Vol. 06, 2019

Sulfur dioxide resistance in Saccharomyces cerevisiae: beyond SSU1

Estéfani García-Ríos¹ and José Manuel Guillamón¹

This article discusses the importance of understanding sulfite resistance in Saccharomyces cerevisiae due to its use in winemaking and the potential role of the transcription factor Com2. While the SSU1 gene and its activity have been correlated with sulfite tolerance, the work by Lage et al. (2019) indicates that Com2 might control a large percentage of the genes activated by SO2 and contribute to the yeast's protective response, offering new insights into the molecular factors influencing this oenological trait.

Metabolic reprogramming of Salmonella infected macrophages and its modulation by iron availability and the mTOR pathway

Julia Telser^1,2,#, Chiara Volani^1,3,#, Richard Hilbe^1,2, Markus Seifert^1,2, Natascha Brigo¹, Giuseppe Paglia⁴ and Günter Weiss^1,2

This article shows that iron plays a critical role in both the immune response and metabolic reprogramming of macrophages during infection, influencing the TCA cycle and mTOR pathway, with implications for the growth of intracellular bacteria like Salmonella.

Tribal warfare: Commensal Neisseria kill pathogen Neisseria gonorrhoeae using its DNA

Magdalene So¹ and Maria A. Rendón¹

This article comments on work published by Kim et al (Cell Host Microbe, 2019), which adds a new dimension to the concept of commensal protection. It shows that commensal Neisseria kill the closely related pathogen N. gonorrhoeae through an unexpected mechanism, one that involves genetic competence, DNA methylation state and recombination.

Yet another job for the bacterial ribosome

Andrea Origi^1,2, Ana Natriashivili^1,2, Lara Knüpffer¹, Clara Fehrenbach¹, Kärt Denks^1,2, Rosella Asti¹ and Hans-Georg Koch¹

This article comments on work published by Knüpffer et al (mBio, 2019), which revealed the intricate interaction of uL23 with yet another essential player in bacteria, the ATPase SecA, which is best known for its role during post-translational secretion of proteins across the bacterial SecYEG translocon

Type II-Metacaspases are involved in cell stress but not in cell death in the unicellular green alga Dunaliella tertiolecta

M. Teresa Mata^1,&, Armando Palma¹, Candela García-Gómez^1,#, María López-Parages¹, Víctor Vázquez¹, Iván Cheng-Sánchez², Francisco Sarabia², Félix López-Figueroa¹, Carlos Jiménez¹ and María Segovia¹

This article shows that in the green alga Dunaliella tertiolecta, Type-II metacaspases are involved in the stress response to ultraviolet radiation but are not linked to cell death, suggesting their role in survival strategies under stressful environmental conditions.

Transcriptomic and chemogenomic analyses unveil the essential role of Com2-regulon in response and tolerance of Saccharomyces cerevisiae to stress induced by sulfur dioxide

Patrícia Lage^1,2, Belém Sampaio-Marques^3,4, Paula Ludovico^3,4, Nuno P. Mira⁵ and Ana Mendes-Ferreira^1,2

This article shows that in the presence of sulfur dioxide (SO2), the transcription factor Com2 plays a critical role in the tolerance and response of Saccharomyces cerevisiae, affecting the expression of a majority of SO2-activated genes and contributing to the protection against stress induced by SO2 at an enologically relevant pH.

Gut microbial metabolites in depression: understanding the biochemical mechanisms

Giorgia Caspani¹, Sidney Kennedy^2-5, Jane A. Foster⁶ and Jonathan Swann¹

This article shows how the gut microbiota contributes to the pathophysiology of depression and examines the mechanisms by which microbially-derived molecules may influence depressive behavior, highlighting the potential of dietary interventions as novel therapeutic strategies.

Proline metabolism regulates replicative lifespan in the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae

Yukio Mukai¹, Yuka Kamei¹, Xu Liu¹, Shan Jiang¹, Yukiko Sugimoto², Noreen Suliani binti Mat Nanyan², Daisuke Watanabe² and Hiroshi Takagi²

This article shows that intracellular proline levels in the budding yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae are correlated with its replicative lifespan, suggesting a protective role of proline against cellular senescence due to various stresses.

The multiple functions of the numerous Chlamydia trachomatis secreted proteins: the tip of the iceberg

Joana N. Bugalhão¹ and Luís Jaime Mota¹

CThis article shows an in-depth review on the current knowledge and outstanding questions about secreted proteins from Chlamydia trachomatis, detailing their roles in host cell interaction and immune response evasion.

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.

Septin clearance from the division site triggers cytokinesis in budding yeast

Davide Tamborrini¹ and Simonetta Piatti¹

This article comments on work published by Tamborrini et al (Nat Commun., 2019), which shows that septin displacement during splitting is an essential prerequisite for contractile actomyosin ring constriction during mitosis.

