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Zheng Y, Ye L, Du J, Huang L, Lun M, He M, Xiao G, Du W, Liu C, Chen L. Changes in the microbial community of semen exposed to different simulated forensic situations. Microbiol Spectr 2024; 12:e0012524. [PMID: 38980015 PMCID: PMC11302308 DOI: 10.1128/spectrum.00125-24] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/12/2024] [Accepted: 06/16/2024] [Indexed: 07/10/2024] Open
Abstract
Semen is one of the common body fluids in sexual crime cases. The current methods of semen identification have certain limitations, so it is necessary to search for other methods. In addition, there are few reports of microbiome changes in body fluids under simulated crime scenes. It is essential to further reveal the changes in semen microbiomes after exposure to various simulated crime scenes. Semen samples from eight volunteers were exposed in closed plastic bags, soil, indoor, cotton, polyester, and wool fabrics. A total of 68 samples (before and after exposure) were collected, detected by 16S rDNA sequencing, and analyzed for the microbiome signature. Finally, a random forest model was constructed for body fluid identification. After exposure, the relative abundance of Pseudomonas and Rhodococcus changed dramatically in almost all groups. In addition, the treatment with the closed plastic bags or soil groups had a greater impact on the semen microbiome. According to the Shannon indices, the alpha diversity of the closed plastic bags and soil groups was much lower than that of the other groups. Attention should be given to the above two scenes in practical work of forensic medicine. In this study, the accuracy of semen recognition was 100%. The exposed semen can still be correctly identified as semen based on its microbiota characteristics. In summary, semen microbiomes exposed to simulated crime scenes still have good application potential for body fluid identification. IMPORTANCE In this study, the microbiome changes of semen exposed to different environments were observed, and the exposed semen microbiome still has a good application potential in body fluid identification.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yangyang Zheng
- Guangzhou Key Laboratory of Forensic Multi-Omics for Precision Identification, School of Forensic Medicine, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
- Guangdong Homy Genetics Incorporation, Foshan, China
| | - Linying Ye
- Guangzhou Key Laboratory of Forensic Multi-Omics for Precision Identification, School of Forensic Medicine, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Jieyu Du
- Guangzhou Key Laboratory of Forensic Multi-Omics for Precision Identification, School of Forensic Medicine, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Litao Huang
- Guangzhou Key Laboratory of Forensic Multi-Omics for Precision Identification, School of Forensic Medicine, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Miaoqiang Lun
- Guangzhou Key Laboratory of Forensic Multi-Omics for Precision Identification, School of Forensic Medicine, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Meiyun He
- Guangzhou Key Laboratory of Forensic Multi-Omics for Precision Identification, School of Forensic Medicine, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Guichao Xiao
- Guangzhou Key Laboratory of Forensic Multi-Omics for Precision Identification, School of Forensic Medicine, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Weian Du
- Guangdong Homy Genetics Incorporation, Foshan, China
| | - Chao Liu
- National Anti-Drug Laboratory Guangdong Regional Center, Guangzhou, China
| | - Ling Chen
- Guangzhou Key Laboratory of Forensic Multi-Omics for Precision Identification, School of Forensic Medicine, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
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Soni A, Brightwell G. Effect of novel and conventional food processing technologies on Bacillus cereus spores. ADVANCES IN FOOD AND NUTRITION RESEARCH 2023; 108:265-287. [PMID: 38461001 DOI: 10.1016/bs.afnr.2023.10.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/11/2024]
Abstract
This chapter provides a summary of the effect of thermal and non-thermal processing technologies on Bacillus cereus spores, a well-known pathogenic bacterium associated with foodborne illnesses. B. cereus has been frequently detected in rice, milk products, infant food, liquid eggs products and meat products all over the world. This Gram positive, rod-shaped, facultative anaerobe can produce endospores that can withstand pasteurization, UV radiation, and chemical reagents commonly used for sanitization. B. cereus spores can germinate into vegetative cells that can produce toxins. The conventional regime for eliminating spores from food is retorting which uses the application of high temperature (121 °C). However, at this temperature, there could be a significant amount of loss in the organoleptic and functional qualities of the food components, especially proteins. This leads to the research on the preventive measures against germination and if possible, to reduce the resistance before using a non-thermal technology (temperatures less than retorting-121 °C) for inactivation. This chapter reviews the development and success of several food processing technologies in their ability to inactivate B. cereus spores in food.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aswathi Soni
- Food System Integrity, Smart Foods and Bioproducts, AgResearch Ltd., Hopkirk Research Institute, Massey University, Palmerston North, New Zealand.
| | - Gale Brightwell
- Food System Integrity, Smart Foods and Bioproducts, AgResearch Ltd., Hopkirk Research Institute, Massey University, Palmerston North, New Zealand; New Zealand Food Safety Science and Research Centre, Massey University Manawatu (Turitea), Palmerston North, New Zealand
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3
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Nevers A, Kranzler M, Perchat S, Gohar M, Sorokin A, Lereclus D, Ehling-Schulz M, Sanchis-Borja V. Plasmid - Chromosome interplay in natural and non-natural hosts: global transcription study of three Bacillus cereus group strains carrying pCER270 plasmid. Res Microbiol 2023; 174:104074. [PMID: 37149076 DOI: 10.1016/j.resmic.2023.104074] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/12/2022] [Revised: 04/12/2023] [Accepted: 04/25/2023] [Indexed: 05/08/2023]
Abstract
The Bacillus cereus group comprises genetically related Gram-positive spore-forming bacteria that colonize a wide range of ecological niches and hosts. Despite their high degree of genome conservation, extrachromosomal genetic material diverges between these species. The discriminating properties of the B. cereus group strains are mainly due to plasmid-borne toxins, reflecting the importance of horizontal gene transfers in bacterial evolution and species definition. To investigate how a newly acquired megaplasmid can impact the transcriptome of its host, we transferred the pCER270 from the emetic B. cereus strains to phylogenetically distant B. cereus group strains. RNA-sequencing experiments allowed us to determine the transcriptional influence of the plasmid on host gene expression and the impact of the host genomic background on the pCER270 gene expression. Our results show a transcriptional cross-regulation between the megaplasmid and the host genome. pCER270 impacted carbohydrate metabolism and sporulation genes expression, with a higher effect in the natural host of the plasmid, suggesting a role of the plasmid in the adaptation of the carrying strain to its environment. In addition, the host genomes also modulated the expression of pCER270 genes. Altogether, these results provide an example of the involvement of megaplasmids in the emergence of new pathogenic strains.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alicia Nevers
- Université Paris-Saclay, INRAE, AgroParisTech, Micalis Institute, 78350 Jouy-en-Josas, France.
| | - Markus Kranzler
- Institute of Microbiology, Department of Pathobiology, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna; Vienna, Austria
| | - Stéphane Perchat
- Université Paris-Saclay, INRAE, AgroParisTech, Micalis Institute, 78350 Jouy-en-Josas, France
| | - Michel Gohar
- Université Paris-Saclay, INRAE, AgroParisTech, Micalis Institute, 78350 Jouy-en-Josas, France
| | - Alexei Sorokin
- Université Paris-Saclay, INRAE, AgroParisTech, Micalis Institute, 78350 Jouy-en-Josas, France
| | - Didier Lereclus
- Université Paris-Saclay, INRAE, AgroParisTech, Micalis Institute, 78350 Jouy-en-Josas, France
| | - Monika Ehling-Schulz
- Institute of Microbiology, Department of Pathobiology, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna; Vienna, Austria.
| | - Vincent Sanchis-Borja
- Université Paris-Saclay, INRAE, AgroParisTech, Micalis Institute, 78350 Jouy-en-Josas, France.
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Wang K, Shu C, Bravo A, Soberón M, Zhang H, Crickmore N, Zhang J. Development of an Online Genome Sequence Comparison Resource for Bacillus cereus sensu lato Strains Using the Efficient Composition Vector Method. Toxins (Basel) 2023; 15:393. [PMID: 37368694 DOI: 10.3390/toxins15060393] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/23/2023] [Revised: 05/21/2023] [Accepted: 06/08/2023] [Indexed: 06/29/2023] Open
Abstract
An automated method was developed for differentiating closely related B. cereus sensu lato (s.l.) species, especially biopesticide Bacillus thuringiensis, from other human pathogens, B. anthracis and B. cereus sensu stricto (s.s.). In the current research, four typing methods were initially compared, including multi-locus sequence typing (MLST), single-copy core genes phylogenetic analysis (SCCGPA), dispensable genes content pattern analysis (DGCPA) and composition vector tree (CVTree), to analyze the genomic variability of 23 B. thuringiensis strains from aizawai, kurstaki, israelensis, thuringiensis and morrisoni serovars. The CVTree method was the best option to be used for typing B. thuringiensis strains since it proved to be the fastest method, whilst giving high-resolution data about the strains. In addition, CVTree agrees well with ANI-based method, revealing the relationship between B. thuringiensis and other B. cereus s.l. species. Based on these data, an online genome sequence comparison resource was built for Bacillus strains called the Bacillus Typing Bioinformatics Database to facilitate strain identification and characterization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kui Wang
- State Key Laboratory for Biology of Plant Diseases and Insect Pests, Institute of Plant Protection, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100193, China
- School of Plant Protection, Anhui Agricultural University, Hefei 230036, China
| | - Changlong Shu
- State Key Laboratory for Biology of Plant Diseases and Insect Pests, Institute of Plant Protection, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100193, China
| | - Alejandra Bravo
- Departamento de Microbiología Molecular, Instituto de Biotecnología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Cuernavaca 62250, Mexico
| | - Mario Soberón
- Departamento de Microbiología Molecular, Instituto de Biotecnología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Cuernavaca 62250, Mexico
| | - Hongjun Zhang
- Institute for the Control of Agrochemicals, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Beijing 100125, China
| | - Neil Crickmore
- School of Life Sciences, University of Sussex, Brighton BN1 9QG, UK
| | - Jie Zhang
- State Key Laboratory for Biology of Plant Diseases and Insect Pests, Institute of Plant Protection, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100193, China
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Xu J, Bai X, Zhang X, Yuan B, Lin L, Guo Y, Cui Y, Liu J, Cui H, Ren X, Wang J, Yuan Y. Development and application of DETECTR-based rapid detection for pathogenic Bacillusanthracis. Anal Chim Acta 2023; 1247:340891. [PMID: 36781250 DOI: 10.1016/j.aca.2023.340891] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/26/2022] [Revised: 01/18/2023] [Accepted: 01/23/2023] [Indexed: 02/02/2023]
Abstract
Bacillus anthracis (B. anthracis) is a gram-positive bacterium responsible for the acute disease anthrax. Rapid and reliable identification of pathogenic B. anthracis is important in the detection of natural infectious disease cases or bio-threats. Herein, a DNA endonuclease targeted CRISPR trans reporter (DETECTR) detection platform based on recombinase polymerase amplification (RPA) was studied. The DETECTR system targeted three sequences from B. anthracis (the BA_5345 chromosomal specific marker, the protective antigen gene pag A from pXO1 plasmid and the capsule-biosynthesis-related gene cap A from pXO2 plasmid). We developed a rapid (<40 min), easy-to-implement and accurate identification method for of B. anthracis nucleic acid with near two-copies sensitivity. The combination of tripartite primer sets is effective for the reliable identification of B. anthracis but also for fast screening of pathogenic strains. More importantly, DETECTR correctly detected simulated clinical blood samples and firstly detected positive samples collected from the location of world War-II site, preserved at north-east China (45°36'55.940″ N, 126°38'33.738″ E) with high sensitivity and specificity. Our study provides insight into the DETECTR-based detection of B. anthracis. We present a novel screening and diagnostic option for pathogenic B. anthracis that can be performed on a user-friendly portable device. Based on its proven reliability, sensitivity, specificity and simplicity, our proposed method can be readily adapted to detect pathogenic B. anthracis, anthrax and biothreats.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jianhao Xu
- State Key Laboratory of Pathogen and Biosecurity, Beijing Institute of Microbiology and Epidemiology, Academy of Military Medical Sciences (AMMS), Beijing, 100071, China
| | - Xinru Bai
- State Key Laboratory of Pathogen and Biosecurity, Beijing Institute of Microbiology and Epidemiology, Academy of Military Medical Sciences (AMMS), Beijing, 100071, China
| | - Xianglilan Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Pathogen and Biosecurity, Beijing Institute of Microbiology and Epidemiology, Academy of Military Medical Sciences (AMMS), Beijing, 100071, China
| | - Bing Yuan
- State Key Laboratory of Pathogen and Biosecurity, Beijing Institute of Microbiology and Epidemiology, Academy of Military Medical Sciences (AMMS), Beijing, 100071, China
| | - Lei Lin
- State Key Laboratory of Pathogen and Biosecurity, Beijing Institute of Microbiology and Epidemiology, Academy of Military Medical Sciences (AMMS), Beijing, 100071, China
| | - Yan Guo
- State Key Laboratory of Pathogen and Biosecurity, Beijing Institute of Microbiology and Epidemiology, Academy of Military Medical Sciences (AMMS), Beijing, 100071, China
| | - Yujun Cui
- State Key Laboratory of Pathogen and Biosecurity, Beijing Institute of Microbiology and Epidemiology, Academy of Military Medical Sciences (AMMS), Beijing, 100071, China
| | - Jinxiong Liu
- Harbin Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Harbin, 150009, China
| | - Hongyu Cui
- Harbin Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Harbin, 150009, China
| | - Xiangang Ren
- Harbin Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Harbin, 150009, China
| | - Jinglin Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Pathogen and Biosecurity, Beijing Institute of Microbiology and Epidemiology, Academy of Military Medical Sciences (AMMS), Beijing, 100071, China.
