Airway epithelial CD47 plays a critical role in inducing influenza virus-mediated bacterial super-infection.

Respiratory viral infection increases host susceptibility to secondary bacterial infections, yet the precise dynamics within airway epithelia remain elusive. Here, we elucidate the pivotal role of CD47 in the airway epithelium during bacterial super-infection. We demonstrated that upon influenza virus infection, CD47 expression was upregulated and localized on the apical surface of ciliated cells within primary human nasal or bronchial epithelial cells.

How Deep Learning in Antiviral Molecular Profiling Identified Anti-SARS-CoV-2 Inhibitors.

The integration of artificial intelligence (AI) into drug discovery has markedly advanced the search for effective therapeutics. In our study, we employed a comprehensive computational-experimental approach to identify potential anti-SARS-CoV-2 compounds. We developed a predictive model to assess the activities of compounds based on their structural features.

Intracellular delivery of nuclear localization sequence peptide mitigates COVID-19 by inhibiting nuclear transport of inflammation-associated transcription factors.

The novel severe acute respiratory syndrome-coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2), responsible for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), can trigger dysregulated immune responses known as the cytokine release syndrome (CRS), leading to severe organ dysfunction and respiratory distress. Our study focuses on developing an improved cell-permeable nuclear import inhibitor (iCP-NI), capable of blocking the nuclear transport of inflammation-associated transcription factors, specifically nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB). By fusing advanced macromolecule transduction domains and nuclear localization sequences from human NF-κB, iCP-NI selectively interacts with importin α5, effectively reducing the expression of proinflammatory cytokines.

A Moonlighting Protein Secreted by a Nasal Microbiome Fortifies the Innate Host Defense Against Bacterial and Viral Infections.

Evidence suggests that the human respiratory tract, as with the gastrointestinal tract, has evolved to its current state in association with commensal microbes. However, little is known about how the airway microbiome affects the development of airway immune system. Here, we uncover a previously unidentified mode of interaction between host airway immunity and a unique strain (AIT01) of , a predominant species of the nasal microbiome.

Isolation of a novel Lactiplantibacillus plantarum strain resistant to nitrite stress and its transcriptome analysis.

Nitric oxide (NO) is a reactive nitrogen species (RNS) that plays a vital role in regulating inflammatory processes. Under abnormal conditions, excessive NO levels can promote the oxidation of cellular components, which may cause or exacerbate diseases such as hypertension, cardiovascular dysfunction, and inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Previous studies have shown that reducing NO levels in the lumen can attenuate the clinical symptoms of IBD.

Nasal symbiont Staphylococcus epidermidis restricts the cellular entry of influenza virus into the nasal epithelium.

Our recent study presented that human nasal commensal Staphylococcus epidermidis could potentiate antiviral immunity in the nasal mucosa through interferon-related innate responses. Here, we found that human nasal commensal S. epidermidis promoted protease-protease inhibitor balance in favor of the host and prevented influenza A virus (IAV) replication in the nasal mucosa and lungs.

The Effect of Formula-based Nutritional Treatment on Colitis in a Murine Model.

Background: Exclusive enteral nutrition (EEN) induces remission in pediatric Crohn's disease (CD). The exact mechanism of EEN therapy in CD is unknown, but alteration of the intestinal microflora after EEN is thought to affect mucosal healing. To determine the link between EEN therapy and therapeutic efficacy in CD, we established a murine model of dextran sulfate sodium (DSS)-induced colitis and applied EEN therapy.

Association between Fusobacterium nucleatum and patient prognosis in metastatic colon cancer.

Recent evidence suggests that Fusobacterium nucleatum (Fn) is associated with the development and progression of colorectal cancer. We aimed to delineate the clinical implications of Fn in metastatic colon cancer. We performed quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) using DNA samples from synchronous metastatic colon cancer patients with either formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE) archival primary site tumor samples or fresh colon tissues.

An Escherichia coli strain with extra catalase activity protects against murine colitis by scavenging hydrogen peroxide and regulating regulatory t cell/interleukin-17 pathways.

Background: Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is a chronic inflammatory disease of the gastrointestinal tract whose occurrence is attributed to various factors, including genetic factors, immune response, microbial changes, and oxidative stress. Microbial-targeted therapy has emerged as an alternative to immunosuppressive therapy for IBD.

Methods: The effects of an atypical commensal Escherichia coli strain harboring an additional catalase gene (compared to typical E.

High-Fat-Diet-Induced Oxidative Stress Linked to the Increased Colonization of Lactobacillus sakei in an Obese Population.

Obesity is a major public health problem related to various chronic health conditions. species has been reported in obese individuals; however, its role is unknown. We compared the abundance and composition of species by analyzing feces from 64 healthy control subjects and 88 obese subjects.

Genome-wide association study of signature genetic alterations among pseudomonas aeruginosa cystic fibrosis isolates.

Pseudomonas aeruginosa (PA) is an opportunistic pathogen that causes diverse human infections including chronic airway infection in patients with cystic fibrosis (CF). Comparing the genomes of CF and non-CF PA isolates has great potential to identify the genetic basis of pathogenicity. To gain a deeper understanding of PA adaptation in CF airways, we performed a genome-wide association study (GWAS) on 1,001 PA genomes.

Microbiome and mycobiome interaction in house dust mites and impact on airway cells.

Background: Major allergen sources Dermatophagoides farinae, Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus and Tyrophagus putrescentiae have been reported to have distinct microbiomes. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of each mite on airway epithelial cells as a model of airway allergic disease.

