Article
Environmental Sciences
Jagadish Chandra Kumar Mangu, Marios Stylianou, Per-Erik Olsson, Jana Jass
Summary: The exposure to PFAS increases susceptibility to pathogens in Caenorhabditis elegans by reducing host immunity and increasing intestinal membrane permeability, while also increasing bacterial virulence, with potential implications for humans and other animals.
ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION
(2022)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Md. Arifur Rahman, Ardeshir Amirkhani, Durdana Chowdhury, Maria Mempin, Mark P. Molloy, Anand Kumar Deva, Karen Vickery, Honghua Hu
Summary: Staphylococcus aureus, a pathogenic bacterium capable of forming biofilms, is frequently found in infections related to implanted medical devices. This study used high-throughput mass spectrometry to analyze changes in the proteome of S. aureus biofilms grown for different durations. The results revealed significant alterations in the protein profiles of 3-day and 12-day biofilms compared to planktonic growth at 24 hours. These findings shed light on the role of specific proteins in biofilm development, potentially leading to new therapeutic strategies for biofilm-related implant infections.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2022)
Article
Microbiology
Ayano Tsuru, Yumi Hamazaki, Shuta Tomida, Mohammad Shaokat Ali, Tomomi Komura, Yoshikazu Nishikawa, Eriko Kage-Nakadai
Summary: This study investigated the effects of different Cutibacterium acnes strains on the life span of Caenorhabditis elegans and host resistance against Staphylococcus aureus. It was found that certain strains of C. acnes could shorten the life span of C. elegans, while others, like strain HL110PA4, did not alter it. Additionally, it was discovered that the TIR-1 and p38 MAPK pathways play a role in conferring host resistance against S. aureus in a C. acnes-mediated manner.
MICROBIOLOGY SPECTRUM
(2021)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Inessa Penner, Mario Dejung, Anja Freiwald, Falk Butter, Jia-Xuan Chen, Bodo Plachter
Summary: Human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) is a highly medically relevant pathogen, and Subviral Dense Bodies (DB) have been developed as a vaccine candidate to mitigate the severe consequences of HCMV infection. To develop a candidate vaccine for human application, a comprehensive mass spectrometry (MS)-based analysis was performed to study the proteome changes in cell culture cells exposed to DB.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Seda Koyuncu, Rute Loureiro, Hyun Ju Lee, Prerana Wagle, Marcus Krueger, David Vilchez
Summary: Ageing is driven by a loss of cellular integrity, with ubiquitin modifications playing a major role in cell function. Age-related remodelling of the ubiquitinated proteome is influenced by longevity paradigms like dietary restriction and reduced insulin signalling. The global loss of ubiquitination during ageing is linked to increased deubiquitinase activity, impacting the targeted degradation of structural and regulatory proteins which ultimately determine longevity.
Article
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
S. -C. Wong, J. H. -K. Chen, S. Y. -C. So, P. -L. Ho, K. -Y. Yuen, V. C. -C. Cheng
Summary: Gastrointestinal colonization of MRSA may contribute to adverse clinical outcomes and pose an unrecognized burden upon hospital infection control.
JOURNAL OF HOSPITAL INFECTION
(2022)
Article
Immunology
Murugesan Pooranachithra, Kanagavel Suruthi, Bhaskar J. Prabhanand, Murali Deepa, Das Shibendu Sekhar, Krishnan Venkateswaran, Gajbhiye Rahul, Velayutham Ravichandiran, Krishnaswamy Balamurugan
Summary: Infection following injury poses a significant threat in wound care management globally, with increased survival observed in worm models infected with Staphylococcus aureus. High throughput proteomic analysis revealed the importance of oxidative phosphorylation and phosphatidylinositol signaling for enhanced survival in wound infected worms. Elevated calcium signals and ROS are proposed to contribute to the survival of infected worms under pathogen stress.
