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The usage of social media and internet based communications when in pandemic COVID-19.
aeruginosa biofilms. The combination of ciprofloxacin with phages showed a remarkable improvement in the anti-biofilm activity of both antimicrobials with complete eradication of dual-species biofilms after staggered exposure to Pyophage or Pyophage + Staphylococcal phage for 12 h followed by 1 mg/L of ciprofloxacin, a dose achievable by intravenous or oral antibiotic administration. Our study provides also valuable data regarding not only dosage but also an optimal time of antimicrobial exposure, which is crucial in the implementation of combined therapies. Copyright © 2020 Tkhilaishvili, Wang, Perka, Trampuz and Gonzalez Moreno.The tertiary branched short-chain 2-hydroxyisobutyric acid (2-HIBA) has been associated with several metabolic diseases and lysine 2-hydroxyisobutyrylation seems to be a common eukaryotic as well as prokaryotic post-translational modification in proteins. In contrast, the underlying 2-HIBA metabolism has thus far only been detected in a few microorganisms, such as the betaproteobacterium Aquincola tertiaricarbonis L108 and the Bacillus group bacterium Kyrpidia tusciae DSM 2912. In these strains, 2-HIBA can be specifically activated to the corresponding CoA thioester by the 2-HIBA-CoA ligase (HCL) and is then isomerized to 3-hydroxybutyryl-CoA in a reversible and B12-dependent mutase reaction. https://www.selleckchem.com/products/xl092.html Here, we demonstrate that the actinobacterial strain Actinomycetospora chiangmaiensis DSM 45062 degrades 2-HIBA and also its precursor 2-methylpropane-1,2-diol via acetone and formic acid by employing a thiamine pyrophosphate-dependent lyase. The corresponding gene is located directly upstream of hcl, which has previously been found only in operonic association with the 2-hydroxyisobutyryl-CoA mutase genes in other bacteria. Heterologous expression of the lyase gene from DSM 45062 in E. coli established a 2-hydroxyisobutyryl-CoA lyase activity in the latter. In line with this, analysis of the DSM 45062 proteome reveals a strong induction of the lyase-HCL gene cluster on 2-HIBA. Acetone is likely degraded via hydroxylation to acetol catalyzed by a MimABCD-related binuclear iron monooxygenase and formic acid appears to be oxidized to CO2 by selenium-dependent dehydrogenases. The presence of the lyase-HCL gene cluster in isoprene-degrading Rhodococcus strains and Pseudonocardia associated with tropical leafcutter ant species points to a role in degradation of biogenic short-chain ketones and highly branched organic compounds. Copyright © 2020 Rohwerder, Rohde, Jehmlich and Purswani.This study aims to provide a reference for the protection of the Archaeological Ruins of Liangzhu City. As a basis for the further preservation of these cultural relics, it is essential to analyze the microflora colonizing these soil objects. To do that, samples with microbial characteristics were obtained and analyzed by SEM and metagenomic sequencing to reveal the constitute of the microflora. We investigated the biodegradation of the protective material-epoxy resin by microorganisms in the Archaeological Ruins of Liangzhu City, and found that they would interact with each other, which would affect the performance of the epoxy resin. The specific mechanism of action requires further investigations. We evaluated the effect of ethyl orthosilicate on soil properties. Interestingly, we found that excess ethyl orthosilicate added to the soil of the Archaeological Ruins of Liangzhu City will cause a change in particle size and allowed the soil to condense in the laboratory. This indicates that the large use of orthosilicate may lead to intensified soil weathering, which in turn will cause soil erosion. Copyright © 2020 Sun, Zhang, Huang, Han, Jiang, Cui, Guo, Kong, Song and Pan.Sweetpotato can be cultivated in the reclaimed rocky soil in Sichuan Basin, China, which benefits from the release of mineral nutrients in the rocky soil by microorganisms. Shortage of nitrogen (N) in the rocky soil limits sweetpotato yield, which can be compensated through N fertilization. Whereas high N fertilization inhibits biological N fixation and induces unintended environmental consequences. However, the effect of low N fertilization on microorganism community and sweetpotato yield in the N-deficient rocky soil is still unclear. We added a low level of 1.5 g urea/m2 to a rocky soil cultivated with sweetpotato, and measured rocky soil physiological and biochemical properties, rhizosphere microbial diversity, sweetpotato physiological properties and transcriptome. When cultivating sweetpotato in the rocky soil, low N fertilization (1.5 g urea/m2) not only improved total N (TN) and available N (AN) in the rocky soil, but also increased available phosphorus (AP), available potassium (AK), and nitrogenase gulation of phytohormones pathway. Copyright © 2020 Ding, Jin, He, Yi, Tan, Liu, Tang, Du, Fang and Zhao.This study aimed to describe the distribution and characterization of fecal extended-spectrum β-lactamase (ESBL)- and AmpC-producing Escherichia coli isolates from healthy companion animals and cohabiting humans. A total of 968 rectal swab samples from 340 participants, including healthy companion animals and cohabiting humans, were collected from 130 households in South Korea from 2018 to 2019. To determine the bacterial profiles of the participants, several experiments were performed as follows antimicrobial susceptibility testing, PCR and direct sequencing for ESBL/AmpC production, PFGE, MLST, whole genome sequencing and qRT-PCR. A total of 24.9 and 21.5% of the E. coli isolates from healthy companion animals and cohabiting humans were ESBL/AmpC producers, respectively. The bla CTX-M- 14 gene was the most prevalent ESC resistance gene in both pets (n = 25/95, 26.3%) and humans (n = 44/126, 34.9%). The bla CMY- 2 gene was also largely detected in pets (n = 19, 20.0%). Overall, intrahousehold pet-human sharing of ESBL/AmpC E. coli isolates occurred in 4.8% of households, and