The relationship of 3′UTR HLA-G14-bp insertion/deletion and +3142 C/G polymorphisms and soluble HLA-G expression with gynecological cancers: An updated meta-analysis

Objectives: Human leukocyte antigen-G (HLA-G) is implicated in several cancers and is considered to be an immune checkpoint regulator. We determined the association between polymorphisms in the 3' untranslated region of HLA-G and soluble HLA-G (sHLA-G) expression with gynecological cancers (GCs).Methods: A meta-analysis was conducted to examine the association between HLA-G14-bp insertion (I)/deletion (D) and +3142C/G polymorphism in GC and to evaluate sHLA-G expressionResults: We revealed a significant association between the +3142C/G polymorphism and invasive cervical cancer (ICC) based on the allelic model G versus C (odds ratio [OR] = 0.738, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.563-0.966, p = 0.027), dominant GG+GC versus CC (OR = 0.584, 95% CI = 0.395-0.862, p = 0.007), and codominant GG versus CC (OR = 0.527, 95% CI = 0.312-0.891, p = 0.017) models, suggesting that the G allele and GG genotype are protective against ICC. In gynecological precancerous patients with human papillomavirus (HPV) infection, we found that the 14-bp I/D under the codominant DD versus DI model (OR = 0.492, 95% CI = 0.241-1.004, p = 0.051) was of borderline signifi- cance. Soluble HLA-G levels were significantly higher in patients compared with healthy controls (standardized mean differences [SMD] = 1.434, 95% CI = 0.442-2.526, p = 0.005). Stratification by cancer type revealed that the sHLA-G levels were significantly increased in cervical cancer (SMD = 4.889, 95% CI = 0.468-9.310, p = 0.030) and in subjects of Asian ethnicity (SMD = 4.889, 95% CI = 0.467-9.309, p = 0.030).Conclusions: HLA-G14-bp I/D and +3142 C/G polymorphisms are associated with GC and HPV-associated cervical cancer. In addition, we found significantly increased sHLA-G levels in cancer patients. These results provide a basis for further studies in diagnostics and immunotherapy of GC

Soil parameters drive the diversity of Citrus sinensis rhizosphere microbiota which exhibits a potential in plant drought stress alleviation

Plant associated microorganisms, particularly those exhibiting a plant growth promoting (PGP) effect, play an important role in plant nutrition and health and the adaptation to unfavorable climatic conditions, such as drought which threatens the productivity of agricultural crops. The selection of specific microbial populations in the soil habitats associated to plants depends upon the soil physico-chemical parameters besides the \u2018rhizosphere effect\u2019 played by each plant species through rhizodepositions. In this study, we investigated the community structure and PGP potential of the microbiota associated to Citrus sinensis plants located in different geographical regions of Tunisia. The bacteria community structure was correlated to soil physiochemical parameters and we identified potassium, carbon and organic matter content as drivers of the C. sinensis microbiota composition. The evaluation of the potential of selected bacteria as biofertilizer and bio-stimulator under drought stress was achieved through the phylogenetic and functional characterization of a large collection of bacterial strains isolated from the rhizosphere of C. sinensis. The strains were screened in vitro for putative plant growth promoting traits, and the six most promising isolates were tested in vivo on Solanum lycopersicum and Capsicum annuum model plants. The bacterized plants were cultivated under drought stress and compared with not bacterized and fully irrigated control plants. All the tested bacteria induced a significant increase in the number of leaves and in root biomass of both plant species compared to not inoculated plants. Our results highlighted that the strains Ensifer adhaerens S1B1.5 and Pseudomonas resinovorans S4R2.6 were, in particular, effective in promoting plant growth under water shortage, indicating them as promising strains for the development of sustainable biofertilizers suited for agriculture in arid and semi-arid regions characterized by water scarcity

Characterization of a repetitive element polymorphism - polymerase chain reaction chromosomal marker that discriminates Bacillus anthracis from related species

