Review
Infectious Diseases
Dimitri Cherier, Delphine Patin, Didier Blanot, Thierry Touze, Helene Barreteau
Summary: Misuse of antibiotics has led to the emergence of multidrug resistant bacteria. Discovery of new antibacterials, such as colicins produced by E. coli, is crucial. ColM is a type of colicin that interferes with peptidoglycan biosynthesis, leading to cell lysis.
Article
Food Science & Technology
Hanna Fokt, Sara Cleto, Hugo Oliveira, Daniela Araujo, Joana Castro, Nuno Cerca, Maria Joao Vieira, Carina Almeida
Summary: Escherichia coli is an important foodborne pathogen with a range of competitive advantages against other microorganisms, including biofilm formation, antimicrobial molecule production, and siderophore production.
Review
Microbiology
Fatema Calcuttawala, Ankita Pal, Papri Nath, Riya Kar, Debraj Hazra, Rajat Pal
Summary: Colicins are bioactive compounds produced by certain enterobacteria that have a competitive advantage in the environment. Understanding the structure and mode of action of colicins is crucial as they are considered as alternatives to conventional antibiotics in treating multidrug-resistant infections.
ARCHIVES OF MICROBIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Kamila Riedlova, Tereza Dolejsova, Radovan Fiser, Lukasz Cwiklik
Summary: This study investigates the mechanism of action of bio-inspired peptides originating from colicins on bacterial membranes using a combination of molecular simulations and experiments. The results show that these peptides are stable in lipid membranes and can induce membrane defects, water permeation, and membrane poration. Experimental assays confirm the ability of the H1 peptide to disrupt membranes. These findings are important for understanding the antimicrobial mechanisms of natural bacteriocins and developing small bio-inspired peptides that can disrupt bacterial membranes.
BIOCHIMICA ET BIOPHYSICA ACTA-BIOMEMBRANES
(2022)
Article
Microbiology
Longcheng Guo, Joseph Wambui, Chenhui Wang, Francis Muchaamba, Maria Victoria Fernandez-Cantos, Jaap Broos, Taurai Tasara, Oscar P. Kuipers, Roger Stephan
Summary: This study discovered a new variant of lantibiotic called cesin, which kills bacteria by inhibiting cell wall synthesis without pore formation. The lantibiotic demonstrated potent antimicrobial activity and stability, making it a potential antimicrobial compound for food and/or health applications.
MICROBIOLOGY SPECTRUM
(2023)
Article
Microbiology
Longcheng Guo, Joseph Wambui, Chenhui Wang, Francis Muchaamba, Maria Victoria Fernandez-Cantos, Jaap Broos, Taurai Tasara, Oscar P. Kuipers, Roger Stephan
Summary: Cesin, a novel variant of nisin, efficiently kills bacteria by inhibiting cell wall synthesis without pore formation. It demonstrates a broad and potent antimicrobial profile, attributed to lipid II binding and electrostatic interactions with teichoic acids. The stability tests show that cesin is highly stable under different environmental conditions.
MICROBIOLOGY SPECTRUM
(2023)
Article
Microbiology
Alicja Wysocka, Elzbieta Jagielska, Lukasz Lezniak, Izabela Sabala
Summary: Bacterial peptidoglycan hydrolases play crucial roles in bacterial growth, division, and elimination of closely related species, and this study identified two new hydrolases from Staphylococcus pettenkoferi. These enzymes, named SpM23_B and SpM23_A, share similarities in structure and function but differ in gene distribution, biological role, and isoelectric points. The research presents a detailed characterization of the novel hydrolases to better understand their role in bacterial physiology.
