Pathogenic Escherichia coli change the adhesion between neutrophils and endotheliocytes in the experimental bacteremia model

July 22, 2024

In this work, we have demonstrated that in the model of experimental septicemia there is a disruption of adhesion contacts between neutrophils and endothelial cells, manifested by a decrease in adhesion force and work upon exposure to E. coli.

Swimming faster despite obstacles: a universal mechanism behind bacterial speed enhancement in complex fluids

June 27, 2022

Bacteria constitute about 15% of global biomass and their natural environments often contain polymers and colloids, which show complex flow properties. It is crucial to study their motion in such environments to understand their growth and spreading as well as to design synthetic microswimmers for biomedical applications. Bacterial motion in complex viscous environments, although extensively studied over the past six decades, still remains poorly understood. In our recent study combining experimental data and theoretical analysis, we found a surprising similarity between bacterial motion in dilute colloidal suspensions and polymer solutions, which challenged the established view on the role of polymer dynamics on bacterial speed enhancement. We subsequently developed a physical model that provides a universal mechanism explaining bacterial speed enhancement (...)

A multifunctional small RNA binding protein for sensing and signaling cell envelope precursor availability in bacteria

April 15, 2020

This article relates to the study "Small RNA‐binding protein RapZ mediates cell envelope precursor sensing and signaling in Escherichia coli" by Khan et al. (EMBO J, 2020) that uncovers a complex regulatory network in E. coli where the RNA-binding protein RapZ functions as a sensor for GlcN6P, coordinating sRNA activity and a two-component system to maintain GlcN6P homeostasis and regulate cell envelope biosynthesis.

Bacterial maze runners reveal hidden diversity in chemotactic performance

July 1, 2019

This article comments on work published by Salek et al. (Nat Commun, 2019), which combined microfluidic experiments with mathematical modeling to demonstrate that even in clonal populations, bacteria are individuals with different abilities to climb chemical gradients.

Escherichia coli hijack Caspr1 receptor to invade cerebral vascular and neuronal hosts

August 7, 2018

In this article, the authors comment on the study "Caspr1 is a host receptor for meningitis-causing Escherichia coli" by Zhao et al. (Nat Commun, 2ß18) that identified Caspr1 as a key host receptor for E. coli virulence factor IbeA, facilitating E. coli penetration through the blood-brain barrier (BBB). The research demonstrated that targeting the interaction between IbeA and Caspr1 could potentially neutralize E. coli virulence and prevented meningitis, shedding light on the mechanisms of bacterial invasion into brain endothelial cells and hippocampal neurons.

Microbial wars: competition in ecological niches and within the microbiome

May 7, 2018

In this Editorial Bauer et al. provide a brief overview on microbial competition and discuss some of its roles and consequences that directly affect humans.

Microbial competition between Escherichia coli and Candida albicans reveals a soluble fungicidal factor

March 7, 2018

Localized and systemic fungal infections caused by Candida albicans can lead to significant mortality and morbidity. Here, Cabral et al. show that E. coli produces a soluble factor that kills C. albicans in a magnesium-dependent fashion such that depletion of available magnesium is essential for toxicity.