Interaction Of Bacteria Research Articles

Bacteria and fungi of the lung: allies or enemies?

Moving from the earlier periods in which the lungs were believed to represent sterile environments, our knowledge on the lung microbiota has dramatically increased, from the first descriptions of the microbial communities inhabiting the healthy lungs and the definition of the ecological rules that regulate its composition, to the identification of the changes that occur in pathological conditions. Despite the limitations of lung as a microbiome reservoir due to the low microbial biomass and abundance, defining its microbial composition and function in the upper and lower airways may help understanding the impact on local homeostasis and its disruption in lung diseases. In particular, the understanding of the metabolic and immune significance of microbes, their presence or lack thereof, in health and disease states could be valuable in development of novel druggable targets in disease treatments. Next-generation sequencing has identified intricate inter-microbe association networks that comprise true mutualistic or antagonistic direct or indirect relationships in the respiratory tract. In this review, the tripartite interaction of bacteria, fungi and the mammalian host is addressed to provide an integrated view of the microbial-host cross-talk in lung health and diseases from an immune and metabolic perspective.

Physicochemical properties and antimicrobial efficacy of argon cold atmospheric pressure plasma jet activated liquids – a comparative study

Cold atmospheric pressure plasma jet activated liquids (CAPJALs) have attracted considerable scientific attention due to their peculiar antimicrobial characteristics. In the current context, there is a need to compare the bactericidal activity of CAPJALs and demonstrate the specific parameters necessary to obtain greater effectiveness. This in-vitro research examines the antimicrobial activity of liquids, such as deionized water (DI-W), drinking water (DW), tap water (TW), and normal saline (NS) activated by Ar cold atmospheric pressure plasma jet (CAPJ) against multidrug-resistant (MDR) E. coli and S. aureus. The computed D- value showed that CAPJALs' bacterial inactivation efficacy followed the trend – DI-W ≈ NS > DW > TW for both the isolates. To obtain greater bactericidal effectiveness, an optimum combination of liquid activation time by CAPJ and CAPJAL – bacteria interaction time was noticed. In addition, the rate at which the physicochemical parameters (pH, electrical conductivity (EC), total dissolved solids (TDS), and concentration of reactive species (H2O2, NO3-, and NO2-)) changed within the liquid varied in different ways. It was observed that the identified gas-phase species (Ar I, Ar+, N2, N2+, O I, OH•, OH+, NO+, O2+, N2O3-, NO3-, N2O2-, etc.) would contribute to modification of liquid physicochemical property by generating liquid phase reactive species (NO3-, NO2-, H+, H2O2, ONOOH, Cl2, HOCl, etc.) via reaction cascades. These reactive species in the liquid phase, together with other physicochemical characteristics, were found to play a part in the process of bacterial inactivation. This study into the underlying mechanism of CAPJ – liquid and CAPJAL – bacteria interaction would help to determine its potential use as a disinfectant in healthcare settings. List of microorganismsE. coli: Escherichia coli; S. aureus: Staphylococcus aureus

Cytoskeletal mechanisms regulating attaching/effacing bacteria interactions with host cells: It takes a village to build the pedestal.

The actin cytoskeleton is a key cellular structure subverted by pathogens to infect and survive in or on host cells. Several pathogenic strains of Escherichia coli, such as enteropathogenic E. coli (EPEC) and enterohemorrhagic E. coli (EHEC), developed a unique mechanism to remodel the actin cytoskeleton that involves the assembly of actin filament-rich pedestals beneath the bacterial attachment sites. Actin pedestal assembly is driven by bacterial effectors injected into the host cells, and this structure is important for EPEC and EHEC colonization. While the interplay between bacterial effectors and the actin polymerization machinery of host cells is well-understood, how other mechanisms of actin filament remodelling regulate pedestal assembly and bacterial attachment are poorly investigated. This review discusses the gaps in our understanding of the complexity of the actin cytoskeletal remodelling during EPEC and EHEC infection. We describe possible roles of actin depolymerizing, crosslinking and motor proteins in pedestal dynamics, and bacterial interactions with the host cells. We also discuss the biological significance of pedestal assembly for bacterial infection.

Metagenome-assembled genome of Pseudomonas sp. from coenocytic alga Vaucheria bursata.

