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Biology subjects

Nandi, S.

Publications and source records attributed to Nandi, S..

4 recordsLinked to original sources

Proteomic analysis of Stony Coral Tissue Loss Disease demonstrates coral-algal dysbiosis during disease progression

Stony Coral Tissue Loss Disease (SCTLD) has devastated Caribbean reefs, yet the host molecular response to infection is poorly understood. Previous gene expression studies of diseased corals identified shifts in the immune response, apoptosis, and coral-algal dysbiosis. Here, we characterized the proteomic response of Diploria labyrinthiformis to SCTLD by comparing protein abundance in healthy tissue from uninfected colonies and apparently healthy and neighboring diseased tissue from infected colonies. These results were compared with existing metagenomic data from the same samples that previously demonstrated significant shifts in the coral microbiome due to SCTLD. We identified 480 differentially abundant proteins when comparing diseased lesion and healthy tissues, but only 12 between apparently healthy and healthy tissues. Pathway-level analysis provides evidence of immune suppression in apparently healthy tissue, suggesting that host molecular responses precede visible disease progression. Diseased lesion tissues showed wound-healing responses combined with a decreased abundance of proteins involved in symbiosome maintenance and increased oxidative stress responses, consistent with host-algal dysbiosis. This result correlates with the previous metagenomic analysis of these samples which found that infected colonies exhibit distinct algal symbiont communities dominated by Symbiodinium necroappetens, whereas healthy colonies are dominated by Durusdinium trenchii and Breviolum spp. Comparison with existing transcriptomic studies revealed both shared and distinct molecular responses, underscoring the importance of integrating multi-omics approaches to understand coral diseases. Our results suggest that SCTLD in D. labyrinthiformis is associated with early immune suppression, coral-algal dysbiosis, oxidative stress, and subsequent wound-healing responses.

ecology

Receptor guanylyl cyclase C confers protection during oral Salmonella Typhimurium infection by attenuating ileal damage and enhancing cytokine and antimicrobial peptide production

Non-typhoidal Salmonella disease contributes towards significant morbidity and mortality across the world. Host factors including IFN-{gamma}, TNF- and gut microbiota, significantly influence the outcome of Salmonella pathogenesis. However, the entire repertoire of host protective mechanisms contributing to Salmonella pathogenicity is not completely appreciated. Here, we have investigated the roles of receptor guanylyl cyclase C (GC-C) that is predominantly expressed in the intestine, and regulates intestinal cell proliferation and fluid-ion homeostasis. Mice deficient in GC-C (Gucy2c-/-) displayed accelerated mortality following infection via the oral route, in spite of possessing comparative systemic Salmonella infection burden. Survival following intra-peritoneal infection remained similar, indicating that GC-C offered protection via a gut-mediated response. Serum cortisol was higher in Gucy2c-/- mice, in comparison to wild type (Gucy2c+/+) mice, and an increase in infection-induced thymic atrophy, with loss in immature CD4+CD8+ double positive thymocytes, was observed. Accelerated and enhanced damage in the ileum, including submucosal edema, epithelial cell damage, focal tufting and distortion of villus architecture, was seen in Gucy2c-/- mice, concomitant with a larger number of ileal tissue-associated bacteria. Transcription of key mediators in Salmonella-induced inflammation (IL-22/Reg3{beta}) were altered in Gucy2c-/- mice in comparison to Gucy2c+/+ mice. A reduction in fecal Lactobacilli, which are protective against Salmonella infection, was observed in Gucy2c-/- mice. Gucy2c-/- mice cohoused with wild type mice continued to show reduced Lactobacilli and increased susceptibility to infection. Our study therefore suggests that receptor GC-C confers a survival advantage during gut-mediated S. Typhimurium pathogenesis, presumably by regulating Salmonella-effector mechanisms and maintaining a beneficial microbiome.

microbiology

PTE, a novel module of mammalian Polycomb Response Elements

Polycomb Group proteins are essential epigenetic repressors. They form multiple protein complexes of which two kinds, PRC1 and PRC2, are indispensable for repression. Although much is known about their biochemical properties, how PRC1 and PRC2 are targeted to specific genes is poorly understood. Here we establish the Cyclin D2 (CCND2) oncogene as a simple model to address this question. We provide the evidence that coordinated recruitment of PRC1 and PRC2 complexes to CCND2 involves a combination of a specialized PRC1 targeting element (PTE) and an adjacent CpG-island, which together act as a human Polycomb Response Element. Chromatin immunoprecipitation analysis of CCND2 in different transcriptional states indicates that histone modifications produced by PRC1 and PRC2 are not sufficient to recruit either of the complexes. However, catalytic activity of PRC2 helps to anchor PRC1 at the PTE. Our analyses suggest that coordinated targeting of PRC1 and PRC2 complexes by juxtaposed AT-rich PTEs and CpG-islands may be a general feature of Polycomb repression in mammals.

molecular biology

Switchable amplification of fluoresence from a photosynthetic microbe

One known attribute of the photosynthetic apparatus is photon capture and generation of metabolic energy. The thermodynamic implications of fluorescence, invariably associated with the photosynthetic components is however poorly understood. In this paper we report a density dependent amplification of such fluorescence which can be interpreted as a thermodynamic strategy of controlled energy release by the cell. We show in support of this hypothesis that prolonged photo-exitation of cell free extract of Rhodobacter capsulatus SB1003 at 395 nm, induces fluorescence emission amplifying with time as long as the fluorophore density is above a critical level. The fact that the amplification disappears at low temperature and at dilute condition, is in accordance with the thermodynamic interpretation that energy is released as per requirement. Live cell imaging is also validation of the phenomenon even at the cellular level. Single cells of Rhodobacter capsulatus SB1003 shows time dependent loss of fluorescence, the process being reversed for cellular clusters. To explain the mechanism of this bistable fluorescence (F) amplification, variation of the scale free kinetic constant k=1/F (dF/dt) is studied at varying temperatures in presence and absence of static magnetic field. The sign of k shifts from positive to negative if T is lowered or if the system is diluted. But at low T, k again switches from negative to positive value, if static magnetic field is applied. The chain of events can be explained by a simple model assuming excretion of a porphyrin by the microbe and possible photon dependent aggregation behavior of such porphyrin complex, differential temperature and magnetic field sensitivity of the monomeric or aggregated forms of porphyrin being reported earlier.

biophysics