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At least 55 records · Page 3

Microfluidic droplets with amended culture media cultivate a greater diversity of soil microorganisms

ABSTRACT Uncultivated but abundant soil microorganisms have untapped potential for producing broad ranges of natural products, as well as for bioremediation. However, cultivating soil microorganisms while maintaining a broad microorganism diversity to enable phenotyping and functional analysis of as diverse individual isolates as possible remains challenging. In this study, we developed and tested the ability of several culture media formulations that contain defined soil metabolites or soil extracts to maintain microorganism diversity during culture. We also assessed their performance in microfluidic droplet cultivation where single-soil microorganism isolates were encapsulated and cultivated in picoliter-volume water-in-oil emulsion droplets to enable clonal growth needed for downstream functional analyses. Our results show that droplet cultivation with media supplemented by soil extract or soil metabolites enables the recovery of soil microorganisms with higher diversity (up to 1.5-fold higher richness) compared to bulk cultivation methods. Importantly, 1.7-fold more of less abundant (<1%) phyla and 11-fold more of unique genera were recovered, demonstrating the utility of this method for interrogating highly diverse soil microorganisms for broad ranges of applications. IMPORTANCE Although soil microorganisms hold a significant value in bioproduction and bioremediation, only a small fraction—less than 1%—can be cultured under specific media and cultivation conditions. This indicates that there are ample opportunities in harvesting the diverse environmental microorganisms if isolating and recovering these uncultured microorganisms are possible. This paper presents a new cultivation technique composed of isolating single-soil microorganism cell from anin situsoil microorganism community in microfluidic droplets and conducting in-droplet cultivation in media supplemented by soil extract or soil metabolites. This method enables the recovery of a broader diversity of the original microorganism community, laying the groundwork for a high-throughput phenotyping of these diverse microorganisms from their natural habitats.

Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology↗

CRISPR-prime editing, a versatile genetic tool to create specific mutations with a single nucleotide resolution in Leptospira

ABSTRACT Leptospirosis, caused by pathogenic bacteria from the genusLeptospira, is a global zoonosis responsible for more than one million human cases and 60,000 deaths annually. The disease also affects many domestic animal species. Historically, genetic manipulation ofLeptospirahas been difficult to perform, resulting in limited knowledge on pathogenic mechanisms of disease and the identification of virulence factors. The application of CRISPR/Cas9 and its variations have helped fill these gaps but the generation of knockout mutants remains challenging because double-strand breaks (DSBs) inflicted by Cas9 nuclease are lethal toLeptospiracells. The novel CRISPR prime editing (PE) strategy is the first precise genome-editing technology that allows deletions, insertions, and base substitutions without introducing DSBs. This revolutionary technique utilizes a nickase Cas9 that cleaves a single strand of DNA, coupled with an engineered reverse transcriptase and a modified single-guide RNA (termed prime editing guide RNA) containing an extended 3′ end with the desired edits. We demonstrate the application of CRISPR-PE in both saprophytic and pathogenicLeptospirafrom multiple species and serovars by introducing deletions or insertions into target DNA with a remarkable precision of just one nucleotide. Additionally, we demonstrate the ability to genetically manipulateLeptospira borgpetersenii, a prevalent pathogenic species of humans, domestic cattle, and wildlife animals. Rapid plasmid loss by mutated strains in liquid culture allows for the generation of knockout strains without selective markers, which can be readily used to elucidate virulence factors and develop optimized bacterin and/or live vaccines against leptospirosis. IMPORTANCE Leptospirosis is a geographically widespread bacterial zoonosis. Genetic manipulation of pathogenicLeptospiraspp. has been laborious and difficult to perform, limiting our ability to understand how leptospires cause disease. The application of the CRISPR/Cas9 system toLeptospiraenhanced our ability to generate knockdown and knockout mutants; however, the latter remains challenging. Here, we demonstrate the application of the CRISPR prime editing technique inLeptospira, allowing the generation of knockout mutants in several pathogenic species, with mutations comprising just a single nucleotide resolution. Notably, we generated a mutant in theLeptospira borgpeterseniibackground, a prevalent pathogenic species of humans and cattle. Our application of this method opens new avenues for studying pathogenic mechanisms ofLeptospiraand the identification of virulence factors across multiple species. These methods can also be used to facilitate the generation of marker-less knockout strains for updated and improved bacterin and/or live vaccines.

