Unveiling the Impact of Eco-Friendly Synthesized Nanoparticles on Vegetative Growth and Gene Expression in Pelargonium graveolens and Sinapis alba L.

Nanoscale geranium waste (GW) and magnesium nanoparticle/GW nanocomposites (Mg NP/GW) were prepared using green synthesis. The Mg NP/GW samples were subjected to characterization using X-ray diffraction (XRD) and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR-FT). The surface morphology of the materials was examined using a scanning electron microscope (SEM), and their thermal stability was assessed through thermal gravimetric analysis (TG). The BET-specific surface area, pore volume, and pore size distribution of the prepared materials were determined using the N2 adsorption-desorption method. Additionally, the particle size and zeta potentials of the materials were also measured. The influence of the prepared nanomaterials on seed germination was intensively investigated. The results revealed an increase in seed germination percent at low concentrations of Mg NP/GWs. Upon treatment with Mg NP/GW nanoparticles, a reduction in the mitotic index (MI) was observed, indicating a decrease in cell division. Additionally, an increase in chromosomal abnormalities was detected. The efficacy of GW and Mg NP/GW nanoparticles as new elicitors was evaluated by studying their impact on the expression levels of the farnesyl diphosphate synthase (FPPS1) and geranylgeranyl pyrophosphate (GPPS1) genes. These genes play a crucial role in the terpenoid biosynthesis pathway in Sinapis alba (S. alba) and Pelargonium graveolens (P. graveolens) plants. The expression levels were analyzed using reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) analysis. The qRT-PCR analysis of FPPS and GPPS gene expression was performed. The outputs of FPPS1 gene expression demonstrated high levels of mRNA in both S. alba and P. graveolens with fold changes of 25.24 and 21.68, respectively. In contrast, the minimum expression levels were observed for the GPPS1 gene, with fold changes of 11.28 and 6.48 in S. alba and P. graveolens, respectively. Thus, this study offers the employment of medicinal plants as an alternative to fertilizer usage resulting in promoting environmental preservation, optimal waste utilization, reducing water consumption, and cost reduction.

Aridibaculum aurantiacum gen. nov., sp. nov., isolated from the Kumtag Desert soil.

A novel orange-coloured bacterium, designated strain SYSU D00508T, was isolated from a sandy soil sampled from the Kumtag Desert in China. Strain SYSU D00508T was aerobic, Gram-stain-negative, oxidase-positive, catalase-positive and non-motile. Growth occurred at 4-45°C (optimum 28-30°C), pH 6.0-9.0 (optimum pH 7.0-8.0) and with 0-2.5 % NaCl (w/v, optimum 0-1.0 %). The major polar lipids consisted of phosphatidylethanolamine (PE), unidentified aminolipids (AL1-3) and unidentified polar lipids (L1-5) were also detected. The major respiratory quinone was MK-7 and the major fatty acids (>10 %) were iso-C17 : 0 3-OH, iso-C15 : 0 and iso-C15 : 1 G. The genomic DNA G+C content was 42.6 %. Phylogenetic analysis based on 16S rRNA gene sequences indicated that strain SYSU D00508T belonged to the family Chitinophagaceae and showed 93.9 % (Segetibacter koreensis DSM18137T), 92.9 % (Segetibacter aerophilus NBRC 106135T), 93.0 % (Terrimonas soli JCM 32095T) and 92.8 % (Parasegetibacter terrae JCM 19942T) similarities. Based on the phylogenetic, phenotypic and chemotaxonomic data, strain SYSU D00508T is proposed to represent a novel species of a new genus, named Aridibaculum aurantiacum gen. nov., sp. nov., within the family Chitinophagaceae. The type strain is SYSU D00508T (=KCTC 82286T=CGMCC 1.18648T=MCCC 1K05005T).

Alkalihalobacillus deserti sp. nov., Isolated from the Saline-Alkaline Soil.

