BMC Microbiology最新文献

{"title":"Detection of carbapenem resistance mechanisms in difficult-to-treat Pseudomonas aeruginosa clinical isolates from a tertiary care hospital in Egypt.","authors":"Dalia Salem, Manar Zaiton, Ahmed El-Shenawy, Heba Dahroug, Samah El-Dein, Doaa Gamal, Azza Ali Althoqapy, Amr Aw Mohamed, Mohamed A Shemis, Manal Diab, Soheir S Maklad","doi":"10.1186/s12866-026-05550-2","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s12866-026-05550-2","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>The increasing incidence of carbapenem-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa (CRPA) poses a significant global health concern, particularly with the emergence of difficult-to-treat resistance (DTR), which seriously restricts therapeutic options. Therefore, we aimed to characterize DTR-PA isolates among the studied CRPA; regarding their resistance mechanisms to carbapenems and their antimicrobial susceptibility profiles.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Fifty-two non-duplicate CRPA isolates were collected from clinical specimens. Antimicrobial susceptibility testing was performed using disc diffusion and VITEK2 compact system. Isolates were classified as multidrug-resistant P. aeruginosa (MDR-PA), extensively drug-resistant P. aeruginosa (XDR-PA), and DTR-PA. Conventional PCR was used to detect carbapenemase genes (bla_NDM, bla_VIM, bla_IMP, bla_KPC, and bla_OXA-48). Quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) identified the over expression of efflux pump genes (mexB, mexY) and the down regulation of outer membrane porin (oprD) gene.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Fifty-two (52) CRPA isolates were categorized according to resistance phenotype into three main groups where 46% were identified as DTR-PA, 38% as XDR-PA, 8% as MDR-PA and 8% remained uncategorized. In DTR-PA, carbapenemase genes were detected in 92% of isolates with bla_NDM being the most prevalent (75%), followed by bla_VIM (54%) and bla_OXA-48 (38%). Co-existence of multiple carbapenemase genes was common. Efflux pump mechanism was the most common mechanism of resistance as overexpression of MexB and MexY was observed in 98% and 71% of isolates, respectively, whereas downregulation of oprD was detected in 92%. The DTR-PA phenotype demonstrated the least sensitive profiles and most of the isolates (92%) were positive to all the studied resistant mechanisms (carbapenemase production, overexpression of efflux pump, and porin loss) with a statistically significant association (P = 0.001).</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Difficult to treat Pseudomonas aeruginosa is highly prevalent among CRPA isolates in our setting and is caused by multiple resistance mechanisms, particularly bla_NDM carriage, efflux pump overexpression, and oprD downregulation. These findings underscore the urgent need for enhanced molecular surveillance and antimicrobial stewardship to limit further dissemination of highly resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa (P. aeruginosa) iaolates. Future studies utilizing the DTR-PA definition are needed, as this category highlights the most resistant CRPA isolates with maximum resistance profiles that most likely to pose clinical challenges.</p>","PeriodicalId":9233,"journal":{"name":"BMC Microbiology","volume":"26 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":5.4,"publicationDate":"2026-09-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13543481/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148886285","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":"Bio-functional Levilactobacillus brevis strains of feline origin: the potential probiotic food adjunct for companion animals.","authors":"Aneela Munir, Saman Javed, Ghulam Ayesha Javed, Maria Mushtaq, Babar Shahzad, Mammona Hameed, Sania Asif, Anam Saif, Najma Arshad","doi":"10.1186/s12866-026-05309-9","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s12866-026-05309-9","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Although autochthonous probiotic application is considered standard for the host-specific environment, the allochthonous probiotics also deliver valuable physiological or therapeutic benefits during their transit period before being eliminated naturally. This study evaluated the probiotic and bio-functional attributes of seven zoo feline-derived Levilactobacillus brevis strains for their potential application in companion animals or functional food industry. In vitro methods were employed to assess their survival under simulated gastrointestinal tract (GIT) conditions, safety profiles (hemolytic activity, DNase activity, and antibiotic susceptibility), and bio-functional potential (antimicrobial, antioxidant, and hypocholesterolemic activities). All strains exhibited high survival in the presence of lysozyme (69.0-96.7%), gastric juice (60.7-91.3%), and bile concentrations (up to 78.4-92.2% at 1.8% bile). The isolates displayed strong hydrophobicity (41.7-85.5%) and auto-aggregation