Article
Geochemistry & Geophysics
Neha Mehta, Delphine Vantelon, Juliette Gaetan, Alejandro Fernandez-Martinez, Ludovic Delbes, Cynthia Travert, Karim Benzerara
Summary: The short-range order of bacterial intracellular amorphous calcium carbonates (ACC) remains largely unexplored. In this study, X-ray absorption near-edge structure (XANES) and extended X-ray absorption fine structure (EXAFS) spectroscopies were used to investigate the calcium speciation and coordination environment in intact cells of diverse ACC-forming cyanobacteria. The findings reveal that XANES is effective in detecting ACC in intact cells and that the short-range order of cyanobacterial ACC is different from eukaryotic ACC, resembling monohydrocalcite. These results provide insights into the fate of cyanobacterial ACC and the role of ACC-forming cyanobacteria in the biogeochemical cycle of calcium.
Article
Environmental Sciences
M. Hernandez-Garnica, J. D. Garcia-Garcia, R. Moreno-Sanchez, R. Sanchez-Thomas
Summary: The study analyzed the accumulation of lead by the free-living algae-like Euglena gracilis and its effects, revealing that the organism showed resistance to lead under certain conditions without significant changes in growth and photosynthesis.
ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION
(2021)
Article
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
Oleg S. Vereshchagin, Olga V. Frank-Kamenetskaya, Dmitry Yu. Vlasov, Marina S. Zelenskaya, Oksana A. Rodina, Irina A. Chernyshova, Dmitry E. Himelbrant, Irina S. Stepanchikova, Sergey N. Britvin
Summary: Microorganisms play a vital role in settlement and biomineralization under extreme conditions. In this study, we examined biofilms in the extreme environment of Tolbachik Volcano area and identified microbial biomineralization. Our findings show that lichens promote oxalate biomineralization in an acidic environment, while cyanobacteria suppress carbonate biomineralization. Calcium and copper oxalates were found in lichen biofilms, with the intensity of biomineralization varying with lichen age. These results highlight the abundance of biomineralization in terrestrial environments and provide insights into microbial biomineralization mechanisms.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Neha Mehta, Jeremy Bougoure, Benjamin D. Kocar, Elodie Duprat, Karim Benzerara
Summary: It was discovered that the cyanobacterium Gleomargarita lithophora has the ability to strongly accumulate Ra-226 and form intracellular amorphous calcium carbonate mineral inclusions (iACC). Using high-resolution nanoscale secondary-ion mass spectrometry (Nano-SIMS), it was further found that sequestered Ra-226 is primarily associated with iACC and to a lesser degree within polyphosphate inclusions. This research provides important insights into the interactions between microorganisms and Ra-226, benefits the development of efficient bioremediation strategies, and presents a new frontier in mapping ultratrace elements in microbial samples using NanoSIMS.
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Guoquan Zeng, Suyu Qiao, Xitong Wang, Mingping Sheng, Mingyang Wei, Qun Chen, Heng Xu, Fei Xu
Summary: The addition of 10 mM Ca2+ during the Microbially induced phosphate precipitation (MIPP) process significantly increased the removal ratio of Cd, potentially through the formation of a solid solution to remove the heavy metal cadmium.
