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Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is a highly aggressive type of malignancy with one of the worst prognoses amongst any type of cancer. Surgery is applicable only to the limited number of patients with locally resectable tumors and currently represents the only curative treatment option. Treatment with chemotherapy and radiotherapy can only extend patient survival. Despite advances in conventional therapies, the five-year survival of PDAC remained largely unchanged. New in vitro and in vivo models are therefore urgently needed to investigate this type of cancer. Here, we present the establishment and characterization of a novel pancreatic cancer cell line, isolated from a patient with PDAC. Cell line abbreviated as PANDA (PANncreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma) was established with an optimized 3D culture protocol published previously by our group. The new cancer cell line "PANDA" represents a novel in vitro approach for PDAC cancer research and new therapy testing.

Metastasis development causes death in over 90% of cancer patients, and understanding the underlying biological features has long been hindered by difficulties in studying the widespread cancerous lesions and the absence of reliable methods of isolating and detecting viable metastatic cells during disease progression. These problems have an adverse impact on developing new agents capable of blocking cancer spread. Circulating tumor cells (CTCs) have a crucial role in carcinogenesis, and this review presents advanced understanding of the characteristics of CTCs and CTC cluster metastatic properties. CTC analysis could well be more valuable for the biomarker profile than tissue biopsies, and herein we highlight current research findings which have the potential to improve clinical management of lung cancer patients. We also discuss problems in CTCs and CTC cluster biology, the limitations of detection methods and possible future diagnostic and therapeutic approaches for the study of circulating cells.

The study aimed to prove the hypothesis that exogenous surfactant and an antibiotic polymyxin B (PxB) can more effectively reduce lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced acute lung injury (ALI) than surfactant treatment alone, and to evaluate the effect of this treatment on the gene expression of surfactant proteins (SPs). Anesthetized rats were intratracheally instilled with different doses of LPS to induce ALI. Animals with LPS 500 μg/kg have been treated with exogenous surfactant (poractant alfa, Curosurf®, 50 mg PL/kg b.w.) or surfactant with PxB 1% w.w. (PSUR + PxB) and mechanically ventilated for 5 hrs. LPS at 500 μg/kg increased lung edema, oxidative stress, and the levels of proinflammatory mediators in lung tissue and bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF). PSUR reduced lung edema and oxidative stress in the lungs and IL-6 in BALF. This effect was further potentiated by PxB added to PSUR. Exogenous surfactant enhanced the gene expression of SP-A, SP-B, and SP-C, however, gene expression for all SPs was reduced after treatment with PSUR + PxB. In mechanically ventilated rats with LPS-induced ALI, the positive effect of exogenous surfactant on inflammation and oxidative stress was potentiated with PxB. Due to the tendency for reduced SPs gene expression after surfactant/PxB treatment topical use of PxB should be considered with caution.

Novel technologies based on the emission of electromagnetic field (EMF) are spreading intensively and so as the public concerns about their possible health risks. Because the most adverse effects and carcinogenic influences are generally associated with extremely low EMF and radiofrequency, the majority of in vitro and in vivo studies is focused on cellular responses activated under these conditions. Only few studies had been realized on the biological effects or health risks of intermediate frequency (IF) fields. In this study, SH-SY5Y and T98G cell lines were exposed to 86 kHz IF-EMF for 30 minutes at 3 mT or 1.5 mT, respectively. To analyze IF- EMF impact on metabolic and mitotic activity of human neural cells, various biochemical and biological methods were used. IF- EMF exposure did not induce any significant changes in cell viability and proliferation as well as in DNA damage. Our results suggest that the possibility of acute long-term exposure in wireless power transfer devices with the properties of 86 kHz and 3 mT (i.e. 1.5 mT) is not harmful and does not cause cell stress responses.

Alveolar epithelial type II (ATII) cells and their proper function are essential for maintaining lung integrity and homeostasis. However, they can be damaged by lipopolysaccharide (LPS) during Gram-negative bacterial infection. Thus, this study evaluated and compared the effects of LPS on short and long-term cultures of A549 cells by determining the cell viability, levels of oxidative stress and antimicrobial peptide cathelicidin LL-37 and changes in the expression of surfactant proteins (SPs). Moreover, we compared A549 cell response to LPS in the presence of different serum concentrations. Additionally, the effect of N-acetylcysteine (NAC) on LPS-induced oxidative stress as a possible treatment was determined. Our results indicate that A549 cells are relatively resistant to LPS and able to maintain integrity even at high LPS concentrations. Their response to endotoxin is partially dependent on serum concentration. NAC failed to lower LPS-induced oxidative stress in A549 cells. Finally, LPS modulates SP gene expression in A549 cells in a time dependent manner and differences between short and long-term cultures were present. Our results support the idea that long-term cultivation of A549 cells could promote a more ATII-like phenotype and thus could be a more suitable model for ATII cells, especially for in vitro studies dealing with surfactant production.

