Latest Articles
- Research Article | Host-Microbe BiologyChlamydia trachomatis TmeA Directly Activates N-WASP To Promote Actin Polymerization and Functions Synergistically with TarP during Invasion
The increasing genetic tractability of Chlamydia trachomatis is accelerating the ability to characterize the unique infection biology of this obligate intracellular parasite. These efforts are leading to a greater understanding of the molecular events associated with key virulence requirements.
- Research Article | Molecular Biology and PhysiologyTrehalose Recycling Promotes Energy-Efficient Biosynthesis of the Mycobacterial Cell Envelope
The mycomembrane layer of the mycobacterial cell envelope is a barrier to environmental, immune, and antibiotic insults. There is considerable evidence of mycomembrane plasticity during infection and in response to host-mimicking stresses.
- Research Article | Therapeutics and PreventionPredictive Rules of Efflux Inhibition and Avoidance in Pseudomonas aeruginosa
Efflux pump avoidance and inhibition are desired properties for the optimization of antibacterial activities against Gram-negative bacteria. However, molecular and physicochemical interactions defining the interface between compounds and efflux pumps remain poorly understood. We identified properties that correlate with efflux avoidance and inhibition, are predictive of similar features in structurally diverse compounds, and allow...
- Research Article | Applied and Environmental ScienceMetabolic Exchange and Energetic Coupling between Nutritionally Stressed Bacterial Species: Role of Quorum-Sensing Molecules
Bacteria have usually been studied in single culture in rich media or under specific starvation conditions. However, in nature they coexist with other microorganisms and build an advanced society.
- Research Article | Ecological and Evolutionary ScienceAt Least Seven Distinct Rotavirus Genotype Constellations in Bats with Evidence of Reassortment and Zoonotic Transmissions
The increased research on bat coronaviruses after severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV) and Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) allowed the very rapid identification of SARS-CoV-2. This is an excellent example of the importance of knowing viruses harbored by wildlife in general, and bats in particular, for global preparedness against emerging viral pathogens.
- Research Article | Host-Microbe BiologyEngineering a Reliable and Convenient SARS-CoV-2 Replicon System for Analysis of Viral RNA Synthesis and Screening of Antiviral Inhibitors
COVID-19 has caused a severe global pandemic. Until now, there has been no simple and reliable system available in a lower-biosafety-grade laboratory for SARS-CoV-2 virologic research and inhibitor screening.
- Research Article | Host-Microbe BiologyNatural Bacterial Assemblages in Arabidopsis thaliana Tissues Become More Distinguishable and Diverse during Host Development...
Developing synthetic microbial communities that can increase plant yield or deter pathogens requires basic research on several fronts, including the efficiency with which microbes colonize plant tissues, how plant genes shape the microbiome, and the microbe-microbe interactions involved in community assembly. Findings on each of these fronts depend upon the spatial and temporal scales at which plant microbiomes are surveyed.
- Research Article | Clinical Science and EpidemiologyGenome Sequencing of Sewage Detects Regionally Prevalent SARS-CoV-2 Variants
Viral genome sequencing has guided our understanding of the spread and extent of genetic diversity of SARS-CoV-2 during the COVID-19 pandemic. SARS-CoV-2 viral genomes are usually sequenced from nasopharyngeal swabs of individual patients to track viral spread.
- Research Article | Host-Microbe BiologyCRNKL1 Is a Highly Selective Regulator of Intron-Retaining HIV-1 and Cellular mRNAs
To regulate its complex splicing pattern, HIV-1 uses the adaptor protein Rev to shuttle unspliced or partially spliced mRNA from the nucleus to the cytoplasm. In the absence of Rev, these RNAs are retained in the nucleus, but it is unclear why.
- Observation | Host-Microbe BiologySterilization by Adaptive Immunity of a Conditionally Persistent Mutant of Mycobacterium tuberculosis
The bacterial pathogen Mycobacterium tuberculosis can enter into a persistent state in which M. tuberculosis can evade host immunity, thereby reducing the effectiveness of current tuberculosis vaccines. Understanding the factors that contribute to persistence would enable the rational design of...