Journal of Applied Microbiology最新文献

{"title":"Microbial dysbiosis exacerbates exercise fatigue in mice under hypobaric hypoxia.","authors":"Guanwen Liu, Yinghui Li, Juan Wang, Lu Yan, Xiaoya Shang, Dongyan Shao, Chunmei Jiang, Dachuan Yin, Junling Shi","doi":"10.1093/jambio/lxag217","DOIUrl":"10.1093/jambio/lxag217","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Aims: </strong>To determine whether hypobaric hypoxia-induced alterations of the intestinal microbiota contribute to impaired exercise performance and intestinal dysfunction under simulated high-altitude conditions.</p><p><strong>Methods and results: </strong>A mouse model of exhaustive exercise under simulated 4500 m hypobaric hypoxia was used to assess exercise performance, oxidative stress, intestinal barrier integrity, and gut microbial composition. To evaluate the contribution of the intestinal microbiota, fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) was performed using microbiota from hypoxia-exposed or normoxic donor mice into antibiotic-treated recipients before exhaustive exercise under hypobaric hypoxia. Compared with normoxic controls, hypoxia-exposed mice exhibited reduced endurance, increased oxidative stress, impaired intestinal barrier function, decreased Ruminococcus abundance, and significant alterations in both α- and β-diversity. Recipient mice receiving microbiota from hypoxia-exposed donors developed similar phenotypes, including greater oxidative stress, reduced barrier protein expression, and microbial community profiles resembling those of hypoxic donors. Comparisons with microbiota-depleted controls further indicated that gut microbial alterations contributed to, but were not sufficient alone to cause, impaired exercise performance in the absence of the hypoxic environment.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Hypobaric hypoxia rapidly remodels the intestinal microbiota, and these microbial alterations contribute to oxidative stress, intestinal barrier dysfunction, and reduced exercise capacity under hypoxic conditions. FMT supports a contributory role of the intestinal microbiota in hypoxia-associated physiological dysfunction while indicating that hypoxic stress remains necessary for the full fatigue phenotype to develop. These findings support further investigation of microbiota-targeted strategies to mitigate exercise impairment during hypobaric hypoxia.</p>","PeriodicalId":15036,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Applied Microbiology","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.8,"publicationDate":"2026-09-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148864926","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Diversity of Streptomyces and their plant growth-promoting potential for sustainable crop production.","authors":"Aaqib Ali, Ruchi Srivastava, Prashant Khare","doi":"10.1093/jambio/lxag207","DOIUrl":"10.1093/jambio/lxag207","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Aims: </strong>To isolate and characterize rhizospheric Streptomyces with plant growth-promoting and biocontrol properties, and to evaluate their potential as microbial bioinoculants for sustainable crop production.</p><p><strong>Methods and results: </strong>Actinomycete isolates obtained from rhizosphere soils were screened for plant growth-promoting attributes, hydrolytic enzyme production, and antagonistic activity against important phytopathogens. Taxonomic identification was performed by 16S rRNA gene sequencing, confirming that the selected isolates belonged to diverse Streptomyces lineages. Several isolates exhibited multiple beneficial traits, including phosphate, potassium, and zinc solubilization, as well as siderophore and ammonia production, together with amylase, protease, and lipase activities. The isolates also inhibited the growth of Rhizoctonia solani under in vitro conditions. Five multifunctional isolates (Xen-NIP-ACT-33, Xen-NIP-ACT-39, Xen-NIP-ACT-10, Xen-NIP-ACT-38, and Xen-NIP-ACT-35) were subsequently evaluated under greenhouse conditions using maize, wheat, and rice. All five strains improved plant growth compared with untreated and diammonium phosphate-treated controls, with Xen-NIP-ACT-35 consistently producing the greatest increase in plant biomass.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Indigenous rhizospheric Streptomyces possess complementary plant growth-promoting and biocontrol characteristics that support their use as multifunctional bioinoculants. The superior performance of selected isolates under greenhouse conditions highlights their potential to improve crop growth while reducing reliance on chemical inputs.