Latest Articles
Research Article | Host-Microbe BiologyNetwork-Guided Discovery of Influenza Virus Replication Host FactorsIntegrating virus-host interactions with host protein-protein interactions, we have created a method using these established network practices to identify host factors (i.e., proteins) that are likely candidates for antiviral drug targeting. We demonstrate that interaction cascades between host proteins that directly interact with viral proteins and host factors that are important to influenza virus replication are enriched for...
Research Article | Molecular Biology and PhysiologyThe Expanded Universe of Prokaryotic Argonaute ProteinsThe eukaryotic Ago proteins and the RNA interference pathways they are involved in are widely used as a powerful tool in research and as potential therapeutics. In contrast, the properties and functions of prokaryotic Ago (pAgo) proteins have remained poorly understood. Understanding the diversity and functions of pAgos holds a huge potential for discovery of new cellular pathways and novel tools for genome manipulations. Only few pAgos...
Research Article | Clinical Science and EpidemiologyIntrinsic Class D β-Lactamases of Clostridium difficileC. difficile is a spore-forming anaerobic bacterium which causes infection of the large intestine with high mortality rates. The C. difficile infection is difficult to prevent and treat, as the pathogen is resistant to many antimicrobial agents. Prolonged use of β-lactam antibiotics for treatment of...
Editor's Pick Research Article | Molecular Biology and PhysiologyGain-of-Function Mutations in the Phospholipid Flippase MprF Confer Specific Daptomycin ResistanceEver since daptomycin was introduced to the clinic, daptomycin-resistant isolates have been reported. In most cases, the resistant isolates harbor point mutations in MprF, which produces and flips the positively charged phospholipid LysPG. This has led to the assumption that the resistance mechanism relies on the overproduction of LysPG, given that increased LysPG production may lead to increased electrostatic repulsion of positively...
Research Article | Molecular Biology and PhysiologyCpaA Is a Glycan-Specific Adamalysin-like Protease Secreted by Acinetobacter baumannii That Inactivates Coagulation Factor XIIVentilator-associated pneumonia and catheter-related bacteremia are the most common and severe infections caused by Acinetobacter baumannii. Besides the capsule, lipopolysaccharides, and the outer membrane porin OmpA, little is known about the contribution of secreted proteins to A. baumannii...
Commentary | Host-Microbe BiologyShedding Light on the Role of the Skin in Vaccine-Induced Protection against the Malaria SporozoiteThe most advanced vaccine against Plasmodium falciparum malaria, RTS,S/AS01, provides partial protection in infants and children living in areas of malaria endemicity. Further understanding its mechanisms of protection may allow the development of improved second-generation vaccines.
Commentary | Clinical Science and EpidemiologyPig Movement and Antimicrobial Use Drive Transmission of Livestock-Associated Staphylococcus aureus CC398The epidemiology of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus has changed considerably over the last 3 decades, including the recognition of lineages associated with the community and with livestock exposure, in addition to nosocomial strains. A recent study by R.
Research Article | Therapeutics and PreventionAntibodies against the Majority Subunit (PilA) of the Type IV Pilus of Nontypeable Haemophilus influenzae Disperse Moraxella catarrhalis from a Dual-Species BiofilmMiddle ear infections (or otitis media [OM]) are highly prevalent among children worldwide and present a tremendous socioeconomic challenge for health care systems. More importantly, this disease diminishes the quality of life of young children. OM is often chronic and recurrent, due to the presence of highly antibiotic-resistant communities of bacteria (called biofilms) that persist within the middle ear space. To combat these...
Research Article | Host-Microbe BiologyLegionella-Containing Vacuoles Capture PtdIns(4)P-Rich Vesicles Derived from the Golgi ApparatusThe environmental bacterium Legionella pneumophila causes a life-threatening pneumonia termed Legionnaires’ disease. The bacteria grow intracellularly in free-living amoebae as well as in respiratory tract macrophages. To this end, L. pneumophila forms a distinct membrane-bound compartment called...
Research Article | Host-Microbe BiologyAcquisition and Loss of CTX-M-Producing and Non-Producing Escherichia coli in the Fecal Microbiome of Travelers to South AsiaEscherichia coli strains which produce CTX-M extended-spectrum beta-lactamases are endemic as colonizers of humans and in the environment in South Asia. This study demonstrates that acquisition of CTX-M-producing E. coli (CTX-M-EC) in travelers from the United Kingdom to South Asia is polyclonal,...