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Two recent studies provide novel mechanistic and structural insights into lipid and lipoprotein transport between the inner and outer bacterial membranes, across the periplasmic space.
Burdaet al. found that Plasmodium bergheiliver-stage merozoites induce the disruption of the actin–plasma membrane linkage, which might promote merosome formation.
This study shows that distant biofilms can coordinate their behaviour and use time-sharing to increase their growth rate under nutrient-limiting conditions
This month's Genome Watch highlights how metagenomics is continuing to reveal the diversity of microorganisms in the environment and how it is challenging and expanding our understanding of how life evolved on Earth.
Type III secretion systems (T3SSs) are protein transport nanomachines that resemble molecular syringes and are found in numerous Gram-negative bacterial species. This Review summarizes our current understanding of the structure and function of these important protein secretion systems, incorporating new advances from cryo-electron microscopy and integrative imaging studies.
In this Review, Chandrangsuet al. discuss recent insights into metalloregulatory systems that are used by bacteria and how they respond to metal limitation and intoxication, as well as how these systems influence host–pathogen interactions.
In this Review, Puschnik and colleagues discuss the technical aspects of using CRISPR–Cas technology in genome-scale knockout screens to study virus–host interactions, and they compare these screens with alternative genetic screening technologies.
Pili are crucial virulence factors in many Gram-negative pathogens; these surface structures enable bacteria to interact with, and attach to structures in, their environment and can also facilitate horizontal gene transfer. In this Review, Waksmanet al. examine recent advances in our structural understanding of various pilus systems in Gram-negative bacteria and discuss their functional implications.
