Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Aranzazu Arias-Rojas, Dagmar Frahm, Robert Hurwitz, Volker Brinkmann, Igor Iatsenko
Summary: This study reveals that commensal-encoded resilience mechanisms, including resistance to antimicrobial peptides (AMPs), are necessary to maintain the stable association between host and microbiota during inflammation.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
(2023)
Article
Infectious Diseases
Md Saruar Bhuiyan, Jhih-Hang Jiang, Xenia Kostoulias, Ravali Theegala, Graham J. Lieschke, Anton Y. Peleg
Summary: The study investigated host innate immune responses against clinically derived, daptomycin-resistant and -susceptible Staphylococcus aureus isolates using a zebrafish infection model. Results showed that control of daptomycin-resistant S. aureus infections in vivo was compromised due to cross-resistance to host cationic antimicrobial peptides, shedding light on persistent infections caused by this troublesome pathogen.
Article
Ecology
Dongxiao Zhao, Huifang Guo
Summary: A defensive bacterial symbiont suppresses growth, spore formation, and transmission of a fungal pathogen in whiteflies. The pathogen is a key factor driving rapid changes in the symbiont's population in its natural habitat.
NATURE ECOLOGY & EVOLUTION
(2023)
Article
Biology
Konstantin Schmidt, Goncalo Santos-Matos, Stefan Leopold-Messer, Yassine El Chazli, Olivier Emery, Theodora Steiner, Joern Piel, Philipp Engel
Summary: The bacteria Frischella perrara colonizes a specific niche in the honey bee gut and its colonization is regulated by the DNA-binding protein IHF. IHF affects the expression of genes involved in adhesion, interbacterial competition, and secondary metabolite production, and is important for establishing and maintaining the association with the host.
Article
Microbiology
Margaret Steele, Nancy A. Moran
Summary: This study explores the evolution of T6SSs and associated toxins in the host-specific gut microbiota of honey bees and bumble bees over 80 million years. The distribution of T6SS loci in bee microbiota suggests ancestral presence and subsequent loss in bacterial lineages linked to host and bacterial speciation. Different bacterial species employ varied mechanisms for toxin acquisition, leading to shifts in competitive dynamics within these communities.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Amanda Hettiarachchi, Margo Cnockaert, Marie Joossens, David Laureys, Jessika De Clippeleer, Nicolas J. Vereecken, Denis Michez, Guy Smagghe, Dirk C. de Graaf, Peter Vandamme
Summary: This study analyzed the cultivable bacterial communities of different compartments in the invasive insect Vespa velutina, as well as the nest samples, using both cultivation and 16S rRNA amplicon sequencing. The bacterial symbionts in Vespa velutina were dominated by Convivina, Fructobacillus, Lactiplantibacillus, Lactococcus, Sphingomonas, and Spiroplasma. Lactococcus lactis and Lactiplantibacillus plantarum were generalist core lactic acid bacteria (LAB) symbionts, while Convivina species and Fructobacillus fructosus were highly specialized core LAB symbionts with reduced genome sizes. Sphingomonas and Spiroplasma were non-LAB core symbionts, but they were not isolated. Convivina bacteria were particularly enriched in the hornet crop and included Convivina intestini, a species adapted to amino acid metabolism, and Convivina praedatoris sp. nov., which was adapted to carbohydrate metabolism.
INSECT MOLECULAR BIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Danique A. van der Krieken, Gijs Rikken, Thomas H. A. Ederveen, Patrick A. M. Jansen, Diana Rodijk-Olthuis, Luca D. Meesters, Ivonne M. J. J. van Vlijmen-Willems, Bram van Cranenbroek, Renate G. van der Molen, Joost Schalkwijk, Ellen H. van den Bogaard, Patrick L. J. M. Zeeuwen
Summary: In this study, the authors found that GPAC can induce epidermal host-defense molecules in human keratinocytes through secreted soluble factors and immune-cell activation. They also discovered that GPAC upregulates antimicrobial peptides and controls gene expression in human epidermis. The findings suggest that GPAC may play a protective role in preventing pathogenic colonization and infection in AD.
