Maqueda-Cabrera and Cuéllar-Cruz reported dose-dependent activity of the organometallic compound N-(2-hydroxyethyl)ferroceneselenoamide (FE1) against Nakaseomyces glabratus in a Galleria mellonella infection model. FE1 at 20 mg/kg produced complete larval protection and reduced fungal burden relative to fluconazole tested at the same dose. These findings are promising but remain preliminary because only the reference strain CBS138 was evaluated and the compound's mechanism of action is unknown. Further work should test geographically and genetically diverse clinical isolates, azole- and echinocandin-resistant phenotypes, and other clinically important opportunistic yeasts. Mechanistic studies should examine fungal stress-response pathways, resistance evolution, toxicity, pharmacokinetics/pharmacodynamics, and larval immune responses. G. mellonella is best positioned as a pre-screening or intermediate-screening experimental model rather than a direct predictor of clinical efficacy. A staged programme that links reproducible invertebrate endpoints to mammalian validation and WHO fungal-priority objectives could clarify whether FE1 merits further development as an antifungal candidate.

This study aimed to investigate the roles of porin proteins (OmpA, OmpC, OmpF, OmpG, OmpT, LamB, and PhoE) in biofilm formation in Escherichia coli. The effect of environmental factors such as pH (5.5, 6.0, 6.5, 7.0, 7.5, and 8.0) and biologically essential metal ions (copper, nickel, and zinc) on biofilm formation was also revealed. The ompA, ompC, and lamB porin mutants formed biofilms at different pH values, whereas no biofilm formation was detected in the wild type and ompF, ompG, ompT, and phoE mutants. While the ompC mutant formed a biofilm across a wide pH range (5.5-8.0), the ompA mutant formed a medium-level biofilm at pH values between 6.5 and 8.0. It was observed that the lamB mutant strain produced biofilm only at pH 7.0 and 7.5. Biofilm formation in the ompA and lamB mutants showed little change following metal supplementation, whereas increased biofilm formation was observed in the ompC mutant in the presence of copper and nickel. The biofilm formed in mutants was inhibited in the presence of zinc. Altered expression of nhaR, particularly ygiU, was found to be associated with biofilm formation. In the ompA, ompC, and lamB porin-deficient strains, increased ygiU expression and, to a lesser extent, altered nhaR expression were observed. Considering all these results, it can be concluded that E. coli W3110, which does not produce biofilms under normal physiological conditions, may acquire a biofilm-forming phenotype following mutations in porin genes.

Ansamitocin P-3 (AP-3) is an ansamycin antibiotic produced by Actinosynnema pretiosum with high clinical and commercial value. Its biosynthesis is tightly controlled, yet the underlying transcriptional network is not fully understood. Here, we identified the two-component system CrsAB and characterized the response regulator CrsB. Deletion of crsB resulted in a 57% reduction in AP-3 yield without impairing morphological development or biomass accumulation. RNA‑Seq showed that CrsB acts as a global regulator, influencing energy metabolism, cell integrity, and biosynthetic capacity. At the fermention at 48 h, genes asm23 and asm43-47 within the biosynthetic gene cluster, which are primarily responsible for the synthesis of AHBH from UDP-glucose, were significantly downregulated upon crsB deletion. Conversely, genes of the pentose phosphate pathway, zwf, opcA and pgl, were markedly upregulated, whereas their expression levels showed no significant differences between the two strains at 72 h. These temporal transcriptional changes were confirmed by qRT‑PCR. Collectively, our data suggest that CrsB positively coordinates primary and secondary metabolism primarily during the early stage to promote AP-3 production, offering new targets for metabolic engineering.

