Journal of Microbiology

Review

Metabolic Interaction Between Host and the Gut Microbiota During High‑Fat Diet‑Induced Colorectal Cancer: Chaeeun Lee, Seungrin Lee, Woongjae Yoo; J. Microbiol. 2024;62(3):153-165. Published online April 16, 2024; DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12275-024-00123-2

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Abstract: Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the second-highest cause of cancer-associated mortality among both men and women worldwide. One of the risk factors for CRC is obesity, which is correlated with a high-fat diet prevalent in Western dietary habits. The association between an obesogenic high-fat diet and CRC has been established for several decades; however, the mechanisms by which a high-fat diet increases the risk of CRC remain unclear. Recent studies indicate that gut microbiota strongly infuence the pathogenesis of both high-fat diet-induced obesity and CRC. The gut microbiota is composed of hundreds of bacterial species, some of which are implicated in CRC. In particular, the expansion of facultative anaerobic Enterobacteriaceae, which is considered a microbial signature of intestinal microbiota functional imbalance (dysbiosis), is associated with both high-fat diet-induced obesity and CRC. Here, we review the interaction between the gut microbiome and its metabolic byproducts in the context of colorectal cancer (CRC) during high-fat diet-induced obesity. In addition, we will cover how a high-fat diet can drive the expansion of genotoxin-producing Escherichia coli by altering intestinal epithelial cell metabolism during gut infammation conditions.

Journal Articles

Sporosarcina jeotgali sp. nov., Sporosarcina oncorhynchi sp. nov., and Sporosarcina trichiuri sp. nov., Isolated from Jeotgal, a Traditional Korean Fermented Seafood.: Ah-In Yang, Bora Kim, Sung-Hong Joe, Hae-In Joe, Hanna Choe, Ki Hyun Kim, Min Ok Jun, Na-Ri Shin; J. Microbiol. 2024;62(4):285-296. Published online April 8, 2024; DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12275-024-00106-3

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Abstract: Three novel, Gram-stain-positive, obligate aerobic, catalase- and oxidase-positive bacterial strains, designated B2O-1(T), T2O-4(T), and 0.2-SM1T-5(T), were isolated from jeotgal, a traditional Korean fermented seafood. Strains B2O-1(T), T2O-4(T), and 0.2-SM1T-5(T) exhibited distinct colony colors, characterized by pink, yellow, and red opaque circular colonies, respectively. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that three strains formed a paraphyletic clade within the genus Sporosarcina and shared < 99.0% similarity with Sporosarcina aquimarina KCTC 3840(T) and Sporosarcina saromensis KCTC 13119(T) in their 16S rRNA gene sequences. The three strains exhibiting Orthologous Average Nucleotide Identity values < 79.3% and digital DNA-DNA hybridization values < 23.1% within the genus Sporosarcina affirmed their distinctiveness. Strains B2O-1(T), T2O-4(T), and 0.2-SM1T-5(T) contained MK-7 as a sole respiratory menaquinone and A4α type peptidoglycan based on lysine with alanine, glutamic acid, and aspartic acid. The common polar lipids include diphosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylglycerol, and phosphatidylethanolamine. Strain T2O-4(T) contained one unidentified phospholipid, whereas strain 0.2-SM1T-5(T) contained two unidentified phospholipids. Cellular fatty acid profiles, with C(15:0) anteiso as the major fatty acid, supported the affiliation of the three strains to the genus Sporosarcina. Based on the polyphasic characteristics, strains B2O-1(T) (= KCTC 43506(T) = JCM 36032(T)), T2O-4(T) (= KCTC 43489(T) = JCM 36031(T)), and 0.2-SM1T-5(T) (= KCTC 43519(T) = JCM 36034(T)) represent three novel species within the genus Sporosarcina, named Sporosarcina jeotgali sp. nov., Sporosarcina oncorhynchi sp. nov., and Sporosarcina trichiuri sp. nov., respectively.

