Article
Food Science & Technology
Jennifer Sanchez-Chica, Margarita M. Correa, Angel E. Aceves-Diez, Laura M. Castaneda-Sandoval
Summary: The study evaluated genetic and toxigenic diversity in B. cereus group isolates from powdered foods collected in public educational institutions, bakeries, and powdered food companies in Medellin, Colombia. The presence of ten toxin genes was evaluated in the isolates by multiplex PCR, showing a high genetic and enterotoxigenic diversity among the B. cereus group isolates. The results indicated no relationship between toxigenic profiles and genetic clusters, but some genetic clusters appeared to be related to particular powdered food types.
JOURNAL OF FOOD SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY-MYSORE
(2021)
Article
Food Science & Technology
Christina Charmpi, Kristian Key Milan Thamsborg, Svein-Ole Mikalsen, Eydfinn Magnussen, Ana Sosa Fajardo, David Van der Veken, Jorgen J. Leisner, Frederic Leroy
Summary: This study aims to achieve a deeper understanding of the microbial composition of Skerpikjot, a traditionally ripened sheep leg product from the Faroe Islands. The results show that Gram-positive cocci are the most abundant bacterial group, while lactic acid bacteria prevail in only one sample. Culture-dependent and culture-independent identification methods provide complementary results.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF FOOD MICROBIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Microbiology
Boukare Kabore, Ganame Abasse Ouedraogo, Hama Cisse, Henri S. Ouedraogo, Emmanuel Sampo, Koudbi Jacob Zongo, Boukare Zeba, Yves Traore, Olivier Gnankine, Idrissa Sanou, Aly Savadogo
Summary: This study utilized (GTG)5-PCR assay to perform molecular typing of E. coli strains. The results showed that the strains belonged to different clones. All strains were multi-drug resistant and showed resistance to at least three different families of antibiotics.
Article
Immunology
Rezvan Golmoradi Zadeh, Sajjad Asgharzadeh, Atieh Darbandi, Amir Aliramezani, Faramarz Masjedian Jazi
Summary: This study characterized Lacticaseibacillus casei, Lactiplantibacillus plantarum, and L. monocytogenes isolates and identified six types of bacteriocins produced by Lactobacilli strains. The results showed that L. casei + L. monocytogenes and Lpb plantarum + L. monocytogenes exhibited higher adhesion and invasion abilities on HT-29 cells. The L. casei + Lpb plantarum + L. monocytogenes isolated from placenta showed higher expression levels.
MICROBIAL PATHOGENESIS
(2022)
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Yunxia Li, Yan Jiang, Duncan James Lessing, Weihua Chu
Summary: This study evaluated the probiotic potential of Lactiplantibacillus plantarum strain P1 isolated from healthy woman's vagina and found that it showed promising effectiveness in the treatment of bacterial vaginosis caused by Gardnerella vaginalis. The findings suggest that L. plantarum P1 may be used as a vaginal probiotic to prevent or treat bacterial vaginosis.
JOURNAL OF APPLIED MICROBIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Agriculture, Dairy & Animal Science
Nasrin Noohi, Moslem Papizadeh, Mahdi Rohani, Malihe Talebi, Mohammad R. Pourshafie
Summary: In this study, Lactobacillus strains with significant probiotic properties were isolated from healthy chickens of different ages. These strains showed detectable attachment to cells and significant antibacterial activities. The phenotypic and genotypic diversity of lactobacilli isolates were studied using PhP and RAPD-PCR techniques, and combining these methods resulted in enhanced discriminatory power.
