Dual membrane-spanning anti-sigma factors regulate vesiculation in Bacteroides thetaiotaomicron.

Bacteroidota are abundant members of the human gut microbiota that shape the enteric landscape by modulating host immunity and degrading dietary- and host-derived glycans. These processes are mediated in part by Outer Membrane Vesicles (OMVs). Here, we developed a high-throughput screen to identify genes required for OMV biogenesis and its regulation in Bacteroides thetaiotaomicron (Bt). We identified a family of Dual membrane-spanning anti-sigma factors (Dma) that control OMV biogenesis. We conducted molecular and multiomic analyses to demonstrate that deletion of Dma1, the founding member of the Dma family, modulates OMV production by controlling the activity of the ECF21 family sigma factor, Das1, and its downstream regulon. Dma1 has a previously uncharacterized domain organization that enables Dma1 to span both the inner and outer membrane of Bt. Phylogenetic analyses reveal that this common feature of the Dma family is restricted to the phylum Bacteroidota. This study provides mechanistic insights into the regulation of OMV biogenesis in human gut bacteria.

Self-Compassion Mediates the Relationship between Parentalcriticism and Social Anxiety

Psychological theories of social anxiety suggest that social anxiety is associated with parental criticism. The current study aimed to test this hypothesis and examine the possibility that different aspects of self-compassion (self-warmth and self-coldness) mediate the relationship between parental criticism and social anxiety. Participants from the general population (N= 211) completed an online survey that measured levels of parental criticism, self-compassion, and social anxiety. The results showed that parental criticism was positively correlated with social anxiety and self-coldness, while negatively correlated with self-warmth. Social anxiety was also positively correlated with self-coldness and negatively correlated with self-warmth. Finally, self-warmth and self-coldness completely mediated the relationship between parental criticism and social anxiety. The results provide evidence to suggest that parental criticism has an impact on social anxiety through its association with low self-compassion (AU)

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