Induced pluripotent stem cells (iPS cells) generated from somatic cells through reprogramming hold great promises for regenerative medicine. However, how reprogrammed cells survive, behave in vivo, and interact with host cells after transplantation still remains to be addressed. There is a significant need for animal models that allow in vivo tracking of transplanted cells in real time. In this regard, the zebrafish, a tropical freshwater fish, provides significant advantage as it is optically transparent and can be imaged in high resolution using confocal microscopy. The principal goal of this study was to optimize the protocol for successful short-term and immunosuppression-free transplantation of human iPS cell-derived neural progenitor cells into zebrafish and to test their ability to differentiate in this animal model. To address this aim, we isolated human iPS cell-derived neural progenitor cells from human fibroblasts and grafted them into (a) early (blastocyst)-stage wild-type AB zebrafish embryos or (b) 3-day-old Tg(gfap:GFP) zebrafish embryos (intracranial injection). We found that transplanted human neuronal progenitor cells can be effectively grafted and that they differentiate and survive in zebrafish for more than 2 weeks, validating the model as an ideal platform for in vivo screening experiments. We conclude that zebrafish provides an excellent model for studying iPS cell-derived cells in vivo.

Utilization of liquid biopsy in the management of cancerous diseases is becoming more attractive. This method can overcome typical limitations of tissue biopsies, especially invasiveness, no repeatability, and the inability to monitor responses to medication during treatment as well as condition during follow-up. Liquid biopsy also provides greater possibility of early prediction of cancer presence. Corpus uteri mesenchymal tumors are comprised of benign variants, which are mostly leiomyomas, but also a heterogenous group of malignant sarcomas. Pre-surgical differentiation between these tumors is very difficult and the final description of tumor characteristics usually requires excision and histological examination. The leiomyomas and malignant leiomyosarcomas are especially difficult to distinguish and can, therefore, be easily misdiagnosed. Because of the very aggressive character of sarcomas, liquid biopsy based on early diagnosis and differentiation of these tumors would be extremely helpful. Moreover, after excision of the tumor, liquid biopsy can contribute to an increased knowledge of sarcoma behavior at the molecular level, especially on the formation of metastases which is still not well understood. In this review, we summarize the most important knowledge of mesenchymal uterine tumors, the possibilities and benefits of liquid biopsy utilization, the types of molecules and cells that can be analyzed with this approach, and the possibility of their isolation and capture. Finally, we review the typical abnormalities of leiomyomas and sarcomas that can be searched and analyzed in liquid biopsy samples with the final aim to pre-surgically differentiate between benign and malignant mesenchymal tumors.

The main function of the lungs is oxygen transport from the atmosphere into the blood circulation, while it is necessary to keep the pulmonary tissue relatively free of pathogens. This is a difficult task because the respiratory system is constantly exposed to harmful substances entering the lungs by inhalation or via the blood stream. Individual types of lung cells are equipped with the mechanisms that maintain pulmonary homeostasis. Because of the clinical significance of acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) the article refers to the physiological role of alveolar epithelial cells type I and II, endothelial cells, alveolar macrophages, and fibroblasts. However, all these cells can be damaged by lipopolysaccharide (LPS) which can reach the airspaces as the major component of the outer membrane of Gram-negative bacteria, and lead to local and systemic inflammation and toxicity. We also highlight a negative effect of LPS on lung cells related to alveolar-capillary barrier and their response to LPS exposure. Additionally, we describe the molecular mechanism of LPS signal transduction pathway in lung cells.

The progress in technology and science leads to the invention and use of many electrical devices in the daily lives of humans. In addition to that, people have been easily exposed to increased newly generated artificial electromagnetic waves. Exponential use of modern electronic devices has automatically led to increase in electromagnetic wave exposure. Therefore, we constructed the prototype of wireless power charging system to study the biocompatibility of electromagnetic field (EMF) generated by this system on various human cell lines. There are many studies indicating the negative bio-effect of EMF on various types of cells, such as induction of apoptosis. From the other point of view, these effects could rather be beneficial in the way, that they could eliminate the progress of various diseases or disorders. For that reason, we compared the impact of EMF (87 kHz, 0.3–1.2 mT, 30 min) on human normal as well as cancer cell lines based on morphological and cellular level. Our results suggested that EMF generated by wireless power charging systems does not have any detrimental effect on cell morphology, viability and cytoskeletal structures of human neural cells.

