| 1. |
- Bárcena-Uribarri, Iván, et al.
(författare)
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P66 porins are present in both Lyme disease and relapsing fever spirochetes : a comparison of the biophysical properties of P66 porins from six Borrelia species
- 2010
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Ingår i: Biochimica et Biophysica Acta - Biomembranes. - : Elsevier. - 0005-2736 .- 1879-2642. ; 1798:6, s. 1197-1203
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The genus Borrelia is the cause of the two human diseases: Lyme disease (LD) and relapsing fever (RF). BothLD and RF Borrelia species are obligate parasites and are dependent on nutrients provided by their hosts. Thefirst step of nutrient uptake across the outer membrane of these Gram-negative bacteria is accomplished bywater-filled channels, so-called porins. The knowledge of the porin composition in the outer membranes ofthe different pathogenic Borrelia species is limited. Only one porin has been described in relapsing feverspirochetes to date, whereas four porins are known to be present in Lyme disease agents. From these, theBorrelia burgdorferi outer membrane channel P66 is known to act as an adhesin and was well studied as aporin. To investigate if P66 porins are expressed and similarly capable of pore formation in other Borreliacausing Lyme disease or relapsing fever three LD species (B. burgdorferi, B. afzelii, B. garinii) and three RFspecies (B. duttonii, B. recurrentis and B. hermsii) were investigated for outer membrane proteins homologousto P66. A search in current published RF genomes, comprising the ones of B. duttonii, B. recurrentis and B.hermsii, indicated that they all contained P66 homologues. The P66 homologues of the six Borrelia specieswere purified to homogeneity and their pore-forming abilities as well as the biophysical properties of thepores were analyzed using the black lipid bilayer assay.
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| 2. |
- Bárcena-Uribarri, Iván, et al.
(författare)
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Use of nonelectrolytes reveals the channel size and oligomeric constitution of the Borrelia burgdorferi P66 porin
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Annan publikation (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- The outer membrane protein P66 of the Lyme disease spirochete Borrelia burgdorferi is capable of pore formation with an atypical high single-channel conductance of 11 nS in 1 M KCl. We studied in a non-theoretical manner the diameter of the P66 channel by analyzing its single-channel conductance in black lipid bilayers in the presence of different nonelectrolytes with known hydrodynamic radii. Furthermore, we calculated the filling of the channel with these nonelectrolytes and the results revealed that nonelectrolytes with hydrodynamic radii of 0.34 nm or smaller pass through the pore, whereas neutral molecules with greater radii only partially filled the channel or were not able to enter it at all. Thus, the diameter of the P66 entrance was determined to be ≤ 1.9 nm with a constriction site diameter of about 0.7 nm. Furthermore, the P66-induced membrane conductance could be blocked by 80-90% after addition of the nonelectrolytes PEG 400, PEG 600 and maltohexaose in the low millimolar range. Interestingly, the analysis of the power density spectra of P66 after blockage with nonelectrolytes revealed no chemical interaction responsible for channel block. The blockage of one P66 single-channel conductance unit of 11 nS occurred by seven subconducting states, thus indicating a heptameric organization of the P66 oligomer. This organization of P66 as a heptamer was confirmed by Blue Native PAGE and immunoblot analysis, which demonstrated that P66 forms a complex with a mass of approximately 460 kDa.
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| 3. |
- Bunikis, Ignas, 1981-, et al.
