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International Journal of Molecular... Oct 2023The co-culturing of microorganisms is a well-known strategy to study microbial interactions in the laboratory. This approach facilitates the identification of new...
The co-culturing of microorganisms is a well-known strategy to study microbial interactions in the laboratory. This approach facilitates the identification of new signals and molecules produced by one species that affects other species' behavior. In this work, we have studied the effects of the interaction of nine species (, , , , , , , , and ) with the predator bacteria , five of which (, , , , and ) induce mound formation of on complex media (Casitone Yeast extract (CYE) and Casitone tris (CTT); media on which does not form these aggregates under normal culture conditions. An in-depth study on - interactions (the strain producing the strongest effect) has allowed the identification of two siderophores produced by , demethylenenocardamine and nocardamine, responsible for this grouping effect over . Experiments using pure commercial nocardamine and different concentrations of FeSO show that iron depletion is responsible for the behavior of . Additionally, it was found that molecules, smaller than 3 kDa, produced by can induce the production of DK-xanthenes by .
Topics: Myxococcus; Myxococcus xanthus; Streptomyces; Microbial Interactions; Iron
PubMed: 37958645
DOI: 10.3390/ijms242115659 -
Nature Communications Sep 2023Peptidoglycan (PG) defines cell shape and protects bacteria against osmotic stress. The growth and integrity of PG require coordinated actions between synthases that...
Peptidoglycan (PG) defines cell shape and protects bacteria against osmotic stress. The growth and integrity of PG require coordinated actions between synthases that insert new PG strands and hydrolases that generate openings to allow the insertion. However, the mechanisms of their coordination remain elusive. Moenomycin that inhibits a family of PG synthases known as Class-A penicillin-binding proteins (aPBPs), collapses rod shape despite aPBPs being non-essential for rod-like morphology in the bacterium Myxococcus xanthus. Here, we demonstrate that inhibited PBP1a2, an aPBP, accelerates the degradation of cell poles by DacB, a hydrolytic PG peptidase. Moenomycin promotes the binding between DacB and PG and thus reduces the mobility of DacB through PBP1a2. Conversely, DacB also regulates the distribution and dynamics of aPBPs. Our findings clarify the action of moenomycin and suggest that disrupting the coordination between PG synthases and hydrolases could be more lethal than eliminating individual enzymes.
Topics: Peptidoglycan; Bambermycins; Nitric Oxide Synthase; Peptide Hydrolases; Cell Wall; Myxococcus xanthus; Penicillin-Binding Proteins
PubMed: 37660104
DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-41082-3 -
RSC Chemical Biology Nov 20238-Azido-3,8-dideoxy-α/β-d--oct-2-ulosonic acid (Kdo-8-N) is a Kdo derivative used in metabolic labeling of lipopolysaccharide (LPS) structures found on the cell...
8-Azido-3,8-dideoxy-α/β-d--oct-2-ulosonic acid (Kdo-8-N) is a Kdo derivative used in metabolic labeling of lipopolysaccharide (LPS) structures found on the cell membrane of Gram-negative bacteria. Several studies have reported successful labeling of LPS using Kdo-8-N and visualization of LPS by a fluorescent reagent through click chemistry on a selection of Gram-negative bacteria such as strains, , and . Motivated by the promise of Kdo-8-N to be useful in the investigation of LPS biosynthesis and cell surface labeling across different strains, we set out to explore the variability in nature and efficiency of LPS labeling using Kdo-8-N in a variety of strains and serotypes. We optimized the chemical synthesis of Kdo-8-N and subsequently used Kdo-8-N to metabolically label pathogenic strains from commercial and clinical origin. Interestingly, different extents of labeling were observed in different strains, which seemed to be dependent also on growth media, and the majority of labeled LPS appears to be of the 'rough' LPS variant, as visualized using SDS-PAGE and fluorescence microscopy. This knowledge is important for future application of Kdo-8-N in the study of LPS biosynthesis and dynamics, especially when working with clinical isolates.
PubMed: 37920390
DOI: 10.1039/d3cb00110e -
Bio-protocol Jul 2023In the environment, bacteria compete for niche occupancy and resources; they have, therefore, evolved a broad variety of antibacterial weapons to destroy competitors....
In the environment, bacteria compete for niche occupancy and resources; they have, therefore, evolved a broad variety of antibacterial weapons to destroy competitors. Current laboratory techniques to evaluate antibacterial activity are usually labor intensive, low throughput, costly, and time consuming. Typical assays rely on the outgrowth of colonies of prey cells on selective solid media after competition. Here, we present fast, inexpensive, and complementary optimized protocols to qualitatively and quantitively measure antibacterial activity. The first method is based on the degradation of a cell-impermeable chromogenic substrate of the β-galactosidase, a cytoplasmic enzyme released during lysis of the attacked reporter strain. The second method relies on the lag time required for the attacked cells to reach a defined optical density after the competition, which is directly dependent on the initial number of surviving cells. Key features First method utilizes the release of β-galactosidase as a proxy for bacterial lysis. Second method is based on the growth timing of surviving cells. Combination of two methods discriminates between cell death and lysis, cell death without lysis, or survival to quasi-lysis. Methods optimized to various bacterial species such as , and . Graphical overview.
