Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Calvin K. Lee, William C. Schmidt, Shanice S. Webster, Jonathan W. Chen, George A. O'Toole, Gerard C. L. Wong
Summary: This study reveals that changes in c-di-GMP levels in bacterial biofilms are not the sole factor determining surface commitment, as oscillations in c-di-GMP levels can propagate across generations. Additionally, the study demonstrates that modulation of c-di-GMP signals and cooperative surface commitment can be influenced by varying the interaction strength between PilO and SadC.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
(2022)
Article
Immunology
Zuoji Ye, Liumei Ye, Dingbin Li, Shunsheng Lin, Wusheng Deng, Li Zhang, Jinhua Liang, Jinlong Li, Qingjun Wei, Ke Wang
Summary: In this study, the researchers found that Daphnetin (DAP) can effectively inhibit and eradicate biofilm formation of Pseudomonas aeruginosa. DAP also reduced bacterial motility and pyocyanin production. These findings suggest that DAP may serve as a natural anti-biofilm therapeutic agent.
FRONTIERS IN CELLULAR AND INFECTION MICROBIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Physics, Fluids & Plasmas
Ajesh Jose, Gil Ariel, Avraham Be'er
Summary: This study demonstrates the behavior of mixed populations of Bacillus subtilis and Serratia marcescens during swarming, revealing higher reproduction rates in mixed cultures. The ratio between the species determines various scales of the swarming process.
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Aiguo Xia, Rongrong Zhang, Yajia Huang, Lei Ni, Lu Pu, Ye Li, Shuai Yang, Fan Jin
Summary: In this study, a novel illumination method called adaptive tracking illumination (ATI) was established to precisely manipulate the gene expression and behaviors of Pseudomonas aeruginosa at the single-cell level. This method has significant implications for microbiology research.
APPLIED MICROBIOLOGY AND BIOTECHNOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Infectious Diseases
Mario Gajdacs, Zoltan Barath, Krisztina Karpati, Dora Szabo, Donatella Usai, Stefania Zanetti, Matthew Gavino Donadu
Summary: The study found a relationship between biofilm formation and expression of virulence factors with multidrug resistance in Pseudomonas aeruginosa. However, there were no significant differences in virulence factor expression between multidrug-resistant and non-multidrug-resistant isolates, and no correlations were seen between the rate of biofilm formation, pigment production, or motility. Understanding the interplay between drug resistance mechanisms, biofilm formation, and virulence is crucial for managing chronic bacterial infections.
Article
Infectious Diseases
Ana Mafalda Pinto, Alberta Faustino, Lorenzo M. Pastrana, Manuel Banobre-Lopez, Sanna Sillankorva
Summary: Pseudomonas aeruginosa is a major pathogen responsible for nosocomial and chronic infections, with increasing antibiotic resistance posing a challenge for treatment. Bacteriophage therapy has shown promise as an alternative, with this study highlighting the importance of careful selection and combination of phages in formulations to maximize efficacy and prevent emergence of resistant bacteria.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Maria Victoria Pepe, Celeste Dea, Camila Genskowsky, Dario Capasso, Mara Sabrina Roset, Adriana Valeria Jager, Fernando Peruani, Arlinet Kierbel
Summary: The formation of long-lived bacterial clusters is crucial in the development of many bacterial diseases. This study reveals that Pseudomonas aeruginosa can form permanent bacterial clusters on polarized MDCK epithelium without requiring irreversible adhesion, cell proliferation, or a phenotypic transition. By combining experiments and a mathematical model, the researchers demonstrate that the formation process is mediated by type IV pili and that it involves a stochastic process of reversible attachment.
Article
Microbiology
Mizuki Kanno, Takuya Shiota, So Ueno, Minato Takahara, Keisuke Haneda, Yuhei O. Tahara, Masaki Shintani, Ryoma Nakao, Makoto Miyata, Kazuhide Kimbara, Hiroyuki Futamata, Yosuke Tashiro
Summary: Membrane vesicles (MVs) are small spherical structures produced by bacteria, playing important roles in bacterial biology and host immune modulation. This study revealed enhanced MV formation in Pseudomonas aeruginosa biofilms, which is closely related to biofilm matrix synthesis and surface sensing.
