Article
Microbiology
Jiawen Fu, Lin Zhao, Juan Yang, Heming Chen, Shinuo Cao, Honglin Jia
Summary: Exocytosis is an important process in cells, and it is mediated by SNARE proteins. In Toxoplasma gondii, a unique SNARE complex is involved in vesicular fusion at the apical annuli, which is essential for the exocytosis of surface proteins.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Justin A. Courson, Paul T. Landry, Thao Do, Eric Spehlmann, Pascal J. Lafontant, Nimesh Patel, Rolando E. Rumbaut, Alan R. Burns
Summary: SBF-SEM technology allows for a three-dimensional view of tissue microanatomy, but proper tissue preparation and imaging parameters are crucial for success. Challenges such as tissue charging during imaging must be addressed, while care must be taken to avoid damaging the resin block and distorting images.
JOVE-JOURNAL OF VISUALIZED EXPERIMENTS
(2021)
Article
Microbiology
Peter S. Back, William J. O'Shaughnessy, Andy S. Moon, Pravin S. Dewangan, Michael L. Reese, Peter J. Bradley
Summary: The study demonstrates the essential role of the proteins AC9, AC10, and ERK7 in the stabilization of the apical complex within the Toxoplasma inner membrane complex (IMC), highlighting the multivalent interactions among them and their contribution to the overall structure.
Article
Microbiology
Nicholas Rinkenberger, Alex Rosenberg, Joshua B. Radke, Jaya Bhushan, Tadakimi Tomita, Louis M. Weiss, L. David Sibley
Summary: Autophagy plays a role in innate immunity by targeting intracellular pathogens for elimination. Genetic differences in LC3 recruitment between resistant and susceptible strains of Toxoplasma gondii were investigated, revealing a new mechanism for cell-autonomous restriction of intracellular pathogens.
Article
Cell Biology
Julia D. Romano, Joshua Mayoral, Rebekah B. Guevara, Yolanda Rivera-Cuevas, Vern B. Carruthers, Louis M. Weiss, Isabelle Coppens
Summary: Intracellular pathogens, such as Toxoplasma gondii, manipulate host cells to exploit cellular resources. The parasite sequesters host nutrient-filled organelles into its parasitophorous vacuole (PV) through deep invaginations of the PV membrane (PVM). The parasite utilizes the host ESCRT-III and Vps4A to create PVM buds and vesicles.
JOURNAL OF CELL SCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Microbiology
Qiang-Qiang Wang, Ming Sun, Tao Tang, De-Hua Lai, Jing Liu, Sanjay Maity, Kai He, Xi-Ting Wu, Jiong Yang, Yue-Bao Li, Xiao-Yan Tang, Hui-Yong Ding, Geoff Hide, Mark Distefano, Zhao-Rong Lun, Xing-Quan Zhu, Shaojun Long
Summary: By studying the model apicomplexan Toxoplasma gondii, it was found that protein prenylation is associated with endocytic trafficking. Four non-classical endocytic proteins were identified to be involved in regulating endocytic transport in T. gondii, revealing their important role in the process.
Article
Microbiology
Sarah Pamukcu, Aude Cerutti, Yann Bordat, Sonia Hem, Valerie Rofidal, Sebastien Besteiro
Summary: Disrupting the iron-sulfur cluster synthesis pathways in Toxoplasma gondii has a significant impact on parasite growth, with disruption of the plastidic pathway leading to organelle loss and parasite death, while disruption of the mitochondrial pathway triggers differentiation into a stress resistance stage. This study highlights the different contributions of these pathways to parasite biology and the potential for adaptive survival strategies in response to metabolic dysregulations.
Article
Microbiology
Nicolas Dos Santos Pacheco, Nicolo Tosetti, Aarti Krishnan, Romuald Haase, Bohumil Maco, Catherine Suarez, Bingjian Ren, Dominique Soldati-Favre
Summary: Depletion of ERK7 in Toxoplasma gondii disrupts the integrity of the apical complex, leading to the loss of the apical polar ring and impairment in microneme secretion. Comparative proteomics analysis reveals the disappearance of known apical complex proteins and the accumulation of microneme proteins.
