Cellular microbiology articles within Nature Communications

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  • Article
    | Open Access

    “Intracellular phase separation is emerging as a universal principle for organizing biochemical reactions in time and space. Here the authors show that PopZ condensate dynamics support cell division and using PopZ modular architecture, the tunable PopTag platform was developed to enable designer condensates.”

    • Keren Lasker
    • , Steven Boeynaems
    •  & Lucy Shapiro

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Horizontal gene transfer in bacteria can occur through mechanisms such as conjugation, transduction and transformation, which facilitate the passage of DNA across the cell wall. Here, Kapteijn et al. show that cell wall-deficient bacteria can take up DNA and other extracellular materials via an endocytosis-like process.

    • Renée Kapteijn
    • , Shraddha Shitut
    •  & Dennis Claessen

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Perinatal infection with Group B Streptococcus (GBS) is associated with preterm birth, neonatal sepsis, and stillbirth. Here, Korir et al. show that gene cadD, encoding a putative metal efflux transporter, is important for metal detoxification, immune evasion and bacterial proliferation in the pregnant host.

    • Michelle L. Korir
    • , Ryan S. Doster
    •  & Jennifer A. Gaddy

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Lipids shed by pathogenic mycobacteria have been shown to inhibit NPC1, a lysosomal membrane protein deficient in most cases of a rate inherited lysosomal storage disorder Niemann-Pick disease type C (NPC). Here, authors utilise lipid extracts from clinical Mycobacterium tuberculosis strains, and non-tubercular mycobacteria to investigate their ability to inhibit the NPC pathway.

    • Yuzhe Weng
    • , Dawn Shepherd
    •  & Frances M. Platt

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Rod-shaped bacteria typically elongate and divide by transverse fission, but a few species are known to divide longitudinally. Here, the authors use genomic, phylogenetic and microscopy techniques to shed light on the evolution of cell shape, multicellularity and division mode within the family Neisseriaceae.

    • Sammy Nyongesa
    • , Philipp M. Weber
    •  & Frédéric J. Veyrier

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Some bacteria act as pathogens or predators of other bacteria, but their impact in natural settings is often unclear. Here, Bethany et al. describe a new type of obligate, intracellular predatory bacterium of widespread distribution that preys on soil cyanobacteria in biocrusts and thus severely impacts biocrust productivity.

    • Julie Bethany
    • , Shannon Lynn Johnson
    •  & Ferran Garcia-Pichel

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Chromosomal instability caused by cell division errors is associated with antifungal drug resistance in fungal pathogens. Here, Jaitly et al. identify several genes involved in chromosomal stability in Candida albicans, including a phylogenetically restricted gene encoding an essential cell-cycle progression factor.

    • Priya Jaitly
    • , Mélanie Legrand
    •  & Kaustuv Sanyal

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Encystment is a process that allows free-living and parasitic amoebae to survive in unfavorable environments. Here, Bernard et al. provide detailed insights into the early stages of encystment of Acanthamoeba castellanii by integrating RNA-Seq, proteomics and phosphoproteomics data sets.

    • Clément Bernard
    • , Marie Locard-Paulet
    •  & Ascel Samba-Louaka

  • Article
    | Open Access

    The fungal pathogen Candida albicans forms filamentous hyphae that can invade the epithelium. Here, Lachat et al. show that C. albicans early invasion of epithelial tissues can lead to either host membrane breaching and host cell death, or trans-cellular tunnelling through host cells without membrane breaching.

    • Joy Lachat
    • , Alice Pascault
    •  & Allon Weiner

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Pathogenic Rickettsia species are arthropod-borne, obligate intracellular bacteria that invade host cells, replicate in the cell cytosol, and spread from cell to cell. Here, Borgo et al. identify a Rickettsia phospholipase enzyme that is important for infection by helping the bacteria escape from host cell vacuoles into the host cytosol, preventing targeting by autophagy, and promoting bacterial motility and spread to other cells.

