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Chai L, Shank EA, Zaburdaev V. Where bacteria and eukaryotes meet. J Bacteriol 2024; 206:e0004923. [PMID: 38289062 PMCID: PMC10882991 DOI: 10.1128/jb.00049-23] [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] [Indexed: 02/02/2024] Open
Abstract
The international workshop "Interdisciplinary life of microbes: from single cells to multicellular aggregates," following a virtual preassembly in November 2021, was held in person in Dresden, from 9 to 13 November 2022. It attracted not only prominent experts in biofilm research but also researchers from broadly neighboring disciplines, such as medicine, chemistry, and theoretical and experimental biophysics, both eukaryotic and prokaryotic. Focused brainstorming sessions were the special feature of the event and are at the heart of this commentary.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liraz Chai
- Institute of Chemistry, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel
- The Harvey M. Krueger Family Center for Nanoscience and Nanotechnology, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Elizabeth A. Shank
- Department of Systems Biology, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Vasily Zaburdaev
- Department of Biology, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Erlangen, Germany
- Max-Planck-Zentrum für Physik und Medizin, Erlangen, Germany
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Sharma G, Chodvadiya J, Malik I. "Deoxy" to be or "Desoxy" not to be-a century-old tale in the history of DNA nomenclature. J Bacteriol 2024; 206:e0040123. [PMID: 38294238 PMCID: PMC10882988 DOI: 10.1128/jb.00401-23] [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] [Indexed: 02/01/2024] Open
Abstract
This commentary discusses a comprehensive history of the first-ever use of pertinent words directly related to DNA, such as desoxyribose, deoxyribose, desoxyribonucleic acid, and deoxyribonucleic acid. With almost 100 years of the identification and nomenclature of desoxyribose sugar and desoxyribonucleic acid, the term "desoxy" continues to see limited use. We hope that whenever young researchers come across the sporadic occurrence of "desoxy" in any published text, they will not consider it a mistake.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gaurav Sharma
- Department of Biotechnology, Indian Institute of Technology Hyderabad, Sangareddy, Telangana, India
| | - Jaimin Chodvadiya
- Department of Biotechnology, Indian Institute of Technology Hyderabad, Sangareddy, Telangana, India
| | - Indranil Malik
- Department of Biotechnology, Indian Institute of Technology Hyderabad, Sangareddy, Telangana, India
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Brockhurst M, Cavet J, Diggle SP, Grainger D, Mangenelli R, Sychrova H, Martin-Verstraete I, Welch M, Palmer T, Thomas GH. Shaping microbiology for 75 years: highlights of research published in Microbiology. Part 2 - Communities and evolution. MICROBIOLOGY (READING, ENGLAND) 2023; 169. [PMID: 37379228 DOI: 10.1099/mic.0.001357] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/30/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Michael Brockhurst
- Division of Evolution, Infection and Genomics, University of Manchester, Michael Smith Building, Dover Street, Manchester M13 9PT, UK
| | - Jennifer Cavet
- Lydia Becker Institute of Immunology and Inflammation, School of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Biology Medicine and Health, University of Manchester, Manchester M13 9PT, UK
| | - Stephen P Diggle
- Center for Microbial Dynamics & Infection, School of Biological Sciences, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - David Grainger
- School of Biosciences, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham B15 2TT, UK
| | | | - Hana Sychrova
- Institute of Physiology of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Laboratory of Membrane Transport, 14200 Prague 4, Czech Republic
| | | | - Martin Welch
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Tracy Palmer
- Microbes in Health and Disease Theme, Newcastle University Biosciences Institute, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE2 4HH, UK
| | - Gavin H Thomas
- Department of Biology, University of York, Wentworth Way, York, UK
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Wang B, Zhao J, Liu S, Feng J, Luo Y, He X, Wang Y, Ge F, Wang J, Ye B, Huang W, Bo X, Wang Y, Xi JJ. ACE2 decoy receptor generated by high-throughput saturation mutagenesis efficiently neutralizes SARS-CoV-2 and its prevalent variants. Emerg Microbes Infect 2022; 11:1488-1499. [PMID: 35587428 PMCID: PMC9176695 DOI: 10.1080/22221751.2022.2079426] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
