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Manganese-oxidizing bacteria in the aquatic environment have been comprehensively investigated. However, little information is available about the distribution and biogeochemical significance of these bacteria in terrestrial soil environments. In this study, stratified soils were initially examined to investigate the community structure and diversity of manganese-oxidizing bacteria. Total 344 culturable bacterial isolates from all substrata exhibited Mn(II)-oxidizing activities at the range of 1 µM to 240 µM of the equivalent MnO2. The high Mn(II)-oxidizing isolates (>50 mM MnO2) were identified as the species of phyla Actinobacteria, Firmicutes and Proteobacteria. Seven novel Mn(II)-oxidizing bacterial genera (species), namely, Escherichia, Agromyces, Cellulomonas, Cupriavidus, Microbacterium, Ralstonia, and Variovorax, were revealed via comparative phylogenetic analysis. Moreover, an increase in the diversity of soil bacterial community was observed after the combined enrichment of Mn(II) and carbon-rich complex. The phylogenetic classification of the enriched bacteria represented by predominant denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis bands, was apparently similar to culturable Mn(II)-oxidizing bacteria. The experiments were further undertaken to investigate the properties of the Mn oxide aggregates formed by the bacterial isolates with high Mn(II)-oxidizing activity. Results showed that these bacteria were closely encrusted with their Mn oxides and formed regular microspherical aggregates under prolonged Mn(II) and carbon-rich medium enrichment for three weeks. The biotic oxidation of Mn(II) to Mn(III/IV) by these isolates was confirmed by kinetic examinations. X-ray diffraction assays showed the characteristic peaks of several Mn oxides and rhodochrosite from these aggregates. Leucoberbelin blue tests also verified the Mn(II)-oxidizing activity of these aggregates. These results demonstrated that Mn oxides were formed at certain amounts under the enrichment conditions, along with the formation of rhodochrosite in such aggregates. Therefore, this study provides insights into the structure and diversity of soil-borne bacterial communities in Mn(II)-oxidizing habitats and supports the contribution of soil-borne Mn(II)-oxidizing bacteria to Mn oxide mineralization in soils. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Mammalian orthoreoviruses (MRVs) have a wide geographic distribution and can infect virtually all mammals. Infections in humans may be either symptomatic or asymptomatic. This study describes the isolation and identification of a natural reassortant MRV from least horseshoe bats (Rhinolophus pusillu) in China, referred to as RpMRV-YN2012. Methods and Results: The RpMRV-YN2012 was obtained from urine samples of Rhinolophus pusillus by cell culture. Negative-staining electron microscopy revealed that RpMRV-YN2012 was a non-enveloped icosahedral virus with ∼75 nm in diameter. Polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (PAGE) migration patterns of the genome segments showed that RpMRV-YN2012 contained 10 segments in a 3:3:4 arrangement. The whole genome sequence of RpMRV2012 was determined. The consensus terminal sequences of all segments of 5’-GCUAh…yUCAUC-3’ (h = A, U or C; y = C or U) were similar to the MRV species within the genus Orthoreovirus. Its evolution and evidence of genetic reassortment were analyzed by sequence comparison and phylogenetic analysis. The results showed that RpMRV-YN2012 is a novel serotype 2 MRV that may have originated from reassortment among bat, human, and/or pig MRV strains which associated with diarrhea, acute gastroenteritis and necrotizing encephalopathy in animals and humans. Conclusions: RpMRV-YN2012 is a novel bat reassortant MRV, which may have resulted from a reassortment involving MRVs known to infect humans and animals. It is necessary to identify whether RpMRV-YN2012 is associated with diarrhea, acute gastroenteritis and necrotizing encephalopathy in clinical patients. In addition, we should carefully monitor its evolution and virulence in real time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The mRNA processing body (P-body) is a cellular structure that regulates the stability of cytoplasmic mRNA. MARF1 is a murine oocyte RNA-binding protein that is associated with maintenance of mRNA homeostasis and genomic stability. In this study, autoantibodies were used to identify Limkain B (LMKB), the human orthologue of MARF1, as a P-body component. Indirect immunofluorescence demonstrated that Ge-1 (a central component of the mammalian core-decapping complex) co-localized with LMKB in P-bodies. Two-hybrid and co-immunoprecipitation assays were used to demonstrate interaction between Ge-1 and LMKB. The C-terminal 120 amino acids of LMKB mediated interaction with Ge-1 and the N-terminal 1094 amino acids of Ge-1 were required for interaction with LMKB. LMKB is the first protein identified to date that interacts with this portion of Ge-1. LMKB was expressed in human B and T lymphocyte cell lines; depletion of LMKB increased expression of IFI44L, a gene that has been implicated in the cellular response to Type I interferons. The interaction between LMKB/MARF1, a protein that contains RNA-binding domains, and Ge-1, which interacts with core-decapping proteins, suggests that LMKB has a role in the regulation of mRNA stability. LMKB appears to have different functions in different cell types: maintenance of genomic stability in developing oocytes and possible dampening of the inflammatory response in B and T cells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]