Cochransloan3415

e., simple or multiple linear regression models). The improved predictive performance compared with that obtained for AFLA-maize and FER-maize was clearly demonstrated. This coupled to the large data set used, comprising a 13-year time series, and the good results for the statistical scores applied, together confirmed the robustness of the models developed here.The pandemic Escherichia coli sequence type 131 (ST131) carrying plasmid-mediated colistin resistance mcr genes has emerged worldwide causing extraintestinal infections, with lineages belonging to three major clades (A, B, and C). Clade B is the most prevalent in animals, contaminating associated meat products, and can be transmitted zoonotically. However, the bla CTX-M-15 gene has only been associated with C2 subclade so far. In this study, we performed a genomic investigation of an E. coli (strain S802) isolated from a kale crop in Brazil, which exhibited a multidrug-resistant (MDR) profile to clinically significant antimicrobials (i.e., polymyxin, broad-spectrum cephalosporins, aminoglycosides, and fluoroquinolones). Whole-genome sequencing analysis revealed that the S802 strain belonged to serotype O25H4, ST131/CC131, phylogenetic group B2, and virotype D5. GS-441524 mouse Furthermore, S802 carried the clade B-associated fimH22 allele, genes encoding resistance to clinically important antimicrobials, metals, and biocides, and was phylogenetically related to human, avian, and swine ST131-H22 strains. Additionally, IncHI2-IncQ1, IncF [F2A-B1], and ColE1-like plasmids were identified harboring mcr-1.1, bla CTX-M-15, and qnrB19, respectively. The emergence of the E. coli ST131-H22 sublineage carrying mcr-1.1, bla CTX-M-15, and qnrB19 in agricultural soil represents a threat to food and environmental safety. Therefore, a One Health approach to genomic surveillance studies is required to effectively detect and limit the spread of antimicrobial-resistant bacteria and their resistance genes.The continental deep subsurface is likely the largest reservoir of biofilm-based microbial biomass on Earth, but the role of mineral selectivity in regulating its distribution and diversity is unclear. Minerals can produce hotspots for intraterrestrial life by locally enhancing biofilm biomass. Metabolic transformations of minerals by subsurface biofilms may occur widely with the potential to significantly impact subsurface biogeochemical cycles. However, the degree of impact depends upon the amount of biofilm biomass and its relationship to host rock mineralogy, estimates that are currently loosely constrained to non-existent. Here, we use in situ cultivation of biofilms on native rocks and coupled microscopy/spectroscopy to constrain mineral selectivity by biofilms in a deep continental subsurface setting the Deep Mine Microbial Observatory (DeMMO). Through hotspot analysis and spatial modeling approaches we find that mineral distributions, particularly those putatively metabolized by microbes, indeed drive biofilm distribution at DeMMO, and that bioleaching of pyrite may be a volumetrically important process influencing fluid geochemistry at this site when considered at the kilometer scale. Given the ubiquity of iron-bearing minerals at this site and globally, and the amount of biomass they can support, we posit that rock-hosted biofilms likely contribute significantly to subsurface biogeochemical cycles. As more data becomes available, future efforts to estimate biomass in the continental subsurface should incorporate host rock mineralogy.Recent advances in robotics and affordable genomic sequencing technologies have made it possible to establish and quantitatively track the assembly of enrichment communities in high-throughput. By conducting community assembly experiments in up to thousands of synthetic habitats, where the extrinsic sources of variation among replicates can be controlled, we can now study the reproducibility and predictability of microbial community assembly at different levels of organization, and its relationship with nutrient composition and other ecological drivers. Through a dialog with mathematical models, high-throughput enrichment communities are bringing us closer to the goal of developing a quantitative predictive theory of microbial community assembly. In this short review, we present an overview of recent research on this growing field, highlighting the connection between theory and experiments and suggesting directions for future work.The deleterious effects of human-induced climate change have long been predicted. However, the imminent emergence and spread of new diseases, including fungal infections through the rise of thermotolerant strains, is still neglected, despite being a potential consequence of global warming. Thermotolerance is a remarkable virulence attribute of the mold Aspergillus fumigatus. Under high-temperature stress, opportunistic fungal pathogens deploy an adaptive mechanism known as heat shock (HS) response controlled by heat shock transcription factors (HSFs). In eukaryotes, HSFs regulate the expression of several heat shock proteins (HSPs), such as the chaperone Hsp90, which is part of the cellular program for heat adaptation and a direct target of HSFs. We recently observed that the perturbation in cell wall integrity (CWI) causes concomitant susceptibility to elevated temperatures in A. fumigatus, although the mechanisms underpinning the HS response and CWI cross talking are not elucidated. Here, we aim at further deciphering the interplay between HS and CWI. Our results show that cell wall ultrastructure is severely modified when A. fumigatus is exposed to HS. We identify the transcription factor HsfA as essential for A. fumigatus viability, thermotolerance, and CWI. Indeed, HS and cell wall stress trigger the coordinated expression of both hsfA and hsp90. Furthermore, the CWI signaling pathway components PkcA and MpkA were shown to be important for HsfA and Hsp90 expression in the A. fumigatus biofilms. Lastly, RNA-sequencing confirmed that hsfA regulates the expression of genes related to the HS response, cell wall biosynthesis and remodeling, and lipid homeostasis. Our studies collectively demonstrate the connection between the HS and the CWI pathway, with HsfA playing a crucial role in this cross-pathway regulation, reinforcing the importance of the cell wall in A. fumigatus thermophily.