Here, we report a draft metagenome-assembled genome and annotation of Pseudomonas sp. obtained from the sequenced genome of Vaucheria bursata. The genome completeness was 97.9% with a total of 5,322 open reading frames, of which 3,147 genes were annotated. The availability of the metagenome will elucidate the possible epiphytic interactions of bacteria with Vaucheria bursata.

Memory effects of transcription regulator−DNA interactions in bacteria

Memory effect refers to the phenomenon where past events influence a system's current and future states or behaviors. In biology, memory effects often arise from intra- or intermolecular interactions, leading to temporally correlated behaviors. Single-molecule studies have shown that enzymes and DNA-binding proteins can exhibit time-correlated behaviors of their activity. While memory effects are well documented and studied in vitro, no such examples exist in cells to our knowledge. Combining single-molecule tracking (SMT) and single-cell protein quantitation, we find in living Escherichia coli cells distinct temporal correlations in the binding/unbinding events on DNA by MerR- and Fur-family metalloregulators, manifesting as memory effects with timescales of ~1 s. These memory effects persist irrespective of the type of the metalloregulators or their metallation states. Moreover, these temporal correlations of metalloregulator-DNA interactions are associated with spatial confinements of the metalloregulators near their DNA binding sites, suggesting microdomains of ~100 nm in size that possibly result from the spatial organizations of the bacterial chromosome without the involvement of membranes. These microdomains likely facilitate repeated binding events, enhancing regulator-DNA contact frequency and potentially gene regulation efficiency. These findings provide unique insights into the spatiotemporal dynamics of protein-DNA interactions in bacterial cells, introducing the concept of microdomains as a crucial player in memory effect-driven gene regulation.

Isolation and characterization of the new Streptomyces phages Kamino, Geonosis, Abafar, and Scarif infecting a broad range of host species.

Streptomyces, a multifaceted genus of soil-dwelling bacteria belonging to the phylum Actinomycetota, features intricate phage-host interactions shaped by its complex life cycle and the synthesis of a diverse array of specialized metabolites. Here, we describe the isolation and characterization of four novel Streptomyces phages infecting a variety of different host species. While phage Kamino, isolated on Streptomyces kasugaensis, is predicted to be temperate and encodes a serine integrase in its genome, phages Geonosis (isolated on Streptomyces griseus) and Abafar and Scarif, isolated on Streptomyces albidoflavus, are virulent phages. Phages Kamino and Geonosis were shown to amplify well in liquid culture leading to a pronounced culture collapse already at low titers. Determination of the host range by testing >40 different Streptomyces species identified phages Kamino, Abafar, and Scarif as broad host-range phages. Overall, the phages described in this study expand the publicly available portfolio of phages infecting Streptomyces and will be instrumental in advancing the mechanistic understanding of the intricate antiviral strategies employed by these multicellular bacteria.IMPORTANCEThe actinobacterial genus Streptomyces is characterized by multicellular, filamentous growth and the synthesis of a diverse range of bioactive molecules. These characteristics also play a role in shaping their interactions with the most abundant predator in the environment, bacteriophages-viruses infecting bacteria. In this study, we characterize four new phages infecting Streptomyces. Out of those, three phages feature a broad host range infecting up to 15 different species. The isolated phages were characterized with respect to plaque and virion morphology, host range, and amplification in liquid culture. In summary, the phages reported in this study contribute to the broader collection of publicly available phages infecting Streptomyces, playing a crucial role in advancing our mechanistic understanding of phage-host interactions of these multicellular bacteria.

Insights into the interactions of plant-associated bacteria and their role in the transfer of antibiotic resistance genes from soil to plant

This study discussed the role of plant-associated microbiome in regulating ARG transfer in soil-plant systems. Results showed that target ARGs in plants were mainly derived from rhizosphere soil. Cooperative interactions among bacteria in rhizosphere soil, plant-roots, plant-shoots, and soil-roots-shoots systems occurred during ARG transfer. The number of modules and keystone taxa identified as positively correlated with ARG transfer in rhizosphere soil, roots, and shoots was 3 and 49, 3 and 41, 2 and 5, respectively. Among these modules, module 3 in roots was significantly positively correlated with module 3 in rhizosphere soils and module 2 in shoots, indicating that module 3 in roots played central hub roles in ARG transfer from rhizosphere soil to roost and shoots. This may be because module 3 in roots increased cell motility and xenobiotics biodegradation and metabolism. These keystone taxa mainly belonged to Proteobacteria that can carry ARGs to transfer in soil-plant systems, especially Clostridium-sensu_stricito and Pseudomonas in rhizosphere soil carried ARGs into the shoot. Additionally, they promoted ARG transfer by increasing plant biomass, net photosynthetic rate and water use efficiency. The findings helped reveal the mechanism of plant-associated bacterial interactions and provided understanding for potential risks of ARG transfer from soil to plants.

