Latest Articles
- PhysiologyIntegrated Transcriptome Sequencing (RNA-seq) and Proteomic Studies Reveal Resource Reallocation towards Energy Metabolism and Defense in Skeletonema marinoi in Response to CO2 Increase
Rising atmospheric CO2 concentrations are causing ocean acidification with significant consequences for marine organisms. Chain-forming centric diatoms of Skeletonema is one of the most successful groups of eukaryotic primary producers with widespread geographic distribution.
- Environmental MicrobiologyMethod for Measuring Phenotypic Colistin Resistance in Escherichia coli Populations from Chicken Flocks
Colistin (polymyxin E) is an antimicrobial with poor solubility in agar-based media, and therefore, broth microdilution is the only available method for determining phenotypic resistance. However, estimating colistin resistance in mixed Escherichia coli populations is laborious, since it requires individual colony isolation, identification, and susceptibility testing...
- MinireviewThe Roseobacter-Group Bacterium Phaeobacter as a Safe Probiotic Solution for Aquaculture
Phaeobacter inhibens has been assessed as a probiotic bacterium for application in aquaculture. Studies addressing the efficacy and safety indicate that P. inhibens maintains it antagonistic activity against pathogenic vibrios in aquaculture live cultures (live feed and fish egg/larvae), while having no or a positive effect on the host organisms and a minor...
- BiotechnologySimultaneous Directed Evolution of Coupled Enzymes for Efficient Asymmetric Synthesis of l-Phosphinothricin
The traditional strategy to improve multienzyme-catalyzed reaction efficiencies may lead to enhanced single-enzyme catalytic efficiencies but may also result in the loss of coordination among enzymes. We describe a directed evolution strategy for an entire coupled-enzyme system to simultaneously enhance enzyme coordination and catalytic efficiency.
- Environmental Microbiology | SpotlightEvolution of Diverse Effective N2-Fixing Microsymbionts of Cicer arietinum following Horizontal Transfer of the Mesorhizobium ciceri CC1192 Symbiosis Integrative and Conjugative Element
Symbiotic N2 fixation is a key component of sustainable agriculture, and in many parts of the world legumes are inoculated with highly efficient strains of rhizobia to maximize fixed N2 inputs into farming systems. Symbiosis genes for Mesorhizobium spp. are often carried chromosomally within mobile gene clusters called ICEs.
- Environmental MicrobiologyAspergillus fumigatus Cross-Resistance between Clinical and Demethylase Inhibitor Azole Drugs
Due to the worldwide emergence of A. fumigatus azole resistance, this opportunistic pathogen poses a serious health threat, and therefore, it has been included in the watch list in the CDC publication Antibiotic Resistance Threats in the United States, 2019 (CDC, 2019). Azoles play a critical role in the control and management of fungal diseases, not only in...
- Microbial EcologyA Large Tn7-like Transposon Confers Hyperresistance to Copper in Pseudomonas syringae pv. syringae
Copper compounds have traditionally been used as standard bactericides in agriculture in the past few decades. However, the extensive use of copper has fostered the evolution of bacterial copper resistance mechanisms. Pseudomonas syringae is a plant-pathogenic bacterium used worldwide as a model to study plant-pathogen interactions.
- Invertebrate Microbiology | SpotlightCry75Aa (Mpp75Aa) Insecticidal Proteins for Controlling the Western Corn Rootworm, Diabrotica virgifera virgifera LeConte (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae), Isolated from the Insect-Pathogenic Bacterium Brevibacillus laterosporus
Insects feeding on roots of crops can damage the plant roots, resulting in yield loss due to poor water and nutrient uptake and plant lodging. In maize, the western corn rootworm (WCR) can cause severe damage to the roots, resulting in significant economic loss for farmers.
- Food MicrobiologyInfluence of Single Nitrogen Compounds on Growth and Fermentation Performance of Starmerella bacillaris and Saccharomyces cerevisiae during Alcoholic Fermentation
Mixed fermentations combining non-Saccharomyces and S. cerevisiae strains are increasingly implemented in the wine sector, as they offer promising opportunities to diversify the flavor profile of end products. However, competition for nutrients between species can cause fermentation problems, which is a severe hindrance to the development of these approaches...
- Environmental Microbiology | SpotlightMyxococcus xanthus Predation of Gram-Positive or Gram-Negative Bacteria Is Mediated by Different Bacteriolytic Mechanisms...
Predation is an important survival strategy of the widespread myxobacteria, but it remains poorly understood on the mechanistic level. Without a basic understanding of how prey cell killing and consumption is achieved, it also remains difficult to investigate the role of predation for the complex myxobacterial lifestyle, reciprocal predator-prey relationships, or the impact of predation on complex bacterial soil communities.