Reviews
Laundry and textile hygiene in healthcare and beyond
Dirk P. Bockmühl1, Jan Schages1 and Laura Rehberg1
This article shows that while institutional laundering is regulated to ensure hygiene, the trend towards energy-efficient washing at lower temperatures raises concerns about the antimicrobial efficacy of domestic laundering, with a focus on addressing microbial contamination in both clinical and home settings.
Yeast AP-1 like transcription factors (Yap) and stress response: a current overview
Claudina Rodrigues-Pousada1, Frédéric Devaux2, Soraia M. Caetano1, Catarina Pimentel1, Sofia da Silva1, Ana Carolina Cordeiro1 and Catarina Amaral1
This review summarizes current understanding of the eight Yap transcription factors in Saccharomyces cerevisiae, detailing their activation by specific stress conditions and discussing their function and evolution across various fungal species.
The influence of the microbiota on immune development, chronic inflammation, and cancer in the context of aging
Taylor N. Tibbs1,#, Lacey R. Lopez1,#, and Janelle C. Arthur1,2,3
This article shows that the microbiota is crucial for immune system development and that its relationship with the immune system during aging and the pathogenesis of age-related diseases, including cancer, needs further research to inform disease treatment and prevention.
Ser/Thr protein phosphatases in fungi: structure, regulation and function
Joaquín Ariño1, Diego Velázquez1 and Antonio Casamayor1
In this work we present the members of this family in S. cerevisiae and other fungal species, and review the most recent findings concerning their regulation and the roles they play in the most diverse aspects of cell biology.
Forty-five-year evolution of probiotic therapy
Scarlett Puebla-Barragan1,2 and Gregor Reid1,2
The field of probiotics has greatly expanded over the past 45 years, driven by the need for safer alternatives to drugs, interest in natural microbial products, and clinical proof of effectiveness, with scientific formulations increasingly defining the market and promising applications for various health areas expected in the future.
Adaptive bacterial response to low level chlorhexidine exposure and its implications for hand hygiene
Günter Kampf1
This article shows that bacteria can adapt to low levels of Chlorhexidine digluconate (CHG), resulting in increased tolerance and cross-resistance to other antimicrobials, suggesting caution in the widespread use of CHG to minimize avoidable selection pressure for resistance.
Microevolution of the pathogenic yeasts Candida albicans and Candida glabrata during antifungal therapy and host infection
Pedro Pais1,2,#, Mónica Galocha1,2,#, Romeu Viana1,2, Mafalda Cavalheiro1,2, Diana Pereira1,2, Miguel Cacho Teixeira1,2
This review explores how Candida albicans and Candida glabrata, common fungal pathogens resistant to antifungal therapy, adapt and evolve within different environments, aiming to identify stable adaptive mechanisms as potential drug targets.
The extracellular matrix of mycobacterial biofilms: could we shorten the treatment of mycobacterial infections?
Poushali Chakraborty1 and Ashwani Kumar1, 2
The article discusses the challenges presented by biofilms formed by non-tuberculous mycobacteria (NTM) species, which can lead to persistent infections that are difficult to treat due to phenotypic drug tolerance. The role of various cell wall components in mycobacterial biofilm formation is outlined, with a particular focus on Mycobacterium tuberculosis.
Guidelines for DNA recombination and repair studies: Cellular assays of DNA repair pathways
Hannah L. Klein1, Giedrė Bačinskaja2, Jun Che3, Anais Cheblal4, Rajula Elango5, Anastasiya Epshtein1, Devon M. Fitzgerald6-9, Belén Gómez-González10, Sharik R. Khan11, Sandeep Kumar7, Bryan A. Leland12, Léa Marie13, Qian Mei14, Judith Miné-Hattab16,17, Alicja Piotrowska18, Erica J. Polleys19, Christopher D. Putnam20,21, Elina A. Radchenko19, Anissia Ait Saada22,23, Cynthia J. Sakofsky24, Eun Yong Shim3, Mathew Stracy25, Jun Xia6-9, Zhenxin Yan7, Yi Yin26, Andrés Aguilera10, Juan Lucas Argueso27, Catherine H. Freudenreich19,28, Susan M. Gasser4, Dmitry A. Gordenin24, James E. Haber29, Grzegorz Ira7, Sue Jinks-Robertson30, Megan C. King12, Richard D. Kolodner20, 31-33, Andrei Kuzminov11, Sarah AE Lambert22,23, Sang Eun Lee3, Kyle M. Miller6,15, Sergei M. Mirkin19, Thomas D. Petes26, Susan M. Rosenberg6-9,14, Rodney Rothstein34, Lorraine S. Symington13, Pawel Zawadzki18, Nayun Kim35, Michael Lisby2 and Anna Malkova5
DNA recombination, repair and mutagenesis assays are powerful tools but each comes with its particular advantages and limitations. Here the most commonly used assays are reviewed, discussed, and presented as the guidelines for future studies.