Effect of nystatin on invasion of <i>Serratia grimesii</i> and <i>Serratia proteamaculans</i> bacteria into epithelial cells

BACKGROUND: Bacteria use various endocytic pathways during entering non-phagocytic cells. The involvement of caveolae/lipid rafts in bacterial invasion has been demonstrated for many bacterial pathogens. However, for bacteria of the genus Serratia, the involvement of membrane microdomains in the process of bacterial internalization has been poorly studied. AIM: To evaluate the involvement of caveolae/lipid rafts in the invasion of S. grimesii and S. proteamaculans bacteria into non-phagocytic epithelial Caco-2 and M-HeLa cells using nystatin. MATERIALS AND METHODS: M-HeLa and Caco-2 epithelial cells were incubated with 50 μM nystatin for 1 hour at 37 ºC, after which they were infected with the bacteria S. grimesii strain 30063 and S. proteamaculans strain 94, the multiplicity of infection was 100 bacteria per cell. The number of intracellular bacteria was assessed using gentamicin protection assay. The level of caveolin-1 in cells was visualized using confocal microscopy and Western blotting. The expression of Toll-like receptors genes were measured by real-time RT-PCR. RESULTS: Treatment of epithelial cells with nystatin reduces the internalization of S. grimesii and S. proteamaculans into M-HeLa cells by 30% and does not affect penetration into Caco-2 cells. At the same time, nystatin does not affect the redistribution / the integrity impairment of lipid rafts and does not lead to the cytoskeleton reorganization of eukaryotic cells. The addition of nystatin increases the level of caveolin-1 in M-HeLa cells (caveolin-1 is not expressed in Caco-2), which leads to a change plasma membrane fluidity. Nystatin promotes the secretion of proinflammatory cytokines interleukin-6 and interleukin-8 in both cell lines. Infection of M-HeLa cells pretreated with nystatin with the studied bacteria leads to an increase in the expression of tlr2 and tlr4 genes, but does not exceed the level of their expression in control samples. Therefore, it is impossible to speak unambiguously about the participation of Toll-like receptors in the invasion of Serratia bacteria. CONCLUSIONS: The results obtained suggest that the interaction of bacteria with eukaryotic cells induces the expression of caveolin-1, which leads to a change plasma membrane components mobility. This may be due to the fact that β1-integrin is involved in the invasion of the studied bacteria, which should be stabilized at the plasma membrane upon binding of the ligand due to the formation of a cholesterol- and sphingolipid-rich membrane microenvironment.

Automatic extraction of transcriptional regulatory interactions of bacteria from biomedical literature using a BERT-based approach.

Transcriptional regulatory networks (TRNs) give a global view of the regulatory mechanisms of bacteria to respond to environmental signals. These networks are published in biological databases as a valuable resource for experimental and bioinformatics researchers. Despite the efforts to publish TRNs of diverse bacteria, many of them still lack one and many of the existing TRNs are incomplete. In addition, the manual extraction of information from biomedical literature ("literature curation") has been the traditional way to extract these networks, despite this being demanding and time-consuming. Recently, language models based on pretrained transformers have been used to extract relevant knowledge from biomedical literature. Moreover, the benefit of fine-tuning a large pretrained model with new limited data for a specific task ("transfer learning") opens roads to address new problems of biomedical information extraction. Here, to alleviate this lack of knowledge and assist literature curation, we present a new approach based on the Bidirectional Transformer for Language Understanding (BERT) architecture to classify transcriptional regulatory interactions of bacteria as a first step to extract TRNs from literature. The approach achieved a significant performance in a test dataset of sentences of Escherichia coli (F1-Score: 0.8685, Matthew's correlation coefficient: 0.8163). The examination of model predictions revealed that the model learned different ways to express the regulatory interaction. The approach was evaluated to extract a TRN of Salmonella using 264 complete articles. The evaluation showed that the approach was able to accurately extract 82% of the network and that it was able to extract interactions absent in curation data. To the best of our knowledge, the present study is the first effort to obtain a BERT-based approach to extract this specific kind of interaction. This approach is a starting point to address the limitations of reconstructing TRNs of bacteria and diseases of biological interest. Database URL: https://github.com/laigen-unam/BERT-trn-extraction.

