Host-Microbe Biology
Research Article | Host-Microbe BiologyIntracellular Density of Wolbachia Is Mediated by Host Autophagy and the Bacterial Cytoplasmic Incompatibility Gene cifB in a Cell Type-Dependent Manner in Drosophila melanogasterAutophagy is a eukaryotic intracellular degradation pathway which can act as an innate immune response to eliminate pathogens. Conversely, pathogens can evolve proteins which modulate the autophagy pathway to subvert degradation and establish an infection. Wolbachia, a vertically transmitted obligate endosymbiont which infects up to 40% of insect species, is negatively regulated by autophagy in whole animals, but the specific...
Research Article | Host-Microbe BiologySalmonella enterica Serovar Typhimurium Exploits Cycling through Epithelial Cells To Colonize Human and Murine EnteroidsPathogenic gut bacteria are common causes of intestinal disease. Enteroids—cultured three-dimensional replicas of the mammalian gut—offer an emerging model system to study disease mechanisms under conditions that recapitulate key features of the intestinal tract.
Research Article | Host-Microbe BiologyCharacterization of a Four-Component Regulatory System Controlling Bacteriocin Production in Streptococcus gallolyticusStreptococcus gallolyticus subsp. gallolyticus, formerly known as Streptococcus bovis biotype I, is an opportunistic pathogen causing septicemia and endocarditis in the elderly often associated with asymptomatic colonic neoplasia. Recent studies indicate that...
Minireview | Host-Microbe BiologyMechanisms of Attenuation by Genetic Recoding of VirusesThe development of safe and effective vaccines against viruses is central to disease control. With advancements in DNA synthesis technology, the production of synthetic viral genomes has fueled many research efforts that aim to generate attenuated viruses by introducing synonymous mutations.
Research Article | Host-Microbe BiologySecretion, Maturation, and Activity of a Quorum Sensing Peptide (GSP) Inducing Bacteriocin Transcription in Streptococcus gallolyticusStreptococcus gallolyticus subsp. gallolyticus is an opportunistic pathogen associated with colorectal cancer (CRC) and endocarditis. S. gallolyticus subsp. gallolyticus utilizes quorum sensing (QS) to regulate the production of a bacteriocin (gallocin) and gain a selective...
Research Article | Host-Microbe BiologyHyaluronidase Impairs Neutrophil Function and Promotes Group B Streptococcus Invasion and Preterm Labor in Nonhuman PrimatesGroup B streptococci (GBS) are bacteria that commonly reside in the female lower genital tract as asymptomatic members of the microbiota. However, during pregnancy, GBS can infect tissues at the maternal-fetal interface, leading to preterm birth, stillbirth, or fetal injury.
Research Article | Host-Microbe BiologyMaintenance of Type IV Secretion Function During Helicobacter pylori Infection in MiceThe type IV secretion system (T4SS) is the major Helicobacter pylori virulence factor, though its function is lost during murine infection. Loss of function also occurs in gerbils and in humans, suggesting that it is biologically relevant, but the conditions under which T4SS regulation occurs are unknown.
Research Article | Host-Microbe BiologyCombined and Distinct Roles of Agr Proteins in Clostridioides difficile 630 Sporulation, Motility, and Toxin Production...C. difficile is a spore-forming, toxigenic, anaerobic bacterium that causes severe gastrointestinal illness. Understanding the ways in which C. difficile senses growth conditions to regulate toxin expression and sporulation is essential to advancing our understanding of this pathogen.
Research Article | Host-Microbe BiologyDiverse Bacterial Genes Modulate Plant Root Association by Beneficial BacteriaThere is growing interest in the use of associative, plant growth-promoting bacteria (PGPB) as biofertilizers to serve as a sustainable alternative for agriculture application. While a variety of mechanisms have been proposed to explain bacterial plant growth promotion, the molecular details of this process remain unclear.
Research Article | Host-Microbe BiologyAlteration of the Premature tRNA Landscape by Gammaherpesvirus InfectionViral infection can dramatically change the gene expression landscape of the host cell, yet little is known regarding changes in noncoding gene transcription by RNA polymerase III (RNAPIII). Among these are transfer RNAs (tRNAs), which are fundamental in protein translation, yet whose gene regulatory features remain largely undefined in mammalian cells.