Article
Microbiology
Paidashe Hove, Swetha Madesh, Arathy Nair, Deborah Jaworski, Huitao Liu, Jonathan Ferm, Michael D. Kleinhenz, Margaret A. Highland, Andrew K. Curtis, Johann F. Coetzee, Susan M. Noh, Ying Wang, Dominica Genda, Roman R. Ganta
Summary: This study focuses on targeted mutagenesis and its application in determining virulence and vaccine development for Anaplasma species pathogen. The research successfully developed a complete gene deletion mutation in A. marginale and demonstrated its limited growth in its natural host. Additionally, the study compared the vaccine protection of the mutant with other vaccines and showed its effectiveness against the pathogen.
Article
Immunology
Deborah C. Jaworski, Ying Wang, Arathy Nair, Huitao Liu, Roman R. Ganta
Summary: This study identified 55 mutations in E. chaffeensis, which demonstrated the critical nature of these genes for its growth in a canine infection model. Four mutations resulted in replication deficiency in the tick vector, similar to the vertebrate host. Additionally, three mutations caused growth defects only in the tick vector. The findings suggest that genes essential for growth in the canine host may not be essential for growth in the tick vector.
FRONTIERS IN CELLULAR AND INFECTION MICROBIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Mauricio J. Lozano, Ezequiel G. Mogro, M. Eugenia Salas, Sofia A. Erdozain, Nicolas E. Zuber, Anke Becker, Antonio Lagares
Summary: Through genome-wide screening of Ensifer meliloti mutants, it was found that persistence in peat inoculants involves a complex phenotype connected to diverse cellular activities, mainly related to satisfying bacterial nutrition requirements and coping with specific stresses. These results provide a base knowledge that could be used to understand the survival mechanisms used by rhizobia during the maturation of peat-based inoculants and to improve inoculant formulations.
JOURNAL OF BIOTECHNOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Microbiology
Li Huang, Mafeng Liu, Aparna Viswanathan Ammanath, Dekang Zhu, Renyong Jia, Shun Chen, Xinxin Zhao, Qiao Yang, Ying Wu, Shaqiu Zhang, Juan Huang, Xumin Ou, Sai Mao, Qun Gao, Di Sun, Bin Tian, Friedrich Goetz, Mingshu Wang, Anchun Cheng
Summary: The study identified 8 essential genes for natural transformation in R. anatipestifer ATCC11845, with 4 of them having putative annotations in the NCBI database.
FRONTIERS IN MICROBIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Developmental Biology
Sylvain Bertho, Odelya Kaufman, KathyAnn Lee, Adrian Santos-Ledo, Daniel Dellal, Florence L. Marlow
Summary: Maternally provided gene products play a crucial role in regulating the earliest events of embryonic life. Forward genetic screens have provided insights into the molecular regulation of embryonic development, including essential contributions of maternal-effect genes. Identifying these regulators is essential to understand mechanisms contributing to fertility and maternally regulated developmental processes.
Article
Medicine, Research & Experimental
Yuning J. J. Tang, Emily G. G. Shuldiner, Saswati Karmakar, Monte M. M. Winslow
Summary: The vast number of genomic and molecular alterations in cancer present a significant challenge in understanding the mechanisms of tumor formation and identifying targets for treatment. High-throughput functional genomic methods in genetically engineered mouse models allow for rapid and systematic investigation of cancer driver genes. This review discusses the concepts and tools for investigating functionally important cancer genes in vivo using autochthonous cancer models, highlights emerging technical advances, potential opportunities for future research, and outlines a vision for integrating genetic perturbations with molecular analyses to advance our understanding of cancer genetics and molecular basis.
COLD SPRING HARBOR PERSPECTIVES IN MEDICINE
(2023)
Article
Microbiology
Ascencion Torres-Escobar, Maria D. Juarez-Rodriguez, Roman R. Ganta
Summary: A functional disruption mutation in the ECH_0660 gene of Ehrlichia chaffeensis affects transcription of seven genes, including those encoding phage proteins, under zinc and iron limitation conditions, indicating the importance of zinc and iron in the biology of the pathogen.
JOURNAL OF BACTERIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Eun Jeong Won, Seong Hoon Kim, Kyeong Hwan Byeon, Chae-Hyeon Jeon, Seung-Ji Kang, Joo-Heon Park, Seung-Jung Kee, Hyun-Woo Choi
Summary: Due to environmental changes, vector-borne diseases are becoming more common. This study investigated the seroprevalence of four major vector-borne pathogens in patients suspected of having Scrub Typhus. It was found that many patients had antibodies to multiple pathogens, highlighting the importance of considering co-infections in clinical practice and the laboratory.