A bacterial strain, designated TRPH29T, was isolated from saline-alkaline soil, collected from the southern edge of the Gurbantunggut desert, Xinjiang, People's Republic of China. The isolate was Gram-staining positive, facultatively anaerobic, straight rods. Growth occurred at 15-40 °C (optimum, 28 °C), pH 8.0-13.0 (optimum, 10.0), and in the presence of 0-15% (w/v) NaCl (optimum, 2%). Phylogenetic analysis using 16S rRNA gene sequence indicated that strain TRPH29T showed the highest sequence similarities to Alkalihalobacillus krulwichiae (98.31%), Alkalihalobacillus wakoensis (98.04%), and Alkalihalobacillus akibai (97.69%). Average nucleotide identity (ANI) and digital DNA-DNA hybridization values between strain TRPH29T and Alkalihalobacillus krulwichiae, Alkalihalobacillus wakoensis, Alkalihalobacillus akibai were in the range of 73.62-75.52% and 15.0-21.20%, respectively. Results of genome analyses indicated that the genome size of strain TRPH29T was 5.05 Mb, with a genomic DNA G + C content of 37.30%. Analysis of the cellular component of strain TRPH29T revealed that the primary fatty acids were anteiso-C15:0 and iso-C15:0, and the polar lipids included diphosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylethanolamine, an unidentified glycolipid, and an unidentified phospholipid. The predominant respiratory quinone was MK-7. Based on the genomic, phylogenetic, phenotypic and chemotaxonomic analyses, strain TRPH29T represents a novel species of the genus Alkalihalobacillus, for which the name Alkalihalobacillus deserti sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is TRPH29T (= CGMCC 1.19067T = NBRC 115475T).

Longitalea arenae gen. nov., sp. nov. and Longitalea luteola sp. nov., two new members of the family Chitinophagaceae isolated from desert soil.

Two strains designated as SYSU D01084T and SYSU D00799T, were isolated from a sandy soil sample collected from Gurbantunggut Desert in Xinjiang, north-west China. Cells of both strains were Gram-stain-negative, strictly aerobic, long-rod-shaped, oxidase- and catalase-negative, motile or non-motile. Colonies were circular, translucent, convex, smooth and light-yellow in color on R2A agar. The two isolates were found to grow at 4-50 ºC, at pH 6.0-8.0 and with 0-1.0% (w/v) NaCl. Analysis of their 16S rRNA gene sequences indicated that they belonged to the family Chitinophagaceae, and closely related to the genera Paraflavitalea, Niastella, Pseudoflavitalea and Flavitalea. The two novel strains shared 98.1% 16S rRNA sequence similarity and represent different species on the basis of low average nucleotide identity (ANI, 83.8%) and digital DNA-DNA hybridization (dDDH, 51.4%) values. The genomic DNA G + C contents of strains SYSU D01084T and SYSU D00799T were 46.0 and 45.6%, respectively. Phylogenetic trees showed that the two isolates were clustered in an individual lineage and not grouped consistently into any specific genus. The polar lipids contained of phosphatidylethanolamine, four unidentified aminolipids, two unidentified aminoglycolipids, and three or four unidentified lipids. The predominant respiratory quinone was MK-7 and the major fatty acids (> 10%) were identified as iso-C15:0, iso-C17:0 3-OH, and iso-C15:1 G. Based on the combined phenotypic, genomic and phylogenetic analyses, the two strains represent two novel species of a new genus in the family Chitinophagaceae, for which the name Longitalea gen. nov. is proposed, comprising the type species Longitalea arenae sp. nov. (type strain SYSU D01084T = CGMCC 1.18641T = MCCC 1K05006T = KCTC 82283T) and Longitalea luteola sp. nov. (type strain SYSU D00799T = MCCC 1K04987T = KCTC 82282T = NBRC 114888T).

Comparative Study of Antimicrobial Activity of Silver, Gold, and Silver/Gold Bimetallic Nanoparticles Synthesized by Green Approach.

Nanotechnology is one of the most recent technologies. It is uncertain whether the production of small-size nanoparticles (NPs) can be achieved through a simple, straightforward, and medicinally active phytochemical route. The present study aimed to develop an easy and justifiable method for the synthesis of Ag, Au, and their Ag/Au bimetallic NPs (BNPs) by using Hippeastrum hybridum (HH) extract, and then to investigate the effects of Ag, Au, and their Ag/Au BNPs as antimicrobial and phytotoxic agents. Ag, Au, and their Ag/Au BNPs were characterized by UV-visible spectroscopy, FT-IR spectroscopy, XRD, EDX, and SEM analysis. XRD analysis conferring to the face of face-centered cubic crystal structure with an average size of 13.3, 10.72, and 8.34 nm of Ag, Au, and Ag/Au BNPs, respectively. SEM showed that Ag, Au, and Ag/Au BNPs had spherical morphologies, with calculated nano measurements of 40, 30, and 20 nm, respectively. The EDX analysis confirmed the composition of elemental Ag signal of the HH-AgNPs with 22.75%, Au signal of the HH-AuNPs with 48.08%, Ag signal with 12%, and Au signal with 38.26% of the Ag/Au BNPs. The Ag/Au BNPs showed an excellent antimicrobial efficacy against Gram-positive Staphylococcus aureus, Actinomycetes meriye, Bacillus cereus, Streptococcus pyogenes, Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, Micrococcus luteus, Streptococcus pneumonia, and Gram-negative Klebsiella pneumonia, Escherichia coli, and Serratia marcescens bacterial strains, as well as against three fungal strains (Aspergillus niger, Aspergillus fumigatus, and Aspergillus flavus) compared to HH extract, HH-AgNPs, and HH-AuNPs. However, further investigations are recommended to be able to minimize potential risks of application.

