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A herpesvirus can tolerate DNA polymerase infidelity that generates highly diverse DNA virus populations. These diverse virus populations can coexist, maintain fitness and even induce disease faster than wild-type virus.
The gut microbiota regulates levels of serotonin (5-HT) in the gut, affecting the mammalian nervous system. But does 5-HT affect the microbiota? Here, it is shown to increase the relative abundance of spore-forming members of the gut microbiota and enhance mouse colonization by Turicibacter sanguinis, a gut bacterium that can take up 5-HT and modulate systemic lipid homeostasis.
An analysis of the distribution and phylogeny of the enzymes involved in the tetrahydromethanopterin methyl branch of the Wood–Ljungdahl pathway suggests that it evolved in Archaea and was then transferred to Bacteria, subsequently enabling aerobic methylotrophy.
Whole-genome resequencing and genome-wide association studies identify host candidate genes that influence the ability of the biocontrol agent Wolbachia to reduce dengue virus replication in its mosquito vector Aades aegypti.
Bacterial dimethylsulfoniopropionate (DMSP) production was recently demonstrated in surface oceans. Here the authors show that bacterial production is higher in sediment from coastal areas and the deep ocean, and identify an alternative pathway for its synthesis, indicating that coastal and marine sediments are important sources of this climate-relevant metabolite.
The cryo-electron microscopy structure of the ribosome from the microsporidium Vairimorpha necatrix reveals that, despite extreme genome compaction reducing the ribosomal RNA to a functionally conserved core, most ribosomal proteins are retained and adapt to form the minimized protein synthesis machinery in these eukaryotic parasites.
A combination of secondary structure probing and RNA crosslinking sequencing approaches sheds lights on the RNA conformations and the intra- and intersegment interactions of the genome inside influenza A virions.
Using metatranscriptomics of diatom-associated viruses and quantification of extracellular viruses in coastal water samples, the authors link silicon limitation to increased virus-induced mortality of diatoms, which could have implications for marine biogeochemical cycling.
The use of nanobodies that inhibit the self-assembly of the S-layer protein Sap from B. anthracis enabled the elucidation of the structure of this protein. The nanobodies also trigger disintegration of assembled S-layers and attenuate both bacterial growth and anthrax pathology in animal models of infection.
Super-resolution microscopy and single-particle analysis reveal that vaccinia virus membrane proteins are organized into functional domains whose polarization on the surface of mature virus particles is required for viral entry and virus–cell fusion.
Influenza virus NS1 inhibits the binding of the host mRNA export receptor complex NXF1–NXT1 to nucleoporins, thus blocking the nuclear export of host mRNAs and allowing the virus to escape innate immune responses.
Palmitoleic acid as well as fatty acids isolated from bacterial cultures can be used in axenic culture of the arbuscular mycorrhizal fungus Rhizophagus irregularis to stimulate the formation of secondary spores that are able to colonize host plant roots.
Here, the authors apply quantitative microbiome profiling to a metagenomics data set comprising patients with primary sclerosing cholangitis and/or inflammatory bowel disease and identify microbial taxa associated with inflammation or specific disease indicators, which were validated in an independent inflammatory bowel disease cohort.
Heteroresistance to multiple antibiotics is prevalent across carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae clinical isolates, but drug combinations that exploit multiple heteroresistance can be used to effectively treat multidrug-resistant infections.
The crystal structure of a complex between the tail fibre and tail fibre assembly (Tfa) protein of Escherichia coli phage Mu reveals the mechanisms by which Tfa regulates fibre assembly and multimerization.
Regulator of Chromosome Segregation (RocS) is a membrane-bound protein that interacts with DNA, the chromosome partitioning protein ParB and the cell division regulator FtsZ to coordinate cell constriction and chromosome segregation in dividing Streptococcus pneumoniae cells.
Using a multi-omics approach, together with imaging analyses, the authors characterize the two intracellular bacterial symbionts of Trichoplax, one of the simplest animals.
Fusarium oxysporum is capable of autocrine signalling—that is, the same cell can express both a- and α-factor pheromones and both cognate receptors—which impacts spore germination.