scholarly journals Isolation and characterisation of endocrine disruptor nonylphenol-using bacteria from South Africa

2017 ◽  
Vol 113 (5/6) ◽  
Author(s):  
Lehlohonolo B. Qhanya ◽  
Ntsane T. Mthakathi ◽  
Charlotte E. Boucher ◽  
Samson S. Mashele ◽  
Chrispian W. Theron ◽  
...  

Endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) are synthetic chemicals that alter the function of endocrine systems in animals including humans. EDCs are considered priority pollutants and worldwide research is ongoing to develop bioremediation strategies to remove EDCs from the environment. An understanding of indigenous microorganisms is important to design efficient bioremediation strategies. However, much of the information available on EDCs has been generated from developed regions. Recent studies have revealed the presence of different EDCs in South African natural resources, but, to date, studies analysing the capabilities of microorganisms to utilise/degrade EDCs have not been reported from South Africa. Here, we report for the first time on the isolation and enrichment of six bacterial strains from six different soil samples collected from the Mpumalanga Province, which are capable of utilising EDC nonylphenol as a carbon source. Furthermore, we performed a preliminary characterisation of isolates concerning their phylogenetic identification and capabilities to degrade nonylphenol. Phylogenetic analysis using 16S rRNA gene sequencing revealed that four isolates belonged to Pseudomonas and the remaining two belonged to Enterobacteria and Stenotrophomonas. All six bacterial species showed degradation of nonylphenol in broth cultures, as HPLC analysis revealed 41–46% degradation of nonylphenol 12 h after addition. The results of this study represent the beginning of identification of microorganisms capable of degrading nonylphenol, and pave the way for further exploration of EDC-degrading microorganisms from South Africa.

2013 ◽  
Vol 62 (1) ◽  
pp. 45-50 ◽  
Author(s):  
SŁAWOMIR CIESIELSKI ◽  
TOMASZ POKOJ ◽  
JUSTYNA MOŻEJKO ◽  
EWA KLIMIUK

Polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs) are especially interesting because of their similar properties to synthetic plastics and their potential use as biodegradable polymers. Many strategies have been employed to effectively and economically produce PHAs, among them a production process based on mixed microbial populations, enriched from activated sludge could be one of the alternative technologies. Defining the bacterial species creating these anonymous populations is crucial for the improvement of cultivation strategy. Moreover, enriched bacterial populations could be a promising source for microbes, useful in many biotechnological projects. The main object of this study was to characterize the microorganisms creating the microbial consortium cultured towards PHAs production. After cultivation, bacteria were identified using the 16S rRNA gene sequencing approach. The presence of genes engaged in PHAs synthesis was detected using PCR. The performed analysis revealed that among eleven isolated bacterial strains, four possessed the ability of polyhydroxybutyrate synthesis.


Agronomy ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (7) ◽  
pp. 1344
Author(s):  
Naima Lemjiber ◽  
Khalid Naamani ◽  
Annabelle Merieau ◽  
Abdelhi Dihazi ◽  
Nawal Zhar ◽  
...  

Bacterial burn is one of the major diseases affecting pear trees worldwide, with serious impacts on producers and economy. In Morocco, several pear trees (Pyrus communis) have shown leaf burns since 2015. To characterize the causal agent of this disease, we isolated fourteen bacterial strains from different parts of symptomatic pear trees (leaves, shoots, fruits and flowers) that were tested in planta for their pathogenicity on Louise bonne and Williams cultivars. The results showed necrotic lesions with a significant severity range from 47.63 to 57.77% on leaves of the Louise bonne cultivar inoculated with isolate B10, while the other bacterial isolates did not induce any disease symptom. 16S rRNA gene sequencing did not allow robust taxonomic discrimination of the incriminated isolate. Thus, we conducted whole-genome sequencing (WGS) and phylogenetic analyzes based on gyrA, gyrB and cdaA gene sequences, indicating that this isolate belongs to the Bacillus altitudinis species. This taxonomic classification was further confirmed by the Average Nucleotide Identity (ANI) and the in silico DNA-DNA hybridization (isDDH) analyzes compared to sixty-five Bacillus spp. type strains. The genome was mined for genes encoding carbohydrate-active enzymes (CAZymes) known to play a role in the vegetal tissue degradation. 177 candidates with functions that may support the in planta phytopathogenicity results were identified. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first data reporting B. altitudinis as agent of leaf burn in P. communis in Morocco. Our dataset will improve our knowledge on spread and pathogenicity of B. altitudinis genotypes that appears as emergent phytopathogenic agent, unveiling virulence factors and their genomic location (i.e., within genomic islands or the accessory genome) to induce trees disease.


