MicrobiologyOpen最新文献

{"title":"Maintenance of Gut Microbial Balance via the Kynurenine Pathway Improves Larval Performance and Resistance to Bacillus thuringiensis in Spodoptera exigua.","authors":"Daniel Pinos, Elena García-Marín, Beatriz Ramírez-Serrano, Luis Benavent-Albarracín, Jordi Gamir, Cristina M Crava","doi":"10.1002/mbo3.70289","DOIUrl":"10.1002/mbo3.70289","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The gut microbiota is a key determinant of insect physiology, influencing nutrition, immunity, and interactions with plants and pathogens. In Lepidoptera, larval gut communities are dynamic, but a core microbiota, often dominated by Enterococcus species, persists across instars. In Spodoptera littoralis, the enzyme kynurenine 3-monooxygenase (KMO) regulates gut bacterial composition via 8-hydroxyquinoline-2-carboxylic acid (8-HQA), a secreted iron-chelating compound. To investigate whether this mechanism is conserved in Noctuidae, we generated Spodoptera exigua kmo^-/- mutants using CRISPR/Cas9 and analyzed bacterial communities in foregut, midgut, hindgut, and oral secretions by 16S metabarcoding, using RNA-derived cDNA for gut samples and DNA for oral secretions due to lower microbial biomass. The kmo deletion abolished 8-HQA production, reduced bacterial diversity, and collapsed compartment-specific bacterial communities in the gut, while also being associated with Enterococcus dominance in oral secretions. Fitness assays revealed that kmo^-/- larvae exhibited reduced weight gain on artificial diet, and higher mortality and delayed growth when fed on pepper leaves. Moreover, kmo^-/- larvae were threefold more susceptible to Bacillus thuringiensis, consistent with an interaction between host physiological state, gut microbial homeostasis, and pathogen susceptibility. Dietary supplementation with 8-HQA partially mitigated, but did not fully rescue, growth deficits. Our results demonstrate that the kynurenine pathway and 8-HQA production are crucial for maintaining gut microbial homeostasis, particularly within Enterococcus, thereby supporting larval development, dietary adaptation, and pathogen resilience. These findings reveal a conserved mechanism in noctuid moths linking host metabolism, microbiota regulation, and ecological performance, emphasizing the interplay between host genetics, microbiota composition, and environmental stressors.</p>","PeriodicalId":18573,"journal":{"name":"MicrobiologyOpen","volume":"15 2","pages":"e70289"},"PeriodicalIF":4.6,"publicationDate":"2026-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13086628/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147699125","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"A Fluorogenic Biosensor for Direct Detection of Vibrio vulnificus, a Climate Change Biomarker.","authors":"M Nieves Aranda, Isabel Caballos, Alba López-Palacios, Héctor Carmona-Salido, Eva Sanjuan, Elena Aznar, Carmen Amaro, Ramón Martínez-Máñez, Andy Hernández-Montoto","doi":"10.1002/mbo3.70287","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/mbo3.70287","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Vibrio vulnificus, a marine pathogen and climate change biomarker, poses serious risks to human and animal health through seafood consumption and seawater exposure. Rapid detection methods are urgently needed for both vibriosis diagnosis and surveillance in warming coastal waters. We report a fluorogenic biosensor based on nanoporous anodic alumina loaded with rhodamine B and capped with an oligonucleotide probe targeting a unique sequence of the vvhA cytolysin gene, specific to V. vulnificus. In the presence of the target DNA, the probe is displaced, pores open, and the fluorophore is released, generating a measurable signal. The biosensor exhibited high sensitivity and selectivity across diverse matrices, including fish mucus and serum, human serum, sterilized brackish water, and-critically-unprocessed natural lake and seawater samples, without DNA extraction or amplification. Detection limits ranged between 10² and 5 × 10² CFU mL⁻¹, comparable in sensitivity to state-of-the-art qPCR assays. The biosensor outperformed conventional approaches in speed, simplicity, and cost-effectiveness, while maintaining accuracy. These findings underscore the potential of this platform for integrated One Health applications, bridging environmental monitoring with rapid diagnosis of vibriosis in humans and animals. Preliminary results from this study were previously made available as a preprint in SSRN (DOI: https://ssrn.com/abstract=5032822).