Publications by authors named "Michal Bar-Oz"
Article Synopsis
- Mycobacterium abscessus, a pathogen affecting cystic fibrosis patients, has a small regulatory RNA (sRNA) called B11 that plays a crucial role in gene regulation and virulence.
- Deletion of B11 leads to increased virulence, a rough strain phenotype, and greater antibiotic resistance, along with changes in gene expression.
- B11 acts as a negative regulator, repressing translation of certain genes, including those important for virulence, suggesting that mutations in B11 may provide a survival advantage for M. abscessus in clinical settings.
Article Synopsis
- - Non-tuberculous mycobacteria (NTM), particularly Mycobacterium abscessus (Mabs), are becoming more recognized as pathogens causing severe infections, especially in the lungs, yet their virulence mechanisms are less understood compared to M. tuberculosis (Mtb).
- - Mabs exhibits several immune evasion strategies similar to Mtb, such as inhibiting phagosome maturation and delaying apoptosis, but also has unique pathways that differentiate it from Mtb.
- - The review aims to summarize the known secreted effectors in both Mtb and Mabs, helping researchers develop a framework for studying Mabs's virulence and processing mechanisms.
Microbiol Spectr
April 2022
Article Synopsis
- Mycobacterium abscessus is a significant emerging pathogen linked to severe lung infections, particularly manifesting as a "Rough" phenotype in clinical settings, which may indicate heightened virulence.
- The study investigated the transmissibility of a GPL-defective (Rough) strain compared to its parent (Smooth) strain using various survival assays on surfaces and in disinfectants, finding no survival advantage for either phenotype.
- Results indicate that while certain evolutionary changes impact transmission fitness, the GPL defect alone does not solely account for the reduced transmissibility of these clinical strains, suggesting the need for further investigation into other mutations.
Article Synopsis
- This study investigates antibody responses in a patient with active tuberculosis (TB) to understand if protective antibodies are produced against Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) antigens.
- Researchers generated monoclonal antibodies from the patient's memory B cells, identifying that some antibodies target the PstS1 protein, which is a part of Mtb's phosphate transporter system.
- The identified antibodies have shown promise in reducing Mtb levels in lab tests and in animal models, indicating that these anti-PstS1 responses could play a protective role during active TB infection.
Front Microbiol
September 2018
Article Synopsis
- * A temperature-sensitive mutant was discovered while testing an antimicrobial compound, leading researchers to replace the original GS gene with a mutated version, which then exhibited growth dependency after a few normal divisions.
- * Overexpressing a global nitrogen regulator allowed for the creation of a mutant lacking the essential GS gene, highlighting differing roles of this gene in various bacteria and the need to be cautious when applying findings from one organism to another.
J Immunol Methods
September 2017
Article Synopsis
- - The text discusses the need for better immune-diagnostic assays, essential for biomarker discovery and monitoring, and introduces a new signal amplification probe system that significantly enhances sensitivity.
- - This probe is made of double-stranded DNA capable of carrying various signaling elements and can attach to either antibodies or aptamers, which improves detection capabilities.
- - The new system demonstrates a tenfold increase in sensitivity compared to traditional methods, making it suitable for diagnosing clinical samples and fulfilling research requirements.
Article Synopsis
- - Changes in aggrecan levels in articular cartilage are linked to osteoarthritis (OA), a common joint disease, with SOX9 acetylation affecting ACAN gene activation.
- - In primary chondrocytes from OA cartilage, decreased ACAN mRNA and increased acetylated SOX9 were observed, with SOX9 localization varying between damaged and intact tissues.
- - Deacetylation of SOX9 enhances its nuclear translocation and ability to activate ACAN, especially in 3D cultures that showed improved binding to the ACAN enhancer compared to traditional 2D cultures.
