Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Lisa Teubner, Renate Frantz, Luigi La Pietra, Martina Hudel, Jasmin Bazant, Gunter Lochnit, Lena Eismann, Guenter Kramer, Trinad Chakraborty, Mobarak Abu Mraheil
Summary: Protein secretion is a key process for Listeria monocytogenes to interact with its environment. Recent research has shown that RNA secretion is also an important strategy for the pathogen to manipulate host cell response. In this study, the involvement of SecA2 in ribosome sedimentation and its association with a subset of secreted sRNAs that induce high levels of IFN-beta response in host cells were demonstrated.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2022)
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Adeline Peignier, Dane Parker
Summary: This review discusses recent literature that provides new insights into the mechanisms of how type I IFN signaling exerts its effects on the outcome of infection from the host's point of view. The identified mechanisms have been wide and varied between pathogens.
TRENDS IN MICROBIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Immunology
Kelly M. Cautivo, Peri R. Matatia, Carlos O. Lizama, Nicholas M. Mroz, Madelene W. Dahlgren, Xiaofei Yu, Julia Sbierski-Kind, Marcela T. Taruselli, Jeremy F. Brooks, Adam Wade-Vallance, Sofia E. Caryotakis, Anthony A. Chang, Hong-Erh Liang, Julie Zikherman, Richard M. Locksley, Ari B. Molofsky
Summary: Allergic immunity is regulated by ILC2s and Th2 cells at various barriers, and their dynamic repositioning during immune perturbations is observed. Allergic inflammation drives the invasion of lung and liver non-adventitial parenchyma by ILC2s and Th2 cells. Concurrent type 1 and type 2 mixed inflammation can block the parenchymal trafficking of ILC2s and subsequent cell survival by IFNg from type 1 lymphocytes. The confinement of ILC2s and Th2 cells to adventitia limits mortality by type 1 pathogen Listeria monocytogenes.
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Qianyu Ji, Junfei Ma, Shuying Wang, Qing Liu
Summary: Candidate strong promoters were identified and characterized in Lm through RNA-seq analysis, with nine native promoters showing stronger activities than the known strong promoter P-36. The highest activity was found in P-29, which was 24-fold greater than P-36. Moreover, P-29 was shown to initiate EGFP expression in ZF4 cells and zebrafish embryos.
MICROBIAL CELL FACTORIES
(2021)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Giulia Magagna, Guido Finazzi, Virginia Filipello
Summary: This study presents a new set of primers for sequencing inlA in both lineages. The presence of premature stop-codon mutations in inlA is correlated with attenuated virulence, and lineage I isolates are most frequently associated with clinical cases. Using these newly designed primers, the presence of inlA PMSCs in food, food processing environments, and clinical isolates was assessed.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2022)
Article
Food Science & Technology
Arkadiusz Jozef Zakrzewski, Wioleta Chajecka-Wierzchowska, Anna Zadernowska
Summary: Ceviche is a traditional marinated raw fish dish commonly consumed in Pacific coastal countries. This study aimed to assess the viability of bacteria isolated from fish after the preparation of ceviche. The results showed that different strains of bacteria had varying survival rates and pathogenic potentials during the preparation process, and certain ingredients in ceviche exhibited antibacterial properties.
Article
Microbiology
Xiayu Liu, Xinxin Pang, Yansha Wu, Yajing Wu, Linan Xu, Qihe Chen, Jianrui Niu, Xinglin Zhang
Summary: In this study, the lactic acid resistance determinants of L. monocytogenes were comprehensively identified by Tn-seq on a genome-wide scale. Two genes, murF (cell wall peptidoglycan biosynthesis) and lmo2248 (phosphate transport), were identified to play an important role in the lactic acid resistance. Moreover, genome-wide transcriptomic analysis showed that phosphotransferase system (PTS)-related genes play a key role at the transcriptional level. These findings contribute to a better understanding of the lactic acid resistance mechanism of L. monocytogenes and may provide unique targets for the development of other novel antimicrobial agents.
MICROBIOLOGY SPECTRUM
(2023)
Article
Food Science & Technology
Brittany F. Magdovitz, Sanjay Gummalla, Donna Garren, Harshavardhan Thippareddi, Mark E. Berrang, Kim Love, Mark A. Harrison
Summary: Food processors face challenges in dealing with Listeria monocytogenes in production and processing facilities. This study analyzed environmental monitoring data from the frozen food manufacturing industry to evaluate current practices in mitigating risks and identify trends for improvement. The findings suggest that certain areas and storage locations have a higher probability of Listeria contamination, providing guidance for sanitation measures in processing operations.
