Effect of antimicrobial nanocomposites on Vibrio cholerae lifestyles: Pellicle biofilm, planktonic and surface-attached biofilm

ANAID MEZA VILLEZCAS (2019, [Artículo])

Vibrio cholerae is an important human pathogen causing intestinal disease with a high incidence in developing countries. V. cholerae can switch between planktonic and biofilm lifestyles. Biofilm formation is determinant for transmission, virulence and antibiotic resistance. Due to the enhanced antibiotic resistance observed by bacterial pathogens, antimicrobial nanomaterials have been used to combat infections by stopping bacterial growth and preventing biofilm formation. In this study, the effect of the nanocomposites zeolite-embedded silver (Ag), copper (Cu), or zinc (Zn) nanoparticles (NPs) was evaluated in V. cholerae planktonic cells, and in two biofilm states: pellicle biofilm (PB), formed between air-liquid interphase, and surface-attached biofilm (SB), formed at solid-liquid interfaces. Each nanocomposite type had a distinctive antimicrobial effect altering each V. cholerae lifestyles differently. The ZEO-AgNPs nanocomposite inhibited PB formation at 4 μg/ml, and prevented SB formation and eliminated planktonic cells at 8 μg/ml. In contrast, the nanocomposites ZEO-CuNPs and ZEO-ZnNPs affect V. cholerae viability but did not completely avoid bacterial growth. At transcriptional level, depending on the nanoparticles and biofilm type, nanocomposites modified the relative expression of the vpsL, rbmA and bap1, genes involved in biofilm formation. Furthermore, the relative abundance of the outer membrane proteins OmpT, OmpU, OmpA and OmpW also differs among treatments in PB and SB. This work provides a basis for further study of the nanomaterials effect at structural, genetic and proteomic levels to understand the response mechanisms of V. cholerae against metallic nanoparticles. © 2019 Meza-Villezcas et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.

bacterial protein, copper nanoparticle, nanocomposite, OmpT protein, OmpU protein, OmpW protein, outer membrane protein A, silver nanoparticle, unclassified drug, zeolite, zinc nanoparticle, antiinfective agent, copper, metal nanoparticle, nanocompos BIOLOGÍA Y QUÍMICA CIENCIAS DE LA VIDA MICROBIOLOGÍA MICROBIOLOGÍA

El arte de ser multifuncional: proteínas "workaholic"

ROSA ESTELA QUIROZ CASTAÑEDA JOSE HUGO AGUILAR DIAZ (2023, [Artículo])

La multifuncionalidad es una ventaja que la evolución le ha concedido sólo a algunas bacterias. Sí, la evolución, ese proceso que nos traído hasta donde estamos hoy y que nos seguirá empujando para prevalecer en los ambientes más hostiles de nuestro medio ambiente. ¿Y cómo es que la evolución ha sido tan benévola con algunos organismos? Las condiciones de vida no son las mismas para todos, hay situaciones en las que se requiere hacer un uso eficiente de la función de las proteínas con las que cuenta cada organismo. Es el caso de de las proteínas. Existen aquéllas que logran realizar más de una función a través de modificaciones que hacen de su propia estructura, pero otras, sin cambiar su estructura, pueden hacer más de una función. Esto resulta increíble como estrategia para muchas bacterias que, por azares de la evolución, han tenido que mantener un genoma pequeño. El genoma almacena toda la información para crear un organismo nuevo y realizar sus funciones biológicas básicas. Este genoma posee un código de cuatro letras llamadas bases, que se organizan en pares y crean millones de combinaciones que resultan en la diversidad biológica que conocemos.

BIOLOGÍA Y QUÍMICA CIENCIAS DE LA VIDA proteinas,

Functional characterization and cellular dynamics of the CDC-42 - RAC - CDC-24 module in neurospora crassa

CYNTHIA LIZZETH ARAUJO PALOMARES (2011, [Artículo])

Rho-type GTPases are key regulators that control eukaryotic cell polarity, but their role in fungal morphogenesis is only beginning to emerge. In this study, we investigate the role of the CDC-42 - RAC - CDC-24 module in Neurospora crassa. rac and cdc-42 deletion mutants are viable, but generate highly compact colonies with severe morphological defects. Double mutants carrying conditional and loss of function alleles of rac and cdc-42 are lethal, indicating that both GTPases share at least one common essential function. The defects of the GTPase mutants are phenocopied by deletion and conditional alleles of the guanine exchange factor (GEF) cdc-24, and in vitro GDP-GTP exchange assays identify CDC-24 as specific GEF for both CDC-42 and RAC. In vivo confocal microscopy shows that this module is organized as membrane-associated cap that covers the hyphal apex. However, the specific localization patterns of the three proteins are distinct, indicating different functions of RAC and CDC-42 within the hyphal tip. CDC-42 localized as confined apical membrane-associated crescent, while RAC labeled a membrane-associated ring excluding the region labeled by CDC42. The GEF CDC-24 occupied a strategic position, localizing as broad apical membrane-associated crescent and in the apical cytosol excluding the Spitzenkörper. RAC and CDC-42 also display distinct localization patterns during branch initiation and germ tube formation, with CDC-42 accumulating at the plasma membrane before RAC. Together with the distinct cellular defects of rac and cdc-42 mutants, these localizations suggest that CDC-42 is more important for polarity establishment, while the primary function of RAC may be maintaining polarity. In summary, this study identifies CDC-24 as essential regulator for RAC and CDC-42 that have common and distinct functions during polarity establishment and maintenance of cell polarity in N. crassa. © 2011 Araujo-Palomares et al. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.

