Article
Environmental Sciences
Lianwei Ye, Zhiwei Zheng, Yating Xu, Chen Yang, Heng Heng, Fuyong Li, Edward Wai Chi Chan, Sheng Chen
Summary: This study aimed to investigate the prevalence, evolution routes, and mechanism of transmission of tetracycline resistance in Vibrio parahaemolyticus isolates from food products in Shenzhen, China. A high prevalence of tetracycline resistance (21.37%) was found among the isolates, with the highest resistance rate observed in shrimp samples in 2019. Different types of tet genes were detected, with tet(A) being the most common. The study also revealed the horizontal transfer of antibiotic resistance genes and the need for effective control measures to prevent the spread of antibiotic resistance.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2023)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Junlin Wang, Xiulin Wan, Hecheng Meng, Rikke Heidemann Olsen, Xun Chen, Lili Li
Summary: This study identified tigecycline-resistant E. fergusonii strains in pigs with the presence of the tet(X4) gene, which is transferable to E. coli and confers transferable resistance to tigecycline. The involvement of active efflux pumps in tigecycline resistance was also observed. Genetic transmission of tet(X4)-positive E. fergusonii strains between pig farms was suggested.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2023)
Article
Radiology, Nuclear Medicine & Medical Imaging
Dinh-Huy Nguyen, Sung-Hwan You, An-Trang Ngoc Vo, Hien Thi-Thu Ngo, Khuynh Van Nguyen, Mai Thi-Quynh Duong, Hyon E. Choy, Miryoung Song, Yeongjin Hong, Jung-Joon Min
Summary: The newly developed Doxy-inducible gene expression system in pJH18 plasmid showed improved expression balance of bidirectional tet promoters compared to the previous system. Expression levels were significantly higher, and plasmid stability was increased in Salmonella transformed with pJH18, showing potential for future clinical applications.
MOLECULAR IMAGING AND BIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Shiting Dai, Dejun Liu, Ziming Han, Yang Wang, Xiaofei Lu, Min Yang, Yu Zhang
Summary: This study investigated the environmental behavior of mobile tet(X)-variant genes in manure composting treatments and amended soils. The results showed that tet(X4) was the most prevalent mobile tet(X)-variant gene, and it exhibited the lowest reduction after thermophilic composting, possibly due to its correlation with ISCR2.
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Zhiwei Xu, Lucheng Lin, Zhe Chen, Kun Wang, Jie Sun, Tingheng Zhu
Summary: Investigated the effects of gene deletion on the production of 2-phenylethanol (2-PE) in yeast, revealing that different strains showed varying responses to the same genetic manipulation strategy. Furthermore, the supply of specific substances was found to increase 2-PE production, and the tolerance of cells to 2-PE and ethanol was identified as a key limiting factor for further enhancing production.
APPLIED MICROBIOLOGY AND BIOTECHNOLOGY
(2022)
Review
Microbiology
Vincent Cattoir
Summary: Enterococci are commonly found in the gastrointestinal tract of humans and animals, and have become a leading cause of hospital-acquired infections, especially with the rise of multidrug-resistant strains. This review summarizes the genetic diversity and ecology of enterococci, focusing on the risks they pose to public health in both human and non-human habitats.
CURRENT OPINION IN MICROBIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Rebecca G. Cheek, Brenna R. Forester, Patricia E. Salerno, Daryl R. Trumbo, Kathryn M. Langin, Nancy Chen, T. Scott Sillett, Scott A. Morrison, Cameron K. Ghalambor, W. Chris Funk
Summary: This study investigated the genetic divergence mechanism of a bird species endemic to a small island. The island scrub-jay on Santa Cruz Island showed genetic differentiation related to habitat type and bill length. Neutral landscape genomic analyses revealed that the genetic differentiation was primarily influenced by geographic distance and habitat composition. Putatively adaptive loci associated with habitat type were identified using multivariate redundancy analysis. Genome-wide association analyses revealed the polygenic basis of bill length variation. These findings support the hypothesis that divergent selection can lead to adaptive divergence at microgeographic scales in the presence of ongoing gene flow.
