Histones: Dosage and Degradation from Rakesh Kumar Singh, Johanna Paik and Akash Gunjan writing in Epigenetics: A Reference Manual : In eukaryotes, the genetic material in the form of DNA is wrapped around histone proteins to form nucleoprotein filaments called chromatin. Histones help package the DNA to fit it inside the nucleus of each cell, which in turn regulates access to the genetic information contained within the DNA. Hence, all DNA transactions are likely to be affected by histone metabolism. Eukaryotes carry multiple histones genes read more ...

The new book on Horizontal Gene Transfer in Microorganisms edited by M. Pilar Francino will be available for dispatch within the next 2 or 3 read more ...

from Lyudmila Boyanova writing in Helicobacter pylori : Discovery of Helicobacter pylori by Marshall and Warren in 1982 was the start of a real revolution in the gastroenterology with a strong impact on medicine as a whole. In the 1870s, despite some reports on spiral bacteria in gastric tissues, stress and diet were thought to be the only causes of peptic ulcers. In 1979, Warren evaluated Campylobacter -like organisms (CLOs) in inflamed gastric tissues and in 1982, his co-worker, Marshall, isolated the bacteria. However, the discovery was read more ...

Horizontal Gene Transfer and Recombination in the Evolution of Antibiotic Resistance Genes from Miriam Barlow, Jared Caywood, Serena Lai, Joshua Finley and Chad Swanlund writing in Horizontal Gene Transfer in Microorganisms : Recombination is a mechanism that leads to variation in antibiotic resistance genes. We review its importance in the recently emerged nosocomial pathogen Acinetobacter baumannii , where H orizontal G ene T ransfer (HGT) and recombination are major sources of variation for resistance phenotypes. We also present our read more ...

Horizontal Transfer of Host-adaptability Systems in Bacteria from Eva C. Berglund and A. Carolin Frank writing in Horizontal Gene Transfer in Microorganisms : Understanding the origin, evolution, maintenance, and breakdown of host-adaptation is central to diverse areas such as human health and agriculture. Horizontal gene transfer (HGT) is a recurrent theme in the evolution of host-adaptability systems. Why are these genes often successfully transferred and what is the consequence for the recipient genome? Drawing examples from the read more ...

Matthias J. Reddehase presents a new book on Cytomegaloviruses: From Molecular Pathogenesis to Intervention This two-volume work, is an updated and upgraded 2nd-edition of 'Cytomegaloviruses: Molecular Biology and Immunology' (2006). The title 'Cytomegaloviruses: From Molecular Pathogenesis to Intervention' reflects its expanded commitment not only to cover cutting-edge basic science but also to include the translation of this to clinical science. In an interdisciplinary approach to understanding CMV disease and outlining options for read more ...

Host Transcriptome Responses to Yersinia pestis Infection from Zongmin Du and Ruifu Yang writing in Yersinia : Systems Biology and Control : Yersinia pestis , the etiological agent of plague, is highly virulent and has acquired an ability to transmit among hosts via fleabite. The high bacterial load in the blood meal from terminal septicemic rodents makes the fleabite transmission route feasible. Molecular mechanisms underlying the high virulence and the unique transmission strategy of Y. pestis have not been clearly elucidated till now. read more ...

HPV E5: An Enigmatic Oncoprotein from Laura F. Wetherill, Rebecca Ross and Andrew Macdonald writing in Small DNA Tumour Viruses : Mucosal papillomaviruses contain a short open reading frame (ORF) at the 3' end of the early region, termed E5. The E5 protein is a hydrophobic, membrane-integrated protein that localises to the endoplasmic reticulum, Golgi apparatus, endosomes and the nuclear envelope. Structural similarity to the bovine papillomavirus (BPV-1) E5 protein prompted an examination of the transforming abilities of human read more ...

Human Papillomavirus DNA Replication: Insights into the Structure and Regulation of a Eukaryotic DNA Replisome from Claudia M. D'Abramo, Amélie Fradet-Turcotte and Jacques Archambault writing in Small DNA Tumour Viruses : Human papillomaviruses (HPV) replicate their double-stranded, circular DNA genome using two virally encoded proteins, E1 and E2, and several components of the host DNA replication machinery. Viral DNA replication is initiated by the recruitment of the E1 helicase to the viral origin of replication, through its read more ...

Human Papillomavirus Infection and its Association With Neoplasia: From Molecular Biology to Prevention and Treatment from Richard Oparka and C. Simon Herrington writing in Small DNA Tumour Viruses : The papillomaviruses are diverse, predominantly epitheliotropic, viruses that are ubiquitous throughout the world. Well over 100 different types are known to infect humans, affecting particularly the squamous epithelia of the anogenital region, the skin and the upper aerodigestive tract. The majority of infections remain subclinical and, in many read more ...

Identification of Mobile Genetic Elements in Metagenomes from Peter Mullany and Adam P. Roberts writing in Horizontal Gene Transfer in Microorganisms : Mobile genetic elements are discrete segments of nucleic acid that can translocate from one part of the genome to another, and in the case of conjugative elements between genomes in different cells. The vast majority of our knowledge of mobile genetic elements is derived from experimentation on cultivable bacteria and is therefore incomplete. In this chapter we will discuss the methods read more ...

