Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Paul Joshua Hurst, Michael A. Morris, Annissa A. Graham, James S. Nowick, Joseph P. Patterson
Summary: Teixobactin, an antibiotic, targets bacterial cell walls by forming sheet-like assemblies, which are active when formed either transiently or sparingly at the cell surface at a concentration of 4 μg/mL.
Article
Microbiology
Zhiwei Tu, Peter Setlow, Stanley Brul, Gertjan Kramer
Summary: Bacterial endospores, particularly those of Bacillus subtilis A163, exhibit high resistance to wet heat compared to laboratory strains, with proteomic analysis revealing differences in protein expression between the two strains that may contribute to this resistance. The absence of spore morphogenic protein SpoVM in B. subtilis A163, as well as the identification of proteins responsible for high heat resistance, provides insight into the mechanisms behind the resilience of A163 spores.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Ian J. Roney, David Z. Rudner
Summary: This study identified two protein families that are involved in the recycling of lipid carrier in bacterial cells. The research found that these proteins are broadly conserved among Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria and play an important role in the transport of the lipid carrier. Understanding the mechanism of lipid carrier recycling can potentially enhance the efficacy of antibiotics targeting the cell envelope.
Article
Microbiology
Folasade A. Adu, Charles H. Hunter
Summary: Two aerobic endospore-forming bacteria (AEFB) were isolated from a sediment core sampled from South Africa, capable of biosurfactant production. The isolates were found to belong to Brevibacillus and Bacillus genera based on partial 16S rRNA gene sequencing. Selective environmental conditions were also determined to affect the stability of biosurfactants produced by these bacteria.
CURRENT MICROBIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Ian J. Roney, David Z. Rudner
Summary: Peptidoglycan and surface glycopolymers in bacteria are built on the lipid carrier UndP in the cytoplasm, and the identity of the flippase responsible for UndP transport has remained unknown. Using the antibiotic amphomycin, two protein families (UptA and PopT) that affect UndP recycling were identified. These proteins are widely conserved among bacteria and inhibitors of these flippases could enhance the activity of antibiotics targeting the cell envelope.
Article
Microbiology
Yifan Fu, Qinggang Guo, Lihong Dong, Xiaomeng Liu, Xiuye Chen, Peipei Wang, Zhenhe Su, Ping Ma
Summary: This study characterizes the regulatory mechanism of the PhoPR two-component system (TCS) in Bacillus subtilis, showing its role in the regulation of fengycin production through the biosynthesis of branched chain amino acids (BCAAs). These findings provide insights into the signaling pathway involved in the phosphate starvation response and the production of antibiotics in bacteria.
MICROBIOLOGICAL RESEARCH
(2022)
Article
Construction & Building Technology
Sandip Mondal, Aparna (Dey) Ghosh
Summary: The study identified a non-spore-forming bacterium, Deinococcus radiodurans, which can promote calcite precipitation in high alkaline, low water environments, leading to significant enhancement in the mechanical properties of microbial concrete. The performance of D. radiodurans was comparable to a spore-forming bacterium, Bacillus subtilis, in favorable conditions and outperformed in unfavorable conditions. Microstructure analysis confirmed the potential application of D. radiodurans in microbial concrete.
CONSTRUCTION AND BUILDING MATERIALS
(2021)
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Matej Butala, Anna Dragos
Summary: As part of their survival strategy, endospore-forming bacteria can trigger a developmental program called sporulation. Although the regulatory cascades controlling this transformation have been described, less is known about how bacteriophages that prey on these bacteria exploit sporulation. The specific molecular mechanisms of phages infecting endospore-formers are unique and may have negative effects on the host.
TRENDS IN MICROBIOLOGY
(2023)
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Helena Chan, Ahmed M. T. Mohamed, Ian Grainge, Christopher D. A. Rodrigues
Summary: The article summarizes and discusses the important roles of SpoIIIE and FtsK in bacterial cytokinesis, particularly their coordination with chromosome segregation.
