Soil-borne fungal pathogens such as Sclerotium spp., Rhizoctonia spp., and Macrophomina spp. pose significant threats to global agriculture, with soybean crops among the most severely affected due to damping-off disease. These pathogens cause substantial yield losses, making their management a critical concern. In this study, we investigated the potential of Bacillus siamensis BCL, a novel Neotropical strain, as an eco-friendly solution for managing Sclerotium, Rhizoctonia, and Macrophomina species. The strain exhibited strong antifungal activity, significantly inhibiting fungal growth in vitro, with the greatest suppression observed against Macrophomina spp., reaching up to 81%. In vivo assays further confirmed the biocontrol potential of B. siamensis. When applied at 10⁶ colony-forming units (CFU)/mL, the strain reduced disease symptoms and improved plant growth parameters—including root length, shoot biomass, and leaf number—compared to untreated, infected controls. The protective effect varied by pathogen, with the most significant recovery in root length observed against Macrophomina spp. (85%) and Sclerotium spp. (78%). In preventive treatments, fermentation extracts of the B. siamensis strain suppressed disease progression, although they did not promote seedling growth. A genomic analysis of B. siamensis BCL revealed genes encoding antimicrobial secondary metabolites, including terpenes, fengycins, and surfactins. These findings highlight B. siamensis BCL as a promising candidate for sustainable crop protection and a valuable resource for developing novel antimicrobial strategies in agriculture.

It is long known that some parasite infections are able to modulate specific pathways of host’s metabolism and immune responses. This modulation is not only important in order to understand the host-pathogen interactions and to develop treatments against the parasites themselves but also important in the development of treatments against autoimmune and inflammatory diseases. Throughout the life cycle of schistosomes the mammalian hosts are exposed to several biomolecules that are excreted/secreted from the parasite infective stage, named cercariae, from their tegument, present in adult and larval stages, and finally from their eggs. These molecules can induce the activation and modulation of innate and adaptive responses as well as enabling the evasion of the parasite from host defense mechanisms. Immunomodulatory effects of helminth infections and egg molecules are clear, as well as their ability to downregulate proinflammatory cytokines, upregulate anti-inflammatory cytokines, and drive a Th2 type of immune response. We believe that schistosomes can be used as a model to understand the potential applications of helminths and helminth-derived molecules against autoimmune and inflammatory diseases.

Studies on animal virome have mainly concentrated on chordates and medically significant invertebrates, often overlooking sylvatic mosquitoes, constituting a major part of mosquito species diversity. Despite their potential role in arbovirus transmission, the viromes of sylvatic mosquitoes remain largely unexplored. These mosquitoes may also harbor insect-specific viruses (ISVs), affecting arboviral transmission dynamics. The Cerrado biome, known for rapid deforestation and its status as a biodiversity hotspot, offers an ideal setting for investigating mosquito viromes due to potential zoonotic spillover risks from land use changes. This study aimed to characterize the viromes of sylvatic mosquitoes collected from various locations within Minas Gerais state, Brazil. The total RNA was extracted from mosquito pools of Psorophora albipes, Sabethes albiprivus, Sa. chloropterus, Psorophora ferox, and Coquillettidia venezuelensis species, followed by high-throughput sequencing (HTS). Bioinformatic analysis included quality control, contig assembly, and viral detection. Sequencing data analysis revealed 11 near-complete viral genomes (new viruses are indicated with asterisks) across seven viral families and one unassigned genus. These included: Xinmoviridae (Ferox mosquito mononega-like virus* and Albipes mosquito Gordis-like virus*), Phasmaviridae (Sabethes albiprivus phasmavirus*), Lispiviridae (Pedras lispivirus variant MG), Iflaviridae (Sabethes albiprivus iflavivirus*), Virgaviridae (Buriti virga-like virus variant MG and Sabethes albiprivus virgavirus 1*), Flaviviridae (Psorophora ferox flavivirus*), Mesoniviridae (Alphamesonivirus cavallyense variant MG), and the genus Negevirus (Biggie virus variant MG virus and Coquillettidia venezuelensis negevirus*). Moreover, the presence of ISVs and potential novel arboviruses underscores the need for ongoing surveillance and control strategies to mitigate the risk of emerging infectious diseases.

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is an increasing and urgent issue for human health worldwide, as it leads to the reduction of available antibiotics to treat bacterial infections, in turn increasing hospital stays and lethality. Therefore, the study and genomic surveillance of bacterial carriers of resistance in and outside of clinical settings is of utter importance. A colony of multidrug resistant (MDR) bacteria identified as Klebsiella spp., by 16S rDNA amplicon sequencing, has been isolated from an urban lake in Brazil, during a drug-degrading bacterial prospection. Genomic analyses revealed the bacteria as Klebsiella pneumoniae species. Furthermore, the in silico Multilocus Sequence Typing (MLST) identified the genome as a new sequence type, ST5236. The search for antimicrobial resistance genes (ARGs) detected the presence of genes against beta-lactams, fosfomycin, acriflavine and efflux pumps, as well as genes for heavy metal resistance. Of particular note, an extended-spectrum beta-lactamase gene (blaCTX-M-15) has been detected in close proximity to siphoviridae genes, while a carbapenemase gene (KPC-2) has been found in an extrachromosomal contig, within a novel non-Tn4401 genetic element (NTE_KPC). An extrachromosomal contig found in the V3 isolate is identical to a contig of a K. pneumoniae isolate from a nearby hospital, which indicates a putative gene flow from the hospital network into Paranoá lake. The discovery of a MDR isolate in this lake is worrisome, as the region has recently undergone periods of water scarcity causing the lake, which receives treated wastewater effluent, and is already used for recreational purposes, to be used as an environmental buffer for drinking water reuse. Altogether, our results indicate an underrepresentation of environmental K. pneumoniae among available genomes, which may hamper the understanding of the population dynamics of the species in the environment and its consequences in the spread of ARGs and virulence genes.

