Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Steven G. Harrellson, Michael S. DeLay, Xi Chen, Ahmet-Hamdi Cavusoglu, Jonathan Dworkin, Howard A. Stone, Ozgur Sahin
Summary: Hygroscopic biological matter in plants, fungi and bacteria plays a significant role in Earth's biomass. These materials exchange water with the environment, exhibit similar mechanical behaviors controlled by the hydration force, and can give rise to a distinct class of solid matter called "hydration solid".
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
J. Dikec, M. Pacheco, M. Lavaud, P. Winckler, J. M. Perrier-Cornet
Summary: Dipicolinic acid (DPA) is an important molecule in bacterial spores, contributing to their resistance to UV exposure and germination. The photochemistry and effects of DPA photoproducts (DPAp) are still not well understood. Recent studies have identified a few DPAp, but their impact on spores remains unclear. This study artificially introduced DPAp into Bacillus subtilis spores and found that some DPAp can improve spore germination rate, kinetics, and resistance to UV exposure.
JOURNAL OF PHOTOCHEMISTRY AND PHOTOBIOLOGY B-BIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Francesca Sartor, Xinming Xu, Tanja Popp, Antony N. Dodd, Akos T. Kovacs, Martha Merrow
Summary: This study investigates the circadian clock in Bacillus subtilis and discovers its complexity. The circadian rhythm in B. subtilis can be regulated by blue and red light, exhibiting characteristics of circadian entrainment. These findings suggest that circadian rhythms are a common feature in this prokaryotic species and its circadian system responds to the environment in a similar way to multicellular eukaryotic circadian systems.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Sophie Blinker, Jocelyne Vreede, Peter Setlow, Stanley Brul
Summary: Bacillus subtilis forms dormant spores upon nutrient depletion, with GerA as the major germinant receptor. GerA consists of three subunits and activation by L-alanine requires all three subunits. Structural predictions for the integral membrane protein GerAB indicate it is an alpha-helical transmembrane protein containing a water channel. Free L-alanine binds transiently to specific sites on GerAB in molecular dynamics simulations, providing a starting point for understanding L-alanine mediated signaling by GerAB in spore germination.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2021)
Article
Chemistry, Analytical
Rasmus Oberg, Tobias Dahlberg, Dmitry Malyshev, Magnus Andersson
Summary: This study investigates the use of isotope labeling and Raman microscopy as a rapid and cost-effective method for monitoring spore metabolic activity and sterilization verification. The appearance of a Raman peak related to C-D bonds in the spores, along with the observation of the first cell division, suggests low metabolic activity during germination. Additionally, the addition of 30% heavy water did not affect the germination and cell growth rate of the spores.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Alice Miral, Sylvain Fournet, Catherine Porte, Aurelie Sauvager, Josselin Montarry, Sophie Tomasi, Sylvain Tranchimand
Summary: Healthy food is a major challenge for the development of this century, with plant-parasitic nematodes causing significant damage to global crop yields. The use of chemical nematicides for control is no longer environmentally sustainable, and biocontrol methods, such as biopesticides derived from living organisms, offer a promising alternative. This study focuses on the underexploited ecological niche of lichen microecosystems to develop new plant protection products. The lichen-associated bacterial suspensions from Paenibacillus etheri are investigated for their potential as nematicides against two nematode species, and the effects of volatile organic compounds produced by the bacteria are evaluated.
Article
Microbiology
Anella Saggese, Giovanni Di Gregorio Barletta, Maria Vittoria, Giuliana Donadio, Rachele Isticato, Loredana Baccigalupi, Ezio Ricca
Summary: The CotG protein in the Bacillus subtilis spore coat controls spore permeability through its central region of positively charged tandem repeats. The presence of central repeats is a common feature in CotG-like proteins in most Bacillus species. This study contributes to the understanding of the structure and function of bacterial spores.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Fei Peng, Yuqiang Xiang, Hui Wang, Yanjie Hu, Rui Zhou, Yonggang Hu
Summary: Vaccines, especially subunit vaccines, are crucial for defending against infectious diseases. The Bacillus amyloliquefaciens spore@zeolitic imidazolate framework-8 (ZIF-8) vaccine platform, with ovalbumin (OVA) encapsulated in the ZIF-8 shells, shows several advantages and enhances immunization efficacy.
