Bacteria constitute a large and diverse class of infectious agents, causing devastating
diseases in humans, animals, and plants. Our understanding of gene expression control …

The main virulence factors of the phytopathogenic bacteria Erwinia chrysanthemi are
pectinases that cleave pectin, a major constituent of the plant cell wall. The cyclic AMP …

Degradation of the multifunctional amino acid proline is associated with mitochondrial
oxidative respiration. The two-step oxidation of proline is catalyzed by proline oxidase and …

Morphotype switch is a cellular response to external and internal cues. The Cryptococcus
neoformans species complex can undergo morphological transitions between the yeast and …

The stringent response is a conserved bacterial stress response mechanism that allows
bacteria to respond to nutritional challenges. It is mediated by the alarmones pppGpp and …

Cryptococcus neoformans is a ubiquitous environmental fungus capable of establishing an
infection in a human host. Rapid changes in environments and exposure to the host immune …

The control of rRNA synthesis and, thereby, translation is vital for adapting to changing
environmental conditions. The decrease of rRNA is a common feature of the stringent …

The RNA chaperone Hfq regulates virulence and metabolism in the opportunistic pathogen
Pseudomonas aeruginosa. During carbon catabolite repression (CCR) Hfq together with the …

Bacterial pathogens are always challenged by fluctuations of chemical and physical
parameters that pose serious threats to cellular integrity and metabolic status. Sudden …

Bacteria are constantly subjected to stressful conditions, such as antibiotic exposure,
nutrient limitation and oxidative stress. For pathogenic bacteria, adapting to the host …