Research, Research Articles
The euchromatic histone mark H3K36me3 preserves heterochromatin through sequestration of an acetyltransferase complex in fission yeast
Paula R. Georgescu1, Matías Capella1, Sabine Fischer-Burkart1 and Sigurd Braun1
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
Tiago Monteiro-Brás1,2,3, Jordan Wesolowski1 and Fabienne Paumet1
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
Janani Natarajan1, Anasuya Moitra1, Sussanne Zabel1,§, Nidhi Singh2, Samuel Wagner2,3 and Doron Rapaport1
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
Julia Telser1,2,#, Chiara Volani1,3,#, Richard Hilbe1,2, Markus Seifert1,2, Natascha Brigo1, Giuseppe Paglia4 and Günter Weiss1,2
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.
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.
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.
The cytosolic glyoxalases of Plasmodium falciparum are dispensable during asexual blood-stage development
November 20, 2017
In this study the authors demonstrate that, PfGlo1 and PfcGlo2 are dispensable during asexual blood-stage development while the loss of PfcGlo2 may induce the formation of transmissible gametocytes. These combined data show that PfGlo1 and PfcGlo2 are most likely not suited as targets for selective drug development against the malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum.
Aminoglycoside resistance profile and structural architecture of the aminoglycoside acetyltransferase AAC(6’)-Im
November 9, 2017
AAC(6')-Im, a monofunctional acetyltransferase, imparts increased resistance to certain aminoglycosides compared to its bifunctional homolog AAC(6')-Ie, with structural studies revealing differences in substrate binding that explain the discrepancies in their enzymatic activity and resistance profiles.
Cross-species complementation of bacterial- and eukaryotic-type cardiolipin synthases
November 3, 2017
This article shows that cardiolipin is crucial for cellular respiration and membrane integrity, with cardiolipin synthase enzymes like TbCLS in Trypanosoma brucei being potential drug targets due to their essential role in survival. The study demonstrates TbCLS's ability to restore cardiolipin production in yeast, highlighting the specificity and potential co-localization required for cardiolipin synthesis and remodeling, and underscoring the differences between eukaryotic and prokaryotic cardiolipin synthase mechanisms.
Identification of SUMO conjugation sites in the budding yeast proteome
October 2, 2017
The authors present a proteomic study that mapped SUMO acceptor lysines in budding yeast, identifying 257 potential conjugation sites, including both known and novel substrates, and providing a significant resource for future research into the functional implications of SUMOylation in yeast.
Ydj1 governs fungal morphogenesis and stress response, and facilitates mitochondrial protein import via Mas1 and Mas2
October 2, 2017
The authors descibe the role of the Hsp40 chaperone Ydj1 in Candida albicans, noting its localization to the cytosol and mitochondrial membrane, its necessity for stress responses and filamentation, and its involvement in a protein interaction network related to co-chaperones, filamentation regulators, and mitochondrial processing peptidases, with a particular focus on the impact of Ydj1 on mitochondrial morphology, function, and the import of precursor proteins.
Farnesol inhibits translation to limit growth and filamentation in C. albicans and S. cerevisiae
September 4, 2017
Farnesol, a quorum-sensing molecule, inhibits the switch from yeast to filamentous growth in Candida albicans by impeding translation initiation, differing from fusel alcohols that affect the initiation factor eIF2B, as it disrupts mRNA interaction with the ribosome and prevents preinitiation complex formation.
Cristae architecture is determined by an interplay of the MICOS complex and the F1FO ATP synthase via Mic27 and Mic10
July 20, 2017
This article investigates the roles of MICOS subunits Mic27 and Mic10, revealing their antagonistic and cooperative interactions in crista junction formation and cristae membrane curvature, and proposes a model where F1FO-ATP synthase is connected to MICOS, influencing CJ formation.
Integrative modules for efficient genome engineering in yeast
June 5, 2017
The study introduces a set of vectors with integrative modules designed for effective genome integration into standard marker loci of Saccharomyces cerevisiae, enabling precise expression levels using various promoters and demonstrating the capability of stable multi-gene integration, which is useful for tasks like multi-color cellular imaging and metabolic engineering.
The neuroprotective steroid progesterone promotes mitochondrial uncoupling, reduces cytosolic calcium and augments stress resistance in yeast cells
May 31, 2017
Progesterone, known for its role in the reproductive system, also acts as a neurosteroid and has been suggested to aid recovery from traumatic brain injury; a study using yeast models shows that progesterone can protect against apoptosis, reduce oxidative stress and calcium spikes, and increase mitochondrial function, independent of traditional progesterone receptors or calcium transporters.