Development and application of a rapid all-in-one plasmid CRISPR-Cas9 system for iterative genome editing in Bacillus subtilis.

BACKGROUND: Bacillus subtilis, an important industrial microorganism, is commonly used in the production of industrial enzymes. Genome modification is often necessary to improve the production performance of cell. The dual-plasmid CRISPR-Cas9 system suitable for iterative genome editing has been applied in Bacillus subtilis. However, it is limited by the selection of knockout genes, long editing cycle and instability. RESULTS: To address these problems, we constructed an all-in-one plasmid CRISPR-Cas9 system, which was suitable for iterative genome editing of B. subtilis. The PEG4000-assisted monomer plasmid ligation (PAMPL) method greatly improved the transformation efficiency of B. subtilis SCK6. Self-targeting sgRNArep transcription was tightly controlled by rigorous promoter PacoR, which could induce the elimination of plasmids after genome editing and prepare for next round of genome editing. Our system achieved 100% efficiency for single gene deletions and point mutations, 96% efficiency for gene insertions, and at least 90% efficiency for plasmid curing. As a proof of concept, two extracellular protease genes epr and bpr were continuously knocked out using this system, and it only took 2.5 days to complete one round of genome editing. The engineering strain was used to express Douchi fibrinolytic enzyme DFE27, and its extracellular enzyme activity reached 159.5 FU/mL. CONCLUSIONS: We developed and applied a rapid all-in-one plasmid CRISPR-Cas9 system for iterative genome editing in B. subtilis, which required only one plasmid transformation and curing, and accelerated the cycle of genome editing. To the best of our knowledge, this is the rapidest iterative genome editing system for B. subtilis. We hope that the system can be used to reconstruct the B. subtilis cell factory for the production of various biological molecules.

Comprehensive utilization of palm kernel cake for producing mannose and manno-oligosaccharide mixture and yeast culture.

Palm kernel cake (PKC) is an agricultural waste derived from palm kernel oil manufacturing, and its production is increasing year by year. It is very urgent to process this agricultural waste in an environmentally friendly way. Here, PKC was used to produce mannose and manno-oligosaccharides mixture (MMOM) and yeast culture (YC) through enzymolysis and solid-state fermentation (SSF). In enzymolysis, five factors were optimized separately and a response surface methodology analysis was performed. Then, enzymolysis of PKC was carried out at the optimal condition, and the extraction efficiency of mannose and manno-oligosaccharides reached 68.90% with mannose concentration achieving 60.27 g/L. After enzymolysis, the enzymatic hydrolysate was dried by spray drying, and the contents of MMOM reached 42.9%. In SSF, the enzymolysis residues were utilized with inoculating Saccharomyces cerevisiae for yielding YC. After optimization, the cells number of S. cerevisiae reached 2.08 × 109 cells/g and the crude protein content was increased to 27.31%. Therefore, a novel approach to produce feed additives, including MMOM and YC, with high value by comprehensive utilization of PKC was proposed, which has good application prospects in the breeding industry. KEY POINTS: • New idea for the comprehensive utilization of PKC is proposed. • PKC was used to produce mannose and mannan-oligosaccharides mixture (MMOM) by enzymolysis and spray drying. • The enzymolysis residues were reused via SSF for producing yeast culture (YC).

Protease or Clostridium butyricum addition to a low-protein diet improves broiler growth performance.

Low-protein (LP) feeds are used in the poultry industry to combat the increasing consumption of protein resources and reduce environmental pollution caused by excessive nitrogen excretion. Dietary supplementation of protease or Clostridium butyricum increases the growth performance of broilers; however, it is unclear whether they counteract the negative effects of LP diets. The effects of protease and C. butyricum on growth performance, intestinal morphology, anti-oxidant capacity, anti-inflammatory response, and microbial community of broilers have not been studied extensively. Here, 450 healthy 1-day-old Cobb500 broilers were allocated to five groups, according to different diets: basal diet (Control); LP diet (LP; 2% less crude protein than the control); LP diet + 200 g/t HuPro protease (LPH); LP diet + 1.0 × 109 CFU/t C. butyricum (LPC); and basal diet + 200 g/t oxytetracycline (Antibiotic). Supplementing both C. butyricum and protease improved the growth performance of broilers. The supplementation of HuPro protease under low-protein conditions could achieve a breeding effect similar to that of the positive control (Antibiotic). Supplementing C. butyricum could maintain intestinal barrier function, alleviate the inflammatory response, and increase ileal and cecal short-chain fatty acid concentrations. Both C. butyricum and protease altered the bacterial diversity in the cecum, increased Bacteroidetes abundance, and resulted in higher abundance of Rikenellaceae RC9 gut spp. and lower abundance of Alistipes spp. in broilers. This study demonstrates the positive effects of proteases and C. butyricum on broilers and serves as a reference for the selection of appropriate supplementation for broilers in the poultry industry. KEY POINTS: • Low-protein diet had a negative effect on growth performance of broilers. • Protease significantly reduced feed conversion rate. • Clostridium butyricum had positive effects on broilers.

