Bacterial physiology articles from across Nature Portfolio

Live-cell single-molecule imaging reveals a single population of processive septal peptidoglycan synthases moving asynchronously with FtsZ that drive Bacillus subtilis cell constriction in a manner partially dependent upon FtsZ treadmilling.

Some cyanobacteria excrete nitrite when the supply of inorganic carbon is limiting, but the underlying mechanisms are unclear. Here, Kraus et al. identify a conserved protein that interacts with nitrite reductase, thus regulating nitrogen metabolism and promoting nitrite excretion.

In this Review, Ledvina and Whiteley highlight the key similarities between eukaryotic and bacterial innate immune systems, exploring conserved immune components and signalling strategies, as well as conserved mechanisms for pathogen restriction.

This study shows that the distinct cellular organization across the depth of a biofilm is tightly regulated and has consequences for cell physiology and antibiotic tolerance.

This study describes Bdellovibrio bacteriovorus trimeric fibre proteins with diverse adhesive tips that enable the identification of a broad range of prey.

The data of the study suggest that bacteria possess a physiological iron memory that persists over multiple generations.

This study reports that intracellular cord formation by Mycobacterium tuberculosis is an important feature of early pathogenesis.

In this study, Gül et al. show that usage of different carbon sources by Enterobacteriaceae strains determines their expansion and co-existence in the mouse gut and favours plasmid transfer.

In this study, Irazoki et al. show that Vibrio cholerae releases d-amino acids into the environment, which are sensed by a bacterial chemoreceptor to prompt a repellent chemotactic response.