Effects of Propolis Supplementation on Gut Microbiota and Uremic Toxin Profiles of Patients Undergoing Hemodialysis.

Propolis possesses many bioactive compounds that could modulate the gut microbiota and reduce the production of uremic toxins in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) undergoing hemodialysis (HD). This clinical trial aimed to evaluate the effects of propolis on the gut microbiota profile and uremic toxin plasma levels in HD patients. These are secondary analyses from a previous double-blind, randomized clinical study, with 42 patients divided into two groups: the placebo and propolis group received 400 mg of green propolis extract/day for eight weeks.

Potential Trimethylamine (TMA)-Producing Bacteria in patients with chronic kidney disease undergoing hemodialysis.

Introduction: Trimethylamine (TMA), produced by gut microbiota, is the precursor of trimethylamine-N-oxide (TMAO), a uremic toxin that accumulates in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD). Elevated TMAO plasma levels are associated with cardiovascular complications and CKD progression.

Objective: To evaluate the association between gut microbiota composition and TMAO plasma levels in CKD patients undergoing hemodialysis (HD).

Investigating Polyextremophilic Bacteria in Al Wahbah Crater, Saudi Arabia: A Terrestrial Model for Life on Saturn's Moon Enceladus.

The study of extremophilic microorganisms has sparked interest in understanding extraterrestrial microbial life. Such organisms are fundamental for investigating life forms on Saturn's icy moons, such as Enceladus, which is characterized by potentially habitable saline and alkaline niches. Our study focused on the salt-alkaline soil of the Al Wahbah crater in Saudi Arabia, where we identified microorganisms that could be used as biological models to understand potential life on Enceladus.

devices can culture the microbial dark matter of corals.

Most microorganisms found in environmental samples have never been cultured and can often only be explored through molecular or microscopic approaches. Here, we adapt the use of diffusion-based devices to culture "yet-to-be-cultured" microorganisms associated with coral mucus and compare this with a traditional culturing method. The culturability of microorganisms associated with mucus of the coral increased by 420% and 570% with diffusion growth chambers and microwell chip devices, respectively, compared with the traditional method tested.

Genome analysis of a coral-associated bacterial consortium highlights complementary hydrocarbon degradation ability and other beneficial mechanisms for the host.

Here we report the oil degradation genetic potential of six oil-degrading bacteria (ODB), previously used as a bioremediation consortium, isolated from the hydrocoral Millepora alcicornis and seawater. The strains were identified as Halomonas sp. (LC_1), Cobetia sp.

Shedding light on the composition of extreme microbial dark matter: alternative approaches for culturing extremophiles.

More than 20,000 species of prokaryotes (less than 1% of the estimated number of Earth's microbial species) have been described thus far. However, the vast majority of microbes that inhabit extreme environments remain uncultured and this group is termed "microbial dark matter." Little is known regarding the ecological functions and biotechnological potential of these underexplored extremophiles, thus representing a vast untapped and uncharacterized biological resource.

Unraveling the Genomic Potential of the Thermophilic Bacterium from an Antarctic Geothermal Environment.

Antarctica is a mosaic of extremes. It harbors active polar volcanoes, such as Deception Island, a marine stratovolcano having notable temperature gradients over very short distances, with the temperature reaching up to 100 °C near the fumaroles and subzero temperatures being noted in the glaciers. From the sediments of Deception Island, we isolated representatives of the genus Anoxybacillus, a widely spread genus that is mainly encountered in thermophilic environments.

Archaea from the gut microbiota of humans: Could be linked to chronic diseases?

Archaea comprise a unique domain of organisms with distinct biochemical and genetic differences from bacteria. Methane-forming archaea, methanogens, constitute the predominant group of archaea in the human gut microbiota, with Methanobrevibacter smithii being the most prevalent. However, the effect of methanogenic archaea and their methane production on chronic disease remains controversial.

Methods and Strategies to Uncover Coral-Associated Microbial Dark Matter.

