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Topic Review
Adhesins of Brucella
A central aspect of Brucella pathogenicity is its ability to invade, survive, and replicate in diverse phagocytic and non-phagocytic cell types, leading to chronic infections and chronic inflammatory phenomena. Adhesion to the target cell is a critical first step in the invasion process. Several Brucella adhesins have been shown to mediate adhesion to cells, extracellular matrix components (ECM), or both. These include the sialic acid-binding proteins SP29 and SP41, the BigA and BigB proteins that contain an Ig-like domain, the monomeric autotransporters BmaA, BmaB, and BmaC, the trimeric autotransporters BtaE and BtaF, and Bp26.
  • 1.5K
  • 05 Jan 2021
Topic Review
Spirochetes as Causative Agents of Alzheimer’s Disease
Spirochetes are bacteria that can also form biofilms, and there is increasing evidence regarding infections with specific species. Borrelia burgdorferi, and several species of treponemes are some of the most studied spirochetes regarding Alzheimer’s Disease. Spirochetes were visualized in the neurofibrillary tangles and senile plaques in the brains of individuals with AD, and peptidoglycan was also located near Aβ deposits.
  • 1.5K
  • 06 Jan 2022
Topic Review
Source and Structure of Exopolysaccharides
Marine microorganisms, as important members of marine organisms, can produce numerous specific active substances in an extreme environment in low temperature, high salt, high pressure, and oligotrophic conditions. They have gained scientific interest due to their potential applications in the pharmaceutical, cosmetic and food industries, for environmental remediation, and astrobiology. The monosaccharide composition, high molecular weight, hydrophobicity and polycharged characteristics of marine Exopolysaccharides (EPS) are involved in their cryoprotective effect, water-holding capacity, and good thermostability. The source and structure  of exopolysaccharides are summarized. 
  • 1.5K
  • 23 Aug 2022
Topic Review
Cryptococcosis
Cryptococcosis is an important opportunistic infection and a leading cause of meningitis in patients with HIV infection. The current antifungal pharmacological treatment is limited; in addition, the high toxicity, increased resistance rate, and difficulty of the currently available antifungal molecules to cross the blood-brain barrier hamper the treatment. Thus, the search for new alternatives for the treatment of cryptococcosis is extremely necessary. Here we describe the therapeutic strategies currently available and discuss new molecules with antifungal potential in different phases of clinical trials and in the advanced pre-clinical phase.
  • 1.5K
  • 29 Oct 2020
Topic Review
Gut Microbiota in the Elderly
Gut microbiota is involved in the maintenance of physiological homeostasis, thus the alteration of its composition and functionality, called dysbiosis, has been associated with many pathologies, and could also be linked with the progressive degenerative process in aging. Specific gut microbiota taxa could be associated to the development of inflammation underlying aging, but also it has been identified some beneficial profiles related to a healthy status in the elderly. Thus, gut microbiota emerges as a therapeutic target with a double impact in the elderly, counteracting both aging itself and associated diseases. 
  • 1.5K
  • 12 Jan 2021
Topic Review
Corynebacterium Pseudotuberculosis
Corynebacterium pseudotuberculosis is a Gram-positive bacterium known globally to infect ruminants, horses, and rarely people. This bacterium is a facultative anaerobic organism that is catalase positive and capable of beta-hemolysis. In small ruminants, C. pseudotuberculosis causes a disease called caseous lymphadenitis characterized by pyogranulomatous abscess formation. In general, this bacterium causes lesions of the skin, lymph nodes, and internal organs. A disease known as ulcerative lymphagenitis can also result from infection with C. pseudotuberculosis in the distal limbs of horses. This bacterium uses the virulence factors phospholipase D and mycolic acid to damage eukaryotic cell walls and resist phagocytic lysosomal degradation, respectively. Infection with this bacterium is often confirmed by bacterial culture of the purulent exudate. Once the diagnosis has been made, treatment of the infection can begin, but this is difficult due to the nature of the organism and the lesions it forms. Specifically, C. pseudotuberculosis is intrinsically resistant to streptomycin, with varying resistance to penicillin and neomycin depending on the strain. It has been shown to be susceptible to ampicillin, gentamicin, tetracycline, lincomycin, and chloramphenicol. Vaccines have also been produced to develop acquired immunity to this infection.