| | - Yuan Yuan
- State Key Laboratory of Pathogen and Biosecurity, Beijing Institute of Microbiology and Epidemiology, Academy of Military Medical Sciences (AMMS), Beijing, 100071, China.
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Moshe M, Gupta CL, Sela N, Minz D, Banin E, Frenkel O, Cytryn E. Comparative genomics of Bacillus cereus sensu lato spp. biocontrol strains in correlation to in-vitro phenotypes and plant pathogen antagonistic capacity. Front Microbiol 2023; 14:996287. [PMID: 36846749 PMCID: PMC9947482 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2023.996287] [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: 07/17/2022] [Accepted: 01/12/2023] [Indexed: 02/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Bacillus cereus sensu lato (Bcsl) strains are widely explored due to their capacity to antagonize a broad range of plant pathogens. These include B. cereus sp. UW85, whose antagonistic capacity is attributed to the secondary metabolite Zwittermicin A (ZwA). We recently isolated four soil and root-associated Bcsl strains (MO2, S-10, S-25, LSTW-24) that displayed different growth profiles and in-vitro antagonistic effects against three soilborne plant pathogens models: Pythium aphanidermatum (oomycete) Rhizoctonia solani (basidiomycete), and Fusarium oxysporum (ascomycete). To identify genetic mechanisms potentially responsible for the differences in growth and antagonistic phenotypes of these Bcsl strains, we sequenced and compared their genomes, and that of strain UW85 using a hybrid sequencing pipeline. Despite similarities, specific Bcsl strains had unique secondary metabolite and chitinase-encoding genes that could potentially explain observed differences in in-vitro chitinolytic potential and anti-fungal activity. Strains UW85, S-10 and S-25 contained a (~500 Kbp) mega-plasmid that harbored the ZwA biosynthetic gene cluster. The UW85 mega-plasmid contained more ABC transporters than the other two strains, whereas the S-25 mega-plasmid carried a unique cluster containing cellulose and chitin degrading genes. Collectively, comparative genomics revealed several mechanisms that can potentially explain differences in in-vitro antagonism of Bcsl strains toward fungal plant pathogens.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maya Moshe
- Institute of Soil, Water and Environmental Sciences, Agricultural Research Organization, Rishon-Lezion, Israel
- Institute of Plant Pathology and Weed Research, Agricultural Research Organization, Rishon-Lezion, Israel
- The Mina and Everard Goodman Faculty of Life Sciences, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat Gan, Israel
| | - Chhedi Lal Gupta
- Institute of Soil, Water and Environmental Sciences, Agricultural Research Organization, Rishon-Lezion, Israel
| | - Noa Sela
- Institute of Plant Pathology and Weed Research, Agricultural Research Organization, Rishon-Lezion, Israel
| | - Dror Minz
- Institute of Soil, Water and Environmental Sciences, Agricultural Research Organization, Rishon-Lezion, Israel
| | - Ehud Banin
- The Mina and Everard Goodman Faculty of Life Sciences, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat Gan, Israel
| | - Omer Frenkel
- Institute of Plant Pathology and Weed Research, Agricultural Research Organization, Rishon-Lezion, Israel
| | - Eddie Cytryn
- Institute of Soil, Water and Environmental Sciences, Agricultural Research Organization, Rishon-Lezion, Israel
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7
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Hinnekens P, Fayad N, Gillis A, Mahillon J. Conjugation across Bacillus cereus and kin: A review. Front Microbiol 2022; 13:1034440. [PMID: 36406448 PMCID: PMC9673590 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2022.1034440] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2022] [Accepted: 10/11/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
Horizontal gene transfer (HGT) is a major driving force in shaping bacterial communities. Key elements responsible for HGT are conjugation-like events and transmissible plasmids. Conjugative plasmids can promote their own transfer as well as that of co-resident plasmids. Bacillus cereus and relatives harbor a plethora of plasmids, including conjugative plasmids, which are at the heart of the group species differentiation and specification. Since the first report of a conjugation-like event between strains of B. cereus sensu lato (s.l.) 40 years ago, many have studied the potential of plasmid transfer across the group, especially for plasmids encoding major toxins. Over the years, more than 20 plasmids from B. cereus isolates have been reported as conjugative. However, with the increasing number of genomic data available, in silico analyses indicate that more plasmids from B. cereus s.l. genomes present self-transfer potential. B. cereus s.l. bacteria occupy diverse environmental niches, which were mimicked in laboratory conditions to study conjugation-related mechanisms. Laboratory mating conditions remain nonetheless simplistic compared to the complex interactions occurring in natural environments. Given the health, economic and ecological importance of strains of B. cereus s.l., it is of prime importance to consider the impact of conjugation within this bacterial group.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pauline Hinnekens
- Laboratory of Food and Environmental Microbiology, Earth and Life Institute, Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium
| | - Nancy Fayad
- Multi-Omics Laboratory, School of Pharmacy, Lebanese American University, Byblos, Lebanon
| | - Annika Gillis
- Laboratory of Food and Environmental Microbiology, Earth and Life Institute, Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium
| | - Jacques Mahillon
- Laboratory of Food and Environmental Microbiology, Earth and Life Institute, Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium
- *Correspondence: Jacques Mahillon,
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A Comparative Analysis of the Core Proteomes within and among the Bacillus subtilis and Bacillus cereus Evolutionary Groups Reveals the Patterns of Lineage- and Species-Specific Adaptations. Microorganisms 2022; 10:microorganisms10091720. [PMID: 36144322 PMCID: PMC9505155 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms10091720] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2022] [Revised: 08/19/2022] [Accepted: 08/23/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
By integrating phylogenomic and comparative analyses of 1104 high-quality genome sequences, we identify the core proteins and the lineage-specific fingerprint proteins of the various evolutionary clusters (clades/groups/species) of the Bacillus genus. As fingerprints, we denote those core proteins of a certain lineage that are present only in that particular lineage and absent in any other Bacillus lineage. Thus, these lineage-specific fingerprints are expected to be involved in particular adaptations of that lineage. Intriguingly, with a few notable exceptions, the majority of the Bacillus species demonstrate a rather low number of species-specific fingerprints, with the majority of them being of unknown function. Therefore, species-specific adaptations are mostly attributed to highly unstable (in evolutionary terms) accessory proteomes and possibly to changes at the gene regulation level. A series of comparative analyses consistently demonstrated that the progenitor of the Cereus Clade underwent an extensive genomic expansion of chromosomal protein-coding genes. In addition, the majority (76–82%) of the B. subtilis proteins that are essential or play a significant role in sporulation have close homologs in most species of both the Subtilis and the Cereus Clades. Finally, the identification of lineage-specific fingerprints by this study may allow for the future development of highly specific vaccines, therapeutic molecules, or rapid and low-cost molecular tests for species identification.