2020 ◽  
Vol 2020 ◽  
pp. 1-10
Author(s):  
Otun Saha ◽  
Nadira Naznin Rakhi ◽  
Arif Istiaq ◽  
Israt Islam ◽  
Munawar Sultana ◽  
...  

Introduction. Effective sanitation strategies for poultry farms require an appropriate selection of the disinfectant based on the contaminants present and their sensitivity to the disinfectants. Aim. The current study investigated the prevalence of streptococci/micrococci in poultry farms of Bangladesh and the efficacy of commercial disinfectants (Savlon, Lysol, Quatovet, Virkon S, and Virocid) along with alcohol against these pathogens to adopt appropriate strategies. Materials and Methods. Conventional approaches and the 16S rRNA gene sequencing were performed to confirm the isolates at the species level along with microtiter biofilm assay to determine their biofilm-forming ability. Efficacy of the disinfectants was tested against those isolates using agar well diffusion and minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) test by broth dilution method using different dilutions of the disinfectants. Results. Staphylococcus lentus (n = 32), Micrococcus luteus (n = 7), and Micrococcus aloeverae (n = 4) were confirmed among 102 presumptively screened streptococci/micrococci isolates from 43 samples. No single disinfectant showed equally high efficacy against all three bacterial species in agar well diffusion test, although Virocid showed the lowest MIC against all three of them. Lysol was least effective among the commercial disinfectants by both MIC and diffusion method, although each commercial disinfectant was more effective than alcohol. Considering both the average diameter of the inhibition zones and the MIC values, efficacy can be interpreted as Virocid > Quatovet > Savlon > Virkon S > Lysol. Although the efficacy decreased with decreasing concentration, the disinfectants retained a satisfactory level of efficacy at 50% concentration. Among test pathogens, M. aloeverae was the most sensitive to the disinfectants and the weakest biofilm producers, whereas 4/14 S. lentus and 1/5 M. luteus were strong biofilm producers, which may cause more reduction in the efficacy in environmental conditions. Conclusion. As no ideal disinfectant was found in the study, the efficacy of the disinfectants should be routinely evaluated and validated to ensure the sanitation standards in the poultry sector.


Fine Focus ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 4 (2) ◽  
pp. 171-186
Author(s):  
Olivia J. Rickman ◽  
M. Auður Sigurbjörnsdóttir ◽  
Oddur Vilhemsson

Nine xylanolytic bacterial strains were isolated from fen and heath soils in northern Iceland. They were found by 16S rRNA gene sequencing to belong to the genera Paenibacillus, Bacillus, Pseudomonas, and Stenotrophomonas. Using a simple, plate-based semiquantitative assay with azo-crosslinked xylan as the substrate, it was determined that although isolated from cold environments, most of the strains displayed greater xylanolytic activity under mesophilic conditions, with only the paenibacilli displaying markedly cold-active xylanolytic activity. Indeed, for one isolate, Paenibacillus castaneae OV2122, xylanolytic activity was only detected at 15°C and below under the conditions tested. Of the nine strains, Paenibacillus amylolyticus OV2121 displayed the greatest activity at 5°C. Glycohydrolase family-specific PCR indicated that the paenibacilli produced multiple xylanases of families 10 and 11, whereas a family 8 xylanase was detected in Pseudomonas kilonensis AL1515, and a family 11 xylanase in Stenotrophomonas rhizophila AL1610.


