Microbial composition of Saharan dust plumes deposited as red rain in Granada (Southern Spain).

During durst storms, also biological material is transported from arid areas such as the Sahara Desert. In the present work, rain samples containing significant amounts of mineral dust have been collected in Granada during different red rain episodes. Biological features (bacteria, biofilm, pollen grain and fungal spore) as well as size-particle distribution and mineralogical composition were studied by SEM. Nanobacteria were observed for the first time in red rain samples. A preliminary metabarcoding analysis was performed on three red rain samples. Here, Bacillota made up 18 % and Pseudomonadota 23 % of the whole prokaryotic community. The fungal community was characterized by a high abundance of Ascomycota and, dependent on the origin, the presence of Chytridiomycota. By means of 16S rRNA sequencing, 18 cultivable microorganisms were identified. In general, members of the phyla Pseudomonadota and Bacillota made up the majority of taxa. Some species, such as Peribacillus frigoritolerans and Bacillus halotolerans were isolated during three different red rain episodes. Generally, red rain carries a wide variety of microorganisms, being their ecosystem and health effects largely unknown.

Síndrome hemofagocítico secundario a endocarditis por Bartonella henselae / Haemophagocytic syndrome secondary to endocarditis due to Bartonella henselae

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[MEDICAGO SATIVA L: IMPROVEMENT AND NEW APPROACHES OF ITS NUTRITIONAL AND FUNCTIONAL VALUE BY BACTERIAL CO-INOCULATION]. / MEDICAGO SATIVA L: MEJORA Y NUEVOS ASPECTOS DE SU VALOR NUTRITIVO Y FUNCIONAL POR COINOCULACIÓN BACTERIANA.

OBJECTIVE: to study the effect of co-inoculation with Ensifer meliloti and Halomonas maura of the leguminous Medicago sativa L., on growth, nutritional and functional value, grown under salinity conditions. METHODS: plants of M. sativa were grown in a solution with a mixture of salts (CaSO4, MgCl, NaCl and NaHCO 3) and were co-inoculated with its specific rhizobium and the halophilic moderated bacterium H. maura. Different physiologic parameters were determined, as well as, nitrogen and minerals content. Furthermore, an assay of in vitro digestibility was carried out. RESULTS: salinity had a negative effect on the plants; however, co-inoculation increased yield, nitrogen content, total minerals, Ca and Mg. Moreover, physiologic parameters as water potential and leghemoglobin content in fresh nodules were higher compared to those of plants inoculated only with E. meliloti. Both, salinity and bacterial treatment with E. meliloti and H. maura increased the antioxidant capacity of the legume, in dialyzates and retentates collected after an in vitro digestibility assay. CONCLUSION: co-inoculation of plants with E. meliloti and H. maura could improve the alfalfa yield under specific salinity conditions, increasing the nutritional and functional value of the plants. M. sativa could be considered in the formulations of nutritional supplements for the human diet.

Objetivo: estudiar el efecto de la inoculación con Ensifer meliloti y Halomonas maura sobre el crecimiento y el valor nutricional y funcional de la leguminosa Medicago sativa L., cultivada bajo condiciones de salinidad. Método: las plantas de M. sativa se cultivaron con una solución de mezcla de sales CaSO4, MgCl, NaCl and Na- HCO3 y se coinocularon con su rizobio específico y la bacteria H. maura. Se determinaron los parámetros fisiológicos de las plantas, así como el contenido en nitrógeno y minerales, y se llevó a cabo un proceso de digestibilidad in vitro. Resultados: la salinidad ejerció un efecto negativo sobre las plantas; sin embargo, la coinoculación de las mismas incrementó su productividad, el contenido en nitrógeno, minerales totales, Ca y Mg. Además, los parámetros fisiológicos de potencial hídrico y concentración de leghemoglobina se incrementaron. Tanto la salinidad como la coinoculación de las plantas aumentaron la capacidad antioxidante de la leguminosa en los dializados y retenidos obtenidos tras someter a la planta a un proceso de digestibilidad in vitro. Conclusión: la coinoculación con E. meliloti y H. maura podría mejorar el cultivo de la alfalfa bajo condiciones específicas de salinidad, aumentando su composición nutricional y funcional, pudiendo considerarse en la formulación de suplementos nutricionales para el consumo humano.

