Article
Ecology
Weiquan Wang, Kaihao Tang, Pengxia Wang, Zhenshun Zeng, Tao Xu, Waner Zhan, Tianlang Liu, Yan Wang, Xiaoxue Wang
Summary: Competition in the coral microbiome plays a significant role in coral health, and a study has found that a pathogen called Vibrio coralliilyticus outcompetes commensal bacteria by inducing prophages. This discovery reveals the molecular mechanism underlying colonization competition in corals and highlights the importance of certain genes used by pathogens to gain a competitive advantage.
NATURE ECOLOGY & EVOLUTION
(2022)
Article
Microbiology
James W. Conrad, Valerie J. Harwood
Summary: This study reveals that sewage can significantly increase the density of Vibrio vulnificus populations and affect the transcription of genes associated with virulence, suggesting an increased risk of V. vulnificus infections.
MICROBIOLOGY SPECTRUM
(2022)
Article
Marine & Freshwater Biology
Natalie Grayson, Cody S. Clements, Alexandra A. Towner, Deanna S. Beatty, Mark E. Hay
Summary: Detritivore sea cucumbers were abundant on historic tropical reefs but have been heavily exploited since the mid-1800s, resulting in their depletion from modern marine communities. Experiments have shown that the removal of detritovores may make some co-occurring foundation species in shallow tropical seas more susceptible to pathogens during periods of elevated temperatures or other stresses.
Article
Plant Sciences
Jessica M. Deutsch, Paige Mandelare-Ruiz, Yingzhe Yang, Gabriel Foster, Apurva Routhu, Jay Houk, Yesmarie T. De La Flor, Blake Ushijima, Julie L. Meyer, Valerie J. Paul, Neha Garg
Summary: In this study, bacterial isolates from healthy and diseased corals were screened for antibacterial activity, and the bioactive extracts were analyzed using untargeted metabolomics. By analyzing different metabolites and antibacterial activities, coral-derived bacteria with potential probiotic candidates were identified.
JOURNAL OF NATURAL PRODUCTS
(2022)
Article
Immunology
Fan Mao, Kunna Liu, Nai-Kei Wong, Xiangyu Zhang, Wenjie Yi, Zhiming Xiang, Shu Xiao, Ziniu Yu, Yang Zhang
Summary: The study demonstrates that hosts exhibit different immune responses when encountering Vibrio pathogens of varying virulence, including activation of different immune pathways. Highly virulent Vibrio strains induce apoptosis in oyster cells, while less virulent strains enhance phagocytosis and cell adhesion capabilities.
FRONTIERS IN IMMUNOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Microbiology
Junlin Wang, Huanying Pang, Linlin Yin, Fuyuan Zeng, Na Wang, Rowena Hoare, Sean J. Monaghan, Wanxin Li, Jichang Jian
Summary: Protein lysine acetylation is an evolutionarily conserved post-translational modification that plays a crucial role in the metabolism and virulence of V. mimicus. This study provides a comprehensive analysis of the protein lysine acetylome in V. mimicus and establishes an important foundation for further research on the biological function of lysine acetylation in V. mimicus.
FRONTIERS IN MICROBIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Immunology
Fabian Galvis, Lucia Ageitos, Jaime Rodriguez, Carlos Jimenez, Juan L. Barja, Manuel L. Lemos, Miguel Balado
Summary: This study identified two siderophores, amphibactin and piscibactin, produced by Vibrio neptunius, with amphibactin playing a more important role in bacterial fitness and piscibactin contributing equally to virulence in molluscs. A V. neptunius strain unable to produce any siderophore was severely impaired in causing vibriosis in clams.
FRONTIERS IN CELLULAR AND INFECTION MICROBIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
N. Al-Karablieh, F. A. Al-Horani, S. Alnaimat, M. H. Abu Zarga
Summary: This study assessed the health of Porites sp. coral in the Gulf of Aqaba and found that the presence of the bacterial pathogen Vibrio coralliilyticus may contribute to coral bleaching.
LETTERS IN APPLIED MICROBIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Ishraq Rahman, Al-Hussain Ali Al-Bar, Florina Stephanie Richard, Moritz Mueller, Aazani Mujahid
Summary: The study found that Vibrio coralliilyticus showed a positive chemotactic response to various coral mucus, with the highest response to Acropora sp. and the lowest to Montipora sp. Microfluidic chip assessment also confirmed the bacterium's chemotactic preference for tank-cultivated coral mucus.