Article
Food Science & Technology
Ewen Mullins, Jean-Louis Bresson, Tamas Dalmay, Ian Crawford Dewhurst, Michelle M. Epstein, Leslie George Firbank, Philippe Guerche, Jan Hejatko, Francisco Javier Moreno, Hanspeter Naegeli, Fabien Nogue, Jose Juan Sanchez Serrano, Giovanni Savoini, Eve Veromann, Fabio Veronesi, Josep Casacuberta, Paolo Lenzi, Irene Munoz Guajardo, Tommaso Raffaello, Nils Rostoks
Summary: Mutations are changes in genetic material that can be passed on to subsequent generations and play a role in evolution. Random mutagenesis techniques in plants rely on physical and chemical mutagens to accelerate the selection of varieties with important agronomic traits. Research has shown that techniques, types of mutations, and molecular mechanisms are similar in in vivo and in vitro mutagenesis, thus distinguishing between plants obtained through these methods is not justified.
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Rosa E. Cardoza, Susan P. McCormick, Inmaculada Izquierdo-Bueno, Natalia Martinez-Reyes, Laura Lindo, Daren W. Brown, Isidro G. Collado, Robert H. Proctor, Santiago Gutierrez
Summary: The current study identified aspinolide biosynthetic genes (asp1 and asp2) in Trichoderma arundinaceum and found that they are part of a gene cluster shared with Aspergillus ochraceus. Deletion of these genes confirmed their essential role in aspinolide production. Furthermore, a mutation in asp2 led to increased inhibition of fungal growth and coincided with increased HA production, suggesting a trade-off between the two metabolites.
APPLIED MICROBIOLOGY AND BIOTECHNOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Biology
Morag A. Lewis, Neil J. Ingham, Jing Chen, Selina Pearson, Francesca Di Domenico, Sohinder Rekhi, Rochelle Allen, Matthew Drake, Annelore Willaert, Victoria Rook, Johanna Pass, Thomas Keane, David J. Adams, Abigail S. Tucker, Jacqueline K. White, Karen P. Steel
Summary: Our study demonstrates that spontaneous mutations with observable effects on phenotype are a common occurrence in intensive breeding programs, including targeted mutation programs. These spontaneous mutations within mutant lines can complicate phenotypic analyses, underscoring the importance of record-keeping and maintaining accurate pedigrees.
Article
Microbiology
Yaxing Su, Yanan Xu, Hailing Liang, Gaoqing Yuan, Xiaogang Wu, Dehong Zheng
Summary: This study identified key genes required for R. solanacearum survival in tomato plants using transposon insertion sequencing technology, highlighting the importance of genes related to cell wall/membrane/envelope biogenesis, amino acid transport and metabolism, energy production and conversion, posttranslational modification, protein turnover, and chaperones in the pathogenic mechanism of this bacterium.
Article
Veterinary Sciences
Bingqing Sun, Yafei Xue, Xiaoli Du, Xiaohua He, Zuocheng Zou, Xiangqiang Tian, Zhonghao Hu, Haoyang Liu, Nazrul Islam, Qinghai Hu
Summary: This study investigated the genetic basis of hemolytic activity in Riemerella anatipestifer through constructing a mutagenesis library, identifying 24 genes involved, with 7 of them related to iron utilization. Complementation studies confirmed the involvement of Riean_0653 and Riean_0790 in hemolytic activity, while recombinant proteins showed no hemolytic activity.
VETERINARY RESEARCH
(2021)
Article
Microbiology
Chiamaka Valerie Ukegbu, Ana Rita Gomes, Maria Giorgalli, Melina Campos, Alexander J. Bailey, Tanguy Rene Balthazar Besson, Oliver Billker, Dina Vlachou, George K. Christophides
Summary: Malaria is a devastating infectious disease, and reverse genetic screens are a powerful tool to study malaria parasite biology. However, the complexity of gene regulation and genotype-phenotype associations in the mosquito vector has hindered the development of screens in this stage. This study developed a genetic approach to identify important genes for mosquito infection and provides valuable insights for studying malaria transmission biology and developing interventions.
CELL HOST & MICROBE
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Linyao Li, Peilin Gu, Mengqi Hao, Xiaoli Xiang, Yuting Feng, Xiaokang Zhu, Yang Song, Erqun Song
Summary: Despite advances in imaging techniques, accurate diagnosis of bacterial infections and real-time monitoring of antibiotic therapy efficacy in vivo remain challenges. The GFV probe, designed with a self-assembling peptide and vancomycin, shows potential for detecting S. aureus infection and monitoring treatment efficacy based on changes in T-1 signal.