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Topic Review
Significance of Skin Microbiota for Wound Healing
Wounded skin can naturally be repaired by a mechanism called wound healing. Human skin is a habitat of various pathogenic and commensal bacteria. While these bacteria are in balance in healthy skin, they can lose the balance by wounding, which leads to delay in the wound-healing process. Moreover, commensal and pathogenic bacteria inhabit skin tissue and have constant communication with the immune system, which can increase and decrease the healing efficiency, respectively.
  • 552
  • 06 Sep 2023
Topic Review
Green Microbes and the Production of Biodegradable Polymers
Research efforts have shifted to creating biodegradable polymers to offset the harmful environmental impacts associated with the accumulation of non-degradable synthetic polymers in the environment. A comprehensive examination of the role of green microbes in fostering sustainable bioproduction of these environment-friendly polymers is presented. Green microbes, primarily algae and cyanobacteria, have emerged as promising bio-factories due to their ability to capture carbon dioxide and utilize solar energy efficiently. The metabolic pathways harnessed for the synthesis of biopolymers such as polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs) and the potential for genetic engineering to augment their production yields are further discussed. Additionally, the techno-economic feasibility of using green microbes, challenges associated with the up-scaling of biopolymer production, and potential solutions are elaborated upon. With the twin goals of environmental protection and economic viability, green microbes pave the way for a sustainable polymer industry.
  • 551
  • 23 Jan 2025
Topic Review
Therapeutic Potential of Marine Probiotics
Due to the increasing limitations and negative impacts of the current options for preventing and managing diseases, including chemotherapeutic drugs and radiation, alternative therapies are needed, especially ones utilizing and maximizing natural products (NPs). NPs abound with diverse bioactive primary and secondary metabolites and compounds with therapeutic properties.
  • 550
  • 10 Aug 2023
Topic Review
Bacterial Subcellular Architecture
The concept of “structural epistasis” expresses the emergence of new phenotypes which are not based on changes in the products and functions of genes, but on the changes in the physical–mechanical interactions between biological structural pieces and components of the bacterial cell architecture.
  • 542
  • 26 Apr 2023
Topic Review
Oral Microbes in Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma
Microorganisms in the oral cavity are abundant in the human body. At present, more than 700 species of oral microorganisms have been identified. Recently, a lot of literature has indicated that the oral microbiota plays an important role in the occurrence, development, and prognosis of oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) through various mechanisms. And researchers are now trying to utilize oral microbiota in cancer diagnosis and treatment. 
  • 542
  • 09 Jan 2024
Topic Review
Biology and Regulation of Staphylococcal Biofilm
Despite continuing progress in medical and surgical procedures, staphylococci remain the major Gram-positive bacterial pathogens that cause a wide spectrum of diseases, especially in patients requiring the utilization of indwelling catheters and prosthetic devices implanted temporarily or for prolonged periods of time. Within the genus, if Staphylococcus aureus and S. epidermidis are prevalent species responsible for infections, several coagulase-negative species which are normal components of the microflora also constitute opportunistic pathogens that are able to infect patients. In such a clinical context, staphylococci producing biofilms show an increased resistance to antimicrobials and host immune defenses. Although the biochemical composition of the biofilm matrix has been extensively studied, the regulation of biofilm formation and the factors contributing to its stability and release are currently still being discovered. 
  • 539
  • 29 Mar 2023
Topic Review
Nano-Biotechnology for Bacteria Identification
Sepsis is a critical disease caused by the abrupt increase of bacteria in human blood, which subsequently causes a cytokine storm. Early identification of bacteria is critical to treating a patient with proper antibiotics to avoid sepsis. Advances in nanotechnology have shown great potential for fast and accurate bacterial identification. 
