MicrobiologyOpen最新文献

Central nervous system (CNS) infections require prompt and accurate diagnosis to enable timely and targeted antimicrobial therapy. Syndromic PCR-based assays, such as the QIAstat-Dx Meningitis/Encephalitis Panel (QIA-ME), allow rapid detection of key pathogens directly from cerebrospinal fluid (CSF). We conducted a narrative review of seven studies (2023–2025) evaluating the diagnostic performance of QIA-ME. A total of 1007 clinical CSF samples, ranging from 5 to 585, were retrospectively analyzed, with 8 to 14 targets assessed per study. Positive percent agreement (PPA) ranged from 90.6% to 100%, while negative percent agreement (NPA)—available in only three studies—ranged from 75.0% to 97.7%. In three studies, head-to-head comparisons with the BioFire FilmArray Meningitis/Encephalitis Panel (FA-ME) revealed minimal variation in performance, reinforcing the robustness of QIA-ME. However, target-specific limitations were noted, particularly for herpesviruses such as HSV-1. Methodological heterogeneity across studies—in terms of design, comparator methods, and sample size—limits generalizability. The exclusion of cytomegalovirus and inclusion of Mycoplasma pneumoniae and Streptococcus pyogenes in the QIA-ME panel raise concerns about the clinical utility of low-prevalence targets, especially as M. pneumoniae was not detected in any clinical sample. Despite these limitations, the integration of amplification curve analysis and the strong concordance with FA-ME support QIA-ME as a valuable tool for CNS infection diagnostics. Prospective real-world studies are warranted to clarify the clinical value of individual targets and guide appropriate use across varied patient settings.

EXPRESSION OF CONCERN: M. Bilen, M.D.M. Fonkou, E. Tomei, N. Armstrong, F. Bittar, J.-C. Lagier, Z. Daoud, P.-E. Fournier, D. Raoult, and F. Cadoret, “Eggerthella timonensis sp. nov, A New Species Isolated from the Stool Sample of a Pygmy Female,” Microbiology Open 7, no. 5 (2018): e00575, https://doi.org/10.1002/mbo3.575.

This Expression of Concern is for the above article, published online on 13 June 2018 in Wiley Online Library (wileyonlinelibrary.com), and has been issued by John Wiley & Sons Ltd. The Expression of Concern has been agreed due to questions raised about the study's adherence to French legal and ethical requirements for research involving human subjects, including questions regarding proper informed consent for research involving vulnerable populations. A concern has also been raised by a third party about a potential conflict of interest for co-author for Didier Raoult. The investigation into these concerns is ongoing. Therefore, the journal has decided to issue an Expression of Concern to inform and alert readers.

EXPRESSION OF CONCERN: K. Diop, A. Diop, S. Khelaifia, et al., “Characterization of a Novel Gram-Stain-Positive Anaerobic Coccus Isolated from the Female Genital Tract: Genome Sequence and Description of Murdochiella vaginalis sp. nov.,” Microbiology Open 7, no. 3 (2018): e00570, https://doi.org/10.1002/mbo3.570.

This Expression of Concern is for the above article, published online on 21 June 2018 in Wiley Online Library (https://wileyonlinelibrary.com), and has been issued by John Wiley & Sons Ltd. The Expression of Concern has been agreed due to questions raised about the study's adherence to French legal and ethical requirements for research involving human subjects. The investigation into these concerns is ongoing. Therefore, the journal has decided to issue an Expression of Concern to inform and alert readers.

EXPRESSION OF CONCERN: M. Bilen, M.D.M. Fonkou, T.T. Nguyen, M. Richez, Z. Daoud, P-E. Fournier, D. Raoult, and F. Cadoret, “Miniphocibacter massiliensis gen. nov., sp. nov., A New Species Isolated from the Human Gut and Its Taxono-Genomics Description,” Microbiology Open 8, no. 5 (2019): e00735, https://doi.org/10.1002/mbo3.735.

This Expression of Concern is for the above article, published online on 2 October 2018 in Wiley Online Library (wileyonlinelibrary.com), and has been issued by John Wiley & Sons Ltd. The Expression of Concern has been agreed due to questions raised about the study's adherence to French legal and ethical requirements for research involving human subjects, including questions regarding proper informed consent for research involving vulnerable populations. A concern has also been raised by a third party about a potential conflict of interest for co-author for Didier Raoult. The investigation into these concerns is ongoing. Therefore, the journal has decided to issue an Expression of Concern to inform and alert readers.

EXPRESSION OF CONCERN: Z. Elsawi, A.H. Togo, M. Beye, G. Dubourg, C. Andrieu, N. Armstrong, M. Richez, F. di Pinto, F. Bittar, N. Labas, P.-E. Fournier, D. Raoult, and S. Khelaifia, “Hugonella massiliensis gen. nov., sp. nov., Genome Sequence, and Description of a New Strictly Anaerobic Bacterium Isolated from the Human Gut,” by Microbiology Open 6, no. 4 (2017): e00458, https://doi.org/10.1002/mbo3.458.

This Expression of Concern is for the above article, published online on 21 March 2017 in Wiley Online Library (wileyonlinelibrary.com), has been issued by John Wiley & Sons Ltd. The Expression of Concern has been agreed due to questions raised about the study's adherence to French legal and ethical requirements for research involving human subjects. The investigation into these concerns is ongoing. Therefore, the journal has decided to issue an Expression of Concern to inform and alert readers.

EXPRESSION OF CONCERN: M. Bilen, M. Beye, M.D.M. Fonkou, S. Khelaifia, F. Cadoret, N. Armstrong, T.T. Nguyen, J. Delerce, Z. Daoud, D. Raoult, and P.-E. Fournier, “Genomic and Phenotypic Description of the Newly Isolated Human Species Collinsella bouchesdurhonensis sp. nov.,” Microbiology Open 7, no. 5 (2018): e00580, https://doi.org/10.1002/mbo3.580.

