-
Macrophage Pyroptosis Induced by Candida Albicans Pathog. Dis. (IF 3.3) Pub Date : 2024-03-19 Feng-yuan Zhang, Ni Lian, Min Li
Candida albicans (C. albicans) is a prevalent opportunistic pathogen that causes mucocutaneous and systemic infections, particularly in immunocompromised individuals. Macrophages play a crucial role in eliminating C. albicans in local and bloodstream contexts, while also regulating antifungal immune responses. However, C. albicans can induce macrophage lysis through pyroptosis, a type of regulated
-
Awakening the sleeping giant: Epstein-Barr Virus reactivation by biological agents Pathog. Dis. (IF 3.3) Pub Date : 2024-01-25 Omkar Indari, Subhrojyoti Ghosh, Adhiraj Singh Bal, Ajay James, Mehek Garg, Amit Mishra, Krishanpal Karmodiya, Hem Chandra Jha
Epstein Barr Virus (EBV) may cause harm in immunocompromised conditions or on stress stimuli. Various chemical agents have been utilized to induce the lytic cycle in EBV infected cells. However, apart from chemical agents and external stress stimuli, certain infectious agents may reactivate the EBV. In addition, the acute infection of other pathogens may provide suitable conditions for EBV to thrive
-
In vitro effects of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors on Cryptococcus gattii Capsule and biofilm Pathog. Dis. (IF 3.3) Pub Date : 2024-01-09 Letícia Rampazzo da Gama Viveiro, Amanda Rodrigues Rehem, Evelyn Luzia De Souza Santos, Paulo Henrique Fonseca do Carmo, Juliana Campos Junqueira, Liliana Scorzoni
Infections caused by Cryptococcus gattii mainly affect immunocompetent individuals and the treatment presents important limitations. This study aimed to validate the efficacy of Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors (SSRI) fluoxetine hydrochloride (FLH) and paroxetine hydrochloride (PAH) in vitro against C. gattii. The antifungal activity of SSRI using the microdilution method revealed a minimal
-
A review on Zika vaccine development Pathog. Dis. (IF 3.3) Pub Date : 2024-01-09 Zhe-Yu Peng, Song Yang, Hong-Zhen Lu, Lin-Min Wang, Ni Li, Hai-Ting Zhang, Si-Yu Xing, Yi-Nan Du, Sheng-Qun Deng
Zika virus (ZIKV), which belongs to the Flavivirus family, is mainly transmitted via the bite of Aedes mosquitoes. In newborns, ZIKV infection can cause severe symptoms such as microcephaly, while in adults, it can lead to Guillain‒Barré syndrome (GBS). Due to the lack of specific therapeutic methods against ZIKV, the development of a safe and effective vaccine is extremely important. Several potential
-
The potential role of protein disulfide isomerases (PDIs) during parasitic infections: a focus on Leishmania spp Pathog. Dis. (IF 3.3) Pub Date : 2023-12-08 Majid Dousti, Masoumeh Hosseinpour, Nadia D Ghasemi, Hosna Mirfakhraee, Shahin K Rajabi, Sajad Rashidi, Gholamreza Hatam
Leishmaniasis is a group of vector-borne diseases caused by intracellular protozoan parasites belonging to the genus Leishmania. Leishmania parasites can employ different and numerous sophisticated strategies, including modulating host proteins, cell signaling, and cell responses by parasite proteins, to change the infected host conditions to favor the parasite persistence and induce pathogenesis.
-
Bordetella pertussis targets the basolateral membrane of polarized respiratory epithelial cells, gets internalized, and survives in intracellular locations Pathog. Dis. (IF 3.3) Pub Date : 2023-12-02 Carlos Manuel Baroli, Juan Pablo Gorgojo, Bruno Martín Blancá, Martina Debandi, Maria Eugenia Rodriguez
The airway epithelial barrier is a continuous highly organized cell layer that separates the exterior from the underlying mucosal tissue preventing pathogen invasion. Several respiratory pathogens have evolved mechanisms to compromise this barrier, invade, and even reside alive within the epithelium. Bordetella pertussis is a persistent pathogen that infects the human airway epithelium causing whooping
-
Epigenetic Changes Induced by Pathogenic Chlamydia Spp. Pathog. Dis. (IF 3.3) Pub Date : 2023-11-30 Richard A Stein, Lily M Thompson
