Most read article(s)
Research Article | Host-Microbe BiologyDynamics of Human Gut Microbiota and Short-Chain Fatty Acids in Response to Dietary Interventions with Three Fermentable FibersThese results reveal that not all fermentable fibers are equally capable of stimulating SCFA production, and they highlight the importance of the composition of an individual’s microbiota in determining whether or not they respond to a specific dietary supplement. In particular, R. bromii or C. chartatabidum may be required for enhanced butyrate production in response to RS. Bifidobacteria, though proficient at...
Research Article | Host-Microbe BiologyRelationship between the Cervical Microbiome, HIV Status, and Precancerous LesionsHPV is known to be the causal agent in the majority of cervical cancers. However, the role of the cervical bacterial microbiome in cervical cancer is not clear. To investigate that possibility, we collected cervical cytobrush samples from 144 Tanzanian women and performed deep sequencing of bacterial 16S rRNA genes. We found that HIV-positive patients had greater bacterial richness (P = 0.01) than HIV-negative patients. We also...
- Research ArticleHow, When, and Where Relic DNA Affects Microbial Diversity
Minireview | Host-Microbe BiologyHost-Microbe Coevolution: Applying Evidence from Model Systems to Complex Marine Invertebrate HolobiontsMarine invertebrates often host diverse microbial communities, making it difficult to identify important symbionts and to understand how these communities are structured. This complexity has also made it challenging to assign microbial functions and to unravel the myriad of interactions among the microbiota.
- Research ArticleEmergence of an Extensively Drug-Resistant Salmonella enterica Serovar Typhi Clone Harboring a Promiscuous Plasmid Encoding Resistance to Fluoroquinolones and Third-Generation Cephalosporins
Typhoid fever is a severe disease caused by the Gram-negative bacterium Salmonella enterica serovar Typhi. Antibiotic-resistant S. Typhi strains have become increasingly common. Here, we report the first large-scale emergence and spread of a novel extensively drug-resistant (XDR) S. Typhi clone in Sindh, Pakistan. The XDR S. Typhi is resistant to the majority of drugs available for the treatment of...
Research Article | Molecular Biology and PhysiologyPeptidoglycan Remodeling Enables Escherichia coli To Survive Severe Outer Membrane Assembly DefectIn Gram-negative bacteria, the outer membrane protects the cell against many toxic molecules, and the peptidoglycan layer provides protection against osmotic challenges, allowing bacterial cells to survive in changing environments. Maintaining cell envelope integrity is therefore a question of life or death for a bacterial cell. Here we show that Escherichia coli...
Research Article | Ecological and Evolutionary ScienceLong-Term Transcriptional Activity at Zero Growth of a Cosmopolitan Rare Biosphere MemberThe microbial rare biosphere represents the largest pool of biodiversity on Earth and constitutes, in sum of all its members, a considerable part of a habitat’s biomass. Dormancy or starvation is typically used to explain the persistence of low-abundance microorganisms in the environment. We show that a low-abundance microorganism can be highly transcriptionally active while remaining in a zero-growth state for at least 7 weeks. Our...
- Research ArticleImpact of Dietary Resistant Starch on the Human Gut Microbiome, Metaproteome, and Metabolome
This work was undertaken to obtain a mechanistic understanding of the complex interplay between diet and the microorganisms residing in the intestine. Although it is known that gut microbes play a key role in digestion of the food that we consume, the specific contributions of different microorganisms are not well understood. In addition, the metabolic pathways and resultant products of metabolism during digestion are highly complex. To...
- PerspectiveDrivers of Microbiome Biodiversity: A Review of General Rules, Feces, and Ignorance
The alpha diversity of ecologic communities is affected by many biotic and abiotic drivers and, in turn, affects ecosystem functioning. Yet, patterns of alpha diversity in host-associated microbial communities (microbiomes) are poorly studied and the appropriateness of general theory is untested.
Research Article | Host-Microbe BiologyThe Small RNA Teg41 Regulates Expression of the Alpha Phenol-Soluble Modulins and Is Required for Virulence in Staphylococcus aureusThe alpha phenol-soluble modulins (αPSMs) are among the most potent toxins produced by Staphylococcus aureus. Their biological role during infection has been studied in detail; however, the way they are produced by the bacterial cell is not well understood. In this work, we identify a small RNA molecule called Teg41 that plays an important role in αPSM production by...