Secreted in Xylem (SIX) genes in Fusarium oxysporum f.sp. cubense (Foc) unravels the potential biomarkers for early detection of Fusarium wilt disease.

Secreted in Xylem (SIX) are small effector proteins released by Fusarium oxysporum f.sp. cubense (Foc) into the plant's xylem sap disrupting the host's defence responses causing Fusarium wilt disease resulting in a significant decline in banana crop yields and economic losses. Notably, different races of Foc possess unique sets of SIX genes responsible for their virulence, however, these genes remain underutilized, despite their potential as biomarkers for early disease detection. Herein, we identified seven SIX genes i.e. SIX1, SIX2, SIX4, SIX6, SIX8a, SIX9a and SIX13 present in Foc Tropical Race 4 (FocTR4), while only SIX9b in Foc Race 1 (Foc1). Analysis of SIX gene expression in infected banana roots revealed differential patterns during infection providing valuable insights into host-pathogen interactions, virulence level, and early detection time points. Additionally, a comprehensive analysis of virulent Foc1_C2HIR and FocTR4_C1HIR isolates yielded informative genomic insights. Hence, these discoveries contribute to our comprehension of potential disease control targets in these plants, as well as enhancing plant diagnostics and breeding programs.

Microbial degradation of low-density polyethylene, polyethylene terephthalate, and polystyrene by novel isolates from plastic-polluted environment.

Biodegradation is an eco-friendly measure to address plastic pollution. This study screened four bacterial isolates that were capable of degrading recalcitrant polymers, i.e., low-density polyethylene, polyethylene terephthalate, and polystyrene. The unique bacterial isolates were obtained from plastic polluted environment. Dermacoccus sp. MR5 (accession no. OP592184) and Corynebacterium sp. MR10 (accession no. OP536169) from Malaysian mangroves and Bacillus sp. BS5 (accession no. OP536168) and Priestia sp. TL1 (accession no. OP536170) from a sanitary landfill. The four isolates showed a gradual increase in the microbial count and the production of laccase and esterase enzymes after 4 weeks of incubation with the polymers (independent experiment set). Bacillus sp. BS5 produced the highest laccase 15.35 ± 0.19 U/mL and showed the highest weight loss i.e., 4.84 ± 0.6% for PS. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy analysis confirmed the formation of carbonyl and hydroxyl groups as a result of oxidation reactions by enzymes. Liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry analysis showed the oxidation of the polymers to small molecules (alcohol, ethers, and acids) assimilated by the microbes during the degradation. Field emission scanning electron microscopy showed bacterial colonization, biofilm formation, and surface erosion on the polymer surface. The result provided significant insight into enzyme activities and the potential of isolates to target more than one type of polymer for degradation.

Complete chloroplast genome of Boesenbergia rotunda and a comparative analysis with members of the family Zingiberaceae.

Boesenbergia rotunda (L.) Mansf. is a medically important ginger species of the family Zingiberaceae but its genomic information on molecular phylogeny and identification is scarce. In this work, the chloroplast genome of B. rotunda was sequenced, characterized and compared to the other Zingiberaceae species to provide chloroplast genetic resources and to determine its phylogenetic position in the family. The chloroplast genome of B. rotunda was 163,817 bp in length and consisted of a large single-copy (LSC) region of 88,302 bp, a small single-copy (SSC) region of 16,023 bp and a pair of inverted repeats (IRA and IRB) of 29,746 bp each. The chloroplast genome contained 113 unique genes, including 79 protein-coding genes, 30 transfer RNA (tRNA) genes and four ribosomal RNA (rRNA) genes. Several genes had atypical start codons, while most amino acids exhibited biased usage of synonymous codons. Comparative analyses with various chloroplast genomes of Zingiberaceae taxa revealed several highly variable regions (psbK-psbI, trnT-GGU-psbD, rbcL-accD, ndhF-rpl32, and ycf1) in the LSC and SSC regions in the chloroplast genome of B. rotunda that could be utilized as molecular markers for DNA barcoding and species delimitation. Phylogenetic analyses based on shared protein-coding genes revealed that B. rotunda formed a distinct lineage with B. kingii Mood & L.M.Prince, in a subclade that also contained the genera Kaempferia and Zingiber. These findings constitute the first chloroplast genome information of B. rotunda that could be a reference for phylogenetic analysis and identification of genus Boesenbergia within the Zingiberaceae family. Supplementary Information: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s40415-022-00845-w.

