Article
Engineering, Environmental
Lanlan Cai, Chao Feng, Le Xie, Bu Xu, Wei Wei, Nianzhi Jiao, Rui Zhang
Summary: This study investigated the ecological dynamics of viruses in estuarine systems on local and global scales. The results showed significant seasonal variations of viral production in Chinese estuaries, with a direct impact on bacterioplankton standing stock and organic carbon pool. The global data indicated a peak in viral population size at mid-latitude and increased viral production towards the equator in estuarine ecosystems, highlighting the higher viral impact in tropical estuaries.
Article
Agriculture, Multidisciplinary
Shan Wang, Songyi Lin, Kexin Liu, Yao Liu, Qiaozhen Liu, Na Sun
Summary: This study investigated the sensitizing and eliciting capacity of Antarctic krill tropomyosin and the structural changes and digestion-resistant linear epitopes of its digestion products. The results showed that the digestion of tropomyosin led to structural changes and reduced allergic reactions, but there were still digestion-resistant linear epitopes triggering strong allergic reactions.
JOURNAL OF AGRICULTURAL AND FOOD CHEMISTRY
(2023)
Article
Microbiology
Michael Radzieta, Matthew Malone, Mehtab Ahmad, Hugh G. Dickson, Saskia Schwarzer, Slade O. Jensen, Lawrence A. Lavery
Summary: This study utilized RNA sequencing to investigate the activity and functions of the pathogens responsible for diabetes foot osteomyelitis. The results revealed that Escherichia spp. are the most active and associated with pathogenic functions and biofilm formation.
FRONTIERS IN MICROBIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Sandra Martinez-Puchol, Luis Cardona, Massimiliano Drago, Manel Gazo, Silvia Bofill-Mas
Summary: Viruses linked to animals in Antarctic latitudes, such as Antarctic fur seals, remain poorly studied. This study characterized the virome of fur seals using next generation sequencing and found various viruses, some of which are potentially new to the Antarctic fur seal species. The presence of these viruses is relevant for conservation efforts and contributes to a better understanding of the viral community in these animals.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2022)
Editorial Material
Biology
Debapriyo Chakraborty
Summary: The repeated emergence of similar variants of influenza virus is due to interactions between the virus's RNA segments.
Review
Chemistry, Medicinal
Rozita Madadi, Hamid Maljaee, Luisa S. Serafim, Sonia P. M. Ventura
Summary: Biopolymers are favorable materials produced by living organisms, with properties like biodegradability, renewability, and biocompatibility, which are considered to compete with fossil-based polymeric materials, raising environmental concerns. Biobased plastics are gaining interest for various applications and can be produced from biological sources. Microalgae and cyanobacteria are promising sources for producing bioplastics, with potential in PHAs, cellulose, carbohydrates, and proteins. This review aims to summarize the potential of microalgal compounds for bioplastic production and offers insights for a circular economy approach.
Article
Biology
Vladimir G. Dvoretsky, Marina P. Venger, Anastasya V. Vashchenko, Tatyana M. Maksimovskaya, Tatyana G. Ishkulova, Veronika V. Vodopianova
Summary: Microbial plankton, including bacteria and viruses, play a crucial role in aquatic ecosystems. This study investigated the abundance of marine bacteria and viruses in the northeastern Barents Sea, after the main productive season. The results showed a mosaic horizontal distribution of microbial plankton, with decreasing numbers of bacteria and viruses with depth. Nutrients and zooplankton carbon were found to be important drivers of microbial abundance. Bacterioplankton abundance was positively correlated with virus counts, indicating a close relationship between these groups. The study provides baseline information and expands our current knowledge on the structure of pelagic Arctic ecosystems.
Article
Ecology
Deborah F. McGlynn, Graham Frazier, Laura E. R. Barry, Manuel T. Lerdau, Sally E. Pusede, Gabriel Isaacman-VanWertz
Summary: Emissions from natural sources, driven by external stimuli, react rapidly with atmospheric oxidants, influencing ozone and aerosol budgets. However, current emissions models struggle to capture the variability in these species due to lack of long-term measurements. Monitoring these emissions will improve ozone and aerosol modeling.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Ascension Ariza-Mateos, Carlos Briones, Celia Perales, Maria Teresa Bayo-Jimenez, Esteban Domingo, Jordi Gomez
Summary: The entry of a virus into the host cell alters intracellular molecular relationships, leading to the recovery of ancient cellular activities. Viruses can be used as archaeological tools to identify unexpressed activities in non-infected cells, opening new perspectives for molecular biology.
