Antibiotic resistance in urban soils: Dynamics and mitigation strategies.

Antibiotic resistance (AR) is a critical global health issue with significant clinical and economic implications. AR occurs when microorganisms develop mechanisms to withstand the effects of antibiotics, reducing treatment efficacy and increasing the risk of mortality and healthcare costs. While the connection between antibiotic use in clinical and agricultural settings and the emergence of AR is well-established, the role of urban soils as reservoirs and spreaders of AR is underexplored.

Unravelling DNA methylation dynamics during developmental stages in Quercus ilex subsp. ballota [Desf.] Samp.

Background: DNA methylation is a critical factor influencing plant growth, adaptability, and phenotypic plasticity. While extensively studied in model and crop species, it remains relatively unexplored in holm oak and other non-domesticated forest trees. This study conducts a comprehensive in-silico mining of DNA methyltransferase and demethylase genes within the holm oak genome to enhance our understanding of this essential process in these understudied species.

Development of Broad-Range Microbial Minimal Culture Medium for Lanthanide Studies.

Rare Earth Elements (REE), also known as Lanthanides (Ln), are a group of 17 elements showing peculiar physical and chemical properties. Unlike technological applications, very little is known about the physiological role and toxicity of Ln on biological systems, in particular on microorganisms (e.g.

Epigenetic changes induced by chronic and acute chromium stress treatments in Arabidopsis thaliana identified by the MSAP-Seq.

Chromium (Cr) is an highly toxic metal to plants and causes severe damage to their growth, development, and reproduction. Plant exposure to chronic and acute Cr stress treatments results in significant changes at short time in the gene expression profile and at long time in the genomic DNA methylation profile at a transgenerational level and, consequently, in gene expression. These epigenetic modifications and their implications imposed by the Cr stress are not yet completely known in plants.

Reduction of antimicrobial resistance: Advancements in nature-based wastewater treatment.

Water scarcity, affecting one-fifth of the global population, is exacerbated by industrial, agricultural, and population growth pressures on water resources. Wastewater, containing Contaminants of Emerging Concern (CECs) such as antibiotics, presents environmental and health hazards. This study explores a Nature-Based Solution (NBS) using Constructed Wetlands (CWs) for wastewater reclamation and CECs removal.

Counteracting action of and strains against deleterious salt effects on L.

The salinization of soil is the process of progressive accumulation of salts such as sulfates, sodium, or chlorides into the soil. The increased level of salt has significant effects on glycophyte plants, such as rice, maize, and wheat, which are staple foods for the world's population. Consequently, it is important to develop biotechnologies that improve crops and clean up the soil.

Beyond Cleansing: Ecosystem Services Related to Phytoremediation.

Phytotechnologies used for cleaning up urban and suburban polluted soils (i.e., brownfields) have shown some weakness in the excessive extent of the timeframe required for them to be effectively operating.

Landfill leachate treatment by a combination of a multiple plant hybrid constructed wetland system with a solar photoFenton process in a raceway pond reactor.

The sustainable and green treatment of landfill leachate (LL), produced by municipal solid waste, represents one of the most relevant challenges in the integrated waste management systems. Accordingly, in this work a green solution was investigated by coupling an innovative hybrid constructed wetland (HCW) to a solar photo-Fenton (SPF) process. A multiple layers HCW pilot plant including different medium substrates (sand, solid compost and carriers) and plant species (Phragmites australis, Arundo donax and A.

Transgenerational effects of chromium stress at the phenotypic and molecular level in Arabidopsis thaliana.

In this study, we describe the results obtained in a study of the transgenerational phenotypic effects of chromium (Cr) stress on the model plant species Arabidopsis thaliana. The F1 generation derived from parents grown under chronic and medium chronic stress showed significantly higher levels of the maximal effective concentration (EC) compared with F1 plants generated from unstressed parents. Moreover, F1 plants from Cr-stressed parents showed a higher germination rate when grown in the presence of Cr.

An Epigenetic Alphabet of Crop Adaptation to Climate Change.

Crop adaptation to climate change is in a part attributed to epigenetic mechanisms which are related to response to abiotic and biotic stresses. Although recent studies increased our knowledge on the nature of these mechanisms, epigenetics remains under-investigated and still poorly understood in many, especially non-model, plants, Epigenetic modifications are traditionally divided into two main groups, DNA methylation and histone modifications that lead to chromatin remodeling and the regulation of genome functioning. In this review, we outline the most recent and interesting findings on crop epigenetic responses to the environmental cues that are most relevant to climate change.

Genetic Diversity and Differentiation of Eleven Species from Campania Region Revealed by Nuclear and Chloroplast Microsatellites Markers.

The species belonging to the genus are considered a very important genetic resource at global level both for planet's food security and for sustainable rangelands management. The checklist of the Italian flora (2021) includes a total number of 40 species for Italy, and 27 for Campania region, with a number of doubtful records or related to species no more found in the wild. In this study, 10 species native to Campania region, and one archaeophyte (, identified by means of morphological diagnostic characters, were analyzed in a blind test to assay the efficacy of nine microsatellite markers (five cp-SSRs and four n-SSRs).

