Research, Research Reports

Microbiota and metabolome dynamics induced by Shiga toxin-producing <i>E. coli</i> in an <i>in vitro</i> model of an infant’s colon

Microbiota and metabolome dynamics induced by Shiga toxin-producing E. coli in an in vitro model of an infant’s colon

Mariana Izquierdo1,a, Deborah O’Sullivan2,a, Ophélie Uriot2, Morgane Brun2, Claude Durif2, Sylvain Denis2, Pablo Gallardo1, Cormac G M Gahan3-5, Lucie Etienne-Mesmin2, Stéphanie Blanquet-Diot2,b and Mauricio J. Farfan1.b

This study provides new evidence of the impact of EHEC in the microbiota and metabolome dynamics in an in vitro gut model that could be useful in understanding their physiopathology in this at-risk population, considering inter-individual variabilities in gut microbiota.

Ampicillin treatment in persister cell studies may cause non-physiological artifacts

Ampicillin treatment in persister cell studies may cause non-physiological artifacts

Michel Fasnacht1,2, Hena Comic1,2, Isabella Moll1,2

This study shows at the example of L2 how insufficient purification of ampicillin persister cells can lead to the generation of non-physiological artifacts and provides a novel tool to improve the removal of residual cell debris.

<i>Clostridium scindens</i> promotes gallstone formation by inducing intrahepatic neutrophil extracellular traps through CXCL1 produced by colonic epithelial cells

Clostridium scindens promotes gallstone formation by inducing intrahepatic neutrophil extracellular traps through CXCL1 produced by colonic epithelial cells

Wenchao Yao1,a, Yuanhang He2,3,a, Zhihong Xie2,3, Qiang Wang2,3, Yang Chen2,4, Jingjing Yu2,3, Xuxu Liu2,3, Dongbo Xue2,3 , Liyi Wang2,3 and Chenjun Hao2,3

Through in vivo and in vitro experiments, we validated the reliability of C. scindens stimulating colonic epithelial cells to produce TLR2, activating the NF-κB signaling pathway, promoting CXCL1 expres-sion, and inducing intrahepatic neutrophil NETosis, which may be associated with gallstone formation.

Integrative Omics reveals changes in the cellular landscape of peroxisome-deficient <i>pex3</i> yeast cells

Integrative Omics reveals changes in the cellular landscape of peroxisome-deficient pex3 yeast cells

Tjasa Kosir1,a, Hirak Das2,a, Marc Pilegaard Pedersen1, Ann-Kathrin Richard2, Marco Anteghini3,4, Vitor Martins dos Santos4,5, Silke Oeljeklaus2, Ida J. van der Klei1 and Bettina Warscheid2

To uncover the consequences of peroxisome deficiency, we compared Saccharomyces cerevisiae wild-type with pex3 cells, which lack peroxisomes, employing quantitative proteomics and transcriptomics technologies.

Microwave-assisted preparation of yeast cells for ultrastructural analysis by electron microscopy

Microwave-assisted preparation of yeast cells for ultrastructural analysis by electron microscopy

Moritz Mayera, Christina Schuga, Stefan Geimer, Till Klecker and Benedikt Westermann

Budding yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae is widely used as a model organism to study the biogenesis and architecture of organellar membranes, which can be visualized by transmission electron microscopy (TEM).

A complex remodeling of cellular homeostasis distinguishes RSV/SARS-CoV-2 co-infected A549-hACE2 expressing cell lines

A complex remodeling of cellular homeostasis distinguishes RSV/SARS-CoV-2 co-infected A549-hACE2 expressing cell lines

Claudia Vanetti1, Irma Saulle1,2, Valentina Artusa1,2, Claudia Moscheni1, Gioia Cappelletti1, Silvia Zecchini1, Sergio Strizzi1, Micaela Garziano1,2, Claudio Fenizia1,2, Antonella Tosoni1, Martina Broggiato1, Pasquale Ogno1, Manuela Nebuloni1, Mario Clerici2,3, Daria Trabattoni1, Fiona Limanaqi1 and Mara Biasin1

Given the common tropism of SARS-CoV-2 and RSV, and the unclear consequences of their mutual influence, we developed an in vitro lung epithelial cell model to study the molecular mechanisms and cellular pathways modulated in viral co-infection.

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

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

Ronnie L. Fulton, Bryce R. Sawyer and Diana M Downs

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

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

Yongqiang Yang1,a, Philipp Hartmann2,3,a and Bernd Schnabl1,4

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.

