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Zhou J, Wu H, Wang H, Wu Z, Shi L, Tian S, Hou LA. Metagenomics reveals the resistance patterns of electrochemically treated erythromycin fermentation residue. J Environ Sci (China) 2025; 148:567-578. [PMID: 39095189 DOI: 10.1016/j.jes.2024.01.030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/13/2023] [Revised: 01/24/2024] [Accepted: 01/24/2024] [Indexed: 08/04/2024]
Abstract
Erythromycin fermentation residue (EFR) represents a typical hazardous waste produced by the microbial pharmaceutical industry. Although electrolysis is promising for EFR disposal, its microbial threats remain unclear. Herein, metagenomics was coupled with the random forest technique to decipher the antibiotic resistance patterns of electrochemically treated EFR. Results showed that 95.75% of erythromycin could be removed in 2 hr. Electrolysis temporarily influenced EFR microbiota, where the relative abundances of Proteobacteria and Actinobacteria increased, while those of Fusobacteria, Firmicutes, and Bacteroidetes decreased. A total of 505 antibiotic resistance gene (ARG) subtypes encoding resistance to 21 antibiotic types and 150 mobile genetic elements (MGEs), mainly including plasmid (72) and transposase (52) were assembled in EFR. Significant linear regression models were identified among microbial richness, ARG subtypes, and MGE numbers (r2=0.50-0.81, p< 0.001). Physicochemical factors of EFR (Total nitrogen, total organic carbon, protein, and humus) regulated ARG and MGE assembly (%IncMSE value = 5.14-14.85). The core ARG, MGE, and microbe sets (93.08%-99.85%) successfully explained 89.71%-92.92% of total ARG and MGE abundances. Specifically, gene aph(3')-I, transposase tnpA, and Mycolicibacterium were the primary drivers of the resistance dissemination system. This study also proposes efficient resistance mitigation measures, and provides recommendations for future management of antibiotic fermentation residue.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jieya Zhou
- State Key Laboratory of Environmental Criteria and Risk Assessment, Chinese Research Academy of Environmental Sciences, Beijing 100012, China; State Key Laboratory of Water Environment Simulation, School of Environment, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China.
| | - Hao Wu
- State Key Laboratory of Environmental Criteria and Risk Assessment, Chinese Research Academy of Environmental Sciences, Beijing 100012, China
| | - Haiyan Wang
- Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region Solid Waste and Soil Ecological Environment Technology Center, Hohhot 010020, China
| | - Zongru Wu
- State Key Laboratory of Environmental Criteria and Risk Assessment, Chinese Research Academy of Environmental Sciences, Beijing 100012, China
| | - Lihu Shi
- State Key Laboratory of Environmental Criteria and Risk Assessment, Chinese Research Academy of Environmental Sciences, Beijing 100012, China
| | - Shulei Tian
- State Key Laboratory of Environmental Criteria and Risk Assessment, Chinese Research Academy of Environmental Sciences, Beijing 100012, China.
| | - Li-An Hou
- State Key Laboratory of Water Environment Simulation, School of Environment, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China; High Tech. Inst. Beijing, Beijing 100085, China.
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2
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Adams M, Issaka E, Chen C. Anammox-based technologies: A review of recent advances, mechanism, and bottlenecks. J Environ Sci (China) 2025; 148:151-173. [PMID: 39095154 DOI: 10.1016/j.jes.2024.01.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/25/2023] [Revised: 01/10/2024] [Accepted: 01/10/2024] [Indexed: 08/04/2024]
Abstract
The removal of nitrogen via the ANAMMOX process is a promising green wastewater treatment technology, with numerous benefits. The incessant studies on the ANAMMOX process over the years due to its long start-up and high operational cost has positively influenced its technological advancement, even though at a rather slow pace. At the moment, relatively new ANAMMOX technologies are being developed with the goal of treating low carbon wastewater at low temperatures, tackling nitrite and nitrate accumulation and methane utilization from digestates while also recovering resources (phosphorus) in a sustainable manner. This review compares and contrasts the handful of ANAMMOX -based processes developed thus far with plausible solutions for addressing their respective bottlenecks hindering full-scale implementation. Ultimately, future prospects for advancing understanding of mechanisms and engineering application of ANAMMOX process are posited. As a whole, technological advances in process design and patents have greatly contributed to better understanding of the ANAMMOX process, which has greatly aided in the optimization and industrialization of the ANAMMOX process. This review is intended to provide researchers with an overview of the present state of research and technological development of the ANAMMOX process, thus serving as a guide for realizing energy autarkic future practical applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mabruk Adams
- School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Suzhou University of Science and Technology, Suzhou 2155009, China; Civil Engineering, School of Engineering, College of Science and Engineering, University of Galway, Galway H91 TK33, Ireland
| | - Eliasu Issaka
- School of Environmental and Safety Engineering, Institute of Environmental Health and Ecological Security, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang, Jiangsu 212013, China
| | - Chongjun Chen
- School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Suzhou University of Science and Technology, Suzhou 2155009, China.
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3
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Blumenstiel JP. From the cauldron of conflict: Endogenous gene regulation by piRNA and other modes of adaptation enabled by selfish transposable elements. Semin Cell Dev Biol 2025; 164:1-12. [PMID: 38823219 DOI: 10.1016/j.semcdb.2024.05.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/10/2023] [Revised: 04/28/2024] [Accepted: 05/06/2024] [Indexed: 06/03/2024]
Abstract
Transposable elements (TEs) provide a prime example of genetic conflict because they can proliferate in genomes and populations even if they harm the host. However, numerous studies have shown that TEs, though typically harmful, can also provide fuel for adaptation. This is because they code functional sequences that can be useful for the host in which they reside. In this review, I summarize the "how" and "why" of adaptation enabled by the genetic conflict between TEs and hosts. In addition, focusing on mechanisms of TE control by small piwi-interacting RNAs (piRNAs), I highlight an indirect form of adaptation enabled by conflict. In this case, mechanisms of host defense that regulate TEs have been redeployed for endogenous gene regulation. I propose that the genetic conflict released by meiosis in early eukaryotes may have been important because, among other reasons, it spurred evolutionary innovation on multiple interwoven trajectories - on the part of hosts and also embedded genetic parasites. This form of evolution may function as a complexity generating engine that was a critical player in eukaryotic evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Justin P Blumenstiel
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Kansas, 1200 Sunnyside Avenue, Lawrence, KS 66045, United States.
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4
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Zhu L, Cui X, Yan Z, Tao Y, Shi L, Zhang X, Yao Y, Shi L. Design and evaluation of a multi-epitope DNA vaccine against HPV16. Hum Vaccin Immunother 2024; 20:2352908. [PMID: 38780076 PMCID: PMC11123455 DOI: 10.1080/21645515.2024.2352908] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/29/2024] [Accepted: 05/05/2024] [Indexed: 05/25/2024] Open
Abstract
Cervical cancer, among the deadliest cancers affecting women globally, primarily arises from persistent infection with high-risk human papillomavirus (HPV). To effectively combat persistent infection and prevent the progression of precancerous lesions into malignancy, a therapeutic HPV vaccine is under development. This study utilized an immunoinformatics approach to predict epitopes of cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTLs) and helper T lymphocytes (HTLs) using the E6 and E7 oncoproteins of the HPV16 strain as target antigens. Subsequently, through meticulous selection of T-cell epitopes and other necessary elements, a multi-epitope vaccine was constructed, exhibiting good immunogenic, physicochemical, and structural characteristics. Furthermore, in silico simulations showed that the vaccine not only interacted well with toll-like receptors (TLR2/TLR3/TLR4), but also induced a strong innate and adaptive immune response characterized by elevated Th1-type cytokines, such as interferon-gamma (IFN-γ) and interleukin-2 (IL2). Additionally, our study investigated the effects of different immunization intervals on immune responses, aiming to optimize a time-efficient immunization program. In animal model experiments, the vaccine exhibited robust immunogenic, therapeutic, and prophylactic effects. Administered thrice, it consistently induced the expansion of specific CD4 and CD8 T cells, resulting in substantial cytokines release and increased proliferation of memory T cell subsets in splenic cells. Overall, our findings support the potential of this multi-epitope vaccine in combating HPV16 infection and signify its candidacy for future HPV vaccine development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lanfang Zhu
- Department of Immunogenetics, Institute of Medical Biology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Kunming, China
| | - Xiangjie Cui
- Department of Immunogenetics, Institute of Medical Biology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Kunming, China
| | - Zhiling Yan
- Department of Gynaecologic Oncology, The No. 3 Affiliated Hospital of Kunming Medical University, Kunming, China
| | - Yufen Tao
- Department of Immunogenetics, Institute of Medical Biology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Kunming, China
| | - Lei Shi
- Department of Immunogenetics, Institute of Medical Biology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Kunming, China
| | - Xinwen Zhang
- Department of Immunogenetics, Institute of Medical Biology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Kunming, China
| | - Yufeng Yao
- Yunnan Key Laboratory of Vaccine Research & Development on Severe Infectious Disease, Institute of Medical Biology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Kunming, China
| | - Li Shi
- Department of Immunogenetics, Institute of Medical Biology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Kunming, China
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5
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Farkas D, Dobránszki J. Vegetal memory through the lens of transcriptomic changes - recent progress and future practical prospects for exploiting plant transcriptional memory. PLANT SIGNALING & BEHAVIOR 2024; 19:2383515. [PMID: 39077764 PMCID: PMC11290777 DOI: 10.1080/15592324.2024.2383515] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/11/2024] [Revised: 07/12/2024] [Accepted: 07/15/2024] [Indexed: 07/31/2024]
Abstract
Plant memory plays an important role in the efficient and rapid acclimation to a swiftly changing environment. In addition, since plant memory can be inherited, it is also of adaptive and evolutionary importance. The ability of a plant to store, retain, retrieve and delete information on acquired experience is based on cellular, biochemical and molecular networks in the plants. This review offers an up-to-date overview on the formation, types, checkpoints of plant memory based on our current knowledge and focusing on its transcriptional aspects, the transcriptional memory. Roles of long and small non-coding RNAs are summarized in the regulation, formation and the cooperation between the different layers of the plant memory, i.e. in the establishment of epigenetic changes associated with memory formation in plants. The RNA interference mechanisms at the RNA and DNA level and the interplays between them are also presented. Furthermore, this review gives an insight of how exploitation of plant transcriptional memory may provide new opportunities for elaborating promising cost-efficient, and effective strategies to cope with the ever-changing environmental perturbations, caused by climate change. The potentials of plant memory-based methods, such as crop priming, cross acclimatization, memory modification by miRNAs and associative use of plant memory, in the future's agriculture are also discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dóra Farkas
- Centre for Agricultural Genomics and Biotechnology, Faculty of the Agricultural and Food Science and Environmental Management, University of Debrecen, Nyíregyháza, Hungary
| | - Judit Dobránszki
- Centre for Agricultural Genomics and Biotechnology, Faculty of the Agricultural and Food Science and Environmental Management, University of Debrecen, Nyíregyháza, Hungary
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6
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Peters AC, Larsson DGJ, Laxminarayan R, Munthe C. Barriers and pathways to environmental surveillance of antibiotic resistance in middle- and low-income settings: a qualitative exploratory key expert study. Glob Health Action 2024; 17:2343318. [PMID: 38813982 PMCID: PMC11141306 DOI: 10.1080/16549716.2024.2343318] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/04/2023] [Accepted: 04/11/2024] [Indexed: 05/31/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Local and global surveillance of antibiotic resistance (ABR) has proven a challenge to implement effectively in low- and middleincome (LMI) settings. Environmental surveillance solutions are increasingly highlighted as a strategy to help overcome such problems, and thus to promote global health as well as the local management of ABR in LMI countries. While technical and scientific aspects of such solutions are being probed continuously, no study has investigated their practical feasibility. OBJECTIVE Explore practical barriers for environmental surveillance of ABR in LMI countries, and pathways for surveillance experts to manage these. METHODS To start charting this unknown territory, we conducted an explorative, qualitative interview study with key informants, applying a constructivist grounded theory approach to analyze the results. RESULTS Barriers were identified across infrastructural, institutional and social dimensions, and pathways to manage them were mostly counterproductive from an ABR management perspective, including avoiding entire regions, applying substandard methods and failing to include local collaborators. CONCLUSION The research community as well as international agencies, organizations and states have key roles and responsibilities for improving the prospects of feasible environmental ABR surveillance in LMI-settings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ann-Christin Peters
- Department of Philosophy, Linguistics and Theory of Science, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
- Centre for Antibiotic Resistance Research in Gothenburg (CARe), Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - D. G. Joakim Larsson
- Centre for Antibiotic Resistance Research in Gothenburg (CARe), Gothenburg, Sweden
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Institute for Biomedicine, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Ramanan Laxminarayan
- One Health Trust, Washington, DC, USA
- One Health Trust, Bangalore, India
- High Meadows Environmental Institute, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA
| | - Christian Munthe
- Department of Philosophy, Linguistics and Theory of Science, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
- Centre for Antibiotic Resistance Research in Gothenburg (CARe), Gothenburg, Sweden
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7
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Li G, Li Q, Tong Y, Zeng J, Dang T, Yang N, Zhou Y, Ma L, Ge Q, Zhao Z. The anticancer mechanisms of Toxoplasma gondii rhoptry protein 16 on lung adenocarcinoma cells. Cancer Biol Ther 2024; 25:2392902. [PMID: 39174877 PMCID: PMC11346528 DOI: 10.1080/15384047.2024.2392902] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/06/2023] [Revised: 04/29/2024] [Accepted: 08/11/2024] [Indexed: 08/24/2024] Open
Abstract
Lung adenocarcinoma is the most prevalent subtype of lung cancer, which is the leading cause of cancer-related mortality worldwide. Toxoplasma gondii (T.gondii) Rhoptry protein 16 (ROP16) has been shown to quickly enter the nucleus, and through activate host cell signaling pathways by phosphorylation STAT3 and may affect the survival of tumor cells. This study constructed recombinant lentiviral expression vector of T. gondii ROP16 I/II/III and stably transfected them into A549 cells, and the effects of ROP16 on cell proliferation, cell cycle, apoptosis, invasion, and migration of A549 cells were explored by utilizing CCK-8, flow cytometry, qPCR, Western blotting, TUNEL, Transwell assay, and cell scratch assay, and these effects were confirmed in the primary human lung adenocarcinoma cells from postoperative cancer tissues of patients. The type I and III ROP16 activate STAT3 and inhibited A549 cell proliferation, regulated the expression of p21, CDK6, CyclinD1, and induced cell cycle arrest at the G1 phase. ROP16 also regulated the Bax, Bcl-2, p53, cleaved-Caspase3, and Caspase9, inducing cell apoptosis, and reduced the invasion and migration of A549 cells, while type II ROP16 protein had no such effect. Furthermore, in the regulation of ROP16 on primary lung adenocarcinoma cells, type I and III ROP16 showed the same anticancer potential. These findings confirmed the anti-lung adenocarcinoma effect of type I and III ROP16, offering fresh perspectives on the possible application of ROP16 as a target with adjuvant therapy for lung adenocarcinoma and propelling the field of precision therapy research toward parasite treatment of tumors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guangqi Li
- Medical Laboratory Center, General Hospital of Ningxia Medical University, Yinchuan, China
- Ningxia Key Laboratory of Clinical Pathogenic Microorganisms, General Hospital of Ningxia Medical University, Yinchuan, China
- Ningxia Clinical Research Center of Medical Laboratory, General Hospital of Ningxia Medical University, Yinchuan, China
| | - Qinhui Li
- College of Life Sciences, Ningxia University, Yinchuan, China
- Key Laboratory of Ministry of Education for Conservation and Utilization of Special Biological Resources in the Western, Ningxia University, Yinchuan, China
| | - Yongqing Tong
- Department of Clinical laboratory, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
| | - Jin Zeng
- College of Life Sciences, Ningxia University, Yinchuan, China
- Key Laboratory of Ministry of Education for Conservation and Utilization of Special Biological Resources in the Western, Ningxia University, Yinchuan, China
| | - Tiantian Dang
- Medical Laboratory Center, General Hospital of Ningxia Medical University, Yinchuan, China
- Ningxia Key Laboratory of Clinical Pathogenic Microorganisms, General Hospital of Ningxia Medical University, Yinchuan, China
- Ningxia Clinical Research Center of Medical Laboratory, General Hospital of Ningxia Medical University, Yinchuan, China
| | - Ningai Yang
- Institute of Medical Sciences, General Hospital of Ningxia Medical University, Yinchuan, China
| | - Yuning Zhou
- The First Clinical Medical College, Ningxia Medical University, Yinchuan, China
| | - Lei Ma
- College of Life Sciences, Ningxia University, Yinchuan, China
- Key Laboratory of Ministry of Education for Conservation and Utilization of Special Biological Resources in the Western, Ningxia University, Yinchuan, China
| | - Qirui Ge
- The First Clinical Medical College, Ningxia Medical University, Yinchuan, China
| | - Zhijun Zhao
- Medical Laboratory Center, General Hospital of Ningxia Medical University, Yinchuan, China
- Ningxia Key Laboratory of Clinical Pathogenic Microorganisms, General Hospital of Ningxia Medical University, Yinchuan, China
- Ningxia Clinical Research Center of Medical Laboratory, General Hospital of Ningxia Medical University, Yinchuan, China
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8
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Oliveira-Garcia E, Hamilton AJ. A pharmacological approach to investigating effector translocation in rice- Magnaporthe oryzae interactions. PLANT SIGNALING & BEHAVIOR 2024; 19:2350869. [PMID: 38722963 PMCID: PMC11085958 DOI: 10.1080/15592324.2024.2350869] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2024] [Accepted: 04/26/2024] [Indexed: 05/12/2024]
Abstract
Fungal pathogens deliver effector proteins into living plant cells to suppress plant immunity and control plant processes that are needed for infection. During plant infection, the devastating rice blast fungus, Magnaporthe oryzae, forms the specialized biotrophic interfacial complex (BIC), which is essential for effector translocation. Cytoplasmic effectors are first focally secreted into BICs, and subsequently packaged into dynamic membranous effector compartments (MECs), then translocated via clathrin-mediated endocytosis (CME) into the host cytoplasm. This study demonstrates that clathrin-heavy chain inhibitors endosidin-9 (ES9) and endosidin-9-17 (ES9-17) blocked the internalization of the fluorescently labeled effectors Bas1 and Pwl2 in rice cells, leading to swollen BICs lacking MECs. In contrast, ES9-17 treatment had no impact on the localization pattern of the apoplastic effector Bas4. This study provides further evidence that cytoplasmic effector translocation occurs by CME in BICs, suggesting a potential role for M. oryzae effectors in co-opting plant endocytosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ely Oliveira-Garcia
- Department of Plant Pathology and Crop Physiology, Louisiana State University Agricultural Center, Baton Rouge, LA, USA
| | - Allison Jane Hamilton
- Department of Plant Pathology and Crop Physiology, Louisiana State University Agricultural Center, Baton Rouge, LA, USA
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Ibrahim K, Thwood D, ELgheriani H, Salem M, Elgadiym Z, Zaghdani A, Alhudiri I, Habibi A, Elfahem A, Belaid S, Ermithi O, Almaghrabi M, ELmaryul A, Almadah S, Rayes A, El Meshri SE, El Salabi A, Elzagheid A. Prevalence of multi-drug resistant bacteria in intensive care units at Tripoli University Hospital, Tripoli, Libya. Libyan J Med 2024; 19:2348235. [PMID: 38718270 PMCID: PMC11080667 DOI: 10.1080/19932820.2024.2348235] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/11/2023] [Accepted: 04/23/2024] [Indexed: 05/12/2024] Open
Abstract
Among hospitalized patients worldwide, infections caused by multidrug-resistant (MDR) bacteria are a major cause of morbidity and mortality. This study aimed to isolate MDR bacteria from five intensive care units (ICUs) at Tripoli University Hospital (TUH). A prospective cross-sectional study was conducted over a seven-month period (September 2022 to March 2023) across five ICUs at TUH. A total of 197 swabs were collected from Patients', healthcare workers' and ICUs equipment. Samples collected from patients were nasal swabs, oral cavity swabs, hand swabs, sputum specimens, skin swabs, umbilical venous catheter swabs, and around cannula. Swabs collected from health care workers were nasal swabs, whereas ICUs equipment's samples were from endotracheal tubes, oxygen masks, and neonatal incubators. Identification and antimicrobial susceptibility test was confirmed by using MicroScan auto SCAN 4 (Beckman Coulter). The most frequent strains were Gram negative bacilli 113 (57.4%) with the predominance of Acinetobacter baumannii 50/113 (44%) followed by Klebsiella pneumoniae 44/113 (40%) and Pseudomonas aeruginosa 6/113 (5.3%). The total Gram positive bacterial strains isolated were 84 (42.6%), coagulase negative Staphylococci 55 (66%) with MDRs (89%) were the most common isolates followed by Staphylococcus aureus 15 (17.8%). Different antibiotics were used against these isolates; Gram- negative isolates showed high resistance rates to ceftazidime, gentamicin, amikacin and ertapenem. A. baumannii were the most frequent MDROs (94%), and the highest resistance rates in Gram-positive strains were observed toward ampicillin, oxacillin, ampicillin/sulbactam and Cefoxitin, representing 90% of total MDR Gram-positive isolates. ESBL and MRS were identified in most of strains. The prevalence of antibiotic resistance was high for both Gram negative and Gram positive isolates. This prevalence requires strict infection prevention and control intervention, continuous monitoring, implementation of effective antibiotic stewardship, immediate, concerted and collaborative action to monitor its prevalence and spread in the hospital.
