Morphological and molecular investigations of Tubulinosema ratisbonensis gen. nov., sp. nov. (Microsporidia: Tubulinosematidae fam. nov.), a parasite infecting a laboratory colony of Drosophila melanogaster (Diptera: Drosophilidae)

A new species of microsporidia from Drosophila melanogaster was investigated by light and electron microscopy and by ribosomal RNA (rRNA) sequencing. This microsporidium and the previously described Nosema kingi and Nosema acridophagus have been transferred to the new genus Tubulinosema gen. nov. with the following characters: nuclei are in diplokaryotic arrangement during the life cycle. All stages are in direct contact with the host cell cytoplasm, slightly anisofilar polar tube with the last coils being smaller in diameter arranged in one or two rows on both sides of the diplokaryon and small tubuli on the surface of late meronts. Spores are oval or slightly pyriform. Thick endospore wall, thinner over anchoring disc. This new genus and the genus Brachiola have been placed in a new family Tubulinosematidae fam. nov. Phylogenetic analysis of small subunit rRNA sequences by different methods placed Tubulinosema spp. in one clade with the genus Brachiola forming its sister clade, which is distant from the clade containing the true Nosema spp. including Nosema bombycis.     

Lineage-specific evolution and gene flow in Listeria monocytogenes are independent of bacteriophages

Listeria monocytogenes is a foodborne pathogen causing systemic infection with high mortality. To allow efficient tracking of outbreaks a clear definition of the genomic signature of a cluster of related isolates is required, but lineage-specific characteristics call for a more detailed understanding of evolution. In our work, we used core genome MLST (cgMLST) to identify new outbreaks combined to core genome SNP analysis to characterize the population structure and gene flow between lineages. Whilst analysing differences between the four lineages of L. monocytogenes we have detected differences in the recombination rate, and interestingly also divergence in the SNP differences between sub-lineages. In addition, the exchange of core genome variation between the lineages exhibited a distinct pattern, with lineage III being the best donor for horizontal gene transfer. Whilst attempting to link bacteriophage-mediated transduction to observed gene transfer, we found an inverse correlation between phage presence in a lineage and the extent of recombination. Irrespective of the profound differences in recombination rates observed between sub-lineages and lineages, we found that the previously proposed cut-off of 10 allelic differences in cgMLST can be still considered valid for the definition of a foodborne outbreak cluster of L. monocytogenes.     

Characterization of paired Ig-like receptors in rats

To explore the phylogenetic history of the murine paired Ig-like receptors of activating (PIR-A) and inhibitory (PIR-B) types, we isolated PIR homologues from a rat splenocyte cDNA library. The rat (ra) PIR-A and raPIR-B cDNA sequences predict transmembrane proteins with six highly conserved extracellular Ig-like domains and distinctive membrane proximal, transmembrane, and cytoplasmic regions. The raPIR-B cytoplasmic region contains prototypic inhibitory motifs, whereas raPIR-A features a charged transmembrane region and a short cytoplasmic tail. Southern blot analysis predicts the presence of multiple Pira genes and a single Pirb gene in the rat genome. Although raPIR-A and raPIR-B are coordinately expressed by myeloid cells, analysis of mRNA detected unpaired expression of raPIR-A by B cells and raPIR-B by NK cells. Collectively, these findings indicate that the structural hallmarks of the Pir gene family are conserved in rats and mice, yet suggest divergence of PIR regulatory elements during rodent speciation.     

PKD controls mitotic Golgi complex fragmentation through a Raf–MEK1 pathway

Before entering mitosis, the stacks of the Golgi cisternae are separated from each other, and inhibiting this process delays entry of mammalian cells into mitosis. Protein kinase D (PKD) is known to be involved in Golgi-to–cell surface transport by controlling the biogenesis of specific transport carriers. Here we show that depletion of PKD1 and PKD2 proteins from HeLa cells by small interfering RNA leads to the accumulation of cells in the G2 phase of the cell cycle and prevents cells from entering mitosis. We further provide evidence that inhibition of PKD blocks mitotic Raf-1 and mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase (MEK) activation, and, as a consequence, mitotic Golgi fragmentation, which could be rescued by expression of active MEK1. Finally, Golgi fluorescence recovery after photobleaching analyses demonstrate that PKD is crucial for the cleavage of the noncompact zones of Golgi membranes in G2 phase. Our findings suggest that PKD controls interstack Golgi connections in a Raf-1/MEK1–dependent manner, a process required for entry of the cells into mitosis.     

