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Fulltext Effects of Physiochemical Factors on Prokaryotic Biodiversity in Malaysian Circumneutral Hot Springs

Chan CS, Chan KG, Ee R, Hong KW, Urbieta MS, Donati ER, et al.

Front Microbiol, 2017;8:1252.
PMID: 28729863 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2017.01252

Malaysia has a great number of hot springs, especially along the flank of the Banjaran Titiwangsa mountain range. Biological studies of the Malaysian hot springs are rare because of the lack of comprehensive information on their microbial communities. In this study, we report a cultivation-independent census to describe microbial communities in six hot springs. The Ulu Slim (US), Sungai Klah (SK), Dusun Tua (DT), Sungai Serai (SS), Semenyih (SE), and Ayer Hangat (AH) hot springs exhibit circumneutral pH with temperatures ranging from 43°C to 90°C. Genomic DNA was extracted from environmental samples and the V3-V4 hypervariable regions of 16S rRNA genes were amplified, sequenced, and analyzed. High-throughput sequencing analysis showed that microbial richness was high in all samples as indicated by the detection of 6,334-26,244 operational taxonomy units. In total, 59, 61, 72, 73, 65, and 52 bacterial phyla were identified in the US, SK, DT, SS, SE, and AH hot springs, respectively. Generally, Firmicutes and Proteobacteria dominated the bacterial communities in all hot springs. Archaeal communities mainly consisted of Crenarchaeota, Euryarchaeota, and Parvarchaeota. In beta diversity analysis, the hot spring microbial memberships were clustered primarily on the basis of temperature and salinity. Canonical correlation analysis to assess the relationship between the microbial communities and physicochemical variables revealed that diversity patterns were best explained by a combination of physicochemical variables, rather than by individual abiotic variables such as temperature and salinity.
Fulltext Inhibiting N-acyl-homoserine lactone synthesis and quenching Pseudomonas quinolone quorum sensing to attenuate virulence

Chan KG, Liu YC, Chang CY

Front Microbiol, 2015;6:1173.
PMID: 26539190 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2015.01173

Bacteria sense their own population size, tune the expression of responding genes, and behave accordingly to environmental stimuli by secreting signaling molecules. This phenomenon is termed as quorum sensing (QS). By exogenously manipulating the signal transduction bacterial population behaviors could be controlled, which may be done through quorum quenching (QQ). QS related regulatory networks have been proven their involvement in regulating many virulence determinants in pathogenic bacteria in the course of infections. Interfering with QS signaling system could be a novel strategy against bacterial infections and therefore requires more understanding of their fundamental mechanisms. Here we review the development of studies specifically on the inhibition of production of N-acyl-homoserine lactone (AHL), a common proteobacterial QS signal. The opportunistic pathogen, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, equips the alkylquinolone (AQ)-mediated QS which also plays crucial roles in its pathogenicity. The studies in QQ targeting on AQ are also discussed.
Fulltext Functional validation of putative toxin-antitoxin genes from the Gram-positive pathogen Streptococcus pneumoniae: phd-doc is the fourth bona-fide operon

Chan WT, Yeo CC, Sadowy E, Espinosa M

Front Microbiol, 2014;5:677.
PMID: 25538695 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2014.00677

Bacterial toxin-antitoxin (TAs) loci usually consist of two genes organized as an operon, where their products are bound together and inert under normal conditions. However, under stressful circumstances the antitoxin, which is more labile, will be degraded more rapidly, thereby unleashing its cognate toxin to act on the cell. This, in turn, causes cell stasis or cell death, depending on the type of TAs and/or time of toxin exposure. Previously based on in silico analyses, we proposed that Streptococcus pneumoniae, a pathogenic Gram-positive bacterium, may harbor between 4 and 10 putative TA loci depending on the strains. Here we have chosen the pneumococcal strain Hungary(19A)-6 which contains all possible 10 TA loci. In addition to the three well-characterized operons, namely relBE2, yefM-yoeB, and pezAT, we show here the functionality of a fourth operon that encodes the pneumococcal equivalent of the phd-doc TA. Transcriptional fusions with gene encoding Green Fluorescent Protein showed that the promoter was slightly repressed by the Phd antitoxin, and exhibited almost background values when both Phd-Doc were expressed together. These findings demonstrate that phd-doc shows the negative self-regulatory features typical for an authentic TA. Further, we also show that the previously proposed TAs XreA-Ant and Bro-XreB, although they exhibit a genetic organization resembling those of typical TAs, did not appear to confer a functional behavior corresponding to bona fide TAs. In addition, we have also discovered new interesting bioinformatics results for the known pneumococcal TAs RelBE2 and PezAT. A global analysis of the four identified toxins-antitoxins in the pneumococcal genomes (PezAT, RelBE2, YefM-YoeB, and Phd-Doc) showed that RelBE2 and Phd-Doc are the most conserved ones. Further, there was good correlation among TA types, clonal complexes and sequence types in the 48 pneumococcal strains analyzed.
Fulltext Epinecidin-1, an Antimicrobial Peptide Derived From Grouper (Epinephelus coioides): Pharmacological Activities and Applications

