mSphere最新文献

{"title":"Metabolic adaptability and nutrient scavenging in <i>Toxoplasma gondii</i>: insights from ingestion pathway-deficient mutants.","authors":"Patrick A Rimple, Einar B Olafsson, Benedikt M Markus, Fengrong Wang, Leonardo Augusto, Sebastian Lourido, Vern B Carruthers","doi":"10.1128/msphere.01011-24","DOIUrl":"10.1128/msphere.01011-24","url":null,"abstract":"&lt;p&gt;&lt;p&gt;The obligate intracellular parasite &lt;i&gt;Toxoplasma gondii&lt;/i&gt; replicates within a specialized compartment called the parasitophorous vacuole (PV). Recent work showed that despite living within a PV, &lt;i&gt;Toxoplasma&lt;/i&gt; endocytoses proteins from the cytosol of infected host cells via a so-called ingestion pathway. The ingestion pathway is initiated by dense granule protein GRA14, which binds host endosomal sorting complex required for transport (ESCRT) machinery to bud vesicles into the lumen of the PV. The protein-containing vesicles are internalized by the parasite and trafficked to the plant vacuole-like compartment (PLVAC), where cathepsin protease L (CPL) degrades the cargo, and the chloroquine resistance transporter (CRT) exports the resulting peptides and amino acids to the parasite cytosol. However, although the ingestion pathway was proposed to be a conduit for nutrients, there is limited evidence for this hypothesis. We reasoned that if &lt;i&gt;Toxoplasma&lt;/i&gt; uses the ingestion pathway to acquire nutrients, then parasites lacking GRA14, CPL, or CRT should rely more on biosynthetic pathways or alternative scavenging pathways. To explore this, we conducted a genome-wide clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR) screen in wild-type (WT) parasites and Δ&lt;i&gt;gra14&lt;/i&gt;, Δ&lt;i&gt;cpl&lt;/i&gt;, and Δ&lt;i&gt;crt&lt;/i&gt; mutants to identify genes that become more fitness conferring in ingestion-deficient parasites. Our screen revealed a significant overlap of genes that potentially become more fitness conferring in the ingestion mutants compared to WT. Pathway analysis indicated that Δ&lt;i&gt;cpl&lt;/i&gt; and Δ&lt;i&gt;crt&lt;/i&gt; mutants relied more on pyrimidine biosynthesis, fatty acid biosynthesis, tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle, and lysine degradation. Bulk metabolomic analysis showed reduced levels of glycolytic intermediates and amino acids in the ingestion mutants compared to WT, highlighting the pathway's potential role in host resource scavenging. Interestingly, Δ&lt;i&gt;cpl&lt;/i&gt; and Δ&lt;i&gt;crt&lt;/i&gt; showed an exacerbated growth defect when cultured in amino acid-depleted media, suggesting that disrupting proteolysis or the export of proteolytic products from the PLVAC affects parasite survival during nutrient scarcity.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Importance: &lt;/strong&gt;&lt;i&gt;Toxoplasma gondii&lt;/i&gt; is an obligate intracellular pathogen that infects virtually any nucleated cell in most warm-blooded animals. Infections are asymptomatic in most cases, but people with weakened immunity can experience severe disease. For the parasite to replicate within the host, it must efficiently acquire essential nutrients, especially as it is unable to make several key metabolites. Understanding the mechanisms by which &lt;i&gt;Toxoplasma&lt;/i&gt; scavenges nutrients from the host is crucial for identifying potential therapeutic targets. Our study suggests that the ingestion pathway contributes to sustaining parasite metabolites and parasite replication under amino acid-limiting conditions. This work advances our","PeriodicalId":19052,"journal":{"name":"mSphere","volume":" ","pages":"e0101124"},"PeriodicalIF":3.7,"publicationDate":"2025-04-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12039266/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143764547","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"mSphere of Influence: <i>Toxoplasma gondii</i> tissue cysts-who are you calling dormant?","authors":"Robyn S Kent","doi":"10.1128/msphere.00028-25","DOIUrl":"10.1128/msphere.00028-25","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Robyn Kent studies how <i>Toxoplasma gondii</i> chronic infections can persist in different tissues in the host and how latency is controlled to enable maintenance, transmission, and reactivation of the parasite. In this mSphere of Influence article, she reflects on how two papers from the laboratories of Dr. A. P. Sinai and Dr. L. D. Sibley have impacted her thinking on the chronic stage of <i>T. gondii</i> infections.