Microplastics (MPs), defined as plastic particles smaller than 5 mm, are increasingly recognized as environmental contaminants with potential health risks. These emerge as breakdown products of larger plastics and are omnipresent in marine, freshwater, and terrestrial ecosystems. They are primarily composed of polymers such as polyethylene, polypropylene, polystyrene, and additives that enhance their performance.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFDental caries, a persistent oral health challenge primarily linked to , extends its implications beyond dental decay, affecting over 4 billion individuals globally. Despite its historical association with childhood, dental caries often persists into adulthood with prevalence rates ranging from 60 to 90% in children and 26 to 85% in adults. Currently, there is a dearth of multiepitope vaccines (MEVs) specifically designed to combat .
View Article and Find Full Text PDFWe report here the structural and functional properties of an oxalate decarboxylase (OxDC)-like cupin domain-containing protein of Bacillus amyloliquefaciens MBNC and its role in imparting tolerance to acid stress conditions. Quantitative real-time PCR (qPCR) analysis revealed 32-fold and 20-fold upregulation of the target gene [(OxDC')cupin] under acetic acid stress and hydrochloric acid stress, respectively, indicating its association with the acid stress response. Bacterial cells with targeted inactivation of the (OxDC')cupin gene using the pMUTIN4 vector system showed decreased growth and survival rate in acidic pH, with drastically reduced exopolysaccharide production.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAluminium (Al) toxicity in acid soil ecosystems is a major impediment to crop production as it drastically affects plant root growth, thereby acquisition of nutrients from the soil. Plant growth-promoting bacteria offers an interesting avenue for promoting plant growth under an Al-phytotoxic environment. Here, we report the plant growth-promoting activities of an acid-tolerant isolate of Bacillus subtilis that could ameliorate acid-induced Al-stress in rice (Oryza sativa L.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFCommon scab (CS) caused by pathogenic Streptomyces spp. plays a decisive role in the qualitative and quantitative production of potatoes worldwide. Although the CS pathogen is present in Assam's soil, disease signs and symptoms are less obvious in the landrace Rongpuria potatoes that indicate an interesting interaction between the plant and the geocaulosphere microbial population.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe last two decades have witnessed a large-scale conversion of crop cultivation areas into small and mid-sized tea plantations in Assam, India. Agricultural land-use pattern positively or negatively influences native hydrology and above- and belowground biodiversity. Very little is known about the effect of agricultural land-use patterns on the soil virus (especially, bacteriophage) community structure and function.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFProline plays a multifunctional role in several organisms including bacteria in conferring protection under stress conditions. In this paper we report the role of proline in conferring acid tolerance to Bacillus megaterium G18. An acid susceptible mutant of B.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFMethicillin-resistant (MRSA) is an opportunistic pathogen and responsible for causing life-threatening infections. The emergence of hypervirulent and multidrug-resistant (MDR) strains led to challenging issues in antibiotic therapy. Consequently, the morbidity and mortality rates caused by infections have a substantial impact on health concerns.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPropolis is a natural bee product that is widely used in folk medicine. This study aimed to evaluate the antimicrobial and antibiofilm activities of ethanolic extract of propolis (EEP) on methicillin-resistant and sensitive (MRSA and MSSA). Propolis samples were collected from six regions in Hungary.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFStaphylococcus aureus is a major human and animal pathogen although the animal-associated S. aureus can be a potential risk of human zoonoses. Acquisition of phage-related genomic islands determines the S.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFis a drug-resistant pathogen, capable of colonizing diverse ecological niches and causing a broad spectrum of infections related to a community and healthcare. In this study, we choose four methicillin-resistant (MRSA) clinical isolates from Germany and Hungary based on our previous polyphasic characterization finding. We assumed that the selected strains have a different genetic background in terms of the presence of resistance and virulence genes, prophages, plasmids, and secondary metabolite biosynthesis genes that may play a crucial role in niche adaptation and pathogenesis.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFIn the present study, a total of 35 isolates collected from two different geographical locations viz., Germany and Hungary were tested for their methicillin-resistant phenotype which revealed a high incidence of methicillin-resistant . The quantitative test for biofilm production revealed that 73.
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