This study primarily aimed to investigate the prevalence of human papillomavirus (HPV) and other common pathogens of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) in spermatozoa of infertile men and their effects on semen parameters. These pathogens included Ureaplasma urealyticum, Ureaplasma parvum, Chlamydia trachomatis, Mycoplasma genitalium , herpes simplex virus 2, Neisseria gonorrhoeae, Enterococcus faecalis, Streptococcus agalactiae, Pseudomonas aeruginosa , and Staphylococcus aureus . A total of 1951 men of infertile couples were recruited between 23 March 2023, and 17 May 2023, at the Department of Reproductive Medicine of The First People's Hospital of Yunnan Province (Kunming, China). Multiplex polymerase chain reaction and capillary electrophoresis were used for HPV genotyping. Polymerase chain reaction and electrophoresis were also used to detect the presence of other STIs. The overall prevalence of HPV infection was 12.4%. The top five prevalent HPV subtypes were types 56, 52, 43, 16, and 53 among those tested positive for HPV. Other common infections with high prevalence rates were Ureaplasma urealyticum (28.3%), Ureaplasma parvum (20.4%), and Enterococcus faecalis (9.5%). The prevalence rates of HPV coinfection with Ureaplasma urealyticum, Ureaplasma parvum, Chlamydia trachomatis, Mycoplasma genitalium , herpes simplex virus 2, Neisseria gonorrhoeae, Enterococcus faecalis, Streptococcus agalactiae , and Staphylococcus aureus were 24.8%, 25.4%, 10.6%, 6.4%, 2.4%, 7.9%, 5.9%, 0.9%, and 1.3%, respectively. The semen volume and total sperm count were greatly decreased by HPV infection alone. Coinfection with HPV and Ureaplasma urealyticum significantly reduced sperm motility and viability. Our study shows that coinfection with STIs is highly prevalent in the semen of infertile men and that coinfection with pathogens can seriously affect semen parameters, emphasizing the necessity of semen screening for STIs.
Humans ; Male ; Infertility, Male/epidemiology* ; Coinfection/microbiology* ; Papillomavirus Infections/virology* ; Adult ; Sexually Transmitted Diseases/complications* ; China/epidemiology* ; Staphylococcus aureus/isolation & purification* ; Chlamydia trachomatis/isolation & purification* ; Prevalence ; Mycoplasma genitalium/isolation & purification* ; Ureaplasma urealyticum/isolation & purification* ; Neisseria gonorrhoeae/isolation & purification* ; Enterococcus faecalis/isolation & purification* ; Streptococcus agalactiae/isolation & purification* ; Herpesvirus 2, Human/genetics* ; Pseudomonas aeruginosa/isolation & purification* ; Semen/virology* ; Sperm Motility ; Spermatozoa/microbiology* ; Human Papillomavirus Viruses

Microorganisms inhabiting soils contaminated with heavy metals produce melanin, a dark brown pigment, as a survival strategy. In this study, a melanin-producing bacterium, Acinetobacter sp. ME1, with heavy metal tolerance and plant growth-promoting traits, was isolated from abandoned mine soil. Strain ME1 exhibited growth at concentrations of Zn up to 250 mg/L, Cd and Pb up to 100 mg/L, and Cr up to 50 mg/L. It had the ability to produce the plant hormone indole-3-acetic acid and siderophores along with 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylic acid deaminase and protease activities. Additionally, it showed antioxidant activity, including catalase and 2,2-diphenyl-1-picryhydrazyl (DPPH) scavenging activities. The optimal conditions for melanin production by ME1 were a pH of 7 and a temperature of 35 ℃. At 1000 mg/L, ME1-extracted melanin exhibited DPPH radical scavenging activity of (25.040±0.007)%, a sun protection factor of 15.200±0.260, and 19.6% antibacterial activity against the plant pathogen Xanthomonas campestris. Furthermore, its adsorption capacity was (0.235±0.073) mg/g melanin for Zn and (0.277±0.008) mg/g melanin for Ni. In plants of Brassica chinensis grown under conditions of hydroponic cultivation with single heavy metal contamination of Cd, Zn, Pb, or Cr, the removal efficiency of each heavy metal was improved by 0.1‒1.8 times after 3 d following inoculation with the strain ME1 compared to the plants grown under the same conditions without inoculation. In addition, ME1 inoculation improved the removal efficiency of each heavy metal by 0.1‒1.0 times under multiple heavy metal contamination conditions. These findings suggest that Acinetobacter sp. ME1 could be used to enhance phytoremediation efficiency in heavy metal-contaminated soils. Moreover, the melanin it produces also holds promise in cosmetics, household products, and medical applications due to its photoprotective, antioxidant, and antimicrobial properties.
Acinetobacter/metabolism* ; Biodegradation, Environmental ; Metals, Heavy/metabolism* ; Melanins/metabolism* ; Soil Microbiology ; Antioxidants/metabolism* ; Plant Development ; Soil Pollutants/metabolism* ; Indoleacetic Acids/metabolism*