Chee PY, Mang M, Lau ES, Tan LT, He YW, Lee WL, et al.

Front Microbiol, 2019;10:2631.
PMID: 31824449 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2019.02631

Epinecidin-1 is an antimicrobial peptide derived from the orange-spotted grouper (Epinephelus coioides). The mature epinecidin-1 peptide is predicted to have an amphipathic α-helical structure and a non-helical hydrophilic domain at the C-terminal RRRH. The majority of work studying the potential pharmacological activities of epinecidin-1, utilize synthesized epinecidin-1 (Epi-1), which is made up of 21 amino acids, from the amino acid sequence of 22-42 residues of Epi-1-GFIFHIIKGLFHAGKMIHGLV. The synthetized Epi-1 peptide has been demonstrated to possess diverse pharmacological activities, including antimicrobial, immunomodulatory, anticancer, and wound healing properties. It has also been utilized in different clinical and agricultural fields, including topical applications in wound healing therapy as well as the enhancement of fish immunity in aquaculture. Hence, the present work aims to consolidate the current knowledge and findings on the characteristics and pharmacological properties of epinecidin-1 and its potential applications.
Fulltext Toxoplasma gondii - Prevalence and Risk Factors in HIV-infected Patients from Songklanagarind Hospital, Southern Thailand

Chemoh W, Sawangjaroen N, Siripaitoon P, Andiappan H, Hortiwakul T, Sermwittayawong N, et al.

Front Microbiol, 2015;6:1304.
PMID: 26635769 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2015.01304

Toxoplasmosis is one of the most common opportunistic parasitic diseases in patients living with HIV/AIDS. This study aimed to determine the seroprevalence of Toxoplasma infection in HIV-infected patients and to identify associated risk factors in Toxoplasma seropositive patients. This study was conducted at a regional public hospital in Hat Yai, southern Thailand during October 2009 to June 2010. Blood samples were collected from 300 HIV-infected patients. Each subject also answered a socio-demographic and risk factors associated with Toxoplasma infection. The prevalence of anti-Toxoplasma IgG antibodies in HIV-infected patients was 109 (36.3%), of which 83 (76.2%) had past infection and 26 (23.9%) had recently acquired Toxoplasma infection as indicated by their IgG avidity. Multivariate analysis using logistic regression showed that gender difference (adjusted OR = 1.69, 95% CI = 1.05-2.72) was the only factor associated with Toxoplasma infection. From the results obtained, these HIV-infected patients could be at high risk of developing clinical evidence of severe toxoplasmosis. Therefore, it is necessary to introduce primary behavioral practices to prevent Toxoplasma infection among HIV-infected patients.
Fulltext Recent Advances in Molecular Diagnosis of Pseudomonasaeruginosa Infection by State-of-the-Art Genotyping Techniques

Chen JW, Lau YY, Krishnan T, Chan KG, Chang CY

Front Microbiol, 2018;9:1104.
PMID: 29892277 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2018.01104

