451 results match your criteria: "and Institute of Microbiology[Affiliation]"

Functional Characterization of RseC in the SoxR Reducing System and Its Role in Oxidative Stress Response in .

J Microbiol Biotechnol

December 2024

Laboratory of Molecular Microbiology, School of Biological Sciences, and Institute of Microbiology, Seoul National University, Seoul 08826, Republic of Korea.

The reducing system of SoxR consists of a putative electron transfer system encoded by the operon, RseC encoded from the unlinked operon, and ApbE. RseC is composed of two transmembrane helices, with both the N-terminal and C-terminal domains located in the cytoplasm. The N-terminal domain has a four-cysteine motif, CXCXCXC, in the cytoplasm, with the latter three cysteines highly conserved in RseC homologs, allowing the SoxR reducer complex to function in .

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The role of ABC transporter DrrABC in the export of PDIM in .

Cell Surf

December 2024

School of Biosciences and Institute of Microbiology and Infection, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham B15 2TT, United Kingdom.

The virulence lipid phthiocerol dimycocerosate (PDIM) is exported by a complex mechanism that involves multiple proteins including the Resistance-Nodulation-Division (RND) transporter MmpL7 and the lipoprotein LppX. Here, we probe the role of the putative heterooligomeric ATP-Binding Cassette (ABC) transporter complex composed of DrrA, DrrB and DrrC in PDIM transport by constructing a set of individual null mutants of , and in the vaccine strain BCG. Loss of all three, or individual genes, all resulted in a complete loss of PDIM export to the outer envelope of the mycobacterial cell.

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This study investigated the role of Ninjurin1 (Ninj1), encoding a small transmembrane protein, in colitis-associated colon tumorigenesis in relation to sex hormones. Male and female wild-type (WT) and Ninj1 knockout (KO) mice were treated with azoxymethane (AOM) and dextran sulfate sodium (DSS), with or without testosterone propionate (TP). At week 2 (acute colitis stage), Ninj1 KO exhibited an alleviation in the colitis symptoms in both male and female mice.

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Mycobacteria are known for their complex cell wall, which comprises layers of peptidoglycan, polysaccharides and unusual fatty acids known as mycolic acids that form their unique outer membrane. Polyketide synthase 13 (Pks13) of , the bacterial organism causing tuberculosis, catalyses the last step of mycolic acid synthesis prior to export to and assembly in the cell wall. Due to its essentiality, Pks13 is a target for several novel anti-tubercular inhibitors, but its 3D structure and catalytic reaction mechanism remain to be fully elucidated.

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Article Synopsis
  • Aspergillus fumigatus causes the infection known as aspergillosis and uses asexual spores to infect hosts, but little is known about how it evades the immune system.
  • In this study, researchers analyzed the conidial surface proteins of A. fumigatus and compared them to two non-pathogenic species, discovering 62 proteins unique to A. fumigatus.
  • Testing null mutants for 42 genes revealed that deleting 33 of these genes affected the fungus's ability to resist immune responses, particularly highlighting a gene that influences the proinflammatory cytokine IL-1β, which is crucial for infection in a mouse model.
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Functional analysis of the Mycobacterium bovis AF2122/97 PhoPR system.

Tuberculosis (Edinb)

September 2024

UCD School of Veterinary Medicine, University College Dublin, Belfield, Dublin, D04 V1W8, Ireland; International Institute for Vaccine Research and Development, Hokkaido University, Kita 21, Nishi 11, Kita-ku, Sapporo, 001-0021, Japan; International Institute for Zoonosis Control, Hokkaido University, Kita 20, Nishi 10, Kita-ku, Sapporo, 001-0020, Japan; UCD Conway Institute of Biomolecular and Biomedical Science, University College Dublin, Belfield, Dublin, D04 V1W8, Ireland; UCD Centre for One Health, University College Dublin, Belfield, Dublin, Ireland; UCD Centre for Experimental Pathogen Host Research, University College Dublin, Belfield, Dublin, Ireland. Electronic address:

Article Synopsis
  • - The PhoPR system acts as a crucial regulator in Mycobacterium tuberculosis, with a notable difference in the PhoR protein between M. tuberculosis and M. bovis due to a specific genetic substitution.
  • - Previous studies on M. bovis PhoPR have yielded mixed results regarding its functionality, prompting the authors to investigate this further by creating a mutant strain.
  • - Their experiments revealed that the M. bovis ΔphoPR mutant displayed reduced growth and significant changes in gene expression, particularly in lipid metabolism, emphasizing the role of the PhoPR system in regulating gene expression within the Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex.
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Methods for studying microbial acid stress responses: from molecules to populations.