    • Gina M. Borgo
    • , Thomas P. Burke
    •  & Matthew D. Welch

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Mycobacterium marinum, a close relative of Mycobacterium tuberculosis, polymerizes host actin at the bacterial surface to drive intracellular movement and cell-to-cell spread during infection. Here, Hill & Welch identify an M. marinum surface protein that binds to and activates the host protein NWASP to stimulate actin polymerization and drive bacterial actin-based motility.

    • Norbert S. Hill
    •  & Matthew D. Welch

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Orientia tsutsugamushi (Ot) the causing agent of scrub typhus exits infected cells using a unique mechanism that involves budding off the surface of infected cells. Here, Atwal et al. report that Ots that have budded from their host cells are in a distinct developmental stage than intracellular bacteria and provide the first characterization of this extracellular stage. Both forms are infectious but differ in their physical properties, proteome, and entry mechanism into host cells.

    • Sharanjeet Atwal
    • , Jantana Wongsantichon
    •  & Jeanne Salje

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Measuring the mass of individual microbial cells remains challenging. Here, the authors present a cell balance to monitor the proliferation of single budding yeast cells under culture conditions in real time, showing that single cells increase total mass in multiple linear segments of constant growth rates.

    • Andreas P. Cuny
    • , K. Tanuj Sapra
    •  & Daniel J. Müller

  • Article
    | Open Access

    DISARM (Defense Island System Associated with Restriction Modification) systems can provide bacteria with protection against a wide range of phage. Here, Bravo et al. determine cryo-EM structures of the core DISARM complex that shed light onto phage DNA recognition and activation of this widespread defense system.

    • Jack P. K. Bravo
    • , Cristian Aparicio-Maldonado
    •  & David W. Taylor

  • Article
    | Open Access

    The endosymbiotic theory posits that chloroplasts in eukaryotes arise from bacterial endosymbionts. Here, the authors engineer the yeast/cyanobacteria chimeras and show that the engineered cyanobacteria perform chloroplast-like functions to support the growth of yeast cells under photosynthetic conditions.

    • Jason E. Cournoyer
    • , Sarah D. Altman
    •  & Angad P. Mehta

  • Article
    | Open Access

    The Micrarchaeota lineage includes poorly characterized archaea with reduced genomes that likely depend on host interactions for survival. Here, the authors report a stable co-culture of a member of the Micrarchaeota and its host, and use multi-omic and physiological analyses to shed light on this symbiosis.

    • Susanne Krause
    • , Sabrina Gfrerer
    •  & Johannes Gescher

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Cells of the predatory bacterium Bdellovibrio bacteriovorus, which invades and replicates within the periplasm of other bacteria, have a characteristic curved rod shape. Here, Banks et al. show that a peptidoglycan hydrolase is required for the curved shape, and this facilitates invasion of prey cells.

    • Emma J. Banks
    • , Mauricio Valdivia-Delgado
    •  & R. Elizabeth Sockett

  • Article
    | Open Access

    The S-layer is a two-dimensional protein array that covers the cell surface of many bacteria and archaea. Here, the authors use high-resolution X-ray crystallography and electron microscopy to provide detailed insights into S-layer organisation and assembly for the bacterial pathogen Clostridioides difficile.

    • Paola Lanzoni-Mangutchi
    • , Oishik Banerji
    •  & Paula S. Salgado

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Some intracellular pathogens can directly invade neighboring host cells in cell culture, but it is unclear how this happens in vivo. Here, Tran et al. describe an intracellular bacterium that forms filaments to spread between intestinal epithelial cells in its host nematode, in a process regulated by a conserved nutrient-sensing pathway.

    • Tuan D. Tran
    • , Munira Aman Ali
    •  & Robert J. Luallen

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Streptomyces bacteria undergo two modes of cell division: formation of cross-walls in hyphae, leading to multicellular compartments, and septation for release of unicellular spores. Here, Bush et al. identify a protein that is important for both cell division modes in Streptomyces, likely by contributing to stabilization of the divisome.