Data set on the diversity and core members of bacterial community associated with two specialist fruit flies Bactrocera melastomatos and B. umbrosa (Insecta, Tephritidae).

Bactrocera melastomatos Drew & Hancock and Bactrocera umbrosa (Fabricius) are fruit flies of the subfamily Dacinae under the family Tephritidae [1]. B. melastomatos occurs in India (Andaman Island), Thailand, Peninsular Malaysia, Singapore, and Indonesia (Sumatra, Kalimantan, Java) [1] while B. umbrosa is distributed from southern Thailand and Malaysia to New Guinea and New Caledonia [2]. The adult male flies of B. melastomatos are attracted to Cue lure while the adult male flies of B. umbrosa are attracted to methyl eugenol [3]. Fruit flies of Bactrocera melastomatos infest Melastomataceae while those of B. umbrosa infest Moraceae. We compare the diversity of microbiota associated with the wild adult males of these two specialist fruit flies infesting different families of host plants. Targeted 16S rRNA gene (V3-V4 region) was sequenced using the Illumina MiSeq platform. Six bacterial phyla (Actinobacteria, Armatimonadetes, Bacteroidetes, Cyanobacteria/Melainabacteria group, Firmicutes, Proteobacteria) were detected at 97% similarity clustering and 0.001% abundance filtering. Four phyla (Actinobacteria, Bacteroidetes, Firmicutes, Proteobacteria) were present in all the specimens studied. Proteobacteria was the predominant phylum in both B. melastomatos and B. umbrosa. Enterobacteriaceae was the predominant family in UM B. melastomatos and B. umbrosa, and Orbaceae was the predominant family in Awana B. melastomatos. Klebsiella was the predominant genus in B. umbrosa, Citrobacter in UM B. melastomatos, and Orbus in Awana B. melastomatos. Double Wolbachia infections were present in UM B. melastomatos. In general, the bacterial diversity and richness varied within and between the samples of B. melastomatos and B. umbrosa.

Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Symbiosis: A Strategy for Mitigating the Impacts of Climate Change on Tropical Legume Crops.

Climate change is likely to have severe impacts on food security in the topics as these regions of the world have both the highest human populations and narrower climatic niches, which reduce the diversity of suitable crops. Legume crops are of particular importance to food security, supplying dietary protein for humans both directly and in their use for feed and forage. Other than the rhizobia associated with legumes, soil microbes, in particular arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF), can mitigate the effects of biotic and abiotic stresses, offering an important complementary measure to protect crop yields. This review presents current knowledge on AMF, highlights their beneficial role, and explores the potential for application of AMF in mitigating abiotic and biotic challenges for tropical legumes. Due to the relatively little study on tropical legume species compared to their temperate growing counterparts, much further research is needed to determine how similar AMF-plant interactions are in tropical legumes, which AMF species are optimal for agricultural deployment and especially to identify anaerobic AMF species that could be used to mitigate flood stress in tropical legume crop farming. These opportunities for research also require international cooperation and support, to realize the promise of tropical legume crops to contribute to future food security.

Halotolerant rhizobacteria isolated from a mangrove forest alleviate saline stress in Musa acuminata cv. Berangan.