  • 1.5K
  • 19 Oct 2022
Topic Review
Food Bio-Based Packaging
Recently, academic research and industries have gained awareness about the economic, environmental, and social impacts of conventional plastic packaging and its disposal. This consciousness has oriented efforts towards more sustainable materials such as biopolymers, paving the way for the “green era” of food packaging.
  • 1.5K
  • 27 Oct 2022
Topic Review
Emerging SARS-CoV-2 Variants of Concern (VOC)
The worldwide battle against the SARS-CoV-2 virus rages on, with millions infected and many innocent lives lost. The causative organism, severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), is a beta coronavirus that belongs to the Coronaviridae family. Many clinically significant variants have emerged, as the virus’s genome is prone to various mutations, leading to antigenic drift and resulting in evasion of host immune recognition. The current variants of concern (VOCs) include B.1.1.7 (Alpha), B.1.351 (Beta), B.1.617/B.1.617.2 (Delta), and P.1 (Gamma). The emerging variants contain various important mutations on the spike protein, leading to deleterious consequences, such as immune invasion and vaccine escape. These adverse effects result in increased transmissibility, morbidity, and mortality and the evasion of detection by existing or currently available diagnostic tests, potentially delaying diagnosis and treatment. This review discusses the key mutations present in the VOC strains and provides insights into how these mutations allow for greater transmissibility and immune evasion than the progenitor strain. Continuous monitoring and surveillance of VOC strains play a vital role in preventing and controlling the virus’s spread.
  • 1.5K
  • 08 Oct 2021
Topic Review
Heavy Metals Bioremediation
Cadmium (Cd), chromium (Cr) and lead (Pb) are heavy metals that have been classified as priority pollutants in aqueous environment while methane-oxidizing bacteria as a biofilter arguably consume up to 90% of the produced methane in the same aqueous environment before it escapes into the atmosphere. However, the underlying kinetics and active methane oxidizers are poorly understood for the hotspot of epipelon that provides a unique micro-ecosystem containing diversified guild of microorganisms including methane oxidizers for potential bioremediation of heavy metals. In the present study, the Pb2+, Cd2+and Cr6+ bioremediation potential of epipelon biofilm was assessed under both high (120,000 ppm) and near-atmospheric (6 ppm) methane concentrations. Epipelon biofilm demonstrated a high methane oxidation activity following microcosm incubation amended with a high concentration of methane, accompanied by the complete removal of 50 mg L−1 Pb2+ and 50 mg L−1 Cd2+ (14 days) and partial (20%) removal of 50 mg L−1 Cr6+ after 20 days. High methane dose stimulated a faster (144 h earlier) heavy metal removal rate compared to near-atmospheric methane concentrations. DNA-based stable isotope probing (DNA-SIP) following 13CH4 microcosm incubation revealed the growth and activity of different phylotypes of methanotrophs during the methane oxidation and heavy metal removal process. High throughput sequencing of 13C-labelled particulate methane monooxygenase gene pmoA and 16S rRNA genes revealed that the prevalent active methane oxidizers were type I affiliated methanotrophs, i.e., Methylobacter. Type II methanotrophs including Methylosinus and Methylocystis were also labeled only under high methane concentrations. These results suggest that epipelon biofilm can serve as an important micro-environment to alleviate both methane emission and the heavy metal contamination in aqueous ecosystems with constant high methane fluxes.
  • 1.5K
  • 27 Oct 2020
Topic Review
Hepatitis B Virus Infection Understanding
Chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection affects 292 million people worldwide and is associated with a broad range of clinical manifestations including cirrhosis, liver failure, and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Despite the availability of an effective vaccine HBV still causes nearly 900,000 deaths every year. Current treatment options keep HBV under control, but they do not offer a cure as they cannot completely clear HBV from infected hepatocytes. The recent development of reliable cell culture systems allowed for a better understanding of the host and viral mechanisms affecting HBV replication and persistence. Recent advances into the understanding of HBV biology, new potential diagnostic markers of hepatitis B infection, as well as novel antivirals targeting different steps in the HBV replication cycle are summarized in this review article.