One of the greatest breakthroughs of regenerative medicine in this century was the discovery of induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC) technology in 2006 by Shinya Yamanaka. iPSCs originate from terminally differentiated somatic cells that have newly acquired the developmental capacity of self-renewal and differentiation into any cells of three germ layers. Before iPSCs can be used routinely in clinical practice, their efficacy and safety need to be rigorously tested; however, iPSCs have already become effective and fully-fledged tools for application under in vitro conditions. They are currently routinely used for disease modeling, preparation of difficult-to-access cell lines, monitoring of cellular mechanisms in micro- or macroscopic scales, drug testing and screening, genetic engineering, and many other applications. This review is a brief summary of the reprogramming process and subsequent differentiation and culture of reprogrammed cells into neural precursor cells (NPCs) in two-dimensional (2D) and three-dimensional (3D) conditions. NPCs can be used as biomedical models for neurodegenerative diseases (NDs), which are currently considered to be one of the major health problems in the human population.

We generated new in vitro model for sporadic form of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis by reprogramming isolated skin fibroblasts into iPSCs. Fibroblasts were reprogrammed with commercially available synthetic polycistronic, self-replicating RNA vector. As verified by FISH, an early passages of a new iPSC line showed mosaic karyotype (cells with normal and abnormal karyotype 46,XY,t(2;14)(q13;p12) were present), while late passages contained only cells with abnormal karyotype. New iPSCs differentiated into all three germ layers and formed a teratoma in nude mice. Our iPSC line represents a new model for therapy testing and drug development in the field of ALS research.

Dental pulp stem cells (DPSCs) have excellent proliferative properties, mineralization potential and can be easily obtained from third molar teeth. Recently, many studies have focused on isolation and differentiation of DPSCs. In our study, we focused on biological properties of non-differentiated DPSCs in comparison with osteogenic differentiated cells from DPSCs. We analyzed morphology as well as mineralization potential using three varied osteogenic differentiation media. After fifteen days of differentiation, calcium deposit production was observed in all three osteogenic differentiation media. However, only one osteogenic medium, without animal serum supplement, showed rapid and strong calcification—OsteoMAX-XF™ Differentiation Medium. Therefore, we examined specific surface markers, and gene and protein expression of cells differentiated in this osteogenic medium, and compared them to non-differentiated DPSCs. We proved a decrease in expression of CD9 and CD90 mesenchymal stem cell surface markers, as well as downregulation in the expression of pluripotency genes (NANOG and OCT-4) and increased levels of expression in osteogenic genes (ALP, BSP, OCN and RUNX2). Moreover, osteogenic proteins, such as BSP and OCN, were only produced in differentiated cells. Our findings confirm that carefully selected differentiation conditions for stem cells are essential for their translation into future clinical applications.

Wireless power transfer and issues relevant to wireless charging of various types of electronic devices are still important and emerging trends in electrical engineering (1). Regarding wireless power transfer, each application requires several self-specific operational properties or transfer characteristics. A possible way to influence these parameters lies in the configuration of the main circuit of compensation network of wireless energy transfer (WET) system (2). A very important parameters of the WET system is (i) the efficiency of the entire charging system as well as (ii) the effect of optimized WET systems on living organisms.

Statins are the inhibitors of 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A (HMG-CoA) reductase. This enzyme catalyzes conversion of HMG-CoA to mevalonate, which are the intermediates in cholesterol biosynthetic pathway. Statins also play an important role in carcinogenesis, because they are able to affect the cancer cell metabolism. Their effect has been observed in several cellular processes, such as angiogenesis, metastasis, apoptosis and cell proliferation. However, these effects are highly dependent on type of cancer and individual statins vary in their antitumor potential. This review summarizes the recent epidemiological evidence and preclinical studies that showed effects of all clinically used statins in vitro and in vivo. We also consider the results of different observational and retrospective studies focused on association among statins and cancer risk which are still under open discussion.

