Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Paivi Yla-Anttila
Summary: Activation of autophagy during viral infections is part of the innate immune response, involving sequestration and degradation of foreign components. Specialized cargo receptors are required for selective elimination of foreign components, which pathogens can evade to promote their replication. Recent research highlights the importance of autophagic receptors as a target for viral autophagy inhibition in virus-host interactions.
CELLULAR & MOLECULAR BIOLOGY LETTERS
(2021)
Review
Cell Biology
Laurence Don Wai Luu, Nadeem O. Kaakoush, Natalia Castano-Rodriguez
Summary: Macroautophagy/autophagy is a crucial cell process for human health, and ATG16L2, a protein related to autophagy, plays a significant role in various cancers and chronic diseases. However, there is still limited research on ATG16L2, and its function in autophagy remains unknown.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Ilaria Agostini, Ezequiel Vanderhoeven, Romina Pfoh, Barbara Tiddi, Pablo M. Beldomenico
Summary: Parasitic infections in non-human primates lead to reduced movement and foraging, which is thought to be an adaptive response. The influence of host nutritional condition on the infection-behaviour relationship is important. This study provides experimental evidence that food availability modulates the impact of helminth infection on activity in wild primates.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2023)
Article
Immunology
Abdulhadi Suwandi, Manoj B. Menon, Alexey Kotlyarov, Guntram A. Grassl, Matthias Gaestel
Summary: This study investigates the role of p38(MAPK)/MK2 in modulating the susceptibility of host cells to Salmonella infection. Inhibition of p38(MAPK) or MK2 increases bacterial counts in infected cells. MK2-deficient cells also exhibit lower level of autophagy and phosphorylation of important proteins involved in promoting autophagy of bacteria.
FRONTIERS IN IMMUNOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Jia Xuan Leong, Margot Raffeiner, Daniela Spinti, Gautier Langin, Mirita Franz-Wachtel, Andrew R. Guzman, Jung-Gun Kim, Pooja Pandey, Alyona E. Minina, Boris Macek, Anders Hafren, Tolga O. Bozkurt, Mary Beth Mudgett, Frederik Boernke, Daniel Hofius, Suayib Uestuen
Summary: Autophagy plays a crucial role in plant-bacteria interactions, where antimicrobial autophagy degrades intracellular pathogens and reveals a pathogen strategy of escaping elimination by hijacking the autophagy mechanism.
Article
Cell Biology
David Hargitai, Lili Kenez, Muna Al-Lami, Gyozo Szenczi, Peter Lorincz, Gabor Juhasz
Summary: Autophagy is a conserved catabolic process that cells use as a defense mechanism to eliminate intracellular pathogens. Wolbachia pipientis, a common intracellular bacterium, behaves both as a parasite and endosymbiont, providing host resistance against other pathogens and modulating lifespan. Autophagy in Drosophila cells selectively degrades Wolbachia, controlling its propagation and preventing overpopulation in aging animals.
FRONTIERS IN CELL AND DEVELOPMENTAL BIOLOGY
(2022)
Review
Food Science & Technology
Camille Pin, Laure David, Eric Oswald
Summary: Bacteria can release extracellular vesicles, called OMVs, which have diverse functions in host-pathogen interactions during infections. These vesicles have remarkable capabilities, such as disseminating throughout the organism, transporting toxins, and being internalized by eukaryotic cells. They not only impact host cell viability but also interfere with essential cellular machinery.
Article
Cell Biology
Mohd Shariq, Neha Quadir, Javaid Ahmad Sheikh, Alok Kumar Singh, William R. Bishai, Nasreen Z. Ehtesham, Seyed E. Hasnain
Summary: The host utilizes ubiquitin pathway to combat intracellular pathogens, while pathogens like Mycobacterium tuberculosis exploit this pathway to dampen host innate immune response.
Article
Microbiology
Bo Liu, Yan Yan, Xiaoreng Wang, Nannan Chen, Jue Wu
Summary: This study reveals that locally generated C3 inhibits autophagy in macrophages and influences the clearance of T. gondii. This process is associated with mTOR and C3a.
FRONTIERS IN MICROBIOLOGY
(2022)
Review
Immunology
Sen Kang, Anna Dai, Huiming Wang, Pei-Hui Ding
Summary: This article discusses the interaction between autophagy and inflammation caused by Porphyromonas gingivalis infection, aiming to elaborate on the possible mechanism involved in the interaction.
