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Many complex human traits exhibit differences between sexes. While numerous factors likely contribute to this phenomenon, growing evidence from genome-wide studies suggest a partial explanation that males and females from the same population possess differing genetic architectures. Despite this, mapping gene-by-sex (G×S) interactions remains a challenge likely because the magnitude of such an interaction is typically and exceedingly small; traditional genome-wide association techniques may be underpowered to detect such events partly due to the burden of multiple test correction. Here, we developed a local Bayesian regression (LBR) method to estimate sex-specific SNP marker effects after fully accounting for local linkage-disequilibrium (LD) patterns. This enabled us to infer sex-specific effects and G×S interactions either at the single SNP level, or by aggregating the effects of multiple SNPs to make inferences at the level of small LD-based regions. Using simulations in which there was imperfect LD between SNPs and causal variants, we showed that aggregating sex-specific marker effects with LBR provides improved power and resolution to detect G×S interactions over traditional single-SNP-based tests. When using LBR to analyze traits from the UK Biobank, we detected a relatively large G×S interaction impacting bone-mineral density within ABO and replicated many previously detected large-magnitude G×S interactions impacting waist-to-hip ratio. We also discovered many new G×S interactions impacting such traits as height and BMI within regions of the genome where both male- and female-specific effects explain a small proportion of phenotypic variance (R2 less then 1×10-4), but are enriched in known expression quantitative trait loci. Guanosine 5′-triphosphate solubility dmso Copyright © 2020, Genetics.Microbial mat communities are associated with extensive (∼700 km2) and morphologically variable carbonate structures, termed microbialites, in the hypersaline Great Salt Lake (GSL), Utah. However, whether the composition of GSL mat communities co-varies with microbialite morphology and lake environment is unknown. Moreover, the potential adaptations that allow the establishment of these extensive mat communities at high salinity (14-17% total salts) are poorly understood. To address these questions, microbial mats were sampled from seven locations in the south arm of GSL representing different lake environments and microbialite morphologies. Despite the morphological differences, microbialite-associated mats were taxonomically similar and were dominated by the cyanobacterium Euhalothece and several heterotrophic bacteria. Metagenomic sequencing of a representative mat revealed Euhalothece and subdominant Thiohalocapsa populations that encode the Calvin cycle and nitrogenase, suggesting they supply fixed carbo Metagenomic sequencing reveals an abundance and diversity of autotrophic and heterotrophic taxa capable of harvesting light energy to drive metabolism. The unexpected abundance of and diversity in, the mechanisms of harvesting light energy observed in GSL mat populations likely functions to minimize niche overlap among co-inhabiting taxa, provide a mechanism(s) to increase energy yield and osmotic balance during salt stress, and enhance fitness. Together, these physiological benefits promote the formation of robust mats that, in turn, influence the formation of morphologically diverse microbialite structures that can be imprinted in the rock record. Copyright © 2020 American Society for Microbiology.Deep subsurface hot brines in North West Poland, extracted through the boreholes reaching 1.6 and 2.6 km below the ground surface, were microbiologically investigated using culture-independent and culture-dependent methods. The high-throughput sequencing of 16S rRNA gene amplicons showed a very low diversity of bacterial communities, that were dominated by phyla Proteobacteria and Firmicutes. Bacterial genera potentially involved in the sulfur oxidation and the nitrate reduction (Halothiobacillus and Methylobacterium) prevailed in both waters over the sulfate reducers (“Candidatus Desulforudis” and Desulfotomaculum). Only one archaeal taxon, affiliated to the order Thermoplasmatales, was detected in analyzed samples. Bacterial isolates obtained from these deep hot brines were closely related to Bacillus paralicheniformis based on the 16S rRNA sequence similarity. However, genomic and physiological analyses made for one of the isolates, Bacillus paralicheniformis strain TS6, revealed the existence of more divecillus paralicheniformis isolate obtained from the brine under study, differed from the mesophilic species in the presence of specific adaptations to harsh environmental conditions. We indicate that some lineages of B. paralicheniformis are halothermophilic, which was not previously reported. Copyright © 2020 American Society for Microbiology.Resistance to the “last resort” antibiotics, such as carbapenems, has led to very few antibiotics being left to treat infections by multi-drug resistant bacteria. Spread of carbapenem resistance (CR) has been well characterised for the clinical environment. However, there is lack of information about its environmental distribution. Our study first reveals that CR is present in a wide range of Gram-negative bacteria in the coastal seawater environment, including four phyla, eight classes, and 30 genera. These bacteria were likely introduced into seawater via stormwater flows. Some CR isolates found, such as Acinetobacter junii, A. johnsonii, Brevundimonas vesicularis, Enterococcus durans, Pseudomonas monteilii, P. fulva, and Stenotrophomonas maltophilia, are relevant to human health. We also describe a novel Metallo-β-lactamase (MBL) for marine Rheinheimera isolates with CR, which has likely been horizontally transferred to Citrobacter freundii or Enterobacter cloacae. In contrast, another MBL of the New Delhihe clinical setting. Copyright © 2020 American Society for Microbiology.Fnr is a transcriptional regulator that controls the expression of a variety of genes in response to oxygen limitation in bacteria. Genome sequencing revealed four genes (fnr1, fnr3, fnr5 and fnr7) coding for Fnr proteins in Paenibacillus polymyxa WLY78. Fnr1 and Fnr3 showed more similarity to each other than to Fnr5 and Fnr7. Also, Fnr1 and Fnr3 exhibited high similarity with Bacillus cereus Fnr and Bacillus subtilis Fnr in sequence and structures. Both of the aerobically purified His-tagged Fnr1 and His-tagged Fnr3 in Escherichia coli could bind to the specific DNA promoter. Deletion analysis showed that the four fnr genes, especially fnr1 and fnr3, have significant impacts on growth and nitrogenase activity. Single deletion of fnr1 or fnr3 led to a 50% reduction in nitrogenase activity and double deletion of fnr1 and fnr3 resulted to a 90% reduction in activity. Genome-wide transcription analysis showed that Fnr1 and Fnr3 indirectly activated expression of nif (nitrogen fixation) genes and Fe transport genes under anaerobic conditions.