Vol. 05, 2018

Retroviral integration site selection: a running Gag?

Paul Lesbats^1,2,3 and Vincent Parissi^1,2,3

In this article, the authors comment on the study "Structural basis for spumavirus GAG tethering to chromatin" by Lesbats et al. (Proc Natl Acad Sci, 2018) that revealed that the Gag protein of the spumaretrovirus prototype foamy virus (PFV) directly interacts with the nucleosome acidic patch, acting as a chromatin tether, and its disruption leads to delocalization of viral particles and integration sites, shedding light on the importance of retroviral structural proteins in the selection of integration sites.

A humanized yeast-based toolkit for monitoring phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase activity at both single cell and population levels

Julia María Coronas-Serna¹, Teresa Fernández-Acero¹, María Molina¹ and Víctor J. Cid¹

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.

Insights into the host-pathogen interaction: C. albicans manipulation of macrophage pyroptosis

Teresa R. O’Meara¹ and Leah E. Cowen¹

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 chemical genetic screen reveals a role for proteostasis in capsule and biofilm formation by Cryptococcus neoformans

François L. Mayer¹, Eddy Sánchez-León¹, James W. Kronstad¹

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.

A comparative approach to decipher intestinal animal-microbe associations

Keisuke Nakashima¹

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.

Nutritional and meiotic induction of transiently heritable stress resistant states in budding yeast

Heldder Gutierrez¹, Bakhtiyar Taghizada¹, and Marc D. Meneghini¹

This study demonstrates that transient exposures to environmental stresses induce persistent states of elevated stress resistance in yeast cells, termed cellular memory, suggesting a form of epigenetic inheritance, and shows that this phenomenon occurs not only in meiotically produced spores but also in haploid cells subjected to glucose withdrawal, adding new insights into the developmentally and nutritionally induced cellular memory.

Pathways of host cell exit by intracellular pathogens

Antje Flieger^1,#, Freddy Frischknecht², Georg Häcker³, Mathias W. Hornef⁴, Gabriele Pradel⁵

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.

Specific mutations in the permease domain of septal protein SepJ differentially affect functions related to multicellularity in the filamentous cyanobacterium Anabaena

Félix Ramos-León¹, Sergio Arévalo¹, Vicente Mariscal¹ and Enrique Flores¹

In this study, the multifunctional roles of the SepJ protein in the multicellular function of the Anabaena filament were investigated, revealing that specific amino acids and stretches within the protein are essential for the formation of long filaments, heterocyst differentiation, and intercellular communication, shedding light on the structure and diverse functions of SepJ in the model heterocyst-forming cyanobacterium Anabaena sp. strain PCC 7120.

Trehalose-6-phosphate promotes fermentation and glucose repression in Saccharomyces cerevisiae

Rebeca L. Vicente^1,2, Lucie Spina¹, Jose P.L. Gómez¹, Sebastien Dejean³, Jean-Luc Parrou¹ and Jean Marie François^1,4

This study examined the capability of trehalose-6-phosphate synthase (TPS1) homologues from various species to complement the phenotypic defects of a Saccharomyces cerevisiae tps1 mutant, resulting in the classification of complementation into different groups based on metabolic patterns and fermentation capacity, shedding light on the role of TPS1 and trehalose-6-phosphate (T6P) as critical factors in sugar fermentation and glucose repression.

Pathways of host cell exit by intracellular pathogens

Antje Flieger^1,#, Freddy Frischknecht², Georg Häcker³, Mathias W. Hornef⁴, Gabriele Pradel⁵

Specific mutations in the permease domain of septal protein SepJ differentially affect functions related to multicellularity in the filamentous cyanobacterium Anabaena

Félix Ramos-León¹, Sergio Arévalo¹, Vicente Mariscal¹ and Enrique Flores¹

Trehalose-6-phosphate promotes fermentation and glucose repression in Saccharomyces cerevisiae

Rebeca L. Vicente^1,2, Lucie Spina¹, Jose P.L. Gómez¹, Sebastien Dejean³, Jean-Luc Parrou¹ and Jean Marie François^1,4

Conventional and emerging roles of the energy sensor Snf1/AMPK in Saccharomyces cerevisiae

Paola Coccetti^1,2, Raffaele Nicastro^1,3 and Farida Tripodi^1,2

This review consolidates current knowledge on the conventional and non-conventional functions of the effector kinase Snf1 in yeast, shedding light on its diverse roles in cellular physiology and energy homeostasis.