Article
Microbiology
Audrey Hamiot, Christelle Lemy, Frederic Krzewinski, Christine Faille, Thomas Dubois
Summary: Spore-forming bacteria of the Bacillus subtilis group are responsible for recurrent contamination of processing lines in the food industry. The study found that sporulation conditions affect the surface and adhesion properties of B. subtilis spores.
FRONTIERS IN MICROBIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Microbiology
Jingqi Chen, Auke J. van Heel, Oscar P. Kuipers
Summary: A membrane-associated lanthipeptide synthetase complex was studied in rod-shaped cells, revealing the spatial distribution and dynamics of NisT, NisB, and NisC along the cell periphery, with highly colocalized NisBTC proteins. Isolation of the biosynthetic complex corroborated that the bright foci were sites for nisin maturation and transportation.
Article
Immunology
Joe James, Stephanie M. Meyer, Huynh A. Hong, Chau Dang, Ho T. Y. Linh, William Ferreira, Paidamoyo M. Katsande, Linh Vo, Daniel Hynes, William Love, Ashley C. Banyard, Simon M. Cutting
Summary: This study found that nasal dosing using heat-stable spores can reduce clinical symptoms of influenza infection and decrease viral shedding in animals. This approach may have important implications for influenza prophylaxis in both humans and animals.
Article
Materials Science, Biomaterials
Zhi-Lun Liu, Xi Chen
Summary: Peptidoglycan, the major structural component of bacterial spores, has been found to regulate the spore's water content and deformations in response to changes in relative humidity. The cortex peptidoglycan plays a dominant role in the spores' water-content-dependent morphological and mechanical properties. The ability of cortex peptidoglycan to sense and respond to environmental humidity, and effectively change its structures and properties, provides insights into spores' high desiccation resistance and dormancy mechanisms.
ACS BIOMATERIALS SCIENCE & ENGINEERING
(2022)
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Anella Saggese, Loredana Baccigalupi, Giuliana Donadio, Ezio Ricca, Rachele Isticato
Summary: The development of efficient mucosal vaccines relies on appropriate vectors. The bacterial spore has been proposed as a vaccine delivery system, displaying antigens on its surface and inducing specific immune responses in animals. The advantages and drawbacks of using the spore and different approaches to display antigens are discussed.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2023)
Article
Microbiology
Brandon Byrd, Emily Camilleri, George Korza, D. Levi Craft, Joshua Green, Maria Rocha Granados, Wendy W. K. Mok, Melissa J. Caimano, Peter Setlow
Summary: Research on spores of firmicute species revealed that only about 6% of mRNAs in spores are present at >= 1 molecule/spore, with many abundant spore mRNAs encoding proteins similar to those in Bacillus subtilis spores. These findings suggest that the main function of these mRNAs is to be degraded to generate ribonucleotides when spores germinate, rather than being translated into proteins.
JOURNAL OF BACTERIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Chemistry, Applied
Jinglin Ding, Shufan Zeng, Yueqing Wang, Xiaoyu Yin, Bo Zhang, Bolin Zhang, Shandong Xu, Yanyan Zhang, Jiangfu Zheng, Junfeng Fan, Mengze Wang
Summary: This study developed a green hydrothermally-chelating approach to generate robust antimicrobial complexes via metal-coordinated supramolecular self-assembly of cyclic lipopeptides (CLs). The Ca/CL and Zn/CL complexes showed potent antibacterial activity against fungi (A. niger) and bacteria (E. coli and S. aureus), and effectively prevented microbial resistance. This coordination approach led to CL with enhanced hydrophobic and intermolecular electrostatic interactions, forming secondary structures that allowed the complexes to easily interact with and destroy the membrane of microorganisms.
