491 - Less Liquid Lands Losing Lichens

Lichens on rock By Jesse Noar CC BY 4.0

This episode: Trends of declining lichen populations and biocrust cover overall match trends of increasing temperatures in Colorado dryland!
Download Episode (6.4 MB, 9.3 minutes)

Show notes:

Microbe of the episode: Cherry chlorotic rusty spot associated partitivirus

Takeaways:

Global climate change is affecting almost every natural system on the planet, in predictable and also sometimes unexpected, complex ways. Microbes perform key roles in many different ecosystems, providing and recycling important nutrients and even macroscopic structure. One example of this is biocrusts in dryland environments, such as areas in the western US with low annual rainfall. Microbes other organisms form a stable surface binding soil and sand particles together, helping to retain moisture and prevent erosion and transformation of land into desert.

In this study of a Colorado park over more than 20 years, important species of symbiotic fungi and photosynthetic microbes in the form of lichens have declined significantly. The land is mostly untroubled by grazing or human activity, but changes in climate and moisture and the presence of invasive plants could affect lichens. However, the temperature increase over the decades showed the best correlation with the lichen decline. The loss of these species could lead to nutrient shortages in the long term for these communities.

Journal Paper:

Finger-Higgens R, Duniway MC, Fick S, Geiger EL, Hoover DL, Pfennigwerth AA, Van Scoyoc MW, Belnap J. 2022. Decline in biological soil crust N-fixing lichens linked to increasing summertime temperatures. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 119:e2120975119.

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477 - Hijackers Hitchhike on Hyphal Highways

Phage stuck to non-host bacterium
By You et al, 2022,
ISMEJ 16:1275-1283
CC BY 4.0

This episode: Bacteriophages can hitch a ride on bacteria they don't infect to travel through soil on fungal filaments, potentially helping their carriers by infecting and killing their competitors!
Download Episode (7.1 MB, 10.3 minutes)

Show notes:
Microbe of the episode: Epinotia aporema granulovirus

News item

Takeaways

For tiny bacteria, partially dry soil can be like a vast system of caverns, with particles of soil separated by air-filled spaces much bigger than individual bacteria. Not all bacteria can swim through liquid, and those that can’t simply try to thrive as best they can wherever they may be. But for those that can swim, fungi and other filamentous organisms can form bridges between soil particles that motile bacteria can swim across, reaching new places.

In this study, phages were found to hitch a ride on bacteria they don’t normally infect, crossing fungus-like filaments to new places and infecting the bacteria they find there. The bacteria carrying them can also benefit from this interaction, since the phages help the carrier bacteria compete and establish a colony in the new location.

Journal Paper:
You X, Kallies R, Kühn I, Schmidt M, Harms H, Chatzinotas A, Wick LY. 2022. Phage co-transport with hyphal-riding bacteria fuels bacterial invasion in a water-unsaturated microbial model system. 5. ISME J 16:1275–1283.

Other interesting stories:

• Fungus species discovered in spacecraft assembly facility
• Oral microbes uniquely influence immune system interaction with mouth bones

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476 - Bamboo Breakdown Benefits Beetle Babies

Bamboo
By I Kenpei,
CC BY-SA 3.0

This episode: Beetles inoculate bamboo with a fungus that consumes the bamboo sugars to feed the beetle larvae!
Download Episode (7.7 MB, 11.2 minutes)

Show notes:
Microbe of the episode: Saccharomyces cerevisiae virus L-BC (La)

News item

Video: Lizard beetle laying its egg

Takeaways

The structural polymers that make up plants, such as cellulose, can be difficult for many organisms to digest. Some kinds of bacteria and fungi can do it, and some animals (cows, pandas, termites) partner with these microbes to be able to eat otherwise indigestible plant material. This includes insects such as leaf-cutter ants that farm external gardens of microbes, providing them plant material and then eating the resulting microbial growth.

In this study, the lizard beetle lays its eggs in bamboo and inoculates the walls of the bamboo with a fungus that provides food to the larvae. Chemical analyses suggest that the fungus only consumes the simple sugars in the bamboo rather than breaking down the tougher polymers, which raises questions about the evolution of this interaction.

