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Topic Review
Prokaryotic Amyloids in Interspecies Interactions
Amyloids are fibrillar protein aggregates with an ordered spatial structure called “cross-β”. While some amyloids are associated with development of approximately 50 incurable diseases of humans and animals, the others perform various crucial physiological functions. The greatest diversity of amyloids functions is identified within prokaryotic species where they, being the components of the biofilm matrix, function as adhesins, regulate the activity of toxins and virulence factors, and compose extracellular protein layers. Amyloid state is widely used by different pathogenic bacterial species in their interactions with eukaryotic organisms. These amyloids, being functional for bacteria that produce them, are associated with various bacterial infections in humans and animals. Thus, the repertoire of the disease-associated amyloids includes not only dozens of pathological amyloids of mammalian origin but also numerous microbial amyloids. Although the ability of symbiotic microorganisms to produce amyloids has recently been demonstrated, functional roles of prokaryotic amyloids in host–symbiont interactions as well as in the interspecies interactions within the prokaryotic communities remain poorly studied. Here, we summarize the current findings in the field of prokaryotic amyloids, classify different interspecies interactions where these amyloids are involved, and hypothesize about their real occurrence in nature as well as their roles in pathogenesis and symbiosis.
  • 1.1K
  • 19 Oct 2020
Topic Review
T5SS and Other Secretion Systems in Bacteria
Bacteria have existed on Earth for billions of years, exhibiting ubiquity and involvement in various biological activities. To ensure survival, bacteria usually release and secrete effector proteins to acquire nutrients and compete with other microorganisms for living space during long-term evolution. Consequently, bacteria have developed a range of secretion systems, which are complex macromolecular transport machines responsible for transporting proteins across the bacterial cell membranes. Among them, one particular secretion system that stands out from the rest is the type V secretion system (T5SS), known as the “autotransporter”.
  • 1.1K
  • 27 Dec 2023
Topic Review
Adaptive Immune-Response to Tick-Borne Hemoparasites
Interactions between tick-borne pathogenic hemoparasites and different host effector mechanisms of T- and/or B cell-mediated adaptive immunity, involved in the late and long-lasting protective immune response. 
  • 1.1K
  • 02 Dec 2020
Topic Review
Bacteriocins
Las bacteriocinas son péptidos antimicrobianos termoestables, sintetizados ribosómicamente. Tanto las bacterias grampositivas como las gramnegativas y las arqueas liberan péptidos antimicrobianos extracelularmente en las fases de crecimiento exponencial tardía a estacionaria temprana.
  • 1.1K
  • 29 Apr 2021
Topic Review
Oral Biofilm
Oral diseases are considered the most common noncommunicable diseases and are related to serious local and systemic disorders. Oral pathogens can grow and spread in the oral mucosae and frequently in biomaterials (e.g., dentures or prostheses) under polymicrobial biofilms, leading to several disorders such as dental caries and periodontal disease. Biofilms harbor a complex array of interacting microbes, increasingly unapproachable to antimicrobials and with dynamic processes key to disease pathogenicity, which partially explain the gradual loss of response towards conventional therapeutic regimens. New drugs (synthesized and natural) and other therapies that have revealed promising results for the treatment or control of these mixed biofilms are presented and discussed here.
  • 1.1K
  • 19 May 2021
Topic Review
Human Coronavirus
Coronaviruses (CoVs) are a large group of viruses common among many animals, including humans. They can cause respiratory illnesses in humans and gastrointestinal illnesses in animals. Under the electron microscope, virions of CoVs have large peplomers that make it look like a crown, hence the name corona, meaning “crown” or “halo. The emerging coronavirus disease (COVID-19) swept across the world, affecting more than 200 countries and territories.
  • 1.1K
  • 20 May 2022
Topic Review
A Structural Approach to Anti-Virulence
The anti-virulence strategy is designed to prevent bacterial virulence factors produced by pathogenic bacteria from initiating and sustaining an infection. 