JOURNAL OF HAZARDOUS MATERIALS
(2021)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Tilman A. Grunewald, Stefano Checchia, Hamadou Dicko, Gilles Le Moullac, Manaarii Sham Koua, Jeremie Vidal-Dupiol, Julien Duboisset, Julius Nouet, Olivier Grauby, Marco Di Michiel, Virginie Chamard
Summary: This study utilizes nanobeam X-ray total scattering and reverse Monte Carlo modeling to spatially resolve the amorphous calcium carbonate compounds in mollusc shells. Three distinct amorphous compounds were discovered, and the presence of magnesium in the shell and its role in the amorphous-to-crystal transition were demonstrated. The findings contribute to the understanding of biomineralization and provide insights for bioinspired synthetic strategies.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
(2022)
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Ahmed Salama
Summary: Researchers are increasingly focusing on the development of unique materials from sustainable and renewable resources, with chitosan and its derivatives being versatile candidates for preparing attractive materials. Various preparation strategies for chitosan/calcium phosphate composites have been discussed and are widely applied in the biomedical and environmental fields.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF BIOLOGICAL MACROMOLECULES
(2021)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Beibei Xie, Huichao Zhao, Yuan-Fu Ding, Ziyi Wang, Yan Wang, Cheng Gao, Ruibing Wang
Summary: Chemotherapy based on molecular drugs is commonly used for tumor therapy, but its lack of specificity, severe side effects, and tumor resistance hinder its applications. This study introduces a drug-free tumor therapy approach involving spermine-responsive intracellular biomineralization. By designing calcium carbonate nanoparticles capped with folic acid and supramolecular peptides, these nanoparticles can target tumor cells and self-aggregate into micron-sized CaCO3 aggregates in tumor cells with overexpressed spermine. The extended intracellular retention of CaCO3 aggregates can induce intracellular biomineralization and Ca2+ overload, leading to mitochondrial damage and cellular apoptosis, effectively inhibiting tumor growth without serious side effects seen in conventional chemotherapy.
JOURNAL OF CONTROLLED RELEASE
(2023)
Article
Engineering, Marine
Christos Kanellopoulos, Vasiliki Lamprinou, Artemis Politi, Panagiotis Voudouris, Ioannis Iliopoulos, Maria Kokkaliari, Leonidas Moforis, Athena Economou-Amilli
Summary: This study investigates a small open cave with hot springs and stalactites in Greece using an interdisciplinary approach. The research reveals that the main mineral phase in the cave is calcite, and it interacts with Cyanobacteria species to form speleothem deposits. The findings are significant for understanding biomineralization processes in these unique environments.
JOURNAL OF MARINE SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING
(2022)
Article
Microbiology
Simona Dzurendova, Boris Zimmermann, Achim Kohler, Kasper Reitzel, Ulla Gro Nielsen, Benjamin Xavier Dupuy--Galet, Shaun Leivers, Svein Jarle Horn, Volha Shapaval
Summary: Calcium plays a crucial role in fungal metabolism, affecting the accumulation of lipids and polyphosphates. The study found that under acidic conditions, calcium deficiency increases lipid production while enhancing polyphosphate accumulation in fungi. Furthermore, calcium deficiency under acidic conditions also leads to an increase in carotenoid production.
Article
Geochemistry & Geophysics
Oksana A. Rodina, Oleg S. Vereshchagin, Dmitry Yu. Vlasov, Marina S. Zelenskaya, Dmitrii V. Pankin, Nikita V. Mitrofanov, Michael Yu. Nikitin, Kseniia Yu. Vasileva, Olga V. Frank-Kamenetskaya
Summary: This study investigated cyanobacterial communities associated with carbonate sediments in the freshwater bodies feeding the historical Peterhof fountains in Saint-Petersburg, Russia. Through metagenome analysis and various microscopy techniques, the research established the leading role of cyanobacteria in carbonate biomineralization in the water supply system of the Peterhof fountains. Additionally, model experiments showed the significant contribution of cyanobacterial species in the Oscillatoriaceae family to carbonate biomineralization.
Article
Engineering, Biomedical
Lotem Gotnayer, Dina Aranovich, Merav Fraenkel, Uri Yoel, Netta Vidavsky
Summary: Thyroid nodules are common findings in neck ultrasonography, but only a small percentage of them are malignant. Fine needle aspiration for cytology is indicated when ultrasound characteristics suggest TN malignancy. However, indeterminate results are common, requiring further evaluation through repeated FNAC or expensive molecular testing. This study suggests that the presence of zinc in microscopic calcifications may serve as a biomarker for TN malignancy.
ACTA BIOMATERIALIA
(2023)
Article
Spectroscopy
Neha Mehta, Juliette Gaetan, Paola Giura, Thierry Azais, Karim Benzerara
Summary: While the formation of intracellular amorphous calcium carbonate (ACC) by organisms is common, it is challenging to detect ACC in prokaryotes due to its susceptibility to transformation or dissolution during sample preparation. This study identifies diagnostic spectral markers of ACC-forming prokaryotes that enable their detection in the environment.
