Microbiological research最新文献

{"title":"Longitudinal multi-omics pilot study: Small sample size human model of gut microbiota-mitochondrial metabolic dysregulation in primary biliary cholangitis","authors":"Jing Lou ,&nbsp;Xiaoxiang Hu ,&nbsp;Ren Yan ,&nbsp;Jiamin Duan ,&nbsp;Bingbing Du ,&nbsp;Feiyu Wang ,&nbsp;Yini Shao ,&nbsp;Huiyong Jiang ,&nbsp;Lanjuan Li ,&nbsp;Longxian Lv","doi":"10.1016/j.micres.2026.128465","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.micres.2026.128465","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA) is the first-line therapy for primary biliary cholangitis (PBC), yet a subset of patients responds inadequately, with the underlying mechanisms remaining unclear. In this longitudinal, multi-omics pilot study employing a small-sample human model, we investigated the role of gut microbiota-mitochondrial metabolic dysregulation in influencing the heterogeneity of UDCA treatment response. Our exploratory analysis revealed that UDCA nonresponders exhibit persistent gut dysbiosis, characterized by the depletion of beneficial butyrate-producing bacteria, the expansion of opportunistic fungi such as <em>Candida albicans</em>, and the enrichment of a pro-inflammatory bacterial network centered on <em>Collinsella</em>. Functionally, this dysbiosis in nonresponders is characterized by an enrichment of microbial virulence factors (e.g., flagella) and impaired host energy metabolism, particularly mitochondrial tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle dysfunction, as supported by persistently elevated serum pyruvate levels. Conversely, UDCA responders exhibit remodeling of the gut microbiota and improved mitochondrial function, with significant enrichment of serum itaconate. As a proof-of-concept, an integrated microbiota-metabolite predictive model showed potential in identifying nonresponders within our cohort.However, its performance requires validation in independent cohorts, and its clinical utility remains unknown. Overall, this pilot study proposes that UDCA nonresponse may represent a distinct pathological state centered on persistent mitochondrial metabolic dysfunction, offering preliminary insights for developing personalized therapeutic strategies that target the gut-mitochondrion axis.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":18564,"journal":{"name":"Microbiological research","volume":"307 ","pages":"Article 128465"},"PeriodicalIF":6.9,"publicationDate":"2026-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146157551","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Cross-resistance-guided phage cocktail design for effective mitigation of necrotic enteritis in poultry","authors":"Eunbyeol Ahn ,&nbsp;Joonbeom Kim ,&nbsp;Isabel Tobin ,&nbsp;Daeun Shin ,&nbsp;Eunsu Ha ,&nbsp;Guolong Zhang ,&nbsp;Sangryeol Ryu ,&nbsp;Byeonghwa Jeon","doi":"10.1016/j.micres.2026.128473","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.micres.2026.128473","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The withdrawal of antibiotic growth promoters from poultry production has led to the resurgence of <em>Clostridium perfringens</em>-induced necrotic enteritis (NE), resulting in annual global economic losses exceeding $6 billion. With conventional antibiotics becoming less accessible for disease prevention, there is an urgent need for effective non-antibiotic alternatives. Bacteriophage therapy represents a promising approach, although its utility is often constrained by narrow host range and rapid emergence of phage resistance. Here, we present a cross-resistance-guided strategy for rational phage cocktail design that combines phages with complementary and non-overlapping resistance profiles. Through systematic screening of eight <em>C. perfringens</em>-specific phages, we identified two host-range groups exhibiting complementary host ranges and reciprocal cross-resistance. A cocktail comprising CPD4 (siphovirus-like, 52,658 bp) and CPD7 (podovirus-like, 18,958 bp) was formulated based on their potency and divergence. Genomic and morphological analyses confirmed their strictly lytic lifecycle, absence of lysogenic or virulence genes, and high physicochemical stability. Notably, the cocktail demonstrated reciprocal cross-resistance, where resistance to one phage did not confer resistance to the other, thereby ensuring sustained lytic activity and mitigating the emergence of resistant strains. Furthermore, <em>in vivo</em> evaluation demonstrated that the cocktail significantly improved survival, reduced intestinal lesions, and suppressed <em>C. perfringens</em> colonization in NE-challenged chickens. Together, these results establish this cross-resistance-guided phage cocktail design as a practical and cost-effective strategy for NE mitigation in poultry.