Journal Paper:
Toki W, Aoki D. 2021. Nutritional resources of the yeast symbiont cultivated by the lizard beetle Doubledaya bucculenta in bamboos. Sci Rep 11:19208.

Other interesting stories:

• Using bacteria to detect and target colon cancer for imaging (paper)
• Filters made from kombucha cultures could work better than synthetic types

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467 - Prion Pivots Productive Pathways

Saccharomyces yeast
By Mogana Das Murtey and
Patchamuthu Ramasamy
CC BY-SA 3.0

This episode: Prions in yeast can allow better adaptation to changing conditions!

Thanks to David Garcia for his contribution!

Download Episode (9.5 MB, 13.9 minutes)

Show notes:
Microbe of the episode: Hepatovirus F

News item

Takeaways

Prions can be deadly. They're misshapen proteins that cause a cascade of misfolding of similar proteins if they get into the nervous system, resulting in neurodegeneration in mammals. But in other organisms, they are not always so scary; some fungi use prions to regulate their behavior in varying conditions.

In this study, a prion allows yeast to switch between a fast-growing lifestyle with shorter reproductive lifespan that can be beneficial in conditions where nutrients are often plentiful, and a slower-growing but more enduring lifestyle that helps in more scarce conditions.

Journal Paper:
Garcia DM, Campbell EA, Jakobson CM, Tsuchiya M, Shaw EA, DiNardo AL, Kaeberlein M, Jarosz DF. 2021. A prion accelerates proliferation at the expense of lifespan. eLife 10:e60917.

Other interesting stories:

• Modified yeast probiotic could tune its effects as needed by sensing bowel inflammation

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465 - Partners Produce Predator Prevention

Fungus cells with 
bacterial symbionts
By Büttner et al. 2021
PNAS 118:e2110669118
CC BY-NC-ND 4.0

This episode: Bacteria living inside soil fungus produce toxins that can protect their host from tiny predators!

Download Episode (7.7 MB, 11.2 minutes)

Show notes:
Microbe of the episode: Mycobacterium virus DLane

Takeaways

Soils have many different organisms cooperating and competing for resources. Some little worms called nematodes prey on fungi in the soil, while fungi may effectively defend themselves or strike back with toxins or traps that catch and kill the worms. On top of these interactions are other organisms that interact in various ways. In this study, bacteria living inside a kind of soil fungus produce toxins that defend the fungus against predatory nematodes.

Journal Paper:
Büttner H, Niehs SP, Vandelannoote K, Cseresnyés Z, Dose B, Richter I, Gerst R, Figge MT, Stinear TP, Pidot SJ, Hertweck C. 2021. Bacterial endosymbionts protect beneficial soil fungus from nematode attack. Proc Natl Acad Sci 118:e2110669118.

Other interesting stories:

• Sequencing stomach bacteria to find out how prehistoric populations migrated

Post questions or comments here or email to bacteriofiles@gmail.com. Thanks for listening!

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464 - Prodding Pollen's Popping Process

Pollen
(fromWikipedia)

This episode: Certain nectar-dwelling bacteria can induce pollen to germinate to access their tasty proteins!

Download Episode (6.0 MB, 8.8 minutes)

Show notes:
Microbe of the episode: Clostridium oceanicum

News item

Takeaways

Nectar in flowers seems like it would be a great place for microbes to live, since it has so much sugar, but it's actually somewhat difficult to thrive solely in and on nectar. The carbon in sugar is only one essential element for life, and there's enough of it that it can be overwhelming to the osmotic balance of many microbes. Pollen could provide more nutrients in the form of protein and the nitrogen that comes with it, but it is difficult to penetrate its hard shell.

In this study, certain kinds of bacteria that live in nectar were able to access more pollen protein than other microbes by inducing pollen to germinate, growing out of its shell, or burst and release the protein directly. These microbes only benefited from pollen that were still alive and able to germinate, and not from those that had been disabled.

Journal Paper:
Christensen SM, Munkres I, Vannette RL. 2021. Nectar bacteria stimulate pollen germination and bursting to enhance microbial fitness. Curr Biol 31:4373-4380.e6.