Blastococcus deserti sp. nov., isolated from a desert sample.

A Gram-positive and aerobic actinobacterium, strain SYSU D8006T, was isolated from a desert sand sample collected from Gurbantunggut desert, China. Phenotypically, the strain was found to grow at 14-50 °C, pH 6.0-9.0 and in the presence of up to 4% (w/v) NaCl. The chemotaxonomic features of strain SYSU D8006T included menaquinone MK-9(H4) as the respiratory quinone, diphosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylcholine, phosphatidylethanolamine, phosphatidylinositol and phosphatidylinositol mannoside as known polar lipids, iso-C15:0, iso-C16:0, C17:1ω8c and C18:1ω9c as the predominant fatty acids, and arabinose, galactose and glucose as the whole cell sugars. Strain SYSU D8006T shared the highest 16S rRNA gene sequence identity with Blastococcus jejuensis DSM 19597T (98.2%). Based on the analyses of the phenotypic, genotypic and phylogenetic characteristics, strain SYSU D8006T is characterized to represent a novel species of the genus Blastococcus, for which the name Blastococcus deserti sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is SYSU D8006T (= CGMCC 1.15935T = KCTC 49026T = CPCC 204618T).

Lysobacter tabacisoli sp. nov., isolated from rhizosphere soil of Nicotiana tabacum L.

A Gram-stain-negative, aerobic, rod-shaped bacterium, designated strain C8-1T, was isolated from the rhizosphere soil of Nicotiana tabacum L. collected from Kunming, south-west China. The cells showed oxidase-positive and catalase-positive reactions. Growth was observed at 10-40 °C, at pH 6.0-8.0 and in the presence of up to 1 % (w/v) NaCl, with optimal growth at 30 °C and pH 7.0. The predominant isoprenoid quinone was Q-8. The major fatty acids were identified as iso-C15 : 0, iso-C17 : 0 and iso-C17 : 1ω9c. The cellular polar lipids contained diphosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylethanolamine, phosphatidylmethylethanolamine, five unidentified phospholipids and two unidentified aminophospholipids. The genomic DNA G+C content was 70.7 mol%. Phylogenetic analysis based on 16S rRNA gene sequences showed that strain C8-1T should be assigned to the genus Lysobacter. 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity analysis showed that strain C8-1T was closely related to Lysobacter cavernae YIM C01544T (98.6 %), Lysobacter soli DCY21T (97.6 %), Lysobacter panacisoli CJ29T (97.3 %), Lysobacter firmicutimachus PB-6250T (97.3 %), Lysobacter niastensis GH41-7T (97.3 %) and Lysobacter gummosus KCTC 12132T (97.1 %). DNA-DNA hybridization data indicated that the isolate may represent a novel genomic species belonging to the genus Lysobacter. Polyphasic taxonomic characteristics indicated that strain C8-1T represents a novel species of the genus Lysobacter, for which the name Lysobacter tabacisoli sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is C8-1T (=KCTC 62034T=CGMCC 1.16271T) .

Description of Paracoccus endophyticus sp. nov., isolated from Gastrodia elata Blume.

