Article
Genetics & Heredity
Rafal Kolenda, Katarzyna Sidorczuk, Mateusz Noszka, Adrianna Aleksandrowicz, Muhammad Moman Khan, Michal Burdukiewicz, Derek Pickard, Peter Schierack
Summary: This study delved into the haemolytic phenotype of Escherichia coli and found a high prevalence of adhesins, iron acquisition genes, and toxins in haemolytic bacteria. Different adhesin variants were identified in different analysed groups, indicating varied adhesive capabilities between haemolytic and nonhaemolytic E. coli.
MICROBIAL GENOMICS
(2021)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Yancong Zhang, Amrisha Bhosle, Sena Bae, Lauren J. McIver, Gleb Pishchany, Emma K. Accorsi, Kelsey N. Thompson, Cesar Arze, Ya Wang, Ayshwarya Subramanian, Sean M. Kearney, April Pawluk, Damian R. Plichta, Ali Rahnavard, Afrah Shafquat, Ramnik J. Xavier, Hera Vlamakis, Wendy S. Garrett, Andy Krueger, Curtis Huttenhower, Eric A. Franzosa
Summary: This article investigates the role of microbial communities and their associated bioactive compounds in inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD). It systematically identifies potentially bioactive protein families involved in gut inflammation during IBD and validates their bioactivity using a combination of metagenomics, metatranscriptomics, and metaproteomics. The results provide candidate microbial proteins that interact with the host immune system in IBD, expanding our understanding of potentially bioactive gene products in chronic diseases.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Misun Yun, Sung-Hwan You, Vu Hong Nguyen, Jaya Prakash, Sarah Glasl, Vipul Gujrati, Hyon E. Choy, Andre C. Stiel, Jung-Joon Min, Vasilis Ntziachristos
Summary: The use of optoacoustics imaging with tyrosinase-expressing E. coli allows for improved visualization of cancer-targeting bacteria through melanin production in the tumor microenvironment, enabling longitudinal monitoring of bacterial growth in tumors using multispectral optoacoustic tomography (MSOT).
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2021)
Article
Microbiology
Runzhe Wu, Xunxi Dong, Qiang Wang, Zirui Zhang, Jianhua Wang, Xiao Wang
Summary: The study synthesized D1018M and D1018 peptides with improved activity and found that they exhibited enhanced resistance against proteases; D1018M showed slightly increased antimicrobial activity, and these peptides had low cytotoxicity, strong inhibitory effects on E. coli, and excellent inhibition capacity against LPS-induced proinflammation response.
FRONTIERS IN MICROBIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Gastroenterology & Hepatology
Heloise Chat, Guillaume Dalmasso, Catherine Godfraind, Virginie Bonnin, Racha Beyrouthy, Mathilde Bonnet, Nicolas Barnich, Amel Mettouchi, Emmanuel Lemichez, Richard Bonnet, Julien Delmas
Summary: This study found that colorectal cancer patients are often colonized by colibactin-producing Escherichia coli (CoPEC) bacteria, and half of the CoPEC bacteria also contain the cnf1 gene, which enhances their impact on eukaryotic cells. Mutations containing both the colibactin and cnf1 genes induced higher levels of inflammation and senescence markers compared to mutations containing only the colibactin gene. Additionally, mice inoculated with the mutation containing both genes developed significantly fewer tumors and had a changed microbiota composition.
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Daniel S. C. Butler, Caterina Cafaro, Johannes Putze, Murphy Lam Yim Wan, Thi Hien Tran, Ines Ambite, Shahram Ahmadi, Sven Kjellstrom, Charlotte Welinder, Sing Ming Chao, Ulrich Dobrindt, Catharina Svanborg
Summary: Bacterial protease can inhibit c-MYC protein in human cells, which leads to suppression of tumor cell proliferation and activity. This study provides a new direction and hope for targeted therapy of c-MYC.
