Joseph D. Mougous

This study identifies adhesin proteins in Nanosynbacteria that recognize specific host cell wall polysaccharides for recognition and attachment.

This study shows the type VI secretion system (T6SS) in Bacteroides acidifaciens helps maintain its presence in a wild mouse gut microbiome by antagonizing other Bacteroidales, but its effect depends on ecological context.

The paper identifies an Esx secretion system in Actinomycetota that defends against parasitic Patescibacteria by sensing epibionts and triggering a transcriptional response.

The paper designs miniproteins that inhibit Bacteroides fragilis toxin by blocking receptor binding, preventing gut pathology without antibiotics.

The paper shows that Streptomyces enrichment in roots during drought is not linked to plant benefits and is instead driven by host suppression of iron uptake and immunity.

The paper designs high-affinity miniprotein binders targeting Flpp3, a virulence factor of Francisella tularensis, using physics-based and deep-learning methods, achieving sub-nanomolar affinities.

The paper identifies the Rnf electron transport chain as a susceptibility determinant for Bte2 pore-forming toxins in Bacteroides, showing its role in toxin-mediated membrane depolarization during gut colonization.

The paper shows that Pseudomonas bacteria use a single regulatory pathway to coordinate defense against both bacterial and viral threats across multiple species.

This paper introduces RFpeptides, a deep learning framework for designing high-affinity macrocyclic peptides, achieving sub-nanomolar binding affinities and accurate structural predictions.

The paper identifies teichuronic acid oligosaccharides as the receptor for umbrella toxins and shows targeting specificity arises from lectin domain recognition of variable TUA-WTA structures.

This study uses deep learning to predict protein-protein interactions in bacterial pathogens, identifying new complexes involving essential genes and virulence factors, with half of tested predictions validated.

This paper introduces a method called 3D-seq to map DNA-protein interaction sites in vivo using a modified cytosine deaminase, demonstrating its application in Pseudomonas aeruginosa transcription factors.