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Affiliation(s)
- Khaled Ibrahim
- Department of Microbiology, Libyan Biotechnology Research Center, Tripoli, Libya
| | - Dalal Thwood
- Department of Microbiology, Libyan Biotechnology Research Center, Tripoli, Libya
| | - Hajer ELgheriani
- Department of Microbiology, Libyan Biotechnology Research Center, Tripoli, Libya
| | - Mohamed Salem
- Department of Microbiology, Libyan Biotechnology Research Center, Tripoli, Libya
| | - Zaynab Elgadiym
- Department of Microbiology, Libyan Biotechnology Research Center, Tripoli, Libya
| | - Ahmed Zaghdani
- Department of Microbiology, Libyan Biotechnology Research Center, Tripoli, Libya
| | - Inas Alhudiri
- Department of Microbiology, Libyan Biotechnology Research Center, Tripoli, Libya
| | - Abdulraouf Habibi
- Department of Microbiology, Libyan Biotechnology Research Center, Tripoli, Libya
| | - Abdurrezagh Elfahem
- Department of Microbiology, Libyan Biotechnology Research Center, Tripoli, Libya
| | - Saadeddin Belaid
- Department of Microbiology, Libyan Biotechnology Research Center, Tripoli, Libya
| | - Otman Ermithi
- Department of Microbiology, Libyan Biotechnology Research Center, Tripoli, Libya
| | - Mahmoud Almaghrabi
- Pediatric Intensive Care Unit, Tripoli University Hospital, Tripoli, Libya
| | - Abubaker ELmaryul
- Medical Intensive Care Unit, Tripoli University Hospital, Tripoli, Libya
| | - Suad Almadah
- Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, Tripoli University Hospital, Tripoli, Libya
| | - Abdunnabi Rayes
- Infection Control Office, Tripoli University Hospital, Tripoli, Libya
| | - Salah Edin El Meshri
- Department of Microbiology, Libyan Biotechnology Research Center, Tripoli, Libya
| | - Allaaeddin El Salabi
- Department of Environmental Health, Faculty of Public Health, University of Benghazi, Benghazi, Libya
| | - Adam Elzagheid
- Department of Microbiology, Libyan Biotechnology Research Center, Tripoli, Libya
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10
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Sadikiel Mmbando G, Ngongolo K. The recent genetic modification techniques for improve soil conservation, nutrient uptake and utilization. GM CROPS & FOOD 2024; 15:233-247. [PMID: 39008437 PMCID: PMC11253881 DOI: 10.1080/21645698.2024.2377408] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/25/2024] [Accepted: 07/03/2024] [Indexed: 07/17/2024]
Abstract
Advances in genetic modification (GM) techniques have generated huge interest in improving nutrient utilization, maximizing nutrient uptake, and conserving soil in the pursuit of sustainable agriculture. Unfortunately, little is still known about the recent advancements in the application of GM tactics to enhance each of these areas. This review explores the latest GM strategies intended to support soil conservation, maximize nutrient uptake, and improve nutrient utilization in farming, highlighting the critical roles that soil health and nutrient management play in sustainable farming. GM strategies such as improving the efficiency of nutrient uptake through enhanced root systems and increased nutrient transport mechanisms are well discussed. This study suggests that addressing potential obstacles, such as ethical and regulatory concerns, is a necessity for long-term sustainability applications of GM technologies to raise agricultural yields.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gideon Sadikiel Mmbando
- Department of Biology, College of Natural and Mathematical Sciences, The University of Dodoma, Dodoma, United Republic of Tanzania
| | - Kelvin Ngongolo
- Department of Biology, College of Natural and Mathematical Sciences, The University of Dodoma, Dodoma, United Republic of Tanzania
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11
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Song Y, Lan Y, Li K, Qiao D, Cao Y, Xu H. Regulation of a novel DsGATA1 from Dunaliella salina on the synthesis of carotenoids under red light. Appl Microbiol Biotechnol 2024; 108:82. [PMID: 38189955 DOI: 10.1007/s00253-023-12894-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2023] [Revised: 10/31/2023] [Accepted: 11/22/2023] [Indexed: 01/09/2024]
Abstract
Dunaliella salina is a high-quality industrial effector for carotenoid production. The mechanism by which red light regulates carotenoid synthesis is still unclear. In this study, a transcription factor of DsGATA1 with a distinct structure was discovered in D. salina. The recognition motif of DsGATA1 was comparable to that of plant and fungal GATA, despite its evolutionary proximity to animal-derived GATA. The expression of DsGATA1 in D. salina was still noticeably decreased when exposed to red light. Analysis of physiological and biochemical transcriptomic data from overexpressed, interfering, and wild-type strains of DsGATA1 revealed that DsGATA1 acts as a global regulator of D. salina carotenoid synthesis. The upregulated genes in the CBP pathway by DsGATA1 were involved in its regulation of the synthesis of carotenoids. DsGATA1 also enhanced carotenoid accumulation under red light by affecting N metabolism. DsGATA1 was found to directly bind to the promoter of nitrate reductase to activate its expression, promoting D. salina nitrate uptake and accelerating biomass accumulation. DsGATA1 affected the expression of the genes encoding GOGAT, GDH, and ammonia transporter proteins. Moreover, our study revealed that the regulation of N metabolism by DsGATA1 led to the production of NO molecules that inhibited carotenoid synthesis. However, DsGATA1 significantly enhanced carotenoid synthesis by NO scavenger removal of NO. The D. salina carotenoid accumulation under red light was elevated by 46% in the presence of overexpression of DsGATA1 and NO scavenger. Nevertheless, our results indicated that DsGATA1 could be an important target for engineering carotenoid production. KEY POINTS: • DsGATA1 with a distinct structure and recognition motif was found in D. salina • DsGATA1 enhanced carotenoid production and biomass in D. salina under red light • DsGATA1 is involved in the regulation of N metabolism and carotenoid synthesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yao Song
- Microbiology and Metabolic Engineering Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Key Laboratory of Bio-Resource and Eco-Environment of Ministry of Education, College of Life Sciences, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610065, Sichuan, People's Republic of China
| | - Yanhong Lan
- Microbiology and Metabolic Engineering Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Key Laboratory of Bio-Resource and Eco-Environment of Ministry of Education, College of Life Sciences, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610065, Sichuan, People's Republic of China
| | - Ke Li
- Microbiology and Metabolic Engineering Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Key Laboratory of Bio-Resource and Eco-Environment of Ministry of Education, College of Life Sciences, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610065, Sichuan, People's Republic of China
| | - Dairong Qiao
- Microbiology and Metabolic Engineering Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Key Laboratory of Bio-Resource and Eco-Environment of Ministry of Education, College of Life Sciences, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610065, Sichuan, People's Republic of China
| | - Yi Cao
- Microbiology and Metabolic Engineering Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Key Laboratory of Bio-Resource and Eco-Environment of Ministry of Education, College of Life Sciences, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610065, Sichuan, People's Republic of China
| | - Hui Xu
- Microbiology and Metabolic Engineering Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Key Laboratory of Bio-Resource and Eco-Environment of Ministry of Education, College of Life Sciences, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610065, Sichuan, People's Republic of China.
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12
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Luo Q, Lu P, Chen Y, Shen P, Zheng B, Ji J, Ying C, Liu Z, Xiao Y. ESKAPE in China: epidemiology and characteristics of antibiotic resistance. Emerg Microbes Infect 2024; 13:2317915. [PMID: 38356197 PMCID: PMC10896150 DOI: 10.1080/22221751.2024.2317915] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2023] [Accepted: 02/08/2024] [Indexed: 02/16/2024]
Abstract
The escalation of antibiotic resistance and the diminishing antimicrobial pipeline have emerged as significant threats to public health. The ESKAPE pathogens - Enterococcus faecium, Staphylococcus aureus, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Acinetobacter baumannii, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Enterobacter spp. - were initially identified as critical multidrug-resistant bacteria, demanding urgently effective therapies. Despite the introduction of various new antibiotics and antibiotic adjuvants, such as innovative β-lactamase inhibitors, these organisms continue to pose substantial therapeutic challenges. People's Republic of China, as a country facing a severe bacterial resistance situation, has undergone a series of changes and findings in recent years in terms of the prevalence, transmission characteristics and resistance mechanisms of antibiotic resistant bacteria. The increasing levels of population mobility have not only shaped the unique characteristics of antibiotic resistance prevalence and transmission within People's Republic of China but have also indirectly reflected global patterns of antibiotic-resistant dissemination. What's more, as a vast nation, People's Republic of China exhibits significant variations in the levels of antibiotic resistance and the prevalence characteristics of antibiotic resistant bacteria across different provinces and regions. In this review, we examine the current epidemiology and characteristics of this important group of bacterial pathogens, delving into relevant mechanisms of resistance to recently introduced antibiotics that impact their clinical utility in China.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qixia Luo
- State Key Laboratory for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases; Collaborative Innovation Center for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, the First Affiliated Hospital of Medical School, College of medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, People’s Republic of China
| | - Ping Lu
- State Key Laboratory for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases; Collaborative Innovation Center for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, the First Affiliated Hospital of Medical School, College of medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, People’s Republic of China
| | - Yunbo Chen
- State Key Laboratory for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases; Collaborative Innovation Center for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, the First Affiliated Hospital of Medical School, College of medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, People’s Republic of China
| | - Ping Shen
- State Key Laboratory for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases; Collaborative Innovation Center for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, the First Affiliated Hospital of Medical School, College of medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, People’s Republic of China
| | - Beiwen Zheng
- State Key Laboratory for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases; Collaborative Innovation Center for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, the First Affiliated Hospital of Medical School, College of medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, People’s Republic of China
| | - Jinru Ji
- State Key Laboratory for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases; Collaborative Innovation Center for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, the First Affiliated Hospital of Medical School, College of medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, People’s Republic of China
| | - Chaoqun Ying
- State Key Laboratory for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases; Collaborative Innovation Center for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, the First Affiliated Hospital of Medical School, College of medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, People’s Republic of China
| | - Zhiying Liu
- State Key Laboratory for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases; Collaborative Innovation Center for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, the First Affiliated Hospital of Medical School, College of medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, People’s Republic of China
| | - Yonghong Xiao
- State Key Laboratory for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases; Collaborative Innovation Center for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, the First Affiliated Hospital of Medical School, College of medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, People’s Republic of China
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13
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Jaeger M, Dietschmann A, Austermeier S, Dinçer S, Porschitz P, Vornholz L, Maas RJ, Sprenkeler EG, Ruland J, Wirtz S, Azam T, Joosten LA, Hube B, Netea MG, Dinarello CA, Gresnigt MS. Alpha1-antitrypsin impacts innate host-pathogen interactions with Candida albicans by stimulating fungal filamentation. Virulence 2024; 15:2333367. [PMID: 38515333 PMCID: PMC11008552 DOI: 10.1080/21505594.2024.2333367] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/16/2023] [Accepted: 03/08/2024] [Indexed: 03/23/2024] Open
Abstract
Our immune system possesses sophisticated mechanisms to cope with invading microorganisms, while pathogens evolve strategies to deal with threats imposed by host immunity. Human plasma protein α1-antitrypsin (AAT) exhibits pleiotropic immune-modulating properties by both preventing immunopathology and improving antimicrobial host defence. Genetic associations suggested a role for AAT in candidemia, the most frequent fungal blood stream infection in intensive care units, yet little is known about how AAT influences interactions between Candida albicans and the immune system. Here, we show that AAT differentially impacts fungal killing by innate phagocytes. We observed that AAT induces fungal transcriptional reprogramming, associated with cell wall remodelling and downregulation of filamentation repressors. At low concentrations, the cell-wall remodelling induced by AAT increased immunogenic β-glucan exposure and consequently improved fungal clearance by monocytes. Contrastingly, higher AAT concentrations led to excessive C. albicans filamentation and thus promoted fungal immune escape from monocytes and macrophages. This underscores that fungal adaptations to the host protein AAT can differentially define the outcome of encounters with innate immune cells, either contributing to improved immune recognition or fungal immune escape.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martin Jaeger
- Department of Medicine, University of Colorado Denver, Aurora, USA
- Department of Internal Medicine, Radboud University Medical Center and Radboud Center for Infectious diseases (RCI), Nijmegen, the Netherlands
| | - Axel Dietschmann
- Junior Research Group Adaptive Pathogenicity Strategies, Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology – Hans Knöll Institute, Jena, Germany
| | - Sophie Austermeier
- Department of Microbial Pathogenicity Mechanisms, Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology – Hans Knöll Institute, Jena, Germany
| | - Sude Dinçer
- Junior Research Group Adaptive Pathogenicity Strategies, Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology – Hans Knöll Institute, Jena, Germany
| | - Pauline Porschitz