Chlamydia trachomatis, C. pneumoniae, and C. psittaci, the three Chlamydia species known to cause human disease, have been collectively linked to several pathologies, including conjunctivitis, trachoma, respiratory disease, acute and chronic urogenital infections and their complications, and psittacosis. In vitro, animal, and human studies also established additional correlations, such as between C
-
Nur77 influences immunometabolism to regulate the release of proinflammatory cytokines and the formation of lipid bodies during Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection of macrophages Pathog. Dis. (IF 3.3) Pub Date : 2023-11-29 Pankaj Birari, Soumya Mal, Debayan Majumder, Arun Kumar Sharma, Manish Kumar, Troyee Das, Zhumur Ghosh, Kuladip Jana, Umesh D Gupta, Manikuntala Kundu, Joyoti Basu
Infection of macrophages with Mycobacterium tuberculosis induces innate immune responses designed to clear the invading bacterium. However, bacteria often survive within the intracellular environment by exploiting these responses triggered by macrophages. Here, the role of the orphan nuclear receptor Nur77 (Nr4a1), in regulating the response of macrophages infected with M. tuberculosis, has been delineated
-
Myeloid miR-155 plays a limited role in antibacterial defense during Klebsiella-derived pneumosepsis and is dispensable for lipopolysaccharide- or Klebsiella-induced inflammation in mice Pathog. Dis. (IF 3.3) Pub Date : 2023-10-18 Wanhai Qin, Anno Saris, Cornelis van ’t Veer, Joris J T H Roelofs, Brendon P Scicluna, Alex F de Vos, Tom van der Poll
MicroRNA-155 (miR-155) plays a crucial role in regulating host inflammatory responses during bacterial infection. Previous studies have shown that constitutive miR-155 deficiency alleviates inflammation while having varying effects in different bacterial infection models. However, whether miR-155 in myeloid cells is involved in the regulation of inflammatory and antibacterial responses is largely elusive
-
Colonization efficiency of multidrug-resistant Neisseria gonorrhoeae in a female mouse model Pathog. Dis. (IF 3.3) Pub Date : 2023-10-18 Babatomiwa Kikiowo, Aloka B Bandara, Nader S Abutaleb, Mohamed N Seleem
The rapid occurrence of gonococcal resistance to all classes of antibiotics could lead to untreatable gonorrhea. Thus, development of novel anti-Neisseria gonorrhoeae drugs is urgently needed. N. gonorrhoeae FA1090 is the most used in gonococcal infection mouse models because of its natural resistance to streptomycin. Streptomycin inhibits the urogenital commensal flora that permits gonococcal colonization
-
Impact of IL-17-producing γδ T cells on chronic otitis media induced by nontypeable Haemophilus influenzae in a mouse model Pathog. Dis. (IF 3.3) Pub Date : 2023-10-14 Takashi Hirano, Toshiaki Kawano, Yoshinori Kadowaki, Munehito Moriyama, Shingo Umemoto, Kazuhiro Yoshinaga, Takayuki Matsunaga, Masashi Suzuki
Nontypeable Haemophilus influenzae (NTHi) is considered a major pathogen underlying middle ear infection. This study aimed to investigate the impact of IL-17 on chronic otitis media (COM) induced by NTHi in mice. NTHi was inoculated into the tympanic bulla with eustachian tubal obstruction. Middle ear effusions (MEEs) and tissues were collected on Days 3, 14 and at 1, 2 and 6 months after injection
-
Oxidative profile, inflammatory responses and δ-aminolevulinate dehydratase enzyme activity in influenza B virus infection Pathog. Dis. (IF 3.3) Pub Date : 2023-10-11 Jovana Simonetti Bulegon, Andressa de Azambuja Pias Weber, Manoela Dias de Souza, Fernanda Tibolla Viero, Micheli Mainardi Pillat, Thissiane de Lima Gonçalves
Background determine the activity of the delta-aminolevulinate dehydratase (δ-ALA-D) enzyme, oxidative stress biomarkers and the expression of cytokines in those infected with influenza B virus (IBV). Methods to evaluate the activity of the δ-ALA-D enzyme, lipid peroxidation estimated as levels of thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS), protein (PSH), non-protein (NPSH) thiol groups, ferric
-
Correction: Probiotics in vaginal health Pathog. Dis. (IF 3.3) Pub Date : 2023-10-10
More active advantageous organisms may be developed as new probiotic strains for treating bacterial vaginitis.
