Evolutionarily conserved grammar rules viral factories of amoeba-infecting members of the hyperdiverse phylum.

Despite sharing fewer than 10 core genes, the hyperdiverse phylum (ranging from poxviruses to giant viruses) universally assembles viral factories (VFs) resembling biomolecular condensates. Regardless, it is unclear how these viruses achieve such a level of functional conservation without clear conserved genetic information. We demonstrate that the VFs produced by amoeba-infecting viruses have liquid-like properties and identify a conserved molecular grammar governing viral factory scaffold protein: charge-patterned intrinsically disordered regions that drive phase separation independently of sequence homology.

Identification of uranyl-binding proteins in Arabidopsis thaliana cells exposed to uranium: Insights from a metalloproteomic analysis and characterization of Glycine-Rich RNA-binding protein 7 (GRP7).

Uranium (U) is a naturally occurring radionuclide that poses chemotoxic threats to living organisms, including plants. Despite its environmental relevance, the molecular mechanisms underlying U toxicity in plant cells are not well understood. In this study, we used an integrative metalloproteomic strategy integrating chromatographic fractionation with high-resolution proteomics and inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry to identify cellular protein targets of uranyl (U(VI)) in cultured Arabidopsis thaliana cells.

The inflammasome sensor NLRP3 interacts with REV7 to maintain genome integrity through homologous recombination.

DNA double-strand break (DSB) is a highly toxic lesion that can generate genome instability, a major source of tumorigenesis. DSBs are mainly repaired by non-homologous end joining (NHEJ) or homologous recombination (HR). The selection of the DSB repair pathway primarily depends on the DNA resection of the DSB ends.

The structural features and immunological role of biomphalysins in the snail Biomphalaria glabrata.

Biomphalysins are β-Pore Forming Toxins (β-PFT) identified in the planorbid Biomphalaria glabrata that belong to the aerolysin-like protein family. Despite potentially diverse biochemical activities, very few eukaryotic aerolysin-related proteins have been extensively studied. Most of the data refers to their discovery in genomes or to transcriptional activity.

Structural and functional characterization of the cardiac mitochondria-associated reticular membranes in the mouse model.

Type 2 diabetes (T2D) and obesity strongly lead to diabetic cardiomyopathy (DCM). The involvement of mitochondria-associated reticular membranes (MAMs), a signaling hub in the cardiomyocyte, starts to be demonstrated in T2D-related metabolic disorders. We recently discovered a cardiac MAM Ca uncoupling in a high-fat high-sucrose diet (HFHSD)-induced mouse model of DCM.

Uncovering biomarkers for chronic toxoplasmosis detection highlights alternative pathways shaping parasite dormancy.

Toxoplasma gondii, a neurotropic protozoan, causes toxoplasmosis, a prevalent zoonotic and food-borne infection, posing significant risks to immunocompromised individuals and congenital cases. The chronic phase, characterized by dormant, cyst-forming bradyzoites, is central to disease progression but is poorly understood due to the lack of serological tests to detect bradyzoite-specific antigens. This study identifies the bradyzoite serological marker (BSM) and cyst-associated BCLA as effective biomarkers for chronic toxoplasmosis.

Three ARID proteins involved in chromatin remodeling PEAT complexes are targeted by the Ralstonia solanacearum effector PopP2 and contribute to bacterial wilt disease.

Like many gram-negative phytopathogenic bacteria, Ralstonia solanacearum uses a type III secretion system to deliver into host cells a cocktail of effector proteins that can interfere with plant defenses and promote infection. One of these effectors, the nuclear-targeted PopP2 acetyltransferase, was reported to inhibit many defensive WRKY transcription factors through acetylation. To gain a better understanding of the mechanisms by which PopP2 might exert its virulence functions, we searched for other PopP2-interacting partners.

Proteomics-based characterization of ribosome heterogeneity in adult mouse organs.

The translation process, leading to protein synthesis from mRNA, has been long thought to be invariable in all cellular organisms. Increasing evidence shows that it is finely regulated by variable features of the translation machinery. Notably, ribosomes, the functional units of protein synthesis, are suggested to display variations in their composition, depending on the developmental stage, cell type or physio-pathological context, thus hinting a new level of actionable regulation of gene expression.

An ISWI-related chromatin remodeller regulates stage-specific gene expression in Toxoplasma gondii.

ATP-dependent chromatin remodellers are specialized multiprotein machines that organize the genome in eukaryotic cells and regulate its accessibility by repositioning, ejecting or modifying nucleosomes. However, their role in Toxoplasma gondii is poorly understood. Here we show that T.

Methylglyoxal-Induced Glycation of Plasma Albumin: From Biomarker Discovery to Clinical Use for Prediction of New-Onset Diabetes in Individuals with Prediabetes.

Background: Methylglyoxal (MGO) is a potent glycating agent that contributes to the pathogenesis of diabetes. However, MGO is unstable in plasma without demanding sample preparation at blood collection, limiting its clinical utility as a biomarker. We aimed to discover reliable MGO-glycated albumin (ALB)-derived biomarkers and to assess their association with new-onset diabetes (NOD) in people with prediabetes.

Phototropin connects blue light perception to starch metabolism in green algae.

In photosynthetic organisms, light acts as an environmental signal to control their development and physiology, as well as energy source to drive the conversion of CO into carbohydrates used for growth or storage. The main storage carbohydrate in green algae is starch, which accumulates during the day and is broken down at night to meet cellular energy demands. The signaling role of light quality in the regulation of starch accumulation remains unexplored.

