Article
Environmental Sciences
Sheng Xue, Xiaozhou Liu, Yang Li, Bingjun Liu, Qingyi Tu, Cheng Li
Summary: This study analyzed the bacterial communities in coal mine dust and found several pathogenic bacteria, suggesting the importance of considering non-viral pathogens in mine dust prevention and control.
FRONTIERS IN ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE
(2022)
Editorial Material
Immunology
Dan Hu, Gopal Murugaiyan
Summary: Research has shown that KIR+CD8(+) T cells in humans are similar to mouse Ly49(+)CD8(+) regulatory T cells and can kill pathogenic CD4(+) T cells, thereby suppressing autoimmune diseases and viral infections.
TRENDS IN IMMUNOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Microbiology
Jennifer D. Rocca, Andrea Yammine, Marie Simonin, Jean P. Gibert
Summary: This study investigated the effect of predation by protists on the temperature response of a freshwater microbiome. The researchers found that predation influenced microbial biomass and respiration rate by affecting the bacterial community structure. Interestingly, the presence of predators reduced microbial respiration at elevated temperature.
FRONTIERS IN MICROBIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Oncology
Dawid Glow, Cecile L. Maire, Lea Isabell Schwarze, Katrin Lamszus, Boris Fehse
Summary: By targeting highly repetitive Alu sequences with CRISPR-to-kill (C2K) lentiviral vectors, effective killing of human cells and inhibition of cancer cell growth, including patient-derived glioblastoma cells resistant to high-dose radiation, were achieved, providing proof-of-concept for a novel treatment strategy overcoming common resistance mechanisms.
Article
Microbiology
Monique Waso-Reyneke, Sehaam Khan, Wesaal Khan
Summary: The interaction between Bdellovibrio bacteriovorus PF13 and mixed bacterial communities was studied. The results showed that PF13 preferentially preys on K. pneumoniae and the presence of Gram-positive bacteria does not affect its predation efficiency.
Article
Microbiology
Do-Hoon Lee, Ju-Hee Cha, Dae-Wi Kim, Kihyun Lee, Yong-Seok Kim, Hyo-Young Oh, You-Hee Cho, Chang-Jun Cha
Summary: A novel colistin resistance mechanism via enzymatic inactivation of the drug was discovered and its clinical importance in microbial communities during polymicrobial infections was proposed.
Article
Biochemical Research Methods
Anastasios Marantos, Namiko Mitarai, Kim Sneppen
Summary: This study finds that phages and bacteria can coexist and maintain ecosystems with a high diversity of strains. The kill the winner model, where virulent phages prey on fast-growing bacteria and suppress the competitive exclusion of slower-growing bacteria, can explain this diversity. Additionally, the occasional elimination of even the fastest-growing bacteria strains by phage infections reinforces the kill the winner dynamics and supports diversity.
PLOS COMPUTATIONAL BIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Marine & Freshwater Biology
Gamze Yesilay, Otavio Augusto L. dos Santos, A. Bevin Roger, Layla J. Hazeem, Bianca Pizzorno Backx, J. Judith Vijaya, Ayman H. Kamel, Mohamed Bououdina
Summary: Contaminated wastewater poses serious hazards to delicate ecosystems and human health due to the presence of pathogenic microorganisms. This review article focuses on pathogenic bacteria in wastewater and their impact on marine organisms. Various physical and chemical techniques, including membrane-based techniques and nanotechnological advancements, have been developed to provide a pathogen-free aquatic environment.
AQUATIC TOXICOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Microbiology
Nathalie Amacker, Zhilei Gao, Jie Hu, Alexandre L. C. Jousset, George A. Kowalchuk, Stefan Geisen
Summary: This study assessed the predatory impact of different protists on soil bacterial communities through in vitro experiments and gene sequencing. The results showed that each protist had a different feeding pattern and growth rate, which correlated closely with their observed predatory impacts. Therefore, determining the traits of protists in vitro has the potential to predict their species-specific predatory impact on soil bacterial communities.
