Helicovermis profundi gen. nov., sp. nov., a novel mesophilic, asporogenous bacterium within the Clostridia isolated from a deep-sea hydrothermal vent chimney.

A novel mesophilic bacterial strain, designated S502T, was isolated from a deep-sea hydrothermal vent at Suiyo Seamount, Japan. Cells were Gram-positive, asporogenous, motile, and curved rods, measuring 1.6-5.6 µm in length. The strain was an obligate anaerobe that grew fermentatively on complex substrates such as yeast extract and Bacto peptone. Elemental sulfur stimulated the growth of the strain, and was reduced to hydrogen sulfide. The strain grew within a temperature range of 10-23 °C (optimum at 20 °C), pH range of 4.8-8.3 (optimum at 7.4), and a NaCl concentration range of 1.0-4.0% (w/v) (optimum at 3.0%, w/v). Phylogenetic analysis based on the 16S rRNA gene sequence revealed that the isolate was a member of the class Clostridia, with Fusibacter paucivorans strain SEBR 4211T (91.1% sequence identity) being its closest relative. The total size of the genome of the strain was 3.12 Mbp, and a G + C content was 28.2 mol%. The highest values for average nucleotide identity (ANI), average amino acid identity (AAI), and digital DNA-DNA hybridization (dDDH) value of strain S502T with relatives were 67.5% (with Marinisporobacter balticus strain 59.4MT), 51.5% (with M. balticus strain 59.4MT), and 40.9% (with Alkaliphilus serpentinus strain LacTT), respectively. Based on a combination of phylogenetic, genomic, and phenotypic characteristics, we propose strain S502T to represent a novel genus and species, Helicovermis profundi gen. nov., sp. nov., with the type strain S502T (= DSM 112048T = JCM 39167T).

A Survey of Pharmacy Students' Satisfaction with a Basic Life Support Course and an Exploration of Factors Related to Awareness Change Before and After the Course.

The model core curriculum for pharmacy education and professional standards for pharmacists established by the Japan Pharmaceutical Association aim to inculcate knowledge and skills on basic life support (BLS) and ensure that pharmacy students are well equipped with knowledge on BLS. In this study, pharmacy students were enrolled in the PUSH course, a BLS training course for citizens, and a questionnaire survey was conducted before and after the course to evaluate the change in students awareness about BLS and overall satisfaction with the course. The participants enrolled for the course were fourth-year students from the School of Pharmacy, Hyogo Medical University, who consented to participate in the study. A total of ninety-nine participants were included in this study. After the completion of the course, the participants displayed greater confidence, preparedness, and willingness to teach BLS, and decreased anxiety about BLS. Factor analysis revealed four factors based on the questionnaire answers before the course, while three factors were extracted based on the answers after the course. Lack of confidence in BLS, extracted as one of the factors before the course was inverted and gave rise to a new factor. Some participants displayed increased awareness about BLS after completion of the PUSH course. Hierarchical cluster analysis before and after the course divided respondents into three groups. The results showed that lesser number of participants displayed anxiety over BLS after the course. The results also indicated high levels of satisfaction among the participants after the completion of the PUSH course.

Physiological and comparative proteomic characterization of Desulfolithobacter dissulfuricans gen. nov., sp. nov., a novel mesophilic, sulfur-disproportionating chemolithoautotroph from a deep-sea hydrothermal vent.

In deep-sea hydrothermal environments, inorganic sulfur compounds are important energy substrates for sulfur-oxidizing, -reducing, and -disproportionating microorganisms. Among these, sulfur-disproportionating bacteria have been poorly understood in terms of ecophysiology and phylogenetic diversity. Here, we isolated and characterized a novel mesophilic, strictly chemolithoautotrophic, diazotrophic sulfur-disproportionating bacterium, designated strain GF1T, from a deep-sea hydrothermal vent chimney at the Suiyo Seamount in the Izu-Bonin Arc, Japan. Strain GF1T disproportionated elemental sulfur, thiosulfate, and tetrathionate in the presence of ferrihydrite. The isolate also grew by respiratory hydrogen oxidation coupled to sulfate reduction. Phylogenetic and physiological analyses support that strain GF1T represents the type strain of a new genus and species in the family Desulfobulbaceae, for which the name Desulfolithobacter dissulfuricans gen. nov. sp. nov. is proposed. Proteomic analysis revealed that proteins related to tetrathionate reductase were specifically and abundantly produced when grown via thiosulfate disproportionation. In addition, several proteins possibly involved in thiosulfate disproportionation, including those encoded by the YTD gene cluster, were also found. The overall findings pointed to a possible diversity of sulfur-disproportionating bacteria in hydrothermal systems and provided a refined picture of microbial sulfur disproportionation.

Desulfomarina profundi gen. nov., sp. nov., a novel mesophilic, hydrogen-oxidizing, sulphate-reducing chemolithoautotroph isolated from a deep-sea hydrothermal vent chimney.

A novel mesophilic, strictly anaerobic, chemolithoautotrophic sulphate-reducing bacterium, designated strain KT2T, was isolated from a deep-sea hydrothermal vent chimney at the Suiyo Seamount in the Izu-Bonin Arc. Strain KT2T grew at 25-40 °C (optimum 35 °C) and pH 5.5-7.0 (optimum 6.6) in the presence of 25-45 g l-1 NaCl (optimum 30 g l-1). Growth occurred with molecular hydrogen as the electron donor and sulphate, thiosulphate, and sulphite as the electron acceptors. The isolate utilized CO2 as the sole carbon source for chemolithoautotrophic growth on H2. Glycerol, succinate, fumarate, malate, glutamate, or casamino acids could serve as an alternative electron donor in the presence of CO2. Malate, citrate, glutamate, and casamino acids were used as fermentative substrates for weak growth. The G+C content of genomic DNA was 46.1 %. Phylogenetic analysis of the 16S rRNA gene sequence indicated that strain KT2T is a member of the family Desulfobulbaceae, showing a sequence similarity of 94.3 % with Desulforhopalus singaporensis. Phylogenomic analysis based on concatenated 156 single-copy marker genes confirmed the same topology as the 16S rRNA gene phylogeny. The ANI and AAI values between strain KT2T and related genera of the family Desulfobulbaceae were 65.6-68.6 % and 53.1-62.9 %. Based on the genomic, molecular, and physiological characteristics, strain KT2T represents a novel genus and species within the family Desulfobulbaceae, for which the name Desulfomarina profundi gen. nov., sp. nov. is proposed, with KT2T (=JCM 34118T = DSM 111364T) as the type strain.