Regulation of extracellular vesicles for protein secretion in Aspergillus nidulans
This study reveals that Aspergillus nidulans boosts extracellular vesicle production when ER-trafficked enzymes are induced, uncovering how fungi remodel their secretome through vesicle-mediated secretion to adapt to changing environments and biofilm formation.
Transcriptomic response to different heme sources in Trypanosoma cruzi epimastigotes
This study uncovers how the Chagas disease parasite adapts to changes in heme, an essential molecule for its survival, providing transcriptional clues to heme metabolism and identifying a previously unreported heme-binding protein in T. cruzi.
Luminal acetylation of microtubules is not essential for Plasmodium berghei and Toxoplasma gondii survival
Acetylation of α-tubulin at lysine 40 is not essential for cytoskeletal stability in Plasmodium berghei or Toxoplasma gondii, suggesting redundancy and plasticity in microtubule regulation in these parasites.
The dual-site agonist for human M2 muscarinic receptors Iper-8-naphtalimide induces mitochondrial dysfunction in Saccharomyces cerevisiae
S. cerevisiae is a model to study human GPCRs. N-8-Iper, active against glioblastoma via M2 receptor, causes mitochondrial damage in yeast by binding Ste2, highlighting evolutionary conservation of GPCRs.
Integrative Omics reveals changes in the cellular landscape of peroxisome-deficient pex3 yeast cells
To uncover the consequences of peroxisome deficiency, we compared Saccharomyces cerevisiae wild-type with pex3 cells, which lack peroxisomes, employing quantitative proteomics and transcriptomics technologies.
The mechanism of Tat-dependent protein translocation
Brüser and SandersThis review integrates mechanistically relevant biochemical, molecular, and structural studies on Tat-dependent translocation of folded proteins into an in its molecular detail new comprehensive explanation of how the Tat system mediates protein transport.
Sugar-induced cell death (SICD) in Saccharomyces cerevisiae: insights into nitrogen-mediated rescue and apoptotic cell death pathways
Parbhudayal and ChengThis study examined mechanisms through which yeast sugar-induced cell death can be prevented. High concentrations of glucose induced a catastrophic response that was only rescued by highly preferred nitrogen sources and by preventing nuclear localization of specific cell death proteins.
From the gut to the lungs: The role of gut microbiota in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and related research progress
Yang et al.This article provides new ideas and directions for the basic research and clinical practice of COPD by comprehensively sorting out the association between gut microbiota and COPD.
TOR-dependent regulation of the yeast homolog of the juvenile Batten Disease-associated gene CLN3
Pillalamarri et al.This study identifies conditions and genes that induce BTN1 expression in yeast. We show that BTN1 expression is regulated by translational control and by the mTOR1 pathway. An understanding of when and why BTN1 expression will aid in understanding the expression of CLN3, which may be helpful in the treatment of this devastating disease.
Metagenomic and microbiological analyses of historical manuscripts for bacterial community profiling and bacteria-related biodeterioration assessment
Keles and CelikBy documenting both culturable and non-culturable taxa, this work provides a foundational dataset for understanding bacterial contributions to manuscript stability and offers a methodological framework for future research on biodeterioration dynamics in Islamic and global documentary heritage.
Overcoming phagocytosis resistance of hypervirulent Klebsiella pneumoniae by directly targeting capsules
Tsubaki et al.This study highlights a promising strategy for disarming hypervirulent K. pneumoniae by directly targeting its key virulence factors and provides novel insights into antibacterial therapeutic approaches against this clinically significant pathogen.
Protein arginine methyltransferases in protozoan parasites: a new path for antiparasitic chemotherapy?
Campagnaro et al.This review discusses the activity and the relevance of arginine methyltransferases for the survival of pathogenic kinetoplastids, apicomplexans and amoebas, and how these enzymes could be exploited as drug targets.
VapA/Scs2 sustains polarized growth in Aspergillus nidulans by maintaining AP-2-mediated apical endocytosis
Georgiou et al.To explore the functional significance of ER–PM contact sites in filamentous fungi, we identified and genetically characterized all Aspergillus nidulans proteins homologous to Snc2/VAP, Ist2, or tricalbins.
Genetic make-up and regulation of the L-lysine biosynthesis pathway in Vibrio natriegens
Straube et al.This study analysed the make-up and regulation of the biosynthetic pathway for L-lysine and related L-aspartate family amino acids (AFAAs) in Vibrio natriegens DSM759 to provide a comprehensive basis for future metabolic engineering endeavours aiming at developing this strain into an amino acid overproducer.
