Host-Microbe Biology
Research Article | Host-Microbe BiologyHerpes Simplex Virus 1 Tegument Protein UL46 Inhibits TANK-Binding Kinase 1-Mediated SignalingHSV-1 has evolved multiple strategies to evade host antiviral responses and establish a lifelong latent infection, but the molecular mechanisms by which HSV-1 interrupts antiviral innate immunity are not completely understood. As TBK1 is very critical for antiviral innate immunity, it is of great interest to reveal the immune evasion mechanism of HSV-1 by targeting TBK1. In the present study, HSV-1 UL46 was found to inhibit the...
Research Article | Host-Microbe BiologyBarcoded Consortium Infections Resolve Cell Type-Dependent Salmonella enterica Serovar Typhimurium Entry MechanismsSalmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium (S.Tm) is a widespread and broad-host-spectrum enteropathogen with the capacity to invade diverse cell types. Still, the molecular basis for the host cell invasion process has largely been inferred from studies of a few selected cell lines. Our work resolves the mechanisms that Salmonellae employ to invade...
Editor's Pick Research Article | Host-Microbe BiologyIn Situ Molecular Architecture of the Helicobacter pylori Cag Type IV Secretion SystemBacterial type IV secretion systems (T4SSs) have been phylogenetically grouped into two subfamilies. The T4ASSs, represented by the Agrobacterium tumefaciens VirB/VirD4T4SS, include “minimized” machines assembled from 12 VirB- and VirD4-like subunits and compositionally larger systems such as the...
Research Article | Host-Microbe BiologyCRISPR-Cas9 Screening of Kaposi’s Sarcoma-Associated Herpesvirus-Transformed Cells Identifies XPO1 as a Vulnerable Target of Cancer CellsUsing a model of oncogenic virus KSHV-driven cellular transformation of primary cells, we have performed a genome-wide CRISPR-Cas9 screening to identify vulnerable genes of cancer cells. This screening is unique in that this virus-induced oncogenesis model does not depend on any cellular genetic alterations and has matched primary and KSHV-transformed cells, which are not available for similar screenings in other types of cancer. We...
Opinion/Hypothesis | Host-Microbe BiologyExposure of the Host-Associated Microbiome to Nutrient-Rich Conditions May Lead to Dysbiosis and Disease Development—an Evolutionary PerspectiveInflammatory diseases, such as inflammatory bowel diseases, are dramatically increasing worldwide, but an understanding of the underlying factors is lacking. We here present an ecoevolutionary perspective on the emergence of inflammatory diseases.
Research Article | Host-Microbe BiologyComparative Loss-of-Function Screens Reveal ABCE1 as an Essential Cellular Host Factor for Efficient Translation of Paramyxoviridae and PneumoviridaeThe Paramyxoviridae and Pneumoviridae families include important human and animal pathogens. To identify common host factors, we performed genome-scale siRNA screens with wild-type-derived measles, mumps, and respiratory syncytial viruses in the same cell line. A comparative bioinformatics analysis yielded different members of the coatomer complex I, translation factors ABCE1 and eIF3A, and several RNA binding proteins...
Research Article | Host-Microbe BiologyLangerhans Cells Sense Staphylococcus aureus Wall Teichoic Acid through Langerin To Induce Inflammatory ResponsesThe bacterium Staphylococcus aureus is an important cause of skin infections and is also associated with the occurrence and severity of eczema. Langerhans cells (LCs), a specific subset of skin immune cells, participate in the immune response to S. aureus, but it is yet unclear how LCs recognize...
Research Article | Host-Microbe BiologySymbiont-Mediated Defense against Legionella pneumophila in AmoebaeBacterial pathogens are generally investigated in the context of disease. To prevent outbreaks, it is essential to understand their lifestyle and interactions with other microbes in their natural environment. Legionella pneumophila is an important human respiratory pathogen that survives and multiplies in biofilms or intracellularly within protists, such as amoebae....
Editor's Pick Research Article | Host-Microbe BiologyDifferential Effects of Influenza Virus NA, HA Head, and HA Stalk Antibodies on Peripheral Blood Leukocyte Gene Expression during Human InfectionInfluenza A viruses are significant human pathogens that caused 83,000 deaths in the United States during 2017 to 2018, and there is need to understand the molecular correlates of illness and to identify prognostic markers of viral infection, symptom severity, and disease course. Preexisting antibodies against viral neuraminidase (NA) and hemagglutinin (HA) proteins play a critical role in lessening disease severity. We performed global...
Research Article | Host-Microbe BiologyA Novel Cadherin-like Protein Mediates Adherence to and Killing of Host Cells by the Parasite Trichomonas vaginalisThe adherence of pathogens to host cells is critical for colonization of the host and establishing infection. Here we identify a protein with no known function that is more abundant on the surface of parasites that are better at binding host cells. To interrogate a predicted function of this protein, we utilized bioinformatic protein prediction programs which allowed us to uncover the first cadherin-like protein (CLP) found in a...