Dihydropyrimidine dehydrogenase (DPD) acts as the first-step enzyme catabolizing pyrimidines in vivo. DPYD gene mutations interfere with the breakdown of uracil and thymine. Genetic variations of DPYD can cause an enzyme deficiency state, which results in severe toxicity or other adverse side effects such as DNA damage or RNA damage caused by imbalance of the nucleotide pool. Our case-control study investigates the possible association between seven DPYD gene polymophisms (rs1801267, rs72547602, rs1801160, rs3918290, rs1801159, rs1801158, rs1801265) and risk of colorectal cancer (CRC). The association analysis for DPD was performed on 273 CRC patients and 187 healthy controls. There is significant allele association of SNP rs1801160 with colorectal cancer (p = 0.003, OR = 3.264, 95% CI = 1.425-7.475) in present analysis. Haplotype analysis of four DPYD polymorphisms showed significant difference in the distribution "IISt" haplotype between cases and controls. In comparison to the most common haplotype (VISt), the "IISt" haplotype was associated with increased risk for CRC (p = 0.038, OR = 2.733, 95% CI = 1.019-7.326). The present study suggests that the SNP rs1801160 and the "IISt" haplotype in the DPYD gene may also have a role in colorectal cancer risk.

Numerous studies over the past two decades have focused on the epithelial‑to‑mesenchymal transition (EMT) and its role in the development of metastasis. Certain studies highlighted the importance of EMT in the dissemination of tumor cells and metastasis of epithelium‑derived carcinomas. Tumor metastasis is a multistep process during which tumor cells change their morphology, and start to migrate and invade distant sites. The present review discusses the current understanding of the molecular mechanisms contributing to EMT in embryogenesis, fibrosis and tumorigenesis. Additionally, the signaling pathways that initiate EMT through transcriptional factors responsible for the activation and suppression of various genes associated with cancer cell migration were investigated. Furthermore, the important role of the epigenetic modifications that regulate EMT and the reverse process, mesenchymal‑to‑epithelial transition (MET) are discussed. MicroRNAs are key regulators of various intracellular processes and current knowledge of EMT has significantly improved due to microRNA characterization. Their effect on signaling pathways and the ensuing events that occur during EMT at the molecular level is becoming increasingly recognized. The current review also highlights the role of circulating tumor cells (CTCs) and CTC clusters, and their ability to form metastases. In addition, the biological properties of different types of circulating cells based on their tumor‑forming potential are compared.

Programmed cell death changes and loss of cell growth and anti-growth regulation signals may result in uncontrolled cell proliferation, disorganized tissue growth and tumor formation. Malignant solid tumors, i.e. lung and brain tumors, are one of the most common and the most serious diseases nowadays and therefore considered a major issue in modern medicine. Despite intensive progress in cancer research, the survival rate of patients with diagnosed malignant solid tumors hasn’t improved significantly. Radiotherapy and chemotherapy work predominantly by inducing apoptosis. The purpose of this article is to describe the role of apoptosis and to review currently known agents that allow induction of apoptosis in cancer cells. The identification of potential new targets for tumor treatment and processes in altered tumor cell metabolism is the challenging area of research. Recognizing the attributes of malignant tumor growth inhibition may help in the development of novel treatment strategies.

Benzothiazinones (BTZs) are antituberculosis drug candidates with nanomolar bactericidal activity against tubercle bacilli. Here we demonstrate that BTZs are suicide substrates of the FAD-dependent decaprenylphosphoryl-β-D-ribofuranose 2'-oxidase DprE1, an enzyme involved in cell-wall biogenesis. BTZs are reduced by DprE1 to an electrophile, which then reacts in a near-quantitative manner with an active-site cysteine of DprE1, thus providing a rationale for the extraordinary potency of BTZs. Mutant DprE1 enzymes from BTZ-resistant strains reduce BTZs to inert metabolites while avoiding covalent inactivation. Our results explain the basis for drug sensitivity and resistance to an exceptionally potent class of antituberculosis agents.

