The Transcriptional Program of Phage K Is Affected by a Host Mutation That Confers Phage K Resistance.

To better understand host-phage interactions and the genetic bases of phage resistance in a model system relevant to potential phage therapy, we isolated several spontaneous mutants of the USA300 clinical isolate NRS384 that were resistant to phage K. Six of these had a single missense mutation in the host gene, which encodes the RNA polymerase β' subunit. To examine the hypothesis that mutations in the host RNA polymerase affect the transcription of phage genes, we performed RNA-seq analysis on total RNA samples collected from NRS384 wild-type (WT) and mutant cultures infected with phage K, at different timepoints after infection.

The role of chorion integrity on the bioaccumulation and toxicity of selenium nanoparticles in Japanese medaka (Oryzias latipes).

Selenium nanoparticles (nano-Se) have a wide range of biomedical and agricultural applications. However, there is little information on the potential toxicity of nano-Se once it enters the environment, particularly in fish. The first line of defense from contaminants that embryonic fish have is the chorion, but the degree to which the chorion protects the developing embryo is unknown.

A single rare σ70 variant establishes a unique gene expression pattern in the E. coli pathobiont LF82.

LF82, an adherent-invasive Escherichia coli (AIEC) pathobiont, is associated with Crohn's disease, an inflammatory bowel disease of unknown etiology. Although AIEC phenotypes differ from those of 'commensal' or pathogenic E. coli, work has failed to identify genetic features accounting for these differences.

Single and mixture toxicity of cadmium and copper to swim bladder in early life stages of Japanese medaka (Oryzias latipes).

Toxicity observed in aquatic ecosystems often cannot be explained by the action of a single pollutant. Likewise, evaluation standards formulated by a single effect cannot truly reflect the environmental quality requirements. The study of mixtures is needed to provide environmental relevance and knowledge of combined toxicity.

Discovering Novel Bacterial Small RNA by RNA-seq Analysis Toolkit ANNOgesic.

ANNOgesic is an RNA-seq analysis pipeline that can detect sRNAs and many other genomic features in bacteria and archaea. In addition to listing sRNA candidates, ANNOgesic also generates various formats of data files for visual examination and downstream experimental design. Based on validations from previous studies, the sRNA predictions are accurate and reliable.