TRENDS IN MICROBIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Zidong Jiang, Lujia Zhang, Wei Zhou, Hui Li, Yuanyi Li, Weichuang Qin, Fengqing Wang, Dongzhi Wei, Bei Gao
Summary: In this study, a binding structure between SecA and a signal peptide was established, and a grinding approach was used to modify them, leading to improved protein secretion efficiency. A bidirectional grinding strategy was also developed to enhance the secretion system, resulting in a significantly increased protein activity. This research provides a novel and promising strategy for optimizing protein secretion and production in B. subtilis.
BIOCHEMICAL ENGINEERING JOURNAL
(2023)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Bimal Prajapati, Margarita Bernal-Cabas, Marina Lopez-Alvarez, Marc Schaffer, Jurgen Bartel, Hermann Rath, Leif Steil, Dorte Becher, Uwe Volker, Ulrike Mader, Jan Maarten van Dijl
Summary: The study reveals that under conditions lacking NaCl, Bacillus subtilis bacteria face severe oxidative stress and starvation. Tat mutant cells can overcome these challenges by being supplied with arginine, suggesting arginine depletion as a major cause of death, and resumed arginine synthesis enabling their survival. The findings demonstrate that the Tat system in B. subtilis is crucial in preventing severe oxidative stress and starvation caused by sudden drops in environmental Na+ concentration, such as those from flooding or rain.
BIOCHIMICA ET BIOPHYSICA ACTA-MOLECULAR CELL RESEARCH
(2021)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Martine Roovers, Geoffray Labar, Philippe Wolff, Andre Feller, Dany Van Elder, Romuald Soin, Cyril Gueydan, Veronique Kruys, Louis Droogmans
Summary: This study demonstrates that the ysgA gene in Bacillus subtilis encodes a 2'-O-methyltransferase that targets the G2553 position of the A-loop of 23S rRNA. The enzyme modifies free 23S rRNA during early ribosome biogenesis without affecting the assembly of ribosome subunits.
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Kyosuke Tanaka, Ryosuke Oketani, Takeshi Terada, Philippe Leproux, Yuki Morono, Hideaki Kano
Summary: Coherent anti-Stokes Raman scattering (CARS) microscopy was used to spectroscopically identify spores and vegetative cells without staining or molecular tagging. Spores were identified by strong CARS signals due to dipicolinic acid (DPA), while vegetative cells showed bright spots in the CARS image at 1735 cm-1, indicating the presence of molecules with C=O bonds. The hypothesis that diketopimelic acid (DKP), a DPA precursor, is present in vegetative cells was verified through comparison with DKP analogue and DFT calculation.
JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL CHEMISTRY B
(2023)
Article
Biology
Miho Shibamura-Fujiogi, Xiaogang Wang, Wiriya Maisat, Sophia Koutsogiannaki, Yunan Li, Yue Chen, Jean C. Lee, Koichi Yuki
Summary: The deficiency of the sodium-glutamate transporter GltS impairs the intake of exogenous glutamate, leading to increased Staphylococcus aureus biofilm formation. Additionally, the lack of exogenous glutamate enhances endogenous glutamate/glutamine production and activates the urea cycle, which is critical for biofilm formation.
COMMUNICATIONS BIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Shailab Shrestha, Najwa Taib, Simonetta Gribaldo, Aimee Shen
Summary: The pathogen Clostridioides difficile lacks canonical cell division factors and utilizes a bifunctional enzyme for peptidoglycan synthesis during cell division. This unique divisome may serve as a potential target for therapeutic interventions.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2023)
Article
Immunology
Christian Mink, Erik Strandberg, Parvesh Wadhwani, Manuel N. Melo, Johannes Reichert, Irene Wacker, Miguel A. R. B. Castanho, Anne S. Ulrich
Summary: BP100 is a short, designer-made membrane-active peptide with antimicrobial, cell-penetrating, and fusogenic properties. Its amphipathic helical structure resembles that of pore forming magainin-like peptides, showing high antimicrobial activity.
