Giving a signal: how protein phosphorylation helps Bacillus navigate through different life stages.

Protein phosphorylation is a universal mechanism regulating a wide range of cellular responses across all domains of life. The antagonistic activities of kinases and phosphatases can orchestrate the life cycle of an organism. The availability of bacterial genome sequences, particularly Bacillus species, followed by proteomics and functional studies have aided in the identification of putative protein kinases and protein phosphatases, and their downstream substrates.

Role of serine/threonine protein phosphatase PrpN in the life cycle of Bacillus anthracis.

Reversible protein phosphorylation at serine/threonine residues is one of the most common protein modifications, widely observed in all kingdoms of life. The catalysts controlling this modification are specific serine/threonine kinases and phosphatases that modulate various cellular pathways ranging from growth to cellular death. Genome sequencing and various omics studies have led to the identification of numerous serine/threonine kinases and cognate phosphatases, yet the physiological relevance of many of these proteins remain enigmatic.

Dynamics of Antibacterial Drone Establishment in Staphylococcus aureus: Unexpected Effects of Antibiotic Resistance Genes.

The antibacterial drone (ABD) system is based on repurposing the phage-inducible staphylococcal pathogenicity islands (SaPIs) for use as antibacterial agents that are indifferent to antibiotic resistance. The ABDs were constructed by inserting for tetracycline resistance (Tc) selection, replacing the SaPI virulence genes with bactericidal or bacteriostatic genes such as CRISPR/, whose expression kills by double-strand cleavage of , or CRISPR/, whose expression blocks the target organism's virulence. ABD DNA is packaged in phage-like particles that attack their staphylococcal targets as well as .

ClpC-Mediated Sporulation Regulation at Engulfment Stage in .

Bacterial sporulation is a conserved process utilized by members of Bacillus genus and Clostridium in response to stress such as nutrient or temperature. Sporulation initiation is triggered by stress signals perceived by bacterial cell that leads to shutdown of metabolic pathways of bacterial cells. The mechanism of sporulation involves a complex network that is regulated at various checkpoints to form the viable bacterial spore.

chain length, a virulence determinant, is regulated by membrane localized serine/threonine protein kinase PrkC.

Anthrax is a zoonotic disease caused by , a spore-forming pathogen that displays a chaining phenotype. It has been reported that the chaining phenotype acts as a virulence factor in In this study, we identify a serine/threonine protein kinase of , PrkC, the only kinase localized at the bacteria-host interface, as a determinant of chain length. , disruption strain (BAS Δ) grew as shorter chains throughout the bacterial growth cycle.

Bacterial Virulence Factors: Secreted for Survival.

Virulence is described as an ability of an organism to infect the host and cause a disease. Virulence factors are the molecules that assist the bacterium colonize the host at the cellular level. These factors are either secretory, membrane associated or cytosolic in nature.

Linezolid Induced Adverse Drug Reactions - An Update.

Treatment regimen recommended for resistant tuberculosis consists of various drugs and these drugs are prescribed for at least 12-15 months. Such a long duration therapy and high dose of antibiotics result in adverse drug reactions (ADRs). ADRs may lead to various complications in disease management like replacement of drugs, dose increment, therapy withdrawal, etc.

Recent Developments in Anti-dotes Against Anthrax.

The etiologic agent of disease anthrax, Bacillus anthracis, causes recurrent outbreaks among the livestock and intermittent infections in humans across the world. Controlling animal infections by vaccination can minimize the incidence of disease in humans. Prevention of anthrax in occupationally exposed personnel is achieved through vaccination with either live spores or precipitates of culture supernatants from attenuated strains of B.

clpC operon regulates cell architecture and sporulation in Bacillus anthracis.

The clpC operon is known to regulate several processes such as genetic competence, protein degradation and stress survival in bacteria. Here, we describe the role of clpC operon in Bacillus anthracis. We generated knockout strains of the clpC operon genes to investigate the impact of CtsR, McsA, McsB and ClpC deletion on essential processes of B.

Mycobacterium tuberculosis cyclophilin A uses novel signal sequence for secretion and mimics eukaryotic cyclophilins for interaction with host protein repertoire.

Cyclophilins are prolyl isomerases with multitude of functions in different cellular processes and pathological conditions. Cyclophilin A (PpiA) of Mycobacterium tuberculosis is secreted during infection in intraphagosomal niche. However, our understanding about the evolutionary origin, secretory mechanism or the interactome of M.