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Pronk LJU, Bakker PAHM, Keel C, Maurhofer M, Flury P. The secret life of plant-beneficial rhizosphere bacteria: insects as alternative hosts. Environ Microbiol 2022; 24:3273-3289. [PMID: 35315557 PMCID: PMC9542179 DOI: 10.1111/1462-2920.15968] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2021] [Revised: 03/03/2022] [Accepted: 03/04/2022] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Root-colonizing bacteria have been intensively investigated for their intimate relationship with plants and their manifold plant-beneficial activities. They can inhibit growth and activity of pathogens or induce defence responses. In recent years, evidence has emerged that several plant-beneficial rhizosphere bacteria do not only associate with plants but also with insects. Their relationships with insects range from pathogenic to mutualistic and some rhizobacteria can use insects as vectors for dispersal to new host plants. Thus, the interactions of these bacteria with their environment are even more complex than previously thought and can extend far beyond the rhizosphere. The discovery of this secret life of rhizobacteria represents an exciting new field of research that should link the fields of plant-microbe and insect-microbe interactions. In this review, we provide examples of plant-beneficial rhizosphere bacteria that use insects as alternative hosts, and of potentially rhizosphere-competent insect symbionts. We discuss the bacterial traits that may enable a host-switch between plants and insects and further set the multi-host lifestyle of rhizobacteria into an evolutionary and ecological context. Finally, we identify important open research questions and discuss perspectives on the use of these rhizobacteria in agriculture.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Christoph Keel
- Department of Fundamental MicrobiologyUniversity of LausanneLausanneSwitzerland
| | - Monika Maurhofer
- Plant Pathology, Institute of Integrative BiologyETH ZürichZürichSwitzerland
| | - Pascale Flury
- Crop Protection – Phytopathology, Department of Crop SciencesResearch Institute of Organic Agriculture FiBLFrickSwitzerland
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10
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White H, Vos M, Sheppard SK, Pascoe B, Raymond B. Signatures of selection in core and accessory genomes indicate different ecological drivers of diversification among Bacillus cereus clades. Mol Ecol 2022; 31:3584-3597. [PMID: 35510788 PMCID: PMC9324797 DOI: 10.1111/mec.16490] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/26/2021] [Revised: 03/31/2022] [Accepted: 04/12/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Bacterial clades are often ecologically distinct, despite extensive horizontal gene transfer (HGT). How selection works on different parts of bacterial pan-genomes to drive and maintain the emergence of clades is unclear. Focusing on the three largest clades in the diverse and well-studied Bacillus cereus sensu lato group, we identified clade-specific core genes (present in all clade members) and then used clade-specific allelic diversity to identify genes under purifying and diversifying selection. Clade-specific accessory genes (present in a subset of strains within a clade) were characterized as being under selection using presence/absence in specific clades. Gene ontology analyses of genes under selection revealed that different gene functions were enriched in different clades. Furthermore, some gene functions were enriched only amongst clade-specific core or accessory genomes. Genes under purifying selection were often clade-specific, while genes under diversifying selection showed signs of frequent HGT. These patterns are consistent with different selection pressures acting on both the core and the accessory genomes of different clades and can lead to ecological divergence in both cases. Examining variation in allelic diversity allows us to uncover genes under clade-specific selection, allowing ready identification of strains and their ecological niche.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hugh White
- Centre for Ecology and ConservationUniversity of ExeterPenrynUK
| | - Michiel Vos
- European Centre for Environment and Human HealthUniversity of Exeter Medical SchoolEnvironment and Sustainability InstitutePenryn CampusUK
| | - Samuel K. Sheppard
- Milner Centre for EvolutionDepartment of Biology & BiotechnologyUniversity of BathBathUK
| | - Ben Pascoe
- Milner Centre for EvolutionDepartment of Biology & BiotechnologyUniversity of BathBathUK
| | - Ben Raymond
- Centre for Ecology and ConservationUniversity of ExeterPenrynUK
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11
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Gonçalves KB, Appel RJC, Bôas LAV, Cardoso PF, Bôas GTV. Genomic insights into the diversity of non-coding RNAs in Bacillus cereus sensu lato. Curr Genet 2022; 68:449-466. [PMID: 35552506 DOI: 10.1007/s00294-022-01240-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2021] [Revised: 03/20/2022] [Accepted: 03/30/2022] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Bacillus cereus sensu lato is a group of bacteria of medical and agricultural importance in different ecological niches and with controversial taxonomic relationships. Studying the composition of non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs) in several bacterial groups has been an important tool for identifying genetic information and better understanding genetic regulation towards environment adaptation. However, to date, no comparative genomics study of ncRNA has been performed in this group. Thus, this study aimed to identify and characterize the set of ncRNAs from 132 strains of Bacillus cereus, Bacillus thuringiensis and Bacillus anthracis to obtain an overview of the diversity and distribution of these genetic elements in these species. We observed that the number of ncRNAs differs in the chromosomes of the three species, but not in the plasmids, when species or phylogenetic clusters were compared. The prevailing functional/structural category was Cis-reg and the most frequent class was Riboswitch. However, in plasmids, the class Group II intron was the most frequent. Also, nine ncRNAs were selected for validation in the strain B. thuringiensis 407 by RT-PCR, which allowed to identify the expression of the ncRNAs. The wide distribution and diversity of ncRNAs in the B. cereus group, and more intensely in B. thuringiensis, may help improve the abilities of these species to adapt to various environmental changes. Further studies should address the expression of these genetic elements in different conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kátia B Gonçalves
- Depto Biologia Geral, Universidade Estadual de Londrina, Londrina, Brazil
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12
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Rudenko N, Siunov A, Zamyatina A, Melnik B, Nagel A, Karatovskaya A, Borisova M, Shepelyakovskaya A, Andreeva-Kovalevskaya Z, Kolesnikov A, Surin A, Brovko F, Solonin A. The C-terminal domain of Bacillus cereus hemolysin II oligomerizes by itself in the presence of cell membranes to form ion channels. Int J Biol Macromol 2022; 200:416-427. [PMID: 35041890 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2022.01.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2021] [Revised: 12/17/2021] [Accepted: 01/04/2022] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Bacillus cereus hemolysin II, a pore-forming β-barrel toxin (HlyII), has a C-terminal extension of 94 amino acid residues, designated as the C-terminal domain of HlyII (HlyIICTD). HlyIICTD is capable of forming oligomers in aqueous solutions. Oligomerization of HlyIICTD significantly increased in the presence of erythrocytes and liposomes. Its affinity for erythrocytes of various origins differed insignificantly but was noticeably higher for T-cells. HlyIICTD destroyed THP-1 monocytes and J774 macrophages, acted most effectively on Jurkat T-lymphocytes and had virtually no impact on B-cell lines. HlyIICTD was able to form ion-conducting channels on an artificial bilayer membrane.
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Affiliation(s)
- Natalia Rudenko
- Pushchino Branch, Shemyakin-Ovchinnikov Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Russian Academy of Sciences, 6 Prospekt Nauki, 142290 Pushchino, Moscow Region, Russia.
| | - Alexander Siunov
- FSBIS FRC Pushchino Scientific Centre of Biological Research, G.K. Skryabin Institute of Biochemistry and Physiology of Microorganisms, Russian Academy of Sciences, 5 Prospekt Nauki, 142290 Pushchino, Moscow Region, Russia
| | - Anna Zamyatina
- Pushchino Branch, Shemyakin-Ovchinnikov Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Russian Academy of Sciences, 6 Prospekt Nauki, 142290 Pushchino, Moscow Region, Russia
| | - Bogdan Melnik
- Institute of Protein Research, Russian Academy of Sciences, 4 Institutskaya Street, 142290 Pushchino, Moscow Region, Russia
| | - Alexey Nagel
- FSBIS FRC Pushchino Scientific Centre of Biological Research, G.K. Skryabin Institute of Biochemistry and Physiology of Microorganisms, Russian Academy of Sciences, 5 Prospekt Nauki, 142290 Pushchino, Moscow Region, Russia
| | - Anna Karatovskaya
- Pushchino Branch, Shemyakin-Ovchinnikov Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Russian Academy of Sciences, 6 Prospekt Nauki, 142290 Pushchino, Moscow Region, Russia
| | - Marina Borisova
- Institute of Theoretical and Experimental Biophysics, Russian Academy of Sciences, 2 Prospekt Nauki, 142290 Pushchino, Moscow Region, Russia
| | - Anna Shepelyakovskaya
- Pushchino Branch, Shemyakin-Ovchinnikov Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Russian Academy of Sciences, 6 Prospekt Nauki, 142290 Pushchino, Moscow Region, Russia
| | - Zhanna Andreeva-Kovalevskaya
- FSBIS FRC Pushchino Scientific Centre of Biological Research, G.K. Skryabin Institute of Biochemistry and Physiology of Microorganisms, Russian Academy of Sciences, 5 Prospekt Nauki, 142290 Pushchino, Moscow Region, Russia
| | - Alexander Kolesnikov
- FSBIS FRC Pushchino Scientific Centre of Biological Research, G.K. Skryabin Institute of Biochemistry and Physiology of Microorganisms, Russian Academy of Sciences, 5 Prospekt Nauki, 142290 Pushchino, Moscow Region, Russia
| | - Alexey Surin
- Pushchino Branch, Shemyakin-Ovchinnikov Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Russian Academy of Sciences, 6 Prospekt Nauki, 142290 Pushchino, Moscow Region, Russia
| | - Fedor Brovko
- Pushchino Branch, Shemyakin-Ovchinnikov Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Russian Academy of Sciences, 6 Prospekt Nauki, 142290 Pushchino, Moscow Region, Russia
| | - Alexander Solonin
- FSBIS FRC Pushchino Scientific Centre of Biological Research, G.K. Skryabin Institute of Biochemistry and Physiology of Microorganisms, Russian Academy of Sciences, 5 Prospekt Nauki, 142290 Pushchino, Moscow Region, Russia
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Nakonieczna A, Rutyna P, Fedorowicz M, Kwiatek M, Mizak L, Łobocka M. Three Novel Bacteriophages, J5a, F16Ba, and z1a, Specific for Bacillus anthracis, Define a New Clade of Historical Wbeta Phage Relatives. Viruses 2022; 14:213. [PMID: 35215807 PMCID: PMC8878798 DOI: 10.3390/v14020213] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/28/2021] [Revised: 01/15/2022] [Accepted: 01/18/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Bacillus anthracis is a potent biowarfare agent, able to be highly lethal. The bacteria dwell in the soil of certain regions, as natural flora. Bacteriophages or their lytic enzymes, endolysins, may be an alternative for antibiotics and other antibacterials to fight this pathogen in infections and to minimize environmental contamination with anthrax endospores. Upon screening environmental samples from various regions in Poland, we isolated three new siphophages, J5a, F16Ba, and z1a, specific for B. anthracis. They represent new species related to historical anthrax phages Gamma, Cherry, and Fah, and to phage Wbeta of Wbetavirus genus. We show that the new phages and their closest relatives, phages Tavor_SA, Negev_SA, and Carmel_SA, form a separate clade of the Wbetavirus genus, designated as J5a clade. The most distinctive feature of J5a clade phages is their cell lysis module. While in the historical phages it encodes a canonical endolysin and a class III holin, in J5a clade phages it encodes an endolysin with a signal peptide and two putative holins. We present the basic characteristic of the isolated phages. Their comparative genomic analysis indicates that they encode two receptor-binding proteins, of which one may bind a sugar moiety of B. anthracis cell surface.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aleksandra Nakonieczna
- Biological Threats Identification and Countermeasure Center, Military Institute of Hygiene and Epidemiology, 24-100 Pulawy, Poland; (P.R.); (M.F.); (M.K.); (L.M.)
| | - Paweł Rutyna
- Biological Threats Identification and Countermeasure Center, Military Institute of Hygiene and Epidemiology, 24-100 Pulawy, Poland; (P.R.); (M.F.); (M.K.); (L.M.)
| | - Magdalena Fedorowicz
- Biological Threats Identification and Countermeasure Center, Military Institute of Hygiene and Epidemiology, 24-100 Pulawy, Poland; (P.R.); (M.F.); (M.K.); (L.M.)
| | - Magdalena Kwiatek
- Biological Threats Identification and Countermeasure Center, Military Institute of Hygiene and Epidemiology, 24-100 Pulawy, Poland; (P.R.); (M.F.); (M.K.); (L.M.)
| | - Lidia Mizak
- Biological Threats Identification and Countermeasure Center, Military Institute of Hygiene and Epidemiology, 24-100 Pulawy, Poland; (P.R.); (M.F.); (M.K.); (L.M.)
| | - Małgorzata Łobocka
- Institute of Biochemistry and Biophysics of the Polish Academy of Sciences, 02-106 Warsaw, Poland
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Liang L, Wang P, Qu T, Zhao X, Ge Y, Chen Y. Detection and quantification of Bacillus cereus and its spores in raw milk by qPCR, and distinguish Bacillus cereus from other bacteria of the genus Bacillus. FOOD QUALITY AND SAFETY 2022. [DOI: 10.1093/fqsafe/fyab035] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022]
Abstract
Abstract
Introduction
The raw milk is the basic raw material of dairy products, Bacillus cereus is a typical conditional pathogenic bacteria and cold-phagocytic spoilage bacteria in raw milk. This study established a qPCR method for detecting B. cereus in raw milk
Materials and Methods
In this study, a qPCR method for detecting B. cereus in raw milk was established. The specificity of the method was verified by using other Bacillus bacteria and pathogenic bacteria, the sensitivity of the method was evaluated by preparing recombinant plasmids and simulated contaminated samples, and the applicability of the method was verified by using pure spore DNA. The actual sample detection was completed by using the established qPCR method
Results
The qPCR established in this study can specifically detect B. cereus in raw milk. The LOD of the method was as low as 200 CFU/mL, and the LOQ ranged from 2 × 10 2 to 2 × 10 8 CFU/ml, the amplification efficiency of qPCR was 96.6%
Conclusins
The method established in this study can distinguish B. cereus from other Bacillus bacteria, and spore DNA can be used as the detection object. This method has the advantages of strong specificity, high sensitivity, wide application range and short detection time, which is expected to be applied in the dairy industry.