- Junior Research Group Adaptive Pathogenicity Strategies, Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology – Hans Knöll Institute, Jena, Germany
| | - Larsen Vornholz
- Institute of Clinical Chemistry and Pathobiochemistry, School of Medicine and Health, Center for Translational Cancer Research (TranslaTUM), Munich, Germany
| | - Ralph J.A. Maas
- Department of Medicine, University of Colorado Denver, Aurora, USA
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Laboratory of Hematology, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Evelien G.G. Sprenkeler
- Department of Internal Medicine, Radboud University Medical Center and Radboud Center for Infectious diseases (RCI), Nijmegen, the Netherlands
| | - Jürgen Ruland
- Institute of Clinical Chemistry and Pathobiochemistry, School of Medicine and Health, Center for Translational Cancer Research (TranslaTUM), Munich, Germany
- German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), partner site Munich, Germany
- German Center for Infection Research (DZIF), partner site Munich, Germany
| | - Stefan Wirtz
- Medizinische Klinik 1, Universitätsklinikum Erlangen, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Erlangen, Germany
| | - Tania Azam
- Department of Medicine, University of Colorado Denver, Aurora, USA
| | - Leo A.B. Joosten
- Department of Internal Medicine, Radboud University Medical Center and Radboud Center for Infectious diseases (RCI), Nijmegen, the Netherlands
| | - Bernhard Hube
- Department of Microbial Pathogenicity Mechanisms, Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology – Hans Knöll Institute, Jena, Germany
- Institute of Microbiology, Friedrich-Schiller-University, Jena, Germany
| | - Mihai G. Netea
- Department of Internal Medicine, Radboud University Medical Center and Radboud Center for Infectious diseases (RCI), Nijmegen, the Netherlands
| | - Charles A. Dinarello
- Department of Medicine, University of Colorado Denver, Aurora, USA
- Department of Internal Medicine, Radboud University Medical Center and Radboud Center for Infectious diseases (RCI), Nijmegen, the Netherlands
| | - Mark S. Gresnigt
- Department of Medicine, University of Colorado Denver, Aurora, USA
- Junior Research Group Adaptive Pathogenicity Strategies, Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology – Hans Knöll Institute, Jena, Germany
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14
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Yang Z, Cui X, Fan X, Ruan Y, Xiang Z, Ji L, Gao H, Zhang M, Shan S, Liu W. "Active carbon" is more advantageous to the bacterial community in the rice rhizosphere than "stable carbon". Comput Struct Biotechnol J 2024; 23:1288-1297. [PMID: 38560279 PMCID: PMC10978811 DOI: 10.1016/j.csbj.2024.03.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2023] [Revised: 03/01/2024] [Accepted: 03/12/2024] [Indexed: 04/04/2024] Open
Abstract
Carbon materials are commonly used for soil carbon sequestration and fertilization, which can also affect crop growth by manipulating the rhizosphere bacterial community. However, the comparison of the differences between active carbon (e.g., organic fertilizers) and stable carbon (e.g., biochar) on rhizosphere microdomains is still unclear. Hence, a trial was implemented to explore the influence of control (CK, no fertilizer; NPK, chemical fertilizer), organic fertilizer (CF-O, organic fertilizer; CF-BO, biochar-based organic fertilizer) and biochar material (CF-B, perishable garbage biochar; CF-PMB, pig manure biochar) on the diversity, composition, and interaction of rice rhizosphere bacterial community through 16 S rRNA gene high-throughput sequencing. Our results demonstrate that organic fertilizer increases bacterial alpha-diversity compared to no-carbon supply treatment to the extend, whereas biochar has the opposite effect. The rhizosphere bacterial community composition showed pronounced variations among the various fertilization treatments. The relative abundance in Firmicutes decreased with organic fertilizer application, whereas that in Chloroflexi and Actinobacteria decreased with biochar application. Bacterial network analysis demonstrate that organic fertilizer enhances the complexity and key taxa of bacterial interactions, while biochar exhibits an opposing trend. The findings of our study indicate that organic fertilizer may contribute to a positive and advantageous impact on bacterial diversity and interaction in rice rhizosphere, whereas the influence of biochar is not as favorable and constructive. This study lays the foundation for elucidating the fate of the rhizosphere bacterial community following different carbon material inputs in the context of sustainable agricultural development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zongkun Yang
- Key Laboratory of Recycling and Eco-treatment of Waste Biomass of Zhejiang Province, School of Environmental and Natural Resources, Zhejiang University of Science and Technology, Hangzhou, China
| | - Xin Cui
- Key Laboratory of Recycling and Eco-treatment of Waste Biomass of Zhejiang Province, School of Environmental and Natural Resources, Zhejiang University of Science and Technology, Hangzhou, China
| | - Xiaoge Fan
- Key Laboratory of Recycling and Eco-treatment of Waste Biomass of Zhejiang Province, School of Environmental and Natural Resources, Zhejiang University of Science and Technology, Hangzhou, China
| | - Yefeng Ruan
- Key Laboratory of Recycling and Eco-treatment of Waste Biomass of Zhejiang Province, School of Environmental and Natural Resources, Zhejiang University of Science and Technology, Hangzhou, China
| | - Zhennan Xiang
- Key Laboratory of Recycling and Eco-treatment of Waste Biomass of Zhejiang Province, School of Environmental and Natural Resources, Zhejiang University of Science and Technology, Hangzhou, China
| | - Lingfei Ji
- Department of Biology, University of York, York, UK
| | - Han Gao
- State Environmental Protection Key Laboratory of Soil Environmental Management and Pollution Control, Nanjing Institute of Environmental Sciences, Ministry of Ecology and Environment of China, Nanjing, China
| | - Min Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Recycling and Eco-treatment of Waste Biomass of Zhejiang Province, School of Environmental and Natural Resources, Zhejiang University of Science and Technology, Hangzhou, China
| | - Shengdao Shan
- Key Laboratory of Recycling and Eco-treatment of Waste Biomass of Zhejiang Province, School of Environmental and Natural Resources, Zhejiang University of Science and Technology, Hangzhou, China
| | - Wenbo Liu
- Key Laboratory of Recycling and Eco-treatment of Waste Biomass of Zhejiang Province, School of Environmental and Natural Resources, Zhejiang University of Science and Technology, Hangzhou, China
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15
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Moeckel C, Mareboina M, Konnaris MA, Chan CS, Mouratidis I, Montgomery A, Chantzi N, Pavlopoulos GA, Georgakopoulos-Soares I. A survey of k-mer methods and applications in bioinformatics. Comput Struct Biotechnol J 2024; 23:2289-2303. [PMID: 38840832 PMCID: PMC11152613 DOI: 10.1016/j.csbj.2024.05.025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/13/2024] [Revised: 05/14/2024] [Accepted: 05/15/2024] [Indexed: 06/07/2024] Open
Abstract
The rapid progression of genomics and proteomics has been driven by the advent of advanced sequencing technologies, large, diverse, and readily available omics datasets, and the evolution of computational data processing capabilities. The vast amount of data generated by these advancements necessitates efficient algorithms to extract meaningful information. K-mers serve as a valuable tool when working with large sequencing datasets, offering several advantages in computational speed and memory efficiency and carrying the potential for intrinsic biological functionality. This review provides an overview of the methods, applications, and significance of k-mers in genomic and proteomic data analyses, as well as the utility of absent sequences, including nullomers and nullpeptides, in disease detection, vaccine development, therapeutics, and forensic science. Therefore, the review highlights the pivotal role of k-mers in addressing current genomic and proteomic problems and underscores their potential for future breakthroughs in research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Camille Moeckel
- Institute for Personalized Medicine, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, The Pennsylvania State University College of Medicine, Hershey, PA, USA
| | - Manvita Mareboina
- Institute for Personalized Medicine, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, The Pennsylvania State University College of Medicine, Hershey, PA, USA
| | - Maxwell A. Konnaris
- Institute for Personalized Medicine, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, The Pennsylvania State University College of Medicine, Hershey, PA, USA
| | - Candace S.Y. Chan
- Department of Bioengineering and Therapeutic Sciences, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Ioannis Mouratidis
- Institute for Personalized Medicine, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, The Pennsylvania State University College of Medicine, Hershey, PA, USA
- Huck Institute of the Life Sciences, Penn State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Austin Montgomery
- Institute for Personalized Medicine, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, The Pennsylvania State University College of Medicine, Hershey, PA, USA
| | - Nikol Chantzi
- Institute for Personalized Medicine, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, The Pennsylvania State University College of Medicine, Hershey, PA, USA
| | | | - Ilias Georgakopoulos-Soares
- Institute for Personalized Medicine, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, The Pennsylvania State University College of Medicine, Hershey, PA, USA
- Huck Institute of the Life Sciences, Penn State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, USA
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16
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Pradhan UK, Naha S, Das R, Gupta A, Parsad R, Meher PK. RBProkCNN: Deep learning on appropriate contextual evolutionary information for RNA binding protein discovery in prokaryotes. Comput Struct Biotechnol J 2024; 23:1631-1640. [PMID: 38660008 PMCID: PMC11039349 DOI: 10.1016/j.csbj.2024.04.034] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/16/2024] [Revised: 04/12/2024] [Accepted: 04/12/2024] [Indexed: 04/26/2024] Open
Abstract
RNA-binding proteins (RBPs) are central to key functions such as post-transcriptional regulation, mRNA stability, and adaptation to varied environmental conditions in prokaryotes. While the majority of research has concentrated on eukaryotic RBPs, recent developments underscore the crucial involvement of prokaryotic RBPs. Although computational methods have emerged in recent years to identify RBPs, they have fallen short in accurately identifying prokaryotic RBPs due to their generic nature. To bridge this gap, we introduce RBProkCNN, a novel machine learning-driven computational model meticulously designed for the accurate prediction of prokaryotic RBPs. The prediction process involves the utilization of eight shallow learning algorithms and four deep learning models, incorporating PSSM-based evolutionary features. By leveraging a convolutional neural network (CNN) and evolutionarily significant features selected through extreme gradient boosting variable importance measure, RBProkCNN achieved the highest accuracy in five-fold cross-validation, yielding 98.04% auROC and 98.19% auPRC. Furthermore, RBProkCNN demonstrated robust performance with an independent dataset, showcasing a commendable 95.77% auROC and 95.78% auPRC. Noteworthy is its superior predictive accuracy when compared to several state-of-the-art existing models. RBProkCNN is available as an online prediction tool (https://iasri-sg.icar.gov.in/rbprokcnn/), offering free access to interested users. This tool represents a substantial contribution, enriching the array of resources available for the accurate and efficient prediction of prokaryotic RBPs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Upendra Kumar Pradhan
- Division of Statistical Genetics, ICAR-Indian Agricultural Statistics Research Institute, PUSA, New Delhi 110012, India
| | - Sanchita Naha
- Division of Computer Applications, ICAR-Indian Agricultural Statistics Research Institute, PUSA, New Delhi 110012, India
| | - Ritwika Das
- Division of Agricultural Bioinformatics, ICAR-Indian Agricultural Statistics Research Institute, PUSA, New Delhi 110012, India
| | - Ajit Gupta
- Division of Statistical Genetics, ICAR-Indian Agricultural Statistics Research Institute, PUSA, New Delhi 110012, India
| | - Rajender Parsad
- ICAR-Indian Agricultural Statistics Research Institute, PUSA, New Delhi 110012, India
| | - Prabina Kumar Meher
- Division of Statistical Genetics, ICAR-Indian Agricultural Statistics Research Institute, PUSA, New Delhi 110012, India
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17
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Liu F, Zeng M, Zhou X, Huang F, Song Z. Aspergillus fumigatus escape mechanisms from its harsh survival environments. Appl Microbiol Biotechnol 2024; 108:53. [PMID: 38175242 DOI: 10.1007/s00253-023-12952-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/15/2023] [Revised: 10/09/2023] [Accepted: 10/19/2023] [Indexed: 01/05/2024]
Abstract
Aspergillus fumigatus is a ubiquitous pathogenic mold and causes several diseases, including mycotoxicosis, allergic reactions, and systemic diseases (invasive aspergillosis), with high mortality rates. In its ecological niche, the fungus has evolved and mastered many reply strategies to resist and survive against negative threats, including harsh environmental stress and deficiency of essential nutrients from natural environments, immunity responses and drug treatments in host, and competition from symbiotic microorganisms. Hence, treating A. fumigatus infection is a growing challenge. In this review, we summarized A. fumigatus reply strategies and escape mechanisms and clarified the main competitive or symbiotic relationships between A. fumigatus, viruses, bacteria, or fungi in host microecology. Additionally, we discussed the contemporary drug repertoire used to treat A. fumigatus and the latest evidence of potential resistance mechanisms. This review provides valuable knowledge which will stimulate further investigations and clinical applications for treating and preventing A. fumigatus infections. KEY POINTS: • Harsh living environment was a great challenge for A. fumigatus survival. • A. fumigatus has evolved multiple strategies to escape host immune responses. • A. fumigatus withstands antifungal drugs via intrinsic escape mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fangyan Liu
- School of Basic Medical Sciences, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, 646000, People's Republic of China
| | - Meng Zeng
- School of Basic Medical Sciences, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, 646000, People's Republic of China
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, Yongchuan Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, 402160, People's Republic of China
| | - Xue Zhou
- School of Basic Medical Sciences, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, 646000, People's Republic of China
| | - Fujiao Huang
- School of Basic Medical Sciences, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, 646000, People's Republic of China
| | - Zhangyong Song
- School of Basic Medical Sciences, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, 646000, People's Republic of China.
- Molecular Biotechnology Platform, Public Center of Experimental Technology, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, 646000, People's Republic of China.
