Genetic characterization of Bhanja virus and Palma virus, two tick-borne phleboviruses

The genomes of Bhanja virus (BHAV) and Palma virus (PALV) two tick-borne viruses hitherto grouped into the Bhanja virus antigenic complex of the Bunyaviridae were determined by pyrosequencing. Phylogenetic analysis groups all three segments of BHAV and PALV into a distinct clade of tick-borne phleboviruses together with the newly described severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome virus and Uukuniemi virus. The terminal signature sequences which are signatures for taxonomic grouping and important for virus replication and RNA transcription show marked differences in the L- and S-segments

Peptide Antibiotic Sensing and Detoxification Modules of Bacillus subtilis▿

Peptide antibiotics are produced by a wide range of microorganisms. Most of them target the cell envelope, often by inhibiting cell wall synthesis. One of the resistance mechanisms against antimicrobial peptides is a detoxification module consisting of a two-component system and an ABC transporter. Upon the detection of such a compound, the two-component system induces the expression of the ABC transporter, which in turn removes the antibiotic from its site of action, mediating the resistance of the cell. Three such peptide antibiotic-sensing and detoxification modules are present in Bacillus subtilis. Here we show that each of these modules responds to a number of peptides and confers resistance against them. BceRS-BceAB (BceRS-AB) responds to bacitracin, plectasin, mersacidin, and actagardine. YxdJK-LM is induced by a cationic antimicrobial peptide, LL-37. The PsdRS-AB (formerly YvcPQ-RS) system responds primarily to lipid II-binding lantibiotics such as nisin and gallidermin. We characterized the psdRS-AB operon and defined the regulatory sequences within the PpsdA promoter. Mutation analysis demonstrated that PpsdA expression is fully PsdR dependent. The features of both the PbceA and PpsdA promoters make them promising candidates as novel whole-cell biosensors that can easily be adjusted for high-throughput screening