Pseudomonas aeruginosa is a rod-shaped Gram-negative bacterium which is notably known as a pathogen in humans, animals, and plants. Infections caused by P. aeruginosa especially in hospitalized patients are often life-threatening and rapidly increasing worldwide throughout the years. Recently, multidrug-resistant P. aeruginosa has taken a toll on humans' health due to the inefficiency of antimicrobial agents. Therefore, the rapid and advanced diagnostic techniques to accurately detect this bacterium particularly in clinical samples are indeed necessary to ensure timely and effective treatments and to prevent outbreaks. This review aims to discuss most recent of state-of-the-art molecular diagnostic techniques enabling fast and accurate detection and identification of P. aeruginosa based on well-developed genotyping techniques, e.g., polymerase chain reaction, pulse-field gel electrophoresis, and next generation sequencing. The advantages and limitations of each of the methods are also reviewed.
Fulltext Exploratory Analysis of the Microbiological Potential for Efficient Utilization of Fiber Between Lantang and Duroc Pigs

Cheng P, Wang Y, Liang J, Wu Y, Wright A, Liao X

Front Microbiol, 2018;9:1342.
PMID: 29988353 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2018.01342

There is growing interest in the use of unconventional feed ingredients containing higher dietary fiber for pig production due to increasing prices of cereal grains and the potential health benefits of dietary fiber on host animals. This study aimed to gain insight into the community-wide microbiome population between the Chinese native Lantang pigs and the commercial Duroc pigs to uncover the microbiological mechanisms for the degradation capacity of fiber in pigs. Utilizing the metagenomics approach, we compared the phylogeny and functional capacity of the fecal microbiome from approximately 150-day-old female Lantang and Duroc pigs fed a similar diet. The structure of the fecal microbial community from the two pig breeds was different at the genus level; the number of genes associated with fiber degradation was higher in Lantang pigs. Further analysis and prediction of their functions from the fecal microbiomes of the two pig breeds revealed that the degradation capacities of fiber, branched chain fatty acids, and oligosaccharides were higher in Lantang pigs. The ability of lignocellulose bonding modules and the transport capacities of xylose, L-arabinose, ribose and methyl galactose were also higher in Lantang pigs. Similarly, the metabolic capacities of xylose, ribose, and fucose and the potential effectiveness of the tricarboxylic acid cycle (TCA) and gene abundance in the hydrogen sink pathway were higher in the fecal microbiome from Lantang pigs. Lantang pigs have a higher capacity to utilize dietary fiber than Duroc pigs, and the differences in the capability to utilize dietary fiber between the indigenous and commercial pigs could be differences in the composition and biological function of the gut microbiota.
Fulltext Evaluation of Immunoprotection Conferred by the Subunit Vaccines of GRA2 and GRA5 against Acute Toxoplasmosis in BALB/c Mice

Ching XT, Fong MY, Lau YL

Front Microbiol, 2016;7:609.
PMID: 27199938 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2016.00609

Toxoplasmosis is a foodborne disease caused by Toxoplasma gondii, an obligate intracellular parasite. Severe symptoms occur in the immunocompromised patients and pregnant women leading to fatality and abortions respectively. Vaccination development is essential to control the disease. The T. gondii dense granule antigen 2 and 5 (GRA2 and GRA5) have been targeted in this study because these proteins are essential to the development of parasitophorous vacuole (PV), a specialized compartment formed within the infected host cell. PV is resistance to host cell endosomes and lysosomes thereby protecting the invaded parasite. Recombinant dense granular proteins, GRA2 (rGRA2) and GRA5 (rGRA5) were cloned, expressed, and purified in Escherichia coli, BL21 (DE3) pLysS. The potential of these purified antigens as subunit vaccine candidates against toxoplasmosis were evaluated through subcutaneous injection of BALB/c mice followed by immunological characterization (humoral- and cellular-mediated) and lethal challenge against virulent T. gondii RH strain in BALB/c mice. Results obtained demonstrated that rGRA2 and rGRA5 elicited humoral and cellular-mediated immunity in the mice. High level of IgG antibody was produced with the isotype IgG2a/IgG1 ratio of ≈0.87 (p < 0.001). Significant increase (p < 0.05) in the level of four cytokines (IFN-γ, IL-2, IL-4, and IL-10) was obtained. The antibody and cytokine results suggest that a mix mode of Th1/Th2-immunity was elicited with predominant Th1-immune response inducing partial protection against T. gondii acute infection in BALB/c mice. Our findings indicated that both GRA2 and GRA5 are potential candidates for vaccine development against T. gondii acute infection.
Fulltext Emerging spatial patterns in Antarctic prokaryotes

