Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Aude Bernheim, Adi Millman, Gal Ofir, Gilad Meitav, Carmel Avraham, Helena Shomar, Masha M. Rosenberg, Nir Tal, Sarah Melamed, Gil Amitai, Rotem Sorek
Summary: Eukaryotic viperins originated from a clade of bacterial and archaeal proteins that protect against phage infection. These proteins produce modified ribonucleotides to combat viruses. Prokaryotic viperins can inhibit T7 phage infection by blocking viral polymerase-dependent transcription.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Satoshi Hiraoka, Tomomi Sumida, Miho Hirai, Atsushi Toyoda, Shinsuke Kawagucci, Taichi Yokokawa, Takuro Nunoura
Summary: In this study, culture-independent "metaepigenomic" analysis using single-molecule real-time sequencing was conducted on marine microbial communities, revealing diverse unexplored DNA modifications and novel alternative specificities in MTases. These findings are significant for understanding the co-evolutionary history of methylation systems and genomes.
NUCLEIC ACIDS RESEARCH
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Jennifer Flechsler, Thomas Heimerl, Harald Huber, Reinhard Rachel, Ivan A. Berg
Summary: Prokaryotic cells are more complex than traditionally believed, with various microcompartments encapsulating metabolic enzymes or pathways. The hyperthermophilic Crenarchaeon Ignicoccus hospitalis possesses unique structures like two membranes and an unknown intermembrane compartment. The compartmentalization of metabolic pathways and information processes in this organism represents a unique example in the prokaryotic world.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
(2021)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Mario Rodriguez Mestre, Linyi Alex Gao, Shiraz A. Shah, Adrian Lopez-Beltran, Alejandro Gonzalez-Delgado, Francisco Martinez-Abarca, Jaime Iranzo, Modesto Redrejo-Rodriguez, Feng Zhang, Nicolas Toro
Summary: Reverse transcriptases (RTs) are enzymes capable of synthesizing DNA using RNA as a template. A burst of research in recent years has led to the discovery of novel prokaryotic RTs with diverse antiviral properties, such as Defense-associated RTs (DRTs) and Abortive Infection system (Abi) RTs. This study systematically analyzed these RTs, identifying 42 highly diverse groups belonging to the unknown RTs (UG) and Abi RTs. Most of these groups are predicted to be functionally associated with other genes or domains and are associated with defense functions and/or mobile genetic elements. Additionally, this study highlights the presence of one of these systems in novel families of human gut viruses. This work lays the foundation for a comprehensive and unified understanding of these highly diverse RTs with enormous biotechnological potential.
NUCLEIC ACIDS RESEARCH
(2022)
Article
Microbiology
Hyunjin Shim, Haridha Shivram, Shufei Lei, Jennifer A. Doudna, Jillian F. Banfield
Summary: The study found a high proportion of ATPase proteins in phage genomes, which increases linearly with genome length, potentially playing a role in the significant consumption of host ATP. Composite ATPase proteins have multiple known functional domains, which may contribute to host energy diversion during mobilome infection.
FRONTIERS IN MICROBIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Leslie A. Rank, Anurag Agrawal, Lei Liu, Yanyu Zhu, Mainak Mustafi, James C. Weisshaar, Samuel H. Gellman
Summary: Synthetic polymers mimicking natural host-defense peptides have demonstrated antibacterial activity with low toxicity towards eukaryotic cells. This study on binary cationic-hydrophobic nylon-3 copolymers found that introducing cyclic constraints and geminal substitution can reduce membrane disruption and enhance antibacterial potency. The relationship between nonpolar subunit identity and biological activity is influenced by factors beyond hydrophobicity and charge.
ACS CHEMICAL BIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Maria Prostova, Evgeniy Shilkin, Alexandra A. Kulikova, Alena Makarova, Sergei Ryazansky, Andrey Kulbachinskiy
Summary: The X family polymerases (PolXs) are a specialized group of DNA polymerases found in all domains of life. This study focuses on the functions and diversity of prokaryotic PolXs, which have been largely unexplored. By analyzing prokaryotic PolXs and conducting biochemical experiments, the researchers identify a group of noncanonical PolXs that lack DNA polymerase activity but retain nuclease activity. These noncanonical PolXs may play a role in DNA processing and repair. The findings suggest an evolutionary conservation of PolX functions in different organisms.
