Biology subjects

Wimmer, B. H.

Publications and source records attributed to Wimmer, B. H..

4 recordsLinked to original sources

bioRxiv2025

Segmented filamentous bacteria undergo a structural transition at their adhesive tip during unicellular to filament development

Segmented filamentous bacteria (SFB) are intestinal commensals that promote immune system development and pathogen protection through intimate attachment to the ileal epithelium. Attachment occurs via the tip of unicellular teardrop-shaped SFB, called intracellular offsprings (IOs), before outgrowth into filaments. To characterize this critical stage of the SFB life-cycle, we imaged SFB using cryo-electron microscopy and tomography. IOs were surrounded by a repetitive surface (S)-layer that became replaced by disordered hair-like structures uniquely at the tip. Upon outgrowth into filaments, the S-layer was exchanged for a morphologically distinct repetitive hair- like layer. The bacterial structures and morphological transition were conserved across SFB from mouse and rat origin, while growth of mouse-SFB under non-attachment conditions in a heterologous host affected the SFB tip length and relative proportion of the tip stages. Moreover, the filament tip displayed surface exposure of the major Th17 antigen, a ubiquitous cell wall protein, underscoring the unique properties of the adhesive tip. This study identifies a novel IO- specific S-layer and reveals a conserved developmental transition of the SFB tip surface including the transient appearance of structures consistent in location and timing with being involved in host cell attachment.

microbiology↗

bioRxiv2025

Spatial constraints drive amylosome-mediated resistant starch degradation by Ruminococcus bromii in the human colon

Degradation of complex dietary fiber by gut microbes is essential for colonic fermentation, short-chain fatty acid production, and microbiome function. Ruminococcus bromii is the primary resistant starch (RS) degrader in humans, which relies on the amylosome, a specialized cell-bound enzymatic complex. To unravel its architecture, function, and the interplay among its components, we applied an holistic multilayered approach and found that amylosome composition RS degradation, and enzymatic synergy are regulated at two levels: structural constraints enforcing enzyme proximity and expression-driven shifts in enzyme proportions. Cryo-electron tomography revealed that the amylosome comprises a constitutive extracellular layer extending toward the RS. However, proteomics demonstrated its remodeling across different growth conditions, with Amy4 and Amy16 comprising 60% of the amylosome in response to RS. Structural and biochemical analyses revealed complementarity and synergistic RS degradation by these enzymes, which allow R. bromii to fine-tune its adaptation to dietary fiber and shape colonic metabolism.

microbiology↗

bioRxiv2022

A link between genotype and cellular architecture in microbiome members as revealed by cryo-EM

Microbial taxonomy is not yet sufficient to describe microbe functionality and ecology. Since function is often linked to structure, we sought here to use cryo-electron microscopy and tomography to analyze microbial cellular architecture and correlate it to specific phylogenies and genomes. We cultured and imaged a large collection of microbiota covering 90% of the richness of the core rumen microbiome at the family level, which we selected as a model for our analyses. Based on measurements of several parameters, we found that the structural similarity of microbiota is significantly related to their taxonomic distance, i.e., closely related microbes have similar cellular architectures. However, above the Family level, these similarities end: the structural diversity stops increasing with phylogenetic distance. Our results highlight that cellular architectures could serve as an important parameter in microbial ecology and microbial ecosystems.

microbiology↗

bioRxiv2020

Membrane architecture of pulmonary lamellar bodies revealed by post-correlation on-lamella cryo-CLEM

Lamellar bodies (LBs) are surfactant-rich organelles in alveolar cells. LBs disassemble into a lipid-protein network that reduces surface tension and facilitates gas exchange in the alveolar cavity. Current knowledge of LB architecture is predominantly based on electron microscopy studies using disruptive sample preparation methods. We established and validated a post-correlation on-lamella cryo-correlative light and electron microscopy approach for cryo-FIB milled cells to structurally characterize and validate the identity of LBs in their unperturbed state. Using deconvolution and 3D image registration, we were able to identify fluorescently labeled membrane structures analyzed by cryo-electron tomography. In situ cryo-electron tomography of A549 cells as well as primary Human Small Airway Epithelial Cells revealed that LBs are composed of membrane sheets frequently attached to the limiting membrane through "T"-junctions. We report a so far undescribed outer membrane dome protein complex (OMDP) on the limiting membrane of LBs. Our data suggest that LB biogenesis is driven by parallel membrane sheet import and by the curvature of the limiting membrane to maximize lipid storage capacity.

cell biology↗