Microorganisms最新文献

{"title":"Unveiling Lichen's Hidden Arsenal Against Multidrug Resistance: A Systematic Review of Their Essential Oils, Volatile Compounds and Extracts with Antimicrobial Applications.","authors":"Yasser Essadki, Soukaina El Amrani Zerrifi, Maria de Fátima Carvalho, Lillian Barros, Vitor Vasconcelos, Alexandre Campos, Fatima El Khalloufi, Brahim Oudra, Rosário Martins","doi":"10.3390/microorganisms14040924","DOIUrl":"10.3390/microorganisms14040924","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The increase in multidrug resistance in microorganisms and the rise of emergent infectious diseases worldwide is a threat to human and animal health. Therefore, research on new molecules with antibiotic potential is a priority. Lichens have a unique secondary metabolism with relatively untapped potential, yet their essential oils (EOs) and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) remain a relatively untapped resource. This systematic review was conducted following PRISMA 2020 guidelines, with a comprehensive search performed in the Web of Science database for studies published up to 2023. From 254 identified records, six studies involving nine lichen species (<i>Evernia prunastri</i>, <i>Evernia divaricata</i>, <i>Cladonia rangiformis</i>, <i>Cladonia furcata</i>, <i>Parmotrema perlatum</i>, <i>Lichina pygmaea</i>, <i>Parmelia perlata</i>, <i>Hypogymnia physodes</i>, and <i>Parmelia sulcata</i>) met the eligibility criteria. The synthesized data show that these volatile fractions possess significant antimicrobial potential, with minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) generally lower than 1 mg/mL. Major bioactive constituents identified include atraric acid, orsellinates, and various sesquiterpenes. While the current evidence highlights a strong potential of lichen volatiles against pathogens, research is limited to a small fraction of known species. This review identifies a critical gap in testing these compounds directly against MDR clinical isolates and suggests that future research should focus on high-biomass species and the heterologous expression of lichen biosynthetic genes to develop sustainable antimicrobial applications.</p>","PeriodicalId":18667,"journal":{"name":"Microorganisms","volume":"14 4","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.2,"publicationDate":"2026-04-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13118312/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147817603","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Autochthonous Leishmaniosis in Dogs, Cats, Horses, and Wildlife in the United States of America.","authors":"Chaoqun Yao, Yi Yang, Aifang Du","doi":"10.3390/microorganisms14040930","DOIUrl":"10.3390/microorganisms14040930","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Leishmaniasis is endemic in 99 countries worldwide, including the United States of America (USA). Its causative pathogens, <i>Leishmania</i> spp. have been detected in both humans and animals within the USA. Lately, we have comprehensively reviewed autochthonous leishmaniasis in humans in this region. Animals play a pivotal role in maintaining its endemicity in some endemic areas and regions, for example, dogs in Brazil and the Mediterranean. In this review, we thoroughly examine autochthonous leishmaniosis in dogs, cats, horses, and wildlife in the USA, and we synthesize integration across species, transmission pathways, the crucial roles the animals play, and the potential risk they pose to humans. The information is essential for public health and for the effective control and management of leishmaniasis through expanding reservoir and vector surveillance using One-Health approaches in the USA.</p>","PeriodicalId":18667,"journal":{"name":"Microorganisms","volume":"14 4","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.2,"publicationDate":"2026-04-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13118834/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147817385","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Development of a PCR Assay for the Identification of <i>Salmonella</i> Thompson.","authors":"Dele Ogunremi, Naana Duah, Tianbi Tan, Bei Zhang, Lawrence Goodridge","doi":"10.3390/microorganisms14040927","DOIUrl":"10.3390/microorganisms14040927","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The effective control of foodborne salmonellosis relies on the rapid and reliable detection and identification of the pathogen. Reliable detection tools for identifying the most common <i>Salmonella</i> serovars should translate to a considerable alleviation of the health burden attributed to <i>Salmonella</i>. We have developed a PCR assay for the rapid identification of colonies of <i>Salmonella enterica</i> serovar Thompson, a common serovar. Genomic analyses of publicly available sequences of <i>Salmonella</i> Thompson revealed the presence of a unique, Thompson-specific fragment, which we have used to design a pair of oligonucleotides, STho-F and STho-R, for the PCR amplification of an 808 bp DNA fragment. Using crude DNA extracts, the 808 bp fragment was detected in 77 out of 78 isolates of <i>S.