Article
Plant Sciences
Huan Long, Jinhua Fang, Lian Ye, Baolong Zhang, Colleen Hui, Xuan Deng, Sabeeha S. Merchant, Kaiyao Huang
Summary: This study optimized a method for purifying lysosome-related organelles (LROs) from two different populations of cells and discovered differences in morphology and function between them. It found that LROs in stationary phase cells had non-membrane-bound polyphosphate granules for phosphorus storage, while those in iron-overloaded cells were similar to acidocalcisomes with membrane boundaries and larger polyphosphate granules. Additionally, the study established a method for quantifying the sequestration capacity of LROs for trace metals and identified 113 putative acidocalcisome proteins through comparative proteomic analysis.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
I. Folgueira, J. Lamas, R. A. Sueiro, J. M. Leiro
Summary: Proton-translocating inorganic pyrophosphatases (H+-PPases) are an ancient family of enzymes that hydrolyze pyrophosphate (PPi) and transport H+ across membranes. This study characterized two isoenzymes (PdVP1 and PdVP2) in a scuticociliate parasite of farmed turbot, showing their involvement in acidification of cell compartments and regulation by infection and antiparasitic drugs.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2021)
Article
Microbiology
Ana M. Sanchez, Beate Schwer, Nikolaus Jork, Henning J. Jessen, Stewart Shuman
Summary: Inositol pyrophosphate 1,5-IP8 is a signaling molecule that regulates phosphate and polyphosphate homeostasis. Siw14 is identified as a pyrophosphatase involved in inositol pyrophosphate catabolism. Siw14 and Aps1 pyrophosphatases have redundant functions in fission yeast, and high levels of 1,5-IP8 are toxic for the cell.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Ahad Sabab, Sha Liu, Shari Javadiyan, C. John McAdam, Lyall R. Hanton, Alistair Jukes, Sarah Vreugde, Peter-John Wormald
Summary: This study investigated the effects of modifying beta-chitin patches on hemostasis and cytotoxicity, finding that the modifications did not significantly improve the patches' performance and showed no cytotoxicity to cells. Further in vivo research is needed to evaluate the safety and efficacy of beta-chitin patches in a clinical setting.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2021)
Article
Plant Sciences
Amarachukwu Faith Onuh, Kyoko Miwa
Summary: The aim of this study was to explore the physiological role of AVP2;1 in Arabidopsis thaliana. The mutant carrying a missense mutation in AVP2;1 showed increased primary root growth under low boron conditions but no significant difference under normal boron condition compared to wild type plants. Root cell observation revealed changes in the length and number of cells, as well as the concentration of calcium and specific sugars in the mutant compared to wild type plants under low boron.
FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Alexander A. Tokmakov, Ken-Ichi Sato
Summary: This study found that intracellular ROS levels increase in aged frog oocytes and eggs, and that targeted inhibition of NADPH oxidase with apocynin significantly reduces ROS levels, maintaining normal cell function.
Article
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
Orion Shih, Yi-Qi Yeh, Kuei-Fen Liao, Kun-Mou Li, Jia-Yin Tsai, Chieh-Chin Li, Yun-Wei Chiang, Richard K. Heenan, Yuh-Ju Sun, U-Ser Jeng
Summary: This study reveals the conformations and compositions of a proton-translocating pyrophosphatase Vigna radiata H+-PPase (VrPPase) in either detergent molecules or lipid nanodisc using SEC-SAXS, providing a deeper understanding of membrane-protein complexes.
MATERIALS CHEMISTRY AND PHYSICS
(2023)
Review
Genetics & Heredity
Alix Denoncourt, Michael Downey
Summary: Polyphosphates are polymers of inorganic phosphates linked by high-energy bonds, present in all forms of life and recently gaining attention for diverse biological roles. Research on polyP in higher eukaryotes is limited by lack of suitable tools, with important insights often coming from single-cell model systems.
Review
Engineering, Environmental
Sheila M. Saia, Hunter J. Carrick, Anthony R. Buda, John M. Regan, M. Todd Walter
Summary: Despite advances in wastewater treatment research on phosphorus cycling, there is still limited application in reducing agricultural phosphorus loading. Interdisciplinary research is needed to improve agricultural phosphorus management strategies and achieve water quality goals.
