Article
Microbiology
Daniel J. Bennison, Jose A. Nakamoto, Timothy D. Craggs, Pohl Milon, John B. Rafferty, Rebecca M. Corrigan
Summary: During nutrient limitation, bacteria produce (p)ppGpp as effectors of the stringent response. This molecule inhibits the activity of ribosome-associated GTPases, affecting ribosome assembly and bacterial growth, highlighting a major mechanism of stringent response control.
Article
Infectious Diseases
Emily M. Meredith, Lauren T. Harven, Andrew D. Berti
Summary: This study compared the effects of different mechanisms of tolerance induction on the effectiveness of antibiotics against Staphylococcus aureus. It was found that each mechanism of tolerance rendered at least one antibiotic ineffective, and each antibiotic was rendered ineffective by at least one mechanism of tolerance. Further research is needed to evaluate additional antibiotics, combination therapy, and different tolerance inducers.
Article
Microbiology
Ashley T. Deventer, Duncan Bryson, Mathew Shortill, Alisdair B. Boraston, Joanne K. Hobbs
Summary: The stringent response (SR), a global regulator of bacterial physiology and virulence, is involved in antibiotic tolerance and resistance. This study investigated how mutations in the Rel enzyme affect cellular (p)ppGpp levels and explored the consequences for resistance expression, resistance development, and bacterial fitness. The results showed that the mutations reduced the hydrolase activity of Rel and increased (p)ppGpp synthesis. Additionally, the mutations induced high-level expression of beta-lactam resistance and conferred a fitness advantage in the presence of bactericidal antibiotics. However, they did not accelerate the emergence of endogenous resistance mutations in vitro.
ANTIMICROBIAL AGENTS AND CHEMOTHERAPY
(2022)
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Fan Zhang, Bowei Wang, Shiluan Liu, Yuhui Chen, Yihuang Lin, Zixian Liu, Xianrong Zhang, Bin Yu
Summary: Cell-free supernatant of Bacillus subtilis (B. subtilis CFS) can effectively kill Staphylococcus aureus, increase its susceptibility to penicillin and gentamicin, suppress gene expression, alter membrane components, and enhance membrane permeabilization. This suggests that B. subtilis CFS may be a potential resistance-modifying agent against beta-lactam antibiotics for S. aureus.
MICROBIAL CELL FACTORIES
(2021)
Article
Microbiology
Laura Carrilero, Lucy Urwin, Ezra Ward, Naznin R. Choudhury, Ian R. Monk, Claire E. Turner, Timothy P. Stinear, Rebecca M. Corrigan
Summary: This article investigates the role of (p) ppGpp in the long-term survival of Staphylococcus aureus under nutrient-restricted conditions, highlighting its importance for the regulation of GTP levels.
MICROBIOLOGY SPECTRUM
(2023)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Humaira Shah, Hafiz Abdullah Shakir, Sher Zaman Safi, Abid Ali
Summary: This study investigates the molecular modulation mediated by Staphylococcus aureus and the potential reversal of its deleterious impact by an HR extract in keratinocytes. The results suggest that S. aureus negatively regulates key genes in keratinocytes, a process that is possibly reversed by the HR extract.
MOLECULAR BIOLOGY REPORTS
(2021)
Article
Microbiology
X. H. Yu, Z. H. Hao, P. L. Liu, M. M. Liu, L. L. Zhao, X. Zhao
Summary: The intensive and intermittent use of antibiotics leads to the rapid evolution of tolerance and acquisition of resistance. Efflux pumps are overexpressed in tolerant strains and contribute to resistance development. This study demonstrates the role of efflux pumps in the evolutionary trajectory from tolerance to resistance and suggests that inhibiting efflux pumps can delay the acquisition of resistance.
