Article
Engineering, Environmental
Xiuying Li, Yi Yang, Jingjing Wang, Huijuan Jin, Yaozhi Zhang, Yiru Cui, Yufang Song, Jun Yan
Summary: This study identified a anaerobic enrichment culture derived from contaminated river sediment that can mediate the reductive dechlorination of Diclofenac (DCF). It also discovered a new Dehalogenimonas population and highlighted the relevant roles of organohalide-respiring bacteria in the natural attenuation of halogenated contaminants.
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Microbiology
Jessica M. Ewald, Jerald L. Schnoor, Timothy E. Mattes
Summary: By studying the microbial communities containing Dehalococcoides, this research reveals the differential abundance of functional genes and provides support for the bioremediation of halogenated organic contaminants.
FEMS MICROBIOLOGY ECOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Guofang Xu, Ning Zhang, Xuejie Zhao, Chen Chen, Chunfang Zhang, Jianzhong He
Summary: This study explores the potential for offshore marine microbiota to transform organohalide pollutants and finds that marine Dehalococcoidia have a versatile dehalogenation capacity. The study demonstrates dechlorination of diverse organohalides by offshore marine microbiota, including polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs), tetrabromobisphenol A (TBBPA), and 2,4,6-trichlorophenol (2,4,6-TCP). It also identifies the presence of Dehalococcoides and uncultivated Dehalococcoidia in initial sediment microcosms, with Dehalococcoides being dominant in all enrichment cultures.
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Rifeng Wu, Rui Shen, Zhiwei Liang, Shengzhi Zheng, Yong Yang, Qihong Lu, Lorenz Adrian, Shanquan Wang
Summary: Strategies based on ecological principles can enhance the colonization of OHRB in niches, thereby improving the bioremediation efficiency of chloroethene-contaminated sites.
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Microbiology
Franziska Greiner-Haas, Martin von Bergen, Gary Sawers, Ute Lechner, Dominique Turkowsky
Summary: The strictly anaerobic bacterium Dehalococcoides mccartyi relies on organohalide respiration for energy conservation and growth. Acetylation is used by this bacterium to modulate and maintain protein levels and functionality during growth. The increase in acetylated proteins during growth may contribute to maintaining the organohalide-respiring capacity of the bacterium during the stationary phase.
Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Matteo Perra, Alba Cuena-Lombrana, Gianluigi Bacchetta, Maria Letizia Manca, Maria Manconi, Richard G. Maroun, Aldo Muntoni, Carlo Ignazio Giovanni Tuberoso, Katarzyna A. Gil, Giorgia De Gioannis
Summary: Grape pomace, a significant byproduct in the wine-making process, poses economic and environmental challenges. This study explores the extraction of polyphenols from grape pomace using a hydroethanolic mixture and subsequent composting of the exhausted pomace. The results show that approximately 76.5 g of extract can be recovered per kg of dry grape pomace. Additionally, reducing the particle size of the pomace enhances the composting process.
Article
Fisheries
Ramasamy Harikrishnan, Gunapathy Devi, Hien Van Doan, Chellam Balasundaram, Maria Angeles Esteban, Mohsen Abdel-Tawwab
Summary: The study found that feeding diets enriched with 200 mg of grape pomace flour (GPF) significantly enhanced growth rate, antioxidant status, and immune defense mechanisms in Labeo rohita, compared to diets with 300 mg of GPF.
FISH & SHELLFISH IMMUNOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Robert W. Murdoch, Gao Chen, Fadime Kara Murdoch, E. Erin Mack, Manuel I. Villalobos Solis, Robert L. Hettich, Frank E. Loffler
Summary: The discovery of a gene cluster responsible for anaerobic degradation of dichloromethane (DCM) in specialized bacteria suggests that DCM may serve as an energy source in various environmental systems, with potential implications for global DCM flux.
GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Ecology
Emma Bell, Tiina Lamminmaki, Johannes Alneberg, Chen Qian, Weili Xiong, Robert L. Hettich, Manon Frutschi, Rizlan Bernier-Latmani
Summary: Microbial life and active anaerobic oxidation of methane (AOM) have been discovered in the deep terrestrial subsurface of the Fennoscandian Shield at Olkiluoto, Finland. This finding provides direct evidence of microbial activity fueled by methane and sulfur in deep bedrock.
