Bacteria AND essential genes

Metabolites and compounds derived from gut-associated bacteria can modulate numerous physiological processes in the host, including immunity and behavior. Using a model of oral bacterial infection, we previously demonstrated that gut-derived peptidoglycan (PGN), an essential constituent of the bacterial cell envelope, influences female fruit fly egg-laying behavior by activating the NF-κB cascade in a subset of brain neurons. These findings underscore PGN as a potential mediator of communication between gut bacteria and the brain in Drosophila, prompting further investigation into its impact on all brain cells...

Cnidarians, such as corals and sea anemones, associate with a wide range of bacteria that have essential functions, including nutrient cycling and the production of antimicrobial compounds. Within cnidarians, bacteria can colonize all microhabitats including the tissues. Among them are obligate intracellular bacteria of the phylum Chlamydiota (chlamydiae) whose impact on cnidarian hosts and holobionts, especially corals, remain unknown. Here, we conducted a meta-analysis of previously published 16S rRNA gene metabarcoding data from cnidarians (e...

Glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH or Gap) is a ubiquitous enzyme essential for carbon and energy metabolism in most organisms. Despite its primary role in sugar metabolism, GAPDH is recognized for its involvement in diverse cellular processes, being considered a paradigm among multifunctional/moonlighting proteins. Besides its canonical cytoplasmic location, GAPDH has been detected on cell surfaces or as a secreted protein in prokaryotes, yet little is known about its possible roles in plant symbiotic bacteria...

BACKGROUND: The in-depth understanding of the role of lateral genetic transfer (LGT) in phage-prophage interactions is essential to rationalizing phage applications for human and animal therapy, as well as for food and environmental safety. This in silico study aimed to detect LGT between phages of potential industrial importance and their hosts. METHODS: A large array of genetic recombination detection algorithms, implemented in SplitsTree and RDP4, was applied to detect LGT between various Escherichia, Listeria, Salmonella, Campylobacter, Staphylococcus, Pseudomonas, and Vibrio phages and their hosts...

BACKGROUND: Taurine, a semi-essential micronutrient, could be utilized as a sulfur source for some bacteria; however, little is known about its effect on the accumulation of fermentation products. Here, it investigated the effect of taurine on co-production of bioethanol and Monascus azaphilone pigments (MonAzPs) for a fungus. RESULTS: A newly isolated fungus of 98.92% identity with Monascus purpureus co-produced 23.43 g/L bioethanol and 66.12, 78.01 and 62...

This study investigated the effects of crayfish shell powder (CSP) and bamboo-derived biochar (BDB) on nitrogen metabolism, bacterial community and nitrogen functional genes during pig manure composting. Four treatments were established: CP (with no additives), TP1 (5 % BDB), TP2 (5 % CSP) and TP3 (2.5 % BDB + 2.5 % CSP). Compared to CP, the germination index (GI) of TP reached > 85 % 10 days earlier. Meanwhile, TP3 reduced NH3 and N2 O emissions by 42...

Antibiotics are designed to effectively treat bacterial infections while minimizing harm to the human body. They work by targeting specific components of bacteria or by disrupting essential processes such as cell wall synthesis, membrane function, protein production, and metabolic pathways. However, the misuse and overuse of antibiotics have led to the emergence of drug resistance in humans, animals, and agriculture, contributing to the global spread of this problem. Drug resistance can be either innate or acquired, with acquired resistance involving changes in the bacterial chromosomes or transferable elements...

UNLABELLED: Plasmids play important roles in microbial ecosystems, serving as carriers of antibiotic resistance and virulence. In the laboratory, they are essential tools for genetic manipulation and recombinant protein expression. We uncovered an intriguing survival phenotype in a fraction of the bacterial population while using plasmid-mediated arabinose-inducible gene expression to monitor the production of toxic ParE proteins. This phenotype was not correlated with changes to the plasmid sequence and could not be rescued by increasing arabinose uptake...

Soil carbon loss is likely to increase due to climate warming, but microbiomes and microenvironments may dampen this effect. In a 30-year warming experiment, physical protection within soil aggregates affected the thermal responses of soil microbiomes and carbon dynamics. In this study, we combined metagenomic analysis with physical characterization of soil aggregates to explore mechanisms by which microbial communities respond to climate warming across different soil microenvironments. Long-term warming decreased the relative abundances of genes involved in degrading labile compounds (e...

The rapid increase of antimicrobial resistant bacteria in humans and livestock is concerning. Antimicrobials are essential for the treatment of disease in modern day medicine and their misuse in humans and food animals has contributed to an increase in the prevalence of antimicrobial resistant bacteria. Globally, antimicrobial resistance is recognized as an One-health problem affecting humans, animals and environment. Enterococcal species are gram positive bacteria that are widely distributed in nature. Their occurrence, prevalence and persistence across the One-health continuum make them an ideal candidate to study antimicrobial resistance from a One-health perspective...