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15
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Braun P, Nguyen MDT, Walter MC, Grass G. Ultrasensitive Detection of Bacillus anthracis by Real-Time PCR Targeting a Polymorphism in Multi-Copy 16S rRNA Genes and Their Transcripts. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:12224. [PMID: 34830105 PMCID: PMC8618755 DOI: 10.3390/ijms222212224] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/14/2021] [Revised: 11/09/2021] [Accepted: 11/10/2021] [Indexed: 02/03/2023] Open
Abstract
The anthrax pathogen Bacillus anthracis poses a significant threat to human health. Identification of B. anthracis is challenging because of the bacterium's close genetic relationship to other Bacillus cereus group species. Thus, molecular detection is founded on species-specific PCR targeting single-copy genes. Here, we validated a previously recognized multi-copy target, a species-specific single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) present in 2-5 copies in every B. anthracis genome analyzed. For this, a hydrolysis probe-based real-time PCR assay was developed and rigorously tested. The assay was specific as only B. anthracis DNA yielded positive results, was linear over 9 log10 units, and was sensitive with a limit of detection (LoD) of 2.9 copies/reaction. Though not exhibiting a lower LoD than established single-copy PCR targets (dhp61 or PL3), the higher copy number of the B. anthracis-specific 16S rRNA gene alleles afforded ≤2 unit lower threshold (Ct) values. To push the detection limit even further, the assay was adapted for reverse transcription PCR on 16S rRNA transcripts. This RT-PCR assay was also linear over 9 log10 units and was sensitive with an LoD of 6.3 copies/reaction. In a dilution series of experiments, the 16S RT-PCR assay achieved a thousand-fold higher sensitivity than the DNA-targeting assays. For molecular diagnostics, we recommend a real-time RT-PCR assay variant in which both DNA and RNA serve as templates (thus, no requirement for DNase treatment). This can at least provide results equaling the DNA-based implementation if no RNA is present but is superior even at the lowest residual rRNA concentrations.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Gregor Grass
- Bundeswehr Institute of Microbiology (IMB), 80937 Munich, Germany; (P.B.); (M.D.-T.N.); (M.C.W.)
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Nagel AS, Andreeva-Kovalevskaya ZI, Siunov AV, Nagornykh MO, Zakharova MV, Solonin AS. Transcription of the hlyIIR Gene of Bacillus cereus. RUSS J GENET+ 2021. [DOI: 10.1134/s1022795421060077] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
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17
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Turner WC, Kamath PL, van Heerden H, Huang YH, Barandongo ZR, Bruce SA, Kausrud K. The roles of environmental variation and parasite survival in virulence-transmission relationships. ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE 2021; 8:210088. [PMID: 34109041 PMCID: PMC8170194 DOI: 10.1098/rsos.210088] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/10/2023]
Abstract
Disease outbreaks are a consequence of interactions among the three components of a host-parasite system: the infectious agent, the host and the environment. While virulence and transmission are widely investigated, most studies of parasite life-history trade-offs are conducted with theoretical models or tractable experimental systems where transmission is standardized and the environment controlled. Yet, biotic and abiotic environmental factors can strongly affect disease dynamics, and ultimately, host-parasite coevolution. Here, we review research on how environmental context alters virulence-transmission relationships, focusing on the off-host portion of the parasite life cycle, and how variation in parasite survival affects the evolution of virulence and transmission. We review three inter-related 'approaches' that have dominated the study of the evolution of virulence and transmission for different host-parasite systems: (i) evolutionary trade-off theory, (ii) parasite local adaptation and (iii) parasite phylodynamics. These approaches consider the role of the environment in virulence and transmission evolution from different angles, which entail different advantages and potential biases. We suggest improvements to how to investigate virulence-transmission relationships, through conceptual and methodological developments and taking environmental context into consideration. By combining developments in life-history evolution, phylogenetics, adaptive dynamics and comparative genomics, we can improve our understanding of virulence-transmission relationships across a diversity of host-parasite systems that have eluded experimental study of parasite life history.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wendy C. Turner
- US Geological Survey, Wisconsin Cooperative Wildlife Research Unit, Department of Forest and Wildlife Ecology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53706, USA
| | - Pauline L. Kamath
- School of Food and Agriculture, University of Maine, Orono, ME 04469, USA
| | - Henriette van Heerden
- Faculty of Veterinary Science, Department of Veterinary Tropical Diseases, University of Pretoria, Onderstepoort, South Africa
| | - Yen-Hua Huang
- Department of Forest and Wildlife Ecology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53706, USA
| | - Zoe R. Barandongo
- Department of Forest and Wildlife Ecology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53706, USA
| | - Spencer A. Bruce
- Department of Biological Sciences, University at Albany, State University of New York, Albany, NY 12222, USA
| | - Kyrre Kausrud
- Section for Epidemiology, Norwegian Veterinary Institute, Ullevålsveien 68, 0454 Oslo, Norway
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18
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Manzulli V, Rondinone V, Buchicchio A, Serrecchia L, Cipolletta D, Fasanella A, Parisi A, Difato L, Iatarola M, Aceti A, Poppa E, Tolve F, Pace L, Petruzzi F, Rovere ID, Raele DA, Del Sambro L, Giangrossi L, Galante D. Discrimination of Bacillus cereus Group Members by MALDI-TOF Mass Spectrometry. Microorganisms 2021; 9:microorganisms9061202. [PMID: 34199368 PMCID: PMC8228078 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms9061202] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2021] [Revised: 05/29/2021] [Accepted: 05/30/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Matrix-Assisted Laser Desorption/Ionization Time Of Flight Mass Spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS) technology is currently increasingly used in diagnostic laboratories as a cost effective, rapid and reliable routine technique for the identification and typing of microorganisms. In this study, we used MALDI-TOF MS to analyze a collection of 160 strains belonging to the Bacillus cereus group (57 B. anthracis, 49 B. cereus, 1 B. mycoides, 18 B. wiedmannii, 27 B. thuringiensis, 7 B. toyonensis and 1 B. weihenstephanensis) and to detect specific biomarkers which would allow an unequivocal identification. The Main Spectra Profiles (MSPs) were added to an in-house reference library, expanding the current commercial library which does not include B. toyonensis and B. wiedmannii mass spectra. The obtained mass spectra were statistically compared by Principal Component Analysis (PCA) that revealed seven different clusters. Moreover, for the identification purpose, were generated dedicate algorithms for a rapid and automatic detection of characteristic ion peaks after the mass spectra acquisition. The presence of specific biomarkers can be used to differentiate strains within the B. cereus group and to make a reliable identification of Bacillus anthracis, etiologic agent of anthrax, which is the most pathogenic and feared bacterium of the group. This could offer a critical time advantage for the diagnosis and for the clinical management of human anthrax even in case of bioterror attacks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Viviana Manzulli
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale della Puglia e della Basilicata, Via Manfredonia 20, 71121 Foggia, Italy; (V.M.); (L.S.); (D.C.); (A.F.); (A.P.); (L.D.); (M.I.); (A.A.); (E.P.); (F.T.); (L.P.); (F.P.); (I.D.R.); (D.A.R.); (L.D.S.); (L.G.); (D.G.)
| | - Valeria Rondinone
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale della Puglia e della Basilicata, Via Manfredonia 20, 71121 Foggia, Italy; (V.M.); (L.S.); (D.C.); (A.F.); (A.P.); (L.D.); (M.I.); (A.A.); (E.P.); (F.T.); (L.P.); (F.P.); (I.D.R.); (D.A.R.); (L.D.S.); (L.G.); (D.G.)
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +39-0881-786330
| | - Alessandro Buchicchio
- Bruker Italia s.r.l., Daltonics Division, Strada Cluentina, 26/R, 62100 Macerata, Italy;
| | - Luigina Serrecchia
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale della Puglia e della Basilicata, Via Manfredonia 20, 71121 Foggia, Italy; (V.M.); (L.S.); (D.C.); (A.F.); (A.P.); (L.D.); (M.I.); (A.A.); (E.P.); (F.T.); (L.P.); (F.P.); (I.D.R.); (D.A.R.); (L.D.S.); (L.G.); (D.G.)
| | - Dora Cipolletta
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale della Puglia e della Basilicata, Via Manfredonia 20, 71121 Foggia, Italy; (V.M.); (L.S.); (D.C.); (A.F.); (A.P.); (L.D.); (M.I.); (A.A.); (E.P.); (F.T.); (L.P.); (F.P.); (I.D.R.); (D.A.R.); (L.D.S.); (L.G.); (D.G.)
| | - Antonio Fasanella
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale della Puglia e della Basilicata, Via Manfredonia 20, 71121 Foggia, Italy; (V.M.); (L.S.); (D.C.); (A.F.); (A.P.); (L.D.); (M.I.); (A.A.); (E.P.); (F.T.); (L.P.); (F.P.); (I.D.R.); (D.A.R.); (L.D.S.); (L.G.); (D.G.)
| | - Antonio Parisi
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale della Puglia e della Basilicata, Via Manfredonia 20, 71121 Foggia, Italy; (V.M.); (L.S.); (D.C.); (A.F.); (A.P.); (L.D.); (M.I.); (A.A.); (E.P.); (F.T.); (L.P.); (F.P.); (I.D.R.); (D.A.R.); (L.D.S.); (L.G.); (D.G.)
| | - Laura Difato
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale della Puglia e della Basilicata, Via Manfredonia 20, 71121 Foggia, Italy; (V.M.); (L.S.); (D.C.); (A.F.); (A.P.); (L.D.); (M.I.); (A.A.); (E.P.); (F.T.); (L.P.); (F.P.); (I.D.R.); (D.A.R.); (L.D.S.); (L.G.); (D.G.)
| | - Michela Iatarola
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale della Puglia e della Basilicata, Via Manfredonia 20, 71121 Foggia, Italy; (V.M.); (L.S.); (D.C.); (A.F.); (A.P.); (L.D.); (M.I.); (A.A.); (E.P.); (F.T.); (L.P.); (F.P.); (I.D.R.); (D.A.R.); (L.D.S.); (L.G.); (D.G.)
| | - Angela Aceti
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale della Puglia e della Basilicata, Via Manfredonia 20, 71121 Foggia, Italy; (V.M.); (L.S.); (D.C.); (A.F.); (A.P.); (L.D.); (M.I.); (A.A.); (E.P.); (F.T.); (L.P.); (F.P.); (I.D.R.); (D.A.R.); (L.D.S.); (L.G.); (D.G.)
| | - Elena Poppa
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale della Puglia e della Basilicata, Via Manfredonia 20, 71121 Foggia, Italy; (V.M.); (L.S.); (D.C.); (A.F.); (A.P.); (L.D.); (M.I.); (A.A.); (E.P.); (F.T.); (L.P.); (F.P.); (I.D.R.); (D.A.R.); (L.D.S.); (L.G.); (D.G.)
| | - Francesco Tolve
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale della Puglia e della Basilicata, Via Manfredonia 20, 71121 Foggia, Italy; (V.M.); (L.S.); (D.C.); (A.F.); (A.P.); (L.D.); (M.I.); (A.A.); (E.P.); (F.T.); (L.P.); (F.P.); (I.D.R.); (D.A.R.); (L.D.S.); (L.G.); (D.G.)
| | - Lorenzo Pace
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale della Puglia e della Basilicata, Via Manfredonia 20, 71121 Foggia, Italy; (V.M.); (L.S.); (D.C.); (A.F.); (A.P.); (L.D.); (M.I.); (A.A.); (E.P.); (F.T.); (L.P.); (F.P.); (I.D.R.); (D.A.R.); (L.D.S.); (L.G.); (D.G.)