Saline soils resulting from anthropogenic activity and climate change present a challenge to future food security. Towards addressing this, we isolated and characterized halotolerant bacteria from a Malaysian mangrove forest, and explored their effect on morpho-physiological and biochemical parameters of banana plantlets under salt stress. A total of 88 rhizobacterial and 16 endophytic bacterial isolates collected from the roots and rhizosphere of Rhizophora apiculata, Avicennia alba and Sonneratia alba, were found to tolerate up to 400 mM of sea salt. Based on best performance in multiple plant growth traits, three rhizobacterial strains RB1, RB3 and RB4 and three endophytic bacterial strains EB1, EB2 and EB3 were used for further analysis. The rhizobacterial strains were identified as Bacillus sp. and endophytic bacteria as Pseudomonas sp. based on 16 S rRNA gene sequence. SEM observation confirmed colonization of each strain on banana plantlet roots. When colonized plantlets were subjected to 90 mM salt and compared to uninoculated (control) and mock inoculated plants, improved plant growth was observed with each of the strains, especially with bacterial strains EB3 and RB3. Biochemical analysis of plantlets revealed that root colonization with EB3 and RB3 enhanced levels of plant chlorophyll (> 5-fold), carotenoid (> 2.85-fold) and proline (2.6-fold and 2.3-fold), while plantlets also showed reduced MDA content (0.45-fold and 0.51-fold), significantly reduced generation of ROS (0.23-fold and 0.47-fold) and lower levels of electrolyte leakage (0.77 and 0.51-fold). Antioxidant enzymes also showed enhanced activity with EB3 and RB3. Our results indicate that these halotolerant Bacillus and Pseudomonas strains from the mangrove have multifunctional plant growth promoting activity and can reduce salt stress in bananas. This data provides a reference for exploring halotolerant microbes from hypersaline environments to overcome salt stress in plants.

Draft Genome Sequence of a Multiple Antibiotic Resistant Staphylococcus aureus NCTC 6571-UB Laboratory Strain.

We report the draft genome sequence of the laboratory strain Staphylococcus aureus NCTC 6571-UB, a strain that was derived from S. aureus NCTC 6571. This strain was selected for sequencing in order to provide information on the genome dynamics and the acquired resistance genes for penicillin G, trimethoprim, and sulfamethoxazole resistance.

Draft Genome Sequence of the Multiple Antibiotic Resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa PAO1-UB Subline.

We report the draft genome sequence and antibiotic susceptibility of Pseudomonas aeruginosa strain PAO1-UB, a subline of the common reference strain PAO1. This strain was sequenced in order to provide information on the genome dynamics of PAO1 sublines and their genes conferring resistance to multiple antibiotics.

Formicincola oecophyllae gen. nov. sp. nov., a novel member of the family Acetobacteraceae isolated from the weaver ant Oecophylla smaragdina.

In this study, a novel bacterium designated F3b2T was isolated from the gut sample of weaver ant Oecophylla smaragdina and characterised. Strain F3b2T was a Gram-negative, aerobic, non-motile, ovoid-shaped bacterium and grows optimally at 28-30 °C. Its major respiratory quinone is ubiquinone 10 (Q-10) and the major fatty acids are C18:1 ω7c, C19:0 cyclo ω8c and C16:0, representing 85% of the total fatty acids. The 16S rRNA gene sequence of strain F3b2T was highest in similarity to that of Oecophyllibacter saccharovorans DSM106907T and Swingsia samuieinsis NBRC 107927T at 94.35% and 91.96%, respectively. A 16S rRNA gene-based phylogenetic analysis and a core genes-based phylogenomic analysis placed strain F3b2T in a distinct lineage in the family Acetobacteraceae. The phylogenetic placement was supported by lower than species delineation threshold average nucleotide identity (ANI) (≤ 70.2%), in silico DNA-DNA hybridization (DDH) (≤ 39.5%) and average amino acid identity (AAI) (≤ 63.5%) values between strain F3b2T and closest neighbours. These overall genome relatedness indices also supported the assignment of strain F3b2T to a novel genus within Acetobacteraceae. The genome of strain F3b2T was 1.96 Mb with 60.4% G + C DNA content. Based on these results, strain F3b2T represented a novel taxon of Acetobacteraceae, for which we proposed the name Formicincola oecophyllae gen. nov. sp. nov., and strain F3b2T (= LMG 30590T = DSM 106908T = NBRC 113640T = KCTC 62951T) as the type strain.

