Thirty Years of sRNA-Mediated Regulation in From Initial Discoveries to In Vivo Biological Implications.

is a widespread livestock and human pathogen that colonizes diverse microenvironments within its host. Its adaptation to the environmental conditions encountered within humans relies on coordinated gene expression. This requires a sophisticated regulatory network, among which regulatory RNAs (usually called sRNAs) have emerged as key players over the last 30 years.

as a Suitable Model of Bacterial Infection: Past, Present and Future.

The increasing interest for larvae as an infection model is evidenced by the number of papers reporting its use, which increases exponentially since the early 2010s. This popularity was initially linked to limitation of conventional animal models due to financial, technical and ethical aspects. In comparison, alternative models (e.

Expanding the Staphylococcus aureus SarA Regulon to Small RNAs.

SarA, a transcriptional regulator of Staphylococcus aureus, is a major global regulatory system that coordinates the expression of target genes involved in its pathogenicity. Various studies have identified a large number of SarA target genes, but an in-depth characterization of the regulon, including small regulatory RNAs (sRNAs), has not yet been done. In this study, we utilized transcriptome sequencing (RNA-Seq) and chromatin immunoprecipitation sequencing (ChIP-Seq) to determine a comprehensive list of SarA-regulated targets, including both mRNAs and sRNAs.

A novel Staphylococcus aureus cis-trans type I toxin-antitoxin module with dual effects on bacteria and host cells.

Bacterial type I toxin-antitoxin (TA) systems are widespread, and consist of a stable toxic peptide whose expression is monitored by a labile RNA antitoxin. We characterized Staphylococcus aureus SprA2/SprA2AS module, which shares nucleotide similarities with the SprA1/SprA1AS TA system. We demonstrated that SprA2/SprA2AS encodes a functional type I TA system, with the cis-encoded SprA2AS antitoxin acting in trans to prevent ribosomal loading onto SprA2 RNA.

Insights into the regulation of small RNA expression: SarA represses the expression of two sRNAs in Staphylococcus aureus.

The opportunistic pathogen Staphylococcus aureus expresses transcription factors (TFs) and regulatory small RNAs (sRNAs) which are essential for bacterial adaptation and infectivity. Until recently, the study of S. aureus sRNA gene expression regulation was under investigated, but it is now an expanding field.

Treponema denticola improves adhesive capacities of Porphyromonas gingivalis.

Porphyromonas gingivalis, an important etiological agent of periodontal disease, is frequently found associated with Treponema denticola, an anaerobic spirochete, in pathogenic biofilms. However, interactions between these two bacteria are not well understood at the molecular level. In this study, we seek to link the influence of T.

Development of SNAP-tag-mediated live cell labeling as an alternative to GFP in Porphyromonas gingivalis.

Porphyromonas gingivalis is an anaerobic periodontal pathogen that resides in the complex multispecies microbial biofilm known as dental plaque. Effective reporter tools are increasingly needed to facilitate physiological and pathogenetic studies of dental biofilm. Fluorescent proteins are ideal reporters for conveniently monitoring biofilm growth, but are restricted by several environmental factors, such as a requirement of oxygen to emit fluorescence.

Putative respiratory chain of Porphyromonas gingivalis.

The electron transfer chain in Porphyromonas gingivalis, or periodontopathogens, has not yet been characterized. P. gingivalis, a strict anaerobic bacteria and the second colonizer of the oral cavity, is considered to be a major causal agent involved in periodontal diseases.

fimA genotypes and PFGE profile patterns in Porphyromonas gingivalis isolates from subjects with periodontitis.

Background And Objectives: Porphyromonas gingivalis is frequently identified to type by evaluation of fimA polymorphisms and less often by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) because of the technical intricacies of PFGE. To compare these techniques, we genotyped P. gingivalis clinical isolates as to (i) their fimA type and (ii) their whole genome restriction profile (PFGE analysis).

Deep-vein thrombosis rates after major orthopedic surgery in Asia. An epidemiological study based on postoperative screening with centrally adjudicated bilateral venography.

Background: The incidence of postsurgical venous thromboembolism is thought to be low in Asian ethnic populations.

Objective: We studied the incidence of deep-vein thrombosis (DVT) in Asian patients undergoing major orthopedic surgery of the lower limbs.

Patients/methods: We performed a prospective epidemiological study in 19 centers across Asia (China, Indonesia, South Korea, Malaysia, Philippines, Taiwan, and Thailand) in patients undergoing elective total hip replacement (THR), total knee replacement (TKR) or hip fracture surgery (HFS) without pharmacological thromboprophylaxis.

Inducible dissociation of SCF(Met30) ubiquitin ligase mediates a rapid transcriptional response to cadmium.

Activity of the Met4 transcription factor is antagonized by the SCF(Met30) ubiquitin ligase by degradation-dependent and degradation-independent mechanisms, in minimal and rich nutrient conditions, respectively. In this study, we show that the heavy metal Cd2+ over-rides both mechanisms to enable rapid Met4-dependent induction of metabolic networks needed for production of the antioxidant and Cd2+-chelating agent glutathione. Cd2+ inhibits SCF(Met30) activity through rapid dissociation of the F-box protein Met30 from the holocomplex.

An alarmingly high prevalence of diabetic nephropathy in Asian type 2 diabetic patients: the MicroAlbuminuria Prevalence (MAP) Study.

