Latest Articles
Research Article | Molecular Biology and PhysiologyAtrR Is an Essential Determinant of Azole Resistance in Aspergillus fumigatusAspergillus fumigatus is the major filamentous fungal pathogen in humans. Infections associated with A. fumigatus are often treated with azole drugs, but resistance to these antifungal agents is increasing. Mortality from aspergillosis associated with azole-resistant fungi is extremely high....
Research Article | Ecological and Evolutionary ScienceMitotic Recombination and Rapid Genome Evolution in the Invasive Forest Pathogen Phytophthora ramorumAlien species are often successful invaders in new environments, despite the introduction of a few isolates with a reduced genetic pool. This is called the genetic paradox of invasion. We found two mechanisms by which the invasive forest pathogen causing sudden oak and sudden larch death can evolve. Extensive mitotic recombination producing runs of homozygosity generates genotypic diversity even in the absence of sexual reproduction,...
Research Article | Applied and Environmental ScienceMethane-Linked Mechanisms of Electron Uptake from Cathodes by Methanosarcina barkeriMethanogenic archaea are of fundamental applied and environmental relevance. This is largely due to their activities in a wide range of anaerobic environments, generating gaseous reduced carbon that can be utilized as a fuel source. While the bioenergetics of a wide variety of methanogens have been well studied with respect to soluble substrates, a mechanistic understanding of their interaction with solid-phase redox-active compounds is...
Research Article | Host-Microbe BiologyGlycolysis Is an Intrinsic Factor for Optimal Replication of a NorovirusViruses depend on the host cells they infect to provide the machinery and substrates for replication. Host cells are highly dynamic systems that can alter their intracellular environment and metabolic behavior, which may be helpful or inhibitory for an infecting virus. In this study, we show that macrophages, a target cell of murine norovirus (MNV), increase glycolysis upon viral infection, which is important for early steps in MNV...
Research Article | Molecular Biology and PhysiologyRstA Is a Major Regulator of Clostridioides difficile Toxin Production and MotilityClostridioides difficile is an anaerobic, gastrointestinal pathogen of humans and other mammals. C. difficile produces two major toxins, TcdA and TcdB, which cause the symptoms of the disease, and forms dormant endospores to survive the aerobic environment outside the host. A recently discovered...
Research Article | Host-Microbe BiologySerum Amyloid P Component Binds Fungal Surface Amyloid and Decreases Human Macrophage Phagocytosis and Secretion of Inflammatory CytokinesMacrophages are a key part of our innate immune system and are responsible for recognizing invading microbes, ingesting them, and sending appropriate signals to other immune cells. We have found that human macrophages can recognize invading yeast pathogens that have a specific molecular pattern of proteins on their surfaces: these proteins have structures similar to the structures of amyloid aggregates in neurodegenerative diseases like...
Research Article | Therapeutics and PreventionTargeting Multidrug-Resistant Acinetobacter spp.: Sulbactam and the Diazabicyclooctenone β-Lactamase Inhibitor ETX2514 as a Novel Therapeutic AgentThe number and diversity of β-lactamases are steadily increasing. The emergence of β-lactamases that hydrolyze carbapenems poses a significant threat to our antibiotic armamentarium. The explosion of OXA enzymes that are carbapenem hydrolyzers is a major challenge (carbapenem-hydrolyzing class D [CHD]). An urgent need exists to discover β-lactamase inhibitors with class D activity. The sulbactam-ETX2514 combination demonstrates the...
Research Article | Therapeutics and PreventionBroad and Protective Influenza B Virus Neuraminidase Antibodies in Humans after Vaccination and their Clonal Persistence as Plasma CellsInfluenza virus infections continue to cause substantial morbidity and mortality despite the availability of seasonal vaccines. The extensive genetic variability in seasonal and potentially pandemic influenza strains necessitates new vaccine strategies that can induce universal protection by focusing the immune response on generating protective antibodies against conserved targets such as regions within the influenza neuraminidase...
Research Article | Ecological and Evolutionary ScienceIntroducing THOR, a Model Microbiome for Genetic Dissection of Community BehaviorThe manipulation and engineering of microbiomes could lead to improved human health, environmental sustainability, and agricultural productivity. However, microbiomes have proven difficult to alter in predictable ways, and their emergent properties are poorly understood. The history of biology has demonstrated the power of model systems to understand complex problems such as gene expression or development. Therefore, a defined and...
Editor's Pick Research Article | Molecular Biology and PhysiologyIdentifying Small Proteins by Ribosome Profiling with Stalled Initiation ComplexesProteins comprised of 50 or fewer amino acids have been shown to interact with and modulate the functions of larger proteins in a range of organisms. Despite the possible importance of small proteins, the true prevalence and capabilities of these regulators remain unknown as the small size of the proteins places serious limitations on their identification, purification, and characterization. Here, we present a ribosome profiling...