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Colibacillosis is a common veterinary infection that causes huge economic losses to the livestock and poultry industry. Uncontrolled use of antibiotics has led to the emergence and spread of multidrug resistant bacteria and has reduced the effectiveness of standard treatment regimens for infectious diseases. This stimulated the renewed interest in bacteriophages among scientists since the beginning of the 21st century. Bacteriophages are widespread in nature and accompany bacteria in every environment they colonize, including the microbiota of warm-blooded animals. The purpose of the research was to study the therapeutic activity of a cocktail created on the basis of bacteriophages isolated in the territory of the Republic of Kazakhstan. The therapeutic activity of the phage cocktail was determined through experimental infection of chickens with a pathogenic strain of E. coli. The in vivo experiments showed that the administration of the bacteriophage cocktail enabled 86% of the chickens to survive after being infected with lethal doses of pathogenic E. coli. They also revealed that the frequency of phage cocktail administration did not affect its efficacy. Thus, the investigated phage cocktail is a promising candidate for the creation of biotechnological antibacterial agents on its basis for safe and effective treatment of poultry against colibacillosis.

Mammallicoccus lentus is a member of the commensal microflora of the Staphylococcaceae family, which colonizes the skin of several species of farm animals, including poultry and dairy animals (Huber et al., 2011; Zhang et al., 2009). The study of the members of the Staphylococcaceae family, such as the Mammaliicoccus genus, isolated from various sources is of great importance for agriculture and public health as contributes to the accumulation of knowledge and understanding of the mechanisms of antibiotic resistance gene transmission among bacterial pathogens. This thesis is supported by recent studies showing that some members of the Mammallicoccus genus serve as a reservoir of virulence and antibiotic resistance genes and may also be a source of horizontal gene transfer (Saraiva et al., 2021). Here, we present a draft genome sequence of Mammallicoccus lentus strain PVZ.22 from a horse farm soil sample. The sequencing was performed on the Illumina MiSeq platform. The genome was assembled using the Geneious software package. The genome contains 2,802,282 bp with a total of 2805 genes, 8 perfect and 12 strict AMR genes and 58 tRNAs genes.

Here we report the draft complete genome sequence of Escherichia phage vB_EcoM_IntR and Escherichia phage vB_EcoM_PiR isolated from a poultry farm soil sample. Bacteriophage isolation on the model of the pathogenic for birds Escherichia coli was carried out. Sequencing was carried out on the Illumina platform. Phage genomes were assembled using a software Geneious package. Phage sequences do not contain tRNA. Phages are a linear double-stranded DNA from Rosemountvirus genus of Myoviridae family with a genome 52,782 and 52,936 bp, respectively, containing 71 predicted open reading frames (ORFs). The phages have a standard icosahedral head and a contractive tail characteristic of the myovirus family.

In recent years, the study of marine viromes has become one of the most relevant areas of geoecology. Viruses are the most numerous, genetically diverse and pervasive biological entities on Earth, including in aquatic ecosystems. Information about viral diversity in aquatic ecosystems remains limited and requires more research. This work provides the first-ever look at the current DNA virome of the Northern Caspian Sea. A comparison with other freshwater and marine viromes revealed that the North Caspian Sea virome has the greatest similarity with those of the Baltic Sea and Lake Baikal. The study described in this article expands the knowledge about aquatic viromes and provides key data for a more comprehensive analysis of viruses circulating in the Caspian Sea, the largest inland body of water on Earth.

