host-pathogen interactions
Editor's Pick Research Article | Host-Microbe BiologyTalaromyces marneffei simA Encodes a Fungal Cytochrome P450 Essential for Survival in MacrophagesThis study in a dimorphic fungal pathogen uncovered a role for a yeast-specific cytochrome P450 (CYP)-encoding gene in the ability of T. marneffei to grow as yeast cells within the host macrophages. This report will inspire further research into the role of CYPs and secondary metabolite synthesis during fungal pathogenic growth.
Research Article | Host-Microbe BiologyGene Acquisition by a Distinct Phyletic Group within Streptococcus pneumoniae Promotes Adhesion to the Ocular EpitheliumChanges in the gene content of pathogens can modify their ability to colonize and/or survive in different body sites in the human host. In this study, we investigate a gene acquisition event and its role in the pathogenesis of Streptococccus pneumoniae (pneumococcus). Our findings suggest that the gene encoding the predicted surface protein SspB has been transferred from...
Research Article | Host-Microbe BiologyDeep Sequencing of RNA from Blood and Oral Swab Samples Reveals the Presence of Nucleic Acid from a Number of Pathogens in Patients with Acute Ebola Virus Disease and Is Consistent with Bacterial Translocation across the GutOur results highlight the identification of an array of pathogens in the blood of patients with Ebola virus disease (EVD). This has not been done before, and the data have important implications for the treatment of patients with EVD, particularly considering antibiotic stewardship. We show that EVD patients who were also infected with Plasmodium, particularly at higher loads, had more adverse outcomes than patients with lower...
Research Article | Host-Microbe BiologyToxoplasma gondii MAF1b Binds the Host Cell MIB Complex To Mediate Mitochondrial AssociationParasites interact intimately with their hosts, and the interactions shape both parties. The common human parasite Toxoplasma gondii replicates exclusively in a vacuole in a host cell and alters its host cell’s environment through secreted proteins. One of these secreted proteins, MAF1b, acts to concentrate mitochondria around the parasite’s vacuole, and this...
Opinion/Hypothesis | Host-Microbe BiologyTracking the Subtle Mutations Driving Host Sensing by the Plant Pathogen Streptomyces scabies
Editor's Pick Research Article | Host-Microbe BiologyManipulation of Host Diet To Reduce Gastrointestinal Colonization by the Opportunistic Pathogen Candida albicansCandida albicans, the most common human fungal pathogen, can cause infections with a mortality rate of ~40%. C. albicans is part of the normal gut flora, but when a patient’s immune system is compromised, it can leave the gut and cause infections. By reducing the amount of...