Do the oxidative stress biomarkers predict COVID-19 outcome? An in-hospital cohort study.

In SARSCoV-2 infections, excessive activation of the immune system dramatically elevates reactive oxygen species levels, harms cell structures, and directly increases disease severity and mortality. We aimed to evaluate whether plasma oxidative stress biomarker levels could predict mortality in adults admitted with Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19), considering potential confounders. We conducted a cohort study of 115 adults (62.1 ± 17.6 years, 65 males) admitted to a Brazilian public hospital for severely symptomatic COVID-19. Serum levels of α-tocopherol, glutathione, superoxide dismutase, 8-hydroxy-2'-deoxyguanosine, malondialdehyde, and advanced oxidation protein products were quantified at COVID-19 diagnosis using real-time polymerase chain reaction. Serum levels of α-tocopherol, glutathione, superoxide dismutase, and advanced oxidation protein products differed significantly between survivors and non-survivors. Serum glutathione levels below 327.2 µmol/mL were associated with a significant risk of death in COVID-19 patients, even after accounting for other factors (adjusted hazard ratio = 3.12 [95% CI: 1.83-5.33]).

The Heat Shock Transcription Factor HsfA Plays a Role in Membrane Lipids Biosynthesis Connecting Thermotolerance and Unsaturated Fatty Acid Metabolism in Aspergillus fumigatus.

Thermotolerance is a remarkable virulence attribute of Aspergillus fumigatus, but the consequences of heat shock (HS) to the cell membrane of this fungus are unknown, although this structure is one of the first to detect changes in ambient temperature that imposes on the cell a prompt adaptative response. Under high-temperature stress, fungi trigger the HS response controlled by heat shock transcription factors, such as HsfA, which regulates the expression of heat shock proteins. In yeast, smaller amounts of phospholipids with unsaturated fatty acid (FA) chains are synthesized in response to HS, directly affecting plasma membrane composition. The addition of double bonds in saturated FA is catalyzed by Δ9-fatty acid desaturases, whose expression is temperature-modulated. However, the relationship between HS and saturated/unsaturated FA balance in membrane lipids of A. fumigatus in response to HS has not been investigated. Here, we found that HsfA responds to plasma membrane stress and has a role in sphingolipid and phospholipid unsaturated biosynthesis. In addition, we studied the A. fumigatus Δ9-fatty acid desaturase sdeA and discovered that this gene is essential and required for unsaturated FA biosynthesis, although it did not directly affect the total levels of phospholipids and sphingolipids. sdeA depletion significantly sensitizes mature A. fumigatus biofilms to caspofungin. Also, we demonstrate that hsfA controls sdeA expression, while SdeA and Hsp90 physically interact. Our results suggest that HsfA is required for the adaptation of the fungal plasma membrane to HS and point out a sharp relationship between thermotolerance and FA metabolism in A. fumigatus. IMPORTANCE Aspergillus fumigatus causes invasive pulmonary aspergillosis, a life-threatening infection accounting for high mortality rates in immunocompromised patients. The ability of this organism to grow at elevated temperatures is long recognized as an essential attribute for this mold to cause disease. A. fumigatus responds to heat stress by activating heat shock transcription factors and chaperones to orchestrate cellular responses that protect the fungus against damage caused by heat. Concomitantly, the cell membrane must adapt to heat and maintain physical and chemical properties such as the balance between saturated/unsaturated fatty acids. However, how A. fumigatus connects these two physiological responses is unclear. Here, we explain that HsfA affects the synthesis of complex membrane lipids such as phospholipids and sphingolipids and controls the enzyme SdeA, which produces monounsaturated fatty acids, raw material for membrane lipids. These findings suggest that forced dysregulation of saturated/unsaturated fatty acid balance might represent novel strategies for antifungal therapy.

Brevundimonas brasiliensis sp. nov.: a New Multidrug-Resistant Species Isolated from a Patient in Brazil.