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Microbiology
Evgeniya A. Malykh, Liubov I. Golubeva, Ekaterina S. Kovaleva, Mikhail S. Shupletsov, Elena V. Rodina, Sergey V. Mashko, Nataliya V. Stoynova
Summary: Inorganic pyrophosphatases (PPases) catalyze the hydrolysis of PPi, a byproduct of cellular reactions. In most species, this reaction is carried out by soluble cytoplasmic PPase (S-PPases) with the released energy dissipated as heat. However, in Rhodospirillum rubrum, the proton-pumping pyrophosphatase (H+-PPase(Rru)) can conserve some of this energy as a proton electrochemical gradient for ATP synthesis. This study shows that the H+-PPase(Rru) gene can complement the native S-PPase in E. coli cells, leading to a redistribution of carbon fluxes and a decrease in the tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle fluxes.
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
M. Plouviez, C. S. Oliveira da Rocha, B. Guieysse
Summary: The study investigated the changes in cellular phosphorus content and granular polyP abundance in Chlamydomonas reinhardtii under different phosphorus supply conditions. The results suggest that polyP functions as a reserve of phosphorus in the absence of readily available extracellular phosphorus and is not utilized as an energy source in darkness.
ALGAL RESEARCH-BIOMASS BIOFUELS AND BIOPRODUCTS
(2022)
Article
Plant Sciences
Hilary Hunt, Nico Brueggen, Alexander Galle, Sandy Vanderauwera, Claus Frohberg, Alisdair R. Fernie, Uwe Sonnewald, Lee J. Sweetlove
Summary: Companion cells and sieve elements in vascular plants have important yet unknown metabolic functions. Using a tissue-scale flux balance analysis (FBA) model, we investigate the metabolism of phloem loading in Arabidopsis leaves. Our model suggests a different role for companion cell chloroplasts compared to mesophyll chloroplasts, indicating that companion cell chloroplasts mainly provide ATP to the cytosol rather than capturing carbon. We also found that certain amino acids synthesized in the phloem tissue lead to more efficient phloem loading.
Article
Microbiology
Hongfa Lv, Yonglin Zhou, Baichen Liu, Jian Guan, Peng Zhang, Xuming Deng, Dan Li, Jianfeng Wang
Summary: This study found that PPK1 plays an important role in the pathogenicity and persistence of A. baumannii. The lack of PPK1 significantly impairs the motility and biofilm formation ability of the strain, as well as the resistance to high concentrations of antibiotics, oxidative stress, heat shock, and starvation stress. Metabonomic analysis also revealed that PPK1 is associated with glycerophospholipid metabolism and fatty acid biosynthesis. Furthermore, mice infected with PPK1-deficient bacteria showed significantly reduced bacterial loads and decreased inflammatory responses.
MICROBIOLOGY SPECTRUM
(2022)
Article
Biochemical Research Methods
Qinan Hu, Olga A. Antipova, Thomas V. O'Halloran, Mariana F. Wolfner
Summary: X-ray fluorescence microscopy (XFM) is a powerful tool for studying the elemental composition of biological samples. Recent findings suggest that transition metal fluctuations during Drosophila reproduction may influence female fertility. This study describes procedures for isolating oocytes and activated eggs for XFM analysis to further support research on Drosophila reproduction.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Joshua E. Kim, Shaik Waseem Vali, Trang Q. Nguyen, Andrew Dancis, Paul A. Lindahl
Summary: The vacuoles of vma2 Delta cells are nonacidic and contain mainly nonheme Fe-II, indicating reduction of Fe-III ions present in WT cells. Despite this, the cells are able to synthesize normal levels of ISCs/hemes and have similar iron content in mitochondria compared to WT cells, suggesting that iron delivery to mitochondria is not disrupted. Analysis of cytosolic flow-through solutions also revealed differences in iron species between mutant and WT cells, with the mutant cells showing high concentrations of copper and metallothionein.
