Volume 20 Issue 2, February 2022

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

Infections during pregnancy can be associated with devastating outcomes for the pregnant mother and developing fetus. In this Review, Megli and Coyne discuss placental defences and provide an overview of how various viral, bacterial and parasitic pathogens traverse the maternal–fetal interface and cause disease.

Linking genotype to phenotype is particularly challenging for viruses because of their small size, sparse phenotypic data and interlinked viral, host and environmental factors. In this Review, DeLong and colleagues discuss traits of virions and virocells and phenotypic plasticity.

Human papillomaviruses (HPVs) are a diverse group of viruses that replicate in specific anatomical niches of the stratified epithelia. Most HPVs cause asymptomatic infections, some cause benign, proliferative lesions on the skin and mucosa, and others are associated with the development of cancer. In this Review, McBride explores the diversity, evolution, infectious cycle, host interactions and disease association of HPVs.

The order and timing of the arrival (priority effects) of members of a microbiome can influence microbiome composition and function. In this Review, Debray and colleagues provide an overview of the mechanisms of priority effects, highlight examples in host-associated and environmental communities, and discuss methods to detect priority effects in microbial communities.