Research, Research Articles

Promoter methylation and increased expression of PD-L1 in patients with active tuberculosis

Promoter methylation and increased expression of PD-L1 in patients with active tuberculosis

Yen-Han Tseng1,2, Sheng-Wei Pan1,2,3, Jhong-Ru Huang2,4, Chang-Ching Lee1, Jung-Jyh Hung2,5, Po-Kuei Hsu2,5, Nien-Jung Chen6, Wei-Juin Su2,7, Yuh-Min Chen1,2 and Jia-Yih Feng1,2,8

The PD-1/PD-L1 pathway plays a pivotal role in T cell activity and is involved in the pathophysiology of tuberculosis. Here we show that PD-L1 expression is increased in patients with active tuberculosis and is correlated with treatment outcomes.

Quantification methods of Candida albicans are independent irrespective of fungal morphology

Quantification methods of Candida albicans are independent irrespective of fungal morphology

Amanda B Soares1, Maria C de Albuquerque1, Leticia M Rosa1, Marlise I Klein 2, Ana C Paravina1, Paula A Barbugli1, Livia N Dovigo3 and Ewerton G de O Mima1

Our study demonstrated that the quantification methods of C. albicans (cells/mL, CFU/mL, and vPCR) did not agree, regardless of the fungal morphology/growth, even though a significant and strong correlation is observed.

Pathogenic Escherichia coli change the adhesion between neutrophils and endotheliocytes in the experimental bacteremia model

Pathogenic Escherichia coli change the adhesion between neutrophils and endotheliocytes in the experimental bacteremia model

Svetlana N Pleskova1,2,*, Nikolay A Bezrukov1, Sergey Z Bobyk1, Ekaterina N Gorshkova1 and Dimitri V Novikov3

In this work, we have demonstrated that in the model of experimental septicemia there is a disruption of adhesion contacts between neutrophils and endothelial cells, manifested by a decrease in adhesion force and work upon exposure to E. coli.

Arsenite treatment induces Hsp90 aggregates distinct from conventional stress granules in fission yeast

Arsenite treatment induces Hsp90 aggregates distinct from conventional stress granules in fission yeast

Naofumi Tomimotoa, Teruaki Takasakia and Reiko Sugiura

Given the conserved role of Hsp90 as a molecular chaperone protein, our findings presented in this study may suggest a novel type of arsenite-induced biological condensates, wherein Hsp90 plays a key role in maintaining its integrity.

Unresolved mystery of cyclic nucleotide second messengers, periplasmic acid phosphatases and bacterial natural competence

Unresolved mystery of cyclic nucleotide second messengers, periplasmic acid phosphatases and bacterial natural competence

Kristina Kronborg and Yong Everett Zhang

In this study we aimed to identify the promotors responsible for the expression of the non-specific acid phosphatase AphA during different starvation conditions, to confirm the requirement of the cAMP-dependent CRP regulon for aphA expression, and to finally identify regulators of its expression.

Expansion of metabolically labelled endocytic organelles and cytoskeletal cell structures in Giardia lamblia using optimised U- ExM protocols

Expansion of metabolically labelled endocytic organelles and cytoskeletal cell structures in Giardia lamblia using optimised U- ExM protocols

Clirim Jetishi1,2,a, Erina A. Balmer1,2,a, Bianca M. Berger1,2,a, Carmen Faso1,3,4 and Torsten Ochsenreiter1

Understanding cellular ultrastructure is tightly bound to microscopic resolution and the ability to identify individual components at that resolution. In this study we demonstrate mostly isotropic 4.5-fold expansion of several different compartments in Giardia cells and present an optimised, shortened, and modular protocol that can be swiftly adjusted to the investigators needs.

Polyadenylated versions of small non-coding RNAs in Saccharomyces cerevisiae are degraded by Rrp6p/Rrp47p independent of the core nuclear exosome

Polyadenylated versions of small non-coding RNAs in Saccharomyces cerevisiae are degraded by Rrp6p/Rrp47p independent of the core nuclear exosome

Anusha Chaudhuri1,#, Soumita Paul2,#, Mayukh Banerjea2 and Biswadip Das2

In this investigation, we unveiled a novel functional role of the major nuclear 3′→5′ exoribonuclease, Rrp6p, and its cofactor Rrp47p in the degradation of polyadenylated versions of several mature sncRNAs, including 5S, 5.8S rRNAs, all sn- and some select snoRNAs in the baker’s yeast S. cerevisiae.

Exploring carbon source related localization and phosphorylation in the Snf1/Mig1 network using population and single cell-based approaches

Exploring carbon source related localization and phosphorylation in the Snf1/Mig1 network using population and single cell-based approaches

Svenja Braam1, Farida Tripodi2, Linnea Österberg1,3, Sebastian Persson1, Niek Welkenhuysen1, Paola Coccetti2 and Marija Cvijovic1

In this work we set out to explore the relationship between the subcellular localization and regulation of kinases in the context of carbon source signaling. The data presented in this paper reinforce the notion that not only the activation/inactivation of kinases but also their subcellular localization and that of their targets influence fate decisions in response to environmental changes.

