Article
Forestry
Gargi Sen, Indrani Sarkar, Saroja Chetrri, Pallab Kar, Ayan Roy, Arnab Sen, Malay Bhattacharya
Summary: Actinorhizal plants, such as Alnus nepalensis, play an important role in ecological restoration due to their nitrogen-fixing ability. This study compared the bacterial diversity in the rhizosphere and non-rhizosphere soil of Alnus nepalensis in Darjeeling hills. The results showed that rhizospheric soil had a higher population of nitrogen-fixing bacteria, while non-rhizospheric soil had higher alpha diversity with distinct populations of other soil bacteria.
JOURNAL OF FOREST RESEARCH
(2022)
Article
Plant Sciences
Haoran Chen, Sylvie Renault, John Markham
Summary: The mining of Canada's oil sands region creates disturbed land with elevated levels of salts. Understanding how native plants respond to salt stress is crucial for reclaiming these lands. In this study, Alnus alnobetula subsp. crispa, a native species, was inoculated with Frankia and Hebeloma crustiliniforme and exposed to different levels of salt. The results showed that despite reduced nitrogen fixation, plants with the Frankia inoculation had increased biomass and improved stress tolerance. In addition, mycorrhizae did not significantly affect plant growth, but reduced nodule numbers and efficiency. These findings suggest that nitrogen-fixing traits are more critical than mycorrhizae in salt-stressed environments.
Article
Forestry
L. Nehring, J. M. Kranabetter, G. J. Harper, B. J. Hawkins
Summary: This study investigates the relationship between tree-ring delta N-15 and soil N dynamics in N-2-fixing red alder trees, and explores the influence of alder-fixed N on neighboring conifers. The findings suggest that the delta N-15 values in tree-rings can reflect N accretion rates in red alder and provide insights into the nitrogen dynamics under different tree species combinations.
Article
Microbiology
Philippe Normand, Imen Nouioui, Meina Neumann-Schaal, Aude Herrera-Belaroussi, Danis Abrouk, Spandana Vemulapally, Trina Guerra, Dittmar Hahn
Summary: A new Frankia strain, named Frankia umida sp. nov., was isolated, which has the ability to produce hyphae and N-2-fixing vesicles on the root nodules of Alnus glutinosa.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF SYSTEMATIC AND EVOLUTIONARY MICROBIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Plant Sciences
Haoran Chen, John Markham
Summary: Nitrogen-fixing plants have limited ability to balance C:N ratios at elevated CO2 levels, with plant leaf defense being the dominant driver of herbivory.
Article
Forestry
Jin Lee, Masahiro Nakamura, Tsutom Hiura
Summary: A large-scale nitrogen fertilization experiment in a cool temperate forest in northern Japan found that nitrogen deposition can influence interactions between alder trees and their insect herbivores, leading to changes in insect density and leaf damage. The study revealed that fertilization decreased LMA, indirectly impacting leaf damage by chewers.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Feng Wei, Yuan Liu, Donglai Zhou, Wenlong Zhao, Zhennan Chen, Dason Chen, Youguo Li, Xue-Xian Zhang
Summary: This study conducted transcriptome analysis of the symbiotic relationship between Astragalus sinicus and Mesorhizobium huakuii. It was found that the specific NCR peptides of A. sinicus are dominated by a unique cationic group, which can affect the rhizobial cells. In functional characterization, it was discovered that one of the NCR peptides can inhibit the growth of rhizobial cells in laboratory media and form ineffective nodules on the plant.
MOLECULAR PLANT-MICROBE INTERACTIONS
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Bingyi Yan, Huiling Huang, Xinyu Qin, Shijian Xiu, Juhyung Choi, Dongjin Ko, Tianyu Chen, Wang Zhang, Bo Quan, Guowang Diao, Xuanzhen Jin, Yuanzhe Piao
Summary: Heteroatom doping, pore engineering, and morphology design are efficient strategies for developing high-performance electrode materials for supercapacitors. A one-step self-template strategy was successfully developed to synthesize highly nitrogen-doped nanoporous carbon wire, achieving high specific capacitance and excellent cycle stability.
