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An experimental evolution study showed that the cost of plasmid carriage can be caused by genetic conflicts between the plasmid and bacterial host chromosome.
This study shows that segmented filamentous bacteria provide early protection against Citrobacter rodentium via a microbially derived metabolite that primes host innate immunity.
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.
Whether there is overlap between the microbial communities in the gut and oral cavity has been debated. This study found that the salivary and stool microbiomes are highly distinct.
The successful treatment of polymicrobial infections is difficult, in part owing to inter-species interactions, which can alter antibiotic susceptibility of the bacteria. This study, focusing on cystic fibrosis, shows that multi-drug resistant Stenotrophomonas maltophilia can provide protection against imipenem to sensitive Pseudomonas aeruginosa.
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.
In this Review, Lovley and Holmes discuss the physiological and phylogenetic diversity of electroactive microorganisms, and their mechanisms for extracellular electron transfer in various electromicrobiomes.
A hallmark of retroviral replication is establishment of the proviral state, wherein a DNA copy of the viral RNA genome is stably incorporated into a host cell chromosome by the viral enzyme integrase. In this Review, Maertens, Engelman and Cherepanov explore the structure and function of retroviral integrase and how this knowledge is informing the development of integrase inhibitors for the treatment of HIV infection.
In this Review, Avalos and colleagues discuss different aspects of microbial physiology that can have an impact on engineered metabolic pathways, and they describe instances in which natural or engineered physiological traits in host organisms have been harnessed to benefit engineered metabolic pathways for chemical production.
In this Review, Chevallereau et al. explore the composition and evolution of phage communities as well as their roles in controlling the population and evolutionary dynamics of bacterial communities. They highlight the need for greater ecological realism in laboratory studies to capture the complexity of microbial communities that thrive in natural environments.