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18
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Wenbo L, Yewei Y, Hui Z, Zhongyu L. Hijacking host cell vesicular transport: New insights into the nutrient acquisition mechanism of Chlamydia. Virulence 2024; 15:2351234. [PMID: 38773735 PMCID: PMC11123459 DOI: 10.1080/21505594.2024.2351234] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2023] [Accepted: 04/27/2024] [Indexed: 05/24/2024] Open
Abstract
Chlamydia infection is an important cause of public health diseases, and no effective vaccine is currently available. Owing to its unique intracellular lifestyle, Chlamydia requires a variety of nutrients and substrates from host cells, particularly sphingomyelin, cholesterol, iron, amino acids, and the mannose-6-phosphate receptor, which are essential for inclusion development. Here, we summarize the recent advances in Chlamydia nutrient acquisition mechanism by hijacking host cell vesicular transport, which plays an important role in chlamydial growth and development. Chlamydia obtains the components necessary to complete its intracellular developmental cycle by recruiting Rab proteins (major vesicular trafficking regulators) and Rab effector proteins to the inclusion, interfering with Rab-mediated multivesicular trafficking, reorienting the nutrition of host cells, and reconstructing the intracellular niche environment. Consequently, exploring the role of vesicular transport in nutrient acquisition offers a novel perspective on new approaches for preventing and treating Chlamydia infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lei Wenbo
- Institute of Pathogenic Biology, Hunan Provincial Key Laboratory for Special Pathogens Prevention and Control, Hengyang Medical School, University of South China, Hengyang, Hunan, P.R. China
- Department of Clinical Laboratory Medicine, Institution of Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, The First Affiliated Hospital, Hengyang Medical School, University of South China, Hengyang, Hunan, P.R. China
| | - Yang Yewei
- Institute of Pathogenic Biology, Hunan Provincial Key Laboratory for Special Pathogens Prevention and Control, Hengyang Medical School, University of South China, Hengyang, Hunan, P.R. China
| | - Zhou Hui
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, First Affiliated Hospital of Hunan University of Chinese Traditional Medicine, Changsha, Hunan, P.R. China
| | - Li Zhongyu
- Institute of Pathogenic Biology, Hunan Provincial Key Laboratory for Special Pathogens Prevention and Control, Hengyang Medical School, University of South China, Hengyang, Hunan, P.R. China
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19
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Wu S, Qu Z, Chen D, Wu H, Caiyin Q, Qiao J. Deciphering and designing microbial communities by genome-scale metabolic modelling. Comput Struct Biotechnol J 2024; 23:1990-2000. [PMID: 38765607 PMCID: PMC11098673 DOI: 10.1016/j.csbj.2024.04.055] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2024] [Revised: 04/21/2024] [Accepted: 04/21/2024] [Indexed: 05/22/2024] Open
Abstract
Microbial communities are shaped by the complex interactions among organisms and the environment. Genome-scale metabolic models (GEMs) can provide deeper insights into the complexity and ecological properties of various microbial communities, revealing their intricate interactions. Many researchers have modified GEMs for the microbial communities based on specific needs. Thus, GEMs need to be comprehensively summarized to better understand the trends in their development. In this review, we summarized the key developments in deciphering and designing microbial communities using different GEMs. A timeline of selected highlights in GEMs indicated that this area is evolving from the single-strain level to the microbial community level. Then, we outlined a framework for constructing GEMs of microbial communities. We also summarized the models and resources of static and dynamic community-level GEMs. We focused on the role of external environmental and intracellular resources in shaping the assembly of microbial communities. Finally, we discussed the key challenges and future directions of GEMs, focusing on the integration of GEMs with quorum sensing mechanisms, microbial ecology interactions, machine learning algorithms, and automatic modeling, all of which contribute to consortia-based applications in different fields.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shengbo Wu
- School of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, China
- Zhejiang Shaoxing Research Institute of Tianjin University, Shaoxing 312300, China
| | - Zheping Qu
- School of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, China
| | - Danlei Chen
- School of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, China
- Zhejiang Shaoxing Research Institute of Tianjin University, Shaoxing 312300, China
| | - Hao Wu
- School of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, China
- Zhejiang Shaoxing Research Institute of Tianjin University, Shaoxing 312300, China
| | - Qinggele Caiyin
- School of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, China
- Zhejiang Shaoxing Research Institute of Tianjin University, Shaoxing 312300, China
- Key Laboratory of Systems Bioengineering, Ministry of Education (Tianjin University), Tianjin 300072, China
| | - Jianjun Qiao
- School of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, China
- Zhejiang Shaoxing Research Institute of Tianjin University, Shaoxing 312300, China
- Key Laboratory of Systems Bioengineering, Ministry of Education (Tianjin University), Tianjin 300072, China
- Frontiers Science Center for Synthetic Biology (Ministry of Education), Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, China
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20
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Li C, Han Y, Zou X, Zhang X, Ran Q, Dong C. A systematic discussion and comparison of the construction methods of synthetic microbial community. Synth Syst Biotechnol 2024; 9:775-783. [PMID: 39021362 PMCID: PMC11253132 DOI: 10.1016/j.synbio.2024.06.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/08/2024] [Revised: 06/15/2024] [Accepted: 06/18/2024] [Indexed: 07/20/2024] Open
Abstract
Synthetic microbial community has widely concerned in the fields of agriculture, food and environment over the past few years. However, there is little consensus on the method to synthetic microbial community from construction to functional verification. Here, we review the concept, characteristics, history and applications of synthetic microbial community, summarizing several methods for synthetic microbial community construction, such as isolation culture, core microbiome mining, automated design, and gene editing. In addition, we also systematically summarized the design concepts, technological thresholds, and applicable scenarios of various construction methods, and highlighted their advantages and limitations. Ultimately, this review provides four efficient, detailed, easy-to-understand and -follow steps for synthetic microbial community construction, with major implications for agricultural practices, food production, and environmental governance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chenglong Li
- Institute of Fungus Resources, Department of Ecology/Key Laboratory of Plant Resource Conservation and Germplasm Innovation in Mountainous Region (Ministry of Education), College of Life Sciences, Guizhou University, Guiyang, 550025, Guizhou, China
| | - Yanfeng Han
- Institute of Fungus Resources, Department of Ecology/Key Laboratory of Plant Resource Conservation and Germplasm Innovation in Mountainous Region (Ministry of Education), College of Life Sciences, Guizhou University, Guiyang, 550025, Guizhou, China
| | - Xiao Zou
- Institute of Fungus Resources, Department of Ecology/Key Laboratory of Plant Resource Conservation and Germplasm Innovation in Mountainous Region (Ministry of Education), College of Life Sciences, Guizhou University, Guiyang, 550025, Guizhou, China
| | - Xueqian Zhang
- Institute of Fungus Resources, Department of Ecology/Key Laboratory of Plant Resource Conservation and Germplasm Innovation in Mountainous Region (Ministry of Education), College of Life Sciences, Guizhou University, Guiyang, 550025, Guizhou, China
| | - Qingsong Ran
- Institute of Fungus Resources, Department of Ecology/Key Laboratory of Plant Resource Conservation and Germplasm Innovation in Mountainous Region (Ministry of Education), College of Life Sciences, Guizhou University, Guiyang, 550025, Guizhou, China
| | - Chunbo Dong
- Institute of Fungus Resources, Department of Ecology/Key Laboratory of Plant Resource Conservation and Germplasm Innovation in Mountainous Region (Ministry of Education), College of Life Sciences, Guizhou University, Guiyang, 550025, Guizhou, China
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21
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Holbert S, Barilleau E, Yan J, Trotereau J, Koczerka M, Charton M, Le Vern Y, Pichon J, Grassl GA, Velge P, Wiedemann A. The Salmonella virulence protein PagN contributes to the advent of a hyper-replicating cytosolic bacterial population. Virulence 2024; 15:2357670. [PMID: 38804638 PMCID: PMC11135831 DOI: 10.1080/21505594.2024.2357670] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2023] [Accepted: 04/08/2024] [Indexed: 05/29/2024] Open
Abstract
Salmonella enterica subspecies enterica serovar Typhimurium is an intracellular pathogen that invades and colonizes the intestinal epithelium. Following bacterial invasion, Salmonella is enclosed within a membrane-bound vacuole known as a Salmonella-containing vacuole (SCV). However, a subset of Salmonella has the capability to prematurely rupture the SCV and escape, resulting in Salmonella hyper-replication within the cytosol of epithelial cells. A recently published RNA-seq study provides an overview of cytosolic and vacuolar upregulated genes and highlights pagN vacuolar upregulation. Here, using transcription kinetics, protein production profile, and immunofluorescence microscopy, we showed that PagN is exclusively produced by Salmonella in SCV. Gentamicin protection and chloroquine resistance assays were performed to demonstrate that deletion of pagN affects Salmonella replication by affecting the cytosolic bacterial population. This study presents the first example of a Salmonella virulence factor expressed within the endocytic compartment, which has a significant impact on the dynamics of Salmonella cytosolic hyper-replication.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Jin Yan
- IRSD - Institut de Recherche en Santé Digestive, ENVT, INRAE, INSERM, Université́ de Toulouse, UPS, Toulouse, France
- Department of Gastroenterology, The Second Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, China
- Research Center of Digestive Disease, Central South University, China
| | | | | | - Mégane Charton
- INRAE, Université de Tours, ISP, Nouzilly, France
- Service biologie vétérinaire et santé animale, Inovalys, Angers, France
| | - Yves Le Vern
- INRAE, Université de Tours, ISP, Nouzilly, France
| | | | - Guntram A. Grassl
- Institute of Medical Microbiology and Hospital Epidemiology, Hannover Medical School and German Center for Infection Research (DZIF), Hannover, Germany
| | | | - Agnès Wiedemann
- INRAE, Université de Tours, ISP, Nouzilly, France
- IRSD - Institut de Recherche en Santé Digestive, ENVT, INRAE, INSERM, Université́ de Toulouse, UPS, Toulouse, France
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22
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Vu NT, Kim H, Lee S, Hwang IS, Kwon CT, Oh CS. Bacteriophage cocktail for biocontrol of soft rot disease caused by Pectobacterium species in Chinese cabbage. Appl Microbiol Biotechnol 2024; 108:11. [PMID: 38159122 DOI: 10.1007/s00253-023-12881-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/18/2023] [Revised: 09/26/2023] [Accepted: 10/05/2023] [Indexed: 01/03/2024]
Abstract
Pectobacterium spp. are necrotrophic plant pathogens that cause the soft rot disease in Chinese cabbage, resulting in severe yield loss. The use of conventional antimicrobial agents, copper-based bactericides, and antibiotics has encountered several limitations, such as bioaccumulation on plants and microbial resistance. Bacteriophages (phages) are considered promising alternative antimicrobial agents against diverse phytopathogens. In this study, we isolated and characterized two virulent phages (phiPccP-2 and phiPccP-3) to develop a phage cocktail. Morphological and genomic analyses revealed that two phages belonged to the Tevenvirinae and Mccorquodalevirinae subfamilies, respectively. The phiPccP-2 and phiPccP-3 phages, which have a broad host range, were stable at various environmental conditions, such as various pHs and temperatures and exposure to ultraviolet light. The phage cocktail developed using these two lytic phages inhibited the emergence of phage-resistant bacteria compared to single-phage treatments in in vitro challenge assays. The phage cocktail treatment effectively prevented the development of soft rot symptom in matured Chinese cabbage leaves. Additionally, the phage cocktail comprising three phages (phiPccP-1, phiPccP-2, and phiPccP-3) showed superior biocontrol efficacy against the mixture of Pectobacterium strains in Chinese cabbage seedlings. These results suggest that developing phage cocktails is an effective approach for biocontrol of soft rot disease caused by Pectobacterium strains in crops compared to single-phage treatments. KEY POINTS: •Two newly isolated Pectobacterium phages, phiPccP-2 and phiPccP-3, infected diverse Pectobacterium species and effectively inhibited the emergence of phage-resistant bacteria. •Genomic and physiological analyses suggested that both phiPccP-2 and phiPccP-3 are lytic phages and that their lytic activities are stable in the environmental conditions under which Chinese cabbage grows. •Treatment using a phage cocktail comprising phiPccP-2 and phiPccP-3 efficiently suppressed soft rot disease in detached mature leaves and seedlings of Chinese cabbage, indicating the applicability of the phage cocktail as an alternative antimicrobial agent.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nguyen Trung Vu
- Department of Green-Bio Science, Kyung Hee University, Yongin, 17104, Republic of Korea
| | - Hyeongsoon Kim
- Research Institute of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Seoul National University, Seoul, 08826, Republic of Korea
| | - Soohong Lee
- Department of Green-Bio Science, Kyung Hee University, Yongin, 17104, Republic of Korea
| | - In Sun Hwang
- Research Institute of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Seoul National University, Seoul, 08826, Republic of Korea
| | - Choon-Tak Kwon
- Department of Green-Bio Science, Kyung Hee University, Yongin, 17104, Republic of Korea
| | - Chang-Sik Oh
- Research Institute of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Seoul National University, Seoul, 08826, Republic of Korea.
- Department of Agricultural Biotechnology, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Seoul National University, Seoul, 08826, Republic of Korea.
- Plant Genomics and Breeding Institute, Seoul National University, Seoul, 08826, Republic of Korea.
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23
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Novak JK, Gardner JG. Current models in bacterial hemicellulase-encoding gene regulation. Appl Microbiol Biotechnol 2024; 108:39. [PMID: 38175245 PMCID: PMC10766802 DOI: 10.1007/s00253-023-12977-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/06/2023] [Revised: 12/06/2023] [Accepted: 12/07/2023] [Indexed: 01/05/2024]
Abstract
The discovery and characterization of bacterial carbohydrate-active enzymes is a fundamental component of biotechnology innovation, particularly for renewable fuels and chemicals; however, these studies have increasingly transitioned to exploring the complex regulation required for recalcitrant polysaccharide utilization. This pivot is largely due to the current need to engineer and optimize enzymes for maximal degradation in industrial or biomedical applications. Given the structural simplicity of a single cellulose polymer, and the relatively few enzyme classes required for complete bioconversion, the regulation of cellulases in bacteria has been thoroughly discussed in the literature. However, the diversity of hemicelluloses found in plant biomass and the multitude of carbohydrate-active enzymes required for their deconstruction has resulted in a less comprehensive understanding of bacterial hemicellulase-encoding gene regulation. Here we review the mechanisms of this process and common themes found in the transcriptomic response during plant biomass utilization. By comparing regulatory systems from both Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacteria, as well as drawing parallels to cellulase regulation, our goals are to highlight the shared and distinct features of bacterial hemicellulase-encoding gene regulation and provide a set of guiding questions to improve our understanding of bacterial lignocellulose utilization. KEY POINTS: • Canonical regulatory mechanisms for bacterial hemicellulase-encoding gene expression include hybrid two-component systems (HTCS), extracytoplasmic function (ECF)-σ/anti-σ systems, and carbon catabolite repression (CCR). • Current transcriptomic approaches are increasingly being used to identify hemicellulase-encoding gene regulatory patterns coupled with computational predictions for transcriptional regulators. • Future work should emphasize genetic approaches to improve systems biology tools available for model bacterial systems and emerging microbes with biotechnology potential. Specifically, optimization of Gram-positive systems will require integration of degradative and fermentative capabilities, while optimization of Gram-negative systems will require bolstering the potency of lignocellulolytic capabilities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessica K Novak
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Maryland - Baltimore County, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Jeffrey G Gardner
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Maryland - Baltimore County, Baltimore, MD, USA.
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24
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Heng S, Sutheeworapong S, Wangnai C, Champreda V, Kosugi A, Ratanakhanokchai K, Tachaapaikoon C, Ceballos RM. Hydrolysis of ionic liquid-treated substrate with an Iocasia fonsfrigidae strain SP3-1 endoglucanase. Appl Microbiol Biotechnol 2024; 108:63. [PMID: 38189956 PMCID: PMC10774164 DOI: 10.1007/s00253-023-12918-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2023] [Revised: 12/04/2023] [Accepted: 12/13/2023] [Indexed: 01/09/2024]
Abstract
Recently, we reported the discovery of a novel endoglucanase of the glycoside hydrolase family 12 (GH12), designated IfCelS12A, from the haloalkaliphilic anaerobic bacterium Iocasia fonsfrigidae strain SP3-1, which was isolated from a hypersaline pond in the Samut Sakhon province of Thailand (ca. 2017). IfCelS12A exhibits high substrate specificity on carboxymethyl cellulose and amorphous cellulose but low substrate specificity on b-1,3;1,4-glucan. Unlike some endoglucanases of the GH12 family, IfCelS12A does not exhibit hydrolytic activity on crystalline cellulose (i.e., Avicel™). High-Pressure Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) and Thin Layer Chromatography (TLC) analyses of products resulting from IfCelS12-mediated hydrolysis indicate mode of action for this enzyme. Notably, IfCelS12A preferentially hydrolyzes cellotetraoses, cellopentaoses, and cellohexaoses with negligible activity on cellobiose or cellotriose. Kinetic analysis with cellopentaose and barely b-D-glucan as cellulosic substrates were conducted. On cellopentaose, IfCelS12A demonstrates a 16-fold increase in activity (KM = 0.27 mM; kcat = 0.36 s-1; kcat/KM = 1.34 mM-1 s-1) compared to the enzymatic hydrolysis of barley b-D-glucan (KM: 0.04 mM, kcat: 0.51 s-1, kcat/KM = 0.08 mM-1 s-1). Moreover, IfCelS12A enzymatic efficacy is stable in hypersaline sodium chlorids (NaCl) solutions (up to 10% NaCl). Specifically, IfCel12A retains notable activity after 24 h at 2M NaCl (10% saline solution). IfCelS12A used as a cocktail component with other cellulolytic enzymes and in conjunction with mobile sequestration platform technology offers additional options for deconstruction of ionic liquid-pretreated cellulosic feedstock. KEY POINTS: • IfCelS12A from an anaerobic alkaliphile Iocasia fronsfrigidae shows salt tolerance • IfCelS12A in cocktails with other enzymes efficiently degrades cellulosic biomass • IfCelS12A used with mobile enzyme sequestration platforms enhances hydrolysis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sobroney Heng
- School of Bioresources and Technology, King Mongkut's University of Technology Thonburi, Bangkok, 10150, Thailand
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, Merced, CA, 95343, USA
| | - Sawannee Sutheeworapong
- Systems Biology and Bioinformatics Laboratory, Pilot Plant Development and Training Institute, King Mongkut's University of Technology Thonburi, Bangkok, 10150, Thailand
| | - Chinnapong Wangnai
- Pilot Plant Development and Training Institute, King Mongkut's University of Technology Thonburi, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Verawat Champreda
- National Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, 113 Thailand Science Park, Paholyothin Road Klong Luang, Pathumthani, 12120, Thailand
| | - Akihiko Kosugi
- Biological Resources and Post-Harvest Division, Japan International Research Center for Agricultural Sciences, Ibaraki, Japan
| | - Khanok Ratanakhanokchai
- School of Bioresources and Technology, King Mongkut's University of Technology Thonburi, Bangkok, 10150, Thailand
- Excellent Center of Enzyme Technology and Microbial Utilization, Pilot Plant Development and Training Institute, King Mongkut's University of Technology Thonburi, Bangkok, 10150, Thailand
| | - Chakrit Tachaapaikoon
- School of Bioresources and Technology, King Mongkut's University of Technology Thonburi, Bangkok, 10150, Thailand.
- Excellent Center of Enzyme Technology and Microbial Utilization, Pilot Plant Development and Training Institute, King Mongkut's University of Technology Thonburi, Bangkok, 10150, Thailand.
| | - Ruben Michael Ceballos
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, Merced, CA, 95343, USA.
- Quantitative Systems Biology Program, University of California, Merced, CA, 95343, USA.
