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New Molecular Research of Foodborne Pathogens

A special issue of International Journal of Molecular Sciences (ISSN 1422-0067). This special issue belongs to the section "Molecular Microbiology".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 25 October 2025 | Viewed by 462

Special Issue Editor

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Foodborne pathogens pose a significant threat to public health, food security, and global economies, leading to outbreaks that impact millions of people each year. These microorganisms have evolved sophisticated mechanisms to survive in diverse environments, persist in food matrices, and evade host immune defenses. Advances in molecular research have provided deeper insights into pathogen genetics, virulence factors, stress responses, and antimicrobial resistance, paving the way for improved detection and control strategies. However, many aspects of their adaptation, transmission, and interactions with hosts and food environments remain poorly understood.

Leading by Prof. Dr. Djuro Josic and assisting by Dr. Martina Šrajer Gajdošik (Department of Chemistry, University of Osijek, Croatia), this Special Issue focuses on innovative research exploring the genetic, biochemical, and physiological characteristics of foodborne bacteria, viruses, fungi, and protozoa. We welcome contributions that investigate pathogen–host interactions, microbial adaptation to environmental stress, antimicrobial resistance, biofilm formation, and novel detection and intervention strategies. Studies utilizing advanced molecular techniques such as genomics, proteomics, metabolomics, and bioinformatics are particularly encouraged.

Prof. Dr. Djuro Josic
Guest Editor

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Keywords

  • foodborne pathogens
  • molecular mechanisms
  • antimicrobial resistance
  • pathogen detection
  • host–microbe interactions

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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Research

18 pages, 2131 KB  
Article
Structural and Evolutionary Analysis of Saci2-Like LTR Retrotransposons in Diphyllobothriidean Tapeworms
by Young-An Bae
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2025, 26(18), 9061; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms26189061 - 17 Sep 2025
Viewed by 239
Abstract
Cyclophyllideans, which diverged from diphyllobothriideans, have evolved compact genomes to meet ecological and biological demands associated with rapid development, early maturation, and prolific asexual reproduction. This streamlining is accompanied by inactivation of transposable elements (TEs), including retrotransposons. In contrast, diphyllobothriideans retain large, retrotransposon-rich [...] Read more.
Cyclophyllideans, which diverged from diphyllobothriideans, have evolved compact genomes to meet ecological and biological demands associated with rapid development, early maturation, and prolific asexual reproduction. This streamlining is accompanied by inactivation of transposable elements (TEs), including retrotransposons. In contrast, diphyllobothriideans retain large, retrotransposon-rich genomes, but information on their individual retrotransposons is lacking. Here, Saci2-like long terminal repeat (LTR) retrotransposons, formerly annotated as lennie in taeniid cestodes, were identified in the diphyllobothriideans Spirometra erinaceieuropaei and Sparganum proliferum, along with orthologs from Schistocephalus solidus and Ligula intestinalis. The Saci2 homologs in these genomes diversified into at least eight families, exhibiting substantial variation in LTR and primer binding site sequences, reflecting ongoing regulatory diversification. Phylogenetic and divergence analyses indicated that they maintain structural and functional integrity under purifying selection, while early signs of inactivation appeared in S. proliferum. These findings suggest that diphyllobothriideans have faced little pressure for genome compaction, permitting the retention of functional retrotransposons, whereas cyclophyllideans, particularly taeniids, underwent genome streamlining linked to shortened life cycles and high fecundity, resulting in retrotransposon degradation. This contrast underscores the reciprocal relationship between biological demands and genome remodeling with TE inactivation in metazoans. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue New Molecular Research of Foodborne Pathogens)
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