An unexpected benefit from E. coli: how enterobactin benefits host health

Aileen K. Sewell^1,2, Min Han^1,2 and Bin Qi^1,2

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

Ye-Ram Kim¹ and Chul-Su Yang¹

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.

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Helicobacter hepaticus polysaccharide induces an anti-inflammatory response in intestinal macrophages

Camille Danne¹ and Fiona Powrie¹

In this article, the authors comment on the study "A Large Polysaccharide Produced by Helicobacter hepaticus Induces an Anti-inflammatory Gene Signature in Macrophages. " by Danne et al, (Cell Host Microbe 2017), discussing the interactions between H. hepaticus and intestinal macrophages that promote mutualism.

Endolysosomal pathway activity protects cells from neurotoxic TDP-43

Christine Leibiger^1,#, Jana Deisel^1,#, Andreas Aufschnaiter², Stefanie Ambros¹, Maria Tereshchenko¹, Bert M. Verheijen^3,4, Sabrina Büttner^2,5, and Ralf J. Braun¹

In this article, the authors comment on the study "TDP-43 controls lysosomal pathways thereby determining its own clearance and cytotoxicity" by Leibiger et al. (Hum Mol Genet, 2018), proposing that ameliorating endolysosomal pathway activity enhances cell survival in TDP‑43-associated diseases.

Two distinct penicillin binding proteins promote cell division in different Salmonella lifestyles

Sónia Castanheira¹, Juan J. Cestero¹, Francisco García-del Portillo¹, M. Graciela Pucciarelli^1,2,3

In this article, the authors comment on the study "A Specialized Peptidoglycan Synthase Promotes Salmonella Cell Division inside Host Cells" by Castanheira et al. (mBio, 2017), discussing insights in two distinct penicillin binding proteins that promote cell division in different Salmonella lifestyles.

New perspectives from South-Y-East, not all about death
A report of the 12th lnternational Meeting on Yeast Apoptosis in Bari, Italy, May 14th-18th, 2017

Nicoletta Guaragnella^1,#, Mariarita Stirpe^2,#, William Burhans³, Manuela Côrte-Real⁴, Campbell Gourlay⁵, Paula Ludovico^6,7, Frank Madeo^8,9, Dina Petranovic¹⁰, Joris Winderickx¹¹, Cristina Mazzoni² and Sergio Giannattasio¹

In this article Guaragnella et al. report on the 12th International Meeting on Yeast Apoptosis (IMYA12), which was held in Bari, Italy from May 14th to 18th, 2017, where more than 100 participants, among which senior and young scientists from Europe, USA, North Africa and Japan, had an intense and open exchange of achievements and ideas in the field of yeast regulated cell death (RCD).

pH homeostasis links the nutrient sensing PKA/TORC1/Sch9 ménage-à-trois to stress tolerance and longevity

Marie-Anne Deprez^1,°, Elja Eskes^1,°, Tobias Wilms¹, Paula Ludovico², Joris Winderickx¹

In this article, Deprez et al. discuss accumulating evidence indicates that pH homeostasis plays a prominent role in the determination of ageing and longevity, thereby providing new perspectives and avenues to explore the underlying molecular mechanisms.