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25
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Do DT, Yang MR, Vo TNS, Le NQK, Wu YW. Unitig-centered pan-genome machine learning approach for predicting antibiotic resistance and discovering novel resistance genes in bacterial strains. Comput Struct Biotechnol J 2024; 23:1864-1876. [PMID: 38707536 PMCID: PMC11067008 DOI: 10.1016/j.csbj.2024.04.035] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2023] [Revised: 04/13/2024] [Accepted: 04/13/2024] [Indexed: 05/07/2024] Open
Abstract
In current genomic research, the widely used methods for predicting antimicrobial resistance (AMR) often rely on prior knowledge of known AMR genes or reference genomes. However, these methods have limitations, potentially resulting in imprecise predictions owing to incomplete coverage of AMR mechanisms and genetic variations. To overcome these limitations, we propose a pan-genome-based machine learning approach to advance our understanding of AMR gene repertoires and uncover possible feature sets for precise AMR classification. By building compacted de Brujin graphs (cDBGs) from thousands of genomes and collecting the presence/absence patterns of unique sequences (unitigs) for Pseudomonas aeruginosa, we determined that using machine learning models on unitig-centered pan-genomes showed significant promise for accurately predicting the antibiotic resistance or susceptibility of microbial strains. Applying a feature-selection-based machine learning algorithm led to satisfactory predictive performance for the training dataset (with an area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) of > 0.929) and an independent validation dataset (AUC, approximately 0.77). Furthermore, the selected unitigs revealed previously unidentified resistance genes, allowing for the expansion of the resistance gene repertoire to those that have not previously been described in the literature on antibiotic resistance. These results demonstrate that our proposed unitig-based pan-genome feature set was effective in constructing machine learning predictors that could accurately identify AMR pathogens. Gene sets extracted using this approach may offer valuable insights into expanding known AMR genes and forming new hypotheses to uncover the underlying mechanisms of bacterial AMR.
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Affiliation(s)
- Duyen Thi Do
- Graduate Institute of Biomedical Informatics, College of Medical Science and Technology, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Ming-Ren Yang
- Graduate Institute of Biomedical Informatics, College of Medical Science and Technology, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan
- Department of Electrical Engineering, National Taiwan University of Science and Technology, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Tran Nam Son Vo
- Department of Business Administration, College of Management, Lunghwa University of Science and Technology, Taoyuan City, Taiwan
| | - Nguyen Quoc Khanh Le
- Professional Master Program in Artificial Intelligence in Medicine, College of Medicine, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Yu-Wei Wu
- Graduate Institute of Biomedical Informatics, College of Medical Science and Technology, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan
- Clinical Big Data Research Center, Taipei Medical University Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan
- TMU Research Center for Digestive Medicine, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan
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26
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Seabaugh JA, Anderson DM. Pathogenicity and virulence of Yersinia. Virulence 2024; 15:2316439. [PMID: 38389313 PMCID: PMC10896167 DOI: 10.1080/21505594.2024.2316439] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/05/2023] [Accepted: 02/04/2024] [Indexed: 02/24/2024] Open
Abstract
The genus Yersinia includes human, animal, insect, and plant pathogens as well as many symbionts and harmless bacteria. Within this genus are Yersinia enterocolitica and the Yersinia pseudotuberculosis complex, with four human pathogenic species that are highly related at the genomic level including the causative agent of plague, Yersinia pestis. Extensive laboratory, field work, and clinical research have been conducted to understand the underlying pathogenesis and zoonotic transmission of these pathogens. There are presently more than 500 whole genome sequences from which an evolutionary footprint can be developed that details shared and unique virulence properties. Whereas the virulence of Y. pestis now seems in apparent homoeostasis within its flea transmission cycle, substantial evolutionary changes that affect transmission and disease severity continue to ndergo apparent selective pressure within the other Yersiniae that cause intestinal diseases. In this review, we will summarize the present understanding of the virulence and pathogenesis of Yersinia, highlighting shared mechanisms of virulence and the differences that determine the infection niche and disease severity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jarett A. Seabaugh
- Department of Veterinary Pathobiology, University of Missouri, Columbia, USA
| | - Deborah M. Anderson
- Department of Veterinary Pathobiology, University of Missouri, Columbia, USA
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27
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Lucidi M, Visaggio D, Migliaccio A, Capecchi G, Visca P, Imperi F, Zarrilli R. Pathogenicity and virulence of Acinetobacter baumannii: Factors contributing to the fitness in healthcare settings and the infected host. Virulence 2024; 15:2289769. [PMID: 38054753 PMCID: PMC10732645 DOI: 10.1080/21505594.2023.2289769] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2023] [Accepted: 11/27/2023] [Indexed: 12/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Acinetobacter baumannii is a common cause of healthcare-associated infections and hospital outbreaks, particularly in intensive care units. Much of the success of A. baumannii relies on its genomic plasticity, which allows rapid adaptation to adversity and stress. The capacity to acquire novel antibiotic resistance determinants and the tolerance to stresses encountered in the hospital environment promote A. baumannii spread among patients and long-term contamination of the healthcare setting. This review explores virulence factors and physiological traits contributing to A. baumannii infection and adaptation to the hospital environment. Several cell-associated and secreted virulence factors involved in A. baumannii biofilm formation, cell adhesion, invasion, and persistence in the host, as well as resistance to xeric stress imposed by the healthcare settings, are illustrated to give reasons for the success of A. baumannii as a hospital pathogen.
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Affiliation(s)
- Massimiliano Lucidi
- Department of Science, Roma Tre University, Rome, Italy
- NBFC, National Biodiversity Future Center, Palermo, Italy
| | - Daniela Visaggio
- Department of Science, Roma Tre University, Rome, Italy
- NBFC, National Biodiversity Future Center, Palermo, Italy
- Santa Lucia Foundation IRCCS, Rome, Italy
| | | | | | - Paolo Visca
- Department of Science, Roma Tre University, Rome, Italy
- NBFC, National Biodiversity Future Center, Palermo, Italy
- Santa Lucia Foundation IRCCS, Rome, Italy
| | - Francesco Imperi
- Department of Science, Roma Tre University, Rome, Italy
- NBFC, National Biodiversity Future Center, Palermo, Italy
- Santa Lucia Foundation IRCCS, Rome, Italy
| | - Raffaele Zarrilli
- Department of Public Health, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy
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28
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Zhang X, Zhang Y, Wei F. Research progress on the nonstructural protein 1 (NS1) of influenza a virus. Virulence 2024; 15:2359470. [PMID: 38918890 PMCID: PMC11210920 DOI: 10.1080/21505594.2024.2359470] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/25/2024] [Accepted: 05/19/2024] [Indexed: 06/27/2024] Open
Abstract
Influenza A virus (IAV) is the leading cause of highly contagious respiratory infections, which poses a serious threat to public health. The non-structural protein 1 (NS1) is encoded by segment 8 of IAV genome and is expressed in high levels in host cells upon IAV infection. It is the determinant of virulence and has multiple functions by targeting type Ι interferon (IFN-I) and type III interferon (IFN-III) production, disrupting cell apoptosis and autophagy in IAV-infected cells, and regulating the host fitness of influenza viruses. This review will summarize the current research on the NS1 including the structure and related biological functions of the NS1 as well as the interaction between the NS1 and host cells. It is hoped that this will provide some scientific basis for the prevention and control of the influenza virus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoyan Zhang
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Ningxia University, Yinchuan, China
| | - Yuying Zhang
- School of Biological Science and Technology, University of Jinan, Jinan, China
| | - Fanhua Wei
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Ningxia University, Yinchuan, China
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29
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Wu X, Rai SN, Weber GF. Beyond mutations: Accounting for quantitative changes in the analysis of protein evolution. Comput Struct Biotechnol J 2024; 23:2637-2647. [PMID: 39021584 PMCID: PMC11253266 DOI: 10.1016/j.csbj.2024.06.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/25/2024] [Revised: 06/17/2024] [Accepted: 06/18/2024] [Indexed: 07/20/2024] Open
Abstract
Molecular phylogenetic research has relied on the analysis of the coding sequences by genes or of the amino acid sequences by the encoded proteins. Enumerating the numbers of mismatches, being indicators of mutation, has been central to pertinent algorithms. Specific amino acids possess quantifiable characteristics that enable the conversion from "words" (strings of letters denoting amino acids or bases) to "waves" (strings of quantitative values representing the physico-chemical properties) or to matrices (coordinates representing the positions in a comprehensive property space). The application of such numerical representations to evolutionary analysis takes into account not only the occurrence of mutations but also their properties as influences that drive speciation, because selective pressures favor certain mutations over others, and this predilection is represented in the characteristics of the incorporated amino acids (it is not born out solely by the mismatches). Besides being more discriminating sources for tree-generating algorithms than match/mismatch, the number strings can be examined for overall similarity with average mutual information, autocorrelation, and fractal dimension. Bivariate wavelet analysis aids in distinguishing hypermutable versus conserved domains of the protein. The matrix depiction is readily subjected to comparisons of distances, and it allows the generation of heat maps or graphs. This analysis preserves the accepted taxa order where tree construction with standard approaches yields conflicting results (for the protein S100A6). It also aids hypothesis generation about the origin of mitochondrial proteins. These analytical algorithms have been automated in R and are applicable to various processes that are describable in matrix format.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoyong Wu
- Biostatistics and Informatics Shared Resources, University of Cincinnati Cancer Center, College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH, USA
- Cancer Data Science Center, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine Department of Biostatistics, Health Informatice and Data Sciences, Cincinnati, OH, USA
| | - Shesh N. Rai
- Biostatistics and Informatics Shared Resources, University of Cincinnati Cancer Center, College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH, USA
- Cancer Data Science Center, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine Department of Biostatistics, Health Informatice and Data Sciences, Cincinnati, OH, USA
| | - Georg F. Weber
- University of Cincinnati Cancer Center, College of Pharmacy, Cincinnati, OH, USA
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30
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Nguyen LTT, Park AR, Van Le V, Hwang I, Kim JC. Exploration of a multifunctional biocontrol agent Streptomyces sp. JCK-8055 for the management of apple fire blight. Appl Microbiol Biotechnol 2024; 108:49. [PMID: 38183485 DOI: 10.1007/s00253-023-12874-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2023] [Revised: 10/17/2023] [Accepted: 11/05/2023] [Indexed: 01/08/2024]
Abstract
Apple fire blight, caused by the bacterium Erwinia amylovora, is a devastating disease of apple and pear trees. Biological control methods have attracted much attention from researchers to manage plant diseases as they are eco-friendly and viable alternatives to synthetic pesticides. Herein, we isolated Streptomyces sp. JCK-8055 from the root of pepper and investigated its mechanisms of action against E. amylovora. Streptomyces sp. JCK-8055 produced aureothricin and thiolutin, which antagonistically affect E. amylovora. JCK-8055 and its two active metabolites have a broad-spectrum in vitro activity against various phytopathogenic bacteria and fungi. They also effectively suppressed tomato bacterial wilt and apple fire blight in in vivo experiments. Interestingly, JCK-8055 colonizes roots as a tomato seed coating and induces apple leaf shedding at the abscission zone, ultimately halting the growth of pathogenic bacteria. Additionally, JCK-8055 can produce the plant growth regulation hormone indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) and hydrolytic enzymes, including protease, gelatinase, and cellulase. JCK-8055 treatment also triggered the expression of salicylate (SA) and jasmonate (JA) signaling pathway marker genes, such as PR1, PR2, and PR3. Overall, our findings demonstrate that Streptomyces sp. JCK-8055 can control a wide range of plant diseases, particularly apple fire blight, through a combination of mechanisms such as antibiosis and induced resistance, highlighting its excellent potential as a biocontrol agent. KEY POINTS: • JCK-8055 produces the systemic antimicrobial metabolites, aureothricin, and thiolutin. • JCK-8055 treatment upregulates PR gene expression in apple plants against E. amylovora. • JCK-8055 controls plant diseases with antibiotics and induced resistance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Loan Thi Thanh Nguyen
- Department of Agricultural Chemistry, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Institute of Environmentally Friendly Agriculture, Chonnam National University, Gwangju, 61186, Republic of Korea
| | - Ae Ran Park
- Department of Agricultural Chemistry, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Institute of Environmentally Friendly Agriculture, Chonnam National University, Gwangju, 61186, Republic of Korea
| | - Ve Van Le
- Cell Factory Research Centre, Korea Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology, Daejeon, 34141, Republic of Korea
| | - Inmin Hwang
- Hygienic Safety and Analysis Center, World Institute of Kimchi, Gwangju, 61755, Republic of Korea
| | - Jin-Cheol Kim
- Department of Agricultural Chemistry, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Institute of Environmentally Friendly Agriculture, Chonnam National University, Gwangju, 61186, Republic of Korea.
- JAN153 Biotech Incorporated, Gwangju, 61186, Republic of Korea.
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31
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Camargo A, Ramírez JD, Kiu R, Hall LJ, Muñoz M. Unveiling the pathogenic mechanisms of Clostridium perfringens toxins and virulence factors. Emerg Microbes Infect 2024; 13:2341968. [PMID: 38590276 PMCID: PMC11057404 DOI: 10.1080/22221751.2024.2341968] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/28/2023] [Accepted: 04/06/2024] [Indexed: 04/10/2024]
Abstract
Clostridium perfringens causes multiple diseases in humans and animals. Its pathogenic effect is supported by a broad and heterogeneous arsenal of toxins and other virulence factors associated with a specific host tropism. Molecular approaches have indicated that most C. perfringens toxins produce membrane pores, leading to osmotic cell disruption and apoptosis. However, identifying mechanisms involved in cell tropism and selective toxicity effects should be studied more. The differential presence and polymorphisms of toxin-encoding genes and genes encoding other virulence factors suggest that molecular mechanisms might exist associated with host preference, receptor binding, and impact on the host; however, this information has not been reviewed in detail. Therefore, this review aims to clarify the current state of knowledge on the structural features and mechanisms of action of the major toxins and virulence factors of C. perfringens and discuss the impact of genetic diversity of toxinotypes in tropism for several hosts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anny Camargo
- Centro de Investigaciones en Microbiología y Biotecnología-UR (CIMBIUR), Facultad de Ciencias Naturales, Universidad del Rosario, Bogotá, Colombia
- Health Sciences Faculty, Universidad de Boyacá, Tunja, Colombia
| | - Juan David Ramírez
- Centro de Investigaciones en Microbiología y Biotecnología-UR (CIMBIUR), Facultad de Ciencias Naturales, Universidad del Rosario, Bogotá, Colombia
- Molecular Microbiology Laboratory, Department of Pathology, Molecular and Cell-Based Medicine, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Raymond Kiu
- Institute of Microbiology and Infection, College of Medical and Dental Sciences, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK
- Gut Microbes and Health, Quadram Institute Bioscience, Norwich Research Park, Norwich, UK
| | - Lindsay J. Hall
- Institute of Microbiology and Infection, College of Medical and Dental Sciences, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK
- Gut Microbes and Health, Quadram Institute Bioscience, Norwich Research Park, Norwich, UK
- Norwich Medical School, University of East Anglia, Norwich, UK
| | - Marina Muñoz
- Centro de Investigaciones en Microbiología y Biotecnología-UR (CIMBIUR), Facultad de Ciencias Naturales, Universidad del Rosario, Bogotá, Colombia
- Instituto de Biotecnología-UN (IBUN), Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Bogotá, Colombia
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Barman S, Kurnaz LB, Leighton R, Hossain MW, Decho AW, Tang C. Intrinsic antimicrobial resistance: Molecular biomaterials to combat microbial biofilms and bacterial persisters. Biomaterials 2024; 311:122690. [PMID: 38976935 PMCID: PMC11298303 DOI: 10.1016/j.biomaterials.2024.122690] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/03/2023] [Revised: 05/13/2024] [Accepted: 06/26/2024] [Indexed: 07/10/2024]
Abstract
The escalating rise in antimicrobial resistance (AMR) coupled with a declining arsenal of new antibiotics is imposing serious threats to global public health. A pervasive aspect of many acquired AMR infections is that the pathogenic microorganisms exist as biofilms, which are equipped with superior survival strategies. In addition, persistent and recalcitrant infections are seeded with bacterial persister cells at infection sites. Together, conventional antibiotic therapeutics often fail in the complete treatment of infections associated with bacterial persisters and biofilms. Novel therapeutics have been attempted to tackle AMR, biofilms, and persister-associated complex infections. This review focuses on the progress in designing molecular biomaterials and therapeutics to address acquired and intrinsic AMR, and the fundamental microbiology behind biofilms and persisters. Starting with a brief introduction of AMR basics and approaches to tackling acquired AMR, the emphasis is placed on various biomaterial approaches to combating intrinsic AMR, including (1) semi-synthetic antibiotics; (2) macromolecular or polymeric biomaterials mimicking antimicrobial peptides; (3) adjuvant effects in synergy; (4) nano-therapeutics; (5) nitric oxide-releasing antimicrobials; (6) antimicrobial hydrogels; (7) antimicrobial coatings. Particularly, the structure-activity relationship is elucidated in each category of these biomaterials. Finally, illuminating perspectives are provided for the future design of molecular biomaterials to bypass AMR and cure chronic multi-drug resistant (MDR) infections.
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Affiliation(s)
- Swagatam Barman
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC, 29208, United States; Department of Environmental Health Sciences, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC, 29208, United States
| | - Leman Buzoglu Kurnaz
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC, 29208, United States
| | - Ryan Leighton
- Department of Environmental Health Sciences, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC, 29208, United States
| | - Md Waliullah Hossain
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC, 29208, United States
| | - Alan W Decho
- Department of Environmental Health Sciences, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC, 29208, United States.
| | - Chuanbing Tang
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC, 29208, United States.
