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Tegument Assembly, Secondary Envelopment and Exocytosis. Curr. Issues Mol. Biol. (IF 2.695) Pub Date : 2021-02-24 Ian B Hogue
Alphaherpesvirus tegument assembly, secondary envelopment, and exocytosis processes are understood in broad strokes, but many of the individual steps in this pathway, and their molecular and cell biological details, remain unclear. Viral tegument and membrane proteins form an extensive and robust protein interaction network, such that essentially any structural protein can be deleted, yet particles
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Pathogenesis of Relapsing Fever. Curr. Issues Mol. Biol. (IF 2.695) Pub Date : 2020-12-29 Job Lopez; Joppe W Hovius; Sven Bergström
Relapsing fever (RF) is caused by several species of Borrelia; all, except two species, are transmitted to humans by soft (argasid) ticks. The species B. recurrentis is transmitted from one human to another by the body louse, while B. miyamotoi is vectored by hard-bodied ixodid tick species. RF Borrelia have several pathogenic features that facilitate invasion and dissemination in the infected host
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Lyme Disease Pathogenesis. Curr. Issues Mol. Biol. (IF 2.695) Pub Date : 2020-12-23 Jenifer Coburn; Brandon Garcia; Linden T Hu; Mollie W Jewett; Peter Kraiczy; Steven J Norris; Jon Skare
Lyme disease Borrelia are obligately parasitic, tick- transmitted, invasive, persistent bacterial pathogens that cause disease in humans and non-reservoir vertebrates primarily through the induction of inflammation. During transmission from the infected tick, the bacteria undergo significant changes in gene expression, resulting in adaptation to the mammalian environment. The organisms multiply and
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Live Imaging. Curr. Issues Mol. Biol. (IF 2.695) Pub Date : 2020-12-12 George Chaconas; Tara J Moriarty; Jon Skare; Jenny A Hyde
Being able to vizualize a pathogen at a site of interaction with a host is an aesthetically appealing idea and the resulting images can be both informative as well as enjoyable to view. Moreover, the approaches used to derive these images can be powerful in terms of offering data unobtainable by other methods. In this article, we review three primary modalities for live imaging Borrelia spirochetes:
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Perpetuation of Borreliae. Curr. Issues Mol. Biol. (IF 2.695) Pub Date : 2020-12-10 Sam R Telford; Heidi K Goethert
With one exception (epidemic relapsing fever), borreliae are obligately maintained in nature by ticks. Although some Borrelia spp. may be vertically transmitted to subsequent generations of ticks, most require amplification by a vertebrate host because inheritance is not stable. Enzootic cycles of borreliae have been found globally; those receiving the most attention from researchers are those whose
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Genetic Manipulation of Borrelia. Curr. Issues Mol. Biol. (IF 2.695) Pub Date : 2020-12-10 Patricia A Rosa; Mollie W Jewett
Genetic studies in Borrelia require special consideration of the highly segmented genome, complex growth requirements and evolutionary distance of spirochetes from other genetically tractable bacteria. Despite these challenges, a robust molecular genetic toolbox has been constructed to investigate the biology and pathogenic potential of these important human pathogens. In this review we summarize the
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Gene Regulation and Transcriptomics. Curr. Issues Mol. Biol. (IF 2.695) Pub Date : 2020-12-10 D Scott Samuels; Meghan C Lybecker; X Frank Yang; Zhiming Ouyang; Travis J Bourret; William K Boyle; Brian Stevenson; Dan Drecktrah; Melissa J Caimano
Borrelia (Borreliella) burgdorferi, along with closely related species, is the etiologic agent of Lyme disease. The spirochete subsists in an enzootic cycle that encompasses acquisition from a vertebrate host to a tick vector and transmission from a tick vector to a vertebrate host. To adapt to its environment and persist in each phase of its enzootic cycle, B. burgdorferi wields three systems to regulate
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Lyme Disease in Humans. Curr. Issues Mol. Biol. (IF 2.695) Pub Date : 2020-12-11 Justin D Radolf-; Klemen Strle; Jacob E Lemieux; Franc Strle
Lyme disease (Lyme borreliosis) is a tick-borne, zoonosis of adults and children caused by genospecies of the Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato complex. The ailment, widespread throughout the Northern Hemisphere, continues to increase globally due to multiple environmental factors, coupled with increased incursion of humans into habitats that harbor the spirochete. B. burgdorferi sensu lato is transmitted
