biofilm
Research Article | Molecular Biology and PhysiologyThe Transcription Factor SomA Synchronously Regulates Biofilm Formation and Cell Wall Homeostasis in Aspergillus fumigatusThe cell wall is essential for fungal viability and is absent from human hosts; thus, drugs disrupting cell wall biosynthesis have gained more attention. Caspofungin is a member of a new class of clinically approved echinocandin drugs to treat invasive aspergillosis by blocking β-1,3-glucan synthase, thus damaging the fungal cell wall. Here, we demonstrate that caspofungin and other cell wall stressors can induce galactosaminogalactan (...
Observation | Molecular Biology and PhysiologyMicron Scale Spatial Measurement of the O2 Gradient Surrounding a Bacterial Biofilm in Real TimeO2 is a fundamental environmental metabolite that affects all life on earth. While toxic to many microbes and obligately required by others, those that have appropriate physiological responses survive and can even benefit from various levels of O2, particularly in biofilm communities. Although most studies have focused on measuring O2 within biofilms, little is known about O2 gradients...
Research Article | Host-Microbe BiologyStaphylococcus aureus ATP Synthase Promotes Biofilm Persistence by Influencing Innate ImmunityMedical device-associated biofilm infections are a therapeutic challenge based on their antibiotic tolerance and ability to evade immune-mediated clearance. The virulence determinants responsible for bacterial biofilm to induce a maladaptive immune response remain largely unknown. This study identified a critical role for S. aureus ATP synthase in influencing the host...
Research Article | Applied and Environmental SciencePhase Transitions by an Abundant Protein in the Anammox Extracellular Matrix Mediate Cell-to-Cell Aggregation and Biofilm FormationBy employing biophysical and liquid-liquid phase separation concepts, this study revealed how a highly abundant extracellular protein enhances the key environmental and industrial bioprocess of anaerobic ammonium oxidation (anammox). Extracellular proteins of environmental biofilms are understudied and poorly annotated in public databases. Understanding the function of extracellular proteins is also increasingly important for improving...
Research Article | Host-Microbe BiologyPhenotypic Parallelism during Experimental Adaptation of a Free-Living Bacterium to the Zebrafish GutAlthough animals encounter many bacterial species throughout their lives, only a subset colonize vertebrate digestive tracts, and these bacteria can profoundly influence the health and development of their animal hosts. We used experimental evolution to study a free-living bacterium as it adapts to a novel vertebrate host by serially passaging replicate populations of ...
Editor's Pick Research Article | Host-Microbe BiologyCapsular Polysaccharide Cross-Regulation Modulates Bacteroides thetaiotaomicron Biofilm FormationThe human gut harbors a complex bacterial community that plays important roles in host health and disease, including nutrient acquisition, maturation of the immune system, and resistance to infections. The capacity to adhere to surfaces and form communities called biofilms is believed to be important for niche colonization and maintenance of gut bacteria. However, little is known about the adhesion capacity of most gut bacteria. In this...
Research Article | Molecular Biology and PhysiologyReassessing the Role of the Type II MqsRA Toxin-Antitoxin System in Stress Response and Biofilm Formation: mqsA Is Transcriptionally Uncoupled from mqsRThere is growing controversy regarding the role of chromosomal toxin-antitoxin systems in bacterial physiology. mqsRA is a peculiar toxin-antitoxin system, as the gene encoding the toxin precedes that of the antitoxin. This system was previously shown to play a role in stress response and biofilm formation. In this work, we identified two promoters specifically driving the constitutive expression of the antitoxin, thereby...
Research Article | Molecular Biology and PhysiologyThe Toxin-Antitoxin MazEF Drives Staphylococcus aureus Biofilm Formation, Antibiotic Tolerance, and Chronic InfectionSurgical infections are one of the most common types of infections encountered in a hospital. Staphylococcus aureus is the most common pathogen associated with this infection. These infections are resilient and difficult to eradicate, as the bacteria form biofilm, a community of bacteria held together by an extracellular matrix. Compared to bacteria that are...
Research Article | Therapeutics and PreventionProbiotic Yeasts Inhibit Virulence of Non-albicans Candida SpeciesNon-albicans Candida-associated infections have emerged as a major risk factor in the hospitalized and immunecompromised patients. Besides, antifungal-associated complications occur more frequently with these non-albicans Candida species than with C. albicans. Therefore, as an alternative approach to combat these widespread non-albicans Candida...
Editor's Pick Research Article | Host-Microbe BiologyEstablishment of Chronic Typhoid Infection in a Mouse Carriage Model Involves a Type 2 Immune Shift and T and B Cell Recruitment to the GallbladderThe existence of chronic typhoid carriers has been in the public eye for over 100 years in part because of the publicity around Typhoid Mary. Additionally, it has been known for decades that the gallbladder is the main site of persistence and recently that gallstones play a key role. Despite this, very little is known about the physiological conditions that allow Salmonella...