| | - Fiorenza Petruzzi
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale della Puglia e della Basilicata, Via Manfredonia 20, 71121 Foggia, Italy; (V.M.); (L.S.); (D.C.); (A.F.); (A.P.); (L.D.); (M.I.); (A.A.); (E.P.); (F.T.); (L.P.); (F.P.); (I.D.R.); (D.A.R.); (L.D.S.); (L.G.); (D.G.)
| | - Ines Della Rovere
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale della Puglia e della Basilicata, Via Manfredonia 20, 71121 Foggia, Italy; (V.M.); (L.S.); (D.C.); (A.F.); (A.P.); (L.D.); (M.I.); (A.A.); (E.P.); (F.T.); (L.P.); (F.P.); (I.D.R.); (D.A.R.); (L.D.S.); (L.G.); (D.G.)
| | - Donato Antonio Raele
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale della Puglia e della Basilicata, Via Manfredonia 20, 71121 Foggia, Italy; (V.M.); (L.S.); (D.C.); (A.F.); (A.P.); (L.D.); (M.I.); (A.A.); (E.P.); (F.T.); (L.P.); (F.P.); (I.D.R.); (D.A.R.); (L.D.S.); (L.G.); (D.G.)
| | - Laura Del Sambro
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale della Puglia e della Basilicata, Via Manfredonia 20, 71121 Foggia, Italy; (V.M.); (L.S.); (D.C.); (A.F.); (A.P.); (L.D.); (M.I.); (A.A.); (E.P.); (F.T.); (L.P.); (F.P.); (I.D.R.); (D.A.R.); (L.D.S.); (L.G.); (D.G.)
| | - Luigi Giangrossi
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale della Puglia e della Basilicata, Via Manfredonia 20, 71121 Foggia, Italy; (V.M.); (L.S.); (D.C.); (A.F.); (A.P.); (L.D.); (M.I.); (A.A.); (E.P.); (F.T.); (L.P.); (F.P.); (I.D.R.); (D.A.R.); (L.D.S.); (L.G.); (D.G.)
| | - Domenico Galante
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale della Puglia e della Basilicata, Via Manfredonia 20, 71121 Foggia, Italy; (V.M.); (L.S.); (D.C.); (A.F.); (A.P.); (L.D.); (M.I.); (A.A.); (E.P.); (F.T.); (L.P.); (F.P.); (I.D.R.); (D.A.R.); (L.D.S.); (L.G.); (D.G.)
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Cerar Kišek T, Pogačnik N, Godič Torkar K. Genetic diversity and the presence of circular plasmids in Bacillus cereus isolates of clinical and environmental origin. Arch Microbiol 2021; 203:3209-3217. [PMID: 33830284 DOI: 10.1007/s00203-021-02302-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/21/2021] [Revised: 03/19/2021] [Accepted: 03/22/2021] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
The diversity of 61 Bacillus cereus strains isolated from different clinical specimens, food including raw milk and milk products, and water was evaluated. PFGE analysis could discriminate 61 distinct pulsotypes with similarity levels from 25 to 82%, which were divided into 13 clonal complexes. The similarity between clonal complexes was at least 40%. Clinical strains were divided into 10 clonal complexes, while the strains, isolated from milk, food and water were included in 9, 6 and 6 clonal complexes, respectively. Three clonal complexes were dominated by clinical isolates, while they were absent in two complexes. Bacterial isolates from food, being a probable source of alimentary toxoinfection, showed low similarity to isolates from stool specimens. The isolates from both sources were classified together in only 4 out of 13 clonal complexes. The large circular and linear plasmids with the sizes between 50 and 200 kb were detected in 24 (39.3%) and 14 (23%) B. cereus strains, respectively. Thirteen (21.3%) strains contained only one plasmid, two plasmids were found in 6 (9.8%) of strains, and three or more plasmids were obtained in 5 (8.2%) of tested strains. The plasmids were confirmed in 30.8% and 40% of isolates from clinical specimens and food and milk samples, respectively. No clear correlation between the PFGE profiles, the source as well as plasmid content among all tested strains was observed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tjaša Cerar Kišek
- Institute of Microbiology and Immunology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Nežka Pogačnik
- Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Ljubljana, Zdravstvena pot 5, 1000, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Karmen Godič Torkar
- Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Ljubljana, Zdravstvena pot 5, 1000, Ljubljana, Slovenia.
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20
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A novel anti-dipteran Bacillus thuringiensis strain: Unusual Cry toxin genes in a highly dynamic plasmid environment. Appl Environ Microbiol 2021; 87:AEM.02294-20. [PMID: 33310715 PMCID: PMC8090892 DOI: 10.1128/aem.02294-20] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Bacillus thuringiensis emerged as a major bioinsecticide on the global market. It offers a valuable alternative to chemical products classically utilized to control pest insects. Despite the efficiency of several strains and products available on the market, the scientific community is always on the lookout for novel toxins that can replace or supplement the existing products. In this study, H3, a novel B. thuringiensis strain showing mosquitocidal activity, was isolated from Lebanese soil and characterized at an in vivo, genomic and proteomic levels. H3 parasporal crystal is toxic on its own but displays an unusual killing profile with a higher LC50 than the reference B. thuringiensis serovar israelensis crystal proteins. In addition, H3 has a different toxicity order: it is more toxic to Aedes albopictus and Anopheles gambiae than to Culex pipiens Whole genome sequencing and crystal analysis revealed that H3 can produce eleven novel Cry proteins, eight of which are assembled in genes with an orf1-gap-orf2 organization, where orf2 is a potential Cry4-type crystallization domain. Moreover, pH3-180, the toxin-carrying plasmid, holds a wide repertoire of mobile genetic elements that amount to ca 22% of its size., including novel insertion sequences and class II transposable elements Two other large plasmids present in H3 carry genetic determinants for the production of many interesting molecules - such as chitinase, cellulase and bacitracin - that may add up to H3 bioactive properties. This study therefore reports a novel mosquitocidal Bacillus thuringiensis strain with unusual Cry toxin genes in a rich mobile DNA environment.IMPORTANCE Bacillus thuringiensis, a soil entomopathogenic bacteria, is at the base of many sustainable eco-friendly bio-insecticides. Hence stems the need to continually characterize insecticidal toxins. H3 is an anti-dipteran B. thuringiensis strain, isolated from Lebanese soil, whose parasporal crystal contains eleven novel Cry toxins and no Cyt toxins. In addition to its individual activity, H3 showed potential as a co-formulant with classic commercialized B. thuringiensis products, to delay the emergence of resistance and to shorten the time required for killing. On a genomic level, H3 holds three large plasmids, one of which carries the toxin-coding genes, with four occurrences of the distinct orf1-gap-orf2 organization. Moreover, this plasmid is extremely rich in mobile genetic elements, unlike its two co-residents. This highlights the important underlying evolutionary traits between toxin-carrying plasmids and the adaptation of a B. thuringiensis strain to its environment and insect host spectrum.
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Premkrishnan BNV, Heinle CE, Uchida A, Purbojati RW, Kushwaha KK, Putra A, Santhi PS, Khoo BWY, Wong A, Vettath VK, Drautz-Moses DI, Junqueira ACM, Schuster SC. The genomic characterisation and comparison of Bacillus cereus strains isolated from indoor air. Gut Pathog 2021; 13:6. [PMID: 33516253 PMCID: PMC7847026 DOI: 10.1186/s13099-021-00399-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/16/2020] [Accepted: 01/15/2021] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Bacillus cereus is ubiquitous in nature, found in environments such as soil, plants, air, and part of the insect and human gut microbiome. The ability to produce endospores and biofilms contribute to their pathogenicity, classified in two types of food poisoning: diarrheal and emetic syndromes. Here we report gap-free, whole-genome sequences of two B. cereus strains isolated from air samples and analyse their emetic and diarrheal potential. Results Genome assemblies of the B. cereus strains consist of one chromosome and seven plasmids each. The genome size of strain SGAir0260 is 6.30-Mb with 6590 predicted coding sequences (CDS) and strain SGAir0263 is 6.47-Mb with 6811 predicted CDS. Macrosynteny analysis showed 99% collinearity between the strains isolated from air and 90.2% with the reference genome. Comparative genomics with 57 complete B. cereus genomes suggests these strains from air are closely associated with strains isolated from foodborne illnesses outbreaks. Due to virulence potential of B. cereus and its reported involvement in nosocomial infections, antibiotic resistance analyses were performed and confirmed resistance to ampicillin and fosfomycin, with susceptibility to ciprofloxacin, tetracycline and vancomycin in both strains. Conclusion Phylogenetic analysis combined with detection of haemolytic (hblA, hblC, and hblD) and non-haemolytic (nheA, nheB, and nheC) enterotoxin genes in both air-isolated strains point to the diarrheic potential of the air isolates, though not emetic. Characterization of these airborne strains and investigation of their potential disease-causing genes could facilitate identification of environmental sources of contamination leading to foodborne illnesses and nosocomial infections transported by air.
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Affiliation(s)
- Balakrishnan N V Premkrishnan
- Singapore Centre for Environmental Life Sciences Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Cassie E Heinle
- Singapore Centre for Environmental Life Sciences Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Akira Uchida
- Singapore Centre for Environmental Life Sciences Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Rikky W Purbojati
- Singapore Centre for Environmental Life Sciences Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Kavita K Kushwaha
- Singapore Centre for Environmental Life Sciences Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Alexander Putra
- Singapore Centre for Environmental Life Sciences Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Puramadathil Sasi Santhi
- Singapore Centre for Environmental Life Sciences Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Benjamin W Y Khoo
- Singapore Centre for Environmental Life Sciences Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Anthony Wong
- Singapore Centre for Environmental Life Sciences Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Vineeth Kodengil Vettath
- Singapore Centre for Environmental Life Sciences Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Daniela I Drautz-Moses
- Singapore Centre for Environmental Life Sciences Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Ana Carolina M Junqueira
- Departamento de Genética, Instituto de Biologia, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
| | - Stephan C Schuster
- Singapore Centre for Environmental Life Sciences Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, Singapore.