DadY (PA5303) is required for fitness of Pseudomonas aeruginosa when growth is dependent on alanine catabolism
Pseudomonas aeruginosa inhabits diverse environmental niches that can have varying nutrient composition. The ubiquity of this organism is facilitated by a metabolic strategy that preferentially utilizes low-energy, non-fermentable organic acids, such as amino acids, rather than the high-energy sugars preferred by many other microbes. The amino acid alanine is among the preferred substrates of P. aeruginosa. The dad locus encodes the constituents of the alanine catabolic pathway of P. aeruginosa. Physiological roles for DadR (AsnC-type transcriptional activator), DadX (alanine racemase), and DadA (D-amino acid dehydrogenase) have been defined in this pathway. An additional protein, PA5303, is encoded in the dad locus in P. aeruginosa. PA5303 is a member of the ubiquitous Rid protein superfamily and is designated DadY based on the data presented herein. (…)
Multiple genome analysis of Candida glabrata clinical isolates renders new insights into genetic diversity and drug resistance determinants
The emergence of drug resistance significantly hampers the treatment of human infections, including those caused by fungal pathogens such as Candida species. Candida glabrata ranks as the second most common cause of candidiasis worldwide, supported by rapid acquisition of resistance to azole and echinocandin antifungals frequently prompted by single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in resistance associated genes, such as PDR1 (azole resistance) or FKS1/2 (echinocandin resistance). To determine the frequency of polymorphisms and genome rearrangements as the possible genetic basis of C. glabrata drug resistance, we assessed genomic variation across 94 globally distributed isolates with distinct resistance phenotypes, whose sequence is deposited in GenBank. The(…)
Up-regulation of Osh6 boosts an anti-aging membrane trafficking pathway toward vacuoles
Members of the family of oxysterol-binding proteins mediate non-vesicular lipid transport between membranes and contribute to longevity in different manners. We previously found that a 2-fold up-regulation of Osh6, one of seven yeast oxysterol-binding proteins, remedies vacuolar morphology defects in mid-aged cells, partly down-regulates the target of rapamycin complex 1 (TORC1), and increases the replicative lifespan. At the molecular level, Osh6 transports phosphatidylserine (PS) and phosphatidylinositol-4-phosphate (PI4P) between the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) and the plasma membrane (PM). To decipher how an ER-PM working protein controls vacuolar morphology, we tested genetic interactions between OSH6 and DRS2, whose protein flips PS from the lumen to the cytosolic side of the Golgi, the organelle between ER and vacuoles in many pathways. Up-regulated (…)
Investigating the role of G-quadruplexes at Saccharomyces cerevisiae telomeres
In this study, the authors examine the in vivo relevance of telomeric G-quadruplexes in the budding yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae by expressing a mutant telomerase RNA subunit (tlc1-tm) that introduces mutant telomeric repeats instead to the distal ends of telomeres. (…)
Air- and dustborne fungi in repositories of the National Archive of the Republic of Cuba
This study has as objectives to determine the concentration and diversity of the air- and dustborne mycobiota in seven National Archive of the Republic of Cuba repositories, and to assess the potential risk of biodeterioration that iso-lated taxa may have. In the indoor and outdoor environmental microbiological samplings a SAS biocollector was used and the indoor/outdoor (I/O) ratio was determined for each repository. The settled dust was collected during six months. Sørensen’s coefficient of similarity (QS) was calculated to compare the isolated taxa among the three studied niches (indoor air, dust, outdoor air). The biodegradation potential of the isolated taxa was determined by semi-quantitative tests. The concentrations in the air of repositories with natural cross-ventilation ranged from 225.2-750.3 CFU m-3, while in the Map library with air-conditioning (…)
Cleavage-defective Topoisomerase I mutants sharply increase G-quadruplex-associated genomic instability
Topoisomerase 1 (Top1) removes transcription-associated helical stress to suppress G4-formation and its induced recombination at genomic loci containing guanine-run containing sequences. Interestingly, Top1 binds tightly to G4 structures, and its inhibition or depletion can cause elevated instability at these genomic loci. Top1 is targeted by the widely used anti-cancer chemotherapeutic camptothecin (CPT) and its derivatives, which stabilize Top1 covalently attached on a DNA nick and prevent the re-ligation step. Here we investigated how CPT-resistance conferring Top1 mutants, which emerge in cancer patients and cells treated with CPT, affect G4-induced genomic instability in S. cerevisiae. We found that Top1 mutants form stable complexes with G4 DNA and that expression of Top1 cleavage-defective mutants but not a DNA-binding-defective (…)