MICROBIAL PATHOGENESIS
(2021)
Article
Microbiology
Satwik Majumder, Trisha Sackey, Charles Viau, Soyoun Park, Jianguo Xia, Jennifer Ronholm, Saji George
Summary: This study tested 43 Staphylococcus aureus isolates from bovine mastitis for antibiotic resistance and virulence. All isolates exhibited crucial virulence characteristics, and six isolates showed antibiotic resistance. Genes associated with resistance, toxin production, adherence, and host immune invasion were identified. Additionally, the study found that mastitic S. aureus can invade human intestinal cells and cause infection and death, highlighting the need for therapeutics targeting drug-resistant intracellular pathogens.
Article
Microbiology
James T. Sorrentino, Gregory J. Golden, Claire Morris, Chelsea D. Painter, Victor Nizet, Alexandre Rosa Campos, Jeffrey W. Smith, Christofer Karlsson, Johan Malmstrom, Nathan E. Lewis, Jeffrey D. Esko, Alejandro Gomez Toledo
Summary: Studies have found that sepsis can cause specific alterations in the cellular proteome of organs, and these changes are closely related to disease progression and organ failure. Dysregulated vascular responses may play a potential role in organ failure during sepsis.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Xueqing Wang, Quanlong Jiang, Yuanyuan Song, Zhidong He, Hongdao Zhang, Mengjiao Song, Xiaona Zhang, Yumin Dai, Oezlem Karalay, Christoph Dieterich, Adam Antebi, Ligang Wu, Jing-Dong J. Han, Yidong Shen
Summary: Ageing is a complex process with different features in different tissues. This study isolated cells from different tissues in worms and analyzed the transcriptomic changes during ageing, revealing the diversity of ageing across tissues and identifying tissue-specific longevity regulators. Additionally, novel factors controlling intestinal barrier integrity and sarcomere structure during ageing were discovered.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Siddhartha Kumar, Kumar Sandeep, Rakesh Kumar, Antresh Kumar
Summary: Despite the increase in nosocomial and community-acquired infections caused by Staphylococcus aureus, drug resistance remains a major cause of mortality and morbidity. The study analyzed the antibacterial effect of pimozide against different strains of S. aureus and found it to be effective in inhibiting growth, alpha-hemolysin production, and biofilm formation.
BIOTECHNOLOGY AND APPLIED BIOCHEMISTRY
(2023)
Review
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Juan Chen, Huyue Zhou, Jingbin Huang, Rong Zhang, Xiancai Rao
Summary: This review explores the impact of sub-MICs of antibiotics on the virulence of Staphylococcus aureus, focusing on various aspects such as changes in cell morphology, virulence factor expression, bacterial adherence and invasion, biofilm formation, and small-colony variant production. Antibiotics at sub-MIC levels can alter bacterial virulence in S. aureus, leading to deformed cells, abnormal immune responses, and changes in disease development. The study also addresses the mechanisms underlying these antibiotic-induced alterations in virulence.
JOURNAL OF ADVANCED RESEARCH
(2021)
Article
Biochemical Research Methods
Khaled Youssef, Daphne Archonta, Terrance J. Kubiseski, Anurag Tandon, Pouya Rezai
Summary: This paper reveals the novel effect of electric field on adult C. elegans egg-laying behavior, showing that the electric egg-laying rate is significantly influenced by EF strength, direction, and exposure duration, as well as worm aging. The involvement and sensitivity of specific neurons and muscles to the EF are demonstrated, and the assay can be used for cellular screening and mapping of the neural basis of electrosensation.
Article
Immunology
Dhanwini Rudraprasad, Mudigunda V. Sushma, Aravind Kumar Rengan, Milind N. Naik, Joveeta Joseph
Summary: In this study, the protein cargo of extracellular vesicles (EVs) in Staphylococcus aureus endophthalmitis was characterized using a mouse model. The researchers identified significant differences in the amounts of certain proteins between the infected and control groups. Annexin A5, cathepsin D, and C5a play important roles in the pathogenesis of endophthalmitis and may serve as prognostic markers.
MICROBES AND INFECTION
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Alexandra R. Willis, Hala Tamim El Jarkass, Aaron W. Reinke
Summary: Inherited immunity is the phenomenon where animals can pass on the memory of a previous infection to their offspring, boosting pathogen resistance. However, the mechanisms behind this phenomenon are still largely unknown. This study presents a protocol for studying inherited immunity in the Nematocida parisii-Caenorhabditis elegans infection model, providing methods for infection, generating immune-primed offspring, and assaying resistance to microsporidia infection.
