Article
Microbiology
Romain Veyron-Churlet, Jean-Michel Saliou, Camille Locht
Summary: Deciphering protein-protein interactions through BioID technology in Mycobacterium smegmatis revealed the interconnectedness of HbhA with cholesterol degradation and heme/iron pathways. The study highlights the potential of in vivo techniques to study complex protein interactions in bacteria.
ENVIRONMENTAL MICROBIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Microbiology
V Dirix, N. Dauby, M. Hites, E. Watelet, A. Van Praet, A. Godefroid, E. Petit, M. Singh, C. Locht, F. Mascart, V Corbiere
Summary: Optimal detection of latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI) is crucial for achieving tuberculosis elimination. A user-friendly whole-blood interferon gamma release assay (IGRA) was developed to improve the detection of LTBI. Clinical evaluation showed a sensitivity of 93% for detecting LTBI among asymptomatic individuals. Individuals with responses to both antigens are likely at risk for reactivating the infection and should be prioritized for prophylactic treatment.
JOURNAL OF CLINICAL MICROBIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Microbiology
Cristina Parada, Isabel Cecilia Neri-Badillo, Antonio J. Vallecillo, Erika Segura, Mayra Silva-Miranda, Silvia Laura Guzman-Gutierrez, Paola A. Ortega, Enrique Wenceslao Coronado-Aceves, Laura Cancino-Villeda, Alfredo Torres-Larios, Michel de Jesus Aceves Sanchez, Mario Alberto Flores Valdez, Clara Espitia
Summary: The study highlights the importance of protein methylation in modulating immune response and fatty acid transport in Mycobacterium tuberculosis. This provides new insights into the pathogenesis of tuberculosis and underscores the significance of heterologous expression systems in obtaining modified proteins.
Article
Immunology
Juan Wang, Tao Xie, Inayat Ullah, Youjun Mi, Xiaoping Li, Yang Gong, Pu He, Yuqi Liu, Fei Li, Jixi Li, Zengjun Lu, Bingdong Zhu
Summary: Researchers successfully inserted fusion protein HBHA-MTP (L20) into the receptor-binding hemagglutinin (HA) fragment of influenza virus, resulting in the generation of influenza virus-like particles (LV20). The insertion of L20 did not affect the self-assembly and morphology of LV20 VLPs and did not interfere with their immunogenicity. LV20 combined with the adjuvant DP elicited significantly higher immune responses compared to PBS and BCG vaccination in mice, making it a potential candidate for a tuberculosis vaccine.
Article
Microbiology
Mariana P. Lanfranconi, Ana Arabolaza, Hugo Gramajo, Hector M. Alvarez
Summary: The study conducted a comprehensive phylogenetic analysis to reveal the evolutionary divergence of HBHAMT in Mycobacterium tuberculosis, as well as the functional differentiation in the hbha gene cluster in slow-growing pathogenic mycobacteria. The heterologous expression of HBHAMT in oleaginous R. opacus PD630 provides insights into the protein binding to lipid droplets, similar to HBHA proteins found in saprophytic mycobacteria. The research proposes an evolutionary scenario to explain the structural and functional divergence of HBHA in fast and slow-growing mycobacteria.
ARCHIVES OF MICROBIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Immunology
Carole Chedid, Eka Kokhreidze, Nestani Tukvadze, Sayera Banu, Mohammad Khaja Mafii Uddin, Samanta Biswas, Graciela Russomando, Chyntia Carolina Diaz Acosta, Rossana Arenas, Paulo Pr Ranaivomanana, Crisca Razafimahatratra, Perlinot Herindrainy, Julio Rakotonirina, Antso Hasina Raherinandrasana, Niaina Rakotosamimanana, Monzer Hamze, Mohamad Bachar Ismail, Rim Bayaa, Jean-Luc Berland, Flavio De Maio, Giovanni Delogu, Hubert Endtz, Florence Ader, Delia Goleti, Jonathan Hoffiiann
Summary: This study aimed to monitor the IFN-γ responses to HBHA and QFT-P in TB patients, finding that HBHA IFN-γ could discriminate between different stages of tuberculosis, and the combination of QFT-P and HBHA tests improved sensitivity but still needs to improve accuracy.
