virulence
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...
Molecular PathogenesisA Small Membrane Stabilizing Protein Critical to the Pathogenicity of Staphylococcus aureusStaphylococcus aureus is a major human pathogen, and the emergence of antibiotic-resistant strains is making all types of S. aureus infections more challenging to treat. With a pressing need to develop alternative control strategies to use alongside or in place of conventional antibiotics, one...
Molecular PathogenesisThe Ethanolamine-Sensing Transcription Factor EutR Promotes Virulence and Transmission during Citrobacter rodentium Intestinal InfectionEnteric pathogens exploit chemical and nutrient signaling to gauge their location within a host and control expression of traits important for infection. Ethanolamine-containing molecules are essential in host physiology and play important roles in intestinal processes. The transcription factor EutR is conserved in the Enterobacteriaceae and is required for ethanolamine sensing and metabolism. In enterohemorrhagic...
MinireviewStaphylococcus aureus Osteomyelitis: Bone, Bugs, and SurgeryOsteomyelitis, or inflammation of bone, is most commonly caused by invasion of bacterial pathogens into the skeleton. Bacterial osteomyelitis is notoriously difficult to treat, in part because of the widespread antimicrobial resistance in the preeminent etiologic agent, the Gram-positive bacterium Staphylococcus aureus. Bacterial osteomyelitis triggers pathological...
MinireviewFor the Greater (Bacterial) Good: Heterogeneous Expression of Energetically Costly Virulence FactorsBacterial populations are phenotypically heterogeneous, which allows subsets of cells to survive and thrive following changes in environmental conditions. For bacterial pathogens, changes within the host environment occur over the course of the immune response to infection and can result in exposure to host-derived, secreted antimicrobials or force direct interactions with immune cells. Many recent studies have shown host cell...
Molecular PathogenesisThe Paralogous Transcription Factors Stp1 and Stp2 of Candida albicans Have Distinct Functions in Nutrient Acquisition and Host InteractionNutrient acquisition is a central challenge for all organisms. For the fungal pathogen Candida albicans, utilization of amino acids has been shown to be critical for survival, immune evasion, and escape, while the importance of catabolism of host-derived proteins and peptides in vivo is less well understood. Stp1 and Stp2 are paralogous transcription factors...
Bacterial InfectionsLuxS/AI-2 Quorum Sensing System in Edwardsiella piscicida Promotes Biofilm Formation and PathogenicityLuxS/AI-2 is an important quorum sensing system which affects the growth, biofilm formation, virulence, and metabolism of bacteria. LuxS is encoded by the luxS gene, but how this gene is associated with a diverse array of physiological activities in Edwardsiella piscicida (E. piscicida) is...
Bacterial InfectionsAtypical Salmonella enterica Serovars in Murine and Human Macrophage Infection ModelsNontyphoidal Salmonella species are globally disseminated pathogens and are the predominant cause of gastroenteritis. The pathogenesis of salmonellosis has been extensively studied using in vivo murine models and cell lines, typically challenged with Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium. Although...
Fungal and Parasitic InfectionsAlteration of Fermentative Metabolism Enhances Mucor circinelloides VirulenceThe fungus Mucor circinelloides undergoes yeast-mold dimorphism, a developmental process associated with its capability as a human opportunistic pathogen. Dimorphism is strongly influenced by carbon metabolism, and hence the type of metabolism likely affects fungus virulence. We investigated the role of ethanol metabolism in M. circinelloides virulence.
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