properties (29.8-75.2%), and no signs of toxicity (non-hemolytic and DNase negative). Significant variations were noticed among strains with reference to their probiotic and bio-functional properties (p < 0.05). Furthermore, the strains secreted antioxidant metabolites capable of scavenging 2, 2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (62-72%), hydroxyl (54-65%), and superoxide (57-69%) radicals. Among selected isolates, strain Lb I (L. brevis MZ400640) demonstrated the strongest antagonistic activity against both Gram-positive and Gram-negative pathogens. The bile salt hydrolase (BSH) gene was conserved across all seven isolates, confirming their ability to deconjugate major mammalian bile salts, sodium glycoholate and taurocholate. Out of the 14 parameters evaluated, strain Lb VII (L. brevis MW450245) exhibited most robust overall performance highlighting the potential of Lb VII as a functional probiotic feed additive to promote health and manage hypercholesterolemia in companion animals.</p>","PeriodicalId":9233,"journal":{"name":"BMC Microbiology","volume":"26 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":5.4,"publicationDate":"2026-09-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13540957/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148886331","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":"Occurrence and relevance of Gardnerella vaginalis in urine cultures of kidney transplant recipients- a retrospective cohort analysis.","authors":"Sabrina Klein, Silke Deininger, Iris Schröter, Dennis Nurjadi, Claudia Sommerer","doi":"10.1186/s12866-026-05522-6","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s12866-026-05522-6","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Gardnerella vaginalis is known to be associated with the development of bacterial vaginosis. In contrast, its cultivation from urine specimen in significant number is not generally regarded as causative for urinary tract infections. In a previous study, we detected G. vaginalis predominantly in urine cultures of renal transplant recipients and questioned whether this is of relevance. To address this, we conducted a retrospective cohort study over a period of two years on renal transplant recipients who presented at the outpatient clinic of the Department of Nephrology of Heidelberg University Hospital. Patient characteristics and laboratory parameters of renal transplant recipients with G. vaginalis in urine cultures were compared to those of renal transplant recipients presenting in the same outpatient clinic with urine specimen culturing other bacteria than G. vaginalis, using a multivariable logistic regression analysis.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>During the study period, G. vaginalis was detected in 70 urine samples of 38 patients. The majority of patients was female (86.8%, n = 33/38), and the age was significantly lower than in the control group (median 41 years and 51 years; OR 0.94, 95% CI 0.92-0.98, p = 0.001). a significant number of culture-forming units (CFU, ≥ 10⁵ /ml) were detected in half of the samples containing G. vaginalis; a second microorganism was cultured in 64.3% (n = 45/70), while more than two species grew in 53.9% (n = 82/152) of the control group samples. Besides age, bacterial load of ≥ 10⁵ CFU/ml was significantly associated the presence of G. vaginalis in urine cultures (OR 2.71, 95% CI 1.12-6.56, p = 0.003). The medical record was lacking information on clinical signs and symptoms of urinary tract infections.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>As clinical symptoms were not documented, the occurrence of G. vaginalis in urine samples of kidney transplant recipients cannot be finally assessed. Further studies are needed to clarify its significance, particularly in immunocompromised hosts.</p>","PeriodicalId":9233,"journal":{"name":"BMC Microbiology","volume":"26 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":5.4,"publicationDate":"2026-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13531783/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148873164","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":"Conserved protein folds underpin the diversification of secreted proteins in a fungal pathogen.","authors":"Thaís C S Dal'Sasso, Eva H Stukenbrock","doi":"10.1186/s12866-026-05518-2","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s12866-026-05518-2","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>During host colonization, fungal plant pathogens secrete effector-like proteins that alter host cell physiology and target plant-associated microbes. However, rapid evolution and low sequence conservation hinder the study and characterization of these proteins. The fungus Zymoseptoria passerinii infects Hordeum spp. and includes lineages adapted to wild and domesticated barley. To date, the evolution of effector-like proteins in this species has not been addressed.