JOURNAL OF BIOLOGICAL CHEMISTRY
(2021)
Article
Energy & Fuels
Youssef Bacila Sade, Camila Silva Goncalves, Sandra Mara Naressi Scapin, Guilherme Luiz Pinheiro, Roberto Becht Flatschart, Wanderley de Souza, Norton Heise, Ednildo de Alcantara Machado
Summary: This study reports the identification and characterization of a novel endoglucanase AfEG66 from the snail Achatina fulica, which shows high activity and stability against polysaccharide substrates, contributing to the improvement of production efficiency of green fuels.
BIOENERGY RESEARCH
(2022)
Article
Microbiology
Giulia Maria Pires dos Santos, Luana Pereira Borba-Santos, Taissa Vila, Isabella Dib Ferreira Gremiao, Sandro Antonio Pereira, Wanderley De Souza, Sonia Rozental
Summary: Sporotrichosis is a common subcutaneous fungal infection caused by direct inoculation of Sporothrix spp. from soil to the skin. Cats play an important role in the zoonotic transmission of sporotrichosis in hot-spot endemic areas like Brazil. Biofilms formed by Sporothrix yeasts contribute to the recurrence of infection and resistance to antifungal drugs like itraconazole. Miltefosine shows potential as an off-label alternative to itraconazole by demonstrating antibiofilm activity against Sporothrix biofilms.
Article
Microbiology
Allan C. de Azevedo-Martins, Kary Ocana, Wanderley de Souza, Ana Tereza Ribeiro de Vasconcelos, Marta M. G. Teixeira, Erney P. Camargo, Joao M. P. Alves, Maria Cristina M. Motta
Summary: The symbiotic relationship between trypanosomatids and bacteria involves extensive metabolic exchanges, with the bacteria providing essential metabolic pathways for the protozoan. An in-silico study found that most genes involved in glycerophospholipid production are only present in the Symbiont Harboring Trypanosomatids (SHTs) and not in the bacteria. The bacterium has specific sequences and genes related to phosphatidylglycerol and phosphatidic acid production, which likely enhance SHT phosphatidic acid production. Phylogenetic analysis suggests that enzymes involved in the glycerophospholipid pathway have eukaryotic characteristics, indicating no gene transfers from the bacterium to the SHT nucleus. Overall, the data indicate that the symbiont plays a limited role in glycerophospholipid production, acquiring most of these molecules from the SHT.
Article
Cell Biology
Juliana C. Vidal, Wanderley De Souza
Summary: In this study, we used FIB-SEM to analyze the three-dimensional organization of epimastigotes SPMT and found that certain microtubules end earlier than their neighboring ones. This suggests the presence of treadmill/catastrophe events that have not yet been described in trypanosomatids.
BIOLOGY OF THE CELL
(2022)
Article
Microbiology
Luana P. Borba-Santos, Caroline Deckmann Nicoletti, Taissa Vila, Patricia Garcia Ferreira, Carlos Fernando Araujo-Lima, Barbara Verena Dias Galvao, Israel Felzenszwalb, Wanderley de Souza, Fernando de Carvalho da Silva, Vitor Francisco Ferreira, Debora Omena Futuro, Sonia Rozental
Summary: The silver salt of naphthoquinone 5 was found to possess potent antifungal activity against the main agents of sporotrichosis, inhibiting biofilm formation and causing mitochondrial and plasma membrane damage in fungal cells. Combination with itraconazole enhanced its inhibitory activity, and it showed a high selectivity towards fungal cells. These findings suggest that naphthoquinone 5 is a promising candidate for the development of new antifungal agents.
BRAZILIAN JOURNAL OF MICROBIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Parasitology
Duclecio Mendonca Lopes, Aluizio Fonseca Provencano, Cicero Brasileiro Mello, Denise Feder, Jose Mauricio Albuquerque Albuquerque Cunha, Nadir Francisca Sant'Anna, Guilherme Curty Lechuga, Saulo Cabral Bourguignon, Wanderley de Souza, Eloi de Souza Garcia, Evelize Folly, Patricia Azambuja, Marcelo Salabert Gonzalez
Summary: This study investigated the effects of azadirachtin treatment, ecdysone supplementation, and ecdysone therapy on the ultrastructural organization of the rectum in Rhodnius prolixus nymphs and the attachment behavior of Trypanosoma cruzi. The results suggest that ecdysone may play a significant role in the modulation of rectal ultrastructural arrangement and parasite attachment.
