Article
Microbiology
Ahmad-Kamal Ghazali, Mohd Firdaus-Raih, Asqwin Uthaya Kumar, Wei-Kang Lee, Chee-Choong Hoh, Sheila Nathan
Summary: This study investigated the transcriptome-level adaptations of B. pseudomallei when growing in soil and during infection. The results showed that the bacterium induced the expression of metabolism and transporter proteins in soil, while virulence factors, metabolism, and bacterial defense mechanisms were upregulated during infection. Additionally, the capsular polysaccharide and quorum-sensing pathways were inhibited during infection. These findings provide crucial insights into the adaptation mechanisms of B. pseudomallei in soil and during infection.
MICROBIOLOGY SPECTRUM
(2023)
Review
Immunology
Vanitha Mariappan, Kumutha Malar Vellasamy, Muttiah Barathan, A. S. Smiline Girija, Esaki M. Shankar, Jamuna Vadivelu
Summary: B. pseudomallei infection causes melioidosis with varying severity, diverse pathological manifestations, complex mechanisms of latency and relapse, and the crucial role of immune response in eradicating the pathogen. However, the question of why some individuals are asymptomatic while others are life-threatening remains unanswered.
FRONTIERS IN IMMUNOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Microbiology
Matthew M. Schaefers, Benjamin X. Wang, Nicole M. Boisvert, Sarah J. Martini, Sarah L. Bonney, Christopher W. Marshall, Michael T. Laub, Vaughn S. Cooper, Gregory P. Priebe
Summary: Mutations in the fixL gene of BCC play a significant role in bacterial adaptation during chronic lung infection in CF patients, enhancing survival in macrophages and the murine lung environment at the expense of reduced fitness in soil.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Michaela Prothiwa, Verena Filz, Sebastian Oehler, Thomas Boettcher
Summary: A novel substrate-based chemical probe was developed against the central quinolone biosynthesis enzyme HmqD in Burkholderia species, leading to the discovery of the first known HmqD inhibitors with single-digit micromolar efficacy in blocking quinolone production in Burkholderia cultures.
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Martina Pasqua, Marco Coluccia, Yoko Eguchi, Toshihide Okajima, Milena Grossi, Gianni Prosseda, Ryutaro Utsumi, Bianca Colonna
Summary: Two-component signal transduction systems (TCSs) are important protein machinery in bacteria, responsible for regulating various bacterial functions. In Shigella, five TCSs play a crucial role in linking environmental signals to the expression of virulence-related genes during host infection. Inhibiting TCS function could be a promising approach to combat bacterial infections.
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Benjamin X. Wang, Kyle C. Cady, Gerardo C. Oyarce, Katharina Ribbeck, Michael T. Laub
Summary: Pseudomonas aeruginosa harbors over 60 two-component signaling systems that play a role in pathogenesis, with individual genes controlling multiple virulence traits. Deletion strains lacking histidine kinases were used to confirm functions and uncover new roles in controlling virulence-associated traits, providing insight into the functions of these signaling proteins and offering a resource for future studies.
APPLIED AND ENVIRONMENTAL MICROBIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Immunology
Carina M. Hall, Nathan E. Stone, Madison Martz, Shelby M. Hutton, Ella Santana-Propper, Lora Versluis, Kieston Guidry, Marielisa Ortiz, Joseph D. Busch, Trevor Maness, Jonathan Stewart, Tom Sidwa, Jay E. Gee, Mindy G. Elrod, Julia K. Petras, Maureen C. Ty, Christopher Gulvik, Zachary P. Weiner, Johanna S. Salzer, Alex R. Hoffmaster, Sarai Rivera-Garcia, Paul Keim, Amanda Kieffer, Jason W. Sahl, Fred Soltero, David M. Wagner
Summary: Burkholderia thailandensis, a bacterium closely related to the pathogen B. pseudomallei, was found in water in Texas and Puerto Rico, as well as soil in Mississippi in the United States. This discovery highlights a potential public health risk, although human infections with B. thailandensis are rare.
EMERGING INFECTIOUS DISEASES
(2023)
Review
Immunology
Nicole M. Bzdyl, Clare L. Moran, Justine Bendo, Mitali Sarkar-Tyson
Summary: Burkholderia pseudomallei, a soil saprophyte, is responsible for melioidosis, a prevalent disease in Southeast Asia and northern Australia. This review highlights the various mechanisms employed by B. pseudomallei to survive and spread within host cells.