the isolates were all CTX-M-14 producers. In particular, ten CMY-2-producing E. coli isolates from seven dogs and three humans in the different households belonged to the same pulsotype. The MIC values of cefoxitin and the transcription level in CMY-2-producing E. coli isolates were proportional to the bla CMY- 2 copy number on the chromosome. Our results showed that the clonal spread of fecal ESBL/AmpC-producing E. coli households' isolates between healthy companion animals and cohabiting humans was rare, but it could happen. In particular, E. coli ST405 isolates carrying multiple bla CMY- 2 genes on the chromosome was sporadically spread between companion animals and humans in South Korea. Copyright © 2020 Hong, Song, Park, Oh, Chae, Jeong and Jeong.Meltwater streams connect the glacial cryosphere with downstream ecosystems. Dissolved and particulate matter exported from glacial ecosystems originates from contrasting supraglacial and subglacial environments, and exported microbial cells have the potential to serve as ecological and hydrological indicators for glacial ecosystem processes. Here, we compare exported microbial assemblages from the meltwater of 24 glaciers from six (sub)Arctic regions - the southwestern Greenland Ice Sheet, Qeqertarsuaq (Disko Island) in west Greenland, Iceland, Svalbard, western Norway, and southeast Alaska - differing in their lithology, catchment size, and climatic characteristics, to investigate spatial and environmental factors structuring exported meltwater assemblages. We found that 16S rRNA gene sequences of all samples were dominated by the phyla Proteobacteria, Bacteroidetes, and Actinobacteria, with Verrucomicrobia also common in Greenland localities. Clustered OTUs were largely composed of aerobic and anaerobic heentrations). Thus, while exported assemblage structure appears regionally specific, and probably reflects differences in dominant hydrological flowpaths, OTUs can also serve as indicators for more localized microbially mediated processes not captured by the traditional characterization of bulk meltwater hydrochemistry. These results collectively promote a better understanding of microbial distributions across the Arctic, as well as linkages between the terrestrial cryosphere habitats and downstream ecosystems. Copyright © 2020 Kohler, Vinšová, Falteisek, Žárský, Yde, Hatton, Hawkings, Lamarche-Gagnon, Hood, Cameron and Stibal.In broiler chicken production, microbial populations on the eggshell surface following oviposition are still poorly characterized, though they may significantly impact both poultry and public health. The aim of this study was to describe the microbiota of both broiler breeder hens' feces and the surface of their eggs to assess the contribution of the parental fecal microbiota to the eggshell microbiota. A total of twelve breeder flocks in Quebec, Canada, were sampled at two different times, and a total of 940 feces and 16,400 egg surface samples were recovered. Using 16S rRNA gene sequencing, we showed that even if the microbiota of both feces and eggshells were mainly composed of the phyla Firmicutes, Actinobacteria, Proteobacteria, and Bacteroidetes, the bacterial community compositions and structures differed between both types of samples. Our results also showed that both the sampling time and the flock identity significantly influenced the alpha- and the beta-diversities of the studied microbiomes. Usingvalo.Bdellovibrio and like organisms (BALOs) are obligate predatory bacteria that selectively prey on a broad range of Gram-negative bacteria, including multidrug-resistant human pathogens. Due to their unique lifestyle, they have been long recognized as a potential therapeutic and biocontrol agent. Research on BALOs has rapidly grown over the recent decade, resulting in many publications concerning molecular details of bacterial predation as well as applications thereof in medicine and biotechnology. This review summarizes the current knowledge on biotechnological potential of obligate predatory bacteria and their secreted enzymes. Copyright © 2020 Bratanis, Andersson, Lood and Bukowska-Faniband.Understanding how the innate immune system keeps human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) in check has recently become a critical issue in light of the global clinical burden of HCMV infection in newborns and immunodeficient patients. Innate immunity constitutes the first line of host defense against HCMV as it involves a complex array of cooperating effectors - e.g., inflammatory cytokines, type I interferon (IFN-I), natural killer (NK) cells, professional antigen-presenting cells (APCs) and phagocytes - all capable of disrupting HCMV replication. These factors are known to trigger a highly efficient adaptive immune response, where cellular restriction factors (RFs) play a major gatekeeping role. Unlike other innate immunity components, RFs are constitutively expressed in many cell types, ready to act before pathogen exposure. Nonetheless, the existence of a positive regulatory feedback loop between RFs and IFNs is clear evidence of an intimate cooperation between intrinsic and innate immunity. In the course of virus-host coevolution, HCMV has, however, learned how to manipulate the functions of multiple cellular players of the host innate immune response to achieve latency and persistence. Thus, HCMV acts like an orchestra conductor able to piece together and rearrange parts of a musical score (i.e., innate immunity) to obtain the best live performance (i.e., viral fitness). It is therefore unquestionable that innovative therapeutic solutions able to prevent HCMV immune evasion in congenitally infected infants and immunocompromised individuals are urgently needed. Here, we provide an up-to-date review of the mechanisms regulating the interplay between HCMV and innate immunity, focusing on the various strategies of immune escape evolved by this virus to gain a fitness advantage. Copyright © 2020 Dell’Oste, Biolatti, Galitska, Griffante, Gugliesi, Pasquero, Zingoni, Cerboni and De Andrea.
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