Egg-laying and locomotory screens with C. elegans yield a nematode-selective small molecule stimulator of neurotransmitter release

Nematode parasites of humans, livestock and crops dramatically impact human health and welfare. Alarmingly, parasitic nematodes of animals have rapidly evolved resistance to anthelmintic drugs, and traditional nematicides that protect crops are facing increasing restrictions because of poor phylogenetic selectivity. Here, we exploit multiple motor outputs of the model nematode C. elegans towards nematicide discovery. This work yielded multiple compounds that selectively kill and/or immobilize diverse nematode parasites. We focus on one compound that induces violent convulsions and paralysis that we call nementin. We find that nementin stimulates neuronal dense core vesicle release, which in turn enhances cholinergic signaling. Consequently, nementin synergistically enhances the potency of widely-used non-selective acetylcholinesterase (AChE) inhibitors, but in a nematode-selective manner. Nementin therefore has the potential to reduce the environmental impact of toxic AChE inhibitors that are used to control nematode infections and infestations

16S-23S rRNA Internal Transcribed Spacer Region (ITS) Sequencing: A Potential Molecular Diagnostic Tool for Differentiating Lactococcus garvieae and Lactococcus petauri

Lactococcus garvieae is the etiological agent of lactococcosis, a clinically and economically significant infectious disease affecting farmed rainbow trout. L. garvieae had been considered the only cause of lactococcosis for a long time; however, L. petauri, another species of the genus Lactococcus, has lately been linked to the same disease. The genomes and biochemical profiles of L. petauri and L. garvieae have a high degree of similarity. Traditional diagnostic tests currently available cannot distinguish between these two species. The aim of this study was to use the transcribed spacer (ITS) region between 16S rRNA and 23S rRNA as a potential useful molecular target to differentiate L. garvieae from L. petauri, saving time and money compared to genomics methods currently used as diagnostic tools for accurate discrimination between these two species. The ITS region of 82 strains was amplified and sequenced. The amplified fragments varied in size from 500 to 550 bp. Based on the sequence, seven SNPs were identified that separate L. garvieae from L. petauri. The 16S-23S rRNA ITS region has enough resolution to distinguish between closely related L. garvieae and L. petauri and it can be used as a diagnostic marker to quickly identify the pathogens in a lactococcosis outbreak

Engineered IL-7 synergizes with IL-12 immunotherapy to prevent T cell exhaustion and promote memory without exacerbating toxicity

Cancer immunotherapy is moving toward combination regimens with agents of complementary mechanisms of action to achieve more frequent and robust efficacy. However, compared with single-agent therapies, combination immunotherapies are associated with increased overall toxicity because the very same mechanisms also work in concert to enhance systemic inflammation and promote off-tumor toxicity. Therefore, rational design of combination regimens that achieve improved antitumor control without exacerbated toxicity is a main objective in combination immunotherapy. Here, we show that the combination of engineered, tumor matrix-binding interleukin-7 (IL-7) and IL-12 achieves remarkable anticancer effects by activating complementary pathways without inducing any additive immunotoxicity. Mechanistically, engineered IL-12 provided effector properties to T cells, while IL-7 prevented their exhaustion and boosted memory formation as assessed by tumor rechallenge experiments. The dual combination also rendered checkpoint inhibitor (CPI)–resistant genetically engineered melanoma model responsive to CPI. Thus, our approach provides a framework of evaluation of rationally designed combinations in immuno-oncology and yields a promising therapy

X-linked myotubular myopathy is associated with epigenetic alterations and is ameliorated by HDAC inhibition

X-linked myotubular myopathy (XLMTM) is a fatal neuromuscular disorder caused by loss of function mutations in MTM1. At present, there are no directed therapies for XLMTM, and incomplete understanding of disease pathomechanisms. To address these knowledge gaps, we performed a drug screen in mtm1 mutant zebrafish and identified four positive hits, including valproic acid, which functions as a potent suppressor of the mtm1 zebrafish phenotype via HDAC inhibition. We translated these findings to a mouse XLMTM model, and showed that valproic acid ameliorates the murine phenotype. These observations led us to interrogate the epigenome in Mtm1 knockout mice; we found increased DNA methylation, which is normalized with valproic acid, and likely mediated through aberrant 1-carbon metabolism. Finally, we made the unexpected observation that XLMTM patients share a distinct DNA methylation signature, suggesting that epigenetic alteration is a conserved disease feature amenable to therapeutic intervention

A Eukaryotic Translation Initiation Factor 4E (eIF4E) is responsible for the “va” tobacco recessive resistance to potyviruses

