The Extent and Regulation of Lateral Gene Transfer in Natural Microbial Ecosystems from Rustam I. Aminov writing in Horizontal Gene Transfer in Microorganisms : The importance of horizontal gene transfer (HGT) in bacterial evolution is evident from the retrospective analyses of bacterial genomes, which suggest that a substantial part of bacterial genomes is of foreign origin. Another line of evidence that supports the possibility of rapid adaptation of bacteria through lateral gene exchange is the history of antibiotic use by humans. Within read more ...

Excerpt from a book review of Bacterial Pathogenesis: Molecular and Cellular Mechanisms : "The book is aimed primarily at advanced students and experienced scientists looking for concise overview articles and extensive reference lists." from Andreas Peschel (Tuebingen, Germany) writing in Biospektrum (2012) 18: read more ...

The Fungal Sense of Nonself from Myron L. Smith and Denis L. Lafontaine writing in Neurospora : Genomics and Molecular Biology : Fungal incompatibility systems are intricate and complicated, but unifying patterns are emerging that provide a better understanding of the basis for the fungal "sense of nonself". This chapter explores recent advances in understanding fungal vegetative incompatibility (VI) within the broader context of fungal nonself recognition systems. The initial molecular characterization of a limited number of VI factors in read more ...

The Human-microbe Coevolutionary Continuum from Lesley A. Ogilvie, Andrew D.J. Overall and Brian V. Jones writing in Microbial Ecological Theory: Current Perspectives : Humans enter into a range of symbioses with resident and transiently colonising microbes, which span a dynamic continuum from antagonistic to mutualistic. These interactions are shaped by a complex set of selective forces, which include both host and microbially-derived selective pressures. Given the significant impact that both resident and pathogenic microbes can have on read more ...

The Neurospora Circadian System: From Genes to Proteins and Back, in Less Than 24 Hours from Alejandro Montenegro-Montero and Luis F. Larrondo writing in Neurospora : Genomics and Molecular Biology : Circadian clocks confer close to 24-hours rhythms to a large number of processes in most organisms across different evolutionary lineages. These endogenous cellular timekeepers regulate rhythms in gene expression, physiology and behavior and enable organisms to anticipate predictable environmental variations. Studies conducted in the ascomycete read more ...

The Rcs Phosphorelay: Biofilm Formation and Virulence in the Enterobacteriaceae from David J. Clarke writing in Two-Component Systems in Bacteria : The Rcs phosphorelay is a complex signaling network that is restricted in distribution to the Enterobacteriaceae . The core Rcs phosphorelay is composed of 3 proteins: the sensor kinase RcsC, the HPt domain protein RcsD and the response regulator RcsB. In addition to these core components the Rcs phosphorelay also contains some auxiliary proteins that are involved in mediating the inputs to and read more ...

The Sigma Viruses of Drosophila from Ben Longdon, Lena Wilfert and Francis M Jiggins writing in Rhabdoviruses: Molecular Taxonomy, Evolution, Genomics, Ecology, Host-Vector Interactions, Cytopathology and Control : The sigma virus of Drosophila melanogaster (DMelSV) was discovered accidentally over seventy years ago due to it causing infected flies to become paralysed and die on exposure to CO 2 ;. Recently five other species of Drosophila and a species of Muscidae fly have also been found to be infected with sigma viruses, and together read more ...

The Spore as an Infectious Agent: Anthrax Disease as a Paradigm from James M. Vergis, Christy L. Ventura, Louise D. Teel and Alison D. O'Brien writing in Bacterial Spores: Current Research and Applications : The zoonotic disease anthrax is caused by the inhalation, ingestion, or cutaneous inoculation of Bacillus anthracis spores into a susceptible host. While inhalational anthrax is rare in humans, the 2001 distribution of B. anthracis spores through the U.S. mail led to an acceleration of research on disease progression in animal models, read more ...

The Stress Response of Trypanosoma cruzi from Turán P. Ürményi, Deivid C. Rodrigues, Rosane Silva and Edson Rondinelli writing in Stress Response in Microbiology : Trypanosoma cruzi , the causal agent of Chagas' disease, is a flagellated protozoan parasite with a complex life cycle that involves infecting an insect and a mammalian host. Several environmental stresses occur during its life cycle, such as heat, reactive oxygen species, and osmolarity changes, and the parasite has evolved a variety of stress responses to cope read more ...

