Latest Articles
Research Article | Host-Microbe BiologyThe Initial Gut Microbiota and Response to Antibiotic Perturbation Influence Clostridioides difficile Clearance in MiceClostridioides difficile is a leading nosocomial infection. Although perturbation to the gut microbiota is an established risk, there is variation in who becomes asymptomatically colonized, develops an infection, or has adverse infection outcomes. Mouse models of C. difficile infection (CDI) are...
Observation | Molecular Biology and PhysiologyStructured RNA Contaminants in Bacterial Ribo-SeqStructured ncRNAs are pivotal mediators of bioregulation in bacteria, and their functions are often reliant on their specific structures. Here, we first inspect Ribo-Seq reads across noncoding regions, identifying contaminant reads in these libraries. We observe that contaminant reads in bacterial Ribo-Seq experiments that are often disregarded, in fact, strongly overlap with structured regions of ncRNAs. We then perform several...
Editor's Pick Research Article | Ecological and Evolutionary ScienceThe Cryptic Plastid of Euglena longa Defines a New Type of Nonphotosynthetic Plastid OrganelleColorless plastids incapable of photosynthesis evolved in many plant and algal groups, but what functions they perform is still unknown in many cases. Here, we study the elusive plastid of Euglena longa, a nonphotosynthetic cousin of the familiar green flagellate Euglena gracilis. We document an unprecedented combination of metabolic functions that the E...
Observation | Clinical Science and EpidemiologyEffectiveness of Face Masks in Preventing Airborne Transmission of SARS-CoV-2Airborne simulation experiments showed that cotton masks, surgical masks, and N95 masks provide some protection from the transmission of infective SARS-CoV-2 droplets/aerosols; however, medical masks (surgical masks and even N95 masks) could not completely block the transmission of virus droplets/aerosols even when sealed.
Editor's Pick Research Article | Applied and Environmental ScienceHumidity and Deposition Solution Play a Critical Role in Virus Inactivation by Heat Treatment of N95 RespiratorsShortages of personal protective equipment, including N95 respirators, during the coronavirus (CoV) disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic have highlighted the need to develop effective decontamination strategies for their reuse. This is particularly important in health care settings for reducing exposure to respiratory viruses, like severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), the virus that causes COVID-19. Although several...
Research Article | Clinical Science and EpidemiologyMolecular and Epidemiological Characteristics of Carbapenemase-Producing Klebsiella pneumoniae Clinical Isolates in JapanCarbapenems serve as a last resort for the clinical treatment of multidrug-resistant infections. Therefore, the rapid spread of carbapenemase-producing strains represents a serious public health threat, further limiting antibiotic choices. The current findings of hypervirulent carbapenemase-producing Klebsiella pneumoniae clinical isolates in Japan demonstrate the...
Editor's Pick Research Article | Host-Microbe BiologyDistinct Fecal and Plasma Metabolites in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders and Their Modulation after Microbiota Transfer TherapyDespite the prevalence of autism and its extensive impact on our society, no U.S. Food and Drug Administration-approved treatment is available for this complex neurobiological disorder. Based on mounting evidences that support a link between autism and the gut microbiome, we previously performed a pioneering open-label clinical trial using intensive fecal microbiota transplant. The therapy significantly improved gastrointestinal and...
Commentary | Host-Microbe BiologymSphere of Influence: Learning from Nature—Antibody Profiles Important for Protection of Young InfantsEsther Ndungo works in the field of maternal-infant immunity against enteric pathogens. In this mSphere of Influence article, she reflects on how the paper “Fc glycan-mediated regulation of placental antibody transfer” by Jennewein et al. (M. F. Jennewein, I. Goldfarb, S. Dolatshahi, C. Cosgrove, et al., Cell 178:202–215.e14, 2019, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cell.2019.05.044)...
Research Article | Therapeutics and PreventionMultiple Mutations in Mycobacterium tuberculosis MmpL3 Increase Resistance to MmpL3 InhibitorsMycobacterium tuberculosis is a major global human pathogen, and new drugs and new drug targets are urgently required. Cell wall biosynthesis is a major target of current tuberculosis drugs and of new agents under development. Several new classes of molecules appear to have the same target, MmpL3, which is involved in the export and synthesis of the mycobacterial cell...
Research Article | Host-Microbe BiologyThe Two-Component Response Regulator Ssk1 and the Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase Hog1 Control Antifungal Drug Resistance and Cell Wall Architecture of Candida aurisCandida auris is an emerging multidrug-resistant (MDR) fungal pathogen that presents a serious global threat to human health. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have classified C. auris as an urgent threat to public health for the next decade due to its major clinical and economic...