Author(s):  
Chen Zheng-li ◽  
Peng Yu ◽  
Wu Guo-sheng ◽  
Hong Xu-Dong ◽  
Fan Hao ◽  
...  

Abstract Burns destroy the skin barrier and alter the resident bacterial community, thereby facilitating bacterial infection. To treat a wound infection, it is necessary to understand the changes in the wound bacterial community structure. However, traditional bacterial cultures allow the identification of only readily growing or purposely cultured bacterial species and lack the capacity to detect changes in the bacterial community. In this study, 16S rRNA gene sequencing was used to detect alterations in the bacterial community structure in deep partial-thickness burn wounds on the back of Sprague-Dawley rats. These results were then compared with those obtained from the bacterial culture. Bacterial samples were collected prior to wounding and 1, 7, 14, and 21 days after wounding. The 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis showed that the number of resident bacterial species decreased after the burn. Both resident bacterial richness and diversity, which were significantly reduced after the burn, recovered following wound healing. The dominant resident strains also changed, but the inhibition of bacterial community structure was in a non-volatile equilibrium state, even in the early stage after healing. Furthermore, the correlation between wound and environmental bacteria increased with the occurrence of burns. Hence, the 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis reflected the bacterial condition of the wounds better than the bacterial culture. 16S rRNA sequencing in the Sprague-Dawley rat burn model can provide more information for the prevention and treatment of burn infections in clinical settings and promote further development in this field.


mSphere ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 4 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Shinya Kageyama ◽  
Mikari Asakawa ◽  
Toru Takeshita ◽  
Yukari Ihara ◽  
Shunsuke Kanno ◽  
...  

ABSTRACTNewborns are constantly exposed to various microbes from birth; hence, diverse commensal bacteria colonize the oral cavity. However, how or when these bacteria construct a complex and stable ecosystem remains unclear. This prospective cohort study examined the temporal changes in bacterial diversity and composition in tongue microbiota during infancy. We longitudinally collected a total of 464 tongue swab samples from 8 infants (age of <6 months at baseline) for approximately 2 years. We also collected samples from 32 children (aged 0 to 2 years) and 73 adults (aged 20 to 29 years) cross-sectionally as control groups. Bacterial diversities and compositions were determined by 16S rRNA gene sequencing. The tongue bacterial diversity in infancy, measured as the number of observed operational taxonomic units (OTUs), rapidly increased and nearly reached the same level as that in adults by around 80 weeks. The overall tongue bacterial composition in the transitional phase, 80 to 120 weeks, was more similar to that of adults than to that of the early exponential phase (EEP), 10 to 29 weeks, according to analysis of similarities. Dominant OTUs in the EEP corresponding toStreptococcus perorisandStreptococcus lactariusexponentially decreased immediately after EEP, around 30 to 49 weeks, whereas several OTUs corresponding toGranulicatella adiacens,Actinomyces odontolyticus, andFusobacterium periodonticumreciprocally increased during the same period. These results suggest that a drastic compositional shift of tongue microbiota occurs before the age of 1 year, and then bacterial diversity and overall bacterial composition reach levels comparable to those in adults by the age of 2 years.IMPORTANCEEvaluating the development of oral microbiota during infancy is important for understanding the subsequent colonization of bacterial species and the process of formation of mature microbiota in the oral cavity. We examined tongue microbiota longitudinally collected from 8 infants and found that drastic compositional shifts in tongue microbiota occur before the age of 1 year, and then bacterial diversity and overall bacterial composition reach levels comparable to those in adults by the age of 2 years. These results may be helpful for preventing the development of various diseases associated with oral microbiota throughout life.


