A5010490256- Legume Nitrogen Fixing Symbiosis
- Antimicrobial Resistance in Staphylococcus
- Bacterial biofilms and quorum sensing
- Bacteriophages and microbial interactions
- Genomics and Phylogenetic Studies
- Bacterial Identification and Susceptibility Testing
- Bacterial Genetics and Biotechnology
- Nematode management and characterization studies
- Microbial Metabolism and Applications
- Antibiotic Resistance in Bacteria
- Wastewater Treatment and Nitrogen Removal
- Agronomic Practices and Intercropping Systems
- Plant nutrient uptake and metabolism
- Plant-Microbe Interactions and Immunity
- Antibiotics Pharmacokinetics and Efficacy
- Microbial Community Ecology and Physiology
- Plant Pathogenic Bacteria Studies
- Cystic Fibrosis Research Advances
- Mine drainage and remediation techniques
- Microbial Natural Products and Biosynthesis
- Minerals Flotation and Separation Techniques
- RNA and protein synthesis mechanisms
- Metal Extraction and Bioleaching
- Microbial Fuel Cells and Bioremediation
- Protist diversity and phylogeny
Curtin University
2016-2025
The University of Western Australia
2021
Washington State University
2016-2018
University of Cambridge
2009-2016
Murdoch University
2015-2016
University of Otago
2005-2015
Bipar
2006
Science Oxford
2005
Universidad de Salamanca
2005
Pasadena City College
2005
Statins are a class of therapeutics used to regulate serum cholesterol and reduce the risk heart disease. Although statins highly effective in removing from blood, their consumption has been linked potential adverse effects some individuals. The most common events associated with statin intolerance myopathy increased developing type 2 diabetes mellitus. However, pathological mechanism through which cause these is not well understood. Using murine model, we describe for first time profound...
The horizontal gene transfer facilitated by mobile genetic elements impacts almost all areas of bacterial evolution, including the accretion and dissemination antimicrobial-resistance genes in human animal pathogen Staphylococcus aureus. Genome surveys staphylococcal plasmids have revealed an unexpected paucity conjugation mobilization loci, perhaps suggesting that plays only a minor role evolution this genus. In letter we present DNA sequences historically documented conjugative highlight...
Summary The Mesorhizobium loti strain R7A symbiosis island is an Integrative Conjugative Element (ICE), herein termed ICE Ml Sym , which integrates into a phe tRNA gene. Integration reconstructs the gene at one junction with core chromosome, and direct repeat of 3‐prime 17 bp formed other junction. We show that intS gene, encodes integrase phage P4 family, required for integration excision island. Excision also depended on novel recombination directionality factor encoded by msi109 ( rdfS )....
Staphylococcus aureus is a common cause of hospital, community and livestock-associated infections increasingly resistant to multiple antimicrobials. A significant proportion antimicrobial-resistance genes are plasmid-borne, but only minority S. plasmids encode proteins required for conjugative transfer or Mob relaxase mobilisation. The pWBG749 family can facilitate the horizontal diverse that lack genes. Here we reveal these mobilisable carry copies origin-of-transfer (oriT) sequence oriT...
Significance Integrative and conjugative elements (ICEs) are one of the most prevalent but least-characterized families mobile genetic in bacteria. We identified a family ICEs that exists as three separate parts integrated within single chromosomes symbiotic mesorhizobia. These “tripartite ICEs,” through series chromosomal recombinations mediated by integrase proteins, assemble into circular ICE. Following transfer to nonsymbiotic mesorhizobia, tripartite integrate disassemble recipient...
Gas vesicles are hollow intracellular proteinaceous organelles produced by aquatic Eubacteria and Archaea, including cyanobacteria halobacteria. increase buoyancy allow taxis toward air–liquid interfaces, enabling subsequent niche colonization. Here we report a unique example of gas vesicle-mediated flotation in an enterobacterium; Serratia sp. strain ATCC39006. This is member the Enterobacteriaceae previously studied for its production prodigiosin carbapenem antibiotics. Genes required...
Different modes of bacterial taxis play important roles in environmental adaptation, survival, colonization and dissemination disease. One mode is flotation due to the production gas vesicles. Gas vesicles are proteinaceous intracellular organelles, permeable only gas, that enable aquatic niches. Gene clusters for vesicle biosynthesis partially conserved various archaea, cyanobacteria, some proteobacteria, such as enterobacterium, Serratia sp. ATCC 39006 (S39006). Here we present first...
ABSTRACT Rhizobia are soil bacteria capable of establishing symbiosis within legume root nodules, where they reduce atmospheric N 2 into ammonia and supply it to the plant for growth. Australian soils often lack rhizobia compatible with introduced agricultural legumes, so inoculation exotic strains has become a common practice over 50 years. While extensive research assessed -fixing capabilities these inoculants, their genomics, taxonomy, core accessory gene phylogeny poorly characterized....
Winged helix-turn-helix (wHTH) proteins are diverse DNA-binding that often oligomerize on DNA and participate in recombination transcriptional regulation. wHTH directionality factors (RDFs) associated with tyrosine recombinases, stimulate excision of prophage integrative conjugative elements (ICEs). RdfS is required for conjugation the Mesorhizobium japonicum R7A ICE, ICEMlSymR7A, which carries genes nitrogen-fixing symbiosis. We show binds to regions within IntS attachment site (attP) rdfS...