NUCLEIC ACIDS RESEARCH
(2022)
Review
Cell Biology
Zizhu Li, Ying Yi Zhang, Haomiao Zhang, Jiaxuan Yang, Yongze Chen, Hezhe Lu
Summary: Asymmetric cell division is a fundamental process for generating cell diversity and maintaining stem cell populations. In tumor cells, asymmetric division is closely associated with cancer initiation and progression, leading to intratumoral heterogeneity. Studying the relationship between ACD and cancer may provide new approaches for combating cancer heterogeneity.
FRONTIERS IN CELL AND DEVELOPMENTAL BIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Balwina Koopal, Ana Potocnik, Sumanth K. Mutte, Cristian Aparicio-Maldonado, Simon Lindhoud, Jacques J. M. Vervoort, Stan J. J. Brouns, Daan C. Swarts
Summary: In this study, we identified SPARTA as a prokaryotic immune system that reduces cell viability by RNA-guided detection of invading DNA.
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Lakshmeesha K. Nagappa, Wakana Sato, Farzana Alam, Kameshwari Chengan, Christopher M. Smales, Tobias von der Haar, Karen M. Polizzi, Katarzyna P. Adamala, Simon J. Moore
Summary: Cell-free gene expression systems are important tools in synthetic biology and industrial production. This study discovered a new, low-cost and widely available amino acid source that can replace commercial ones in these systems. The method is applicable to various cell-free gene expression systems.
FRONTIERS IN BIOENGINEERING AND BIOTECHNOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Optics
Axin Fan, Tingfa Xu, Jianan Li, Geer Teng, Xi Wang, Yuhan Zhang, Chang Xu
Summary: This paper presents a method for fast reconstruction using full-Stokes polarization and flexible hyperspectral imaging. By combining a quarter-wave plate, a linear polarizer, and a liquid crystal tunable filter, improvements in system complexity and reconstruction efficiency can be achieved, providing innovative conditions for the application of polarization hyperspectral imaging.
OPTICS AND LASERS IN ENGINEERING
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Inorganic & Nuclear
Sotaro Kusumoto, Youssef Atoini, Shunya Masuda, Yoshihiro Koide, Jee Young Kim, Shinya Hayami, Yang Kim, Jack Harrowfield, Pierre Thuery
Summary: N,N,N',N'-tetramethylethane-1,2-diammonioacetate (L1) and N,N,N',N'-tetramethylpropane-1,3-diammonioacetate (L2) are flexible zwitterionic dicarboxylates that serve as ligands for the uranyl ion. These ligands form 12 complexes with various anions, including anionic polycarboxylates and oxo, hydroxo, and chlorido donors. The complexes exhibit different structures and topologies, and some demonstrate significant fluorescence properties.
INORGANIC CHEMISTRY
(2023)
Article
Biology
Hyang-Mi Lee, Jun Ren, Kha Mong Tran, Byeong-Min Jeon, Won-Ung Park, Hyunjoo Kim, Kyung Eun Lee, Yuna Oh, Myungback Choi, Dae-Sung Kim, Dokyun Na
Summary: Lee et al. construct a library of cell-penetrating peptides (CPP) and identify CPPs that can penetrate bacterial cells with minimal or no impact on cell viability. They demonstrate the utility of CPPs in bacterial engineering and provide new possibilities for genetic engineering and other related fields.