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Yujie Zhou, Lei Cheng, Binyou Liao, Yangyang Shi, Yulong Niu, Chengguang Zhu, Xingchen Ye, Xuedong Zhou, Biao Ren
Summary: The CHK1 gene in Candida albicans plays a key role in oral mucosal infection by damaging epithelial cells and inducing the production of ROS and IL-1 alpha to increase pathogenicity. However, it is not directly related to the adhesion and invasion of epithelial cells.
APPLIED MICROBIOLOGY AND BIOTECHNOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Microbiology
Muhammad Shafiq, Bixia Ke, Xin Li, Mi Zeng, Yumeng Yuan, Dongmei He, Xiaoling Deng, Xiaoyang Jiao
Summary: The study identified high genetic diversity among 8 clinical Burkholderia pseudomallei isolates, which were susceptible to commonly used antibiotics for melioidosis treatment. Various antibiotic-resistant genes and mutation factors, as well as 165 virulence factors were discovered, indicating different pathogens responsible for various disorders. Phylogenetic analysis showed diverse strains with implications for disease management.
FRONTIERS IN MICROBIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Genetics & Heredity
Ahmad-Kamal Ghazali, Su-Anne Eng, Jia-Shiun Khoo, Seddon Teoh, Chee-Choong Hoh, Sheila Nathan
Summary: The study sequenced and analyzed the genomes of four clinical Burkholderia pseudomallei isolates from Malaysia, identifying genetic differences that may explain variations in virulence among the strains.
MICROBIAL GENOMICS
(2021)
Article
Genetics & Heredity
Cin Kong, Rui-Rui Wong, Ahmad-Kamal Ghazali, Yuka Hara, Tengku Nurfarhana Tengku Aziz, Sheila Nathan
Summary: This study conducted a comparative transcriptome analysis of B. pseudomallei in human plasma and soil extract media, revealing gene expression patterns related to bacterial adaptation and infectivity in the host. The results showed upregulation of genes involved in energy metabolism and cellular processes, and downregulation of genes related to fatty acid and phospholipid metabolism, amino acid biosynthesis, and regulatory function proteins in B. pseudomallei grown in human plasma. The induction of biofilm formation and overexpression of virulence factors in human plasma suggest an enhanced virulence potential of B. pseudomallei in the host.
MICROBIAL GENOMICS
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Vanitha Mariappan, Muttiah Barathan, Ahmad Khusairy Zulpa, Jamuna Vadivelu, Kumutha Malar Vellasamy
Summary: This study compared the adherence, invasion, survival, and biofilm production abilities of small colony variants (SCVs) and wild-type B. pseudomallei. Additionally, the proteins responsible for pathogenicity were identified through 2-DE and LC-MS analysis. The results showed that SCVs exhibited upregulation of specific proteins involved in metabolic pathways, which may contribute to the alteration of virulence factors and enhanced pathogenesis.
JOURNAL OF TAIBAH UNIVERSITY FOR SCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Immunology
Javier Sanchez-Villamil, Daniel Tapia, Grace Borlee, Bradley R. Borlee, David H. Walker, Alfredo G. Torres
Summary: The study developed in vitro and in vivo models to investigate gastrointestinal infection by Burkholderia pseudomallei and identified the type 6 secretion system and type 1 fimbriae as important virulence factors. Mannose-sensitive type 1 fimbriae were found to be involved in the initial adherence of B. pseudomallei to intestinal epithelial cells, while a functional T6SS was necessary for full virulence and lethality in mice infected via the intragastric route. These findings suggest that B. pseudomallei is an enteric pathogen with T6SS playing a crucial role in gastrointestinal infection.
INFECTION AND IMMUNITY
(2021)
Article
Microbiology
Carina M. M. Hall, Nawarat Somprasong, Johannah P. P. Hagen, Roxanne Nottingham, Jason W. W. Sahl, Jessica R. R. Webb, Mark Mayo, Bart J. J. Currie, Yuwana Podin, David M. M. Wagner, Paul Keim, Herbert P. P. Schweizer
Summary: Cefiderocol is a siderophore cephalosporin designed for treating infections caused by beta-lactam and multidrug-resistant Gram-negative bacteria. Resistance in clinical B. pseudomallei isolates from Australia is caused by an uncharacterized mechanism. The PiuA outer membrane receptor plays a major role in cefiderocol nonsusceptibility in isolates from Malaysia.