PubMed: 37449039
DOI: 10.21769/BioProtoc.4706 -
ACS Applied Bio Materials Jun 2024Protein compartments offer definitive structures with a large potential design space that are of particular interest for green chemistry and therapeutic applications....
Protein compartments offer definitive structures with a large potential design space that are of particular interest for green chemistry and therapeutic applications. One family of protein compartments, encapsulins, are simple prokaryotic nanocompartments that self-assemble from a single monomer into selectively permeable cages of between 18 and 42 nm. Over the past decade, encapsulins have been developed for a diverse application portfolio utilizing their defined cargo loading mechanisms and repetitive surface display. Although it has been demonstrated that encapsulation of non-native cargo proteins provides protection from protease activity, the thermal effects arising from enclosing cargo within encapsulins remain poorly understood. This study aimed to establish a methodology for loading a reporter protein into thermostable encapsulins to determine the resulting stability change of the cargo. Building on previous reassembly studies, we first investigated the effectiveness of reassembly and cargo-loading of two size classes of encapsulins = 1 and = 3, using superfolder Green Fluorescent Protein. We show that the empty capsid reassembles with higher yield than the capsid and that loading promotes the formation of the = 3 capsid form over the = 1 form, while overloading with cargo results in malformed = 1 encapsulins. For the stability study, a Förster resonance energy transfer (FRET)-probed industrially relevant enzyme cargo, transketolase, was then loaded into the encapsulin. Our results show that site-specific orthogonal FRET labels can reveal changes in thermal unfolding of encapsulated cargo, suggesting that loading of transketolase into the = 1 encapsulin shell increases the thermal stability of the enzyme. This work supports the move toward fully harnessing structural, spatial, and functional control of assembled encapsulins with applications in cargo stabilization.
Topics: Transketolase; Enzyme Stability; Particle Size; Thermotoga maritima; Materials Testing; Biocompatible Materials
PubMed: 38835217
DOI: 10.1021/acsabm.3c01153 -
Nature Communications Jul 2023During cell migration, front-rear polarity is spatiotemporally regulated; however, the underlying design of regulatory interactions varies. In rod-shaped Myxococcus...
During cell migration, front-rear polarity is spatiotemporally regulated; however, the underlying design of regulatory interactions varies. In rod-shaped Myxococcus xanthus cells, a spatial toggle switch dynamically regulates front-rear polarity. The polarity module establishes front-rear polarity by guaranteeing front pole-localization of the small GTPase MglA. Conversely, the Frz chemosensory system, by acting on the polarity module, causes polarity inversions. MglA localization depends on the RomR/RomX GEF and MglB/RomY GAP complexes that localize asymmetrically to the poles by unknown mechanisms. Here, we show that RomR and the MglB and MglC roadblock domain proteins generate a positive feedback by forming a RomR/MglC/MglB complex, thereby establishing the rear pole with high GAP activity that is non-permissive to MglA. MglA at the front engages in negative feedback that breaks the RomR/MglC/MglB positive feedback allosterically, thus ensuring low GAP activity at this pole. These findings unravel the design principles of a system for switchable front-rear polarity.
Topics: Myxococcus xanthus; Bacterial Proteins; Cell Movement; Monomeric GTP-Binding Proteins; Cell Polarity
PubMed: 37422455
DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-39773-y -
Current Opinion in Microbiology Jun 2024Myxococcus relies on motility to efficiently invade and predate a prey colony. Upon contact with prey, Myxococcus temporarily halts its motility and initiates prey cell... (Review)
Review
Myxococcus relies on motility to efficiently invade and predate a prey colony. Upon contact with prey, Myxococcus temporarily halts its motility and initiates prey cell lysis, which involves two contact-dependent predatory machineries, the Kil system and the needleless T3SS*. Predatory cells grow as they invade and feed on prey cells. When dividing, Myxococcus cells systematically pause their movements before division. This highlights a high level of co-ordination between motility and contact-dependent killing but also with cell division. In this review, we give an overview of the different nanomachines used by Myxococcus to move on surfaces, kill by contact, and divide, and we discuss the potential regulatory mechanisms at play during these different processes.
