesirable bacteria or enzymes capable of specifically deconstructing biofilms.},
}

@article {pmid39157765,
year = {2024},
author = {de Santana, CO and Spealman, P and Oliveira, E and Gresham, D and de Jesus, T and Chinalia, F},
title = {Prokaryote communities along a source-to-estuary river continuum in the Brazilian Atlantic Forest.},
journal = {PeerJ},
volume = {12},
number = {},
pages = {e17900},
pmid = {39157765},
issn = {2167-8359},
mesh = {Brazil ; *Rivers/microbiology ; *RNA, Ribosomal, 16S/genetics ; *Geologic Sediments/microbiology ; Bacteria/genetics/classification/isolation & purification ; Forests ; Estuaries ; Biodiversity ; Archaea/genetics/classification/isolation & purification ; Microbiota ; },
abstract = {The activities of microbiomes in river sediments play an important role in sustaining ecosystem functions by driving many biogeochemical cycles. However, river ecosystems are frequently affected by anthropogenic activities, which may lead to microbial biodiversity loss and/or changes in ecosystem functions and related services. While parts of the Atlantic Forest biome stretching along much of the eastern coast of South America are protected by governmental conservation efforts, an estimated 89% of these areas in Brazil are under threat. This adds urgency to the characterization of prokaryotic communities in this vast and highly diverse biome. Here, we present prokaryotic sediment communities in the tropical Juliana River system at three sites, an upstream site near the river source in the mountains (Source) to a site in the middle reaches (Valley) and an estuarine site near the urban center of Ituberá (Mangrove). The diversity and composition of the communities were compared at these sites, along with environmental conditions, the former by using qualitative and quantitative analyses of 16S rRNA gene amplicons. While the communities included distinct populations at each site, a suite of core taxa accounted for the majority of the populations at all sites. Prokaryote diversity was highest in the sediments of the Mangrove site and lowest at the Valley site. The highest number of genera exclusive to a given site was found at the Source site, followed by the Mangrove site, which contained some archaeal genera not present at the freshwater sites. Copper (Cu) concentrations were related to differences in communities among sites, but none of the other environmental factors we determined was found to have a significant influence. This may be partly due to an urban imprint on the Mangrove site by providing organic carbon and nutrients via domestic effluents.},
}

Brazil
*Rivers/microbiology
*RNA, Ribosomal, 16S/genetics
*Geologic Sediments/microbiology
Bacteria/genetics/classification/isolation & purification
Forests
Estuaries
Biodiversity
Archaea/genetics/classification/isolation & purification
Microbiota

@article {pmid39155010,
year = {2024},
author = {Wong, LC and Rodenburg, U and Leite, RR and Korthals, G and Pover, J and Koerten, H and Kuramae, E and Bodelier, PLE},
title = {Exploring microbial diversity and interactions for asbestos modifying properties.},
journal = {The Science of the total environment},
volume = {},
number = {},
pages = {175577},
doi = {10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.175577},
pmid = {39155010},
issn = {1879-1026},
abstract = {Asbestos poses a substantial environmental health risk, and biological treatment offers a promising approach to mitigate its impact by altering its chemical composition. However, the dynamics of microbial co-inoculation in asbestos bioremediation remain poorly understood. This study investigates the effect of microbial single cultures and co-cultures on modifying crocidolite and chrysotile fibers, focusing on the extraction of iron and magnesium. Seventy bacterial and eighty-three fungal strains were isolated from five diverse sites, characterized phylogenetically using the 16S rRNA and ITS regions, respectively, and assessed for siderophore and organic acid production. Most bacterial strains were identified as Pseudomonas, while Penicillium predominated among fungal strains. Ten bacterial and 25 fungal strains were found to produce both organic compounds. Four microbial co-cultures (one bacterium-bacterium, two fungus-bacterium, and one fungus-fungus) exhibiting synergistic effects in plate assays, alongside their respective single cultures, were incubated with crocidolite and chrysotile. ICP-OES analysis revealed that in crocidolite, the co-culture HRF19-HRB12 removed more iron than their single cultures, while Penicillium TPF36 showed the highest iron removal. The co-culture of two Pseudomonas strains (HRB12-RB5) exhibited the highest magnesium concentration in the supernatant. In chrysotile, the co-culture HRB12-RB5 removed more iron than their individual cultures, with Penicillium TFSF27 exhibiting the highest iron concentration in solution. Penicillium TFSF27 and the co-culture TFSF27-TPF36 demonstrated the highest magnesium removal. SEM-XRMA analysis showed a significant reduction in iron and magnesium content, confirming elemental extraction from the fibers' structure. This study significantly broadens the range of microbial strains capable of modifying asbestos fibers and underscores the potential of microbial co-cultures in asbestos remediation.},
}

