Project description:Pseudomonas aeruginosa is a common bacterium in the terminal plumbing system of buildings and it is from this niche that a substantial fraction of infections are acquired. To better understand P. aeruginosa biology in this environment, we examined the transcriptomes in tap water and pond water.
Project description:In the search for sustainable drinking water, many countries are weighing up the benefits of advanced treatment technologies as a proactive measure to assist with the transformation of treated wastewater into a source of water used for the production of potable water. We investigated the biological effects along a pilot plant with an advanced water treatment process, using zebrafish embryos at different stages of development. The study took an innovative approach, comparing phenotypic observations with whole genome responses. This enabled us to keep an open mind about which chemicals might be influencing the biological activity. There was no evidence of acute toxicity at any stage of treatment, but distinctive abnormalities – skeletal, cardiovascular and pigmentation – occurred in a small proportion of embryos along the treatment process, and in a tap water, that were not detected in the aquarium water control. Reverse osmosis (RO) reduced the concentration of measured chemical contaminants in the water the most, whilst eliminating the occurrence of abnormalities detected in the fish. In contrast, advanced oxidation appeared to reverse the benefits of RO treatment by increasing the frequency of teratogenic and sub-lethal abnormalities seen in embryos. Genomic analysis found alterations to the retinoid system, which was consistent with the teratogenic abnormalities observed. In addition, we found evidence of changes to metabolic pathways, including tryptophan metabolism associated with the production of melatonin required for the control of normal circadian rhythms. Although we cannot extrapolate these preliminary findings in zebrafish embryos to human or environmental health, we show that underexplored forms of biological activity (that existing Test Guidelines are not designed to capture) occur in treated wastewater effluent, and/or may be created depending on the type of advanced treatment process used. Although the identity of the culprit chemicals are unknown at this time, our innovative approach highlights the need for more research into the effects of chemicals on the retinoid system (and metabolism).
Project description:This study investigates the long-term persistence of Yersinia pestis in tap water microcosms at 25°C and examines its proteomic landscape and ability to cause lethal infection in a mouse model during persistence, assessing its potential risk for waterborne transmission. Five Y. pestis strains representing different biovars and molecular profiles were studied by seeding tap water microcosms with different bacterial concentrations. All strains remained viable for approximately 120 days in High-Concentration Microcosms (HCM) and 60 days in Low-Concentration Microcosms (LCM). Mass spectrometry analysis revealed that 1,825 proteins (~72%) remained expressed in tap water for over 100 days, with 113 and 43 proteins showing differential expression at 60 and 100 days in HCM, respectively, suggesting adaptive shifts to the aquatic environment. Stress-response proteins (CspA1, CspA2, HspQ) and regulatory proteins (LysR, GntR) appeared to support survival, while virulence-associated proteins (YopE, YopB, ail, adhesins) were also expressed. Notably, mice inoculated with water from day 90 HCM succumbed to infection, underscoring the pathogen’s ability to retain infectivity even in unfavourable conditions. These findings highlight the resilience of Y. pestis in water, its prolonged survival while maintaining virulence, and the potential risks of waterborne transmission, emphasizing the need for effective mitigation strategies against biothreat agents.
Project description:To discover new miRNA targets, we generated a C. elegans transgenic line expressing a functional N-terminally Tandem Affinity Purification (TAP) tagged ALG-1 protein We purified TAP::ALG-1 complexes from mixed-stage TAP::ALG-1 transgenic (WS4303) and wild-type (N2, serving as a mock control) animals and hybridized the associated mRNAs to two-color microarrays