Endosomes are characterized by the presence of various phosphoinositides that are essential for defining the membrane properties. However, the interplay between endosomal phosphoinositides metabolism and innate immunity is yet to be fully understood. Here, our findings highlight the evolutionary continuity of RAB-10/Rab10's involvement in regulating innate immunity. Upon infection of Caenorhabditis elegans with Pseudomonas aeruginosa, an increase in RAB-10 activity was observed in the intestine. Conversely, when RAB-10 was absent, the intestinal diacylglycerols (DAGs) decreased, and the animal's response to the pathogen was impaired. Further research revealed that UNC-16/JIP3 acts as an RAB-10 effector, facilitating the recruitment of phospholipase EGL-8 to endosomes. This leads to a decrease in endosomal phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate (PI(4,5)P2) and an elevation of DAGs, as well as the activation of the PMK-1/p38 MAPK innate immune pathway. It is noteworthy that the dimerization of UNC-16 is a prerequisite for its interaction with RAB-10(GTP) and the recruitment of EGL-8. Moreover, we ascertained that the rise in RAB-10 activity, due to infection, was attributed to the augmented expression of LET-413/Erbin, and the nuclear receptor NHR-25/NR5A1/2 was determined to be indispensable for this increase. Hence, this study illuminates the significance of endosomal PI(4,5)P2 catabolism in boosting innate immunity and outlines an NHR-25-mediated mechanism for pathogen detection in intestinal epithelia.
Animals ; Caenorhabditis elegans/genetics* ; Endosomes/immunology* ; Caenorhabditis elegans Proteins/immunology* ; Phosphatidylinositol 4,5-Diphosphate/immunology* ; Immunity, Innate ; Pseudomonas aeruginosa/immunology* ; rab GTP-Binding Proteins/genetics* ; Diglycerides/metabolism*

OBJECTIVE: Pseudomonas aeruginosa( P. aeruginosa) is a prevalent pathogenic bacterium involved in meningitis; however, the virulence factors contributing to this disease remain poorly understood. METHODS: The virulence of the P. aeruginosa A584, isolated from meningitis samples, was evaluated by constructing in vitro blood-brain barrier and in vivo systemic infection models. qPCR, whole-genome sequencing, and drug efflux assays of A584 were performed to analyze the virulence factors. RESULTS: Genomic sequencing showed that A584 formed a phylogenetic cluster with the reference strains NY7610, DDRC3, Pa58, and Pa124. Its genome includes abundant virulence factors, such as hemolysin, the Type IV secretion system, and pyoverdine. A584 is a multidrug-resistant strain, and its wide-spectrum resistance is associated with enhanced drug efflux. Moreover, this strain caused significantly more severe damage to the blood-brain barrier than the standard strain, PAO1. qPCR assays further revealed the downregulation of the blood-brain barrier-associated proteins Claudin-5 and Occludin by A584. During systemic infection, A584 exhibited a higher capacity of brain colonization than PAO1 (37.1 × 10 ⁶ CFU/g brain versus 2.5 × 10 ⁶ CFU/g brain), leading to higher levels of the pro-inflammatory factors IL-1β and TNF-α. CONCLUSION This study sheds light on the virulence factors of P. aeruginosa involved in meningitis.
Pseudomonas aeruginosa/genetics* ; Virulence Factors/metabolism* ; Animals ; Virulence ; Mice ; Pseudomonas Infections/microbiology* ; Blood-Brain Barrier/microbiology* ; Humans ; Female

