Culturable bacterial diversity from the chestnut ( Mill.) phyllosphere and antagonism against the fungi causing the chestnut blight and ink diseases.

The phyllosphere supports a large and complex bacterial community that varies both across plant species and geographical locations. Phyllosphere bacteria can have important effects on plant health. The sweet chestnut ( Mill.

Herbaspirillum canariense sp. nov., Herbaspirillum aurantiacum sp. nov. and Herbaspirillum soli sp. nov., isolated from volcanic mountain soil, and emended description of the genus Herbaspirillum.

Three Gram-negative, motile and slightly curved rod-shaped bacteria, strains SUEMI03(T), SUEMI08(T) and SUEMI10(T), were isolated from an old volcanic mountain soil on Tenerife (Canary Islands). The three strains were related phylogenetically to Herbaspirillum seropedicae. 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity was 99.

Diversity and community structure of culturable arsenic-resistant bacteria across a soil arsenic gradient at an abandoned tungsten-tin mining area.

We studied the bacterial diversity at a single location (the Terrubias mine; Salamanca province, Spain) with a gradient of soil As contamination to test if increasing levels of As would (1) change the preponderant groups of arsenic-resistant bacteria and (2) increase the tolerance thresholds to arsenite [As(III)] and arsenate [As(V)] of such bacteria. We studied the genetic and taxonomic diversity of culturable arsenic-resistant bacteria by PCR fingerprinting techniques and 16S rRNA gene sequencing. Then, the tolerance thresholds to As(III) and As(V) were determined for representative strains and mathematically analyzed to determine relationships between tolerances to As(III) and As(V), as well as these tolerances with the soil contamination level.

Over-expression of GTP-binding proteins and GTPase activity in mouse astrocyte membranes in response to Theiler's murine encephalomyelitis virus infection.

Intracerebral infection with Theiler's murine encephalomyelitis virus (TMEV) induces a demyelinating disease that resembles human multiple sclerosis. In order to delineate the early events in this virus-induced neuroinflammatory disease, we have analyzed global GTPases gene activation following TMEV infection of murine brain astrocytes. DNA hybridization microchip analysis demonstrated that 10 sequences described as GTPbinding proteins and GTPases in different protein databases were over-expressed, in response to this infectious agent in astroglial cells.