Host-Microbe Biology
Commentary | Host-Microbe BiologymSphere of Influence: Understanding Virus-Host Interactions Requires a Multifaceted ApproachRory de Vries works in the field of viral pathogenesis and focuses on interactions between respiratory viruses (or corresponding vaccines) and the host immune system. In this mSphere of Influence article, he reflects on how the articles “Predominant infection of CD150+ lymphocytes and dendritic cells during measles virus infection of macaques” by R. L. de Swart et al. (R. L. de Swart, M. Ludlow, L. de Witte, Y. Yanagi, et al...
Editor's Pick Research Article | Host-Microbe BiologyType III Secretion Effector VopQ of Vibrio parahaemolyticus Modulates Central Carbon Metabolism in Epithelial CellsThe metabolic response of host cells upon infection is pathogen specific, and infection-induced host metabolic reprogramming may have beneficial effects on the proliferation of pathogens. V. parahaemolyticus contains a range of virulence factors to manipulate host signaling pathways and metabolic processes. In this study, we identified that the T3SS1 VopQ effector...
Commentary | Host-Microbe BiologyIn Support of Simian Polyomavirus 40 VP4 as a Later Expressed ViroporinSimian virus 40 VP4 was discovered in 2007 as a later expressed viral protein initiated from a downstream Met on the VP2/VP3 transcript. VP4’s role as a viroporin involved in viral release was supported in a series of additional articles that characterized the ability of VP4 to associate with and permeabilize biological membranes. This commentary is our response to the perspective from Henriksen and Rinaldo (mSphere 5:e00019-20, 2020,...
Commentary | Host-Microbe BiologymSphere of Influence: Predicting Immune Responses and Susceptibility to Influenza Virus—May the Data Be with YouIrene Ramos works in the field of immunology to viral infections. In this mSphere of Influence article, she reflects on how “Global analyses of human immune variation reveal baseline predictors of postvaccination responses” by Tsang et al. (Cell 157:499–513, 2014, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cell.2014.03.031) and “A crowdsourced analysis to identify ab initio molecular signatures...
Perspective | Host-Microbe BiologyDoes the Evidence Support the Existence of the Simian Polyomavirus SV40 Vp4 Viroporin?The simian polyomavirus SV40 was reported to express Vp4, an N-terminally truncated form of the minor capsid proteins Vp2 and Vp3. Since a missense mutation of the putative Vp4 start codon (Vp2M228I) was found to give reduced progeny release and delayed lysis, Vp4 was claimed to be a viroporin. However, two independent research groups, including our own, were unable to replicate these findings. In contrast, we found no Vp4 expression in...
Editor's Pick Commentary | Host-Microbe BiologyCOVID-19: Knowns, Unknowns, and QuestionsThe recent emergence of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) from the Hubei province in China in late 2019 demonstrates the epidemic potential of coronaviruses. The rapid spread of this virus across the world in only 2 months highlights the transmissibility of this family of viruses and the significant morbidity and mortality that they can cause. We highlight the current state of knowledge of coronavirus biology...
Research Article | Host-Microbe BiologyZupT Facilitates Clostridioides difficile Resistance to Host-Mediated Nutritional ImmunityDuring infection, pathogenic organisms must acquire essential transition metals from the host environment. Through the process of nutritional immunity, the host employs numerous strategies to restrict these key nutrients from invading pathogens. In this study, we describe a mechanism by which the important human pathogen Clostridioides difficile resists transition-...
Commentary | Host-Microbe BiologymSphere of Influence: Experimental Evolution of RNA VirusesGonzalo Moratorio works in the field of experimental evolution of viruses. In this mSphere of Influence article, he reflects on how the papers “Virus attenuation by genome-scale changes in codon pair bias” by Coleman et al. (Science 320:1784–1787, 2008, https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1155761) and “Codon usage determines the mutational robustness, evolutionary capacity, and virulence...
Editor's Pick Research Article | Host-Microbe BiologySuccinylated Wheat Germ Agglutinin Colocalizes with the Toxoplasma gondii Cyst Wall Glycoprotein CST1Chronic Toxoplasma gondii infection is maintained in the central nervous system by thick-walled cysts. If host immunity wanes, cysts recrudesce and cause severe and often lethal toxoplasmic encephalitis. Currently, there are no therapies to eliminate cysts, and little biological information is available regarding cyst structure(s). Here, we investigated cyst wall...
Research Article | Host-Microbe BiologyTwitching and Swimming Motility Play a Role in Ralstonia solanacearum PathogenicityTwitching and swimming are two bacterial movements governed by pili and flagella. The present work identifies for the first time in the Gram-negative plant pathogen Ralstonia solanacearum a pilus-mediated chemotaxis pathway analogous to that governing flagellum-mediated chemotaxis. We show that regulatory genes in this pathway control all of the phenotypes related to...