The alternative sigma factor σ E (rpoE) is essential for survival in vivo of Salmonella Typhimurium but is dispensable during growth in the laboratory. We have been identifying σ E-regulated genes and studying their regulation and function to elucidate their potential role in the severe attenuation of S. Typhimurium rpoE mutants. In this study we identify five promoters that control the rseP, yaeT (bamA), skp region. A confirmed σ E-dependent promoter, yaeTp1, and a second downstream promoter, yaeTp2, are located within the upstream gene rseP and direct expression of the downstream genes. The only known function of RseP is σ E activation, and it is therefore not expected to be essential for S. Typhimurium in vitro. However, it proved impossible to delete the entire rseP gene due to the presence of internal promoters that regulate the essential gene yaeT. We could inactivate rseP by deleting the first third of the gene, leaving the yaeT promoters intact. Like the rpoE mutant, the rseP mutant exhibited severe attenuation in vivo. We were able to delete the entire coding sequence of skp, which encodes a periplasmic chaperone involved in targeting misfolded outer-membrane proteins to the β-barrel assembly machinery. The skp mutant was attenuated in mice after oral and parenteral infection. Virulence could be complemented by providing skp in trans but only by linking it to a heterologous σ E-regulated promoter. The reason the skp mutant is attenuated is currently enigmatic, but we know it is not through increased sensitivity to a variety of RpoE-activating host stresses, such as H2O2, polymyxin B and high temperature, or through altered secretion of effector proteins by either the Salmonella pathogenicity island (SPI)-1 or the SPI-2 type III secretion system.

The role of MicA (repressing small regulatory non-coding RNAs of two Salmonella porins) was determined in virulence of Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium. Transcriptional analysis revealed that the expression of the micA gene is driven by a single σ(E)-dependent promoter, micAp. Its activity increased towards stationary phase; in exponential phase, the activity was induced by several stresses by a DegS-dependent mechanism. Although phenotypic analysis revealed no significant differences between wild-type and the micA mutant strains, in vivo studies showed that this mutant is more virulent in the mouse model.

International audience; The arabinogalactan (AG) of slow growing pathogenic Mycobacterium spp. is characterized by the presence of galactosamine (GalN) modifying some of the interior branched arabinosyl residues. The biosynthetic origin of this substituent and its role(s) in the physiology and/or pathogenicity of mycobacteria are not known. We report on the discovery of a polyprenyl-phospho-N-acetylgalactosaminyl synthase (PpgS) and the glycosyltransferase Rv3779 from Mycobacterium tuberculosis required, respectively, for providing and transferring the GalN substrate for the modification of AG. Disruption of either ppgS (Rv3631) or Rv3779 totally abolished the synthesis of the GalN substituent of AG in M. tuberculosis H37Rv. Conversely, expression of ppgS in Mycobacterium smegmatis conferred upon this species otherwise devoid of ppgS ortholog and any detectable polyprenyl-phospho-N-acetylgalactosaminyl synthase activity the ability to synthesize polyprenyl-phospho-N-acetylgalactosamine (polyprenyl-P-GalNAc) from polyprenyl-P and UDP-GalNAc. Interestingly, this catalytic activity was increased 40–50-fold by co-expressing Rv3632, the encoding gene of a small membrane protein apparently co-transcribed with ppgS in M. tuberculosis H37Rv. The discovery of this novel lipid-linked sugar donor and the involvement of a the glycosyltransferase C-type glycosyltransferase in its transfer onto its final acceptor suggest that pathogenic mycobacteria modify AG on the periplasmic side of the plasma membrane. The availability of a ppgS knock-out mutant of M. tuberculosis provides unique opportunities to investigate the physiological function of the GalN substituent and the potential impact it may have on host-pathogen interactions

Three promoters, located upstream of the rpoE gene encoding an extracytoplasmic sigma factor σ E, direct expression of the rpoE operon (rpoE, rseA, rseB, rseC) in Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium (S. Typhimurium). One of them, rpoEp3, has been found to be directly recognized by RNA polymerase containing sigma factor σ E. Using the Northern blot analysis we detected a complex pattern of transcripts indicating an internal promoter in the coding region of the rpoE gene. The promoter, rseAp, has been located by S1 mapping analysis. Its proposed −10 and −35 elements with 15 intervening nucleotides exhibited high similarity with the consensus sequence of σ E promoters, suggesting the direct dependence of rseAp upon σ E. Activity of rseAp increased towards stationary phase, after heat shock, cold shock, and in the presence of artificially induced rpoE expression, the conditions previously shown to activate σ E-dependent promoters. In vivo experiments revealed increase of the rseAp activity during growth and confirmed its clear dependence upon σ E. The proposed role of the internal rseAp promoter is to facilitate a feedback control of σ E level after the envelope stress is removed.