Methods: Transcriptomic analysis (RNA-seq) of an airway epithelial cell line (BEAS-2B) was performed to compare gene expression patterns after treatment with extracts of three mite species (D.

Chemical inhibitors of the conserved bacterial transcriptional regulator DksA1 suppressed quorum sensing-mediated virulence of Pseudomonas aeruginosa.

Pseudomonas aeruginosa is a Gram-negative opportunistic pathogen whose virulence is dependent on quorum sensing (QS). DksA1, an RNA polymerase-binding transcriptional regulator, plays a role in determining a number of phenotypes, including QS-mediated virulence. We therefore envisioned that DksA1 inhibitors may help to control P.

An efficient system for intestinal on-site butyrate production using novel microbiome-derived esterases.

Short-chain fatty acids, especially butyrate, play beneficial roles in sustaining gastrointestinal health. However, due to limitations associated with direct consumption of butyrate, there has been interest in using prodrugs of butyrate. Tributyrin (TB), a triglyceride composed of three butyrate molecules and a glycerol, is a well-studied precursor of butyrate.

Transcriptome analysis reveals that the RNA polymerase-binding protein DksA1 has pleiotropic functions in .

The stringent response (SR) is a highly conserved stress response in bacteria. It is composed of two factors, (i) a nucleotide alarmone, guanosine tetra- and pentaphosphate ((p)ppGpp), and (ii) an RNA polymerase-binding protein, DksA, that regulates various phenotypes, including bacterial virulence. The clinically significant opportunistic bacterial pathogen possesses two genes, and , that encode DksA proteins.

Imipramine Ameliorates Depressive Symptoms by Blocking Differential Alteration of Dendritic Spine Structure in Amygdala and Prefrontal Cortex of Chronic Stress-Induced Mice.

Previous studies have shown disrupted synaptic plasticity and neural activity in depression. Such alteration is strongly associated with disrupted synaptic structures. Chronic stress has been known to induce changes in dendritic structure in the basolateral amygdala (BLA) and medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC), but antidepressant effect on structure of these brain areas has been unclear.

Alterations in glucose metabolism in Vibrio cholerae serogroup O1 El Tor biotype strains.

The 2 biotypes of Vibrio cholerae O1 serogroup strains-classical and El Tor-use glucose in distinct ways. Classical biotype strains perform organic acid-producing fermentation and eventually lose viability due to the self-induced creation of an acidic environment, whereas El Tor biotype strains use an alternative neutral fermentation pathway, which confers them with survival advantages. However, we report that the neutral fermentation pathway has only been recruited in prototype Wave 1 El Tor biotype strains, which have not been isolated since the mid-1990s.

Commensal-derived metabolites govern Vibrio cholerae pathogenesis in host intestine.

Background: Recent evidence suggests that the commensal microbes act as a barrier against invading pathogens and enteric infections are the consequences of multi-layered interactions among commensals, pathogens, and the host intestinal tissue. However, it remains unclear how perturbations of the gut microbiota compromise host infection resistance, especially through changes at species and metabolite levels.

Results: Here, we illustrate how Bacteroides vulgatus, a dominant species of the Bacteroidetes phylum in mouse intestine, suppresses infection by Vibrio cholerae, an important human pathogen.

IL-17C Protects Nasal Epithelium from Infection.

IL-17 family cytokines are directly involved in host immune responses and the critical mediators for host defense against infection or inflammation. IL-17C is highly expressed in respiratory epithelium and is induced after acute bacterial lung infection. However, the definite function of IL-17C induced by (PAO1 strain) is not fully understood, and our study was designed to demonstrate IL-17C-induced immune response against PAO1 infection in nasal epithelium.

Nasal commensal Staphylococcus epidermidis enhances interferon-λ-dependent immunity against influenza virus.

Background: Staphylococcus epidermidis is one of the most abundant colonizers of healthy human mucosa including that in the respiratory tract. As the respiratory microbiome has been linked to host immune responses, this study sought to determine the role of nasal mucosa-associated S. epidermidis in innate immune responses against the influenza A virus (IAV).

Alterations in phospholipid profiles of erythrocytes deep-frozen without cryoprotectants.

The erythrocyte membrane is composed of a phospholipid bilayer, which is known to undergo physicochemical changes during storage at low temperatures. This study was conducted to identify marker phospholipids that indicate alteration during deep-frozen storage and to determine the amount of marker phospholipids. Our research suggested a method to detect phospholipids by profiling analysis of thermally injured red blood cells (RBCs) without protecting agents.

Cleaved Cochlin Sequesters Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Activates Innate Immunity in the Inner Ear.

In the inner ear, endolymph fluid surrounds the organ of Corti, which is important for auditory function; notably, even slight environmental changes mediated by trauma or infection can have significant consequences. However, it is unclear how the immune response is modulated in these tissues. Here, we report the local immune surveillance role of cleaved cochlin LCCL (Limulus factor C, Cochlin, and Lgl1) during Pseudomonas aeruginosa infection in the cochlea.

Virulence Characteristics and an Action Mode of Antibiotic Resistance in Multidrug-Resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa.

Pseudomonas aeruginosa displays intrinsic resistance to many antibiotics and known to acquire actively genetic mutations for further resistance. In this study, we attempted to understand genomic and transcriptomic landscapes of P. aeruginosa clinical isolates that are highly resistant to multiple antibiotics.

Network-based genetic investigation of virulence-associated phenotypes in methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus.

Staphylococcus aureus is a gram-positive bacterium that causes a wide range of infections. Recently, the spread of methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA) strains has seriously reduced antibiotic treatment options.