Bacterial microbiome of faecal samples of naked mole-rat collected from the toilet chamber.

OBJECTIVE: The naked mole rats (NMRs, Heterocephalus glaber) are subterranean rodents that belong to the family Bathyergidae. They gained the attention of the scientific community for their exceptionally long lifespan of up to 30 years and have become an animal model of biomedical research on neurodegenerative diseases, aging and cancer. NMRs dig and survive in a maze of underground tunnels and chambers and demarcate toilet chambers for defecation and urination. Due to their coprophagic behaviours, we believed that the toilet chamber might play a role in maintaining optimal health of the NMRs. A 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing was performed to characterize the bacterial microbiome of faecal samples collected from the toilet chamber of a laboratory NMR colony. RESULTS: Four faecal samples were collected at different time points from the same toilet chamber of a laboratory NMR colony for analysis. The 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing revealed that bacterial phyla Firmicutes and Bacteroidetes were the dominant taxa in the bacterial microbiome of NMRs. The relative abundance of the bacterial taxa shifted substantially between time points, indicating a dynamic microbiome in the toilet chamber. The data provided an insight to the faecal microbiome of NMRs in the toilet chamber.

Core members and differential abundance of chrysomelid microbiota in the life stages of Podontiaaffinis (Galerucinae) and adult Silanafarinosa(Cassidinae, Coleoptera).

The chrysomelid beetlesPodontiaaffinis and Silanafarinosa are members of the subfamilies Galerucinae and Cassidinae, respectively. This study, based on 16S rRNA gene-targeted metagenomics sequencing, reports the core members and differential abundance of bacterial communities in the larvae and adult beetles of P.affinis and the adult S.farinosa. Cyanobacteria/Melainabacteria group was the predominant phylum in the larvae of P.affinis, while Proteobacteria was the predominant phylum in adult P.affinis and S.farinosa. The number of Order, Family, Genus and Species OTUs in the adult stage of P.affinis was higher than that in the larval stage. The bacterial species richness of adult P.affinis was significantly higher than that of adult S.farinosa. Betaproteobacteria was the predominant class in adult P.affinis, Cyanobacteria in the larvae of P.affinis and Gammaproteobacteria in S.farinosa. The larvae and adult beetles of P.affinis and adult S.farinosahad a low number of unique and shared bacterial OTUs (> 5% relative abundance). The differences in the microbiota indicate possible differences in nutrient assimilation, host taxonomy and other stochastic processes. These findings provide new information to our understanding of the bacteria associated with specialist phytophagous chrysomelid beetles and beetles in general.

Complete mitochondrial genome of Dacus vijaysegarani and phylogenetic relationships with congeners and other tephritid fruit flies (Insecta: Diptera).

BACKGROUND: Tephritid fruit flies of the genus Dacus are members of the tribe Dacini, subfamily Dacinae. There are some 274 species worldwide, distributed in Africa and the Asia-Pacific. To date, only five complete mitochondrial genomes (mitogenomes) of Dacus fruit flies have been published and are available in the GenBank. METHODS AND RESULTS: In view of the lack of study on their mitogenome, we sequenced (by next generation sequencing) and annotated the complete mitogenome of D. vijaysegarani from Malaysia to determine its features and phylogenetic relationship. The whole mitogenome of D. vijaysegarani has identical gene order with the published mitogenomes of the genus Dacus, with 13 protein-coding genes, two rRNA genes, 22 tRNAs, a non-coding A + T rich control region, and intergenic spacer and overlap sequences. Phylogenetic analysis based on 15 mitochondrial genes (13 PCGs and two rRNA genes), reveals Dacus, Zeugodacus and Bactrocera forming a distinct clade. The genus Dacus forms a monophyletic group in the subclade containing also the Zeugodacus group; this Dacus-Zeugodacus subclade is distinct from the Bactrocera subclade. D. (Mellesis) vijaysegarani forms a lineage with D. (Mellesis) trimacula in the subcluster containing also the lineage of D. (Mellesis) conopsoides and D. (Callantra) longicornis. D. (Dacus) bivittatus and D. (Didacus) ciliatus form a distinct subcluster. Based on cox1 sequences, the Malaysia and Vietnam taxa of D. vijaysegarani may not be conspecific. CONCLUSIONS: Overall, the mitochondrial genome of D. vijaysegarani provided essential molecular data that could be useful for further studies for species diagnosis, evolution and phylogeny research of other tephritid fruit flies in the future.