Impact of Elevational Gradients and Chemical Parameters on Changes in Soil Bacterial Diversity Under Semiarid Mountain Region: Salman Khan , Chun Han , Awais Iqbal , Chao Guan , Changming Zhao; J. Microbiol. 2023;61(10):903-915. Published online November 23, 2023; DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12275-023-00085-x

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Abstract: Elevation gradients, often regarded as “natural experiments or laboratories”, can be used to study changes in the distribution of microbial diversity related to changes in environmental conditions that typically occur over small geographical scales. We obtained bacterial sequences using MiSeq sequencing and clustered them into operational taxonomic units (OTUs). The total number of reads obtained by the bacterial 16S rRNA sequencing analysis was 1,090,555, with an average of approximately 45,439 reads per sample collected from various elevations. The current study observed inconsistent bacterial diversity patterns in samples from the lowest to highest elevations. 983 OTUs were found common among all the elevations. The most unique OTUs were found in the soil sample from elevation_2, followed by elevation_1. Soil sample collected at elevation_6 had the least unique OTUs. Actinobacteria, Protobacteria, Chloroflexi were found most abundant bacterial phyla in current study. Ammonium nitrogen ( NH4 +-N), and total phosphate (TP) are the main factors influencing bacterial diversity at elevations_ 1. pH was the main factor influencing the bacterial diversity at elevations_2, elevation_3 and elevation_4. Our results provide new visions on forming and maintaining soil microbial diversity along an elevational gradient and have implications for microbial responses to environmental change in semiarid mountain ecosystems.

Reviews

Prokaryotic DNA methylation and its functional roles: Hoon Je Seong , Sang-Wook Han , Woo Jun Sul; J. Microbiol. 2021;59(3):242-248. Published online February 23, 2021; DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12275-021-0674-y

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29 Citations

Abstract: DNA methylation is known as a universal mechanism of epigenetic regulation in all kingdoms of life. Particularly, given that prokaryotes lack key elements such as histones and nucleosomes that can structurally modify DNA, DNA methylation is considered a major epigenetic regulator in these organisms. However, because DNA methylation studies have focused primarily on eukaryotes, the mechanism of prokaryotic DNA methylation has been less studied than in eukaryotes. DNA methylation in prokaryotes plays an important role in regulating not only the host defense system, but also the cell cycle, gene expression, and virulence that can respond directly to the environment. Recent advances in sequencing techniques capable of detecting methylation signals have allowed for the characterization of prokaryotic genome-wide epigenetic regulation. In this review, we describe representative examples of cellular events regulated by DNA methylation in prokaryotes, from early studies to current applications.

Rediscovery of antimicrobial peptides as therapeutic agents: Minkyung Ryu , Jaeyeong Park , Ji-Hyun Yeom , Minju Joo , Kangseok Lee; J. Microbiol. 2021;59(2):113-123. Published online February 1, 2021; DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12275-021-0649-z

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Abstract: In recent years, the occurrence of antibiotic-resistant pathogens is increasing rapidly. There is growing concern as the development of antibiotics is slower than the increase in the resistance of pathogenic bacteria. Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) are promising alternatives to antibiotics. Despite their name, which implies their antimicrobial activity, AMPs have recently been rediscovered as compounds having antifungal, antiviral, anticancer, antioxidant, and insecticidal effects. Moreover, many AMPs are relatively safe from toxic side effects and the generation of resistant microorganisms due to their target specificity and complexity of the mechanisms underlying their action. In this review, we summarize the history, classification, and mechanisms of action of AMPs, and provide descriptions of AMPs undergoing clinical trials. We also discuss the obstacles associated with the development of AMPs as therapeutic agents and recent strategies formulated to circumvent these obstacles.

