Chromobacterium vaccinii has been isolated only from cranberry bogs in Massachusetts. While it is unknown what role these bacteria play in their natural environments, they hold potential as biological control agents against the larvae of insect pests. Potential virulence genes were identified, including the violacein synthesis pathway, siderophores, and chitinases.

Chromobacterium subtsugae MWU12-2387 was isolated from the rhizosphere of cranberry plants. While it is unknown what environmental role these bacteria play in bog soils, they hold potential as biological control agents against nematodes and insect pests. Potential virulence genes were identified, including the violacein synthesis pathway, siderophores, and several chitinases.

Chromobacterium subtsugae was isolated from cranberry bogs in Massachusetts. While it is unknown what environmental role these bacteria play in bog soils, they hold potential as biological control agents against the larvae of insect pests. Potential virulence genes were identified, including the violacein synthesis pathway, siderophores, and several chitinases.

Significance Statement Endocytosis, recycling, and degradation of proteins are essential functions of mammalian cells, especially for terminally differentiated cells with limited regeneration rates and complex morphology, such as podocytes. To improve our understanding on how disturbances of these trafficking pathways are linked to podocyte depletion and slit diaphragm (SD) injury, the authors explored the role of the small GTPase Rab7, which is linked to endosomal, lysosomal, and autophagic pathways, using as model systems mice and Drosophila with podocyte-specific or nephrocyte-specific loss of Rab7, and a human podocyte cell line depleted for Rab7. Their findings point to maturation and fusion events during endolysosomal and autophagic maturation as key processes for podocyte homeostasis and function and identify altered lysosomal pH values as a putative novel mechanism for podocytopathies. Background Endocytosis, recycling, and degradation of proteins are essential functions of mammalian cells, especially for terminally differentiated cells with limited regeneration rates, such as podocytes. How disturbances within these trafficking pathways may act as factors in proteinuric glomerular diseases is poorly understood. Methods To explore how disturbances in trafficking pathways may act as factors in proteinuric glomerular diseases, we focused on Rab7, a highly conserved GTPase that controls the homeostasis of late endolysosomal and autophagic processes. We generated mouse and Drosophila in vivo models lacking Rab7 exclusively in podocytes or nephrocytes, and performed histologic and ultrastructural analyses. To further investigate Rab7 function on lysosomal and autophagic structures, we used immortalized human cell lines depleted for Rab7. Results Depletion of Rab7 in mice, Drosophila, and immortalized human cell lines resulted in an accumulation of diverse vesicular structures resembling multivesicular bodies, autophagosomes, and autoendolysosomes. Mice lacking Rab7 developed a severe and lethal renal phenotype with early-onset proteinuria and global or focal segmental glomerulosclerosis, accompanied by an altered distribution of slit diaphragm proteins. Remarkably, structures resembling multivesicular bodies began forming within 2 weeks after birth, prior to the glomerular injuries. In Drosophila nephrocytes, Rab7 knockdown resulted in the accumulation of vesicles and reduced slit diaphragms. In vitro, Rab7 knockout led to similar enlarged vesicles and altered lysosomal pH values, accompanied by an accumulation of lysosomal marker proteins. Conclusions Disruption within the final common pathway of endocytic and autophagic processes may be a novel and insufficiently understood mechanism regulating podocyte health and disease.