Article
Immunology
Kaitlyn Grando, Lauren K. Nicastro, Sarah A. Tursi, Jaime De Anda, Ernest Y. Lee, Gerard C. L. Wong, Cagla Tukel
Summary: Bacterial amyloid curli and Staphylococcus phenol-soluble modulins (PSMs) are implicated in the pathogenesis of autoimmune diseases by driving immune responses through complex formation with DNA. This study revealed that one of the Staphylococcus PSMs, PSM alpha 3, directly interacts with oligonucleotides to promote amyloid fibril formation and complex formation with bacterial DNA. Additionally, exposure to Staphylococcus biofilms induced autoimmune responses in a PSM-dependent manner.
FRONTIERS IN CELLULAR AND INFECTION MICROBIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Microbiology
Masanori Matsumoto, Seitaro Nakagawa, Lingzhi Zhang, Yuumi Nakamura, Amer E. Villaruz, Michael Otto, Christiane Wolz, Naohiro Inohara, Gabriel Nunez
Summary: The growth and invasion of Staphylococcus aureus in the skin are differently regulated by Agr and PSM alpha, with Agr limiting intracellular killing within neutrophils to promote pathogen expansion in the dermis and subcutaneous tissue.
CELL HOST & MICROBE
(2021)
Article
Immunology
Anke Siegmund, Muhammad Awais Afzal, Felix Tetzlaff, Daniela Keinhoerster, Fabio Gratani, Kerstin Paprotka, Martin Westermann, Sandor Nietzsche, Christiane Wolz, Martin Fraunholz, Christian A. Huebner, Bettina Loeffler, Lorena Tuchscherr
Summary: Research shows that certain strains of S. aureus are able to persist within endothelial cells due to their production of PSM proteins. Strains lacking PSM expression employ an alternative pathway for survival within endothelial cells.
Article
Immunology
Dorothee Kretschmer, Ricarda Breitmeyer, Cordula Gekeler, Marco Lebtig, Katja Schlatterer, Mulugeta Nega, Mark Stahl, Daphne Stapels, Suzan Rooijakkers, Andreas Peschel
Summary: Neutrophil serine proteases can effectively degrade some of the most potent staphylococcal toxins, while Staphylococcus aureus secretes proteins that inhibit the degradation of toxins by proteases. This helps the prominent human pathogen S. aureus to preserve the function of toxins and activate infection processes.
FRONTIERS IN IMMUNOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Immunology
Alexia Damour, Brandon Robin, Luc Deroche, Lauranne Broutin, Nicolas Bellin, Julien Verdon, Gerard Lina, Franck Marie Leclere, Magali Garcia, Julie Cremniter, Nicolas Leveque, Charles Bodet
Summary: Staphylococcus aureus is a skin commensal microorganism but can also cause skin infections and exacerbate inflammatory skin diseases such as atopic dermatitis. The major virulence factors of this pathogen, such as PSM toxins, play a role in epidermal inflammation that is not fully understood.
Article
Immunology
Kunal Reshamwala, Gordon Y. C. Cheung, Roger C. Hsieh, Ryan Liu, Hwang-Soo Joo, Yue Zheng, Justin S. Bae, Thuan H. Nguyen, Amer E. Villaruz, Alfonso S. Gozalo, William R. Elkins, Michael Otto
Summary: This study identifies and characterizes the phenol-soluble modulins (PSMs) of Staphylococcus xylosus, a usually harmless commensal on the skin, and investigates their potential involvement in atopic dermatitis (AD). It is found that S. xylosus produces two PSMs with lytic and pro-inflammatory capacities, but does not induce significant AD symptoms in wild-type mice, indicating that a predisposed host is required for AD promotion by S. xylosus.
FRONTIERS IN IMMUNOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Andrej Minich, Veronika Liskova, Lubica Kormanova, Jan Krahulec, Julia Sarkanova, Maria Mikulasova, Zdenko Levarski, Stanislav Stuchlik
Summary: Staphylococcus epidermidis is a leading cause of chronic biofilm-associated infections, and biofilm formation is an important strategy for antibiotic resistance. Understanding the role of RNAIII in biofilm resistance can lead to new ways to treat resistant strains and lower the prevalence of nosocomial infections.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2022)
Article
Microbiology
Elisabeth Hodille, Laetitia Beraud, Severine Perian, Valentine Berti, Michele Bes, Anne Tristan, Emilie Blond, Gerard Lina, Oana Dumitrescu
Summary: Staphylococcus aureus produces virulence factors that are affected differently by subinhibitory concentrations of antibiotics, with oxacillin inhibiting the production of PSM alpha 1 and Hld, while the effects of other antibiotics vary depending on the strain or clone.
