Acapedia’s Post

Staphylococcus aureus and Itaconate Response: Driving Biofilm Formation 🦠 Findings reveal how Staphylococcus aureus induces an itaconate-dominated immunometabolic response, leading to biofilm formation. This critical study, by Kira Tomlinson, Tania Wong Fok Lung, Felix Dach, Medini K. Annavajhala, PhD, Stanislaw Gabryszewski, MD, PhD, Ryan A Groves, Marija Drikic, Nancy J. Francoeur, Shwetha Sridhar, Melissa Smith, Sara Khanal, Clemente J.Brito @Robert Sebra, Ian Lewis, Anne-Catrin Uhlemann, Barbara C Kahl, Alice S Prince, Sebastián A Riquelme explores the distinct pathways of S. aureus compared to Gram-negative pathogens. Clinical Impact: Understanding these mechanisms opens avenues for innovative treatments targeting chronic S. aureus infections and biofilm-associated diseases. 📚 Earn 1.0 #CME Credit Read the full article to explore these findings and their clinical implications. https://lnkd.in/dgGcjhWv #PhysicianInsights #MedicalPractice #MedicalResearch #DoctorsUpdate #StaphylococcusAureus #Immunometabolism #BiofilmFormation #CME

LysJEP8, a novel endolysin derived from Escherichia phage JEP8, exhibits remarkable antimicrobial activity against key Gram-negative members of the ESKAPE group. Comparative assessments highlight LysJEP8's superior performance in reducing bacterial survival rates compared to previously described endolysins, with the most significant impact observed against P. aeruginosa, and notable effects on A. baumannii and K. pneumoniae. The study found that LysJEP8, as predicted by in silico analysis, worked best at lower pH values but lost its effectiveness at salt concentrations close to physiological levels. Importantly, LysJEP8 exhibited remarkable efficacy in the disruption of P. aeruginosa biofilms. https://lnkd.in/eTKZkjVn

I'm happy to share with you, our last article: "Inhibitory Effect of Five Naturally Occurring Compounds on the Expression of Genes Associated with the QS System and some Virulence Factors in P. aeruginosa"

Patients, hygienists, surgeons, and dentists rely on sharp, refined cutting edges for their professional tools. Ensuring precision in scalpel blades, orthopedic, neurosurgical, dental scalers, and curettes is crucial for minimal hand and body trauma during procedures. This precision not only supports optimal wound healing but also helps in reducing pain and trauma. #PrecisionTools #OptimalHealing

New paper published (open access) in the Heliyon journal (https://lnkd.in/dJrGBcc2), thanks to a very nice collaboration between researchers from the Universidad de Zaragoza (Spain), the University of Lübeck (Germany) and the German Center for Infection Research (Germany). In this work we unveiled for the first time the direct antimicrobial effect of the hormone L-thyroxine (T4) and a set of derivatives on bacteria of the genus Streptococcus. By relying on in-vitro experiments and in silico approaches we have tested the activity and toxicity of these compounds and described the structural determinants influencing their antibacterial efficacy. Interestingly, some of the analogues showing promising therapeutic profiles against Streptococcus pneumoniae and other Gram-positive bacteria are known to have a greatly reduced hormonal effect, compared to thyroxine, which is good and allow for a further development of narrow spectrum antimicrobials. #DrugDiscovery #DrugDesign #Streptococcus #Grampositivebacteria #Narrowspectrumantimicrobials #MolecularDocking

