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Ciliate Microtubule Diversities: Insights from the EFBTU3 Tubulin in the Antarctic Ciliate Euplotes focardii. Microorganisms 2022; 10:microorganisms10122415. [PMID: 36557668 PMCID: PMC9784925 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms10122415] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2022] [Revised: 12/01/2022] [Accepted: 12/02/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Protozoans of the Phylum Ciliophora (ciliates) assemble many diverse microtubular structures in a single cell throughout the life cycle, a feature that made them useful models to study microtubule complexity and the role of tubulin isotypes. In the Antarctic ciliate Euplotes focardii we identified five β-tubulin isotypes by genome sequencing, named EFBTU1, EFBTU2, EFBTU3, EFBTU4 and EFBTU5. By using polyclonal antibodies directed against EFBTU2/EFBTU1 and EFBTU3, we show that the former isotypes appear to be involved in the formation of all microtubular structures and are particularly abundant in cilia, whereas the latter specifically localizes at the bases of cilia. By RNA interference (RNAi) technology, we silenced the EFBTU3 gene and provided evidence that this isotype has a relevant role in cilia regeneration upon deciliation and in cell division. These results support the long-standing concept that tubulin isotypes possess functional specificity in building diverse microtubular structures.
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John MS, Nagoth JA, Ramasamy KP, Mancini A, Giuli G, Miceli C, Pucciarelli S. Synthesis of Bioactive Silver Nanoparticles Using New Bacterial Strains from an Antarctic Consortium. Mar Drugs 2022; 20:md20090558. [PMID: 36135747 PMCID: PMC9505403 DOI: 10.3390/md20090558] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2022] [Revised: 08/25/2022] [Accepted: 08/29/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
In this study, we report on the synthesis of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) achieved by using three bacterial strains Rhodococcus, Brevundimonas and Bacillus as reducing and capping agents, newly isolated from a consortium associated with the Antarctic marine ciliate Euplotes focardii. After incubation of these bacteria with a 1 mM solution of AgNO3 at 22 °C, AgNPs were synthesized within 24 h. Unlike Rhodococcus and Bacillus, the reduction of Ag+ from AgNO3 into Ag0 has never been reported for a Brevundimonas strain. The maximum absorbances of these AgNPs in the UV-Vis spectra were in the range of 404 nm and 406 nm. EDAX spectra showed strong signals from the Ag atom and medium signals from C, N and O due to capping protein emissions. TEM analysis showed that the NPs were spherical and rod-shaped, with sizes in the range of 20 to 50 nm, and they were clustered, even though not in contact with one another. Besides aggregation, all the AgNPs showed significant antimicrobial activity. This biosynthesis may play a dual role: detoxification of AgNO3 and pathogen protection against both the bacterium and ciliate. Biosynthetic AgNPs also represent a promising alternative to conventional antibiotics against common nosocomial pathogens.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Sindhura John
- School of Biosciences and Veterinary Medicine, University of Camerino, 62032 Camerino, Italy
- Department of Dermatology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX 75390, USA
| | - Joseph Amruthraj Nagoth
- School of Biosciences and Veterinary Medicine, University of Camerino, 62032 Camerino, Italy
| | - Kesava Priyan Ramasamy
- School of Biosciences and Veterinary Medicine, University of Camerino, 62032 Camerino, Italy
| | - Alessio Mancini
- School of Biosciences and Veterinary Medicine, University of Camerino, 62032 Camerino, Italy
| | - Gabriele Giuli
- School of Sciences and Technology, University of Camerino, 62032 Camerino, Italy
| | - Cristina Miceli
- School of Biosciences and Veterinary Medicine, University of Camerino, 62032 Camerino, Italy
| | - Sandra Pucciarelli
- School of Biosciences and Veterinary Medicine, University of Camerino, 62032 Camerino, Italy
- Correspondence:
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Mozzicafreddo M, Pucciarelli S, Swart EC, Piersanti A, Emmerich C, Migliorelli G, Ballarini P, Miceli C. The macronuclear genome of the Antarctic psychrophilic marine ciliate Euplotes focardii reveals new insights on molecular cold adaptation. Sci Rep 2021; 11:18782. [PMID: 34548559 PMCID: PMC8455672 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-98168-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2021] [Accepted: 09/05/2021] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