(författare)
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An RND-type efflux system in Borrelia burgdorferi is involved in virulence and resistance to antimicrobial compounds
- 2008
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Ingår i: PLoS Pathogenicity. - 1553-7374. ; 4:2, s. e1000009-
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Borrelia burgdorferi is remarkable for its ability to thrive in widely different environments due to its ability to infect various organisms. In comparison to enteric Gram-negative bacteria, these spirochetes have only a few transmembrane proteins some of which are thought to play a role in solute and nutrient uptake and excretion of toxic substances. Here, we have identified an outer membrane protein, BesC, which is part of a putative export system comprising the components BesA, BesB and BesC. We show that BesC, a TolC homolog, forms channels in planar lipid bilayers and is involved in antibiotic resistance. A besC knockout was unable to establish infection in mice, signifying the importance of this outer membrane channel in the mammalian host. The biophysical properties of BesC could be explained by a model based on the channel-tunnel structure. We have also generated a structural model of the efflux apparatus showing the putative spatial orientation of BesC with respect to the AcrAB homologs BesAB. We believe that our findings will be helpful in unraveling the pathogenic mechanisms of borreliae as well as in developing novel therapeutic agents aiming to block the function of this secretion apparatus.
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| 4. |
- Bunikis, Ignas, 1981-
(författare)
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Borrelia channel-forming proteins : structure and function
- 2010
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Borrelia is a Gram-negative, corkscrew-shaped bacterium transmitted by infected ticks or lice. Borreliae are subdivided into pathogens of two diseases: Lyme disease, caused mainly by B. burgdorferi, B. afzelii and B. garinii; and relapsing fever caused primarily by B. duttonii, B. hermsii, B. recurrentis or B. crocidurae. Both diseases differ in their manifestations, duration times and dissemination patterns. Antibiotics are the major therapeutics, although unfortunately antibiotic treatment is not always beneficial. To date, drug resistance mechanisms in B. burgdorferi are unknown. Transporters of the resistance-nodulation-division (RND) family appear to be involved in drug resistance, especially in Gram-negative bacteria. They consist of three components: a cytoplasmic membrane export system, a membrane fusion protein (MFP), and an outer membrane factor (OMP). The major antibiotic efflux activity of this type in Escherichia coli is mediated by the tripartite multidrug resistance pump AcrAB-TolC. Based on the sequence homology we conclude that the besA (bb0140), besB (bb0141) and besC (bb0142) genes code for a similar efflux system in B. burgdorferi. We created a deletion mutant of besC. The minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) values of B. burgdorferi carrying an inactive besC gene were 4- to 8-fold lower than in the wild type strain. Animal experiments showed that the besC mutant was unable to infect mice. Black lipid bilayer experiments were carried out to determine the biophysical properties of purified BesC. This study showed the importance of BesC protein for B. burgdorferi pathogenicity and resistance to antibiotics, although its importance in clinical isolates is not known. Due to its small genome, Borrelia is metabolically and biosynthetically deficient, thereby making it highly dependent on nutrients provided by their hosts. The uptake of nutrients by Borrelia is not yet completely understood. We describe the purification and characterization of a 36-kDa protein that functions as a putative dicarboxylate-specific porin in the outer membrane of Borrelia. The protein was designated as DipA, for dicarboxylate-specific porin A. DipA was biophysically characterized using the black lipid bilayer assay. The permeation of KCl through the channel could be partly blocked by titrating the DipA-mediated membrane conductance with increasing concentrations of different organic dicarboxylic anions. The obtained results imply that DipA does not form a general diffusion pore, but a porin with a binding site specific for dicarboxylates which play important key roles in the deficient metabolic and biosynthetic pathways of Borrelia species. The presence of porin P66 has been shown in both Lyme disease and relapsing fever spirochetes. In our study, purified P66 homologues from Lyme disease species B. burgdorferi, B. afzelii and B. garinii and relapsing fever species B. duttonii, B. recurrentis and B. hermsii were compared and their biophysical properties were further characterized in black lipid bilayer assay. Subsequently, the channel diameter of B. burgdorferi P66 was investigated in more detail. For this study, different nonelectrolytes with known hydrodynamic radii were used. This allowed us to determine the effective diameter of the P66 channel lumen. Furthermore, the blockage of the channel after addition of nonelectrolytes revealed seven subconducting states and indicated a heptameric structure of the P66 channel. These results may give more insight into the functional properties of this important porin.
