Fabrice Jean-Pierre

New in JB: Roman-Rodriguez, Boyd et al. show that in the battle between P. aeruginosa and S. aureus, Staph can adapt to HQNO-mediated targeting of its respiratory pathway by increasing flux thru its fermentative pathways.
journals.asm.org/doi/10.1128/...
@asm.org #JBacteriology

New in JB: Dietrich Nies reviews the mechanisms that bacteria use to control metal homeostasis and prevent mismethylation using zinc as a model metal and Cupriavidus metallidurans as the model microbe. (always fun to see a single author pub!)
journals.asm.org/doi/10.1128/...
@asm.org #JBacteriology

Transcriptional and metabolic modeling analyses of developing Aspergillus fumigatus biofilms reveal metabolic shifts required for biofilm maturation | mSphere Aspergillus fumigatus is the most common etiological agent of a collection of diseases termed aspergillosis. Chronic and invasive manifestations of aspergillosis are highlighted by the development of biofilm-like structures on and in tissue. These biofilm structures are resistant to contemporary antifungal drugs, even for strains that are susceptible by standard antimicrobial susceptibility testing methods. Consequently, understanding the mechanisms by which A. fumigatus induces, develops, and maintains biofilms to evade antifungal therapies is expected to illuminate biofilm-specific therapeutic targets. Here, we identify genes involved in fungal fermentation and regulation of transcription as important mediators of A. fumigatus biofilm development.

“Transcriptional and metabolic modeling analyses of developing Aspergillus fumigatus biofilms reveal metabolic shifts required for biofilm maturation”

#microsky

In a manuscript on BioRxiv, we describe experiments exploring the culturome of the gut of adults with CF and in health, revealing an interesting redistribution of the microbes in the lumen vs. mucosa. The study is led by Sarvesh Surve a PhD student in my lab.
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...

JB Editor's Choice: Anderson, Khursigara et al. review the role of peptidoglycomics in understanding the structure and function of peptidoglycan.
journals.asm.org/doi/10.1128/...
@asm.org #JBacteriology

Remodelling of cystic fibrosis respiratory microbiota in response to extended Elexacaftor/Tezacaftor/Ivacaftor therapy Background: Cystic fibrosis (CF) has profoundly changed since the introduction of CF Transmembrane Conductance Regulator modulator therapies (CFTRmt), a class of medications that improve function of t...

Excited to share our new work comparing the impact of long-term CFTR modulator therapy on #CF lung pathogens & respiratory microbiome within a large, multi-centre & multi-national cohort of adults living with #cysticfibrosis

www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1...

Metabolic interplay drives population cycles in a cross-feeding microbial community - Nature Communications Here the authors leverage a crossfeeding, engineered microbial community to demonstrate that strain abundance cycles are robust across environmental conditions. They pair this with a nonlinear dynamic model to elucidate population cycles.

Metabolic interplay drives population cycles in a cross-feeding microbial community

@natcomms.nature.com from @oventurelli2.bsky.social

www.nature.com/articles/s41...

JB Editor's Choice: Endres, Lehman et al. use a cool genetic selection to help identify 4 different pyruvate transporters in S. aureus, indicating the importance of this substrate for this microbe.
journals.asm.org/doi/10.1128/...
@asm.org #JBacteriology

CFTR modulator therapy drives microbiome restructuring through improved host physiology in cystic fibrosis: the IMMProveCF phase IV trial - Nature Communications Here, in a clinical trial, the authors show that CFTR-modulator therapy reshapes the lung and gut microbiomes in cystic fibrosis, reducing bacteria such as Staphylococcus in the lungs and Escherichia ...

“CFTR modulator therapy drives microbiome restructuring through improved host physiology in cystic fibrosis: the IMMProveCF phase IV trial” #microsky

www.nature.com/articles/s41...

Excited to share new work from Sarvesh Surve examining the gut microbiota of adults with CF using colonoscopy samples and a culturomics approach. We note continued depletion of Bacteroidota (which we noted in kids) & enrichment of aerobes in the mucosa of pwCF.
pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41256617/

The newest issue of JB is out! This month's issue has article on topics including bacterial pseudo-receiver domains, B. frag/B.theta as model bugs, peptidoglycomics, pyruvate transport in Staph, "swashing" motility, and more! Check it out!
journals.asm.org/toc/jb/207/11

Intracellular competition shapes plasmid population dynamics From populations of multicellular organisms to selfish genetic elements, conflicts between levels of biological organization are central to evolution. Plasmids are extrachromosomal, self-replicating g...

Hot off the press! Our latest paper led by @fernpizza.bsky.social, understanding how plasmids evolve inside cells. These small, self-replicating DNA circles live inside bacteria and carry antibiotic resistance genes, but also compete with one another to replicate. 1/
www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...

Apply now to attend the next EMBO Bacterial Networks meeting #EMBOBacNet

🗓️13-18 September 2026
📍Sant Feliu de Guixols, Spain

📝Program and registration info: meetings.embo.org/event/26-bac...

👩‍🔬Organised with co-chair @s-lab.bsky.social and ECR @coralietesseur.bsky.social

#MicroSky

Why does daptomycin resistance appear so fast in Enterococcus? We finally have a clue.

DAP resistance in enterococci pops up quickly. What’s been missing is why resistance-associated membrane changes look the way they do, and why the classic path of mutations is so predictable.