Aim/hypothesis: Microalbuminuria represents the earliest clinical evidence of diabetic nephropathy and is a marker of increased cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. Its early detection allows the implementation of individualised and aggressive intervention programmes to reduce cardiovascular risk factors. There is limited information on the prevalence of microalbuminuria among hypertensive type 2 diabetic patients in Asia.

Interest of biochemical markers of bone turnover for long-term prediction of new vertebral fracture in postmenopausal osteoporotic women.

Objective: To analyse the interest of baseline levels and short-term (3-months) changes in serum osteocalcin (BGP), serum bone-specific alkaline phosphatase (BALP) and urinary C-telopeptide of type I collagen/creatinine ratio (U-CTX) to predict 3-years changes in bone mineral density (BMD) and spinal deformity index (SDI) in postmenopausal osteoporotic women.

Methods: Data were derived from a cohort of 603 osteoporotic women corresponding to the placebo arm of a 3-years prospective, double-blind study.

Results: Baseline values of BALP, BGP and U-CTX were negatively and significantly correlated with baseline spinal BMD.

Dual regulation of the met4 transcription factor by ubiquitin-dependent degradation and inhibition of promoter recruitment.

The ubiquitin system has been recently implicated in various aspects of transcriptional regulation, including proteasome-dependent degradation of transcriptional activators. In yeast, the activator Met4 is inhibited by the SCF(Met30) ubiquitin ligase, which recognizes and oligo-ubiquitylates Met4. Here, we demonstrate that in minimal media, Met4 is ubiquitylated and rapidly degraded in response to methionine excess, whereas in rich media, Met4 is oligo-ubiquitylated but remains stable.

Intermittent cyclic tiludronate in the treatment of osteoporosis.

The objective of the study was to determine the efficacy and safety of tiludronate in the treatment of postmenopausal osteoporosis. Two placebo-controlled, randomized, double-masked, multicenter, cyclical, intermittent, dose-ranging studies including 1805 women with low vertebral bone mineral density and prevalent vertebral fractures and 488 women with low bone mineral density and no prevalent fracture were conducted. Patients were randomized to either tiludronate 50 mg/day, tiludronate 200 mg/day or placebo, given orally for the first 7 days of each month.

Effect of SR 49059, a V1a vasopressin receptor antagonist, in Raynaud's phenomenon.

Objective: To assess whether vasopressin V1a receptor blockade reduces the abnormal vasoactive response to cold in patients suffering from Raynaud's phenomenon (RP).

Methods: SR 49059, an orally active, non-peptidic vasopressin V1a receptor antagonist, was given orally (300 mg once daily) to 20 patients with RP in a single-centre, double-blind, placebo-controlled, randomized cross-over study with two 7-day periods of treatment separated by 21 days of washout. Bilateral finger systolic blood pressure and skin temperature were assessed before and after immersion of the hand in cold water for 3 min (15 degrees C) during the screening phase and three times (before and 2 and 4 h after drug intake) on days 1 and 7 of each of the two treatment periods.

SCF(Met30)-mediated control of the transcriptional activator Met4 is required for the G(1)-S transition.

Progression through the cell cycle requires the coordination of basal metabolism with the cell cycle and growth machinery. Repression of the sulfur gene network is mediated by the ubiquitin ligase SCF(Met30), which targets the transcription factor Met4p for degradation. Met30p is an essential protein in yeast.

Feedback-regulated degradation of the transcriptional activator Met4 is triggered by the SCF(Met30 )complex.

Saccharomyces cerevisiae SCF(Met30) ubiquitin-protein ligase controls cell cycle function and sulfur amino acid metabolism. We report here that the SCF(Met30 )complex mediates the transcriptional repression of the MET gene network by triggering degradation of the transcriptional activator Met4p when intracellular S-adenosylmethionine (AdoMet) increases. This AdoMet-induced Met4p degradation is dependent upon the 26S proteasome function.

Transport of sulfonium compounds. Characterization of the s-adenosylmethionine and s-methylmethionine permeases from the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

We report here the characterization and the molecular analysis of the two high affinity permeases that mediate the transport of S-adenosylmethionine (AdoMet) and S-methylmethionine (SMM) across the plasma membrane of yeast cells. Mutant cells unable to use AdoMet as a sulfur source were first isolated and demonstrated to lack high affinity AdoMet transport capacities. Functional complementation cloning allowed us to identify the corresponding gene (SAM3), which encodes an integral membrane protein comprising 12 putative membrane spanning regions and belonging to the amino acid permease family.

Fluoride salts are no better at preventing new vertebral fractures than calcium-vitamin D in postmenopausal osteoporosis: the FAVOStudy.

Although fluoride salts have been shown to be capable of linearly increasing spinal bone mineral density (BMD) in postmenopausal osteoporosis, the effects of this gain in density on the vertebral fracture rate remain controversial. We conducted a 2-year multicenter, prospective, randomized, double-masked clinical trial in 354 osteoporotic women with vertebral fractures (mean age 65.7 years).

Sarcoid-like forms of Whipple's disease. Report of 2 cases.

Whipple's disease is a worrying disease because of its protean manifestations. It may sometimes take on the appearance of sarcoidosis with polyvisceral granulomatous dissemination. We describe 2 cases of sarcoid-like Whipple's disease including one with synovial granulomatous involvement.