Latest Articles
Research Article | Ecological and Evolutionary ScienceMicrobial Community Succession and Nutrient Cycling Responses following Perturbations of Experimental Saltwater AquariaSaltwater aquaria are living systems that support a complex biological community of fish, invertebrates, and microbes. The health and maintenance of saltwater tanks are pressing concerns for home hobbyists, zoos, and professionals in the aquarium trade; however, we do not yet understand the underlying microbial species interactions and community dynamics which contribute to tank setup and conditioning. This report provides a detailed...
Research Article | Host-Microbe BiologyUnsupervised Learning Approach for Comparing Multiple Transposon Insertion Sequencing StudiesForward genetic screens are powerful tools for functional genomics. The comparison of similar forward genetic screens performed in different organisms enables the identification of genes with similar or different phenotypes across organisms. Transposon insertion sequencing is a widely used method for conducting genome-scale forward genetic screens in bacteria, yet few bioinformatic approaches have been developed to compare the results...
Research Article | Molecular Biology and PhysiologyMITEAba12, a Novel Mobile Miniature Inverted-Repeat Transposable Element Identified in Acinetobacter baumannii ATCC 17978 and Its Prevalence across the Moraxellaceae FamilyOne of the most important weapons in the armory of Acinetobacter is its impressive genetic plasticity, facilitating rapid genetic mutations and rearrangements as well as integration of foreign determinants carried by mobile genetic elements. Of these, IS are considered one of the key forces shaping bacterial genomes and ultimately evolution. We report the identification of a novel nonautonomous IS-derived element present in...
Editor's Pick Research Article | Clinical Science and EpidemiologyAntibody Biomarkers Associated with Sterile Protection Induced by Controlled Human Malaria Infection under Chloroquine ProphylaxisInfection by Plasmodium parasites has been a major cause of mortality and morbidity in humans for thousands of years. Despite the considerable reduction of deaths, according to the WHO, over 5 billion people are still at risk, with about 216 million worldwide cases occurring in 2016. More compelling, 15 countries in sub-Saharan Africa bore 80% of the worldwide malaria burden. Complete eradication has been challenging, and the...
Editor's Pick Research Article | Ecological and Evolutionary ScienceCharacterizing the Pathogenic, Genomic, and Chemical Traits of Aspergillus fischeri, a Close Relative of the Major Human Fungal Pathogen Aspergillus fumigatusAspergillus fumigatus is the primary cause of aspergillosis, a devastating ensemble of diseases associated with severe morbidity and mortality worldwide. A. fischeri is a close relative of A. fumigatus but is not generally...
Research Article | Host-Microbe BiologyIdentification of Recessive Lethal Alleles in the Diploid Genome of a Candida albicans Laboratory Strain Unveils a Potential Role of Repetitive Sequences in Buffering Their Deleterious ImpactCandida albicans is a major fungal pathogen, whose mode of reproduction is mainly clonal. Its genome is highly tolerant to rearrangements, in particular loss of heterozygosity events, known to unmask recessive lethal and deleterious alleles in heterozygous diploid organisms such as C. albicans. By...
Research Article | Host-Microbe BiologyTranscriptional Sequencing Uncovers Survival Mechanisms of Salmonella enterica Serovar Enteritidis in Antibacterial Egg WhiteSalmonella enterica serovar Enteritidis is a major foodborne pathogen that causes salmonellosis mainly through contaminated chicken eggs or egg products and has been a worldwide public health threat since 1980. Frequent outbreaks of this serotype through eggs correlate significantly with its exceptional survival ability in the antibacterial egg white. Research on the...
Research Article | Host-Microbe BiologyA Controlled Human Infection Model of Group A Streptococcus Pharyngitis: Which Strain and Why?GAS (Streptococcus pyogenes) is a leading global cause of infection-related morbidity and mortality. A modern CHIM of GAS pharyngitis could help to accelerate vaccine development and drive pathogenesis research. Challenge strain selection is critical to the safety and success of any CHIM and especially so for an organism such as GAS, with its wide strain diversity and...
Research Article | Therapeutics and PreventionDose-Dependent Differences in HIV Inhibition by Different Interferon Alpha Subtypes While Having Overall Similar Biologic EffectsElucidating the functional role of the IFN-α subtypes is of particular importance for the development of efficacious therapies using exogenous IFN-α. Specifically, this will help define whether IFN therapy should be based on the use of pathogen-dependent IFN subtypes or, rather, IFN mutants with optimized IFNAR binding properties.