-
TargeTron inactivation of plasmid-regulated Chlamydia trachomatis CT084 results in a non-lytic phenotype Pathog. Dis. (IF 3.3) Pub Date : 2023-10-05 Una Karanovic, Lei Lei, Craig A Martens, Kent Barbian, Grant McClarty, Harlan D Caldwell, Chunfu Yang
Chlamydia trachomatis is an obligate intracellular bacterium that causes blinding trachoma and sexually transmitted disease. The chlamydial plasmid is a critical virulence factor in the pathogenesis of these diseases. Plasmid gene protein 4 (Pgp4) plays a major role in chlamydial virulence by regulating the expression of both chromosomal genes and Pgp3. Despite the importance of Pgp4 in mediating lytic
-
Infectious and environmental placental insults: from underlying biological pathways to diagnostics and treatments Pathog. Dis. (IF 3.3) Pub Date : 2023-09-18 Samuel Chenge, Harrison Ngure, Bernard N Kanoi, Amanda N Sferruzzi-Perri, Francis M Kobia
Because the placenta is bathed in maternal blood, it is exposed to infectious agents and chemicals that may be present in the mother's circulation. Such exposures, which do not necessarily equate with transmission to the fetus, may primarily cause placental injury, thereby impairing placental function. Recent research has improved our understanding of the mechanisms by which some infectious agents
-
Bald sea urchin disease shifts the surface microbiome on purple sea urchins in an aquarium Pathog. Dis. (IF 3.3) Pub Date : 2023-09-16 Chloe G Shaw, Christina Pavloudi, Megan A Barela Hudgell, Ryley S Crow, Jimmy H Saw, R Alexander Pyron, L Courtney Smith
Bald sea urchin disease (BSUD) is most likely a bacterial infection that occurs in a wide range of sea urchin species and causes the loss of surface appendages. The disease has a variety of additional symptoms, which may be the result of the many bacteria that are associated with BSUD. Previous studies have investigated causative agents of BSUD, however, there are few reports on the surface microbiome
-
Immunogenicity evaluation of a novel virus-like particle vaccine candidate against SARS-CoV-2 in BALB/c Pathog. Dis. (IF 3.3) Pub Date : 2023-09-05 Golnaz Bahramali, Maryam Mashhadi Abolghasem Shirazi, Mina Hannan, Mohammad Reza Aghasadeghi, Mohammad Sadeq Khosravy, Sina Arjmand, Seyed Mehdi Sadat
Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic has imposed deployment of an effective vaccine as a worldwide health priority. The new variants of SARS-CoV-2 have also brought serious concerns due to the virus eradiation hesitance. In the study, we evaluated the protective immune system activity of a recombinant viral-vector-based vaccine candidate encoding a fusion spike, membrane and nucleocapsid proteins
-
High prevalence of GR2 and GR4 plasmids in Acinetobacter baumannii strains from Brazil Pathog. Dis. (IF 3.3) Pub Date : 2023-08-31 Beatriz Souza Toscano de Melo, Danilo Elias Xavier, Nilma Cintra Leal, Túlio de Lima Campos
Acinetobacter baumannii is Gram-negative pathogen with extensive role in healthcare-associated infections (HAIs). Plasmids in this species are important carriers of antimicrobial resistance genes. In this work we investigated the plasmids of 227 Brazilian A. baumannii genomes. A total of 389 plasmid sequences with 424 Rep proteins typed to 22 different homology groups (GRs) were identified. The GR2
-
Metalloproteome of human-infective RNA viruses: a study towards understanding the role of metal ions in virology Pathog. Dis. (IF 3.3) Pub Date : 2023-08-29 Himisha Dixit, Mahesh Kulharia, Shailender Kumar Verma
Metalloproteins and metal-based inhibitors have been shown to effectively combat infectious diseases, particularly those caused by RNA viruses. In this study, a diverse set of bioinformatics methods have been employed to identify metal-binding proteins of human RNA viruses. Seventy-three viral proteins with a high probability of being metal-binding proteins have been identified. These proteins included
-
Leishmania LPG interacts with LRR5/LRR6 of macrophage TLR4 for parasite invasion and impairs the macrophage functions Pathog. Dis. (IF 3.3) Pub Date : 2023-08-22 Sayani Mazumder, Archana Sinha, Sanhita Ghosh, Gurumayum Chourajit Sharma, Biswa Mohan Prusty, Debasis Manna, Durba Pal, Chiranjib Pal, Suman Dasgupta
Visceral Leishmaniasis (VL) is a severe form of leishmaniasis, primarily affecting the poor in developing countries. Although several studies highlighted the importance of toll-like receptors (TLRs) in the pathophysiology of leishmaniasis, however, the role of specific TLRs and their binding partners involved in Leishmania donovani uptake are still elusive. To investigate the mechanism of L. donovani
-
Chlamydia trachomatis infection regulates the expression of tetraspanins, activin-A and inhibin-A in tubal ectopic pregnancy Pathog. Dis. (IF 3.3) Pub Date : 2023-07-20 Shipra Pant, Tanu Bhati, Astha Dimri, Renu Arora, Fouzia Siraj, Sheikh Raisuddin, Sangita Rastogi
Mechanism of Chlamydia trachomatis causing tubal ectopic pregnancy (EP) is not well understood. Tetraspanins (tspans), activin-A and inhibin-A might play role in development of pathological conditions leading to EP. The study aimed to elucidate the expression of tspans, activin-A and inhibin-A with role of associated cytokines in C. trachomatis-associated EP and analyze interacting partners of DEGs
