The work was published in respected scientific journal with high IF and has been cited already 15 times.In this work genes for laccase-like enzymes were searched for in over 2,200 complete and draft bacterial genomes and four metagenomic datasets, using the custom profile Hidden Markov Models for two- and three- domain laccases. More than 1,200 putative genes for laccase-like enzymes were retrieved from chromosomes and plasmids of diverse bacteria. In 76% of the genes, signal peptides were predicted, indicating that these bacterial laccases may be exported from the cytoplasm, which is in contrast with the current belief. Moreover, several examples of putatively horizontally transferred bacterial laccase genes were described. Many metagenomic sequences encoding fragments of laccase-like enzymes could not be phylogenetically assigned, indicating considerable novelty. Laccase-like genes were also found in anaerobic bacteria, autotrophs and alkaliphiles, thus opening new hypotheses regarding their ecological functions.
COBISS.SI-ID: 3993720
Study evaluated suspended activated sludge (SAS) and attached-growth biomass processes using lab-scale flow-through bioreactors with the addition of a mixture containing 1 µg L-1 of each of the compound of interest. Furthermore, the attached-growth biomass process was evaluated for two types of carriers, Kaldnes K1 and for the first time Mutag BioChipTM carriers. The SAS process showed poor and inconsistent removal of clofibric acid CLA (9 % ± 28 %), carbamazepine CBZ (21 % ± 25 %) and diclofenac DF (48 % ± 19 %), while ibuprofen IB, naproxen NP and ketoprofen KP yielded 86 %, 74 % and 78 % removal, respectively, with a measured deviation of (10 %. The results agree with published data confirming the recalcitrant nature of CLA, CBZ and DF to classical SAS treatment. In comparison to SAS, attached-growth biomass process, for both types of carriers, resulted in higher removal efficiencies for IB (94 % ± 8 % for Kaldness K1 and 94 % ± 4 % for Mutag BioChipTM carriers), while KP and CBZ were removed to a lesser degree. In the case of CLA and NP no difference in removal efficiencies between SAS and attached-growth biomass process were observed. Better results were obtained for DF using Mutag BioChipTM carriers (85 % ± 10 %) compared to reactors containing the Kaldnes K1 carriers (74 % ± 22 %) and SAS (48 % ± 19 %). To enhance the removal of pharmaceuticals hydrodynamic cavitation with hydrogen peroxide was evaluated. Optimal parameters resulted in removal efficiencies between 3 - 70 % and showed the potential to be augmented with different cavitation configuration. Coupling the attached-growth biomass biological treatment, hydrodynamic cavitation/hydrogen peroxide process and UV treatment resulted in removal efficiencies of ) 90 %. Importantly, this study proves that it is possible to remove pharmaceutical residues both consistently and to a higher degree using combination biofilm process and AOP, which has significant implications for future WWT strategies.
COBISS.SI-ID: 27217959
In this work a mix of oligonucleotide probes was used to hybridize soil metagenomic DNA from a fosmid clone library spotted on high density membranes. The pooled radio-labeled probes were designed to target genes encoding glycoside hydrolases GH18, dehalogenases, bacterial laccases and mobile genetic elements (integrases from integrons and insertion sequences). Positive hybridizing spots were affiliated to the corresponding clones in the library and the metagenomic inserts were sequenced. After assembly and annotation, new coding DNA sequences related to genes of interest were identified with low protein similarity against the closest hits in databases. This work highlights the sensitivity of DNA/DNA hybridization techniques as an effective and complementary way to recover novel genes from large metagenomic clone libraries. This study also supports that some of the identified catabolic genes might be associated with horizontal transfer events.
COBISS.SI-ID: 4379512
Many peatlands in Europe have been subjected to land reclamation and systematic drainage which have substantially affected nutrient cycles in the soil. This work reviews published work on microbial processes linked to carbon and nitrogen transformations in the soils of the Ljubljana marsh, a drained peatland positioned close to Ljubljana, the capital city of Slovenia. This region is known for its dramatic diversity of animal and plant life, but below ground it hides diverse bacterial and archaeal communities that are highly responsive to environmental changes. Ljubljana marsh soils are also rich in bacterial laccase-like genes, which have the potential to be involved in lignin degradation and are therefore interesting for bioexploitations. Diversity and potential application of this enzymes, encoded by genes found in this peatland have been discussed . Future challenges involve designing studies that will reveal specific physiological functions of phenol oxidases and other enzymes involved in peat transformations and address relations between microbial diversity, function and ecosystem responses to anthropogenic disturbances
COBISS.SI-ID: 4389496