Latest Articles
Research Article | Host-Microbe BiologyThe Microbiome and Metabolome of Preterm Infant Stool Are Personalized and Not Driven by Health Outcomes, Including Necrotizing Enterocolitis and Late-Onset SepsisPreterm infants face health problems likely related to microbial exposures, including sepsis and necrotizing enterocolitis. However, the role of the gut microbiome in preterm infant health is poorly understood. Microbial colonization differs from that of healthy term babies because it occurs in the NICU and is often perturbed by antibiotics. We measured bacterial compositions and metabolomic profiles of 77 fecal samples from 32 preterm...
Opinion/Hypothesis | Ecological and Evolutionary ScienceModel Communities Hint at Promiscuous Metabolic Linkages between Ubiquitous Free-Living Freshwater BacteriaGenome streamlining is frequently observed in free-living aquatic microorganisms and results in physiological dependencies between microorganisms. However, we know little about the specificity of these microbial associations.
Research Article | Molecular Biology and PhysiologyThe Yin and Yang of SagS: Distinct Residues in the HmsP Domain of SagS Independently Regulate Biofilm Formation and Biofilm Drug ToleranceThe membrane-bound sensory protein SagS plays a pivotal role in P. aeruginosa biofilm formation and biofilm cells gaining their heightened resistance to antimicrobial agents, with SagS being the control point at which both pathways diverge. Here, we demonstrate for the first time that the two distinct pathways leading to biofilm formation and biofilm drug tolerance...
Research Article | Host-Microbe BiologyThe Lactobacillus Bile Salt Hydrolase Repertoire Reveals Niche-Specific AdaptationBile acids play an integral role in shaping the gut microbiota and host physiology by regulating metabolic signaling, weight gain, and serum cholesterol and liver triglyceride levels. Given these important roles of bile acids, we investigated the presence of bile salt hydrolase (BSH) in Lactobacillus genomes representing 170 different species, determined strain- and species-specific patterns of occurrences, and expanded on the...
Research Article | Host-Microbe BiologyMonoclonal Antibodies to Intracellular Stages of Cryptosporidium parvum Define Life Cycle Progression In VitroCryptosporidium is a protozoan parasite that causes gastrointestinal disease in humans and animals. Currently, there is a limited array of antibodies available against the parasite, which hinders imaging studies and makes it difficult to visualize the parasite life cycle in different culture systems. In order to alleviate this reagent gap, we created a library of novel antibodies against the intracellular life cycle stages of...
Research Article | Host-Microbe BiologyGenes Activated by Vibrio cholerae upon Exposure to Caenorhabditis elegans Reveal the Mannose-Sensitive Hemagglutinin To Be Essential for ColonizationThe waterborne diarrheal disease cholera is caused by the bacterium Vibrio cholerae. The facultative human pathogen persists as a natural inhabitant in the aquatic ecosystem between outbreaks. In contrast to the human host, V. cholerae requires a different set of genes to survive in this hostile...
Research Article | Therapeutics and PreventionPeptide-Like Nylon-3 Polymers with Activity against Phylogenetically Diverse, Intrinsically Drug-Resistant Pathogenic FungiFungi reside in all ecosystems on earth and impart both positive and negative effects on human, plant, and animal health. Fungal disease is on the rise worldwide, and there is a critical need for more effective and less toxic antifungal agents. Nylon-3 polymers are short, sequence random, poly-β-amino acid materials that can be designed to manifest antimicrobial properties. Here, we describe three nylon-3 polymers with potent activity...
Editor's Pick Research Article | Host-Microbe BiologyGenetic Variation of the SusC/SusD Homologs from a Polysaccharide Utilization Locus Underlies Divergent Fructan Specificities and Functional Adaptation in Bacteroides thetaiotaomicron StrainsDietary polysaccharides play a dominant role in shaping the composition and functionality of our gut microbiota. Dietary interventions using these microbiota-accessible carbohydrates (MACs) serve as a promising tool for manipulating the gut microbial community. However, our current gap in knowledge regarding microbial metabolic pathways that are...
Research Article | Clinical Science and EpidemiologyAn Observational Cohort Study of Clostridium difficile Ribotype 027 and Recurrent InfectionCDI is a major public health issue, with over 400,000 cases per year in the United States alone. Recurrent CDI is common, occurring in approximately one in five individuals after a primary episode. Although interventions exist that could reduce the risk of recurrence, deployment in all patients is limited by cost, invasiveness, and/or an undetermined long-term safety profile. Thus, clinicians need risk stratification tools to properly...