The recent global pandemic was a spillover from the SARS-CoV-2 virus. Viral entry involves the receptor binding domain (RBD) of the viral spike protein interacting with the protease domain (PD) of the cellular receptor, ACE2. We hereby present a comprehensive mutational landscape of the effects of ACE2-PD point mutations on RBD-ACE2 binding using a saturation mutagenesis approach based on microarray-based oligo synthesis and a single-cell screening assay. We observed that changes in glycosylation sites and directly interacting sites of ACE2-PD significantly influenced ACE2-RBD binding. We further engineered an ACE2 decoy receptor with critical point mutations, D30I, L79W, T92N, N322V, and K475F, named C4-1. C4-1 shows a 200-fold increase in neutralization for the SARS-CoV-2 D614G pseudotyped virus compared to wild-type soluble ACE2 and a sevenfold increase in binding affinity to wild-type spike compared to the C-terminal Ig-Fc fused wild-type soluble ACE2. Moreover, C4-1 efficiently neutralized prevalent variants, especially the omicron variant (EC50=16 ng/mL), and rescued monoclonal antibodies, vaccine, and convalescent sera neutralization from viral immune-escaping. We hope to next investigate translating the therapeutic potential of C4-1 for the treatment of SARS-CoV-2.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bolun Wang
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Peking University, Beijing, People's Republic of China
| | - Junxuan Zhao
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Peking University, Beijing, People's Republic of China
| | - Shuo Liu
- Division of HIV/AIDS and Sex-transmitted Virus Vaccines, Institute for Biological Product Control, National Institutes for Food and Drug Control (NIFDC), Beijing, People's Republic of China
| | - Jingyuan Feng
- College of Chemistry, University of California Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Yufeng Luo
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Peking University, Beijing, People's Republic of China
| | - Xinyu He
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Peking University, Beijing, People's Republic of China
| | - Yanmin Wang
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Peking University, Beijing, People's Republic of China
| | - Feixiang Ge
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Peking University, Beijing, People's Republic of China
| | - Junyi Wang
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Peking University, Beijing, People's Republic of China
| | - Buqing Ye
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Peking University, Beijing, People's Republic of China
| | - Weijin Huang
- Division of HIV/AIDS and Sex-transmitted Virus Vaccines, Institute for Biological Product Control, National Institutes for Food and Drug Control (NIFDC), Beijing, People's Republic of China
| | - Xiaochen Bo
- Institute of Health Service and Transfusion Medicine, Beijing, People's Republic of China
| | - Youchun Wang
- Division of HIV/AIDS and Sex-transmitted Virus Vaccines, Institute for Biological Product Control, National Institutes for Food and Drug Control (NIFDC), Beijing, People's Republic of China
| | - Jianzhong Jeff Xi
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Peking University, Beijing, People's Republic of China
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Mostowy S. Louis Pasteur continues to shape the future of microbiology. Dis Model Mech 2022; 15:dmm050011. [PMID: 36504391 PMCID: PMC10655809 DOI: 10.1242/dmm.050011] [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] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Louis Pasteur made seminal discoveries in microbiology, immunology and vaccinology that transformed clinical science and saved millions of lives. Since the 19th century, our ability to study infectious disease has undergone radical changes due to newly emerging technologies and infection models. In this Editorial, I consider Pasteur's impact on our ability to understand and combat infectious disease in the context of two modern-day pandemics: coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and antimicrobial resistance (AMR). During the COVID-19 pandemic, we witnessed remarkable ambition to understand severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection and to innovate effective vaccines to prevent disease. For the comparatively overlooked pandemic of AMR, we require the same level of urgency to develop alternative approaches to combat antibiotic-resistant bacterial strains that cause millions of deaths annually. Pasteur's statement "chance only favours the mind which is prepared" is a principle that captures 'l'esprit Pasteur'. This principle should continue to guide modern-day research on infectious disease, and for this we need to support the development of predictive disease models and cutting-edge mechanistic research that prepare us for discovery and therapeutic impact.