</p>","PeriodicalId":18573,"journal":{"name":"MicrobiologyOpen","volume":"15 2","pages":"e70287"},"PeriodicalIF":4.6,"publicationDate":"2026-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13098796/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147775970","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Vancomycin-Resistant Enterococcus in Wild Animals: A Global Scoping Review.","authors":"Yahye Ahmed Nageye, Abdirasak Sharif Ali Mude, Kizito Eneye Bello","doi":"10.1002/mbo3.70292","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/mbo3.70292","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Antimicrobial resistance is a global One Health concern, and vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus (VRE) remains one of the clinically important resistant bacterial groups. Although VRE has been extensively studied in clinical and livestock settings, it has been investigated far less often in free-ranging wild animals. This scoping review maps the published evidence on VRE in wild animals, with emphasis on reported prevalence, host and environmental correlates, anthropogenic exposures, and laboratory detection methods rather than quantifying pooled effect sizes. A structured search of PubMed, ScienceDirect, Scopus, Web of Science, and Google Scholar was conducted from database inception to the final search stage used for this review, with only peer-reviewed English-language primary studies contributing empirical wildlife VRE data included in the synthesis. Eligibility was guided by the Population-Concept-Context framework, and the mapped evidence included mammals plus one reptile study retained in the review scope. Twenty-five studies met the inclusion criteria. Most were conducted in Europe, with substantially fewer studies from Africa and South America, indicating major geographical gaps. Reported prevalence ranged from 1.08% in feral pigs in Brazil to 100% in wild rabbits in Spain, although several striking estimates were based on very small samples and should be interpreted cautiously. Culture-based methods were most frequently used, whereas PCR-based approaches were particularly useful for confirming resistance genes. Overall, the evidence suggests that wild animals can act as reservoirs or sentinels of VRE exposure in anthropogenically influenced environments. Standardized surveillance, clearer reporting, and broader One Health monitoring that explicitly includes wildlife are needed.</p>","PeriodicalId":18573,"journal":{"name":"MicrobiologyOpen","volume":"15 2","pages":"e70292"},"PeriodicalIF":4.6,"publicationDate":"2026-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13102680/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147776125","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Nuclear Microautophagy Drives Vacuolar Targeting of Yeast Iron-Regulated Proteins During Lipid and Iron Limitation.","authors":"Tania Jordá, Sergi Puig","doi":"10.1002/mbo3.70278","DOIUrl":"10.1002/mbo3.70278","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Iron is an essential cofactor involved in cellular processes, including energy generation and the biosynthesis of DNA, proteins, and lipids. The limited solubility of iron at physiological pH frequently results in iron deficiency, thus necessitating sophisticated regulatory mechanisms to maintain iron homeostasis. In Saccharomyces cerevisiae, the transcription factor Aft1 mediates the early response to iron limitation by accumulating in the nucleus and activating the iron regulon, a set of genes involved in iron uptake, utilization and sparing. One of Aft1 targets, CTH2, encodes for a protein that promotes iron economy by post-transcriptionally downregulating non-essential iron-dependent pathways. Yeast cells that exhibit defects in unsaturated fatty acid (UFA) biosynthesis, such as mga2Δ mutants, mislocalize Aft1 to the vacuole under iron-deficient conditions, which impairs activation of the iron regulon. In this study, we show that Cth2, but not other nucleo-cytoplasmic shuttling proteins, also accumulates in the vacuole under simultaneous UFA and iron deficiencies. The deletion of autophagy- and piecemeal microautophagy of the nucleus (PMN)-related genes, including ATG1 and NVJ1, prevents Aft1 vacuolar mislocalization. Furthermore, the subcellular distribution of Nvj1 supports PMN activation under these conditions. Despite preventing vacuolar accumulation, these mutations do not restore the regulatory functions of Aft1 and Cth2, nor do they rescue growth in low-iron conditions. These findings suggest that PMN selectively targets non-functional iron-regulated proteins for degradation when both iron and UFA levels are limiting, serving as a quality control mechanism rather than a pathway for functional recovery. These findings underscore a regulatory layer coordinating nutrient sensing and protein turnover.