Project description:Cable bacteria of the family Desulfobulbaceae form centimeter-long filaments comprising thousands of cells. They occur worldwide in the surface of aquatic sediments, where they connect sulfide oxidation with oxygen or nitrate reduction via long-distance electron transport. In the absence of pure cultures, we used single-filament genome amplification and metagenomics to retrieve draft genomes of three marine Candidatus Electrothrix and one freshwater Ca. Electronema species. These genomes contain >50% of unknown genes but still largely share their core genomic makeup with sulfate-reducing and sulfur-disproportionating Desulfobulbaceae, with few genes lost and 212 unique genes conserved among cable bacteria. Last common ancestor analysis indicated gene divergence and lateral gene transfer as equally important origins of these unique genes. With support from metaproteomic data of Ca. Electronema, the genomes suggest that cable bacteria oxidize sulfide by inversing the canonical sulfate reduction pathway and fix CO2 using the Wood-Ljungdahl pathway. Cable bacteria show limited organotrophic potential, may assimilate smaller organic acids and alcohols, fix N2, and synthesize polyphosphates and polyglucose as storage compounds; several of these traits were confirmed by cell-level experimental analyses. We propose a model for electron flow from sulfide to oxygen that involves periplasmic cytochromes, type IV pili as integral components of conductive periplasmic fibers, and periplasmic oxygen reduction. This model proposes that an active cable bacterium gains energy in the anodic, sulfide-oxidizing cells, while cells in the oxic zone flare off electrons through intense cathodic oxygen respiration without energy conservation; this peculiar form of multicellularity seems unparalleled in the microbial world.
Project description:Background & Aims: New therapies for chronic hepatitis B (CHB) are urgently needed since current treatments rarely lead to cure. We evaluated whether the oral small molecule toll-like receptor (TLR7) agonist GS-9620 could induce durable anti-viral efficacy in woodchucks chronically infected with woodchuck hepatitis virus (WHV), a hepadnavirus closely related to human hepatitis B virus (HBV). Methods: After evaluating the pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics and tolerability of oral GS-9620 in uninfected woodchucks, adult woodchucks chronically infected with WHV (n=7 per group) were dosed with GS-9620 or placebo for 4 or 8 weeks with different treatment schedules. Results: GS?9620 treatment induced rapid, marked and sustained reduction in serum viral DNA (mean maximal 6.2 log10 reduction), and hepatic WHV DNA replicative intermediates, WHV cccDNA and WHV RNA, as well as loss of detectable serum WHV surface antigen (WHsAg). GS-9620 treatment also induced a sustained antibody response against WHsAg in a subset of animals. Strikingly, treatment reduced the incidence of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) from 71% in the placebo group to 8% in GS-9620-treated woodchucks with sustained viral load reduction. GS-9620 treatment was associated with reversible increases in serum liver enzymes and thrombocytopenia, and induced intrahepatic CD8+ T cell, NK cell, B cell and interferon (IFN) response transcriptional signatures. Conclusions: The data demonstrate that short duration, finite treatment with the oral TLR7 agonist GS-9620 can induce a sustained antiviral response in the woodchuck model of CHB, and support investigation of this compound as a therapeutic approach to attain a functional cure in CHB patients. Liver biopsies were taken at various time points pre-treatment, during treatment and post-treatment from placebo-treated group and GS9620-treated group (5mg/kg QW). Total RNAs were extracted and analyzed by RNA-Seq. The number of animals analyzed at each time-point for each group was as follows: group 1 (placebo) day -14, n=7; day 43, n=7; day 71, n=7; day 120, n=7; day 250, n=7; group 5 (5 mg/kg QW) day -14, n=7; day 23, n=6; day 57, n=5; day 78, n=4; day 250, n=5.
Project description:Background & Aims: New therapies for chronic hepatitis B (CHB) are urgently needed since current treatments rarely lead to cure. We evaluated whether the oral small molecule toll-like receptor (TLR7) agonist GS-9620 could induce durable anti-viral efficacy in woodchucks chronically infected with woodchuck hepatitis virus (WHV), a hepadnavirus closely related to human hepatitis B virus (HBV). Methods: After evaluating the pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics and tolerability of oral GS-9620 in uninfected woodchucks, adult woodchucks chronically infected with WHV (n=7 per group) were dosed with GS-9620 or placebo for 4 or 8 weeks with different treatment schedules. Results: GS‑9620 treatment induced rapid, marked and sustained reduction in serum viral DNA (mean maximal 6.2 log10 reduction), and hepatic WHV DNA replicative intermediates, WHV cccDNA and WHV RNA, as well as loss of detectable serum WHV surface antigen (WHsAg). GS-9620 treatment also induced a sustained antibody response against WHsAg in a subset of animals. Strikingly, treatment reduced the incidence of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) from 71% in the placebo group to 8% in GS-9620-treated woodchucks with sustained viral load reduction. GS-9620 treatment was associated with reversible increases in serum liver enzymes and thrombocytopenia, and induced intrahepatic CD8+ T cell, NK cell, B cell and interferon (IFN) response transcriptional signatures. Conclusions: The data demonstrate that short duration, finite treatment with the oral TLR7 agonist GS-9620 can induce a sustained antiviral response in the woodchuck model of CHB, and support investigation of this compound as a therapeutic approach to attain a functional cure in CHB patients.
Project description:Whole genome sequencing was performed on Halomonas sp. DSM7328 both original strain and evolved population in low dissolved oxygen (DO) level at 0.5% DO. The evolved Halomonas sp. DSM7328 was analysed and compared to the original strain.