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Phages get snappy Nat. Rev. Microbiol. (IF 88.1) Pub Date : 2024-04-22 Andrea Du Toit
This study shows that a single-stranded RNA phage binds to the Pseudomonas aeruginosa type IV pilus, leading to phage entry into the cell and the detachment of the pilus, which impairs bacterial motility.
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Shaking up that sick feeling with biofilm sugars Nat. Rev. Microbiol. (IF 88.1) Pub Date : 2024-04-18 Agustina Taglialegna
In this study, Granton et al. show that biofilm-associated exopolysaccharides produced by Pseudomonas aeruginosa control sickness during lung infection.
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COVID-19 drug discovery and treatment options Nat. Rev. Microbiol. (IF 88.1) Pub Date : 2024-04-15 Jasper Fuk-Woo Chan, Shuofeng Yuan, Hin Chu, Siddharth Sridhar, Kwok-Yung Yuen
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Microbial adaptability in changing environments Nat. Rev. Microbiol. (IF 88.1) Pub Date : 2024-04-12 Sharon Greenblum
This Genome Watch article highlights the recent use of large-scale monitoring of natural microbiomes to examine feedback between environmental change and microbial adaptation.
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The wound microbiota: microbial mechanisms of impaired wound healing and infection Nat. Rev. Microbiol. (IF 88.1) Pub Date : 2024-04-04 Aayushi Uberoi, Amelia McCready-Vangi, Elizabeth A. Grice
The skin barrier protects the human body from invasion by exogenous and pathogenic microorganisms. A breach in this barrier exposes the underlying tissue to microbial contamination, which can lead to infection, delayed healing, and further loss of tissue and organ integrity. Delayed wound healing and chronic wounds are associated with comorbidities, including diabetes, advanced age, immunosuppression
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Microbial food spoilage: impact, causative agents and control strategies Nat. Rev. Microbiol. (IF 88.1) Pub Date : 2024-04-03 Abigail B. Snyder, Nicole Martin, Martin Wiedmann
Microbial food spoilage is a major contributor to food waste and, hence, to the negative environmental sustainability impacts of food production and processing. Globally, it is estimated that 15–20% of food is wasted, with waste, by definition, occurring after primary production and harvesting (for example, in households and food service establishments). Although the causative agents of food spoilage
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Drug-resistant tuberculosis: a persistent global health concern Nat. Rev. Microbiol. (IF 88.1) Pub Date : 2024-03-22 Maha Farhat, Helen Cox, Marwan Ghanem, Claudia M. Denkinger, Camilla Rodrigues, Mirna S. Abd El Aziz, Handaa Enkh-Amgalan, Debrah Vambe, Cesar Ugarte-Gil, Jennifer Furin, Madhukar Pai
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Antimicrobial treatment and resistance in sexually transmitted bacterial infections Nat. Rev. Microbiol. (IF 88.1) Pub Date : 2024-03-20 Jorgen S. Jensen, Magnus Unemo
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Drosophila sperm sabotage by Wolbachia prophage Nat. Rev. Microbiol. (IF 88.1) Pub Date : 2024-03-19 Andrea Du Toit
This study reports a mechanism whereby Wolbachia bacteriophage proteins modulate macromolecules of developing Drosophila melanogaster.
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The microbial carbon pump and climate change Nat. Rev. Microbiol. (IF 88.1) Pub Date : 2024-03-15 Nianzhi Jiao, Tingwei Luo, Quanrui Chen, Zhao Zhao, Xilin Xiao, Jihua Liu, Zhimin Jian, Shucheng Xie, Helmuth Thomas, Gerhard J. Herndl, Ronald Benner, Micheal Gonsior, Feng Chen, Wei-Jun Cai, Carol Robinson
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Effects of climate change and human activities on vector-borne diseases Nat. Rev. Microbiol. (IF 88.1) Pub Date : 2024-03-14 William M. de Souza, Scott C. Weaver
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Hyphae promote Candida albicans fitness and commensalism in the gut Nat. Rev. Microbiol. (IF 88.1) Pub Date : 2024-03-12 Andrea Du Toit
This study shows that hyphae formation is critical for Candida albicans gut colonization in the presence of commensal bacteria owing to the production of a hyphal-associated factor.
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Combatting the HIV reservoir Nat. Rev. Microbiol. (IF 88.1) Pub Date : 2024-03-07 Agustina Taglialegna
In this study, Armani-Tourret et al. show that the combination of panobinostat and pegylated interferon-α2a transforms the structure and composition of the HIV-1 reservoir and could potentially counter it.
