From cactus to crop: genomic insights of a beneficial and non-pathogenic Curtobacterium flaccumfaciens strain and the evolution of its pathosystem.

With the advent of advanced sequencing technologies, new insights into the genomes of pathogens, including those in the genus Curtobacterium, have emerged. This research investigates a newly isolated C. flaccumfaciens strain 208 (Cf208) from Arthrocereus glaziovii, and endemic plant from Iron Quadrangle.

Diversity and potential functional role of phyllosphere-associated actinomycetota isolated from cupuassu (Theobroma grandiflorum) leaves: implications for ecosystem dynamics and plant defense strategies.

Exploring the intricate relationships between plants and their resident microorganisms is crucial not only for developing new methods to improve disease resistance and crop yields but also for understanding their co-evolutionary dynamics. Our research delves into the role of the phyllosphere-associated microbiome, especially Actinomycetota species, in enhancing pathogen resistance in Theobroma grandiflorum, or cupuassu, an agriculturally valuable Amazonian fruit tree vulnerable to witches' broom disease caused by Moniliophthora perniciosa. While breeding resistant cupuassu genotypes is a possible solution, the capacity of the Actinomycetota phylum to produce beneficial metabolites offers an alternative approach yet to be explored in this context.

Amphibian tolerance to arsenic: microbiome-mediated insights.

Amphibians are often recognized as bioindicators of healthy ecosystems. The persistence of amphibian populations in heavily contaminated environments provides an excellent opportunity to investigate rapid vertebrate adaptations to harmful contaminants. Using a combination of culture-based challenge assays and a skin permeability assay, we tested whether the skin-associated microbiota may confer adaptive tolerance to tropical amphibians in regions heavily contaminated with arsenic, thus supporting the adaptive microbiome principle and immune interactions of the amphibian mucus.

Hatchery tanks induce intense reduction in microbiota diversity associated with gills and guts of two endemic species of the São Francisco River.

The São Francisco River (SFR), one of the main Brazilian rivers, has suffered cumulative anthropogenic impacts, leading to ever-decreasing fish stocks and environmental, economic, and social consequences. and are medium-sized, bottom-feeding, and rheophilic fishes from the SFR that suffer from these actions. Both species are targeted for spawning and restocking operations due to their relevance in artisanal fisheries, commercial activities, and conservation concerns.

Photorepair of Either CPD or 6-4PP DNA Lesions in Basal Keratinocytes Attenuates Ultraviolet-Induced Skin Effects in Nucleotide Excision Repair Deficient Mice.

Ultraviolet (UV) radiation is one of the most genotoxic, universal agents present in the environment. UVB (280-315 nm) radiation directly damages DNA, producing cyclobutane pyrimidine dimers (CPDs) and pyrimidine 6-4 pyrimidone photoproducts (6-4PPs). These photolesions interfere with essential cellular processes by blocking transcription and replication polymerases, and may induce skin inflammation, hyperplasia and cell death eventually contributing to skin aging, effects mediated mainly by keratinocytes.

Transcription blockage by DNA damage in nucleotide excision repair-related neurological dysfunctions.

Human genetic syndromes deficient in nucleotide excision repair (NER), such as xeroderma pigmentosum and Cockayne syndrome, may present neurological abnormalities and premature aging symptoms. Unrepaired endogenously generated DNA damage that hampers transcription is a strong candidate that contributes to the development of these severe effects in neuronal tissue. Endogenous lesions include those generated due to byproducts of cellular metabolisms, such as reactive oxygen species.

Complete genome sequence and analysis of Alcaligenes faecalis strain Mc250, a new potential plant bioinoculant.

Here we present and analyze the complete genome of Alcaligenes faecalis strain Mc250 (Mc250), a bacterium isolated from the roots of Mimosa calodendron, an endemic plant growing in ferruginous rupestrian grasslands in Minas Gerais State, Brazil. The genome has 4,159,911 bp and 3,719 predicted protein-coding genes, in a single chromosome. Comparison of the Mc250 genome with 36 other Alcaligenes faecalis genomes revealed that there is considerable gene content variation among these strains, with the core genome representing only 39% of the protein-coding gene repertoire of Mc250.

Toxicogenetic and antiproliferative effects of chrysin in urinary bladder cancer cells.

The antitumour activity of chrysin have been studied in several types of cancer cells. In urinary bladder cancer, its cytotoxic effects have already demonstrated; however, its mechanism of action is not completely understood and the role of tumour protein p53 (TP53) gene in these effects is unclear. In this study, we investigated the role of chrysin (10, 20, 40, 60 80 and 100 µM) in progression of bladder tumour cells with different status of the TP53 gene and different degrees of tumour (RT4, grade 1, TP53 wild type; 5637, grade 2, TP53 mutated and T24, grade 3, TP53 mutated).

Cockayne Syndrome: The many challenges and approaches to understand a multifaceted disease.

The striking and complex phenotype of Cockayne syndrome (CS) patients combines progeria-like features with developmental deficits. Since the establishment of the in vitro culture of skin fibroblasts derived from patients with CS in the 1970s, significant progress has been made in the understanding of the genetic alterations associated with the disease and their impact on molecular, cellular, and organismal functions. In this review, we provide a historic perspective on the research into CS by revisiting seminal papers in this field.

Serratia liquefaciens FG3 isolated from a metallophyte plant sheds light on the evolution and mechanisms of adaptive traits in extreme environments.

