Article
Immunology
Inaya Hayek, Manuela Szperlinski, Anja Luehrmann
Summary: HIF1 alpha plays a crucial role in regulating the persistence of C. burnetii, with the bacteria initially inducing HIF1 alpha stabilization followed by a decrease over time. The bacterial viability and T4SS are important for this partial HIF1 alpha destabilization, which in turn affects the expression of metabolic target genes and inflammatory genes.
FRONTIERS IN CELLULAR AND INFECTION MICROBIOLOGY
(2022)
Review
Microbiology
Katja Fromm, Christoph Dehio
Summary: Bartonella spp. utilize the VirB/VirD4 type IV secretion system to translocate Beps effector proteins into host cells. The BID domain and FIC domain play crucial roles in effector translocation and post-translational modifications of target proteins, while the EPIYA-related motifs facilitate interactions with host signaling proteins.
FRONTIERS IN MICROBIOLOGY
(2021)
Review
Immunology
Elena Cabezon, Fernando Valenzuela-Gomez, Ignacio Arechaga
Summary: This article discusses the mechanisms and structural and functional similarities between Type III and Type IV protein secretion systems in pathogens. The correlation between the structure and function of essential components in these systems provides significant insights into the development of inhibitors that can effectively target these systems.
FRONTIERS IN CELLULAR AND INFECTION MICROBIOLOGY
(2023)
Review
Immunology
Nadja Blasey, Daria Rehrmann, Anna Katharina Riebisch, Sabrina Muehlen
Summary: Infections caused by Gram-negative pathogens pose a major health burden, and both respiratory and gastrointestinal infections are commonly associated with these pathogens. There has been an increase in antimicrobial resistance over the last decades, and bacterial infections may soon become a threat again. Gram-negative pathogens use virulence-associated secretion systems to inject effector proteins into host cells, facilitating their replication and survival. Inhibitors of these secretion systems have potential as therapeutics.
FRONTIERS IN CELLULAR AND INFECTION MICROBIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
J. Allombert, C. Jaboulay, C. Michard, C. Andrea, X. Charpentier, A. Vianney, P. Doublet
Summary: The Legionella pneumophila Icm/Dot T4SS can translocate a large number of effectors, and research has found that their delivery is controlled by specific timing to effectively manipulate host cells. The timed delivery of effectors depends not only on chaperone protein interactions but also involves cyclic-di-GMP signaling.
JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR BIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Fisheries
Tao Liu, Zheng-Yang Zhou, Chen-wang Lu, Shang-Jie Bai, Jun Wang, Gao-Xue Wang
Summary: In this study, the researchers found that the T4SS of Yersinia ruckeri SC09 mediated bacterial virulence and immune evasion, possibly through the secretion of molecules such as STIR-1, STIR-2, and STIR-3. These findings contribute to a better understanding of the general rules of bacterial pathogenicity.
Article
Veterinary Sciences
Huarun Sun, Junkai Zhang, Qingqing Miao, Yajun Zhai, Yushan Pan, Li Yuan, Fengbin Yan, Hua Wu, Gongzheng Hu
Summary: This study identified four variants of ICEHpa1 with different resistance gene profiles and confirmed their transferability in different hosts. All ICEs shared the same backbone structure and were inserted into the same target site. In addition, novel T4SS and insertion element ISGpa2 were identified.
FRONTIERS IN VETERINARY SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Immunology
Jinying Zhu, Qiao Dong, Changpeng Dong, Xi Zhang, Huan Zhang, Zeliang Chen
Summary: The study revealed that BspF can affect the crotonylation level of host proteins, thereby promoting the intracellular survival and replication of Brucella.
