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Topic Review
Understanding Antimicrobial Resistance Using Genome-Scale Metabolic Modeling
The urgent necessity to fight antimicrobial resistance is universally recognized. In the search of new targets and strategies to face this global challenge, a promising approach resides in the study of the cellular response to antimicrobial exposure and on the impact of global cellular reprogramming on antimicrobial drugs’ efficacy. The metabolic state of microbial cells has been shown to undergo several antimicrobial-induced modifications and, at the same time, to be a good predictor of the outcome of an antimicrobial treatment. Metabolism is a promising reservoir of potential drug targets/adjuvants that has not been fully exploited to date. One of the main problems in unraveling the metabolic response of cells to the environment resides in the complexity of such metabolic networks. To solve this problem, modeling approaches have been developed, and they are progressively gaining in popularity due to the huge availability of genomic information and the ease at which a genome sequence can be converted into models to run basic phenotype predictions.
  • 641
  • 25 May 2023
Topic Review
California Proposition 71 (2004)
Proposition 71 of 2004 (or the California Stem Cell Research and Cures Act) is a law enacted by California voters to support stem cell research in the state. It was proposed by means of the initiative process and approved in the 2004 state elections on November 2. The Act amended both the Constitution of California and the Health and Safety Code. The Act makes conducting stem cell research a state constitutional right. It authorizes the sale of general obligation bonds to allocate three billion dollars over a period of ten years to stem cell research and research facilities. Although the funds could be used to finance all kinds of stem cell research, it gives priority to human embryonic stem cell research. Proposition 71 created the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM), which is in charge of making "grants and loans for stem cell research, for research facilities, and for other vital research opportunities to realize therapies" as well as establishing "the appropriate regulatory standards of oversight bodies for research and facilities development". The Act also establishes a governing body called the Independent Citizen’s Oversight Committee (ICOC) to oversee CIRM. Proposition 71 is unique in at least three ways. Firstly, it uses general obligation bonds, which are usually used to finance brick-and-mortar projects such as bridges or hospitals, to fund scientific research. Secondly, by funding scientific research on such a large scale, California is taking on a role that is typically fulfilled by the U.S. federal government. Thirdly, Proposition 71 establishes the state constitutional right to conduct stem cell research. The initiative also represents a unique instance where the public directly decided to fund scientific research.
  • 639
  • 30 Oct 2022
Topic Review
Methods for Determining Bacterial Contamination of Platelet Products
A wide variety of direct and indirect methods have been used to test platelets for the presence of bacterial contamination, and those that are in current use will be discussed. Tests performed on platelet products have been defined by the recent US FDA guidance document on this subject as primary and secondary. Primary testing is the initial bacterial detection test, usually by culture, performed following collection and before release of products for transfusion. Secondary testing is any additional test to detect bacteria in a platelet unit that showed no bacterial contamination upon primary testing. Secondary testing can be by culture or rapid testing methods.
  • 638
  • 18 Feb 2024
Topic Review
Yeast-Based Screening of Anti-Viral Molecules
Viruses are microscopic, subcellular biological entities that mainly consist of proteins and nucleic acid [ssDNA or dsDNA or (+) ssRNA or (−) ssRNA or both DNA and RNA (for example, Leukovirus)]. Yeast emerged as a model of choice for in vivo assays. Several features that compel the use of a yeast-based platform for screening purposes are briefly highlighted here.
  • 638
  • 22 Mar 2024
Topic Review
Fighting Tuberculosis
Tuberculosis is one of the most threatening infectious diseases and represents an important and significant reason for mortality in high-burden regions. The only licensed vaccine, BCG, is hardly capable of establishing long-term tuberculosis protection and is highly variable in its effectiveness.
  • 637
  • 07 Feb 2023
Topic Review
Arsenophonus Nasoniae
Arsenophonus nasoniae is a species of bacterium which was previously isolated from Nasonia vitripennis, a species of parasitoid wasp. These wasps are generalists which afflict the larvae of parasitic carrion flies such as blowflies, houseflies and flesh flies. A. nasoniae belongs to the phylum Proteobacteria and family Enterobacteriaceae.The genus Arsenophonus, has a close relationship to the Proteus (bacterium) rather than to that of Salmonella and Escherichia. The genus is composed of gammaproteobacterial, secondary-endosymbionts which are gram-negative. Cells are non-flagellated, non-motile, non-spore forming and form long to highly filamentous rods. Cellular division is exhibited through septation. The name 'Arsenophonus nasoniae gen. nov., sp. nov.' was therefore proposed for the discovered bacterium due to its characteristics and its microbial interaction with N. vitripennis. The type strain of A. nasoniae is Strain SKI4 (ATCC 49151).
