Modern technologies can satisfy human needs only with the use of large quantities of fertilizers and pesticides that are harmful to the environment. For this reason, it is possible to develop new technologies for sustainable agriculture. The process could be made by using endophytic microorganisms with a (possible) positive effect on plant vitality. Bacterial endophytes have been reported as plant growth promoters in several kinds of plants under normal and stress conditions. In this study, isolates of bacterial endophytes from the roots and leaves of Miscanthus giganteus plants were tested for the presence of plant growth-promoting properties and their ability to inhibit pathogens of fungal origin. Pantoea ananatis and Pseudomonas libanensis were the predominant bacteria in leaves whereas other pseudomonads prevailed in roots. Selected bacterial isolates were able to solubilize inorganic phosphorus, to fix nitrogen, and to produce IAA, ACC deaminase and siderophore. Leaf bacterial isolate Pantoea ananatis 50 OL 2 had high production of siderophores and weak capabilities for phytohormone production. The root bacterial isolate of Pseudomonas libanensis 5 OK 7A showed the best results of phytohormone production. Four fungal cultures - Fusarium sporotrichioides DBM 3229, Sclerotinia sclerotiorum SS-01, Botrytis cinerea and Sphaerodes fimicola were used to test the antifungal activity and these cultures were selected for their representatives of known pathogenic fungi families, especially for crops. All selected roots endophyte isolates significantly inhibited the pathogenic growth of Fusarium sporotrichoides with a mean inhibition diamater (zone ≥ 5 mm). These results demonstrated that the root endophytic Pseudomonas sp. could be used as biofertilizer for crops.

Endophytic bacteria, especially those participate in nitrogen fixation, play critical roles in supplying essential nutrients for legume plant growth. Compared to the numerous bacterial microbiome reports targeting legume roots and nodules, little is known about embryonic bacteria that facilitate plant nutrient utilization after seed germination. Here, we collected and investigated endophytic bacterial microbiomes in edible pea (Pisum sativum) embryos using five representative cultivars and a pea sprout control. Twenty-six nitrogen-fixing bacteria (NFBs) were isolated from pea embryos, with three strains found in fresh pea (FGP) and snow pea (SP) exhibiting the strongest nitrogenase activity. Some NFB isolates are also potassium-solubilizing bacteria (KSBs) or phosphorus-solubilizing bacteria (PSBs) utilizing inorganic and/or organic phosphorus. All 26 NFBs showed variable levels of indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) secretion. The nutrient-solubilizing NFBs identified in our research are valuable resources for biofertilizer development. At the microbiome level, high-throughput 16S ribosomal RNA (rRNA) sequencing of 40 bacterial collections from pea embryos revealed similar community structures and species abundances and diversities in most samples. Our embryo-derived endophytic bacterial pool provides a microbiome platform for seed dormancy and germination research of edible peas.

Arbutus unedo L. is a resilient tree with a circum-Mediterranean distribution. Besides its ecological relevance, it is vital for local economies as a fruit tree. Several microorganisms are responsible for strawberry tree diseases leading to production constrictions. Thus, the development of alternative plant protection strategies is necessary and bacteria endophytes may increase their host overall fitness and productivity. As agricultural practices are a driving factor of microbiota, this paper aimed to isolate, identify and characterize endophytic bacteria from strawberry tree leaves from plants growing spontaneously in a natural environment as well as from plants growing on orchards. 62 endophytes were isolated from leaves and identified as Bacillus, Paenibacillus, Pseudomonas, Sphingomonas and Staphylococcus. Although a slightly higher number of species was found in wild plants, no differences in terms of diversity indexes were found. Sixteen isolates were tested in vitro for their antagonistic effect against A. unedo mycopathogens. B. cereus was the most effective antagonist causing a growth reduction of 20% in Glomerella cingulata and 40% in Phytophthora cinnamomi and Mycosphaerella aurantia. Also, several endophytic isolates exhibited plant growth-promoting potential. This study provides insights into the diversity of endophytic bacteria in A. unedo leaves and their potential role as growth-promoters and pathogen antagonists.

Endophytes are ubiquitous organisms that reside within plant organs and contribute to the growth and well-being of plants. Nevertheless, there is limited knowledge regarding the plant growth-promoting endophytes found in medicinal plants. Therefore, the aims of the present work were to isolate some endophytic bacteria associated with roots, stems, leaves and inflorescences of Aerva javanica, collected from the Shada Alasfal Mountain at Albaha region, Saudi Arabia. After that, they were screened for some of their direct and indirect plant growth-promoting mechanisms. Finally, based upon their internal transcribed spacer 16S rRNA gene sequencing, the isolates were identified. The results showed that the selected endophytes differentially produced IAA and ammonia, and solubilized phosphate as direct mechanisms. In addition, they had exhibited variable capacities to produce some lytic enzymes and HCN beside their antifungal activities. Furthermore, they showed abilities to tolerate some stress conditions. The bacterial endophytes were identified by molecular methods and belonged to the genera of Micrococcus, Enterobacter, Pseudomonas, Delftia and Bacillus. The findings of this study indicated that the bacterial endophytes isolated from Aerva javanica are possessing crucial functions to improve plant growth and could be utilized as biofertilizers or bioagents to establish a sustainable crop production system.

A new quinazolinone alkaloid, named peniquinazolinone A (1), as well as eleven known com-pounds, 2-(2-hydroxy-3-phenylpropionamido)-N-methylbenzamide (2), viridicatin (3), viridicatol (4), (±)-cyclopeptin (5a/5b), dehydrocyclopeptin (6), cyclopenin (7), cyclopenol (8), methyl-indole-3-carboxylate (9), 2,5-dihydroxyphenyl acetate (10), methyl m-hydroxyphenylacetate (11), conidiogenone B (12), was isolated from the endophytic Penicillium sp. HJT-A-6. The chemical structures of all compounds were elucidated by comprehensive spectroscopic analysis, including 1D, 2D NMR, and HRESIMS. The absolute configuration at C-13 of peniquinazolinone A (1) was established by applying the modified Mosher’s method. Compounds 2, 3, and 7 exhibited an op-timal promoting effect on the seed germination of Rhodiola tibetica at a concentration of 0.01 mg/mL, while the optimal concentration for compounds 4 and 9 to promote Rhodiola tibetica seed germination was 0.001 mg/mL. Compound 12 showed optimal seed-germination-promoting activity at a concentration of 0.1 mg/mL. Compared with the positive drug 6-benzyladenine (6-BA), compounds 2, 3, 4, 7, 9, and 12 could extend the seed-germination period of Rhodiola tibetica up to the 11th day.

It was of great practical significance to repair the toxicity of salt stress environment to soybean seedlings and maintain the balance between agricultural production and ecological environment in the Yellow River valley of China. ‘Xudou 20’ was used as the experimental material, a large-scale planting variety in the old Yellow River basin. Endophytes 131 and 137 isolated from soybean root nodule were taken as the research objects, and the soybean plants were cultivated by pot culture in intelligent artificial incubator. Salt stress group, bacteria suspension group and control group were set up to study the effects of inoculation treatments on the activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT) of soybean seedlings under different NaCl stress. The results showed that when inoculated with endophyte 131 bacterial suspension and cultured for 14 days, the SOD activity was the highest (14.89 U•g−1•FW) at the salt concentration 50 mmol•L-1. When inoculated with 131 bacterial suspension (2:1) and cultured for 28 days, the SOD activity reached the highest (0.94 ug-1FW) at the salt concentration of 50 mmol•L-1, and the CAT activity amounted to the highest (1910 U•g−1•min−1). The 16S rDNA sequencing and phylogenetic analysis showed that the most similar strain of strain 137 was Bacillus cereus, and the most similar strain of strain 131 was Enterobacter ludwigii. Therefore, the activities of SOD and CAT in soybean seedlings inoculated with endophytes 131 and 137 increased at different degrees under salt stress, which could effectively alleviate the damage of salt stress environment to plants, and thus improve the stress resistance of plants.

Besides a diffuse research activity on drug discovery and biodiversity carried out in natural contexts, more recently investigations concerning endophytic fungi have started considering their occurrence in crops based on the major role that these microorganisms have been recognized to play in plant protection and growth promotion. Fruit growing is particularly involved in this new wave, by reason that the pluriannual crop cycle implies a likely higher impact of these symbiotic interactions. Aspects concerning occurrence and effects of endophytic fungi associated with citrus species are revised in the present paper.

Acetic acid bacteria (AAB) are major contributors to the production of fermented vinegar, offering various cultural, culinary, and health benefits. Although the residual unpasteurized AAB after vinegar production are not pathogens, these are necessary the safety evaluations including antibiotic resistance for the use as starters. In this research, we investigated the antibiotics resistance profiles of 26 AAB strains, including various species of Komagataeibacter and Acetobacter, against ten different antibiotics using the E-test method. All strains exhibited resistance to aztreonam and clindamycin. Komagataeibacter species demonstrated a 50% resistance rate to ciprofloxacin, analogous to Acetobacter species, but showed twice the resistance rates to chloramphenicol and erythromycin. Genomic analysis of K. saccharivorans CV1 identified intrinsic resistance mechanisms, such as multidrug efflux pumps, thereby enhancing our understanding of antibiotic resistance in acetic acid-producing bacteria. These findings enhance understanding of antibiotic resistance in AAB for food safety and new antimicrobial strategies, suggesting the need for standardized testing methods and molecular genetic study.

Auto checkout has received more and more attention in recent years and this system automatically generates a shopping bill by identifying the picture of the products purchased by the customers. However, the system is challenged by the domain adaptation problem, where each image of the training set contains only one commodity, whereas the test set is a collection of multiple commodities. The existing solution to this problem is to resynthesize the training images to enhance the training set. Then the composite images are rendered using CycleGAN to make the image distribution of the training set and the test set more similar. However, we find that the detection boxes given by the ground truth of the common dataset contain a large part of the background area, the area will affect the training process as noise. To solve this problem, we propose a mask data priming method. Specifically, we redo the large scale Retail Product Checkout (RPC) dataset and add segmentation annotation information to each item in the training set image based on the original dataset using pixel-level annotation. Secondly, a new network structure is proposed in which we train the network using joint learning of detectors and counters, and fine-tune the detection network by filtering out suitable images from the test set. Experiments on the RPC dataset have shown that our method yields better results. we used an approach that reached 81.87% compared to 56.68% for the baseline approach which demonstrates that pixel-level information helps to improve the detection results of the network.

The Covid-19 pandemic was a challenge for the whole world and it had major secondary effects on humans and environmental health. The viral infection induced, in many situations, secondary bacterial infections, especially enteric infections by destabilizing the balance of the gastrointestinal microbiota. The large-scale use of antibiotics and biocides both for curative and preventive purposes has determined an increase in bacterial resistance and at the same time the possibility of pathogenic microorganisms’ multiplication and their dissemination to natural environments. Wastewater is the main vector of faecal microorganisms that favour their dissemination into natural aquatic ecosystems. The present paper aimed to analyze the effect of Covid-19 pandemic on the microbiological quality of wastewater from sewage treatment plants in Romania and its impact on receiving rivers. In order to highlight different and important areas of Romania, 3 cities from the east, center and west were selected for a microbiological evaluation of their WWTPs influent and effluent between ante-Covid-19 and Covid-19 pandemic peak period, when the Covid-19 pandemic had a direct impact on WWTPs microbial composition. Our study showed a higher contamination with fecal bacteria linked to a higher Covid-19 incidence. The increased usage of pharmaceutical compounds, at their turn, increased the number of resistant bacteria reaching the environment via WWTP effluents.

The use of endophytic microbes is increasing in commercial agriculture. This review will describe the endophyte-plant relationship and the fungi and bacteria involved. Their abilities to alleviate biotic (diseases and pests) and abiotic stresses (drought, salt and flooding), remediate pollution and increase photosynthetic capabilities will be described. Their mechanisms of action will be elucidated. These frequently result in increased plant yields. Finally, methods and practices for formulation and commercial use will be described.

Endophytic fungi (EF) have emerged as promising modulators of plant growth and stress tolerance in agricultural ecosystems. This review synthesizes current knowledge on the role of EF in en-hancing crop adaptation to abiotic stress. Abiotic stresses, such as drought, salinity, and extreme temperatures, pose significant challenges to crop productivity worldwide. EF have shown re-markable potential in alleviating the adverse effects of these stresses. Through various mechanisms including synthesis of osmolytes, production of stress-related enzymes, and induction of plant de-fense mechanisms, EF enhance plant resilience to abiotic stressors. Moreover, EF promote nutrient uptake and modulate hormonal balance in plants, further enhancing stress tolerance. Recent ad-vancements in molecular techniques have facilitated the identification and characterization of stress-tolerant endophytic fungal strains, paving the way for their utilization in agricultural prac-tices. Furthermore, the symbiotic relationship between EF and plants offers ecological benefits, such as improved soil health and reduced dependence on chemical inputs. However, challenges remain in understanding the complex interactions between EF and host plants, as well as in scaling up their application in diverse agricultural systems. Future research should focus on elucidating the mechanisms underlying endophytic fungal-mediated stress tolerance and developing sustainable strategies for harnessing their potential in crop production.

Plant diseases cause losses of approximately 16% globally. Thus, management measures must be implemented to mitigate losses and guarantee food production. In addition to traditional management measures, resistance induction and biological control have gained ground in agriculture due to their enormous potential. Endophytic fungi colonize plant tissues internally and have the potential to act as biological control agents, as elicitors in the process of resistance induction and in attenuating abiotic stresses. In this review, we list the action of this group of microorganisms as potential agents which can act in controlling plant diseases and describe several examples in which endophytes were able to reduce the damage caused by pathogens and adverse conditions. This is due to their arsenal of molecules generated during the interaction by which they form a kind of biological shield in the plant. Studies on these microorganisms have grown due to the existing diversity and the multiple benefits they can offer. Finally, considering that endophytic fungi can be an important tool in managing diseases due to the large amount of biologically active substances produced, bioprospecting this class of microorganisms is tending to increase and generate valuable products.

Human serum albumin (HSA) corona formation at polymer microparticles of a spheroidal shape was studied using dynamic light scattering and laser Doppler velocimetry (LDV). Physicochemical characteristics of the albumin comprising, the zeta potential and the isoelectric point were determined as a function of pH for various ionic strengths. Analogous characteristics of the polymer particles were carried out. The adsorption of albumin on the particles was monitored by electrophoretic mobility measurements (LDV). The stability of the HSA functionalized particle suspensions under various pHs and their electrokinetic properties were determined. The deposition kinetics of the particles on mica, silica and gold sensors were determined in situ by optical microscopy, AFM and by the quartz microbalance (QCM) under diffusion and flow conditions. The obtained results were interpreted in terms of the coarse-grained random sequential adsorption model that allowed to estimate the range of applicability of QCM for determining deposition kinetics of virus and bacteria at abiotic surfaces.

