Search results for "microorganisms"

Restoration practices in Mediterranean habitats using native woody species

2017

Since the beginning of the XXI century, Legambiente (a national environmental association), supported by the University of Palermo, has launched several naturalization projects within three Sicilian nature reserves: 1)Isola di Lampedusa (Agrigento Province); 2)Macalube di Aragona (Agrigento Province); 3)Lago Sfondato (Caltanissetta Province). Interventions were carried out on bare lands and degraded sites where natural vegetation cover was almost completely disappeared. The main aim was to restore native habitats following the principles of ecological restoration. Accordingly, differently from the classical approach, consisting in the use of preparatory species, usually Pines, native shrubs…

Potential of microorganisms to decrease the "beany" off-flavor

2022

Application of model quality evaluation to systems biology

2008

Application of model quality evaluation to the quasispecies models is presented. These models are useful for the analysis of the DNA and RNA evolution and for the description of the population dynamics of viruses and bacteria. An estimate of the parameters together with their interval of variability is computed and the quality evaluation is tested on the basis of the model prediction error capability.

Molecular evolution of aphids and their primary (Buchnera sp.) and secondary endosymbionts: Implications for the role of symbiosis in insect evolution

2001

Aphids maintain an obligate, endosymbiotic association with Buchnera sp., a bacterium closely related to Escherichia coli. Bacteria are housed in specialized cells of organ-like structures called bacteriomes in the hemocoel of the aphid and are maternally transmitted. Phylogenetic studies have shown that the association had a single origin, dated about 200-250 million years ago, and that host and endosymbiont lineages have evolved in parallel since then. However, the pattern of deepest branching within the aphid family remains unsolved, which thereby hampers an appraisal of, for example, the role played by horizontal gene transfer in the early evolution of Buchnera. The main role of Buchner…

Competitive interactions in insect parasitoids: effects of microbial symbionts across tritrophic levels

2023

Competition for hosts is a common ecological interaction in insect parasitoids. In the recent years, it has become increasingly evident that microorganisms can act as ‘hidden players’ in parasitoid ecology. In this review, we propose that parasitoid competition should take into consideration the microbial influence. In particular, we take a tritrophic perspective and discuss how parasitoid competition can be modulated by microorganisms associated with the parasitoids, their herbivore hosts, or the plants attacked by the herbivores. Although research is still in its infancy, recent studies have shown that microbial symbionts can modulate the contest outcome. The emerging pattern is that micr…

Refreigerated storage of raw milk for Trentingrana production: microbiological effects

2008

Structure of Rhodococcus erythropolis limonene-1,2-epoxide hydrolase reveals a novel active site

2003

Epoxide hydrolases are essential for the processing of epoxide-containing compounds in detoxification or metabolism. The classic epoxide hydrolases have an alpha/beta hydrolase fold and act via a two-step reaction mechanism including an enzyme-substrate intermediate. We report here the structure of the limonene-1,2-epoxide hydrolase from Rhodococcus erythropolis, solved using single-wavelength anomalous dispersion from a selenomethionine-substituted protein and refined at 1.2 A resolution. This enzyme represents a completely different structure and a novel one-step mechanism. The fold features a highly curved six-stranded mixed beta-sheet, with four alpha-helices packed onto it to create a …

Costs-benfits trade-off in the intercation between Medicago truncatula and Pseudomonas fluorescens C7R12 across atmospheric carbon dioxide modulation

2011

The interactions between plants and soil microorganisms are mainly based on trophic relationships. The compounds exchanged represent cost for the organism produces them but a benefit for the one who receive those compounds. A mutualistic relation leads to stability in the cost-benefit balance resulting from a co-evolution between the two organisms. The cost corresponding for the release of carbon compounds by the plant would be offset by benefits in return corresponding for the activities of microorganisms that use them. We tested by an experimental way the effect of CO2 concentration on the interaction between M. truncatula and the bacterium P. fluorescens C7R12. The results allowed a best…

Case Studies of Macro-and Microplastics Pollution in Coastal Waters and Rivers: Is There a Solution With New Removal Technologies and Policy Actions?.

2020

This opinion paper on microplastics pollution has selected different aspects and case studies of micro and macro-plastic litter pollution in coastal waters, and rivers. We point out a discussion on this topic and ask ourselves if there is a solution to the global problem by developing new microplastics removal technologies as well as policy actions. The first two case studies are related with macroplastics marine litter in beaches, a third report describes a new simple sampling device for microplastics in coastal and nearshore areas, five case study assess microplastics pollution in worldwide coastal environments, sediments and catchments (India, Mexico, Australia, Europe and the Nordic Sea…

Temporal dynamic of biofilms enhances the settlement of the central-Mediterranean reef-builder Dendropoma cristatum (Biondi, 1859).

2021

Abstract Research on marine invertebrate settlement provides baseline knowledge for restoration technique implementation, especially for biogenic engineers with limited dispersion ability. Previously, we determined that the maturity of a biofilm strongly enhances the settlement of the vermetid reef-builder Dendropoma cristatum. To elucidate settlement-related biofilm features, here we analyse the structure and composition of marine biofilms over time, through microscopic observations, eukaryotic and prokaryotic fingerprinting analyses and 16S rDNA Illumina sequencing. The vermetid settlement temporal increase matched with the higher biofilm coverage on the substratum and the reduction of th…