ACS APPLIED ENERGY MATERIALS
(2021)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Jingzhe Liang, Wanqing Song, Haozhi Wang, Jia Ding, Wenbin Hu
Summary: Researchers have designed a nitrogen-rich carbon foam as an efficient sulfur host in potassium-sulfur batteries. The porous structure of the carbon foam improves sulfur utilization and conversion, while providing space for volume changes during reversible potassation. The study demonstrates the importance of the porosity engineering strategy for the commercialization of potassium-sulfur batteries.
Article
Plant Sciences
Beatrix Horvath, Berivan Gungor, Monika Toth, Agota Domonkos, Ferhan Ayaydin, Farheen Saifi, Yuhui Chen, Janos Barnabas Biro, Mickael Bourge, Zoltan Szabo, Zoltan Toth, Rujin Chen, Peter Kalo
Summary: By characterizing and analyzing three ineffective nitrogen-fixing Medicago truncatula mutants, we discovered that Mtsym19 and Mtsym20 mutants have defects in the same peptide NCR-new35, and the lack of NCR343 is responsible for the ineffective symbiosis of NF-FN9363. We found that the expression of NCR-new35 is significantly lower and limited to the transition zone of the nodule compared with other crucial NCRs. The fluorescent protein-tagged versions of NCR343 and NCR-new35 localized to the symbiotic compartment.
Article
Plant Sciences
Evgeny A. Zorin, Marina S. Kliukova, Alexey M. Afonin, Emma S. Gribchenko, Mikhail L. Gordon, Anton S. Sulima, Aleksandr I. Zhernakov, Olga A. Kulaeva, Daria A. Romanyuk, Pyotr G. Kusakin, Anna V. Tsyganova, Viktor E. Tsyganov, Igor A. Tikhonovich, Vladimir A. Zhukov
Summary: This study characterizes the NCR gene family in pea, finding that they are highly variable and distinct from those in Medicago truncatula. The study suggests independent evolution of NCR genes in related legume species and explores the spatiotemporal expression profiles and potential transcription factor regulators of NCRs.
FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Energy & Fuels
Deependra Pratap Singh, David A. Wood, Bodhisatwa Hazra, Pradeep K. Singh
Summary: The pore geometry of shale reservoirs has a significant impact on the storage and transportation of petroleum in unconventional resources, influenced by the intrinsic surface roughness and pore size distributions. Thermal maturity and mineral content are key factors affecting the pore structure of shales. Ambiguities exist in the selection of fractal values, and differences in values between samples from different basins may be attributed to mineralogical differences.
Review
Agronomy
Emily C. Cooledge, David R. Chadwick, Lydia M. J. Smith, Jonathan R. Leake, Davey L. Jones
Summary: Agricultural intensification has led to increased continuous cropping, which has negatively affected global soil health. However, incorporating multispecies ley rotations can alleviate soil degradation and improve soil quality through the inclusion of legumes, deep-rooted plants, and herbs. These multispecies leys have the potential to promote soil carbon sequestration, reduce fertilizer requirements, and enhance soil biodiversity.
FRONTIERS OF AGRICULTURAL SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING
(2022)
Review
Agronomy
J. Allan Downie, Eva Kondorosi
Summary: Legumes such as pea and Medicago induce terminal differentiation in rhizobial endosymbionts by targeting nodule-specific peptides, while other legumes like soybean lack these peptides, leading to the absence of terminal bacterial differentiation and nitrogen fixation dysfunction.
