Project description:Wild-type diploid cells were shifted from yeast-form growth in SHAD liquid (plentiful glucose and ammonium) to filamentous-form growth on SLAD agar (low ammonium). Samples of filamentous-form cells were collected hourly for 10 hours. Filamentous-form and yeast-form exponential-phase targets were co-hybridized. Keywords: time-course
Project description:Zoonotic influenza A viruses of avian origin can cause severe disease in individuals, or even global pandemics, and thus pose a threat to human populations. Waterfowl and shorebirds are believed to be the reservoir for all influenza A viruses, but this has recently been challenged by the identification of novel influenza A viruses in bats. The major bat influenza A virus envelope glycoprotein, haemagglutinin, does not bind the canonical influenza A virus receptor, sialic acid or any other glycan, despite its high sequence and structural homology with conventional haemagglutinins. This functionally uncharacterized plasticity of the bat influenza A virus haemagglutinin means the tropism and zoonotic potential of these viruses has not been fully determined. Here we show, using transcriptomic profiling of susceptible versus non-susceptible cells in combination with genome-wide CRISPR-Cas9 screening, that the major histocompatibility complex class II (MHC-II) human leukocyte antigen DR isotype (HLA-DR) is an essential entry determinant for bat influenza A viruses. Genetic ablation of the HLA-DR α-chain rendered cells resistant to infection by bat influenza A virus, whereas ectopic expression of the HLA-DR complex in non-susceptible cells conferred susceptibility. Expression of MHC-II from different bat species, pigs, mice or chickens also conferred susceptibility to infection. Notably, the infection of mice with bat influenza A virus resulted in robust virus replication in the upper respiratory tract, whereas mice deficient for MHC-II were resistant. Collectively, our data identify MHC-II as a crucial entry mediator for bat influenza A viruses in multiple species, which permits a broad vertebrate tropism.
Project description:We isolated an atmospheric contaminant, subsequently identified as a new strain of Bacillus mobilis, which showed a novel, robust, inducible filamentous sliding motility and completely colonized a bacterial culture plate in less than 48 h under some conditions. This flagella-independent sliding motility was characterized by long filamentous cells at the expanding edge, and was induced when cells were inoculated onto lawns of metabolically inactive Campylobacter jejuni cells, heat killed bacterial biomass, and milk or blood dried onto agar plates. Phosphatidylcholine (PC), bacterial membrane components, and sterile human fecal extracts were sufficient to induce filamentous expansion. Screening of eight other Bacillus spp. (five from the B. cereus group and three other Bacillus spp.) showed that filamentous motility was conserved amongst B. cereus group species to varying degrees. RNAseq of filamentously expanding cells collected from PC and milk lawn plates in comparison to rod-shaped cells from control plates revealed that genes related to metabolism, ion and amino acid transport were differently regulated, genes controlling sporulation were reduced, and some virulence genes (e.g., hblA/B/C/D and plcR) were increased. We hypothesize that the robust and conserved nature of filamentous motility in pathogenic B. cereus group species can enhance bacterial colonization during host colonization.