The bovine gastrointestinal tract (GIT) is a spatially organised microbial ecosystem, but the evidence supporting a whole-tract interpretation is highly uneven. This critical review distinguishes well-established rumen biology from emerging observations in the reticulum, omasum, abomasum, small intestine and hindgut. Comparative studies show strong regional filtering of microbial communities, yet most available datasets are cross-sectional, use digesta rather than mucosa, and infer function from DNA. Consequently, the presence of genes or taxa cannot be equated with active metabolism. Early life provides an important developmental dimension: microbial succession during the milk-to-solid-feed transition accompanies rumen maturation and region-specific immune development, although durable effects on adult productivity remain incompletely demonstrated. Across adult cattle, foregut fermentation supplies most microbially derived energy, whereas downstream compartments support residual fermentation, epithelial interactions and barrier-related processes whose quantitative contributions are less certain. Methanogenesis is therefore treated as one outcome among nutrition, immune function, pathogen resistance and gut integrity. Metagenomics, metatranscriptomics, metaproteomics and metabolomics are complementary rather than interchangeable; coordinated sampling is required to connect functional potential to activity and host phenotype. Priority should be given to longitudinal, multi-compartment, mucosa-and-digesta studies with absolute microbial measurements, metabolite fluxes and transparent causal inference. A tract-wide framework is valuable not because all compartments are equally understood, but because it makes the present evidence imbalance explicit and identifies where microbiome-targeted nutrition can be tested responsibly.

Cutibacterium acnes (C. acnes), the most abundant microbe of the skin microbiota, has been reported playing a protective role in atopic dermatitis (AD), in contrast to its proinflammatory role in acne. While antibiotic resistance in C. acnes has been extensively studied in acne, little is known about its characteristics in AD. Here, we performed an integrated genomic and functional analysis of 405 AD-derived C. acnes isolates using whole genome sequencing (WGS) and antimicrobial susceptibility testing. The result showed that antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) were highly clustered within specific individuals and phylogenetic subtypes of C. acnes, with erm(X) being the most prevalent determinant conferring cross-resistance to erythromycin and clindamycin. To verify the high genotype-phenotype concordance (95.45%) of erythromycin and clindamycin resistance of 110 ARGs-carried C. acnes isolates, minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) was performed. AD isolates exhibited low-level acquired resistance to tetracyclines, chloramphenicol, and fusidic acid, indicating distinct antibiotic exposure pressures in AD patients. Comparative genomic analysis and genome-wide association study both showed that metabolism and quorum sensing related pathways were enriched in pan-genome of ARG-containing strains. These findings suggest that resistance in AD-associated C. acnes is linked to metabolic adaptations that may facilitate survival in the AD skin environment. Together, these findings provide a genomic and functional framework for understanding the antibiotic resistance of AD-associated C. acnes, underscoring the need for careful antibiotic stewardship in AD management.

Despite the biotechnological potential of cyanobacteria, the antibacterial, antifungal, and prebiotic properties of the genus Calothrix remain largely unexplored. This study characterizes the composition and biological activity of a neotropical strain Calothrix sp. CBUCES-K 9914 from Antioquia, Colombia, and evaluates growth under varying light and nutrient treatments. The strain achieved its highest biomass yield (0.75 g L[-1]) under white light supplemented with 0.3 g L[-1] glucose and 0.2 g L[-1] nitrogen. Characterization revealed 16 amino acids, dominated by aspartic acid (20.4%), alanine (14.5%), and glycine (13.9%), alongside high concentrations of sodium (3.30 mg g[-1]) and calcium (2.90 mg g[-1]). Antioxidant assays showed significant activity, particularly in the ORAC assay (118.2 ± 12.9 µmol TE g[-1]). The strain significantly inhibited the growth of three pathogenic bacteria: Klebsiella pneumoniae ATCC 4352, Salmonella enterica ATCC 14028, and Staphylococcus aureus ATCC 6538; Kruskal-Wallis Tests: χ[2] = 18.33-40.89, p < 0.01) and significantly suppressed growth in one yeast, Candida albicans ATCC 10231, beginning at hour 16 (χ[2] = 17.8, p = 0.003) and persisting through hour 41 (χ[2] = 16.48, p = 0.005). Conversely, it promoted the growth of two probiotic bacteria, Lactiplantibacillus plantarum and Limosilactobacillus reuteri, from hour 17 to 27.5 (χ[2] = 11.48-21.33, p < 0.05). These findings highlight the biotechnological potential of strain Calothrix sp. CBUCES-K 9914 and warrant deeper investigation into the metabolite profile and the mechanisms underlying its antimicrobial and prebiotic activities.