Article
Biology
Thanh-Vy Pham, Wan-Yi Hsiao, Yi-Ting Wang, Shu-Dan Yeh, Shao-Win Wang
Summary: In this study, the requirement of S-palmitoylation mediated by Erf2-Erf4 and Akr1 palmitoylacyltransferases at multiple meiotic stages in Schizosaccharomyces pombe was demonstrated. S-palmitoylation by Erf2-Erf4 was found to be necessary for the localization of Ras1 at the cell periphery for mating pheromone response, while Akr1 mediated S-palmitoylation of Tht1 was identified to be crucial for meiotic nuclear fusion. The study also revealed the additional substrate of Erf2-Erf4, the spore coat protein Isp3, which was mislocalized in the absence of Erf2.
LIFE SCIENCE ALLIANCE
(2023)
Review
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Michael Conwell, James S. G. Dooley, Patrick J. Naughton
Summary: Enterococci, considered as priority pathogens by WHO, are commonly found in hospital infections and their resistance to multiple antibiotics is increasing. They are also important indicators of fecal pollution in the environment. This review focuses on the role of biofilms and horizontal gene transfer (HGT) in the success of enterococci, as well as the questions regarding suitable model systems and genetic material transfer in biofilms.
JOURNAL OF APPLIED MICROBIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Microbiology
Hanna Marti, Michael Biggel, Kensuke Shima, Delia Onorini, Jan Rupp, Steve J. Charette, Nicole Borel
Summary: Chlamydia, a genus of bacteria, has obligate intracellular lifestyle which limits genetic exchange. The only known example of horizontal gene transfer (HGT) between different phyla in Chlamydia is the tetracycline resistance found in Chlamydia suis.
MICROBIOLOGY SPECTRUM
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Marina Tesauro, Maurizio Bruschi, Tommaso Filippini, Sandra D'Alfonso, Letizia Mazzini, Lucia Corrado, Michela Consonni, Marco Vinceti, Paola Fusi, Chiara Urani
Summary: ALS is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder that may be related to genetic or environmental factors. Controversial findings exist regarding the role of environmental factors in ALS cases.
ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH
(2021)
Article
Agronomy
Fang Li, Akihiko Yamamoto, Esther J. Belikoff, Amy Berger, Emily H. Griffith, Maxwell J. Scott
Summary: The study developed transgenic strains of D. suzukii with dominant conditional female lethal transgenes. When raised without tetracycline, female D. suzukii die. Laboratory cage trials show that releasing excess transgenic males can suppress D. suzukii populations.
PEST MANAGEMENT SCIENCE
(2021)
Article
Biochemical Research Methods
Ana G. Duran, Marko Schwestka, Timo Z. Nazari-Shafti, Sebastian Neuber, Christof Stamm, Manfred Gossen
Summary: The study reveals that ensuring homogeneous and stable reverse tetracycline transactivator (rtTA) expression is crucial for the robust performance of Tet-On all-in-one designs.
