Brianna Dalesandro

Step aside carrots, onions and broccoli. The newest heart-healthy vegetable could be a gigantic, record-setting radish. In a study appearing in ACS' Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, scientists report that compounds found in the Sakurajima Daikon, or "monster," radish could help protect coronary blood vessels and potentially prevent heart disease and stroke. The finding could lead to the discovery of similar substances in other vegetables and perhaps lead to new drug treatments.

Structure of the essential peptidoglycan amidotransferase MurT/GatD complex from Streptococcus pneumoniae

Structure of the essential peptidoglycan amidotransferase MurT/GatD complex from <i>Streptococcus pneumoniae</i>, Published online: 09 August 2018; doi:10.1038/s41467-018-05602-w

The amidotransferase MurT/GatD complex catalyzes peptidoglycan precursor amidation in some Gram-positive bacteria. Here the authors present the crystal structure of the Streptococcus pneumoniae MurT/GatD complex and provide mechanistic insights, which are of interest for drug development.

Peptide secretion triggers diabetes

Peptide secretion triggers diabetes, Published online: 18 July 2018; doi:10.1038/d41586-018-05710-z

An autoimmune attack on cells that make the hormone insulin causes type 1 diabetes. A mouse study reveals that pancreatic-cell release of insulin peptide fragments into the bloodstream triggers this harmful process.

The outer membrane is an essential load-bearing element in Gram-negative bacteria

The outer membrane is an essential load-bearing element in Gram-negative bacteria, Published online: 18 July 2018; doi:10.1038/s41586-018-0344-3

The outer membrane of Gram-negative bacteria is shown to be at least as stiff as the cell wall, and this property enables it to protect cells from mechanical pertubations.

In Gram-negative bacteria, outer-membrane lipoproteins are essential for maintaining cellular integrity, transporting nutrients, establishing infections, and promoting the formation of biofilms. The LolCDE ABC transporter, LolA chaperone, and LolB outer-membrane receptor form an essential system for transporting newly matured lipoproteins from the outer leaflet of the cytoplasmic membrane to the...

Emerging antibiotic resistance among bacterial pathogens has necessitated the development of alternative approaches to combat drug-resistance-associated infection. The abolition of Staphylococcus aureus virulence by targeting multiple-virulence gene products represents a promising strategy for exploration. A multiplex promoter reporter platform using gfp-luxABCDE dual-reporter plasmids with selected promoters from S. aureus-virulence-associated genes...

Molecular Microbiology, Volume 109, Issue 5, Page 642-662, September 2018.

As antibiotics become less effective against superbugs, a Swinburne researcher has been focusing on traditional agents to modify the behaviour of bacteria rather than killing bacteria.

Feigman et al. describe a mode of re-engaging components of the immune system to target Gram-negative bacteria for destruction. By modifying polymyxin B to include antibody recruiting epitopes, bacterial cell surfaces were decorated with agents that triggered antibody binding and cell killing.

BrlR from Pseudomonas aeruginosa is a receptor for both cyclic di-GMP and pyocyanin

BrlR from <i>Pseudomonas aeruginosa</i> is a receptor for both cyclic di-GMP and pyocyanin, Published online: 02 July 2018; doi:10.1038/s41467-018-05004-y

The virulence factor pyocyanin and the second messenger c-di-GMP regulate biofilm formation and antibiotic tolerance in Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Here, the authors perform structural and biochemical analyses to show that a transcriptional regulator, BrlR, acts as a receptor for both pyocyanin and c-di-GMP.

The outer membrane (OM) of Gram-negative bacteria forms a robust permeability barrier that blocks entry of toxins and antibiotics. Most OM proteins (OMPs) assume a β-barrel fold, and some form aqueous channels for nutrient uptake and efflux of intracellular toxins. The Bam machine catalyzes rapid folding and assembly of OMPs....