Latest Articles
Research Article | Host-Microbe BiologyBinding of Leishmania infantum Lipophosphoglycan to the Midgut Is Not Sufficient To Define Vector Competence in Lutzomyia longipalpis Sand FliesIt is well established that the presence of LPG is sufficient to define the vector competence of restrictive sand fly vectors with respect to Leishmania parasites. However, the permissiveness of other sand flies with respect to multiple Leishmania species suggests that other factors might define vector competence for these vectors. In this study, we investigated the underpinnings of...
Research Article | Applied and Environmental ScienceMetagenomic Analysis of the Virome of Mosquito ExcretaWhen a mosquito feeds on a host, it ingests not only its blood meal but also an assortment of microorganisms that are present in the blood, thus acting as an environmental sampler. By using specific tests, it is possible to detect arthropod-borne viruses (arboviruses) like dengue and West Nile viruses in mosquito excreta. Here, we explored the use of next-generation sequencing (NGS) for unbiased detection of RNA viruses present in...
Research Article | Therapeutics and PreventionOxalate-Degrading Bacillus subtilis Mitigates Urolithiasis in a Drosophila melanogaster ModelKidney stone disease is a morbid condition that is increasing in prevalence, with few nonsurgical treatment options. The majority of stones are composed of calcium oxalate. Unlike humans, some microbes can break down oxalate, suggesting that microbial therapeutics may provide a novel treatment for kidney stone patients. This study demonstrated that Bacillus subtilis...
Research Article | Molecular Biology and PhysiologyAlternating Dynamics of oriC, SMC, and MksBEF in Segregation of Pseudomonas aeruginosa ChromosomeMechanisms that define the chromosome as a structural entity remain unknown. Key elements in this process are condensins, which globally organize chromosomes and contribute to their segregation. This study characterized condensin and chromosome dynamics in Pseudomonas aeruginosa, which harbors condensins from two major protein superfamilies, SMC and MksBEF. The study...
Commentary | Host-Microbe BiologymSphere of Influence: the Dynamic Nature of the Nuclear Envelope during Mitosis of Malaria ParasitesSabrina Absalon works in the field of cellular and molecular biology of Plasmodium falciparum, the most virulent parasite causing malaria in humans. In this mSphere of Influence article, she reflects on how the paper “3D nuclear architecture reveals coupled cell cycle dynamics of chromatin and nuclear pores in the malaria parasite...
Research Article | Host-Microbe BiologyFailure To Detect Prion Infectivity in Ticks following Prion-Infected Blood MealChronic wasting disease (CWD) is an emerging prion disease that affects cervids, including mule deer, white-tailed deer, black-tailed deer, red deer reindeer, elk, and moose. The mechanism of CWD transmission in unknown. Due to the presence of prions in the blood of CWD-infected animals, it is possible for invertebrates that feed on cervid blood to contribute to the transmission of CWD. We examined the blood meal of D....
Research Article | Host-Microbe BiologyLive In Vivo Imaging of Plasmodium Invasion of the Mosquito MidgutMalaria is one of the most devastating parasitic diseases in humans and is transmitted by anopheline mosquitoes. The mosquito midgut is a critical barrier that Plasmodium parasites must overcome to complete their developmental cycle and be transmitted to a new host. Here, we developed a new strategy to visualize Plasmodium ookinetes as they traverse the mosquito midgut and to follow the response of damaged epithelial...
Research Article | Molecular Biology and PhysiologyProduction of Diverse Beauveriolide Analogs in Closely Related Fungi: a Rare Case of Fungal ChemodiversityFungal chemotaxonomy is an approach to classify fungi based on the fungal production profile of metabolites, especially the secondary metabolites. We found an atypical example that could question the reliability of fungal chemical classifications in this study, i.e., the more closely related entomopathogenic species Beauveria bassiana and...
Observation | Host-Microbe BiologyA Simplified Quantitative Real-Time PCR Assay for Monitoring SARS-CoV-2 Growth in Cell CultureSevere acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), the etiological agent of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, is continuing to cause immense respiratory disease and social and economic disruptions. Conventional assays that monitor SARS-CoV-2 growth in cell culture rely on costly and time-consuming RNA extraction procedures, hampering progress in basic SARS-CoV-2 research and development of effective...
Editor's Pick Research Article | Therapeutics and PreventionEvolution of Early SARS-CoV-2 and Cross-Coronavirus ImmunityA critical step to ending the spread of the novel severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is the ability to detect, diagnose, and understand why some individuals develop mild and others develop severe disease. For example, defining the early evolutionary patterns of humoral immunity to SARS-CoV-2, and whether prevalent coronaviruses or other common infections influence the evolution of immunity, remains poorly...