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
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)
Article
Genetics & Heredity
Honghong Dong, Ruixiang Gao, Yijie Dong, Qing Yao, Honghui Zhu
Summary: This study presented the high-quality genome assembly of Myxococcus xanthus R31, a strain with good biocontrol efficacy against tomato bacterial wilt. Comparative genomics analysis revealed the phylogenetic relationship between R31 and other M. xanthus strains, and identified strain-specific genes that may contribute to its predatory ability. These findings provide new insights into R31 and related species, and lay the foundation for further genetic studies on the predation mechanism of myxobacteria.
Article
Biology
Swapnesh Panigrahi, Dorothee Murat, Antoine Le Gall, Eugenie Martineau, Kelly Goldlust, Jean-Bernard Fiche, Sara Rombouts, Marcelo Nollmann, Leon Espinosa, Tam Mignot
Summary: MiSiC is a deep-learning based 2D segmentation method that can automatically segment single bacteria in complex images of interacting bacterial communities with very little parameter adjustment, independent of microscopy settings and imaging modality. It enables the analysis of interspecies interactions and subcellular processes in millimeter size datasets. MiSiC's simple implementation and low computing power requirement make it accessible to fields interested in bacterial interactions and cell biology.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Sarah Bautista, Victoria Schmidt, Annick Guiseppi, Emillia M. F. Mauriello, Bouchra Attia, Latifa Elantak, Tam Mignot, Romain Mercier
Summary: This study reveals the protein interaction network involved in the activation of Tfp at the cell pole in bacteria and highlights the significance of this tripartite system in complex collective behaviors.
Article
Food Science & Technology
Yongmei Lyu, Feng Zheng, Chuanxing Qiu, Meng Wang, Dujun Wang, Xiaoyang Zhang, Josef Voglmeir, Li Liu, Xiaohong Yu
Summary: A previously unstudied chitinase gene (MxChi) from Myxococcus xanthus was cloned, expressed, and purified, demonstrating efficient hydrolysis of colloidal chitin to chitobiose as sole product. The optimal catalytic conditions were identified, and in combination with other enzymes GlcN was successfully extracted from chitin sources. The newly discovered chitinase exhibits potential for green recycling of chitin-rich waste due to its facile recombinant in E. coli, robust thermostability, and high purity of the product.
Article
Ecology
Kaitlin A. Schaal, Yuen-Tsu Nicco Yu, Marie Vasse, Gregory J. Velicer
Summary: The study demonstrates that natural populations may exhibit geographic mosaics of cooperators that have diversified in their susceptibility to particular cheaters, thereby limiting the cheating ranges of defectors and preventing their spread. This diversification may also result in variation in the phenotypes generated by any given cooperation-gene mutation, further reducing the likelihood of a cheater emerging that threatens the persistence of cooperation in the system.
BMC ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTION
(2022)
Article
Agronomy
Sabrina A. Eisner, Francesca Fiegna, Bruce A. McDonald, Gregory J. Velicer
Summary: Research using experimental evolution to select for enhanced antagonism against pathogens identified the bacterial predator Myxococcus xanthus as a potential biocontrol agent of the fungal wheat pathogen Zymoseptoria tritici. The study demonstrated that Z. tritici both supports and is killed by M. xanthus on wheat straw, suggesting its potential as a biocontrol strategy for crop protection. The results also indicate the feasibility of conducting long-term experimental evolution to enhance the killing capacity of M. xanthus against Z. tritici.
Article
Physics, Fluids & Plasmas
M. Sahoo, N. Arsha, P. R. Baral, S. Klumpp
Summary: DNA polymerase, a dual purpose enzyme, is responsible for elongating newly formed DNA strands and cleaving erroneous growth. Replication efficiency relies on the coordination between polymerization and exonuclease activities. The accuracy and speed of replication are influenced by the kinetic parameters of the model and the crucial role of stepping after erroneous incorporation.
Article
Biochemical Research Methods
Yuncong Geng, Christopher Herrick Bohrer, Nicolas Yehya, Hunter Hendrix, Lior Shachaf, Jian Liu, Jie Xiao, Elijah Roberts
Summary: This study developed a transcription supercoiling model that describes the interaction between RNA polymerase activity and local DNA supercoiling, and how this controls transcription. The model revealed the cooperative effect of supercoiling in highly expressed genes during co-transcription, and the importance of relative gene orientation in transcription regulation. It provides a quantitative platform for investigating the impact of genome organization on transcription.
