Host-Microbe Biology
Commentary | Host-Microbe BiologyDecreased, Deformed, Defective—How HIV-1 Vpu Targets PeroxisomesPeroxisomes are found in essentially all eukaryotic cells and have been described as important hubs in innate sensing and the induction of type III interferons upon viral infection. Nevertheless, it remains poorly investigated how viral pathogens modulate biogenesis or function of peroxisomes to evade innate sensing and restriction. In a recent study, Hobman and colleagues found that the accessory viral protein u (Vpu) of HIV-1 inhibits...
Research Article | Host-Microbe BiologyThe HIV-1 Env gp120 Inner Domain Shapes the Phe43 Cavity and the CD4 Binding SiteThe Phe43 cavity of HIV-1 envelope glycoproteins (Env) is an attractive druggable target. New promising compounds, including small CD4 mimetics (CD4mc), were shown to insert deeply into this cavity. Here, we identify a new network of residues that helps to shape this highly conserved CD4 binding pocket and characterize the structural determinants responsible for Env sensitivity to small CD4 mimetics.
Editor's Pick Research Article | Host-Microbe BiologyMolecular Insight into TdfH-Mediated Zinc Piracy from Human Calprotectin by Neisseria gonorrhoeaeThe dramatic rise in antimicrobial resistance among Neisseria gonorrhoeae isolates over the last few decades, paired with dwindling treatment options and the lack of a protective vaccine, has prompted increased interest in identifying new bacterial targets for the treatment and, ideally, prevention of gonococcal disease. TonB-dependent transporters are a conserved set...
Research Article | Host-Microbe BiologyConidial Melanin of the Human-Pathogenic Fungus Aspergillus fumigatus Disrupts Cell Autonomous Defenses in AmoebaeInfections with Aspergillus fumigatus are usually acquired by an inhalation of spores from environmental sources. How spores of a saprophytic fungus have acquired abilities to withstand and escape the phagocytic attacks of innate immune cells is not understood. The fungal surface pigment dihydroxynaphtalene-melanin has been shown to be a crucial factor for the delay...
Research Article | Host-Microbe BiologyInteractions of Symbiotic Partners Drive the Development of a Complex Biogeography in the Squid-Vibrio SymbiosisThe complexity, inaccessibility, and time scales of initial colonization of most animal microbiomes present challenges for the characterization of how the bacterial symbionts influence the form and function of tissues in the minutes to hours following the initial interaction of the partners. Here, we use the naturally occurring binary squid-vibrio association to explore this phenomenon. Imaging of the spatiotemporal landscape of this...
Research Article | Host-Microbe BiologyThe Innate Immune Response to Herpes Simplex Virus 1 Infection Is Dampened in the Newborn Brain and Can Be Modulated by Exogenous Interferon Beta To Improve SurvivalHerpes simplex virus (HSV) is a ubiquitous human pathogen affecting 50 to 80% of the population in North America and Europe. HSV infection is commonly asymptomatic in the adult population but can result in fatal encephalitis in the newborn. Current treatment with acyclovir has improved mortality in the newborn; however, severe neurologic sequelae are still a major concern following HSV encephalitis. For this reason, there is a critical...
Research Article | Host-Microbe BiologyLipid-Specific Labeling of Enveloped Viruses with Quantum Dots for Single-Virus TrackingVirus infection in host cells is a complex process comprising a large number of dynamic molecular events. Single-virus tracking is a versatile technique to study these events. To perform this technique, viruses must be fluorescently labeled to be visible to fluorescence microscopes. The quantum dot is a kind of fluorescent tag that has many unique optical properties. It has been widely used to label proteins in single-molecule-tracking...
Research Article | Host-Microbe BiologyHost Fatty Acid Utilization by Staphylococcus aureus at the Infection SiteThe shortage of antibiotics against drug-resistant Staphylococcus aureus has led to the development of new drugs targeting the elongation cycle of fatty acid (FA) synthesis that are progressing toward the clinic. An objection to the use of FA synthesis inhibitors is that S. aureus can utilize...
Research Article | Host-Microbe BiologyLipoprotein Processing and Sorting in Helicobacter pyloriBacterial lipoproteins have diverse roles in multiple aspects of bacterial physiology, antimicrobial resistance, and pathogenesis. Dedicated pathways direct the posttranslational lipidation and localization of lipoproteins, but there is considerable variation in these pathways among the proteobacteria. In this study, we characterized the proteins responsible for lipoprotein synthesis and localization in...
Research Article | Host-Microbe BiologyPersistent Legionnaires’ Disease and Associated Antibiotic Treatment Engender a Highly Disturbed Pulmonary Microbiome Enriched in Opportunistic MicroorganismsThe composition and dynamics of the lung microbiome during pneumonia are not known, although the lung microbiome might influence the severity and outcome of this infectious disease, similar to what was shown for the microbiome at other body sites. Here we report the findings of a comprehensive analysis of the lung microbiome composition of three patients with long-term pneumonia due to...