CDC24 protein, guanine nucleotide exchange factor, protein Cdc42, Rac protein, unclassified drug, cell cycle protein, fungal protein, membrane protein, multiprotein complex, protein Cdc42, Rac protein, allele, apical membrane, article, assay, cell me BIOLOGÍA Y QUÍMICA CIENCIAS DE LA VIDA MICROBIOLOGÍA MICROBIOLOGÍA

Coronin is a component of the endocytic collar of hyphae of neurospora crassa and is necessary for normal growth and morphogenesis

RAMON OSVALDO ECHAURI ESPINOSA (2012, [Artículo])

Coronin plays a major role in the organization and dynamics of actin in yeast. To investigate the role of coronin in a filamentous fungus (Neurospora crassa), we examined its subcellular localization using fluorescent proteins and the phenotypic consequences of coronin gene (crn-1) deletion in hyphal morphogenesis, Spitzenkörper behavior and endocytosis. Coronin-GFP was localized in patches, forming a subapical collar near the hyphal apex; significantly, it was absent from the apex. The subapical patches of coronin colocalized with fimbrin, Arp2/3 complex, and actin, altogether comprising the endocytic collar. Deletion of crn-1 resulted in reduced hyphal growth rates, distorted hyphal morphology, uneven wall thickness, and delayed establishment of polarity during germination; it also affected growth directionality and increased branching. The Spitzenkörper of Δcrn-1 mutant was unstable; it appeared and disappeared intermittently giving rise to periods of hyphoid-like and isotropic growth respectively. Uptake of FM4-64 in Δcrn-1 mutant indicated a partial disruption in endocytosis. These observations underscore coronin as an important component of F-actin remodeling in N. crassa. Although coronin is not essential in this fungus, its deletion influenced negatively the operation of the actin cytoskeleton involved in the orderly deployment of the apical growth apparatus, thus preventing normal hyphal growth and morphogenesis. © 2012 Echauri-Espinosa et al.

actin related protein 2-3 complex, F actin, fimbrin protein, fluorescent dye, fungal protein, fungal protein coronin, green fluorescent protein, unclassified drug, actin binding protein, coronin proteins, fungal protein, article, cell polarity, contr BIOLOGÍA Y QUÍMICA CIENCIAS DE LA VIDA MICROBIOLOGÍA MICROBIOLOGÍA

Comparative live-cell imaging analyses of SPA-2, BUD-6 and BNI-1 in Neurospora crassa reveal novel features of the filamentous fungal polarisome

Alexander Lichius (2012, [Artículo])

A key multiprotein complex involved in regulating the actin cytoskeleton and secretory machinery required for polarized growth in fungi, is the polarisome. Recognized core constituents in budding yeast are the proteins Spa2, Pea2, Aip3/Bud6, and the key effector Bni1. Multicellular fungi display a more complex polarized morphogenesis than yeasts, suggesting that the filamentous fungal polarisome might fulfill additional functions. In this study, we compared the subcellular organization and dynamics of the putative polarisome components BUD-6 and BNI-1 with those of the bona fide polarisome marker SPA-2 at various developmental stages of Neurospora crassa. All three proteins exhibited a yeast-like polarisome configuration during polarized germ tube growth, cell fusion, septal pore plugging and tip repolarization. However, the localization patterns of all three proteins showed spatiotemporally distinct characteristics during the establishment of new polar axes, septum formation and cytokinesis, and maintained hyphal tip growth. Most notably, in vegetative hyphal tips BUD-6 accumulated as a subapical cloud excluded from the Spitzenkörper (Spk), whereas BNI-1 and SPA-2 partially colocalized with the Spk and the tip apex. Novel roles during septal plugging and cytokinesis, connected to the reinitiation of tip growth upon physical injury and conidial maturation, were identified for BUD-6 and BNI-1, respectively. Phenotypic analyses of gene deletion mutants revealed additional functions for BUD-6 and BNI-1 in cell fusion regulation, and the maintenance of Spk integrity. Considered together, our findings reveal novel polarisome-independent functions of BUD-6 and BNI-1 in Neurospora, but also suggest that all three proteins cooperate at plugged septal pores, and their complex arrangement within the apical dome of mature hypha might represent a novel aspect of filamentous fungal polarisome architecture. © 2012 Lichius et al.