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Ioannis Eleftherianos, Wei Zhang, Christa Heryanto, Amr Mohamed, Gabriela Contreras, Gianluca Tettamanti, Michael Wink, Taha Bassal
Summary: The innate immune response of insects consists of humoral and cellular immune responses that work together to prevent the spread of pathogens within the insect body. The humoral part involves production and secretion of antimicrobial peptides, which play a critical role in defending against various pathogens. Understanding the diversity and mode of action of these host defense components is essential for maintaining host homeostasis and avoiding overactivation of immune signaling events.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF BIOLOGICAL MACROMOLECULES
(2021)
Review
Infectious Diseases
Waqas Ali, Ahmad Elsahn, Darren S. J. Ting, Harminder S. Dua, Imran Mohammed
Summary: One of the major challenges in the medical community today is the increasing antimicrobial resistance (AMR) coupled with the reduction in available antimicrobial treatments. The overuse of antibiotics has led to a significant rise in AMR, with estimates suggesting over 10 million lives could be lost by 2050. Host Defence Peptides (HDPs) have shown promise as an alternative to traditional antibiotics, demonstrating efficacy against currently resistant microbial variants. In light of the global COVID-19 pandemic, the potential use of HDPs as a therapeutic option and preventive measure against the spread of the SARS-CoV-2 variant has been examined.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Wright K. Makambi, Svetlana P. Ikonomova, Amy J. Karlsson
Summary: Traditional methods for antifungal susceptibility testing for Candida albicans are time-consuming and lack quantitative results, while a new method based on optical density measurements reduces time and materials needed for quantitative results. The new method is comparable to traditional methods and can reduce plastic waste and time spent on counting colonies.
JOVE-JOURNAL OF VISUALIZED EXPERIMENTS
(2023)
Article
Immunology
Qing Yang, Amanda C. Burkardt, Lakshimi T. Sunkara, Kan Xiao, Guolong Zhang
Summary: The study found that certain natural cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) inhibitors can enhance the expression of host defense peptides (HDP) genes in chickens. These inhibitors demonstrated a strong synergistic effect with butyrate in increasing the expressions of multiple HDP genes. Additionally, they promoted the expressions of barrier function-related genes and suppressed inflammatory responses.
FRONTIERS IN IMMUNOLOGY
(2022)
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Christine Schloemmer, Anna Brandtner, Mirjam Bachler
Summary: Antithrombin is a natural anticoagulant that also possesses anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial properties. While therapeutic supplementation in inflammatory conditions has not proven to be effective, new research suggests identifying the patient population that would benefit most from antithrombin substitution.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2021)
Article
Microbiology
Hee Eun Jo, Min-Sung Kwon, Tae Woong Whon, Doo Wan Kim, Misun Yun, Jieun Lee, Mi-Young Shin, Sung-Hak Kim, Hak-Jong Choi
Summary: The study found that finishing swine administered with lincomycin exhibited gut dysbiosis, increased abundance of detrimental microbes, and decreased levels of fiber-degrading bacteria. Lincomycin treatment also led to enrichment of metabolic pathways related to pathogenicity and deficiency of polysaccharide degradation in finishing swine, indicating severe disruption of the commensal microbiota.
FRONTIERS IN MICROBIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Yaremis Merino-Cabrera, Jose Severiche Castro, Rafael de Almeida Barros, Neilier Rodrigues da Silva Junior, Humberto de Oliveira Ramos, Maria Goreti de Almeida Oliveira
Summary: The design and production of molecules that mimic protein inhibitors could be a promising strategy for managing pests. In this study, the effect of arginine-containing dipeptides on the gut trypsin function in Anticarsia gemmatalis larvae was investigated. It was found that these dipeptides have a higher affinity for the trypsin active site compared to lysine-containing peptides, resulting in inhibition of trypsin activity and reduced survival and weight of the larvae.
PESTICIDE BIOCHEMISTRY AND PHYSIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Entomology
Zhiqiang Wang, Kai Feng, Fang Tang, Meng Xu
Summary: The caterpillar Hyphantria cunea is a quarantine pest causing serious economic losses in agriculture and forestry industries. Using microbial pesticides, such as Serratia marcescens, is important for pest control. This study identified immune-related genes in H. cunea after infection with S. marcescens, showing how the immune system of the caterpillar responds to the pathogen.
