Host-Microbe Biology
Research Article | Host-Microbe BiologyAcute Sleep-Wake Cycle Shift Results in Community Alteration of Human Gut MicrobiomeCircadian rhythm misalignment due to social jet lag, shift work, early morning starts, and delayed bedtimes is becoming common in our modern society. Disturbances of sleep and the underlying circadian rhythms are related to multiple human diseases, such as obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular disorders, and cognitive impairments. Given the crucial role of microbiota in the same pathologies as are caused by sleep disturbance, how the gut...
Editor's Pick Research Article | Host-Microbe BiologyDegradation of the Incretin Hormone Glucagon-Like Peptide-1 (GLP-1) by Enterococcus faecalis Metalloprotease GelEHumans have a complex and interconnected relationship with their gastrointestinal microbiomes, yet our interest in the microbiome tends to focus on overt pathogenic or probiotic activities, leaving the roles that commensal species may have on host physiology and metabolic processes largely unexplored. Commensal organisms in the microbiome produce and secrete many factors that have an opportunity to interact with the gastrointestinal...
Research Article | Host-Microbe BiologyToxoplasma Cathepsin Protease B and Aspartyl Protease 1 Are Dispensable for Endolysosomal Protein DigestionRoughly one-third of the human population is chronically infected with the intracellular single-celled parasite Toxoplasma gondii, but little is known about how this organism persists inside people. Previous research suggested that a parasite proteolytic enzyme, termed cathepsin protease L, is important for Toxoplasma persistence; however, it remained...
Commentary | Host-Microbe BiologymSphere of Influence: a Community To Study CommunitiesDominique Limoli studies polymicrobial interactions during cystic fibrosis respiratory disease. In this mSphere of Influence article, she reflects on how two papers (D. A. Hogan, S. D. Willger, E. L. Dolben, T. H. Hampton, et al., PLoS One 11:e0149998, 2016, https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0149998, and P. Jorth, B.
Research Article | Host-Microbe BiologyHerpes Simplex Virus Glycoprotein C Regulates Low-pH EntryHerpesviruses are ubiquitous pathogens that cause lifelong latent infections and that are characterized by multiple entry pathways. We propose that herpes simplex virus (HSV) gC plays a selective role in modulating HSV entry, such as entry into epithelial cells, by a low-pH pathway. gC facilitates a conformational change of the main fusogen gB, a class III fusion protein. We propose a model whereby gC functions with gB, gD, and gH/gL to...
Research Article | Host-Microbe BiologyRecruitment of Host Nuclear Pore Components to the Vicinity of Theileria SchizontsTheileria schizonts are the only known eukaryotic organisms capable of transforming another eukaryotic cell; as such, probing of the interactions that occur at the host-parasite interface is likely to lead to novel insights into the cell biology underlying leukocyte proliferation and transformation. Little is known about how the parasite communicates with its host or by what route secreted parasite proteins are translocated...
Editor's Pick Commentary | Host-Microbe BiologyIs the Oral Microbiome Important in HIV-Associated Inflammation?Alterations in the gut microbiome during HIV infection have been implicated in chronic inflammation, but the role of the oral microbiome in this process is less clear. The article by M. K. Annavajhala, S. D. Khan, S. B. Sullivan, J.
Editor's Pick Research Article | Host-Microbe BiologyMouse Genetic Background Affects Transfer of an Antibiotic Resistance Plasmid in the Gastrointestinal TractAntibiotic resistance is a threat to public health. Many clinically relevant antibiotic resistance genes are carried on plasmids that can be transferred to other bacterial members in the gastrointestinal tract. The current study used a murine model to study the transfer of a large antibiotic resistance plasmid from a foodborne Salmonella strain to a gut commensal E...
Commentary | Host-Microbe BiologymSphere of Influence: Peering through a Keyhole into the Unseen WorldSarah Lebeis studies the assembly and function of plant microbiomes. In this mSphere of Influence article, she reflects on how the paper “Functional Overlap of the Arabidopsis Leaf and Root Microbiota” (Y. Bai, D. B. Müller, G. Srinivas, R.
Research Article | Host-Microbe BiologyToxoplasma gondii Dysregulates Barrier Function and Mechanotransduction Signaling in Human Endothelial CellsToxoplasma gondii is a foodborne parasite that infects virtually all warm-blooded animals and can cause severe disease in individuals with compromised or weakened immune systems. During dissemination in its infected hosts, T. gondii breaches endothelial barriers to enter tissues and establish the...