Botanical, Phytochemical, Anti-Microbial and Pharmaceutical Characteristics of Hawthorn ( Jacq.), Rosaceae.

Hawthorn ( Jacq.) is a wild edible fruit tree of the genus , one of the most interesting genera of the Rosaceae family. This review is the first to consider, all together, the pharmaceutical, phytochemical, functional and therapeutic properties of based on numerous valuable secondary metabolites, including flavonoids, vitamin C, glycoside, anthocyanin, saponin, tannin and antioxidants.

Air quality biomonitoring through Olea europaea L.: The study case of "Land of pyres".

The "Land of pyres", namely "La Terra dei Fuochi", is an area of Campania region (South-Italy), highly inhabited and comprises between the Provinces of Naples and Caserta, sadly known worldwide for the criminal activities related to the illegal waste disposal and burning. These fires, concomitantly with traffic emissions, might be the source of potential toxic element (PTE) dangerous for the human health and causing pathologies. In the framework of Correlation Health-Environment project, funded by the Campania region, eight municipalities (of area "Land of pyres") and three remote sites have been bio-monitored using the olive (Olea europaea L.

Epigenetic Analysis through MSAP-NGS Coupled Technology: The Case Study of White Poplar Monoclonal Populations/Stands.

Over the last several decades, several lines of evidence have shown that epigenetic modifications modulate phenotype and mediate an organism's response to environmental stimuli. Plant DNA is normally highly methylated, although notable differences exist between species. Many biomolecular techniques based on PCR have been developed to analyse DNA methylation status, however a qualitative leap was made with the advent of next-generation sequencing (NGS).

Effects of Zinc Pollution and Compost Amendment on the Root Microbiome of a Metal Tolerant Poplar Clone.

Until recently, many phytoremediation studies were focused solely on a plants ability to reclaim heavy metal (HM) polluted soil through a range of different processes, such as phytoextraction and phytostabilization. However, the interaction between plants and their own rhizosphere microbiome represents a new research frontier for phytoremediation. Our hypothesis is that rhizomicrobiome might play a key role in plant wellness and in the response to external stimuli; therefore, this study aimed to shed light the rhizomicrobiome dynamics after an organic amendment (e.

Arsenic phytovolatilization and epigenetic modifications in Arundo donax L. assisted by a PGPR consortium.

Arsenic-(As) pollution is an increasing threat across the globe and it is reaching harmful values in several areas of the world. In this perspective, we assayed bio-phyto-remediation technology using Arundo donax L., assisted by Plant Growth Promoting Bacteria (PGPB) consortium (BC) constituted of two strains of Stenotrophomonas maltophilia sp.

The combined effect of Cr(III) and NaCl determines changes in metal uptake, nutrient content, and gene expression in quinoa (Chenopodium quinoa Willd.).

Many areas of the world are affected simultaneously by salinity and heavy metal pollution. Halophytes are considered as useful candidates in remediation of such soils due to their ability to withstand both osmotic stress and ion toxicity deriving from high salt concentrations. Quinoa (Chenopodium quinoa Willd) is a halophyte with a high resistance to abiotic stresses (drought, salinity, frost), but its capacity to cope with heavy metals has not yet been fully investigated.

High Biodiversity Arises from the Analyses of Morphometric, Biochemical and Genetic Data in Ancient Olive Trees of South of Italy.

Morphometric, biochemical and genetic analyses were conducted on L. of Campania, an area of Southern Italy highly suited to the cultivation of olive trees and the production of extra virgin olive oil (EVOO). We aimed to characterize the distribution of morphological, biochemical and genetic diversity in this area and to develop a practical tool to aid traceability of oils.

Ecotype-Level Genetic Biodiversity of Five Italian Traditional Crops.

Italy displays a high level of agrobiodiversity due to its diversified pedoclimatic zones. The Administrative Region of Campania includes several and divergent biomes, occurring close to each other. In fact, the distance between a sea level environment and that of high mountains can be less than 20 km.

The use of MSAP reveals epigenetic diversity of the invasive clonal populations of Arundo donax L.

Among the most widespread plant species with clonal reproduction Arundo donax L. represents one of most studied one characterized by very low genetic biodiversity. Although it is a perennial rhizomatous tall grass native to eastern and southern Asia, it spreads only asexually in the invaded range all over the world thriving very well in a large array of pedo-climatic conditions.

Variability in DNA Methylation and Generational Plasticity in the Lombardy Poplar, a Single Genotype Worldwide Distributed Since the Eighteenth Century.

In the absence of genetic diversity, plants rely on the capacity of phenotypic plasticity to cope with shifts in environmental conditions. Understanding the mechanisms behind phenotypic plasticity and how local phenotypic adjustments are transferred to clonal offspring, will provide insight into its ecological and evolutionary significance. Epigenetic changes have recently been proposed to play a crucial role in rapid environmental adaptation.