Research, Research Reports
The core genetic drivers of chronological aging in yeast are universal regulators of longevity
Erika Cruz-Bonilla1, Sergio E. Campos2, Soledad Funes3, Cei Abreu-Goodger4 and Alexander DeLuna1,2,*
This study provides an integrated view of the core genetic landscape underlying aging in yeast, highlighting the value of the chronological lifespan paradigm for investigating conserved mechanisms of aging.
Organelle activity organized by the endoplasmic reticulum-mitochondria encounter structure –ERMES– is essential for Podospora anserina development
Melisa Álvarez-Sánchez1, Matías Ramírez-Noguez1, Beatriz Aguirre-López1 and Leonardo Peraza-Reyes1
This study shows that the regulation of the activity of multiple organelles by the ERMES (Endoplasmic Reticulum-Mitochondria Encounter Structure) tethering complex is essential for fungal growth and sexual development.
Role of the putative sit1 gene in normal germination of spores and virulence of the Mucor lusitanicus
Bernadett Vágó1,2, Kitti Bauer1,2, Naomi Varghese1,2, Sándor Kiss-Vetráb1,2, Sándor Kocsubé1,2, Mónika Varga1,2, András Szekeres1,2, Csaba Vágvölgyi1,2, Tamás Papp1,2,3,# and Gábor Nagy1,2,3,#
Mucormycosis is a life-threatening infection caused by certain members of the fungal order Mucorales, with increased incidence in recent years. Individuals with untreated diabetes mellitus, and patients treated with deferoxamine are particularly susceptible to this infection.
Tumor microenvironment signatures enhances lung adenocarcinoma prognosis prediction: Implication of intratumoral microbiota
Fei Zhao1,#, Lei Wang2,3,4,#, Dongjie Du5, Heaven Zhao6,7, Geng Tian6,7, Yufeng Li2,3,8, Yankun Liu2,8,9, Zhiwu Wang2,3,10, Dasheng Liu11, Jingwu Li2,3,12, Lei Ji6,7 and Hong Zhao1
The interaction between intratumoral microbiome and the tumor microenvironment (TME) has furthered our understanding of tumor ecology. Yet, the implications of their interaction for lung cancer management remain unclear.
Persistence phenotype of adherent-invasive Escherichia coli in response to ciprofloxacin, revealing high-persistence strains
Valeria Pérez-Villalobos1, Roberto Vidal2, Marcela A. Hermoso3,4 and Paula Bustamante1
We investigated the roles of the resident antibiotic resistance plasmid, the stress response protein HtrA, and macrophage-induced persister formation. Our results revealed broad variability in persister cell formation among AIEC strains.
Knocking out histidine ammonia-lyase by using CRISPR-Cas9 abolishes histidine role in the bioenergetics and the life cycle of Trypanosoma cruzi
Janaína de Freitas Nascimento1, María Julia Barisón1, Gabriela Torres Montanaro1, Letícia Marchese1, Rodolpho Ornitz Oliveira Souza1, Letícia Sophia Silva2, Alessandra Aparecida Guarnieri2 and Ariel Mariano Silber1
Recent studies have highlighted the importance of this pathway in ATP production, redox balance, and the maintenance of cellular homeostasis in T. cruzi. In this work, we focus on the first step of the histidine degradation pathway, which is performed by the enzyme histidine ammonia lyase. Here we determined the kinetic and biochemical parameters of the T. cruzi histidine ammonia-lyase.
Dissecting the cell cycle regulation, DNA damage sensitivity and lifespan effects of caffeine in fission yeast
John-Patrick Alao1, Juhi Kumar1, Despina Stamataki2 and Charalampos Rallis1
Our findings show that caffeine accelerates mitotic division and is beneficial for CLS through AMPK. Direct pharmacological targeting of AMPK may serve towards healthspan and lifespan benefits beyond yeasts, given the highly conserved nature of this key regulatory cellular energy sensor.
