Latest Articles
Research Article | Host-Microbe BiologyThe Agr-Like Quorum-Sensing System Is Important for Clostridium perfringens Type A Strain ATCC 3624 To Cause Gas Gangrene in a Mouse ModelClostridium perfringens type A strains produce toxins that are responsible for clostridial myonecrosis, also known as gas gangrene. Toxin production is regulated by an Agr-like quorum-sensing (QS) system that responds to changes in cell population density. In this study, we investigated the importance of this QS system in a mouse model of gas gangrene. Mice challenged...
Research Article | Host-Microbe BiologyLipidomic and Ultrastructural Characterization of the Cell Envelope of Staphylococcus aureus Grown in the Presence of Human SerumComprehensive lipidomics of S. aureus grown in the presence of human serum suggests that human serum lipids can associate with the cell envelope without being truly integrated into the lipid membrane. However, fatty acids derived from human serum lipids, including unsaturated fatty acids, can be incorporated into lipid classes that can be biosynthesized by...
Research Article | Host-Microbe BiologyThe Functional Characterization of TcMyoF Implicates a Family of Cytostome-Cytopharynx Targeted Myosins as Integral to the Endocytic Machinery of Trypanosoma cruziThe parasite Trypanosoma cruzi is the etiological agent of Chagas disease and chronically infects upwards of 7 million people in the Americas. Current diagnostics and treatments remain grossly inadequate due, in part, to our general lack of understanding of this parasite’s basic biology. One aspect that has resisted detailed scrutiny is the mechanism employed by this...
Research Article | Molecular Biology and PhysiologyChromosome Segregation in Bacillus subtilis Follows an Overall Pattern of Linear Movement and Is Highly Robust against Cell Cycle PerturbationsWe have followed the segregation of origin regions on the Bacillus subtilis chromosome in the fastest practically achievable temporal manner, for a large fraction of the cell cycle. We show that segregation occurred in highly variable patterns but overall in an almost linear manner throughout the cell cycle. Segregation was slowed down, but not arrested, by treatment...
Research Article | Host-Microbe BiologyAn Avirulence Gene Cluster in the Wheat Stripe Rust Pathogen (Puccinia striiformis f. sp. tritici) Identified through Genetic Mapping and Whole-Genome Sequencing of a Sexual PopulationStripe rust is a destructive disease of wheat worldwide. Growing resistant cultivars is the most effective, easy-to-use, economical, and environmentally friendly strategy for the control of the disease. However, P. striiformis f. sp. tritici can produce new virulent races that may circumvent race-specific resistance. Therefore, understanding the genetic basis...
Research Article | Host-Microbe BiologyAntigenic Characterization of New Lineage II Insect-Specific Flaviviruses in Australian Mosquitoes and Identification of Host Restriction FactorsThe globally important flavivirus pathogens West Nile virus, Zika virus, dengue viruses, and yellow fever virus can infect mosquito vectors and be transmitted to humans and other vertebrate species in which they cause significant levels of disease and mortality. However, the subgroup of closely related flaviviruses, known as lineage II insect-specific flaviviruses (Lin II ISFs), only infect mosquitoes and cannot replicate in cells of...
Research Article | Synthetic BiologyControlling the Growth of the Skin Commensal Staphylococcus epidermidis Using d-Alanine AuxotrophyThe skin microbiome is rich in opportunities for novel therapeutics for skin diseases, and synthetic biology offers the advantage of providing novel functionality or therapeutic benefit to live biotherapeutic products. The development of novel bacterial strains whose growth can be controlled without the use of antibiotics or genetic elements conferring antibiotic resistance enables modulation of therapeutic exposure and improves safety...
Observation | Therapeutics and PreventionNonclassical Biofilms Induced by DNA Breaks in Klebsiella pneumoniaeMany pathogenic bacteria can form biofilm matrices that consist of complex molecules such as polysaccharides, proteins, and DNA. These biofilms help the bacteria to infect and colonize a host. Such biofilms may attach and develop on the surfaces of indwelling medical devices or other supportive environments. This study found that following double-strand breaks in their DNA, ...
Research Article | Host-Microbe BiologyCombining Whole-Genome Sequencing and Multimodel Phenotyping To Identify Genetic Predictors of Salmonella VirulenceSalmonella species are bacteria that are a major source of foodborne disease through contamination of a diversity of foods, including meat, eggs, fruits, nuts, and vegetables. More than 2,600 different Salmonella enterica serovars have been identified, and only a few of them are associated with illness in humans. Despite the fact that they are genetically...
Research Article | Clinical Science and EpidemiologyEvaluation of a Rapid Point-of-Care Multiplex Immunochromatographic Assay for the Diagnosis of Enteric FeverEnteric fever remains a significant global problem, and control programs are significantly limited by the lack of an optimal assay for identifying individuals with acute infection. This is especially critical considering the recently released World Health Organization (WHO) position paper endorsing the role of the typhoid conjugate vaccine in communities where enteric fever is endemic. A reliable diagnostic test is needed to assess and...