SPECTROCHIMICA ACTA PART A-MOLECULAR AND BIOMOLECULAR SPECTROSCOPY
(2022)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Justin J. Lee, Jawad Alzamil, Saba Rehman, Wanling Pan, Henrik Dimke, R. Todd Alexander
Summary: Activation of the basolateral calcium sensing receptor (CaSR) increases claudin-14 expression in the renal tubular thick ascending limb (TAL), leading to reduced paracellular calcium permeability and increased urinary Ca2+ excretion. This process involves signaling through PLC-stimulated p38 pathway and inhibition of Sp1-mediated repression.
Article
Evolutionary Biology
Karim Benzerara, Elodie Duprat, Tristan Bitard-Feildel, Geraldine Caumes, Corinne Cassier-Chauvat, Franck Chauvat, Manuela Dezi, Seydina Issa Diop, Geoffroy Gaschignard, Sigrid Gorgen, Muriel Gugger, Purificacion Lopez-Garcia, Maxime Millet, Feriel Skouri-Panet, David Moreira, Isabelle Callebaut
Summary: A new gene and protein family associated with cyanobacterial intracellular amorphous calcium carbonate (iACC) biomineralization was identified through comparative genomics. The gene ccyA, when overexpressed, resulted in increased intracellular calcium content in iACC-lacking cyanobacteria. The presence of ccyA was correlated with genes involved in calcium or bicarbonate ion transport and homeostasis, suggesting a functional role in iACC biomineralization. The search for ccyA in publicly available genomes identified additional cyanobacterial strains forming iACC, expanding our understanding of the distribution of cyanobacterial iACC biomineralization.
GENOME BIOLOGY AND EVOLUTION
(2022)
Article
Evolutionary Biology
Luis Javier Galindo, Guifre Torruella, Purificacion Lopez-Garcia, Maria Ciobanu, Ana Gutierrez-Preciado, Sergey A. Karpov, David Moreira
Summary: The supergroup Holomycota, consisting of Fungi and other related unicellular organisms, plays a major role in the phylogeny of eukaryotes. Recent studies suggest that the poorly known group of endobiotic phagotrophic protists known as aphelids may be closely related to fungi. This finding has significant implications for understanding the early evolution of Holomycota and the origin of fungi.
SYSTEMATIC BIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Soil Science
Wulf Amelung, Nele Meyer, Andrey Rodionov, Claudia Knief, Michaela Aehnelt, Sara L. Bauke, Danh Biesgen, Stefan Dultz, Georg Guggenberger, Maguy Jaber, Erwin Klumpp, Ingrid Koegel-Knabner, Volker Nischwitz, Steffen A. Schweizer, Bei Wu, Kai U. Totsche, Eva Lehndorff
Summary: Microaggregates are important structural components of soils, but their formation processes and transformation over time are poorly understood. This study used isotope labelling to investigate the role of potential organic gluing agents and inorganic building units in soil aggregation processes. The results showed that the presence of plants facilitated the rapid formation of stable macroaggregates, while the decomposition of organic components and the contribution of secondary oxides and clay minerals increased over time.
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Qiang Li, Romain Berraud-Pache, Yongjie Yang, Christelle Souprayen, Maguy Jaber
Summary: This study synthesized a bio-organoclay by modifying bentonite with natural soybean lecithin, and analyzed the effects of different factors on the properties of the modified bentonite. The results showed that reaction time and temperature had little impact on the properties of the modified bentonite, while an increase in pH and lecithin concentration significantly increased the interlayer space.
APPLIED CLAY SCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Yongjie Yang, Maguy Jaber, Laurent J. Michot, Baptiste Rigaud, Philippe Walter, Lucie Laporte, Kenan Zhang, Qinfu Liu
Summary: This study separated and classified three different size distributions of high-defect kaolinite particles from Quaternary sedimentary kaolin in Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region of China. Various techniques were used to monitor the particle sizes and analyze the structure and disorder of the kaolinite. The results showed that the smallest particle size kaolinite had higher degrees of broken bonds and more disordered structure, and the degree of disorder increased as the particle size decreased.
