bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Translocator Protein (18 kD) as Target for Anxiolytics Without Benzodiazepine-Like Side Effects
Authors: Rupprecht Rainer , Rammes Gerhard , Eser Daniela , Baghai Thomas C. , Schüle Cornelius , Nothdurfter Caroline , Troxler Thomas , Gentsch Conrad , Kalkman Hans O. , Chaperon Frederique , Uzunov Veska , McAllister Kevin H. , Bertaina-Anglade Valerie , La Rochelle Christophe Drieu , Tuerck Dietrich , Floesser Annette , Kiese Beate , Schumacher Michael , Landgraf Rainer , Holsboer Florian , Kucher Klaus 
Published: June 2009

Keeping CalmBenzodiazepines are the most prescribed anxiolytics and are used by a broad population. However, benzodiazepines can cause unwanted side effects, including sedation, development of tolerance, and withdrawal symptoms after long-term administration.Rupprechtet al.(p.490; published online 18 June) now find that a translocator protein (18-kD) ligand, XBD173, is a fast-acting anxiolytic agent, both in animals and humans, which lacks the unwanted side effects of benzodiazepines and provides a promising target for novel clinically effective anxiolytic drugs.
Variability of
Burkholderia pseudomallei
Strain Sensitivities to Chlorine Disinfection
Authors: O'Connell Heather A. , Rose Laura J. , Shams Alicia , Bradley Meranda , Arduino Matthew J. , Rice Eugene W. 
Published: June 2009

ABSTRACT

Burkholderia pseudomallei
is a select agent and the causative agent of melioidosis. Variations in previously reported chlorine and monochloramine concentration time (Ct) values for disinfection of this organism make decisions regarding the appropriate levels of chlorine in water treatment systems difficult. This study identified the variation in Ct values for 2-, 3-, and 4-log
10
reductions of eight environmental and clinical isolates of
B. pseudomallei
in phosphate-buffered water. The greatest calculated Ct values for a 4-log
10
inactivation were 7.8 mg·min/liter for free available chlorine (FAC) at pH 8 and 5°C and 550 mg·min/liter for monochloramine at pH 8 and 5°C. Ionic strength of test solutions, culture hold times in water, and cell washing were ruled out as sources of the differences in prior observations. Tolerance to FAC was correlated with the relative amount of extracellular material produced by each isolate. Solid-phase cytometry analysis using an esterase-cleaved fluorochrome assay detected a 2-log
10
-higher level of organisms based upon metabolic activity than did culture, which in some cases increased Ct values by fivefold. Despite strain-to-strain variations in Ct values of 17-fold for FAC and 2.5-fold for monochloramine, standard FAC disinfection practices utilized in the United States should disinfect planktonic populations of these
B. pseudomallei
strains by 4 orders of magnitude in less than 10 min at the tested temperatures and pH levels.
Comparative Genome-Wide Transcriptional Profiling of
Azorhizobium caulinodans
ORS571 Grown under Free-Living and Symbiotic Conditions
Authors: Tsukada Shuhei , Aono Toshihiro , Akiba Noriko , Lee Kyung-Bum , Liu Chi-Te , Toyazaki Hiroki , Oyaizu Hiroshi 
Published: June 2009

ABSTRACT

The whole-genome sequence of the endosymbiotic bacterium
Azorhizobium caulinodans
ORS571, which forms nitrogen-fixing nodules on the stems and roots of
Sesbania rostrata
, was recently determined. The sizes of the genome and symbiosis island are 5.4 Mb and 86.7 kb, respectively, and these sizes are the smallest among the sequenced rhizobia. In the present study, a whole-genome microarray of
A. caulinodans
was constructed, and transcriptomic analyses were performed on free-living cells grown in rich and minimal media and in bacteroids isolated from stem nodules. Transcriptional profiling showed that the genes involved in sulfur uptake and metabolism, acetone metabolism, and the biosynthesis of exopolysaccharide were highly expressed in bacteroids compared to the expression levels in free-living cells. Some mutants having Tn
5
transposons within these genes with increased expression were obtained as nodule-deficient mutants in our previous study. A transcriptomic analysis was also performed on free-living cells grown in minimal medium supplemented with a flavonoid, naringenin, which is one of the most efficient inducers of
A. caulinodans nod
genes. Only 18 genes exhibited increased expression by the addition of naringenin, suggesting that the regulatory mechanism responding to the flavonoid could be simple in
A. caulinodans.
The combination of our genome-wide transcriptional profiling and our previous genome-wide mutagenesis study has revealed new aspects of nodule formation and maintenance.
Aerobic Biodegradation of
N
-Nitrosodimethylamine by the Propanotroph
Rhodococcus ruber
ENV425
Authors: Fournier Diane , Hawari Jalal , Halasz Annamaria , Streger Sheryl H. , McClay Kevin R. , Masuda Hisako , Hatzinger Paul B. 
Published: June 2009