In the current study, an ethyl acetate extract from the endophytic fungus Aspergillus ochraceus SPH2 isolated from the stem parts of the endemic plant Bethencourtia palmensis was screened for its biocontrol properties against plant pathogens (Fusarium moniliforme, Alternaria alternata and Botrytis cinerea), insect pests (Spodoptera littoralis, Myzus persicae, Rhopalosiphum padi), plant parasites (Meloidogyne javanica) and ticks (Hyalomma lusitanicum). SPH2 gave extracts with strong fungicidal and ixodicidal effects at different fermentation times. The bioguided isolation of these extracts gave compounds 1-3. Mellein (1) showed strong ixodicidal effects and was also fungicidal. This is the first report on the ixodicidal effects of 1. Neoaspergillic acid (2) showed potent antifungal effects. Compound 2 appeared during the exponential phase of the fungal growth while neohydroxyaspergillic acid (3) appeared during the stationary phase, suggesting that 2 is the biosynthetic precursor of 3. Additional molecular ions compatible with pyrazynes that were detected during the exponential phase included flavacol, and aspergilliamide while ochramide A was mostly detected during the stationary phase of the fermentation. Moreover, polyketids were also detected during the sationaty phase of the fermentation curve (dihydroaspyrone, aspyrone, asperlactone) and the alkaloid circumdatin H. Ochratoxin A was not detected. Therefore, SPH2 could be a potential biotechnological tool for the production of ixodicidal mellein.

There is no doubt that seagrass beds constitute one of the most productive ecosystems in shallow coastal waters. Despite this, picoplankton in seagrass ecosystems has received relatively little attention. The purpose of this study was to compare picoplankton growth and mortality rates between seagrass and unvegetated habitats using chamber incubations. We tested two main hypotheses: (i) incubation with seagrass would result in higher bacterial growth rates due to increased DOM release from seagrass photosynthesis, and (ii) Synechococcus spp. would be lower in the presence of seagrass due to competition for inorganic nutrients. Our results showed bacterial growth rates of 2.31 and 2.44 d–1 without and with seagrass, respectively. In seagrass chambers, bacterial growth was higher than that in non-seagrass chambers, suggesting that organic carbon coming from the seagrass community may support bacterial production. Furthermore, we observed a negative Synechococcus spp. growth rate (-0.9 d–1) in the seagrass treatment, likely reflecting nutrient competition with the seagrass. Small-scale chambers proved to be a useful tool for studying the factors controlling spatial and temporal patterns of picoplankton across different habitats. Furthermore, future studies should examine picoplankton growth over a wider range of spatial scales in seagrass beds and adjacent unvegetated sediment.

Lack of water and salinity are common problems in many parts of the world. Therefore, some types of cacti can represent as promising crops. Therefore, the ability of cactus species to survive and adapt under natural stress conditions should be evaluated. In this study, it was aimed to evaluate the effect of salt stress on germination and emergence of pitaya seeds obtained from different fruit flesh colors, priming with plant growth regulators, namely salicylic acid (SA), oxalic acid (OA) and mepiquat chloride (MC). The experiment had a completely randomized design with a 2×4×3 factorial scheme corresponding to two pitaya cultivars (white and red fleshed), four NaCl concentrations (0, 2500, 5000 and 10000 ppm), and three PGRs (150 ppm/MC, SA, OC). The following variables were analyzed; germination percentage, mean germination time (MGT), germination stress tolerance ındex (GSTI), shoot length, seedling fresh weight and seedling dry weight ratio. According to the results, it was determined that the growing environment of the seed was important in salt stress resistance, while seeds matured in the environment with red fruit flesh were more tolerant to salt stress than white. Although Pitaya species are relatively salt tolerant, growth (about 30%) was significantly reduced above 2500 ppm and germination (about 45%) above 5000 ppm. MC was found promising as a priming agent in seeds obtained from fruits with white fruit flesh, and OA was found promising as a priming agent in seeds obtained from fruits with red fruit flesh in reducing NaCl-induced stress. Germination percentage stood out as the most important trait determining seed quality and was found to have positive effects on germination stress tolerance index (r: 0.63), seedling length (r: 0.74) and fresh seedling weight (r: 0.56). It is thought that the results obtained may contribute to pitaya cultivation and breeding.

The fungus Xylaria sp. Z184, harvested from the leaves of Fallopia convolvulus (L.) Á. Löve, has been isolated for the first time. Chemical investigation of the methanol extract of this strain’s culture broth led to the discovery of three new pyranone derivatives fallopiaxylaresters A-C (1–3) and a new bisabolane-type sesquiterpenoid named fallopiaxylarol A (4), along with the first complete set of spectroscopic data for the previously-reported pestalotiopyrone M (5). Known pyranone derivatives (6–11), sesquiterpenoids (12–14), isocoumarin derivatives (15–17), and an aromatic allenic ether (18) were co-isolated. Their structures were elucidated by the interpretation of HRESIMS, 1D, 2D NMR spectroscopy and quantum chemical computation method. The antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, and α-glucosidase inhibitory activities of selected compounds and crude extract were evaluated in vitro. The extract inhibited nitric oxide (NO) production induced by lipopolysaccharide (LPS) in murine RAW264.7 macrophage cells, with an inhibition rate of 77.28 ± 0.82% at a concentration of 50 μg/mL. The compounds 5, 7 and 8 displayed weak antibacterial activity against Staphylococcus areus subsp. aureus at a concentration of 100 μM.

The intestinal microbial community of aquatic animals is closely related to the environment and thus affects the health of aquatic animals. Here we investigated annual variation of intestinal bacteria community structures of Ruditapes philippinarum cultured using two different methods, bottom sown and raft hanging. Bacterial diversity of seawater and sediment in different seasons was examined as well. Correlation between R. philippinarum intestinal bacteria community structures and environmental factors was analyzed. The results showed that in the two aquculture areas where R. philippinarum was differentially cultured, bacteria community structure of seawater and sediment both altered with seasons. However, neither seasonal changes nor difference in culture methods could significantly affect the intestinal bacteria community structures of R. philippinarum. Additionally, in terms of the alpha diversity of intestinal bacteria communities, there was no significant difference in R. philippinarum cultured using the two methods. For benthic cultured clams, alpha diversity of the intestinal bacterial communities was often higher than that of the environmental bacterial communities. For raft hanging cultured calms, Alpha diversity of the intestinal bacterial communities was normally comparable with that of the environmental counterparts. Beta diversity analysis showed that the intestinal bacterial community structure of R. philippinarum was mainly determined by both deterministic and stochastic processes. Correlation analysis showed that the intestinal bacterial community structures of R. philippinarum were determined by a variety of environmental factors. For clams collected from the benthic culture area, the intestinal bacterial structure was more correlated with the physicochemical properties of sediment in comparing with those of seawater. For clams collected from the raft-culture area, the intestinal bacterial structure was mainly determined by the phsicochemical characteristics of seawater. This study helps us to better understand the bacterial community structure in complex aquaculture ecosystems, providing a reference for healthy shellfish aquaculture and ecosystem protection in aquaculture area.

This manuscript addresses the phenomenon of masked priming in bilingual individuals. We employed a lexical decision task with masked translation priming, which serves as a valuable tool for elucidating the orthographic and lexical processes involved in the initial stages of reading. Our study builds upon previous research conducted on monolingual masked priming, which consistently demonstrates shifts in the response time (RT) distributions when comparing related and unrelated primes. Within the framework of a diffusion model, we implemented two theoretical positions. First, we posited that translation priming operates at the orthographic level, resulting in enhanced efficiency during the encoding process. Second, we explored the possibility that translation priming operates at the semantic level, influencing the accumulation of evidence during the lexical decision task. Our findings indicate that translation priming elicits outcomes similar to those observed in monolingual priming paradigms. Specifically, we observed that translation priming facilitation is manifested as shifts in the RT distributions. We interpret these findings as suggesting that the benefits derived from the encoding process are not specific to the accessed lexicon following brief stimulus presentation.

Zirconia has recently become one of the most popular dental materials in prosthodontics being used in crowns, bridges, and to implants. However, weak bonding strength of dental adhesives and resins to zirconia surface has been a grand challenge in dentistry, thus finding a better adhesion to zirconia is urgently required. Marine sessile organisms such as mussels use a unique priming strategy to produce a strong bonding to wet mineral surfaces; one of the distinctive chemical features in the mussel’s adhesive primer proteins is high catechol contents among others. In this study, we pursued a bioinspired adhesion strategy, using a synthetic catechol primer applied to dental zirconia surfaces to study the effect of catecholic priming to shear bonding strength. Catechol priming provided a statistically significant enhancement (P < 0.05) in shear bonding strength compared to the bonding strength without priming, and relatively stronger bonding than commercially available zirconia priming techniques. This new bioinspired dental priming approach can be an excellent addition to the practitioner’s toolkit to improve dental bonding to zirconia.

Seed germination is the most sensitive stage to abiotic stress, including salt stress (SS). SS affects plant growth and performance through ion toxicity, decreases seed germination percentage, and increases the germination time. Several priming treatments were used to enhance germination under SS. The objectives of this study are to 1) identify priming treatments to shorten the emergence period; 2) evaluate priming treatments against the SS; 3) induce synchronized seed germination. Salt-sensitive “Burpee bibb’ lettuce seeds were treated with 0.05% Potassium nitrate, 3 mM Gibberellic acid, and distilled water (HP). All the primed and non-primed seeds were subjected to 100 mM NaCl or 0 mM NaCl. The 7-day experiment arranged in a complete randomized block design with four replications was conducted in a growth chamber maintained with 16/8 h photoperiod (light/dark), 60% relative humidity, and day/night temperature of 22/18 °C. The result indicated that HP seeds were better synchronized under SS. Similarly, FM and DM of cotyledon, hypocotyl, and radicle were highest in HP lettuce regardless of SS. Electrolyte leakage was the lowest in the HP lettuce, while other priming methods under SS increased membrane permeability leading to osmotic stress and tissue damage. Overall, the HP can be a suitable priming method to synchronize germination and increase FM and DM by creating the least osmotic stress and ion toxicity in lettuce under SS.

The effects of different priming techniques were evaluated to improve the dormancy and germination of wild seeds of “Piquín” chili pepper. Three experiments were designed for pre-sowing treatment of seeds: a) chemical seeds digestion; b) halopriming (with K⁺ or NH₄⁺ of NO₃^-, SO₄^2- or Cl^-) at different priming times (24, 48 or 72 h) and osmotic potential (-5, -10 or -15 atm) and c) previously selected halopriming (KNO₃ and NH₄NO₃) + Gibberellic acid (GA₃, at 100 or 200 ppm) were tested. Digestion treatments did show a negative effect on seed germination. Recommended values of osmotic potential (Ψ_s), to improve Piquín chili seed germination, must be between -10 and -15 atm (-1.0 and -1.5 MPa) and the priming time must be between 48 and 72 hours. Priming techniques can considerably reduce Capsaicinoids content on seeds, improve dormancy, seed germination performance, and increase the rate and uniformity of seedling establishment. KNO₃ and secondly GA₃ treatments may improve rapid and uniform germination and seedling emergence. The results provide basic information to develop guidelines for commercial establishment of Piquín pepper crops.

Public restrooms are often a hub of microbial contamination, and the examination of bacterial contamination in these facilities can serve as an important indicator of the transmission of infectious diseases. This study was conducted to determine the prevalence of bacterial contamination in public restrooms based on the economic class of the building. Samples were collected from various spots in 32 restrooms found in 10 shopping malls, classifying them into two categories: upper-end restrooms and lower-end restrooms. The findings showed that the level of contamination was higher in the lower-end restrooms, with the seat being the most contaminated area. The most dominant Gram-positive bacteria were coagulase-negative staphylococci species, making up 86% of the identified Gram-positive isolates. The most dominant Gram-negative bacteria identified were Klebsiella pneumoniae and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. The antibiotic sensitivity test results revealed the presence of multi-drug resistant bacteria among the Gram-positive and negative isolates, including Staphylococcus haemolyticus, Staphylococcus kloosi, Acinetobacter baumanii, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. In conclusion, the study underscores the significance of monitoring bacterial contamination in public restrooms and the need for measures to reduce the spread of infectious diseases. Further research is crucial to gain a complete understanding of the bacterial contamination in public restrooms and their resistance patterns, to ensure the safety and health of the public. The implementation of improved cleaning practices and hands-free designs in restrooms can help reduce the risk of cross-contamination and prevent the spread of diseases.

Increasing pesticide resistance in plant pathogens is major concern in agriculture production. Research on ecofriendly alternatives of chemical pesticides are more in demand in pesticide industry. In the current study, an ethyl acetate extract from the endophytic fungus Trichoderma sp. EFI 671, isolated from the stem parts of the medicinal plant Laurus sp., was screened for bioactivity against plant pathogens (Fusarium graminearum, Rhizoctonia solani, Sclerotinia sclerotiorum and Botrytis cinerea), insect pests (Spodoptera littoralis, Myzus persicae, Rhopalosiphum padi) and plant parasites (Meloidogyne javanica). The bioactive components have been characterized following a bioassay-guided isolation against M. persicae. The chemical study of this bioactive extract resulted in the isolation of 1-oleoyl-2-linoleoyl-3-palmitoylglycerol (1), eburicol (2), (24R)-stigmast-4-ene-3-one or β-sitostenone (3), ergosterol (4) and ergosterol peroxide (5). The free fatty acids present in compound 1 (oleic, linoleic and palmitic) showed strong dose-dependent aphid antifeedant effects against M. persicae. Liquid (PDB, and SDB) and solid (corn, sorghum, pearl millet and rice) growth media were tested in order to optimize the yield and bioactivity of the fungal extracts. Pearl millet and corn gave the highest extract yields. All the extracts from these solid media had strong effects against M. persicae with sorghum being the most active. Corn increased the content in linolenic, pearl millet the oleic and stearic and sorghum oleic and linolenic acids compared to rice. Their antifeedant effects correlated with linoleic /oleic acids. The phytotoxic effects of these extracts against Lolium perenne and Lactuca sativa varied with culture media, with sorghum being the least toxic.

Background: Bacteria, among the earliest life forms on Earth, are integral to both human health and environmental ecosystems. They contribute to essential processes such as digestion, nutrient absorption, and immune defense, and play key roles in the biogeochemical cycles that sustain life. Objective: This paper explores the indispensable role of bacteria in human life and environmental health, emphasizing their contributions to digestion, nutrient absorption, immune protection, and ecosystem functioning. It also discusses advances in understanding the human microbiome and their implications for health and therapeutic interventions. Methods: The study reviews existing literature on the human microbiome, probiotics, and the role of bacteria in environmental nutrient cycling. It analyses experimental evidence and case studies, particularly focusing on the impact of fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) as a therapeutic tool. Metagenomic analysis techniques are examined to highlight the diversity and functionality of gut bacteria. Results: Bacteria are found to be essential for breaking down food, providing vital nutrients, and protecting against pathogens. They play a critical role in maintaining a healthy immune system and are involved in the biogeochemical cycles necessary for ecosystem health. Metagenomic analysis reveals significant variations in bacterial populations associated with health and disease, emphasizing the importance of a balanced microbiota. FMT shows promise as an effective treatment for various diseases, including gastrointestinal, metabolic, and neurological disorders. Conclusions: Bacteria are crucial for human health and environmental stability. Maintaining a balanced microbiota is vital for overall well-being, and interventions such as probiotics and FMT can offer significant health benefits. Future research should focus on further understanding the complex interactions between bacteria and their hosts to develop targeted therapies for various health conditions.

