Scholarly Work - Microbiology & Cell Biology
Permanent URI for this collectionhttps://scholarworks.montana.edu/handle/1/3494
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Item Volatile Composition, Antimicrobial Activity, and In Vitro Innate Immunomodulatory Activity of Echinacea purpurea (L.) Moench Essential Oils(MDPI AG, 2023-10) Dosoky, Noura S.; Kirpotina, Liliya N.; Schepetkin, Igor A.; Khlebnikov, Andrei I.; Lisonbee, Brent L.; Black, Jeffrey L.; Woolf, Hillary; Thurgood, Trever L.; Graf, Brittany L.; Satyal, Prabodh; Quinn, Mark T.Echinacea purpurea (L.) Moench is a medicinal plant commonly used for the treatment of upper respiratory tract infections, the common cold, sore throat, migraine, colic, stomach cramps, and toothaches and the promotion of wound healing. Based on the known pharmacological properties of essential oils (EOs), we hypothesized that E. purpurea EOs may contribute to these medicinal properties. In this work, EOs from the flowers of E. purpurea were steam-distilled and analyzed by gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC–MS), GC with flame-ionization detection (GC–FID), and chiral GC–MS. The EOs were also evaluated for in vitro antimicrobial and innate immunomodulatory activity. About 87 compounds were identified in five samples of the steam-distilled E. purpurea EO. The major components of the E. purpurea EO were germacrene D (42.0 ± 4.61%), α-phellandrene (10.09 ± 1.59%), β-caryophyllene (5.75 ± 1.72%), γ-curcumene (5.03 ± 1.96%), α-pinene (4.44 ± 1.78%), δ-cadinene (3.31 ± 0.61%), and β-pinene (2.43 ± 0.98%). Eleven chiral compounds were identified in the E. purpurea EO, including α-pinene, sabinene, β-pinene, α-phellandrene, limonene, β-phellandrene, α-copaene, β-elemene, β-caryophyllene, germacrene D, and δ-cadinene. Analysis of E. purpurea EO antimicrobial activity showed that they inhibited the growth of several bacterial species, although the EO did not seem to be effective for Staphylococcus aureus. The E. purpurea EO and its major components induced intracellular calcium mobilization in human neutrophils. Additionally, pretreatment of human neutrophils with the E. purpurea EO or (+)-δ-cadinene suppressed agonist-induced neutrophil calcium mobilization and chemotaxis. Moreover, pharmacophore mapping studies predicted two potential MAPK targets for (+)-δ-cadinene. Our results are consistent with previous reports on the innate immunomodulatory activities of β-caryophyllene, α-phellandrene, and germacrene D. Thus, this study identified δ-cadinene as a novel neutrophil agonist and suggests that δ-cadinene may contribute to the reported immunomodulatory activity of E. purpurea.Item Antiviral responses in a Jamaican fruit bat intestinal organoid model of SARS-CoV-2 infection(Springer Science and Business Media LLC, 2023-10) Hashimi, Marziah; Sebrell, T. Andrew; Hedges, Jodi F.; Snyder, Deann; Lyon, Katrina N.; Byrum, Stephanie D.; Mackintosh, Samuel G.; Crowley, Dan; Cherne, Michelle D.; Skwarchuk, David; Robison, Amanda; Sidar, Barkan; Kunze, Anja; Loveday, Emma K.; Taylor, Matthew P.; Chang, Connie B.; Wilking, James N.; Walk, Seth T.; Schountz, Tony; Jutila, Mark A.; Bimczok, DianeBats are natural reservoirs for several zoonotic viruses, potentially due to an enhanced capacity to control viral infection. However, the mechanisms of antiviral responses in bats are poorly defined. Here we established a Jamaican fruit bat (JFB, Artibeus jamaicensis) intestinal organoid model of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection. Upon infection with SARS-CoV-2, increased viral RNA and subgenomic RNA was detected, but no infectious virus was released, indicating that JFB organoids support only limited viral replication but not viral reproduction. SARS-CoV-2 replication was associated with significantly increased gene expression of type I interferons and inflammatory cytokines. Interestingly, SARS-CoV-2 also caused enhanced formation and growth of JFB organoids. Proteomics revealed an increase in inflammatory signaling, cell turnover, cell repair, and SARS-CoV-2 infection pathways. Collectively, our findings suggest that primary JFB intestinal epithelial cells mount successful antiviral interferon responses and that SARS-CoV-2 infection in JFB cells induces protective regenerative pathways.Item Discovering unknown associations between prokaryotic receptors and their ligands(Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 2023-11) Dlakić, MensurThe motility of microorganisms