Microreviews – Page 8 – Microbial Cell

Microreviews, Review

Regulation of Cdc42 for polarized growth in budding yeast

Kristi E. Miller^1,2, Pil Jung Kang¹ and Hay-Oak Park¹

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

Tiziana Cervelli¹, Samuele Lodovichi¹, Francesca Bellè¹ and Alvaro Galli¹

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

Gukui Chen¹ and Haihua Liang¹

This 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.

A multifunctional small RNA binding protein for sensing and signaling cell envelope precursor availability in bacteria

Muna A. Khan¹ and Boris Görke¹

This article relates to the study "Small RNA‐binding protein RapZ mediates cell envelope precursor sensing and signaling in Escherichia coli" by Khan et al. (EMBO J, 2020) that uncovers a complex regulatory network in E. coli where the RNA-binding protein RapZ functions as a sensor for GlcN6P, coordinating sRNA activity and a two-component system to maintain GlcN6P homeostasis and regulate cell envelope biosynthesis.

Regulation of anti-microbial autophagy by factors of the complement system

Christophe Viret¹, Aurore Rozières¹, Rémi Duclaux-Loras¹, Gilles Boschetti¹, Stéphane Nancey¹ and
Mathias Faure^1,2

This review explores emerging evidence that components of the complement system, beyond their traditional immune roles, modulate autophagy - particularly xenophagy - thereby influencing cell-autonomous antimicrobial responses during host-pathogen interactions.

More than flipping the lid: Cdc50 contributes to echinocandin resistance by regulating calcium homeostasis in Cryptococcus neoformans

Chengjun Cao¹ and Chaoyang Xue^1,2

In this article, the authors comment on the study "A mechanosensitive channel governs lipid flippase-mediated echinocandin resistance in Cryptococcus neoformans" by Cao et al. (mBio, 2019), which uncovers a dual role for the lipid flippase subunit Cdc50 in Cryptococcus neoformans, linking lipid translocation and calcium signaling via its interaction with the mechanosensitive channel Crm1, thereby contributing to innate resistance against the antifungal drug caspofungin.

New insights in the mode of action of anti-leishmanial drugs by using chemical mutagenesis screens coupled to next-generation sequencing

Arijit Bhattacharya¹, Sophia Bigot², Prasad Kottayil Padmanabhan², Angana Mukherjee², Adriano Coelho³, Philippe Leprohon², Barbara Papadopoulou² and Marc Ouellette²

In this article, the authors comment on the study "Coupling chemical mutagenesis to next generation sequencing for the identification of drug resistance mutations in Leishmania" by Bhattacharya et al. (Nat Commun, 2019), which introduces Mut-seq, a chemical mutagenesis and sequencing approach, to uncover drug resistance mechanisms in Leishmania, revealing links between lipid metabolism genes and miltefosine resistance, and a protein kinase involved in translation conferring paromomycin resistance.

Microfluidic techniques for separation of bacterial cells via taxis

Jyoti P. Gurung¹, Murat Gel^2,3 and Matthew A. B. Baker^1,3

Microfluidic tools, ideal for studying microbial motility due to their control over laminar flows at microscopic scales, enable precise analysis of various taxis behaviors and have advanced applications in synthetic biology, directed evolution, and medical microbiology.

Influence of delivery and feeding mode in oral fungi colonization – a systematic review

Maria Joao Azevedo^1,2,3,4, Maria de Lurdes Pereira^1,5, Ricardo Araujo^2,3,6, Carla Ramalho^3,7,8, Egija Zaura⁴ and Benedita Sampaio-Maia^1,2,3

A systematic review of oral fungal colonization in infants found that while breastfeeding did not significantly affect the oral mycobiome, vaginal delivery was associated with higher oral yeast colonization, particularly of Candida albicans.

Previous Next

Toxin-mediated gene regulatory mechanism in Staphylococcus aureus

December 29, 2016

This article comments on work published by Joo et al. (MBio, 2016), which describes the first molecular regulatory mechanism exerted by an S. aureus toxin, setting a paradigmatic example of how S. aureus toxins may influence cell functions to adjust them to times of toxin production.

NprR, a moonlighting quorum sensor shifting from a phosphatase activity to a transcriptional activator

November 5, 2016

This article comments on work published by Perchat et al. (PLoS Pathog, 2016), which demonstrates that, in the absence of the signaling peptide NprX, the sensor NprR is a dimer, which negatively controls sporulation in Bacillus thuringiensis, independently of its transcription factor activity.

The interaction between herpes simplex virus 1 genome and promyelocytic leukemia nuclear bodies (PML-NBs) as a hallmark of the entry in latency

November 4, 2016

This article comments on work published by Maroul et al. (PLoS Pathog, 2016), which demonstrates that the interaction of the viral genomes with the nuclear architecture and specifically the promyelocytic leukemia nuclear bodies is a major determinant for the entry of HSV-1 into latency.

Francisella IglG protein and the DUF4280 proteins: PAAR-like proteins in non-canonical Type VI secretion systems?

October 30, 2016

This article comments on work published by Rigard et al. (PLoS Pathog, 2013), which identified the function of IgIG, a protein of unknown function, encoded within the Francisella Pathogenicity Island.

B cell-helping functions of gut microbial metabolites

September 23, 2016

This article comments on work published by Kim et al. (Cell Host & Microbe, 2016), which showed that the microbial metabolites short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) regulate the metabolism and gene expression in B cells to promote antibody production.

Cryptococcus flips its lid – membrane phospholipid asymmetry modulates antifungal drug resistance and virulence

August 1, 2016

This article comments on work published by Huang et al. (MBio, 2016), which reported that in the pathogenic fungus Cryptococcus neoformans loss of lipid flippase activity sensitized cryptococcal cells to multiple classes of antifungal drugs and abolished fungal virulence in murine models.