Latest Articles
Research Article | Applied and Environmental ScienceA Carotenoid- and Poly-β-Hydroxybutyrate-Free Mutant Strain of Sphingomonas elodea ATCC 31461 for the Commercial Production of GellanA carotenoid- and PHB-free double gene knockout strain mutant was constructed to simplify the purification steps normally involved in gellan production. However, the production of gellan gum was unexpectedly reduced. A mutant with 14.4% higher gellan production than that of the wild-type strain was obtained and isolated after employing UV and EMS combined mutagenesis. Based on this high-yield and low-impurity-producing mutant, a new...
Editor's Pick Observation | Host-Microbe BiologyFilamentation Is Associated with Reduced Pathogenicity of Multiple Non-albicans Candida SpeciesMany immunocompromised individuals, including HIV/AIDS and cancer patients, are susceptible to candidiasis. About half of all cases are caused by the major fungal pathogen Candida albicans, whereas the remainder are due to less pathogenic non-albicans Candida species (NACS). Generation of filamentous cells represents a major virulence property of...
Research Article | Host-Microbe BiologyFunctional Characterization of Entamoeba histolytica Argonaute Proteins Reveals a Repetitive DR-Rich Motif Region That Controls Nuclear LocalizationThe protozoan parasite Entamoeba histolytica, which causes amebiasis and affects over 50 million people worldwide, contains an important RNAi pathway for gene silencing. Gene silencing via the RNAi pathway is mediated by the Argonaute (Ago) proteins. However, we lack knowledge on Ago function(s) in this nonmodel system. In this paper, we discovered that three...
Research Article | Host-Microbe BiologyToxoplasma gondii Intravacuolar-Network-Associated Dense Granule Proteins Regulate Maturation of the Cyst Matrix and Cyst WallToxoplasma gondii establishes chronic infection in humans by forming thick-walled cysts that persist in the brain. If host immunity wanes, cysts reactivate to cause severe, and often lethal, toxoplasmic encephalitis. There is no available therapy to eliminate cysts or to prevent their reactivation. Moreover, how the vital and characteristic cyst matrix and cyst wall...
Research Article | Clinical Science and EpidemiologyGenetic Characterization of Plasmid-Borne blaOXA-58 in Distinct Acinetobacter SpeciesAlthough the blaOXA-58 gene has been infrequently described in Brazil, contrasting with other bordering South American countries, we verified the maintenance of this resistance determinant over time among carbapenem-resistant Acinetobacter species isolates, not only in nosocomial settings but also in the environment. In addition, to the best of our...
Research Article | Host-Microbe BiologyToxic Shock Syndrome Toxin 1 Evaluation and Antibiotic Impact in a Transgenic Model of Staphylococcal Soft Tissue InfectionStaphylococcal toxic shock syndrome (TSS) is a life-threatening illness causing fever, rash, and shock, attributed to toxins produced by the bacterium Staphylococcus aureus, mainly toxic shock syndrome toxin 1 (TSST-1). TSS was in the past commonly linked with menstruation and high-absorbency tampons; now, TSS is more frequently triggered by other staphylococcal...
Research Article | Host-Microbe BiologyA Common Live-Attenuated Avian Herpesvirus Vaccine Expresses a Very Potent OncogeneMarek’s disease virus (MDV) is one of several oncogenic herpesviruses and causes fatal lymphomas in chickens. The current “gold standard” vaccine is the live-attenuated MDV strain CVI988/Rispens (CVI), which is widely used and efficiently prevents tumor formation. Intriguingly, CVI expresses two predominant isoforms of the major MDV oncogene meq: one variant with a regular size of meq (Smeq) and one long...
Editor's Pick Research Article | Host-Microbe BiologyChitosan Biosynthesis and Virulence in the Human Fungal Pathogen Cryptococcus gattiiThe fungal cell wall is an essential organelle whose components provide the first line of defense against host-induced antifungal activity. Chitosan is one of the carbohydrate polymers in the cell wall that significantly affects the outcome of host-pathogen interaction. Chitosan-deficient strains are avirulent, implicating chitosan as a critical virulence factor. C. gattii...
Research Article | Ecological and Evolutionary ScienceAlteration of Prion Strain Emergence by Nonhost FactorsThe prion strain, surface type, and matrix containing PrPSc can influence PrPSc surface adsorption. The cumulative effect of these factors can result in strain- and soil-specific differences in prion bioavailability. Environmental weathering processes can result in decreases in PrPSc conversion efficiency and infectivity. Little is known about how incomplete inactivation of surface-bound PrPSc...
Research Article | Ecological and Evolutionary ScienceOptimization of a Method To Quantify Soil Bacterial Abundance by Flow CytometryThe ability to quantify bacterial abundance is important for understanding the contributions of microbial communities in soils, but such assays remain difficult and time-consuming. Flow cytometry offers a fast and direct way to count bacterial cells, but several concerns remain in applying the technique to soils. This study aimed to improve the efficiency of the method for soil while quantifying its limitations. We demonstrated that an...