</p>","PeriodicalId":15036,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Applied Microbiology","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.8,"publicationDate":"2026-09-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148793497","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"The influence of precipitation and vessel traffic on the distribution of fecal indicator bacteria and qPCR source tracking markers across coastal groundwater and surface water in Brazoria County, Texas.","authors":"Carlos Romero-Vázquez, Dipti Anik Dhar, Roya Narimani, Dorina Murgulet, J David Felix, Akanksha Matta, Lucy Flores, Vikram Kapoor","doi":"10.1093/jambio/lxag235","DOIUrl":"10.1093/jambio/lxag235","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Aims: </strong>This study aimed to assess the spatial and categorical variability of fecal contamination across well, pore, and surface waters along the Brazoria County, Texas coastline, and to identify environmental and anthropogenic drivers influencing microbial distributions using fecal indicator bacteria (FIB) and microbial source tracking (MST) approaches.</p><p><strong>Methods and results: </strong>A total of 398 water samples were collected from 18 sites between July 2023 and June 2024. Culture-based enterococci enumeration and qPCR-based MST markers targeting avian (GFD), canine (DG3), environmental Enterococcus (Entero1a), and human-associated (HF183 and HumanmtND5) sources were analyzed alongside physicochemical parameters, environmental and anthropogenic data. Enterococcus concentrations ranged from < 1 to > 2419.6 MPN/100 mL, with surface waters showing significantly higher contamination than well and pore waters (P < 0.05). Entero1a and GFD were detected in all samples, indicating dominant environmental and avian contributions, while human-associated markers were spatially concentrated near the Houston Freeport channel. Correlation and principal component analysis revealed compartment-specific microbial dynamics and demonstrated that precipitation and vessel activity significantly influenced microbial variability in surface waters.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Fecal contamination was strongly structured by hydrological compartment, environmental conditions, and proximity to anthropogenic activity. The combined use of culture-based Enterococcus FIB and qPCR MST markers enhances both quantification and source identification across interconnected water systems.</p>","PeriodicalId":15036,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Applied Microbiology","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.8,"publicationDate":"2026-09-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148919883","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Evaluation of phage-antibiotic combinations in the inactivation of urinary tract infection-related bacteria.","authors":"Tiago Leal, Pedro Costa, Carla Pereira, Adelaide Almeida","doi":"10.1093/jambio/lxag211","DOIUrl":"10.1093/jambio/lxag211","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Aims: </strong>To evaluate the efficacy of bacteriophage-antibiotic combination therapy against major urinary tract infection (UTI) pathogens and determine whether combining phages with ciprofloxacin enhances bacterial killing, delays resistance emergence, and improves treatment performance under physiologically relevant conditions.</p><p><strong>Materials and methods: </strong>Five clinically relevant UTI pathogens were tested: Escherichia coli (UPEC), Enterococcus faecalis, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Proteus mirabilis. Phages from a commercially available cocktail were screened and supplemented with a lab-isolated phage to improve E. coli coverage. In vitro assays evaluated bacterial inactivation using phages alone and in combination with ciprofloxacin at varying concentrations, including sub-MIC levels. Resistance emergence and associated fitness costs were assessed. Ex vivo efficacy was further tested using filtered human urine to simulate physiologically relevant conditions.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Phage-antibiotic combinations significantly enhanced bacterial inactivation across all tested species compared to monotherapies, including at sub-MIC ciprofloxacin concentrations. Combination treatments delayed resistance development and imposed fitness costs on resistant E. coli mutants. Ex vivo urine assays confirmed that phages remained effective in physiologically relevant conditions, particularly in combination regimens, despite reduced antibiotic efficacy in urine.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Phage-antibiotic combination therapy improves bacterial killing, suppresses resistance emergence, and remains effective in urine-based models. These findings support integrating phage therapy with conventional antibiotics as a promising strategy for UTI management.