FEMS MICROBIOLOGY ECOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Agronomy
Jing Zhang, Peter G. L. Klinkhamer, Klaas Vrieling, T. Martijn Bezemer
Summary: The study found that foliar application of SA did not significantly affect the composition of bacterial genera in the rhizosphere of J. vulgaris, but specific genera were significantly impacted in the second, third, and fourth generations. Out of the total 270 bacterial species, 89 (32.4%) were present as the core microbiome in all treatments over four plant cycles.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Bravada M. Hill, Karishma Bisht, Georgia Rae Atkins, Amy A. Gomez, Kendra P. Rumbaugh, Catherine A. Wakeman, Amanda M. Brown
Summary: This study explored a modified Hi-C approach involving an initial lysis phase prior to DNA cross-linking, successfully creating extracellular DNA links that could potentially be used to recover genotypic microgeography in polymicrobial communities. This method shows promise for future applications in diseases with localized resistance, such as cystic fibrosis lung infections and chronic diabetic ulcers.
MOLECULAR ECOLOGY RESOURCES
(2022)
Article
Agronomy
Pavel Saska, Jan Kopecky, Marek Omelka, Alois Honek, Pavla Madrova, Petra Vokurkova, Zdenka Martinkova, Hana Foffova, Tereza Patrmanova, Marketa Sagova-Mareckova
Summary: This study compared the bacterial communities associated with seeds of seven weed species after burial in soil for two years and demonstrated the relationships between these changes and seed properties as well as attractiveness for a seed predator. The results showed that seed microbiomes remained specific after burial and contained taxa characteristic for both plant endophytes and insect guts. Changes in seed consumption were partially explained by bacterial communities and seed properties.
Article
Microbiology
Hyochan Jang, Wonsik Mun, Robert J. J. Mitchell, Seong Yeol Choi, Seok Hoon Jeong
Summary: As mankind explores the possibility of permanently inhabiting outer space and other planets, finding alternatives to antibiotics for controlling drug-resistant pathogens becomes crucial. This study examines the efficacy of Bdellovibrio bacteriovorus HD100 as an alternative to antibiotics. The results show that the activity of Bdellovibrio bacteriovorus HD100 is similar or even better in simulated microgravity conditions compared to flask and normal gravity cultures. The study also demonstrates that Bdellovibrio bacteriovorus HD100 is effective in killing carbapenem- and colistin-resistant pathogenic bacterial strains and can hydrolyze resistant genes in these clinical isolates. These findings suggest the potential applicability of Bdellovibrio bacteriovorus HD100 as an antibiotic against multidrug-resistant pathogens during spaceflight.
MICROBIOLOGICAL RESEARCH
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Lei Zhang, Shuqi Fang, Wenqing Hong, Zhen Shen, Shuo Li, Wangkai Fang
Summary: Pathogenic bacterial infections caused by water quality degradation are a widespread environmental problem. Understanding the structure and assembly mechanisms of pathogens in lake ecosystems is essential for preventing waterborne infections and maintaining human health. However, the composition and assembly mechanisms of pathogenic bacteria in river and lake ecosystems are still poorly understood.
ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH
(2023)
Article
Ecology
Mariane Pertile, Regina Maria Silva Sousa, Lucas William Mendes, Jadson Emanuel Lopes Antunes, Louise Melo de Souza Oliveira, Fabio Fernando de Araujo, Vania Maria Maciel Melo, Ademir Sergio Ferreira Araujo
Summary: The study demonstrates the complex effects of herbicides on soil microbial communities, leading to changes in the abundance of specific microbial phyla, as well as a trend of changing microbial diversity over time. There is an increase in microbial groups with the potential to metabolize chemical compounds, such as Bryobacter, Gaiella, and Flavobacterium, indicating potential for future biotechnological applications.
EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF SOIL BIOLOGY
(2021)
Review
Biochemical Research Methods
Seong Yeol Choi, Sungbin Lim, Kyoung-hye Yoon, Jin Lee, Robert J. Mitchell
Summary: This review discusses violacein and prodigiosin, two chromogenic bacterial secondary metabolites with diverse biological activities. Interest in their biological applications has grown in the past two decades, particularly driven by their antimicrobial and anticancer properties.
