Microreviews, Review
The tug-of-war over MTOR in Legionella infections
Stanimir S. Ivanov
This article comments on work published by Abshire et al (PLoS Pathog, 2016), which uncovered that the host metabolic checkpoint kinase Mechanistic target of rapamycin (MTOR) is a central regulator of the pathogen niche expansion program.
A new role for Holliday junction resolvase Yen1 in processing DNA replication intermediates exposes Dna2 as an accessory replicative helicase
Benoît Falquet1,2 and Ulrich Rass
This article comments on work published by Ölmezer et al. (Nat Commun, 2016), which revealed a new function of Yen1, distinct from its previously known role as a Holliday junction resolvase, mediating the removal of branched HR intermediates.
Toxin-mediated gene regulatory mechanism in Staphylococcus aureus
Hwang-Soo Joo and Michael Otto
This article comments on work published by Joo et al. (MBio, 2016), which describes the first molecular regulatory mechanism exerted by an S. aureus toxin, setting a paradigmatic example of how S. aureus toxins may influence cell functions to adjust them to times of toxin production.
Autophagy: machinery and regulation
Zhangyuan Yin, Clarence Pascual and Daniel J. Klionsky
Macroautophagy/autophagy is an evolutionarily conserved cellular degradation process that targets cytoplasmic materials including cytosol, macromolecules and unwanted organelles. The discovery and analysis of autophagy-related (Atg) proteins have unveiled much of the machinery of autophagosome formation. In this review, we briefly summarize the physiological roles, molecular mechanism, regulatory network, and pathophysiological roles of autophagy.
NprR, a moonlighting quorum sensor shifting from a phosphatase activity to a transcriptional activator
Stéphane Perchat1, Antoine Talagas2, Samira Zouhir2, Sandrine Poncet1, Laurent Bouillaut1,¶, Sylvie Nessler2 and Didier Lereclus1
This article comments on work published by Perchat et al. (PLoS Pathog, 2016), which demonstrates that, in the absence of the signaling peptide NprX, the sensor NprR is a dimer, which negatively controls sporulation in Bacillus thuringiensis, independently of its transcription factor activity.
Threading Granules in Freiburg: 2nd International Symposium on “One Mitochondrion, Many Diseases – Biological and Molecular Perspectives”, a FRIAS Junior Researcher Conference, Freiburg im Breisgau, Germany, March 9th/10th, 2016
Ralf J. Braun1, Ralf M. Zerbes2, Florian Steinberg3, Denis Gris4, and Verónica I. Dumit5
INTRODUCTION Mitochondria (greek: μίτος & χονδρίον, mitos & chondrion, i.e., thread & granule) are the power houses of eukaryotic cells, and are pivotally involved in essential metabolic processes, including iron/sulfur
The interaction between herpes simplex virus 1 genome and promyelocytic leukemia nuclear bodies (PML-NBs) as a hallmark of the entry in latency
Patrick Lomonte
This article comments on work published by Maroul et al. (PLoS Pathog, 2016), which demonstrates that the interaction of the viral genomes with the nuclear architecture and specifically the promyelocytic leukemia nuclear bodies is a major determinant for the entry of HSV-1 into latency.
Francisella IglG protein and the DUF4280 proteins: PAAR-like proteins in non-canonical Type VI secretion systems?
Claire Lays1, 2, Eric Tannier2, 3, Thomas Henry1,2
This article comments on work published by Rigard et al. (PLoS Pathog, 2013), which identified the function of IgIG, a protein of unknown function, encoded within the Francisella Pathogenicity Island.
B cell-helping functions of gut microbial metabolites
Chang H. Kim1,2,3,4
This article comments on work published by Kim et al. (Cell Host & Microbe, 2016), which showed that the microbial metabolites short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) regulate the metabolism and gene expression in B cells to promote antibody production.
Insights into the host-pathogen interaction: C. albicans manipulation of macrophage pyroptosis
November 12, 2018
In this article, the authors comment on the study "High-Throughput Screening Identifies Genes Required for Candida albicans Induction of Macrophage Pyroptosis" by O’Meara et al. (MBio, 2018) that provides a comprehensive analysis of the genetic circuitry in both Candida albicans and host macrophages that leads to pyroptosis, revealing the impact of altered pyroptosis on infection, the role of pyroptosis in facilitating neutrophil accumulation at the site of C. albicans infection, and the decoupling of inflammasome priming and activation in the response to C. albicans infection, thus shedding new light on the factors governing the outcomes of this interaction.
A comparative approach to decipher intestinal animal-microbe associations
October 31, 2018
In this article, the authors comment on the study "Chitin-based barrier immunity and its loss predated mucus-colonization by indigenous gut microbiota" by Nakashima et al. (Nat Commun, 2018) that used comparative analyses of chordates to investigate the development of animal-microbe associations, suggesting that microbial colonization of the mucus layer over mammalian gastrointestinal epithelium was established upon the loss of ancestral chitin-based barrier immunity, providing insights into the establishment of these associations in an evolutionary context.
Pathways of host cell exit by intracellular pathogens
October 18, 2018
This review provides an overview of the diverse host cell exit strategies employed by intracellular-living bacterial, fungal, and protozoan pathogens, highlighting the commonalities and system-specific variations of these strategies, and discussing potential microbial molecules involved in host cell exit as targets for future intervention approaches.
An unexpected benefit from E. coli: how enterobactin benefits host health
September 28, 2018
In this article, the authors comment on the study "Microbial Siderophore Enterobactin Promotes Mitochondrial Iron Uptake and Development of the Host via Interaction with ATP Synthase" by Qi et al. (Cell, 2018) that uncovered a surprising role for the Escherichia coli-produced siderophore enterobactin (Ent) in facilitating iron uptake by the host, marking a major shift in the understanding of its function and indicating potential new benefits from commensal bacteria in aiding the host's iron homeostasis.
Protective roles of ginseng against bacterial infection
September 19, 2018
This review highlights the antibacterial effects of ginseng against pathogenic bacterial infections, discussing its regulation of pathogenic factors and proposing the therapeutic potential of ginseng as a natural antibacterial drug to address antibiotic resistance and toxicity in the context of global public health challenges.
A Cinderella story: how the vacuolar proteases Pep4 and Prb1 do more than cleaning up the cell’s mass degradation processes
September 18, 2018
This review summarizes the expanded roles of the Saccharomyces cerevisiae vacuolar proteases Pep4 and Prb1 in non-vacuolar activities outside of autophagy, such as programmed cell death, protection from harmful protein forms, and gene expression regulation. The potential implications of these findings for fungal biology and drug target discovery, including insights for mammalian cell studies, are highlighted, emphasizing the need for a deeper understanding of these molecular processes.
The biosynthesis of pyoverdines
August 28, 2018
This review provides an overview of pyoverdine biosynthesis, emphasizing the distinctive fluorophore shared by various pyoverdines derived from ferribactins and the role of periplasmic processes in the maturation and modification of these siderophores, critical for the growth and colonization of hosts by fluorescent pseudomonads.
Toxin release mediated by the novel autolysin Cwp19 in Clostridium difficile
August 10, 2018
In this article, the authors comment on the study "Cwp19 is a novel lytic transglycosylase involved in stationary-phase autolysis resulting in toxin release in Clostridium difficile" by Wydau-Dematteis (MBio, 2018) that characterizes a novel peptidoglycan hydrolase, Cwp19, in Clostridioides difficile, highlighting its glucose-dependent mediation of toxins secretion and suggesting a potential role in the pathogenesis of this bacterium, contributing to the understanding of these enzymes in C. difficile and their implication in pathogenicity.