Review
Microbiology
Xia Wu, Jing Han, Guoli Gong, Mattheos A. G. Koffas, Jian Zha
Summary: Wall teichoic acids (WTAs) are charged glycopolymers containing phosphodiester-linked polyol units, serving important physiological functions in Gram-positive cell division, gene transfer, surface adhesion, drug resistance, and biofilm formation. WTAs play critical roles in antimicrobial resistance, virulence, interaction with bacteriolytic enzymes, and regulation of cell metabolism, with wide applications in antibacterial drug discovery, vaccine development, pathogen detection, and microbial production. Major challenges and potential future directions in exploring WTA physiology and applications are also discussed.
FEMS MICROBIOLOGY REVIEWS
(2021)
Review
Microbiology
Jingxuan Zhou, Yi Cai, Ying Liu, Haoyue An, Kaihong Deng, Muhammad Awais Ashraf, Lili Zou, Jun Wang
Summary: The development of new antimicrobials is urgent and difficult due to the emergence of antibiotic resistance in bacteria. The bacterial cell wall is a high-priority target for antibiotic screening, and extensively studied targets in the cell wall have been reviewed. Recent advances in peptidoglycan, lipopolysaccharide, teichoic acid, and lipoprotein have also been discussed. New methods such as macromolecular labeling and structure-based drug design hold promise for screening ideal antibiotics.
FRONTIERS IN MICROBIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Yuanyuan Zhao, Jinfeng Bi, Xiaoyan Zhao, Soren Balling Engelsen, Xinye Wu, Youchuan Ma, Yuxia Guo, Qianqian Du, Jianyong Yi
Summary: This study compared the impact of different extraction methods on the structure and gut fermentation behavior of apple pectins. The results showed that pectins extracted with sodium hydroxide had a higher yield and moderate molecular weight, and produced more beneficial short-chain fatty acids and less ammonia during gut fermentation.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF BIOLOGICAL MACROMOLECULES
(2023)
Article
Microbiology
Takura Wakinaka, Minenosuke Matsutani, Jun Watanabe, Yoshinobu Mogi, Masafumi Tokuoka, Akihiro Ohnishi
Summary: This study identified the ribitol-containing wall teichoic acid as a crucial receptor for bacteriophage infection in Tetragenococcus halophilus. The mechanisms of host-phage interactions were investigated through gene mutation analysis.
MICROBIOLOGY SPECTRUM
(2022)
Article
Genetics & Heredity
Elvina Parlindungan, Brian McDonnell, Gabriele A. Lugli, Marco Ventura, Douwe van Sinderen, Jennifer Mahony
Summary: This study evaluated the genomic diversity of S. thermophilus strains isolated from unpasteurized dairy products and identified novel eps genotypes and variabilities in rgp gene clusters. The results also showed a positive correlation between rgp genotype diversity and phage diversity. Phageome analysis serves as a sensitive marker for studying the dominant microbiota involved in the fermentation process.
MICROBIAL GENOMICS
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Medicinal
Astrid Hendriks, Rob van Dalen, Sara Ali, David Gerlach, Gijsbert A. van der Marel, Felix F. Fuchsberger, Piet C. Aerts, Carla J. C. de Haas, Andreas Peschel, Christoph Rademacher, Jos A. G. van Strijp, Jeroen D. C. Codee, Nina M. van Sorge
Summary: Different glycosylation patterns of wall teichoic acid (WTA) impact langerin binding and LC activation, highlighting the important role of LCs in Staphylococcus aureus infections.
ACS INFECTIOUS DISEASES
(2021)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Yinglan Guo, Nina M. Pfahler, Simon L. Volpel, Thilo Stehle
Summary: Peptidoglycan (PG) is the major structural polymer of the bacterial cell wall, and the PG layer of gram-positive bacterial pathogens is permeated with anionic glycopolymers known as wall teichoic acids (WTAs) and lipoteichoic acids (LTAs). The WTA structures in gram-positive bacteria, particularly in Staphylococcus aureus, play a crucial role in phage adhesion, bacterial biofilm formation, and virulence. Enzymes TarM, TarS, and TarP glycosylate the WTA of S. aureus at different locations, with recent structural information aiding in the understanding of S. aureus' resistance mechanisms.