@article {pmid39150265,
year = {2024},
author = {Longhi, G and Lugli, GA and Tarracchini, C and Fontana, F and Bianchi, MG and Carli, E and Bussolati, O and van Sinderen, D and Turroni, F and Ventura, M},
title = {From raw milk cheese to the gut: investigating the colonization strategies of Bifidobacterium mongoliense.},
journal = {Applied and environmental microbiology},
volume = {},
number = {},
pages = {e0124424},
doi = {10.1128/aem.01244-24},
pmid = {39150265},
issn = {1098-5336},
abstract = {The microbial ecology of raw milk cheeses is determined by bacteria originating from milk and milk-producing animals. Recently, it has been shown that members of the Bifidobacterium mongoliense species may become transmitted along the Parmigiano Reggiano cheese production chain and ultimately may colonize the consumer intestine. However, there is a lack of knowledge regarding the molecular mechanisms that mediate the interaction between B. mongoliense and the human gut. Based on 128 raw milk cheeses collected from different Italian regions, we isolated and characterized 10 B. mongoliense strains. Comparative genomics allowed us to unveil the presence of enzymes required for the degradation of sialylated host-glycans in B. mongoliense, corroborating the appreciable growth on de Man-Rogosa-Sharpe (MRS) medium supplemented with 3'-sialyllactose (3'-SL) or 6'-sialyllactose (6'-SL). The B. mongoliense BMONG18 was chosen, due to its superior ability to utilize 3'-SL and mucin as representative strain, to investigate its behavior when co-inoculated with other bifidobacterial species. Conversely, members of other bifidobacterial species did not appear to benefit from the presence of BMONG18, highlighting a competitive scenario for nutrient acquisition. Transcriptomic data of BMONG18 reveal no significant differences in gene expression when cultivated in a gut simulating medium (GSM), regardless of whether cheese was included or not. Furthermore, BMONG18 was shown to exhibit high adhesion capabilities to HT29-MTX human cells, in line with its colonization ability of a human host.IMPORTANCEFermented foods are nourishments produced through controlled microbial growth that play an essential role in worldwide human nutrition. Research interest in fermented foods has increased since the 80s, driven by growing awareness of their potential health benefits beyond mere nutritional content. Bifidobacterium mongoliense, previously identified throughout the production process of Parmigiano Reggiano cheese, was found to be capable of establishing itself in the intestines of its consumers. Our study underscores molecular mechanisms through which this bifidobacterial species, derived from food, interacts with the host and other gut microbiota members.},
}

@article {pmid39150230,
year = {2024},
author = {Li, J and Yang, X and Zhang, X and Zhang, L},
title = {Effects and mechanisms of microbial ecology and diversity on phytoremediation of cadmium-contaminated soil under the influence of biodegradable organic acids.},
journal = {International journal of phytoremediation},
volume = {},
number = {},
pages = {1-12},
doi = {10.1080/15226514.2024.2391025},
pmid = {39150230},
issn = {1549-7879},
abstract = {In recent years, heavy metal pollution has become a global environmental problem and poses a great threat to the health of people and ecosystems. Therefore, strategies for the effective remediation of Cd from contaminated soil are urgently needed. In this study, ryegrass was utilized as a remediation plant, and its remediation potential was enhanced through the application of Citric Acid (CA) in conjunction with Bacillus megaterium (B. megaterium). The P3 treatment (CA + Bacillus megaterium) exhibited a significantly higher efficiency in promoting cadmium extraction by ryegrass, resulting in a 1.79-fold increase in shoot cadmium accumulation compared to the control group (CK) with no Bacillus megaterium or CA. Moreover, the P3 treatment led to an increased abundance of Actinobacteriota, Acidobacteriota, and Patescibacteria in the rhizosphere. The concentration of amino derivatives (such as betaine, sulfolithocholylglycine, N-alpha-acetyl-lysine, glycocholic acid, arginyl-threonine) showed significant upregulation following the P3 treatment. In summary, this study proposes a viable approach for phytoremediation of soil contaminated with cadmium by harnessing the mobilizing abilities of soil bacteria.},
}

@article {pmid39148859,
year = {2024},
author = {Sumner, JT and Pickens, CI and Huttelmaier, S and Moghadam, AA and Abdala-Valencia, H and , and Hauser, AR and Seed, PC and Wunderink, RG and Hartmann, EM},
title = {Transitions in lung microbiota landscape associate with distinct patterns of pneumonia progression.},
journal = {medRxiv : the preprint server for health sciences},
volume = {},
number = {},
pages = {},
doi = {10.1101/2024.08.02.24311426},
pmid = {39148859},
abstract = {Pneumonia and other lower respiratory tract infections are the leading contributors to global mortality of any communicable disease [1]. During normal pulmonary homeostasis, competing microbial immigration and elimination produce a transient microbiome with distinct microbial states [2-4]. Disruption of underlying ecological forces, like aspiration rate and immune tone, are hypothesized to drive microbiome dysbiosis and pneumonia progression [5-7]. However, the precise microbiome transitions that accompany clinical outcomes in severe pneumonia are unknown. Here, we leverage our unique systematic and serial bronchoscopic sampling to combine quantitative PCR and culture for bacterial biomass with 16S rRNA gene amplicon, shotgun metagenomic, and transcriptomic sequencing in patients with suspected pneumonia to distill microbial signatures of clinical outcome. These data support the presence of four distinct microbiota states-oral-like, skin-like, Staphylococcus -predominant, and mixed-each differentially associated with pneumonia subtype and responses to pneumonia therapy. Infection-specific dysbiosis, quantified relative to non-pneumonia patients, associates with bacterial biomass and elevated oral-associated microbiota. Time series analysis suggests that microbiome shifts from baseline are greater with successful pneumonia therapy, following distinct trajectories dependent on the pneumonia subtype. In summary, our results highlight the dynamic nature of the lung microbiome as it progresses through community assemblages that parallel patient prognosis. Application of a microbial ecology framework to study lower respiratory tract infections enables contextualization of the microbiome composition and gene content within clinical phenotypes. Further unveiling the ecological dynamics of the lung microbial ecosystem provides critical insights for future work toward improving pneumonia therapy.},
}

