Soil nutrient management influences diversity, community association and functional structure of rhizosphere bacteriome under vegetable crop production.

Introduction: Rhizosphere bacterial communities play a crucial role in promoting plant and soil ecosystem health and productivity. They also have great potential as key indicators of soil health in agroecosystems. Various environmental factors affect soil parameters, which have been demonstrated to influence soil microbial growth and activities.

Bacterial and yeast communities in raw milk from three dairy animal species in Nigeria.

The present study aimed to reveal the microbial (bacteria and yeast) composition of raw milk from dairy camel (n = 10), cow (n = 10) and goat (n = 10) in North-western Nigeria. High-throughput DNA metabarcoding was used to compare microbial compositions in raw milk among the three species. Although the three species had similar dominant bacterial (Firmicutes and Proteobacteria) and yeast (Ascomycota and Basidiomycota) phyla, their microbial compositions at the genus level were noticeably different.

Elucidating the Role of Biofilm-Forming Microbial Communities in Fermentative Biohydrogen Process: An Overview.

Amongst the biofuels described in the literature, biohydrogen has gained heightened attention over the past decade due to its remarkable properties. Biohydrogen is a renewable form of H that can be produced under ambient conditions and at a low cost from biomass residues. Innovative approaches are continuously being applied to overcome the low process yields and pave the way for its scalability.

Diversity and predicted functional roles of cultivable bacteria in vermicompost: bioprospecting for potential inoculum.

Vermicompost (VC) harbours diverse microbes, including plant growth-promoting microorganisms (PGPM) that are beneficial for sustainable crop production. Hence, this study aimed to analyse bacterial diversity of VC samples as a first high-throughput screening step towards subsequent targeted isolation of potential bacterial inoculum candidates. To achieve this, bacterial communities in VC collected from five production farms were enriched in nutrient-rich media before high-throughput sequence (HTS) analysis of the partial 16S rRNA gene.

Analysis of bacterial communities of three cassava-based traditionally fermented Nigerian foods (abacha, fufu and garri).

Globally, cassava is an important food crop that contributes significantly to food security. In Nigeria, cassava can be traditionally processed into abacha (fermented strips), fufu (submerged-fermented porridge) and garri (solid-state fermented farinated granules) for human consumption. Despite the widespread consumption of these foods, there is a major knowledge gap in understanding their core bacterial diversity.

The Nexus between Fire and Soil Bacterial Diversity in the African Miombo Woodlands of Niassa Special Reserve, Mozambique.

(1) Background: the Miombo woodlands comprise the most important vegetation from southern Africa and are dominated by tree legumes with an ecology highly driven by fires. Here, we report on the characterization of bacterial communities from the rhizosphere of in different soil types from areas subjected to different regimes. (2) Methods: bacterial communities were identified through Illumina MiSeq sequencing (16S rRNA).

Risk Factors for Fungal Co-Infections in Critically Ill COVID-19 Patients, with a Focus on Immunosuppressants.

Severe cases of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) managed in the intensive care unit are prone to complications, including secondary infections with opportunistic fungal pathogens. Systemic fungal co-infections in hospitalized COVID-19 patients may exacerbate COVID-19 disease severity, hamper treatment effectiveness and increase mortality. Here, we reiterate the role of fungal co-infections in exacerbating COVID-19 disease severity as well as highlight emerging trends related to fungal disease burden in COVID-19 patients.

Metataxonomic analysis of bacterial communities and mycotoxin reduction during processing of three millet varieties into ogi, a fermented cereal beverage.

Ogi is a fermented cereal beverage, made primarily from maize (Zea mays) and rarely from millets. Unlike maize-based ogi, little is known about the bacterial community and mycotoxin profile during the production of millet-based ogi. Therefore, the bacterial community dynamics and mycotoxin reduction during ogi processing from three millet varieties were investigated using next-generation sequencing of the 16S rRNA gene and liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry, respectively.

Role of the high-affinity reductive iron acquisition pathway of Candida albicans in prostaglandin E2 production, virulence, and interaction with Pseudomonas aeruginosa.