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Affiliation(s)
- Serge Mostowy
- Department of Infection Biology, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, WC1E 7HT, UK
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Zhang Y, Gallant É, Park JD, Seyedsayamdost MR. The Small-Molecule Language of Dynamic Microbial Interactions. Annu Rev Microbiol 2022; 76:641-660. [PMID: 35679616 PMCID: PMC10171915 DOI: 10.1146/annurev-micro-042722-091052] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Although microbes are routinely grown in monocultures in the laboratory, they are almost never encountered as single species in the wild. Our ability to detect and identify new microorganisms has advanced significantly in recent years, but our understanding of the mechanisms that mediate microbial interactions has lagged behind. What makes this task more challenging is that microbial alliances can be dynamic, consisting of multiple phases. The transitions between phases, and the interactions in general, are often mediated by a chemical language consisting of small molecules, also referred to as secondary metabolites or natural products. In this microbial lexicon, the molecules are like words and through their effects on recipient cells they convey meaning. The current review highlights three dynamic microbial interactions in which some of the words and their meanings have been characterized, especially those that mediate transitions in selected multiphasic associations. These systems provide insights into the principles that govern microbial symbioses and a playbook for interrogating similar associations in diverse ecological niches. Expected final online publication date for the Annual Review of Microbiology, Volume 76 is September 2022. Please see http://www.annualreviews.org/page/journal/pubdates for revised estimates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yifan Zhang
- Department of Molecular Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey, USA; ,
| | - Étienne Gallant
- Department of Chemistry, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey, USA; ,
| | - Jong-Duk Park
- Department of Chemistry, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey, USA; ,
| | - Mohammad R Seyedsayamdost
- Department of Molecular Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey, USA; , .,Department of Chemistry, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey, USA; ,
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Park S, Cho H. The Tol-Pal System Plays an Important Role in Maintaining Cell Integrity During Elongation in Escherichia coli. Front Microbiol 2022; 13:891926. [PMID: 35592005 PMCID: PMC9111525 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2022.891926] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2022] [Accepted: 04/07/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The Tol-Pal system is a transenvelope complex widely conserved among Gram-negative bacteria. It is recruited to the septal ring during cytokinesis, and its inactivation causes pleiotropic phenotypes mainly associated with the division process. From our genetic screen to identify factors required for delaying lysis upon treatment of beta lactams, we discovered that the tol-pal mutant shares similar defects with mutants of the major class A PBP system (PBP1b-LpoB) in terms of lysis prevention. Further phenotypic analyses revealed that the Tol-Pal system plays an important role in maintaining cell integrity not only during septation, but also during cell elongation. Simultaneous inactivation of the Tol-Pal system and the PBP1b-LpoB system leads to lysis during cell elongation as well as during division. Moreover, production of the Lpo activator-bypass PBP1b, but not wild-type PBP1b, partially suppressed the Tol-Pal defect in maintaining cell integrity upon treatment of mecillinam specific for the Rod system, suggesting that the Tol-Pal system is likely to be involved in the activation of aPBP by Lpo factors. Overall, our results indicate that the Tol-Pal system plays an important role in maintaining cell wall integrity during elongation in addition to its multifaceted roles during cytokinesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sohee Park
- Department of Biological Sciences, College of Natural Sciences, Sungkyunkwan University, Suwon, South Korea
| | - Hongbaek Cho
- Department of Biological Sciences, College of Natural Sciences, Sungkyunkwan University, Suwon, South Korea
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