Vol. 05, 2018
Temporal analysis of the autophagic and apoptotic phenotypes in Leishmania parasites
Louise Basmaciyan1, Laurence Berry2, Julie Gros3, Nadine Azas3 and Magali Casanova3
This article details a comprehensive analysis of miltefosine-induced cell death and autophagy in Leishmania major, providing criteria for clear identification of apoptotic and autophagic cells, demonstrating the sequential nature of autophagy followed by apoptosis in nutrient-deprived conditions, and cautioning against using the generic kinase inhibitor staurosporine as a Leishmania apoptosis inducer, with the aim of improving the understanding of these processes and their targeting for new anti-leishmanial drugs.
A global view of substrate phosphorylation and dephosphorylation during budding yeast mitotic exit
Sandra A. Touati1 and Frank Uhlmann1
In this article, the authors comment on the study "Phosphoproteome dynamics during mitotic exit in budding yeast" by Touati (EMBO J, 2018) that described a time-resolved global phosphoproteome analysis during a cell cycle phase known as mitotic exit in budding yeast revealed the principles of phosphoregulation governing the ordered sequence of events such as spindle elongation, chromosome decondensation, and completion of cell division.
Gammaretroviruses tether to mitotic chromatin by directly binding nucleosomal histone proteins
Madushi Wanaguru1 and Kate N. Bishop1
In this article, the authors comment on the study "Murine leukemia virus p12 tethers the capsid-containing pre-integration complex to chromatin by binding directly to host nucleosomes in mitosis" by Wanaguruet al. (PLoS Pathog, 2018) that highlights the essential role of the gammaretroviral gag cleavage product, p12, at both early and late stages of the virus life cycle, particularly in the integration of the viral DNA into the host cell chromatin to form a provirus. It also emphasizes the recent findings regarding the N- and C-terminal domains of p12, revealing their direct binding to the viral capsid lattice and nucleosomal histone proteins, respectively, thus elucidating the mechanism by which p12 links the viral pre-integration complex to mitotic chromatin.
Snf1 cooperates with the CWI MAPK pathway to mediate the degradation of Med13 following oxidative stress
Stephen D. Willis1, David C. Stieg1, Kai Li Ong2, Ravina Shah1,3, Alexandra K. Strich1,4, Julianne H. Grose2 and Katrina F. Cooper1
This article explores the response of eukaryotic cells to environmental stress, highlighting the role of the conserved cyclin C-Cdk8 kinase in determining pro-survival or pro-death programs. Specifically, it discusses how oxidative stress triggers the destruction of Med13 by the SCFGrr1 ubiquitin ligase, releasing cyclin C to promote mitochondrial fission and cell death in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Additionally, it reveals that the AMP kinase Snf1 activates a separate degron in Med13, contributing to the complex regulation of Med13 degradation following H2O2 stress through the coordination of the cell wall integrity and MAPK pathways.
Importance of polyphosphate in the Leishmania life cycle
Kid Kohl1, Haroun Zangger1, Matteo Rossi1, Nathalie Isorce1, Lon-Fye Lye2, Katherine L. Owens2, Stephen M. Beverley2, Andreas Mayer1 and Nicolas Fasel1
This article explores the importance of polyphosphate (polyP) in Leishmania parasites, emphasizing the role of the polyP polymerase VTC4 and its impact on parasite survival at higher temperatures. Additionally, it discusses the effects of VTC4 knockout in mouse infections, noting a delay in lesion formation and strong pathology in L. major VTC4 knockout, without confirmation through complementation and no alteration in L. guyanensis infections in mice with VTC4 knockdown.
Methodologies for in vitro and in vivo evaluation of efficacy of antifungal and antibiofilm agents and surface coatings against fungal biofilms
Patrick Van Dijck1,2,‡, Jelmer Sjollema3,‡, Bruno P.A. Cammue4,5, Katrien Lagrou6,7, Judith Berman8, Christophe d’Enfert9, David R. Andes10,11, Maiken C. Arendrup12-14, Axel A. Brakhage15, Richard Calderone16, Emilia Cantón17, Tom Coenye18,19, Paul Cos20, Leah E. Cowen21, Mira Edgerton22, Ana Espinel-Ingroff23, Scott G. Filler24, Mahmoud Ghannoum25, Neil A.R. Gow26, Hubertus Haas27, Mary Ann Jabra-Rizk28, Elizabeth M. Johnson29, Shawn R. Lockhart30, Jose L. Lopez-Ribot31, Johan Maertens32, Carol A. Munro26, Jeniel E. Nett33, Clarissa J. Nobile34, Michael A. Pfaller35,36, Gordon Ramage19,37, Dominique Sanglard38, Maurizio Sanguinetti39, Isabel Spriet40, Paul E. Verweij41, Adilia Warris42, Joost Wauters43, Michael R. Yeaman44, Sebastian A.J. Zaat45, Karin Thevissen4,*
This article highlights the critical importance of accurate susceptibility testing methods and the discovery of novel antifungal and antibiofilm agents in combating invasive fungal infections associated with biofilm formation on medical devices, thereby emphasizing the need for advancements in medical mycology research to address these complex diseases.
