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Research Article | Molecular Biology and PhysiologySingle-Cell Analysis Reveals Distinct Gene Expression and Heterogeneity in Male and Female Plasmodium falciparum GametocytesMost human deaths that result from malaria are caused by the eukaryotic parasite Plasmodium falciparum. The only form of this parasite that is transmitted to the mosquito is the sexual form, called the gametocyte. The production of mature gametocytes can take up to 2 weeks and results in phenotypically distinct males and females, although what causes this gender-...
Research Article | Host-Microbe BiologyIdentification of Differentiating Metabolic Pathways between Infant Gut Microbiome Populations Reveals Depletion of Function-Level Adaptation to Human Milk in the Finnish PopulationKnowing the limitations of taxonomy-based research, there is an emerging need for the development of higher-resolution techniques. The significance of this research is demonstrated by the novel method used for the analysis of function-level metagenomes. BiomeScout—the presented technology—utilizes proprietary algorithms for the detection of differences between functionalities present in metagenomic samples.
Observation | Ecological and Evolutionary ScienceBroadscale Ecological Patterns Are Robust to Use of Exact Sequence Variants versus Operational Taxonomic UnitsMicrobial ecologists have made exceptional improvements in our understanding of microbiomes in the last decade due to breakthroughs in sequencing technologies. These advances have wide-ranging implications for fields ranging from agriculture to human health. Due to limitations in databases, the majority of microbial ecology studies use a binning approach to approximate taxonomy based on DNA sequence similarity. There remains extensive...
Editor's Pick Research Article | Host-Microbe BiologyManipulation of Host Diet To Reduce Gastrointestinal Colonization by the Opportunistic Pathogen Candida albicansCandida albicans, the most common human fungal pathogen, can cause infections with a mortality rate of ~40%. C. albicans is part of the normal gut flora, but when a patient’s immune system is compromised, it can leave the gut and cause infections. By reducing the amount of...
Editor's Pick Research Article | Molecular Biology and PhysiologyPlasmid-Based CRISPR-Cas9 Gene Editing in Multiple Candida SpeciesCandida species are a major cause of infection worldwide. The species associated with infection vary with geographical location and with patient population. Infection with Candida tropicalis is particularly common in South America and Asia, and Candida parapsilosis infections are more...
Editor's Pick Research Article | Synthetic BiologyMultiplexed CRISPR-Cas9-Based Genome Editing of Rhodosporidium toruloidesMicrobial biofuel and bioproduct platforms provide access to clean and renewable carbon sources that are more sustainable and environmentally friendly than petroleum-based carbon sources. Furthermore, they can serve as useful conduits for the synthesis of advanced molecules that are difficult to produce through strictly chemical means. R. toruloides has emerged as a promising potential host for converting renewable...
Editor's Pick Research Article | Host-Microbe BiologyPersistence of Supplemented Bifidobacterium longum subsp. infantis EVC001 in Breastfed InfantsThe gut microbiome in early life plays an important role for long-term health and is shaped in large part by diet. Probiotics may contribute to improvements in health, but they have not been shown to alter the community composition of the gut microbiome. Here, we found that breastfed infants could be stably colonized at high levels by provision of B. infantis EVC001, with significant changes to the overall microbiome...
Research Article | Host-Microbe BiologySingle Nucleotide Polymorphisms in Regulator-Encoding Genes Have an Additive Effect on Virulence Gene Expression in a Vibrio cholerae Clinical IsolateCholera, an infectious disease of the small intestine caused by the aquatic bacterium Vibrio cholerae, often results in vomiting and acute watery diarrhea. If left untreated or if the response is too slow, the symptoms can quickly lead to extreme dehydration and ultimately death of the patient. Recent anecdotal evidence of cholera patients suffering from increasingly...
Research Article | Ecological and Evolutionary ScienceGut Microbiome of the Canadian Arctic InuitNon-Western populations have been shown to have distinct gut microbial communities shaped by traditional diets. The hitherto-uncharacterized microbiome of the Inuit may help us to better understand health risks specific to this population such as diabetes and obesity, which increase in prevalence as many Inuit transition to a Western diet. Here we show that even Inuit consuming a mostly traditional diet have a broadly Western-like...
Editor's Pick Research Article | Host-Microbe BiologyGenotypic and Phenotypic Diversity of Herpes Simplex Virus 2 within the Infected Neonatal PopulationHerpes simplex virus (HSV) causes invasive disease in half of infected neonates, resulting in significant mortality and permanent cognitive morbidity. The factors that contribute to invasive disease are not understood. This study revealed diversity among HSV isolates from infected neonates and detected the first associations between viral genetic variations and clinical disease manifestations. We found that viruses isolated from...