2-substituted quinolines are the building blocks for the synthesis of natural products and pharmaceuticals. In comparison with classical methods, dehydroaromatization of 2-substituted-1,2,3,4-tetrahydroquinolines has emerged in recent years as an efficient and straightforward method to synthesize quinolines due to its high atom economy and sustainability. However, existing chemical methods need transition metal catalysts and harsh reaction conditions. Biocatalysis with high efficiency, high selectivity, and mild reaction conditions has become an important method of organic synthesis. We mined a strain Pseudomonas monteilii ZMU-T06 capable of producing monoamine oxidase for the dehydroaromatization of 2-substituted-1,2,3,4-tetrahydroquinolines to synthesize 2-substituted quinolines (8 substrates, yields of 45.7%-48.4%) and then hypothesized the catalytic mechanism, providing a new method for green synthesis of 2-substituted quinolines.
Quinolines/chemistry* ; Pseudomonas/classification* ; Oxidation-Reduction ; Monoamine Oxidase/biosynthesis* ; Biocatalysis

Acinetobacter baumannii is a Gram-negative opportunistic pathogen widely distributed in hospital settings. It can survive for a long time and cause a variety of infections, including pneumonia, septicemia, urinary tract infections, and meningitis. The bacterium demonstrates extensive resistance, particularly to critical antibiotics like carbapenems and polymyxins, posing a serious threat to the recovery of severely ill patients. Carbapenem-resistant A. baumannii has been designated as a pathogen of critical priority on the World Health Organization (WHO) Bacterial Pathogen Priority List, requiring urgent development of new therapeutic agents. Phages, as a novel biological control approach, exhibit substantial potential in combating A. baumannii infections due to their specific ability to infect and lyse bacteria. This review highlights the application and potential of phages and phage-derived enzymes against multidrug-resistant A. baumannii, considering the epidemiological trends of A. baumannii in China, with the aim of providing innovative insights and strategies for phage therapy of drug-resistant bacterial infections.
Acinetobacter baumannii/drug effects* ; Drug Resistance, Multiple, Bacterial ; Phage Therapy/methods* ; Acinetobacter Infections/microbiology* ; Humans ; Bacteriophages/physiology* ; Anti-Bacterial Agents/pharmacology*

The biological nitrogen removal technology utilizing heterotrophic nitrification-aerobic denitrification (HN-AD) bacteria has shown effectiveness in wastewater treatment. However, the nitrogen removal efficiency of HN-AD bacteria significantly decreases as the salinity increases. To tackle the challenge of treating high-salt and high-nitrogen wastewater, we isolated a moderately halophilic HN-AD strain 5505 from a salt lake in Xinjiang. The strain was identified based on morphological, physiological, and biochemical characteristics and the 16S rRNA gene sequence. Single-factor experiments were carried out with NH₄⁺-N, NO₃^--N, and NO₂^--N as sole or mixed nitrogen sources to study the nitrifying effect, denitrifying effect, and nitrogen metabolism pathway of the strain. The strain was identified as Halomonas sp.. It can grow in the presence of 1%-25% (W/V) NaCl and exhibited efficient nitrogen removal ability in the presence of 3%-8% NaCl. At the optimal NaCl concentration (8%), the strain showed the NH₄⁺-N, NO₃^--N and NO₂^--N removal rates of 100.0%, 94.11% and 74.43%, respectively. Strain 5505 removed inorganic nitrogen mainly by assimilation, which accounted for over 62.68% of total nitrogen removal. In the presence of mixed nitrogen sources, strain 5505 showed a preference for utilizing ammonia, with a potential HN-AD pathway of NH₄⁺→NH₂OH→NO₂^-→NO₃^-→NO₂^-→NO/N₂O/N₂. The findings provide efficient salt-tolerant bacterial resources, enhance our understanding of biological nitrogen removal, and contribute to the nitrogen removal efficiency improvement in the treatment of high-salt and high-nitrogen wastewater.
Halomonas/classification* ; Nitrogen/isolation & purification* ; Denitrification ; Nitrification ; Wastewater/microbiology* ; Aerobiosis ; Biodegradation, Environmental ; Salinity

