Molecular Biology and Physiology
Commentary | Molecular Biology and PhysiologymSphere of Influence: the Power of Yeast Genetics Still Going Strong!Felipe Santiago-Tirado studies the cell biology of cryptococcal infections.
Research Article | Molecular Biology and PhysiologyPacBio Amplicon Sequencing Method To Measure Pilin Antigenic Variation Frequencies of Neisseria gonorrhoeaeDiversity generation systems are used by many unicellular organism to provide subpopulations of cell with different properties that are available when needed. We have developed a method using the PacBio DNA sequencing technology and a custom computer program to analyze the pilin antigenic variation system of the organism that is the sole cause of the sexually transmitted infection, gonorrhea.
Research Article | Molecular Biology and PhysiologyQuantitative Proteomics Uncovers the Interaction between a Virulence Factor and Mutanobactin Synthetases in Streptococcus mutansStreptococcus mutans is the major bacterium associated with dental caries. In order to thrive on the highly populated tooth surface and cause disease, S. mutans must be able to protect itself from hydrogen peroxide-producing commensal bacteria and compete effectively against the neighboring microbes...
Research Article | Molecular Biology and PhysiologyCharacterization of the Self-Resistance Mechanism to Dityromycin in the Streptomyces Producer StrainThe World Health Organization has identified antimicrobial resistance as a substantial threat to human health. Because of the emergence of pathogenic bacteria resistant to multiple antibiotics worldwide, there is a need to identify the mode of action of antibiotics and to unravel the basic mechanisms responsible for drug resistance. Antibiotic producers’ microorganisms can protect themselves from the toxic effect of the drug using...
Editor's Pick Research Article | Molecular Biology and PhysiologyGlobal Transcriptomic Analysis of the Candida albicans Response to Treatment with a Novel Inhibitor of FilamentationThese results from whole-genome transcriptional profiling provide further insights into the biological activity and mode of action of a small-molecule inhibitor of C. albicans filamentation. This information will assist in the development of novel antivirulence strategies against C. albicans...
Research Article | Molecular Biology and PhysiologyDeletion of a Single LeishIF4E-3 Allele by the CRISPR-Cas9 System Alters Cell Morphology and Infectivity of LeishmaniaLeishmania species are the causative agents of a spectrum of diseases. Available drug treatment is toxic and expensive, with drug resistance a growing concern. Leishmania parasites migrate between transmitting sand flies and mammalian hosts, experiencing unfavorable extreme conditions. The parasites therefore developed unique mechanisms for promoting a stage-specific program for gene expression, with translation...
Commentary | Molecular Biology and PhysiologymSphere of Influence: Modifying an Old Method To Study RNA-Protein InteractionsCalvin Tiengwe works on posttranscriptional gene regulation and iron homeostasis in the parasitic protozoan Trypanosoma brucei. In this mSphere of Influence article, he reflects on how the paper “Comprehensive identification of RNA-protein interactions in any organism using orthogonal organic phase separation (OOPS)” by Queiroz et al. (Nat Biotechnol 37:169–...
Research Article | Molecular Biology and PhysiologyBioinformatic and Molecular Analysis of Inverse Autotransporters from Escherichia coliEscherichia coli is one of the most prevalent facultative anaerobes of the human gut. E. coli normally exists as a harmless commensal but can also cause disease following the acquisition of genes that enhance its pathogenicity. Adhesion is an important first step in colonization of the host and is...
Research Article | Molecular Biology and PhysiologySingle-Strand Annealing Plays a Major Role in Double-Strand DNA Break Repair following CRISPR-Cas9 Cleavage in LeishmaniaDue to differences in double-strand DNA break (DSB) repair mechanisms, CRISPR-Cas9 gene editing efficiency can vary greatly in different organisms. In contrast to mammalian cells, the protozoan parasite Leishmania uses microhomology-mediated end joining (MMEJ) and, occasionally, homology-directed repair (HDR) to repair DSBs but lacks the nonhomologous end-joining pathway. Here, we show that Leishmania predominantly...
Commentary | Molecular Biology and PhysiologymSphere of Influence: Resolution of the Structure of an Influenza Virus Polymerase Is a Game ChangerMathilde Richard works in the field of virology, more specifically on the evolution and pathogenesis of influenza viruses. In this mSphere of Influence article, she reflects on how the two articles “Structure of Influenza A Polymerase Bound to the Viral RNA Promoter” by A. Pflug, D. Guilligay, S. Reich, and S. Cusack (Nature 516:355–360, 2014, https://doi.org/10.1038/nature14008) and “...