Article
Chemistry, Organic
Lea Winand, Pascal Schneider, Sebastian Kruth, Nico-Joel Greven, Wolf Hiller, Marcel Kaiser, Joerg Pietruszka, Markus Nett
Summary: By combining chemical synthesis with pathway refactoring, a series of physostigmine analogues with altered specificity and toxicity profiles were produced in the heterologous host. Among the compounds generated, the promising drug candidate phenserine was included, which was previously only accessible through total synthesis. This study provides a new approach for the development of novel therapeutics.
Article
Physics, Multidisciplinary
Matthew E. Black, Joshua W. Shaevitz
Summary: The bacterium Myxococcus xanthus forms fruiting bodies when starved, which are initially formed by the dewetting of a vegetative biofilm. The mechanics of these droplets were studied using atomic force microscopy, and a simple model of their linear viscoelasticity was developed. The cellular behaviors during different developmental stages resulted in decreased droplet viscosity and increased elasticity.
PHYSICAL REVIEW LETTERS
(2023)
Article
Physics, Multidisciplinary
Katherine Copenhagen, Ricard Alert, Ned S. Wingreen, Joshua W. Shaevitz
Summary: The study demonstrates that topological defects play a crucial role in promoting cell layer formation in the soil bacterium Myxococcus xanthus, aiding in the development of fruiting bodies.
Article
Microbiology
Keane J. Dye, Zhaomin Yang
Summary: The bacterium Myxococcus xanthus can form both developmental and vegetative types of biofilms. This study developed a microplate-based assay to investigate the submerged biofilms of M. xanthus under vegetative conditions. The results showed that aeration and temperature play important roles in the development of submerged biofilms, and the formation of these biofilms is positively correlated with the levels of exopolysaccharide (EPS) produced by the bacteria.
FRONTIERS IN MICROBIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Anna N. N. Gabashvili, Nelly S. S. Chmelyuk, Viktoria A. A. Sarkisova, Pavel A. A. Melnikov, Alevtina S. S. Semkina, Aleksey A. A. Nikitin, Maxim A. A. Abakumov
Summary: This study presents a genetically encoded nanocarrier system that can stably express a photoactivatable label as a cargo protein in human cells, offering controllable delivery for protein/peptide therapeutics.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2022)
Review
Biology
Celine Dinet, Alphee Michelot, Julien Herrou, Tam Mignot
Summary: Social bacteria exhibit complex behaviors and sensory capacity at the single-cell level, leading to multicellular behaviors. This cooperative behavior provides insight into the origin of cognitive mechanisms in biological systems.
PHILOSOPHICAL TRANSACTIONS OF THE ROYAL SOCIETY B-BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
(2021)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Zhihua Wu, Haichen Cui, Zhining Sun, Huirong Liu
Summary: The study identified Myxococcus xanthus strain B25-I-1 with strong antagonistic activity against Phytophthora infestans, indicating its potential as a biological control agent against potato late blight. The active extract produced by B25-I-1 showed inhibitory effects on the growth and reproductive structures of P. infestans, making it a promising candidate for the development of biological pesticides.
PESTICIDE BIOCHEMISTRY AND PHYSIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Microbiology
Kimura Yoshio, Yuri Yoshioka, Kie Toshikuni
Summary: Cat2 plays a primary role in growth and starvation-induced development in Myxococcus xanthus, while Cat1 may have a complementary role in proliferating vegetative cells facing oxidative stress.
JOURNAL OF MICROBIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Microbiology
Juana Perez, Francisco Javier Contreras-Moreno, Jose Munoz-Dorado, Aurelio Moraleda-Munoz
Summary: Myxococcus xanthus is a complex multicellular bacterium that preys on microorganisms using a collaborative strategy. The bacterium undergoes unique developmental programs and gene regulation to form environmentally resistant spores. This study analyzes the transcriptomic changes of M. xanthus when encountering a prey, revealing the molecular mechanisms involved in the predatory process.