@article {pmid39148674,
year = {2024},
author = {Dyczko, D and Błażej, P and Kiewra, D},
title = {The influence of forest habitat type on Ixodes ricinus infections with Rickettsia spp. in south-western Poland.},
journal = {Current research in parasitology & vector-borne diseases},
volume = {6},
number = {},
pages = {100200},
pmid = {39148674},
issn = {2667-114X},
abstract = {This study investigates the prevalence of Rickettsia spp. in Ixodes ricinus tick populations in different forest habitat types (broadleaf forest, mixed broadleaf and coniferous forest, and coniferous forest) in south-western Poland. During the survey periods from April to June 2018 and 2019 a total of 494 I. ricinus ticks, including 374 nymphs, 60 females and 60 males, were tested for Rickettsia infections by nested PCR targeting the gltA gene. The overall infection rate was 42.3%; however, we observed statistically significant year-to-year variation. Infection rates varied between tick developmental stages and were significantly influenced by forest habitat type. As assessed by a generalized linear mixed model (GLMM), the highest infection rates were observed in mixed broadleaf and coniferous forests, while coniferous forests had a significant negative effect on infection prevalence. DNA sequencing of selected samples confirmed the predominance of Rickettsia helvetica (91.2%) and less frequent Rickettsia monacensis (8.8%). This study suggests that the forest habitat types can influence Rickettsia spp. infection in tick populations; however, a comprehensive understanding of all factors influencing the level of infection requires future study.},
}

@article {pmid39143010,
year = {2024},
author = {Ozbayram, EG and Kleinsteuber, S and Sträuber, H and Schroeder, BG and da Rocha, UN and Corrêa, FB and Harms, H and Nikolausz, M},
title = {Three-domain microbial communities in the gut of Pachnoda marginata larvae: A comparative study revealing opposing trends in gut compartments.},
journal = {Environmental microbiology reports},
volume = {16},
number = {4},
pages = {e13324},
pmid = {39143010},
issn = {1758-2229},
mesh = {Animals ; *Larva/microbiology ; *Bacteria/classification/genetics/isolation & purification ; *Archaea/classification/genetics/isolation & purification ; *Gastrointestinal Microbiome ; Gastrointestinal Tract/microbiology ; Eukaryota/classification/genetics/isolation & purification ; Phylogeny ; Microbiota ; RNA, Ribosomal, 16S/genetics ; },
abstract = {This study aimed to examine the bacterial, methanogenic archaeal, and eukaryotic community structure in both the midgut and hindgut of Pachnoda marginata larvae using an amplicon sequencing approach. The goal was to investigate how various diets and the soil affect the composition of these three-domain microbial communities within the gut of insect larvae. The results indicated a notable variation in the microbial community composition among the gut compartments. The majority of the bacterial community in the hindgut was composed of Ruminococcaceae and Christensenellaceae. Nocardiaceae, Microbacteriaceae, and Lachnospiraceae were detected in midgut samples from larvae feeding on the leaf diet, whereas Sphingomonadaceae, Rhodobacteraceae, and Promicromonasporaceae dominated the bacterial community of midgut of larvae feeding on the straw diet. The diet was a significant factor that influenced the methanogenic archaeal and eukaryotic community patterns. The methanogenic communities in the two gut compartments significantly differed from each other, with the midgut communities being more similar to those in the soil. A higher diversity of methanogens was observed in the midgut samples of both diets compared to the hindgut. Overall, the microbiota of the hindgut was more host-specific, while the assembly of the midgut was more influenced by the environmental microorganisms.},
}

Animals
*Larva/microbiology
*Bacteria/classification/genetics/isolation & purification
*Archaea/classification/genetics/isolation & purification
*Gastrointestinal Microbiome
Gastrointestinal Tract/microbiology
Eukaryota/classification/genetics/isolation & purification
Phylogeny
Microbiota
RNA, Ribosomal, 16S/genetics

@article {pmid39142044,
year = {2024},
author = {Battulga, B and Nakayama, M and Matsuoka, S and Kondo, T and Atarashi-Andoh, M and Koarashi, J},
title = {Dynamics and functions of microbial communities in the plastisphere in temperate coastal environments.},
journal = {Water research},
volume = {264},
number = {},
pages = {122207},
doi = {10.1016/j.watres.2024.122207},
pmid = {39142044},
issn = {1879-2448},
abstract = {Microbial attachment and biofilm formation on microplastics (MPs <5 mm in size) in the environment have received growing attention. However, there is limited knowledge of microbial function and their effect on the properties and behavior of MPs in the environment. In this study, microbial communities in the plastisphere were explored to understand microbial ecology as well as their impact on aquatic ecosystems. Using the amplicon sequencing of 16S and internal transcribed spacer (ITS) genes, we uncovered the composition and diversity of bacterial and fungal communities in samples of MPs (fiber, film, foam, and fragment), surface water, bottom sediment, and coastal sand in two contrasting coastal areas of Japan. Differences in microbial diversity and taxonomic composition were detected depending on sample type (MPs, water, sediment, and sand) and the research site. Although relatively higher bacterial and fungal gene counts were determined in MP fragments and foams from the research sites, there were no significant differences in microbial community composition depending on the morphotypes of MPs. Given the colonization by hydrocarbon-degrading communities and the presence of pathogens on MPs, the complex processes of microbial taxa influence the characteristics of MP-associated biofilms, and thus, the properties of MPs. This study highlights the metabolic functions of microbes in MP-associated biofilms, which could be key to uncovering the true impact of plastic debris on the global ecosystem.},
}