The macronuclear (MAC) genomes of ciliates belonging to the genus Euplotes species are comprised of numerous small DNA molecules, nanochromosomes, each typically encoding a single gene. These genomes are responsible for all gene expression during vegetative cell growth. Here, we report the analysis of the MAC genome from the Antarctic psychrophile Euplotes focardii. Nanochromosomes containing bacterial sequences were not found, suggesting that phenomena of horizontal gene transfer did not occur recently, even though this ciliate species has a substantial associated bacterial consortium. As in other euplotid species, E. focardii MAC genes are characterized by a high frequency of translational frameshifting. Furthermore, in order to characterize differences that may be consequent to cold adaptation and defense to oxidative stress, the main constraints of the Antarctic marine microorganisms, we compared E. focardii MAC genome with those available from mesophilic Euplotes species. We focussed mainly on the comparison of tubulin, antioxidant enzymes and heat shock protein (HSP) 70 families, molecules which possess peculiar characteristic correlated with cold adaptation in E. focardii. We found that α-tubulin genes and those encoding SODs and CATs antioxidant enzymes are more numerous than in the mesophilic Euplotes species. Furthermore, the phylogenetic trees showed that these molecules are divergent in the Antarctic species. In contrast, there are fewer hsp70 genes in E. focardii compared to mesophilic Euplotes and these genes do not respond to thermal stress but only to oxidative stress. Our results suggest that molecular adaptation to cold and oxidative stress in the Antarctic environment may not only be due to particular amino acid substitutions but also due to duplication and divergence of paralogous genes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matteo Mozzicafreddo
- School of Biosciences and Veterinary Medicine, University of Camerino, 62032, Camerino, MC, Italy.
| | - Sandra Pucciarelli
- School of Biosciences and Veterinary Medicine, University of Camerino, 62032, Camerino, MC, Italy
| | - Estienne C Swart
- Max Planck Institute for Developmental Biology, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Angela Piersanti
- School of Biosciences and Veterinary Medicine, University of Camerino, 62032, Camerino, MC, Italy
| | | | - Giovanna Migliorelli
- School of Biosciences and Veterinary Medicine, University of Camerino, 62032, Camerino, MC, Italy
| | - Patrizia Ballarini
- School of Biosciences and Veterinary Medicine, University of Camerino, 62032, Camerino, MC, Italy
| | - Cristina Miceli
- School of Biosciences and Veterinary Medicine, University of Camerino, 62032, Camerino, MC, Italy
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John MS, Nagoth JA, Ramasamy KP, Ballarini P, Mozzicafreddo M, Mancini A, Telatin A, Liò P, Giuli G, Natalello A, Miceli C, Pucciarelli S. Horizontal gene transfer and silver nanoparticles production in a new Marinomonas strain isolated from the Antarctic psychrophilic ciliate Euplotes focardii. Sci Rep 2020; 10:10218. [PMID: 32576860 PMCID: PMC7311414 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-66878-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2019] [Accepted: 05/23/2020] [Indexed: 01/23/2023] Open
Abstract
We isolated a novel bacterial strain from a prokaryotic consortium associated to the psychrophilic marine ciliate Euplotes focardii, endemic of the Antarctic coastal seawater. The 16S rDNA sequencing and the phylogenetic analysis revealed the close evolutionary relationship to the Antarctic marine bacterium Marinomonas sp. BSw10506 and the sub antarctic Marinomonas polaris. We named this new strain Marinomonas sp. ef1. The optimal growth temperature in LB medium was 22 °C. Whole genome sequencing and analysis showed a reduced gene loss limited to regions encoding for transposases. Additionally, five genomic islands, e.g. DNA fragments that facilitate horizontal gene transfer phenomena, were identified. Two open reading frames predicted from the genomic islands coded for enzymes belonging to the Nitro-FMN-reductase superfamily. One of these, the putative NAD(P)H nitroreductase YfkO, has been reported to be involved in the bioreduction of silver (Ag) ions and the production of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs). After the Marinomonas sp. ef1 biomass incubation with 1 mM of AgNO3 at 22 °C, we obtained AgNPs within 24 h. The AgNPs were relatively small in size (50 nm) and had a strong antimicrobial activity against twelve common nosocomial pathogenic microorganisms including Staphylococcus aureus and two Candida strains. To our knowledge, this is the first report of AgNPs biosynthesis by a Marinomonas strain. This biosynthesis may play a dual role in detoxification from silver nitrate and protection from pathogens for the bacterium and potentially for the associated ciliate. Biosynthetic AgNPs also represent a promising alternative to conventional antibiotics against common pathogens.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Sindhura John
