Featured
-
-
Article
| Open Access
Phosphorylation of muramyl peptides by NAGK is required for NOD2 activation
N-acetylglucosamine kinase catalyses the phosphorylation of muramyl dipeptide and is thus essential for its recognition and immunostimulatory activity in human and mouse cells.
- Che A. Stafford
- , Alicia-Marie Gassauer
- & Veit Hornung
-
Article |
A monocyte–leptin–angiogenesis pathway critical for repair post-infection
Monocytes recruited to skin infection are not involved in bacterial clearance but instead regulate local angiogenesis and healing.
- Rachel M. Kratofil
- , Hanjoo B. Shim
- & Paul Kubes
-
Article
| Open Access
Akkermansia muciniphila phospholipid induces homeostatic immune responses
Overall, this study describes the molecular mechanism of a druggable pathway that recapitulates in cellular assays the immunomodulatory effects associated with Akkermansia muciniphila, a prominent member of the gut microbiota.
- Munhyung Bae
- , Chelsi D. Cassilly
- & Jon Clardy
-
Article
| Open Access
Cryo-EM structure of an active bacterial TIR–STING filament complex
Through structural analysis of the activation of bacterial STING, the molecular basis of STING filament formation and TIR effector domain activation in antiphage signalling is defined.
- Benjamin R. Morehouse
- , Matthew C. J. Yip
- & Philip J. Kranzusch
-
Article |
A gut-derived metabolite alters brain activity and anxiety behaviour in mice
The gut-derived molecule 4-ethylphenol influences complex behaviours in mice through effects on oligodendrocyte function and myelin patterning in the brain.
- Brittany D. Needham
- , Masanori Funabashi
- & Sarkis K. Mazmanian
-
Article |
C. difficile exploits a host metabolite produced during toxin-mediated disease
RNA-sequencing experiments determine that sorbitol, a metabolite produced by the host enzyme aldose reductase, is exploited by Clostridium difficile in its adaptation to inflammatory conditions in the gut.
- Kali M. Pruss
- & Justin L. Sonnenburg
-
Article |
RETRACTED ARTICLE: IspH inhibitors kill Gram-negative bacteria and mobilize immune clearance
A class of compounds with a dual mechanism of action—direct targeting of IspH and stimulation of cytotoxic γδ T cells to enhance pathogen clearance—are active against multidrug-resistant bacteria.
- Kumar Sachin Singh
- , Rishabh Sharma
- & Farokh Dotiwala
-
Article |
DNA targeting and interference by a bacterial Argonaute nuclease
Argonaute protein from the bacterium C. butyricum targets multicopy genetic elements and functions in the suppression of plasmid and phage propagation, and there appears to be a DNA-mediated immunity pathway in prokaryotes.
- Anton Kuzmenko
- , Anastasiya Oguienko
- & Andrey Kulbachinskiy
-
Article |
Potential roles of gut microbiome and metabolites in modulating ALS in mice
A study of the functional microbiome in a mouse model of ALS shows that several gut bacteria may modulate the severity of the disease.
- Eran Blacher
- , Stavros Bashiardes
- & Eran Elinav
-
Article |
Bacterial cGAS-like enzymes synthesize diverse nucleotide signals
A bacterial family of cGAS/DncV-like nucleotidyltransferases synthesizes a diverse range of cyclic dinucleotide and trinucleotide compounds that are likely to modulate the interaction of both pathogens and commensal microbiota with their animal and plant hosts.
- Aaron T. Whiteley
- , James B. Eaglesham
- & Philip J. Kranzusch
-
Letter |
Alpha-kinase 1 is a cytosolic innate immune receptor for bacterial ADP-heptose
The bacterial metabolite ADP-heptose activates NF-κB in host cells via alpha-kinase 1 and the TIFA–TRAF signalling pathway.
- Ping Zhou
- , Yang She
- & Feng Shao
-
Article |
Commensal bacteria make GPCR ligands that mimic human signalling molecules
Commensal bacteria have N-acyl amide synthase genes that encode signalling molecules (N-acyl amides) that can interact with G-protein-coupled receptors and elicit host cellular responses similar to eukaryotic N-acyl amides.
- Louis J. Cohen
- , Daria Esterhazy
- & Sean F. Brady
-
Research Highlights |
Partners for the sunshine vitamin
-
Letter |
The Shigella flexneri effector OspI deamidates UBC13 to dampen the inflammatory response
Shigella flexneri translocates several virulence factors into host cells during infection; one of these proteins, OspI, is a glutamine deamidase that specifically modifies UBC13, a protein involved in immune signalling.
- Takahito Sanada
- , Minsoo Kim
- & Chihiro Sasakawa
-
News & Views |
A sweet way of sensing danger
Cells can destroy invading bacteria through a digestive process called autophagy. A study finds that sugar molecules, exposed by bacterial damage to the cell's membrane, can trigger this process. See Letter p.414
- Ju Huang
- & John H. Brumell
-
News |
Septin proteins take bacterial prisoners
A cellular defence against microbial pathogens holds therapeutic potential.
- Amanda Mascarelli
-
Letter |
STING is a direct innate immune sensor of cyclic di-GMP
- Dara L. Burdette
- , Kathryn M. Monroe
- & Russell E. Vance
-
Letter |
Innate immune recognition of bacterial ligands by NAIPs determines inflammasome specificity
- Eric M. Kofoed
- & Russell E. Vance
-
News & Views |
Peptide gets in shape for self-defence
The transformation of tadpole to frog and of caterpillar to butterfly are two of the more obvious examples of metamorphosis. But molecular shape-shifting may occur in each of us as part of our innate antibacterial defence system. See Letter p.419
- Robert I. Lehrer
-
News & Views |
Inflammation for growth
How does a Salmonella pathogen outcompete beneficial intestinal microorganisms? It triggers an immune response that generates a compound from intestinal gas that it can utilize as an energy source. See Article p. 426
- Samuel I. Miller
-
Letter |
Listeria monocytogenes impairs SUMOylation for efficient infection
SUMOylation is a post-translational protein modification that affects many eukaryotic cellular processes. It is shown here that cellular infection with Listeria monocytogenes induces degradation of one of the essential SUMOylation enzymes, Ubc9, through a mechanism that involves a bacterial toxin, listeriolysin O. This effect on SUMOylation may support efficient infection by Listeria.
- David Ribet
- , Mélanie Hamon
- & Pascale Cossart
-
News & Views |
Listeria does it again
Proteins are synthesized by ribosomes, and then commonly undergo further modifications. A new example of how these host-cell processes can e subverted by a pathogenic bacterium has come to light.
- Julian I. Rood
Oligomerization-mediated activation of a short prokaryotic Argonaute