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":18564,"journal":{"name":"Microbiological research","volume":"307 ","pages":"Article 128473"},"PeriodicalIF":6.9,"publicationDate":"2026-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146166012","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Lactiplantibacillus plantarum BGI-N6 mitigates obesity-linked inflammation and oxidative stress via gut microbiota-mediated metabolites","authors":"Hui Guo ,&nbsp;Wanjie Zhang ,&nbsp;Dongwei Zhang ,&nbsp;Xiaojie Li ,&nbsp;Yan Qin Tan","doi":"10.1016/j.micres.2026.128461","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.micres.2026.128461","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Obesity-driven systemic inflammation is a critical contributor in the progression of metabolic diseases. While lactic acid bacteria (LAB) are recognized for countering diet-induced obesity, their specific role in mitigating the associated inflammatory pathways requires further elucidation. This study investigated the capacity of a novel LAB strain, <em>Lactiplantibacillus plantarum</em> BGI-N6 (N6), to alleviate obesity and its related inflammatory responses in a high-fat diet (HFD)-fed Sprague-Dawley (SD) rat model. N6 supplementation effectively attenuated body weight gain, fat deposition, and liver steatosis, while concurrently improving systemic metrics such as blood lipid profiles. Crucially, the treatment significantly reduced HFD-induced systemic inflammation and oxidative stress. Analysis of the gut microbiota demonstrated that N6 administration modulated gut microbiota composition, enhancing β-diversity and reducing the abundance of pro-inflammatory taxa, including <em>Sutterella wadsworthensis</em>, <em>Bilophila wadsworthia</em>, and <em>Holdemania filiformis</em>. These structural changes were accompanied by metabolic shifts, specifically an increased production of butyric and valeric acids and a decrease in propionic acid. Furthermore, N6 specifically downregulated bacterial biosynthesis pathways for lipopolysaccharide (LPS), an effect attributed to the reduced abundance of key gram-negative species such as <em>Sutterella wadsworthensis</em>, resulting in significantly lower serum LPS levels. Correlation analyses confirmed the strong association of these microbial and metabolic changes with improved metabolic and inflammatory parameters. Collectively, these findings demonstrate that N6 ameliorates obesity-induced inflammation and oxidative stress through a multi-faceted mechanism involving gut microbiota restructuring, SCFA modulation, and LPS reduction, underscoring its potential as a therapeutic probiotic for metabolic disorders.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":18564,"journal":{"name":"Microbiological research","volume":"307 ","pages":"Article 128461"},"PeriodicalIF":6.9,"publicationDate":"2026-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146142742","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Deciphering the role of endolysin LysCPD7 harboring C. perfringens spore binding domain","authors":"Eunsu Ha ,&nbsp;Daeun Shin ,&nbsp;Sangryeol Ryu ,&nbsp;Minsuk Kong","doi":"10.1016/j.micres.2026.128474","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.micres.2026.128474","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Due to their potent bactericidal activity, phage-derived endolysins are considered promising alternatives to conventional antibiotics. Although some endolysins from phages infecting spore-forming bacteria contain a spore binding domain (SBD), their biological function remains unclear. LysCPD7, an endolysin from the <em>Clostridium perfringens</em> phage CPD7, showed high antimicrobial activity, effectively reducing <em>C. perfringens</em> contamination in milk and beef broth. Fluorescence assays and immunogold electron microscopy showed that LysCPD7 lacks a C-terminal cell wall binding domain, but contains a SBD that localizes to the spore cortex layer. We found that an E187K mutation in the SBD resulted in reduced spore binding capacity while retaining lytic activity. Infection with the wild-type CPD7 led to a decrease in sporulation efficiency in <em>C. perfringens</em>, whereas the mutant CPD7 carrying the E187K substitution in the SBD had no impact on sporulation, suggesting that the SBD may play a role in the inhibition of sporulation in <em>C. perfringens.