Latest Articles
Research Article | Host-Microbe BiologyIsolation and Characterization of the Novel Botulinum Neurotoxin A Subtype 6Botulinum neurotoxins (BoNTs) have proved to be an effective treatment for a large number of neuropathic conditions. BoNTs comprise a large family of zinc metalloproteases, but BoNT/A1 is used nearly exclusively for pharmaceutical purposes. The genetic inactivation of a second BoNT gene in the native strain enabled expression and isolation of a single BoNT/A6 from cultures. Its characterization indicated that BoNT/A subtype A6 has a...
Research Article | Host-Microbe BiologyTranscriptional Heterogeneity of Cryptococcus gattii VGII Compared with Non-VGII Lineages Underpins Key Pathogenicity PathwaysThe transcriptional profiles of related pathogens and their responses to host-induced stresses underpin their pathogenicity. Expression differences between related pathogens during host interaction can indicate when and how these genes contribute to virulence, ultimately informing new and improved treatment strategies for those diseases. In this paper, we compare the transcriptional profiles of five isolates representing four lineages...
Research Article | Host-Microbe BiologyThe Capsule of Cryptococcus neoformans Modulates Phagosomal pH through Its Acid-Base PropertiesCryptococcus neoformans is the causative agent of cryptococcosis, a devastating fungal disease that affects thousands of individuals worldwide. This fungus has the capacity to survive inside phagocytic cells, which contributes to persistence of infection and dissemination. One of the major antimicrobial mechanisms of host phagocytes is to acidify the phagosomal...
Research Article | Molecular Biology and PhysiologyHigh Osmolarity Modulates Bacterial Cell Size through Reducing Initiation Volume in Escherichia coliBacterial cell size depends on growth rate, cell cycle progression, and the cell volume per origin upon initiating chromosome replication (initiation volume). Here, we perform the first systematic and quantitative study of the effect of hyperosmotic stress on the E. coli cell size and cell cycle. We find that hyperosmotic stress significantly reduces the initiation...
Research Article | Host-Microbe BiologyCyclic Diguanylate Regulates Virulence Factor Genes via Multiple Riboswitches in Clostridium difficileIn Clostridium difficile, the signaling molecule c-di-GMP regulates multiple processes affecting its ability to cause disease, including swimming and surface motility, biofilm formation, toxin production, and intestinal colonization. In this study, we used RNA-seq to define the transcriptional regulon of c-di-GMP in...
Research Article | Host-Microbe BiologyGenome-Wide Association Analyses in the Model Rhizobium Ensifer melilotiGenome-wide association analyses are a powerful approach for identifying gene function. These analyses are becoming commonplace in studies of humans, domesticated animals, and crop plants but have rarely been conducted in bacteria. We applied association analyses to 20 traits measured in Ensifer meliloti, an agriculturally and ecologically important bacterium because...
Research Article | Applied and Environmental ScienceModifying Saccharomyces cerevisiae Adhesion Properties Regulates Yeast Ecosystem DynamicsThe impact of direct (physical) versus indirect (metabolic) interactions between different yeast species has attracted significant research interest in recent years. This is due to the growing interest in the use of multispecies consortia in bioprocesses of industrial relevance and the relevance of interspecies interactions in establishing stable synthetic ecosystems. Compartment bioreactors have traditionally been used in this regard...
Research Article | Host-Microbe BiologyThe Cloacal Microbiome of Five Wild Duck Species Varies by Species and Influenza A Virus Infection StatusWaterfowl are natural reservoir species for influenza A virus (IAV). Thus, they maintain high levels of pathogen diversity, are asymptomatic to the infection, and also contribute to the risk of a global influenza pandemic. An individual’s microbiome is a critical part in how a vertebrate manages pathogens and illness. Here, we describe the cloacal microbiome of 300 wild ducks, from five species (four with previously undescribed...
Research Article | Therapeutics and PreventionImmune Modulatory Potential of Anti-idiotype Antibodies as a Surrogate of Foot-and-Mouth Disease Virus AntigenFoot-and-mouth disease (FMD) is a contagious viral disease of animals. Multiple serotypes and antigenic variation in the viral genome are probably the factors that reduce control of the disease. Currently, the vaccines employed against FMD use killed virus. The inactivation or killing of the virus makes it less immunogenic and reduces its immunoprophylactic potential. To cope with this situation, the present study was designed, anti-...
Research Article | Molecular Biology and PhysiologyPhenotypic Variation in the Group A Streptococcus Due to Natural Mutation of the Accessory Protein-Encoding Gene rocAThis study investigates the regulatory and phenotypic consequences of a naturally occurring mutation in a strain of the bacterial pathogen the group A Streptococcus (Streptococcus pyogenes). We show that this mutation, which occurs in a regulator-encoding gene, rocA, leads to altered virulence factor expression and reduces the ability of this isolate...