Latest Articles
Research Article | Molecular Biology and PhysiologyDistinct Roles of Extracellular Domains in the Epstein-Barr Virus-Encoded BILF1 Receptor for Signaling and Major Histocompatibility Complex Class I DownregulationG protein-coupled receptors constitute the largest family of membrane proteins. As targets of >30% of the FDA-approved drugs, they are valuable for drug discovery. The receptor is composed of seven membrane-spanning helices and intracellular and extracellular domains. BILF1 is a receptor encoded by Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), which evades the host immune system by various strategies. BILF1 facilitates the virus immune evasion by...
Research Article | Host-Microbe BiologyRNA Structure Duplication in the Dengue Virus 3′ UTR: Redundancy or Host Specificity?Flaviviruses constitute the most relevant group of arthropod-transmitted viruses, including important human pathogens such as the dengue, Zika, yellow fever, and West Nile viruses. The natural alternation of these viruses between vertebrate and invertebrate hosts shapes the viral genome population, which leads to selection of different viral variants with potential implications for epidemiological fitness and pathogenesis. However, the...
Research Article | Host-Microbe BiologyCorynebacterium pseudodiphtheriticum Exploits Staphylococcus aureus Virulence Components in a Novel Polymicrobial Defense StrategyWhile some individuals are nasally colonized with S. aureus, the underlying factors that determine colonization are not understood. There is increasing evidence that indicates that resident bacteria play a role; some commensal species can eradicate S. aureus from the nasal cavity. Among these,...
Research Article | Host-Microbe BiologyThree Toxoplasma gondii Dense Granule Proteins Are Required for Induction of Lewis Rat Macrophage PyroptosisInflammasomes are major components of the innate immune system and are responsible for detecting various microbial and environmental danger signals. Upon invasion of Lewis rat macrophages, the parasite rapidly activates the NLRP1 inflammasome, resulting in pyroptosis and elimination of the parasite’s replication niche. The work reported here revealed that Toxoplasma GRA35, GRA42, and GRA43 are required for induction of Lewis...
Research Article | Host-Microbe BiologyTwo Point Mutations in Old World Hantavirus Glycoproteins Afford the Generation of Highly Infectious Recombinant Vesicular Stomatitis Virus VectorsHuman hantavirus infections cause hantavirus pulmonary syndrome in the Americas and hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome (HFRS) in Eurasia. No FDA-approved vaccines and therapeutics exist for these deadly viruses, and their development is limited by the requirement for high biocontainment. In this study, we identified and characterized key amino acid changes in the surface glycoproteins of HFRS-causing Hantaan virus that enhance their...
Minireview | Molecular Biology and PhysiologyGlycyl Radical Enzyme-Associated Microcompartments: Redox-Replete Bacterial OrganellesAn increasing number of microbes are being identified that organize catabolic pathways within self-assembling proteinaceous structures known as bacterial microcompartments (BMCs). Most BMCs are characterized by their singular substrate specificity and commonly employ B12-dependent radical mechanisms.
Research Article | Host-Microbe BiologyNonsteroidal Anti-inflammatory Drugs Alter the Microbiota and Exacerbate Clostridium difficile Colitis while Dysregulating the Inflammatory ResponseClostridium difficile infection (CDI) is a spore-forming anaerobic bacterium and leading cause of antibiotic-associated colitis. Epidemiological data suggest that use of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) increases the risk for CDI in humans, a potentially important observation given the widespread use of NSAIDs. Prior studies in rodent models of CDI found...
Research Article | Molecular Biology and PhysiologyPhysical Determinants of Amyloid Assembly in Biofilm FormationBiofilms are generated by bacteria, embedded in the formed extracellular matrix. The biofilm's function is to improve the survival of a bacterial colony through, for example, increased resistance to antibiotics or other environmental stresses. Proteins secreted by the bacteria act as a major structural component of this extracellular matrix, as they self-assemble into highly stable amyloid fibrils, making the biofilm very difficult to...
Observation | Host-Microbe BiologyCandidalysin Crucially Contributes to Nlrp3 Inflammasome Activation by Candida albicans HyphaeCandidiasis is a potentially lethal condition that is caused by systemic dissemination of Candida albicans, a common fungal commensal residing mostly on mucosal surfaces. The transition of C. albicans from an innocuous commensal to an opportunistic pathogen goes hand in hand with its morphological...
Editor's Pick Research Article | Molecular Biology and PhysiologyRegulation of the Peptidoglycan Polymerase Activity of PBP1b by Antagonist Actions of the Core Divisome Proteins FtsBLQ and FtsNBacterial cell division is governed by a multiprotein complex called divisome, which facilitates a precise cell wall synthesis at midcell and daughter cell separation. Protein-protein interactions and activity studies using different combinations of the septum synthesis core of the divisome revealed that the glycosyltransferase activity of PBP1b is repressed by FtsBLQ and that the presence of FtsN or LpoB suppresses this inhibition....