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At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

Phagocytosis by sheep alveolar macrophages: relationship between opsonin concentration and light emission in the presence of luminol.

The observations reported may be applied to determining the effects of various compounds, e.g., environmental pollutants and agricultural chemicals, upon the phagocytic activity of alveolar macrophages, and the method described will aid in detecting compounds which alter Fc receptor activity. A direct linear relationship existed between the concentration of antibody used to opsonize bacterial particles and the quantity of luminol-dependent light emitted by a population of sheep alveolar macrophages exposed to the opsonized particles. The relationship can be illustrated with a Lineweaver-Burk-style double-reciprocal plot. An analogy is suggested between the kinetics of enzyme substrate reactions and the interaction of antibody-coated particles with Fc receptors on cell membranes.

Animals

Cattle manure suppresses methane consumption and enhances denitrification-associated nitrous oxide production in farm dams.

BACKGROUND: Farm dams (or agricultural ponds) are often heavily polluted freshwater systems because of nutrient-rich manure entering the water through direct deposition and runoff. Accordingly, these systems have among the highest greenhouse gas emissions per area, accounting for 41% of global freshwater methane emissions. Sustainable management actions, such as limiting livestock access through fencing, can significantly reduce nutrient concentrations and greenhouse gas emissions. However, the microbes, processes, and factors controlling greenhouse gas cycling in these systems have not been described. Here, we systematically compared the composition, functions, and activities of the microbes in paired fenced and unfenced cattle farm dams in southeastern Australia. RESULTS: We found that in situ methane (CH4) and nitrous oxide (N2O) emissions were strongly reduced in fenced dams. Even though methanogen abundance was higher in fenced dams, fencing increased levels of aerobic methanotrophs, including two previously uncharacterised, metabolically flexible species profiled via metagenome-assembled genomes (MAGs). In contrast, we provide gene- and genome-centric evidence that N2O emissions are likely higher in unfenced dams due to increased production (via denitrification) rather than decreased consumption. Manure likely increases CH4 and N2O emissions primarily by driving nutrient-induced eutrophication and hypoxia that, respectively, stimulate denitrifiers and inhibit methanotrophs. However, we also provide evidence that manure-associated methanogens and bacteria occur in farm dams, where they potentially enhance emissions. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings highlight how anthropogenic activities such as livestock farming can impact microbial communities and biogeochemical cycling, thereby increasing greenhouse gas emissions from freshwater systems, and how simple management actions like fencing can mitigate such emissions. Video Abstract.

Animals

Watershed-scale risk assessment of cadmium contamination in Chinese cropland soils: Dual pathways of irrigation input and flood-driven transport.

Irrigation and flood events serve as critical pathways for the transport of cadmium (Cd) from industrial sources into cropland soils at the watershed scale, constituting a major driver of widespread Cd contamination in China's cropland soil. This study evaluated the risk of Cd contamination in cropland soils across China's nine major river basins at the watershed scale, focusing on the contributions of irrigation and flood events, and conducted a sensitivity analysis of key risk factors. The assessment was conducted within a framework that considered factors including hazard, exposure, and vulnerability. The results revealed that numerous watersheds in southeastern China are exposed to dual pressures of Cd contamination risks in cropland soils, driven by both irrigation practices and flood events. Watersheds categorized as High-High, High-Moderate, or Moderate-High risk, reflecting combined Cd contamination risks from irrigation and flood, are vital to China's grain production, contributing 67.1 % of the national cropland area and 66.4 % of the grain yield. The study suggests localized strategies for managing cropland soils Cd contamination risks from irrigation and flood at the watershed scale in China, alongside strengthened cross-regional collaboration in southeastern China.

Cadmium

Microplastic aging drives convergence of the plastisphere microbiome and resistome toward agricultural soils.

The degree of microplastic (MP) aging varies substantially in agricultural soils; however, how this common aging gradient influences the plastisphere microbiome and resistome remains largely unknown. We therefore collected polyethylene MPs from long‑term mulched farmlands and classified them into low‑aged plastispheres (LAPs) and high‑aged plastispheres (HAPs). Bacterial community dissimilarity to soil decreased progressively from LAPs to HAPs, accompanied by broadening niche breadth, increasing bacterial diversity, and a shift toward more stochastic community assembly. The diversity and abundance of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) declined significantly along the aging gradient, with clinically relevant high-risk ARGs (e.g., vanR, ugd, and aac(6')-I) decreasing by 53.34-84.01%. Furthermore, the ARG hosts shifted from Actinomycetota in LAPs to Pseudomonadota in soils. Variance partitioning showed that the carbonyl index uniquely explained 57.03% of the variation in plastisphere ARG profile distance toward soil, identifying MP aging as the primary driver of resistome convergence. Collectively, these findings demonstrate that natural MP aging drives a progressive convergence of the plastisphere resistome toward that of the surrounding soil, indicating that aged MPs may pose a reduced risk of antibiotic resistance compared to newly formed MPs. This convergence underscores the need to incorporate plastic aging into future risk assessment frameworks for plastisphere-associated ARGs.

Soil Microbiology

Whole-Genome Analysis and Growth-Promoting Mechanism of Klebsiella pneumoniae YMK25 from Maize Rhizobacteria.

Plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) are microorganisms that enhance plant growth through various mechanisms. In the context of global agriculture, which faces fertilizer dependency and environmental pollution, developing eco-friendly microbial fertilizers has become crucial for enhancing agricultural sustainability. To identify highly effective PGPR, we isolated 102 bacterial strains from maize rhizosphere soil using the dilution plating method. The strains were screened for growth-promoting abilities using functional media, resulting in the selection of strain YMK25 for its exceptional capabilities in nitrogen fixation, solubilization of inorganic and organic phosphorus, indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) production, and siderophore production. Strain YMK25 produced IAA at a concentration of 80.49 ± 0.68 μg/mL and exhibited a relative siderophore expression level of 43.68%. Morphological analysis, 16S rDNA gene sequence analysis, and whole-genome sequencing confirmed that strain YMK25 is Klebsiella pneumoniae. Whole-genome analysis revealed a total genome length of 5,115,280 bp, a GC content of 57.61%, and it contained 4746 coding genes. Gene annotation results indicated genes involved in siderophore synthesis, phosphatase activity, and other plant growth-promoting functions, which align with the verified characteristics of strain YMK25. Furthermore, this strain exhibited significant metabolic capabilities. The pot experiment demonstrated that strain YMK25 promotes maize plant growth and assists in nutrient fixation in these plants. In conclusion, strain YMK25 is a high-quality PGPR with substantial potential for application in agricultural production, presenting promise for widespread use in sustainable agriculture.

Klebsiella pneumoniae