Article
Chemistry, Analytical
Xin Yue, Qinchen Liao, Hongmei He, Hongtao Li, Jianping Xie, Zhifeng Fu
Summary: A recombinant tail protein GP89 was expressed and found to have a fist-like structure. It can recognize non-tuberculosis mycobacteria and be used for the development of point-of-care testing devices and kits. The GP89-based fluorescent method provides a sensitive and rapid detection of mycobacterium smegmatis and antimicrobial susceptibility.
ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY
(2023)
Article
Oncology
Mouldy Sioud, Qindong Zhang
Summary: Among immunosuppressive cells, macrophages in the tumor microenvironment play a crucial role in angiogenesis, metastasis, and resistance to cancer therapies. A synthetic peptide called NW has been developed to bind to both M1 and M2 macrophages. By further selection on M2 macrophages, peptides specifically binding to M2 macrophages were identified. These M2-specific peptides, when conjugated with a photosensitizer, effectively killed M2 macrophages upon near-infrared light exposure. The wild type M13 phage also displayed a significant tropism to M2 macrophages, suggesting the potential for targeting both M2 macrophages and cancer cells.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Jay T. Osvatic, Laetitia G. E. Wilkins, Lukas Leibrecht, Matthieu Leray, Sarah Zauner, Julia Polzin, Yolanda Camacho, Olivier Gros, Jan A. van Gils, Jonathan A. Eisen, Jillian M. Petersen, Benedict Yuen
Summary: In the ocean, the Lucinidae family of marine bivalves is the most species-rich and widely distributed, hosting autotrophic bacterial endosymbionts. Metagenomics research revealed a cosmopolitan symbiont species associated with multiple lucinid host species, challenging our understanding of symbiont dispersal and location-specific colonization. This discovery highlights the importance of host and symbiont flexibility in the ecological and evolutionary success of the lucinid symbiosis.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
(2021)
Article
Biophysics
Liyan Bi, Huangruici Zhang, Wenchao Hu, Jiadong Chen, Yixuan Wu, Hao Chen, Bingqian Li, Zhiyang Zhang, Jaebum Choo, Lingxin Chen
Summary: In this study, a novel M13 phage-based SERS nanocarrier was developed for the detection and inactivation of E. coli. The M13 phage was used as a biological scaffold to conjugate with Au@Ag core-shell nanorods (Au@AgNR) and specifically target E. coli. The proposed SERS probe showed a detection limit of 0.5 cfu/mL and high antibacterial efficiency of approximately 90% against E. coli.
BIOSENSORS & BIOELECTRONICS
(2023)
Article
Biochemical Research Methods
Joshua Williams, Jaimee Kerven, Yin Chen, Antonia P. Sagona
Summary: Bacterial infections, such as Escherichia coli, are a significant global health issue. Antibiotic resistance has made these infections more challenging, necessitating the development of alternative antimicrobial treatments. Bacteriophages offer potential as they can be genetically modified and are highly specific. In this study, we engineered a phage called K1F to express an epidermal growth factor (EGF) and green fluorescent protein (GFP) fusion protein, allowing it to better target and eradicate E. coli infections in human cells through endocytosis and avoidance of phagocytosis.
ACS SYNTHETIC BIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Medicinal
Emily Engeman, Helen R. Freyberger, Brendan W. Corey, Amanda M. Ward, Yunxiu He, Mikeljon P. Nikolich, Andrey A. Filippov, Stuart D. Tyner, Anna C. Jacobs
Summary: The study showed that bacteriophage-antibiotic combination therapy can enhance the treatment of multidrug-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa infections, resensitizing the bacteria to antibiotics and reducing bacterial burden significantly in a mouse model. Additionally, the combination treatment prevented mutations in genes encoding known phage receptors, providing a promising approach for combating antibiotic-resistant infections.
Article
Cell Biology
Natalia Kapel, Julio Diaz Caballero, R. Craig MacLean
Summary: Colistin has become an important option for treating infections caused by antibiotic-resistant gram-negative pathogens, but the mechanism of colistin resistance is not well understood. In this study, exposure to colistin led to rapid cell death, but some populations were able to recover through the growth of sub-populations of heteroresistant cells. Heteroresistance was found to be unstable and quickly lost when cultured without colistin. The evolution of heteroresistance was primarily driven by selection for heteroresistance at two hotspot sites in the PmrAB regulatory system.
Article
Infectious Diseases
Karim Abdelkader, Diana Gutierrez, Agnieszka Latka, Dimitri Boeckaerts, Zuzanna Drulis-Kawa, Bjorn Criel, Hans Gerstmans, Amal Safaan, Ahmed S. Khairalla, Yasser Gaber, Tarek Dishisha, Yves Briers
Summary: The rising antimicrobial resistance is concerning, especially for Acinetobacter baumannii. In this study, a depolymerase called DpoMK34 was identified and characterized. DpoMK34 showed activity against A. baumannii MK34 and could be used as a potential antivirulence compound to control difficult to treat A. baumannii infections.