ABSTRACT

The propanotroph
Rhodococcus ruber
ENV425 was observed to rapidly biodegrade
N
-nitrosodimethylamine (NDMA) after growth on propane, tryptic soy broth, or glucose. The key degradation intermediates were methylamine, nitric oxide, nitrite, nitrate, and formate. Small quantities of formaldehyde and dimethylamine were also detected. A denitrosation reaction, initiated by hydrogen atom abstraction from one of the two methyl groups, is hypothesized to result in the formation of
n
-methylformaldimine and nitric oxide, the former of which decomposes in water to methylamine and formaldehyde and the latter of which is then oxidized further to nitrite and then nitrate. Although the strain mineralized more than 60% of the carbon in [
14
C]NDMA to
14
CO
2
, growth of strain ENV425 on NDMA as a sole carbon and energy source could not be confirmed. The bacterium was capable of utilizing NDMA, as well as the degradation intermediates methylamine and nitrate, as sources of nitrogen during growth on propane. In addition, ENV425 reduced environmentally relevant microgram/liter concentrations of NDMA to <2 ng/liter in batch cultures, suggesting that the bacterium may have applications for groundwater remediation.
Comparative Metagenomic Analysis of a Microbial Community Residing at a Depth of 4,000 Meters at Station ALOHA in the North Pacific Subtropical Gyre
Authors: Konstantinidis Konstantinos T. , Braff Jennifer , Karl David M. , DeLong Edward F. 
Published: June 2009

ABSTRACT
The deep sea (water depth of >2,000 m) represents the largest biome on Earth. Yet relatively little is known about its microbial community's structure, function, and adaptation to the cold and deep biosphere. To provide further genomic insights into deep-sea planktonic microbes, we sequenced a total of ∼200 Mbp of a random whole-genome shotgun (WGS) library from a microbial community residing at a depth of 4,000 m at Station ALOHA in the Pacific Ocean and compared it to other available WGS sequence data from surface and deep waters. Our analyses indicated that the deep-sea lifestyle is likely facilitated by a collection of very subtle adaptations, as opposed to dramatic alterations of gene content or structure. These adaptations appear to include higher metabolic versatility and genomic plasticity to cope with the sparse and sporadic energy resources available, a preference for hydrophobic and smaller-volume amino acids in protein sequences, unique proteins not found in surface-dwelling species, and adaptations at the gene expression level. The deep-sea community is also characterized by a larger average genome size and a higher content of “selfish” genetic elements, such as transposases and prophages, whose propagation is apparently favored by more relaxed purifying (negative) selection in deeper waters.
Significant Enhanced Expression and Solubility of Human Proteins in
Escherichia coli
by Fusion with Protein S from
Myxococcus xanthus
Authors: Kobayashi Hiroshi , Yoshida Takeshi , Inouye Masayori 
Published: June 2009

ABSTRACT

Protein S is a major spore coat protein of
Myxococcus xanthus
, consisting of two homologous domains, the N-terminal domain (NTD) and the C-terminal domain, both of which contain a Ca
2+
-binding site. Protein S tightly binds to myxospores in a Ca
2+
-dependent manner. Here, we constructed a novel expression vector, pCold-PST, encoding two tandem repeat NTDs (PrS
2
). By using this vector, a number of human proteins that were expressed at low levels or in insoluble forms by a pET vector were expressed not only at high levels but also in soluble forms. We also demonstrated that an
Escherichia coli
protein tagged with PrS
2
fully retained its function, indicating that it is folded independently from the tag. This technology not only allows simple, one-step protein purification using myxospores, but can also be used for the identification of proteins interacting with a protein of interest and will prove immensely useful for structural studies of proteins which are difficult to produce or are insoluble.
Evolution and Diversity of Facultative Symbionts from the Aphid Subfamily Lachninae
Authors: Burke Gaelen R. , Normark Benjamin B. , Favret Colin , Moran Nancy A. 
Published: June 2009

