The acetic acid bacteria have mainly relevance for bacterial cellulose production and fermented bio-products manufacture. The purpose of this study was to identify temperate bacteriophages in a cellulose-producing bacterial strain Komagataeibacter intermedius IMBG180. Prophages from K. intermedius IMBG180 were induced with mitomycin C and nalidixic acid. Transmission electron microscopy analysis exhibited tailed bacteriophages belonging to Myoviridae. A PCR assay targeting the capsid gene of the myoviruses proved phylogenetic position of induced phages. Nalidixic acid was poor inducer of prophages, however, it induced the OMV-like particles release. Size of OMVs depended on an antibiotic applied for phage induction and varied in the range of 30-80 and 120-200 nm. Inside some of them, tails of phages have been visible. Under conditions, inducing prophages, OMVs acted as the collectors of formed phage particles, using outer membrane receptors for phage detection (in this case, outer membrane siderophore receptor), and fulfilled therefore "a cleaning," as well as defensive functions, preventing bacteriophage spread outside population. This is the first description of myoviruses affiliated to K. intermedius, as well as outer membrane vesicles interaction with phages within this host.
Phytopathogenic bacteria are one of the most significant causes of crop yield losses. Until now, the direct treatment of bacterioses was limited to the application of antibacterial compounds or resistance inducers. This is about to change due to the revolutionary discovery of phages. Indeed, bacteriophages look very promising as therapy agents: cheap, self-amplifying, self-eliminating, and safe for the host organism. However, phage therapy of plant diseases remains a “direction with high potential”, which, so far, has very few successful implication cases. Here, we discuss recent advances in phage research, focusing on the challenges associated with the evaluation of phage biological activity, under both laboratory and environmental conditions.
Biofilm-forming microbial communities are known as the most robust assemblages that can survive in harsh environments. Biofilm-associated microorganisms display greatly increased resistance to physical and chemical adverse conditions, and they are expected to be the first form of life on Earth or anywhere else. Biological molecules synthesized by biofilm -protected microbiomes may serve as markers of the nucleoprotein life. We offer a new experimental model, a kombucha multimicrobial culture (KMC), to assess a structural integrity of a widespread microbial polymer - cellulose - as a biosignature of bacteria-producers for the multipurpose international project "BIOlogical and Mars Experiment (BIOMEX)", which aims to study the vitality of pro- and eukaryotic organisms and the stability of organic biomolecules in contact with minerals to analyze the detectability of life markers in the context of a planetary background. In this study, we aimed to substantiate the detectability of mineralized cellulose with spectroscopy and to study the KMC macrocolony phenotype stability under adverse conditions (UV, excess of inorganics etc.). Cellulose matrix of the KMC macrocolony has been mineralized in the mineral-water interface under assistance of KMC-members. Effect of bioleached ions on the cellulose matrix has been visible, and the FT-IR spectrum proved changes in cellulose structure. However, the specific cellulose band vibration, confirming the presence of β(1,4)-linkages between monomers, has not been quenched by secondary minerals formed on the surface of pellicle. The cellulose-based KMC macrocolony phenotype was in a dependence on extracellular matrix components (ionome, viriome, extracellular membrane vesicles), which provided its integrity and rigidness in a certain extent under impact of stressful factors.
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