The Stressful Life of Pathogenic Leishmania Species from Jose M. Requena writing in Stress Response in Microbiology : Leishmania parasites are unicellular protozoa descending from one of the oldest eukaryotic lineages. During its digenetic life cycle, Leishmania alternates between the alimentary tract of the sandfly vector as an extracellular promastigote and the acidic phagolysosomes of macrophage cells as an intracellular amastigote. Parasites must cope with varied and heterogeneous environments: changes in temperature, in pH, in nutrient read more ...

Excerpt from a book review of Brucella : Molecular Microbiology and Genomics : "The book ... introduces the reader to what is known thus far and to the current challenges in the taxonomy, genomics and proteomics, diagnosis and epidemiology, vaccine development, virulence mechanisms, and life cycle posed by these enigmatic bacteria. The authors of the 13 chapters are experts in the field ... (the book)can be recommended to microbiologists, immunologists, veterinarians, and clinicians with an interest in microbial pathogenesis, host-bacterium read more ...

Excerpt from a book review of Extremophiles: Microbiology and Biotechnology : "This book collects the work of renowned researchers to provide chapters outlining the mechanisms Archaea, Bacteria and Eukarya use to survive extremes of temperature, pH, pressure and ionizing radiation. It focuses strongly on commercial applications ... recommended for senior undergraduates' independent reading or the reference of workers in the field alike" from Arwyn Edwards, Aberystwyth University, UK writing in Microbiology Today read more ...

Excerpt from a book review of Microbial Biofilms: Current Research and Applications : "the book comprises 11 papers addressing different applications of biofilm research ... each paper provides a useful update/review of a given area - I particularly like the interactions described in the quorum sensing paper." from Joanna Verran, Manchester Metropolitan University, UK writing in Microbiology Today read more ...

The new book on Bacterial Regulatory Networks edited by Alain A.M. Filloux will be available for dispatch within the next 2 or 3 read more ...

The Structure and Composition of the Outer Layers of the Bacterial Spore from Arthur I. Aronson writing in Bacterial Spores: Current Research and Applications : This review summarizes the basic structural features, composition and protein interactions of the bacterial spore. Aspects of the possible interactions between the external layers of the bacterial spore, the coat and exosporium and the functions of each is discussed in detail. An important theme is that spores are not simply dormant resistant structures for long term survival under read more ...

Tracing of Enteropathogenic Yersinia from Maria Fredriksson-Ahomaa writing in Yersinia : Systems Biology and Control : Yersiniosis caused by Y. enterocolitica and Y. pseudotuberculosis is primarily acquired via contaminated food or water. However, several difficulties have been associated with isolating pathogenic Yersinia strains from food and environmental samples. The detection rates of enteropathogenic yersiniae in animal reservoirs, foods and in the environment have been shown to be clearly higher by PCR than by culturing. In read more ...

Transcriptional Profiling of the Yersinia pestis Life Cycle from B. Joseph Hinnebusch, Florent Sebbane, and Viveka Vadyvaloo writing in Yersinia : Systems Biology and Control : DNA microarray technology enables a comprehensive, systems biology approach to investigate the microbial gene expression program associated with adaptation to different environments. Monitoring the whole-genome transcriptional response of pathogens within infected tissues has rarely been achieved, but has been possible with Yersinia pestis . The transcriptional read more ...

Transcriptional Profiling of Yersinia enterocolitica -host Cell Interactions from Reinhard Hoffmann, Ekaterina Lenk, and Jürgen Heesemann writing in Yersinia : Systems Biology and Control : The infection of the host is a complex biological process which prompted infection biologists to pursue reductionist approaches to unravel molecular events of pathogen-host interaction. DNA microarray provides us with a systems biology approach to gain a more holistic picture. Transcriptional profiling of host cell-pathogen interactions results in read more ...

Two-component Regulators in the Vibrio fischeri-Euprymna scolopes Symbiosis from Valerie A. Ray and Karen L. Visick writing in Two-Component Systems in Bacteria : The symbiotic relationship between the marine bioluminescent bacterium Vibrio fischeri and its host, the Hawaiian bobtail squid Euprymna scolopes , depends upon the ability of the two partners to sense and respond to each other. V. fischeri colonizes a specialized squid organ called the light organ in three general stages: initiation, accommodation, and persistence. To respond to read more ...

Excerpt from a book review of Small DNA Tumour Viruses : "This is a good review of how viruses can hijack a host cell and induce unrestrained cellular replication. It will serve as a good reference and review for scientists working in this field as well as those developing vaccines and therapies for tumor-promoting viruses." from Rebecca T. Horvat (University of Kansas, USA) writing in read more ...