ANNALS OF THE NEW YORK ACADEMY OF SCIENCES
(2023)
Article
Microbiology
Marina Vila-Nistal, Lucia Maestre-Carballa, Francisco Martinez-Hernandez, Manuel Martinez-Garcia
Summary: Marine viruses play a crucial role in energy and nutrient cycles and impact the evolution of their hosts. However, our understanding of RNA viruses is still limited. In this study, the researchers explored the Atlantic Ocean and uncovered the genomics, biogeography, and contribution of RNA viruses to the viroplankton community. They identified numerous novel RNA viruses that were highly endemic and locally abundant. The study provides valuable insights into the diversity, abundance, and distribution of RNA viruses in the oceans.
ENVIRONMENTAL MICROBIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Cell Biology
Marcin Kolinski, Ewelina Kaluzna, Monika Piwecka
Summary: Understanding the molecular mechanisms of SARS-CoV-2 infection is crucial for developing effective therapeutic strategies against COVID-19. Studies have identified host factors, cellular pathways, and cellular responses involved in the viral replication cycle. The investigation of the RNA-protein interactome has helped in identifying potential host factors for antiviral therapy.
WILEY INTERDISCIPLINARY REVIEWS-RNA
(2022)
Article
Microbiology
Cassandra L. Ettinger, Morgan Saunders, Laura Selbmann, Manuel Delgado-Baquerizo, Claudio Donati, Davide Albanese, Simon Roux, Susannah Tringe, Christa Pennacchio, Tijana G. del Rio, Jason E. Stajich, Claudia Coleine
Summary: In this study, a predicted viral catalog comprising over 75,000 viral operational taxonomic units (vOTUS) was obtained through metagenomic analysis of Antarctic rock microbial communities. The study identified largely undescribed, highly diverse, and spatially structured virus communities, which possessed predicted auxiliary metabolic genes (AMGs) potentially influencing bacterial adaptation and biogeochemistry. This catalog lays the foundation for expanding knowledge of virosphere diversity, function, spatial ecology, and dynamics in extreme environments, and serves as a step towards exploring adaptability of microbial communities in the face of a changing climate.
Article
Agronomy
Mingjing Zhu, Shanshan Liu, Zhao Wang, Chengming Yu, Xuefeng Yuan
Summary: Plant viruses pose a threat to agricultural production and food supply. Cross-protection is an effective strategy against severe viral strains. This study developed attenuated vaccines by inserting DNA virus sequences into an RNA virus, providing effective prevention against tomato yellow leaf curl virus (TYLCV) infection and showing significant efficacy in preventing mixed infections.
Article
Cell Biology
Tian Deng, Chao Tang, Guizhong Zhang, Xiaochun Wan
Summary: CAR-T transfer, a rapidly developing immunotherapy, is showing substantial benefits for advanced cancer patients, but is also associated with potentially fatal adverse effects like cytokine release syndrome and neurotoxicity. Understanding the mechanisms behind these toxicities is crucial for improving therapeutic outcomes. Recent studies emphasize the importance of monocytes/macrophages in CAR-T-related toxicities and reveal a novel mechanism mediated by DAMPs released from pyroptotic cells.
CELL DEATH & DISEASE
(2021)
Article
Microbiology
Ruonan Wu, Eric M. Bottos, Vincent G. Danna, James C. Stegen, Janet K. Jansson, Michelle R. Davison
Summary: Arctic permafrost thawing leads to the emergence of RNA viruses that target eukaryotic hosts and pose potential threats to humans, animals, and plants. This study identifies a diverse RNA viral community in thawed permafrost samples, showing distinct compositions compared to other habitats. The detection of potential pathogens highlights the importance of environmental reservoirs for RNA viral pathogens, particularly in the context of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Understanding viral-host interactions and the ecological roles of RNA viruses in thawed permafrost is crucial.
Article
Limnology
Qian Li, Kyle F. Edwards, Christopher R. Schvarcz, Karen E. Selph, Grieg F. Steward
Summary: Mixotrophic nanoflagellates, such as Florenciella, play a significant role in bacterivory in the sunlit ocean. This study revealed that Florenciella can consume Prochlorococcus, Synechococcus, and heterotrophic bacteria, relieving nutrient limitations on growth, and showing increased grazing rates under nutrient limitation. Additionally, a trade-off between maximum clearance rate and maximum ingestion rate suggests that grazing behavior may vary in response to prey concentration.
LIMNOLOGY AND OCEANOGRAPHY
(2021)
Article
Virology
Kerri Kukovetz, Brigitte Hertel, Christopher R. Schvarcz, Andrea Saponaro, Mirja Manthey, Ulrike Burk, Timo Greiner, Grieg F. Steward, James L. Van Etten, Anna Moroni, Gerhard Thiel, Oliver Rauh
Article
Limnology
Morgan D. Linney, Christopher R. Schvarcz, Grieg F. Steward, Edward F. DeLong, David M. Karl
Summary: A new method was investigated to discriminate different pools of dissolved DNA in seawater, showing high recovery rates and minimal degradation. Application of this method to seawater samples revealed dominant vesicle-like particles, virus-like particles, and F-DNA in fractions of different densities.