Mycoviruses are widespread in fungi, their diversity across different taxonomic ranks remains insufficiently documented. In this study, a novel mycovirus from the strain 8-Q-36 of binucleate Rhizoctonia AG-Bb, were identified using High- throughput sequencing technology and it was tentatively named as Orthocurvulavirus rhizoctonia 1. The viral genome consists of two dsRNA components, 2252 and 1720 nt in length. DsRNA1 contains a open reading frame (ORF) encoding a 80.3-kDa RdRp and dsRNA2 contains a ORF encoding a 54.3-kDa hypothetical protein. The encoded RdRp exhibited the highest sequence similarity to Rhizoctonia fumigata bipartite virus 1 (YP_009134757.1, 80.31%), with a sequence coverage of 100%. Phylogenetic analysis based on RdRp amino acid sequences indicated that OCR1 clusters within an unclassified group of dsRNA viruses phylogenetically affiliated with the genus Orthocurvulavirus. These results suggest that OCR1 may represent a novel species within this genus, pending formal taxonomic proposal and official ratification.

Huangshui, a by-product of Chinese Liquor brewing, is rich in diverse organic compounds. In this study, the growth and biomass production of Scenedesmus quadricauda were investigated using Huangshui as culture substrate. The optimal cultivation conditions were identified as follows: pH 7.0, Huangshui concentration of 5%, cultivation duration of 6 days, and light intensity of 8000 lx. Under semi-continuous cultivation with a renewal rate of 30%, an initial cell density of 2.5 × 10[5] cells/mL and a renewal period of 2 days, S. quadricauda achieved a biomass concentration of 3.70 g/L and a productivity 550 mg/L[-1]d[- 1]. These values represented increases of 55.5% and 109.9%, respectively, compared to those obtained in batch culture. Notably, the protein content and protein productivity of S. quadricauda reached 49.152% and 272.78 mg/L[-1]d[- 1], respectively, with a 38.9% increase in essential amino acid content relative to batch culture. This study appears to be the first report to cultivate microalgae in Huangshui. The Huangshui, derived from fermentation, showed considerable potential for use as a high-performance microalgae culture medium.

With the popularization of upland rice cultivation and the intensification of global warming, drought tolerance in rice has become a critical agronomic challenge. Plant endophytes can establish symbiotic relationships with host plants and enhance plant stress tolerance. Previous studies have demonstrated that Phomopsis liquidambaris B3 (P. liquidambaris B3) can form a stable symbiosis with rice and improve plant disease resistance. However, whether this strain can enhance rice drought tolerance remains unclear. In this study, a 7-day water-withholding treatment was imposed on rice at the seedling, tillering, and booting stages. Physiological and biochemical indices related to drought tolerance were determined in plants inoculated with P. liquidambaris B3 and uninoculated control plants.The results showed that drought stress induced obvious leaf rolling in uninoculated rice, whereas no significant leaf rolling was observed in B3-inoculated plants. Under drought conditions, the relative water content, photosynthetic performance (chlorophyll content and net photosynthetic rate), osmotic adjustment substances (proline, soluble protein and soluble sugar), and antioxidant enzyme activities (superoxide dismutase, catalase and peroxidase) in B3-inoculated rice were significantly higher than those in the uninoculated control. Meanwhile, stomatal conductance and transpiration rate were markedly lower in the B3 inoculation group. In addition, plant growth performance and grain yield were significantly improved by B3 inoculation. P. liquidambaris B3 effectively promoted rice photosynthetic capacity under drought stress.Collectively, these findings indicate that P. liquidambaris B3 enhances rice drought tolerance by optimizing physiological performance, promoting plant growth, and ultimately increasing grain yield. This study provides a promising theoretical and application basis for improving drought tolerance in rice.

Covid-19 pandemic was caused by a novel coronavirus, SARS-CoV-2 and caused a tremendous burden to humans including thousands of deaths. SARS-CoV-2 still causes the respiratory diseases to humans annually. It is known that the pathological outcomes may be different from sexes of humans infected with viral diseases. Here, we studied the pathological difference between females and males infected with the recent SARS-CoV-2 in 6-week-old hACE2-trangenic mouse models. When female and male mice were intranasally infected with the recent SARS-CoV-2/2025, no mortality was observed in both infected female and male mice. However, the infected female mice suffered from more body-weight loss than the infected male mice with higher viral titers in the lungs. The infected male mice produced higher amount of the immune-stimulatory cytokines such as TNF-α and IFN-γ, and anti-apoptotic genes such as BCL2 and Bcl-XL in the lungs than those of the infected female mice. Taken together, it seems that the infected male mice with the recent SARS-CoV-2/2025 could suffer from milder clinical signs than the infected female mice because of the increased expression of immune-enhancing cytokines and anti-apoptotic genes.