Photoreceptor-induced LHL4 protects the photosystem II monomer in .

Photosynthesis, the fundamental process using light energy to convert carbon dioxide to organic matter, is vital for life on Earth. It relies on capturing light through light-harvesting complexes (LHC) in photosystem I (PSI) and PSII and on the conversion of light energy into chemical energy. Composition and organization of PSI and PSII core complexes are well conserved across evolution.

α/β hydrolase domain-containing protein 1 acts as a lysolipid lipase and is involved in lipid droplet formation.

Lipid droplets (LDs) are the major sites of lipid and energy homeostasis. However, few LD biogenesis proteins have been identified. Using model microalga , we show that ABHD1, an α/β-hydrolase domain-containing protein, is localized to the LD surface and stimulates LD formation through two actions: one enzymatic and one structural.

Pacmanvirus isolated from the Lost City hydrothermal field extends the concept of transpoviron beyond the family Mimiviridae.

The microbial sampling of submarine hydrothermal vents remains challenging, with even fewer studies focused on viruses. Here we report what is to our knowledge the first isolation of a eukaryotic virus from the Lost City hydrothermal field, by co-culture with the laboratory host Acanthamoeba castellanii. This virus, named pacmanvirus lostcity, is closely related to previously isolated pacmanviruses (strains A23 and S19), clustering in a divergent clade within the long-established family Asfarviridae.

Intricate ribosome composition and translational reprogramming in epithelial-mesenchymal transition.

Epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) involves profound changes in cell morphology, driven by transcriptional and epigenetic reprogramming. However, evidence suggests that translation and ribosome composition also play key roles in establishing pathophysiological phenotypes. Using genome-wide analyses, we reported significant rearrangement of the translational landscape and machinery during EMT.

Oxidation-sensitive cysteines drive IL-38 amyloid formation.

Interleukin (IL)-1 family cytokines are essential for host defense at epithelial barriers. The IL-1 family member IL-33 was recently linked to stress granules (SGs). Formation of SGs and other biomolecular condensates is promoted by proteins containing low-complexity regions (LCRs).

Complex transcriptional regulations of a hyperparasitic quadripartite system in giant viruses infecting protists.

Hyperparasitism is a common pattern in nature that is not limited to cellular organisms. Giant viruses infecting protists can be hyperparasitized by smaller ones named virophages. In addition, both may carry episomal DNA molecules known as transpovirons in their particles.

Comparative transcriptomics reveal a novel tardigrade-specific DNA-binding protein induced in response to ionizing radiation.

Tardigrades are microscopic animals renowned for their ability to withstand extreme conditions, including high doses of ionizing radiation (IR). To better understand their radio-resistance, we first characterized induction and repair of DNA double- and single-strand breaks after exposure to IR in the model species . Importantly, we found that the rate of single-strand breaks induced was roughly equivalent to that in human cells, suggesting that DNA repair plays a predominant role in tardigrades' radio-resistance.

Stable GDP-tubulin islands rescue dynamic microtubules.

Microtubules are dynamic polymers that interconvert between phases of growth and shrinkage, yet they provide structural stability to cells. Growth involves hydrolysis of GTP-tubulin to GDP-tubulin, which releases energy that is stored within the microtubule lattice and destabilizes it; a GTP cap at microtubule ends is thought to prevent GDP subunits from rapidly dissociating and causing catastrophe. Here, using in vitro reconstitution assays, we show that GDP-tubulin, usually considered inactive, can itself assemble into microtubules, preferentially at the minus end, and promote persistent growth.

Plasma ALS and Gal-3BP differentiate early from advanced liver fibrosis in MASLD patients.

Background: Metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) is estimated to affect 30% of the world's population, and its prevalence is increasing in line with obesity. Liver fibrosis is closely related to mortality, making it the most important clinical parameter for MASLD. It is currently assessed by liver biopsy - an invasive procedure that has some limitations.

Functional redundancy revealed by the deletion of the mimivirus GMC-oxidoreductase genes.

The mimivirus 1.2 Mb genome was shown to be organized into a nucleocapsid-like genomic fiber encased in the nucleoid compartment inside the icosahedral capsid. The genomic fiber protein shell is composed of a mixture of two GMC-oxidoreductase paralogs, one of them being the main component of the glycosylated layer of fibrils at the surface of the virion.

Large-scale phosphoproteomics reveals activation of the MAPK/GADD45β/P38 axis and cell cycle inhibition in response to BMP9 and BMP10 stimulation in endothelial cells.

Background: BMP9 and BMP10 are two major regulators of vascular homeostasis. These two ligands bind with high affinity to the endothelial type I kinase receptor ALK1, together with a type II receptor, leading to the direct phosphorylation of the SMAD transcription factors. Apart from this canonical pathway, little is known.

MipA-MipB envelope proteins act as new sensors of polymyxins.

Due to the rising incidence of antibiotic-resistant infections, the last-line antibiotics, polymyxins, have resurged in the clinics in parallel with new bacterial strategies of escape. The Gram-negative opportunistic pathogen develops resistance to colistin/polymyxin B by distinct molecular mechanisms, mostly through modification of the lipid A component of the LPS by proteins encoded within the () operon. In this work, we characterized a polymyxin-induced operon named , present in strains devoid of the operon.