Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Richa Karmakar, Timothy Tyree, Richard H. Gomer, Wouter-Jan Rappel
Summary: Chemotaxis plays a crucial role in biological processes where cells are guided by chemical gradients. In Dictyostelium discoideum, cell aggregates are formed through periodic pulses of cAMP and secretion of PDE, allowing for cell motion and dispersion. The competition between cAMP and PDE results in the formation of a gradient directed away from the aggregate, leading to outward cell motion.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
(2021)
Article
Cell Biology
Romain Bodinier, Ayman Sabra, Jade Leiba, Anna Marchetti, Otmane Lamrabet, Imen Ayadi, Vedrana Filic, Takefumi Kawata, Igor Weber, Pierre Cosson
Summary: The genetic inactivation of lrrkA leads to enhanced phagocytosis and cell motility in D. discoideum cells, while also causing an abnormal response to folate. Folate increases motility in parental cells but not in lrrkA KO cells, indicating the pivotal role of LrrkA in cellular response to folate. The study identifies gene products involved in the control of intracellular killing, cell motility, and gene transcription, shedding light on how D. discoideum can efficiently migrate, engulf, and kill bacteria when encountering bacterially-secreted folate.
FRONTIERS IN CELL AND DEVELOPMENTAL BIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
William D. Kim, Shyong Q. Yap, Robert J. Huber
Summary: This study identified over 500 putative CaM interactors in the model organism Dictyostelium, revealing new insights into the diverse cellular and developmental roles of CaM and CaMBPs. Gene ontology analysis linked the CaM interactors to various cellular processes, and the primary localizations of these interactors were identified. This study provides the first in vivo catalogue of putative CaM interactors in Dictyostelium and sheds additional light on the essential roles of CaM and CaMBPs in eukaryotes.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2021)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Sui Lay, Xavier Pearce, Oana Sanislav, Paul Robert Fisher, Sarah Jane Annesley
Summary: Mitochondrial Complex II is composed of four core subunits and mutations in any of these subunits can result in lowered Complex II activity. However, mutations in different subunits are associated with distinct patterns of clinical disease. In this study, knockdown of individual Complex II subunits in Dictyostelium discoideum revealed specific phenotypic defects and mitochondrial dysfunction associated with SdhA knockdown. These defects were mediated by the chronic activation of AMP-activated protein kinase.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2022)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Soumyadip Sahu, Jacob Gordon, Chunfang Gu, Mack Sobhany, Dorothea Fiedler, Robin E. Stanley, Stephen B. Shears
Summary: 5-InsP(7) regulates the binding of nucleolar proteins, and altering its levels can affect the volume of the nucleolar granular region in cells.
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Johann E. Kufs, Christin Reimer, Emily Steyer, Vito Valiante, Falk Hillmann, Lars Regestein
Summary: We developed a robust and reliable scale-up strategy for amoeba-based bioprocesses and evaluated its applicability for the production of the cannabinoid precursor olivetolic acid. By determining the maximum tolerable hydromechanical stress level for D. discoideum, we were able to scale-up the process from shake flasks to the 300-L stirred tank reactor without any yield reduction from cell shearing.
MICROBIAL CELL FACTORIES
(2022)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Daisuke Ohtsuka, Nobutoshi Ota, Satoshi Amaya, Satomi Matsuoka, Yo Tanaka, Masahiro Ueda
Summary: The study found that chemotaxis was strongest at a cAMP concentration of 100 nM, with about 16% of cells still exhibiting chemotaxis at a concentration of 10 pM. Additionally, chemotaxis was suppressed at a concentration of 100 pM cAMP due to the self-production and secretion of intracellular cAMP induced by extracellular cAMP.
BIOCHEMICAL AND BIOPHYSICAL RESEARCH COMMUNICATIONS
(2021)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Estelle Ifrid, Hajer Ouertatani-Sakouhi, Tania Jauslin, Sebastien Kicka, Gianpaolo Chiriano, Christopher F. Harrison, Hubert Hilbi, Leonardo Scapozza, Thierry Soldati, Pierre Cosson
Summary: This study identified three non-antibiotic compounds that can decrease the virulence of Klebsiella pneumoniae and combat infections. By using Dictyostelium discoideum as a model phagocyte, the researchers found that one of the compounds, 5-ethyl-2'-deoxyuridine, rendered the bacterial membrane more accessible to antibacterial effectors.
Review
Chemistry, Analytical
Michael Muljadi, Yi-Chen Fu, Chao-Min Cheng
Summary: Cellular chemotaxis has been extensively studied due to its relevance in various physiological and pathological processes. Classic diffusion chambers have limitations in quantification, reproducibility, and measurement accuracy. Microfluidic technology has provided advanced tools to observe and analyze cell chemotaxis, especially using D. discoideum as a model organism. The flexibility and ability to generate consistent concentration gradients make microfluidic devices promising for understanding cell migratory behavior and related biological processes.
