Publications by authors named "Jan Dirk van Elsas"

Article Synopsis
  • Microbes rely on sensing external cues, especially light conditions, for survival, particularly in plant-associated environments where light absorption affects microbial well-being.
  • Some microbes utilize advanced systems, like xanthorhodopsin-based proton pumps, allowing them to harness energy from light, known as dual phototrophic systems.
  • This study analyzes the genomes of photosensor proteins in dual phototrophic bacteria, revealing they possess a greater variety of photosensors compared to microbes that are less or non-photosynthetic, highlighting the need for more research into their ecological interactions and functions.
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Background: In a previous study, shaking speed was found to be an important factor affecting the population dynamics and lignocellulose-degrading activities of a synthetic lignocellulolytic microbial consortium composed of the bacteria Sphingobacterium paramultivorum w15, Citrobacter freundii so4, and the fungus Coniochaeta sp. 2T2.1.

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A thermophilic, chemolithoautotrophic, and aerobic microbial consortium (termed carbonitroflex) growing in a nutrient-poor medium and an atmosphere containing N, O, CO, and CO is investigated as a model to expand our understanding of extreme biological systems. Here we show that the consortium is dominated by Carbonactinospora thermoautotrophica (strain StC), followed by Sphaerobacter thermophilus, Chelatococcus spp., and Geobacillus spp.

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Microbial diversity can restrict the invasion and impact of alien microbes into soils via resource competition. However, this theory has not been tested on various microbial invaders with different ecological traits, particularly spore-forming bacteria. Here we investigated the survival capacity of two introduced spore-forming bacteria, Bacillus mycoides (BM) and B.

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Protists' selective predation of bacterial cells is an important regulator of soil microbiomes, which might influence the success of bacterial releases in soils. For instance, the survival and activity of introduced bacteria can be affected by selective grazing on resident communities or the inoculant, but this remains poorly understood. Here, we investigated the impact of the introduction in the soil of two protozoa species, Rosculus terrestris ECOP02 and/or Cerocomonas lenta ECOP01, on the survival of the inoculants Bacillus mycoides M2E15 (BM) or B.

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Nitrogen (N) is one of the limiting factors for plant growth, and it is mainly supplied exogenously by fertilizer application. It is well documented that diazotrophic rhizobacteria improve plant growth by fixing atmospheric N in the soil. The present study investigates the nitrogen-fixing potential of two spp.

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Microbial inoculants are constantly introduced into the soil as the deployment of sustainable agricultural practices increases. These introductions might induce soil native communities' dynamics, influencing their assembly process. We followed the impact and successional trajectories of native soil communities of different diversity levels to the invasion by M2E15 (BM) and ECOB02 (BP).

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Plant biomass offers great potential as a sustainable resource, and microbial consortia are primordial in its bioconversion. The wheat-straw-biodegradative bacterial strain w15 has drawn much attention as a result of its biodegradative potential and superior degradation performance in bacterial-fungal consortia. Strain w15 was originally assigned to the species based on its 16S ribosomal RNA (rRNA) gene sequence.

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In this study, we examined a synthetic microbial consortium, composed of two selected bacteria, i.e., Citrobacter freundii so4 and Sphingobacterium multivorum w15, next to the fungus Coniochaeta sp.

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Responses to sunlight exposure of the oil-degrading Dietzia cinnamea P4 strain were evaluated by transcriptional levels of SOS genes, photoreactivation and genes involved in tolerance to high levels of reactive oxygen species. The P4 strain was exposed for 1 and 2 h and the magnitude of level changes in the mRNA was evaluated by qPCR. The results described the activation of the SOS system, with the decline of the repressor lexA gene levels and the concomitant increase of recA and uvrAD genes levels.

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Two bacterial strains, denoted so4 and w15, isolated from wheat straw (WS)-degrading microbial consortia, were found to grow synergistically in media containing WS as the single carbon and energy source. They were identified as so4 and w15 based on 16S rRNA gene sequencing and comparison to the respective and type strains. In order to identify the mechanisms driving the synergistic interactions, we analyzed the draft genomes of the two strains and further characterized their metabolic potential.

