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Research Articles (Biochemistry, Genetics and Microbiology (BGM)): Recent submissions

  • Otolith shape analysis as a tool for species identification and management of cryptic congeners in the northern Benguela ocean warming hotspot 
    Wilhelm, M.R.; Jagger, C.E.; Nghipangelwa, N.M.; Pringle, B.A.; Shaw, P.W.; Potts, W.M.; Henriques, Romina; McKeown, N.J. (Elsevier, 2025-01)
    Adaptive management is critical to maintaining resilient fisheries in our rapidly changing ocean environments. However, establishing appropriate and cost-effective monitoring programmes that adequately capture the responses ...
  • Genetic complexity alters drug susceptibility of asexual and gametocyte stages of Plasmodium falciparum to antimalarial candidates 
    Greyling, Nicola; Van der Watt, Mariette Elizabeth; Gwarinda, Hazel B.; Van Heerden, Ashleigh; Greenhouse, Bryan; Leroy, Didier; Niemand, Jandeli; Birkholtz, Lyn-Marie (American Society for Microbiology, 2024-03)
    Malaria elimination requires interventions able to target both the asexual blood stage (ABS) parasites and transmissible gametocyte stages of Plasmodium falciparum. Lead antimalarial candidates are evaluated against ...
  • Microbial diversity in the arid and semi-arid soils of Botswana 
    Coetzee, Tidimalo; Ortiz, Maximiliano; Jordaan, Karen; Lebre, Pedro Humberto; Olivier, Bernard; Greve, Michelle; Oagile, Dikinya; Cowan, Don A. (Wiley, 2024-12)
    To date, little research has been conducted on the landscape-scale distribution of soil microbial communities and the factors driving their community structures in the drylands of Africa. We investigated the influence of ...
  • Identification and characterization of mycoviruses in transcriptomes from the fungal family ceratocystidaceae 
    Hough, Bianca; Wingfield, Michael J.; Read, David Alan (Springer, 2024-12)
    Mycoviruses pervade the fungal kingdom, yet their diversity within various fungal families and genera remains largely unexplored. In this study, 10 publicly available fungal transcriptomes from Ceratocystidaceae were ...
  • First report of Fusarium wilt and pink rot of Phoenix canariensis in South Africa 
    Balocchi, Felipe; Wingfield, Michael J.; Paap, Trudy (Wiley, 2024-12)
    Canary Island date palm, Phoenix canariensis, is a popular ornamental species commonly planted in urban areas worldwide, including South Africa. In November 2023, symptoms typical of Fusarium wilt were detected on ornamental ...
  • Protective efficacy of a plant-produced beta variant rSARS-CoV-2 VLP vaccine in golden Syrian hamsters 
    Lemmer, Yolandy; Chapman, Ros; Abolnik, Celia; Smith, Tanja; Schafer, Georgia; Hermanus, Tandile; Du Preez, Ilse; Goosen, Kruger; Sepotokele, Kamogelo Mmapitso; Gers, Sophette; Suliman, Tasnim; Preiser, Wolfgang; Shaw, Megan L.; Roth, Robyn; Truyts, Alma; Chipangura, John; Magwaza, Martin; Mahanjana, Osborn; Moore, Penny L.; O'Kennedy, Martha (Elsevier, 2024-02)
    In the quest for heightened protection against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) variants, we engineered a prototype vaccine utilizing the plant expression system of Nicotiana benthamiana, ...
  • Mutation analysis and clinical profile of South African patients with Neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1) phenotype 
    Mudau, Maria Mabyalwa; Dillon, Bronwyn; Smal, Clarice; Feben, Candice; Honey, Engela M.; Carstens, Nadia; Krause, Amanda (Frontiers Media, 2024-03)
    Neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1) is an autosomal dominant genetic condition with complete age-dependent penetrance, variable expressivity and a global prevalence of ~1/3,000. It is characterised by numerous café-au-lait macules, ...
  • The effect of larval exposure to heavy metals on the gut microbiota composition of adult Anopheles arabiensis (Diptera: Culicidae) 
    Singh, Ashmika; Misser, Shristi; Allam, Mushal; Chan, Wai Yin; Ismail, Arshad; Munhenga, Givemore; Oliver, Shüné V. (MDPI, 2024-10-21)
    Anopheles arabiensis is a highly adaptable member of the An. gambiae complex. Its flexible resting behaviour and diverse feeding habits make conventional vector control methods less effective in controlling this species. ...
  • Characterization of the tissue and strain-specific microbiota of Anopheles funestus giles (Diptera: Culicidae) 
    Chen, Chia-Yu; Chan, Wai Yin; Ismail, Arshad; Oliver, Shune V. (MDPI, 2024-04-13)
    The mosquito microbiota is a critical determinant of mosquito life history. It is therefore a target for novel vector control strategies like paratransgenesis. However, the microbiota in Anopheles funestus, a major African ...
