WikiBiomeThe human microbiome encyclopediaRanked matches across titles, topics, categories, and article introductions.
Atherosclerosis is a chronic inflammatory disease of arterial walls characterized by lipid-laden plaque formation, endothelial dysfunction, and progressive vascular occlusion. It is the pathological substrate underlying coronary artery disease, stroke, and peripheral ar…
A neurodevelopmental condition affecting approximately 1 in 36 children (US CDC 2023 estimate), characterized by differences in social communication, restricted interests, and repetitive behaviors. From a metallomics perspective, ASD presents a compelling convergence of…
A heavy metal traditionally considered safe enough for over-the-counter gastrointestinal remedies (Pepto-Bismol, De-Nol), bismuth is re-emerging as a potent antimicrobial synergist. Its key property: Bi3+ competes with Fe3+ for binding sites on siderophores and bacteria…
Ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) is a synthetic aminopolycarboxylic acid widely used as a chelation agent for heavy metal poisoning, particularly lead. In the microbiome context, EDTA is significant for two reasons: its therapeutic use in metal detoxification and …
The fifth most common cancer worldwide and third leading cause of cancer death, with over 1 million new cases annually. Gastric cancer stands unique in this wiki as the disease where a single microorganism -- helicobacter pylori -- provides the dominant causal pathway, …
Alphabetical definitions of specialist terms used throughout this wiki. Where a full concept page exists, the term links to it. --- AhR (aryl hydrocarbon receptor) -- A ligand-activated transcription factor that senses microbial metabolites (especially indoles from tryp…
A Gram-negative, microaerophilic bacterium within the Epsilonproteobacteria (family Helicobacteraceae) that is the primary murine model of hepatobiliary and intestinal disease. Unlike its more famous relative helicobacter pylori, which colonizes the stomach, H. hepaticu…
Iron-sulfur (Fe-S) clusters are among the most ancient and ubiquitous metal cofactors in biology, present in all domains of life. These inorganic prosthetic groups -- typically [2Fe-2S] or [4Fe-4S] configurations -- mediate electron transfer, enzymatic catalysis, and re…
The labile metal pool (LMP) is the fraction of intracellular metal that is bioavailable -- loosely coordinated with small molecules, transiently protein-bound, or truly "free" in solution. This pool is vanishingly small (often <1 free atom per cell for zinc and copper) …
Metal sensing is the set of regulatory mechanisms bacteria use to detect intracellular metal concentrations and adjust gene expression accordingly. Because metal ions cannot be synthesized or degraded -- only imported, exported, sequestered, or trafficked -- sensing and…
Specialized proteins that escort metal ions from their point of entry to specific metalloenzyme targets, ensuring correct metalation in a cytoplasm crowded with competing metal-binding sites. Metallochaperones solve a fundamental problem in metal biology: how does the r…
Microbial metallomics is the study of how metals and microorganisms interact at the systems level — how metal availability shapes microbial communities, how microbes acquire and weaponize metals for virulence, and how this bidirectional metal-microbe interface drives di…
N-glycosylation is a post-translational modification in which glycan chains are attached to asparagine residues on proteins. This modification is critical for protein folding, cell-cell recognition, and immune system signaling. In the context of host-microbe interaction…
Nickel-urease (urease, EC 3.5.1.5) is a metalloenzyme that catalyzes the hydrolysis of urea (NH₂-CO-NH₂) to ammonia (NH₃) and carbon dioxide (CO₂). The active site contains two nickel ions (Ni²⁺) coordinated by histidine and cysteine residues. Nickel-urease is expressed…
A Gram-positive pathogen (the "pneumococcus") that depends on iron, manganese, and zinc for virulence and has evolved dedicated transport systems for each. Iron is required for viability itself, manganese powers the superoxide dismutase needed to survive the oxidative b…
Superoxide dismutases are metalloenzymes that catalyze the dismutation of superoxide radical (O2-) into hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) and molecular oxygen -- the first line of defense against oxidative damage in all aerobic organisms. What makes SOD uniquely important in mic…
The most widespread nickel-dependent virulence factor across human pathogens. Urease is found in at least 40 prokaryotic and 9 eukaryotic pathogenic species, making it the single most important enzyme linking dietary/environmental nickel to infectious disease.