Trends in MicrobiologyPub Date : 2024-09-01Epub Date: 2024-03-13DOI: 10.1016/j.tim.2024.02.001
Bodo Linz, Heinrich Sticht, Nicole Tegtmeyer, Steffen Backert
{"title":"Cancer-associated SNPs in bacteria: lessons from Helicobacter pylori.","authors":"Bodo Linz, Heinrich Sticht, Nicole Tegtmeyer, Steffen Backert","doi":"10.1016/j.tim.2024.02.001","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.tim.2024.02.001","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Several single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in human chromosomes are known to predispose to cancer. However, cancer-associated SNPs in bacterial pathogens were unknown until discovered in the stomach pathogen Helicobacter pylori. Those include an alanine-threonine polymorphism in the EPIYA-B phosphorylation motif of the injected effector protein CagA that affects cancer risk by modifying inflammatory responses and loss of host cell polarity. A serine-to-leucine change in serine protease HtrA is associated with boosted proteolytic cleavage of epithelial junction proteins and introduction of DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs) in host chromosomes, which co-operatively elicit malignant alterations. In addition, H. pylori genome-wide association studies (GWAS) identified several other SNPs potentially associated with increased gastric cancer (GC) risk. Here we discuss the clinical importance, evolutionary origin, and functional advantage of the H. pylori SNPs. These exciting new data highlight cancer-associated SNPs in bacteria, which should be explored in more detail in future studies.</p>","PeriodicalId":23275,"journal":{"name":"Trends in Microbiology","volume":" ","pages":"847-857"},"PeriodicalIF":14.0,"publicationDate":"2024-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140132656","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Trends in MicrobiologyPub Date : 2024-09-01Epub Date: 2024-02-14DOI: 10.1016/j.tim.2024.01.008
Dipak Kathayat, Brian C VanderVen
{"title":"Exploiting cAMP signaling in Mycobacterium tuberculosis for drug discovery.","authors":"Dipak Kathayat, Brian C VanderVen","doi":"10.1016/j.tim.2024.01.008","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.tim.2024.01.008","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) replicates within host macrophages by adapting to the stressful and nutritionally constrained environments in these cells. Exploiting these adaptations for drug discovery has revealed that perturbing cAMP signaling can restrict Mtb growth in macrophages. Specifically, compounds that agonize or stimulate the bacterial enzyme, Rv1625c/Cya, induce cAMP synthesis and this interferes with the ability of Mtb to metabolize cholesterol. In murine tuberculosis (TB) infection models, Rv1625c/Cya agonists contribute to reducing relapse and shortening combination treatments, highlighting the therapeutic potential for this class of compounds. More recently, cAMP signaling has been implicated in regulating fatty acid utilization by Mtb. Thus, a new model is beginning to emerge in which cAMP regulates the utilization of host lipids by Mtb during infection, and this could provide new targets for TB drug development. Here, we summarize the current understanding of cAMP signaling in Mtb with a focus on our understanding of how cAMP signaling impacts Mtb physiology during infection. We also discuss additional cAMP-related drug targets in Mtb and other bacterial pathogens that may have therapeutic potential.</p>","PeriodicalId":23275,"journal":{"name":"Trends in Microbiology","volume":" ","pages":"874-883"},"PeriodicalIF":14.0,"publicationDate":"2024-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11322422/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139742051","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Trends in MicrobiologyPub Date : 2024-09-01Epub Date: 2024-06-18DOI: 10.1016/j.tim.2024.06.002
Ruiwen Hu, Zhili He, Cheng Wang
{"title":"Rethinking microbially driven methane formation in mangrove wetlands.","authors":"Ruiwen Hu, Zhili He, Cheng Wang","doi":"10.1016/j.tim.2024.06.002","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.tim.2024.06.002","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Mangrove wetlands contribute to climate change mitigation through efficient carbon burial, yet microbial methanogenesis offsets these climate benefits. We review the diversity of methanogenic microorganisms in mangrove sediments, present the unrecognized role of bacteria on methanogenesis, and highlight the significance of distinguishing various methanogenic pathways to assess mangrove climate benefits.</p>","PeriodicalId":23275,"journal":{"name":"Trends in Microbiology","volume":" ","pages":"832-835"},"PeriodicalIF":14.0,"publicationDate":"2024-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141427625","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Qing-Lin Chen, Kai Yang, Qian Xiang, Li Cui, Yong-Guan Zhu
{"title":"Tackling the plastisphere: the single-cell Raman spectroscopy framework.","authors":"Qing-Lin Chen, Kai Yang, Qian Xiang, Li Cui, Yong-Guan Zhu","doi":"10.1016/j.tim.2024.08.005","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tim.2024.08.005","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Conventional bulk molecular approaches, often limited by their destructive nature and low spatial resolution, face challenges when probing the intricate dynamics of the plastisphere. Here, we outline a framework employing Raman spectroscopy combined with stable isotope profiling (SIP) to interrogate the physiological function of the plastisphere microbiome and track its evolutionary trajectories.</p>","PeriodicalId":23275,"journal":{"name":"Trends in Microbiology","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":14.0,"publicationDate":"2024-08-31","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142112341","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Guillaume Balleux, Monica Höfte, Anthony Arguelles-Arias, Magali Deleu, Marc Ongena
