All articles tagged with #peptidoglycan
Researchers at IISER Bhopal and CSIR-CDRI have developed a new chemical method to selectively target Staphylococcus aureus by modifying its N-terminal glycine residues. This electronically tunable approach allows for species-specific detection and inhibition of both drug-susceptible and resistant strains, including biofilms, in both lab and animal models.
MIT researchers identify the exact bacterial signals that activate the enteric neuron NSM in C. elegans: specific polysaccharides, including peptidoglycan from gram-positive bacteria, trigger neural activity via acid-sensing ion channels (ASICs) to regulate feeding, while the pathogenic pigment prodigiosin can suppress this signaling. The findings map a mechanistic, likely evolutionarily conserved gut-brain communication pathway with potential implications for targeted therapies in humans.
A study suggests that bacterial cell wall molecules like peptidoglycan are present in the brain and fluctuate with sleep cycles, supporting a new 'holobiont condition' model where sleep is regulated by interactions between the brain and microbiome, potentially influencing cognition, behavior, and evolution.
Researchers led by Martin Thanbichler have discovered a central regulator, DipM, that controls different classes of autolysins involved in bacterial cell wall remodeling. DipM interacts with multiple autolysins and a cell division factor, making it the first identified regulator that can control two classes of autolysins. Disruption of DipM leads to cell death, highlighting its critical role in cell shape maintenance and division. These findings may contribute to the development of new therapeutic strategies against bacterial infections by targeting multiple autolytic pathways simultaneously.