Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Valeriya Romanova, Maria Markelova, Eugenia Boulygina, Maria Siniagina, Rudolf Mueller, Tatiana Grigoryeva, Alexander Laikov
Summary: The study isolated the Tsukamurella tyrosinosolvens PS2 strain from petrochemical sludge and found that it possesses two alkane oxidation systems. The expression of different proteins in the strain was compared during growth on sucrose and hexadecane, revealing that hexadecane induces the expression of alkane monooxygenases and other related proteins. This study sheds light on alkane degradation in other members of the Actinobacteria class.
APPLIED MICROBIOLOGY AND BIOTECHNOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Muhammad Arslan, Jochen A. Mueller, Mohamed Gamal El-Din
Summary: Biofiltration with petroleum coke as a substratum is being increasingly used for the treatment of oil sands process water. However, anaerobic digestion of dissolved organics in the fixed bed biofilters leads to poor removal of naphthenic acids. In this study, the operation of biofilters was modified by supporting the filtering bed with aerobic naphthenic acid-degrading bacteria to improve the remediation of oil sands process water.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Xue Guo, Jianxiu Zhang, Lei Han, Juliet Lee, Shoshana C. C. Williams, Allison Forsberg, Yan Xu, Rachel Narehood Austin, Liang Feng
Summary: This study reports the cryo-EM structure of AlkB, which provides insight into its catalytic mechanism and substrate selectivity. Alkanes are the most energy-rich form of carbon and widely dispersed in the environment. AlkB, a membrane-spanning metalloenzyme, plays a critical role in the global carbon cycle and the bioremediation of oil by converting straight chain alkanes to alcohols.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2023)
Article
Microbiology
Lina Lyu, Jie Li, Yu Chen, Zhimao Mai, Lin Wang, Qiqi Li, Si Zhang
Summary: This study enriched five oil-degrading consortia from sediments collected from the Haima cold seep areas of the South China Sea, and identified the diversity and degradation capacity of oil-degrading bacteria. The results of this study are of great significance for understanding the bacterial community structure and resource development of marine oil pollution.
FRONTIERS IN MICROBIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Yueqiao Liu, Yujiao Sun, Jingshan Yu, Xuefeng Xia, Aizhong Ding, Dayi Zhang
Summary: This study investigated the relationship between alkane degradation efficiency, soil microbial community, and alkane-degrading gene diversity in the intermittent saturation zone. The results showed that the removal efficiency of n-alkanes was higher in anaerobic scenarios, and the highest efficiency was found in fluctuation treatments. Water level fluctuation can notably change the presence of alkane degrading genes.
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH
(2022)
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Maryam Rezaei Somee, Mohammad Ali Amoozegar, Seyed Mohammad Mehdi Dastgheib, Mahmoud Shavandi, Leila Ghanbari Maman, Stefan Bertilsson, Maliheh Mehrshad
Summary: The study found that in addition to known Proteobacteria, Actinobacteriota, Bacteroidota, and Firmicutes that have HC degrading enzymes, genomes from 18 other bacterial phyla and 3 archaeal phyla may also possess this capability. Archaeal genomes make a smaller contribution to HC degradation, with extensive diversification through gene duplication and horizontal gene transfer.
Article
Microbiology
Zhong-Zhi Sun, Bo-Wen Ji, Ning Zheng, Meng Wang, Ye Cao, Lu Wan, Yi-Song Li, Jin-Cheng Rong, Hai-Lun He, Xiu-Lan Chen, Yu-Zhong Zhang, Bin-Bin Xie
Summary: Deconstruction of polysaccharides is important in their conversion, with polysaccharide-degrading enzymes playing a key role. This study investigated the phylogenetic distribution and correlations of nine types of these enzymes in marine bacterial genomes, revealing coding potentials and conservation at the genus level. The utilization of polysaccharides may contribute to the ecological differentiation of marine bacteria, with significant correlations observed between different enzymes.
