Latest Articles
Research Article | Applied and Environmental ScienceDiagnosing and Predicting Mixed-Culture Fermentations with Unicellular and Guild-Based Metabolic ModelsMicrobiomes are vital to human health, agriculture, and protecting the environment. Predicting behavior of self-assembled or synthetic microbiomes, however, remains a challenge. In this work, we used unicellular and guild-based metabolic models to investigate production of medium-chain fatty acids by a mixed microbial community that is fed multiple organic substrates. Modeling results provided insights into metabolic pathways of three...
Sponsored Content Minireview | Clinical Science and EpidemiologyThe Gut Microbiome and Individual-Specific Responses to DietNutritional content and timing are increasingly appreciated to constitute important human variables collectively impacting all aspects of human physiology and disease. However, person-specific mechanisms driving nutritional impacts on the human host remain incompletely understood, while current dietary recommendations remain empirical and nonpersonalized. Precision nutrition aims to harness individualized bodies of data, including the...
Research Article | Host-Microbe BiologyStability of the Virome in Lab- and Field-Collected Aedes albopictus Mosquitoes across Different Developmental Stages and Possible Core Viruses in the Publicly Available Virome Data of Aedes MosquitoesOur study revealed that the virome was very stable across all developmental stages of both lab-derived and field-collected Aedes albopictus. The data representing the core virome in lab A. albopictus proved the vertical transmission route of these viruses, forming a “vertically transmitted core virome.” Field mosquitoes also contained this stable vertically...
Research Article | Host-Microbe BiologyDepression in Individuals Coinfected with HIV and HCV Is Associated with Systematic Differences in the Gut Microbiome and MetabolomeThe human gut microbiome influences depression. Differences between the microbiomes of HIV-infected and uninfected individuals have been described, but it is not known whether these are due to HIV itself, or to common HIV comorbidities such as HCV coinfection. Limited research has explored the influence of the microbiome on depression within these groups. Here, we characterized the microbial community and metabolome in the stools from...
Research Article | Clinical Science and EpidemiologyBeneficial Chromosomal Integration of the Genes for CTX-M Extended-Spectrum β-Lactamase in Klebsiella pneumoniae for Stable PropagationDominant F-type plasmids harboring the gene have been pointed out to be responsible for the dissemination of the CTX-M extended-spectrum-β-lactamase (ESBL)-producing K. pneumoniae. Recently, the emergence of K. pneumoniae isolates with the blaCTX-M gene in their chromosomes has...
Research Article | Applied and Environmental ScienceSize Shapes the Active Microbiome of Methanogenic Granules, Corroborating a Biofilm Life CycleBiological wastewater conversion processes collectively constitute one of the single biggest worldwide applications of microbial communities. There is an obvious requirement, therefore, to study the microbial systems central to the success of such technologies. Methanogenic granules, in particular, are architecturally fascinating biofilms that facilitate highly organized cooperation within the metabolic network of the anaerobic...
Research Article | Ecological and Evolutionary ScienceStreamlined and Abundant Bacterioplankton Thrive in Functional CohortsThis study examines evolutionary and ecological relationships of three of the most ubiquitous and abundant freshwater bacterial genera: “Ca. Planktophila” (acI-A), “Ca. Nanopelagicus” (acI-B), and “Ca. Fonsibacter” (LD12). Due to high abundance, these genera might have a significant influence on nutrient cycling in freshwaters worldwide, and this study adds a layer of understanding to how seemingly competing...
Research Article | Molecular Biology and PhysiologyCharting the Metabolic Landscape of the Facultative Methylotroph Bacillus methanolicusMethanol is inexpensive, is easy to transport, and can be produced both from renewable and from fossil resources without mobilizing arable lands. As such, it is regarded as a potential carbon source to transition toward a greener industrial chemistry. Metabolic engineering of bacteria and yeast able to efficiently consume methanol is expected to provide cell factories that will transform methanol into higher-value chemicals in the so-...
Research Article | Host-Microbe BiologyApoptosis in a Whitefly Vector Activated by a Begomovirus Enhances Viral TransmissionOf the approximately 1,100 known plant viruses, about one-third are DNA viruses that are vectored by insects. Plant virus infections often induce cellular and molecular responses in their insect vectors, which can, in many cases, affect the spread of viruses. However, the mechanisms underlying vector responses that affect virus accumulation and transmission are poorly understood. Here, we examined the role of virus-induced apoptosis in...
Research Article | Therapeutics and PreventionIn Silico Structure-Based Repositioning of Approved Drugs for Spike Glycoprotein S2 Domain Fusion Peptide of SARS-CoV-2: Rationale from Molecular Dynamics and Binding Free Energy CalculationsThe present study provides the structural identification of the viable binding residues of the SARS-CoV-2 S2 fusion peptide region, which holds prime importance in the virus’s host cell fusion and entry mechanism. The classical molecular mechanics simulations were set on values that mimic physiological standards for a good approximation of the dynamic behavior of selected drugs in biological systems. The drug molecules screened and...