ACS SYNTHETIC BIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Clinical Neurology
Carlos Estevez-Fraga, Andre Altmann, Christopher S. Parker, Rachael Scahill, Beatrice Costa, Zhongbo Chen, Claudia Manzoni, Angeliki Zarkali, Alexandra Durr, Raymund A. C. Roos, Bernhard Landwehrmeyer, Blair R. Leavitt, Geraint Rees, Sarah J. Tabrizi, Peter McColgan
Summary: Cortical cell loss in premanifest Huntington's disease is associated with the expression of developmental and neurodegenerative genes, with astrocytes and endothelial cells enriched in the developmental profile and neurons and microglia enriched in the neurodegenerative profile.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Barbara Michalec-Wawiorka, Jakub Czapinski, Kamil Filipek, Patrycja Rulak, Arkadiusz Czerwonka, Marek Tchorzewski, Adolfo Rivero-Muller
Summary: This study presents an optimized inducible expression system that enables rapid generation of doxycycline-responsive cells. The modifications of the Tet-On system provide high, stable, and homogenous expression of the Tet-On3G transactivator.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2021)
Letter
Genetics & Heredity
Carla Novais, Ana C. Almeida-Santos, Ana Paula Pereira, Andreia Rebelo, Ana R. Freitas, Luisa Peixe
Article
Food Science & Technology
Andreia Rebelo, Barbara Duarte, Carolina Ferreira, Joana Moura, Sofia Ribeiro, Ana R. Freitas, Teresa M. Coque, Rob Willems, Jukka Corander, Luisa Peixe, Patricia Antunes, Carla Novais
Summary: Poultry meat is a major carrier of antibiotic resistant bacteria and genes, and the diversity of selective pressures associated with their persistence in the poultry-production chain remains understudied. We evaluated the susceptibility of Enterococcus spp. from chicken meat collected 20 years apart to antibiotics, metals, acidic pH, and peracetic acid. Our findings indicate that chicken meat is still an important vehicle for multidrug-resistant Enterococcus spp.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF FOOD MICROBIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Microbiology
Richard N. Goodman, Supathep Tansirichaiya, Michael S. M. Brouwer, Adam P. Roberts
Summary: By analyzing the intracellular transfer of clinically relevant transposons, we can understand the dissemination and evolution of drug resistance conferring mobile genetic elements (MGEs) once a plasmid enters a cell following conjugation. This knowledge will help further our understanding of how these important genes move through bacterial populations. Utilizing the pBACpAK entrapment vector has allowed us to determine the mobility of the novel mcr-1-containing transposon Tn7511.
MICROBIOLOGY SPECTRUM
(2023)
Article
Microbiology
Elisabete Alves Cappelli, Magdalena Ksiezarek, Jacqueline Wolf, Meina Neumann-Schaal, Teresa Goncalves Ribeiro, Luisa Peixe
Summary: The genus Corynebacterium is frequently found in the female urinary microbiome, but species-level characterization of Corynebacterium has been underexplored. In this study, eight strains isolated from urine samples were characterized and identified as potentially new Corynebacterium species.
Article
Chemistry, Analytical
Miguel Peixoto de Almeida, Carla Rodrigues, Angela Novais, Filipa Grosso, Nicolae Leopold, Luisa Peixe, Ricardo Franco, Eulalia Pereira
Summary: The development of a rapid, reliable, and low-cost method for discriminating clinically relevant bacteria, particularly the WHO Global Priority 1 Critical Pathogens, is crucial. In this study, the researchers developed and validated a protocol using surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) with silver nanostars to discriminate species and antibiotic resistant clones of Acinetobacter baumannii and Klebsiella pneumoniae. The SERS procedure, combined with multivariate data analysis, successfully differentiated between and within the species. This pilot study highlights the potential of SERS for rapid discrimination in point-of-care applications.
Article
Infectious Diseases
Upendo O. Kibwana, Joel Manyahi, Helene Heitmann Sandnes, Bjorn Blomberg, Stephen E. Mshana, Nina Langeland, Adam P. Roberts, Sabrina J. Moyo
Summary: A study in referral hospitals in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania found a high rate of fluoroquinolone resistance among extended-spectrum beta-lactamase-producing enterobacterales (ESBL-PE). Resistance was observed in various species, with the presence of chromosomal mutations and plasmid mediated quinolone resistance (PMQR) genes being the likely causes.
