Research, Research Articles
A metagenomic approach to unveil the association between fecal gut microbiota and short-chain fatty acids in diarrhea caused by diarrheagenic Escherichia coli in children
Pablo Gallardo1,2, Mariana Izquierdo2, Tomeu Viver3, Esteban Bustos-Caparros3, Dana Piras2, Roberto M. Vidal4, Hermie J.M. Harmsen1 and Mauricio J. Farfan2
Diarrheagenic Escherichia coli (DEC) is the main cause of diarrhea in children under five years old. The virulence of DEC is tightly regulated by environmental signals influenced by the gut microbiota and its metabolites. Our results increase the knowledge of the association between short chain fatty acids during diarrhea and changes in the microbiota composition associated with the presence of DEC pathogens.
The effect of multiple sclerosis therapy on gut microbiota dysbiosis: a longitudinal prospective study
Andreea-Cristina Paraschiv1,a, Vitalie Vacaras1,2,a, Cristina Nistor1,2, Cristiana Vacaras3, Stefan Strilciuc1 and Dafin F Muresanu1,2
The gut microbiota, a complex ecosystem with various immune functions, plays a significant role in MS, and its response to different treatments is highlighted in this study. In clinical practice, maintaining a healthy microbiota is crucial for individuals with MS.
Comparison of microbial communities and the profile of sulfate-reducing bacteria in patients with ulcerative colitis and their association with bowel diseases: a pilot study
Ivan Kushkevych1, Kristýna Martínková1, Lenka Mráková1, Francesco Giudici2, Simone Baldi2, David Novak3, Márió Gajdács4, Monika Vítězová1, Dani Dordevic5, Amedeo Amedei2 and Simon K.-M. R. Rittmann6
Considerable evidence has accumulated regarding the molecular relationship between gut microbiota (GM) composition and the onset (clinical presentation and prognosis) of ulcerative colitis UC. Our findings highlight, among other observations, significant variations in the gut microbial composition among patients with varying disease severity and activity.
Replicative aging in yeast involves dynamic intron retention patterns associated with mRNA processing/export and protein ubiquitination
Jesús Gómez-Montalvo1, Alvaro de Obeso Fernández del Valle1, Luis Fernando De la Cruz Gutiérrez1, Jose Mario Gonzalez-Meljem1 and Christian Quintus Scheckhuber1
Saccharomyces cerevisiae has yielded relevant insights into some of the basic mechanisms of organismal aging. Among these are genomic instability, oxidative stress, caloric restriction and mitochondrial dysfunction. Our work uncovers a previously unexplored layer of the transcriptional program of yeast aging and, more generally, expands the knowledge on the occurrence of alternative splicing in baker´s yeast.
Quantifying yeast lipidomics by high-performance thin-layer chromatography (HPTLC) and comparison to mass spectrometry-based shotgun lipidomics
Thorsten Meyer1, Oskar Knittelfelder2, Martin Smolnig1 and Patrick Rockenfeller1
Lipidomic analysis in diverse biological settings has become a frequent tool to increase our understanding of the processes of life. Here we describe a method to analyse basic lipidomics in yeast using HPTLC and offer comparison to measurement of the same samples with MS-based shotgun lipidomics.
A cobalt concentration sensitive Btu-like system facilitates cobalamin uptake in Anabaena sp. PCC 7120
Julia Graf1, Leonard Fresenborg1,2, Hans-Michael Seitz2,3, Rafael Pernil1 and Enrico Schleiff1,2,4,5
Metal homeostasis is central to all forms of life, as metals are essential micronutrients with toxic effects at elevated levels. Our results provide novel information on the uptake of cobalamin and the regulation of the cellular cobalt content in cyanobacteria.
Predictable regulation of survival by intratumoral microbe-immune crosstalk in patients with lung adenocarcinoma
Shuo Shi1, Yuwen Chu2,3, Haiyan Liu4,5, Lan Yu6,7,8, Dejun Sun8,9, Jialiang Yang2,3,5, Geng Tian2,3, Lei Ji2,3, Cong Zhang10 and Xinxin Lu11
Intratumoral microbiota can regulate the tumor immune microenvironment (TIME) and mediate tumor prognosis by promoting inflammatory response or inhibiting anti-tumor effects. Our study demonstrated that intratumoral microbiota-immune crosstalk was strongly associated with prognosis in LUAD patients, which would provide new targets for the development of precise therapeutic strategies.
