Archive
Reviews
ReviewResponse Mechanisms of Invertebrates to Bacillus thuringiensis and Its Pesticidal ProteinsExtensive use of chemical insecticides adversely affects both environment and human health. One of the most popular biological pest control alternatives are bioinsecticides based on Bacillus thuringiensis.
ReviewUncovering the Hidden Credentials of Brucella VirulenceBacteria in the genus Brucella are important human and veterinary pathogens. The abortion and infertility they cause in food animals produce economic hardships in areas where the disease has not been controlled, and human brucellosis is one of the world’s most common zoonoses. Brucella strains have also been isolated from wildlife, but we know much less about the pathobiology and epidemiology of these infections than...
ReviewSalmonella versus the MicrobiomeA balanced gut microbiota contributes to health, but the mechanisms maintaining homeostasis remain elusive. Microbiota assembly during infancy is governed by competition between species and by environmental factors, termed habitat filters, that determine the range of successful traits within the microbial community.
ReviewP2RX7 at the Host-Pathogen Interface of Infectious DiseasesThe P2X7 receptor (P2RX7) is an important molecule that functions as a danger sensor, detecting extracellular nucleotides from injured cells and thus signaling an inflammatory program to nearby cells. It is expressed in immune cells and plays important roles in pathogen surveillance and cell-mediated responses to infectious organisms.
ReviewEmerging Roles of Functional Bacterial Amyloids in Gene Regulation, Toxicity, and ImmunomodulationBacteria often reside in multicellular communities, called biofilms, held together by an extracellular matrix. In many bacteria, the major proteinaceous component of the biofilm are amyloid fibers. Amyloids are highly stable and structured protein aggregates which were known mostly to be associated with neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, and Huntington’s diseases. In recent years, microbial amyloids were...
ReviewSubdominance in Antibody Responses: Implications for Vaccine DevelopmentVaccines work primarily by eliciting antibodies, even when recovery from natural infection depends on cellular immunity. Large efforts have therefore been made to identify microbial antigens that elicit protective antibodies, but these endeavors have encountered major difficulties, as witnessed by the lack of vaccines against many pathogens. This review summarizes accumulating evidence that subdominant protein regions, i.e., surface-...
ReviewAlternative DNA Structures In Vivo: Molecular Evidence and Remaining QuestionsDuplex DNA naturally folds into a right-handed double helix in physiological conditions. Some sequences of unusual base composition may nevertheless form alternative structures, as was shown for many repeated sequences in vitro. However, evidence for the formation of noncanonical structures in living cells is difficult to gather.
ReviewExtracellular Metabolism Sets the Table for Microbial Cross-FeedingThe transfer of nutrients between cells, or cross-feeding, is a ubiquitous feature of microbial communities with emergent properties that influence our health and orchestrate global biogeochemical cycles. Cross-feeding inevitably involves the externalization of molecules.
ReviewPseudomonas aeruginosa as a Model To Study Chemosensory Pathway SignalingBacteria have evolved a variety of signal transduction mechanisms that generate different outputs in response to external stimuli. Chemosensory pathways are widespread in bacteria and are among the most complex signaling mechanisms, requiring the participation of at least six proteins.
ReviewMore than a Pore: Nonlytic Antimicrobial Functions of Complement and Bacterial Strategies for EvasionThe complement system is an evolutionarily ancient defense mechanism against foreign substances. Consisting of three proteolytic activation pathways, complement converges on a common effector cascade terminating in the formation of a lytic pore on the target surface.
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