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Bacterial diarrhoea is caused by toxins that are secreted by a variety of bacterial species. These toxins target different host factors and cause loss of fluid and electrolytes, leading to diarrhoea. In addition, the host innate immune response plays an important part in modulating fluid loss.
In this Review, Bernhard Palsson and colleagues describe the steps that are necessary for reconstruction of genomic-scale biochemical reaction networks based on systems analysis of microorganisms. This article provides guidelines for the reconstruction of metabolic, transcription and translation and transcriptional regulatory networks.
Similarities between the intracellular pathogenic strategies of the bacteriumYersinia pestis and the fungus Cryptococcus neoformansare used to illustrate the author's proposal that these pathogens acquired their intracellular survival strategies by a process of convergent evolution, possibly in response to interactions with other hosts in the environment, such as amoebae.
Many environments are contaminated with organophosphate (OP) compounds, and OP use has resulted in a public health hazard, as approximately 3 million individuals are poisoned and 300,000 die owing to OP ingestion each year. Bioremediation of OPs is therefore of prime importance. This Review discusses the microbiology, biochemistry, genetics and evolution of the industrially important OP-degrading bacteria.
Burkitt's lymphoma (BL) was described 50 years ago, and the Epstein–Barr virus (EBV) was discovered in BL tumours soon after. Here, David Thorley-Lawson and Martin Allday examine the historically confusing and intertwined relationship between EBV and BL and discuss recent advances that could finally resolve this confusion.
Affordable, high-throughput sequencing technology has led to a flood of publicly available bacterial genome sequence data, presenting both an opportunity and a challenge for the microbiologist. New computational approaches, such as e-Science and Grid-based technologies, can help to analyse genomic data and address these challenges.
Some cattle excrete moreEscherichia coli O157 than others, and are known as super-shedders. This Review discusses the evidence for super-shedders and the implications of super-shedding for the transmission and epidemiology of E. coliO157 in cattle, human infections and disease control.
The realization that there is structural similarity between viruses that infect all three domains of life has led to calls for additions to the way in which the virosphere is classified. In this Opinion, the vertical β-barrel viral lineage is used as an example to support reclassification of viruses into superlineages.
The human gut microbiota contain health-promoting indigenous species (probiotic bacteria) that are commonly consumed as live dietary supplements. The genomics of probiotic bacteria — or probiogenomics — could shed light on how beneficial gut bacteria adapt to the gut environment and promote better gut health.
In this Review, the authors evaluate the strategies that the intracellular pathogenLegionella pneumophilauses to establish growth inside cells and probe why this microorganism has accumulated an unprecedented number of translocated substrates that are targeted to host cells.
The outer membrane of Gram-negative bacteria contains many protein channels, called porins. These channels mediate the influx of various compounds, including antibiotics. Adaptations that reduce influx contribute to the emergence and dissemination of antibiotic resistance. This Review outlines recent advances in our understanding of the physico-chemical parameters that govern antibiotic translocation through porin channels.
Genetic modification of mycobacteria is a difficult process. In this innovation, van Kessel and colleagues describe a new system of recombineering that facilitates the production of mutants in mycobacteria and mycobacteriophages.
Clonal types of pathogenic bacteria differ in their ability to colonize, spread and cause disease in hosts. The evolution of bacterial clones and factors that contribute to the clonal spread of bacteria are discussed in this article, together with the relevance of bacterial clones to the progression of disease.
The motility that is afforded by flagella and cilia is widespread among unicellular eukaryotes. In this Review, Ginger and colleagues describe the structure of the flagellum, its metabolic activity, different synthesis pathways and flagellar functions that extend beyond motility.
Many viruses that are pathogenic for humans, including HIV-1, herpes simplex virus and measles, can disseminate by moving directly from cell to cell. Quentin Sattentau discusses the mechanisms of viral cell-to-cell spread and the implications for viral dissemination, immune evasion and pathogenesis.
Some enteric bacterial pathogens cause abdominal pain and fever that are distinct from acute gastroenteritis. The authors review recent evidence that these 'stealth' pathogens share features that explain why host responses to them resemble those made to viral or parasitic infections.
Wolbachiaare symbiotic bacteria that live inside invertebrate host cells and can manipulate host biology in dramatic ways, such as sperm–egg incompatibility, feminization and male killing. This Review focuses on the basic biology of these symbionts and their interaction with a range of host invertebrates.
