Intermittent water stress favors microbial traits that better help wheat under drought.

Microorganisms can improve plant resistance to drought through various mechanisms, such as the production of plant hormones, osmolytes, antioxidants, and exopolysaccharides. It is, however, unclear how previous exposure to water stress affects the functional capacity of the soil microbial community to help plants resist drought. We compared two soils that had either a continuous or intermittent water stress history (WSH) for almost 40 years.

Terpene Synthase Gene Amplicons from Subseafloor Sediment.

In this announcement, we present the set of putative terpene synthase (TS) gene fragments detected in a subseafloor sediment sample collected off Shimokita Peninsula, Japan. This data set contains sequences with 72 to 100% identity to TS from actinobacteria and cyanobacteria.

Creating SPACE to evolve academic assessment.

Universities and research institutions have to assess individuals when making decisions about hiring, promotion and tenure, but there are concerns that such assessments are overly reliant on metrics and proxy measures of research quality that overlook important factors such as academic rigor, data sharing and mentoring. These concerns have led to calls for universities and institutions to reform the methods they use to assess research and researchers. Here we present a new tool called SPACE that has been designed to help universities and institutions implement such reforms.

Correlative SEM-Raman microscopy to reveal nanoplastics in complex environments.

Nowadays "microplastics" (MPs) is an already well-known term and results of micro-sized particles found in consumer products or environments are regularly reported. However, studies of native MPs smaller than 1 μm, often referred to as nanoplastics (NPs), in analytically challenging environments are rare. In this study, a correlative approach between scanning electron microscopy and Raman microscopy is tested to meet the challenges of finding and identifying NPs in the 100 nm range in various environments, ranging from ideal (distilled water) to challenging (sea salt, human amniotic fluid).

Infochemicals in terrestrial plants and seaweed holobionts: current and future trends.

Since the holobiont concept came into the limelight ten years ago, we have become aware that responses of holobionts to climate change stressors may be driven by shifts in the microbiota. However, the complex interactions underlying holobiont responses across aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems remain largely unresolved. One of the key factors driving these responses is the infochemical-mediated communication in the holobiont.

A Gaseous Milieu: Extending the Boundaries of the Rhizosphere.

Plant root activities shape microbial community functioning in the soil, making the rhizosphere the epicenter of soil biogeochemical processes. With this opinion article, we argue to rethink the rhizosphere boundaries: as gases can diffuse several centimeters away from the roots into the soil, the portion of soil influenced by root activities is larger than the strictly root-adhering soil. Indeed, gases are key drivers of biogeochemical processes due to their roles as energy sources or communication molecules, which has the potential to modify microbial community structure and functioning.

[Differential Reflection of the Relationship between Therapeutic Alliance and Outcome in a Day Treatment Hospital Setting].

Objective: The therapeutic alliance is considered to be a significant and empirically well-documented determinant of therapeutical success. The aim of the present study was to replicate this effect using a large daily clinical sample and to consider different aspects of the therapeutic relationship in an extreme group of particularly low relationship satisfaction separately.

Method: A longitudinal examination of a sample of n=809 patients (M=34,32; SD=10,7; 72,6% female) in a day care hospital setting was carried out.

Microbe-driven chemical ecology: past, present and future.

In recent years, research in the field of Microbial Ecology has revealed the tremendous diversity and complexity of microbial communities across different ecosystems. Microbes play a major role in ecosystem functioning and contribute to the health and fitness of higher organisms. Scientists are now facing many technological and methodological challenges in analyzing these complex natural microbial communities.

Fifty Percent Human - how art brings us in touch with our microbial cohabitants.

The Human Microbiome, as well as the exploration of the microorganisms inhabiting the human body, are not only integral to the field of microbiology but represent an intrinsic part of all human beings. Consequently, along with scientists, artists have been inspired by the microbiome: transforming it in to tangible artefacts in order to critically question, reflect on and break down the barrier between humans and their microcohabitants. By artistic means, artists help us to understand how microbial research topics are inevitably affected by societal influences, including (health) politics, economics and the arts.

Deciphering the genome and secondary metabolome of the plant pathogen Fusarium culmorum.

Fusarium culmorum is one of the most important fungal plant pathogens that causes diseases on a wide diversity of cereal and non-cereal crops. We report herein for the first time the genome sequence of F. culmorum strain PV and its associated secondary metabolome that plays a role in the interaction with other microorganisms and contributes to its pathogenicity on plants.

Effects of alcohol intoxication on self-reported drinking patterns, expectancies, motives and personality: a randomized controlled experimental study.

Alcohol intoxication may affect self-reports of alcohol use and related constructs, such as impulsivity and dependence symptoms. Improved knowledge about potential systematic reporting biases induced by alcohol, e.g.

Fungal volatile compounds induce production of the secondary metabolite Sodorifen in Serratia plymuthica PRI-2C.

The ability of bacteria and fungi to communicate with each other is a remarkable aspect of the microbial world. It is recognized that volatile organic compounds (VOCs) act as communication signals, however the molecular responses by bacteria to fungal VOCs remain unknown. Here we perform transcriptomics and proteomics analyses of Serratia plymuthica PRI-2C exposed to VOCs emitted by the fungal pathogen Fusarium culmorum.