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Fungmin Eric Liew, Robert Nogle, Tanus Abdalla, Blake J. Rasor, Christina Canter, Rasmus O. Jensen, Lan Wang, Jonathan Strutz, Payal Chirania, Sashini De Tissera, Alexander P. Mueller, Zhenhua Ruan, Allan Gao, Loan Tran, Nancy L. Engle, Jason C. Bromley, James Daniell, Robert Conrado, Timothy J. Tschaplinski, Richard J. Giannone, Robert L. Hettich, Ashty S. Karim, Sean D. Simpson, Steven D. Brown, Ching Leang, Michael C. Jewett, Michael Kopke
Summary: We have developed a carbon-negative fermentation route for producing acetone and isopropanol from waste gas, which fixes carbon and has a negative carbon footprint. By engineering acetogens, we achieved sustainable, high-efficiency, high-selectivity chemicals production.
NATURE BIOTECHNOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Lisi Jiang, Yi Yang, Huijuan Jin, Hongyan Wang, Cynthia M. Swift, Yongchao Xie, Torsten Schubert, Frank E. Loffler, Jun Yan
Summary: Chlorinated ethanes can be transformed into harmless substances through the actions of specific microbial strains, such as Geobacter and Dehalococcoides. The presence of different strains in different reaction processes provides insights into the detoxification mechanism of organohalide compounds.
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Ecology
Karen Viacava, Jiangtao Qiao, Andrew Janowczyk, Suresh Poudel, Nicolas Jacquemin, Karin Lederballe Meibom, Him K. Shrestha, Matthew C. Reid, Robert L. Hettich, Rizlan Bernier-Latmani
Summary: This study identified microorganisms actively methylating arsenic in anoxic soil-derived microbial cultures using metagenomics, metatranscriptomics, and metaproteomics. The researchers isolated a strain of Paraclostridium sp. EML, which was confirmed to actively methylate arsenic anaerobically.
Article
Microbiology
Maddison Melchionna, Jessica M. Gullett, Emmanuelle Bouveret, Him K. Shrestha, Paul E. Abraham, Robert L. Hettich, Gladys Alexandre
Summary: Membrane potential homeostasis is crucial for cell survival. The bacterial homologs of the progestin and AdipoQ receptor family (PAQR) named TrhA have been found to play a role in membrane energetics homeostasis, mediating small but consistent changes in unsaturated fatty acid metabolism without impacting membrane fluidity. This finding suggests that bacterial and eukaryotic PAQRs share functions in maintaining membrane homeostasis, with eukaryotes regulating membrane fluidity and bacteria with TrhA homologs regulating membrane energetics.
JOURNAL OF BACTERIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Eugene Kuatsjah, Christopher W. Johnson, Davinia Salvachua, Allison Z. Werner, Michael Zahn, Caralyn J. Szostkiewicz, Christine A. Singer, Graham Dominick, Ikenna Okekeogbu, Stefan J. Haugen, Sean P. Woodworth, Kelsey J. Ramirez, Richard J. Giannone, Robert L. Hettich, John E. McGeehan, Gregg T. Beckham
Summary: The study demonstrates that replacing PobA with PraI, which has a broader cofactor preference, can increase muconic acid yield, reduce 4-HBA accumulation, enhance NADPH utilization, and alleviate metabolic bottleneck, leading to improved production of value-added products from lignin-derived compounds.
METABOLIC ENGINEERING
(2022)
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Shuen Hon, Tyler Jacobson, David M. Stevenson, Marybeth Maloney, Richard J. Giannone, Robert L. Hettich, Daniel Amador-Noguez, Daniel G. Olson, Lee R. Lynd
Summary: This study investigates the impact of replacing pyrophosphate with ATP as the phosphate donor for the PFK reaction in C. thermocellum. The results show that this change increases the thermodynamic driving force of the reaction but does not significantly alter the final product titer and distribution of fermentation products.