Chromosome-condensed G1 phase yeast cells are tolerant to desiccation stress
The budding yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae is capable of surviving extreme water loss for a long time. However, less is known about the mechanism of its desiccation tolerance. In this study, we revealed that in an exponential culture, all desiccation tolerant yeast cells were in G1 phase and had condensed chromosomes. (…)
Detection of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) and its first variants in fourplex real-time quantitative reverse transcription-PCR assays
The early diagnosis of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infections is required to identify and isolate contagious patients to prevent further transmission of SARS-CoV-2. In this study, we present a multitarget real-time TaqMan reverse transcription PCR (rRT-PCR) assay for the quantitative detection of SARS-CoV-2 and some of its circulating variants harboring mutations that give the virus a selective advantage. Seven different primer-probe sets that included probes containing locked nucleic acid (LNA) nucleotides were designed to amplify specific wild-type and mutant sequences in Orf1ab, Envelope (E), Spike (S), and Nucleocapsid (N) genes (…)
Forced association of SARS-CoV-2 proteins with the yeast proteome perturb vesicle trafficking
This work demonstrates that the yeast Synthetic Physical Interactions method is a rapid way to identify potential functions of ectopic viral proteins.
Plant and fungal products that extend lifespan in Caenorhabditis elegans
Martel et al.Caenorhabditis elegans’ lifespan is extended by plant and fungal extracts activating pathways like autophagy and mitochondrial biogenesis. Low to moderate concentrations promote longevity, while high doses are harmful. This review explores the health benefits of these substances in humans.
A new role for proteins subunits of RNase P: stabilization of the telomerase holoenzyme
Garcia and Zakian.This article refers to the study “Stability and Nuclear Localization of Yeast Telomerase Depend on Protein Components of RNase P/MRP”, by Garcia et al. (Nat Commun, 2020), showing that 3 essential proteins in Saccharomyces cerevisiae are vital for telomerase assembly and nuclear localization. In their mutants, telomerase is less mature, and telomeres are shorter. TLC1 is properly folded but remains in the cytoplasm, rather than moving to the nucleus, where it maintains telomeres.
Lipid droplet biogenesis from specialized ER subdomains
Choudhary and SchneiterThis article refers to the paper “Seipin and Nem1 establish discrete ER subdomains to initiate yeast lipid droplet biogenesis” by Choudhary et al. (J Cell Biol, 2020), which deals with the formation of lipid droplets (LDs) at specific ER sites marked by the proteins Fld1 and Nem1. These proteins recruit enzymes such as Lro1 and Dga1 to initiate fat storage. Together, Fld1 and Nem1 define where LDs form by organising key proteins and lipids needed for their biogenesis.
From the Uncharacterized Protein Family 0016 to the GDT1 family: Molecular insights into a newly-characterized family of cation secondary transporters
Thines et al.This review outlines how the formerly uncharacterized UPF0016 family, now known as the Gdt1 family, plays key roles in cation transport – especially Mn²⁺ – across species from bacteria to humans. These proteins are crucial for processes like glycosylation, photosynthesis, and calcium signaling, with functions linked to their localization in membranes such as the Golgi, chloroplast, and plasma membrane and by that highlighting their evolutionary conservation and physiological relevance, offering insights into their shared and distinct features across organisms.
A broad-spectrum antibiotic adjuvant SLAP-S25: one stone many birds
This article refers to the study “A broad-spectrum antibiotic adjuvant reverses multidrug-resistant Gram-negative pathogens” by Song et al. (Nat Microbiol, 2020), which deals with the growing threat of antibiotic resistance, with few new drugs being developed for decades. The study found that the peptide SLAP-S25 enhances the efficacy of several antibiotics against resistant Gram-negative bacteria by disrupting their membranes, thereby increasing drug uptake. This suggests that bacterial membranes are promising targets for new antibiotic adjuvants.