Shepherding DNA ends: Rif1 protects telomeres and chromosome breaks
Gabriele A. Fontana1, Julia K. Reinert1,2, Nicolas H. Thomä1, Ulrich Rass1
This review discusses the conserved mechanisms cells have evolved to protect DNA ends at chromosomal termini and DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs), focusing on the protein Rif1’s roles in telomere homeostasis and DSB repair in eukaryotes. It highlights the intriguing connection between Rif1's involvement in both telomere maintenance and DSB repair, and suggests that excluding end-processing factors may underlie Rif1's diverse biological functions at telomeres and chromosome breaks.
The CRISPR conundrum: evolve and maybe die, or survive and risk stagnation
Jesús García-Martínez1, Rafael D. Maldonado1, Noemí M. Guzmán1 and Francisco J. M. Mojica1,2
In this article García-Martínez et al. cover how the model bacterium Escherichia coli deals with CRISPR-Cas to tackle the major dilemma of evolution versus survival.
Evolution of substrate specificity in the Nucleobase-Ascorbate Transporter (NAT) protein family
Anezia Kourkoulou1,#, Alexandros A. Pittis2,# and George Diallinas1
L-ascorbic acid (vitamin C) is an essential metabolite in animals and plants due to its role as an enzyme co-factor and antioxidant activity. Here, Kourkoulou et al. show further evidence that ascorbate-specific Nucleobase-Ascorbate Transporters (NATs) evolved by optimization of a sub-function of ancestral nucleobase transporters.
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 Leibiger1,#, Jana Deisel1,#, Andreas Aufschnaiter2, Stefanie Ambros1, Maria Tereshchenko1, Bert M. Verheijen3,4, Sabrina Büttner2,5, 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.
Valine biosynthesis in Saccharomyces cerevisiae is regulated by the mitochondrial branched-chain amino acid aminotransferase Bat1
Natthaporn Takpho1, Daisuke Watanabe1 and Hiroshi Takagi1
In Saccharomyces cerevisiae, the yeast, the Bat1 and Bat2 proteins, which are branched-chain amino acid aminotransferases, play distinct roles in valine biosynthesis and cell growth regulation, with Bat1 primarily located in the mitochondria and Bat2 in the cytosol, and the mitochondria being identified as the major site of valine biosynthesis in this yeast.
Microbial competition between Escherichia coli and Candida albicans reveals a soluble fungicidal factor
Damien J. Cabral1, Swathi Penumutchu1, Colby Norris1,2, Jose Ruben Morones-Ramirez3,4 and Peter Belenky1
Localized and systemic fungal infections caused by Candida albicans can lead to significant mortality and morbidity. Here, Cabral et al. show that E. coli produces a soluble factor that kills C. albicans in a magnesium-dependent fashion such that depletion of available magnesium is essential for toxicity.
Spontaneous mutations in CYC8 and MIG1 suppress the short chronological lifespan of budding yeast lacking SNF1/AMPK
Nazif Maqani1,#, Ryan D. Fine1,#, Mehreen Shahid1, Mingguang Li1,2, Elisa Enriquez-Hesles1 and Jeffrey S. Smith1
Chronologically aging yeast cells are prone to adaptive regrowth, whereby mutants with a survival advantage spontaneously appear and re-enter the cell cycle in stationary phase cultures. Here, Magani et al. identified specific downstream SNF1 targets responsible for CLS extension during CR.