CURRENT OPINION IN STRUCTURAL BIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Barbara Bellich, Nika Janez, Meta Sternisa, Anja Klancnik, Neil Ravenscroft, Roberto Rizzo, Jerica Sabotic, Paola Cescutti
Summary: The non-pathogenic bacterium Listeria innocua is proposed as a surrogate organism for studying antimicrobial strategies against the foodborne pathogen Listeria monocytogenes. In this study, the structure of wall teichoic acids (WTAs) in L. innocua strain ZM39 was determined and found to be different from other known Listeria WTAs. Additionally, the genome of L. innocua ZM39 was sequenced and putative WTA synthesis genes were identified.
CARBOHYDRATE RESEARCH
(2022)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Svetlana Zamakhaeva, Catherine T. Chaton, Jeffrey S. Rush, Sowmya Ajay Castro, Cameron W. Kenner, Alexander E. Yarawsky, Andrew B. Herr, Nina M. van Sorge, Helge C. Dorfmueller, Gregory Frolenkov, Konstantin Korotkov, Natalia Korotkova
Summary: In ovoid-shaped, Gram-positive bacteria, the major cell separation autolysin AtlA was identified as an SCC-binding protein. GroP-deficient immature SCCs were found to localize at cell poles and equators, potentially leading to AtlA mislocalization, dysregulated cellular autolysis, and morphological abnormalities. This indicates a model where maturation of a cell wall polysaccharide plays a role in recruiting cell division machinery for proper daughter cell separation and FtsZ-ring positioning.
NATURE CHEMICAL BIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Maria Fiorella Jacob, Andrea del Lujan Quiberoni, Orlando Mario Alfano, Maria de los Milagros Ballari, Mariangeles Briggiler Marco
Summary: A photocatalytic paint formulated with commercial carbon-doped anatase TiO2 was used to test the inactivation of sixteen bacteriophages. The results showed that eight phages were completely inactivated within a short time (1.5-5 h), while the remaining eight phages partially reduced their infectivity over varying periods (4-20 h). The highest and lowest photonic inactivation efficiencies were 4.06 x 1012 PFU/Einstein and 3.00 x 109 PFU/ Einstein, respectively.
JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL CHEMICAL ENGINEERING
(2023)
Article
Food Science & Technology
Wanwan Hou, Shimo Kang, Jiang Chang, Xiaorong Tian, Chunlei Shi
Summary: The study demonstrated that by inducing GlpQ to degrade WTA, LBA effectively inhibits the biofilm formation of Staphylococcus aureus, reducing its adhesive ability.
Review
Biochemical Research Methods
Yang Shen, Martin J. Loessner
Summary: Research on the importance of bacteriophages in combating bacterial infections is increasing, with the trade-off phenomenon potentially resulting in lower fitness and increased sensitivity to antibiotics. While it may be difficult to prevent the evolution of phage resistance, the trade-off phenomenon holds potential for antibacterial therapy.
CURRENT OPINION IN BIOTECHNOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Jeffrey S. Rush, Prakash Parajuli, Alessandro Ruda, Jian Li, Amol Arunrao Pohane, Svetlana Zamakhaeva, Mohammad M. Rahman, Jennifer C. Chang, Artemis Gogos, Cameron W. Kenner, Gerard Lambeau, Michael J. Federle, Konstantin Korotkov, Goran Widmalm, Natalia Korotkova
Summary: The study characterizes the linkage between the polysaccharide GAC and peptidoglycan in the cell wall of Group A Streptococcus, a bacterial pathogen. It identifies a protein, PplD, that deacetylates the linkage and protects the pathogen against host cationic antimicrobial proteins.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2022)
Article
Food Science & Technology
Salwa Karboune, Erin J. Davis, Ismail Fliss, Eugenio Spadoni Andreani
Summary: This study demonstrates the potential use of cranberry extracts as prebiotics for promoting the growth of beneficial bacteria and the production of short-chain fatty acids in the gastrointestinal system.
JOURNAL OF FUNCTIONAL FOODS
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Applied
Eugenio Spadoni Andreani, Salwa Karboune, Lan Liu
Summary: In this study, cell wall polysaccharides were extracted from Stevens cranberry pomace, revealing a high content of pectic polysaccharides including homogalacturonan, arabinan, and galactan. Various extracts showed differences in composition, with CH extract having the highest yield and mainly consisting of homogalacturonan. Additionally, high molecular weight polysaccharides were identified in all extracts.
