Escherichia coli
Research Article | Molecular Biology and PhysiologyDistinct Requirements for Tail-Anchored Membrane Protein Biogenesis in Escherichia coliA subset of membrane proteins is targeted to and inserted into the membrane via a hydrophobic transmembrane domain (TMD) that is positioned at the very C terminus of the protein. The biogenesis of these so-called tail-anchored proteins (TAMPs) has been studied in detail in eukaryotic cells. Various partly redundant pathways were identified, the choice for which depends in part on the hydrophobicity of the TMD. Much less is known about...
Research Article | Molecular Biology and PhysiologyComplex Multilevel Control of Hemolysin Production by Uropathogenic Escherichia coliUropathogenic E. coli (UPEC) is the major cause of urinary tract infections and a frequent cause of sepsis. Nearly half of all UPEC strains produce the potent cytotoxin hemolysin, and its expression is associated with enhanced virulence. In this study, we explored hemolysin variation within the globally dominant UPEC ST131 clone, finding that strains from the ST131...
Research Article | Host-Microbe BiologyIncreased Epithelial Oxygenation Links Colitis to an Expansion of Tumorigenic BacteriaOne of the environmental factors important for colorectal cancer formation is the gut microbiota, but the habitat filters that control its cancer-inducing activity remain unknown. Here, we show that chemically induced colitis elevates epithelial oxygenation in the colon, thereby driving an expansion of colibactin-producing Escherichia coli, a prooncogenic driver...
Research Article | Molecular Biology and PhysiologyQuorum Sensing and Metabolic State of the Host Control Lysogeny-Lysis Switch of Bacteriophage T1The dynamics of microbial communities are heavily shaped by bacterium-bacteriophage interactions. But despite the apparent importance of bacteriophages, our understanding of the mechanisms controlling phage dynamics in bacterial populations, and particularly of the differences between the decisions that are made in the dormant lysogenic and active lytic states, remains limited. In this report, we show that enterobacterial phage T1,...
Research Article | Therapeutics and PreventionChitosan Films for Microfluidic Studies of Single Bacteria and Perspectives for Antibiotic Susceptibility TestingCurrent microfluidic techniques are powerful to study bacteria and determine their response to antibiotic treatment, but they are currently limited by their complex manipulation. Chitosan films are fully biocompatible and could thus be a viable replacement for existing commercial devices that currently use polylysine. Thus, the low cost of chitosan slides and their simple implementation make them highly versatile for research as well as...
Research Article | Therapeutics and PreventionDevelopment of a Gold Nanoparticle Vaccine against Enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli O157:H7Enterohemorrhagic E. coli O157:H7 is a human pathogen and the causative agent of diarrhea and hemorrhagic colitis, which can progress to hemolytic uremic syndrome. These complications represent a serious global public health problem that requires laborious public health interventions and safety control measures to combat recurrent outbreaks worldwide. Today, there are...
Editor's Pick Research Article | Molecular Biology and PhysiologyThe Symmetrical Wave Pattern of Base-Pair Substitution Rates across the Escherichia coli Chromosome Has Multiple CausesIt has been found in several species of bacteria that the rate at which single base pairs are mutated is not constant across the genome but varies in a wave-like pattern that is symmetrical about the origin of replication. Using Escherichia coli as our model system, we show that this pattern is the result of several interconnected factors. First, the timing and...
Research Article | Ecological and Evolutionary ScienceHigh-Throughput Analysis of Gene Function in the Bacterial Predator Bdellovibrio bacteriovorusBdellovibrio bacteriovorus is a predatory bacterium that can kill a wide range of Gram-negative bacteria, including many human pathogens. Given the global rise of antibiotic resistance and dearth of new antibiotics discovered in the past 30 years, this predator has potential as an alternative to traditional antibiotics. For many years,...
Editor's Pick Research Article | Ecological and Evolutionary ScienceDe Novo Emergence of Peptides That Confer Antibiotic ResistanceDe novo gene origination from nonfunctional DNA sequences was long assumed to be implausible. However, recent studies have shown that large fractions of genomic noncoding DNA are transcribed and translated, potentially generating new genes. Experimental validation of this process so far has been limited to comparative genomics, in vitro selections, or partial randomizations. Here, we describe selection of novel...
Research Article | Molecular Biology and PhysiologyThe Synthetic Phenotype of ΔbamB ΔbamE Double Mutants Results from a Lethal Jamming of the Bam Complex by the Lipoprotein RcsFProtein assembly into lipid bilayers is an essential process that ensures the viability of diverse organisms. In Gram-negative bacteria, the heteropentomeric β-barrel assembly machine (Bam) folds and inserts proteins into the outer membrane. Due to its essentiality, outer membrane protein (OMP) assembly by the Bam complex is an attractive target for antibiotic development. Here, we show that the conditional lethal phenotype of a mutant...