Genomic insights into Penicillium chrysogenum adaptation to subseafloor sedimentary environments.

Background: Penicillium chrysogenum is a filamentous fungal species with diverse habitats, yet little is known about its genetics in adapting to extreme subseafloor sedimental environments.

Results: Here, we report the discovery of P. chrysogenum strain 28R-6-F01, isolated from deep coal-bearing sediments 2306 m beneath the seafloor.

Structure and bioactivity of polysaccharide from a subseafloor strain of Schizophyllum commune 20R-7-F01.

Fungal polysaccharide is a kind of biomacromolecule with multiple biological activities, which has a wide application prospect and may play an important role in organisms to cope with extreme environments. Herein, we reported an extracellular polysaccharide (EPS) produced by Schizophyllum commune 20R-7-F01 that was isolated from subseafloor sediments at ~2 km below the seafloor, obtained during expedition 337. The monosaccharide of EPS was glucose and its molecular weight was 608.

Methane Production by Facultative Anaerobic Wood-Rot Fungi via a New Halomethane-Dependent Pathway.

The greenhouse gas methane (CH) is of pivotal importance for Earth's climate system and as a human energy source. A significant fraction of this CH is produced by anaerobic . Here, we describe the first CH production by facultative anaerobic wood-rot fungi during growth on hydroxylated/carboxylated aromatic compounds, including lignin and lignite.

Genome-wide characterization of laccase gene family in 20R-7-F01, isolated from deep sediment 2 km below the seafloor.

Laccases are ligninolytic enzymes that play a crucial role in various biological processes of filamentous fungi, including fruiting-body formation and lignin degradation. Lignin degradation is a complex process and its degradation in is greatly affected by the availability of oxygen. Here, a total of six putative laccase genes () were identified from the 20R-7-F01 genome.

Genome, genetic evolution, and environmental adaptation mechanisms of in deep subseafloor coal-bearing sediments.

To understand the genomic evolution and adaptation strategies of fungi to subseafloor sedimentary environments, we assembled the genome of strain 20R-7-F01 isolated from ∼2.0 km-deep, ∼20-millionyearsago (Mya) coal-bearing sediments. Phylogenomics study revealed a differentiation time of 28-73 Mya between this strain and the terrestrial type-strain H4-8, in line with sediment age records.

Anaerobic biodegradation of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) by fungi isolated from anaerobic coal-associated sediments at 2.5 km below the seafloor.

Fungi represent the dominant eukaryotic group in the deep biosphere and well-populated in the anaerobic coal-bearing sediments up to ∼2.5 km below seafloor (kmbsf). But whether fungi are able to degrade and utilize coal to sustain growth in the anaerobic sub-seafloor environment remains unknown.

A Visual Discrimination of Existing States of Virus Capsid Protein by a Giant Molybdate Cluster.

We report a unique phenomenon, the opposite color response of a giant polyoxometalate, (NH)[MoO(CHCOO)] (HO) ([Mo]), to the existing states of human papillomavirus (HPV) major capsid protein, L1-pentamer (L1-p), and virus-like particles (VLPs). The color responses originate from the different assembly forms between [Mo] and the capsid protein. The latter were inspected and separated by using CsCl gradient centrifugation, and validated in detail by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel-electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE), dynamic light scattering (DLS), and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) imaging.

Effect of oxygen concentrations and branched-chain amino acids on the growth and development of sub-seafloor fungus, Schizophyllum commune 20R-7-F01.

Fungi have been reported to be the dominant eukaryotic group in anoxic sub-seafloor sediments, but how fungi subsist in the anoxic sub-marine sedimental environment is rarely understood. Our previous study demonstrated that the fungus, Schizophyllum commune 20R-7-F01 isolated from a ~2 km sediment below the seafloor, can grow and produce primordia in the complete absence of oxygen with enhanced production of branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs), but the primordia cannot be developed into fruit bodies without oxygen. Here, we present the individual and synergistic effects of oxygen and BCAAs on the fruit-body development of this strain.

A hybrid HPV capsid protein L1 with giant Mo-containing polyoxometalate improves the stability of virus-like particles and the anti-tumor effect of [Mo].

We report a bio-inorganic hybrid system, [Mo154]@VLPs, constructed from the virus-like particles (VLPs) of the HPV capsid protein L1 and a giant disc-shaped, molybdenum-containing polyoxometalate of [Mo154]. The hybrid was purified by CsCl gradient centrifugation and further validated by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE), dynamic light scattering (DLS) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). An assembly with [Mo154] improved the tolerance of VLPs to pH, temperature, and storage time, thereby defining an opportunity to reduce the cost of HPV vaccines.

The anaerobic survival mechanism of Schizophyllum commune 20R-7-F01, isolated from deep sediment 2 km below the seafloor.

Fungi dominated the eukaryotic group in the anaerobic sedimentary environment below the ocean floor where they play an essential ecological role. However, the adaptive mechanism of fungi to these anaerobic environments is still unclear. Here, we reported the anaerobic adaptive mechanism of Schizophyllum commune 20R-7-F01, isolated from deep coal-bearing sediment down to ~2 km below the seafloor, through biochemical, metabolomic and transcriptome analyses.

Co-assembly of HPV capsid proteins and aggregation-induced emission fluorogens for improved cell imaging.