Colibacillosis in chickens can cause the death of young stock, decrease weight gain and lead to significant economic losses. Currently, antibiotic therapy is the main method of treatment of infected animals, but unchecked use of antibiotics has led to widespread antibiotic resistance among microorganisms. Therefore, it is necessary to develop alternative methods of treating bacterial infections that are fully consistent with the One Health concept and introduce them into practice. Phage therapy meets the specified requirements perfectly. This study describes the isolation and characterization of the lytic jumbo phage vB_EcoM_Lh1B and evaluates its potential use in controlling antibiotic-resistant E. coli infection in poultry. The complete phage genome is 240,200 bp long. Open reading frame (ORF) prediction shows that the phage genome does not contain genes encoding antibiotic resistance and lysogeny factors. Based on phylogenetic and electron microscopic analysis, vB_EcoM_Lh1B belongs to the group of myoviruses of the Seoulvirus genus of the Caudoviricetes class. The bacteriophage has good resistance to a wide range of pH and temperatures and has the ability to suppress 19 out of 30 studied pathogenic E. coli strains. The biological and lytic properties of the isolated vB_EcoM_Lh1B phage make it a promising target of further study as a therapeutic agent against E. coli infections in poultry.

Streptomyces anulatus is a typical representative of the Streptomyces genus synthesizing a large number of biologically active compounds. In this study, the draft genome of Streptomyces anulatus, strain K-31 is presented, generated from Illumina reads by SPAdes software. The size of the assembled genome was 8.548838 Mb. Annotation of the S. anulatus genome assembly identified C. hemipterus genome 7749 genes, including 7149 protein-coding genes and 92 RNA genes. This genome will be helpful to further understand Streptomyces genetics and evolution and can be useful for obtained biological active compounds.

In the present study, we investigated the antiviral activities of 17 flavonoids as natural products. These derivatives were evaluated for their in vitro antiviral activities against HIV and SARS-CoV-2. Their antiviral activity was evaluated for the first time based on POM (Petra/Osiris/Molispiration) theory and docking analysis. POM calculation was used to analyze the atomic charge and geometric characteristics. The side effects, drug similarities, and drug scores were also assumed for the stable structure of each compound. These results correlated with the experimental values. The bioinformatics POM analyses of the relative antiviral activities of these derivatives are reported for the first time.

Pathogenic E. coli cause urinary tract, soft tissue and central nervous system infections, sepsis, etc. Lytic bacteriophages can be used to combat such infections. We investigated six lytic E. coli bacteriophages isolated from wastewater. Transmission electron microscopy and whole genome sequencing showed that the isolated bacteriophages are tailed phages of the Caudoviricetes class. One-step growth curves revealed that their latent period of reproduction is 20–30 min, and the average value of the burst size is 117–155. During co-cultivation with various E. coli strains, the phages completely suppressed bacterial host culture growth within the first 4 h at MOIs 10−7 to 10−3. The host range lysed by each bacteriophage varied from six to two bacterial strains out of nine used in the study. The cocktail formed from the isolated bacteriophages possessed the ability to completely suppress the growth of all the E. coli strains used in the study within 6 h and maintain its lytic activity for 8 months of storage. All the isolated bacteriophages may be useful in fighting pathogenic E. coli strains and in the development of phage cocktails with a long storage period and high efficiency in the treatment of bacterial infections.

Abstract Microbial diversity studies regarding the aquatic communities that experienced or are experiencing environmental problems are essential for the comprehension of the remediation dynamics. In this pilot study, we present data on the phylogenetic and ecological structure of microorganisms from epipelagic water samples collected in the Small Aral Sea (SAS). The raw data were generated by massive parallel sequencing using the shotgun approach. As expected, most of the identified DNA sequences belonged to Terrabacteria and Actinobacteria (40% and 37% of the total reads, respectively). The occurrence of Deinococcus‐Thermus, Armatimonadetes, Chloroflexi in the epipelagic SAS waters was less anticipated. Surprising was also the detection of sequences, which are characteristic for strict anaerobes—Ignavibacteria, hydrogen‐oxidizing bacteria, and archaeal methanogenic species. We suppose that the observed very broad range of phylogenetic and ecological features displayed by the SAS reads demonstrates a more intensive mixing of water masses originating from diverse ecological niches of the Aral‐Syr Darya River basin than presumed before.

