Article
Microbiology
Ekaterina M. Semenova, Tamara L. Babich, Diyana S. Sokolova, Alexey P. Ershov, Yeva Raievska, Salimat K. Bidzhieva, Alexey L. Stepanov, Maria Korneykova, Vladimir A. Myazin, Tamara N. Nazina
Summary: The development of Arctic regions leads to pollution of marine and coastal environments with oil and petroleum products. This study focused on determining the microbial diversity in seawater, littoral and coastal soil, and isolating oil-degrading bacteria. High-throughput sequencing revealed that bacteria dominated polar communities, while archaea made up less than 2% of the total sequences. The potential functional characteristics of the prokaryotic communities were predicted, indicating their involvement in nitrogen and sulfur cycles as well as the degradation of various hydrocarbons. Furthermore, several bacterial strains capable of growing in seawater and degrading crude oil were isolated.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Xiao Xiao, Ya-Li Zhang, Zi-An Zhou, Fan Wu, Hou-Feng Wang, Xin Zong
Summary: This study investigates how microbial communities in lake sediments respond to different concentrations of PAC and finds that PAC treatment can greatly affect the microbial diversity and structure in lake sediments, as well as the functional pathways. The results highlight the potential impact of chemical phosphorus removing reagents on the environment.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2023)
Article
Ecology
Vijaya Raghavan Rangamaran, Sai H. Sankara Subramanian, Karpaga Raja Sundari Balachandran, Dharani Gopal
Summary: This study investigated the bacterial communities at different depths of the Arabian Sea OMZ using high-throughput sequencing. The results showed high bacterial diversity in deep waters and sediment samples, with less richness at the core OMZ depths. Bacterial community composition varied with depth and dissolved oxygen levels, and predictive functional annotation suggested the presence of active nitrogen, sulphur, carbon, and methane metabolic cycles. The study also revealed the presence of nitrogen reduction bacterial group below the core OMZ depths, which may provide insights into the expansion of OMZ region in Arabian Sea.
Article
Microbiology
Christian O'Dea, Roger Huerlimann, Nicole Masters, Anna Kuballa, Cameron Veal, Paul Fisher, Helen Stratton, Mohammad Katouli
Summary: The study revealed rich and diverse gut microbiota in Australian Eastern Grey Kangaroos, with variations in microbial diversity profiles among kangaroos from different regions, suggesting environmental factors may impact their microbial composition.
Article
Immunology
Yun Du, Ruimei Feng, Ellen T. Chang, Justine W. Debelius, Li Yin, Miao Xu, Tingting Huang, Xiaoying Zhou, Xue Xiao, Yancheng Li, Jian Liao, Yuming Zheng, Guangwu Huang, Hans-Olov Adami, Zhe Zhang, Yonglin Cai, Weimin Ye
Summary: The oral microbiome may have an impact on the prognosis of nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC). Lower within-community diversity is associated with higher mortality, while certain measures of between-community diversity are related to mortality.
FRONTIERS IN CELLULAR AND INFECTION MICROBIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Microbiology
Kuanguan Huang, Jie Wang, Junhao Huang, Shouke Zhang, Alfried P. Vogler, Quanquan Liu, Yongchun Li, Maowei Yang, You Li, Xuguo Zhou
Summary: In this study, gut microbiota of bamboo-feeding insects were examined to understand their convergent adaptation to extreme diet specialization. Results showed that while both phylogeny and diet can influence the gut microbiome composition, phylogeny primarily drives the convergent adaptation to a highly specialized diet in insects feeding on bamboo.
FRONTIERS IN MICROBIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Parasitology
Yiji Li, Yingbo Sun, Jiaquan Zou, Daibin Zhong, Rui Liu, Chuanlong Zhu, Wenting Li, Yanhe Zhou, Liwang Cui, Guofa Zhou, Gang Lu, Tingting Li
Summary: This study aimed to determine the prevalence and distribution of Wolbachia in different mosquito species from Hainan Province, China. A total of 413 female adult mosquitoes representing 15 species were analyzed, and four mosquito species (Aedes albopictus, Culex quinquefasciatus, Armigeres subalbatus, and Culex gelidus) were found to be positive for Wolbachia infection. The overall Wolbachia infection rate was 36.1%, with different rates among species. Multiple Wolbachia types and haplotypes were detected. This study provides baseline information for Wolbachia-based vector control approaches in Hainan Province.