Interaction with Tsg101 Is Necessary for the Efficient Transport and Release of Nucleocapsids in Marburg Virus-Infected Cells

Endosomal sorting complex required for transport (ESCRT) machinery supports the efficient budding of Marburg virus (MARV) and many other enveloped viruses. Interaction between components of the ESCRT machinery and viral proteins is predominantly mediated by short tetrapeptide motifs, known as late domains. MARV contains late domain motifs in the matrix protein VP40 and in the genome-encapsidating nucleoprotein (NP). The PSAP late domain motif of NP recruits the ESCRT-I protein tumor susceptibility gene 101 (Tsg101). Here, we generated a recombinant MARV encoding NP with a mutated PSAP late domain (rMARV_PSAPmut). rMARV_PSAPmut was attenuated by up to one log compared with recombinant wild-type MARV (rMARV_wt), formed smaller plaques and exhibited delayed virus release. Nucleocapsids in rMARV_PSAPmut-infected cells were more densely packed inside viral inclusions and more abundant in the cytoplasm than in rMARV_wt-infected cells. A similar phenotype was detected when MARV-infected cells were depleted of Tsg101. Live-cell imaging analyses revealed that Tsg101 accumulated in inclusions of rMARV_wt-infected cells and was co-transported together with nucleocapsids. In contrast, rMARV_PSAPmut nucleocapsids did not display co-localization with Tsg101, had significantly shorter transport trajectories, and migration close to the plasma membrane was severely impaired, resulting in reduced recruitment into filopodia, the major budding sites of MARV. We further show that the Tsg101 interacting protein IQGAP1, an actin cytoskeleton regulator, was recruited into inclusions and to individual nucleocapsids together with Tsg101. Moreover, IQGAP1 was detected in a contrail-like structure at the rear end of migrating nucleocapsids. Down regulation of IQGAP1 impaired release of MARV. These results indicate that the PSAP motif in NP, which enables binding to Tsg101, is important for the efficient actin-dependent transport of nucleocapsids to the sites of budding. Thus, the interaction between NP and Tsg101 supports several steps of MARV assembly before virus fission.     

Developing pulmonary vasculopathy in systemic sclerosis, detected with non-invasive cardiopulmonary exercise testing

Background

Patients with systemic sclerosis (SSc) may develop exercise intolerance due to musculoskeletal involvement, restrictive lung disease, left ventricular dysfunction, or pulmonary vasculopathy (PV). The latter is particularly important since it may lead to lethal pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH). We hypothesized that abnormalities during cardiopulmonary exercise testing (CPET) in patients with SSc can identify PV leading to overt PAH.

Methods

Thirty SSc patients from the Harbor-UCLA Rheumatology clinic, not clinically suspected of having significant pulmonary vascular disease, were referred for this prospective study. Resting pulmonary function and exercise gas exchange were assessed, including peakVO₂, anaerobic threshold (AT), heart rate- VO₂ relationship (O₂-pulse), exercise breathing reserve and parameters of ventilation-perfusion mismatching, as evidenced by elevated ventilatory equivalent for CO₂ (VE/VCO₂) and reduced end-tidal pCO₂ (P_ETCO₂) at the AT.

Results

Gas exchange patterns were abnormal in 16 pts with specific cardiopulmonary disease physiology: Eleven patients had findings consistent with PV, while five had findings consistent with left-ventricular dysfunction (LVD). Although both groups had low peak VO₂ and AT, a higher VE/VCO₂ at AT and decreasing P_ETCO₂ during early exercise distinguished PV from LVD.

Conclusions

Previously undiagnosed exercise impairments due to LVD or PV were common in our SSc patients. Cardiopulmonary exercise testing may help to differentiate and detect these disorders early in patients with SSc.