Biology subjects

Beddoe, T.

Publications and source records attributed to Beddoe, T..

4 recordsLinked to original sources

bioRxiv2025

Reducing the impact of HaHV-1 in Australian abalone: the role of age and immune priming

Abalone (Haliotis sp.) are marine organisms of significant ecological and economic importance. However, disease outbreaks, particularly caused by Haliotid herpesvirus (HaHV-1), pose a major threat to the global aquaculture industry. HaHV-1 causes Abalone Viral Ganglioneuritis (AVG) and has led to significant economic losses due to mass mortality in farmed and wild abalone in regions such as China, Taiwan, and Australia. The current study investigated the effect of age on the susceptibility of Australian hybrid abalone to HaHV-1 and the potential of immune priming as a strategy to protect abalone from HaHV-1 infection. Using a co-housed immersion challenge model, we found that abalone less than one year of age were significantly less susceptible to HaHV-1 infection and exhibit less pronounced clinical signs of HaHV-1 infection when compared to adults. Additionally, immune priming adult abalone with poly(I:C) prior to viral challenge provided protection against HaHV-1 when compared to abalone primed with a bacterial antigen, Flagellin-A and unprimed controls. We also determined that the use of pedal swabs is a less invasive method for confirming positive HaHV-1 infections, but not for determining comparative viral loads. These findings are pivotal in developing preventative strategies against HaHV-1 in aquaculture and highlight the need for further research on immune priming and age-related susceptibility in abalone.

microbiology↗

bioRxiv2023

Transcription Factor Dynamics in Cross-Regulation of Plant Hormone Signaling Pathways

Cross-regulation between hormone signaling pathways is indispensable for plant growth and development. However, the molecular mechanisms by which multiple hormones interact and co-ordinate activity need to be understood. Here, we generated a cross-regulation network explaining how hormone signals are integrated from multiple pathways in etiolated Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) seedlings. To do so we comprehensively characterized transcription factor activity during plant hormone responses and reconstructed dynamic transcriptional regulatory models for six hormones; abscisic acid, brassinosteroid, ethylene, jasmonic acid, salicylic acid and strigolactone/karrikin. These models incorporated target data for hundreds of transcription factors and thousands of protein-protein interactions. Each hormone recruited different combinations of transcription factors, a subset of which were shared between hormones. Hub target genes existed within hormone transcriptional networks, exhibiting transcription factor activity themselves. In addition, a group of MITOGEN-ACTIVATED PROTEIN KINASES (MPKs) were identified as potential key points of cross-regulation between multiple hormones. Accordingly, the loss of function of one of these (MPK6) disrupted the global proteome, phosphoproteome and transcriptome during hormone responses. Lastly, we determined that all hormones drive substantial alternative splicing that has distinct effects on the transcriptome compared with differential gene expression, acting in early hormone responses. These results provide a comprehensive understanding of the common features of plant transcriptional regulatory pathways and how cross-regulation between hormones acts upon gene expression.

plant biology↗

bioRxiv2021

Sialoglycan microarray encoding reveals differential sialoglycan binding of phylogenetically-related bacterial AB5 toxin B subunits

Vertebrate sialic acids (Sias) display much diversity in modifications, linkages and underlying glycans. Slide microarrays allow high-throughput explorations of sialoglycan-protein interactions. A microarray presenting [~]150 structurally-defined sialyltrisaccharides with various Sias linkages and modifications still poses challenges in planning, data sorting, visualization and analysis. To address these issues, we devised a simple 9-digit code for sialyltrisaccharides with terminal Sias and underlying two monosaccharides assigned from the non-reducing end, with three digits assigning a monosaccharide, its modifications, and linkage. Calculations based on the encoding system reveals >113,000 likely linear sialyltrisaccharides in nature. Notably a biantennary N-glycan with two terminal sialyltrisaccharides could thus have >1010 potential combinations and a triantennary N-glycan with three terminal sequences, >1015 potential combinations. While all possibilities likely do not exist in nature, sialoglycans encode enormous diversity. While glycomic approaches are used to probe such diverse sialomes, naturally-occurring bacterial AB5 toxin B subunits are simpler tools to track the dynamic sialome in biological systems. Sialoglycan microarray was utilized to compare sialoglycan-recognizing bacterial toxin B subunits. Unlike the poor correlation between B subunits and species phylogeny, there is stronger correlation with Sia-epitope preferences. Further supporting this pattern, we report a B subunit (YenB) from Yersinia enterocolitica (broad host range) recognizing almost all sialoglycans in the microarray, including 4-O-acetylated-Sias not recognized by a Y. pestis orthologue (YpeB). Differential Sia-binding patterns were also observed with phylogenetically-related B subunits from Escherichia coli (SubB), Salmonella Typhi (PltB), S. Typhimurium (ArtB), extra-intestinal E.coli (EcPltB), Vibrio cholera (CtxB), and cholera family homologue of E. coli (EcxB).

molecular biology↗

bioRxiv2021

Rapid evolution of bacterial AB5 toxin B subunits independent of A subunits: sialic acid binding preferences correlate with host range and toxicity

Cytotoxic A subunits of bacterial AB5 toxins enter the cytosol following B subunit binding to host cell glycans. We report that A subunit phylogeny evolves independently of B subunits and suggest a future B subunit nomenclature based on species name. Phylogenetic analysis of B subunits that bind sialic acids (Sias) with homologous molecules in databases also show poor correlation with phylogeny. These data indicate ongoing lateral gene transfers between species, with mixing of A and B subunits. Some B subunits are not even associated with A subunits e.g., YpeB of Yersinia pestis, the etiologic agent of plague epidemics. Plague cannot be eradicated because of Y. pestis adaptability to numerous hosts. YpeB shares 58% identity/79% similarity with the homo-pentameric B subunit of E. coli Subtilase cytotoxin, and 48% identity/68% similarity with the B subunit of S. Typhi typhoid toxin. We previously showed selective binding of B5 pentamers to a sialoglycan microarray, with Sia preferences corresponding to hosts e.g., N-acetylneuraminic acid (Neu5Ac; prominent in humans) or N-glycolylneuraminic acid (Neu5Gc; prominent in ruminant mammals and rodents). Consistent with much broader host range of Y. pestis, YpeB binds all mammalian sialic acid types, except for 4-O-acetylated ones. Notably, YpeB alone causes dose-dependent cytotoxicity, abolished by a mutation (Y77F) eliminating Sia recognition, suggesting cell proliferation and death via lectin-like cross-linking of cell surface sialoglycoconjugates. These findings help explain the host range of Y. pestis and could be important for pathogenesis. Overall, our data indicate ongoing rapid evolution of both host Sias and pathogen toxin-binding properties.

molecular biology↗