Research, Research Articles
Promoter methylation and increased expression of PD-L1 in patients with active tuberculosis
Yen-Han Tseng1,2, Sheng-Wei Pan1,2,3, Jhong-Ru Huang2,4, Chang-Ching Lee1, Jung-Jyh Hung2,5, Po-Kuei Hsu2,5, Nien-Jung Chen6, Wei-Juin Su2,7, Yuh-Min Chen1,2 and Jia-Yih Feng1,2,8
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
Amanda B Soares1, Maria C de Albuquerque1, Leticia M Rosa1, Marlise I Klein 2, Ana C Paravina1, Paula A Barbugli1, Livia N Dovigo3 and Ewerton G de O Mima1
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
Svetlana N Pleskova1,2,*, Nikolay A Bezrukov1, Sergey Z Bobyk1, Ekaterina N Gorshkova1 and Dimitri V Novikov3
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
Naofumi Tomimotoa, Teruaki Takasakia and Reiko Sugiura
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.
Unresolved mystery of cyclic nucleotide second messengers, periplasmic acid phosphatases and bacterial natural competence
Kristina Kronborg and Yong Everett Zhang
In this study we aimed to identify the promotors responsible for the expression of the non-specific acid phosphatase AphA during different starvation conditions, to confirm the requirement of the cAMP-dependent CRP regulon for aphA expression, and to finally identify regulators of its expression.
Expansion of metabolically labelled endocytic organelles and cytoskeletal cell structures in Giardia lamblia using optimised U- ExM protocols
Clirim Jetishi1,2,a, Erina A. Balmer1,2,a, Bianca M. Berger1,2,a, Carmen Faso1,3,4 and Torsten Ochsenreiter1
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
Anusha Chaudhuri1,#, Soumita Paul2,#, Mayukh Banerjea2 and Biswadip Das2
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
Svenja Braam1, Farida Tripodi2, Linnea Österberg1,3, Sebastian Persson1, Niek Welkenhuysen1, Paola Coccetti2 and Marija Cvijovic1
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
Katrin Hieronimus1,2,#, Tabea Donauer1,2,#, Jonas Klein1,#, Bastian Hinkel1,#, Julia Vanessa Spänle1,#, Anna Probst1,#, Justus Niemeyer1,#, Salina Kibrom1, Anna Maria Kiefer1, Luzia Schneider2, Britta Husemann2, Eileen Bischoff2, Sophie Möhring2, Nicolas Bayer1, Dorothée Klein1, Adrian Engels1, Benjamin Gustav Ziehmer2, Julian Stieß3, Pavlo Moroka1, Michael Schroda1, and Marcel Deponte2
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.
Transcriptomic and chemogenomic analyses unveil the essential role of Com2-regulon in response and tolerance of Saccharomyces cerevisiae to stress induced by sulfur dioxide
September 30, 2019
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.
Network dynamics of the yeast methyltransferome
July 9, 2019
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
May 20, 2019
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
March 15, 2019
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
March 11, 2019
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
January 24, 2019
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
January 22, 2019
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.
A humanized yeast-based toolkit for monitoring phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase activity at both single cell and population levels
November 12, 2018
In this study, a humanized yeast system for functional studies on higher eukaryotic Phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K) was developed by restricting PI3K activity in yeast to specific plasma membrane microdomains, utilizing engineered reporters to monitor activity at a single-cell level and employing novel tools to study the performance of yeast plasma membrane (PM) microdomain-directed PI3K, revealing location-specific effects on yeast growth and endocytosis.
A chemical genetic screen reveals a role for proteostasis in capsule and biofilm formation by Cryptococcus neoformans
October 31, 2018
This study demonstrates that the bipolar disorder drug lithium inhibits the formation of key virulence factors, biofilm, and polysaccharide capsule, in Cryptococcus neoformans by dysregulating the ubiquitin/proteasome system, shedding light on the impact of lithium and providing insights into potential alternative pharmaceutical approaches for combating this fungal pathogen.