This Expression of Concern is for the above article, published online on 13 June 2018 in Wiley Online Library (wileyonlinelibrary.com), and has been issued by John Wiley & Sons Ltd. The Expression of Concern has been agreed due to questions raised about the study's adherence to French legal and ethical requirements for research involving human subjects, including questions regarding proper informed consent for research involving vulnerable populations. A question has also been raised by a third party about whether this particular article by the authors reports a “newly isolated” microbial strain that is in fact a “novel species.” The investigation into all of these concerns is ongoing. Therefore, the journal has decided to issue an Expression of Concern to inform and alert readers.

The Arctic tundra and boreal forest regions are affected by ongoing climate change, leading to increased warming, increased plant production, and heightened microbial activity. Microbes play a key role in carbon release from stored soil organic matter, and characterizing their diversity and function in high-latitude soils is thus of significant interest. The Pseudomonadota are abundant and diverse members of high-latitude soils. Here, we describe two novel species of the genus Janthinobacterium, of the order Burkholderiales, isolated from tundra heath and northern boreal forest soils. The isolates are aerobic, chemoorganotrophic psychrophiles and are well-adapted to the subarctic climate conditions. Phylogenomic analyses and ANI values confirmed the novelty of the strains, designated as Janthinobacterium silvisoli sp. nov. K2Li3 and Janthinobacterium saanense sp. nov. S3T4. Genome analysis revealed that the new species have the metabolic potential for degradation of complex carbon and polyphenols, which are abundant in tundra heath and lichen-dominated, nutrient-poor forest soils. The strains are well-adapted to nitrogen-limited soil ecosystems and can scavenge nitrogen from both organic and inorganic sources. Additionally, the strains harbor secondary metabolite gene clusters that encode antimicrobial compound production, potentially enhancing their competitiveness in the subarctic environment. The comparative pangenome analysis indicated that the strains have unique gene clusters for carbohydrate transport and metabolism, and energy generation and conservation. The genome-based functional exploration enhances our understanding of this genus and how environmental conditions may shape the functionality and interactions of Janthinobacterium species in subarctic soil ecosystems.

EXPRESSION OF CONCERN: E. Seck, M. Beye, S.I. Traore, S. Khelaifia, C. Michelle, C. Couderc, S. Brah, P.-E. Fournier, D. Raoult, and F. Bittar, “Bacillus kwashiorkori sp. nov., A New Bacterial Species Isolated from a Malnourished Child Using Culturomics,” Microbiology Open 7, no. 1 (2018): e00535, https://doi.org/10.1002/mbo3.535.

This Expression of Concern is for the above article, published online on 27 October 2017 in Wiley Online Library (wileyonlinelibrary.com), and has been issued by John Wiley & Sons Ltd. The Expression of Concern has been agreed due to questions raised about the study's adherence to French legal and ethical requirements for research involving human subjects, including questions regarding proper informed consent for research involving vulnerable populations. The investigation into these concerns is ongoing. Therefore, the journal has decided to issue an Expression of Concern to inform and alert readers.

EXPRESSION OF CONCERN: A. Caputo, J.-C. Lagier, S. Azza, C. Robert, D. Mouelhi, P.-E. Fournier, and D. Raoult, “Microvirga massiliensis sp. nov., the Human Commensal with the Largest Genome,” Microbiology Open 5, no. 2 (2016): 307–322, https://doi.org/10.1002/mbo3.329.

This Expression of Concern is for the above article, published online on 8 January 2016 in Wiley Online Library (wileyonlinelibrary.com), and has been issued by John Wiley & Sons Ltd. The Expression of Concern has been agreed due to questions raised about the study's adherence to French legal and ethical requirements for research involving human subjects, including questions regarding proper informed consent for research involving vulnerable populations. The investigation into these concerns is ongoing. Therefore, the journal has decided to issue an Expression of Concern to inform and alert readers.

Fungal species are increasingly recognized as efficient bio-factories for the biosynthesis of nanoparticles with distinctive functionalities. In this study, zinc oxide-magnesium oxide nanocomposite (ZnO-MgO NCs) were biologically created employing the Sarocladium kiliense PV248633.1 fungal strain. Ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy confirmed nanoparticle formation through characteristic absorption peaks, while Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy identified functional groups associated with metal-oxygen bonds. Also, the nanoparticle size and surface characteristics Transmission electron microscopy and dynamic light scattering analyzes revealed an average particle size of 35 nm. Biological assessments demonstrate potent antitumor activity (IC₅₀ = 78.1 µg/mL) against MCF-7 breast cancer cells, alongside minimal cytotoxicity against normal WI-38 cells (IC₅₀ = 218.7 µg/mL), indicating selective toxicity. Antibacterial evaluations showed particularly high efficacy against Acinetobacter baumannii and Pseudomonas aeruginosa occasionally surpassing the performance of cefepime. Dose-dependent antimicrobial activity was confirmed through well diffusion and broth microdilution techniques, with minimum inhibitory concentrations highlighting strong bactericidal potential. Biofilm inhibition assays revealed strain-specific responses, with A. baumannii being the most susceptible. Furthermore, the synergistic combination of the biosynthesized nanocomposite with cefepime enhanced antibacterial outcomes against selected isolates, suggesting potential for addressing drug resistance. Overall, the mycogenic ZnO-MgO NCs synthesized from S. kiliense exhibited substantial anticancer, antibacterial, and antibiofilm properties, locating this nanocomposite as a promising candidate for biomedical purposes.