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Invertebrate Microbiology | SpotlightTwo Photolyases Repair Distinct DNA Lesions and Reactivate UVB-Inactivated Conidia of an Insect Mycopathogen under Visible LightProtecting fungal cells from damage from solar UVB irradiation is critical for development and application of fungal insecticides but is mechanistically not understood in Beauveria bassiana, a classic insect pathogen. We unveil that two intranuclear photolyases, Phr1 and Phr2, play essential roles in repairing UVB-induced dsDNA lesions through respective decomposition...
Food MicrobiologyBrettanomyces bruxellensis SSU1 Haplotypes Confer Different Levels of Sulfite Tolerance When Expressed in a Saccharomyces cerevisiae SSU1 Null MutantBrettanomyces bruxellensis is one of the most important wine spoilage microorganisms, with the use of sulfite being the major method to control spoilage. However, this species displays a wide intraspecies distribution in sulfite tolerance, with some strains capable of tolerating high concentrations of SO2, with relatively high concentrations of this...
Public and Environmental Health Microbiology | SpotlightLoss of Function in Escherichia coli Exposed to Environmentally Relevant Concentrations of Benzalkonium ChlorideExposure to very low concentrations of biocides in the environment is a poorly understood risk factor for antimicrobial resistance. Repeated exposure to trace levels of the biocide benzalkonium chloride (BAC) resulted in loss of function (motility) and a general reduction in bacterial fitness but relatively minor decreases in susceptibility. These changes were accompanied by widespread changes in the...
BiodegradationCopper in Wood Preservatives Delayed Wood Decomposition and Shifted Soil Fungal but Not Bacterial Community CompositionCopper-containing rather than TRIQAC formulations are efficient wood preservatives irrespective of the origin and composition of the soil microbial communities. However, some fungi appear to be naturally insensitive to copper and should be the focus of future wood preservative formulations to facilitate the life span of wooden construction in contact with soil while also minimizing the overall environmental impact.
Public and Environmental Health MicrobiologyPopulation Genetics and Characterization of Campylobacter jejuni Isolates from Western Jackdaws and Game Birds in FinlandThe roles of environmental reservoirs, including wild birds, in the molecular epidemiology of Campylobacter jejuni have not been assessed in depth. Our results showed that game birds may pose a risk for acquiring campylobacteriosis, because they had C. jejuni genomotypes highly similar to human...
Public and Environmental Health MicrobiologyChlortetracycline Enhances Tonsil Colonization and Fecal Shedding of Multidrug-Resistant Salmonella enterica Serovar Typhimurium DT104 without Major Alterations to the Porcine Tonsillar and Intestinal MicrobiotaSalmonella spp. are an important cause of foodborne illness in North America, and pork products are associated with sporadic cases and outbreaks of human salmonellosis. Isolates of Salmonella may be resistant to multiple antibiotics, and infections with multidrug-resistant (MDR) Salmonella spp. are more difficult to treat, leading to increased...
PhysiologyGalactose Impacts the Size and Intracellular Composition of the Asaccharolytic Oral Pathobiont Porphyromonas gingivalisEnvironmental perturbations are central to the ability of pathobionts, such as Porphyromonas gingivalis, to promote the development of diseased sites. In the case of periodontal disease, increased local pH, a shift to anaerobic surroundings, and the accumulation of Gram-negative anaerobes at the expense of Gram-positive cocci are known ecological fluctuations...
Genetics and Molecular BiologyNovel Two-Component System MacRS Is a Pleiotropic Regulator That Controls Multiple Morphogenic Membrane Protein Genes in Streptomyces coelicolorTCSs help bacteria adapt to environmental stresses by altering gene expression. However, the roles and corresponding regulatory mechanisms of most TCSs in the Streptomyces model strain S. coelicolor are unknown. We investigated the previously uncharacterized MacRS TCS and identified the core DNA recognition sequence, two seven-nucleotide inverted repeats, for...
Microbial EcologyMicrobial Organic Matter Degradation Potential in Baltic Sea Sediments Is Influenced by Depositional Conditions and In Situ GeochemistrySediments sequester organic matter over geologic time scales and impact global climate regulation. Microbial communities in marine sediments drive organic matter degradation, but the factors controlling their assemblages and activities, which in turn impact their role in organic matter degradation, are not well understood. Hence, determining the role of microbial communities in carbon cycling in various sediment types is necessary for...
Evolutionary and Genomic Microbiology | SpotlightResistance Gene Carriage Predicts Growth of Natural and Clinical Escherichia coli Isolates in the Absence of AntibioticsManaging the spread of antibiotic resistance in bacterial pathogens is a major challenge for global public health. Central to this challenge is understanding whether resistance is linked to impaired bacterial growth in the absence of antibiotics, because this determines whether resistance declines when bacteria are no longer exposed to antibiotics. We studied 92 isolates of the key bacterial pathogen...