Article
Infectious Diseases
Elizaveta Anisimova, Islamiya Gorokhova, Guzel Karimullina, Dina Yarullina
Summary: In this study, eight commercially available brands of Lactobacillus-containing probiotics and dietary supplements were screened for resistance to commonly administered antibiotics. The results showed that most of the isolates were resistant to vancomycin and susceptible to penicillin-type antibiotics, carbapenems, and inhibitors of protein synthesis. However, a minimum inhibitory concentration test revealed that six strains were resistant to tetracycline. Furthermore, the study identified discrepancies between the claims of the manufacturers and the actual species composition and viable bacteria count of several products. The results raise concerns about the safety of lactobacilli as probiotics due to the potential transferable antibiotic resistance genes they may harbor.
Article
Agriculture, Dairy & Animal Science
Salma Bessalah, John Morris Fairbrother, Imed Salhi, Ghyslaine Vanier, Touhami Khorchani, Mabrouk-Mouldi Seddik, Mohamed Hammadi
Summary: The study found variations in virulence gene profiles of E. coli among different animal species, and overall antimicrobial resistance was not highly prevalent, with the highest resistance observed against tetracycline.
ANIMAL BIOTECHNOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Rajashree Jena, Prasanta Kumar Choudhury, Anil Kumar Puniya, Sudhir Kumar Tomar
Summary: The study used BOX-PCR fingerprinting to successfully differentiate 93 bifidobacterial species isolated from diverse human and animal fecal samples, demonstrating its effectiveness in taxonomic classification and differentiation.
Article
Microbiology
Anusak Kerdsin, Nichari Bamphensin, Kulsatri Sittichottumrong, Ratchadaporn Ungcharoen, Parichart Boueroy, Peechanika Chopjitt, Rujirat Hatrongjit, Marcelo Gottschalk, Nuchsupha Sunthamala
Summary: A multiplex PCR method can differentiate disease-associated and non-disease-associated pathotypes of Streptococcus suis. This method was evaluated on human and clinically healthy pig isolates in Thailand, and showed high accuracy for human strains but low accuracy for pig strains. Further validation is needed using more diverse strains from different geographic areas and origins of isolation.
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Vanessa Pires, Susana C. Ribeiro, Sofia P. M. Silva, Dominika Juraskova, Celia C. G. Silva
Summary: This study isolated and identified seven lactobacilli strains from human milk, including Lacticaseibacillus paracasei and Lactobacillus gasseri. These strains showed good technological properties, probiotic potential, and health-promoting properties in vitro. They demonstrated strong growth ability in milk whey, high to moderate acidification capacity, and absence of undesirable enzymatic activities. The strains were tolerant to simulated gastrointestinal conditions, had high cell surface hydrophobicity, and showed no resistance to relevant antibiotics or virulence characteristics. In addition, they exhibited high antimicrobial and antioxidant activities.
JOURNAL OF APPLIED MICROBIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Agronomy
Romina P. Bertani, Maria F. Perera, Constanza M. Joya, Diego D. Henriquez, Claudia Funes, Solana Chaves, Victoria Gonzalez, Bjorn Welin, Maria I. Cuenya, Atilio P. Castagnaro
Summary: A significant increase in the occurrence of red stripe disease caused by Acidovorax avenae subsp. avenae in Argentina was observed. Molecular markers were employed to analyze isolates from Tucuman, revealing high genetic diversity and clonal population structure. Sequencing of housekeeping genes showed similarities and differences among isolates, while virulence evaluation displayed variable aggressiveness on resistant sugarcane varieties.
Article
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
Rihab Lagha, Fethi Ben Abdallah, Asmaa A. H. ALKhammash, Nabil Amor, Mohamed M. Hassan, Imed Mabrouk, Majid Alhomrani, Ahmed Gaber
Summary: 30 clinical isolates of Klebsiella pneumoniae exhibited heterogeneity in antibiotic resistance profiles and high genetic diversity, with most being multidrug-resistant. Genetic variability, as shown by PCR genotyping of porins and efflux pumps, is an important factor to consider in controlling outbreaks of K. pneumoniae. (GTG)5-genotyping showed a significant correlation with antibiotic resistance patterns, suggesting its potential use in predicting antibiotic resistance profiles of K. pneumoniae.
