Deep (Meta)genomics and (Meta)transcriptome Analyses of Fungal and Bacteria Consortia From Aircraft Tanks and Kerosene Identify Key Genes in Fuel and Tank Corrosion

Microbial contamination of fuels, associated with a wide variety of bacteria and fungi, leads to decreased product quality and can compromise equipment performance by biofouling or microbiologically influenced corrosion. Detection and quantification of microorganisms are critical in monitoring fuel systems for an early detection of microbial contaminations. To address these challenges, we have analyzed six metagenomes, one transcriptome, and more than 1,200 fluid and swab samples taken from fuel tanks or kerosene. Our deep metagenome sequencing and binning approaches in combination with RNA-seq data and qPCR methods implied a metabolic symbiosis between fungi and bacteria. The most abundant bacteria were affiliated with α-, β-, and γ-Proteobacteria and the filamentous fungi Amorphotheca. We identified a high number of genes, which are related to kerosene degradation and biofilm formation. Surprisingly, a large number of genes coded enzymes involved in polymer degradation and potential bio-corrosion processes. Thereby, the transcriptionally most active microorganisms were affiliated with the genera Methylobacteria, Pseudomonas, Kocuria, Amorpotheka, Aspergillus, Fusarium, and Penicillium. Many not yet cultured bacteria and fungi appeared to contribute to the biofilm transcriptional activities. The largest numbers of transcripts were observed for dehydrogenase, oxygenase, and exopolysaccharide production, attachment and pili/flagella-associated proteins, efflux pumps, and secretion systems as well as lipase and esterase activity

Operator design and mechanism for CarA repressor-mediated downregulation of the photo-inducible carB operon in Myxococcus xanthus. J.

The carB operon encodes all except one of the enzymes involved in light-induced carotenogenesis in Myxococcus xanthus. Expression of its promoter (PB) is repressed in the dark by sequence-specific DNA binding of CarA to a palindrome (pI) located between positions 47 and 64 relative to the transcription start site. This promotes subsequent binding of CarA to additional sites that remain to be defined. CarS, produced in the light, interacts physically with CarA, abrogates CarA-DNA binding, and thereby derepresses PB. In this study, we delineate the operator design that exists for CarA by precisely mapping out the second operator element. For this, we examined how stepwise deletions and site-directed mutagenesis in the region between the palindrome and the transcription start site affect CarA binding around PB in vitro and expression of PB in vivo. These revealed the second operator element to be an imperfect interrupted palindrome (pII) spanning positions 26 to 40. In vitro assays using purified M. xanthus RNA polymerase showed that CarA abolishes PB-RNA polymerase binding and runoff transcription and that both were restored by CarS, thus rationalizing the observations in vivo. CarA binding to pII (after association with pI) effectively occludes RNA polymerase from PB and so provides the operative mechanism for the repression of the carB o p e r o n b y C a r A . T h e b i p a r t i t e o p e r a t o r d e s i g n , whereby transcription is blocked by the low affinity CarA-pII binding and is readily restored by CarS, may have evolved to match the needs for a rapid and an effective response to lightThis work was supported in part by Grants BMC2000-1006 (to F. J. M.), BMC2002-03818 (to M. S.), and BMC2002-00539 and Programa Ramón y Cajal (to S. P.) from the Ministerio de Ciencia y Tecnología, Spain. The costs of publication of this article were defrayed in part by the payment of page charges. This article must therefore be hereby marked “advertisement” in accordance with 18 U.S.C. Section 1734 solely to indicate this fact. Supported by a fellowship from Fundación Séneca (Murcia-Spain).Peer reviewe

The Coral Triangle Atlas: An Integrated Online Spatial Database System for Improving Coral Reef Management

In this paper we describe the construction of an online GIS database system, hosted by WorldFish, which stores bio-physical, ecological and socio-economic data for the \u27Coral Triangle Area\u27 in South-east Asia and the Pacific. The database has been built in partnership with all six (Timor-Leste, Malaysia, Indonesia, The Philippines, Solomon Islands and Papua New Guinea) of the Coral Triangle countries, and represents a valuable source of information for natural resource managers at the regional scale. Its utility is demonstrated using biophysical data, data summarising marine habitats, and data describing the extent of marine protected areas in the region

Recombinant MIF activates AMPK and PKCε whereas it inhibits phosphorylation of JNK1/2.

<p>Cardiomyocytes were incubated with 100/ml recombinant mouseMIF for the indicated time points. Relative activation PKCε (A) AMPK (B), JNK1 (C) and JNK2 (D) was assessed via western blotting. Band intensities were normalized to actin. Data represented means ± SEM of at least 3 independent experiments. *(**)  =  p<0.05 (0.01) vs. baseline.</p

Characterization of MIF receptors by confocal microscopy.

<p>Rat cardiomyocytes were grown in an Ibidi μ-dish for 12 days. They were fixed with paraformaldehyde, permeabilised with Triton X-100 and stained with antibodies against CD74 (A) and CXCR4 (B) and fluorescently labeled secondary antibodies (Alexa 633). Nuclei were stained with Hoechst33342, a cell membrane permeable, DNA-binding fluorophore staining nuclei of cells with blue fluorescence.</p