Bimodular Peptide Synthetase SidE Produces Fumarylalanine in the Human Pathogen Aspergillus fumigatus

The filamentous mold Aspergillus fumigatus causes invasive aspergillosis, a potentially life-threatening infectious disease, in humans. The sidE gene encodes a bimodular peptide synthetase and was shown previously to be strongly upregulated during initiation of murine lung infection. In this study, we characterized the two adenylation domains of SidE with the ATP-[³²P]pyrophosphate exchange assay in vitro, which identified fumarate and l-alanine, respectively, as the preferred substrates. Using full-length holo-SidE, fumarylalanine (FA) formation was observed in vitro. Furthermore, FA was identified in A. fumigatus culture supernatants under inducing conditions, unless sidE was genetically inactivated. As FA is structurally related to established pharmaceutical products exerting immunomodulatory activity, this work may contribute to our understanding of the virulence of A. fumigatus.     

MOLECULAR STRUCTURAL STUDIES OF LICHEN SUBSTANCES WITH ANTIMICROBIAL,ANTIPROLIFERATIVE, AND CYTOTOXIC EFFECTS FROM Parmelia subrudecta

Lecanoric acid (1), orsellinic acid methyl ester (2), orcinol (3), and usnic acid (4) were isolated from the lichen Parmelia subrudecta, collected on Palma of the Canary Islands, Spain. Compounds 1, 2, 3, and 4 were purified by solvent extraction, silica gel column chromatography, and preparative high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) consecutively. The structures of the four compounds were elucidated by one- and two-dimensional nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) experiments and mass spectrometric investigations. These compounds showed activity against important gram-positive and gram-negative pathogens like mycobacteria and multiresistant staphylococci. This activity is combined with antiproliferative activity and cytotoxicity.     

KLF2– A Negative Regulator of Pre-B Cell Clonal Expansion and B Cell Activation

Maturation as well as antigen-dependent activation of B cells is accompanied by alternating phases of proliferation and quiescence. We and others have previously shown that Krüppel-like factor 2 (KLF2), a regulator of T cell quiescence and migration, is upregulated in small resting precursor (pre)-B cells after assembly of the immature pre-B cell receptor (pre-BCR) and is downregulated upon antigen-induced proliferation of mature B cells. These findings suggest that KLF2, besides its function in maintaining follicular B cell identity, peripheral B cell homeostasis and homing of antigen-specific plasma cells to the bone marrow, also controls clonal expansion phases in the B cell lineage. Here, we demonstrate that enforced expression of KLF2 in primary pre-B cells results in a severe block of pre-BCR-induced proliferation, upregulation of the cell cycle inhibitors p21 and p27 and downregulation of c-myc. Furthermore, retroviral KLF2 transduction of primary B cells impairs LPS-induced activation, favors apoptosis and results in reduced abundance of factors, such as AID, IRF4 and BLIMP1, that control the antigen-dependent phase of B cell activation and plasma cell differentiation. Hence, we conclude that KLF2 is not only a key player in terminating pre-B cell clonal expansion but also a potent suppressor of B cell activation.     

Microbiaeratin, a new natural indole alkaloid from a Microbispora aerata strain, isolated from Livingston Island, Antarctica

A new sulphur-containing natural alkaloid named microbiaeratin (1a) was isolated, together with the known microbiaeratinin (2, bacillamide) from the culture filtrate of Microbispora aerata strain IMBAS-11A. The organism was isolated from penguin excrements collected on the Antarctic Livingston Island. The structure was elucidated by one- and two-dimensional NMR experiments and mass spectrometric investigations.     