Review
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Flaviana Di Lorenzo, Katarzyna A. Duda, Rosa Lanzetta, Alba Silipo, Cristina De Castro, Antonio Molinaro
Summary: This review discusses the chemical structure, functions, and immunological outcomes of lipopolysaccharide (LPS). By providing key information, it enhances our understanding of LPS and offers innovative approaches to manipulate this controversial biomolecule.
Review
Pharmacology & Pharmacy
Pilar Garcia-Vello, Flaviana Di Lorenzo, Daniele Zucchetta, Alla Zamyatina, Cristina De Castro, Antonio Molinaro
Summary: This article reviews the research on lipid A as an antibiotic target and immune-therapeutic molecule, with a focus on the crucial role of its chemical structure and the utilization of this structure to design novel strategies for treating immune-related pathologies.
PHARMACOLOGY & THERAPEUTICS
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Applied
Adele Vanacore, Giuseppe Vitiello, Alan Wanke, Domenico Cavasso, Luke A. Clifton, Lisa Mahdi, Maria Asuncion Campanero-Rhodes, Dolores Solis, Manfred Wuhrer, Simone Nicolardi, Antonio Molinaro, Roberta Marchetti, Alga Zuccaro, Luigi Paduano, Alba Silipo
Summary: Lipopolysaccharides (LPS) are important outer membrane components of Gram-negative bacteria, playing a crucial role in host-microbial interactions. Understanding how plants perceive and distinguish LPS from beneficial and pathogenic bacteria is a pressing question. This study investigated the structure, membrane properties, and immune recognition of LPS isolated from the root microbiota member Herbaspirillum sp. Root189 in Arabidopsis thaliana, highlighting the role of LPS in plant-microbial crosstalk and the influence of O-antigen modifications on LPS host recognition.
CARBOHYDRATE POLYMERS
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Applied
Immacolata Speciale, Anna Notaro, Pilar Garcia-Vello, Flaviana Di Lorenzo, Samantha Armiento, Antonio Molinaro, Roberta Marchetti, Alba Silipo, Cristina De Castro
Summary: This article provides a practical guide to the structural determination of carbohydrates using liquid-state NMR. The narrow range of chemical shifts in the NMR signals of carbohydrates makes it challenging to identify individual monosaccharide units. However, attributing the NMR chemical shifts can reveal the nature of the constituents, their interconnections, and even their absolute configuration, paving the way for more sophisticated analyses.
CARBOHYDRATE POLYMERS
(2022)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Rosa Ester Forgione, Ferran Fabregat Nieto, Cristina Di Carluccio, Francesco Milanesi, Martina Fruscella, Francesco Papi, Cristina Nativi, Antonio Molinaro, Pasquale Palladino, Simona Scarano, Maria Minunni, Marco Montefiori, Monica Civera, Sara Sattin, Oscar Francesconi, Roberta Marchetti, Alba Silipo
Summary: In this study, two conformationally constrained sialyl analogues were synthesized and characterized for their interaction with human CD22 protein. The results demonstrate the potential of these analogues as novel CD22 inhibitors and provide new insights for modifying and synthesizing sialic acid. Furthermore, they offer promising prospects for therapeutic intervention in autoimmune diseases and B-cell malignancies.
Review
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Immacolata Speciale, Anna Notaro, Chantal Abergel, Rosa Lanzetta, Todd L. Lowary, Antonio Molinaro, Michela Tonetti, James L. Van Etten, Cristina De Castro
Summary: Viruses are a diverse group of entities that require a suitable host for replication. Recently discovered large and giant viruses have their own glycosylation pathway, different from the traditional paradigm where viral glycans mimic those of the host. This review focuses on large and giant viruses that produce carbohydrate-processing enzymes and discusses achievements in elucidating glycan structures, manipulating sugars, and organic synthesis of virus-encoded glycans.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Molly Dorothy Pither, Mei-Ling Sun, Immacolata Speciale, Alba Silipo, Yu-Zhong Zhang, Antonio Molinaro, Flaviana Di Lorenzo
Summary: Zunongwangia profunda SM-A87 is a deep-sea sedimentary bacterium capable of producing capsular polysaccharides with high viscosity and tolerance to high salinities and temperatures. This study focuses on the glycolipid component of its lipopolysaccharides (LPS), specifically the lipid A, which was found to have high heterogeneity in acylation and phosphorylation patterns and hydrophilic backbone composition.