Summary Tuberculosis is still a leading cause of death in developing countries, for which there is an urgent need for new pharmacological agents. The synthesis of the novel antimycobacterial drug class of benzothiazinones (BTZs) and the identification of their cellular target as DprE1 (Rv3790), a component of the decaprenylphosphoryl-beta-d-ribose 2'-epimerase complex, have been reported recently. Here, we describe the identification and characterization of a novel resistance mechanism to BTZ in Mycobacterium smegmatis. The overexpression of the nitroreductase NfnB leads to the inactivation of the drug by reduction of a critical nitro-group to an amino-group. The direct involvement of NfnB in the inactivation of the lead compound BTZ043 was demonstrated by enzymology, microbiological assays and gene knockout experiments. We also report the crystal structure of NfnB in complex with the essential cofactor flavin mononucleotide, and show that a common amino acid stretch between NfnB and DprE1 is likely to be essential for the interaction with BTZ. We performed docking analysis of NfnB-BTZ in order to understand their interaction and the mechanism of nitroreduction. Although Mycobacterium tuberculosis seems to lack nitroreductases able to inactivate these drugs, our findings are valuable for the design of new BTZ molecules, which may be more effective in vivo.

We report on the identification of a glycosyltransferase (GT) from Mycobacterium tuberculosis H37Rv, Rv3779, of the membranous GT-C superfamily responsible for the direct synthesis of polyprenyl-phospho-mannopyranose and thus indirectly for lipoarabinomannan, lipomannan, and the higher-order phosphatidyl- myo -inositol mannosides.

SmpA is a small outer-membrane lipoprotein that is a component of the essential YaeT outer-membrane protein assembly complex. In Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium (S. Typhimurium), expression of the smpA gene was shown to be directed by two promoters, smpAp1 and smpAp2. The more distal promoter, smpAp1, is dependent upon the extracytoplasmic stress response sigma factor sigma(E). An smpA null mutant was constructed in S. Typhimurium SL1344 and was shown to be more sensitive than its wild-type parent to growth at high temperature and in the presence of sodium cholate, SDS plus EDTA, and the hydrophobic antibiotic rifampicin. The lack of SmpA in S. Typhimurium elicits a sigma(E)-dependent stress response. These findings are indicative of altered outer-membrane integrity in the smpA mutant, probably due to a defect in outer-membrane protein biogenesis. SmpA was not important for entry or survival within murine macrophages; however, the S. Typhimurium smpA mutant was attenuated in mice by both the oral and parenteral routes of infection, and SmpA appeared to be most important for the growth of S. Typhimurium at systemic sites.

Mycobacterium tuberculosis lipoarabinomannan (LAM) and biosynthetically related lipoglycans and glycans play an important role in host–pathogen interactions. Therefore, the elucidation of the complete biosynthetic pathways of these important molecules is expected to afford novel therapeutic targets. The characterization of biosynthetic enzymes and transporters involved in the formation and localization of these complex macromolecules in the bacterial cell envelope largely relies on genetic manipulation of mycobacteria and subsequent analyses of lipoglycan structural alterations. However, lipoglycans are present in relatively low amounts. Their purification to homogeneity remains tedious and time-consuming. To overcome these issues and to reduce the biomass and time required for lipoglycan purification, we report here the development of a methodology to efficiently purify lipoglycans by sodium deoxycholate–polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. This faster purification method can be applied on a small amount of mycobacterial cells biomass (10–50 mg), resulting in tens of micrograms of purified lipoglycans. This amount of purified products was found to be sufficient to undertake structural analyses of lipoglycans and glycans carbohydrate domains by a combination of highly sensitive analytical procedures, involving cryoprobe NMR analysis of intact macromolecules and chemical degradations monitored by gas chromatography and capillary electrophoresis. This glycomic approach was successfully applied to the purification and structural characterization of a newly identified polysaccharide, structurally related to LAM, in the model fast-growing species Mycobacterium smegmatis.

The extracytoplasmic function sigma factor, σ E, has been shown to play a critical role in virulence of Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium (S. Typhimurium). The previously optimized two-plasmid system has been used to identify S. Typhimurium promoters recognized by RNA polymerase containing σ E. This method allowed identification of 34 σ E-dependent promoters that direct expression of 62 genes in S. Typhimurium, 23 of which (including several specific for S. Typhimurium) have not been identified previously to be dependent upon σ E in Escherichia coli. The promoters were confirmed in S. Typhimurium and transcriptional start points of the promoters were determined by S1-nuclease mapping. All the promoters contained sequences highly similar to the consensus sequence of σ E-dependent promoters. The identified genes belonging to the S. Typhimurium σ E-regulon encode proteins involved in primary metabolism, DNA repair systems and outer-membrane biogenesis, and regulatory proteins, periplasmic proteases and folding factors, proposed lipoproteins, and inner- and outer-membrane proteins with unknown functions. Several of these σ E-dependent genes have been shown to play a role in virulence of S. Typhimurium.