High-Efficiency Genome Editing Based on Endogenous CRISPR-Cas System Enhances Cell Growth and Lactic Acid Production in Pediococcus acidilactici.

Pediococcus acidilactici is commonly used for pediocin production and lactic acid fermentation. However, a high-efficiency genome editing tool is unavailable for this species. In this study, we constructed endogenous subtype II-A CRISPR-Cas system-based genome interference plasmids which carried a "repeat-spacer-repeat" cassette in the pMG36e shuttle vector. These plasmids exhibited self-interference activities in P. acidilactici LA412. Then, the genome-editing plasmids were constructed by cloning the upstream/downstream donor DNA into the corresponding interference plasmids to exert high-efficiency markerless gene deletion, gene integration, and point mutation in P. acidilactici LA412. We found that endogenous CRISPR-mediated depletion of the native plasmids enhanced the cell growth and that integration of an l-lactate dehydrogenase gene into the chromosome enhanced both cell growth and lactic acid production. IMPORTANCE A rapid and precise genome editing tool will promote the practical application of Pediococcus acidilactici, one type of lactic acid bacterium with excellent stress tolerance and probiotic characteristics. This study established a high-efficiency endogenous CRISPR-Cas system-based genome editing tool for P. acidilactici and achieved different genetic manipulations, including gene deletion, gene insertion, mononucleotide mutation, and endogenous plasmid depletion. The engineered strain edited by this tool showed significant advantages in cell growth and lactic acid fermentation. Therefore, our tool can satisfy the requirements for genetic manipulations of P. acidilactici, thus making it a sophisticated chassis species for synthetic biology and bioindustry.

Detection of viable and total fungal community in zaopei of Chinese strong-flavor baijiu using PMA combined with qPCR and HTS based on ITS2 region.

BACKGROUND: Chinese strong-flavor baijiu (CSFB), one of the three major baijiu types, is the most popular baijiu type among consumers in China. A variety of microbes are involved in metabolizing raw materials to produce ethanol and flavor substances during fermentation, which fundamentally determined the quality of baijiu. It is of great importance to study microbial community of fermented grains (zaopei) during baijiu brewing process for improving its quality. In this study, we firstly used propidium monoazide (PMA) to treat zaopei samples from 5-year pit and 20-year pit for removing the interference of non-viable fungi, and analyzed the diversity of total fungi and viable fungi by quantitative PCR (qPCR) and high-throughput sequencing (HTS) based on ITS2 gene. RESULTS: The results showed that total fungi and viable fungi displayed no significant differences at OTU, phylum, or genus levels during fermentation within two kinds of pits. A total of 6 phyla, 19 classes, and 118 genera in fungi were found based on OTUs annotation in zaopei samples from 5-year pit and 20-year pit. Besides, non-viable fungi had little effect on the fungal community diversity during the fermentation cycle. It was found that the most dominant viable fungi belonged to Saccharomyces, Kazachstania, Naumovozyma, and Trichosporon, and Naumovozyma was firstly detected in zaopei samples of CSFB. Moreover, based on the variation of flavor substances in zaopei samples, the quality of CSFB produced from older pit was better than that produced from younger pit. CONCLUSION: The non-viable fungi had little effect on the fungal diversity, structure, and relative abundance in zaopei samples of CSFB, and Naumovozyma was firstly detected in zaopei samples of CSFB. Our findings can be applied as guidance for improving the quality and stability of CSFB.