    • Matthew J. Bush
    • , Kelley A. Gallagher
    •  & Susan Schlimpert

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Antibiotic-producing organisms need to co-evolve self-protection mechanisms to avoid any damage to themselves caused by the antibiotic pharmacophore (the reactive part of the compound). In this study, the authors report a self-defense strategy in naphthyridinomycin (NDM)-producing Streptomyces lusitanus, that comprises reductive inactivation of the hemiaminal pharmacophore by short-chain dehydrogenases/reductases (SDRs) NapW and HomW.

    • Wan-Hong Wen
    • , Yue Zhang
    •  & Gong-Li Tang

  • Review Article
    | Open Access

    Cellular microbiology is a field that combines the study of infection and cell biology. In this review, we highlight emerging technologies and infection models that recently transformed our understanding of the infected cell and may inspire future medicine.

    • Ana Teresa López-Jiménez
    •  & Serge Mostowy

  • Article
    | Open Access

    The fungal pathogen Candida albicans can release extracellular vesicles that promote biofilm formation and antifungal resistance. Here, Zarnowski et al. define functions for numerous vesicle cargo proteins in biofilm matrix assembly and drug resistance, as well as in fungal cell adhesion and dissemination.

    • Robert Zarnowski
    • , Andrea Noll
    •  & David R. Andes

  • Article
    | Open Access

    The pathogen Staphylococcus aureus releases several pore-forming toxins, termed leukocidins, that kill immune cells. Here, Zheng et al. show that the retention of a leukocidin on bacterial cells and its release are modulated by lipoteichoic acid and a membrane lipid, which also control the sorting of other surface-associated proteins.

    • Xuhui Zheng
    • , Gerben Marsman
    •  & Victor J. Torres

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Bacterial biofilms are aggregates of surface-associated cells embedded in an extracellular polysaccharide (EPS) matrix. Here, the authors describe a unique mode of collective movement by self-propelled, surface-associated spherical microcolonies with EPS cores in the gliding bacterium Flavobacterium johnsoniae.

    • Chao Li
    • , Amanda Hurley
    •  & David J. Beebe

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Methyl salicylate ester is a plant metabolite involved in plant-insect and plant-plant interactions. Here, Yu et al. show that a nematode-trapping fungus has potential to produce a related compound, 6-methyl salicylate, which attracts its prey (nematodes) and modulates spore germination and trap formation in the fungus.

    • Xi Yu
    • , Xiaodi Hu
    •  & Reinhard Fischer

  • Article
    | Open Access

    It is unclear how bacterial cells adapt the reversible switching of flagellar motor rotation to environments of different viscosities. Here, Antani et al. show that flagellar mechanosensors allosterically control the motor’s binding affinity for the chemotaxis response regulator, CheY-P, to adapt flagellar switching over varying viscous loads.

    • Jyot D. Antani
    • , Rachit Gupta
    •  & Pushkar P. Lele

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Streptomyces bacteria have a linear chromosome and a complex life cycle, including development of multi-genomic hyphae that differentiate into mono-genomic exospores. Here, Szafran et al. show that the chromosome of Streptomyces venezuelae undergoes substantial remodelling during sporulation, from an ‘open’ to a ‘closed’ conformation.

    • Marcin J. Szafran
    • , Tomasz Małecki
    •  & Dagmara Jakimowicz

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Streptomyces bacteria have a linear chromosome, with core genes located in the central region and gene clusters for specialized metabolite biosynthesis found in the ‘arms’. Here, Lioy et al. show that such chromosome structure correlates with genetic compartmentalization, and the onset of metabolic differentiation is accompanied by a rearrangement of chromosome architecture.

    • Virginia S. Lioy
    • , Jean-Noël Lorenzi
    •  & Stéphanie Bury-Moné

  • Article
    | Open Access

    ParA is an ATPase involved in the segregation of newly replicated DNA in bacteria. Here, structures of a ParA filament bound to DNA and of ParA in various nucleotide states offer insight into its conformational changes upon DNA binding and filament assembly, including the basis for ParA’s cooperative binding to DNA.

