Explore the vast range of titles available.

Estrogens, particularly 17β-estradiol, are prevalent endocrine-disrupting chemicals in aquatic environments, posing risks to ecosystems and human health. Biodegradation is considered one of the most effective and environmentally friendly methods for removing estrogen. In this study, a novel bacterial strain, Microbacterium proteolyticum ZJSU01, was isolated from pig manure. It completely degraded 5 mg/L of 17β-estradiol (E2) within 4 h, as well as its major transformation product, estrone (E1). The strain ZJSU01 displayed strong adaptability to high temperatures (37℃, 42℃) and a broad pH range (6–11), E2 (5 mg/L) could be completely removed by the strain under these conditions. Transformation intermediates were analyzed using UHPLC and HPLC-Q-TOF–MS to identify key metabolites and trace the degradation pathways. Four potential degradation pathways were identified, including the 4,5-seco pathway, which is widely conserved in most E2-degrading bacteria. Whole-genome sequencing predicted a chromosome with a size of 3,828,432 bp, and a series of functional genes, and transcriptomics analysis identified several genes involved in E2 degradation. The budC gene, a member of the short-chain dehydrogenases/reductases (SDRs) family, was identified as critical for E2 degradation and exhibited a nearly 170-fold upregulation. Meanwhile, genes such as fdeE and catA were associated with downstream degradation. Microbacterium proteolyticum ZJSU01 demonstrated strong acid–base and high-temperature resilience, highlighting its strong potential for practical applications due to its degradation capability and adaptability. This strain could be applied in wastewater treatment to effectively remove estrogenic pollutants from contaminated water. Key points • Microbacterium proteolyticum ZJSU01 removed 100% of E2 (10、5、1 mg/L) within 4 h. • Strain ZJSU01 showed great tolerance to high temperature and acid–base conditions. • A novel gene, budC , was identified as the primary driver of E2 degradation by ZJSU01.

Strain M28 T was isolated from subsoil obtained from decaying wheat straw. Cells were Gram-positive, non-motile, short rod-shaped and formed yellowish colonies on lysogeny broth (LB) agar. The strain was able to grow at 0–8% (w/v) NaCl , 15–40 °C and pH 5.5–10.0. Phylogenetic analysis based on 16S rRNA gene sequences, core genes and whole-genome indicated that strain M28 T belonged to the genus Microbacterium but was distinct from all known strains in this genus. Based on phenotypic, genotypic, chemical taxono mic and phylogenetic analyses, strain M28 T is a representative of a new species of Microbacterium , which is proposed to be named Microbacterium triticisoli sp. nov., the type strain is M28 T (=CCTCC AA 2022021 T =JCM 35796 T ). Genomic analysis revealed multiple metal resistance systems, antibiotic resistance determinants and oxidative stress defense genes, explaining its exceptional environmental adaptability. Notably, the strain reduced 99% of 50 mg/L Cr(VI) within 24 h under optimized conditions (37 °C, pH 7.0, 2.5 g/L sucrose) and tolerated Cr(VI) concentrations up to 125 mg/L. This study identifies M. triticisoli as a promising agent for chromium bioremediation, providing a foundation for engineering microbial solutions to heavy metal pollution.

