RESUMEN
Teredinibacter turnerae is a cultivable cellulolytic Gammaproteobacterium (Cellvibrionaceae) that commonly occurs as an intracellular endosymbiont in the gills of wood-eating bivalves of the family Teredinidae (shipworms). The genome of T. turnerae encodes a broad range of enzymes that deconstruct cellulose, hemicellulose, and pectin and contribute to wood (lignocellulose) digestion in the shipworm gut. However, the mechanisms by which T. turnerae secretes lignocellulolytic enzymes are incompletely understood. Here, we show that T. turnerae cultures grown on carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) produce membrane vesicles (MVs) that include a variety of proteins identified by LC-MS/MS as carbohydrate-active enzymes (CAZymes) with predicted activities against cellulose, hemicellulose, and pectin. Reducing sugar assays and zymography confirm that these MVs exhibit cellulolytic activity, as evidenced by the hydrolysis of CMC. Additionally, these MVs were enriched with TonB -dependent receptors, which are essential to carbohydrate and iron acquisition by free-living bacteria. These observations indicate a potential role for MVs in lignocellulose utilization by T. turnerae in the free-living state, suggest possible mechanisms for host-symbiont interaction, and may be informative for commercial applications such as enzyme production and lignocellulosic biomass conversion.
RESUMEN
Odor detection canines are a valuable resource used by multiple agencies for the sensitive detection of explosives, narcotics, firearms, agricultural products, and even human bodies. These canines and their handlers are frequently deployed to pathogen-contaminated environments or to work in close proximity with potentially sick individuals. Appropriate decontamination protocols must be established to mitigate both canine and handler exposure in these scenarios. Despite this potential risk, extremely limited guidance is available on routine canine decontamination from pathogenic biological materials. In this article, we evaluate the ability of several commercial off-the-shelf cleansing products, used in wipe form, to remove superficial contamination from fur, canine equipment, and toys. Using Glo Germ MIST as a proxy for biological contamination, our analysis demonstrated more than a 90% average reduction in contamination after wiping with a Nolvasan scrub solution, 0.5% chlorhexidine solution, or 70% isopropyl alcohol. Wiping with nondisinfectant baby wipes or water yielded an almost 80% average removal of contaminant from all surfaces. Additionally, researchers used Gwet's AC2 measurement to assess interrater reliability, which demonstrated substantial agreement (P < .001). These data provide key insights toward the development of a rapid, convenient, and fieldable alternative to traditional water-intensive bathing of working canines.