  • 633
  • 18 Oct 2022
Topic Review
Exopolysaccharides Synthesized by Rhizospheric Bacteria
Plants are constantly exposed to a wide range of environmental factors that cause different kinds of stress, such as drought, salinity, heat, frost, and low nutrient availability. There are also biotic sources of stress, which include pathogens (bacteria, viruses, pests), herbivores, and plant competitors. These various types of stress affect normal plant physiology and development, and may lead to significantly lower yields. However, certain microorganisms (MOs), known as plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR), can interact with and benefit plants in stressful environments. They do so through a series of mechanisms which contribute to minimizing the negative effects of plants’ responses to stress. 
  • 633
  • 23 Nov 2023
Topic Review
Triboelectric Nanogenerators in Point-of-Care Diagnostics
In the constantly evolving field of medical diagnostics, triboelectric nanogenerators (TENGs) stand out as a groundbreaking innovation for simultaneously harnessing mechanical energy from micromovements and sensing stimuli from both the human body and the ambient environment. This advancement diminishes the dependence of biosensors on external power sources and paves the way for the application of TENGs in self-powered medical devices, especially in the realm of point-of-care diagnostics.
  • 633
  • 20 Feb 2024
Topic Review
Gut Microbiota and Adipose Tissue Microenvironment in Obesity
Obesity is an increasingly serious global health problem. Some studies have revealed that the gut microbiota and its metabolites make important contributions to the onset of obesity. The gut microbiota is a dynamic ecosystem composed of diverse microbial communities with key regulatory functions in host metabolism and energy balance. Disruption of the gut microbiota can result in obesity, a chronic metabolic condition characterized by the excessive accumulation of adipose tissue. Host tissues (e.g., adipose, intestinal epithelial, and muscle tissues) can modulate the gut microbiota via microenvironmental interactions that involve hormone and cytokine secretion, changes in nutrient availability, and modifications of the gut environment. The interactions between host tissues and the gut microbiota are complex and bidirectional, with important effects on host health and obesity.
  • 631
  • 31 Jul 2023
Topic Review
Human Health and Climate Change
Human health is also affected by climate change effects. According to the World Health Organization, the epidemiology of infectious diseases constantly fluctuates in response to environmental changes and interactions among pathogens, hosts, reservoirs and vectors.
  • 628
  • 10 Aug 2023
Topic Review
Leishmania Protein Kinases
Leishmania is a protozoan parasite of the trypanosomatid family, causing a wide range of diseases with different clinical manifestations including cutaneous, mucocutaneous and visceral leishmaniasis. According to WHO, one billion people are at risk of Leishmania infection as they live in endemic areas while there are 12 million infected people worldwide. Annually, 0.9–1.6 million new infections are reported and 20–50 thousand deaths occur due to Leishmania infection. As current chemotherapy for treating leishmaniasis exhibits numerous drawbacks and due to the lack of effective human vaccine, there is an urgent need to develop new antileishmanial therapy treatment. To this end, eukaryotic protein kinases can be ideal target candidates for rational drug design against leishmaniasis. Eukaryotic protein kinases mediate signal transduction through protein phosphorylation and their inhibition is anticipated to be disease modifying as they regulate all essential processes for Leishmania viability and completion of the parasitic life cycle including cell-cycle progression, differentiation and virulence. This review highlights existing knowledge concerning the exploitation of Leishmania protein kinases as molecular targets to treat leishmaniasis and the current knowledge of their role in the biology of Leishmania spp. and in the regulation of signalling events that promote parasite survival in the insect vector or the mammalian host.
  • 627
  • 23 Jun 2021
Topic Review
Immune-Based Anti-Staphylococcal Therapeutic Approaches
Widespread methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) infections within community and healthcare settings are responsible for accelerated development of antibiotic resistance. As the antibiotic pipeline began drying up, alternative strategies were sought for future treatment of S. aureus infections. Here, we review immune-based anti-staphylococcal strategies that, unlike conventional antibiotics, target non-essential gene products elaborated by the pathogen. These strategies stimulate narrow or broad host immune mechanisms that are critical for anti-staphylococcal defenses. Alternative approaches aim to disrupt bacterial virulence mechanisms that enhance pathogen survival or induce immunopathology. Although immune-based therapeutics are unlikely to replace antibiotics in patient treatment in the near term, they have the potential to significantly improve upon the performance of antibiotics for treatment of invasive staphylococcal diseases.
