Community structure,spatial distribution,diversity and functional characterization of culturable endophytic fungi associated with Glycyrrhiza glabra L.

A total of 266 endophytic fungal isolates were recovered from 1019 tissue segments of Glycyrrhiza glabra collected from four different locations in the North-Western Himalayas. The endophytes grouped into 21 genera and 38 different taxa. The host had strong affinity for the genus Phoma, followed by Fusarium. The species richness was highest at the sub-tropical location, followed by the sub-temperate location and the temperate locations, respectively. The tissue specificity of endophytes was also evident. Some endophytes showed potential antimicrobial activity against phyto-pathogens indicating that they may be helpful to the host in evading pathogens. All the endophytic taxa produced the plant growth promoting hormone, indole acetic acid (IAA), though in varying concentrations. None of these endophytes caused any symptoms of disease in co-cultivation with the tissue cultured plants. Further, all the endophytes had a positive influence on the phenolic and flavonoid content of the host. Three endophytes, Stagonosporopsis cucurbitacearum, Bionectria sp. and Aspergillus terreus also increased the host root (rhizome) and shoot growth visibly. Such endophytes are potential candidates for developing endophyte-based technologies for sustainable cultivation and enhanced productivity of G. glabra. This is the first report of community structure and biological properties of fungal endophytes associated with G. glabra.     

Biodeterioration of crude oil and oil derived products: a review

Biodeterioration of crude oil and oil fuels is a serious economic and an environmental problem all over the world. It is impossible to prevent penetration of microorganisms in oil and fuels both stored in tanks or in oilfields after drilling. Both aerobic and anaerobic microorganisms tend to colonise oil pipelines and oil and fuel storage installations. Complex microbial communities consisting of both hydrocarbon oxidizing microorganisms and bacteria using the metabolites of the former form an ecological niche where they thrive. The accumulation of water at the bottom of storage tanks and in oil pipelines is a primary prerequisite for development of microorganisms in fuels and oil and their subsequent biological fouling. Ability of microorganisms to grow both in a water phase and on inter-phase of water/hydrocarbon as well as the generation of products of their metabolism worsen the physical and chemical properties of oils and fuels. This activity also increases the amount of suspended solids, leads to the formation of slimes and creates a variety of operational problems. Nowadays various test-systems are utilized for microbial monitoring in crude oils and fuels; thus allowing an express determination of both the species and the quantities of microorganisms present. To suppress microbial growth in oils and fuels, both physico-mechanical and chemical methods are applied. Among chemical methods, the preference is given to substances such as biocides, additives, the anti-freezing agents etc that do not deteriorate the quality of oil and fuels and are environmentally friendly. This review is devoted to the analysis of the present knowledge in the field of microbial fouling of crude oils and oil products. The methods utilized for monitoring of microbial contamination and prevention of their undesirable activities are also evaluated. The special focus is given to Russian scientific literature devoted to crude oil and oil products biodeterioration.     

微生物谷氨酰胺转胺酶对大鼠创伤愈合作用的实验研究

本文研究了微生物谷氨酰胺转胺酶对大鼠创伤的促愈合作用。建立大鼠背部刀割伤模型,用创面照像、透明膜描记扫描记录伤后第5、10、15、20 天创面面积,计算创伤愈合率;并用注水法测量伤腔容积,同时观测肉芽组织再生及其总蛋白、氨基已糖和己糖醛酸的含量变化情况。结果实验组创面愈合时间平均为18.1天,较对照组平均缩短了2-3天(P<0.05);创伤愈合率显著提高(P<0.05或P<0.01);伤腔容积明显缩小(P<0.05);实验组肉芽干湿重较对照组显著增加(P<0.05),肉芽中蛋白质、氨基已糖和己糖醛酸含量增加显著(P<0.05)。结果显示谷氨酰胺转胺酶具有促进大鼠皮肤创伤愈合的作用,其作用机理可能是促进肉芽组织中蛋白质,氨基多糖和胶原的合成有关。     

