Research, Research Articles

Genome, transcriptome and secretome analyses of the antagonistic, yeast-like fungus Aureobasidium pullulans to identify potential biocontrol genes

Maria Paula Rueda-Mejia1, Lukas Nägeli1, Stefanie Lutz2, Richard D. Hayes3, Adithi R. Varadarajan2, Igor V. Grigoriev3,4, Christian H. Ahrens2,5 and Florian M. Freimoser1

This study highlights the value of a sequential approach starting with genome mining and consecutive transcriptome and secretome analyses in order to identify a limited number of potential target genes for detailed, functional analyses in Aureobasidium pullulans.

Barcode sequencing and a high-throughput assay for chronological lifespan uncover ageing-associated genes in fission yeast

Catalina A. Romila1,#, StJohn Townsend1,2,#, Michal Malecki1,3, Stephan Kamrad1,2,4, María Rodríguez-López1, Olivia Hillson1, Cristina Cotobal1, Markus Ralser2,5 and Jürg Bähler1

This work presents two approaches to study chronological lifespan (CLS) for medium- to high-throughput applications, a method for Bar-seq to identify mutants showing altered CLS and a novel medium-throughput colony-forming units assay that can be largely automated by robotics.

Proanthocyanidin-enriched cranberry extract induces resilient bacterial community dynamics in a gnotobiotic mouse model

Catherine C. Neto1,2,#, Benedikt M. Mortzfeld3,#, John R. Turbitt1,2, Shakti K. Bhattarai3, Vladimir Yeliseyev4, Nicholas DiBenedetto4, Lynn Bry4 and Vanni Bucci2,3

This study investigates the effect of a water-soluble, proanthocyanidin-rich cranberry juice extract on the short-term dynamics of a human-derived bacterial community in a gnotobiotic mouse model.

Dry biocleaning of artwork: an innovative methodology for Cultural Heritage recovery?

Giancarlo Ranalli1, Pilar Bosch-Roig2, Simone Crudele1, Laura Rampazzi3,4, Cristina Corti3 and Elisabetta Zanardini5

This work proposes an innovative methodology based on applied biotechnology for the recovery of altered stonework: the "dry biocleaning", which envisages the use of dehydrated microbial cells without the use of free water or gel-based matrices.

Aeration mitigates endoplasmic reticulum stress in Saccharomyces cerevisiae even without mitochondrial respiration

Huong Thi Phuong1, Yuki Ishiwata-Kimata1, Yuki Nishi1, Norie Oguchi1, Hiroshi Takagi1 and Yukio Kimata1

This work demonstrates a scenario, in which aeration acts beneficially on Saccharmyces cerevisiae cells even under fermentative conditions.

A novel BR-SMAD is required for larval development in barber’s pole worm Haemonchus contortus

Fangfang Li1, Peixi Qin1, Lisha Ye1, Nishith Gupta1,2,3 and Min Hu1

The herein presented results show a BMP-like receptor-regulated SMAD in Haemonchus contortus that is required for larval differentiation and underscore an adaptive functional repurposing of BMP-signaling in parasitic worms.

Nutrient sensing and cAMP signaling in yeast: G-protein coupled receptor versus transceptor activation of PKA

Griet Van Zeebroeck1,2,†, Liesbeth Demuyser1,2,†, Zhiqiang Zhang1,2, Ines Cottignie1,2 and Johan M. Thevelein1,2

The herein presented work supports a model, in which nutrient transceptors are evolutionary ancestors of GPCRs, employing a more primitive direct signaling mechanism compared to the indirect cAMP second-messenger signaling mechanism used by GPCRs for activation of PKA.

Novobiocin inhibits membrane synthesis and vacuole formation of Enterococcus faecalis protoplasts

Rintaro Tsuchikado1,#, Satoshi Kami1,#, Sawako Takahashi1 and Hiromi Nishida1

In this study Tsuchikado et al. show that DNA replication is crucial for plasma membrane biosynthesis and vacuole formation in Enterococcus faecalis protoplasts. Novobiocin inhibits DNA replication, blocking cell enlargement and vacuole formation. Extended treatment prevents re-enlargement after removal.

Variants of the human RAD52 gene confer defects in ionizing radiation resistance and homologous recombination repair in budding yeast

Alissa D. Clear1,2,3, Glenn M. Manthey1,2, Olivia Lewis4,5, Isabelle Y. Lopez4,6, Rossana Rico4,7, Shannon Owens8,9, M. Cristina Negritto10, Elise W. Wolf10,11, Jason Xu10,12, Nikola Kenjić13, J. Jefferson P. Perry13, Aaron W. Adamson14, Susan L. Neuhausen14, Adam M. Bailis1,2,15

RAD52 is a key protein in DNA repair and suppresses DNA damage in yeast; however, certain variants affecting BRCA2 mutations fail to correct HRR defects. This suggests that HsRAD52 aids multiple DNA repair mechanisms and could be targeted for use in treating BRCA2-deficient cancers.

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RidA proteins contribute to fitness of S. enterica and E. coli by reducing 2AA stress and moderating flux to isoleucine biosynthesis

October 4, 2024

This study solidifies the established role of RidA in removing 2AA, while also presenting evidence for a role of RidA in enhancing flux towards isoleucine biosynthesis in E. coli. Overall, these data emphasize that metabolic networks can generate distinct responses to perturbation, even when the individual components are conserved.

Fecal gelatinase does not predict mortality in patients with alcohol-associated hepatitis

August 26, 2024

This study aimed to investigate the significance of fecal gelatinase on clinical outcomes in patients with alcohol-associated hepatitis. In conclusion, in our cohort, fecal gelatinase does not predict mortality and does not indicate higher disease severity in patients with alcohol-associated hepatitis.

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

July 29, 2024

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

July 26, 2024

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

July 22, 2024

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

July 19, 2024

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.

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

June 21, 2024

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

May 22, 2024

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

May 16, 2024

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

April 30, 2024

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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