Table of Contents
Editorials
Spotlight
Minireview
Minireview“It Takes a Village”: Mechanisms Underlying Antimicrobial Recalcitrance of Polymicrobial BiofilmsChronic infections are frequently caused by polymicrobial biofilms. Importantly, these infections are often difficult to treat effectively in part due to the recalcitrance of biofilms to antimicrobial therapy. Emerging evidence suggests that polymicrobial interactions can lead to dramatic and unexpected changes in the ability of antibiotics to eradicate biofilms and often result in decreased antimicrobial efficacy in vitro....
Research Articles
Research Article | SpotlightA Putative Microcin Amplifies Shiga Toxin 2a Production of Escherichia coli O157:H7How the gut microflora influences the progression of bacterial infections is only beginning to be understood. Antibiotics are counterindicated for E. coli O157:H7 infections, limiting treatment options. An increased understanding of how the gut microflora directs O157:H7 virulence gene expression may lead to additional treatment options. This work identified...
Research ArticleThe Cation Diffusion Facilitator Family Protein EmfA Confers Resistance to Manganese Toxicity in Brucella abortus 2308 and Is an Essential Virulence Determinant in MiceMn nutrition is essential for the basic physiology and virulence of Brucella strains. The results of the study presented here demonstrate that the cation diffusion facilitator (CDF)-type metal exporter EmfA plays critical roles in maintaining Mn homeostasis and preventing Mn toxicity in Brucella and is an essential virulence determinant for these bacteria. EmfA and other cellular components involved in Mn homeostasis...
Research ArticleDouble Tubular Contractile Structure of the Type VI Secretion System Displays Striking Flexibility and ElasticityThe cell wall is a physical scaffold that all transenvelope complexes have to cross for assembly. However, the cell wall-deficient state has been described as a common condition found in both Gram-negative and Gram-positive pathogens during persistent infections. Loss of cell wall is known to have pleiotropic physiological effects, but how membrane-anchored large cellular organelles adapt to this unique state is less completely...
Research ArticleNucleoside Diphosphate Kinase Escalates A-to-C Mutations in MutT-Deficient Strains of Escherichia coliNucleoside diphosphate kinase (NDK), a ubiquitous enzyme, is known for its critical role in homeostasis of cellular nucleotide pools. However, NDK has now emerged as a molecule with pleiotropic effects in DNA repair, protein phosphorylation, gene expression, tumor metastasis, development, and pathogen virulence and persistence inside the host. In this study, we reveal an unexpected role of NDK in genome instability because of its...
Research Article | SpotlightUnder Elevated c-di-GMP in Escherichia coli, YcgR Alters Flagellar Motor Bias and Speed Sequentially, with Additional Negative Control of the Flagellar Regulon via the Adaptor Protein RssBFlagellum-driven motility has been studied in E. coli and Salmonella for nearly half a century. Over 60 genes control flagellar assembly and function. The expression of these genes is regulated at multiple levels in response to a variety of environmental signals. Cues that elevate c-di-GMP levels, however, inhibit motility by direct binding of the effector...
Research ArticleStructure and Metal Binding Properties of Chlamydia trachomatis YtgAChlamydia trachomatis is the most common bacterial sexually transmitted infection in developed countries, with an estimated global prevalence of 4.2% in the 15- to 49-year age group. Although infection is asymptomatic in more than 80% of infected women, about 10% of cases result in serious disease. Infection by...
Masthead
Commentary
There is an inseverable link between the size of a cell and the size of its subcellular components. The type 6 secretion system (T6SS) is no exception. In this issue, Stietz et al. report their analysis of the T6SS under conditions in which the cell size was altered to an extreme degree (M. S. Stietz, X. Liang, M. Wong, S. Hersch, and T. G.