MICROBIOLOGY SPECTRUM
(2022)
Article
Microbiology
Matthew K. Howard, Karlie R. Miller, Brian S. Sohn, Jeremy J. Ryan, Andy Xu, Meredith E. Jackrel
Summary: Biofilms secreted by bacteria can make them more resistant to removal, leading to the emergence of multidrug-resistant strains. The researchers studied PSMs, which are proteins produced by Staphylococcus aureus and incorporated into biofilms. They developed a new yeast model to study the PSMs and found that an amyloid disaggregase called Hsp104 can disrupt the PSMs and dissolve preformed biofilms.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Aron Dernovics, Gyorgy Seprenyi, Zsolt Razga, Ferhan Ayaydin, Zoltan Vereb, Klara Megyeri
Summary: The study found that PSM alpha 3 stimulates autophagy in HaCaT keratinocytes, increasing the number of autophagosomes and promoting the development of acidic vesicular organelles. The study also showed that PSM alpha 3 decreases the phosphorylation levels of Akt1/2/3 and mTOR, while increasing the phosphorylation levels of Erk1/2.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Korbin H. J. West, Wenqi Shen, Emma L. Eisenbraun, Tian Yang, Joseph K. Vasquez, Alexander R. Horswill, Helen E. Blackwell
Summary: Staphylococcus epidermidis is resistant to traditional antibiotics due to its ability to form biofilms and its involvement in pathogenesis through the agr quorum sensing system. Existing pan-group activators for the agr system in S. epidermidis have not been discovered, and further research on this topic is necessary.
ACS CHEMICAL BIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Microbiology
Anna Both, Jiabin Huang, Minyue Qi, Christian Lausmann, Samira Weisselberg, Henning Buttner, Susanne Lezius, Antonio Virgilio Failla, Martin Christner, Marc Stegger, Thorsten Gehrke, Sharmin Baig, Mustafa Citak, Malik Alawi, Martin Aepfelbacher, Holger Rohde
Summary: S. epidermidis demonstrates multifactorial processes of infection adaptation, including intra-clonal heterogeneity, mutations and deletions in specific genes, and enhanced biofilm formation. This adaptive process allows invasive S. epidermidis to survive in hostile environments and progress to chronic implant-associated infections.
Article
Microbiology
Masihuz Zaman, Maria Andreasen
Summary: This study evaluated the effect of different pH values on the formation of functional amyloids of Staphylococcus aureus pathogen PSM peptides, revealing a pH-induced switch in PSM aggregation kinetics. The research suggests that pH can modulate the aggregation properties of these peptides, and different PSMs show varying rates of fibril elongation, indicating no clear correlation between them.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Laurent Marichal, Lucie Bagnard, Olivier Sire, Charlotte Vendrely, Franz Bruckert, Marianne Weidenhaupt
Summary: This study assessed the ability of phenol-soluble modulins (PSMs) to form amyloid structures when in contact with different abiotic surfaces. The results showed that PSMs can adsorb on low-binding surfaces and have the potential to form amyloid aggregates. These findings suggest a possible role of PSMs in biofilm adhesion and structure integrity.
BIOCHIMICA ET BIOPHYSICA ACTA-GENERAL SUBJECTS
(2023)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Qize Xuan, Jiaxin He, Wenxue Zhang, Wei Zhang, Qi Zhang, Yao Zhou, Anqi Wei, Hao Wang, Hui Li, Chao Chen, Ping Wang
Summary: This study successfully prepared three different morphological and structural phenol-soluble modulin alpha 3 (PSM alpha 3) assemblies using the strategy of salt-inducing assembly polymorphism. It was found that amyloid fibrillation was essential for enhancing the cytotoxicity of PSM alpha 3, and the size and structure of PSM alpha 3 fibrils played a crucial role in cytotoxicity. The cytotoxicity was achieved through a membrane-disrupting mechanism, with different fibril types causing membrane thinning or perforation.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Mariska de Munnik, Christopher T. Lohans, Gareth W. Langley, Corentin Bon, Juergen Brem, Christopher J. Schofield
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Liujie Huo, Xiling Zhao, Jeella Z. Acedo, Paola Estrada, Satish K. Nair, Wilfred A. van der Donk
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Sorina Chiorean, Isaac Antwi, Daniel W. Carney, Ioli Kotsogianni, Andrew M. Giltrap, Francesca M. Alexander, Stephen A. Cochrane, Richard J. Payne, Nathaniel I. Martin, Antoine Henninot, John C. Vederas
Article
Medicine, Research & Experimental
