mSphere

The simplest and most common way for viruses to escape antibody neutralization is by mutating residues that are essential for antibody binding. Escape mutations are strongly selected for by their effect on viral fitness, which is most often related to issues of protein folding, particle assembly, and capsid function. The studies presented here demonstrated that a broadly neutralizing antibody to mouse norovirus binds to an exposed...

The inner membrane complex (IMC) is a defining feature of apicomplexan parasites key to both their motility and unique cell division. To provide further insights into the IMC, we analyzed the dynamics and functions of representative alveolin domain-containing IMC proteins across developmental stages. Our work shows universal but distinct roles for IMC1, -3, and -7 during Toxoplasma asexual division but more specialized...

This work describes the increased activity of a natural antifungal peptide in the presence of another antifungal peptide from a different family. This is termed antifungal synergy. Synergy is important for decreasing the amount of antifungal molecule needed to control the disease. Traditionally, naturally occurring antifungal molecules are assayed in isolation. Identification of synergistic interactions between antifungal peptides means...

Influenza A virus (IAV), transmitted primarily via the fecal-oral route in wild birds, encounters high concentrations of bacteria and their products. Understanding the extent to which bacteria affect the infectivity of IAV will lead to a broader understanding of viral ecology in reservoir hosts and may lead to insights for the development of therapeutics in respiratory infection. Herein we show that bacteria and lipopolysaccharide (LPS...