APPLIED CLAY SCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Microbiology
Juliette Gaetan, Sebastien Halary, Maxime Millet, Cecile Bernard, Charlotte Duval, Sahima Hamlaoui, Amandine Hecquet, Muriel Gugger, Benjamin Marie, Neha Mehta, David Moreira, Feriel Skouri-Panet, Cynthia Travert, Elodie Duprat, Julie Leloup, Karim Benzerara
Summary: The formation of intracellular amorphous calcium carbonates (iACC) by Microcystis is common in freshwater ecosystems, and has implications for understanding the biological function of Microcystis and the Calcium geochemical cycle in freshwater environments.
ENVIRONMENTAL MICROBIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Microbiology
Guifre Torruella, Luis Javier Galindo, David Moreira, Maria Ciobanu, Aaron A. Heiss, Naoji Yubuki, Eunsoo Kim, Purificacion Lopez-Garcia
Summary: In this study, 11 new apusomonad strains were morphologically characterized, and through molecular phylogenetic analysis of the rRNA gene operon, four known species were described and named, along with the proposal of four new genera and six new species. Comparative analysis suggests that the apusomonad ancestor was a fusiform biflagellate that thrived in marine environments, possibly with low oxygen levels. They likely had a complex cell cycle with dormant and multiple fission stages, as well as sexual reproduction. This research expands the diversity of apusomonads, updates their taxonomy, and provides important evidence for understanding early eukaryotic evolution.
JOURNAL OF EUKARYOTIC MICROBIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Louis M. P. Ter-Ovanessian, Marie-Christine Maurel, Jean-Francois Lambert
Summary: In this study, the potential of various prebiotic minerals as catalysts for promoting cyclisation reactions in the geochemical context at the origins of life was investigated. It was found that N-carbamoyl-aspartic acid (NCA) can undergo extensive cyclisation on certain mineral surfaces, with the dominant product being 5-carboxymethylhydantoin (Hy) instead of dihydroorotate (DHO), while hydrolysis is more prevalent on other surfaces. Furthermore, replacing enzymes with heterogeneous catalysts also proves effective for other reactions catalysed by enzymes of the cyclic amidohydrolases family. The hydrophilicity/hydrophobicity of minerals and the regioselectivity of cyclisation (5-carboxymethylhydantoin versus dihydroorotate) are also examined.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Ola El Samrout, Alberto Mezzetti, Gloria Berlier, Jean-Francois Lambert
Summary: The parameters for the formation of linear peptides and cyclic dimers (DKP) on different silica surfaces were studied, and the thermal treatments were found to control the formation. Characterization of the formed products was done using various spectroscopies and analysis techniques. The results showed that the presence of nearly-free silanols is crucial for the formation of linear peptides, while silanols involved in hydrogen bonding led to the cyclization of glycine to DKP. Liquid-phase deposition of glycine could also result in the formation of both DKP and linear polymers, depending on the loading and silica surface.
CHEMISTRY-A EUROPEAN JOURNAL
(2023)
Article
Evolutionary Biology
Luis Javier Galindo, Kristina Prokina, Guifre Torruella, Purificacion Lopez-Garcia, David Moreira
Summary: This study describes the morphological characteristics and genome data of two new Ophirinina species (Ophirina chinija and Agogonia voluta) and determines the phylogenetic position of Ophirinina. It is found that compared to other jakobids, Ophirinina may have retained additional mitochondrial elements, which can help to understand the early diversification of eukaryotes and the evolution of mitochondria.
GENOME BIOLOGY AND EVOLUTION
(2023)
Article
Ecology
Purificacion Lopez-Garcia, Ana Gutierrez-Preciado, Mart Krupovic, Maria Ciobanu, Philippe Deschamps, Ludwig Jardillier, Mario Lopez-Perez, Francisco Rodriguez-Valera, David Moreira
Summary: A metagenome-based method was used to estimate the virus-to-microbe ratio, and it was found that viruses may be much less abundant than previously thought, especially in non-aquatic environments.