Heterologous expression of AHL lactonase AiiK by Lactobacillus casei MCJΔ1 with great quorum quenching ability against Aeromonas hydrophila AH-1 and AH-4.

BACKGROUND: Nowadays, microbial infections have caused increasing economic losses in aquaculture industry and deteriorated worldwide environments. Many of these infections are caused by opportunistic pathogens through cell-density mediated quorum sensing (QS). The disruption of QS, known as quorum quenching (QQ), is an effective and promising way to prevent and control pathogens, driving it be the potential bio-control agents. In our previous studies, AHL lactonase AiiK was identified with many characteristics, and constitutive expression vector pELX1 was constructed to express heterologous proteins in Lactobacillus casei MCJΔ1 (L. casei MCJΔ1). In this study, recombinant strain pELCW-aiiK/L. casei MCJΔ1 (LcAiiK) and wild-type Aeromonas hydrophila (A. hydrophila) were co-cultured to test the QQ ability of LcAiiK against A. hydrophila. RESULTS: A cell wall-associated expression vector pELCW for L. casei MCJΔ1 was constructed. Localization assays revealed that the expressed AiiK was anchored at the surface layer of LcAiiK via vector pELCW-aiiK. LcAiiK (OD600 = 0.5) degraded 24.13 µM of C6-HSL at 2 h, 40.99 µM of C6-HSL at 12 h, and 46.63 µM of C6-HSL at 24 h. Over 50% LcAiiK cells maintained the pELCW-aiiK plasmid after 15 generations of cultivation without erythromycin. Furthermore, LcAiiK inhibited the swimming motility, extracellular proteolytic activity, haemolytic activity and biofilm formation of A. hydrophila AH-1 and AH-4. CONCLUSION: The AHL lactonase AiiK is firstly and constitutively expressed at the surface layer of L. casei MCJΔ1. LcAiiK displayed considerable AHL lactonase activity and great QQ abilities against A. hydrophila AH-1 and AH-4 by attenuating their QS processes instead of killing them. Therefore, the LcAiiK can be exploited as an anti-pathogenic drug or a bio-control agent to control the AHL-mediated QS of pathogenic bacteria.

Pararcticibacter amylolyticus gen. nov., sp. nov., Isolated from a Rotten Hemp Rope, and Reclassification of Pedobacter tournemirensis as Pararcticibacter tournemirensis comb. nov.

A Gram-stain-negative, rod-shaped, non-motile, facultatively anaerobic bacterium, designated FJ4-8T, was isolated from a rotten hemp rope in Chongqing City, PR China. Phylogenetic analysis of 16S rRNA gene sequences indicated that the isolate was closely related to members of the family Sphingobacteriaceae, with the highest similarity to Pedobacter tournemirensis TF5-37.2-LB10T (95.3%) and low similarities to all other species of the genus Pedobacter (90.4-93.9%). Phylogenetic analyses demonstrated that strain FJ4-8T formed a stable subclade with Pedobacter tournemirensis TF5-37.2-LB10T. The clade with these two strains branched adjacent to a clade containing three species of the genus Arcticibacter. MK-7 was detected as the only respiratory quinone. The major fatty acids composed iso-C15:0, iso-C17:0 3-OH and summed feature three. Phosphatidylethanolamine, three aminophospholipids and one unidentified lipid were found as the major polar lipids. The major polyamine was identified as sym-homospermidine. The DNA-DNA hybridization value between strain FJ4-8T and Pedobacter tournemirensis TF5-37.2-LB10T was 42.0 ± 2.5%. Based on its phylogenetic, chemotaxonomic and phenotypic characteristics, the novel strain and TF5-37.2-LB10T were found to be different from members of genera Pedobacter and Arcticibacter. FJ4-8T and TF5-37.2-LB10T represented different species. Therefore, FJ4-8T should be classified as a novel species of a novel genus in the family Sphingobacteriaceae, for which the name Pararcticibacter amylolyticus gen. nov., sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is FJ4-8T (= KCTC 62640T = CCTCC AB 2018052T). The draft genome sequence is 6290, 449 bp in length, the genomic DNA G+C content was 44.4 mol%. Pedobacter tournemirensis TF5-37.2-LB10T should be transferred to the novel genus as Pararcticibacter tournemirensis comb. nov. (The type strain is TF5-37.2-LB10T (= DSM 23085T = CIP 110085T = MOLA 820T).

