virulence
Molecular PathogenesisThe KbvR Regulator Contributes to Capsule Production, Outer Membrane Protein Biosynthesis, Antiphagocytosis, and Virulence in Klebsiella pneumoniaeKlebsiella pneumoniae is an opportunistic pathogen that mostly affects patients with weakened immune systems, but a few serotypes (especially K1 and K2) are highly invasive and result in systemic infection in healthy persons. The ability to evade and survive the components of the innate immune system is critical in infection. To investigate the role and mechanism of...
Molecular GenomicsA SNP in the Cache 1 Signaling Domain of Diguanylate Cyclase STM1987 Leads to Increased In Vivo Fitness of Invasive Salmonella StrainsNontyphoidal Salmonella (NTS) strains are associated with gastroenteritis worldwide but are also the leading cause of bacterial bloodstream infections in sub-Saharan Africa. The invasive NTS (iNTS) strains that cause bloodstream infections differ from standard gastroenteritis-causing strains by >700 single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs).
Bacterial Infections | SpotlightIsolate-Dependent Differences in Clinical, Pathological, and Transcriptional Profiles following In Vitro and In Vivo Infections with Rickettsia rickettsiiRickettsia rickettsii, the etiological agent of Rocky Mountain spotted fever (RMSF), a life-threatening tick-borne disease that affects humans and various animal species, has been recognized in medicine and science for more than 100 years. Isolate-dependent differences in virulence of R. rickettsii...
Molecular PathogenesisAcetylation of PhoP K88 Is Involved in Regulating Salmonella VirulenceThe PhoP-PhoQ two-component regulation system of Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium is involved in the response to various environmental stresses and is essential for bacterial virulence. Our previous studies showed that acetylation plays an important role in regulating the activity of PhoP, which consequently mediates the change in virulence of S....
CommentaryAtypical Enteropathogenic Escherichia coli: from Kittens to Humans and Beyond!Atypical enteropathogenic Escherichia coli (aEPEC) are associated with diarrhea worldwide, yet genome-wide investigations to probe their virulome are lacking. V.
Molecular PathogenesisSalmonella enterica Serovars Dublin and Enteritidis Comparative Proteomics Reveals Differential Expression of Proteins Involved in Stress Resistance, Virulence, and Anaerobic MetabolismThe Enteritidis and Dublin serovars of Salmonella enterica are phylogenetically closely related yet differ significantly in host range and virulence. S. Enteritidis is a broad-host-range serovar that commonly causes self-limited gastroenteritis in humans, whereas S. Dublin is a cattle-adapted serovar that can infect humans, often resulting in...
Molecular PathogenesisThe Role of luxS in Histophilus somni Virulence and Biofilm FormationS-Ribosylhomocysteinase (LuxS) is required for the synthesis of the autoinducer-2 (AI-2) quorum-sensing signaling molecule in many Gram-negative bacteria. The bovine (and ovine) opportunistic pathogen Histophilus somni contains luxS and forms a biofilm containing an exopolysaccharide (EPS) in the matrix. Since biofilm formation is regulated by quorum...
Cellular Microbiology: Pathogen-Host Cell Molecular Interactions(p)ppGpp-Dependent Regulation of the Nucleotide Hydrolase PpnN Confers Complement Resistance in Salmonella enterica Serovar TyphimuriumThe stringent response is an essential mechanism of metabolic reprogramming during environmental stress that is mediated by the nucleotide alarmones guanosine tetraphosphate and pentaphosphate [(p)ppGpp]. In addition to physiological adaptations, (p)ppGpp also regulates virulence programs in pathogenic bacteria, including Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium. S...
Molecular PathogenesisThe Twin-Arginine Translocation System Is Important for Stress Resistance and Virulence of Brucella melitensisBrucella, the causative agent of brucellosis, is a stealthy intracellular pathogen that is highly pathogenic to a range of mammals, including humans. The twin-arginine translocation (Tat) pathway transports folded proteins across the cytoplasmic membrane and has been implicated in virulence in many bacterial pathogens. However, the roles of the Tat system and related substrates in Brucella remain unclear. We report...
Bacterial InfectionsThe Novel Streptococcal Transcriptional Regulator XtgS Negatively Regulates Bacterial Virulence and Directly Represses PseP TranscriptionStreptococcus agalactiae (group B streptococcus [GBS]) has received continuous attention for its involvement in invasive infections and its broad host range. Transcriptional regulators have an important impact on bacterial adaptation to various environments. Research on transcriptional regulators will shed new light on GBS pathogenesis. In this study, we identified a...