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Human and Veterinary Vaccines for Lyme Disease. Curr. Issues Mol. Biol. (IF 2.695) Pub Date : 2020-12-08 Nathaniel S O'Bier; Amanda L Hatke; Andrew C Camire; Richard T Marconi
Lyme disease (LD) is an emerging zoonotic infection that is increasing in incidence in North America, Europe, and Asia. With the development of safe and efficacious vaccines, LD can potentially be prevented. Vaccination offers a cost-effective and safe approach for decreasing the risk of infection. While LD vaccines have been widely used in veterinary medicine, they are not available as a preventive
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Evolutionary Genetics of Borrelia. Curr. Issues Mol. Biol. (IF 2.695) Pub Date : 2020-12-08 Zachary J Oppler; Kayleigh R O'Keeffe; Karen D McCoy; Dustin Brisson
The genus Borrelia consists of evolutionarily and genetically diverse bacterial species that cause a variety of diseases in humans and domestic animals. These vector-borne spirochetes can be classified into two major evolutionary groups, the Lyme borreliosis clade and the relapsing fever clade, both of which have complex transmission cycles during which they interact with multiple host species and
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Interactions Between Ticks and Lyme Disease Spirochetes. Curr. Issues Mol. Biol. (IF 2.695) Pub Date : 2020-12-08 Utpal Pal; Chrysoula Kitsou; Dan Drecktrah; Özlem Büyüktanir Yaş; Erol Fikrig
Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato causes Lyme borreliosis in a variety of animals and humans. These atypical bacterial pathogens are maintained in a complex enzootic life cycle that primarily involves a vertebrate host and Ixodes spp. ticks. In the Northeastern United States, I. scapularis is the main vector, while wild rodents serve as the mammalian reservoir host. As B. burgdorferi is transmitted only
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Immune Response to Borrelia: Lessons from Lyme Disease Spirochetes. Curr. Issues Mol. Biol. (IF 2.695) Pub Date : 2020-12-08 Linda K Bockenstedt; R Mark Wooten; Nicole Baumgarth
The mammalian host responds to infection with Borrelia spirochetes through a highly orchestrated immune defense involving innate and adaptive effector functions aimed toward limiting pathogen burdens, minimizing tissue injury, and preventing subsequent reinfection. The evolutionary adaptation of Borrelia spirochetes to their reservoir mammalian hosts may allow for its persistence despite this immune
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European Surveillance of Legionnaires' Disease. Curr. Issues Mol. Biol. (IF 2.695) Pub Date : 2020-12-07 Birgitta de Jong; Lara Payne Hallström
Legionnaires' disease and Pontiac fever are both diseases with important public health implications and require prompt and thorough responses to outbreaks for future prevention. Effective methods for defining, diagnosing, reporting and responding to legionellosis outbreaks ideally should be standardized across countries. Therefore, the European Union surveillance methods for countering Legionnaires'
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Challenges in Having Vaccines Available to Control Transboundary Diseases of Livestock. Curr. Issues Mol. Biol. (IF 2.695) Pub Date : 2020-11-07 Charles E Lewis; James A Roth
The global human population is growing at a rapid rate leading to the need for continued expansion of food animal production to meet the world's increasing nutritional requirements. As a consequence of this increased production demand, the use of high volume, animal dense systems have expanded providing high quality protein at reduced costs. Backyard animal production has also expanded. This increased
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Alphaherpesvirus Genomics: Past, Present and Future. Curr. Issues Mol. Biol. (IF 2.695) Pub Date : 2020-11-07 Chad V Kuny; Moriah L Szpara
Alphaherpesviruses, as large double-stranded DNA viruses, were long considered to be genetically stable and to exist in a homogeneous state. Recently, the proliferation of high-throughput sequencing (HTS) and bioinformatics analysis has expanded our understanding of herpesvirus genomes and the variations found therein. Recent data indicate that herpesviruses exist as diverse populations, both in culture
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Stealth Strategies of Mycobacterium tuberculosis for Immune Evasion. Curr. Issues Mol. Biol. (IF 2.695) Pub Date : 2020-10-17 Muhammad Ahsan Naeem; Waqas Ahmad; Rohit Tyagi; Qaiser Akram; Muhammad Younus; Xilin Liu
