Biology subjects

Palmieri, F.

Publications and source records attributed to Palmieri, F..

6 recordsLinked to original sources

bioRxiv2025

Fighting Aspergillus infection using biocontrol bacteria: A proof-of-concept of environmental interference in a translational setting

Aspergillus fungi are opportunistic pathogens that affect millions of people worldwide. Aspergilli produce organic acids to optimize the environmental pH and match the needs of their enzymatic machinery. In this study, we tested the hypothesis that this also occurs during infection. By producing oxalic acid (OA), Aspergillus would manipulate pH during lung infection and thus, interfering with this process could control the pathogen. To test this hypothesis, we assessed in silico the potential for OA production in a wide range of Aspergilli. A genetic marker for AO production was detected in most of the species including prevalent human pathogens. We tested OA production in vitro in four strains of A. niger and A. fumigatus, but only one of the A. niger strains produced OA consistently. For this fungal strain, oxalotrophic bacteria were able to control fungal growth via OA consumption. To translate this observation into a pre-clinical system, increasingly complex experiments were performed. In 3D-cell cultures, A. niger also secreted OA and modified pH and free Ca2+. Co-inoculation of the oxalotrophic bacterium inhibited the development of the fungus. However, biocontrol could not be replicated in Galleria mellonella, which is often used as an infection model. In contrast, the bacterium improved disease score and the absence of oxalate crystals in the lungs in the mouse model. This biocontrol interaction between oxalotrophic bacteria and A. niger represents a paradigm shift in the fight against opportunistic fungal pathogens, where the goal is to render the host environment less permissive to pathogen development One Sentence SummaryDemonstration of biocontrol as a therapeutic concept to combat Aspergillus niger with oxalotrophic bacteria in an animal infection model

microbiology↗

bioRxiv2025

Prevalence of Oxalotrophy in the Human Microbiome

Incomplete degradation of oxalate, a compound commonly found in the diet, can cause disease in humans, particularly of the kidney. Its concentration in the body depends on several factors, one of which is intestinal absorption, which is itself affected by oxalotrophy among enteric bacteria. Oxalotrophy in the human microbiome is poorly known. In this study, we perform a systematic search for the simultaneous presence of the three oxalotrophy genes, namely frc, oxc and oxlT. Thanks to the construction and validation of specific conservation models for all three genes, we were able to search for oxalotrophy in genomes and metagenomes associated with the human digestive tract, oral cavity, and lungs. We report that oxalotrophy - the capacity to use oxalate as a source of energy - is a rare metabolic trait, mostly confined to the gut, and also find evidence that it can be acquired by horizontal gene transfer. By contrast, the capacity for oxalate degradation is more widespread, and two genes responsible for it (frc and oxc) are almost always close together in the genome, suggesting selection pressure.

microbiology↗

bioRxiv2024

A Light Sensitive Hyaluronic Acid-based Hydrogel for 3D Culturing, Differentiation, and Harvesting of Mesenchymal Stromal Cells

Hydrogels derived from natural sources are commonly used for 3D cell culturing due to their favourable interactions with cells. However, these biomaterials (e.g. Matrigel) suffer from variations in composition, limited mechanical tunability, the presence of xenogenic components and difficulties of cell retrieval. Semi-synthetic hydrogels are emerging to address these limitations, making these attractive for drug delivery and tissue engineering. Here, we describe a hydrogel platform based on hyaluronic acid (HA) modified by (1R,8S,9S)-bicycle[6.1.0]non-4-yn-9-ylmethanol (BCN) and a cross-linker composed of light sensitive o-nitrobenzyl moieties and polyethylene glycol (PEG) chains terminating in azides. The two components can undergo strain-promoted azide-alkyne cycloaddition (SPAAC) resulting in rapid gel formation. The stiffness of the hydrogel can be modulated by varying the crosslinker ratio and multi-functionalizing is possible by the incorporation of chemical cues modified by an azide. The fast hydrogelation enables easy encapsulation of cells and harvesting with preservation of viability is possible be short exposure to UV light. Moreover, it is demonstrated that visible light (405 nm) can soften the hydrogel resulting in phenotypical changes of human Mesenchymal Stromal Cells (hMSCs) co-cultured with endothelial colony-forming cells (ECFCs) with high viability. Our findings highlight that the photosensitive HA-based hydrogel provides a versatile and biocompatible platform for cell culture and tissue engineering applications, offering advantages over traditional 3D cell culturing platforms.

