MoaB2, a newly identified transcription factor, binds to σ in .

In mycobacteria, σ is the primary sigma factor. This essential protein binds to RNA polymerase (RNAP) and mediates transcription initiation of housekeeping genes. Our knowledge about this factor in mycobacteria is limited.

Phlebotomine sand fly survey, blood meal source identification, and description of Sergentomyia imihra n. sp. in the central Sahara of Algeria.

Background: Phlebotomine sand flies (Diptera: Psychodidae) are important vectors of various pathogens, mainly Leishmania parasites. In the Old World, the most important genus in term of pathogens transmission is the genus Phlebotomus, which includes many proven or suspected vectors of several Leishmania species, while the genus Sergentomyia remains so far unproven as a vector of human pathogens. Algeria is one of the most affected countries by human leishmaniasis.

Phlebotomine sand flies (Diptera: Psychodidae) of Bosnia and Herzegovina: distribution, ecology and environmental preferences.

Sand flies (Diptera: Phlebotominae) are the principal vectors for the protozoan parasites Leishmania spp. and for phleboviruses. The sand fly fauna on the Balkan Peninsula, including Bosnia and Herzegovina (BIH), is diverse and the circulation of Leishmania infantum as well as phleboviruses has been proven.

Structural Characterization of Monoclonal Antibodies and Epitope Mapping by FFAP Footprinting.

Covalent labeling in combination with mass spectrometry is a powerful approach used in structural biology to study protein structures, interactions, and dynamics. Recently, the toolbox of covalent labeling techniques has been expanded with fast fluoroalkylation of proteins (FFAP). FFAP is a novel radical labeling method that utilizes fluoroalkyl radicals generated from hypervalent Togni reagents for targeting aromatic residues.

Stem-loop-induced ribosome queuing in the uORF2/ATF4 overlap fine-tunes stress-induced human ATF4 translational control.

Activating transcription factor 4 (ATF4) is a master transcriptional regulator of the integrated stress response, leading cells toward adaptation or death. ATF4's induction under stress was thought to be due to delayed translation reinitiation, where the reinitiation-permissive upstream open reading frame 1 (uORF1) plays a key role. Accumulating evidence challenging this mechanism as the sole source of ATF4 translation control prompted us to investigate additional regulatory routes.

RIP-seq reveals RNAs that interact with RNA polymerase and primary sigma factors in bacteria.

Bacteria have evolved structured RNAs that can associate with RNA polymerase (RNAP). Two of them have been known so far-6S RNA and Ms1 RNA but it is unclear if any other types of RNAs binding to RNAP exist in bacteria. To identify all RNAs interacting with RNAP and the primary σ factors, we have established and performed native RIP-seq in Bacillus subtilis, Corynebacterium glutamicum, Streptomyces coelicolor, Mycobacterium smegmatis and the pathogenic Mycobacterium tuberculosis.

Stem-loop induced ribosome queuing in the uORF2/ATF4 overlap fine-tunes stress-induced human ATF4 translational control.

ATF4 is a master transcriptional regulator of the integrated stress response leading cells towards adaptation or death. ATF4's induction under stress was thought to be mostly due to delayed translation reinitiation, where the reinitiation-permissive uORF1 plays a key role. Accumulating evidence challenging this mechanism as the sole source of ATF4 translation control prompted us to investigate additional regulatory routes.

Top-Down Detection of Oxidative Protein Footprinting by Collision-Induced Dissociation, Electron-Transfer Dissociation, and Electron-Capture Dissociation.

Fast photochemical oxidation of proteins (FPOP) footprinting is a structural mass spectrometry method that maps proteins by fast and irreversible chemical reactions. The position of oxidative modification reflects solvent accessibility and site reactivity and thus provides information about protein conformation, structural dynamics, and interactions. Bottom-up mass spectrometry is an established standard method to analyze FPOP samples.

Ms1 RNA Interacts With the RNA Polymerase Core in and Was Identified in Majority of Using a Linguistic Gene Synteny Search.