Ig heavy chain promotes mature B cell survival in the absence of light chain

Survival of mature B cells is thought to depend on the BCR signaling (BCR) because ablation of either H chain (HC) expression or BCR signaling causes B cells to rapidly disappear. Whether a complete BCR is required for survival of mature B cells is not known. To address this question, we generated a mouse in which we can repress the expression of a transgenic Ig L chain (IgL) by doxycycline (IgL-repressible mouse). Repression of IgL abrogated expression. Surprisingly, however, IgL-negative B cells survived longer than 14 wk, expressed signal-competent HC on the cell's surface, and active unfolded protein response factors. Like postgerminal center B cells, IgL-negative B cells were small lymphocytes, not dividing and expressed Bcl-6. Our results indicate that expression of unpaired HC, as it may occur as a consequence of Ag ligation, somatic hypermutation, or receptor editing, facilitates the survival of cells either by inducing receptor signaling or by inducing unfolded protein response and/or the expression of survival genes such as Bcl-6.     

Functional surface proteomic profiling reveals the host heat-shock protein A8 as a mediator of Lichtheimia corymbifera recognition by murine alveolar macrophages

Mucormycosis is an emergent, fatal fungal infection of humans and warm-blooded animals caused by species of the order Mucorales. Immune cells of the innate immune system serve as the first line of defence against inhaled spores. Alveolar macrophages were challenged with the mucoralean fungus Lichtheimia corymbifera and subjected to biotinylation and streptavidin enrichment procedures followed by LC–MS/MS analyses. A total of 28 host proteins enriched for binding to macrophage–L. corymbifera interaction. Among those, the HSP70-family protein Hspa8 was found to be predominantly responsive to living and heat-killed spores of a virulent and an attenuated strain of L. corymbifera. Confocal scanning laser microscopy of infected macrophages revealed colocalization of Hspa8 with phagocytosed spores of L. corymbifera. The amount of detectable Hspa8 was dependent on the multiplicity of infection. Incubation of alveolar macrophages with an anti-Hspa8 antibody prior to infection reduced their capability to phagocytose spores of L. corymbifera. In contrast, anti-Hspa8 antibodies did not abrogate the phagocytosis of Aspergillus fumigatus conidia by macrophages. These results suggest an important contribution of the heat-shock family protein Hspa8 in the recognition of spores of the mucoralean fungus L. corymbifera by host alveolar macrophages and define a potential immunomodulatory therapeutic target.     

In vitro cytotoxicity of melleolide antibiotics: structural and mechanistic aspects

Melleolide sesquiterpene aryl esters are secondary products of the mushroom genus Armillaria. We compared the cytotoxicity of eleven melleolides—five thereof are new natural products—against four human cancer cell lines. Armillaridin, 4-O-methylarmillaridin, and dehydroarmillylorsellinate were most active, at IC₅₀ = 3.0, 4.1 and 5.0 μM, respectively, against Jurkat T cells for the former two compounds, and K-562 cells for the latter. Dehydroarmillylorsellinate did not inhibit respiration and RNA-synthesis of K-562 cells at 5 μM. However, replication of DNA dropped to 35% after 120 min at this concentration, and translational activity also decreased.     

Lipopolysaccharide pretreatment of the udder protects against experimental Escherichia coli mastitis

Exposure to pathogen-associated molecular patterns such as LPS can cause an immune refractory state in mammals known as endotoxin tolerance (ET), resulting in a decreased inflammatory response after pathogen contact. This ET concept was used to reduce the severity of an experimentally-induced clinical mastitis. Cows were pretreated with 1?μg LPS per udder quarter and challenged 72?h (group L72EC) or 240?h (group L240EC) later with 500 CFU Escherichia coli. Pretreated animals showed no leukopenia after challenge, no (L72EC), or only slightly (L240EC), elevated body temperature and significantly reduced systemic and local clinical scores compared with cows that were not pretreated. Whereas an increase of milk somatic cell count after the E. coli challenge was abrogated in L72EC animals, it was significantly delayed in the L240EC group. In both pretreated groups the bacterial load in milk was markedly reduced. Based on the expression of inflammation-related genes in lobulo-alveolar mammary tissue, the tolerizing effect of LPS pretreatment is based on the inhibited up-regulation of inflammatory (TNF-α, IL-6, CXCL8, CCL20) and anti-inflammatory genes (IL-10, IRAK-M). These findings indicate that the concept of ET may be usefully applied as mastitis prophylaxis facilitating a rapid response to microbial infection and avoiding dysregulated inflammation.