FEMS Microbiol Rev

September 2024

School of Biosciences and Institute of Microbiology of Infection, University of Birmingham, Birmingham B15 2TT, United Kingdom.

The study of how micro-organisms detect and respond to different stresses has a long history of producing fundamental biological insights while being simultaneously of significance in many applied microbiological fields including infection, food and drink manufacture, and industrial and environmental biotechnology. This is well-illustrated by the large body of work on acid stress. Numerous different methods have been used to understand the impacts of low pH on growth and survival of micro-organisms, ranging from studies of single cells to large and heterogeneous populations, from the molecular or biophysical to the computational, and from well-understood model organisms to poorly defined and complex microbial consortia.

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Hymenochaetales Oberw. is an order classified in Basidiomycota of Fungi, and species in this order display notable diversity. They exhibit various fruiting body shapes, including clavarioid, effused-reflexed, and resupinate basidiomes.

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Abundance of the Membrane Proteome in Yeast Cells Lacking Spc1, a Non-catalytic Subunit of the Signal Peptidase Complex.

J Membr Biol

August 2024

School of Biological Sciences and Institute of Microbiology, Seoul National University, Building 504-421, Seoul, 08826, South Korea.

The signal peptidase complex (SPC) mediates processing of signal peptides of secretory precursors. But, recent studies show that the eukaryotic SPC also cleaves internal transmembrane segments of some membrane proteins, and its non-catalytic subunit, Spc1/SPCS1 plays a critical role in this process. To assess the impact of Spc1 on membrane proteostasis, we carried out quantitative proteomics of yeast cells with and without Spc1.

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The origins and success of the EFB Journal New Biotechnology under the leadership of Mike Taussig.

N Biotechnol

July 2024

School of Biosciences and Institute of Microbiology and Infection, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham B15 2TT, UK. Electronic address:

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Long-Term Investigation of Marine-Derived Diversity in the Republic of Korea.

Mycobiology

December 2023

School of Biological Sciences and Institute of Microbiology, Seoul National University, Seoul, Korea.

species play a crucial role in terrestrial environments as degraders and are well known for producing various secondary metabolites. Recently, species have been discovered in marine environments, exhibiting adaptability to high salinity and producing diverse secondary metabolites with valuable properties. However, limited research has focused on their marine diversity, leading to inaccurate species identification.

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(, ) consists of species of terrestrial plant endophytes and pathogens. has also been reported in marine environments such as mangroves, sea fans, and macroalgae. However, limited research has been conducted on associated with macroalgae.

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Antimicrobial Cyclic Dipeptides from Japanese Quail () Eggs Supplemented with Probiotic .

J Microbiol Biotechnol

February 2024

Laboratory of Microbial Physiology and Biotechnology, Department of Food and Nutrition, College of Bio-Convergence, and Institute of Food and Nutrition Science, Eulji University, Seongnam 13135, Republic of Korea.

Fifteen cyclic dipeptides (CDPs) containing proline, one cyclo(Phe-Ala) without proline, and a non-peptidyl DL-3-phenyllactic acid were previously identified in the culture filtrates of LBP-K10, an isolate from kimchi. In this study, we used Japanese quail () eggs to examine the effects of probiotic supplementation on the antimicrobial CDPs extracted from quail eggs (QE). Eggshell-free QE were obtained from two distinct groups of quails.

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Introduction: Influenza causes significant morbidity and mortality, but influenza vaccine uptake remains below most countries' targets. Vaccine policy recommendations vary, as do procedures for reviewing and appraising the evidence.

Areas Covered: During a series of roundtable discussions, we reviewed procedures and methodologies used by health ministries in four European countries to inform vaccine recommendations.

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Background/aims: : The gut microbiome has emerged as a key player that mechanistically links various risk factors to colorectal cancer (CRC) etiology. However, the role of the gut microbiome in CRC pathogenesis remains unclear. This study aimed to characterize the gut microbiota in healthy controls (HCs) and patients with colorectal adenoma (AD) and CRC in subgroups based on sex and age.

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Article Synopsis
  • The study analyzes soil fungal diversity globally by examining over 4,000 topsoil samples from various ecosystems, revealing how different environmental factors influence fungal communities.
  • It demonstrates the effects of temperature and precipitation on local species richness (alpha diversity) and how these factors contribute to variations in fungal composition and evolutionary relationships (beta and phylogenetic diversity).
  • The research integrates fungal diversity into global biodiversity frameworks, providing maps and insights that can aid in conservation efforts and ecological studies worldwide.
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Unveiling the Diversity of in the Republic of Korea with One New Species, .

