Volume 8 Issue 1, January 2023

Longitudinal sampling of patients with hepatitis C virus before and after elimination of the virus reveals links between functions of the gut microbiome and liver disease.

New World arenaviruses are pathogens capable of zoonotic infections that cause viral haemorrhagic fevers, which are frequently lethal in humans. However, a recombinant live-attenuated pentavalent vaccine shows promising efficacy against infection.

This work shows that Akkermansia muciniphila and its metabolite, harmaline, upregulate the production of bile acid-coenzyme A: amino acid N-acyltransferase (BAAT) in hepatocytes. As a result of enhanced BAAT production, increased synthesis of conjugated primary bile acids suppresses the severe systemic inflammation caused by severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome virus infection.

Multi-omics analyses of gut microbiome, liver and blood samples from patients with hepatitis C infection before and after removal of the virus reveal metabolic dysregulation along the gut–liver axis.

Metabolic variation via a single substitution in the β-carbonic anhydrase CanB determines CO₂ dependence and influences fluoroquinolone resistance in Neisseria gonorrhoeae.

Extensive gene gain via horizontal gene transfer facilitated the evolution of obligate intracellular Chlamydiae.

Head-to-head comparison of third doses of mRNA COVID-19 vaccines in US Veterans finds that both are effective against documented SARS-CoV-2 infection and severe COVID-19 outcomes.

A pentavalent live attenuated vaccine platform, MOPEVAC_NEW, was engineered to express glycoproteins from all five known pathogenic New World arenaviruses from a modified Mopeia virus. This approach induces robust antiviral antibody responses and sterile protection to prevent severe haemorrhagic fever and mortality in cynomolgus monkeys.

The CRISPR–Cas9 system is widely studied for its role as a phage defence system and for gene editing applications, but its evolutionary origins are poorly understood. Here the authors use ancestral sequence reconstruction to determine the evolutionary history and ancient protein sequences of Streptococcus pyogenes Cas9 ancestors.

The gut commensal Akkermansia muciniphila produces harmaline and protects against infection with the tick-borne emerging virus, severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome virus, via bile acid signalling.

Intracellular Staphylococcus aureus targets the endoplasmic reticulum AMFR factor via the virulent HlgB, to induce and prolong inflammatory pneumonia.

A fluorogenic reporter allows visualization of spike protein and ACE2 receptor interaction and the identification of natural products that inhibit SARS-CoV-2 replication in vitro and in vivo.

From metagenomics of Aedes mosquitoes from four continents, the authors analyse the mechanism by which insect-specific viruses affect mosquito vector competence to transmit dengue virus to humans.

Hybrid long- and short-read metagenomic sequencing provides a high-resolution overview of genomic elements in the human gut microbiome.

The metavirome of 31 tick species sheds light on the diversity and distinct evolution of tick-associated RNA viruses, and lays the foundation for better understanding of tick–virus interaction.

Evolutionary analysis guided by predicted structures of AlphaFold 2 elucidates novel aspects of rapidly evolving pathogen effectors from fungal phytopathogens.