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| Open Access
Horizontal gene transfer converts non-toxigenic Clostridium difficile strains into toxin producers
Clostridium difficile produces potent toxins that are encoded by its pathogenicity locus. Here, Brouwer et al. demonstrate surprising bacterial genome plasticity whereby the pathogenicity locus is transferred from toxigenic to non-toxigenic strains of C. difficileby conjugational transfer.
- Michael S.M. Brouwer
- , Adam P. Roberts
- & Peter Mullany
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Selectivity mechanism of the mechanosensitive channel MscS revealed by probing channel subconducting states
The E. colimechanosensitive channel MscS responds to hypoosmotic swelling by opening a weakly anion-selective pore. Here, the authors report that the structural determinants of this selectivity are located not in the pore, but in the large water-filled cytoplasmic domain.
- C. D. Cox
- , T. Nomura
- & B. Martinac
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CRISPR-Cas and restriction–modification systems are compatible and increase phage resistance
CRISPR-Cas and restriction–modification are two distinct bacterial defence systems that protect against phage infection. Dupuis et al. demonstrate that Streptococcus thermophilusemploys both systems simultaneously to cleave invading DNA, thereby providing enhanced phage resistance.
- Marie-Ève Dupuis
- , Manuela Villion
- & Sylvain Moineau
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Article
| Open Access
The crystal structure of multidrug-resistance regulator RamR with multiple drugs
RamR is an important multidrug-resistance factor, however, its structure and the molecules to which it responds are hitherto unknown. Here, the authors report the crystal structures of RamR complexed with multiple drugs, revealing significant flexibility in its substrate-recognition region.
- Suguru Yamasaki
- , Eiji Nikaido
- & Kunihiko Nishino
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A regulatory role for Staphylococcus aureus toxin–antitoxin system PemIKSa
A role of toxin–antitoxin systems in global regulation of bacterial gene expression has been proposed. Bukowski et al. now demonstrate that a novel toxin–antitoxin system from S. aureusencodes an endoribonuclease that regulates virulence gene expression by targeting translation.
- Michal Bukowski
- , Robert Lyzen
- & Benedykt Wladyka
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Deregulation of translation due to post-transcriptional modification of rRNA explains why erm genes are inducible
Erm methyltransferases confer antimicrobial drug resistance and their expression is induced by macrolides. Gupta et al.show that Erm-catalysed modification of rRNA affects synthesis of some proteins and reduces cell fitness, explaining why expression of Erm is deleterious in the absence of antibiotics.
- Pulkit Gupta
- , Shanmugapriya Sothiselvam
- & Alexander S. Mankin
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Interspecific bacterial sensing through airborne signals modulates locomotion and drug resistance
Microbes use small molecules to sense and communicate with other cells and species. Kim et al. now demonstrate that volatile compounds emitted by Bacillus subtilis can affect Escherichia colimotility and antibiotic resistance through activation of a conserved regulatory mechanism.
- Kwang-sun Kim
- , Soohyun Lee
- & Choong-Min Ryu
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A light-driven sodium ion pump in marine bacteria
Light-driven proton-pumping rhodopsins are widely distributed in microorganisms and convert sunlight energy into proton gradients. Inoue et al. report the discovery of a light-driven sodium ion pump from marine bacteria.
- Keiichi Inoue
- , Hikaru Ono
- & Hideki Kandori
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Article
| Open Access
β-lactam antibiotics promote bacterial mutagenesis via an RpoS-mediated reduction in replication fidelity
Sub-lethal concentrations of antibiotics are known to promote mutagenesis of bacterial DNA. Here the authors show that β-lactam antibiotics trigger mutagenesis by upregulating the stress-response protein RpoS, which downregulates mismatch-repair activity.
- A. Gutierrez
- , L. Laureti
- & I. Matic
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Mechanism of tetracycline resistance by ribosomal protection protein Tet(O)
The bacterial tetracycline resistance protein Tet(O) binds to the ribosome, preventing tetracycline from inhibiting translation. Using cryo-electron microscopic reconstruction, the authors present an atomic model of Tet(O) bound to the 70S ribosome, and reveal how Tet(O) promotes antibiotic resistance.
- Wen Li
- , Gemma C. Atkinson
- & Joachim Frank
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Article
| Open Access
The C-terminal helical bundle of the tetrameric prokaryotic sodium channel accelerates the inactivation rate
Many channels have cytosolic domains which regulate channel function. Irieet al. show that the cytosolic C-terminal region of NavSulP, a prokaryotic voltage-gated sodium channel, forms a four-helix bundle which stabilises the tetrameric channel and accelerates channel inactivation.
- Katsumasa Irie
- , Takushi Shimomura
- & Yoshinori Fujiyoshi
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Article
| Open Access
An energy transduction mechanism used in bacterial flagellar type III protein export
A bacterial export gate complex transports flagellar proteins across the cytoplasmic membrane, but the mechanism of this process is unclear. Here, the export gate complex is revealed as a proton–protein antiporter that uses separate components of the proton motive force for different steps of the export process.
- Tohru Minamino
- , Yusuke V. Morimoto
- & Keiichi Namba
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Article
| Open Access
Cryptic prophages help bacteria cope with adverse environments
Up to 20% of bacterial genomes are made up of cryptic prophages, but their function is relatively unknown. In this study, the authors demonstrate that prophages influence the response of the host cell to stress and provide a competitive growth advantage in the presence of antibiotics.
- Xiaoxue Wang
- , Younghoon Kim
- & Thomas K. Wood
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Article
| Open Access
Stretching fibronectin fibres disrupts binding of bacterial adhesins by physically destroying an epitope
Bacteria express adhesive proteins on their surface that recognize fibronectin. Using a mechanical stretch assay and steered molecular dynamics, Chabriaet al. demonstrate that the binding of a bacterial adhesin to fibronectin is mechanoregulated, suggesting that bacteria can sense tissue fibre stretching.
- Mamta Chabria
- , Samuel Hertig
- & Viola Vogel
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Article
| Open Access
A chemical genetic screen in Mycobacterium tuberculosis identifies carbon-source-dependent growth inhibitors devoid of in vivo efficacy
Candidate anti-tuberculosis drugs are often identified in whole-cell screens. Here, Petheet al. show that inappropriate carbon-source selection can lead to the identification of compounds devoid of efficacy in vivo, underlining the importance of developing predictive in vitroscreens.
- Kevin Pethe
- , Patricia C. Sequeira
- & Thomas Dick
Highly efficient methane biocatalysis revealed in a methanotrophic bacterium