Bacterial physiology: Shuttling lipids across bacterial membranes
Nature Reviews Microbiology 15, 319 (2017).
doi:10.1038/nrmicro.2017.49
Author: Irene Vacca
Two recent studies provide novel mechanistic and structural insights into lipid and lipoprotein transport between the inner and outer bacterial membranes, across the periplasmic space. (Source: Nature Reviews Microbiology)
Source: Nature Reviews Microbiology - May 2, 2017 Category: Microbiology Authors: Irene Vacca Tags: Research Highlight Source Type: research
Biofilms: Communities in sync
This study shows that distant biofilms can coordinate their behaviour and use time-sharing to increase their growth rate under nutrient-limiting conditions (Source: Nature Reviews Microbiology)
Source: Nature Reviews Microbiology - April 24, 2017 Category: Microbiology Authors: Shimona Starling Tags: Research Highlight Source Type: research
Leukocidins: staphylococcal bi-component pore-forming toxins find their receptors
Nature Reviews Microbiology 15, 435 (2017).
doi:10.1038/nrmicro.2017.27
Authors: András N. Spaan, Jos A. G. van Strijp & Victor J. Torres
Staphylococcus aureus is a major bacterial pathogen that causes disease worldwide. The emergence of strains that are resistant to commonly used antibiotics and the failure of vaccine development have resulted in a renewed interest in the pathophysiology of this bacterium. Staphylococcal leukocidins are a (Source: Nature Reviews Microbiology)
Source: Nature Reviews Microbiology - April 19, 2017 Category: Microbiology Authors: Andr á s N. Spaan Jos A. G. van Strijp Victor J. Torres Tags: Review Source Type: research
Oxidative stress, protein damage and repair in bacteria
Nature Reviews Microbiology 15, 385 (2017).
doi:10.1038/nrmicro.2017.26
Authors: Benjamin Ezraty, Alexandra Gennaris, Frédéric Barras & Jean-François Collet
Oxidative damage can have a devastating effect on the structure and activity of proteins, and may even lead to cell death. The sulfur-containing amino acids cysteine and methionine are particularly susceptible to reactive oxygen species (ROS) and reactive chlorine species (RCS), which can damage proteins. (Source: Nature Reviews Microbiology)
Source: Nature Reviews Microbiology - April 19, 2017 Category: Microbiology Authors: Benjamin Ezraty Alexandra Gennaris Fr é d é ric Barras Jean-Fran ç ois Collet Tags: Review Source Type: research
A CRISPR toolbox to study virus – host interactions
Nature Reviews Microbiology 15, 351 (2017).
doi:10.1038/nrmicro.2017.29
Authors: Andreas S. Puschnik, Karim Majzoub, Yaw Shin Ooi & Jan E. Carette
Viruses depend on their hosts to complete their replication cycles; they exploit cellular receptors for entry and hijack cellular functions to replicate their genome, assemble progeny virions and spread. Recently, genome-scale CRISPR–Cas screens have been used to identify host factors that are required for virus (Source: Nature Reviews Microbiology)
Source: Nature Reviews Microbiology - April 19, 2017 Category: Microbiology Authors: Andreas S. Puschnik Karim Majzoub Yaw Shin Ooi Jan E. Carette Tags: Review Source Type: research
A CRISPR toolbox to study virus –host interactions
Nature Reviews Microbiology 15, 351 (2017).
doi:10.1038/nrmicro.2017.29
Authors: Andreas S. Puschnik, Karim Majzoub, Yaw Shin Ooi & Jan E. Carette
Viruses depend on their hosts to complete their replication cycles; they exploit cellular receptors for entry and hijack cellular functions to replicate their genome, assemble progeny virions and spread. Recently, genome-scale CRISPR–Cas screens have been used to identify host factors that are required for virus (Source: Nature Reviews Microbiology)
Source: Nature Reviews Microbiology - April 19, 2017 Category: Microbiology Authors: Andreas S. Puschnik Karim Majzoub Yaw Shin Ooi Jan E. Carette Tags: Review Source Type: research
Next-generation approaches to understand and combat the antibiotic resistome
Nature Reviews Microbiology 15, 422 (2017).
