Molecular Microbiology Editors

Autophagy and the Mitochondrial Lon1 Protease Are Necessary for Botrytis cinerea Heat Adaptation The destabilization of mitochondria due to the disruption of the Lon1 protease induces cellular damage, including reactive oxygen species (ROS) accumulation, impaired germination, and growth arrest. ....

Zhang et al. show that adaptation of the plant pathogenic fungus Botrytis cinerea to mild heat stress requires both autophagy and the mitochondrial Lon1 protease.
#MicroSky
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Rev1, a translation synthesis DNA polymerase of Candida albicans, binds to PCNA via its BRCT domain and plays a critical role in DNA damage response, but is dispensable for systemic candidiasis.
#MicroSky
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Candida albicans is a major fungal pathogen whose virulence is linked to filamentation. Its relative, C. dubliniensis, filaments less and rarely causes disease . Meza-Davalos et al. explore the regulatory basis for this difference.
#MicroSky
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Characterization of a Novel RNA Polymerase Mutant of Escherichia coli That Confers Thermotolerance and Chaperone Independence Protein homeostasis is perturbed at extremely high growth temperatures and without molecular chaperones or proteases. The protein synthesis-inhibiting branch of the stringent response involves elevat...

Yeh, Kelly, and Misra show that mutations in RNA polymerase (rpoB) mimic the stringent response in the absence of (p)ppGpp and help maintain a healthy proteome under extreme growth temperatures and without molecular chaperones or proteases.
#MicroSky
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Role of the Multicopper Oxidase CueO in Copper Homeostasis Under Anaerobic Conditions in Enterobacteria The periplasmic multicopper oxidase CueO oxidizes cuprous ions (Cu+) to cupric ions (Cu2+), a well-known process typically coupled with oxygen reduction. In this study, we report unexpected anaerobic...

Becam et al. report unexpected anaerobic phenotypes associated with CueO, a periplasmic multicopper oxidase that contributes to copper resistance. This suggests that CueO may use an alternative electron acceptor in the absence of oxygen.
#MicroSky
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graphical abstract showing role of amidotransferase and inhibition by BrO.

Amidotransferases are essential for protein lipoylation in diverse eukaryotes. The selective inhibition by 8-bromooctanoate of amidotransferases from Capsaspora owczarzaki and Plasmodium falciparum reveals a conserved and druggable mechanism.
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Multifaceted Roles of chs Genes in Regulating Cell Growth, Mycelial Morphology, Monascus Pigments and Citrinin Biosynthesis in Monascus purpureus Chitin synthases exhibit distinct protein structures and functional diversity, resulting in differential regulatory effects on the growth and secondary metabolism of M. purpureus. An integrated appro...

Diverse fungal chitin synthases affect the growth and secondary metabolism of Monascus purpureus.
#MicroSky
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Cyclic Di‐AMP Affects Cell Membrane Integrity of Streptococcus pneumoniae When Streptococcus pneumoniae produces low amounts of the second messenger cyclic di-AMP (c-di-AMP), they do not survive in the presence of competence-stimulating peptide (CSP), which is used for tra...

Tiffany Zarrella et al. provide new insights into the role of the bacterial second messenger cyclic di-adenosine monophosphate (c-di-AMP) in maintaining cell envelope homeostasis in Streptococcus pneumoniae.
#MicroSky #cyclic-di-AMP
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An HWE‐Family Histidine Kinase Modulates Brucella Cell Envelope Properties and Host Innate Immune Response The HWE-family histidine kinase PhyK regulates the cell envelope structure of the intracellular pathogen Brucella ovis and affects how the host immune system responds to this bacterium. Deletion of p...

Xingru Chen et al. describe the role of the PhyK orphan kinease in Brucella obis. PhyK is a key regulator of cell envelope properties that can modulate host immune interactions.

#MicroSky #BLAST
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Understanding Cell Communication Among Protozoan Parasites Growing evidence points to the vital role of communication among parasites in coordinating behavior and promoting functional specialization. These interactions significantly impact drug resistance, c...

Natalia de Miguel et al. present a new Review on how protozoan parasites communicate with each other and these processes affect social activities, physiological processes, and disease progression.
#MicroSky #protozoa #parasitology
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In Hyphomicrobium denitrificans Two Related Sulfane‐Sulfur Responsive Transcriptional Repressors Regulate Thiosulfate Oxidation and Have a Deep Impact on Nitrate Respiration and Anaerobic Biosyntheses In Hyphomicrobium denitrificans, the use of thiosulfate as a supplemental electron donor is regulated by two homologous sulfane-sulfur responsive ArsR-type transcriptional repressors, sHdrR and SoxR,...

