Table of contents
December 2008 Vol 6 No 12
In this issue
p871 | doi:10.1038/nrmicro2046
Editorial: Plaudits for microbiologists in 2008
p872 | doi:10.1038/nrmicro2043
Research Highlights
Fungal biology: SEX and the parasitic fungi | PDF (131 KB)
p873 | doi:10.1038/nrmicro2039
Bacterial physiology: New shears for SsrA | PDF (308 KB)
p874 | doi:10.1038/nrmicro2036
In brief
Bacterial genetics | Bacterial physiology | Antibiotics | PDF (132 KB)
p874 | doi:10.1038/nrmicro2042
Techniques: Hunting WMDs in pathogen genomes | PDF (158 KB)
p875 | doi:10.1038/nrmicro2035
Symbiosis: Squid sort the wheat from the chaff... | PDF (200 KB)
p875 | doi:10.1038/nrmicro2038
Viral immunity: Persistent viruses help opportunists | PDF (224 KB)
p876 | doi:10.1038/nrmicro2040
Host response: Keeping the lid on herpes simplex virus | PDF (232 KB)
p876 | doi:10.1038/nrmicro2041
Bacterial secretion: Surfing the channel | PDF (162 KB)
p877 | doi:10.1038/nrmicro2037
News and Analysis
Genome watch
Does my genome look big in this? | PDF (222 KB)
p878 | doi:10.1038/nrmicro2044
Disease watch
In the news | PDF (314 KB)
p880 | doi:10.1038/nrmicro2045
Reviews
From bench to bedside: stealth of enteroinvasive pathogens
Renée M. Tsolis, Glenn M. Young, Jay V. Solnick & Andreas J. Bäumler
p883 | doi:10.1038/nrmicro2012
Some enteric bacterial pathogens cause abdominal pain and fever that are distinct from acute gastroenteritis. The authors review recent evidence that these 'stealth' pathogens share features that explain why host responses to them resemble those made to viral or parasitic infections.
See also: | Correspondence by Jean Pierre Gorvel et.al | Author's reply by Tsolis, Solnick and Baümler. |
The porin and the permeating antibiotic: a selective diffusion barrier in Gram-negative bacteria
Jean-Marie Pagès, Chloë E. James & Mathias Winterhalter
p893 | doi:10.1038/nrmicro1994
The outer membrane of Gram-negative bacteria contains many protein channels, called porins. These channels mediate the influx of various compounds, including antibiotics. Adaptations that reduce influx contribute to the emergence and dissemination of antibiotic resistance. This Review outlines recent advances in our understanding of the physico-chemical parameters that govern antibiotic translocation through porin channels.
Super-shedding and the link between human infection and livestock carriage of Escherichia coli O157
Margo Chase-Topping, David Gally, Chris Low, Louise Matthews & Mark Woolhouse
p904 | doi:10.1038/nrmicro2029
Some cattle excrete more Escherichia coli O157 than others, and are known as super-shedders. This Review discusses the evidence for super-shedders and the implications of super-shedding for the transmission and epidemiology of E. coli O157 in cattle, human infections and disease control.
The curious case of the tumour virus: 50 years of Burkitt's lymphoma
David A. Thorley-Lawson & Martin J. Allday
p913 | doi:10.1038/nrmicro2015
Burkitt's lymphoma (BL) was described 50 years ago, and the Epstein–Barr virus (EBV) was discovered in BL tumours soon after. Here, David Thorley-Lawson and Martin Allday examine the historically confusing and intertwined relationship between EBV and BL and discuss recent advances that could finally resolve this confusion.
See also: Erratum associated with this article
Analysis
The Big Bang of picorna-like virus evolution antedates the radiation of eukaryotic supergroups
Eugene V. Koonin, Yuri I. Wolf, Keizo Nagasaki & Valerian V. Dolja
p925 | doi:10.1038/nrmicro2030
The vast resource of viral genome sequences has been exploited to carry out a genomic comparison and phylogenetic analysis of the picorna-like superfamily. The authors conclude that the diverse groups of picorna-like viruses probably evolved in a 'Big Bang' that came after the evolution of the main groups of eukaryotes.
See also: | Correspondence by Mart Krupovič & Dennis H. Bamford | Reply by Eugene V. Koonin et.al |
Perspectives
Opinion
Virus evolution: how far does the double 
-barrel viral lineage extend?
Mart Krupovi
&
Dennis H. Bamford
p941 | doi:10.1038/nrmicro2033
The realization that there is structural similarity between viruses that infect all three domains of life has led to calls for additions to the way in which the virosphere is classified. In this Opinion, the vertical 
-barrel viral lineage is used as an example to support reclassification of viruses into superlineages.
Opinion
e-Science: relieving bottlenecks in large-scale genome analyses
Tracy Craddock, Colin R. Harwood, Jennifer Hallinan & Anil Wipat
p948 | doi:10.1038/nrmicro2031
Affordable, high-throughput sequencing technology has led to a flood of publicly available bacterial genome sequence data, presenting both an opportunity and a challenge for the microbiologist. New computational approaches, such as e-Science and Grid-based technologies, can help to analyse genomic data and address these challenges.
Correspondence
Correspondence: An exit strategy for the tubercle bacillus?
S. Hingley-Wilson & A. Lalvani
p954 | doi:10.1038/nrmicro1821-c1
Correspondence: Is there any role for cAMP–CRP in carbon catabolite repression of the Escherichia coli lac operon?
Martine Crasnier-Mednansky
p954 | doi:10.1038/nrmicro1932-c1
Correspondence: Is there any role for cAMP–CRP in carbon catabolite repression of the Escherichia coli lac operon? Reply from Görke and Stülke
Boris Görke & Jörg Stülke
p954 | doi:10.1038/nrmicro1932-c2