</p>","PeriodicalId":19052,"journal":{"name":"mSphere","volume":" ","pages":"e0002825"},"PeriodicalIF":3.7,"publicationDate":"2025-04-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12039227/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143605932","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Rapid <i>in vitro</i> evolution of flucytosine resistance in <i>Candida auris</i>.","authors":"Trinh Phan-Canh, Duc-Minh Nguyen-Le, Phuc-Loi Luu, Narakorn Khunweeraphong, Karl Kuchler","doi":"10.1128/msphere.00977-24","DOIUrl":"10.1128/msphere.00977-24","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The pan-antifungal-resistant pathogen <i>Candida auris</i> has been causing high-mortality infection outbreaks in hospitals and healthcare settings. The prodrug 5-fluorocytosine (5FC) is one of four chemical entities, but its clinical use as an antifungal drug has been limited owing to pronounced resistance. However, antifungal combination therapy with 5FC appears as a promising strategy for treating <i>C. auris</i> infections. Here, we show that a <i>C. auris</i> clinical isolate can rapidly acquire genetic mutations to mount 5FC resistance after only one to two passages under drug selection. We exploit a new bioinformatics workflow to identify genetic polymorphisms from RNA-seq data. Strikingly, we identify several mutations in the <i>FUR1</i> gene encoding the 5-fluorouracil convertase that normally generates the active drug. A single nonsense mutation truncates the enzyme at residue Q30*, leading to 5FC resistance due to inactive Fur1. Whole-genome sequencing analysis revealed that an indel mutation in <i>FCY2</i> also contributes to 5FC resistance. Furthermore, at least one out of seven adapted strains acquired enhanced 5FC tolerance without mutations in the 5FC conversion pathway. Thus, we demonstrate that <i>FUR1</i> mutations are critical drivers of 5FC resistance in <i>C. auris</i>.IMPORTANCE<i>Candida auris</i> is a high-priority human fungal pathogen, causing infection outbreaks of high mortality in healthcare settings. Antifungal combination therapy with 5-fluorocytosine (5FC) is one of the emerging approaches in treatment. However, acquired 5FC resistance traits have been a matter of concern. 5FC is taken up by fungal cells via a cytosine permease and further metabolized by a cytosine deaminase to 5-fluorouracil (5FU). 5FU is then converted by the Fur1 uracil phosphoribosyltransferase into a toxic antimetabolite that disrupts fungal RNA and DNA syntheses. Mutations in these proteins are commonly associated with 5FC resistance in fungal species. Here, we show that <i>C. auris</i> can rapidly develop resistance under 5FC selective stress owing to mutational inactivation of Fur1 function. Moreover, other mechanisms that bypass mutations in the 5FC conversion pathway may also contribute to 5FC resistance traits. Finally, we have developed a tailored bioinformatics workflow that facilitates the identification of polymorphisms associated with 5FC resistance in clinical isolates.</p>","PeriodicalId":19052,"journal":{"name":"mSphere","volume":" ","pages":"e0097724"},"PeriodicalIF":3.7,"publicationDate":"2025-04-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12039228/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143657509","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Advances in cytokine gene polymorphisms in tuberculosis.","authors":"Haiyang Fu, Wenqiang Sun, Ye Xu, Haiyun Zhang","doi":"10.1128/msphere.00944-24","DOIUrl":"10.1128/msphere.00944-24","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Tuberculosis (TB), especially pulmonary tuberculosis (PTB), is a prevalent infectious disease affecting the respiratory system and is characterized by high morbidity, disability, and mortality rates that significantly impact the quality of life of patients and their families. Host genetic susceptibility plays a crucial role in the infection process of <i>Mycobacterium tuberculosis</i> (<i>M. tuberculosis</i>) with single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) identified as key factors in the genetic loci associated with tuberculosis occurrence and progression. Research indicates that polymorphisms in cytokine genes-including interferons, interleukins, tumor necrosis factors, and chemokines-are closely linked to the onset, progression, and treatment outcomes of pulmonary tuberculosis. Investigating cytokine gene polymorphisms in PTB patients is essential for understanding disease mechanisms and prognosis. This review summarizes the role of cytokine polymorphisms in tuberculosis morbidity, elucidates the biological genetic mechanisms involved at the molecular level, and provides insights into clinical treatment strategies for TB.