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| 5. |
- Christmas, Matthew, et al.
(författare)
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A genomic and morphometric analysis of alpine bumblebees : Ongoing reductions in tongue length but no clear genetic component
- 2022
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Ingår i: Molecular Ecology. - : John Wiley & Sons. - 0962-1083 .- 1365-294X. ; 31:4, s. 1111-1127
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Over the last six decades, populations of the bumblebees Bombus sylvicola and Bombus balteatus in Colorado have experienced decreases in tongue length, a trait important for plant-pollinator mutualisms. It has been hypothesized that this observation reflects selection resulting from shifts in floral composition under climate change. Here we used morphometrics and population genomics to determine whether morphological change is ongoing, investigate the genetic basis of morphological variation, and analyse population structure in these populations. We generated a genome assembly of B. balteatus. We then analysed whole-genome sequencing data and morphometric measurements of 580 samples of both species from seven high-altitude localities. Out of 281 samples originally identified as B. sylvicola, 67 formed a separate genetic cluster comprising a newly-discovered cryptic species ("incognitus"). However, an absence of genetic structure within species suggests that gene flow is common between mountains. We found a significant decrease in tongue length between bees collected between 2012-2014 and in 2017, indicating that morphological shifts are ongoing. We did not discover any genetic associations with tongue length, but a SNP related to production of a proteolytic digestive enzyme was implicated in body size variation. We identified evidence of covariance between kinship and both tongue length and body size, which is suggestive of a genetic component of these traits, although it is possible that shared environmental effects between colonies are responsible. Our results provide evidence for ongoing modification of a morphological trait important for pollination and indicate that this trait probably has a complex genetic and environmental basis.
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| 6. |
- Christmas, Matthew, et al.
(författare)
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Genetic Barriers to Historical Gene Flow between Cryptic Species of Alpine Bumblebees Revealed by Comparative Population Genomics
- 2021
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Ingår i: Molecular biology and evolution. - : Oxford University Press. - 0737-4038 .- 1537-1719. ; 38:8, s. 3126-3143
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Evidence is accumulating that gene flow commonly occurs between recently diverged species, despite the existence of barriers to gene flow in their genomes. However, we still know little about what regions of the genome become barriers to gene flow and how such barriers form. Here, we compare genetic differentiation across the genomes of bumblebee species living in sympatry and allopatry to reveal the potential impact of gene flow during species divergence and uncover genetic barrier loci. We first compared the genomes of the alpine bumblebee Bombus sylvicola and a previously unidentified sister species living in sympatry in the Rocky Mountains, revealing prominent islands of elevated genetic divergence in the genome that colocalize with centromeres and regions of low recombination. This same pattern is observed between the genomes of another pair of closely related species living in allopatry (B. bifarius and B. vancouverensis). Strikingly however, the genomic islands exhibit significantly elevated absolute divergence (d(XY)) in the sympatric, but not the allopatric, comparison indicating that they contain loci that have acted as barriers to historical gene flow in sympatry. Our results suggest that intrinsic barriers to gene flow between species may often accumulate in regions of low recombination and near centromeres through processes such as genetic hitchhiking, and that divergence in these regions is accentuated in the presence of gene flow.
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| 7. |
- Marcus, Thein, et al.