Tuberculosis is a devastating disease causing high mortality all over the world, especially in the developing countries. Mycobacterium tuberculosis (M. tb) is the causative agent of tuberculosis which replicates in the intracellular environment of host macrophages. Although the host immune system is capable of completely eliminating the pathogen, co-evolution of M. tb with humans has resulted in its
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The Cell Wall of Bacillus subtilis. Curr. Issues Mol. Biol. (IF 2.695) Pub Date : 2020-10-13 Danae Morales Angeles; Dirk-Jan Scheffers
The cell wall of Bacillus subtilis is a rigid structure on the outside of the cell that forms the first barrier between the bacterium and the environment, and at the same time maintains cell shape and withstands the pressure generated by the cell's turgor. In this review, the chemical composition of peptidoglycan, teichoic and teichuronic acids, the polymers that comprise the cell wall, and the biosynthetic
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Groundwater Microbial Communities in Times of Climate Change. Curr. Issues Mol. Biol. (IF 2.695) Pub Date : 2020-10-07 Alice Retter; Clemens Karwautz; Christian Griebler
Climate change has a massive impact on the global water cycle. Subsurface ecosystems, the earth largest reservoir of liquid freshwater, currently experience a significant increase in temperature and serious consequences from extreme hydrological events. Extended droughts as well as heavy rains and floods have measurable impacts on groundwater quality and availability. In addition, the growing water
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Alphaherpesvirus Vaccines. Curr. Issues Mol. Biol. (IF 2.695) Pub Date : 2020-09-23 Clare Burn Aschner,Betsy C Herold
Prophylactic and therapeutic vaccines for the alphaherpesviruses including varicella zoster virus (VZV) and herpes simplex virus types 1 and 2 have been the focus of enormous preclinical and clinical research. A live viral vaccine for prevention of chickenpox and a subunit therapeutic vaccine to prevent zoster are highly successful. In contrast, progress towards the development of effective prophylactic
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Oncolytic HSV Vectors and Anti-Tumor Immunity. Curr. Issues Mol. Biol. (IF 2.695) Pub Date : 2020-09-17 Joseph C Glorioso,Justus B Cohen,William F Goins,Bonnie Hall,Joseph W Jackson,Gary Kohanbash,Nduka Amankulor,Balveen Kaur,Michael A Caligiuri,E Antonio Chiocca,Eric C Holland,Christophe Quéva
The therapeutic promise of oncolytic viruses (OVs) rests on their ability to both selectively kill tumor cells and induce anti-tumor immunity. The potential of tumors to be recognized and eliminated by an effective anti-tumor immune response has been spurred on by the discovery that immune checkpoint inhibition can overcome tumor-specific cytotoxic T cell (CTL) exhaustion and provide durable responses
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Aquatic Viruses and Climate Change. Curr. Issues Mol. Biol. (IF 2.695) Pub Date : 2020-09-13 Rui Zhang,Markus G Weinbauer,Peter Peduzzi
The viral component in aquatic systems clearly needs to be incorporated into future ocean and inland water climate models. Viruses have the potential to influence carbon and nutrient cycling in aquatic ecosystems significantly. Changing climate likely has both direct and indirect influence on virus-mediated processes, among them an impact on food webs, biogeochemical cycles and on the overall metabolic
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Alphaherpesvirus Latency and Reactivation with a Focus on Herpes Simplex Virus. Curr. Issues Mol. Biol. (IF 2.695) Pub Date : 2020-09-04 Nancy M Sawtell,Richard L Thompson
We are at an interesting time in the understanding of alpha herpesvirus latency and reactivation and their implications to human disease. Conceptual advances have come from both animal and neuronal culture models. This review focuses on the concept that the tegument protein and viral transactivator VP16 plays a major role in the transition from latency to the lytic cycle. During acute infection, regulation
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The Fate of Incoming HSV-1 Genomes Entering the Nucleus. Curr. Issues Mol. Biol. (IF 2.695) Pub Date : 2020-09-03 Oren Kobiler,Amichay Afriat
Herpesvirus genomes enter the eukaryotic nucleus as large linear double stranded DNA molecules that are free of any proteins (naked DNA). Once inside the nucleus, the HSV-1 genomes immediately associate with proteins that will be instrumental in the organization and regulation of these genomes. These initial interactions are thought to determine the fate of the infecting genomes. In general, the host
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Methods for The Metagenomic Data Visualization and Analysis. Curr. Issues Mol. Biol. (IF 2.695) Pub Date : 2017-07-06 Konstantin Sudarikov,Alexander Tyakht,Dmitry Alexeev
