Mycobacterium tuberculosis causes an infection in humans with clinical manifestations varying from asymptomatic carrying of bacteria to rapidly progressing tuberculosis. The range of clinical manifestations depends on complicated and still poorly understood interactions between pathogenic bacteria and the host. Changes in gene expression that result from the immune response of the host are necessary for the survival and function of M. tuberculosis. This review is devoted to the analysis of the dynamic changes in the transcriptome of M. tuberculosis occurring in the course of an infection in the host organism tissues. We reviewed the modern data on changes in transcriptome, obtained in various model systems. A large part of this review is devoted to the description of the changes in the biochemistry of the infectious process caused by M. tuberculosis during the transition from initial infection, through latency, to reactivation of the pathogen. We also discuss the changes in gene expression occurring at each stage and alterations in bacterial metabolism caused by them.
Plant parasitic nematodes are the most destructive group of plant pathogens worldwide and their control is extremely challenging. Plant Essential oils (EOs) and their constituents have a great potential in nematode control since they can be developed for use as nematicides themselves or can ... more
For over a century, ulcer has been a major cause of morbidity and mortality. Its treatment has progressed from vagotomy to proton pump inhibitors. However, the drugs used produce many adverse effects and are less effective than they ought to be. Therefore, there is a growing interest in alt ... more
Endophytic fungi are ubiquitous organisms found in the plants, residing intercellular or intracellular, at least for a portion of their lives without causing apparent symptoms of infection. Almost all plants are known to harbor endophytes. The choice of the plant to be used for exploring en ... more
Physicists describe how they have synthesized a new material that belongs to the iron-selenide class of superconductors, called LixFe2Se2(NH3)y, in a paper about to be published in EPJ B. The work was carried out by Ernst-Wilhelm Scheidt from the University of Augsburg and colleagues. This ... more
The U.S. federal government is significantly underestimating the costs of carbon pollution because it is using a faulty analytical model, according to a new study published in the Journal of Environmental Studies and Sciences. A more appropriate accounting of costs would pave the way to cle ... more
Springer advisory board member Vladimir V. Dmitriev, along with fellow scientists Yuriy M. Bunkov and Igor A. Fomin, have been named winners of the 2008 Fritz London Memorial Prize for their discovery and understanding of the "Phase Coherent Spin Precession and Spin Superfluidity of 3He-B." ... more