BMC Microbiology最新文献

{"title":"Isolation and genomic analysis of otomycosis pathogens, and genomics-informed antimicrobial peptide design with potential therapeutic applications.","authors":"Wenguang Shi, Jiahao Hu, Qingru Jiang, Yingxiang Xu, Rongjie Li, Huihui Xu, Gaoyang Zhang, Zixuan Cui, Ruiyue Ouyang, Wenxuan Wu, Yujie Li, Haiyu Hong, Xiangyu Mou, Wenjing Zhao, Shuli Chou","doi":"10.1186/s12866-026-05305-z","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s12866-026-05305-z","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Fungal infections are increasingly recognized as a major public health challenge, and superficial diseases such as otomycosis remain clinically consequential because persistence, recurrence, and treatment failure are common when the causative species and susceptibility profile are not clearly defined. However, otomycosis associated isolates are often insufficiently characterized at the genomic level. Furthermore, the development of antifungal candidates, particularly for short antimicrobial peptides, remains heterogeneous in terms of the integration of efficacy, biosafety, and mechanistic endpoints.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Here, we combined clinical otoscopy and cerumen culture with whole genome sequencing and multi-database annotation of an otomycosis derived Aspergillus terreus AT-1 isolate, including targeted analyses of cytochrome P450 families, secondary metabolite biosynthetic gene clusters, curated pathogenicity resources, and antimicrobial/antibiotic resistance signatures. Then, we rationally designed five C-terminally amidated, phenylalanine based short peptides with controlled physicochemical parameters and assessed antifungal activity by broth microdilution MIC assays against A. terreus AT-1 and yeast pathogens, complemented by hemolysis testing and propidium iodide based flow cytometry and microscopy to evaluate membrane permeabilization.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Otoscopy was consistent with otomycosis, and culture yielded colonies identified as A. terreus AT-1 from the affected ear but not from recovered controls. Genome annotation defined a functionally diverse repertoire spanning metabolism, transport, secondary metabolism, pathogenicity linked features, and a structured resistance gene landscape. The peptide panel showed measurable antifungal activity with distinct hemolysis profiles, and peptide C3 increased A. terreus AT-1 conidial membrane permeability.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Overall, this study establishes an integrated and reproducible workflow that couples clinical isolation and genome resolved characterization of an otomycosis associated A. terreus AT-1 isolate with biosafety aware, mechanism informed triage of phenylalanine based short peptides.</p>","PeriodicalId":9233,"journal":{"name":"BMC Microbiology","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":5.4,"publicationDate":"2026-07-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13640352/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148429721","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":"Beyond the boundaries of microbial diversity in radioactive environments: novel microbial species isolated from a former silver-uranium mine's radon-saturated waters.","authors":"Gabriela Kapinusova, Kunal Jani, Petr Pajer, Alena Filipova, Pavel Ulbrich, Tomas Cajthaml, Michal Strejcek, Jachym Suman, Ondrej Uhlik","doi":"10.1186/s12866-026-05379-9","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s12866-026-05379-9","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The Svornost mine in Jáchymov (Joachimstahl), Czech Republic, historically the world's first radium mine and formerly a silver-uranium mine, is currently the deepest facility exploiting radon-saturated waters. These geologically ancient waters, approximately 13,000 years old, exhibit unique physicochemical properties and are generally considered inhospitable to life. Nevertheless, they harbor phylogenetically and evolutionarily distinct microorganisms. A previous culturomic survey yielded nine Gram-stain-negative, rod-shaped, aerobic bacterial isolates. In this study, a polyphasic taxonomic approach, including 16S rRNA gene phylogeny, core-genome analyses, and comparisons of genome indices such as average nucleotide identity (ANI), average amino acid identity (AAI), and percentage of conserved proteins (POCP), together with physiological and chemotaxonomic characterization, confirmed the taxonomic novelty at species level of these nine strains. The novel strains span five bacterial classes (α-, β-, and γ-Proteobacteria, Cytophagia, and Flavobacteriia) and eight genera, and are herein proposed as Hymenobacter abyssi J193^T (= DSM 113871^T =CCM 9301^T), Rhizobacter abyssi J219^T (= DSM 113781^T =CCM 9293^T), Aquabacterium abyssi J223^T (= DSM 113847^T =CCM 9303^T), Aquincola abyssi J276^T (= DSM 113828^T =CCM 9294^T), Flavobacterium abyssi J372^T (= DSM 113872^T =CCM 9299^T), Phenylobacterium abyssi J367^T (= DSM 113838^T =CCM 9302^T), Phenylobacterium fontinale J426^T (= DSM 113839^T =CCM 9296^T), Mesorhizobium abyssi J428^T (= DSM 114114^T =CCM 9297^T) and Pseudomonas fontinalis J452^T (= DSM 113783^T =CCM 9298^T). These findings highlight the potential of radon-saturated ancient waters as a source of novel microbial diversity, offering insights into the evolution of bacteria under extreme, spatially isolated environmental conditions.