Viruses of Extremely Halophilic Prokaryotes

As viruses are known to be the most distinct source of biodiversity, it is not surprising that they are the most abundant biological group in hypersaline environments such as aquatic systems which have saturated salt concentrations. However, of more than 6000 known prokaryote viruses less than 100 are considered to be extremely halophilic (salt loving) and have the ability to infect bacteria. Combination of information obtained from culture dependent and culture independent methods allow better understanding of these viruses. This review will update the advances in halophilic viruses and its impact on the bacteriophage studies

Culturomics approach to identify halophiles in edible salts

Salts have been used in the food industry not only for flavoring of foods but also in food preservation. Refrigeration and vacuum sealing of food products have decreased the need for salt preservation. However, salt is still extensively utilized as a preservative. Salt’s ability as a preservative is because of its ability to reduce the growth of pathogens and other microorganisms that can result in spoilage of food products or illness. It does this by limiting the amount of unboundwater available to be used by microbes and their chemical reactions. However, salt can also be the source of living microorganisms called halophiles that may affect human health especially the gut microbiome. In this project, to determine the microbial communities of edible salts, an investigation was done using a culturomics approach. Four commercially used edible salts were purchased at the food store and dissolved in a solution and plated onto Difco marine agar and broth medium. Edible coarse sea salt showed growth of a halophile. This halophilic organism was purified using plating techniques and further identified using biochemical tests and 16S ribosomalRNA sequencing

Novel Strategy for Halophilicity in the Photoautotrophic Proteobacterium Halorhodospira Halophila

Halorhodospira halophila is an extremophilic photoautotrophic proteobacterium found in highly saline desert lakes. It is one of the most halophilic organisms known and provides a system to investigate adaptive mechanisms for survival of abiotic stress. This report describes genome-based experimental studies of halophilic adaptations in H. halophila . Two distinct strategies are known to be used by halophilic organisms to cope with high salt conditions, namely: `High-salt-in-' where organisms accumulate KCl (up to 5 M) in their cytoplasm, which requires them to have an acidic proteome, and `Low-salt, organic-solute-in': where compatible solutes are accumulated in the cytoplasm. The salt in cytoplasm strategy is mainly used by extreme halophiles, which gives them ability to grow in high salt environments (up to saturation levels) while the organic osmolyte strategy is often used by moderate halophiles, which gives them adaptability to grow over wide range of salt concentrations. In the work described here, it was found that H. halophila has an acidic proteome as examined by bioinformatics analysis and isoelectric focusing gel electrophoresis. In line with this, based on Inductively Coupled Plasma (ICP) and X-ray micro probe analysis revealed that H. halophila accumulates up to 3 M KCl in its cytoplasm. However it can grow over a broad range of NaCl concentrations (3.5-35% NaCl). When grown in 5% NaCl, it had KCl concentration similar to E. coli despite its acidic proteome. Determination of cellular glycine betaine content showed that H. halophila switches to accumulation of compatible solutes when grown in media containing high NaCl but a reduced KCl concentration. These data indicate that H. halophila uses both halophilic strategies and can switch between them depending on the environmental conditions. This capability is likely to be important in enabling H. halophila to grow in high salt environments but also over wide range of salt concentrations. The potassium concentration at which H. halphila switches its halophilic strategy (1 mM KCl) is similar to that of its natural habitat (Wadi Natrun Lakes, Egypt), and therefore this osmoprotectant switch is likely to be ecologically relevant. Unexpectedly, the closely related organism Halorhodospira halochloris does not accumulate KCl but only glycine betaine. In line with this, isoelectric focusing gel electrophoresis revealed it does not have acidic proteome. This suggests recent rapid evolution in halophilic strategy in the genus Halorhodospira .Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biolog

Draft Genome Sequences of the Vibrio parahaemolyticus Strains VHT1 and VHT2, Pasteurization-Resistant Isolates from Environmental Seafood

Two pasteurization-resistant strains, VHT1 and VHT2, of environmental, viable but nonculturable, pathogenic Vibrio parahaemolyticus were isolated from environmental oysters. Their whole-genome sequences were constructed. The genome sizes for VHT1 and VHT2 are 5.11 Mbp and 5.26 Mbp, respectively

Image1_Probiotic effects of Lactococcus lactis and Leuconostoc mesenteroides on stress and longevity in Caenorhabditis elegans.TIF