JOVE-JOURNAL OF VISUALIZED EXPERIMENTS
(2022)
Review
Endocrinology & Metabolism
Sara Van Damme, Nathan De Fruyt, Jan Watteyne, Signe Kenis, Katleen Peymen, Liliane Schoofs, Isabel Beets
Summary: Animals must continuously adapt to changes in their environment, with learning and memory playing a crucial role in enhancing survival chances. Neuromodulators, particularly monoamines and neuropeptides, influence learning and memory, though our understanding of their functions remains limited. The conservation of neuromodulatory systems and their effects on learning circuits in invertebrates provide valuable insights for understanding pathways involved in learning and memory.
JOURNAL OF NEUROENDOCRINOLOGY
(2021)
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Brecht Driesschaert, Lucas Mergan, Liesbet Temmerman
Summary: A mechanistic understanding of biology involves appreciating the spatiotemporal aspects of gene expression and its functional implications. Conditional gene expression allows reversible or irreversible switching of genes on or off, providing spatial and/or temporal control for a wider range of research questions across biological disciplines. The use of specific promoters, temperature regimens, compound addition, or illumination grants spatial and/or temporal control, particularly in invertebrate animal models, facilitating the study of biological processes on large scales in short time frames. Recent years have seen exciting expansion and optimization of genetic tool kits in these models, highlighting their mechanisms, applicability, benefits, drawbacks, and future developments.
JOURNAL OF GENETICS AND GENOMICS
(2021)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Louise E. Atkinson, Yang Liu, Fiona McKay, Elke Vandewyer, Charles Viau, Allister Irvine, Bruce A. Rosa, Zihui Li, Qingxiao Liang, Nikki J. Marks, Aaron G. Maule, Makedonka Mitreva, Isabel Beets, Lingjun Li, Angela Mousley
Summary: This study provides the first direct experimental evidence to support an extrasynaptic volume route for neuropeptide transmission in nematodes. The body cavity fluid of the parasitic nematode Ascaris suum contains a catalog of neuropeptides impacting reproductive muscle function and behavior in nematodes. The FMRFamide-like peptide As-FLP-18A dominates the peptidome of As-PCF and activates FLP-18 receptors in C. elegans, suggesting a pan-phylum distribution of FLP-18 and its receptors in nematodes.
ACS CHEMICAL NEUROSCIENCE
(2021)
Article
Cell Biology
Phillip Wibisono, Shawndra Wibisono, Jan Watteyne, Chia-Hui Chen, Durai Sellegounder, Isabel Beets, Yiyong Liu, Jingru Sun
Summary: This study demonstrates that NMUR-1 regulates the expression of immune genes in C. elegans by modulating the activity of transcription factors involved in binding to RNA polymerase II regulatory regions. This finding provides a molecular basis for the specificity of C. elegans innate immunity and could potentially shed light on the specificity of innate immunity in other animals, including mammals.
Article
Genetics & Heredity
Bhavesh S. Parmar, Marlies K. R. Peeters, Kurt Boonen, Ellie C. Clark, Geert Baggerman, Gerben Menschaert, Liesbet Temmerman
Summary: Transcriptome and ribosome sequencing have identified numerous non-canonical transcripts in C. elegans, leading to the discovery of a large number of non-canonical proteins and splice variants through tandem mass spectrometry. Diverse proteomic and peptidomic strategies have also helped in detecting additional novel non-canonical proteins, providing a valuable resource for further research.