A Review on the Interaction of Acetic Acid Bacteria and Microbes in Food Fermentation: A Microbial Ecology Perspective.

In fermented foods, acetic acid bacteria (AAB), kinds of bacteria with a long history of utilization, contribute to safety, nutritional, and sensory properties primarily through acetic acid fermentation. AAB are commonly found in various fermented foods such as vinegar, sour beer, fermented cocoa and coffee beans, kefir beverages, kombucha, and sourdough. They interact and cooperate with a variety of microorganisms, resulting in the formation of diverse metabolites and the production of fermented foods with distinct flavors. Understanding the interactions between AAB and other microbes is crucial for effectively controlling and utilizing AAB in fermentation processes. However, these microbial interactions are influenced by factors such as strain type, nutritional conditions, ecological niches, and fermentation duration. In this review, we examine the relationships and research methodologies of microbial interactions and interaction studies between AAB and yeasts, lactic acid bacteria (LAB), and bacilli in different food fermentation processes involving these microorganisms. The objective of this review is to identify key interaction models involving AAB and other microorganisms. The insights gained will provide scientific guidance for the effective utilization of AAB as functional microorganisms in food fermentation processes.

Exploring Microbial Dynamics: The Interaction between Yeasts and Acetic Acid Bacteria in Port Wine Vinegar and Its Implications on Chemical Composition and Sensory Acceptance

Port wine vinegar, a product of the esteemed Port wine, is renowned for its intricate blend of flavors and aromas, a result of complex microbial interactions. This study delves into the fascinating world of yeast and acetic acid bacteria (AAB) interactions during fermentation, which significantly influence the vinegar’s chemical composition and sensory properties. We specifically investigate the role of yeasts in fermenting sugars into ethanol, a process that AAB then converts into acetic acid. The impact of these interactions on the production of secondary metabolites, such as gluconic acid, ketones, aldehydes, and esters, which contribute to the vinegar’s unique sensory profile, is thoroughly examined. Advanced analytical techniques, including GC-MS and e-nose technology, alongside sensory evaluation, are employed to assess these effects. The research underscores the significance of ethanol tolerance in AAB and other production challenges in determining vinegar quality and underscores the importance of optimizing fermentation conditions and sustainable practices. The findings of this study underscore the importance of strain interactions and production techniques, which can significantly enhance the quality and market appeal of Port wine vinegar, providing valuable insights for the industry. This review also identifies exciting and critical areas for future research, inspiring further exploration and proposing strategies for advancing production and application in culinary, health, and industrial contexts.

Variations of soil metal content, soil enzyme activity and soil bacterial community in Rhododendron delavayi natural shrub forest at different elevations

BackgroundRhododendron delavayi is a natural shrub that is distributed at different elevations in the karst region of Bijie, China, and that has an important role in preventing land degradation in this region. In this study, we determined the soil mineral element contents and soil enzyme activities. The composition of the soil bacterial community of R. delavayi at three elevations (1448 m, 1643 m, and 1821 m) was analyzed by high-throughput sequencing, and the interrelationships among the soil bacterial communities, mineral elements, and enzyme activities were determined.ResultsThe Shannon index of the soil bacterial community increased and then decreased with increasing elevation and was highest at 1643 m. Elevations increased the number of total nodes and edges of the soil bacterial community network, and more positive correlations at 1821 m suggested stronger intraspecific cooperation. Acidobacteria, Actinobacteria and Proteobacteria were the dominant phyla at all three elevations. The Mantel test and correlation analysis showed that Fe and soil urease significantly affected bacterial communities at 1448 m; interestingly, Chloroflexi was positively related to soil urease at 1448 m, and Actinobacteria was positively correlated with Ni and Zn at 1821 m. Fe and soil urease significantly influenced the bacterial communities at lower elevations, and high elevation (1821 m) enhanced the positive interactions of the soil bacteria, which might be a strategy for R. delavayi to adapt to high elevation environments.ConclusionElevation significantly influenced the composition of soil bacterial communities by affecting the content of soil mineral elements and soil enzyme activity.