Cumplimiento de las Recomendaciones de la Guía SEH/SEC 2007 en población Hipertensa en un Centro de Salud / Compliance to the 2007 ESH/ESC guideline in a hypertensive population at a primary health care centre

Objetivo. Evaluar la proporción de hipertensos con y sin factores de riesgo cardiovascular añadido que tienen presión arterial controlada, y el seguimiento de la Guía SEH/SEC 2007 por los médicos de un Centro de Salud. Diseño. Estudio observacional descriptivo transversal. Emplazamiento. Zona de Salud Manzanares II. Participantes. Pacientes adultos con Hipertensión Arterial documentada en la historia clínica informatizada, reclutados mediante muestreo sistemático. Mediciones. Antecedentes familiares y personales de factores de riesgo cardiovascular, biometría(edad, sexo, peso, talla, índice de masa corporal), presión arterial, datos analíticos, electrocardiograma y fármacos empelados. Resultados. La proporción de pacientes hipertensos con cifras controladas (<140/90 mmHg) fue de50,35% (IC 95%: 48,17-52,54%), siendo significativamente inferior en hombres (47,46%, IC 95%:44,03-50,89) que en mujeres (52,44%, IC 95%: 49,60-55,28%) (p = 0,01). La proporción de controlados entre los que tienen riesgo añadido fue mayor (56,52 ± 14,40%) que la de aquéllos sin riesgo añadido (49,15 ± 6,41%), sin diferencias entre sexos. El 36,86% de los pacientes con riesgo tomaba estatinas y, de ellos, el 60,92% tenía LDL > 130 mgr/dl. El 32,05% de los hipertensos diabéticos tomaba estatina y antiagregante y, de éstos, el 40% tenía LDL < 100 mgr/dl y el 24,36% HBA1C <6,5%.Conclusiones. La proporción de hipertensos con cifras de presión arterial controladas fue elevada en relación a otros estudios de nuestro ámbito. Debemos mejorar el seguimiento de la Guía SEH/SEC para el abordaje integral y la calidad de la asistencia a nuestros hipertensos (AU)

Objective. To determine the proportion of controlled hypertensive patients with and without added cardiovascular risks factors and to evaluate compliance to the 2007 SHE/SEC guidelines by doctors at a Primary Health Care Centre. Design. Observational, descriptive, cross-sectional study. Setting. Primary Health Care Centre at Manzanares II (Ciudad Real). Subjects. Adult patients with documented hypertension in their computerised medical record. Patients were recruited by systematic sampling Main measurement. Family and personal history of cardiovascular risk factors, biometric (age, sex, weight, height, body mass index), blood pressure, analytical data, electrocardiogram and medication. Results. The percentage of patients with controlled hypertension (< 140/90 mm Hg) was 50.35%(48.17 – 52.54%) being lower in males 47.46% (44.03 – 50.89%) than in females 52.44 (49.6 – 55.28%)with statistical signifi cance (p = 0.01). The percentage of well controlled patients with added risks factor was greater (56.52 +/- 14.4 %) than those without added risk factors (49.15 +/- 6.41%), with no differences between sexes. 36.86 % of the patients with risk factors were taking statins and of this group 60.92 % had LDL levels of > 130 mg/dl. 32.05% of the diabetic patients with high blood pressure were taking statins and antiaplatelets and 40 % of them had LDL < 100 mgr/dl and 24.36%had HBA1C < 6.5 %.Conclusions: The percentage of patients with controlled hypertension was high compared to other studies in the same setting. We should improve compliance to the ESH/ESC guidelines in order to provide complete, high quality care to our hypertensive patients (AU)

A membrane-bound nitrate reductase encoded by the narGHJI operon is responsible for anaerobic respiration in Halomonas maura.