To increase knowledge on Brevundimonas pathogens, we conducted in-depth genomic and phenotypic characterization of a Brevundimonas strain isolated from the cerebrospinal fluid of a patient admitted in a neonatal intensive care unit. The strain was identified as a member of the genus Brevundimonas based on Vitek 2 system results and 16S rRNA gene sequencing and presented a multidrug resistance profile (MDR). Several molecular and biochemical tests were used to characterize and identify the species for in-depth results. The draft genome assembly of the isolate has a total length of 3,261,074 bp and a G+C of 66.86%, similar to other species of the genus. Multilocus sequence analysis, Type (Strain) Genome Server, digital DNA-DNA hybridization, and average nucleotide identity confirmed that the Brevundimonas sp. studied represents a distinct species, for which we propose the name Brevundimonas brasiliensis sp. nov. In silico analysis detected antimicrobial resistance genes (AMRGs) mediating resistance to ß-lactams (penP, blaTEM-16, and blaBKC-1) and aminoglycosides [strA, strB, aac(6')-Ib, and aac(6')-Il]. We also found AMRGs encoding the AcrAB efflux pump that confers resistance to a broad spectrum of antibiotics. Colistin and quinolone resistance can be attributed to mutation in qseC and/or phoP and GyrA/GyrB, respectively. The Brevundimonas brasiliensis sp. nov. genome contained copies of type IV secretion system (T4SS)-type integrative and conjugative elements (ICEs); integrative mobilizable elements (IME); and Tn3-type and IS3, IS6, IS5, and IS1380 families, suggesting an important role in the development and dissemination of antibiotic resistance. The isolate presented a range of virulence-associated genes related to biofilm formation, adhesion, and invasion that can be relevant for its pathogenicity. Our findings provide a wealth of data to hinder the transmission of MDR Brevundimonas and highlight the need for monitoring and identifying new bacterial species in hospital environments. IMPORTANCE Brevundimonas species is considered an opportunistic human pathogen that can cause multiple types of invasive and severe infections in patients with underlying pathologies. Treatment of these pathogens has become a major challenge because many isolates are resistant to most antibiotics used in clinical practice. Furthermore, there are no consistent therapeutic results demonstrating the efficacy of antibacterial agents. Although considered a rare pathogen, recent studies have provided evidence of the emergence of Brevundimonas in clinical settings. Hence, we identified a novel pathogenic bacterium, Brevundimonas brasiliensis sp. nov., that presented a multidrug resistance (MDR) profile and carried diverse genes related to drug resistance, virulence, and mobile genetic elements. Such data can serve as a baseline for understanding the genomic diversity, adaptation, evolution, and pathogenicity of MDR Brevundimonas.

Expression patterns of peroxiredoxin genes in bronchial epithelial cells exposed to diesel exhaust particles.

Several mechanisms have been suggested to explain the adverse effects of air pollutants on airway cells. One such explanation is the presence of high concentrations of oxidants and pro-oxidants in environmental pollutants. All animal and plant cells have developed several mechanisms to prevent damage by oxidative molecules. Among these, the peroxiredoxins (PRDXs) are of interest due to a high reactivity with reactive oxygen species (ROS) through the functioning of the thioredoxin/thioredoxin reductase system. This study aimed to verify the gene expression patterns of the PRDX family in bronchial epithelial airway cells (BEAS-2B) cells exposed to diesel exhaust particles (DEPs) at a concentration of 15 µg/mL for 1 or 2 h because this it is a major component of particulate matter in the atmosphere. There was a significant decrease in mRNA fold changes of PRDX2 (0.43 ± 0.34; *p = 0.0220), PRDX5 (0.43 ± 0.34; *p = 0.0220), and PRDX6 (0.33 ± 0.25; *p = 0.0069) after 1 h of exposure to DEPs. The reduction in mRNA levels may consequently lead to a decrease in the levels of PRDX proteins, increasing oxidative stress in bronchial epithelial cells BEAS-2B and thus, negatively affecting cellular functions.

The Aspergillus fumigatus pkcA G579R Mutant Is Defective in the Activation of the Cell Wall Integrity Pathway but Is Dispensable for Virulence in a Neutropenic Mouse Infection Model.

Aspergillus fumigatus is an opportunistic human pathogen, which causes the life-threatening disease, invasive pulmonary aspergillosis. In fungi, cell wall homeostasis is controlled by the conserved Cell Wall Integrity (CWI) pathway. In A. fumigatus this signaling cascade is partially characterized, but the mechanisms by which it is activated are not fully elucidated. In this study we investigated the role of protein kinase C (PkcA) in this signaling cascade. Our results suggest that pkcA is an essential gene and is activated in response to cell wall stress. Subsequently, we constructed and analyzed a non-essential A. fumigatus pkcAG579R mutant, carrying a Gly579Arg substitution in the PkcA C1B regulatory domain. The pkcAG579R mutation has a reduced activation of the downstream Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase, MpkA, resulting in the altered expression of genes encoding cell wall-related proteins, markers of endoplasmic reticulum stress and the unfolded protein response. Furthermore, PkcAG579R is involved in the formation of proper conidial architecture and protection to oxidative damage. The pkcAG579R mutant elicits increased production of TNF-α and phagocytosis but it has no impact on virulence in a murine model of invasive pulmonary aspergillosis. These results highlight the importance of PkcA to the CWI pathway but also indicated that additional regulatory circuits may be involved in the biosynthesis and/or reinforcement of the A. fumigatus cell wall during infection.

JAK2 V617F prevalence in Brazilian patients with polycythemia vera, idiopathic myelofibrosis and essential thrombocythemia

Polycythemia vera (PV), essential thrombocythemia (ET) and idiopathic myelofibrosis (IMF) are myeloproliferative disorders (MPD) that arise from the clonal proliferation of a pluripotent hematopoietic progenitor, leading to the overproduction of one or more myeloid lineages. Recently, a specific mutation in the JAK2 gene, which encodes a tyrosine kinase, has been shown to be associated with the myeloproliferative phenotype observed in PV, ET and IMF. In this study of Brazilian patients, the JAK2 V617F mutation [c.1887G > T) was detected in four out of 49 patients with PV (96 percent), 14 out of 25 patients with IMF (56 percent), and in eight out of 29 patients with ET, which is in accordance with previous screenings of this mutation in other populations.