FRONTIERS IN GENETICS
(2021)
Article
Geriatrics & Gerontology
Nadine Saul, Ineke Dhondt, Mikko Kuokkanen, Markus Perola, Clara Verschuuren, Brecht Wouters, Henrik von Chrzanowski, Winnok H. De Vos, Liesbet Temmerman, Walter Luyten, Aleksandra Zecic, Tim Loier, Christian Schmitz-Linneweber, Bart P. Braeckman
Summary: In this study, a GWAS was conducted to identify potential genetic factors associated with healthy ageing. Candidate genes were then verified using a model organism, C. elegans, and several genes were found to potentially play a role in maintaining health in the elderly.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Matias Preza, Sven Van Bael, Liesbet Temmerman, Ines Guarnaschelli, Estela Castillo, Uriel Koziol
Summary: This study characterized the neuropeptide complement of the model cestode Hymenolepis microstoma, validating previously predicted neuropeptide precursor genes and discovering novel neuropeptides conserved in parasitic flatworms. It also identified cryptic features and a new population of peripheral peptidergic cells in the nervous system. Additionally, this study characterized Attachin, a SIFamide homolog, and found that it stimulates motility and attachment in larvae of different flatworm species.
JOURNAL OF NEUROCHEMISTRY
(2022)
Article
Geriatrics & Gerontology
Areta Jushaj, Matthew Churgin, Miguel de la Torre, Amanda Kieswetter, Brecht Driesschaert, Ineke Dhondt, Bart P. Braeckman, Christopher Fang-Yen, Liesbet Temmerman
Summary: Understanding healthy aging is a challenge in biogerontology. Although many genes are known to affect lifespan, the effects on healthspan are unclear. A platform called WorMotel was used to study the effects of gene knockdown on locomotive health in Caenorhabditis elegans. Knockdown of six genes affected healthspan without altering lifespan, and knockdown of F26A3.4 and chn-1 improved healthspan. Follow-up experiments confirmed that knockdown of F26A3.4 improved locomotive health and muscle structure in old age.
Article
Biochemical Research Methods
Bram Cockx, Sven Van Bael, Rose Boelen, Elke Vandewyer, Heeseung Yang, Tuan Anh Le, Johnathan J. Dalzell, Isabel Beets, Christina Ludwig, Junho Lee, Liesbet Temmerman
Summary: Neuropeptides play a crucial role in regulating animal physiology and behavior. This study developed a targeted peptidomics method for C.elegans and identified numerous neuropeptides that are more abundant in its dauer stage compared to L3 juveniles. Through further experiments, flp-7 and flp-11 were identified as novel regulators of nictation behavior.
MOLECULAR & CELLULAR PROTEOMICS
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Saurabh Thapliyal, Isabel Beets, Dominique A. Glauser
Summary: Animals integrate multiple inputs to switch between different behavioral states, such as dwelling, scanning, global or glocal search, matching their thermoregulatory and feeding needs. The transition between states involves regulation of various processes, including sensory neuron activity, neuropeptide expression, and circuit responsiveness. Specific neuropeptide signaling acts on inhibitory GPCR(s) to promote scanning or glocal search, bypassing dopamine and glutamate-dependent control. The integration of multimodal context in sensory circuits represents a conserved regulatory logic for flexible prioritization of multiple inputs during persistent behavioral state transitions.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2023)
Article
Biology
Ellen Geens, Pieter Van de Walle, Francesca Caroti, Rob Jelier, Christian Steuwe, Liliane Schoofs, Liesbet Temmerman
Summary: Oviparous animals support reproduction with yolk as a nutrient source. However, in Caenorhabditis elegans, yolk proteins don't affect fecundity, despite being the majority of embryonic protein pool and carriers for nutrient-rich lipids. Yolk provisioning in C. elegans provides temporal advantage during embryogenesis, increases early juvenile body size, and promotes competitive fitness. Unlike other species, C. elegans relies on yolk as a fail-safe for offspring survival rather than maintaining offspring numbers.
LIFE SCIENCE ALLIANCE
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Lucas R. Mergan, Brecht R. Driesschaert, Liesbet R. Temmerman
Summary: Axenic dietary restriction (ADR), where animals feed on (semi-)defined culture medium in the absence of any other lifeform, is a peculiar but potent means of achieving longevity. ADR has been shown to more than double the lifespan of Caenorhabditis elegans, but the underlying mechanism remains unclear and seems distinct from other forms of dietary restriction. Our study focuses on the role of the protein CUP-4 and the coelomocytes, suggesting their involvement in ADR-mediated longevity. However, further investigation is needed to understand the immune function and endocytosis-related processes of the coelomocytes in the context of longevity.