Latest Articles
Observation | Molecular Biology and PhysiologyTumble Suppression Is a Conserved Feature of Swarming MotilityBacteria within a swarm move characteristically in packs, displaying an intricate swirling motion in which hundreds of dynamic rafts continuously form and dissociate as the swarm colonizes an increasing expanse of territory. The demonstrated property of E. coli to reduce its tumble bias and hence increase its run duration during swarming is expected to maintain and...
Research Article | Host-Microbe BiologyPreviremic Identification of Ebola or Marburg Virus Infection Using Integrated Host-Transcriptome and Viral Genome DetectionCurrent molecular tests that identify infection with high-consequence viruses such as Ebola virus and Marburg virus are based on the detection of virus material in the blood. These viruses do not undergo significant early replication in the blood and, instead, replicate in organs such as the liver and spleen. Thus, virus begins to accumulate in the blood only after significant replication has already occurred in those organs, making...
Research Article | Molecular Biology and PhysiologyThe Leader Peptide peTrpL Forms Antibiotic-Containing Ribonucleoprotein Complexes for Posttranscriptional Regulation of Multiresistance GenesLeader peptides encoded by transcription attenuators are widespread small proteins that are considered nonfunctional in trans. We found that the leader peptide peTrpL of the soil-dwelling plant symbiont Sinorhizobium meliloti is required for differential, posttranscriptional regulation of a multidrug resistance operon upon antibiotic exposure. Multiresistance...
Research Article | Host-Microbe BiologyRisk1, a Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinase Effector, Promotes Rickettsia typhi Intracellular SurvivalRickettsia species are Gram-negative obligate intracellular bacteria that infect a wide range of eukaryotes and vertebrates. In particular, human body louse-borne Rickettsia prowazekii and flea-borne Rickettsia typhi have historically plagued humankind and continue to reemerge globally. The...
Minireview | Therapeutics and PreventionA Physiological Basis for Nonheritable Antibiotic ResistanceAntibiotics constitute one of the cornerstones of modern medicine. However, individuals may succumb to a bacterial infection if a pathogen survives exposure to antibiotics. The ability of bacteria to survive bactericidal antibiotics results from genetic changes in the preexisting bacterial genome, from the acquisition of genes from other organisms, and from nonheritable phenomena that give rise to antibiotic tolerance. Nonheritable...
Research Article | Molecular Biology and PhysiologyAspergillus fumigatus Transcription Factors Involved in the Caspofungin Paradoxical EffectAspergillus fumigatus, one of the most important human-pathogenic fungal species, is able to cause aspergillosis, a heterogeneous group of diseases that presents a wide range of clinical manifestations. Invasive pulmonary aspergillosis is the most serious pathology in terms of patient outcome and treatment, with a high mortality rate ranging from 50% to 95% primarily...
Research Article | Host-Microbe BiologySterol-Response Pathways Mediate Alkaline Survival in Diverse FungiThe work described here further elucidates how microorganisms sense and adapt to changes in their environment to establish infections in the human host. Specifically, we uncover a novel mechanism by which an opportunistic human fungal pathogen, Cryptococcus neoformans, responds to increases in extracellular pH in order to survive and thrive within the relatively...
Research Article | Molecular Biology and PhysiologyEpstein-Barr Virus LMP1 Promotes Syntenin-1- and Hrs-Induced Extracellular Vesicle Formation for Its Own Secretion To Increase Cell Proliferation and MigrationLMP1 is a notable viral protein that contributes to the modification of EV content and tumor microenvironment remodeling. LMP1-modified EVs enhance tumor proliferation, migration, and invasion potential and promote radioresistance. Currently, the mechanisms surrounding LMP1 incorporation into the host EV pathways are not well understood. This study revealed that LMP1 utilizes Hrs, Syntenin-1, and specific components of the ESCRT-III...
Research Article | Host-Microbe BiologyComparative Genomics Identified a Genetic Locus in Plant-Associated Pseudomonas spp. That Is Necessary for Induced Systemic SusceptibilityMicrobiome-associated bacteria can have diverse effects on health of their hosts, yet the genetic and molecular bases of these effects have largely remained elusive. This work demonstrates that a novel bacterial locus can modulate systemic plant immunity. Additionally, this work demonstrates that growth-promoting strains may have unanticipated consequences for plant immunity, and this is critical to consider when the plant microbiome is...
Research Article | Therapeutics and PreventionConvergent Evolution of Neutralizing Antibodies to Staphylococcus aureus γ-Hemolysin C That Recognize an Immunodominant Primary Sequence-Dependent B-Cell EpitopeStaphylococcus aureus infection is a major public health threat in part due to the spread of antibiotic resistance and repeated failures to develop a protective vaccine. Infection is associated with production of virulence factors that include exotoxins that attack host barriers and cellular defenses, such as the leukocidin (Luk) family of bicomponent pore-forming...