JOURNAL OF INFECTION AND PUBLIC HEALTH
(2021)
Article
Oncology
Charles A. Kunos, Denise Fabian, Mahesh Kudrimoti, Rachel W. Miller, Frederick R. Ueland, Marcus E. Randall
Summary: This study identified a higher percentage of advanced-stage UCCx cancer at diagnosis among residents in Appalachian Kentucky, with a population-specific delay in radiochemotherapy schedule intensity lowering survival rates.
FRONTIERS IN ONCOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Alireza Vasiee, Fereshteh Falah, Seyed Ali Mortazavi
Summary: This study evaluated the probiotic potential and anti-biofilm activity of five lactobacilli strains isolated from an Iranian product. Lactiplantibacillus plantarum TW57-4 showed promising probiotic properties and anti-biofilm activity, making it a potential candidate for developing new probiotic starter cultures.
JOURNAL OF APPLIED MICROBIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Microbiology
Luc Cornet, Ilse Cleenwerck, Jessy Praet, Raphael R. Leonard, Nicolas J. Vereecken, Denis Michez, Guy Smagghe, Denis Baurain, Peter Vandamme
Summary: Snodgrassella is a genus of Betaproteobacteria found in the gut of honeybees and bumblebees, crucial for bee health and metabolism. Phylogenomic analysis revealed at least seven Snodgrassella species with distinct evolutionary lineages and gene characteristics.
Article
Microbiology
Bram Danneels, Monique Blignaut, Guillaume Marti, Simon Sieber, Peter Vandamme, Marion Meyer, Aurelien Carlier
Summary: The symbiotic relationships between plants of the Rubiaceae and Primulaceae families and Burkholderia bacteria are unique and intimate. This study assembled and analyzed 17 new endophyte genomes, revealing that all endophytes, despite their taxonomic diversity, contained gene clusters linked to the production of specialized metabolites. Acquisition of secondary metabolite gene clusters through horizontal gene transfer is proposed to be a prerequisite for the evolution of a stable association between these endophytes and their hosts.
ENVIRONMENTAL MICROBIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Pavel Svec, Hans-Juergen Busse, Karel Sedlar, Jana Musilova, Stanislava Kralova, Eva Stankova, Ondrej Sedo, Daniel Krsek, Vendula Koublova, Lucie Kristofova, Ivo Sedlacek
Summary: A taxonomic study of bacterial strains isolated from wild Adelie penguins in Antarctica identified four new species in the genus Corynebacterium.
SYSTEMATIC AND APPLIED MICROBIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Amanda Hettiarachchi, Margo Cnockaert, Marie Joossens, David Laureys, Jessika De Clippeleer, Nicolas J. Vereecken, Denis Michez, Guy Smagghe, Dirk C. de Graaf, Peter Vandamme
Summary: This study analyzed the cultivable bacterial communities of different compartments in the invasive insect Vespa velutina, as well as the nest samples, using both cultivation and 16S rRNA amplicon sequencing. The bacterial symbionts in Vespa velutina were dominated by Convivina, Fructobacillus, Lactiplantibacillus, Lactococcus, Sphingomonas, and Spiroplasma. Lactococcus lactis and Lactiplantibacillus plantarum were generalist core lactic acid bacteria (LAB) symbionts, while Convivina species and Fructobacillus fructosus were highly specialized core LAB symbionts with reduced genome sizes. Sphingomonas and Spiroplasma were non-LAB core symbionts, but they were not isolated. Convivina bacteria were particularly enriched in the hornet crop and included Convivina intestini, a species adapted to amino acid metabolism, and Convivina praedatoris sp. nov., which was adapted to carbohydrate metabolism.
