First Report of Alternaria gossypina Causing Stem Base Rot on Passilora edulis in Guangxi, China.

Passion fruit (Passilora edulis), known as the "king of fruit juices", is popular in southern China (Yuan et al. 2019). Stem base rot is a devastating disease of passion fruit commonly caused by several Fusarium spp. (Zakaria, 2022). In July 2022, typical symptoms of stem base rot were observed in a poorly managed "Qinmi No. 9" Golden passion fruit orchard in Jingxi (23°13'10"N, 106°5'23"E). The disease incidence had reached 40% (n=200) in the survey. Symptoms included ulceration and mutilation at the stem base, making the plants prone to breakage when pulled, wilting and drooping leaves above ground, and severe cases leading to the entire plant withering and dying. Fourteen plants with obvious symptoms were collected. Thin sections of plant tissue were cut from junction of sickness and health of stem, sterilized with ethanol and sodium hypochlorite, and placed on PDA medium at 28°C. Sixty fungal strains were obtained, 90% of which was identified as Fusarium based on morphology. 80% of Fusarium were F. oxysporum species complex (FOSC), but pathogenicity experiment showed all FOSC were weakly pathogenic. However, two severely pathogenic fungi with similar morphology but distinct from Fusarium were identified from the same plant. The representative strain C11 was selected for further study. C11 demonstrated a rapid growth rate, reaching a 90 mm diameter colony on PDA cultured at 25°C for 7 days. The colony displaced a round, flat shape with an overall light brown front, and cottony gray or light brown mycelium, while the reverse side was dark brown. Conidia production was observed as typically occurred in multiple chains after 14 days culture on OA medium, with round, oval or straight rod-like brown conidia ranging in size from 5.74-23.42×14.67-67.22, featuring 1-8 transverse septa and 0-3 mediastinum (Figure S1). For molecular identification, the internal transcribed spacer (ITS, OR616614), translation elongation factor 1-alpha (TEF, OR633298), alternaria major allergen (Alt a1, OR633294) gene, glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH, OR633295), RNA polymerase subunit II gene (RPB2, OR633297), 18S Small subunit rDNA (SSU, OR616608) , 28S Large Subunit rDNA (LSU, OR616615), the KOG1058 gene regions (OR633296) and an approximately segment of the anonymous noncoding region (OPA10-2, OR633299) were amplified from C11 (Liu et al. 1999, Li et al. 2023, Andrew et al. 2009), and deposited in GenBank with accession number shown in the brackets. Phylogenetic trees were constructed in MEGA11 after splicing by BioEdit (Figure S3). Combining morphology and molecular analyses, C11 was identified as Alternaria gossypina (Woudenberg et al. 2015). To test the pathogenicity, the base of the seedling stem (20cm in height) of 50 healthy "Tainong No. 1" variety of purple passion fruit, which was more susceptible to stem-base rot, was puncture wound with needles, inoculated with 6 mm diameter colonies of fungi, and then wrapped in wet cotton (Ángel et al. 2018). Ten healthy seedlings inoculated with PDA were used as controls. These plants were cultured in an artificial greenhouse at 30±5℃with 80±5% humidity. After 15 days, the plants inoculated with C11 exhibited symptoms similar to those in the field, whereas the controls remained healthy. A. gossypina was reisolated from the diseased plant stems, with the morphology and GAPDH sequence consistent with the inoculated (Figure S1, S2). This is the first report of passion fruit stem rot caused by A. gossypina. This finding will aid in the prevention and control of stem rot in passion fruit.

Theranostic Bottle-Brush Polymers Tailored for Universal Solid-Tumor Targeting.