COMMUNICATIONS BIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Junfeng Liu, Virginija Cvirkaite-Krupovic, Diana P. Baquero, Yunfeng Yang, Qi Zhang, Yulong Shen, Mart Krupovic
Summary: Archaeal virus STSV2 interferes with the cell cycle of its host Sulfolobus islandicus, leading to giant cell formation and asymmetric division. The CRISPR-Cas system plays a key role in defending against the virus. This study sheds light on how archaeal viruses manipulate host cells.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
(2021)
Review
Energy & Fuels
Hong Xu, Baorui Zhang
Summary: The concept and methodology of traditional Defense in Depth (DID) were challenged in the Fukushima nuclear accident. To strengthen the emergency strategies and nuclear safety, the U.S. Nuclear Energy Institute introduced the concept of Diverse and Flexible Coping Strategies (FLEX) and corresponding guidelines. This theory has been widely accepted and spread among nuclear power generating countries, and it has become a new trend in nuclear engineering research.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Winfried Roseboom, Madhvi G. Nazir, Nils Y. Meiresonne, Tamimount Mohammadi, Jolanda Verheul, Hansuk Buncherd, Alexandre M. J. J. Bonvin, Leo J. de Koning, Chris G. de Koster, Luitzen de Jong, Tanneke den Blaauwen
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2018)
Article
Microbiology
Francesca Borsetti, Fabrizio Dal Piaz, Federico D'Alessio, Alessandra Stefan, Renato Brandimarti, Anindita Sarkar, Ankona Datta, Alejandro Monton Silva, Tanneke den Blaauwen, Mucchi Alberto, Enzo Spisni, Alejandro Hochkoeppler
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Xiaolong Liu, Nils Y. Meiresonne, Ahmed Bouhss, Tanneke den Blaauwen
MOLECULAR MICROBIOLOGY
(2018)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Nils Y. Meiresonne, Elisa Consoli, Laureen M. Y. Mertens, Anna O. Chertkova, Joachim Goedhart, Tanneke den Blaauwen
MOLECULAR MICROBIOLOGY
(2019)
Article
Microbiology
Niccolo More, Alessandra M. Martorana, Jacob Biboy, Christian Otten, Matthias Winkle, Carlos K. Gurnani Serrano, Alejandro Monton Silva, Lisa Atkinson, Hamish Yau, Eefjan Breukink, Tanneke den Blaauwen, Waldemar Vollmer, Alessandra Polissi
Editorial Material
Microbiology
Tanneke den Blaauwen, Joen Luirink
Correction
Microbiology
Tanneke den Blaauwen, Joen Luirink
Article
Microbiology
Begona Monterroso, Silvia Zorrilla, Marta Sobrinos-Sanguino, Miguel Angel Robles-Ramos, Carlos Alfonso, Bill Soderstrom, Nils Y. Meiresonne, Jolanda Verheul, Tanneke den Blaauwen, German Rivas
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Manuel Banzhaf, Hamish C. L. Yau, Jolanda Verheul, Adam Lodge, George Kritikos, Andre Mateus, Baptiste Cordier, Ann Kristin Hov, Frank Stein, Morgane Wartel, Manuel Pazos, Alexandra S. Solovyova, Eefjan Breukink, Sven van Teeffelen, Mikhail M. Savitski, Tanneke den Blaauwen, Athanasios Typas, Waldemar Vollmer
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Nils Y. Meiresonne, Tanneke den Blaauwen
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2020)
Article
Genetics & Heredity
Xiaolong Liu, Jacob Biboy, Elisa Consoli, Waldemar Vollmer, Tanneke den Blaauwen
Article
Infectious Diseases
Jinglan Wang, Laura Alvarez, Silvia Bulgheresi, Felipe Cava, Tanneke den Blaauwen
Summary: Peptidoglycan is crucial for bacterial survival and cell shape maintenance. Research on the gamma proteobacterium Candidatus Thiosymbion oneisti reveals its unique PG composition with high peptide cross-linkage and short glycan chains, as well as the involvement of endopeptidase PBP4 in septum formation. PBP4 shows different beta-lactam selectivity and potential allosteric binding site, suggesting a role in PG cleavage during longitudinal cell division and adaptation to a symbiotic lifestyle.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Elisa Consoli, Joen Luirink, Tanneke den Blaauwen
Summary: In Escherichia coli, the outer membrane assembly machine (BAM) is responsible for folding and inserting integral proteins into the outer membrane of diderm Gram-negative bacteria. The machinery is localized in the lateral wall of E. coli cells and enriched at midcell with specific cell cycle timing.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2021)
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Mohamed Attaibi, Tanneke den Blaauwen
Summary: This review summarizes recent data on the regulation of septal peptidoglycan synthesis and proposes new structural models and interactions. It contributes to the understanding of bacterial fission and its regulatory mechanisms.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2022)
Article
Biology
Nils Y. Meiresonne, Elisa Consoli, Laureen M. Y. Mertens, Tanneke den Blaauwen