  • A perspective of the epidemiology of rabies in South Africa, 1998-2019 
    Malan, Ayla Janina-Bertha; Coetzer, Andre; Bosch, Cayla; Wright, Nicolette; Nel, Louis Hendrik (MDPI, 2024-06)
    Despite the implementation of various control strategies aimed at eliminating caninemediated rabies, the disease is still endemic in up to 150 countries across the world. Rabies remains endemic to South Africa, with ...
  • The Tuberculosis drug candidate SQ109 and its analogs have multistage activity against Plasmodium falciparum 
    Watson, Savannah Jade; Van der Watt, Mariette Elizabeth; Theron, Anjo; Reader, Janette; Tshabalala, Sizwe; Erlank, Erica; Koekemoer, Lizette L.; Naude, Mariska; Stampolaki, Marianna; Adewole, Feyisola; Sadowska, Katie; Pérez-Lozano, Pilar; Turcu, Andreea L.; Vázquez, Santiago; Ko, Jihee; Mazurek, Ben; Singh, Davinder; Malwal, Satish R.; Njoroge, Mathew; Chibale, Kelly; Onajole, Oluseye K.; Kolocouris, Antonios; Oldfield, Eric; Birkholtz, Lyn-Marie (American Chemical Society, 2024-08)
    Toward repositioning the antitubercular clinical candidate SQ109 as an antimalarial, analogs were investigated for structure−activity relationships for activity against asexual blood stages of the human malaria parasite ...
  • Fungal species and mycotoxins associated with maize ear rots collected from the Eastern Cape in South Africa 
    Price, Jenna-Lee; Visagie, Cobus M.; Meyer, Hannalien; Yilmaz, Neriman (MDPI, 2024-02-08)
    Maize production in South Africa is concentrated in its central provinces. The Eastern Cape contributes less than 1% of total production, but is steadily increasing its production and has been identified as a priority ...
  • Extraction and characterisation of sodium alginate from the southern African seaweed Ecklonia maxima 
    Park, Yuchan; Malgas, Samkelo; Krause, Rui W. M.; Pletschke, Brett I. (De Gruyter, 2024-08)
    Ecklonia maxima is an endemic South African seaweed with numerous commercially valuable compounds, including sodium alginate. This polysaccharide contains 1,4-linked β-D-mannuronic (M) and α-L-guluronic acid (G) residues, ...
  • Beyond the hype : using AI, big data, wearable devices, and the Internet of Things for high-throughput livestock phenotyping 
    Klingström, Tomas; König, Emelie Zonabend; Zwane, Avhashoni Agnes (Oxford University Press, 2025)
    Phenotyping of animals is a routine task in agriculture which can provide large datasets for the functional annotation of genomes. Using the livestock farming sector to study complex traits enables genetics researchers ...
  • QSAR reveals decreased lipophilicity of polar residues determines the selectivity of antimicrobial peptide activity 
    Van der Walt, Mandelie; Moller, Dalton Sharl; Van Wyk, Rosalind Jeanette; Ferguson, Philip M.; Hind, Charlotte K.; Clifford, Melanie; Do Carmo Silva, Phoebe; Sutton, Mark J.; Mason, A. James; Bester, Megan Jean; Gaspar, Anabella Regina Marques (American Chemical Society, 2024-06)
    Antimicrobial resistance has increased rapidly, causing daunting morbidity and mortality rates worldwide. Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) have emerged as promising alternatives to traditional antibiotics due to their broad ...
  • Known from trees and the tropics: new insights into the Fusarium lateritium species complex 
    Costa, M.M.; Sandoval-Denis, M.; Moreira, G.M.; Kandemir, H.; Kermode, A.; Buddie, A.G.; Ryan, M.J.; Becker, Y.; Yurkov, A.; Maier, W.; Groenewald, J.Z.; Pfenning, L.H.; Crous, Pedro W. (Westerdijk Fungal Biodiversity Institute, 2024-09-26)
    The Fusarium lateritium species complex (FLSC) currently comprises 11 phylogenetic species, including accepted names such as F. lateritium, F. sarcochroum, and F. stilboides, which have mostly been reported in association ...
  • What are the 100 most cited fungal genera? 