Other interesting stories:

• Bacteria recycling plastic into vanilla flavor

Post questions or comments here or email to bacteriofiles@gmail.com. Thanks for listening!

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441 - Hyphal Hijacker Helps Harvests

Fungus growing in root
By Zhang et al. 2020
Molec Plant 13:1420-1433
CC BY-NC-ND 4.0

This episode: A fungus-infecting virus transforms the fungal foe into a friend of its host plant!

Download Episode (6.1 MB, 8.9 minutes)

Show notes:
Microbe of the episode: Hepacivirus J

News item

Takeaways

Viruses can be useful for treating various diseases, especially bacterial infections and cancer. Their ability to target certain cell types specifically makes them great at hunting down and killing disease-causing cells without harming the body's healthy tissue. And just as bacteriophages can work to treat bacterial disease in us, fungal viruses could help to treat serious fungal infections in crop plants.

In this study, a fungus-infecting virus goes beyond treating a deadly fungal disease in rapeseed plants. Fungus infected with this virus no longer causes disease, but lives in harmony with the host plant, protects it from other fungal diseases, and even helps it to grow better.

Journal Paper:
Zhang H, Xie J, Fu Y, Cheng J, Qu Z, Zhao Z, Cheng S, Chen T, Li B, Wang Q, Liu X, Tian B, Collinge DB, Jiang D. 2020. A 2-kb Mycovirus Converts a Pathogenic Fungus into a Beneficial Endophyte for Brassica Protection and Yield Enhancement. Mol Plant 13:1420–1433.

Other interesting stories:

• Engineering E. coli to turn carbon dioxide into biomass
• Radiation super-resistant bacteria survive 1 year exposed to low Earth orbit

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440 - Prokaryotes Pay for Passage

Bacteria along fungal hyphae
By Abeysinghe et al. 2020,
Life Sci Alliance 3:e202000878
CC BY 4.0

This episode: Bacteria pay for the privilege of cruising around soil on fungus filaments!

Download Episode (7.7 MB, 11.2 minutes)

Show notes:
Microbe of the episode: Clostridium acetobutylicum

News item

Takeaways

In the complex environment of soil, many different kinds of organisms coexist. Some compete with each other, while others cooperate in fascinating interactions. One example is how bacteria can swim through a film of water surrounding the filaments of fungi, allowing them to traverse more quickly and reach new locations.

In this study, an interaction between fungus and bacterium is discovered in which the bacteria benefit from the fungus in enhanced ability to travel, and the fungus benefits by absorbing vitamins that the bacteria produce.

Journal Paper:
Abeysinghe G, Kuchira M, Kudo G, Masuo S, Ninomiya A, Takahashi K, Utada AS, Hagiwara D, Nomura N, Takaya N, Obana N, Takeshita N. 2020. Fungal mycelia and bacterial thiamine establish a mutualistic growth mechanism. Life Sci Alliance 3(12):202000878.

Other interesting stories:

• Honeybee gut microbes help them define their social groupings
• Smells that cheese fungi make help cheese microbe community develop

Post questions or comments here or email to bacteriofiles@gmail.com. Thanks for listening!

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439 - Microbes Mitigate Mushroom Morbidity

Button mushrooms
By chris_73, CC BY-SA 3.0

This episode: Bacteria protect farmed mushrooms from damage by other bacteria by breaking down their toxins!

Download Episode (4.9 MB, 7.1 minutes)

Show notes:
Microbe of the episode: Tomato mosaic virus

Takeaways

Almost all organisms are vulnerable to pathogenic microbes that make them sick or cause damage. Most also have other microbes that help them grow better or protect them from pathogens. This includes animals, plants, and also fungi.

In this study, bacterial pathogens produce a toxin that causes button mushrooms to turn brown and rot. However, other bacteria can degrade this toxin and protect the fungus, and can also degrade molecules the pathogens produce to help them swarm to new places, restricting their movement.

Journal Paper:
Hermenau R, Kugel S, Komor AJ, Hertweck C. 2020. Helper bacteria halt and disarm mushroom pathogens by linearizing structurally diverse cyclolipopeptides. Proc Natl Acad Sci 117:23802–23806.