A Gram-stain-negative, strictly aerobic, non-motile strain, SYSUP0003T, was isolated from tubers of Gastrodia elata Blume. Phylogenetic analysis based on 16S rRNA gene sequences indicated that strain SYSUP0003T belonged to the genus Paracoccus, with the highest sequence similarity to the type strain of Paracoccus sediminis (97.5 %). Strain SYSUP0003T grew at pH 6.0-8.0 and 4-30 °C with optimum growth at pH 7.0 and 28 °C. Strain SYSUP0003T could tolerate up to 1 % (w/v) NaCl and grew optimally in the absence of NaCl. The isoprenoid quinone of strain SYSUP0003T was Q-10. The major fatty acids were C18 : 0, C16 : 0, C10 : 0 3-OH and summed feature 7. The polar lipids were diphosphatidylglycerol (DPG), aminophospholipids (AL), phosphatidylglycerol (PG), phosphatidylcholine (PC) and four unidentified polar lipids (L). The genome size was 3 204 685 bp, with a DNA G+C content of 69.7 mol%. The average nucleotide identity values between strain SYSUP0003T and P. sediminis DSM 26170T (ANIm 84.2 %, ANIb 75.6 %), Paracoccus solventivorans DSM 6637T (ANIm 84.5 %, ANIb 76.9 %) and Paracoccus alkenifer DSM 11593T (ANIm 84.3 %, ANIb 77.3 %) were below the cut-off level (95-96 %) for species delineation. Based on phenotypic, chemotaxonomic and molecular characterizations, strain SYSUP0003T represents a novel species of the genus Paracoccus, for which the name Paracoccus endophyticus sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is SYSUP0003T (=KCTC 62180T=CGMCC 1.16545T).

Description of Sphingomonas mesophila sp. nov., isolated from Gastrodia elata Blume.

A Gram-staining-negative, strictly aerobic, non-motile strain, SYSUP0001T, was isolated from tubers of Gastrodia elata Blume. The 16S rRNA gene sequence result indicated that SYSUP0001T represents a member of the genus Sphingomonas, with the highest sequence similarity (97.7 %) to the type strain of Sphingomonasginsengisoli. SYSUP0001T grew at 14-37 °C and pH 6-8, with optimum growth at 28 °C and pH 7. Tolerance to NaCl was up to 3 % (w/v) with optimum growth in the absence of NaCl. The respiratory quinone was Q-10. The major fatty acids were C18 : 1ω7c, Summed feature 3 (C16 : 1ω7c/C16 : 1ω6c), and C16 : 0. The polar lipids were diphosphatidylglycerol (DPG), phosphatidylethanolamine (PE), phosphatidylglycerol (PG), sphingoglycolipid (SGL), phosphatidylcholine (PC) and four unidentified polar lipids (L). The DNA G+C content was 67.5 %. The average nucleotide identity (ANI) values between SYSUP0001T and closely related members of the genus Sphingomonas were below the cut-off level (95-96 %) for species delineation. On the basis of the phenotypic, phylogenetic and chemotaxonomic characterizations, SYSUP0001T represents a novel species of the genus Sphingomonas, for which the name Sphingomonasmesophila sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is SYSUP0001T (=KCTC 62179 T=CGMCC 1.16462T).

Description of Halegenticoccus soli gen. nov., sp. nov., a halophilic archaeon isolated from a soil sample of Ebi lake.

Two extreme halophilic archaeal strains, SYSUA9-0T and SYSUA9-1, were isolated from Ebi lake of Xinjiang, China. The colonies were Gram-negative, coccoid, and non-motile. Strains were aerobic and grew at 25-50 °C (optimum at 37 °C), in the presence of 10-35% (w/v) NaCl (optimum at 20-22%), and pH 6.0-8.0 (optimum at 7.0). The 16S rRNA gene sequence result revealed that the two strains were closely related to Haloprofundus marisrubri SB9T (92.7% similarity). The DNA-DNA hybridization value (97% ± 1%) suggested that SYSUA9-0T and SYSUA9-1 were similar; however, their sequence similarities with other archaeal members suggested that they were novel candidates. The genomic G + C content of SYSUA9-0T was 66.9%. The average nucleotide identity value between SYSU A9-0T and Haloprofundus marisrubri SB9T was 69.1%, which was far below the cutoff value (95-96%) proposed to define the species boundary. The polar lipids were phosphatidylglycerol (PG), phosphatidylglycerolphosphate methylester (PGP-Me), sulfated mannosyl glucosyl diether, mannosyl glucosyldiether, and four unidentified glycolipids. Phenotypic, chemotaxonomic and comparative genome analysis suggested that SYSU A9-0T and SYSU A9-1 represent a novel species of a new genus within the family Haloferacaceae, for which the name Halegenticoccus soli gen. nov., sp. nov., is proposed. The type strain is SYAUA9-0T (= KCTC4241T = CGMCC 1.15765T).

Nocardioides speluncae sp. nov., a novel actinobacterium isolated from a karstic subterranean environment sample.

