Kushneet Kaur Sodhi

Insects, as diverse and ecologically dominant organisms, rely exclusively on innate immunity to defend against a wide array of microbial threats. This paper presents an integrative review of insect immune mechanisms, highlighting the molecular, cellular, and systemic components that underpin host defense. The immune response is orchestrated through physical barriers, cellular processes and humoral factors. Evolutionarily conserved pattern recognition receptors (PRRs) are essential to these processes. Emphasis is laid on pivotal functions of hemocytes, the significance of microbiome interactions in immune regulation, and the emerging influence of non-coding RNAs. Furthermore, the paper explores defensive symbiosis, environmental and evolutionary influences on immune dynamics, and applications in biotechnology and pest management. Model organisms, such as Drosophila melanogaster and Bombyx mori, serve as critical systems for unravelling innate immunity, with translational relevance to vertebrate immunology and vector control strategies. Understanding these mechanisms offers valuable insights into conserved immune pathways and holds promise for advancing strategies in human disease prevention, therapeutic innovation, and global health.

The menace caused by antibiotic resistance in bacteria is acknowledged on a global scale. Concerns over the same are increasing because of the selection pressure exerted by a huge number of different antimicrobial agents, including heavy metals. Heavy metals are non-metabolizable and recalcitrant to degradation, therefore the bacteria can expel the pollutants out of the system and make it less harmful via different mechanisms. The selection of antibiotic-resistant bacteria may be influenced by heavy metals present in environmental reservoirs. Through co-resistance and cross-resistance processes, the presence of heavy metals in the environment can act as co-selecting agents, hence increasing resistance to both heavy metals and antibiotics. The horizontal gene transfer or mutation assists in the selection of mutant bacteria resistant to the polluted environment. Hence, bioremediation and biodegradation are sustainable methods for the natural clean-up of pollutants. This review sheds light on the occurrence of metal and antibiotic resistance in the environment via the co-resistance and cross-resistance mechanisms underpinning co-selection emphasizing the dearth of studies that specifically examine the method of co-selection in clinical settings. Furthermore, it is advised that future research incorporate both culture- and molecular-based methodologies to further our comprehension of the mechanisms underlying bacterial co- and cross-resistance to antibiotics and heavy metals.

Background Plant microbiome acts as an interface between plants and their environment, aiding in the functioning of the ecosystem, such as protection against abiotic and biotic stress along with improving nutrient uptake. The rhizosphere is an essential interface for the interaction between plants and microbes and plays a substantial part in the removal as well as uptake of heavy metals and antibiotics from contaminated locations. Eichhornia crassipes is a promising plant that contains a rich community of microbes in its rhizosphere. Microorganism’s association with plants embodies a crucial pathway via which humans can also be exposed to antibiotic-resistant genes and bacteria. Methods and results In our earlier study enhanced removal of ciprofloxacin was observed by plant growth-promoting Microbacterium sp. WHC1 in the presence of E. crassipes root exudates. Therefore, the V3-V4, hypervariable region of the 16 S rRNA gene was studied to assess the bacterial diversity and functional profiles of the microbiota associated with plant roots. Using the QIIME software program, 16 S rRNA data from the Next Generation Sequencing (NGS) platform was examined. Alpha diversity including Chao1, Observed Shannon, and Simpson index denote significantly higher bacterial diversity. Proteobacteria (79%) was the most abundant phylum which was present in the root samples followed by Firmicutes (8%) and Cyanobacteria (8%). Sulfuricurvum (36%) is the most abundant genus belonging to the family Helicobacteraceae and the species kujiense in the genus Sulfuricurvum is the most abundant species present in the root sample. Also, the bacterial communities in the rhizoplane of Eichhornia crassipes harbor the genes conferring resistance to beta-lactams, tetracycline, fluoroquinolones, and penams. Conclusion Metagenomic studies on the E. crassipes microbiome showed that the bacterial communities constituting the root exudates of the Eichhornia aid them to survive in a polluted environment.

The world is presently dealing with two pandemics—COVID-19 and antibiotic resistance (AMR)—that constitute a serious menace to public health on a worldwide basis

The [Research Note] Dengue – Therapeutic Efforts in Mexico is well drafted. Few queries and suggestions to improve the reserch note are as follows: How and why dengue is considered to be a pandemic in Mexico? The very first treatment including cane...

Editorial: New drugs, approaches, and strategies to combat antimicrobial resistance