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>We combined multiple structure-based and network analyses to unravel the secretome of Z. passerinii. We first compared AlphaFold2 and ESMFold predictions to establish the baseline for structural analyses. We identified 72 structural clusters in the secretome, revealing fold-level relationships across divergent sequences. We showed that effector-like proteins with predicted host immune-interfering functions evolved from a limited group of protein folds, whereas proteins with predicted antimicrobial properties were distributed across fold groups. Physicochemical comparisons indicate that putative antimicrobial effectors predominantly emerged through amino acid replacements on common effector-enriched scaffolds in Z. passerinii, reconfiguring surface charge and electrostatics. We analyzed intra- and interspecific variation in selected effector-enriched families by comparing Z. passerinii proteins and homologs across the genus Zymoseptoria. We describe constrained core folds, with local variation in loop and surface-exposed regions, consistent with fold stability while still enabling protein diversification. We further report that putative antimicrobial effector homologs are broadly distributed across the genus despite sequence divergence.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>The secretome of Z. passerinii is organized around common structural folds that support diverse biological roles, including host manipulation and host-associated microbial interactions. Conserved scaffolds combined with surface and physicochemical variation likely contribute to rapid adaptive evolution of effector-like proteins in Z. passerinii.</p>","PeriodicalId":9233,"journal":{"name":"BMC Microbiology","volume":"26 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":5.4,"publicationDate":"2026-08-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13525658/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148856918","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":"Age-related shifts of dissolved hydrogen and its impact on rumen fermentation dynamics and microbial communities in goats (Capra hircus).","authors":"Weiwei Wang, You Tian, Wei Guo, Yuntao Dong, Jiandui Mi, Anum Ali Ahmad, Xiaoping Jing, Ruijun Long, Xuezhao Sun, Qing Deng, Lizhuang Hao, Xiaoyang Lv, Wei Sun, Xiang Chen","doi":"10.1186/s12866-026-05563-x","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s12866-026-05563-x","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The rumen is a complex anaerobic fermentation ecosystem in which microbial communities undergo dynamic changes during host development, influencing fermentation efficiency, hydrogen utilization, and methane (CH₄) production. However, how rumen maturation reshapes hydrogen redistribution and the associated microbial interactions remains poorly understood. This study compared rumen fermentation characteristics, microbial communities (bacteria, archaea, fungi, and protozoa), and Gibbs free energy profiles between 0.5-year-old and 2-year-old goats to elucidate age-related changes in hydrogen metabolism. Adult goats exhibited significantly higher concentrations of dissolved methane (dCH₄), dissolved hydrogen (dH₂), and total short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs), including acetate, propionate, and butyrate, than young goats (P < 0.05). Thermodynamic analyses indicated that glucose fermentation and methanogenesis were energetically feasible under rumen conditions (ΔG < 0), while age-related differences in Gibbs free energy (ΔG) suggested altered hydrogen partitioning during rumen maturation. The mature rumen was characterized by enrichment of carbohydrate-fermenting microorganisms, particularly Segatella, Anaeroplasma, and the anaerobic fungus Cyllamyces, which were positively associated with glucose conversion pathways, metabolic hydrogen, and SCFA production. In contrast, younger goats showed enrichment of amino acid metabolism pathways together with microbial taxa associated with early rumen development, including Christensenellaceae_R-7_group and Caecomyces. The archaeal community also shifted with age, with significantly higher abundances of Methanosphaera and Methanosarcina in adult goats, consistent with enhanced hydrogen utilization through methanogenic pathways. Functional predictions further revealed enrichment of carbohydrate and energy metabolism in adult goats, whereas amino acid metabolism predominated in young goats. These findings demonstrate that rumen maturation is accompanied by coordinated changes in microbial community structure, metabolic hydrogen redistribution, and thermodynamic characteristics, resulting in a transition from amino acid-oriented metabolism in young goats to a more specialized carbohydrate-fermenting ecosystem in adults. This integrated analysis identifies key microbial groups involved in hydrogen turnover and may provide new insights into the microbial mechanisms underlying rumen maturation, offering potential targets for improving feed efficiency and mitigating methane emissions in ruminants.