A Modular Cloning Toolkit for the production of recombinant proteins in Leishmania tarentolae

A Modular Cloning Toolkit for the production of recombinant proteins in Leishmania tarentolae

Katrin Hieronimus1,2,#, Tabea Donauer1,2,#, Jonas Klein1,#, Bastian Hinkel1,#, Julia Vanessa Spänle1,#, Anna Probst1,#, Justus Niemeyer1,#, Salina Kibrom1, Anna Maria Kiefer1, Luzia Schneider2, Britta Husemann2, Eileen Bischoff2, Sophie Möhring2, Nicolas Bayer1, Dorothée Klein1, Adrian Engels1, Benjamin Gustav Ziehmer2, Julian Stieß3, Pavlo Moroka1, Michael Schroda1, and Marcel Deponte2

Modular Cloning (MoClo) is based on libraries of standardized genetic parts that can be directionally assembled via Golden Gate cloning in one-pot reactions into transcription units and multigene constructs. We established a MoClo toolkit and exemplified its application for the production of recombinant proteins in L. tarentolae.

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Spontaneous mutations in CYC8 and MIG1 suppress the short chronological lifespan of budding yeast lacking SNF1/AMPK

February 19, 2018

Chronologically aging yeast cells are prone to adaptive regrowth, whereby mutants with a survival advantage spontaneously appear and re-enter the cell cycle in stationary phase cultures. Here, Magani et al. identified specific downstream SNF1 targets responsible for CLS extension during CR.

Decreasing cytosolic translation is beneficial to yeast and human Tafazzin-deficient cells

February 18, 2018

Cardiolipin (CL) optimizes diverse mitochondrial processes, including oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS). Here, de Taffin de Tilques et al. describe that a diminished capacity of CL remodeling deficient cells to preserve protein homeostasis is likely an important factor contributing to the pathogenesis of Barth Syndrome (BTHS) and identifies cytosolic translation as a potential therapeutic target for the treatment of this disease.

Production of poly-β-1,6-N-acetylglucosamine by MatAB is required for hyphal aggregation and hydrophilic surface adhesion by Streptomyces

February 12, 2018

In this article van Dissel et al. describe new insights to allow better control of liquid-culture morphology of streptomycetes, which may be harnessed to improve growth and industrial exploitation of these highly versatile natural product and enzyme producers.

Non-canonical regulation of glutathione and trehalose biosynthesis characterizes non-Saccharomyces wine yeasts with poor performance in active dry yeast production

January 26, 2018

Several yeast species, belonging to Saccharomyces and non-Saccharomyces genera, play fundamental roles during spontaneous must grape fermentation, and recent studies have shown that mixed fermentations, co-inoculated with S. cerevisiae and non-Saccharomyces strains, can improve wine organoleptic properties. Here, Gamero-Sandemetrio et al. present findings that non-canonical regulation of glutathione and trehalose biosynthesis could cause poor fermentative performance after active dry yeast (ADY) production, as it corroborates the corrective effect of antioxidant treatments, during biomass propagation, with both pure chemicals and food-grade argan oil.

Molecular signature of the imprintosome complex at the mating-type locus in fission yeast

January 16, 2018

Genetic and molecular studies have indicated that an epigenetic imprint at mat1, the sexual locus of fission yeast, initiates mating type switching. Here, Raimondi et al. characterized the recruitment of early players of mating type switching at the mat1 region and suggest a nucleoprotein protective structure defined as imprintosome.

Leishmania guyanensis parasites block the activation of the inflammasome by inhibiting maturation of IL-1β

January 14, 2018

The various symptomatic outcomes of cutaneous leishmaniasis relates to the type and potency of its underlying inflammatory responses mediated by Toll-Like-Receptor-3 (TLR3). Here, Hartely et al. investigated other innate pattern recognition receptors capable of reacting to dsRNA and potentially contributing to LRV1-mediated inflammatory pathology. They postulate that avoidance of the inflammasome pathways is likely an important mechanism of virulence in Leishmania infection irrespective of the LRV1-status.

A novel system to monitor mitochondrial translation in yeast

January 13, 2018

In this study Suhm et al. present a novel system to monitor mitochondrial translation by detection of mitochondrial GFP-translation through fluorescence microscopy and flow cytometry in functional mitochondria. This novel tool allows the investigation of the function and regulation of mitochondrial translation during stress signaling, aging and mitochondrial biogenesis.

Fat storage-inducing transmembrane (FIT or FITM) proteins are related to lipid phosphatase/phosphotransferase enzymes

December 28, 2017

Fat storage-inducing transmembrane (FIT or FITM) proteins have been implicated in the partitioning of triacylglycerol to lipid droplets and the budding of lipid droplets from the ER. Saccharomyces cerevisiae has two FITM homologues and the presented results suggest that Scs3p and Yft2p as well as FITMs in general are lipid phosphatase/phosphotransferase (LPT) enzymes involved in an as yet unknown critical step in phospholipid metabolism.

A versatile plasmid system for reconstitution and analysis of mammalian ubiquitination cascades in yeast

December 5, 2017

In this article Avagliano Trezza et al. describe a versatile vector system that allows the reconstitution of specific ubiquitination cascades in the model eukaryote Saccharomyces cerevisae (baker’s yeast) that provides a versatile tool to study complex post-translational modifications in a cellular setting.

Alcohols enhance the rate of acetic acid diffusion in S. cerevisiae : biophysical mechanisms and implications for acetic acid tolerance

December 1, 2017

Microbial cell factories with the ability to maintain high productivity in the presence of weak organic acids, such as acetic acid, are required in many industrial processes. This study demonstrates that the rate of acetic acid diffusion can be strongly affected by compounds that partition into the cell membrane, and highlights the need for considering interaction effects between compounds in the design of microbial processes.

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