Bacteria are exposed to reactive oxygen and nitrogen species that provoke oxidative and nitrosative stress which can lead to macromolecule damage. Coping with stress conditions involves the adjustment of cellular responses, which helps to address metabolic challenges. In this study, we performed a global transcriptomic analysis of the response of Pseudomonas extremaustralis to nitrosative stress, induced by S-nitrosoglutathione (GSNO), a nitric oxide donor, under microaerobic conditions. The analysis revealed the upregulation of genes associated with inositol catabolism; a compound widely distributed in nature whose metabolism in bacteria has aroused interest...

Copper is an essential trace element for all aerobic organisms because of its unique biological functions. In recent years, researchers have discovered that copper can induce cell death through various regulatory mechanisms, thereby inducing inflammation. Efforts have also been made to alter the chemical structure of copper to achieve either anticancer or anti-inflammatory effects. The copper ion can exhibit bactericidal effects by interfering with the integrity of the cell membrane and promoting oxidative stress...

RNAi plays a crucial role in insect gene function research and pest control field. Nonetheless, the variable efficiency of RNAi across diverse insects and off-target effects also limited its further application. In this study, we cloned six essential housekeeping genes from Solenopsis invicta and conducted RNAi experiments by orally administering dsRNA. Then, we found that mixing with liposomes significantly enhanced the RNAi efficiency by targeting for SiV-ATPaseE . Additionally, we observed a certain lethal effect of this dsRNA on queens by our established RNAi system...

Bacterial persistence in the rhizosphere and colonisation of root niches are critical for the establishment of many beneficial plant-bacteria interactions including those between Rhizobium leguminosarum and its host legumes. Despite this, most studies on R. leguminosarum have focused on its symbiotic lifestyle as an endosymbiont in root nodules. Here, we use random barcode transposon sequencing (RB-TnSeq) to assay gene contributions of R. leguminosarum during competitive growth in the rhizosphere and colonisation of various plant species...

Peptidoglycan (PG) and most surface glycopolymers and their modifications are built in the cytoplasm on the lipid carrier undecaprenyl phosphate (UndP). These lipid-linked precursors are then flipped across the membrane and polymerized or directly transferred to surface polymers, lipids, or proteins. Despite its essential role in envelope biogenesis, UndP is maintained at low levels in the cytoplasmic membrane. The mechanisms by which bacteria distribute this limited resource among competing pathways is currently unknown...

Biofilms, which consist of microorganisms enclosed in an extracellular polymeric material (EPS), hold immense importance in the fields of environmental research, industry, and medicine. They play a significant role in ecosystem dynamics and stability, but they also pose issues such as biofouling, corrosion, and pollution. Biofilms in medical environments are linked to persistent infections and elevated healthcare expenses. The EPS matrix plays a crucial role in maintaining the structural integrity and antibiotic resistance of these structures...

Ammonia-oxidising archaea and nitrite-oxidising bacteria are common members of marine sponge microbiomes. They derive energy for carbon fixation and growth from nitrification - the aerobic oxidation of ammonia to nitrite and further to nitrate - and are proposed to play essential roles in the carbon and nitrogen cycling of sponge holobionts. In this study, we characterise two novel nitrifying symbiont lineages, Candidatus Nitrosokoinonia and Candidatus Nitrosymbion in the marine sponge Coscinoderma matthewsi using a combination of molecular tools, in situ visualisation, and physiological rate measurements...

Antibiotic resistance has emerged as a significant global public health issue, driven by the rapid adaptation of microorganisms to commonly prescribed antibiotics. Colistin, previously regarded as a last-resort antibiotic for treating infections caused by Gram-negative bacteria, is increasingly becoming resistant due to chromosomal mutations and the acquisition of resistance genes carried by plasmids, particularly the mcr genes. The mobile colistin resistance gene ( mcr -1) was first discovered in E. coli from China in 2016...

The composition of microbiota in the digestive tract gut is essential for insect physiology, homeostasis, and pathogen infection. Little is known about the interactions between microbiota load and oral infection with baculoviruses. CnmeGV is an obligative baculovirus to Cnaphalocrocis medinalis . We investigated the impact of CnmeGV infection on the structure of intestinal microbes of C. medinalis during the initial infection stage. The results revealed that the gut microbiota profiles were dynamically driven by pathogen infection of CnmeGV...

The global rise of zoonotic bacteria resistant to multiple antimicrobial classes and the growing occurrence of infections caused by Aeromonas spp. resistant to β-lactam antibiotics pose a severe threat to animal and human health. However, the contribution of natural environments, particularly aquatic ecosystems, as ideal settings for the development and spread of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a key concern. Investigating the phenotypic antibiotic resistance and detection of β-lactamase producing Aeromonas spp...