Integration of horizontally acquired light-harvesting genes into an ancestral regulatory network in the cyanobacterium MBIC11017.

The acquisition of new capabilities by horizontal gene transfer (HGT) shapes the distribution of traits during microbial diversification. In the Chlorophyll (Chl) -producing cyanobacterium , the genes involved in the production and disassembly of the light-harvesting phycobiliprotein phycocyanin (PC) were lost in the common ancestor but then subsequently regained via HGT in strain MBIC11017. However, it remains unknown how the HGT-acquired PC genes in MBIC11017 have been reintegrated into its existing regulatory network after tens of millions of years since their loss.

Ecological diversification of a cyanobacterium through divergence of its novel chlorophyll d-based light-harvesting system.

The evolution of novel traits can have important consequences for biological diversification. Novelties such as new structures are associated with changes in both genotype and phenotype that often lead to changes in ecological function. New ecological opportunities provided by a novel trait can trigger subsequent trait modification or niche partitioning; however, the underlying mechanisms of novel trait diversification are still poorly understood.

Multifactorial resistance of spores to low-pressure plasma sterilization.

Common sterilization techniques for labile and sensitive materials have far-reaching applications in medical, pharmaceutical, and industrial fields. Heat inactivation, chemical treatment, and radiation are established methods to inactivate microorganisms, but pose a threat to humans and the environment and can damage susceptible materials or products. Recent studies have demonstrated that cold low-pressure plasma (LPP) treatment is an efficient alternative to common sterilization methods, as LPP's levels of radicals, ions, (V)UV-radiation, and exposure to an electromagnetic field can be modulated using different process gases, such as oxygen, nitrogen, argon, or synthetic (ambient) air.

Snow Surface Microbial Diversity at the Detection Limit within the Vicinity of the Concordia Station, Antarctica.

The Concordia Research Station provides a unique location for preparatory activities for future human journey to Mars, to explore microbial diversity at subzero temperatures, and monitor the dissemination of human-associated microorganisms within the pristine surrounding environment. Amplicon sequencing was leveraged to investigate the microbial diversity of surface snow samples collected monthly over a two-year period, at three distances from the Station (10, 500, and 1000 m). Even when the extracted total DNA was below the detection limit, 16S rRNA gene sequencing was successfully performed on all samples, while 18S rRNA was amplified on 19 samples out of 51.

Genomic and Functional Variation of the Chlorophyll -Producing Cyanobacterium .

The Chlorophyll -producing cyanobacterium is widely distributed in marine environments enriched in far-red light, but our understanding of its genomic and functional diversity is limited. Here, we take an integrative approach to investigate diversity for 37 strains, which includes twelve newly isolated strains from previously unsampled locations in Europe and the Pacific Northwest of North America. A genome-wide phylogeny revealed both that closely related have migrated within geographic regions and that distantly related lineages can co-occur.

Bacterial Adaptation by a Transposition Burst of an Invading IS Element.

The general importance of transposable elements (TEs) for adaptive evolution remains unclear. This in part reflects a poor understanding of the role of TEs for adaptation in nonmodel systems. Here, we investigated whether insertion sequence (IS) elements are a major source of beneficial mutations during 400 generations of laboratory evolution of the cyanobacterium Acaryochloris marina strain CCMEE 5410, which has experienced a recent or on-going IS element expansion and has among the highest transposase gene contents for a bacterial genome.

Reacquisition of light-harvesting genes in a marine cyanobacterium confers a broader solar niche.

The evolution of phenotypic plasticity, i.e., the environmental induction of alternative phenotypes by the same genotype, can be an important mechanism of biological diversification.

Comparing Spore Resistance of Bacillus Strains Isolated from Hydrothermal Vents and Spacecraft Assembly Facilities to Environmental Stressors and Decontamination Treatments.

Submarine hydrothermal vents are inhabited by a variety of microorganisms capable of tolerating environmental extremes, making them ideal candidates to further expand our knowledge of the limitations for terrestrial life, including their ability to survive the exposure of spaceflight-relevant conditions. The spore resistance of two Bacillus spp. strains, APA and SBP3, isolated from two shallow vents off Panarea Island (Aeolian Islands, Italy), to artificial and environmental stressors (i.