Copper is an essential metal for virtually all organisms, yet little is known about the extracellular sources of this micronutrient. In serum, the most abundant extracellular Cu-binding molecule is the multi‑copper oxidase ceruloplasmin (Cp). Cp levels increase during infection and inflammation, and pathogens can be exposed to high Cp at sites of infection. It is not known whether Cp might serve as a Cu source for microbial pathogens and we tested this using the opportunistic fungal pathogen Candida albicans. We find that C. albicans can use whole serum as a Cu source and that this Cu is sensed by the transcription factor protein Mac1. Mac1 activates expression of Mn-SOD3 superoxide dismutase and represses Cu/Zn-SOD1 during Cu starvation and both responses are regulated by serum Cu. We also show that purified human Cp can act as a sole source of Cu for the fungus and likewise modulates the Mac1 Cu stress response. To investigate whether Cp is a Cu source in serum, we compared the ability of C. albicans to use serum from wild type versus Cp mutant mice. We find that serum lacking Cp is deficient in its ability to trigger the Mac1 Cu response. C. albicans did accumulate Cu from Cp serum, but this Cu was not efficiently sensed by Mac1. We conclude that Cp and non-Cp Cu sources are not equivalent and are handled differently by the fungal cell. Overall, these studies are the first to show that Cp is a preferred source of Cu for a pathogen.
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http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jinorgbio.2021.111424 | DOI Listing |
BMC Genomics
January 2025
Unit of Mycoplasmas, Laboratory of Molecular Microbiology, Vaccinology and Biotechnology Development, Institut Pasteur de Tunis, University Tunis El Manar, Tunis, Tunisia.
Background: Avian mycoplasmas are small bacteria associated with several pathogenic conditions in many wild and poultry bird species. Extensive genomic data are available for many avian mycoplasmas, yet no comparative studies focusing on this group of mycoplasmas have been undertaken so far.
Results: Here, based on the comparison of forty avian mycoplasma genomes belonging to ten different species, we provide insightful information on the phylogeny, pan/core genome, energetic metabolism, and virulence of these avian pathogens.
Sci Rep
January 2025
USDA-ARS National Peanut Research Laboratory, 1011 Forrester Dr. S.E, 39842, Dawson, GA, USA.
Cercosporidium personatum (CP) causes peanut late leaf spot (LLS) disease with 70% yield losses unless controlled by fungicides. CP grows slowly in culture, exhibiting variable phenotypes. To explain those variations, we analyzed the morphology, genomes, transcriptomes and chemical composition of three morphotypes, herein called RED, TAN, and BROWN.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFCurr Microbiol
January 2025
Department of Microbiology and Immunology, School of Medicine, Soonchunhyang University, Cheonan-si, Chungnam, 31151, Republic of Korea.
Lactic acid bacteria (LAB), traditionally consumed as fermented foods, are now being applied to the medical field beyond health-functional food as probiotics. Therefore, it is necessary to continuously discover and evaluate new strains with suitable probiotic characteristics, mainly focusing on safety. In this study, we isolated eight new strains from postmenopausal vaginal fluid using culturomics approaches, an emerging area of interest.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFSci Rep
January 2025
Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Naresuan University, Phitsanulok, Thailand.
Xanthomonas oryzae pv. oryzae (Xoo) is a bacterial pathogen responsible for bacterial leaf blight (BLB) in rice, which can result in significant yield losses of up to 70%. A study evaluated the spread of Xoo in rice fields using environmental samples and employed colorimetric loop-mediated amplification (cLAMP) and PCR for detection.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFSci Rep
January 2025
Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden.
Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is an increasing problem worldwide, and new treatment options for bacterial infections are direly needed. Engineered probiotics show strong potential in treating or preventing bacterial infections. However, one concern with the use of live bacteria is the risk of the bacteria acquiring genes encoding for AMR or virulence factors through horizontal gene transfer (HGT), and the transformation of the probiotic into a superbug.
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