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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.
Minireview | Host-Microbe BiologyEvolution of the Arsenal of Legionella pneumophila Effectors To Modulate Protist HostsWithin the human host, Legionella pneumophila replicates within alveolar macrophages, leading to pneumonia. However, L. pneumophila is an aquatic generalist pathogen that replicates within a wide variety of protist hosts, including amoebozoa, percolozoa, and ciliophora.
- Minireview | Host-Microbe BiologyThe Microbiome and Tuberculosis: Early Evidence for Cross Talk
Tuberculosis (TB) is an ancient infectious disease of humans that has been extensively studied both clinically and experimentally. Although susceptibility to Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection is clearly influenced by factors such as nutrition, immune status, and both mycobacterial and host genetics, the variable pathogenesis of TB in infected individuals remains...
- MinireviewBranching Out: Alterations in Bacterial Physiology and Virulence Due to Branched-Chain Amino Acid Deprivation
The branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs [Ile, Leu, and Val]) represent important nutrients in bacterial physiology, with roles that range from supporting protein synthesis to signaling and fine-tuning the adaptation to amino acid starvation. In some pathogenic bacteria, the adaptation to amino acid starvation includes induction of virulence gene expression: thus, BCAAs support not only proliferation during infection, but also the evasion...
- MinireviewMoving Forward: Recent Developments for the Ferret Biomedical Research Model
Since the initial report in 1911, the domestic ferret has become an invaluable biomedical research model. While widely recognized for its utility in influenza virus research, ferrets are used for a variety of infectious and noninfectious disease models due to the anatomical, metabolic, and physiological features they share with humans and their susceptibility to many human pathogens.