Mechanisms of recalcitrant fucoidan breakdown in marine Planctomycetota.

Marine brown algae produce the highly recalcitrant polysaccharide fucoidan, contributing to long-term oceanic carbon storage and climate regulation. Fucoidan is degraded by specialized heterotrophic bacteria, which promote ecosystem function and global carbon turnover using largely uncharacterized mechanisms. Here, we isolate and study two Planctomycetota strains from the microbiome associated with the alga Fucus spiralis, which grow efficiently on chemically diverse fucoidans.

ABCG1 orchestrates adipose tissue macrophage plasticity and insulin resistance in obesity by rewiring saturated fatty acid pools.

The mechanisms governing adipose tissue macrophage (ATM) metabolic adaptation during diet-induced obesity (DIO) are poorly understood. In obese adipose tissue, ATMs are exposed to lipid fluxes, which can influence the activation of specific inflammatory and metabolic programs and contribute to the development of obesity-associated insulin resistance and other metabolic disorders. In the present study, we demonstrate that the membrane ATP-binding cassette g1 (Abcg1) transporter controls the ATM functional response to fatty acids (FAs) carried by triglyceride-rich lipoproteins, which are abundant in high-energy diets.

Defective biological activities of high-density lipoprotein identify patients at highest risk of recurrent cardiovascular event.

Aims: Low cholesterol efflux capacity and elevated levels of Interleukin-1ß (IL-1ß) are both associated with residual cardiovascular risk in patients with acute myocardial infarction (MI) and may be used as new biomarkers to identify patients at higher cardiovascular risk.

Methods: We evaluated potential synergetic effect of cholesterol efflux capacity and IL-1ß on recurrent major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) at one-year in 2012 patients with acute ST- segment elevation MI who underwent primary percutaneous coronary intervention. In addition, we evaluated the contribution to residual risk of HDL biological functions from 20 patients of the two extreme subgroups, focusing on cholesterol efflux capacity and anti-inflammatory properties.

Evolution of a biological thermocouple by adaptation of cytochrome c oxidase in a subterrestrial metazoan, Halicephalobus mephisto.

In this study, we report a biological temperature-sensing electrical regulator in the cytochrome c oxidase of the Devil Worm, Halicephalobus mephisto. This extremophile metazoan was isolated 1.3 km underground in a South African goldmine, where it adapted to heat and potentially to hypoxia, making its mitochondrial sequence a likely target of adaptational change.

Co-development of a national, bilingual, post-licensure accredited educational program for registered nurses in primary care: A knowledge-to-action exemplar.

Registered nurses' practice in primary care varies and is sometimes sub-optimal. To fill the gap in primary care-specific knowledge, we co-constructed a national educational program to reinforce the nursing workforce. We based our project on the knowledge-to-action approach.

Reduced Capacity of High-Density Lipoprotein to Acquire Free Cholesterol From Triglyceride-Rich Lipoproteins Is Associated With Elevated Postprandial Hypertriglyceridemia in Healthy Men.

Background: The capacity of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL) to acquire free cholesterol (FC) from triglyceride-rich lipoproteins during lipoprotein lipase-dependent lipolysis in a process of reverse remnant cholesterol transport, has been proposed as a key biological function of HDL particles that underlies the U-shaped relationship between HDLcholesterol and cardiovascular diseases. Although reverse remnant cholesterol transport has been evaluated in a fasting state, it has never been explored under nonfasting conditions.

Methods And Results: FC transfer was evaluated in healthy men (n=78) before and throughout the postprandial phase up to 8 hours after consumption of a test meal.

Production, purification, and quality assessment of borrelial proteins CspZ from Borrelia burgdorferi and FhbA from Borrelia hermsii.

Borrelia, spirochetes transmitted by ticks, are the etiological agents of numerous multisystemic diseases, such as Lyme borreliosis (LB) and tick-borne relapsing fever (TBRF). This study focuses on two surface proteins from two Borrelia subspecies involved in these diseases: CspZ, expressed by Borrelia burgdorferi sensu stricto (also named BbCRASP-2 for complement regulator-acquiring surface protein 2), and the factor H binding A (FhbA), expressed by Borrelia hermsii. Numerous subspecies of Borrelia, including these latter, are able to evade the immune defenses of a variety of potential vertebrate hosts in a number of ways.

The mycobacterial glycoside hydrolase LamH enables capsular arabinomannan release and stimulates growth.

Mycobacterial glycolipids are important cell envelope structures that drive host-pathogen interactions. Arguably, the most important are lipoarabinomannan (LAM) and its precursor, lipomannan (LM), which are trafficked from the bacterium to the host via unknown mechanisms. Arabinomannan is thought to be a capsular derivative of these molecules, lacking a lipid anchor.

Transition transferases prime bacterial capsule polymerization.