Aims: To identify a chromosomal marker with signature nucleotides specific for Bacillus anthracis. Methods and Results: Repetitive element polymorphism-polymerase chain reaction with BOX-A1R primer was used to discriminate 52 strains of all six species of the B. cereus group . A B. anthracis signature fragment, named AC-390, was cloned and sequenced. The deduced amino acid sequence was homologous to that of YwfK of B. subtilis. Using two internal primers, the AC-390 fragment was sequenced from two other B. anthracis strains as well as from strains of B. cereus and B. thuringiensis which have an AC-390 fragment homologous to that of B. anthracis as shown by Southern hybridization experiments. Conclusions: Two new signature sequences specific for B. anthracis were identified on a chromosomal fragment homologous to YwfK, a transcriptional regulator of B. subtilis. Significance and Impact of the Study: These results show a new chromosomal DNA trait useful for distinguishing B. anthracis from the related species of the B. cereus group, regardless of the presence of the virulence plasmids pXO1 and pXO2

Bacterial community diversity assessment in municipal solid waste compost amended soil using DGGE and ARISA fingerprinting methods

Bacterial community structure and diversity of Tunisian agricultural soil treated with different amounts of municipal solid waste compost (MSWC) and other fertilizers were studied using DGGE and ARISA fingerprinting methods. Sequence analysis of dominant DGGE bands revealed the presence of three major clusters, Cytophaga/Flexibacter/Bacteroides (CFB) group, Proteobacteria and Acidobacteria group. Using ARISA profiles, dominant populations were assigned to low and high GC Gram positive bacteria, Cyanobacteria, Spirochetes and Cytophagales. The two methods revealed the absence of significant bacterial community shifts related to the different MSWC applications. Moreover, indigenous bacterial population of the used loam-clayey soil was observed to limit proliferation and survival of Proteobacteria, initially dominant in MSWC and farmyard manure. Effectiveness of the two methods for soil bacterial community studying was shown. While DGGE was more accurate for bacterial identification, ARISA was more practical for handling and rapid estimation of dominant bacteria

Diversity of root endophytic bacteria associated with the date palm tree from the south of Tunisia

Endophytes are the microbes colonizing the internal tissues of plants. These microbes are able to establish different types of interaction with their host, such as mutualism, commensalism and symbiosis. The present work deals with the identification of entophytic bacteria from the palm date routs sampled in different oasis located in the south of Tunisia and the determination of the prevalent species adapted to such extreme conditions. The molecular characterization of isolates, based on the analysis of the intergenic-spacer amplification profiles, showed the differentiation of 16 different haplotypes. These groups reflect the diversity of isolates within the different samples and the spatial diversity inherent to the sampling region. The identification of these isolates by 16S rDNA sequen\ue7ing showed the prevalence of Proteobacteria, Actinobacteria and Bacteroidetes groups, including the species of Pseudomonas brassicacearum, Yersinia kristensenii, Ranella aquatilis, Pantoea ananatis, Microbacterium phyllosphareae and Buttiauxella noakiae. Screening of the strains for plant growth promoting properties showed that some of the strains were able to fix nitrogen, to produce high amounts of auxins and/or to express anti-fungal activity inhibiting the growth of Botrytis cineria and Aspergillus niger. This study showed the importance of these bacteria for potential application in the biocontrol of phytopathogenic fungi and in promoting the growth of plants

Effects of municipal solid waste compost, farmyard manure and chemical fertilizers on wheat growth, soil composition and soil bacterial characteristics under Tunisian arid climate