</em> Our findings could contribute to the rational design of effective antimicrobials or diagnostic tools for controlling <em>C. perfringens</em> and provide new insights into the interactions between phages and their spore-forming hosts.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":18564,"journal":{"name":"Microbiological research","volume":"307 ","pages":"Article 128474"},"PeriodicalIF":6.9,"publicationDate":"2026-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146172510","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"The molecular arms race: Xenophagy, pathogen evasion, and emerging host-directed therapies","authors":"Onaiza Ansari ,&nbsp;Farhan Ahmed ,&nbsp;Nilofar Siddiquee ,&nbsp;Anam Mursaleen ,&nbsp;Syeda Rushna ,&nbsp;Javaid Ahmad Sheikh ,&nbsp;Mohd Shariq","doi":"10.1016/j.micres.2026.128460","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.micres.2026.128460","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Xenophagy, a form of selective autophagy targeting intracellular pathogens, constitutes a central arm of cell-autonomous innate immunity. This review synthesizes recent advances in the molecular regulation of xenophagy, emphasizing ubiquitin-dependent and ubiquitin-independent cargo tagging, receptor redundancy and context dependence, and post-translational control of autophagy-related 8/microtubule-associated protein 1 light chain 3 (ATG8/MAP1LC3/LC3) engagement. We discuss how pathogens exploit or evade xenophagic defenses at multiple checkpoints, cargo recognition, receptor recruitment, autophagosome biogenesis, and lysosomal fusion, highlighting mechanistically defined bacterial and viral countermeasures. Attention is given to the distinction between canonical xenophagy and non-canonical LC3-associated phagocytosis (LAP), clarifying their divergent regulatory logic and functional outcomes. We further examine the integration of xenophagy with innate immune signaling, antigen processing and presentation, and intercellular communication via exosomes, thereby linking intracellular pathogen restriction to adaptive immunity. Emerging discovery platforms, including multi-omics and clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR-based) genetic screens, are evaluated for their potential to uncover novel xenophagy regulators. Finally, we critically assess translational opportunities for xenophagy-targeted host-directed therapies, emphasizing pathogen-specific context, tissue-restricted delivery, and the risks of non-selective autophagy modulation. Together, this review provides a mechanistic and translational framework for understanding xenophagy as a dynamic, context-dependent immune defense pathway rather than a uniformly protective degradative process.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":18564,"journal":{"name":"Microbiological research","volume":"307 ","pages":"Article 128460"},"PeriodicalIF":6.9,"publicationDate":"2026-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146132351","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Morphological classification of Schizochytrium and mutagenic selection of high-oil-producing strains based on deep learning","authors":"Yu Qin ,&nbsp;Ying Ou ,&nbsp;Jian Zheng ,&nbsp;Shoushuai Feng ,&nbsp;Li Xie ,&nbsp;Qiong Wang ,&nbsp;Hailing Li ,&nbsp;Ren Gong ,&nbsp;Hailin Yang","doi":"10.1016/j.micres.2026.128464","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.micres.2026.128464","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>As a natural producer of omega-3 fatty acids, <em>Schizochytrium</em> demonstrates exceptional cell density and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) production efficiency, establishing its status as a microbial platform of