Plant viral vectors have evolved from tools for transient gene expression into a versatile platform for precise genetic intervention, offering a rapid, transgene-free alternative to conventional crop transformation. This review critically assesses their engineering for scalable field application, moving beyond foundational techniques like virus-induced gene silencing (VIGS). We highlight how advanced vector design, including deconstructed genomes and synthetic regulatory circuits enhances cargo capacity, specificity, and biosafety. The integration of viral delivery with CRISPR-Cas systems has unlocked virus-induced genome editing (VIGE), base editing, and prime editing, enabling heritable trait modification without tissue culture. However, the transition from proof-of-concept in model plants to robust field technology hinges on overcoming critical bottlenecks: expanding host range through chimeric vectors, ensuring environmental containment, and developing scalable delivery methods such as nano-formulations or adjusted agroinfiltration protocols. We evaluate these delivery routes and emerging synergies with nanobiotechnology for targeted and efficient applications. While challenges in regulation, public perception, and large-scale production persist, the strategic engineering of viral vectors for stability, specificity, and safety positions them as a transformative, next-generation biotechnological input for achieving sustainable crop improvement and protection under changing climatic conditions.

To overcome the bottleneck of high pollution associated with using xylose as a raw material for xylitol biosynthesis, this study focused on a yeast strain, Zygoascus hellenicus B11, which can directly utilize glucose as a carbon source. We investigated the regulatory effects and underlying mechanisms of different oxygen conditions on xylitol biosynthesis. Through systematic scale-up studies from shake flasks to bioreactors, we characterized the dynamic profiles of cell growth, substrate consumption, and xylitol synthesis under various agitation speeds and aeration conditions. Furthermore, by constructing an unsteady-state metabolic kinetic model for this strain and measuring key enzyme activities and intracellular cofactor levels, we quantitatively analyzed the distribution of carbon metabolic flux in the network for xylitol synthesis from glucose. Xylitol synthesis was significantly regulated by oxygen levels. A moderate increase in oxygen promoted xylitol production, with the highest concentration of 51.49 g/L achieved under the optimal aeration condition (3 NL/min). However, excessively high oxygen levels promoted the reverse oxidation of xylitol to xylulose, catalyzed by xylitol dehydrogenase (XDH), diverting more metabolic flux towards cell growth and thereby weakening xylitol synthesis. Based on enzyme activity assays, cofactor measurements, and metabolic kinetic model simulations, we propose the following mechanistic interpretation: optimal oxygen levels not only redirect more carbon flux into the pentose phosphate pathway, enhancing precursor supply, but also maintain a high NADPH/NADP[+] ratio. Based on these combined experimental and modeling data, we infer that this cofactor balance shifts the reversible XDH-catalyzed reaction equilibrium toward net xylitol synthesis. The study provides key strategies and theoretical support for improving xylitol concentration through dynamic oxygen supply.

Textile effluent is a chemically complex wastewater containing azo dyes, high alkalinity and recalcitrant organic pollutants. Its untreated discharge poses serious ecological risks and requires sustainable management before release. The comparative efficiency of monoculture treatment and native microbiome assisted bioaugmentation in real highly alkaline textile effluent remains insufficiently documented. This study evaluated the biodegradation and detoxification potential of Acinetobacter indicus KUHKSN-02, isolated from effluent-contaminated soil, under sterile monoculture and non-sterile native microbiome aided conditions. Results shown reduced pollution load evidenced by drastic decrease in physicochemical parameters by both monoculture (COD to 391 ± 6 mg/L and BOD to 18.73 ± 0.25 mg/L) and native bacterial community (COD to 194.3 ± 2.51 mg/L, BOD to 13.5 ± 0.36 mg/L, and TDS to 998.3 ± 6.5 mg/L), with a highest decolorization of 97.72%. FTIR analysis confirmed alterations in functional groups, while HR-LCMS Orbitrap detected Acid Red 18, Acid Orange 7, and Acid Yellow 36 in the raw effluent and in degradation intermediates such as aniline, 2-oxindole, anthranilic acid and betaine after treatment. The Oryza sativa phytotoxicity assay confirmed detoxification, with germination increasing from 0% in raw effluent to 73.33-93.33% after treatment. These findings demonstrate that native microbiome-aided bioaugmentation enhanced biodegradation and detoxification efficiency compared with monoculture treatment. Future studies should validate this approach under field conditions using metagenomic and metatranscriptomic analysis.

