Research Highlights in 2022

Arevalo et al. have developed a nucleoside-modified mRNA-lipid nanoparticle vaccine encoding separate haemagglutinin antigens from all known influenza virus subtypes.

Meyer et al. show that Toxoplasma gondii infection influences wolf behaviour in the wild, increasing risk-taking behaviours such as dispersing from a pack and becoming a pack leader.

Wu et al. provide mechanistic insight into how the plant symbiotic fungus Metarhizium robertsii can reduce mercury accumulation in soil.

This study shows that commensal bacteria can degrade the intestinal extracellular matrix and contribute to colonic inflammation.

This study identifies the eukaryotic commensal Entamoeba gingivalis as the main host for human-associated redondoviruses.

This study reports that SARS-CoV-2 binds to cilia and reprogrammes microvilli to promote replication in the nasal airway.

This study reports that mycobiota-derived metabolites can feed pathogenic Salmonella enterica subsp. enterica serovar Typhimurium and promote its competitive advantage, thus revealing a role of the fungal community during bacterial infection.

This study reports that Enterococcus species can remodel the metabolic environment in the gut and reprogramme the metabolism of Clostridioides difficile, enhancing its fitness and virulence.

This study reports that the Chlamydia trachomatis effector TepP modulates epithelial tight junctions to promote infection.

This study characterized the role of periplasmic PgfA in mycobacterial growth and division.

This study reports the identification of a highly divergent lineage of SARS-CoV-2 in white-tailed deer and provides evidence of deer-to-human transmission.

A new study identified two distinct lineages of monkeypox virus (MPXV) in the United States with evidence of genome editing by host apolipoprotein B editing complex (APOBEC3) cytosine deaminase, which might be accelerating MPXV evolution.

A recent study used a zebrafish model to show that the microbiota promotes social behaviour by stimulating microglial pruning of brain circuits during early neurodevelopment.

In this study, a multinational and multidisciplinary panel of experts provides actionable recommendations for policy makers to end the COVID-19 pandemic.

A recent study reports that nicotine accumulates in the gut during smoking and promotes the progression of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, and shows that the gut bacterium Bacteroides xylanisolvens can degrade nicotine.

This study identifies the Mycobacterium tuberculosis effector protein PtpB and shows that it counteracts gasdermin D-mediated pyroptosis and inflammatory cytokine release by altering the phospholipid composition of the host membrane.

A recent study finds that an enzyme expressed by gut bacteria can inactivate anti-cancer fluoropyrimidine drugs, reducing drug efficacy and bioavailability in mice.

A recent study characterizes an inducible morphotype of Cryptococcus neoformans that is critical for extrapulmonary organ entry.

Two studies report how soil microbiota adapts after wildfires and soil warming.

This study reports that dietary sugar induces changes in the intestinal microbiota that disrupt immune-mediated protection from metabolic syndrome in mice.