Hiding in plain sight: vesicle-mediated export and transmission of prion-like proteins
KabaniThis article relates to the study “Glucose availability dictates the export of the soluble and prion forms of Sup35p via periplasmic or extracellular vesicles” by Kabani et al. (Mol Microbiol, 2020) that provides compelling evidence that yeast prions, such as Sup35p in its infectious [PSI⁺] state, can be exported via both extracellular vesicles (EVs) and periplasmic vesicles (PVs), with this export being modulated by environmental glucose levels. The discovery that prion particles are released in high amounts through PVs during glucose starvation adds a new dimension to our understanding of prion transmission and opens up fascinating possibilities for exploring vesicle-mediated spread of protein aggregates in neurodegenerative diseases using yeast as a model system.
Regulation of Cdc42 for polarized growth in budding yeast
Miller et al.This review highlights how studies in budding yeast have revealed a biphasic mechanism of Cdc42 activation that governs cell polarity establishment, with implications for understanding similar processes in mammalian cells and the role of Cdc42 in aging.
Yeast-based assays for the functional characterization of cancer-associated variants of human DNA repair genes
Cervelli et al.This article highlights how the genetic tractability and conserved DNA repair pathways of yeast make it a powerful system for functionally characterizing human cancer-associated variants in DNA repair genes, aiding in risk assessment and therapeutic decision-making.
A novel c-di-GMP signal system regulates biofilm formation in Pseudomonas aeruginosa
Chen and LiangThis article relates to the study “The SiaA/B/C/D signaling network regulates biofilm formation in Pseudomonas aeruginosa” by Chen et al. (EMBO J, 2020) that reveals a novel signaling network encoded by the siaABCD operon in Pseudomonas aeruginosa that regulates biofilm and aggregate formation by controlling the diguanylate cyclase activity of SiaD through phosphorylation-dependent interactions with SiaC, highlighting a potential antimicrobial target.
Starting with a degron: N-terminal formyl-methionine of nascent bacterial proteins contributes to their proteolytic control
R. Jürgen DohmenIn this article, the author comments on the study “Formyl-methionine as a degradation signal at the N-termini of bacterial proteins.” by Piatkov et al. (Microbial Cell, 2015), discussing a novel N-terminal degradation signal (N-degron) that targets nascent proteins for degradation in Escherichia coli by a new branch of the bacterial N-end rule pathway, termed the fMet/N-end rule pathway
Elongation factor-P at the crossroads of the host-endosymbiont interface
Andrei Rajkovic et al.Elongation factor P (EF-P) is an ancient bacterial translational factor that aids the ribosome in polymerizing oligo-prolines. EF-P structurally resembles tRNA and binds in-between the exit and peptidyl sites of the ribosome to accelerate the intrinsically slow reaction of peptidyl-prolyl bond formation. Recent studies have identified in separate organisms, two evolutionarily convergent EF-P post-translational modification systems (EPMS), split predominantly between gammaproteobacteria, and betaproteobacteria. Here, the authors highlight the recent discoveries made regarding EPMSs, with a focus on how these incomplete modification pathways shape or have been shaped by the endosymbiont-host relationship.
Feelin’ it: Differential oxidative stress sensing mediated by Cyclin C
W. Scott Moye-RowleyMicrobial cells that live exposed directly to their environmental milieu are faced with the challenge of adapting to the dynamic stress conditions that will inevitably be encountered. These stress conditions may vary over wide ranges and the most efficient responses would be tuned to produce a proportional buffering change. A mild stress would most efficiently be dealt with by a mild metabolic reprogramming that would prevent serious damage. A more severe environmental challenge would demand a more dramatic cellular compensatory response.
Subverting lysosomal function in Trypanosoma brucei
Sam AlsfordThis article discusses Koh et al. (2015) “The lysosomotropic drug LeuLeu-OMe induces lysosome disruption and autophagy-independent cell death in Trypanosoma brucei (Microbial Cell 2(8): 288-298).
Entamoeba histolytica – tumor necrosis factor: a fatal attraction
Serge AnkriThis article comments on the study “In Entamoeba histolytica, a BspA family protein is required for chemotaxis toward tumour necrosis factor” by Silvestre et al. (Microbial Cell, 2015).
Toxoplasma control of host apoptosis: the art of not biting too hard the hand that feeds you
Sébastien BesteiroToxoplasma gondii is an obligate intracellular parasite that is able to infect a multitude of different vertebrate hosts and can survive in virtually any nucleated cell. Here, the authors discuss the article “Toxoplasma gondii inhibits cytochrome c-induced caspase activation in its host cell by interference with holo-apoptosome assembly” by Graumann et al. (2015, Microbial Cell).
