Host-Microbe Biology
Editor's Pick Research Article | Host-Microbe BiologyKinome Expansion in the Fusarium oxysporum Species Complex Driven by Accessory ChromosomesIsolates of Fusarium oxysporum are adapted to survive a wide range of host and nonhost conditions. In addition, F. oxysporum was recently recognized as the top emerging opportunistic fungal pathogen infecting immunocompromised humans. The sensory and response networks of these fungi undoubtedly play...
Research Article | Host-Microbe BiologyMetatranscriptome Analysis of the Vaginal Microbiota Reveals Potential Mechanisms for Protection against Metronidazole in Bacterial VaginosisBacterial vaginosis is a serious issue for women in their reproductive years. Although it can usually be cured by antibiotics, the recurrence rate is very high, and some women do not respond to antibiotic therapy. The reasons for that are not known. Therefore, we undertook a study to detect the activity of the complete microbiota in the vaginal fluid of women who responded to antibiotic therapy and compared it to the activity of the...
Research Article | Host-Microbe BiologyThe Microbiome and Metabolome of Preterm Infant Stool Are Personalized and Not Driven by Health Outcomes, Including Necrotizing Enterocolitis and Late-Onset SepsisPreterm infants face health problems likely related to microbial exposures, including sepsis and necrotizing enterocolitis. However, the role of the gut microbiome in preterm infant health is poorly understood. Microbial colonization differs from that of healthy term babies because it occurs in the NICU and is often perturbed by antibiotics. We measured bacterial compositions and metabolomic profiles of 77 fecal samples from 32 preterm...
Research Article | Host-Microbe BiologyThe Lactobacillus Bile Salt Hydrolase Repertoire Reveals Niche-Specific AdaptationBile acids play an integral role in shaping the gut microbiota and host physiology by regulating metabolic signaling, weight gain, and serum cholesterol and liver triglyceride levels. Given these important roles of bile acids, we investigated the presence of bile salt hydrolase (BSH) in Lactobacillus genomes representing 170 different species, determined strain- and species-specific patterns of occurrences, and expanded on the...
Research Article | Host-Microbe BiologyMonoclonal Antibodies to Intracellular Stages of Cryptosporidium parvum Define Life Cycle Progression In VitroCryptosporidium is a protozoan parasite that causes gastrointestinal disease in humans and animals. Currently, there is a limited array of antibodies available against the parasite, which hinders imaging studies and makes it difficult to visualize the parasite life cycle in different culture systems. In order to alleviate this reagent gap, we created a library of novel antibodies against the intracellular life cycle stages of...
Editor's Pick Research Article | Host-Microbe BiologyGenetic Variation of the SusC/SusD Homologs from a Polysaccharide Utilization Locus Underlies Divergent Fructan Specificities and Functional Adaptation in Bacteroides thetaiotaomicron StrainsDietary polysaccharides play a dominant role in shaping the composition and functionality of our gut microbiota. Dietary interventions using these microbiota-accessible carbohydrates (MACs) serve as a promising tool for manipulating the gut microbial community. However, our current gap in knowledge regarding microbial metabolic pathways that are...
Research Article | Host-Microbe BiologyGenes Activated by Vibrio cholerae upon Exposure to Caenorhabditis elegans Reveal the Mannose-Sensitive Hemagglutinin To Be Essential for ColonizationThe waterborne diarrheal disease cholera is caused by the bacterium Vibrio cholerae. The facultative human pathogen persists as a natural inhabitant in the aquatic ecosystem between outbreaks. In contrast to the human host, V. cholerae requires a different set of genes to survive in this hostile...
Research Article | Host-Microbe BiologyPneumococcal Metabolic Adaptation and Colonization Are Regulated by the Two-Component Regulatory System 08Streptococcus pneumoniae interplays with its environment by using 13 two-component regulatory systems and one orphan response regulator. These systems are involved in the sensing of environmental signals, thereby modulating pneumococcal pathophysiology. This study aimed to understand the functional role of genes subject to control by the TCS08. The identified genes...
Research Article | Host-Microbe BiologyTosR-Mediated Regulation of Adhesins and Biofilm Formation in Uropathogenic Escherichia coliUropathogenic E. coli strains cause the majority of UTIs, which are the second most common bacterial infection in humans. During a UTI, bacteria adhere to cells within the urinary tract, using a number of different fimbrial and nonfimbrial adhesins. Biofilms can also develop on the surfaces of catheters, resulting in complications such as blockage. In this work, we...
Editor's Pick Research Article | Host-Microbe BiologyMacrophages and Dendritic Cells Are the Predominant Cells Infected in Measles in HumansWe have brought together a unique collection of 23 human cases of measles infection and studied the types of cells that are infected. This work has not been done with modern technologies such as double labeling with antibodies and confocal microscopy in human cases primarily due to the fact that it is difficult to obtain the material because, fortunately, measles is fatal in only a very small fraction of infected patients. During the...