Synthetic antimicrobial peptides Bac-5, BMAP-28, and Syn-1 can inhibit bovine respiratory disease pathogens in vitro.

Mass treatment with antibiotics at arrival has been the mainstay for bovine respiratory disease (BRD) control but there is an increase in antimicrobial-resistant bacteria being shed from treated cattle. BRD is a disease complex that results from the interaction of viruses or bacteria and susceptible animals with inappropriate immunity. With bacteria being the only feasibly treatable agent and the emergence of antimicrobial resistance, decreased efficacy of commonly used antibiotics could threaten livestock health. There is a need for new antimicrobial alternatives that could be used to control disease. Naturally occurring antimicrobial peptides (AMP) have been proposed to address this need. Here we tested the effect of bovine myeloid antimicrobial peptide-28 (BMAP-28), a synthetic BMAP-28 analog Syn-1, and bactenecin 5 (Bac-5) on Mannheimia haemolytica (Mh) using a quantitative culture method and the broth microdilution method to determine minimum inhibitory and bactericidal concentrations (MIC and MBC). We also tested the antiviral effect of these AMP against bovine herpes-1 (BHV-1) and bovine respiratory syncytial virus (BRSV) using the Reed and Muench method to calculate the viral titers after treatment. We demonstrated that BMAP-28 and Syn-1 can inhibit Mh growth and BMAP-28 can inhibit replication of BHV-1 and BRSV. Moreover, we showed that BMAP-28 and Bac-5 can be used together to inhibit Mh growth. When used alone, the MIC of BMAP-28 and Bac-5 was 64 and 128 μg/mL respectively, but when applied together, their MIC ranged from 0.25-16 for BMAP-28 and 8-64 μg/mL for Bac-5, resulting in a decrease in concentration of up to 256 and 16-fold, respectively. The synergistic interaction between those peptides resulted in concentrations that could be well tolerated by cells. Our results demonstrate that bovine cathelicidins could be used as alternatives to antimicrobials against BRD pathogens. These findings introduce a path to discovering new antimicrobials and determining how these peptides could be tailored to improve cattle health.

Electrochemical Quantification of Tobramycin Retention in Pseudomonas Aeruginosa as Antimicrobial Susceptibility Indicator

The emergence and spread of bacterial resistance to antibiotics has developed into one of the most challenging threats to public health. Antibiotic susceptibility tests (ASTs) for bacterial infections are now essential, because they provide guidance for physicians in the selection of antibiotics, to which bacteria will respond. Most current AST methods require long periods of time, because of bacterial growth and incubation, leading to a prolonged and overuse of broad-spectrum antibiotics. Thus, there is a growing demand for methods and technologies that enable rapid antibiotic susceptibility assessment. Due to advantages related to cost-effectiveness, rapid response time and high sensitivity,electrochemical detection methods are promising analytical tools that can successfully quantify antibiotic uptake and retention in clinically relevant bacterial strains. This study presents the electroanalytical quantification of tobramycin (TOB) retention in susceptible and resistant bacterial strains of Pseudomonas aeruginosa. The electrochemical behavior of TOB was characterized by voltammetry, identifying redox potentials, the current dependence on pH conditions, and the detection limit at unmodified glassy carbon electrodes. The presented methodology was able to distinguish between susceptible and resistant bacterial strains, and is also capable of identifying varying degrees of resistance against TOB. The presented approach detects the immediate interaction of bacteria with an antibiotic, without the need of complex and cost-intense equipment related to genomic testing methods

Microalgae–bacteria interaction: a catalyst to improve maize (Zea mays L.) growth and soil fertility

