Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Natalie Stewart, Simon Wisnovsky
Summary: Carbohydrate molecules called glycans coat living cells and play crucial roles in cell behavior and disease. Recent advancements in functional genomics technologies have allowed for a better understanding of how glycosylation is regulated and altered in various cell types. These technologies also present opportunities for further research in cellular glycobiology.
FRONTIERS IN MOLECULAR BIOSCIENCES
(2022)
Article
Microbiology
Luis Tanoeiro, Monica Oleastro, Alexandra Nunes, Andreia T. Marques, Silvia Vaz Duarte, Joao Paulo Gomes, Antonio Pedro Alves Matos, Jorge M. B. Vitor, Filipa F. Vale
Summary: This study identified two novel prophages in Campylobacter coli and explored their role in gene transfer and evolution between species. The presence of multiple prophages in Campylobacter spp. populations, with different distribution patterns in human and non-human isolates, suggests their involvement in evolutionary introgression events.
Article
Cell Biology
Han Liu, Jingyue Xu, Yu Lan, Hee-Woong Lim, Rulang Jiang
Summary: This study investigated the molecular mechanisms of tendon development by generating a Scx(Flag) knockin mouse strain and identifying Scx direct target genes in developing tendon tissues. The results provide novel insights into the role of Scx in tendon development and homeostasis, offering valuable resources for further research on tendon cell differentiation and tissue regeneration. The Scx(Flag) mice present a useful tool for unraveling the molecular mechanisms underlying developmental and disease processes involving Scx.
FRONTIERS IN CELL AND DEVELOPMENTAL BIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Jose M. Uribe-Salazar, Gulhan Kaya, Aadithya Sekar, KaeChandra Weyenberg, Cole Ingamells, Megan Y. Dennis
Summary: Our study systematically assessed the accuracy of CRISPR/Cas9 tool predictions for on- and off-target gene editing in zebrafish embryos, revealing large discrepancies between experimentally observed editing efficiencies and predictions made by commonly used gRNA design tools. We also investigated potential confounders of G(0)-based CRISPR screens by analyzing control embryos, identifying potentially lasting effects from the microinjection process. This research provides a valuable resource for the zebrafish community to enhance the design and implementation of CRISPR/Cas9 experiments.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Yurie Soejima, Miho Takeuchi, Nao Miyamoto, Motoji Sawabe, Toshio Fukusato
Summary: In this study, ITGB6-ko CCA cell clones were successfully generated, showing decreased migration and invasion as well as downregulation of PODXL2. These findings suggest integrin beta 6 as a potential therapeutic target or diagnostic marker candidate in iCCA.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2021)
Review
Immunology
Victor E. Nava, Pin-Yu Perera, Nirbhay Kumar, Maneesh Jain
Summary: Noncoding RNAs (ncRNAs) are RNA molecules that are not translated into protein but can convey information encoded in their DNA. Research on the exact function of ncRNAs is challenging but understanding their importance holds great potential for basic and translational research as well as therapeutic progress.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Dhenugen Logeswaran, Yang Li, Khadiza Akhter, Joshua D. Podlevsky, Tamara L. Olson, Katherine Forsberg, Julian J-L Chen
Summary: A previously unknown messenger RNA-derived biogenesis pathway for telomerase RNA has been discovered in the basidiomycete fungus Ustilago maydis. This pathway involves the processing of a larger RNA precursor, which possesses mRNA characteristics, to produce a mature telomerase RNA. This finding expands our understanding of telomerase biogenesis mechanisms.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Benoit J. Pons, Tatiana Dimitriu, Edze R. Westra, Stineke van Houte
Summary: Our study shows that antibiotics targeting the protein translation machinery can alter the outcome of bacteria-phage interactions by interfering with the production of phage-encoded counter-defense proteins. Specifically, bacteria with CRISPR-Cas immune systems have elevated immunity against phage encoding anti-CRISPR genes when translation inhibitors are present.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
(2023)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Qi Tan, Patrick A. Link, Jeffrey A. Meridew, Tho X. Pham, Nunzia Caporarello, Giovanni Ligresti, Daniel J. Tschumperlin
Summary: Fibroblast activation is transient in successful wound repair but persistent in fibrotic pathologies; understanding fibroblast deactivation in successful wound healing may provide new therapeutic approaches; RNA sequencing analysis combined with cell culture experiments offers insights into novel regulators of fibroblast deactivation in lung fibrosis resolution.