Microbiology↗

Audacity of huge: overcoming challenges of data scarcity and data quality for machine learning in computational materials discovery

Machine learning (ML)-accelerated discovery requires large amounts of high-fidelity data to reveal predictive structure–property relationships. For many properties of interest in materials discovery, the challenging nature and high cost of data generation has resulted in a data landscape that is both scarcely populated and of dubious quality. Data-driven techniques starting to overcome these limitations include the use of consensus across functionals in density functional theory, the development of new functionals or accelerated electronic structure theories, and the detection of where computationally demanding methods are most necessary. When properties cannot be reliably simulated, large experimental data sets can be used to train ML models. In the absence of manual curation, increasingly sophisticated natural language processing and automated image analysis are making it possible to learn structure–property relationships from the literature. Finally, models trained on these data sets will improve as they incorporate community feedback.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Quantifying Subsurface Biogeochemical Variability in a High Altitude Watershed During Winter Isolation

Shallow subsurface microbial and geochemical processes in watersheds are dynamic and responsive to seasonal and long-term environmental change. At high elevation or latitude, such changes may occur during winter months when normal sampling is impossible, impractical, unsafe, or may actually alter the processes being studied. Yet accurate modeling of biogeochemical parameters in these environments requires sampling that can capture events and persistent cold climate trends. Gaps in current models exist where data have not been collected during extended snow- or ice-covered periods. The goals of our exploratory study were to examine the biogeochemical processes occurring in a well-studied high altitude watershed during winter when the system is largely inaccessible. We tested the hypothesis that during snow cover in the East River (ER) watershed, episodic excursions of microbial community structure and biogeochemical processes and concentrations fluctuated from values extrapolated from pre- and post-snow time periods. Through our research we identified previously unresolved subsurface-surface transport phenomena and a heretofore under-appreciated methane cycle occurring during wintertime months, thus providing valuable insight into watershed processes. Our research showed that autonomous sampling techniques, first used in marine systems, is extremely versatile and can be adapted for use in harsh continental settings to examine temporal changes in freshwater chemistry and microbial community assemblage. Further, we found that by sampling during periods when systems are hard to access, will lend insight and better accountability for global budgets for methane, an important greenhouse gas. By strengthening our knowledge of wintertime biogeochemical relationships in high altitude watersheds our research leads to more complete descriptions of cryptic processes and ultimately will inform and improve the reactive transport models that simulate processes in these systems.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗

Bayesian Spatially Varying Multi-Regularization Image Deblurring

Many scientific experiments such as those found in astronomy, geology, microbiology, and X-ray radiography require the use of high-energy instruments to capture images. Since blur and noise are inevitably present in any imaging system, the images must be \deblurred" to extract the full information content. Mathematically, image deblurring is an ill-posed inverse problem that requires regularization. The regularization, in turn, has a large effect on the deblurred image: different regularization strengths, and types, lead to drastically different reconstructions. Moreover, many images contain a mixture of smooth and sharp features which suggests the use of multi-regularization, i.e., varying the type of regularization (e.g. Tikhonov or total variation) across the image. We address these issues by formulating the image deblurring problem within a hierarchical Bayesian framework in which we spatially adapt the strength of the regularization and also vary the regularization type across the image. In this way, the image itself, along with corresponding regularization strength at each pixel, are described jointly by a posterior distribution which we can sample by Markov chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) methods. We illustrate our techniques on simplified test problems and apply them to high-energy X-ray images taken at the Nevada National Security Site. Numerical tests show that our new method is robustly applicable and increases the quality of the image reconstruction when compared to other (Bayesian) methods.

