Unlabelled: utilizes selenocysteine- (Sec-) containing proteins (selenoproteins), mostly active in the organism's primary energy metabolism, methanogenesis. During selenium depletion, employs a set of enzymes containing cysteine (Cys) instead of Sec. The genes coding for these Sec-/Cys-containing isoforms were the only genes known of which expression is influenced by the selenium status of the cell.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFIntroduction: The emergence of carbapenem-resistant bacteria causing serious infections may lead to more frequent use of previously abandoned antibiotics like colistin. However, mobile colistin resistance genes () can jeopardise its effectiveness in both human and veterinary medicine. In Germany, turkeys have been identified as the food-producing animal most likely to harbour -positive colistin-resistant Enterobacterales (-Col-E).
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe SARS-CoV-2 pandemic has highlighted the importance of viable infection surveillance and the relevant infrastructure. From a German perspective, an integral part of this infrastructure, genomic pathogen sequencing, was at best fragmentary and stretched to its limits due to the lack or inefficient use of equipment, human resources, data management and coordination. The experience in other countries has shown that the rate of sequenced positive samples and linkage of genomic and epidemiological data (person, place, time) represent important factors for a successful application of genomic pathogen surveillance.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPCR-based screening assays targeting strain-specific genetic markers allow the timely detection and specific differentiation of bacterial strains. Especially in situations where an infection cluster occurs, fast assay development is crucial for supporting targeted control measures. However, the turnaround times (TATs) for assay setup may be high due to insufficient knowledge about screening assay methods, workflows, and software tools.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBundesgesundheitsblatt Gesundheitsforschung Gesundheitsschutz
April 2023
The SARS-CoV‑2 pandemic has shown a deficit of essential epidemiological infrastructure, especially with regard to genomic pathogen surveillance in Germany. In order to prepare for future pandemics, the authors consider it urgently necessary to remedy this existing deficit by establishing an efficient infrastructure for genomic pathogen surveillance. Such a network can build on structures, processes, and interactions that have already been initiated regionally and further optimize them.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAppl Environ Microbiol
August 2021
Lactate is a universal metabolite and energy source, yet the mode of lactate metabolism in many strictly anaerobic microorganisms is still enigmatic. This sparked us to investigate the biochemistry and bioenergetics of lactate metabolism in the model acetogenic bacterium Moorella thermoacetica. Growth and metabolism were dependent on CO and the chemiosmotic gradient.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBiohybrids composed of microorganisms and nanoparticles have emerged as potential systems for bioenergy and high-value compound production from CO and light energy, yet the cellular and metabolic processes within the biological component of this system are still elusive. Here we dissect the biohybrid composed of the anaerobic acetogenic bacterium Moorella thermoacetica and cadmium sulphide nanoparticles (CdS) in terms of physiology, metabolism, enzymatics and transcriptomic profiling. Our analyses show that while the organism does not grow on L-cysteine, it is metabolized to acetate in the biohybrid system and this metabolism is independent of CdS or light.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAppl Environ Microbiol
November 2020
is one of the most frequently isolated multidrug-resistant nosocomial opportunistic pathogens. It contributes to disease progression in cystic fibrosis (CF) patients and is frequently isolated from wounds, infected tissues, and catheter surfaces. On these diverse surfaces lives in single-species or multispecies biofilms.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAppl Microbiol Biotechnol
June 2020
Nitrilases are industrially important biocatalysts due to their ability to degrade nitriles to carboxylic acids and ammonia. In this study, a workflow for simple and fast recovery of nitrilase candidates from metagenomes is presented. For identification of active enzymes, a NADH-coupled high-throughput assay was established.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBacillus subtilis is a Gram-positive bacterium that is easy to manipulate genetically. Several methods for genome engineering have been developed that helped to extend our understanding of how the B. subtilis cell operates.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFMany microorganisms such as bacteria proliferate extremely fast and the populations may reach high cell densities. Small fractions of cells in a population always have accumulated mutations that are either detrimental or beneficial for the cell. If the fitness effect of a mutation provides the subpopulation with a strong selective growth advantage, the individuals of this subpopulation may rapidly outcompete and even completely eliminate their immediate fellows.
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