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Khabre desk
Recent reporting, analysis and explainers from the Microbiology desk.
science
A bioRxiv preprint reports that MERS-CoV spike substitutions L507I and L507H reduced binding to soluble DPP4 while preserving entry into cells with high DPP4 levels. Polymorphisms at the same site found in patient virus sequences showed stronger resistance in the study’s VSV-based cell system.
science
A bioRxiv preprint reports that insertions and deletions in several classes of repeated DNA sequences can change antibiotic susceptibility in Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Laboratory reconstruction identified a ppe53 repeat deletion that produced intermediate resistance to isoniazid, rifampicin and streptomycin.
science
A bioRxiv preprint maps bacterial host factors involved in infection by single-stranded RNA and DNA bacteriophages. The study identifies conserved requirements for F-pilus-dependent infection and links an E. coli capsule architecture to selective phage access.