Rare variant in scavenger receptor BI raises HDL cholesterol and increases risk of coronary heart disease.

Scavenger receptor BI (SR-BI) is the major receptor for high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol (HDL-C). In humans, high amounts of HDL-C in plasma are associated with a lower risk of coronary heart disease (CHD). Mice that have depleted Scarb1 (SR-BI knockout mice) have markedly elevated HDL-C levels but, paradoxically, increased atherosclerosis.

Planar Chiral, Ferrocene-Stabilized Silicon Cations.

The preparation of a series of planar chiral, ferrocenyl-substituted hydrosilanes as precursors of ferrocene-stabilized silicon cations is described. These molecules also feature stereogenicity at the silicon atom. The generation and (29)Si NMR spectroscopic characterization of the corresponding silicon cations is reported, and problems arising from interactions of the electron-deficient silicon atom and adjacent C(sp(3))-H bonds or aromatic π donors are discussed.

Microbial Small Talk: Volatiles in Fungal-Bacterial Interactions.

There is increasing evidence that volatile organic compounds (VOCs) play an important role in the interactions between fungi and bacteria, two major groups of soil inhabiting microorganisms. Yet, most of the research has been focused on effects of bacterial volatiles on suppression of plant pathogenic fungi whereas little is known about the responses of bacteria to fungal volatiles. In the current study we performed a metabolomics analysis of volatiles emitted by several fungal and oomycetal soil strains under different nutrient conditions and growth stages.

Exploring the genomic traits of fungus-feeding bacterial genus Collimonas.

Background: Collimonas is a genus belonging to the class of Betaproteobacteria and consists mostly of soil bacteria with the ability to exploit living fungi as food source (mycophagy). Collimonas strains differ in a range of activities, including swimming motility, quorum sensing, extracellular protease activity, siderophore production, and antimicrobial activities.

Results: In order to reveal ecological traits possibly related to Collimonas lifestyle and secondary metabolites production, we performed a comparative genomics analysis based on whole-genome sequencing of six strains representing 3 recognized species.

Volatile affairs in microbial interactions.

Microorganisms are important factors in shaping our environment. One key characteristic that has been neglected for a long time is the ability of microorganisms to release chemically diverse volatile compounds. At present, it is clear that the blend of volatiles released by microorganisms can be very complex and often includes many unknown compounds for which the chemical structures remain to be elucidated.

Effects of bacterial inoculants on the indigenous microbiome and secondary metabolites of chamomile plants.

Plant-associated bacteria fulfill important functions for plant growth and health. However, our knowledge about the impact of bacterial treatments on the host's microbiome and physiology is limited. The present study was conducted to assess the impact of bacterial inoculants on the microbiome of chamomile plants Chamomilla recutita (L.

The microbiome of medicinal plants: diversity and importance for plant growth, quality and health.

Past medicinal plant research primarily focused on bioactive phytochemicals, however, the focus is currently shifting due to the recognition that a significant number of phytotherapeutic compounds are actually produced by associated microbes or through interaction with their host. Medicinal plants provide an enormous bioresource of potential use in modern medicine and agriculture, yet their microbiome is largely unknown. The objective of this review is (i) to introduce novel insights into the plant microbiome with a focus on medicinal plants, (ii) to provide details about plant- and microbe-derived ingredients of medicinal plants, and (iii) to discuss possibilities for plant growth promotion and plant protection for commercial cultivation of medicinal plants.

Silylium ion-catalyzed challenging Diels-Alder reactions: the danger of hidden proton catalysis with strong Lewis acids.

The pronounced Lewis acidity of tricoordinate silicon cations brings about unusual reactivity in Lewis acid catalysis. The downside of catalysis with strong Lewis acids is, though, that these do have the potential to mediate the formation of protons by various mechanisms, and the thus released Brønsted acid might even outcompete the Lewis acid as the true catalyst. That is an often ignored point.

Stimulus-induced translocation of the protein kinase A catalytic subunit to the apical membrane in blowfly salivary glands.

Secretion in blowfly (Calliphora vicina) salivary glands is regulated by the neurohormone serotonin (5-HT), which activates the InsP(3)/Ca(2+) pathway and the cAMP/protein kinase A (PKA) pathway in the secretory cells. The latter signaling cascade induces the activation of a vacuolar H(+)-ATPase on the apical membrane. Here, we have determined the distribution of PKA by using antibodies against the PKA regulatory subunit-II (PKA-RII) and the PKA catalytic subunit (PKA-C) of Drosophila.

cAMP potentiates InsP3-induced Ca2+ release from the endoplasmic reticulum in blowfly salivary glands.

Background: Serotonin induces fluid secretion from Calliphora salivary glands by the parallel activation of the InsP3/Ca2+ and cAMP signaling pathways. We investigated whether cAMP affects 5-HT-induced Ca2+ signaling and InsP3-induced Ca2+ release from the endoplasmic reticulum (ER).

Results: Increasing intracellular cAMP level by bath application of forskolin, IBMX or cAMP in the continuous presence of threshold 5-HT concentrations converted oscillatory [Ca2+]i changes into a sustained increase.