The vast bacteriophage population harbors an immense reservoir of genetic information. Almost 2000 phage genomes have been sequenced from phages infecting hosts in the phylum Actinobacteria, and analysis of these genomes reveals substantial diversity, pervasive mosaicism, and novel mechanisms for phage replication and lysogeny. Here, we describe the isolation and genomic characterization of 46 phages from environmental samples at various geographic locations in the U.S. infecting a single Arthrobacter sp. strain. These phages include representatives of all three virion morphologies, and Jasmine is the first sequenced podovirus of an actinobacterial host. The phages also span considerable sequence diversity, and can be grouped into 10 clusters according to their nucleotide diversity, and two singletons each with no close relatives. However, the clusters/singletons appear to be genomically well separated from each other, and relatively few genes are shared between clusters. Genome size varies from among the smallest of siphoviral phages (15,319 bp) to over 70 kbp, and G+C contents range from 45–68%, compared to 63.4% for the host genome. Although temperate phages are common among other actinobacterial hosts, these Arthrobacter phages are primarily lytic, and only the singleton Galaxy is likely temperate.

Beef feedyards produce nitrous oxide (N2O), a potent greenhouse gas. Limited research has evaluated the processes that produce feedyard N2O, and how rainfall and temperature impact N2O losses. Manure in feedyard pens develops into a complex ecosystem of microbes, extracellular enzymes, feces, and urine, with varying H2O content. This study aimed to improve understanding of feedyard N cycling under differing environmental conditions by incubation of manure in simulated feedyard pens using large chambers under laboratory conditions. We hypothesized that nitrification was the primary source of feedyard N2O, with interactions among temperature, H2O content, and manure properties. Emissions of N2O were monitored with a real–time N2O analyzer. Manure samples were taken at intervals for analyses of physicochemical properties, denitrification enzyme activity (DEA), and nitrification activity (NA). Due to equipment limitations, there was only one chamber per temperature tested. Correlation was poor among N2O emissions and rates of DEA and NA. However, significant relationships were found among key manure characteristics, such as ammonia/ammonium and nitrate/nitrite concentrations, manure dry matter, redox status, and temperature. These data suggest that most N2O was derived from denitrification in the top 5 cm of the manure pack. Further study is warranted to identify the processes involved in flushes of N2O emitted immediately after rainfall, possibly due to abiotic chemical reactions that release N2O sequestered in manure pores.

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The RNA binding protein RBFOX2 is linked to heart and skeletal muscle diseases; yet, RBFOX2-regulated RNA networks have not been systematically identified.Although RBFOX2 has a well-known function in alternative splicing (AS), it is unclear whether RBFOX2 has other roles in RNA metabolism that affect gene expression and function. Utilizing state of the art techniques Poly(A)-ClickSeq (PAC-seq) and nanopore cDNA sequencing, we revealed a new role for RBFOX2 in fine tuning alternative polyadenylation (APA) of pre-mRNAs in myoblasts. We found that depletion of RBFOX2 altered expression of mitochondrial genes. We identified the mitochondrial gene Slc25a4 gene that transports ATP/ADP across inner mitochondrial membrane as a target of RBFOX2. Dissecting how RBFOX2 affects Slc25a4 APA uncovered that RBFOX2 binding motifs near the distal polyadenylation site (PAS) are critical for expression of Slc25a4. Consistent with changes in expression of mitochondrial genes, loss of RBFOX2 altered mitochondrial membrane potential and induced mitochondrial swelling. Our results unveiled a novel role for RBFOX2 in maintaining APA decisions and expression of mitochondrial genes in myoblasts relevant to heart diseases. Keywords: alternative polyadenylation/mitochondria/nanopore sequencing/ poly(A) sequencing/RBFOX2 Non-standard Abbreviations and Acronyms: AS alternative splicing PAC-seq poly(A)-ClickSeq APA alternative polyadenylation KD knock down 3´UTR 3´untranslated region PAS poly(A)-site PAC poly(A)-cluster DPAC differential-poly(A)-clustering dPAS distal poly(A)-site pPAS proximal poly(A)-site ANT1 (Slc25a4) ATP/ADP translocator (mitochondrial) MFN1 Mitofusin

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