</p>","PeriodicalId":19052,"journal":{"name":"mSphere","volume":" ","pages":"e0094424"},"PeriodicalIF":3.7,"publicationDate":"2025-04-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12039272/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143753691","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Less reactogenic whole-cell pertussis vaccine confers protection from <i>Bordetella pertussis</i> infection.","authors":"Karolína Škopová, Jana Holubová, Barbora Bočková, Eva Slivenecká, João Melo Santos de Barros, Ondřej Staněk, Peter Šebo","doi":"10.1128/msphere.00639-24","DOIUrl":"10.1128/msphere.00639-24","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Pertussis resurged over the last decade in most countries that replaced the traditional whole-cell pertussis vaccines (wP) by the less reactogenic acellular pertussis vaccines (aP). The aP vaccines induce a Th2-polarized immune response and by a yet unknown mechanism hamper the clearance of <i>Bordetella pertussis</i> from infected nasopharyngeal mucosa. The aP-induced pertussis toxin-neutralizing antibodies effectively prevent the life-threatening pertussis pneumonia in infants, but aP-elicited immunity fails to prevent infection of nasopharyngeal mucosa and transmission of <i>B. pertussis</i>. In contrast, the more reactogenic traditional wP vaccines, alike natural infection, elicit a broad antibody response and trigger a Th1/Th17-polarized T cell immunity. We tackled here the reactogenicity of the conventional wP vaccines by genetic modification of the Fim2 and Fim3-producing <i>B. pertussis</i> strains used for wP vaccine manufacturing. Mutations were introduced into the genomes of vaccine strains (i) to reduce the TLR4 signaling potency of the lipid A of <i>B. pertussis</i> lipooligosaccharide (Δ<i>lgm</i>B), (ii) eliminate the enzymatic (immunosuppressive) activity of the pertussis toxin (PtxS1-R9K/E129G), and (iii) ablate the production of the dermonecrotic toxin (Δ<i>dnt</i>). Experimental alum-adjuvanted wP vaccines prepared from such triply modified bacteria exhibited a reduced pyrogenicity in rabbits and a reduced systemic toxicity in mice, while conferring a comparable protection from <i>B. pertussis</i> infection as the unmodified wP vaccine.IMPORTANCEThe occasionally severe adverse reactions associated with some lots of the whole-cell pertussis vaccine (wP) led the industrialized nations to switch to the use of less reactogenic acellular pertussis vaccines that confer shorter-lasting protection. This yielded whooping cough resurgence and large whooping cough outbreaks are currently sweeping throughout European countries, calling for the replacement of the pertussis vaccine component of pediatric hexavaccines by an improved wP vaccine. We show that genetic detoxification of the <i>Bordetella pertussis</i> bacteria used for wP preparation yields a reduced reactogenicity wP vaccine that exhibits a reduced systemic toxicity in mice and reduced pyrogenicity in rabbits, while retaining high immunogenicity and protective potency in the mouse model of pneumonic infection by <i>B. pertussis</i>. This result has now been confirmed in a nonhuman primate model of <i>B. pertussis</i> infection of olive baboons, paving the way for the development of the next generation of pertussis vaccines.</p>","PeriodicalId":19052,"journal":{"name":"mSphere","volume":" ","pages":"e0063924"},"PeriodicalIF":3.7,"publicationDate":"2025-04-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12039235/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143605931","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Pangenomes suggest ecological-evolutionary responses to experimental soil warming.","authors":"Mallory J Choudoir, Achala Narayanan, Damayanti Rodriguez-Ramos, Rachel Simoes, Alon Efroni, Abigail Sondrini, Kristen M DeAngelis","doi":"10.1128/msphere.00059-25","DOIUrl":"10.1128/msphere.00059-25","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Below-ground carbon transformations that contribute to healthy soils represent a natural climate change