Bioprospecting of culturable marine biofilm bacteria for novel antimicrobial peptides.

Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) have become a viable source of novel antibiotics that are effective against human pathogenic bacteria. In this study, we construct a bank of culturable marine biofilm bacteria constituting 713 strains and their nearly complete genomes and predict AMPs using ribosome profiling and deep learning. Compared with previous approaches, ribosome profiling has improved the identification and validation of small open reading frames (sORFs) for AMP prediction.

Immune Suppression and Rapid Invasion of Nile Tilapia Gills Following an Acute Challenge by .

is one of the causative agents of columnaris disease, significantly impacting Nile tilapia aquaculture. This study examines the invasion and immune evasion mechanisms of a highly virulent strain through transcriptomic profiling of tilapia gills following acute immersion. We identified 8192 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) at 2 h, 6 h, and 12 h post-infection.

A bacterial symbiont in the gill of the marine scallop metabolizes dimethylsulfoniopropionate.

Microbial lysis of dimethylsulfoniopropionate (DMSP) is a key step in marine organic sulfur cycling and has been recently demonstrated to play an important role in mediating interactions between bacteria, algae, and zooplankton. To date, microbes that have been found to lyse DMSP are largely confined to free-living and surface-attached bacteria. In this study, we report for the first time that a symbiont (termed " bacterium HWgs001") in the gill of the marine scallop can lyse and metabolize DMSP.

Signatures of selection in underpinning its rapid adaptation to laboratory conditions.

The dwarf surf clam, , is considered as a model species for bivalves because of its rapid growth and short generation time. Recently, successful breeding of this species for multiple generations in our laboratory revealed its acquisition of adaptive advantages during artificial breeding. In this study, 310 individuals from five different generations were genotyped with 22,196 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) with the aim of uncovering the genetic basis of their adaptation to laboratory conditions.

Mechanistic insights into the key marine dimethylsulfoniopropionate synthesis enzyme DsyB/DSYB.

Marine algae and bacteria produce approximately eight billion tonnes of the organosulfur molecule dimethylsulfoniopropionate (DMSP) in Earth's surface oceans annually. DMSP is an antistress compound and, once released into the environment, a major nutrient, signaling molecule, and source of climate-active gases. The methionine transamination pathway for DMSP synthesis is used by most known DMSP-producing algae and bacteria.

Effects of invasion on the community structure and diversity of wetland soil bacteria in the Yellow River Delta.

The exotic plant is expanding rapidly along China's coast regions, seriously threatening native ecosystems. Soil bacteria are important for biogeochemical cycles, including those of carbon, nitrogen, and sulfur, in wetland ecosystems. There is growing evidence that microorganisms are important in case of plant invasion.

Physiological functional traits explain morphological variation of during the drifting of green tides.

green tides, one of the greatest marine ecological disasters, originate in the southern Yellow Sea of China and obtain the highest biomass in Haizhou Bay (latitude around 35° N) during northward drift. .  shows different morphologies from southern Haizhou Bay (SH) to northern Haizhou Bay (NH).

Identification and population genetic comparison of three ascidian species based on mtDNA sequences.

Ascidians are sessile marine chordate invertebrates found along seashores worldwide and are typically regarded as invasive organisms. Knowledge concerning their global genetic structure and subsequent invasive potential is limited. Here, we identified three ascidians-, , and from the northeast region of China using morphological characteristics and mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase subunit I () as genetic marker.

Study on molecular mechanisms of nattokinase in pharmacological action based on label-free liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry.

Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) are the leading causes of premature death and disability in people around the world. Therefore, the prevention and treatment of CVDs has become an important subject. In this study, we verified the thrombolytic activities of a nattokinase-like protease named NK-01 in vivo.

Effects of three products from Antarctic krill on the nitrogen balance, growth, and antioxidation status of rats.

A few studies conducted over the past few decades have demonstrated the health benefits of a diet rich in marine products, but limited studies have investigated the effects of different krill products on the nitrogen balance and their potential health benefits. In our study, after a 14-day acclimation period, 50 female Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly assigned to five groups, each of which was fed a different diet, for 28 days. We then evaluated the effect of krill protein complex (KPC), krill powder, and defatted krill powder on the nitrogen balance, growth, and antioxidant activity through analyses of MDA, CAT, GSH-Px, and T-SOD.

Population genetic structure of the deep-sea mussel s (Bivalvia: Mytilidae) in the Northwest Pacific.

Studying population genetics of deep-sea animals helps us understand their history of habitat colonization and population divergence. Here, we report a population genetic study of the deep-sea mussel (Bivalvia: Mytilidae) widely distributed in chemosynthesis-based ecosystems in the Northwest Pacific. Three mitochondrial genes (i.

Cilia-driven cerebrospinal fluid flow directs expression of urotensin neuropeptides to straighten the vertebrate body axis.

Straightening of the body axis is a major morphogenetic event that produces the typical head-to-tail shape of the vertebrate embryo. Defects in axial straightening can lead to debilitating disorders such as idiopathic scoliosis, characterized by three-dimensional curvatures of the spine. Although abnormal cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) flow has been implicated in the development of idiopathic scoliosis, the molecular mechanisms operating downstream of CSF flow remain obscure.

Using a multiscale image processing method to characterize the periodic growth patterns on scallop shells.

The fine periodic growth patterns on shell surfaces have been widely used for studies in the ecology and evolution of scallops. Modern X-ray CT scanners and digital cameras can provide high-resolution image data that contain abundant information such as the shell formation rate, ontogenetic age, and life span of shellfish organisms. We introduced a novel multiscale image processing method based on matched filters with Gaussian kernels and partial differential equation (PDE) multiscale hierarchical decomposition to segment the small tubular and periodic structures in scallop shell images.

Transcriptome sequencing and de novo analysis for Yesso scallop (Patinopecten yessoensis) using 454 GS FLX.

Background: Bivalves comprise 30,000 extant species, constituting the second largest group of mollusks. However, limited genetic research has focused on this group of animals so far, which is, in part, due to the lack of genomic resources. The advent of high-throughput sequencing technologies enables generation of genomic resources in a short time and at a minimal cost, and therefore provides a turning point for bivalve research.