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The fungal-interactive (fungiphilic) strains BS001, BS007, BS110, and BS437 have previously been preliminarily assigned to the species Paraburkholderia terrae. However, in the (novel) genus Paraburkholderia, an as-yet unresolved subgroup exists, that clusters around Paraburkholderia hospita (containing the species P. terrae, P.

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Uropathogenic Escherichia coli (UPEC) is the most common causal agent of urinary tract infections (UTIs) in humans. Currently, clinical detection methods take hours (dipsticks) to days (culturing methods), limiting rapid intervention. As an alternative, the use of molecular methods could improve speed and accuracy, but their applicability is complicated by high genomic variability within UPEC strains.

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Coniochaeta species are versatile ascomycetes that have great capacity to deconstruct lignocellulose. Here, we explore the transcriptome of Coniochaeta sp. strain 2T2.

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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.

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The use of dispersants in marine environments is a common practice worldwide for oil spill remediation. While the effects of chemical dispersants have been extensively studied, those of biosurfactants, mainly surfactin that is considered one of the most effective surfactants produced by bacteria, have been less considered. We constructed microcosms containing marine water collected from Grumari beach (W_GB, Brazil) and from Schiermonnikoog beach (W_SI, The Netherlands) with the addition of oil (WO), Ultrasperse II plus oil (WOS), surfactin plus oil (WOB), and both dispersants (WS or WB) individually.

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Background: Particular species of the genus (Sordariomycetes) exhibit great potential for bioabatement of furanic compounds and have been identified as an underexplored source of novel lignocellulolytic enzymes, especially . However, there is a lack of information about their genomic features and metabolic capabilities. Here, we report the first in-depth genome/transcriptome survey of a species (strain 2T2.

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Microbial activity in soil, including horizontal gene transfer (HGT), occurs in soil hot spots and at "hot moments". Given their capacities to explore soil for nutrients, soil fungi (associated or not with plant roots) can act as (1) selectors of myco(rrhizo)sphere-adapted organisms and (2) accelerators of HGT processes across the cell populations that are locally present. This minireview critically examines our current understanding of the drivers of gene mobility in the myco(rrhizo)sphere.

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Article Synopsis
  • A study on children with Atopic Dermatitis (AD) in Brazil found that a significant percentage (22.2%) were initially colonized with methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), and the overall incidence of MRSA acquisition during the study was 27.47%.
  • Risk factors for acquiring MRSA included having MRSA-colonized contacts, using cyclosporine, and having moderate or severe AD, while access to running water and using antihistamines were identified as protective factors.
  • The findings highlight the need for enhanced monitoring of MRSA in pediatric AD patients due to the high rates of colonization and acquisition.
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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.

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The oxidative stress response of the highly resistant actinomycete Dietzia cinnamea P4 after treatment with hydrogen peroxide (HO) was assessed in order to depict the possible mechanisms underlying its intrinsic high resistance to DNA damaging agents. We used transcriptional profiling to monitor the magnitude and kinetics of changes in the mRNA levels after exposure to different concentrations of HO at 10 min and 1 h following the addition of the stressor. Catalase and superoxide dismutase genes were induced in different ways, according to the condition applied.

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Aplysina aerophoba is an emerging model marine sponge, with a well-characterized microbial community in terms of diversity and structure. However, little is known about the expressed functional capabilities of its associated microbes. Here, we present the first metaproteomics-based study of the microbiome of A.

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Fungal-associated strains in soil have been extensively studied, but their sensing strategies to locate fungi in soil have remained largely elusive. In this study, we investigated the behavior of five mycosphere-isolated strains [including the type-3 secretion system negative mutant BS001-Δ and the type strain DSM 17804] with respect to their fungal-sensing strategies. The putative role of oxalic acid as a signaling molecule in the chemotaxis toward soil fungi, as well as a potential carbon source, was assessed.

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The genus encompasses mostly environmental isolates with diverse predicted lifestyles. Genome analyses have shown that bacteriophages form a considerable portion of some genomes. Here, we analyzed the evolutionary history of prophages across all spp.

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