Surveys of environmental microbial communities using metagenomic approach produce vast volumes of multidimensional data regarding the phylogenetic and functional composition of the microbiota. Faced with such complex data, a metagenomic researcher needs to select the means for data analysis properly. Data visualization became an indispensable part of the exploratory data analysis and serves a key to
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Guidelines to Statistical Analysis of Microbial Composition Data Inferred from Metagenomic Sequencing. Curr. Issues Mol. Biol. (IF 2.695) Pub Date : 2017-07-06 Vera Odintsova,Alexander Tyakht,Dmitry Alexeev
Metagenomics, the application of high-throughput DNA sequencing for surveys of environmental samples, has revolutionized our view on the taxonomic and genetic composition of complex microbial communities. An enormous richness of microbiota keeps unfolding in the context of various fields ranging from biomedicine and food industry to geology. Primary analysis of metagenomic reads allows to infer semi-quantitative
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Integration of Ecology and Environmental Metagenomics Conceptual and Methodological Frameworks. Curr. Issues Mol. Biol. (IF 2.695) Pub Date : 2017-07-06 Diana Marco
Although from its origin metagenomics was concerned with composition of communities of microbial OTUs (Operational Taxonomic Units) living in a given habitat and their diversity and functional heterogeneity (concepts already well rooted in ecology), the new field was more 'environmentally' than 'ecologically' oriented. Probably by circumstantial reasons, metagenomics and ecology followed rather independent
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Application of Flow Cytometry to the Detection of Pathogenic Bacteria. Curr. Issues Mol. Biol. (IF 2.695) Pub Date : 2017-05-31 Deirdre Kennedy,Martin G Wilkinson
Outbreaks of infections have emphasized the necessity for rapid and economic detection methods for pathogens in samples ranging from those of clinical origin to food products during production and retail storage, and increasingly, in environmental samples. Flow cytometry (FCM) allows the rapid acquisition of multi-parametric data regarding cell populations within fluidised samples. However, the application
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MALDI-TOF MS in the Microbiology Laboratory: Current Trends. Curr. Issues Mol. Biol. (IF 2.695) Pub Date : 2017-05-15 Sören Schubert,Markus Kostrzewa
Within less than a decade matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS) has become a gold standard for microbial identification in clinical microbiology laboratories. Besides identification of microorganisms the typing of single strains as well as the antibiotic and antimycotic resistance testing has come into focus in order to speed up the microbiological
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Plant Immune System: Crosstalk Between Responses to Biotic and Abiotic Stresses the Missing Link in Understanding Plant Defence. Curr. Issues Mol. Biol. (IF 2.695) Pub Date : 2017-02-03 Naghmeh Nejat,Nitin Mantri
Environmental pollution, global warming and climate change exacerbate the impact of biotic and abiotic stresses on plant growth and yield. Plants have evolved sophisticated defence network, also called innate immune system, in response to ever- changing environmental conditions. Significant progress has been made in identifying the key stress-inducible genes associated with defence response to single
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DNA Vaccine Delivery and Improved Immunogenicity. Curr. Issues Mol. Biol. (IF 2.695) Pub Date : 2016-11-10 Kevin R Porter,Kanakatte Raviprakash
The promise of DNA vaccines is as compelling today as it was more than a decade ago. Ease of manufacture, stability at ambient temperatures without the need for a cold chain and its ability to mimic natural infections and elicit appropriate immune responses makes this vaccine platform extremely attractive. Although, human clinical trials of DNA vaccines have yielded less than optimal results, the approval
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Transcriptomics and Biochemical Profiling: Current Dynamics in Elucidating the Potential Attributes of Olive. Curr. Issues Mol. Biol. (IF 2.695) Pub Date : 2016-08-04 Zahid Hussain Shah,Bahget T Hamooh,Ihsanullah Daur,Hafiz Mamoon Rehman,Fahad Alghabari
Various transcriptome studies have remained useful in unraveling the complexity of molecular pathways regulating the oil biochemical contents and fruit characteristics of agronomic value in olive. Genes networks associated with plant architect and abiotic stress tolerance have been constructed due to robust genomic data generated by the tools of genomics. This, familiarity will accelerate the breeding
