Articles in 2016

This month's Genome Watch describes how Mash can be used to tackle comparisons between large amounts of genomic and metagenomic sequence data for taxonomic applications.

This study shows that the bacterial effector Sca4 promotes intercellular spread of the obligate intracellular pathogenRickettsia parkeriby disrupting the transmission of intercellular tension at cell–cell adherence junctions.

Three new studies investigate the metabolic pathways that anaerobic archaea use to produce hydrocarbons such as methane and butane.

This study reveals that ribosomal antibiotics function in a context-specific manner, dependent on the penultimate amino acid in the nascent chain and the amino acid in the P-site of the peptidyl transferase center.

Why have multi-partner endosymbioses evolved on several independent occasions in plant sap-feeding insects? In this Review, Douglas discusses the composition and functions of these endosymbioses, and considers the processes and adaptive forces that drive their evolution.

Fungal genomics studies have shown that ectomycorrhizal fungi have arisen in approximately 60 independent saprotrophic lineages. In this Review, Martin and colleagues describe the functional gains and losses that have occurred during the evolution of ectomycorrhizal symbioses.

This study reports that the T7SS has antibacterial activity and is involved in intraspecies competition.

This study reveals that arginine phosphorylation tags proteins for degradation by the ClpCP protease

This month's Genome Watch discusses how advances in genome editing have contributed to our understanding of apicomplexan parasite biology.

This study reveals that TcdB binds to two different receptors, CSPG4 and FZD, in a cell type-dependent manner.

Treponema pallidum, the causative agent of syphilis, is extremely well adapted to its host. In this Review, Radolf and colleagues discuss how this pathogen has streamlined its cell envelope, metabolism and genome to thrive and cause disease in humans.