Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Edoardo Jun Mattioli, Jacopo Rossi, Maria Meloni, Marcello De Mia, Christophe H. Marchand, Andrea Tagliani, Silvia Fanti, Giuseppe Falini, Paolo Trost, Stephane D. Lemaire, Simona Fermani, Matteo Calvaresi, Mirko Zaffagnini
Summary: S-nitrosylation plays an important role in cellular signaling by modulating protein function and conformation. This study investigates the molecular mechanisms of GSNO-dependent thiol oxidation using CrGAPA. The research reveals that GSNO induces reversible enzyme inhibition through S-nitrosylation, particularly at the catalytic Cys149, leading to CrGAPA inactivation.
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Heiko Lokstein, Gernot Renger, Jan P. Goetze
Summary: Chlorophylls, bacteriochlorophylls, and carotenoids are important pigments in photosynthetic organisms, playing a crucial role in light-harvesting and energy transformation. Recent research has made significant progress in understanding the structures and functions of light-harvesting complexes, reaction centers, and photosystems, highlighting the importance of these complexes in adapting to environmental conditions and regulating energy processes. The structural diversity in photosynthetic antenna designs is becoming increasingly apparent, with light-harvesting complexes commonly forming trimeric structures.
Review
Chemistry, Physical
Anjali Pandit
Summary: This review demonstrates the application of magic angle spinning nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy in characterizing the structural dynamics of photosynthetic complexes. The study shows that dynamics-based spectral editing NMR can differentiate rigid and mobile components and assess dynamics on different timescales. The research also highlights the use of this technique in studying live photosynthetic cells.
JOURNAL OF CHEMICAL PHYSICS
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Benjamin J. G. Rousseau, Agostino Migliore, Robert J. Stanley, David N. Beratan
Summary: The comparative study of DNA repair enzymes by mesophilic and extremophilic photolyases helps us understand their evolution and their role in preserving life on Earth. Our study finds that adenine plays a critical role in mediating electron transfer in both mesophile and extremophile DNA photolyases through similar mechanisms. Adenine is present in 10-20% of the strongest-coupling tunneling pathways between the electron donor and acceptor.
JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL CHEMISTRY B
(2023)
Article
Cell Biology
Min Liu, Aiguo Liu, Jie Wang, Yansong Zhang, Yajuan Li, Ying Su, Alan Jian Zhu
Summary: Protein phosphatase V (PpV) is identified as a homeostatic regulator of Hh signaling, which competes with the catalytic subunit of PP2A for Wdb association to negatively regulate Wdb stability. This competition ensures graded Hh signaling through regulated Wdb stability. PpV functions as a Hh activity sensor to maintain Hh signaling homeostasis by regulating Wdb-mediated PP2A activity through feedback mechanisms.
JOURNAL OF CELL BIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Benjamin J. G. Rousseau, Agostino Migliore, Robert J. Stanley, David N. Beratan
Summary: Comparative study of DNA repair by mesophilic and extremophilic photolyases helps to understand the evolution of these enzymes and their role in preserving life on our changing planet.
JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL CHEMISTRY B
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Laura Pedraza-Gonzalez, Edoardo Cignoni, Jacopo D'Ascenzi, Lorenzo Cupellini, Benedetta Mennucci
Summary: In response to varying light conditions, light-harvesting complexes (LHCs) undergo conformational changes to protect the photosynthetic organism from excessive light irradiation. Activation of the non-photochemical quenching (NPQ) mechanism is triggered by the acidification of the thylakoid lumen, resulting in a switch from a light-harvesting state to a quenched state. The pH sensitivity of the complex is driven by protonation of specific residues, and the quenching mechanism is controlled by a charge-transfer process controlled by the protein conformation.
JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN CHEMICAL SOCIETY
(2023)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Shuang Zhao, Xin Tang, Zian Miao, Yurong Chen, Jiawei Cao, Tianyu Song, Daiting You, Yanqing Zhong, Zhe Lin, Dan Wang, Zhiguang Shi, Xinlong Tang, Dongjin Wang, Shaoliang Chen, Liansheng Wang, Aihua Gu, Feng Chen, Liping Xie, Zhengrong Huang, Hong Wang, Yong Ji
Summary: Endothelial dysfunction is the initial process of atherosclerosis, and SNO-Hsp90 plays an important regulatory role in this process. The study found that SNO-Hsp90 levels increase in atherosclerotic human and rodent arteries as well as in oxLDL-treated ECs. Inhibition of iNOS or transfection with Hsp90 Cys521 mutation plasmid can reduce SNO-Hsp90 levels in oxLDL-cultured ECs. Additionally, SNO-Hsp90 at Cys521 disrupts the interaction between Hsp90 and AHA1, but promotes the association of Hsp90 and CDC37, thereby exacerbating atherosclerosis.
Article
Electrochemistry
Adnan Sayegh, Luca A. Perego, Marc Arderiu Romero, Louis Escudero, Jerome Delacotte, Manon Guille-Collignon, Laurence Grimaud, Benjamin Bailleul, Frederic Lemaitre
Summary: This study focuses on extracting energy from oxygenic photosynthesis by rerouting electron flow using intact photosynthetic organisms to generate photocurrent. Researchers found that some quinones can interact with the embedded photosynthetic chain, but the balance between toxicity and bioelectricity production needs to be considered.
Article
Plant Sciences
Ido Rog, Amit Kumar Chaturvedi, Vivekanand Tiwari, Avihai Danon
Summary: The study demonstrates that Arabidopsis PTOX contains a conserved C-terminus domain with cysteines that can rapidly switch states in response to light conditions, suggesting a crucial role in the adaptation of plants to terrestrial environments.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Fan Wu, Daniel Finkelstein-Shapiro, Mao Wang, Ilmari Rosenkampff, Arkady Yartsev, Torbjorn Pascher, Tu C. Nguyen-Phan, Richard Cogdell, Karl Borjesson, Tonu Pullerits
Summary: In this study, the authors experimentally investigated the dynamics of exciton-polaritons in a photosynthetic protein and found evidence of rapid energy transfer to dark polariton states.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2022)
Article
Plant Sciences
Manuel Balparda, Marlene Elsasser, Mariana B. Badia, Jonas Giese, Anastasiia Bovdilova, Meike Huedig, Lisa Reinmuth, Jurgen Eirich, Markus Schwarzlaender, Iris Finkemeier, Mareike Schallenberg-Ruedinger, Veronica G. Maurino
Summary: The study reveals that lysine acetylation is a highly conserved regulatory strategy in plants to directly modulate metabolic function. It is found that lysine acetylation serves as a common approach to finely adjust the activity of central metabolic enzymes in plants, impacting their acclimation capacity.
Article
Cell Biology
Weiwei Yi, Yuying Zhang, Bo Liu, Yuanyuan Zhou, Dandan Liao, Xinhua Qiao, Dan Gao, Ting Xie, Qin Yao, Yao Zhang, Yugang Qiu, Gang Huang, Zhiyang Chen, Chang Chen, Zhenyu Ju
Summary: NO plays a critical role in HSC regeneration, and the deletion of GSNOR leads to protein aggregation and activation of UPR. Treatment with TCA and deletion of Chop can correct these issues in Gsnor(-/-) HSCs.
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Liwen Ko, Robert L. Cook, K. Birgitta Whaley
Summary: We develop a method to simulate the dynamics of light harvesting systems, considering non-Markovian coupling and multi-photon excitation. We find that under weak field excitation, coherent state input and Fock state input lead to equal density matrices in the excited manifold, but only coherent state input creates off-diagonal coherence. We also analyze the absorption probability and derive expressions for short and long pulses, as well as study the difference between collective vs independent emission.
JOURNAL OF CHEMICAL PHYSICS
(2022)
Article
Plant Sciences
Thi Thu Hoai Ho, Chris Schwier, Tamar Elman, Vera Fleuter, Karen Zinzius, Martin Scholz, Iftach Yacoby, Felix Buchert, Michael Hippler
Summary: Linear electron flow (LEF) and cyclic electron flow (CEF) compete for light-driven electrons, which can also be used for hydrogen production in anoxic conditions. The partitioning of electrons is regulated by PROTON-GRADIENT REGULATION5 (PGR5) and PSI remodeling processes. The plasticity of photosystem I-associated light-harvesting proteins LHCA2 and LHCA9 affects photosynthetic electron transfer and hydrogen production.