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426 - Sensory Cilia Supply Susceptibility

C. elegans roundworm
By Bob Goldstein, UNC Chapel Hill
CC BY-SA 3.0

This episode: A fungus paralyzes its tiny worm prey by acting on the worm's own sensory hairs!


Download Episode (6.0 MB, 8.7 minutes)

Show notes:
Microbe of the episode: Bat associated cyclovirus 9

Takeaways

Not all predators are fast or agile; some are sneaky, or good trap builders, or just good chemists. The predator club includes animals but also plants and even fungi. For example, the oyster mushroom fungus can paralyze roundworms in the soil that touch its filaments, then degrade their bodies and consume their nutrients.

The mechanism of this paralysis has been a mystery, but it's one step closer to being solved. This study found that intact sensory cilia, little hairs on the worm's head that help it sense its surroundings, are required for the paralysis to work. Worms with mutations in the structure of their cilia were protected from paralysis. How exactly the fungus acts on these cilia and the neurons they connect to, though, is still unknown.

Journal Paper:
Lee C-H, Chang H-W, Yang C-T, Wali N, Shie J-J, Hsueh Y-P. 2020. Sensory cilia as the Achilles heel of nematodes when attacked by carnivorous mushrooms. Proc Natl Acad Sci 117:6014–6022.

Other interesting stories:

• Bread waste could be good food for useful fermentations
• Symbiotic bacteria in beetle picked up gene that helps defend beetle eggs from fungus

Post questions or comments here or email to bacteriofiles@gmail.com. Thanks for listening!

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BacterioFiles 415 - Global Glomus Growth Guesses

How mycorrhizal fungi work

By Nefronus, CC BY-SA 4.0

This episode: A global estimate of plants and their root fungi shows how agriculture may have greatly affected soil carbon storage over time!

Download Episode (5.7 MB, 8.3 minutes)

Show notes:
Microbe of the episode: Rhizobium virus RHEph4

News item

Takeaways
Even small organisms can have a big effect on the climate of the planet if there are enough of them. This includes trees, which are small relative to the planet, and also includes the fungi that attach to the roots of trees and other plants. These mycorrhizal fungi thread subtly through the soil, some occasionally popping up mushrooms, and transfer valuable nutrients they gather to the trees in exchange for carbon fixed from the air.

Knowing how big an effect a given kind of organism has requires knowing how much of it is around. This study collates data from various surveys of global plant populations and the fungi that interact with their roots, to estimate a global picture of the fungi below our feet. It estimates that a kind of fungus that stores more carbon in the soil may have been replaced in many areas with fungi that store less, or no fungi at all, due to the transformation of land from wild areas to farmland.

Journal Paper:
Soudzilovskaia NA, van Bodegom PM, Terrer C, Zelfde M van’t, McCallum I, Luke McCormack M, Fisher JB, Brundrett MC, de Sá NC, Tedersoo L. 2019. Global mycorrhizal plant distribution linked to terrestrial carbon stocks. Nat Commun 10:1–10.

Other interesting stories:

• Phages bind to fish mucosal surfaces and protect from infection
• Examining how archaea affect meteorites

Post questions or comments here or email to bacteriofiles@gmail.com. Thanks for listening!

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BacterioFiles 413 - Finding Fire Fungi Footholds

Pyrophilous fungus
Pholiota highlandensis

This episode: Some fungi only form fruiting bodies after forest fires; where do they hide the rest of the time? At least for some of them, the answer is: inside mosses!

Thanks to Daniel Raudabaugh for his contribution!

Download Episode (6.2 MB, 9.0 minutes)

Show notes:
Microbe of the episode: Nocardia brevicatena

News item

Takeaways
Forest fires can do a lot of damage, but life grows back quickly. Certain kinds of plant seed actually only germinate after a fire, and a similar thing is true of certain kinds of fungi: they only form fruiting bodies (like mushrooms, for spreading spores) after a fire. For plants, the advantage may come from increased access to light with some or all of the canopy burned away, and fungi may benefit from less competition on the ground. But in between burn events, these fire-loving (pyrophilous) fungi seem to disappear. Where do they go?