PLOS COMPUTATIONAL BIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Cell Biology
Andrea Esposito, Simona Bianco, Andrea M. Chiariello, Alex Abraham, Luca Fiorillo, Mattia Conte, Raffaele Campanile, Mario Nicodemi
Summary: This study uses polymer physics to infer the arrangement of DNA binding sites in the genome and validates the predictions. It provides a code that links chromatin states to 3D architecture and sheds light on how 3D information is encrypted in 1D chromatin.
Article
Microbiology
Daisuke Inoue, Naoto Hiroshima, So Nakamura, Hidehiro Ishizawa, Michihiko Ike
Summary: This study isolated and characterized two predatory bacteria from a freshwater pond, Bacteriovorax stolpii HI3 and Myxococcus sp. MH1. The findings showed that these bacteria can prey on a wide range of bacteria, regardless of their phylogeny. The study also revealed that the two strains have slightly different temperature preferences but commonly prefer slightly alkaline pH.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Miles K. Huseyin, Robert J. Klose
Summary: Researchers used genome engineering and single particle tracking to dissect how PRC1 binds to chromatin in live mouse embryonic stem cells, revealing that only a small fraction of PRC1 stably interacts with chromatin. Integration of subunit-specific dynamics, chromatin binding, and abundance measurements showed that PRC1 exhibits low occupancy at target sites.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2021)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Randall L. Barbour, Harry L. Graber
Summary: Precision medicine often overlooks physiological time-series measures. This study applies a novel method to hemoglobin measures in intact breasts to assess the cancer phenotype in women with breast cancer. The findings reveal structural dynamics and sensitivity to disease markers.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2023)
Article
Genetics & Heredity
Hongdi Luo, Lin Cui, Fuyao Han, Zhi He, Xiaolan Fan, Bo Zeng, Mingyao Yang, Deying Yang, Qingyong Ni, Yan Li, Yongfang Yao, Huailiang Xu, Jiandong Yang, Zhimin Wei, Tongqing Li, Dingqi Rao, Taiming Yan, Mingwang Zhang
Summary: This study provides new insights into the phylogenetic relationships and gene rearrangement of Archaeobatrachia.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Dorota Skotnicka, Wieland Steinchen, Dobromir Szadkowski, Ian T. Cadby, Andrew L. Lovering, Gert Bange, Lotte Sogaard-Andersen
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2020)
Article
Microbiology
Maria Perez-Burgos, Inmaculada Garcia-Romero, Jana Jung, Eugenia Schander, Miguel A. Valvano, Lotte Sogaard-Andersen
JOURNAL OF BACTERIOLOGY
(2020)
Article
Biochemical Research Methods
Filipe Tostevin, Manon Wigbers, Lotte Sogaard-Andersen, Ulrich Gerland
Summary: This study investigates different mechanisms for reversing polar protein patterns in response to signals, identifying four qualitatively distinct switching mechanisms with varying characteristics in implementing spatial toggle switch function. These characteristics help identify different switching mechanisms in natural systems.
PLOS COMPUTATIONAL BIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Microbiology
Sofya Kuzmich, Dorota Skotnicka, Dobromir Szadkowski, Philipp Klos, Maria Perez-Burgos, Eugenia Schander, Dominik Schumacher, Lotte Sogaard-Andersen
Summary: The study identified two PilZ domain-containing proteins in Myxococcus xanthus that bind c-di-GMP, regulating bacterial motility and development. PixB acts in a Frz-dependent manner to regulate motility and development via the acetyltransferase domain, while PixA acts in a Frz-independent manner to regulate motility.