Unlabelled: Components of the iron reductive pathway of Candida albicans have been implicated in the production of prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) and virulence. However, it is unknown whether other components of this pathway influence PGE2. We investigated the role of the iron reductive pathway of C.

The Potential of Single-Cell Oils Derived From Filamentous Fungi as Alternative Feedstock Sources for Biodiesel Production.

Microbial lipids, also known as single-cell oils (SCOs), are highly attractive feedstocks for biodiesel production due to their fast production rates, minimal labor requirements, independence from seasonal and climatic changes, and ease of scale-up for industrial processing. Among the SCO producers, the less explored filamentous fungi (molds) exhibit desirable features such as a repertoire of hydrolyzing enzymes and a unique pellet morphology that facilitates downstream harvesting. Although several oleaginous filamentous fungi have been identified and explored for SCO production, high production costs and technical difficulties still make the process less attractive compared to conventional lipid sources for biodiesel production.

Antifungal agents, yeast abundance and diversity in surface water: Potential risks to water users.

South African surface waters are subject to various forms of pollution. Recent findings in aquatic systems suggest an association exists between yeast diversity, chemical pollutants and land coverage, which are important water quality determinants. Yeast abundance and diversity, as well as antifungal agents in two river systems in South Africa, were investigated and related to the existing land coverage.

Opportunistic pathogenic fungal co-infections are prevalent in critically ill COVID-19 patients: Are they risk factors for disease severity?

Fungal co-infections, especially with Aspergillus and Candida species, are prevalent in hospitalised COVID-19 patients, and could influence patient outcomes and hamper treatment efforts. However, information about and elucidation of the causal relationship between fungal co-infections and COVID-19 disease outcomes or severity in patients are still lacking. Such information, if and when available, will help facilitate appropriate case management.

Phylogenetic diversity and prevalence of mycoflora in ready-to-eat supermarket and roadside-vended peanuts.

Little is known of the mycobiota present in ready-to-eat peanuts consumed in Southern Africa. Knowledge of the mycobiota and aflatoxigenic species can elucidate potential health risks associated with consumption of ready-to-eat peanuts sold by supermarkets and roadside vendors. We investigated the culturable mycobiota diversity in supermarket and roadside-vended peanuts as well as the presence of five aflatoxin biosynthesis pathway-related genes (, and ) in 15 suspected aflatoxigenic isolates, with a focus on Mafikeng, South Africa.

Bacterial contaminants and their antibiotic susceptibility patterns in ready-to-eat foods vended in Ogun state, Nigeria.

Contamination of ready-to-eat (RTE) foods by pathogenic bacteria may predispose consumers to foodborne diseases. This study investigated the presence of bacterial contaminants and their antibiotic susceptibility patterns in three locally processed RTE foods (eko, fufu and zobo) vended in urban markets in Ogun state, Nigeria. Bacteria isolated from a total of 120 RTE food samples were identified by 16S rRNA gene phylogeny while susceptibility patterns to eight classes of antibiotics were determined by the disc diffusion method.

Structural and functional differentiation of bacterial communities in post-coal mining reclamation soils of South Africa: bioindicators of soil ecosystem restoration.

Soil microbial communities are suitable soil ecosystem health indicators due to their sensitivity to management practices and role in soil ecosystem processes. Presently, information on structural and functional differentiation of bacterial communities in post-coal mining reclamation soils of South Africa is sparse. Here, bacterial communities in three post-coal mining reclamation soils were investigated using community-level physiological profiling (CLPP), enzyme activities, and next-generation sequencing of 16S rRNA gene.

High-throughput sequence analysis of bacterial communities in commercial biofertiliser products marketed in South Africa: an independent snapshot quality assessment.

The genetic and predicted functional diversity of bacterial communities in 12 commercial biofertiliser products were evaluated using high-throughput sequencing of the 16S rRNA gene. Proteobacteria, Firmicutes and Bacteroides dominated the bacterial communities, with the genera and being prevalent. The manufacturer-specified species were detected in relatively high abundance in two of the products while a few or none of the specified species were detected in some products.