The vast majority of environmental microbes have not yet been cultured, and most of the knowledge on coral-associated microbes (CAMs) has been generated from amplicon sequencing and metagenomes. However, exploring cultured CAMs is key for a detailed and comprehensive characterization of the roles of these microbes in shaping coral health and, ultimately, for their biotechnological use as, for example, coral probiotics and other natural products. Here, the strategies and technologies that have been used to access cultured CAMs are presented, while advantages and disadvantages associated with each of these strategies are discussed.

Structure and functional capacity of a benzene-mineralizing, nitrate-reducing microbial community.

Aims: How benzene is metabolized by microbes under anoxic conditions is not fully understood. Here, we studied the degradation pathways in a benzene-mineralizing, nitrate-reducing enrichment culture.

Methods And Results: Benzene mineralization was dependent on the presence of nitrate and correlated to the enrichment of a Peptococcaceae phylotype only distantly related to known anaerobic benzene degraders of this family.

Extreme environments: a source of biosurfactants for biotechnological applications.

The surfactant industry moves billions of dollars a year and consists of chemically synthesized molecules usually derived from petroleum. Surfactant is a versatile molecule that is widely used in different industrial areas, with an emphasis on the petroleum, biomedical and detergent industries. Recently, interest in environmentally friendly surfactants that are resistant to extreme conditions has increased because of consumers' appeal for sustainable products and industrial processes that often require these characteristics.

Draft Genome Sequence of Geobacillus sp. Strain LEMMJ02, a Thermophile Isolated from Deception Island, an Active Volcano in Antarctica.

The thermophilic sp. strain LEMMJ02 was isolated from Fumarole Bay sediment on Deception Island, an active Antarctic volcano. Here, we report the draft genome of LEMMJ02, which consists of 3,160,938 bp with 52.

Draft Genome Sequence of sp. Strain LEMMJ03, Isolated from an Antarctic Volcano.

Here, we announce the draft genome sequence of sp. strain LEMMJ03, isolated from Whalers Bay sediment (Deception Island, Antarctica). In total, 4,500 coding sequences (CDS), among those 102 coding for tRNAs and 5 for noncoding RNAs (ncRNAs), were predicted from the 4.

Carotenoids from UV-resistant Antarctic Microbacterium sp. LEMMJ01.

The Microbacterium sp. LEMMJ01 isolated from Antarctic soil does not belong to any of the nearest species identified in the RDP database. Under UV radiation (A, B and C wavebands) the survival fractions of Microbacterium sp.

Draft Genome Sequence of sp. Strain LEMMJ01, Isolated from Antarctic Ornithogenic Soil.

We report here the 3,637,012-bp draft genome sequence of sp. strain LEMMJ01, isolated from ornithogenic soil from King George Island, Antarctica. The total number of genes presented in the draft genome sequence was 3,553, and the total number of coding sequences was 3,497.

Immune memory response induced in vitro by recombinant hepatitis B surface antigen challenge 13-18 years after primary vaccination.

The question of whether booster doses are required to maintain long-term protection against hepatitis B virus (HBV) after primary vaccination remains to be determined. Thus, the aim of this study was to evaluate the immune memory responses to hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) challenge in vaccinated individuals through an in vitro-specific stimulation assay. Peripheral blood mononuclear cells (4 × 10(6)  cells/ml) were stimulated with 50 ng/ml of recombinant HBsAg.

In vitro lymphocyte stimulation by recombinant hepatitis B surface antigen: a tool to detect the persistence of cellular immunity after vaccination.

The study of the human immune response to hepatitis B virus (HBV) has been hampered by the lack of an adequate model to evaluate the hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) specific cell response. Thus, this study was conducted to perform an in vitro analysis of the antigenic properties of recombinant HBsAg and demonstrate the influence of variables such as culture time, antigen concentration and cell density on lymphocyte proliferation. Peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) were isolated from the venous blood of vaccinated individuals, and in vitro cellular immune responses were evaluated using an HBsAg-specific proliferation assay.