FRONTIERS IN MICROBIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Irina S. Panina, Sergey V. Balandin, Andrey V. Tsarev, Anton O. Chugunov, Andrey A. Tagaev, Ekaterina I. Finkina, Daria V. Antoshina, Elvira V. Sheremeteva, Alexander S. Paramonov, Jasmin Rickmeyer, Gabriele Bierbaum, Roman G. Efremov, Zakhar O. Shenkarev, Tatiana V. Ovchinnikova
Summary: To date, several lantibiotics have been found to target lipid II, a peptidoglycan precursor in bacterial cytoplasmic membrane. The alpha-component of lichenicidin, a two-component lantibiotic, contains potential lipid II binding sites. NMR spectroscopy and MD simulations provided evidence that the C-terminal domain of lichenicidin interacts with lipid II. The contact area of lipid II includes pyrophosphate, disaccharide residues, and bactoprenol's first isoprene units.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2023)
Article
Microbiology
Kaitlin Schaefer, Tristan W. Owens, Julia E. Page, Marina Santiago, Daniel Kahne, Suzanne Walker
Summary: The study reveals that a Staphylococcus aureus cell wall hydrolase and a membrane protein complex may play a key role in releasing newly synthesized peptidoglycan strands to complete the synthesis of mature peptidoglycan. The complex cleaves nascent peptidoglycan internally and controls the length of the products.
NATURE MICROBIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Agricultural Engineering
Jia-Yi Lin, I-Son Ng
Summary: This study used genetic engineering to enhance the growth, lipid and lutein production of Chlamydomonas reinhardtii. CRISPRi was applied to down-regulate the phosphoenolpyruvate carboxylase (PEPC1) gene, resulting in increased carbon flux towards lipid synthesis. The engineered strain PGi showed the highest biomass, lipid and lutein production at 35°C.
BIORESOURCE TECHNOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Yunqiu Wang, Mengqi Jia, Chuanjie Liang, Nan Sheng, Xiaodan Wang, Fang Wang, Yanhai Luo, Jin Jiang, Liangyu Cai, Huanmin Niu, Deyu Zhu, Effat Un Nesa, Charles Y. F. Young, Huiqing Yuan
Summary: AGR2 plays a crucial role in fatty acid uptake and activation, interacting with FABP1 to affect lipid accumulation.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
(2021)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Taylor Devlin, Dagan C. Marx, Michaela A. Roskopf, Quenton R. Bubb, Ashlee M. Plummer, Karen G. Fleming
Summary: The biogenesis of outer membrane proteins (OMP) in gram-negative bacteria is regulated by a network of periplasmic chaperones, including SurA, Skp, and FkpA. FkpA acts as a chaperone and influences the folding trajectory of OMPs by increasing the folded yield but decreasing the folding rate. It binds to OMPs with an intermediate affinity and has an extensive binding interface.
Review
Cell Biology
Ruopeng Yin, Tao Wang, Huanqin Dai, Junjie Han, Jingzu Sun, Ningning Liu, Wang Dong, Jin Zhong, Hongwei Liu
Summary: Interactions between the gut microbiome and the host immune system play a vital role in maintaining intestinal mucosal barrier and homeostasis. Cell wall-derived molecules from gut commensal bacteria have been found to influence host immune responses and impact health and disease processes. In this article, the authors review the chemical structures of gut bacterial cell wall-derived molecules and discuss their roles in regulating innate and adaptive immunity as well as their potential as medicinal agents for infection and immune diseases.
Article
Microbiology
Jing Liu, Wei-Yue Xing, Ju-Yuan Zhang, Xiaoli Zeng, Yiling Yang, Cheng-Cai Zhang
Summary: The shape and heterocyst development of Anabaena cells are influenced by peptidoglycan synthesis and the mraY gene. Limiting mraY expression results in increased cell width, enhanced septal PG synthesis, and cell lysis.
FRONTIERS IN MICROBIOLOGY
(2021)
Review
Microbiology
Stephanie Sibinelli-Sousa, Julia Takuno Hespanhol, Ethel Bayer-Santos
Summary: Bacteria live in dense polymicrobial communities and compete for scarce resources, employing diverse mechanisms to harm, inhibit, and kill their competitors. These mechanisms include attacking the peptidoglycan of rival bacteria, which is a major component of the cell wall and provides a target for antibacterial molecules such as antibiotics, bacteriocins, and contact-dependent effectors.