Andrew G. Masoud, Jiaxin Lin, Abul K. Azad, Maikel A. Farhan, Conrad Fischer, Lin F. Zhu, Hao Zhang, Banu Sis, Zamaneh Kassiri, Ronald B. Moore, Daniel Kim, Colin C. Anderson, John C. Vederas, Benjamin A. Adam, Gavin Y. Oudit, Allan G. Murray
JOURNAL OF CLINICAL INVESTIGATION
(2020)
Article
Biochemical Research Methods
Diana P. Gomez-Mendoza, Rafael Pereira Lemos, Itamar C. G. Jesus, Vladimir Gorshkov, Shaun M. K. McKinnie, John C. Vederas, Frank Kjeldsen, Silvia Guatimosim, Robson Augusto Santos, Adriano M. C. Pimenta, Thiago Verano-Braga
JOURNAL OF PROTEOME RESEARCH
(2020)
Article
Chemistry, Medicinal
Conrad Fischer, Tess Lamer, Kleinberg Fernandez, Mahmoud Gheblawi, Wang Wang, Cameron Pascoe, Gareth Lambkin, Xavier Iturrioz, Catherine Llorens-Cortes, Gavin Y. Oudit, John C. Vederas
JOURNAL OF MEDICINAL CHEMISTRY
(2020)
Correction
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Wayne Vuong, Muhammad Bashir Khan, Conrad Fischer, Elena Arutyunova, Tess Lamer, Justin Shields, Holly A. Saffran, Ryan T. McKay, Marco J. van Belkum, Michael A. Joyce, Howard S. Young, D. Lorne Tyrrell, John C. Vederas, M. Joanne Lemieux
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2020)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Wayne Vuong, Muhammad Bashir Khan, Conrad Fischer, Elena Arutyunova, Tess Lamer, Justin Shields, Holly A. Saffran, Ryan T. McKay, Marco J. van Belkum, Michael A. Joyce, Howard S. Young, D. Lorne Tyrrell, John C. Vederas, M. Joanne Lemieux
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2020)
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Albert Remus R. Rosana, Stanley Pokorny, Jennifer G. Klutsch, Cherry Ibarra-Romero, Randy Sanichar, Daniel Engelhardt, Marco J. van Belkum, Nadir Erbilgin, Joerg Bohlmann, Allan L. Carroll, John C. Vederas
Summary: The mountain pine beetle has become an invasive species in certain regions of Canada, with the research on Beauveria bassiana showing potential as a biocontrol agent and identifying three phenotypic groups. There are significant differences in infection rates and mortality rates among various populations of bark beetles.
APPLIED MICROBIOLOGY AND BIOTECHNOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Immunology
Pollyana Maria de Oliveira Pimentel, Diego Rodney Rodrigues de Assis, Melisa Gualdron-Lopez, Andreia Barroso, Fatima Brant, Paulo Gaio Leite, Bruno Cabral de Lima Oliveira, Lisia Esper, Shaun M. K. McKinnie, John C. Vederas, Marta do Nascimento Cordeiro, Pablo Victor Mendes dos Reis, Mauro Martins Teixeira, Adriano Monteiro de Castro Pimenta, Marcia Helena Borges, Maria Elena de Lima, Fabiana Simao Machado
Summary: The study found that components of Tityus serrulatus venom have therapeutic effects on Trypanosoma cruzi infection, increasing nitric oxide and proinflammatory cytokine production while decreasing parasite replication and release, with a positive effect on p38 activation. This research opens up new perspectives for finding new strategies for Chagas Disease treatment.
CLINICAL IMMUNOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Daniel Major, Lara Flanzbaum, Leah Lussier, Carly Davies, Kristian Mark P. Caldo, Jeella Z. Acedo
Summary: Genome mining and gene cluster analysis were used to identify novel head-to-tail cyclized bacteriocins, revealing a greater diversity than previously thought. The approach proved more effective than traditional bioprospecting, laying the groundwork for future isolation of new head-to-tail cyclized bacteriocins.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Raymond Sarksian, Julian D. Hegemann, Max A. Simon, Jeella Z. Acedo, Wilfred A. van der Donk
Summary: Lanthipeptides are a type of polycyclic peptides characterized by the presence of lanthionine and/or methyllanthionine. The stereochemical configuration of these compounds plays a crucial role in their bioactivity. In this study, the biosynthetic pathway of a lanthipeptide called SapT was reconstituted in E. coli, and for the first time, a 2S,3R stereochemistry of methyllanthionine was observed. Bioinformatic analysis suggests that this stereochemistry may also be present in other lanthipeptides.
JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN CHEMICAL SOCIETY
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Silvia C. Bobeica, Lingyang Zhu, Jeella Z. Acedo, Weixin Tang, Wilfred A. van der Donk
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Isaac Antwi, Sorina Chiorean, Marco J. van Belkum, John C. Vederas
RSC MEDICINAL CHEMISTRY
(2020)
Article
Microbiology
Samara Pinto Custodio Bernardo, Albert Remus R. Rosana, Adriane Nunes de Souza, Sorina Chiorean, Meire Lelis Leal Martins, John C. Vederas
MICROBIOLOGY RESOURCE ANNOUNCEMENTS
(2020)