The short lifespan of Caenorhabditis elegans enables the efficient investigation of probiotic interventions affecting stress and longevity involving the potential therapeutic value of Lactococcus lactis and Leuconostoc mesenteroides isolated from organic basil. The lactic acid bacteria were cultured from the produce collected from a local grocery store in Tulsa, Oklahoma, and then identified through 16S rDNA sequencing and biochemical tests. To dive deep into this analysis for potential probiotic therapy, we used fluorescent reporters that allow us to assess the differential induction of multiple stress pathways such as oxidative stress and the cytoplasmic, endoplasmic reticulum, and the mitochondrial unfolded protein response. This is combined with the classic health span measurements of survival, development, and fecundity, allowing a wide range of organismal observations of the different communities of microbes supported by probiotic supplementation with Lactococcus lactis and Leuconostoc mesenteroides. These strains were initially assessed in relation to the Escherichia coli feeding strain OP50 and the C. elegans microbiome. The supplementation showed a reduction in the median lifespan of the worms colonized within the microbiome. This was unsurprising, as negative results are common when probiotics are introduced into healthy microbiomes. To further assess the supplementation potential of these strains on an unhealthy (undifferentiated) microbiome, the typical axenic C. elegans diet, OP50, was used to simulate this single-species biome. The addition of lactic acid bacteria to OP50 led to a significant improvement in the median and overall survival in simulated biomes, indicating their potential in probiotic therapy. The study analyzed the supplemented cultures in terms of C. elegans’ morphology, locomotor behavior, reproduction, and stress responses, revealing unique characteristics and stress response patterns for each group. As the microbiome’s influence on the health span gains interest, the study aims to understand the microbiome relationships that result in differential stress resistance and lifespans by supplementing microbiomes with Lactococcus lactis and Leuconostoc mesenteroides isolated from organic basil in C. elegans.</p

Image5_Probiotic effects of Lactococcus lactis and Leuconostoc mesenteroides on stress and longevity in Caenorhabditis elegans.TIF

The short lifespan of Caenorhabditis elegans enables the efficient investigation of probiotic interventions affecting stress and longevity involving the potential therapeutic value of Lactococcus lactis and Leuconostoc mesenteroides isolated from organic basil. The lactic acid bacteria were cultured from the produce collected from a local grocery store in Tulsa, Oklahoma, and then identified through 16S rDNA sequencing and biochemical tests. To dive deep into this analysis for potential probiotic therapy, we used fluorescent reporters that allow us to assess the differential induction of multiple stress pathways such as oxidative stress and the cytoplasmic, endoplasmic reticulum, and the mitochondrial unfolded protein response. This is combined with the classic health span measurements of survival, development, and fecundity, allowing a wide range of organismal observations of the different communities of microbes supported by probiotic supplementation with Lactococcus lactis and Leuconostoc mesenteroides. These strains were initially assessed in relation to the Escherichia coli feeding strain OP50 and the C. elegans microbiome. The supplementation showed a reduction in the median lifespan of the worms colonized within the microbiome. This was unsurprising, as negative results are common when probiotics are introduced into healthy microbiomes. To further assess the supplementation potential of these strains on an unhealthy (undifferentiated) microbiome, the typical axenic C. elegans diet, OP50, was used to simulate this single-species biome. The addition of lactic acid bacteria to OP50 led to a significant improvement in the median and overall survival in simulated biomes, indicating their potential in probiotic therapy. The study analyzed the supplemented cultures in terms of C. elegans’ morphology, locomotor behavior, reproduction, and stress responses, revealing unique characteristics and stress response patterns for each group. As the microbiome’s influence on the health span gains interest, the study aims to understand the microbiome relationships that result in differential stress resistance and lifespans by supplementing microbiomes with Lactococcus lactis and Leuconostoc mesenteroides isolated from organic basil in C. elegans.</p

Image6_Probiotic effects of Lactococcus lactis and Leuconostoc mesenteroides on stress and longevity in Caenorhabditis elegans.tif

The short lifespan of Caenorhabditis elegans enables the efficient investigation of probiotic interventions affecting stress and longevity involving the potential therapeutic value of Lactococcus lactis and Leuconostoc mesenteroides isolated from organic basil. The lactic acid bacteria were cultured from the produce collected from a local grocery store in Tulsa, Oklahoma, and then identified through 16S rDNA sequencing and biochemical tests. To dive deep into this analysis for potential probiotic therapy, we used fluorescent reporters that allow us to assess the differential induction of multiple stress pathways such as oxidative stress and the cytoplasmic, endoplasmic reticulum, and the mitochondrial unfolded protein response. This is combined with the classic health span measurements of survival, development, and fecundity, allowing a wide range of organismal observations of the different communities of microbes supported by probiotic supplementation with Lactococcus lactis and Leuconostoc mesenteroides. These strains were initially assessed in relation to the Escherichia coli feeding strain OP50 and the C. elegans microbiome. The supplementation showed a reduction in the median lifespan of the worms colonized within the microbiome. This was unsurprising, as negative results are common when probiotics are introduced into healthy microbiomes. To further assess the supplementation potential of these strains on an unhealthy (undifferentiated) microbiome, the typical axenic C. elegans diet, OP50, was used to simulate this single-species biome. The addition of lactic acid bacteria to OP50 led to a significant improvement in the median and overall survival in simulated biomes, indicating their potential in probiotic therapy. The study analyzed the supplemented cultures in terms of C. elegans’ morphology, locomotor behavior, reproduction, and stress responses, revealing unique characteristics and stress response patterns for each group. As the microbiome’s influence on the health span gains interest, the study aims to understand the microbiome relationships that result in differential stress resistance and lifespans by supplementing microbiomes with Lactococcus lactis and Leuconostoc mesenteroides isolated from organic basil in C. elegans.</p