Two TonB-dependent outer membrane transporters involved in heme uptake in Anabaena sp. PCC 7120
Julia Graf1, Martin Schöpperle1,2, Rafael Pernil1 and Enrico Schleiff1,3,4
Low availability of micronutrients such as iron has enforced the evolution of uptake systems in all kingdoms of life. In our study, we conclude that heme transport might not be restricted to Anabaena, but at the same time is not specific to a cyanobacterial order and thus might be related to the habitat of origin, a notion which needs to be challenged in the future.
The last two transmembrane helices in the APC-type FurE transporter act as an intramolecular chaperone essential for concentrative ER-exit
Yiannis Pyrris1, Georgia F. Papadaki1, Emmanuel Mikros2 and George Diallinas1,3
FurE is a H+ symporter specific for the cellular uptake of uric acid, allantoin, uracil, and toxic nucleobase analogues in the fungus Aspergillus nidulans. Being member of the NCS1 protein family, FurE is structurally related to the APC-superfamily of transporters.
A genome-wide screen for FTY720-sensitive mutants reveals genes required for ROS homeostasis
November 27, 2017
Fingolimod hydrochloride (FTY720) is an immune modulator for multiple sclerosis that also induces cancer cell apoptosis through reactive oxygen species generation, with a new study using fission yeast uncovering a gene network related to ROS homeostasis as a possible mechanism of FTY720's toxicity.
The cytosolic glyoxalases of Plasmodium falciparum are dispensable during asexual blood-stage development
November 20, 2017
In this study the authors demonstrate that, PfGlo1 and PfcGlo2 are dispensable during asexual blood-stage development while the loss of PfcGlo2 may induce the formation of transmissible gametocytes. These combined data show that PfGlo1 and PfcGlo2 are most likely not suited as targets for selective drug development against the malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum.
Aminoglycoside resistance profile and structural architecture of the aminoglycoside acetyltransferase AAC(6’)-Im
November 9, 2017
AAC(6')-Im, a monofunctional acetyltransferase, imparts increased resistance to certain aminoglycosides compared to its bifunctional homolog AAC(6')-Ie, with structural studies revealing differences in substrate binding that explain the discrepancies in their enzymatic activity and resistance profiles.
Cross-species complementation of bacterial- and eukaryotic-type cardiolipin synthases
November 3, 2017
This article shows that cardiolipin is crucial for cellular respiration and membrane integrity, with cardiolipin synthase enzymes like TbCLS in Trypanosoma brucei being potential drug targets due to their essential role in survival. The study demonstrates TbCLS's ability to restore cardiolipin production in yeast, highlighting the specificity and potential co-localization required for cardiolipin synthesis and remodeling, and underscoring the differences between eukaryotic and prokaryotic cardiolipin synthase mechanisms.
Identification of SUMO conjugation sites in the budding yeast proteome
October 2, 2017
The authors present a proteomic study that mapped SUMO acceptor lysines in budding yeast, identifying 257 potential conjugation sites, including both known and novel substrates, and providing a significant resource for future research into the functional implications of SUMOylation in yeast.
Ydj1 governs fungal morphogenesis and stress response, and facilitates mitochondrial protein import via Mas1 and Mas2
October 2, 2017
The authors descibe the role of the Hsp40 chaperone Ydj1 in Candida albicans, noting its localization to the cytosol and mitochondrial membrane, its necessity for stress responses and filamentation, and its involvement in a protein interaction network related to co-chaperones, filamentation regulators, and mitochondrial processing peptidases, with a particular focus on the impact of Ydj1 on mitochondrial morphology, function, and the import of precursor proteins.
Farnesol inhibits translation to limit growth and filamentation in C. albicans and S. cerevisiae
September 4, 2017
Farnesol, a quorum-sensing molecule, inhibits the switch from yeast to filamentous growth in Candida albicans by impeding translation initiation, differing from fusel alcohols that affect the initiation factor eIF2B, as it disrupts mRNA interaction with the ribosome and prevents preinitiation complex formation.
Cristae architecture is determined by an interplay of the MICOS complex and the F1FO ATP synthase via Mic27 and Mic10
July 20, 2017
This article investigates the roles of MICOS subunits Mic27 and Mic10, revealing their antagonistic and cooperative interactions in crista junction formation and cristae membrane curvature, and proposes a model where F1FO-ATP synthase is connected to MICOS, influencing CJ formation.
Integrative modules for efficient genome engineering in yeast
June 5, 2017
The study introduces a set of vectors with integrative modules designed for effective genome integration into standard marker loci of Saccharomyces cerevisiae, enabling precise expression levels using various promoters and demonstrating the capability of stable multi-gene integration, which is useful for tasks like multi-color cellular imaging and metabolic engineering.