FRONTIERS IN MICROBIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Ecology
Ying Zhang, Qingsong Yang, Juan Ling, Yanying Zhang, Weiguo Zhou, Manzoor Ahmad, Xiangcheng Lin, Liyun Lin, Qiuying Peng, Junde Dong
Summary: The study investigated the structure of alkane-degrading bacterial communities in seagrass ecosystems and revealed spatial distribution patterns of these bacteria. Results showed differences in alpha diversity and the predominance of Genus Agrobacterium in the alkane-degrading bacterial community, providing insight into the geographical distribution of these bacteria in the South China Sea seagrass ecosystem.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Andrea Bagi, Kamila Knapik, Thierry Baussant
Summary: Monitoring environmental status through molecular investigation of microorganisms in the marine environment is suggested as a potentially very effective method for biomonitoring, with great potential for automation. However, there are some challenges to this approach, including primer design, geographical locations, seasons, and types of environmental pollution. The study showed that using qPCR analysis of genes involved in oil degradation has potential for oil leakage detection, but further improvement of degenerate primers is needed.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Haolei Shi, Wei Gao, Yunchao Zheng, Lin Yang, Bin Han, Yanchao Zhang, Li Zheng
Summary: Petroleum hydrocarbons are widely present in seawater, and their content and distribution in the Yellow Sea and Bohai Sea are of concern due to their high toxicity and persistent effects on the ecological environment. The study collected seawater samples from 10 sites in the two seas and analyzed the distribution of total petroleum hydrocarbons (TPH) and the diversity of oil-degrading bacteria. The TPH concentration at the sites met the China Grade II water quality standard, and the area showed obvious pollution from exogenous petroleum hydrocarbons. The study also found that certain bacteria had a good degradation effect on short-chain alkanes and phenanthrene.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Lu Wang, Zhenping Cao, Mengmeng Zhang, Sisi Lin, Jinyao Liu
Summary: The study reports a method of spatiotemporally controllable distribution of combination therapeutics in solid tumors mediated by bacteria, which can reprogram the immune microenvironment of the tumor to optimize antitumor efficacy. Combining the localized heating effect of melanin and the immune activation effect of inhibitors can significantly inhibit tumor growth and prolong survival.
ADVANCED MATERIALS
(2022)
Review
Clinical Neurology
John E. Merten, Sadie A. Villarrubia, Kevin S. Holly, Aaron S. Kemp, Allison C. Kumler, Linda J. Larson-Prior, Teresa A. Murray
Summary: This review explores the potential relationship between epilepsy, sleep, and memory. Sleep spindles may mediate the relationship between seizure activity, disrupted sleep, and memory impairment. Rodent models of epilepsy provide a unique opportunity to observe these factors simultaneously and study neurobiological processes through the induction of epilepsy, which is not possible in human subjects. However, the differences in sleep architecture between rodents and humans present challenges for direct comparisons.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Chengyue Liang, Quanhui Ye, Yong Huang, Zuotao Zhang, Chongyang Wang, Yun Wang, Hui Wang
Summary: Understanding the degradation potentials in PAHs-contaminated sites is essential for effective bioremediation strategies. The pahE gene has been identified as a better functional marker for assessing the biodegradation potential of indigenous PAHs-degrading bacteria. This study investigated the distribution of pahE and its relationship with environmental factors across different PAHs-polluted ecosystems. The results provide insights into the ecophysiology and distribution of aerobic PAHs-degrading bacteria in contaminated sites.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Jonas Zvirgzdas, Algimantas Paskevicius, Spartakas Petrovas, Irma Galginiene, Konstantinas Iljasevicius
Summary: The intensive use of oil products is a significant problem contributing to environmental pollution. This research aimed to isolate and select microorganisms that can degrade oil and investigate their effectiveness in treating oil-contaminated soil. A biopreparation consisting of bacteria, yeast, and fungi was developed and tested in two variants, showing a significant reduction in oil products over a period of 5 months.