Functional link between mitochondria and Rnr3, the minor catalytic subunit of yeast ribonucleotide reductase

Isaac Corcoles-Saez¹, Jean-Luc Ferat², Michael Costanzo³, Charles M. Boone³ and Rita S. Cha¹

This article shows that the carbon source affects the abundance of ribonucleotide reductase (RNR) subunits in yeast, with a novel Mec1 signaling axis regulating Rnr3 independently of known DNA damage response pathways, and reveals Rnr3's unexpected role in mitochondrial function.

The influence of the microbiota on immune development, chronic inflammation, and cancer in the context of aging

Taylor N. Tibbs^1,#, Lacey R. Lopez^1,#, and Janelle C. Arthur^1,2,3

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.

Targeting GATA transcription factors – a novel strategy for anti-aging interventions?

Andreas Zimmermann¹, Katharina Kainz^1,2, Sebastian J. Hofer^1,3, Maria A. Bauer¹, Sabrina Schroeder¹, Jörn Dengjel⁴, Federico Pietrocola⁵, Oliver Kepp^6-9, Christoph Ruckenstuhl¹, Tobias Eisenberg^1,3,10,11, Stephan J. Sigrist¹², Frank Madeo^1,3,10, Guido Kroemer^{6-9, 13-15} and Didac Carmona-Gutierrez¹

This article comments on work published by Carmona-Gutierrez et al. (Nat Commun., 2019), which identified a natural compound, 4,4'-dimethoxychalcone, inducing autophagy and prolonging lifespan in different organisms through a mechanism that involves GATA transcription factors.

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.

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Beyond cells – The virome in the human holobiont

Rodrigo García-López^1,2,3, Vicente Pérez-Brocal^1,2,3 and Andrés Moya^1,2,3

This article provides an overview of viromics—viral metagenomics—and its evolution, highlighting the complexity and dynamic nature of viruses beyond their traditional view as pathogens. It acknowledges the technological advancements in molecular biology and sequencing that have allowed the field to grow, while also noting that viromic research still faces significant challenges and is not as developed as bacterial metagenomics. The review underscores the importance of viruses in various ecosystems, their role in shaping the genetic landscape, and their potential impact, and looks forward to future directions in viromic research.

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.

Bacterial pathogens under high-tension: Staphylococcus aureus adhesion to von Willebrand factor is activated by force

Felipe Viela¹, Pietro Speziale^2,3, Giampiero Pietrocola² and Yves F. Dufrêne^1,4

This article comments on work published by Viela et al (mBio, 2019), which shows that the bacterial cell surface protein A to the large plasma glycoprotein von Willebrand factor interaction is tightly regulated by mechanical force.

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

Septin clearance from the division site triggers cytokinesis in budding yeast

Davide Tamborrini¹ and Simonetta Piatti¹

The influence of the microbiota on immune development, chronic inflammation, and cancer in the context of aging

Taylor N. Tibbs^1,#, Lacey R. Lopez^1,#, and Janelle C. Arthur^1,2,3

Ser/Thr protein phosphatases in fungi: structure, regulation and function

Joaquín Ariño¹, Diego Velázquez¹ and Antonio Casamayor¹

Forty-five-year evolution of probiotic therapy

Scarlett Puebla-Barragan^1,2 and Gregor Reid^1,2

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.

Role of pheromone recognition systems in creating new species of fission yeast

Taisuke Seike¹ and Chikashi Shimoda²

This article comments on work published by Seike at al. (PloS Biol., 2019), which demonstrated an “asymmetric” pheromone recognition system in the fission yeast Schizosaccharomyces pombe.

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Sulfur dioxide resistance in Saccharomyces cerevisiae: beyond SSU1

Estéfani García-Ríos¹ and José Manuel Guillamón¹

Targeting GATA transcription factors – a novel strategy for anti-aging interventions?

In the beginning was the word: How terminology drives our understanding of endosymbiotic organelles

Miroslav Oborník ^1,2

This In the Pit article argues that the naming conventions for biological entities influence research perspectives and methodologies, advocating for mitochondria and plastids to be classified and named as bacteria due to their endosymbiotic origins, with potential implications for our understanding of bacterial prevalence, definitions of the microbiome and multicellularity, and the concept of endosymbiotic domestication.

What’s in a name? How organelles of endosymbiotic origin can be distinguished from endosymbionts

Ansgar Gruber¹

This In the Pit article suggests redefining the relationship between hosts and endosymbionts, like mitochondria and plastids, as a single species based on "sexual symbiont integration," the loss of independent speciation, and congruence in genetic recombination and population sizes, rather than solely on historic classifications or structural properties.

Type II-Metacaspases are involved in cell stress but not in cell death in the unicellular green alga Dunaliella tertiolecta

October 7, 2019

Transcriptomic and chemogenomic analyses unveil the essential role of Com2-regulon in response and tolerance of Saccharomyces cerevisiae to stress induced by sulfur dioxide

September 30, 2019