</p>","PeriodicalId":9233,"journal":{"name":"BMC Microbiology","volume":"26 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":5.4,"publicationDate":"2026-08-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13540943/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148886333","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":"Comprehensive in silico genomics analysis of global trends and host-specific emergence of aminoglycoside resistance in Staphylococcus aureus: a One-Health perspective.","authors":"Amr Ali Mohamed Abdelgawwad El-Sehrawy, Saade Abdalkareem Jasim, Haneen Fadhil Jasim, Ozodbek Nematov, Mirza R Baig, Aseel Smerat, Muhammad Shahid Iqbal, Tina Saeed Basunduwah, Masoumeh Beig","doi":"10.1186/s12866-026-05542-2","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s12866-026-05542-2","url":null,"abstract":"&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Background: &lt;/strong&gt;Aminoglycosides remain clinically valuable against Staphylococcus aureus. Aminoglycoside resistance in S. aureus represents a critical One Health concern and is primarily driven by aminoglycoside-modifying enzymes (AMEs), which are frequently plasmid-encoded. Although regional studies have provided valuable insights, the global epidemiology of aminoglycoside resistance determinants remains poorly characterized because comprehensive data integrating human, animal, and environmental reservoirs are still lacking. This study addresses this gap by analyzing over 110,000 S. aureus genomes (2000-2025) to map the global resistome, quantify temporal and host-specific trends, and assess the association between genetic determinants and phenotypic resistance.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Methods: &lt;/strong&gt;We performed a retrospective One Health meta-analysis of 110,309 S. aureus genomes collected between 2000 and 2025 from 128 countries. Genomes were quality-filtered and aminoglycoside resistance determinants were identified using NCBI AMRFinderPlus (v4.0.23). Multilocus sequence typing and host-source harmonization (Human, Animal, Environment, Unknown) enabled clonal and reservoir stratification. Temporal trends in gene prevalence and resistance burden were modeled with robust regression. Geographic and host-associated structuring of key genes was assessed via χ&lt;sup&gt;2&lt;/sup&gt; and enrichment tests. Machine-learning models (elastic-net, random forests, XGBoost) were benchmarked for minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) prediction via nested cross-validation, with performance evaluated by mean absolute error, RMSE, and SHAP-based feature importance. All analyses were conducted in R and Python using publicly available, de-identified genomic data.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Results: &lt;/strong&gt;Aminoglycoside resistance-associated genes were dominated by modifying enzyme determinants, with ant(6)-Ia, ant(9)-Ia, aph(3')-IIIa, sat4, aadD1, and aac(6')-Ie/aph(2'')-Ia occurring in 14-22% of isolates worldwide. Temporal analysis revealed significant declines in several major determinants, most notably ant(9)-Ia (-2.22 percentage points per year, p &lt; 0.001), whereas apmA exhibited a non-significant decreasing trend in animal isolates. Host structuring was marked: human clinical isolates concentrated common determinants, while animal and environmental isolates harbored rare alleles (apmA, spw, str, spd). Geographic mapping confirmed near-universal distribution of common genes but focal restriction of rare ones. Publicly available phenotypic data indicated strong activity of amikacin, whereas gentamicin showed a distinct resistant subpopulation that closely corresponded with AME gene carriage. Genotype-phenotype analyses demonstrated strong concordance, with gene-rich complements predicting resistant MIC strata and absence of determinants predicting susceptibility. Analysis across different gene classes revealed frequent co-occurrence of aminoglycoside resistance genes ","PeriodicalId":9233,"journal":{"name":"BMC Microbiology","volume":"26 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":5.4,"publicationDate":"2026-08-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13520274/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148839279","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":"Acinetobacter guillouiae, a lipolytic strain isolated from sludge capable of partially depolymerising polyethylene terephthalate: genomic, proteomic, and biochemical insights.","authors":"Naheed Akhtar, Afef Najjari, Anna Magnone, Esma Ceylan Yerebakan, Katja Bernfur, Cecilia Tullberg, Muhammad Siddique Awan, Zahid Majeed, Carl Grey, Baozhong Zhang, Javier A Linares-Pastén","doi":"10.1186/s12866-026-05567-7","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s12866-026-05567-7","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Acinetobacter guillouiae I-MWF was isolated by incubating amorphous polyethylene terephthalate (PET) film in sludge samples. The strain partially depolymerised PET powder with 11.3% crystallinity, as confirmed by