Article
Microbiology
Dhani Prakoso, Xiaojuan Zhu, Sreekumari Rajeev
Summary: The Galleria mellonella larvae infection model is a valuable tool for studying infectious agents and host-pathogen interaction. In this study, we compared the effects of Leptospira infection in larvae infected with a pathogenic or a nonpathogenic strain. The larvae infected with the pathogenic strain showed significant pathological changes and lower survival rate.
VETERINARY MICROBIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Ping Zhu, Xusheng Pan, Xiaowei Li, Xiankai Liu, Qiang Liu, John Zhou, Xiaohu Dai, Guangren Qian
Summary: This study investigated the biodegradation feasibility of waste rigid polyurethane, waste polystyrene, and waste acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene from WEEE by Galleria mellonella larvae. The larvae were able to consume a significant amount of the plastics within 7 days, leading to reduced thermal stabilities and changes in molecular weight. The composition of intestinal microbes also showed adaptability to different types of WEEE plastics.
JOURNAL OF CLEANER PRODUCTION
(2021)
Article
Chemistry, Medicinal
Ruben Cebrian, Efres Belmonte-Reche, Valentina Pirota, Anne de Jong, Juan Carlos Morales, Mauro Freccero, Filippo Doria, Oscar P. Kuipers
Summary: Guanidine DNA quadruplex structures play a critical role in regulating important biological activities in cells and their potential as therapeutic drug targets in bacteria is still underexplored. This study tested the biological activity of a G4-DNA ligand library against different types of bacteria and found that the activity varied depending on the bacterial group, possibly due to the different prevalence and role of G4-DNA structures in each group.
JOURNAL OF MEDICINAL CHEMISTRY
(2022)
Article
Microbiology
Peter A. D. Wellham, Abdul Hafeez, Andrej Gregori, Matthias Brock, Dong-Hyun Kim, David Chandler, Cornelia H. de Moor
Summary: The study found that lower cordycepin production in degenerated strains of C. militaris coincided with reduced production of various metabolites and decreased expression of genes related to sexual development. Cordycepin was also shown to inhibit the immune response in host insects, leading to a reduced pathogenic response to the degenerated strain. This indicates simultaneous changes in sexual reproduction, secondary metabolite production, insect immunity, and infection by C. militaris.
Article
Microbiology
Leandro de O. Santos, Cristovao A. de Lanna, Anna Carolina da C. Arcanjo, Paulo M. Bisch, Wanda M. A. von Kruger
Summary: This study investigated the pathogenic potential of Vibrio parahaemolyticus strains recovered from human diarrheal stools and environmental sources by using systemic infection models. The findings suggest that traditional virulence markers may not always accurately predict pathogenesis, and G. mellonella larvae can serve as a reliable alternative model for studying the pathogenicity of V. parahaemolyticus.
FRONTIERS IN MICROBIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Infectious Diseases
Andrey A. A. Filippov, Wanwen Su, Kirill V. V. Sergueev, Richard T. T. Kevorkian, Erik C. C. Snesrud, Apichai Srijan, Yunxiu He, Derrick E. E. Fouts, Woradee Lurchachaiwong, Patrick T. T. McGann, Damon W. W. Ellison, Brett E. E. Swierczewski, Mikeljon P. P. Nikolich
Summary: Shigellosis is a significant global cause of diarrhea, and the spread of antibiotic resistance has made treatment complicated. Research has found that phages with lytic activity can be used as alternative therapeutics and have demonstrated broad antibacterial activity and improved survival rates.
Article
Microbiology
Jonathan W. Betts, Shaun Cawthraw, Joan A. Smyth, Robert K. Poole, Patrick Roth, Ulrich Schatzschneider, Roberto M. La Ragione
Summary: The development of alternatives to antibiotics is crucial to treat animal infections and reduce the selective pressure on antibiotics critical for human medicine. Metal complexes, particularly manganese carbonyl complexes, have shown antimicrobial activity against multidrug-resistant Gram-negative pathogens. This study aimed to determine the efficacy of [Mn(CO)3(tqa-& kappa;3N)1Br in treating Avian Pathogenic Escherichia coli (APEC) using Galleria mellonella and chick models, and the results demonstrated antibacterial activity against all antibiotic-resistant APEC test isolates.