Based on recent popular money priming research results, which conclude that money makes self-sufficient (e.g. less interest in other people), we assumed that people are less interested in finding out whether others are lying or telling the truth. In a laboratory experiment, 163 students (85 women, 78 men, M_Age = 23.08, ranging from 18 to 36 years) were primed by actively handling money (versus paper sheets). Afterwards, they classified 24 video statements as true or deceptive (senders describing their most/least favorite movie), rated their classification confidence for each decision and then answered control questions. Results revealed no influence of priming condition on judgmental bias, classification accuracy, and classification confidence. Also the level of self-reported motivation to find out who lied or told the truth did not differ between conditions. Higher motivation was correlated to higher classification confidence. Additionally, and in line with Reinhard (2010) and Reinhard et al. (2011), higher classification accuracy correlated to a higher use of verbal content cues for classification decisions. Thus, while we were able to replicate these findings, our results contradict the assumption of a money prime influence on lie detection ability. Concluding, our results make self-sufficiency in this context questionable and offer next steps for research.

Six bacterial strains with differing abilities to produce varying concentrations of Indole Acetic Acid were tested individually and in consortia for plant growth promoting and fitness related traits of Cicer arietinum. In all experiments the presence of the nitrogen fixer Mesorhizobium ciceri resulted in increased biomass production. In the absence of this strain, IAA Psedomonas putida and Bacillus megaterium hinder plant growth and fitness related traits. The application of mixes of the three strains always resulted in better plant performance when M. ciceri was present. Whereas P. putida has a noticeable plant growth-promoting effect B. megaterium resulted less effective. The low levels of IAA produced by the selected strains had a significantly greater positive effect on plant biomass accumulation, flower, pods and seed production as well as on total plant nitrogen and nitrogen concentration in seed than high IAA producer strains.

Antarctica is one of the most inhospitable continents on the planet, with lichens and mosses being the most common terrestrial organisms in ice-free areas. Antarctica is represented by only two species of Angiosperms, Deschampsia antarctica Desv. (Poaceae) and Colobanthus quitensis (Kunth) Bartl. (Caryophyllaceae). In this study, we characterized fungi isolated from the leaves of this grass species. The fungi were isolated from 4 individual plants from Half Moon Island (246 leave fragments investigated), and 7 from King George Island - Keller Peninsula (with 111 leave fragments investigated) Antarctica. Neoascochyta paspali, Phaeosphaeria elongata, Pyrenophora cf. chaetomioides and Alternaria sp. were associated with the plant and identified through analysis of the sequences of the internal transcribed spacer region (ITS) of the rDNA and nuclear ribosomal large subunit rRNA gene (LSU) as well as macro and micro-morphological characteristics. The isolates showed a better growth rate ranging from 10–20°C. An interesting result was that the fungi are already recognize as both plant pathogens and endophytic fungi. The results demonstrate that D. antarctica is an interesting fungal source. Those species might provide important information about the relationship on the endemic Antarctic biota.

The present study aims to evaluate the antibacterial activity of five commercially available essential oils (EOs): Lavender (LEO), Clove (CEO), Oregano (OEO), Eucalyptus (EEO), and Peppermint (PEO) against the most-known MDR Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria - Staphylococcus aureus (ATCC 25923), Escherichia coli (ATCC 25922) and Pseudomonas aeruginosa (ATCC 27853) - alone and in various combinations. Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS) analysis established their complex composition. Then, the antibacterial activity was investigated in vitro by diffusimetric antibiogram method, using sterile cellulose discs with Ø 6 mm impregnated with 10 µl of sample and sterile borosilicate glass cylinders loaded with 100 µl of sample; MIC (µg/mL) for each EO was calculated from IZD values (mm) measured after 24 hours. The following EO combinations were evaluated: OEO+CEO, CEO+EEO, CEO+PEO, LEO+EEO, and EEO+PEO. Then, the influence of each dual combination on 3 conventional antibacterial drugs – Neomycin (NEO), Tetracycline (TET), and Bacitracin (BAC) - activity was investigated. The most active EOs against S. aureus and E. coli were LEO and OEO (IZD = 40 mm). They were followed by the CEO and EEO (IZD = 20-27 mm); PEO exhibited the lowest antibacterial activity (IZD = 15-20 mm). EEO alone showed the highest inhibitory activity on P. aeruginosa (IZD = 25-35 mm). It was followed by the CEO, LEO, and EEO (IZD = 7-11 mm), while PEO proved no antibacterial action against it (IZD = 0 mm). Only one synergic action was recorded (OEO+CEO against P. aeruginosa); EEO+PEO revealed partial synergism against S. aureus and CEO+PEO additive behavior against E. coli. Two triple associations with TET showed partial synergism against E. coli, and the other 2 ones (with NEO and TET) evidenced the same behavior against S. aureus; all contained EEO+PEO or CEO+PEO. Most combinations reported indifference. However, numerous cases were of antagonism between constituents included in double and triple combinations, and EOs with the strongest antibacterial activities belong to the highest antagonistic combinations. A consistent statistical analysis supports our results, showing that EOs with moderate antibacterial activities could generate combinations with higher inhibitory effects based on synergistic or additive interactions.

The rapid, sensitive, and selective detection of pathogenic bacteria is of utmost importance in ensuring food safety and preventing the spread of infectious diseases. Here, we present a novel, reusable, and cost-effective impedimetric sensor based on a dual bacteria-imprinted polymer (DBIP) for the specific detection of Escherichia coli O157:H7 and Staphylococcus aureus. The DBIP sensor stands out with its remarkably short fabrication time of just 20 minutes, achieved through the efficient electro-polymerization of o-phenylenediamine monomer in the presence of dual bacterial templates, followed by in-situ template removal. The key structural feature of the DBIP sensor lies in the cavity-free imprinting sites, indicative of a thin layer of bacterial surface imprinting. This facilitates rapid rebinding of the target bacteria within a mere 15 minutes, while the sensing interface regenerates in just 10 minutes, enhancing the sensor's overall efficiency. A notable advantage of the DBIP sensor is its exceptional selectivity, capable of distinguishing the target bacteria from closely related bacterial strains, including different serotypes. Moreover, the sensor exhibits high sensitivity, showcasing a low detection limit of approximately 9 CFU mL-1. The sensor's reusability further enhances its cost-effectiveness, reducing the need for frequent sensor replacements. The practicality of the DBIP sensor was demonstrated in the analysis of real apple juice samples, yielding good recoveries. The integration of quick fabrication, high selectivity, rapid response, sensitivity, and reusability makes the DBIP sensor a promising solution for monitoring pathogenic bacteria, playing a crucial role in ensuring food safety and safeguarding public health.

Simple Summary: The distribution of typical bacterial redox enzymes such as pyruvate-ferredoxin oxidoreductase (PFOR) in protozoa remains interestingly puzzling. Previous studies have demonstrated diverse cellular localizations of PFOR in some amitochondriate anaerobic protozoa. PFOR is of particular pharmacological importance because it catalyzes the reductive bio-activation of nitro-based prodrugs to cytotoxic radical metabolites. Metronidazole was developed primarily as an antiprotozoal agent against infections caused by Trichomonas vaginalis. However, its antimicrobial spectrum was subsequently expanded to cover anaerobic bacterial infections. It has been shown that mutations in the genes encoding PFOR result in inherent resistance of PFOR-possessing anaerobic protozoa and bacteria to nitro-based prodrugs. Deciphering the evolutionary history of PFOR is crucial in deepening our understanding of the evolution of anaerobic pathogens and unfold new approaches for drug discovery and targeting in pathogen chemotherapy. Abstract: The present frontrunners in the chemotherapy of infections caused by protozoa are nitro-based prodrugs that are selectively activated by PFOR-mediated redox reactions. This study seeks to analyze the distribution of PFOR in selected protozoa and bacteria by applying comparative bioinformatics approaches to test the hypothesis that PFOR was most likely acquired through horizontal gene transfer (HGT) from bacteria. Furthermore, to identify other genes that were putatively acquired using proteome-wide and gene expression analyses. A plausible explanation for the patchy occurrence of PFOR in protozoa is based on the hypothesis that bacteria are potential sources of genes that enhance optimal adaptation of protozoa in hostile environments. The exclusively expressed proteins obtained from Entamoeba histolytica and the putative gene donor, Desulfovibrio vulgaris, showed an over-expression of eleven genes involved in intermediary metabolism. If these results can be reproduced in other PFOR-possessing protozoa, it would provide a more validated evidence to support the horizontal transfer of pfor from bacteria.

To investigate the effect of prohexadione-calcium (Pro-Ca) primed on seed germination and seedling growth of oilseed rape under salt stress, to alleviate the inhibition of soil salinization on the growth of oilseed rape, and to improve the sustainability of agricultural production. Using Huayouza 158R and Huayouza 62 as test materials, the regulation of seed germination and seedling growth under the stresses of 0, 100, and 150 mM NaCl (S0, S100, and S150) was investigated after the primed of Pro-Ca. We conducted six treatments, S0: non-primed + 0 mM NaCl, PCS0: Pro-Ca primed + 0 mM NaCl, S100: non-primed + 100 mM NaCl, PCS100: Pro-Ca primed + 100 mM NaCl, S150: non-primed + 150mM NaCl, Pro-Ca+S150: Pro-Ca primed + 150 mM NaCl. The results showed that salt stress inhibited seed germination and seedling growth, and Pro-Ca primed significantly increased the germination index and vigor index of oilseed rape seeds. The average germination time and malondialdehyde (MDA) content were significantly reduced, which resulted in the optimal initiation fiddling concentration of 8mg·L-1. The morphological parameters of oilseed rape decreased significantly under salt stress, with leaf area decreasing by 70.69% and 75.03% and total chlorophyll content decreasing by 18.55% and 18.68% at S150. With the rise of salt stress, the changes of each photosynthetic parameter were somewhat similar, and Pn, Gs, Ci, and Tr continued to decline, indicating that the effects of salt stress on photosynthesis in oilseed rape might be mainly attributed to stomatal restriction and inhibition of photosynthetic pigment synthesis. While Na+ and MDA contents increased significantly, reaching a peak at S150, indicating that Na+ content increased significantly under salt stress, which resulted in the slow growth of oilseed rape and weak plants under the influence of Na+ salt damage. After Pro-Ca primed, leaf area and photosynthetic pigment synthesis increased, and the initiation treatment promoted the rise of Pn, Gs, Ci, and Tr under salt stress. The Na+ content decreased by 7.29% and 6.96% in PCS100 compared with S100, decreased by 9.23% and 25.02% in PCS150 compared with S150, and increased in K+ and Mg2+ after Pro-Ca primed. At this time, the antioxidant enzyme activities increased, and the MDA content and relative conductivity decreased. It was concluded that Pro-Ca primed improved the photosynthetic capacity of oilseed rape by promoting leaf growth, stomatal opening, and photosynthetic pigment synthesis. At the same time, reducing Na+ content and promoting K+ and Mg2+ absorption and antioxidant enzyme activities together alleviate salt damage and improve salt tolerance of oilseed rape.

The development of multidrug resistance by pathogenic bacteria and yeast is a significant medical problem that needs to be addressed. One possible answer could be the combined use of antibiotics and silver nanoparticles, which have different mechanisms of antimicrobial action. Nanoparticles can be combined with antifungal agents in the same way. Biogenic silver nanoparticles synthesized using environmentally friendly technology using extracts of biologically active plants are an effective nanomaterial that needs to be comprehensively investigated for implementation into medical practice. In this study, the synergistic effects arising from their combined use with antibiotics and fungicides against various bacteria and yeasts, included in the ESKAPE list, were studied. Effective concentrations of substances were established, recommendations for the studied pathogenic species were presented and the effect of destruction of the bacterial membrane was illustrated. The most significant synergistic effect was manifested in pathogenic candida and brewer's yeast.

Rice is currently the most important food crop in the world and we are only just beginning to study the bacterial associated microbiome. It is of importance to perform screenings of the core rice microbiota and also to develop new plant-microbe models and simplified communities for increasing our understanding about the formation and function of its microbiome. In order to begin to address this aspect, we have performed the isolation of bacterial strains from the endorhizosphere of two rice cultivars from Venezuela. The validation of plant-growth promoting bacterial activities in vitro has led us to select and characterize 15 isolates for in planta studies such as germination test, endophytism ability and plant growth promotion. Consequently, a set of 10 isolates was selected for the set-up of an endophytic consortium as a simplified model of the natural rice bacterial endomicrobiota. Upon inoculation, the colonization and abundance of each strain within the rice roots was tracked by a culture-independent technique in gnotobiotic conditions in a 30 days period. Four strains belonging to Pseudomonas, Agrobacterium and Delftia genera have shown a promising capacity for colonizing and coexistence in root tissues. On the other hand, a bacterial community taxonomic profiling of the rhizosphere and the endorhizosphere of both cultivars were obtained and are discussed. This study is part of a growing body of research on core crops microbiome and simplified microbiomes, which strengthens the formation process of the endophytic community leading to a better understanding of the rice microbiome.

Recent evidence suggests the existence of shared neural resources for rhythm processing in language and music. Such overlaps could be the basis of the facilitating effect of regular musical rhythm on spoken word processing previously reported for typical children and adults, as well as adults with Parkinson’s disease and children with developmental language disorders. The present study builds upon these previous findings by examining whether musical rhythmic priming also influences visual word processing, and the extent to which such cross-modal priming effect of rhythm is related to individual differences in musical aptitude and reading skills. EEG was recorded while participants listened to a rhythmic tone prime, followed by a visual target word with a stress pattern that either matched or mismatched the rhythmic structure of the auditory prime. Participants were also administered standardized assessments of musical aptitude and reading achievement. ERPs elicited by target words with a mismatching stress pattern showed an increased fronto-central negativity. Additionally, the size of the negative effect correlated with individual differences in musical rhythm aptitude and reading comprehension skills. Results support the existence of shared neurocognitive resources for linguistic and musical rhythm processing, and have important implications for the use of rhythm-based activities for reading interventions.

Biochar soil amendment along with non-tillage agriculture, are often proposed as a strategy for organic carbon sequestration in soil. How the quality of biochar might influence the priming effect on soil organic matter mineralization and whether the addition of fresh organic matter will affect its stability in soil is still questionable. In the study, six biochars of different biomass origin and three exogenous organic matter sources were added to two distinct arable soils. CO2 emission was monitored for 100 days of incubation and CO2 flux was estimated. Results showed that biochar application increased soil CO2 fluxes. The highest peaks were recorded in treatments with food waste biochars, suggesting that this feedstock serves as sources of labile C fractions to soil microbes. Co-application of raw organic materials (manure and fresh clover biomass) enhanced CO2 emission and estimated carbon losses, especially in sandy soil with low organic carbon content. Biochar properties and content of labile C fractions can stimulate CO2 emission, however in a long-term period this contribution is negligible. Findings of our study showed that more attention should be paid to priming effects caused by addition of exogenous organic matter e.g. fertilizers or cover crops when applied to biochar amended soils.