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Kim TD, Begyn K, Khanal S, Taghlaoui F, Heyndrickx M, Rajkovic A, Devlieghere F, Michiels C, Aertsen A. Bacillus weihenstephanensis can readily evolve for increased endospore heat resistance without compromising its thermotype. Int J Food Microbiol 2021; 341:109072. [PMID: 33524880 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijfoodmicro.2021.109072] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/15/2020] [Revised: 11/21/2020] [Accepted: 01/13/2021] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Proper elimination of bacterial endospores in foods and food processing environment is challenging because of their extreme resistance to various stresses. Often, sporicidal treatments prove insufficient to eradicate the contaminating endospore population as a whole, and might therefore serve as a selection pressure for enhanced endospore resistance. In the sporeforming Bacillus cereus group, Bacillus weihenstephanensis is an important food spoilage organism and potential cereulide producing pathogen, due to its psychrotolerant growth ability at 7 °C. Although the endospores of B. weihenstephanensis are generally less heat resistant compared to their mesophilic or thermotolerant relatives, our data now show that non-emetic B. weihenstephanensis strain LMG 18989T can readily and reproducibly evolve to acquire much enhanced endospore heat resistance. In fact, one of the B. weihenstephanensis mutants from directed evolution by wet heat in this study yielded endospores displaying a > 4-fold increase in D-value at 91 °C compared to the parental strain. Moreover, these mutant endospores retained their superior heat resistance even when sporulation was performed at 10 °C. Interestingly, increased endospore heat resistance did not negatively affect the vegetative growth capacities of the evolved mutants at lower (7 °C) and upper (37 °C) growth temperature boundaries, indicating that the correlation between cardinal growth temperatures and endospore heat resistance which is observed among bacterial sporeformers is not necessarily causal.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tom Dongmin Kim
- Laboratory of Food Microbiology, Department of Microbial and Molecular Systems (M(2)S), Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Katrien Begyn
- Research Unit Food Microbiology and Food Preservation (FMFP-UGent), Department of Food Technology, Safety and Health, Part of Food2Know, Faculty Bioscience Engineering, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Sadhana Khanal
- Laboratory of Food Microbiology, Department of Microbial and Molecular Systems (M(2)S), Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Fatima Taghlaoui
- Research Unit Food Microbiology and Food Preservation (FMFP-UGent), Department of Food Technology, Safety and Health, Part of Food2Know, Faculty Bioscience Engineering, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Marc Heyndrickx
- ILVO - Flanders Research Institute for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, Technology and Food Science, Unit - Food Safety, Melle, Belgium; Department of Pathology, Bacteriology and Avian Diseases, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ghent University, Merelbeke, Belgium
| | - Andreja Rajkovic
- Research Unit Food Microbiology and Food Preservation (FMFP-UGent), Department of Food Technology, Safety and Health, Part of Food2Know, Faculty Bioscience Engineering, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Frank Devlieghere
- Research Unit Food Microbiology and Food Preservation (FMFP-UGent), Department of Food Technology, Safety and Health, Part of Food2Know, Faculty Bioscience Engineering, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium.
| | - Chris Michiels
- Laboratory of Food Microbiology, Department of Microbial and Molecular Systems (M(2)S), Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium; Leuven Food Science and Nutrition Research Centre (LFoRCe), Department of Microbial and Molecular Systems (M2S), Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Abram Aertsen
- Laboratory of Food Microbiology, Department of Microbial and Molecular Systems (M(2)S), Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.
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Tibayrenc M, Ayala FJ. Models in parasite and pathogen evolution: Genomic analysis reveals predominant clonality and progressive evolution at all evolutionary scales in parasitic protozoa, yeasts and bacteria. ADVANCES IN PARASITOLOGY 2021; 111:75-117. [PMID: 33482977 DOI: 10.1016/bs.apar.2020.12.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
The predominant clonal evolution (PCE) model of pathogenic microorganisms postulates that the impact of genetic recombination in those pathogens' natural populations is not enough to erase a persistent phylogenetic signal at all evolutionary scales from microevolution till geological times in the whole ecogeographical range of the species considered. We have tested this model with a set of representative parasitic protozoa, yeasts and bacteria in the light of the most recent genomic data. All surveyed species, including those that were considered as highly recombining, exhibit similar PCE patterns above and under the species level, from macro- to micro-evolutionary scales (Russian doll pattern), suggesting gradual evolution. To our knowledge, it is the first time that such a strong common evolutionary feature among very diverse pathogens has been evidenced. The implications of this model for basic biology and applied research are exposed. These implications include our knowledge on the pathogens' reproductive mode, their population structure, the possibility to type strain and to follow up epidemics (molecular epidemiology) and to revisit pathogens' taxonomy through a flexible use of the phylogenetic species concept (Cracraft, 1983).
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Affiliation(s)
- Michel Tibayrenc
- Maladies Infectieuses et Vecteurs Ecologie, Génétique, Evolution et Contrôle, MIVEGEC (IRD 224-CNRS 5290-UM1-UM2), Institut de recherche pour le développement, Montpellier Cedex 5, France.
| | - Francisco J Ayala
- Catedra Francisco Jose Ayala of Science, Technology, and Religion, University of Comillas, Madrid, Spain; 2 Locke Court, Irvine, CA, United States
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Rudenko N, Nagel A, Zamyatina A, Karatovskaya A, Salyamov V, Andreeva-Kovalevskaya Z, Siunov A, Kolesnikov A, Shepelyakovskaya A, Boziev K, Melnik B, Brovko F, Solonin A. A Monoclonal Antibody against the C-Terminal Domain of Bacillus cereus Hemolysin II Inhibits HlyII Cytolytic Activity. Toxins (Basel) 2020; 12:E806. [PMID: 33352744 PMCID: PMC7767301 DOI: 10.3390/toxins12120806] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2020] [Revised: 11/19/2020] [Accepted: 12/16/2020] [Indexed: 01/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Bacillus cereus is the fourth most common cause of foodborne illnesses that produces a variety of pore-forming proteins as the main pathogenic factors. B. cereus hemolysin II (HlyII), belonging to pore-forming β-barrel toxins, has a C-terminal extension of 94 amino acid residues designated as HlyIICTD. An analysis of a panel of monoclonal antibodies to the recombinant HlyIICTD protein revealed the ability of the antibody HlyIIC-20 to inhibit HlyII hemolysis. A conformational epitope recognized by HlyIIC-20 was found. by the method of peptide phage display and found that it is localized in the N-terminal part of HlyIICTD. The HlyIIC-20 interacted with a monomeric form of HlyII, thus suppressing maturation of the HlyII toxin. Protection efficiencies of various B. cereus strains against HlyII were different and depended on the epitope amino acid composition, as well as, insignificantly, on downstream amino acids. Substitution of L324P and P324L in the hemolysins ATCC14579T and B771, respectively, determined the role of leucine localized to the epitope in suppressing the hemolysis by the antibody. Pre-incubation of HlyIIC-20 with HlyII prevented the death of mice up to an equimolar ratio. A strategy of detecting and neutralizing the toxic activity of HlyII could provide a tool for monitoring and reducing B. cereus pathogenicity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Natalia Rudenko
- Pushchino Branch, Shemyakin–Ovchinnikov Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Russian Academy of Sciences, 6 Prospekt Nauki, 142290 Pushchino, Moscow Region, Russia; (A.Z.); (A.K.); (A.S.); (K.B.); (F.B.)
| | - Alexey Nagel
- FSBIS FRC Pushchino Scientific Centre of Biological Research, G.K. Skryabin Institute of Biochemistry and Physiology of Microorganisms, Russian Academy of Sciences, 5 Prospekt Nauki, 142290 Pushchino, Moscow Region, Russia; (A.N.); (V.S.); (Z.A.-K.); (A.S.); (A.K.); (A.S.)
| | - Anna Zamyatina
- Pushchino Branch, Shemyakin–Ovchinnikov Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Russian Academy of Sciences, 6 Prospekt Nauki, 142290 Pushchino, Moscow Region, Russia; (A.Z.); (A.K.); (A.S.); (K.B.); (F.B.)
- Pushchino State Institute of Natural Sciences, 3 Prospekt Nauki, 142290 Pushchino, Moscow Region, Russia
| | - Anna Karatovskaya
- Pushchino Branch, Shemyakin–Ovchinnikov Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Russian Academy of Sciences, 6 Prospekt Nauki, 142290 Pushchino, Moscow Region, Russia; (A.Z.); (A.K.); (A.S.); (K.B.); (F.B.)
| | - Vadim Salyamov
- FSBIS FRC Pushchino Scientific Centre of Biological Research, G.K. Skryabin Institute of Biochemistry and Physiology of Microorganisms, Russian Academy of Sciences, 5 Prospekt Nauki, 142290 Pushchino, Moscow Region, Russia; (A.N.); (V.S.); (Z.A.-K.); (A.S.); (A.K.); (A.S.)
| | - Zhanna Andreeva-Kovalevskaya
- FSBIS FRC Pushchino Scientific Centre of Biological Research, G.K. Skryabin Institute of Biochemistry and Physiology of Microorganisms, Russian Academy of Sciences, 5 Prospekt Nauki, 142290 Pushchino, Moscow Region, Russia; (A.N.); (V.S.); (Z.A.-K.); (A.S.); (A.K.); (A.S.)
| | - Alexander Siunov
- FSBIS FRC Pushchino Scientific Centre of Biological Research, G.K. Skryabin Institute of Biochemistry and Physiology of Microorganisms, Russian Academy of Sciences, 5 Prospekt Nauki, 142290 Pushchino, Moscow Region, Russia; (A.N.); (V.S.); (Z.A.-K.); (A.S.); (A.K.); (A.S.)
| | - Alexander Kolesnikov
- FSBIS FRC Pushchino Scientific Centre of Biological Research, G.K. Skryabin Institute of Biochemistry and Physiology of Microorganisms, Russian Academy of Sciences, 5 Prospekt Nauki, 142290 Pushchino, Moscow Region, Russia; (A.N.); (V.S.); (Z.A.-K.); (A.S.); (A.K.); (A.S.)
| | - Anna Shepelyakovskaya
- Pushchino Branch, Shemyakin–Ovchinnikov Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Russian Academy of Sciences, 6 Prospekt Nauki, 142290 Pushchino, Moscow Region, Russia; (A.Z.); (A.K.); (A.S.); (K.B.); (F.B.)
| | - Khanafiy Boziev
- Pushchino Branch, Shemyakin–Ovchinnikov Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Russian Academy of Sciences, 6 Prospekt Nauki, 142290 Pushchino, Moscow Region, Russia; (A.Z.); (A.K.); (A.S.); (K.B.); (F.B.)
| | - Bogdan Melnik
- Protein Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences, 4 Prospekt Nauki, 142290 Pushchino, Moscow Region, Russia;
| | - Fedor Brovko
- Pushchino Branch, Shemyakin–Ovchinnikov Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Russian Academy of Sciences, 6 Prospekt Nauki, 142290 Pushchino, Moscow Region, Russia; (A.Z.); (A.K.); (A.S.); (K.B.); (F.B.)
| | - Alexander Solonin
- FSBIS FRC Pushchino Scientific Centre of Biological Research, G.K. Skryabin Institute of Biochemistry and Physiology of Microorganisms, Russian Academy of Sciences, 5 Prospekt Nauki, 142290 Pushchino, Moscow Region, Russia; (A.N.); (V.S.); (Z.A.-K.); (A.S.); (A.K.); (A.S.)
