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Minireview | Host-Microbe BiologyBenefits and Costs of Animal Virulence for MicrobesThis essay is written from the vantage point of the microbial world. While the focus of much thought in the microbial pathogenesis and infectious diseases fields has been on the impact of host-microbe interaction on the host, here we ask questions about what happens to the microbe.
Minireview | Molecular Biology and PhysiologyMechanisms, Detection, and Relevance of Protein Acetylation in ProkaryotesPosttranslational modification of a protein, either alone or in combination with other modifications, can control properties of that protein, such as enzymatic activity, localization, stability, or interactions with other molecules. N-ε-Lysine acetylation is one such modification that has gained attention in recent years, with a prevalence and significance that rival those of phosphorylation.
Minireview | Host-Microbe BiologyGammaherpesvirus RNAs Come Full CircleAfter an adaptive immune response is mounted, gammaherpesviruses achieve persistence through the utilization of viral noncoding RNAs to craft a suitable host cell environment in an immunologically transparent manner. While gammaherpesvirus long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) and microRNAs have been recognized for some time and have been actively investigated, a recent spate of reports have now identified repertoires of the circular RNA (...
Minireview | Host-Microbe BiologyBiphasic Dynamics of Macrophage Immunometabolism during Mycobacterium tuberculosis InfectionMacrophages are the primary targets of Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection; the early events of macrophage interaction with M. tuberculosis define subsequent progression and outcome of infection. M. tuberculosis can alter the...
Minireview | Ecological and Evolutionary ScienceFungi in the Marine Environment: Open Questions and Unsolved ProblemsTerrestrial fungi play critical roles in nutrient cycling and food webs and can shape macroorganism communities as parasites and mutualists. Although estimates for the number of fungal species on the planet range from 1.5 to over 5 million, likely fewer than 10% of fungi have been identified so far.
Minireview | Molecular Biology and PhysiologyAncient Transcription Factors in the NewsIn every cell from bacteria to mammals, NusG-like proteins bind transcribing RNA polymerase to modulate the rate of nascent RNA synthesis and to coordinate it with numerous cotranscriptional processes that ultimately determine the transcript fate. Housekeeping NusG factors regulate expression of the bulk of the genome, whereas their highly specialized paralogs control just a few targets.
Minireview | Host-Microbe BiologyAlternative Splicing in Apicomplexan ParasitesAlternative splicing is a widespread, essential, and complex component of gene regulation. Apicomplexan parasites have long been recognized to produce alternatively spliced transcripts for some genes and can produce multiple protein products that are essential for parasite growth.
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.
Minireview | Molecular Biology and PhysiologyGlycyl Radical Enzyme-Associated Microcompartments: Redox-Replete Bacterial OrganellesAn increasing number of microbes are being identified that organize catabolic pathways within self-assembling proteinaceous structures known as bacterial microcompartments (BMCs). Most BMCs are characterized by their singular substrate specificity and commonly employ B12-dependent radical mechanisms.
Minireview | Therapeutics and PreventionRepurposing Estrogen Receptor Antagonists for the Treatment of Infectious DiseaseThe concept of repurposing previously approved medications to the treatment of new indications by taking advantage of off-target effects has gained traction in recent years, particularly in areas of medicine that do not offer large profits to pharmaceutical firms. As infectious disease discovery research has declined among large pharmaceutical companies, the potential payoff of repurposing has become attractive.