  • 1.1K
  • 16 Dec 2021
Topic Review
Surface Glucan Structures in Aeromonas spp.
Aeromonas spp. are generally found in aquatic environments, although they have also been isolated from both fresh and processed food. These Gram-negative, rod-shaped bacteria are mostly infective to poikilothermic animals, although they are also considered opportunistic pathogens of both aquatic and terrestrial homeotherms, and some species have been associated with gastrointestinal and extraintestinal septicemic infections in humans. Several cell-surface glucans have been shown to contribute to colonization and survival of Aeromonas pathogenic strains in different hosts, playing important roles in bacterial–host interactions related to pathogenesis These include lipopolysaccharide (LPS), capsule, α-glucan, and glycosylated polar and lateral flagella.
  • 1.1K
  • 06 Dec 2021
Topic Review
Fusarium in Clinical Practice
In recent years, human infections by Fusarium have been rising worldwide, mostly involving immunocompromised hosts. To understand this infection clinicians must recognize the intersecting points between the patient, the environment, and the relationship among all the elements that affect fusariosis in agriculture, and human and animal diseases.
  • 1.1K
  • 17 Nov 2020
Topic Review
Cystic Echinococcosis
Hydatid cyst or cystic echinococcosis (CE) is well-known as one of the most common universal parasitic infections, which infects a wide range of hosts such as humans, wild animals, and domestic livestock. Therefore, CE can be considered as an important challenge both from medical and economic points of view.
  • 1.1K
  • 25 Jan 2021
Topic Review
Staphylococcus aureus Internalization
Bacterial internalization is a strategy that non-intracellular microorganisms use to escape the host immune system and survive inside the human body.
  • 1.1K
  • 05 Jul 2021
Topic Review
Bacteria and Biofilm
Bacteria are fascinating microscopic cells that can live by themselves or be extremely social. Indeed, they can establish social interactions with other microorganisms to form highly organized communities known as biofilms. These consortia consist of adherent aggregates of microorganisms arranged within a matrix of a self-produced extracellular polymeric substance (EPS) composed of a mixture of polysaccharides, proteins and extracellular DNA. Biofilm-forming activity is a widespread bacterial feature found on natural and artificial surfaces. In natural environments, biofilms represent the preeminent lifestyle of bacteria which can have beneficial effects on plant growth promotion, organic compound degradation, including different aquatic ecosystems. Moreover, microbial biofilms have been found useful in food fermentation, the production of many bio-based materials, bioremediation, wastewater treatment and microbial fuel cells.
  • 1.1K
  • 27 Jul 2021
Topic Review
The Virtuous Galleria mellonella as Scientific Model
The first research on the insect Galleria mellonella was published 85 years ago, and the larva is now widely used as a model to study infections caused by bacterial and fungal pathogens, for screening new antimicrobials, to study the adjacent immune response in co-infections or in host-pathogen interaction, as well as in a toxicity model. The immune system of the G. mellonella model shows remarkable similarities with mammals. Furthermore, results from G. mellonella correlate positively with mammalian models and with other invertebrate models. Unlike other invertebrate models, G. mellonella can withstand temperatures of 37 °C, and its handling and experimental procedures are simpler. Despite having some disadvantages, G. mellonella is a virtuous in vivo model to be used in preclinical studies, as an intermediate model between in vitro and mammalian in vivo studies, and is a great example on how to apply the bioethics principle of the 3Rs (Replacement, Reduction, and Refinement) in animal experimentation. 
  • 1.1K
  • 13 Mar 2023
Topic Review
RNA Structure and RNA–RNA Interactions
Complex RNA–RNA interactions are increasingly known to play key roles in numerous biological processes from gene expression control to ribonucleoprotein granule formation. By contrast, the nature of these interactions and characteristics of their interfaces, especially those that involve partially or wholly structured RNAs, remain elusive. This entry describes different modalities of RNA–RNA interactions with an emphasis on those that depend on secondary, tertiary, or quaternary structure, and highlight a two-way relationship between RNA structure and interactions.