CARBOHYDRATE POLYMERS
(2021)
Review
Food Science & Technology
Valentina Ambrogi, Francesca Bottacini, Linqiu Cao, Bas Kuipers, Margriet Schoterman, Douwe van Sinderen
Summary: Galacto-oligosaccharides (GOS) are non-digestible oligosaccharides with diverse structures that have been extensively studied for their health-promoting effects. GOS have been reported to promote the growth of beneficial bacteria, inhibit pathogen adhesion, and improve gut barrier function. However, their industrial production still faces technological challenges.
CRITICAL REVIEWS IN FOOD SCIENCE AND NUTRITION
(2023)
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Giulia Alessandri, Gabriele Andrea Lugli, Chiara Tarracchini, Sonia Mirjam Rizzo, Chiara Argentini, Alice Viappiani, Leonardo Mancabelli, Federico Fontana, Christian Milani, Francesca Turroni, Douwe van Sinderen, Marco Ventura
Summary: This study provides in-depth investigation into the bifidobacterial communities inhabiting the canine and feline intestine, revealing distinct levels of host-specific adaptation among strains of different bifidobacterial species, with diet playing a crucial role in driving this adaptation.
APPLIED AND ENVIRONMENTAL MICROBIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Microbiology
Gabriele Andrea Lugli, Giulia Longhi, Leonardo Mancabelli, Giulia Alessandri, Chiara Tarracchini, Federico Fontana, Francesca Turroni, Christian Milani, Douwe van Sinderen, Marco Ventura
Summary: This study explored the microbial communities in tap water and their impact on human gut microbiota. The analysis revealed a highly diverse microbial community in fresh water, with a conserved core tap water microbiota represented by novel microbial species. Genome reconstruction showed homologous sequences between the tap water microbiome and the human fecal microbiota. Investigation of a subject consuming tap water daily for 3 years provided evidence for horizontal transmission and colonization of water bacteria in the human gut.
ENVIRONMENTAL MICROBIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Nutrition & Dietetics
Cara A. Yelverton, Anthony A. Rafferty, Rebecca L. Moore, David F. Byrne, John Mehegan, Paul D. Cotter, Douwe Van Sinderen, Eileen F. Murphy, Sarah Louise Killeen, Fionnuala M. McAuliffe
Summary: This study found associations between dietary intake during pregnancy and maternal well-being. Fiber, magnesium, and specific B vitamins were identified as potentially important for promoting positive mental well-being during pregnancy.
Review
Virology
Emmanuel Kuffour Osei, Jennifer Mahony, John G. Kenny
Summary: Bacterial infections in livestock pose a threat to agriculture and public health. The use of bacteriophages as a measure to reduce bacterial infections and contamination in the food industry is increasingly considered suitable. This review discusses the veterinary applications of bacteriophages, their merits and limitations, and describes the genetic building blocks for the development of phage-based treatments using a model pathogen.
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Sofia Ruiz-Cruz, Andrea Erazo Garzon, Philip Kelleher, Francesca Bottacini, Solvej Ostergaard Breum, Horst Neve, Knut J. Heller, Finn K. Vogensen, Simon Palussiere, Pascal Courtin, Marie-Pierre Chapot-Chartier, Evgeny Vinogradov, Irina Sadovskaya, Jennifer Mahony, Douwe van Sinderen
Summary: A predicted glycosylation system was found to be necessary for the infection of P335 group phage TP901-1 in Gram-positive bacteria, highlighting the importance of sugar modification in the phage infection process.
MICROBIAL BIOTECHNOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Adeline Goulet, Raphaela Joos, Katherine Lavelle, Douwe Van Sinderen, Jennifer Mahony, Christian Cambillau
Summary: This study presents structure predictions of adhesion devices of five representative siphophages infecting Streptococcus thermophilus using AlphaFold2. The predictions reveal the mosaic nature of these devices and identify active sites and residues. Analyzing phage-encoded host adhesion devices with AlphaFold2 should become a standard method for characterizing phage-host interaction machineries and annotating phage genomes reliably.