FRONTIERS IN CELLULAR AND INFECTION MICROBIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Qi Yan, Wenqing Zhang, Mingqun Lin, Omid Teymournejad, Khemraj Budachetri, Jeffrey Lakritz, Yasuko Rikihisa
Summary: Etf-3 is a bacterial protein that induces ferritinophagy to facilitate pathogen iron capture, allowing the bacterium to acquire iron for survival and proliferation in the host cell.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
(2021)
Article
Agriculture, Dairy & Animal Science
Algimantas Paulauskas, Irma Razanske, Indre Lipatova, Loreta Griciuviene, Asta Aleksandraviciene, Arturas Kibisa, Dalia Cerneviciene, Jana Radzijevskaja
Summary: This study found that European bison may be infected by at least two Bartonella species, namely B. bovis and B. schoenbuchensis. Further research is needed to determine the distribution of Bartonella species in wild and domestic ruminants, and it is important to identify the transmission route.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Mario Angel Lopez-Luis, Eva Elda Soriano-Perez, Jose Carlos Parada-Fabian, Javier Torres, Rogelio Maldonado-Rodriguez, Alfonso Mendez-Tenorio
Summary: CagY is a protein from Helicobacter pylori's T4SS that plays a critical role in gastric inflammation and cancer. Researchers used modeling techniques to study this complex protein and found that the MRR region of CagY may function as a contractile region and modulate tissue inflammation.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2023)
Article
Biochemical Research Methods
Zhiqiang Li, Shuli Wang, Jincheng Han, Chuanxin Shi, Guangli Yang, Yanyan Cui, Li Xi, Shuanghong Yin, Hui Zhang
Summary: GntR10 is a transcriptional regulator in Brucella that affects the growth and virulence of the bacteria and regulates the activation of NF-κB. This research provides new insights into the designing of Brucella vaccines and the screening of drug targets.
JOURNAL OF PROTEOMICS
(2023)
Article
Microbiology
Katja Fromm, Alexandra Boegli, Monica Ortelli, Alexander Wagner, Erwin Bohn, Silke Malmsheimer, Samuel Wagner, Christoph Dehio
Summary: Bartonella spp. are intracellular pathogens that infect mammals and cause long-lasting bacteremia. They use a type 4 secretion system (T4SS) to deliver effector proteins into host cells and downregulate innate immune responses. Previous studies mainly focused on Bartonella henselae, but its natural host, cats, cannot be used as experimental models. In this study, Bartonella taylorii IBS296 was used as a new model organism to study bacterial pathogenesis in vitro and in vivo. The researchers found that bacterial growth conditions and temperature shift could enhance effector translocation and infectivity in vitro. The established model provides new avenues to study the VirB/VirD4 T4SS and translocated effectors.
FRONTIERS IN MICROBIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Microbiology
Irshad Sharafutdinov, Jakob Knorr, Delara Soltan Esmaeili, Steffen Backert, Nicole Tegtmeyer
Summary: Cortactin plays a crucial role in H. pylori-induced cell functions, with VacA utilizing cortactin for cellular processes and CagA depending on cortactin for its function.
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
G. Li, L. -J. Xia, S. -Y. Zhou, X. -R. Wang, C. -Y. Cui, Y. -Z. He, X. -Y. Diao, M. Liu, X. -L. Lian, B. N. Kreiswirth, Y. -H. Liu, X. -P. Liao, L. Chen, J. Sun
Summary: This study demonstrates that unsaturated fatty acids can inhibit the transfer of different types of plasmids and provides substantial analysis at the molecular level and gene expression level.
JOURNAL OF APPLIED MICROBIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Yansheng Liu, Yang Mi, Torsten Mueller, Saskia Kreibich, Evan G. Williams, Audrey Van Drogen, Christelle Borel, Max Franks, Pierre-Luc Germain, Isabell Bludau, Martin Mehnert, Michael Seifert, Mario Emmenlauer, Isabel Sorg, Fedor Bezrukov, Frederique Sloan Bena, Hu Zhou, Christoph Dehio, Giuseppe Testa, Julio Saez-Rodriguez, Stylianos E. Antonarakis, Wolf-Dietrich Hardt, Ruedi Aebersold
NATURE BIOTECHNOLOGY
(2019)
Article
Chemistry, Analytical
Kari Kopra, Emmiliisa Vuorinen, Maria Abreu-Blanco, Qi Wang, Ville Eskonen, William Gillette, Arto T. Pulliainen, Matthew Holderfield, Harri Harma
ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY
(2020)
Article
Microbiology
Isabel Sorg, Christoph Schmutz, Yun-Yueh Lu, Katja Fromm, Lena K. Siewert, Alexandra Bogli, Kathrin Strack, Alexander Harms, Christoph Dehio
