Latest Articles
Research Article | Host-Microbe BiologyGenetic Similarity of Gonococcal Homologs to Meningococcal Outer Membrane Proteins of Serogroup B VaccineGonorrhea, a sexually transmitted disease, causes substantial global morbidity and economic burden. New prevention and control measures for this disease are urgently needed, as strains resistant to almost all classes of antibiotics available for treatment have emerged. Previous reports demonstrate that cross-protection from gonococcal infections may be conferred by meningococcal serogroup B (MenB) outer membrane vesicle (OMV)-based...
Letter to the Editor | Host-Microbe BiologyFurther Mechanisms and Locations in Which Antisporozoite Antibodies Neutralize Malaria Sporozoites
Research Article | Ecological and Evolutionary ScienceTransposon-Mediated Horizontal Transfer of the Host-Specific Virulence Protein ToxA between Three Fungal Wheat PathogensThis work dissects the tripartite horizontal transfer of ToxA, a gene that has a direct negative impact on global wheat yields. Defining the extent of horizontally transferred DNA is important because it can provide clues to the mechanisms that facilitate HGT. Our analysis of ToxA and its surrounding 14 kb suggests that this gene was horizontally transferred in two independent events, with one event likely facilitated...
Research Article | Molecular Biology and PhysiologyThe TK0271 Protein Activates Transcription of Aromatic Amino Acid Biosynthesis Genes in the Hyperthermophilic Archaeon Thermococcus kodakarensisThe mechanisms of transcriptional regulation in archaea are still poorly understood. In this study, we identified a transcriptional regulator in the hyperthermophilic archaeon Thermococcus kodakarensis that activates the transcription of three operons involved in the biosynthesis of aromatic amino acids. The study represents one of only a few that identifies a...
Research Article | Host-Microbe BiologyAnalytical Treatment Interruption after Short-Term Antiretroviral Therapy in a Postnatally Simian-Human Immunodeficiency Virus-Infected Infant Rhesus Macaque ModelNovel interventions that do not rely on daily adherence to ART are needed to achieve sustained viral remission for perinatally infected children, who currently rely on lifelong ART. Considering the risks and expense associated with ART interruption trials, the identification of biomarkers of viral rebound will prioritize promising therapeutic intervention strategies, including anti-HIV Env protein therapeutics. However, comprehensive...
Author Reply | Host-Microbe BiologyReply to Marques and Drexler, “Complex Scenario of Homotypic and Heterotypic Zika Virus Immune Enhancement”
Research Article | Host-Microbe BiologyIdentification of Virulence-Associated Properties by Comparative Genome Analysis of Streptococcus pneumoniae, S. pseudopneumoniae, S. mitis, Three S. oralis Subspecies, and S. infantisStreptococcus pneumoniae is one of the most important human pathogens but is closely related to Streptococcus mitis, with which humans live in harmony. The fact that the two species evolved from a common ancestor provides a unique basis for studies of both infection-associated properties and...
Research Article | Clinical Science and EpidemiologyEvolution of Outbreak-Causing Carbapenem-Resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae ST258 at a Tertiary Care Hospital over 8 YearsThe carbapenem class of antibiotics is invaluable for the treatment of selected multidrug-resistant Gram-negative pathogens. The continued transmission of carbapenem-resistant bacteria such as ST258 K. pneumoniae is of serious global public health concern, as treatment options for these infections are limited. This genomic epidemiologic investigation traced the...
Letter to the Editor | Host-Microbe BiologyComplex Scenario of Homotypic and Heterotypic Zika Virus Immune Enhancement
Research Article | Ecological and Evolutionary ScienceThe Origin, Succession, and Predicted Metabolism of Bacterial Communities Associated with Leaf DecompositionCommunity ecologists have traditionally treated individuals within a species as uniform, with individual-level biodiversity rarely considered as a regulator of community and ecosystem function. In our study system, we have documented clear evidence of within-species variation causing local ecosystem adaptation to fluxes across ecosystem boundaries. In this striking pattern of a “home-field advantage,” leaves from individual trees tend...