FRONTIERS IN CELLULAR AND INFECTION MICROBIOLOGY
(2022)
Review
Cell Biology
Devesh C. Pant, Taras Y. Nazarko
Summary: Selective autophagy is the specific elimination of certain intracellular substrates through autophagic pathways. Zebrafish has been recognized as an excellent model for studying these processes, shedding light on the understanding of selective autophagy mechanisms.
Article
Cell Biology
Josie F. Gibson, Tomasz K. Prajsnar, Christopher J. Hill, Amy K. Tooke, Justyna J. Serba, Rebecca D. Tonge, Simon J. Foster, Andrew J. Grierson, Philip W. Ingham, Stephen A. Renshaw, Simon A. Johnston
Summary: This study reveals the fate and location of Staphylococcus aureus within neutrophils, showing that recruitment of Lc3 and Sqstm1 to phagocytosed bacteria depends on bacterial location. Additionally, it demonstrates the key role of Sqstm1 in controlling cytosolic bacteria.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Maria Pena-Francesch, Liliana Danusia Vanoaica, Gao-Feng Zhu, Michael Stumpe, Devanarayanan Siva Sankar, Heike Nowag, Alma Delia Valencia-Camargo, Wolfgang Hammerschmidt, Jarn Dengjel, Laure-Anne Ligeon, Christian Munz
Summary: Autophagy serves as a defense mechanism against intracellular pathogens, but certain viruses, including EBV, exploit it to their advantage. In this study, the researchers found components of the autophagy machinery and viral proteins in purified EBV virions. They also discovered that BVRF2 and BdRF1 interact with LC3B-II and are crucial for capsid assembly and envelope release, respectively.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
(2023)
Editorial Material
Cell Biology
Kei Miyakawa, Sundararaj Stanleyraj Jeremiah, Michinaga Ogawa, Mayuko Nishi, Makoto Ohnishi, Akihide Ryo
Summary: LGALS9, an interferon-inducible protein, promotes selective autophagy to degrade HBc and suppress HBV replication. There is a crosstalk mechanism between this selective autophagy and the innate immune system.
Review
Immunology
LaNisha L. Patterson, Caitlan D. Byerly, Jere W. McBride
Summary: Autophagy is a crucial degradative process for maintaining cellular homeostasis and defending against intracellular pathogens. Some intracellular bacterial pathogens have evolved to exploit the host autophagic pathway for infection. Further research on how these pathogens manipulate autophagy could lead to novel antimicrobial therapies.
FRONTIERS IN IMMUNOLOGY
(2021)
Editorial Material
Cell Biology
Ben Loos, Daniel J. Klionsky, Andre Du Toit, Jan-Hendrik S. Hofmeyr
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Gustav van Niekerk, Claudia Christowitz, Daleen Conradie, Anna-Mart Engelbrecht
CYTOKINE & GROWTH FACTOR REVIEWS
(2020)
Review
Medicine, Research & Experimental
Gustav van Niekerk, Angus G. Dalgleish, Fourie Joubert, Annie Joubert, Anna-Mart Engelbrecht
Summary: Insulin regulates immune cell phenotypes through the PI3K/Akt/mTOR pathway, potentially impacting ICB therapy; Insulin interacts with immune pathways such as JAK/STAT, and is regulated by PD-1 and CTLA-4.
Article
Cell Biology
Sholto de Wet, Andre Du Toit, Ben Loos
Summary: The text discusses autophagy flux, specific autophagy targeting mechanisms, the role of receptor proteins in autophagy, and the effects of rapamycin and spermidine on autophagy activity. The study reveals that autophagosome turnover and specific cargo clearance are distinct entities with inherent properties, each contributing differently to total autophagy activity.
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Marthinus Janse van Vuuren, Theodore Albertus Nell, Jonathan Ambrose Carr, Douglas B. Kell, Etheresia Pretorius
Summary: Neuronal lesions in Parkinson's disease are linked to alpha-synuclein-induced cell damage in the central and peripheral nervous systems, with the enteric nervous system being particularly vulnerable. Factors such as neuroinflammation, systemic inflammation, iron dysregulation, and gut dysbiosis play crucial roles in the development and progression of PD. Bacterial inflammagens may fuel systemic inflammation and contribute to the nucleation of proteins like alpha-synuclein, suggesting potential novel treatments for PD.
