Host-Microbe Biology
Research Article | Host-Microbe BiologyGalectin-3 Inhibits Paracoccidioides brasiliensis Growth and Impacts Paracoccidioidomycosis through Multiple MechanismsParacoccidioidomycosis (PCM) is the most prevalent systemic mycosis in Latin America. Although the immune mechanisms to control PCM are still not fully understood, several events of the host innate and adaptive immunity are crucial to determine the progress of the infection. Mammalian β-galactoside-binding protein galectin-3 (Gal-3) plays significant roles during microbial infections and has been studied for its immunomodulatory roles,...
Editor's Pick Research Article | Host-Microbe BiologyBspR/BtrA, an Anti-σ Factor, Regulates the Ability of Bordetella bronchiseptica To Cause Cough in RatsWhooping cough is a contagious respiratory disease caused by Bordetella pertussis. This disease is characterized by severe paroxysmal coughing, which becomes a heavy burden for patients and occasionally results in death; however, its pathogenesis remains largely unknown. The major obstacle to analyzing Bordetella-induced coughing is the lack of conventional...
Research Article | Host-Microbe BiologyAnalysis of the In Vivo Transcriptome of Bordetella pertussis during Infection of MiceIn vitro growth conditions for bacteria do not fully recapitulate the host environment. RNA sequencing transcriptome analysis allows for the characterization of the infection gene expression profiles of pathogens in complex environments. Isolation of the pathogen from infected tissues is critical because of the large amounts of host RNA present in crude lysates of infected organs. A filtration method was developed that enabled...
Research Article | Host-Microbe BiologyA Novel Virulence Phenotype Rapidly Assesses Candida Fungal Pathogenesis in Healthy and Immunocompromised Caenorhabditis elegans HostsOpportunistic pathogens are commensals capable of causing disease and are serious threats to human health. It is critical to understand the mechanisms and host contexts under which opportunistic pathogens become virulent. In this work, we present a novel assay to quickly and quantitatively measure pathogen virulence in healthy and immunocompromised nematode hosts. We found that Candida species, one of the most prominent fungal...
Research Article | Host-Microbe BiologyRapidly Processed Stool Swabs Approximate Stool Microbiota ProfilesCollection of fecal swab samples simplifies handling, processing, and archiving compared to collection of stool. This study confirms that fecal swabs reliably replicate the bacterial composition and diversity of stool samples, provided that the swabs are processed shortly after collection. These findings support the use of fecal swabs, when shipping and handling are done properly, to streamline measurements of intestinal microbiota....
Research Article | Host-Microbe BiologyCandida glabrata Has No Enhancing Role in the Pathogenesis of Candida-Associated Denture Stomatitis in a Rat ModelMany denture wearers suffer from Candida-associated denture stomatitis (DS), a fungal infection of the hard palate in contact with dentures. Biofilm formation by Candida albicans on denture/palate surfaces is considered a central process in the infection onset. Although Candida glabrata is...
Research Article | Host-Microbe BiologyCharacterization of Sex Differences in Ocular Herpes Simplex Virus 1 Infection and Herpes Stromal Keratitis Pathogenesis of Wild-Type and Herpesvirus Entry Mediator Knockout MiceSex hormones have come to be considered an important factor for the development of certain diseases only recently and as such should continue to be considered a biological variable. Ocular HSV-1, and the resulting HSK, is the leading cause of infectious blindness worldwide. We compared levels of ocular HSV-1 infection and pathogenesis in the two sexes and found no significance differences between male and female WT mice or HVEM KO mice...
Research Article | Host-Microbe BiologyGut Microbial Dynamics during Conventionalization of Germfree ChickenThe domestic chicken is the cornerstone of animal agriculture worldwide, with a flock population exceeding 40 billion birds/year. It serves as an economically valuable source of protein globally. The microbiome of poultry has important effects on chicken growth, feed conversion, immune status, and pathogen resistance. The aim of our research was to develop a gnotobiotic chicken model appropriate for the study chicken gut microbiota...
Research Article | Host-Microbe BiologySerum IgM Glycosylation Associated with Tuberculosis Infection in MiceWe demonstrate that M. tuberculosis infection influenced host protein glycosylation in a mouse model. The mechanism by which infection modifies glycans in serum proteins is not understood. Investigation of the regulation of such modifications by M. tuberculosis opens a new field that could lead to the discovery of novel biomarkers. Validation of such findings in human samples will reveal the clinical relevance of these...
Research Article | Host-Microbe BiologyCombined Transcriptome and Proteome Analysis of Immortalized Human Keratinocytes Expressing Human Papillomavirus 16 (HPV16) Oncogenes Reveals Novel Key Factors and Networks in HPV-Induced CarcinogenesisHuman papillomavirus (HPV)-associated cancers still remain a big health problem, especially in developing countries, despite the availability of prophylactic vaccines. Although HPV oncogenes have been intensively investigated for decades, a study applying recent advances in RNA-Seq and quantitative proteomic approaches to a precancerous model system with well-defined HPV oncogene expression alongside HPV-negative parental cells has been...