Vol. 06, 2019

Guidelines for DNA recombination and repair studies: Mechanistic assays of DNA repair processes

Hannah L Klein¹, Kenny K.H. Ang², Michelle R. Arkin², Emily C. Beckwitt^3,4, Yi-Hsuan Chang⁵, Jun Fan⁶, Youngho Kwon^7,8, Michael J. Morten¹, Sucheta Mukherjee⁹, Oliver J. Pambos⁶, Hafez el Sayyed⁶, Elizabeth S. Thrall¹⁰, João P. Vieira-da-Rocha⁹, Quan Wang¹¹, Shuang Wang^12,13, Hsin-Yi Yeh⁵, Julie S. Biteen¹⁴, Peter Chi^5,15, Wolf-Dietrich Heyer^9,16, Achillefs N. Kapanidis⁶, Joseph J. Loparo¹⁰, Terence R. Strick^12,13,17, Patrick Sung^7,8, Bennett Van Houten^3,18,19, Hengyao Niu¹¹ and Eli Rothenberg¹

Mechanistic assays of DNA repair processes are a 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.

Imbalance in gut microbes from babies born to obese mothers increases gut permeability and myeloid cell adaptations that provoke obesity and NAFLD

Taylor K. Soderborg¹ and Jacob E. Friedman^1,2,3

This article comments on work published by Soderborg et al. (Nat Commun, 2018), which demonstrates a causative role of early life microbiome dysbiosis in infants born to mothers with obesity in novel pathways that promote developmental programming of NAFLD.

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.

Mitochondria-Associated Membranes (MAMs) are involved in Bax mitochondrial localization and cytochrome c release

Alexandre Légiot¹, Claire Céré¹, Thibaud Dupoiron¹, Mohamed Kaabouni¹, Nadine Camougrand¹ and Stéphen Manon¹

This study investigated the role of Mitochondria-Associated Membranes (MAMs) in the regulation of apoptosis by analyzing the localization and function of the pro-apoptotic protein Bax in yeast, finding that disruption of MAMs by deletion of the MDM34 gene affects Bax's mitochondrial localization and the release of cytochrome c.

Chlamydia pneumoniae is present in the dental plaque of periodontitis patients and stimulates an inflammatory response in gingival epithelial cells

Cássio Luiz Coutinho Almeida-da-Silva¹, Tamer Alpagot², Ye Zhu¹, Sonho Sierra Lee^3,4, Brian P. Roberts^5, Shu-Chen Hung¹, Norina Tang^1,2 and David M. Ojcius¹

This study found that Chlamydia pneumoniae is present more frequently in the dental plaque of individuals with periodontal disease, can invade human gingival epithelial cells causing inflammatory responses, and may therefore be a contributing factor to periodontal disease and a potential indicator of risk.

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.

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 Pais^1,2,#, Mónica Galocha^1,2,#, Romeu Viana^1,2, Mafalda Cavalheiro^1,2, Diana Pereira^1,2, Miguel Cacho Teixeira^1,2

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.

Previous Next

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

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.

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.

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

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.

Previous Next

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.

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.

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.

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

May 20, 2019

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.

Chlamydia pneumoniae is present in the dental plaque of periodontitis patients and stimulates an inflammatory response in gingival epithelial cells

March 11, 2019

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

March 11, 2019

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.

Adaptive bacterial response to low level chlorhexidine exposure and its implications for hand hygiene

March 7, 2019

Microevolution of the pathogenic yeasts Candida albicans and Candida glabrata during antifungal therapy and host infection

February 8, 2019

Previous Next