Latest Articles
Research Article | Host-Microbe BiologyMetabolome-Informed Microbiome Analysis Refines Metadata Classifications and Reveals Unexpected Medication Transfer in Captive CheetahsMetabolome-informed analyses can enhance omics studies by enabling the correct partitioning of samples by identifying hidden confounders inadvertently misrepresented or omitted from carefully curated metadata. We demonstrate here the utility of metabolomics in a study characterizing the microbiome associated with liver disease in cheetahs. Metabolome-informed reinterpretation of metagenome and metabolome profiles factored in an...
Research Article | Ecological and Evolutionary ScienceCarbon Assimilation Strategies in Ultrabasic Groundwater: Clues from the Integrated Study of a Serpentinization-Influenced AquiferThis study describes the potential metabolic pathways by which microbial communities in a serpentinite-influenced aquifer may produce biomass from the products of serpentinization. Serpentinization is a widespread geochemical process, taking place over large regions of the seafloor and at continental margins, where ancient seafloor has accreted onto the continents. Because of the difficulty in delineating abiotic and biotic processes in...
Research Article | Molecular Biology and PhysiologyThe Entner-Doudoroff and Nonoxidative Pentose Phosphate Pathways Bypass Glycolysis and the Oxidative Pentose Phosphate Pathway in Ralstonia solanacearum
Editor's Pick Research Article | Novel Systems Biology TechniquesSystematic Localization of Escherichia coli Membrane ProteinsCurrent knowledge of protein localization, particularly outer membrane proteins, is highly dependent on bioinformatic predictions. To date, no systematic experimental studies have directly compared protein localization spanning the inner and outer membranes of E. coli. By combining sucrose density gradient fractionation of inner membrane (IM) and outer membrane (OM)...
Research Article | Ecological and Evolutionary ScienceLong-Term Phytoremediation of Coastal Saline Soil Reveals Plant Species-Specific Patterns of Microbial Community RecruitmentDespite knowing that phytoremediation by salt-tolerant plants is an effective technology for ameliorating saline soils and that microorganisms contribute significantly to plant stress tolerance and soil fertility, we still lack a comprehensive understanding of how microbes respond to the growth of salt-tolerant plants and the subsequent decline in soil salinity. The results of this study revealed different response patterns among...
Research Article | Therapeutics and PreventionIntranasal Bacterial Therapeutics Reduce Colonization by the Respiratory Pathogen Mannheimia haemolytica in Dairy CalvesBovine respiratory disease (BRD) is one of the significant challenges for the modern dairy industry in North America, accounting for 23 to 47% of the total mortality among pre- and postweaned dairy heifers. Mass medication with antibiotics is a common practice to control BRD in dairy cattle. However, the emergence of multidrug-resistant BRD pathogens highlights the importance of developing alternatives to antibiotics for BRD mitigation...
Research Article | Host-Microbe BiologyCorrelations between the Composition of the Bovine Microbiota and Vitamin B12 AbundanceIn this paper, we examined the microbiome of the bovine rumen, feces, and milk and attempted to understand how the bacterial communities at each site affected the production and movement of vitamin B12 around the animal’s body. It was determined that the composition of the bovine rumen microbiome correlates well with vitamin B12 concentration, indicating that the rumen microbiota may be a good target for...
Research Article | Host-Microbe BiologyActin Is Required for Cellular Development and Virulence of Botrytis cinerea via the Mediation of Secretory ProteinsThe cytoskeleton is an important network that exists in cells of all domains of life. In eukaryotic cells, actin is a vital component of the cytoskeleton. Here, we report that BcactA, an actin protein in B. cinerea, can affect the growth, sporulation, and virulence of B. cinerea. Furthermore, iTRAQ-based proteomic analysis showed that BcactA affects the abundance of 40 extracellular proteins, including 11 down-...
Research Article | Host-Microbe BiologyImproving Characterization of Understudied Human Microbiomes Using Targeted PhylogeneticsThe human microbiome plays a critically important role in health and disease, but current understanding of the mechanisms underlying the interactions between the varying microbiome and the different host environments is lacking. Having access to a database of fully sequenced bacterial genomes provides invaluable insights into microbial functions, but currently sequenced genomes for the human microbiome have largely come from a limited...
Research Article | Molecular Biology and PhysiologySPD_1495 Contributes to Capsular Polysaccharide Synthesis and Virulence in Streptococcus pneumoniaeCapsular polysaccharide is a key factor underlying the virulence of Streptococcus pneumoniae in human diseases. Thus, a deep understanding of capsular polysaccharide synthesis is essential for uncovering the pathogenesis of S. pneumoniae infection. In this study, we show that protein SPD_1495...