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Reposted by Charline Focant

Xavier De Bolle : Xa Team at UNamur @namurxa.bsky.social · 13/08/2025

Great work by Adélie Lannoy on Brucella abortus, just published in The EMBO Journal www.embopress.org/doi/full/10..... Thanks to fantastic collaborators! An enigmatic, perhaps ancestral, protein complex predicted as a tunnel-like structure between membranes. Crucial for survival in macrophages

According to Alphafold3 predictions and homology modeling, the Mpc complex is composed of an octameric lipoprotein MpcA anchored at the outer membrane, interacting with a hexameric tunnel-like MpcD, itself associated with an inner membrane complex comprising MpcE and MpcF ATPase. Absence of the Mpc complex modifies the lipid composition of outer membrane vesicles, suggesting that Mpc could be involved in lipid transport between inner and outer membrane.

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Pauline Cherry @pauline-chry.bsky.social · 24/03/2025

Hi everyone! I am thrilled to finally share with you the result of my Ph.D. thesis. In this study, we used genetics and metal quantifications to study the link between iron and copper homeostasis in Caulobacter crescentus. journals.asm.org/doi/10.1128/...

journals.asm.org

Role of a TonB-dependent receptor and an oxygenase in iron-dependent copper resistance in Caulobacter crescentus | Journal of Bacteriology

Copper is an essential metal for many living organisms, as it helps to drive crucial chemical reactions. However, when present in excess, copper turns toxic due to its high reactivity with biological ...

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Charline Focant @charlinef.bsky.social · 21/02/2025

Another week, another destination, another conference ! This week I had the chance (again) to present my work through a short talk at the #T4SSconference in Nancy 👩🏽‍🔬🇫🇷. I’m grateful to have had great discussions with such amazing people, specially from our Brucella community! @namurxa.bsky.social

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PLOS Biology @plosbiology.org · 07/02/2025

Programmed cell death distinguishes N. gonorrhoeae & N. meningitidis from other #Neisseria species. @katyponcin.bsky.social &co identify a horizontally acquired genetic island encoding peptides that drive #autolysis & human cell lysis, aiding colonization & disease 🧪 @plosbiology.org plos.io/4aP2om9

Top: Organisation of the nap island in Neisseria gonorrhoeae FA1090. Grey arrows, flanking genes (NEIS0808, pseudouridine synthase; NEIS0794, histidyl-tRNA synthase); blue arrows, genes coding for GG-containing peptides; orange arrows, genes predicted to be involved in peptide processing and secretion; green arrow, gene of unknown function; pink boxes, Correia elements. Bottom: Transmission electron microscopy images from bacteria in HEPES (T = 75 min). Some wild-type bacteria appear normal (indicated with arrow numbered 1), with many others having a dense (arrow 2) or very dense (arrow 3) cytoplasm, periplasmic expansions (arrow 4), or appearing as ghost cells (arrow 5). Extracellular vesicles (arrow 6) and released cellular content (arrow 7) are also visible. Periplasmic expansions are not observable in the ΔltgA or ΔnapRABC strains. Cytoplasm condensation appears more homogenous in the ΔltgA mutant.

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Charline Focant @charlinef.bsky.social · 06/02/2025

I had the chance to present my data about VirB localisation in Brucella in an incredible place as Cape Town, South Africa 🌊🇿🇦 Thanks to the organizing committee of BMSV2025 for this opportunity and my colleagues for the amazing time we have together🪘#BMSV2025 @namurxa.bsky.social m

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Reposted by Charline Focant

Xavier De Bolle : Xa Team at UNamur @namurxa.bsky.social · 03/02/2025

Great visit at the Cape Town botanic garden with a nice URBM delegation!... just before the BMSV conference

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Xavier De Bolle : Xa Team at UNamur @namurxa.bsky.social · 31/01/2025

Congratulations to Adélie Lannoy who presented her Ph.D. public defense about a Mla-Pqi chimeric complex and a two component system, both crucial for Brucella abortus virulence

Adélie with the external jury members present at her public defense

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Xavier De Bolle : Xa Team at UNamur @namurxa.bsky.social · 26/11/2024

Exciting work of Pauline and Jean-Yves team at URBM (UNamur)

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Xavier De Bolle : Xa Team at UNamur @namurxa.bsky.social · 30/11/2024

Goodbye dinner for Lionel, a great labmate for a few months in the Brucella team at URBM. So happy to have such nice colleagues to work with !

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Xavier De Bolle : Xa Team at UNamur @namurxa.bsky.social · 25/11/2024

We are thrilled to welcome four new researchers to the lab! Thanks to them, we will deepen our knowledge of the molecular biology of the Brucella abortus pathogen. Welcome to the excellent atmosphere of the unit (URBM)! 😀🍫🍻🃏🎳

Four smiling researchers in the laboratory, with a white labcoat

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