FRONTIERS IN AGRONOMY
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
S. Guesmi, M. Mahjoubi, P. Pujic, A. Cherif, P. Normand, H. Sghaier, H. Boubakri
Summary: In this study, the antimicrobial activity and genomic biocontrol attributes of the radioresistant strain Kocuria rhizophila PT10 were analyzed. The results showed that PT10 has the potential to synthesize specialized metabolites and enzymes, and exhibits antimicrobial activity against fungi and bacteria.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Adrian Wallner, Nicolas Busset, Joy Lachat, Ludivine Guigard, Eoghan King, Isabelle Rimbault, Peter Mergaert, Gilles Bena, Lionel Moulin
Summary: This study compared the genetic strategies used by B. vietnamiensis and P. kururiensis to colonize different varieties of rice, revealing that B. vietnamiensis has a higher number of genes involved in rice root colonization compared to P. kururiensis, and rice shows a stronger adverse reaction toward B. vietnamiensis. The bacterial fitness depends on a higher number of genes when colonizing different rice varieties.
APPLIED AND ENVIRONMENTAL MICROBIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Medhat Rehan, Ahmed Alhusays, Ahmed M. Serag, Hasna Boubakri, Petar Pujic, Philippe Normand
Summary: The study confirmed the ability of Frankia alni ACN14a to resist Cd2+ and identified the mechanisms involving Cd2+ efflux outside the cells and binding it to the membrane surface. Two potential cadmium-resistance operons were discovered in Frankia strains.
ELECTRONIC JOURNAL OF BIOTECHNOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Forestry
Ken-Ichi Kucho, Masahito Hashimoto, Philippe Normand, Pascale Fournier, Petar Pujic
Summary: This study investigates the impact of variants of Frankia spp. on the symbiotic interactions with actinorhizal plants. Results from inoculation experiments on host plants suggest that surface polysaccharides of Frankia play important roles in colony appearance, nitrogen fixation activity, and vesicle development inside infected plant cells.
JOURNAL OF FOREST RESEARCH
(2023)
Article
Microbiology
Mathilde Vincent, Hasna Boubakri, Melanie Gasser, Anne-Emmanuelle Hay, Aude Herrera-Belaroussi
Summary: Many reviews have shown the induction of defense genes similar to those involved in pathogenesis in legume-rhizobia and mycorrhizal symbioses, indicating a potential convergence point in plant-microorganism symbiotic systems. However, research on actinorhizal symbiosis compared to pathogenesis is still in its early stages, and more studies are needed to confirm this hypothesis.
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Lorena Carro, Aysel Veyisoglu, Kiymet Guven, Peter Schumann, Hans-Peter Klenk, Nevzat Sahin
Summary: A new alkalitolerant actinobacterial strain named Plantactinospora alkalitolerans was isolated from offshore sediments at the Melet river in the Black Sea. The strain showed high tolerance to alkaline pH, degradation capabilities for various organic compounds, and resistance to high heavy metal concentrations. It also exhibited potential for producing diverse secondary metabolites.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Petar Pujic, Lorena Carro, Pascale Fournier, Jean Armengaud, Guylaine Miotello, Nathalie Dumont, Caroline Bourgeois, Xavier Saupin, Patrick Jame, Gabriela Vuletin Selak, Nicole Alloisio, Philippe Normand
Summary: A phyloprofile analysis of Frankia genomes identified genes present in symbiotic strains and absent in non-infective strains. The role of the carbonic anhydrase gene (can) was analyzed, revealing its function in maintaining pH balance and NH4+ concentration. Genes related to can have undergone decay in non-symbiotic lineages.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2023)
Article
Microbiology
Philippe Normand, Imen Nouioui, Meina Neumann-Schaal, Aude Herrera-Belaroussi, Danis Abrouk, Spandana Vemulapally, Trina Guerra, Dittmar Hahn
Summary: A new Frankia strain, named Frankia umida sp. nov., was isolated, which has the ability to produce hyphae and N-2-fixing vesicles on the root nodules of Alnus glutinosa.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF SYSTEMATIC AND EVOLUTIONARY MICROBIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Microbiology
Dmitrii Y. Y. Travin, Romain Jouan, Armelle Vigouroux, Satomi Inaba-Inoue, Joy Lachat, Fazal Haq, Tatiana Timchenko, Dmitry Sutormin, Svetlana Dubiley, Konstantinos Beis, Solange Morera, Konstantin Severinov, Peter Mergaert
Summary: The peptide antibiotic Phazolicin (PHZ) exhibits low resistance in Sinorhizobium meliloti due to its dual-entry mode through two different peptide transporters. This finding makes PHZ an attractive option for the development of biocontrol agents in agriculture.