Direct detection of stringent alarmones (pp)pGpp using malachite green

Direct detection of stringent alarmones (pp)pGpp using malachite green

Muriel Schicketanz1, Magdalena Petrová2, Dominik Rejman2, Margherita Sosio3, Stefano Donadio3 and Yong Everett Zhang1

In this study, we demonstrate the surprising discovery of a commercially available, low-cost malachite green (MG) detection kit, originally designed for orthophosphate (Pi) detection, for detecting (p)ppGpp and its analogues, especially pGpp

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Increased spontaneous recombination in RNase H2-deficient cells arises from multiple contiguous rNMPs and not from single rNMP residues incorporated by DNA polymerase epsilon

May 15, 2016

Ribonucleotides (rNMPs) can become embedded in DNA from insertion by DNA polymerases, failure to remove Okazaki fragment primers, R-loops that can prime replication, and RNA/cDNA-mediated recombination. We report here that recombination is not stimulated by rNMPs incorporated by the replicative polymerase epsilon. Instead, recombination seems to be stimulated by multiple contiguous rNMPs, which may arise from R-loops or replication priming events.

Filamentation protects Candida albicans from amphotericin B-induced programmed cell death via a mechanism involving the yeast metacaspase, MCA1

April 25, 2016

Candida albicans proliferates in two distinct cell types: blastopores and filaments. Programmed cell death is a controlled form of cell suicide that occurs when C. albicans cells are exposed to fungicidal drugs like amphotericin B and caspofungin, and to other stressful conditions. We provide evidence that programmed cell death is cell-type specific in yeast: Filamentous C. albicans cells are more resistant to amphotericin B- and caspofungin-induced programmed cell death than their blastospore counterparts. Our genetic data suggest that this phenomenon is mediated by a protective mechanism involving the yeast metacaspase, MCA1.

Towards understanding the gliotoxin detoxification mechanism: in vivo thiomethylation protects yeast from gliotoxin cytotoxicity

February 19, 2016

Gliotoxin is a mycotoxin produced by some species of ascomycete fungi including the opportunistic human pathogen Aspergillus fumigatus. In order to produce gliotoxin the host organism needs to have evolved a self-protection mechanism. The authors demonstrate that the activity of a novel thiomethyltransferase is requiered for protection against exogenous gliotoxin and provide implications for understanding the evolution of gliotoxin self-protection mechanisms.

The transcriptional repressor Sum1p counteracts Sir2p in regulation of the actin cytoskeleton, mitochondrial quality control and replicative lifespan in Saccharomyces cerevisiae

January 18, 2016

Increasing the stability or dynamics of the actin cytoskeleton can extend lifespan in C. elegans and S. cerevisiae. Actin cables of budding yeast, bundles of actin filaments that mediate cargo transport, affect lifespan control through effects on mitochondrial quality control. Here, we report that Sum1p and Sir2p inversely regulate actin and mitochondrial maintenance, as well as lifespan.

Micafungin induced apoptosis in Candida parapsilosis independent of its susceptibility to micafungin

October 23, 2015

Shirazi et al. studied the effects of the cell wall inhibitor micafungin (MICA) on apoptosis in both MICA-susceptible (MICA-S) and MICA–non-susceptible (MICA-NS) Candida parapsilosis.

Human Thyroid Cancer-1 (TC-1) is a vertebrate specific oncogenic protein that protects against copper and pro-apoptotic genes in yeast

June 25, 2015

The human Thyroid Cancer-1 (hTC-1) protein, also known as C8orf4 was initially identified as a gene that was up-regulated in human thyroid cancer. This article reports that hTC-1 is a peptide that prevents the effects of over-expressing Bax in yeast. In sum, the results indicate that hTC-1 is a pro-survival protein that retains its function when heterologously expressed in yeast. Thus yeast is a useful model to characterize the potential roles in cell death and survival of cancer related genes.

Exogenous folates stimulate growth and budding of Candida glabrata

May 1, 2015

Folate, vitamin B9, is well recognized as being essential for cell growth. The utilization of folate is common to all cells, but the source of it may be quite different. This article reports a novel response of yeast to folates that may increase the utility of yeast as a model to study folate transport and signaling.

Loss of wobble uridine modification in tRNA anticodons interferes with TOR pathway signaling

November 29, 2014

The herein presented data suggest that proper TOR signaling requires intact tRNA modifications and that loss of U34 modifications impinges on the TOR-sensitive NCR branch via Gln3 misregulation.

Exogenous addition of histidine reduces copper availability in the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae

July 6, 2014

The herein presented results indicate that in Saccharomyces cerevisiae, histidine cytotoxicity is associated with low copper availability inside cells, not with impaired copper uptake. Furthermore, it suggests that histidine cytotoxicity is involved in deficiency of mitochondrial copper.

Deletion of AIF1 but not of YCA1/MCA1 protects Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Candida albicans cells from caspofungin-induced programmed cell death

January 15, 2014

This work suggests that deleting AIF1 but not YCA1/MCA1 protects S. cerevisiae and Candida albicans from caspofungin-induced cell death. This is not only the first time that AIF1 has been specifically tied to cell death in Candida but also the first time that caspofungin resistance has been linked to the cell death machinery in yeast.