Article
Veterinary Sciences
Yafan Gao, Yu Shen, Jiyuan Fan, Haojie Ding, Bin Zheng, Haijie Yu, Siyang Huang, Qingming Kong, Hangjun Lv, Xunhui Zhuo, Shaohong Lu
Summary: In this study, a reliable iELISA method with good specificity, sensitivity, and reproducibility was established for the detection of T. gondii infection in clinical cat samples.
BMC VETERINARY RESEARCH
(2023)
Article
Cell Biology
Edgar Garza-Lopez, Zer Vue, Prasanna Katti, Kit Neikirk, Michelle Biete, Jacob Lam, Heather K. Beasley, Andrea G. Marshall, Taylor A. Rodman, Trace A. Christensen, Jeffrey L. Salisbury, Larry Vang, Margaret Mungai, Salma AshShareef, Sandra A. Murray, Jianqiang Shao, Jennifer Streeter, Brian Glancy, Renata O. Pereira, E. Dale Abel, Antentor Hinton
Summary: High-resolution 3D images of organelles are important in cellular biology. Recent technological advances enable the creation of 3D images for the ultrastructural analysis of organelles. This article describes a standardized protocol using Amira software for quantifying organelle morphologies in 3D and demonstrates its applications in quantifying mitochondria and endoplasmic reticulum structures.
Article
Instruments & Instrumentation
Fabian Lutter, Philipp Stahlhut, Kilian Dremel, Simon Zabler, Jonas Fell, Hans-Georg Herrmann, Randolf Hanke
Summary: The research compares the imaging effects of FIB and SEM-based X-ray nano tomography on a CPU sample, evaluates the performance and usability of the nano-computed tomography system, showing different advantages and artifacts in terms of volume and resolution.
NUCLEAR INSTRUMENTS & METHODS IN PHYSICS RESEARCH SECTION B-BEAM INTERACTIONS WITH MATERIALS AND ATOMS
(2021)
Article
Medicine, Research & Experimental
Weiqiang Zhan, Juanhua Quan, Zhuming Chen, Tianfeng Liu, Mingzhu Deng, Ziquan Zhao, Xuyang Wu, Zhuolan Zhong, Feifei Gao, Jiaqi Chu
Summary: This study uncovered the mechanism by which Toxoplasma gondii excretory/secretory proteins (TgESPs) regulate the energy metabolism and osteogenic differentiation of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs).
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR MEDICINE
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Jihoon Oh, Dongjae Kim, Seunggeon Lee, Jaewook Nam
Summary: Controlling microstructure improves battery energy density and reduces energy consumption. This study introduces the LASSO regularization method to accurately estimate 3D spherical size distribution, and demonstrates its superiority in predicting the distribution compared to other methods.
KOREAN JOURNAL OF CHEMICAL ENGINEERING
(2023)
Article
Immunology
Thabile Madlala, Victoria T. Adeleke, Moses Okpeku, Selaelo I. Tshilwane, Adebayo A. Adeniyi, Matthew A. Adeleke
Summary: A novel multiepitope vaccine was designed using immunoinformatics techniques, targeting T. gondii AMA1, GRA7 and ROP16 antigens. The vaccine showed good structural interaction and stability when docked with Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4), indicating its potential to induce enhanced immune responses.
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
Parasitology
Paula Terra Bandeira, Wanderley de Souza
Summary: The study identified a prevalent protein in the costa of Tritrichomonas foetus, which sheds light on the biological and evolutionary significance of this unique structure and its potential as a target for chemotherapy, immunodiagnosis, and vaccine development.
EXPERIMENTAL PARASITOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Cell Biology
Ana Paula Rocha Gadelha, Marlene Benchimol, Wanderley de Souza
Summary: This study examined the organization of the cytoskeleton in the ventral disc of Giardia intestinalis trophozoites using high-resolution scanning electron microscopy or helium ion microscopy. The results revealed that the ventral disc is a non-uniformly organized structure and has specific domains. Microtubules in the disc originate from the boundary region of the banded collar and merge with microtubules formed at the perinuclear region.