</p>","PeriodicalId":18573,"journal":{"name":"MicrobiologyOpen","volume":"15 2","pages":"e70278"},"PeriodicalIF":4.6,"publicationDate":"2026-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13084708/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147691124","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Antioxidant and Antibacterial Activities of Secondary Metabolites Produced by Streptomyces Isolates Against Extended-Spectrum β-Lactamase-Producing Bacteria.","authors":"Abdirasak Sharif Ali, Yahye Ahmed Nageye, Kizito Eneye Bello","doi":"10.1002/mbo3.70282","DOIUrl":"10.1002/mbo3.70282","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Extended-spectrum β-lactamase (ESBL)-producing Gram-negative bacteria pose a severe therapeutic challenge globally. Streptomyces remain one of the most prolific natural sources of antibacterial and antioxidant secondary metabolites, yet their activity against ESBL-producing pathogens remains under-explored. Soil-derived Streptomyces isolates were screened for bioactivity, and the most potent strain (SM7) was identified by 16S rRNA sequencing. Secondary metabolites were extracted using ethyl-acetate and evaluated for antibacterial activity against ESBL-producing Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae, and Enterobacter cloacae using agar diffusion, MIC, and MBC assays. Antioxidant activity was assessed using DPPH and ABTS assays, while GC-MS and molecular docking were employed to identify and characterize bioactive compounds. Streptomyces sp. SM7 exhibited strong antibacterial activity, producing inhibition zones of 21.4 ± 0.6 mm, 19.2 ± 0.4 mm, and 17.6 ± 0.5 mm against ESBL-producing E. coli, K. pneumoniae, and E. cloacae, respectively. MIC values ranged from 62.5 to 250 µg/mL, with bactericidal MBC/MIC ratios of 2. The extract showed potent antioxidant activity with DPPH and ABTS IC₅₀ values of 48.9 µg/mL and 61.4 µg/mL, respectively. GC-MS identified 18 bioactive compounds, with 2,4-di-tert-butylphenol (18.6%) as the major constituent, which exhibited a docking affinity of -7.1 kcal/mol against bacterial DHFR. Streptomyces sp. SM7 produces phenolic- and fatty-acid-rich metabolites with potent bactericidal and antioxidant activities against ESBL-producing pathogens, highlighting its promise as a natural source of next-generation antimicrobial agents. These findings support Streptomyces sp. SM7 as a promising lead for downstream purification, mechanism-guided optimization, and future drug-development efforts targeting difficult-to-treat ESBL-producing Enterobacterales.</p>","PeriodicalId":18573,"journal":{"name":"MicrobiologyOpen","volume":"15 2","pages":"e70282"},"PeriodicalIF":4.6,"publicationDate":"2026-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13092211/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147723252","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Therapeutic Remodeling of the Gut Microbiome as a Strategy to Restore Immune Tolerance in Autoimmunity.","authors":"Behshad Boroumand, Amirhossein Jaberi, Ghazal Zamani, Ehsan Zandi, Farshad Zare, Milad Vahedinezhad, Elham Abdollahi, Sepideh KarkonShayan, Sasan GhazanfarAhari, Mustafa Sattar","doi":"10.1002/mbo3.70294","DOIUrl":"10.1002/mbo3.70294","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Autoimmune diseases happen when the immune system, which is supposed to defend the body from infections and other harmful things, starts to attack the body's own cells by mistake. In the last few years, they seem to be getting more public, and the reasons are quite complicated. It is usually not just one factor, but a mix of genes and environmental influences, such as diet, infections, or even stress. The gut microbiome, the vast community of bacteria and other tiny organisms living in our intestines, plays an important role in shaping how the immune system behaves. When this gut microbiota becomes unstable (a state called dysbiosis), it can be associated with the onset or worsening of various autoimmune diseases. In this review, we discuss the close relationship between the gut microbiome and autoimmune disorders and focus on how the microbiome can affect immune activation, immune tolerance, and inflammation at the molecular level. The general idea is that, if we understand these interactions better, we might be able in the future to design new ways to manage autoimmune diseases earlier and maybe in a more personalized way. In the end, the review suggests that if we understand better how the microbiome is involved in autoimmune diseases, it might be possible in the future to design more personalized therapies that change gut bacteria in a smart way and hopefully improve patient outcomes.