Differently Expressed Genes (DEGs) Relevant to Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus Identification and Pathway Analysis via Integrated Bioinformatics Analysis.

BACKGROUND The aim of this study was to evaluate the differently expressed genes (DEGs) relevant to type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and pathway by performing integrated bioinformatics analysis. MATERIAL AND METHODS The gene expression datasets GSE7014 and GSE29221 were downloaded in GEO database, and DEGs from type 2 diabetes mellitus and normal skeletal muscle tissues were identified. Biological function analysis of the DEGs was enriched by GO and KEEG pathway. A PPI network for the identified DEGs was built using the STRING database. RESULTS Thirty top DEGs were identified from 2 datasets: GSE7014 and GSE29221. Of the 30 top DEGs, 20 were up-regulated and 10 were down-regulated. The 20 up-regulated genes were enriched in regulation of mRNA, protein biding, and phospholipase D signaling pathway. The 10 down-regulated genes were enriched in telomere maintenance via semi-conservative replication, AGE-RAGE signaling pathway in diabetic complications, and insulin resistance pathway. In the PPI network of 20 up-regulated DEGs, there were 40 nodes and 84 edges, with an average node degree of 4.2. For the 10 down-regulated DEGs, we found a total of 30 nodes and 105 edges, with an average node degree of 7.0 and local clustering coefficient of 0.812. Among the 30 DEGs, 10 hub genes (CNOT6L, CNOT6, CNOT1, CNOT7, RQCD1, RFC2, PRIM1, RFC4, RFC5, and RFC1) were also identified through Cytoscape. CONCLUSIONS DEGs of T2DM may play an essential role in disease development and may be potential pathogeneses of T2DM.

Chitinophaga salinisoli sp. nov., isolated from saline soil.

A novel aerobic bacterium, designated strain LAM9153T, was isolated from a saline soil sample collected from Lingxian County, Shandong Province, China. Cells of strain LAM9153T were observed to be Gram-stain negative, non-motile, non-spore-forming and rod-shaped. The new isolate grew optimally at 30-35 °C, pH 7.0 and 0.5% of NaCl concentration (w/v). According to the phylogenetic analysis based on the 16S rRNA gene sequence, strain LAM9153T shares high similarity with Chitinophaga terrae Gsoil 238T (96.9%) and Chitinophaga niabensis JS 13-10T (95.9%), forming a subcluster with C. terrae Gsoil 238T, Chitinophaga cymbidii R156-2T, C. niabensis JS 13-10T and Chitinophaga soli Gsoil 219T in the phylogenetic tree. The major cellular fatty acids (> 10%) were identified as iso-C15:0, iso-C17:0 3-OH and summed features 3 (C16:1 ω6c and/or C16:1 ω7c). The predominant respiratory quinone was identified as menaquinone MK-7. The polar lipids consisted of phosphatidylethanolamine, aminophospholipid, three unidentified aminolipids and five unidentified lipids. The genomic DNA G+C content was determined to be 53.2 ± 1.6 mol%. On the basis of phylogenetic, chemotaxonomic and phenotypic data, strain LAM9153T is concluded to represent a novel species of the genus Chitinophaga, for which the name Chitinophaga salinisoli sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is LAM9153T (= ACCC 19960T = JCM 30847T).

Biodetoxification of Phenolic Inhibitors from Lignocellulose Pretreatment using Kurthia huakuii LAM0618T and Subsequent Lactic Acid Fermentation.