VETERINARY MICROBIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Microbiology
Celso Martins, Daryna Piontkivska, Dalila Mil-Homens, Paula Guedes, Joao M. P. Jorge, Joao Brinco, Catia Barria, Ariana C. F. Santos, Ricardo Barras, Cecilia Arraiano, Arsenio Fialho, Gustavo H. Goldman, Cristina Silva Pereira
Summary: This study investigates the impact of organic pollutants on the virulence of fungal spores, finding that spores produced in polluted environments have higher pathogenicity, particularly those associated with Aspergillus strains. This finding highlights the impact of pollution on fungal pathogenicity and emphasizes the need for further research on the interaction between pollution and fungal virulence.
MICROBIOLOGY SPECTRUM
(2023)
Article
Microbiology
Daniel F. Q. L. Smith, Arturo Casadevall
Summary: This study investigated the relationship between pathogenic potential and infective inoculum in different microbial species. The pathogenic potential of Cryptococcus neoformans was found to decrease exponentially with increasing inoculum. These findings suggest that there are fundamental differences in host-microbe interactions and the mechanisms by which microbes cause disease.
Article
Chemistry, Medicinal
Martina Bortolami, Fabiana Pandolfi, Antonella Messore, Daniele Rocco, Marta Feroci, Roberto Di Santo, Daniela De Vita, Roberta Costi, Paola Cascarino, Giovanna Simonetti, Luigi Scipione
Summary: In specific conditions, certain derivatives of deferiprone show potential in inhibiting the growth and biofilm formation of Candida albicans, with low toxicity and interesting activity against planktonic cells. Additionally, these compounds exhibit chelating abilities with Fe(III) and Cu(II), suggesting a possible mechanism for their antifungal activity.
BIOORGANIC & MEDICINAL CHEMISTRY LETTERS
(2021)
Article
Chemistry, Medicinal
Ruben Cebrian, Efres Belmonte-Reche, Valentina Pirota, Anne de Jong, Juan Carlos Morales, Mauro Freccero, Filippo Doria, Oscar P. Kuipers
Summary: The study tested a G4-DNA ligand library based on the NDI pharmacophore for its biological activity against Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria. The best compound, NDI-10, was found to have different action mechanisms for the two types of bacteria, possibly due to the different prevalence of putative G4-DNA structures in each group.
JOURNAL OF MEDICINAL CHEMISTRY
(2021)
Article
Genetics & Heredity
Nicolau Sbaraini, Chin-Soon Phan, Eden Silva E. Souza, Ana Paula A. Perin, Hamideh Rezaee, Felipe Geremia, Matheus da Silva Camargo, Euzebio Guimaraes Barbosa, Augusto Schrank, Yit-Heng Chooi, Charley Christian Staats
Summary: Species from the Metarhizium genus are causative agents of the green muscardine disease of insects, and they have been widely used for the biological control of pests. Genome sequencing efforts have revealed a diverse range of biosynthetic gene clusters in this genus. In this study, pseurotin A was isolated from the culture broth of M. anisopliae and its effects on the model arthropod Galleria mellonella were characterized.
FUNGAL GENETICS AND BIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Genetics & Heredity
Amber R. Paulson, Maureen O'Callaghan, Xue-Xian Zhang, Paul B. Rainey, Mark R. H. Hurst
Summary: Analysis of the in vivo transcriptome of the entomopathogenic bacterium Yersinia entomophaga MH96 during infection in Galleria mellonella revealed upregulation of multiple toxin and adhesin genes, as well as the expression of genes encoding type III and VI secretion system-associated effectors. These findings provide insight into the pathobiology of MH96 and support efforts to identify novel insecticidal agents.
G3-GENES GENOMES GENETICS
(2021)
Editorial Material
Engineering, Electrical & Electronic
Mohammad A. A. Matin, Vyasa Sai
Summary: Communication systems are becoming larger and more complex, requiring constant advancements and developments. The Design and Implementation of Devices, Circuits, and Systems Series aims to present these advancements and challenges from a hardware design perspective. Original articles on various issues related to telecommunications devices, circuits, and systems are published in this series. The field of information and communication technology (ICT) has made significant progress, especially in effective communications and sustainable technologies. This January issue features articles on the design and implementation of circuits and systems for effective communications, energy-efficient applications, and a sustainable future.
IEEE COMMUNICATIONS MAGAZINE
(2023)
Editorial Material
Engineering, Electrical & Electronic
Bernard Fong, Haesik Kim, Vyasa Sai
Summary: The Design and implementation of Devices, Circuits, and Systems Series publishes original articles that cover a broad range of topics and application areas in telecommunication devices, circuits, and systems advances and developments.
