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EHEC and EPEC produce large macromolecular structures that exhibit adhesive and cytopathic properties and might act as a substratum for biofilm formation.
A recentPLoS Pathogenspaper provides direct evidence to support the hypothesis that the systemic immune activation that occurs during chronic HIV-1 infection is linked to the translocation of microbial products from the intestinal lumen.
Our monthly round up of infectious diseases news, which this month includes an antisense therapy for Ebola virus infection, a transcriptional signature for active tuberculosis, and the spread of carbapenem antibiotic resistance.
The plasmid-encoded ParMRC system is one of the best characterized plasmid segregation systems and comprises just three components: an actin-like protein, ParM, a DNA-binding adaptor protein, ParR, and a centromere-like region,parC. Here, the authors review the molecular mechanisms by which the components of this system interact to achieve bipolar DNA segregation.
Pathogenic bacteria have evolved numerous effectors and toxins to specifically interact with host cell death signalling pathways, many of which act directly at the mitochondria. Here, Thomas Rudel and colleagues summarize our understanding of the interactions between bacterial pathogens and mitochondrial cell death pathways.
Electrical current can be used to drive microbial metabolism, opening the door to a range of applications, including the electricity-driven synthesis of chemical compounds. Here, Rabaey and Rozendal introduce the principle of microbial electrosynthesis and discuss the associated challenges and opportunities.
Network inference is the construction of biological networks using an algorithm to assess biological data. Many different programs taking various approaches are available, and here De Smet and Marchal review these programs and provide a guide to using the right one for a particular data set.
In this Analysis article, Makarova and colleagues provide an overview of the cell division and membrane budding systems of the Archaea. They show that at least four different systems regulate these processes, providing insight into the evolutionary history of archaeal and eukaryotic cells.
The evolutionary relationship between the Archaea and the Eukarya remains unclear. Here, Gribaldo and colleagues provide an overview of seven recent studies that investigate the problem but that reach different conclusions. Furthermore, they provide a framework for future studies.
