Publications by authors named "Rok Kostanjsek"

Aureobasidium melanogenum is a black yeast-like fungus that occurs frequently both in nature and in domestic environments. It is becoming increasingly important as an opportunistic pathogen. Nevertheless, its effect on human cells has not yet been studied.

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is a highly infectious gram-negative bacterium that causes tularemia in humans and animals. It can survive and multiply in a variety of cells, including macrophages, dendritic cells, amoebae, and arthropod-derived cells. However, the intracellular life cycle of a bacterium varies depending on the cell type.

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High-density genotyping methods have revolutionized the field of population and conservation genetics in the past decade. To exploit the technological and analytical advances in the field, access to high-quality genetic material is a key component. However, access to such samples in endangered and rare animals is often challenging or even impossible.

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Filamentous bacteriophages belonging to the order , family , significantly affect the properties of Gram-negative bacteria, but filamentous phages of many important pathogens have not been described so far. The aim of this study was to examine filamentous phages for the first time and to determine their effect on bacterial virulence. The filamentous phages were detected in 15.

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Article Synopsis
  • Scientists created a special cell model called the MAGIC model to understand how bacteria live in the human mammary gland, which is important for health.
  • They used a type of cell called MCF10A that can grow similar to cells found in the mammary gland and tested how well bacteria from human milk can stick to this model.
  • The MAGIC model showed important details about how bacteria attach and react to different milk samples, which can help researchers learn more about bacterial interactions in the mammary gland.
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During the 2021 European Food Safety Authority coordinated harmonized monitoring of antimicrobial resistance in species in Slovenia, five -like strains were cultured from caeca of a total of 104 domestic pigs that could not be identified using the standard-prescribed biochemical tests or MALDI-TOF MS. The isolates were obtained using the standard ISO 10272 procedure for the isolation of thermotolerant with prolonged cultivation time. Small -like colonies were observed on mCCDA and CASA agar plates after 2-4 days of incubation; dark-field microscopy revealed relatively big spirilli-shaped bacteria exhibiting characteristic -like motility.

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The investigation of the microbial community change in the biofilm, growing on the walls of a containment tank of TRIGA nuclear reactor revealed a thriving community in an oligotrophic and heavy-metal-laden environment, periodically exposed to high pulses of ionizing radiation (IR). We observed a vertical IR resistance/tolerance stratification of microbial genera, with higher resistance and less diversity closer to the reactor core. One of the isolated strains survived 15 kGy of combined gamma and proton radiation, which was surprising.

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The self-binding of bacterial cells, or autoaggregation, is, together with surface colonization, one of the first steps in the formation of a mature biofilm. In this work, the autoaggregation of B. subtilis in dilute bacterial suspensions was studied.

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Subchondroplasty is a new minimally invasive surgical technique developed to treat bone marrow lesions (BML) and early osteoarthritis (OA). During the procedure, engineered calcium phosphate compound (CPC) is injected. It is claimed by the manufacturer that during the healing process, the CPC is replaced with new bone.

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Bacillus thuringiensis serovar israelensis is the most widely used biopesticide against insects, including vectors of animal and human diseases. Among several extrachromosomal elements, this endospore-forming entomopathogen harbors two bacteriophages: a linear DNA replicon named GIL01 that does not integrate into the chromosome during lysogeny and a circular-jumbo prophage known as pBtic235. Here, we show that GIL01 hinders the induction of cohabiting prophage pBtic235.

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Seven -like isolates were cultured from caecal contents of 100 domestic pigs () sampled as part of the EFSA-coordinated harmonized monitoring of antimicrobial resistance in sp. in 2015. The bacteria were isolated using the standard ISO 10272 procedure for the isolation of thermotolerant with extended incubation time and formed small, grey, moist and flat colonies with a metallic sheen (small -like colonies) on modified Charcoal-Cefoperazone-Deoxycholate Agar (mCCDA) and Skirow agar plates.

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Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are increasingly recognized as an important mechanism for cell-cell interactions. Their role in fungi is still poorly understood and they have been isolated from only a handful of species. Here, we isolated and characterized EVs from Aureobasidium pullulans, a biotechnologically important black yeast-like fungus that is increasingly used for biocontrol of phytopathogenic fungi and bacteria.

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Encapsulation of a selected DNA molecule in a cell has important implications for bionanotechnology. Non-viral proteins that can be used as nucleic acid containers include proteinaceous subcellular bacterial microcompartments (MCPs) that self-assemble into a selectively permeable protein shell containing an enzymatic core. Here, we adapted a propanediol utilization (Pdu) MCP into a synthetic protein cage to package a specified DNA segment in vivo, thereby enabling subsequent affinity purification.

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is a neotenic cave salamander, endemic to the Dinaric Karst and a symbol of world natural heritage. It is classified as "vulnerable" by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and is one of the EU priority species in need of strict protection. Due to inaccessibility of their natural underground habitat, scientific studies of the olm have been conducted mainly in captivity, where the amphibians are particularly susceptible to opportunistic microbial infections.