@article {pmid39141295,
year = {2024},
author = {Turbant, F and Blache, A and Węgrzyn, G and Achouak, W and Wien, F and Arluison, V},
title = {Use of Synchrotron Radiation Circular Dichroism to Analyze the Interaction and Insertion of Proteins into Bacterial Outer Membrane Vesicles.},
journal = {Methods in molecular biology (Clifton, N.J.)},
volume = {2843},
number = {},
pages = {73-94},
pmid = {39141295},
issn = {1940-6029},
mesh = {*Circular Dichroism/methods ; *Synchrotrons ; *Bacterial Outer Membrane Proteins/chemistry/metabolism ; Bacterial Outer Membrane/metabolism/chemistry ; Protein Structure, Secondary ; Lipid Bilayers/metabolism/chemistry ; },
abstract = {Circular dichroism (CD) is a spectroscopic technique commonly used for the analysis of proteins. Particularly, it allows the determination of protein secondary structure content in various media, including the membrane environment. In this chapter, we present how CD applications can be used to analyze the interaction of proteins with bacterial outer membrane vesicles (OMVs). Most CD studies characterizing the structure of proteins inserted into membranes rely on artificial lipid bilayers, mimicking natural membranes. Nevertheless, these artificial models lack the important features of the true membrane, especially for the outer membrane of Gram-negative bacteria. These features include lipid diversity, glycosylation, and asymmetry. Here, we show how to analyze the interactions of proteins, either integral or peripheral, with OMVs in solution and with supported membranes of OMVs, using conventional CD and orientated circular dichroism (OCD). We explain how to decipher the spectroscopic signals to obtain information on the molecular structure of the protein upon its interaction with an OMV and through its potential insertion into an OMV membrane.},
}

*Circular Dichroism/methods
*Synchrotrons
*Bacterial Outer Membrane Proteins/chemistry/metabolism
Bacterial Outer Membrane/metabolism/chemistry
Protein Structure, Secondary
Lipid Bilayers/metabolism/chemistry

@article {pmid39141097,
year = {2024},
author = {Papazachariou, V and Fernández-Juárez, V and Parfrey, LW and Riemann, L},
title = {Nitrogen Fixation and Microbial Communities Associated with Decomposing Seagrass Leaves in Temperate Coastal Waters.},
journal = {Microbial ecology},
volume = {87},
number = {1},
pages = {106},
pmid = {39141097},
issn = {1432-184X},
mesh = {*Nitrogen Fixation ; *Plant Leaves/microbiology ; *Seawater/microbiology/chemistry ; *Microbiota ; *Zosteraceae/microbiology/metabolism ; Nitrogen/metabolism/analysis ; RNA, Ribosomal, 16S/genetics ; Bacteria/classification/genetics/metabolism/isolation & purification ; Denmark ; Cyanobacteria/metabolism/genetics/classification/isolation & purification ; },
abstract = {Seagrass meadows play pivotal roles in coastal biochemical cycles, with nitrogen fixation being a well-established process associated with living seagrass. Here, we tested the hypothesis that nitrogen fixation is also associated with seagrass debris in Danish coastal waters. We conducted a 52-day in situ experiment to investigate nitrogen fixation (proxied by acetylene reduction) and dynamics of the microbial community (16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing) and the nitrogen fixing community (nifH DNA/RNA amplicon sequencing) associated with decomposing Zostera marina leaves. The leaves harboured distinct microbial communities, including distinct nitrogen fixers, relative to the surrounding seawater and sediment throughout the experiment. Nitrogen fixation rates were measurable on most days, but highest on days 3 (dark, 334.8 nmol N g[-1] dw h[-1]) and 15 (light, 194.6 nmol N g[-1] dw h[-1]). Nitrogen fixation rates were not correlated with the concentration of inorganic nutrients in the surrounding seawater or with carbon:nitrogen ratios in the leaves. The composition of nitrogen fixers shifted from cyanobacterial Sphaerospermopsis to heterotrophic genera like Desulfopila over the decomposition period. On the days with highest fixation, nifH RNA gene transcripts were mainly accounted for by cyanobacteria, in particular by Sphaerospermopsis and an unknown taxon (order Nostocales), alongside Proteobacteria. Our study shows that seagrass debris in temperate coastal waters harbours substantial nitrogen fixation carried out by cyanobacteria and heterotrophic bacteria that are distinct relative to the surrounding seawater and sediments. This suggests that seagrass debris constitutes a selective environment where degradation is affected by the import of nitrogen via nitrogen fixation.},
}

*Nitrogen Fixation
*Plant Leaves/microbiology
*Seawater/microbiology/chemistry
*Microbiota
*Zosteraceae/microbiology/metabolism
Nitrogen/metabolism/analysis
RNA, Ribosomal, 16S/genetics
Bacteria/classification/genetics/metabolism/isolation & purification
Denmark
Cyanobacteria/metabolism/genetics/classification/isolation & purification