FRONTIERS IN IMMUNOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Jona Karam, Fabien P. Blanchet, Eric Vives, Prisca Boisguerin, Yves-Marie Boudehen, Laurent Kremer, Wassim Daher
Summary: It has been discovered that neutralizing anti-CD81 antibodies and deletion of the large extracellular loop (LEL) of CD81 significantly reduce the uptake of Mab by macrophages. Saturation of Mab with soluble GST-CD81-LEL or CD81-LEL-derived peptides also decreases the internalization of the bacteria. The study unveils AhpC as a major interactant of CD81-LEL, and pre-exposure of macrophages with soluble AhpC inhibits mycobacterial uptake while overexpression of AhpC in Mab enhances its internalization. These findings highlight the previously unexplored role of CD81/AhpC in promoting the uptake of pathogenic mycobacteria by host cells.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Roger Vargas Jr, Michael J. Luna, Luca Freschi, Maximillian Marin, Ruby Froom, Kenan C. Murphy, Elizabeth A. Campbell, Thomas R. Ioerger, Christopher M. Sassetti, Maha Reda Farhat
Summary: This study investigates the role of insertions and deletions (INDELs) in genomic homopolymeric tracts (HT) in regulating gene expression in pathogenic bacteria, specifically within the Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex (MTBC). Through analysis of 31,428 clinical isolates, the researchers identified phase-variants of INDEL events that are under positive selection. Further experiments confirmed that a putatively adaptive phase-variant in the ESX-1 system alters the expression of the critical virulence mediator, espA.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
(2023)
Review
Immunology
Amanda N. N. Samuels, Erin R. R. Wang, Gregory A. A. Harrison, Joy C. C. Valenta, Christina L. L. Stallings
Summary: This article discusses the impact of bacterial central carbon metabolism on Mtb drug tolerance and proposes that these metabolic pathways could be potential drug targets. By better understanding the physiological state of Mtb in the host, we can hope to treat tuberculosis more effectively.
FRONTIERS IN CELLULAR AND INFECTION MICROBIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Jennifer C. Okoye, Jeddidiah Bellamy-Carter, Neil J. Oldham, Neil J. Oldfield, Jafar Mahdavi, Panos Soultanas
Summary: The study demonstrates the binding of ferric quinate (QPLEX) to the Major Outer Membrane Protein (MOMP) of C. jejuni, which acts as an adhesin for the bacteria to establish infection in broiler guts. The interaction between QPLEX and MOMP was mapped using carbene footprinting and in silico docking, revealing a potential mechanism for the non-antibiotic anti-Campylobacter activity of QPLEX.
COMPUTATIONAL AND STRUCTURAL BIOTECHNOLOGY JOURNAL
(2022)
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Elsa Anes, David Pires, Manoj Mandal, Jose Miguel Azevedo-Pereira
Summary: Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb), the causative agent of tuberculosis, has developed a unique strategy to establish infection and transmission by utilizing host macrophages to establish intracellular niches and induce long-term latency in granulomas. It eventually escapes from macrophages through necrotic cell death and triggers a strong inflammatory response, which is necessary for the progression from latency to active disease and transmission.
Article
Microbiology
James Y. Adamu, Filimon Mitiku, Carol A. Hartley, Fiona M. Sansom, Marc S. Marenda, Philip F. Markham, Glenn F. Browning, Kelly A. Tivendale
Summary: The study investigated the function of a novel lipoprotein MbfN in Mycoplasma bovis, which may play a role in bacterial adhesion and virulence. Experimental validation of gene functions in M. bovis is crucial for understanding the pathogen's biology and developing prevention strategies.
JOURNAL OF BACTERIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Medicine, General & Internal
Lifan Zhang, Huimin Ma, Shijun Wan, Yueqiu Zhang, Mengqiu Gao, Xiaoqing Liu
Summary: This study aimed to improve the accuracy of differential diagnosis of active tuberculosis (ATB) and latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI) by using fluorescent immunospot (FluoroSpot) assay to detect specific Th1 cell immune responses. Rv1733c SLP, combined with ESAT-6 and CFP-10, might be used as a candidate antigen for T cell-based tuberculosis diagnostic tests to differentiate ATB from LTBI.