Article
Microbiology
Yuehui Tian, Tao Peng, Zhenzhen He, Luting Wang, Xurui Zhang, Zhili He, Longfei Shu
Summary: This study uses a novel amoeba-symbiont system to show that the establishment of social amoeba-bacterium symbiosis is not linked with extracellular discrimination, but instead, symbiont-induced phagosome biogenesis contributes to the formation of this symbiotic relationship.
MICROBIOLOGY SPECTRUM
(2022)
Article
Cell Biology
Katharina E. Rosenbusch, Asmaa Oun, Oana Sanislav, Sui T. Lay, Ineke Keizer-Gunnink, Sarah J. Annesley, Paul R. Fisher, Amalia M. Dolga, Arjan Kortholt
Summary: Parkinson's Disease is the second most common neurodegenerative disease globally, with mutations in the LRRK2 gene being a frequent cause. Increased kinase activity of LRRK2, even without mutations, may play a crucial role in the pathogenesis of PD. Studies using models and cell measurements have shown that LRRK2 could impact mitochondrial activity, but the exact mechanism remains unclear.
FRONTIERS IN CELL AND DEVELOPMENTAL BIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Microbiology
Nabil Hanna, Hendrik Koliwer-Brandl, Louise H. Lefrancois, Vera Kalinina, Elena Cardenal-Munoz, Joddy Appiah, Florence Leuba, Aurelie Gueho, Hubert Hilbi, Thierry Soldati, Caroline Barisch
Summary: This study investigates the role of zinc ions in Mycobacterium marinum infection, revealing that the bacterium can sense toxic levels of zinc ions and respond by upregulating a specific isoform of a zinc efflux transporter. The interplay of zinc ion transporters ZntA and ZntB affects bacterial growth, with deletion of these transporters leading to different levels of zinc accumulation in Mycobacterium-containing vacuoles. Overall, zinc poisoning plays a crucial role in restricting mycobacterial infections by impacting zinc ion homeostasis.
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
James G. DuBose, Michael S. Robeson, Mackenzie Hoogshagen, Hunter Olsen, Tamara S. Haselkorn
Summary: The relationship between social amoeba Dictyostelium discoideum and its endosymbiotic bacteria Paraburkholderia provides a model system for studying symbiotic relationships. Laboratory experiments have shown that Paraburkholderia symbionts allow the survival of food bacteria in amoeba spores, a phenomenon called farming. However, the occurrence and impact of farming in natural populations have been challenging to measure. This study surveyed natural D. discoideum populations and found that only one of the three symbiont species remained prevalent. Contrary to expectations, Paraburkholderia tended to dominate the D. discoideum microbiota and did not increase the diversity of food bacteria carriage. This highlights the complexity of understanding symbiont function in nature and suggests alternative roles for Paraburkholderia in its host.
APPLIED AND ENVIRONMENTAL MICROBIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Medicine, Research & Experimental
Ji Qi, Weiwei Cheng, Zhe Gao, Yuanyuan Chen, Megan L. Shipton, David Furkert, Alfred C. Chin, Andrew M. Riley, Dorothea Fiedler, Barry V. L. Potter, Chenglai Fu
Summary: The antifungal drug itraconazole has been found to disrupt focal adhesion dynamics and actin cytoskeleton remodeling by displacing IP6K1/5-InsP7, thus inhibiting cell motility. The study reveals the critical roles of IP6K1-generated 5-InsP7 in regulating these cellular processes and provides functional mechanisms by which itraconazole inhibits angiogenesis.
BIOMEDICINE & PHARMACOTHERAPY
(2023)
Article
Cell Biology
Felicia N. Williams, Yumei Wu, K. Matthew Scaglione
Summary: Dictyostelium discoideum is a powerful model organism for investigating human health and disease, with high throughput genetic screens. However, limitations such as time-consuming screening processes have restricted genomic coverage. By coupling chemical mutagenesis with the 5-fluoroorotic acid counterselection system, mutations in genes of interest can be enriched efficiently, offering potential for broader applications across different biological systems.
FRONTIERS IN CELL AND DEVELOPMENTAL BIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Oncology
Marco Rossi, Emanuela Altomare, Cirino Botta, Maria Eugenia Gallo Cantafio, Sarai Sarvide, Daniele Caracciolo, Caterina Riillo, Marco Gaspari, Domenico Taverna, Francesco Conforti, Paola Critelli, Bernardo Bertucci, Michelangelo Iannone, Nicoletta Polera, Domenica Scumaci, Mariamena Arbitrio, Nicola Amodio, Maria Teresa Di Martino, Bruno Paiva, Pierosandro Tagliaferri, Pierfrancesco Tassone
Summary: The study demonstrated that miR-21 plays a crucial role in Th17-mediated tumor growth and bone disease in multiple myeloma, with inhibition of miR-21 leading to reduced pathology. Early inhibition of miR-21 in T cells (miR-21i-T cells) was found to impair Th17 differentiation, thereby decreasing MM cell proliferation and osteoclast activity.