IEEE COMMUNICATIONS MAGAZINE
(2022)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Hsiu-Fang Fan, Bo-Yu Su, Chien-Hui Ma, Paul A. Rowley, Makkuni Jayaram
NUCLEIC ACIDS RESEARCH
(2020)
Article
Genetics & Heredity
Lance R. Fredericks, Mark D. Lee, Angela M. Crabtree, Josephine M. Boyer, Emily A. Kizer, Nathan T. Taggart, Cooper R. Roslund, Samuel S. Hunter, Courtney B. Kennedy, Cody G. Willmore, Nova M. Tebbe, Jade S. Harris, Sarah N. Brocke, Paul A. Rowley
Summary: Antifungal killer toxins produced by Saccharomyces yeasts are mainly encoded by cytoplasmic double-stranded RNAs (dsRNAs) instead of the DNA genome. A new dsRNA-encoded killer toxin, K1-like (K1L), with unique antifungal activity was identified in Saccharomyces yeasts, related to the canonical K1 killer toxin. The common ancestry of K1L and its homologous killer toxins suggests gene transfer via dsRNAs and DNAs between different yeast species for niche competition.
Article
Microbiology
Lance R. Fredericks, Mark D. Lee, Hannah R. Eckert, Shunji Li, Mason A. Shipley, Cooper R. Roslund, Dina A. Boikov, Emily A. Kizer, Jack D. Sobel, Paul A. Rowley
Summary: Candida glabrata is more susceptible to inhibition by Saccharomyces killer yeasts compared to other species of Candida yeasts, despite showing high resistance to antifungal therapeutics.
ANTIMICROBIAL AGENTS AND CHEMOTHERAPY
(2021)
Article
Genetics & Heredity
Paul A. Rowley, Aisha Ellahi, Kyudong Han, Jagdish Suresh Patel, James T. Van Leuven, Sara L. Sawyer
Summary: The gene encoding the DNA repair protein Ku70p has undergone extensive copy number expansion during primate evolution, with the derived NUKU retrocopies showing signs of neofunctionalization. These genes are actively being created in extant primate species and exhibit evidence of functional divergence away from Ku70.
G3-GENES GENOMES GENETICS
(2021)
Article
Virology
Mark D. Lee, Jack W. Creagh, Lance R. Fredericks, Angela M. Crabtree, Jagdish Suresh Patel, Paul A. Rowley
Summary: This study reports the first isolation of a double-stranded RNA virus, named PmV-L-A, from Pichia membranifaciens, indicating a shared ancestry with totiviruses that infect Saccharomycotina yeasts. Structural predictions of PmV-L-A proteins show conservation with Saccharomyces cerevisiae virus L-A. Additionally, possible mechanisms for RNA replication are provided based on similarities with RNA-dependent RNA polymerases of mammalian dsRNA viruses. Understanding the structure, function, and evolution of yeast totiviruses is crucial for our knowledge of animal diseases.
Article
Anatomy & Morphology
Mellisa R. Clemons, Alex A. Flores, Cailyn X. Black, Molly K. Murphy, Ren H. Dimico, Parker Fife, Mark D. Lee, Michael J. Camerino, Megan Schlussler, Michael Baielli, Aspen Rogers, Amaris Bartle, Reese Beard, Rhena Cooper, Peter G. Fuerst
Summary: This article reports on efforts to provide research opportunities for remote learners and students at satellite campuses or community colleges with limited research infrastructure. The project involved mapping gene expression in the mouse brain and examining the expression of the Dscaml1 gene. The findings demonstrate the value of including distance learners in research groups and offer best practices for similar projects.
ANATOMIA HISTOLOGIA EMBRYOLOGIA
(2023)
Review
Cell Biology
Sierra R. Scamfer, Mark D. Lee, Keren Hilgendorf
Summary: This review summarizes the role of the primary cilium in regulating the fate of adipocyte progenitor cells and highlights its importance in energy storage and adipose tissue function.
FRONTIERS IN CELL AND DEVELOPMENTAL BIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Angela M. Crabtree, Nathan T. Taggart, Mark D. Lee, Josie M. Boyer, Paul A. Rowley
Summary: Killer toxins are antifungal proteins produced by many species of killer yeasts. Screening yeast strains found that 50% are killer yeasts, with a higher prevalence of yeasts isolated from human clinical samples and winemaking processes. The presence of satellite dsRNAs was correlated with killer toxin production, and the killer toxin gene KHS1 was significantly associated with killer toxin production in most killer yeasts.
FEMS YEAST RESEARCH
(2023)