  • 531
  • 22 Sep 2023
Topic Review
Encystation and Stress Responses in Pathogenic Amoebae
Amoebae found in aquatic and terrestrial environments encompass various pathogenic species, including the parasite Entamoeba histolytica and the free-living Acanthamoeba castellanii. Both microorganisms pose significant threats to public health, capable of inducing life-threatening effects on humans. These amoebae exist in two cellular forms: trophozoites and cysts. The trophozoite stage is the form used for growth and reproduction while the cyst stage is the resistant and disseminating form. Cysts occur after cellular metabolism slowdown due to nutritional deprivation or the appearance of environmental conditions unfavourable to the amoebae’s growth and division. The initiation of encystation is accompanied by the activation of stress responses, and scarce data indicate that encystation shares factors and mechanisms identified in stress responses occurring in trophozoites exposed to toxic compounds derived from human immune defence. 
  • 530
  • 21 Nov 2023
Topic Review
Molecular Structure of Tick-Borne Encephalitis Virus
Tick-borne encephalitis virus (TBEV), a member of the Flaviviridae family, can cause serious infection of the central nervous system in humans, resulting in potential neurological complications and fatal outcomes. TBEV is primarily transmitted to humans through infected tick bites, and the viral agent circulates between ticks and animals, such as deer and small mammals. The occurrence of the infection aligns with the seasonal activity of ticks. As no specific antiviral therapy exists for TBEV infection, treatment approaches primarily focus on symptomatic relief and support. Active immunization is highly effective, especially for individuals in endemic areas. The burden of TBEV infections is increasing, posing a growing health concern. 
  • 529
  • 12 Jul 2023
Topic Review
HPV-Related Skin Phenotypes in Inborn Errors of Immunity
Patients with inborn errors of immunity (IEI) are prone to develop infections, either due to a broad spectrum of pathogens or to only one microbe. Since skin is a major barrier tissue, cutaneous infections are among the most prevalent in patients with IEI due to high exposures to many microbes. In the general population, human papillomaviruses (HPVs) cause asymptomatic or self-healing infections, but, in patients with IEI, unusual clinical expression of HPV infection is observed ranging from epidermodysplasia verruciformis (EV) (a rare disease due to β-HPVs) to profuse, persistent, and recalcitrant warts (due to α-, γ-, and μ-HPVs) or even tree man syndrome (due to HPV2). Mutations in EVER1, EVER2, and CIB1 are associated with EV phenotype; GATA2, CXCR4, and DOCK8 mutations are typically associated with extensive HPV infections, but there are several other IEI that are less frequently associated with severe HPV lesions.
  • 527
  • 02 Aug 2022
Topic Review
Prevention and Eradication of Biofilm by Dendrimers
Multidrug resistance (MDR) among pathogens and the associated infections represent an escalating global public health problem that translates into raised mortality and healthcare costs. MDR bacteria, with both intrinsic abilities to resist antibiotics treatments and capabilities to transmit genetic material coding for further resistance to other bacteria, dramatically decrease the number of available effective antibiotics, especially in nosocomial environments. Moreover, the capability of several bacterial species to form biofilms (BFs) is an added alarming mechanism through which resistance develops. BF, made of bacterial communities organized and incorporated into an extracellular polymeric matrix, self-produced by bacteria, provides protection from the antibiotics’ action, resulting in the antibiotic being ineffective.
  • 525
  • 14 Oct 2022
Topic Review
Enterococcal Genetic Lineages
Enterococcus spp. are commensals of the gastrointestinal tracts of humans and animals and colonize a variety of niches such as water, soil, and food. Over the last three decades, enterococci have evolved as opportunistic pathogens, being considered ESKAPE pathogens responsible for hospital-associated infections. E. faecalis and E. faecium exhibit conserved genomes, although they possess a significant accessory genome (up to 38% in E. faecium), which contributes to remarkable genomic plasticity. The evolution of enterococci was predominantly influenced by recombination and proficiency in acquiring novel genes through HGT facilitated by MGEs, such as plasmids, transposons, genomic islands (GI), and prophages.
  • 525
  • 11 Aug 2023
Topic Review
Dehydrated Lactic Acid Bacteria in Animal Food
Several lactic acid bacteria (LAB) species have been recognized as probiotics and are of considerable interest due to their potential ability to confer health benefits upon consumption. In the animal feed sector, probiotics offer an alternative to the use of antibiotic growth promoters. 
