Latest Articles
Research Article | Applied and Environmental ScienceValidating DNA Extraction Protocols for Bentonite ClayExtraction of microbial DNA from MX-80 bentonite is challenging due to low biomass and adsorption of nucleic acid molecules to the charged clay matrix. Blocking agents improve DNA recovery, but their impact on microbial community profiles from low-biomass samples has not been characterized well. In this study, we evaluated the effect of casein and phosphate as blocking agents for quantitative recovery of nucleic acids from MX-80...
Research Article | Therapeutics and PreventionMaternal Humoral Immune Responses Do Not Predict Postnatal HIV-1 Transmission Risk in Antiretroviral-Treated Mothers from the IMPAACT PROMISE StudyEach year, >150,000 infants become newly infected with HIV-1 through MTCT despite ART, with up to 42% of infections occurring during breastfeeding. Several factors contribute to continued pediatric infections, including ART nonadherence, the emergence of drug-resistant HIV strains, acute infection during breastfeeding, and poor access to ART in resource-limited areas. A better understanding of the maternal humoral immune responses...
Research Article | Molecular Biology and PhysiologyMapping the Global Network of Extracellular Protease Regulation in Staphylococcus aureusThe complex regulatory role of the proteases necessitates very tight coordination and control of their expression. While this process has been well studied, a major oversight has been the consideration of proteases as a single entity rather than as 10 enzymes produced from four different promoters. As such, in this study, we comprehensively characterized the regulation of each protease promoter, discovering vast differences in the way...
Research Article | Applied and Environmental ScienceA Carotenoid- and Poly-β-Hydroxybutyrate-Free Mutant Strain of Sphingomonas elodea ATCC 31461 for the Commercial Production of GellanA carotenoid- and PHB-free double gene knockout strain mutant was constructed to simplify the purification steps normally involved in gellan production. However, the production of gellan gum was unexpectedly reduced. A mutant with 14.4% higher gellan production than that of the wild-type strain was obtained and isolated after employing UV and EMS combined mutagenesis. Based on this high-yield and low-impurity-producing mutant, a new...
Editor's Pick Observation | Host-Microbe BiologyFilamentation Is Associated with Reduced Pathogenicity of Multiple Non-albicans Candida SpeciesMany immunocompromised individuals, including HIV/AIDS and cancer patients, are susceptible to candidiasis. About half of all cases are caused by the major fungal pathogen Candida albicans, whereas the remainder are due to less pathogenic non-albicans Candida species (NACS). Generation of filamentous cells represents a major virulence property of...
Research Article | Host-Microbe BiologyFunctional Characterization of Entamoeba histolytica Argonaute Proteins Reveals a Repetitive DR-Rich Motif Region That Controls Nuclear LocalizationThe protozoan parasite Entamoeba histolytica, which causes amebiasis and affects over 50 million people worldwide, contains an important RNAi pathway for gene silencing. Gene silencing via the RNAi pathway is mediated by the Argonaute (Ago) proteins. However, we lack knowledge on Ago function(s) in this nonmodel system. In this paper, we discovered that three...
Research Article | Host-Microbe BiologyToxoplasma gondii Intravacuolar-Network-Associated Dense Granule Proteins Regulate Maturation of the Cyst Matrix and Cyst WallToxoplasma gondii establishes chronic infection in humans by forming thick-walled cysts that persist in the brain. If host immunity wanes, cysts reactivate to cause severe, and often lethal, toxoplasmic encephalitis. There is no available therapy to eliminate cysts or to prevent their reactivation. Moreover, how the vital and characteristic cyst matrix and cyst wall...
Research Article | Clinical Science and EpidemiologyGenetic Characterization of Plasmid-Borne blaOXA-58 in Distinct Acinetobacter SpeciesAlthough the blaOXA-58 gene has been infrequently described in Brazil, contrasting with other bordering South American countries, we verified the maintenance of this resistance determinant over time among carbapenem-resistant Acinetobacter species isolates, not only in nosocomial settings but also in the environment. In addition, to the best of our...
Research Article | Host-Microbe BiologyToxic Shock Syndrome Toxin 1 Evaluation and Antibiotic Impact in a Transgenic Model of Staphylococcal Soft Tissue InfectionStaphylococcal toxic shock syndrome (TSS) is a life-threatening illness causing fever, rash, and shock, attributed to toxins produced by the bacterium Staphylococcus aureus, mainly toxic shock syndrome toxin 1 (TSST-1). TSS was in the past commonly linked with menstruation and high-absorbency tampons; now, TSS is more frequently triggered by other staphylococcal...
Research Article | Host-Microbe BiologyA Common Live-Attenuated Avian Herpesvirus Vaccine Expresses a Very Potent OncogeneMarek’s disease virus (MDV) is one of several oncogenic herpesviruses and causes fatal lymphomas in chickens. The current “gold standard” vaccine is the live-attenuated MDV strain CVI988/Rispens (CVI), which is widely used and efficiently prevents tumor formation. Intriguingly, CVI expresses two predominant isoforms of the major MDV oncogene meq: one variant with a regular size of meq (Smeq) and one long...