through the environment is driven by chemical gradients: They move towards nutrients and away from signals that indicate unfavorable conditions. This chemotaxis is mediated by transmembrane chemoreceptors that recognize one or many target molecules. In most cases, the encounter with a ligand is recorded by a periplasmic sensor domain, which in turn transmits a signal through the membrane to a cytoplasmic signaling domain (1). Under conditions of environmental stress, these signaling cascades may induce profound lifestyle changes from planktonic cells to a biofilm or from active to inactive cells (2). While it is relatively straightforward to annotate most prokaryotic chemoreceptors from the ever-increasing number of sequenced genomes and environmental samples, the identity of their binding partners is often not clear from protein sequence. As the specificity of downstream signaling events is determined by the sensor domain, it is critical to learn about novel pairings between ligands and their receptors. Using a range of computational and experimental approaches, Cerna-Vargas et al. show in PNAS that a subset of a wide-spread group of dCache_1 receptors evolved to recognize various types of biological amines.Item Development of potent isoflavone-based formyl peptide receptor 1 (FPR1) antagonists and their effects in gastric cancer cell models(Elsevier BV, 2023-12) Francavilla, Fabio; Sarcina, Federica; Schepetkin, Igor A.; Kirpotina, Lilya N.; Contino, Marialessandra; Schirizzi, Annalisa; De Leonardis, Giampiero; Khlebnikov, Andrei I.; D'Alessandro, Rosalba; Quinn, Mark T.; Lacivita, Enza; Leopoldo, MarcelloFormyl peptide receptor-1 (FPR1) is a G protein-coupled chemoattractant receptor that plays a crucial role in the trafficking of leukocytes into the sites of bacterial infection and inflammation. Recently, FPR1 was shown to be expressed in different types of tumor cells and could play a significant role in tumor growth and invasiveness. Starting from the previously reported FPR1 antagonist 4, we have designed a new series of 4H-chromen-2-one derivatives that exhibited a substantial increase in FPR1 antagonist potency. Docking studies identified the key interactions for antagonist activity. The most potent compounds in this series (24a and 25b) were selected to study the effects of the pharmacological blockade of FPR1 in NCl–N87 and AGS gastric cancer cells. Both compounds potently inhibited cell growth through a combined effect on cell proliferation and apoptosis and reduced cell migration, while inducing an increase in angiogenesis, thus suggesting that FPR1 could play a dual role as oncogene and onco-suppressor.Item Neuroprotective Effects of Tryptanthrin-6-Oxime in a Rat Model of Transient Focal Cerebral Ischemia(MDPI AG, 2023-07) Plotnikov, Mark B.; Chernysheva, Galina A.; Smol’yakova, Vera I.; Aliev, Oleg I.; Anishchenko, Anna M.; Ulyakhina, Olga A.; Trofimova, Eugene S.; Ligacheva, Anastasia A.; Anfinogenova, Nina D.; Osipenko, Anton N.; Kovrizhina, Anastasia R.; Khlebnikov, Andrei I.; Schepetkin, Igor A.; Drozd, Anastasia G.; Plotnikov, Evgenii V.; Atochin, Dmitriy N.; Quinn, Mark T.The activation of c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) plays an important role in stroke outcomes. Tryptanthrin-6-oxime (TRYP-Ox) is reported to have high affinity for JNK and anti-inflammatory activity and may be of interest as a promising neuroprotective agent. The aim of this study was to investigate the neuroprotective effects of TRYP-Ox in a rat model of transient focal cerebral ischemia (FCI), which involved intraluminal occlusion of the left middle cerebral artery (MCA) for 1 h. Animals in the experimental group were administered intraperitoneal injections of TRYP-Ox 30 min before reperfusion and 23 and 47 h after FCI. Neurological status was assessed 4, 24, and 48 h following FCI onset. Treatment with 5 and 10 mg/kg of TRYP-Ox decreased mean scores of neurological deficits by 35–49 and 46–67% at 24 and 48 h, respectively. At these doses, TRYP-Ox decreased the infarction size by 28–31% at 48 h after FCI. TRYP-Ox (10 mg/kg) reduced the content of interleukin (IL) 1β and tumor necrosis factor (TNF) in the ischemic core area of the MCA region by 33% and 38%, respectively, and attenuated cerebral edema by 11% in the left hemisphere, which was affected by infarction, and by 6% in the right, contralateral hemisphere 24 h after FCI. TRYP-Ox reduced c-Jun phosphorylation in the MCA pool at 1 h after reperfusion. TRYP-Ox