Latest Articles
Research Article | Molecular Biology and PhysiologyCharacterization of the Self-Resistance Mechanism to Dityromycin in the Streptomyces Producer StrainThe World Health Organization has identified antimicrobial resistance as a substantial threat to human health. Because of the emergence of pathogenic bacteria resistant to multiple antibiotics worldwide, there is a need to identify the mode of action of antibiotics and to unravel the basic mechanisms responsible for drug resistance. Antibiotic producers’ microorganisms can protect themselves from the toxic effect of the drug using...
Perspective | Therapeutics and PreventionGlycoconjugates: What It Would Take To Master These Well-Known yet Little-Understood Immunogens for Vaccine DevelopmentGlycoconjugate vaccines are a critical component of the medical arsenal against infectious diseases. This established field continues, however, to experience failures in the clinic. The lack of fundamental understanding of factors controlling clinical efficacy of glycoconjugate vaccines is discussed while key parameters demanding focused and collaborative research are identified.
Perspective | Applied and Environmental ScienceUnknown Risk on the Farm: Does Agricultural Use of Ionophores Contribute to the Burden of Antimicrobial Resistance?Ionophores are the second most widely used class of antibiotic in agriculture, with over 4 million kilograms sold in the United States in 2016. Because ionophores are not used in humans, it is widely assumed that their agricultural use will not impact human health. Consequently, these drugs have not been subject to the same regulations as medically important antibiotics.
Research Article | Molecular Biology and PhysiologyQuantitative Proteomics Uncovers the Interaction between a Virulence Factor and Mutanobactin Synthetases in Streptococcus mutansStreptococcus mutans is the major bacterium associated with dental caries. In order to thrive on the highly populated tooth surface and cause disease, S. mutans must be able to protect itself from hydrogen peroxide-producing commensal bacteria and compete effectively against the neighboring microbes...
Observation | Host-Microbe BiologyLethal Infection of Lassa Virus Isolated from a Human Clinical Sample in Outbred Guinea Pigs without AdaptationLassa virus, the causative agent of Lassa fever, is a zoonotic pathogen causing annual outbreaks in West African countries. Human patients can develop lethal hemorrhagic fever in severe cases. Although Lassa virus is one of the most alarming pathogens from a public health perspective, there are few available countermeasures, such as antiviral drugs or vaccines. Moreover, the fact that animal models are not readily accessible and the...
Research Article | Clinical Science and EpidemiologyMultiple β-Lactam Resistance Gene-Carrying Plasmid Harbored by Klebsiella quasipneumoniae Isolated from Urban Sewage in JapanIn our investigation of urban wastewater in Japan, carbapenem-resistant Klebsiella quasipneumoniae subsp. quasipneumoniae was isolated that carried the pTMSNI47-1 plasmid, which carries four β-lactamase genes and has transferability among Enterobacteriaceae. pTMSNI47-1 was found to encode a rarely reported carbapenemase, KHM-1. Cooperative effects of...
Commentary | Host-Microbe BiologymSphere of Influence: Hiring of Underrepresented Minority Assistant Professors in Medical School Basic Science Departments Has a Long Way To GoMichael D. L. Johnson is a molecular microbiologist observing the role of metals in bacterial biology. In this mSphere of Influence article, he discusses the impact that the paper “Decoupling of the minority PhD talent pool and assistant professor hiring in medical school basic science departments in the US” by Kenneth D. Gibbs, Jr., Jacob Basson, Imam M. Xierali, and David A.
Commentary | Host-Microbe BiologymSphere of Influence: an Inupiat Journey in ScienceDr. Kathryn Milligan-Myhre works in the field of host-microbe interactions. In this mSphere of Influence article, she reflects on the people and scientific ideas that influenced her journey from a small town in Alaska to a faculty position at the University of Alaska Anchorage.
Research Article | Host-Microbe BiologyAntibody-Dependent Dengue Virus Entry Modulates Cell Intrinsic Responses for Enhanced InfectionDengue virus is the most prevalent mosquito-borne viral infection globally, resulting in variable manifestations ranging from asymptomatic viremia to life-threatening shock and multiorgan failure. Previous studies have indicated that the risk of severe dengue in humans can be increased by a specific range of preexisting anti-dengue virus antibody titers, a phenomenon termed antibody-dependent enhancement. There is hence a need to...