97 MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTING↗

Multidimensional scaling informed by F -statistic: Visualizing grouped microbiome data with inference

Multidimensional scaling (MDS) is a widely used dimensionality reduction technique in microbial ecology data analysis that captures the multivariate structure of the data while preserving pairwise distances between samples. While improvements in MDS have enhanced the ability to reveal group-specific data patterns, these MDS-based methods require prior assumptions for inference, limiting their application in general microbiome analysis. Here, in this study, we introduce a new MDS-based ordination method, “F-informed MDS,” which configures the data distribution based on the F-statistic, the ratio of dispersion between groups sharing common and different characteristics. Using semisynthetic datasets, we demonstrate that the proposed method is robust to hyperparameter selection while maintaining statistical significance throughout the ordination process. Various quality metrics for evaluating dimensionality reduction confirm that F-informed MDS is comparable to state-of-the-art methods in preserving both local and global data structures. Its application to a diatom-associated bacterial community suggests the role of this new method in interpreting the community’s response to the host. Our approach offers a well-founded refinement of MDS that aligns with statistical test results, which can be beneficial for broader multidimensional data analyses in microbiology and ecology. This new visualization tool can be incorporated into standard microbiome data analyses.

Biological and medical sciences↗

Characterization of Microbial Consortia and the Products Associated with Selenium Reduction in Real Flue Gas Desulfurization (FGD) Wastewater

Biological treatment is a recognized approach for removing toxic selenate and selenite oxyanions present in flue gas desulfurization (FGD) wastewater. However, the knowledge on the specific microbial species or communities responsible for reducing water-soluble selenium oxyanions to insoluble elemental selenium remains limited. In addition, the selenium oxyanion reduction genes and pathways have yet to be understood in these wastewaters. This study characterizes selenium oxyanion reducing bacteria (SeRB) native to FGD wastewater, and the resulting elemental selenium particles formed. By selecting for native SeRB microbes in a defined media, a novel resolution of these organisms has been achieved. This research identifies previously unrecognized selenium oxyanion reducing capabilities in Anaerosolibacter, alongside predominant SeRB from Mesobacillus and Tepidibacillus genera. This work encompasses both 16S and metagenomic techniques to recover novel metagenome assembled genomes (MAGs), distinct to this environment. The biogenic selenium produced by these organisms were predominantly of elemental selenium, in either amorphous or with a hexagonal structure. In addition, the elemental selenium particles formed where shown to increase in purity as the microbes were enriched. This study identifies the SeRB present in FGD wastewater and characterizes their selenium products, offering crucial insights to enhance the efficiency of biological treatment strategies and the potential of selenium recovery from this industrial waste.

microbiology↗

Metabolic flux analysis reaching genome wide coverage: lessons learned and future perspectives

13 C-MFA is currently the only technique capable of elucidating intracellular metabolic fluxes. Generally, in 13 C-MFA studies the reactions that can carry flux are mostly pre-specified by only considering canonical pathways and ignoring alternate ones. This may bias flux elucidation and cause labeling data to erroneously confirm implied assumptions. Here, by expanding the scope of the metabolic mapping models to match known genome-scale metabolism such estimation biases can be eliminated. However, this model expansion to genome-scale requires the construction of expanded atom mapping models, more efficient flux estimation algorithms, and formal estimation of confidence levels. Even though significant progress has been made in this direction, a number of challenges remain before widespread adoption by the community.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗

Application of Machine Learning Techniques to an Agent-Based Model of Pantoea

Agent-based modeling (ABM) is a powerful simulation technique which describes a complex dynamic system based on its interacting constituent entities. While the flexibility of ABM enables broad application, the complexity of real-world models demands intensive computing resources and computational time; however, a metamodel may be constructed to gain insight at less computational expense. Here, we developed a model in NetLogo to describe the growth of a microbial population consisting of Pantoea . We applied 13 parameters that defined the model and actively changed seven of the parameters to modulate the evolution of the population curve in response to these changes. We efficiently performed more than 3,000 simulations using a Python wrapper, NL4Py . Upon evaluation of the correlation between the active parameters and outputs by random forest regression, we found that the parameters which define the depth of medium and glucose concentration affect the population curves significantly. Subsequently, we constructed a metamodel, a dense neural network, to predict the simulation outputs from the active parameters and found that it achieves high prediction accuracy, reaching an R 2 coefficient of determination value up to 0.92. Our approach of using a combination of ABM with random forest regression and neural network reduces the number of required ABM simulations. The simplified and refined metamodels may provide insights into the complex dynamic system before their transition to more sophisticated models that run on high-performance computing systems. The ultimate goal is to build a bridge between simulation and experiment, allowing model validation by comparing the simulated data to experimental data in microbiology.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗

Characterization of a monoclonal antibody specific to California serogroup orthobunyaviruses and development as a chimeric immunoglobulin M-positive control in human diagnostics

ABSTRACT California serogroup viruses (CSGVs) of medical importance in the United States include La Crosse virus, Jamestown Canyon virus (JCV), California encephalitis virus, and snowshoe hare virus. Current diagnosis of CSGVs relies heavily on serologic techniques for detecting immunoglobulin M (IgM), an indication of a recent CSGV infection. However, human-positive control sera reactive to viruses in the serogroup are scarce because detection of recent infections is rare. Here, we describe the development of new murine monoclonal antibodies (MAbs) reactive to CSGVs and the engineering of a human-murine chimeric antibody by combining the variable regions of the broadly CSGV cross-reactive murine MAb, 3-3B6/2-3B2 and the constant region of the human IgM. MAb 3-3B6/2-3B2 recognizes a tertiary epitope on the Gn/Gc heterodimer, and epitopes important in JCV neutralization were mapped to the Gc glycoprotein. This engineered human IgM constitutively expressed in a HEK-293 stable cell line can replace human-positive control sera in diagnostic serological techniques such as IgM antibody capture enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (MAC-ELISA). Compared to the parent murine MAbs, the human-chimeric IgM antibody had identical serological activity to CSGVs in ELISA and demonstrated equivalent reactivity compared to human immune sera in the MAC-ELISA. Importance Orthobunyaviruses in the California serogroup cause severe neurological disease in children and adults. While these viruses are known to circulate widely in North America, their occurrence is rare. Serological testing for CSGVs is hindered by the limited availability and volumes of human-positive specimens needed as controls in serologic assays. Here, we described the development of a murine monoclonal antibody cross-reactive to CSGVs engineered to contain the variable regions of the murine antibody on the backbone of human IgM. The chimeric IgM produced from the stably expressing HEK293 cell line was evaluated for use as a surrogate human-positive control in a serologic diagnostic test.

Microbiology↗

Plant‐produced SARS ‐ CoV ‐2 antibody engineered towards enhanced potency and in vivo efficacy

Summary Prevention of severe COVID‐19 disease by SARS‐CoV‐2 in high‐risk patients, such as immuno‐compromised individuals, can be achieved by administration of antibody prophylaxis, but producing antibodies can be costly. Plant expression platforms allow substantial lower production costs compared to traditional bio‐manufacturing platforms depending on mammalian cells in bioreactors. In this study, we describe the expression, production and purification of the originally human COVA2‐15 antibody in plants. Our plant‐produced mAbs demonstrated comparable neutralizing activity with COVA2‐15 produced in mammalian cells. Furthermore, they exhibited similar capacity to prevent SARS‐CoV‐2 infection in a hamster model. To further enhance these biosimilars, we performed three glyco‐ and protein engineering techniques. First, to increase antibody half‐life, we introduced YTE‐mutation in the Fc tail; second, optimization ofN‐linked glycosylation by the addition of a C‐terminal ER‐retention motif (HDEL), and finally; production of mAb in plant production lines lacking β‐1,2‐xylosyltransferase and α‐1,3‐fucosyltransferase activities (FX‐KO). These engineered biosimilars exhibited optimized glycosylation, enhanced phagocytosis and NK cell activation capacity compared to conventional plant‐produced S15 and M15 biosimilars, in some cases outperforming mammalian cell produced COVA2‐15. These engineered antibodies hold great potential for enhancingin vivoefficacy of mAb treatment against COVID‐19 and provide a platform for the development of antibodies against other emerging viruses in a cost‐effective manner.

Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology↗

Solid-state NMR of unlabeled plant cell walls: high-resolution structural analysis without isotopic enrichment

Abstract Background Multidimensional solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance (ssNMR) spectroscopy has emerged as an indispensable technique for resolving polymer structure and intermolecular packing in primary and secondary plant cell walls. Isotope ( 13 C) enrichment provides feasible sensitivity for measuring 2D/3D correlation spectra, but this time-consuming procedure and its associated expenses have restricted the application of ssNMR in lignocellulose analysis. Results Here, we present a method that relies on the sensitivity-enhancing technique Dynamic Nuclear Polarization (DNP) to eliminate the need for 13 C-labeling. With a 26-fold sensitivity enhancement, a series of 2D 13 C– 13 C correlation spectra were successfully collected using the unlabeled stems of wild-type Oryza sativa (rice). The atomic resolution allows us to observe a large number of intramolecular cross peaks for fully revealing the polymorphic structure of cellulose and xylan. NMR relaxation and dipolar order parameters further suggest a sophisticated change of molecular motions in a ctl1 ctl2 double mutant: both cellulose and xylan have become more dynamic on the nanosecond and microsecond timescale, but the motional amplitudes are uniformly small for both polysaccharides. Conclusions By skipping isotopic labeling, the DNP strategy demonstrated here is universally extendable to all lignocellulose materials. This time-efficient method has landed the technical foundation for understanding polysaccharide structure and cell wall assembly in a large variety of plant tissues and species.

09 BIOMASS FUELS↗

Activity-based cell sorting reveals responses of uncultured archaea and bacteria to substrate amendment

Metagenomic studies have revolutionized our understanding of the metabolic potential of uncultured microorganisms in various ecosystems. However, many of these genomic predictions have yet to be experimentally tested, and the functional expression of genomic potential often remains unaddressed. In order to obtain a more thorough understanding of cell physiology, novel techniques capable of testing microbial metabolism under close to in situ conditions must be developed. Here, we provide a benchmark study to demonstrate that bioorthogonal non-canonical amino acid tagging (BONCAT) in combination with fluorescence-activated cell sorting (FACS) and 16S rRNA gene sequencing can be used to identify anabolically active members of a microbial community incubated in the presence of various growth substrates or under changing physicochemical conditions. We applied this approach to a hot spring sediment microbiome from Yellowstone National Park (Wyoming, USA) and identified several microbes that changed their activity levels in response to substrate addition, including uncultured members of the phyla Thaumarchaeota, Acidobacteria, and Fervidibacteria. Because shifts in activity in response to substrate amendment or headspace changes are indicative of microbial preferences for particular growth conditions, results from this and future BONCAT-FACS studies could inform the development of cultivation media to specifically enrich uncultured microbes. Most importantly, BONCAT-FACS is capable of providing information on the physiology of uncultured organisms at as close to in situ conditions as experimentally possible.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗

The multifaceted role of c-di-AMP signaling in the regulation of Porphyromonas gingivalis lipopolysaccharide structure and function

This study unveils the intricate functional association between cyclic di-3’,5’-adenylic acid (c-di-AMP) signaling, cellular bioenergetics, and the regulation of lipopolysaccharide (LPS) profile in Porphyromonas gingivalis, a Gram-negative obligate anaerobe considered as a keystone pathogen involved in the pathogenesis of chronic periodontitis. Previous research has identified variations in P. gingivalis LPS profile as a major virulence factor, yet the underlying mechanism of its modulation has remained elusive. We employed a comprehensive methodological approach, combining two mutants exhibiting varying levels of c-di-AMP compared to the wild type, alongside an optimized analytical methodology that combines conventional mass spectrometry techniques with a novel approach known as FLAT n . We demonstrate that c-di-AMP acts as a metabolic nexus, connecting bioenergetic status to nuanced shifts in fatty acid and glycosyl profiles within P. gingivalis LPS. Notably, the predicted regulator gene cdaR, serving as a potent regulator of c-di-AMP synthesis, was found essential for producing N-acetylgalactosamine and an unidentified glycolipid class associated with the LPS profile. The multifaceted roles of c-di-AMP in bacterial physiology are underscored, emphasizing its significance in orchestrating adaptive responses to stimuli. Furthermore, our findings illuminate the significance of LPS variations and c-di-AMP signaling in determining the biological activities and immunostimulatory potential of P. gingivalis LPS, promoting a pathoadaptive strategy. The study expands the understanding of c-di-AMP pathways in Gram-negative species, laying a foundation for future investigations into the mechanisms governing variations in LPS structure at the molecular level and their implications for host-pathogen interactions.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗

CryoTEN: efficiently enhancing cryo-EM density maps using transformers

Abstract Motivation Cryogenic electron microscopy (cryo-EM) is a core experimental technique used to determine the structure of macromolecules such as proteins. However, the effectiveness of cryo-EM is often hindered by the noise and missing density values in cryo-EM density maps caused by experimental conditions such as low contrast and conformational heterogeneity. Although various global and local map-sharpening techniques are widely employed to improve cryo-EM density maps, it is still challenging to efficiently improve their quality for building better protein structures from them. Results In this study, we introduce CryoTEN—a 3D UNETR++ style transformer to improve cryo-EM maps effectively. CryoTEN is trained using a diverse set of 1295 cryo-EM maps as inputs and their corresponding simulated maps generated from known protein structures as targets. An independent test set containing 150 maps is used to evaluate CryoTEN, and the results demonstrate that it can robustly enhance the quality of cryo-EM density maps. In addition, automatic de novo protein structure modeling shows that protein structures built from the density maps processed by CryoTEN have substantially better quality than those built from the original maps. Compared to the existing state-of-the-art deep learning methods for enhancing cryo-EM density maps, CryoTEN ranks second in improving the quality of density maps, while running >10 times faster and requiring much less GPU memory than them. Availability and implementation The source code and data are freely available at https://github.com/jianlin-cheng/cryoten.

Biochemistry & Molecular Biology↗

Application of multi-criteria decision analysis techniques and decision support framework for informing plant select agent designation and decision making

The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Division of Agricultural Select Agents and Toxins (DASAT) established a list of biological agents (Select Agents List) that threaten crops of economic importance to the United States and regulates the procedures governing containment, incident response, and the security of entities working with them. Every 2 years the USDA DASAT reviews their select agent list, utilizing assessments by subject matter experts (SMEs) to rank the agents. We explored the applicability of multi-criteria decision analysis (MCDA) techniques and a decision support framework (DSF) to support the USDA DASAT biennial review process. The evaluation includes both current and non-select agents to provide a robust assessment. We initially conducted a literature review of 16 pathogens against 9 criteria for assessing plant health and bioterrorism risk and documented the findings to support this analysis. Technical review of published data and associated scoring recommendations by pathogen-specific SMEs was found to be critical for ensuring accuracy. Scoring criteria were adopted to ensure consistency. The MCDA supported the expectation that select agents would rank high on the relative risk scale when considering the agricultural consequences of a bioterrorism attack; however, application of analytical thresholds as a basis for designating select agents led to some exceptions to current designations. A second analytical approach used agent-specific data to designate key criteria in a DSF logic tree format to identify pathogens of low concern that can be ruled out for further consideration as select agents. Both the MCDA and DSF approaches arrived at similar conclusions, suggesting the value of employing the two analytical approaches to add robustness for decision making.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗

A hemoprotein with a zinc-mirror heme site ties heme availability to carbon metabolism in cyanobacteria

Abstract Heme has a critical role in the chemical framework of the cell as an essential protein cofactor and signaling molecule that controls diverse processes and molecular interactions. Using a phylogenomics-based approach and complementary structural techniques, we identify a family of dimeric hemoproteins comprising a domain of unknown function DUF2470. The heme iron is axially coordinated by two zinc-bound histidine residues, forming a distinct two-fold symmetric zinc-histidine-iron-histidine-zinc site. Together with structure-guided in vitro and in vivo experiments, we further demonstrate the existence of a functional link between heme binding by Dri1 (Domain related to iron 1, formerly ssr1698) and post-translational regulation of succinate dehydrogenase in the cyanobacterium Synechocystis , suggesting an iron-dependent regulatory link between photosynthesis and respiration. Given the ubiquity of proteins containing homologous domains and connections to heme metabolism across eukaryotes and prokaryotes, we propose that DRI (Domain Related to Iron; formerly DUF2470) functions at the molecular level as a heme-dependent regulatory domain.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