Phenolic inhibitors generated during alkaline pretreatment of lignocellulosic biomasses significantly hinder bacterial growth and subsequent biofuel and biochemical production. Water rinsing is an efficient method for removing these compounds. Nevertheless, this method often generates a great amount of wastewater, and leads to the loss of solid fiber particles and fermentable sugars. Kurthia huakuii LAM0618T, a recently identified microorganism, was herein shown to be able to efficiently transform phenolic compounds (syringaldehyde, hydroxybenzaldehyde, and vanillin) into less toxic acids. Taking advantage of these properties, a biodetoxification method was established by inoculating K. huakuii LAM0618T into the NH3/H2O2-pretreated unwashed corn stover to degrade phenolic inhibitors and weak acids generated during the pretreatment. Subsequently, 33.47 and 17.91 g/L lactic acid was produced by Bacillus coagulans LA204 at 50 °C through simultaneous saccharification and fermentation (SSF) from 8% (w/w) of NH3/H2O2-pretreated corn stover with or without K. huakuii LAM0618T-biodetoxification, indicating biodetoxification significantly increased lactic acid titer and yield. Importantly, using 15% (w/w) of the NH3/H2O2-pretreated K. huakuii LAM0618T-biodetoxified corn stover as a substrate through fed-batch simultaneous saccharification and fermentation, high titer and high yield of lactic acid (84.49 g/L and 0.56 g/g corn stover, respectively, with a productivity of 0.88 g/L/h) were produced by Bacillus coagulans LA204. Therefore, this study reported the first study on biodetoxification of alkaline-pretreated lignocellulosic material, and this biodetoxification method could replace water rinsing for removal of phenolic inhibitors and applied in biofuel and biochemical production using the alkaline-pretreated lignocellulosic bioresources.

Arenimonas alkanexedens sp. nov., isolated from a frozen soil sample.

A novel facultatively anaerobic bacterium, designated strain LAM-WHM-D11T, was isolated from a frozen soil sample of China. Cells of strain LAM-WHM-D11T were observed to be Gram-stain negative, non-motile and rod-shaped. Colonies were yellowish, and circular with convex shape. Strain LAM-WHM-D11T was found to be able to grow at 4-40 °C (optimum 15 °C), pH 7.5-2.0 (optimum 9.5) and 0-2.5% NaCl (w/v) (optimum 1.5%). The 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity analysis showed that strain LAM-WHM-D11T is closely related to Arenimonas metalli CF5-1T (98.0%), Arenimonas aquaticum NA-09T (97.9%), Arenimonas donghaensis HO3-R19T (95.6%) and Arenimonas aestuarii S2-21T (95.3%). The DNA-DNA hybridization values between the isolate and A. metalli CGMCC 1.10787T, A. aquaticum KACC 14663T, A. donghaensis KACC 11381T were 41.0 ± 1.7, 44.7 ± 1.4 and 42.8 ± 1.2%, respectively. The genomic DNA G+C content was found to be 66.5 mol% as determined by the T m method. The major cellular fatty acids were identified as iso-C15:0 and iso-C16:0. The major isoprenoid quinone was identified as ubiquinone 8 (Q-8). The major polar lipids were found to be diphosphatidyglycerol, phosphatidylethanolamine, phosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylmonomethylethanolamine, two phospholipids and five unidentified lipids. Based on the phylogenetic, phenotypic and chemotaxonomic characteristics, strain LAM-WHM-D11T is concluded to represent a novel species within the genus Arenimonas, for which the name Arenimonas alkanexedens sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is LAM-WHM-D11T (ACCC 19750T = JCM 30464T).

Streptomyces alfalfae sp. nov. and comparisons with its closest taxa Streptomyces silaceus, Streptomyces flavofungini and Streptomyces intermedius.

A novel streptomycete strain, designated XY25T, was isolated from the rhizosphere soil in an alfalfa field in Jingyang, Shanxi, China. The isolate showed optimal growth at 37 °C, and was capable of growing at pH 6-10 and in the presence of 0-6 % (w/v) NaCl. Mycelia of strain XY25T appeared spiral and developed into white spore chains with long-rod spores and a smooth surface. The 16S rRNA gene sequence of XY25T was determined and was found to be highly similar to those of species of the genus Streptomyces including Streptomyces silaceus DSM 41861T (99.11 % 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity), Streptomyces flavofungini DSM 40366T (98.49 %) and Streptomyces intermedius DSM 40372T (98.43 %), all of which were used for further characterization. Each of the four streptomycetes showed distinctive patterns of carbon usage and fatty acids composition. Analysis of cellular components of strain XY25T revealed ll-diaminopimelic acid as diagnostic diamino acid and xylose as the major sugar, whereas polar lipids were determined as phosphatidylethanolamine, diphosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylinositol, an unknown phospholipid, two unknown phosphatidylinositol mannosides and several unknown lipids. Menaquinones were dominated by MK-9(H6) and MK-9(H8), and the main fatty acids were anteiso-C15 : 0, iso-C16 : 0 and anteiso-C17 : 0. DNA-DNA hybridization studies indicated that strain XY25T showed relatedness values of 35.2-40.42 % with the closest related species. Based on these results, strain XY25T represents a novel species of the genus Streptomyces, for which the name Streptomyces alfalfae sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is XY25T ( = KCTC 39571T = CCTCC AA2015019T).