NATURE BIOTECHNOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Gastroenterology & Hepatology
Vadim Dubinsky, Leah Reshef, Keren Rabinowitz, Nir Wasserberg, Iris Dotan, Uri Gophna
Summary: This study reveals that Escherichia coli is a commensal species adapted to the overactive mucosal immune milieu in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) rather than causing it. Mutations that may lead to attenuated antigenicity in some E. coli strains are also identified.
JOURNAL OF CROHNS & COLITIS
(2022)
Article
Infectious Diseases
Michael Kresken, Esther Wohlfarth, Chase Weikel, Deborah Butler, Yvonne Pfeifer, Guido Werner, Paul Ehrlich Soc Infection Therapy
Summary: Gepotidacin demonstrated promising in vitro activity against urine isolates of E. coli, including ciprofloxacin-resistant isolates, ESBL-producing isolates, and isolates resistant to oral standard-of-care antibiotics.
JOURNAL OF ANTIMICROBIAL CHEMOTHERAPY
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Helena Massana-Cid, Claudio Maggi, Giacomo Frangipane, Roberto Di Leonardo
Summary: Optical feedback can be used to confine and gather bacteria, forming dense high-activity regions. This method is general and scalable, making it versatile for microengineering applications and studying non-equilibrium phenomena in active systems.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2022)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Xinyi Tong, Zhipeng Qi, Daiyi Zheng, Jianjun Pei, Qi Li, Linguo Zhao
Summary: The novel beta-xylosidase Dt-2286 from Dictyoglomus turgidum showed high yield and excellent thermostability, as well as multifunctionality and good synergistic effects, making it suitable for various practical applications.
BIOORGANIC CHEMISTRY
(2021)
Article
Immunology
Yuan Shen, Zhiguo Gong, Shuangyi Zhang, Jinshan Cao, Wei Mao, Yuan Yao, Jiamin Zhao, Qianru Li, Kun Liu, Bo Liu, Shuang Feng
Summary: This study investigated the role of NLRP3 in regulating the inflammatory response in E. coli infection-induced mice. The results showed that TLR2-deficient, TLR4-deficient, and NLRP3-deficient mice had reduced liver damage and decreased production of TNF-α and IL-1β compared to wild-type mice. Macrophages from NLRP3-deficient mice also showed reduced secretion of TNF-α and IL-1β in response to stimulation. These findings suggest that NLRP3 plays a critical role in the host inflammatory response to E. coli infection.
INTERNATIONAL IMMUNOPHARMACOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Medicine, Research & Experimental
Tayyab Rehman, Philip H. Karp, Ping Tan, Brian J. Goodell, Alejandro A. Pezzulo, Andrew L. Thurman, Ian M. Thornell, Samantha L. Durfey, Michael E. Duffey, David A. Stoltz, Edward F. McKone, Pradeep K. Singh, Michael J. Welsh
Summary: Inflammation plays a key role in regulating HCO3- secretion in CF airways, affecting the pH of ASL. The study shows that inflammation leads to an increase in ASL pH, and CFTR modulators can further alkalize ASL. These findings suggest that airway inflammation is an important determinant of the response to CFTR modulators in CF airways.
JOURNAL OF CLINICAL INVESTIGATION
(2021)
Article
Immunology
Nadghia F. Leite-Sampaio, Cicera Natalia F. L. Gondim, Celestina E. Sobral de Souza, Henrique D. M. Coutinho
Summary: This study investigated the antibacterial and antimicrobial modulating activity of alpha-pinene and borneol against Escherichia coli and enteropathogenic and enterotoxigenic serotypes. The results showed that alpha-pinene and borneol exhibited low antimicrobial action against multidrug-resistant Escherichia coli, but no antimicrobial activity was observed against enteropathogenic and enterotoxigenic serotypes. A synergistic action of borneol with ciprofloxacin against enterotoxigenic serotypes was noted.