Hydroxyectoine, a vital compatible solute, is widely utilized in cosmetics, food, pharmaceutical industries, and biologics. However, the current microbial fermentation methods for hydroxyectoine production face challenges including insufficient precursor supply and low yields. Therefore, developing engineering microbial strains capable of efficiently synthesizing hydroxyectoine is of great significance. In this study, we first constructed a high-yield ectoine-producing strain ECT04 by multi-copy integration of the ectoine synthesis genes ectABC into the pseudogene loci of Escherichia coli MG1655(DE3), achieving an ectoine titer of 6.03 g/L. Subsequently, we employed plasmids with varying copy numbers to express ectD from Chromohalobacter salexigens to enable the conversion for hydroxyectoine production. We further investigated the effects of promoter, co-substrate ɑ-ketoglutarate, Fe²⁺ concentration, and dissolved oxygen on hydroxyectoine synthesis. Through fed-batch fermentation in a 7-L bioreactor, we significantly enhanced the hydroxyectoine production efficiency, attaining a final titer of 8.58 g/L and a productivity of 0.24 g/(L·h). This work successfully achieved the de novo synthesis of hydroxyectoine in E. coli, laying a foundation for the efficient bioproduction of this compound.
Escherichia coli/genetics* ; Fermentation ; Amino Acids, Diamino/biosynthesis* ; Bioreactors/microbiology* ; Metabolic Engineering/methods* ; Chromohalobacter/genetics* ; Plasmids/genetics*

To develop biocontrol agents for the control of kiwifruit bacterial canker, we isolated a strain CXG2-5 with inhibitory activity against Pseudomonas syringae pv. actinidiae (Psa), the pathogen of kiwifruit bacterial canker, from the rhizosphere soil of kiwifruit by the plate confrontation test. The strain was identified by morphological observation, physiological and biochemical tests, and molecular biological methods. The indoor control efficacy of the strain was determined by the inoculation of the strain into detached branches with wounds and into leaf discs by vacuum infiltration. The ability of the strain to expand and colonize leaf veins was determined by fluorescent labeling and scanning electron microscopy. Subsequently, the strain was prepared into microcapsules, the field control efficacy of which was evaluated. The strain CXG2-5 was identified as Pseudomonas benzenivorans. It demonstrated good antagonistic activity against Psa, with an inhibition zone diameter of 22 mm and an inhibition rate of 72.7%. The preventive effects of the strain on kiwifruit bacterial canker were better than the therapeutic effects on both detached branches and leaves, with the preventive effects reaching 65% and 92.4%, respectively. The control effect of microcapsules of this strain in the field reached 60.89%, which was slightly lower than that of 20% kasugamycin and higher than that of Bacillus subtilis wettable powder. In conclusion, strain CXG2-5 serves as a candidate for the control of kiwifruit bacterial canker, and the prepared microcapsules have good value for development and application.
Actinidia/microbiology* ; Plant Diseases/prevention & control* ; Pseudomonas syringae ; Pseudomonas/isolation & purification* ; Capsules ; Antibiosis ; Biological Control Agents ; Pest Control, Biological/methods*

Introduction: Intensive care unit (ICU) patients are at the greatest risk of acquiring nosocomial infections, partly because of their serious underlying disease, but also by exposure to life-saving invasive procedures. Hospital-acquired infections increase patient morbidity, increase the length of hospital stay and hospital costs, and also increases mortality rate. The basic knowledge of organisms infecting ICU patients is very important to empirically select appropriate antibiotics, so that the most likely infecting organisms are addressed. Objective: The aim of the study was to find out the etiologic agents causing infection in medical intensive care unit patients. Results In our study of 289 patients, 180 (62.3%) showed a growth of organism during the stay in ICU. The most common site of infection was the respiratory tract in 138 patients (47.8%) with 60 patients (20.8%) showing Acinetobacter baumannii.
Cross Infection ; Intensive Care Units ; Acinetobacter baumannii ; Respiration, Artificial