The study here sought an answer, suspecting an association with some mosses that reappeared soon after a forest fire in North Carolina in 2016. They looked for fungi lurking as endophytes inside moss and other samples, both by growing them on agar and by DNA sequencing, and they found a number of different known pyrophilous fungi. Some of these were in soil, or samples from outside the burned area, but the majority were inside mosses growing in the recently burned zone.

Journal Paper:
Raudabaugh DB, Matheny PB, Hughes KW, Iturriaga T, Sargent M, Miller AN. 2020. Where are they hiding? Testing the body snatchers hypothesis in pyrophilous fungi. Fungal Ecol 43:100870.

Other interesting stories:

• Probiotic yeast species could inhibit pathogenic yeasts (paper)
• Plant passes on nitrogen fixing symbionts to offspring

Post questions or comments here or email to bacteriofiles@gmail.com. Thanks for listening!

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BacterioFiles 412 - Carbon Concentration Complicates Crop Cooperation

Wheat plants
By Bluemoose, CC BY-SA 3.0

This episode: Looking at the effects of almost doubling CO₂ concentrations on the interaction between wheat varieties and beneficial fungi!

Download Episode (8.1 MB, 11.8 minutes)

Show notes:
Microbe of the episode: Lato River virus

News item

Takeaways
As the world's population grows, feeding everyone will grow more challenging. Advances in technology in the past have made today's population possible, but future advances may be needed, especially in the face of an increasing concentration of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.

Soil microbes that partner with crop plants for the benefit of each may be part of the solution. One option to explore is a group called mycorrhizal fungi, which associate with plant roots to extend their nutrient-gathering ability, in exchange for carbon compounds produced by photosynthesis. This study examined the influence of increased carbon dioxide in the atmosphere on the interaction of several varieties of wheat with these fungi.

Journal Paper:
Thirkell TJ, Pastok D, Field KJ. Carbon for nutrient exchange between arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi and wheat varies according to cultivar and changes in atmospheric carbon dioxide concentration. Glob Change Biol.

Other interesting stories:

• Microbes could make paper whitening more environmentally friendly (paper)
• Compound from rotifers could prevent transmission of eukaryotic parasite

Post questions or comments here or email to bacteriofiles@gmail.com. Thanks for listening!

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BacterioFiles 407 - Fungus Facilitates Phototroph Feeding

Various Phomopsis fungi

Probably the last episode of the year. See you in the next!

This episode: Fungus living inside plants helps them form partnerships with nitrogen-fixing bacteria!

Download Episode (5.9 MB, 8.5 minutes)

Show notes:
Microbe of the episode: Prevotella intermedia

Takeaways
Plants are very good at acquiring carbon, but they can often use some help with other nutrients. Many form partnerships with microbes such as nitrogen-fixing bacteria or mycorrhizal fungi that can help gather nutrients from the soil better than the plants' own roots.

In this study, legume plants could form a partnership with nitrogen-fixing bacteria in its roots, but a fungus living inside the plant could enhance this partnership even more, increasing the amount of nitrogen acquired and influencing the community of microbes around the plant roots in ways favorable to all partners.

Journal Paper:
Xie X-G, Zhang F-M, Yang T, Chen Y, Li X-G, Dai C-C. 2019. Endophytic Fungus Drives Nodulation and N₂ Fixation Attributable to Specific Root Exudates. mBio 10:e00728-19, /mbio/10/4/mBio.00728-19.atom.

Other interesting stories:

• Diet could affect antibiotic impact on the gut microbiome
• Feeding gut microbes particular preferred foods can manipulate the community structure

Post questions or comments here or email to bacteriofiles@gmail.com. Thanks for listening!

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BacterioFiles 401 - Phototrophs Fill Fungal Filaments

Algae inside fungal hypha

By Du et al. 2019

eLife e47815

This episode: In this partnership between fungus and algae, the algae eventually take up residence inside their partner!

Download Episode (8.4 MB, 12.1 minutes)

Show notes:
Microbe of the episode: Erwinia tracheiphila

News item/Summary article

Takeaways
Partnerships and cooperation between otherwise free-living organisms is common in the natural world. Partnering with a photosynthetic organism is a smart approach, allowing the partner to get its energy from the sun and making gathering nutrients easier for the phototroph, and possibly offering protection as well. But in most partnerships, each partner stays separated by its own cell membrane.

