Marinobacter azerbaijanicus sp. nov., a moderately halophilic bacterium from Urmia Lake, Iran.

A novel moderately halophilic, Gram-stain-negative and facultatively anaerobic bacterium, designated as strain TBZ242T, was isolated from water of Urmia Lake in the Azerbaijan region of Iran. The cells were found to be rod-shaped and motile by a single polar flagellum, producing circular and yellowish colonies. The strain could grow in the presence of 0.5-10 % (w/v) NaCl (optimum, 2.5-5 %). The temperature and pH ranges for growth were 15-45 °C (optimum 30 °C) and pH 7.0-11.0 (optimum pH 8.0) on marine agar. The 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis revealed that strain TBZ242T belonged to the genus Marinobacter, showing the highest similarities to Marinobacter algicola DG893T (98.8 %), Marinobacter vulgaris F01T (98.8 %), Marinobacter salarius R9SW1T (98.5 %), Marinobacter panjinensis PJ-16T (98.4 %), Marinobacter orientalis W62T (98.0 %) and Marinobacter denitrificans JB2H27T (98.0 %). The 16S rRNA and core-genome phylogenetic trees showed that strain TBZ242T formed a distinct branch, closely related to a subclade accommodating M. vulgaris, M. orientalis, M. panjinensis, M. denitrificans, M. algicola, M. salarius and M. iranensis, within the genus Marinobacter. Average nucleotide identity and digital DNA-DNA hybridization values between strain TBZ242T and the type strains of the related species of Marinobacter were ≤85.0 and 28.6 %, respectively, confirming that strain TBZ242T represents a distinct species. The major cellular fatty acids of strain TBZ242T were C16 : 0 and C16 : 1 ω7c/C16 : 1 ω6c and the quinone was ubiquinone Q-9. The genomic DNA G+C content of strain TBZ242T is 57.2 mol%. Based on phenotypic, chemotaxonomic and genomic data, strain TBZ242T represents a novel species within the genus Marinobacter, for which the name Marinobacter azerbaijanicus sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is TBZ242T (= CECT 30649T = IBRC-M 11466T). Genomic fragment recruitment analysis showed that this species prefers aquatic saline environments with intermediate salinities, being detected on metagenomic databases of Lake Meyghan (Iran) with 5 and 18 % salinity, respectively.

The relationship between preeclampsia risk and SENCR rs555172 gene polymorphism and expression.

Preeclampsia, the more severe manifestation of gestational hypertensive disorders, is a major cause of maternal and perinatal morbidity and mortality worldwide. Genetic polymorphisms in long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) are considered as potential genetic preeclampsia. This study aimed to explore the association between SENCR rs555172 SNP and PE risk in healthy pregnant women compared to women with preeclampsia. A total of 140 healthy pregnant women and 130 preeclampsia cases were included in the study. The rs555172 genotype was determined using polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP), and the expression of the SENCR gene was analyzed in 40 placenta tissue samples from both groups. Various statistical approaches were employed to assess the genotypic and allelic frequencies. The results showed no significant difference in the frequency of the rs555172 polymorphism between healthy pregnant women and those with preeclampsia in terms of the dominant (p=0.82), recessive (p=0.39), and over-dominant (p=0.42) models. Additionally, the analysis of SENCR relative expression revealed no significant difference between the two groups (p=0.48). In conclusion, the LncRNA SENCR rs555172(G/A) seems not associated with an increased risk of Preeclampsia in pregnant women.

Climate finance and conflict: adaptation amid instability.

Conflict and climate change might be present in the same areas and expose communities that struggle with these dual risks, but they do not co-occur in consistent or predictable ways. We question how to effectively adapt to climate change in areas experiencing violence. Conflict can make adaptation to climate change more difficult, but when local conflict patterns are better understood it is possible to introduce climate adaptation measures that are effective and responsive to the needs of the population. Further, we argue that conflict mitigation is not a climate adaptation. Even in conflict zones, the most effective climate adaptations focus on climate-centred technical solutions and poverty reduction, local governance legitimacy, and community-led efforts to cooperate in periods of climate stress. We outline some of these possibilities.

Phenanthrene metabolism in Panicum miliaceum: anatomical adaptations, degradation pathway, and computational analysis of a dioxygenase enzyme.

Polycyclic aromatic compounds (PAHs) are persistent organic pollutants of environmental concern due to their potential impacts on food chain, with plants being particularly vulnerable. While plants can uptake, transport, and transform PAHs, the precise mechanisms underlying their localization and degradation are not fully understood. Here, a cultivation experiment conducted with Panicum miliaceum exposed different concentrations of phenanthrene (PHE). Intermediate PHE degradation compounds were identified via GC-MS analysis, leading to the proposal of a phytodegradation pathway featuring three significant benzene ring cleavage steps. Our results showed that P. miliaceum exhibited the ability to effectively degrade high levels of PHE, resulting in the production of various intermediate products through several chemical changes. Examination of the localization and anatomical characteristics revealed structural alterations linked to PHE stress, with an observed enhancement in PHE accumulation density in both roots and shoots as treatment levels increased. Following a 2-week aging period, a decrease in the amount of PHE accumulation was observed, along with a change in its localization. Bioinformatics analysis of the P. miliaceum 2-oxoglutarate-dependent dioxygenase (2-ODD) DAO-like protein revealed a 299 amino acid structure with two highly conserved domains, namely 2OG-FeII_Oxy and DIOX_N. Molecular docking analysis aligned with experimental results, strongly affirming the potential link and direct action of 2-ODD DAO-like protein with PHE. Our study highlights P. miliaceum capacity for PAHs degradation and elucidates the mechanisms behind enhanced degradation efficiency. By integrating experimental evidence with bioinformatics analysis, we offer valuable insights into the potential applications of plant-based remediation strategies for PAHs-contaminated environments.