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Applications of Bioinformatics to Plant Biotechnology. Curr. Issues Mol. Biol. (IF 2.695) Pub Date : 2017-09-08 Diego F Gomez-Casati,María V Busi,Julieta Barchiesi,Diego A Peralta,Nicolás Hedin,Vijai Bhadauria
Bioinformatics encompasses many tools and techniques that today are essential for all areas of research in the biological sciences. New databases with a wealth of information about genomes, proteins, metabolites, and metabolic pathways appear almost daily. Particularly, for scientists who carry out research in plant biology, the amount of information has multiplied exponentially due to the large number
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Bioinformatics Resources for Plant Genomics: Opportunities and Bottlenecks in The -omics Era. Curr. Issues Mol. Biol. (IF 2.695) Pub Date : 2017-09-08 Luca Ambrosino,Chiara Colantuono,Francesco Monticolo,Maria Luisa Chiusano
The sudden exponential increase of biological data concerning genome structure and functionalities, also fostered by the advent of Next Generation Sequencing (NGS) technologies, while expanding the opportunity to highlight still uncovered molecular aspects, challenges bioinformatics in several repects. Data management, processing, updating, dissemination and integration are the major areas of concern
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Advanced Applications of Next-Generation Sequencing Technologies to Orchid Biology. Curr. Issues Mol. Biol. (IF 2.695) Pub Date : 2017-09-08 Chuan-Ming Yeh,Zhong-Jian Liu,Wen-Chieh Tsai
Next-generation sequencing technologies are revolutionizing biology by permitting, transcriptome sequencing, whole-genome sequencing and resequencing, and genome-wide single nucleotide polymorphism profiling. Orchid research has benefited from this breakthrough, and a few orchid genomes are now available; new biological questions can be approached and new breeding strategies can be designed. The first
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Next-Generation Sequencing Promoted the Release of Reference Genomes and Discovered Genome Evolution in Cereal Crops. Curr. Issues Mol. Biol. (IF 2.695) Pub Date : 2017-09-08 Yong Huang,Haiyang Liu,Yongzhong Xing
In recent decades, next-generation sequencing (NGS) was developed and brought biology into a new era. Rice, maize, wheat, sorghum and barley are the most important cereal crops and feed most of the world's population. Great progress in the study of cereal genomes has been made with the help of NGS. Reference genome sequence assembly and re-sequencing have grown exponentially. Thus, evolution and comparative
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Status and Prospects of Next Generation Sequencing Technologies in Crop Plants. Curr. Issues Mol. Biol. (IF 2.695) Pub Date : 2017-09-08 T R Sharma,B N Devanna,Kanti Kiran,Pankaj K Singh,Kirti Arora,Priyanka Jain,Ila M Tiwari,Himanshu Dubey,Banita Saklani,Mandeep Kumari,Jyoti Singh,Rajdeep Jaswal,Ritu Kapoor,Deepak V Pawar,Shruti Sinha,Deepak Singh Bisht,A U Solanke,T K Mondal
The history of DNA sequencing dates back to 1970s. During this period the two first generation nucleotide sequencing techniques were developed. Subsequently the Sanger's dideoxy method of sequencing gained popularity over Maxam and Gilbert's chemical method of sequencing. However, in the last decade, we have observed revolutionary changes in DNA sequencing technologies leading to the emergence of next-generation
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Ethical Issues Regarding CRISPR Mediated Genome Editing. Curr. Issues Mol. Biol. (IF 2.695) Pub Date : 2017-09-07 Zabta Khan Shinwari,Faouzia Tanveer,Ali Talha Khalil
CRISPR-Cas9 has emerged as a simple, precise and most rapid genome editing technology. With a number of promising applications ranging from agriculture and environment to clinical therapeutics, it is greatly transforming the field of molecular biology. However, there are certain ethical, moral and safety concerns related to the attractive applications of this technique. The most contentious issues
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Applications of CRISPR/Cas9 in Reproductive Biology. Curr. Issues Mol. Biol. (IF 2.695) Pub Date : 2017-09-07 Faheem Ahmed Khan,Nuruliarizki Shinta Pandupuspitasari,Huang ChunJie,Hafiz Ishfaq Ahmad,Kai Wang,Muhammad Jamil Ahmad,ShuJun Zhang
Genome editing is unraveling its benefits in wide areas of scientific development and understanding. The advances of genome editing from ZFNs and TALLENs to CRISPRs defines it wide applicability. Reproduction is the fundamental process by which all organisms maintain their generations. CRISPR/Cas9, a new versatile genome editing tool is recently tamed to correct several disease causing genetic mutations
