Differential stress responsiveness determines intraspecies virulence heterogeneity and host adaptation in Listeria monocytogenes.

Microbial pathogenesis is mediated by the expression of virulence genes. However, as microbes with identical virulence gene content can differ in their pathogenic potential, other virulence determinants must be involved. Here, by combining comparative genomics and transcriptomics of a large collection of isolates of the model pathogen Listeria monocytogenes, time-lapse microscopy, in vitro evolution and in vivo experiments, we show that the individual stress responsiveness of L.

Current limitations and opportunities for improvements of agent-based transport models for noise exposure assessment.

Agent-based models represent a promising approach for simulating transport systems and assessing their environmental noise impact, potentially enhancing standard noise exposure assessments. However, it is very important to understand the relevance of these assessments within the context of models initially designed for transport studies. Then, this research investigates the utilization of agent-based transport models when coupled with environmental models to assess individual exposure to transport-related noise.

Cryo-EM structures of type IV pili complexed with nanobodies reveal immune escape mechanisms.

Type IV pili (T4P) are prevalent, polymeric surface structures in pathogenic bacteria, making them ideal targets for effective vaccines. However, bacteria have evolved efficient strategies to evade type IV pili-directed antibody responses. Neisseria meningitidis are prototypical type IV pili-expressing Gram-negative bacteria responsible for life threatening sepsis and meningitis.

CpG-Activated Regulatory B-Cell Progenitors Alleviate Murine Graft-Versus-Host-Disease.

Development of Graft Versus Host Disease (GVHD) represents a major impediment in allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT). The observation that the presence of bone marrow and circulating hematogones correlated with reduced GVHD risks prompted us to evaluate whether B-cell progenitors, which provide protection in various autoimmune disease models following activation with the TLR-9 agonist CpG (CpG-proBs), could likewise reduce this allogeneic disorder. In a murine model of GVHD that recapitulates an initial phase of acute GVHD followed by a phase of chronic sclerodermatous GVHD, we found that CpG-proBs, adoptively transferred during the initial phase of disease, reduced the diarrhea score and mostly prevented cutaneous fibrosis.