</p>","PeriodicalId":9233,"journal":{"name":"BMC Microbiology","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":5.4,"publicationDate":"2026-07-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13670492/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148435003","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":"Distribution of extended-spectrum β-lactamases (blaSHV, blaTEM, blaCTX-M) and AmpC β-lactamases -encoding genes among second- and third-generation cephalosporin-resistant Escherichia coli clinical isolates in Sana'a, Yemen.","authors":"Abdulilah Mohammed Mohammed Alsharafi, Ahmed Y Al-Jaufy, Saleh S Bahaj, Aref Al-Afif, Waleed Y Alkassar, Fuad A B A, Rasha Ahmed, Sameera M Al-Hatami","doi":"10.1186/s12866-026-05327-7","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s12866-026-05327-7","url":null,"abstract":"&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Background: &lt;/strong&gt;The global dissemination of extended-spectrum β-lactamases (ESBL) and AmpC β-lactamases among Escherichia coli poses a therapeutic challenge, contributing to the failure of empirical broad-spectrum antibiotic regimens. In conflict-affected and resource-limited settings like Yemen, the lack of molecular surveillance compromises infection control. This study aimed to determine the genotypic distribution of ESBL-, AmpC-, and dual-producing E. coli isolates resistant to second- and third-generation cephalosporins (specifically, ceftazidime, cefotaxime, or cefoxitin) across major health centers in Sana'a, Yemen.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Methods: &lt;/strong&gt;A cross-sectional study was conducted enrolling 222 non-duplicate, consecutive clinical E. coli isolates that demonstrated phenotypic resistance or reduced susceptibility to second- and third-generation cephalosporins during routine diagnostic screening. Isolates were collected from Al-Yemen Al-Saeed Hospital, Modern European Hospital, and the National Center of Public Health Laboratories (NCPHL). Species confirmation was performed using standard biochemical profiling and the VITEK 2 automated system. Antimicrobial susceptibility testing followed CLSI criteria. Phenotypic production of ESBL and AmpC was validated using the Double-Disk Synergy Test (DDST) and boronic acid inhibition assays, respectively. Target resistance genes (blaSHV, blaTEM, blaCTX-M, blaMOX, blaCIT, blaDHA, blaACC, blaEBC, and blaFOX) were characterized via conventional multiplex polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Statistical analyses were performed using descriptive data and Pearson's chi-square (χ²) tests.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Results: &lt;/strong&gt;Of the 222 cephalosporin-resistant isolates, 112 (50.5%) were phenotypic ESBL-producers, 90 (40.5%) were AmpC-producers, and 20 (9.0%) were dual (ESBL+AmpC) co-producers. Anatomical specimen tropism was observed (χ² = 40.8, P = 0.001); ESBL-only producers significantly clustered in urinary tract infections (58.0%, adjusted residual = + 5.1), whereas AmpC-producers dominated wound infections (40.0%, adjusted residual = + 5.0). Genotypically, blaCTX-M was predominant in the ESBL group (107/112, 95.5%), while blaEBC (50.0%) and blaFOX (37.8%) were predominant in the AmpC group; blaEBC was also most common (55.0%) in dual-producing isolates. Carriage of at least one ESBL or AmpC gene was detected in 90.5% (201/222) of isolates. Phenotypic carbapenem resistance was observed in 14.4% of AmpC isolates (imipenem) and 20.0% of dual-producing isolates.