</i> Thompson (sensitivity = 98.7% <i>n</i> = 78 isolates) but not in any of the non-<i>Salmonella</i> organisms tested (<i>n</i> = 100; 100% specificity) nor in non-Thompson <i>Salmonella</i> serovars (<i>n</i> = 100; 100% specificity). The sensitivity (inclusivity) and specificity (exclusivity) indices of the PCR assay for <i>S</i>. Thompson met the standard regulatory requirements. The Thompson primer pair was compatible with other primers pairs in a multiplex PCR designed for three other common <i>Salmonella</i> serovars. Colonies belonging to the Enteritidis serovar (<i>n</i> = 100), Heidelberg serovar (<i>n</i> = 100), Typhimurium serovar (<i>n</i> = 100), and Thompson serovar (<i>n</i> = 77) were correctly designated, indicating excellent inclusivity and exclusivity scores for all four <i>Salmonella</i> serovars tested in a single multiplex PCR.</p>","PeriodicalId":18667,"journal":{"name":"Microorganisms","volume":"14 4","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.2,"publicationDate":"2026-04-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13118338/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147817473","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"First Lysine Lactylation Profiling in <i>Vibrio alginolyticus</i> and Initial Characterization of VaCobQ as a Candidate Delactylase.","authors":"Yujia Zhang, Zhiqing Wei, Jiaxin Fan, Weijie Zhang, Shuai Yang, Jichang Jian, Na Wang, Jianyi Wei, Huanying Pang","doi":"10.3390/microorganisms14040926","DOIUrl":"10.3390/microorganisms14040926","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p><i>Vibrio alginolyticus</i> is a common pathogenic bacterium and can cause diseases in aquaculture animals. Lysine lactylation (Kla) is a novel post-translational modification (PTM) that has been confirmed to play critical roles in key biological processes. However, the modification landscape and functions of Kla in <i>V. alginolyticus</i> remain unclear. In this study, lactylation modification profiles of the bacterial pathogen <i>V. alginolyticus</i> were first systematically characterized; a total of 9308 lactylation sites on 2155 proteins were successfully identified. The lactylation of cAMP receptor protein (CRP) and triosephosphate isomerase (TPI) was verified by Co-immunoprecipitation (Co-IP) and Western blot to validate the lactylome data. Bioinformatic analysis of the Kla sites revealed 32 conserved sequence motifs surrounding the modified residues. Kla proteins were mainly involved in central metabolic pathways, including glycolysis/gluconeogenesis and ribosome biogen regulators were found to contain Kla modification sites. To investigate crosstalk among lysine acylations in <i>V. alginolyticus</i>, we integrated Kla, lysine acetylation (Kac), and lysine succinylation (Ksuc) profiles and identified 337 co-modified proteins and 5 co-modified sites. Additionally, phylogenetic analysis of Vibrio alginolyticus CobQ based on protein sequence alignment revealed no homology to the known delactylase CobB. Combined in vitro and in vivo functional validation identified VaCobQ as a candidate delactylase with potential NAD⁺-independent activity. This study establishes a lysine lactylation landscape in <i>V. alginolyticus</i>, providing a resource for exploring Kla functions in bacterial metabolism and its possible connections to virulence.</p>","PeriodicalId":18667,"journal":{"name":"Microorganisms","volume":"14 4","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.2,"publicationDate":"2026-04-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13118298/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147817484","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Genomic Evolution of <i>Siccibacter colletis</i>: Comparative Analysis and First Clinical Isolate Report.","authors":"Wentao Zhu, Qian Liu, Xi Chen, Chunxia Yang, Ming Wei, Li Gu, Hui Yuan, Hong Shen","doi":"10.3390/microorganisms14040932","DOIUrl":"10.3390/microorganisms14040932","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The genus <i>Siccibacter</i> consists primarily of environmental bacteria, with strains of <i>Siccibacter colletis</i> previously isolated only from plant