-
First molecular detection of Entamoeba gingivalis subtypes in individuals from Turkey Pathog. Dis. (IF 3.3) Pub Date : 2023-07-14 Serra Örsten, Cem Şahin, Engin Yılmaz, Yakut Akyön
Entamoeba gingivalis is a parasitic protozoan that colonizes the human oral cavity and there are two subtypes (ST1 and ST2) that have been identified to date. However, there are no reports on the molecular detection or characterization of E. gingivalis in Turkey. The objective of this study was to detect the presence of E. gingivalis in Turkish healthy individuals and those with periodontal disease
-
Immunotherapies for the prevention and treatment of Staphylococcus aureus infections: updates and challenges Pathog. Dis. (IF 3.3) Pub Date : 2023-07-09 Chung Pooi Yin
Staphylococcus aureus is the leading cause of hospital-acquired infections and can cause a wide range of diseases from mild skin infections to invasive diseases including deep surgical site infections, life-threatening bacteremia, and sepsis. This pathogen remains a challenge to manage due to its ability to rapidly develop resistance to antibiotic treatment and to form biofilms. Despite the current
-
Chlamydia pneumoniae-Immunoglobulin E antibody responses in serum from children with asthma Pathog. Dis. (IF 3.3) Pub Date : 2023-07-05 Tamar A Smith-Norowitz, Anastasiya Shulman, Haram Abdelmajid, Margaret R Hammerschlag, Rauno Joks, Diana Weaver, Stephan Kohlhoff
Chlamydia pneumoniae is an obligate intracellular bacterium that causes respiratory infection in humans. An association between persistent C. pneumoniae infection and asthma pathogenesis has been described. It is unknown whether specific IgE is a marker of persistent immune activation responses. Therefore, the association between C. pneumoniae specific IgE antibodies (Abs) and interferon (IFN)-gamma
-
Leishmania amazonensis infection impairs VLA-4 clustering and adhesion complex assembly at the adhesion site of J774 cells Pathog. Dis. (IF 3.3) Pub Date : 2023-06-30 Reginaldo Brito, Erina Masayo Hassegawa, Patrick Camardelli, Kalene Elpídio, Juliana de Menezes, Cláudio Pereira Figueira, Washington L C dos-Santos
Cutaneous leishmaniasis is an infectious disease that may lead to a single or multiple disseminated cutaneous lesions. The mechanisms involved in Leishmania dissemination to different areas of the skin and the internal organs remain poorly understood. Evidence shows that Very Late Antigen-4 (VLA-4)-dependent phagocyte adhesion is impaired by Leishmania infection, which may be related to the mechanisms
-
Identification of a novel transport system in Borrelia burgdorferi that links the inner and outer membranes Pathog. Dis. (IF 3.3) Pub Date : 2023-06-30 Hannah G Bowen, Melisha R Kenedy, David K Johnson, Alexander D MacKerell, Darrin R Akins
Borrelia burgdorferi, the spirochete that causes Lyme disease, is a diderm organism that is similar to Gram-negative organisms in that it contains both an inner and outer membrane. Unlike typical Gram-negative organisms, however, B. burgdorferi lacks lipopolysaccharide (LPS). Using computational genome analyses and structural modeling, we identified a transport system containing six proteins in B.
-
Probiotics in vaginal health Pathog. Dis. (IF 3.3) Pub Date : 2023-06-08 Noushin Mashatan, Reza Heidari, Mana Altafi, Amir Amini, Mohammad Mehdi Ommati, Masoud Hashemzaei
Problem Bacterial vaginosis, a type of vaginal inflammation, can be considered the main reason for abnormal discharges of the vagina, and vaginal dysbiosis, during reproductive years. Background Epidemiological investigations of females suffering from vaginitis demonstrated that at least 30% to 50% of all women had BV, One of the fields of treatment is the use of probiotics, probiotics are commonly
-
ERK inhibition aids IFN-β promoter activation during EV71 infection by blocking CRYAB degradation in SH-SY5Y cells Pathog. Dis. (IF 3.3) Pub Date : 2023-05-31 Dengming Chen, Cheng Chen, Jingyu Tan, Jing Yang, Bangtao Chen
Enterovirus 71 (EV71) can cause severe hand-foot-and-mouth disease with neurological complications. It has evolved multiple mechanisms to compromise the host type I interferon (IFN-I) response. In neuronal cells, EV71-mediated IFN-I antagonism may be associated with neural precursor cell-expressed developmentally downregulated 4-like (Nedd4L), the E3 ubiquitin ligase that can interact with alphaB-crystallin
-
Assessment of long-term adverse events regarding different COVID-19 vaccine regimens within an 18-month follow-up study Pathog. Dis. (IF 3.3) Pub Date : 2023-05-26 Mona Sadat Larijani, Rahim Sorouri, Sana Eybpoosh, Delaram Doroud, Ladan Moradi, Mozhgan Ahmadinezhad, Anahita Bavand, Fatemeh Ashrafian, Parinaz Tajmehrabi Namini, Mahsan Zali, Amitis Ramezani
Early reports on COVID-19 vaccines presented the short-term adverse events (AEs). This follow-up study investigated a standard regimen based on protein subunit vaccines, PastoCovac and PastoCovac Plus, and the combinational vaccine regimens including AstraZeneca/PastoCovac Plus and Sinopharm/PastoCovac Plus. The participants were followed up to 6 months post-the booster shot. All the AEs were collected
