Volume 17 Issue 3, March 2019

This study used a large-scale metagenomic-assembly approach and uncovered thousands of new species associated with the human microbiome.

This study reveals the effector repertoire of the Legionella genus.

This report shows that a non-structural protein of a persistent plant virus can induce the apoptotic response to promote viral transmission.

Two studies address the mechanism of phage induction in the context of a gut symbiont and enterohaemorrhagic Escherichia coli infection.

A recent study shows that silencing of the type VI secretion system is essential for plasmid conjugation and the dissemination of multidrug resistance in Acinetobacter baumannii.

In a recent study, researchers examined the super-donor phenomenon in faecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) and concluded that the existence of FMT super-donors is not yet supported, and they suggest a more personalized approach could improve the success of FMT.

This month’s Genome Watch explores the genetic variability of the anti-malaria vaccine protein and discusses its significance for an efficacious intervention.

Previously, Zika virus was thought to cause mild infection, and serious complications only recently emerged. Liu, Shi and Qin discuss how the virus has evolved during its recent global spread and consider how these changes might be linked to pathogenesis.

Combinations of antibiotics and of antibiotics with non-antibiotic activity-enhancing compounds offer a productive strategy to address the widespread emergence of antibiotic-resistant strains. In this Review, Tyers and Wright outline a theoretical and practical framework for the development of effective drug combinations.

In this Review, Brennan and Garrett discuss the multifaceted associations of Fusobacterium nucleatum with its human host that range from symbiotic in oral biofilms to potential infectious pathogen at several sites and cancer-promoting member of the microbiota in the gut.

In this Review, Nancy P. Keller describes the classification and genetics of secondary metabolites and biosynthetic gene clusters, cluster regulation and the ecological roles of secondary metabolites, and she explores avenues for the discovery of new fungal metabolites and current challenges in their identification.

Coronaviruses have a broad host range and distribution, and some highly pathogenic lineages have spilled over to humans and animals. Here, Cui, Li and Shi explore the viral factors that enabled the emergence of diseases such as severe acute respiratory syndrome and Middle East respiratory syndrome.