Capsules are long-chain carbohydrate polymers that envelop the surfaces of many bacteria, protecting them from host immune responses. Capsule biosynthesis enzymes are potential drug targets and valuable biotechnological tools for generating vaccine antigens. Despite their importance, it remains unknown how structurally variable capsule polymers of Gram-negative pathogens are linked to the conserved glycolipid anchoring these virulence factors to the bacterial membrane.

Human gut microbes express functionally distinct endoglycosidases to metabolize the same N-glycan substrate.

Bacteroidales (syn. Bacteroidetes) are prominent members of the human gastrointestinal ecosystem mainly due to their efficient glycan-degrading machinery, organized into gene clusters known as polysaccharide utilization loci (PULs). A single PUL was reported for catabolism of high-mannose (HM) N-glycan glyco-polypeptides in the gut symbiont Bacteroides thetaiotaomicron, encoding a surface endo-β-N-acetylglucosaminidase (ENGase), BT3987.

Architecture, Function, Regulation, and Evolution of α-Glucans Metabolic Enzymes in Prokaryotes.

Bacteria have acquired sophisticated mechanisms for assembling and disassembling polysaccharides of different chemistry. α-d-Glucose homopolysaccharides, so-called α-glucans, are the most widespread polymers in nature being key components of microorganisms. Glycogen functions as an intracellular energy storage while some bacteria also produce extracellular assorted α-glucans.

Nanomedicines via the pulmonary route: a promising strategy to reach the target?

Over the past decades, research on nanomedicines as innovative tools in combating complex pathologies has increased tenfold, spanning fields from infectiology and ophthalmology to oncology. This process has further accelerated since the introduction of SARS-CoV-2 vaccines. When it comes to human health, nano-objects are designed to protect, transport, and improve the solubility of compounds to allow the delivery of active ingredients on their targets.

Posterior vitreous detachment rates post-uncomplicated phacoemulsification surgery: a systematic review.

Purpose: It is commonly accepted that phacoemulsification surgery is a risk factor for the development of posterior vitreous detachment (PVD) and may accelerate the process. This is an important consideration particularly in cases involving young patients who pre-operatively have no PVD, given the increased risk of retinal tears and detachments.

Methods: A comprehensive literature search was conducted to identify studies reporting incidence of PVD post-uncomplicated phacoemulsification surgery.

Multiparametric Magnetic Resonance Imaging in the follow-up of non-muscle-invasive bladder tumors after intravesical instillations: a promising tool.

Purpose: The standard follow-up for non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer is based on cystoscopy. Unfortunately, post-instillation inflammatory changes can make the interpretation of this exam difficult, with lower specificity. This study aimed to evaluate the interest of bladder MRI in the follow-up of patients following intravesical instillation.

Anti-PD-1 therapy triggers Tfh cell-dependent IL-4 release to boost CD8 T cell responses in tumor-draining lymph nodes.

Anti-PD-1 therapy targets intratumoral CD8+ T cells to promote clinical responses in cancer patients. Recent evidence suggests an additional activity in the periphery, but the underlying mechanism is unclear. Here, we show that anti-PD-1 mAb enhances CD8+ T cell responses in tumor-draining lymph nodes by stimulating cytokine production in follicular helper T cells (Tfh).

Multifunctional Aluminum Pre-treatments from End-Functionalized Phosphonic Acid Self-Assembled Monolayers.

Aluminum alloys are used in advanced engineering applications as they possess a combination of favorable properties, including high strength, lightweightness, good corrosion resistance, machineability, and recyclability. Such applications often require forming the sheets into the final components, which is typically aided by an oil-based lubricant, followed by joining them using adhesives, which is hampered by residual lubricant. In this work, aluminum surfaces were modified with different self-assembled monolayers (SAMs), with the goal of significantly reducing the amount of lubricant while simultaneously improving friction properties, forming, and bonding performance.

Sex and gender correlates of sexually polymorphic cognition.

Background: Sexually polymorphic cognition (SPC) results from the interaction between biological (birth-assigned sex (BAS), sex hormones) and socio-cultural (gender identity, gender roles, sexual orientation) factors. The literature remains quite mixed regarding the magnitude of the effects of these variables. This project used a battery of classic cognitive tests designed to assess the influence of sex hormones on cognitive performance.

Evolution of a biological thermocouple by adaptation of cytochrome c oxidase in a subterrestrial metazoan.

In this study we report a naturally evolved temperature-sensing electrical regulator in the cytochrome c oxidase of the Devil Worm, . This extremophile metazoan was isolated 1.3 km underground in a South African goldmine, where it adapted to heat and potentially to hypoxia, making its mitochondrial sequence a likely target of adaptational change.

The mycobacterial glycoside hydrolase LamH enables capsular arabinomannan release and stimulates growth.

Mycobacterial glycolipids are important cell envelope structures that drive host-pathogen interactions. Arguably, the most important amongst these are lipoarabinomannan (LAM) and its precursor, lipomannan (LM), which are both trafficked out of the bacterium to the host via unknown mechanisms. An important class of exported LM/LAM is the capsular derivative of these molecules which is devoid of its lipid anchor.