Biological and genomic characterization of three psychrophilic phages.

() is an important foodborne pathogenic species that is mainly transmitted by the consumption of contaminated meat, particularly pork. To combat the bacteria along the food chain, the application of strictly lytic phages may be a promising tool. As the temperatures in the gut of animals and during food processing can differ significantly, a phage cocktail intended to be used for applications should comprise phages that are active at various temperatures.

Genetic identification, morphology and distribution of subspecies in southern and western Switzerland (Reptilia, Squamata, Serpentes).

Most of Switzerland is inhabited by the nominotypical subspecies of the barred grass snake (), which is characterized by mitochondrial DNA lineage E. Only in the northeast of the country, the common grass snake () occurs and hybridizes with in a narrow contact zone. However, we discovered that in southern and western Switzerland barred grass snakes representing another mtDNA lineage (lineage C) are widely distributed.

A bacteriophage cocktail can efficiently reduce five important serotypes both on chicken skin and stainless steel.

is one of the most important zoonotic pathogens and is mostly transmitted through food of animal origin. Application of bacteriophages is a promising tool to biocontrol on both food and food contact surfaces. In this study, we evaluated the effectiveness of a six-phage cocktail for the reduction of Enteritidis and a mixture of five major serotypes (.

Improvement of the EN ISO 10273:2017 method for the cultural detection of Yersinia enterocolitica in meat.

The isolation of Yersinia enterocolitica from food is challenging, because the bacteria are readily overgrown by the concomitant microflora. In addition, thus far, no strictly selective medium for this species is available. The gold standard for cultural detection of Y.

The Novel Telomere Phage vB_YenS_P840 Is Closely Related to PY54, but Reveals Some Striking Differences.

Telomere phages are a small group of temperate phages, whose prophages replicate as a linear plasmid with covalently closed ends. They have been isolated from some and from bacterial species living in aquatic environments. Phage PY54 was the first () telomere phage isolated from a nonpathogenic O:5 strain, but recently a second telomeric phage (vB_YenS_P840) was isolated from a tonsil of a wild boar in Germany.

A Bacteriophage Cocktail Reduces Five Relevant Serotypes at Low Multiplicities of Infection and Low Temperatures.

are important pathogenic bacteria and, following , they are the second most common cause of bacterial foodborne infections worldwide. To reduce the presence of bacteria along the food chain, the application of bacteriophages (phages) may be a promising tool. In this study, the lytic properties of six phages against five relevant serotypes ( Enteritidis, .

Ophiodimyces ophiodiicola, Etiologic Agent of Snake Fungal Disease, in Europe since Late 1950s.

The fungus Ophiodimyces ophiodiicola is the etiologic agent of snake fungal disease. Recent findings date US occurrence at least as far back as 1945. We analyzed 22 free-ranging snakes with gross lesions consistent with snake fungal disease from museum collections from Europe.

Phage vB_YenS_P400, a Novel Virulent Siphovirus of Isolated from Deer.

Phage vB_YenS_P400 isolated from deer, is a virulent siphovirus of , whose circularly permutated genome (46,585 bp) is not substantially related to any other phage deposited in public nucleotide databases. vB_YenS_P400 showed a very narrow host range and exclusively lysed two B4/O:3 strains. Moreover, lytic activity by this phage was only discernible at room temperature.

Phylogeographic inference of Sumatran ranids bearing gastromyzophorous tadpoles with regard to the Pleistocene drainage systems of Sundaland.

Rivers are known to act as biogeographic barriers in several strictly terrestrial taxa, while possibly serving as conduits of dispersal for freshwater-tolerant or -dependent species. However, the influence of river systems on genetic diversity depends on taxa-specific life history traits as well as other geographic factors. In amphibians, several studies have demonstrated that river systems have only minor influence on their divergence.

Host Range, Morphology and Sequence Analysis of Ten Temperate Phages Isolated from Pathogenic Strains.

is a heterogeneous species comprising highly pathogenic, weakly pathogenic and non-pathogenic strains. Previous data suggest that gene exchange may occur in . Only scarce information exists about temperate phages of even though many prophage sequences are present in this species.

Widely used, short 16S rRNA mitochondrial gene fragments yield poor and erratic results in phylogenetic estimation and species delimitation of amphibians.

Background: The 16S mitochondrial rRNA gene is the most widely sequenced molecular marker in amphibian systematic studies, making it comparable to the universal CO1 barcode that is more commonly used in other animal groups. However, studies employ different primer combinations that target different lengths/regions of the 16S gene ranging from complete gene sequences (~ 1500 bp) to short fragments (~ 500 bp), the latter of which is the most ubiquitously used. Sequences of different lengths are often concatenated, compared, and/or jointly analyzed to infer phylogenetic relationships, estimate genetic divergence (p-distances), and justify the recognition of new species (species delimitation), making the 16S gene region, by far, the most influential molecular marker in amphibian systematics.

