Self-assembling protein surface layers (S-layers) are ubiquitous prokaryotic cell-surface structures involved in structural maintenance, nutrient diffusion, host adhesion, virulence, and many additional processes, which ...

Poxviruses are double stranded (ds) DNA viruses with large brick-shaped virions (~200x300nm) that can be seen by light microscopy. The Chordopoxvirus (ChPV) subfamily demonstrates a vast genetic diversity in poxvirus ...

Carbohydrates are important in a large number of cellular, physiological, and pathological processes. Carbohydrates often function as the human host’s first line of defence against pathogen invasion by coating surfaces ...

Carrageenans are sulfated polysaccharides found in the cell walls of red algae with 20 – 30 % of the dry weight coming from sulfate esters. The understanding of how heterotrophic bacteria desulfate and depolymerize carrageenan ...

The role that signaling molecules play during morphogenesis and their interactions is a field of intense study and the sea urchin represents a facile system to study these aspects of development in the early embryo. In ...

Secretion is a fundamental process of bacterial microorganisms. It is responsible for diverse functions such as cell-to-cell communication, nutritional up-take, environmental adaptation, physiological responses, and ...

Although its highly infectious nature has led to its classification as a potential bio-terror threat, very little is known about the pathogenesis of Francisella. A complete understanding of the mechanisms employed by ...

Methyl-CpG binding protein 2 (MeCP2) and histone H1 are important chromatin associated proteins. Both exhibit their own extent of complexity as MeCP2 is an intrinsically disordered protein (IDP) that interacts with many ...

The fundamental subunit of chromatin, known as a nucleosome, is comprised of DNA wrapped around two H2A-H2B dimers and one H3-H4 tetramer. This structure perpetuates itself and together with linker histones (histone H1) ...