industrial significance. However, the absence of real-time fermentation monitoring systems constrains production optimization and hinders the sustainable commercialization of omega-3 products. Morphometric analysis offers potential for tracking microbial growth and metabolite accumulation, yet the complex relationships between <em>Schizochytrium</em> morphology, biomass dynamics, and lipid biosynthesis remain unresolved. Conventional morphological characterization relies on labor-intensive microscopic observation by trained personnel, necessitating automated image analysis solutions. We developed a novel 13-class morphotype classification system integrating cellular division characteristics and lipid droplet parameters, coupled with a purpose-built object detection architecture. The enhanced MLC-YOLO framework achieved 84.2 % mean average precision (mAP), representing a 2.2 % improvement over the standard YOLOv8s implementation. Fermentation monitoring identified strong positive correlations (<em>p</em> &lt; 0.001) between Lipid-saturated unicells (G11) and lipid yield, whereas Small lipid droplet tripartite cells (G4) and Small lipid droplet quadripartite cells (G6) inversely correlated with productivity. Application of the G11/(G4 +G6) selection index facilitated the isolation of mutant strain S62, which had a lipid content of 50.46 %, an increase of 1.96 % over the parental strain. This study addresses fundamental knowledge gaps in <em>Schizochytrium</em> morphology, establishes deep learning-enabled cellular phenotyping as a viable strain selection strategy, and propels the development of smart biomanufacturing systems for industrial omega-3 production.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":18564,"journal":{"name":"Microbiological research","volume":"307 ","pages":"Article 128464"},"PeriodicalIF":6.9,"publicationDate":"2026-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146157652","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"The contribution of root border cells as a defense barrier against soil-borne pathogen Verticillium dahliae: Insights from the host cotton and the non-host corn","authors":"Sen Zhang ,&nbsp;Xiaoyu Wang ,&nbsp;Dan Zhang ,&nbsp;Ruichi Hua,&nbsp;Yijin Yan,&nbsp;Juan Yang,&nbsp;Jinhu Ma,&nbsp;Jie Wang,&nbsp;Xiaohuan Yang","doi":"10.1016/j.micres.2026.128452","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.micres.2026.128452","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Verticillium wilt can be caused by the soil-borne fungal pathogen <em>Verticillium dahliae</em> (<em>V. dahliae)</em>. It is a destructive vascular pathogen that infects more than 200 plant species, including economically important crops such as cotton. The disease induces severe symptoms such as wilting, chlorosis, and necrosis, ultimately resulting in substantial yield losses. Conventional management strategies, including chemical fungicides and crop rotation, have exhibited limited effectiveness against <em>V. dahliae</em>, emphasizing the urgent need to elucidate innate plant resistance mechanisms for breeding Verticillium-resistant varieties. In this study, the defense mechanisms of root border cells (RBCs) against <em>V. dahliae</em> were investigated. Fluorescence microscopy and cryo-scanning electron microscopy demonstrated that RBCs were viable and free cells, exhibiting round, intermediate, and elongated morphologies. <em>In vitro</em> co-culture assays revealed that viable RBCs isolated from cotton or corn markedly suppressed the growth of <em>V. dahliae</em>, whereas heat-inactivated RBCs lost this antifungal capacity, confirming that the defense mechanism was viability-dependent. Further analysis indicated that under <em>V. dahliae</em> stress, RBCs secreted a thickened mucilage layer enriched in pectin and extracellular DNA (exDNA), which encapsulated fungal hyphae and formed a physical barrier. Metabolomic profiling of RBC secretions from both cotton and corn identified a conserved set of metabolites, including compounds involved in flavone and flavonol biosynthesis, valine, leucine, and isoleucine metabolism, and phenylpropanoid biosynthesis, which could contribute to chemical defense against pathogens. These findings demonstrate the cellular and molecular mechanisms underlying RBC-mediated inhibition of <em>V. dahliae</em> infection and provide insights for developing Verticillium wilt resistance breeding strategies in cotton.