@article {pmid39140100,
year = {2024},
author = {Crous, PW and Jurjević, Ž and Balashov, S and De la Peña-Lastra, S and Mateos, A and Pinruan, U and Rigueiro-Rodríguez, A and Osieck, ER and Altés, A and Czachura, P and Esteve-Raventós, F and Gunaseelan, S and Kaliyaperumal, M and Larsson, E and Luangsa-Ard, JJ and Moreno, G and Pancorbo, F and Piątek, M and Sommai, S and Somrithipol, S and Asif, M and Delgado, G and Flakus, A and Illescas, T and Kezo, K and Khamsuntorn, P and Kubátová, A and Labuda, R and Lavoise, C and Lebel, T and Lueangjaroenkit, P and Maciá-Vicente, JG and Paz, A and Saba, M and Shivas, RG and Tan, YP and Wingfield, MJ and Aas, T and Abramczyk, B and Ainsworth, AM and Akulov, A and Alvarado, P and Armada, F and Assyov, B and Avchar, R and Avesani, M and Bezerra, JL and Bhat, JD and Bilański, P and Bily, DS and Boccardo, F and Bozok, F and Campos, JC and Chaimongkol, S and Chellappan, N and Costa, MM and Dalecká, M and Darmostuk, V and Daskalopoulos, V and Dearnaley, J and Dentinger, BTM and De Silva, NI and Dhotre, D and Carlavilla, JR and Doungsa-Ard, C and Dovana, F and Erhard, A and Ferro, LO and Gallegos, SC and Giles, CE and Gore, G and Gorfer, M and Guard, FE and Hanson, SÅ and Haridev, P and Jankowiak, R and Jeffers, SN and Kandemir, H and Karich, A and Kisło, K and Kiss, L and Krisai-Greilhuber, I and Latha, KPD and Lorenzini, M and Lumyong, S and Manimohan, P and Manjón, JL and Maula, F and Mazur, E and Mesquita, NLS and Młynek, K and Mongkolsamrit, S and Morán, P and Murugadoss, R and Nagarajan, M and Nalumpang, S and Noisripoom, W and Nosalj, S and Novaes, QS and Nowak, M and Pawłowska, J and Peiger, M and Pereira, OL and Pinto, A and Plaza, M and Polemis, E and Polhorský, A and Ramos, DO and Raza, M and Rivas-Ferreiro, M and Rodriguez-Flakus, P and Ruszkiewicz-Michalska, M and Sánchez, A and Santos, A and Schüller, A and Scott, PA and Şen, I and Shelke, D and Śliwa, L and Solheim, H and Sonawane, H and Strašiftáková, D and Stryjak-Bogacka, M and Sudsanguan, M and Suwannarach, N and Suz, LM and Syme, K and Taşkın, H and Tennakoon, DS and Tomka, P and Vaghefi, N and Vasan, V and Vauras, J and Wiktorowicz, D and Villarreal, M and Vizzini, A and Wrzosek, M and Yang, X and Yingkunchao, W and Zapparoli, G and Zervakis, GI and Groenewald, JZ},
title = {Fungal Planet description sheets: 1614-1696.},
journal = {Fungal systematics and evolution},
volume = {13},
number = {},
pages = {183-440},
pmid = {39140100},
issn = {2589-3831},
abstract = {Novel species of fungi described in this study include those from various countries as follows: Australia, Baobabopsis sabindy in leaves of Eragrostis spartinoides, Cortinarius magentiguttatus among deep leaf litter, Laurobasidium azarandamiae from uredinium of Puccinia alyxiae on Alyxia buxifolia, Marasmius pseudoelegans on well-rotted twigs and litter in mixed wet sclerophyll and subtropical rainforest. Bolivia, Favolaschia luminosa on twigs of Byttneria hirsuta, Lecanora thorstenii on bark, in savannas with shrubs and trees. Brazil, Asterina costamaiae on leaves of Rourea bahiensis, Purimyces orchidacearum (incl. Purimyces gen. nov.) as root endophyte on Cattleya locatellii. Bulgaria, Monosporascus bulgaricus and Monosporascus europaeus isolated from surface-sterilised, asymptomatic roots of Microthlaspi perfoliatum. Finland, Inocybe undatolacera on a lawn, near Betula pendula. France, Inocybe querciphila in humus of mixed forest. Germany, Arrhenia oblongispora on bare soil attached to debris of herbaceous plants and grasses. Greece, Tuber aereum under Quercus coccifera and Acer sempervirens. India, Alfoldia lenyadriensis from the gut of a Platynotus sp. beetle, Fulvifomes subramanianii on living Albizzia amara, Inosperma pavithrum on soil, Phylloporia parvateya on living Lonicera sp., Tropicoporus maritimus on living Peltophorum pterocarpum. Indonesia, Elsinoe atypica on leaf of Eucalyptus pellita. Italy, Apiotrichum vineum from grape wine, Cuphopyllus praecox among grass. Madagascar, Pisolithus madagascariensis on soil under Intsia bijuga. Netherlands, Cytosporella calamagrostidis and Periconia calamagrostidicola on old leaves of Calamagrostis arenaria, Hyaloscypha caricicola on leaves of Carex sp., Neoniesslia phragmiticola (incl. Neoniesslia gen. nov.) on leaf sheaths of standing dead culms of Phragmites australis, Neptunomyces juncicola on culms of Juncus maritimus, Zenophaeosphaeria calamagrostidis (incl. Zenophaeosphaeria gen. nov.) on culms of Calamagrostis arenaria. Norway, Hausneria geniculata (incl. Hausneria gen. nov.) from a gallery of Dryocoetes alni on Alnus incana. Pakistan, Agrocybe auriolus on leaf litter of Eucalyptus camaldulensis, Rhodophana rubrodisca in nutrient-rich loamy soil with Morus alba. Poland, Cladosporium nubilum from hypersaline brine, Entomortierella ferrotolerans from soil at mines and postmining sites, Pseudopezicula epiphylla from sooty mould community on Quercus robur, Quixadomyces sanctacrucensis from resin of Pinus sylvestris, Szafranskia beskidensis (incl. Szafranskia gen. nov.) from resin of Abies alba. Portugal, Ascocoryne laurisilvae on degraded wood of Laurus nobilis, Hygrocybe madeirensis in laurel forests, Hygrocybula terracocta (incl. Hygrocybula gen. nov.) on mossy areas of laurel forests planted with Cryptomeria japonica. Republic of Kenya, Penicillium gorferi from a sterile chicken feather embedded in a soil sample. Slovakia, Cerinomyces tatrensis on bark of Pinus mugo, Metapochonia simonovicovae from soil. South Africa, Acremonium agapanthi on culms of Agapanthus praecox, Alfaria elegiae on culms of Elegia ebracteata, Beaucarneamyces stellenboschensis (incl. Beaucarneamyces gen. nov.) on dead leaves of Beaucarnea stricta, Gardeniomyces kirstenboschensis (incl. Gardeniomyces gen. nov.) rotting fruit of Gardenia thunbergia, Knufia dianellae on dead leaves of Dianella caerulea, Lomaantha quercina on twigs of Quercus suber. Melanina restionis on dead leaves of Restio duthieae, Microdochium buffelskloofinum on seeds of Eragrostis cf. racemosa, Thamnochortomyces kirstenboschensis (incl. Thamnochortomyces gen. nov.) on culms of Thamnochortus fraternus, Tubeufia hagahagana on leaves of Hypoxis angustifolia, Wingfieldomyces cypericola on dead leaves of Cyperus papyrus. Spain, Geastrum federeri in soil under Quercus suber and Q. canariensis, Geastrum nadalii in calcareous soil under Juniperus, Quercus, Cupressus, Pinus and Robinia, Hygrocybe garajonayensis in laurel forests, Inocybe cistophila on acidic soil under Cistus ladanifer, Inocybe sabuligena in a mixed Quercus ilex subsp. ballota/Juniperus thurifera open forest, Mycena calongei on mossy bark base of Juniperus oxycedrus, Rhodophana ulmaria on soil in Ulmus minor forest, Tuber arriacaense in soil under Populus pyramidalis, Volvariella latispora on grassy soils in a Quercus ilex ssp. rotundifolia stand. Sweden, Inocybe iota in alpine heath on calcareous soil. Thailand, Craterellus maerimensis and Craterellus sanbuakwaiensis on laterite and sandy soil, Helicocollum samlanense on scale insects, Leptosporella cassiae on dead twigs of Cassia fistula, Oxydothis coperniciae on dead leaf of Copernicia alba, Russula mukdahanensis on soil, Trechispora sangria on soil, Trechispora sanpatongensis on soil. Türkiye, Amanita corylophila in a plantation of Corylus avellana. Ukraine, Pararthrophiala adonis (incl. Pararthrophiala gen. nov.) on dead stems of Adonis vernalis. USA, Cladorrhinum carnegieae from Carnegiea gigantea, Dematipyriformia americana on swab from basement wall, Dothiora americana from outside air, Dwiroopa aeria from bedroom air, Lithohypha cladosporioides from hospital swab, Macroconia verruculosa on twig of Ilex montana, associated with black destroyed ascomycetous fungus and Biatora sp., Periconia floridana from outside air, Phytophthora fagacearum from necrotic leaves and shoots of Fagus grandifolia, Queenslandipenidiella californica on wood in crawlspace. Morphological and culture characteristics are supported by DNA barcodes. Citation: Crous PW, Jurjević Z, Balashov S, De la Peña-Lastra S, Mateos A, Pinruan U, Rigueiro-Rodríguez A, Osieck ER, Altés A, Czachura P, Esteve-Raventós F, Gunaseelan S, Kaliyaperumal M, Larsson E, Luangsa-ard JJ, Moreno G, Pancorbo F, Piątek M, Sommai S, Somrithipol S, Asif M, Delgado G, Flakus A, Illescas T, Kezo K, Khamsuntorn P, Kubátová A, Labuda R, Lavoise C, Lebel T, Lueangjaroenkit P, Maciá-Vicente JG, Paz A, Saba M, Shivas RG, Tan YP, Wingfield MJ, Aas T, Abramczyk B, Ainsworth AM, Akulov A, Alvarado P, Armada F, Assyov B, Avchar R, Avesani M, Bezerra JL, Bhat JD, Bilański P, Bily DS, Boccardo F, Bozok F, Campos JC, Chaimongkol S, Chellappan N, Costa MM, Dalecká M, Darmostuk V, Daskalopoulos V, Dearnaley J, Dentinger BTM, De Silva NI, Dhotre D, Carlavilla JR, Doungsa-ard C, Dovana F, Erhard A, Ferro LO, Gallegos SC, Giles CE, Gore G, Gorfer M, Guard FE, Hanson S-A, Haridev P, Jankowiak R, Jeffers SN, Kandemir H, Karich A, Kisło K, Kiss L, Krisai-Greilhuber I, Latha KPD, Lorenzini M, Lumyong S, Manimohan P, Manjón JL, Maula F, Mazur E, Mesquita NLS, Młynek K, Mongkolsamrit S, Morán P, Murugadoss R, Nagarajan M, Nalumpang S, Noisripoom W, Nosalj S, Novaes QS, Nowak M, Pawłowska J, Peiger M, Pereira OL, Pinto A, Plaza M, Polemis E, Polhorský A, Ramos DO, Raza M, Rivas-Ferreiro M, Rodriguez-Flakus P, Ruszkiewicz-Michalska M, Sánchez A, Santos A, Schüller A, Scott PA, Şen İ, Shelke D, Śliwa L, Solheim H, Sonawane H, Strašiftáková D, Stryjak-Bogacka M, Sudsanguan M, Suwannarach N, Suz LM, Syme K, Taşkın H, Tennakoon DS, Tomka P, Vaghefi N, Vasan V, Vauras J, Wiktorowicz D, Villarreal M, Vizzini A, Wrzosek M, Yang X, Yingkunchao W, Zapparoli G, Zervakis GI, Groenewald JZ (2024). Fungal Planet description sheets: 1614-1696. Fungal Systematics and Evolution 13: 183-440. doi: 10.3114/fuse.2024.13.11.},
}