CELL HOST & MICROBE
(2020)
Article
Chemistry, Medicinal
Yashwanth Ashok, Moona Miettinen, Danilo Kimio Hirabae de Oliveira, Mahlet Z. Tamirat, Katja Nareoja, Avlokita Tiwari, Michael O. Hottiger, Mark S. Johnson, Lari Lehtio, Arto T. Pulliainen
ACS INFECTIOUS DISEASES
(2020)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Veera K. Ojala, Anna M. Knittle, Peppi Kirjalainen, Johannes A. M. Merilahti, Maarit Kortesoja, Denis Tvorogov, Katri Vaparanta, Shujun Lin, Jurgen Kast, Arto T. Pulliainen, Kari J. Kurppa, Klaus Elenius
JOURNAL OF BIOLOGICAL CHEMISTRY
(2020)
Article
Chemistry, Analytical
Ville Eskonen, Natalia Tong-Ochoa, Leena Mattsson, Moona Miettinen, Mika Lastusaari, Arto T. Pulliainen, Kari Kopra, Harri Harma
ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY
(2020)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Katharina Ernst, Ann-Katrin Mittler, Veronika Winkelmann, Carolin Kling, Nina Eberhardt, Anna Anastasia, Michael Sonnabend, Robin Lochbaum, Jan Wirsching, Moona Sakari, Arto T. Pulliainen, Ciaran Skerry, Nicholas H. Carbonetti, Manfred Frick, Holger Barth
Summary: Whooping cough is caused by Bordetella pertussis releasing pertussis toxin (PT) which affects G-protein alpha-subunits resulting in increased cAMP signaling. Target cell chaperones like Hsp90, Hsp70, cyclophilins and FK506-binding proteins are shown to play a role in cytosolic PTS1-uptake, with specific pharmacological chaperone inhibition protecting cells from PT-intoxication.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2021)
Article
Food Science & Technology
Carolin Kling, Arto T. Pulliainen, Holger Barth, Katharina Ernst
Summary: The study identified human antimicrobial peptides α-defensin-1 and -5 as inhibitors of the pertussis toxin (PT) activity, demonstrating a potential for developing novel therapeutic strategies against whooping cough.
Review
Chemistry, Medicinal
Moona Sakari, Arttu Laisi, Arto T. Pulliainen
Summary: The paradigm of antivirulence therapy aims to neutralize virulence factors of bacterial pathogens instead of killing them, which promotes the clearance of the pathogen by the immune system. Antivirulence drugs selective for pathogens show promise in reducing damage to beneficial microbiomes and lowering the risk of resistance development. This review focuses on drug modalities targeting bacterial exotoxins, such as monoclonal antibodies, antibody fragments, receptor analogs, and small molecules. Pre-clinical and clinical trial data on approved exotoxin-targeted drugs are described, along with ongoing developments and challenges in this field.
ACS INFECTIOUS DISEASES
(2022)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Moona Sakari, Mai T. Tran, Jamie Rossjohn, Arto T. Pulliainen, Travis Beddoe, Dene R. Littler
Summary: Bordetella pertussis, the causative agent of whooping cough, secrets a toxin called pertussis toxin (PT) that can ADP-ribosylate host cells and interfere with G protein-coupled receptor signaling. This study provides crystal structures of the ADP-ribosyltransferase activity of PT, giving insights into the mechanism of ADP-ribosylation and potentially aiding in drug design.
JOURNAL OF BIOLOGICAL CHEMISTRY
(2022)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Yanjie Xu, Anbu Poosakkannu, Kati M. Suominen, Veronika N. Laine, Thomas M. Lilley, Arto T. Pulliainen, Aleksi Lehikoinen
Summary: This study compiled a systematic database for the prevalence of 121 pathogenic microbial taxa in birds and bats and found that there are differences in the relationships between climatic variables and pathogenic microbial populations among different pathogens. The results suggest that rising temperature and increasing precipitation may accelerate the threat of bacterial and viral pathogens associated with birds and bats to wildlife, domesticated animals, and humans.
Article
Evolutionary Biology
Veronika N. Laine, Arto T. Pulliainen, Thomas M. Lilley
Summary: The northern bat is the most northern bat species in the world, but recent population declines have raised concerns for its conservation. In this study, a high-quality de novo genome assembly was generated for a female northern bat from Finland, and annotation of the assembly identified numerous genes. This genome assembly will serve as an important resource for understanding the impact of rapid environmental changes on northern species.