Journal Articles

Differences in the gut microbiota between Cercopithecinae and Colobinae in captivity: Zongjin Huan , Yongfang Yao , Jianqiu Yu , Hongwei Chen , Meirong Li , Chaojun Yang , Bo Zhao , Qingyong Ni , Mingwang Zhang , Meng Xie , Huailiang Xu; J. Microbiol. 2020;58(5):367-376. Published online March 28, 2020; DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12275-020-9493-9

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Abstract: The gut microbiome of captive primates can provide a window into their health and disease status. The diversity and composition of gut microbiota are influenced by not only host phylogeny, but also host diet. Old World monkeys (Cercopithecidae) are divided into two subfamilies: Cercopithecinae and Colobinae. The diet and physiological digestive features differ between these two subfamilies. Accordingly, highthroughput sequencing was used to examine gut microbiota differences between these two subfamilies, using data from 29 Cercopithecinae individuals and 19 Colobinae individuals raised in captivity. Through a comparative analysis of operational taxonomic units (OTUs), significant differences in the diversity and composition of gut microbiota were observed between Cercopithecinae and Colobinae. In particular, the gut microbiota of captive Old World monkeys clustered strongly by the two subfamilies. The Colobinae microbial diversity was higher than that of Cercopithecinae. Additionally, Firmicutes, Lactobacillaceae, Veillonellaceae, and Prevotella abundance were higher in Cercopithecinae, while Bacteroidetes, Ruminococcaceae, Christensenellaceae, Bacteroidaceae, and Acidaminococcaceae abundance were higher in Colobinae. PICRUSt analysis revealed that the predicted metagenomes of metabolic pathways associated with proteins, carbohydrates, and amino acids were significantly higher in Colobinae. In the context of host phylogeny, these differences between Cercopithecinae and Colobinae could reflect adaptations associated with their respective diets. This well-organized dataset is a valuable resource for future related research on primates and gut microbiota. Moreover, this study may provide useful insight into animal management practices and primate conservation.

Jejubacter calystegiae gen. nov., sp. nov., moderately halophilic, a new member of the family Enterobacteriaceae, isolated from beach morning glory: Lingmin Jiang , Dexin Wang , Jung-Sook Lee , Dae-Hyuk Kim , Jae Cheol Jeong , Cha Young Kim , Suk Weon Kim , Jiyoung Lee; J. Microbiol. 2020;58(5):357-366. Published online March 27, 2020; DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12275-020-9294-1

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Abstract: Strain KSNA2T, a Gram-negative, moderately halophilic, facultatively anaerobic, motile, rod-shaped bacterium, was isolated from the surface-sterilized stem tissue of a beach morning glory (Calystegia soldanella) plant in Chuja Island, Jejudo, Republic of Korea. Phylogenetic analysis based on 16S rRNA gene and whole-genome sequences revealed that strain KSNA2T formed a distinct lineage within the family Enterobacteriaceae, with the highest 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity to Izhakiella australiensis KCTC 72143T (96.2%) and Izhakiella capsodis KCTC 72142T (96.0%), exhibited 95.5– 95.9% similarity to other genera in the family Enterobacteriaceae and Erwiniaceae. Conserved signature indels analysis elucidated that strain KSNA2T was delimited into family Enterobacteriaceae. KSNA2T genome comprises a circular chromosome of 5,182,800 bp with 56.1% G + C content. Digital DNA-DNA relatedness levels between strain KSNA2T and 18 closely related species were 19.3 to 21.1%. Average nucleotide identity values were between 72.0 and 76.7%. Growth of strain KSNA2T was observed at 4 to 45°C (optimum, 25°C) and pH 5.0 to 12.0 (optimum, pH 7.0) in the presence of 0 to 11% (w/v) NaCl (optimum, 0–7%). The major cellular fatty acids (> 10%) were C16:0 followed by summed feature 8 (C18:1 ω7c and/or C18:1 ω6c), summed feature 3 (C16:1 ω7c and/or C16:1 ω6c), C17:0 cyclo, and C14:0. The major isoprenoid quinone was ubiquinone-8 (Q-8). With combined phylogenetic, genomic, phenotypic, and chemotaxonomic features, strain KSNA2T represents a novel species of a new genus in the family Enterobacteriaceae, for which the name Jejubacter calystegiae gen. nov., sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is KSNA2T (= KCTC 72234T = CCTCC AB 2019098T).