PARASITES & VECTORS
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Viji Nagarajan, Hsin-Chi Tsai, Jung-Sheng Chen, Suprokash Koner, Rajendran Senthil Kumar, Hung -Chun Chao, Bing -Mu Hsu
Summary: This study comprehensively analyzed the distribution of minerals, microbial diversity, abundance, and metabolic potential in major mud volcanic groups in Taiwan, expanding our knowledge of prokaryotes in these terrestrial environments.
ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH
(2023)
Article
Engineering, Marine
Feng-Yu Wang, Min-Yun Liu
Summary: Microbial communities in coral reef sediments reflect the environmental conditions and can be influenced by human activities. The study found high abundance of Pseudomonadota, Planctomycetota, and Bacteroidota in the sediments of Liuqiu Island, indicating eutrophic environments. The microbial communities showed temporal variations and potential response to strong climate events like typhoons or heavy rainfall.
JOURNAL OF MARINE SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING
(2023)
Article
Microbiology
Katrina I. I. Twing, L. M. Ward, Zachary K. K. Kane, Alexa Sanders, Roy Edward Price, H. Lizethe Pendleton, Donato Giovannelli, William J. J. Brazelton, Shawn E. E. McGlynn
Summary: This article presents a microbial diversity survey of the hydrothermal vents in Straitene Hydrothermal Field (SHF) in northern Iceland. The study reveals that the community members from the vent fluids are predominantly aerobic heterotrophic bacteria, while the chimneys contain diverse habitats with putative acetogenic, sulfur-cycling, and hydrogen-metabolizing taxa. The inhabitants of SHF show more similarity to terrestrial hot spring samples than other marine sites.
FRONTIERS IN MICROBIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Entomology
Jing Bai, Yao Ling, Wen-Jing Li, Li Wang, Xiao-Bao Xue, Yuan-Yi Gao, Fei-Fei Li, Xin-Jiang Li
Summary: This study investigated the diversity of symbiotic bacteria in the intestinal tract of four grasshopper species and analyzed the relationship between intestinal microbial diversity and the digestibility of cellulose and hemicellulose. The results showed that gut microbes were correlated with the digestibility of cellulose and hemicellulose, suggesting the potential of grasshoppers to develop into bioreactors for improving straw utilization efficiency.
Article
Agronomy
Zhiqiang Huang, Bowen Liu, Yong Yin, Fang Liang, Deshan Xie, Tiantian Han, Yongzeng Liu, Bin Yan, Qian Li, Yong Huang, Qing Liu
Summary: The study investigated the impact of Bacillus subtilis and Trichoderma harzianum on the bacterial community in the ginger rhizosphere. The results showed that treated plants had higher bacterial diversity, and the dosage of BCA had a larger impact on the rhizosphere microbiota.
PEST MANAGEMENT SCIENCE
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Helena Santiago Lima, Joao Paulo Campos Moura Cavalcante, Livia Carneiro Fidelis Silva, Marliane de Cassia Soares da Silva, Sergio Oliveira de Paula, Maria Catarina Megumi Kasuya, Cynthia Canedo da Silva
Summary: The rupture of the Fundao Dam in 2015 caused a severe environmental disaster in Brazil. The deposition of mining tailings has had serious impacts on the soil, and the recovery of the microbial community is crucial for sustainable use of the soil. This study used bacterial 16S rRNA sequencing to evaluate the dynamic changes in community structure and putative functions in response to tailings deposition on the soil.
LAND DEGRADATION & DEVELOPMENT
(2022)
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Piaopiao Pan, Yichao Gu, Dong-Lei Sun, Qinglong L. Wu, Ning-Yi Zhou
Summary: The 16S rRNA gene is widely used as a marker to study the evolutionary relationships and microbial composition. However, it has limitations such as variable copy numbers, intragenomic heterogeneity, and low taxonomic resolution, causing biases in estimating microbial diversity. This study analyzed prokaryotic genomes and found that the 16S rRNA gene copy number ranged from 1 to 37 in bacteria and 1 to 5 in archaea, with intragenomic heterogeneity in 60% of genomes. The study also calculated the overestimation and underestimation of microbial diversity using different regions of the 16S rRNA gene.