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":18564,"journal":{"name":"Microbiological research","volume":"306 ","pages":"Article 128452"},"PeriodicalIF":6.9,"publicationDate":"2026-05-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146078914","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Comparative pan-genomics and in vivo validation identify genetic factors important for virulence of Salmonella enterica serovar Gallinarum and serovar Enteritidis in the avian host","authors":"Xiao Fei ,&nbsp;Jennifer Moussa ,&nbsp;Priscila Regina Guerra ,&nbsp;Sajid Nisar ,&nbsp;Yibing Ma ,&nbsp;Weizhe Wang ,&nbsp;Mauro M.S. Saraiva ,&nbsp;Heng Li ,&nbsp;Zhemin Zhou ,&nbsp;John Elmerdahl Olsen","doi":"10.1016/j.micres.2026.128453","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.micres.2026.128453","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div><em>Salmonella enterica</em> subspecies <em>enterica</em> serovar Gallinarum biovar Gallinarum (SGa) and Pullorum (SPu) are avian-specific pathogens causing systemic disease, while <em>S</em>. Enteritidis (SEnt) is a broad host range serovar causing gastroenteritis. The genomic mechanisms underlying this difference in host range and pathogenicity remain incompletely understood. Here, we performed a large-scale pan-genome analysis of 5440 poultry-derived genomes (4927 SEnt, 106 SGa, 407 SPu) integrated with functional chicken and macrophage experiments. Compared with SEnt, avian-specific SGa and SPu exhibited extensive pseudogenization and shared 87 genes absent in SEnt, organized into four major genomic clusters (PG_1–PG_4) enriched in type VI secretion system genes and prophage-derived elements. Conserved SNPs distinguishing SGa/SPu from SEnt were enriched in carbohydrate and nitrogen metabolism pathways, suggesting potential metabolic divergences during infection. Infection experiments in chickens using deletion mutants revealed that deletions of genes in SPI-2 (<em>ssaE</em>, <em>ssaT</em>) and fimbrial genes (<em>stfA</em>, <em>safA</em>) were important for systemic infection of chicken with both SGa and SEnt, despite pseudogenization of fimbrial operons in SGa. Mutants in SPI-13 and SPI-14 were only significantly attenuated in SGa. The specific prophage region PG_3 was important for systemic infection in SGa, while a distinct prophage element (ENT_2) enhanced infection in SEnt. Together, these findings bridge comparative genomics with experimental validation, identifying genomic degradation, prophage acquisition, and serovar-specific pathogenicity islands as putative mechanisms underlying avian host specificity and systemic pathogenesis in <em>Salmonella</em>.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":18564,"journal":{"name":"Microbiological research","volume":"306 ","pages":"Article 128453"},"PeriodicalIF":6.9,"publicationDate":"2026-05-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146024358","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"The effect of Sinorhizobium meliloti volatilomes and synthetic long-chain methylketones on soil and Medicago truncatula microbiomes","authors":"Pieter van Dillewijn ,&nbsp;Lydia M. Bernabéu-Roda ,&nbsp;Virginia Cuéllar ,&nbsp;Rafael Núñez ,&nbsp;Otto Geiger ,&nbsp;Isabel M. López-Lara ,&nbsp;María J. Soto","doi":"10.1016/j.micres.2026.128456","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.micres.2026.128456","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Bacterial volatile compounds play important roles in intra- and interkingdom interactions but little is known about their effects on soil and plant microbiomes. The legume symbiont <em>Sinorhizobium meliloti</em> (Sm) releases volatile methylketones (MKs), one of which acts as an infochemical among bacteria and hampers plant-bacteria interactions. Inactivation of the fatty acyl-CoA ligase FadD in Sm moderately enhances MK production. To further explore the ecological role of MKs on soil and plant bacterial communities, we aimed at obtaining an MK-overproducing Sm strain by deleting the 3-oxoacyl-CoA thiolase-encoding <em>fadA</em> gene. Analyses of the Sm wild-type (WT) and <em>fad</em> mutant volatilomes identified seventeen