Article
Microbiology
Justin M. Anast, Andrea J. Etter, Stephan Schmitz-Esser
Summary: Recent research found that some Listeria monocytogenes plasmids play a role in stress survival, but the gene expression patterns of L. monocytogenes plasmids have been less studied. In this study, four stress-response-associated transcriptomic data sets were analyzed, revealing differential gene expression of L. monocytogenes plasmid genes, including cadmium resistance genes and putative ultraviolet resistance gene. Furthermore, the study showed divergent gene expression patterns between different L. monocytogenes plasmids despite identical treatments, suggesting plasmid-specific gene expression responses to environmental stimuli and differential plasmid regulation mechanisms. These findings increase our understanding of the dynamic expression of L. monocytogenes plasmid-encoded genes and highlight the importance of expanding the study of L. monocytogenes plasmid genes' functions.
Article
Biology
Daisy X. Ji, Kristen C. Witt, Dmitri Kotov, Shally R. Margolis, Alexander Louie, Victoria Chevee, Katherine J. Chen, Moritz M. Gaidt, Harmandeep S. Dhaliwal, Angus Y. Lee, Stephen L. Nishimura, Dario S. Zamboni, Igor Kramnik, Daniel A. Portnoy, K. Heran Darwin, Russell E. Vance
Summary: Sp140 is a gene that represses type I IFN transcription during bacterial infections, playing an important role in resistance to bacterial infections. Sp140(-/-) mice are susceptible to Legionella pneumophila and Mycobacterium tuberculosis infections, but susceptibility can be rescued by crosses to mice lacking the type I IFN receptor.
Article
Microbiology
Michael G. Dorrington, Clinton J. Bradfield, Justin B. Lack, Bin Lin, Jonathan J. Liang, Tregei Starr, Orna Ernst, Julia L. Gross, Jing Sun, Alexandra H. Miller, Olivia Steele-Mortimer, Iain D. C. Fraser
Summary: This study focuses on how macrophages combat opportunistic bacterial pathogen Burkholderia cenocepacia and highlights the crucial role of interferons in killing these bacteria. The results could help guide anti-Burkholderia treatments in susceptible patients. The study emphasizes the importance of type I interferons in protection against opportunistic pathogens through innate immunity, without the need for damaging inflammatory responses.
Article
Immunology
Jorge David Rojas Marquez, Taoyingnan Li, Adam R. R. McCluggage, Joel M. J. Tan, Aleixo Muise, Darren E. Higgins, John H. Brumell
Summary: The study reveals a novel antimicrobial role for NOX2 in controlling bacterial dissemination through modulation of type I interferon responses. Deficiency in NOX2 leads to increased expression of interferon-stimulated genes and results in promotion of cell-to-cell spread by L. monocytogenes, defective leukocyte recruitment to infection foci, and production of anti-inflammatory effectors.
JOURNAL OF IMMUNOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Food Science & Technology
Md Niamul Kabir, Sadiye Aras, Jyothi George, Sabrina Wadood, Shahid Chowdhury, Aliyar Cyrus Fouladkhah
Summary: This study demonstrated that elevated hydrostatic pressure treatment combined with mild heat can significantly enhance the efficacy of pathogen reduction, particularly in milk and orange juice. Different phenotypes of Gram-positive pathogens showed comparable sensitivity to treatment, suggesting a validated treatment against wild-type cells may be equally effective against other phenotypes.
LWT-FOOD SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Food Science & Technology
Angelica Abdallah-Ruiz, Lurdes Siberio Wood, Taejo Kim, Wes Schilling, Shecoya B. White, Bang-Yuan Chen, Alba Durango-Villadiego, Juan L. Silva
Summary: The catfish industry is important to the United States economy. This study aimed to determine the levels of microbial indicators and the prevalence of Listeria spp. and Listeria monocytogenes at catfish farms and processing plants. The results showed that water and sediment samples in farms were negative for Listeria, while live fish had a prevalence of 2% for Listeria monocytogenes. In the processing plants, fillets had higher Listeria prevalence compared to fish skin, and process chiller water had higher microbial contamination.
Article
Microbiology
Junyaluck Rukit, Atsadang Boonmee, Teeratas Kijpornyongpan, Kan Tulsook, Jozsef Baranyi, Soraya Chaturongakul
Summary: This study aimed to investigate the roles of different sigma factors in Listeria monocytogenes invasion and growth inside host cells. The results showed that SigB is the key factor for invasion, while the absence of SigL may enhance host invasion.
FRONTIERS IN MICROBIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Rana M. El-Masry, Ahmed A. Al-Karmalawy, Radwan Alnajjar, Sara H. Mahmoud, Ahmed Mostafa, Hanan H. Kadry, Sahar M. Abou-Seri, Azza T. Taher
Summary: In this study, a series of anti-SARS-CoV-2 agents were designed and synthesized, and their binding affinities and virus-inhibitory concentrations were evaluated. Compounds IVe and IVg showed high activity and have the potential to be developed as broad-spectrum anti-SARS-CoV-2 agents.
