Project description:A prototype oligonucleotide microarray was designed to detect and identify viable bacterial species with the potential to grow of common beer spoilage microorganisms from the genera Lactobacillus, Megasphaera, Pediococcus and Pectinatus. Probes targeted the intergenic spacer regions (ISR) between 16S and 23S rRNA, which were amplified in a combination of reverse transcriptase (RT) and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) prior to hybridization. This method allows the detection and discrimination of single bacterial species in a complex sample. Furthermore, microarrays using oligonucleotide probes targeting the ISR allow the distinction between viable bacteria with the potential to grow and non-growing bacteria. The results demonstrate the feasibility of oligonucleotide microarrays as a contamination control in food industry for the detection and identification of spoilage microorganisms within mixed population. Keywords: microarray, oligonucleotide, species-specific, detection, beer spoilage bacteria
Project description:Background: Microorganisms are the major cause of food spoilage during storage, processing and distribution. Pseudomonas fluorescens is a typical spoilage bacterium that contributes to a large extent to the spoilage process of proteinaceous food. RpoS is considered an important global regulator involved in stress survival and virulence in many pathogens. Our previous work revealed that RpoS contributed to the spoilage activities of P. fluorescens by regulating resistance to different stress conditions, extracellular acylated homoserine lactone (AHL) levels, extracellular protease and total volatile basic nitrogen (TVB-N) production. However, RpoS-dependent genes in P. fluorescens remained undefined. Results: RNA-seq transcriptomics analysis combined with quantitative proteomics analysis basing on multiplexed isobaric tandem mass tag (TMT) labeling was performed for the P. fluorescens wild-type strain UK4 and its derivative carrying a rpoS mutation. A total of 375 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) and 212 differentially expressed proteins (DEPs) were identified in these two backgrounds. The DGEs were further verified by qRT-PCR tests, and the genes directly regulated by RpoS were confirmed by 5’-RACE-PCR sequencing. The combining transcriptome and proteome analysis revealed a role of this regulator in several cellular processes, including polysaccharide metabolism, intracellular secretion and extracellular structures, cell well biogenesis, stress responses, ammonia and biogenic amine production, which may contribute to biofilm formation, stress resistance and spoilage activities of P. fluorescens. Moreover, in this work we indeed observed that RpoS contributed to the production of the macrocolony biofilm’s matrix.
Project description:The purpose of this study was to explore the mechanism of aerobic decay of whole-plant corn silage and the effect of Neolamarckia cadamba essential oil on aerobic stability of whole-plant corn silage. Firstly, the dynamic changes of temperature, microbial community and metabolite content after aerobic exposure of whole-plant corn silage were determined, and the main microbial species and mechanism leading to aerobic spoilage of whole-plant corn silage were analyzed. The N. cadamba essential oil was extracted from fresh N. cadamba leaves by steam distillation, and the minimal inhibitory concentration, antibacterial stability and bacteriostatic mechanism of N. cadamba essential oil against undesirable microorganisms in whole-plant corn silage were determined. According to the minimum inhibitory concentration of N. cadamba essential oil on undesirable microorganisms in silage, N. cadamba essential oil was added to whole-plant corn silage to explore the effect of N. cadamba essential oil on the aerobic stability of whole-plant corn silage.
Project description:Here we present genome-wide genotyping data of 70 human samples from Europe (Balto-Slavic speakers, Greeks) that are used in addition to public data in a study of genetic heritage of the Balto-Slavic populations.
Project description:The overall objective of the heritage project is to study the role of the genotype in cardiovascular,metabolic and hormonal responses to aerobic exercise training and the contribution of regular exercise to changes in several cardiovascular disease and diabetes risk factors. PLEASE NOTE THE POST-TRAINING GENE CHIP FILES HAVE NEVER BEEN RELEASED ON GEO. PLEASE ALSO NOTE THAT DUE TO THE OUTDATED INSULIN ASSAY UTILISED IN THE HERITAGE STUDY, THE INSULIN DATA WAS NOT COMPARABLE WITH ANY MORE RECENT MODERN STUDIES.
Project description:Chevallier is a heritage english landrace of barley first planted in 1820 while Tipple is modern cultivar of barley released in 2004. Pseudomonas strains were isolated from the rhizospheres of the two varieties and 22 and 20 of the most phylogenetically distinct ones were sequenced to find out the difference in genotypes preferentially selected in the rhizospheres of the two cultivars.
Project description:The interest of scientists in analysing items of World Cultural Heritage, has been exponentially increasing since the beginning of the new millennium. These studies have grown considerably in tandem with the development and the use of sophisticated and sensitive technologies such as the high-resolution mass spectrometry (MS) and the non-invasive and non-damaging technique, known under the acronym EVA. Here, we report the results about the MS-characterization of the peptides and proteins harvested by the EVA technology applied to three letters written in 1457 and 1475 by the voivode of Wallachia, Vlad III, also known as Vlad the Impaler, or Vlad Dracula. The discrimination of the “original” endogenous peptides from contaminant ones was obtained monitoring their different level of deamidation and of other diagenetic chemical modifica-tions. The characterization of the ancient proteins extracted from these documents allowed to explore the environmental conditions, in the second half of the 15th-century, of the Wallachia, a region considered as a meeting point for soldiers, mi-grants and travellers that probably carried not only trade goods and cultural traditions, but also diseases and epidemics. In addition, the identification of many human peptides and proteins harvested from the letters allowed to uncover more about Vlad Dracula the Impaler. Particularly, the experimental data show that he probably suffered of inflammatory processes of the respiratory tract and/or of the skin, and, according to some stories, he also suffered from a pathological condition called haemolacria, that is he could shed tears admixed with blood. It is worth to note that it cannot deny that more medieval peo-ple may have touched these documents, but it is also presumable that the most prominent ancient proteins should be related to the Prince Vlad the Impaler, who written and signed these letters.