Depletion of a Toxoplasma porin leads to defects in mitochondrial morphology and contacts with the ER

The Voltage Dependent Anion channel (VDAC) is a ubiquitous channel in the outer membrane of the mitochondrion with multiple roles in protein, metabolite and small molecule transport. In mammalian cells, VDAC, as part of a larger complex including the inositol triphosphate receptor, has been shown to have a role in mediating contacts between the mitochondria and endoplasmic reticulum (ER). We identify VDAC of the pathogenic apicomplexan Toxoplasma gondii and demonstrate its importance for parasite growth. We show that VDAC is involved in protein import and metabolite transfer to mitochondria. Further, depletion of VDAC resulted in significant morphological changes of the mitochondrion and ER, suggesting a role in mediating contacts between these organelles in T. gondii.

Multi-Scale Modeling of Aqueous-Phase Methane Diffusion in Silicate Channels

Silica-based materials including zeolites are commonly used for wide ranging applications including separations and catalysis.<br>Substrate transport rates in these materials often significantly influence the efficiency of such applications.<br>Two factors that contribute to transport rates include<br>1) the porosity of the silicate matrix and<br>2) non-bonding interactions between the diffusing species and the silicate surface.<br>Here, we utilize computer simulation to resolve the relative contribution of these factors to effective methane transport rates in a silicate channel.<br>Specifically, we develop a `homogenized' model of methane transport valid at micron and longer length scales that incorporates atomistic-scale kinetic information.<br>The atomistic-scale data are obtained from extensive molecular dynamics simulations that yield local diffusion coefficients and potentials of mean force.<br>With this model, we demonstrate how nuances in silicate hydration and silica/methane interactions impact 'macroscale' methane diffusion rates in bulk silicate materials.<br>This hybrid homogenization/molecular dynamics approach will be of general use for describing small molecule transport in materials with detailed molecular interactions.<br><br>

Multi-Scale Modeling of Aqueous-Phase Methane Diffusion in Silicate Channels

Silica-based materials including zeolites are commonly used for wide ranging applications including separations and catalysis.<br>Substrate transport rates in these materials often significantly influence the efficiency of such applications.<br>Two factors that contribute to transport rates include<br>1) the porosity of the silicate matrix and<br>2) non-bonding interactions between the diffusing species and the silicate surface.<br>Here, we utilize computer simulation to resolve the relative contribution of these factors to effective methane transport rates in a silicate channel.<br>Specifically, we develop a `homogenized' model of methane transport valid at micron and longer length scales that incorporates atomistic-scale kinetic information.<br>The atomistic-scale data are obtained from extensive molecular dynamics simulations that yield local diffusion coefficients and potentials of mean force.<br>With this model, we demonstrate how nuances in silicate hydration and silica/methane interactions impact 'macroscale' methane diffusion rates in bulk silicate materials.<br>This hybrid homogenization/molecular dynamics approach will be of general use for describing small molecule transport in materials with detailed molecular interactions.<br><br>

Transport mechanisms at the malaria parasite-host cell interface

Obligate intracellular malaria parasites reside within a vacuolar compartment generated during invasion which is the principal interface between pathogen and host. To subvert their host cell and support their metabolism, these parasites coordinate a range of transport activities at this membrane interface that are critically important to parasite survival and virulence, including nutrient import, waste efflux, effector protein export, and uptake of host cell cytosol. Here, we review our current understanding of the transport mechanisms acting at the malaria parasite vacuole during the blood and liver-stages of development with a particular focus on recent advances in our understanding of effector protein translocation into the host cell by the Plasmodium Translocon of EXported proteins (PTEX) and small molecule transport by the PTEX membrane-spanning pore EXP2. Comparison to Toxoplasma gondii and other related apicomplexans is provided to highlight how similar and divergent mechanisms are employed to fulfill analogous transport activities.

