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As we commemorate 100 years since the 1918 pandemic, research has advanced our knowledge of influenza virulence and pathogenesis, and has highlighted the role of animal reservoirs in the emergence of pandemic strains. Future efforts in understanding viral ecology, zoonosis and in integrating human and animal epidemiology should aid pandemic preparedness.
This study reports that artemisinin-induced latency is mediated by general translational repression following the phosphorylation of the α-subunit ofPlasmodiumeukaryotic initiation factor 2.
This month's genome watch discusses the vast global microbial diversity revealed by the Earth Microbiome Project and the value of its characterization.
In this Review, Husnik and McCutcheon discuss how horizontally transferred genes from bacteria become functional in eukaryotes and classify horizontal gene transfer events into two broad types: those that maintain pre-existing functions and those that add new functionality to the recipient, including altered host nutrition, protection and adaptation to extreme environments.
Co-infection withMycobacterium tuberculosisis the leading cause of death in individuals infected with HIV-1. In this Review, Bell and Noursadeghi describe the epidemiological associations between the two pathogens, selected interactions of each pathogen with the host and our current understanding of how they affect the pathogenesis of tuberculosis and HIV-1/AIDS in individuals with co-infection.
Recently, virulence mechanisms beyond canonical drug resistance were uncovered that enableAcinetobacter baumanniito thrive in the health-care environment and cause infections in critically ill patients. Harding, Hennon and Feldman explore the molecular features that promote environmental persistence and the most recently identified virulence factors that enable successful human infection.
In this Opinion article, Byndloss and Bäumler propose that host control over the microbial ecosystem in the large bowel is critical for the composition and function of its resident microbial organ, while disruption of host control triggers microbial organ dysfunction. This concept provides a theoretical framework for linking the gut microbiota to non-communicable diseases.
Traditional strategies to treat lung infections are based on the premise that the lung is sterile; however, it is now thought that the lung contains a resident microbiota. Here, Cooksonet al. propose that concepts flowing from the Human Microbiome Project can transform the treatment of lung infections.