A novel actinobacterial strain, designated YIM ART13T, was isolated from a soil sample collected from a karst cave in Xingyi county, Guizhou province, South western China. The taxonomic position of the strain was investigated using a polyphasic approach. Cells of the strain were found to aerobic and Gram-stain positive. On the basis of 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis, strain YIM ART13T was found to be closely related to Nocardioides pakistanensis NCCP 1340T (96.1% sequence similarity) and is therefore considered to represent a member of the genus Nocardioides. In addition, LL-diaminopimelic acid was identified as the diagnostic diamino acid in the cell wall peptidoglycan. The whole cell sugars were found to be mannose, galactose, glucose and ribose. The major isoprenoid quinone was identified as MK-8(H4), while the major fatty acids (> 10%) were identified as iso-C16:0, C18:1ω9c and C18:0 10-methyl. The polar lipids were found to contain diphosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylglycerol phosphatidylinositol and phosphatidylinositol mannoside, an unidentified phospholipid. The genomic DNA G+C content of strain YIM ART13T was determined from the draft genome sequence to be 70.1 mol%. On the basis of phenotypic, genotypic and phylogenetic data, strain YIM ART13T represents a novel species of the genus Nocardioides, for which the name Nocardioides speluncae sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is YIM ART13T (= KCTC 39593T = DSM 100493T).

Georgenia alba sp. nov., a novel halotolerant actinobacterium isolated from a desert sand sample.

Strain SYSU D8008T was isolated from a desert sand sample collected from Saudi Arabia. The strain was observed to be Gram-stain positive, non-motile and aerobic. It can grow at 15-37 °C, pH 6.0-10.0 and can tolerant up to 7% (w/v) NaCl. Pairwise comparison of the 16S rRNA gene sequence indicated that strain SYSU D8008T shares high sequence similarities with Georgenia deserti SYSU D8004T (96.8%) and Georgenia halophila YIM 93316T (96.8%). Menaquinone MK-8(H4) was detected as the respiratory isoprenologue. The polar lipid profile of strain SYSU D8008T was found to consist of diphosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylinositol, two phosphatidylinositol mannosides, an unidentified glycolipid and an unidentified phospholipid. Strain SYSU D8008T was found to contain anteiso-C15:0 and iso-C15:0 as the predominant fatty acids. Galactose, glucose and rhamnose were detected as the whole cell sugars. Based on the phenotypic, genotypic and phylogenetic characteristics, strain SYSU D8008T can be differentiated from other closely related members of the genus Georgenia. The strain SYSU D8008T, therefore, is concluded to represent a novel species of the genus Georgenia, for which the name Georgenia alba sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is SYSU D8008T (= CGMCC 1.15800T = KCTC 39988T).

Streptomyces desertarenae sp. nov., a novel actinobacterium isolated from a desert sample.

A Streptomyces isolate, designated strain SYSU D8023T, was isolated from a desert sand sample collected from Gurbantunggut desert, China. The characterisation of the isolate was achieved using a polyphasic taxonomic approach. The isolate was found to be Gram-positive and aerobic. The strain was found to be able to grow at 14-50 °C, pH 6.0-9.0 and in the presence of up to 7% (w/v) NaCl. Strain SYSU D8023T contains LL-diaminopimelic acid as a cell wall diamino acid. The polar lipids were identified as diphosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylethanolamine, phosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylinositol, phosphatidylinositol mannoside, an unidentified glycolipid and an unidentified phospholipid. MK-9(H6) and MK-9(H8) were detected as the respiratory quinones, and anteiso-C15:0, iso-C16:0 and anteiso-C17:0 as the predominant fatty acids. Pairwise comparison of the 16S rRNA gene sequences indicated that strain SYSU D8023T has a sequence identity of 97.9% to Streptomyces barkulensis RC 1831T. The DNA G + C content of strain SYSU D8023T was determined to be 70.1 mol%. Based on the analyses of the phenotypic, genotypic and phylogenetic characteristics, strain SYSU D8023T was concluded to represent a novel species of the genus Streptomyces, for which the name Streptomyces desertarenae sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain of the species is SYSU D8023T (= CGMCC 4.7455T = KCTC 49023T).

Expression and characterisation of a pH and salt tolerant, thermostable and xylose tolerant recombinant GH43 ß-xylosidase from Thermobifida halotolerans YIM 90462T for promoting hemicellulose degradation.