LIMNOLOGY AND OCEANOGRAPHY-METHODS
(2021)
Review
Microbiology
John P. DeLong, Maitham A. Al-Sammak, Zeina T. Al-Ameeli, David D. Dunigan, Kyle F. Edwards, Jeffry J. Fuhrmann, Jason P. Gleghorn, Hanqun Li, Kona Haramoto, Amelia O. Harrison, Marcia F. Marston, Ryan M. Moore, Shawn W. Polson, Barbra D. Ferrell, Miranda E. Salsbery, Christopher R. Schvarcz, Jasmine Shirazi, Grieg F. Steward, James L. Van Etten, K. Eric Wommack
Summary: This review discusses the traits of viral cells and viral particles, as well as how to categorize virus phenotypes; the foundational goal in biology is understanding how phenotypes emerge from genotypes; identifying the features that constitute a virus's phenotype is crucial for comprehensive interpretation of viral genome sequences and for advancing our understanding of viral evolution and ecology.
NATURE REVIEWS MICROBIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Olivia D. Nigro, La'Toya James-Davis, Eric Heinen De Carlo, Yuan-Hui Li, Grieg F. Steward
Summary: Our study found that in warm tropical waters, temperature has little impact on the abundance of V. vulnificus, while fluctuations in salinity caused by rainfall become the main controlling factor. This suggests the presence of a rainfall-driven seasonal cycle in V. vulnificus abundance in the tropics, which is opposite to the temperature-driven cycle in higher latitudes. However, the stochasticity of rainfall and its nonlinear, indirect effects on V. vulnificus concentration mean that high abundances can occur at any time and location in the canal, making it challenging to predict the pathogen's concentrations at a high temporal or spatial resolution. Nevertheless, the variability in canal-wide average concentrations can be partially explained by a few variables reflecting the magnitude of freshwater input, indicating that the relative risk of exposure to this pathogen could be predicted as an average for the system.
APPLIED AND ENVIRONMENTAL MICROBIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Ecology
Qian Li, Kyle F. Edwards, Christopher R. Schvarcz, Grieg F. Steward
Summary: Small eukaryotic phytoplankton play a major role in global primary production and marine biogeochemical cycles. This study found that phototrophs that ingest bacteria come from diverse branches of the eukaryotic tree and have various functional strategies ranging from phototrophy to phagotrophy.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Christopher R. Schvarcz, Samuel T. Wilson, Mathieu Caffin, Rosalina Stancheva, Qian Li, Kendra A. Turk-Kubo, Angelicque E. White, David M. Karl, Jonathan P. Zehr, Grieg F. Steward
Summary: This study reports the discovery of two distinct marine pennate diatom-diazotroph symbioses, which had previously only been observed in freshwater environments and represent an overlooked but widespread source of bioavailable nitrogen in marine habitats.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2022)
Article
Biology
Kyle F. F. Edwards, Qian Li, Kelsey A. A. McBeain, Christopher R. R. Schvarcz, Grieg F. F. Steward
Summary: A large fraction of marine primary production is performed by diverse small protists, and many of these phytoplankton are phagotrophic mixotrophs that vary widely in their capacity to consume bacterial prey. We use isolates from seven major taxa to demonstrate a tradeoff between phototrophic performance and phagotrophic performance. Trophic strategy along the autotrophy-mixotrophy spectrum correlates strongly with global niche differences, and community shifts can be explained by the fitness of faster-grazing mixotrophs when nutrients are scarce and light is plentiful.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE ROYAL SOCIETY B-BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
(2023)
Article
Limnology
Kyle F. F. Edwards, Qian Li, Grieg F. F. Steward
Summary: In sunlit waters, unicellular mixotrophs play a significant role in predation. The success of mixotrophs depends on their ability to acquire prey and their consumption efficiency. However, the differences between mixotrophs and heterotrophs are not well understood.
LIMNOLOGY AND OCEANOGRAPHY
(2023)
Review
Ecology
Kyle F. Edwards, Grieg F. Steward, Christopher R. Schvarcz
Summary: Viruses exhibit an impressive range of sizes, with varying genome lengths and virion volumes. The size of viruses can influence infection efficiency, host range, and overall fitness, leading to a diversity of sizes coexisting in the same host populations. Oligotrophic ecosystems may be enriched in giant viruses, as they may select for broader host range, better control of host metabolism, and lower decay rates.