mitigation, but newly acquired traits adaptive to climate stress may alter microbial feedback mechanisms. To better define microbial evolutionary responses to long-term climate warming, we study microorganisms from an ongoing <i>in situ</i> soil warming experiment where, for over three decades, temperate forest soils are continuously heated at 5°C above ambient. We hypothesize that across generations of chronic warming, genomic signatures within diverse bacterial lineages reflect adaptations related to growth and carbon utilization. From our bacterial culture collection isolated from experimental heated and control plots, we sequenced genomes representing dominant taxa sensitive to warming, including lineages of Actinobacteria, Alphaproteobacteria, and Betaproteobacteria. We investigated genomic attributes and functional gene content to identify signatures of adaptation. Comparative pangenomics revealed accessory gene clusters related to central metabolism, competition, and carbon substrate degradation, with few functional annotations explicitly associated with long-term warming. Trends in functional gene patterns suggest genomes from heated plots were relatively enriched in central carbohydrate and nitrogen metabolism pathways, while genomes from control plots were relatively enriched in amino acid and fatty acid metabolism pathways. We observed that genomes from heated plots had less codon bias, suggesting potential adaptive traits related to growth or growth efficiency. Codon usage bias varied for organisms with similar 16S <i>rrn</i> operon copy number, suggesting that these organisms experience different selective pressures on growth efficiency. Our work suggests the emergence of lineage-specific trends as well as common ecological-evolutionary microbial responses to climate change.IMPORTANCEAnthropogenic climate change threatens soil ecosystem health in part by altering below-ground carbon cycling carried out by microbes. Microbial evolutionary responses are often overshadowed by community-level ecological responses, but adaptive responses represent potential changes in traits and functional potential that may alter ecosystem function. We predict that microbes are adapting to climate change stressors like soil warming. To test this, we analyzed the genomes of bacteria from a soil warming experiment where soil plots have been experimentally heated 5°C above ambient for over 30 years. While genomic attributes were unchanged by long-term warming, we observed trends in functional gene content related to carbon and nitrogen usage and genomic indicators of growth efficiency. These responses may represent new parameters in how soil ecosystems feedback to the climate system.</p>","PeriodicalId":19052,"journal":{"name":"mSphere","volume":" ","pages":"e0005925"},"PeriodicalIF":3.7,"publicationDate":"2025-04-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12039271/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143657460","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"<i>Vibrio cholerae</i> O47 associated with a cholera-like diarrheal outbreak concurrent with seasonal cholera in Bangladesh.","authors":"Mohammad Tarequl Islam, Jarin Tasnim, Rabeya Basri, Mohammad Nazmus Sakib, Wali Ullah, Kazi Sumaita Nahar, Abdus Sadique, Marzia Sultana, Eiji Arakawa, Masatomo Morita, Haruo Watanabe, Yann F Boucher, Anwar Huq, Rita R Colwell, Munirul Alam","doi":"10.1128/msphere.00831-24","DOIUrl":"10.1128/msphere.00831-24","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The Ganges delta of the Bay of Bengal is a recognized hotspot for the emergence and spread of novel variants of <i>Vibrio cholerae</i>. Despite being a diverse species, very little information is available concerning environmental and human-associated aspects of <i>V. cholerae</i> serogroups, other than the two major epidemic-related serogroups O1 and O139. This represents a crucial gap in understanding the spectrum of diversity, ecology, and epidemiology of the species influencing the dynamics of global cholera. In this study, we describe an emerging variant of <i>V. cholerae</i> displaying the antigenic property of serogroup O47, associated with a cholera-like outbreak in coastal Bangladesh where cholera has been endemic for centuries. This outbreak coincides with a rise in cases of cholera caused by <i>V. cholerae</i> O1, as well as frequency of isolation of serogroups O47 and O1 from the environment. The <i>V. cholerae</i> O47 isolates proved clonal in nature, and their genome biology revealed distinct features, with respect to multidrug resistance (MDR), serogroup-specific genes, genomic island combinations, and overall phylogenetic properties. Genome comparison confirmed the absence of canonical virulence factors of <i>V. cholerae</i> O1 and O139, namely, cholera toxin (CTX) and toxin-co-regulated pili (TCP), and the presence of putative virulence factors including type 3 secretion system (T3SS) and an MDR pseudo-compound transposon, carrying genes for macrolide resistance and extended spectrum beta-lactamase. Results of the study suggest that <i>V. cholerae</i> O47 could represent an emerging <i>Vibrio</i> pathogen with the potential to spread virulence and antimicrobial resistance traits impacting the management of cholera-like diseases.IMPORTANCEDespite the global insurgence of human diseases caused by Vibrios in recent years, most research focuses only on the O1 serogroup of <i>V. cholerae</i>, leaving a significant gap concerning the environmental and human-associated aspects of other serogroups found in nature. Although other serogroups are often found associated with sporadic diarrhea cases, in 1992-1993, a massive cholera-like diarrhea epidemic was initiated by a \"non-O1\" serogroup, namely, O139 that temporally displaced O1 from endemic cholera in the Bay of Bengal villages of Bangladesh and India, highlighting the potential threat they might pose. This study describes yet another emerging variant of <i>V. cholerae</i>, displaying the antigenic property of serogroup O47, associated with a cholera-like outbreak in a coastal locality in Bangladesh. Findings of the study offer critical insights into the genome biology of <i>V. cholerae</i> O47 and its potential implications for understanding their ecology and epidemiology of cholera-like diseases.</p>","PeriodicalId":19052,"journal":{"name":"mSphere","volume":" ","pages":"e0083124"},"PeriodicalIF":3.7,"publicationDate":"2025-04-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12039230/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143764538","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"The impact of the flagellar protein gene <i>fliK</i> on <i>Helicobacter pylori</i> biofilm formation.","authors":"Hongjin Tao, Wangjingyi Zhang, Jing Liu, Yu Zhou, Gangshi Wang","doi":"10.1128/msphere.00018-25","DOIUrl":"10.1128/msphere.00018-25","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The biofilm structure of <i>Helicobacter pylori</i> is known to enhance its capabilities for antimicrobial resistance. This study aims to investigate the role of the flagellar hook length control protein gene <i>fliK</i> in the biofilm formation of <i>H. pylori</i>. Homologous recombination was employed to knock out the <i>fliK</i> gene in the <i>H. pylori</i> NCTC 11637 strain. The flagella of <i>H. pylori</i> were observed using transmission electron microscopy (TEM), whereas <i>H. pylori</i> motility and growth were examined through semi-solid agar assays and growth curve analyses, respectively. The bacterial biofilm and its constituents were visualized utilizing fluorescence confocal microscopy. Assessments of <i>H. pylori</i> adhesion to gastric mucosal cells, its vacuolar toxicity, and antibiotic resistance were evaluated using co-culture experiments and E-test methods. The <i>fliK</i> gene was successfully knocked out in <i>H. pylori</i> NCTC 11637. The Δ<i>fliK</i> mutant exhibited polyhook structures or lacked typical flagellar morphology, reduced mobility, and a slower bacterial growth rate compared with the wild-type strain. Fluorescence confocal microscopy revealed a decrease in the thickness of the biofilm formed by the Δ<i>fliK</i> strain, along with reductions in polysaccharide and DNA components. The deletion of <i>fliK</i> did not affect vacuolar toxicity or antibiotic resistance but did reduce the adhesive capacity of the bacterium to gastric mucosal cells. The deletion of the <i>fliK</i> gene significantly impairs <i>H. pylori</i> biofilm formation, leading to substantial decreases in biofilm components, bacterial growth, and adhesion capabilities. These findings underscore the importance of <i>fliK</i> in the pathogenicity of <i>H. pylori</i>.IMPORTANCEThe increasing antibiotic resistance of <i>Helicobacter pylori</i> has emerged as a global health concern, with biofilm formation serving as a crucial mechanism underlying this resistance. This study investigates the role of the <i>fliK</i> gene, which encodes the flagellar hook length control protein, in <i>H. pylori</i> biofilm formation. Furthermore, we examined the influence of <i>fliK</i> on <i>H. pylori</i> growth, motility, and cellular adhesion capabilities. Our findings elucidate the molecular mechanisms governing <i>H. pylori</i> biofilm formation and suggest potential therapeutic strategies for addressing <i>H. pylori</i> antibiotic resistance.