Latest Articles
Research Article | Therapeutics and PreventionThe Heteroaryldihydropyrimidine Bay 38-7690 Induces Hepatitis B Virus Core Protein Aggregates Associated with Promyelocytic Leukemia Nuclear Bodies in Infected CellsDespite the availability of effective vaccines and treatments, HBV remains a significant global health concern, with more than 240 million individuals chronically infected. Current treatments are highly effective at controlling viral replication and disease progression but rarely cure infections. Therefore, much emphasis is being placed on finding therapeutics with new drug targets, such as viral gene expression, covalently closed...
Research Article | Host-Microbe BiologyIron Acquisition and Siderophore Release by Carbapenem-Resistant Sequence Type 258 Klebsiella pneumoniaeCarbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae, including K. pneumoniae, are a major health care concern worldwide because they cause a wide range of infection and are resistant to all or nearly all antibiotics. To cause infection, these bacteria must acquire iron, and a major mechanism of acquiring iron is by secreting a molecule called enterobactin that strips...
Research Article | Host-Microbe BiologyImpact of Long-Term Erythromycin Therapy on the Oropharyngeal Microbiome and Resistance Gene Reservoir in Non-Cystic Fibrosis BronchiectasisRecent demonstrations that long-term macrolide therapy can prevent exacerbations in chronic airways diseases have led to a dramatic increase in their use. However, little is known about the wider, potentially adverse impacts of these treatments. Substantial disruption of the upper airway commensal microbiota might reduce its contribution to host defense and local immune regulation, while increases in macrolide resistance carriage would...
Research Article | Host-Microbe BiologyInfluential Parameters for the Analysis of Intracellular Parasite MetabolomicsMolecular characterization of pathogens such as the malaria parasite can lead to improved biological understanding and novel treatment strategies. However, the distinctive biology of the Plasmodium parasite, including its repetitive genome and the requirement for growth within a host cell, hinders progress toward these goals. Untargeted metabolomics is a promising approach to learn about pathogen biology. By measuring many...
Editor's Pick Research Article | Clinical Science and EpidemiologyNatural History of Plasmodium odocoilei Malaria Infection in Farmed White-Tailed DeerMalaria parasites of the genus Plasmodium are known to infect a variety of vertebrate hosts, including ungulates (hoofed mammals). A recent study found that up to a quarter of white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) in North America are infected with the parasite Plasmodium odocoilei. In addition to occupying an important ecological niche, white-tailed...
Observation | Molecular Biology and PhysiologyTransmembrane Domains of Highly Pathogenic Viral Fusion Proteins Exhibit Trimeric Association In VitroMany important human pathogens are enveloped viruses that utilize membrane-bound glycoproteins to mediate viral entry. Factors that contribute to the stability of these glycoproteins have been identified in the ectodomain of several viral fusion proteins, including residues within the soluble ectodomain. Although it is often thought to simply act as an anchor, the transmembrane domain of viral fusion proteins has been implicated in...
Research Article | Host-Microbe BiologyEhrlichia chaffeensis TRP75 Interacts with Host Cell Targets Involved in Homeostasis, Cytoskeleton Organization, and Apoptosis Regulation To Promote InfectionHuman monocytic ehrlichiosis (HME) is caused by an obligatory intracellular bacterium, E. chaffeensis, and is one of the most prevalent, life-threatening emerging infectious zoonoses in the United States. The mechanisms through which E. chaffeensis invades and establishes an intracellular niche are not well understood but are dependent on secreted ehrlichial effector proteins. The significance of this study is in addressing how...
Research Article | Molecular Biology and PhysiologySingle-Cell Analysis Reveals Distinct Gene Expression and Heterogeneity in Male and Female Plasmodium falciparum GametocytesMost human deaths that result from malaria are caused by the eukaryotic parasite Plasmodium falciparum. The only form of this parasite that is transmitted to the mosquito is the sexual form, called the gametocyte. The production of mature gametocytes can take up to 2 weeks and results in phenotypically distinct males and females, although what causes this gender-...
Research Article | Molecular Biology and PhysiologyHigh Salt Cross-Protects Escherichia coli from Antibiotic Treatment through Increasing Efflux Pump ExpressionEnvironmental stresses often co-occur when bacteria confront antibiotic treatment. We provide a clear example that a natural stress condition (high salt) can cross-protect bacteria from antibiotic treatment by triggering the bacterial stress response program (elevated AcrAB-TolC efflux pump expression). Our study highlights the importance of taking the co-occurrence of bacterial environmental stresses into consideration when...