MICROBIAL PATHOGENESIS
(2022)
Article
Agriculture, Multidisciplinary
Hyun Seung Lim, Seong Keun Kim, Seung-Gyun Woo, Tae Hyun Kim, Soo-Jin Yeom, Wonshik Yong, Yoon-Joo Ko, Soo-Jung Kim, Seung-Goo Lee, Dae-Hee Lee
Summary: A novel bisabolol synthase (CcBOS) was identified in globe artichoke, showing higher catalytic efficiency and production rates than previously reported synthases. In fed-batch fermentation, CcBOS achieved the highest reported bisabolol titer to date, indicating potential for economically viable industrial production.
JOURNAL OF AGRICULTURAL AND FOOD CHEMISTRY
(2021)
Article
Biology
Yamal Al-ramahi, Akos Nyerges, Yago Margolles, Lidia Cerdan, Gyorgyi Ferenc, Csaba Pal, Luis Angel Fernandez, Victor de Lorenzo
Summary: The study utilized ssDNA recombineering and bacterial surface display to evolve a nanobody recognizing the EHEC antigen TirM towards the EPEC antigen TirM by targeting the CDRs of the VHH gene sequence. This method demonstrated the power of combining bacterial evolutionary properties with oligonucleotide synthesis to focus diversification on specific gene segments of interest, bypassing the need for laborious cloning and mutagenesis procedures.
COMMUNICATIONS BIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Psychology, Developmental
Ulrike Ravens-Sieberer, Anne Kaman, Michael Erhart, Christiane Otto, Janine Devine, Constanze Loeffler, Klaus Hurrelmann, Monika Bullinger, Claus Barkmann, Nico A. Siegel, Anja M. Simon, Lothar H. Wieler, Robert Schlack, Heike Hoelling
Summary: The German COPSY study is a longitudinal study that examines the mental health impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on children and adolescents. The study found that during the pandemic, the health-related quality of life (HRQoL) of children and adolescents decreased, and there was an increase in emotional problems, peer-related mental health problems, anxiety, depressive symptoms, and psychosomatic complaints. Socially disadvantaged children and children of mentally burdened parents were more at risk of impaired mental health, while female gender and older age were associated with fewer mental health problems. A positive family climate and social support supported the mental health of children and adolescents during the pandemic.
EUROPEAN CHILD & ADOLESCENT PSYCHIATRY
(2023)
Editorial Material
Gastroenterology & Hepatology
Lea-Maxie Haag, Britta Siegmund
Article
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
Andre Hajek, Freia De Bock, Christina Merkel, Sarah Eitze, Cornelia Betsch, Michael Bosnjak, Lothar H. Wieler, Hans-Helmut Koenig
Summary: This study aimed to shed light on attitudes towards influenza vaccination in Germany in 2021/2022 based on the COSMO survey. The results showed that about one-third of respondents and healthcare workers plan to get a flu shot this year. Among the at-risk group of people aged 60 and older, more than half plan to get vaccinated. Correlates, such as gender, were identified, with women having a lower likelihood of planning to get a flu shot. The study concludes that physicians should inform women, especially during the pandemic, about the advantages of influenza vaccination and communicate the proven protective effect convincingly.
Article
Medical Laboratory Technology
Ines Schneider, Clarissa Allner, Laura Muehl, Michaela Melde, Donata Lissner, Eleni Mantzivi, Rainer Glauben, Francesco Vitali, Emily Becker, Imke Atreya, Raja Atreya, Tanja M. Mueller, Britta Siegmund, Markus F. Neurath, Sebastian Zundler
Summary: Inflammatory bowel diseases require constant therapy, but many patients do not respond to available treatments. Previous research suggested that the expression and function of the alpha 4 beta 7 integrin on T cells correlate to outcomes of therapy with vedolizumab. This study further confirmed the potential of alpha 4 beta 7 integrin to predict the efficacy of vedolizumab therapy.