Characterization of pMC11, a plasmid with dual origins of replication isolated from Lactobacillus casei MCJ and construction of shuttle vectors with each replicon.

Many lactic acid bacteria carry different plasmids, particularly those that replicate via a theta mechanism. Here we describe Lactobacillus casei MCJ(CCTCC AB20130356), a new isolate that contains pMC11, carrying two distinct theta-type replicons. Each replicon contained an iteron in the origin of replication (oriV1 or oriV2) and a gene coding for the replicase (RepA_1 or RepB_1), both of which are essential for plasmid replication. Escherichia coli/Lactobacillus shuttle vectors were constructed with each replicon, yielding pEL5.7 and pEL5.6 that are based on oriV2 and oriV1 replicons, respectively. These plasmids showed distinct properties: pEL5.7 was capable of replicating in L. casei MCJΔ1 and Lactobacillus delbrueckii subsp. lactic LBCH-1 but failed to do so in two other tested lactobacilli strains whereas pEL5.6 replicated in three different strains, including L. casei MCJΔ1, L. casei NJ, Lactobacillus paracasei LPC-37 and L. delbrueckii subsp. lactic LBCH-1. Plasmid stability was studied: pEL5.6 and pEL5.7 were very stably maintained in L. casei, as the loss rate was lower than 1 % per generation. pEL5.7 was also stable in L. delbrueckii subsp. lactic LBCH-1 with the loss rate estimated to be 3 %. These vectors were employed to express a green fluorescent protein (GFP) using the promoter of S-layer protein SlpA from Lactobacillus acidophilus. And a growth-phase regulated expression of GFP was observed in different strains. In conclusion, these shuttle vectors provide efficient genetic tools for DNA cloning and heterologous gene expression in lactobacilli.

Effects of Bacillus subtilis KN-42 on Growth Performance, Diarrhea and Faecal Bacterial Flora of Weaned Piglets.

This research focused on the effects of different doses of Bacillus subtilis KN-42 on the growth performance, diarrhea incidence, faecal bacterial flora, and the relative number of Lactobacillus and Escherichia coli in faeces of weaned piglets to determine whether the strain can serve as a candidate antimicrobial growth promoter. A total of 360 piglets (initial body weight 7.14±0.63 kg) weaned at 26±2 days of age were randomly allotted to 5 treatment groups (4 pens per treatment with 18 pigs per pen) for a 28-day trial. Dietary treatments were basal diet without any antimicrobial (negative control; NC), basal diet supplemented with 120 mg/kg feed of neomycin sulfate (positive control; PC) and basal diet supplemented with 2×10(9) (L), 4×10(9) (M) and 20×10(9) (H) CFU/kg feed of B. subtilis KN-42. During the overall period, average daily gain and feed efficiency of piglets were higher in groups PC, M, and H than those in group NC (p<0.05), and all probiotics and antibiotics groups had a lower diarrhea index than group NC (p<0.05). The 16S rDNA gene-based methods were used to analyze faecal bacterial flora on day 28 of experiment. The result of denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis analysis showed that supplementation of B. subtilis KN-42 to the diet changed the bacterial communities, with a higher bacterial diversity and band number in group M than in the other four groups. Real-time polymerase chain reaction analysis showed that the relative number of Lactobacillus were higher in groups PC and H than in group NC (p<0.05), and the supplemented B. subtilis KN-42 to the diet also reduced the relative number of E. coli (p<0.05). These results suggest that dietary addition of B. subtilis KN-42 can improve the growth performance and gastrointestinal health of piglets.

Conversion of yellow wine lees into high-protein yeast culture by solid-state fermentation.