ABSTRACTMany aphids harbor a variety of endosymbiotic bacteria. The functions of these symbionts can range from an obligate nutritional role to a facultative role in protecting their hosts against environmental stresses. One such symbiont is “CandidatusSerratia symbiotica,” which is involved in defense against heat and potentially also in aphid nutrition. Lachnid aphids have been the focus of several recent studies investigating the transition of this symbiont from a facultative symbiont to an obligate symbiont. In a phylogenetic analysis ofSerratiasymbionts from 51 lachnid hosts, we found that diversity in symbiont morphology, distribution, and function is due to multiple independent origins of symbiosis from ancestors belonging toSerratiaand possibly also to evolution within distinct symbiont clades. Our results do not support cocladogenesis of “Ca. Serratia symbiotica” withCinarasubgenusCinaraspecies and weigh against an obligate nutritional role. Finally, we show that species belonging to the subfamily Lachninae have a high incidence of facultative symbiont infection.
Synthetic Ultrashort Cationic Lipopeptides Induce Systemic Plant Defense Responses against Bacterial and Fungal Pathogens
Authors: Brotman Yariv , Makovitzki Arik , Shai Yechiel , Chet Ilan , Viterbo Ada 
Published: June 2009

ABSTRACT

A new family of synthetic, membrane-active, ultrashort lipopeptides composed of only four amino acids linked to fatty acids was tested for the ability to induce systemic resistance and defense responses in plants. We found that two peptides wherein the third residue is a
d
-enantiomer (italic), C
16
-KK
K
K and C
16
-KL
L
K, can induce medium alkalinization of tobacco suspension-cultured cells and expression of defense-related genes in cucumber and
Arabidopsis
seedlings. Moreover, these compounds can prime systemic induction of antimicrobial compounds in cucumber leaves similarly to the plant-beneficial fungus
Trichoderma asperellum
T203 and provide systemic protection against the phytopathogens
Botrytis cinerea
B05,
Pseudomonas syringae
pv.
lachrimans
, and
P. syringae
pv.
tomato
DC3000. Thus, short cationic lipopeptides are a new category of compounds with potentially high utility in the induction of systemic resistance in plants.
Alleviation of Proteolytic Sensitivity To Enhance Recombinant Lipase Production in
Escherichia coli
Authors: Narayanan Niju , Chou C. Perry 
Published: June 2009

ABSTRACT

Two amino acids, Leu149 and Val223, were identified as proteolytically sensitive when
Pseudozyma antarctica
lipase (PalB) was heterologously expressed in
Escherichia coli
. The functional expression was enhanced using the double mutant for cultivation. However, the recombinant protein production was still limited by PalB misfolding, which was resolved by DsbA coexpression.
Evolution of
Lactococcus lactis
Phages within a Cheese Factory
Authors: Rousseau Geneviève M. , Moineau Sylvain 
Published: June 2009

ABSTRACT

We have sequenced the double-stranded DNA genomes of six lactococcal phages (SL4, CB13, CB14, CB19, CB20, and GR7) from the 936 group that were isolated over a 9-year period from whey samples obtained from a Canadian cheese factory. These six phages infected the same two industrial
Lactococcus lactis
strains out of 30 tested. The CB14 and GR7 genomes were found to be 100% identical even though they were isolated 14 months apart, indicating that a phage can survive in a cheese plant for more than a year. The other four genomes were related but notably different. The length of the genomes varied from 28,144 to 32,182 bp, and they coded for 51 to 55 open reading frames. All five genomes possessed a 3′ overhang
cos
site that was 11 nucleotides long. Several structural proteins were also identified by nano-high-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry, confirming bioinformatic analyses. Comparative analyses suggested that the most recently isolated phages (CB19 and CB20) were derived, in part, from older phage isolates (CB13 and CB14/GR7). The organization of the five distinct genomes was similar to the previously sequenced lactococcal phage genomes of the 936 group, and from these sequences, a core genome was determined for lactococcal phages of the 936 group.
Inactivation of PadR, the Repressor of the Phenolic Acid Stress Response, by Molecular Interaction with Usp1, a Universal Stress Protein fromLactobacillus plantarum, inEscherichia coli
Authors: Gury Jérôme , Seraut Hélène , Tran Ngoc Phuong , Barthelmebs Lise , Weidmann Stéphanie , Gervais Patrick , Cavin Jean-François 
Published: June 2009

