Project description:Immunoglobulin A (IgA) is essential for mucosal immunity and is implicated in autoimmune diseases like IgA nephropathy (IgAN). Certain pathogenic and commensal bacteria produce IgA proteases (IgAPs) that selectively cleave IgA, potentially aiding bacterial colonization and offering therapeutic avenues for IgAN. Here, we investigate the substrate specificity of M64 family peptidases, focusing on the IgAP ThomasA from Thomasclavelia ramosa and BF3526 from Bacteroides fragilis. Structural, biochemical, and mutagenesis data demonstrate that ThomasA cleaves IgA through exclusive recognition of the Fab region—a mechanism distinct from other antibody-specific peptidases, which typically require engagement of the Fc region. In contrast, X-ray crystal structures of BF3526 in complex with substrate and product peptides, together with enzymology assays, show that this enzyme targets the N-terminus of predigested proteins. These findings reveal divergent substrate recognition strategies within the M64 family and provide structural insight into their conserved catalytic mechanism. Together, they enhance our understanding of bacterial adaptation and support the rational design of enzymes for IgA-mediated autoimmune diseases. The LC-MS data associated with the project is included in the current dataset.
Project description:Reconstruction of signaling networks regulating fungal morphogenesis by the expression profiling of wild-type and the temperature sensitive morphological ramosa-1 mutant. Aspergillus niger wildtype versus Ramosa mutant for 1h at 37 under controlled growth condition in 5L bioreactor
Project description:The parasitic lifestyle of parasitic plants relies on the development of a haustorium, a specific infectious organ required for attachment to host roots. While haustorium development is initiated upon chemodetection of host-derived molecules in hemiparasitic plants, the induction of haustorium formation remains largely misunderstood in holoparasitic species such as Phelipanche ramosa. This work demonstrates that the root exudates of the host plant Brassica napus contain allelochemicals displaying a haustorium-inducing activity on P. ramosa germinating seeds which increases the parasite aggressiveness. A de novo assembled P. ramosa transcriptome and a microarray approach during early haustorium formation upon treatment with B. napus root exudates allowed the identification of differentially expressed genes involved in hormone signaling. Bioassays using exogenous cytokinins and the specific cytokinin receptor inhibitor PI55 showed that cytokinins induced haustorium formation and increased parasite aggressiveness. Root exudates triggered the expression of cytokinin responsive genes during early haustorium development in germinated seeds and bio-guided UPLC-MS analysis showed that these exudates contain a cytokinin with dihydrozeatin characteristics. These results suggest that cytokinins constitutively exudated from host roots play a major role in haustorium formation and aggressiveness in P. ramosa.
Project description:Reconstruction of signaling networks regulating fungal morphogenesis by the expression profiling of wild-type and the temperature sensitive morphological ramosa-1 mutant.