functional genomics
- Special Issue Meeting PresentationRole of epaQ, a Previously Uncharacterized Enterococcus faecalis Gene, in Biofilm Development and Antimicrobial Resistance
E. faecalis is a common cause of nosocomial infection, has a high level of antibiotic resistance, and forms robust biofilms. Biofilm formation is associated with increased antibiotic resistance. Therefore, a thorough understanding of biofilm-associated antibiotic resistance is important for combating resistance. Several genes from the epa operon have...
- Research Article | SpotlightGuanidine Riboswitch-Regulated Efflux Transporters Protect Bacteria against Ionic Liquid Toxicity
This study identifies bacteria that are tolerant to ionic liquid solvents used in the production of biofuels and industrial biochemicals. For industrial microbiology, it is essential to find less-harmful reagents and microbes that are resistant to their cytotoxic effects. We identified a family of small multidrug resistance efflux transporters, which are responsible for the tolerance of these strains. We also found that this resistance...
- Research ArticleCharacterization of l-Carnitine Metabolism in Sinorhizobium meliloti
The experimental characterization of novel metabolic pathways is essential for realizing the value of genome sequences and improving our knowledge of the enzymatic capabilities of the bacterial world. However, 30% to 40% of genes of a typical genome remain unannotated or associated with a putative function. We used enzyme kinetics, liquid chromatography-mass spectroscopy (LC-MS)-based metabolomics, and mutant phenotyping for the...