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 Leibiger1,#, Jana Deisel1,#, Andreas Aufschnaiter2, Stefanie Ambros1, Maria Tereshchenko1, Bert M. Verheijen3,4, Sabrina Büttner2,5, 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 Pucciarelli1,2,3
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 deathA report of the 12th lnternational Meeting on Yeast Apoptosis in Bari, Italy, May 14th-18th, 2017
Nicoletta Guaragnella1,#, Mariarita Stirpe2,#, William Burhans3, Manuela Côrte-Real4, Campbell Gourlay5, Paula Ludovico6,7, Frank Madeo8,9, 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 Deprez1,°, Elja Eskes1,°, 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-Gutierrez1,‡,*, Maria Anna Bauer1,‡, Andreas Zimmermann1, Andrés Aguilera2, Nicanor Austriaco3, Kathryn Ayscough4, Rena Balzan5, Shoshana Bar-Nun6, Antonio Barrientos7,8, Peter Belenky9, Marc Blondel10, Ralf J. Braun11, Michael Breitenbach12, William C. Burhans13, Sabrina Büttner1,14, Duccio Cavalieri15, Michael Chang16, Katrina F. Cooper17, Manuela Côrte-Real18, Vítor Costa19–21, Christophe Cullin22, Ian Dawes23, Jörn Dengjel24, Martin B. Dickman25, Tobias Eisenberg1,26, 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 Ludovico41,42, Stéphen Manon43, Enzo Martegani44, Cristina Mazzoni45, Lynn A. Megeney46–48, Chris Meisinger49, Jens Nielsen50–52, Thomas Nyström53, Heinz D. Osiewacz54, Tiago F. Outeiro55–58, Hay-Oak Park59, Tobias Pendl1, Dina Petranovic50,51, Stephane Picot60,61, Peter Polčic62, Ted Powers63, Mark Ramsdale64, Mark Rinnerthaler65, Patrick Rockenfeller1,32, Christoph Ruckenstuhl1, Raffael Schaffrath66, Maria Segovia67, Fedor F. Severin68, Amir Sharon69, Stephan J. Sigrist70, Cornelia Sommer-Ruck1, Maria João Sousa18, Johan M. Thevelein71,72, 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 Galluzzi82–84,*, Guido Kroemer84–90,*, Frank Madeo1,26,*
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. Mühlschlegel1,2 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.
Microbial wars: competition in ecological niches and within the microbiome
Maria A. Bauer1, Katharina Kainz1, Didac Carmona-Gutierrez1 and Frank Madeo1,2
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, Jr1,2,3
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.
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.
The translationally controlled tumor protein TCTP is involved in cell cycle progression and heat stress response in the bloodstream form of Trypanosoma brucei
August 24, 2018
This study reveals the involvement of the translationally controlled tumor protein TCTP in cell cycle regulation and heat stress response in the bloodstream form of Trypanosoma brucei, shedding light on its role in these cellular processes.
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.
Single telomere length analysis in Ustilago maydis, a high-resolution tool for examining fungal telomere length distribution and C-strand 5’-end processing
August 7, 2018
This article introduces the development of single telomere length analysis (STELA) for Ustilago maydis, a basidiomycete fungus, enabling the precise measurement of telomere lengths and distributions. The study demonstrates STELA's utility in revealing the existence of relatively short telomeres in wild-type cells, preferential loss of long telomeres in a mutant defective in telomere replication, and the characterization of telomere C-strand 5’ ends, highlighting U. maydis as a strong model for telomere research.
Temporal analysis of the autophagic and apoptotic phenotypes in Leishmania parasites
August 1, 2018
This article details a comprehensive analysis of miltefosine-induced cell death and autophagy in Leishmania major, providing criteria for clear identification of apoptotic and autophagic cells, demonstrating the sequential nature of autophagy followed by apoptosis in nutrient-deprived conditions, and cautioning against using the generic kinase inhibitor staurosporine as a Leishmania apoptosis inducer, with the aim of improving the understanding of these processes and their targeting for new anti-leishmanial drugs.
A global view of substrate phosphorylation and dephosphorylation during budding yeast mitotic exit
July 25, 2018
In this article, the authors comment on the study "Phosphoproteome dynamics during mitotic exit in budding yeast" by Touati (EMBO J, 2018) that described a time-resolved global phosphoproteome analysis during a cell cycle phase known as mitotic exit in budding yeast revealed the principles of phosphoregulation governing the ordered sequence of events such as spindle elongation, chromosome decondensation, and completion of cell division.
Microbial wars: competition in ecological niches and within the microbiome
Maria A. Bauer1, Katharina Kainz1, Didac Carmona-Gutierrez1 and Frank Madeo1,2
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.