Background: Some of the spore-forming strains of Bacillus probiotics are marketed commercially as they survive harsh gastrointestinal conditions and bestow health benefits to the host.Results: We... Show moreBackground: Some of the spore-forming strains of Bacillus probiotics are marketed commercially as they survive harsh gastrointestinal conditions and bestow health benefits to the host.Results: We report the composite genome of Bacillus clausii ENTPro from a commercially available probiotic Enterogermina (R) and compare it with the genomes of other Bacillus probiotics. We find that the members of B. clausii species harbor high heterogeneity at the species as well as genus level. The genes conferring resistance to chloramphenicol, streptomycin, rifampicin, and tetracycline in the B. clausii ENTPro strain could be identified. The genes coding for the bacteriocin gallidermin, which prevents biofilm formation in the pathogens Staphylococcus aureus and S. epidermidis, were also identified. KEGG Pathway analysis suggested that the folate biosynthesis pathway, which depicts one of the important roles of probiotics in the host, is conserved completely in B. subtilis and minimally in B. clausii and other probiotics.Conclusions: We identified various antibiotic resistance, bacteriocins, stress-related, and adhesion-related domains, and industrially-relevant pathways, in the genomes of these probiotic bacteria that are likely to help them survive in the harsh gastrointestinal tract, facilitating adhesion to host epithelial cells, persistence during antibiotic treatment and combating bacterial infections. Show less
Besselaar, A.M.H.P. van den; Chantarangkul, V.; Angeloni, F.; Binder, N.B.; Byrne, M.; Dauer, R.; ... ; Tripodi, A. 2018
Malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumours (MPNSTs) are aggressive soft tissue tumours that occur either sporadically or in patients with neurofibromatosis type 1. The malignant transformation of... Show moreMalignant peripheral nerve sheath tumours (MPNSTs) are aggressive soft tissue tumours that occur either sporadically or in patients with neurofibromatosis type 1. The malignant transformation of the benign neurofibroma to MPNST is incompletely understood at the molecular level. We have determined the gene expression signature for benign and malignant PNSTs and found that the major trend in malignant transformation from neurofibroma to MPNST consists of the loss of expression of a large number of genes, rather than widespread increase in gene expression. Relatively few genes are expressed at higher levels in MPNSTs and these include genes involved in cell proliferation and genes implicated in tumour metastasis. In addition, a gene expression signature indicating p53 inactivation is seen in the majority of MPNSTs. Subsequent microRNA profiling of benign and malignant PNSTs indicated a relative down-regulation of miR-34a in most MPNSTs compared to neurofibromas. In vitro studies using the cell lines MPNST-14 (NF1 mutant) and MPNST-724 (from a non-NF1 individual) show that exogenous expression of p53 or miR-34a promotes apoptotic cell death. In addition, exogenous expression of p53 in MPNST cells induces miR-34a and other miRNAs. Our data show that p53 inactivation and subsequent loss of expression of miR-34a may significantly contribute to the MPNST development. Collectively, our findings suggest that deregulation of miRNAs has a potential role in the malignant transformation process in peripheral nerve sheath tumours. Copyright (C) 2009 Pathological Society of Great Britain and Ireland. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. Show less