Article
Genetics & Heredity
Sandra Kim Tiam, Hasna Boubakri, Lorine Bethencourt, Danis Abrouk, Pascale Fournier, Aude Herrera-Belaroussi
Summary: The present study used comparative genomics to explore the relationships between Frankia and actinorhizal plants. Specific genes were found in Alnus-infective strains, potentially involved in various functions. A comparison between Sp+ and Sp- Frankia genomes revealed a loss of genetic and functional paralogs in Sp+ strains, suggesting a reduction in functional redundancy or a possible loss of function related to a saprophytic lifestyle.
Article
Microbiology
Guillaume Lalanne-Tisne, Bastien Barral, Ahmed Taibi, Zana Kpatolo Coulibaly, Pierre Burguet, Felah Rasoarahona, Loic Quinton, Jean-Christophe Meile, Hasna Boubakri, Hippolyte Kodja
Summary: In this study, endophytic bacterial strains were isolated from pods of hybrid vanilla plants from Madagascar and genetically characterized. Results showed that bacteria belonging to the genus Bacillus and Curtobacterium exhibited beneficial capabilities such as phosphate solubilisation, free nitrogen fixation, and phytohormone and siderophore production. Some strains also showed potential for biocontrol of vanilla pathogenic fungi. Spectral imaging revealed the production of lipopeptides by bacterial strains confronted with the pathogenic fungi.
Article
Microbiology
Jerome Trotereau, Romain Jouan, Delphine Naquin, Maxime Branger, Catherine Schouler, Philippe Velge, Peter Mergaert, Isabelle Virlogeux-Payant
Summary: In this study, a high-density transposon sequencing library of the Salmonella Typhimurium ATCC 14028 strain was constructed and characterized, and essential genes for growth in rich culture medium were identified.
MICROBIOLOGY RESOURCE ANNOUNCEMENTS
(2023)
Article
Physics, Fluids & Plasmas
J. Bouvard, C. Douarche, P. Mergaert, H. Auradou, F. Moisy
Summary: In this study, the aerotactic response of Burkholderia contaminans bacteria was investigated by tracking bacteria and measuring local oxygen concentration. The findings indicate that the aerotactic velocity is proportional to the local oxygen concentration raised to the power of -2, consistent with existing models.
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Tsubasa Ohbayashi, Raynald Cossard, Gaelle Lextrait, Takahiro Hosokawa, Vincent Lesieur, Kazutaka Takeshita, Kanako Tago, Peter Mergaert, Yoshitomo Kikuchi
Summary: This study investigated the gut symbionts of the Western conifer seed bug and found that the specificity of the symbionts is influenced by the host rather than geography.
MICROBES AND ENVIRONMENTS
(2022)
Article
Microbiology
George C. DiCenzo, Lisa Cangioli, Quentin Nicoud, Janis H. T. Cheng, Matthew J. Blow, Nicole Shapiro, Tanja Woyke, Emanuele G. Biondi, Benoit Alunni, Alessio Mengoni, Peter Mergaert
Summary: DNA methylation plays important roles in immunity and cellular processes regulation in Ensifer bacteria, especially in nitrogen-fixing symbiosis with legumes. Six genome-wide methylated motifs were identified using single-molecule real-time sequencing, with five of them being strain-specific. The GANTC motif recognized by the cell cycle-regulated CcrM methyltransferase was methylated in all strains. The methylation of GANTC motifs increased progressively from ori to ter regions in actively dividing cell cultures, while near full genome-wide GANTC methylation was observed in the early stage of symbiotic differentiation, followed by a moderate decrease in overall methylation and a progressive decrease in chromosomal GANTC methylation in later stages of differentiation. These findings suggest dysregulated and constitutive CcrM activity during terminal differentiation may be a driving factor for endoreduplication of terminally differentiated bacteroids.