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Come Thillaye du Boullay, Maguy Jaber, Maiwenn Le Denic, Floriane Gerony, Romain Bordes, Guillaume Merguet, Anne-Laure Rollet, Philippe Walter, Laurence de Viguerie
Summary: In the 15th century, the use of oil paint gradually replaced egg yolk as a binder in tempera painting, leading to a major change in painting technique in Europe. A mixed technique called tempera grassa, which combines egg and oil as emulsion, was occasionally used during this transitional period. This article investigates the physico-chemical aspects of emulsion-based binders, prepared with egg yolk and either raw linseed oil or lead-treated linseed oil, to better understand this historical painting practice.
COLLOIDS AND SURFACES A-PHYSICOCHEMICAL AND ENGINEERING ASPECTS
(2023)
Article
Microbiology
Kristina I. Prokina, Denis V. Tikhonenkov, Purificacion Lopez-Garcia, David Moreira
Summary: Rhodelphidia is a newly discovered phylum within the supergroup Archaeplastida, consisting of two known species (Rhodelphis marinus and Rhodelphis limneticus). Despite their close relation to red algae, Rhodelphidia differ significantly with their nonphotosynthetic eukaryotrophic flagellated organisms and gene- and intron-rich genomes. A new freshwater species of Rhodelphidia, Rhodelphis mylnikovi sp. n., strain Rhod-M, is described, showing distinct morphological differences from the other two Rhodelphis species, such as larger cell size, presence of two contractile vacuoles, short and blunt pseudopodia, absence of cysts, and cannibalistic behavior. Phylogenetic analysis based on 18S rRNA places it as a sister species to the freshwater species R. limneticus.
JOURNAL OF EUKARYOTIC MICROBIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Philippe Martinez, Matthias Alfeld, Catherine Defeyt, Hishaam Elleithy, Helen Glanville, Melinda Hartwig, Francois-Philippe Hocquet, Maguy Jaber, Pauline Martinetto, David Strivay, Philippe Walter
Summary: The study of ancient Egyptian paintings started in the 19th century with the development of Egyptology. By the 1930s, extensive research had been conducted on the materials and techniques used. However, most of these studies were done in museums, with limited understanding of the actual painted surfaces. To address this gap, an interdisciplinary project employed portable analysis tools to study the physical composition of the paintings on-site, providing a stronger foundation for scientific hypotheses and a deeper understanding of ancient Egyptian art.
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Ola El Samrout, Gloria Berlier, Jean-Francois Lambert, Gianmario Martra
Summary: The formation of peptides by condensation of amino acids is of great importance for the research on the origin of life and synthetic chemistry, but the efficiency and reaction mechanism are still poorly understood. In this study, the thermal condensation of gas-phase glycine in fluctuating silica environments was used as a model to investigate peptide formation in prebiotic environments. In-situ IR spectroscopy measurements revealed that a humidity fluctuating system with both temperature and water activity variations led to the formation of more peptides compared to a dehydrated system with only temperature fluctuations. A model was proposed where hydration steps resulted in the hydrolysis and redistribution of oligomers formed in dry conditions, leading to the formation of self-assembled aggregates with well-defined secondary structures. The resistance and growth of self-assembled structures were also investigated for an extended duration of Gly deposition using isotope labeling.
JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL CHEMISTRY B
(2023)
Article
Geochemistry & Geophysics
Neha Mehta, Delphine Vantelon, Juliette Gaetan, Alejandro Fernandez-Martinez, Ludovic Delbes, Cynthia Travert, Karim Benzerara
Summary: The short-range order of bacterial intracellular amorphous calcium carbonates (ACC) remains largely unexplored. In this study, X-ray absorption near-edge structure (XANES) and extended X-ray absorption fine structure (EXAFS) spectroscopies were used to investigate the calcium speciation and coordination environment in intact cells of diverse ACC-forming cyanobacteria. The findings reveal that XANES is effective in detecting ACC in intact cells and that the short-range order of cyanobacterial ACC is different from eukaryotic ACC, resembling monohydrocalcite. These results provide insights into the fate of cyanobacterial ACC and the role of ACC-forming cyanobacteria in the biogeochemical cycle of calcium.