Birds Kept in the German Zoo "Tierpark Berlin" Are a Common Source for Polyvalent Phages.

is an important animal pathogen, particularly for birds, rodents, and monkeys, which is also able to infect humans. Indeed, an increasing number of reports have been published on zoo animals that were killed by this species. One option to treat diseased animals is the application of strictly lytic (virulent) phages.

Properties of Two Broad Host Range Phages of Isolated from Wild Animals.

(.) and are important zoonotic agents which can infect both humans and animals. To combat these pathogens, the application of strictly lytic phages may be a promising tool.

Unexpectedly high levels of lineage diversity in Sundaland puddle frogs (Dicroglossidae: Occidozyga Kuhl and van Hasselt, 1822).

One of the most urgent contemporary tasks for taxonomists and evolutionary biologists is to estimate the number of species on earth. Recording alpha diversity is crucial for protecting biodiversity, especially in areas of elevated species richness, which coincide geographically with increased anthropogenic environmental pressures - the world's so-called biodiversity hotspots. Although the distribution of Puddle frogs of the genus Occidozyga in South and Southeast Asia includes five biodiversity hotspots, the available data on phylogeny, species diversity, and biogeography are surprisingly patchy.

Anatomical features of the phytotelma dwelling, egg-eating, fanged tadpoles of Rhacophorus vampyrus (Anura: Rhacophoridae).

Tadpoles of the Vampire tree frog Rhacophorus vampyrus differ substantially from other rhacophorid tadpoles, by having profound modifications in external morphology. The morphological peculiarities of this species likely correlate with their arboreal microhabitat and strict oophagous diet. In this work, we examine buccal and musculoskeletal anatomy and compare them to other rhacophorid and egg-eating larvae.

The Phages ΦE058 and ΦE067 Represent Distinct Prototypes of a New Subgroup of Temperate Myoviruses.

and are highly pathogenic species which are closely related, but diverse regarding their prophage content. While temperate phages have not yet been isolated from , several phages of , and its non-pathogenic relative have been described. In this study we isolated two phages from and three phages from and determined their morphology, host range, and relationship.

Phage Isolation and Characterization: What We Have Learned So Far.

Lytic phages, which can be used to combat this pathogen in animals and on food products, have been studied for more than 30 years. Though, due to some peculiarities of the phages, which hampered their isolation and particularly their molecular analysis for a long time, progress in this research field was rather slow. Meanwhile, the situation has changed and much more is known about the biology and genetics of those phages.

Yersinia pseudotuberculosis Prevalence and Diversity in Wild Boars in Northeast Germany.

In this study, the prevalence of in wild boars in northeast Germany was determined. For that purpose, the tonsils of 503 wild boars were sampled. The presence of was studied by diagnostic PCR.

Complete Genome Sequences of 10 Yersinia pseudotuberculosis Isolates Recovered from Wild Boars in Germany.

We report here the draft genome sequences of 10 isolates recovered from tonsils of wild boars hunted between 2015 and 2016 in Germany. Whole-genome sequencing and bioinformatic analyses were performed to assess the diversity of , which may result in human infections caused by the consumption of game meat.

Prevalence and Antimicrobial Resistance of Yersinia enterocolitica in Retail Seafood.

Yersinia enterocolitica is a zoonotic enteropathogenic bacterium that can cause acute gastroenteritis and mesenteric lymphadenitis. Although Y. enterocolitica is common in animals, food, and the environment, the reservoirs and transmission routes of this pathogen are still not fully understood.

Validation of EN ISO method 10273 - Detection of pathogenic Yersinia enterocolitica in foods.

EN ISO 10273 method for the detection of pathogenic Yersinia enterocolitica in foods was validated in the project Mandate M/381 funded by European Commission. A total of 14 laboratories from five European countries participated in the interlaboratory study (ILS) organized during 2013 and 2014. Before the ILS, the method was revised by an international group of experts and the performance of the revised method was assessed in an ILS study.

A multiplex real-time PCR for the detection and differentiation of Campylobacter phages.

Campylobacter jejuni and C. coli are important food-borne pathogens that are widespread in animal husbandry. To combat Campylobacter along the food chain, the application of lytic phages has been shown to be a promising tool.

Complete Genome Sequence of the Temperate Phage KPP5665-2.

We describe here the genome sequence of the novel temperate phage KPP5665-2 isolated from a strain recovered from milk in Germany in 2016. The phage exhibited a narrow host range and a siphoviridal morphology. KPP5665-2-related prophage sequences were detected in whole-genome sequencing (WGS) data of various species isolates.

Prevalence, Host Range, and Comparative Genomic Analysis of Temperate Phages.

and are closely related bacteria that populate different habitats and differ in their pathogenic properties. Only little is known about mobile genetic elements in these genera which might be important for survival and virulence. Previous studies on lysogeny indicated that active phages are rare in this genus.