@article {pmid39136489,
year = {2024},
author = {Brar, G and Floden, M and McFrederick, Q and Rajamohan, A and Yocum, G and Bowsher, J},
title = {Environmentally acquired gut-associated bacteria are not critical for growth and survival in a solitary bee, Megachile rotundata.},
journal = {Applied and environmental microbiology},
volume = {},
number = {},
pages = {e0207623},
doi = {10.1128/aem.02076-23},
pmid = {39136489},
issn = {1098-5336},
abstract = {Social bees have been extensively studied for their gut microbial functions, but the significance of the gut microbiota in solitary bees remains less explored. Solitary bee, Megachile rotundata females provision their offspring with pollen from various plant species, harboring a diverse microbial community that colonizes larvae guts. The Apilactobacillus is the most abundant microbe, but evidence concerning the effects of Apilactobacillus and other provision microbes on growth and survival are lacking. We hypothesized that the presence of Apilactobacillus in abundance would enhance larval and prepupal development, weight, and survival, while the absence of intact microbial communities was expected to have a negative impact on bee fitness. We reared larvae on pollen provisions with naturally collected microbial communities (Natural pollen) or devoid of microbial communities (Sterile pollen). We also assessed the impact of introducing Apilactobacillus micheneri by adding it to both types of pollen provisions. Feeding larvae with sterile pollen + A. micheneri led to the highest mortality rate, followed by natural pollen + A. micheneri, and sterile pollen. Larval development was significantly delayed in groups fed with sterile pollen. Interestingly, larval and prepupal weights did not significantly differ across treatments compared to natural pollen-fed larvae. 16S rRNA gene sequencing found a dominance of Sodalis, when A. micheneri was introduced to natural pollen. The presence of Sodalis with abundant A. micheneri suggests potential crosstalk between both, shaping bee nutrition and health. Hence, this study highlights that the reliance on nonhost-specific environmental bacteria may not impact fitness of M. rotundata.IMPORTANCEThis study investigates the impact of environmentally acquired gut microbes of solitary bee fitness with insights into the microbial ecology of bee and their health. While the symbiotic microbiome is well-studied in social bees, the role of environmental acquired microbiota in solitary bees remains unclear. Assessing this relationship in a solitary pollinator, the leaf-cutting bee, Megachile rotundata, we discovered that this bee species does not depend on the diverse environmental bacteria found in pollen for either its larval growth or survival. Surprisingly, high concentrations of the most abundant pollen bacteria, Apilactobacillus micheneri did not consistently benefit bee fitness, but caused larval mortality. Our findings also suggest an interaction between Apilactobacillus and the Sodalis and perhaps their role in bee nutrition. Hence, this study provides significant insights that contribute to understanding the fitness, conservation, and pollination ecology of other solitary bee species in the future.},
}