  • 1.5K
  • 29 Sep 2020
Topic Review
Fungal Infections in COVID-19 Patients
Patients with severe COVID-19, such as individuals in intensive care units (ICU), are exceptionally susceptible to bacterial and fungal infections. The most prevalent fungal infections are aspergillosis and candidemia. Nonetheless, other fungal species (for instance, Histoplasma spp., Rhizopus spp., Mucor spp., Cryptococcus spp.) have recently been increasingly linked to opportunistic fungal diseases in COVID-19 patients. These fungal co-infections are described with rising incidence, severe illness, and death that is associated with host immune response. Awareness of the high risks of the occurrence of fungal co-infections is crucial to downgrade any arrear in diagnosis and treatment to support the prevention of severe illness and death directly related to these infections. 
  • 1.5K
  • 08 Sep 2021
Topic Review
Reactive Oxygen and Nitrogen Species
Oxidative stress is the result of an imbalance between the presence of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and the ability of a biological system to detoxify them and their side products. Similarly, nitrosative stress is an imbalance of reactive nitrogen species (RNS). Some of these molecules can play an important role in signalization in both eukaryotes and prokaryotes.
  • 1.5K
  • 16 May 2022
Topic Review
Lactococcus lactis
Gram-positive cocci known as Lactococcus are found solely in pairs or in chains. They are catalase-negative, and facultatively anaerobic L-lactic acid is the main byproduct of the fermentation of glucose during the glycolytic pathway of L. lactis.
  • 1.5K
  • 05 Jan 2024
Topic Review
Prebiotic Potential of Dietary Beans and Pulses
Dietary pulses, including dry beans, lentils, chickpeas, and dry peas, have the highest proportion of fiber among different legume cultivars and are inexpensive, easily accessible, and have a long shelf-life. The inclusion of pulses in regular dietary patterns is an easy and effective solution for achieving recommended fiber intake and maintaining a healthier gut and overall health. Dietary pulses-derived resistant starch (RS) is a relatively less explored prebiotic ingredient. Several in vitro and preclinical studies have elucidated the crucial role of RS in fostering and shaping the gut microbiota composition towards homeostasis thereby improving host metabolic health. 
  • 1.5K
  • 05 May 2022
Topic Review
Bloodstream Infections
Bloodstream infections (BSIs), which include bacteremias when the infections are bacterial and fungemias when the infections are fungal, are infections present in the blood. Blood is normally a sterile environment, so the detection of microbes in the blood (most commonly accomplished by blood cultures) is always abnormal. A bloodstream infection is different from sepsis, which is the host response to bacteria. Bacteria can enter the bloodstream as a severe complication of infections (like pneumonia or meningitis), during surgery (especially when involving mucous membranes such as the gastrointestinal tract), or due to catheters and other foreign bodies entering the arteries or veins (including during intravenous drug abuse). Transient bacteremia can result after dental procedures or brushing of teeth. Bacteremia can have several important health consequences. The immune response to the bacteria can cause sepsis and septic shock, which has a high mortality rate. Bacteria can also spread via the blood to other parts of the body (which is called hematogenous spread), causing infections away from the original site of infection, such as endocarditis or osteomyelitis. Treatment for bacteremia is with antibiotics, and prevention with antibiotic prophylaxis can be given in high risk situations.
  • 1.5K
  • 29 Sep 2022
Topic Review
Oral Health and Candidiasis Development
Oral fungal infection is one of the most researched medical challenges today, being critically related to the development of oral candidiasis, the dissemination of Candida sp. in oromucosal tissues, overcoming barriers such as antifungal drug resistance, and repurposing new pathways and mechanisms to alleviate resilient infections.