Potato virus Y (PVY), the type member of the genus Potyvirus, is transmitted by aphids and can cause severe damage in several solanaceous family crops. In Nicotiana tabacum, a large genome deletion conferring resistance to PVY, the va gene, is commonly used. This resistance is unfortunately associated with lower tobacco quality parameters, potentially due to the presence of several other important genes in the deleted region. In the present study, we have used next-generation sequencing to analyze the transcriptome of a dozen of tobacco F7 recombinant inbred lines (RILs) segregating for PVY resistance. After comparison with a reference transcriptome, genes differentially expressed between resistant and susceptible plants were identified. About 30 candidate sequences were selected, including a sequence annotated as encoding an eukaryotic translation initiation factor 4E (eIF4E), which was strongly expressed in susceptible plants but not in resistant ones. Other differentially expressed candidates are mostly related to photosynthesis. A complete correlation between susceptibility and expression of this eIF4E sequence was confirmed by amplification in 91 F8 RILs and in a segregating F2 population. The gene was mapped on chromosome 21 of the tobacco genetic map and corresponds to an eIF4E isoform derived from the N. sylvestris parent of tobacco. Final confirmation of the identification of the va gene came from the analysis of two tobacco lines with missense mutations in the eIF4E gene and which correspondingly showed resistance to PVY infection. Screening of a large collection of tobacco accessions revealed a strong correlation between the status of this eIF4 gene and PVY resistance, but the identification of a few resistant accessions with an apparently intact gene suggests the possible existence of alternative resistance sources. The identification of the va gene and of molecular markers linked to it or to the large deletion associated with it opens the way to breeding efforts aimed at breaking the linkage drag associated with this valuable resistance gene

Potato virus Y resistance in tobacco: tolerance to viral necrosis as an alternative strategy against PVY resistant-breaking variants

[i]Potato virus Y[/i] resistance in tobacco: tolerance to viral necrosis as an alternative strategy against PVY resistant-breaking variants. 16. Rencontres de Virologie Végétale (RVV 2017

Micro- and nanoscale hierarchical structure of core-shell protein microgels

Protein nanofibrils were first discovered in the context of misfolding and neurodegenerative diseases but have recently been found in naturally occurring functional materials including algal adhesives, bacterial coatings, and even mammalian melanosomes. These physiologically beneficial roles have led to the exploration of their use as the basis for artificial protein-based functional materials for a range of applications as bioscaffolds and carrier agents. In this work, we fabricate core shell protein microgels stabilized by protein fibrillation with hierarchical structuring on scales ranging from a few nanometers to tens of microns. With the aid of droplet microfluidics, we exploit fibrillar protein self-assembly together with the aqueous phase separation of a polysaccharide and polyethylene glycol to control the internal structure of the microgels on the micro- and nanoscales. We further elucidate the local composition, morphology, and structural characteristics of the microgels and demonstrate a potential application of core shell protein microgels for controlling the storage and sequential release of small drug-like molecules. The controlled self-assembly of protein nanofibrils into hierarchical structures can be used in this manner to generate a class of nanomaterials with a range of potential functions and applications

PIK3C2B inhibition improves function and prolongs survival in myotubular myopathy animal models

International audienceMyotubular myopathy (MTM) is a devastating pediatric neuromuscular disorder of phosphoinositide (PIP) metabolism resulting from mutations of the PIP phosphatase MTM1 for which there are no treatments. We have previously shown phosphatidylinositol-3-phosphate (PI3P) accumulation in animal models of MTM. Here, we tested the hypothesis that lowering PI3P levels may prevent or reverse the MTM disease process. To test this, we targeted class II and III PI3 kinases (PI3Ks) in an MTM1-deficient mouse model. Muscle-specific ablation of Pik3c2b, but not Pik3c3, resulted in complete prevention of the MTM phenotype, and postsymptomatic targeting promoted a striking rescue of disease. We confirmed this genetic interaction in zebrafish, and additionally showed that certain PI3K inhibitors prevented development of the zebrafish mtm phenotype. Finally, the PI3K inhibitor wortmannin improved motor function and prolonged lifespan of the Mtm1-deficient mice. In all, we have identified Pik3c2b as a genetic modifier of Mtm1 mutation and demonstrated that PIK3C2B inhibition is a potential treatment strategy for MTM. In addition, we set the groundwork for similar reciprocal inhibition approaches for treating other PIP metabolic disorders and highlight the importance of modifier gene pathways as therapeutic targets