Host-Microbe Biology
Research Article | Host-Microbe BiologyButyrate Supplementation at High Concentrations Alters Enteric Bacterial Communities and Reduces Intestinal Inflammation in Mice Infected with Citrobacter rodentiumThe study findings provide evidence that administration of butyrate in a dose-dependent manner can improve the weight gain of infected mice, enhance clearance of the infection, reduce inflammation through altered cytokine expression, and enhance tissue repair and mucus secretion. Moreover, butyrate treatment also affected the abundance of bacterial populations in both noninflamed and inflamed intestines. Notably, this investigation...
Research Article | Host-Microbe BiologyA Serendipitous Mutation Reveals the Severe Virulence Defect of a Klebsiella pneumoniae fepB MutantIn addition to having a reputation as the causative agent of several types of hospital-acquired infections, Klebsiella pneumoniae has gained widespread attention as a pathogen with a propensity for acquiring antibiotic resistance. It is capable of causing a range of infections, including urinary tract infections, pneumonia, and sepsis. Because of the rapid emergence...
Research Article | Host-Microbe BiologyThe Microtubule-Stabilizing Protein CLASP1 Associates with the Theileria annulata Schizont Surface via Its Kinetochore-Binding DomainT. annulata, the only eukaryote known to be capable of transforming another eukaryote, is a widespread parasite of veterinary importance that puts 250 million cattle at risk worldwide and limits livestock development for some of the poorest people in the world. Crucial to the pathology of Theileria is its ability to interact with host microtubules and the mitotic spindle of the infected cell. This study builds on our...
Research Article | Host-Microbe BiologyDeep Sequencing of RNA from Blood and Oral Swab Samples Reveals the Presence of Nucleic Acid from a Number of Pathogens in Patients with Acute Ebola Virus Disease and Is Consistent with Bacterial Translocation across the GutOur results highlight the identification of an array of pathogens in the blood of patients with Ebola virus disease (EVD). This has not been done before, and the data have important implications for the treatment of patients with EVD, particularly considering antibiotic stewardship. We show that EVD patients who were also infected with Plasmodium, particularly at higher loads, had more adverse outcomes than patients with lower...
Observation | Host-Microbe BiologyDeletion of Cytoplasmic Double-Stranded RNA Sensors Does Not Uncover Viral Small Interfering RNA Production in Human CellsThe contribution of the RNA interference (RNAi) pathway in antiviral immunity in vertebrates has been widely debated. It has been proposed that RNAi possesses antiviral activity in mammalian systems but that its antiviral effect is masked by the potent antiviral interferon response in differentiated mammalian cells. In this study, we show that inactivation of the interferon response is not sufficient to uncover antiviral activity of...
Research Article | Host-Microbe BiologyEpistatic Interactions within the Influenza A Virus Polymerase Complex Mediate Mutagen Resistance and Replication FidelityRNA viruses exist as genetically diverse populations. This standing genetic diversity gives them the potential to adapt rapidly, evolve resistance to antiviral therapeutics, and evade immune responses. Viral mutants with altered mutation rates or mutational tolerance have provided insights into how genetic diversity arises and how it affects the behavior of RNA viruses. To this end, we identified variants within the polymerase complex...
Research Article | Host-Microbe BiologyVariable Virulence of Biotype 3 Vibrio vulnificus due to MARTX Toxin Effector Domain CompositionVibrio vulnificus is a serious infection linked to climate change. The virulence capacity of these bacteria can vary by gene exchange, resulting in new variants of the primary virulence toxin. In this study, we tested whether the emergence of an epidemic strain of V. vulnificus with a novel toxin...
Research Article | Host-Microbe BiologyPhenotypic Differences between Asian and African Lineage Zika Viruses in Human Neural Progenitor CellsThe mechanism by which ZIKV causes a range of neurological complications, especially congenital microcephaly, is not well understood. The fact that congenital microcephaly is associated with Asian lineage ZIKV strains raises the question of why this was not discovered earlier. One possible explanation is that Asian and African ZIKV strains differ in their abilities to infect cells of the CNS and to cause neurodevelopmental problems....
Research Article | Host-Microbe BiologyIdentification of Rab18 as an Essential Host Factor for BK Polyomavirus Infection Using a Whole-Genome RNA Interference ScreenPolyomaviruses bind to a group of specific gangliosides on the plasma membrane of the cell prior to being endocytosed. They then follow a retrograde trafficking pathway to reach the endoplasmic reticulum (ER). The viruses begin to disassemble in the ER and then exit the ER and move to the nucleus. However, the details of intracellular trafficking between the endosome and the ER are largely unknown. By implementing a whole human genome...
Research Article | Host-Microbe BiologyThe Effector TepP Mediates Recruitment and Activation of Phosphoinositide 3-Kinase on Early Chlamydia trachomatis VacuolesThis article shows that chlamydia recruit PI3K, an enzyme important for host cell survival and internal membrane functions, to the pathogens inside cells by secreting a scaffolding protein called TepP. TepP enhances Chlamydia replication and dampens the activation of immune responses.