-
Comparative transcriptomics and genomics from Continuous Axenic Media growth identifies Coxiella burnetii intracellular Survival strategies Pathog. Dis. (IF 3.3) Pub Date : 2023-05-17 Archana Yadav, Melissa N Brewer, Mostafa S Elshahed, Edward I Shaw
Coxiella burnetii (Cb) is an obligate intracellular pathogen in nature and the causative agent of acute Q fever as well as chronic diseases. In an effort to identify genes and proteins crucial to their normal intracellular growth lifestyle, we applied a ‘reverse evolution’ approach where the avirulent Nine Mile Phase II strain of Cb was grown for 67 passages in chemically defined ACCM-D media and gene
-
Using quotients as a mentor to facilitate the success of underrepresented trainees Pathog. Dis. (IF 3.3) Pub Date : 2023-05-08 Kit Neikirk, Taylor Barongan, Tiffany Rolle, Edgar Garza Lopez, Andrea Marshall, Heather K Beasley, Amber Crabtree, Elsie C Spencer, Haysetta Shuler, Denise Martinez, Sandra Murray, Chia Vang, Felysha Jenkins, Steven Damo, Zer Vue
Choosing a mentor requires a certain level of introspection for both the mentor and the mentee. The dynamics of mentorship may change depending on the academic status of the mentee. Regardless, mentors should help their trainees grow both academically and professionally. The success of an individual in the fields of science, technology, engineering, mathematics, and medicine (STEMM) depends on more
-
Meropenem in combination with baicalein exhibits synergism against extensively- and pan-drug-resistant A. baumannii clinical isolates in vitro Pathog. Dis. (IF 3.3) Pub Date : 2023-04-30 Mümtaz Güran, Kadir Çakıral, Kerem Teralı, Tülay Kandemir, Gizem Şanlıtürk, Melda Meral Öcal, Toğrul Nagiyev, Fatih Köksal
Several studies have demonstrated that the effectiveness of carbapenems against drug resistant A. baumannii infections have been decreasing. Combination therapy with two or more drugs is currently under investigation to overcome the emerging resistance against carbapenems. In this study, we tested the possible synergistic interactions of a potent antibacterial flavonoid, baicalein, with meropenem to
-
Uncovering the role of microRNA671-5p/CDCA7L/monoamine oxidase-A signaling in Helicobacter pylori mediated apoptosis in gastric epithelial cells Pathog. Dis. (IF 3.3) Pub Date : 2023-04-26 Thurbu Tshering Lepcha, Manish Kumar, Arun Kumar Sharma, Soumya Mal, Debayan Majumder, Kuladip Jana, Joyoti Basu, Manikuntala Kundu
Helicobacter pylori is a gram-negative microaerophilic bacterium and is associated with gastrointestinal diseases ranging from peptic ulcer and gastritis to gastric cancer and mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue lymphoma. In our laboratory, the transcriptomes and miRnomes of AGS cells infected with H. pylori have been profiled, and an miRNA-mRNA network has been constructed. MicroRNA 671–5p is upregulated
-
Comparative study of GBP recruitment on two cytosol-dwelling pathogens, Francisella novicida and Shigella flexneri highlights differences in GBP repertoire and in GBP1 motif requirements Pathog. Dis. (IF 3.3) Pub Date : 2023-04-04 Stanimira V Valeva, Manon Degabriel, Fanny Michal, Gabrielle Gay, John R Rohde, Felix Randow, Brice Lagrange, Thomas Henry
Guanylate-Binding Proteins are interferon-inducible GTPases that play a key role in cell autonomous responses against intracellular pathogens. Despite sharing high sequence similarity, subtle differences among GBPs translate into functional divergences that are still largely not understood. A key GBP feature is the formation of supramolecular GBP complexes on the bacterial surface. Such complexes are
-
Murine herpesvirus-68 related growth factors treatment correlates with decrease of p53 and HIF-1α protein levels Pathog. Dis. (IF 3.3) Pub Date : 2023-03-31 Miroslava Supolikova, Eva Novakova, Karin Donatova, Petra Olejnikova, Martina Labudova
Murine herpesvirus 68 (MHV-68) belongs to the subfamily Gammaherpesvirinae of the family Herpesviridae. This exceptional murine herpesvirus is an excellent model for the study of human gammaherpesvirus infections. Cells infected with MHV-68 under non-permissive conditions for viral replication produce substances designated as MHV-68 growth factors (MHGF-68), that can cause transformation of the cells
-
The Burkholderia contaminans prevalent phenotypes as possible markers of poor clinical outcomes in chronic lung infection of children with cystic fibrosis. Pathog. Dis. (IF 3.3) Pub Date : 2023-01-17 Beltina León,Claudia Prieto,Marisa Bettiol,Mariana Leguizamón,Virginia D Alessandro,Daniela Casco,Carolina Vita,Cecilia Beatriz Figoli,Cecilia Vescina,Fernando Rentería,Silvia T Cardona,Alejandra Bosch
Burkholderia contaminans, a species of the Burkholderia cepacia complex-prevalent in certain Latin-American and European countries-can cause chronic pulmonary infection in persons with cystic fibrosis. Our aim was to gain insights into long-term lung infections with a focus on correlating how bacterial phenotypic traits in the chronic infection impact on patients' clinical outcome. Genotypic characteristics
-