JOURNAL OF BIOLOGICAL ENGINEERING
(2021)
Article
Immunology
Hansol Im, Katherine L. Kruckow, Adonis D'Mello, Feroze Ganaie, Eriel Martinez, Jennifer N. Luck, Kyle H. Cichos, Ashleigh N. Riegler, Xiuhong Song, Elie Ghanem, Jamil S. Saad, Moon H. Nahm, Herve Tettelin, Carlos J. Orihuela
Summary: Streptococcus pneumoniae shows different physiological and virulence responses to different carbohydrate availabilities. Differences in carbohydrate availability between the nasopharynx and invasive disease sites directly influence the metabolic activity, growth rate, and physiological state of S. pneumoniae. This anatomical site-specific carbohydrate availability directly affects the virulence traits of S. pneumoniae and promotes relative fitness.
INFECTION AND IMMUNITY
(2022)
Article
Microbiology
Hyochan Jang, Wonsik Mun, Robert J. J. Mitchell, Seong Yeol Choi, Seok Hoon Jeong
Summary: As mankind explores the possibility of permanently inhabiting outer space and other planets, finding alternatives to antibiotics for controlling drug-resistant pathogens becomes crucial. This study examines the efficacy of Bdellovibrio bacteriovorus HD100 as an alternative to antibiotics. The results show that the activity of Bdellovibrio bacteriovorus HD100 is similar or even better in simulated microgravity conditions compared to flask and normal gravity cultures. The study also demonstrates that Bdellovibrio bacteriovorus HD100 is effective in killing carbapenem- and colistin-resistant pathogenic bacterial strains and can hydrolyze resistant genes in these clinical isolates. These findings suggest the potential applicability of Bdellovibrio bacteriovorus HD100 as an antibiotic against multidrug-resistant pathogens during spaceflight.
MICROBIOLOGICAL RESEARCH
(2022)
Article
Microbiology
Sungbin Lim, Jihun Bhak, Sungwon Jeon, Wonsik Mun, Jong Bhak, Seong Yeol Choi, Robert J. Mitchell
Summary: The antibacterial activities of prodigiosin have been well-established, but the mechanisms used to introduce it to susceptible microbes have never been studied. This study found that prodigiosin can be carried from Serratia marcescens in membrane vesicles, but its activity is severely mitigated compared to freely added compound, suggesting it is more tightly bound to the membrane vesicles. Cell-to-cell contact and de novo synthesis are necessary for prodigiosin to be effective as an antibiotic for its native host.
MICROBIOLOGY SPECTRUM
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Ji Yeon Park, Wonsik Mun, Jinyoung Chun, Byoung-In Sang, Robert J. Mitchell, Jin Hyung Lee
Summary: The preparation method of natural biogenic silica nanoparticles from rice husks affects their biocompatibility, with alkali extraction method resulting in the lowest toxicity. Incorporating polyethylene glycol before alkali extraction increases their toxicity, while the presence of residual carbon and variations in calcination temperature and time also impact their toxicity.
ACS SUSTAINABLE CHEMISTRY & ENGINEERING
(2022)
Article
Microbiology
Hyochan Jang, Wonsik Mun, Seong Yeol Choi, Robert J. Mitchell
Summary: A fluorescence-based method using resazurin reduction to resorufin is described to quantify predatory bacterial cell populations rapidly. The method demonstrates its reliability in measuring predatory populations and evaluating their response to harmful conditions. It is a fast, reliable, and versatile technique for measuring predatory numbers and activities.
MICROBIOLOGY SPECTRUM
(2022)
Review
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Eun Ryung Kim, Cheulmin Joe, Robert J. Mitchell, Man Bock Gu
Summary: In this review, we discuss recent developments in biosensors for healthcare, which are used in various fields like medicine, food, and environment. These biosensors include in vitro diagnosis biosensors, continuous monitoring biosensors, and wearable biosensors. In vitro diagnosis biosensors have expanded significantly lately, with the introduction of CRISPR/Cas methodologies and improvements to existing integrated biosensor devices. We also discuss the emerging groups of continuous monitoring and wearable biosensors, as well as the outlook for commercialization and future of biosensors.
TRENDS IN BIOTECHNOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Microbiology
Wonsik Mun, Sumudu Upatissa, Sungbin Lim, Mohammed Dwidar, Robert J. Mitchell
Summary: Bdellovibrio bacteriovorus and like organisms recognize outer membrane porin F (OmpF) on Escherichia coli surface, but there are also other prey surface structures recognized by these predators that need further investigation.