</p>","PeriodicalId":19052,"journal":{"name":"mSphere","volume":" ","pages":"e0001825"},"PeriodicalIF":3.7,"publicationDate":"2025-04-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12039246/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143674272","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"ASM and the UN SDG Publishers Compact: year one.","authors":"Lorraine F Clark, Amanda Donaldson, Michael E Lerman","doi":"10.1128/msphere.00116-25","DOIUrl":"10.1128/msphere.00116-25","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The United Nations (UN) Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) represent an important set of global priorities, addressing the most urgent environmental, economic, and social challenges facing humankind. The American Society for Microbiology (ASM) signed the UN SDG Publishers Compact in March 2024, to lend its voice to this vital initiative, as indeed not only do the SDGs align with ASM's mission but microbes themselves can play significant roles in, for example, sustainable agriculture, clean energy, and human health. In its first year as a signatory, ASM has pursued, published, and highlighted sustainability-focused work in its journals, has raised awareness through internal efforts and joint efforts with other scientific organizations, and has prioritized the SDGs in its conferences and other programs. We commemorate our achievements in this first year and look forward to future initiatives, innovations, and collaborations toward a sustainable future.</p>","PeriodicalId":19052,"journal":{"name":"mSphere","volume":" ","pages":"e0011625"},"PeriodicalIF":3.7,"publicationDate":"2025-04-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12039256/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143649865","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Methods to evaluate the performance of a multicomponent meningococcal serogroup B vaccine.","authors":"Ray Borrow, Laura Tomasi Cont, Daniela Toneatto, Stefania Bambini, Shravani Bobde, Woo-Yun Sohn, Alessia Biolchi, Vega Masignani, Peter T Beernink, Maria Lattanzi","doi":"10.1128/msphere.00898-24","DOIUrl":"10.1128/msphere.00898-24","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Meningococcal serogroup B (MenB) vaccine licensure was based on the assessment of vaccine-induced immune responses by human serum bactericidal antibody (hSBA) assay against a small number of antigen-specific strains complemented by strain coverage predictions. However, the evaluation of vaccine strain coverage is challenging because of genotypic and phenotypic diversity in surface-exposed MenB strain antigens. This narrative review considers the principal methods applied to assess the performance of a multicomponent MenB vaccine at different stages of its development. Traditional hSBA assay against a limited panel of strains is useful at all stages, while predicted strain coverage methods, such as the meningococcal antigen typing system, are used independent of clinical trials. A new method, the endogenous complement hSBA assay, has been developed to evaluate a vaccine's ability to induce a bactericidal immune response in clinical trials, in conditions that approximate real-world settings through the use of each vaccinee's serum as a source of complement and by testing against a panel of 110 epidemiologically representative MenB strains. Each assay, therefore, has a different scope during the vaccine's development and all complement each other, enabling comprehensive evaluation of the performance of multicomponent MenB vaccines, in advance of real-world evidence of vaccine effectiveness and vaccine impact.</p>","PeriodicalId":19052,"journal":{"name":"mSphere","volume":" ","pages":"e0089824"},"PeriodicalIF":3.7,"publicationDate":"2025-04-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12039234/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143803853","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}