Article
Biology
Jordan Vacheron, Clara Margot Heiman, Christoph Keel
Summary: This study investigates the mechanisms by which environmentally important Pseudomonas bacteria perform kin interference competition through the use of R-tailocins. The findings demonstrate the deadly impact of cellular self-sacrifice coupled with deployment of phage tail-like weaponry on closely-related bacterial competitors, highlighting the importance of microscale assessment in microbial competitions.
COMMUNICATIONS BIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Claire Maudet, Marouane Kheloufi, Sylvain Levallois, Julien Gaillard, Lei Huang, Charlotte Gaultier, Yu-Huan Tsai, Olivier Disson, Marc Lecuit
Summary: This study investigates the mechanisms by which pathogens access the brain and cause infections of the central nervous system. The researchers discovered that a bacterial surface protein, InIB, protects infected monocytes from immune cell-mediated death, thereby prolonging the lifespan of infected cells and promoting the entry of the pathogen into the brain.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Ying Ma, Guanghong Cui, Tong Chen, Xiaohui Ma, Ruishan Wang, Baolong Jin, Jian Yang, Liping Kang, Jinfu Tang, Changjiangsheng Lai, Yanan Wang, Yujun Zhao, Ye Shen, Wen Zeng, Reuben J. Peters, Xiaoquan Qi, Juan Guo, Luqi Huang
Summary: The study reports the improved genome assembly of Danshen and reveals the possible roles of three CYP71Ds in catalyzing the reactions leading to the formation of the characteristic furan D-ring of tanshinones. The findings shed light on the biosynthetic pathway of tanshinones and highlight the evolutionary origin of different types of diterpenoids in the Lamiaceae family.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2021)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Jun Peng, Daniel Walter, Yuhao Ren, Mike Tebyetekerwa, Yiliang Wu, The Duong, Qiaoling Lin, Juntao Li, Teng Lu, Md Arafat Mahmud, Olivier Lee Cheong Lem, Shenyou Zhao, Wenzhu Liu, Yun Liu, Heping Shen, Li Li, Felipe Kremer, Hieu T. Nguyen, Duk-Yong Choi, Klaus J. Weber, Kylie R. Catchpole, Thomas P. White
Summary: This research introduces a nanopatterned electron transport layer that overcomes the trade-off between passivation quality and series resistance in traditional polymer passivation layers. Combining the nanopatterned electron transport layer with a dopant-free hole transport layer improves the efficiency and stability of perovskite solar cells.
Article
Immunology
Marina Alexeeva, Marivi Nabong Moen, Xiang Ming Xu, Anette Rasmussen, Ingar Leiros, Finn Kirpekar, Arne Klungland, Lene Alsoe, Hilde Nilsen, Svein Bjelland
Summary: Uracil arises in DNA through deamination and replication errors, and its repair by uracil-DNA glycosylase and the base excision repair pathway are crucial in maintaining genomic stability. The mechanisms of DNA incision following uracil excision are still uncertain, but it has been shown that hUNG may play a role in this process and contribute to class switch recombination activity in cells deficient in other repair enzymes.
FRONTIERS IN IMMUNOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Milad Fathabadi, Mohammad Qorbani, Amr Sabbah, Shaham Quadir, Chih-Yang Huang, Kuei-Hsien Chen, Li-Chyong Chen, Naimeh Naseri
Summary: In this study, an in situ electrochemical method was used to form a uniform and thin passivation layer on the surface of a hematite photoanode. The passivation layer effectively prevents surface charge recombination and improves the efficiency and stability of the photoelectrochemical performance. This work presents an industrially scalable method for sustainable photoelectrochemical solar-to-fuel conversion applications.
JOURNAL OF MATERIALS CHEMISTRY A
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Jie Ma, Wei Li, Ruiyuan Cao, Dunqin Gao, Qiyu Zhang, Xiao Li, Biyou Li, Luye Lv, Mansheng Li, Junyi Jiang, Yujie Wang, Jun Li, Zhihong Wu, Yunping Zhu, Wu Zhong, Shuyang Zhang, Ling Leng
Summary: The proteome map and pathological features of localized scleroderma (LoS) skin were established and characterized. It was found that the application of human-induced pluripotent stem cell-derived epithelial and mesenchymal (EM) organoids in a 3D culture system can reduce skin fibrosis and promote sweat gland and blood vessel regeneration.
Article
Microbiology
David A. Baltrus, Caitlin Smith, MacKenzie Derrick, Courtney Leligdon, Zoe Rosenthal, Madison Mollico, Andrew Moore, Meara Clark
Summary: Horizontal gene transfer can lead to both increased sensitivity and resistance to antibiotics in different strains of Pseudomonas bacteria. These effects are not simply due to overall fitness changes, and highlight the importance of genomic and environmental contexts in determining the outcomes of gene transfer events. The results suggest that the impacts of plasmid acquisition on bacterial fitness are complex and can vary depending on the specific genetic background and environmental conditions.
Article
Microbiology
Ravikumar R. Patel, Prem P. Kandel, Eboni Traverso, Kevin L. Hockett, Lindsay R. Triplett
Summary: This study identifies different metabolic states associated with antibiotic persistence, tailocin persistence, and loss of virulence. It demonstrates that tailocin is highly effective in eliminating dormant cells. Combination treatment was effective in killing both types of persisters. The research will inform the search for mechanisms and markers for each phenotype.
