Host-Microbe Biology
Research Article | Host-Microbe BiologyStaphylococcus aureus Biofilm Growth on Cystic Fibrosis Airway Epithelial Cells Is Enhanced during Respiratory Syncytial Virus CoinfectionThe airways of individuals with cystic fibrosis (CF) are commonly chronically infected, and Staphylococcus aureus is the dominant bacterial respiratory pathogen in CF children. CF patients also experience frequent respiratory virus infections, and it has been hypothesized that virus coinfection increases the severity of...
Research Article | Host-Microbe BiologyIntracellular Staphylococcus aureus Modulates Host Central Carbon Metabolism To Activate AutophagyStaphylococcus aureus escapes from immune recognition by invading a wide range of human cells. Once the pathogen becomes intracellular, the most important last resort antibiotics are not effective. Therefore, novel anti-infective therapies against intracellular S. aureus are urgently needed. Here,...
Research Article | Host-Microbe BiologyA Novel Shigella Proteome Microarray Discriminates Targets of Human Antibody Reactivity following Oral Vaccination and Experimental ChallengeEach year, more than 180 million cases of severe diarrhea caused by Shigella occur globally. Those affected (mostly children in poor regions) experience long-term sequelae that severely impair quality of life. Without a licensed vaccine, the burden of disease represents a daunting challenge. An improved understanding of immune responses to Shigella is necessary to support ongoing efforts to identify a safe and...
Commentary | Host-Microbe BiologyAir-Liquid Interface System To Understand Epstein-Barr Virus-Associated Nasopharyngeal CarcinomaEpstein-Barr virus (EBV) infects epithelial cells and is associated with epithelial malignancies. Although EBV reactivation is induced by epithelial differentiation, the available methods for differentiation are not widely used.
Editor's Pick Resource Report | Host-Microbe BiologyAir-Liquid Interface Method To Study Epstein-Barr Virus Pathogenesis in Nasopharyngeal Epithelial CellsLifting adherent cells to the air-liquid interface (ALI) is a method conventionally used to culture airway epithelial cells into polarized apical and basolateral surfaces. Reactivation of Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) from monolayer epithelial cultures is sometimes abortive, which may be attributed to the lack of authentic reactivation triggers that occur in stratified epithelium in vivo. In the present work, the ALI culture method...
Research Article | Host-Microbe BiologyRegulation of Trypanosoma brucei Acetyl Coenzyme A Carboxylase by Environmental LipidsTrypanosoma brucei is a eukaryotic parasite that causes African sleeping sickness. T. brucei is transmitted by the blood-sucking tsetse fly. In order to adapt to its two very different hosts, T. brucei must sense the host...
Resource Report | Host-Microbe BiologyFusoPortal: an Interactive Repository of Hybrid MinION-Sequenced Fusobacterium Genomes Improves Gene Identification and CharacterizationIn this report, we describe a hybrid MinION whole-genome sequencing pipeline and the genomic characteristics of the first eight Fusobacterium strains deposited in the FusoPortal database. This collection of highly accurate and complete genomes drastically improves upon previous multicontig assemblies by correcting and newly identifying a significant number of open reading frames. We believe that the availability of this...
Resource Report | Host-Microbe BiologyFusobacterium Genomics Using MinION and Illumina Sequencing Enables Genome Completion and CorrectionFusobacterium spp. are Gram-negative, oral bacteria that are increasingly associated with human pathologies as diverse as periodontitis, preterm birth, and colorectal cancer. While a recent surge in F. nucleatum research has increased our understanding of this human pathogen, a lack of complete genomes has hindered the identification and characterization of...
Research Article | Host-Microbe BiologyTransporters MRP1 and MRP2 Regulate Opposing Inflammatory Signals To Control Transepithelial Neutrophil Migration during Streptococcus pneumoniae Lung InfectionStreptococcus pneumoniae is a Gram-positive bacterium that normally inhabits the human nasopharynx asymptomatically. However, it is also a major cause of pneumonia, bacteremia, and meningitis. The transition from pneumonia to bacteremia is critical, as patients that develop septicemia have ~20% mortality rates. Previous studies have shown that while neutrophils, a...
Research Article | Host-Microbe BiologySerum-Mediated Cleavage of Bacillus anthracis Protective Antigen Is a Two-Step Process That Involves a Serum CarboxypeptidaseOur findings identify a serum-mediated modification of PA20 that has not been previously described. These observations further imply that the processing of PA is more complex than currently thought. Additional study is needed to define the contribution of serum processing of PA to the host response and individual susceptibility to anthrax.