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
M. du Plessis, T. Davis, B. Loos, E. Pretorius, W. J. S. de Villiers, A. M. Engelbrecht
Summary: Chronic inflammation plays a crucial role in tumor progression and metastasis, with dysregulation of key physiological processes such as autophagy contributing to unfavorable immune responses. Serum amyloid A (SAA) in high levels in the tumor microenvironment can promote cancer initiation and progression by activating signaling pathways like PI3K and MAPK. Autophagy, on the other hand, can have both promoting and inhibiting effects on cancer development, and its regulation is crucial for improving cancer therapy outcomes.
CYTOKINE & GROWTH FACTOR REVIEWS
(2021)
Review
Immunology
Michelle Van der Merwe, Gustav Van Niekerk, Alf Botha, Anna-Mart Engelbrecht
Summary: Breast cancer is often associated with bacterial dysbiosis, particularly oral dysbiosis. Fusobacterium nucleatum may promote breast cancer progression by activating specific pathways and suppressing the immune system.
IMMUNOLOGY LETTERS
(2021)
Review
Genetics & Heredity
Gustav van Niekerk, Claudia Christowitz, Anna-Mart Engelbrecht
Summary: Epidemiological studies have shown that insulin resistance is a predisposing factor for the development of preeclampsia, and hyperinsulinemia may directly lead to immune cell dysfunction, which plays a central role in the pathogenesis. The results suggest that insulin-sparing interventions are more effective compared to intensive insulin therapy in managing preeclampsia.
JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR MEDICINE-JMM
(2021)
Article
Oncology
Daniel Wilhelm Olivier, Etheresia Pretorius, Anna-Mart Engelbrecht
Summary: This study investigated the role of SAA1 in TNBC, focusing on cell cycle regulation, apoptosis, survival signaling, metabolism, and metastasis. Knockdown of SAA1 had varying effects in different cell types, with potential for therapeutic targeting in TNBC.
EXPERIMENTAL CELL RESEARCH
(2021)
Review
Immunology
Gustav van Niekerk, Michelle van Der Merwe, Anna-Mart Engelbrecht
Summary: Diabetes is strongly linked to increased susceptibility to infection, particularly in COVID-19 cases, with dysregulated insulin signaling potentially contributing to immune pathology and defective immune response. Insulin receptors on lymphocytes following immune activation and the role of insulin in regulating immune cell functions through the PI3K/Akt/mTOR pathway are key aspects of this connection. Furthermore, insulin binding and translocation of the insulin receptor to the nucleus may modulate the transcription of immune-related genes involved in viral infections.
Review
Oncology
Michelle van der Merwe, Gustav van Niekerk, Carla Fourie, Manisha du Plessis, Anna-Mart Engelbrecht
Summary: Research has shown that mitochondria play a significant role in promoting treatment resistance in cancer cells, such as through mutations leading to the accumulation of oncometabolites, or stromal cells providing intact mitochondria to restore function. Targeting mitochondria may be an effective strategy to mitigate treatment resistance.
Article
Endocrinology & Metabolism
Dawn Tladi, Lucky Mokgatlhe, Theo Nell, Sheila Shaibu, Ronel Mitchell, Comfort Mokgothu, Tebogo Gabonthone, Omphile Hubona
Summary: The prevalence of metabolic syndrome is increasing in Sub-Saharan Africa due to urbanization and lifestyle changes, with a high prevalence also observed in Botswana. A study on apparently healthy Batswana adults found a prevalence of 26.8%, with women being more affected. This presents a public health concern and emphasizes the need for guidelines and strategies to prevent and control metabolic syndrome.
DIABETES METABOLIC SYNDROME AND OBESITY-TARGETS AND THERAPY
(2021)
Article
Nutrition & Dietetics
Sehar Sajid, Mohammed Gulrez Zariwala, Richard Mackenzie, Mark Turner, Theo Nell, Srikanth Bellary, Derek Renshaw
Summary: Obesity is associated with an increased risk of developing metabolic syndrome and comorbidities. The dysregulated expansion of adipose tissue during obesity leads to the development of low-grade chronic inflammation. Annexin A1 may play a protective role in obesity and inflammation, but its effect may be overshadowed by the systemic inflammation caused by obesity.
Article
Critical Care Medicine
Gustav van Niekerk, Charne Meaker, Anna-Mart Engelbrecht