ANTIMICROBIAL AGENTS AND CHEMOTHERAPY
(2022)
Article
Microbiology
Tiep K. Nguyen, Frederic Peyrusson, Wafi Siala, Nhung H. Pham, Hoang A. Nguyen, Paul M. Tulkens, Francoise Van Bambeke
Summary: Staphylococcus aureus biofilms are resistant to antibiotics due to factors such as drug access blockage and presence of dormant bacteria. Clinical isolates produce more biofilm biomass than the reference strain, especially those with high persister fractions. Moxifloxacin is less effective against biofilms from clinical isolates, attributed to lower drug concentration and presence of moxifloxacin-tolerant subpopulations.
FRONTIERS IN MICROBIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Kimberly J. Dunham-Snary, Bas G. J. Surewaard, Jeffrey D. Mewburn, Rachel E. T. Bentley, Ashley Y. Martin, Oliver Jones, Ruaa Al-Qazazi, Patricia A. D. Lima, Paul Kubes, Stephen L. Archer
Summary: Mitochondria in human neutrophils play a critical role in the killing of Staphylococcus aureus. They contribute to bacterial clearance through mechanisms such as phagocytosis and vital NETosis.
Article
Plant Sciences
Francesca Guzzo, Elisabetta Buommino, Leslie Landrum, Rosita Russo, Francesca Lembo, Antonio Fiorentino, Brigida D'Abrosca
Summary: Myrcianthes cisplatensis is a common tree with medicinal properties, including diuretic, febrifuge, and treatment for lung and bronchial diseases. The compounds isolated from this tree showed antimicrobial activity, particularly against Staphylococcus aureus.
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Denis Swolana, Robert D. Wojtyczka
Summary: The article introduces the effects of Staphylococcus epidermidis and Staphylococcus aureus on human health, as well as silver nanoparticles as a potential new substance for neutralizing bacterial cells. By reviewing the data on the activity of silver nanoparticles in inhibiting bacterial growth and biofilm formation, it provides insights for future research.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2022)
Article
Infectious Diseases
Elisa Heuser, Karsten Becker, Evgeny A. Idelevich
Summary: Sodium bituminosulfonate has been shown to have bactericidal activity against Staphylococcus aureus and is effective at higher concentrations.
Article
Chemistry, Medicinal
Xun-Cai Yang, Chun-Mei Zeng, Srinivasa Rao Avula, Xin-Mei Peng, Rong-Xia Geng, Cheng-He Zhou
Summary: This study designed and synthesized unique coumarin aminophosphonate compounds as new antibacterial agents, which exhibited excellent antibacterial activity and low toxicity. One of the compounds, 6f, showed remarkable inhibition against bacteria both in vitro and in vivo, and was capable of eradicating bacterial biofilms to prevent the development of bacterial resistance. Furthermore, the combination of compound 6f with norfloxacin enhanced the antibacterial efficacy. Mechanistic studies revealed that 6f could disrupt cell membrane integrity, interfere with redox homeostasis, and intercalate into DNA base pairs.
EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF MEDICINAL CHEMISTRY
(2023)
Article
Infectious Diseases
Cristina El Haj, Mads Lichtenberg, Karen Leth Nielsen, Thomas Bjarnsholt, Peter ostrup Jensen
Summary: This study evaluated the role of ROS in the bactericidal activity of daptomycin against Staphylococcus aureus biofilms. The presence of catalase was found to protect the biofilm by reducing ROS production and increasing bacterial survival. Induction of cytotoxic ROS formation by daptomycin was verified, and only the highest concentration of daptomycin reduced bacterial survival and increased ROS formation in the resistant biofilm.
Review
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
J. Jayakumar, V. A. Kumar, L. Biswas, R. Biswas
Summary: Staphylococcus aureus causes various infections and the development of effective anti-staphylococcal agents, such as lysostaphin, is crucial. However, issues with immunogenicity and bio-availability hinder its clinical application.