  • 521
  • 25 Aug 2023
Topic Review
Non-Saccharomyces Yeasts and Organic Wines Fermentation
A relevant trend in winemaking is to reduce the use of chemical compounds in both the vineyard and winery. In organic productions, synthetic chemical fertilizers, pesticides, and genetically modified organisms must be avoided, aiming to achieve the production of a “safer wine.” Safety represents a significant threat all over the world, being one of the most important goals to be completed in both Western society and developing countries. An occurrence in wine safety results in the recovery of a broad variety of harmful compounds for human health such as amines, carbamate, and mycotoxins. The perceived increase in sensory complexity and superiority of successful uninoculated wine fermentations, as well as a thrust from consumers looking for a more “natural” or “organic” wine produced with fewer additives and perceived health attributes, has led to more investigations into the use of non-Saccharomyces yeasts in winemaking, namely in organic wines.
  • 519
  • 13 Sep 2023
Topic Review
Role of Flagella during Pathogenesis
Clostridioides difficile is an important pathogen for humans with a lead in nosocomial infection, but it is also more and more common in communities. The disruption of the gut microbiota by an antibiotic treatment enables the colonization of the gut by C. difficile and provides a metabolic niche for the bacteria with a transient increase in the nutrient availability. The flagellar apparatus possibly contributes to its settling in the following ways: (a) by providing force-driven motility to nutrients, (b) by promoting adherence to host cells, (c) by promoting biofilm formation, and (d) by acting as an immunomodulator by triggering proinflammatory cytokines through the Toll-like receptor 5 (TLR5) signaling pathway.
  • 511
  • 21 Feb 2024
Topic Review
Bacterial Persistence Mechanisms
The recurrence of bacterial infectious diseases is closely associated with bacterial persisters. This subpopulation of bacteria can escape antibiotic treatment by entering a metabolic status of low activity through various mechanisms, for example, biofilm, toxin–antitoxin modules, the stringent response, and the SOS response.
  • 510
  • 07 Oct 2023
Topic Review
Influenza Pathology
Influenza virus infections occur in people and animals worldwide and cause variable disease outcomes depending on the species affected and strain of the virus. Influenza viruses can be transmitted between animals, persons, or from animals to humans and can cause severe disease pathology or death.
  • 509
  • 12 Jan 2024
Topic Review
The Role of Iron in Phytopathogenic Microbe–Plant Interactions
Iron is an essential element required for the growth and survival of nearly all forms of life. It serves as a catalytic component in multiple enzymatic reactions, such as photosynthesis, respiration, and DNA replication.
  • 504
  • 14 Sep 2023
Topic Review
Collected Thoughts on Mycobacterial Lipoarabinomannan
The presence of lipoarabinomannan (LAM) in the Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) cell envelope was first reported close to 100 years ago. Since then, numerous studies have been dedicated to the isolation, purification, structural definition, and elucidation of the biological properties of Mtb LAM. The significance of LAM remains high to this date, mainly due to its distinct immunological properties in conjunction with its role as a biomarker for diagnostic tests due to its identification in urine, and thus can serve as a point-of-care diagnostic test for tuberculosis (TB). LAM has been thoroughly studied and massive amounts of information on this intriguing molecule are now available. 
  • 502
  • 18 Dec 2023
Topic Review
Functional Categories of Streptococcus pyogenes Immunomodulating Enzymes
Streptococcus pyogenes, or Group A Streptococcus, is an exclusively human pathogen that causes a wide variety of diseases ranging from mild throat and skin infections to severe invasive disease. The pathogenesis of S. pyogenes infection has been extensively studied, but the pathophysiology, especially of the more severe infections, is still somewhat elusive. One key feature of S. pyogenes is the expression of secreted, surface-associated, and intracellular enzymes that directly or indirectly affect both the innate and adaptive host immune systems. Undoubtedly, S. pyogenes is one of the major bacterial sources for immunomodulating enzymes. Major targets for these enzymes are immunoglobulins that are destroyed or modified through proteolysis or glycan hydrolysis.
  • 502
  • 01 Mar 2024
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