Homocysteine (Hcy) is a sulfur-containing non-proteinogenic amino acid derived in methionine metabolism. The increased level of Hcy in plasma, hyperhomocysteinemia, is considered to be an independent risk factor for cardio and cerebrovascular diseases. However, it is still not clear if Hcy is a marker or a causative agent of diseases. More and more research data suggest that Hcy is an important indicator for overall health status. This review represents the current understanding of molecular mechanism of Hcy metabolism and its link to hyperhomocysteinemia-related pathologies in humans. The aberrant Hcy metabolism could lead to the redox imbalance and oxidative stress resulting in elevated protein, nucleic acid and carbohydrate oxidation and lipoperoxidation, products known to be involved in cytotoxicity. Additionally, we examine the role of Hcy in thiolation of proteins, which results in their molecular and functional modifications. We also highlight the relationship between the imbalance in Hcy metabolism and pathogenesis of diseases, such as cardiovascular diseases, neurological and psychiatric disorders, chronic kidney disease, bone tissue damages, gastrointestinal disorders, cancer, and congenital defects.

Two genes from the "mycobacterial arabinogalactan biosynthetic cluster" spanning the region from Rv3779 to Rv3809c in the genome of Mycobacterium tuberculosis H37Rv were annotated as possible components of the ATP-binding cassette transporter. Rv3781 encodes a nucleotide-binding domain and Rv3783 determines production of a membrane-spanning domain. We have examined possible roles of these genes in mycobacterial cell wall biosynthesis through inactivation of their respective orthologs in Mycobacterium smegmatis mc(2)155, phenotypic characterization of the mutant strains via metabolic labeling with [U-(14)C]-glucose, cell-free reactions with UDP-[U-(14)C]-galactose monitoring galactan build-up and transcriptional analysis. Several lines of evidence suggest that this ABC transporter is involved in biosynthesis of arabinogalactan, although more investigation is needed to establish its precise role or the transported substrate.

International audience; Arabinogalactan (AG) and lipoarabinomannan (LAM) are the two major cell wall (lipo)polysaccharides of mycobacteria. They share arabinan chains made of linear segments of alpha-1,5-linked D-Araf residues with some alpha-1,3-branching, the biosynthesis of which offers opportunities for new chemotherapeutics. In search of the missing arabinofuranosyltransferases (AraTs) responsible for the formation of the arabinan domains of AG and LAM in Mycobacterium tuberculosis, we identified Rv0236c (AftD) as a putative membrane-associated polyprenyl-dependent glycosyltransferase. AftD is 1400 amino acid-long, making it the largest predicted glycosyltransferase of its class in the M. tuberculosis genome. Assays using cell-free extracts from recombinant Mycobacterium smegmatis and Corynebacterium glutamicum strains expressing different levels of aftD indicated that this gene encodes a functional AraT with alpha-1,3-branching activity on linear alpha-1,5-linked neoglycolipid acceptors in vitro. The disruption of aftD in M. smegmatis resulted in cell death and a decrease in its activity caused defects in cell division, reduced growth, alteration of colonial morphology, and accumulation of trehalose dimycolates in the cell envelope. Overexpression of aftD in M. smegmatis, in contrast, induced the accumulation of two arabinosylated compounds with carbohydrate backbones reminiscent of that of LAM and a degree of arabinosylation dependent on aftD expression levels. Altogether, our results thus indicate that AftD is an essential AraT involved in the synthesis of the arabinan domain of major mycobacterial cell envelope (lipo)polysaccharides.

