Host-Microbe Biology
Research Article | Host-Microbe BiologyTranscriptional Profiling Suggests T Cells Cluster around Neurons Injected with Toxoplasma gondii ProteinsLike other persistent intracellular pathogens, Toxoplasma gondii, a protozoan parasite, has evolved to evade the immune system and establish a chronic infection in specific cells and organs, including neurons in the CNS. Understanding T. gondii’s persistence in neurons holds the potential to identify novel, curative drug targets. The work presented here...
Observation | Host-Microbe BiologyA Simplified Quantitative Real-Time PCR Assay for Monitoring SARS-CoV-2 Growth in Cell CultureSevere acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), the etiological agent of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, is continuing to cause immense respiratory disease and social and economic disruptions. Conventional assays that monitor SARS-CoV-2 growth in cell culture rely on costly and time-consuming RNA extraction procedures, hampering progress in basic SARS-CoV-2 research and development of effective...
Research Article | Host-Microbe BiologyFailure To Detect Prion Infectivity in Ticks following Prion-Infected Blood MealChronic wasting disease (CWD) is an emerging prion disease that affects cervids, including mule deer, white-tailed deer, black-tailed deer, red deer reindeer, elk, and moose. The mechanism of CWD transmission in unknown. Due to the presence of prions in the blood of CWD-infected animals, it is possible for invertebrates that feed on cervid blood to contribute to the transmission of CWD. We examined the blood meal of D....
Research Article | Host-Microbe BiologyDevelopment of a Plasmid Shuttle Vector System for Genetic Manipulation of Chlamydia psittaciPsittacosis, caused by avian C. psittaci, has a major economic impact in the poultry industry worldwide and represents a significant risk for zoonotic transmission to humans. In the past decade, the tools of genetic manipulation have been improved for chlamydial molecular studies. While several genetic tools have been mainly developed in...
Editor's Pick Research Article | Host-Microbe BiologyBiodiverse Histoplasma Species Elicit Distinct Patterns of Pulmonary Inflammation following Sublethal InfectionAcute pulmonary histoplasmosis in healthy individuals comprises most of the disease burden caused by the fungal pathogen Histoplasma. Fungal pneumonia is frequently delayed in diagnosis and treatment due to a prolonged period of quiescence early during infection. In this study, we used a murine respiratory model of histoplasmosis to investigate how different Histoplasma species modulate lung inflammation throughout the...
Research Article | Host-Microbe BiologyDetection of the Rhoptry Neck Protein Complex in Plasmodium Sporozoites and Its Contribution to Sporozoite Invasion of Salivary GlandsSporozoites are the motile infectious stage that mediates malaria parasite transmission from mosquitoes to the mammalian host. This study addresses the question whether the rhoptry neck protein complex forms and functions in sporozoites, in addition to its role in merozoites. By applying coimmunoprecipitation and sporozoite stage-specific gene knockdown assays, it was demonstrated that RON2, RON4, and RON5 form a complex and are...
Editor's Pick Research Article | Host-Microbe BiologyNatural Variation in Clinical Isolates of Candida albicans Modulates Neutrophil ResponsesNeutrophils are the key immune cell type for host defenses against infections with Candida albicans. C. albicans strains isolated from patients display large phenotypic diversity, but how this diversity impacts host-pathogen interactions with neutrophils is incompletely defined. Here, we show that...
Observation | Host-Microbe BiologyClinical Candida albicans Vaginal Isolates and a Laboratory Strain Show Divergent Behaviors during Macrophage InteractionsVulvovaginal candidiasis is one of the most common fungal infections in humans with Candida albicans as the major causative agent. This study is the first to compare clinical vaginal isolates of defined patient groups in their interaction with macrophages, highlighting the vastly different outcomes in comparison to a laboratory strain using commonly applied virulence-...
Research Article | Host-Microbe BiologyIdentification of Genomewide Alternative Splicing Events in Sequential, Isogenic Clinical Isolates of Candida albicans Reveals a Novel Mechanism of Drug Resistance and Tolerance to Cellular StressesThe emergence of resistance in Candida albicans, an opportunistic pathogen, against the commonly used antifungals is becoming a major obstacle in its treatment. The necessity to identify new drug targets demands fundamental insights into the mechanisms used by this organism to develop drug resistance. C....
Research Article | Host-Microbe BiologyMARTX Toxin-Stimulated Interplay between Human Cells and Vibrio vulnificusV. vulnificus is an opportunistic human pathogen that can cause life-threatening sepsis in immunocompromised patients via seafood poisoning or wound infection. Among the toxic substances produced by this pathogen, the MARTX toxin greatly contributes to disease progression by promoting the dysfunction and death of host cells, which allows the bacteria to disseminate...