Marine Drugs ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 17 (11) ◽  
pp. 635 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joko T. Wibowo ◽  
Matthias Y. Kellermann ◽  
Dennis Versluis ◽  
Masteria Y. Putra ◽  
Tutik Murniasih ◽  
...  

In order to minimize re-discovery of already known anti-infective compounds, we focused our screening approach on understudied, almost untapped marine environments including marine invertebrates and their associated bacteria. Therefore, two sea cucumber species, Holothuria leucospilota and Stichopus vastus, were collected from Lampung (Indonesia), and 127 bacterial strains were identified by partial 16S rRNA-gene sequencing analysis and compared with the NCBI database. In addition, the overall bacterial diversity from tissue samples of the sea cucumbers H. leucospilota and S. vastus was analyzed using the cultivation-independent Illumina MiSEQ analysis. Selected bacterial isolates were grown to high densities and the extracted biomass was tested against a selection of bacteria and fungi as well as the hepatitis C virus (HCV). Identification of putative bioactive bacterial-derived compounds were performed by analyzing the accurate mass of the precursor/parent ions (MS1) as well as product/daughter ions (MS2) using high resolution mass spectrometry (HRMS) analysis of all active fractions. With this attempt we were able to identify 23 putatively known and two previously unidentified precursor ions. Moreover, through 16S rRNA-gene sequencing we were able to identify putatively novel bacterial species from the phyla Actinobacteria, Proteobacteria and also Firmicutes. Our findings suggest that sea cucumbers like H. leucospilota and S. vastus are promising sources for the isolation of novel bacterial species that produce compounds with potentially high biotechnological potential.


2010 ◽  
Vol 56 (1) ◽  
pp. 22-26 ◽  
Author(s):  
Iftikhar Ahmed ◽  
Toru Fujiwara

Boron (B) is toxic to living cells at levels above a certain threshold. We isolated several B-tolerant bacterial strains from soil samples and studied them for possible mechanisms of B tolerance. 16S rRNA gene sequencing and comparative phylogenetic analysis demonstrated that the isolates belong to the following 6 genera: Arthrobacter , Rhodococcus , Lysinibacillus , Algoriphagus , Gracilibacillus , and Bacillus . These isolates exhibited B-tolerance levels of 80, 100, 150, 300, 450, and 450 mmol/L, respectively, whilst maintaining a significantly lower intracellular B concentration than in the medium. Statistical analysis showed a negative correlation between the protoplasmic B concentration and the degree of tolerance to a high external B concentration. The kinetic assays suggest that the high B efflux and (or) exclusion are the tolerance mechanisms against a high external B concentration in the isolated bacteria.


2021 ◽  
Vol 8 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elin Oscarsson ◽  
Åsa Håkansson ◽  
Carin Andrén Aronsson ◽  
Göran Molin ◽  
Daniel Agardh

Disturbances of the gut microbiota may influence the development of various autoimmune diseases. This study investigated the effects of supplementations with the probiotic bacteria, Lactiplantibacillus plantarum HEAL9 and Lacticaseibacillus paracasei 8700:2, on the microbial community in children with celiac disease autoimmunity (CDA). The study included 78 genetically predisposed children for celiac disease with elevated levels of tissue transglutaminase autoantibodies (tTGA) signaling for ongoing CDA. Among those children, 38 received a placebo and 40 received the probiotic supplement daily for 6 months. Fecal and plasma samples were collected at baseline and after 3 and 6 months, respectively. The bacterial community was investigated with 16S rRNA gene sequencing and terminal restriction fragment length polymorphism (T-RFLP), and tTGA levels were measured in radiobinding assays. In children that received probiotic supplementation, the relative abundance of Lactobacillaceae increased over time, while it remained unchanged in the placebo group. There was no overall correlation between tTGA levels and bacterial genus except for a positive correlation between Dialister and IgG-tTG in the probiotic group. The abundance of specific bacterial amplicon sequence variant (ASV:s) changed during the study in both groups, indicating that specific bacterial strains might be affected by probiotic supplementation.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document