Serratia liquefaciens strain FG3 (SlFG3), isolated from the flower of Stachytarpheta glabra in the Brazilian ferruginous fields, has distinctive genomic, adaptive, and biotechnological potential. Herein, using a combination of genomics and molecular approaches, we unlocked the evolution of the adaptive traits acquired by S1FG3, which exhibits the second largest chromosome containing the largest conjugative plasmids described for Serratia. Comparative analysis revealed the presence of 18 genomic islands and 311 unique protein families involved in distinct adaptive features.

Analyses of Seven New Genomes of pv. Strains, Causative Agents of Citrus Canker B and C, Show a Reduced Repertoire of Pathogenicity-Related Genes.

pv. pathotype B (XauB) and pathotype C (XauC) are the causative agents respectively of citrus canker B and C, diseases of citrus plants related to the better-known citrus canker A, caused by pv. .

XPD/ERCC2 mutations interfere in cellular responses to oxidative stress.

Nucleotide excision repair (NER) is a conserved, flexible mechanism responsible for the removal of bulky, helix-distorting DNA lesions, like ultraviolet damage or cisplatin adducts, but its role in the repair of lesions generated by oxidative stress is still not clear. The helicase XPD/ERCC2, one of the two helicases of the transcription complex IIH, together with XPB, participates both in NER and in RNA pol II-driven transcription. In this work, we investigated the responses of distinct XPD-mutated cell lines to the oxidative stress generated by photoactivated methylene blue (MB) and KBrO3 treatments.

Lycopene mitigates pulmonary emphysema induced by cigarette smoke in a murine model.

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is an inflammatory lung disease characterized by a non-fully reversible airflow limitation comprising chronic bronchitis and pulmonary emphysema both being induced by cigarette smoke (CS) exposure. Lycopene has shown antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties that can prevent acute lung inflammation and emphysema. We hypothesized that administration with lycopene would repair lung damage in emphysema caused by CS exposure.

The key role of UVA-light induced oxidative stress in human Xeroderma Pigmentosum Variant cells.

The UVA component of sunlight induces DNA damage, which are basically responsible for skin cancer formation. Xeroderma Pigmentosum Variant (XP-V) patients are defective in the DNA polymerase pol eta that promotes translesion synthesis after sunlight-induced DNA damage, implying in a clinical phenotype of increased frequency of skin cancer. However, the role of UVA-light in the carcinogenesis of these patients is not completely understood.

ATR/Chk1 Pathway is Activated by Oxidative Stress in Response to UVA Light in Human Xeroderma Pigmentosum Variant Cells.

The crucial role of DNA polymerase eta in protecting against sunlight-induced tumors is evidenced in Xeroderma Pigmentosum Variant (XP-V) patients, who carry mutations in this protein and present increased frequency of skin cancer. XP-V cellular phenotypes may be aggravated if proteins of DNA damage response (DDR) pathway are blocked, as widely demonstrated by experiments with UVC light and caffeine. However, little is known about the participation of DDR in XP-V cells exposed to UVA light, the wavelengths patients are mostly exposed.

Biotechnological potential of plant growth-promoting bacteria from the roots and rhizospheres of endemic plants in ironstone vegetation in southeastern Brazil.

Microorganisms associated with plants have a great biotechnological potential, but investigations of these microorganisms associated with native plants in peculiar environments has been incipient. The objective of this study was to analyze the plant growth-promoting bacteria potential of cultivable bacteria associated with rare plants from the ferruginous rocky fields of the Brazilian Iron Quadrangle. The roots and rhizospheres of nine endemic plants species and samples of a root found in a lateritiric duricrust (canga) cave were collected, the culturable bacteria isolated and prospected for distinct biotechnological and ecological potentials.

DNA Adduct Formation in the Lungs and Brain of Rats Exposed to Low Concentrations of [C]-Acetaldehyde.

Air pollution is a major environmental risk for human health. Acetaldehyde is present in tobacco smoke and vehicle exhaust. In this study, we show that [C]-acetaldehyde induces DNA modification with the formation of isotopically labeled 1, N-propano-2'-deoxyguanosine adducts in the brain and lungs of rats exposed to concentrations of acetaldehyde found in the atmosphere of megacities.

TabPath: interactive tables for metabolic pathway analysis.

Motivation: Information about metabolic pathways in a comparative context is one of the most powerful tool to help the understanding of genome-based differences in phenotypes among organisms. Although several platforms exist that provide a wealth of information on metabolic pathways of diverse organisms, the comparison among organisms using metabolic pathways is still a difficult task.

Results: We present TabPath (Tables for Metabolic Pathway), a web-based tool to facilitate comparison of metabolic pathways in genomes based on KEGG.

Proteomics-based identification of differentially abundant proteins reveals adaptation mechanisms of Xanthomonas citri subsp. citri during Citrus sinensis infection.

Background: Xanthomonas citri subsp. citri (Xac) is the causal agent of citrus canker. A proteomic analysis under in planta infectious and non-infectious conditions was conducted in order to increase our knowledge about the adaptive process of Xac during infection.

The antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties of lycopene in mice lungs exposed to cigarette smoke.

Lycopene is a carotenoid with known antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. We aimed to evaluate the in vitro and in vivo effects of lycopene on reducing the redox imbalance and inflammation induced by cigarette smoke (CS). For the in vitro study, J774A.

Direct participation of DNA in the formation of singlet oxygen and base damage under UVA irradiation.

UVA light is hardly absorbed by the DNA molecule, but recent works point to a direct mechanism of DNA lesion by these wavelengths. UVA light also excite endogenous chromophores, which causes DNA damage through ROS. In this study, DNA samples were irradiated with UVA light in different conditions to investigate possible mechanisms involved in the induction of DNA damage.