In this study, a fungus and an alga grow well together, exchanging carbon for nitrogen, similar to how lichens operate. But after a month or so of co-culture, the algae apparently enter the cells of the fungus somehow and live inside it, happily growing and dividing, turning the fungus green.

Journal Paper:
Du Z-Y, Zienkiewicz K, Vande Pol N, Ostrom NE, Benning C, Bonito GM. 2019. Algal-fungal symbiosis leads to photosynthetic mycelium. eLife 8:e47815.

Other interesting stories:

• Skin microbe transplants could produce healthier skin communities
• Algae took genes from bacteria to deal with harsh conditions

Post questions or comments here or email to bacteriofiles@gmail.com. Thanks for listening!

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BacterioFiles 388 - Floor Fungi Fracture Phthalates

This episode: Microbes in household dust help degrade potentially harmful plasticizer chemicals!

Thanks to Ashleigh Bope for her contribution!

Download Episode (6.7 MB, 7.3 minutes)

Show notes:
Microbe of the episode: Rosa rugosa leaf distortion virus

News item

Takeaways
Modern life and technology comes with modern challenges, including exposure to chemicals in building materials and such that humans didn't encounter much before the last few generations. Phthalate esters, found in PVC and other materials, can accumulate in homes and cause some problems, especially in children.

Modern life is also new to microbes, but they are very adaptable and versatile. In this study, microbes in household dust show some ability to break down the phthalates over time. Whether this activity is significant and beneficial to residents remains to be discovered.

Journal Paper:
Bope A, Haines SR, Hegarty B, Weschler CJ, Peccia J, Dannemiller KC. Degradation of phthalate esters in floor dust at elevated relative humidity. Environ Sci: Processes Impacts.

Other interesting stories:

• Native fungi tag team to kill invasive insect pest (paper)

Post questions or comments here or email to bacteriofiles@gmail.com. Thanks for listening!

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BacterioFiles 385 - Prokaryotes Protect Paper

Lysobacter enzymogenes 

attacking a fungal hypha

GFDL

This episode: Bacteria produce antifungal compounds that can protect paper from fungal deterioration!

Download Episode (6.8 MB, 7.4 minutes)

Show notes:
Microbe of the episode: Acetobacter aceti

Takeaways
Paper is a very useful information storage medium, but it is also somewhat delicious for microbes that can break it down as food, degrade the quality, and cause indelible stains and discoloration under the right conditions. Preventing this usually requires careful control, such as keeping humidity low, for storing paper for long periods.

In this study, scientists tested the ability of the bacterium Lysobacter enzymogenes to protect paper via the antifungal compounds it produces. This first required filtering out the pigments that the bacteria produced, to prevent them from discoloring the paper. Once a method for this filtering was in place, they found the bacterial culture supernatant could significantly reduce fungal growth on various kinds of paper, and protect the paper from staining and degradation.

Journal Paper:
Chen Z, Zou J, Chen B, Du L, Wang M. 2019. Protecting books from mold damage by decreasing paper bioreceptivity to fungal attack using de-coloured cell-free supernatant of Lysobacter enzymogenes C3. J Appl Microbiol 126:1772–1784.

Post questions or comments here or email to bacteriofiles@gmail.com. Thanks for listening!

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BacterioFiles 382 - Small Scavengers Suck Sizeable Cells

Rhodotorula prey yeast

By A doubt, CC BY-SA 3.0

This episode: Fungus-hunting amoebas have different strategies for detecting and preying on single-celled and filamentous fungi!

Also, a personal note: I'm going to be taking a few weeks off the podcast to be able to take full advantage of spring, but I'll be back as soon as the weather gets too hot.

Download Episode (7.5 MB, 8.2 minutes)

Show notes:
Microbe of the episode: Chondromyces catenulatus

Takeaways
Amoebas in the microbial world are like powerful predators, going around gobbling up whatever they find that's small enough, by a process called phagocytosis, in which they surround their prey with their cell membrane and engulf it. It's similar to macrophages or white blood cells as part of our immune system in our bodies.

