epigenetics
Research Article | Host-Microbe BiologyCRISPR Interference of a Clonally Variant GC-Rich Noncoding RNA Family Leads to General Repression of var Genes in Plasmodium falciparumPlasmodium falciparum is the deadliest malaria parasite species, accounting for the vast majority of disease cases and deaths. The virulence of this parasite is reliant upon the mutually exclusive expression of cytoadherence proteins encoded by the 60-member var gene family. Antigenic variation of this multigene family serves as an immune evasion mechanism,...
Research Article | Host-Microbe BiologyDrug-Resistant Epimutants Exhibit Organ-Specific Stability and Induction during Murine Infections Caused by the Human Fungal Pathogen Mucor circinelloidesThe emerging fungal pathogen Mucor circinelloides causes a severe infection, mucormycosis, which leads to considerable morbidity and mortality. Treatment of Mucor infection is challenging because Mucor is inherently resistant to nearly all clinical antifungal agents. An RNAi-dependent and reversible mechanism of antifungal resistance, epimutation,...
Research Article | Molecular Biology and PhysiologyChromatin Profiling of the Repetitive and Nonrepetitive Genomes of the Human Fungal Pathogen Candida albicansThe fungus Candida albicans is an opportunistic pathogen that normally lives on the human body without causing any harm. However, C. albicans is also a dangerous pathogen responsible for millions of infections annually. C. albicans...
Research Article | Host-Microbe BiologyRole for a Filamentous Nuclear Assembly of IFI16, DNA, and Host Factors in Restriction of Herpesviral InfectionMammalian cells exhibit numerous strategies to recognize and contain viral infections. The best-characterized antiviral responses are those that are induced within the cytosol by receptors that activate interferon responses or shut down translation. Antiviral responses also occur in the nucleus, yet these intranuclear innate immune responses are poorly defined at the receptor-proximal level. In this study, we explored the ability of...
- Research ArticleEpigenetic Regulation of Tumor Suppressors by Helicobacter pylori Enhances EBV-Induced Proliferation of Gastric Epithelial Cells
We have studied the cooperativity between H. pylori and EBV, two known oncogenic agents. This led to an enhanced oncogenic phenotype in gastric epithelial cells. We now demonstrate that EBV-driven epigenetic modifications are enhanced in the presence of H. pylori, more specifically, in the presence...
- Editor's Pick Research ArticleCCCTC-Binding Factor Acts as a Heterochromatin Barrier on Herpes Simplex Viral Latent Chromatin and Contributes to Poised Latent Infection
Herpes simplex virus 1 (HSV-1) is a human pathogen that persists for the lifetime of the host as a result of its ability to establish latent infection within sensory neurons. The mechanism by which HSV-1 transitions from the lytic to latent infection program is largely unknown; however, HSV-1 is able to coopt cellular silencing mechanisms to facilitate the suppression of lytic gene expression. Here, we demonstrate that the cellular...
- Research ArticleInhibitors of the Histone Methyltransferases EZH2/1 Induce a Potent Antiviral State and Suppress Infection by Diverse Viral Pathogens
A significant proportion of the world’s population is infected with herpes simplex virus. Primary infection and subsequent recurrent reactivation can result in diseases ranging from mild lesions to severe ocular or neurological damage. Herpesviruses are subject to epigenetic regulation that modulates viral gene expression, lytic replication, and latency-reactivation cycles. Thus, epigenetic pharmaceuticals have the potential to alter...