Alejandro Pironti

Collagen binding adhesin restricts Staphylococcus aureus skin infection

This study shows that collagen binding adhesin (Cna) in Staphylococcus aureus reduces skin infection severity by binding to C1q and limiting inflammation.

Calibrated analysis framework for nanopore direct RNA sequencing uncovers cell-specific m6A proportions at conserved sites

The paper evaluates Dorado basecalling for nanopore DRS to detect m6A modifications in RNA, finding that stringent filtering improves accuracy and revealing cell-type differences in m6A proportions at conserved sites.

Prophage-encoded methyltransferase drives adaptation of community-acquired methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus

This study identifies a prophage-encoded methyltransferase, pamA, that enhances virulence in CA-MRSA by epigenetically upregulating fnbA, promoting biofilm formation and abscess size.

Gastrointestinal colonization as a source of Staphylococcus aureus in atopic dermatitis

This study identifies the gut as a major reservoir of Staphylococcus aureus that can be transmitted to the skin and worsen atopic dermatitis.

Identification of a proteolysis regulator for an essential enzyme in Mycobacterium tuberculosis

The paper identifies CoaX, a pseudokinase, and pantothenate as regulators of proteasomal degradation of the pantothenate synthesis enzyme PanB in M. tuberculosis.

An integrated strain-level analytic pipeline utilizing longitudinal metagenomic data

LongStrain improves strain-level analysis in longitudinal metagenomic data by jointly modeling strain proportions and genomic variants, outperforming existing methods in variant calling and proportion estimation.

Sex-dependent gastrointestinal colonization resistance to MRSA is microbiota and Th17 dependent

This study shows female mice clear MRSA from the gut faster than males, relying on gut microbiota and Th17 cells, while ovariectomy reduces this resistance.

Microbiota and metabolic adaptation shape Staphylococcus aureus virulence and antimicrobial resistance during intestinal colonization

This study shows that gut microbiota depletion allows MRSA to adapt through genetic changes that enhance colonization fitness but reduce antimicrobial resistance and virulence.

Inter-species geographic signatures for tracing horizontal gene transfer and long-term persistence of carbapenem resistance

The paper develops a method to trace horizontal gene transfer and persistence of carbapenem resistance genes across bacterial species using genomic data from clinical isolates.