Staphylococcus aureus is a conditionally pathogenic microorganism and one of the main causative agents of antibiotic resistant nosocomial infections. In immunocompromised people, S. aureus infection can cause folliculitis, furuncles, impetigo, osteomyelitis, septic arthritis, sepsis, endocarditis, pneumonia and meningitis. In the presented work, sequencing of a methicillin-resistant S. aureus, strain 4233, was performed on the Illumina MiSeq platform, followed by bioinformatics processing and gene annotation using SPAdes, RAST and CARD programs and databases. The submitted genome is a total of 2,790,390 bp long and contains 2759 genes, including 82 RNA genes. 33 % of the genes are functionally significant and represent 25 functional groups. Fourteen genes encoding resistance factors to 14 different types of antibacterial drugs were predicted. The information provided on the genome of S. aureus, strain 4233 will be of value in investigating the evolution and formation of antibiotic-resistant forms of S. aureus.

Staphylococcus aureus is a conditionally pathogenic microorganism and one of the main causative agents of antibiotic resistant nosocomial infections. In immunocompromised people, S. aureus infection can cause folliculitis, furuncles, impetigo, osteomyelitis, septic arthritis, sepsis, endocarditis, pneumonia and meningitis. In the presented work, sequencing of a methicillin-resistant S. aureus , strain 4233, was performed on the Illumina MiSeq platform, followed by bioinformatics processing and gene annotation using SPAdes, RAST and CARD programs and databases. The submitted genome is a total of 2,790,390 bp long and contains 2759 genes, including 82 RNA genes. 33 % of the genes are functionally significant and represent 25 functional groups. Fourteen genes encoding resistance factors to 14 different types of antibacterial drugs were predicted. The information provided on the genome of S. aureus , strain 4233 will be of value in investigating the evolution and formation of antibiotic-resistant forms of S. aureus ., (© 2024 The Author(s).)

Mammallicoccus lentus is a member of the commensal microflora of the Staphylococcaceae family, which colonizes the skin of several species of farm animals, including poultry and dairy animals (Huber et al., 2011; Zhang et al., 2009). The study of the members of the Staphylococcaceae family, such as the Mammaliicoccus genus, isolated from various sources is of great importance for agriculture and public health as contributes to the accumulation of knowledge and understanding of the mechanisms of antibiotic resistance gene transmission among bacterial pathogens. This thesis is supported by recent studies showing that some members of the Mammallicoccus genus serve as a reservoir of virulence and antibiotic resistance genes and may also be a source of horizontal gene transfer (Saraiva et al., 2021). Here, we present a draft genome sequence of Mammallicoccus lentus strain PVZ.22 from a horse farm soil sample. The sequencing was performed on the Illumina MiSeq platform. The genome was assembled using the Geneious software package. The genome contains 2,802,282 bp with a total of 2805 genes, 8 perfect and 12 strict AMR genes and 58 tRNAs genes., (© 2023 The Author(s).)

Colibacillosis in chickens can cause the death of young stock, decrease weight gain and lead to significant economic losses. Currently, antibiotic therapy is the main method of treatment of infected animals, but unchecked use of antibiotics has led to widespread antibiotic resistance among microorganisms. Therefore, it is necessary to develop alternative methods of treating bacterial infections that are fully consistent with the One Health concept and introduce them into practice. Phage therapy meets the specified requirements perfectly. This study describes the isolation and characterization of the lytic jumbo phage vB_EcoM_Lh1B and evaluates its potential use in controlling antibiotic-resistant E. coli infection in poultry. The complete phage genome is 240,200 bp long. Open reading frame (ORF) prediction shows that the phage genome does not contain genes encoding antibiotic resistance and lysogeny factors. Based on phylogenetic and electron microscopic analysis, vB_EcoM_Lh1B belongs to the group of myoviruses of the Seoulvirus genus of the Caudoviricetes class. The bacteriophage has good resistance to a wide range of pH and temperatures and has the ability to suppress 19 out of 30 studied pathogenic E. coli strains. The biological and lytic properties of the isolated vB_EcoM_Lh1B phage make it a promising target of further study as a therapeutic agent against E. coli infections in poultry.