materials and related environments. This study aims to characterize the first clinical isolate of <i>S. colletis</i> and explore its genomic evolution and clinical relevance. Strain S25242 was isolated from the urine of a 64-year-old male with a severe urinary tract infection. The genome of S25242 is 4.19 Mb, containing 4012 coding sequences, 73 tRNAs, 10 rRNAs, and 38 snRNAs. Phylogenetic and phylogenomic analyses indicated that strain S25242 is closely related to <i>S. colletis</i> type strain 1383^T. The strain shared >70% of digital DNA-DNA hybridization (dDDH) values and >96% of average nucleotide identity (ANI) values with the type strain of <i>S. colletis</i> 1383^T, thereby confirming its taxonomic status. The isolate was susceptible to all 11 tested antimicrobials. Comparative genomics identified 1942 <i>S. colletis-specific</i> genes (including multidrug efflux systems) and 13 unique genes in S25242 related to transposition and DNA integration. This study reports the first clinical isolate of <i>S. colletis</i>, providing evidence that genomic plasticity facilitates its transition from an environmental inhabitant to an opportunistic pathogen. The findings highlight the need for enhanced clinical surveillance of the <i>Siccibacter</i> genus and offer insights into its genomic evolution and clinical adaptation.</p>","PeriodicalId":18667,"journal":{"name":"Microorganisms","volume":"14 4","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.2,"publicationDate":"2026-04-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13118582/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147817547","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Soil Bacterial and Fungal Community Structure and Its Driving Factors Under Small-Scale Altitude Gradient on the Southern Slope of the Qilian Mountains.","authors":"Yue Zhang, Huichun Xie, Shuang Ji, Wenfang Chen, Xunxun Qiu, Zhiqiang Dong, Xukai Yang","doi":"10.3390/microorganisms14040928","DOIUrl":"10.3390/microorganisms14040928","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Aiming to clarify the spatial distribution characteristics of soil microbial assemblages and the environmental factors shaping them across a narrow altitudinal transect, this investigation concentrated on the surface soil layer within naturally occurring mixed forests of <i>Picea crassifolia</i> and <i>Betula platyphylla</i>, situated in the elevation band from 2400 to 2800 m along the southern flank of the Qilian Mountains. Leveraging the Illumina NextSeq 2000 high-throughput sequencing platform, integrated with α- and β-diversity analyses and redundancy analysis (RDA), we systematically characterized the composition and diversity traits of soil bacterial and fungal communities, as well as their associations with environmental factors. Notably, the bacterial communities were dominated by <i>Pseudomonadota</i>, <i>Actinomycetota</i>, and <i>Acidobacteria</i> with the abundance of <i>Pseudomonadota</i> decreasing with increasing altitude and that of <i>Acidobacteria</i> increasing with increasing altitude. Furthermore, <i>Ascomycota</i> and <i>Basidiomycota</i> were the dominant phyla in the fungal community. In contrast, bacterial α-diversity-as estimated by the Ace index-showed no significant variation across altitudes. Yet, the fungal alpha diversity metrics-namely Ace and Chao1-were markedly elevated at the 2800 m elevation relative to those observed at both intermediate and lower-altitude locations. Importantly, fungal diversity and community composition showed stronger altitudinal differentiation than bacterial communities in this dataset. Moreover, soil pH, total phosphorus, organic carbon, litter C:N:P stoichiometric ratios, and microbial biomass C:N:P stoichiometric ratios were strongly associated with soil microbial community variation along the altitude gradient, suggesting that they may act as important environmental filters. In conclusion, altitude-driven variations in litter characteristics and soil physicochemical properties jointly shape the assembly processes and spatial distribution patterns of soil microbial communities in this region.