fungal protein, protein BNI 1, protein BUD 6, protein SPA 2, protein Spk, unclassified drug, actin binding protein, cytoskeleton protein, fungal protein, article, cell fusion, cellular distribution, comparative study, conidium, controlled study, cyto BIOLOGÍA Y QUÍMICA CIENCIAS DE LA VIDA MICROBIOLOGÍA MICROBIOLOGÍA

Association of specific expansins with growth in maize leaves is maintained under environmental, genetic, and developmental sources of variation

Francois Tardieu (2007, [Artículo])

Environmental Stimuli Expansins CIENCIAS AGROPECUARIAS Y BIOTECNOLOGÍA CELLS CROPS GENETIC ENGINEERING PROTEINS TISSUE EPIDERMIS ZEA MAYS

Remote sensing of quality traits in cereal and arable production systems: A review

Zhenhai  Li xiuliang jin Gerald Blasch James Taylor (2024, [Artículo])

Cereal is an essential source of calories and protein for the global population. Accurately predicting cereal quality before harvest is highly desirable in order to optimise management for farmers, grading harvest and categorised storage for enterprises, future trading prices, and policy planning. The use of remote sensing data with extensive spatial coverage demonstrates some potential in predicting crop quality traits. Many studies have also proposed models and methods for predicting such traits based on multi-platform remote sensing data. In this paper, the key quality traits that are of interest to producers and consumers are introduced. The literature related to grain quality prediction was analyzed in detail, and a review was conducted on remote sensing platforms, commonly used methods, potential gaps, and future trends in crop quality prediction. This review recommends new research directions that go beyond the traditional methods and discusses grain quality retrieval and the associated challenges from the perspective of remote sensing data.

Quality Traits Grain Protein CIENCIAS AGROPECUARIAS Y BIOTECNOLOGÍA REMOTE SENSING QUALITY GRAIN PROTEINS CEREALS PRODUCTION SYSTEMS

Novel mutant alleles reveal a role of the extra-large G protein in rice grain filling, panicle architecture, plant growth, and disease resistance

Akshaya Biswal Daisuke Urano (2022, [Artículo])

Heterotrimeric G Proteins Extra-Large G Proteins Cas9 OsXLG CIENCIAS AGROPECUARIAS Y BIOTECNOLOGÍA CRISPR RICE PROTEINS PLANT GROWTH DISEASE RESISTANCE

Transcriptome mining provides insights into cell wall metabolism and fiber lignification in Agave tequilana Weber

Luis Fernando Maceda Lopez ELSA BEATRIZ GONGORA CASTILLO Enrique Ibarra-Laclette DALIA C. MORAN VELAZQUEZ AMARANTA GIRON RAMIREZ Matthieu Bourdon José Luis Villalpando Aguilar Gabriela Chavez-Calvillo Toomer John Tang Parastoo Azadi Jorge Manuel Santamaría Fernández Itzel López-Rosas Mercedes G Lopez June Simpson FULGENCIO ALATORRE COBOS (2022, [Artículo])

Resilience of growing in arid and semiarid regions and a high capacity of accumulating sugar-rich biomass with low lignin percentages have placed Agave species as an emerging bioen-ergy crop. Although transcriptome sequencing of fiber-producing agave species has been explored, molecular bases that control wall cell biogenesis and metabolism in agave species are still poorly understood. Here, through RNAseq data mining, we reconstructed the cellulose biosynthesis pathway and the phenylpropanoid route producing lignin monomers in A. tequilana, and evaluated their expression patterns in silico and experimentally. Most of the orthologs retrieved showed differential expression levels when they were analyzed in different tissues with contrasting cellulose and lignin accumulation. Phylogenetic and structural motif analyses of putative CESA and CAD proteins allowed to identify those potentially involved with secondary cell wall formation. RT-qPCR assays revealed enhanced expression levels of AtqCAD5 and AtqCESA7 in parenchyma cells associated with extraxylary fibers, suggesting a mechanism of formation of sclerenchyma fibers in Agave similar to that reported for xylem cells in model eudicots. Overall, our results provide a framework for un-derstanding molecular bases underlying cell wall biogenesis in Agave species studying mechanisms involving in leaf fiber development in monocots. © 2022 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland.

AGAVE CELL WALLS LIGNOCELLULOSE CAD PROTEIN CESA PROTEIN SCLERENCHYMA BIOLOGÍA Y QUÍMICA CIENCIAS DE LA VIDA GENÉTICA GENÉTICA MOLECULAR DE PLANTAS GENÉTICA MOLECULAR DE PLANTAS

Standard heterosis estimation for quality protein maize hybrids over best released and commercialized hybrids

Adefris Teklewold (2022, [Artículo])

Grain Yield Quality Protein Maize CIENCIAS AGROPECUARIAS Y BIOTECNOLOGÍA CROSS-BREEDING INBRED LINES HETEROSIS PROTEIN QUALITY HYBRIDS