INSECT MOLECULAR BIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Tina Tuerlings, Amanda Hettiarachchi, Marie Joossens, Benoit Geslin, Nicolas J. J. Vereecken, Denis Michez, Guy Smagghe, Peter Vandamme
Summary: The study characterized the gut microbiota of invasive bee Megachile sculpturalis from native and invaded regions. The microbiota communities in bees from invaded regions were similar and different from those in Japan. Core amplicon sequence variants (ASVs) represented micro-organisms commonly present in bee-associated niches. The absence of known bee pathogens and presence of microparasite infections suggest a potential role of pathogen pressure and natural enemies in the invasion success of M. sculpturalis.
INSECT MOLECULAR BIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Food Science & Technology
Louise Vermote, Jonas De Roos, Margo Cnockaert, Peter Vandamme, Stefan Weckx, Luc De Vuyst
Summary: Belgian lambic beers are produced using traditional craftsmanship, relying on wooden barrels for spontaneous fermentation and maturation. These barrels play a crucial role in establishing a stable microbial ecosystem, minimizing batch-to-batch variations, and preventing flavor deviations. They provide an inoculation source of necessary microorganisms and a microaerobic environment for successful lambic beer production.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF FOOD MICROBIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Microbiology
Juan Guzman, Miyoung Won, Anja Poehlein, Atena Sadat Sombolestani, Daniela Mayorga-Ch, David Laureys, Jessika De Clippeleer, Peter Kaempfer, Rolf Daniel, Andreas Vilcinskas, Peter Vandamme, Soon- Wo Kwon
Summary: In this study, two strains of bacteria were isolated from wasps in Germany and Korea. Molecular and phenotypic analysis showed that these strains are closely related to known species but also have distinct characteristics. Therefore, it is proposed to name these strains Aristophania vespae.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF SYSTEMATIC AND EVOLUTIONARY MICROBIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Peter Vandamme, Charlotte Peeters, Amanda Hettiarachchi, Margo Cnockaert, Aurelien Carlier
Summary: Strain LMG 31809 T was isolated from a top soil sample in Belgium and classified as a rare biosphere bacterium that occurs at low abundances in multiple soil and water ecosystems. It represents a new species within a new genus, Govania unica gen. nov., sp. nov, belonging to the class Alphaproteobacteria. The strain is strictly aerobic and uses organic acids and possibly aromatic compounds as growth substrates. Its whole-genome sequence has a size of 3.21 Mbp with a G + C content of 58.99 mol%.
SYSTEMATIC AND APPLIED MICROBIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Nanzhen Qiao, Julia Bechtner, Margo Cnockaert, Eliza Depoorter, Christian Diaz-Munoz, Peter Vandamme, Luc De Vuyst, Michael G. Ganzle
Summary: This study characterized the genus Periweissella through phylogenetic analysis and genomic analysis, revealing its evolutionary relationship with closely related genera Weissella and Furfurilactobacillus. The study also determined the genetic and physiological traits of the genus. Results showed that Periweissella is the link between rod-shaped heterofermentative lactobacilli and the coccoid Leuconostoc clade, and it is the only heterofermentative genus in the Lactobacillaceae that comprises predominantly motile strains.
APPLIED AND ENVIRONMENTAL MICROBIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Ecology
Amanda Hettiarachchi, Margo Cnockaert, Marie Joossens, Antoine Gekiere, Ivan Meeus, Nicolas J. Vereecken, Denis Michez, Guy Smagghe, Peter Vandamme
Summary: We characterized the microbial communities in different parts of four wild solitary bee species and found that the dominant bacteria were endosymbionts such as Wolbachia and Spiroplasma. Other bacterial and yeast genera were associated with environmental sources. The bacterial communities varied between bee species, gut compartments, and ovaries, suggesting a selective process influenced by floral and host traits. Many of the gut symbionts identified in this study exhibited metabolic versatility.
