Latest Articles
Research Article | Molecular Biology and PhysiologyFactors and Conditions That Impact Electroporation of Clostridioides difficile StrainsUnderstanding the underlying biology of pathogens is essential to develop novel treatment options. To drive this understanding, genetic tools are essential. In recent years, the genetic toolbox available to Clostridioides difficile researchers has expanded significantly but still requires the conjugal transfer of DNA from a donor strain into...
Research Article | Clinical Science and EpidemiologyCulture-Confirmed Invasive Meningococcal Disease in Canada, 2010 to 2014: Characterization of Serogroup B Neisseria meningitidis Strains and Their Predicted Coverage by the 4CMenB VaccineLaboratory surveillance of invasive meningococcal disease (IMD) is important to our understanding of the evolving nature of the Neisseria meningitidis strain types causing the disease and the potential coverage of disease strains by the newly developed vaccines. This study examined the molecular epidemiology of culture-confirmed IMD cases in Canada by examining the...
Research Article | Clinical Science and EpidemiologyTwo New SGI1-LK Variants Found in Proteus mirabilis and Evolution of the SGI1-HKL Group of Salmonella Genomic IslandsMembers of the SGI1-HKL subgroup of SGI1-type integrative mobilizable elements have a characteristic alteration in their backbone. They are widely distributed among multiply antibiotic-resistant Salmonella enterica serovars and Proteus mirabilis isolates. The SGI1-K type, found in the globally...
Research Article | Host-Microbe BiologyTwitching and Swimming Motility Play a Role in Ralstonia solanacearum PathogenicityTwitching and swimming are two bacterial movements governed by pili and flagella. The present work identifies for the first time in the Gram-negative plant pathogen Ralstonia solanacearum a pilus-mediated chemotaxis pathway analogous to that governing flagellum-mediated chemotaxis. We show that regulatory genes in this pathway control all of the phenotypes related to...
Research Article | Clinical Science and EpidemiologyHigh Prevalence of Colistin-Resistant Escherichia coli with Chromosomally Carried mcr-1 in Healthy Residents in VietnamElucidation of the mechanism of the wide dissemination of colistin-resistant bacteria in communities of developing countries is an urgent public health issue. In this study, we investigated the genetic background of the colistin resistance gene mcr in E. coli isolates from the fecal microbiota of healthy human residents living in a community in Vietnam with a...
Research Article | Applied and Environmental ScienceBacterial and Eukaryotic Small-Subunit Amplicon Data Do Not Provide a Quantitative Picture of Microbial Communities, but They Are Reliable in the Context of Ecological InterpretationsHigh-throughput sequencing (HTS) of amplified fragments of rRNA genes provides unprecedented insight into the diversity of prokaryotic and eukaryotic microorganisms. Unfortunately, HTS data are prone to quantitative biases, which may lead to an erroneous picture of microbial community composition and thwart efforts to advance its understanding. These concerns motivated us to investigate how accurately HTS data characterize the...
Editor's Pick Research Article | Host-Microbe BiologySuccinylated Wheat Germ Agglutinin Colocalizes with the Toxoplasma gondii Cyst Wall Glycoprotein CST1Chronic Toxoplasma gondii infection is maintained in the central nervous system by thick-walled cysts. If host immunity wanes, cysts recrudesce and cause severe and often lethal toxoplasmic encephalitis. Currently, there are no therapies to eliminate cysts, and little biological information is available regarding cyst structure(s). Here, we investigated cyst wall...
Research Article | Molecular Biology and PhysiologyLaboratory Evolution Experiments Help Identify a Predominant Region of Constitutive Stable DNA Replication InitiationThe bacterium E. coli can replicate its DNA even in the absence of the molecules that are required for canonical replication initiation. This often requires the formation of RNA-DNA hybrid structures and is referred to as constitutive stable DNA replication (cSDR). Where on the chromosome does cSDR initiate? We answer this question using laboratory evolution...
Research Article | Host-Microbe BiologyNo Consistent Evidence for Microbiota in Murine Placental and Fetal TissuesThe prevailing paradigm in obstetrics has been the sterile womb hypothesis, which posits that fetuses are first colonized by microorganisms during the delivery process. However, some are now suggesting that fetuses are consistently colonized in utero by microorganisms from microbial communities that inhabit the placenta and intra-amniotic environment. Given the established causal role of microbial invasion of the amniotic...
Editor's Pick Research Article | Molecular Biology and PhysiologyMetabolic Reprogramming in the Opportunistic Yeast Candida albicans in Response to HypoxiaA critical aspect of cell fitness is the ability to sense and adapt to variations in oxygen levels in their local environment. Candida albicans is an opportunistic yeast that is the most prevalent human fungal pathogen. While hypoxia is the predominant condition that C. albicans encounters in most...