AsnB is responsible for peptidoglycan precursor amidation in in the presence of vancomycin.

630 possesses a cryptic but functional gene cluster homologous to the operon of . Expression of in the presence of subinhibitory concentrations of vancomycin is accompanied by peptidoglycan amidation on the -DAP residue. In this paper, we report the presence of two potential asparagine synthetase genes named and in the genome whose products were potentially involved in this peptidoglycan structure modification.

Anaerobic digestion of Crassulacean Acid Metabolism plants: Exploring alternative feedstocks for semi-arid lands.

In this work, five Crassulacean Acid Metabolism (CAM) species from the five different genera (Agave, Ananas, Euphorbia, Kalanchoe, and Opuntia) were selected as alternative feedstocks and their biochemical methane potentials (BMP) were investigated. Batch assays were performed using sludge and rumen fluid as inocula under uncontrolled pH and at mesophilic temperature (39 °C). Mean methane yields from the CAM plants inoculated with AD sludge ranged from 281 to 382 ml/gVS.

An overview of microbial biogas enrichment.

Biogas upgrading technologies have received widespread attention recently and are researched extensively. Microbial biogas upgrading (biomethanation) relies on the microbial performance in enriched H and CO environments. In this review, recent developments and applications of CH enrichment in microbial methanation processes are systematically reviewed.

Effect of tungstate on acetate and ethanol production by the electrosynthetic bacterium Sporomusa ovata.

Background: Microbial electrosynthesis (MES) and gas fermentation are bioenergy technologies in which a microbial catalyst reduces CO2 into organic carbon molecules with electrons from the cathode of a bioelectrochemical system or from gases such as H2. The acetogen Sporomusa ovata has the capacity of reducing CO2 into commodity chemicals by both gas fermentation and MES. Acetate is often the only product generated by S.

The functional vanGCd cluster of Clostridium difficile does not confer vancomycin resistance.

vanGCd, a cryptic gene cluster highly homologous to the vanG gene cluster of Enterococcus faecalis is largely spread in Clostridium difficile. Since emergence of vancomycin resistance would have dramatic clinical consequences, we have evaluated the capacity of the vanGCd cluster to confer resistance. We showed that expression of vanGCd is inducible by vancomycin and that VanGCd , VanXYCd and VanTCd are functional, exhibiting D-Ala : D-Ser ligase, D,D-dipeptidase and D-Ser racemase activities respectively.

Distribution of the vanG-like gene cluster in Clostridium difficile clinical isolates.

Treatment of Clostridium difficile infections generally requires cessation of their causative antibiotic and subsequent administration of metronidazole or vancomycin. Intriguingly, the genome of C. difficile 630 contains a cryptic gene cluster homologous to the vanG-type operon of Enterococcus faecalis BM4518.