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Glial cells are crucial for maintaining central nervous system (CNS) homeostasis. They actively participate in immune responses, as well as form functional barriers, such as blood-brain barrier (BBB), which restrict the entry of pathogens and inflammatory mediators into the CNS. In general, viral infections during the gestational period can alter the embryonic and fetal environment, and the related inflammatory response may affect neurodevelopment and lead to behavioral dysfunction during later stage of life, as highlighted by our group for Zika virus infection. Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) induces a cytokine storm and, during pregnancy, may be related to a more severe form of the coronavirus disease-19 (COVID-19) and also to higher preterm birth rates. SARS-CoV-2 can also affect the CNS by inducing neurochemical remodeling in neural cells, which can compromise neuronal plasticity and synaptic function. However, the impact of SARS-CoV-2 infection during pregnancy on postnatal CNS, including brain development during childhood and adulthood, remains undetermined. Our group has recently highlighted the impact of COVID-19 on the expression of molecular markers associated with neuropsychiatric disorders, which are strongly related to the inflammatory response. Thus, based on these relationships, we discussed the impact of SARS-CoV-2 infection either during pregnancy or in critical periods of neurodevelopment as a risk factor for neurological consequences in the offspring later in life, focusing on the potential role of glial cells. Thus, it is important to consider future and long-term public health concerns associated with SARS-CoV-2 infection during pregnancy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Beauveria bassianas.l. is a cosmopolitan fungus used in the control of different species of arthropods. The current study explored the virulence for ticks, proteolytic and lipolytic activities of 10 BrazilianB. bassianas.l. isolates. For this purpose,Rhipicephalus microplusbiological parameters was evaluated after immersion of the engorged females in fungal suspension (108conidia mL−1) and the enzymatic activities were performed posteriorly the fungal growth in minimal medium. After the biological assays, five isolates changed all parameters analysed with highest efficacy of approximately 61% (CG 206) and 66% (CG 481). However, we observed that the most virulent isolates did not show the highest enzymatic activities. Interestingly, CG 500, considered an isolate of intermediate efficacy, demonstrated higher enzymatic activities than the other isolates in four of five analyses (total protease, Pr1, Pr2 and lipase;p < .05). Based on these data, it seems reasonable to suggest that these enzymatic activities should not be used as markers of virulence for these fungal isolates. It is noteworthy that complementary studies regarding chitinase analyses, gene expression, production of toxins and hydrophobicity of conidia can be used in the selection of pathogenic isolates. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

In Rio Grande do Sul, southern Brazil, Salmonella Enteritidis is one of the principal microorganisms responsible for foodborne disease. The present study was conducted to compare the sodium hypochlorite resistance of Salmonella Enteritidis SE86 with that of other strains of Salmonella Enteritidis isolated from different regions of the world and to investigate the involvement of the rpoS and dps genes in resistance to this disinfectant. We tested five Salmonella Enteritidis wild-type (WT) strains isolated from different countries, two mutant strains of Salmonella Enteritidis SE86, and two tagged (3XFLAG) strains of Salmonella Enteritidis SE86 for their resistance to sodium hypochlorite (200 ppm). The survival of the WT and attenuated strains was determined based on bacterial counts, and tagged proteins (Dps and RpoS) were detected by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and immunoblotting with anti-FLAG antibodies. None of the WT strains of Salmonella Enteritidis were totally inactivated after 20 min. The SE86 strain lacking dps was more sensitive to sodium hypochlorite than was the WT SE86 strain, with a 2-log reduction in counts after 1 min. The RpoS and Dps proteins were actively expressed under the conditions tested, indicating that in Salmonella Enteritidis SE86 these genes, which are expressed when in contact with sodium hypochlorite, are related to oxidative stress. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this study was to identify, using proteomics, the molecular alterations caused by human serum exposure to Klebsiella pneumoniae ACH2. The analysis was performed under two different conditions, native serum from healthy donors and heat-inactivated serum (to inactivate the complement system), and at two different times, after 1 and 4 h of serum exposure. More than 1,000 bacterial proteins were identified at each time point. Enterobactin, a siderophore involved in iron uptake, and proteins involved in translation were upregulated at 1 h, while the chaperone ProQ and the glyoxylate cycle were identified after 4 h. Enzymes involved in the stress response were downregulated, and the SOD activity was validated using an enzymatic assay. In addition, an intricate metabolic adaptation was observed, with pyruvate and thiamine possibly involved in survival and virulence in the first hour of serum exposure. The addition of exogenous thiamine contributes to bacterial growth in human serum, corroborating this result. During 4 h of serum exposure, the glyoxylate cycle (GC) probably plays a central role, and the addition of exogenous succinate suppresses the GC, inducing a decrease in serum resistance. Therefore, serum exposure causes important changes in iron acquisition, the expression of virulence factors, and metabolic reprogramming, which could contribute to bacterial serum resistance.

Bacillus subtilis S14 produces a keratinase (KerS14) with non collagen-degrading activity. Indeed, this is the first keratinase described so far that does not have any detectable effect on collagen, which is a crucial property for an enzyme intended to be used in skin dehairing. Because of its importance as an industrial tanning enzyme, we report the biochemical characterization of KerS14. This protein exhibited an apparent molecular mass of 27 kDa, a pI of 6.5, and an optimum pH in the range of 8.0-9.0. The enzyme's activity was stimulated by Mn2+ (7.7-fold), Ca2+ (6.1-fold), Mg2+ (4.9-fold), and Co2+ (4.0-fold) but was inhibited by Cu2+ and Zn2+. Using p-nitroanilide and methylcoumarine derivatized peptides, we observed that KerS14 prefered Arg at subsite P1, small amino acid residues at subsite P2, and Gln or Glu at subsite P3. KerS14 presented higher keratin degradation specificity than other commercial proteases. Its high keratinolytic activity and the absence of virtually any activity against collagen remark the biotechnological potential of this enzyme to be used at larger scales in tannery dehairing processes.