compounds, primarily consisting of MKs and fatty acid methyl esters (FAMEs). The <em>fadA</em> mutant released more MKs than the <em>fadD</em> mutant, and substantially more than the WT, whereas FAME emission was increased in the <em>fadD</em> mutant. Exposure of natural soil and the <em>Medicago truncatula</em> rhizosphere to WT and <em>fadA</em> volatilomes or synthetic volatile MKs did not significantly alter bacterial alpha or beta diversity but certain genera responded differentially to each condition. Interestingly, Sm volatilomes significantly affected root endosphere <em>Ensifer</em>/<em>Sinorhizobium</em> populations by maintaining their abundance over time, in contrast to control conditions or exposure to synthetic volatile MKs. This study provides new insights on the synthesis of rhizobial volatile compounds and represents the first exploration of the effects of rhizobial volatilomes on soil and plant bacterial communities, contributing to a deeper understanding of the complex molecular bases underlying plant-bacteria interactions.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":18564,"journal":{"name":"Microbiological research","volume":"306 ","pages":"Article 128456"},"PeriodicalIF":6.9,"publicationDate":"2026-05-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146024359","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"The sodium alginate-producing gene algD reduces Pseudomonas putida strain XMS-1-mediated Cd uptake in Lactuca sativa by increasing the relative abundances of Cd stabilization-related bacterial communities and functional genes","authors":"Yanyan Ge ,&nbsp;Fangfang Jiang ,&nbsp;Xiaoyu Zhang ,&nbsp;Qi Sheng ,&nbsp;Linyan He ,&nbsp;Xiafang Sheng","doi":"10.1016/j.micres.2026.128463","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.micres.2026.128463","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>In this study, the effects of <em>Pseudomonas putida</em> strain XMS-1 and its sodium alginate (SA)-producing gene <em>algD</em> deletion mutant (∆<em>algD</em>) on cadmium (Cd) immobilization in solution, and Cd availability and uptake in lettuce plants and mechanisms involved in the contaminated soils were investigated. Compared with XMS-1, ∆<em>algD</em> increased the solution Cd concentration by 57 % and reduced the cell surface-adsorbed and intracellular Cd contents by 44–57 % after 36 h of incubation. Compared with XMS-1, ∆<em>algD</em> significantly decreased the lettuce biomass, iron/manganese oxide- and organic matter-bound Cd contents, pH values, and polysaccharide and mineral-associated organic carbon contents and increased the exchange of Cd and lettuce leaf Cd contents in the soils. Furthermore, compared with XMS-1, ∆<em>algD</em> significantly reduced the relative abundances of Cd-immobilizing related abundant (<em>Knoellia</em>, <em>Pseudomonas</em>, <em>Lysobacter</em>, <em>Microbacterium</em>, and <em>Flavisolibacter</em>) and rare (<em>Saccharothrix</em>, <em>Pajaroellobacter</em>, <em>Dyadobacter</em>, <em>Stenotrophomonas</em>, <em>Candidatus Koribacter</em>, and <em>Mumia</em>) genera and functional genes <em>mnxG</em>, <em>cumA</em>, <em>mnp</em>, and <em>epsA</em> involved in manganese oxidation, ferromanganese nodule formation, and exopolysaccharide production in the rhizosphere soils of lettuce plants compared to XMS-1. Correlation analysis revealed negative relationships between the relative abundances of these bacterial populations and Cd uptake in lettuce tissues. These findings suggest the significant effects of <em>algD</em> in XMS-1 on reducing Cd availability and accumulation in lettuce through enriching the Cd-immobilizing related bacterial communities and functional genes in the contaminated soils. Our findings offer new insights into the mechanisms underlying <em>algD</em>-mediated reduction in Cd accumulation in lettuce by XMS-1, laying a crucial foundation for the use of SA-producing bacteria to ensure safe vegetable production in the Cd-contaminated soils.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":18564,"journal":{"name":"Microbiological research","volume":"306 ","pages":"Article 128463"},"PeriodicalIF":6.9,"publicationDate":"2026-05-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146113658","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}