@article {pmid39133233,
year = {2024},
author = {Kwiatkowska, K and Ormaniec, P},
title = {Microbial Succession on Microplastics in Wastewater Treatment Plants: Exploring the Complexities of Microplastic-Microbiome Interactions.},
journal = {Microbial ecology},
volume = {87},
number = {1},
pages = {105},
pmid = {39133233},
issn = {1432-184X},
mesh = {*Microplastics/analysis ; *Wastewater/microbiology/chemistry ; *Biofilms ; *Microbiota ; *Sewage/microbiology/chemistry ; Waste Disposal, Fluid ; Water Pollutants, Chemical/analysis ; Bacteria/classification/metabolism ; Plastics/chemistry ; },
abstract = {Despite some effectiveness of wastewater treatment processes, microplastics accumulate in sewage sludge and their further use may contribute to the release of plastic microplastics into the environment. There is an urgent need to reduce the amount of microplastics in sewage sludge. Plastic particles serve as solid substrates for various microorganisms, promoting the formation of microbial biofilms with different metabolic activities. The biofilm environment associated with microplastics will determine the efficiency of treatment processes, especially biological methods, and the mechanisms of organic compound conversion. A significant source of microplastics is the land application of sewage sludge from wastewater treatment plants. The detrimental impact of microplastics affects soil enzymatic activity, soil microorganisms, flora, fauna, and plant production. This review article summarizes the development of research related to microplastics and discusses the issue of microplastic introduction from sewage sludge. Given that microplastics can contain complex composite polymers and form a plastisphere, further research is needed to understand their potential environmental impact, pathogenicity, and the characteristics of biofilms in wastewater treatment systems. The article also discusses the physicochemical properties of microplastics in wastewater treatment plants and their role in biofilm formation. Then, the article explained the impact of these properties on the possibility of the formation of biofilms on their surface due to the peculiar structure of microorganisms and also characterized what factors enable the formation of specific plastisphere in wastewater treatment plants. It highlights the urgent need to understand the basic information about microplastics to assess environmental toxicity more rationally, enabling better pollution control and the development of regulatory standards to manage microplastics entering the environment.},
}

*Microplastics/analysis
*Wastewater/microbiology/chemistry
*Biofilms
*Microbiota
*Sewage/microbiology/chemistry
Waste Disposal, Fluid
Water Pollutants, Chemical/analysis
Bacteria/classification/metabolism
Plastics/chemistry