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The phylum Chlamydiae consists of obligate intracellular bacteria including major human pathogens and diverse environmental representatives. Here we investigated the Rhabdochlamydiaceae, which is predicted to be the largest and most diverse chlamydial family, with the few described members known to infect arthropod hosts. Using published 16 S rRNA gene sequence data we identified at least 388 genus-level lineages containing about 14 051 putative species within this family.

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In this study, we link pellicle development at the water-air interface with the vertical distribution and viability of the individual B. subtilis PS-216 cells throughout the water column. Real-time interfacial rheology and time-lapse confocal laser scanning microscopy were combined to correlate mechanical properties with morphological changes (aggregation status, filament formation, pellicle thickness, spore formation) of the growing pellicle.

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Background: Lightless caves can harbour a wide range of living organisms. Cave animals have evolved a set of morphological, physiological, and behavioural adaptations known as troglomorphisms, enabling their survival in the perpetual darkness, narrow temperature and humidity ranges, and nutrient scarcity of the subterranean environment. In this study, we focused on adaptations of skull shape and sensory systems in the blind cave salamander, Proteus anguinus, also known as olm or simply proteus-the largest cave tetrapod and the only European amphibian living exclusively in subterranean environments.

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In parasite–host interactions host species may differ in their ability to fight parasitic infections, while other ecological interactions, including competition, may differentially alter their physiological state, making them even more susceptible to parasites. In this study, we analyse the haemogregarine blood parasites infecting two competing lizard species, Iberolacerta horvathi and Podarcis muralis, and explore host–parasite relationships under different host competition scenarios. Both species were infected with haemogregarine parasites belonging to the genus Karyolysus.

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Two different morphologies of ferroelectric bismuth titanate (BiTiO) nanoparticles, , nanoplatelets and nanowires, were synthesized by changing the concentration of NaOH during a hydrothermal treatment of precipitated Ti and Bi ions. The nanoparticles' crystal structures were characterized using atomic-resolution imaging with a -probe-corrected scanning-transmission electron microscope in combination with X-ray diffractometry and Raman spectroscopy. The nanoplatelets (10 nm thick and from 50 nm to 200 nm wide) exhibit the Aurivillius-type layered-perovskite crystal structure that is characteristic of BiTiO, whereas the nanowires (from 15 nm to 35 nm wide and from several hundreds of nm to several μm long) exhibit an entirely new structure with an orthorhombic unit cell ( = 3.

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The applications of bacterial sonolysis in industrial settings are plagued by the lack of the knowledge of the exact mechanism of action of sonication on bacterial cells, variable effectiveness of cavitation on bacteria, and inconsistent data of its efficiency. In this study we have systematically changed material properties of E. coli cells to probe the effect of different cell wall layers on bacterial resistance to ultrasonic irradiation (20 kHz, output power 6,73 W, horn type, 3 mm probe tip diameter, 1 ml sample volume).

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Deciphering the genetic code of organisms with unusual phenotypes can help answer fundamental biological questions and provide insight into mechanisms relevant to human biomedical research. The cave salamander Proteus anguinus (Urodela: Proteidae), also known as the olm, is an example of a species with unique morphological and physiological adaptations to its subterranean environment, including regenerative abilities, resistance to prolonged starvation, and a life span of more than 100 years. However, the structure and sequence of the olm genome is still largely unknown owing to its enormous size, estimated at nearly 50 gigabases.

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Ostreolysin A6 (OlyA6) is a protein produced by the oyster mushroom (). It binds to membrane sphingomyelin/cholesterol domains, and together with its protein partner, pleurotolysin B (PlyB), it forms 13-meric transmembrane pore complexes. Further, OlyA6 binds 1000 times more strongly to the insect-specific membrane sphingolipid, ceramide phosphoethanolamine (CPE).

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Bacillus subtilis is a soil bacterium that is competent for natural transformation. Genetically distinct B. subtilis swarms form a boundary upon encounter, resulting in killing of one of the strains.

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Aegerolysins are proteins produced by bacteria, fungi, plants and protozoa. The most studied fungal aegerolysins share a common property of interacting with membranes enriched with cholesterol in combination with either sphingomyelin or ceramide phosphorylethanolamine (CPE), major sphingolipids in the cell membranes of vertebrates and invertebrates, respectively. However, genome analyses show a particularly high frequency of aegerolysin genes in bacteria, including the pathogenic genera Pseudomonas and Vibrio; these are human pathogens of high clinical relevance and can thrive in a variety of other species.

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The terrestrial crustacean Porcellio scaber (Crustacea: Isopoda) is an established invertebrate model in environmental research. Preceding research using isopods did not widely use immune markers. In order to advance their use in research, knowledge of the reference values in control animals as well as variations during infections is of importance.

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