AMERICAN JOURNAL OF RESPIRATORY CELL AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Biology
Madeleine Bonsma-Fisher, Sidhartha Goyal
Summary: From bacteria to humans, adaptive immune systems provide learned memories of past infections. We propose a simple model of CRISPR-based adaptive immunity in microbes to understand general features of adaptive immunity. Our model shows that immune diversity in coexisting phage and bacteria populations is coupled and emerges spontaneously, bacteria track phage evolution with a context-dependent lag, and high levels of diversity are paradoxically linked to low overall CRISPR immunity. Additionally, our model reveals different modalities of coevolution and qualitatively different states of evolutionary dynamics.
Article
Agronomy
Bo Wang, Yiheng Wang, Likun Xie, Wancong Yu, Qingkuo Lan, Yong Wang, Chengbin Chen, Yong Zhang
Summary: In this study, a gene called OsNAC050 was found to play an important regulatory role in cold stress response in rice plants. Mutants of OsNAC050 showed enhanced tolerance to low-temperature treatment. The results have significant implications for engineering cold tolerance in rice and understanding the molecular mechanisms of cold stress response.
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Muchun Niu, Wenjian Cao, Yongcheng Wang, Qiangyuan Zhu, Jiayi Luo, Baiping Wang, Hui Zheng, David A. Weitz, Chenghang Zong
Summary: The profiling of individual synapses reveals molecular heterogeneity, which is crucial for signal transmission and shows considerable morphological and electrophysiological heterogeneity. However, there is currently a lack of high-throughput methods to analyze the molecular heterogeneity among individual synapses.
NATURE BIOTECHNOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Keren Zohar, Elyad Lezmi, Fanny Reichert, Tsiona Eliyahu, Shlomo Rotshenker, Marta Weinstock, Michal Linial
Summary: This study found that the combination of bzATP and LPS can induce a sustained and robust inflammatory response in neonatal microglial cells, characterized by the release of pro-inflammatory cytokines and the induction of long noncoding RNAs. Analyzing the transcriptional profile and related signaling pathways, the researchers suggest that neonatal glial cells exhibit a distinctive expression program in which inflammatory-related genes are significantly upregulated.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2023)
Review
Genetics & Heredity
Paola Ruffo, Claudia Strafella, Raffaella Cascella, Valerio Caputo, Francesca Luisa Conforti, Sebastiano Ando, Emiliano Giardina
Summary: NGS technologies allow parallel and massive sequencing of total RNA samples from different sources, enhancing understanding of molecular pathological processes in complex diseases. Biomarkers like circRNAs, miRNAs, and lncRNAs have been proposed as potential diagnostic tools for ALS, highlighting the importance of characterizing ncRNAs in the disease for future research.
FRONTIERS IN GENETICS
(2021)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Ana Brandao, Diana P. Pires, Lucas Coppens, Marleen Voet, Rob Lavigne, Joana Azeredo
Summary: RNA sequencing of phage-infected bacterial cultures provides insights into the transcriptional events of bacterial response to phage infection. Regardless of the growth medium, phage LUZ19 induces significant transcriptional changes in the bacterial host, particularly during early infection stages.
Article
Microbiology
Philip J. Richards, Geraldine M. Flaujac Lafontaine, Phillippa L. Connerton, Lu Liang, Karishma Asiani, Neville M. Fish, Ian F. Connerton
Review
Microbiology
Md. Sharifull Islam, Yang Zhou, Lu Liang, Ishatur Nime, Ting Yan, Stephan P. Willias, Md. Zakaria Mia, Weicheng Bei, Ian F. Connerton, Vincent A. Fischetti, Jinquan Li
Article
Microbiology
Lu Liang, Nicholas B. Carrigy, Samuel Kariuki, Peter Muturi, Robert Onsare, Tobi Nagel, Reinhard Vehring, Phillippa L. Connerton, Ian E. Connerton
Article
Virology
Ahmed Mohamed, Omar Taha, Hesham M. El-Sherif, Phillippa L. Connerton, Steven P. T. Hooton, Nabil D. Bassim, Ian F. Connerton, Ayman El-Shibiny
Article
Nutrition & Dietetics
Geraldine M. Flaujac Lafontaine, Neville M. Fish, Ian F. Connerton
Article
Microbiology
Helene N. Chinivasagam, Wiyada Estella, Lance Maddock, David G. Mayer, Caitlin Weyand, Phillippa L. Connerton, Ian F. Connerton
FRONTIERS IN MICROBIOLOGY
(2020)
Article
Microbiology
Ting Yan, Lu Liang, Ping Yin, Yang Zhou, Ashraf Mahdy Sharoba, Qun Lu, Xingxing Dong, Kun Liu, Ian F. Connerton, Jinquan Li
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Steven Hooton, Daniela D'Angelantonio, Yang Hu, Phillippa L. Connerton, Giuseppe Aprea, Ian F. Connerton
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Fanqiang Meng, Fengxia Lu, Hechao Du, Ting Nie, Xiaoyu Zhu, Ian F. Connerton, Haizhen Zhao, Xiaomei Bie, Chong Zhang, Zhaoxin Lu, Yingjian Lu
Summary: The synthesis of plantaricin in Lactobacillus plantarum is regulated by quorum sensing, with the auto-inducing peptide PlnA1 and acetate identified as key regulators. PlnA1 activates quorum sensing in log phase growth, while acetate activates it in stationary phase, maintaining the synthesis of plantaricin under conditions of reduced growth. This research offers insights into the developmental regulation of plantaricin synthesis and has potential applications in food fermentation and bacteriocin production.