NEW JOURNAL OF CHEMISTRY
(2022)
Article
Microbiology
Aaqib Sohail, Azeem A. Iqbal, Nishika Sahini, Fangfang Chen, Mohamed Tantawy, Syed F. H. Waqas, Moritz Winterhoff, Thomas Ebensen, Kristin Schultz, Robert Geffers, Klaus Schughart, Matthias Preusse, Mahmoud Shehata, Heike Baehre, Marina C. Pils, Carlos A. Guzman, Ahmed Mostafa, Stephan Pleschka, Christine Falk, Alessandro Michelucci, Frank Pessler
Summary: Excessive inflammation caused by viral infections, including influenza, can lead to severe illness and death. Itaconate, a metabolite that modulates the immune response, has been found to have antiviral effects and can redirect inflammatory responses. In this study, researchers investigated the effects of itaconate and its variants on the host's response to influenza A virus. They found that treatment with itaconate and its variants reduced viral replication and inflammation in both mice and human cells. The compounds also modulated interferon responses and reduced the release of pro-inflammatory chemokines. Overall, these findings suggest that itaconates could be used as immunomodulatory and antiviral interventions for influenza virus infection.
Article
Chemistry, Medicinal
Rania Hamdy, Ahmed Mostafa, Noura M. Abo Shama, Sameh S. M. Soliman, Bahgat Fayed
Summary: In this study, flavonoids were systematically evaluated for their potential antiviral activity against SARS-CoV-2. Among the tested compounds, silibinin showed promising selectivity index and high inhibition activity against SARS-CoV-2 key proteins. It also demonstrated safety in human mammalian cells and strong virucidal activity. Molecular docking analysis revealed the excellent binding affinity of silibinin to S protein and RdRP. Overall, silibinin, an FDA-approved drug, can effectively interfere with SARS-CoV-2 entry and replication through multi-targeting activity.
PHYTOTHERAPY RESEARCH
(2022)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Mohamed Elagawany, Ayman Abo Elmaaty, Ahmed Mostafa, Noura M. Abo Shama, Eman Y. Santali, Bahaa Elgendy, Ahmed A. Al-Karmalawy
Summary: In this study, a series of new derivatives were designed and synthesized based on the structural optimization principle of the SARS-CoV Mpro co-crystallized WR1 inhibitor. Compound 3b showed the most promising anti-SARS-CoV-2 activity, and molecular dynamics simulations indicated its stability inside the binding pocket.
JOURNAL OF ENZYME INHIBITION AND MEDICINAL CHEMISTRY
(2022)
Article
Virology
Georgios-Dimitrios Panagiotidis, Christin Mueller, Marco Binder, Friedemann Weber
Summary: The FDA-approved drug paliperidone has been found to inhibit the replication of influenza A virus by interfering with the binding of the polymerase subunit PB2 to the nucleoprotein NP. However, its effects are transient and limited to specific virus strains.
ARCHIVES OF VIROLOGY
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Medicinal
Santo Previti, Roberta Ettari, Elsa Calcaterra, Salvatore Di Maro, Stefan J. Hammerschmidt, Christin Mueller, John Ziebuhr, Tanja Schirmeister, Sandro Cosconati, Maria Zappala
Summary: Despite progress in the development of vaccines and antivirals, the fight against SARS-CoV-2 and COVID-19 continues. Researchers have identified compounds that target the SARS-CoV-2 main protease, an essential viral enzyme, and have developed inhibitors with promising antiviral activity. These inhibitors also showed inhibitory effects on hCatL, a protein involved in viral entry into host cells. Some of these compounds demonstrated significant activity against SARS-CoV-2 in cell culture.
EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF MEDICINAL CHEMISTRY
(2023)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Zahra M. Alamshany, Reham R. Khattab, Nasser A. Hassan, Ahmed A. El-Sayed, Mohamed A. Tantawy, Ahmed Mostafa, Allam A. Hassan
Summary: A novel series of pyrido[2,3-d]pyrimidines, pyrido[3,2-e][1,3,4]triazolo, and tetrazolo[1,5-c]pyrimidines were synthesized and their structures were elucidated. Molecular docking analysis revealed that compounds 7c, 7d, and 7e exhibited promising antiviral activity against SARS-CoV-2 main protease M(pro) with lower IC50 values compared to the commonly used protease inhibitor Lopinavir. The in silico and in vitro results were consistent.