Occurrence and potential mechanism of holin-mediated non-lytic protein translocation in bacteria
September 23, 2022
Holins are generally believed to generate large membrane lesions that permit the passage of endolysins across the cytoplasmic membrane of prokaryotes, ultimately resulting in cell wall degradation and cell lysis. However, there are more and more examples known for non-lytic holin-dependent secretion of proteins by bacteria, indicating that holins somehow can transport proteins without causing large membrane lesions. Phage-derived holins can be used for a non-lytic endolysin translocation to permeabilize the cell wall for the passage of secreted proteins. In addition, clostridia, which do not possess the Tat pathway for transport of folded proteins, most likely employ non-lytic holin-mediated transport also for secretion of toxins and bacteriocins that are incompatible with the general Sec pathway. The mechanism for non-lytic holin-mediated transport is (...)
Pirates of the haemoglobin
February 18, 2022
Not all treasure is silver and gold; for pathogenic bacteria, iron is the most precious and the most pillaged of metallic elements. Iron is essential for the survival and growth of all life; however free iron is scarce for bacteria inside human hosts. As a mechanism of defence, humans have evolved ways to store iron so as to render it inaccessible for invading pathogens, such as keeping the metal bound to iron-carrying proteins. For bacteria to survive within humans, they must therefore evolve counters to this defence to compete with these proteins for iron binding, or directly steal iron from them. (...)
Endomembrane remodeling and dynamics in Salmonella infection
December 27, 2021
Salmonellae are bacteria that cause moderate to severe infections in humans, depending on the strain and the immune status of the infected host. These pathogens have the particularity of residing in the cells of the infected host. They are usually found in a vacuolar compartment that the bacteria shape with the help of effector proteins. Following invasion of a eukaryotic cell, the bacterial vacuole undergoes maturation characterized by changes in localization, composition and morphology. In particular, membrane tubules stretching over the microtubule cytoskeleton are formed from the bacterial vacuole. Although these tubules do not occur in all infected cells, they are functionally important and promote intracellular replication. This review focuses on the role and significance of membrane compartment remodeling observed in infected cells and the bacterial and host cell pathways involved.
Lipid and fatty acid metabolism in trypanosomatids
October 6, 2021
This work reviews specific aspects of lipid and fatty acid metabolism in the protozoan parasites T. brucei, T. cruzi, and Leishmania spp., as well as the pathways that have been explored for the development of new chemotherapies.
Understanding the pathogenesis of infectious diseases by single-cell RNA sequencing
August 4, 2021
This work highlights recent remarkable advances in single-cell RNA sequencing technologies and their applications in the investigation of host-pathogen interactions. Current challenges and potential prospects for disease treatment are discussed as well.
Exploring absent protein function in yeast: assaying post translational modification and human genetic variation
July 2, 2021
This review discusses the applicability of yeast systems to investigate absent human protein function with a specific focus on the impact of protein variation on protein-protein interaction modulation.
Mechanisms underlying lactic acid tolerance and its influence on lactic acid production in Saccharomyces cerevisiae
April 14, 2021
This article reviews the manner in which Saccharomyces cerevisiae deals with the accumulation of lactic acid as a singular stress factor as well as in combination with other stresses. In addition, different methods to improve lactic acid tolerance in S. cerevisiae using targeted and non-targeted engineering methods are discussed.
Biofilms by bacterial human pathogens: Clinical relevance – development, composition and regulation – therapeutical strategies
February 1, 2021
This review focuses on bacterial biofilms formed by human pathogens, highlights their relevance for diverse diseases and discusses therapeutical intervention strategies targeting biofilms.
Milestones in Bacillus subtilis sporulation research
November 27, 2020
In this review, the foundational discoveries that shaped the sporulation field are discussed, from its origins to the present day, tracing a chronology that spans more than one hundred eighty years.