Biofilm formation plays a pivotal role in bioleaching activities of bacteria in both industrial and natural environments. Here, by visualizing attached bacterial cells on energetic substrates with different microscopy techniques, we obtained the first direct evidence that it is possible to positively modulate biofilm formation of the extremophilic bacterium Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans on sulfur and pyrite surfaces by using Quorum Sensing molecules of the N-acylhomoserine lactone type (AHLs). Our results revealed that AHL-signaling molecules with a long acyl chain (12 or 14 carbons) increased the adhesion of A. ferrooxidans cells to these substrates. In addition, Card-Fish experiments demonstrated that C14-AHL improved the adhesion of indigenous A. ferrooxidans cells from a mixed bioleaching community to pyrite. Finally, we demonstrated that this improvement of cell adhesion is correlated with an increased production of extracellular polymeric substances. Our results open up a promising means to develop new strategies for the improvement of bioleaching efficiency and metal recovery, which could also be used to control environmental damage caused by acid mine/rock drainage.
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http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s00253-012-4229-3 | DOI Listing |
Appl Biochem Biotechnol
December 2024
Department of Biotechnology, Science Campus, Alagappa University, Karaikudi, India.
Early childhood caries (ECC), a severe form of dental caries, is exacerbated by the synergistic interaction between Streptococcus mutans and Candida albicans, leading to greater disease severity than their individual effects. This underscores the need for more targeted and potent therapeutic alternatives. Given the promising anti-infective properties of quaternary ammonium surfactants (QAS), this study explores the microbicidal properties of one such QAS, cetyltrimethylammonium chloride (CTAC), against both individual- and dual-species cultures of S.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAppl Microbiol Biotechnol
December 2024
Biotechnical Faculty, Department of Food Science and Technology, University of Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia.
Campylobacter jejuni, a major cause of foodborne zoonotic infections worldwide, shows a paradoxical ability to survive despite its susceptibility to environmental and food-processing stressors. This resilience is likely due to the bacterium entering a viable but non-culturable state, often within biofilms, or even initiating biofilm formation as a survival strategy. This study presents an innovative application of NanoLuc bioluminescence to accurately monitor the development of C.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFNaunyn Schmiedebergs Arch Pharmacol
December 2024
Department of Medical Parasitology and Mycology, School of Medicine, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran.
Researchers have repurposed several existing anti-inflammatory drugs as potential antifungal agents in recent years. So, this study aimed to investigate the effects of anti-inflammatory drugs on the growth, biofilm formation, and expression of genes related to morphogenesis and pathogenesis in Candida albicans. The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of anti-inflammatory drugs was assessed using the broth microdilution method.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBMC Infect Dis
December 2024
Shenzhen Third People's Hospital, National Clinical Research Centre for Infectious Disease, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, China.
Background: Bacterial pathogens frequently encounter host-derived metabolites during their colonization and invasion processes, which can serve as nutrients, antimicrobial agents, or signaling molecules for the pathogens. The essential nutrient choline (Cho) is widely known to be utilized by a diverse range of bacteria and may undergo conversion into the disease-associated metabolite trimethylamine (TMA). However, the impact of choline metabolism on bacterial physiology and virulence remains largely unexplored.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFInt J Food Microbiol
December 2024
College of Food Science and Technology, Shanghai Ocean University, Shanghai 201306, China; Shanghai Engineering Research Center of Aquatic-Product Processing & Preservation, Shanghai 201306, China; Laboratory of Quality & Safety Risk Assessment for Aquatic Product on Storage and Preservation (Shanghai), Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Shanghai 201306, China; Engineering Research Center of Food Thermal-processing Technology, Shanghai Ocean University, Shanghai 201306, China; Food Industry Chain Ecological Recycling Research Institute of Food Science and Technology College, Shanghai Ocean University, Shanghai 201306, China. Electronic address:
Studies have proved that halophilic Vibrio parahaemolyticus is widely detected in freshwater environments (salinity <0.5 %). However, the growth and colonization of V.
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