</p>","PeriodicalId":15036,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Applied Microbiology","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.8,"publicationDate":"2026-09-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148793508","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Intra-individual genetic diversity of vaginal Lactobacillus crispatus revealed through citizen science-driven isolation and pangenome analysis.","authors":"Freek de Kreek, Rosanne Hertzberger, Fleur van Eeden, Shardelice Illidge, Evert-Jan Teunis, Mark Hanemaaijer, Elke Lievens, Fanny Rienstra, Deniz Er Wiedhaup, Paola Lisotto, Derek Butler, Douwe Molenaar, Remco Kort","doi":"10.1093/jambio/lxag218","DOIUrl":"10.1093/jambio/lxag218","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Aims: </strong>A vaginal microbiome dominated by Lactobacillus crispatus is associated with positive reproductive and sexual health outcomes, yet intra-individual genetic diversity within this species remains largely unexplored. This study characterized inter- and intra-individual genomic variation in L. crispatus strains isolated through a citizen science initiative and assessed implications for multi-strain probiotic development.</p><p><strong>Methods and results: </strong>Fifty-three women participated in this citizen science project. Self-sampling resulted in 48 shotgun metagenomes. Twenty-two participants isolated their own L. crispatus strains using selective enrichment and LAMP-based species confirmation, resulting in 53 whole-genome-sequenced isolates. Lactobacillus crispatus dominated 20 of 48 metagenomes (50.1%-99.6% relative abundance). Pangenome analysis revealed 3456 gene families, of which 43.7% were core and 56.3% accessory. A 14-kb plasmid harbouring a Fic-domain toxin-antitoxin protein, but devoid of antimicrobial resistance genes, was present in 44 of 53 strains. Strains from the same individual clustered closely together yet harboured 1-123 gene differences. Intra-individual variation was observed in the pullulanase type I gene required for glycogen degradation: 40 strains were predicted to grow on glycogen, six showed genetic disruptions with unknown consequences, and seven were predicted to lack this ability entirely. Variation within individuals was also found for bacteriocin classes and CRISPR-Cas genes.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Substantial functional diversity exists within L. crispatus, even among strains from the same individual, supporting the rationale for multi-strain vaginal probiotics. This citizen science approach enabled discovery of host-specific adaptations while ensuring participant ownership of their strains.</p>","PeriodicalId":15036,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Applied Microbiology","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.8,"publicationDate":"2026-09-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148891673","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"LAMP-CRISPR integrated platforms for rapid detection of microbial pathogens: principles, applied strategies, and the road to field translation.","authors":"Yi Xu, Xiaojiao He, Tianle Xu","doi":"10.1093/jambio/lxag220","DOIUrl":"10.1093/jambio/lxag220","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) integrated with CRISPR-Cas systems has emerged as a promising molecular diagnostic platform for the rapid detection of microbial pathogens. By combining the efficient nucleic acid amplification of LAMP with the sequence-specific recognition capability of CRISPR-Cas effectors, these platforms offer potential advantages in analytical sensitivity, specificity, operational simplicity, and field applicability. In this review, we summarize the principles, assay formats, and recent advances of LAMP-CRISPR technologies for detecting a broad spectrum of microbial pathogens, including bacterial, viral, fungal, and parasitic agents across clinical, veterinary, food safety, environmental, and agricultural applications. Representative studies are compared with attention to pathogen type, sample matrix, assay design, CRISPR-Cas system, readout format, analytical performance, and practical application. We further discuss major technical challenges that continue to hinder practical implementation, particularly complex sample pretreatment, workflow integration, carry-over contamination, reagent stability, multiplexing capability, and platform standardization. Attention is given to sample pretreatment and system-level integration, including current extraction and rapid lysis strategies, closed-tube reactions, portable readouts, and microfluidic or cartridge-based formats, which may support simplified \"sample-in, answer-out\" diagnostic workflows. Finally, we outline future directions for improving matrix-adapted sample processing, assay robustness, standardized validation, large-scale evaluation, and field deployment. This review provides a structured overview of current LAMP-CRISPR platforms and highlights key technological considerations for translating rapid microbial pathogen detection from laboratory research to real-world applications.