A comprehensive in silico analysis of sortase superfamily: Adeel Malik , Seung Bum Kim; J. Microbiol. 2019;57(6):431-443. Published online May 27, 2019; DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12275-019-8545-5

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Abstract: Sortases are cysteine transpeptidases that assemble surface proteins and pili in their cell envelope. Encoded by all Grampositive bacteria, few Gram-negative bacteria and archaea, sortases are currently divided into six classes (A-F). Due to the steep increase in bacterial genome data in recent years, the number of sortase homologues have also escalated rapidly. In this study, we used protein sequence similarity networks to explore the taxonomic diversity of sortases and also to evaluate the current classification of these enzymes. The resultant data suggest that sortase classes A, B, and D predominate in Firmicutes and classes E and F are enriched in Actinobacteria, whereas class C is distributed in both Firmicutes and Actinobacteria except Streptomyces family. Sortases were also observed in various Gram-negatives and euryarchaeota, which should be recognized as novel classes of sortases. Motif analysis around the catalytic cysteine was also performed and suggested that the residue at 2nd position from cysteine may help distinguish various sortase classes. Moreover, the sequence analysis indicated that the catalytic arginine is highly conserved in almost all classes except sortase F in which arginine is replaced by asparagine in Actinobacteria. Additionally, class A sortases showed higher structural variation as compared to other sortases, whereas inter-class comparisons suggested structures of class C and D2 exhibited best similarities. A better understanding of the residues highlighted in this study should be helpful in elucidating their roles in substrate binding and the sortase function, and successively could help in the development of strong sortase inhibitors.

Aeromicrobium endophyticum sp. nov., an endophytic actinobacterium isolated from reed (Phragmites australis): Fei-Na Li , Shui-Lin Liao , Shao-Wei Liu , Tao Jin , Cheng-Hang Sun; J. Microbiol. 2019;57(9):725-731. Published online May 23, 2019; DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12275-019-8705-7

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26 Citations

Abstract: A Gram-staining-positive, motile and short-rod-shaped actinobacterium designated 9W16Y-2T was isolated from surface- sterilized leaves of reed (Phragmites australis) collected from Taklamakan Desert in Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, China. Colonies were pale greenish yellow, circular, smooth, and convex. The 16S rRNA gene sequence of strain 9W16Y-2T exhibited highest sequence similarities with Aeromicrobium camelliae CGMCC 1.12942T (99.0%) and Aeromicrobium erythreum NRRL B-3381T (97.2%). Phylogenetic analyses based on 16S rRNA gene sequences and single-copy phylogenetic marker genes (pMGs) showed that strain 9W16Y- 2T belonged to the genus Aeromicrobium and formed a monophyletic clade with Aeromicrobium camelliae CGMCC 1.12942T. Furthermore, average nucleotide identity (ANI) and DNA-DNA hybridization (DDH) clearly separated strain 9W16Y-2T from the other species of the genus Aeromicrobium with values below the thresholds for species delineation. The G+C content of the genomic DNA is 68.9 mol%. The diagnostic diamino acid of the cell-wall peptidoglycan was LLdiaminopimelic acid. The predominant menaquinone was MK-9(H4). The major fatty acids (> 10% of the total fatty acids) were C18:0 10-methyl (TBSA) (28.2%), C16:0 (21.0%), C16:0 2-OH (20.8%) and C18:1 ω9c (12.8%). The polar lipid profile comprised diphosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylcholine, phosphatidylinositol, an unidentified aminophospholipid and an unidentified lipid. Based on the phylogenic, phenotypic and chemotaxonomic features, strain 9W16Y-2T represents a novel species of the genus Aeromicrobium, for which the name Aeromicrobium endophyticum sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is 9W16Y-2T (= CGMCC 1.13876T = JCM 33141T).

