Bioreactor mixing efficiency modulates the activity of a prpoS::GFP reporter gene in E. coli

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Extensive studies have shown that up-scaling of bioprocesses has a significant impact on the physiology of the microorganisms. Among the factors associated with the fluid dynamics of the bioreactor, concentration gradients induced by loss of the global mixing efficiency associated with the increasing scale is the main phenomena leading to strong physiological modifications at the level of the microbial population. These changes are not fully understood since they involve complex physiological mechanisms. In this work, we intend to investigate, at the single cell level, the expression of the rpoS gene associated with the stress response of <it>E. coli</it>. The cultures of the reporter strain have been performed in a small scale reactor as well as in a series of scaled-down bioreactors able to induce extracellular perturbations with increasing level of magnitude.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>The rpoS level has been monitored by the aim of a transcriptional reporter gene based on the synthesis of the green fluorescent protein (GFP). It has been observed that the level of GFP increases during the transition from batch to fed-batch phase. After this initial increase, the GFP content of the cell drops, primarily due to the dilution by cell division. However, a significant drop of the GFP content has been observed if using a partitioned bioreactor, for which the mixing conditions are very bad, leading to the exposure of the cells to cyclic and stochastic extracellular fluctuations. If considering the flow cytometric profile of the cell to cell GFP content, this drop has to be attributed to the appearance of segregation at the level of the GFP content among the microbial population.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>The generation of extracellular perturbations (in the present case, at the level of the sugar concentration and the dissolved oxygen level) has led to a drop at the level of the rpoS expression level. This drop has to be attributed to a segregation phenomenon in microbial population, with a major sub-population exhibiting a low expression level and a minor sub-population keeping its initial elevated expression level. The intensity of the segregation, as well as its time of appearance during the culture can be related to the bioreactor mixing efficiency.</p

Reduced levels of reactive oxygen species correlate with inhibition of apoptosis, rise in thioredoxin expression and increased bovine leukemia virus proviral loads

BACKGROUND: Bovine Leukemia virus (BLV) is a deltaretrovirus that induces lymphoproliferation and leukemia in ruminants. In ex vivo cultures of B lymphocytes isolated from BLV-infected sheep show that spontaneous apoptosis is reduced. Here, we investigated the involvement of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in this process. RESULTS: We demonstrate that (i) the levels of ROS and a major product of oxidative stress (8-OHdG) are reduced, while the thioredoxin antioxidant protein is highly expressed in BLV-infected B lymphocytes, (ii) induction of ROS by valproate (VPA) is pro-apoptotic, (iii) inversely, the scavenging of ROS with N-acetylcysteine inhibits apoptosis, and finally (iv) the levels of ROS inversely correlate with the proviral loads. CONCLUSION: Together, these observations underline the importance of ROS in the mechanisms of inhibition of apoptosis linked to BLV infection

The HTLV-1 Tax interactome

The Tax1 oncoprotein encoded by Human T-lymphotropic virus type I is a major determinant of viral persistence and pathogenesis. Tax1 affects a wide variety of cellular signalling pathways leading to transcriptional activation, proliferation and ultimately transformation. To carry out these functions, Tax1 interacts with and modulates activity of a number of cellular proteins. In this review, we summarize the present knowledge of the Tax1 interactome and propose a rationale for the broad range of cellular proteins identified so far

Interaction of HTLV-1 Tax with minichromosome maintenance proteins accelerates the replication timing program

The Tax oncoprotein encoded by the Human T-cell leukemia virus type 1 (HTLV-1) plays a pivotal role in viral persistence and pathogenesis. HTLV-1 infected cells proliferate faster than normal lymphocytes, expand through mitotic division and accumulate genomic lesions. Here, we show that Tax associates with the minichromosome maintenance MCM2-7 helicase complex and localizes to origins of replication. Tax modulates the spatiotemporal program of origin activation and fires supplementary origins at the onset of S phase. Thereby, Tax increases the DNA replication rate, accelerates S phase progression but also generates a replicative stress characterized by the presence of genomic lesions. Mechanistically, Tax favors p300 recruitment and histone hyperacetylation at late replication domains advancing their replication timing in early S phase

Mechanisms of leukemogenesis induced by bovine leukemia virus: prospects for novel anti-retroviral therapies in human

In 1871, the observation of yellowish nodules in the enlarged spleen of a cow was considered to be the first reported case of bovine leukemia. The etiological agent of this lymphoproliferative disease, bovine leukemia virus (BLV), belongs to the deltaretrovirus genus which also includes the related human T-lymphotropic virus type 1 (HTLV-1). This review summarizes current knowledge of this viral system, which is important as a model for leukemogenesis. Recently, the BLV model has also cast light onto novel prospects for therapies of HTLV induced diseases, for which no satisfactory treatment exists so far

Preventive and Therapeutic Strategies for Bovine Leukemia Virus: Lessons for HTLV

Bovine leukemia virus (BLV) is a retrovirus closely related to the human T-lymphotropic virus type 1 (HTLV-1). BLV is a major animal health problem worldwide causing important economic losses. A series of attempts were developed to reduce prevalence, chiefly by eradication of infected cattle, segregation of BLV-free animals and vaccination. Although having been instrumental in regions such as the EU, these strategies were unsuccessful elsewhere mainly due to economic costs, management restrictions and lack of an efficient vaccine. This review, which summarizes the different attempts previously developed to decrease seroprevalence of BLV, may be informative for management of HTLV-1 infection. We also propose a new approach based on competitive infection with virus deletants aiming at reducing proviral loads

Host-pathogen interactome mapping for HTLV-1 and -2 retroviruses

Human T-cell leukemia virus type 1 (HTLV-1) and type 2 both target T lymphocytes, yet induce radically different phenotypic outcomes. HTLV-1 is a causative agent of Adult T-cell leukemia (ATL), whereas HTLV-2, highly similar to HTLV-1, causes no known overt disease. HTLV gene products are engaged in a dynamic struggle of activating and antagonistic interactions with host cells. Investigations focused on one or a few genes have identified several human factors interacting with HTLV viral proteins. Most of the available interaction data concern the highly investigated HTLV-1 Tax protein. Identifying shared and distinct host-pathogen protein interaction profiles for these two viruses would enlighten how they exploit distinctive or common strategies to subvert cellular pathways toward disease progression.Comparative StudyJournal ArticleResearch Support, N.I.H. ExtramuralResearch Support, Non-U.S. Gov'tSCOPUS: ar.jinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishe

Protein-protein interactions and gene expression regulation in HTLV-1 infected cells.

Human T-cell leukemia virus type 1 (HTLV-1) propagates in CD4 or CD8 T cells and, after extended latency periods of 30-50 years, causes a rapidly fatal leukemia called adult T-cell leukemia/lymphoma (ATL). Infection with HTLV-1 is also associated with a degenerative neuromuscular disease referred to as tropical spastic paraparesis or HTLV-1-associated myelopathy. HTLV genome, in addition to the structural proteins and retroviral enzymes, codes for a region at its 3' end originally designated pX. The products of this region (Tax, Rex, p12I, p13II, p30II and HBZ) play important roles in deregulation of cellular functions by either directly disrupting cellular factors or altering transcription of viral and cellular genes. Here, we will review current knowledge of protein-protein interactions that regulate transcriptional functions of proteins encoded by the pX region