Rapid toxin sequestration modifies poison frog physiology

Poison frogs sequester chemical defenses from their diet of leaf litter arthropods for defense against predation. Little is known about the physiological adaptations that confer this unusual bioaccumulation ability. We conducted an alkaloid-feeding experiment with the Diablito poison frog (Oophaga sylvatica) to determine how quickly alkaloids are accumulated and how toxins modify frog physiology using quantitative proteomics. Diablito frogs rapidly accumulated the alkaloid decahydroquinoline within four days, and dietary alkaloid exposure altered protein abundance in the intestines, liver, and skin. Many proteins that increased in abundance with decahydroquinoline accumulation are plasma glycoproteins, including the complement system and the toxin-binding protein saxiphilin. Other protein classes that change in abundance with decahydroquinoline accumulation are membrane proteins involved in small molecule transport and metabolism. Overall, this work shows poison frogs can rapidly accumulate alkaloids, which alter carrier protein abundance, initiate an immune response, and alter small molecule transport and metabolism dynamics across tissues.

Synthetic auxotrophy remains stable after continuous evolution and in co-culture with mammalian cells

Understanding the evolutionary stability and possible context-dependence of biological containment techniques is critical as engineered microbes are increasingly under consideration for applications beyond biomanufacturing. While batch cultures of synthetic auxotrophic Escherichia coli previously exhibited undetectable escape throughout 14 days of monitoring, the long-term effectiveness of synthetic auxotrophy is unknown. Here, we report automated continuous evolution of a synthetic auxotroph using custom chemostats that supply a decreasing concentration of essential biphenylalanine (BipA). After 100 days of evolution in three separate trials, populations exhibit no observable escape and are capable of normal growth rates at 10-fold lower BipA concentration than the ancestral synthetic auxotroph. Allelic reconstruction of three proteins implicated in small molecule transport reveals their contribution to increased fitness at low BipA concentrations. Mutations do not appear in orthogonal translation machinery nor in synthetic auxotrophic markers. Based on its evolutionary stability, we introduce the progenitor synthetic auxotroph directly to mammalian cell culture. We observe containment of bacteria without detrimental effects on HEK293T cells. Overall, our findings reveal that synthetic auxotrophy is effective on timescales and in contexts that enable diverse applications.One Sentence SummaryTo ascertain whether life inevitably finds a way, we continuously evolve an Escherichia coli strain that was not able to escape from engineered biocontainment before, and we find that it does not escape even after 100 days of evolution, nor does it escape when added to mammalian cell culture.

Large-scale metabolic interaction network of the mouse and human gut microbiota

The role of our gut microbiota in health and disease is largely attributed to the collective metabolic activities of the inhabitant microbes. A system-level framework of the microbial community structure, mediated through metabolite transport, would provide important insights into the complex microbe-microbe and host-microbe chemical interactions. This framework, if adaptable to both mouse and human systems, would be useful for mechanistic interpretations of the vast amounts of experimental data from gut microbiomes in murine animal models, whether humanized or not. Here, we constructed a literature-curated, interspecies network of the mammalian gut microbiota for mouse and human hosts, called NJC19. This network is an extensive data resource, encompassing 838 microbial species (766 bacteria, 53 archaea, and 19 eukaryotes) and 6 host cell types, interacting through 8,224 small-molecule transport and macromolecule degradation events. Moreover, we compiled 912 negative associations between organisms and metabolic compounds that are not transportable or degradable by those organisms. Our network may facilitate experimental and computational endeavors for the mechanistic investigations of host-associated microbial communities.

Rapid toxin sequestration modifies poison frog physiology

Poison frogs sequester chemical defenses from their diet of leaf litter arthropods for defense against predation. Little is known about the physiological adaptations that confer this unusual bioaccumulation ability. We conducted an alkaloid-feeding experiment with the Diablito poison frog (Oophaga sylvatica) to determine how quickly alkaloids are accumulated and how toxins modify frog physiology using quantitative proteomics. Diablito frogs rapidly accumulated the alkaloid decahydroquinoline within four days, and dietary alkaloid exposure altered protein abundance in the intestines, liver, and skin. Many proteins that increased in abundance with decahydroquinoline accumulation are plasma glycoproteins, including the complement system and the toxin-binding protein saxiphilin. Other protein classes that change in abundance with decahydroquinoline accumulation are membrane proteins involved in small molecule transport and metabolism. Overall, this work shows poison frogs can rapidly accumulate alkaloids, which alter carrier protein abundance, initiate an immune response, and alter small molecule transport and metabolism dynamics across tissues.Summary StatementPoison frogs rapidly accumulate toxins, which changes abundance of proteins involved in the immune system and small molecule binding and metabolism across tissues.