- School of Bioscience and Veterinary Medicine, University of Camerino, Via Gentile III da Varano, 1, 62032, Camerino, Italy
| | - Joseph Amruthraj Nagoth
- School of Bioscience and Veterinary Medicine, University of Camerino, Via Gentile III da Varano, 1, 62032, Camerino, Italy
| | - Kesava Priyan Ramasamy
- School of Bioscience and Veterinary Medicine, University of Camerino, Via Gentile III da Varano, 1, 62032, Camerino, Italy
| | - Patrizia Ballarini
- School of Bioscience and Veterinary Medicine, University of Camerino, Via Gentile III da Varano, 1, 62032, Camerino, Italy
| | - Matteo Mozzicafreddo
- School of Bioscience and Veterinary Medicine, University of Camerino, Via Gentile III da Varano, 1, 62032, Camerino, Italy
| | - Alessio Mancini
- School of Bioscience and Veterinary Medicine, University of Camerino, Via Gentile III da Varano, 1, 62032, Camerino, Italy
| | - Andrea Telatin
- Quadram Institute Bioscience, Gut Microbes and Health Institute Strategic Program, Norwich Research Park, Norwich, UK
| | - Pietro Liò
- Computer Laboratory, University of Cambridge, 15 JJ Thomson Avenue, Cambridge, UK
| | - Gabriele Giuli
- School of Science and Technology, University of Camerino, Via Gentile III da Varano, 1, 62032, Camerino, Italy
| | - Antonino Natalello
- Department of Biotechnology and Biosciences, University of Milano-Bicocca, Piazza della Scienza, 2, 20126, Milano, Italy
| | - Cristina Miceli
- School of Bioscience and Veterinary Medicine, University of Camerino, Via Gentile III da Varano, 1, 62032, Camerino, Italy
| | - Sandra Pucciarelli
- School of Bioscience and Veterinary Medicine, University of Camerino, Via Gentile III da Varano, 1, 62032, Camerino, Italy.
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Pucciarelli S, Devaraj RR, Mancini A, Ballarini P, Castelli M, Schrallhammer M, Petroni G, Miceli C. Microbial Consortium Associated with the Antarctic Marine Ciliate Euplotes focardii: An Investigation from Genomic Sequences. MICROBIAL ECOLOGY 2015; 70:484-97. [PMID: 25704316 PMCID: PMC4494151 DOI: 10.1007/s00248-015-0568-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/13/2014] [Accepted: 01/08/2015] [Indexed: 05/23/2023]
Abstract
We report the characterization of the bacterial consortium associated to Euplotes focardii, a strictly psychrophilic marine ciliate that was maintained in laboratory cultures at 4 °C after its first isolation from Terra Nova Bay, in Antarctica. By Illumina genome analyser, we obtained 11,179 contigs of potential prokaryotic origin and classified them according to the NCBI's prokaryotic attributes table. The majority of these sequences correspond to either Bacteroidetes (16 %) or Proteobacteria (78 %). The latter were dominated by gamma- (39 %, including sequences related to the pathogenic genus Francisella), and alpha-proteobacterial (30 %) sequences. Analysis of the Pfam domain family and Gene Ontology term variation revealed that the most frequent terms that appear unique to this consortium correspond to proteins involved in "transmembrane transporter activity" and "oxidoreductase activity". Furthermore, we identified genes that encode for enzymes involved in the catabolism of complex substance for energy reserves. We also characterized members of the transposase and integrase superfamilies, whose role in bacterial evolution is well documented, as well as putative antifreeze proteins. Antibiotic treatments of E. focardii cultures delayed the cell division of the ciliate. To conclude, our results indicate that this consortium is largely represented by bacteria derived from the original Antarctic sample and may contribute to the survival of E. focardii in laboratory condition. Furthermore, our results suggest that these bacteria may have a more general role in E. focardii survival in its natural cold and oxidative environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sandra Pucciarelli
- School of Biosciences and Veterinary Medicine, University of Camerino, Camerino, 62032, Italy,
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