Guidelines and recommendations on yeast cell death nomenclature

Didac Carmona-Gutierrez^1,‡,*, Maria Anna Bauer^1,‡, Andreas Zimmermann¹, Andrés Aguilera², Nicanor Austriaco³, Kathryn Ayscough⁴, Rena Balzan⁵, Shoshana Bar-Nun⁶, Antonio Barrientos^7,8, Peter Belenky⁹, Marc Blondel¹⁰, Ralf J. Braun¹¹, Michael Breitenbach¹², William C. Burhans¹³, Sabrina Büttner^1,14, Duccio Cavalieri¹⁵, Michael Chang¹⁶, Katrina F. Cooper¹⁷, Manuela Côrte-Real¹⁸, Vítor Costa^19–21, Christophe Cullin²², Ian Dawes²³, Jörn Dengjel²⁴, Martin B. Dickman²⁵, Tobias Eisenberg^1,26, Birthe Fahrenkrog²⁷, Nicolas Fasel²⁸, Kai-Uwe Fröhlich¹, Ali Gargouri²⁹, Sergio Giannattasio³⁰, Paola Goffrini³¹, Campbell W. Gourlay³², Chris M. Grant³³, Michael T. Greenwood³⁴, Nicoletta Guaragnella³⁰, Thomas Heger³⁵, Jürgen Heinisch³⁶, Eva Herker³⁷, Johannes M. Herrmann³⁸, Sebastian Hofer¹, Antonio Jiménez-Ruiz³⁹, Helmut Jungwirth¹, Katharina Kainz¹, Dimitrios P. Kontoyiannis⁴⁰, Paula Ludovico^41,42, Stéphen Manon⁴³, Enzo Martegani⁴⁴, Cristina Mazzoni⁴⁵, Lynn A. Megeney^46–48, Chris Meisinger⁴⁹, Jens Nielsen^50–52, Thomas Nyström⁵³, Heinz D. Osiewacz⁵⁴, Tiago F. Outeiro^55–58, Hay-Oak Park⁵⁹, Tobias Pendl¹, Dina Petranovic^50,51, Stephane Picot^60,61, Peter Polčic⁶², Ted Powers⁶³, Mark Ramsdale⁶⁴, Mark Rinnerthaler⁶⁵, Patrick Rockenfeller^1,32, Christoph Ruckenstuhl¹, Raffael Schaffrath⁶⁶, Maria Segovia⁶⁷, Fedor F. Severin⁶⁸, Amir Sharon⁶⁹, Stephan J. Sigrist⁷⁰, Cornelia Sommer-Ruck¹, Maria João Sousa¹⁸, Johan M. Thevelein^71,72, Karin Thevissen⁷³, Vladimir Titorenko⁷⁴, Michel B. Toledano⁷⁵, Mick Tuite³², F.-Nora Vögtle⁴⁹, Benedikt Westermann¹¹, Joris Winderickx⁷⁶, Silke Wissing⁷⁷, Stefan Wölfl⁷⁸, Zhaojie J. Zhang⁷⁹, Richard Y. Zhao⁸⁰, Bing Zhou⁸¹, Lorenzo Galluzzi^82–84,*, Guido Kroemer^84–90,*, Frank Madeo^1,26,*

In this review, we propose unified criteria for the definition of accidental, regulated, and programmed forms of cell death in yeast based on a series of morphological and biochemical criteria. Specifically, we provide consensus guidelines on the differential definition of terms including apoptosis, regulated necrosis, and autophagic cell death, as we refer to additional cell death routines that are relevant for the biology of yeast.

Burkholderia gladioli strain NGJ1 deploys a prophage tail-like protein for mycophagy

Rahul Kumar¹, Sunil Kumar Yadav¹, Durga Madhab Swain¹ and Gopaljee Jha¹

In this article, the authors comment on the study "A prophage tail-like protein is deployed by Burkholderia bacteria to feed on fungi" by Swain et al. (Nature Communications, 2017), discussing that a prophage tail-like protein (Bg_9562) is essential for mycophagy. The protein may help the bacteria to survive in certain ecological niches and, considering its broad-spectrum antifungal activity, may be potentially useful in biotechnological applications to control fungal diseases.

Ras signalling in pathogenic yeasts

Daniel R. Pentland¹, Elliot Piper-Brown¹, Fritz A. Mühlschlegel^1,2 and Campbell W. Gourlay¹

In this article Pentland et al. review the roles of Ras protein function and signalling in the major human yeast pathogens Candida albicans and Cryptococcus neoformans and discuss the potential for targeting Ras as a novel approach to anti-fungal therapy.

The logics of metabolic regulation in bacteria challenges biosensor-based metabolic engineering

Matthieu Jules¹

In this article, the authors comment on the study "Molecular and Physiological Logics of the Pyruvate-Induced Response of a Novel Transporter in Bacillus subtilis" by Charbonnier et al. (mBio, 2017), which identified and characterized a pyruvate transport system in the Gram-positive (G+ve) bacterium Bacillus subtilis, a well-established biotechnological workhorse for the production of enzymes, fine chemicals and antibiotics.

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Microbial wars: competition in ecological niches and within the microbiome

Maria A. Bauer¹, Katharina Kainz¹, Didac Carmona-Gutierrez¹ and Frank Madeo^1,2

In this Editorial Bauer et al. provide a brief overview on microbial competition and discuss some of its roles and consequences that directly affect humans.

Exploring the mechanism of amebic trogocytosis: the role of amebic lysosomes

Allissia A. Gilmartin¹ and William A. Petri, Jr^1,2,3

In this article, the authors comment on the study "Inhibition of Amebic Lysosomal Acidification Blocks Amebic Trogocytosis and Cell Killing" by Gilmartin et al. (MBio, 2017), discussing the the role of amebic lysosomes in Trogocytosis, the intracellular transfer of fragments of cell material.