Mycobiology

October 2023

School of Biological Sciences and Institute of Microbiology, Seoul National University, Seoul, Korea.

is a genus of ectomycorrhizal fungi belonging to the Hydnaceae family. It is widely distributed across different regions of the world, including North America, Europe, and Asia; however, some of them showed disjunct distributions. In recent years, with the integration of molecular techniques, the taxonomy and classification of have undergone several revisions and advancements.

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Article Synopsis
  • A study assessed a specific gram-positive anaerobic bacterium's effectiveness in treating irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) caused by repeated water avoidance stress (WAS) in rats.
  • Rats were divided into three groups: one with no stress, another experiencing WAS for 10 days, and the third receiving probiotics (BBH024 or R22-12-24) during the same period.
  • Results showed that probiotic treatment significantly reduced fecal pellet output and mast cell infiltration in the colon, indicating the bacteria's potential as a beneficial probiotic for IBS management and reducing colonic inflammation.
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, an important pulmonary fungal pathogen causing several diseases collectively called aspergillosis, relies on asexual spores (conidia) for initiating host infection. Here, we used a phylogenomic approach to compare proteins in the conidial surface of , two closely related non-pathogenic species, and , and the cryptic pathogen . After identifying 62 proteins uniquely expressed on the conidial surface, we assessed null mutants for 42 genes encoding conidial proteins.

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Article Synopsis
  • The text discusses the potential of using microbial metabolism to convert sunlight and organic carbon into sustainable energy, highlighting the current limitations in developing effective microbial platforms for fuel production.
  • A new microbial device inspired by water lily leaves is introduced, which functions at the air-water interface, enhancing the supply and capture of gases while optimizing sunlight delivery.
  • The device, utilizing the microorganism Rhodopseudomonas parapalustris, demonstrates significantly improved hydrogen production rates compared to traditional devices, showcasing its promise for efficient and sustainable solar energy conversion.
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Approaches for high-throughput quantification of periplasmic recombinant proteins.

N Biotechnol

November 2023

School of Chemical Engineering and Institute of Microbiology and Infection, The University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham B15 2TT, UK. Electronic address:

The Gram-negative periplasm is a convenient location for the accumulation of many recombinant proteins including biopharmaceutical products. It is the site of disulphide bond formation, required by some proteins (such as antibody fragments) for correct folding and function. It also permits simpler protein release and downstream processing than cytoplasmic accumulation.

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Optimisation of recombinant TNFα production in using GFP fusions and flow cytometry.

Front Bioeng Biotechnol

August 2023

School of Chemical Engineering and Institute of Microbiology and Infection, The University of Birmingham, Birmingham, United Kingdom.

is commonly used industrially to manufacture recombinant proteins for biopharmaceutical applications, as well as in academic and industrial settings for R&D purposes. Optimisation of recombinant protein production remains problematic as many proteins are difficult to make, and process conditions must be optimised for each individual protein. An approach to accelerate process development is the use of a green fluorescent protein (GFP) fusions, which can be used to rapidly and simply measure the quantity and folding state of the protein of interest.

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MtrA modulates Mycobacterium tuberculosis cell division in host microenvironments to mediate intrinsic resistance and drug tolerance.

Cell Rep

August 2023

Institute for Systems Biology, Seattle, WA 98109, USA; Departments of Biology and Microbiology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA; Molecular and Cellular Biology Program, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA; Lawrence Berkeley National Lab, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA. Electronic address:

The success of Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) is largely attributed to its ability to physiologically adapt and withstand diverse localized stresses within host microenvironments. Here, we present a data-driven model (EGRIN 2.0) that captures the dynamic interplay of environmental cues and genome-encoded regulatory programs in Mtb.

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Global phylogeographical distribution of Gloeoporus dichrous.

PLoS One

July 2023

School of Biological Sciences and Institute of Microbiology, Seoul National University, Seoul, Republic of Korea.

Phylogeographic analyses are efficient in ecological and evolutionary studies to discover the origin of a lineage, its dispersal routes, and the divergence of ancestral traits. Studies on widespread wood-decay fungi have revealed the phylogenetic division of several polypores based on geographical distribution. In this study, specimens of Gloeoporus dichrous, a cosmopolitan polypore species, were collected globally and analyzed for their geographic distribution.

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