BMC INFECTIOUS DISEASES
(2023)
Article
Microbiology
Joao Pedro Rueda Furlan, Teresa Gonsalves Ribeiro, Angela Novais, Hamilton Cabral, Luisa Peixe, Eliana Guedes Stehling
Summary: A Gram-stain-negative strain BR102T isolated from a soil sample in Brazil was identified as a novel species of the genus Citrobacter, named Citrobacter meridianamericanus sp. nov. Strain BR102T showed distinct genetic sequences from recognized species in the genus Citrobacter. It also exhibited unique abilities to metabolize compounds and carried novel variants of blaCMY-179 and qnrB97 genes. The findings suggest the significance of strain BR102T in expanding our understanding of the diversity of the genus Citrobacter.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF SYSTEMATIC AND EVOLUTIONARY MICROBIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Genetics & Heredity
Joseph M. Lewis, Madalitso Mphasa, Rachel Banda, Mathew A. Beale, Jane Mallewa, Catherine Anscome, Allan Zuza, Adam P. Roberts, Eva Heinz, Nicholas R. Thomson, Nicholas A. Feasey
Summary: This study investigated ESBL-producing E. coli colonizing adults in Blantyre, Malawi to assess bacterial diversity and AMR determinants. The results showed that 37% of the Malawian isolates did not cluster with isolates from other countries, indicating local transmission. Additionally, a globally distributed carbapenemase-carrying plasmid was found in a single isolate. The study concludes that as carbapenem use increases, there is a risk of rapid proliferation of carbapenem resistance in E. coli in Malawi, highlighting the importance of antimicrobial stewardship and genomic surveillance.
MICROBIAL GENOMICS
(2023)
Article
Microbiology
Carla Rodrigues, Val F. F. Lanza, Luisa Peixe, Teresa M. Coque, Angela Novais
Summary: We clarified the evolution of Klebsiella pneumoniae clonal group 14 (CG14) and CG15 by analyzing the genomes and plasmids of public genomes and de novo sequences. CG14 and CG15 evolved independently within subclades based on the capsular locus (KL) and accessory genome. CG14 was mostly associated with extended-spectrum beta-lactamase (ESBL), AmpC, and/or carbapenemases genes, while CG15 was mostly associated with CTX-M-15. Plasmid analysis revealed 27 predominant plasmid groups.
MICROBIOLOGY SPECTRUM
(2023)
Article
Microbiology
Ana P. Pereira, Patricia Antunes, Paula Bierge, Rob J. L. Willems, Jukka Corander, Teresa M. Coque, Oscar Q. Pich, Luisa Peixe, Ana R. Freitas, Carla Novais
Summary: Quaternary ammonium compounds (QACs) are widely used antimicrobials, but the susceptibility and tolerance of Enterococcus strains to QACs are not well understood. This study found that only a small percentage of Enterococcus isolates carried QACs tolerance genes and showed sensitivity to QACs at in-use concentrations. However, under specific environmental conditions, Enterococcus strains showed increased tolerance to QACs. Further studies are needed to understand the mechanisms and dynamics of QACs tolerance in Enterococcus.
MICROBIOLOGY SPECTRUM
(2023)
Review
Microbiology
Ana Claudia-Ferreira, Daniel Jose Barbosa, Veroniek Saegeman, Amparo Fernandez-Rodriguez, Ricardo Jorge Dinis-Oliveira, Ana R. Freitas
Summary: This comprehensive review presents the current knowledge about the human postmortem microbiome, discusses its applications in forensic sciences, and identifies limitations and future research directions.
Editorial Material
Microbiology
Ana R. Freitas, Guido Werner
Review
Infectious Diseases
Andreia Rebelo, Agostinho Almeida, Luisa Peixe, Patricia Antunes, Carla Novais
Summary: This review examines the spread and impact of antimicrobial resistance in the food chain. In addition to the misuse and overuse of antibiotics, other antimicrobials, such as metals and organic acids, present in the food chain may also contribute to this problem. The study analyzes the antimicrobial mechanisms of metals and organic acids, as well as the adaptive tolerance strategies developed by bacteria, and explores the relationship between tolerance and resistance. The review emphasizes the importance of further molecular and epidemiological research.
Article
Microbiology
Ana P. Pereira, Patricia Antunes, Paula Bierge, Rob J. L. Willems, Jukka Corander, Teresa M. Coque, Oscar Q. Pich, Luisa Peixe, Ana R. Freitas, Carla Novais
Summary: Quaternary ammonium compounds (QACs) are widely used in various settings, while Enterococcus faecalis and Enterococcus faecium are recognized as nosocomial pathogens. This study evaluated the susceptibility of Enterococcus to QACs and found that they rarely carry related tolerance genes, but their susceptibility can decrease under specific environmental conditions.
MICROBIOLOGY SPECTRUM
(2023)