Burkholderia pseudomallei (Bps) is a soil-dwelling Gram-negative bacterium commonly found in Southeast Asia and Northern Australia and a cause of a deadly disease of mammalian species termed melioidosis. Patients infected with Bps usually develop skin ulcers, visceral abscesses, pneumonia and septicemia that imperatively require immediate antimicrobial treatment to avoid fatal progression of the disease. Very often, antimicrobial treatment is quite a challenge due to the high intrinsic broad spectrum resistance that most Bps strains exhibit towards a broad spectrum of antimicrobial agents including but not limited to β-lactam antibiotics, aminoglycosides, macrolides, and cephalosporins.Due to the high incidence of drug resistance and very high virulence, Bps is regarded a potential bioterrorism and warfare agent. As such, this organism has been listed by the US Centre for Disease Control and Prevention as a category B health hazard. Clinical and security concerns associated with Bps have justified intensive research in attempt to address the structural and functional organization of this pathogen as a prelude to the design of novel and efficacious anti-Bps therapeutic agents. Also known as porins, Omp channels are typical β-barrel protein structures that independently or as oligomeric units are inserted into the outer lipid bilayer of the bacterial cell wall to form pores through which extracellular species can diffuse and gain access to the periplasmic space and cytosol. In many cases, these porins are involved in the resistance against antibiotics. An Omp with an apparent molecular weight (MW) of 38 kDa, referred to as BpsOmp38, was isolated from the Bps cell wall. Here you can see the x-ray structure of the outer membrane porin BpsOmp38 of Burkholderia pseudomallei (PDB code: 8JTO). Rendering by Francisco J. Enguita (@paco.enguita) made with #ProteinImager https://lnkd.in/dwgPfwuv #molecularart #porin #resistance #outermembrane #antibiotic #Burkholderia #xray

Burkholderia pseudomallei (Bps) is a soil-dwelling Gram-negative bacterium commonly found in Southeast Asia and Northern Australia and a cause of a deadly disease of mammalian species termed melioidosis. Patients infected with Bps usually develop skin ulcers, visceral abscesses, pneumonia and septicemia that imperatively require immediate antimicrobial treatment to avoid fatal progression of the disease. Very often, antimicrobial treatment is quite a challenge due to the high intrinsic broad spectrum resistance that most Bps strains exhibit towards a broad spectrum of antimicrobial agents including but not limited to β-lactam antibiotics, aminoglycosides, macrolides, and cephalosporins.Due to the high incidence of drug resistance and very high virulence, Bps is regarded a potential bioterrorism and warfare agent. As such, this organism has been listed by the US Centre for Disease Control and Prevention as a category B health hazard. Clinical and security concerns associated with Bps have justified intensive research in attempt to address the structural and functional organization of this pathogen as a prelude to the design of novel and efficacious anti-Bps therapeutic agents. Also known as porins, Omp channels are typical β-barrel protein structures that independently or as oligomeric units are inserted into the outer lipid bilayer of the bacterial cell wall to form pores through which extracellular species can diffuse and gain access to the periplasmic space and cytosol. In many cases, these porins are involved in the resistance against antibiotics. An Omp with an apparent molecular weight (MW) of 38 kDa, referred to as BpsOmp38, was isolated from the Bps cell wall. Here you can see the x-ray structure of the outer membrane porin BpsOmp38 of Burkholderia pseudomallei (PDB code: 8JTO). Rendering by Francisco J. Enguita (@paco.enguita) made with #ProteinImager https://lnkd.in/da4iY3_2 #molecularart #porin #resistance #outermembrane #antibiotic #Burkholderia #xray

Until the late 2000s, lactococci played a significant role in discovering plasmid-borne phage defence systems. Recently, there has been a renewed interest in finding new antiphage systems in lactic acid bacteria. A study of 321 plasmid sequences from 53 lactococcal strains led to the discovery of seven previously unknown antiphage systems and five systems found in other bacteria. These systems provide resistance against common lactococcal phages and function post phage DNA injection, mostly as abortive infection systems. Predictions on their structure and domains offer insights into their mechanisms, and despite their rarity in the plasmid collection, the novel systems' homologues seem to be widespread among bacteria. This study emphasizes the potential of plasmids as a valuable source of undiscovered antiphage systems.

Using Diamond Light Source's I04 beamline, we solved the structure of ParDE1 through X-ray crystallography earlier this year. ParE1, the toxic component of the ParDE1 toxin-antitoxin system, binds and poisons the DNA gyrase enzyme of M. tuberculosis which offers new opportunities in drug development to counter the devastating effects of TB. Diamond featured our findings in their science highlights of 2024 and touched on the increasingly popular concept of complex remodelling in toxin-antitoxin complexes. Read about it below👇 https://lnkd.in/edfVdXqS

Fisk University student Vida Robertson highlighted a publication from SBGrid member Dirk Slotboom from University of Groningen and his colleague Anna Hirsch of Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research that appeared in Protein Science and describes the authors' investigation of a new druggable target for treating pneumonia infections. Read more here: https://lnkd.in/eHatDA8i #SBGrid #StructuralBiology #DrugResistance