Publications by authors named "Hannah Tabakh"
Article Synopsis
- Transposon sequencing (Tn-seq) is a genome-wide technique used to study bacterial fitness, but it faces limitations due to dose restrictions and host factors that limit mutant screening.
- Researchers created a RECON mouse model to allow for high-dose infections, enabling a Tn-seq screen of a human pathogen that identified 135 essential genes for growth in mice, including new genes linked to host survival.
- The study revealed organ-specific growth requirements and the role of certain genes, such as FolD, in liver pathogenesis, paving the way for future research on genetic factors in listeriosis, a disease caused by the bacterium responsible for foodborne infections.
Here, we present a protocol for harnessing the natural transformability of the edible algae Arthrospira platensis (common name: spirulina) to generate strains that express heterologous proteins. We describe the preparation of plasmids and the steps to grow A. platensis.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPathogens encounter numerous antimicrobial responses during infection, including the reactive oxygen species (ROS) burst. ROS-mediated oxidation of host membrane poly-unsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) generates the toxic alpha-beta carbonyl 4-hydroxy-2-nonenal (4-HNE). Although studied extensively in the context of sterile inflammation, research into 4-HNE's role during infection remains limited.
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- RECON is an oxidoreductase that senses cyclic dinucleotides (CDNs) from bacteria, inhibiting its own enzymatic activity and promoting inflammation.
- The study showed that in cells lacking RECON, there was increased cell-to-cell spread of an intracellular bacterium, which was not linked to key virulence factors.
- The findings suggest that RECON normally suppresses inflammatory responses, and its inhibition by bacterial c-di-AMP leads to enhanced NF-κB activation, increased nitric oxide production, and ultimately more effective bacterial spreading.
Replication-transcription collisions shape genomes, influence evolution, and promote genetic diseases. Although unclear why, head-on transcription (lagging strand genes) is especially disruptive to replication and promotes genomic instability. Here, we find that head-on collisions promote R-loop formation in Bacillus subtilis.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFCells react to their environment through gene regulatory networks. Network integrity requires minimization of undesired crosstalk between their biomolecules. Similar constraints also limit the use of regulators when building synthetic circuits for engineering applications.
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