Editorial Material
Plant Sciences
Dimitris Petroutsos, Lutz Wobbe, EonSeon Jin, Matteo Ballottari
FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE
(2021)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Pia R. Neubauer, Olga Blifernez-Klassen, Lara Pfaff, Mohamed Ismail, Olaf Kruse, Norbert Sewald
Summary: Halogen substituents can have a significant impact on the biological activity of organic compounds. Flavin-dependent halogenases have the potential for regioselective halogenation at non-activated carbon atoms using only halide salts and molecular oxygen. Identifying novel halogenases with high enzymatic activity and substrate scopes is crucial. A new hidden Markov model (pHMM) was developed to identify potential flavin-dependent halogenase genes, resulting in the discovery of several active enzymes in bacterial associates of the Botryococcus braunii consortia. In vitro tests revealed these enzymes are capable of halogenating various substrates, with a preference for bromination over chlorination.
Article
Cell Biology
Robert A. Freudenberg, Luisa Wittemeier, Alexander Einhaus, Thomas Baier, Olaf Kruse
Summary: This study demonstrates the potential of new selectable markers in biotechnology and proposes an effective pipeline for identifying new auxotrophies in Chlamydomonas reinhardtii. Using CRISPR/Cas gene editing, the spermidine synthase gene is shown to play a crucial role in maintaining normal growth of the microalga.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Chloe Borde, Clementine Dillard, Aurore L'Honore, Frederique Quignon, Marion Hamon, Christophe H. Marchand, Roberta Soares Faccion, Mauricio G. S. Costa, Elodie Pramil, Annette K. Larsen, Michele Sabbah, Stephane D. Lemaire, Vincent Marechal, Alexandre E. Escargueil
Summary: Energy metabolism reprogramming, specifically the switch from PKM1 to PKM2, plays a crucial role in cancer development. The inhibition of PKM2 by HMGB1 protein blocks glucose-dependent aerobic respiration and induces cancer cell death. Deleting the C-terminal tail of HMGB1 increases its activity towards cancer cells without affecting normal cell viability.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2022)
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Robert A. Freudenberg, Luisa Wittemeier, Alexander Einhaus, Thomas Baier, Olaf Kruse
Summary: This study systematically investigated the native putrescine metabolism in the green microalga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii and successfully achieved CO2-based bio-production of putrescine. The study provides important insights into the putrescine biosynthesis pathway and offers a promising approach for sustainable biotechnology.
PLANT BIOTECHNOLOGY JOURNAL
(2022)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Edoardo Jun Mattioli, Jacopo Rossi, Maria Meloni, Marcello De Mia, Christophe H. Marchand, Andrea Tagliani, Silvia Fanti, Giuseppe Falini, Paolo Trost, Stephane D. Lemaire, Simona Fermani, Matteo Calvaresi, Mirko Zaffagnini
Summary: S-nitrosylation plays an important role in cellular signaling by modulating protein function and conformation. This study investigates the molecular mechanisms of GSNO-dependent thiol oxidation using CrGAPA. The research reveals that GSNO induces reversible enzyme inhibition through S-nitrosylation, particularly at the catalytic Cys149, leading to CrGAPA inactivation.
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Alexander Einhaus, Jasmin Steube, Robert Ansgar Freudenberg, Jonas Barczyk, Thomas Baier, Olaf Kruse
Summary: In this study, innovative synthetic biology and efficient metabolic engineering strategies were combined to redirect metabolic flux through the MEP pathway in the green microalgae, C. reinhardtii, for efficient heterologous diterpenoid synthesis. Engineering of key enzymes and overexpression of fusion proteins successfully increased the production of high-value diterpenoids. Through fully photoautotrophic high cell density cultivations, significant amounts of sclareol, a high-value diterpenoid, were produced, demonstrating the potential of green microalgae as a powerful phototrophic cell factory for industrial biotechnology.