AbstractBiofertilisers harbouring living organisms hold allure due to their prospective favourable influence on plant growth, coupled with a diminished environmental footprint and cost-effectiveness in contrast to conventional mineral fertilisers. The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the capacity of a specific microalga (MACC-612, Nostoc linckia) biomass and plant growth-promoting bacteria (PGPB) separately and together to improve crop growth and promote soil health. The research used a factorial design within a completely randomised block framework, featuring four replications for three consecutive years across different fields. The experiment utilised three levels of microalga (control, 0.3 g/L of N. linckia, MACC-612, and 1 g/L of N. linckia, MACC-612) and three levels of bacterial strains (control, Azospirillum lipoferum and Pseudomonas fluorescens). The result demonstrated that the use of N. linckia and PGPB separately or jointly as soil treatment resulted in a substantial improvement in chlorophyll, plant biomass, soil humus, and nitrogen, depending on the environmental conditions of the years. The combined use of N. linckia and PGPB results in an improvement in dry leaf weight by 35.6–107.3% at 50 days after sowing (DAS) and 29.6–49.8% at 65 DAS, compared to the control group. Furthermore, the studies show that the synergistic application of N. linckia at 0.3 g/L, in conjunction with A. lipoferum, significantly improved total nitrogen and (NO3− + NO2−)-nitrogen, registering increases of 20.7–40% and 27.1–59.2%, respectively, during the study period. The most effective synergistic combination was identified through the application of 0.3 g/L of N. linckia along with A. lipoferum. Hence, application of biofertilisers through synergistic combinations of two or more microorganisms, such as microalgae and bacteria, holds promise in improving crop chlorophyll, growth, and soil nitrogen.

Microbial regulation on refractory dissolved organic matter in inland waters

The production of refractory dissolved organic matter (RDOM) is complex and closely related to microbial consortia in aquatic ecosystems; however, it is still unclear how microorganisms regulate the production of RDOM and its molecular composition in inland waters. Therefore, we conducted a large-scale survey of inland waters and analyzed the optical and mass spectrometric characteristics of DOM, the microbial community and functional genes, as well as related environmental parameters, to understand the abovementioned issues. Here, the RDOM production was found mainly regulated by microbial (e.g., phylogeny and community assembly) rather than other environmental factors in inland waters. Biostatistical analyses and carbon isotopic evidence indicated that the successive microbial processing from labile DOM to RDOM (i.e., carboxyl-rich alicyclic molecules, CRAMs) was widely present in inland waters, involving the microbially mediated carbon skeleton turnover and heteroatom conversion. There was a significant empirical relationship between CRAMs and the ratio of Proteobacteria to Actinobacteria, highlighting the intraspecific interaction of bacteria more important than other microbial groups (i.e., archaea, eukaryotes, and fungi) for the RDOM production. This study demonstrated a fundamental role of microbial regulation in RDOM production within the inland waters, thereby facilitating future estimation of carbon sequestration potential in inland aquatic ecosystems.

Fertilization regime changes rhizosphere microbial community assembly and interaction in Phoebe bournei plantations

Fertilizer input is one of the effective forest management practices, which improves soil nutrients and microbial community compositions and promotes forest productivity. However, few studies have explored the response of rhizosphere soil microbial communities to various fertilization regimes across seasonal dynamics. Here, we collected the rhizosphere soil samples from Phoebe bournei plantations to investigate the response of community assemblages and microbial interactions of the soil microbiome to the short-term application of four typical fertilizer practices (including chemical fertilizer (CF), organic fertilizer (OF), compound microbial fertilizer (CMF), and no fertilizer control (CK)). The amendments of organic fertilizer and compound microbial fertilizer altered the composition of rhizosphere soil bacterial and fungal communities, respectively. The fertilization regime significantly affected bacterial diversity rather than fungal diversity, and rhizosphere fungi responded more sensitively than bacteria to season. Fertilization-induced fungal networks were more complex than bacterial networks. Stochastic processes governed both rhizosphere soil bacterial and fungal communities, and drift and dispersal limitation dominated soil fungal and bacterial communities, respectively. Collectively, these findings demonstrate contrasting responses to community assemblages and interactions of rhizosphere bacteria and fungi to fertilizer practices. The application of organic fertilization strengthens microbial interactions and changes the succession of key taxa in the rhizosphere habitat.Key points• Fertilization altered the key taxa and microbial interaction• Organic fertilizer facilitated the turnover of rhizosphere microbial communities• Stochasticity governed soil fungal and bacterial community assembly

Chemical Memory in Primitive Organisms: Evolutionary Insights and Mechanistic Perspectives