A safety catch for ornithine decarboxylase degradation
Christof TaxisFeedback inhibition is a common mechanism to adjust the activity of an enzyme in accordance with the abundance of a product. This article comments on the study “Polyamines directly promote antizyme-mediated degradation of ornithine decarboxylase by the proteasome” by Beenukumar et al. (2015), Microbial Cell.
Fancy a gene? A surprisingly complex evolutionary history of peroxiredoxins.
Alena Zíková et al.In this comment, the authors discuss the article “Prokaryotic ancestry and gene fusion of a dual localized peroxiredoxin in malaria parasites” (Djuika et al., Microbial Cell 2015).
Quorum protection, growth and survival
Ian G . MacreadieFor the growth of a cell culture, one inoculates not with one cell but with a quorum of cells. This most often a requirement, not just a convenience, and most of us take this for granted without question. Here this observation is re-examined to understand why a quorum may be required to grow cells. The importance of quorums may be widespread in the aspects of microbiology they affect. It is very likely that quorums are connected with and have a large impact on the determination of Minimal Inhibitory Concentrations. It is also possible that low cell density may adversely affect cell survival, however, this is an area where even less is known. The need for a quorum might affect other aspects of microbial cell culture, cell isolation and cell preservation. Effects also extend to mammalian cell culture. Here I seek to review studies that have been documented and speculate on how the information might be utilized in the future.
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Peer-reviewed, open-access research using unicellular organisms (and multicellular microorganisms) to understand cellular responses and human disease.
The journal (founded in 2014) is led by its Editors-in-Chief Frank Madeo, Didac Carmona-Gutierrez, and Guido Kroemer
Microbial Cell has been publishing original scientific literature since 2014, and from the very beginning has been managed by active scientists through an independent Publishing House (Shared science Publishers). The journal was conceived as a platform to acknowledge the importance of unicellular organisms, both as model systems as well as in the biological context of human health and disease.
Ever since, Microbial Cell has very positively developed and strongly grown into a respected journal in the unicellular research community and even beyond. This scientific impact is reflected in the yearly number of citations obtained by articles published in Microbial Cell, as recorded by the Web of Science (Clarivate, formerly Thomson/Reuters):
The scientific impact of Microbial Cell is also mirrored in a series of milestones:
2015: Microbial Cell is included in the Emerging Sources Citation Index (ESCI), a selection of developing journals drafted by Clarivate Analytics based on the candidate’s publishing standards, quality, editorial content, and citation data. Note: As an ESCI-selected journal, Microbial Cell is currently being evaluated in a rigorous and long process to determine an inclusion in the Science Citation Index Expanded (SCIE), which allows the official calculation of Clarivate Analytics’ impact factor.
2016: Microbial Cell is awarded the so-called DOAJ Seal by the selective Directory of Open Access Journals (DOAJ). The DOAJ Seal is an exclusive mark of certification for open access journals granted by DOAJ to journals that adhere to outstanding best practice and achieve an extra high and clear commitment to open access and high publishing standards.
2017: Microbial Cell is included in Pubmed Central (PMC), allowing the archiving of all the journal’s articles in PMC and PubMed.
2019: Microbial Cell is indexed in the prestigious abstract and citation database Scopus after a thorough selection process. This also means that Microbial Cell obtains, for the first time, an official Scopus CiteScore as well as an official journal ranking in the Scimago Journal and Country Ranking.
2022: Microbial Cell’s CiteScore reaches a value of 7.2 for the year 2021, positioning Microbial Cell among the top microbiology journals (previously available CiteScores: 2019: 5.4; 2020: 5.1).
2022: Microbial Cell is indexed in the highly selective Science Citation Index Expanded™, which covers approx. 9,500 of the world’s most impactful journals across 178 scientific disciplines. In their journal selection and curation process, Clarivate´s editors apply 24 ‘quality’ criteria and four ‘impact’ criteria to select the most influential journals in their respective fields. This selection is also a pre-requisite for inclusion in the JCR, which features the impact factor.
2022: Microbial Cell is listed in the Journal Citation Reports™ (JCR), and obtains its first official Journal Impact Factor™ (JIF) for the year 2021: 5.316.Check Article Types and Manuscript Preparation guidelines. Submit online via Scholastica.