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Coral reefs are complex ecosystems that are populated by diverse microorganisms. In this Review, Vega Thurberet al. summarize the diversity of reef viruses that infect corals and their associated microbiota, and highlight their roles in coral disease and reef decline.
Circadian rhythms enable cells to anticipate cyclic changes in their environment. In this Review, Johnsonet al. explore timekeeping systems that range from prototypical circadian clocks to hourglass timers and their role in different bacteria, including cyanobacteria and members of the microbiota.
In this Progress article, Buchanan and colleagues discuss recent studies that have advanced our understanding of the structure of the fully assembled β-barrel assembly machinery (BAM) complex and the interactions between the individual components. They also detail the mechanistic insights that have been gained and explore two emerging models for BAM-mediated outer membrane protein biogenesis in bacteria.
Trypanosomatid parasites can cause life-threatening diseases, such as human African trypanosomiasis, leishmaniasis and Chagas disease. In this Review, Gilbert and colleagues discuss the drug discovery landscape and describe some of the challenges that are involved in the development of new drugs to treat these diseases.
The discovery of the giant amoebal virus mimivirus, in 2003, opened up a new area of virology. Extended studies, including those of mimiviruses, have since revealed that these viruses have genetic, proteomic and structural features that are more complex than those of conventional viruses.
In this Review, Chandrangsuet al. discuss recent insights into metalloregulatory systems that are used by bacteria and how they respond to metal limitation and intoxication, as well as how these systems influence host–pathogen interactions.
Macromolecular crowding affects the physicochemistry of the cytoplasm and, in turn, microbial physiology. We propose that cells maintain the overall concentration of macromolecules within a narrow range (a process that we refer to as 'homeocrowding') and discuss possible mechanisms for achieving this.
The respiratory tract spans from the nostrils to the lung alveoli and these distinct niches host a diverse microbiota. In this Review, Man, de Steenhuijsen Piters and Bogaert discuss the role of the respiratory microbiota in the maintenance of human health.
Understanding the ecology and function of dry-adapted communities is important for understanding and preventing desertification. In this Review, Lebre, De Maayer and Cowan discuss the adaptations that enable xerotolerant bacteria to survive extreme dry conditions and highlight insights from recent metagenomic and transcriptomic studies.
Pathogenic leptospires are the bacterial agents of leptospirosis, which is an emerging zoonotic disease that affects both animals and humans worldwide. In this Review, the recent advances in our understanding of the epidemiology, taxonomy, genomics and the molecular basis of virulence in leptospires, and of how these properties contribute to the pathogenesis of leptospirosis, are discussed.
Cyclic dinucleotides are highly versatile signalling molecules that control important biological processes in bacteria, including motility, virulence, biofilm formation and cell cycle progression. In this Review, Jenal and colleagues discuss the molecular principles of cyclic di-GMP (c-di-GMP) synthesis and degradation, and the cellular functions that are exerted by c-di-GMP-binding effectors and their diverse targets.
Recent studies have provided insights into the antagonistic roles of cyclic-di-GMP (c-di-GMP) and the alarmones guanosine tetraphosphate and guanosine pentaphosphate (collectively referred to as (p)ppGpp) in the regulation of the cell cycle in Alphaproteobacteria. In this Review, Viollier and colleagues discuss how those second messengers control the initiation of DNA replication and cytokinesis by modulating the synthesis and proteolysis of key regulators of the cell cycle.
Bacteria have to overcome many obstacles to invade the meninges from the bloodstream. This Review considers how extracellular pathogens such asNeisseria meningitides and Streptococcus pneumoniaebypass the blood–brain barriers, the understanding of which may lead to improved methods for delivering drugs into the brain.
Sequencing viral DNA and RNA is an important part of clinical practice, although, so far, mostly subgenomic fragments have been sequenced. In this Opinion article, Houldcroft, Beale and Breuer highlight the potential that sequencing whole viral genomes has for clinical applications.
In addition to viruses, bacteria such asHelicobacter pylori and Salmonella enterica subsp. entericaserovar Typhi have been linked to cancer development. Progress has been made in our understanding of how bacterial effectors contribute to cancer directly by influencing host cell signalling pathways and indirectly by causing tissue damage and inflammatory responses.
Although viral sequences are important in taxonomy, classification has typically also required biological properties, thus excluding viruses that were identified by metagenomics. The proposals in this Consensus Statement, which are supported by the International Committee on Taxonomy of Viruses (ICTV), enable viruses that are discovered by sequence alone to be incorporated into virus classification.
