Volume 8 Issue 9, September 2023

The global outbreak of H5N1 highly pathogenic avian influenza virus and its high toll on animal populations raise concerns about spillover into humans, but human host barriers need to be considered when estimating transmission potential.

Carl Nathan describes how learning from Mycobacterium tuberculosis, which causes tuberculosis, teaches us about the intricacies of bacteria–immune system interplay and its repercussions for non-infectious diseases, including cancer.

CRISPR systems canonically confer microorganisms with protection against invading viral DNA, plasmids and mobile genetic elements, however a multi-omics investigation of deep subsurface archaeal communities suggests that archaeal CRISPR systems might target other archaeal parasites or force a transition from parasitism to mutualism.

The rice blast fungus Magnaporthe oryzae uses transfer RNA modifications to fine-tune effector protein secretion into host plant cells.

Multi-cohort meta-analysis provides a framework for studies that aim to define causal relationships between the microbiome and autism spectrum disorder.

Armillaria species, fungal pathogens prevalent in temperate forests, have acquired hundreds of genes from Ascomycota fungi through horizontal gene transfer. These genes have influenced Armillaria spp. pathogenicity and plant biomass degradation abilities and contribute to uncovering key insights into the evolutionary history and ecological effects of these fungi.

CRISPR spacers in DPANN archaea target putative essential genes in their episymbionts and could be a widespread occurrence across diverse archaeal lineages.

Prospective validation in the Democratic Republic of the Congo shows that implementation of nested polymerase chain reaction and nanopore sequencing is feasible in a national poliovirus laboratory

Biochemical characterization of glycogen-degrading enzymes in vaginal bacteria reveals that the vaginal microbiota possesses the ability to metabolize glycogen in this environment.

Filopodia-like extensions connect chikungunya virus-infected and non-infected cells and promote efficient viral transmission by shielding from neutralizing antibodies.

The fungal genus Armillaria includes virulent necrotrophic pathogens, unusual wood decayers and the largest terrestrial organisms on Earth. Sahu et al. suggest that horizontal gene transfer contributed to the evolution of some of these unique traits.

In Pyrococcus furiosus, histones bind and bend DNA to enable integration of new spacer fragments into CRISPR loci.

Chitin-degrading bacteria split into on- and away-from-particles subpopulations. Only on-particle cells grow and most disperse after replication, leaving chitinases behind. High dispersal is sustained by remaining cells thriving on leftover chitinases.

Fungi cause devastating crop diseases mediated by the deployment of effectors that suppress host innate immunity. Efficient translation of mRNAs encoding a subset of such effectors determines their secretion and, ultimately, host infection success.

Trehalose polyphleates are surface-exposed glycolipids that are required for successful infection by phages BPs and Muddy when infecting Mycobacterium abscessus and M. smegmatis.

Quantitative and spatial resolution on the protein interactome of intact human cytomegalovirus virions map host and virus proteins within the multilayered tegument.