Latest Articles
Observation | Applied and Environmental ScienceSalmonella Genomic Island 1B Variant Found in a Sequence Type 117 Avian Pathogenic Escherichia coli IsolateSGI1 and variants of it carry a variety of antimicrobial resistance genes, including those conferring resistance to extended-spectrum β-lactams and carbapenems, and have been found in diverse S. enterica serovars, Acinetobacter baumannii, and other members of the...
Research Article | Ecological and Evolutionary ScienceThe Impact of DNA Polymerase and Number of Rounds of Amplification in PCR on 16S rRNA Gene Sequence DataA steep decline in sequencing costs drove an explosion in studies characterizing microbial communities from diverse environments. Although a significant amount of effort has gone into understanding the error profiles of DNA sequencers, little has been done to understand the downstream effects of the PCR amplification protocol. We quantified the effects of the choice of polymerase and number of PCR cycles on the quality of downstream...
Research Article | Host-Microbe BiologyThe Vacuolar Zinc Transporter TgZnT Protects Toxoplasma gondii from Zinc ToxicityToxoplasma gondii is an intracellular pathogen of human and animals. T. gondii pathogenesis is associated with its lytic cycle, which involves invasion, replication, egress out of the host cell, and invasion of a new one. T. gondii...
Editor's Pick Research Article | Host-Microbe BiologyKinome-Wide RNA Interference Screening Identifies Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases and Phosphatidylinositol Metabolism as Key Factors for Rabies Virus InfectionRabies virus relies on cellular machinery for its replication while simultaneously evading the host immune response. Despite their importance, little is known about the key host factors required for rabies virus infection. Here, we focused on the human kinome, at the core of many cellular pathways, to unveil a new understanding of the rabies virus infectious cycle and to discover new potential therapeutic targets in a small interfering...
Research Article | Synthetic BiologyAttenuation of a Pathogenic Mycoplasma Strain by Modification of the obg Gene by Using Synthetic Biology ApproachesAnimal diseases due to mycoplasmas are a major cause of morbidity and mortality associated with economic losses for farmers all over the world. Currently used mycoplasma vaccines exhibit several drawbacks, including low efficacy, short time of protection, adverse reactions, and difficulty in differentiating infected from vaccinated animals. Therefore, there is a need for improved vaccines to control animal mycoplasmoses. Here, we used...
Research Article | Therapeutics and PreventionDisarming Pore-Forming Toxins with Biomimetic Nanosponges in Intraocular InfectionsEndophthalmitis is a blinding consequence of bacterial invasion of the interior of the eye. Because of increases in the numbers of ocular surgeries and intraocular injections, the incidence of endophthalmitis is steadily increasing. Staphylococcus aureus, Enterococcus faecalis,...
Research Article | Host-Microbe BiologyIdentification of an Immunogenic Broadly Inhibitory Surface Epitope of the Plasmodium vivax Duffy Binding Protein Ligand DomainVivax malaria is the second leading cause of malaria worldwide and the major cause of non-African malaria. Unfortunately, efforts to develop antimalarial vaccines specifically targeting Plasmodium vivax have been largely neglected, and few candidates have progressed into clinical trials. The Duffy binding protein is considered a leading blood-stage vaccine candidate...
Research Article | Host-Microbe BiologyFungiculture in Termites Is Associated with a Mycolytic Gut Bacterial CommunityUnderstanding functional capacities of gut microbiomes is important to improve our understanding of symbiotic associations. Here, we use peptide-based functional annotation to show that the gut microbiomes of fungus-farming termites code for a wealth of enzymes that likely target the fungal diet the termites eat. Comparisons to other termites showed that fungus-growing termite guts have relatively more fungal cell wall-degrading enzyme...
Observation | Applied and Environmental ScienceA Novel Trimethoprim Resistance Gene, dfrA35, Characterized from Escherichia coli from CalvesThe presence of dfrA35 associated with ISCR2 in Escherichia coli from animals, as well as its presence in other E. coli strains from different sources and countries and in Acinetobacter, highlights the global...
Research Article | Host-Microbe BiologyAn Ssd1 Homolog Impacts Trehalose and Chitin Biosynthesis and Contributes to Virulence in Aspergillus fumigatusThe incidence of life-threatening infections caused by the filamentous fungus Aspergillus fumigatus is increasing along with an increase in the number of fungal strains resistant to contemporary antifungal therapies. The fungal cell wall and the associated carbohydrates required for its synthesis and maintenance are attractive drug targets given that many genes...