Designing an efficient nanocarrier to target multiple types of cancer remains a major challenge in the development of cancer nanomedicines. The majority of systemically administered nanoparticles (NPs) are rapidly cleared by the liver, resulting in poor tumor-targeting efficiency and severe side effects. Here, we present a delicately tailored design and synthesis of fluorescent bottle-brush polymers and screen nine derived NPs, each varying in size and surface coatings, for tumor imaging and targeted delivery. Our optimized polymer bearing (oligo(ethylene glycol) methyl ether methacrylate) in the side chains shows reduced macrophage uptake, prolonged blood-circulation time (up to 27 h), and exceptionally high accumulation in the tumor compared to the liver, elucidating an immune-evasion-induced tumor-targeting mechanism. High tumor accumulation significantly improved the antitumor efficacy. The outstanding tumor-targeting ability has been further validated across five distinct tumor models, including orthotopic glioblastoma and pancreatic cancer, which demonstrate the universality of our polymeric nanocarrier for tumor-targeting delivery.

Combination of Bacillus and Low Fertigation Input Promoted the Growth and Productivity of Chinese Cabbage and Enriched Beneficial Rhizosphere Bacteria Lechevalieria.

Long-term overfertilization increases soil salinity and disease occurrence and reduces crop yield. Integrated application of microbial agents with low fertigation input might be a sustainable and cost-effective strategy. Herein, the promoting effects of Bacillus velezensis B006 on the growth of Chinese cabbage under different fertigation conditions in field trials were studied and the underlying mechanisms were revealed. In comparison with normal fertigation (water potential of -30 kPa and soluble N, P, K of 29.75, 8.26, 21.48 Kg hm-2) without B006 application, the combination of B. velezensis B006 and reduced fertigation input (-50 kPa and N, P, K of 11.75, 3.26, 6.48 Kg hm-2) promoted cabbage growth and root development, restrained the occurrence of soft rot disease, and improved the yield. High-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) analyses indicated that B006 application promoted the production of indole-3-acetic acid and salicylic acid in cabbage roots, which are closely related to plant growth. Rhizosphere microbiota analyses indicated that the combination of low fertigation input and B006 application promoted the enrichment of Streptomyces, Lechevalieria, Promicromonospora, and Aeromicrobium and the abundance of Lechevalieria was positively correlated with the root length and vitality. This suggested that the integrated application of reduced fertigation and Bacillus is highly efficient to improve soil ecology and productivity and will benefit the sustainable development of crop cultivation in a cost-effective way.

The Co-Association of Enterobacteriaceae and Pseudomonas with Specific Resistant Cucumber against Fusarium Wilt Disease.

The root microbiota contributes to the plant's defense against stresses and pathogens. However, the co-association pattern of functional bacteria that improves plant resistance has not been interpreted clearly. Using Illumina high-throughput sequencing technology, the root bacterial community profiles of six cucumber cultivars with different resistance in response to the causative agent of cucumber Fusarium wilt (CFW), Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. cucumerinum (Foc), were analyzed. The principal coordinate analysis indicated that the interactions of the cultivars and pathogens drove the cucumber root bacterial communities (p = 0.001). The resistance-specific differential genera across the cultivars were identified, including Massilia in the resistant cultivars, unclassified Enterobacteriaceae in resistant CL11 and JY409, Pseudomonas in JY409, Cronobacter in moderately resistant ZN106, and unclassified Rhizobiaceae and Streptomyces in susceptible ZN6. The predominant root bacterium Massilia accounted for the relative abundance of up to 28.08-61.55%, but dramatically declined to 9.36% in Foc-inoculated susceptible ZN6. Pseudomonas ASV103 and ASV48 of Pseudomonadaceae and Cronobacter ASV162 of Enterobacteriaceae were consistently differential across the cultivars at the phylum, genus, and ASV levels. Using the culture-based method, antagonistic strains of Enterobacteriaceae with a high proportion of 51% were isolated. Furthermore, the bacterial complexes of Pantoea dispersa E318 + Pseudomonas koreensis Ps213 and Cronobacter spp. C1 + C7 reduced the disease index of CFW by 77.2% and 60.0% in the pot experiment, respectively. This study reveals the co-association of specific root bacteria with host plants and reveals insight into the suppressing mechanism of resistant cultivars against CFW disease by regulating the root microbiota.

Expanded catalogue of metagenome-assembled genomes reveals resistome characteristics and athletic performance-associated microbes in horse.