HISTOCHEMISTRY AND CELL BIOLOGY
(2022)
Review
Microbiology
Marlene Benchimol, Wanderley de Souza
Summary: Giardia intestinalis, a parasitic organism, possesses unique characteristics such as the absence of Golgi and mitochondria, but presence of peripheral vacuoles and mitosomes. The peripheral vacuole system serves multiple functions, including endocytic activity, early/late endosome features, and lysosome characteristics. Mitosomes lack DNA, enzymes involved in energy synthesis, but contain iron-sulfur complex and transporters. During encystation, larger cytoplasmic vesicles release cyst wall proteins and carbohydrates to form the cell wall.
JOURNAL OF EUKARYOTIC MICROBIOLOGY
(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
Oncology
Carolina Moura Costa Catta-Preta, Allan Cezar de Azevedo-Martins, Wanderley de Souza, Maria Cristina Machado Motta
Summary: This study investigated the effects of the antibiotic tunicamycin on the association between Angomonas deanei and its symbiotic bacterium. The cells treated with tunicamycin showed decreased proliferation, enlargement of the ER and Golgi cisternae, and increased distance between the symbiont and the ER. Changes in protein composition, particularly the increased expression of the Hsp90 chaperone, were observed in the host protozoan. These findings highlight the importance of the ER in the adaptation and maintenance of symbiotic associations between prokaryotes and eukaryotes.
EXPERIMENTAL CELL RESEARCH
(2022)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Jose Aleixo De Azevedo-Franca, Emile Barrias, Chris Hebert Jesus Franco, Wilmer Villarreal, Eduardo Guimaraes Vieira, Ana Maria Da Costa Ferreira, Wanderley de Souza, Maribel Navarro
Summary: A series of new transition metal coordination polymers were synthesized and their structures were elucidated. These coordination polymers exhibited promising anti-parasitic activity, surpassing the free azole drug. Therefore, they are potential candidates for the treatment of Chagas disease.
JOURNAL OF INORGANIC BIOCHEMISTRY
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Sara Teixeira de Macedo-Silva, Gonzalo Visbal, Gabrielle Frizzo Souza, Mayara Roncaglia dos Santos, Simon B. Cammerer, Wanderley de Souza, Juliany Cola Fernandes Rodrigues
Summary: This study found that benzylamines have anti-parasitic activity against Leishmania amazonensis and affect the structure of the cell membrane and mitochondria by blocking the sterol synthesis pathway. These results suggest that benzylamines may be promising pharmaceutical leads for the treatment of leishmaniasis.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2022)
Article
Microbiology
Michele S. Lima, Lidilhone Hamerski, Tatiana A. Silva, Maria Luiza R. da Cruz, Tooba Varasteh, Diogo A. Tschoeke, Georgia C. Atella, Wanderley de Souza, Fabiano L. Thompson, Cristiane C. Thompson
Summary: Corals are threatened by global warming, resulting in bleaching. Understanding the association between host and symbionts is crucial for assessing coral's habitat requirements and response to environmental changes. This study found that temperature has an impact on the biochemical and cellular features of Cladocopium, the dominant endosymbiont in the reef-building coral Mussismilia braziliensis. Thermal stress leads to increased oxygen levels, decreased proteins and pigments, and changes in cell morphology and lipid droplets.
FRONTIERS IN MICROBIOLOGY
(2022)
Editorial Material
Immunology
S. I. Cazorla, Alonso-Padilla Julio, W. De Souza, A. M. Padilla
FRONTIERS IN IMMUNOLOGY
(2022)
Review
Microbiology
Marlene Benchimol, Ana Paula Gadelha, Wanderley de Souza
Summary: This review presents the main cell organelles and structures of two important protist parasites, Giardia intestinalis, and Trichomonas vaginalis, and highlights their potential as new drug targets. The development of highly specific compounds that interfere with key steps of essential metabolic pathways or in functional macromolecular complexes associated with cell structures and organelles is important for improving the quality of chemotherapy against parasitic protozoa.
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)