Resource-allocation constraint governs structure and function of microbial communities in metabolic modeling

Predictive modeling tools for assessing microbial communities are important for realizing transformative capabilities of microbiomes in agriculture, ecology, and medicine. Constraint-based community-scale metabolic modeling is unique in its potential for making mechanistic predictions regarding both the structure and function of microbial communities. However, accessing this potential requires an understanding of key physicochemical constraints, which are typically considered on a per-species basis. What is needed is a means of incorporating global constraints relevant to microbial ecology into community models. Resource-allocation constraint, which describes how limited resources should be distributed to different cellular processes, sets limits on the efficiency of metabolic and ecological processes. In this study, we investigate the implications of resource-allocation constraints in community-scale metabolic modeling through a simple mechanism-agnostic implementation of resource-allocation constraints directly at the flux level. By systematically performing single-, two-, and multi-species growth simulations, we show that resource-allocation constraints are indispensable for predicting the structure and function of microbial communities. Our findings call for a scalable workflow for implementing a mechanistic version of resource-allocation constraints to ultimately harness the full potential of community-scale metabolic modeling tools.     

Organic waste conversion through anaerobic digestion: A critical insight into the metabolic pathways and microbial interactions

Anaerobic digestion is a promising method for energy recovery through conversion of organic waste to biogas and other industrial valuables. However, to tap the full potential of anaerobic digestion, deciphering the microbial metabolic pathway activities and their underlying bioenergetics is required. In addition, the behavior of organisms in consortia along with the analytical abilities to kinetically measure their metabolic interactions will allow rational optimization of the process. This review aims to explore the metabolic bottlenecks of the microbial communities adopting latest advances of profiling and ¹³C tracer-based analysis using state of the art analytical platforms (GC, GC-MS, LC-MS, NMR). The review summarizes the phases of anaerobic digestion, the role of microbial communities, key process parameters of significance, syntrophic microbial interactions and the bottlenecks that are critical for optimal bioenergetics and enhanced production of valuables. Considerations into the designing of efficient synthetic microbial communities as well as the latest advances in capturing their metabolic cross talk will be highlighted. The review further explores how the presence of additives and inhibiting factors affect the metabolic pathways. The critical insight into the reaction mechanism covered in this review may be helpful to optimize and upgrade the anaerobic digestion system.     

基于多Agent仿真解析处理剩余污泥的微生物电解池种群互作关系

【背景】微生物电化学系统耦合了电化学反应和厌氧消化过程,在处理剩余污泥同时实现能源回收,成为具有应用前景的技术之一。揭示电活性生物膜和活性污泥种群互作机制,有助于进一步调控和强化系统性能。高通量核酸测序技术研究微生物群落具有投入大、耗时长和不可预测的缺点,开展微生物群落动态仿真可以更有效地预测群落结构与功能。【目的】研究厌氧消化和生物电化学系统的微生物种间热力学与动力学的演化规律。在考虑电子供体、电子受体、温度、pH值等生态条件下,分析底物的电子流向及微生物群落结构的动态变化。【方法】通过对剩余污泥处理的微生物电解池(Microbial electrolytic cell,MEC)建立一个多Agent仿真(Multi-agent-based simulation,MAS)模型,评估MEC对底物氧化电子转移的能量效率和传质效率,模拟微生物群落结构实时变化,同时耦合动力学和热力学分析;揭示影响MES运行的电子流向决定性因素及相应的微生物种群,为复杂污染物生物处理系统中种间互作和动力学研究提供基础依据。【结果】通过MAS模拟,确定MEC污泥处理工艺的最佳能量传递效率与传质效率为η=0.2,ε=0.5,MAS结合热力学与动力学参数模拟微生物的群落动态与实验组有较高的吻合性。在长期的运行中,微生物电化学系统中丙酮酸没有积累。【结论】证实了MAS结合热力学与动力学参数可以预测微生物的群落动态,并进行实时监测。研究表明多Agent仿真为微生物群落结构动态变化提供了一种新的研究方法,该方法与高通量核酸测序技术进行校验和联用,为人工和自然生态系统中微生物种群预测与评估研究提供一个新的手段。     