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CRISPR Mediated Genome Engineering and its Application in Industry. Curr. Issues Mol. Biol. (IF 2.695) Pub Date : 2017-09-07 Saeed Kaboli,Hasan Babazada
The CRISPR (clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeat)-Cas9 (CRISPR-associated nuclease 9) method has been dramatically changing the field of genome engineering. It is a rapid, highly efficient and versatile tool for precise modification of genome that uses a guide RNA (gRNA) to target Cas9 to a specific sequence. This novel RNA-guided genome-editing technique has become a revolutionary
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Improving CRISPR-Cas9 On-Target Specificity. Curr. Issues Mol. Biol. (IF 2.695) Pub Date : 2017-09-07 Muhammad Jamal,Arif Ullah,Muhammad Ahsan,Rohit Tyagi,Zeshan Habib,Khaista Rehman
The CRISPR-Cas9 has revolutionized the field of molecular biology, medical genetics and medicine. The technology is robust, facile and simple to achieve genome targeting in cells and organisms. However, to propagate these nucleases for therapeutic application, the on-target specificity is of paramount importance. Although the binding and cleavage of off-target sites by Cas9 is issue of concern, however
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CRISPR/Cas9-Mediated Immunity in Plants Against Pathogens. Curr. Issues Mol. Biol. (IF 2.695) Pub Date : 2017-09-07 Muhammad Sameeullah,Faheem Ahmed Khan,Göksel Özer,Noreen Aslam,Ekrem Gurel,Mohammad Tahir Waheed,Turan Karadeniz
Global crop production is highly threatened due to pathogen invasion. The huge quantity of pesticides application, although harmful to the environment and human health, is carried out to prevent the crop losses worldwide, every year. Therefore, understanding the molecular mechanisms of pathogenicity and plant resistance against pathogen is important. The resistance against pathogens is regulated by
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An Era of CRISPR/ Cas9 Mediated Plant Genome Editing. Curr. Issues Mol. Biol. (IF 2.695) Pub Date : 2017-09-07 Haris Khurshid,Sohail Ahmad Jan,Zabta Khan Shinwari,Muhammad Jamal,Sabir Hussain Shah
Recently the engineered nucleases have revolutionized genome editing to perturb gene expression at specific sites in complex eukaryotic genomes. Three important classes of these genome editing tools are Moreover, the more recent type II Clustered Regularly Inter-spaced Short Palindromic Repeats/Crispr associated protein (CRISPR/Cas9) system has become the most favorite plant genome editing tool for
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Treating Genetic Disorders Using State-Of-The-Art Technology. Curr. Issues Mol. Biol. (IF 2.695) Pub Date : 2017-09-07 Muhammad Jamal,Arif Ullah,Muhammad Ahsan,Rohit Tyagi,Zeshan Habib,Faheem Ahmad Khan,Khaista Rehman
CRISPR-Cas9 (clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats-CRISPR associated Protein 9), basically a bacterial immune system is now widely applicable to engineer genomes of a number of cells and organisms because of its simplicity and robustness. In research avenue the system has been optimized to regulate gene expression, modify epigenome and edit target locus. These applications make
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dCas9: A Versatile Tool for Epigenome Editing. Curr. Issues Mol. Biol. (IF 2.695) Pub Date : 2017-09-07 Daan J W Brocken,Mariliis Tark-Dame,Remus T Dame
The epigenome is a heritable layer of information not encoded in the DNA sequence of the genome, but in chemical modifications of DNA or histones. These chemical modifications, together with transcription factors, operate as spatiotemporal regulators of genome activity. Dissecting epigenome function requires controlled site-specific alteration of epigenetic information. Such control can be obtained
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Type III CRISPR-Cas System: Introduction And Its Application for Genetic Manipulations. Curr. Issues Mol. Biol. (IF 2.695) Pub Date : 2017-09-07 Tao Liu,Saifu Pan,Yingjun Li,Nan Peng,Qunxin She
Clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR) and CRISPR-associated (Cas) genes provide adaptive immunity against invasion of foreign nucleic acids in archaea and bacteria. The system functions in three distinct stages: adaptation, biogenesis, and interference. CRISPR-Cas systems are currently classified into at least five different types, each with a signature protein among which
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Role of Cyclic di-GMP in the Bacterial Virulence and Evasion of the Plant Immunity. Curr. Issues Mol. Biol. (IF 2.695) Pub Date : 2017-09-06 Marta Martinez-Gil,Cayo Ramos
