Review Articles in 2008

Bacterial diarrhoea is caused by toxins that are secreted by a variety of bacterial species. These toxins target different host factors and cause loss of fluid and electrolytes, leading to diarrhoea. In addition, the host innate immune response plays an important part in modulating fluid loss.

In this Review, Bernhard Palsson and colleagues describe the steps that are necessary for reconstruction of genomic-scale biochemical reaction networks based on systems analysis of microorganisms. This article provides guidelines for the reconstruction of metabolic, transcription and translation and transcriptional regulatory networks.

Many environments are contaminated with organophosphate (OP) compounds, and OP use has resulted in a public health hazard, as approximately 3 million individuals are poisoned and 300,000 die owing to OP ingestion each year. Bioremediation of OPs is therefore of prime importance. This Review discusses the microbiology, biochemistry, genetics and evolution of the industrially important OP-degrading bacteria.

Burkitt's lymphoma (BL) was described 50 years ago, and the Epstein–Barr virus (EBV) was discovered in BL tumours soon after. Here, David Thorley-Lawson and Martin Allday examine the historically confusing and intertwined relationship between EBV and BL and discuss recent advances that could finally resolve this confusion.

Some cattle excrete moreEscherichia coli O157 than others, and are known as super-shedders. This Review discusses the evidence for super-shedders and the implications of super-shedding for the transmission and epidemiology of E. coliO157 in cattle, human infections and disease control.

The human gut microbiota contain health-promoting indigenous species (probiotic bacteria) that are commonly consumed as live dietary supplements. The genomics of probiotic bacteria — or probiogenomics — could shed light on how beneficial gut bacteria adapt to the gut environment and promote better gut health.

In this Review, the authors evaluate the strategies that the intracellular pathogenLegionella pneumophilauses to establish growth inside cells and probe why this microorganism has accumulated an unprecedented number of translocated substrates that are targeted to host cells.

The outer membrane of Gram-negative bacteria contains many protein channels, called porins. These channels mediate the influx of various compounds, including antibiotics. Adaptations that reduce influx contribute to the emergence and dissemination of antibiotic resistance. This Review outlines recent advances in our understanding of the physico-chemical parameters that govern antibiotic translocation through porin channels.

Clonal types of pathogenic bacteria differ in their ability to colonize, spread and cause disease in hosts. The evolution of bacterial clones and factors that contribute to the clonal spread of bacteria are discussed in this article, together with the relevance of bacterial clones to the progression of disease.

The motility that is afforded by flagella and cilia is widespread among unicellular eukaryotes. In this Review, Ginger and colleagues describe the structure of the flagellum, its metabolic activity, different synthesis pathways and flagellar functions that extend beyond motility.

Many viruses that are pathogenic for humans, including HIV-1, herpes simplex virus and measles, can disseminate by moving directly from cell to cell. Quentin Sattentau discusses the mechanisms of viral cell-to-cell spread and the implications for viral dissemination, immune evasion and pathogenesis.

Some enteric bacterial pathogens cause abdominal pain and fever that are distinct from acute gastroenteritis. The authors review recent evidence that these 'stealth' pathogens share features that explain why host responses to them resemble those made to viral or parasitic infections.

Wolbachiaare symbiotic bacteria that live inside invertebrate host cells and can manipulate host biology in dramatic ways, such as sperm–egg incompatibility, feminization and male killing. This Review focuses on the basic biology of these symbionts and their interaction with a range of host invertebrates.

Fungi of the phylum Glomeromycota form tree-like structures called arbuscules within plant root cells. The fungi transport water, phosphate, nitrogen and other nutrients to the plant roots, and in return, obtain carbohydrates from the plant. The short arbuscule half-life results in constant renewal and rewiring of the hyphal network and competition between potential fungal partners.

In this Review, Edward Ruby examines five widely investigated systems that describe the morphology, behaviour, ecology and evolution of symbiotic partners. This descriptive foundation allows the correct questions to be framed in a biologically relevant context.

Chemosynthetic symbioses occur in a wide range of ocean habitats, from deep-sea vents and cold seeps to whale falls and shallow-water sediments. This Review reveals the diversity and complexity of these symbioses, some of which include multiple symbiotic partners.

Hydrothermal vent systems, which can support life in the absence of photosynthesis, are today inhabited by animals that form symbioses with lithoautotrophic microorganisms from which they obtain chemical energy. These hydrothermal systems might resemble the earliest microbial ecosystems on the Earth. Here, Martin, Baross, Kelley and Russell review how understanding these complex systems might inform our understanding of the origins of life itself.

Bacterial microcompartments consist of a protein shell that encapsulates enzymes to form an 'organelle'. Recent structural analyses have begun to provide insights into how one of these microcompartments, the carboxysome, which houses ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase (RuBisCO) and carbonic anhydrase, is built. This Review describes the structure and function of bacterial microcompartments by focusing on carboxysomes.

The ability to sense contact with an appropriate surface contributes to the ability of fungal pathogens such asMagnaporthe grisea and Candida albicansto cause disease in their respective hosts. This Review discusses molecular mechanisms of mechanosensitivity, the proteins involved and their putative roles in fungal contact sensing.