CHINESE MEDICAL JOURNAL
(2022)
Article
Medicine, General & Internal
Cinthya Ruiz-Tagle, Rodrigo Naves, Patricia Garcia, Anna Guenther, Nicole Schneiderhan-Marra, Maria Elvira Balcells
Summary: This study investigated the levels of Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) specific IgA in saliva at different stages of latent Tuberculosis Infection (TBI). The results showed that the levels of specific IgA were higher in Mtb-infected individuals, but had low discriminatory performance for TBI diagnosis. The study also found the presence of Mtb-specific IgA against multiple antigens in saliva.
FRONTIERS IN MEDICINE
(2023)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Garima Singh, Yusuf Akhter
Summary: The study utilized homology modeling to generate the three-dimensional structure of a potential multidrug transporter in Mtb, revealing its conformational and structural characteristics, as well as the conformational dynamics of the protein molecule in a phospholipid bilayer. The research further elucidated the drug resistance mechanism of Mtb strains to antibiotics.
PROTEINS-STRUCTURE FUNCTION AND BIOINFORMATICS
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Jan Bierlmeier, Miguel Alvaro-Benito, Maren Scheffler, Kristina Sturm, Luisa Rehkopf, Christian Freund, Dirk Schwarzer
Summary: Sortase-mediated ligation is a powerful tool in protein chemistry for connecting peptides. By using switchable sortase substrates, multi-fragment SML can be achieved, expanding its applications in protein research.
ANGEWANDTE CHEMIE-INTERNATIONAL EDITION
(2022)
Review
Immunology
Magdalena Kowalewicz-Kulbat, Camille Locht
Summary: Bacillus Calmette-Guerin (BCG) is an attenuated Mycobacterium bovis derivative widely used as a live vaccine against tuberculosis. Over the past few decades, genetic modifications have been used to improve the efficacy of BCG. Recombinant BCG strains have been engineered to produce various immune-modulatory molecules, offering potential protection against tuberculosis and other diseases such as cancer. However, most studies have been limited to mouse models, and the prophylactic or therapeutic potential of recombinant BCG strains in other species, including humans, has yet to be demonstrated.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Julia Sindlinger, Stefan Schoen, Juergen Eirich, Soren Kirchgaessner, Iris Finkemeier, Dirk Schwarzer
Summary: The researchers developed a series of peptide probes conjugated with different amino acid-CoA for studying NAT complex interactome. The results showed that these peptide probes could separate different subunits and provide insights into substrate specificity, demonstrating their usefulness in studying NAT complex interactome in physiological and pathological backgrounds.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Yoshiko Takeda-Uchimura, Midori Ikezaki, Tomoya O. Akama, Kaho Nishioka, Yoshito Ihara, Fabrice Allain, Kazuchika Nishitsuji, Kenji Uchimura
Summary: In this study, it was found that CL40-positive sialylated and sulfated glycans are abundant in the pleural mesothelium and are synthesized complementarily by GlcNAc6ST2 and GlcNAc6ST3 under physiological conditions.
Article
Microbiology
Ciriac Charles, Cyril Conde, Franck Biet, Maria Laura Boschiroli, Lorraine Michelet
Summary: This study investigated the abundance and location of IS6110 in the M. bovis genomic data of French animal field strains, and found a correlation between multicopy strains and high bovine tuberculosis prevalence.
FRONTIERS IN MICROBIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Immunology
Thomas Belcher, Saliha Ait-Yahia, Luis Solans, Anne-Sophie Debrie, Stephane Cauchi, Anne Tsicopoulos, Camille Locht
Summary: This study found that BPZE1P could prevent and treat dust mite-induced allergic airway inflammation with positive effects, including reducing inflammatory cell infiltration and concentrations of proinflammatory cytokines.
Article
Chemistry, Medicinal
Mattheo Alcaraz, Bharvi Sharma, Francoise Roquet-Baneres, Cyril Conde, Thierry Cochard, Franck Biet, Vipan Kumar, Laurent Kremer
Summary: This study reports the design, synthesis, and anti-tubercular activity of new isoniazid hybrids. Among these hybrids, quinoline-isoniazid conjugates showed high activity against Mycobacterium tuberculosis and were well tolerated at high doses on mammalian cells, indicating their potential clinical application.
EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF MEDICINAL CHEMISTRY
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Soeren Kirchgaessner, Michael B. Braun, Natascha Bartlick, Cengiz Koc, Christopher D. Reinkemeier, Edward A. Lemke, Thilo Stehle, Dirk Schwarzer
Summary: Lysine acetylation is a post-translational modification of proteins, and a 1,2,4-triazole amino acid (ApmTri) has been identified as a mimic for acetyllysine (Kac) to recruit bromodomains (Brds) of the BET family. The optimization of ApmTri substituents and side chain spacing enabled BET Brds to bind to ApmTri-containing peptides with affinities similar to native substrates. The use of genetically encoded ApmTri allowed the study of BET proteins in vitro and in vivo by providing a stable Kac mimic that reflects charge neutralization and Brd recruitment.
ANGEWANDTE CHEMIE-INTERNATIONAL EDITION
(2023)
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
John P. Bannantine, Judith R. Stabel, Darrell O. Bayles, Franck Biet
Summary: This study demonstrates how genomic analysis can improve diagnostic tests. Detecting Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis infection in livestock is challenging but essential for preventing Johne's disease transmission. The commonly used IS900 primer sets for nucleic acid-based diagnostic tests have design errors that can be easily corrected to enhance detection sensitivity. The newly designed JB5 primer set showed improved sensitivity, and the use of legacy primers should be discontinued in future studies.
APPLIED AND ENVIRONMENTAL MICROBIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Christopher Heim, Anna-Katharina Spring, Soeren Kirchgaessner, Dirk Schwarzer, Marcus D. Hartmann
Summary: In targeted protein degradation, immunomodulatory drugs (IMiDs) or cereblon (CRBN) E3 ligase modulatory drugs (CELMoDs) recruit neo-substrate proteins to CRBN for degradation. The recognition mode of natural CRBN degron is described, and it is found that the binding of neo-substrates closely mimics the recognition of natural degrons. The structural basis for the rational design of CRBN effectors is completed.
BIOCHEMICAL AND BIOPHYSICAL RESEARCH COMMUNICATIONS
(2023)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Christopher Heim, Anna-Katharina Spring, Soren Kirchgassner, Dirk Schwarzer, Marcus D. Hartmann
Summary: The study found that Cereblon (CRBN) can specifically recognize C-terminal aspartimide and aminoglutarimide residues, which are formed due to chain breaks in aging proteins and may mark potentially dysfunctional protein fragments.
BIOCHEMICAL AND BIOPHYSICAL RESEARCH COMMUNICATIONS
(2022)
Article
Microbiology
Cyril Conde, Julien Theze, Thierry Cochard, Marie-Noelle Rossignol, Christine Fourichon, Arnaud Delafosse, Alain Joly, Raphael Guatteo, Laurent Schibler, John P. Bannantine, Franck Biet
Summary: Paratuberculosis is a chronic infection caused by Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis in cattle and other ruminants. This study used whole-genome sequencing to analyze 200 field strains of M. avium subsp. paratuberculosis, revealing the genetic diversity and evolutionary relationships of the strains.
MICROBIOLOGY SPECTRUM
(2022)
Review
Food Science & Technology
Camille Locht
Summary: This article summarizes the main contributions of scientists from Pasteur Institutes to the current knowledge of toxins produced by Bordetella pertussis. It highlights the identification of B. pertussis as the causative agent of whooping cough and the significant contributions made by Pasteurians in understanding the structure-function relationship of key toxins. It also discusses the potential applications of this knowledge in various fields, including protein-protein interaction studies, antigen delivery tools, and vaccine development.
Article
Agriculture, Dairy & Animal Science
Vincent Rochard, Thierry Cochard, Stephanie Crapart, Vincent Delafont, Jean-Louis Moyen, Yann Hechard, Franck Biet
Summary: The prevalence of Johne's disease (JD) caused by Mycobacterium avium ssp. paratuberculosis (Map) is high and poses significant economic losses in the dairy industry worldwide. Recent studies have shown that Map may hinder the eradication of bovine tuberculosis (bTB) due to frequent co-infection. This study investigates the co-occurrence of amoebae and mycobacteria in water troughs of cattle herds monitored for JD or bTB, and suggests that amoebae may play a role in the transmission of JD.
Article
Medicine, Research & Experimental
Violaine Dubois, Jonathan Chatagnon, Manon Depessemier, Camille Locht
Summary: Maternal aP vaccination can protect infants from lung colonization by Bordetella pertussis, but it leads to prolonged nasal carriage of the bacteria and increases the risk of infection. This effect can be transferred to the offspring through the placenta or breastfeeding and persists into adulthood.