Host-Microbe Biology
Research Article | Host-Microbe BiologyTwitching and Swimming Motility Play a Role in Ralstonia solanacearum PathogenicityTwitching and swimming are two bacterial movements governed by pili and flagella. The present work identifies for the first time in the Gram-negative plant pathogen Ralstonia solanacearum a pilus-mediated chemotaxis pathway analogous to that governing flagellum-mediated chemotaxis. We show that regulatory genes in this pathway control all of the phenotypes related to...
Editor's Pick Research Article | Host-Microbe BiologySuccinylated Wheat Germ Agglutinin Colocalizes with the Toxoplasma gondii Cyst Wall Glycoprotein CST1Chronic Toxoplasma gondii infection is maintained in the central nervous system by thick-walled cysts. If host immunity wanes, cysts recrudesce and cause severe and often lethal toxoplasmic encephalitis. Currently, there are no therapies to eliminate cysts, and little biological information is available regarding cyst structure(s). Here, we investigated cyst wall...
Research Article | Host-Microbe BiologyAge-Related Variation of Bacterial and Fungal Communities in Different Body Habitats across the Young, Elderly, and Centenarians in SardiniaSite-specific microbial communities are recognized as important factors in host health and disease. To better understand how the human microbiota potentially affects and is affected by its host during the aging process, the fundamental issue to address is the distribution of microbiota related to age. Here, we show an integrated view of the spatial distribution of microbes in a specific Mediterranean population (Sardinians) across a...
Research Article | Host-Microbe BiologyFecal Viral Community Responses to High-Fat Diet in MicePrior studies have shown that high-fat diet (HFD) can have profound effects on the gastrointestinal (GI) tract microbiome and also demonstrate that bacteria in the GI tract can affect metabolism and lean/obese phenotypes. We investigated whether the composition of viral communities that also inhabit the GI tract are affected by shifts from normal to HFD. We found significant and reproducible shifts in the content of GI tract viromes...
Commentary | Host-Microbe BiologymSphere of Influence: a Controlled Burn—Pathogen Manipulation of the Dynamic Chemistry That Results from InflammationNeal Hammer works in the field of bacterial pathogenesis, metabolism, and antibiotic resistance. In this mSphere of Influence article, he reflects on how “Gut inflammation provides a respiratory electron acceptor for Salmonella” by Winter and colleagues (S. E. Winter, P. Thiennimitr, M. G. Winter, B. P. Butler, et al., Nature 467:426–429, 2010, https://doi.org/10.1038/nature09415...
Commentary | Host-Microbe BiologymSphere of Influence: Combining Host and Pathogen Genetics To Disrupt Chronic InfectionsAndrew J. Olive works in the field of host responses to chronic infections. In this mSphere of Influence article, he reflects on how “Tryptophan biosynthesis protects mycobacteria from CD4 T-cell-mediated killing” (Y. J. Zhang, M. C. Reddy, T. R. Ioerger, A. C. Rothchild, et al., Cell 155:1296–1308, 2013, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cell.2013.10.045) impacted his own work using...
Research Article | Host-Microbe BiologyNo Consistent Evidence for Microbiota in Murine Placental and Fetal TissuesThe prevailing paradigm in obstetrics has been the sterile womb hypothesis, which posits that fetuses are first colonized by microorganisms during the delivery process. However, some are now suggesting that fetuses are consistently colonized in utero by microorganisms from microbial communities that inhabit the placenta and intra-amniotic environment. Given the established causal role of microbial invasion of the amniotic...
Observation | Host-Microbe BiologyPerinatal Antibiotic Exposure Affects the Transmission between Maternal and Neonatal Microbiota and Is Associated with Early-Onset SepsisPerinatal antibiotic prophylaxis is an effective method for preventing group B Streptococcus (GBS) infection in newborns. Antibiotic exposure unbalances women’s vaginal microbiota, which is associated with the establishment of the newborn gut microbiota. However, the influence of perinatal antibiotic exposure on neonatal gut microbiota colonization and health outcomes remains unclear. In this study, we found that perinatal...
Research Article | Host-Microbe BiologyNucleotide Excision Repair Protein Rad23 Regulates Cell Virulence Independent of Rad4 in Candida albicansCandida albicans remains a significant threat to the lives of immunocompromised people. An understanding of the virulence and infection ability of C. albicans cells in the mammalian host may help with clinical treatment and drug discovery. The DNA damage response pathway is closely related to...
Editor's Pick Research Article | Host-Microbe BiologyThe Secreted Acid Phosphatase Domain-Containing GRA44 from Toxoplasma gondii Is Required for c-Myc Induction in Infected CellsApproximately one-third of humans are infected with the parasite Toxoplasma gondii. Toxoplasma infections can lead to severe disease in those with a compromised or suppressed immune system. Additionally, infections during pregnancy present a significant health risk to the developing fetus. Drugs that target this parasite are limited, have significant side...