Induction and sustenance of antibacterial activities distinguishes response of mice to Salmonella Typhi from response to Salmonella Typhimurium Pathog. Dis. (IF 3.3) Pub Date : 2023-01-24 Jitender Yadav, Ayub Qadri
Salmonella enterica serovar Typhi (S. Typhi), the causative agent of typhoid in humans, shares high degree of homology with closely related serovar, S. Typhimurium. Yet, unlike S. Typhimurium, S. Typhi does not establish infection in mice, the reasons for which are not well understood. Here, we present evidence that the response of mice to infection with S. Typhi is marked by early antibacterial activities
-
Editorial: making the invisible visible in STEMM. Pathog. Dis. (IF 3.3) Pub Date : 2023-01-17 Antentor Hinton,Haysetta D Shuler
Our editorial focused on the concept of "Making the Invisible Visible in Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics, and Medicine (STEMM)." We highlight 11 manuscripts submitted to our research topic, which offer unique and innovative, evidence-backed solutions to improve diversity, equity, and inclusion in STEMM. Notably, often racial, and ethnic minority scientists are forgotten and placed in
-
In vitro and in vivo evaluation of DNase I in reinstating antibiotic efficacy against Klebsiella pneumoniae biofilms Pathog. Dis. (IF 3.3) Pub Date : 2023-01-12 Anayata Sharma, Praveen Rishi, Rachna Singh
Klebsiella pneumoniae is an opportunistic pathogen associated with biofilm-based infections, which are intrinsically antibiotic resistant. Extracellular DNA plays a crucial role in biofilm formation and self-defence, with nucleases being proposed as promising agents for biofilm disruption. This study evaluated the in vitro and in vivo efficacy of DNase I in improving the activity of cefotaxime, amikacin
-
Role of Hypoxia-inducible factor 1α in host defense during pneumococcal pneumonia Pathog. Dis. (IF 3.3) Pub Date : 2022-12-17 Liza Pereverzeva, Natasja A Otto, Hessel Peters-Sengers, Joris J T H Roelofs, Alex F de Vos, Tom van der Poll
Hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF)1α is a transcription factor involved in cellular metabolism and regulation of immune cell effector functions. Here, we studied the role of HIF1α in myeloid cells during pneumonia caused by the major causative pathogen, Streptococcus pneumoniae (Spneu). Mice deficient for HIF1α in myeloid cells (LysMcreHif1αfl/fl) were generated to study the in vitro responsiveness of
-
Clinical strains of Mycobacterium tuberculosis exhibit differential lipid-metabolism associated transcriptome changes in in vitro cholesterol and infection models Pathog. Dis. (IF 3.3) Pub Date : 2022-12-12 Kynesha Moopanar, Asanda Nomfundo Graduate Nyide, Sibusiso Senzani, Nontobeko Eunice Mvubu
Many studies have identified host-derived lipids, characterized by the abundance of cholesterol as a major source of carbon nutrition for Mycobacterium tuberculosis (M. tb) during infection. Members of the Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex (MTBC) are biologically different with regards to degree of disease, host range, pathogenicity, and transmission. Therefore, the current study was aimed at elucidating
-
Strategies for change: thriving as a disabled individual in STEMM Pathog. Dis. (IF 3.3) Pub Date : 2022-11-29 Amber Crabtree, Kit Neikirk, Andrea Marshall, Taylor Barongan, Heather K Beasley, Edgar Garza Lopez, Dominique Stephens, Sandra Murray, Elsie C Spencer, Denise Martinez, Chia Vang, Felysha Jenkins, Steven Damo, Zer Vue
Disability remains an underacknowledged and underdiscussed topic in science, technology, engineering, mathematics, and medicine (STEMM). Social stigma and fear of negative outcomes have resulted in a consistent lack of disclosure that is especially present in STEMM. Disabilities cause social and professional difficulties for those that have them. While some faculty can be allies, past literature shows
-
Impact of nutrients on the function of the chlamydial Rsb partner switching mechanism Pathog. Dis. (IF 3.3) Pub Date : 2022-11-17 Shiomi Kuwabara, Evan R Landers, Derek J Fisher
The obligate intracellular bacterial pathogen Chlamydia trachomatis is a leading cause of sexually transmitted infections and infectious blindness. Chlamydia undergo a biphasic developmental cycle alternating between the infectious elementary body (EB) and the replicative reticulate body (RB). The molecular mechanisms governing RB growth and RB-EB differentiation are unclear. We hypothesize that the
-
Pyp25α is required for male gametocyte exflagellation Pathog. Dis. (IF 3.3) Pub Date : 2022-10-31 Chao Zhang, Deyi Li, Zhirong Meng, Jianwei Zhou, Zhenxiao Min, Shengqun Deng, Jijia Shen, Miao Liu
Malaria, a mosquito-borne infectious disease, is caused by the unicellular apicomplexan protozoa of the genus Plasmodium. For malaria parasite transmission, the essential sexual stage includes production of gametocytes through gametocytogenesis in vertebrate hosts and formation of gametes from gametocytes through gametogenesis in mosquito vectors. Whereas each female gametocyte forms a single immotile
-
Proteomic profiling of Extracellular Vesicles derived from ARPE-19 cells challenged with Aspergillus flavus and Candida albicans: application in fungal endophthalmitis Pathog. Dis. (IF 3.3) Pub Date : 2022-10-27 Jaishree Gandhi, Joveeta Joseph
