To address drug-resistant tuberculosis, the leading single-pathogen infectious killer, drugs with novel modes of action (MoAs) are urgently needed. Phenotypic screening of chemical libraries can ident...

This protocol describes a quadruplex real-time PCR (Dip4plex), performed with the Qiagen QuantiNova™ Multiplex PCR Kit, for simultaneous identification of Corynebacteria of th...

Most bacteriophages lyse their host cell to release progeny virions. Double-stranded DNA phages typically promote host lysis using a holin-endolysin system. Holins form pores in the cytoplasmic membra...

Our understanding of the skin microbiome has dramatically improved since the pioneering studies and

The unique cell envelope of corynebacteria remains poorly understood at the ultrastructural level. This study maps the C. glutamicum cell surface, revealing a patchy S-layer organization and the speci...

Read the full paper: Comparative characterization reveals conserved and divergent ecological traits of oral corynebacteria

The unique cell envelope of corynebacteria remains poorly understood at the ultrastructural level. This study maps the C. glutamicum cell surface, revealing a patchy S-layer organization and the speci...

The SARS-CoV-2 virus is still causing a worldwide problem. The virus settles primarily on the nasal mucosa, and the infection and its course depend on individual susceptibility. Our aim was to investigate the nasopharynx composition’s role in the individual susceptibility. During the first phase of SARS-CoV-2 pandemic, nasopharyngeal microbiome samples of close contact unvaccinated patients were investigated by 16S rRNA analysis and by culturing. The whole genome of cultured Corynebacteria was sequenced. The relative expression of ACE2, TMPRSS2, and cathepsin L on Caco-2 cells and the strength of S1-ACE2 binding were determined in the presence of Corynebacteria. From 55 close contacts exposed to identical SARS-CoV-2 exposure, 26 patients became infected and 29 remained uninfected. The nasopharyngeal microbiome analysis showed significantly higher abundance of Corynebacteria in uninfected group. Corynebacterium accolens could be cultivated only from uninfected individuals and Corynebacterium propinquum from both infected and uninfected. Corynebacteria from uninfected patient significantly reduced the ACE2 and cathepsin L expression. C. accolens significantly reduced the TMPRSS2 expression compared to other Corynebacteria. Furthermore, Corynebacterium spp. weakened the binding of the S1-ACE2. Most C. accolens isolates harbored the TAG lipase LipS1 gene. Based on these results, the presence of Corynebacterium spp. in the nasopharyngeal microbiota, especially C. accolens strains, could reduce the individual susceptibility to SARS-CoV-2 infection by several mechanisms: by downregulation the ACE2, the TMPRSS2 receptors, and cathepsin L in the host; through the inhibition of S1-ACE2 binding; and lipase production. These results suggest the use of C. accolens strains as probiotics in the nasopharynx in the future.