Latest Articles
- Research Article | Host-Microbe BiologyPhenotypic and Genomic Comparison of the Two Most Common ExoU-Positive Pseudomonas aeruginosa Clones, PA14 and ST235
The ubiquitous and metabolically versatile environmental bacterium Pseudomonas aeruginosa can cause infections in a wide variety of hosts, including insects, plants, animals, and humans. P. aeruginosa is one of the ESKAPE (Enterococcus...
- Research Article | Applied and Environmental ScienceComprehensive Bioenergetic Evaluation of Microbial Pathway Variants in Syntrophic Propionate Oxidation
In this work, an original methodology was developed that quantifies bioenergetically and physiologically feasible net ATP yields for large numbers of microbial metabolic pathways and their variants under different conditions. All variants are evaluated, which ensures global optimality in finding the pathway variant(s) leading to the highest ATP yield.
- Research Article | Clinical Science and EpidemiologyShort-Chain Fatty Acid-Producing Gut Microbiota Is Decreased in Parkinson’s Disease but Not in Rapid-Eye-Movement Sleep Behavior Disorder
Twenty studies on gut microbiota in PD have been reported, whereas only one study has been reported on iRBD from Germany. iRBD has the highest likelihood ratio to develop PD. Our meta-analysis of iRBD in Japan and Germany revealed increased mucin-layer-degrading genus Akkermansia in iRBD.
- Research Article | Molecular Biology and PhysiologyA Mutation Upstream of the rplN-rpsD Ribosomal Operon Downregulates Bordetella pertussis Virulence Factor Production without Compromising Bacterial Survival within Human Macrophages
We show that a spontaneous mutation that upregulates transcription of an operon encoding ribosomal proteins and causes overproduction of the downstream-encoded α subunit (RpoA) of RNA polymerase causes global effects on gene expression levels and proteome composition of Bordetella pertussis. Nevertheless, the resulting important downregulation of the BvgAS-controlled...
- Research Article | Novel Systems Biology TechniquesPerSort Facilitates Characterization and Elimination of Persister Subpopulation in Mycobacteria
Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB) persists and survives antibiotic treatments by generating phenotypically heterogeneous drug-tolerant subpopulations. The surviving cells, persisters, are a major barrier to the relapse-free treatment of tuberculosis (TB), which is already killing >1.8 million people every year and becoming deadlier with the emergence of multidrug-...
- Commentary | Host-Microbe BiologyCoordinating and Assisting Research at the SARS-CoV-2/Microbiome Nexus
Although the COVID-19 pandemic is caused by a single virus, the rest of the human microbiome appears to be involved in the disease and could influence vaccine responses while offering opportunities for microbiome-directed therapeutics. The newly formed Microbiome Centers Consortium (MCC) surveyed its membership and identified four ways to leverage the strengths and experience of microbiome centers in the response to the COVID-19...
- Minireview | Host-Microbe BiologyEcological Succession of Polymicrobial Communities in the Cystic Fibrosis Airways
Antimicrobial therapies against cystic fibrosis (CF) lung infections are largely aimed at the traditional, well-studied CF pathogens such as Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Burkholderia cepacia complex, despite the fact that the CF lung harbors a complex and dynamic polymicrobial community. A clinical...
- Editor's Pick Research Article | Host-Microbe BiologyInvestigating the Role of Diet and Exercise in Gut Microbe-Host Cometabolism
Improved control of dietary confounders, through the use of an objective dietary assessment score, has uncovered further insights into the complex, multifactorial relationship between diet, exercise, the gut microbiome, and metabolism. Each of the models pertaining to diet healthiness, physical exercise, or a combination of both, displayed a distinct metabolic and functional microbial signature.
- Research Article | Clinical Science and EpidemiologyGenomic and Resistance Epidemiology of Gram-Negative Bacteria in Africa: a Systematic Review and Phylogenomic Analyses from a One Health Perspective
Antibiotic resistance (AR) is one of the major public health threats and challenges to effective containment and treatment of infectious bacterial diseases worldwide. Here, we used different methods to map out the geographical hot spots, sources, and evolutionary epidemiology of AR. Escherichia coli, ...
- Research Article | Applied and Environmental ScienceRice SST Variation Shapes the Rhizosphere Bacterial Community, Conferring Tolerance to Salt Stress through Regulating Soil Metabolites
Soil salinization is one of the major environmental stresses limiting crop productivity. Crops in agricultural ecosystems have developed various strategies to adapt to salt stress. We used rice mutant and CRISPR-edited lines to investigate the relationships among the Squamosa promoter Binding Protein box (SBP box) family gene (SST/...