</p>","PeriodicalId":15036,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Applied Microbiology","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.8,"publicationDate":"2026-09-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148864932","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Evaluation of sequential phage-antibiotic therapy reveals enhanced biofilm control with meropenem and colistin in clinical MDR hypervirulent Klebsiella pneumoniae strain.","authors":"Ramya Juliet, Madhumathi Irulappan, Balaji Veeraraghavan, Ramesh Nachimuthu","doi":"10.1093/jambio/lxag204","DOIUrl":"10.1093/jambio/lxag204","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Aims: </strong>The convergence of multidrug resistance and hypervirulence in Klebsiella pneumoniae (MDR-HvKp) has narrowed treatment options. Despite growing interest in phage-antibiotic synergy, this study evaluates the underexplored combinatorial effects of phage and antibiotics, including drug-specific interactions and sequence dependency, against the biofilm-forming MDR-HvKp clinical strain.</p><p><strong>Methods and results: </strong>A T5-like Klebsiella bacteriophage, Round, within the genus Webervirus, was therapeutically and genomically characterized. A biofilm-forming clinical strain, Kleb_134, was used to evaluate in vitro phage-antibiotic interactions with meropenem, colistin, and tigecycline in planktonic and biofilm models.In planktonic assays, phage combinations with meropenem and colistin resulted in a multi-log CFU reduction compared to monotherapies, whereas reduced efficacy was observed with tigecycline. In biofilm assays, pre-phage treatment followed by antibiotic exposure demonstrated the strongest biofilm reduction. Drug-specific and sequence-dependent effects were evident. Meropenem-phage combinations reduced biofilm biomass by 2.85-fold (high phage titre) and 3.8-fold (low phage titre), while colistin-phage combinations achieved reductions of 8.4-fold (high phage titre) and 2.8-fold (low phage titre).</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Sequential phage-antibiotic treatment was effective against MDR-HvKp biofilms, with pre-phage exposure enhancing antibiotic access through biofilm disruption. The bacteriostatic nature of tigecycline reduced efficacy by affecting phage replication. These findings highlight the importance of treatment sequence and antibiotic selection, and extend existing knowledge in optimizing therapeutic outcomes in MDR-HvKp infections.</p>","PeriodicalId":15036,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Applied Microbiology","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.8,"publicationDate":"2026-09-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148760438","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Manipulation of rhizosphere microbiome by Microbacterium sp. GB16_1_BI to promote plant growth.","authors":"Papri Nag, Rajani Govindannagari, Kavuru Prasad, Tummala Mounika, Latha P Chandran, Sampa Das, M B B Prasad Babu, R M Sundaram","doi":"10.1093/jambio/lxag221","DOIUrl":"10.1093/jambio/lxag221","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Aim: </strong>The bioinoculant properties of a newly identified ammonium-releasing novel strain of Actinomycetota-Microbacterium bengalense sp. nov. GB16_1_BI (Accession number: SRX9280401) on the microbiome structure of rice rhizosphere were assessed.</p><p><strong>Methods and result: </strong>GB16_1_BI may inhibit most bacteria present in the rice rhizosphere as well as encouraged the growth of rare bacteria specific to the waterlogged rice rhizosphere. The genome sequence as well as untargeted metabolome analyses of GB16_1_BI showed abundance of secondary metabolites with probable antimicrobial activity. Amplicon sequencing of the 16S rRNA V3-V4 region from the rhizosphere of the black rice showed inhibition of most bacteria by GB16_1_BI. Phylogenetic investigation of communities by reconstruction of unobserved states (PICRUSt2) analysis showed increased abundance in the marker genes for nitrogen cycling (nifH, nrfA, and nrt) but not for nifD or nifK, which was also reflected in the ANOSIM analysis in the OTUs of the N-fixing bacteria. Higher abundance of the nitrogen-fixing methanotrophs, Methylosinus and Methylocystis in inoculated plants also led to study of the marker genes for methane metabolism.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Microbes present in the rhizosphere contribute to the biogeochemical cycle by transforming unavailable minerals and by retaining nutrients for their growth, which get released after death for plant adsorption. However, not all microbes contribute positively to plant growth. Microbes compete with plants for nutrients, cause disease, or produce harmful greenhouse gases. Hence, GB16_1_BI could influence plant growth predominantly by suppressing microbes and encouraged niche-specific microbes specifically involved in nitrogen cycling.