pathogenesis
Research ArticleInsulinase-like Protease 1 Contributes to Macrogamont Formation in Cryptosporidium parvumCryptosporidiosis is a debilitating diarrheal disease in young children in developing countries. The absence of effective treatments or vaccines makes this infection very difficult to manage in susceptible populations.
Research Article | Host-Microbe BiologyThe Transcription Factor Pdr802 Regulates Titan Cell Formation and Pathogenicity of Cryptococcus neoformansThe pathogenic yeast Cryptococcus neoformans presents a worldwide threat to human health, especially in the context of immunocompromise, and current antifungal therapy is hindered by cost, limited availability, and inadequate efficacy. After the infectious particle is inhaled, C. neoformans...
Research Article | Host-Microbe BiologyRole of Two Metacaspases in Development and Pathogenicity of the Rice Blast Fungus Magnaporthe oryzaeMagnaporthe oryzae causes rice blast disease that threatens global food security by resulting in the severe loss of rice production every year. A tightly regulated life cycle allows M. oryzae to disarm the host plant immune system during its biotrophic stage before triggering plant cell death in its necrotrophic stage.
Research Article | Host-Microbe BiologyToxoplasma gondii Extends the Life Span of Infected Human Neutrophils by Inducing Cytosolic PCNA and Blocking Activation of Apoptotic CaspasesToxoplasma gondii is an obligate intracellular parasite that can cause life-threatening disease in immunocompromised individuals and in the developing fetus. Interestingly, T. gondii has evolved strategies to successfully manipulate the host immune system to establish a productive infection and...
Research Article | Host-Microbe BiologyAtypical Ebola Virus Disease in a Nonhuman Primate following Monoclonal Antibody Treatment Is Associated with Glycoprotein Mutations within the Fusion Loop...Ebola virus remains a global threat to public health and biosecurity, yet we still know relatively little about its pathogenesis and the complications that arise following recovery. With nearly 20,000 survivors from the 2013–2016 West African outbreak, as well as over 1,000 survivors of the recent outbreak in the DRC, we must consider the consequences of virus persistence and recrudescent disease, even if they are rare.
Research Article | Host-Microbe BiologyDistinct Cytokine Profiles Correlate with Disease Severity and Outcome in Longitudinal Studies of Acute Hepatitis B Virus and Hepatitis D Virus Infection in ChimpanzeesStudies performed in chimpanzees at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) demonstrated a significant difference in ALT levels during acute hepatitis of different viral etiologies, with a hierarchy in the extent of liver damage according to the infecting virus: the highest level was in HDV superinfection, followed by infection with a precore HBV mutant, HBV/HDV coinfection, and, lastly, wild-type HBV infection. Our study demonstrates...
Research Article | Host-Microbe BiologyHumans Surviving Cholera Develop Antibodies against Vibrio cholerae O-Specific Polysaccharide That Inhibit Pathogen MotilityCholera is a severe dehydrating illness of humans caused by Vibrio cholerae. V. cholerae is a highly motile bacterium that has a single flagellum covered in lipopolysaccharide (LPS) displaying O-specific polysaccharide (OSP), and V....
Research Article | Host-Microbe BiologyA Genital Infection-Attenuated Chlamydia muridarum Mutant Infects the Gastrointestinal Tract and Protects against Genital Tract ChallengeChlamydia is the most common sexually transmitted bacterial infection in the United States. Most chlamydia genital infections resolve without serious consequences; however, untreated infection in women can cause pelvic inflammatory disease and infertility. Antibiotics are very effective in treating chlamydia, but most genital infections in both men and women are asymptomatic and go undiagnosed. Therefore, there is a critical need for an...
Research Article | Host-Microbe BiologyPopulation Analysis of Staphylococcus aureus Reveals a Cryptic, Highly Prevalent Superantigen SElW That Contributes to the Pathogenesis of BacteremiaStaphylococcus aureus is an important human and animal pathogen associated with an array of diseases, including life-threatening necrotizing pneumonia and infective endocarditis. The success of S. aureus as a pathogen has been linked in part to its ability to manipulate the host immune response...
Research Article | Molecular Biology and PhysiologyThe Vibrio cholerae Quorum-Sensing Protein VqmA Integrates Cell Density, Environmental, and Host-Derived Cues into the Control of VirulenceQuorum sensing (QS) is a process of chemical communication that bacteria use to orchestrate collective behaviors. QS communication relies on chemical signal molecules called autoinducers. QS regulates virulence in Vibrio cholerae, the causative agent of the disease cholera. Transit into the human small intestine, the site of cholera infection, exposes...