Plant pathogenic bacteria are responsible for the loss of hundreds of millions of dollars each year, impacting a wide range of economically relevant agricultural crops. The plant immune system detects conserved bacterial molecules and deploys an arsenal of effective defense measures at different levels; however, during compatible interactions, some pathogenic bacteria suppress and manipulate the host
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Immune-evasion Strategies of Mycobacteria and Their Implications for the Protective Immune Response. Curr. Issues Mol. Biol. (IF 2.695) Pub Date : 2017-09-06 Alexandra G Fraga,Ana Margarida Barbosa,Catarina M Ferreira,João Fevereiro,Jorge Pedrosa,Egídio Torrado
Mycobacteria are intracellular pathogens that have macrophages as their main host cells. However, macrophages are also the primary line of defense against invading microorganisms. To survive in the intracellular compartment, virulent mycobacteria have developed several strategies to modulate the activation and the effector functions of macrophages. Despite this, antigen-specific T cells develop during
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Molecular Mechanisms Used by Salmonella to Evade the Immune System. Curr. Issues Mol. Biol. (IF 2.695) Pub Date : 2017-09-06 Joaquín Bernal-Bayard,Francisco Ramos-Morales
Human and animal pathogens are able to circumvent, at least temporarily, the sophisticated immune defenses of their hosts. Several serovars of the Gram-negative bacterium Salmonella enterica have been used as models for the study of pathogen-host interactions. In this review we discuss the strategies used by Salmonella to evade or manipulate three levels of host immune defenses: physical barriers,
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Inflammasome-dependent Mechanisms Involved in Sensing and Restriction of Bacterial Replication. Curr. Issues Mol. Biol. (IF 2.695) Pub Date : 2017-09-06 Warrison A Andrade,Dario S Zamboni
Inflammasomes are multiprotein platforms assembled in the cytosol in response to pathogens and cell stress. Inflammasomes are recognized by their important role on defenses against bacterial infections and have been also implicated in a range of human inflammatory disorders. Intracellular sensors such as NLRP1, NLRP3, NLRC4, AIM2 and Pyrin induce assembly of inflammasomes, while caspase-11 induces
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Manipulation of Autophagy by Bacterial Pathogens Impacts Host Immunity. Curr. Issues Mol. Biol. (IF 2.695) Pub Date : 2017-09-06 Tobias C Kunz,Flávia Viana,Carmen Buchrieser,Pedro Escoll
Autophagy is a highly conserved catabolic process, degrading unnecessary or damaged components in the eukaryotic cell to maintain cellular homeostasis, but it is also an intrinsic cellular defence mechanism to remove invading pathogens. A crosstalk between autophagy and innate or adaptive immune responses has been recently reported, whereby autophagy influences both, innate and adaptive immunity like
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Subversion of Macrophage Functions by Bacterial Protein Toxins and Effectors. Curr. Issues Mol. Biol. (IF 2.695) Pub Date : 2017-09-06 Muyang Wan,Yan Zhou,Yongqun Zhu
Macrophages represent one of the first lines of host immune defenses against the invasion of pathogenic bacteria. Many receptors, immune signaling pathways and cellular processes in macrophages, including Toll-like receptors, Nod-like receptors, phagocytosis, autophagy and programmed cell death, are involved in combating the infection of bacterial pathogens. For efficient colonization in the host,
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Within-Host Envelope Remodelling and its Impact in Bacterial Pathogen Recognition. Curr. Issues Mol. Biol. (IF 2.695) Pub Date : 2017-09-06 M Graciela Pucciarelli,Francisco García-del Portillo
Following colonization of host tissues, bacterial pathogens encounter new niches in which they must gain access to nutrients and cope with stresses and defence signals generated by the host. For some pathogens, the adaptation to a new 'within-host' lifestyle involves modifications of envelope components that bear molecular patterns normally recognized by the host innate immune system. These new modified
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Secretion Systems Used by Bacteria to Subvert Host Functions. Curr. Issues Mol. Biol. (IF 2.695) Pub Date : 2017-09-06 Chiara Rapisarda,Rémi Fronzes
In this review we examine the use of secretion systems by bacteria to subvert host functions. Bacteria have evolved multiple systems to interact with and overcome their eukaryotic host and other prokaryotes. Secretion systems are required for the release of several effectors through the bacterial membrane(s) into the extracellular space or directly into the cytoplasm of the host. We review the secretion
