Molecular Phylogeny of Edge Hill Virus Supports its Position in the Yellow Fever Virus Group and Identifies a New Genetic Variant

Edge Hill virus (EHV) is a mosquito-borne flavivirus isolated throughout Australia during mosquito surveillance programs. While not posing an immediate threat to the human population, EHV is a taxonomically interesting flavivirus since it remains the only member of the yellow fever virus (YFV) sub-group to be detected within Australia. Here we present both an antigenic and genetic investigation of collected isolates, and confirm taxonomic classification of the virus within the YFV-group. Isolates were not clustered based on geographical origin or time of isolation, suggesting that minimal genetic evolution of EHV has occurred over geographic distance or time within the EHV cluster. However, two isolates showed significant differences in antigenic reactivity patterns, and had a much larger divergence from the EHV prototype (19% nucleotide and 6% amino acid divergence), indicating a distinct subtype or variant within the EHV subgroup

Ammonia Oxidation by the Arctic Terrestrial Thaumarchaeote Candidatus Nitrosocosmicus arcticus Is Stimulated by Increasing Temperatures

Climate change is causing arctic regions to warm disproportionally faster than those at lower latitudes, leading to alterations in carbon and nitrogen cycling, and potentially higher greenhouse gas emissions. It is thus increasingly important to better characterize the microorganisms driving arctic biogeochemical processes and their potential responses to changing conditions. Here, we describe a novel thaumarchaeon enriched from an arctic soil, Candidatus Nitrosocosmicus arcticus strain Kfb, which has been maintained for seven years in stable laboratory enrichment cultures as an aerobic ammonia oxidizer, with ammonium or urea as substrates. Genomic analyses show that this organism harbors all genes involved in ammonia oxidation and in carbon fixation via the 3-hydroxypropionate/4-hydroxybutyrate cycle, characteristic of all AOA, as well as the capability for urea utilization and potentially also for heterotrophic metabolism, similar to other AOA. Ca. N. arcticus oxidizes ammonia optimally between 20 and 28°C, well above average temperatures in its native high arctic environment (−13–4°C). Ammonia oxidation rates were nevertheless much lower than those of most cultivated mesophilic AOA (20–45°C). Intriguingly, we repeatedly observed apparent faster growth rates (based on marker gene counts) at lower temperatures (4–8°C) but without detectable nitrite production. Together with potential metabolisms predicted from its genome content, these observations indicate that Ca. N. arcticus is not a strict chemolithotrophic ammonia oxidizer and add to cumulating evidence for a greater metabolic and physiological versatility of AOA. The physiology of Ca. N. arcticus suggests that increasing temperatures might drastically affect nitrification in arctic soils by stimulating archaeal ammonia oxidation.© 2019 Alves, Kerou, Zappe, Bittner, Abby, Schmidt, Pfeifer and Schlepe

European Reference Genome Atlas Community - Phase 1 Members - 2020-2023

This dataset presents a comprehensive list of members registered as part of the European Reference Genome Atlas (ERGA, erga-biodiversity.eu) Community during ERGA Phase 1, which spanned from 2020 to 2023. The dataset includes information on the various roles undertaken by these members, particularly those who played a key role in establishing ERGA. Founding members are individuals who joined ERGA prior to the first leadership elections in February 2021, and they were instrumental in building the initial structure of ERGA. Some of these founding members were also involved in the establishment of different ERGA Committees. The dataset further includes details about the current and former core members and chairs of the ERGA committees. Additionally, it provides a list of the current (2023) and former Council members, along with the countries they represent. The dataset is organised in alphabetical order for ease of reference. The co-authors of this dataset encompass both current and former ERGA Council members, listed in alphabetical order, and the current ERGA chair, as the last author