Li et al. characterize two ArsR-type transcriptional repressors (sHdrR and SoxR) that use conserved cysteines to sense sulfate sulfur!

#MicroSky
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Super useful - thanks all!! Just spent three hours playing with this - really nice to have that data accessible!!

The Mycobacterium tuberculosis Transposon Sequencing Database (MtbTnDB): A Large‐Scale Guide to Genetic Conditional Essentiality Mtb transposon sequencing database is a unified resource for exploring conditional gene essentiality in Mycobacterium tuberculosis. By standardizing over 150 transposon sequencing screens, it enables...

Jinich et al. present an important new resource for the Mtb community!
The Mycobacterium tuberculosis Transposon Sequencing Database (MtbTnDB) is an interactive web resource summarizing 150+ published screens.
#MicroSky #Mycobacterium #tuberculosis
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Staphylococcus aureus COL: An Atypical Model Strain of MRSA That Exhibits Slow Growth and Antibiotic Tolerance due to a Mutation in PRPP Synthetase COL is an unusual “model” strain of Staphylococcus aureus that exhibits slow growth and multidrug antibiotic tolerance. This phenotype is primarily due to a mutation in Prs, which synthesizes the cor...

Stevens et al. describe the molecular basis for increased antibiotic tolerance in S. aureus COL: a prs mutation that reduces PRPP synthetase activity (leading to downregulation of pyrimidine, histidine, and tryptophan synthesis) plays a major role.
#MicroSky
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The Flagellin‐Specific Chaperone FliS of Borrelia burgdorferi Controls the Cytoplasmic Pool of Flagellins at the Level of Translation Initiation, Secretion, and Proteolysis FliS, a flagellin protein chaperon of the Lyme disease pathogen Borrelia burgdorferi, controls the cytoplasmic pool of flagellins (FlaB) at the level of translation initiation, secretion, and proteol...

Sze et al. describe the role of FliS in post-transcriptional regulatory mechanisms governing flagellar assembly in B. burgdorferi, a spirochete with periplasmic flagella.

#MicroSky
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Nice cover @molmicrounihoh.bsky.social features Blastocrithidia nonstop, a trypanosomatid parasite with a non‐canonical genetic code. Associated paper by Slava Yurchenko, Julius Lukes and colleagues describes its genetic transformation: onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...

Multi‐Omics Analysis of Experimentally Evolved Candida auris Isolates Reveals Modulation of Sterols, Sphingolipids, and Oxidative Stress in Acquired Amphotericin B Resistance An overview of resistance mechanisms in two East Asian Candida auris isolates evolved in vitro. The A1.1 strain acquired resistance by enhancing oxidative stress responses through the AOX2, RTG3, and...

Experimental evolution studies reveal that Candida auris acquires amphotericin B resistance by diverse mechanisms; some dependent on and others independent of sterol content modulation.
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FlhG Cooperates With the Cell Cycle Regulator GpsB to Confine Peritrichous Flagella in B. subtilis FlhG (orange, with activator helix in green) regulates peritrichous flagellation in Bacillus subtilis by interacting with the C-ring protein FliY (gray, N-terminus in red) and the cell wall regulator...

Dornes et al. show that Bacillus subtilis GpsB, a cell cycle regulator, can interact simultaneously with FlhG and PBP1. This supports a model in which a GpsB-FlhG interaction localizes flagella biosynthesis to regions of cell wall biosynthesis.
#MicroSky
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Pseudomonas syringae Socially Induced Swimming Motility Requires the Molybdenum Cofactor Pseudomonas syringae swimming motility is induced by proximity to other species of bacteria, leading to the formation of asymmetric colonies. Upper panels show examples of P. syringae and mutants gro...

Yang and Swingle show that Pseudomonas syringae swimming motility is induced by proximity to other bacteria, leading to the formation of asymmetric colonies. This induced social behavior requires Moco.

#MicroSky
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Genome‐Wide Analysis of DtxR and HrrA Regulons Reveals Novel Targets and a High Level of Interconnectivity Between Iron and Heme Regulatory Networks in Corynebacterium glutamicum Iron is essential for life, yet excessive levels can quickly lead to cellular damage via oxidative stress, underscoring the need for global regulators of iron and heme homeostasis. In this study, we ...

In Corynebacterium glutamicum, iron and heme homeostasis are controlled by the global regulators DtxR and HrrA. Here, these two overlapping regions are explored using chromatin affinity purification and sequencing (ChAP-Seq).
#MicroSky
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Heterologous Surface Display Reveals Conserved Complement Inhibition and Functional Diversification of Borrelia burgdorferi Elp Proteins A novel approach using the Pseudomonas syringae ice nucleation protein (INP) system to present Borrelia burgdorferi lipoproteins on the surface of Escherichia coli reveals conservation of complement ...