Induction of Genomic Instability by Human Papillomavirus Oncoproteins from Karl Münger and Stefan Duensing writing in Small DNA Tumour Viruses : The high-risk human papillomavirus (HPV)-encoded oncoproteins E6 and E7 have been instrumental to dissect crucial pathways of genomic instability and carcinogenic progression. This includes the notion that cell cycle deregulation and the development of numerical and structural chromosomal instability are intricately linked. The HPV E6 and E7 oncoproteins disrupt p53 and pRB signaling, read more ...

Initiation of Germination in Bacillus and Clostridium Spores from Graham Christie writing in Bacterial Spores: Current Research and Applications : Dormant bacterial spores of the genera Bacillus and Clostridium employ receptors belonging to the GerA family as environmental sensors. The recognition and binding of appropriate small molecule ligands, termed germinants, irreversibly commits the spore to initiate the cascade of biophysical and hydrolytic reactions that comprise the germination process. Germination is a crucial event in the read more ...

Insect Vector Interaction and Transmission of Cereal-Infecting Rhabdoviruses from M.G. Redinbaugh, A. E. Whitfield, and E.-D. Ammar writing in Rhabdoviruses: Molecular Taxonomy, Evolution, Genomics, Ecology, Host-Vector Interactions, Cytopathology and Control : The cereal-infecting cytorhabdoviruses and nucleorhabdoviruses are transmitted to new plant hosts in a persistent, propagative manner by their leafhopper (Cicadellidae and planthopper (Fulgoroidea) vectors. We discuss our current knowledge of virus acquisition by, replication and read more ...

Instrumentation and Fluorescent Chemistries Used in qPCR from Mathilde H. Josefsen, Charlotta Löfström, Trine Hansen, Eyjólfur Reynisson and Jeffrey Hoorfar writing in Quantitative Real-time PCR in Applied Microbiology : The polymerase chain reaction has revolutionized the world of scientific research and its broad application has caused a tremendous development of versatile PCR instruments and chemistries to fit its purpose. This chapter provides the reader with a general introduction to the basics of real-time PCR read more ...

Introduction from Ralf G. Dietzgen and Ivan V. Kuzmin writing in Rhabdoviruses: Molecular Taxonomy, Evolution, Genomics, Ecology, Host-Vector Interactions, Cytopathology and Control : There is no abstract for this chapter. The following is the first paragraph: Rhabdoviruses constitute a diverse group of viruses with non-segmented, single-stranded, negative-sense RNA genomes ( Mononegavirales ), which share a common morphology, phylogeny, and similar genome organization. The outstanding characteristic of rhabdoviruses is their large, read more ...

Introduction from Shah M. Faruque writing in Foodborne and Waterborne Bacterial Pathogens: Epidemiology, Evolution and Molecular Biology : Foodborne and waterborne bacterial pathogens are a major cause of mortality in developing countries and cause significant morbidity in developed nations. Some countries carry a disproportionately heavy burden of these infectious diseases due to inadequate resources to provide sanitation and hygienic facilities, and safe water. The most important bacterial pathogens transmitted through contaminated water read more ...

K + Supply, Osmotic Stress, and the KdpD/KdpE Two-component System from Ralf Heermann and Kirsten Jung writing in Two-Component Systems in Bacteria : The KdpD/KdpE system is one of the most distributed histidine kinase/response regulator systems in bacteria. This two-component system controls expression of the kdpFABC operon encoding the high affinity K + uptake system KdpFABC. KdpD/KdpE is activated whenever the constitutively expressed K + uptake systems are unable to keep up with the cellular need for K + . Typical KdpD/KdpE activating read more ...

Land Use Change and Mercury Mobilization in the Amazon: The Madeira River Basin Case Study from L.D. Lacerda and W.R. Bastos writing in Bioremediation of Mercury: Current Research and Industrial Applications : Mercury is an ubiquitously presence in large areas of the Amazon, resultant form the gold rush which occurred in the region during the past century and from emissions of colonial mining operations, which used Hg amalgamation as major mining procedure. High Hg environmental levels are also favored by the capacity of most Amazon soils to read more ...

Live Vaccines Against Plague and Pseudotuberculosis from Christian E. Demeure writing in Yersinia : Systems Biology and Control : The reemergence of plague in the world, the appearance of antibiotic-resistant strains and the risk that genetically modified Y. pestis could serve as a bioterrorist weapon have fostered a renewed interest for vaccination. Currently, researchers mainly follow two distinct vaccinal strategies: one is the development of acellular sub-unit vaccines based on two recombinant targets (F1 and V), and the other is the read more ...

Long-term Operation of a Microbiological Pilot Plant for Clean-up of Mercury Contaminated Wastewater at Electrolysis Factories in Europe from Johannes Leonhäuser, Harald von Canstein , Wolf-Dieter Deckwer and Irene Wagner-Döbler writing in Bioremediation of Mercury: Current Research and Industrial Applications : A plant for BIOlogical MERcury Remediation (BIOMER) based on mercury resistant bacteria was operated for three years at a chlor-alkali factory in technical scale. Here we report on the performance of the plant and on the read more ...

Manipulating the Fight Between Human Host Cells and Intracellular Pathogens from Rico Barsacchi, Varadharajan Sundaramurthy, Kees Korbee, Jacques Neefjes, Tom Ottenhoff, Tiziana Scanu and Marino Zerial writing in Systems Microbiology: Current Topics and Applications : Host-microbe interactions are complex phenomena spanning multiple levels of complexity, from environmental and ecological factors up to the cellular and genetic levels of host responses. At each of these levels a relationship is established between one or more microorganisms read more ...