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Blasting away a fungal pathogen Nat. Rev. Microbiol. (IF 88.1) Pub Date : 2024-03-07 Agustina Taglialegna
In this study, Liu et al. explore the interplay between a fungal effector and a plant cysteine protease and design a small-molecule compound aimed at targeting this effector to combat rice blast disease.
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The origins of pathogenesis Nat. Rev. Microbiol. (IF 88.1) Pub Date : 2024-03-05 Salvador Almagro-Moreno
In this Journal Club, Salvador Almagro-Moreno discusses a study by Kirn et al., which explores the emergence of virulence traits in Vibrio cholerae and demonstrates how the ability of this pathogen to colonize the host shares a common mechanism to its capacity to thrive in natural environments.
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The coral microbiome in sickness, in health and in a changing world Nat. Rev. Microbiol. (IF 88.1) Pub Date : 2024-03-04 Christian R. Voolstra, Jean-Baptiste Raina, Melanie Dörr, Anny Cárdenas, Claudia Pogoreutz, Cynthia B. Silveira, Amin R. Mohamed, David G. Bourne, Haiwei Luo, Shady A. Amin, Raquel S. Peixoto
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Conservation and similarity of bacterial and eukaryotic innate immunity Nat. Rev. Microbiol. (IF 88.1) Pub Date : 2024-02-28 Hannah E. Ledvina, Aaron T. Whiteley
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Monitoring pathogens in wastewater Nat. Rev. Microbiol. (IF 88.1) Pub Date : 2024-02-27 Arin Wongprommoon, Chalita Chomkatekaew, Claire Chewapreecha
Wastewater genomic surveillance can transform global viral disease monitoring. This Genome Watch article explores the techniques, analytical pipelines and implications for public health.
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A potential new player in gastric cancer Nat. Rev. Microbiol. (IF 88.1) Pub Date : 2024-02-21 Agustina Taglialegna
In this study, Fu et al. show that Streptococcus anginosus promotes gastric tumorigenesis in mice.
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Breaking the mould: rethinking ‘wild type’ in fungal pathogens Nat. Rev. Microbiol. (IF 88.1) Pub Date : 2024-02-16 Amelia E. Barber
In this Journal Club, Amelia Barber discusses a study revealing intraspecies heterogeneity in a fungal pathogen, prompting us to re-evaluate the notion of ‘reference’ strains.
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Inactive vents, active producers Nat. Rev. Microbiol. (IF 88.1) Pub Date : 2024-02-14 Agustina Taglialegna
In this study, Achberger et al. report that microbial communities of inactive hydrothermal deposits contribute to primary productivity in the deep sea.
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Mapping the microbiome milieu Nat. Rev. Microbiol. (IF 88.1) Pub Date : 2024-02-14 Matthew J. Blow
This month’s Genome Watch discusses the application of spatial transcriptomics to investigate the arrangements of microbial communities and their effects on the host.
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A manipulating pair Nat. Rev. Microbiol. (IF 88.1) Pub Date : 2024-02-12 Andrea Du Toit
The study provides insights into how insects and their endosymbionts can manipulate plant defences.
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Bacterial architects build the biofilm structures Nat. Rev. Microbiol. (IF 88.1) Pub Date : 2024-02-12 Andrea Du Toit
This study shows that the distinct cellular organization across the depth of a biofilm is tightly regulated and has consequences for cell physiology and antibiotic tolerance.
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Immune targeting of HIV-1 reservoir cells: a path to elimination strategies and cure Nat. Rev. Microbiol. (IF 88.1) Pub Date : 2024-02-09 Marie Armani-Tourret, Benjamin Bone, Toong Seng Tan, Weiwei Sun, Maxime Bellefroid, Tine Struyve, Michael Louella, Xu G. Yu, Mathias Lichterfeld
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Emergence, transmission dynamics and mechanisms of artemisinin partial resistance in malaria parasites in Africa Nat. Rev. Microbiol. (IF 88.1) Pub Date : 2024-02-06 Philip J. Rosenthal, Victor Asua, Melissa D. Conrad
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Targeting the HIV-1 Env fusion protein Nat. Rev. Microbiol. (IF 88.1) Pub Date : 2024-01-23 Andrea Du Toit
This study reports that antibodies that target the fusion peptide on the HIV envelope provide protection to rhesus macaques against mucosal simian-HIV challenge.