ANTIMICROBIAL AGENTS AND CHEMOTHERAPY
(2023)
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Nitika Kandhari, Calvin A. Kraupner-Taylor, Paul F. Harrison, David R. Powell, Traude H. Beilharz
Summary: Alternative transcript cleavage and polyadenylation are associated with cancer cell transformation, proliferation, and outcome. Researchers have developed methods to detect and analyze alternative polyadenylation as potential cancer biomarkers, which, if integrated into standard prognostic measures, may advance cancer prognostic testing and guide therapy. This review focuses on existing methodologies, both experimental and computational, to support the use of alternative polyadenylation as cancer biomarkers.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2021)
Article
Microbiology
Cristina Giogha, Nichollas E. Scott, Tania Wong Fok Lung, Georgina L. Pollock, Marina Harper, Ethan D. Goddard-Borger, Jaclyn S. Pearson, Elizabeth L. Hartland
Summary: During infection, bacterial pathogens EPEC and EHEC use type III secretion system to inject effector proteins into host cells, directly manipulating host cell functions. NleB2, a close homologue of NleB1, is the first identified bacterial arginine-glucose transferase, inhibiting host protein function through arginine glycosylation, similar to NleB1's Arg-GlcNAc glycosylation. Substitution of specific residues in NleB2 and NleB1 switches sugar donor usage without affecting their ability to inhibit host cell signaling.
Article
Biology
Rachael Emily Turner, Paul F. Harrison, Angavai Swaminathan, Calvin A. Kraupner-Taylor, Belinda J. Goldie, Michael See, Amanda L. Peterson, Ralf B. Schittenhelm, David R. Powell, Darren J. Creek, Bernhard Dichtl, Traude H. Beilharz
Summary: This study investigates the regulation of mRNA function by 3' end formation factors, revealing that different drugs can impact the selection of poly(A) addition sites by influencing nucleotide levels and chromatin landscape to regulate alternative polyadenylation.
Article
Infectious Diseases
Sue C. Nang, Mengyao Li, Marina Harper, Eric Mandela, Phillip J. Bergen, Jean-Marc Rolain, Yan Zhu, Tony Velkov, Jian Li
Summary: This study investigated the concentration-dependent transcriptomic responses of mcr-harbouring E. coli to polymyxin treatment. The results revealed that cell envelope remodelling, pEtN modification, iron acquisition, and oxidative stress protective mechanisms play a key role in the survival of mcr-carrying E. coli treated with polymyxin.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ANTIMICROBIAL AGENTS
(2022)
Article
Microbiology
Sebastien Massier, Brandon Robin, Marianne Megroz, Amy Wright, Marina Harper, Brooke Hayes, Pascal Cosette, Isabelle Broutin, John D. Boyce, Emmanuelle De, Julie Hardouin
Summary: Acinetobacter baumannii is a problematic nosocomial pathogen due to its antibiotic resistance and ability to form biofilms. The study identified phosphoproteins in two strains cultured in different growth modes, with biofilm modes showing more phosphorylation sites and proteins. The research suggests potential therapeutic targets against this pathogen.
FRONTIERS IN MICROBIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Microbiology
Emily L. Gulliver, Brandon M. Sy, Julia L. Wong, Deanna S. Deveson Lucas, David R. Powell, Marina Harper, Jai J. Tree, John D. Boyce
Summary: Regulation in P. multocida involving the RNA-binding protein Hfq is required for hyaluronic acid capsule production and virulence. This study further expands our understanding of riboregulation by examining the role of a second RNA-binding protein, ProQ, in transcript regulation and abundance in P. multocida. The analyses demonstrated that ProQ binds to specific RNA targets and stabilizes sRNAs and transfer RNAs in P. multocida.
JOURNAL OF BACTERIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Microbiology
Thomas R. Smallman, Galain C. Williams, Marina Harper, John D. Boyce
Summary: This study identified essential genes for in vitro growth of P. multocida and genes required for hyaluronic acid capsule production and regulation using transposon-directed insertion site sequencing (TraDIS) and TraDISort. It found that many capsule-associated genes were involved in the stringent response, and disruption of the autoregulatory domains in SpoT resulted in reduced capsule biosynthesis and an acapsular phenotype.