Article
Cell Biology
Maria De Luca, Maurizio Mandala, Giuseppina Rose
Summary: Adipose tissue is a complex organ that can expand in response to physiological challenges. Remodeling of the extracellular matrix is crucial for healthy adipose tissue growth.
MECHANISMS OF AGEING AND DEVELOPMENT
(2021)
Article
Oncology
Marco Lorenzoni, Dario De Felice, Giulia Beccaceci, Giorgia Di Donato, Veronica Foletto, Sacha Genovesi, Arianna Bertossi, Francesco Cambuli, Francesca Lorenzin, Aurora Savino, Lidia Avalle, Alessia Cimadamore, Rodolfo Montironi, Veronica Weber, Francesco Giuseppe Carbone, Mattia Barbareschi, Francesca Demichelis, Alessandro Romanel, Valeria Poli, Giannino Del Sal, Marianna Kruithof-de Julio, Marco Gaspari, Alessandro Alaimo, Andrea Lunardi
Summary: The 21q22.2-3 deletion is the most common copy number alteration in prostate cancer, leading to the expression of ERG and promoting tumor progression. ERG plays a prominent role in remodeling the protein secretome of prostate progenitors and influencing their functionality and the inflammatory response.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Giuseppe Cannino, Andrea Urbani, Marco Gaspari, Mariaconcetta Varano, Alessandro Negro, Antonio Filippi, Francesco Ciscato, Ionica Masgras, Christoph Gerle, Elena Tibaldi, Anna Maria Brunati, Giorgio Colombo, Giovanna Lippe, Paolo Bernardi, Andrea Rasola
Summary: This study reveals that the mitochondrial chaperone TRAP1 interacts with F-ATP synthase, increasing its catalytic activity and counteracting the inhibitory effect of CyPD. Additionally, TRAP1 directly inhibits the channel activity of F-ATP synthase and reverses PTP induction by CyPD, thus preventing mitochondrial depolarization and cell death. These findings highlight the importance of TRAP1 in cell bioenergetics and survival.
CELL DEATH AND DIFFERENTIATION
(2022)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Francesco Cambuli, Veronica Foletto, Alessandro Alaimo, Dario De Felice, Francesco Gandolfi, Maria Dilia Palumbieri, Michela Zaffagni, Sacha Genovesi, Marco Lorenzoni, Martina Celotti, Emiliana Bertossio, Giosue Mazzero, Arianna Bertossi, Alessandra Bisio, Francesco Berardinelli, Antonio Antoccia, Marco Gaspari, Mattia Barbareschi, Michelangelo Fiorentino, Michael M. Shen, Massimo Loda, Alessandro Romanel, Andrea Lunardi
Summary: This study demonstrates that non-canonical Activin A signaling plays a critical role in maintaining epithelial quiescence in the healthy prostate, with potential implications for understanding cancer initiation and the development of therapies targeting quiescent tumor progenitors.
Article
Cell Biology
Christine M. Poch, Kylie S. Foo, Maria Teresa De Angelis, Karin Jennbacken, Gianluca Santamaria, Andrea Baehr, Qing-Dong Wang, Franziska Reiter, Nadja Hornaschewitz, Dorota Zawada, Tarik Bozoglu, Ilaria My, Anna Meier, Tatjana Dorn, Simon Hege, Miia L. Lehtinen, Yat Long Tsoi, Daniel Hovdal, Johan Hyllner, Sascha Schwarz, Stefanie Sudhop, Victoria Jurisch, Marcella Sini, Mick D. Fellows, Matthew Cummings, Jonathan Clarke, Ricardo Baptista, Elif Eroglu, Eckhard Wolf, Nikolai Klymiuk, Kun Lu, Roland Tomasi, Andreas Dendorfer, Marco Gaspari, Elvira Parrotta, Giovanni Cuda, Markus Krane, Daniel Sinnecker, Petra Hoppmann, Christian Kupatt, Regina Fritsche-Danielson, Alessandra Moretti, Kenneth R. Chien, Karl-Ludwig Laugwitz
Summary: This study reveals that pluripotent stem cell-derived ventricular progenitors can target myocardial loss and fibrotic scarring to promote heart regeneration, offering new potential therapeutic strategies for heart injury.
