TY  - JOUR
A1  - Peters, Simon
A1  - Kaiser, Lena
A1  - Fink, Julian
A1  - Schumacher, Fabian
A1  - Perschin, Veronika
A1  - Schlegel, Jan
A1  - Sauer, Markus
A1  - Stigloher, Christian
A1  - Kleuser, Burkhard
A1  - Seibel, Juergen
A1  - Schubert-Unkmeir, Alexandra
T1  - Click-correlative light and electron microscopy (click-AT-CLEM) for imaging and tracking azido-functionalized sphingolipids in bacteria
JF  - Scientific Reports
N2  - Sphingolipids, including ceramides, are a diverse group of structurally related lipids composed of a sphingoid base backbone coupled to a fatty acid side chain and modified terminal hydroxyl group. Recently, it has been shown that sphingolipids show antimicrobial activity against a broad range of pathogenic microorganisms. The antimicrobial mechanism, however, remains so far elusive. Here, we introduce 'click-AT-CLEM', a labeling technique for correlated light and electron microscopy (CLEM) based on the super-resolution array tomography (srAT) approach and bio-orthogonal click chemistry for imaging of azido-tagged sphingolipids to directly visualize their interaction with the model Gram-negative bacterium Neisseria meningitidis at subcellular level. We observed ultrastructural damage of bacteria and disruption of the bacterial outer membrane induced by two azido-modified sphingolipids by scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy. Click-AT-CLEM imaging and mass spectrometry clearly revealed efficient incorporation of azido-tagged sphingolipids into the outer membrane of Gram-negative bacteria as underlying cause of their antimicrobial activity.
KW  - antimicrobials
KW  - biological techniques
KW  - imaging
KW  - microbiology
KW  - microbiology techniques
KW  - microscopy
Y1  - 2021
U6  - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-259147
VL  - 11
IS  - 1
ER  - 
TY  - JOUR
A1  - Peters, Simon
A1  - Fohmann, Ingo
A1  - Rudel, Thomas
A1  - Schubert-Unkmeir, Alexandra
T1  - A Comprehensive Review on the Interplay between Neisseria spp. and Host Sphingolipid Metabolites
JF  - Cells
N2  - Sphingolipids represent a class of structural related lipids involved in membrane biology and various cellular processes including cell growth, apoptosis, inflammation and migration. Over the past decade, sphingolipids have become the focus of intensive studies regarding their involvement in infectious diseases. Pathogens can manipulate the sphingolipid metabolism resulting in cell membrane reorganization and receptor recruitment to facilitate their entry. They may recruit specific host sphingolipid metabolites to establish a favorable niche for intracellular survival and proliferation. In contrast, some sphingolipid metabolites can also act as a first line defense against bacteria based on their antimicrobial activity. In this review, we will focus on the strategies employed by pathogenic Neisseria spp. to modulate the sphingolipid metabolism and hijack the sphingolipid balance in the host to promote cellular colonization, invasion and intracellular survival. Novel techniques and innovative approaches will be highlighted that allow imaging of sphingolipid derivatives in the host cell as well as in the pathogen.
KW  - sphingolipids
KW  - host–pathogen interaction
KW  - Neisseria meningitidis
KW  - Neisseria gonorrhoeae
Y1  - 2021
U6  - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-250203
SN  - 2073-4409
VL  - 10
IS  - 11
ER  -