BACKGROUND: As a domesticated species vital to humans, horses are raised worldwide as a source of mechanical energy for sports, leisure, food production, and transportation. The gut microbiota plays an important role in the health, diseases, athletic performance, and behaviour of horses. RESULTS: Here, using approximately 2.2 Tb of metagenomic sequencing data from gut samples from 242 horses, including 110 samples from the caecum and 132 samples from the rectum (faeces), we assembled 4142 microbial metagenome-assembled genomes (MAG), 4015 (96.93%) of which appear to correspond to new species. From long-read data, we successfully assembled 13 circular whole-chromosome bacterial genomes representing novel species. The MAG contained over 313,568 predicted carbohydrate-active enzymes (CAZy), over 59.77% of which had low similarity match in CAZy public databases. High abundance and diversity of antibiotic resistance genes (ARG) were identified in the MAG, likely showing the wide use of antibiotics in the management of horse. The abundances of at least 36 MAG (e.g. MAG belonging to Lachnospiraceae, Oscillospiraceae, and Ruminococcus) were higher in racehorses than in nonracehorses. These MAG enriched in racehorses contained every gene in a major pathway for producing acetate and butyrate by fibre fermentation, presenting potential for greater amount of short-chain fatty acids available to fuel athletic performance. CONCLUSION: Overall, we assembled 4142 MAG from short- and long-read sequence data in the horse gut. Our dataset represents an exhaustive microbial genome catalogue for the horse gut microbiome and provides a valuable resource for discovery of performance-enhancing microbes and studies of horse gut microbiome. Video Abstract.

TRPV1 SUMOylation suppresses itch by inhibiting TRPV1 interaction with H1 receptors.

The molecular mechanism underlying the functional interaction between H1R and TRPV1 remains unclear. We show here that H1R directly binds to the carboxy-terminal region of TRPV1 at residues 715-725 and 736-749. Cell-penetrating peptides containing these sequences suppress histamine-induced scratching behavior in a cheek injection model. The H1R-TRPV1 binding is kept at a minimum at rest in mouse trigeminal neurons due to TRPV1 SUMOylation and it is enhanced upon histamine treatment through a transient TRPV1 deSUMOylation. The knockin of the SUMOylation-deficient TRPV1K823R mutant in mice leads to constitutive enhancement of H1R-TRPV1 binding, which exacerbates scratching behaviors induced by histamine. Conversely, SENP1 conditional knockout in sensory neurons enhances TRPV1 SUMOylation and suppresses the histamine-induced scratching response. In addition to interfering with binding, TRPV1 SUMOylation promotes H1R degradation through ubiquitination. Our work unveils the molecular mechanism of histaminergic itch by which H1R directly binds to deSUMOylated TRPV1 to facilitate the transduction of the pruritogen signal to the scratching response.

Complete Genome Sequence of Achromobacter sp. Strain 77, a Hyphosphere Isolate of Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. cucumerinum.

The genome sequence of Achromobacter sp. strain 77, a bacterium isolated from the hyphosphere of Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. cucumerinum, is reported here. Genome sequencing and assembly yielded one chromosome consisting of 5,868,070 bases, with a G+C content of 65.89%.

Differences in the oral and intestinal microbiotas in pregnant women varying in periodontitis and gestational diabetes mellitus conditions.

Background: The present study aimed to investigate the potential association between oral and intestinal microbiotas of pregnant women with periodontitis and/or gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) in the second trimester.Methods: Four groups were defined: periodontitis (n = 28), GDM (n = 7), periodontitis + GDM (n = 7), and periodontitis- and GDM-free controls (n = 27). The oral and intestinal microbiomes were analyzed using the 16S rRNA sequencing technique.Results: Periodontitis alone significantly decreased the oral microbial diversity (by Shannon index, p = 0.003) and changed the structure of the oral microbial community (by AMOVA, p 0.001). GDM alone significantly increased the oral microbial diversity (by Shannon index, p = 0.049), and when combined with periodontitis, GDM significantly decreased the intestinal microbial richness (by observed species, p = 0.018) and influenced the structure of intestinal microbial community (by AMOVA, p = 0.043). The differentially abundant microbial taxa among different groups in both oral and intestinal samples were identified by LEfSe analysis, and limited taxa showed consistent trends. The numbers and ratios of oral-intestinal shared operational taxonomical units were the least in the periodontitis + GDM group.Conclusions: A close relationship between the oral microbiota and pregnant periodontitis was shown. Significant changes occur in both the oral and intestinal microbiomes when periodontitis was coupled with GDM. A separate influence of periodontitis and GDM on the oral and intestinal microbiotas may be indicated.

