News & Comment

Didier Raoult, Eugene Koonin and colleagues now provide more details about the complement of mobile genetic elements associated with giant viruses.

In our final Editorial of the year, we take a look back at 2012 and the microbiology-related research that made the news.

The identification of cable-like filamentous bacteria that support the long-distance transport of electrons in anoxic sediments.

A newly discovered lytic phage of the phytopathogenPectobacterium atrosepticumsuppresses toxin-mediated abortive infection by mimicking or hijacking the corresponding RNA antitoxin.

The identification of a novel endonuclease inC. crescentusthat cleaves chromosomal DNA in response to DNA damage, providing support for the hypothesis that bacteria undergo apoptosis-like cell death.

Pathogenic SIV infection is associated with expansion of the enteric virome.

Characterization of a bacterial cytoplasmic membrane protein that requires the action of both the Sec and Tat pathways to ensure correct insertion into the membrane.

This month's Genome Watch highlights new insights into the use of bacteria in industrial processes such as electricity generation and bioremediation.

Two recent papers provide evidence to support a role for efferocytosis at different points in the host response toMycobacterium tuberculosisinfection.

The interferon-stimulated early response geneSLFN11specifically inhibits HIV protein synthesis in a codon-usage-based manner.

HSV-1 obtains its envelope from the plasma membrane.

Endogenous non-coding RNAs fromEscherichia coli alter Caenorhabditis elegansgene expression to protect the bacterium from foraging by the worm.

Despite low levels of uptake and active engagement, social media and other online tools can be of great benefit to microbiology researchers, and their use is to be encouraged.

This month's Genome Watch describes how sequencing technology is providing insight into the geographical relationships and global travel of bacterial pathogens.

Stacking interactions between two rings formed in the KaiC homohexamer drive the cyanobacterial circadian oscillator.

The first report of geranylated RNA nucleotides, which were discovered in the anticodon loops of bacterial tRNAs, and affect codon bias and frameshifting during translation.