Articles in 2021

Recent studies provide new insights into the regulation of lysogeny and prophage induction.

This study shows how a satellite RNA manipulates both its host plant and aphid vector to ensure efficient transmission.

This study reports the discovery of new broad-spectrum metallo-β-lactamase inhibitors with a unique binding mode.

A mouse study shows a link between the microbiome, smoking cessation and weight gain, resembling preliminary results in humans.

A recent study finds that upregulation of nutrient-permeable channels in the parasitophorous vacuole membrane increases the acquisition of amino acids by artemisinin-resistant parasites to compensate for fitness costs.

This study presents an antibacterial coating for implants that kills pathogens and promotes bone integration.

A whole-genome sequencing study reveals a bottleneck in syphilis spread in the late 1990s followed by global spread.

This study reveals that bacterial TIR domains function similarly to plant and animal ones to trigger immune responses upon infection.

This month’s Under the Lens discusses how recent advanced microscopy studies have provided insights into key target-search mechanisms that allow the recombinase RecA to rapidly and efficiently find homology for DNA repair.

This Genome Watch article highlights how technical advances have enabled the identification of short protein-coding open reading frames and thus the discovery of hidden small proteins.

Clostridioides difficile produces up to three different toxins, which are key to the pathogenesis of C. difficile infection of the colon. In this Review, Kordus, Thomas and Lacy discuss the structure and function of these toxins and how this information informs new therapeutic approaches.

A new spatiotemporal modelling study shows that global antibiotic consumption rose by 46% between 2000 and 2018.

Experimental and modelling work suggests that stress-induced network disruption, which resembles ageing, triggers antibiotic persistence.

A carefully controlled study finds that restricted dietary preferences might underlie the association between autism spectrum disorder and gut microbiome changes.

This study provides insights into the neuroinvasive mechanism of neurotropic alphaherpesviruses, which involves viral assimilation and repurposing of a cellular motor protein.

This Genome Watch highlights how the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic laid the groundwork for continued use of real-time genomic epidemiology for public health responses in low-and-middle-income countries.

Bats harbour a multitude of coronaviruses and owing to their diversity and wide distribution are prime reservoir hosts of emerging viruses. Ruiz-Aravena, McKee and colleagues analyse the currently available information on bat coronaviruses and discuss their role in recent and potential future spillovers.

A recent study provides evidence that the extracellular DNA-based architecture of bacterial biofilms relies on the rare left-handed helical form of DNA known as Z-DNA.

Bacterial DNA transfers between cells in numerous ways and becomes integrated into the genome, with diverse consequences for bacterial genomes. In this Review, Arnold, Huang and Hanage discuss the underlying theory used to infer the selective forces acting on transferred DNA and how they shape patterns of genomic variation.

Microbial life can thrive in extreme environments such as terrestrial hot springs and deep sea hydrothermal vents, glaciers and permafrost, hypersaline habitats, acid mine drainage and the subsurface. In this Review, Shu and Huang explore the diversity, functions and evolution of bacteria and archaea inhabiting Earth’s major extreme environments.