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Torres Manno MA, Repizo GD, Magni C, Dunlap CA, Espariz M. The assessment of leading traits in the taxonomy of the Bacillus cereus group. Antonie van Leeuwenhoek 2020; 113:2223-2242. [PMID: 33179199 DOI: 10.1007/s10482-020-01494-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2020] [Accepted: 10/23/2020] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Bacillus cereus sensu lato strains (B. cereus group) are widely distributed in nature and have received interest for decades due to their importance in insect pest management, food production and their positive and negative repercussions in human health. Consideration of practical uses such as virulence, physiology, morphology, or ill-defined features have been applied to describe and classify species of the group. However, current comparative studies have exposed inconsistencies between evolutionary relatedness and biological significance among genomospecies of the B. cereus group. Here, the combined analyses of core-based phylogeny and all versus all Average Nucleotide Identity values based on 2116 strains were conducted to update the genomospecies circumscriptions within B. cereus group. These analyses suggested the existence of 57 genomospecies, 37 of which are novel, thus indicating that the taxonomic identities of more than 39% of the analyzed strains should be revised or updated. In addition, we found that whole-genome in silico analyses were suitable to differentiate genomospecies such as B. anthracis, B. cereus and B. thuringiensis. The prevalence of toxin and virulence factors coding genes in each of the genomospecies of the B. cereus group was also examined, using phylogeny-aware methods at wide-genome scale. Remarkably, Cry and emetic toxins, commonly assumed to be associated with B. thuringiensis and emetic B. paranthracis, respectively, did not show a positive correlation with those genomospecies. On the other hand, anthrax-like toxin and capsule-biosynthesis coding genes were positively correlated with B. anthracis genomospecies, despite not being present in all strains, and with presumably non-pathogenic genomospecies. Hence, despite these features have been so far considered relevant for industrial or medical classification of related species of the B. cereus group, they were inappropriate for their circumscription. In this study, genomospecies of the group were accurately affiliated and representative strains defined, generating a rational framework that will allow comparative analysis in epidemiological or ecological studies. Based on this classification the role of specific markers such as Type VII secretion system, cytolysin, bacillolysin, and siderophores such as petrobactin were pointed out for further analysis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mariano A Torres Manno
- Laboratorio de Biotecnología e Inocuidad de los Alimentos, Facultad de Ciencias Bioquímicas y Farmacéuticas, Universidad Nacional de Rosario, Municipalidad de Granadero Baigorria, Sede Suipacha 590, Rosario, Santa Fe, Argentina
- Laboratorio de Fisiología y Genética de Bacterias Lácticas, Instituto de Biología Molecular y Celular de Rosario (IBR - CONICET), sede FCByF - UNR, Rosario, Santa Fe, Argentina
- Área Estadística y Procesamiento de Datos, Departamento de Matemática y Estadística, Facultad de Ciencias Bioquímicas y Farmacéuticas, Universidad Nacional de Rosario, Rosario, Argentina
| | - Guillermo D Repizo
- Departamento de Microbiología, Facultad de Ciencias Bioquímicas y Farmacéuticas, Universidad Nacional de Rosario (UNR), Rosario, Argentina
- Laboratorio de Resistencia bacteriana a antimicrobianos, Instituto de Biología Molecular y Celular de Rosario (IBR), sede FCByF - UNR, Rosario, Santa Fe, Argentina
| | - Christian Magni
- Laboratorio de Biotecnología e Inocuidad de los Alimentos, Facultad de Ciencias Bioquímicas y Farmacéuticas, Universidad Nacional de Rosario, Municipalidad de Granadero Baigorria, Sede Suipacha 590, Rosario, Santa Fe, Argentina
- Laboratorio de Fisiología y Genética de Bacterias Lácticas, Instituto de Biología Molecular y Celular de Rosario (IBR - CONICET), sede FCByF - UNR, Rosario, Santa Fe, Argentina
| | - Christopher A Dunlap
- United States Department of Agriculture, Crop Bioprotection Research Unit, National Center for Agricultural Utilization Research, Agricultural Research Service, 1815 North University Street, Peoria, IL, 61604, USA
| | - Martín Espariz
- Laboratorio de Biotecnología e Inocuidad de los Alimentos, Facultad de Ciencias Bioquímicas y Farmacéuticas, Universidad Nacional de Rosario, Municipalidad de Granadero Baigorria, Sede Suipacha 590, Rosario, Santa Fe, Argentina.
- Laboratorio de Fisiología y Genética de Bacterias Lácticas, Instituto de Biología Molecular y Celular de Rosario (IBR - CONICET), sede FCByF - UNR, Rosario, Santa Fe, Argentina.
- Área Estadística y Procesamiento de Datos, Departamento de Matemática y Estadística, Facultad de Ciencias Bioquímicas y Farmacéuticas, Universidad Nacional de Rosario, Rosario, Argentina.
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Huang Y, Flint SH, Palmer JS. Bacillus cereus spores and toxins – The potential role of biofilms. Food Microbiol 2020; 90:103493. [DOI: 10.1016/j.fm.2020.103493] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/09/2019] [Revised: 03/18/2020] [Accepted: 03/20/2020] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
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Rapid Microscopic Detection of Bacillus anthracis by Fluorescent Receptor Binding Proteins of Bacteriophages. Microorganisms 2020; 8:microorganisms8060934. [PMID: 32575866 PMCID: PMC7356292 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms8060934] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/29/2020] [Revised: 06/18/2020] [Accepted: 06/19/2020] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Bacillus anthracis, the etiological agent of anthrax disease, is typically diagnosed by immunological and molecular methods such as polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Alternatively, mass spectrometry techniques may aid in confirming the presence of the pathogen or its toxins. However, because of the close genetic relationship between B. anthracis and other members of the Bacillus cereus sensu lato group (such as Bacillus cereus or Bacillus thuringiensis) mis- or questionable identification occurs frequently. Also, bacteriophages such as phage gamma (which is highly specific for B. anthracis) have been in use for anthrax diagnostics for many decades. Here we employed host cell-specific receptor binding proteins (RBP) of (pro)-phages, also known as tail or head fibers, to develop a microscopy-based approach for the facile, rapid and unambiguous detection of B. anthracis cells. For this, the genes of (putative) RBP from Bacillus phages gamma, Wip1, AP50c and from lambdoid prophage 03 located on the chromosome of B. anthracis were selected. Respective phage genes were heterologously expressed in Escherichia coli and purified as fusions with fluorescent proteins. B. anthracis cells incubated with either of the reporter fusion proteins were successfully surface-labeled. Binding specificity was confirmed as RBP fusion proteins did not bind to most isolates of a panel of other B. cereus s.l. species or to more distantly related bacteria. Remarkably, RBP fusions detected encapsulated B. anthracis cells, thus RBP were able to penetrate the poly-γ-d-glutamate capsule of B. anthracis. From these results we anticipate this RBP-reporter assay may be useful for rapid confirmative identification of B. anthracis.
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Phylogenetic Analysis of Bacillus cereus sensu lato Isolates from Commercial Bee Pollen Using tRNA Cys-PCR. Microorganisms 2020; 8:microorganisms8040524. [PMID: 32268545 PMCID: PMC7232370 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms8040524] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2020] [Revised: 03/25/2020] [Accepted: 04/03/2020] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Endospore-forming bacteria related to the Bacillus cereus group produce toxins that cause illnesses in organisms from invertebrates to mammals, including foodborne illnesses in humans. As commercial bee pollen can be contaminated with these bacteria, a comprehensive microbiological risk assessment of commercial bee pollen must be incorporated into the relevant regulatory requirements, including those that apply in Mexico. To facilitate detection of members of this group of bacteria, we have developed a PCR strategy that is based on the amplification of the single-copy tRNACys gene and specific genes associated with tRNACys to detect Bacillus cereus sensu lato (B. cereus s.l.). This tRNACys-PCR-based approach was used to examine commercial bee pollen for endospore-forming bacteria. Our analysis revealed that 3% of the endospore-forming colonies isolated from a commercial source of bee pollen were related to B. cereus s.l., and this result was corroborated by phylogenetic analysis, bacterial identification via MALDI-TOF MS, and detection of enterotoxin genes encoding the HBL and NHE complexes. The results show that the isolated colonies are closely related phylogenetically to B. cereus, B. thuringiensis, and B. bombysepticus. Our results indicate that the tRNACys-PCR, combined with other molecular tools, will be a useful approach for identifying B. cereus s.l. and will assist in controlling the spread of potential pathogens.
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Baek I, Lee K, Goodfellow M, Chun J. Comparative Genomic and Phylogenomic Analyses Clarify Relationships Within and Between Bacillus cereus and Bacillus thuringiensis: Proposal for the Recognition of Two Bacillus thuringiensis Genomovars. Front Microbiol 2019; 10:1978. [PMID: 31507580 PMCID: PMC6716467 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2019.01978] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/16/2019] [Accepted: 08/12/2019] [Indexed: 01/03/2023] Open
Abstract
The present study was designed to clarify the taxonomic status of two species classified as Bacillus cereus sensu lato, namely B. cereus sensu stricto and Bacillus thuringiensis. To this end, nearly 900 whole genome sequences of strains assigned to these taxa were the subject of comparative genomic and phylogenomic analyses. A phylogenomic tree based on core gene sequences showed that the type strains of B. cereus and B. thuringiensis formed a well-supported monophyletic clade that was clearly separated from corresponding clades composed of the remaining validly published species classified as B. cereus sensu lato. However, since average nucleotide identity and digital DNA-DNA hybridization similarities between the two types of Bacillus were slightly higher than the thresholds used to distinguish between closely related species we conclude that B. cereus and B. thuringiensis should continue to be recognized as validly published species. The B. thuringiensis strains were assigned to two genomically distinct groups, we propose that these taxa be recognized as genomovars, that is, as B. thuringiensis gv. thuringiensis and B. thuringiensis gv. cytolyticus. The extensive comparative genomic data clearly show that the distribution of pesticidal genes is irregular as strains identified as B. thuringiensis were assigned to several polyphyletic groups/subclades within the B. cereus-B. thuringiensis clade. Consequently, we recommend that genomic or equivalent molecular systematic features should be used to identify B. thuringiensis strains as the presence of pesticidal genes cannot be used as a diagnostic marker for this species. Comparative taxonomic studies are needed to find phenotypic properties that can be used to distinguish between the B. thuringiensis genomovars and between them and B. cereus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Inwoo Baek
- School of Biological Sciences, Seoul National University, Seoul, South Korea
- Institute of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Seoul National University, Seoul, South Korea
| | - Kihyun Lee
- Department of Systems Biotechnology, Chung-Ang University, Anseong, South Korea
| | - Michael Goodfellow
- School of Natural and Environmental Sciences, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom
| | - Jongsik Chun
- School of Biological Sciences, Seoul National University, Seoul, South Korea
- Institute of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Seoul National University, Seoul, South Korea
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Zhuang K, Li H, Zhang Z, Wu S, Zhang Y, Fox EM, Man C, Jiang Y. Typing and evaluating heat resistance of Bacillus cereus sensu stricto isolated from the processing environment of powdered infant formula. J Dairy Sci 2019; 102:7781-7793. [PMID: 31255274 DOI: 10.3168/jds.2019-16392] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2019] [Accepted: 05/13/2019] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Bacillus cereus sensu lato is one of the most harmful bacterial groups affecting the quality and safety of powdered infant formula (PIF). In this study, samples were collected from the raw materials and processing environments of PIF. A total of 84 isolates were identified as Bacillus cereus sensu stricto (B. cereus s. s.) by 16S rRNA analysis, molecular typing technology, and physiological and biochemical tests. The 84 B. cereus s. s. strains were assigned to panC group II, group III, and group IV. Then, the 7 housekeeping genes glpF, gmk, ilvD, pta, pur, pycA, and tpi were selected for multilocus sequence typing. Results showed that the 84 isolates were clustered into 24 sequence types (ST), and 14 novel ST were detected. Among the 24 ST, ST999 (19/84, 22.62%) and ST1343 (13/84, 15.48%) predominated. The correlation between processing areas and ST showed that the processing environments of the production and packing areas were the most susceptible to contamination by B. cereus s. s. Spores of these ST showed different heat resistance phenotypes evaluated by the analysis of DT (time in minutes of spore decimal reduction at each temperature) and Z values (temperature increase required to reduce the DT value to one-tenth of the original). Spores from group III according to panC gene analysis were the most heat resistant. These findings will help us to better understand B. cereus s. s. contamination and control in PIF processing environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kejin Zhuang
- Key Laboratory of Dairy Science, Ministry of Education, Department of Food Science, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin, 150030, China
| | - Hongfu Li
- Key Laboratory of Dairy Science, Ministry of Education, Department of Food Science, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin, 150030, China
| | - Ziwei Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Dairy Science, Ministry of Education, Department of Food Science, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin, 150030, China
| | - Shuang Wu
- Key Laboratory of Dairy Science, Ministry of Education, Department of Food Science, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin, 150030, China
| | - Yashuo Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Dairy Science, Ministry of Education, Department of Food Science, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin, 150030, China
| | - Edward M Fox
- Department of Applied Sciences, Northumbria University, Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom NE 98; CSIRO Agriculture and Food, Werribee, VIC 3030, Australia
| | - Chaoxin Man
- Key Laboratory of Dairy Science, Ministry of Education, Department of Food Science, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin, 150030, China.
| | - Yujun Jiang
- Key Laboratory of Dairy Science, Ministry of Education, Department of Food Science, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin, 150030, China.