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McElroy CA, Ihms EC, Kumar Yadav D, Holmquist ML, Wadhwa V, Wysocki VH, Gollnick P, Foster MP. Solution structure, dynamics and tetrahedral assembly of Anti-TRAP, a homo-trimeric triskelion-shaped regulator of tryptophan biosynthesis in Bacillus subtilis. J Struct Biol X 2024; 10:100103. [PMID: 39035014 PMCID: PMC11255114 DOI: 10.1016/j.yjsbx.2024.100103] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/12/2023] [Revised: 05/08/2024] [Accepted: 06/10/2024] [Indexed: 07/23/2024] Open
Abstract
Cellular production of tryptophan is metabolically expensive and tightly regulated. The small Bacillus subtilis zinc binding Anti-TRAP protein (AT), which is the product of the yczA/rtpA gene, is upregulated in response to accumulating levels of uncharged tRNATrp through a T-box antitermination mechanism. AT binds to the undecameric axially symmetric ring-shaped protein TRAP (trp RNA Binding Attenuation Protein), thereby preventing it from binding to the trp leader RNA. This reverses the inhibitory effect of TRAP on transcription and translation of the trp operon. AT principally adopts two symmetric oligomeric states, a trimer (AT3) featuring three-fold axial symmetry or a dodecamer (AT12) comprising a tetrahedral assembly of trimers, whereas only the trimeric form binds and inhibits TRAP. We apply native mass spectrometry (nMS) and small-angle x-ray scattering (SAXS), together with analytical ultracentrifugation (AUC) to monitor the pH and concentration-dependent equilibrium between the trimeric and dodecameric structural forms of AT. In addition, we use solution nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy to determine the solution structure of AT3, while heteronuclear 15N relaxation measurements on both oligomeric forms of AT provide insights into the dynamic properties of binding-active AT3 and binding-inactive AT12, with implications for TRAP binding and inhibition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Craig A. McElroy
- Ohio State Biochemistry Program, USA
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USA
| | - Elihu C. Ihms
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USA
- Biophysics Program, USA
| | - Deepak Kumar Yadav
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USA
| | - Melody L. Holmquist
- Ohio State Biochemistry Program, USA
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USA
| | - Vibhuti Wadhwa
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USA
| | - Vicki H. Wysocki
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USA
- National Resource for Native MS-Guided Structural Biology, USA
| | - Paul Gollnick
- Department of Biological Sciences, State University of New York, Buffalo, NY 14260, USA
| | - Mark P. Foster
- Ohio State Biochemistry Program, USA
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USA
- Biophysics Program, USA
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Yang X, Zeng J, Wang D, Zhou Q, Yu X, Wang Z, Bai T, Luan G, Xu Y. NagZ modulates the virulence of E. cloacae by acting through the gene of unknown function, ECL_03795. Virulence 2024; 15:2367652. [PMID: 38912723 PMCID: PMC11197897 DOI: 10.1080/21505594.2024.2367652] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/19/2024] [Accepted: 06/09/2024] [Indexed: 06/25/2024] Open
Abstract
β-N-acetylglucosaminidase (NagZ), a cytosolic glucosaminidase, plays a pivotal role in peptidoglycan recycling. Previous research demonstrated that NagZ knockout significantly eradicated AmpC-dependent β-lactam resistance in Enterobacter cloacae. However, NagZ's role in the virulence of E. cloacae remains unclear. Our study, incorporating data on mouse and Galleria mellonella larval mortality rates, inflammation markers, and histopathological examinations, revealed a substantial reduction in the virulence of E. cloacae following NagZ knockout. Transcriptome sequencing uncovered differential gene expression between NagZ knockout and wild-type strains, particularly in nucleotide metabolism pathways. Further investigation demonstrated that NagZ deletion led to a significant increase in cyclic diguanosine monophosphate (c-di-GMP) levels. Additionally, transcriptome sequencing and RT-qPCR confirmed significant differences in the expression of ECL_03795, a gene with an unknown function but speculated to be involved in c-di-GMP metabolism due to its EAL domain known for phosphodiesterase activity. Interestingly, in ECL_03795 knockout strains, a notable reduction in the virulence was observed, and virulence was rescued upon complementation with ECL_03795. Consequently, our study suggests that NagZ's function on virulence is partially mediated through the ECL_03795→c-di-GMP pathway, providing insight into the development of novel therapies and strongly supporting the interest in creating highly efficient NagZ inhibitors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xianggui Yang
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Clinical Medical College and the First Affiliated Hospital of Chengdu Medical College, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
| | - Jun Zeng
- Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Clinical Medical College and the First Affiliated Hospital of Chengdu Medical College, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
| | - Dan Wang
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Clinical Medical College and the First Affiliated Hospital of Chengdu Medical College, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
| | - Qin Zhou
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Clinical Medical College and the First Affiliated Hospital of Chengdu Medical College, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
| | - Xuejing Yu
- Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Cardiology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA
| | - Zhenguo Wang
- Department of Stomatology, Clinical Medical College and the First Affiliated Hospital of Chengdu Medical College, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
| | - Tingting Bai
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Clinical Medical College and the First Affiliated Hospital of Chengdu Medical College, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
| | - Guangxin Luan
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Clinical Medical College and the First Affiliated Hospital of Chengdu Medical College, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
| | - Ying Xu
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Clinical Medical College and the First Affiliated Hospital of Chengdu Medical College, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
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Green HD, Van Horn GT, Williams T, Eberly A, Morales GH, Mann R, Hauter IM, Hadjifrangiskou M, Schmitz JE. Intra-strain colony biofilm heterogeneity in uropathogenic Escherichia coli and the effect of the NlpI lipoprotein. Biofilm 2024; 8:100214. [PMID: 39184815 PMCID: PMC11344014 DOI: 10.1016/j.bioflm.2024.100214] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/19/2024] [Revised: 06/25/2024] [Accepted: 07/09/2024] [Indexed: 08/27/2024] Open
Abstract
Biofilm growth facilitates the interaction of uropathogenic Escherichia coli (UPEC) with the host environment. The extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) of UPEC biofilms are composed prominently of curli amyloid fiber and cellulose polysaccharide. When the organism is propagated as a colony biofilm on agar media, these macromolecules can generate pronounced macroscopic structures. Moreover, curli/cellulose associate tightly with Congo red, generating a characteristic pink-to-red staining pattern when the media is supplemented with this dye. Among different clinical isolates of UPEC, changes in the abundance of curli/cellulose can lead to diverse colony biofilm phenotypes on a strain-by-strain basis. Nevertheless, for any given isolate, these phenotypes are classically homogenous throughout the colony biofilm. Here, we report that a subset of clinical UPEC isolates display heterogenous 'peppermint' colony biofilms, with distinct pale and red subpopulations. Through isolation of these subpopulations and whole genome sequencing, we demonstrate various emergent mutations associated with the phenomenon, including within the gene encoding the outer membrane lipoprotein nlpI. Deletion of nlpI within independent strain-backgrounds increased biofilm rugosity, while its overexpression induced the peppermint phenotype. Upregulation of EPS-associated proteins and transcripts was likewise observed in the absence of nlpI. Overall, these results demonstrate that EPS elaboration in UPEC is impacted by nlpI. More broadly, this phenomenon of intra-strain colony biofilm heterogeneity may be leveraged as a tool to identify additional members within the broad collection of genes that regulate or otherwise affect biofilm formation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hamilton D. Green
- Division of Molecular Pathogenesis, Department of Pathology, Microbiology & Immunology, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, 37232, USA
| | - Gerald T. Van Horn
- Division of Molecular Pathogenesis, Department of Pathology, Microbiology & Immunology, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, 37232, USA
- Center for Personalized Microbiology, Department of Pathology, Microbiology & Immunology, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Timothy Williams
- Division of Molecular Pathogenesis, Department of Pathology, Microbiology & Immunology, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, 37232, USA
| | - Allison Eberly
- Division of Molecular Pathogenesis, Department of Pathology, Microbiology & Immunology, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, 37232, USA
| | - Grace H. Morales
- Division of Molecular Pathogenesis, Department of Pathology, Microbiology & Immunology, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, 37232, USA
| | - Robert Mann
- Division of Molecular Pathogenesis, Department of Pathology, Microbiology & Immunology, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, 37232, USA
| | - Indiana M. Hauter
- Division of Molecular Pathogenesis, Department of Pathology, Microbiology & Immunology, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, 37232, USA
| | - Maria Hadjifrangiskou
- Division of Molecular Pathogenesis, Department of Pathology, Microbiology & Immunology, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, 37232, USA
- Vanderbilt Institute for Infection, Immunology & Inflammation, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USA
- Center for Personalized Microbiology, Department of Pathology, Microbiology & Immunology, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Jonathan E. Schmitz
- Division of Molecular Pathogenesis, Department of Pathology, Microbiology & Immunology, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, 37232, USA
- Vanderbilt Institute for Infection, Immunology & Inflammation, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USA
- Center for Personalized Microbiology, Department of Pathology, Microbiology & Immunology, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USA
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Tenório BG, Kollath DR, Gade L, Litvintseva AP, Chiller T, Jenness JS, Stajich JE, Matute DR, Hanzlicek AS, Barker BM, Teixeira MDM. Tracing histoplasmosis genomic epidemiology and species occurrence across the USA. Emerg Microbes Infect 2024; 13:2315960. [PMID: 38465644 DOI: 10.1080/22221751.2024.2315960] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2023] [Accepted: 02/04/2024] [Indexed: 03/12/2024]
Abstract
ABSTRACTHistoplasmosis is an endemic mycosis in North America frequently reported along the Ohio and Mississippi River Valleys, although autochthonous cases occur in non-endemic areas. In the United States, the disease is provoked by two genetically distinct clades of Histoplasma capsulatum sensu lato, Histoplasma mississippiense (Nam1) and H. ohiense (Nam2). To bridge the molecular epidemiological gap, we genotyped 93 Histoplasma isolates (62 novel genomes) including clinical, environmental, and veterinarian samples from a broader geographical range by whole-genome sequencing, followed by evolutionary and species niche modelling analyses. We show that histoplasmosis is caused by two major lineages, H. ohiense and H. mississippiense; with sporadic cases caused by H. suramericanum in California and Texas. While H. ohiense is prevalent in eastern states, H. mississipiense was found to be prevalent in the central and western portions of the United States, but also geographically overlapping in some areas suggesting that these species might co-occur. Species Niche Modelling revealed that H. ohiense thrives in places with warmer and drier conditions, while H. mississippiense is endemic to areas with cooler temperatures and more precipitation. In addition, we predicted multiple areas of secondary contact zones where the two species co-occur, potentially facilitating gene exchange and hybridization. This study provides the most comprehensive understanding of the genomic epidemiology of histoplasmosis in the USA and lays a blueprint for the study of invasive fungal diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Daniel R Kollath
- Pathogen and Microbiome Institute, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, AZ, USA
| | - Lalitha Gade
- Mycotic Diseases Branch, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | | | - Tom Chiller
- Mycotic Diseases Branch, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Jeff S Jenness
- School of Forestry, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, AZ, USA
| | - Jason E Stajich
- Department of Microbiology & Plant Pathology and Institute for Integrative Genome Biology, University of California, Riverside, CA, USA
| | - Daniel R Matute
- Biology Department, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Andrew S Hanzlicek
- MiraVista Diagnostics, Indianapolis, IN, USA
- Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, OK, USA
| | - Bridget M Barker
- Pathogen and Microbiome Institute, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, AZ, USA
| | - Marcus de Melo Teixeira
- Faculty of Medicine, University of Brasília, Brasília, Brazil
- Pathogen and Microbiome Institute, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, AZ, USA
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Galvez-Llompart M, Hierrezuelo J, Blasco M, Zanni R, Galvez J, de Vicente A, Pérez-García A, Romero D. Targeting bacterial growth in biofilm conditions: rational design of novel inhibitors to mitigate clinical and food contamination using QSAR. J Enzyme Inhib Med Chem 2024; 39:2330907. [PMID: 38651823 DOI: 10.1080/14756366.2024.2330907] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/25/2023] [Accepted: 03/06/2024] [Indexed: 04/25/2024] Open
Abstract
Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a pressing global issue exacerbated by the abuse of antibiotics and the formation of bacterial biofilms, which cause up to 80% of human bacterial infections. This study presents a computational strategy to address AMR by developing three novel quantitative structure-activity relationship (QSAR) models based on molecular topology to identify potential anti-biofilm and antibacterial agents. The models aim to determine the chemo-topological pattern of Gram (+) antibacterial, Gram (-) antibacterial, and biofilm formation inhibition activity. The models were applied to the virtual screening of a commercial chemical database, resulting in the selection of 58 compounds. Subsequent in vitro assays showed that three of these compounds exhibited the most promising antibacterial activity, with potential applications in enhancing food and medical device safety.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Galvez-Llompart
- Department of Preventive Medicine and Public Health, Food Science, Toxicology and Forensic Medicine, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Valencia, Burjassot, Spain
- Department of Physical Chemistry, University of Valencia, Burjassot, Spain
- Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Science, Instituto de Hortofruticultura Subtropical y Mediterránea La Mayora, IHSM-UMA-CSIC, University of Málaga, Málaga, Spain
| | - Jesús Hierrezuelo
- Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Science, Instituto de Hortofruticultura Subtropical y Mediterránea La Mayora, IHSM-UMA-CSIC, University of Málaga, Málaga, Spain
| | - Mariluz Blasco
- Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Science, Instituto de Hortofruticultura Subtropical y Mediterránea La Mayora, IHSM-UMA-CSIC, University of Málaga, Málaga, Spain
| | - Riccardo Zanni
- Department of Physical Chemistry, University of Valencia, Burjassot, Spain
| | - Jorge Galvez
- Department of Physical Chemistry, University of Valencia, Burjassot, Spain
| | - Antonio de Vicente
- Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Science, Instituto de Hortofruticultura Subtropical y Mediterránea La Mayora, IHSM-UMA-CSIC, University of Málaga, Málaga, Spain
| | - Alejandro Pérez-García
- Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Science, Instituto de Hortofruticultura Subtropical y Mediterránea La Mayora, IHSM-UMA-CSIC, University of Málaga, Málaga, Spain
| | - Diego Romero
- Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Science, Instituto de Hortofruticultura Subtropical y Mediterránea La Mayora, IHSM-UMA-CSIC, University of Málaga, Málaga, Spain
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38
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Xi Y, Li X, Liu L, Xiu F, Yi X, Chen H, You X. Sneaky tactics: Ingenious immune evasion mechanisms of Bartonella. Virulence 2024; 15:2322961. [PMID: 38443331 PMCID: PMC10936683 DOI: 10.1080/21505594.2024.2322961] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2023] [Accepted: 02/20/2024] [Indexed: 03/07/2024] Open
Abstract
Gram-negative Bartonella species are facultative intracellular bacteria that can survive in the harsh intracellular milieu of host cells. They have evolved strategies to evade detection and degradation by the host immune system, which ensures their proliferation in the host. Following infection, Bartonella alters the initial immunogenic surface-exposed proteins to evade immune recognition via antigen or phase variation. The diverse lipopolysaccharide structures of certain Bartonella species allow them to escape recognition by the host pattern recognition receptors. Additionally, the survival of mature erythrocytes and their resistance to lysosomal fusion further complicate the immune clearance of this species. Certain Bartonella species also evade immune attacks by producing biofilms and anti-inflammatory cytokines and decreasing endothelial cell apoptosis. Overall, these factors create a challenging landscape for the host immune system to rapidly and effectively eradicate the Bartonella species, thereby facilitating the persistence of Bartonella infections and creating a substantial obstacle for therapeutic interventions. This review focuses on the effects of three human-specific Bartonella species, particularly their mechanisms of host invasion and immune escape, to gain new perspectives in the development of effective diagnostic tools, prophylactic measures, and treatment options for Bartonella infections.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yixuan Xi
- Institute of Pathogenic Biology, Hunan Provincial Key Laboratory for Special Pathogens Prevention and Control, Hunan Province Cooperative Innovation Center for Molecular Target New Drug Study, Hengyang Medical College, University of South China, Hengyang, China
| | - Xinru Li
- Institute of Pathogenic Biology, Hunan Provincial Key Laboratory for Special Pathogens Prevention and Control, Hunan Province Cooperative Innovation Center for Molecular Target New Drug Study, Hengyang Medical College, University of South China, Hengyang, China
| | - Lu Liu
- Institute of Pathogenic Biology, Hunan Provincial Key Laboratory for Special Pathogens Prevention and Control, Hunan Province Cooperative Innovation Center for Molecular Target New Drug Study, Hengyang Medical College, University of South China, Hengyang, China
| | - Feichen Xiu
- Institute of Pathogenic Biology, Hunan Provincial Key Laboratory for Special Pathogens Prevention and Control, Hunan Province Cooperative Innovation Center for Molecular Target New Drug Study, Hengyang Medical College, University of South China, Hengyang, China
| | - Xinchao Yi
- Institute of Pathogenic Biology, Hunan Provincial Key Laboratory for Special Pathogens Prevention and Control, Hunan Province Cooperative Innovation Center for Molecular Target New Drug Study, Hengyang Medical College, University of South China, Hengyang, China
| | - Hongliang Chen
- Chenzhou NO.1 People’s Hospital, The Affiliated Chenzhou Hospital, Hengyang Medical College, University of South China, ChenZhou, China
| | - Xiaoxing You
- Institute of Pathogenic Biology, Hunan Provincial Key Laboratory for Special Pathogens Prevention and Control, Hunan Province Cooperative Innovation Center for Molecular Target New Drug Study, Hengyang Medical College, University of South China, Hengyang, China
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39
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Matarredona L, Zafrilla B, Rubio-Portillo E, Bonete MJ, Esclapez J. Deepening the knowledge of universal stress proteins in Haloferax mediterranei. Appl Microbiol Biotechnol 2024; 108:124. [PMID: 38229402 DOI: 10.1007/s00253-023-12899-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/03/2023] [Revised: 10/10/2023] [Accepted: 10/13/2023] [Indexed: 01/18/2024]
Abstract
Haloarchaea, like many other microorganisms, have developed defense mechanisms such as universal stress proteins (USPs) to cope with environmental stresses affecting microbial growth. Despite the wide distribution of these proteins in Archaea, their biochemical characteristics still need to be discovered, and there needs to be more knowledge about them focusing on halophilic Archaea. Therefore, elucidating the role of USPs would provide valuable information to improve future biotechnological applications. Accordingly, transcriptional expression of the 37 annotated USPs in the Haloferax mediterranei genome has been examined under different stress conditions. From a global perspective, finding a clear tendency between particular USPs and specific stress conditions was not possible. Contrary, data analysis indicates that there is a recruitment mechanism of proteins with a similar sequence able to modulate the H. mediterranei growth, accelerating or slowing it, depending on their number. In fact, only three of these USPs were expressed in all the tested conditions, pointing to the cell needing a set of USPs to cope with stress conditions. After analysis of the RNA-Seq data, three differentially expressed USPs were selected and homologously overexpressed. According to the growth data, the overexpression of USPs induces a gain of tolerance in response to stress, as a rule. Therefore, this is the only work that studies all the USPs in an archaeon. It represents a significant first base to continue advancing, not only in this important family of stress proteins but also in the field of biotechnology and, at an industrial level, to improve applications such as designing microorganisms resistant to stress situations. KEY POINTS: • Expression of Haloferax mediterranei USPs has been analyzed in stress conditions. • RNA-seq analysis reveals that most of the USPs in H. mediterranei are downregulated. • Homologous overexpression of USPs results in more stress-tolerant strains.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura Matarredona
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology and Soil Science and Agricultural Chemistry, Faculty of Science, University of Alicante, Ap 99, 03080, Alicante, Spain
| | - Basilio Zafrilla
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology and Soil Science and Agricultural Chemistry, Faculty of Science, University of Alicante, Ap 99, 03080, Alicante, Spain
| | - Esther Rubio-Portillo
- Department of Physiology, Genetics and Microbiology, Faculty of Science, University of Alicante, Ap 99, 03080, Alicante, Spain
| | - María-José Bonete
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology and Soil Science and Agricultural Chemistry, Faculty of Science, University of Alicante, Ap 99, 03080, Alicante, Spain
| | - Julia Esclapez
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology and Soil Science and Agricultural Chemistry, Faculty of Science, University of Alicante, Ap 99, 03080, Alicante, Spain.