Multi-Omics Association Reveals the Effects of Intestinal Microbiome-Host Interactions on Fat Deposition in Broilers.

Growing evidence indicates that gut microbiota factors cannot be viewed as independent in the occurrence of obesity. Because the gut microbiome is highly dimensional and complex, studies on interactions between gut microbiome and host in obesity are still rare. To explore the relationship of gut microbiome-host interactions with obesity, we performed multi-omics associations of gut metagenome, intestinal transcriptome, and host obesity phenotypes in divergently selected obese-lean broiler lines. Metagenomic shotgun sequencing generated a total of 450 gigabases of clean data from 80 intestinal segment contents of 20 broilers (10 of each line). The microbiome comparison showed that microbial diversity and composition in the duodenum, jejunum, ileum, and ceca were altered variously between the lean- and fat-line broilers. We identified two jejunal microbes (Escherichia coli and Candidatus Acetothermia bacterium) and four cecal microbes (Alistipes sp. CHKCI003, Ruminococcaceae bacterium CPB6, Clostridiales bacterium, and Anaeromassilibacillus sp. An200), which were significantly different between the two lines (FDR < 0.05). When comparing functional metagenome, the fat-line broilers had an intensive microbial metabolism in the duodenum and jejunum but degenerative microbial activities in the ileum and ceca. mRNA-sequencing identified a total of 1,667 differentially expressed genes (DEG) in the four intestinal compartments between the two lines (| log2FC| > 1.5 and FDR < 0.05). Multi-omics associations showed that the 14 microbial species with abundances that were significantly related with abdominal fat relevant traits (AFRT) also have significant correlations with 155 AFRT-correlated DEG (p < 0.05). These DEG were mainly involved in lipid metabolism, immune system, transport and catabolism, and cell growth-related pathways. The present study constructed a gut microbial gene catalog of the obese-lean broiler lines. Intestinal transcriptome and metagenome comparison between the two lines identified candidate DEG and differential microbes for obesity, respectively. Multi-omics associations suggest that abdominal fat deposition may be influenced by the interactions of specific gut microbiota abundance and the expression of host genes in the intestinal compartments in which the microbes reside. Our study explored the interactions between gut microbiome and host intestinal gene expression in lean and obese broilers, which may expand knowledge on the relationships between obesity and gut microbiome.

Complete Genome Sequence of the Hypha-Colonizing Rhizobium sp. Strain 76, a Potential Biocontrol Agent.

The genome sequence of Rhizobium sp. strain 76, a bacterium isolated from the hyphosphere of Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. cucumerinum, is reported here. Genome sequencing and assembly yielded 5,375,961 bases with a 59.14% G+C content, comprising two chromosomes and one plasmid.

Olig2 SUMOylation protects against genotoxic damage response by antagonizing p53 gene targeting.

Posttranslational modifications of nuclear proteins, including transcription factors, nuclear receptors, and their coregulators, have attracted much attention in cancer research. Although phosphorylation of oligodendrocyte transcription factor 2 (Olig2) may contribute to the notorious resistance of gliomas to radiation and genotoxic drugs, the precise mechanisms remain elusive. We show here that in addition to phosphorylation, Olig2 is also conjugated by small ubiquitin-like modifier-1 (SUMO1) at three lysine residues K27, K76, and K112. SUMOylation is required for Olig2 to suppress p53-mediated cell cycle arrest and apoptosis induced by genotoxic damage, and to enhance resistance to temozolomide (TMZ) in glioma. Both SUMOylation and triple serine motif (TSM) phosphorylation of Olig2 are required for the antiapoptotic function. Olig2 SUMOylation enhances its genetic targeting ability, which in turn occludes p53 recruitment to Cdkn1a promoter for DNA-damage responses. Our work uncovers a SUMOylation-dependent regulatory mechanism of Olig2 in regulating cancer survival.