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Fayad N, Kallassy Awad M, Mahillon J. Diversity of Bacillus cereus sensu lato mobilome. BMC Genomics 2019; 20:436. [PMID: 31142281 PMCID: PMC6542083 DOI: 10.1186/s12864-019-5764-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/31/2018] [Accepted: 05/03/2019] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Bacillus cereus sensu lato s.l.) is a group of bacteria displaying close phylogenetic relationships but a high ecological diversity. The three most studied species are Bacillus anthracis, Bacillus cereus sensu stricto and Bacillus thuringiensis. While some species are pathogenic to mammals or associated with food poisoning, Bacillus thuringiensis is a well-known entomopathogenic bacterium used as biopesticide worldwide. B. cereus s.l. also contains a large variety of mobile genetic elements (MGEs). RESULTS In this study, we detail the occurrence and plasmid vs. chromosome distribution of several MGEs in 102 complete and annotated genomes of B. cereus s.l. These MGEs include 16 Insertion Sequence (IS) families, the Tn3 family, 18 different Bacillus cereus repeats (BCRs) and 30 known group II introns. CONCLUSIONS Our analysis not only shows the diversity of these MGEs among strains of the same species and between different species within the B. cereus s.l. group, but also highlights the potential impact of these elements on the plasticity of the plasmid pool, and the TEs (Transposable Elements) - species relationship within B. cereus s.l.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nancy Fayad
- Laboratory of Food and Environmental Microbiology, Earth and Life Institute, UCLouvain, Croix du Sud, 2 - L7.05.12, B-1348, Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium
- Laboratory of Biodiversity and Functional Genomics, Faculty of Science, Université Saint-Joseph de Beyrouth, Beirut, Lebanon
| | - Mireille Kallassy Awad
- Laboratory of Biodiversity and Functional Genomics, Faculty of Science, Université Saint-Joseph de Beyrouth, Beirut, Lebanon
| | - Jacques Mahillon
- Laboratory of Food and Environmental Microbiology, Earth and Life Institute, UCLouvain, Croix du Sud, 2 - L7.05.12, B-1348, Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium.
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Buisson C, Gohar M, Huillet E, Nielsen-LeRoux C. Bacillus thuringiensis Spores and Vegetative Bacteria: Infection Capacity and Role of the Virulence Regulon PlcR Following Intrahaemocoel Injection of Galleria mellonella. INSECTS 2019; 10:insects10050129. [PMID: 31060274 PMCID: PMC6571593 DOI: 10.3390/insects10050129] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/19/2019] [Revised: 04/19/2019] [Accepted: 04/30/2019] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Bacillus thuringiensis is an invertebrate pathogen that produces insecticidal crystal toxins acting on the intestinal barrier. In the Galleria mellonella larvae infection model, toxins from the PlcR virulence regulon contribute to pathogenicity by the oral route. While B. thuringiensis is principally an oral pathogen, bacteria may also reach the insect haemocoel following injury of the cuticle. Here, we address the question of spore virulence as compared to vegetative cells when the wild-type Bt407cry- strain and its isogenic ∆plcR mutant are inoculated directly into G. mellonella haemocoel. Mortality dose-response curves were constructed at 25 and 37 °C using spores or vegetative cell inocula, and the 50% lethal dose (LD50) in all infection conditions was determined after 48 h of infection. Our findings show that (i) the LD50 is lower for spores than for vegetative cells for both strains, while the temperature has no significant influence, and (ii) the ∆plcR mutant is four to six times less virulent than the wild-type strain in all infection conditions. Our results suggest that the environmental resistant spores are the most infecting form in haemocoel and that the PlcR virulence regulon plays an important role in toxicity when reaching the haemocoel from the cuticle and not only following ingestion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christophe Buisson
- Micalis Institute, INRA, AgroParisTech, Université Paris-Saclay, 78350 Jouy-en-Josas, France.
| | - Michel Gohar
- Micalis Institute, INRA, AgroParisTech, Université Paris-Saclay, 78350 Jouy-en-Josas, France.
| | - Eugénie Huillet
- Micalis Institute, INRA, AgroParisTech, Université Paris-Saclay, 78350 Jouy-en-Josas, France.
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Chelliah R, Wei S, Park BJ, Rubab M, Banan-Mwine Dalirii E, Barathikannan K, Jin YG, Oh DH. Whole genome sequence of Bacillus thuringiensis ATCC 10792 and improved discrimination of Bacillus thuringiensis from Bacillus cereus group based on novel biomarkers. Microb Pathog 2019; 129:284-297. [DOI: 10.1016/j.micpath.2019.02.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/26/2018] [Revised: 02/08/2019] [Accepted: 02/08/2019] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
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Rossi GAM, Aguilar CEG, Silva HO, Vidal AMC. Bacillus cereus group: genetic aspects related to food safety and dairy processing. ARQUIVOS DO INSTITUTO BIOLÓGICO 2018. [DOI: 10.1590/1808-1657000232017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/19/2023] Open
Abstract
ABSTRACT: Bacillus cereus group includes not pathogenic and high pathogenic species. They are considered as a risk to public health due to foodborne diseases and as an important cause of economic losses to industries due to production of spoilage enzymes. Some researches have been performed in order to assess the possible factors that contribute to put public health into risk because of consumption of food contaminated with viable cells or toxins which have complex mechanisms of production. The control of these bacteria in food is difficult because they are resistant to several processes used in industries. Thus, in this way, this review focused on highlighting the risk due to toxins production by bacteria from B. cereus group in food and the consequences for food safety and dairy industries.
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Porcellato D, Aspholm M, Skeie SB, Mellegård H. Application of a novel amplicon-based sequencing approach reveals the diversity of the Bacillus cereus group in stored raw and pasteurized milk. Food Microbiol 2018; 81:32-39. [PMID: 30910086 DOI: 10.1016/j.fm.2018.01.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/25/2017] [Revised: 12/20/2017] [Accepted: 01/15/2018] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Members of the Bacillus cereus sensu lato (B. cereus group) are spore-forming organisms commonly associated with spoilage of milk and dairy products. Previous studies have shown, by using 16S marker gene sequencing, that the genus Bacillus is part of the core microbiota of raw bovine milk and that some members of this genus are able to grow during sub-optimal storage (8 °C) of pasteurized consumption milk. Here, the composition of this genus in pasteurized consumption milk samples, collected from two dairies, over a one-year period and stored at 4 or 8 °C up to the end of shelf life is uncovered. Our results show that the B. cereus group is the dominant Bacillus group in stored consumption milk. By applying a new marker gene sequencing approach, several dominating phylogenetic clusters were identified within the B. cereus group populations from the milk samples. There was a higher phylogenetic diversity among bacteria from milk stored at 8 °C compared to milk stored at 4 °C. Sampling period and the dairy the samples were collected from, also significantly influenced the diversity, which shows that the B. cereus group population in consumption milk is heterogeneous and subjected to temporal and spatial changes. The new approach applied in this study will facilitate the identification of isolates within the B. cereus group, of which some are potential spoilage bacteria and pathogenic contaminants of milk and dairy products.
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Affiliation(s)
- Davide Porcellato
- Faculty of Chemistry, Biotechnology and Food Science, The Norwegian University of Life Sciences, P.O. Box 5003, N-1432 Ås, Norway.
| | - Marina Aspholm
- Department of Food Safety and Infection Biology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, The Norwegian University of Life Sciences, P.O. Box 5003, N-1432 Ås, Norway
| | - Siv Borghild Skeie
- Faculty of Chemistry, Biotechnology and Food Science, The Norwegian University of Life Sciences, P.O. Box 5003, N-1432 Ås, Norway
| | - Hilde Mellegård
- Department of Food Safety and Infection Biology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, The Norwegian University of Life Sciences, P.O. Box 5003, N-1432 Ås, Norway
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Franzoi M, van Heuvel Y, Thomann S, Schürch N, Kallio PT, Venier P, Essig A. Structural Insights into the Mode of Action of the Peptide Antibiotic Copsin. Biochemistry 2017; 56:4992-5001. [PMID: 28825809 DOI: 10.1021/acs.biochem.7b00697] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Defensins make up a class of cysteine-rich antimicrobial peptides, expressed by virtually all eukaryotes as part of their innate immune response. Because of their unique mode of action and rapid killing of pathogenic microbes, defensins are considered promising alternatives to clinically applied antibiotics. Copsin is a defensin-like peptide, previously identified in the mushroom Coprinopsis cinerea. It exerts its activity against a range of Gram-positive bacteria by binding to the peptidoglycan precursor lipid II and prevention of proper cell wall formation. In this study, we present a new workflow for the generation, production, and activity-driven selection of copsin derivatives, based on their expression in Pichia pastoris. One hundred fifty-two single-amino acid mutants and combinations thereof allowed the identification of k-copsin, a peptide variant exhibiting significantly enhanced activity against Bacillus subtilis and Staphylococcus aureus. Furthermore, we performed in silico characterizations of membrane interactions of copsin and k-copsin, in the presence and absence of lipid II. The molecular dynamics data highlighted a high variability in lipid II binding, with a preference for the MurNAc moiety with 47 and 35% of the total contacts for copsin and k-copsin, respectively. Mutated amino acids were located in loop regions of k-copsin and shown to be crucial in the perturbation of the bacterial membrane. These structural studies provide a better understanding of how defensins can be developed toward antibacterial therapies less prone to resistance issues.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marco Franzoi
- Department of Biology, University of Padova , Via Ugo Bassi 58/B, Padova 35131, Italy
| | - Yasemin van Heuvel
- Institute of Microbiology, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology, ETH Zurich , CH-8093 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Susanne Thomann
- Biology Division, Spiez Laboratory, Federal Office for Civil Protection , CH-3700 Spiez, Switzerland
| | - Nadia Schürch
- Biology Division, Spiez Laboratory, Federal Office for Civil Protection , CH-3700 Spiez, Switzerland
| | - Pauli T Kallio
- Institute of Microbiology, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology, ETH Zurich , CH-8093 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Paola Venier
- Department of Biology, University of Padova , Via Ugo Bassi 58/B, Padova 35131, Italy
| | - Andreas Essig
- Institute of Microbiology, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology, ETH Zurich , CH-8093 Zurich, Switzerland
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Broussolle V, Carlin F, Lereclus D, Nielsen-LeRoux C, Sanchis V. Beneficial and detrimental spore-formers: a world of diversity. Res Microbiol 2016; 168:307-308. [PMID: 27965152 DOI: 10.1016/j.resmic.2016.11.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/28/2016] [Accepted: 11/29/2016] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Véronique Broussolle
- INRA, UMR408 Sécurité et Qualité des Produits d'Origine Végétale, F-84000 Avignon, France
| | - Frédéric Carlin
- INRA, UMR408 Sécurité et Qualité des Produits d'Origine Végétale, F-84000 Avignon, France
| | - Didier Lereclus
- Micalis Institute, INRA, AgroParisTech, Université Paris-Saclay, 78350 Jouy-en-Josas, France.
| | | | - Vincent Sanchis
- Micalis Institute, INRA, AgroParisTech, Université Paris-Saclay, 78350 Jouy-en-Josas, France
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