PubMed: 38843560
DOI: 10.1016/j.mib.2024.102492 -
MBio Jun 2024Clonal reproduction of unicellular organisms ensures the stable inheritance of genetic information. However, this means of reproduction lacks an intrinsic basis for... (Review)
Review
Clonal reproduction of unicellular organisms ensures the stable inheritance of genetic information. However, this means of reproduction lacks an intrinsic basis for genetic variation, other than spontaneous mutation and horizontal gene transfer. To make up for this lack of genetic variation, many unicellular organisms undergo the process of cell differentiation to achieve phenotypic heterogeneity within isogenic populations. Cell differentiation is either an inducible or obligate program. Induced cell differentiation can occur as a response to a stimulus, such as starvation or host cell invasion, or it can be a stochastic process. In contrast, obligate cell differentiation is hardwired into the organism's life cycle. Whether induced or obligate, bacterial cell differentiation requires the activation of a signal transduction pathway that initiates a global change in gene expression and ultimately results in a morphological change. While cell differentiation is considered a hallmark in the development of multicellular organisms, many unicellular bacteria utilize this process to implement survival strategies. In this review, we describe well-characterized cell differentiation programs to highlight three main survival strategies used by bacteria capable of differentiation: (i) environmental adaptation, (ii) division of labor, and (iii) bet-hedging.
Topics: Bacteria; Bacterial Physiological Phenomena; Cell Differentiation; Adaptation, Physiological; Microbial Viability; Signal Transduction
PubMed: 38771034
DOI: 10.1128/mbio.00758-24 -
Access Microbiology 2023Myxobacteria produce a variety of bioactive secondary metabolites, and with a wealth of under-researched species they hold vast potential for undiscovered compounds....
Identification of secondary metabolites containing a diketopiperazine core in extracts from myxobacterial strains with growth inhibition activity against a range of prey species.
Myxobacteria produce a variety of bioactive secondary metabolites, and with a wealth of under-researched species they hold vast potential for undiscovered compounds. With the ever-increasing need for new antibiotics, the development of novel therapeutics is vitally important. Therefore, this study aimed to extract and elucidate antimicrobial metabolites from the following myxobacteria: CA010 and AB022; DSM 14696; DSM 14675; and AB050A. Metabolite mixtures were extracted in acetone from XAD-16 resin incubated in liquid cultures and analysed using GC-MS. Bioactivity was identified using a growth inhibition assay against a panel of clinically relevant prey species including Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria and a fungus. Growth of and was most affected by the metabolite mixtures and the mixtures from AB022 and AB050A were effective against the most prey. GC-MS analysis revealed metabolites with roles in the synthesis and degradation of amino acids and fatty acids, but also identified compounds A and B with a diketopiperazine (DKP) core. With previously confirmed bioactivity of compound A, it is suggested that these DKP compounds are contributing to the antimicrobial activity observed. Furthermore, many compounds could not be identified and so these unknowns present further potential for novel bioactive compounds.
PubMed: 37970077
DOI: 10.1099/acmi.0.000629.v4 -
Frontiers in Microbiology 2024This study aimed to study the characterization and the potential lipid-lowering effects of new isolated lactic acid bacteria from the feces of healthy adult cats.
INTRODUCTION
This study aimed to study the characterization and the potential lipid-lowering effects of new isolated lactic acid bacteria from the feces of healthy adult cats.
METHODS
We collected 85 cat fecal samples, isolated, screening lactic acid bacteria strains from samples, and investigated their and biological properties.
RESULTS
A total of 221 lactic acid bacteria strains were isolated from 85 cat fecal samples. Sixteen strains with calcium dissolution rings greater than 1 mm were identified and selected for further characterization. Three lactic acid bacteria strains, L-27-2, L-14-1, and , were identified as showing the most promising rates of cholesterol degradation (greater than 20%) and bacteriostatic radius (over 15 mm). These three strains exhibited robust growth and adherence to epithelial cells, along with adaptability to low pH (greater than 70%) and high bile salt conditions (greater than 60%), and remarkable cholesterol degradation and anti-pathogen activity. Sixteen mice were fed a high-fat diet (HFD) from 4 to 8 weeks of age, while a control group of the same size received a normal diet (ND). At 8 weeks of age, serum, feces and adipose tissue were collected. The results showed that, compared with mice fed an HFD diet alone, all mice fed an HFD diet plus lactic acid bacteria could decrease weight gain. < 0.05 and the pathological changes of adipose tissue were alleviated. In addition, mice fed L-14-1 and F203 showed abdominal fat accumulation decreased ( < 0.05). Mice fed L-27-2 showed serum and liver triglyceride (TG) decreased ( < 0.05) and mice fed F203 showed serum high density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) increased ( < 0.01). mice fed L-27-2 and L-14-1 showed inflammatory cytokines (IL-6) was decreased ( < 0.01) Analysis of the fecal microbiota of mice fed these three lactic acid bacteria strains revealed alterations in the gut microbial community. There were common changes in intestinal microbes in mice fed these three lactic acid bacteria: (1) decreased; (2) increased; (3) decreased. The microbes mentioned are all part of the core intestinal flora.
DISCUSSION
This study provided three potential lactic acid bacteria for alleviating animal obesity and inflammation.
PubMed: 38721604
DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2024.1392864