High-Throughput Sequence Analyses of Bacterial Communities and Multi-Mycotoxin Profiling During Processing of Different Formulations of , a Traditional Fermented Beverage.

is a traditional fermented single or mixed cereals-based beverage popularly consumed in many parts of West Africa. Presently, the bacterial community and mycotoxin contamination profiles during processing of various formulations have never been comprehensively studied. This study, therefore, investigated the bacterial community and multi-mycotoxin dynamics during the processing of three formulations using high-throughput sequence analysis of partial 16S rRNA gene (hypervariable V3-V4 region) and liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS), respectively.

Assessing the mycotoxicological risk from consumption of complementary foods by infants and young children in Nigeria.

This study assessed, for the first time, the mycotoxicological risks from consumption of complementary foods by infants and young children in Nigeria. Molds belonging to Aspergillus aculeatinus, A. flavus, A.

Phylogenetic analyses of bacteria associated with the processing of iru and ogiri condiments.

Unlabelled: Analysis of the bacterial community dynamics during the production of traditional fermented condiments is important for food safety assessment, quality control and development of starter culture technology. In this study, bacteria isolated during the processing of iru and ogiri, two commonly consumed condiments in Nigeria, were characterized based on phylogenetic analyses of the bacterial 16S rRNA gene. A total of 227 isolates were obtained and clustered into 12 operational taxonomic units (OTUs) based on 97% 16S rRNA gene similarity.

Tolerance and growth kinetics of bacteria isolated from gold and gemstone mining sites in response to heavy metal concentrations.

Response and growth kinetics of microbes in contaminated medium are useful indices for the screening and selection of tolerant species for eco-friendly bio-augmentative remediation of polluted environments. In this study, the heavy metal (HM) tolerance, bioaccumulation and growth kinetics of seven bacterial strains isolated from mining sites to 10 HMs (Cd, Hg, Ni, Al, Cr, Pb, Cu, Fe, Mn and Zn) at varied concentrations (25-600 mgL) were investigated. The isolates were phylogenetically (16S rRNA gene) related to Lysinibacillus macroides, Achromobacter spanius, Bacillus kochii, B.

Bacterial species and mycotoxin contamination associated with locust bean, melon and their fermented products in south-western Nigeria.

The microbiological safety of spontaneously fermented foods is not always guaranteed due to the undefined fermenting microbial consortium and processing materials. In this study, two commonly consumed traditional condiments (iru and ogiri) and their respective raw seeds (locust bean and melon) purchased from markets in south-western Nigeria were assessed for bacterial diversity and mycotoxin contamination using 16S rRNA gene sequencing and liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS), respectively. Two hundred isolates obtained from the raw seeds and condiments clustered into 10 operational taxonomic units (OTUs) and spanned 3 phyla, 10 genera, 14 species and 2 sub-species.

Metagenomic analyses of bacterial endophytes associated with the phyllosphere of a Bt maize cultivar and its isogenic parental line from South Africa.

Genetic modification of maize with Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) cry proteins may predispose shifts in the bacterial endophytes' community associated with maize shoots. In this study, the diversity of bacterial endophytes associated with a Bt maize genotype (Mon810) and its isogenic non-transgenic parental line were investigated at pre-flowering (50 days) and post-flowering (90 days) developmental stages. PCR-DGGE and high throughput sequencing on the Illumina MiSeq sequencer were used to characterize bacterial 16S rRNA gene diversity in leaves, stems, seeds and tassels.

Molecular analysis of bacterial community dynamics during the fermentation of condiment.

Bacterial community dynamics during fermentation was investigated using culture-dependent and PCR-denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (PCR-DGGE) molecular methods. The total titratable acidity (TTA), pH, and bacterial counts (BCs) were monitored daily during a 72-h fermentation period. Bacteria were characterized based on 16S rRNA gene sequencing.

PCR-denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis analysis of microbial community in soy-daddawa, a Nigerian fermented soybean (Glycine max (L.) Merr.) condiment.

Soy-daddawa, a fermented soybean (Glycine max (L.) Merr.) condiment, plays a significant role in the culinary practice of West Africa.