DUSP6 SUMOylation protects cells from oxidative damage via direct regulation of Drp1 dephosphorylation.

Imbalanced mitochondrial fission/fusion, a major cause of apoptotic cell death, often results from dysregulation of Drp1 phosphorylation of two serines, S616 and S637. Whereas kinases for Drp1-S616 phosphorylation are well-described, phosphatase(s) for its dephosphorylation remains unclear. Here, we show that dual-specificity phosphatase 6 (DUSP6) dephosphorylates Drp1-S616 independently of its known substrates ERK1/2. DUSP6 keeps Drp1-S616 phosphorylation levels low under normal conditions. The stability and catalytic function of DUSP6 are maintained through conjugation of small ubiquitin-like modifier-1 (SUMO1) and SUMO2/3 at lysine-234 (K234), which is disrupted during oxidation through transcriptional up-regulation of SUMO-deconjugating enzyme, SENP1, causing DUSP6 degradation by ubiquitin-proteasome. deSUMOylation underlies DUSP6 degradation, Drp1-S616 hyperphosphorylation, mitochondrial fragmentation, and apoptosis induced by H2O2 in cultured cells or brain ischemia/reperfusion in mice. Overexpression of DUSP6, but not the SUMOylation-deficient DUSP6K234R mutant, protected cells from apoptosis. Thus, DUSP6 exerts a cytoprotective role by directly dephosphorylating Drp1-S616, which is disrupted by deSUMOylation under oxidation.

Inflammatory myofibroblastic tumor of bone harboring an ALK gene amplification.

Inflammatory myofibroblastic tumor (IMT) is a neoplastic proliferation of myofibroblastic/fibroblastic cells with a variable admixture of inflammatory cells. It primarily affects soft tissue and viscera of children and young adults. IMT occurring in bone is extremely rare. Approximately 50% of IMTs carry a clonal rearrangement of the anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK) gene, while other receptor tyrosine kinase gene rearrangements have been seen in a small subset of IMT. Herein, we report the first case of IMT which harbors an ALK gene amplification rather than a rearrangement thus resulting in overexpression of the protein, arising from the femur of a 24-year-old man. Our case provides a novel pathogenesis for IMT. An overview of cytogenetic abnormalities of IMT is also integrated into this report.

Transcriptome analysis of virulence-differentiated Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. cucumerinum isolates during cucumber colonisation reveals pathogenicity profiles.

BACKGROUND: Cucumber Fusarium wilt, caused by Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. cucumerinum (Foc), is one of the most notorious diseases in cucumber production. Our previous research showed the virulence of Foc significantly increases over consecutive rounds of infection in a resistant cultivar. To understand the virulence variation of Foc under host pressure, the mildly virulent strain foc-3b (WT) and its virulence-enhanced variant Ra-4 (InVir) were selected and their transcriptome profiles in infected cucumber roots were analyzed at 24 h after inoculation (hai) and 120 hai. RESULTS: A series of differentially expressed genes (DEGs) potentially involved in fungal pathogenicity and pathogenicity variation were identified and prove mainly involved in metabolic, transport, oxidation-reduction, cell wall degradation, macromolecules modification, and stress and defense. Among these DEGs, 190 up- and 360 down-regulated genes were expressed in both strains, indicating their importance in Foc infection. Besides, 286 and 366 DEGs showed up-regulated expression, while 492 and 214 showed down-regulated expression in InVir at 24 and 120 hai, respectively. These DEGs may be involved in increased virulence. Notably, transposases were more active in InVir than WT, indicating transposons may contribute to adaptive evolution. CONCLUSIONS: By a comparative transcriptome analysis of the mildly and highly virulent strains of Foc during infection of cucumber, a series of DEGs were identified that may be associated with virulence. Hence, this study provides new insight into the transcriptomic profile underlying pathogenicity and virulence differentiation of Foc.