Chong CW, Pearce DA, Convey P

Front Microbiol, 2015;6:1058.
PMID: 26483777 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2015.01058

Recent advances in knowledge of patterns of biogeography in terrestrial eukaryotic organisms have led to a fundamental paradigm shift in understanding of the controls and history of life on land in Antarctica, and its interactions over the long term with the glaciological and geological processes that have shaped the continent. However, while it has long been recognized that the terrestrial ecosystems of Antarctica are dominated by microbes and their processes, knowledge of microbial diversity and distributions has lagged far behind that of the macroscopic eukaryote organisms. Increasing human contact with and activity in the continent is leading to risks of biological contamination and change in a region whose isolation has protected it for millions of years at least; these risks may be particularly acute for microbial communities which have, as yet, received scant recognition and attention. Even a matter apparently as straightforward as Protected Area designation in Antarctica requires robust biodiversity data which, in most parts of the continent, remain almost completely unavailable. A range of important contributing factors mean that it is now timely to reconsider the state of knowledge of Antarctic terrestrial prokaryotes. Rapid advances in molecular biological approaches are increasingly demonstrating that bacterial diversity in Antarctica may be far greater than previously thought, and that there is overlap in the environmental controls affecting both Antarctic prokaryotic and eukaryotic communities. Bacterial dispersal mechanisms and colonization patterns remain largely unaddressed, although evidence for regional evolutionary differentiation is rapidly accruing and, with this, there is increasing appreciation of patterns in regional bacterial biogeography in this large part of the globe. In this review, we set out to describe the state of knowledge of Antarctic prokaryote diversity patterns, drawing analogy with those of eukaryote groups where appropriate. Based on our synthesis, it is clear that spatial patterns of Antarctic prokaryotes can be unique at local scales, while the limited evidence available to date supports the group exhibiting overall regional biogeographical patterns similar to the eukaryotes. We further consider the applicability of the concept of "functional redundancy" for the Antarctic microbial community and highlight the requirements for proper consideration of their important and distinctive roles in Antarctic terrestrial ecosystems.
Fulltext Historical milestone in 42 years of viral sequencing-Impetus for a community-driven sequencing of global priority pathogens

Chong LC, Khan AM

Front Microbiol, 2022;13:1020148.
PMID: 36406392 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2022.1020148
Fulltext Corrigendum: The Microbiome and Irritable Bowel Syndrome - A Review on the Pathophysiology, Current Research and Future Therapy

Chong PP, Chin VK, Looi CY, Wong WF, Madhavan P, Yong VC

Front Microbiol, 2019 08 13;10:1870.
PMID: 31456783 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2019.01870

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2019.01136.].
Fulltext The Microbiome and Irritable Bowel Syndrome - A Review on the Pathophysiology, Current Research and Future Therapy

Chong PP, Chin VK, Looi CY, Wong WF, Madhavan P, Yong VC

Front Microbiol, 2019;10:1136.
PMID: 31244784 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2019.01136

Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a functional disorder which affects a large proportion of the population globally. The precise etiology of IBS is still unknown, although consensus understanding proposes IBS to be of multifactorial origin with yet undefined subtypes. Genetic and epigenetic factors, stress-related nervous and endocrine systems, immune dysregulation and the brain-gut axis seem to be contributing factors that predispose individuals to IBS. In addition to food hypersensitivity, toxins and adverse life events, chronic infections and dysbiotic gut microbiota have been suggested to trigger IBS symptoms in tandem with the predisposing factors. This review will summarize the pathophysiology of IBS and the role of gut microbiota in relation to IBS. Current methodologies for microbiome studies in IBS such as genome sequencing, metagenomics, culturomics and animal models will be discussed. The myriad of therapy options such as immunoglobulins (immune-based therapy), probiotics and prebiotics, dietary modifications including FODMAP restriction diet and gluten-free diet, as well as fecal transplantation will be reviewed. Finally this review will highlight future directions in IBS therapy research, including identification of new molecular targets, application of 3-D gut model, gut-on-a-chip and personalized therapy.
Fulltext Malaria in Pregnancy: From Placental Infection to Its Abnormal Development and Damage

