Role of horizontal gene transfer and cooperation in rhizosphere microbiome assembly.

Microbes employ a variety of mechanisms, encompassing chemical signaling (e.g., quorum-sensing molecules) and genetic processes like horizontal gene transfer (HGT), to engage in interactions.

The role of microbial communities in biogeochemical cycles and greenhouse gas emissions within tropical soda lakes.

Although anthropogenic activities are the primary drivers of increased greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, it is crucial to acknowledge that wetlands are a significant source of these gases. Brazil's Pantanal, the largest tropical inland wetland, includes numerous lacustrine systems with freshwater and soda lakes. This study focuses on soda lakes to explore potential biogeochemical cycling and the contribution of biogenic GHG emissions from the water column, particularly methane.

Genomic insights of Fictibacillus terranigra sp. nov., a versatile metabolic bacterium from Amazonian Dark Earths.

The Amazon rainforest, a hotspot for biodiversity, is a crucial research area for scientists seeking novel microorganisms with ecological and biotechnological significance. A key region within the Amazon rainforest is the Amazonian Dark Earths (ADE), noted for supporting diverse plant and microbial communities, and its potential as a blueprint for sustainable agriculture. This study delineates the isolation, morphological traits, carbon source utilization, and genomic features of Fictibacillus terranigra CENA-BCM004, a candidate novel species of the Fictibacillus genus isolated from ADE.

Response of two cyanobacterial strains to non-biodegradable glitter particles.

Microplastic pollution is a growing concern mainly in aquatic environments due to its deleterious effects. Some types of microplastics, such as glitter, remain overlooked. Glitter particles are artificial reflective microplastics used by different consumers within arts and handcraft products.

Can arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi and rhizobacteria facilitate P uptake in maize plants under water stress?

Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) and plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) are able to provide key ecosystem services, protecting plants against biotic and abiotic stresses. Here, we hypothesized that a combination of AMF (Rhizophagus clarus) and PGPR (Bacillus sp.) could enhance P uptake in maize plants under soil water stress.

Bacterial Communities Along Environmental Gradients in Tropical Soda Lakes.

Soda lake environments are known to be variable and can have distinct differences according to geographical location. In this study, we investigated the effects of different environmental conditions of six adjacent soda lakes in the Pantanal biome (Mato Grosso do Sul state, Brazil) on bacterial communities and their functioning using a metagenomic approach combined with flow cytometry and chemical analyses. Ordination analysis using flow cytometry and water chemistry data from two sampling periods (wet and dry) clustered soda lakes into three different profiles: eutrophic turbid (ET), oligotrophic turbid (OT), and clear vegetated oligotrophic (CVO).

Disentangling the lifestyle of bacterial communities in tropical soda lakes.

Microbial lifestyles may reveal niche-specific signatures and can contribute to detecting the effects of abiotic fluctuations on biogeochemical cycles. Microorganisms make a tradeoff between optimizing nutrient uptake, improving biomass yield, and overcoming environmental changes according to environmental hostility. Soda lakes are natural environments rich in carbonate and bicarbonate water, resulting in elevated pH and salinities that frequently approach saturation.

Experimental validation under controlled conditions of real time PCR to quantify arbuscular mycorrhizal colonization in root.

Mycorrhizal colonization of roots is traditionally evaluated by empirical methods, such as root microscopy. We compared this method with data from using a real time PCR technique, and determined the correlation between methods, indicating particularities of a promising system for a quick and accurate molecular diagnostic of arbuscular mycorrhization.

Does Organomineral Fertilizer Combined with Phosphate-Solubilizing Bacteria in Sugarcane Modulate Soil Microbial Community and Functions?

