Table of contents
January 2007 Vol 5 No 1
In this issue
p1 | doi:10.1038/nrmicro1592
Editorial: Pandemic unpreparedness?
p2 | doi:10.1038/nrmicro1591
Research Highlights
Fungal pathogenesis: New way out for Cryptococcus
p3 | doi:10.1038/nrmicro1583
HIV: Breaching the barrier
p4 | doi:10.1038/nrmicro1585
Bacterial physiology: But what does it eat?
p4 | doi:10.1038/nrmicro1586
Genomics: Beat it — or eat it!
p5 | doi:10.1038/nrmicro1581
Metagenomics: A global marine viral metagenome
p6 | doi:10.1038/nrmicro1582
Evolution: All in a day's work...
p6 | doi:10.1038/nrmicro1588
Bacterial pathogenesis: Clearing a path
p7 | doi:10.1038/nrmicro1584
News and Analysis
Genome watch
Ocean's elevenses
p9 | doi:10.1038/nrmicro1589
Disease watch
In the news
p10 | doi:10.1038/nrmicro1590
Reviews
Advances in combating fungal diseases: vaccines on the threshold
Jim E. Cutler, George S. Deepe Jr and Bruce S. Klein
p13 | doi:10.1038/nrmicro1537
Traditonally, clinicians have looked to antifungal drugs to help combat the ever-increasing incidence of fungal diseases. In this article, Cutler, Deepe and Klein discuss the evidence to support their view that antifungal vaccines are now a viable alternative strategy for the prevention of various fungal diseases that should be actively pursued by researchers.
Structural and mechanistic insights into hepatitis C viral translation initiation
Christopher S. Fraser and Jennifer A. Doudna
p29 | doi:10.1038/nrmicro1558
Hepatitis C virus (HCV) uses an internal ribosome entry site (IRES) to directly recruit ribosomes to the viral mRNA translation-start site. Recent structural studies and biochemical data reveal how the HCV IRES interacts with the 40S ribosomal subunit and the cellular protein-synthesis machinery to direct efficient translation initiation.
Who puts the tubercle in tuberculosis?
David G. Russell
p39 | doi:10.1038/nrmicro1538
The tuberculoma or tubercle is the granuloma that is formed during tuberculosis infection. The role of the immune system in the formation of the granuloma is documented extensively, but this Review takes a different tack and examines the role of Mycobacterium tuberculosis in the biology of the granuloma and how this relates to disease transmission and progression.
Persister cells, dormancy and infectious disease
Kim Lewis
p48 | doi:10.1038/nrmicro1557
Bacterial populations produce persisters, cells that neither grow nor die in the presence of bactericidal agents, and are tolerant to antibiotics. The tolerance of persisters to antibiotics is important in persistent infections, and is especially significant in the recalcitrance of biofilms to antibiotics during infection.
Sensing the environment: lessons from fungi
Yong-Sun Bahn, Chaoyang Xue, Alexander Idnurm, Julian C Rutherford, Joseph Heitman and Maria E Cardenas
p57 | doi:10.1038/nrmicro1578
All organisms use numerous signal-transduction systems to sense and respond to their environments and survive in a range of biological niches. Here, the authors review the molecular mechanisms used by the fungal kingdom to sense, and adapt in response to, diverse environmental cues.
Perspectives
Opinion
Telomere structure and function in trypanosomes: a proposal
Oliver Dreesen, Bibo Li and George A. M. Cross
p70 | doi:10.1038/nrmicro1577
Telomeres are specialized DNA–protein complexes that are required for protection and replication of chromosome ends. In this Opinion, George Cross and colleagues discuss the biology of telomere function in trypanosomes and propose an intriguing role for these structures in regulating antigenic variation.
Opinion
Microbial landscapes: new paths to biofilm research
Tom J. Battin, William T. Sloan, Staffan Kjelleberg, Holger Daims, Ian M. Head, Tom P. Curtis and Leo Eberl
p76 | doi:10.1038/nrmicro1556
Biofilm research is a growing discipline within microbiology. Can the theories of landscape ecology be useful for understanding how these microbial communities become established? Here, an interdisciplinary group of authors present the arguments for viewing biofilms as landscapes.
Corrigendum: Can landscape ecology untangle the complexity of antibiotic resistance?
Randall S. Singer, Micheal P. Ward and George Maldonado
p82 | doi:10.1038/nrmicro1593