Chua CLL, Khoo SKM, Ong JLE, Ramireddi GK, Yeo TW, Teo A

Front Microbiol, 2021;12:777343.
PMID: 34867919 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2021.777343

Malaria remains a global health burden with Plasmodium falciparum accounting for the highest mortality and morbidity. Malaria in pregnancy can lead to the development of placental malaria, where P. falciparum-infected erythrocytes adhere to placental receptors, triggering placental inflammation and subsequent damage, causing harm to both mother and her infant. Histopathological studies of P. falciparum-infected placentas revealed various placental abnormalities such as excessive perivillous fibrinoid deposits, breakdown of syncytiotrophoblast integrity, trophoblast basal lamina thickening, increased syncytial knotting, and accumulation of mononuclear immune cells within intervillous spaces. These events in turn, are likely to impair placental development and function, ultimately causing placental insufficiency, intrauterine growth restriction, preterm delivery and low birth weight. Hence, a better understanding of the mechanisms behind placental alterations and damage during placental malaria is needed for the design of effective interventions. In this review, using evidence from human studies and murine models, an integrated view on the potential mechanisms underlying placental pathologies in malaria in pregnancy is provided. The molecular, immunological and metabolic changes in infected placentas that reflect their responses to the parasitic infection and injury are discussed. Finally, potential models that can be used by researchers to improve our understanding on the pathogenesis of malaria in pregnancy and placental pathologies are presented.
Fulltext In silico Analysis Reveals Distribution of Quorum Sensing Genes and Consistent Presence of LuxR Solos in the Pandoraea Species

Chua KO, See-Too WS, Ee R, Lim YL, Yin WF, Chan KG

Front Microbiol, 2019;10:1758.
PMID: 31447806 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2019.01758

The most common quorum sensing (QS) system in Gram-negative bacteria consists of signaling molecules called N-acyl-homoserine lactones (AHLs), which are synthesized by an enzyme AHL synthase (LuxI) and detected by a transcriptional regulator (LuxR) that are usually located in close proximity. However, many recent studies have also evidenced the presence of LuxR solos that are LuxR-related proteins in Proteobacteria that are devoid of a cognate LuxI AHL synthase. Pandoraea species are opportunistic pathogens frequently isolated from sputum specimens of cystic fibrosis (CF) patients. We have previously shown that P. pnomenusa strains possess QS activity. In this study, we examined the presence of QS activity in all type strains of Pandoraea species and acquired their complete genome sequences for holistic bioinformatics analyses of QS-related genes. Only four out of nine type strains (P. pnomenusa, P. sputorum, P. oxalativorans, and P. vervacti) showed QS activity, and C8-HSL was the only AHL detected. A total of 10 canonical luxIs with adjacent luxRs were predicted by bioinformatics from the complete genomes of aforementioned species and publicly available Pandoraea genomes. No orphan luxI was identified in any of the genomes. However, genes for two LuxR solos (LuxR2 and LuxR3 solos) were identified in all Pandoraea genomes (except two draft genomes with one LuxR solo gene), and P. thiooxydans was the only species that harbored no QS-related activity and genes. Except the canonical LuxR genes, LuxIs and LuxR solos of Pandoraea species were distantly related to the other well-characterized QS genes based on phylogenetic clustering. LuxR2 and LuxR3 solos might represent two novel evolutionary branches of LuxR system as they were found exclusively only in the genus. As a few luxR solos were located in close proximity with prophage sequence regions in the genomes, we thus postulated that these luxR solos could be transmitted into genus Pandoraea by transduction process mediated by bacteriophage. The bioinformatics approach developed in this study forms the basis for further characterization of closely related species. Overall, our findings improve the current understanding of QS in Pandoraea species, which is a potential pharmacological target in battling Pandoraea infections in CF patients.
Fulltext Immunopathogenesis and Virus-Host Interactions of Enterovirus 71 in Patients with Hand, Foot and Mouth Disease

Cox JA, Hiscox JA, Solomon T, Ooi MH, Ng LFP

Front Microbiol, 2017;8:2249.
PMID: 29238324 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2017.02249

