Novel Drexlerviridae bacteriophage KMI8 with specific lytic activity against Klebsiella michiganensis and its biofilms

The bacterial genus Klebsiella includes the closely related species K. michiganensis, K. oxytoca and K. pneumoniae, which are capable of causing severe disease in humans. In this report we describe the isolation, genomic and functional characterisation of the lytic bacteriophage KMI8 specific for K. michiganensis. KMI8 belongs to the family Drexlerviridae, and has a novel genome which shares very little homology (71.89% identity over a query cover of only 8%) with that of its closest related bacteriophages (Klebsiella bacteriophage LF20 (MW417503.1); Klebsiella bacteriophage 066039 (MW042802.1). KMI8, which possess a putative endosialidase (depolymerase) enzyme, was shown to be capable of degrading mono-biofilms of a strain of K. michiganensis that carried the polysaccharide capsule KL70 locus. This is the first report of a lytic bacteriophage for K. michiganensis, which is capable of breaking down a biofilm of this species.

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Feature of Adhesins Produced by Human Clinical Isolates of Mycobacterium intracellulare, Mycobacterium intracellulare subsp. chimaera and Closely Related Species

Microorganisms ◽

10.3390/microorganisms8081154 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 8 (8) ◽

pp. 1154

Author(s):

Louise H. Lefrancois ◽

Thierry Cochard ◽

Maxime Branger ◽

Olivia Peuchant ◽

Cyril Conde ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Mycobacterium Avium ◽

Related Species ◽

Fluorescent Protein ◽

Severe Disease ◽

A549 Cells ◽

Clinical Isolates ◽

Heparin Binding ◽

Closely Related Species ◽

Mycobacterium Intracellulare ◽

Green Fluorescent

The Mycobacterium avium complex includes two closely related species, Mycobacterium avium and Mycobacterium intracellulare. They are opportunistic pathogens in humans and responsible for severe disease in a wide variety of animals. Yet, little is known about factors involved in their pathogenicity. Here, we identified, purified and characterized adhesins belonging to the heparin-binding hemagglutinin (HBHA) and laminin-binding protein (LBP) family from M. intracellulare ATCC13950 and examined clinical isolates from patients with different pathologies associated with M. intracellulare infection for the presence and conservation of HBHA and LBP. Using a recombinant derivative strain of M. intracellulare ATCC13950 producing green fluorescent protein and luciferase, we found that the addition of heparin inhibited mycobacterial adherence to A549 cells, whereas the addition of laminin enhanced adherence. Both HBHA and LBP were purified by heparin-Sepharose chromatography and their methylation profiles were determined by mass spectrometry. Patients with M. intracellulare infection mounted strong antibody responses to both proteins. By using PCR and immunoblot analyses, we found that both proteins were highly conserved among all 17 examined clinical M. intracellulare isolates from patients with diverse disease manifestations, suggesting a conserved role of these adhesins in M. intracellulare virulence in humans and their potential use as a diagnostic tool.

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The Occurrence of Quill Mites (Arachnida: Acariformes: Syringophilidae) on Bee-Eaters (Aves: Coraciiformes: Meropidae: Merops) of Two Sister Clades

Animals ◽

10.3390/ani11123500 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 11 (12) ◽

pp. 3500

Author(s):

Maciej Skoracki ◽

Jakub Z. Kosicki ◽

Bozena Sikora ◽

Till Töpfer ◽

Jan Hušek ◽

...