Soil bacterial and fungal communities are suitable soil ecosystem health indicators due to their sensitivity to management practices and their role in soil ecosystem processes. Here, information on composition and functions of bacterial and fungal communities were evaluated at two phenological stages of sugarcane (six and twelve months, equivalent to the most intensive vegetative stage and to final maturation, respectively) when organomineral fertilizer, combined with phosphate-solubilizing bacteria (PSB), was added into the soil. Organic compost enriched with apatite (C + A) or phosphorite (C + P) and compost without phosphate enrichment (C) were used in the presence or absence of PSB.

Thermo-resistant enzyme-producing microorganisms isolated from composting.

Organo-mineral fertilizers supplemented with biological additives are an alternative to chemical fertilizers. In this study, thermoresistant microorganisms from composting mass were isolated by two-step procedures. First, samples taken at different time points and temperatures (33 days at 52 ºC, 60 days at 63 ºC, and over 365 days at 26 ºC) were pre-incubated at 80 oC for 30 minutes.

Trends in Free-access Genomic Data Accelerate Advances in Cyanobacteria Taxonomy.

Free access databases of DNA sequences containing microbial genetic information have changed the way scientists look at the microbial world. Currently, the NCBI database includes about 516 distinct search results for Cyanobacterial genomes distributed in a taxonomy based on a polyphasic approach. While their classification and taxonomic relationships are widely used as is, recent proposals to alter their grouping include further exploring the relationship between Cyanobacteria and Melainabacteria.

Enrichment of potential pathogens in marine microbiomes with different degrees of anthropogenic activity.

Anthropogenic activities in coastal marine ecosystems can lead to an increase in the abundance of potentially harmful microorganisms in the marine environment. To understand anthropogenic impacts on the marine microbiome, we first used publicly available microbial phylogenetic and functional data to establish a dataset of bacterial genera potentially related to pathogens that cause diseases (BGPRD) in marine organisms. Representatives of low-, medium- and highly impacted marine coastal environments were selected, and the abundance and composition of their microbial communities were determined by quantitative PCR and 16 S rRNA gene sequencing.

Shifting abundances of communities associated with nitrogen cycling in soils promoted by sugarcane harvest systems.

Sugarcane cultivation supports Brazil as one of the largest world sugar and ethanol producer. In order to understand the impact of changing sugarcane harvest from manual to mechanized harvest, we studied the effect of machinery traffic on soil and consequently soil compaction upon soil microbial communities involved in nitrogen cycling. The impact of sugarcane harvest was dependent on soil depth and texture.

The composition of the bacterial community in the foam produced by Mahanarva fimbriolata is distinct from those at gut and soil.

The development of insects is strongly influenced by their resident microorganisms. Symbionts play key roles in insect nutrition, reproduction, and defense. Bacteria are important partners due to the wide diversity of their biochemical pathways that aid in the host development.

Mangrove soil as a source for novel xylanase and amylase as determined by cultivation-dependent and cultivation-independent methods.

Xylanase and α-amylase enzymes participate in the degradation of organic matter, acting in hemicellulose and starch mineralization, respectively, and are in high demand for industrial use. Mangroves represent a promising source for bioprospecting enzymes due to their unique characteristics, such as fluctuations in oxic/anoxic conditions and salinity. In this context, the present work aimed to bioprospect xylanases from mangrove soil using cultivation-dependent and cultivation-independent methods.

Exploring bacterial functionality in mangrove sediments and its capability to overcome anthropogenic activity.

Mangrove forests are highly productive yet vulnerable ecosystems that act as important carbon sinks ("blue carbon"). The objective of this work was to analyze the impact of anthropogenic activities on microbiome structure and functioning. The metagenomic analysis revealed that the taxonomic compositions were grossly similar across all mangrove microbiomes.

Phosphorus source driving the soil microbial interactions and improving sugarcane development.

The world demand for phosphate has gradually increased over the last decades, currently achieving alarming levels considering available rock reserves. The use of soil microorganisms, such as arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF), has been suggested as a promising alternative to improve phosphorus-use efficiency. However, the effect of the source of phosphorus on the interactions within the soil microbial community remains unclear.