Insight into the Bacterial Endophytic Communities of Peach Cultivars Related to Crown Gall Disease Resistance.

Crown gall disease caused by Agrobacterium tumefaciens severely impacts the production of peach and other fruit trees. Several peach cultivars are partially resistant to A. tumefaciens, but little is known about the roles of endophytic microbiota in disease resistance. In the present study, the endophytic bacterial communities of resistant and susceptible peach cultivars "Honggengansutao" and "Okinawa" were analyzed using universal 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing in parallel with the cultivation and characterization of bacterial isolates. A total of 1,357,088 high-quality sequences representing 3,160 distinct operational taxonomic units (OTUs; Proteobacteria, Actinobacteria, Bacteroidetes, and Firmicutes) and 1,200 isolates of 20 genera and 305 distinct ribotypes were collected from peach roots and twigs. It was found that factors including plant developmental stage, cultivar, and A. tumefaciens invasion strongly influenced the peach endophytic communities. The community diversity of endophytic bacteria and the abundance of culturable bacteria were both higher in the roots of the resistant cultivar, particularly after inoculation. Strikingly, the pathogen antagonists Streptomyces and Pseudomonas in roots and Rhizobium in twigs were most frequently detected in resistant plants. Our results suggest that the higher abundance and diversity of endophytic bacteria and increased proportions of antagonistic bacteria might contribute to the natural defense of the resistant cultivar against A. tumefaciens This work reveals the relationships between endophytic bacteria and disease resistance in peach plants and provides important information for microbiome-based biocontrol of crown gall disease in fruit trees.IMPORTANCEAgrobacterium tumefaciens as the causal agent of peach crown gall disease can be controlled by planting resistant cultivars. This study profiles the endophytic bacteria in susceptible and resistant peach cultivars, advancing our understanding of the relationships between endophytic bacterial communities and peach crown gall disease, with potential implications for other complex microbiome-plant-pathogen interactions. The resistant cultivar may defend itself by increasing the diversity and abundance of beneficial endophytic bacteria. The antagonists identified among the genera Streptomyces, Pseudomonas, and Rhizobium may have application potential for biocontrol of crown gall disease in fruit trees.

ROS Is a Factor Regulating the Increased Polysaccharide Production by Light Quality in the Edible Cyanobacterium Nostoc flagelliforme.

To explore the regulatory factor of light quality affecting exopolysaccharide (EPS) production, transcriptome analysis of Nostoc flagelliforme cells exposed to red light (R), blue light (B), and mixed light (B/R = 15:7) (BR) with white fluorescent light as control was performed. The differentially expressed genes mainly enriched in carbohydrate metabolism and energy metabolism. Significant enrichment in the oxidation-reduction process and energy metabolism indicated that intracellular redox homeostasis was disrupted. An assay of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and malondialdehyde contents demonstrated light quality induced oxidative stress. To illustrate the relationship between ROS level and EPS accumulation, the effects of the exogenous addition of ROS scavenger N-acetyl cysteine and inducer H2O2 on the oxidation-reduction level and EPS production were compared. The results revealed that light quality regulated EPS biosynthesis via the intracellular ROS level directly other than oxidative stress. Understanding such relationships might provide guidance for efficient EPS production to regulate the intracellular redox level.

Comparative proteomic analysis of Nostoc flagelliforme reveals the difference in adaptive mechanism in response to different ultraviolet-B radiation treatments.