Keyword(s):

New Species ◽

Sri Lanka ◽

Papua New Guinea ◽

Related Species ◽

The Philippines ◽

Closely Related Species ◽

Sister Clade ◽

The Family ◽

Host Lineage ◽

A New Species

We studied the quill mite fauna of the family Syringophilidae, associated with bee-eaters. We examined 273 bird specimens belonging to nine closely related species of the genus Merops, representing two phylogenetic sister clades of a monophyletic group. Our examination reveals the presence of two species of the genus Peristerophila, as follows: (1) a new species Peristerophila mayri sp. n. from Merops viridis in the Philippines, M. leschenaulti in Nepal and Sri Lanka, and M. orientalis in Sri Lanka; and (2) P. meropis from M. superciliosus in Tanzania and Egypt, M. persicus in Sudan, Tanzania, Liberia, Senegal, Kenya, and D.R. Congo, M. ornatus in Papua New Guinea, M. philippinus in Thailand, Indonesia and Sri Lanka, and M. americanus in the Philippines. The prevalence of host infestations by syringophilid mites varied from 3.1 to 38.2%. The distribution of syringophilid mites corresponds with the sister clade phylogenetic relationships of the hosts, except for P. meropis associated with Merops americanus. Possible hypotheses for the host lineage shift are proposed.

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Synopsis of the genus Paraleuctra (Plecoptera: Leuctridae) from China

Zootaxa ◽

10.11646/zootaxa.2350.1.4 ◽

2010 ◽

Vol 2350 (1) ◽

pp. 46 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

WEIHAI LI ◽

YUNBING WANG ◽

DING YANG

Keyword(s):

Related Species ◽

Closely Related Species ◽

The Family

A species of the family Leuctridae, Paraleuctra tianmushana sp. nov., is described from Zhejiang and Henan, China. Its relationship with closely related species is discussed and a key to Chinese species of Paraleuctra is presented.

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On the systematic status of Isopericlimenaeus Marin, 2012 and its type species, Periclimenaeus gorgonidarum (Balss, 1913) (Crustacea: Decapoda: Palaemonidae)

Zootaxa ◽

10.11646/zootaxa.4614.2.5 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 4614 (2) ◽

pp. 353 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

JIN-HO PARK ◽

SAMMY DE GRAVE ◽

WON KIM

Keyword(s):

Related Species ◽

Type Species ◽

The Philippines ◽

Diagnostic Character ◽

Valid Species ◽

Related Genus ◽

Closely Related Species ◽

Systematic Status ◽

The Family ◽

Molecular Comparison

The palaemonid genus Isopericlimenaeus is currently comprised of only the type species, Isopericlimenaeus gorgonidarum, with the diagnostic character of the genus being the presence of a molar and fossa structure on both second chelipeds. Periclimenaeus uropodialis is a closely related species, which has either been considered a synonym of I. gorgonidarum or placed as a valid species in the related genus, Periclimenaeus. During fieldwork in the Philippines, Taiwan and Korea, several species of Periclimenaeus and other sponge associated shrimps belonging to the family Palaemonidae were collected, including I. gorgonidarum and P. uropodialis. Based on a morphological and molecular comparison, it is demonstrated that both taxa are conspecific and that Isopericlimenaeus is a junior synonym of Periclimenaeus.

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Phenetic variation between some species in the family Phytoseiidae (Acarina: Gamasida)

Canadian Journal of Zoology ◽

10.1139/z80-020 ◽

1980 ◽

Vol 58 (2) ◽

pp. 184-197 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

D. A. Chant ◽

R. I. C. Hansell ◽

H. J. Rowell

Keyword(s):

North America ◽

Related Species ◽

Morphological Diversity ◽

Multivariate Techniques ◽

Closely Related Species ◽

Frequency Distributions ◽

Consistent Trend ◽

The Family ◽

Phenetic Diversity ◽

Species Groups

Examination of differences in phenetic variation between a number of closely related species of mites of the family Phytoseiidae from four widely different environments in North America, ranging from subarctic to subtropical, was undertaken. Phenetic variation was measured by (1) determining the numbers of taxa recorded in given areas as a measure of the richness of species and genera; (2) determining interspecific morphological diversity using multivariate techniques based on frequency distributions of the taxonomic distances between pairs of species; and (3) by using phenogram analyses to determine the species groups in a given area.The results show a consistent trend in the degree of diversity. The more northerly communities have fewer taxa and these show little phenetic diversity, whereas the more southern communities have more taxa and they show greater phenetic diversity.

