Article
Microbiology
Linlin Cao, Nan Li, Yingshan Dong, Xiao-Yan Yang, Jiajia Liu, Qing-Yu He, Ruiguang Ge, Xuesong Sun
Summary: The SPD_0090 gene in Streptococcus pneumoniae plays an important role in bacterial growth, invasion, adhesion, and regulation of virulence.
FRONTIERS IN MICROBIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Microbiology
Zhenyao Luo, Jacqueline R. Morey, Evelyne Deplazes, Alina Motygullina, Aimee Tan, Katherine Ganio, Stephanie L. Neville, Nikolaos Eleftheriadis, Michael Isselstein, Victoria G. Pederick, James C. Paton, Thorben Cordes, Jeffrey R. Harmer, Bostjan Kobe, Christopher A. McDevitt
Summary: This study elucidates a novel mechanism for zinc binding in Streptococcus pneumoniae's AdcA protein and highlights the importance of the N-terminal domain for zinc import, as well as a conserved loop region crucial for zinc acquisition. These findings provide insights into the structural and functional basis of selective zinc uptake in prokaryotes.
Article
Immunology
Marina L. Zupan, Zhenyao Luo, Katherine Ganio, Victoria G. Pederick, Stephanie L. Neville, Evelyne Deplazes, Bostjan Kobe, Christopher A. McDevitt
Summary: The pathogen Streptococcus pneumoniae acquires essential zinc ions from the host through the proteins AdcA and AdcAII, which is crucial for infection. AdcAII plays a larger role during initial infection, and the Zn(II)-coordinating residues are found to be important for metal binding. Through structural and biochemical analyses, it was shown that specific conformational changes in AdcAII are necessary for effective metal uptake.
FRONTIERS IN CELLULAR AND INFECTION MICROBIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Microbiology
Aissatou Maty Diagne, Anais Pelletier, Claire Durmort, Agathe Faure, Kerstin Kanonenberg, Celine Freton, Adeline Page, Frederic Delolme, Jaroslav Vorac, Sylvain Vallet, Laure Bellard, Corinne Vives, Franck Fieschi, Thierry Vernet, Patricia Rousselle, Sebastien Guiral, Christophe Grangeasse, Jean-Michel Jault, Cedric Orelle
Summary: This study demonstrates that TCS01 cooperates with the BceAB-type ABC transporter to sense and induce resistance to bacterial-derived antimicrobial peptides, ultimately enhancing the survival of Streptococcus pneumoniae in the human host.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Natalie Barland, Anne-Stephanie Rueff, Gonzalo Cebrero, Cedric A. J. Hutter, Markus A. Seeger, Jan-Willem Veening, Camilo Perez
Summary: Phosphocholine decoration plays a fundamental role in bacterial adhesion to host cells, immune evasion, and persistence. In this study, the cryo-electron microscopy and crystal structures of S. pneumoniae LicB were presented, revealing the conformational states and mechanism of choline import. The study also identified LicB inhibition by synthetic nanobodies. These findings provide important insights into the molecular mechanism of a key transporter involved in bacterial pathogenesis and present a basis for inhibiting the phosphocholine modification pathway.
Article
Nutrition & Dietetics
Michinori Matsuo, Yutaka Ogata, Yoshihide Yamanashi, Tappei Takada
Summary: ATP-binding cassette protein G5 (ABCG5)/ABCG8 heterodimer exports cholesterol from cells, while Niemann-Pick C1-like 1 (NPC1L1) imports cholesterol and vitamin K. This study found that ABCG5/ABCG8 transports vitamin K-3 out of cells, and this transport is competitively inhibited by vitamin K-1. The findings suggest that ABCG5 and ABCG8 are involved in the transport of sterols and vitamin K, and ABCG5/ABCG8 and NPC1L1 might play important roles in the regulation of vitamin K absorption and excretion.
Article
Infectious Diseases
Sara de Miguel, Marta Perez-Abeledo, Belen Ramos, Luis Garcia, Araceli Arce, Rodrigo Martinez-Arce, Jose Yuste, Juan Carlos Sanz
Summary: The use of pneumococcal conjugate vaccines has impacted the epidemiology and distribution of Streptococcus pneumoniae serotypes causing Invasive Pneumococcal Disease (IPD). This study analyzed the evolution of antimicrobial susceptibility to penicillin (PEN) in IPD strains isolated in Madrid, Spain, from 2007 to 2021. The results showed the emergence of non-PCV13 pneumococcal strains with different resistance patterns, including the worrisome event of serotype 11A becoming resistant to penicillin.