CANADIAN JOURNAL OF MICROBIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Microbiology
Suyeon Kim, Han Young Chung, Joon-Gi Kwon, Sang Ho Choi, Ju-Hoon Lee
Summary: Vibrio vulnificus, a well-known pathogen causing food-borne illnesses, has a new strain isolated in South Korea with two circular DNA chromosomes, one of which contains a super integron likely associated with antibiotic resistance and pathogenicity. Pan-genome analysis revealed important virulence factors in the core genome regions, while unique genes related to resistance ability were found in accessory genome regions. RNA-Seq analysis showed that consumption of contaminated fresh crab could provide a large number of V. vulnificus to humans, posing a potential danger. Biocontrol of V. vulnificus may be critical for ensuring seafood safety.
FRONTIERS IN MICROBIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Biology
Wenchao Zhang, Mei Luo, Chunying Feng, Huaqing Liu, Hong Zhang, Rachel R. Bennett, Andrew S. Utada, Zhi Liu, Kun Zhao
Summary: The study reveals the critical role of MSHA pili as a brake and anchor during the landing process of Vibrio cholerae in viscoelastic environments. Loss of MSHA pili leads to a more dramatic increase in mean path length in viscoelastic non-Newtonian fluids compared to viscous Newtonian ones.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Mario Lopez-Perez, Jane M. Jayakumar, Trudy-Ann Grant, Asier Zaragoza-Solas, Pedro J. Cabello-Yeves, Salvador Almagro-Moreno
Summary: Pathogen emergence is a complex phenomenon that is poorly understood, particularly in terms of the genetic traits and environmental factors that contribute to the pathogenic potential of specific strains. The distribution of unique genetic markers and clusters in different ecological locations highlights the influence of biotic and abiotic factors in shaping pathogen emergence. Understanding these relationships can aid in assessing and preventing future outbreaks.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
(2021)
Article
Microbiology
Jingxiao Cai, Yuan Hao, Rongjing Xu, Yuanxing Zhang, Yue Ma, Yibei Zhang, Qiyao Wang
Summary: LuxR has distinct binding characteristics in response to temperature changes, and it can regulate and control the expression of virulence genes in V. alginolyticus.
MICROBIOLOGICAL RESEARCH
(2022)
Article
Immunology
Chunlei Gai, Jie Liu, Xurui Zheng, La Xu, Haibin Ye
Summary: This study reports the pathogenicity of V. ponticus to coral trout for the first time and provides a reference for controlling pathogenic V. ponticus in coral trout.
FRONTIERS IN CELLULAR AND INFECTION MICROBIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Fisheries
Ben Yang, Shangyu Zhai, Xin Li, Jing Tian, Qi Li, Hongwei Shan, Shikai Liu
Summary: This study identified Vibrio alginolyticus as a causative pathogen associated with mass summer mortality of Pacific oysters cultured in Shandong, China, highlighting the potential impact of high temperature on its growth and pathogenicity. Detection of important virulence genes further supported the strong pathogenicity of V. alginolyticus. These findings suggest the importance of disease surveillance and genetic breeding program to develop oyster strains with high disease resistance.
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Dalit Meron, Nadav Davidovich, Maya Ofek-Lalzar, Ran Berzak, Aviad Scheinin, Yael Regev, Rei Diga, Dan Tchernov, Danny Morick
MICROBIAL BIOTECHNOLOGY
(2020)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Shukun Luo, Bruna G. Coutinho, Prikshat Dadhwal, Yasuhiro Oda, Jiahong Ren, Amy L. Schaefer, E. Peter Greenberg, Caroline S. Harwood, Liang Tong
Summary: Some plant-associated proteobacteria have LuxR family transcription factors known as PipR subfamily members that play important roles in interactions with plant hosts and bacterial virulence of plants. The ethanolamine derivative, HEHEAA, was identified as an effective effector of PipR-mediated gene regulation in the plant endophyte Pseudomonas GM79. Crystallization of a HEHEAA-responsive SBP revealed the molecular basis of PipR system responses to plant factors, showing that different PipR-associated SBPs bind different effectors.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
(2021)
Article
Biology
Wellington S. Miranda, Q. Cong, A. L. Schaefer, E. K. MacLeod, A. Zimenko, D. Baker, E. P. Greenberg
Summary: Researchers have identified selectivity residues within AHL synthases and receptors using covariation methods, demonstrating their importance in the Las system. This study deepens the understanding of how communication systems evolve and diversify.