    Bhunjun, C.S.; Chen, Y.J.; Phukhamsakda, C.; Boekhout, T.; Groenewald, J.Z.; McKenzie, E.H.C.; Francisco, E.C.; Frisvad, J.C.; Groenewald, M.; Hurdeal, V.G.; Luangsa-ard, J.; Perrone, G.; Visagie, Cobus M.; Bai, F.Y.; Błaszkowski, J.; Braun, U.; De Souza, F.A.; De Queiroz, M.B.; Dutta, A.K.; Gonkhom, D.; Goto, B.T.; Guarnaccia, V.; Hagen, F.; Houbraken, J.; Lachance, M.A.; Li, J.J.; Luo, K.Y.; Magurno, F.; Mongkolsamrit, S.; Robert, V.; Roy, N.; Tibpromma, S.; Wanasinghe, D.N.; Wang, D.Q.; Wei, D.P.; Zhao, C.L.; Aiphuk, W.; Ajayi-Oyetunde, O.; Arantes, T.D.; Araujo, J.C.; Begerow, D.; Bakhshi, M.; Barbosa, R.N.; Behrens, F.H.; Bensch, K.; Bezerra, J.D.P.; Bilanski, P.; Bradley, C.A.; Bubner, B.; Burgess, T.I.; Buyck, B.; Cadez, N.; Cai, L.; Calaca, F.J.S.; Campbell, L.J.; Chaverri, P.; Chen, Y.Y.; Chethana, K.W.T.; Coetzee, B.; Costa, M.M.; Chen, Q.; Custodio, F.A.; Dai, Y.C.; Damm, U.; Santiago, A.L.C.M.A.; De Miccolis Angelini, R.M.; Dijksterhuis, J.; Dissanayake, A.J.; Doilom, M.; Dong, W.; Alvarez-Duarte, E.; Fischer, M.; Gajanayake, A.J.; Gene, J.; Gomdola, D.; Gomes, A.A.M.; Hausner, G.; He, M.Q.; Hou, L.; Iturrieta-Gonzalez, I.; Jami, F.; Jankowiak, R.; Jayawardena, R.S.; Kandemir, H.; Kiss, L.; Kobmoo, N.; Kowalski, T.; Landi, L.; Lin, C.G.; Liu, J.K.; Liu, X.B.; Loizides, M.; Luangharn, T.; Maharachchikumbura, S.S.N.; Makhathini Mkhwanazi, G.J.; Manawasinghe, I.S.; Marin-Felix, Y.; McTaggart, A.R.; Moreau, P.A.; Morozova, Q.V.; Mostert, L.; Osiewacz, H.D.; Pem, D.; Phookamsak, R.; Pollastro, S.; Pordel, A.; Poyntner, C.; Phillips, A.J.L.; Phonemany, M.; Promputtha, I.; Rathnayaka, A.R.; Rodrigues, A.M.; Romanazzi, G.; Rothmann, L.; Salgado-Salazar, C.; Sandoval-Denis, M.; Saupe, S.J.; Scholler, M.; Scott, P.; Shivas, R.G.; Silar, P.; Silva-Filho, A.G.S.; Souza-Motta, C.M.; Spies, C.F.J.; Stchigel, A.M.; Sterflinger, K.; Summerbell, R.C.; Svetasheva, T.Y.; Takamatsu, S.; Theelen, B.; Theodoro, R.C.; Thines, M.; Thongklang, N.; Torres, R.; Turchetti, B.; Van den Brule, T.; Wang, X.W.; Wartchow, F.; Welti, S.; Wijesinghe, S.N.; Wu, F.; Xu, R.; Yang, Z.L.; Yilmaz, Neriman; Yurkov, A.; Zhao, L.; Zhao, R.L.; Zhou, N.; Hyde, K.D. (Westerdijk Fungal Biodiversity Institute, 2024-06)
    The global diversity of fungi has been estimated between 2 to 11 million species, of which only about 155 000 have been named. Most fungi are invisible to the unaided eye, but they represent a major component of biodiversity ...
  • A review of recently introduced Aspergillus, Penicillium, Talaromyces and other Eurotiales species 
    Visagie, Cobus M.; Yilmaz, Neriman; Kocsube, S.; Frisvad, J.C.; Hubka, V.; Samson, R.A.; Houbraken, J. (Westerdijk Fungal Biodiversity Institute, 2024-03)
    The order Eurotiales is diverse and includes species that impact our daily lives in many ways. In the past, its taxonomy was difficult due to morphological similarities, which made accurate identification of species ...
  • Cytospora : an important genus of canker pathogens 
    Lin, L.; Fan, X.L.; Groenewald, J.Z.; Jami, Fahimeh; Wingfield, Michael J.; Voglmayr, H.; Jaklitsch, W.; Castlebury, L.A.; Tian, C.M.; Crous, Pedro W. (Westerdijk Fungal Biodiversity Institute, 2024-09-18)
    Cytospora species have commonly been reported as important plant pathogenic fungi with wide host ranges and geographic distributions. With the increase in the number of cryptic species being described, a comprehensive ...
  • Genomic characterization of novel viruses associated with Olea europaea L. in South Africa 
    Read, David Alan; Pietersen, Gerhard; Slippers, Bernard; Steenkamp, Emma Theodora (Springer, 2024-10)
    South Africa has a small but growing olive industry. Until now, no virological research has been carried out on this crop locally. Seventeen samples were collected from various olive cultivars from a single producer in ...