The prey of amoebas includes bacteria, large viruses, and single-celled fungi called yeasts. In this study, scientists showed that some yeasts make great food sources for a certain kind of amoeba called Protostelium aurantium, while others either lack nutritional value or hide from the predators by covering up certain recognition molecules on their cell wall.

They found that the amoebas could also consume the spores of filamentous fungi, and could even attack the filaments, or hyphae. In this latter case, instead of engulfing the large filaments, they pierced the cells and extracted their contents, an approach named ruphocytosis, from the Greek for suck or slurp.

Journal Paper:
Radosa S, Ferling I, Sprague JL, Westermann M, Hillmann F. The different morphologies of yeast and filamentous fungi trigger distinct killing and feeding mechanisms in a fungivorous amoeba. Environ Microbiol.

Other interesting stories:

• Finding potential antimicrobials from ant bacteria

Post questions or comments here or email to bacteriofiles@gmail.com. Thanks for listening!

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BacterioFiles 373 - Plant Pilots Prevent Parching

Emmer wheat

This episode: Beneficial fungi found inside wild grain plants help wheat plants grow better with less water!

Download Episode (7.1 MB, 7.75 minutes)

Show notes:
Microbe of the episode: Beijerinckia indica

Takeaways
As we have microbial communities in our guts, on our skin, and in various other places in and on our bodies, plants also have beneficial microbial symbionts around their roots, on their leaf surfaces, and even inside their tissues. These microbes can be bacteria, fungi, or other, and can help plants gather nutrients, resist diseases or pests, and other things.

In this study, some fungi living in grain plants—called endophytes, or "inside plants"—can help wheat tolerate drought and grow better with less water. Studying this system could lead to breakthroughs in wheat farming, all thanks to microbes.

Journal Paper:
Llorens E, Sharon O, Camañes G, García‐Agustín P, Sharon A. Endophytes from wild cereals protect wheat plants from drought by alteration of physiological responses of the plants to water stress. Environ Microbiol.

Other interesting stories:

• Searching bacterial metabolites for new insect repellants
• Antibiotic disruption of gut microbes can also mess with skeletal health
• Fibers derived from wood could encourage healthy gut microbes (paper)

Post questions or comments here or email to bacteriofiles@gmail.com. Thanks for listening!

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BacterioFiles 372 - Roundworm Riders Repel Raiders

Nematode
By Bob Goldstein, UNC Chapel Hill
CC BY-SA 3.0

This episode: Bacteria that help nematodes prey on insects also help keep fungi from stealing their kills!

Download Episode (7.4 MB, 8.1 minutes)

Show notes:
Microbe of the episode: Artogeia rapae granulovirus

Takeaways
Soil is an incredibly complex ecosystem, with many different interactions constantly happening between plants, insects, bacteria, fungi, and other organisms, not to mention a large variety of shifting environmental conditions. All of these are competing with some and cooperating with others to try to survive and thrive the best they can.

One interesting interaction takes place between small roundworms in the soil, called nematodes, and bacteria they carry around that cause disease in insects. These nematodes prey on insects by injecting the bacteria into them, which kill and start digesting the insects. The nematodes then feed on the insects and the bacteria until the resources have been exhausted, and then move on to the next insect, taking some bacteria with them again.

In this study, the scientists wondered how these partners deal with competitors in the soil that might want to take advantage of their resources. They discover that the bacteria produce compounds that can repel and inhibit fungi that might otherwise steal their kills.

Journal Paper:
Shan S, Wang W, Song C, Wang M, Sun B, Li Y, Fu Y, Gu X, Ruan W, Rasmann S. The symbiotic bacteria Alcaligenes faecalis of the entomopathogenic nematodes Oscheius spp. exhibit potential biocontrol of plant- and entomopathogenic fungi. Microb Biotechnol.

Other interesting stories:

• Mice given gut microbes from healthy human babies don't get milk allergies
• New fungal species living in glaciers are losing their homes as glaciers disappear
• Toxins from cyanobacterial blooms can product tiny animals from pathogens

Post questions or comments here or email to bacteriofiles@gmail.com. Thanks for listening!

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