The immunity protein Imu3 is part of the pathogenicity island PAIusp that protects the producer against the nuclease activity of Usp. PAIUsp harbors two additional immunity proteins, nevertheless we showed that Imu3 provides the highest level of protection. While the immunity proteins of the nuclease bacteriocins of E. coli bind to the bacteriocin active site with hig affinity, Imu3 protects the producer via nonspecific DNA binding. Imu3 has high affinity for DNA, precipitating DNA at low concentrations therefore, we believe that it has high biotechnological potential.
COBISS.SI-ID: 3037263
The LexA regulon of Clostridium difficile, a significant human pathogen, was described. In silico analysis coupled with surface plasmon resonance revealed 16 LexA binding sites within the C. difficile genome. In addition to the core SOS genes lexA, recA, ruvCA and uvrBA, LexA binding sequences were identified in the pathogenecity locus (PaLoc) as well as in housekeeping genes, sporulation genes and genes for antibiotic resistance.
COBISS.SI-ID: 3097423
Karstic caves often support white, yellow, grey or pink microbial colonies that are termed ‘cave silver’ by speleologists. A wide variety of bacteria associated with these colonies were recovered from a cave in Slovenia, Pajsarjeva jama. Based on the 16S rRNA gene sequences the majority of the 80 isolates examined belonged to Streptomyces (25%), Micrococcus (16%) andRhodococcus (10%), Pseudomonas (9%), Agrobacterium(8%), Lysobacter (6%) and Paenibacillus (5%), while Microbacterium, Agrococcus, Arthrobacter, Bacillus, Kocuria, Oerskovia,Sphingomonas, Aerococcus, and Bosea represented a minor portion of cultivable diversity encountered.
COBISS.SI-ID: 3063375
In the natural environment bacteria exhibit intraspecies as well as interspecies diversity. Escherichia coli exemplifies a high level of intraspecies diversity with strain variation regarding physiology, virulence and antibiotic resistance. On the other hand diversity is also significant for species that have during evolution adapted to extreme environments.
COBISS.SI-ID: 3178575
The genomes of four Aureobasidium pullulans varieties were published. The manuscript focused on the presence and characteristics of genes involved in stress tolerance, especially to high salt concentrations that are well tolerated by Aureobasidium species. We also centered our research on the presence of biotechnologically important genes and we described varieties as new species, based on the differences between the genomes. The article was published in a scientific journal of the corresponding research field and attracted substantial attention (also due to the important role of Aureobasidium spp. in biotechnology, agriculture and medicine).
COBISS.SI-ID: 3173711