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Conclusions: &lt;/strong&gt;This study describes the distribution of ESBL and AmpC β-lactamases among clinical E. coli isolates resistant to second- and third-generation cephalosporins in Sana'a, Yemen, with blaCTX-M and blaEBC being the most frequently detected genes. A high proportion (90.5%) of isolates harbored at least one β-lactamase gene. The distinct associations of ESBLs with urine and AmpC with wounds support the need for","PeriodicalId":9233,"journal":{"name":"BMC Microbiology","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":5.4,"publicationDate":"2026-07-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13640222/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148418997","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":"Whole genome sequence-based comparative genomics reveals preliminary genomic features of Salmonella enterica subsp. enterica serovar Enteritidis phage type 1 and phage type 4 strains from EnteroBase.","authors":"Lucas Vásquez-Herrera, Omar P Vallejos, José Acevedo-López, Sofía Campos-Gajardo, Alejandro Piña-Iturbe, Daniel Tichy-Navarro, Dwayne Seeram, Anne-Catrin Uhlemann, Pablo A González, Alexis M Kalergis, Andrea I Moreno-Switt, Susan M Bueno","doi":"10.1186/s12866-026-05329-5","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s12866-026-05329-5","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Whole Genome Sequencing (WGS) enables detailed characterization of circulating and emerging bacterial strains. Although tens of thousands of Salmonella genomes have been acquired over the years, analyses of the genomic differences between strains of different phage types are scarce.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>We compared two Salmonella enterica subsp. enterica serovar Enteritidis (SEn) phage types, namely phage types 1 and 4 from available databases, using bioinformatic tools and nanopore sequencing of a Chilean PT1 strain. Comparisons between the two phage types show very low genomic divergence and high genomic sequence similarity. Single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) searches identified SNPs specific to each phage type. Although a translocated region was identified in the Chilean PT1 strain analyzed in this study when compared to the genome of a PT4 strain, this was not present in the genomes of other PT1 strains, suggesting a local strain-specific rearrangement. Further analyses yielded no differences in the CRISPR-Cas locus, but a slight difference was observed in Gifsy-2 prophage detection and DNA modification systems between PT1 and PT4 strains.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Our findings provide insights into the genomic differences between SEn strains of two different phage types, serving as a basis for future genomic studies, yet further analyses with more diverse geographical locations collected over a longer time span are essential to validate these differences with the potential to establish molecular markers for strain identification and characterization in the context of epidemiological surveillance as a complement to WGS when this technique is not available.</p>","PeriodicalId":9233,"journal":{"name":"BMC Microbiology","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":5.4,"publicationDate":"2026-07-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13656390/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148418987","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":"FlhF interacts with TonB2 to defend against oxidative stress in Campylobacter jejuni.","authors":"Xiaofei Li, Ying Zhang, Fangzhe Ren, Ozan Gundogdu, Jinlin Huang","doi":"10.1186/s12866-026-05391-z","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s12866-026-05391-z","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Campylobacter jejuni is the leading cause of bacterial foodborne diarrheal disease worldwide. Despite its microaerophilic nature, C. jejuni is ubiquitous in aerobic environments and must possess specific adaptation mechanisms against oxidative stress. Here, we identified a novel role for FlhF, a GTPase essential for proper flagellar assembly, in promoting resistance to hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂). Comparative transcriptomic analysis under H₂O₂ stress revealed that deletion of flhF leads to significant downregulation of oxidative stress-related genes. FlhF directly interacts with TonB2, an iron transport-associated protein, via its B and N domains. Codeletion of flhF and tonB2 leads to increased sensitivity to H₂O₂, suggesting a synergistic interaction. Moreover, the FlhF-TonB2 interaction promotes H₂O₂ detoxification, potentially by modulating intracellular iron homeostasis and influencing redox processes. Together, these findings reveal a novel function of FlhF in the oxidative stress response of C. jejuni, offering new insights into flagella-associated defense mechanisms in this pathogen.