Bacteria employ small non-coding RNAs (sRNAs) to regulate gene expression. Ms1 is an sRNA that binds to the RNA polymerase (RNAP) core and affects the intracellular level of this essential enzyme. Ms1 is structurally related to 6S RNA that binds to a different form of RNAP, the holoenzyme bearing the primary sigma factor.

Identification of blood source preferences and Leishmania infection in sand flies (Diptera: Psychodidae) in north-eastern Algeria.

Leishmaniases are among the most neglected vector-borne diseases, infecting humans as well various animal hosts with clinical outcomes varying from cutaneous disorders to visceral and life-threatening disease. In Algeria, canine leishmaniasis (CanL) caused by Leishmania infantum is endemic mainly throughout the northern regions of the country with the Mediterranean climate that favours the occurrence of Larroussius sand flies, the vectors of the parasite. This study conducted in Bougaa and Kherrata, two regions located in north-eastern Algeria and endemic for CanL, focuses on: i) composition of sand fly fauna, ii) screening of Leishmania parasites and iii) the blood sources of engorged females.

Utilization of Fast Photochemical Oxidation of Proteins and Both Bottom-up and Top-down Mass Spectrometry for Structural Characterization of a Transcription Factor-dsDNA Complex.

A combination of covalent labeling techniques and mass spectrometry (MS) is currently a progressive approach for deriving insights related to the mapping of protein surfaces or protein-ligand interactions. In this study, we mapped an interaction interface between the DNA binding domain (DBD) of FOXO4 protein and the DNA binding element (DAF16) using fast photochemical oxidation of proteins (FPOP). Residues involved in protein-DNA interaction were identified using the bottom-up approach.

Phlebotomine sand fly survey in the Republic of Moldova: species composition, distribution and host preferences.

Background: Phlebotomine sand flies (Diptera: Psychodiae) in the Republic of Moldova have been understudied for decades. Our study provides a first update on their occurrence, species composition and bloodmeal sources after 50 years.

Methods: During 5 seasons (2013-2017), 58 localities from 20 regions were surveyed for presence of sand flies using CDC light traps and manual aspirators.

Functional expression and characterization of two laccases from the brown rot Fomitopsis pinicola.

Laccase is predominantly found in lignin degrading filamentous white rot fungi, where it is involved in the oxidative degradation of this recalcitrant heteropolymer. In brown rot fungi it is much less prevalent: laccases from only a few brown rots have been detected and only two have been characterized. This study tries to understand the role of this ligninolytic enzyme in brown rots by investigating the catalytic properties of laccases secreted by Fomitopsis pinicola FP58527 SS1.

Ecology, seasonality and host preferences of Austrian Phlebotomus (Transphlebotomus) mascittii Grassi, 1908, populations.

Background: Sand flies are principal vectors of the protozoan parasites Leishmania spp. and are widely distributed in all warmer regions of the world, including the Mediterranean parts of Europe. In Central European countries, the sand fly fauna is still under investigation.

The Photosystem II Assembly Factor Ycf48 from the Cyanobacterium sp. PCC 6803 Is Lipidated Using an Atypical Lipobox Sequence.

Photochemical energy conversion during oxygenic photosynthesis is performed by membrane-embedded chlorophyll-binding protein complexes. The biogenesis and maintenance of these complexes requires auxiliary protein factors that optimize the assembly process and protect nascent complexes from photodamage. In cyanobacteria, several lipoproteins contribute to the biogenesis and function of the photosystem II (PSII) complex.

Entomological study in an anthroponotic cutaneous leishmaniasis focus in Morocco: Fauna survey, Leishmania infection screening, molecular characterization and MALDI-TOF MS protein profiling of relevant Phlebotomus species.

In Morocco, leishmaniases are a major public health problem due to their genetic diversity and geographical distribution. Cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) is an infectious disease caused by various species of Leishmania and transmitted typically by bite of phlebotomine sand flies. This study identifies sand fly fauna in Ibaraghen village, province of Azilal, which is a focus of CL, by combination of morphological and molecular methods (sequencing of COI gene, MALDI-TOF MS protein profiling).

Chimeric Cellobiose Dehydrogenases Reveal the Function of Cytochrome Domain Mobility for the Electron Transfer to Lytic Polysaccharide Monooxygenase.