Antifungal activity of 3-acetylbenzamide produced by actinomycete WA23-4-4 from the intestinal tract of Periplaneta americana: Xia Fang , Juan Shen , Jie Wang , Zhi-li Chen , Pei-bin lin , Zhi-yu Chen , Lin-yan Liu , Huan-xiong Zeng , Xiao-bao Jin; J. Microbiol. 2018;56(7):516-523. Published online June 28, 2018; DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12275-018-7510-z

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Abstract: Actinomycetes are well-known for producing numerous bioactive secondary metabolites. In this study, primary screening by antifungal activity assay found one actinomycete strain WA23-4-4 isolated from the intestinal tract of Periplaneta americana that exhibited broad spectrum antifungal activity. 16S rDNA gene analysis of strain WA23-4-4 revealed close similarity to Streptomyces nogalater (AB045886) with 86.6% sequence similarity. Strain WA23-4-4 was considered as a novel Streptomyces and the 16s rDNA sequence has been submitted to GenBank (accession no. KX291006). The maximum antifungal activity of WA23-4-4 was achieved when culture conditions were optimized to pH 8.0, with 12% inoculum concentration and 210 ml ISP2 medium, which remained stable between the 5th and the 9th day. 3-Acetyl benzoyl amide was isolated by ethyl acetate extraction of WA23- 4-4 fermentation broth, and its molecular formula was determined as C9H9NO2 based on MS, IR, 1H, and 13C NMR analyses. The compound showed significant antifungal activity against Candida albicans ATCC 10231 (MIC: 31.25 μg/ml) and Aspergillus niger ATCC 16404 (MIC: 31.25 μg/ml). However, the compound had higher MIC values against Trichophyton rubrum ATCC 60836 (MIC: 500 μg/ml) and Aspergillus fumigatus ATCC 96918 (MIC: 1,000 μg/ml). SEM analysis showed damage to the cell membrane of Candida albicans ATCC 10231 and to the mycelium of Aspergillus niger ATCC 16404 after being treatment with 3-acetyl benzoyl amide. In conclusion, this is the first time that 3-acetyl benzoyl amide has been identified from an actinomycete and this compound exhibited antifungal activity against Candida albicans ATCC 10231 and Aspergillus niger ATCC 16404.

Nocardioides suum sp. nov. isolated from the air environment in an indoor pig farm: Siwon Lee , Wonseok Lee , Hyen-Mi Chung , Sangjung Park; J. Microbiol. 2017;55(6):417-420. Published online April 20, 2017; DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12275-017-6313-y

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Abstract: A bacterial strain PBT33-2T was isolated from the air environ-ment in an indoor pig farm. Phylogenetic analysis based on 16S rRNA gene sequences revealed that strain PBT33-2T be-longed to the genus Nocardioides in the phylum Actinobac-teria, and was most closely related to Nocardioides daphnia D287T in a maximum-likelihood and neighbor-joining phy-logenetic trees. Strain PBT33-2T shared 95.3% sequence iden-tity with N. daphnia D287T. However, the highest sequence similarity was shown with N. sediminis MSL-01T (96.0%). It had less than 96.0% sequence identities with other type spe-cies of the genus Nocardioides. Strain PBT-33-2T grew at 15–45°C (optimum 20–35°C), pH 5.0–11.0 (optimum pH 7.0) and 0–4.0% (w/v) NaCl (optimum 0%). The major fatty acid and quinone were iso-C16:0 and MK-8, and the DNA G+C content of strain PBT33-2T was 69.3 mol%. On the basis of poly-phasic results, strain PBT33-2T represents a novel spe-cies of the genus Nocardioides, for which the name Nocar-dioides suum sp. nov. is proposed. Its type strain is PBT33-2T (=KCTC 39558T =DSM 102833T).