</p>","PeriodicalId":15036,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Applied Microbiology","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.8,"publicationDate":"2026-09-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148864900","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Rapid and femtogram-level sensitive detection of Blastocystis spp. using colorimetric and fluorometric LAMP assays: analytical and clinical validation.","authors":"Roaa Zedan, Huseyin Tombuloglu, Ayman El-Badry","doi":"10.1093/jambio/lxag214","DOIUrl":"10.1093/jambio/lxag214","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background/aim: </strong>Blastocystis spp. is a genetically diverse protozoan parasite, often underdiagnosed due to low sensitivity and technical issues of current diagnosis techniques, wet mount microscopy, and PCR. To bridge this gap, we developed loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) platforms, namely colorimetric LAMP (cLAMP) and fluorometric LAMP (fLAMP) for rapid and sensitive detection of Blastocystis spp.</p><p><strong>Materials and methods: </strong>A cohort of 197 stool samples from patients with gastrointestinal conditions were screened. The diagnostic performance, analytical sensitivity, and speed of the LAMP assays were benchmarked against a gold-standard quantitative PCR assay.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Results showed that both LAMP assays provided ultra-rapid detection, achieving mean detection times of 24.2 min for fLAMP and 29.8 min for cLAMP (compared to 36.5 min for qPCR; P < .001). In analytical sensitivity evaluations using purified plasmid DNA controls, both assays achieved femtogram-level limits of detection (LoD) (5 fg μL-1). In clinical copro-DNA matrices, fLAMP and cLAMP demonstrated LoD of 1.43 pg μL-1 and 14.3 pg μL-1, respectively. In clinical cohort evaluations, fLAMP demonstrated superior diagnostic sensitivity (94.1%) and overall accuracy (92.3%), while cLAMP offered high diagnostic sensitivity (95.8%), specificity (85.0%), and accuracy (90.1%) with naked-eye visual interpretation.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>This study introduces a dual-platform LAMP system offering femtogram-level sensitivity and rapid detection of Blastocystis spp. within 30 min following DNA extraction. While fLAMP provides high-precision diagnostic accuracy, cLAMP offers an accessible, visual screening tool well-suited for low-resource environments.</p>","PeriodicalId":15036,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Applied Microbiology","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.8,"publicationDate":"2026-09-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148818471","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"The \"One-Two Punch\": a conceptual analysis of nisin and lysozyme synergy against Listeria monocytogenes biofilms and their dependence on environmental factors.","authors":"Dilushi Sureka Ruwankumari Polegodage, Steve Flint, Jon Palmer","doi":"10.1093/jambio/lxag213","DOIUrl":"10.1093/jambio/lxag213","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Aims: </strong>The persistence of Listeria monocytogenes biofilms in food processing environments poses a significant challenge to food safety, as these resilient communities exhibit high tolerance to conventional sanitation. This conceptual review synthesizes current literature on two natural antimicrobials: nisin and lysozyme, to evaluate their combined potential against L. monocytogenes biofilms and to propose a novel \"One-Two Punch\" model describing their sequential synergistic action. It further examines how environmental factors, including surface physicochemical properties, biofilm maturity, and hydrodynamic conditions, may influence the effectiveness of this strategy.</p><p><strong>Methods and results: </strong>Through a comprehensive synthesis of existing literature on antimicrobial mechanisms and biofilm physiology, a theoretical framework for combined antimicrobial action was developed. Established findings confirm that lysozyme hydrolyses the peptidoglycan layer of Gram-positive cell walls, while nisin binds to lipid II to induce cytoplasmic membrane pore formation. As a novel conceptual contribution, this review proposes that, when applied in combination, these agents operate through a complementary, stepwise mechanism: lysozyme-mediated peptidoglycan hydrolysis of peripheral biofilm cells enhances subsequent nisin penetration to the cytoplasmic membrane of target cells, achieving greater bactericidal efficacy than either agent alone. Environmental variables, including surface material, biofilm age, and hydrodynamic conditions, emerge as key determinants of biofilm architecture and antimicrobial susceptibility.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>The \"One-Two Punch\" model provides a mechanistically grounded framework for combining natural antimicrobials to target resilient L. monocytogenes biofilms. Key environmental constraints, critical knowledge gaps, and directions for experimental validation are outlined, providing a foundation for designing more effective biofilm control strategies across diverse food industry settings.</p>","PeriodicalId":15036,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Applied Microbiology","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.8,"publicationDate":"2026-09-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148818433","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}