(författare)
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DipA, a pore-forming protein in the outer membrane of Lyme disease spirochetes exhibits specificity for the permeation of dicarboxylates
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Annan publikation (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Lyme disease Borrelia are highly dependent on the uptake of nutrients provided by their hosts. Our study describes the identification of a 36 kDa protein that functions as putative dicarboxylate-specific porin in the outer membrane of Lyme disease Borrelia. The protein was purified by hydroxyapatite chromatography and designated as DipA, for dicarboxylate-specific porin A. DipA was partially sequenced, and corresponding genes were identified in the genomes of B. burgdorferi B31, Borrelia garinii PBi and Borrelia afzelii PKo. DipA exhibits high homology to the Oms38 porins of relapsing fever Borrelia. B. burgdorferi DipA was characterized using the black lipid bilayer assay. The protein has a single-channel conductance of 50 pS in 1 M KCl, is slightly selective for anions with a permeability ratio for cations over anions of 0.57 in KCl and is not voltage-dependent. The channel could be partly blocked by different di- and tricarboxylic anions. Particular high stability constants up to about 28,000 l/mol (in 0.1 M KCl) were obtained among the 11 tested anions for oxaloacetate, 2‑oxoglutarate and citrate. The results imply that DipA forms a porin specific for dicarboxylates which may play an important role for the uptake of specific nutrients in different Borrelia species.
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| 8. |
- Thein, Marcus, et al.
(författare)
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Oms38 is the first identified pore-forming protein in the outer membrane of relapsing fever spirochetes
- 2008
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Ingår i: Journal of Bacteriology. - 0021-9193 .- 1098-5530. ; 190:21, s. 7035-7042
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Relapsing fever is a worldwide, endemic disease caused by several spirochetal species belonging to the genus Borrelia. During the recurring fever peaks, borreliae proliferate remarkably quickly compared to the slow dissemination of Lyme disease Borrelia and therefore require efficient nutrient uptake from the blood of their hosts. This study describes the identification and characterization of the first relapsing fever porin, which is present in the outer membranes of B. duttonii, B. hermsii, B. recurrentis, and B. turicatae. The pore-forming protein was purified by hydroxyapatite chromatography and designated Oms38, for outer membrane-spanning protein of 38 kDa. Biophysical characterization of Oms38 was done by using the black lipid bilayer method, demonstrating that Oms38 forms small, water-filled channels of 80 pS in 1 M KCl that did not exhibit voltage-dependent closure. The Oms38 channel is slightly selective for anions and shows a ratio of permeability for cations over anions of 0.41 in KCl. Analysis of the deduced amino acid sequences demonstrated that Oms38 contains an N-terminal signal sequence which is processed under in vivo conditions. Oms38 is highly conserved within the four studied relapsing fever species, sharing an overall amino acid identity of 58% and with a strong indication for the presence of amphipathic beta-sheets.
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| 9. |
- Weishaupt, Holger, et al.
(författare)
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Novel cancer gene discovery using a forward genetic screen in RCAS-PDGFB-driven gliomas
- 2023
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Ingår i: Neuro-Oncology. - : Oxford University Press. - 1522-8517 .- 1523-5866. ; 25:1, s. 97-107
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Background Malignant gliomas, the most common malignant brain tumors in adults, represent a heterogeneous group of diseases with poor prognosis. Retroviruses can cause permanent genetic alterations that modify genes close to the viral integration site. Methods Here we describe the use of a high-throughput pipeline coupled to the commonly used tissue-specific retroviral RCAS-TVA mouse tumor model system. Utilizing next-generation sequencing, we show that retroviral integration sites can be reproducibly detected in malignant stem cell lines generated from RCAS-PDGFB-driven glioma biopsies. Results A large fraction of common integration sites contained genes that have been dysregulated or misexpressed in glioma. Others overlapped with loci identified in previous glioma-related forward genetic screens, but several novel putative cancer-causing genes were also found. Integrating retroviral tagging and clinical data, Ppfibp1 was highlighted as a frequently tagged novel glioma-causing gene. Retroviral integrations into the locus resulted in Ppfibp1 upregulation, and Ppfibp1-tagged cells generated tumors with shorter latency on orthotopic transplantation. In human gliomas, increased PPFIBP1 expression was significantly linked to poor prognosis and PDGF treatment resistance. Conclusions Altogether, the current study has demonstrated a novel approach to tagging glioma genes via forward genetics, validating previous results, and identifying PPFIBP1 as a putative oncogene in gliomagenesis.
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