Review

MINIREVIEW] Korean indigenous bacterial species with valid names belonging to the phylum Actinobacteria: Kyung Sook Bae , Mi Sun Kim , Ji Hee Lee , Joo Won Kang , Dae In Kim , Ji Hee Lee , Chi Nam Seong; J. Microbiol. 2016;54(12):789-795. Published online November 26, 2016; DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12275-016-6446-4

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Abstract: To understand the isolation and classification state of actinobacterial species with valid names for Korean indigenous isolates, isolation source, regional origin, and taxonomic affiliation of the isolates were studied. At the time of this writing, the phylum Actinobacteria consisted of only one class, Actinobacteria, including five subclasses, 10 orders, 56 families, and 330 genera. Moreover, new taxa of this phylum continue to be discovered. Korean actinobacterial species with a valid name has been reported from 1995 as Tsukamurella inchonensis isolated from a clinical specimen. In 1997, Streptomyces seoulensis was validated with the isolate from the natural Korean environment. Until Feb. 2016, 256 actinobacterial species with valid names originated from Korean territory were listed on LPSN. The species were affiliated with three subclasses (Acidimicrobidae, Actinobacteridae, and Rubrobacteridae), four orders (Acidimicrobiales, Actinomycetales, Bifidobacteriales, and Solirubrobacterales), 12 suborders, 36 families, and 93 genera. Most of the species belonged to the subclass Actinobacteridae, and almost of the members of this subclass were affiliated with the order Actinomycetales. A number of novel isolates belonged to the families Nocardioidaceae, Microbacteriaceae, Intrasporangiaceae, and Streptomycetaceae as well as the genera Nocardioides, Streptomyces, and Microbacterium. Twenty-six novel genera and one novel family, Motilibacteraceae, were created first with Korean indigenous isolates. Most of the Korean indigenous actionobacterial species were isolated from natural environments such as soil, seawater, tidal flat sediment, and fresh-water. A considerable number of species were isolated from artificial resources such as fermented foods, wastewater, compost, biofilm, and water-cooling systems or clinical specimens. Korean indigenous actinobacterial species were isolated from whole territory of Korea, and especially a large number of species were from Jeju, Gyeonggi, Jeonnam, Daejeon, and Chungnam. A large number of novel actinobacterial species continue to be discovered since the Korean government is encouraging the search for new bacterial species and researchers are endeavoring to find out novel strains from extreme or untapped environments.

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov'ts

Changes in Gene Expression of Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae in Response to Anaerobic Stress Reveal Induction of Central Metabolism and Biofilm Formation: Lu Li , Jiawen Zhu , Kui Yang , Zhuofei Xu , Ziduo Liu , Rui Zhou; J. Microbiol. 2014;52(6):473-481. Published online April 11, 2014; DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12275-014-3456-y

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Abstract: Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae is an important porcine respiratory pathogen causing great economic losses in the pig industry worldwide. Oxygen deprivation is a stress that A. pleuropneumoniae will encounter during both early infection and the later, persistent stage. To understand modulation of A. pleuropneumoniae gene expression in response to the stress caused by anaerobic conditions, gene expression profiles under anaerobic and aerobic conditions were compared in this study. The microarray results showed that 631 genes (27.7% of the total ORFs) were differentially expressed in anaerobic conditions. Many genes encoding proteins involved in glycolysis, carbon source uptake systems, pyruvate metabolism, fermentation and the electron respiration transport chain were up-regulated. These changes led to an increased amount of pyruvate, lactate, ethanol and acetate in the bacterial cells as confirmed by metabolite detection. Genes encoding proteins involved in cell surface structures, especially biofilm formation, peptidoglycan biosynthesis and lipopolysaccharide biosynthesis were up-regulated as well. Biofilm formation was significantly enhanced under anaerobic conditions. These results indicate that induction of central metabolism is important for basic survival of A. pleuropneumoniae after a shift to an anaerobic environment. Enhanced biofilm formation may contribute to the persistence of this pathogen in the damaged anaerobic host tissue and also in the early colonization stage. These discoveries give new insights into adaptation mechanisms of A. pleuropneumoniae in response to environmental stress.