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40
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Wang F, Sun H, Kang C, Yan J, Chen J, Feng X, Yang B. Genomic island-encoded regulatory proteins in enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli O157:H7. Virulence 2024; 15:2313407. [PMID: 38357901 PMCID: PMC10877973 DOI: 10.1080/21505594.2024.2313407] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/24/2023] [Accepted: 01/23/2024] [Indexed: 02/16/2024] Open
Abstract
Enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli (EHEC) is an important zoonotic pathogen that is a major cause of foodborne diseases in most developed and developing countries and can cause uncomplicated diarrhoea, haemorrhagic colitis, and haemolytic uraemic syndrome. O islands (OIs), which are unique genomic islands in EHEC O157:H7, are composed of 177 isolated genomic features and harbour 26% of the total genes that are absent in the non-pathogenic E. coli K-12 genome. In the last twenty years, many OI-encoded proteins have been characterized, including proteins regulating virulence, motility, and acid resistance. Given the critical role of regulatory proteins in the systematic and hierarchical regulation of bacterial biological processes, this review summarizes the OI-encoded regulatory proteins in EHEC O157:H7 characterized to date, emphasizing OI-encoded regulatory proteins for bacterial virulence, motility, and acid resistance. This summary will be significant for further exploration and understanding of the virulence and pathogenesis of EHEC O157:H7.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fang Wang
- TEDA Institute of Biological Sciences and Biotechnology, Nankai University, Tianjin, China
- Intensive Care Unit, Shenzhen Institute of Translational Medicine, Health Science Center, The First Affiliated Hospital of Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, China
| | - Hongmin Sun
- TEDA Institute of Biological Sciences and Biotechnology, Nankai University, Tianjin, China
| | - Chenbo Kang
- TEDA Institute of Biological Sciences and Biotechnology, Nankai University, Tianjin, China
| | - Jun Yan
- TEDA Institute of Biological Sciences and Biotechnology, Nankai University, Tianjin, China
| | - Jingnan Chen
- TEDA Institute of Biological Sciences and Biotechnology, Nankai University, Tianjin, China
| | - Xuequan Feng
- Tianjin First Central Hospital, Nankai University, Tianjin, China
| | - Bin Yang
- TEDA Institute of Biological Sciences and Biotechnology, Nankai University, Tianjin, China
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Chanket W, Pipatthana M, Sangphukieo A, Harnvoravongchai P, Chankhamhaengdecha S, Janvilisri T, Phanchana M. The complete catalog of antimicrobial resistance secondary active transporters in Clostridioides difficile: evolution and drug resistance perspective. Comput Struct Biotechnol J 2024; 23:2358-2374. [PMID: 38873647 PMCID: PMC11170357 DOI: 10.1016/j.csbj.2024.05.027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2024] [Revised: 05/01/2024] [Accepted: 05/16/2024] [Indexed: 06/15/2024] Open
Abstract
Secondary active transporters shuttle substrates across eukaryotic and prokaryotic membranes, utilizing different electrochemical gradients. They are recognized as one of the antimicrobial efflux pumps among pathogens. While primary active transporters within the genome of C. difficile 630 have been completely cataloged, the systematical study of secondary active transporters remains incomplete. Here, we not only identify secondary active transporters but also disclose their evolution and role in drug resistance in C. difficile 630. Our analysis reveals that C. difficile 630 carries 147 secondary active transporters belonging to 27 (super)families. Notably, 50 (34%) of them potentially contribute to antimicrobial resistance (AMR). AMR-secondary active transporters are structurally classified into five (super)families: the p-aminobenzoyl-glutamate transporter (AbgT), drug/metabolite transporter (DMT) superfamily, major facilitator (MFS) superfamily, multidrug and toxic compound extrusion (MATE) family, and resistance-nodulation-division (RND) family. Surprisingly, complete RND genes found in C. difficile 630 are likely an evolutionary leftover from the common ancestor with the diderm. Through protein structure comparisons, we have potentially identified six novel AMR-secondary active transporters from DMT, MATE, and MFS (super)families. Pangenome analysis revealed that half of the AMR-secondary transporters are accessory genes, which indicates an important role in adaptive AMR function rather than innate physiological homeostasis. Gene expression profile firmly supports their ability to respond to a wide spectrum of antibiotics. Our findings highlight the evolution of AMR-secondary active transporters and their integral role in antibiotic responses. This marks AMR-secondary active transporters as interesting therapeutic targets to synergize with other antibiotic activity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wannarat Chanket
- Graduate Program in Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Science, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Methinee Pipatthana
- Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Public Health, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Apiwat Sangphukieo
- Center of Multidisciplinary Technology for Advanced Medicine (CMUTEAM), Faculty of Medicine, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai, Thailand
| | | | | | - Tavan Janvilisri
- Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Science, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Matthew Phanchana
- Department of Molecular Tropical Medicine and Genetics, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
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Hu Y, Wang Y, Hu X, Chao H, Li S, Ni Q, Zhu Y, Hu Y, Zhao Z, Chen M. T4SEpp: A pipeline integrating protein language models to predict bacterial type IV secreted effectors. Comput Struct Biotechnol J 2024; 23:801-812. [PMID: 38328004 PMCID: PMC10847861 DOI: 10.1016/j.csbj.2024.01.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2023] [Revised: 01/20/2024] [Accepted: 01/20/2024] [Indexed: 02/09/2024] Open
Abstract
Many pathogenic bacteria use type IV secretion systems (T4SSs) to deliver effectors (T4SEs) into the cytoplasm of eukaryotic cells, causing diseases. The identification of effectors is a crucial step in understanding the mechanisms of bacterial pathogenicity, but this remains a major challenge. In this study, we used the full-length embedding features generated by six pre-trained protein language models to train classifiers predicting T4SEs and compared their performance. We integrated three modules into a model called T4SEpp. The first module searched for full-length homologs of known T4SEs, signal sequences, and effector domains; the second module fine-tuned a machine learning model using data for a signal sequence feature; and the third module used the three best-performing pre-trained protein language models. T4SEpp outperformed other state-of-the-art (SOTA) software tools, achieving ∼0.98 accuracy at a high specificity of ∼0.99, based on the assessment of an independent validation dataset. T4SEpp predicted 13 T4SEs from Helicobacter pylori, including the well-known CagA and 12 other potential ones, among which eleven could potentially interact with human proteins. This suggests that these potential T4SEs may be associated with the pathogenicity of H. pylori. Overall, T4SEpp provides a better solution to assist in the identification of bacterial T4SEs and facilitates studies of bacterial pathogenicity. T4SEpp is freely accessible at https://bis.zju.edu.cn/T4SEpp.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yueming Hu
- Department of Bioinformatics, College of Life Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Yejun Wang
- Youth Innovation Team of Medical Bioinformatics, Shenzhen University Medical School, Shenzhen, China
- Department of Cell Biology and Genetics, College of Basic Medicine, Shenzhen University Medical School, Shenzhen, China
| | - Xiaotian Hu
- Department of Bioinformatics, College of Life Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Haoyu Chao
- Department of Bioinformatics, College of Life Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Sida Li
- Department of Bioinformatics, College of Life Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Qinyang Ni
- Department of Bioinformatics, College of Life Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Yanyan Zhu
- Department of Bioinformatics, College of Life Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Yixue Hu
- Youth Innovation Team of Medical Bioinformatics, Shenzhen University Medical School, Shenzhen, China
| | - Ziyi Zhao
- Youth Innovation Team of Medical Bioinformatics, Shenzhen University Medical School, Shenzhen, China
| | - Ming Chen
- Department of Bioinformatics, College of Life Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
- Institute of Hematology, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
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Chen B, Liu G, Chen Q, Wang H, Liu L, Tang K. Discovery of a novel marine Bacteroidetes with a rich repertoire of carbohydrate-active enzymes. Comput Struct Biotechnol J 2024; 23:406-416. [PMID: 38235362 PMCID: PMC10792170 DOI: 10.1016/j.csbj.2023.12.025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2023] [Revised: 12/20/2023] [Accepted: 12/23/2023] [Indexed: 01/19/2024] Open
Abstract
Members of the phylum Bacteroidetes play a key role in the marine carbon cycle through their degradation of polysaccharides via carbohydrate-active enzymes (CAZymes) and polysaccharide utilization loci (PULs). The discovery of novel CAZymes and PULs is important for our understanding of the marine carbon cycle. In this study, we isolated and identified a potential new genus of the family Catalimonadaceae, in the phylum Bacteroidetes, from the southwest Indian Ocean. Strain TK19036, the type strain of the new genus, is predicted to encode CAZymes that are relatively abundant in marine Bacteroidetes genomes. Tunicatimonas pelagia NBRC 107804T, Porifericola rhodea NBRC 107748T and Catalinimonas niigatensis NBRC 109829T, which exhibit 16 S rRNA similarities exceeding 90% with strain TK19036, and belong to the same family, were selected as reference strains. These organisms possess a highly diverse repertoire of CAZymes and PULs, which may enable them to degrade a wide range of polysaccharides, especially pectin and alginate. In addition, some secretory CAZymes in strain TK19036 and its relatives were predicted to be transported by type IX secretion system (T9SS). Further, to the best of our knowledge, we propose the first reported "hybrid" PUL targeting alginates in T. pelagia NBRC 107804T. Our findings provide new insights into the polysaccharide degradation capacity of marine Bacteroidetes, and suggest that T9SS may play a more important role in this process than previously believed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Beihan Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Marine Environmental Science, College of Ocean and Earth Science, Fujian Key Laboratory of Marine Carbon Sequestration, Xiamen University, Xiamen, China
- School of Oceanography, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
| | - Guohua Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Marine Environmental Science, College of Ocean and Earth Science, Fujian Key Laboratory of Marine Carbon Sequestration, Xiamen University, Xiamen, China
| | - Quanrui Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Marine Environmental Science, College of Ocean and Earth Science, Fujian Key Laboratory of Marine Carbon Sequestration, Xiamen University, Xiamen, China
| | - Huanyu Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Marine Environmental Science, College of Ocean and Earth Science, Fujian Key Laboratory of Marine Carbon Sequestration, Xiamen University, Xiamen, China
| | - Le Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Marine Environmental Science, College of Ocean and Earth Science, Fujian Key Laboratory of Marine Carbon Sequestration, Xiamen University, Xiamen, China
| | - Kai Tang
- State Key Laboratory of Marine Environmental Science, College of Ocean and Earth Science, Fujian Key Laboratory of Marine Carbon Sequestration, Xiamen University, Xiamen, China
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Otesteanu CF, Caldelari R, Heussler V, Sznitman R. Machine learning for predicting Plasmodium liver stage development in vitro using microscopy imaging. Comput Struct Biotechnol J 2024; 24:334-342. [PMID: 38690550 PMCID: PMC11059334 DOI: 10.1016/j.csbj.2024.04.029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2023] [Revised: 04/09/2024] [Accepted: 04/10/2024] [Indexed: 05/02/2024] Open
Abstract
Malaria, a significant global health challenge, is caused by Plasmodium parasites. The Plasmodium liver stage plays a pivotal role in the establishment of the infection. This study focuses on the liver stage development of the model organism Plasmodium berghei, employing fluorescent microscopy imaging and convolutional neural networks (CNNs) for analysis. Convolutional neural networks have been recently proposed as a viable option for tasks such as malaria detection, prediction of host-pathogen interactions, or drug discovery. Our research aimed to predict the transition of Plasmodium-infected liver cells to the merozoite stage, a key development phase, 15 hours in advance. We collected and analyzed hourly imaging data over a span of at least 38 hours from 400 sequences, encompassing 502 parasites. Our method was compared to human annotations to validate its efficacy. Performance metrics, including the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC), sensitivity, and specificity, were evaluated on an independent test dataset. The outcomes revealed an AUC of 0.873, a sensitivity of 84.6%, and a specificity of 83.3%, underscoring the potential of our CNN-based framework to predict liver stage development of P. berghei. These findings not only demonstrate the feasibility of our methodology but also could potentially contribute to the broader understanding of parasite biology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Corin F. Otesteanu
- Artificial Intelligence in Medicine group, University of Bern, Switzerland
| | - Reto Caldelari
- Institute of Cell Biology, University of Bern, Switzerland
| | | | - Raphael Sznitman
- Artificial Intelligence in Medicine group, University of Bern, Switzerland
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Zheng J, Liu X, Xiong Y, Meng Q, Li P, Zhang F, Liu X, Lin Z, Deng Q, Wen Z, Yu Z. AMXT-1501 targets membrane phospholipids against Gram-positive and -negative multidrug-resistant bacteria. Emerg Microbes Infect 2024; 13:2321981. [PMID: 38422452 PMCID: PMC10906134 DOI: 10.1080/22221751.2024.2321981] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2023] [Accepted: 02/16/2024] [Indexed: 03/02/2024]
Abstract
The rapid proliferation of multidrug-resistant (MDR) bacterial pathogens poses a serious threat to healthcare worldwide. Carbapenem-resistant (CR) Enterobacteriaceae, which have near-universal resistance to available antimicrobials, represent a particularly concerning issue. Herein, we report the identification of AMXT-1501, a polyamine transport system inhibitor with antibacterial activity against Gram-positive and -negative MDR bacteria. We observed minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC)50/MIC90 values for AMXT-1501 in the range of 3.13-12.5 μM (2.24-8.93 μg /mL), including for methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), CR Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. AMXT-1501 was more effective against MRSA and CR E. coli than vancomycin and tigecycline, respectively. Subinhibitory concentrations of AMXT-1501 reduced the biofilm formation of S. aureus and Enterococcus faecalis. Mechanistically, AMXT-1501 exposure damaged microbial membranes and increased membrane permeability and membrane potential by binding to cardiolipin (CL) and phosphatidylglycerol (PG). Importantly, AMXT-1501 pressure did not induce resistance readily in the tested pathogens.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jinxin Zheng
- Department of Infectious Diseases and Shenzhen Key Lab of Endogenous Infection, Shenzhen Nanshan People’s Hospital and the 6th Affiliated Hospital of Shenzhen University Medical School, Shenzhen, People’s Republic of China
| | - Xiaoju Liu
- Department of Infectious Diseases and Shenzhen Key Lab of Endogenous Infection, Shenzhen Nanshan People’s Hospital and the 6th Affiliated Hospital of Shenzhen University Medical School, Shenzhen, People’s Republic of China
| | - Yanpeng Xiong
- Department of Infectious Diseases and Shenzhen Key Lab of Endogenous Infection, Shenzhen Nanshan People’s Hospital and the 6th Affiliated Hospital of Shenzhen University Medical School, Shenzhen, People’s Republic of China
| | - Qingyin Meng
- Department of Infectious Diseases and Shenzhen Key Lab of Endogenous Infection, Shenzhen Nanshan People’s Hospital and the 6th Affiliated Hospital of Shenzhen University Medical School, Shenzhen, People’s Republic of China
| | - Peiyu Li
- Department of Infectious Diseases and Shenzhen Key Lab of Endogenous Infection, Shenzhen Nanshan People’s Hospital and the 6th Affiliated Hospital of Shenzhen University Medical School, Shenzhen, People’s Republic of China
| | - Fan Zhang
- Department of Infectious Diseases and Shenzhen Key Lab of Endogenous Infection, Shenzhen Nanshan People’s Hospital and the 6th Affiliated Hospital of Shenzhen University Medical School, Shenzhen, People’s Republic of China
- Department of Tuberculosis, Shenzhen Nanshan Center for Chronic Disease Control, Shenzhen, People’s Republic of China
| | - Xiaoming Liu
- Department of Gastroenterology, Shenzhen Qianhai Shekou Free Trade Zone Hospital, Shenzhen, People’s Republic of China
| | - Zhiwei Lin
- Department of Infectious Diseases and Shenzhen Key Lab of Endogenous Infection, Shenzhen Nanshan People’s Hospital and the 6th Affiliated Hospital of Shenzhen University Medical School, Shenzhen, People’s Republic of China
| | - Qiwen Deng
- Department of Infectious Diseases and Shenzhen Key Lab of Endogenous Infection, Shenzhen Nanshan People’s Hospital and the 6th Affiliated Hospital of Shenzhen University Medical School, Shenzhen, People’s Republic of China
| | - Zewen Wen
- Department of Infectious Diseases and Shenzhen Key Lab of Endogenous Infection, Shenzhen Nanshan People’s Hospital and the 6th Affiliated Hospital of Shenzhen University Medical School, Shenzhen, People’s Republic of China
| | - Zhijian Yu
- Department of Infectious Diseases and Shenzhen Key Lab of Endogenous Infection, Shenzhen Nanshan People’s Hospital and the 6th Affiliated Hospital of Shenzhen University Medical School, Shenzhen, People’s Republic of China
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46
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Jadhav R, Mach RL, Mach-Aigner AR. Protein secretion and associated stress in industrially employed filamentous fungi. Appl Microbiol Biotechnol 2024; 108:92. [PMID: 38204136 PMCID: PMC10781871 DOI: 10.1007/s00253-023-12985-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2023] [Revised: 12/21/2023] [Accepted: 12/22/2023] [Indexed: 01/12/2024]
Abstract
Application of filamentous fungi for the production of commercial enzymes such as amylase, cellulase, or xylanase is on the rise due to the increasing demand to degrade several complex carbohydrates as raw material for biotechnological processes. Also, protein production by fungi for food and feed gains importance. In any case, the protein production involves both cellular synthesis and secretion outside of the cell. Unfortunately, the secretion of proteins or enzymes can be hampered due to accumulation of unfolded or misfolded proteins in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) as a result of too high synthesis of enzymes or (heterologous) protein expression. To cope with this ER stress, the cell generates a response known as unfolded protein response (UPR). Even though this mechanism should re-establish the protein homeostasis equivalent to a cell under non-stress conditions, the enzyme expression might still suffer from repression under secretory stress (RESS). Among eukaryotes, Saccharomyces cerevisiae is the only fungus, which is studied quite extensively to unravel the UPR pathway. Several homologs of the proteins involved in this signal transduction cascade are also found in filamentous fungi. Since RESS seems to be absent in S. cerevisiae and was only reported in Trichoderma reesei in the presence of folding and glycosylation inhibitors such as dithiothreitol and tunicamycin, more in-depth study about this mechanism, specifically in filamentous fungi, is the need of the hour. Hence, this review article gives an overview on both, protein secretion and associated stress responses in fungi. KEY POINTS: • Enzymes produced by filamentous fungi are crucial in industrial processes • UPR mechanism is conserved among many fungi, but mediated by different proteins • RESS is not fully understood or studied in industrially relevant filamentous fungi.