FRONTIERS IN MICROBIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Microbiology
Telma de Sousa, Michel Hebraud, Olimpia Alves, Eliana Costa, Luis Maltez, Jose Eduardo Pereira, Angela Martins, Gilberto Igrejas, Patricia Poeta
Summary: A study conducted at the Medical Center of Tras-os-Montes and Alto Douro (CHTMAD) found that Pseudomonas aeruginosa strains causing urinary tract infections are resistant to multiple antibiotics and have high biofilm formation and motility capabilities, posing a serious public health problem.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Gal Natan, Vasco M. Worlitzer, Gil Ariel, Avraham Be'er
Summary: This paper studies mixed swarms of Bacillus subtilis and Pseudomonas aeruginosa and finds intricate interactions between the species, showing both cooperation and segregation. Despite their differences in characteristics, the two species can swarm together to form a mixed colony, while also achieving local segregation.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2022)
Article
Microbiology
Christopher J. Jones, Nikolas Grotewold, Daniel J. Wozniak, Erin S. Gloag
Summary: Chronic biofilm infections by Pseudomonas aeruginosa have a significant impact on patient morbidity and mortality, and understanding the bacterial response to surface attachment and biofilm formation can provide important insights into the development of biofilms.
JOURNAL OF BACTERIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Agricultural Engineering
Qian Feng, Laiwei Luo, Xindi Chen, Kaijie Zhang, Fang Fang, Zhaoxia Xue, Chao Li, Jiashun Cao, Jingyang Luo
Summary: Exogenous AHLs such as C6-HSL and C8-HSL were found to promote biofilm formation of Pseudomonas aeruginosa significantly, enhancing adhesive ability, bacterial motility, and metabolic activities. These AHLs also upregulated the expression of microbial functional genes involved in biofilm formation, providing valuable insights for biofilm regulation in wastewater treatment using biofilm technology.
BIORESOURCE TECHNOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Ayumu Ohno, Kazuo Umezawa, Satomi Asai, Kirill Kryukov, So Nakagawa, Hayato Miyachi, Tadashi Imanishi
Summary: The study developed a new sequence-based protocol for rapidly identifying bacterial compositions and drug-resistance profiles in clinical samples. By using propidium monoazide (PMA) to prevent DNA amplification from dead bacteria, and subjecting samples to 16S rRNA metagenome sequencing, the protocol demonstrated increased sequencing reads from drug-resistant bacteria compared to drug-sensitive bacteria when treated with antibiotics. The scalable protocol shows potential for quickly profiling drug-resistant bacteria.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2021)
Article
Immunology
In-Young Chung, Bi-O Kim, Ju-Hyun Han, Jonggwan Park, Hee Kyoung Kang, Yoonkyung Park, You-Hee Cho
Summary: The study reveals a new method inspired by phages for antibacterial discovery. Critical residues in the bioactivity of the Tip protein were identified, and a synthetic 15-aa peptide P1 showed potential in inhibiting Pseudomonas aeruginosa infections.
Article
Food Science & Technology
Mingcan Qin, Xiaoyi Ma, Shihui Fan, Hangjie Wu, Wanli Yan, Xiaopeng Tian, Jing Lu, Mingsheng Lyu, Shujun Wang
Summary: A DNAzyme named PAE-1 was screened in vitro and combined with a fluorescent biosensor to detect Pseudomonas aeruginosa with a detection limit of 1.2 cfu/ml. The target protein was identified to be within the molecular weight range of 10 kDa-50 kDa using proteases and filtration techniques. A simple indicator plate sensor using the DNAzyme showed reliable results in testing tap water and food samples, offering a novel experimental strategy for rapid detection of P. aeruginosa in the field.
FOOD SCIENCE & NUTRITION
(2021)
Article
Pharmacology & Pharmacy
Tullio V. F. Esposito, Cristina Rodriguez-Rodriguez, Colin Blackadar, Evan F. Haney, Daniel Pletzer, Robert E. W. Hancock, Katayoun Saatchi, Urs O. Hafeli
Summary: This study investigated the pharmacokinetics of a well-characterized IDR molecule, IDR-1018. The distribution and clearance of the peptide were found to vary depending on the route of administration and dose. The study also revealed that local administration could avoid peptide toxicity associated with systemic administration.
EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF PHARMACEUTICS AND BIOPHARMACEUTICS
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Katharine Sedivy-Haley, Travis Blimkie, Reza Falsafi, Amy Huei-Yi Lee, Robert E. W. Hancock
Summary: Salmonella is an intracellular pathogen that causes significant morbidity and mortality. The ability of Salmonella to grow inside macrophages is important for its virulence. Different types of macrophages have different effects on the growth of Salmonella. Endotoxin-primed macrophages show similar levels of resistance to Salmonella as classically activated macrophages after 2 hours of infection, but become susceptible like alternatively activated macrophages at later time points. The JAK-STAT pathway plays an important role in the resistance of macrophages to Salmonella, and early activation of this pathway is crucial for M1 macrophage resistance.