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Mites of the family Parasitidae Oudemans, 1901 (Acari: Mesostigmata) from Japan: a new species of Vulgarogamasus Tichomirov, 1969, and a key to Japanese species

Zootaxa ◽

10.11646/zootaxa.4429.2.12 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 4429 (2) ◽

pp. 379 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

MOHAMED W. NEGM ◽

TETSUO GOTOH

Keyword(s):

New Species ◽

Related Species ◽

Japanese Literature ◽

Key To Species ◽

Japanese Species ◽

Closely Related Species ◽

The Family ◽

Ibaraki Prefecture ◽

Morphological Differences ◽

A New Species

Vulgarogamasus edurus sp. nov. (Acari: Parasitidae) is described based on females, deutonymphs and males extracted from leaf litter and soil in Ami, Ibaraki Prefecture, Japan. Morphological differences between the new species and its closely related species, Vulgarogamasus fujisanus (Ishikawa, 1972), are recorded based on the examination of type materials. Information about parasitid mites reported in Japanese literature is reviewed, and a key to species is provided.

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KARYOLOGY OF NORTH AMERICAN NATRICINE SNAKES (FAMILY COLUBRIDAE) OF THE GENERA NATRIX AND REGINA

Canadian Journal of Genetics and Cytology ◽

10.1139/g73-041 ◽

1973 ◽

Vol 15 (2) ◽

pp. 355-361 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

C. William Kilpatrick ◽

Earl G. Zimmerman

Keyword(s):

Sex Chromosomes ◽

North American ◽

Related Species ◽

Related Genus ◽

Chromosomal Variation ◽

Closely Related Species ◽

Old World ◽

Water Snake ◽

The Family

Four species of the water snake genus Natrix have a distinctly different pattern of chromosomal morphology than found in two species of the related genus Regina. Natrix all have a karyotype with seven pairs of large or medium-sized submetacentric autosomes, three pairs of medium-sized subtelocentric autosomes, and seven pairs of small metacentric autosomes. All have a 2n of 36 with a submetacentric Z and submetacentric or subtelocentric W. The autosomal complement of Regina consists of seven pairs of large to medium-sized submetacentrics, five pairs of medium-sized submetacentrics, and five pairs of small metacentrics. The Z and W are both submetacentric chromosomes. The sex chromosomes are easily distinguished in both genera. The relationships of Natrix and Regina and Old World Natrix are discussed, as well as chromosomal variation in closely related species in the family Colubridae.

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Deep sea without limits—four new closely related species of Emertonia Wilson, 1932 (Copepoda: Harpacticoida: Paramesochridae) show characters with a world-wide distribution

Zootaxa ◽

10.11646/zootaxa.5051.1.18 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 5051 (1) ◽

pp. 443-486

Author(s):

ANNABEL MATHISKE ◽

DAVID THISTLE ◽

HENDRIK GHEERARDYN ◽

GRITTA VEIT-KÖHLER

Keyword(s):

Related Species ◽

Deep Sea ◽

Large Scale ◽

Wide Distribution ◽

Weddell Sea ◽

Closely Related Species ◽

The Pacific ◽

Harpacticoid Copepods ◽

The Family ◽

Biogeographical Pattern

The large-scale dispersal of deep-sea harpacticoid copepods is an increasing focus for ecological studies. A fundamental prerequisite for monitoring and explaining their geographical distribution is precise descriptions of their morphology. Four new, closely related species of the family Paramesochridae (Copepoda, Harpacticoida) were found in the deep sea of the Pacific (San Diego Trough and off Chile), the Atlantic Ocean (Porcupine Abyssal Plain and Angola Basin), and the Atlantic and Indian Ocean sectors of the Southern Ocean (Weddell Sea and off Crozet Island). The discovery of Emertonia berndi sp. nov., E. hessleri sp. nov., E. ilse sp. nov., and E. serrata sp. nov. increases the number of known deep-sea species in this genus to ten. The new species are placed in Emertonia Wilson, 1932 because of their one-segmented endopods on the second and third swimming legs. The presence of a two-segmented endopod on the fourth swimming leg allocates them to the “andeep-group” within this genus. The four species can be distinguished from their congeners by the strongly serrated spines on the exopods of their swimming legs and an outwardly directed flexible seta on the exopod of the fifth leg. It is conveivable that these two specific characters evolved only once in the genus Emertonia. Their apparently cosmopolitan distribution covers thousands of kilometres and spans all major oceans. This biogeographical pattern may be explained by resuspension events followed by passive transport by benthic currents. Discrepancies in their dispersal ranges may be a result of changing geological and oceanographic boundaries.

