Biosafety assessment of Acinetobacter strains isolated from the Three Gorges Reservoir region in nematode Caenorhabditis elegans

Acinetobacter has been frequently detected in backwater areas of the Three Gorges Reservoir (TGR) region. We here employed Caenorhabditis elegans to perform biosafety assessment of Acinetobacter strains isolated from backwater area in the TGR region. Among 21 isolates and 5 reference strains of Acinetobacter, exposure to Acinetobacter strains of AC1, AC15, AC18, AC21, A. baumannii ATCC 19606T, A. junii NH88-14, and A. lwoffii DSM 2403T resulted in significant decrease in locomotion behavior and reduction in lifespan of Caenorhabditis elegans. In nematodes, exposure to Acinetobacter strains of AC1, AC15, AC18, AC21, A. baumannii, A. junii and A. lwoffii also resulted in significant reactive oxygen species (ROS) production. Moreover, exposure to Acinetobacter isolates of AC1, AC15, AC18, and AC21 led to significant increase in expressions of both SOD-3::GFP and some antimicrobial genes (lys-1, spp-12, lys-7, dod-6, spp-1, dod-22, lys-8, and/or F55G11.4) in nematodes. The Acinetobacter isolates of AC1, AC15, AC18, and AC21 had different morphological, biochemical, phylogenetical, and virulence gene properties. Our results suggested that exposure risk of some Acinetobacter strains isolated from the TGR region exists for environmental organisms and human health. In addition, C. elegans is useful to assess biosafety of Acinetobacter isolates from the environment.

Biosafety Assessment of Acinetobacter Strains Isolated From the Three Gorges Reservoir Region in Nematode Caenorhabditis Elegans

Acinetobacter is an important nosocomial pathogen frequently detected in backwater areas of the Three Gorges Reservoir (TGR) region. We here employed Caenorhabditis elegans to perform biosafety assessment of Acinetobacter strains isolated from the backwater area in the TGR region and reference strains. Among 21 isolates and 5 reference strains of Acinetobacter, exposure to Acinetobacter strains of AC1, AC15, AC18, AC21, A. baumannii ATCC 19606T, A. junii NH88-14 and A. lwoffii DSM 2403T resulted in significant decrease in locomotion behavior and reduction in lifespan. In nematodes, exposure to Acinetobacter strains of AC1, AC15, AC18, AC21, A. baumannii, A. junii and A. lwoffii also resulted in significant reactive oxygen species (ROS) production. Moreover, exposure to Acinetobacter isolates of AC1, AC15, AC18, and AC21 led to significant increase in expressions of both SOD-3::GFP and some antimicrobial genes (lys-1, spp-12, lys-7, dod-6, spp-1, dod-22, lys-8, and/or F55G11.4) in nematodes. The Acinetobacter isolates of AC1, AC15, AC18, and AC21 had different morphological, biochemical, and phylogenetical properties. Our results suggested that it exists the exposure risk of some Acinetobacter strains isolated from the TGR region for environmental organisms and human health, and Caenorhabditis elegans can be used to assess the biosafety of Acinetobacter isolates from the environment.

Biosafety evaluation of Nannochloropsis oculata and Schizochytrium sp. oils as a novel human milk fat substitutes

The biosafety assessment of novel human milk fat substitutes (HMFs) from microalgae oils of Nannochloropsis oculata and Schizochytrium sp. was evaluated by testing the cytotoxic activity using IEC-6 cells,...

Antioxidant Properties of a New Water-Soluble Fullerene C70 Derivative

The search for effective antioxidants is an urgent medical and scientific problem, since oxidative stress causes a number of diseases and accelerates aging of human body. In this paper, we analyzed the ability of a new water-soluble fullerene C70 (F350) derivative to bind reactive oxygen species (ROS) when it was added to human embryonic lung fibroblasts (HELF). We found its non-toxic concentrations for cells, since the fullerene derivatives biosafety assessment is important for the potential application of the nanocomposites in medicine and biology. We also investigated the ability of this fullerene derivative to pass the cell membrane.