Complete mitochondrial genomes and phylogenetic relationships of the genera Nephila and Trichonephila (Araneae, Araneoidea).

Spiders of the genera Nephila and Trichonephila are large orb-weaving spiders. In view of the lack of study on the mitogenome of these genera, and the conflicting systematic status, we sequenced (by next generation sequencing) and annotated the complete mitogenomes of N. pilipes, T. antipodiana and T. vitiana (previously N. vitiana) to determine their features and phylogenetic relationship. Most of the tRNAs have aberrant clover-leaf secondary structure. Based on 13 protein-coding genes (PCGs) and 15 mitochondrial genes (13 PCGs and two rRNA genes), Nephila and Trichonephila form a clade distinctly separated from the other araneid subfamilies/genera. T. antipodiana forms a lineage with T. vitiana in the subclade containing also T. clavata, while N. pilipes forms a sister clade to Trichonephila. The taxon vitiana is therefore a member of the genus Trichonephila and not Nephila as currently recognized. Studies on the mitogenomes of other Nephila and Trichonephila species and related taxa are needed to provide a potentially more robust phylogeny and systematics.

Plasmid localization of sole rrn operon in genomes of Oecophyllibacter saccharovorans (Acetobacteraceae).

The bacterium Oecophyllibacter saccharovorans of family Acetobacteraceae is a symbiont of weaver ant Oecophylla smaragdina. In our previous study, we published the finding of novel O. saccharovorans strains Ha5T, Ta1 and Jb2 (Chua et al. 2020) but their plasmid sequences have not been reported before. Here, we demonstrate for the first time that the sole rrn operon of their genomes was detected on a 6.6 kb circular replicon. This replicon occurred in high copy number, much smaller size and lower G + C content than the main chromosome. Based on these features, the 6.6 kb circular replicon was regarded as rrn operon-containing plasmid. Further restriction analysis on the plasmids confirmed their circular conformation. A Southern hybridization analysis also corroborated the presence of 16S rRNA gene and thus the rrn operon on a single locus in the genome of the O. saccharovorans strains. However, similar genome architecture was not observed in other closely related bacterial strains. Additional survey also detected no plasmid-borne rrn operon in available genomes of validly described taxa of family Acetobacteraceae. To date, plasmid localization of rrn operon is rarely documented. This study reports the occurrence of rrn operon on the smallest bacterial plasmid in three O. saccharovorans strains and discusses its possible importance in enhancing their competitive fitness as bacterial symbiont of O. smaragdina.

Oecophyllibacter saccharovorans gen. nov. sp. nov., a bacterial symbiont of the weaver ant Oecophylla smaragdina.