David Rodriguez-Lazaro presents a new book on Real-Time PCR in Food Science: Current Technology and Applications Written by experts in the field, this book is an indispensable manual for scientists in the food industry. The first section provides an introduction to real-time PCR, discusses the use of PCR diagnostics in food science, describes the principles and methods of sample preparation, and covers the verification and control of PCR procedures. The eleven chapters in the second section cover the use of real-time PCR to detect various read more ...

Two-component Regulatory Systems in Prokaryotes from David E. Whitworth writing in Bacterial Regulatory Networks : Two-component systems (TCSs) are signalling pathways found abundantly in prokaryotes, and they are the dominant mechanism for stimulus-responsive adaptation in such organisms. An ever-increasing number of physiological phenomena are known to be regulated by TCSs, including cell cycle progression, pathogenesis, motility, and biofilm formation. The basic TCS comprises a receptor protein (sensor kinase) which autophosphorylates in read more ...

Two-component Signaling in the Gram-positive Envelope Stress Response: Intramembrane-sensing Histidine Kinases and Accessory Membrane Proteins from Karen Schrecke, Anna Staroń and Thorsten Mascher writing in Two-Component Systems in Bacteria : The cell envelope stress response (CESR) network monitors and maintains envelope integrity to counteract the damaging effects of cell wall antibiotics and membrane perturbating agents. Two-component systems (2CSs) involved in orchestrating CESR in Firmicutes bacteria (low G+C Gram-positive) are read more ...

Two-component Systems in Developmental Processes from writing in Two-Component Systems in Bacteria : Further reading: Two-Component Systems in read more ...

Excerpt from a book review of Small DNA Tumour Viruses : "Cancer biology researchers interested in the transforming viruses will find the information contained in Small DNA Tumour Viruses to be highly applicable in terms of its strong molecular biology coverage. Virologists focused on this group of viruses will find this book invaluable for its multiple perspectives and concise summary of a large body of research in this area." from read more ...

Two-component Systems in Streptomyces from Juan-Francisco Martín, Alberto Sola-Landa and Antonio Rodríguez-García writing in Two-Component Systems in Bacteria : Two-component systems (TCS) play a very important role in the regulation of metabolism in Streptomyces species in response to different nutritional or environmental signals. Streptomyces are Gram-positive soil-dwelling filamentous bacteria with large genomes that have the ability to produce thousands of different secondary metabolites. Streptomyces genomes read more ...

Two-component Systems in Stress Responses from writing in Two-Component Systems in Bacteria : Further reading: Two-Component Systems in read more ...

Two-component Systems in Virulence and Symbiosis from writing in Two-Component Systems in Bacteria : Further reading: Two-Component Systems in read more ...

The new book on Stress Response in Microbiology edited by Jose M. Requena will be available for dispatch within the next 2 or 3 read more ...

Two-component Systems Involved in Regulation of Motility and Development in Myxococcus xanthus from Daniela Keilberg, Stuart Huntley and Lotte Søgaard-Andersen writing in Two-Component Systems in Bacteria : The Myxococcus xanthus lifecycle is characterized by many social interactions. In particular, M. xanthus forms cooperatively spreading colonies in the presence of nutrients and multicellular, spore-filled fruiting bodies in the absence of nutrients. Formation of both cellular patterns depends on two intact motility systems. read more ...

Using qPCR for Water Microbial Risk Assessments from Jorge Santo Domingo, Mary Schoen, Nicholas Ashbolt and Hodon Ryu writing in Quantitative Real-time PCR in Applied Microbiology : Microbial risk assessment (MRA) has traditionally utilized microbiological data that was obtained by culture-based techniques that are expensive and time consuming. With the advent of PCR methods there is a realistic opportunity to conduct MRA studies economically, in less time, and simultaneously targeting multiple pathogens and their sources. More importantly, read more ...

Viral Deregulation of DNA Damage Responses from Sergei Boichuk and Ole Gjoerup writing in Small DNA Tumour Viruses : Incoming viral genomes, aberrant viral replication structures or individual viral proteins are potential triggers of DNA damage responses (DDRs). In an emerging theme, viruses interfere with, and frequently commandeer, DDR and repair signaling pathways to promote the viral life cycle. Here we review the diverse mechanisms that small DNA tumour viruses utilize to deregulate DDR pathways. Adenoviruses (Ad) encode gene products read more ...