Uga3 influences nitrogen metabolism in Saccharomyces cerevisiae by modulating arginine biosynthesis
Nicolás Urtasun1,2,a, Sebastián Aníbal Muñoz1,a, Martín Arán3 and Mariana Bermúdez-Moretti1
Nitrogen metabolism in Saccharomyces cerevisiae is tightly regulated to optimize the utilization of available nitrogen sources. Uga3 is a known transcription factor involved in the gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) pathway; however, its broader role in nitrogen metabolism remains unclear.
An adenine model of inborn metabolism errors alters TDP-43 aggregation and reduces its toxicity in yeast revealing insights into protein misfolding diseases
Sangeun Park, Sei-Kyoung Park, Peter Blair and Susan W. Liebman
This work offers new insights into the potential interactions between me-tabolite-based amyloids and pathological protein aggregates, with broad implications for understanding protein misfolding diseases.
Systematic analysis of nuclear gene function in respiratory growth and expression of the mitochondrial genome in S. cerevisiae
June 30, 2020
Using yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae, the authors identified 254 nuclear genes essential for respiratory growth and 12 required for viability without mtDNA. They also found 176 genes involved in mitochondrial protein synthesis and mtDNA maintenance, offering a comprehensive view of the processes supporting oxidative phosphorylation.
Histone H3E73Q and H4E53A mutations cause recombinogenic DNA damage
April 24, 2020
This study reveals that conserved residues H3E73 and H4E53 in histones H3 and H4 play a crucial role in maintaining genome stability. Mutations at these sites increase recombinogenic DNA damage, likely due to replication-associated issues rather than transcriptional activity, highlighting their importance in DNA damage prevention and repair.
Sulforaphane alters the acidification of the yeast vacuole
March 20, 2020
This study identifies vacuolar pH regulation as a key factor in sulforaphane (SFN) sensitivity, showing that SFN-induced cell death in yeast - and potentially in human cancer cells - is linked to its ability to raise vacuolar or lysosomal pH.
Broad-spectrum antifungal activities and mechanism of drimane sesquiterpenoids
March 12, 2020
This study identifies (-)-drimenol as a potent broad-spectrum antifungal agent effective against multiple pathogenic fungi, including drug-resistant strains, and reveals its mechanism of action involves disruption of fungal membranes and targeting Crk1-related pathways, with potential for structural optimization to enhance efficacy.
Stable and destabilized GFP reporters to monitor calcineurin activity in Saccharomyces cerevisiae
February 5, 2020
This study introduces GFP-based transcriptional reporters driven by a calcineurin-dependent response element, enabling real-time monitoring of calcineurin activity in live yeast cells for studying stress responses, aging, and antifungal drug screening.
The euchromatic histone mark H3K36me3 preserves heterochromatin through sequestration of an acetyltransferase complex in fission yeast
January 3, 2020
This study reveals that the loss of heterochromatin silencing in Set2-deficient cells is due to unrestrained Mst2C activity, highlighting the need for spatially restricted chromatin-modifying enzymes to maintain distinct chromatin states.
Depletion of SNAP-23 and Syntaxin 4 alters lipid droplet homeostasis during Chlamydia infection
December 3, 2019
This study reveals that the plasma membrane SNARE proteins SNAP-23 and Syntaxin 4 are crucial for Chlamydia trachomatis development by regulating lipid droplet homeostasis and supporting the formation of infectious progeny within host cells.
Yeast can express and assemble bacterial secretins in the mitochondrial outer membrane
November 19, 2019
Secretins, essential components of bacterial secretion systems, can be expressed in yeast and show differential dependencies on mitochondrial import and assembly factors for membrane integration, suggesting diverse pathways for their assembly into the bacterial outer membrane.
Metabolic reprogramming of Salmonella infected macrophages and its modulation by iron availability and the mTOR pathway
November 14, 2019
This article shows that iron plays a critical role in both the immune response and metabolic reprogramming of macrophages during infection, influencing the TCA cycle and mTOR pathway, with implications for the growth of intracellular bacteria like Salmonella.