Research, Research Articles

Type II-Metacaspases are involved in cell stress but not in cell death in the unicellular green alga Dunaliella tertiolecta

M. Teresa Mata1,&, Armando Palma1, Candela García-Gómez1,#, María López-Parages1, Víctor Vázquez1, Iván Cheng-Sánchez2, Francisco Sarabia2, Félix López-Figueroa1, Carlos Jiménez1 and María Segovia1

This article shows that in the green alga Dunaliella tertiolecta, Type-II metacaspases are involved in the stress response to ultraviolet radiation but are not linked to cell death, suggesting their role in survival strategies under stressful environmental conditions.

Transcriptomic and chemogenomic analyses unveil the essential role of Com2-regulon in response and tolerance of Saccharomyces cerevisiae to stress induced by sulfur dioxide

Patrícia Lage1,2, Belém Sampaio-Marques3,4, Paula Ludovico3,4, Nuno P. Mira5 and Ana Mendes-Ferreira1,2

This article shows that in the presence of sulfur dioxide (SO2), the transcription factor Com2 plays a critical role in the tolerance and response of Saccharomyces cerevisiae, affecting the expression of a majority of SO2-activated genes and contributing to the protection against stress induced by SO2 at an enologically relevant pH.

Proline metabolism regulates replicative lifespan in the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae

Yukio Mukai1, Yuka Kamei1, Xu Liu1, Shan Jiang1, Yukiko Sugimoto2, Noreen Suliani binti Mat Nanyan2, Daisuke Watanabe2 and Hiroshi Takagi2

This article shows that intracellular proline levels in the budding yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae are correlated with its replicative lifespan, suggesting a protective role of proline against cellular senescence due to various stresses.

Network dynamics of the yeast methyltransferome

Guri Giaever1, Elena Lissina1 and Corey Nislow1

This article presents a systematic genetic analysis of methyltransferases (MTases) under normal and stress conditions, uncovering the complex and adaptive nature of the methyltransferome and discovering a potential connection between phospholipid methylation and histone methylation, suggesting interplay between lipid homeostasis and epigenetic regulation.

Functional link between mitochondria and Rnr3, the minor catalytic subunit of yeast ribonucleotide reductase

Isaac Corcoles-Saez1, Jean-Luc Ferat2, Michael Costanzo3, Charles M. Boone3 and Rita S. Cha1

This article shows that the carbon source affects the abundance of ribonucleotide reductase (RNR) subunits in yeast, with a novel Mec1 signaling axis regulating Rnr3 independently of known DNA damage response pathways, and reveals Rnr3's unexpected role in mitochondrial function.

Mitochondria-Associated Membranes (MAMs) are involved in Bax mitochondrial localization and cytochrome c release

Alexandre Légiot1, Claire Céré1, Thibaud Dupoiron1, Mohamed Kaabouni1, Nadine Camougrand1 and Stéphen Manon1

This study investigated the role of Mitochondria-Associated Membranes (MAMs) in the regulation of apoptosis by analyzing the localization and function of the pro-apoptotic protein Bax in yeast, finding that disruption of MAMs by deletion of the MDM34 gene affects Bax's mitochondrial localization and the release of cytochrome c.

Chlamydia pneumoniae is present in the dental plaque of periodontitis patients and stimulates an inflammatory response in gingival epithelial cells

Cássio Luiz Coutinho Almeida-da-Silva1, Tamer Alpagot2, Ye Zhu1, Sonho Sierra Lee3,4, Brian P. Roberts5, Shu-Chen Hung1, Norina Tang1,2 and David M. Ojcius1

This study found that Chlamydia pneumoniae is present more frequently in the dental plaque of individuals with periodontal disease, can invade human gingival epithelial cells causing inflammatory responses, and may therefore be a contributing factor to periodontal disease and a potential indicator of risk.

Simultaneous profiling of sexually transmitted bacterial pathogens, microbiome, and concordant host response in cervical samples using whole transcriptome sequencing analysis

Catherine M. O’Connell1,#, Hayden Brochu2,#, Jenna Girardi1, Erin Harrell2, Aiden Jones2, Toni Darville1, Arlene C. Seña3 and Xinxia Peng2,4

This study used total RNA sequencing to analyze cervical samples from women at high risk for STIs, revealing that host transcriptional profiles can be linked to microbiome composition and STI infections, with implications for advancing our understanding of PID and identifying potential biomarkers.

Genome-wide analysis of yeast expression data based on a priori generated co-regulation cliques

Siyuan Sima1, Lukas Schmauder1 and Klaus Richter1

The study demonstrates the use of predefined genome-wide expression cliques, derived from extensive microarray data, to effectively analyze and visualize the complete gene expression response across various cellular conditions in yeast.

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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

April 30, 2024

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

April 6, 2024

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

March 14, 2024

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

February 27, 2024

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

February 21, 2024

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

February 20, 2024

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

February 19, 2024

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

January 9, 2024

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

January 5, 2024

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.

Extracellular DNA secreted in yeast cultures is metabolism-specific and inhibits cell proliferation

November 23, 2023

Our study demonstrates that extracellular DNA released by living cells can impact the growth rate of Saccharomyces cerevisiae cultures, showing similarities to extrachromosomal circular DNA and leading to cell cycle arrest in the S phase, suggesting potential new functional roles of exDNA.

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