JOURNAL OF APPLIED MICROBIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Genetics & Heredity
Lisa Bleul, Patrice Francois, Christiane Wolz
Summary: This review summarizes the current understanding of signal perception by histidine kinases in Staphylococcus aureus and their role in promoting appropriate gene expression in response to environmental challenges.
Article
Computer Science, Theory & Methods
Marcin Copik, Tobias Grosser, Torsten Hoefler, Paolo Bientinesi, Benjamin Berkels
Summary: This article studies the recursive registration of electron microscopy images and converts it into a parallel computation using a suitable prefix scan algorithm, significantly reducing the time-to-solution.
IEEE TRANSACTIONS ON PARALLEL AND DISTRIBUTED SYSTEMS
(2022)
Article
Quantum Science & Technology
Barbara Andrade, Zohreh Davoudi, Tobias Grass, Mohammad Hafezi, Guido Pagano, Alireza Seif
Summary: Trapped-ion quantum simulators utilizing the Molmer-Sorensen scheme to induce three-spin interactions are studied. The scheme allows for tailored single-, two-, and three-spin interactions and can be tuned for purely three-spin dynamics simulation. Analytical results and numerical simulations support the accuracy and feasibility of the scheme for near-term applications. The advantage of direct analog implementation of three-spin dynamics is demonstrated, and strategies for scaling the scheme to larger systems are discussed.
QUANTUM SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
C. Lagoin, U. Bhattacharya, T. Grass, R. W. Chhajlany, T. Salamon, K. Baldwin, L. Pfeiffer, M. Lewenstein, M. Holzmann, F. Dubin
Summary: The Hubbard model is a celebrated theoretical framework in condensed-matter physics. This study implements the extended Bose-Hubbard Hamiltonian by confining semiconductor dipolar excitons in an artificial two-dimensional square lattice, showcasing the characteristic features of checkerboard spatial order.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Jordi Alcala, Utso Bhattacharya, Jens Biegert, Marcelo Ciappina, Ugaitz Elu, Tobias Grass, Piotr T. Grochowski, Maciej Lewenstein, Anna Palau, Themistoklis P. H. Sidiropoulos, Tobias Steinle, Igor Tyulnev
Summary: We report on the nonlinear optical signatures of quantum phase transitions in the high-temperature superconductor YBCO, observed through high harmonic generation. Two critical points are identified in the nonlinear optical response, marking the transition from superconducting phase to pseudogap phase and from strange metal to pseudogap phase, respectively. A strong-field quasi-Hubbard model is developed to reveal the underlying microscopic quantum dynamics and differentiate between different phases.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
(2022)
Article
Virology
Carina Rohmer, Ronja Dobritz, Dilek Tuncbilek-Dere, Esther Lehmann, David Gerlach, Shilpa Elizabeth George, Taeok Bae, Kay Nieselt, Christiane Wolz
Summary: Staphylococcus aureus asymptomatically colonizes the nasal cavity of mammals and can cause life-threatening infections. This study investigates the role of Sa3 phages in the adaptation of S. aureus strains. The genetic makeup of the host strains appears to determine the rate of phage mobilization, which may impact the speed at which certain strains can achieve host adaptation.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Christian Otto, Kilian Kuhla, Tobias Geiger, Jacob Schewe, Katja Frieler
Summary: Global warming may increase the proportion of intense hurricanes in the North Atlantic. A study analyzes how this could impact economic growth using an event-based macroeconomic growth model. The study finds that economic growth losses in the United States increase disproportionately with the heterogeneity of hurricane shocks, which can hinder the economy's recovery between consecutive intense landfall events. By estimating the future frequency increase of intense hurricanes, the study projects annual growth losses to rise between 10 and 146% in a 2 degrees Celsius world compared to the period of 1980-2014. The modeling suggests that higher insurance coverage can offset these climate change-induced growth losses.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Niccolo Baldelli, Utso Bhattacharya, Daniel Gonzalez-Cuadra, Maciej Lewenstein, Tobias Grass
Summary: Researchers propose a protocol for detecting topological phase transitions in one-dimensional p-wave superconductors using harmonic emission spectra. They identify spectral features of radiating edge modes that characterize the topological phase and differentiate it from the trivial phase, and define a measurable signature obtained from emission measurements.