</p>","PeriodicalId":18573,"journal":{"name":"MicrobiologyOpen","volume":"15 2","pages":"e70294"},"PeriodicalIF":4.6,"publicationDate":"2026-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13092265/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147717264","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Genomic Insights Into a Hospital-Acquired High-Risk Vancomycin-Resistant Enterococcus faecium Outbreak in Guangdong, China.","authors":"Yang Guo, Chuyue Zhuo, Tianxin Zhang, Kuihai Wu, Zhengqi Shi, Yan Zhu, Jiayuan Huang, Chao Zhuo, Nan Qi","doi":"10.1002/mbo3.70288","DOIUrl":"10.1002/mbo3.70288","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>A comprehensive molecular epidemiological study was conducted on a vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus faecium (VR-Efm) outbreak in Guangdong, China, with the aim of analyzing transmission routes and antimicrobial resistance patterns, developing specific diagnostic tools for early detection, and elucidating genetic relationships with previously reported strains. Strain identification was performed using matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry, whereas whole-genome sequencing was performed for bacterial genomic characterization. Comprehensive bioinformatic analyses, including multilocus sequence typing, phylogenetic tree construction, principal component analysis, minimum spanning tree, and comparative genomic analyses, were performed. Our genomic investigation identified as predominant the sequence type 80 strain of VR-Efm, which exhibited a high level of resistance to a range of antibiotics, particularly vancomycin, amoxicillin, and teicoplanin. Through genome sequencing, we established genetic proximity between the outbreak strain and those previously identified in India and Japan. Furthermore, functional genomic analyses have elucidated genetic variations within critical genes, such as rsmH, which may be associated with the acquisition of antibiotic resistance. The identification of unique molecular markers within the outbreak strain facilitated the development of specific PCR assays, thereby significantly enhancing our capacity for early and precise detection of VR-Efm. Our in-depth genomic analysis of the VR-Efm outbreak in Guangdong, China, identified a predominant ST80 strain that exhibited multidrug resistance, especially to vancomycin. This finding underscores the need for enhanced global public health surveillance to address this emerging threat.</p>","PeriodicalId":18573,"journal":{"name":"MicrobiologyOpen","volume":"15 2","pages":"e70288"},"PeriodicalIF":4.6,"publicationDate":"2026-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13076189/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147675010","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"A Simple and Label-Free Gold Nanoparticle Assay and Duplex PCR for Rapid Detection of Klebsiella pneumoniae K2.","authors":"Sepideh Ahmadi, Fatemeh Haddadi, Hossein Kamaladini","doi":"10.1002/mbo3.70281","DOIUrl":"10.1002/mbo3.70281","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Rapid, accurate, and cost-effective diagnostic tools are crucial for the early detection of bacterial pathogens, particularly Klebsiella pneumoniae, a leading cause of multidrug-resistant infections. In this study, we developed two molecular detection approaches: a simplified, label-free colorimetric assay using unmodified gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) with direct DNA addition, and a duplex PCR assay targeting the K2A and orf10 genes, two key virulence and identification markers of K. pneumoniae. The unmodified AuNP assay, employing a 20 bp K2A gene probe, enabled visible color change detection within 60 min, without the need for complex instrumentation, achieving a sensitivity of 1.56 ng/μL. Duplex PCR successfully amplified fragments of 532 bp (K2A) and 309 bp (orf10), with high sensitivity levels of 1 pg/μL and 0.07 ng/μL, respectively. This integrated strategy offers both visual rapid screening and molecular confirmation in a single workflow, improving diagnostic reliability while maintaining low cost and simplicity. The use of unmodified AuNPs eliminates the need for chemical functionalization, significantly reducing assay preparation time and cost. Together, these features make the proposed method a promising platform for point-of-care molecular diagnostics and epidemiological monitoring of K. pneumoniae in resource-limited settings.