Enterovirus 71 (EV71) is a global infectious disease that affects millions of people. The virus is the main etiological agent for hand, foot, and mouth disease with outbreaks and epidemics being reported globally. Infection can cause severe neurological, cardiac, and respiratory problems in children under the age of 5. Despite on-going efforts, little is known about the pathogenesis of EV71, how the host immune system responds to the virus and the molecular mechanisms behind these responses. Moreover, current animal models remain limited, because they do not recapitulate similar disease patterns and symptoms observed in humans. In this review the role of the host-viral interactions of EV71 are discussed together with the various models available to examine: how EV71 utilizes its proteins to cleave host factors and proteins, aiding virus replication; how EV71 uses its own viral proteins to disrupt host immune responses and aid in its immune evasion. These discoveries along with others, such as the EV71 crystal structure, have provided possible targets for treatment and drug interventions.
Fulltext Cold-tolerant phosphate-solubilizing Pseudomonas strains promote wheat growth and yield by improving soil phosphorous (P) nutrition status

Dasila H, Sah VK, Jaggi V, Kumar A, Tewari L, Taj G, et al.

Front Microbiol, 2023;14:1135693.
PMID: 37025630 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2023.1135693

It is well-known that phosphate-solubilizing bacteria (PSB) promote crop growth and yield. The information regarding characterization of PSB isolated from agroforestry systems and their impact on wheat crops under field conditions is rarely known. In the present study, we aim to develop psychrotroph-based P biofertilizers, and for that, four PSB strains (Pseudomonas sp. L3, Pseudomonas sp. P2, Streptomyces sp. T3, and Streptococcus sp. T4) previously isolated from three different agroforestry zones and already screened for wheat growth under pot trial conditions were evaluated on wheat crop under field conditions. Two field experiments were employed; set 1 includes PSB + recommended dose of fertilizers (RDF) and set 2 includes PSB - RDF. In both field experiments, the response of the PSB-treated wheat crop was significantly higher compared to the uninoculated control. In field set 1, an increase of 22% in grain yield (GY), 16% in biological yield (BY), and 10% in grain per spike (GPS) was observed in consortia (CNS, L3 + P2) treatment, followed by L3 and P2 treatments. Inoculation of PSB mitigates soil P deficiency as it positively influences soil alkaline phosphatase (AP) and soil acid phosphatase (AcP) activity which positively correlated with grain NPK %. The highest grain NPK % was reported in CNS-treated wheat with RDF (N-0.26%, P-0.18%, and K-1.66%) and without RDF (N-0.27, P-0.26, and K-1.46%), respectively. All parameters, including soil enzyme activities, plant agronomic data, and yield data were analyzed by principal component analysis (PCA), resulting in the selection of two PSB strains. The conditions for optimal P solubilization, in L3 (temperature-18.46, pH-5.2, and glucose concentration-0.8%) and P2 (temperature-17°C, pH-5.0, and glucose concentration-0.89%), were obtained through response surface methodology (RSM) modeling. The P solubilizing potential of selected strains at <20°C makes them a suitable candidate for the development of psychrotroph-based P biofertilizers. Low-temperature P solubilization of the PSB strains from agroforestry systems makes them potential biofertilizers for winter crops.
Fulltext Exploring the efficacy of 1-amino-cyclopropane-1-carboxylic acid (ACCA) as a natural compound in strengthening maize resistance against biotic and abiotic stressors: an empirical computational study

Debnath S, Elgorban AM, Bahkali AH, Eswaramoorthy R, Verma M, Tiwari P, et al.

Front Microbiol, 2023;14:1232086.
PMID: 37637126 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2023.1232086

OBJECTIVE: This study aims to understand plant-bacteria interactions that enhance plant resistance to environmental stressors, with a focus on maize (Zea mays L.) and its vulnerability to various pathogenic organisms. We examine the potential of 1-amino-cyclopropane-1-carboxylic acid (ACCA) as a compound to boost maize's resilience against stressors and pathogens.
BACKGROUND: With the growing global population and increased food demand, the study of endophytes, comprising bacteria and fungi, becomes crucial. They reside within plant tissues, affecting their hosts either beneficially or detrimentally. Agrobacteria are of specific interest due to their potential to contribute to developing strategies for plant resistance enhancement.
METHODS: We conducted exhaustive research on the defense-related proteins and mechanisms involved in maize-pathogen interactions. The efficacy of ACCA as a natural-compound that could enhance maize's resistance was examined.
RESULTS: Our research indicates that ACCA, having a binding energy of -9.98 kcal/mol, successfully strengthens maize resistance against pathogenic assaults and drought stress. It plays a crucial protective role in maize plants as they mature, outperforming other ligands in its effectiveness to improve productivity and increase yield.
CONCLUSION: Applying ACCA to maize plants has considerable potential in enhancing their resilience and tolerance to stress, proving to be an effective strategy to boost crop yield and productivity. This could help address the increasing global food demand. However, more research is needed to optimize ACCA application methods and to gain a comprehensive understanding of its long-term effects on maize cultivations and the environment.
Fulltext Mycobacterium lepromatosis as a Second Agent of Hansen's Disease

