Latest Articles
Research Article | Ecological and Evolutionary ScienceAlteration of Prion Strain Emergence by Nonhost FactorsThe prion strain, surface type, and matrix containing PrPSc can influence PrPSc surface adsorption. The cumulative effect of these factors can result in strain- and soil-specific differences in prion bioavailability. Environmental weathering processes can result in decreases in PrPSc conversion efficiency and infectivity. Little is known about how incomplete inactivation of surface-bound PrPSc...
Research Article | Ecological and Evolutionary ScienceOptimization of a Method To Quantify Soil Bacterial Abundance by Flow CytometryThe ability to quantify bacterial abundance is important for understanding the contributions of microbial communities in soils, but such assays remain difficult and time-consuming. Flow cytometry offers a fast and direct way to count bacterial cells, but several concerns remain in applying the technique to soils. This study aimed to improve the efficiency of the method for soil while quantifying its limitations. We demonstrated that an...
Commentary | Molecular Biology and PhysiologymSphere of Influence: the Power of Yeast Genetics Still Going Strong!Felipe Santiago-Tirado studies the cell biology of cryptococcal infections.
Research Article | Clinical Science and EpidemiologyComparative Genomics Reveals a Well-Conserved Intrinsic Resistome in the Emerging Multidrug-Resistant Pathogen Cupriavidus gilardiiCupriavidus gilardii is a bacterium that is gaining increasing attention both as an infectious agent and because of its potential use in the detoxification of toxic compounds and other biotechnological applications. In recent years, however, there has been an increasing number of reported infections, some of them fatal, caused by...
Research Article | Therapeutics and PreventionDesigned Ankyrin Repeat Protein (DARPin) Neutralizers of TcdB from Clostridium difficile Ribotype 027We report the engineering and characterization of designed ankyrin proteins as potent neutralizers of TcdB toxin secreted by a hypervirulent ribotype 027 strain of Clostridium difficile. We further show that although TcdB toxins from both ribotype 027 and VPI 10461 interact efficiently with TcdB receptors CSPG4 and Pvrl3, TcdB027 lacks significant ability...
Research Article | Host-Microbe BiologyIdentification and Classification of Hubs in microRNA Target Gene Networks in Human Neural Stem/Progenitor Cells following Japanese Encephalitis Virus InfectionJEV damages the neural stem/progenitor cell population of the mammalian brain. However, JEV-induced alteration in the miRNA expression pattern of the cell population remains an open question, hence warranting our present study. In this study, we specifically address the downregulation of four miRNAs, and we prepared a protein-protein interaction network of miRNA target genes. We identified two types of hub genes in the PPI network,...
Research Article | Molecular Biology and PhysiologyPacBio Amplicon Sequencing Method To Measure Pilin Antigenic Variation Frequencies of Neisseria gonorrhoeaeDiversity generation systems are used by many unicellular organism to provide subpopulations of cell with different properties that are available when needed. We have developed a method using the PacBio DNA sequencing technology and a custom computer program to analyze the pilin antigenic variation system of the organism that is the sole cause of the sexually transmitted infection, gonorrhea.
Research Article | Host-Microbe BiologyThe Polyamine Spermidine Modulates the Production of the Bacterial Genotoxin ColibactinColibactin-producing Escherichia coli strains are associated with cancerous and precancerous colorectal tissues and are suspected of promoting colorectal carcinogenesis. In this study, we describe a new interplay between the synthesis of the genotoxin colibactin and the polyamine spermidine. Polyamines are highly abundant in cancer tissue and are associated with cell...
Commentary | Ecological and Evolutionary SciencemSphere of Influence: the Wild Genetic Diversity of Our Closest Yeast CompanionsDouda Bensasson uses the population genomics of model yeast species to understand how wild yeast colonize new environments, such as humans or their food. In this mSphere of Influence article, she reflects on how the discovery of “Surprisingly diverged populations of Saccharomyces cerevisiae in natural environments remote from human activity” (Q.-M. Wang, W.-Q. Liu, G...
Commentary | Therapeutics and PreventionmSphere of Influence: Uncovering New Ways To Control Multidrug Resistance by Dissecting Essential Cell ProcessesAna L. Flores-Mireles works in the fields of microbial pathogenesis and development of new therapeutics. In this mSphere of Influence article, she reflects on how the papers “Bacterial cell wall biogenesis is mediated by SEDS and PBP polymerase families functioning semi-autonomously” by H.