DataSheet1_Probiotic effects of Lactococcus lactis and Leuconostoc mesenteroides on stress and longevity in Caenorhabditis elegans.PDF

The short lifespan of Caenorhabditis elegans enables the efficient investigation of probiotic interventions affecting stress and longevity involving the potential therapeutic value of Lactococcus lactis and Leuconostoc mesenteroides isolated from organic basil. The lactic acid bacteria were cultured from the produce collected from a local grocery store in Tulsa, Oklahoma, and then identified through 16S rDNA sequencing and biochemical tests. To dive deep into this analysis for potential probiotic therapy, we used fluorescent reporters that allow us to assess the differential induction of multiple stress pathways such as oxidative stress and the cytoplasmic, endoplasmic reticulum, and the mitochondrial unfolded protein response. This is combined with the classic health span measurements of survival, development, and fecundity, allowing a wide range of organismal observations of the different communities of microbes supported by probiotic supplementation with Lactococcus lactis and Leuconostoc mesenteroides. These strains were initially assessed in relation to the Escherichia coli feeding strain OP50 and the C. elegans microbiome. The supplementation showed a reduction in the median lifespan of the worms colonized within the microbiome. This was unsurprising, as negative results are common when probiotics are introduced into healthy microbiomes. To further assess the supplementation potential of these strains on an unhealthy (undifferentiated) microbiome, the typical axenic C. elegans diet, OP50, was used to simulate this single-species biome. The addition of lactic acid bacteria to OP50 led to a significant improvement in the median and overall survival in simulated biomes, indicating their potential in probiotic therapy. The study analyzed the supplemented cultures in terms of C. elegans’ morphology, locomotor behavior, reproduction, and stress responses, revealing unique characteristics and stress response patterns for each group. As the microbiome’s influence on the health span gains interest, the study aims to understand the microbiome relationships that result in differential stress resistance and lifespans by supplementing microbiomes with Lactococcus lactis and Leuconostoc mesenteroides isolated from organic basil in C. elegans.</p

Image7_Probiotic effects of Lactococcus lactis and Leuconostoc mesenteroides on stress and longevity in Caenorhabditis elegans.TIF

The short lifespan of Caenorhabditis elegans enables the efficient investigation of probiotic interventions affecting stress and longevity involving the potential therapeutic value of Lactococcus lactis and Leuconostoc mesenteroides isolated from organic basil. The lactic acid bacteria were cultured from the produce collected from a local grocery store in Tulsa, Oklahoma, and then identified through 16S rDNA sequencing and biochemical tests. To dive deep into this analysis for potential probiotic therapy, we used fluorescent reporters that allow us to assess the differential induction of multiple stress pathways such as oxidative stress and the cytoplasmic, endoplasmic reticulum, and the mitochondrial unfolded protein response. This is combined with the classic health span measurements of survival, development, and fecundity, allowing a wide range of organismal observations of the different communities of microbes supported by probiotic supplementation with Lactococcus lactis and Leuconostoc mesenteroides. These strains were initially assessed in relation to the Escherichia coli feeding strain OP50 and the C. elegans microbiome. The supplementation showed a reduction in the median lifespan of the worms colonized within the microbiome. This was unsurprising, as negative results are common when probiotics are introduced into healthy microbiomes. To further assess the supplementation potential of these strains on an unhealthy (undifferentiated) microbiome, the typical axenic C. elegans diet, OP50, was used to simulate this single-species biome. The addition of lactic acid bacteria to OP50 led to a significant improvement in the median and overall survival in simulated biomes, indicating their potential in probiotic therapy. The study analyzed the supplemented cultures in terms of C. elegans’ morphology, locomotor behavior, reproduction, and stress responses, revealing unique characteristics and stress response patterns for each group. As the microbiome’s influence on the health span gains interest, the study aims to understand the microbiome relationships that result in differential stress resistance and lifespans by supplementing microbiomes with Lactococcus lactis and Leuconostoc mesenteroides isolated from organic basil in C. elegans.</p