Program Officer - Science Education Alliance Primary Work Address: 4000 Jones Bridge Road, Chevy Chase, MD, 20815 Current HHMI Employees, click here to apply via your Workday account. HHMI is focused on supporting and moving science forward in a...

Pls share: HHMI - Program Officer - Science Education Alliance
hhmi.wd1.myworkdayjobs.com/en-US/Extern...

We're hiring! My dept. is looking for a candidate with a research program focusing on plant systems. All areas of molecular and cellular biology research will be considered. Not sure if you'd fit? Reach out to me. Please share! #microsky

Bacteria export alarmone synthetases that produce (p)ppApp and (p)ppGpp | mBio Alarmone synthetases are intracellular enzymes that promote bacterial survival by responding to environmental stress. Although extracellular alarmone production has been reported in Streptomyces, the ...

Bacteria export alarmone synthetases that produce (p)ppApp and (p)ppGpp 🦠🤯

From Boyuan Wang and John Whitney

journals.asm.org/doi/10.1128/...

Thanks, George!

(A) Electrophoretic mobility shift assay (EMSA) of labeled Ip89 ospC operator, without (−) and with (+) cytoplasmic extract from strain B31. The asterisk indicates shifted probe that was present only when borrelial extract was included, indicating presence of a DNA-binding component. Unbound DNA is indicated by “free.” Some labeled DNA probe remained in the wells of the gel. (B) Cytoplasmic extract from strain B31 was incubated with Ip89 ospC operator DNA affixed to beads, eluted with increasing concentrations of NaCl, and eluates were separated by SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. Lanes are labeled with the concentration of NaCl used for that elution. The arrow indicated a protein band of 30 to 35 kDa that eluted in the 0.3 and 0.5 mM NaCl washes. (C) Amino acid sequence of GyrA and Gac (the two potential initiation methionines of Gac are indicated by boldface and underlining). Mass spectrometry identified nine unique peptides that all mapped to the Gac ORF. Peptides identified with high confidence are shaded green, and those with lower confidence are red. (D) Predicted structures of B. burgdorferi Gac and GyrA proteins, as determined by AlphaFold (https://alphafold.ebi.ac.uk). Both are consistent with the solved structures of B. burgdorferi Gac and the N-terminal domain of E. coli GyrA (https://www.rcsb.org/structure/4ckk).

Gac Is a Transcriptional Repressor of the Lyme Disease Spirochete's OspC Virulence-Associated Surface Protein

Castro-Padovani, Saylor, Husted, Krusenstjerna, Jusufovic, and Stevenson
2023, J Bacteriol, 205:e0044022.
doi: 10.1128/jb.00440-22
pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36920207/
#MicroSky

Functional CFTR may be required for Prevotella melaninogenica regulation of epithelial cell defense against Staphylococcus aureus - PubMed P. melaninogenica enhanced neutrophil and epithelial defense against S. aureus, but the benefits of epithelial cell regulation by P. melaninogenica were lost with CFTR dysfunction. CFTR modulators rescued P. melaninogenica responsiveness in epithelial cells, highlighting the potential for synergisti …

"Functional CFTR may be required for Prevotella melaninogenica regulation of epithelial cell defense against Staphylococcus aureus"

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41198444/
#microsky

Prevotella is the clear favorite of the 4-member cookie community (not like I’m surprised) @bassamhafi.bsky.social @fabricejpierre.bsky.social

Finally! Prevotella is getting the love it deserves :-)

An update on my column: Parliamentary committee drops most contentious parts of its demand for data on research funding. It now wants aggregated, not disaggregated data. www.theglobeandmail.com/opinion/arti...

Le BiSP/Micrhub est sur le point de débuter à @usherbrooke.bsky.social ! Deux jours de microbiologie/bactériologie seront à l’honneur en plus d’avoir deux keynotes @lalouxlab.bsky.social et @bjesseshapiro.bsky.social. Nous avons hâte de vous accueillir! @micrhub.bsky.social #microsky

We should be paying more attention to this situation. An online letter has been put together and is being circulated to stop this data from being disclosed. Please sign the online letter here, if you are comfortable: docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1F...

The 10th ASM Conference on Biofilms is one week away in Portland, Oregon (11/09-13/25)! Looking forward to seeing many biofilm community members and catching up on the amazing research underway in labs around the world! There is still time to register! #ASMBiofilms

New in JB: A minireview from my team, led by a recently graduated PhD student Kaitlyn Barrack, compares the microbiota and physiology of the CF gut with features of the gut in inflammatory bowel disease - there are many similarities!
journals.asm.org/doi/10.1128/...
@asm.org #JBacteriology

Lots of fun in the Bio dept @usherbrooke.bsky.social today! Pumpkin carving and best Halloween costume competition across labs. Can you guess our lab’s costume theme? #microsky

Canadian researchers should be aware the there is a motion before the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Science and Research to force Tricouncils to hand over disaggregated peer review data on all applications:
Applicant names, profiles, demographics
Reviewers names, profiles, comments, and scores

O'Toole lab alum doing well at NACFC! Fabrice Jean-Pierre led the session on polymicrobial infections in CF and Rebcca Valls gave a talk that was a top 5 finalist for best jr abstract! Great to see DartCF people doing so well!