Table of contents
August 2009 Vol 7 No 8
In this issue
p545 | doi:10.1038/nrmicro2196
Editorial: Darwin and microbiology
p546 | doi:10.1038/nrmicro2197
Research Highlights
Parasitology: Transmission key to Leishmania vaccine | PDF (186 KB)
p547 | doi:10.1038/nrmicro2191
Innate immunity: DCs take one for the team | PDF (218 KB)
p548 | doi:10.1038/nrmicro2187
Biofilms: Candida Zaps the matrix | PDF (432 KB)
p548 | doi:10.1038/nrmicro2190
In brief
Bacterial physiology | HIV | Bacterial genetics | PDF (130 KB)
p548 | doi:10.1038/nrmicro2192
Bacterial physiology: Opportunity Nocs | PDF (118 KB)
p549 | doi:10.1038/nrmicro2189
Parasitology: Plasmodium protein portal | PDF (246 KB)
p550 | doi:10.1038/nrmicro2194
Microbial genetics: Predicting the future | PDF (178 KB)
p550 | doi:10.1038/nrmicro2195
News and Analysis
Genome watch
Testing the water: marine metagenomics | PDF (243 KB)
p552 | doi:10.1038/nrmicro2188
Disease watch
In the News | PDF (217 KB)
p553 | doi:10.1038/nrmicro2193
Reviews
Staphylococcus epidermidis — the 'accidental' pathogen
Michael Otto
p555 | doi:10.1038/nrmicro2182
The commensal bacterium Staphylococcus epidermidis is a colonizer of the human skin. Despite lacking recognized virulence factors, S. epidermidis can cause infection, often on the surface of indwelling medical devices. In this Review, Michael Otto highlights how normally benign bacterial factors take on more virulent roles during host infection with this 'accidental' pathogen.
Electron transfer in syntrophic communities of anaerobic bacteria and archaea
Alfons J. M. Stams & Caroline M. Plugge
p568 | doi:10.1038/nrmicro2166
Anaerobic methane formation and oxidation are important processes in the global carbon cycle that are mediated by syntrophic communities of bacteria and archaea. Here, Fons Stams and Caroline Plugge review the interspecies electron transfer that is the key to growth in syntrophic communities.
Bacterial gene amplification: implications for the evolution of antibiotic resistance
Linus Sandegren & Dan I. Andersson
p578 | doi:10.1038/nrmicro2174
Gene duplication and amplification can enable bacteria not only to develop antibiotic resistance, but also to overcome the fitness costs that are often associated with resistance. In this Review, Sandegren and Andersson highlight the mechanisms underlying gene duplication and discuss the role of increasing gene copy number in adaptive bacterial evolution.
Adapting the machine: adaptor proteins for Hsp100/Clp and AAA+ proteases
Janine Kirstein, Noël Molière, David A. Dougan & Kürşad Turgay
p589 | doi:10.1038/nrmicro2185
Adaptor proteins for the Hsp100/Clp and AAA+ proteins play an important part in the regulated degradation of a large number of bacterial processes. Kirstein and colleagues describe how these adaptor proteins interact with their respective proteases to regulate proteolysis.
Perspectives
Opinion
Unravelling ancient microbial history with community proteogenomics and lipid geochemistry
Jochen J. Brocks & Jillian Banfield
p601 | doi:10.1038/nrmicro2167
Information about ancient microbial ecosystems can be obtained by using fossil lipids found in ancient sedimentary rocks as biomarkers. In this Opinion article, Jochen Brocks and Jillian Banfield describe how environmental genomic approaches are set to revolutionize the study of these microbial ecosystems and improve our understanding of the evolution of ancient communities of microorganisms.
Science and society
Communicable disease among displaced Afghans: refuge without shelter
Alefiyah Rajabali, Omer Moin, Amna S. Ansari, Mohammad R. Khanani & Syed H. Ali
p609 | doi:10.1038/nrmicro2176
Communicable diseases cause health problems for refugee populations. In this Science and society article, Ali and colleagues discuss the range of transmissible infections and the associated risk factors that have affected the Afghan refugee population.
Correspondence
Correspondence: Reasons to include viruses in the tree of life
Nagendra R. Hegde, Mohan S. Maddur, Srini V. Kaveri & Jagadeesh Bayry
p615 | doi:10.1038/nrmicro2108-c1
Correspondence: Six comments on the ten reasons for the demotion of viruses
Jesús Navas-Castillo
p615 | doi:10.1038/nrmicro2108-c2
Correspondence: Ten good reasons not to exclude giruses from the evolutionary picture
Jean-Michel Claverie & Hiroyuki Ogata
p615 | doi:10.1038/nrmicro2108-c3
Correspondence: Viral genomes are part of the phylogenetic tree of life
Ethan B. Ludmir & Lynn W. Enquist
p615 | doi:10.1038/nrmicro2108-c4
Correspondence: Compelling reasons why viruses are relevant for the origin of cells
Eugene V. Koonin, Tatiana G. Senkevich & Valerian V. Dolja
p615 | doi:10.1038/nrmicro2108-c5
Correspondence: There is no such thing as a tree of life (and of course viruses are out!)
Didier Raoult
p615 | doi:10.1038/nrmicro2108-c6
Correspondence: Yet viruses cannot be included in the tree of life
Purificación López-García & David Moreira
p615 | doi:10.1038/nrmicro2108-c7