Changes Microbial Indicators and Increases C and N in Soil Organic Fractions in Intercropped Plantations.

Intercropping forest plantations of with nitrogen-fixing trees can increase soil N inputs and stimulate soil organic matter (OM) cycling. However, microbial indicators and their correlation in specific fractions of soil OM are unclear in the tropical sandy soils. Here, we examined the microbial indicators associated with C and N in the soil resulting from pure and intercropped and plantations.

The parA Region of Broad-Host-Range PromA Plasmids Is a Carrier of Mobile Genes.

The ecological competences in microbiomes are driven by the adaptive capabilities present within microbiome members. Horizontal gene transfer (HGT) promoted by plasmids provides a rapid adaptive strategy to microbiomes, an interesting feature considering the constantly changing conditions in most environments. This study examined the parA locus, found in the highly promiscuous PromA class of plasmids, as the insertion site for incoming genes.

The diversity and abundance of phytase genes (β-propeller phytases) in bacterial communities of the maize rhizosphere.

Unlabelled: The ecology of microbial communities associated with organic phosphorus (P) mineralization in soils is still understudied. Here, we assessed the abundance and diversity of bacteria harbouring genes encoding β-propeller phytases (BPP) in the rhizosphere of traditional and transgenic maize cultivated in two Brazilian soils. We found a soil-dependent effect towards a higher abundance of phytase genes in the rhizosphere, and an absence of any impact of plant genotype.

Endophytic microbial community in two transgenic maize genotypes and in their near-isogenic non-transgenic maize genotype.

Background: Despite all the benefits assigned to the genetically modified plants, there are still no sufficient data available in literature concerning the possible effects on the microbial communities associated with these plants. Therefore, this study was aimed at examining the effects of the genetic modifications of two transgenic maize genotypes (MON810--expressing the insecticidal Bt-toxin and TC1507--expressing the insecticidal Bt-toxin and the herbicide resistance PAT [phosphinothricin-N-acetyltransferase]) on their endophytic microbial communities, in comparison to the microbial community found in the near-isogenic non-transgenic maize (control).

Results: The structure of the endophytic communities (Bacteria, Archaea and fungi) and their composition (Bacteria) were evaluated by denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) and the construction of clone libraries, respectively.

Different effects of transgenic maize and nontransgenic maize on nitrogen-transforming archaea and bacteria in tropical soils.

The composition of the rhizosphere microbiome is a result of interactions between plant roots, soil, and environmental conditions. The impact of genetic variation in plant species on the composition of the root-associated microbiota remains poorly understood. This study assessed the abundances and structures of nitrogen-transforming (ammonia-oxidizing) archaea and bacteria as well as nitrogen-fixing bacteria driven by genetic modification of their maize host plants.

Screening of endoglucanase-producing bacteria in the saline rhizosphere of Rhizophora mangle.

In screening the culturable endoglucanase-producing bacteria in the rhizosphere of Rhizophora mangle, we found a prevalence of genera Bacillus and Paenibacillus. These bacteria revealed different activities in endoglucolysis and biofilm formation when exposed to specific NaCl concentrations, indicating modulated growth under natural variations in mangrove salinity.

Temporal dynamics of microbial communities in the rhizosphere of two genetically modified (GM) maize hybrids in tropical agrosystems.

The use of genetically modified (GM) plants still raises concerns about their environmental impact. The present study aimed to evaluate the possible effects of GM maize, in comparison to the parental line, on the structure and abundance of microbial communities in the rhizosphere. Moreover, the effect of soil type was addressed.

Abundance and genetic diversity of nifH gene sequences in anthropogenically affected Brazilian mangrove sediments.

Although mangroves represent ecosystems of global importance, the genetic diversity and abundance of functional genes that are key to their functioning scarcely have been explored. Here, we present a survey based on the nifH gene across transects of sediments of two mangrove systems located along the coast line of São Paulo state (Brazil) which differed by degree of disturbance, i.e.