The natural function of cellobiose dehydrogenase (CDH) to donate electrons from its catalytic flavodehydrogenase (DH) domain via its cytochrome (CYT) domain to lytic polysaccharide monooxygenase (LPMO) is an example of a highly efficient extracellular electron transfer chain. To investigate the function of the CYT domain movement in the two occurring electron transfer steps, two CDHs from the ascomycete (CDHIIA and CDHIIB) and five chimeric CDH enzymes created by domain swapping were studied in combination with the fungus' own LPMOs (LPMO9C and LPMO9F). Kinetic and electrochemical methods and hydrogen/deuterium exchange mass spectrometry were used to study the domain movement, interaction, and electron transfer kinetics.

Mycobacterial HelD is a nucleic acids-clearing factor for RNA polymerase.

RNA synthesis is central to life, and RNA polymerase (RNAP) depends on accessory factors for recovery from stalled states and adaptation to environmental changes. Here, we investigated the mechanism by which a helicase-like factor HelD recycles RNAP. We report a cryo-EM structure of a complex between the Mycobacterium smegmatis RNAP and HelD.

Integrative Approach to Grassi, 1908: First Record in Vienna with New Morphological and Molecular Insights.

Sand flies (Diptera: Psychodidae: Phlebotominae) are blood-feeding insects that transmit the protozoan parasites spp. and various arthropod-borne (arbo) viruses. While in Mediterranean parts of Europe the sand fly fauna is diverse, in Central European countries including Austria mainly is found, an assumed but unproven vector of .

An integrative approach to identify sand fly vectors of leishmaniasis in Ethiopia by morphological and molecular techniques.

Background: Ethiopia is affected by human leishmaniasis caused by several Leishmania species and transmitted by a variety of sand fly vectors of the genus Phlebotomus. The sand fly fauna in Ethiopia is highly diverse and some species are closely related and similar in morphology, resulting in difficulties with species identification that requires deployment of molecular techniques. DNA barcoding entails high costs, requires time and lacks reference sequences for many Ethiopian species.

Sand fly fauna of Crete and the description of Phlebotomus (Adlerius) creticus n. sp. (Diptera: Psychodidae).

Background: The Greek island of Crete is endemic for both visceral leishmaniasis (VL) and recently increasing cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL). This study summarizes published data on the sand fly fauna of Crete, the results of new sand fly samplings and the description of a new sand fly species.

Methods: All published and recent samplings were carried out using CDC light traps, sticky traps or mouth aspirators.

Markers of acute toxicity of DDT exposure in pancreatic beta-cells determined by a proteomic approach.

Many compounds have the potential to harm pancreatic beta-cells; organochlorine pollutants belong to those compounds. In this work, we aimed to find markers of acute toxicity of p,p'-DDT exposure among proteins expressed in NES2Y human pancreatic beta-cells employing 2-D electrophoresis. We exposed NES2Y cells to a high concentration (150 μM, LC96 after 72 hours) of p,p'-DDT for 24 and 30 hours and determined proteins with changed expression using 2-D electrophoresis.

Plant Nitrilase Homologues in Fungi: Phylogenetic and Functional Analysis with Focus on Nitrilases in and .

Fungi contain many plant-nitrilase (NLase) homologues according to database searches. In this study, enzymes NitTv1 from and NitAb from were purified and characterized as the representatives of this type of fungal NLase. Both enzymes were slightly more similar to NIT4 type than to NIT1/NIT2/NIT3 type of plant NLases in terms of their amino acid sequences.

The HO-dependent activity of a fungal lytic polysaccharide monooxygenase investigated with a turbidimetric assay.

Background: Lytic polysaccharide monooxygenases (LPMOs) are copper-dependent redox enzymes that cleave recalcitrant biopolymers such as cellulose, chitin, starch and hemicelluloses. Although LPMOs receive ample interest in industry and academia, their reaction mechanism is not yet fully understood. Recent studies showed that HO is a more efficient cosubstrate for the enzyme than O, which could greatly affect the utilization of LPMOs in industrial settings.