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Pseudomonas aeruginosainfection of the airways is a major cause of mortality and morbidity for patients with cystic fibrosis (CF). Here, Molin and colleagues discuss howP. aeruginosa infection evolves from a state of early, intermittent colonization to a state of chronic infection. Studying the in vivo adaptation of P. aeruginosawill enhance our understanding of bacterial evolution, and could also be important for the development of new therapeutic strategies for CF-associated and other chronic infections.
RepABC family plasmids are found exclusively in alphaproteobacteria. The replication and partitioning proteins of these plasmids are encoded by a single operon, therepABCcassette. Here, Pinto, Pappas and Winans review the regulation of RepABC plasmid replication and partitioning, including the mechanisms that allow plasmid copynumber to be increased in response to external cues.
The intracellular parasiteToxoplasma gondiican infect a range of hosts and occasionally causes serious disease in humans. In this Review, Hunter and Sibley summarize recent studies that implicate rhoptry kinases and a dense-granule protein as mediators of acute virulence in the mouse model. They also describe the complex interplay between these parasite effector proteins and the innate immune system.
Proteus mirabilisis one of the leading causes of catheter-associated urinary tract infections. Here, Armbruster and Mobley review the many recent advances in our understanding ofP. mirabilispathogenicity, including the elucidation of the intricate connections between metabolism, swarming motility and urease activity.
Most protein export in bacteria occurs through the Sec pathway and relies on the essential ATPase SecA to push substrates through the SecYEG translocon. Here, Braunstein and Feltcher describe how mycobacteria and some Gram-positive bacteria secrete certain substrates using additional versions of SecA and other Sec components.
Fungal heat shock protein 90 (Hsp90) is an essential chaperone that regulates a range of cellular processes by ensuring the correct folding of a specific group of client proteins. In this Review, Brown and colleagues describe the roles and regulation of Hsp90 and discuss how it acts as a biological transistor to modulate fungal signalling networks.
The two commercially available prophylactic vaccines that target human papilloma virus type 16 (HPV16) and HPV18 have proved extremely effective. Here, Schiller and Lowy summarize the characteristics of both the vaccines and HPV that have contributed to this success and speculate on whether or not this information could be used to direct the development of vaccines against other sexually transmitted viruses.
Many bacteria and archaea synthesize intracellular gas-filled proteinaceous structures known as gas vesicles to act as flotation devices in aqueous environments. Here, Felicitas Pfeifer describes the basic properties of these interesting structures, the proteins that form them, the gene clusters that encode them and the regulation of their production.
In recent years, thanks to the development of whole-genome amplification methods, it has become possible to sequence the genome of a single bacterial cell. Here, Roger Lasken reviews the development of single-cell sequencing techniques and their most recent applications.
The infection process is accompanied by widespread changes in gene expression in both host and pathogen. Here, Vogel and colleagues explore the feasibility of simultaneously analysing the transcriptomes of both host and pathogen using RNA deep-sequencing approaches.
Even when receiving antiretroviral therapy, HIV-infected individuals have an increased risk of mortality owing to systemic immune activation. Sandler and Douek review evidence showing that the translocation of microbial products from the intestine into the circulation may contribute to this risk and discuss potential therapeutic strategies.
Viruses are the most diverse and uncharacterized components of all the major ecosystems on Earth, including that within the mammalian gut. Here, Gordon and colleagues review our current understanding of the diversity and ecology of the bacteriophages present in the human gut and discuss how an improved understanding of phage dynamics could revitalize phage therapy.
Marine sponges can contain dense and diverse microbial communities that can constitute up to 35% of the sponge biomass. In this Review, Hentschel and colleagues describe how genomic insights into both sponges and their associated microbiota are beginning to illuminate the functional and evolutionary roles of each partner in this association.
Correlation and co-occurrence patterns found in metagenomic and phylogenetic data sets are increasingly being used to predict species interactions in the environment. Here, Faust and Raes describe the range of approaches for predicting microbial network models, the pitfalls that are associated with each approach and the future for developing ecosystem-wide models.
Vertebrates protect against infection through the sequestration of nutrient metals, and bacterial pathogens have evolved sophisticated acquisition strategies to circumvent this host defence. In this Review, Hood and Skaar describe this molecular arms race for nutrients.
Although more than one-third of the Earth's continental surface is permanently or seasonally arid, microbial communities have evolved to cope with the extreme stresses that are imposed by such environments. Here, Pointing and Belnap describe the microbial communities that are found in desert environments and the biogeological processes that they carry out.
Viroporins belong to a growing family of virally encoded proteins that form aqueous channels in the membranes of host cells. Here, Carrasco and colleagues review the structure and diverse biological functions of these proteins during the viral life cycle, as well as their potential as antiviral therapeutic targets.
Gene transfer agents (GTAs) have been identified in four bacterial and archaeal lineages. These genetic entities resemble phages, but the genes encoding the phage-like structure of the GTA particle are encoded within the genome of the producing cell, and GTAs instead package random pieces of the producing cell's genome. Here, the defining characteristics, potential functions and possible origins of GTAs are reviewed.
The twin-arginine translocation (Tat) protein export system is present in the membranes of most bacteria and archaea and transports folded proteins while maintaining the permeability barrier of the membrane. Here, Palmer and Berks summarize the recent advances in our understanding of how this remarkable system functions.
Encounters between the replication and transcription machineries occur frequently in bacterial cells and are detrimental to fitness. Here, Grossman, Wang and colleagues review the two different types of replication–transcription conflict and describe the mechanisms that bacteria use to prevent and resolve these conflicts.