Latest Virulence Stories

Two opportunistic pathogens that were once thought to be very different have evolved some sexual reproduction and disease-causing habits that are not only similar but also suggest that in the microbial world sex and virulence are closely linked, according to a review published this week in the online journal mBioâ„¢."Although the mechanisms used by bacterial and fungal species to promote genetic exchange are distinct, recent studies have uncovered surprising parallels between...

The genetic make-up of pathogenic bacteria and their harmless cousins is much more similar than previously thought, UA microbiologists find.In the bacterial world, good guys can potentially turn into bad guys and vice versa - just by swapping genes, microbiologists at the University of Arizona have discovered.The researchers studied bacteria belonging to the genus Neisseria. These bacteria colonize the mucous membranes of humans.Intrigued by the question of why some species of Neisseria are...

Although mechanism had not been recognized before, evidence shows similar mechanism of protein modification occurs in all 5 kingdoms of lifeResearchers have discovered a novel mechanism in Salmonella that affects its virulence and its susceptibility to antibiotics by changing its production of proteins in a previously unheard of manner. This allows Salmonella to selectively change its levels of certain proteins to respond to inhospitable conditions.Although the mechanism had not been...

The discovery of how bacteria communicate may lead to new types of antibiotics and ways of improving actions of good bacteriaBonnie Bassler spends her days listening to bacteria talk to one another, and what she has overheard may surprise you.It turns out that these tiny, single-celled organisms are taking roll call. Each whispered conversation is an attempt to count how many of their own kind are present before they try to mount an attack on their host organism, which might very well be your...

It's a tragedy of war that innocent bystanders often get caught in the crossfire. But now scientists at the University of Pennsylvania and the University of Oxford have shown how a battle for survival at a microscopic level could leave humans as the unlikely victims.In work funded by the US Public Health Service and the Wellcome Trust, the researchers have found a possible explanation for why some bacteria turn nasty, even at great risk to their own survival.The body is home to a wide range...

For a successful infection, bacteria must outwit the immune system of the host. To this aim, they deliver so-called virulence factors through a transport channel located in the bacterial membrane. In some bacteria this transport channel is formed like a syringe, enabling them to inject virulence factors directly into the host cell. Scientists from the Max Planck Society and the Federal Institute for Materials Research and Testing have now succeeded for the first time in elucidating basic...

Army scientists have discovered a way to "trick" the bacterium that causes anthrax into shedding its protective covering, making it easier for the body's immune system to mount a defense. The study, which appears in this month's issue of the journal MICROBIOLOGY, could lead to new approaches for treating anthrax infection.Bacillus anthracis, the causative agent of anthrax, is particularly lethal because of its protective coating, or capsule, which enables the pathogen to escape...

Universitat Autonoma de Barcelona researchers took part in a study published in NatureA research appearing in Nature, with the participation of doctors Susana Campoy and Jordi Barbé from the Department of Genetics and Microbiology at UAB, demonstrates that bacteria have a surprising mechanism to transfer virulent genes causing infections. The research describes an unprecedented evolutionary adaptation and could contribute to finding new ways of treating and preventing bacterial...

Anthrax-causing bacteria can be engineered to shed their invisibility cloaks, making it easier for the immune system to eradicate it, according to a new study published in Microbiology. The work could lead to new measures to treat anthrax infection in the event of a biological warfare attack.Bacillus anthracis is a particularly lethal pathogen because it manages to escape recognition by the host's immune system by coating itself with a protective capsule around its surface. A key bacterial...

A new switch that enables Salmonella bacteria to sabotage host cells is revealed in a study published April 15 in the journal Science.The researchers behind the study, from Imperial College London, say that the new finding could ultimately lead to drugs that interfere with the switch in order to combat Salmonella and possibly other bacterial infections.In humans, Salmonella causes diseases ranging from gastroenteritis to typhoid fever. It also causes similar diseases in livestock.Before the...