  • 624
  • 24 Feb 2021
Topic Review
Significance of Skin Microbiota for Wound Healing
Wounded skin can naturally be repaired by a mechanism called wound healing. Human skin is a habitat of various pathogenic and commensal bacteria. While these bacteria are in balance in healthy skin, they can lose the balance by wounding, which leads to delay in the wound-healing process. Moreover, commensal and pathogenic bacteria inhabit skin tissue and have constant communication with the immune system, which can increase and decrease the healing efficiency, respectively.
  • 624
  • 06 Sep 2023
Topic Review
Current Detection Methods in Complex Samples
Several detection methods of microorganisms are routinely used in industry. The choice of method or combination of methods depends on the characteristics of the medium of interest. Indeed, its composition can physically hinder some methods. Similarly, culture medium and incubation times must be chosen accordingly to promote the growth of specific microorganisms (molds, yeasts, or bacteria). The most commonly used technique for detection of microorganisms in complex biological samples is microbiological growth, either on solid agar plate or in liquid medium, i.e., blood culture, which refers to automated methods based on the growth of microorganisms in liquid media. This historical model tends to be replaced by faster methods.
  • 620
  • 22 Jun 2022
Topic Review
Marine Bacterial Genus Euzebya in Terrestrial Environments
Euzebya and other haloalkaliphilic bacteria can thrive under harsh conditions, such as high concentrations of sodium and/or calcium, high electric conductivity and alkaline pH, highly variable temperatures, and water fluctuations. These conditions are quasi-extreme in the studied terrestrial environments. 
  • 617
  • 01 Nov 2023
Topic Review
In Vitro Models of Bacterial Biofilms
Bacterial infections are a growing concern to the health care systems. Bacteria in the human body are often found embedded in a dense 3D structure, the biofilm, which makes their eradication even more challenging. Indeed, bacteria in biofilm are protected from external hazards and are more prone to develop antibiotic resistance. Moreover, biofilms are highly heterogeneous, with properties dependent on the bacteria species, the anatomic localization, and the nutrient/flow conditions. Therefore, antibiotic screening and testing would strongly benefit from reliable in vitro models of bacterial biofilms.
  • 616
  • 13 Apr 2023
Topic Review
Single Particle Trajectories
Single particle trajectories (SPTs) consist of a collection of successive discrete points causal in time. These trajectories are acquired from images in experimental data. In the context of cell biology, the trajectories are obtained by the transient activation by a laser of small dyes attached to a moving molecule. Molecules can now by visualized based on recent Super-resolution microscopy, which allow routine collections of thousands of short and long trajectories. These trajectories explore part of a cell, either on the membrane or in 3 dimensions and their paths are critically influenced by the local crowded organization and molecular interaction inside the cell, as emphasized in various cell types such as neuronal cells, astrocytes, immune cells and many others.
  • 612
  • 02 Nov 2022
Topic Review
Molecular Structure of Tick-Borne Encephalitis Virus
Tick-borne encephalitis virus (TBEV), a member of the Flaviviridae family, can cause serious infection of the central nervous system in humans, resulting in potential neurological complications and fatal outcomes. TBEV is primarily transmitted to humans through infected tick bites, and the viral agent circulates between ticks and animals, such as deer and small mammals. The occurrence of the infection aligns with the seasonal activity of ticks. As no specific antiviral therapy exists for TBEV infection, treatment approaches primarily focus on symptomatic relief and support. Active immunization is highly effective, especially for individuals in endemic areas. The burden of TBEV infections is increasing, posing a growing health concern. 
  • 612
  • 12 Jul 2023
Topic Review
Agrobacterium fabrum atu0526-Encoding Protein
Soil-born plant pathogens, especially Agrobacterium, generally navigate their way to hosts through recognition of the root exudates by chemoreceptors. However, there is still a lack of appropriate identification of chemoreceptors and their ligands in Agrobacterium. Here, Atu0526, a sCache-type chemoreceptor from Agrobacterium fabrum C58, was confirmed as the receptor of a broad antibacterial agent, formic acid. The binding of formic acid to Atu0526 was screened using a thermo shift assay and verified using isothermal titration calorimetry. Inconsistent with the previously reported antimicrobial properties, formic acid was confirmed to be a chemoattractant to A. fabrum and could promote its growth. The chemotaxis of A. fabrum C58 toward formic acid was completely lost with the knock-out of atu0526, and regained with the complementation of the gene, indicating that Atu0526 is the only chemoreceptor for formic acid in A. fabrum C58.
  • 611
  • 19 Apr 2022
Topic Review
Elevated Mortality Risk from CRKp Associated with Comorbidities
Carbapenem-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae (CRKp) has become a public health problem with therapeutic limitations and high mortality associated with comorbidities.
  • 611
  • 15 Jul 2022
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