In this study, bacterial strains Ha5T, Ta1, and Jb2 were isolated from different colonies of weaver ant Oecophylla smaragdina. They were identified as bacterial symbionts of the ant belonging to family Acetobacteraceae and were distinguished as different strains based on distinctive random-amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) fingerprints. Cells of these bacterial strains were Gram-negative, rod-shaped, aerobic, non-motile, catalase-positive and oxidase-negative. They were able to grow at 15-37°C (optimum, 28-30°C) and in the presence of 0-1.5% (w/v) NaCl (optimum 0%). Their predominant cellular fatty acids were C18:1ω7c, C16:0, C19:0ω8c cyclo, C14:0, and C16:0 2-OH. Strains Ha5T, Ta1, and Jb2 shared highest 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity (94.56-94.63%) with Neokomagataea tanensis NBRC106556T of family Acetobacteraceae. Both 16S rRNA gene sequence-based phylogenetic analysis and core gene-based phylogenomic analysis placed them in a distinct lineage in family Acetobacteraceae. These bacterial strains shared higher than species level thresholds in multiple overall genome-relatedness indices which indicated that they belonged to the same species. In addition, they did not belong to any of the current taxa of Acetobacteraceae as they had low pairwise average nucleotide identity (< 71%), in silico DNA-DNA hybridization (< 38%) and average amino acid identity (< 67%) values with all the type members of the family. Based on these results, bacterial strains Ha5T, Ta1, and Jb2 represent a novel species of a novel genus in family Acetobacteaceae, for which we propose the name Oecophyllibacter saccharovorans gen. nov. sp. nov., and strain Ha5T as the type strain.

In silico Analysis Reveals Distribution of Quorum Sensing Genes and Consistent Presence of LuxR Solos in the Pandoraea Species.

The most common quorum sensing (QS) system in Gram-negative bacteria consists of signaling molecules called N-acyl-homoserine lactones (AHLs), which are synthesized by an enzyme AHL synthase (LuxI) and detected by a transcriptional regulator (LuxR) that are usually located in close proximity. However, many recent studies have also evidenced the presence of LuxR solos that are LuxR-related proteins in Proteobacteria that are devoid of a cognate LuxI AHL synthase. Pandoraea species are opportunistic pathogens frequently isolated from sputum specimens of cystic fibrosis (CF) patients. We have previously shown that P. pnomenusa strains possess QS activity. In this study, we examined the presence of QS activity in all type strains of Pandoraea species and acquired their complete genome sequences for holistic bioinformatics analyses of QS-related genes. Only four out of nine type strains (P. pnomenusa, P. sputorum, P. oxalativorans, and P. vervacti) showed QS activity, and C8-HSL was the only AHL detected. A total of 10 canonical luxIs with adjacent luxRs were predicted by bioinformatics from the complete genomes of aforementioned species and publicly available Pandoraea genomes. No orphan luxI was identified in any of the genomes. However, genes for two LuxR solos (LuxR2 and LuxR3 solos) were identified in all Pandoraea genomes (except two draft genomes with one LuxR solo gene), and P. thiooxydans was the only species that harbored no QS-related activity and genes. Except the canonical LuxR genes, LuxIs and LuxR solos of Pandoraea species were distantly related to the other well-characterized QS genes based on phylogenetic clustering. LuxR2 and LuxR3 solos might represent two novel evolutionary branches of LuxR system as they were found exclusively only in the genus. As a few luxR solos were located in close proximity with prophage sequence regions in the genomes, we thus postulated that these luxR solos could be transmitted into genus Pandoraea by transduction process mediated by bacteriophage. The bioinformatics approach developed in this study forms the basis for further characterization of closely related species. Overall, our findings improve the current understanding of QS in Pandoraea species, which is a potential pharmacological target in battling Pandoraea infections in CF patients.

Aquella oligotrophica gen. nov. sp. nov.: A new member of the family Neisseriaceae isolated from laboratory tap water.