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Application of Omics Approaches to Studying Methylotrophs and Methylotroph Comunities. Curr. Issues Mol. Biol. (IF 2.695) Pub Date : 2017-07-06 Ludmila Chistoserdova
This review covers some recent advances in application of omics technologies to studying methylotrophs, with special reference to their activities in natural environments. Some of the developments highlighted in this review are the new outlook at the role of the XoxF-type, lanthanum-dependent methanol dehydrogenase in natural habitats, new mechanistic details of methane oxidation through the reverse
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Using Metagenomics to Connect Microbial Community Biodiversity and Functions. Curr. Issues Mol. Biol. (IF 2.695) Pub Date : 2017-07-06 Lucas William Mendes,Lucas Peres Palma Braga,Acacio Aparecido Navarrete,Dennis Goss de Souza,Genivaldo Gueiros Zacarias Silva,Siu Mui Tsai
Microbes constitute about a third of the Earth's biomass and are composed by an enormous genetic diversity. In a majority of environments the microbial communities play crucial roles for the ecosystem functioning, where a drastic biodiversity alteration or loss could lead to negative effects on the environment and sustainability. A central goal in microbiome studies is to elucidate the relation between
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Spatio-Temporal Variations in the Abundance and Structure of Denitrifier Communities in Sediments Differing in Nitrate Content. Curr. Issues Mol. Biol. (IF 2.695) Pub Date : 2017-07-06 David Correa-Galeote,Germán Tortosa,Silvia Moreno,David Bru,Laurent Philippot,Eulogio J Bedmar
Spatial and temporal variations related to hydric seasonality in abundance and diversity of denitrifier communities were examined in sediments taken from two sites differing in nitrate concentration along a stream Doñana National Park during a 3-year study. We found a positive relationship between the relative abundance of denitrifiers, determined as narG, napA, nirK, nirS and nosZ denitrification
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Comparing Viral Metagenomic Extraction Methods. Curr. Issues Mol. Biol. (IF 2.695) Pub Date : 2017-07-06 Jeanette Klenner,Claudia Kohl,Piotr Wojtek Dabrowski,Andreas Nitsche
A crucial step in the molecular detection of viruses in clinical specimens is the efficient extraction of viral nucleic acids. The total yield of viral nucleic acid from a clinical specimen is dependent on the specimen's volume, the initial virus concentration and the effectiveness provided by the extraction method. Recent Next Generation Sequencing (NGS)-based diagnostic approaches (i.e. metagenomics)
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CRISPR-Cas Systems in Streptococci. Curr. Issues Mol. Biol. (IF 2.695) Pub Date : 2019-06-05 Tao Gong,Miao Lu,Xuedong Zhou,Anqi Zhang,Boyu Tang,Jiamin Chen,Meiling Jing,Yuqing Li
Streptococci are one of the most important and common constituents of the host's microbiota and can colonize and live in the upper respiratory and urogenital tract of humans and animals. The CRISPR-Cas systems (i.e., clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeat, with CRISPR-associated proteins) found in bacteria and archaea provide sequence-based adaptive immunity against mobile genetic
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DNA Topoisomerases of Kinetoplastid Parasites: Brief Overview and Recent Perspectives. Curr. Issues Mol. Biol. (IF 2.695) Pub Date : 2019-06-05 Sourav Saha,Somenath Roy Chowdhury,Hemanta K Majumder
Topoisomerases are a group of enzymes that resolve DNA topological problems and aid in different DNA transaction processes viz. replication, transcription, recombination, etc. inside cells. These proteins accomplish their feats by steps of DNA strand(s) scission, strand passage or rotation and subsequent rejoining activities. Topoisomerases of kinetoplastid parasites have been extensively studied because
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Circadian Rhythms and Energy Metabolism Reprogramming in Parkinson's Disease. Curr. Issues Mol. Biol. (IF 2.695) Pub Date : 2019-06-04 Alexandre Vallée,Yves Lecarpentier,Jean-Noël Vallée
Entropy rate is increased by several metabolic and thermodynamic abnormalities in neurodegenerative diseases (NDs). Changes in Gibbs energy, heat production, ionic conductance or intracellular acidity are irreversible processes impelling modifications of the entropy rate. The present review focuses on the thermodynamic implications in the reprogramming of cellular energy metabolism enabling in Parkinson's
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