TRANSLATIONAL RESEARCH
(2023)
Article
Physiology
Dorothee Guenzel
Summary: The concept of solvent drag involves the frictional coupling between water and solutes in the same pore for transport. It has been applied to transport processes across cell membranes and along the paracellular pathway. Water-driven solute transport has been proposed as the major mechanism for absorption in the small intestine and reabsorption in the renal proximal tubule. However, the discovery of aquaporins and the claudin protein family has led to a reassessment of the solvent drag concept for transepithelial water and solute transport.
PFLUGERS ARCHIV-EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF PHYSIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Biology
Sumeet K. Tiwari, Boas C. L. van der Putten, Thilo M. Fuchs, Trung N. Vinh, Martin Bootsma, Rik Oldenkamp, Roberto La Ragione, Sebastien Matamoros, Ngo T. Hoa, Christian Berens, Joy Leng, Julio Alvarez, Marta Ferrandis-Vila, Jenny M. Ritchie, Angelika Fruth, Stefan Schwarz, Lucas Dominguez, Maria Ugarte-Ruiz, Astrid Bethe, Charlotte Huber, Vanessa Johanns, Ivonne Stamm, Lothar H. Wieler, Christa Ewers, Amanda Fivian-Hughes, Herbert Schmidt, Christian Menge, Torsten Semmler, Constance Schultsz
Summary: This study analyzes the genetic determinants of host specificity in E. coli and identifies specific genes associated with different hosts. The nan-9 gene cluster shows a strong association with the human host, while previously known sialic acid regulon genes show no significant association with any host.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Felix Clemens Richter, Matthias Friedrich, Nadja Kampschulte, Klara Piletic, Ghada Alsaleh, Ramona Zummach, Julia Hecker, Mathilde Pohin, Nicholas Ilott, Irina Guschina, Sarah Karin Wideman, Errin Johnson, Mariana Borsa, Paula Hahn, Christophe Morriseau, Bruce D. Hammock, Henk Simon Schipper, Claire M. Edwards, Rudolf Zechner, Britta Siegmund, Carl Weidinger, Nils Helge Schebb, Fiona Powrie, Anna Katharina Simon
Summary: Lipids play a major role in inflammatory diseases through altering inflammatory cell functions. Autophagy, a lysosomal degradation pathway, is found to regulate lipid availability, which affects inflammation. Loss of autophagy gene Atg7 in adipocytes exacerbates intestinal inflammation by causing an imbalance of oxylipins, reducing IL-10 secretion, and exacerbating intestinal inflammation through the cytochrome P450-EPHX pathway.
Editorial Material
Gastroenterology & Hepatology
Carl Weidinger, Britta Siegmund
INFLAMMATORY BOWEL DISEASES
(2023)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Julian Friebel, Katina Schinnerling, Kathleen Weigt, Claudia Heldt, Anja Fromm, Christian Bojarski, Britta Siegmund, Hans-Joerg Epple, Judith Kikhney, Annette Moter, Thomas Schneider, Joerg D. Schulzke, Verena Moos, Michael Schumann
Summary: Tropheryma whipplei (TW) can enter intestinal epithelial cells via an actin-, dynamin-, caveolin-, and Ras-Rac1-dependent endocytosis mechanism, leading to apoptosis and barrier defect. TW may also enter intestinal macrophages through phagocytic uptake. These findings are important for understanding the mechanisms of TW crossing the intestinal epithelial barrier and causing gastroenteritis.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2023)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Yasmina Rodriguez-Sillke, Michael Schumann, Donata Lissner, Federica Branchi, Fabian Proft, Ulrich Steinhoff, Britta Siegmund, Rainer Glauben
Summary: By analyzing patients with celiac disease and inflammatory bowel disease, it was found that antigen-specific effector T-cells can respond to barrier disruption and antigen translocation in the peripheral blood. Using antigen-reactive T-cell enrichment technique, it was observed that the frequency and phenotype of nutritional antigen-specific T-cells correlated to the presence of intestinal inflammation in patients with Celiac disease and Crohn's disease. These findings suggest that active small intestinal inflammation is crucial for the development of a peripheral food antigen-specific T-cell response in Crohn's disease and celiac disease.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2023)
Review
Urology & Nephrology
Luca Meoli, Dorothee Guenzel
Summary: Sequential expression of claudins in the nephron mirrors the sequential expression of ion channels and transporters, contributing to the maintenance of electrolyte and water homeostasis. The regulation and dysregulation of claudins have been extensively studied in the gastrointestinal tract, but their role in the kidney is only just emerging. Investigating the role of claudins in kidney diseases may provide insights into potential prognostic markers or druggable targets.