Extracellular Vesicles (EVs) are nano-sized-particles that play an important role in cellular cross-talk. The aim of this study was to understand the proteomic cargo of EVs, released by Retinal Pigment Epithelial (RPE) cells challenged with Candida albicans (C-CA) and Aspergillus flavus (C-AF). EVs were isolated from culture supernatant of retinal cells infected with fungal pathogens and characterized
-
Trichinella spiralis-derived extracellular vesicles induce a protective immunity against larval challenge in mice Pathog. Dis. (IF 3.3) Pub Date : 2022-10-20 Dalia S Ashour, Fatma MKh Ibrahim, Amira M Elshamy, Hager S Zoghroban
Human trichinellosis is a serious disease with no effective treatment till now. Recently, the protective immunity induced by parasite-derived extracellular vesicles (EVs) are studied for some parasites such as Echinostoma caproni. The current study aimed to investigate the novel T. spiralis-derived EVs as a potential vaccine candidate for the first time in a mouse model. T. spiralis EVs were isolated
-
Phages, anti-CRISPR proteins, and drug-resistant bacteria: what do we know about this triad? Pathog. Dis. (IF 3.3) Pub Date : 2022-10-18 Andres Ceballos-Garzon, Angela B Muñoz, Juan D Plata, Zilpa A Sanchez-Quitian, Jose Ramos-Vivas
Phages are viruses that infect bacteria, relying on their genetic machinery to replicate. To survive the constant attack of phages, bacteria have developed diverse defense strategies to act against them. Nevertheless, phages rapidly co-evolve to overcome these barriers, resulting in a constant, and often surprising, molecular arms race. Thus, some phages have evolved protein inhibitors known as anti-CRISPRs
-
Adjuvants to increase immunogenicity of SARS-CoV-2 RBD and support maternal-fetal transference of antibodies in mice Pathog. Dis. (IF 3.3) Pub Date : 2022-10-10 Gabrielle Gimenes Lima, Amanda Izeli Portilho, Elizabeth De Gaspari
Adjuvants are important components of vaccines, increasing immunogenicity and modulating the immune response. SARS-CoV-2 vaccines are still being developed in order to improve worldwide access to immunization. Specific populations should be addressed in these investigations, such as pregnant women – to protect both mothers and neonates. In this study, female adult mice were immunized with Receptor-binding
-
Study on antibacterial effect of halicin (SU3327) against Enterococcus faecalis and Enterococcus faecium Pathog. Dis. (IF 3.3) Pub Date : 2022-09-22 Zubair Hussain, She Pengfei, Li Yimin, Liu Shasha, Li Zehao, Yang Yifan, Li Linhui, Zhou Linying, Wu Yong
Enterococci are important pathogens of nosocomial infections and are increasingly difficult to treat due to their intrinsic and acquired resistance to a range of antibiotics. Therefore, there is an urgent need to develop novel antibacterial agents, while drug repurposing is a promising approach to address this issue. Our study aimed to determine the antimicrobial efficacy of halicin against enterococci
-
Involvement of the Noncanonical Polyadenylation Polymerase Cid14 in Fungal Azole Resistance in the Pathogen Cryptococcus neoformans Pathog. Dis. (IF 3.3) Pub Date : 2022-09-21 Chenxi Li, Sihui Zhen, Xiaoyu Ma, Lan Ma, Zhen Wang, Ping Zhang, Xudong Zhu
The yeast noncanonical polyadenylation polymerase Cid14 was originally identified from fission yeast and plays a critical role in the TRAMP complex. This protein is a cytoplasmic cofactor and regulator of RNA-degrading exosomes. Cid14 is highly conserved from yeast to animals and has been demonstrated to play key roles in the regulation of RNA surveillance, nutrition metabolism, and growth in model
-
Being the Alice of academia: lessons from the Red Queen hypothesis Pathog. Dis. (IF 3.3) Pub Date : 2022-09-15 S G Negatu, M C Arreguin, K A Jurado, C Vazquez
Viruses and hosts must navigate environments in which each tries to outcompete the other for survival or to co-exist within the same spaces. In Lewis Carrol's Through the Looking Glass, the Red Queen tells Alice, ‘Now, here, you see, it takes all the running you can do, to keep in the same place. If you want to get somewhere else, you must run at least twice as fast as that!’ Borrowing from this idea
-
Differential vaccine-induced kinetics of humoral and cellular immune responses in SARS-CoV-2 naive and convalescent health care workers. Pathog. Dis. (IF 3.3) Pub Date : 2022-10-03 Wouter Smit,Steven Thijsen,Robert van der Kieft,Sophie van Tol,Johan Reimerink,Chantal Reusken,Lidewij Rümke,Ailko Bossink,Gijs Limonard,Michiel Heron
Effective vaccination is a key element in the exit strategy from the current severe acute respiratory syndrome-CoV coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) pandemic, and may also offer protection against severe disease from future variants of concern. Here, we prospectively monitored T-cell responses over time, using ELISpot interferon-γ (INF-y) release assays, and B-cell responses, using serological tests, after
-
Construction and characterization of the full-length cDNA of an infectious clone of emerging porcine teschovirus-2 Pathog. Dis. (IF 3.3) Pub Date : 2022-09-01 Yuying Li, Shengnan Chen, Yaokai Shi, Haixin Huang, Wei Wang, Min Zheng, Chenchen Zhao, Xinyu Zhang, Xiaoxiao Lei, Wenchao Sun, Hao Liu, Tian Lan