During the microbial surveillance of the International Space Station (ISS) in April 2018, four Gram-stain positive bacterial strains, designated as F6_8S_P_2B T , F6_8S_P_3A, F6_8S_P_3B and F6_8S_P_3C, belonging to the genus Microbacterium were isolated from the walls of crew quarters. All four strains exhibited high 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity (> 99%), low average nucleotide identity (93%), and < 49.7% digital DNA: DNA hybridization values with the closest recognized Microbacterium paraoxydans DSM 15019 T , delineating new phylogenetic branches within the genus. Further whole-genome sequencing (WGS) and phylogenomic analysis revealed a close genetic relationship (> 98% ANI; > 83% dDDH) between the ISS strains and Microbacterium sp. LTR1 strain isolated from the larva skin of Lissotriton vulgaris from Tula region, Russia, which was misidentified as M. paraoxydans . The pangenomic analysis also shows high correlation between the ISS strains and their proximity to the type strain M. paraoxydans DSM 15019 T . These analyses suggest that strain LTR1, previously characterized as M. paraoxydans , should be included in this new Microbacterium clade alongside the four novel ISS strains. Functional genome analysis revealed unique proteins associated with transcription, defense, and metabolism. The genome harbored toxin-antitoxin modules (e.g., VapBC, Phd/YuzE), stress response regulators (FrmR, YhcF), and genes involved in formaldehyde resistance and glycoside hydrolase activity. Secondary metabolite gene clusters included beta-lactone, terpene, and T3PKS. Notably, tetracycline resistance gene tet(42) was present, indicating potential clinical relevance. The ISS strains grew at 4–40 °C, 0.5–8% NaCl, and pH 6.0–9.0. Chemotaxonomic features included anteiso-C15:0 and anteiso-C17:0 as major fatty acids, MK-12 as the predominant menaquinone, and ornithine as the diagnostic diamino acid in B2β-type peptidoglycan. The genomic DNA G+C content was 70.03 mol%. The polyphasic taxonomy showed that the ISS isolates along with LTR1 represent distinct strains of a new Microbacterium species, herein named Microbacterium meiriae. The type strain is F6_8S_P_2B T (DSM 115935 T  = NRRL B-65668 T ).

The genus Microbacterium in the phylum Actinomycetota contains over 100 species to date that little is known about their bioactive metabolites production. In this study, a mangrove sediment-derived strain B2969 T was identified as a novel type strain within the genus Microbacterium due to the low 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity (< 99%), and low overall genome relatedness indices (ANI, 75.4%-79.5%; dDDH, 18.5%-22.7%, AAI, 68.7%-76.3%; POCP, 48.3%-65.0%) with the validly named species of the genus. The type strain B2969 T (= MCCC 1K099113 T  = JCM 36707  T ) is proposed to represent Microbacterium alkaliflavum sp. nov.. The crude extracts of strain B2969 T showed weak cytotoxicity against NPC cell lines TW03 and 5-8F, with IC 50 values of ranging from 3.5 µg/µL to 2.4 µg/µL respectively. Genome analysis of strain B2969 T found 8 clusters of genes responsible for secondary metabolite biosynthesis, including cytotoxic compounds desferrioxamines. In addition, the application of liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (LC–MS/MS)-based molecular networking strategy led to the identification of 10 compounds with potent cytotoxic activity in ethyl acetate extracts of strain B2969 T . Results from the cytotoxicity assay, genome mining, and metabolite profiling based on LC–MS/MS analysis revealed its ability to produce bioactive compounds. Background Mangrove ecosystems are largely unexplored sources of Actinomycetota , which represent potential important reservoirs of bioactive compounds. The genus Microbacterium in the phylum Actinomycetota contains over 100 species to date that little is known about their bioactive metabolites production. In this study, a novel species, namely B2969 T , within the genus Microbacterium that showed cytotoxicity against nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) cell lines was isolated from mangrove sediments. Genome mining and metabolic profiling analyses were explored here to assess its biosynthetic potential of metabolites with cytotoxic properties. Results Here, a mangrove sediment-derived strain B2969 T was identified as a novel species within the genus Microbacterium due to the low 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity (< 99.0%), and low overall genome relatedness indices (ANI, 75.4%-79.5%; dDDH, 18.5%-22.7%, AAI, 68.7%-76.3%; POCP, 48.3%-65.0%) with the type strains of this genus. We proposed that strain B2969 T represents a new species, in which the name Microbacterium alkaliflavum sp. nov. is proposed. The strain showed weak cytotoxicity against NPC cell lines TW03 and 5-8F, with IC 50 values of ranging from 3.512 µg/µL to 2.428 µg/µL respectively. Genome analysis of strain B2969 T found 8 clusters of genes responsible for secondary metabolite biosynthesis, including desferrioxamines. In addition, the application of liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (LC–MS/MS)-based molecular networking strategy led to the identification of 10 potent cytotoxic compounds in ethyl acetate extracts of strain B2969 T . Conclusions This study confirmed the taxonomy status of type strain B2969 T (= MCCC 1K099113 T  = JCM 36707  T ) within the genus Microbacterium , in which the name Microbacterium alkaliflavum sp. nov.. Results from the cytotoxicity assay, genome mining, and metabolite profiling based on LC–MS/MS analysis revealed its ability to produce bioactive substances, providing sufficient evidence for the potential of Microbacterium species in the discovery of novel pharmaceuticals.

