Latest Articles
Research Article | Molecular Biology and PhysiologyAnalysis of Yeast Killer Toxin K1 Precursor Processing via Site-Directed Mutagenesis: Implications for Toxicity and ImmunityThe killer phenotype in the baker’s yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae relies on two double-stranded RNA viruses that are persistently present in the cytoplasm. As they carry the same receptor populations as sensitive cells, killer yeast cells need—in contrast to various bacterial toxin producers—a specialized immunity mechanism. The ionophoric killer toxin K1 leads to...
Research Article | Molecular Biology and PhysiologyMorphology and Transcriptome Analysis of Nosema bombycis Sporoplasm and Insights into the Initial Infection of MicrosporidiaOnce awoken from dormancy, the cellular matter of microsporidia is delivered directly into the host cell cytoplasm through the polar tube. This means that the microsporidia are difficult to study biologically in their active state without a contaminating signal from the host cell. Sporoplasm is a cell type of microsporidia in vitro, but relatively little attention has been paid to the sporoplasm in the past 150 years due to a...
Research Article | Host-Microbe BiologyAcute Sleep-Wake Cycle Shift Results in Community Alteration of Human Gut MicrobiomeCircadian rhythm misalignment due to social jet lag, shift work, early morning starts, and delayed bedtimes is becoming common in our modern society. Disturbances of sleep and the underlying circadian rhythms are related to multiple human diseases, such as obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular disorders, and cognitive impairments. Given the crucial role of microbiota in the same pathologies as are caused by sleep disturbance, how the gut...
Research Article | Host-Microbe BiologyToxoplasma Cathepsin Protease B and Aspartyl Protease 1 Are Dispensable for Endolysosomal Protein DigestionRoughly one-third of the human population is chronically infected with the intracellular single-celled parasite Toxoplasma gondii, but little is known about how this organism persists inside people. Previous research suggested that a parasite proteolytic enzyme, termed cathepsin protease L, is important for Toxoplasma persistence; however, it remained...
Editor's Pick Research Article | Host-Microbe BiologyDegradation of the Incretin Hormone Glucagon-Like Peptide-1 (GLP-1) by Enterococcus faecalis Metalloprotease GelEHumans have a complex and interconnected relationship with their gastrointestinal microbiomes, yet our interest in the microbiome tends to focus on overt pathogenic or probiotic activities, leaving the roles that commensal species may have on host physiology and metabolic processes largely unexplored. Commensal organisms in the microbiome produce and secrete many factors that have an opportunity to interact with the gastrointestinal...
Editor's Pick Resource Report | Molecular Biology and PhysiologyA Universal, Genomewide GuideFinder for CRISPR/Cas9 Targeting in Microbial GenomesWith the explosion in our understanding of human and environmental microbial diversity, corresponding efforts to understand gene function in these organisms are strongly needed. CRISPR/Cas9 technology has revolutionized interrogation of gene function in a wide variety of model organisms. Efficient CRISPR guide design is required for systematic gene targeting. However, existing tools are not adapted for the broad needs of microbial...
Resource Report | Molecular Biology and PhysiologyThree-Dimensional Visualization of APEX2-Tagged Erg11 in Saccharomyces cerevisiae Using Focused Ion Beam Scanning Electron MicroscopyWith this study, we have validated the use of the APEX2 tag to define the localization of proteins in the model yeast S. cerevisiae. As such, FIB-SEM can identify the exact 3D location of a protein of interest in the cell with nanometer-scale resolution. Such detailed imaging could provide essential information on the elucidation of various biological processes. APEX2...
Research Article | Clinical Science and EpidemiologyA Nonfunctional Opsonic Antibody Response Frequently Occurs after Pneumococcal Pneumonia and Is Associated with Invasive DiseaseNumerous reports on the dynamics of antipneumococcal immunity in relation to immunization with pneumococcal vaccines and on the prevalence of naturally acquired immunity in various populations have been published. In contrast, studies on the dynamics of the humoral immune response triggered by pneumococcal infection are scarce. This study provides valuable information that will contribute to fill this knowledge gap. Our main results...
Observation | Clinical Science and EpidemiologyRobustness of Serologic Investigations for Chikungunya and Mayaro Viruses following CoemergenceGeographically overlapping transmission of Chikungunya virus (CHIKV) and Mayaro virus (MAYV) in Latin America challenges serologic diagnostics and epidemiologic surveillance, as antibodies against the antigenically related viruses can be cross-reactive, potentially causing false-positive test results. We examined whether widely used ELISAs and plaque reduction neutralization testing allow specific antibody detection in the scenario of...
Research Article | Host-Microbe BiologyHerpes Simplex Virus Glycoprotein C Regulates Low-pH EntryHerpesviruses are ubiquitous pathogens that cause lifelong latent infections and that are characterized by multiple entry pathways. We propose that herpes simplex virus (HSV) gC plays a selective role in modulating HSV entry, such as entry into epithelial cells, by a low-pH pathway. gC facilitates a conformational change of the main fusogen gB, a class III fusion protein. We propose a model whereby gC functions with gB, gD, and gH/gL to...