{"title":"Bacillus lipopeptides as key players in rhizosphere chemical ecology.","authors":"Guillaume Balleux, Monica Höfte, Anthony Arguelles-Arias, Magali Deleu, Marc Ongena","doi":"10.1016/j.tim.2024.08.001","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tim.2024.08.001","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Microbial natural products are widely explored for their therapeutic potential. Understanding the underlying evolutionary and adaptive forces driving their production remains a fundamental question in biology. Amphiphilic cyclic lipopeptides (CLPs), a prominent category of bacterial specialized metabolites, show strong antimicrobial activity, particularly against phytopathogens. It is thus assumed that these compounds are deployed by soil- or rhizosphere-dwelling bacteria as microbial weapons in competitive natural environments. Here, we challenge this reductionist perspective and present evidence that Bacillus CLPs are prominent chemical mediators of ecological interactions. They help Bacillus to communicate, compete, defend against predators, or cooperate and establish mutualistic relationships with other (micro)organisms. Additional parallel examples are highlighted in other genera, such as Pseudomonas. This broader perspective underscores the need for further investigation into the role of CLPs in shaping the adaptive strategies of key rhizobacterial species.</p>","PeriodicalId":23275,"journal":{"name":"Trends in Microbiology","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":14.0,"publicationDate":"2024-08-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142112338","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Elina Gerber-Tichet, Fabien P Blanchet, Karim Majzoub, Eric J Kremer
{"title":"Toll-like receptor 4 - a multifunctional virus recognition receptor.","authors":"Elina Gerber-Tichet, Fabien P Blanchet, Karim Majzoub, Eric J Kremer","doi":"10.1016/j.tim.2024.07.001","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tim.2024.07.001","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Since the initial description of Toll receptors in Drosophila and their mammalian counterparts Toll-like receptors (TLRs), numerous fundamental and applied studies have explored their crucial role as sensors of pathogen-associated molecular patterns (PAMPs). Among the ten human TLRs, TLR4 is particularly well known for its ability to detect lipopolysaccharides (LPS), a component of the Gram-negative bacterial cell wall. In addition to its archetypal functions, TLR4 is also a versatile virus sensor. This review provides a background on the discovery of TLR4 and how this knowledge laid a foundation for characterization of its diverse roles in antiviral responses, examined through genetic, biochemical, structural, and immunological approaches. These advances have led to a deeper understanding of the molecular functions that enable TLR4 to orchestrate multi-nodal control by professional antigen-presenting cells (APCs) to initiate appropriate and regulated antiviral immune responses.</p>","PeriodicalId":23275,"journal":{"name":"Trends in Microbiology","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":14.0,"publicationDate":"2024-08-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142047252","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Lauren S J Cook, Andrew G Briscoe, Vera G Fonseca, Jens Boenigk, Guy Woodward, David Bass
{"title":"Microbial, holobiont, and Tree of Life eDNA/eRNA for enhanced ecological assessment.","authors":"Lauren S J Cook, Andrew G Briscoe, Vera G Fonseca, Jens Boenigk, Guy Woodward, David Bass","doi":"10.1016/j.tim.2024.07.003","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tim.2024.07.003","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Microbial environmental DNA and RNA (collectively 'eNA') originate from a diverse and abundant array of microbes present in environmental samples. These eNA signals, largely representing whole organisms, serve as a powerful complement to signals derived from fragments or remnants of larger organisms. Integrating microbial data into the toolbox of ecosystem assessments and biotic indices therefore has the potential to transform how we use eNA data to understand biodiversity dynamics and ecosystem functions, and to inform the next generation of environmental monitoring. Incorporating holobiont and Tree of Life approaches into eNA analyses offers further holistic insight into the range of ecological interactions between microbes and other organisms, paving the way for advancing our understanding of, and ultimately manipulating ecosystem properties pertinent to environmental management, conservation, wildlife health, and food production.</p>","PeriodicalId":23275,"journal":{"name":"Trends in Microbiology","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":14.0,"publicationDate":"2024-08-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142009515","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Davide Roncarati, Andrea Vannini, Vincenzo Scarlato
{"title":"Temperature sensing and virulence regulation in pathogenic bacteria.","authors":"Davide Roncarati, Andrea Vannini, Vincenzo Scarlato","doi":"10.1016/j.tim.2024.07.009","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tim.2024.07.009","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Pathogenic bacteria can detect a variety of environmental signals, including temperature changes. While sudden and significant temperature variations act as danger signals that trigger a protective heat-shock response, minor temperature fluctuations typically signal to the pathogen that it has moved from one environment to another, such as entering a specific niche within a host during infection. These latter temperature fluctuations are utilized by pathogens to coordinate the expression of crucial virulence factors. Here, we elucidate the critical role of temperature in governing the expression of virulence factors in bacterial pathogens. Moreover, we outline the molecular mechanisms used by pathogens to detect temperature fluctuations, focusing on systems that employ proteins and nucleic acids as sensory devices. We also discuss the potential implications and the extent of the risk that climate change poses to human pathogenic diseases.</p>","PeriodicalId":23275,"journal":{"name":"Trends in Microbiology","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":14.0,"publicationDate":"2024-08-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142009516","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Advisory Board and Contents","authors":"","doi":"10.1016/s0966-842x(24)00183-5","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/s0966-842x(24)00183-5","url":null,"abstract":"No Abstract","PeriodicalId":23275,"journal":{"name":"Trends in Microbiology","volume":"25 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":15.9,"publicationDate":"2024-08-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141948236","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Subscription and Copyright Information","authors":"","doi":"10.1016/s0966-842x(24)00186-0","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/s0966-842x(24)00186-0","url":null,"abstract":"No Abstract","PeriodicalId":23275,"journal":{"name":"Trends in Microbiology","volume":"19 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":15.9,"publicationDate":"2024-08-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141948235","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}