FRONTIERS IN MICROBIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Ana Almeida, Ana J. Carvalho, Tomas Calmeiro, Nykola C. Jones, Soren Hoffmann, Elvira Fortunato, Alice S. Pereira, Pedro Tavares
Summary: Encapsulins are protein nanocages capable of encapsulating and protecting cargo proteins. This study found that Myxococcus xanthus encapsulin (EncA) can bind and protect plasmid DNA from enzymatic digestion, possibly due to its formation of a large iron storage nanocompartment.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2022)
Article
Biochemical Research Methods
Hyein Do, Chinedu S. Madukoma, Vignesh Sundaresan, Joshua D. Shrout, Anthony J. Hoffman, Paul W. Bohn
Summary: This study utilizes confocal Raman microscopy to investigate the spatial and temporal distribution of chemical signatures secreted by M. xanthus under varied nutrient availability. It was found that nutrient limitation led to the development of fruiting bodies and altered Raman microspectra, indicating a reduced metabolic state. The combination of CRM imaging and PCA enabled the spatial mapping of spectral signatures of secreted factors from M. xanthus and their correlation with metabolic conditions.
ANALYTICAL AND BIOANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY
(2022)
Article
Microbiology
Maria Jose Soto, Juana Perez, Jose Munoz-Dorado, Francisco Javier Contreras-Moreno, Aurelio Moraleda-Munoz
Summary: Bacterial predation has both positive and negative effects on microbial community structures, plant and animal health, and environmental sustainability. A study on the interaction between Myxococcus xanthus and Sinorhizobium meliloti reveals that the predator induces significant transcriptional changes in the prey, leading to up-regulation of processes such as protein synthesis, energy generation, and fatty acid synthesis, as well as down-regulation of genes involved in fatty acid degradation and carbohydrate metabolism. The induction of various defense mechanisms, including changes in cell envelop composition and iron-uptake machinery, reflects the adaptations made by the prey to protect itself from the predatory attack.
FRONTIERS IN MICROBIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Microbiology
Allison S. Zwarycz, Thomas Page, Gabriela Nikolova, Emily J. Radford, David E. Whitworth
Summary: Predatory outer membrane vesicles (OMVs) secreted by myxobacteria can fuse with the outer membranes of Gram-negative bacteria, but the re-fusion of OMVs with producing organisms is inhibited. The OMV killing activity against different prey is correlated with the predatory activity of myxobacterial cells, but not with their propensity to fuse with different prey. The enzymes GAPDH and PGK inhibit the growth of Escherichia coli and may be involved in OMV-mediated predation.
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Duohong Sheng, Ye Wang, Zhiwei Jiang, Dongkai Liu, Yuezhong Li
Summary: The induction of ImuA in UV-C-irradiated Myxococcus xanthus occurred earlier than other genes, and its absence delayed bacterial regrowth and slightly reduced mutation frequency and UV resistance. ImuA inhibits the recombinase activity of RecA1, affecting SOS mutagenesis in M. xanthus.
APPLIED AND ENVIRONMENTAL MICROBIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Microbiology
Kalpana Subedi, Daniel Wall
Summary: Myxobacteria exhibit complex social behaviors that rely on coordinated cell movements on solid surfaces, known as social (S)-motility. This study characterized a new S-motility gene in Myxococcus xanthus and found that it interacts with a previously identified S-motility gene at high temperatures, contributing to the function of type IV pili. However, at low temperatures, this interaction is not necessary.
FRONTIERS IN MICROBIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
S. Padmanabhan, Ricardo Perez-Castano, Montserrat Elias-Arnanz
CURRENT OPINION IN STRUCTURAL BIOLOGY
(2019)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Aranzazu Gallego-Garcia, Antonio J. Monera-Girona, Elena Pajares-Martinez, Eva Bastida-Martinez, Ricardo Perez-Castano, Antonio A. Iniesta, Marta Fontes, S. Padmanabhan, Montserrat Elias-Arnanz
Editorial Material
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Montserrat Elias-Arnanz
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
(2020)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Jose Tomas Canovas-Marquez, Sebastian Falk, Francisco E. Nicolas, Subramanian Padmanabhan, Ruben Zapata-Perez, Alvaro Sanchez-Ferrer, Eusebio Navarro, Victoriano Garre
Summary: RNase III family members regulate gene expression by processing dsRNA, and the fungus Mucor lusitanicus has a complex RNAi system including a non-canonical NCRIP pathway. R3B2 forms a homodimer that binds to and cuts ssRNA, but not dsRNA, due to its unusual RNase III domain structure.
