Latest Articles
Research Article | Ecological and Evolutionary ScienceA New Lineage of Cryptococcus gattii (VGV) Discovered in the Central Zambezian Miombo WoodlandsCryptococcus gattii is an environmental pathogen that causes severe systemic infection in immunocompetent individuals more often than in immunocompromised humans. Over the past 2 decades, researchers have shown that C. gattii falls within four genetically distinct major lineages. By combining field...
Research Article | Host-Microbe BiologyStaphylococcus aureus Exploits the Host Apoptotic Pathway To Persist during InfectionCaspase-3 controls the apoptotic pathway, a form of programmed cell death designed to be immunologically silent. Polymorphisms leading to reduced caspase-3 activity are associated with variable effects on tumorigenesis and yet arise frequently. Staphylococcus aureus is a human commensal and a frequent cause of soft tissue and bloodstream infections. Successful...
Research Article | Ecological and Evolutionary ScienceDiversity in lac Operon Regulation among Diverse Escherichia coli Isolates Depends on the Broader Genetic Background but Is Not Explained by Genetic RelatednessThe lac operon of Escherichia coli is a classic model for studying gene regulation. This study has uncovered features such as the environmental input logic controlling gene expression, as well as gene expression bistability and hysteresis. Most lac operon studies have focused on a few lab strains, and it is not known how generally those findings...
Research Article | Host-Microbe BiologyTranslational Regulation Promotes Oxidative Stress Resistance in the Human Fungal Pathogen Cryptococcus neoformansFungal survival in a mammalian host requires the coordinated expression and downregulation of a large cohort of genes in response to cellular stresses. Initial infection with C. neoformans occurs in the lungs, where it interacts with host macrophages. Surviving macrophage-derived cellular stresses, such as the production of reactive oxygen and nitrogen species, is...
Research Article | Applied and Environmental ScienceUnusual Metabolism and Hypervariation in the Genome of a Gracilibacterium (BD1-5) from an Oil-Degrading CommunityCPR bacteria are generally predicted to be symbionts due to their extensive biosynthetic deficits. Although monophyletic, they are not monolithic in terms of their lifestyles. The organism described here appears to have evolved an unusual metabolic platform not reliant on glucose or pentose sugars. Its biology appears to be centered around bacterial host-derived compounds and/or cell detritus. Amino acids likely provide building blocks...
Research Article | Applied and Environmental SciencePhotoferrotrophs Produce a PioAB Electron Conduit for Extracellular Electron UptakeSome anoxygenic phototrophs use soluble iron, insoluble iron minerals (such as rust), or their proxies (poised electrodes) as electron donors for photosynthesis. However, the underlying electron uptake mechanisms are not well established. Here, we show that these phototrophs use a protein complex made of an outer membrane porin and a periplasmic decaheme cytochrome (electron transfer protein) to harvest electrons from both soluble iron...
Research Article | Host-Microbe BiologyDrug-Resistant Epimutants Exhibit Organ-Specific Stability and Induction during Murine Infections Caused by the Human Fungal Pathogen Mucor circinelloidesThe emerging fungal pathogen Mucor circinelloides causes a severe infection, mucormycosis, which leads to considerable morbidity and mortality. Treatment of Mucor infection is challenging because Mucor is inherently resistant to nearly all clinical antifungal agents. An RNAi-dependent and reversible mechanism of antifungal resistance, epimutation,...
Research Article | Therapeutics and PreventionPreclinical Efficacy of a Lipooligosaccharide Peptide Mimic Candidate Gonococcal VaccineNeisseria gonorrhoeae has become resistant to most antibiotics. The incidence of gonorrhea is also sharply increasing. A safe and effective antigonococcal vaccine is urgently needed. Lipooligosaccharide (LOS), the most abundant outer membrane molecule, is indispensable for gonococcal pathogenesis. A glycan epitope on LOS that is recognized by monoclonal antibody (MAb...
Research Article | Host-Microbe BiologyAnalysis of CA Content and CPSF6 Dependence of Early HIV-1 Replication Complexes in SupT1-R5 CellsThe HIV-1 capsid performs essential functions during early viral replication and is an interesting target for novel antivirals. Thus, understanding molecular and structural details of capsid function will be important for elucidating early HIV-1 (and retroviral in general) replication in relevant target cells and may also aid antiviral development. Here, we show that HIV-1 capsids stay largely intact during transport to the nucleus of...
Research Article | Host-Microbe BiologyCause and Effectors: Whole-Genome Comparisons Reveal Shared but Rapidly Evolving Effector Sets among Host-Specific Plant-Castrating FungiPlant pathogens use molecular weapons to successfully infect their hosts, secreting a large portfolio of various proteins and enzymes. Different plant species are often parasitized by host-specific pathogens; however, it is still unclear whether the molecular basis of such host specialization involves species-specific weapons or different variants of the same weapons. We therefore compared the genes encoding secreted proteins in three...