In the present study, we investigated the antiviral activities of 17 flavonoids as natural products. These derivatives were evaluated for their in vitro antiviral activities against HIV and SARS-CoV-2. Their antiviral activity was evaluated for the first time based on POM (Petra/Osiris/Molispiration) theory and docking analysis. POM calculation was used to analyze the atomic charge and geometric characteristics. The side effects, drug similarities, and drug scores were also assumed for the stable structure of each compound. These results correlated with the experimental values. The bioinformatics POM analyses of the relative antiviral activities of these derivatives are reported for the first time.

Pathogenic E. coli cause urinary tract, soft tissue and central nervous system infections, sepsis, etc. Lytic bacteriophages can be used to combat such infections. We investigated six lytic E. coli bacteriophages isolated from wastewater. Transmission electron microscopy and whole genome sequencing showed that the isolated bacteriophages are tailed phages of the Caudoviricetes class. One-step growth curves revealed that their latent period of reproduction is 20-30 min, and the average value of the burst size is 117-155. During co-cultivation with various E. coli strains, the phages completely suppressed bacterial host culture growth within the first 4 h at MOIs 10 -7 to 10 -3 . The host range lysed by each bacteriophage varied from six to two bacterial strains out of nine used in the study. The cocktail formed from the isolated bacteriophages possessed the ability to completely suppress the growth of all the E. coli strains used in the study within 6 h and maintain its lytic activity for 8 months of storage. All the isolated bacteriophages may be useful in fighting pathogenic E. coli strains and in the development of phage cocktails with a long storage period and high efficiency in the treatment of bacterial infections.

Here, we report a metagenomic analysis of koumiss from Kazakhstan. In this study, shotgun metagenomic sequencing of the RNA and DNA viral community was performed.

In 2019-2020, the Coronavirus (CoV) disease 2019 pandemic created a serious challenge for health care systems in several countries worldwide. A cure has not been developed yet and currently used treatment protocols are aimed at relieving clinical symptoms of the disease. This article presents a retrospective review of biologically active compounds of plant origin that can inhibit the reproduction of CoVs, which makes them potential candidates for creating medicinal antiviral preparations against severe acute respiratory syndrome CoV-2 infections. A literature review of articles from highly rated journals was performed using public databases. The search was carried out using keywords related to CoVs, targets for therapy, and plant as antiviral agents. Although inhibition of viral replication is often considered the common mechanism of antiviral activity exerted by most natural products, several plant-derived compounds show specific activity for particular target viruses. In this context, certain classes of plant preparations can serve as a basis for designing modern antiviral agents. In addition, a large number of plant compounds that are potentially active against CoVs are the main components of certain common dietary supplements that can be used to improve the resistance of a population against certain respiratory infections. In this review, we have attempted to characterize the main groups of biologically active plant compounds that have the potential to disrupt the key stages of CoV replication. It has been shown that the use of certain herbal preparations can change the course of infection.

Microbial diversity studies regarding the aquatic communities that experienced or are experiencing environmental problems are essential for the comprehension of the remediation dynamics. In this pilot study, we present data on the phylogenetic and ecological structure of microorganisms from epipelagic water samples collected in the Small Aral Sea (SAS). The raw data were generated by massive parallel sequencing using the shotgun approach. As expected, most of the identified DNA sequences belonged to Terrabacteria and Actinobacteria (40% and 37% of the total reads, respectively). The occurrence of Deinococcus-Thermus, Armatimonadetes, Chloroflexi in the epipelagic SAS waters was less anticipated. Surprising was also the detection of sequences, which are characteristic for strict anaerobes-Ignavibacteria, hydrogen-oxidizing bacteria, and archaeal methanogenic species. We suppose that the observed very broad range of phylogenetic and ecological features displayed by the SAS reads demonstrates a more intensive mixing of water masses originating from diverse ecological niches of the Aral-Syr Darya River basin than presumed before., (© 2020 The Authors. MicrobiologyOpen published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Here, we present a virome analysis of the surface waters of the Small Aral Sea. In this case, shotgun metagenomic sequencing of the RNA and DNA virus community was used., (Copyright © 2020 Alexyuk et al.)