Article
Microbiology
Melanie Dostert, Corrie R. Belanger, Lucas Pedraz, Morgan A. Alford, Travis M. Blimkie, Reza F. Falsafi, Manjeet Bains, Bhavjinder Kaur Dhillon, Cara H. Haney, Amy H. Lee, Robert E. W. Hancock
Summary: Biofilms are the most common cause of bacterial infections in humans. Finding effective antibiofilm therapies is challenging. A study identified 349 genes, including 47 regulators, involved in biofilm growth in Pseudomonas aeruginosa PA14 using a transposon insertion sequencing approach. The study also discovered several novel biofilm regulators, suggesting the involvement of multiple transcriptional regulators in biofilm growth. These findings contribute to the identification of potential new drug targets for biofilm infections.
FRONTIERS IN MICROBIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Ecology
Christina L. Wiesmann, Yue Zhang, Morgan Alford, Corri D. Hamilton, Manisha Dosanjh, David Thoms, Melanie Dostert, Andrew Wilson, Daniel Pletzer, Robert E. W. Hancock, Cara H. Haney
Summary: Members of the bacterial genus Pseudomonas can form mutualistic, commensal, and pathogenic associations with diverse hosts. The study found that the regulatory gene ColR/S is functionally conserved between Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Pseudomonas fluorescens, but there are differences in the regulon. ColR/S allows Pseudomonas to sense and respond to a host, and the divergence of the ColR regulon may be related to different lifestyles.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Arjun Baghela, Andy An, Peter Zhang, Erica Acton, Jeff Gauthier, Elsa Brunet-Ratnasingham, Travis Blimkie, Gabriela Cohen Freue, Daniel Kaufmann, Amy H. Y. Lee, Roger C. Levesque, Robert E. W. Hancock
Summary: Severely-afflicted COVID-19 patients can exhibit sepsis-like disease manifestations, and the diagnostic tools used in managing sepsis may also be applicable to COVID-19 patients. This study analyzed the blood transcriptome of COVID-19 patients and identified gene expression signatures that are associated with severity and potential therapeutic opportunities. The expression of sepsis gene expression signatures in severely-afflicted COVID-19 patients indicates the importance of considering severe sepsis classification and using these signatures for mechanistic characterization, diagnosis, and guidance of treatment using repurposed drugs.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2023)
Article
Rheumatology
Kristen I. Gibson, Britt Drogemoller, Dirk M. Foell, Susanne Benseler, Jinko Graham, Robert E. W. A. Hancock, Raashid A. Luqmani, David L. Cabral, Kelly J. Brown, Colin Ross
Summary: This study conducted a genome-wide association study of pediatric ANCA-associated vasculitis (AAV) and found a significant genetic association between HLA-DPB1*04:01 allele and pediatric AAV. The study also suggested that childhood- and adult-onset vasculitis may share a common genetic predisposition. These findings contribute to improved classification tools and treatment strategies for AAV.
ARTHRITIS & RHEUMATOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Shahid Chaudhary, Zahir Ali, Muhammad Tehseen, Evan F. Haney, Aaron Pantoja-Angles, Salwa Alshehri, Tiannyu Wang, Gerard J. Clancy, Maya Ayach, Charlotte Hauser, Pei-Ying Hong, Samir M. Hamdan, Robert E. W. Hancock, Magdy Mahfouz
Summary: This study demonstrates the efficient production of bioactive amidated AMPs through transient expression in Nicotiana benthamiana line expressing the mammalian enzyme peptidylglycine alpha-amidating mono-oxygenase. The AMPs purified from plants exhibit robust killing activity against highly virulent and antibiotic-resistant pathogens, and can prevent their biofilm formation when used in combination with antibiotics. The techno-economic analysis also shows the potential economic advantages and scalability for industrial use of this platform.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2023)
Article
Immunology
Arjun S. Baghela, Jasmine Tam, Travis M. Blimkie, Bhavjinder K. Dhillon, Robert E. W. Hancock
Summary: In this study, a compendium of 103 gene sets related to sepsis was built by collecting data from transcriptomic studies. The gene sets comprise 20,899 unique genes, and the study describes the commonly involved molecular mechanisms. A database called SeptiSearch was created to provide bioinformatic tools for the sepsis community to explore and validate these gene sets.