Pertussis is a vaccine-preventable disease caused by the bacterium Bordetella pertussis. Over the past years, the incidence and mortality of pertussis increased significantly. A possible cause is the switch from whole cell to acellular pertussis vaccines, although other factors may also contribute. To develop future vaccines and improve current vaccination strategies, it is critical to understand factors influencing the generation of immunological memory. We applied high-dimensional flow cytometry to investigate changes in B cells in individuals of different ages and distinct priming backgrounds upon administration of an acellular pertussis booster vaccine. These findings were correlated to vaccine-specific plasma cells and serum Ig levels. Expansion and maturation of plasma cells 7 days post-vaccination was the most prominent cellular change in all age groups, and was most pronounced for more mature IgG1+ plasma cells. Cellular responses were stronger in individuals primed with whole cell vaccine than in individuals primed with acellular vaccine. Moreover, IgG1+ plasma cell expansion weakly correlated with Prn- and PT- specific serum IgG levels. Our study points at plasma cells as a potential early cellular marker of an immune response and contributes to understanding differences in immune responses between age groups and priming backgrounds.

Insects possess an array of defense molecules allowing them to fight infections. They can also show a form of immune memory, named priming. However, the involvement of insect immune defense mechanisms in priming is unclear, since invertebrates lack the molecular machinery present in vertebrates to build an immune memory. In the red flour beetle Tribolium castaneum, larvae can be primed via the oral route with Bacillus thurigiensis var. tenebrionids (Btt). This results in changes in the expression of a large number of genes, among which some belong to families of ancient defense genes. In the present work, we tested whether three chosen candidate genes (a Thaumatin, a C-type Lectin and an Osiris-like gene) could be involved in the survival to a Btt exposure, as well as in the priming phenotype. We assessed changes in their expression over time and according to the priming treatment, knocked them down individually by RNA interference (RNAi), and observed how it affected survival upon challenge. The quantification of gene expression patterns in our larvae with RT-qPCR showed that up- and/or down-regulation of the genes, after the priming treatment, was quite volatile and time dependent. Upon knock-down, we did not observe the expected decrease in survival to Btt or the abolishment of the priming phenotype. We conclude that knocking down genes individually is probably insufficient to affect survival and priming in our system. This gives us insight into the complexity of the molecular processes underpinning priming.

The eutrophication of open water bodies, especially in coastal water area, has received intensive public focuses in recent years. Biological treatment of organic pollutants in industrial and domestic wastewater requires microbial flora to participate. The environmental impact of these microbes, particularly in regard to the spread of antibiotic resistance genes and pathogenicity in coastal water, remains largely unknown. We initiate studies to examine antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) in microbial flora and study the mode of antibiotic spread in the coastal waters of Bohai Bay, North China by using high performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrum analysis and quantitative polymerase chain reaction. The metabolic features of bacteria related to the presence of ARGs in the coastal area showed the enrichment of Pseudomonadale species with triple resistance properties (ampicillin, kanamycin and gentamycin) at the estuary site locating adjacent to a coastal sewage treatment plant where both type I and type II polyketide synthase genes and b-lactam type antibiotics are detected. Pseudomonadale order is phylogenetically belonged to Proteobacteria Phylum, Gamma-proteobacteria Class and contains Pseudomonadaceae family and Pseudomonas genus. QPCR analysis suggests that the percent occupation of Pseudomonadale species to total Proteobacteria in the examined stations is close to several sampling stations close to sewage treatment plants, where consistent release of organic wastes occurred.

In tobacco plants, symbiont endophytic fungi are widely distributed in all tissues where they play important roles. It is therefore important to determine the species distribution and characteristics of endophytic fungi in tobacco. Here, two parasitic fungi Leptosphaerulina chartarum and Curvularia trifolii were isolated and identified from normal tobacco tissue. We sequenced the mitogenomes of these two species and analysed their features, gene content, and evolutionary histories. The L. chartarum and C. trifolii mitochondrial genomes were 68,926 bp and 59,100 bp long circular molecules with average GC contents of 28.60% and 29.31%, respectively. The L. chartarum mitogenome contained 36 protein coding genes, 26 tRNA genes, and 2 rRNA genes (rrnL and rrnS), which were located on both strands. The C. trifolii mitogenome contained 26 protein coding genes, 29 tRNA genes, and 2 rRNA genes (rrnL and rrnS). The L. chartarum 26 tRNAs ranged from 70 bp to 84 bp in length, whereas the 29 tRNAs in C. trifolii ranged from 71 bp to 85 bp. L. chartarum and C. trifolii mtDNAs had an identical mitochondrial gene order and orientation and were phylogenetically identified as sisters. These data therefore provide an understanding of the gene content and evolutionary history of species within Pleosporales.

Endophytic fungi isolated from plants of different ecosystems have an impressive ability to produce diverse chemical classes of bioactive secondary metabolites. In this study, the cytotoxic activity and chemical composition of the ethyl acetate extract of the white beans culture of the endophytic fungus (FWBC), Talaromyces wortmannii isolated from the widespread reed grass, Arundo donax L. were investigated. A new ceramide named talaramide (1), along with other four known compounds; stigmasterol (2), thymine (3), uracil (4), and stigmasterol-3-O-β-D-glucoside (5) were identified. The structure of compound 1 was elucidated based on extensive 1D and 2D NMR spectroscopic techniques in combination with HR-ESI-MS. The produced FWBC extract exhibited cytotoxic activity against three cancer cell lines viz., MCF7, HepG2, and A549 (IC50; 54.57 ±0.27, 57.12 ± 0.59 and 84.33 ± 1.07 µg/mL, respectively) compared to methotrexate (IC50; 80.25 ± 1.11, 83.83 ± 0.74 and 153.20 ± 2.03 µg/mL, respectively) as a positive control. It showed selectivity indices with values ranging from 1.37 to 2.11 using the normal cell line, WI38 (IC50; 115.43 ± 1.92 µg/mL). The observed cytotoxicity, combined with acceptable selectivity indices, suggests the potential of this endophyte as a source of anticancer agents. Based on previous reports, it was also suggested that the identified ceramide could be responsible for the observed cytotoxic activity of the investigated extract.

In the current study, the physicochemical and microbiological characteristics of this fermented wheat Hamoun were described in detail, as well as the soil properties where this type of wheat was stored. The results showed that the Hamoum had concentrations of the lactic acid of 0.25 g ± 0.03 for the Simeto variety (nine years of storage), as well as 0.13 g ± 0.02 and 0.17 g±0.06 for the Ofanto variety following three and six months, respectively, of storage. The water content varied between 8.3 - 9.7 % for grain and between 10.8- 11.5 % for flour. The ash content of grain and flour of 1.43 ± 0.02 and 1.63 ± 0.26, respectively, was above the normal standards. According to these results, fermented wheat is appropriate for human consumption. The results also showed that the soil where the wheat was stored comprised mainly clay and had an alkaline pH of 8.2. The isolation and identification of fermentable germs showed the presence of lactic acid bacteria belonging to the genera Lactobacillus (59 %), Pediococcus (18 %), Leuconostoc (17 %), and Streptococcus (6 %). The antibacterial activities of isolated acid bacteria against pathogenic germs Escherichia coli (ATCC 25922), Pseudomonas aeruginosa (ATCC 9027), Bacillus cereus (ATCC 14579), and Staphylococcus aureus (ATCC 43300) reflected the presence of strong antibacterial activity, with 62.5 % positive interactions and 100 % pathogenic bacteria inhibited by Lactobacillus.

Multidrug resistant organisms (MDROs) outbreaks have been steadilyincreasing in Intensive care units (ICUs). Still, healthcare institutions and workers (HCW) reached no unanimity on how and when implementing infection prevention and control (IPC) strategies. We aimed to provide a pragmatic, physician practice-oriented, resume of strategies towards different MRDOs outbreaks in ICU. We performed a narrative review on IPC in ICUs, investigating patient-to-staff ratios, education, isolation, decolonization, screening and hygiene practices, outbreak reporting, cost-effectiveness, reproduction-number(R0), and future perspectives. The most effective IPC strategy remains unknown. Most studies focus on a specific pathogen or disease, making the clinician losing the big picture. IPC strategies proved their cost-effectiveness regardless typology, country, or pathogen. A standardized, universal, pragmatic protocol for HCW education should be elaborated. Likewise, a rapid outbreak recognition tool elaboration (i.e., an easy-to-use mathematical model) would improve early diagnosis and spreading prevention. Further studies are needed to express in favor or against MDROs decolonization. New promising strategies are emerging and need to be tested in the field. The lack of IPC strategies application has made, and still makes ICUs a major MDROs reservoir into the community. In a not-too-distant future genetic engineering and phage therapies could represent a plot-twist in MDROs IPC strategies.

Natural carotenoids are secondary metabolites that exhibit antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer properties. These types of compounds are in high demand by pharmaceutical, cosmetic, textile and food industries, leading to the search for new natural sources of carotenoids. In recent years, the production of carotenoids from bacteria has become of great interest for industrial applications. In addition to carotenoids with C40-skeletons, some bacteria have the ability to synthesize characteristic carotenoids with C30-skeletons. In this regard, a great variety of methodologies for the extraction and identification of bacterial carotenoids has been reported and this is the first review that condenses much of this information. To understand the diversity of these carotenoids, we present their biosynthetic origin in order to focus on the methodologies employed in their extraction and characterization. Special emphasis has been made on high-performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (HPLC-MS) for the analysis and identification of bacterial carotenoids. We end up this review showing their potential commercial use of bacterial carotenoids. This review is proposed as a guide for the identification of these metabolites, which are frequently reported in new bacteria strains.

Latin binomials, popularised in the eighteenth century by the Swedish naturalist Linnaeus, have stood the test of time in providing a stable, clear and memorable system of nomenclature across biology. However, relentless and ever-deeper exploration and analysis of the microbial world has created an urgent unmet need for huge numbers of new names for Archaea and Bacteria. Manual creation of such names remains difficult and slow and typically relies on expert-driven nomenclatural quality control. Keen to ensure the legacy of Linnaeus lives on in the age of microbial genomics and metagenomics, we propose an automated approach, employing combinatorial concatenation of roots from Latin and Greek to create linguistically correct names for genera and species that can be used off the shelf as needed. As proof of principle, we document over a million new names for Bacteria and Archaea. We are confident that our approach provides a road map for how to create new names for decades to come.

PAHs contaminants have toxic, carcinogenic, and even mutagenic properties. Screening bacteria from different sources capable of carrying out the biodegradation of PAHs is important for mapping and mobilization purposes and applying them to polluted hydrocarbon environments. The study aimed to compare the biodegradation power of two types of bacteria isolated from different sources against PAHs. The method applied is the interaction between bacterial suspen-sion and pyrene contaminated waste for 30 days. Biodegradation products in organic compounds were analyzed using GC/MS and FTIR. The analysis results found several indications of the performance of bacterial biodegradation, namely: the aggressiveness of biodegradation of Bl bacteria against pyrene was relatively more dominant than Sb bacteria. The percentage of to-tal bacterial biodegradation for product type Sb was (39.00 %), and that of the product of bacteri-al degradation type Bl (was 38.29 %). The biodegradation products of the test bacteria (Bl and Sb) were relatively similar to pyrene, in the form of alcohol and carboxylic acid organic com-pounds. It was concluded that there was no significant difference in biodegradation per-formance between Bl and Sb bacteria on for pyrene. Both types of bacterial isolates from differ-ent sources can carry out the function of biodegradation of pyrene.

Farmers and seed companies constantly require high-quality seeds with excellent agronomic performance. However, faced with environmental adversity, limited natural resources and increasing food demand around the globe, more attention has turned to improving crop plant production by implementing efficient strategies. Seed priming technology has shown promising biological improvements leading to suitable agronomic performance in crop plants under adverse environmental conditions. Seeds are subjected to controlled conditions that are conducive to complex physiological, biochemical, and molecular changes, conferring specific stress tolerance to subsequent germination and growth conditions. In this review paper, we aimed to study the recent approaches in the efficiency of hydropriming, osmopriming, chemopriming, hormopriming, nanopriming, matrix priming, biopriming, physical priming and hybrid priming procedures in the production of crop plants under environmental adversity, as well as their biological mechanism changes. All priming methods demonstrated relevant changes in the biological mechanism related to crop plant production by mitigating salinity effects, heavy metals, and flooding stress and enhancing chilling, heat, drought and phytopathogen tolerance. We strongly recommend that researchers combine multiple priming methods, known as hybrid priming, in their investigations to provide novel technologies and additional biological approaches to enhance the knowledge of crop plant science. Thus, the findings shed light on the use of seed priming technology as a key strategy to increase crop plant production under environmental adversity by acquiring stress tolerance and enhancing agronomic traits to meet the global food demand.

Genes encoding regulatory RNAs known as short RNAs (sRNAs) or non-coding sRNAs (ncRNAs), modulate physiological responses through different mechanisms, through RNA-RNA interaction or RNA-protein interaction. These molecules transcribed in trans and in cis relative to the target RNA. They are located between the coding regions of proteins, i.e., in the intergenic regions of the genome and show signals of promoters and termini sequences generally Rho-independent. The size of the ncRNAs genes ranges from ~ 50 to ~ 500 nucleotides and several transcripts are processed by RNase with smaller end products, which modulate physiological responses through different mechanisms, by RNA-RNA interaction or RNA-protein interactions and some interactions may be stabilized by the Hfq chaperone. The Riboswitches constitute another class of ncRNAs, located in the 5'UTR region of an mRNA that promote transcriptional regulation through their interaction with a linker molecule. Recently, in prokaryotes, CRISPR (Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats) regions have described, which repeats of sequences of palindromic bases are. Each replicate consists of short segments of "spacer DNA" from exposures prior to a bacteriophage virus or exogenous plasmid. The CRISPR system consists of an immune system of resistance to exogenous molecules.

Some management practices, such as maintaining birds under high group density, used in the poultry industry may cause birds stress, leading to injurious behaviors, such as injurious pecking, aggression, and cannibalism. In addition, some management practices used to prevent severe injuries in birds may cause pain. Beak trimming (BT), removal of 1/3 to 1/2 of a beak, is a routine husbandry procedure practiced in laying hens to prevent or reduce injurious behaviors. However, BT causes tissue damage, which may increase somatosensory sensitization of the damaged nerve tissues, resulting in pain (acute, chronic or both) in the treated birds because the beak is a complex, functional organ with an extensive nerve supply. BT has already been heavily regulated or prohibited in several European countries and, in time, this trend will impact the practice used in the United States poultry industry. With the growing public concern for poultry welfare there is a pressing need to identify and develop alternatives to BT. Probiotics defined “as a source of live (viable) naturally occurring microorganisms (direct-fed microbials)” have been used as dietary supplements or functional foods to target gut microbiota (microbiome) for prevention or therapeutic treatment of mental diseases including social stress-induced psychiatric disorders in humans and various experimental animals. In our studies, chickens were used as an animal model to assess if dietary supplementation of probiotic, Bacillus subtilis, reduces injurious behaviors following social challenge. Hens of Dekalb XL strain, an aggressive line, were used in the studies. Our results indicate that dietary supplementation of the Bacillus subtilis based probiotic reduces aggressive behaviors in chickens. These results suggest dietary probiotics could be a suitable strategy for increasing hosts’ health status and welfare conditions.