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A pre-zygotic barrier to hybridization in two con-generic species of scleractinian corals

F1000Research ◽

10.12688/f1000research.2-193.v1 ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 2 ◽

pp. 193 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Andrew H. Baird ◽

Vivian R. Cumbo ◽

Joana Figueiredo ◽

Saki Harii

Keyword(s):

Related Species ◽

Scleractinian Corals ◽

Evolutionary Novelty ◽

Closely Related Species ◽

Potential Source ◽

The Family ◽

Growing Body ◽

In The Wild

Hybridization is often cited as a potential source of evolutionary novelty in the order Scleractinia. While hybrid embryos can be produced in vitro, it has been difficult to identify adult hybrids in the wild. Here, we tested the potential for hybridization between two closely related species in the family Fungiidae. We mixed approximately 5000 eggs of Ctenactis echinata with sperm from Ctenactis crass. No hybrid embryos were produced. This observation adds to a growing body of evidence for pre-zygotic barriers to hybridization in corals and challenges the claim that hybridization is a major source of evolutionary novelty in the order.

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Identification of Photorhabdus symbionts by MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry

10.1101/2020.01.10.901900 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Virginia Hill ◽

Peter Kuhnert ◽

Matthias Erb ◽

Ricardo A. R. Machado

Keyword(s):

Mass Spectrometry ◽

Natural Products ◽

Related Species ◽

Entomopathogenic Nematodes ◽

Species Level ◽

Closely Related Species ◽

Maldi Tof Ms ◽

Bacterial Genus ◽

Maldi Tof ◽

Tof Ms

AbstractSpecies of the bacterial genus Photorhabus live in a symbiotic relationship with Heterorhabditis entomopathogenic nematodes. Besides their use as biological control agents against agricultural pests, some Photorhabdus species are also a source of natural products and are of medical interest due to their ability to cause tissue infections and subcutaneous lesions in humans. Given the diversity of Photorhabdus species, rapid and reliable methods to resolve this genus to the species level are needed. In this study, we evaluated the potential of matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS) for the identification of Photorhabdus species. To this end, we established a collection of 54 isolates consisting of type strains and multiple field strains that belong to each of the validly described species and subspecies of this genus. Reference spectra for the strains were generated and used to complement a currently available database. The extended reference database was then used for identification based on the direct transfer sample preparation method and protein fingerprint of single colonies. High discrimination of distantly related species was observed. However, lower discrimination was observed with some of the most closely related species and subspecies. Our results, therefore, suggest that MALDI-TOF MS can be used to correctly identify Photorhabdus strains at the genus and species level, but has limited resolution power for closely related species and subspecies. Our study demonstrates the suitability and limitations of MALDI-TOF-based identification methods for the assessment of the taxonomical position and identification of Photorhabdus isolates.Impact StatementSpecies of the bacterial genus Photorhabus live in close association with soil-born entomopathogenic nematodes. Under natural conditions, these bacteria are often observed infecting soil-associated arthropods, but under certain circumstances, can also infect humans. They produce a large variety of natural products including antibiotics, insecticides, and polyketide pigments that have substantial agricultural, biotechnological and medical potential. In this study, we implement MALDI-TOF MS-based identification method to resolve the taxonomic identity of this bacterial genus, providing thereby a rapid identification tool to understanding its taxonomic diversity to boost scientific progress in medical, agricultural, and biotechnological settings.

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