A gene encoding a ß-xylosidase (designated as Thxyl43A) was cloned from strain Thermobifida halotolerans YIM 90462T. The open reading frame of this gene encodes 550 amino acid residues. The gene was over-expressed in Escherichia coli and the recombinant protein was purified. The monomeric Thxyl43A protein presented a molecular mass of 61.5 kDa. When p-nitrophenyl-ß-d-xylopyranoside was used as the substrate, recombinant Thxyl43A exhibited optimal activity at 55 °C and pH 4.0 to 7.0, being thermostable by maintaining 47% of its activity after 30 h incubation at 55 °C. The recombinant enzyme retained more than 80% residual activity after incubation at pH range of 4.0 to 12.0 for 24 h, respectively, which indicated notable thermostability and pH stability of Thxyl43A. Moreover, Thxyl43A displayed high catalytic activity (> 60%) in presence of 5-35% NaCl (w/v) or 1-20% ionic liquid (w/v) or 1-50 mM xylose. These properties suggest that Thxyl43A has potential for promoting hemicellulose degradation and other industrial applications.

Nesterenkonia endophytica sp. nov., isolated from roots of Glycyrrhiza uralensis.

A Gram-positive and non-motile actinobacterium, designated strain EGI 60016T, was isolated from healthy roots of Glycyrrhiza uralensis F. collected from Xinyuan County, Xinjiang Province, China. The 16S rRNA gene sequence of strain EGI 60016T was found to show 97.5 and 97.3 % sequence similarities to Nesterenkonia rhizosphaerae EGI 80099T and Nesternkonia massiliensis NP1T, respectively. The neighbour-joining phylogenetic tree based on 16S rRNA gene sequences showed that strain EGI 60016T formed a distinct clade with N. rhizosphaerae EGI 80099T and N. massiliensis NP1T. The polar lipids detected for strain EGI 60016T were diphosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylcholine, phosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylinositol, an unidentified glycolipid, an unidentified lipid and an unidentified phospholipid. The DNA G+C content was determined to be 64.1 mol%. Other chemotaxonomic features of strain EGI 60016T included MK-7, MK-8 and MK-9 as the respiratory quinones, and anteiso-C15 : 0 and anteiso-C17 : 0 as the major fatty acids. Based on the results of the phylogenetic analysis supported by morphological, physiological, chemotaxonomic and other differentiating phenotypic characteristics, strain EGI 60016T is considered to represent a novel species of the genus Nesterenkonia, for which the name Nesterenkonia endophytica sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is EGI 60016T (=CCTCC AB 2017176T=NBRC 112398T).

Glycomyces anabasis sp. nov., a novel endophytic actinobacterium isolated from roots of Anabasis aphylla L.

A novel endophytic actinobacterium, designated strain EGI 6500139T, was isolated from the surface-sterilized roots of Anabasis aphylla L., collected from Xinjiang, northwest PR China, and subjected to polyphasic taxonomic characterization. Strain EGI 6500139T formed sparse aerial mycelium with rod-like spores. Whole-cell hydrolysates of the isolate contained meso-diaminopimelic acid as the cell-wall diamino acid, glucose as major sugar, and mannose, galactose, xylose and ribose as minor sugars. The polar lipids were phosphatidylglycerol, diphosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylinositol, phosphatidylinositol mannoside, one unidentified glycolipid, one unidentified phospholipid and four unidentified polar lipids. The major fatty acids identified were anteiso-C17 : 0, anteiso-C15 : 0, iso-C15 : 0 and iso-C16 : 0. The predominant menaquinones detected were MK-11 and MK-11(H2). The G+C content of the genomic DNA of strain EGI 6500139T was 70.4 mol%. Strain EGI 6500139T showed the highest 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity to Glycomyces lacisalsi XHU 5089T (96.3 %). Phylogenetic analysis showed that strain EGI 6500139T fell within the clade of the genus Glycomyces, and formed a clade with G. lacisalsi XHU 5089T and G. albus CCTCC AA 2013004T. Based on phenotypic, chemotaxonomic and phylogenetic data, strain EGI 6500139T represents a novel species of the genus Glycomyces, for which the name Glycomyces anabasis sp. nov. (type strain EGI 6500139T=JCM 30088T=KCTC 29495T) is proposed.

Nocardia zhihengii sp. nov., an actinobacterium isolated from rhizosphere soil of Psammosilene tunicoides.

