Journal: iScience
Article Title: A tumor-resident Staphylococcus epidermidis strain exhibits genomic and metabolic traits driving hepatocellular carcinoma progression
doi: 10.1016/j.isci.2026.116084
Figure Lengend Snippet: Isolation, characterization, and phenotypic analysis of HCC tumor-resident S. epidermidis (A) Summary of viable bacterial species isolated from the T and PT tissues of four HCC patients. Species identification was confirmed by 16S/18S rRNA sequencing and MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry. (B) FISH images showing the spatial localization of S. epidermidis within HCC tumor tissue. Green signals correspond to the S. epidermidis- specific or E. cloacae -specific probe, red signals correspond to the K. pneumoniae- specific probe, while blue signals represent the cell nuclei stained with DAPI. Scale bars, 20 μm. (C) Comparison of detection methods for S. epidermidis across the four patient samples. Positive detection by either culture-based isolation or FISH is indicated. (D) Colony morphologies of GX-1 and GX3-2 compared with those of the reference strain ATCC 12228 on Columbia blood agar plates after 24 h of incubation. (E) SEM images revealing the ultrastructures of GX-1, GX3-2, and ATCC 12228 strains. The arrows highlight the raised granular structures on the surface of the clinical isolates. Scale bars, 500 nm. (F) Growth curves of the GX-1, GX3-2, and ATCC 12228 strains cultured in BHI medium. The optical density (OD) was measured at 600 nm over 24 h. (G) Representative growth inhibition curves for S. epidermidis GX3-2. Bacterial growth, measured by OD 600 , is plotted against serially diluted concentrations of various antibiotics. The data are presented as the mean ± SEM from three independent experiments.
Article Snippet: Positive detection by either culture-based isolation or FISH is indicated. (D) Colony morphologies of GX-1 and GX3-2 compared with those of the reference strain ATCC 12228 on Columbia blood agar plates after 24 h of incubation. (E) SEM images revealing the ultrastructures of GX-1, GX3-2, and ATCC 12228 strains.
Techniques: Isolation, Sequencing, Mass Spectrometry, Staining, Comparison, Incubation, Cell Culture, Inhibition