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Feeling the blues with Parabacteroides Nat. Rev. Microbiol. (IF 88.1) Pub Date : 2024-01-26 Agustina Taglialegna
This study describes a signalling pathway involving the host receptor GPR35 and members of the gut microbiota, such as Parabacteroides distasonis, which regulates depressive-like behaviour.
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Genus-wide research provides insights into pathogen evolution Nat. Rev. Microbiol. (IF 88.1) Pub Date : 2024-01-22 Stephanie McGimpsey, Mathew A. Beale
This Genome Watch article highlights how studying pathogens in the context of their phylogenetic neighbours can provide insights into their evolution.
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Synthetic microbiology in sustainability applications Nat. Rev. Microbiol. (IF 88.1) Pub Date : 2024-01-22 Ethan M. Jones, John P. Marken, Pamela A. Silver
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Bdellovibrio bacteriovorus finds its prey Nat. Rev. Microbiol. (IF 88.1) Pub Date : 2024-01-19 Andrea Du Toit
This study describes Bdellovibrio bacteriovorus trimeric fibre proteins with diverse adhesive tips that enable the identification of a broad range of prey.
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Cutibacterium improves skin condition Nat. Rev. Microbiol. (IF 88.1) Pub Date : 2024-01-18 Agustina Taglialegna
In this study, Knödlseder et al. explore the potential of an engineered Cutibacterium acnes strain as a microbiome-based therapy for skin conditions.
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SARS-CoV-2 biology and host interactions Nat. Rev. Microbiol. (IF 88.1) Pub Date : 2024-01-15 Silvio Steiner, Annika Kratzel, G. Tuba Barut, Reto M. Lang, Etori Aguiar Moreira, Lisa Thomann, Jenna N. Kelly, Volker Thiel
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Extracellular niche establishment by plant pathogens Nat. Rev. Microbiol. (IF 88.1) Pub Date : 2024-01-08 Charles Roussin-Léveillée, David Mackey, Gayani Ekanayake, Reid Gohmann, Peter Moffett
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Clinical course and management of COVID-19 in the era of widespread population immunity Nat. Rev. Microbiol. (IF 88.1) Pub Date : 2023-12-19 Eric A. Meyerowitz, Jake Scott, Aaron Richterman, Victoria Male, Muge Cevik
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Utilization of the microbiome in personalized medicine Nat. Rev. Microbiol. (IF 88.1) Pub Date : 2023-12-18 Karina Ratiner, Dragos Ciocan, Suhaib K. Abdeen, Eran Elinav
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Viruses and autophagy: bend, but don’t break Nat. Rev. Microbiol. (IF 88.1) Pub Date : 2023-12-15 Alagie Jassey, William T. Jackson
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Alternative therapeutic strategies to treat antibiotic-resistant pathogens Nat. Rev. Microbiol. (IF 88.1) Pub Date : 2023-12-11 Craig R. MacNair, Steven T. Rutherford, Man-Wah Tan
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A never-ending defence fight Nat. Rev. Microbiol. (IF 88.1) Pub Date : 2023-12-11 Agustina Taglialegna
Two recent studies provide mechanistic understanding of how bacteria employ the Gabija system for defence against phages, as well as how phages use anti-defence proteins to overcome bacterial immunity.
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Daughters remember to swarm Nat. Rev. Microbiol. (IF 88.1) Pub Date : 2023-12-08 Andrea Du Toit
The data of the study suggest that bacteria possess a physiological iron memory that persists over multiple generations.
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Machine learning sheds light on microbial dark proteins Nat. Rev. Microbiol. (IF 88.1) Pub Date : 2023-12-06 Aeron Tynes Hammack, Crysten E. Blaby-Haas
This month’s Genome Watch highlights the recent use of machine learning to uncover functional ‘dark matter’ in the microbial protein universe.
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Jumping between hosts Nat. Rev. Microbiol. (IF 88.1) Pub Date : 2023-12-06 Agustina Taglialegna
In this study, Lee et al. analyse the structure and receptor-binding features of the spike glycoprotein from a clade 3 sarbecovirus to examine the risk of spillover from bats to humans.
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The honeybee microbiota and its impact on health and disease Nat. Rev. Microbiol. (IF 88.1) Pub Date : 2023-12-04 Erick V. S. Motta, Nancy A. Moran
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Staphylococcus aureus gets itchy Nat. Rev. Microbiol. (IF 88.1) Pub Date : 2023-11-30 Andrea Du Toit
This study reports a mechanism whereby a Staphylococcus aureus protease induces itch by activating a host receptor on sensory neurons in the skin.