ABSTRACTThe phenolic acid decarboxylase genepadAis involved in the phenolic acid stress response (PASR) in gram-positive bacteria. InLactobacillus plantarum, thepadRgene encodes the negative transcriptional regulator ofpadAand is cotranscribed with a downstream gene,usp1, which encodes a putative universal stress protein (USP), Usp1, of unknown function. Theusp1gene is overexpressed during the PASR. However, the role and the mechanism of action of the USPs are unknown in gram-positive bacteria. Therefore, to gain insights into the role of USPs in the PASR; (i) ausp1deletion mutant was constructed; (ii) the two genespadRandusp1were coexpressed withpadAunder its own promoter as a reporter gene inEscherichia coli; and (iii) molecular in vitro interactions between the PadR, Usp1, and thepadApromoter were studied. Although theusp1mutant strain retained phenolic acid-dependent PAD activity, it displayed a greater sensitivity to strong acidic conditions compared to that of the wild-type strain. PadR cannot be inactivated directly by phenolic acid inE. colirecombinant cultures but is inactivated by Usp1 when the two proteins are coexpressed inE. coli.The PadR inactivation observed in recombinantE. colicells was supported by electrophoretic mobility shift assays. Although Usp1 seems not to be absolutely required for the PASR, its capacity to inactivate PadR indicates that it could serve as an important mediator in acid stress response mechanisms through its capacity to interact with transcriptional regulators.
Plasmid-Based System for High-Level Gene Expression and Antisense Gene Knockdown in
Bartonella henselae
Authors: Gillaspie Devin , Perkins Izabella , Larsen Kellie , McCord Amy , Pangonis Scott , Sweger Debra , Seleem Mohamed N. , Sriranganathan Nammalwar , Anderson Burt E. 
Published: June 2009

ABSTRACT

Six broad-host-range plasmid vectors were developed to study gene expression in
Bartonella henselae
. The vectors were used to express a β-galactosidase reporter gene in
B. henselae
and to generate antisense RNA for gene knockdown. When applied to
ompR
, a putative transcription response regulator of
B. henselae
, this antisense RNA gene knockdown strategy reduced bacterial invasion of human endothelial cells by over 60%.
Msb2 Signaling Mucin Controls Activation of Cek1 Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase in
Candida albicans
Authors: Román Elvira , Cottier Fabien , Ernst Joachim F. , Pla Jesús 
Published: June 2009

ABSTRACT

We have characterized the role that the Msb2 protein plays in the fungal pathogen
Candida albicans
by the use of mutants defective in the putative upstream components of the HOG pathway. Msb2, in cooperation with Sho1, controls the activation of the Cek1 mitogen-activated protein kinase under conditions that damage the cell wall, thus defining Msb2 as a signaling element of this pathway in the fungus.
msb2
mutants display altered sensitivity to Congo red, caspofungin, zymolyase, or tunicamycin, indicating that this protein is involved in cell wall biogenesis. Msb2 (as well as Sho1 and Hst7) is involved in the transmission of the signal toward Cek1 mediated by the Cdc42 GTPase, as revealed by the use of activated alleles (Cdc42
G12V
) of this protein.
msb2
mutants have a stronger defective invasion phenotype than
sho1
mutants when tested on certain solid media that use mannitol or sucrose as a carbon source or under hypoxia. Interestingly, Msb2 contributes to growth under conditions of high osmolarity when both branches of the HOG pathway are altered, as triple
ssk1 msb2 sho1
mutants (but not any single or double mutant) are osmosensitive. However, this phenomenon is independent of the presence of Hog1, as Hog1 phosphorylation, Hog1 translocation to the nucleus, and glycerol accumulation are not affected in this mutant following an osmotic shock. These results reveal essential functions in morphogenesis, invasion, cell wall biogenesis, and growth under conditions of high osmolarity for Msb2 in
C. albicans
and suggest the divergence and specialization of this signaling pathway in filamentous fungi.
Remodeling of Global Transcription Patterns of
Cryptococcus neoformans
Genes Mediated by the Stress-Activated HOG Signaling Pathways
Authors: Ko Young-Joon , Yu Yeong Man , Kim Gyu-Bum , Lee Gir-Won , Maeng Pil Jae , Kim Sangsoo , Floyd Anna , Heitman Joseph , Bahn Yong-Sun 
Published: June 2009