Abstract: Thermophilic fungi constitute an interesting study model for understanding ecologi-cal mechanisms of adaptation in diverse environments and have attractive toolboxes with a wide range of biotechnological applications. This work describes for the first time an endophytic and thermophilic strain of Aspergillus brasiliensis that was isolated in the crater of the active volcano "El Chichonal" in Mexico. The average temperature of the collection site was around 60 °C and the soil pH was moderately acidic. The complete genome of A. brasiliensis E_15.1 was sequenced and assembled in about 37 Mb of genomic DNA. We performed a comprehensive phylogenomic anal-ysis for the precise taxonomic identification of this species as a novel strain of Aspergillus brasil-iensis. Likewise, the predicted coding sequences were classified according to various functions including Carbohydrate-Active Enzymes (CAZymes), biosynthetic gene clusters of secondary metabolites (BGCs), and metabolic pathways associated with plant growth promotion. Among the functional traits identified was the degradation of chitin, chitooligosaccharides, xylan, and cellulose, as well as the biosynthesis of clavaric acid, a triterpene with antitumor activity due to its ability to inhibit Farnesyl-protein transferase. In addition to the genomic analysis, a set of en-zymatic assays confirmed the thermostability of extracellular xylanases, cellulases of A. brasili-ensis E_15.1. Our findings suggest that the enzymatic repertoire of A. brasiliensis E_15.1 has a high potential for industrial application due to its thermostability and can promote plant growth at high temperatures. Finally, this strain constitutes an interesting source of terpenoids with pharmacological activity.

Endophytic fungi are a diverse group of microorganisms that colonize the inter- or intracellular spaces of plants for mutual benefits. The interactions with a host plant and other microbiomes are multidimensional and play a crucial role in the production of secondary metabolites. We screened bioactive compounds present in the extracts of Aspergillus flavus, an endophytic fungus isolated from the roots of the medicinal grass Cynodon dactylon, for its anticancer potential. Ethyl acetate extract from isolated A. flavus showed significant cytostatic effects (IC50: 16.25 μg mL−1) against breast cancer cells (MCF-7). Morphology of cells and DAPI stained nuclei along with the results of flow cytometry annexin V/PI assay suggested apoptosis to be the main process leading to cells’ death. While investigating the mechanism that triggers apoptosis, we found that the extract of A. flavus increased ROS generation and caused loss of mitochondrial membrane potential of MCF-7 cells. To identify the metabolites that might be responsible for the anticancer effect, the extract was examined using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). Interestingly, nine phytochemicals were found to have potential inhibitory effects of anti-apoptotic protein (Bcl-2) in the breast cancer cells. In the in silico molecular docking and molecular dynamics simulation studies revealed that two compounds: 2,4,7-Trinitrofluorenone and 3alpha, 5alpha-Cyclo-ergosta-7,9(11),22t-triene-6beta-ol exhibited significant binding affinities (-9.20, and -9.50 Kcal mol-1, respectively) against Bcl-2 along with binding stability and intermolecular interactions of its ligand-Bcl-2 complexes. Overall, the study found that the endophytic A. flavus from C. dactylon contains plant-like bioactive compounds that have a promising effect in breast cancer.

An advanced, cost-effective and portable DNA biosensor capable of detecting multiple bacteria simultaneously have been developed. The biosensor consists of a fast and inexpensive potentiostat that controls the applied potential to a screen-printed electrochemical array platform functionalized with MoS2 flakes and bacteria DNA probes, and monitors the current response obtained by the use of à la carte thionine functionalized carbon nanodots (Ty-CDs) as electrochemical indicator of the hybridization event. The design of the potentiostat prioritizes achieving an optimal signal-to-noise ratio and incorporates a user-friendly interface compatible with various devices such as computers, mobile phones and tablets. The device is compact, lightweight, and manufactured at a low cost. The key components of the potentiostat include a data acquisition board capable of analyzing multiple samples simultaneously and a controller board. The results obtained confirm the ability of the developed device to successfully detect specific bacteria DNA sequences, demonstrating the reliability and performance of the developed multiplexing portable biosensor with better sensibility than using a traditional, more complex and laboratory oriented potentiostat.

We propose a model for bacterial Quorum Sensing based on an auxiliary electrostatic-like interaction originating from a fictitious electrical charge that represents bacteria activity. A cooperative mechanism for charge/activity exchange is introduced to implement chemotaxis and replication. The bacteria system is thus represented by means of a complex resistor network where link resistances take into account the allowed activity-flow among individuals. By explicit spatial stochastic simulations, we show that the model exhibits different quasi-realistic behaviors from colony formation to biofilm aggregation. The electrical signal associated with Quorum Sensing is analyzed in space and time and provides useful information about the colony dynamics. In particular, we analyze the transition between the planktonic and the colony phases as the intensity of Quorum Sensing is varied.

Members of the Fusarium oxysporum species complex (FOSC) has the capacity to specialize into host-specific pathogens known as formae speciales through horizontal gene transfer between pathogenic and endophytic individuals. To this day, the origin of these formae speciales and the genetic determinants dictating the switch from endophytic to pathogenic Fusarium oxysporum (Fox) are still unknown. F. oxysporum f. sp. vanillae (Fov), member of FOSC, is the causal agent of root and stem rot disease, representing the main phytosanitary problem in vanilla plantations worldwide. Here we analyzed the RNA-seq libraries resulting from the interaction vanilla-Fov at early and late stages of the infection, and what we initially identified as control in a previous study, detecting the presence of Fox endophytes. We identified virulence, hypervirulence, sporulation, conidiation, necrosis, and production of fusaric acid as key processes taking place during Fov-vanilla interaction. Through comparison with endophytic Fox, we found that Fov can infect vanilla thanks to the presence of pathogenicity islands and genomic regions associated with supernumerary chromosomes. These play a central role as carriers of genes involved with pathogenic activity and could have being obtained by Fov through horizontal gene transfer. We also found that, unlike other pathogenic members of FOSC, Fov do not use Secreted in Xylem proteins (SIX) to infect vanilla.

Drought stress has been considered a major problem in coffee crops, and the higher occurrence of unpredictable environmental events has highlighted the vulnerability of agricultural systems. Several reports have indicated selenium (Se) as a plant biostimulant against environmental stress, including drought. The effects of Se in plants are related to the modulation of enzymatic activity, energetics and osmoprotectants plant content, and nutrient balance in plants. However, investi-gating the effective time of Se application is crucial for better understanding its effects on coffee plants, a drought-sensitive crop. This study aimed to investigate the role of Se supply in improving drought tolerance in coffee seedlings while also evaluating the best timing for Se application. Five times of Se foliar application were assessed during induced drought stress by PEG-6000 using the day of imposing stress as a default, plus two control treatments: i) with osmotic stress and without Se; ii) without osmotic stress and Se. The treatments were compared with both control treatments. Results demonstrated that the osmotic stress (OS) promoted mild stress in the coffee plants, as ex-pected. Plants under stress showed reduced GR and SOD activity compared with the non-stressed ones, and the OS induces starch degradation, which is potentialized by Se foliar supply, mainly when Se is applied before inducing the stress. The decline in the starch content might be considered a strategy to provide energy to coffee seedlings. The seedlings that received foliar Se application 8 days before the stress exhibited higher CAT, APX, and SOD than those that did not receive OS nor Se application. The results obtained in this study suggest that the previous Se foliar spray is more effective than the Se supply after OS to overcome the adverse condition. On the other hand, the post-stress application seems to impose extra stress on the plants, leading them to reduce the water potential.

Issues presented by the application of monoclonal antibodies in diagnostic assays and as curative agents can make the use of such molecules cost-prohibitive and sometimes even unsafe. This has warranted the development of short single-stranded oligonucleotides known as Aptamers. The structural malleability of these short DNA or RNA nucleotide segments allows them to exist in distinct conformations. SELEX (Systematic Evolution of Ligands by Exponential Enrichment) is a multi-step process for synthesis of aptamers. Each step of this procedure is governed by a diverse set of factors that influence production efficiency, binding affinity, and specificity of the oligonucleotides. Headway in aptamer research has been made in recent years by the introduction of newer iterations of the SELEX process. A greater number of studies are now being carried out to incorporate aptamers into existing disease detection tools and therapies. An overview has been given first on the key aptamer properties and the process of their production (with its newer iterations), contrasting each of them with that of monoclonal antibodies. Possible manifold applications afforded due to unique aptamer characteristics are also discussed. A keen review is further provided on the design, development and use of fluorescent aptamers in bioimaging, sequencing or profiling, and treatment of pathogenic bacteria and tumor cells.

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a major global concern; antibiotics and other regular treatment methods have failed to overcome the increasing number of infectious diseases. Bacteriophages (phages) are viruses that specifically target/ kill bacterial hosts without affecting other human microbiome. Phage therapy provides optimism in the current global healthcare scenario with a long history of its applications in humans that has now reached various clinical trials. Phages in clinical trials have specific requirements of being exclusively lytic, free from toxic genes with an enhanced host range that adds an advantage to this requisite. This review explains in detail the various phage engineering methods and their potential applications in therapy. To make phages more efficient, engineering has been attempted using techniques like conventional homologous recombination, Bacteriophage Recombineering of Electroporated DNA (BRED), clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR)-Cas, CRISPY-BRED/Bacteriophage Recombineering with Infectious Particles (BRIP), chemically accelerated viral evolution (CAVE), and phage genome rebooting. Phages are administered in cocktail form in combination with antibiotics, vaccines, and purified proteins, such as endolysins. Thus, phage therapy is proving to be a better alternative for treating life-threatening infections, with more specificity and fewer detrimental consequences.

The relevance of bacteria to subjective experiences or qualia is under-appreciated. Here, I make four proposals. Firstly, living systems traverse sequences of active states that determine their behaviour; these states result from competitive coherence, which depends on a connectivity-based competition between a Next process and a Now process whereby elements in the active state at time n+1 are chosen between the elements in the active state at time n and those elements in the developing n+1 state. Secondly, bacteria should help us link the mental to the physical world given that bacteria were here first, are highly complex, influence animal behaviour and dominate the Earth. Thirdly, the operation of competitive coherence to generate active states in bacteria, brains and other living systems is inseparable from qualia. Fourthly, these qualia become particularly important to the generation of active states in the highest levels of living systems, namely, the ecosystem and planetary levels.

Cholera is an acute enteric infectious disease caused by the Gram-negative bacterium Vibrio Cholerae. Despite a huge body of research, the precise nature of its transmission dynamics has yet to be fully elucidated. Mathematical models can be useful to better understand how an infectious agent can spread and be properly controlled. We develop a compartmental model describing a Human population, a bacterial population as well as a phage population. We show that there might be eight equilibrium points; one of which is a disease free equilibrium point. We carry out numerical simulations and sensitivity analyses and we show that the presence of phage can reduce the number of infectious individuals. Moreover, we discuss the main implications in terms of public health management and control strategies.

Plants harbor a large diversity of endophytic microbes. Meadow fescue (Festuca pratensis) is a cool-season grass known for its symbiotic relationship to the systemic and vertically- via seeds - transmitted fungal endophyte Epichloë uncinata but the effect of the endophyte on the microbial endophyte community and phytohormones is largely unexplored. Here, we sequenced the endophytic bacterial and fungal communities in the leaves and roots, analyzed phytohormone concentrations and plant performance parameters in Epichloë-symbiotic (E+) and Epichloë-free (E-) individuals of two meadow fescue cultivars. The endophytic leaf microbial community differed between leaf and root tissues independent of endophyte symbiosis while the fungal community was different in leaves of Epichloë-symbiotic and Epichloë-free plants in both cultivars. At the same time, endophyte symbiosis decreased salicylic acid and increased auxin concentrations in leaves. Epichloë-symbiotic plants showed a higher biomass, chlorophyll content (SPAD) and higher seed mass at the end of the season. Our results demonstrate that Epichloë-symbiosis alters the leaf fungal microbiome, which coincides with changes in phytohormone concentrations, indicating that Epichloë endophytes affect both, plant immune responses and other fungal endophytes. Whether the effect of Epichloë endophytes on other fungal endophytes is connected to changes in the phytohormone concentrations remains to be elucidated.

In order to improve the yield of the therapeutic agent N-methylsansalvamide (SA), optimization of stationary liquid fermentation conditions was carried out on an endophytic strain, Fusarium sp. R1, at flask level. Using a One-Factor-At-a-Time approach, the fermentation conditions for SA production were determined as follows: fermentation time of 13 d, 24 oC, initial pH of 6.5, seed age of 24 h, inoculum size of 5.0% (v/v), loading volume of 50% (v/v), 20.0 g/L salinity, and sucrose, tryptone, and yeast extract were found to be the best sources of carbon and nitrogen. Using response surface methodology, the optimal medium compositions consist of 22.5 g/L sucrose, 16.5 g/L tryptone, and 0.024 g/L yeast extract. Verification tests suggested that the SA yield under these optimal conditions reached up to 536.77 ± 2.67 mg/L, which was increased by almost ten times the initial yield (54.05 ± 3.45 mg/L). The findings indicate that a high SA production yield can be achieved by static culture of strain R1 under the proper fermentation conditions using a low-cost medium. This study paves the way towards industrial-scale SA production by strain R1 for new drug development.

Findings on diet-health relationships have led many people to include healthier food items (including snacks) in their diets, e.g. those containing probiotic microorganisms. The purpose of this study was to compare two methods to produce probiotic freeze-dried banana slices - one of them consisting of impregnating slices with a suspension of probiotic Bacillus coagulans, the other based on coating the slices with a starch dispersion containing the bacteria. Both processes have resulted in viable cell counts above 7 log ufc.g-1, although the presence of the starch coating has avoided a significant loss of viability on freeze-drying. The coated slices were less crispy than the impregnated ones, according to the shear force test results. However, the sensory panel (with more than 100 panelists) have not perceived significantly texture differences. Both methods have presented good results, in terms of probiotic cell viability and sensory acceptability (the coated slices having been significantly more accepted than the non-probiotic control slices).

