Abstract. Bacteria produce the alarmone nucleotides ppGpp and pppGpp during stress to affect replication, transcription, and metabolism. ppGpp and pppGpp a

From pursuing an impossible dream to uncovering one of the cell’s best-kept secrets and advancing the design of improved antibiotics

Transcription underpins the expression of genetic information and is viewed as a series of independent initiation and termination events. In bacteria, promoters and terminators of transcription are th...

Eutrophication and warming in Lake Erie create two microbial threats: cyanobacterial harmful algal blooms (cHABs) that can produce toxins, and seasonal hypoxia driven by microbial respiration. These p...

Bioeconomy Assistant Professor The Department of Bacteriology is seeking applicants at the Assistant Professor level to launch a research program in the New Bioeconomy. Applicants may be interested in...

Ribosome stalling caused by polyproline (PPs) motifs is common. Their translation is enhanced by accessory proteins such as YebC in bacteria, whose homolog, TRANSLATIONAL ACTIVATOR OF CYTOCHROME C OXI...

Copper is a critical micronutrient for bacteria; however, it is toxic in excess. This leads to the cell having tightly regulated import and export systems to prevent intoxication while having sufficient copper for cellular needs. Copper export has been well studied, but copper import and the effects of copper starvation are less defined. In this article, we characterize the Bacillus subtilis high-affinity copper importer YcnJ. We show that under copper limitation, the cell is deficient in copper-containing oxidases, which leads to respiratory defects. Copper imported by YcnJ is proposed to function in a pathway with other proteins implicated in the assembly of respiratory oxidases. More generally, this work contributes to the underexplored area of copper import and trafficking in bacteria.

A biweekly scientific journal publishing high-quality research in molecular biology and genetics, cancer biology, biochemistry, and related fields

Ribosome arrest peptides undergo programmed translational stalling in response to changes in the cellular environment to feedback-regulate gene expression. CliM, an arrest peptide in Clostridia, is en...

INSPIRE is recruiting! Please share broadly with senior graduate students and beginning postdocs. INSPIRE, the NIH-funded Rutgers-IRACDA, offers postdoctoral training for individuals interested in com...

The Department of Biology at Syracuse University invites applications for a non-tenure-track Assistant Teaching Professor to teach Biology and Biochemistry undergraduate level classes, starting in fal...

Ribosomes translate the genetic code in mRNA to synthesize proteins in all living organisms. Decoding of mRNA occurs in the small subunit of the ribosome and is mediated by tRNA anticodons. Regions ne...

Author summary Homologous recombination (HR) is a DNA double-strand break repair pathway that functions at DNA breaks and stalled or collapsed replication forks. Rad51 is a critical enzyme that mediat...

Authors reveal that protein nanofibrils govern assembly of bacterial spores and extrasporal toxins into insecticidal aggregates. Spores and parasporal bodies are incased in a “sporesilk” matrix that d...

PhD Project - Primary metabolic enzymes in antibiotic-producing Streptomyces bacteria, but not as we know them! at University of Strathclyde, listed on FindAPhD.com

The Erm rRNA methyltransferase superfamily represents the most prevalent determinant of MLS resistance in nosocomial Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacteria. Previous studies have established that erm expression is primarily governed by upstream ribosome stalling peptide and the 5′ untranslated regions. Using the widespread S. aureus ermBL-ermB (ermB+) operon as a model system, we unexpectedly identified second-site mutations in purR that synergistically enhance MLS resistance in an ermB+ background. Loss of purR function derepresses nucleotide biosynthesis and ribosome production, thereby promoting bacterial growth under antibiotic stress. While numerous purR single-nucleotide polymorphisms across multiple species have been associated with antibiotic resistance, no study has directly linked these sequence polymorphisms to their regulatory function. Our results highlight the critical role of ribosome abundance and nucleotide metabolism in shaping antibiotic efficacy.

A biweekly scientific journal publishing high-quality research in molecular biology and genetics, cancer biology, biochemistry, and related fields