In order to improve the cell-imaging ability, and particularly, to extend the bio-application of AIEgen, human papillomavirus (HPV) capsid protein L1 was assembled with the complex of DNA and aggregation-induced emission fluorogen 9,10-distyrylhydrazine (DSAI), where the virus-like particles (VLPs) of HPV encapsulate the complex via electrostatic interaction. The co-assembled nanoparticles, DSAI-DNA@VLPs, showed homogeneous size (∼53 nm), enhanced fluorescence (8 × 2.5-fold), considerable stability (anti-DNase digestion), improved biocompatibility and commendable protection for the DSAI-DNA complex, ensuring virtual brighter imaging in live cells, both for HeLa and normal 293T cell lines.

Comparative Transcriptome Profiling of var. in Wheat Roots in the Absence and Presence of Biocontrol CC09.

This study aimed to explore potential biocontrol mechanisms involved in the interference of antagonistic bacteria with fungal pathogenicity . To do this, we conducted a comparative transcriptomic analysis of the "take-all" pathogenic fungus var. () by examining -infected wheat roots in the presence or absence of the biocontrol agent CC09 () compared with grown on potato dextrose agar (PDA) plates.

A Comparative Transcriptomic and Proteomic Analysis of Hexaploid Wheat's Responses to Colonization by and , Both Separately and Combined.

Tritrophic interactions involving a biocontrol agent, a pathogen, and a plant have been analyzed predominantly from the perspective of the biocontrol agent. To explore the adaptive strategies of wheat in response to beneficial, pathogenic, and combined microorganisms, we performed the first comprehensive transcriptomic, proteomic, and biochemical analysis in wheat roots after exposure to CC09, var. , and their combined colonization, respectively.

Strong red-emitting gold nanoclusters protected by glutathione S-transferase.

Glutathione S-transferase (GST) is distributed widely in tissues and has been proven to be vital in the body. For example, it catalyzes reduced glutathione (GSH) to a variety of electrophilic substances and thus protects cells against many toxic chemicals. Therefore, GST-related investigations have always been significant for medical and/or life sciences.

Bacillus velezensis CC09: A Potential 'Vaccine' for Controlling Wheat Diseases.

Biocontrol bacteria that can act like a "vaccine", stimulating plant resistance to pathogenic diseases, are still not fully elucidated. In this study, an endophytic bacterium, Bacillus velezensis CC09, labeled with green fluorescent protein, was tested for its colonization, migration, and expression of genes encoding iturin A synthetase within wheat tissues and organs as well as for protective effects against wheat take-all and spot blotch diseases. The results showed that strain CC09 not only formed biofilm on the root surface but was also widely distributed in almost every tissue, including the epidermis, cortex, and xylem vessels, and even migrated to stems and leaves, resulting in 66.

Exploration of cultivable fungal communities in deep coal-bearing sediments from ∼1.3 to 2.5 km below the ocean floor.

Although subseafloor sediments are known to harbour a vast number of microbial cells, the distribution, diversity, and origins of fungal populations remain largely unexplored. In this study, we cultivated fungi from 34 of 47 deep coal-associated sediment samples collected at depths ranging from 1289 to 2457 m below the seafloor (mbsf) off the Shimokita Peninsula, Japan (1118 m water depth). We obtained a total of 69 fungal isolates under strict contamination controls, representing 61 Ascomycota (14 genera, 23 species) and 8 Basidiomycota (4 genera, 4 species).

Complete Genome Sequence of the Endophytic Biocontrol Strain Bacillus velezensis CC09.

Bacillus velezensis is a heterotypic synonym of B. methylotrophicus, B. amyloliquefaciens subsp.

A Brief Review of Bioactive Metabolites Derived from Deep-Sea Fungi.

Deep-sea fungi, the fungi that inhabit the sea and the sediment at depths of over 1000 m below the surface, have become an important source of industrial, agricultural, and nutraceutical compounds based on their diversities in both structure and function. Since the first study of deep-sea fungi in the Atlantic Ocean at a depth of 4450 m was conducted approximately 50 years ago, hundreds of isolates of deep-sea fungi have been reported based on culture-dependent methods. To date more than 180 bioactive secondary metabolites derived from deep-sea fungi have been documented in the literature.

The ecological roles of Bacillus thuringiensis within phyllosphere environments.

Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) is one of the most used bio-control agents to control plant insects, but little is known about its effect on the microbial population and communities on plant leaves. With the culture dependent method, it has been observed that the dynamics of Bt within the phyllosphere varied dependent on both the doses of Bt sprayed on the leaves and the plant species, however, Bt's population size kept stable at about 1000 cfu g(-1) after 15 d since inoculation. By comparing the bacterial abundances and community structures within the phyllosphere of three plant species, we confirmed that Bt at the doses of 1.

Design, synthesis and antimicrobial activities evaluation of Schiff base derived from secnidazole derivatives as potential FabH inhibitors.

FabH, β-ketoacyl-acyl carrier protein (ACP) synthase III, is critically important to the initiation of fatty acid biosynthesis and is highly conserved among Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria. A series of novel secnidazole derivatives (1-20) were synthesized and fully characterized by spectroscopic methods and elemental analysis. Among these compounds, 6, 8, 11, 13, 14, 16-20 were reported for the first time.