</p>","PeriodicalId":18667,"journal":{"name":"Microorganisms","volume":"14 4","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.2,"publicationDate":"2026-04-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13119123/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147817558","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Environmental Regulation of Gut Microbial Networks Links to Growth Variation in <i>Schizopygopsis younghusbandi</i> Across Contrasting Aquaculture Systems.","authors":"Wanliang Wang, Zhuangzhuang Wang, Peng Zhang, Jifeng Zhang","doi":"10.3390/microorganisms14040925","DOIUrl":"10.3390/microorganisms14040925","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p><i>Schizopygopsis younghusbandi</i> is an endemic and economically important fish in the Qinghai-Xizang Plateau, but its aquaculture is limited by harsh environmental conditions and incomplete understanding of host-microbiome-environment interactions. This study applied metagenomic sequencing to examine how different culture environments affect growth, water microbial communities, and gut microbiome network stability. Three-year-old juveniles (initial body weight 50.57 ± 1.88 g) were reared for 90 days in five systems: conventional pond (P), wetland (WL), concrete tank (G), river (R), and recirculating aquaculture system (RC). No significant differences in initial body weight or length were observed among groups (<i>p</i> > 0.05). Fish in the RC system achieved the highest final body weight, weight gain rate, and specific growth rate (<i>p</i> < 0.05), while survival rates were highest in the river and RC groups and lowest in ponds (<i>p</i> < 0.05). Microbial diversity and community composition differed significantly among culture modes, with bacterial and protozoan communities showing the strongest environmental responsiveness. Co-occurrence network analyses revealed that RC and G systems exhibited higher network complexity, density, and proportion of positive correlations, reflecting enhanced microbial interaction and ecological stability, whereas the WL system showed reduced network connectivity. Correlation analysis indicated that bacterial abundance was positively associated with total nitrogen, total phosphorus, and dissolved oxygen (<i>p</i> < 0.05), highlighting environmental regulation of microbial assemblages. Overall, the aquaculture environment shapes gut microbial networks, which closely relate to growth performance. Recirculating aquaculture systems can mitigate growth limitations in plateau fish by stabilizing the environment and reinforcing gut microbial communities, providing a sustainable strategy for high-altitude aquaculture development.</p>","PeriodicalId":18667,"journal":{"name":"Microorganisms","volume":"14 4","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.2,"publicationDate":"2026-04-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13119109/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147817497","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Anti-Hair Loss Activity of Healthy Human Scalp-Derived <i>Staphylococcus capitis</i> KMH304 Ferment Filtrate in Human Hair-Follicle Dermal Papilla and Keratinocyte Cells.","authors":"Hye-Young Yoo, Tae Geun Gil, Na-Rin Kim, Hye-Won Lee, Seoyoung Choi, Sung-Jun Choi, Sung-Ha Park, Byoung-Jun Park","doi":"10.3390/microorganisms14040929","DOIUrl":"10.3390/microorganisms14040929","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Scalp microbes are recognized as contributors to hair loss by influencing scalp homeostasis and hair growth. However, the in vitro anti-hair loss activity of microbial culture media derived from healthy scalps remains unclear. In this study, resident microbes from 20 Korean participants with healthy scalps and hair were isolated, and <i>Staphylococcus capitis</i> was used to produce <i>S. capitis</i> ferment filtrate (SCFF). SCFF anti-hair loss activity was evaluated in human follicle dermal papilla cells (HFDPCs) and human adult low-Calcium High-Temperature (HaCaT) keratinocytes via proliferation assays, qPCR, immunocytochemistry, and SA-β-gal staining at 250-1000 μg/mL. SCFF increased cell density after 48 h in a concentration-dependent manner. In HFDPCs, SCFF controlled growth (KGF, IGF-1, and HGF) and androgen (AR and TGF-β2) factors, regulating key mRNAs for hair growth. SCFF mitigated scalp and hair aging by promoting sirtuins 1 and 7 and collagen type 13, while suppressing p21 and X-Gal staining. In HaCaT cells, SCFF exhibited a scalp barrier-strengthening effect by significantly increasing filaggrin and involucrin levels. It suppressed reactive oxidative stress and exhibited DPPH and ABTS radical scavenging activity. These results suggest that SCFF may modulate key pathways associated with hair loss by promoting scalp and hair anti-aging, barrier strengthening, enhancing antioxidant activity, and supporting hair growth.