Latest Articles
Research Article | Molecular Biology and PhysiologyHaloferax volcanii Immersed Liquid Biofilms Develop Independently of Known Biofilm Machineries and Exhibit Rapid Honeycomb Pattern FormationThis first molecular biological study of archaeal immersed liquid biofilms advances our basic biological understanding of the model archaeon Haloferax volcanii. Data gleaned from this study also provide an invaluable foundation for future studies to uncover components required for immersed liquid biofilms in this haloarchaeon and also potentially for liquid biofilm...
Research Article | Host-Microbe BiologyNasal Tissue Extraction Is Essential for Characterization of the Murine Upper Respiratory Tract MicrobiotaThe nasal microbiota is composed of species that play a role in the colonization success of pathogens, including Streptococcus pneumoniae and Staphylococcus aureus. Murine models provide the ability to explore disease pathogenesis, but little is known about the natural murine nasal microbiota.
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Research Article | Host-Microbe BiologyInteractions of the Nipah Virus P, V, and W Proteins across the STAT Family of Transcription FactorsHow Nipah virus (NiV) antagonizes innate immune responses is incompletely understood. The P gene of NiV encodes the P, V, and W proteins.
Observation | Host-Microbe BiologyHydrogen Peroxide Production by Streptococcus pneumoniae Results in Alpha-hemolysis by Oxidation of Oxy-hemoglobin to Met-hemoglobinThere is a misconception that alpha-hemolysis observed on blood agar plate cultures of Streptococcus pneumoniae and other alpha-hemolytic streptococci is produced by a hemolysin or, alternatively, by lysis of erythrocytes caused by hydrogen peroxide. We noticed in the course of our investigations that wild-type...
Research Article | Molecular Biology and PhysiologyTsrA Regulates Virulence and Intestinal Colonization in Vibrio choleraeCholera is a potentially lethal disease that is endemic in much of the developing world. Vibrio cholerae, the bacterium underlying the disease, infects humans utilizing proteins encoded on horizontally acquired genetic material. Here, we provide evidence that TsrA, a Vibrionaceae-specific protein, plays a critical role in regulating these genetic elements and...
Observation | Clinical Science and EpidemiologyDetection of Five mcr-9-Carrying Enterobacterales Isolates in Four Czech HospitalsInfections caused by carbapenemase-producing bacteria have led to the revival of polymyxins as the “last-resort” antibiotic. Since 2016, several reports describing the presence of plasmid-mediated colistin resistance genes, mcr, in different host species and geographic areas were published.
Research Article | Molecular Biology and PhysiologyHuman Papillomavirus 16 (HPV16) E2 Repression of TWIST1 Transcription Is a Potential Mediator of HPV16 Cancer OutcomesHPV16-positive cancers have a better clinical outcome that their non-HPV anatomical counterparts. Furthermore, the presence of HPV16 E2 RNA predicts a better outcome for HPV16-positive tumors; the reasons for this are not known.
Research Article | Host-Microbe BiologyAmylases in the Human VaginaIn this study, we show that multiple bacteria in the vaginal community produce amylases that hydrolyze glycogen into simpler sugars (i.e., maltose and maltotriose). These sugars serve as “common goods” that sustain bacterial populations in vaginal communities.
Research Article | Clinical Science and EpidemiologyGut Bacteria Shared by Children and Their Mothers Associate with Developmental Level and Social Deficits in Autism Spectrum DisorderGut microbiota may contribute to the pathogenesis and development of autism spectrum disorder. The maternal gut microbiota influences offspring gut microbial structure and composition.
Research Article | Clinical Science and EpidemiologyAssociation between Antibody Responses to Epstein-Barr Virus Glycoproteins, Neutralization of Infectivity, and the Risk of Nasopharyngeal CarcinomaEpstein-Barr virus (EBV) is a human oncogenic gammaherpesvirus that infects over 90% of humans in the world and is causally associated with a spectrum of epithelial and B-cell malignancies such as nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC). A prophylactic vaccine against EBV is called for, but no approved vaccine is available yet.