</p>","PeriodicalId":18573,"journal":{"name":"MicrobiologyOpen","volume":"15 2","pages":"e70281"},"PeriodicalIF":4.6,"publicationDate":"2026-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13140401/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147581846","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Imported Retail Beef and Chicken Meat Products Serve as Reservoirs for Emerging Antibiotic-Resistant Pathotypes of Escherichia coli in Pristine Areas Free From Agricultural Activity.","authors":"Saehah Yi, Kathleen A Alexander, Auja Bywater, Galaletsang Dintwe, Ashton N Sies, Thomas H Haidl, Andrew D S Cameron, Monica A Ponder","doi":"10.1002/mbo3.70273","DOIUrl":"10.1002/mbo3.70273","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Increasing attention is being directed toward the role of retail meat in introducing pathogens and antibiotic-resistant bacteria into local food supplies. This study characterized the antibiotic resistance (AR) and virulence of E. coli isolates from chicken and beef (n = 109) imported for retail sale in Kasane, Botswana. In this relatively pristine environment, commercial beef and chicken production is absent, resulting in reliance on imports, creating concerns that multidrug-resistant (MDR) and pathogenic E. coli may be introduced through the food supply sourced from distant regions. E. coli was isolated from 54.7% of samples (63/109). Antibiotic susceptibility testing against a panel of 12 antibiotics revealed resistance to 11 antibiotics, with multiple combinations of resistance phenotypes identified. Higher levels of MDR were found in chicken isolates (45.5%) compared to beef (13.3%), with the highest resistance rates observed for tetracycline, trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole, and doxycycline. Genomic analysis of eight MDR isolates revealed diverse sequence types, including diarrheagenic and extraintestinal-associated serotypes. The latter has critical implications in health systems where this clinical presentation may not be investigated with foodborne pathogen exposures. Plasmid-borne AR genes with conjugation-associated genes were detected in most isolates, suggesting that some AR genes may be horizontally transferable by plasmid conjugation. Several isolates clustered with human and chicken isolates from around the globe, highlighting the high potential for retail beef and chicken products to harbor MDR pathogenic E. coli, including emerging pathogens, and to introduce those microbes and associated AR attributes into new ecosystems.</p>","PeriodicalId":18573,"journal":{"name":"MicrobiologyOpen","volume":"15 2","pages":"e70273"},"PeriodicalIF":4.6,"publicationDate":"2026-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13140742/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147574763","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Glutathione Impacts Both Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis Virulence and Amphibian Cellular Defense in a Chytridiomycosis Model.","authors":"Rebecca J Webb, Alexandra A Roberts, Lee Berger, Jacques Robert, Lee F Skerratt","doi":"10.1002/mbo3.70271","DOIUrl":"10.1002/mbo3.70271","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Glutathione has important roles in diverse infections, yet its involvement in the interaction between the deadly fungal pathogen Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd) and its amphibian hosts is still unclear. Using in vitro assays and a cell infection model, we examined how glutathione influences Bd virulence traits and cellular host disease resistance. For Bd, inhibition of glutathione reductase rapidly killed zoospores, indicating that glutathione is essential for this pathogen. In addition, exposure to exogenous glutathione promoted the potential for virulence through accelerated and increased zoospore release. In host amphibian cells, Bd infection decreased intracellular glutathione content and increased reactive oxygen species, suggesting that chytridiomycosis pathogenesis involves oxidative stress. Depletion of host glutathione before exposure to Bd increased infection severity, whereas amphibian cells with slightly elevated glutathione levels were partially protected against Bd. However, manipulation of host glutathione levels after the establishment of Bd infection did not impact its intracellular growth, implying that the host glutathione-mediated resistance only occurs during the initial Bd invasion process. Importantly, this effect of glutathione on host resistance is not a general response to pathogens, as it was not observed in cells exposed to the viral pathogen FV3. As glutathione increased both infectious zoospore production and host resistance to zoospore infection, our study suggests that this antioxidant may play an important role in the host/pathogen interaction during chytridiomycosis. Thus, environmental conditions and therapeutic approaches that affect glutathione systems in the host and/or pathogen have the potential to alter chytridiomycosis dynamics and should be further explored.</p>","PeriodicalId":18573,"journal":{"name":"MicrobiologyOpen","volume":"15 2","pages":"e70271"},"PeriodicalIF":4.6,"publicationDate":"2026-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13140396/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147486508","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}