Latest Articles
Editor's Pick Research Article | Host-Microbe BiologyDistinct Antibody Signatures Associated with Different Malaria Transmission Intensities in Zambia and ZimbabweAs malaria approaches elimination in many areas of the world, monitoring the effect of control measures becomes more important but challenging. Low-level infections may go undetected by conventional tests that depend on parasitemia, particularly in immune individuals, who typically show no symptoms of malaria. In contrast, antibodies persist after parasitemia and may provide a more accurate picture of recent exposure. Only a few...
Research Article | Host-Microbe BiologyGut Microbial Dynamics during Conventionalization of Germfree ChickenThe domestic chicken is the cornerstone of animal agriculture worldwide, with a flock population exceeding 40 billion birds/year. It serves as an economically valuable source of protein globally. The microbiome of poultry has important effects on chicken growth, feed conversion, immune status, and pathogen resistance. The aim of our research was to develop a gnotobiotic chicken model appropriate for the study chicken gut microbiota...
Research Article | Clinical Science and EpidemiologyCharacterization of agr Groups of Staphylococcus pseudintermedius Isolates from Dogs in TexasStaphylococcus pseudintermedius is an important disease-causing bacterium in dogs and is recognized as a growing threat to human health. Due to increasing multidrug resistance, discovery of alternative methods for treatment of these infections is vital. Interference with one target for alternative treatment, the quorum sensing system agr, has demonstrated...
Research Article | Molecular Biology and PhysiologyOXA-48-Mediated Ceftazidime-Avibactam Resistance Is Associated with Evolutionary Trade-OffsThe recent introduction of novel β-lactam/β-lactamase inhibitor combinations like ceftazidime-avibactam has increased our ability to treat infections caused by multidrug-resistant Gram-negative bacteria, including carbapenemase-producing Enterobacterales. However, the increasing number of cases of reported resistance to ceftazidime-avibactam is a concern. OXA-48 is a carbapenemase that has no significant effect on ceftazidime,...
Research Article | Molecular Biology and PhysiologyProximity Staining Using Enzymatic Protein Tagging in DiplomonadsThe function of many proteins is intrinsically related to their cellular location. Novel methods for ascertainment of the ultrastructural location of proteins have been introduced in recent years, but their implementation in protists has so far not been readily realized. Here, we present an optimized proximity labeling protocol using the APEX system in the salmon pathogen ...
Research Article | Host-Microbe BiologyIdentification of Differentiating Metabolic Pathways between Infant Gut Microbiome Populations Reveals Depletion of Function-Level Adaptation to Human Milk in the Finnish PopulationKnowing the limitations of taxonomy-based research, there is an emerging need for the development of higher-resolution techniques. The significance of this research is demonstrated by the novel method used for the analysis of function-level metagenomes. BiomeScout—the presented technology—utilizes proprietary algorithms for the detection of differences between functionalities present in metagenomic samples.
Research Article | Clinical Science and EpidemiologyOutbreak of Murine Infection with Clostridium difficile Associated with the Administration of a Pre- and Perinatal Methyl Donor DietClostridium difficile infection (CDI) has become the leading cause of infectious diarrhea in hospitals worldwide, owing its preeminence to the emergence of hyperendemic strains, such as ribotype 027 (RT027). A major CDI risk factor is antibiotic exposure, which alters gut microbiota, resulting in the loss of colonization resistance. Current murine models of CDI also...
Editor's Pick Research Article | Synthetic BiologyMultiplexed CRISPR-Cas9-Based Genome Editing of Rhodosporidium toruloidesMicrobial biofuel and bioproduct platforms provide access to clean and renewable carbon sources that are more sustainable and environmentally friendly than petroleum-based carbon sources. Furthermore, they can serve as useful conduits for the synthesis of advanced molecules that are difficult to produce through strictly chemical means. R. toruloides has emerged as a promising potential host for converting renewable...
Research Article | Clinical Science and EpidemiologyAntibodies to Peptides in Semiconserved Domains of RIFINs and STEVORs Correlate with Malaria ExposureMalaria, an infectious disease caused by the parasite Plasmodium falciparum, causes nearly 435,000 deaths annually worldwide. RIFINs and STEVORs are two variant surface antigen families that are involved in malaria pathogenesis and immune evasion. Recent work has shown that a lack of humoral immunity to these proteins is associated with severe malaria vulnerability in...
Research Article | Molecular Biology and PhysiologyGlu-108 in Saccharomyces cerevisiae Rad51 Is Critical for DNA Damage-Induced Nuclear FunctionRad51-mediated homologous recombination is the major mechanism for repairing DNA double-strand break (DSB) repair in cancer cells. Thus, regulating Rad51 activity could be an attractive target. The sequential assembly and disassembly of Rad51 to the broken DNA ends depend on reversible protein-protein interactions. Here, we discovered that a dynamic interaction with molecular chaperone Hsp90 is one such regulatory event that governs the...