JOURNAL OF BACTERIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Microbiology
David Lebeaux, Clement Ourghanlian, Delphine Dorchene, Daria Soroka, Zainab Edoo, Fabrice Compain, Michel Arthur
ANTIMICROBIAL AGENTS AND CHEMOTHERAPY
(2020)
Article
Infectious Diseases
Eva Le Run, Heiner Atze, Michel Arthur, Jean-Luc Mainardi
JOURNAL OF ANTIMICROBIAL CHEMOTHERAPY
(2020)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Saidbakhrom Saidjalolov, Zainab Edoo, Matthieu Fonvielle, Louis Mayer, Laura Iannazzo, Michel Arthur, Melanie Etheve-Quelquejeu, Emmanuelle Braud
Summary: Carbapenems have been optimized to target Gram-negative bacteria producing extended-spectrum beta-lactamases for the treatment of tuberculosis. The introduction of substituents at position C2 has shown to increase drug efficacy. Synthesizing peptido-carbapenems with a phenethylthio substituent at C2 demonstrated improved activity compared to the reference drug meropenem.
CHEMISTRY-A EUROPEAN JOURNAL
(2021)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Lauriane Rietmeyer, Nicolas Fix-Boulier, Chloe Le Fournis, Laura Iannazzo, Camelia Kitoun, Delphine Patin, Dominique Mengin-Lecreulx, Melanie Etheve-Quelquejeu, Michel Arthur, Matthieu Fonvielle
Summary: The sequence of tRNAs is influenced by their interactions with aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases, translation elongation factor Tu in complex with GTP, and the ribosome. In Staphylococcus aureus, tRNA(Gly) isoacceptors play a specific role in cell-wall peptidoglycan precursor synthesis. Non-proteogenic tRNAs are preferentially recognized by transferase FmhB in this context.
NUCLEIC ACIDS RESEARCH
(2021)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Saidbakhrom Saidjalolov, Emmanuelle Braud, Zainab Edoo, Laura Iannazzo, Filippo Rusconi, Margaux Riomet, Antoine Sallustrau, Frederic Taran, Michel Arthur, Matthieu Fonvielle, Melanie Etheve-Quelquejeu
Summary: Beta-lactams are essential in antibiotherapy as they inhibit key enzymes involved in bacterial cell wall synthesis, and understanding their mechanisms of action and resistance requires reliable methods for target characterization. This study introduces an activity-based purification method for beta-lactam targets based on click and release chemistry, providing access to fluorescent targets in a single step.
CHEMISTRY-A EUROPEAN JOURNAL
(2021)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Henri Voedts, Delphine Dorchene, Adam Lodge, Waldemar Vollmer, Michel Arthur, Jean-Emmanuel Hugonnet
Summary: Bacteria resist turgor pressure through peptidoglycan, with endopeptidases playing a crucial role in the synthesis of cell wall, facilitating the formation of different cross-linking structures.
Article
Chemistry, Organic
Flavie Bouchet, Heiner Atze, Michel Arthur, Melanie Etheve-Quelquejeu, Laura Iannazzo
Summary: The study utilized the traceless Staudinger ligation to functionalize the C2 position of second generation beta-lactamase inhibitors based on a diazabicyclooctane (DBO) scaffold. Biological evaluation demonstrated that the route provided access to a DBO that showed superior inhibition against two out of the five beta-lactamases tested compared to commercial relebactam.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Pauline Baccelli, Raphael Rachedi, Bastien Serrano, Melissa Petiti, Christophe S. Bernard, Laetitia Houot, Denis Duche
Summary: Efficient cell division of Gram-negative bacteria requires the Tol-Pal system to coordinate the different layers of the cell envelope, which is composed of multiple proteins and dynamically recruited during cell division. This study found that the localization of TolA and TolQ at different stages of cell division is affected by other Tol-Pal proteins.
JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR BIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Microbiology
Jean-Philippe Barnier, Saidbakhrom Saidjalolov, Flavie Bouchet, Louis Mayer, Zainab Edoo, Ines Sayah, Laura Iannazzo, Melanie Etheve-Quelquejeu, Jean-Luc Mainardi, Emmanuelle Braud, Michel Arthur
Summary: The combination treatment of carbapenems and beta-lactamase inhibitors for multidrug-resistant tuberculosis carries risks for dysbiosis and the development of resistances in the intestinal microbiota. Researchers have shown that carbapenems can be modified to obtain drugs that are inactive against E. coli but still effective against Mycobacterium tuberculosis targets.