JOURNAL OF HEREDITY
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Meixin Ran, Rong Sun, Jiaqi Yan, Arto T. Pulliainen, Yu Zhang, Hongbo Zhang
Summary: A new eye-drop system capable of penetrating biofilms and targeting bacteria for chemo-gene therapy in MRSA-caused bacterial keratitis is developed. This system uses DNA nanoflowers encoding MRSA-specific aptamers and mecR1 deoxyribozymes (DNAzymes). The nanosystem disrupts the dense structure of the biofilm, releases the DNAzyme to down-regulate PBP2a expression, and eliminates MRSA efficiently. In vivo tests show that the system effectively clears bacterial and biofilm in the cornea, suppresses proinflammatory cytokines, and is safe for corneal epithelial cells.
Article
Food Science & Technology
Jinfang Jia, Maria Braune-Yan, Stefanie Lietz, Mary Wahba, Arto T. Pulliainen, Holger Barth, Katharina Ernst
Summary: Bordetella pertussis toxin (PT) and Clostridium botulinum C2 toxin are ADP-ribosylating toxins that require cellular chaperones Hsp90 and Hsp70, cyclophilins, and FK506-binding proteins for translocation. Inhibition of chaperone activities can protect cells from PT and C2 intoxication. Domperidone, a dopamine receptor antagonist, was found to inhibit Hsp70 activity and protect cells from intoxication. Domperidone inhibits enzyme subunit translocation and reduces toxin uptake, making it a potential therapeutic agent for diseases caused by bacterial toxins that require Hsp70.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Valeriy M. Paramonov, Cecilia Sahlgren, Adolfo Rivero-Muller, Arto T. Pulliainen
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Kun He, Mengyi Xie, Weifeng Hong, Yonghe Li, Yaolin Yin, Xiaojin Gao, Yi He, Yu Chen, Chuan You, Jingdong Li
Summary: Centromere protein L (CENPL) is overexpressed in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and is associated with poor patient prognosis. Upregulation of CENPL promotes tumor proliferation and glycolysis in HCC cells by activating the MEK1/2-ERK1/2 signaling pathway.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF BIOCHEMISTRY & CELL BIOLOGY
(2024)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Yingzi Wang, Haozhong Huang, Huimin Weng, Chunsen Jia, Bin Liao, Yang Long, Fengxu Yu, Yongmei Nie
Summary: Talin protein plays a crucial role in transmitting mechanical forces by connecting the extracellular matrix to the cytoskeleton. It converts mechanical signals into biochemical signals and serves as diagnostic, therapeutic, and prognostic indicators in diseases.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF BIOCHEMISTRY & CELL BIOLOGY
(2024)
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Hema Saranya Ilamathi, Marc Germain
Summary: Mitochondria are the central metabolic hubs in cells, relying on proteins encoded by nuclear DNA and mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) for their function. The maintenance and distribution of mtDNA are crucial for proper mitochondrial function and are associated with mitochondrial diseases. mtDNA is organized into nucleoids that dynamically move and interact with each other. The replication and distribution of mtDNA nucleoids are regulated by the complex interplay of mitochondrial dynamics, ER-mitochondria contact sites, and cytoskeletal networks.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF BIOCHEMISTRY & CELL BIOLOGY
(2024)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
K. K. Sruthi, Sirisha Natani, Ramesh Ummanni
Summary: The overexpression of TPD52 is associated with the emergence of neuroendocrine prostate cancer (NEPC). TPD52 activates the NF-kappa B - STAT3 axis to induce neuroendocrine differentiation (NED) of prostate cancer cells. Therapeutic targeting of TPD52 is important for the treatment of prostate cancer.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF BIOCHEMISTRY & CELL BIOLOGY
(2024)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Cui Li, Feifan Xiang, Yuqi Gong, Yi Fu, Ge Chen, Zhi Wang, Zhong Li, Daiqing Wei
Summary: Our study demonstrates the significant role of tumor-derived microparticles (T-MPs) in osteosarcoma metastasis and immune response. T-MPs promote macrophage polarization and stimulate migration and chemoresistance of osteosarcoma cells, thereby affecting the progression of osteosarcoma.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF BIOCHEMISTRY & CELL BIOLOGY
(2024)