MICROBIOLOGY SPECTRUM
(2022)
Article
Microbiology
Claudia Simm, Harshini Weerasinghe, David R. Thomas, Paul F. Harrison, Hayley J. Newton, Traude H. Beilharz, Ana Traven
Summary: Fungal infections, particularly drug-resistant ones like Candida auris, pose a global threat. However, the limited number of antifungal drug targets hinders effective treatment. This study investigates the metabolic requirements and adaptations of C. auris. The researchers find that triggering metabolic dysfunction using pyrvinium pamoate (PP) shows promise as a strategy against C. auris. PP induces metabolic reprogramming, disrupts mitochondrial function, and impairs iron homeostasis, leading to a reduction in C. auris growth. This study highlights the potential of targeting metabolism as a therapeutic approach for drug-resistant C. auris.
MICROBIOLOGY SPECTRUM
(2022)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Angela Garriz, Sean A. Williamson, Anup D. Shah, Roger G. Evans, Deanna S. Deveson Lucas, David R. Powell, Sarah L. Walton, Francine Z. Marques, Richard D. Reina
Summary: Through RNA-sequencing analysis, this study reveals the transcriptomic events associated with embryonic arrest in green sea turtles. The gene expression in embryos incubated in hypoxic conditions differs significantly from those in normoxic conditions, indicating the effects of hypoxia on embryonic development.
Article
Infectious Diseases
Akosua A. Agyeman, Carla Lopez-Causape, Kate E. Rogers, Deanna Deveson Lucas, Sara Cortes-Lara, Maria A. Gomis-Font, Pablo Fraile-Ribot, Joan Figuerola, Yinzhi Lang, Eva R. T. Franklyn, Wee Leng Lee, Jieqiang Zhou, Yongzhen Zhang, Jurgen B. Bulitta, John D. Boyce, Roger L. Nation, Antonio Oliver, Cornelia B. Landersdorfer
Summary: The study evaluated the efficacy of Ceftolozane/tazobactam alone and in combination with tobramycin against hypermutable Pseudomonas aeruginosa isolates in biofilm growth. The combination regimens demonstrated synergy and effectively suppressed the emergence of less-susceptible subpopulations. Mechanism-based modelling described the antibacterial effects of all regimens against free-floating and biofilm bacterial states.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ANTIMICROBIAL AGENTS
(2023)
Article
Clinical Neurology
Yijun Pan, Yoshiteru Kagawa, Jiaqi Sun, Deanna S. Deveson Lucas, Ryusuke Takechi, John C. L. Mamo, Dorothy C. C. Wai, Raymond S. Norton, Liang Jin, Joseph A. Nicolazzo
Summary: Increased expression of Kv1.3 in activated microglia is associated with neuroinflammation in Alzheimer's disease (AD), and inhibiting Kv1.3 has shown potential in improving cognitive function in AD mouse models. In this study, microglial expression of Kv1.3 was found to be increased in an AD animal model, and treatment with the Kv1.3 blocker HsTX1[R14A] significantly improved cognitive deficits. Transcriptomics analysis revealed changes in gene expression related to inflammation, neuron differentiation, synapse function, learning, and memory. These results highlight the potential of Kv1.3 blockade as a therapeutic strategy for AD.
Article
Computer Science, Interdisciplinary Applications
Paul Harrison
Summary: langevitour is a tool that displays interactive animated 2D projections of high-dimensional datasets. It uses Langevin Dynamics to generate a smooth path of projections, initially explored at random. Users can activate a guide to search for informative projections or manually adjust the position of variables. By providing continuous small motions, langevitour offers a channel of visual information that is not present in static scatter plots. Implemented in Javascript, it ensures a high frame rate and responsive interaction, and can be used directly from the R environment.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Frank St Michael, Chantelle M. Cairns, Perry Fleming, Evgeny V. Vinogradov, John D. Boyce, Marina Harper, Andrew D. Cox
Summary: The study focused on characterizing the structural features of capsular polysaccharides (CPSs) of Pasteurella multocida serotypes B and E. Through structural analysis and development of polyclonal sera, significant similarities and differences were identified between the two serotypes, shedding light on the genetic loci and roles of encoded proteins in CPS biosynthesis.