Review
Cell Biology
Xiaoping Chen, Li Qin, Wen Hu, Dickson Adah
Summary: Studies have shown that Plasmodium infection can activate the immune system to counteract cancer development and prolong patient survival. Clinical trials have demonstrated potential efficacy of Plasmodium immunotherapy in advanced cancers. Further research indicates that Plasmodium immunotherapy is a comprehensive ecological counterattack therapy for cancer.
CELL COMMUNICATION AND SIGNALING
(2021)
Article
Plant Sciences
Johan Quilbe, Nico Nouwen, Marjorie Pervent, Remi Guyonnet, Julie Cullimore, Frederic Gressent, Natasha Horta Araujo, Djamel Gully, Christophe Klopp, Eric Giraud, Jean-Francois Arrighi
Summary: Characterization of Aeschynomene evenia mutants altered in nodulation provides insights into the mechanisms of Nod-independent symbiosis and contributes to the understanding of rhizobium-legume symbiosis.
Article
Microbiology
C. N. Jondle, K. E. Johnson, C. Aurubin, P. Sylvester, G. Xin, W. Cui, A. R. Huppler, V. L. Tarakanova
Summary: Gammaherpesviruses establish lifelong infections and are associated with B cell lymphomas. This study reveals a novel proviral role of host interleukin 17A (IL-17A) in the establishment of chronic gammaherpesvirus infection and gammaherpesvirus-driven germinal center response. IL-17A signaling promotes viral infection following mucosal route, lytic replication, and reactivation from latency.
Article
Immunology
Maria Giorgalli, Deirdre A. Cunningham, Malgorzata Broncel, Aaron Sait, Thomas E. Harrison, Caroline Hosking, Audrey Vandomme, Sarah Amis, Ana Antonello, Lauren Sullivan, Faith Uwadiae, Laura Torella, Matthew K. Higgins, Jean Langhorne
Summary: This study investigates the localization pattern of the Plasmodium interspersed repeat (PIR) gene family in the rodent malaria parasite Plasmodium chabaudi chabaudi. The results show that different PIR proteins have distinct subcellular localizations within infected red blood cells during different stages of infection. The findings suggest that the function of the PIR gene family may differ from other multigene families of Plasmodium.
FRONTIERS IN CELLULAR AND INFECTION MICROBIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Yayoi Izu, Sheila M. Adams, Brianne K. Connizzo, David P. Beason, Louis J. Soslowsky, Manuel Koch, David E. Birk
Summary: Collagen XII plays dual roles in tendon development by influencing fibril packing, fiber assembly and stability, as well as regulating tenocyte organization and intercellular communication. Its deficiency results in altered cell shape, impaired cell-cell communication, and decreased tissue stiffness, indicating its crucial role in tendon structure and function. Additionally, collagen XII specifically affects tenocyte biosynthesis and provides feedback to regulate extracellular collagen I, highlighting its significance in tendon development and maintenance.
Article
Genetics & Heredity
Jim P. Fouracre, Jia He, Victoria J. Chen, Simone Sidoli, R. Scott Poethig
Summary: In plants, the VAL gene family members VAL1 and VAL2 regulate the transition from juvenile to adult vegetative growth by controlling the overall level of miR156 expression, rather than its temporal dynamics. This study highlights the complexity of temporal regulation in plants.
Article
Cell Biology
Manuela C. Aguirre-Botero, Lawrence T. Wang, Pauline Formaglio, Eduardo Aliprandini, Jean-Michel Thiberge, Arne Schon, Yevel Flores-Garcia, Shamika Mathis-Torres, Barbara J. Flynn, Lais da Silva Pereira, Yann Le Duff, Mathew Hurley, Adela Nacer, Paul W. Bowyer, Fidel Zavala, Azza H. Idris, Joseph R. Francica, Robert A. Seder, Rogerio Amino
Summary: By using 13 different monoclonal antibodies, researchers have revealed the mechanisms of neutralizing the malaria parasite in host tissues and found that the skin is the most vulnerable site to monoclonal antibody-mediated neutralization.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Pei-Fen Zhang, Zi-Yi Wu, Wen-Bin Zhang, Yong-Qiao He, Kexin Chen, Tong-Min Wang, Haixin Li, Hong Zheng, Dan-Hua Li, Da-Wei Yang, Ting Zhou, Chang-Mi Deng, Ying Liao, Wen-Qiong Xue, Lian-Jing Cao, Xi-Zhao Li, Jiang-Bo Zhang, Si-Qi Dong, Fang Wang, Mei-Qi Zheng, Wen-Li Zhang, Jianbing Mu, Wei-Hua Jia
Summary: Researchers have discovered a potential biomarker, oncofetal chondroitin sulfate (ofCS), for pan-cancer detection. They developed a sensitive plasma detection method to quantitate the levels of ofCS and found that cancer patients have significantly higher levels of ofCS. The study suggests that developing multi-cancer early detection tests based on cfDNA or protein markers holds great promise.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Thiago Luiz Alves e Silva, Andrea Radtke, Amanda Balaban, Tales Vicari Pascini, Zarna Rajeshkumar Pala, Alison Roth, Patricia H. Alvarenga, Yeong Je Jeong, Janet Olivas, Anil K. Ghosh, Hanhvy Bui, Brandon S. Pybus, Photini Sinnis, Marcelo Jacobs-Lorena, Joel Vega-Rodriguez
Summary: The study demonstrates that Plasmodium gametes recruit human plasminogen to their surface and process it into plasmin, facilitating parasite migration in the host. Inhibition of plasminogen activation affects parasite development and is inversely correlated with mosquito infectivity.
