Latest Articles
Research Article | Host-Microbe BiologyRemasking of Candida albicans β-Glucan in Response to Environmental pH Is Regulated by Quorum SensingCandida albicans is part of the microbiota of the skin and gastrointestinal and reproductive tracts of humans and has coevolved with us for millennia. During that period, C. albicans has developed strategies to modulate the host’s innate immune responses, by regulating the exposure of key epitopes...
Research Article | Therapeutics and PreventionProbiotic Yeasts Inhibit Virulence of Non-albicans Candida SpeciesNon-albicans Candida-associated infections have emerged as a major risk factor in the hospitalized and immunecompromised patients. Besides, antifungal-associated complications occur more frequently with these non-albicans Candida species than with C. albicans. Therefore, as an alternative approach to combat these widespread non-albicans Candida...
Research Article | Therapeutics and PreventionClonal Confinement of a Highly Mobile Resistance Element Driven by Combination Therapy in Rhodococcus equiMDR clades arise upon acquisition of resistance traits, but the determinants of their clonal expansion remain largely undefined. Taking advantage of the unique features of Rhodococcus equi infection control in equine farms, involving the same dual antibiotic treatment since the 1980s (a macrolide and rifampin), this study sheds light into the determinants of...
Research Article | Molecular Biology and PhysiologyBacterial Longevity Requires Protein Synthesis and a Stringent ResponseWe are surrounded by bacteria, but they do not completely dominate our planet despite the ability of many to grow extremely rapidly in the laboratory. This has been interpreted to mean that bacteria in nature are often in a dormant state. We investigated life in growth arrest of Rhodopseudomonas palustris, a proteobacterium that stays alive for months when it is not...
Research Article | Applied and Environmental ScienceAntibiotics and Host-Tailored Probiotics Similarly Modulate Effects on the Developing Avian Microbiome, Mycobiome, and Host Gene ExpressionAlternative approaches are greatly needed to reduce the need for antibiotic use in food animal production. This study utilized a pipeline for the development of a host-tailored probiotic to enhance performance in commercial turkeys and modulate their microbiota, similar to the effects of low-dose antibiotic administration. We determined that a host-tailored probiotic, developed in the context of the commercial turkey gut microbiome, was...
Research Article | Molecular Biology and PhysiologyDistinct Requirements for Tail-Anchored Membrane Protein Biogenesis in Escherichia coliA subset of membrane proteins is targeted to and inserted into the membrane via a hydrophobic transmembrane domain (TMD) that is positioned at the very C terminus of the protein. The biogenesis of these so-called tail-anchored proteins (TAMPs) has been studied in detail in eukaryotic cells. Various partly redundant pathways were identified, the choice for which depends in part on the hydrophobicity of the TMD. Much less is known about...
Research Article | Host-Microbe BiologyAntibodies to Cryptic Epitopes in Distant Homologues Underpin a Mechanism of Heterologous Immunity between Plasmodium vivax PvDBP and Plasmodium falciparum VAR2CSAIn this work, we describe a molecular mechanism of heterologous immunity between two distant species of Plasmodium. Our results suggest a mechanism that subverts the classic parasite strategy of presenting highly polymorphic epitopes in surface antigens to evade immunity to that parasite. This alternative immune pathway can be exploited to protect pregnant women from falciparum placental malaria by designing vaccines to cryptic...
Commentary | Host-Microbe BiologyLive and Diet by Your Gut MicrobiotaDiet influences health in multiple ways. One important effect of diet is on the gut microbiota. The effects of diet are often related to an individual’s specific microbiota composition. The close links between health, diet, and gut microbiota are illustrated in a new mouse model of sepsis where the combination of a high-fat/low-fiber Western diet, antibiotics, and surgery promotes the development of lethal sepsis. Diet can also...
Research Article | Molecular Biology and PhysiologyA rhlI 5′ UTR-Derived sRNA Regulates RhlR-Dependent Quorum Sensing in Pseudomonas aeruginosaThe opportunistic human pathogen Pseudomonas aeruginosa possesses multiple quorum sensing systems that regulate and coordinate production of virulence factors and adaptation to different environments. Despite extensive research, the regulatory elements that play a role in this complex network are still not fully understood. By using several RNA sequencing techniques,...
Research Article | Host-Microbe BiologyA Genome-Wide Knockout Screen in Human Macrophages Identified Host Factors Modulating Salmonella InfectionSalmonella exploits macrophages to gain access to the lymphatic system and bloodstream to lead to local and potentially systemic infections. With an increasing number of antibiotic-resistant isolates identified in humans, Salmonella infections have become major threats to public health. Therefore, there is an urgent need to identify alternative approaches to anti-infective therapy, including host-directed therapies. In...