Vol. 05, 2018

A novel mechanism for regulation of the type I IFN response by herpesvirus deconjugases

Soham Gupta¹, Päivi Ylä-Anttila¹, Maria G. Masucci¹

In this article, the authors comment on the study "Herpesvirus deconjugases inhibit the IFN response by promoting TRIM25 autoubiquitination and functional inactivation of the RIG-I signalosome" by Gupta et al. (PLoS Pathog, 2018), discussing the finding of a novel mechanism for regulation of the type I IFN response by herpesvirus deconjugases.

Metabolic disharmony and sibling conflict mediated by T6SS

Vera Troselj¹ and Daniel Wall¹

In this article, the authors comment on the study "Physiological Heterogeneity Triggers Sibling Conflict Mediated by the Type VI Secretion System in an Aggregative Multicellular Bacterium" by Troselj et al. (MBio, 2018) discussing that M. xanthus uses T6SS to eliminate less fit cells from their population and identified toxic effector and cognate immunity protein (TsxEI) that mediates this sibling antagonism.

Antagonism between salicylate and the cAMP signal controls yeast cell survival and growth recovery from quiescence

Maurizio D. Baroni¹, Sonia Colombo² and Enzo Martegani²

This article describes the effects of salicylate, the main metabolite of aspirin, on S. cerevisiae cells. It outlines how salicylate influences glucose transport, sugar phosphate biosynthesis, and apoptosis, particularly in MnSOD-deficient cells. Furthermore, it emphasizes the significant impact of salicylate on the exit from a quiescent state, inhibiting growth recovery and viability in long-term stationary phase cells. The passage also discusses the potential therapeutic implications of understanding the antagonistic relationship between cAMP and salicylate in targeting quiescent cancer cells with stem-like properties.

Evolution of substrate specificity in the Nucleobase-Ascorbate Transporter (NAT) protein family

Anezia Kourkoulou^1,#, Alexandros A. Pittis^2,# 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 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.

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 Norris^1,2, Jose Ruben Morones-Ramirez^3,4 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 Maqani^1,#, Ryan D. Fine^1,#, Mehreen Shahid¹, Mingguang Li^1,2, 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.

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Decreasing cytosolic translation is beneficial to yeast and human Tafazzin-deficient cells

Maxence de Taffin de Tilques^1,$, Jean-Paul Lasserre^1,$, François Godard¹, Elodie Sardin¹, Marine Bouhier¹, Marina Le Guedard^2,3, Roza Kucharczyk⁴, Patrice X. Petit⁵, Eric Testet², Jean-Paul di Rago¹, Déborah Tribouillard-Tanvier^1,#

Cardiolipin (CL) optimizes diverse mitochondrial processes, including oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS). Here, de Taffin de Tilques et al. describe that a diminished capacity of CL remodeling deficient cells to preserve protein homeostasis is likely an important factor contributing to the pathogenesis of Barth Syndrome (BTHS) and identifies cytosolic translation as a potential therapeutic target for the treatment of this disease.

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.

Production of poly-β-1,6-N-acetylglucosamine by MatAB is required for hyphal aggregation and hydrophilic surface adhesion by Streptomyces

Dino van Dissel¹, Joost Willemse¹, Boris Zacchetti¹, Dennis Claessen¹, Gerald B. Pier², Gilles P. van Wezel¹

In this article van Dissel et al. describe new insights to allow better control of liquid-culture morphology of streptomycetes, which may be harnessed to improve growth and industrial exploitation of these highly versatile natural product and enzyme producers.

Impact of F1Fo-ATP-synthase dimer assembly factors on mitochondrial function and organismic aging

Nadia G Rampello¹, Maria Stenger², Benedikt Westermann², Heinz D Osiewacz¹

In aerobic organisms, mitochondrial F1Fo-ATP-synthase is the major site of ATP production. Here, Rampello et al. report on the role of the two dimer assembly factors PaATPE and PaATPG of the aging model Podospora anserina validating a model that links mitochondrial membrane remodeling to aging and identify specific molecular components triggering this process.

Non-canonical regulation of glutathione and trehalose biosynthesis characterizes non-Saccharomyces wine yeasts with poor performance in active dry yeast production

Esther Gamero-Sandemetrio¹, Lucía Payá-Tormo¹, Rocío Gómez-Pastor^1,3, Agustín Aranda^1,2 and Emilia Matallana^1,2

Several yeast species, belonging to Saccharomyces and non-Saccharomyces genera, play fundamental roles during spontaneous must grape fermentation, and recent studies have shown that mixed fermentations, co-inoculated with S. cerevisiae and non-Saccharomyces strains, can improve wine organoleptic properties. Here, Gamero-Sandemetrio et al. present findings that non-canonical regulation of glutathione and trehalose biosynthesis could cause poor fermentative performance after active dry yeast (ADY) production, as it corroborates the corrective effect of antioxidant treatments, during biomass propagation, with both pure chemicals and food-grade argan oil.

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).

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A novel basolateral type IV secretion model for the CagA oncoprotein of Helicobacter pylori

Silja Wessler¹ and Steffen Backert²

In this article, the authors comment on the study "Helicobacter pylori Employs a Unique Basolateral Type IV Secretion Mechanism for CagA Delivery" by Tegtmeyer et al. (Cell Host Microbe, 2017), discussing that the finding of a T4SS receptor suggests the presence of a sophisticated control mechanism for the injection of CagA and the possible impact of this novel signaling cascade on pathogenesis during infection with Helicobacter pylori.

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.

Gammaretroviruses tether to mitotic chromatin by directly binding nucleosomal histone proteins

July 24, 2018

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

June 25, 2018

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

June 22, 2018

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

June 14, 2018

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

May 17, 2018

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.