A critical feature of Mycobacterium tuberculosis, the causative agent of human tuberculosis (TB), is its ability to survive and multiply within macrophages, making these host cells an ideal niche for persisting microbes. Killing the intracellular tubercle bacilli is a key requirement for efficient tuberculosis treatment, yet identifying potent inhibitors has been hampered by labor-intensive techniques and lack of validated targets. Here, we present the development of a phenotypic cell-based assay that uses automated confocal fluorescence microscopy for high throughput screening of chemicals that interfere with the replication of M. tuberculosis within macrophages. Screening a library of 57,000 small molecules led to the identification of 135 active compounds with potent intracellular anti-mycobacterial efficacy and no host cell toxicity. Among these, the dinitrobenzamide derivatives (DNB) showed high activity against M. tuberculosis, including extensively drug resistant (XDR) strains. More importantly, we demonstrate that incubation of M. tuberculosis with DNB inhibited the formation of both lipoarabinomannan and arabinogalactan, attributable to the inhibition of decaprenyl-phospho-arabinose synthesis catalyzed by the decaprenyl-phosphoribose 2′ epimerase DprE1/DprE2. Inhibition of this new target will likely contribute to new therapeutic solutions against emerging XDR-TB. Beyond validating the high throughput/content screening approach, our results open new avenues for finding the next generation of antimicrobials., Author Summary Tuberculosis is still a major threat to global health. The disease in humans is caused by a bacterium, Mycobacterium tuberculosis, and treatment of an infected individual requires more than six months of chemotherapy. Because such a long course of treatment is required, compliance is low, which can result in the development of multidrug resistant strains (MDR-TB) and even extremely resistant strains (XDR-TB). Identifying new drug targets and potential lead therapeutic compounds are needed to combat MDR-XDR-TB. We developed a new type of assay based on the visualization of mycobacterium replication within host cells and applied it for the search of compounds that are able to chase the pathogen from its hideout. As a result, we found 20 new series of drug candidates that are effective against the bacilli in its hiding place, potentially addressing a crucial aspect in the resilience of the disease. We also showed that one series of compounds acts by inhibiting a key enzyme required for the synthesis of an essential component from the mycobacterial cell wall that is not targeted by any of the commercially available antituberculosis drugs. Altogether, our results pave the way for development of the next generation of antibacterial agents.

Nosocomial outbreaks attributable to glutaraldehyde-resistant, rapidly growing mycobacteria are increasing. Here, evidence is provided that defects in porin expression dramatically increase the resistance of Mycobacterium smegmatis and Mycobacterium chelonae to glutaraldehyde and another aldehyde disinfectant, ortho -phthalaldehyde. Since defects in porin activity also dramatically increased the resistance of M. chelonae to drugs, there is thus some concern that the widespread use of glutaraldehyde and ortho -phthalaldehyde in clinical settings may select for drug-resistant bacteria.

The re-emergence of tuberculosis in its present-day manifestations - single, multiple and extensive drug-resistant forms and as HIV-TB coinfections - has resulted in renewed research on fundamental questions such as the nature of the organism itself, Mycobacterium tuberculosis, the molecular basis of its pathogenesis, definition of the immunological response in animal models and humans, and development of new intervention strategies such as vaccines and drugs. Foremost among these developments has been the precise chemical definition of the complex and distinctive cell wall of M. tuberculosis, elucidation of the relevant pathways and underlying genetics responsible for the synthesis of the hallmark moieties of the tubercle bacillus such as the mycolic acid-arabinogalactan-peptidoglycan complex, the phthiocerol- and trehalose-containing effector lipids, the phosphatidylinositol-containing mannosides, lipomannosides and lipoarabinomannosides, major immunomodulators, and others. In this review, the laboratory personnel who have been the focal point of some to these developments review recent progress towards a comprehensive understanding of the basic physiology and functions of the cell wall of M. tuberculosis.

Using a two-plasmid system, we recently identified sigma(E)-dependent promoters directing expression of the sigma(E) regulon genes in Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium (S. Typhimurium). Comparison of the promoters revealed a consensus sequence almost identical to the sigma(E)-dependent rpoEp3 promoter directing expression of rpoE. This two-plasmid system was previously optimized to identify nucleotides critical for the rpoEp3 promoter activity. However, two highly conserved nucleotides in the sigma(E) consensus sequence were not identified by this screening. In the present study, we have improved the two-plasmid screening system using a new optimized error-prone PCR mutagenesis. Together with site-directed mutagenesis, we further identified nucleotides critical for activity of the rpoEp3 promoter and quantified the effect of the particular mutation upon promoter activity. All the identified critical nucleotides of the rpoEp3 promoter (in capital) were located in the -35 (ggAACtt) and -10 (gTCtaA) regions and corresponded to the most conserved nucleotides in the sigma(E) consensus sequence. The expression of the wild-type and mutated rpoEp3 promoters was confirmed in S. Typhimurium and was found to exhibit a different pattern of sigma(E) activation compared with Escherichia coli, with a peak rpoEp3 promoter activity in early stationary phase followed by a decrease in late stationary phase.