ANTIMICROBIAL AGENTS AND CHEMOTHERAPY
(2022)
Article
Microbiology
Jaclyn A. Cusumano, Kathryn E. Daffinee, Paul Ugalde-Silva, Wolfgang Peti, Michel Arthur, Charlene Desbonnet, Louis B. Rice, Kerry L. LaPlante, Monica Garcia-Solache
Summary: Ampicillin-ceftriaxone is an effective treatment for Enterococcus faecalis endocarditis. This study characterized the penicillin-binding protein (PBP) profiles of different E. faecalis strains and tested for synergy to optimize beta-lactam treatment options for E. faecalis infections. Increased expression of PBP4 and PBP2B was observed in a strain with elevated MICs, but PBP2B did not significantly contribute to the elevated beta-lactam MICs. The combination of meropenem plus ceftriaxone or ertapenem plus ceftriaxone showed the most consistent synergistic activity.
ANTIMICROBIAL AGENTS AND CHEMOTHERAPY
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Henri Voedts, Sean P. Kennedy, Guennadi Sezonov, Michel Arthur, Jean-Emmanuel Hugonnet
Summary: β-lactam-induced bacterial killing is a complex process and the authors of this study identified essential genes for drug efficacy through genome-wide analysis. These genes are not only involved in peptidoglycan polymerization but also in stress response and outer membrane polymer assembly. The unforeseen effects of β-lactam antibiotics include loss of the lipoprotein-mediated covalent bond, destabilization of the cell envelope despite effective peptidoglycan cross-linking, and increased permeability of the outer membrane.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Medicinal
Flavie Bouchet, Jean-Philippe Barnier, Ines Sayah, Youcef Bagdad, Maria A. Miteva, Michel Arthur, Melanie Etheve-Quelquejeu, Laura Iannazzo
Summary: In this study, the RuAAC reaction was employed to introduce molecular diversity on the DBO scaffold of beta-lactamase inhibitors. Through regioselective synthesis, a series of 1,5-triazole DBOs and trisubstituted analogues were accessed. Molecular modeling and biological evaluation demonstrated potential stabilizing interactions of the DBO substituents in the active site of broad-spectrum beta-lactamase KPC-2, with promising activity against a hyperpermeable strain of Escherichia coli producing KPC-2.
Article
Microbiology
Ines Hugonneau-Beaufet, Jean-Philippe Barnier, Stanislas Thiriet-Rupert, Sylvie Letoffe, Jean-Luc Mainardi, Jean-Marc Ghigo, Christophe Beloin, Michel Arthur
Summary: In this study, the contribution of three LDTs in Pseudomonas aeruginosa to cell envelope synthesis was investigated. It was found that these LDTs are involved in peptidoglycan cross-linking, lipoprotein anchoring, and hydrolysis of peptidoglycan-OprI amide bond. Biofilm bacteria showed an increased proportion of peptidoglycan cross-links formed by Ldt(Pae1) and a greater extent of OprI anchoring, which is controlled by Ldt(Pae2) and Ldt(Pae3). Deletion of each ldt gene impaired biofilm formation and potentiated the bactericidal activity of EDTA.
MICROBIOLOGY SPECTRUM
(2023)
Article
Microbiology
Jeanne Malet-Villemagne, Yucheng Liang, Laurent Evanno, Sandrine Denis-Quanquin, Jean-Emmanuel Hugonnet, Michel Arthur, Claire Janoir, Thomas Candela
Summary: Cell wall glycopolymers (CWGPs) in Gram-positive bacteria have been found to play important roles in various bacterial processes, including surface setup and virulence. The anchoring of CWGPs to peptidoglycan is crucial for bacterial growth and survival. Through studying a specific clinical strain, it was discovered that the competition between CWGPs and peptidoglycan synthesis is essential for bacterial survival.
MICROBIOLOGY SPECTRUM
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Yamanappa Hunashal, Ganesan Senthil Kumar, Meng S. Choy, everton D. D'Andrea, Andre Da Silva Santiago, Marta V. Schoenle, Charlene Desbonnet, Michel Arthur, Louis B. Rice, Rebecca Page, Wolfgang Peti
Summary: The authors investigate the dynamics of E. faecium PBP5 and its correlation with resistance using various techniques. They find that resistant PBP5 variants show increased dynamics and acyl-enzyme hydrolysis. The results provide insights into the molecular basis of resistance in clinical E. faecium PBP5 variants.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2023)