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1. Draft genome sequences of two Pseudomonas strains isolated from ¹²⁹ I plumes at the Hanford Site

   https://doi.org/10.1128/MRA.00526-23  

   Robinson, Courtney J.; Oliver, Jerome J.; Anike, Alexis; Howard, M. Hope; Saunders, Danielle L.; Lee, Brady D. (November 2023, Microbiology Resource Announcements)

   Putonti, Catherine (Ed.)

   ABSTRACT Pseudomonasstrains DVZ6 and DVZ24 were isolated from a sediment trap incubated in an¹²⁹I plume at the Hanford Site (Washington State, USA). Whole-genome sequencing of the strains revealed that both genomes are 5.77 Mb in size, with a G + C content of 64.75%. 

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2. Draft genome sequence of Methanocalculus natronophilus sp. strain Z-7105 ^T , an alkaliphilic, methanogenic archaeon isolated from a soda lake

   https://doi.org/10.1128/mra.00350-24  

   Elkassas, Sabrina M; Serres, Margrethe H; Richardson, Derrick; Zhilina, Tatyana N; Huber, Julie A (July 2024, Microbiology Resource Announcements)

   Roux, Simon (Ed.)

   ABSTRACT A methanogenic archaeon was isolated from bottom sediments in the vicinity of Lake Tanatar II (Altai, Russia), an alkaline soda lake. Here we present the draft genome sequence ofMethanocalculus natronophilussp. strain Z-7105^T. 

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3. Pontiella agarivorans sp. nov., a novel marine anaerobic bacterium capable of degrading macroalgal polysaccharides and fixing nitrogen

   https://doi.org/10.1128/aem.00914-23  

   Liu, Na; Kivenson, Veronika; Peng, Xuefeng; Cui, Zhisong; Lankiewicz, Thomas S; Gosselin, Kelsey M; English, Chance J; Blair, Elaina M; O'Malley, Michelle A; Valentine, David L (February 2024, Applied and Environmental Microbiology)

   Glass, Jennifer B (Ed.)

   ABSTRACT Marine macroalgae produce abundant and diverse polysaccharides, which contribute substantially to the organic matter exported to the deep ocean. Microbial degradation of these polysaccharides plays an important role in the turnover of macroalgal biomass. Various members of thePlanctomycetes-Verrucomicrobia-Chlamydia(PVC) superphylum are degraders of polysaccharides in widespread anoxic environments. In this study, we isolated a novel anaerobic bacterial strain NLcol2^Tfrom microbial mats on the surface of marine sediments offshore Santa Barbara, CA, USA. Based on 16S ribosomal RNA (rRNA) gene and phylogenomic analyses, strain NLcol2^Trepresents a novel species within thePontiellagenus in theKiritimatiellotaphylum (within the PVC superphylum). Strain NLcol2^Tis able to utilize various monosaccharides, disaccharides, and macroalgal polysaccharides such as agar and ɩ-carrageenan. A near-complete genome also revealed an extensive metabolic capacity for anaerobic degradation of sulfated polysaccharides, as evidenced by 202 carbohydrate-active enzymes (CAZymes) and 165 sulfatases. Additionally, its ability of nitrogen fixation was confirmed by nitrogenase activity detected during growth on nitrogen-free medium, and the presence of nitrogenases (nifDKH) encoded in the genome. Based on the physiological and genomic analyses, this strain represents a new species of bacteria that may play an important role in the degradation of macroalgal polysaccharides and with relevance to the biogeochemical cycling of carbon, sulfur, and nitrogen in marine environments. Strain NLcol2^T(= DSM 113125^T= MCCC 1K08672^T) is proposed to be the type strain of a novel species in thePontiellagenus, and the namePontiella agarivoranssp. nov. is proposed.IMPORTANCEGrowth and intentional burial of marine macroalgae is being considered as a carbon dioxide reduction strategy but elicits concerns as to the fate and impacts of this macroalgal carbon in the ocean. Diverse heterotrophic microbial communities in the ocean specialize in these complex polymers such as carrageenan and fucoidan, for example, members of theKiritimatiellotaphylum. However, only four type strains within the phylum have been cultivated and characterized to date, and there is limited knowledge about the metabolic capabilities and functional roles of related organisms in the environment. The new isolate strain NLcol2^Texpands the known substrate range of this phylum and further reveals the ability to fix nitrogen during anaerobic growth on macroalgal polysaccharides, thereby informing the issue of macroalgal carbon disposal. 

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4. Nodule‐specific Cu ⁺ ‐chaperone NCC1 is required for symbiotic nitrogen fixation in Medicago truncatula root nodules

   https://doi.org/10.1111/nph.19360  

   Navarro‐Gómez, Cristina; León‐Mediavilla, Javier; Küpper, Hendrik; Rodríguez‐Simón, Mario; Paganelli‐López, Alba; Wen, Jiangqi; Burén, Stefan; Mysore, Kirankumar_S; Bokhari, Syed_Nadeem_Hussain; Imperial, Juan; et al (November 2023, New Phytologist)

   Summary Cu⁺‐chaperones are a diverse group of proteins that allocate Cu⁺ions to specific copper proteins, creating different copper pools targeted to specific physiological processes.Symbiotic nitrogen fixation carried out in legume root nodules indirectly requires relatively large amounts of copper, for example for energy delivery via respiration, for which targeted copper deliver systems would be required.MtNCC1 is a nodule‐specific Cu⁺‐chaperone encoded in theMedicago truncatulagenome, with a N‐terminus Atx1‐like domain that can bind Cu⁺with picomolar affinities. MtNCC1 is able to interact with nodule‐specific Cu⁺‐importer MtCOPT1.MtNCC1is expressed primarily from the late infection zone to the early fixation zone and is located in the cytosol, associated with plasma and symbiosome membranes, and within nuclei. Consistent with its key role in nitrogen fixation,ncc1mutants have a severe reduction in nitrogenase activity and a 50% reduction in copper‐dependent cytochromecoxidase activity.A subset of the copper proteome is also affected in thencc1mutant nodules. Many of these proteins can be pulled down when using a Cu⁺‐loaded N‐terminal MtNCC1 moiety as a bait, indicating a role in nodule copper homeostasis and in copper‐dependent physiological processes. Overall, these data suggest a pleiotropic role of MtNCC1 in copper delivery for symbiotic nitrogen fixation. 

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5. Closed circular genome sequence of a Microcystis aeruginosa PCC7806 Δ mcyB (UTK) non-toxic mutant

   https://doi.org/10.1128/MRA.00700-23  

   Stark, Gwendolyn F; Truchon, Alexander R; Dittmann, Elke; Wilhelm, Steven W (November 2023, Microbiology Resource Announcements)

   Becket, Elinne (Ed.)

   ABSTRACT Here we report the complete, closed genome of the non-toxicMicrocystis aeruginosaPCC7806 ΔmcyBmutant strain. This genome is 5,103,923 bp long, with a GC content of 42.07%. Compared to the published wild-type genome (Microcystis aeruginosaPCC7806SL), there is evidence of accumulated mutations beyond the inserted chloramphenicol resistance marker. 

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