Latest Articles
Environmental MicrobiologyAdditional Role of Nicotinic Acid Hydroxylase for the Transformation of 3-Succinoyl-Pyridine by Pseudomonas sp. Strain JY-Q3-Succinoyl-pyridine (SP) and 6-hydroxy-3-succinoyl-pyridine (HSP) are both valuable chemical precursors to produce insecticides and hypotensive agents. SP and HSP could be renewable through the nicotine microbial degradation pathway, in which 3-succinoylpyridine monooxygenases (Spm) account for transforming SP into HSP in Pseudomonas sp. strain JY-Q.
Public and Environmental Health MicrobiologyLong-Term Survival of Virulent Tularemia Pathogens outside a Host in Conditions That Mimic Natural Aquatic EnvironmentsTularemia, a disease caused by the environmental bacterium Francisella tularensis, is characterized by acute febrile illness. F. tularensis is highly infectious: as few as 10 organisms can cause human disease. Tularemia is not known to be spread from person to person.
Biotechnology | SpotlightDiscovery and Functional Analysis of a Salicylic Acid Hydroxylase from Aspergillus nigerNonrenewable petroleum sources are being depleted, and therefore, alternative sources are needed. Plant biomass is one of the most abundant renewable sources on Earth and is efficiently degraded by fungi.
Physiology | SpotlightFormate-Dependent Heterodisulfide Reduction in a Methanomicrobiales ArchaeonMethanogens from the order Methanomicrobiales are thought to prefer H2 as an electron donor for growth. They are ubiquitous in anaerobic environments, such as in wastewater treatment facilities, anaerobic digesters, and the rumen, where they catalyze the terminal steps in the breakdown of organic matter.
Environmental MicrobiologyLighting Effects on the Development and Diversity of Photosynthetic Biofilm Communities in Carlsbad Cavern, New MexicoArtificial lighting in caves visited by tourists (“show caves”) can stimulate photosynthetic algae and cyanobacteria, called “lampenflora,” which are unsightly and damage speleothems and other cave surfaces. The most common mitigation strategy employs bleach, but altering intensities and wavelengths of light might be effective and less harsh.
MethodsPortable CRISPR-Cas9N System for Flexible Genome Engineering in Lactobacillus acidophilus, Lactobacillus gasseri, and Lactobacillus paracaseiThis work describes the development of a lactobacillus CRISPR-based editing system for genome manipulations in three Lactobacillus species belonging to the lactic acid bacteria (LAB), which are commonly known for their long history of use in food fermentations and as indigenous members of healthy microbiotas and for their emerging roles in human and animal commercial health-promoting applications. We exploited the established...
BiotechnologyA CRISPR/Cas9-Mediated, Homology-Independent Tool Developed for Targeted Genome Integration in Yarrowia lipolyticaThis study describes the development and optimization of a homology-independent targeted genome integration tool mediated by CRISPR/Cas9 in Yarrowia lipolytica. This tool does not require the construction of homologous templates and can be used to rapidly verify genetic elements and to iteratively integrate multiple-gene pathways in...
Environmental MicrobiologyIn Vitro Assessment of Antimicrobial Resistance Dissemination Dynamics during Multidrug-Resistant-Bacterium Invasion Events by Using a Continuous-Culture DeviceAntimicrobial resistance poses a grave threat to public health and reduces the effectiveness of antimicrobial drugs in treating bacterial infections. Antimicrobial resistance is transmissible, either by horizontal gene transfer between bacteria or by vertical gene transfer following inheritance of genetic traits.
BiodegradationThe Operon Encoding Hydrolytic Dehalogenation of 4-Chlorobenzoate Is Transcriptionally Regulated by the TetR-Type Repressor FcbR and Its Ligand 4-Chlorobenzoyl Coenzyme AThe bacterial hydrolytic dehalogenation of 4CBA is a special CoA-activation-type catabolic pathway that plays an important role in the biodegradation of polychlorinated biphenyls and some herbicides. With genetic and biochemical approaches, the present study identified the transcriptional repressor and its cognate effector of a 4CBA hydrolytic dehalogenation operon.
Public and Environmental Health MicrobiologyListeria spp. Isolated from Tonsils of Wild Deer and Boars: Genomic CharacterizationListeria monocytogenes is a foodborne bacterial pathogen responsible for listeriosis. Whole-genome sequencing has been extensively used in public health and food industries to characterize circulating Listeria isolates, but genomic data on isolates occurring in natural environments and wild animals are still scarce.