The halophilic bacterium Halomonas maura is capable of anaerobic respiration on nitrates. By insertional mutagenesis with the minitransposon Tn-5 we obtained the mutant Tc62, which was incapable of anaerobic respiration on nitrates. An analysis of the regions adjacent to the transposon allowed us to characterize the membrane-bound anaerobic-respiratory nitrate reductase narGHJI gene cluster in H. maura. We identified consensus sequences for fumarate and nitrate reductase regulator (FNR)-like protein-binding sites in the promoter regions of the nar genes and consensus sequences corresponding to the NarL binding sites upstream of the nar genes. RT-PCR analysis showed that the narGHJI operon was expressed in response to anaerobic conditions when nitrate was available as electron acceptor. This membrane-bound nitrate reductase is the only enzyme responsible for anaerobic respiration on nitrate in H. maura. In this article we discuss the possible relationship between this enzyme and a dissimilatory nitrate-reduction-to-ammonia process (DNRA) in H. maura and its role in the colonization of the rhizosphere.

Halomonas maura is a physiologically versatile bacterium of both ecological and biotechnological interest.

Halomonas maura is a bacterium of great metabolic versatility. We summarise in this work some of the properties that make it a very interesting microorganism both from an ecological and biotechnological point of view. It plays an active role in the nitrogen cycle, is capable of anaerobic respiration in the presence of nitrate and has recently been identified as a diazotrophic bacterium. Of equal interest is mauran, the exopolysaccharide produced by H. maura, which contributes to the formation of biofilms and thus affords the bacterium advantages in the colonisation of its saline niches. Mauran is highly viscous, shows thixotropic and pseudoplastic behaviour, has the capacity to capture heavy metals and exerts a certain immunomodulator effect in medicine. All these attributes have prompted us to make further investigations into its molecular characteristics. To date we have described 15 open reading frames (ORF's) related to exopolysaccharide production, nitrogen fixation and nitrate reductase activity among others.

Alteromonas hispanica sp. nov., a polyunsaturated-fatty-acid-producing, halophilic bacterium isolated from Fuente de Piedra, southern Spain.

Strain F-32T, which produces exopolysaccharides and contains polyunsaturated fatty acids, was isolated from a hypersaline water sample collected from Fuente de Piedra (southern Spain). Phylogenetic analyses indicated conclusively that the strain in question belonged to the genus Alteromonas. Phenotypic tests showed that it could be assigned to the genus Alteromonas although it had a number of distinctive characteristics: it is moderately halophilic, growing best with 7.5-10 % w/v NaCl; it grows at 4 degrees C and produces H2S; it does not grow with d-cellobiose, d-fructose, d-galactose, d-glucose or lactose as sole sources of carbon and energy; and its fatty-acid profile is typical of Alteromonas but it also contains a large amount of an unusual acid with three double bonds [18 : 3omega6c (6, 9, 12); 5.01 %, w/v]. The major isoprenoid quinone is Q8. The DNA G+C content is 46.3 mol%. The phylogenetic, phenotypic and genetic properties of strain F-32T place it within a novel species, for which the name Alteromonas hispanica sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is F-32T (=CECT 7067T=LMG 22958T).

The moderately halophilic bacterium Halomonas maura is a free-living diazotroph.

Halomonas maura is a moderately halophilic bacterium which lives in saline soils and synthesises an exopolysaccharide known as mauran. Strain S-31T grew in a nitrogen-free medium under an N2 atmosphere; the acetylene reduction assay proved positive under specific conditions. We identified the nifH gene in this strain by using degenerate oligonucleotides designed from highly preserved gene sequences obtained from the alignment of a large number of nifH sequences from different microorganisms. Our results lead us to conclude that H. maura is capable of fixing nitrogen under microaerobic conditions.

Megaplasmids in Gram-negative, moderately halophilic bacteria.

We have discovered that many Halomonas species harbour large extrachromosomal DNA elements. Using currently available protocols it is technically very difficult to identify large plasmids in bacteria, and even more so when they are coated in mucous polysaccharide. We used culture conditions suitable for both halophilic and halophilic exopolysaccharide-producing bacteria and applied a modified gel electrophoresis method to locate and visualise the megaplasmids. Almost all the species of Halomonas studied harbour two plasmids of about 70 kb and 600 kb and some species carry other smaller extrachromosomal DNA elements. The common presence of these megaplasmids may well be related to the survival strategies of the bacteria in their special surroundings.