</p>","PeriodicalId":9233,"journal":{"name":"BMC Microbiology","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":5.4,"publicationDate":"2026-07-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13640089/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148418915","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":"Short-term temporal variation in the early-life gut microbiota links maternal clinical phenotypes to neonatal jaundice.","authors":"Hailing Zhang, Haojun Yao, Ke Zhang, Chunfang Zhang","doi":"10.1186/s12866-026-05383-z","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s12866-026-05383-z","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Maternal clinical phenotypes shape the neonatal gut microbiome and influence infant health outcomes, yet the microbial mechanisms linking maternal conditions to neonatal jaundice remain largely unknown. To investigate this, we characterized bacterial community profiling in prenatal maternal feces, meconium, and postnatal Day 3 neonatal feces from a mother-infant cohort, and integrated microbiota-phenotype association analyses and mediation models.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>We found that meconium microbiota showed slightly lower divergence from maternal fecal microbiota than neonatal fecal microbiota did. Canonical correspondence analysis (CCA) showed that maternal HbA1c consistently contributed to early-life gut microbial community structure, explaining 7% of the variation in meconium microbiota and 11% of the variation in neonatal fecal microbiota. Neonatal transcutaneous bilirubin levels on Day 3 were also associated with early-life microbial variation, with a stronger association observed in neonatal fecal microbiota than in meconium. In addition, maternal HbA1c significantly correlated with maternal urinary bacterial counts. The abundance distribution patterns of meconium ASVs related to maternal diabetes status and urinary bacterial detection status were also observed in the corresponding taxa of neonatal gut microbiota and were associated with subsequent neonatal jaundice. Notably, specific differentially abundant ASVs affiliated with Bifidobacterium, Clostridium_T, and Rothia mediated the interconnected rather than independent effects of maternal HbA1c and urinary bacterial counts on neonatal jaundice.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>The results suggest that meconium microbiota features associated with maternal diabetes-related phenotypes influence early neonatal gut microbial community structure and may contribute to neonatal jaundice. This study highlights the potential role of early-life gut microbiota shifts in mediating the effects of maternal physiological variation on neonatal health outcomes.</p>","PeriodicalId":9233,"journal":{"name":"BMC Microbiology","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":5.4,"publicationDate":"2026-07-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13640084/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148418943","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":"From chaos to order: cross-kingdom coordination buffers microbial communities against typhoon impacts.","authors":"Hui Huang, Junze Wu, Zhangxi Hu, Huaming Wu, Yulei Zhang","doi":"10.1186/s12866-026-05387-9","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s12866-026-05387-9","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Typhoon disturbances profoundly reshape coastal microbial ecosystems; however, the coupled responses and co-successional dynamics of bacterial and phytoplankton communities remain poorly understood. Identifying their interactions and key drivers is essential for understanding ecosystem resilience and predicting post-disturbance algal dynamics.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Using Zhanjiang Bay as a model system, we analyzed microbial succession across two typhoon events with contrasting intensities. High-throughput sequencing and environmental data were integrated with multiple machine learning models to identify the influence patterns of bacterial communities on phytoplankton diversity. SHAP analysis was applied to quantify feature contributions and detect threshold effects, and network analysis was used to characterize cross-kingdom interactions across successional stages.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Microbial communities exhibited consistent directional succession under both typhoons, although Prapiroon induced stronger displacement (2.38-fold in bacteria and 2.53-fold in phytoplankton). Random Forest achieved the best predictive performance (R² = 0.74, RMSE = 0.23). Temperature and the rare taxon Bdellovibrionota were identified as key drivers, showing clear threshold effects: phytoplankton diversity declined above 30.76 °C and increased when Bdellovibrionota exceeded 0.02%. Diversity peaked immediately after disturbance and declined during recovery, indicating a stage-dependent regulatory shift. Microbial networks followed a \"collapse-reorganization-recovery\" trajectory, reflecting ecosystem resilience.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Our findings reveal a predictable, stage-dependent framework of microbial succession under typhoon disturbance, driven by environmental filtering and biotic interactions. The identified thresholds and microbial indicators provide a basis for recognizing critical temporal windows of elevated bloom risk, highlighting the potential of integrating microbial data with machine learning for adaptive coastal management.