    • Alexandra V. Parker
    • , Daniel Mann
    •  & Julien R. C. Bergeron

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Encapsulins are microbial protein compartments that sequester specific enzymes and are formed by self-assembly of a viral-like capsid protein. Here, Andreas and Giessen carry out a large-scale computational analysis of prokaryotic genomes to present a curated set of over 6,000 encapsulin-like systems, and present hypotheses about their potential biological functions.

    • Michael P. Andreas
    •  & Tobias W. Giessen

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Salmonella secretes the effector protein SopD into the host cell cytoplasm, leading to scission of the plasma membrane through unclear mechanisms. Here, Boddy et al. show that SopD binds to and inhibits the small GTPase Rab10, thus promoting removal of Rab10 and recruitment of dynamin-2 to drive plasma membrane scission.

    • Kirsten C. Boddy
    • , Hongxian Zhu
    •  & John H. Brumell

  • Article
    | Open Access

    The human pathogen Neisseria meningitidis colonizes blood vessels and causes vascular damage, despite a neutrophil-rich inflammatory infiltrate. Here, Manriquez et al. use a humanized mouse model to show that pathogen colonization of capillaries and arterioles creates an intravascular niche that precludes an effective action of neutrophils.

    • Valeria Manriquez
    • , Pierre Nivoit
    •  & Guillaume Duménil

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Septins are cytoskeletal proteins that assemble into complexes and contribute to immunity by entrapping intracellular bacteria in cage-like structures. Here, Lobato-Márquez et al. reconstitute septin cages in vitro using purified recombinant complexes, and study how these recognize bacterial cells and assemble as filaments on their surface.

    • Damián Lobato-Márquez
    • , Jingwei Xu
    •  & Serge Mostowy

  • Article
    | Open Access

    The Wzc–Wza complex forms part of the bacterial extracellular polysaccharides synthesis machinery, where cycling of the Wzc between phosphorylation states is crucial to both synthesis and export. Here the authors report the structure of the Wzc octamer and provide insight into its regulation through phosphorylation.

    • Yun Yang
    • , Jiwei Liu
    •  & James H. Naismith

  • Article
    | Open Access

    The folding of outer membrane proteins (OMPs) is catalyzed by the βbarrel assembly machinery (BAM). Here, structural and functional analyses of BAM stabilized in distinct conformations elucidate the roles of lateral gate opening and interactions of BAM with the lipid bilayer in OMP assembly.

    • Paul White
    • , Samuel F. Haysom
    •  & Sheena E. Radford

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Phospholipase ExoU from Pseudomonas aeruginosa acts on plasma membrane lipids in infected cells, causing membrane rupture and host cell necrosis. Here, Deruelle et al. show that once injected into the host cytoplasm, ExoU requires a host chaperone found on secretory vesicles to reach the plasma membrane and exerts its phospholipase activity.

    • Vincent Deruelle
    • , Stéphanie Bouillot
    •  & Philippe Huber

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Filamentous cable bacteria conduct electrical currents over centimeter distances through fibers embedded in their cell envelope. Here, Boschker et al. show that the fibers consist of a conductive core containing nickel proteins that is surrounded by an insulating protein shell.

    • Henricus T. S. Boschker
    • , Perran L. M. Cook
    •  & Filip J. R. Meysman

  • Article
    | Open Access

    The ability of the fungal pathogen Candida albicans to undergo yeast-to-hypha transition is believed to be a key virulence factor. Here, Dunker et al. show that a filament-deficient strain is attenuated in a mouse model of intraperitoneal infection, but remains virulent in a mouse model of systemic candidiasis.

    • Christine Dunker
    • , Melanie Polke
    •  & Ilse D. Jacobsen

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Effective chemotherapies against tuberculosis must kill the pathogen’s intracellular population. Here, Santucci et al. show that bacterial localisation within human macrophages impact pyrazinamide (PZA) accumulation and efficacy, and that combination with a second antibiotic (bedaquiline) enhances PZA accumulation via a host-dependent process.

    • Pierre Santucci
    • , Daniel J. Greenwood
    •  & Maximiliano G. Gutierrez

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