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Publisher Correction: The highly diverse antiphage defence systems of bacteria. Nat. Rev. Microbiol. (IF 88.1) Pub Date : 2023-12-01 Héloïse Georjon,Aude Bernheim
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Author Correction: Small RNAs and their mighty roles in plasmid replication. Nat. Rev. Microbiol. (IF 88.1) Pub Date : 2023-12-01 Edmund Loh
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Antibodies versus P. aeruginosa Nat. Rev. Microbiol. (IF 88.1) Pub Date : 2023-11-17 Agustina Taglialegna
In this study, Simonis et al. show that chronic infection with Pseudomonas aeruginosa leads to development of neutralizing antibodies that could be exploited to fight against this pathogen.
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Keep calm with ammonia-producing microbiota Nat. Rev. Microbiol. (IF 88.1) Pub Date : 2023-11-17 Agustina Taglialegna
In this study, Wang et al. show that bacterium-derived intestinal ammonia modulates glutamine production in the mouse brain and reduces stress-induced depressive-like behaviour.
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Machine learning for microbiologists Nat. Rev. Microbiol. (IF 88.1) Pub Date : 2023-11-15 Francesco Asnicar, Andrew Maltez Thomas, Andrea Passerini, Levi Waldron, Nicola Segata
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Urban malaria Nat. Rev. Microbiol. (IF 88.1) Pub Date : 2023-11-14 Andrea Du Toit
This study provides evidence for a role of Anopheles stephensi in driving urban malaria outbreaks.
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Beneficial applications of biofilms Nat. Rev. Microbiol. (IF 88.1) Pub Date : 2023-11-13 Laura-Alina Philipp, Katja Bühler, Roland Ulber, Johannes Gescher
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Sabotage of CRISPR–Cas Nat. Rev. Microbiol. (IF 88.1) Pub Date : 2023-11-08 Andrea Du Toit
This study reports the identification of an archaeal virus Acr protein that blocks the dissociation of the target RNA from the type III-B CRISPR–Cas effector complex, which prevents the recycling of the complex.
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Microbial murmurs — decoding hidden conversations between bacteria Nat. Rev. Microbiol. (IF 88.1) Pub Date : 2023-11-06 Robert F. J. Kullberg, Timothy J. Rozday, Bastiaan W. Haak
This month’s Genome Watch highlights how a tailor-made search through bacterial genomes revealed the widespread presence of a new class of bacterial signalling peptides that lack conventional characteristics. This Genome Watch highlights how a tailor-made search through bacterial genomes revealed the widespread presence of a new class of bacterial signalling peptides that lack conventional characteristics
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Mycobacterial cords Nat. Rev. Microbiol. (IF 88.1) Pub Date : 2023-10-24 Andrea Du Toit
This study reports that intracellular cord formation by Mycobacterium tuberculosis is an important feature of early pathogenesis.
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The interplay between microbial communities and soil properties Nat. Rev. Microbiol. (IF 88.1) Pub Date : 2023-10-20 Laurent Philippot, Claire Chenu, Andreas Kappler, Matthias C. Rillig, Noah Fierer
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A protective triad against nosocomial pathogens Nat. Rev. Microbiol. (IF 88.1) Pub Date : 2023-10-17 Agustina Taglialegna
In this study, Yan et al. developed a broad-spectrum protein-free vaccine that protects against infection with bacterial and fungal nosocomial pathogens.
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Algal blooms in the ocean: hot spots for chemically mediated microbial interactions Nat. Rev. Microbiol. (IF 88.1) Pub Date : 2023-10-13 Constanze Kuhlisch, Adva Shemi, Noa Barak-Gavish, Daniella Schatz, Assaf Vardi
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Sticky Candida auris Nat. Rev. Microbiol. (IF 88.1) Pub Date : 2023-10-13 Andrea Du Toit
This study reports the identification of the novel Candida auris-specific adhesin Scf1, which, together with the adhesin Iff4109, is a key mediator of surface association, infection and long-term colonization.
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Introducing AI-supported Research Highlights Nat. Rev. Microbiol. (IF 88.1) Pub Date : 2023-10-12
With the debut of our AI-supported Research Highlights, we combine advances in large language models with the trust and expertise of human editors.
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Adapting to host life Nat. Rev. Microbiol. (IF 88.1) Pub Date : 2023-10-12 Ashley York
This study found that the bacterial second messenger cyclic diguanylate (c-di-GMP) has a key role in establishing host–bacteria symbiosis.