JOURNAL OF BACTERIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Biology
Dominik Schumacher, Andrea Harms, Silke Bergeler, Erwin Frey, Lotte Sogaard-Andersen
Summary: The positioning of cell division sites is precisely regulated, but the underlying mechanisms are not completely understood. In the bacterium Myxococcus xanthus, a tripartite PomX/Y/Z complex is responsible for positioning and stimulating the formation of the cytokinetic FtsZ-ring at midcell. The PomX protein has two functionally distinct domains and three functions, playing important roles in the interaction and fission of the PomX/Y/Z complex.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Marco Herfurth, Anke Treuner-Lange, Timo Glatter, Nadine Wittmaack, Egbert Hoiczyk, Antonio J. Pierik, Lotte Sogaard-Andersen
Summary: The study reveals the formation of complexes between minor pilins and PilY1.1, contingent on calcium and a non-canonical cytochrome c, in Myxococcus xanthus. This discovery highlights the importance of these complexes in stabilizing PilY1.1 and enabling T4aP function in a broader range of calcium concentrations.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
(2022)
Article
Microbiology
Sofya Kuzmich, Patrick Blumenkamp, Doreen Meier, Dobromir Szadkowski, Alexander Goesmann, Anke Becker, Lotte Sgaard-Andersen
Summary: The second messenger c-di-GMP plays an important role in both stages of Myxococcus xanthus' nutrient-regulated biphasic life cycle, with the formation of predatory swarms in the presence of nutrients and spore-filled fruiting bodies in the absence of nutrients. However, different enzymes are involved in c-di-GMP synthesis and degradation during distinct life cycle stages.
Article
Cell Biology
Luis Antonio Menezes Carreira, Dobromir Szadkowski, Franziska Muller, Lotte Sogaard-Andersen
Summary: Bacterial cells establish and invert the front-rear polarity of movement through the polarity module and the chemosensory system. The polarity module includes MglA, GEF, and GAP, which asymmetrically localize to the cell poles, while the chemosensory system interacts with the proteins of the polarity module, triggering their polar repositioning and causing irregular oscillation of the cells.
CURRENT OPINION IN CELL BIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Genetics & Heredity
Dobromir Szadkowski, Luis Antonio Menezes Carreira, Lotte Sogaard-Andersen
Summary: MglA-GTP is a key regulator of front-rear polarity in Myxococcus xanthus cells, and it localizes to the leading pole to stimulate assembly of the machinery for type IV pili-dependent motility and gliding motility. RomY stimulates the GAP activity of MgIB, and its low-affinity interaction ensures that the high MgIB/RomY GAP activity is confined to the lagging pole.
Article
Genetics & Heredity
Michael Seidel, Dorota Skotnicka, Timo Glatter, Lotte Sogaard-Andersen
Summary: The nucleotide-based second messenger c-di-GMP regulates bacterial processes in response to environmental or cellular cues. The DNA-binding protein CdbA in Myxococcus xanthus binds c-di-GMP and DNA in a mutually exclusive manner and is essential for viability. Depletion of CdbA leads to an increase in the level of CdbS, a c-di-GMP-binding protein, perturbing chromosome organization and causing cell death.
Article
Microbiology
Marco Herfurth, Maria Perez-Burgos, Lotte Sogaard-Andersen
Summary: Type IVa pili (T4aP) are essential for bacterial motility, adhesion, biofilm formation, and virulence. The assembly of T4aP in Myxococcus xanthus involves the polar recruitment of PilQ secretin and the stimulation of multimerization by the pilotin Tgl. The presence or absence of AMIN domains in T4aP secretins contributes to the different localization patterns of T4aP across bacteria.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Beatrice Ramm, Dominik Schumacher, Andrea Harms, Tamara Heermann, Philipp Klos, Franziska Mueller, Petra Schwille, Lotte Sogaard-Andersen
Summary: The PomX/PomY/PomZ complex in the social bacterium Myxococcus xanthus directly positions and stimulates cytokinetic ring formation. The PomY forms liquid-like biomolecular condensates, while PomX self-assembles into filaments and enriches PomY through surface-assisted condensation. In vitro, PomY condensates selectively enrich FtsZ and nucleate its polymerization, suggesting a mechanism for spatiotemporally precise cell division.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Luis Antonio Menezes Carreira, Dobromir Szadkowski, Stefano Lometto, Georg. K. A. Hochberg, Lotte Sogaard-Andersen
Summary: Cell polarity plays a key role in bacterial processes. The authors focus on the protein MglC to understand the mechanism and design principles of a system that regulates switchable front-rear polarity and directional migration. They find that a feedback loop involving RomR, MglC, and MglB establishes front-rear polarity and controls the activity of the small GTPase MglA.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2023)
Article
Microbiology
Sofya Kuzmich, Patrick Blumenkamp, Doreen Meier, Dobromir Szadkowski, Alexander Goesmann, Anke Becker, Lotte Sogaard-Andersen
Summary: Myxococcus xanthus utilizes different enzymes and receptors to regulate the synthesis and degradation of c-di-GMP at different stages of its lifecycle to achieve specificity in signaling.