@article {pmid39132685,
year = {2024},
author = {Ye, D and Liu, Y and Li, J and Zhou, J and Cao, J and Wu, Y and Wang, X and Fang, Y and Ye, X and Zou, J and Ma, Q},
title = {Competitive dynamics and balance between Streptococcus mutans and commensal streptococci in oral microecology.},
journal = {Critical reviews in microbiology},
volume = {},
number = {},
pages = {1-12},
doi = {10.1080/1040841X.2024.2389386},
pmid = {39132685},
issn = {1549-7828},
abstract = {Dental caries, as a biofilm-related disease, is closely linked to dysbiosis in microbial ecology within dental biofilms. Beyond its impact on oral health, bacteria within the oral cavity pose systemic health risks by potentially entering the bloodstream, thereby increasing susceptibility to bacterial endocarditis, among other related diseases. Streptococcus mutans, a principal cariogenic bacterium, possesses virulence factors crucial to the pathogenesis of dental caries. Its ability to adhere to tooth surfaces, produce glucans for biofilm formation, and metabolize sugars into lactic acid contributes to enamel demineralization and the initiation of carious lesions. Its aciduricity and ability to produce bacteriocins enable a competitive advantage, allowing it to thrive in acidic environments and dominate in changing oral microenvironments. In contrast, commensal streptococci, such as Streptococcus sanguinis, Streptococcus gordonii, and Streptococcus salivarius, act as primary colonizers and compete with S. mutans for adherence sites and nutrients during biofilm formation. This competition involves the production of alkali, peroxides, and antibacterial substances, thereby inhibiting S. mutans growth and maintaining microbial balance. This dynamic interaction influences the balance of oral microbiota, with disruptions leading to shifts in microbial composition that are marked by rapid increases in S. mutans abundance, contributing to the onset of dental caries. Thus, understanding the dynamic interactions between commensal and pathogenic bacteria in oral microecology is important for developing effective strategies to promote oral health and prevent dental caries. This review highlights the roles and competitive interactions of commensal bacteria and S. mutans in oral microecology, emphasizing the importance of maintaining oral microbial balance for health, and discusses the pathological implications of perturbations in this balance.},
}

@article {pmid39128495,
year = {2024},
author = {De Pessemier, B and López, CD and Taelman, S and Verdonck, M and Chen, Y and Stockman, A and Lambert, J and Van de Wiele, T and Callewaert, C},
title = {COMPARATIVE WHOLE METAGENOME ANALYSIS IN LESIONAL AND NON-LESIONAL SCALP AREAS OF PSORIASIS CAPITIS PATIENTS AND HEALTHY INDIVIDUALS.},
journal = {The Journal of investigative dermatology},
volume = {},
number = {},
pages = {},
doi = {10.1016/j.jid.2024.07.020},
pmid = {39128495},
issn = {1523-1747},
abstract = {Psoriasis is an immune-mediated inflammatory disorder, where the majority of the patients suffer from psoriasis capitis or scalp psoriasis. Current therapeutics remain ineffective to treat scalp lesions. Here, we present a whole-metagenome characterisation of the scalp microbiome in psoriasis capitis. We investigated how changes in the homeostatic cutaneous microbiome correlate with the condition and identified metagenomic biomarkers (taxonomic, functional, virulence factors, antimicrobial resistance genes) that could partly explain its emergence. Within this study, 83 top and back scalp samples from healthy individuals and 64 lesional and non-lesional scalp samples from untreated psoriasis capitis subjects were analysed. Using qPCR targeting the 16S and 18S rRNA genes, we found a significant decrease in microbial load within scalp regions affected by psoriasis compared to their non-lesional counterparts. Metagenomic analysis revealed that psoriatic lesions displayed significant lower Cutibacterium species (incl. C. modestum, C. namnetense, C. granulosum, C. porci), along with an elevation in Staphylococcus aureus. A heightened relative presence of efflux pump protein-encoding genes was detected, suggesting potential antimicrobial resistance mechanisms. These mechanisms are known to specifically target human antimicrobial peptides (incl. cathelicidin LL-37) which are frequently encountered within psoriasis lesions. These shifts in microbial community dynamics may contribute to psoriasis disease pathogenesis.},
}

@article {pmid39126446,
year = {2024},
author = {Izumi, H},
title = {Abundances of ectomycorrhizal exploration types show the type-dependent temporal dynamics over the seasons-a controlled growth container experiment.},
journal = {International microbiology : the official journal of the Spanish Society for Microbiology},
volume = {},
number = {},
pages = {},
pmid = {39126446},
issn = {1618-1905},
abstract = {Ectomycorrhizas are ubiquitous symbiotic associations between host trees and soil fungi. While the seasonal changes of the taxonomic community structure of ectomycorrhizal fungi have been studied extensively, the temporal dynamics of ectomycorrhizal exploration types which have been proposed for elucidating the functional roles of ectomycorrhizas have not been fully examined. The purpose of the study is to test the hypothesis of whether the abundance of the exploration types in the hosts with different phenology shows different temporal patterns over the seasons. Two host species, deciduous Quercus acutissima and evergreen Q. glauca, were planted in growth containers with natural forest soils and were grown in single or combined species treatment, under similar environmental conditions and in shared soil spore banks of the ectomycorrhizal fungi. The ectomycorrhizal exploration types that occurred on these two host species in two different treatments were observed for two growing seasons. The observed exploration types, namely contact, short-distance, and long-distance type as well as the overall abundance of the ectomycorrhizas showed distinct temporal patterns although no specific response to the host seasonal phenology was found. The abundances of the contact type showed no relation to the seasons whereas those of the short- and the long-distance type increased with time. The formation of the long-distance type was strongly influenced by the host species treatments while that of the other two types was not so. Therefore, the different exploration types demonstrate distinct temporal patterns depending on the types but no specific seasonal responses.},
}