Latest Articles
Opinion/Hypothesis | Molecular Biology and PhysiologyGene Expression Changes with Minor Effects on the Population Average Have Major Effects on the Occurrence of Cells with Extreme Protein ConcentrationsThe cell-to-cell heterogeneity in a bacterial population provides a rich response to environmental changes and robust survival of an isogenic population. Especially, the rare, extreme phenotypes can be important for survival under transient lethal conditions.
Resource Report | Molecular Biology and PhysiologysRNA Target Prediction Organizing Tool (SPOT) Integrates Computational and Experimental Data To Facilitate Functional Characterization of Bacterial Small RNAsSmall RNAs (sRNAs) regulate gene expression in diverse bacteria by interacting with mRNAs to change their structure, stability, or translation. Hundreds of sRNAs have been identified in bacteria, but characterization of their regulatory functions is limited by difficulty with sensitive and accurate identification of mRNA targets. Thus, new robust methods of bacterial sRNA target identification are in demand. Here, we describe our...
Research Article | Molecular Biology and PhysiologyDisruption of Apicoplast Biogenesis by Chemical Stabilization of an Imported Protein Evades the Delayed-Death Phenotype in Malaria ParasitesMalaria is a major cause of global childhood mortality. To sustain progress in disease control made in the last decade, new antimalarial therapies are needed to combat emerging drug resistance. Malaria parasites contain a relict chloroplast called the apicoplast, which harbors new targets for drug discovery. Unfortunately, some drugs targeting apicoplast pathways exhibit a delayed-death phenotype, which results in a slow onset-of-action...
Research Article | Therapeutics and PreventionRepurposing Pilocarpine Hydrochloride for Treatment of Candida albicans InfectionsCandida albicans is the most common human fungal pathogen with an estimated crude mortality rate of 40%. The ability of the organism to switch from the yeast to hyphal form and produce biofilms are important virulence factors. C. albicans infections are combatted by the host immune system. However...
Observation | Host-Microbe BiologyA Sclerotinia sclerotiorum Transcription Factor Involved in Sclerotial Development and Virulence on PeaWhite mold, caused by Sclerotinia sclerotiorum, is a destructive disease on important legume species such as soybean, dry bean, and pea. This study investigated expression levels of transcription factors in S. sclerotiorum in planta (pea lines) and in vitro (culture medium). One...
Research Article | Clinical Science and EpidemiologyGut Virome Analysis of Cameroonians Reveals High Diversity of Enteric Viruses, Including Potential Interspecies Transmitted VirusesDespite the availability of diagnostic tools for different enteric viral pathogens, a large fraction of human cases of gastroenteritis remains unexplained. This could be due to pathogens not tested for or novel divergent viruses of potential animal origin. Fecal virome analyses of Cameroonians showed a very diverse group of viruses, some of which are genetically related to those identified in animals. This is the first attempt to...
Research Article | Applied and Environmental ScienceWood-Derived Dietary Fibers Promote Beneficial Human Gut MicrobiotaThe architecture of the gut bacterial ecosystem has a profound effect on the physiology and well-being of the host. Modulation of the gut microbiota and the intestinal microenvironment via administration of prebiotics represents a valuable strategy to promote host health. This work provides insights into the ability of two novel wood-derived preparations, AcGGM and AcAGX, to influence human gut microbiota composition and activity. These...
Opinion/Hypothesis | Applied and Environmental ScienceExtracellular Electron Transfer May Be an Overlooked Contribution to Pelagic Respiration in Humic-Rich Freshwater LakesHumic lakes and ponds receive large amounts of terrestrial carbon and are important components of the global carbon cycle, yet how their redox cycling influences the carbon budget is not fully understood. Here we compared metagenomes obtained from a humic bog and a clear-water eutrophic lake and found a much larger number of genes that might be involved in extracellular electron transfer (EET) for iron redox reactions and humic...
Research Article | Host-Microbe BiologyImaging Mass Spectrometry and Proteome Analysis of Marek’s Disease Virus-Induced TumorsMarek’s disease virus (MDV) is an oncogenic alphaherpesvirus that infects chickens and causes the most frequent clinically diagnosed cancer in the animal kingdom. Not only is MDV an important pathogen that threatens the poultry industry but it is also used as a natural virus-host model for herpesvirus-induced tumor formation. In order to visualize MDV-induced lymphoma and to identify potential biomarkers in an unbiased approach, we...
Research Article | Clinical Science and EpidemiologyReconstruction of the Genomes of Drug-Resistant Pathogens for Outbreak Investigation through Metagenomic SequencingThe study results reported here perfectly demonstrate the power and promise of clinical metagenomics to recover genome sequences of important drug-resistant bacteria and to rapidly provide rich data that inform outbreak investigations and treatment decisions, independently of the need to culture the organisms.