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Atena Sadat Sombolestani, Dries Bongaerts, Eliza Depoorter, Ilse Cleenwerck, Anneleen D. Wieme, Scott J. Britton, Stefan Weckx, Luc De Vuyst, Peter Vandamme
Summary: Polyphasic taxonomic and comparative genomic analyses revealed a novel species among acetic acid bacteria, named Brytella acorum gen. nov., sp. nov., represented by lambic beer isolates including strain LMG 32668T and the kombucha isolate LMG 32879. This species has Acidomonas methanolica as its closest phylogenomic neighbor and possesses metabolic characteristics typical of acetic acid bacteria. The absence of glycolysis pathway and the presence of both aerobic respiration and oxidative fermentation for energy metabolism are notable features. Antibiotic resistance genes and virulence factors are absent.
SYSTEMATIC AND APPLIED MICROBIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Biology
Luc Cornet, Benoit Durieu, Frederik Baert, Elizabet D'hooge, David Colignon, Loic Meunier, Valerian Lupo, Ilse Cleenwerck, Heide-Marie Daniel, Leen Rigouts, Damien Sirjacobs, Stephane Declerck, Peter Vandamme, Annick Wilmotte, Denis Baurain, Pierre Becker
Summary: A bioinformatics toolbox called GEN-ERA has been developed by the Belgian Coordinated Collections of Microorganisms. It allows researchers to perform robust phylogenomic analyses on bacteria and small eukaryotes without specific training in bioinformatics. The toolbox provides workflows for genome downloading, quality assessment, contamination estimation, tree reconstruction, average nucleotide identity comparisons, and metabolic modeling. It has been tested on various microorganisms and used in a case study on Gloeobacterales for microbial taxonomy.
Article
Microbiology
Juliana Botero, Atena Sadat Sombolestani, Margo Cnockaert, Charlotte Peeters, Wim Borremans, Luc De Vuyst, Nicolas J. Vereecken, Denis Michez, Guy Smagghe, German Bonilla-Rosso, Philipp Engel, Peter Vandamme
Summary: This study provides insights into the diversity and function of Commensalibacter bacteria in various insect species. Through analysis of their whole-genome sequences, it was found that Commensalibacter strains can be classified into four species, which share similar genetic pathways for central metabolism. However, there are differences in genome size, G+C content, amino acid metabolism, and carbohydrate-utilizing enzymes among these species. Notably, the study on the Western honey bee symbiont, C. melissae, revealed its unique characteristics such as reduced genome size and a large number of species-specific gene clusters.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Leon Marshall, Nicolas Leclercq, Timothy Weekers, Insafe El Abdouni, Luisa G. Carvalheiro, Michael Kuhlmann, Denis Michez, Pierre Rasmont, Stuart P. M. Roberts, Guy Smagghe, Peter Vandamme, Thomas Wood, Nicolas J. Vereecken
Summary: Visitation by wild bee species is essential for apple production, but they are vulnerable to climate change. We modeled the distribution range shifts of key apple-pollinating bee species under different climate change scenarios and found that overall contractions in range are limited. However, under the worst-case scenario, some countries such as France and Italy may experience significant loss in bee populations and potential pollination services. Climate change is not the only threat to apple pollination, and future deficits will also depend on orchard management and ecological infrastructure.
GLOBAL ENVIRONMENTAL CHANGE-HUMAN AND POLICY DIMENSIONS
(2023)
Article
Microbiology
Vojtech Kovarovic, Adela Finstrlova, Ivo Sedlacek, Petr Petras, Pavel Svec, Ivana Maslanova, Meina Neumann-Schaal, Ondrej Sedo, Tibor Botka, Eva Stankova, Jiri Doskar, Roman Pantucek
Summary: A novel species of coagulase-negative staphylococci, named Staphylococcus brunensis sp. nov., was identified using whole-genome sequencing and extensive biotyping. The genomic analysis revealed variable genomic elements, including a unique resistance genomic island, SbCIccrDE, which can accumulate virulence and antimicrobial resistance factors.
MICROBIOLOGY SPECTRUM
(2023)