METABOLIC ENGINEERING
(2022)
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Julian Wichmann, Annibel Eggert, Liam D. H. Elbourne, Ian T. Paulsen, Kyle J. Lauersen, Olaf Kruse
Summary: In this study, the accessibility of different isoprenoid precursor pools for sesquiterpenoid production in Chlamydomonas reinhardtii was investigated. It was found that both the cytoplasm and chloroplast can be utilized for the generation of sesquiterpenoids. Targeting the fusion protein to the chloroplast and increasing gene dosage significantly improved sesquiterpene production. In addition, potential prenyl unit transporters were proposed based on bioinformatic analyses, which could enhance the capabilities of sesquiterpenoid production.
MICROBIAL CELL FACTORIES
(2022)
Article
Engineering, Chemical
Diana Reinecke, Lena-Sophie Bischoff, Viktor Klassen, Olga Blifernez-Klassen, Philipp Grimm, Olaf Kruse, Holger Klose, Ulrich Schurr
Summary: A year-long study was conducted in exemplary locations in Mid-Germany to evaluate the efficiency of algal biofilms in nutrient recovery from municipal and agricultural wastewater. The results showed that macro- and micronutrients could be recovered from all types of wastewater using algal biofilms. Economic evaluation found that the production costs of ATS biofilm ranged from 272 to 565 EUR/kg for municipal and agricultural wastewater, respectively.
SEPARATION AND PURIFICATION TECHNOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Microbiology
Bianca Frommer, Theresa Folchert, Anna-Lena Witschel, Mailin Reddeker, Magdalena A. R. Hauck, Nina Anderle, Victoria S. E. Schade, Laura Zagami, Marielle Rieks, Lutz Wobbe, Andrea Braeutigam, Marion Eisenhut
Summary: Pseudomonas sp. strain MM223, Pseudomonas sp. strain MM227, and Rheinheimera sp. strain MM224 were isolated from a muddy soil sample from the edge of a pond. We present the complete genome sequences and phylogenetic classifications for all three bacterial isolates.
MICROBIOLOGY RESOURCE ANNOUNCEMENTS
(2023)
Article
Microbiology
Marion Eisenhut, Marian Hawrylo, Katerina Trevlopoulou, Hannah Fingerhut, Sophia Niemann, Lukas Brokate, Niklas Kniekamp, Christian F. Grenda, Marina Guettler, Lutz Wobbe, Andrea Braeutigam, Bianca Frommer
Summary: The bacterial strains Pseudomonas sp. strain MM221 and Pseudoarthrobacter sp. strain MM222 were isolated from a sandy soil sample. Their complete genome sequences, including a circular plasmid for MM221, were reported in this study, which were assembled after sequencing with an Oxford Nanopore Technologies flow cell.
MICROBIOLOGY RESOURCE ANNOUNCEMENTS
(2023)
Article
Microbiology
Delphine Allouche, Gergana Kostova, Marion Hamon, Christophe H. H. Marchand, Mathias Caron, Sihem Belhocine, Ninon Christol, Violette Charteau, Ciaran Condon, Sylvain Durand
Summary: Non-coding RNAs (sRNA) play a key role in controlling gene expression in bacteria, typically by base-pairing with ribosome binding sites to block translation. The pulsed-SILAC method was used to identify new sRNA targets in Bacillus subtilis and expand the number of mRNA targets encoding enzymes. The study confirmed known targets and discovered new targets involved in central metabolism and NAD+/NADH ratio regulation.
MICROBIOLOGY SPECTRUM
(2023)
Article
Plant Sciences
Felix de Carpentier, Alexandre Maes, Christophe H. Marchand, Celine Chung, Cyrielle Durand, Pierre Crozet, Stephane D. Lemaire, Antoine Danon
Summary: The discovery of regulators involved in the formation of multicellular aggregates in response to abiotic stress in the single-celled alga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii highlights a new survival strategy for unicellular organisms.