APPLIED AND ENVIRONMENTAL MICROBIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Ecology
Rui Zhang, Wen-chao Liu, Yu Liu, Hong-lian Zhang, Zhi-hui Zhao, Ling-yun Zou, Yu-chun Shen, Wen-Sheng Lan
Summary: The study found significant differences in microbial composition between western and eastern waters of Shenzhen, with a greater abundance and taxonomic heterogeneity in the western coast. Analysis of environmental factors and water quality revealed decreased salinity, pH, and dissolved oxygen in western waters, while total nitrogen, total phosphorus, chemical oxygen demand, and harmful marine vibrio were significantly increased. The results suggest a more serious coastal water pollution in western Shenzhen and alterations in microbial communities potentially associated with human disturbances.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Marios Nikolaidis, Panayotis Markoulatos, Yves van de Peer, Stephen G. Oliver, Grigorios D. Amoutzias
Summary: Research has shown that coronaviruses have a strong ability for intergenomic recombination, where they can exchange genetic material not only within the same subgenus but also across different CoV genera, other viruses, and even hosts. These events often occur at double crossovers surrounding the Spike ORF, indicating the instability and mobility of this genomic region.
MOLECULAR BIOLOGY AND EVOLUTION
(2022)
Review
Virology
Grigorios D. Amoutzias, Marios Nikolaidis, Eleni Tryfonopoulou, Katerina Chlichlia, Panayotis Markoulatos, Stephen G. Oliver
Summary: This review discusses the evolution of the coronavirus subfamily and its importance for human and animal health. The impact of point mutations, insertions/deletions, and recombination events on the evolution of coronaviruses is highlighted. The potential direction for the development of next-generation vaccines and the future evolutionary path of SARS-CoV-2 and the COVID-19 pandemic are also discussed.
Article
Food Science & Technology
Nikos Asoutis Didaras, Tilemachos G. Dimitriou, Maria Daskou, Katerina Karatasou, Dimitris Mossialos
Summary: This study evaluated the antiviral activity of Greek bee bread and bee collected pollen against Enterovirus D68. The results showed that Greek bee bread and bee collected pollen exhibited potent antiviral activity against EV-D68, indicating their potential as a source of antiviral compounds.
JOURNAL OF MICROBIOLOGY BIOTECHNOLOGY AND FOOD SCIENCES
(2022)
Article
Virology
Marios Nikolaidis, Athanasios Papakyriakou, Katerina Chlichlia, Panayotis Markoulatos, Stephen G. Oliver, Grigorios D. Amoutzias
Summary: In order to understand the Omicron variant of concern better, a study of amino acid substitution patterns was conducted and compared with other variants of concern. The Spike ORF was identified as a hotspot for amino acid substitutions in all lineages, with Omicron showing a significantly higher enrichment. Despite global vaccination efforts, the Spike ORFs in these variants have been undergoing purifying selection. Interestingly, a significant number of amino acid substitutions in all lineages were not present in other known Sarbecoviruses, suggesting potential adaptations to the human host. The Omicron lineage showed the highest number of recurrent mutations among the six lineages studied.
Article
Food Science & Technology
Eleni Tsavea, Fotini-Paraskevi Vardaka, Elisavet Savvidaki, Abdessamie Kellil, Dimitrios Kanelis, Marcela Bucekova, Spyros Grigorakis, Jana Godocikova, Panagiota Gotsiou, Maria Dimou, Sophia Loupassaki, Ilektra Remoundou, Christina Tsadila, Tilemachos G. Dimitriou, Juraj Majtan, Chrysoula Tananaki, Eleftherios Alissandrakis, Dimitris Mossialos
Summary: This study aims to investigate the physicochemical parameters, antioxidant, and antibacterial activity of pine honey samples produced in Greece. The study found that these pine honeys have good physicochemical characteristics and show comparable or even superior antibacterial activity.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Nikolaos A. Papanikolaou, Marios Nikolaidis, Grigorios D. Amoutzias, Ariadni Fouza, Maria Papaioannou, Akhilesh Pandey, Athanasios G. Papavassiliou
Summary: This study reveals for the first time the global changes in arginine protein mono- or dimethylation in proliferating myoblasts and differentiated myocytes, identifying differentially methylated protein families, enriched protein domains, and novel short linear motifs. These findings may be crucial for understanding the links between differentiation and cancer growth.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2023)
Article
Forestry
Stavroula Rapti, Stamatis Boyatzis, Shayne Rivers, Athanasios Velios, Anastasia Pournou
Summary: This study investigated the potential of desferrioxamine B (DFO-B) as a chelator for removing ferric oxides/hydroxy-oxides from cultural heritage wooden substrates. The results showed that the alkaline hydrogel (pH 8.6) was the most effective formulation, followed by the acidic hydrogel (pH 6.5) and DFO-B ethanol gel. The DFO-B ethanol gels also showed potential as alternatives to hydrogels for water-sensitive cultural heritage substrates.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Alexandros Kolonas, Patroklos Vareltzis, Smaro Kiroglou, Nikolaos Goutzourelas, Dimitrios Stagos, Varvara Trachana, Christina Tsadila, Dimitris Mossialos, Stamatis Mourtakos, Olga Gortzi
Summary: The antioxidant and antibacterial properties of a functional sports beverage were evaluated in this study. The beverage showed significant antioxidant effects by reducing TBARS levels by 52.67%, increasing TAC levels by 80.82%, and increasing GSH levels by 24.13% in human mesenchymal stem cells. The beverage also exhibited inhibitory and bacteriostatic effects against Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2023)
Article
Forestry
Eirini Mitsi, Nikolaos-Alexios Stefanis, Anastasia Pournou
Summary: This study investigated the correlation between the chemistry of waterlogged timbers and their physico-mechanical properties to develop a suitable conservation strategy. The results showed that the different degrees of charring were highly correlated to the physico-mechanical properties of the timbers. The charred wood had the lowest moisture content, shrinkage, and porosity, while the uncharred wood had the reverse properties and required consolidation.