A Nocardia-like actinobacterial strain, designated YIM TG2190T, was isolated from rhizosphere soil of Psammosilene tunicoides collected from Gejiu, Yunnan province, China. The cells of strain YIM TG2190T were observed to be Gram-stain positive and non-motile. The strain forms extensively branched substrate mycelia that fragments into rod-shaped elements. The 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis showed that strain YIM TG2190T is closely related to Nocardia nova (97.5%), Nocardia jiangxiensis (97.1%) and Nocardia miyunensis (96.8%). Growth occurs at 4-30 °C (optimum 28 °C), pH 6.0-8.0 (optimum pH 7.0) and the strain can tolerate NaCl (w/v) up to 3% (optimum 0-1%). The cell walls were found to contain meso-diaminopimelic acid. The whole-cell sugars were identified as glucose, mannose, ribose, galactose, arabinose and fucose. The polar lipids were identified as diphosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylethanolamine, phosphatidylinositol mannosides, phosphatidylglycerol and an unidentified phospholipid. The menaquinones detected were MK-9 (H2) and MK-8 (H4). The major fatty acids (> 5%) were found to be C16:0 (33.9%), summed feature 3 (21.7%), C18:0 10-methyl TBSA (13.7%) and C18:1ω9c (7.0%). The DNA G+C content was determined to be 61.1 mol%. DNA-DNA relatedness between the strain YIM TG2190T and N. nova CGMCC 4.1705T, N. jiangxiensis CGMCC 4.1905T and N. miyunensis CGMCC 4.1904T were 46.9 ± 2.6, 36.8 ± 1.3, and 35.7 ± 2.6%, respectively, values which are less than the threshold value (70%) for the delineation of prokaryotic genomic species. The phenotypic, chemotaxonomic and phylogenetic data indicates that strain YIM TG2190T represents a novel species of the genus Nocardia, for which the name Nocardia zhihengii sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is YIM TG2190T (=KCTC 39596T = DSM 100515T).

Genome sequence and comparative analysis of Jiangella alba YIM 61503T isolated from a medicinal plant Maytenus austroyunnanensis.

A draft genome sequence of Jiangella alba YIM 61503T revealed a genome size of 7,664,864 bp arranged in 33 scaffolds. The genome was predicted to contain 7196 predicted genes, including 51 coding for RNA. Phylogenetic and comparative analyses of the draft genome of J. alba YIM 61503T with the available genomes of other Jiangella species suggested a proximal similarity between strains J. alba YIM 61503T and J. muralis DSM 45357T, while indicating a high divergence between J. gansuensis YIM 002T and other Jiangella species. The genome of J. alba YIM 61503T also revealed genes involved in indole-3-acetic acid biosynthesis and an alkylresorcinols gene cluster. Further, detection of phosphotransferase genes in the genome of all Jiangella species indicated that they can uptake and phosphorylate sugars. The presences of TreX-Z, TreS and OtsA-OtsB genes in some of the Jiangella strains also indicated a possible mechanism for their tolerance of high salinity. Besides providing new insights into its genetic features, our results suggested that J. alba YIM 61503T could be a potential strain for further genome mining studies. The release of this genome may, therefore, provide a better prospect for understanding "evolutionary taxonomy" about this genus in future.

Poly-Gamma-Glutamic Acid Nanopolymer Effect against Bacterial Biofilms: In Vitro and In Vivo Study.