Article
Microbiology
Lena Krone, Larissa Faass, Martina Hauke, Christine Josenhans, Tobias Geiger
Summary: Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium is a leading cause of food-borne diseases in humans and is able to invade intestinal epithelial cells by using multiple virulence factors. Chitinases have recently emerged as important virulence factors of S. Typhimurium that promote attachment and invasion of the intestinal epithelium, modulate the host glycome, and prevent immune activation. Chitinase A is specifically induced upon contact with polarized intestinal epithelial cells and is likely secreted by a Type 10 Secretion System (T10SS), making it an important virulence factor in S. Typhimurium infection.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Janina Bayer, Janna Becker, Xiao Liu, Lisa Gritsch, Ellen Daiber, Natalya Korn, Filipp Oesterhelt, Martin Fraunholz, Alexander Weber, Christiane Wolz
Summary: The less pathogenic Coagulase-negative Staphylococcal (CoNS) species are efficiently cleared in macrophages, while non-toxic Staphylococcus aureus can survive within them. Mutations in certain genes do not affect bacterial survival in different types of cells. However, the sensitivity to acidification is linked to species differences.
MOLECULAR MICROBIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
Tymoteusz Salamon, Bernhard Irsigler, Debraj Rakshit, Maciej Lewenstein, Tobias Grass, Ravindra Chhajlany
Summary: This paper investigates the superconducting behavior of fermionic atoms in a synthetic twisted bilayer lattice. The pairing gap is strongly enhanced when a quasi-flat band structure occurs at the Fermi surface, reflecting the significant role played by the twist in superconductivity.
Article
Veterinary Sciences
Tobias Geiger, Hartmut Gerhards, Bogdan Bjelica, Elke Mackenthun, Bettina Wollanke
Summary: Chronic intraocular leptospiral infection in horses leads to equine recurrent uveitis (ERU), a condition that causes recurring inflammation in the eye and can result in blindness. Biofilm formation of leptospires in the vitreous cavity prevents effective elimination of the infection. Vitrectomy, the surgical removal of the vitreous cavity, is the most effective treatment. A study analyzing medical records from 2002 to 2017 found that antibodies against leptospires were detectable in 83% of ERU eyes, with immunoglobulin A (IgA) playing an important role. Leptospiral DNA was detectable in 72% of intraocular specimens. Multiple tests are recommended for reliable diagnosis or exclusion of intraocular leptospiral infection.
VETERINARY SCIENCES
(2022)
Article
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
Joana Fraxanet, Utso Bhattacharya, Tobias Grass, Maciej Lewenstein, Alexandre Dauphin
Summary: In this study, we generalize the phase diagram of the Kitaev chain model in the presence of quasiperiodic potentials by investigating the localization properties of the Aubry-Andre-Harper model with long-range hopping and superconducting pairing amplitudes. We find transitions between ergodic, localized, and multifractal states, as well as energy-dependent transitions from ergodic to multifractal states for certain parameters. The size of the intermediate multifractal region depends on the superconducting pairing term and energy band, and the transitions are characterized by hybridization of bands with different localization properties.
Article
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
Tobias Grass, Utso Bhattacharya, Julia Sell, Mohammad Hafezi
Summary: This study investigates the relationship between the energy spectrum of excitons and the spatial structure of the light source in the case of illumination by a structured light source.
Article
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
Utso Bhattacharya, Swati Chaudhary, Tobias Grass, Allan S. Johnson, Simon Wall, Maciej Lewenstein
Summary: Breaking of time-reversal symmetry is crucial for topological bands. This letter investigates the possibility of inducing topological bands using twisted light beams, and experimental verification is conducted on a graphenelike model.