Review
Cell Biology
Angelos Yfantis, Ilias Mylonis, Georgia Chachami, Marios Nikolaidis, Grigorios D. Amoutzias, Efrosyni Paraskeva, George Simos
Summary: HIF-1 is a key regulator in cell survival under low oxygen conditions and its interaction with chromatin and transcriptional machinery is still being investigated. This review examines the co-regulators of HIF-1 and their impact on the expression of HIF-1 direct target genes in response to hypoxia, with the aim of identifying potential targets for anticancer therapy.
Article
Genetics & Heredity
Marios Nikolaidis, Andrew Hesketh, Nikoletta Frangou, Dimitris Mossialos, Yves Van de Peer, Stephen G. Oliver, Grigorios D. Amoutzias
Summary: We studied the genomes of 213 Streptomyces species and found high levels of internal homology and complexity in their last common ancestor. Species-specific fingerprint proteins were identified, showing high interspecies variability. Chromosomal protein-coding genes, core genes, accessory genes, and fingerprints all exhibited significant variability even among closely related species. The chromosome arms were found to be responsible for rapid adaptation at the species and strain level, while the total number of CAZymes showed a moderate correlation with certain types of smBGCs related to bacterial competition.
MICROBIAL GENOMICS
(2023)
Article
Food Science & Technology
Tilemachos G. Dimitriou, Nikos Asoutis Didaras, Christina Barda, Dimitra Skopeliti, Katerina Kontogianni, Katerina Karatasou, Helen Skaltsa, Dimitris Mossialos
Summary: This study evaluates the antiviral activity of bee-collected pollen (BCP) and naturally fermented bee bread (BB) against influenza A virus (IAV) H1N1. The proteinaceous, aqueous, and n-butanol fractions of BCP and BB were also tested, along with artificially fermented BCP. The results show significant anti-IAV activity, with proteinaceous fractions demonstrating the highest activity.
Article
Food Science & Technology
Nikolaos Goutzourelas, Dimitrios Phaedon Kevrekidis, Sofia Barda, Paraskevi Malea, Varvara Trachana, Stavroula Savvidi, Alkistis Kevrekidou, Andreana N. Assimopoulou, Andreas Goutas, Ming Liu, Xiukun Lin, Nikolaos Kollatos, Grigorios D. Amoutzias, Dimitrios Stagos
Summary: The extracts of 14 macroalgae species from the Aegean Sea, Greece, were found to have strong antioxidant and anticancer potential. Among them, the extract of G. teedei exhibited the highest antioxidant activity, while P. pavonica showed the highest inhibition against HepG2 cell growth.
Review
Biodiversity Conservation
Christina Tsadila, Chiara Amoroso, Dimitris Mossialos
Summary: Bees and bee products harbor diverse microbial communities, including Pseudomonads. Pseudomonads demonstrate metabolic adaptability and bioactivity, potentially impacting bee health and the bioactivity of bee products.
Article
Veterinary Sciences
Dimitrios Koutsianos, Labrini Athanasiou, Dimitris Mossialos, Giovanni Franzo, Mattia Cecchinato, Konstantinos C. Koutoulis
Summary: This study investigated the occurrence and characterization of O-serogroups in E. coli strains isolated from poultry in Greece. The results revealed that O78, O111, and O2 serogroups were frequently associated with colibacillosis lesions and increased mortality, while O2, O88, and O8 serogroups were more commonly found in birds with colibacillosis lesions but normal mortality rates. Additionally, there was no statistically significant effect of the tested infectious agents on E. coli infection mortality.
VETERINARY SCIENCES
(2022)