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Affiliation(s)
- Reshma Jadhav
- Institute of Chemical, Environmental and Bioscience Engineering, TU Wien, Gumpendorfer Str. 1a, A-1060, Vienna, Austria
- Christian Doppler Laboratory for Optimized Expression of Carbohydrate-Active Enzymes, Institute of Chemical, Environmental and Bioscience Engineering, TU Wien, Gumpendorfer Str. 1a, A-1060, Vienna, Austria
| | - Robert L Mach
- Institute of Chemical, Environmental and Bioscience Engineering, TU Wien, Gumpendorfer Str. 1a, A-1060, Vienna, Austria
| | - Astrid R Mach-Aigner
- Institute of Chemical, Environmental and Bioscience Engineering, TU Wien, Gumpendorfer Str. 1a, A-1060, Vienna, Austria.
- Christian Doppler Laboratory for Optimized Expression of Carbohydrate-Active Enzymes, Institute of Chemical, Environmental and Bioscience Engineering, TU Wien, Gumpendorfer Str. 1a, A-1060, Vienna, Austria.
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Türkyılmaz O, Darcan C. Resistance mechanism of Escherichia coli strains with different ampicillin resistance levels. Appl Microbiol Biotechnol 2024; 108:5. [PMID: 38165477 DOI: 10.1007/s00253-023-12929-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2023] [Revised: 10/06/2023] [Accepted: 10/19/2023] [Indexed: 01/03/2024]
Abstract
Antibiotic resistance is an important problem that threatens medical treatment. Differences in the resistance levels of microorganisms cause great difficulties in understanding the mechanisms of antibiotic resistance. Therefore, the molecular reasons underlying the differences in the level of antibiotic resistance need to be clarified. For this purpose, genomic and transcriptomic analyses were performed on three Escherichia coli strains with varying degrees of adaptive resistance to ampicillin. Whole-genome sequencing of strains with different levels of resistance detected five mutations in strains with 10-fold resistance and two additional mutations in strains with 95-fold resistance. Overall, three of the seven mutations occurred as a single base change, while the other four occurred as insertions or deletions. While it was thought that 10-fold resistance was achieved by the effect of mutations in the ftsI, marAR, and rpoC genes, it was found that 95-fold resistance was achieved by the synergistic effect of five mutations and the ampC mutation. In addition, when the general transcriptomic profiles were examined, it was found that similar transcriptomic responses were elicited in strains with different levels of resistance. This study will improve our view of resistance mechanisms in bacteria with different levels of resistance and provide the basis for our understanding of the molecular mechanism of antibiotic resistance in ampicillin-resistant E. coli strains. KEY POINTS: •The mutation of the ampC promoter may act synergistically with other mutations and lead to higher resistance. •Similar transcriptomic responses to ampicillin are induced in strains with different levels of resistance. •Low antibiotic concentrations are the steps that allow rapid achievement of high antibiotic resistance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Osman Türkyılmaz
- Biotechnology Application & Research Centre, Bilecik Seyh Edebali University, Bilecik, Turkey.
| | - Cihan Darcan
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Bilecik Seyh Edebali University, Bilecik, Turkey
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Su HL, Lai SJ, Tsai KC, Fung KM, Lung TL, Hsu HM, Wu YC, Liu CH, Lai HX, Lin JH, Tseng TS. Structure-guided identification and characterization of potent inhibitors targeting PhoP and MtrA to combat mycobacteria. Comput Struct Biotechnol J 2024; 23:1477-1488. [PMID: 38623562 PMCID: PMC11016868 DOI: 10.1016/j.csbj.2024.04.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/24/2023] [Revised: 04/01/2024] [Accepted: 04/01/2024] [Indexed: 04/17/2024] Open
Abstract
Mycobacteria are causative agents of tuberculosis (TB), which is a global health concern. Drug-resistant TB strains are rapidly emerging, thereby necessitating the urgent development of new drugs. Two-component signal transduction systems (TCSs) are signaling pathways involved in the regulation of various bacterial behaviors and responses to environmental stimuli. Applying specific inhibitors of TCSs can disrupt bacterial signaling, growth, and virulence, and can help combat drug-resistant TB. We conducted a comprehensive pharmacophore-based inhibitor screening and biochemical and biophysical examinations to identify, characterize, and validate potential inhibitors targeting the response regulators PhoP and MtrA of mycobacteria. The constructed pharmacophore model Phar-PR-n4 identified effective inhibitors of formation of the PhoP-DNA complex: ST132 (IC50 = 29 ± 1.6 µM) and ST166 (IC50 = 18 ± 1.3 µM). ST166 (KD = 18.4 ± 4.3 μM) and ST132 (KD = 14.5 ± 0.1 μM) strongly targeted PhoP in a slow-on, slow-off manner. The inhibitory potency and binding affinity of ST166 and ST132 for MtrAC were comparable to those of PhoP. Structural analyses and molecular dynamics simulations revealed that ST166 and ST132 mainly interact with the α8-helix and C-terminal β-hairpin of PhoP, with functionally essential residue hotspots for structure-based inhibitor optimization. Moreover, ST166 has in vitro antibacterial activity against Macrobacterium marinum. Thus, ST166, with its characteristic 1,2,5,6-tetrathiocane and terminal sulphonic groups, has excellent potential as a candidate for the development of novel antimicrobial agents to combat pathogenic mycobacteria.
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Affiliation(s)
- Han-Li Su
- Department of Emergency Medicine, Ditmanson Medical Foundation Chia-Yi Christian Hospital, Chiayi City 600, Taiwan
| | - Shu-Jung Lai
- Graduate Institute of Biomedical Sciences, China Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan
- Research Center for Cancer Biology, China Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan
| | - Keng-Chang Tsai
- National Research Institute of Chinese Medicine, Ministry of Health and Welfare, Taipei, Taiwan
- Ph.D. Program in Medical Biotechnology, College of Medical Science and Technology, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Kit-Man Fung
- Biomedical Translation Research Center (BioTReC), Academia Sinica, Taipei 11529, Taiwan
| | - Tse-Lin Lung
- Institute of Molecular Biology, National Chung Hsing University, Taichung,Taiwan
| | - Hsing-Mien Hsu
- Institute of Molecular Biology, National Chung Hsing University, Taichung,Taiwan
| | - Yi-Chen Wu
- Institute of Molecular Biology, National Chung Hsing University, Taichung,Taiwan
| | - Ching-Hui Liu
- Institute of Molecular Biology, National Chung Hsing University, Taichung,Taiwan
| | - Hui-Xiang Lai
- Institute of Molecular Biology, National Chung Hsing University, Taichung,Taiwan
| | - Jiun-Han Lin
- Department of Industrial Technology, Ministry of Economic Affairs, Taipei, Taiwan
- Food Industry Research and Development Institute, Hsinchu City, Taiwan
| | - Tien-Sheng Tseng
- Institute of Molecular Biology, National Chung Hsing University, Taichung,Taiwan
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Kumar R, Kamboj H, Dhanda S, Verma A, Chander Y, Nehra K, Bhati A, Dedar RK, Sharma DK, Barua S, Tripathi BN, Sharma S, Kumar N. Identification of miR-29a as a novel biomarker for lumpy skin disease virus exposure in cattle. Virulence 2024; 15:2324711. [PMID: 38527940 PMCID: PMC10965105 DOI: 10.1080/21505594.2024.2324711] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2023] [Accepted: 02/04/2024] [Indexed: 03/27/2024] Open
Abstract
Micro RNAs (miRNAs) have been implicated in the regulation of maturation, proliferation, differentiation, and activation of immune cells. In this study, we demonstrated that miR-29a antagonizes IFN-γ production at early times post-LSDV infection in cattle. miR-29a was predicted to target upstream IFN-γ regulators, and its inhibition resulted in enhanced IFN-γ production in sensitized peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs). Further, stimulation of PBMCs with LSDV antigen exhibited lower levels of miR-29a, concomitant with a potent cell-mediated immune response (CMI), characterized by an increase in LSDV-specific CD8+ T cell counts and enhanced levels of IFN-γ, which eventually facilitated virus clearance. In addition, a few immunocompromised cattle (developed secondary LSDV infection at ~ 6 months) that failed to mount a potent cell-mediated immune response, were shown to maintain higher miR-29a levels. Furthermore, as compared to the sensitized crossbred cattle, PBMCs from sensitized Rathi (a native Indian breed) animals exhibited lower levels of miR-29a along with an increase in CD8+ T cell counts and enhanced levels of IFN-γ. Finally, we analysed that a ≥ 60% decrease in miR-29a expression levels in the PBMCs of sensitized cattle correlated with a potent CMI response. In conclusion, miR-29a expression is involved in antagonizing the IFN-γ response in LSDV-infected cattle and may serve as a novel biomarker for the acute phase of LSDV infection, as well as predicting the functionality of T cells in sensitized cattle. In addition, Rathi cattle mount a more potent CMI response against LSDV than crossbred cattle.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ram Kumar
- National Centre for Veterinary Type Cultures, ICAR-National Research Centre on Equines, Hisar, India
| | - Himanshu Kamboj
- National Centre for Veterinary Type Cultures, ICAR-National Research Centre on Equines, Hisar, India
| | - Shweta Dhanda
- National Centre for Veterinary Type Cultures, ICAR-National Research Centre on Equines, Hisar, India
| | - Assim Verma
- National Centre for Veterinary Type Cultures, ICAR-National Research Centre on Equines, Hisar, India
| | - Yogesh Chander
- National Centre for Veterinary Type Cultures, ICAR-National Research Centre on Equines, Hisar, India
| | - Kuldeep Nehra
- Livestock Research Station, Rajasthan University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Nohar, Rajasthan, India
| | | | - Ramesh Kumar Dedar
- National Centre for Veterinary Type Cultures, ICAR-National Research Centre on Equines, Hisar, India
| | - Deepak Kumar Sharma
- Department of Veterinary Microbiology, Rajasthan University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Udaipur, India
| | - Sanjay Barua
- National Centre for Veterinary Type Cultures, ICAR-National Research Centre on Equines, Hisar, India
| | - Bhupendra N. Tripathi
- National Centre for Veterinary Type Cultures, ICAR-National Research Centre on Equines, Hisar, India
| | - Shalini Sharma
- National Centre for Veterinary Type Cultures, ICAR-National Research Centre on Equines, Hisar, India
| | - Naveen Kumar
- National Centre for Veterinary Type Cultures, ICAR-National Research Centre on Equines, Hisar, India
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Zilecka E, Klima M, Stefek M, Dejmek M, Nencka R, Boura E. Structure of SARS-CoV-2 MTase nsp14 with the inhibitor STM957 reveals inhibition mechanism that is shared with a poxviral MTase VP39. J Struct Biol X 2024; 10:100109. [PMID: 39188530 PMCID: PMC11345338 DOI: 10.1016/j.yjsbx.2024.100109] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/09/2024] [Revised: 07/26/2024] [Accepted: 07/27/2024] [Indexed: 08/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Nsp14 is an RNA methyltransferase (MTase) encoded by all coronaviruses. In fact, many viral families, including DNA viruses, encode MTases that catalyze the methylation of the RNA precap structure, resulting in fully capped viral RNA. This capping is crucial for efficient viral RNA translation, stability, and immune evasion. Our previous research identified nsp14 inhibitors based on the chemical scaffold of its methyl donor - the S-adenosyl methionine (SAM) - featuring a modified adenine base and a substituted arylsulfonamide. However, the binding mode of these inhibitors was based only on docking experiments. To uncover atomic details of nsp14 inhibition we solved the crystal structure of nsp14 bound to STM957. The structure revealed the atomic details of nsp14 inhibition such that the 7-deaza-adenine moiety of STM957 forms specific interactions with Tyr368, Ala353, and Phe367, while the arylsulfonamide moiety engages with Asn388 and Phe506. The large aromatic substituent at the 7-deaza position displaces a network of water molecules near the adenine base. Surprisingly, this was recently observed in the case of an unrelated monkeypox MTase VP39, where the 7-deaza modified SAH analogs also displaced water molecules from the vicinity of the active site.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eva Zilecka
- Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, v.v.i, Flemingovo nám. 2, 166 10 Prague 6, Czech Republic
| | - Martin Klima
- Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, v.v.i, Flemingovo nám. 2, 166 10 Prague 6, Czech Republic
| | - Milan Stefek
- Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, v.v.i, Flemingovo nám. 2, 166 10 Prague 6, Czech Republic
| | - Milan Dejmek
- Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, v.v.i, Flemingovo nám. 2, 166 10 Prague 6, Czech Republic
| | - Radim Nencka
- Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, v.v.i, Flemingovo nám. 2, 166 10 Prague 6, Czech Republic
| | - Evzen Boura
- Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, v.v.i, Flemingovo nám. 2, 166 10 Prague 6, Czech Republic
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