Volume 7 Issue 8, August 2022

Increasing awareness and better technology bodes for a more positive future for scientists who are deaf or hard of hearing, explains John Dennehy.

Rapid experimental evolution and targeted genetic engineering of Escherichia coli in a stinkbug host reveals that a single mutation can produce a host-beneficial symbiosis.

Vaccine immunity against SARS-CoV-2 wanes over time and is generally lower in the older population. Recent studies show that booster doses may increase neutralizing antibodies in older adults and protect against emerging variants, including Omicron.

Identification and analysis of mutator strains in the human fungal pathogen Cryptococcus neoformans show that natural loss of RNA interference triggers massive accumulation of Cnl1 retroelements at subtelomeric regions.

Phylogeny estimation of newly discovered aquatic copiotrophic Rickettsiales indicates evolution of host dependency from extracellular species and the origin of mitochondria from an unknown proteobacterial lineage.

Chikungunya virion assembly is elucidated using cryo-electron tomography to reveal how antibodies protect hosts by blocking virion release from virus-infected cells.

The Omicron variant of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has a phenotype that has changed fundamentally compared with preceding variants. Substantial antigenic change within the spike protein and a new endocytic entry mechanism underlie the immune evasion characteristics and a coincident decrease in the virulence of this variant.

Women are more affected by sexually transmitted infections than men. This Review examines the impact of non-HIV STIs on women’s health, and discusses recent advances and current challenges in the treatment and prevention of STIs.

Hoenigl and colleagues review the epidemiology, immunology and clinical risk factors contributing to COVID-19-associated fungal infections.

Experimental evolution of Escherichia coli in an insect host reveals that a single mutation in the carbon catabolite repression pathway can transform a non-symbiotic microbial species into an insect mutualist.

The bioinformatics method COJAC enables improved population-level surveillance of the emergence and spread of SARS-CoV-2 variants in wastewater.

The Omicron variant evades vaccine-induced neutralization but also fails to form syncytia, shows reduced replication in human lung cells and preferentially uses a TMPRSS2-independent cell entry pathway, which may contribute to enhanced replication in cells of the upper airway. Altered fusion and cell entry characteristics are linked to distinct regions of the Omicron spike protein.

Analysis of the neutralizing antibody activity from sera of vaccinated individuals aged between 70 and 89 reveals a reduction of antibody titres against SARS-CoV-2 wildtype and antigenic escape of various variants of concern that links to specific mutations within the RBD. A booster vaccination helps increasing neutralizing antibody titres against the Omicron BA.1 and BA.2 variants in older adults.

Phylogenomic analyses reveal novel environmental clades of Rickettsiales providing insights into their evolution from free-living to host-associated lifestyle.

Depletion of the deoxynucleotide pool by a family of dCTP deaminases, and a family of dGTPases, defends bacteria against phage infection.

Deoxynucleotide depletion by a family of dCTP deaminases defends bacteria against phage infection.

Long-term spatiotemporal dynamics of foodborne pathogen Vibrio parahaemolyticus outbreaks suggests hidden reservoirs as source of infections.

Cryo-electron tomography reveals the ultrastructure of the rhoptry secretory apparatus in Plasmodium falciparum.

RNA-interference loss can cause hypermutation in clinical isolates of the human fungal pathogen Cryptococcus neoformans, impacting antifungal drug resistance.

Therapeutic monoclonal antibodies (COV2-2196/COV2-2130) inhibited the replication of SARS-CoV-2 Omicron BA.1 but not BA.1.1 variants in the lungs of Syrian hamsters. Antivirals (molnupiravir and S-217622) were effective against BA.1 in hamsters.

Multiple pathogenic viruses are identified in a large set of pangolins, which shows that trading pangolins for scales or flesh may increase the risk of emergence of viral infections.

Cryogenic electron tomography analysis of Chikungunya virus particle assembly reveals 12 intermediate structural stages during virus assembly/budding at the plasma membrane and shows that non-icosahedral nucleocapsid proteins serve as scaffold to induce icosahedral assembly of the glycoprotein spike lattice. Structural analysis also shows that budding-inhibiting antibodies act by interfering with lateral spike interactions.

The Trypanosoma brucei protein ESB1 is specific to the expression site body, where it activates pathogen monoallelic antigen transcription.

Structural analyses reveal that Geobacter sulfurreducens produces two different cytochrome filaments, comprised of either OmcS or OmcE, that share almost identical haem packing while having no recognizable sequence or structural similarity.

Metagenomic analysis of the gut virome along the mammalian gastrointestinal tract of two mammalian species reveals the biogeography of bacteriophage, including region- and species-specific variations in virome composition.

RNA viromes from soil, sediment and animal faecal samples in China reveal the diversity and dynamics of the RNA virosphere.