</p>","PeriodicalId":9233,"journal":{"name":"BMC Microbiology","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":5.4,"publicationDate":"2026-07-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13602602/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148418982","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":"Clinical presentation and detection of SARS-CoV-2, influenza-A/B among patients with upper respiratory tract infections in a tertiary hospital in Pune: a pilot study.","authors":"Priyanka Jali, Varsha Potdar, Anil Pardeshi, Poonam Suryawanshi, Madhura Gandhi, Shrishail Sarawade, Shubhangi Kanitkar, Vikram Vikhe, Madhusudan Barthwal, Sachin Dole, Hanumant Chavan, Ratnakar Parag, Divya Bhattad, Sheetal Jadhav, Veena Vipat, Srikanth Tripathy","doi":"10.1186/s12866-026-05307-x","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s12866-026-05307-x","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Acute respiratory illness (ARI) is one of the most common illnesses globally, affecting all age groups and leading to both upper respiratory tract infections (URTIs) and lower respiratory tract infections (LRTIs). Viral pathogens such as influenza viruses and SARS-CoV-2 are major contributors to upper respiratory tract infections and continue to pose significant clinical and public health challenges.</p><p><strong>Aim: </strong>This study aimed to compare the clinical presentation and haematological profiles of adult patients with rRT-PCR-confirmed SARS-CoV-2, Influenza A, Influenza B, and virus-negative URTIs presenting to a tertiary-care hospital in Pune.</p><p><strong>Materials and methods: </strong>Nasopharyngeal swab samples collected from 123 adult patients presenting with URTI between March and November 2023 were tested at the ICMR-National Institute of Virology (NIV), Pune, using multiplex real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (rRT-PCR) assays for detection of SARS-CoV-2, Influenza A/B, and other respiratory viral pathogens. RNA extraction was performed using a Zybio kit, and a multiplex single-tube combo rRT-PCR assay.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>The study examined 123 individuals with upper respiratory tract infections (URTIs), 12 of whom had influenza A, 8 of whom had influenza B, and 6 of whom had SARS-CoV-2. No significant differences were observed in age, anthropometric parameters, vital signs, or comorbidity distribution across groups. Significant intergroup differences were identified in cough, sputum production, vomiting/nausea, and nasal discharge/stuffiness (all p < 0.05). Haematological analysis demonstrated significant variations in total WBC count, lymphocyte, monocyte, and neutrophil percentages. Significant intergroup differences were also observed for NLR (p = 0.0013) and PLR (p = 0.0134).</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>This pilot study identified differences in selected symptom profiles and haematological parameters and derived inflammatory indices among patients with SARS-CoV-2, Influenza A, Influenza B, and virus-negative URTIs. These findings may contribute to a better understanding of respiratory infection patterns in clinical settings; however, larger studies are required to validate their diagnostic and clinical significance.</p>","PeriodicalId":9233,"journal":{"name":"BMC Microbiology","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":5.4,"publicationDate":"2026-07-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13374207/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148418978","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":"Microbial quality and compliance of phytoremediated wastewater in Rwanda.","authors":"Nsengiyumva J, L Y Adogo, Ihuma J O, Temitope O, Kellen T, Frodouard H, Ikechi K A","doi":"10.1186/s12866-026-05378-w","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s12866-026-05378-w","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>This research evaluated the microbial status and compliance level of wastewater treated through a nature-based phytoremediation system in Rwanda. Physicochemical parameters such as pH, temperature, total suspended solids (TSS), total dissolved solids (TDS), biochemical oxygen demand (BOD), chemical oxygen demand (COD), total nitrogen (TN) and total phosphorus (TP) were measured and analyzed. The microbial contents, such as total heterotrophic bacteria count, fecal coliform bacteria, total coliform bacteria, E. coli, and helminth eggs, were also investigated. Morphological identification and biochemical tests were conducted via standard techniques. After water