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Kanak Joshi, Shanhui Liu, Peter S. J. Breslin, Jiwang Zhang
Summary: The TET family of proteins plays important roles in embryonic development and tissue generation by regulating gene expression. Interacting partner proteins and post-translational modifications regulate the activities of TET proteins. Mutations and dysregulation of TET proteins are implicated in human diseases, particularly cancers.
CELLULAR AND MOLECULAR LIFE SCIENCES
(2022)
Article
Immunology
Roos M. de Jong, Manon Alkema, Tate Oulton, Elin Dumont, Karina Teelen, Rie Nakajima, Rafael Ramiro de Assis, Kathleen W. Dantzler Press, Priscilla Ngotho, Kevin K. A. Tetteh, Phil Felgner, Matthias Marti, Katharine A. Collins, Chris Drakeley, Teun Bousema, Will J. R. Stone
Summary: This study investigates the antibody responses to sexual stage antigens in individuals infected with P. falciparum. The results show that even after exposure to relatively low gametocyte densities, a significant anti-sexual stage humoral response is induced in malaria-naive individuals. The study identifies novel antigens associated with gametocyte exposure, which can be used for surveillance of the malaria infectious reservoir and support vaccine development.
FRONTIERS IN IMMUNOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Robert E. Jinkerson, Joseph A. Russo, Casandra R. Newkirk, Andrea L. Kirk, Richard J. Chi, Mark Q. Martindale, Arthur R. Grossman, Masayuki Hatta, Tingting Xiang
Summary: Photosynthesis is not necessary for symbiosis establishment, but its impact depends on specific cnidarian-Symbiodiniaceae relationships. UV mutagenesis can generate photosynthetic mutants capable of infecting hosts in the absence of photosynthesis.
Article
Cell Biology
Alexander P. Simpson, Ali Roghanian, Robert J. Oldham, H. T. Claude Chan, Christine A. Penfold, Hyung J. Kim, Tatyana Inzhelevskaya, C. Ian Mockridge, Kerry L. Cox, Yury D. Bogdanov, Sonya James, Alison L. Tutt, Daniel Rycroft, Peter Morley, Lekh N. Dahal, Ingrid Teige, Bjorn Frendeus, Stephen A. Beers, Mark S. Cragg
Summary: This study demonstrates that hFcyRIIB can inhibit effector cell function and immunotherapy by competing with activating FcyRs for antibody Fc, rather than through ITIM signaling.
Article
Immunology
Y. H. Sun, G. Luxardi, G. Xu, K. Zhu, B. Reid, B. P. Guo, C. B. Lebrilla, E. Maverakis, M. Zhao
Summary: Salmonella infection alters the electrical properties of macrophages by modifying the host cell surface glycan composition, affecting the directional migration and phagocytosis of macrophages.
INFECTION AND IMMUNITY
(2022)
Review
Microbiology
Joaquin Miguel Pellegrini, Jean-Pierre Gorvel, Sylvie Memet
Summary: Brucellosis is a significant global zoonotic disease that poses a huge threat to livestock and human health. The etiologic agent, Brucella, has evolved mechanisms to evade and manipulate host immunity, allowing for the establishment of chronic infections. Key factors, such as specific lipopolysaccharide and cyclic beta-1,2-d-glucan, play a role in hiding Brucella from the immune system. Understanding these mechanisms is crucial for developing effective treatments and vaccines.
