Host-Microbe Biology
Research Article | Host-Microbe BiologyBiotinylated Surfome Profiling Identifies Potential Biomarkers for Diagnosis and Therapy of Aspergillus fumigatus InfectionAspergillus fumigatus is the most important airborne human-pathogenic mold, capable of causing both life-threatening invasive pulmonary aspergillosis in immunocompromised patients and allergy-inducing infections in individuals with atopic allergy. Despite its obvious medical relevance, timely diagnosis and efficient antifungal treatment of...
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...
Research Article | Host-Microbe BiologyTn-Seq Analysis Identifies Genes Important for Yersinia pestis Adherence during Primary Pneumonic PlagueColonization of the lung by Yersinia pestis is a critical first step in establishing infection during primary pneumonic plague, a disease characterized by high lethality. However, the mechanisms by which Y. pestis adheres in the lung after inhalation remain elusive. Here, we used Tn-seq to identify...
Research Article | Host-Microbe BiologyBacteria Modify Candida albicans Hypha Formation, Microcolony Properties, and Survival within MacrophagesCandida albicans is the predominant fungus colonizing the oral cavity that can have both synergistic and antagonistic interactions with other bacteria. Interkingdom polymicrobial associations modify fungal pathogenicity and are believed to increase microbial resistance to innate immunity. However, it is not known how these interactions alter fungal survival during...
Research Article | Host-Microbe BiologyComparative Evaluations of the Pathogenesis of Candida auris Phenotypes and Candida albicans Using Clinically Relevant Murine Models of InfectionsThe newly emerged Candida species C. auris has been associated with an exponential rise in invasive disease in health care facilities worldwide with a mortality rate approaching 60%. C. auris exhibits a high level of transmissibility, multidrug resistance, and persistence in hospital...
Research Article | Host-Microbe BiologyA Critical Role for Perivascular Cells in Amplifying Vascular Leakage Induced by Dengue Virus Nonstructural Protein 1The World Health Organization considers dengue one of the top 10 global public health problems. There is no specific antiviral therapy to treat dengue virus and no way of predicting which patients will develop potentially fatal severe dengue, typified by vascular leakage and circulatory shock. We show here that perivascular cells (pericytes) amplify the vascular leakage-inducing effects of the dengue viral protein NS1 through contact-...
Research Article | Host-Microbe BiologyHuman Cytomegalovirus miR-US5-2 Downregulation of GAB1 Regulates Cellular Proliferation and UL138 Expression through Modulation of Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor Signaling PathwaysHuman cytomegalovirus (HCMV) causes significant disease in immunocompromised individuals, including transplant patients. HCMV establishes latency in hematopoietic stem cells in the bone marrow. The mechanisms governing latency and reactivation of viral replication are complex and not fully understood. HCMV-encoded miRNAs are small regulatory RNAs that reduce protein expression. In this study, we found that the HCMV miRNA miR-US5-2...
Editor's Pick Research Article | Host-Microbe BiologyMolecular Elucidation of Riboflavin Production and Regulation in Candida albicans, toward a Novel Antifungal Drug TargetCandida albicans is an important fungal pathogen causing common superficial infections as well as invasive diseases with an extremely high morbidity and mortality. Antifungal therapies are limited in efficiency and availability. In this research, we describe the regulation of riboflavin production in C....
Research Article | Host-Microbe BiologyNatural Infection with Giardia Is Associated with Altered Community Structure of the Human and Canine Gut MicrobiomeWhile enteric parasitic infections are among the most important infections in lower- and middle-income countries, their impact on gut microbiota is poorly understood. We reasoned that clinical symptoms associated with these infections may be influenced by alterations of the microbiome that occur during infection. To explore this notion, we took a two-pronged approach. First, we studied a cohort of dogs naturally infected with various...