Malignant neoplasm is one of the most incurable diseases among inflammatory diseases. Researchers have been studying for decades to win over this lethal disease and provide the light of hope to humankind. The gastrointestinal bacteria of human hold a complex ecosystem and maintain homeostasis. One hundred trillion microbes are residing in the gastrointestinal tract of human. Disturbances in the microbiota of human’s gastrointestinal tract can create immune response against inflammation and also can develop diseases , including cancer. The bacteria of the gastrointestinal tract of human, can secrete a variety of metabolites and bioproducts which aid in the preservation of homeostasis in the host and gut. During pathogenic dysbiosis, on the other hand, numerous microbiota subpopulations may increase and create excessive levels of toxins, which can cause inflammation and cancer. Furthermore, the immune system of host and the epithelium cell can be influenced by gut microbiota. Probiotics, which are bacteria that live in the gut, have been protected against tumor formation. Probiotics are now studied to see if they can help fight dysbiosis in cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy or radiotherapy because of their capacity to maintain gut homeostasis. Countless numbers of gut bacteria have demonstrated anti-cancer efficiency in cancer treatment, prevention, and boosting the efficiency of immunotherapy. The review article has briefly explained the anti-cancer immunity of gut microbes and their application in treating a variety of cancer. This review paper also highlights the pre-clinical studies of probiotics against cancer and the completed and ongoing clinical trials on cancers with the two most common and highly effective probiotics Lactobacillus and Bacillus spp.

(1) Background: Disinfection of medical devices designed for clinical use associated or not with the growing area of tissue engineering is an urgent need. However, traditional disinfection methods are not always suitable for some biomaterials, especially those sensitive to chemical, thermal, or radiation. Therefore, the objective of this study was to evaluate the minimal concentration of ozone gas (O3) necessary to control and kill a set of sensitive or multi-resistant Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria. The cell viability, membrane permeability, and the levels of reactive intracellular oxygen (ROS) species were also investigated; (2) Material and Methods: Four standard strains and a clinical MDR strain were exposed to low doses of ozone at different concentrations and times. Bacterial inactivation (cultivability, membrane damage) was investigated using colony counts, resazurin as a metabolic indicator, and propidium iodide (PI). A fluorescent probe (H2DCFDA) was used for the ROS analyses; (3) Results: No reduction in the count colony was detected after O3 exposure, compared to the control group. However, the cell viability of E. coli (30%), P. aeruginosa (25%), and A. baumannii (15%) was reduced considerably. The bacterial membrane of all strains was not affected by O3 but presented a significant increase of ROS in E. coli (90 ± 14%), P. aeruginosa (62.5 ± 19%), and A. baumanni (52.6 ± 5%); (4) Conclusion: Low doses of ozone were able to interfere in the cell viability of most strains studied, and although it does not cause damage to the bacterial membrane, increased levels of reactive ROS are responsible for causing a detrimental effect in the lipids, proteins, and DNA metabolism.

Enterococci are gastrointestinal commensals whose hardiness allowed them to colonize very diverse environments, including soils, water, food and feed. This ability to overcome adverse conditions makes enterococci problematic once they colonize hospital niches. Together with the malleability of their genomes, the capacity to acquire and disseminate determinants of antibiotic resistance have contributed to convert what was once just another opportunistic pathogen into a first-class clinical problem. This review discusses the dimension of the emergence of enterococcal resistance to key antimicrobial agents, the dissemination of this resistance and its significance in terms of public health, with the aim of raising the awareness to the need to devise and implement monitoring programmes and effective antibiotic usage guidelines.

Endophytic fungi colonize the inner tissues of plants and provide direct and indirect benefits to the plant. Although Mongolia is rich in medicinal plants, due to climatic and anthropogenic reasons the resources are being depleted and many species are under the threat of gradual extinction, while the endophytic fungi of Mongolian plants are largely unknown. Understanding the diversity and metabolic potential of endophytic fungi is of great significance in terms of the utilization of beneficial fungal strains in plant propagation and the discovery of bioactive compounds. In this study, a total of 24 culturable endophytic fungal strains were isolated from Cynomorium songaricum (Rupr.), a medicinal and vulnerable plant species of Mongolia. Based on the morphological characteristics and the sequences of the rDNA internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region, the isolates were identified to 6 genera: Fusarium (8), Clonostachys (7), Penicillium (6), Alternaria (1), Aspergillus (1), and Madurella (1). The antimicrobial activity was assessed by agar-diffusion method, revealing that 15 strains were able to inhibit the growth of at least one of the test organisms. Among them, 1 strain showed inhibitory activity against Escherichia coli, 12 against Bacillus subtilis, 13 against Staphylococcus aureus, 8 against Aspergillus niger, respectively. All fungal strains were screened for their ability to solubilize complex phosphorus and zinc minerals and for their production of indole-3-acetic acid (IAA). The strains were preserved in the national culture collection for further sustainable exploitation of their biotechnological potential.

Currently, the textile industry is among the most rapidly expanding areas of the economy and is an important source of water pollution. There are many efficient chemical and physical methods for treating textile effluent, but they produce secondary pollutants. Therefore, there is a need to manage the textile waste wastewater. The potential EPS-producing and plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria Lysinibacillus capsici PB300 (T) bacteria strain has been isolated from the bark borer-affected Peltophorum pterocarpum plant and has been determined to be effective in > 95 decolorizing Reactive Red 120, and other azo dyes such as AB11385%, orange II 94.62%, Congo red 94.62%, phenol red 94.54%, and mixtures of azo dyes 81.66%. Physico-chemical factors were optimized manually, including Taguchi design. EPS production, PGPR strain, and fabric discoloration of L. capsici were qualitatively studied. The FTIR, GC-MS, and UV absorbance studies also confirmed that the dye had been broken into its amines. Research findings using enzyme assays have shown that the bacteria Lysinibacillus capsici PB300 (T) can utilize laccase and manganese peroxidase and are capable of degrading dyes significantly. According to this work, immobilised L. capsici cells and the studied four bacterial consortiums, Lysinibacillus capsici PB300 (T), Alcaligenes faecalis subsp. Phenolicus DSM 16503 (T), Acinetobacterbaumanni ATCC 19606 (T), and Pseudomonasaeruginosa JCM 5962 may be employed to degrade RR120 effectively, and it is concluded that L. capsici PB300 (T) bacteria is significantly efficient in textile effluent treatment.

The antimicrobial quantitative structure–activity relationship of plant flavonoids against Gram-positive bacteria was established in our previous works, and the cell membrane was confirmed as a major site of action. To investigate whether plant flavonoids have similar antibacterial effects and mechanisms against both Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacteria, here, the minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) of 37 plant flavonoids against Escherichia coli were determined using the microdilution broth method, and then the correlation between their lipophilic parameter ACD/LogP or LogD_7.40 value and their MIC was analyzed. Simultaneously, the correlation between the ACD/LogP or LogD_7.40 value and the MIC of 46 plant flavonoids reported in literature against E. coli was also analyzed. Both sets of results showed that there is a significant correlation between the LogP value and the MIC of plant flavonoids against Gram-negative bacteria. However, it is difficult to effectively predict the MIC of plant flavonoids against Gram-negative bacteria from their lipophilic parameters. By comparing two regression curves derived from plant flavonoids against Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacteria, it was further discovered that the antibacterial activities of most plant flavonoids against Gram-negative bacteria are stronger than those against Gram-positive bacteria when their LogP values are less than about 3.0, but the opposite is true when their LogP values are more than about 3.6. Moreover, this comparison also suggests that unlike mainly acting on the cell membrane of Gram-positive bacteria, plant flavonoids have multiple mechanisms against Gram-negative species, while the cell membrane is also an important action site among them. Combined with the correlation analyses between the enzyme inhibitory activity and the LogP value of the reported flavonoids, it was further suggested that DNA gyrase is another important target of plant flavonoids against Gram-negative bacteria.

Protein tyrosine phosphatases (PTPs) of the polymerase and histidinol phosphatases (PHP) superfamily with characteristic phosphatase activity dependent on divalent metal ions are found in many gram-positive bacteria. Although members of this family are co-purified with metal ions, they still require the exogenous supply of metal ions for full activation. However, the specific roles these metal ions play during catalysis are yet to be well understood. Here, we report the metal ion requirement for phosphatase activities of S. aureus Cap8C and L. rhamnosus Wzb. AlphaFold-predicted structures of the two PTPs suggest that they are members of the PHP family. Like other PHP phosphatases, the two enzymes have catalytic preference for Mn2+, Co2+, and Ni2+ ions. Cap8C and Wzb show an unusual thermophilic property with optimum activities over 75oC. Pre-incubation experiments show that the two enzymes are not inherently thermostable suggesting that certain catalytic step(s) in the reaction mechanism has a high activation energy. Consistent with this model, the activity-temperature profiles of the two enzymes are dependent on the divalent metal ion activating the enzyme.

Bacteria play a key role in both human health and disease. One of the most prevalent harmful bacteria is E. coli which is responsible for several illnesses ranging from diarrhea, stomach cramp and fever. In this work we explore the application of moderate electric or magnetic fields for treating deionized water that is contaminated with E. coli. We found that moderate alternating electric (AC) fields (10 V/cm to 1kV/cm) and moderate static magnetic fields (10 to 65 mT) can significantly inactivate E. coli by up to 90% or more. This provides the possibilities of developing a low cost and a practical bacteria inactivation technique using electric or magnetic fields.

Preventing the rebound of black and odorous water bodies is critical for improving the ecological environment of water bodies. This study investigated the effect and mechanism of in-situ improvement of sediment microenvironment by nitrate in tailwater of wastewater treatment plants combined with aerobic denitrifying bacteria under low-DO regulation (TailN+CFM+LDO). On the 60th day of remediation, the dissolved oxygen and oxidation-reduction potential in the overlying water increased to 5.6 mg/L and 300 mV, respectively, the acid volatile sulfide in the sediment decreased by 70.4%, and the organic matter in the sediment was reduced by 62.7%, in which the HFOM was degraded from 105 g/kg to 56 g/kg, and the potential risk of water reverting to black and odorous conditions significantly decreased. Amplicon sequencing analysis revealed that the relative abundance of electroactive bacteria Thiobacillus and Pseudomonas with denitrification capacity was found to be significantly higher in the TailN+CFM+LDO group than in the other remediation groups. Functional prediction of 16S sequencing results indicated that both the quantity and activity of critical microbial enzymes involved in nitrification and denitrification processes could enhance in the TailN+CFM+LDO group. These results improved our understanding of the improvement of the sediment microenvironment and could thus facilitate its application.

Bacterial biofilms have become a significant and growing threat to human life, nature, and environmental health. The aim of this study is to isolate amylase-producing bacteria from the terrestrial environment (soil) for investigating their general inhibition of some pathogenic human bacterial biofilm. A total of 75 amylase producing isolates were obtained by serial dilution and streaking method. Amylotic activity of these isolates was screened by a starch agar plate method. Isolates were characterized by morphological and biochemical methods. The isolated Bacillus species were B. megaterium (26.7%), B. subtilis (16%), B. cereus (13.3%), B. thuringiesis (10.7%), B. lentus (10.7%), B. mycoides (5.3%), B. alvei (5.3%), B. polymyxa (4%), B. circulans (4%) and Micrococcus roseus (4%). The optimum conditions for amylase production were monitored. Antagonistic activity of these isolates and purified amylase against multidrug-resistant pathogenic human bacteria by agar disk diffusion method. The sensitivity level of some standard antibiotics served as control. Interestingly, it was found that all isolates exhibited great antagonistic activity against the target pathogens. The greatest activity recoded by B. alevi (48 mm) against Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and the lowest activity recorded by B. polymyxa (12 mm) against E. coli while low inhibition recorded for amylase. Antibiofilm efficacy of isolates supernatant and purified enzyme also monitored by spectrophotometric methods. The results revealed highly significant inhibition with percentages of 93.6 and 78.8% respectively. So, they represent a good tool for biofilm control in clinical and environmental applications.

Bacteria belonging to the genus Micromonospora are recognized as microorganisms with potential to be used in biotechnology processes, including their beneficial influence on plant growth and biocontrol of phytopathogens. In this study, nineteen Micromonospora isolates originating from root nodules of white clover plants were taxonomically assigned based on the phylogenetic analysis of the 16S rRNA gene and four housekeeping genes. The antifungal properties of the bacteria against phytopathogenic Botrytis cinerea, Fusarium oxysporum, Fusarium equiseti, Sclerotinia sclerotiorum, and Verticillium albo-atrum were tested with the agar plug test and the dual culture test. The ability to produce various metallophores was determined with the agar plug diffusion test on modified CAS agar medium. ISP2 broth amended with 0.2% L-tryptophan was used to indicate the bacterial ability to produce auxins. Strains belonging to M. tulbaghiae, M. inaquosa, and M. violae showed in vitro potential as antimicrobial agents against the tested fungi. M. inaquosa strain 152, M. violae strain 126, M. violae strain 66 and M. violae strain 45 were recognized as the most efficiency metallophores producers. M. alfalfae strain 55 and M. lupini strain 5052 were identified as the most promising auxin compound producers and, therefore, as potential plant growth promoting bacteria.

Optical immunosensors are one of the most popular category of immunosensors with applications in many fields including diagnostics, environmental and food analysis. The latter field is of particular interest not only for the scientists but also for the regulatory authorities and the public since food is essential for life but can be also the source of many health problems. In this context, the current review aims to provide an overview of the different types of optical immunosensors focusing onto their application for the determination of pathogenic bacteria in food samples. In particular, after the description of main optical transduction techniques, their implementation for the immunochemical determination of bacteria will be discussed. Finally, a short commentary about the future trends in optical immunosensors for food safety applications will be provided.

The proliferation of bacteria in fresh water-based paints is a concerning issue, as these microorganisms can utilize the organic materials in paint as a source of carbon to stimulate their growth, leading to the deterioration of painted surfaces. This study analyzed the bacterial quality and lead concentration of six paint samples collected from a manufacturing industry in Lagos. The total bacterial population monitored in the paint samples ranged from 1×106 CFU/ml to 7.8×109 CFU/ml, and while the population density decreased in all the samples throughout the 3-month study period, it was not uniform. The observed decrease in population density may be attributed to the biocide present in the paint samples and environmental factors such as heavy metal concentration. Interestingly, Pseudomonas oleovorans, P. luteola, Burkholderia cepacia, Sphingomonas paucimobilis, and Stenotrophomonas maltophilia were still able to grow in the paint samples from week 0 to week 10. The study highlights the potential for bacterial contamination of water-based paint, and the need for manufacturers to take measures to prevent this. The findings suggest that even fresh paint can serve as a substrate for bacterial growth, which can lead to issues such as loss of viscosity, discoloration, and malodor. Additionally, the presence of bacteria in paint can lead to degradation of painted surfaces, which can have economic and public health implications. The study emphasizes the importance of incorporating effective biocides in paint formulations, as well as communicating proper storage conditions to retailers, to help increase the shelf-life of paint and prevent bacterial contamination. Overall, the study provides important insights into the potential risks associated with bacterial contamination of paint and the need for proactive measures to prevent it.

