Latest Articles
Genetics and Molecular BiologyCmAim24 Is Essential for Mitochondrial Morphology, Conidiogenesis, and Mycoparasitism in Coniothyrium minitansAim24 proteins are involved in mitochondrial biogenesis and accumulate between the two membranes of a mitochondrion. Their function in prokaryotes and filamentous fungi is as yet unknown. In the present study, we characterized an Aim24 protein, CmAim24, in the mycoparasite Coniothyrium minitans and proved its critical role in mitochondrial morphology and function, conidiogenesis, conidial germination, and mycoparasitism to ...
Microbial EcologyShort-Term Nitrogen Fertilization Affects Microbial Community Composition and Nitrogen Mineralization Functions in an Agricultural SoilAgricultural N management practices influence the enzymatic activities involved in N mineralization. However, specific enzyme activities do not identify the microbial species directly involved in the measured process, leaving the link between the composition of the microbial community and the production of key enzymes poorly understood. In this study, the application of high-throughput sequencing, real-time PCR, and metagenomics shed...
Food MicrobiologyPerformance and Accuracy of Four Open-Source Tools for In Silico Serotyping of Salmonella spp. Based on Whole-Genome Short-Read Sequencing DataSalmonella spp. are important foodborne pathogens. To reduce the number of infected patients, it is essential to understand which subtypes of the bacteria cause disease outbreaks. Traditionally, characterization of Salmonella requires serological testing, a laboratory method by which Salmonella isolates can be classified into over 2,600 distinct subtypes, called serovars. Due to recent advances in whole-genome...
Food MicrobiologyNonthermal Plasma Induces the Viable-but-Nonculturable State in Staphylococcus aureus via Metabolic Suppression and the Oxidative Stress ResponseIn recent years, nonthermal plasma (NTP) technology has received a lot of attention as a promising alternative to thermal pasteurization in the food industry. However, little is known about the microbial stress response toward NTP, which could be a potential risk to food safety and impede the development of NTP. A viable but nonculturable (VBNC) state is one of the most common survival strategies employed by microorganisms against...
Food MicrobiologyAttenuated Lactococcus lactis and Surface Bacteria as Tools for Conditioning the Microbiota and Driving the Ripening of Semisoft Caciotta CheeseThis study provides in-depth knowledge of the effects of attenuated starters and surface bacterial strains on the microbiota and related metabolic activities during cheese ripening. The use of attenuated Lc. lactis strongly impacted the microbiota assembly of caciotta cheese. This led to improved biochemical and sensory features compared to conventional cheese. Among...
BiodegradationTranscriptomic and Proteomic Responses of the Organohalide-Respiring Bacterium Desulfoluna spongiiphila to Growth with 2,6-Dibromophenol as the Electron AcceptorRespiratory reductive dehalogenation is an important process in the overall cycling of both anthropogenic and natural organohalide compounds. Marine sponges produce a vast array of bioactive compounds as secondary metabolites, including diverse halogenated compounds that may enrich for dehalogenating bacteria. Desulfoluna spongiiphila strain AA1 was originally...
Microbial EcologyCore Rhizosphere Microbiomes of Dryland Wheat Are Influenced by Location and Land Use HistoryPlant-associated microbiomes are critical for plant health and other important agroecosystem processes. We assessed the bacterial and fungal microbiomes of wheat grown in soils from across a dryland wheat cropping systems in eastern Washington to identify the core microbiome on wheat roots that is consistent across soils from different locations and land use histories. Moreover, cross-domain co-occurrence network analysis identified...
Food Microbiology | SpotlightLaeA Controls Citric Acid Production through Regulation of the Citrate Exporter-Encoding cexA Gene in Aspergillus luchuensis mut. kawachiiA. kawachii has been traditionally used for production of the distilled spirit shochu in Japan. Citric acid produced by A. kawachii plays an important role in preventing microbial contamination during the shochu fermentation process. This study characterized homologous laeA genes; using CAGE, complementation tests, and ChIP-qPCR, it was found that laeA is required for citric acid production through...
Public and Environmental Health MicrobiologyMethicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus Strains in Swiss Pigs and Their Relation to Isolates from Farmers and VeterinariansMRSA is an important human pathogen; thus, its increasing prevalence in livestock over the last decade has a potentially large impact on public health. Farmers and veterinarians are especially at risk due to their close contact with animals. Our work demonstrates a dramatic increase in MRSA prevalence in Swiss pigs, from 2% in 2009 to 44% in 2017. Whole-genome sequencing allowed us to show a close association between farmer and pig...
Public and Environmental Health MicrobiologyShifts in the Molecular Epidemiology of Campylobacter jejuni Infections in a Sentinel Region of New Zealand following Implementation of Food Safety Interventions by the Poultry IndustryThis study provides a unique insight into the effects of food safety interventions implemented in one sector of the food industry on the transmission routes of a major foodborne agent. Following the implementation of food safety interventions by the poultry industry, shifts in the molecular epidemiology of Campylobacter jejuni infections in a sentinel region of New...