NUCLEIC ACIDS RESEARCH
(2021)
Review
Microbiology
S. Padmanabhan, Antonio J. Monera-Girona, Ricardo Perez-Castano, Eva Bastida-Martinez, Elena Pajares-Martinez, Diego Bernal-Bernal, Maria Luisa Galbis-Martinez, Maria Carmen Polanco, Antonio A. Iniesta, Marta Fontes, Montserrat Elias-Arnanz
Summary: Myxobacteria are Gram-negative delta-proteobacteria that synthesize carotenoids to protect cells from oxidative stress induced by light exposure. Research on light sensing, signal transduction, and gene regulation in Myxococcus xanthus has led to the discovery of new paradigms and novel protein families, shedding light on the molecular mechanisms underlying light-dependent signaling and carotenoid biosynthesis regulation.
Article
Microbiology
Ricardo Perez-Castano, Eva Bastida-Martinez, Jesus Fernandez-Zapata, Maria Del Carmen Polanco, Maria Luisa Galbis-Martinez, Antonio A. Iniesta, Marta Fontes, S. Padmanabhan, Montserrat Elias-Arnanz
Summary: This study investigates the light-induced carotenogenesis in Myxococcus xanthus and explores its regulation mechanisms. The B-12-based CarH repressor and photoreceptor are found to control the carotenogenesis, along with a separate pathway involving singlet oxygen and various other proteins. Comparative analyses across different Myxococcales genomes reveal the conservation of carotenogenic genes and the presence of CarA and its associated factors exclusively in the suborder Cystobacterineae. The study also reveals a plastic CarH operator design and DNA binding across Myxococcales. Overall, this research provides new insights into photoregulated carotenogenesis and establishes its prevalence and evolution in myxobacteria.
ENVIRONMENTAL MICROBIOLOGY
(2022)
Review
Cell Biology
S. Padmanabhan, Antonio J. Monera-Girona, Elena Pajares-Martinez, Eva Bastida-Martinez, Irene del Rey Navalon, Ricardo Perez-Castano, Maria Luisa Galbis-Martinez, Marta Fontes, Montserrat Elias-Arnanz
Summary: Plasmalogens are glycerophospholipids with a unique sn-1 vinyl ether bond, playing important roles in biological processes and being associated with various human diseases. The presence of plasmalogens in aerobic bacteria, especially myxobacteria, has been overlooked. Recent research has discovered the key enzyme involved in plasmalogen formation, opening the door to further study their biosynthesis, functions, and roles in disease.
FRONTIERS IN CELL AND DEVELOPMENTAL BIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Microbiology
Alfonso Lopez-Rojo, Diego Bernal-Bernal, S. Padmanabhan, Maria Luisa Galbis-Martinez, Montserrat Elias-Arnanz
Summary: In this study, the complete genomes of M. xanthus strains DK1050 and DK101 were reported. The genomes were obtained using Illumina and PacBio sequencing techniques. The study highlights the importance of M. xanthus as a well-studied member of the Myxococcota phylum.
MICROBIOLOGY RESOURCE ANNOUNCEMENTS
(2023)
Article
Microbiology
Alfonso Lopez-Rojo, Simon A. Jackson, Diego Bernal-Bernal, Marisa Galbis-Martinez, Peter C. Fineran, Montserrat Elias-Arnanz
Summary: This study focused on Myxococcus xanthus and its bacteriophages, revealing complete genomes of Mx1 and a widely used Mx4 derivative, both classified as Caudoviricetes with long tails.
MICROBIOLOGY RESOURCE ANNOUNCEMENTS
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Nicholas A. Miller, April K. Kaneshiro, Arkaprabha Konar, Roberto Alonso-Mori, Alexander Britz, Aniruddha Deb, James M. Glownia, Jake D. Koralek, Leena Mallik, Joseph H. Meadows, Lindsay B. Michocki, Tim B. van Driel, Markos Koutmos, S. Padmanabhan, Montserrat Elias-Arnanz, Kevin J. Kubarych, E. Neil G. Marsh, James E. Penner-Hahn, Roseanne J. Sension
JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL CHEMISTRY B
(2020)