The symbiosis island ICEMlSym(R7A) of Mesorhizobium loti R7A is an integrative and conjugative element (ICE) that carries genes required for a nitrogen-fixing with Lotus species. encodes homologues (TraR, TraI1 TraI2) proteins regulate plasmid transfer by quorum sensing in rhizobia agrobacteria. Introduction traR cloned on induced excision all cells, 1000-fold increase the production 3-oxo-C6-homoserine lactone (3-oxo-C6-HSL) 40-fold transfer. These effects were dependent traI1 but not...
ICEMlSym(R7A) of Mesorhizobium loti is an integrative and conjugative element (ICE) that confers the ability to form a nitrogen-fixing symbiosis with Lotus species. Horizontal transfer activated by TraR N-acyl-homoserine lactone (AHL), which can stimulate ICE excision in 100% cells. However, wild-type cultures, excised at low frequency. Here we show QseM, widely conserved ICE-encoded protein, antiactivator TraR. Mutation qseM resulted TraR-dependent activation AHL production excision, but...
Significance Integrative and conjugative elements (ICEs) facilitate horizontal transfer of multiple genetic determinants. Here we show that a programmed ribosomal frameshift (PRF) contributes to the regulation ICE transfer. The low-frequency PRF fuses coding sequences two genes, resulting in single-protein Frameshifted excision activator (FseA) activates excision. An antiactivator, QseM, known disrupt quorum-sensing regulator TraR, also disrupted FseA. evolved site, together with dual-target...
Members of the Mesorhizobium genus are soil bacteria that often form nitrogen-fixing symbioses with legumes. Most characterised spp. genomes ~8 Mb in size and harbour extensive pangenomes including large integrative conjugative elements (ICEs) carrying genes required for symbiosis (ICESyms). Here, we document compare mobilome 41 complete genomes. We delineated 56 ICEs 24 mobilizable (IMEs) collectively occupying 16 distinct integration sites, along plasmids. also demonstrated horizontal...
Mesorhizobia are soil bacteria that establish nitrogen-fixing symbioses with various legumes. Novel symbiotic mesorhizobia frequently evolve following horizontal transfer of symbiosis-gene-carrying integrative and conjugative elements (ICESyms) to indigenous in soils. Evolved symbionts exhibit a wide range effectiveness, some fixing nitrogen poorly or not at all. Little is known about the genetic diversity potential prior ICESym acquisition. Here we sequenced genomes 144 Mesorhizobium spp....
Rhizobia are a diverse group of α- and β-proteobacteria that boost soil fertility by forming nitrogen-fixing symbiosis with legumes, which is why legumes grown in rotation cereals agriculture. naturally populate Australian soils largely incompatible exotic agricultural therefore, compatible strains have been imported from all over the world for use as inoculants. An amalgamated collection these strains, called International Legume Inoculant Genebank (ILIG), has established at Murdoch...
Summary Serratia sp. ATCC 39006 (S39006) is a Gram‐negative bacterium that virulent in plant (potato) and animal ( Caenorhabditis elegans ) models. It produces two secondary metabolite antibiotics, prodigiosin carbapenem, the exoenzymes, pectate lyase cellulase. A complex regulatory network includes quorum sensing (QS) controls production of prodigiosin. While many aspects regulation metabolites exoenzymes are well understood, potential role this RNA chaperone Hfq dependent small RNAs has...
We report the complete genome sequence of Mesorhizobium ciceri strain CC1192, an efficient nitrogen-fixing microsymbiont Cicer arietinum (chickpea). The consists 6.94 Mb distributed between a single chromosome (6.29 Mb) and plasmid (0.65 Mb).
Horizontal transfer of the integrative and conjugative element ICEMlSymR7A converts non-symbiotic Mesorhizobium spp. into nitrogen-fixing legume symbionts. Here, we discover subpopulations japonicum R7A become epigenetically primed for quorum-sensing (QS) QS-activated horizontal transfer. Isolated populations in this state termed R7A* maintained these phenotypes laboratory culture but did not to recipients following conjugation. We previously demonstrated QS are repressed by antiactivator...
Abstract Background Serratia sp. ATCC 39006 (S39006) is a Gram-negative enterobacterium that virulent in plant and animal models. It produces red-pigmented trypyrrole secondary metabolite, prodigiosin (Pig), carbapenem antibiotic (Car), as well the exoenzymes, pectate lyase cellulase. Secondary metabolite production this strain controlled by complex regulatory network involving quorum sensing (QS). Hfq RsmA (two RNA binding proteins major post-transcriptional regulators of gene expression)...
To describe a family of conjugative plasmids isolated from colonizing community Staphylococcus aureus and determine their ability to mobilize unrelated antimicrobial resistance/virulence plasmids, not encoding mobilization functions. Plasmid pWBG749 was labelled with Tn551 (pWBG749e) enable laboratory manipulation. pWBG749e conjugated into S. seven different lineages that harboured experiments were performed. Plasmids screened by EcoRI restriction hybridization probes prepared unique...