  • 1.5K
  • 20 Jul 2022
Topic Review
Bacterial Phospholipase ExoU
The opportunistic pathogen Pseudomonas aeruginosa employs the type III secretion system (T3SS) and four effector proteins, ExoS, ExoT, ExoU, and ExoY, to disrupt cellular physiology and subvert the host's innate immune response. Of the effector proteins delivered by the T3SS, ExoU is the most toxic. In P. aeruginosa infections, where the ExoU gene is expressed, disease severity is increased with poorer prognoses. This is considered to be due to the rapid and irreversible damage exerted by the phospholipase activity of ExoU, which cannot be halted before conventional antibiotics can successfully eliminate the pathogen. Here we explore what is currently known about ExoU and its potential as a therapeutic target, highlighting some of the small molecule ExoU inhibitors that have been discovered from screening approaches.
  • 1.5K
  • 23 Oct 2020
Topic Review
Gut Microbiome in the Populations
The gut microbiota is emerging as a promising target for the management or prevention of inflammatory and metabolic disorders in humans. Many of the current research efforts are focused on the identification of specific microbial signatures, more particularly for those associated with obesity, type 2 diabetes, and cardiovascular diseases. The Firmicutes/Bacteroidetes ratio is frequently cited in the scientific literature as a healthy hallmark. The aim of the present review was to discuss the validity of this potential marker, based on the great amount of contradictory results reported in the literature. We re-analyzed the 16S rRNA gene sequence data from nine published studies to allow direct comparisons among their Firmicutes/Bacteroidetes ratio. We observed that the relative abundance of the Firmicutes and Bacteroidetes phyla is highly variable between subjects from a same population. This is probably due to many lifestyle-associated factors including diet, physical activity, food additives and contaminants, antibiotic consumption, physical activity, among others that influence the composition of the microbiota in the gastrointestinal tract. This could explain the contradictory results observed when comparing the microbiota between normal-weight and obese subjects, making it difficult to associate the Firmicutes/Bacteroidetes ratio with a determined health status.
  • 1.5K
  • 02 Nov 2020
Topic Review
Applications of Mycorrhizal Symbiosis to the Ecosystem
Mycorrhizal fungi exhibit the exceptional feature of dwelling partly inside as well as outside the plant roots. The term mycorrhizae comes from the Greek word ‘mykes’ and ‘rhiza’, meaning ‘fungus’ and ‘root’ respectively, which was first applied to the association of trees with fungal symbionts. Mycorrhizal fungi, which are members of Glomeromycota, are common on the landscape and associate with over 80% of plants in a diversity of managed (agricultural) and unmanaged (natural) ecosystems. Mycorrhization benefits plants by up-regulating the catalytic activities of soil enzymes (such as phosphatases, dehydrogenase, nitrogenase, etc.), assisting in the breakdown of complex organic compounds of soil, and positively influencing other microbes present in the rhizosphere for improved nutrients uptake. Activation of these mechanisms, in turn, provides the ability to withstand drought stress, alleviate salinity, helps with micronutrient absorption and better water absorption, and defense systems in the plants. Owing to these benefits, mycorrhizae have gained a lot of consideration towards multidisciplinary research and have huge applications in agriculture as bio-fertilizers, in fuel production due to the increased plant biomass, and in soil rehabilitation, phytoextraction, and phytoremediation, etc.
  • 1.5K
  • 13 Sep 2022
Topic Review
Zetaproteobacteria
The class Zetaproteobacteria is the sixth and most recently described class of the Proteobacteria. Zetaproteobacteria can also refer to the group of organisms assigned to this class. The Zetaproteobacteria were originally represented by a single described species, Mariprofundus ferrooxydans, which is an iron-oxidizing neutrophilic chemolithoautotroph originally isolated from Loihi Seamount in 1996 (post-eruption). Molecular cloning techniques focusing on the small subunit ribosomal RNA gene have also been used to identify a more diverse majority of the Zetaproteobacteria that have as yet been unculturable. Regardless of culturing status, the Zetaproteobacteria show up worldwide in estuarine and marine habitats associated with opposing steep redox gradients of reduced (ferrous) iron and oxygen, either as a minor detectable component or as the dominant member of the microbial community. Zetaproteobacteria have been most commonly found at deep-sea hydrothermal vents, though recent discovery of members of this class in near-shore environments has led to the reevaluation of Zetaproteobacteria distribution and significance.
  • 1.5K
  • 18 Nov 2022
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