EXPERIMENTAL PARASITOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Parasitology
Tatiana Guinancio de Souza, Gustavo Benaim, Wanderley de Souza, Marlene Benchimol
Summary: Trichomonas vaginalis is a common sexually transmitted infection that affects millions of people worldwide. The current treatment, metronidazole, can have severe side effects and is not recommended for pregnant women. This study found that amiodarone and related compounds have anti-parasite activity against T. vaginalis, suggesting their potential as alternative drugs. The compounds induced cell death and morphological changes in the parasites.
PARASITOLOGY RESEARCH
(2022)
Article
Parasitology
Roberta Verissimo F. Oliveira, Wanderley de Souza, Katharina Voegerl, Franz Bracher, Marlene Benchimol, Ana Paula R. Gadelha
Summary: This study evaluated the effects of a new KDAC inhibitor on G. intestinalis growth, cytoskeleton, and ultrastructure organization, showing that the compound decreased parasite proliferation and viability. The results suggest that the compound has potential as a new therapeutic option for treating giardiasis.
Article
Cell Biology
Mayara S. Bertolini, Roberto Docampo
Summary: In this study, we generated TcMICU1/TcMICU2 double knockout cell lines using CRISPR/Cas9 genome editing and found that these knockout cell lines were unable to uptake calcium at low extramitochondrial calcium concentrations. Further investigation revealed that Mg2+ negatively regulates the mitochondrial calcium uptake mediated by MCUC.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Cassiano Cunha de Souza, Jose Aleixo de Azevedo-Franca, Emile Barrias, Stephany C. F. Cavalcante, Eduardo Guimaraes Vieira, Ana Maria Da Costa Ferreira, Wanderley de Souza, Maribel Navarro
Summary: Four novel metal-BZN complexes were synthesized and characterized in this study. The IC50 values of these complexes in inhibiting parasite proliferation stages are five to ten times lower than benznidazole itself. The cytotoxicity in human cells is lower for these complexes compared to BZN, indicating higher selectivity.
JOURNAL OF INORGANIC BIOCHEMISTRY
(2023)
Editorial Material
Cell Biology
Roberto Docampo
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Wendell Girard-Dias, Ingrid Augusto, Tacio V. A. Fernandes, Pedro G. Pascutti, Wanderley de Souza, Kildare Miranda
Summary: In this study, the three-dimensional distribution of diffusible elements within acidocalcisomes in Trypanosoma cruzi was mapped using advanced electron microscopy techniques. The existence of nanodomains with specific element distribution patterns was discovered. These findings have significant implications for understanding nanophysiology of organelles.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
(2023)
Article
Microbiology
Nuria W. Negrao, Logan P. Crowe, Brian S. Mantilla, Rodrigo P. Baptista, Sharon King-Keller, Guozhong Huang, Roberto Docampo
Summary: Trypanosoma brucei is the causative agent of African trypanosomiasis, and there is a need for new drugs due to limited treatment options and evidence of resistance. A phosphoinositide phospholipase C (TbPI-PLC-like) with an X and PDZ domain was discovered, similar to TbPI-PLC1. Recombinant TbPI-PLC-like does not hydrolyze phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate (PIP2) and does not modulate TbPI-PLC1 activity, but its knockdown affects the proliferation of trypanosomes.
Review
Microbiology
Roberto Docampo, Corrella S. Detweiler
Summary: Acidocalcisomes are organelles with acidity and high content of polyphosphate and calcium, and they have various functions and interactions with other organelles.
MICROBIOLOGY AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY REVIEWS
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Anna L. S. Barreto, Ariadne N. Alonso, Daniel C. De Moraes, Jose A. R. Curvelo, Kildare Miranda, Maristela B. Portela, Antonio Ferreira-Pereira, Thais Souto-Padron, Rosangela Maria De A. Soares
Summary: The search for new therapeutic strategies for leishmaniasis treatment is essential. The aqueous extract of the marine sponge Dercitus (Stoeba) latex displayed antileishmanial activity and moderate toxicity against peritonial macrophages. This study suggests that Dercitus (Stoeba) latex may be a potential source of drugs for the treatment of L. amazonensis infections.
ANAIS DA ACADEMIA BRASILEIRA DE CIENCIAS
(2022)