MICROBIOLOGY SPECTRUM
(2022)
Review
Food Science & Technology
Wonsik Mun, Seong Yeol Choi, Sumudu Upatissa, Robert J. Mitchell
Summary: Biofilms in the food industry can reduce productivity, impact food stability, cause storage issues, and lead to food poisoning. This review focuses on predatory bacteria, particularly the intraperiplasmic Bdellovibrio-and-like organism (BALO) grouping, as potential agents for biofilm control and eradication. Predatory bacteria possess the essential attributes for successful biocontrol in the food industry, including broad spectrum activity against pathogens, activity against biofilms, safety towards humans and animals, and compatibility with food.
FOOD SCIENCE AND BIOTECHNOLOGY
(2023)
Review
Microbiology
Sumudu Upatissa, Robert. J. J. Mitchell
Summary: With the threat of antibiotic resistance increasing, researchers are exploring alternatives to combat bacterial pathogenesis. Bacteriocins, proteins produced by bacteria, offer promising selective control of bacterial populations due to their diverse mechanisms and narrow spectrum of activities. This review focuses on the application of colicins and microcins, subsets of bacteriocins, against drug-resistant pathogens in both in vitro and in vivo settings.
JOURNAL OF MICROBIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Microbiology
Federico I. I. Prokopczuk, Hansol Im, Javier Campos-Gomez, Carlos J. J. Orihuela, Eriel Martinez
Summary: Pf is a filamentous bacteriophage integrated into the chromosome of Pseudomonas aeruginosa clinical isolates. Mutations occurring in the Pf genome result in the emergence of superinfective variants (SI-Pf) that can infect Pf-lysogenized P. aeruginosa. In this study, specific mutations were identified in the Pf4 phage that led to the emergence of SI-Pf, and an engineered SI-Pf (eSI-Pf) was tested as a phage therapy tool for burn wound infections caused by P. aeruginosa. The treatment with eSI-Pf resulted in bacterial clearance and survival of all treated mice, suggesting its potential as a phage therapy against recalcitrant P. aeruginosa infections.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Hansol Im, Madison L. Pearson, Eriel M. Martinez, Kyle S. Cichos, Xiuhong J. Song, Katherine Kruckow, Rachel Andrews, Elie Ghanem, Carlos Orihuela
Summary: Anaerobic bacteria, particularly Streptococcus pneumoniae, play a significant role in pulmonary infections. This study reveals the importance of NAD(H) redox balance during fermentation for energy generation, capsule production, and the overall fitness of the bacteria. Furthermore, inhibiting alcohol dehydrogenase activity with a FDA-approved drug enhances susceptibility to certain antibiotics and reduces bacterial burden, offering a potential strategy against multidrug-resistant pathogens.
Article
Microbiology
Sumudu Upatissa, Wonsik Mun, Robert J. Mitchell
Summary: This study evaluated the effects of two different colicins (ColB and ColE5) and B. bacteriovorus HD100, either individually or in combination, against antibiotic-resistant strains of E. coli. The results showed that when used alone, ColB and ColE5 were effective in killing susceptible populations but the pathogens eventually grew back. Predation with B. bacteriovorus HD100 had a pronounced effect but could not completely eradicate the pathogens. However, when used together, the combination showed better killing efficiency and complete eradication of two strains was achieved. These results suggest the potential of using a combination of colicins and B. bacteriovorus for controlling pathogenic bacteria.
MICROBIOLOGY SPECTRUM
(2023)
Article
Cell Biology
Hyochan Jang, Seong Yeol Choi, Robert J. J. Mitchell
Summary: In a survey of the International Space Station (ISS), Staphylococcus aureus was found to be the most common pathogenic bacterium in samples from air, water, and surfaces. The study showed that growth under microgravity conditions significantly altered the lipid profile of S. aureus, making it more sensitive to membrane-acting antibiotics. These findings are important for controlling the presence and spread of S. aureus and other pathogens in space.
Article
Microbiology
Jessica R. Lane, Muralidhar Tata, Rahena Yasmin, Hansol Im, David E. Briles, Carlos J. Orihuela
Summary: The virulence factor PspA plays a critical role in the aggregation and protection of Streptococcus pneumoniae during colonization, while lactoferrin counters this effect. PspA forms protein complexes with mGAPDH and lactoferrin on the surface of the bacteria, and changes in the levels of these proteins may have important implications on the colonization, survival on fomites, and transmission of S. pneumoniae.