The use of municipal solid waste compost (MSWC) as soil organic amendment is of an economic and environmental interest. However, little is known about the effectiveness of MSWC application on agricultural soil in northern Africa arid climate. We assessed the impact of five years' applications of different organic and mineral fertilizers on wheat grain yields and soil chemical and microbial characteristics. Soils were treated with MSWC at rates of 40 (C1) and 80 (C2) Mg ha -1, farmyard manure at a rate of 40 Mg ha -1 (M), chemical fertilizers (Cf) and the combinations (C1Cf, C2Cf, MCf). Wheat grain yield was enhanced with all amendments. Parallel increases of heavy metal levels and faecal coliform were also recorded except for Cf treatments. Based on wheat grain yield, heavy metal and faecal coliform data, we determined the treatment effectiveness index (E xx), calculated by dividing the pollutant increase ratio by the grain yield increase ratio. The treatment effectiveness index E C1 indicated lower faecal and heavy metal pollution with positive gains in wheat yields. Despite polluting effects on soil determined by the different treatments, no significant differences between treatments were observed in total bacterial count and soil bacterial community structure, as shown by 16S rRNA gene PCR-denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis banding patterns and 16S rRNA gene Length Heterogeneity-PCR analysis. According to the collected data, the use of MSWC at a rate of 40 Mg ha -1 might be recommended

3′UTR-HLA-G polymorphisms and circulating sHLA-G are associated with breast cancer: Evidence from a meta-analysis

Background: Human leukocyte antigen-G (HLA-G) gene polymorphisms and circulating sHLA-G have often been linked to the risk of breast cancer (BC). However, the results remain controversial. To resolve this issue, we performed a meta-analysis of HLA-G gene polymorphisms and sHLA-G levels in BC. Methods: We performed a meta-analysis on the association of HLA-G 14-bp Insertion/Deletion (Ins/Del) and HLAG +3142 C/G polymorphisms with BC as well as the relationship between sHLA-G and the disease outcome. Results: Pooled analysis showed a statistically significant association between the HLA-G 14-bp Ins/Del polymorphism and BC susceptibility for the overall population and for Caucasians. The Del allele and genotypes with at least one copy of the Del allele presented significant risks for BC. For HLA-G +3142 C/G polymorphism, the G allele significantly decreased the risk of BC for the overall population and for Caucasians, indicating that the G allele was a protective factor against BC and that the C allele was a significant risk factor for BC. The metaanalysis revealed a significantly increased level of sHLA-G patients with BC compared to the control group for the overall population, Caucasians and Asians. Conclusion: The present meta-analysis showed a major association of both HLA-G 14-bp Ins/Del and +3142 C/G polymorphisms with BC susceptibility, suggesting Del and C variants as highly significant risk factors for BC. The present study also showed significantly higher sHLA-G levels in patients with BC compared to healthy controls. Our pooled results suggested a critical role of HLA-G in BC, thereby providing evidence to use HLA-G as a biomarker and a therapeutic tool

Spatial–temporal variation of treatment performance and bacterial community diversity in a hybrid constructed wetland

A hybrid pilot-scale constructed wetland (HSSF-FWS) with three horizontal flow components and a free water surface in series (HF-CW 1  + HF-CW 2  + HF-CW 3  + FWS) was designed and investigated to evaluate seasonal wastewater treatment performance, the microbial diversity and community structure. The HF-CW 1 component was planted with Scirpus holoschoenus and Cyperus papyrus ; HF-CW 2 was unplanted, whereas HF-CW 3 was planted with Scirpus validus . In FWS, the wastewater was covered with Lemna minor and Daphnia magna. HSSF-FWS has a great potential to reduce chemical oxygen demand (COD), biochemical oxygen demand (BOD 5 ), total suspended solids (TSS), fecal coliforms (FC) and fecal streptococci (FS), while the removal efficiencies of nitrate nitrogen (NO 3 − ) and orthophosphorus (PO 4 3− ) were relatively low. The best removal efficiency was achieved in spring for COD and BOD 5 , in summer for TSS, in autumn for NO 3 − and in winter for PO 4 3− , while no seasonal difference was found for the removal of FC and FS. The seasonal treatment performance is generally less influenced by the plant species than by the presence or absence of vegetation. HF-CW 3 and FWS had different influences on treatment parameters; the FWS component improved the removal of TSS and PO 4 3− during winter and the removal of COD and NO 3 − during spring season. Seasonal changes affect the microbial diversity and community structure throughout the hybrid constructed wetland and are enhanced by the presence of plants, with diversity changing with different plant species. Cluster analysis indicated that bacterial community structure from influent and FWS samples was closely related in autumn