FRONTIERS IN CELLULAR AND INFECTION MICROBIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Oleg Babii, Sergii Afonin, Christian Diel, Marcel Huhn, Jennifer Dommermuth, Tim Schober, Serhii Koniev, Andrii Hrebonkin, Alexander Nesterov-Mueller, Igor V. Komarov, Anne S. Ulrich
Summary: Chemical modification of a bicyclic peptide scaffold led to the development of photoswitchable inhibitors based on diarylethene for serine protease Bos taurus trypsin 1 (T1). These inhibitors exhibited low nanomolar K-i values and a 20-fold activity modulation under irradiation. The study also demonstrated the feasibility of manipulating enzyme activity in time and space.
ANGEWANDTE CHEMIE-INTERNATIONAL EDITION
(2021)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Nithin Suryadevara, Ansgar Pausch, Eufemio Moreno-Pineda, Asato Mizuno, Jochen Buerck, Ananya Baksi, Tim Hochdoerffer, Ivan Salitros, Anne S. Ulrich, Manfred M. Kappes, Volker Schuenemann, Wim Klopper, Mario Ruben
Summary: Enantiomerically pure Fe(II) grid complexes were successfully prepared by designing novel chiral ligands, allowing for the fabrication of magneto-chiral molecular devices. The chiral resolution of these complexes enables controlled programmable separation before synthesis. The experimental and calculated CD spectra showed good agreement, confirming the enantiomeric purity of the complexes.
CHEMISTRY-A EUROPEAN JOURNAL
(2021)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Parvesh Wadhwani, Saiguru Sekaran, Erik Strandberg, Jochen Burck, Archana Chugh, Anne S. Ulrich
Summary: The seven peptides from the latarcin family fold into amphiphilic alpha-helices in the presence of lipids, with different levels of aggressiveness and selectivity in antimicrobial activity. Ltc2a stands out as the most aggressive peptide, whereas Ltc1, Ltc3a, Ltc4a, and Ltc5a show efficient and selective antibacterial effects. The other two peptides, Ltc6a and Ltc7, do not have strong antimicrobial activities but can disturb model bilayers.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2021)
Article
Polymer Science
Shouliang Nie, Karl-Friedrich Ratzsch, Stephan L. Grage, Jonas Keller, Anne S. Ulrich, Jorge Lacayo-Pineda, Manfred Wilhelm
Summary: The cross-linking process of natural rubber was studied for the first time using a combination of rheology and time-domain NMR methods. It was found that the conformational flexibility of network chains in natural rubber is affected by the efficiency of vulcanization.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Sergii Afonin, Serhii Koniev, Laetitia Preau, Masanari Takamiya, Alexander Strizhak, Oleg Babii, Andrii Hrebonkin, Vasyl G. Pivovarenko, Margitta Dathe, Ferdinand le Noble, Sepand Rastegar, Uwe Straehle, Anne S. Ulrich, Igor Komarov
Summary: This study successfully utilized fluorescent labeling of peptides with an amino acid bearing a fluorophore, demonstrating the importance of fluorescent labeling in studying peptide activity. The behavior of labeled peptides was observed in human cells and zebrafish embryos using various techniques.
FRONTIERS IN CHEMISTRY
(2021)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Stephan L. Grage, Sergii Afonin, Marco Ieronimo, Marina Berditsch, Parvesh Wadhwani, Anne S. Ulrich
Summary: The lateral pressure profile, an important physical property of lipid bilayers, can be manipulated and probed using peptides residing in different regions of the membrane, according to this study.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2022)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Igor Komarov, Ganna Tolstanova, Halyna Kuznietsova, Natalia Dziubenko, Petro Yanchuk, Lydia Y. Shtanova, Stanislav P. Veselsky, Liudmyla Garmanchuk, Nataliia Khranovska, Oleksandr Gorbach, Taisa Dovbynchuk, Petro Borysko, Oleg Babii, Tim Schober, Anne S. Ulrich, Sergii Afonin
Summary: The study analyzed the efficacy of a photoswitchable cytotoxic peptide LMB040 on chemically induced hepatocellular carcinoma model in immunocompetent rats, finding that initial application of a less toxic form followed by in vivo photoconversion led to higher overall survival of the animals and enhanced immune response compared to untreated animals.