FRONTIERS IN MOLECULAR BIOSCIENCES
(2022)
Review
Food Science & Technology
Meghana Srinivas, Orla O'Sullivan, Paul D. Cotter, Douwe van Sinderen, John G. Kenny
Summary: Microbial communities in fermented foods play crucial roles in the fermentation processes. High throughput sequencing methods, particularly metagenomics, have been widely used in the study of fermented foods and have shown great potential in conjunction with synthetic biology techniques for addressing waste issues.
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Katherine Lavelle, Irina Sadovskaya, Evgeny Vinogradov, Philip Kelleher, Gabriele A. Lugli, Marco Ventura, Douwe van Sinderen, Jennifer Mahony
Summary: This study identified two new rgp genotypes and elucidated the chemical structure of S. thermophilus Rgp through comparative analysis of the genomes. Furthermore, a multiplex PCR system was developed based on the genetic diversity of the rgp loci for strain classification.
APPLIED AND ENVIRONMENTAL MICROBIOLOGY
(2022)
Review
Food Science & Technology
Guillermo Ortiz Charneco, Paul P. de Waal, Irma M. H. van Rijswijck, Noel N. M. E. van Peij, Douwe van Sinderen, Jennifer Mahony
Summary: Bacteriophages pose a persistent threat to food fermentations, particularly large-scale commercial dairy fermentations. The interaction between phages and lactic acid bacteria used as starter cultures in dairy fermentations has been extensively studied, leading to advances in understanding coevolution and the development of robust starter cultures. This review highlights recent progress in phage-host interactions and phage resistance mechanisms in different bacterial species, and discusses their impact on the dairy fermentation industry and future plant-based food fermentations.
ANNUAL REVIEW OF FOOD SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Microbiology
Giulia Alessandri, Federico Fontana, Chiara Tarracchini, Sonia Mirjam Rizzo, Massimiliano G. Bianchi, Giuseppe Taurino, Martina Chiu, Gabriele Andrea Lugli, Leonardo Mancabelli, Chiara Argentini, Giulia Longhi, Rosaria Anzalone, Alice Viappiani, Christian Milani, Francesca Turroni, Ovidio Bussolati, Douwe van Sinderen, Marco Ventura
Summary: In this study, a B. longum subsp. longum strain with a high similarity to the human gut-associated B. longum subsp. longum taxon was identified and its interactomic features with the host and other intestinal microbes were investigated using in vitro models, revealing extensive cross-talk.
FRONTIERS IN MICROBIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Guillermo Ortiz Charneco, Philip Kelleher, Andrius Buivydas, Sofia Dashko, Paul P. de Waal, Noel N. M. E. van Peij, Richard J. Roberts, Jennifer Mahony, Douwe van Sinderen
Summary: In this study, it was found that the fermented meat isolate Lactococcus lactis subsp. lactis UC11 harbors a 49.3-kb plasmid called pUC11B, which encodes a pMRC01-like conjugation system and tetracycline resistance. Mutational analysis of the genes in the presumed pUC11B conjugation cluster revealed the presence of essential conjugation genes and a transcriptional repressor gene called trsR. Additionally, the plasmid pUC11B encodes an anti-restriction protein, TrsAR, which enhances conjugation frequencies in recipient strains with Type II or Type III RM systems.
MICROBIAL BIOTECHNOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Silvia Ruta, Matthew Murray, Zoe Kampff, Brian McDonnell, Gabriele Andrea Lugli, Marco Ventura, Massimo Todaro, Luca Settanni, Douwe van Sinderen, Jennifer Mahony
Summary: In this study, the microbial ecology of milk, curd, and whey from five Pecorino Siciliano PDO-producing farms in Sicily were evaluated using metagenomic and microbiological approaches. The diversity of dairy lactococcal and streptococcal isolates, including newly described phage-resistance systems, was analyzed through genotyping tools and whole genome sequencing.
FERMENTATION-BASEL
(2023)
Article
Microbiology
Chiara Argentini, Chiara Tarracchini, Giulia Alessandri, Giulia Longhi, Christian Milani, Douwe van Sinderen, Marco Ventura, Francesca Turroni
Summary: In this study, it was found that increased exopolysaccharide (EPS) production by bifidobacteria is associated with enhanced resistance to beta-lactam antibiotics. The genes and expression patterns related to EPS production were also explored. This study provides experimental evidence on how bifidobacterial EPS modulates antibiotic susceptibility.
FEMS MICROBIOLOGY ECOLOGY
(2023)