was predicted to have high blood–brain barrier permeability using various calculated descriptors and binary classification trees. Indeed, reactive oxidant production was significantly lower in the brain homogenates from rats treated with TRYP-Ox versus that in control animals. Our data suggest that the neuroprotective activity of TRYP-Ox may be due to the ability of this compound to inhibit JNK and exhibit anti-inflammatory and antioxidant activity. Thus, TRYP-Ox may be considered a promising neuroprotective agent that potentially could be used for the development of new treatment strategies in cerebral ischemia.Item Immunomodulatory Activity of Polysaccharides Isolated from Saussurea salicifolia L. and Saussurea frolovii Ledeb(MDPI AG, 2023-09) Schepetkin, Igor A.; Danilets, Marina G.; Ligacheva, Anastasia A.; Trofimova, Evgenia S.; Selivanova, Natalia S.; Sherstoboev, Evgenii Yu.; Krivoshchekov, Sergei V.; Gulina, Ekaterina I.; Brazovskii, Konstantin S.; Kirpotina, Liliya N.; Quinn, Mark T.; Belousov, Mikhail V.The genus Saussurea has been used in the preparation of therapies for a number of medical problems, yet not much is known about the therapeutic high-molecular-weight compounds present in extracts from these plants. Since polysaccharides are important in immune modulation, we investigated the chemical composition and immunomodulatory activity of Saussurea salicifolia L. and Saussurea frolovii Ledeb polysaccharides. Water-soluble polysaccharides from the aerial parts of these plants were extracted using water at pHs of 2 and 6 and subsequently precipitated in ethanol to obtain fractions SSP2 and SSP6 from S. salicifolia and fractions SSF2 and SSF6 from S. frolovii. The molecular weights of fractions SSP2, SSP6, SFP2, and SFP6 were estimated to be 143.7, 113.2, 75.3, and 64.3 kDa, respectively. The polysaccharides from S. frolovii contained xylose (67.1–71.7%) and glucose (28.3–32.9%), whereas the polysaccharides from S. frolovii contained xylose (63.1–76.7%), glucose (11.8–19.2%), galactose (4.7–8.3%), and rhamnose (6.8–9.4%). Fractions SSP2, SSP6, and SFP2 stimulated nitric oxide (NO) production by murine macrophages, and NO production induced by SSP2, SSP6, and SFP2 was not inhibited by polymyxin B treatment of the fractions, whereaspolymyxin B treatment diminished the effects of SFP6, suggesting that SFP6 could contain lipopolysaccharide (LPS). The LPS-free fractions SSP2, SSP6, and SFP2 had potent immunomodulatory activity, induced NO production, and activated transcription factors NF-κB/AP-1 in human monocytic THP-1 cells and cytokine production by human MonoMac-6 monocytic cells, including interleukin (IL)-1α, IL-1β, IL-6, granulocyte macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF), interferon-γ, monocyte chemotactic protein 1 (MCP-1), and tumor necrosis factor (TNF). These data suggest that at least part of the beneficial therapeutic effects reported for water extracts of the Saussurea species are due to the modulation of leukocyte functions by polysaccharides.Item Comparative Aerosol and Surface Stability of SARS-CoV-2 Variants of Concern(Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2023-05) Bushmaker, Trenton; Kwe Yinda, Claude; Morris, Dylan H.; Holbrook, Myndi G.; Gamble, Amandine; Adney, Danielle; Bushmaker, Cara; van Doremalen, Neeltje; Fischer, Robert J.; Plowright, Raina K.; Lloyd-Smith, James O.; Munster, Vincent J.SARS-CoV-2 transmits principally by air; contact and fomite transmission may also occur. Variants of concern are more transmissible than ancestral SARS-CoV-2. We found indications of possible increased aerosol and surface stability for early variants of concern, but not for the Delta and Omicron variants. Stability changes are unlikely to explain increased transmissibility.Item Vasoactive and Neuroprotective Effects of c-Jun N-Terminal Kinase Inhibitor in Rats with Chronic Cerebral Hypoperfusion(Pleiades Publishing Ltd, 2023-05) Zhilyaev, S. Yu.; Platonova, T. F.; Khlebnikov, A. I.; Demchenko, I. T.; Atochin, D. N.The aim of this study was to evaluate the vasoactive and neuroprotective effects of c-Jun N-terminal kinase inhibitor IQ-1 (11H-indeno[1,2-b]quinoxalin-11-one oxime) in chronic cerebral hypoperfusion caused by irreversible bilateral common carotid artery ligation [two-vessel occlusion (2VO) model]. Cerebral blood flow was measured quantitatively (hydrogen clearance method) simultaneously in the parietal cortex, hippocampus, substantia nigra, and striatum of the