Molecular Biology and Physiology
Research Article | Molecular Biology and PhysiologyClostridium difficile Lipoprotein GerS Is Required for Cortex Modification and Thus Spore GerminationThe Gram-positive, spore-forming bacterium Clostridium difficile is a leading cause of antibiotic-associated diarrhea. Because C. difficile is an obligate anaerobe, its aerotolerant spores are essential for transmitting disease, and their germination into toxin-producing cells is necessary for...
Research Article | Molecular Biology and PhysiologySystematic Identification, Characterization, and Conservation of Adjacent-Gene Coregulation in the Budding Yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiaeThe spatial positioning of genes throughout the genome arrangement can alter their expression in many eukaryotic organisms. Often this results in a genomic context-specific effect on transcription. One example of this is through the clustering of functionally related genes, which results in adjacent-gene coregulation in the budding yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae. In...
Research Article | Molecular Biology and PhysiologyHsp90 Is Essential for Chl1-Mediated Chromosome Segregation and Sister Chromatid CohesionRecently, Hsp90 functional loss has been linked to aneuploidy; however, until now none of the components of sister chromatid cohesion (SCC) have been demonstrated as the putative clients of Hsp90. In this study, we have established that Chl1, the protein which is involved in maintaining sister chromatid cohesion as well as in preventing chromosome loss, is a direct client of Hsp90. Thus, with understanding of the molecular mechanism,...
Research Article | Molecular Biology and PhysiologyThe Yin and Yang of SagS: Distinct Residues in the HmsP Domain of SagS Independently Regulate Biofilm Formation and Biofilm Drug ToleranceThe membrane-bound sensory protein SagS plays a pivotal role in P. aeruginosa biofilm formation and biofilm cells gaining their heightened resistance to antimicrobial agents, with SagS being the control point at which both pathways diverge. Here, we demonstrate for the first time that the two distinct pathways leading to biofilm formation and biofilm drug tolerance...
Research Article | Molecular Biology and PhysiologyActivation of Bacterial Histidine Kinases: Insights into the Kinetics of the cis Autophosphorylation MechanismTwo-component systems consisting of an input-sensing histidine kinase (HK) and an output-generating response regulator (RR) are one of the key apparatuses utilized by bacteria for adapting to the extracellular milieu. HK autophosphorylation is shown to occur primarily in trans (intermolecular) and more recently shown to occur in cis (intramolecular). Although the catalysis of HK activation remains universal, the...
Research Article | Molecular Biology and PhysiologyFood Starch Structure Impacts Gut Microbiome CompositionDietary starch is a major component in the human diet. A proportion of the starch in our diet escapes digestion in the small intestine and is fermented in the colon. In this study, we use a model of the colon, seeded with porcine feces, in which we investigate the fermentation of a variety of starches with structures typical of those found in foods. We show that the microbial community changes over time in our model colon are highly...
Observation | Molecular Biology and PhysiologyTracking Polymicrobial Metabolism in Cystic Fibrosis Airways: Pseudomonas aeruginosa Metabolism and Physiology Are Influenced by Rothia mucilaginosa-Derived MetabolitesPseudomonas aeruginosa is a dominant and persistent cystic fibrosis pathogen. Although P. aeruginosa is accompanied by other microbes in the airways of cystic fibrosis patients, few cystic fibrosis studies show how P. aeruginosa...
Letter to the Editor | Molecular Biology and PhysiologyEctopic Expression of the ydaS and ydaT Genes of the Cryptic Prophage Rac of Escherichia coli K-12 May Be Toxic but Do They Really Encode Toxins?: a Case for Using Genetic Context To Understand Function
Editor's Pick Research Article | Molecular Biology and PhysiologyNew CRISPR Mutagenesis Strategies Reveal Variation in Repair Mechanisms among FungiCRISPR-mediated genome engineering technologies have revolutionized genetic studies in a wide range of organisms. Here we describe new vectors and guide sequences for CRISPR mutagenesis in the important human fungal pathogens C. albicans and C. glabrata, as well as in the related yeasts...
Research Article | Molecular Biology and PhysiologyRapid Gene Concatenation for Genetic Rescue of Multigene Mutants in Candida albicansOur understanding of new genes is often built upon the knowledge of well-characterized genes. One avenue toward revealing such connections involves creation of strains with mutations in two or more defined genes to permit genetic interaction analysis. Strain manipulations can yield unexpected mutations at loci outside the defined targeted genes. In this report, we describe a method for rapid validation of multigene mutants, thus...