Brown spot, caused by the seedborne fungus Bipolaris oryzae, remains a major constraint in rice production. Here, we used in vitro and in vivo assays to evaluate the biocontrol potential of three Bacillus strains (Ba. cereus OQ725688.1, Ba. velezensis OP938696.1, and Ba. subtilis OP937353.1) against Bi. oryzae in two rice cultivars (“Rubelita” and “Predileta”). Ba. cereus showed the highest in vitro mycelial inhibition (≈95%), whereas Ba. velezensis was the most effective under greenhouse conditions, reducing disease severity by up to 60% and increasing seedling vigor by 51% compared with infected controls. “Predileta” showed the strongest response to bacterial treatment, maintaining severity scores below 2 even under high inoculum pressure. Functional assays confirmed that all strains displayed amylolytic, catalase, and phosphate-solubilizing activities, with Ba. velezensis uniquely expressing strong cellulase and protease activities. Genome analysis of Ba. velezensis OP938696.1 revealed multiple biosynthetic gene clusters for antifungal polyketides and lipopeptides. These integrated biochemical and genomic traits demonstrate the novelty and potential of this Neotropical strain as a multifunctional agent capable of suppressing Bi. oryzae while enhancing rice seedling performance. Incorporating such a native strain into seed and soil management offers a sustainable strategy for rice protection in Neotropical systems.

Baculoviruses are insect-specific viruses with large, double-stranded DNA genomes classified into four genera. Alphabaculoviruses, which infect lepidoptera, are further divided into group I (G1-α) and group II (G2-α). The GP64 protein, essential for cell attachment and viral entry in G1-α baculoviruses, is thought to have originated through horizontal gene transfer (HGT) from thogotoviruses (family Orthomyxoviridae ). This study investigates the functional substitution of GP64 by thogotovirus fusion proteins. Through RNA-seq data mining, we identified a novel thogotovirus, Melitaea didyma thogotovirus 1 (MediTHOV-1), in lepidopteran hosts. Phylodynamic analysis of G1-α baculovirus and thogotovirus glycoproteins suggests that the HGT event occurred during the Mesozoic era. To test functional substitution, we constructed recombinant Autographa californica multiple nucleopolyhedrovirus (AcMNPV) carrying either the envelope fusion protein (EFP) genes from MediTHOV-1 or Apis thogotovirus 1 (ATHOV-1), while deleted for its native gp64 gene. Our results show that, while the MediTHOV-1 glycoprotein failed to rescue AcMNPV infectivity, the ATHOV-1 fusion protein (EFP) partially restored infectivity, albeit with reduced efficiency. Cryo-electron microscopy revealed lower incorporation of ATHOV-1 EFP into viral envelopes compared to GP64. The recombinant AcMNPV carrying ATHOV-1 EFP (Ac-ATHOVGPgp64Δ) displayed delayed replication kinetics and lower viral titers. Interestingly, ATHOV-1 EFP significantly enhanced baculovirus entry and gene transduction in mosquito cells. These findings provide experimental support for the HGT hypothesis, demonstrating the functional incorporation of a thogotovirus glycoprotein into a baculovirus. This study sheds light on the evolutionary relationship between baculovirus GP64 and glycoproteins, offering insights into viral evolution and potential biotechnological applications in gene delivery and protein expression. IMPORTANCE: Baculoviruses are widely utilized for the biological control of insect pests and as versatile biotechnological tools, with their effectiveness largely dependent on the activity of their envelope fusion proteins (EFPs). Thogotoviruses, in contrast, are emerging vector-borne pathogens of significant concern. In this study, we present the first successful functional substitution of the baculovirus GP64 protein with a thogotovirus EFP, alongside the identification of what appears to be a lepidopteran-associated thogotovirus, Melitaea didyma thogothovirus 1. Our work provides functional and phylogenetic insights into the evolutionary relationship between these distantly related viral groups, particularly the hypothesized horizontal gene transfer event that gave rise to baculoviral gp64 gene. These findings offer a deeper understanding of the determinants underlying the adaptation of baculoviral glycoproteins to novel hosts. Furthermore, the discovery of novel viral genes highlights promising opportunities for biotechnological advancements, including the development of enhanced baculovirus-based gene delivery systems and tools for protein expression.