biochemistry↗

bioRxiv2022

Spatial scales of competition and a growth-motility tradeoff interact to determine bacterial coexistence

1.The coexistence of competing species is a long-lasting puzzle in evolutionary ecology research. Despite abundant experimental evidence showing that the opportunity for coexistence decreases as niche overlap increases between species, bacterial species and strains competing for the same resources are commonly found across diverse spatially heterogeneous habitats. We thus hypothesized that the spatial scale of competition may play a key role in determining bacterial coexistence, and interact with other mechanisms that promote coexistence, including a growth-motility tradeoff. To test this hypothesis, we let two Pseudomonas putida strains compete at local and regional scales by inoculating them either in a mixed droplet or in separate droplets in the same Petri dish, respectively. We also created conditions that allow the bacterial strains to disperse across abiotic or fungal hyphae networks. We found that competition at the local scale led to competitive exclusion while regional competition promoted coexistence. When competing in the presence of dispersal networks, the growth-motility tradeoff promoted coexistence only when the strains were inoculated in separate droplets. Our results provide a mechanism by which existing laboratory data suggesting competitive exclusion at a local scale is reconciled with the widespread coexistence of competing bacterial strains in complex natural environments with dispersal.

ecology↗

bioRxiv2021

Aedes albopictus bionomics in Procida Island, a promising Mediterranean site for the assessment of innovative and community-based integrated pest management methods.

The colonization of Mediterranean Europe and of other temperate regions by Aedes albopictus created in the last decades an unprecedented nuisance problem in highly infested areas, as well as a new public health threat due to the species competence to transmit exotic arboviruses, such as dengue, chikungunya and zika. The Sterile Insect Technique (SIT) and the Incompatible Insect Technique (IIT) are insecticide-free mosquito-control methods relying on mass release of irradiated/manipulated males which are believed to have a potential in complementing existing and only partially effective control tools. Testing and implementing these approaches are challenging and selection of study sites is an instrumental and crucial step. We carried out a 4-year study in Procida Island (Gulf of Naples, Italy) in strict collaboration with local administrators and citizens to estimate: i) the temporal dynamics, spatial distribution, and population size of Ae. albopictus; and ii) the dispersal and survival of irradiated males. Overall, results provide insights on the bionomics of the mosquito in Southern Europe and draw attention to Procida Island as an ideal site to test innovative control programs against Ae. albopictus which may be used in other Mediterranean and temperate areas."

ecology↗

bioRxiv2020

Exploiting oxalotrophic bacteria to control Aspergillus niger lung infections

Aspergillus fungi are opportunistic pathogens that affect a large number of people worldwide. Many aspects of Aspergillus spp. pathogenesis toward humans are known, but their ability to enhance their infectious potential by manipulating the environmental pH of its host has not been considered yet. In this study, we tested the hypothesis that by producing oxalic acid, Aspergillus niger can manipulate pH during lung infection and thus, interfering with this process could limit pathogenicity. To test this hypothesis, we co-cultured A. niger with oxalotrophic bacteria in increasingly complex testing systems (Petri dishes and 3D-cell cultures systems). In in vitro tests, oxalotrophic bacteria limit oxalic acid production and suppressed the pH shift induced by A. niger. In 3D-cell cultures (Transwells(R) and Bronchioles-on-a-chip), A. niger also modified pH, Ca2+ and oxalic acid concentrations. Co-inoculation with as little as 10 cells of the oxalatrophic bacterium strongly inhibited the germination and development of A. niger and returned each of the three parameters to the baseline physiological values of uninfected cells. This biocontrol interaction between oxalotrophic bacteria and oxalate-producing A. niger could represent a paradigm shift in the fight against opportunistic fungal pathogens, where the host environment is rendered less permissive to fungal development.

microbiology↗