Isolation of microorganisms from non-conventional environments and screening of their biotechnological traits

Non-conventional environments such as hot arid deserts or inland saline systems \u2017Chott\u2018 are characterized by dryness, high salinity, temperature extremes, very intense irradiation and oligotrophic conditions. These hostile setting for life make such environments invaluable resources for the selection and identification of microorganisms of great interest for biotechnological applications (Nicolaus et al., 2010; Schiraldi and De Rosa, 2002). In this work an investigation of the microbial diversity of two non-conventional extreme environments, inland saline system and desert sand soil located in the south of Tunisia, was performed through the application of a multiassay cultivation-based approach. In specific, the selection of extremophilic and extremotolerant bacteria that withstand intense environmental stresses was carried out by challenging the collected samples with pH (pH 3.0 and 9.5) and temperature extremes (4\ub0c and 50 \ub0C), exposure to high salt concentrations (300 g/l NaCl), irradiation and nutrient limitations. Under the different cultivation conditions applied, a total of 167 isolates were selected and clustered in 75 different haplotypes by internal transcribed 16S-23S rRNA gene spacer (ITS) typing.. Partial 16S rRNA gene sequencing resulted in the affiliation of the isolates to four bacterial phyla including Firmicutes, Actinobacteria, Proteobacteria and Bacteroidetes. Moreover the isolates were screened for the production of pigments, biosurfactants, extracellular hydrolytic enzymes and biopolymers (exopolysaccharides). The obtained results showed that inland saline systems and desert sand are key \u2017reservoirs\u2018 of microbial diversity, of different microbially derived compounds and molecules with interesting biotechnological properties. In particular, the microbiota inhabiting these niches are important resources of pigments that can be used as natural colorants, biosurfactants useful for the stimulation of the bioremediation of oil-contaminated areas, extracellular enzymes and compounds, like for example exopolysaccharides, very important biopolymers with high potential for application in food and cosmetics industries. References: Nicolaus B. et al. (2010). Environ Technol. 31:1145-1158. Schiraldi C., De Rosa M. (2002). Trends Biotechnolo. 20: 515-521

The autolytic phenotype of Bacillus thuringiensis

Aims: To evaluate the autolytic phenotype of Bacillus thuringiensis. Methods and Results: The autolytic rate of 87 strains belonging to different subsp. of B. thuringiensis was examined at pH 6, 6.5 and 8.5 in different buffers under starvation conditions. At pH 6 the extent of autolysis (average in the strain collection 38.3 \ub1 21.1) was strain-dependent with wide variability, while at pH 6.5 and 8.5 (averages 72.0 \ub1 9.0 and 63.1 \ub1 8.2, respectively) it was much more uniform with only a few strains showing low autolytic rates. Forty-one per cent of the strains showed high resistance ( 6580%) to mutanolysin, a commercial muramidase from Streptomyces. The peptidoglycan hydrolase pattern was evaluated by renaturing SDS-PAGE using cells of B. thuringiensis subsp. tolworthi HD125 as indicator. The strain collection showed seven major lytic bands of about 90, 63, 46, 38, 32, 28 and 25 kDa, and in the stationary growth phase (72 h) there was a more intense 25 kDa band in the autolytic pattern. Using Micrococcus lysodeicticus and Listeria monocytogenes as the indicators lytic activity was retained, as seen by the bands of 63, 46, 38, 32 and 25 kDa. Growth in the different media did not affect the autolytic pattern. NaCl abolished the activity of all the peptidoglycan hydrolases in the gel, but in the presence of KCl, MgCl2, MnCl 2 and EDTA some activity was retained. At basic pH the lytic activity increased. Conclusions: The autolytic phenotype of B. thuringiensis was found to be strain-dependent, and different proteins exibited peptidoglycan hydrolase activity, particularly at alkaline pH. Several of these proteins retained lytic activity against other bacterial species. Significance and Impact of the Study: The characterisation of the autolytic phenotype of B. thuringiensis should expand the prospects of using this species in bacterial bio-control and field applications