Micrococcin P1 and P2 from Epibiotic Bacteria Associated with Isolates of Moorea producens from Kenya.

Epibiotic bacteria associated with the filamentous marine cyanobacterium Moorea producens were explored as a novel source of antibiotics and to establish whether they can produce cyclodepsipeptides on their own. Here, we report the isolation of micrococcin P1 (1) (C48H49N13O9S6; obs. m/z 1144.21930/572.60381) and micrococcin P2 (2) (C48H47N13O9S6; obs. m/z 1142.20446/571.60370) from a strain of Bacillus marisflavi isolated from M. producens' filaments. Interestingly, most bacteria isolated from M. producens' filaments were found to be human pathogens. Stalked diatoms on the filaments suggested a possible terrestrial origin of some epibionts. CuSO4·5H2O assisted differential genomic DNA isolation and phylogenetic analysis showed that a Kenyan strain of M. producens differed from L. majuscula strain CCAP 1446/4 and L. majuscula clones. Organic extracts of the epibiotic bacteria Pseudoalteromonas carrageenovora and Ochrobactrum anthropi did not produce cyclodepsipeptides. Further characterization of 24 Firmicutes strains from M. producens identified extracts of B. marisflavi as most active. Our results showed that the genetic basis for synthesizing micrococcin P1 (1), discovered in Bacillus cereus ATCC 14579, is species/strain-dependent and this reinforces the need for molecular identification of M. producens species worldwide and their epibionts. These findings indicate that M. producens-associated bacteria are an overlooked source of antimicrobial compounds.

Shewanella dovemarinesis sp. nov., a psychrotolerant bacterium isolated from Mid-Atlantic Ridge deep-sea sediments.

Strains MAR441T and MAR445 were isolated from Mid-Atlantic Ridge (MAR) sediments with a depth of 2,734 m, and found to be member of the genus Shewanella. The strains were rod shaped, pigmented, non-motile, and capable of anaerobic growth either by fermentation of carbohydrates or by anaerobic respiration. The strains utilized a variety of electron acceptors, including nitrate and ferric compounds and could utilize peptone when grown anaerobically in a two-chambered microbial fuel cell (MFC), which use carbon cloth electrodes and deliver a stable power output of ~150-200 mW/m2. The major fatty acids were typical of the genus Shewanella, with major components of C13:0, iso-C13:0, iso-C15:0, C16:0, C16:1ω7c, C18:1ω7c and C20:5ω3 fatty acids. The DNA G+C content of strains MAR441T and MAR445 were 42.4 mol %. 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis indicated that strains MAR441T and MAR445 were most closely related to Shewanella olleyana (sequence similarities 97.9 %). DNA-DNA hybridization demonstrated only 15.6-37.2 % relatedness between strain MAR441T and the type strains of related Shewanella species. Phenotypic characteristics confirmed that these isolates constituted a novel species of the genus Shewanella. The type strain of Shewanella dovemarinensis is MAR441T (=ATCC BAA-2408 T =DSM24955 T).

Removal of biofilms from tracheoesophageal speech valves using a novel marine microbial deoxyribonuclease.

OBJECTIVE: The growth of biofilms on tracheoesophageal speech valves shortens their life span and produces a reservoir of pathogens that may infect the respiratory tract. The authors have discovered a novel nontoxic deoxyribonuclease, NucB, from a marine isolate of Bacillus licheniformis that is effective at dispersing a variety of mono and mixed-species bacterial biofilms. The aim of this preliminary study was to determine whether NucB could also disrupt and remove mixed-species biofilms from tracheoesophageal speech valves. STUDY DESIGN: Laboratory-based treatment and analysis of discarded tracheoesophageal speech valves. SETTING: University human biology laboratory and the Department of Speech and Language Therapy at a tertiary referral hospital. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: Seventeen ex vivo tracheoesophageal speech valves fouled with natural human biofilms were collected and divided into 2 equal parts. One half was treated with NucB and the other half with a control buffer solution. Biofilm removal was measured by microscopy and by culture of dispersed biofilm organisms on agar plates. RESULTS: Significantly more organisms were released from biofilms using NucB than with buffer solution alone. On nonselective medium, more organisms were cultured in 11 samples (65%, n = 17, P < .05). Using growth media favoring fungi, more organisms were cultured in 14 samples (82%, n = 17, P < .05). CONCLUSION: The nontoxic deoxyribonuclease NucB was effective in releasing more microorganisms from biofilms on tracheoesophageal speech valves. This reflects its potential ability to break up and disperse these biofilms. Future studies will aim to develop NucB as a novel agent to prolong the life span of tracheoesophageal speech valves, thus reducing health care costs.