Article
Plant Sciences
David A. Baltrus, Meara Clark, Kevin L. Hockett, Madison Mollico, Caitlin Smith, Savannah Weaver
Summary: This study investigates the prophylactic application of tailocins to prevent infection by Pseudomonas syringae in Nicotiana benthamiana. The results demonstrate that multiple strains of tailocins can prevent infection, and the target specificity of tailocins is responsible for this protective effect. Furthermore, heritable resistance mutations do not explain the failure of tailocins to prevent infection in some cases.
Article
Microbiology
David A. Baltrus, Aaron White, Caitlin Smith, Meara Clark
Summary: The study presents draft genome sequences of eight Streptomyces strains isolated from multiple sky islands in Arizona, known for their distinctive physiology and prolific production of antibiotics. The sequencing was performed using Oxford Nanopore Technologies' Flongle adapter and MinION system.
MICROBIOLOGY RESOURCE ANNOUNCEMENTS
(2021)
Article
Biology
Brian A. Smith, Kevin Dougherty, Meara Clark, David A. Baltrus
Summary: Horizontally transferred elements, like plasmids, can impose costs on host cells and result in detrimental effects; laboratory passage of Pseudomonas stutzeri populations containing pMPPla107 can lead to resistance to inhibitory substances; compensating for the costs and changes associated with horizontal gene transfer can be achieved through single mutational events and allele exchange.
PHILOSOPHICAL TRANSACTIONS OF THE ROYAL SOCIETY B-BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
(2022)
Review
Biology
James P. J. Hall, Joao Botelho, Adrian Cazares, David A. Baltrus
Summary: This article provides an overview of the distribution, diversity, biology, and gene content of megaplasmids, emphasizing their widespread existence and often overlooked importance as mobile genetic elements.
PHILOSOPHICAL TRANSACTIONS OF THE ROYAL SOCIETY B-BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
(2022)
Editorial Material
Biology
James P. J. Hall, Ellie Harrison, David A. Baltrus
PHILOSOPHICAL TRANSACTIONS OF THE ROYAL SOCIETY B-BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
(2022)
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Patrick T. Stillson, David A. Baltrus, Alison Ravenscraft
Summary: Many plants and animals form intricate associations with bacteria, which can be mediated by genomic islands. Recently, a putative symbiotic island was found in Burkholderia symbionts of insects, suggesting a symbiotic relationship between the two.
APPLIED AND ENVIRONMENTAL MICROBIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Microbiology
Justin P. Shaffer, Morgan E. Carter, Joseph E. Spraker, Meara Clark, Brian A. Smith, Kevin L. Hockett, David A. Baltrus, A. Elizabeth Arnold
Summary: Interactions between microbes and their hosts have important outcomes for host and environmental health. This study focuses on the bacterial-fungal interactions in a foliar fungal endophyte and a facultative endohyphal bacterium. The research provides insights into the gene expression patterns and potential roles of the fungus in providing organic sulfur to the bacterium and the involvement of a bacterial type VI secretion system in symbiosis establishment.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Hanareia Ehau-Taumaunu, Kevin L. Hockett
Summary: Bacteria use antagonistic strategies, such as producing bacteriocins, to compete for resources in various environments. This study demonstrates that a bacterial plant pathogen expresses a bacteriocin in leaf apoplast when co-inoculated with a bacteriocin-sensitive competitor. While the bacteriocin negatively affects the competitor's population, a benefit is observed for the producing strain only when it is co-infiltrated at a low population frequency. This fitness benefit is dependent on the Type III Secretion System.
ENVIRONMENTAL MICROBIOLOGY REPORTS
(2022)
Article
Microbiology
Savannah L. Weaver, Libin Zhu, Sadhana Ravishankar, Meara Clark, David A. Baltrus
Summary: The study shows that tailocins from the P. syringae strain USA011R have broad killing activity against agriculturally significant phytopathogens and the human pathogen Salmonella enterica. Additionally, the efficiencies of targeting different species vary across closely related strains.
Article
Plant Sciences
Hanareia Ehau-Taumaunu, Kevin L. Hockett
Summary: Microbial community-based disease management approaches can be used to substitute or combine with current strategies. This study successfully developed a disease-suppressive phyllosphere microbial community using a selective passaging method.
PHYTOBIOMES JOURNAL
(2022)
Article
Microbiology
David A. Baltrus, Gi Yoon Shin, Teresa Coutinho, Brian H. Kvitko, John J. Dennehy
Summary: In this study, draft genome sequences for two bacterial isolates from the genus Pantoea are described. Pantoea ananatis ATCC 35400 was originally isolated from honeydew melon and Pantoea stewartii subspecies indologenes ICMP 10132 was originally isolated from sugarcane. However, reclassification of the latter species is supported by average nucleotide identity and discriminatory PCR analysis.
MICROBIOLOGY RESOURCE ANNOUNCEMENTS
(2023)