Nostoc flagelliforme is a pioneer organism in the desert and highly resistant to ultraviolet B (UV-B) radiation, while the involved adaptive mechanism has not been fully explored yet. To elucidate the responsive mechanism, two doses of UV-B radiation (low: 1 W/m2 and high: 5 W/m2) were irradiated for 6 h and 48 h, respectively, and their effects on global metabolism in N. flagelliforme were comprehensively investigated. In this study, we used iTRAQ-based proteomic approach to explore the proteomes of N. flagelliforme, and 151, 172, 124 and 148 differentially expressed proteins were identified under low and high UV-B doses for 6 h and 48 h, respectively. Functional classification analysis showed these proteins were mainly involved in photosynthesis, amino acid metabolism, antioxidant activity and carbohydrate metabolism. Further analysis revealed that UV-B imposed restrictions on primary metabolism including photosynthesis, Calvin cycle, and amino acid metabolism, and cells started defense mechanism through repair of DNA and protein damage, increasing antioxidant activity, and accumulating extracellular polysaccharides to minimize the damage. Moreover, high UV-B dose imposed more severe restrictions and activated stronger defense mechanism compared with low dose. The results would improve the understanding of molecular mechanisms of UV-B-stress adaption in N. flagelliforme.

Insight into the surfactin production of Bacillus velezensis B006 through metabolomics analysis.

Bacillus velezensis B006 is a biocontrol agent which functions through effective colonization and surfactin production. To reveal the surfactin-producing mechanism, gas chromatography-mass spectrometry based untargeted metabolomics was performed to compare the metabolite profiles of strain B006 grown in industrial media M3 and M4. Based on the statistical and pathway topology analyses, a total of 31 metabolites with a fold change of less than - 1.0 were screened as the significantly altered metabolites, which distributed in 15 metabolic pathways. Fourteen amino acids involving in the metabolisms of alanine/aspartate/glutamate, glycine/serine/threonine, arginine/proline, glutathione/cysteine/methionine and valine/leucine/isoleucine as well as succinic acid in TCA cycle were identified to be the hub metabolites. Aminoacyl-tRNA biosynthesis, glycerolipid metabolism, and pantothenate/CoA biosynthesis also contributed to surfactin production. To the best of our knowledge, this study is the first to investigate the metabolic pathways of B. velezensis on surfactin production, and will benefit the optimization of commercial fermentation for higher surfactin yield.

Draft Genome Sequence of Bacillus velezensis B6, a Rhizobacterium That Can Control Plant Diseases.

The draft genome of Bacillus velezensis strain B6, a rhizobacterium with good biocontrol performance isolated from soil in China, was sequenced. The assembly comprises 32 scaffolds with a total size of 3.88 Mb. Gene clusters coding either ribosomally encoded bacteriocins or nonribosomally encoded antimicrobial polyketides and lipopeptides in the genome may contribute to plant disease control.

Implementation and utilization of the molecular tumor board to guide precision medicine.

BACKGROUND: With rapid advances in genomic medicine, the complexity of delivering precision medicine to oncology patients across a university health system demanded the creation of a Molecular Tumor Board (MTB) for patient selection and assessment of treatment options. The objective of this report is to analyze our progress to date and discuss the importance of the MTB in the implementation of personalized medicine. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Patients were reviewed in the MTB for appropriateness for comprehensive next generation sequencing (NGS) cancer gene set testing based on set criteria that were in place. Because profiling of stage IV lung cancer, colon cancer, and melanoma cancers were standard of care, these cancer types were excluded from this process. We subsequently analyzed the types of cases referred for testing and approved with regards to their results. RESULTS: 191 cases were discussed at the MTB and 132 cases were approved for testing. Forty-six cases (34.8%) had driver mutations that were associated with an active targeted therapeutic agent, including BRAF, PIK3CA, IDH1, KRAS, and BRCA1. An additional 56 cases (42.4%) had driver mutations previously reported in some type of cancer. Twenty-two cases (16.7%) did not have any clinically significant mutations. Eight cases did not yield adequate DNA. 15 cases were considered for targeted therapy, 13 of which received targeted therapy. One patient experienced a near complete response. Seven of 13 had stable disease or a partial response. CONCLUSIONS: MTB at University of Alabama-Birmingham is unique because it reviews the appropriateness of NGS testing for patients with recurrent cancer and serves as a forum to educate our physicians about the pathways of precision medicine. Our results suggest that our detection of actionable mutations may be higher due to our careful selection. The application of precision medicine and molecular genetic testing for cancer patients remains a continuous educational process for physicians.