This study is focussed on the possibility of producing a yeast culture with yellow wine lees as a substrate by solid-state fermentation (SSF). Results showed that a yeast count of 1.58 × 109 CFU/g was achieved by signal factor and orthogonal experiments. After fermentation, the starch content in the yeast culture reduced from 32.2% ± 0.5% to 7.5% ± 0.2%, and the contents of crude protein and peptide increased from 36.1% ± 0.8% to 48.0% ± 1.0% and 3.9% ± 0.2% to 7.2% ± 0.4%, respectively. Additionally, large amounts of short peptides and free amino acids were detected by fast protein liquid chromatography (FPLC). These results suggest that yellow wine lees are a suitable substrate for the production of yeast cultures. It can serve as a growth-promoting factor and help reduce the shortage of protein feed in the animal industry. This research provides a potential way for the utilization of agro-industrial residues.

Effect of simplified inoculum agent on performance and microbiome during cow manure-composting at industrial-scale.

A simplified inoculum agent, only comprising Bacillus subtilis and Aspergillus niger, was utilized for industrial-scale cow-manure composting to investigate its impact on composting performance and microbiome. Inoculants elevated the average and peak temperatures by up to 7 and 10 °C, respectively, during the thermophilic stage, reduced organic matter content, and raised germination index. Inoculation also extended the period of composting above 50 °C from 12 to 26 days. Sequencing unveiled significant shifts in microbial diversity, composition, and function. Aspergillus thrived during the mesophilic phase, potentially initiating composting, whereas Bacillus, Lysinibacillus, and Clostridium were enriched during the thermophilic stage. Metagenomic sequencing revealed an increased abundance of carbohydrate-active enzymes and glycometabolism-related genes responsible for lignocellulose degradation and heat generation after inoculation. These enriched microbes and functional genes contributed to organic matter degradation and temperature maintenance during thermophilic stage, expediting composting. This suggests the effectiveness of this simplified inoculum in industrial-level cow-manure composting.

Metagenome-assembled genome reveals species and functional composition of Jianghan chicken gut microbiota and isolation of Pediococcus acidilactic with probiotic properties.

BACKGROUND: Chickens are one of the most widely farmed animals worldwide and play a crucial role in meat and egg production. Gut microbiota is essential for chickens' health, disease, growth, and egg production. However, native chickens such as Jianghan chickens have better meat and egg production quality than centralized chickens, their intestinal microbial diversity is richer, and the potential gut microbial resources may bring health benefits to the host. RESULTS: The bacterial species composition in the gut microbiota of Jianghan chickens is similar to that of other chicken breeds, with Phocaeicola and Bacteroides being the most abundant bacterial genera. The LEfSe analysis revealed significant differences in species composition and functional profiles between samples from Jingzhou and the other three groups. Functional annotation indicated that the gut microbiota of Jianghan chickens were dominated by metabolic genes, with the highest number of genes related to carbohydrate metabolism. Several antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) were found, and the composition of ARGs was similar to that of factory-farmed chickens, suggesting that antibiotics were widely present in the gut microbiota of Jianghan chickens. The resistance genes of Jianghan chickens are mainly carried by microorganisms of the Bacteroidota and Bacillota phylum. In addition, more than 829 isolates were selected from the microbiota of Jianghan chickens. Following three rounds of acid and bile tolerance experiments performed on all the isolated strains, it was determined that six strains of Pediococcus acidilactici exhibited consistent tolerance. Further experiments confirmed that three of these strains (A4, B9, and C2) held substantial probiotic potential, with P. acidilactici B9 displaying the highest probiotic potential. CONCLUSIONS: This study elucidates the composition of the intestinal microbiota and functional gene repertoire in Jianghan chickens. Despite the absence of antibiotic supplementation, the intestinal microbial community of Jianghan chickens still demonstrates a profile of antibiotic resistance genes similar to that of intensively reared chickens, suggesting resistance genes are prevalent in free-ranging poultry. Moreover, Jianghan and intensively reared chickens host major resistance genes differently, an aspect seldom explored between free-range and pastured chickens. Furthermore, among the 829 isolates, three strains of P. acidilatici exhibited strong probiotic potential. These findings provide insights into the unique gut microbiota of Jianghan chickens and highlight potential probiotic strains offering benefits to the host. Video Abstract.