POLISH JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL STUDIES
(2023)
Review
Oncology
Fereshteh Badie, Maryam Ghandali, Seyed Alireza Tabatabaei, Mahmood Safari, Ahmad Khorshidi, Mohammad Shayestehpour, Maryam Mahjoubin-Tehran, Korosh Morshedi, Amin Jalili, Vida Tajiknia, Michael R. Hamblin, Hamed Mirzaei
Summary: Bacterial-mediated cancer therapy, particularly utilizing Salmonella bacteria, has shown promising results in targeting and treating tumors. The therapy offers inherent self-targeting capabilities and the potential for genetic manipulation to engineer attenuated strains, though further research is needed for clinical establishment.
FRONTIERS IN ONCOLOGY
(2021)
Review
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Sulamita Santos Correa, Junia Schultz, Kyle J. Lauersen, Alexandre Soares Rosado
Summary: The article summarizes the six known natural carbon-fixation pathways and outlines proposed additions to the list. It also discusses the importance of synthetic carbon fixation and the metabolism of thermophilic microorganisms in this field.
JOURNAL OF ADVANCED RESEARCH
(2023)
Editorial Material
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Christian R. Voolstra, Raquel S. Peixoto, Christine Ferrier-Pages
Summary: Global warming is causing significant damage to coral reefs. Urgent actions must be taken to mitigate and restore in order to prevent their complete extinction.
Article
Ecology
Alessandro N. Garritano, Marwan E. Majzoub, Barbara Ribeiro, Taissa Damasceno, Fluvio Modolon, Camila Messias, Caren Vilela, Gustavo Duarte, Lilian Hill, Raquel Peixoto, Torsten Thomas
Summary: In this study, the microbiome of deep-sea sponges is analyzed and it is shown that ammonia-oxidizing archaea (AOA) dominate the microbial communities of several sponge hosts. This suggests that these sponges may have the ability for primary production in the deep-sea. The study also reveals a highly specific relationship between AOA lineages and their hosts, indicating a unique vertical transmission of symbionts in deep-sea sponges.
Article
Microbiology
Ericka Arregue de Lemos, Luciano Procopio, Fabio Faria da Mota, Diogo Jurelevicius, Alexandre Soares Rosado, Lucy Seldin
Summary: Paenibacillus antarcticus IPAC21, isolated from King George Island in Antarctica, is capable of forming endospores and producing bioemulsifiers. The genome of IPAC21 was sequenced, revealing the presence of genes related to bioemulsifier production, exopolysaccharide biosynthesis, and other metabolic pathways. The bioemulsifier produced by IPAC21 exhibited stability at different NaCl concentrations, low temperatures, and pH values, suggesting its potential application in the petroleum industry.
FRONTIERS IN MICROBIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Microbiology
Caio T. C. C. Rachid, Fabiano C. C. Balieiro, Raquel S. S. Peixoto, Eduardo S. S. Fonseca, Hugo E. E. Jesus, Etelvino H. H. Novotny, Guilherme M. M. Chaer, Felipe M. M. Santos, James M. M. Tiedje, Alexandre S. S. Rosado
Summary: Mixed tree plantations have been studied for their potential benefits in biomass production, ecosystem diversity, and soil quality. This study examined the effects of a mixed plantation of Eucalyptus and Acacia trees on leaf litter biochemistry, fungal community, and decomposition rate. The results showed that the origin of litter and incubation time significantly influenced the mycobiome, while the incubation site had no effect. The microbial community structure and diversity were not associated with the decomposition rate.
FRONTIERS IN MICROBIOLOGY
(2023)
Review
Microbiology
Junia Schultz, Fluvio Modolon, Raquel Silva Peixoto, Alexandre Soares Rosado
Summary: This review summarizes the methods and technologies used to explore the microbial diversity of extreme environments, while discussing the advantages and disadvantages associated with each approach. The review also describes alternative culturing strategies to recover novel bacteria with unknown genes, metabolisms, and ecological roles, with the aim of increasing the yield of more efficient bio-based products. It also discusses the directions for future studies of microbial dark matter and its potential applications in biotechnology and astrobiology.