Deps P, Collin SM

Front Microbiol, 2021;12:698588.
PMID: 34566911 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2021.698588

Mycobacterium lepromatosis was identified as a new species and second causal agent of Hansen's disease (HD, or leprosy) in 2008, 150years after the disease was first attributed to Mycobacterium leprae. M. lepromatosis has been implicated in a small number of HD cases, and clinical aspects of HD caused by M. lepromatosis are poorly characterized. HD is a recognized zoonosis through transmission of M. leprae from armadillos, but the role of M. lepromatosis as a zoonotic agent of HD is unknown. M. lepromatosis was initially associated with diffuse lepromatous leprosy, but subsequent case reports and surveys have linked it to other forms of HD. HD caused by M. lepromatosis has been reported from three endemic countries: Brazil, Myanmar, and Philippines, and three non-endemic countries: Mexico, Malaysia, and United States. Contact with armadillos in Mexico was mentioned in 2/21 M. lepromatosis HD case reports since 2008. M. lepromatosis in animals has been investigated only in non-endemic countries, in squirrels and chipmunks in Europe, white-throated woodrats in Mexico, and armadillos in the United States. To date, there have only been a small number of positive findings in Eurasian red squirrels in Britain and Ireland. A single study of environmental samples found no M. lepromatosis in soil from a Scottish red squirrel habitat. Future studies must focus on endemic countries to determine the true proportion of HD cases caused by M. lepromatosis, and whether viable M. lepromatosis occurs in non-human sources.
Unveiling Curvularia tuberculata-induced leaf anomalies in Rhododendron ferrugineum: implications in cultural-ecological conservation and harnessing microbial intervention in socio-economic advancement

Dhar J, Hazra A, Patra R, Kumar V, Subramaniyan V, Kumarasamy V, et al.

Front Microbiol, 2023;14:1280120.
PMID: 38274748 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2023.1280120

INTRODUCTION: The research focuses on Rhododendron ferrugineum L., Nepal's national flower and Uttarakhand's state tree, thriving in high-altitude mountain ecosystems.
METHODOLOGY AND RESULT: A study conducted in Himachal Pradesh (Latitude: N 31° 6' 2.0088", Longitude: E 77° 10' 29.9136") identified leaf anomalies resembling rust-like manifestations in R. ferrugineum. These anomalies were traced back to the pathogenic fungus Curvularia tuberculata, marking the first documented case of its impact on R. ferrugineum in India.
DISCUSSION: This discovery emphasizes the need for vigilant monitoring, disease management research, and conservation efforts to protect the cultural and ecological significance of this iconic shrub. Beyond its immediate findings, the study introduces a novel dimension to Indian flora by associating C. tuberculata with R. ferrugineum, historically linked to monocotyledonous crops. The research methodology combines traditional microscopic examination with advanced genomic sequencing and phylogenetic analysis, enhancing pathogen identification accuracy.
FUTURE PROSPECT: In a broader context, this research aligns with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by highlighting the importance of environmental preservation, conservation, and sustainable management. It underscores the intricate interplay between biodiversity, cultural heritage, and the need for holistic solutions. Overall, this study calls for proactive measures to protect R. ferrugineum's cultural and ecological heritage and emphasizes the significance of interdisciplinary approaches in addressing emerging ecological threats.
Editorial: Rising stars in microbiotechnology: 2022

Dhiman SS, Goh KM

Front Microbiol, 2023;14:1347005.
PMID: 38239734 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2023.1347005

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