treatment in different chambers, the physicochemical parameters were analyzed, and the mean values of the microbial indicators were all within the compliant limits of the Rwanda established water quality standards. The results revealed a decrease in the pH, TSS, BOD₅, COD, TP, HE and microbial counts as the wastewater passed through the initial and middle stages. However, there was a statistically significant decrease in the physicochemical parameters and microbial indicators as the water passed through the final stages of water treatment. These relative and logarithmic decreases indicate polishing and pathogen removal efficiency at the end of the treatment. However, the reduction in microbial counts was limited, indicating areas for process improvement. Therefore, the National Police College phytoremediation system is effective at removing both organic pollutants and pathogenic microorganisms.</p>","PeriodicalId":9233,"journal":{"name":"BMC Microbiology","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":5.4,"publicationDate":"2026-07-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13640347/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148418808","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":"Revealing hidden diversity in gonostomatid ciliates (Ciliophora, Hypotrichia): integrative evidence supports two new species, a new genus, and Wallackiidae fam. nov.","authors":"Atef Omar, Jae-Ho Jung","doi":"10.1186/s12866-026-05385-x","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s12866-026-05385-x","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Gonostomatidae are among the most common terrestrial hypotrichs and are readily recognized by a distinctive oral apparatus (knee-shaped adoral zone of membranelles; monokinetidal undulating membranes with a widely spaced paroral and densely spaced endoral). A further key diagnostic trait is morphogenesis, in which the proter and opisthe share primary frontal-ventral-transverse (FVT) primordia that later split into secondary primordia. Despite their apparent diversity in soils, comparatively few gonostomatid species have been described, and most lack complete morphogenetic and/or molecular documentation. This insufficient documentation obscures relationships and contributes to taxonomic instability, highlighting the need for integrative taxonomy combining morphology, detailed morphogenesis, and multigene phylogenetics.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>From Korean soils we discovered two novel hypotrichs with a gonostomatid oral apparatus. The first is a new gonostomatid species with five FVT cirral rows and one or two transverse cirri. Its morphogenesis is distinctive within Gonostomatidae: the rightmost cirral row arises predominantly from anlage V with a short posterior contribution from anlage IV (i.e., pseudorow). Phylogenetic analyses show marker-dependent placements: the new species clusters with Metagonostomum gonostomoidum in the 18S rDNA tree but with Paragonostomoides xianicum in ITS1-5.8S-ITS2, 28S rDNA, and multi-gene datasets, indicating that the 18S rDNA marker lacks sufficient phylogenetic signal unlike the other markers; integrative evidence supports establishment of Metagonostomoides gen. nov. The second species, Wallackia koreana sp. nov., has a buccal cirral row reduced to two buccal cirri and an adoral zone occupying ~ 62% of body length; it clusters with W. bujoreani and Cladotricha australis, and the three group with Chaetospiridae in ITS1-5.8S rDNA-ITS2 and multi-gene datasets. A comparative review further shows that Wallackia and Neowallackia deviate from core gonostomatids by lacking shared primary primordia (proter and opisthe anlagen form independently), supporting Wallackiidae fam. nov. Re-evaluation of the \"gonostomatid-type\" oral apparatus across hypotrichs restricts it to Gonostomatidae, Chaetospiridae, and Wallackiidae fam. nov.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>We document two new soil hypotrich species from Korea, one representing a new gonostomatid genus (Metagonostomoides gen. nov.) and the other a new Wallackia species (W. koreana sp. nov.), and show that their integrative placement helps resolve relationships among hypotrichs with a gonostomatid oral apparatus. The combined morphological, morphogenetic, and multigene phylogenetic evidence supports recognition of Wallackiidae fam. nov. and restricts the gonostomatid-type oral apparatus to Gonostomatidae, Chaetospiridae, and Wallackiidae fam. nov.</p>","PeriodicalId":9233,"journal":{"name":"BMC Microbiology","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":5.4,"publicationDate":"2026-07-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13640345/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148418984","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}