ABSTRACT

The ability to sense and adapt to a hostile host environment is a crucial element for virulence of pathogenic fungi, including
Cryptococcus neoformans
. These cellular responses are evoked by diverse signaling cascades, including the stress-activated HOG pathway. Despite previous analysis of central components of the HOG pathway, its downstream signaling network is poorly characterized in
C. neoformans
. Here we performed comparative transcriptome analysis with HOG signaling mutants to explore stress-regulated genes and their correlation with the HOG pathway in
C. neoformans
. In this study, we not only provide important insights into remodeling patterns of global gene expression for counteracting external stresses but also elucidate novel characteristics of the HOG pathway in
C. neoformans
. First, inhibition of the HOG pathway increases expression of ergosterol biosynthesis genes and cellular ergosterol content, conferring a striking synergistic antifungal activity with amphotericin B and providing an excellent opportunity to develop a novel therapeutic method for treatment of cryptococcosis. Second, a number of cadmium-sensitive genes are differentially regulated by the HOG pathway, and their mutation causes resistance to cadmium. Finally, we have discovered novel stress defense and HOG-dependent genes, which encode a sodium/potassium efflux pump, protein kinase, multidrug transporter system, and elements of the ubiquitin-dependent system.
Cell Envelope Perturbation Induces Oxidative Stress and Changes in Iron Homeostasis inVibrio cholerae
Authors: Sikora Aleksandra E. , Beyhan Sinem , Bagdasarian Michael , Yildiz Fitnat H. , Sandkvist Maria 
Published: June 2009

ABSTRACTTheVibrio choleraetype II secretion (T2S) machinery is a multiprotein complex that spans the cell envelope. When the T2S system is inactivated, cholera toxin and other exoproteins accumulate in the periplasmic compartment. Additionally, loss of secretion via the T2S system leads to a reduced growth rate, compromised outer membrane integrity, and induction of the extracytoplasmic stress factor RpoE (A. E. Sikora, S. R. Lybarger, and M. Sandkvist, J. Bacteriol.189:8484-8495, 2007). In this study, gene expression profiling reveals that inactivation of the T2S system alters the expression of genes encoding cell envelope components and proteins involved in central metabolism, chemotaxis, motility, oxidative stress, and iron storage and acquisition. Consistent with the gene expression data, molecular and biochemical analyses indicate that the T2S mutants suffer from internal oxidative stress and increased levels of intracellular ferrous iron. By using atolAmutant ofV. choleraethat shares a similar compromised membrane phenotype but maintains a functional T2S machinery, we show that the formation of radical oxygen species, induction of oxidative stress, and changes in iron physiology are likely general responses to cell envelope damage and are not unique to T2S mutants. Finally, we demonstrate that disruption of theV. choleraecell envelope by chemical treatment with polymyxin B similarly results in induction of the RpoE-mediated stress response, increased sensitivity to oxidants, and a change in iron metabolism. We propose that many types of extracytoplasmic stresses, caused either by genetic alterations of outer membrane constituents or by chemical or physical damage to the cell envelope, induce common signaling pathways that ultimately lead to internal oxidative stress and misregulation of iron homeostasis.
SlyA, a MarR Family Transcriptional Regulator, Is Essential for Virulence inDickeya dadantii3937
Authors: Haque M. Manjurul , Kabir M. Shahinur , Aini Luqman Qurata , Hirata Hisae , Tsuyumu Shinji 
Published: June 2009

ABSTRACTSlyA, a MarR family transcriptional regulator, controls an assortment of biological functions in several animal-pathogenic bacteria. In order to elucidate the functions of SlyA in the phytopathogenDickeya dadantii(formerlyErwinia chrysanthemi) 3937, aslyAgene deletion mutant (denoted ΔslyA) was constructed. The mutant exhibited increased sensitivity to sodium hypochlorite, the cationic antimicrobial peptide polymyxin B, and oxidative stress. The mutant showed reduced production of pectate lyase and exopolysaccharide and an inability to form a pellicle. The mutant lacking a functionalslyAgene showed a significantly reduced ability to cause maceration of potato tubers. Accordingly, the mutant exhibited significantly reduced bacterial growth and failed to hyperinduce pectate lyase production in planta. Introduction of a plasmid containingslyAinto the ΔslyAmutant caused all of these phenotypes to recover to wild-type levels. These results suggest that SlyA plays an important role in virulence to plants by positively regulating the expression of multiple pathogenicity-related traits ofD. dadantii3937.
Protein Domains and Residues Involved in the CheZ/CheA
S
Interaction
Authors: Cantwell Brian J. , Manson Michael D. 
Published: June 2009

ABSTRACT

CheZ localizes to chemoreceptor patches by binding CheA-short (CheA
S
). Residues 70 to 134 of CheZ, constituting the apical loops and part of the dimerization domain, suffice for localization. Replacements of Tyr-118, Ile-119, Leu-123, Arg-124, and Leu-126 of CheA interfere with localization. These residues are exposed in the ′P1 domain of CheA
S
.