FT-IR, HPLC-UV, and LC-MS analyses. Extracellular enzymes released terephthalic acid (TPA), mono(2-hydroxyethyl) terephthalate (MHET), and bis(2-hydroxyethyl) terephthalate (BHET). Genomic analysis identified 18 putative extracellular hydrolases, including lipases and esterases, each with a conserved catalytic triad. Proteomic profiling revealed expression of two triacylglycerol lipases and two additional lipase-family proteins when the strain was cultivated with PET or a PET-Tween 80 mixture. These enzymes were cloned in Escherichia coli, but most formed insoluble, inactive inclusion bodies, and one was not expressed. Molecular modelling highlighted structural features likely to influence their catalytic interaction with PET. Although the strain partially depolymerised PET powder, it was unable to grow on PET, TPA, or ethylene glycol, indicating that PET depolymerisation occurs as a side activity rather than supporting growth. Instead, A. guillouiae displayed strong lipolytic activity and a clear preference for lipid-based substrates, achieving its highest growth with Tween 80. A lipid transporter was also expressed under these conditions, suggesting adaptation to hydrocarbon-rich environments. These findings indicate that A. guillouiae I-MWF can mediate partial PET depolymerisation without assimilating the resulting monomers, while preferentially growing on lipid-like substrates.</p>","PeriodicalId":9233,"journal":{"name":"BMC Microbiology","volume":"26 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":5.4,"publicationDate":"2026-08-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13520237/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148824982","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":"Evaluation of a phage-inclusive multimodal strategy for recurrent urinary tract infections.","authors":"Simone C Lieberknecht-Jouy, Thomas Fließwasser, Dajana Pavlovic, Lucas J Fein, Verena Wiemann, Trang Do, Denia Frank, Tobias Weirauch, Annika Y Classen, Silvia Würstle, Thomas A Wichelhaus, Maria J G T Vehreschild","doi":"10.1186/s12866-026-05524-4","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s12866-026-05524-4","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Urinary tract infections (UTIs) are among the most common bacterial infections worldwide and are associated with high recurrence rates and substantial morbidity. New therapeutic approaches are urgently needed, especially for recurrent UTIs (rUTIs), among which phage therapy represents a promising option. Here, we systematically evaluated the performance of six E. coli phages under urinary tract-relevant conditions and established a quantitative area-under-the-curve (AUC)-based framework for the rational selection of therapeutic phages. Phage lysis behavior was tested under oxic and anoxic conditions, revealing modulation by oxygen availability. Phages were also screened for biofilm-degrading activity, and in silico depolymerase predictions were compared with in vitro results, showing strong correlation. Phage-antibiotic interactions and refined treatment strategies were further investigated. Phages G9062, G10400, and MM02 emerged as the most promising candidates, remaining stable and active in urine under physiological pH fluctuations and exhibiting synergistic effects with gentamicin and fosfomycin, but not with the bacteriostatic nitrofurantoin. Importantly, we demonstrate that treatment sequence is a critical determinant of efficacy, with phage administration prior to antibiotic exposure consistently producing the strongest synergistic effects. These findings highlight the potential of phages as an integral component of a holistic therapeutic strategy for rUTIs.Importance Recurrent urinary tract infections (rUTIs) are a major clinical challenge characterized by repeated episodes, increasing antimicrobial resistance, and a substantial socioeconomic burden. Although bacteriophages represent a promising alternative or adjunct to antibiotics, their clinical translation has been hindered by the lack of standardized criteria for phage selection, dosing, and combination with antibiotics. This study addresses these gaps by defining key determinants of phage efficacy under conditions relevant to the urinary tract. Our findings highlight that phage performance is strongly shaped by the treatment environment and by interactions with antibiotics, and that inappropriate combinations or treatment sequences may compromise efficacy. By providing quantitative and transferable frameworks for evaluating phage effectivity, this work advances the rational development of phage-based therapies and helps bridge the gap between experimental phage research and clinically actionable treatment strategies for rUTI.