Biomedical subjects

Vasiliki Anesti

Publications and source records attributed to Vasiliki Anesti.

3 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed2006

The relationship between mitochondrial shape and function and the cytoskeleton.

Mitochondria are crucial organelles for life and death of the cell. They are prominent players in energy conversion and integrated signaling pathways including regulation of Ca2+ signals and apoptosis. Their functional versatility is matched by their morphological plasticity and by their high mobility, allowing their transport at specialized cellular sites. This transport occurs by interactions with a variety of cytoskeletal proteins that also have the ability to influence shape and function of the organelle. A growing body of evidence suggests that mitochondria use cytoskeletal proteins as tracks for their movement; in turn, mitochondrial morphology and function is regulated via mostly uncharacterized pathways, by the cytoskeleton.

Actin Cytoskeleton↗

PubMed2005

Isolation and molecular detection of methylotrophic bacteria occurring in the human mouth.

Diverse methylotrophic bacteria were isolated from the tongue, and supra- and subgingival plaque in the mouths of volunteers and patients with periodontitis. One-carbon compounds such as dimethylsulfide in the mouth are likely to be used as growth substrates for these organisms. Methylotrophic strains of Bacillus, Brevibacterium casei, Hyphomicrobium sulfonivorans, Methylobacterium, Micrococcus luteus and Variovorax paradoxus were characterized physiologically and by their 16S rRNA gene sequences. The type strain of B. casei was shown to be methylotrophic. Enzymes of methylotrophic metabolism were characterized in some strains, and activities consistent with growth using known pathways of C1-compound metabolism demonstrated. Genomic DNA from 18 tongue and dental plaque samples from nine volunteers was amplified by the polymerase chain reaction using primers for the 16S rRNA gene of Methylobacterium and the mxaF gene of methanol dehydrogenase. MxaF was detected in all nine volunteers, and Methylobacterium was detected in seven. Methylotrophic activity is thus a feature of the oral bacterial community.

Alcohol Oxidoreductases↗

PubMed2004

Molecular detection and isolation of facultatively methylotrophic bacteria, including Methylobacterium podarium sp. nov., from the human foot microflora.

This is the first study to demonstrate that diverse methylotrophic bacteria occur in the human foot microflora. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) amplification of DNA from the soles and toe clefts of feet of five subjects indicated Methylobacterium strains to be present in all cases. Polymerase chain reaction amplification also showed the gene for the alpha-subunit of methanol dehydrogenase (mxaF) to be present in all samples. Two types of mxaF were recovered, one closest to that of Methylobacterium extorquens and the other most similar to that of Hyphomicrobium methylovorum. Numerous methylotrophic strains able to grow on methylamine were isolated with ease from the feet of nine volunteers. These were found by 16S rRNA analysis to be most closely related to Methylobacterium species, Brevibacterium casei, Pseudomonas strain NZ099 and P. migulae. Three strains from two subjects were of a novel species, Methylobacterium podarium sp. nov. This facultatively methylotrophic, obligately aerobic, pink-pigmented, non-motile rod grew with a wide range of multicarbon and one-carbon compounds including citrate, xylose, mono-, di-, and trimethylamine, dimethylsulphide, methanethiol, dimethylsulphoxide, dimethylsulphone and methanol.

Adult↗