In this study, a biodegradable poly-gamma-glutamic-acid nanopolymer (Ɣ-PGA NP) was investigated for its activity against clinical strains of Gram-positive (Staphylococcus aureus and Streptococcus pyogenes) and Gram-negative (Klebsiella pneumoniae and Escherichia coli), and reference strains of S. aureus ATCC 6538, S. pyogenes ATCC 19615 (Gram-positive), and Gram-negative E. coli ATCC 25922, and K. pneumoniae ATCC 13884 bacterial biofilms. The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) effect of Ɣ-PGA NP showed inhibitory effects of 0.2, 0.4, 1.6, and 3.2 µg/mL for S. pyogenes, S. aureus, E. coli, and K. pneumoniae, respectively. Also, MIC values were 1.6, 0.8, 0.2, and 0.2 µg/mL for K. pneumoniae ATCC 13884, E. coli ATCC 25922, S. aureus ATCC 6538, and S. pyogenes ATCC 19615, respectively. Afterwards, MBEC (minimum biofilm eradication concentration) and MBIC (minimum biofilm inhibitory concentration) were investigated to detect Ɣ-PGA NPs efficiency against the biofilms. MBEC and MBIC increased with increasing Ɣ-PGA NPs concentration or time of exposure. Interestingly, MBIC values were at lower concentrations of Ɣ-PGA NPs than those of MBEC. Moreover, MBEC values showed that K. pneumoniae was more resistant to Ɣ-PGA NPs than E. coli, S. aureus, and S. pyogenes, and the same pattern was observed in the reference strains. The most effective results for MBEC were after 48 h, which were 1.6, 0.8, 0.4, and 0.2 µg/mL for K. pneumoniae, E. coli, S. aureus, and S. pyogenes, respectively. Moreover, MBIC results were the most impactful after 24 h but some were the same after 48 h. MBIC values after 48 h were 0.2, 0.2, 0.2, and 0.1 µg/mL for K. pneumoniae, E. coli, S. aureus, and S. pyogenes, respectively. The most effective results for MBEC were after 24 h, which were 1.6, 0.8, 0.4, and 0.4 µg/mL for K. pneumoniae ATCC 13884, E. coli ATCC 25922, S. aureus ATCC 6538, and S. pyogenes ATCC 19615, respectively. Also, MBIC results were the most impactful after an exposure time of 12 h. MBIC values after exposure time of 12 h were 0.4, 0.4, 0.2, and 0.2 µg/mL for K. pneumoniae ATCC 13884, E. coli ATCC 25922, S. aureus ATCC 6538, and S. pyogenes ATCC 19615, respectively. Besides that, results were confirmed using confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM), which showed a decrease in the number of living cells to 80% and 60% for MBEC and MBIC, respectively, for all the clinical bacterial strains. Moreover, living bacterial cells decreased to 70% at MBEC while decreasing up to 50% at MBIC with all bacterial refence strains. These data justify the CFU quantification. After that, ImageJ software was used to count the attached cells after incubating with the NPs, which proved the variation in live cell count between the manual counting and image analysis methods. Also, a scanning electron microscope (SEM) was used to detect the biofilm architecture after incubation with the Ɣ-PGA NP. In in vivo wound healing experiments, treated wounds of mice showed faster healing (p < 0.00001) than both the untreated mice and those that were only wounded, as the bacterial count was eradicated. Briefly, the infected mice were treated faster (p < 0.0001) when infected with S. pyogenes > S. aureus > E. coli > K. pneumoniae. The same pattern was observed for mice infected with the reference strains. Wound lengths after 2 h showed slightly healing (p < 0.001) for the clinical strains, while treatment became more obvious after 72 h > 48 h > 24 h (p < 0.0001) as wounds began to heal after 24 h up to 72 h. For reference strains, wound lengths after 2 h started to heal up to 72 h.

Copper oxide nanoparticles: an effective suppression tool against bacterial leaf blight of rice and its impacts on plants.

BACKGROUND: To address the challenges of food security for the ever-increasing population, the emergence of nanotechnology provides an alternate technology of choice for the production of safer pesticides which serves as a substitute for conventional fertilizer. The antidrug resistance of Xanthomonas oryzae pv. oryzae (Xoo) and build-up of chemicals in the environment has made it necessary to find alternative safe techniques for effective disease management. Hence, in this study, copper oxide nanoparticles (CuONPs) were produced by green synthesis using a Hibiscus rosa-sinensis L. flower extract. RESULTS: The characterization of CuONPs using ultraviolet-visible spectrophotometry, scanning electron microscopy with an energy-dispersive spectrum profile, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, and X-ray diffraction ascertained the presence of CuONPs, which were nanorods of 28.1 nm. CuONPs significantly obstructed the growth and biofilm development of Xoo by 79.65% and 79.17% respectively. The antibacterial mechanism of CuONPs was found to result from wounding the cell membrane, giving rise to an exodus of intracellular content and generation of oxidative reactive oxygen species that invariably inhibited Xoo respiration and growth. A toxicity study under greenhouse conditions revealed that CuONPs significantly increased growth variables and the biomass of rice, and reduced bacterial leaf blight. Application of CuONPs on Arabidopsis improved the chlorophyll fluorescence parameters; the ΦPSII was significantly increased by 152.05% in comparison to the control. CONCLUSION: Altogether, these results suggest that CuONPs in low concentration (200.0 µg mL-1 ) are not toxic to plants and can serve as nano-fertilizers and nano-pesticides. © 2023 Society of Chemical Industry.