brain of awake rats. It was found that 2VO caused a decrease in blood flow in the brain regions with a more pronounced decrease in the cortex (by 48% of the initial level) and with a minimum drop in the substantia nigra (by 25% of the initial level). The reduced level of blood flow persisted for 14 days of measurements. The responses of the cerebral vessels to hypercapnic probes (5% CO2) were lost during the 2-week hypoperfusion period, and the neurological status of the animals did not improve. The administration of IQ-1 (50 mg/kg, intraperitoneally, every 48 h for 14 days) was accompanied by an increase in blood flow in all brain regions. A maximum increase in blood flow was observed in the striatum and a minimum in the substantia nigra. After the administration of IQ-1, the sensitivity of the cerebral vessels to the hypercapnic stimulus was restored, and the neurological state of the animals significantly improved by the end of the second week of cerebral hypoperfusion. The results show that the use of the JNK inhibitor can reduce cerebrovascular disorders and related neurological disorders in hypoperfusion brain injury.Item Novel Tryptanthrin Derivatives with Selectivity as c–Jun N–Terminal Kinase (JNK) 3 Inhibitors(MDPI AG, 2023-06) Schepetkin, Igor A.; Karpenko, Oleksander S.; Kovrizhina, Anastasia R.; Kirpotina, Liliya N.; Khlebnikov, Andrei I.; Chekal, Stepan I.; Radudik, Alevtyna V.; Shybinska, Maryna O.; Quinn, Mark T.The c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) family includes three proteins (JNK1-3) that regulate many physiological processes, including cell proliferation and differentiation, cell survival, and inflammation. Because of emerging data suggesting that JNK3 may play an important role in neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and Parkinson’s disease, as well as cancer pathogenesis, we sought to identify JNK inhibitors with increased selectivity for JNK3. A panel of 26 novel tryptanthrin-6-oxime analogs was synthesized and evaluated for JNK1-3 binding (Kd) and inhibition of cellular inflammatory responses. Compounds 4d (8-methoxyindolo[2,1-b]quinazolin-6,12-dione oxime) and 4e (8-phenylindolo[2,1-b]quinazolin-6,12-dione oxime) had high selectivity for JNK3 versus JNK1 and JNK2 and inhibited lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced nuclear factor-κB/activating protein 1 (NF-κB/AP-1) transcriptional activity in THP-1Blue cells and interleukin-6 (IL-6) production by MonoMac-6 monocytic cells in the low micromolar range. Likewise, compounds 4d, 4e, and pan-JNK inhibitor 4h (9-methylindolo[2,1-b]quinazolin-6,12-dione oxime) decreased LPS-induced c-Jun phosphorylation in MonoMac-6 cells, directly confirming JNK inhibition. Molecular modeling suggested modes of binding interaction of these compounds in the JNK3 catalytic site that were in agreement with the experimental data on JNK3 binding. Our results demonstrate the potential for developing anti-inflammatory drugs based on these nitrogen-containing heterocyclic systems with selectivity for JNK3.Item Functional and Phylogenetic Diversity of Cas10 Proteins(Mary Ann Liebert Inc, 2023-04) Wiegand, Tanner; Wilkinson, Royce; Santiago-Frangos, Andrew; Lynes, Mackenzie; Hatzenpichler, Roland; Wiedenheft, BlakeCas10 proteins are large subunits of type III CRISPR RNA (crRNA)-guided surveillance complexes, many of which have nuclease and cyclase activities. Here, we use computational and phylogenetic methods to identify and analyze 2014 Cas10 sequences from genomic and metagenomic databases. Cas10 proteins cluster into five distinct clades that mirror previously established CRISPR-Cas subtypes. Most Cas10 proteins (85.0%) have conserved polymerase active-site motifs, while HD-nuclease domains are less well conserved (36.0%). We identify Cas10 variants that are split over multiple genes or genetically fused to nucleases activated by cyclic nucleotides (i.e., NucC) or components of toxin–antitoxin systems (i.e., AbiEii). To clarify the functional diversification of Cas10 proteins, we cloned, expressed, and purified five representatives from three phylogenetically distinct clades. None of the Cas10s are functional cyclases in isolation, and activity assays performed with polymerase domain active site mutants indicate that previously reported Cas10 DNA-polymerase activity may be a result of contamination. Collectively, this work helps clarify the phylogenetic and functional diversity of Cas10 proteins in type III CRISPR systems.