FRONTIERS IN IMMUNOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Immunology
Andy Y. An, Arjun Baghela, Peter Zhang, Reza Falsafi, Amy H. Lee, Uriel Trahtemberg, Andrew J. Baker, Claudia C. dos Santos, Robert E. W. Hancock
Summary: This study compared the gene expression trajectories between severe COVID-19 patients and contemporaneous non-COVID-19 severe sepsis patients during hospitalization. COVID-19 patients had 1,215 differentially expressed genes compared to non-COVID-19 sepsis patients at ICU admission, but the number dropped to 9 genes after one week. The findings highlight the importance of early antiviral treatment for COVID-19 and the potential for heme-related therapeutics.
FRONTIERS IN IMMUNOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Pharmacology & Pharmacy
Hashem Etayash, Fione Yip, Robert E. W. Hancock
Summary: In this study, the impacts of pegylation and glycosylation on the biocompatibility and biological properties of host defense peptides (HDPs) were investigated. It was found that both modifications significantly reduced aggregation, hemolysis, and cytotoxicity, and enhanced immunomodulatory and anti-inflammatory effects of the peptides. However, antimicrobial and antibiofilm activity was partially reduced.
Review
Pharmacology & Pharmacy
Cesar de la Fuente-Nunez, Angela Cesaro, Robert E. W. Hancock
Summary: Despite advances in antibiotic discovery, millions of people still die from infections every year. Antibiotic failure is not solely due to antibiotic resistance, but also related to biofilm formation, sepsis, and the microbiome. To address the crisis of antibiotic failure, it is necessary to explore treatment strategies beyond antibiotics and develop new anti-infectives or host-directed therapies.
DRUG RESISTANCE UPDATES
(2023)
Article
Dentistry, Oral Surgery & Medicine
Jinghao Hu, Jian Yu, He Liu, Zhejun Wang, Markus Haapasalo, Evan F. Haney, Robert E. W. Hancock, Shuli Deng, Ya Shen
Summary: This study evaluated the antimicrobial effects of commercially available mouthrinses and a D-enantiomeric peptide on oral multispecies biofilms. The results showed that DJK-5 demonstrated the highest percentage of dead bacteria and may be a potential candidate for future mouthrinses.
JOURNAL OF DENTISTRY
(2023)
Article
Immunology
Andy Y. An, Arjun Baghela, Peter Zhang, Reza Falsafi, Amy H. Lee, Uriel Trahtemberg, Andrew J. Baker, Claudia C. dos Santos, Robert E. W. Hancock
Summary: Transcriptional evidence showed persistent immune dysfunction in both severe COVID-19 and non-COVID-19 septic patients, associated with increased mortality. This highlights the potential for immunomodulatory therapies targeting common mechanisms of immune dysfunction in both diseases.
FRONTIERS IN IMMUNOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Dentistry, Oral Surgery & Medicine
Dan Wang, Jian Yu, He Liu, Tian Zhang, Evan F. Haney, Robert E. W. Hancock, Lin Peng, Ya Shen
Summary: This study aimed to investigate the effectiveness of DJK-5-D enantiomeric antibiofilm peptide on the corrosion resistance of titanium with different surface roughness. The results showed that DJK-5 effectively enhanced the corrosion resistance of titanium while killing S. mutans biofilms, with smooth surfaces more susceptible to peptide treatment.
JOURNAL OF DENTISTRY
(2023)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Alberto Baldelli, Hashem Etayash, Hale Oguzlu, Ronit Mandal, Feng Jiang, Robert E. W. Hancock, Anubhav Pratap-Singh
Summary: Spray-dried nanoparticle-in-microsphere formulations composed of aluminum oxide nanoparticles, zinc oxide, zinc oxide nanoparticles, and cellulose nanocrystals are reported to have potent antimicrobial and antibiofilm activity against various bacteria. The study emphasizes the importance of matrix compositions in manipulating the antimicrobial properties and toxicity of metal oxide biomaterials. The formulations showed higher antimicrobial activity compared to individual raw materials, and a specific formulation with CNCs, aluminum oxide, and zinc oxide nanoparticles exhibited the highest antimicrobial and antibiofilm activity. Importantly, these formulations also had minimal toxicity when tested against blood cells. Thus, low-toxicity and high antimicrobial nanoparticle-in-microsphere formulations could be used for targeted drug delivery and reducing the use of antibiotics.
CHEMICAL ENGINEERING JOURNAL ADVANCES
(2022)