A promising bacterial strain for biodegrading dibutyl phthalate (DBP) was successfully isolated from activated sludge and characterized as a potential novel Microbacterium sp. USTB-Y based on 16S rRNA sequence analysis and whole genome average nucleotide identity (ANI). Initial DBP of 50 mg/L could be completely biodegraded by USTB-Y both in mineral salt medium and in DBP artificially contaminated soil within 12 h at the optimal culture conditions of pH 7.5 and 30 ℃, which indicates that USTB-Y has a strong ability in DBP biodegradation. Phthalic acid (PA) was identified as the end-product of DBP biodegraded by USTB-Y using GC/MS. The draft genome of USTB-Y was sequenced by Illumina NovaSeq and 29 and 188 genes encoding for putative esterase/carboxylesterase and hydrolase/alpha/beta hydrolase were annotated based on NR (non redundant protein sequence database) analysis, respectively. Gene3781 and gene3780 from strain USTB-Y showed 100% identity with dpeH and mpeH from Microbacterium sp. PAE-1. But no phthalate catabolic gene (pht) cluster was found in the genome of strain USTB-Y. The results in the present study are valuable for obtaining a more holistic understanding on diverse genetic mechanisms of PAEs biodegrading Microbacterium sp. strains.

Crew members are at an increased risk for exposure to and infection by pathogenic microbes during spaceflight. Therefore, it is imperative to characterize the species that are able to colonize and persist on spacecraft, how those organisms change in abundance and distribution over time, and their genotypic potential for and phenotypic expression of pathogenic traits (i.e., whether they encode for or exhibit traits associated with antibiotic resistance and/or virulence). Here, we describe a novel species of Microbacterium collected from the crew quarters on the International Space Station (ISS), 1F8SW-P5 T , for which we propose the name Microbacterium mcarthurae . M. mcarthurae was found to be distributed throughout the ISS with an increase in relative abundance over time. Additionally, this bacterium exhibits a unique antibiotic resistance phenotype that was not predicted from whole-genome sequencing, as well as increased virulence, suggesting the need for the identification of previously undescribed antimicrobial resistance genes and monitoring/mitigation during spaceflight.

Microbacterium deferre sp. nov. A1-JK is a metabolically versatile Gram-positive bacterium isolated from the oxic-anoxic interface of freshwater sediments colonised by cable bacteria. Here, we report the metabolic ability of M. deferre A1-JK to simultaneously reduce oxygen and soluble Fe(III), challenging the long-standing paradigm that microbial Fe(III) reduction is restricted to anaerobic conditions. Electrochemical analyses demonstrate that M. deferre A1-JK is capable of extracellular electron transfer (EET) mediated by secreted flavins. It retains electroactivity under mildly alkaline and halophilic conditions, reflecting its broad environmental tolerance. Genomic analyses reveal a non-canonical system involving cytochrome FccA and flavin reductase FmnA, without the involvement of conventional flavin-based extracellular electron transfer (FLEET) components. The ability to couple oxygen and Fe(III) reduction under oxic conditions demonstrates respiratory flexibility, enabling M. deferre A1-JK to utilize both aerobic and anaerobic processes simultaneously in fluctuating environments. These findings offer insights into microbial adaptation to dynamic geochemical gradients and potentially explain strategies used by bacterial life during oxygenation of Earth's atmosphere.

