The Lmb protein of Streptococcus agalactiae is described as an adhesin that binds laminin, a component of the human extracellular matrix. In this study, we revealed a new role for this protein in zinc uptake. We also identified two Lmb homologs, AdcA and AdcAII, redundant binding proteins that combine with the AdcCB translocon to form a zinc-ABC transporter. Expression of this transporter is controlled by the zinc concentration in the medium through the zinc-dependent regulator AdcR. Triple deletion of lmb, adcA, and adcAII, or that of the adcCB genes, impaired growth and cell separation in a zinc-restricted environment. Moreover, we found that this Adc zinc-ABC transporter promotes S. agalactiae growth and survival in some human biological fluids, suggesting that it contributes to the infection process. These results indicated that zinc has biologically vital functions in S. agalactiae and that, under the conditions tested, the Adc/Lmb transporter constitutes the main zinc acquisition system of the bacterium. IMPORTANCEA zinc transporter, composed of three redundant binding proteins (Lmb, AdcA, and AdcAII), was characterized in Streptococcus agalactiae. This system was shown to be essential for bacterial growth and morphology in zinc-restricted environments, including human biological fluids. S treptococcus agalactiae (group B streptococcus [GBS]) is aGram-positive commensal bacterium of the human gastrointestinal and uro-genital tracts. GBS carriage is mostly asymptomatic in healthy adults, and this bacterium is detected in the vagina of approximatively 30% of pregnant women. Maternal carriage is the main source of transmission to neonates, in which S. agalactiae can cause invasive infections (pneumonia, septicemia, and meningitis), with an overall mortality rate of approximately 10% (1, 2). GBS is also an emergent pathogen among the elderly and in adults with underlying diseases (1, 3).The ability of GBS to colonize different niches and cause infection is multifactorial, and many virulence-associated proteins have been identified (4, 5). Binding of GBS adhesins to components of the extracellular matrix constitutes a crucial first step in the process of infection (6-9). Among them, the Lmb protein has been identified as a GBS receptor for laminin, a glycosylated multidomain protein found in all human tissues (10). The gene encoding Lmb is located on a transposon with the scpB and sht genes, which encode a C5a peptidase and a histidine triad protein, respectively (11, 12). The lmb promoter region is a hot spot for the integration of two mobile genetic elements. One of them is associated with increased expression of lmb, resulting in increased binding of strains harboring the transposon to laminin (13). It has also been shown that Lmb may promote bacterial invasion in human brain microvascular endothelial cell lines (14).Lmb is clustered by sequence homology as a metal-binding receptor. Indeed, Lmb has strong homology with the zinc-binding proteins AdcA and Lbp of other streptococcal species (15, 16). Th...

ObjectiveWe aimed to evaluate the feasibility of an online High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) program on clinical psychological symptoms in higher education students in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown.Materials and MethodsDuring the lockdown, 30 students aged 18–25 years, who had been screened previously with a cut-off score ≥5 in the Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7) questionnaire, were randomly assigned to either the 4-week HIIT program with three sessions per week conducted through online videos, or a no-intervention control group. The primary outcome was the feasibility assessment. The secondary outcome was a psychological self-report with the 21-items Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale (DASS-21). Assessment and intervention were performed in compliance with social distancing rules.ResultsTwo participants in the HIIT were lost to follow-up, leaving 13 participants vs. 15 in the control group. We observed high adherence (87%) and complete safety for mental and physical status with the HIIT intervention delivered by online videos. The Mann-Whitney test demonstrated a significant (group × time, P-Value = 0.046) reduction of clinical stress symptoms and a trend (group × time, P-Value = 0.08) toward reduction of clinical depression symptoms, both favoring the HIIT group. No significant (group × time, P-Value = 0.118) interaction was found for anxiety symptoms.ConclusionThe online HIIT program was found to be feasible and safe in a clinical sample of young adults, who were experiencing social and physical restrictions due to COVID-19. HIIT reduced stress and depressive symptoms and thus these preliminary results show promise for broader application among higher education students during the present lockdown necessitated by the global COVID-19 health crisis.

Streptococcus agalactiae is not only part of the human intestinal and urogenital microbiota but is also a leading cause of septicemia and meningitis in neonates. Its ability to cause disease depends upon the acquisition of nutrients from its environment, including the transition metal ion zinc. The primary zinc acquisition system of the pathogen is the Adc/Lmb ABC permease, which is essential for viability in zinc-restricted environments. Here, we show that in addition to the AdcCB transporter and the three zinc-binding proteins, Lmb, AdcA, and AdcAII, S. agalactiae zinc homeostasis also involves two streptococcal histidine triad (Sht) proteins. Sht and ShtII are required for zinc uptake via the Lmb and AdcAII proteins with apparent overlapping functionality and specificity. Both Sht-family proteins possess fivehistidine triad motifs with similar hierarchies of importance for Zn homeostasis. Independent of its contribution to zinc homeostasis, Sht has previously been reported to bind factor H leading to predictions of a contribution to complement evasion. Here, we investigated ShtII to ascertain whether it had similar properties. Analysis of recombinant Sht and ShtII reveals that both proteins have similar affinities for factor H binding. However, neither protein aided in resistance to complement in human blood. These findings challenge prior inferences regarding the in vivo role of the Sht proteins in resisting complement᎑mediated clearance. IMPORTANCE This study examined the role of the two streptococcal histidine triad (Sht) proteins of Streptococcus agalactiae in zinc homeostasis and complement resistance. We showed that Sht and ShtII facilitate zinc homeostasis in conjunction with the metal-binding proteins Lmb and AdcAII. Here, we show that the Sht-family proteins are functionally redundant with overlapping roles in zinc uptake. Further, this work reveals that although the Sht-family proteins bind to factor H in vitro this did not influence survival in human blood.

The physiology of the deep-sea hyperthermophilic, anaerobic vent archaeon Pyrococcus abyssi, originating from the Fiji Basin at a depth of 2,000 m, was studied under diverse conditions. The emphasis of these studies lay in the growth and survival of this archaeon under the different conditions present in the natural habitat. Incubation under in situ pressure (20 MPa) and at 40 MPa increased the maximal and minimal growth temperatures by 4؇C. In situ pressure enhanced survival at a lethal high temperature (106 to 112؇C) relative to that at low pressure (0.3 MPa). The whole-cell protein profile, analyzed by one-dimensional sodium dodecyl sulfate gel electrophoresis, did not change in cultures grown under low or high pressure at optimal and minimal growth temperatures, but several changes were observed at the maximal growth temperature under in situ pressure. The complex lipid pattern of P. abyssi grown under in situ and 0.1-to 0.5-MPa pressures at different temperatures was analyzed by thin-layer chromatography. The phospholipids became more complex at a low growth temperature at both pressures but their profiles were not superimposable; fewer differences were observed in the core lipids. The polar lipids were composed of only one phospholipid in cells grown under in situ pressure at high temperatures. Survival in the presence of oxygen and under starvation conditions was examined. Oxygen was toxic to P. abyssi at growth range temperature, but the strain survived for several weeks at 4؇C. The strain was not affected by starvation in a minimal medium for at least 1 month at 4؇C and only minimally affected at 95؇C for several days. Cells were more resistant to oxygen in starvation medium. A drastic change in protein profile, depending on incubation time, was observed in cells when starved at growth temperature.

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