NATURE REVIEWS NEPHROLOGY
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Matthias Wuttke, Eva Koenig, Maria-Alexandra Katsara, Holger Kirsten, Saeed Khomeijani Farahani, Alexander Teumer, Yong Li, Martin Lang, Burulca Goecmen, Cristian Pattaro, Dorothee Guenzel, Anna Koettgen, Christian Fuchsberger
Summary: A genotype imputation approach was applied to whole exome sequencing data from the UK Biobank, resulting in the discovery of 158 rare variants and 105 genes significantly associated with kidney function traits. This approach boosts statistical power and provides a comprehensive resource for directing experimental and clinical studies of kidney disease.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2023)
Review
Gastroenterology & Hepatology
Ferdinando D'Amico, Fernando Magro, Britta Siegmund, Taku Kobayashi, Paulo Gustavo Kotze, Virginia Solitano, Benedicte Caron, Sameer Al Awadhi, Ailsa Hart, Vipul Jairath, Axel Dignass, Laurent Peyrin-Biroulet, Silvio Danese
Summary: This article conducted a systematic review to investigate the role of disease clearance, defined as a composite outcome including simultaneous clinical, endoscopic, and histologic remission of disease, in the management of ulcerative colitis (UC) patients. Based on literature data, statements regarding disease clearance were developed and voted on by members of the International Organization for the Study of Inflammatory Bowel Diseases (IOIBD) using a Delphi methodology. A definition of disease clearance was proposed to standardize its use in clinical practice and trials and to provide practical recommendations for its implementation as a therapeutic target in UC.
INFLAMMATORY BOWEL DISEASES
(2023)
Article
Medical Informatics
Anatol-Fiete Naeher, Carina N. Vorisek, Sophie A. Klopfenstein, Moritz Lehne, Sylvia Thun, Shada Alsalamah, Sameer Pujari, Dominik Heider, Wolfgang Ahrens, Iris Pigeot, Georg Marckmann, Mirjam A. Jenny, Bernhard Y. Renard, Max von Kleist, Lothar H. Wieler, Felix Balzer, Linus Grabenhenrich
Summary: Substantial opportunities for global health intelligence and research can be achieved through the combined and optimised use of secondary data within data ecosystems. This includes data from emerging sources such as the internet, wearables, mobile phone apps, electronic health records, and genome sequencing. Guidance on available sources and approaches for processing secondary data, as well as criteria for assessing reusability, can support policy decision making and improve early detection and prevention of emerging health threats.
LANCET DIGITAL HEALTH
(2023)
Article
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
Benjamin F. Maier, Annika H. Rose, Angelique Burdinski, Pascal Klamser, Hannelore Neuhauser, Ole Wichmann, Lars Schaade, Lothar H. Wieler, Dirk Brockmann
Summary: After the winter of 2021/2022, a considerable number of people in Germany have been infected with or vaccinated against the SARS-CoV-2 variant. However, due to under-reporting and unknown overlap between the vaccinated and recovered populations, the exact extent is difficult to estimate. This study provides estimates of the share of immunologically naive individuals in each age group for the German population by integrating infectious-disease modeling and vaccine uptake data. The study shows that a significant proportion of the population in Germany remains immunologically naive, highlighting the impact of the Omicron waves.
EPIDEMIOLOGY AND INFECTION
(2023)