Abstract: There are a large number of cross-linked chemical bonds such as tight disulfide bonds, hydrogen bonds,and salt bonds in keratin, which makes it difficult to break the structural stability of the protein using conventional methods. The degradation of feather waste using keratinases produced by microorganisms has the advantage of being efficient and environmentally friendly. In this study, 23 strains capable of producing transparent circles were obtained via preliminary screening with skim milk as the sole carbon and nitrogen source, and 9 strains capable of degrading feathers were obtained via rescreening with feathers as the sole carbon and nitrogen source. Finally, through the determination of enzyme activity, the strain CY-A with a high ability to degrade feathers was obtained. The strain was identified as Bacillus tequilensis via morphological observation, physiological and biochemical identification, and 16 S rRNA molecular biology. The keratinase gene (bta) of Bacillus tequila was cloned, and its full-length gene sequence was 1110 bp, containing an open reading frame of 1089, encoding 369 amino acids (GeneBank accession number OR733336). The physicochemical properties, secondary structure, and tertiary structure of the recombinant protein were analyzed using bioinformatics tools such as ProtParm, SOPMA, MEGA, and SWISS-MODELS. It was found that the relative molecular mass was 37.953 kD and that the isoelectric point was 8.48. The protein was a hydrophilic protein. The keratinase bta gene was ligated to the expression vector pET28a(+) using T4 ligase, and the recombination expression plasmid pET28-bta was constructed and transformed into E. coli BL21(DE3) to obtain recombinant engineered bacteria. The expressed keratinase was purified using a Ni2+ affinity chromatography column to obtain recombinant bta keratinase bta with a molecular weight of 37.953 kD. The identification and characterization of this keratinase gene provides some theoretical basis for the further enhancement of keratinase activity by means of genetic engineering.

Fermented food products are widely consumed for their nutritional and health-promoting properties earning them a central place in diets around the globe. However, these foods can present a paradox, as they have the potential to harbor not only beneficial probiotics but also antibiotic-resistant (AR) microbes and genes. The impact of AR in fermented foods has far-reached implications, such as its potential effects on human health, repercussions in the food industry, and environmental consequences. An in-depth analysis of AR in fermented foods, including dairy products, fermented fruits and vegetables, meat products, and beverages, would provide insights into the extent and ramifications of the issue with these foods. Therefore, this review systematically presents the status of AR in fermented foods, with a particular focus on AR bacteria and genes within this category of food products. The review also highlights the complexities of AR in fermented foods, emphasizing the role of bacterial adaptation during the fermentation process and the dynamics of bacterial gene transfer. Various contributing factors to AR are brought into focus, including intrinsic resistance among bacteria in fermented foods and the potential risk of contamination with pathogenic bacteria. Moreover, this review presents a range of mitigation strategies, from the development of novel antimicrobials to advances in fermentation technology and regulatory control. This comprehensive perspective on the intricate interplay between AR and fermented food will potentially pave the way for more targeted research and mitigation strategies in this critical area.

Antimicrobial resistance has become a significant public health problem globally with multidrug resistant Gram negative (MDR-GN) bacteria being the main representatives. The emergence of these pathogens in neonatal settings threatens the well-being of vulnerable neonatal population given the dearth of safe and effective therapeutic options. Evidence from studies mainly in adults is now available for several novel antimicrobial compounds, such as new β-lactam/β-lactamase inhibitors (e.g. ceftazidime-avibactam, meropenem-vaborbactam, imipenem/cilastatin-relebactam), although old antibiotics such as colistin, tigecyclin and fosfomycin are also encombassed in the fight against MDR-GN infections that remain challenging. Data in the neonatal population are scarse, with few clinical trials enrolling neonates for the evaluation of efficacy, safety and dosing of new antibiotics, while the majority of old antibiotics are used off-label. In this article we review data about some novel and old antibiotics that are active against MDR-GN bacteria causing sepsis and are of interest to be used in the neonatal population.

The C/N ratio is an extremely important parameter in the composting process, which is directly responsible for the growth of microorganisms. A low C/N ratio contributes to higher emissions of greenhouse gases and odorous substances, such as ammonia (NH3), which is formed by nitrogen mineralization. Due to the highly toxic effects of ammonia, it is a particularly unwanted by-product that can disrupt the composting process because it poisons microorganisms and cause environmental issues. The activity of anammox bacteria, so far analyzed only in wastewater treatment processes, is a particularly efficient method of nitrogen removal, having an advantage over the conventional methods used previously. Our study proofs the presence of anammox bacteria during composting, what gives an opportunity to improve the process and reduce its impact on atmospheric pollution. Despite the aerobic nature of this process, the composted mass of waste presents conditions conducive to the development of these ammonia oxidizing bacteria, as well as other strains of microorganisms cooperating with them. This makes it possible to compost at a low C/N ratio; in addition, there is no need for additional energy supply through aeration, as the processes carried out by anammox bacteria do not require oxygen.

Neuronal lesions in Parkinson’s disease (PD) are commonly associated with α-synuclein (α-Syn)-induced cell damage that are present both in the central and peripheral nervous systems of patients, with the enteric nervous system also being especially vulnerable. Here we bring together evidence that the development and presence of PD depends on specific sets of interlinking factors that include neuro-inflammation, systemic inflammation, α-Syn-induced cell damage, vascular dysfunction, iron dysregulation, gut and periodontal dysbiosis. We argue that there is significant evidence that bacterial inflammagens fuel this systemic inflammation, and might be central to the development of PD. We also discuss the processes whereby lipopolysaccharides may be involved in causing nucleation of proteins, including of α-Syn. Lastly, we review evidence that pre-and probiotics, as well as antibiotics and faecal transplant treatment might be valuable treatments in PD. A most important consideration, however, is that these therapeutic options need to be validated and tested in randomized controlled clinical trials. However, targeting underlying mechanisms of PD, including gut dysbiosis and iron toxicity, have potentially opened up possibilities of a wide variety of novel treatments which may relieve the characteristic non-motor deficits of PD, and may even slow the progression and/or accompanying gut-related conditions of the disease.

Psoriasis is a chronic inflammatory disease characterized by skin lesions. Psoriasis development has been associated both with genetic and environmental factors. Though skin and gut microbiota has been implicated in number of pathologies including atopic dermatitis, inflammatory bowel disease, Crohn’s disease, allergy, obesity, its role has been poorly studied in psoriatic disease, which incorporates both psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis. This literature review summarizes the most recent and major findings on microbiota features in psoriatic disease as well as gives immune system role in the given condition. Despite conflicting findings, psoriasis patients were frequently found to have distinct microbial composition in both skin and guts especially in the major bacterial phyla, Firmicutes, Bacteroidetes, and Akkermansia. Furthermore, bacterial DNA has been found in psoriatic patients both locally and systemically, and altogether suggesting role of bacteria in the chronic disease and future studies in this field.

Sepsis is a life-threatening condition caused by the body's overwhelming response to an infection, such as pneumonia or urinary tract infection. It occurs when the immune system releases cytokines into the bloodstream, triggering widespread inflammation. If not treated, it can lead to organ failure and death. Unfortunately, sepsis has a high mortality rate, with studies reporting rates ranging from 20% to over 50%, depending on the severity and promptness of treatment. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), the annual death toll in the world is about 11 million. One of the main toxins responsible for inflammation induction are lipopolysaccharides (LPS, endotoxin) from Gram-negative bacteria, which ranks among the most potent immunostimulants found in nature. Antibiotics are consistently prescribed as a part of anti-sepsis-therapy. However, antibiotic therapy (i) is increasingly ineffective due to resistance development and (ii) most antibiotics are unable to bind and neutralize LPS, a prerequisite to inhibit the interaction of endotoxin with its cellular receptor complex, namely Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4)/MD-2, responsible for the intracellular cascade leading to pro-inflammatory cytokine secretion. The pandemic virus SARS-CoV-2 has infected hundreds of millions of humans worldwide since its emergence in 2019. The COVID-19 (Coronavirus disease-19) caused by this virus is associated with high lethality, particularly for elderly and immunocompromised people. As of August 2023, nearly 7 million deaths were reported worldwide due to this disease. According to some reported studies, upregulation of TLR4 and the subsequent inflammatory signaling detected in COVID-19 patients “mimics bacterial sepsis”. Furthermore, the immune response to SARS-CoV-2 was described by others as “mirror image of sepsis”. Similarly, the cytokine profile in sera from severe COVID-19 patients was very similar to those suffering from the acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) and sepsis. Finally, the severe COVID-19 infection was frequently accompanied by bacterial co-infections, as well as by the presence of significant LPS concentrations. These data indicate similarity and interdependences of both syndromes, but also significant differences which will be discussed in the present review.

This study utilized phytochemical screening to conduct qualitative analysis of plant extracts, aiming to identify various classes of secondary metabolites. Moreover, the antibacterial activity of different types of O. vulgare and S. triloba extracts was determined. To achieve the aim of the study, aqueous, ethanolic, and enzymatic extracts were prepared and screened for phytochemical capacity and antioxidant activities. Determination of the antibacterial activity included phenotypic screening of antibiotic susceptibility pattern of oral and food pathogenic bacterial strains, determination of Minimum inhibitory concentration and minimum bactericidal concentration - Microdilution broth test and in vitro valuation of antibacterial efficacies - anti-biofilm properties of the studied herbal extractions. Results: Our study evaluated the phytochemical composition and the antioxidant, antibacterial, and anti-biofilm properties of O. vulgare and S. triloba extracts. The analyzed samples contained bioactive compounds, such as phenolics and flavonoids, contributing to the observed strong antioxidant effect. Furthermore, they exhibited notable activity against oral biofilm formation and demonstrated significant antibacterial efficacy against dental caries microorganisms as well as food pathogens. Despite methodological variations, all extracts showed significant antioxidant capacity and promising antibacterial activity against various pathogens, including resistant strains, while also inhibiting biofilm formation. Although limited to two plant species and facing methodological constraints, the study lays a groundwork for future research, indicating the therapeutic potential of O. vulgare and S. triloba extracts. Further exploration is needed to report on underlying mechanisms and validate efficacy through clinical trials.

Bacteria that have become resistant to antibiotics, also known as superbugs,pose a huge threat to the human population. This is because these developed resistance to antibiotics. Antibiotics are a type of medicine that fights bacteria by either killing it or preventing it from growing. Although antibiotics make the once deadly now easily treatable, they can become ineffective as bacteria develop resistance to the antibiotic, causing diseases to become potentially fatal once more. Thus, scientists are rushing to find solutions in this arms race against evolving bacteria by either evolving current antibiotics or discovering new stands to fight evolving bacteria. In order to discover whether bacteria can develop resistance to household antibiotics, a controlled experiment was conducted. This was done by growing bacteria on agar plates with antibiotic ointments applied (in dilution series) to see if antibiotic resistance could build. Theorizing that by lowering the concentration of over the counter antibiotics, resistant bacteria would be selected and my bacterial population would evolve antibiotic resistance.In conclusion of the experiment antibiotic resistance did appear as a trait, but the level of it was inconsistent across the different bacteria populations.

Periodic assessment of bacterial contamination is necessary as it allows proper guidance in cases of eye infections through the use of appropriate antibiotics. Due to the extensive use of antibiotic treatment, most of the contamination flora is resistant to the usual ophthalmic antibiotics. The present study shows an updated picture of the susceptibility of Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria found on the ocular surface to the most commonly used antibiotic agents in patients undergoing cataract surgery. A total of 993 patients were included in the study with ages between 44 and 98 years old. Conjunctival culture was collected 7 days before cataract surgery. The response of Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria to various antibiotic classes like glycopeptides, cephalosporins, carbapenems, fluoroquinolones, aminoglycosides, phenicols, tetracyclines, rifamycins, macrolides and penicillins was assessed. From the tested antibiotics, vancomycin had 97.8% efficacy on Gram-positive bacteria. In the cephalosporin category, we observed an increased resistance of the cefuroxime for both Gram-positive and negative bacteria. Antibiotics that have more than 90% efficacy on Gram-positive bacteria are: meropenem, imipenem, netilmicin, amikacin and rifampicin. On Gram-negative bacteria, we found 100% efficacy of all tested fluoroquinolones, aminoglycosides (except for tobramycin), doxycycline, azithromycin, clarithromycin and chloramphenicol. The current study illustrates patterns of increased resistance of certain bacteria present on ocular surface to some of the commonly used antibiotics in ophthalmological clinical practice. One such revealing example is cefuroxime, which has been highly used as an intracameral antibiotic for the prevention of bacterial endophthalmitis after cataract surgery.

Quorum sensing (QS) describes a process by which bacteria can sense the local cell density of their own species, thus enabling them to coordinate gene expression and physiological processes on a community-wide scale. Small molecules called autoinducers or QS signals, which act as intraspecies signals, mediate quorum sensing. As our knowledge of QS has progressed, so too has our understanding of the structural diversity of QS signals, along with the diversity of bacteria conducting QS and the range of ecosystems in which QS takes place. It is now also clear that QS signals are more than just intraspecies signals. QS signals mediate interactions between species of prokaryotes, and between prokaryotes and eukaryotes. In recent years, our understanding of QS signals as mediators of algae–bacteria interactions has advanced such that we are beginning to develop a mechanistic understanding of their effects. This review will summarize the recent efforts to understand how different classes of QS signals contribute to the interactions between planktonic microalgae and bacteria in our oceans, primarily N-acyl-homoserine lactones, their degradation products tetramic acids, and 2-alkyl-4-quinolones. In particular, this review will discuss the ways in which QS signals alter microalgae growth and metabolism, namely as direct effectors of photosynthesis, regulators of the cell cycle, and as modulators of other algicidal mechanisms. Furthermore, the contribution of QS signals to nutrient acquisition is discussed, and finally how microalgae can modulate these small molecules to dampen their effects.

The type 6 protein secretion system (T6SS) is prevalently utilized by Gram-negative bacteria to compete for resources and space. Upon activation, toxic effectors from this secretion system are translocated into the competitor prokaryote or eukaryote in a contact-dependent manner. While much has been reported on T6SS-mediated prokaryotic competition, very little is understood about the mechanisms of bacterial interactions with eukaryotic hosts. Likewise, many virulent T6SS effectors are known to be antibacterial. In recent years, however, evidence has emerged on numerous T6SS effectors that interact with related immunity proteins in a range of eukaryotic hosts. Insights into how this effector-immunity pairing alters the physiological responses of the recipient organism might provide opportunities relating to the T6SS agricultural and biotherapeutic applications. We, therefore, summarize the impacts of the T6SS effectors with a special focus on bacterial interactions with animals, plants, and fungi. We further briefly discuss pipelines that are currently used to characterize antieukaryotic T6SS effectors.

Multidrug resistant (MDR) bacteria have become a severe problem for public health. Developing new antibiotics for MDR bacteria is difficult, from inception to the clinically approved stage. Here, we have used a new approach; we have modified the antibiotic, ciprofloxacin (CFX), with triphenylphosphonium (TPP, PPh3) moiety via ester- (CFX-ester-PPh3) and amide-coupling (CFX-ester-PPh3), to target bacterial membranes. In this study, we have evaluated the antibacterial activities of CFX and its derivatives against 16 species of bacteria, including MDR bacteria, using minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) assay, morphological monitoring, and expression of resistance-related genes. TPP-conjugated CFX, CFX-ester-PPh3 and CFX-amide-PPh3 showed significantly improved antibacterial activity against Gram-positive bacteria, Staphylococcus aureus, including MDR S. aureus (MRSA) strains. The MRSA ST5 5016 strain showed high antibacterial activity, with an MIC values of 11.12 µg/mL for CFX-ester-PPh3 and 2.78 µg/mL for CFX-amide-PPh3. The CFX derivatives inhibited biofilm formation in MRSA by more than 74.9% of CFX-amide-PPh3. In the sub-MIC, CFX derivates induced significant morphological changes in MRSA, including irregular deformation and membrane disruption, accompanied by a decrease in the level of resistance-related gene expression. With these promising results, this method is very likely to combat MDR bacteria, through a simple TPP moiety modification of known antibiotics, which can be readily prepared at clinical sites.