Diversity of the Bacterial Community in the Rice Rhizosphere Managed Under Conventional and No-tillage Practices: Zubair Aslam , Muhammad Yasir , Hwan Sik Yoon , Che Ok Jeon , Young Ryun Chung; J. Microbiol. 2013;51(6):747-756. Published online December 19, 2013; DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12275-013-2528-8

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Abstract: Bacterial diversity in the rice rhizosphere at different rice growth stages, managed under conventional and no-tillage practices, was explored using a culture-based approach. Actinobacteria are among the bacterial phyla abundant in the rice rhizosphere. Their diversity was further examined by constructing metagenomic libraries based on the 16S rRNA gene, using actinobacterial- and streptomycete-specific polymerase chain reaction (PCR) primers. The study included 132 culturable strains and 125 clones from the 16S rRNA gene libraries. In conventional tillage, there were 38% Proteobacteria, 22% Actinobacteria, 33% Firmicutes, 5% Bacteroidetes, and 2% Acidobacteria, whereas with no-tillage management there were 63% Proteobacteria, 24% Actinobacteria, 6% Firmicutes, and 8% Bacteroidetes as estimated using the culturedependent
method
during the four stages of rice cultivation. Principal coordinates analysis was used to cluster the bacterial communities along axes of maximal variance. The different growth stages of rice appeared to influence the rhizosphere bacterial profile for both cultivation practices. Novel clones with low similarities (89–97%) to Actinobacteria and Streptomyces were retrieved from both rice fields by screening the 16S rRNA gene libraries using actinobacterial- and streptomycete-specific primers. By comparing the actinobacterial community retrieved by culture-dependent and molecular methods, it was clear that a more comprehensive assessment of microbial diversity in the rice rhizosphere can be obtained using a combination of both techniques than by using either method alone. We also succeeded in culturing a number of bacteria that were previously described as unculturable. These were in a phylogenetically deep lineage when compared with related cultivable genera.

Effects of Nutritional Input and Diesel Contamination on Soil Enzyme Activities and Microbial Communities in Antarctic Soils: Jiwon Han , Jaejoon Jung , Seunghun Hyun , Hyun Park , Woojun Park; J. Microbiol. 2012;50(6):916-924. Published online December 30, 2012; DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12275-012-2636-x

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Abstract: Pollution of Antarctic soils may be attributable to increased nutritional input and diesel contamination via anthropogenic activities. To investigate the effect of these environmental changes on the Antarctic terrestrial ecosystem, soil enzyme activities and microbial communities in 3 types of Antarctic soils were evaluated. The activities of alkaline phosphomonoesterase and dehydrogenase were dramatically increased, whereas the activities of β-glucosidase, urease, arylsulfatase, and fluorescein diacetate hydrolysis were negligible. Alkaline phosphomonoesterase and dehydrogenase activities in the 3 types of soils increased 3- to 10-fold in response to nutritional input, but did not increase in the presence of diesel contamination. Consistent with the enzymatic activity data, increased copy numbers of the phoA gene, encoding an alkaline phosphomonoesterase, and the 16S rRNA gene were verified using quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction. Interestingly, dehydrogenase activity and 16S rRNA gene copy number increased slightly after 30 days, even under diesel contamination, probably because of adaptation of the bacterial population. Intact Antarctic soils showed a predominance of Actinobacteria phylum (mostly Pseudonorcarida species) and other phyla such as Proteobacteria, Chloroflexi, Planctomycetes, Firmicutes, and Verrucomicrobia were present in successively lower proportions. Nutrient addition might act as a selective pressure on the bacterial community, resulting in the prevalence of Actinobacteria phylum (mostly Arthrobacter species). Soils contaminated by diesel showed a predominance of Proteobacteria phylum (mostly Phyllobacterium species), and other phyla such as Actinobacteria, Bacteroidetes, Planctomycetes, and Gemmatimonadetes were present in successively lower proportions. Our data reveal that nutritional input has a dramatic impact on bacterial communities in Antarctic soils and that diesel contamination is likely toxic to enzymes in this population.

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