</p>","PeriodicalId":18667,"journal":{"name":"Microorganisms","volume":"14 4","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.2,"publicationDate":"2026-04-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13119399/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147817296","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"New Postbiotic Derived from Sequential Fermentation of Two <i>Lacticaseibacillus</i> Strains Exerts Beneficial Effects on Epithelial Gut Barrier and Innate Immunity in Human Enterocytes.","authors":"Franca Oglio, Alessia Cadavere, Monia De Aloe, Anna Lintura, Marco Michelini, Chiara Luongo, Serena Coppola, Alessandra Agizza, Erika Caldaria, Laura Carucci","doi":"10.3390/microorganisms14040931","DOIUrl":"10.3390/microorganisms14040931","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The efficacy of postbiotics varies significantly between different strains and preparation processes. We aimed at evaluating the effect of an innovative postbiotic product (iPB) generated through the sequential fermentation of <i>Lacticaseibacillus rhamnosus</i> GG and <i>Lacticaseibacillus paracasei</i> NPB-01, compared to single-strain postbiotics, on epithelial barrier integrity and innate immunity in human enterocytes using a Caco-2-cell-based experimental model by measuring human enterocyte proliferation and differentiation (lactase expression), tight junction proteins (occludin and zonula occludens 1, ZO-1), and mucus protein Mucin-2 (Muc-2) expression. The modulatory action on the major innate immunity peptide, Human Beta-Defensin 2 (HBD-2), production was also assessed. The iPB exposure resulted in a higher up-regulation of human enterocyte proliferation and differentiation, as suggested by higher lactase expression, and of occludin, ZO-1, and MUC2 expression compared with the single-strain postbiotics, suggesting a beneficial synergistic action in modulating the epithelial gut barrier. Furthermore, iPB induced a higher production of HBD-2, suggesting a synergistic enhancement of innate immune response. Our findings suggested that the sequential fermentation process could act as a biotechnological catalyst, optimizing the gut-barrier-protective properties and the immunomodulatory action of <i>Lacticaseibacillus</i> strains. This study introduces iPB as a high-performance postbiotic candidate for the prevention and management of conditions characterized by alterations in epithelial gut barrier and innate immunity.</p>","PeriodicalId":18667,"journal":{"name":"Microorganisms","volume":"14 4","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.2,"publicationDate":"2026-04-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13118382/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147817611","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Candidate Genomic Features Associated with Persistence in <i>Enterococcus</i> spp.","authors":"Catarina Geraldes, Carolina Silva, Filipa Vale, Eva Cunha, Catarina Araújo, Mónica Nunes, Ricardo Dias, Luís Tavares, Joana Fernandes Guerreiro, Manuela Oliveira","doi":"10.3390/microorganisms14040921","DOIUrl":"10.3390/microorganisms14040921","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Bacterial persistence has been extensively studied as a possible explanation for strain survival under stress; however, in <i>Enterococcus</i> spp., this ability is still an understudied phenomenon. In this study, 40 <i>Enterococcus</i> spp. isolates of human clinical (n = 10), veterinary commensal (n = 10), veterinary clinical (n = 10) and veterinary environmental (hospital surfaces) (n = 10) origins, were exposed to a high concentration of ciprofloxacin. Time-kill curves were established, after which antimicrobial susceptibility profiles were reassessed. Subsequently, the only presumptive persister was selected for Whole-Genome Sequencing, together with one isolate showing no evidence of persister formation. Comparative genomic analyses were conducted to identify genetic variations between exposed and non-exposed isolates and to explore potential genetic determinants associated with persistence. Observed genetic features present in the persister isolate included toxin-antitoxin systems, a cold-shock protein and the tyrosine-type recombinase/integrase XerC, which may represent putative candidates for further investigation. Interestingly, the majority of toxin-antitoxin system-associated genes were found in plasmids. This study represents an important step towards a better understanding of persistence development in <i>Enterococcus</i> spp.; however, validation using other methodologies such as RNA-sequencing is an important next step.</p>","PeriodicalId":18667,"journal":{"name":"Microorganisms","volume":"14 4","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.2,"publicationDate":"2026-04-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13119490/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147817494","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}