Memory, the cornerstone of adaptive behavior, has been extensively studied within the confines of neural systems. A comprehensive literature review was conducted using key academic databases such as PubMed, Web of Science, and Google Scholar. The methodology prioritized peer-reviewed papers, reviews, and primary research, with a particular emphasis on articles relevant to chemical memory in primitive organisms. This review sheds light on the less-explored territory of chemical memory in primitive organisms. From the complex neural pathways in humans to the basic chemical interactions in bacteria and protozoa, this study underscores the evolutionary significance and ubiquity of information storage in biology. A notable highlight is the exploration of the ability of plants to adaptively respond to their environment despite lacking a central nervous system, emphasizing the role of epigenetic markers in stress memory. In organisms devoid of advanced neural systems, chemical reactions, and interactions pave the way for memory mechanisms, offering insight into the foundational building blocks of memory. The findings presented challenges in traditional neuro-centric views, broadening our understanding of memory and highlighting its pivotal role in the evolutionary tapestry of life.

Genetic features of BEL-1-producing and KPC-2-producing E. coli from hospital wastewater: human source or sewages adaptation

Hospital sewage is an ecosystem that facilitates the transfer of antibiotic and heavy metal resistance genes and the interaction of human and environmental bacteria. In this environment, we have detected the presence of 7 KPC-2 and BEL-1 co-producing E. coli isolates of two different clones over a 10-month period in the same hospital. All isolates carried blaKPC-2 and the operon mer on the same IncP plasmid of similar size and an IncN plasmid of different size each clone carrying blaBEL-1. Both IncN-blaBEL-1 plasmids shared a 77 kb region containing blaBEL-1 alongside with fosE, blaOXA-10 and aac(6’)-1b genes in a class 3 integron within a Tn3 transposon. The major IncN plasmid contained in addition a region homolog to P1-like bacteriophage RCS47, including the lytic RepL and lysogenic proteins, but other phage regions were incomplete. The characters such as the temporal persistence in sewage, the absence of colonized patients in the hospital or in the region, the presence of a p1 phage-plasmid fusion and the infrequent class 3 integron as genetic platform would indicate that BEL-1-producing isolates could have been generated in situ by adaptation to human sewage. Part of the microbiota in these discharges could be explained by the interactions of sewage ecosystems and not derive directly from the hospital.

Freshwater microalgae Nannochloropsis limnetica for the production of β-galactosidase from whey powder

This study investigated the first-ever reported use of freshwater Nannochloropsis for the bioremediation of dairy processing side streams and co-generation of valuable products, such as β-galactosidase enzyme. In this study, N. limnetica was found to grow rapidly on both autoclaved and non-autoclaved whey-powder media (referred to dairy processing by-product or DPBP) without the need of salinity adjustment or nutrient additions, achieving a biomass concentration of 1.05–1.36 g L−1 after 8 days. The species secreted extracellular β-galactosidase (up to 40.84 ± 0.23 U L−1) in order to hydrolyse lactose in DPBP media into monosaccharides prior to absorption into biomass, demonstrating a mixotrophic pathway for lactose assimilation. The species was highly effective as a bioremediation agent, being able to remove > 80% of total nitrogen and phosphate in the DPBP medium within two days across all cultures. Population analysis using flow cytometry and multi-channel/multi-staining methods revealed that the culture grown on non-autoclaved medium contained a high initial bacterial load, comprising both contaminating bacteria in the medium and phycosphere bacteria associated with the microalgae. In both autoclaved and non-autoclaved DPBP media, Nannochloropsis cells were able to establish a stable microalgae–bacteria interaction, suppressing bacterial takeover and emerging as dominant population (53–80% of total cells) in the cultures. The extent of microalgal dominance, however, was less prominent in the non-autoclaved media. High initial bacterial loads in these cultures had mixed effects on microalgal performance, promoting β-galactosidase synthesis on the one hand while competing for nutrients and retarding microalgal growth on the other. These results alluded to the need of effective pre-treatment step to manage bacterial population in microalgal cultures on DPBP. Overall, N. limnetica cultures displayed competitive β-galactosidase productivity and propensity for efficient nutrient removal on DPBP medium, demonstrating their promising nature for use in the valorisation of dairy side streams.