Article
Microbiology
Nicole E. Smalley, Amy L. Schaefer, Kyle L. Asfahl, Crystal Perez, E. Peter Greenberg, Ajai A. Dandekar
Summary: In the bacterium Pseudomonas aeruginosa, quorum sensing (QS) can activate the expression of dozens to hundreds of genes. In this study, the researchers investigated how the size and content of the QS regulon can evolve during long-term growth of P. aeruginosa. They found that the QS regulon can undergo a reductive adaptation in response to continuous QS-dependent growth. These findings provide insights into the strain-to-strain variability in the size and content of the P. aeruginosa QS regulon.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Peleg Itay, Eli Shemesh, Maya Ofek-Lalzar, Nadav Davidovich, Yael Kroin, Shlomi Zrihan, Nir Stern, Arik Diamant, Natascha Wosnick, Dalit Meron, Dan Tchernov, Danny Morick
Summary: The gill microbiome of marine fish species reflects the gut microbiota and microbial communities of surrounding water. Potential pathogenic bacteria were found in the gills, but no definite obligatory pathogenic species were identified, suggesting the presence of covert pathobionts or opportunistic pathogens.
FRONTIERS IN MARINE SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Microbiology
Maya Lalzar, Tal Zvi-Kedem, Yael Kroin, Stephane Martinez, Dan Tchernov, Dalit Meron
Summary: Sedimentary marine habitats are the largest ecosystem on Earth and play a crucial role in global biogeochemical activity. The microbiota in marine sediments respond to environmental changes and can serve as bioindicators for assessing environmental health. This study examines the suitability of marine sediment microbiota as a sensitive approach for long-term monitoring of marine environmental health in the eastern Mediterranean Sea.
MICROBIOLOGY SPECTRUM
(2023)
Article
Microbiology
Zehui Suo, Dale A. Cummings, Aaron W. Puri, Amy L. Schaefer, E. Peter Greenberg
Summary: We report a Mesorhizobium japonicum quorum sensing (QS) system involving a novel acyl-homoserine lactone (AHL) signal. This system is known to be involved in root nodule symbiosis with host plants. The chemistry of the newly described QS signal indicated that there may be a dedicated cellular enzyme involved in its synthesis in addition to the types known for production of other AHLs. We report that an additional gene is required for synthesis of the unique signal, and this is a three-component QS circuit as opposed to the canonical two-component AHL QS circuits. The signaling system is exquisitely selective, which may be important in complex microbial communities around host plants and may have various synthetic biology applications.
Article
Microbiology
Goni Bregman, Maya Lalzar, Leigh Livne, Eyal Bigal, Ziv Zemah-Shamir, Danny Morick, Dan Tchernov, Aviad Scheinin, Dalit Meron
Summary: Sharks play a crucial ecological role as apex predators in shaping marine food webs and maintaining balanced ecosystems. They are sensitive to environmental changes and anthropogenic pressures, making them a keystone or sentinel group for ecosystem monitoring. However, there has been a lack of research on the microbiome aspect of sharks, especially with long-term sampling.
FRONTIERS IN MICROBIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Microbiology
Samantha Wellington Miranda, E. Peter Greenberg
Summary: In this study, the impact of signal sensitivity on gene regulation and bacterial fitness was investigated using two variants of the LasR quorum sensing receptor in Pseudomonas aeruginosa. The findings suggest that altered signal sensitivity affects gene expression and fitness during competition, highlighting the delicate balance between group behaviors regulated by quorum sensing and bacterial fitness.
JOURNAL OF BACTERIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Microbiology
Maxim Kostylev, Nicole E. Smalley, Man Hou Chao, E. Peter Greenberg
Summary: Pseudomonas aeruginosa uses quorum sensing to regulate its virulence. This study identifies MexT as a regulator that inhibits the RhlI-R circuit and PQS circuit, leading to reduced virulence in a nematode worm infection model.
JOURNAL OF BACTERIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Microbiology
Nicole E. Smalley, Amy L. Schaefer, Kyle L. Asfahl, Crystal Perez, E. Peter Greenberg, Ajai A. Dandekar
Summary: This study investigates the evolution of the QS regulon in Pseudomonas aeruginosa during long-term growth when cells require some but not all the functions activated by QS. The research reveals that the QS-regulon in P. aeruginosa can undergo a reductive adaptation in response to continuous QS-dependent growth, providing insights into the variability in the size and content of the QS regulon in different strains.
