Aggregation and sedimentation of Thalassiosira weissflogii (diatom) in a warmer and more acidified future ocean.

Increasing Transparent Exopolymer Particle (TEP) formation during diatom blooms as a result of elevated temperature and pCO2 have been suggested to result in enhanced aggregation and carbon flux, therewith potentially increasing the sequestration of carbon by the ocean. We present experimental results on TEP and aggregate formation by Thalassiosira weissflogii (diatom) in the presence or absence of bacteria under two temperature and three pCO2 scenarios. During the aggregation phase of the experiment TEP formation was elevated at the higher temperature (20°C vs.

Development of a genetic system for Marinobacter adhaerens HP15 involved in marine aggregate formation by interacting with diatom cells.

Diatom aggregation is substantial for organic carbon flux from the photic zone to deeper waters. Many heterotrophic bacteria ubiquitously found in diverse marine environments interact with marine algae and thus impact organic matter and energy cycling in the ocean. In particular, Marinobacter adhaerens HP15 induces aggregate formation while interacting with the diatom, Thalassiosira weissflogii.

Marinobacter adhaerens sp. nov., isolated from marine aggregates formed with the diatom Thalassiosira weissflogii.

A Gram-negative, motile, rod-shaped bacterial strain, HP15(T), was isolated from aggregates taken from surface waters of the German Wadden Sea (German Bight). Of 82 marine isolates, HP15(T) was chosen for further study because of its high potential to induce production of transparent exopolymeric particles and aggregate formation while interacting with the diatom Thalassiosira weissflogii. HP15(T) grew optimally at 34-38 °C and pH 7.

Complete genome sequence of Marinobacter adhaerens type strain (HP15), a diatom-interacting marine microorganism.

Marinobacter adhaerens HP15 is the type strain of a newly identified marine species, which is phylogenetically related to M. flavimaris, M. algicola, and M.

Defensins: antimicrobial peptides for therapeutic development.

A novel class of endogenous antimicrobial peptides called defensins has shown great versatility in their activity against a diverse range of microorganisms including bacteria, viruses and fungi. Their mode of action of bacterial cell lysis seems largely nonspecific and so promises to avert the development of resistance. These two features have made them an area of intense research activity and growing commercial interest.

Defensins knowledgebase: a manually curated database and information source focused on the defensins family of antimicrobial peptides.

The defensins knowledgebase is a manually curated database and information source focused on the defensin family of antimicrobial peptides. The current version of the database holds a comprehensive collection of over 350 defensin records each containing sequence, structure and activity information. A web-based interface provides access to the information and allows for text-based searching on the data fields.

Faithful expression of living color reporter genes in transgenic medaka under two tissue-specific zebrafish promoters.

To test tissue specificity of zebrafish gene promoters in a heterologous fish species, two transgenic medaka lines under two zebrafish promoters were generated. Under the zebrafish skeletal muscle-specific mylz2 promoter, transgenic medaka expressed green fluorescent protein (GFP) exclusively in skeletal muscles, mimicking the endogenous medaka mylz2 mRNA expression and also identical to GFP expression in mylz2:gfp transgenic zebrafish. A madaka mylz2 promoter was also capable of directing skeletal muscle-specific GFP expression in transient transgenic zebrafish embryos.