</p>","PeriodicalId":9233,"journal":{"name":"BMC Microbiology","volume":"26 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":5.4,"publicationDate":"2026-08-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13474533/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148757904","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":"Effects of monensin residues on microbial community and the attenuation of antibiotic resistance genes during chicken manure composting","authors":"Ting Liang, Liting Cao, Anchun Cheng, Zhentao Cheng, Deyuan Ou, Xichen Gu, Xuqin Song, Jian Yang","doi":"10.1186/s12866-026-05509-3","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1186/s12866-026-05509-3","url":null,"abstract":"Monensin is a polyether ionophore antibiotic widely used to prevent coccidiosis and inhibit Gram-positive bacteria. Composting is widely regarded as an effective strategy for reducing the abundance of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) in manure. However, the long half-life of monensin may impose selective pressure on ARG attenuation, while its potential ecological risk remains unclear. In this study, metagenomics was used to analyze the effect of monensin residues on microbial communities during chicken manure composting (1, 15, and 45 days). Results showed that monensin significantly changed the structure of microbial communities during composting. It suppressed functional groups within Firmicutes and Actinobacteria, particularly the genera Bacillus and Streptomyces . Simultaneously, it promoted tolerant taxa, including Proteobacteria and the genus Halomonas . The results of qPCR for six representative ARGs ( aadD , ant2-I , sul1 , sul2 , tetZ , and tetL ) revealed that monensin could reduce the attenuation of some ARGs. Furthermore, monensin increased the abundance of several mobile genetic elements (MGEs) during the middle composting phase, especially the integron intI1 and transposase tnpA . Co-occurrence network analysis suggested stronger associations among specific ARGs, MGEs, and tolerant bacteria under monensin exposure, indicating a potential increase risk of ARG dissemination. Monensin may suppress ARGs attenuation during manure composting by changing microbial communities and increasing the potential risk of ARG dissemination via MGEs. This study will provide a theoretical basis for the treatment of livestock waste and ecological risk assessment of monensin.","PeriodicalId":9233,"journal":{"name":"BMC Microbiology","volume":"1 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2026-08-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148861229","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":"Enhancing biodegradation of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons using bacterial consortia and biofilm.","authors":"Mohamed Ashraf, Aly E Abo-Amer, Mohamed Ghazy, Ahmed Labena, Ahmed Abdel-Mawgood","doi":"10.1186/s12866-026-05144-y","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s12866-026-05144-y","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The release of petroleum and its constituents, such as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), into the environment poses a significant global threat due to their toxic, genotoxic, mutagenic, and/or carcinogenic properties. Using indigenous PAH-degrading bacteria to decontaminate the PAHs is an eco-friendly, convenient, and non-expensive way in comparison to other traditional physical and chemical methods. In the present study, several bacteria were isolated from petroleum-contaminated soils using a culture-enrichment technique. Phenanthrene and naphthalene were used as representative examples of the PAHs and as sole carbon and energy sources for the isolated bacteria. Three isolates (A1, A3, and B8-1) were selected as the most potent phenanthrene and naphthalene degraders. These three most potent isolates were used to build up four different consortiums, and both the individual isolates and developed consortiums were induced to set up biofilms. The results showed that the highest growth and degradation rate of phenanthrene and naphthalene were achieved at 37 °C and pH 7. Individual strains had higher phenanthrene degrading capacities compared to microbial consortiums in both planktonic and biofilm forms. Additionally, the developed-biofilm displays an increase in the degradation rate of individual isolates A1, A3, and consortiums. Finally, the selected biofilm degraders were used to investigate the PAHs degradation ability in an artificially contaminated soil. The finding of this experiment demonstrate that the biofilm mode of growth could be more effective in PAHs degradation compared to planktonic cultures, thus it can be applied effectively to remediate PAHs-contaminated soils. The most potent PAHs degraders were identified using 16 S rRNA, and the phylogenetic sequence analysis of the three isolates was affiliated as B8-1(Bacillus paramycoides), A1(Bacillus paranthracis), and A3(Bacillus licheniformis).</p>","PeriodicalId":9233,"journal":{"name":"BMC Microbiology","volume":"26 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":5.4,"publicationDate":"2026-08-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13471667/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148721162","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}