doi:10.1038/nrmicro.2017.28
Authors: Terence S. Crofts, Andrew J. Gasparrini & Gautam Dantas
Antibiotic resistance is a natural feature of diverse microbial ecosystems. Although recent studies of the antibiotic resistome have highlighted barriers to the horizontal transfer of antibiotic resistance genes between habitats, the rapid global spread of genes that confer resistance to carbapenem, colistin and quinolone antibiotics (Source: Nature Reviews Microbiology)
Source: Nature Reviews Microbiology - April 10, 2017 Category: Microbiology Authors: Terence S. Crofts Andrew J. Gasparrini Gautam Dantas Tags: Review Source Type: research
Assembly, structure, function and regulation of type III secretion systems
Nature Reviews Microbiology 15, 323 (2017).
doi:10.1038/nrmicro.2017.20
Authors: Wanyin Deng, Natalie C. Marshall, Jennifer L. Rowland, James M. McCoy, Liam J. Worrall, Andrew S. Santos, Natalie C. J. Strynadka & B. Brett Finlay
Type III secretion systems (T3SSs) are protein transport nanomachines that are found in Gram-negative bacterial pathogens and symbionts. Resembling molecular syringes, T3SSs form channels that cross the bacterial envelope and the host cell membrane, which enable bacteria to inject numerous effector proteins into the host (Source: Nature Reviews Microbiology)
Source: Nature Reviews Microbiology - April 10, 2017 Category: Microbiology Authors: Wanyin Deng Natalie C. Marshall Jennifer L. Rowland James M. McCoy Liam J. Worrall Andrew S. Santos Natalie C. J. Strynadka B. Brett Finlay Tags: Review Source Type: research
Bacterial Pathogenesis: What makes some E. coli efficient bladder colonizers?
Nature Reviews Microbiology 15, 257 (2017).
doi:10.1038/nrmicro.2017.38
Author: Ursula Hofer
A detailed study of E. coli strains that were isolated from the urine of women shows that bladder colonization does not require previously defined virulence factors but is linked to the differential regulation of core functions. (Source: Nature Reviews Microbiology)
Source: Nature Reviews Microbiology - April 10, 2017 Category: Microbiology Authors: Ursula Hofer Tags: Research Highlight Source Type: research
Bacterial Physiology: Phage injection establishes CRISPR immunity
Nature Reviews Microbiology 15, 255 (2017).
doi:10.1038/nrmicro.2017.39
Author: Shimona Starling
A new study by Maraffini and colleagues shows that CRISPR–Cas systems capture phage DNA during genome injection, which protects cells from subsequent infection before the lytic cycle begins. (Source: Nature Reviews Microbiology)
Source: Nature Reviews Microbiology - April 10, 2017 Category: Microbiology Authors: Shimona Starling Tags: Research Highlight Source Type: research
Structural biology: The tick-tock of circadian clocks
Nature Reviews Microbiology 15, 256 (2017).
doi:10.1038/nrmicro.2017.37
Author: Ashley York
Two new studies provide a structural basis to help us understand the periodic assembly of cyanobacterial clock proteins. (Source: Nature Reviews Microbiology)
Source: Nature Reviews Microbiology - April 3, 2017 Category: Microbiology Authors: Ashley York Tags: Research Highlight Source Type: research
Metal homeostasis and resistance in bacteria
Nature Reviews Microbiology 15, 338 (2017).
doi:10.1038/nrmicro.2017.15
Authors: Pete Chandrangsu, Christopher Rensing & John D. Helmann
Metal ions are essential for many reactions, but excess metals can be toxic. In bacteria, metal limitation activates pathways that are involved in the import and mobilization of metals, whereas excess metals induce efflux and storage. In this Review, we highlight recent insights into metal (Source: Nature Reviews Microbiology)
Source: Nature Reviews Microbiology - March 27, 2017 Category: Microbiology Authors: Pete Chandrangsu Christopher Rensing John D. Helmann Tags: Review Source Type: research