Coccidiosis, caused by Eimeria species, is a major parasitic disease of animals that results in substantial economic losses worldwide. The increasing limitations of conventional anticoccidial drugs, including drug resistance and adverse effects, have intensified search for effective plant-derived alternatives. This study investigated anticoccidial and hepatoprotective activities of methanolic Juglans regia endocarp extract (JREE) against Eimeria papillata infection in C57BL/6 mice through parasitological, biochemical, histopathological, and oxidative stress assessments. Phytochemical profiling by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry identified 26 bioactive constituents in JREE. Thirty-five male C57BL/6 mice were randomly assigned to seven groups: negative control, non-infected JREE-treated (300 mg/kg), infected untreated, infected mice treated with JREE (100, 300, or 600 mg/kg), and infected mice treated with amprolium (120 mg/kg). Mice were orally infected with approximately 1 × 10[3] sporulated E. papillata oocysts and treated daily for five days. 300 mg/kg dose exhibited the greatest anticoccidial efficacy, reducing fecal oocyst shedding by 89.58% compared with infected untreated mice. JREE treatment also significantly improved liver function biomarkers and restored infection-induced reductions in glucose and protein concentrations toward normal values. Histopathological examination demonstrated that JREE markedly attenuated hepatic inflammation, cellular degeneration, and structural damage induced by E. papillata. Also, JREE alleviated hepatic oxidative stress by reducing hydrogen peroxide and malondialdehyde levels while restoring glutathione content. These findings demonstrate that JREE possesses potent anticoccidial and hepatoprotective activities, likely mediated by its rich phytochemical composition and antioxidant properties. Therefore, J. regia endocarp extract represents a promising natural therapeutic candidate for management of coccidiosis and further field-based investigations.

The global proliferation of carbapenem-resistant Enterobacterales (CRE) constitutes one of the most urgent public health threats, yet high-resolution genomic data from sub-Saharan Africa remain critically scarce. We applied whole-genome sequencing (WGS) and comparative phylogenomics to characterise antimicrobial resistance determinants, virulence genes, and mobile genetic elements (MGEs) in three carbapenem-resistant clinical isolates originating from three tertiary hospitals (selected from a broader surveillance collection spanning four facilities) in Osun State, southwestern Nigeria. We purposively selected three isolates, two Klebsiella pneumoniae subsp. pneumoniae (K22, ST411; K31, ST17) and one Enterobacter hormaechei subsp. steigerwaltii (K32, ST45) from a broader surveillance collection of 27 carbapenem-non-susceptible Enterobacterales, to represent phenotypically and genotypically divergent lineages. Resistome analysis revealed extensive plasmid-associated β-lactam and aminoglycoside resistance in K31 (including blaCTX-M-15, blaOXA-1, and blaTEM-1). K32 harboured an intrinsic chromosomal blaACT-17 AmpC gene, while IS26 and ISEcp1 insertion sequences, consistent with transposon-mediated mobilisation, flanked its acquired aminoglycoside and sulfonamide resistance cassettes. K22 lacked detected acquired carbapenemase, ESBL, or plasmid-mediated AmpC genes, indicating that its carbapenem-resistant phenotype may involve non-carbapenemase mechanisms such as porin alteration or efflux-mediated reduced susceptibility; however, this mechanism requires confirmation by direct ompK35/ompK36 sequence analysis and/or phenotypic outer membrane protein profiling. Virulome profiling identified a broader repertoire of siderophore, adhesion, and biofilm genes in both K. pneumoniae isolates than in E. hormaechei. Phylogenomic analysis demonstrated that K22 and K31 cluster within the broader K. pneumoniae population framework but represent distinct high-risk lineages (ST411 and ST17) rather than a single clonal outbreak. Analysis also identified a shared plasmid backbone between K31 and K32, supporting interspecies horizontal gene transfer. These descriptive genomic findings identify clinically relevant resistance and virulence determinants in three purposively selected carbapenem-resistant Enterobacterales from Nigerian tertiary-care hospitals. The detection of shared resistance elements between K. pneumoniae and E. hormaechei suggests possible plasmid-mediated gene sharing. Still, larger WGS studies with long-read sequencing and patient-level epidemiological data are required to define transmission and dissemination patterns.