Letter
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Mohammed Samer Shaban, Christin Mueller, Christin Mayr-Buro, Hendrik Weiser, M. Lienhard Schmitz, John Ziebuhr, Michael Kracht
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2022)
Article
Microbiology
David Scheibner, Ahmed H. Salaheldin, Ola Bagato, Luca M. Zaeck, Ahmed Mostafa, Ulrike Blohm, Christin Mueller, Ahmed F. Eweas, Kati Franzke, Axel Karger, Alexander Schaefer, Marcel Gischke, Donata Hoffmann, Solene Lerolle, Xuguang Li, Hatem S. Abd El-Hamid, Jutta Veits, Angele Breithaupt, Geert-Jan Boons, Mikhail Matrosovich, Stefan Finke, Stephan Pleschka, Thomas C. Mettenleiter, Robert P. de Vries, Elsayed M. Abdelwhab
Summary: Mutations in the neuraminidase (NA) of human H5N1 viruses play different roles in infection of mammals without affecting virulence or transmission in chickens. This study is important to understand the genetic determinants for replication of avian influenza viruses in mammals and should assist in the prediction of avian influenza viruses with zoonotic potential.
Article
Microbiology
Dayly Mashaal, Sara H. Mahmoud, Christin Mueller, Noura M. Abo Shama, Amal Abo Kamer, Ahmed A. Abdelaziz, Mohamed A. Ali, Stephan Pleschka, Ahmed Mostafa
Summary: Avian influenza virus (AIV) H9N2 is endemic in birds in the Middle East, particularly in Egypt, with multiple cases of human infections. Adaptive amino acid mutations in the viral polymerase, specifically in the PB2 gene, can enhance cross-species transmission of the virus. The presence of 591K in the PB2 gene of H9N2 strains in Egypt significantly increases the replication efficiency and polymerase activity of H5N1 variants in mammalian cells.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Bahaa A. Hemdan, Ahmed Mostafa, Marwa M. Elbatanony, Amal M. El-Feky, Tsvetelina Paunova-Krasteva, Stoyanka Stoitsova, Mohamed Azab El-Liethy, Gamila E. El-Taweel, Mobarak Abu Mraheil
Summary: The leaves of Azadirachta indica L. and Melia azedarach L. have medicinal benefits and exhibit antiviral and antibacterial activities. They showed robust anti-SARS-CoV-2 activity and exhibited broad-spectrum medicinal value.
Article
Microbiology
Amr A. Baiomy, Fathy E. Serry, Ashraf A. Kadry, Galal Yahya, Swapnil Doijad, Ahmed Mostafa, Mobarak Abu Mraheil, Amira M. El-Ganiny
Summary: This study conducted genomic analyses of Pseudomonas aeruginosa persister isolates from chronic human infections, revealing their low metabolic rates, multidrug tolerance, and strong biofilm-forming ability. Whole genome sequencing and phylogenetic analysis showed that these persister isolates belong to a distinct clade with a smaller genome size.
Review
Immunology
Ahlam Alasiri, Raya Soltane, Akram Hegazy, Ahmed Magdy Khalil, Sara H. Mahmoud, Ahmed A. Khalil, Luis Martinez-Sobrido, Ahmed Mostafa
Summary: Despite being widespread in wild birds and domestic poultry, human infections with highly pathogenic avian influenza H5Nx viruses have been limited since 1996. Few countries use vaccination as a control strategy, while most rely on culling infected flocks. China and Egypt are the major sites where vaccination has been employed, particularly for clade 2.3.4.4b H5N1 viruses. However, improper implementation of control strategies in Egypt has resulted in continuous outbreaks and virus evolution. Comprehensive surveillance in endemic areas is crucial to understand the public health risk of newly emerging immune-evasive or drug-resistant H5Nx variants.
Article
Microbiology
Yassmin Moatasim, Omnia Kutkat, Ahmed M. Osman, Mokhtar R. Gomaa, Faten Okda, Mohamed El Sayes, Mina Nabil Kamel, Mohamed Gaballah, Ahmed Mostafa, Rabeh El-Shesheny, Ghazi Kayali, Mohamed A. Ali, Ahmed Kandeil
Summary: The study found potential broad-spectrum inhibitory effects of Hydroxocobalamin and Methylcobalamin against three coronaviruses. Cyanocobalamin selectively affects SARS-CoV-2, while Methylcobalamin shows higher inhibition on SARS-CoV-2 compared to Hydroxocobalamin and Cyanocobalamin. These vitamins may have significant binding affinity to viral-specific cell receptors and proteins, suggesting potential benefits for coronavirus-infected patients.
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Ahmed Mostafa, Gomaa Mostafa-Hedeab, Hany Abdelfattah Elhady, Esraa Ahmed Mohamed, Abozer Y. Eledrdery, Sager Holyl Alruwaili, Ahmed Mohamed Al-Abd, Abdou Kamal Allayeh
Summary: EGCG, the most abundant polyphenol in green tea, has been shown to have significant antiviral activity against SARS-CoV-2 and HSV-2, as well as wound healing properties. It could potentially be a promising option for slowing down the course of acute cellular damage induced by systemic or topical viral infections.
JOURNAL OF GENETIC ENGINEERING AND BIOTECHNOLOGY
(2023)