JOURNAL OF PHOTOCHEMISTRY AND PHOTOBIOLOGY B-BIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Beibei Meng, Stephan L. Grage, Oleg Babii, Masanari Takamiya, Neil MacKinnon, Tim Schober, Illia Hutskalov, Omar Nassar, Sergii Afonin, Serhii Koniev, Igor Komarov, Jan G. Korvink, Uwe Straehle, Anne S. Ulrich
Summary: A labeling strategy for in vivo F-19-MRI based on highly fluorinated, short hydrophilic peptide probes, is developed. These probes are functionalized further by a fluorophore and an alkyne moiety for bioconjugation. The design of the peptide probes ensures low cytotoxicity and high serum stability. The performance of these probes in F-19-MRI is demonstrated and they are found to exhibit high stability and long circulation times in living zebrafish embryos. Overall, these peptide probes are suitable for in vivo F-19-MRI applications.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Fabian Schweigardt, Erik Strandberg, Parvesh Wadhwani, Johannes Reichert, Jochen Buerck, Haroldo L. P. Cravo, Luisa Burger, Anne S. Ulrich
Summary: Amphipathic peptides exhibit antibiotic properties by permeabilizing cell membranes. KL peptides form amphipathic beta-strands in the presence of lipid bilayers and kill bacteria in a unique length-dependent manner. Experimental results demonstrate that KL peptides with 10-12 amino acids exhibit the best antimicrobial activity and low hemolytic side effects. The study suggests that the membrane disruption by KL peptides is achieved through a carpet mechanism.
Article
Biophysics
Eva R. Stockwald, Lena M. E. Steger, Stefanie Vollmer, Christina Gottselig, Stephan L. Grage, Jochen Buerck, Sergii Afonin, Julia Froebel, Anne -Sophie Bluemmel, Julia Setzler, Wolfgang Wenzel, Torsten H. Walther, Anne S. Ulrich
Summary: The TatA protein exports folded proteins across bacterial membranes through the Tat-dependent translocation pathway. The transmembrane α-helix of TatA is anchored to the lipid bilayer in an unusually short manner. The tilt angle of TatA's helix varies in different membranes.
BIOPHYSICAL JOURNAL
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Frauke Greil, Rajalakshmi Punampalam, Torsten H. Walther, Stefan Heissler, Anne S. Ulrich
Summary: A novel solid phase of water stable at room temperature was believed to be accessible from hydrophilic surfaces by repeated perturbation of interfacial layers. However, a detailed biological and biochemical analysis revealed that the observed phenomena were likely due to accumulation of microbiological and organic contaminants, rather than a new solid phase of water. The same analysis also found that the presumed stable water aggregates in the lyophilized solid material consisted mainly of a conglomerate of bacteria, algae, and synthetic materials.
JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR LIQUIDS
(2023)
Meeting Abstract
Biophysics
Erik Strandberg, Fabian Schweigardt, Parvesh Wadhwani, Jochen Buerck, Anne S. Ulrich
BIOPHYSICAL JOURNAL
(2022)
Meeting Abstract
Biophysics
Parvesh Wadhwani, Saiguru Sekaran, Erik Strandberg, Jochen Burck, Archana Chugh, Anne S. Ulrich
BIOPHYSICAL JOURNAL
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Vladimir Kubyshkin, Jochen Burck, Oleg Babii, Nediljko Budisa, Anne S. Ulrich
Summary: Circular dichroism is a conventional method for studying the secondary structures of peptides and proteins. The polyproline-II helix, while not exhibiting strictly conserved spectroscopic appearance, is significantly influenced by the surrounding solvent environment. Changes in solvation can lead to shifts and variations in the circular dichroism spectra, with new features potentially emerging in nonpolar environments. Additionally, the transition to a transmembrane state in isotropic liposomes is correlated with specific spectral changes, indicating the importance of considering the solvent environment in assessing circular dichroism spectra.
PHYSICAL CHEMISTRY CHEMICAL PHYSICS
(2021)