Latest Articles
Research Article | Clinical Science and EpidemiologyEvolutionary and Genomic Insights into Clostridioides difficile Sequence Type 11: a Diverse Zoonotic and Antimicrobial-Resistant Lineage of Global One Health ImportanceHistorically, Clostridioides difficile (Clostridium difficile) has been associated with life-threatening diarrhea in hospitalized patients. Increasing rates of C. difficile infection (CDI) in the community suggest exposure to C. difficile reservoirs outside the hospital, including...
Research Article | Therapeutics and PreventionCystic Fibrosis Rapid Response: Translating Multi-omics Data into Clinically Relevant InformationProper management of polymicrobial infections in patients with cystic fibrosis (CF) has extended their life span. Information about the composition and dynamics of each patient’s microbial community aids in the selection of appropriate treatment of pulmonary exacerbations. We propose the cystic fibrosis rapid response (CFRR) as a fast approach to determine viral and microbial community composition and activity during CF pulmonary...
Research Article | Host-Microbe BiologyIdentification of the Bacterial Biosynthetic Gene Clusters of the Oral Microbiome Illuminates the Unexplored Social Language of Bacteria during Health and DiseaseThe healthy oral microbiome is symbiotic with the human host, importantly providing colonization resistance against potential pathogens. Dental caries and periodontitis are two of the world’s most common and costly chronic infectious diseases and are caused by a localized dysbiosis of the oral microbiome. Bacterially produced small molecules, often encoded by BGCs, are the primary communication media of bacterial communities and play a...
Letter to the Editor | Ecological and Evolutionary ScienceCan Sequence Phylogenies Safely Infer the Origin of the Global Virome?
Research Article | Molecular Biology and PhysiologyCorrect Sorting of Lipoproteins into the Inner and Outer Membranes of Pseudomonas aeruginosa by the Escherichia coli LolCDE Transport SystemGram-negative bacteria build their outer membranes (OM) from components that are initially located in the inner membrane (IM). A fraction of lipoproteins is transferred to the OM by the transport machinery consisting of LolABCDE proteins. Our work demonstrates that the LolCDE complexes of the transport pathways of Escherichia coli and...
Minireview | Molecular Biology and PhysiologyMechanisms, Detection, and Relevance of Protein Acetylation in ProkaryotesPosttranslational modification of a protein, either alone or in combination with other modifications, can control properties of that protein, such as enzymatic activity, localization, stability, or interactions with other molecules. N-ε-Lysine acetylation is one such modification that has gained attention in recent years, with a prevalence and significance that rival those of phosphorylation.
Observation | Molecular Biology and PhysiologyPhage-Encoded LuxR-Type Receptors Responsive to Host-Produced Bacterial Quorum-Sensing AutoinducersBacteria communicate with chemical signal molecules to regulate group behaviors in a process called quorum sensing (QS). In this report, we find that genes encoding receptors for Gram-negative bacterial QS communication molecules are present on genomes of viruses that infect these bacteria. These viruses are called phages. We show that two phage-encoded receptors, like their bacterial counterparts, bind to the communication molecule...
Commentary | Clinical Science and EpidemiologyTwo Health or Not Two Health? That Is the QuestionHow much drug-resistant infections in livestock contribute to disease in humans is controversial. While zoonoses are a prominent cause of emerging infections, and the profligate use of antibiotics as growth promoters is expected to lead to the spread of resistance, this resistance could remain concentrated in animal pathogens and only rarely spill over into humans.
Research Article | Molecular Biology and PhysiologyDengue and Zika Virus 5′ Untranslated Regions Harbor Internal Ribosomal Entry Site FunctionsMembers of the genus Flavivirus of Flaviviridae are important human pathogens of great concern because they cause serious diseases, sometimes death, in human populations living in tropical, subtropical (dengue virus [DENV], Zika virus [ZIKV], and yellow fever virus), or moderate climates (West Nile virus). Flaviviruses are known to control their translation by a cap-dependent mechanism. We have observed, however, that...