Porcine teschovirus (PTV) is a causative agent of polioencephalomyelitis, encephalomyelitis, reproductive disorders and gastrointestinal and respiratory diseases in swine. In the present study, the PTV2 GX/2020 strain was isolated from pig intestinal tissue through the use of ST cells. Phylogenetic analysis of VP1 nucleotide sequences indicated that the GX/2020 isolate is closely related to PTV2. Furthermore
-
Mycobacterial Response to Acidic Environment: Protective Mechanisms Pathog. Dis. (IF 3.3) Pub Date : 2022-08-12 Rupal Rai, Vinayak Singh, Bijina J Mathew, Anirudh K Singh, Shivendra K Chaurasiya
Given the emergence and spread of multidrug-resistant and extensively drug-resistant strains of Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb), the world faces the urgency of new drugs to combat tuberculosis (TB). Understanding the biochemical/physiological processes enabling Mtb to survive the stressful environment within macrophages and acquire tolerance, resistance and persistence against the stresses are the
-
Bordetella pertussis outer membrane vesicles as virulence factor vehicles that influence bacterial interaction with macrophages Pathog. Dis. (IF 3.3) Pub Date : 2022-08-05 Bruno Blancá, Jimena Alvarez Hayes, Kristin Surmann, Valdez Hugo, Christian Hentschker, Yanina Lamberti, Uwe Völker, María Eugenia Rodriguez
Gram-negative pathogenic bacteria constitutively shed outer membrane vesicles (OMVs) which play a significant role in the host-pathogen interaction, eventually determining the outcome of the infection. We previously found that Bordetella pertussis, the etiological agent of whooping cough, survives the innate interaction with human macrophages remaining alive inside these immune cells. Adenylate cyclase
-
Three-dimensional models of the cervicovaginal epithelia to study host-microbiome interactions and sexually transmitted infections Pathog. Dis. (IF 3.3) Pub Date : 2022-08-05 Vonetta L Edwards, Elias McComb, Jason P Gleghorn, Larry Forney, Patrik M Bavoil, Jacques Ravel
Two-dimensional (2D) cell culture systems have historically provided controlled, reproducible means to analyze host-pathogen interactions observed in the human reproductive tract. Although inexpensive, straightforward, and requiring a very short time commitment, these models recapitulate neither the functionality of multi-layered cell types nor the associated microbiome that occurs in a human. Animal
-
Impact on quinolone resistance of plasmid-mediated quinolone resistance gene and mutations in quinolone resistance-determining regions in extended spectrum beta lactamase-producing Klebsiella pneumoniae isolated from urinary tract infection patients Pathog. Dis. (IF 3.3) Pub Date : 2022-07-25 Reo Onishi, Katsumi Shigemura, Kayo Osawa, Young-Min Yang, Koki Maeda, Hiroshi Tanimoto, Mitsuki Kado, Shiuh-Bin Fang, Shian-Ying Sung, Takayuki Miyara, Masato Fujisawa
Klebsiella pneumoniae is a typical pathogen in urinary tract infections (UTI), and the emergence of extended spectrum beta-lactamase (ESBL)-producing strains has been frequently reported, accompanied by higher quinolone resistance rates. There are two major mechanisms of quinolone resistance, mutations in quinolone resistance-determining regions (QRDR) and the presence of the plasmid-mediated quinolone
-
Treponema pallidum outer membrane proteins: current status and prospects Pathog. Dis. (IF 3.3) Pub Date : 2022-07-23 Jinlin Chen, Jielite Huang, Zhuoran Liu, Yafeng Xie
The outer membrane proteins (OMPs) of Treponema pallidum subsp. Pallidum (T. pallidum), the etiological agent of the sexually transmitted disease syphilis, has long been a hot research topic. Despite many hurdles to studying the pathogen, especially the inability to manipulate T. pallidum in vitro genetically1, considerable progress has been made in elucidating the structure, pathogenesis, and functions
-
3-indoleacetonitrile attenuates biofilm formation and enhances sensitivity to imipenem in Acinetobacter baumannii Pathog. Dis. (IF 3.3) Pub Date : 2022-07-22 Shruti Kashyap, Harsimran Sidhu, Prince Sharma, Neena Capalash
Acinetobacter baumannii poses a global danger due to its ability to resist most of the currently available antimicrobial agents. Furthermore, the rise of carbapenem-resistant A. baumannii isolates has limited the treatment options available. In the present study, plant auxin 3-indoleacetonitrile was found to inhibit biofilm formation and motility of A. baumannii at sub-lethal concentration. Mechanistically
-
Examination of vertical transmission of Bartonella quintana in body lice following multiple infectious blood meals Pathog. Dis. (IF 3.3) Pub Date : 2022-07-08 Lauren Kress, Rashaun Potts, Jose E Pietri
Bartonella quintana is a re-emerging louse-borne pathogen. Horizontal transmission from the body louse vector (Pediculus humanus humanus) to a human host occurs through contact with infectious louse feces containing a high concentration of the bacteria. However, questions have remained about whether vertical transmission from infected vectors to their progeny, which could significantly influence the