Molecular Biology and Physiology
Research Article | Molecular Biology and PhysiologyThe Arginine Deiminase Pathway Impacts Antibiotic Tolerance during Biofilm-Mediated Streptococcus pyogenes InfectionsBiofilm-mediated bacterial infections are a major threat to human health because of their recalcitrance to antibiotic treatment. Through the study of Streptococcus pyogenes, a significant human pathogen that is known to form antibiotic-tolerant biofilms, we demonstrated the role that a bacterial pathway known for responding to acid stress plays in biofilm growth and...
Research Article | Molecular Biology and PhysiologyThe Nitrite Transporter Facilitates Biofilm Formation via Suppression of Nitrite Reductase and Is a New Antibiofilm Target in Pseudomonas aeruginosaBacterial biofilms play roles in infections and avoidance of host defense mechanisms of medically important pathogens and increase the antibiotic resistance of the bacteria. Nitric oxide (NO) is reported to be involved in both biofilm formation and dispersal, which are conflicting processes. The mechanism by which NO regulates biofilm dispersal is relatively understood, but there are no reports about how NO is involved in biofilm...
Research Article | Molecular Biology and PhysiologyImproved Prediction of Bacterial Genotype-Phenotype Associations Using Interpretable Pangenome-Spanning RegressionsBeing able to identify the genetic variants responsible for specific bacterial phenotypes has been the goal of bacterial genetics since its inception and is fundamental to our current level of understanding of bacteria. This identification has been based primarily on painstaking experimentation, but the availability of large data sets of whole genomes with associated phenotype metadata promises to revolutionize this approach, not least...
Research Article | Molecular Biology and PhysiologyRoles of ATP Hydrolysis by FtsEX and Interaction with FtsA in Regulation of Septal Peptidoglycan Synthesis and HydrolysisCytokinesis in Gram-negative bacteria requires coordinated invagination of the three layers of the cell envelope; otherwise, cells become sensitive to hydrophobic antibiotics and can even undergo cell lysis. In E. coli, the ABC transporter FtsEX couples the synthesis and hydrolysis of the stress-bearing peptidoglycan layer at the septum by interacting with...
Research Article | Molecular Biology and PhysiologyTol-Pal System and Rgs Proteins Interact to Promote Unipolar Growth and Cell Division in Sinorhizobium melilotiBacterial cell proliferation involves cell growth and septum formation followed by cell division. For cell growth, bacteria have evolved different complex mechanisms. The most prevalent growth mode of rod-shaped bacteria is cell elongation by incorporating new peptidoglycans in a dispersed manner along the sidewall. A small share of rod-shaped bacteria, including the alphaproteobacterial Rhizobiales, grow unipolarly. Here, we...
Observation | Molecular Biology and PhysiologyIsolated Heme A Synthase from Aquifex aeolicus Is a TrimerHeme A is a vital redox cofactor unique for the terminal cytochrome c oxidase in mitochondria and many microorganisms. It plays a key role in oxygen reduction by serving as an electron carrier and as the oxygen-binding site. Heme A is synthesized from heme O by an integral membrane protein, heme A synthase (HAS). Defects in HAS impair cellular respiration and have been linked to various human diseases, e.g., fatal infantile...
Research Article | Molecular Biology and PhysiologyCell Division Protein FtsZ Is Unfolded for N-Terminal Degradation by Antibiotic-Activated ClpPAcyldepsipeptide (ADEP) antibiotics effectively kill multidrug-resistant Gram-positive pathogens, including vancomycin-resistant enterococcus, penicillin-resistant Streptococcus pneumoniae (PRSP), and methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). The antibacterial activity of ADEP depends on a...
Research Article | Molecular Biology and PhysiologyEndoribonuclease YbeY Is Essential for RNA Processing and Virulence in Pseudomonas aeruginosaThe increasing bacterial antibiotic resistance imposes a severe threat to human health. For the development of effective treatment and prevention strategies, it is critical to understand the mechanisms employed by bacteria to grow in the human body. Posttranscriptional regulation plays an important role in bacterial adaptation to environmental changes. RNases and small RNAs are key players in this regulation. In this study, we...
Research Article | Molecular Biology and PhysiologyBerberine Chloride is an Alphavirus Inhibitor That Targets Nucleocapsid AssemblyThe alphavirus chikungunya virus (CHIKV) is an example of an emerging human pathogen with increased and rapid global spread. Although an acute CHIKV infection is rarely fatal, many patients suffer from debilitating chronic arthralgia for years. Antivirals against chikungunya and other alphaviruses have been identified in vitro, but to date none have been shown to be efficacious and have been licensed for human use. Here, we...
Research Article | Molecular Biology and PhysiologyThe Response of Acinetobacter baumannii to Hydrogen Sulfide Reveals Two Independent Persulfide-Sensing Systems and a Connection to Biofilm RegulationAlthough hydrogen sulfide (H2S) has long been known as a respiratory poison, recent reports in numerous bacterial pathogens reveal that H2S and more downstream oxidized forms of sulfur collectedly termed reactive sulfur species (RSS) function as antioxidants to combat host efforts to clear the infection. Here, we present a comprehensive analysis of the transcriptional and proteomic response of...