Article
Microbiology
Courtney D. Thompson, Jessica L. Bradshaw, Wesley S. Miller, Ana G. Jop Vidal, Jorge E. Vidal, Jason W. Rosch, Larry S. McDaniel, Lance E. Keller
Summary: Streptococcus pneumoniae can cause various diseases, but the emergence of nonencapsulated strains poses challenges to vaccination. The AliC and AliD proteins regulate gene expression in pneumococcus, protecting it from complement-mediated clearance by reducing CRP binding.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Rong Wang, Yantong Liu, Sheng Xu, Jie Li, Jiayu Zhou, Ren Wang
Summary: The study identified an ABC transporter LaABCB11 from Lycoris aurea that functions in the transport of lycorine, potentially playing a role in the translocation and accumulation of lycorine from leaves and bulbs to roots. The transporter increased yeast cells' tolerance to lycorine and reduced lycorine accumulation in transformants compared to control or mutant yeast. LaABCB11 was found to be associated with the plasma membrane and mainly expressed in the phloem of leaves and bulbs, as well as in the cortical cells of roots.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2021)
Article
Infectious Diseases
Mihret Tilahun, Mesfin Fiseha, Endris Ebrahim, Seada Ali, Melaku Ashagrie Belete, Abdurahaman Seid, Wondmagegn Demsiss, Alemu Gedefie, Selamyhun Tadesse, Chernet Belayhun
Summary: The study found a relatively low prevalence of Streptococcus pneumoniae nasopharyngeal carriage among preschool children, with high antimicrobial resistance observed in most tested drugs. Younger age groups and passive smokers were identified as being at a higher risk for Streptococcus pneumoniae nasopharyngeal carriage.
INFECTION AND DRUG RESISTANCE
(2022)
Article
Immunology
Santiago Alfayate Miguelez, Genoveva Yague Guirao, Ana I. Menasalvas Ruiz, Manuel Sanchez-Solis, Mirian Domenech Lucas, Fernando Gonzalez Camacho, M. Mar Ortiz Romero, Pilar Espejo Garcia, Carmen Guerrero Gomez, Antonio Iofrio de Arce, Laura Moreno Parrado, Rosa M. Sanchez Andrada, Eva Cascales Alcolea, Sebastian Lorente Garcia, Pedro Paredes Reyes, Angela Casquet Barcelo, M. Luisa Lopez Yepes, Juan Jose Vigueras Abellan, Gonzalo Sanz Mateo
Summary: The study found that PCV13 vaccine played a significant role in reducing carriage of vaccine serotypes, but non-vaccine serotypes were more common, and high resistance rates to certain antibiotics were observed.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Nicole Hardy, Fatima Zeba, Anaelia Ovalle, Alicia Yanac, Christelle Nzugang-Noutonsi, Mike Abadier, Anais Ovalle, Abdullah Chahin
Summary: Chronic opioid usage was found to be associated with increased mortality at both 30 days and 1 year after ICU admission, providing valuable information for healthcare providers in prescribing opioids for chronic use.
Review
Immunology
Julio Sempere, Mirella Llamosi, Idoia del Rio Menendez, Beatriz Lopez Ruiz, Mirian Domenech, Fernando Gonzalez-Camacho
Summary: Current vaccines for Streptococcus pneumoniae infections only cover some serotypes, there is a need for new vaccines to cover a wider range of serotypes. Choline-binding proteins are considered potential vaccine candidates as they may protect against different serotypes.
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Yuxin Qiao, A. I. Ping Zhang, Li Ya Ma, Nan Zhang, Jintong Liu, Hong Yang
Summary: Pesticide residues in food crops pose risks to food safety and human health. This study characterized a gene called ABCG52 (PDR18) that regulates rice's response to the pesticide ametryn (AME). Overexpressing the gene in rice improved resistance and detoxification to AME. The study also identified AME metabolites and conjugates in rice plants and grains, highlighting the role of OsPDR18 in AME catabolism and detoxification in rice crops.
JOURNAL OF HAZARDOUS MATERIALS
(2023)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Takashi Kuromori, Eriko Sugimoto, Kazuo Shinozaki
Summary: ABA, a stress hormone in plants, has potential as a mobile molecule. A homolog of AtABCG25, named BdABCG25, was identified in Brachypodium distachyon and found to be a putative functional homolog of AtABCG25. Regulating intercellular ABA transport may be a novel strategy for breeding stress-tolerant monocot crops.