NATURE CELL BIOLOGY
(2022)
Review
Biology
Serena Dato, Paolina Crocco, Francesca Iannone, Giuseppe Passarino, Giuseppina Rose
Summary: This review focuses on the potential role of microRNAs (miRNA) as biomarkers for frailty, a geriatric syndrome characterized by impairments in various domains. The study identifies ten top-ranked miRNAs associated with physical and cognitive frailty domains, which converge into the biological processes of inflammation and energy homeostasis. These miRNAs have the potential to be used for early diagnosis of frailty in the elderly population.
Article
Cell Biology
Roberta Malaguarnera, Caterina Gabriele, Gianluca Santamaria, Marika Giuliano, Veronica Vella, Michele Massimino, Paolo Vigneri, Giovanni Cuda, Marco Gaspari, Antonino Belfiore
Summary: The insulin receptor gene undergoes differential splicing to generate two isoforms, IR-A and IR-B. IR-A is associated with cancer, while IR-B is involved in metabolic regulation. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying their different biological effects are not well understood. Proteomic analysis on mouse fibroblasts expressing either IR-A or IR-B revealed that insulin-activated IR-A is primarily associated with cancer, stemness, and interferon signaling, while insulin-stimulated IR-B is associated with metabolic and tumor suppressive functions.
MOLECULAR AND CELLULAR ENDOCRINOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Nutrition & Dietetics
Paolina Crocco, Serena Dato, Alberto Montesanto, Anna Rita Bonfigli, Roberto Testa, Fabiola Olivieri, Giuseppe Passarino, Giuseppina Rose
Summary: This study found that polymorphisms in key amino acid transporter genes are associated with the risk of type 2 diabetes and vascular complications. These genes play important roles in the amino acid signaling pathway and may increase disease risk by influencing signal transduction.
Article
Geriatrics & Gerontology
Francesca Iannone, Paolina Crocco, Serena Dato, Giuseppe Passarino, Giuseppina Rose
Summary: This study found that miR-181a levels increased in older men and were significantly correlated with worsened blood parameters of inflammation, especially in females. Furthermore, miR-181a was positively correlated with overall multimorbidity burden in both genders. These findings suggest that miR-181a plays a role in age-related chronic inflammation and the development of multimorbidity in older adults, and that its influence on health status is likely to be gender specific.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Licia E. Prestagiacomo, Giuseppe Tradigo, Federica Aracri, Caterina Gabriele, Maria Antonietta Rota, Stefano Alba, Giovanni Cuda, Rocco Damiano, Pierangelo Veltri, Marco Gaspari
Summary: Prostate cancer (PCa) is the most common cancer in males. Current diagnostic methods based on PSA and DRE have limitations in specificity and sensitivity, and cannot distinguish aggressive and indolent PCa. This study analyzed prostate fluid urine samples of PCa and BPH patients, and identified differentially expressed proteins between the two groups. Through machine learning algorithms, a predictive model was built using proteins such as sema7A, SPARC, FT ratio, and prostate gland size, which could correctly predict disease conditions in 83% of validation samples.
Article
Cell Biology
Serena Dato, Francesco De Rango, Paolina Crocco, Stefano Pallotti, Michael E. Belloy, Yann Le Guen, Michael D. Greicius, Giuseppe Passarino, Giuseppina Rose, Valerio Napolioni
Summary: Advanced age is the biggest risk factor for late-onset Alzheimer's disease (LOAD), with shared genetic signatures between LOAD and longevity. Gene-gene interactions in pathways related to insulin/IGF1 signaling, DNA repair, and oxidative stress were found to affect LOAD. These findings suggest that risk factor interactions may drive different trajectories of cognitive aging.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Alessandro Marrone, Daniele La Russa, Laura Barberio, Maria Stella Murfuni, Marco Gaspari, Daniela Pellegrino
Summary: Investigating the early changes in post mortem protein degradation can lead to the discovery of new PMI specific biomarkers, which could potentially serve as a reliable method for PMI determination.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2023)
Article
Cell Biology
Serena Dato, Francesco De Rango, Paolina Crocco, Stefano Pallotti, Michael E. Belloy, Yann Le Guen, Michael D. Greicius, Giuseppe Passarino, Giuseppina Rose, Valerio Napolioni
Summary: Advanced age is the biggest risk factor for late-onset Alzheimer's disease (LOAD), and it shares genetic signatures with longevity. The study found evidence that pathways leading to longevity also contribute to LOAD, and identified interacting genes that are associated with survival to old age. The findings suggest that interactions of risk factors may drive different trajectories of cognitive aging.
Article
Cell Biology
Paolina Crocco, Francesco De Rango, Serena Dato, Giuseppina Rose, Giuseppe Passarino
Summary: Research has shown that after 70 years of age, there is a decrease in white blood cell telomere length, followed by an increase after 92 years; meanwhile, there is a sharp increase in mortality after 70 years, which slows down after 90 years, corresponding to the trend of telomere length. Generalized LTL attrition may exacerbate senescence, increasing the risk of high mortality.