A bacterial strain designated as P08T was isolated from laboratory tap water during a water quality assessment in University of Malaya, Malaysia. The strain was a Gram-negative, rod-shaped, nonmotile, and aerobic bacterium. Complete genome of P08T comprised of a 2,820,660 bp chromosome with a G + C content of 36.43%. Both 16S rRNA phylogeny and phylogenetic tree inferred from the core gene matrix demonstrated that P08T formed a hitherto unknown subline within the family Neisseriaceae. Ortho average nucleotide identity (OrthoANI) values and the percentage of conserved proteins (POCP) calculated from complete genome sequence indicated low relatedness between P08T and its phylogenetic neighbors. Respiratory quinone analysis revealed Q-8 as the only detectable quinone. The predominant cellular fatty acids were identified as C14:0 , iso-C15:0 , and summed feature 3 (C16:1 ω7c/C16:1 ω6c). The polar lipids consisted of uncharacterized aminolipid, phosphatidylglycerol, and phosphatidylethanolamine. All aspects of phenotypic and phylogenetic data suggested that strain P08T represents a novel genus within family Neisseriaceae, for which the name Aquella gen. nov. is proposed. The type species of the genus is Aquella oligotrophica sp. nov., and the type strain is P08T (=LMG 29629T =DSM 100970T ).

Microbial Community Composition Reveals Spatial Variation and Distinctive Core Microbiome of the Weaver Ant Oecophylla smaragdina in Malaysia.

The weaver ant Oecophylla smaragdina is an aggressive predator of other arthropods and has been employed as a biological control agent against many insect pests in plantations. Despite playing important roles in pest management, information about the microbiota of O. smaragdina is limited. In this work, a number of O. smaragdina colonies (n = 12) from Malaysia had been studied on their microbiome profile using Illumina 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing. We characterized the core microbiota associated with these O. smaragdina and investigated variation between colonies from different environments. Across all 12 samples, 97.8% of the sequences were assigned to eight bacterial families and most communities were dominated by families Acetobacteraceae and Lactobacillaceae. Comparison among colonies revealed predominance of Acetobacteraceae in O. smaragdina from forest areas but reduced abundance was observed in colonies from urban areas. In addition, our findings also revealed distinctive community composition in O. smaragdina showing little taxonomic overlap with previously reported ant microbiota. In summary, our work provides information regarding microbiome of O. smaragdina which is essential for establishing healthy colonies. This study also forms the basis for further study on microbiome of O. smaragdina from other regions.

High Diversity of Bacterial Communities in Developmental Stages of Bactrocera carambolae (Insecta: Tephritidae) Revealed by Illumina MiSeq Sequencing of 16S rRNA Gene.

Bactrocera carambolae is a highly polyphagous fruit pest of agricultural importance. This study reports the bacterial communities associated with the developmental stages of B. carambolae. The microbiota of the developmental stages were investigated by targeted 16S rRNA gene (V3-V4 region) sequencing using the Illumina MiSeq. At 97% similarity, there were 19 bacterial phyla and unassigned bacteria, comprising 39 classes, 86 orders, 159 families and 311 genera. The bacterial composition varied among the specimens of developmental stage and across developmental stages as well as exuviae. Four phyla of bacteria (with relative abundance of ≥1% in at least one specimen)-Actinobacteria, Bacteroidetes, Firmicutes and Proteobacteria-were recovered from the larva, pupa, adult stages and exuviae. Proteobacteria was the predominant phylum in all the developmental stages as well as the exuviae. Enterobacteriaceae (Proteobacteria) was the predominant family in the adult flies while the family [Weeksellaceae] (Bacteroidetes) was predominant in the larval and pupal stages. Among the genera occurring in more than one developmental stage of B. carambolae, Erwinia was more abundant in the larval stage, Halomonas more abundant in adult female, Stenotrophomonas more abundant in adult male, and Chryseobacterium more abundant in the larval and pupal stages. The results indicate transmission of bacteria OTUs from immatures to the newly emerged adults, and from exuviae to the environment.

Complete genome sequence of Planococcus donghaensis JH1T, a pectin-degrading bacterium.

The type strain Planococcus donghaensis JH1T is a psychrotolerant and halotolerant bacterium with starch-degrading ability. Here, we determine the carbon utilization profile of P. donghaensis JH1T and report the first complete genome of the strain. This study revealed the strain's ability to utilize pectin and d-galacturonic acid, and identified genes responsible for degradation of the polysaccharides. The genomic information provided may serve as a fundamental resource for full exploration of the biotechnological potential of P. donghaensis JH1T.