Latest Articles
Research Article | Clinical Science and EpidemiologyFirst Case of Actinomycetoma in France Due to a Novel Nocardia Species, Nocardia boironii sp. novBacterial mycetoma is an endemic infection in areas with tropical and subtropical climates. Thus, its presence in temperate climate areas remains rare. We report here the first case of autochthonous actinomycetoma in continental France originating from a Nocardia species other than N. brasiliensis, namely, Nocardia boironii. Considering the history...
Research Article | Molecular Biology and PhysiologySfr1, a Tetrahymena thermophila Sfi1 Repeat Protein, Modulates the Production of Cortical Row Basal BodiesBasal bodies and centrioles are structurally similar and, when rendered dysfunctional as a result of improper assembly or maintenance, are associated with human diseases. Centrins are conserved and abundant components of both structures whose basal body and centriolar functions remain incompletely understood. Despite the extensive study of centrins in Tetrahymena thermophila...
Research Article | Applied and Environmental ScienceMicrobial Community Patterns Associated with Automated Teller Machine Keypads in New York CityAutomated teller machine (ATM) keypads represent a specific and unexplored microhabitat for microbial communities. Although the number of built environment and urban microbial ecology studies has expanded greatly in recent years, the majority of research to date has focused on mass transit systems, city soils, and plumbing and ventilation...
Research Article | Clinical Science and EpidemiologyThe Establishment and Diversification of Epidemic-Associated Serogroup W Meningococcus in the African Meningitis Belt, 1994 to 2012Meningococcal disease (meningitis and bloodstream infections) threatens millions of people across the meningitis belt of sub-Saharan Africa. A vaccine introduced in 2010 protects against Africa’s then-most common cause of meningococcal disease, N. meningitidis serogroup A. However, other serogroups continue to cause epidemics in the region—including serogroup W. The...
Research Article | Therapeutics and PreventionDe Novo Pyrimidine Biosynthesis Connects Cell Integrity to Amphotericin B Susceptibility in Cryptococcus neoformansSynergy between AmB and nucleotide biosynthetic pathways has been documented, but the mechanism of this interaction has not been delineated. Results from this study suggest a correlation between uridine nucleotide biosynthesis and cell integrity likely mediated through the pool of nucleotide-sugar conjugates, which are precursor molecules for both capsule and cell wall of C...
Research Article | Host-Microbe BiologyA Highly Conserved Residue in HIV-1 Nef Alpha Helix 2 Modulates Protein ExpressionThe HIV-1 Nef protein has been established as a key pathogenic determinant of HIV/AIDS, but there is little knowledge of how the extensive genetic diversity of HIV-1 affects Nef function. Upon compiling a set of subtype-specific reference strains, we identified a subtype C reference strain, C.BR92025, that contained natural polymorphisms at otherwise highly conserved residues 13, 84, and 92. Interestingly, strain C.BR92025 Nef displayed...
Research Article | Molecular Biology and PhysiologyInterspecies Interactions between Clostridium difficile and Candida albicansCandida albicans and Clostridium difficile are two opportunistic pathogens that reside in the human gut. A few studies have focused on the prevalence of C. albicans in...
Research Article | Applied and Environmental ScienceHuman Norovirus Aptamer Exhibits High Degree of Target Conformation-Dependent Binding Similar to That of Receptors and Discriminates Particle FunctionalityHuman noroviruses impose a considerable health burden globally. However, study of their inactivation is still challenging with currently reported cell culture models, as discrimination of infectious viral particles is still difficult. Traditionally, the ability of particles to bind putative carbohydrate receptors is conducted as a proxy for infectivity, but these receptors are inconsistent, expensive, and hard to purify/modify. We...
Author Reply | Host-Microbe BiologyReply to “Triclocarban and Health: the Jury Is Still Out”
Letter to the Editor | Host-Microbe BiologyTriclocarban and Health: the Jury Is Still Out