一株蟾毒灵转化菌株的筛选鉴定与转化条件优化

【背景】微生物转化是对天然产物进行结构修饰的重要手段,具有催化反应快、选择性强、反应条件易控制和污染小等特点。许多微生物能够对蟾毒配基类化合物进行生物转化,在不同位置进行结构修饰,并且产生毒性减弱的活性衍生物。【目的】筛选蟾毒灵生物转化菌株,以期发现活性更好、毒性降低的化合物。【方法】利用蟾毒灵为底物筛选其生物转化菌株,通过HPLC (High performance liquid chromatography)/LC-MS (Liquid chromatograph-mass spectrometer)鉴定转化产物;对可生物转化蟾毒灵的菌株进行菌落形态观察和分子生物学鉴定,并优化发酵条件提高转化率,同时测试该菌株对其他甾体化合物的转化作用。【结果】筛选获得一株蟾毒灵转化菌,经形态学与ITS (Internal transcribed spacer)分析鉴定为Naganishia属菌,转化产物为3-去氢蟾毒灵。该菌株生物转化的培养基最适底物浓度为8 mg/L,最适初始pH值为6.5,最佳接种量为3%,最佳转化时间为96 h,最终转化率为48.3%。该菌株可将雌酮E1转化为雌二醇E2,也可将雌二醇E2逆向转化为E1。【结论】首次发现Naganishia属菌株对甾体类化合物具有转化活性,其产生的弱细胞毒性的转化产物3-去氢蟾毒灵有望成为高效、安全的强心药物。微生物转化法选择性高、反应条件温和、操作简单,为大量制备活性化合物3-去氢蟾毒灵提供了一条简便易行的道路,也为更多甾体化合物结构修饰提供了可能。     

活性污泥微生物组：去除污浊，只留清淡

活性污泥法诞生一百多年来,在污水处理特别是城市污水处理中发挥了不可替代的作用。活性污泥微生物是去除污染物包括新型有机和无机污染物的关键角色,活性污泥微生物组为微生物分离培养、功能鉴定和生态互作等方面的研究带来新的活力。     

含氟有机废水处理过程活性污泥微生物群落研究进展

随着有机氟化物在各领域的广泛应用,含氟有机废水处理面临巨大挑战。活性污泥作为有机废水处理的核心技术之一,微生物在其中发挥着极其重要的作用。本综述首先聚焦在活性污泥微生物群落多样性、组成、结构和功能及其与含氟废水类型、处理工艺和处理效率之间的关系,进而讨论了功能微生物降解/转化有机氟化物的途径和作用机制,最后展望了结合分离培养降解有机氟化物的关键微生物,以及微生物组学技术解析活性污泥微生物群落构建、互作、代谢等核心问题,以提高对含氟有机废水微生物降解机理的认识,优化含氟有机废水处理工艺。     

种植体周围炎生物膜的微生物群落多样性研究进展

种植体周围炎是发生在骨性结合种植体周围组织的炎症,是由微生物引发的感染性疾病,可引起种植体周围支持组织丧失而导致种植失败。阐明种植体周围炎生物膜的微生物学基础,可为制定相应防治策略提供理论依据。随着测序技术的发展,基于16S rRNA基因的测序分析技术逐渐应用于与口腔种植体相关的微生物学研究,使人们对种植体周围炎生物膜的微生物群落多样性有了更全面的了解,也进一步认识到种植体周围炎和牙周炎菌斑生物膜的微生物结构存在显著差别。本文根据基于16S rRN基因A序列分析技术的最新研究成果,对种植体周围炎菌斑生物膜的微生物学研究进展作一综述。