FRONTIERS IN MICROBIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Junia Schultz, Alef dos Santos, Niketan Patel, Alexandre Soares Rosado
Summary: Discovering exoplanets and satellites in habitable zones has sparked interest in planetary settings that could support life. Extremophiles living in mimic outer space environments are of particular interest as they can provide insights into the possibility of life elsewhere. Laboratory-based simulation chambers are important in studying life beyond Earth and understanding survival mechanisms. This review summarizes studies on microorganisms from extreme Earth environments and highlights the importance of environmental simulation chambers in mimicking extraterrestrial habitats.
JOURNAL OF THE INDIAN INSTITUTE OF SCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Biology
Yuri Pinheiro, Fabio Faria da Mota, Raquel S. S. Peixoto, Jan Dirk van Elsas, Ulysses Lins, Jorge L. Mazza L. Rodrigues, Alexandre Soares Rosado
Summary: A thermophilic, chemolithoautotrophic, and aerobic microbial consortium called carbonitroflex, grown in a nutrient-poor medium, is studied to understand extreme biological systems. The consortium is dominated by Carbonactinospora thermoautotrophica, followed by Sphaerobacter thermophilus, Chelatococcus spp., and Geobacillus spp. Genetic analysis shows a mutual relationship among bacteria, with C. thermoautotrophica StC exhibiting carboxydotrophy and carbon-dioxide storage capacity. No pure cultures were obtained, suggesting a tightly regulated interactive metabolism is required for group survival and growth. The breadwinner hypothesis is proposed to explain the metabolic flux model and the vital role of C. thermoautotrophica StC in the survival of all consortium members.
COMMUNICATIONS BIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Biology
Susana Carvalho, Hailey Shchepanik, Eva Aylagas, Michael L. Berumen, Filipe O. Costa, Mark John Costello, Sofia Duarte, Jasmine Ferrario, Oliver Floerl, Moritz Heinle, Stelios Katsanevakis, Agnese Marchini, Sergej Olenin, John K. Pearman, Raquel S. Peixoto, Lotfi J. Rabaoui, Greg Ruiz, Greta Srebaliene, Thomas W. Therriault, Pedro E. Vieira, Anastasija Zaiko
Summary: Managing marine nonindigenous species is challenging due to the highly connected marine environments that allow for the dispersal of species across geopolitical borders. Inconsistent biosecurity management across borders can lead to the spread of nonindigenous species, often unnoticed or unreported. Collaborative surveillance programs and databases can enhance early detection and information exchange, while local reference libraries, databases, and predictive modeling can aid in biosecurity program development.
Article
Microbiology
Diksha Garg, Mahesh Kumar Samota, Nicholas Kontis, Niketan Patel, Saroj Bala, Alexandre Soares Rosado
Summary: Molecular biology techniques, including gene editing, have been used to increase the efficiency of micro-organisms in producing biofuels. This review paper focuses on the use of Clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR) for gene editing in extremophilic micro-organisms to produce biofuels. The study highlights the potential of genome editing methods, such as CRISPR-Cas technology, to enhance the capability of extremophiles in producing biofuels.
MICROBIOLOGICAL RESEARCH
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Helena Villela, Fluvio Modolon, Junia Schultz, Nathalia Delgadillo-Ordonez, Susana Carvalho, Adriana Ururahy Soriano, Raquel Silva Peixoto
Summary: We investigated the oil degradation genetic potential of six oil-degrading bacteria isolated from the hydrocoral Millepora alcicornis and seawater. Taxonomic identification differed from that of the original paper when whole genome gene markers were used. Genes responsible for the degradation of aromatic hydrocarbons and n-alkanes were found in all genomes, with unique metabolic pathways present in each strain. Our findings highlight the importance of using bacterial consortia for bioremediation approaches and propose a genome-based framework for selecting complementary oil-degrading bacteria for coral health.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Barbara Ribeiro, Carolina Lima, Sara Emilly Pereira, Raquel Peixoto, Michelle Klautau
Summary: This study examined whether a calcareous sponge can synthesize its skeleton under ocean acidification conditions. The results showed that the sponge was able to synthesize a skeleton even under low pH, suggesting its potential for survival in near-future ocean acidification conditions.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2023)