GLYCOCONJUGATE JOURNAL
(2022)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Luciano Pirone, Ferran Nieto-Fabregat, Sonia Di Gaetano, Domenica Capasso, Rita Russo, Serena Traboni, Antonio Molinaro, Alfonso Iadonisi, Michele Saviano, Roberta Marchetti, Alba Silipo, Emilia Pedone
Summary: This study focuses on the interaction between galectins and new inhibitors, and utilizes a combination of experimental and computational methods to depict the structure of the 3D complexes and discuss the hotspots for designing better galectin inhibitors.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Applied
Adele Vanacore, Maria Concetta Forgione, Domenico Cavasso, Ha Ngoc Anh Nguyen, Antonio Molinaro, James P. Saenz, Gerardino D'Errico, Luigi Paduano, Roberta Marchetti, Alba Silipo
Summary: Methylobacterium extorquens strain PA1 secretes a diverse mixture of exopolysaccharides (EPSs), which may contribute to increased methanol tolerance and cell stability.
CARBOHYDRATE POLYMERS
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Cristina Di Carluccio, Pablo Soriano Maldonado, Francesca Berni, Carla J. C. de Haas, A. Robin Temming, Astrid Hendriks, Sara Ali, Antonio Molinaro, Alba Silipo, Nina M. van Sorge, Mark J. van Raaij, Jeroen D. C. Codee, Roberta Marchetti
Summary: Wall teichoic acids (WTAs) are glycopolymers on the surface of bacteria and potential targets for antibody-based treatments. Research has uncovered the molecular and structural details of synthetic WTA fragments recognized by specific monoclonal antibodies (mAbs). The study highlights the importance of phosphate groups and residues in the WTA backbone for ligand specificity.
ACS CENTRAL SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Microbiology
Bohyun Jeong, Ho Am Jang, Junbeom Lee, Ha Ram Bae, Jiyeun Kate Kim
Summary: Symbiotic bacteria rely on the proteolytic activity of DegP for stress resistance and biofilm formation, which are essential for their persistence in the host bean bug.
MICROBIOLOGY SPECTRUM
(2023)
Article
Microbiology
Junbeom Lee, Bohyun Jeong, Ha Ram Bae, Ho Am Jang, Jiyeun Kate Kim
Summary: Symbiotic bacteria must overcome stressful conditions in association with the host. In the Burkholderia-bean bug symbiosis, the stress-resistant function of Burkholderia is important and trehalose, known as a stress protectant, plays a role. Trehalose biosynthesis may be crucial for symbiotic bacteria to overcome stressors associated with the host.
MICROBIOLOGY SPECTRUM
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Flaviana Di Lorenzo, Simone Nicolardi, Roberta Marchetti, Adele Vanacore, Noemi Gallucci, Katarzyna Duda, Ferran Nieto Fabregat, Ha Ngoc Anh Nguyen, Djamel Gully, James Saenz, Eric Giraud, Luigi Paduano, Antonio Molinaro, Gerardino D'Errico, Alba Silipo
Summary: The ability of Methylobacterium extorquens to grow on methanol as the sole carbon and energy source is influenced by the composition and function of the lipopolysaccharide (LPS) in the outer membrane. The LPS of M. extorquens is unique, with non-phosphorylated and heavily O-methylated core oligosaccharides, and a distinctive lipid A structure. These chemical features impact the resistance of the membrane to methanol, regulating membrane ordering and dynamics.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Antonio De Nicola, Costanza Montis, Greta Donati, Antonio Molinaro, Alba Silipo, Arianna Balestri, Debora Berti, Flaviana Di Lorenzo, You-Liang Zhu, Giuseppe Milano
Summary: By combining simulations and experiments, the complex supramolecular structures of lipopolysaccharides (LPS) and lipid A at low hydration levels were revealed, uncovering the presence of a nano-compartmentalized phase composed of liposomes of variable size and shape, which can be utilized in synthetic biological applications.