Mauran, an exopolysaccharide produced by the halophilic bacterium Halomonas maura, with a novel composition and interesting properties for biotechnology.

Mauran is an anionic, sulfated heteropolysaccharide with a high uronic-acid content, synthesized by strain S-30 of the halophilic bacterium Halomonas maura. Under optimum environmental and nutritional conditions, it is capable of producing up to 3.8 g of mauran per liter of medium. Aqueous solutions of mauran are highly viscous and display pseudoplastic, viscoelastic and thixotropic behavior. Its viscosity is stable over a wide pH range (3-11), after freezing-thawing processes, and in the presence of sucrose, salts, surfactants and alpha-hydroxyl acids. It has a high capacity for binding lead and other cations. Its molecular mass when collected from an MY medium supplemented with 2.5% w/v salt during the stationary growth phase is 4.7x10(6) Da.

Identification and characterization of the carAB genes responsible for encoding carbamoylphosphate synthetase in Halomonas eurihalina.

Halomonas eurihalina is a moderately halophilic bacterium which produces exopolysaccharides potentially of great use in many fields of industry and ecology. Strain F2-7 of H. eurihalina synthesizes an anionic exopolysaccharide known as polymer V2-7, which not only has emulsifying activity but also becomes viscous under acidic conditions, and therefore we consider it worthwhile making a detailed study of the genetics of this strain. By insertional mutagenesis using the mini-Tn 5 Km2 transposon we isolated and characterized a mutant strain, S36 K, which requires both arginine and uracil for growth and does not excrete EPS. S36 K carries a mutation within the carB gene that encodes the synthesis of the large subunit of the carbamoylphosphate synthetase enzyme, which in turn catalyzes the synthesis of carbamoylphosphate, an important precursor of arginine and pyrimidines. We describe here the cloning and characterization of the carAB genes, which encode carbamoylphosphate synthetase in Halomonas eurihalina, and discuss this enzyme's possible role in the pathways for the synthesis of exopolysaccharides in strain F2-7.

Analysis of the genome of the moderate halophile Halomonas eurihalina.

We have studied the genomic organization of Halomonas eurihalina, a moderately halophilic bacterium that produces an anionic exopolysaccharide with a potentially wide range of applications in industry. To estimate the genome size of strain F2-7, large restriction fragments of genomic DNA were separated by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis. According to the average size of the resolved restriction fragments, the genome size of H. eurihalina strain F2-7 was estimated to be around 2500 kb. The physical map of the chromosome for the endonuclease SwaI has been constructed. The F2-7 strain has two plasmids, pVE1 and pVE2, and in this study we have isolated three new plasmids, pVE3, pVE4, and pVE5, of 5.3, 16, and 6.5 kb, respectively, from strains H-1, H-217, and H-236 of H. eurihalina. We have characterized these plasmids and constructed their physical maps. Curing experiments produced no evidence for the involvement of these plasmids in the expression of the mucous phenotype.

Taxonomía numérica de bacterias aisladas del queso de cabra aplicando medios selectivos / Numerical taxonomy of bacteria isolated from goat cheese applying selective culture media

Mediante medios selectivos se aislaron 105 cepas bacterianas desde quesos de cabra, adquiridos en mercados locales de la ciudad de Valparaiso (Chile). Todas las cepas bacterianas junto a 4 de referencia, fueron examinadas para para 54 características fenotípicas, incluyendo pruebas morfológicas, fisiológicas y bioquímicas. Los resultados obtenidos fueron sometidos a un análisis numérico, utilizando el coeficiente de apareamiento simple Ssm. y la técnica de agrupación UPGMA. A nivel de semejanza de un 80 por ciento las cepas se agruparon en 8 fenómenos, representando a miembros de la familia enterobacteriaceae (7) y uno al género streptococcus