Hill et al. use the Pseudomonas syringae ice nucleation protein (INP) surface display system to present Borrelia burgdorferi lipoproteins on the surface of E. coli to reveal conservation of complement inhibitory functions.
#MicroSky
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ModE Regulates Alternative Nitrogenase Expression in the Methanogen Methanosarcina acetivorans During nitrogen fixation, the methanogen Methanosarcina acetivorans produces the alternative vanadium-nitrogenase and iron-nitrogenase only when molybdenum is unavailable to support the activity of m....

During nitrogen fixation, the methanogen Methanosarcina acetivorans produces the alternative vanadium-nitrogenase and iron-nitrogenase when molybdenum is unavailable to support the activity of molybdenum-nitrogenase.

#MicroSky
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The Pxp Complex Detoxifies 5‐Oxoproline and Promotes the Growth of Clostridioides difficile 5-Oxoproline (OP) is a toxic by-product of metabolism generated by all organisms. Since OP is ubiquitous, oxoproline detoxification systems are found throughout nature. We demonstrate that the Clostr...

5-oxoproline (OP) a toxic by-product of metabolism generated by all organisms. McBride and colleagues demonstrate that the Clostridioides difficile PxpAGBC system detoxifies OP and allows OP to be used as a nutrient source.
#MicroSky

onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...

Luminal Phospholipase D Attacks Bacterial Membranes in Dictyostelium discoideum Phagosomes This study shows that PldX, a luminal Phospholipase D, is necessary for the efficient destruction of ingested Klebsiella pneumoniae bacteria in Dictyostelium discoideum phagosomes. PldX and the AlyL ...

PldX, a luminal Phospholipase D, is necessary for the efficient destruction of ingested Klebsiella pneumoniae bacteria in Dictyostelium discoideum phagosomes. PldX and the AlyL lysozyme together attack the bacterial membrane and permeabilize it.
#MicroSky

onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...

The Arms Race Between Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae and Its Genetic Environment: A Comprehensive Analysis of Its Defensome and Mobile Genetic Elements Using bioinformatic tools, we identified a diverse defensome in Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae, featuring various defense mechanisms. Genomes show co-occurring systems like CRISPR, Abi, and restrict....

Using bioinformatic tools, the authors identify a diverse defensome in the animal pathogen Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae, featuring various defense mechanisms including CRISPR, Abi, and restriction-modification (RM) systems.
#MicroSky

onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...

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Identification of EppR, a Second Repressor of Error‐Prone DNA Polymerase Genes in Acinetobacter baumannii A novel TetR-like regulator (EppR) has been identified to repress genes encoding DNA polymerase V in Acinetobacter baumannii through the direct binding of a conserved EppR motif in their promoters. E...

Veronica Godoy and coworkers identify a TetR-family regulator of the umuDC and umuC genes in A. baumannii, thereby controlling error-prone DNA synthesis (EppR).
#MicroSky #replication #mutation

onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...

Protein Homeostasis Impairment Alters Phenotypic Heterogeneity of Biofilm Communities In biofilms, genetically identical cells exhibit diverse gene expression, resulting in subpopulations of functionally distinct and coexisting cell types, such as motile cells, extracellular matrix pr....

Matavacas & von Wachenfeldt demonstrate that disruption of protein homeostasis affects B. subtilis biofilms -- dnaK mutants have a reduced motile population and more matrix producers and endospores.
onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...
#MicroSky

Converting Blastocrithidia Nonstop, a Trypanosomatid With Non‐Canonical Genetic Code, Into a Genetically‐Tractable Model Blastocrithidia represents a very small group of species, in which all 3 stop codons are reassigned to encode amino acids with only one of them serving a dual role of a sense and a stop codon simulta...

New RESOURCE article:
Yurchenko et al. introduce powerful genetic tools for Blastocrithidia Nonstop, a protist with an unusual genetic code: all three standard stop codons encode amino acids, with UAA also serving as sole stop codon.
#Microsky #parasitology

onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...

PorA of the Type IX Secretion Is a Ligand of the PorXY Two‐Component Regulatory System in Porphyromonas gingivalis Porphyromonas gingivalis exports several virulent proteins, including gingipain proteinases, via the type 9 secretion system. Expression of several T9SS component proteins is regulated by the PorA-Po...

The C-terminal domain of Porphyromonas gingivalis type IX secretion system (T9SS) cargo protein (PorA) plays a dual role: as a secretion signal directing the secretion of PorA and as a positive regulator of T9SS.
#MicroSky #ECFsigma #T9SS

onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...