Isolation, identification, and degradation mechanism by multi-omics of mesotrione-degrading Amycolatopsis nivea La24.

Mesotrione is a herbicide used in agricultural production; however, its stability and long-term residues pose ecological risks to soil health and subsequent crops. In this research, the strain Amycolatopsis nivea La24 was identified as capable of completely degrading 50 mg∙L-1 mesotrione within 48 h. It exhibited a broad adaptability to various environment and could degrade three sulfonylurea herbicides (nicosulfuron, chlorimuron-methyl, and cinosulfuron). Non-target metabonomic and mass spectrometry demonstrated that La24 strain broke down the mesotrione parent molecule by targeting the ß-diketone bond and nitro group, resulting in the production of five possible degradation products. The differentially expressed genes were significantly enriched in fatty acid degradation, amino acid metabolism, and other pathways, and the differentially metabolites in glutathione metabolism, arginine/proline metabolism, cysteine/methionine metabolism, and other pathways. Additionally, it was confirmed by heterologous expression that nitroreductase was directly involved in the mesotrione degradation, and NDMA-dependent methanol dehydrogenase would increase the resistance to mesotrione. Finally, the intracellular response of La24 during mesotrione degradation was proposed. This work provides insight for a comprehensive understanding of the mesotrione biodegradation mechanism, significantly expands the resources for pollutant degradation, and offers the potential for a more sustainable solution to address herbicide pollution in soil.

Unveiling the microbiota of sauce-flavor Daqu and its relationships with flavors and color during maturation.

This study investigated the microbial community in three-color sauce-flavor Daqu (black, yellow, and white) throughout their maturation processes, together with their physicochemical factors, culturable microbes, flavor components, and fermenting vitalities. Results from high-throughput sequencing revealed distinct microbial diversity, with more pronounced variations in bacterial community than in fungal community. Firmicutes and Ascomycota emerged as the most dominant bacterial and fungal phyla, respectively, during maturation. Genus-level analysis identified Kroppenstedia, Virgibacillus, and Bacillus as dominant bacteria in black Daqu, yellow Daqu, and white Daqu, severally, while Thermoascus was shared as the core dominant fungi for these Daqu. Physicochemical factors, particularly acidity, were found to exert a significant impact on microbial community. Kroppenstedtia was the key bacteria influencing the color formation of these Daqu. Furthermore, correlations between dominant microbes and flavor compounds highlighted their role in Daqu quality. Molds (Aspergillus, Rhizomucor, and Rhizopus), excepting Bacillus, played a crucial role in the formation of pyrazine compounds. Consequently, this study offers innovative insights into the microbial perspectives on color and pyrazine formation, establishing a groundwork for future mechanized Daqu production and quality control of sauce-flavor baijiu.

The Sulfolobus initiator element is an important contributor to promoter strength.

Basal elements in archaeal promoters, except for putative initiator elements encompassing transcription start sites, are well characterized. Here, we employed the Sulfolobus araS promoter as a model to study the function of the initiator element (Inr) in archaea. We have provided evidence for the presence of a third core promoter element, the Sulfolobus Inr, whose action depends on a TATA box and the TFB recognition element (BRE). Substitution mutations in the araS Inr did not alter the location of the transcription start site. Using systematic mutagenesis, the most functional araS Inr was defined as +1 GAGAMK +6 (where M is A/C and K is G/T). Furthermore, WebLogo analysis of a subset of promoters with coding sequences for 5' untranslated regions (UTRs) larger than 4 nucleotides (nt) in Sulfolobus solfataricus P2 identified an Inr consensus that exactly matches the functional araS Inr sequence. Moreover, mutagenesis of 3 randomly selected promoters confirmed the Inr sequences to be important for basal promoter strength in the subgroup. Importantly, the result of the araS Inr being added to the Inr-less promoters indicates that the araS Inr, the core promoter element, is able to enhance the strength of Inr-less promoters. We infer that transcription factor B (TFB) and subunits of RNA polymerase bind the Inr to enhance promoter strength. Taken together, our data suggest that the presence or absence of an Inr on basal promoters is important for global gene regulation in Sulfolobus.