MOLECULAR MICROBIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Microbiology
Mohamed El-Telbany, Gamal El-Didamony, Ahmed Askora, Eman Ariny, Dalia Abdallah, Ian F. Connerton, Ayman El-Shibiny
Summary: Phage therapy offers a promising alternative to antibiotics to combat multi-drug resistant bacteria. The isolated phage vB_ZEFP showed potential in controlling the growth of Enterococcus faecalis, especially in preventing infection after root canal treatment.
Article
Virology
Daniela D'Angelantonio, Silvia Scattolini, Arianna Boni, Diana Neri, Gabriella Di Serafino, Philippa Connerton, Ian Connerton, Francesco Pomilio, Elisabetta Di Giannatale, Giacomo Migliorati, Giuseppe Aprea
Summary: The study assessed the efficacy of two field-isolated bacteriophages against an antimicrobial-resistant Campylobacter jejuni strain in experimental infections. A two-step phage application successfully reduced the Campylobacter load in broilers, showcasing the potential of phage therapy in controlling Campylobacter in poultry.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Ali Alrasheed, Phillippa Connerton, Ghedeir Alshammari, Ian Connerton
Summary: The research critically analyzed the food safety and hygiene knowledge in Saudi Arabia, finding that while education levels were high, there were still deficiencies in understanding of HACCP; improvements are needed in food safety training for all levels of staff, and accessibility of food policies should be enhanced.
JOURNAL OF KING SAUD UNIVERSITY SCIENCE
(2021)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Ahmed Saeedi, Nicola J. Cummings, Denise McLean, Ian F. Connerton, Phillippa L. Connerton
Summary: ASxL5(T) is a novel Gram-stain negative bacterium with unique growth characteristics and morphology, closely related to members of the Oceanospirillaceae.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2021)
Article
Agriculture, Dairy & Animal Science
Adam Lee, Stephen C. C. Mansbridge, Lu Liang, Ian F. F. Connerton, Kenneth H. H. Mellits
Summary: New-born piglets that fail to thrive during suckling may suffer from lack of nutrition due to excessive piglet production values. The use of commercial milk replacers can provide nutrition but lacks milk sugars that contribute to immune system and gut microbiota development. This study investigated the effects of supplementing milk replacer with milk sugars on gut health, microbiome, and immune-protective goblet cells in piglets. The results showed that milk replacers supplemented with milk sugars improved gut health, increased beneficial gut bacteria, and enhanced the numbers of protective immune goblet cells. This suggests that milk sugars in milk replacers can play a beneficial role in the husbandry of poorly performing piglets moved to controlled environments.
Article
Veterinary Sciences
Adam Lee, Lu Liang, Phillippa L. Connerton, Ian F. Connerton, Kenneth H. Mellits
Summary: This study aimed to determine if dietary galacto-oligosaccharide supplementation during gestation could improve immunity, reduce rotavirus infection, and modulate the microbiota in sows and neonates. The results showed that galacto-oligosaccharide supplementation during gestation significantly increased rotavirus-specific IgG and IgA in sow colostrum, thereby reducing neonatal rotavirus infection and suppressing potential pathogenic bacteria.
FRONTIERS IN VETERINARY SCIENCE
(2023)