Tolaasins are lipodepsipeptides secreted by Pseudomonas tolaasii, the causal agent of bacterial blotch on several kinds of cultivated mushrooms. Our previous study reported on tolaasin detoxification by Microbacterium sp. K3-5 as a potential biocontrol of the disease. In this study, the tolaasin-detoxifying activities of various type strains of Microbacterium spp. were evaluated through chemical and biological assays. The bacterial cells of all tested strains of Microbacterium spp. showed tolaasin I-elimination from liquid phase. However, the toxin activities of tolaasins were still retained on the tolaasin-treated bacterial cells of all Microbacterium strains except M. foliorum NBRC 103072T. Furthermore, intact tolaasin I was recovered from the tolaasin-treated bacterial cells of all tested strains except M. foliorum NBRC 103072T. Our data reveal that Microbacterium spp. can be characterized as effective tolaasin I-eliminating bacteria through cell adsorption, but that this adsorption alone is insufficient for actual tolaasin detoxification. The biological degradation process must be needed to carry out the detoxification.

Despite advances in diagnosis and treatment, tuberculosis (TB) continues to be one of the essential health problems throughout the world. Turkey is considered to be endemic for TB. In this study, we analyzed the distribution of species, compare the diagnostic methods, and susceptibilities to anti-tuberculosis drugs of TB isolates. The aim was to document the current status and to provide a frame of reference for future studies. In this study, 278 species isolated from 7,480 patients between September 2015 and June 2019 were included. Löwenstein-Jensen medium (LJ) and MGIT 960 were used for the isolation of strains. Susceptibility to 1 -line anti-tuberculosis drugs was determined. Positivity rates in clinical samples were as follows: 1.4% for direct microscopic acid-fast bacilli (AFB) detection, 3.4% for growth on the LJ, and 3.7% for growth on MGIT-960. Two hundred thirty-three isolates were identified as complex (MTBC) and 45 were non-tuberculous mycobacteria (NTMs). Eleven of the NTMs (24.4%) were group isolates, and eight NTMs (17.7%) were complex isolates. A number of patients diagnosed with tuberculosis peaked twice between the ages of 20–31 and 60–71. A hundred and eighty-two MTBC isolates (78.1%) were susceptible to all 1 -line anti-tuberculosis drugs, while 51 isolates (21.9%) were resistant to at least one drug tested. The multidrug-resistant tuberculosis rate was 13.7% among resistant strains and 3% in all strains. The liquid cultures were better for detection of both MTBC and NTMs isolates. The data demonstrate that MTBC continues to be challenge for this country and indicates the need for continued surveillance and full-spectrum services of mycobacteriology laboratory and infectious diseases.

Bacteriophages exhibit a vast spectrum of relatedness and there is increasing evidence of close genomic relationships independent of host genus. The variability in phage similarity at the nucleotide, amino acid, and gene content levels confounds attempts at quantifying phage relatedness, especially as more novel phages are isolated. This study describes three highly similar novel Arthrobacter globiformis phages–Powerpuff, Lego, and YesChef–which were assigned to Cluster AZ using a nucleotide-based clustering parameter. Phages in Cluster AZ, Microbacterium Cluster EH, and the former Microbacterium singleton Zeta1847 exhibited low nucleotide similarity. However, their gene content similarity was in excess of the recently adopted Microbacterium clustering parameter, which ultimately resulted in the reassignment of Zeta1847 to Cluster EH. This finding further highlights the importance of using multiple metrics to capture phage relatedness. Additionally, Clusters AZ and EH phages encode a shared integrase indicative of a lysogenic life cycle. In the first experimental verification of a Cluster AZ phage’s life cycle, we show that phage Powerpuff is a true temperate phage. It forms stable lysogens that exhibit immunity to superinfection by related phages, despite lacking identifiable repressors typically required for lysogenic maintenance and superinfection immunity. The ability of phage Powerpuff to undergo and maintain lysogeny suggests that other closely related phages may be temperate as well. Our findings provide additional evidence of significant shared phage genomic content spanning multiple actinobacterial host genera and demonstrate the continued need for verification and characterization of life cycles in newly isolated phages.