Review
Immunology
Damian Perez-Mazliah, Francis M. Ndungu, Racheal Aye, Jean Langhorne
IMMUNOLOGICAL REVIEWS
(2020)
Article
Biology
Susanne U. Franssen, Caroline Durrant, Olivia Stark, Bettina Moser, Tim Downing, Hideo Imamura, Jean-Claude Dujardin, Mandy J. Sanders, Isabel Mauricio, Michael A. Miles, Lionel F. Schnur, Charles L. Jaffe, Abedelmajeed Nasereddin, Henk Schallig, Melissa Yeo, Tapan Bhattacharyya, Mohammad Zahangir Alam, Matthew Berriman, Thierry Wirth, Gabriele Schoenian, James A. Cotton
Article
Cell & Tissue Engineering
Jaishree Tripathi, Charis-Patricia Segeritz, Gareth Griffiths, Wendy Bushell, Ludovic Vallier, William C. Skarnes, Maria M. Mota, Oliver Billker
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Lia Chappell, Philipp Ross, Lindsey Orchard, Timothy J. Russell, Thomas D. Otto, Matthew Berriman, Julian C. Rayner, Manuel Llinas
Article
Parasitology
Maria A. Duque-Correa, Fernanda Schreiber, Faye H. Rodgers, David Goulding, Sally Forrest, Ruby White, Amy Buck, Richard K. Grencis, Matthew Berriman
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL FOR PARASITOLOGY
(2020)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Jack D. Adderley, Simona John von Freyend, Sarah A. Jackson, Megan J. Bird, Amy L. Burns, Burcu Anar, Tom Metcalf, Jean-Philippe Semblat, Oliver Billker, Danny W. Wilson, Christian Doerig
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2020)
Article
Microbiology
Eerik Aunin, Ulrike Bohme, Theo Sanderson, Noah D. Simons, Tony L. Goldberg, Nelson Ting, Colin A. Chapman, Chris I. Newbold, Matthew Berriman, Adam J. Reid
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Eliana Real, Virginia M. Howick, Farah A. Dahalan, Kathrin Witmer, Juliana Cudini, Clare Andradi-Brown, Joshua Blight, Mira S. Davidson, Sunil Kumar Dogga, Adam J. Reid, Jake Baum, Mara K. N. Lawniczak
Summary: The study utilized single-cell transcriptomics to elucidate gene usage across different stages of the transmission cycle of Plasmodium falciparum, highlighting developmental trajectories in the mosquito and identifying both conserved and non-conserved gene usage between human and rodent parasites. These findings provide a detailed atlas for intensive investigation of the transcriptional journey of P. falciparum and potential drug and vaccine targets for malaria prevention.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2021)
Article
Biology
Kate A. Rawlinson, Adam J. Reid, Zhigang Lu, Patrick Driguez, Anna Wawer, Avril Coghlan, Geetha Sankaranarayanan, Sarah K. Buddenborg, Carmen Diaz Soria, Catherine McCarthy, Nancy Holroyd, Mandy Sanders, Karl F. Hoffmann, David Wilcockson, Gabriel Rinaldi, Matthew Berriman
Summary: The study revealed daily rhythms in the transcriptomes of adult Schistosoma mansoni, providing insights into internal processes and host interactions relevant to within-host survival and between-host transmission. If these daily rhythms are driven by an intrinsic circadian clock, the oscillatory mechanism must be distinct from that in other animals. This information will benefit the development and delivery of treatments against schistosomiasis.
Review
Microbiology
Anush Chiappino-Pepe, Vikash Pandey, Oliver Billker
Summary: Genome scale metabolic models (GEMs) provide a powerful way to integrate genome and biochemical information on an organism to make testable predictions of metabolic functions under different conditions and systematically predict essential genes. By integrating omics and experimental genetic data, Plasmodium GEMs have become increasingly accurate and help to enhance our understanding of how Plasmodium metabolism is reprogrammed between life cycle stages.
CURRENT OPINION IN MICROBIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Maria A. Duque-Correa, David Goulding, Faye H. Rodgers, Claire Cormie, Kate Rawlinson, J. Andrew Gillis, Allison J. Bancroft, Hayley M. Bennett, Magda Lotkowska, Adam J. Reid, Anneliese Speak, Paul Scott, Nicholas Redshaw, Catherine McCarthy, Cordelia Brandt, Catherine Sharpe, Caroline Ridley, Judit Gali Moya, Claudia M. Carneiro, Tobias Starborg, Kelly S. Hayes, Nancy Holroyd, Mandy Sanders, David J. Thornton, Richard K. Grencis, Matthew Berriman
Summary: Whipworms are large parasites causing chronic disease in humans and other mammals. Researchers have discovered how the larvae invade host epithelial cells, establishing infection by degrading mucus layers and creating tunnels. This interaction between the whipworm and the host triggers an immune response and tissue repair.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2022)
Editorial Material
Parasitology
Thanat Chookajorn, Oliver Billker
TRENDS IN PARASITOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Biology
Ines M. Marreiros, Sofia Marques, Ana Parreira, Vincent Mastrodomenico, Bryan C. Mounce, Chantal T. Harris, Bjoern F. Kafsack, Oliver Billker, Vanessa Zuzarte-Luis, Maria M. Mota
Summary: Plasmodium parasites rely on an efficient sensing pathway to respond to amino acid fluctuations. The nek4, eIK1, and eIK2 sensor kinases play a key role in Plasmodium amino acid sensing, enabling these parasites to fine-tune replication and development in response to amino acid availability. This complex mechanism is critical for modulating parasite growth and survival.
COMMUNICATIONS BIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Biology
Deirdre A. A. Cunningham, Adam J. J. Reid, Caroline Hosking, Katrien Deroost, Irene Tumwine-Downey, Mandy Sanders, Jean Langhorne
Summary: In this study, the transcriptional profiles of the pir multigene family of Plasmodium chabaudi chabaudi were analyzed in male and female gametocytes isolated from infected mice blood. The results showed that infected red blood cells containing female and male P. chabaudi gametocytes transcribe a distinct set of genes encoded by the multigene family pir. The overall patterns resemble those observed in the closely related P. berghei, but this study highlights the differentiation of gametocyte-associated pir genes from those involved in chronic blood-stage infection and identifies a male-associated pir gene of interest for future studies.
BMC RESEARCH NOTES
(2023)