APPLIED AND ENVIRONMENTAL MICROBIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Samantha L. Peters, Adair L. Borges, Richard J. Giannone, Michael J. Morowitz, Jillian F. Banfield, Robert L. Hettich
Summary: Previous bioinformatic analyses have shown that bacteriophages can use genetic codes different from those of their host bacteria. In this study, the researchers provide experimental evidence to confirm the reassignment of the stop codon TAG to glutamine in phages found in the human gut microbiome using metaproteomics.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2022)
Article
Plant Sciences
Him K. Shrestha, Yosef Fichman, Nancy L. Engle, Timothy J. Tschaplinski, Ron Mittler, Richard A. Dixon, Robert L. Hettich, Jaime Barros, Paul E. Abraham
Summary: This study investigates the molecular changes resulting from C3H/APX-KD associated lignin modification and negative growth phenotype in Brachypodium distachyon using a multi-omic approach. The results show that reduced C3H/APX alters the abundance of enzymes in the phenylpropanoid biosynthetic pathway, disrupts cellular redox homeostasis, and elicits plant defense responses. A deeper understanding of these pleiotropic phenotypes and potential targets identified in this study could improve the economic feasibility of lignocellulosic biofuel production.
FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Microbiology
Dana L. Carper, Manasa R. Appidi, Sameer Mudbhari, Him K. Shrestha, Robert L. Hettich, Paul E. Abraham
Summary: Microorganisms play a crucial role in plant sustainability and productivity. Recent research on plant holobiont theory and microbial invasion ecology has revolutionized our understanding of plant-microbe interactions. Omic technologies, such as genomics, transcriptomics, proteomics, and metabolomics, have greatly advanced our knowledge in this field, although there are still limitations to overcome.
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Yi Yang, Huijuan Jin, Xiuying Li, Jun Yan
Summary: The environmental fate and transformation mechanism of 1,3-butadiene (BD) under anoxic conditions are not well studied. Anaerobic consortia derived from freshwater river sediment were able to biohydrogenate BD to 1-butene, with a maximum rate of 205.7 +/- 38.6 μM day(-1). Acetobacterium wieringae strain N was identified as the dominant population responsible for BD biohydrogenation. Identification and characterization of the ene-reductase(s) in strain N holds promise for the development of industrial biocatalysts for selective conversion of BD to 1-butene.
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Microbiology
Huijuan Jin, Leitao Huo, Yi Yang, Yan Lv, Jingjing Wang, Julien Maillard, Christof Holliger, Frank E. Loffler, Jun Yan
Summary: Two anaerobic bacterial isolates, ACSDCET and ACSTCE, capable of respiring tetrachloroethene (PCE), were characterized. These strains showed unique morphological and physiological characteristics, including optimum growth conditions, electron donors, and acceptors. Genomic analysis further confirmed the distinction of these strains from other Sulfurospirillum species, proposing a new species named Sulfurospirillum diekertiae sp. nov. This study provides important insights into the diversity and functionalities of PCE-respiring bacteria.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF SYSTEMATIC AND EVOLUTIONARY MICROBIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Manuel I. Villalobos Solis, Payal Chirania, Robert L. Hettich
Summary: This study demonstrates the in silico peptide selection strategy for quantifying relevant groups of GH proteins in complex anaerobic microbiomes. The results show that targeted metaproteomics could be a feasible approach for screening cellulolytic enzyme capacities in a range of anaerobic microbiome fermenters, which could assist in bioreactor evaluation and optimization.
BIOTECHNOLOGY FOR BIOFUELS AND BIOPRODUCTS
(2022)
Article
Microbiology
Yi Yang, Torsten Schubert, Yan Lv, Xiuying Li, Jun Yan
Summary: This study conducted phylogenetic and pangenome analyses of Sulfurospirillum genomes to understand their evolutionary and metabolic potentials. The results revealed conserved regions in the genomes of organohalide-respiring Sulfurospirillum strains that are involved in the organohalide respiration process. Additionally, various Sulfurospirillum species strains were found to have conserved metabolisms and biosynthesis capabilities. This study contributes to the understanding and potential applications of Sulfurospirillum in bioremediation of organohalide pollutants in low-pH environments.