  • 1.1K
  • 12 Jan 2022
Topic Review
Escape Mechanisms of Mycobacterium Tuberculosis
Tuberculosis, an infectious disease caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB), mainly affects the respiratory system. It was demonstrated in 2019 that tuberculosis is the leading cause of mortality due to a single infectious agent. MTB is an intracellular parasite that mainly attacks macrophages and inhibits their apoptosis. One of the most disturbing matters in the treatment of MTB is the increasing resistance to current first-line antibiotics, resulting in long-term infection in humans and causing a series of pathological changes and clinical manifestations. A further understanding of the immune escape mechanisms of MTB is of major importance for the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of tuberculosis.
  • 1.1K
  • 07 Jan 2022
Topic Review
Challenge of Antimicrobial Drug Resistance
Antimicrobial resistance is mushrooming as a silent pandemic. It is considered among the most common priority areas identified by both national and international agencies. The global development of multidrug-resistant strains now threatens public health care improvement by introducing antibiotics against infectious agents. 
  • 1.1K
  • 31 May 2021
Topic Review
Carbapenem-Resistant Enterobacterales
Improper use of antimicrobials has resulted in the emergence of antimicrobial resistance (AMR), including multi-drug resistance (MDR) among bacteria. Recently, a sudden increase in Carbapenem-resistant Enterobacterales (CRE) has been observed. This presents a substantial challenge in the treatment of CRE-infected individuals. Bacterial plasmids include the genes for carbapenem resistance, which can also spread to other bacteria to make them resistant. The incidence of CRE is rising significantly despite the efforts of health authorities, clinicians, and scientists. Many genotypic and phenotypic techniques are available to identify CRE. However, effective identification requires the integration of two or more methods. Whole genome sequencing (WGS), an advanced molecular approach, helps identify new strains of CRE and screening of the patient population; however, WGS is challenging to apply in clinical settings due to the complexity and high expense involved with this technique.
  • 1.1K
  • 29 Nov 2022
Topic Review
Diagnosis of Invasive Mold Infections
Invasive mold infections are increasingly recognized in immunocompromised hosts. Current diagnostic techniques are limited by low sensitivity and prolonged turnaround times.
  • 1.1K
  • 01 Mar 2021
Topic Review
Thermotogae
The Thermotogae are a phylum of the domain Bacteria. The phylum Thermotogae is composed of Gram-negative staining, anaerobic, and mostly thermophilic and hyperthermophilic bacteria.
  • 1.1K
  • 28 Sep 2022
Topic Review
Epidemiology of Elizabethkingia spp. Infections in Southeast Asia
Elizabethkingia spp. is a ubiquitous pathogenic bacterium that has been identified as the causal agent for a variety of conditions such as meningitis, pneumonia, necrotizing fasciitis, endophthalmitis, and sepsis and is emerging as a global threat including in Southeast Asia. Elizabethkingia infections tend to be associated with high mortality rates (18.2–41%) and are mostly observed in neonates and immunocompromised patients. Difficulties in precisely identifying Elizabethkingia at the species level by traditional methods have hampered the understanding of this genus in human infections. In Southeast Asian countries, hospital outbreaks have usually been ascribed to E. meningoseptica, whereas in Singapore, E. anophelis was reported as the main Elizabethkingia spp. associated with hospital settings. Misidentification of Elizabethkingia spp. could, however, underestimate the number of cases attributed to the bacterium, as precise identification requires tools such as MALDI-TOF MS, and particularly whole-genome sequencing, which are not available in most hospital laboratories. Elizabethkingia spp. has an unusual antibiotic resistance pattern for a Gram-negative bacterium with a limited number of horizontal gene transfers, which suggests an intrinsic origin for its multidrug resistance.
  • 1.1K
  • 22 Jul 2022
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