Rocas Atoll is a unique environment in the Equatorial Atlantic Ocean, hosting a large number of endemic species and studies on the chemical diversity emerging from this biota are rather scarce. Therefore, the present work aims to assess the metabolomic diversity and pharmacological potential of the microbiota from Rocas Atoll. A total of 76 bacteria were isolated and cultured in liquid culture media to obtain crude extracts. About one third (34%) of these extracts were considered cytotoxic against human colon adenocarcinoma HCT-116 cell line. 16S rRNA gene sequencing analysis revealed that the bacteria producing cytotoxic extracts are mainly from the Actinobacteria phylum, including Streptomyces, Salinispora, Nocardiopsis and Brevibacterium genera, and in a smaller proportion from Firmicutes phylum (Bacillus). The search in the GNPS spectral library unveiled a high chemodiversity being produced by these bacteria, including rifamycins, antimycins, desferrioxamines, ferrioxamines, surfactins, surugamides, staurosporine and saliniketals, along with several unidentified compounds. Using an original approach, molecular network successfully highlighted groups of compounds responsible for the cytotoxicity of crude extracts. DEREPLICATOR+, a recently developed in silico tool (GNPS), allowed the identification of derivatives of the macrolide novonestimycin, as the cytotoxic compounds into the extracts produced by Streptomyces BRB-298 and BRB-302. Overall, these results highlighted the pharmacological potential of bacteria from this singular Atoll.

The highly dangerous trend of escalating bacterial resistance to modern antibiotics has evolved in recent decades, with increasingly more drug-resistant strains of pathogens emerging and spreading each year. This poses a threat to not only public health, but also to entire mankind. Marine bioresources, considered as a promising alternative to traditional antibiotics and a valuable source of biologically active compounds with high pharmacological potential, now attract increasing attention of researchers. Modern biotechnology combines the genetic engineering methods and the unusual biosynthetic pathways utilized by marine microorganisms to produce natural antibiotics. The goal of this review is to summarize the latest trends in searching for new natural antimicrobial agents based on secondary metabolites of marine bacteria. The targeted control of biosynthesis mechanisms using the metabolic engineering methods in order to create hybrid peptide synthetases or to obtain hybrid peptides by disrupting the target gene of nonribosomal synthesis becomes a noteworthy trend in modern biotechnology. This pathway is not only one of the most promising approaches to the development of new antibiotics, but also a potential target for controlling the exocrine activity of pathogenic bacteria and, consequently, their viability.

Marshes are an important ecosystem, acting as biodiversity hotspot, a carbon sink as well as a bioremediation site, breaking down anthropogenic waste such as antibiotics, metals and fertilizers. For participating in these metabolic activities and their capability to contribute to primary productivity, microorganisms in such habitats have become of interest to investigate. Since Proteobacteria were previously found to be abundant, and the waters are well-aerated and organic-rich, this study on the presence of anoxygenic phototrophic bacteria, purple non-sulfur bacteria or aerobic anoxygenic phototrophs in marshes was initiated. Samples were collected at 7 Manitoban sites and anoxygenic phototrophs were cultivated and preliminary enumerated. A group of 14 strains, which represented the phylogenetic diversity of the isolates was further physiologically investigated. Aerobic anoxygenic phototrophs and purple bacteria were present at each location and they belonged to the α- and β-Proteobacteria subphyla. Some were closely related to known heavy metal reducers (Brevundimonas) and xenobiotic decomposers (Novosphingobium, Sphingomonas). All were able to synthesize the photosynthetic complexes aerobically. This research highlights the diversity and potential contribution’s anoxygenic phototrophs make to the essential functions taking place in wetlands.

Our understanding of the divergence of bacteria, archaea, viruses, and mobile elements from the last universal common ancestor (LUCA) has not improved substantially since the crystallization hypothesis (explaining transition from cellular machinery to cellular life) was proposed by Woese. Here, we propose a hypothesis for the simultaneous emergence of bacteria, archaea, viruses, and mobile elements by sequential and concrete biochemical and cellular pathways. According to the hypothesis, the LUCA was a non-free-living pool of single operon type genomes composed of single-stranded (ss) RNA, double-stranded (ds) RNA, RNA/DNA hybrid, ssDNA, or dsDNA at an ancient submarine alkaline vent. Each dsDNA operon was transcribed by different systems in σ, TFIIB, or TBP genomes. Upon the fusion of multiple dsDNA operons by recombinase, the transcription system (in the σ, TFIIB, or TBP genome) was preferentially selected, leading to the first genetic linkage (described by Morgan). Vertical inheritance eventually led to Bacteria (σ genome) and Archaea (TBP genome). Eigen’s paradox (error catastrophe) can be overcome by the parallel gain of DNA replication and DNA repair mechanisms in both genomes. Enlarged DNA enabled efficient local biochemical reactions. Both genomes independently recruited lipids to facilitate reactions by forming coacervates (liquid droplets) at the chamber of the vent, leading to the lipid divide. Bilayer lipid membrane formation, proto-cell formation with a permeable membrane, proto-cell division, and the evolution of membrane-associated biochemistry are presented in detail. Simultaneous crystallization of systems in non-free-living bacteria and non-free-living archaea triggered the co-crystallization of primitive viruses and mobile elements. An arms race between non-free-living cells and primitive viruses finally led to free-living cells with a cell wall and mature viruses at the original vent. Cells and viruses spread to all vents on the planet, explaining the universality of the genetic code on Earth. The proposed scenario provides a plausible explanation for the origin of diverse taxa from the LUCA vertical and horizontal gene transfer.

Membrane biofouling is an inevitable challenge in membrane-based water treatment systems such as membrane bioreactors. Recent studies have shown that biological approaches based on bacterial signaling can effectively control biofilm formation. Quorum quenching (QQ) is known to inhibit biofilm growth by disrupting quorum sensing (QS) signaling, while nitric oxide (NO) signaling helps to disperse biofilms. In this study, batch biofilm experiments were conducted to investigate the impact of simultaneously applying NO signaling and QQ for biofilm control, using Pseudomonas aeruginosa PAO1 as a model microorganism. The NO treatment involved the injection of NONOates (NO donor compounds) into mature biofilms, while QQ was implemented by immobilizing QQ bacteria (Escherichia coli TOP10-AiiO or Rhodococcus sp. BH4) in alginate or polyvinyl alcohol/alginate beads to preserve the QQ activity. When AiiO and BH4 beads were applied together with (Z)-1-[N-(3-aminopropyl)-N-(n-propyl) amino] diazen-1-ium-1,2-diolate (PAPA NONOate), they achieved higher biofilm reduction compared to their individual applications. These findings highlight the significant potential of combining QQ and NO technologies for effective biofilm control across a variety of processes that require enhanced biofilm inhibition.

Methanotrophic bacteria that possess a unique ability of using methane as a sole source of carbon and energy have attracted considerable attention as potential producers of a single-cell protein. So far, this biotechnology implied using freshwater methanotrophs, although many regions of the world have limited freshwater resources. This study aimed at searching for novel methanotrophs capable of fast growth in saltwater comparable in composition with seawater. A methane-oxidizing microbial consortium containing Methylomarinum- and Methylotuvimicrobium-like methanotrophs has been enriched from a sediment of the river Chernavka (water pH 7.5, total salt content 30 g L-1), a tributary river of the hypersaline Lake Elton, southern Russia. This microbial consortium, designated Ch1, demonstrated stable growth on natural gas in a bioreactor in media with a total salt content of 23 to 35.9 g L-1 at a dilution rate of 0.19-0.21 h-1. The highest biomass yield of 5.8 g CDW/L with a protein content of 63% was obtained during continuous cultivation of the consortium Ch1 in a medium with a total salt content of 29 g L-1. Isolation attempts resulted in obtaining a pure culture of methanotrophic bacteria, strain Ch1-1. The 16S rRNA gene sequence of strain Ch1-1 displayed 97.09-97.24% similarity to the corresponding gene fragments of characterized representatives of Methylomarinum vadi, methanotrophs isolated from marine habitats. The genome of strain Ch1-1 was 4.8 Mb in size and encoded 3 rRNA operons, and about 4400 proteins. The genome contained the gene cluster coding for ectoine biosynthesis, which explains the ability of strain Ch1-1 to tolerate high salt concentration.

BMAP-18, derived from the N-terminal region of bovine myeloid antimicrobial peptide BMAP-27, demonstrated potent antimicrobial activity without cytotoxicity. This study aimed to compare the antibacterial, antibiofilm, and anti-inflammatory properties of BMAP-18, rich in aromatic phenylalanine residues, with its aliphatic analogue, BMAP-18-FL. Both aromatic BMAP-18 and aliphatic BMAP-18-FL exhibited equally potent antimicrobial activities against Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria, particularly methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and multidrug-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa (MDRPA). Mechanistic investigations employing SYTOX green uptake, DNA binding, and FACScan analysis revealed that both peptides acted by inducing membrane permeabilization and subsequent intracellular targeting. Moreover, both BMAP-18 and BMAP-18-FL effectively prevented biofilm formation and eradicated existing biofilms of MRSA and MDRPA. Notably, BMAP-18-FL displayed superior anti-inflammatory activity compared to BMAP-18, significantly reducing the expression levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines in lipopolysaccharide-stimulated macrophages. This study emphasizes the similarities and differences in the antimicrobial, antibiofilm, and anti-inflammatory properties between aromatic BMAP-18 and aliphatic BMAP-18-FL, providing valuable insights for the development of multifunctional antimicrobial peptides against drug-resistant bacteria.

Antibiotics are released into the environment either directly in an unchanged form or in a partially metabolized form. The discharge is usually through untreated waste or industrial treatment effluents. The potential concern is the uptake of these antibiotics by crops irrigated by treated wastewater. This study collected wastewater from eight points at the Pagla, Kadamtali, Dhaka treatment plant. Here we consider three crucial antibiotics, Doxycycline, Ciprofloxacin, and Tetracycline, used mainly during the last two years of the pandemic. A PDA detector was used in high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) analysis to determine the raw and processed effluent antibiotics. The most frequently seen antibiotics in natural wastewater were Doxycycline and Ciprofloxacin, with the highest concentration of 0.23µgL-1and 0.20 µgL-1(raw water), respectively. Tetracycline was not detected in natural water. Contrarily, Doxycycline was discovered in the Pagla plant's completed water and had the highest concentration (0.12 gL-1), whereas Ciprofloxacin and Tetracycline were not found in the dead water. The findings of this study showed that Doxycycline was still present in both the raw and processed effluent. Both natural and finished wastewater was subjected to a microbial-resistant test in the presence of all three antibiotics. The results revealed that the samples detected both heterotrophic bacteria and total coliform. The viable aerobic heterotrophic bacteria ranged between 5.421 and 4.754 log cfu/ml. Total bacteria load gradually decreased in the finished wastewater.

Cantharidin, a toxic monoterpene secreted by blister beetles, has long been used in traditional Chinese and modern medicine for its unique properties. However, despite its widespread use, its effects on fish have not been studied in depth. The aim of this study was to evaluate the potential therapeutic applications of cantharidin in fish by examining its antioxidant, hemoagglutinating, hemolytic and cytotoxic activities at different concentrations (0, 0.625, 1.25, 2.5, 5 and 10 μg mL-1) in three different cell lines. In addition, the study explored the bactericidal and bacteriostatic properties of cantharidin against various fish pathogenic bacteria. The results revealed that there were no significant differences in antioxidant, hemagglutinating or hemolytic activities between the different concentrations of cantharidin tested. However, the study found that cantharidin exhibited dose- and time-dependent cytotoxicity in sea bream (Sparus aurata) erythrocytes and in SAF-1, PLHC-1 and Hela cell lines, resulting in morphological changes indicative of apoptosis. Interestingly, the highest dose of cantharidin tested demonstrated potent bactericidal activity against four marine fish opportunistic bacteria, including Vibrio harveyi, V. anguillarum, Photobacterium damselae and Tenacibaculum maritimum, but no statistically significant changes in bacteriostatic activity were observed against any of the bacteria tested. Overall, these results provide valuable information on the potential therapeutic applications of cantharidin in fish aquaculture. Further research is needed to fully understand the mechanisms of action and to explore possible preventive uses of cantharidin in fish.

Antibiotic resistance is a major public health issue that requires a multifaceted approach. One potential source of antibiotic-resistant bacteria is wastewater in developing countries, which often lacks proper treatment infrastructure and can release high levels of antibiotics and antibiotic-resistant bacteria into the environment. This review article summarizes current knowledge on strategies to combat antibiotic resistance in wastewater in developing countries. Our review highlights the importance of improving wastewater treatment infrastructure to effectively remove antibiotics and antibiotic-resistant bacteria, implementing measures to reduce the release of antibiotics into the environment, and monitoring and surveillance to track the presence and spread of antibiotic-resistant bacteria in wastewater. We also discuss the potential challenges and barriers to implementing these strategies and the need for further research to determine their effectiveness in real-world settings. Overall, this review highlights the need for a comprehensive approach to address antibiotic resistance in wastewater in developing countries and underscores the importance of addressing this issue to protect public health.

Fermented milk product "Laban" in Libya is one of the most a traditional fermented milk product consumed a refreshing drink, particularly in the warm season The average values of the physicochemical including titratable acidity, pH, total solids, and fat were 0.73%, 4.16, 8.12%, and 1.54% respectively. Coliform, yeast and mold counts were 21×10⁴, 39×10⁴, and 41 ×10³ cfu/ ml., respectively. Most strains of coliform bacteria were Serratia odorifera, Escherichia coli 1, E. coli 2. and Klebsiella oxytoca. The average Lactococcus, Streptococcus, Mesophilic Lactobacillus / Leuconostoc and Thermophilic Lactobacillus counts were 99 ×10⁷, 96 ×10⁷, 93 ×10⁷ and 15 ×10⁷ cfu / ml. respectively. A total of 142 lactic acid bacteria (LAB) isolates were identified to the genus level as Lactobacillus (48.59%), Lactococcus (43.66%), Streptococcus (4.93%) and Leuconostoc (2.82%). Sugar fermentation tests revealed the most frequent Lactobacillus species found to be Lactobacillus delbrueckii ssp. lactis (62.32%), followed by Lactobacillus plantarum (31.88%). Furthermore, other selected LAB isolates were identified by API 50 CH test as Lactococcus lactis ssp. lactics, Lactobacillus pentosus, Lactobacillus brevis, and Leuconostoc mesenteroides ssp. cremoris. Thus, our research documented the lactic acid bacteria strains and will provides fundamental basic and useful information for further studies of strain selection starter culture, with regard to the industrial production of fermented dairy milk products.